text_original: The policy of the French had, up to this time, been to evade anything like a decisive encounter on a grand scale, to play a sort of waiting game, and to take all the advantage they possibly could from the difficulties put in Marlborough's way by the slowness of his allies and by the manner in which the forces of the Grand Alliance were compelled to act on so many and so widely separated fields.
text_transcription: THE POLICY OF THE FRENCH HAD UP TO THIS TIME BEEN TO EVADE ANYTHING LIKE A DECISIVE ENCOUNTER ON A GRAND SCALE TO PLAY A SORT OF WAITING GAME AND TO TAKE ALL THE ADVANTAGE WHICH THEY POSSIBLY COULD FROM THE DIFFICULTIES PUT IN MARLBOROUGH'S WAY BY THE SLOWNESS OF HIS ALLIES AND BY THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FORCES OF THE GRAND ALLIANCE WERE COMPELLED TO ACT ON SO MANY AND SO WIDELY SEPARATED FIELDS
phonemes: ðə pˈɑːlɪsi ʌvðə fɹˈɛntʃ hˌæd, ˌʌp tə ðɪs tˈaɪm, bˌɪn tʊ ɪvˈeɪd ˈɛnɪθˌɪŋ lˈaɪk ɐ dᵻsˈaɪsɪv ɛŋkˈaʊntɚɹ ˌɔn ɐ ɡɹˈænd skˈeɪl, tə plˈeɪ ɐ sˈɔːɹt ʌv wˈeɪɾɪŋ ɡˈeɪm, ænd tə tˈeɪk ˈɔːl ðɪ ɐdvˈæntɪdʒ ðeɪ pˈɑːsᵻbli kʊd fɹʌmðə dˈɪfɪkˌʌltiz pˌʊt ɪn mˈɑːɹlbəɹˌoʊz wˈeɪ baɪ ðə slˈoʊnəs ʌv hɪz ˈælaɪz ænd baɪ ðə mˈænɚ ɪnwˌɪtʃ ðə fˈɔːɹsᵻz ʌvðə ɡɹˈænd ɐlˈaɪəns wɜː kəmpˈɛld tʊ ˈækt ˌɔn sˌoʊ mˈɛni ænd sˌoʊ wˈaɪdli sˈɛpɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd fˈiːldz.