Page:Historyoffranc00yong.djvu/158

 134 HISTORY OF FRANCE. [chap. France, was a dignified, graceful woman of forty-two, pious and conscientious, in the ignorant, narrow-minded manner of an under-educated Spanish pnncess, kind and warm- hearted, but entrenched in etiquette. She had been cut to the heart by the neglect with which she had been treated, and had given her sympathy to all the endeavours to over- throw Richelieu. The nobility were therefore much dis- appointed to find that all her confidence was given to Mazarin, who had just been made a cardinal, and did his best to caiTy on the policy of his predecessor. But the silky manner of the Italian clerk was so unlike the lordly strength of the French noble, that the saying was, " After the lion comes the fox." 7. Campaign of the Duke of Enghien, 1643 — 8. — The death of the lion had made the Spaniards think that the fortunes of France were lost, and they had invaded Picardy and laid siege to Rocfoy even before the death of Lewis XIII. The French army, which came to the defence, was led by Lewis of Bourbon, Duke of Enghien, eldest son of the Prince of Condd, a master in the new style of warfare. In the course of the Thirty Years War miHtary tactics had become a regular science, and mere hard fighting was comparatively despised. Three days after the new reign had begun, Enghien gained a most brilliant victory at Kocroy, in which the whole of the famous Spanish infantry, first formed by Gonzalo de Cordova, were slain as they stood rather than retreat or surrender. The old Count of Fuentes, who had fought against Heniy IV., was found dead in an arm-chair at their head. " Were I not to conquer it is thus I would die," said Enghien. He then advanced, and took Thionville. He then, together with the other great captain of France, the Viscount of Tutrnne, younger 1 brother of the Duke of Bouilloji, advanced into Gernnny. They fought a terrible battle at Freiburg with the Austrian general Mercy, after which all the cities on the Rhine from Basel to Coblenz surrendered. There was another victory at Nordlingen, where Mercy was killed ; but Enghien was then kept back by a fever, while Turenne pushed on into Bavaria and won another battle on the Lech. On his recovery Enghien resumed the command in the Low Countries, took the important port of Dunkirk, and gained a splendid victory at Lens. The French armies in Savoy and on the Spanish frontier had been pushing on, and the Emperor Ferdinand III. was so weary of the war as to consent to conferences at Miinster. At last, in