Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 2.djvu/45

 PRINCE EUGENE OF SAVOY 227 of Vienna was mean enough to treat even an ambassador with cold disrespect, was the sole origin of the report. However that might be, Eugene remained for a length of time at Vienna, filling up his inactivity by trifling with many arts and many enjoyments, till at length the War of the Succession, as it was called, breaking out, .he was appointed to the command of the army in Italy. At length a general engagement took place at Luzara, at which Philip of Spain was present. The forces of the French have been estimated at forty thou- sand, those of the Imperial general did not much exceed one-half that number. The battle was long and fierce ; and night only terminated the contest. Both parties of course claimed the victory. The French sung a Te Deum, but re- treated ; the Imperial army retained their ground. Nevertheless, the fruits of victory were gathered by the French. Their im- mense superiority of numbers gave them the power of overrunning the whole country ; and the Imperial court, either from indolence, heedlessness, or intrigue, failed to take any step to support its arms in Italy ; so that all which Eugene had taken, sooner or later fell into the enemy's hands, and he himself, disgusted with the neglect he had met with, left his army under the command of another, and set out to see whether he could not procure some reinforcement, or at least some supply of money to pay or provide for his forces. At Vienna he found good reason to suspect that Count Mansfield, the minister of war, had by some means been gained to the interest of France. But, in the meanwhile Eugene was ap- pointed minister of war ; and sometime after, in this capacity, proceeded to con- fer with Marlborough on the united interests of England and Austria. This negotiation was most successful ; and here seems to have been concerted the scheme which Marlborough afterward so gloriously pursued for carrying on the war against France on the side of Germany, and of thus freeing the Empire. In a military point of view, also, Eugene's efforts, though supported by no great army, and followed by no great victory, were wise and successful. He foiled the Hungarian rebels in their bold attack upon Vienna, checked them in their prog- ress everywhere, and laid the foundation of their after subjugation. Soon after this, Eugene took the command of the Imperial army on the Rhine ; and after considerable manoeuvring singly, to prevent the junction of the French army with that of the Duke of Bavaria, finding it impossible, he effected his own junc- tion with the Duke of Marlborough, and shared in the glories of the field of Blenheim. Eugene was here always in the thickest of the fight, yet never for a moment forgot that he was called upon to act as a general rather than a soldier. His operations were planned as clearly and commanded as distinctly in the midst of the hottest conflict, as if no tumult had raged around him, and no danger had been near to distract his attention ; yet his horse was killed under him in the early part of the battle ; and at one moment, a Bavarian dragoon was seen hold- ing him by the coat with one hand, while he levelled a pistol at his head with the other. One of the Imperialists, however, coming up at the moment, freed his