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186 Bavaria; but he was defeated in this plan by the bravery of the Tyrolese, who rose in arms, and drove the elector from Innspruck, and obstructed the passage of Vendome, who was therefore compelled to return to the Milanese. In Italy, however, the French avenged themselves by the invasion of the duke of Modena's territories, the reduction of the fortress of Barsillo and the duchy of Reggio. They also invested Ostiglia, though they could not take it.



Disappointed of the junction by Vendome, the elector of Bavaria united with Villars, and attacked and defeated Stirum, whilst the duke of Burgundy and count Tallard attacked and took Brisac, when the duke returned to Versailles in triumph, and Tallard laid siege to Landau. To relieve that place the prince of Hesse-Cassel, greatly to the discontent of Marlborough, was dispatched from the Netherlands with twenty battalions and eight squadrons, and joining the count of Nassau-Weilburg, the general of the palatine troops near Speir, they resolved to attack the French, but were on their part attacked by the united forces of Tallard and Pracontal at Spirebach, and, notwithstanding a desperate resistance, were compelled to retreat, with the loss of several thousand men. Pracontal, one of the French generals, was killed, but Tallard returned to the siege of Landau and took it, and the elector of Bavaria completed the campaign by making himself master of the substantial old city of Angsburg, so late in the season of December.

The affar of the emperor never appeared more gloomy;