horse soldiers. A regiment of foot was being reviewed. Peterborough said to the officers, 'How would you like your men to be mounted on good horses?' He led them on a little further. There were 600 horses ready saddled and bridled, which the general had bought at Nules.

But

At Murviedro the road to Valencia was stopped by a force under an Irish officer in the Spanish service. He was a kinsman of Peterborough, who took advantage of the fact to make proposals to him that he should desert, and when he firmly refused, Peterborough, by means of feigned deserters, spread a report of his treason. The result was, that in the general mistrust Peterborough passed him, and on February 4 entered Valencia. not yet did he rest there. He heard that a body of 4,000 men was marching to reinforce the Spanish army. At dead of night he set out with one-fourth the number, crossed the river Xucar, attacked and dispersed the force, and returned to Valencia with 600 prisoners. There was no further danger for Valencia. For the remainder of the winter Peterborough and his men enjoyed their wellearned repose.

CHAPTER IX.

THE YEAR OF VICTORY, 170ỒN

Section I.--Ramillies.

THE year 1706 was the most important in the whole war to the cause of the allies, for in that year they won brilliant successes in three different quarters. In Spain there was at the same time the triumphant raising of the siege of Barcelona by Lord Peterborough, and the march of Lord Galway to

Success in three

quarters.

Madrid. In the Netherlands the easily-won victory of Ramillies led to the recovery of the whole country from the French. In Italy Eugene's brilliant victory brought about the raising of the siege of Turin, and was followed by the overthrow of the French cause throughout the whole of not only Savoy but Italy.

Marlborough

sets out.

Marlborough, knowing the critical state of affairs in Italy, had wished to be allowed to repeat the campaign of Blenheim, and, marching his army quickly into Italy, to join with Eugene in raising the siege of Turin ; but his army was composed of contingents from different allies, whose leave he had to ask to take them, and this was refused by many of the different Governments. The Dutch were especially afraid that their border would again be left unprotected. Acquiescing in the reversal of his policy, Marlborough set off to meet the enemy' with a heavy heart.' Yet he was marching to one of his most brilliant victories.

The armies.

He had under him in the Netherlands a force of about 60,000 men, most of whom were English and Dutch. Opposed to him was Marshal Villeroy, with a French army of about the same size as his own. With him was the Elector of Bavaria, ready to fulfil his own saying, when offered terms by the allies, that since the wine was abroach he was ready to drink it to the lees.' The French general seems to have known that the allies were late in making preparations, and to have thought that by a speedy advance he might find Marlborough with his English troops alone, and unprepared. He learnt his mistake when they met on the battle-field of Ramillies.

The village which has given its name to this battle stands in the middle of a high plain in Brabant. Three rivers rise close by it. The Little Gheet and the Great Gheet, mere brooks, flow north

The ground.

wards, uniting at some leagues' distance, and then flowing into a tributary of the Scheldt. They are separated by a narrow belt of land, at first not more than a mile in breadth, but expanding as they flow apart. The Mehaigne to the south of the field flows eastward, then some miles further on turns south, and joins the Meuse. The French right wing rested on the Mehaigne at the village of Tavieres; their line extended in a large arc, the centre being strongly stationed in the village of Ramillies and

at Offuz, which lies a little to its left; the left of the whole line was at the village of Anderkirk on the Little Gheet. Marlborough took advantage of this arrangement. It is manifest that if two armies face each other, one in a concave and the other in a convex order, the latter has this advantage, that troops can be more quickly moved from one flank to the other.

Behind the French line, between the right and centre where the cavalry were stationed, stands an old barrow

called the Tomb of Ottomond. Marlborough saw that this commanded the field, and made it his object to break through the line and secure it. To

Marlborough's plan.

conceal his design he made a vehement attack on the French left, to strengthen which Villeroy sent his reserve and all the soldiers that he could spare. Marlborough then, in such a way that they were not missed, detached a large body of troops, who marched, hidden by a slightly-rising ground, to reinforce his own left.

But before the attempt to break through the line was carried out, the attack on Anderkirk was followed by Battle of assaults on the villages of Ramillies and Ramillies, Tavieres. The latter was quickly carried. May 23, A.D. 1706. The real crisis of the battle was the cavalry fight that followed. The Dutch general charged, and the first line of the French was driven back. But the second line consisted of the finest troops of France--the Maison du Roi-the French Household Brigade, the regiment which had won Steinkirk, and which consisted now, as then, of the young nobles, famous for their valour, and careless of their lives. The Dutch were driven back. Marlborough ordered up every available sabre, and himself galloped to the front. Just as he was coming forward, he was recognised by some French dragoons who nearly made him prisoner. Sword in hand he fought himself free, and tried to make his horse leap a ditch, but he fell to the ground. An aide-de-camp brought him another horse, and as a colonel held the stirrup, a cannon ball took off his head. Saved as it were by miracle, Marlborough headed the charge. The famous French regiment was overpowered by numbers, the village of Ramillies was taken, and immediately afterwards the Tomb of Ottomond. The French line was thus cut in two.

End of the battle.

The French still held Anderkirk, the village on their left, and the advance of the allies was impeded by the confusion which reigned all over the field. Marlborough halted his troops to re-form their lines, and the French bravely attempted to face them. When Marlborough once more ordered the advance to be sounded, a panic seized the French, and they fled. The battle had lasted three hours. Till late into the night the flying French were pursued by the English cavalry. All their artillery, except six guns, fell into the hands of the allies. The French lost in killed, wounded, and prisoners, 15,000 men; the allies less than a quarter of that number.

Ramillies.

could not Brussels,

Towns fall into hands of Marl

The battle of Ramillies was by no means so valiantly contested as that of Blenheim. Its results, however, were quite as important. Blenheim saved the Results of Empire; Ramillies conquered the Netherlands. Marshal Villeroy and the Elector of Bavaria halted in Louvain; but they decided that they hold it, and the town capitulated next morning. the capital of Brabant, opened its gates to the conquerors, and proclaimed the Archduke Charles as its sovereign. Marlborough, borough. in his name, guaranteed the liberties of the province, as the archduke himself had done in Catalonia. Moreover, when the Dutch wished to levy a contribution on the inhabitants of Brabant towards the expenses of the war, and the English Government were inclined to adopt the policy, Marlborough protested so warmly, that the scheme was not carried out. Other towns hastened to follow the example of Brussels. The fortresses occupied by French troops alone held out. Marlborough first proceeded to Antwerp,

Brussels.

which was expected to cause him trouble; but Antwerp. a quarrel had begun between the French soldiers and