A. D. 1704. Anno tertio & quarto An n^ Reginte. C. 6. 175 ' England, and his Sureties have failed in their Credit, and are not able to pay the full Sums for which ' they fo ftand refpeOflively engaged, but may by the Affiftance of Friends, pay fome Part of the faid Debts ' to her Majefty, in cafe a Compofition be made with them for the ftme;' Be it enaded by the Authority aforefaid. That it fhall and may be lawful to and for the Lord High Treafurer, or Commiflioners of her Majefiry's Treafury for the Time being, or any three or more of them, at any Time before the five and twentieth Day oi March one tlioufand feveo hundred and fix, to make fuch Compofition or Agreement, as to him or them fliall feem reafonable, with the refpeitive Sureties of the faid iJay^waW y2wcA-j, their Heirs, Executors, or Adminiftrators, for fuch Debts as aforei'.iiJ; and, upon Payment of the Money fo and on Payment, compounded for, to caufe the faid Sureties, their Heirs, Executors, and Adminiftrators refpee'tively, to ^"f^il^areed. * be diicharged of and from the faid Bonds; but that the faid Raymond Roodey, his Heirs, Executors, an.l Adminiftrators, and every of them, fliall fland charged, and be liable to the Payment of the Money du.a upon the faid Bonds; any Thing herein contained to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithftanding. C A P. VI. An A61: for the better enabling her Majefty to grant the Honor and Manor of Woodjlock, with the Hundred of IVootton, to the Duke oi Marlborough and his Hrirs, in Confideracion of the eminent Services by him performed to her Majefty and the Pubhck. Moji Gracious Sovereign, ' WJ HE RE AS the eminent and unparalleled Services performed to your Majefty and the Crown of ' W England, by the moft noble John Duke of Marlborough, are well knovi'ii, not only to your Ma- ' jefty, and to all your Subjefts, but to all Europe, v/ho will always remember. That the Alliances ' which your Majefty's Royal Brother King William the Third, of glorious iv/iemory, had, in a little ' Time before his Death, contracted by the Miniftry of the faid Duke of Marlborough, as his Majefty's ' Ambaflador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the States General of the United Provinces, for pre- ' ferving the Liberties of Europe, againft the Ambition of France, /were immediately after your Majefty's ' happy Accefiion to the Throne, by the faid Duke, then employed by your A4ajefty in the fame Charafer, ' confirmed and improved, and others were contrafted, whereby the Confederacy, which had been diliolved ' at the End of the laft War, was re-united in a ftrifter and firmer League: And that in the firft Year of
- - your Majefty's Reign, the faid Duke of Marlborough did fo well execute the Commiffion and Orders
'. which he received from your Majefty, as Captain General and Commander in Chief of your Majefty's ' Fo ces, that he not only fecured and extended the Frontier of Flolland, by taking the Towns and ' Fortreffcs of Venh, Ruremond, Stevenfiveart, and Liege, but foon obliged the Enemy (who had been at the
- Gates o'i Nemighen) to feek Shelter behind their Lines; and the next Campaign, by taking Bon, Huy,
- ' and Limbourg, added all the Country between the Rhine and the Maes to the Conqueft of the preceding
' Year : And that in the memorable Year one thoufand feven hundred and four, when your Majefty was ' generoufly pleafed to take the Refolution of refcuing the Empire from that immediate Ruin, to which, ' by the Defeftion of the EleiStor of Bavaria, it was expofed, the Meafures, which by your Majefty's Wif- ' dom and Goodnefs had been devifed and conferted, were purfued by the faid Duke with the utmoft Dili- ' gence, Secrecy, and good Conduft, in leading the Forces of your Majefty, and your Allies, by a long ' and diiBcuIt March, to the Banks of the Danube, where the faid Duke did immediately upon his Arrival, ' attack and force the Bavarians (affifted by the French^ in their ftrong Intrenchments at Schellenberg, palfed ' the Danube, diftreffed the Country oi Bavaria, and a fecond Time fought the Enemies, who had been re- ' inforced by a Royal Army of the French King's beft Troops, commanded by a Marfhal oi France; and ' on the fecond Day of Augujl one thoufand feven hundred and four, after a bloody Battle, at or near Blen- ' heini (although the Enemies had the Advantages of Number and Situation) did gain as abfolute and glo- ' rfous a Viftory, as is recorded in the Hiftory of any Age; by which Bavaria being entirely reduced, R.a- ' tisbon, Augsbourg, Vim, Memminghen, and other Imperial Tov/ns recovered, the Liberty of the Diet and ' the Peace of the Empire was reftored, and Landau, 'Treves, and Traerbach, being taken, the War is carried 'into the Dominions of Frfl«i:^; And forafmuch as the happy Atchievements of the faid Duke, having ' apparently tended not only to the Honour and Safety of your Majefty, and your Subjedls, and of their ' Pofterity, but alfo towards the future Tranquillity of Europe; your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal ' Subjects, the Commons of ^wj/aW in Parliament aflembled, thought themfelves obliged, in an huTnble ' Addrefs to your Majefty, not only to exprefs t'neir great Senfe of the faid glorious Vi£lories, but alfo ' humbly to defire your Majclty, that you would be gracioufiy pleafed to confider of fome proper Means to ' perpetuate the Memory of fuch fignal Services : And your Majefty having been thereupon pleafed to fig- ' nify your Intention to grant the Intereft of the Crown in the Honor and Manor of IVooclfiock and the Hun- ' dred of Wootton, to the faid Duke and his Heirs;' your Majeft.y's faid dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of England in Parliament afiembled, duly confidering the good and prudent Provifion made by your Majefty, by an A£t of Parliament in the firft Year of our Reign, for prefeiving the Inheritance of i Annas, ftat. i. feveral Revenues of the Crown, and believing that the Settla-nent of the faid Honor, Manor, and Hun- <:•?• dred, on the faid Duke and his Heirs, can make no Precedent for Cafes where there is or fhall be lefs Merit, do moft humbly, cheerfully, and unanimoufly befeech your Majefty that it may be enaired; and be it ena£ted by the Queen's moft Excellent Majefty, by and v/ith the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the 3 fame.
