History. 
—vY~" great Condé, had received the command of the French 
View 
598 
Enghien, afterwards honoured with the title of the 
forces on the frontiers of Flanders. When the Spaniards 
plots of the invaded Champagne, he was scarcely twenty-one years 
great Condé. 
War 
in 
Flanders, 
Catalonia, 
and Ger- 
many, 
A.D. 
1646. 
. 1645, 
of age; but his want of experience was amply compen- 
sated by his genius. His orders were not to risk a 
battle ; yet, on receiving intelligence of the ——— 
Rocroy, he resolved tovattack the besiegers. Hitherto 
the Spanish infantry had been deemed invincible, but 
in this battle, the of the French, directed by 
the talents of their young general, deprived them of 
that character: They were broken by his impetuous 
charge ; the Count of Fuentes, who comman the 
army, perished on the field; #000 were killed, 20 pieces 
of cannon taken, Rocroi was saved, and the character 
of the Duke of Enghien stamped as a great general. 
When he heard of the death of the Spanish general, he 
exclaimed, “ I] could wish to have died like him, had 
I not been victorious!” Thionville; which had long 
been the object of Richelieu’s ambition and intrigues, 
but from the reduction of which, by force of arms, he 
had been deterred by its » next fell before the 
Duke. After this he Rhine, and advariced 
to av the death of Guibriant, who had fallen at the 
a Rotuil. On the death of this general, divisions 
and dissensions took place, of which the Imperialists 
took advantage, and gained the battle of Dutlingen, as 
well as other inferior en; ents in Swabia; Fri- 
bourg also was reduced by them. The Imperialists, 
after the reduction of this place, had formed an en- 
trenched camp under its walls, on hearing ofthe ap- 
proach of the French ; but the! Duke was not intimida- 
ted by their formidable position, nor their superior num- 
bers ; he attacked them in their camp, and, after a bat- 
tle which lasted three days, he defeated them. Philips- 
burgh and Mentz were the fruits of this victory ; while 
General Merci retreated in such good order, as to prove 
that, at the battle of Fribourg, he had only yielded to 
a general of the first rate talents. In Flanders, durin 
the years 1645, 1646, the Duke of Orleans reduc 
Gravelines, Mardyke, and Courtray ; but the French 
were not so successful in Catalonia, where Philip IV. 
defeated the Marshal de la Motte, and took Lerida and 
ah, In Bohemia, the Swedish, general Torten- 
sten gained a great victory; to improve the ad- 
vantages of which, Marshal Turenne was ordered to 
advance into the heart of Germany; but he committed 
an error in separating himself from his allies, and thus 
exposed himself to defeat. At first, indeed, he was 
successful; he crossed the Rhine at Brisac, and, ad- 
vancing towards the sources of the Danube, routed ‘the 
Imperialists. He next attempted to relieve Fribourg, 
which was invested by the Bavarian army, under the 
command of a brother of General Merci, but he was 
defeated. As soon as Cardinal Mazarine learned this, 
he ordered the Duke of Enghien to join Turenne with 
a reinforcement; and the two generals attacked the 
Count de Merci near Fribourg with such impetuosity, 
that he was obliged to retire with the loss of 3000 
men. This battle, which lasted seven hours, was im- 
mediately followed by another, in which the Bavarians at 
first were successful, but the Duke rallied his troops, and 
drove the enemy three times from their entrenchments, 
which they as often regained, till at last Merci, having 
lost nearly one-half off his army, resolved to. retreat. 
This he effected in good order, notwithstanding all the 
attempts of the French to harass him, leaying behind 
all their artillery and e, The consequences of 
this victory, were the reduction of all the towns situa- 
FRANCE. 
ted between the Rhine and the Moselle, from. Mentz to Histor 
After this, Torenne established his winter quarters — : 
at Marendahl, his troops di in the ‘ 
bouring villages. Pepe a1 pa hime 
he marched rapidly against him, and a 
victory. The Duke of Enghien was Saar = 
Cardinal to reinforce Turenne; and. the. two generals 
resolved to bring the Bavarians to a action. 
With this view, Turenne, whose day it was to com- 
mand, advanced at the head of his ca 3 
position of the enemy was so strong 
deemed safe to attack them. As soon, 
the Danube, and had got-as far-as Nordlingen when. 
the Bavarians came up with him. He immediately 
arranged his army in order of battle, on the very same: 
plain where the Swedes had suffered a defeat soon,af- 
ter the death of Gustavus, ‘The Bavarians were drawn. Battle of 
up on an eminence of easy ascent. The action was be-:Nordling 
gun by the’ French, who, at first gave way,/and suffer-, 4.5 
ed a great loss; nor could their utmost turnthe ~ 
tide of battle, till De Merci was slain-at the head.of 
his conquering troops. Even after his death, the Duke, 
would not have been able to have preserved his troops’ 
from destruction, had not Turenne attacked ‘the wight 
but the 
ready to gi 
Pavagien seme 
their cannon, 
were reduced, they were soon recovered by the Bere. 
The 
for he was sent, with an inferior army, very ill.equi 
ped, into Catalonia, to effect the pa ction of Le oe 
ipeseaBesbah gence 
e displeasure of Mazarine, 
and induced him to resign his command, |The Prince 
of Condé, on his arrival, found the lines of th 
M 
them, and the trenches i De Hag with a 
violins, eka ed ores manne 
very great skill and courage: he 
with continual sallies, and disputed pyr pe . 
0 Lun 
difficulties in forming their mines, by the ix 
vention of a rock; the troops were diminished by | 
tigue; the season was unfavourable for labour, and)pre- 
judical to health, on account of its,extreme heat; the 
Spanish army advanced to the relief of the place, and 
the Prince of Condé was obliged to raise the siege. 
‘  Hbieserta thasmageciatione. st mage a 4 
had yaried according to the, fortune of war; but 
French and Swedes being now decidedly victorious, the _ 
Em , deserted by his allies, was obliged to receive 
the these powers; and consented to purchase 
peace, by ceding to France the bishoprics of Metz, 
ee 
