Battle of Al

menara.

Segre at Lerida, and is a branch of the Segre which falls into the Ebro. The Spanish army-under the command of Villadarias, the gallant veteran who had stirred up the resistance to the allies at Cadiz, now drawn from retirement by his country's need -was prepared to dispute the entrance of the allies into Aragon. For the greater part of the months of June and July there was no action of importance. Stanhope was always in favour of bolder counsels, and always met with resistance from Staremberg and Charles. At the end of July the allies advanced, and had just crossed the river Noguera, when the enemy came in sight. The others were still unwilling to fight, and at about six in the evening the Spaniards sent some squadrons of cavalry down the hill as it were to defy the English to an engagement. A loud cry of shame broke from the English ranks. Stanhope at length obtained a reluctant consent. Though there was but half an hour's daylight left, he drew up his cavalry in two lines and charged, himself at their head. Stanhope himself engaged the general in command of the Spanish cavalry, and killed him with one blow of his sword. This almost Homeric incident is portrayed on the medal struck in honour of the battle. The charge was wholly successful, the enemy were routed, and their camp taken. Philip himself was in great danger, and only escaped through the bravery of his friends. The half-hour was sufficient, though Stanhope wished for more time. 'If we had had but two hours more of daylight,' he wrote, 'you may be assured that not one foot soldier of their army could have escaped.' 'If God had granted us,' wrote one of his subalterns, 'the same favour that He did to Joshua, to stop the sun two or three hours, none of their infantry and very few of their cavalry would have escaped.' The infantry of the allies was not engaged at all.

Battle of
Saragossa.

The result of the battle of Almenara was that even Charles and Staremberg consented to advance; but one month later Stanhope had almost the same difficulty to induce them to fight again. The scene of the next battle was Saragossa, the ancient capital of Aragon, famous in later history for its stubborn resistance to the French. Stanhope managed to take his army across the Ebro without any resistance, though resistance then might have proved a serious obstacle. The armies were separated by a deep ravine. Their numbers were nearly equal, the Spanish army being rather the larger, and amounting to 25,000. The battle of Saragossa was fought in full view of the people of the town from which it takes its name. The English and allied troops had to fight without their breakfast, because the convoys had miscarried. The battle began early with cannonading. As seems usual in these battles in Spain, there was a body of Portuguese horsemen on the left of the allies, who made no resistance to the Spaniards opposing them. The latter pursued them with impetuosity, and thus gave Stanhope an opportunity of pressing forward into the gap. The main body of the allies fought their way across the ravine. Some of the Spanish newly-levied troops ran; but one body of veterans would hardly surrender when surrounded. Cannon and standards fell to the conquerors. Almanza was avenged.

The allies

That night Charles occupied Saragossa, and there the army rested for a short time. Charles and his German advisers seemed to wish to remain there; advance, but Stanhope dwelt upon his instructions that something decisive must be done. He wished to advance upon Madrid, and summon thither the allied army from the other side of Spain, the army from the command of which Galway had just been removed. Once more Stanhope prevailed. The knowledge that the campaigns

were fought to a great extent by means of English money must have weighed with Charles.

It is characteristic of Stanhope's eagerness, that on the advance to Madrid he himself commanded the van

guard of light horse. There was hardly a and occupy fortnight's interval between the time when

Madrid.

Philip left Madrid and Charles's entry. But the difference between the return of the defeated Philip and the arrival of the victorious Charles was instructive. It ought to have taught this lesson-the lesson repeated in our own day-that these Castilians were not a people on whom a king could be thrust by the will of foreigners. One marvels that Charles should have sought to reign over a people who so manifestly hated him. Once before the allies had occupied Madrid, and the archduke could not then be persuaded to go thither. Perhaps it had been better had he then gone, and obtained a convincing proof how unpopular he was in that city, and how hopeless his cause: for the allies were received in Madrid on their second visit in the same way as on their first. The same affection was displayed for a defeated king, which his subjects had been slow to show when he was prosperous; the same depths of seemingly sluggish natures were stirred. Everyone who could leave Madrid had retired with the king to Valladolid. Delicate and high-born women went on foot rather than stay. The streets were empty; the shops were shut. There was no demonstration of joy unless for payment; there were signs of grief on every side. This city is a desert,' Charles angrily exclaimed, and left it.

Thus the cause of the heretics, as the allies were called, was at its worst just when it seemed to be most successful. They could with difficulty obtain supplies in Madrid. The enemy's light horse

Retreat to

Toledo;

cut off foraging parties. The allied army in Portugal was

then under a Portuguese general, for its new English commander, Galway's successor, had not yet arrived, and it could not be induced to move. Notwithstanding these difficulties Stanhope determined to winter in these parts, with his head-quarters at Toledo. It was said that as Charles left Madrid the inhabitants rang the bells for joy.

then to Catalonia.

The position of the allies, however, in Castile became more and more untenable. Charles himself was anxious to return to his queen at Barcelona. He started off with an escort of 2,000 horsemen, a force which, as the allies had before been weak in cavalry, they were ill able to spare. It was now determined that they should return to Catalonia; but on account of the difficulty in obtaining supplies the troops were divided into three bodies, which were to march at the distance of some thirty miles apart. It was hoped that they would thus be able to draw supplies from a wider range of country. The Catalans and Portuguese marched on the right; Staremberg with the Germans in the centre; Stanhope and his English on the left.

In most wars it is found that successful armies increase, whilst defeated armies have a tendency to dwindle.

Vendôme sent to

Spain.

Yet since the defeat at Saragossa Philip's army had grown, that of the allies had dwindled. Such was the effect of Castilian pride, of Spanish enthusiasm. Moreover Lewis had no longer reason even to appear to withhold help from Philip. He did not send him soldiers, but he sent him a general. He sent Vendôme, the general who had lost Oudenarde, because he was no match for Marlborough, but who would win victories in Spain, for neither Stanhope nor Staremberg was a match for him. The faults in Vendôme's character have been noticed before; this an occasion when, anxious for his reputation, he

was

exerted himself to the utmost. The indolent marshal showed vigour such as none other had shown. He was with his army and on the alert before the allies marched towards Valencia. When once they were retreating, he marched after them at an incredible pace.

Defeat of

English at
Brihuega.

He first came upon Stanhope and the English in the town of Brihuega, where they had stopped for the purpose of baking bread. The English had no notion that Vendôme was so near. Never expecting that the Spanish troops could march so swiftly, Stanhope does not seem to have even stationed the usual outposts. First some horsemen showed themselves on the heights above Brihuega, which is a small town with an old Moorish wall, and almost surrounded by hills; next, but on the same day, infantry appeared. With difficulty could Stanhope send an aide-de-camp to inform Staremberg of his position, for Vendôme's troops quickly invested the town. The night was spent by Vendôme in preparations for an attack, while Stanhope prepared for defence. The English built barricades in the street, made loopholes for musketry, and passages from house to house. They had no artillery, and every street was commanded by Vendôme's cannon. A summons to surrender was met with a refusal; but a breach was soon made in the old Moorish wall. When the Spanish troops entered the town there followed a street fight, the English making a most stubborn resistance. When their ammunition was all spent they fought with the bayonet, until, seeing that further resistance was useless, Stanhope capitulated. The troops became prisoners of war upon honourable

terms.

Meanwhile, where was Staremberg? He had received the message from Stanhope's aide-de-camp, but had apparently delayed, until he could call in the right wing;