F R A 
articles of flavery. All the towns on the other fide of 
the Rhine were to be ceded, witli Nimeguen, and feveral 
in the heart of the provinces; the Romifh religion was 
every where to be eftablifhed ; and a medal was annually 
to be prefented to the French court, importing that the 
Hollanders retained their freedom by the moderation of 
Louis. The indignation of the people at terms fo dis¬ 
graceful broke out in open fedition ; and inflead of arming 
to meet the haughty conqueror, they vented their rage 
ion the unhappy minifter. The unfortunate de Wit, and 
Tis brother Cornelius, were torn to pieces by the frenzy 
of the populace ; the moll fhoclcing indignities were ex- 
ercifed on their difmembered limbs ; and the united voice 
of the people invefted with the foie adminiftration Wil¬ 
liam prince of Orange. 
That prince, though only in the twenty-fecond year of 
Iris age, gave firong indications of all thofe great qualities 
by which his life was afterwards didinguilhed. The 
whole tenor of his demeanor fuited extremely the genius 
of the people whofe councils lie was called to direCt. Si¬ 
lent and thoughtful, he po Helled a found and Heady un- 
derftanding; was firm in his refolution, and indefatigable 
in bufinefs; and never fuffered pleafure to allure, or dan¬ 
ger to intimidate him. His prefence at the head of the 
army, in 1672, animated the drooping fpirits of his coun¬ 
trymen ; they refolved, if unable to maintain their free¬ 
dom in Europe, to fly to their fettlements in the Indies, 
and ereCt a free republic in thofe remote regions. While, 
to check the prefent progrefs of the viCtor, they called 
to their afliftance that deftru Clive element againft which 
they had formerly fo diligently fortified themfelves; and 
opening the fiuices, laid the adjacent country under water. 
Louis in the mean while made his triumphal entry into 
Utrecht; but he now quitted a campaign in which the 
difficulties of war were increafed, and the hopes of con- 
queft were diminilhed. He returned to his capital to en¬ 
joy the acclamations of his fubjeCtsfor fuccelfes which he 
owed to the merit of his generals, or to the panic of his 
enemies. But already a confederacy was formed to let 
bounds to his afpiring ambition. Spain ^privately aflifled, 
and the emperor openly fupported, the United Provinces ; 
count Luxemburgh was difappointed in an attempt on the 
Hague, and the bifbop of Munfter was repulfed trom the 
walls of Groningen- The enfuing year 1673, extended 
more widely the flames of war. The emperor and Spain 
openly declared themfelves the allies of the Dutch ; and 
the noufe of Auftria was now engaged to protect thofe 
provinces which during fo many, years (lie had endeavour¬ 
ed to opprefs. De Ruyter dill maintained his reputation 
at fea, and encountered in a fecond but indecidve aCtion 
the combined fleets of France and England. A third that 
foon after enfued, though equally obfiinaie and bloody, 
dill left the victory doubtful. But Louis, at the head of 
a numerous army, inveded, and in a week reduced, Ma- 
edricht. The prince of Orange in return laid dege to 
Naerden ; and the fuccefs of that enterprife confirmed the 
confidence of his coutrymen ; he immediately after di¬ 
rected his march to join Montecuculi, the imperial gene¬ 
ral, who on the banks of the Rhine was oppoled to Tu- 
renne ; the artful conduCt of that commander eluded the 
penetration of the marefchal, and he fuddenly fat down 
before Bonne. Under the walls of that city he was joined 
by the prince of Orange, who with fimilar addrefs had 
deceived and efcaped the vigilance of the French gene¬ 
rals. Bonne foon furrendered to their combined arms; 
feveral other places in the electorate of Cologne fell into 
their hands; the communication between France and the 
United Provinces was cut off; and Louis was obliged to 
recall his forces, and abandon all his conqueds with greater 
rapidity than he had made them. 
The remondrances of the Englidi parliament and the 
clamours of the people, compelled Charles to conclude a 
peace with the United Provinces. But, while he reluc¬ 
tantly deferted his ally Louis, he dill infided that ten 
thouland men whom he had detached to reinforce the 
N C E. 731 
army of that monarch, fliould not be recalled, though 
he confented to bind himfelf nev-er to recruit them. Evqn 
this fmall reinforcement was of importance to the affair's 
of the French king. Audria, Spain, and Holland, were 
firmly united againd him. The bifhop of Munfter and 
the eledtor of Cologne had been compelled to renounce 
his alliance ; yet Louis continued to make head every 
where againft his enemies, and even meditated new con- 
quefts. In perfon he invaded Franche Compte, took 
Betatron; and in dx weeks conquered the whole pro¬ 
vince, which has been ever fince annexed to the domi¬ 
nions of France. 
In Flanders the allied army was commanded by the 
prince ofOrange ; and the French by the prince of Conde. 
The former, encouraged by his fuperior numbers, endea¬ 
voured to penetrate into France ; but in the attempt he 
ralhly expofed at Seneffe a wing of his army, and his 
watchful adverfary failed not to feize and improve the 
advantage. But the prince of Orange amply compenfated 
for this error by bis behaviour in the obftinate action that 
enfued ; he rallied his troops, and led them back to the 
charge, and difputed every inch of ground with the mar¬ 
tial veterans of France. The conflict was continued till 
darknefs parted the combatants, and left the victory 
undecided. But the conduct of William was damped 
by the applaufe of his generous antagonid : “ The prince 
of Orange,” faid Conde, “ has acted in every thing like 
an old captain, except venturing Iris life like a young 
foldier.” 
In Alface Turenne difplayed againft a much fuperior 
enemy, all that military Ikill which his long experience 
had been able to acquire. By a fudden and forced march 
he attacked and routed at Sintzheim the duke of Lorraine 
and Caprara, the general of the imperialifts, and extended 
his devaftations over the whole palatinate. • Seventy thou- 
fand Germans were defeated by the fuperior prowefs of 
Turenne ; a condderable detachment was cut off at Mu I ha it- 
fen ; the eleClor of Brandenburg, who had been entrufted 
with the chief command, was routed near Colmar; a 
third detachment fullered file Tame fate at Turk- 
heim: and this formidable hod, baffled and difperfed, 
was obliged to evacuate Alface, and repafs the Rhine. 
At this juncture, and at the height of military fame, mar- 
Oial Turenne was killed by a cannon-ball, as he waserect- 
ing a battery near Saltzbach, in 1675. The news of his 
fate imprefled the king with the deeped forrow ; but it 
was in the camp where his lofs was mod: feverely felt, 
and fenlibly deplored. 
Louis in perfon now took the field in Flanders, and was 
oppofed by the prince of Orange with an equal army ; 
each party was unwilling to hazard a general engagement 
without fome vilible advantage. The monarch therefore 
returned to Verfailles, and left the prince of Conde to 
make head againft Montecuculi. Conde on this new 
field of aCtion confirmed the opinion of his fuperior genius. 
He compelled the Germans to raife the fieges of Hagenau 
and Saverne; he eluded their attempts to force him to a 
battle ; and at length condrained them to repafs the 
Rhine. With this campaign he clofed the long feries of 
his martial toils and glory ; the remnant of his life lie 
palfed in honourable retirement at Chantilly ; while Mon¬ 
tecuculi, full of years and fame, withdrew alfo from the 
theatre of war, unwilling to expofe that reputation in 
contefts with younger adverfaries, which he had acquired 
as the rival of Conde and Turenne. 
Though Louis was thus deprived of .two commanders 
whofe military talents have feldom been equalled, and ne¬ 
ver excelled, yet the vigour and difeipline which they 
had infufed into the armies dill continued to open the 
road to victory. Medina had revolted, and a fleet was 
difpatched to iupport the rebels. On this a commander 
of a fquadron, named John Baptift de Valbelle, greatly 
diftinguilhed hirwfeif. Though the Dutch lent a fleet to. 
fupport the Spaniards, yet Valbelle, with fix veflels and 
four fire-ftiips, made good his landing, took the caflle of San 
Salvador, 
