both in the field and on the scaffold. Leopold, the protector of Christendom, and the assertor of the rights of nations, was himself a tyrant and a persecutor. He was still engaged in hostilities with the Turks; but the taking of Belgrade by assault, joined to his other successes, enabled him to take part in the war against Lewis, whose vainglorious ambition had alarmed all Europe. Besides a jealousy for the liberties of Germany, Leopold had other motives for entering into this war. He was sensible, that the most Christian king, while persecuting his own Protestant subjects, for not conforming to the church of Rome, had supported the Protestants in Hungary! that he had incited them to take arms in defence of those heretical opinions, which he abhorred and that, by his intrigues, he had even encouraged the infidels to invade the holy Roman empire, the great bulwark of the Christian

world!

The French monarch, trusting to his great resources, prepared himself to repel the storm which his ambition had raised, with a vigour proportioned to the occasion. He assembled two armies in Flanders: he opposed a third to the Spaniards in Catalonia; and in order to form a barrier on the side of Germany, he laid waste the Palatinate with fire and sword, after having made himself master of its principal towns. This barbarous policy, which has been justly and severely blamed, can never be held in too much detestation. Men, women, and children were driven, in a severe season, out of their habitations, to wander about the fields, and to perish of hunger and cold; while they beheld their houses reduced to ashes, their goods seized, and their possessions pillaged by the rapacious soldiery. The terrible execution began at Manheim, the seat of the electors; where not only the palaces of those princes were razed to the ground, but their very tombs opened in search of hidden treasures, and their venerable dust scattered in the air.(1) Twice, during the reign of Lewis XIV., was this fine country desolated by the arms of France; but the flames lighted by Turenne, however dreadful, were only like so many torches, compared with the present frightful conflagration, which filled all Europe with horror.

Nor did that cruel expedient, so disgraceful to the character of the French monarch, answer the end proposed: it served only to increase the number and the rancour of his enemies. Though Lewis had near four hundred thousand men in the field, he found himself inferior to the allies. Eleven thousand English troops, commanded by the earl of Marlborough, augmented the army of Spain and the United Provinces, in Flanders, to near fifty thousand men. The Germanic body, united under the emperor, assembled three formidable armies, besides that opposed to the Turks; namely, one under the elector of Bavaria, who commanded on the Upper Rhine; another, and the main army, led by the duke of Lorrain, who acted on the Middle Rhine; and a third, conducted by the elector of Brandenburg, appeared on the Lower Rhine.

The duke of Lorrain, passing the Rhine at Coblentz, and the Moselle at Alcken, pursued his march through the forest of Saon, and laid siege to Mentz; while the elector of Brandenburg, with his own troops, and those of Westphalia invested Bonne. Both places were taken: and the French, under the mareschal d'Humieres, though determined to remain on the defensive in Flanders, were brought to an engagement by the prince of Waldec, and worsted at Walcourt.(2) Nor was Lewis more successful in Catalonia, where his troops were driven back to their own frontiers by the duke de Villa Hermosa; who, pursuing mareschal de Noailles, laid Roussillon under contribution, and obliged him to abandon Campredon, which he had taken in the beginning of the campaign.(3) The same bad fortune that seemed to persecute France, fell with still greater weight upon the grand seignior, her ally. The prince of Baden, who commanded for the emperor on the side of Hungary, defeated the Turks in three successive engagements. He forced their intrenchments on the banks of the Morava, he routed them at Nissa, and he (3) Mem. de Noailles, tom i.

(1) Voltaire, Siècle, chap. xv. Henault, 1689

(2) Id. ibid

obtained a complete victory at Widdin :(1) so that the most Christian king, who had expected a great diversion of the imperial forces by the infidels, now found himself obliged to rely on his own arms.

The enemies of France were still more numerous during the next campaign, but her generals were better chosen. The duke of Savoy having joined the allies, it became necessary for Lewis to send an army into Italy. This army was committed to the mareschal de Catinat, who united the fire of a hero to the coolness of a philosopher. Bred to the law, in which he would have excelled, he had quitted that profession in disgust, and risen to the highest military rank by the mere force of merit. He every where showed himself superior to his antagonist Victor Amadeus, though reputed an able general, and completely defeated him at Staffarada. In consequence of this victory, Saluces fell into the hands of the French; Suza, which commanded the passes between Dauphiné and Piedmont, was taken; and all Savoy, except the fortress of Montmelian, was soon reduced. (2)

The same success attended the arms of France on the frontiers of Spain, where all Catalonia was thrown into confusion; and Luxemburg, who united the conduct of Turenne to the intuitive genius of Condé, gave a new turn to her affairs in Flanders. Being suddenly joined by the mareschal de Boufflers, he advanced against the Dutch and Spaniards under the prince of Waldec; and an obstinate battle ensued, at Fleurus, near Charleroy; where, by a bold and decisive motion of his cavalry, he gained a complete but bloody victory. Covered from the view of the enemy by a rising ground, the French horse fell upon the flank of the Dutch, while engaged in front with the infantry. The Dutch cavalry were broken, and fled at the first shock; but their infantry stood firm, and performed signal feats of valour. Seven thousand were killed on the spot, before they gave way; and Luxemburg declared, that the Spanish infantry did not behave with more gallantry at Rocroy.(3)

Nothing memorable happened during the campaign on the French side of Germany. The inaction of the allies in that quarter may partly be ascribed to the death of the duke of Lorrain. This gallant prince, whose high spirit induced him to abandon his dominions, and become a soldier of fortune, rather than submit to the hard conditions offered him by Lewis XIV., at the peace of Nimeguen, had greatly distinguished himself on many occasions, and was become a consummate general. His injuries seem always to have been uppermost in his mind, except while engaged against the infidels, when religion was predominant. He threatened to enter Lorrain at the head of forty thousand men before the end of summer; a circumstance which appears to have given rise to the report of his having been poisoned by the emissaries of France. His letter to the emperor Leopold, his brother-in-law, written on his death-bed, strongly marks his character. "I am going," says he, "to give an account to a more powerful Master, of a life which I have devoted chiefly to your service. Remember that I leave behind me a wife, who is nearly related to you; children, who have no inheritance but my sword, and subjects who are in oppression !"(4)

Exas

The Turks were no less successful this campaign than the French. perated at the loss of their armies in Hungary and the neighbouring pro vinces, they had demanded the head of the grand vizier, which was granted them; and the new vizier, being a man of an active disposition, as well as skilful in the military art, made great preparations for carrying on the war with vigour. Nor did he neglect the arts of policy. The vaivode of Transylvania having died lately, he prevailed with the grand seignior to declare Tekeli, the chief of the Hungarian malecontents, his successor. This revolution, and the successes of Tekeli, obliged the prince of Baden, who commanded the imperial army in Hungary, to march into Transylvania. During his absence, the Turks took Nissa, Widdin, and even Belgrade; which was

1) Barre, tom. x.

3) Id. ibid.

VOL. II.-S

(2) Voltaire, Siécle, chap. xv. Henault, 1699.

(4) Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol i

carried by assault, after a bloody siege, in consequence of the blowing up of the powder magazine. All Upper Hungary, beyond the Tibiscus, fell into their hands; and they took winter quarters in that country, with every prospect of improving their advantages, as soon as the season would permit.(1)

Amid the misfortunes of the allies during this campaign, we ought not to omit the defeat of the combined fleet of England and Holland, by the French; an event which, in speaking of the affairs of Great Britain, I have already hinted at, but found no opportunity to describe. The scene of action lay off Beachy-head; where the fleet of France, under Tourville, was with diffidence attacked by two maritime powers, who had long contended singly for the sovereignty of the ocean. So great, indeed, had the exertions of Lewis been in raising his navy, that the allies were inferior to Tourville, both in the size and the number of their ships; but their skill in seamanship, and the memory of their former exploits, it was hoped, would make up for their deficiency in force. It happened, however, otherwise.

After the hostile fleets had continued five days in sight of each other, the earl of Torrington, who commanded in chief for the allies, bore down upon the enemy; in consequence of express orders to hazard a battle, which he had hitherto carefully avoided. The Dutch squadron, which formed the van of the combined fleet, was engaged with the van of the French about eight o'clock in the morning; and the blue division of the English, before nine, attacked the rear of the enemy with great vigour. But the red division, which formed the centre, and which Torrington conducted in person, did not come into action, till an hour later; and even then at such a distance from the Dutch, as to permit their whole division to be surrounded by the French. Though the Dutch fought with great courage, most of their ships were disabled; three of the line were sunk in the engagement, and three burnt in the flight. Besides many brave seamen, two of their admirals and several captains were slain. The English, who were in the action, suffered extremely. The French ships were well manned; their fire was regular and rapid, and their management of the sails during the action skilful and expeditious. Their ignorance of the course of the tides, and their pursuing in a line, only could have prevented them from totally breaking the naval force of England and Holland. (2) In this unfortunate battle, the allies lost eight ships of the line, and several others were rendered utterly unfit for service ;(3) but was attended with no farther consequences of any importance.

The progress of the French, during the next campaign, was not equal to what might have been expected from their victories in the foregoing; nor was the success of the allies answerable to their hopes. Though Lewis in person took Mons, in the beginning of April, in defiance of king William, who had placed himself at the head of the confederate army, the summer was spent in a state of inactivity, and passed without any memorable event on the side of Flanders. On the frontiers of Germany the war languished; and although the French were successful in Catalonia, they had no reason, on the whole, to boast of their good fortune. The conquests of Catinat in Italy were checked by prince Eugene and the young duke of Schomberg; who repulsed him at Coni, in Piedmont, and obliged him soon after to repass the Po. Meanwhile, the Turks, on the side of Hungary, lost all the advantage which they had acquired in the preceding campaign. They were totally routed by the prince of Baden, at Salankeman, with the loss of twenty thousand men; and the grand vizier, the seraskier, and most of their principal officers being slain, the remains of their ariny found it necessary to seek shelter beyond the Saave.(4)

William and Lewis, the following spring, set out on the same day to join their respective armies, and the highest hopes were formed on both sides. Lewis suddenly sat down before Namur, with an army of forty-five thousand

(1) Barre, tom. x. Heiss, lib. iii.

(2) Torrington's Letter to Carmarthen, July 1, 1690. Kennet. Ralph. Burnet.

(3) Id. ibid.

(4) Voltaire, Siècle, chap. xv. Henault, 1691. Barre, tom. z

men; while Luxemburg, with another army, covered the siege of that important place, which is situated at the conflux of the Sambre and the Maese. The town was strong, the citadel was deemed impregnable: the garrison consisted of ten thousand men, under the prince of Barbason; and the famous Cohorn defended in person a new fort, which bore his name, while Vauban directed the attack. The eyes of all Europe were turned towards Namur, where two great kings contended for glory and conquest. William advanced to the relief of the place, with an army of eighty thousand men; but the strong position of Luxemburg, on the banks of the Mehaign, which ran between the two armies, and the unexpected rains, which had not only swelled the stream, but formed into morasses the adjoining fields, deterred him from hazarding an engagement. Meanwhile, Lewis, having taken the town, pressed with vigour the siege of the new fort; and Cohorn, after an obstinate defence, was obliged to capitulate. The fate of the citadel was soon after decided, and Lewis returned in triumph to Versailles.(1)

In order to recover that reputation which he had lost by not succouring Namur, William endeavoured to surprise the French army, under Luxemburg, at Steinkirk. The attack was chiefly made by the British troops, in columns. They pressed with amazing intrepidity upon the right wing of the enemy, notwithstanding the disadvantage of ground; broke their line, took their artillery, and, if properly supported, would have gained an undisputed victory. But William and his Dutch generals not only failed to second the efforts of those brave battalions with fresh troops, but to charge the enemy's left wing, when their right was thrown into disorder. (2) In consequence of these mistakes, the battle was totally lost. The English, neglected by their allies, and left to sustain alone the whole shock of the household troops of France, led by Luxemburg, and encouraged by the presence of the princes of the blood, were at length obliged to give ground, and almost all cut in pieces. Nor was the loss of the French less considerable. Partial as the engagement proved, above ten thousand men fell on both sides, in the space of two hours; and the veteran Luxemburg declared, that he never was in so hot an action. (3) William's military character suffered greatly by this battle; and the hatred of the English against the Dutch became violent in the highest degree.(4) "Let us see what sport these English bull-dogs will make!" was the cool, sarcastical reply of count Solmes, when ordered to advance to the support of the British troops.

The allies were less unfortunate in other quarters. The French, by exerting their whole force in Flanders, left their own country exposed. The army under the mareschal de Catinat, being too weak to resist the duke of Savoy, that prince entered Dauphiné, and sufficiently revenged himseli for the insults which he had received in his own dominions, during the two preceding campaigns. He ravaged the country, he reduced the fortified towns, and sickness only prevented him from acquiring very important conquests.(5) Nothing of any consequence happened on the Rhine, though there the French had rather the advantage. The affairs of the allies went better on the borders of Hungary. Great Waradin, after a long blockade, was taken by the imperialists; and those disorders which usually attend the misfortunes of the Turks, involved the court of Constantinople in blood.

Elated with his past successes, Lewis XIV. opened the next campaign with great pomp in Flanders. He went thither in person, attended by his whole court, and appeared at the head of an army of one hundred and twenty thousand men. Nothing less was expected from such a force than the entire conquest of that fine country. But Lewis, influenced by motives which have never yet been sufficiently explained, suddenly disappointed the hopes of his friends, and quieted the fears of his enemies. He sent part of his army into Germany, under the dauphin and leaving to Luxemburg the conduct of the military operations in Flanders, returned to Versailles with his court.(6)

(1) Voltaire, Siècle, chap. xv. Henault, 1691. Barre, tom. x. (3) Id. ibid.

(5) Theat. Europe, 1692. Henault, sub an.

(2) Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol. i. (4) Burnet, book v.

(6) Burnet, book v. Duke of Berwick, vol 1.

This unexpected measure has been ascribed to the strong position of the allies at Parks, near Louvain, where king William had judiciously encamped his army, in order to cover Brussels, and by which he is supposed to have disconcerted the designs of the French monarch. But William, who had only fifty thousand men, would not have dared, as the duke of Berwick very justly observes, to wait the approach of so superior a force as that under Lewis; or, if he had, he must have been overwhelmed; and Brussels, Liege, and even Maestricht, must have fallen.(1) This, adds the duke, makes the king's departure, and the division of his army, the more unaccountable. A slight indisposition, and the anxiety of Madame de Maintenon (his favourite mistress, who accompanied him), for the health and safety of her royal lover, probably saved Flanders; though Lewis himself, in a letter to the mareschal de Noailles, ascribes his sudden change of measures to a desire of peace, and a conviction that it could only be procured by vigorous exertions in Germany.(2)

The duke of Luxemburg, with the main body of the French army, after having attempted in vain, by a variety of movements, by taking Huy and threatening Liege, to bring the allies to an engagement, resolved to attack them in their camp, when they were weakened by detachments. He accordingly quitted his post at Hellicheim, suddenly crossed the Jaar, and advanced towards them by forced marches. His van was in sight before they were advised of his approach; but as it was then almost evening, William might have retired in the night with safety, had he not depended upon the strength of his position and the bravery of his troops. The river Geete bounded his right, and ran winding along his rear. On the left, and in the front of the left, was the brook of Landen. A thick hedge covered part of the front of his right wing. The village of Neerwinden, with intrenchments before it, was situated between the left end of the hedge and his centre, the right joining the Geete. The village of Romsdorff stood farther advanced, opposed to the front of the left wing, and the intrenchments before it stretched to the brook of Landen. A line of intrenchments extended themselves behind the two villages, and behind these the army of the allies was formed. Their whole front was covered with one hundred pieces of cannon; which, by being advantageously placed on an eminence, commanded all the approaches to their line.(3)

The duke of Luxemburg, on the evening of his arrival, dislodged a detachment of the allies, posted in the village of Landen, which stood advanced before the brook of that name. Between this village and that of Romsdorff he placed forty battalions in the night: he formed his centre of eight lines of horse and foot intermixed; and his horse, on the left wing, were ordered to extend themselves to the Geete, opposite their line to the thick hedge which covered the enemy's right. About five in the morning this arrangement was completed: a cannonading took place on both sides, and the duke of Berwick, with two other lieutenant-generals, Rubantel and Montchevreuil, were ordered to begin the attack; Rubantel on the intrenchments to the right of Neerwinden, with two brigades; Montchevreuil on the left, with the same number; and the duke of Berwick on the village, with two other brigades. The village projected out beyond the plain; so that the duke of Berwick, who was in the centre, attacked first. He forced the allies to abandon their post: he drove them from hedge to hedge, as far as the plain, at the entrance of which he formed again in order of battle. But the troops destined to attack on his right and left, instead of following their instructions, thought they would be less exposed to the enemy's fire by throwing themselves into the village; in consequence of which attempt, they got at once into his rear; and the allies, perceiving this blunder, re-entered Neerwinden by the right and left, now entirely unguarded. A terrible conflict ensued. The four brigades under Rubantel and Montchevreuil were thrown into confusion, and driven

(1) Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol. L

(3) Mem. de Fouquieres. Berwick's Mem. ubi sup.

(2) Mem. de Noailles tom. i