Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/202

188 instead of recovering Spain, Louis was fast depriving him of his empire. He was supporting the rebellious Hungarians against him, who were in arms under prince Ragotski, and who had, in truth, plenty of oppressions and injuries to complain of. Suddenly, nowever, some gleams of light shot across his gloom. The duke of Savoy, who seldom remained true to one side long, grew alarmed at the French being masters of the Milanese, and was induced to open communications with the emperor. The secret negotiations, however, were speedily discovered by the French, and the duke of Vendome received orders to disarm the Savoyards who were in his army; to demand that the troops of Savoy should be reduced to the scale of 1696, and that four principal fortresses should be put into the hands of France. But the duke of Savoy was by no means inclined to submit to these demands. He treated them as insults to an ally, and ordered the arrest of the French ambassador and several officers of his nation. Louis, astonished at the decision of these proceedings, wrote the duke a most menacing letter, informing him that as neither honour, interest, religion, nor the oaths of alliance were regarded by him, he should leave the duke of Vendome to deal with him, and who would give him four-and-twenty hours to determine his course in. This imperious letter only hastened the duke's alienation. He concluded the treaty with Vienna, and answered Louis's letter by a defiance. He acknowledged the archduke Charles king of Spain, and despatched envoys to Holland and England. Queen Anne immediately sent an ambassador to Turin, and a body of imperial horse under Visconti, followed by fifteen thousand foot under count Staremberg, issued from the Modenese, and in the midst of the most stormy weather and miry roads, marched to join the duke of Savoy at Canelli. The French harassed them fearfully on the march, but could not prevent their junction, by which Piedmont was placed in security.

On the other hand, Portugal had declared for the emperor. The fear of having Louis in possession of Spain, had operated with Portugal, as similar causes had operated with Savoy. The king of Portugal agreed to give his daughter to the archduke Charles, on condition that the right to the throne of Spain was transferred to him. England and Holland were to support the Portuguese and the new king of Spain from the sea. The treaty was concluded at Lisbon, and a fleet of forty-nine sail, under Sir Cloudesley Shovel, lay off Lisbon to protect the coasts from the French. Charles was to be conveyed to Lisbon by a powerful fleet, having on board twelve thousand soldiers, who were, on landing, to be joined by twenty-eight thousand Portuguese.

The allied fleets had done nothing of importance during this summer. Sir George Rooke cruised in the channel to protect the English trade, and to keep the coast of France in alarm, as agreed with Marlborough, whilst Sir Cloudesley Shovel, with the great combined fleet, made sail for the Mediterranean. On the coast of Valentia he made a landing ostensibly to proclaim king Charles, but really to obtain water; and having effected that necessary but inglorious exploit, and endeavoured, but in vain, to throw supplies into the Cevennes, he cruised in the Mediterranean, renewed the peace with the pirate state of Barbary, and returned home.

Another fleet, sent out to make conquests in the West Indies, did much worse. Admiral Graydon was sent out with three ships to succeed Benbow. On his way out he met there a part of the squadron of Du Casse returning in bad condition, but richly laden. Instead of attacking them, he called off captain Cleland, of the "Montagu," who was in act to commence the fight, and kept on his way. Having taken up Nin's four regiments of soldiers, who had been sent out to the Leeward Islands under captain Walker and colonel Coddington, and had made a descent on Guadaloupe, but were in great distress, he proceeded to Jamaica, where he quarrelled with the planters, and then sailed to reduce the French settlement at Placentia, in Newfoundland. He, however, never reached the place, his ships being dispersed in a fog; and a council being called, it was concluded that they were not in a condition to attack the settlement if they reached it, and so returned home. For this miserable conduct, Graydon was examined by the house of lords, and, at their recommendation, dismissed the service.

The only thing like a naval success was performed by admiral Dilkes, who took or destroyed about forty French ships and their convoy off Granville.

The archduke Charles, having assumed the title of king of Spain, set out from Vienna about the middle of September, and reached Dusseldorf on the 16th of October, where he was met by the elector palatine and the duke of Marlborough, who was commissioned by queen Anne to offer his congratulations. The duke performed his duty in his most graceful manner, assuring Charles that he had just had the honour to put his majesty in possession of Limburg. Charles returned the courtesy by taking off his sword and presenting it to the duke, saying, "I am not ashamed to own myself a poor prince. I possess nothing but my cloak and sword; the latter may be of use to your grace; and I hope you will not think it the worse for my wearing it one day." "On the contrary," replied the duke, kissing the diamond hilt, "it will always put me in mind of your majesty's just right and title, and of the obligations I lie under to hazard my life in making you the greatest prince in Christendom."

Marlborough accompanied Charles of Austria to the Hague, where they were both received with high honours by the States-General. Marlborough then hastened over to England to be ready to receive the royal guest on his way to Portugal. On the 26th of December the new king of Spain arrived at Spithead in the Dutch squadron sent to convey him. The queen dispatched the dukes of Somerset and Marlborough to conduct him to Windsor, and prince George met him on the way at Petworth, the seat of the duke of Somerset, and conducted him to Windsor on the 29th. The king was entertained in great state for three days at Windsor, during which time he was politic enough to ingratiate himself with the queen's great favourite, lady Marlborough. When the duchess presented the bason and napkin after supper to the queen for her to wash her hands, the king gallantly took the napkin and held it himself, and on returning it to the duchess of Marlborough he presented her with a superb diamond ring.

After three days the king returned to Portsmouth, and on the 4th of January he embarked on board the fleet, commanded by Sir George Rooke, for Portugal, accompanied