108 MARLBOROUGH AND HIS METHODS OF WARFARE. 
Seen more service than the officers of half-a-dozen German army corps 
put together. Again there is another reason—not only because 
Marlborough was a predecessor of your Lordship’s as Commander-in- 
chief, which renders him particularly interesting at the present moment, 
and that reason is that in his own time Marlborough at the battle of 
Blenheim was not only Commander-in-Chief of the British army, but 
also Grand-Master of the English artillery (applause). 
Ido not propose this evening to weary you with any details of the 
private character of Marlborough. ‘To me the study of his private 
character has been neither very profitable nor edifying nor instructive. 
We are here to discuss his public character, and if he had some faults 
in his private character, his faults were so entirely overbalanced by 
his virtues that we may well forget them; and even if he had con- 
siderable faults, as Britons we are bound to remember not some 
of these faults, but the grand services, the immortal benefits, which he 
conferred upon his native land. Bolingbroke I think settled once 
for all the value of any discussions as to the private character of 
Marlborough. Somebody was talking about his avarice before 
Bolingbroke. At the time Bolingbroke was a personal enemy and 
a political opponent of Marlborough, and conduced in no small degree 
to his fall while in the very plenitude of his career of victory. What 
was the reply? “Do not talk to me of Marlborough’s avarice ; 
talk to me of his victories. When I remember these I forget that 
failing of his” (applause). This evening, gentlemen, I propose to 
deal with his victories. You may say, why not also deal with his 
defeats? Well in point of fact I cannct remember any of his defeats. 
He is about the only soldier who had command of a coalition under 
the most extraordinary difficulties with a heterogeneous bevy of 
mercenaries under his command, as well as troops of his own country, 
who never failed. There was a proverb about him: that he never 
entered upon an engagement that he did not win: that he never 
entered upon a negotiation in which he was not successful: that he 
never sat down before a fortress which he did not take: that he never 
courted a lady without gaining entire possession of her good will: and 
that he never lent money at less interest than ten per cent. (laughter). 
The two latter phases of his character may be ignored; the three former 
we must dwell upon. But before dwelling upon his exploits on the 
continent I just wish also to mention another matter—his career at 
home. -I am not in the least degree elated by remembering that 
certain Englishmen were fighting and killing each other at the battle 
of Sedgemoor at which, by the way, the Royalist success was entirely 
due to our hero. I think they would have been far better employed 
in killing some foreigners on the continent. I do not care at all about 
the disputes between Marlborough and William III. William III. had 
his failings as well as Marlborough, and had his ambitions as well as 
Marlborough. William III. however did great service to this country, 
and I will not enter into any comparison between him and Marlborough. 
Let us then at once go to Marlborough on the continent, where he won 
eternal fame, not only for himself but for his compatriots. 
Marlborough began his career under Turenne, one of the greatest 
