whom it was approved, and war was proclaimed accordingly.

Lewis XIV. once arrived at the fummit of glory, but long fince grown familiar with difappointment and difgrace, ftill kept fpurring on an exhausted kingdom to fecond the views of his ambition. He now, therefore, upon the death of William, expected to enter upon a field open for conquefts and fame. The vigilance of his late rival had blafted all his laurels, and circumfcribed his power; for even though defeated, William ftill was formidable. At the news of his death, therefore, the French monarch could not fupprefs his rapture; and his court at Versailles feemed to have forgotten their ufual decency in the effufions of their fatisfaction. The people of Paris openly rejoiced at the event; and the whole kingdom tef tified their rapture by every public demonftration of joy. But their pleasure was foon to have an end. A much more formidable enemy was now rifing up to oppofe them; a more refined politician, a more fkilful general, backed by the confidence of an indulgent miftrefs, and the efforts of a willing nation.

The king of France was, in the queen's declaration of war, taxed with having taken poffeffion of a great part of the Spanish dominions, with defigning to invade the liberties of Europe, to obftruct the freedom of navigation and commerce; and with having offered an unpardonable infult to the queen and her throne, by acknowledging the title of the pretender. He was accused of attempting to unite the crown of Spain to his own domi nions by placing his grandfon upon the throne of that kingdom, and thus of endeavouring to deftroy the equality of power that fubfifted among the ftates of Europe.

This

This declaration of war on the part of the Englith, was feconded by fimilar declarations by the Dutch and Germans, all on the fame day. The French monarch could not fupprefs his anger at fuch a combination, but his chief refentment fell upon the Dutch. He declared with great emotion, that as for thofe gentlemen pedlars, the Dutch, they should one day repent their infolence and prefumption, in declaring war against one whofe power they had formerly felt and dreaded. However, the affairs of the allies were no way influenced by his threats. Marlborough had his views gratified, in being appointed general of the English forces; and he was ftill farther flattered by the Dutch, who, though the earl of Athlone had a right to fhare the command, appointed Marlborough generaliffimo of the allied army. And it must be confeffed, that few men fhone more, either in debate or action, than he; ferene in the midst of danger, and indefatigable in the cabinet; fo that he became the most formidable enemy to France that England had produced, fince the conquering times of Creffy and Agincourt.

A great part of the hiftory of this reign, confifts in battles fought upon the continent, which though of very little advantage to the interests of the nation, were very great additions to its honour. Thefe triumphs, it is true, are paffed away, and nothing remains of them; but they are too recent to be omitted in filence, and the fame of them, though it be empty, ftill continues to be loud.

The duke of Marlborough had learned the firft rudiments of the art of war, under the famous marthal Turenne, having been a volunteer in his army. He was at firft, rather more remarkable for the beauty of his perfon, than the greatnefs of his talents, and he went, in the French camp, by the name of the handsome Englishman; but Tu

renne,

renne, who faw deeper into mankind, perceived. the fuperiority of his talents, and prognofticated his future greatnefs. The first attempt that Marlborough made to deviate from the general practices, of the army, which were founded in error, was to advance the fubaltern officers, whofe merit had hitherto been neglected. Regardless of feniority, wherever he found abilities he was fure to promote them; and thus he had all the upper ranks of commanders, rather remarkable for their fkill and talents, than for their age and experi

ence.

In his first campaign, the beginning of July, he repaired to the camp at Nimeguen, where he found himself at the head of an army of fixty thousand men, well provided with all neceffaries, and long difciplined by the beft officers of the age. He was oppofed on the side of France, by the duke of Burgundy, grandson to the king, a youth more qualified to grace a court than to conduct an army; but the real acting general was the marshal BoufAlers, who commanded under him, an officer of courage and activity. But wherever Marlborough advanced, the French were obliged to retire before him, leaving all Spanish Guelderland at his difcretion. The duke of Burgundy, finding himself obliged to retreat before the allied army, rather than expofe himself longer to fuch a mortifying indignity, returned to Verfailles, leaving Boufflers to command alone. Boufflers, confounded at the rapidity of the enemies progrefs, retired towards Brabant, where Marlborough had no defign to purfue; contented with ending the campaign by the taking the city of Liege, in which was found an immenfe fum of money, and a great number. of prifoners. By the fuccefs of this campaign, Marlborough raifed his military character, and confirmed himself in the confidence of the allies,

naturally

naturally inclined to diftruft a foreign commander.

Marlborough, upon his return to London, was received with the most flattering teftimonies of public approbation. He was thanked for his fervices by the house of commons, and was created a duke by the queen. His good fortune feemed to confole the nation for fome unfuccefsful expeditions at fea. Sir John Munden had permitted French fquadron of fourteen ships to escape him, by taking fhelter in the harbour of Corunna, for which he was difmiffed the fervice by prince George. An attempt was alfo made upon Cadiz by fea and land, Sir George Rooke commanding the navy, and the duke of Ormond the land forces, but this alfo mifcarried. But the English arms were crowned with fuccefs at Vigo, where the duke of Ormond landed with five and twenty hundred men, at the distance of fix miles from the city; while the fleet forcing their way into the harbour, the French fleet that had taken refuge there were burned by the enemy, to prevent falling into the hands of the English. Eight fhips were thus burned and ran afhore; but ten fhips of war were taken, together with eleven galleons, and above a million of money in filver, which was of more benefit to the captors than the public.. The advantage which was acquired by this expedition was counterbalanced by the base conduct of fome officers in the Weft-Indies. Admiral Benbow, a bold rough feaman, had been ftationed in that part of the world with ten fhips, to diftress the enemies trade. Being informed that Du Caffe, the French admiral, was in thofe feas with a force equal to his own, he refolved to attack him; and foon after difcovered the enemies fquadron near St. Martha, fteering along the fhore. He quickly gave orders to his captains, formed the line of bat

tle,

tle, and the engagement began. He found, however, that the rest of his fleet had taken fome difguft at his conduct, and that they permitted him, almoft alone to fuftain the whole fire of the enemy. Nevertheless the engagement continued till night, and he determined to renew it the next morning. But he had the mortification to perceive that all the rest of his fhips had fallen back except one, who joined him in urging the pursuit of the enemy. For some days did this intrepid feaman, affifted only by one fhip, purfue and engage the enemy, while his cowardly officers, at a diftance behind, remained fpectators of his activity. His laft day's battle, was more furious than all the former: alone, and unfuftained by the reft, he engaged the whole French fquadron, when his leg was Thattered by a cannon ball. He then ordered that they should place him in a cradle upon the quarterdeck, and there he continued to give orders as before, till at last his fhip being quite difabled, was unfit to continue the chafe any longer. When one of his lieutenants expreffed his forrow for the lofs of the admiral's leg, "I am forry for it too, cried Benbow," but I had rather have loft both my legs, "than fee the dishonour of this day. But do you "hear, if another hot fhould take me off, behave like brave men, and fight it out.' He foon after died of his wounds; and his cowardly affociates, Kirby and Wade, were tried by a court martial, and fentenced to be shot. Hudfon died before his trial. Conftable, Vincent, and Fogg, came off with flighter punishment. Kirby and Wade were fent home in the Briftol man of war; and on their arrival at Plymouth fhot on board the ship, by virtue of a warrant for their immediate execution, which had lain there for fome time.

The next parliament, which was convened by the queen, was highly pleafed with the glare of fuccefs