decision of a battle with king Charles, who was likewise come to head his army; they lay so near one another, that king Philip cannonaded the camp of his enemies, but his men were beat off with loss, and drew away to a greater distance; however, before the end of July, there was an action of great importance near Almanara: the main body of king Philip's horse designed to cut off a part of king Charles's foot that was separated from the cavalry, commanded by Stanhope: he drew his whole body together; and though he was much inferior in number, yet he sent to king Charles for orders to engage the enemy. It was not without some difficulty, and after some reiterated pressing instances, that he got leave to fall on. 1710. of Alma nara. As the two bodies were advancing one against The battle another, Stanhope rode at the head of his body, and the Spanish general advanced at the head of his troops: the two generals began the action; in which, very happily for Stanhope, he killed the Spaniard ; and his men, animated with the example and success of their general, fell on and broke the Spanish horse so entirely, that king Philip lost the best part of his cavalry in that action; upon which, he retired towards Saragoza; but was closely followed by king Charles and on the 20th of August they came to a total engagement, which ended in an entire defeat: and by this means Arragon was again in king Charles's hands. King Philip got off with a very small body to Madrid. But he soon left it, and retired, with all the tribunals following him, to Valladolid; and sent his queen and son to Victoria. Some of his troops got off in small bodies; and these were, in a little time, brought together, to the 1710. number of about 10,000 men; the troops that they had on the frontier of Portugal were brought to join them, with which they soon made up the face of an army. King Charles at Madrid. 556 King Charles made all the haste he could to Madrid, but found none of the grandees there; and it appeared that the Castilians were firmly united to king Philip, and resolved to adhere to him at all hazards m. The king of France now shewed he was resolved to maintain his grandson, since if he had ever intended to do it, it was now very easy to oblige him to evacuate Spain. On the contrary, he sent the duke of Vendome to command the army there; and he ordered some troops to march into Catalonia, to force king Charles to come back, and secure that principality. King Charles continued till the beginning of December in Castile. In all that time no care was taken by the allies to supply or support him: we were so engaged in our party matters at home, that we seemed to take no thought of things abroad, and without us nothing could be done the court of Vienna was so apprehensive of the danger from a war like to break out between the grand seignior and the czar, that they would not diminish their army in Hungary. After king Charles left his army, Starembergh seemed resolved to take his winter quarters in Castile, and made a shew of fortifying Toledo; but for want of provi- 1710. sion, and chiefly for fear that his retreat to Arragon might be cut off, he resolved to march back to the Ebro: king Philip marched after him. Starembergh left Stanhope some hours' march behind him, and he took up his quarters in an unfortified village called Brihuega: but finding king Philip was near him, he sent his aid-de-camp to let Starembergh know his danger, and to desire his assistance. Starembergh might have come in time to have saved him; but he moved so slowly, that it was conjectured he envied the glory Stanhope had got, and was not sorry to see it eclipsed; and therefore made not that haste he might and ought to have done. of Villa Viciosa. Stanhope and his men cast up entrenchments, The battle and defended these very bravely as long as their powder lasted; but in conclusion they were forced to surrender themselves prisoners of warn: some to n When Mr. Stanhope had obtained leave to return England, I introduced him to the queen, who received him very graciously, and told him she should be glad to know his opinion of Spanish affairs; and whether he thought it practicable to dispossess the duke of Anjou. He spoke very modestly of his own ability, but obeyed her majesty's commands. He said Spain was of so vast an extent, besides other properties belonging to its situation and fastnesses, that he thought it impracticable to be done by force and there was little reason to expect any assistance from the people, religion and liberty being out of the case, and the duke of Anjou's having children, turned the bias of his 1710. hours after that, Starembergh came up; and though the enemy were more than double his number, yet he attacked them with such success, that he defeated them quite, killing 7000 of their men, took their cannon and baggage, and stayed a whole day in the field of battle. The enemy drew back; but Starembergh had suffered so much in the action, that he was not in a condition to pursue them; nor could he carry off their cannon for want of horses; but he nailed them up, and by slow marches got to Saragoza, the enemy not thinking it convenient to give him any disturbance. As he did not judge it safe to stay long in Arragon, so in the beginning of January he marched into Catalonia; but his army had 557 suffered so much, both in the last action at Villa Viciosa, and in the march, that he was not in a condition to venture on raising the siege of Gironne, which was then carried on by the duke of Noailles ; and no relief coming, the garrison, after a brave de- 1710. fence, was forced to capitulate; and by this means Catalonia was open to the enemy on all sides. grace of the Medina The Spanish grandees seemed to be in some ap- The disprehensions of their being given up by the French; duke of and there was a suspicion of some caballing among Celi. them upon which, the duke of Medina Celi, king Philip's chief minister, was sent a close prisoner to the castle of Segovia, and was kept there very strictly, none being admitted to speak to him: he was not brought to 'any examination; but after he had been for some months in prison, being oft removed from one place to another, it was at last given out that he died in prison, not without the suspicion of ill practices. Nothing passed on the side of Piedmont; the duke of Savoy complaining still of the imperial court, and upon that refusing to act vigorously. Aire, and After Doway was taken, our army sat down be- Bethune, fore Bethune; and that siege held them a month, St. Venant at the end of which the garrison capitulated: and are taken. our army sat down at one and the same time before Aire and St. Venant, to secure the head of the Lys. St. Venant was taken in a few weeks: but the marshy ground about Aire made that a slower work; so that the siege continued there about two months before the garrison capitulated. This campaign, though not of such lustre as the former, because no battle was fought, yet was by military men looked on as a very extraordinary one in this respect, that our men were about an hundred and fifty days in open trenches; which was said to be a thing without example. During these sieges the French army posted themselves in sure camps, but |