MARLBOROUGH AND HIS METHODS OF WARFARE. 109 
masters of the art of war since Julius Casar—he fought in Holland 
at Nimeguen. His gallantry—Marlborough’s I mean—gained him 
high commendation from Louis XIV., who had a wide experience of 
able and daring commanders. At another Dutch fortress, Maestricht, 
he saved the life of his commander, the Duke of Monmouth. He then 
came home, and we must pass over his career again till the last days 
of William III. and the commencement of the war of the Spanish 
Succession. 
Lord Bacon makes a very wise remark in his “ Hssay on the 
Vicissitudes of Things,” when he says that on the breaking up of great 
Empires we may look for long continued wars. This pithy remark he 
illustrated by the fall of the Persian Empire, by the fall of the Roman 
Empire, by the beginning of the decay, as it was in his day, of the 
Turkish Empire, but he did not live to see it illustrated by the fall of 
the Power that was strongest in his time, that is to say the Spanish 
Himpire. We are living to see it illustrated with regard to a vast 
Eastern Empire. What may become of China must “make us pause.” 
At the beginning of the eighteenth century the last Spanish King of 
the House of Austria, Charles II., dying and leaving no heirs, his 
dominions immediately became the object of the ambition of a great 
number of princes. His dominions were almost as wide-spread as the 
British Empire is now: he ruled not only Spain, but Belgium; he ruled 
a considerable portion of the north of Italy and also the two Sicilies; 
he held sway over a great part of the south of North America and 
South America and over the West Indian Islands and over the Islands 
of the Indian Archipelago. I need scarcely say that a patrimony such 
as this was a good bone of contention. Louis XIV. wanted it, first 
for himself directly and ultimately for his grandson; the Austrians 
also wanted it; the Bavarians wanted part of it; England did not 
exactly want it, but she wanted to prevent France from becoming more 
influential and upsetting the balance of Power, and accordingly a 
tremendous coalition was formed against France, consisting of Holland, 
England, Austria, and several smaller German States, such as Prussia, 
and in due time also Portugal and Savoy. There was fighting in 
Spain, as you all know, which gave us Gibraltar and made the name 
of Peterborough famous; there was fighting in Italy illustrated by a 
remarkable march of Prince Eugene and by the battle of Turin; there 
was fighting at sea; itis not our text to dwell much upon that; but 
it must be slightly dealt with later on and fighting in Belgium and 
Germany—and we must dwell upon that. The fighting began so far 
as Marlborough was concerned in 1702. I think Major Abdy has put 
a little chronicle on the side of the map of the general theatre of oper- 
ations. It began in 1702 with matters that I do not think I have time 
to set forth, but which were of considerable importance at that time. 
Holland was in danger of an invasion through Belgium by French 
troops; the German princes on the Lower Rhine were connected with 
France, for example the Elector of Cologne, the Prince Bishop of 
Liége and others, and it was necessary before going further that 
Marlborough should secure the left flank, looking south, of Holland, 
eyen as the right, looking south, was secured by the fact that the 
