736 FRA 
from the unavailing conflict. Yet his retreat partook in 
nothing of flight. It was neither confufed nor precipitate; 
eight thoufand of the French were indeed left dead on the 
ground ; but the confederates purchafed the honour of 
the battle at the expence of twenty thoufand men. 
Mons furrendered to the allies, and clofed the campaign 
in Flanders. The efforts of the contending powers in 
Spain, Germany, and Italy, were feeble and inadequate ; 
but in the north the king of Sweden, who had endea¬ 
voured to penetrate into the heart of Ruflia, was at Pul- 
towa defeated by the czar Peter the Great; the Swediih 
army was entirely deftroyed ; and Charles, who had 
afpired to rival the fame of Alexander, wounded and ac¬ 
companied only by a few faithful guards, croffed the 
Boryfthenes, and fought thelter in the Ottoman dominions. 
The negotiations for peace had in 1710 been refumed 
with as little fuccefs as in the enfuing year. The allies 
took the field, and marefchal Villars ftudioufly avoided a 
decifive engagement. Douay, Bethune, Saint Venant, 
and Aire, were fucceflively reduced by the confederates ; 
but thefe towns were long and obftinately defended ; and 
the befiegers loft by the fword, by difeafe, and fatigue, 
above twenty-fix thoufand men ; difabled by fuccefs, and 
fatisfied with their new acquifitions, they withdrew into 
winter quarters. Germany and Italy prefented nothing 
worthy of attention; but in Spain the campaign that had 
opened with events the mod inaufpicious to the houfe of 
Bourbon, was clofed with the raoft fplendid fuccefs. In 
the battle of Almanza, the rival monarchs encountered 
each other with mutual animofity ; but Philip was com¬ 
pelled to yield to the fuperior fortune of Charles. In 
the battle of Saragoffa he buffered a fecond and more 
bloody defeat; Madrid was again occupied by the con¬ 
federates ; and the fituation of Philip appeared defperate 
to his mod fanguine adherents. But he was raifed from 
defpondency by the courage and conduct of the duke of 
Vendome. His affability, franknefs, and generofity, con¬ 
ciliated the edeem of every clafs of men ; lie again re¬ 
kindled the enthufiafm of the Cadilians, affembled the 
troops fcattered by the defeat of Saragoffa, allured to his 
dandard the mod gallant fpirits of Spain, conducted the 
king in triumph to his capital, and purfued with vigour 
the adonidted and difmayed enemy. At Brehuega gene¬ 
ral Stanhope, with five thoufand Englifh, furrendered 
after a brave relidance ; at Villa Viciofa, Staremberg was 
defeated with the lofs of near fix thoufand men; and 
though his retreat challenged the admiration of Iris ad- 
v,erfary, yet the progrefs of Vendome was rapid and unin¬ 
terrupted ; and Portugal in her turn was taught by the 
viCtors to experience the calamities of war. 
But the fuccefs of Philip of Spain in the campaign 
of 1710, could not alleviate thedidrefs of France, though 
it might moderate tire prefumption of her enemies ; that 
kingdom, totally exhauded by her inceffant ed'orts, pre¬ 
fented a fcene of dreary defolation ; yet the peace which 
fhe had in vain implored by tire mod humiliating concef- 
fions, was, in 1711, facilitated, and her hopes enlivened 
"by two events as favourable as they were unexpected. 
Amidd a glorious and fuccefsful war, the queen of Eng¬ 
land was prevailed on to difmifs thofe nriniders who had 
conducted it, and admit to her councils a new defcription 
of nren, who had fydematically laboured to oppofe it. 
About the fame time, in the vigour of his age, the em¬ 
peror Jofeplr expired ; and his brother Charles, the com¬ 
petitor of Philip for Spain, was raifed to the imperial 
throne. The confederates had been aroufed to aCtion by 
the dread of uniting in one hand the fceptres of France 
and Spain; and they could not but regard with dnrilar 
jealoufy, tire latter kingdom added to the hereditary do¬ 
minions of Charles, and the power that he would derive 
from the Imperial crown. 
Though the female paffions of queen Anne had exiled 
his friends from her confidence, yet the reputation of 
Marlborough preferved him from being involved in their 
immediate difgrace; he once more refumed the command 
N C E. 
in Flanders; and Villars, who was alfo again oppofed to 
him, well acquainted with the ardent defire of Louis for 
peace, and confcious that he conducted the laft army tire 
ftate could furnifn, dexteroufiy eluded every effort of the 
confederates to force him to a decifive engagement. Fie 
had encamped behind the river Sanfet, and had fortified 
his lines with fitch (kill and diligence, as obtainedfor them 
the character of impenetrable. But lie was deceived by 
the mafterly prowefs of Marlborough ; he was compelled 
to abandon the works on which fo much coft and labour 
had been beftowed, and had the mortification of beholding 
the allies invert and reduce the rtrong and important tor- 
trefs of Bouchain. This laft enterprife of Marlborough, 
in 1712, clofed the long and fplendid feries of his martial 
exploits ; he was recalled to England ; and foon after, 
difgufted at the afcendancy of a party whofe implacable 
enmity he was no rtrangerto, refigned bis command. His 
place was fupplied by the duke of Ormond, equal to him 
alone in perfonal courage, and whofe attachment to the 
new miniftry was his principal recommendation. But 
while each power prepared with vigour for a fecond 
campaign, effectual negociations for peace were fecretly 
carried on between the courts of Paris and London, 
Louis entrufted this important and delicate concern to the 
knowledge and addrefs of Manager, deputy from the city 
of Rouen ; certain preliminaries were by bis diligence 
and prudence adjufted ; but before they could be pro¬ 
mulgated, the operations of war were refumed in Flan¬ 
ders. Villars (till remained upon the defenfive, and 
fuftained the cautious part that he had aCted in the pre¬ 
ceding campaign ; but prince Eugene burnt the fuburbs 
of Arras; and was no fooner joined by the duke of Or¬ 
mond, than he advanced towards the French, and pro- 
pored to the duke to give battle; but the Englifh general 
had received inftruCtions not to hazard an engagement, 
and the prince, difappointed in this favourite objeCt, in¬ 
verted Qnefnoi. Before that town furrendered, a cefftt- 
tion of arms was proclaimed between France and Great- 
Britain ; the duke of Ormond, with the Britifti troops, 
withdrew from the confederates, and directed his march 
towards Dunkirk, which was delivered by Louis to the 
Englifli as a pledge of his intentions to fulfil the prelimi¬ 
naries of peace which his envoy had figr.ed. 
Though defected by fo important an ally, the army of 
prince Eugene was (till formidable. Marefchal Villars 
beheld with indignation Qnefnoi taken in his fight; and 
the_confederates foon after inverted Landreci. But prince 
Eugene is accufed of bad generalfhip on this occafion, 
which did not efcape the vigilance of his antagonift. His 
lines wei-e too much extended ; his magazines at Mar- 
chiennes were at too great a diftance, and the earl of 
Albemarle, who was ported between Denain and the 
prince’s camp, was not near enough to be fupported in 
cafe of an attack. Villars ordered his cavalry to advance 
within fight of the camp of the prince; and while that 
quarter of the confederates prepared for aftion, he rapidly 
prefted forwards with his infantry towards Denain, pierced 
the intrenchments of Albemarle, cut in pieces thofe who 
refilled, forced the furvivors to feek their fafety in flight, 
took that general prifoner, and tlaughtered or difperied a 
body of fourteen thoufand men. Prince Eugene had 
haftened to their fnpport, but before he could arrive the 
action was over, in endeavouring to wreft from the 
French a bridge over the Scheld which they had occupied, 
he augmented his lofs ; and was at laft obliged to with¬ 
draw to his camp, after having witnefled the defeat of his 
belt troops. 
All the ports along the Scarpe, as far as Marchiennes, 
were now recovered by tlie arms of France, and Mar¬ 
chiennes itfelf was foon after inverted by Villars; though 
defended by a garrifon of four thoufand men, inch was 
the ardour of the affailants, that it was compelled to fur- 
render in three days ; all the ammunition and provifions 
that the enemy had laid tip for the whole campaign, fell 
into the hands of the French ; the confederates retired 
1 from 
