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 The Ascendency of France under Louis XIV 293 all the honor. The bishops wrote panegyrics of him; the Jesuits made the pulpit resound with his praise. All France was filled with horror and confusion ; and yet there was never such triumph and joy, such boundless laudation of the king. VII. Opening of the War of the Spanish Succession The marquis of Torcy (166 5-1 746), who was at the head of foreign affairs during the War of the Spanish Succession, thus describes, in his remarkable memoirs, the opening of the conflict. At length the event long foreseen happened. Charles II (of Spain), sovereign of so many different dominions, died on the 1 st of November in the year 1700 ; and his death in a very little time occasioned a general combustion in Europe. By his will, signed the 2d of October preceding, he acknowl- edged the right of his sister, the infanta Maria Theresa, queen of France and mother of the dauphin, as also the right of his aunt, Queen Anna, 1 and consequently that of the dauphin, who was therefore his only heir, according to the laws of the kingdom ; but to prevent all Europe from being alarmed at the uniting of such extensive dominions to the crown of France, of which the dauphin was the only presumptive heir, Charles called the duke of Anjou, the dauphin's second son, to the succession, appointing him sole heir to all his 343. How the War of the Spanish Succession came about. (From the memoirs of Torcy.) 1 Namely, the wife of Louis XIII and so the dauphin's grandmother. The basis of the claims of France and Austria in 1700 may be seen from the following table. Philip III of Spain (d. 1621) Anna, m. Louis XIII I I Philip IV Maria Anna, m. Emperor Ferdinand III Louis XIV, m. Maria Theresa Charles II (d. 1700) Louis, the dauphin Louis (d. 1712) I Louis XV Philip, duke of Anjou (as king of Spain, Philip V) Emperor Leopold I (d. 1705) A rchduke Joseph (emperor in 1705)