MARLBOROUGH DUKE OF: (1650-1722) John Churchill. English Soldier and Statesman. Commander-in-Chief o...

MARLBOROUGH DUKE OF: (1650-1722) John Churchill. English Soldier and Statesman. Commander-in-Chief of the Forces 1690-91, 1702-08. A.L., unsigned (evidently a deliberate act given the nature of the correspondence, although with the Duke's paraph at the conclusion), one page, small 4to, The Hague, 19th March 1709, to [Thomas] Coningsby. Marlborough acknowledges receipt of his correspondent's letter 'and send you the enclos'd Cypher that you may write with more freedome', continuing 'I also aprove of your advice as to 2. and shall take a proper time' and further adding 'By my next you shall have my opinion as to the Peace, in the mean time it looks as if there wou'd be a necessity of making this Campagne'. With integral address leaf in Marlborough's hand and bearing a good black wax seal (area of paper loss and small tears where originally broken). Accompanied by the original Key to the Cypher referred to in the letter, one page, 8vo, headed 'Key to the Cypher' and comprising a list of numbers in the left margin, some with names alongside, '240, 7, 15, 42, 200, 78 - Mr. A. Mainwaring, 199, 185, 39 - D. of Marlboro', 16 - Ld. Coningsby, 28, 31, 5, 200, 38'. With a few additional pencil annotations in an unidentified hand. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, VG, 2 £300-400 Thomas Coningsby (1656-1729) 1st Earl Coningsby. English Politician. Marlborough's letter is written during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14) and shortly before he was directly involved in the abortive peace negotiations which took place at The Hague in May 1709. The French had re-opened talks and the Allies presented terms known as the Preliminaries of Hague: King Philip V of Spain was required to cede his throne to Archduke Charles, the younger son of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, without compensation and France assist in his removal if that was not done within two months. King Louis XIV of France was prepared to abandon Spain, but not to wage a war on his own grandson. When the proposal became public, the peace demands were considered so offensive that it strengthened the French resolve to fight on. Marlborough now launched an offensive in Northern France, leading to the Battle of Malplaquet on 11th September 1709.