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archduke, and the kingdom of Valencia followed this example.

After mature deliberation, and a promise of ample succours from France, his catholic majesty marched toward Barcelona with an army of twenty thousand men, while the count de Thoulouse blocked it up by sea, and the duke of Noailles brought a numerous body of troops into the field, in order to prevent the Catalonians from disturbing the siege. However, in consequence of several delays, and various untoward circumstances, the count de Thoulouse was eventually compelled to withdraw his squadron, and Philip was obliged to retire, with the mortification of leaving not only his artillery and magazines, but even his sick and wounded adherents, to the mercy of the allies.

Upon the subsequent success of the confederates at Alcantara, Ciudad, Rodrigo, and Salamanca, M. Amelot, the French ambassador, held a kind of assembly of the nobles, at Madrid; and begged to be favored with an explicit decla ration of their sentiments, since his most christian majesty had no inclination to impose his grandson upon them, and it was become absolutely necessary that they should consider for whom, and by what means they would act for restoring the blessings of tranquillity and of a legal government to their country. The duke de Medina Cœli answered, in the name of the grandees, that, although they had received some unjust slights and other causes of complaint under the present government, yet they were inviolably attached to king Philip, and both their lives and fortunes should be cheerfully devoted to his service. This answer gave full satisfac Ee 3

tion;

tion; and, after some consideration, the royal family retired to Burgos.

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The army of the allies, as had been expected, marched directly into New Castile, and took pos session of Madrid; but, as the archduke was fully engaged in the reduction of Arragon, and the earl of Peterborough was employed before Valencia, they were soon expelled by the united forces of France and Spain, and forced to retreat to the strong camp of Guadalaxara. Philip then returned to his capital, and took the most vigilant methods for re-establishing his affairs. All the nobles who had declared for Charles III. were punished with banishment, and confiscation of their estates; several hereditary offices of great profit were annexed to the crown; and voluntary contributions were drawn from the clergy by a well-timed representation of the effects which must result from the success of heretics. About this time the count de Villars recovered the island of Minorca, which had thrown off its allegiance; and the populace were delighted by a declaration of the queen's preg

nancy. A. D. 1707.

Early in the spring of this year, the marquis de las Minas and the earl of Galway took the field, with about sixteen thousand horse and foot, in order to destroy the Spanish magazines, and to cover the kingdom of Valencia from the attacks of marshal Berwick. Upon their resolving to besiege the castle of Villuna, the marshal marched to its relief, and a battle ensued, in the plains of Almanza, which terminated in the utter defeat of the allies. The marquis de las Minas was dange rously wounded, and his mistress, who had ac-.. companied

companied him in an Amazonian habit, was killed by his side. The earl of Galway had, also, two wounds in the face, which prevented him from giving orders; colonel Hill with the remains of thirteen battalions were made prisoners on the banks of the Xucar; and one hundred and twenty standards, with all the baggage and artillery, fell into the hands of the conquerors. Shortly after this victory, the kingdoms of Arragon and Valencia were reduced and deprived of their privileges. The city of Saragos sa was mulcted, on this occasion, in a fine of forty-five thousand pistoles, and a column of infamy was erected on the ruins of Xativa. After some time, however, a royal edict was promulgated, by which the nobles of Arragon and Valencia were rendered capable of all offices and honours throughout his majesty's dominions, and permission was granted to rebuild Xativa, under the name of St. Philip.

The 25th of August was marked by the birth of a prince, who was baptized by the name of Lewis, and acknowledged presumptive heir to the crown of Castile, and all its dependencies. Cardinal Portocarrero made a present, upon this occasion, of five thousand pistoles to the royal treasury; the queen dowager made public rejoicings for three days at Bayonne; and many of the grandees who had withdrawn themselves from court, embraced so favorable an opportunity of making their peace with the king. In the month of October, Charles III. espoused the princess of Wolfenbuttle, and, by his return from the army, stifled a dangerous sedition in Barcelona, where the people had begun to apprehend that they were unjustly abandoned, and

that

that they should soon be exposed to the same vengeance as had recently fallen upon the people of Arragon and Valencia.

A. D.

1709.

In the ensuing year, Philip was sensibly chagrined by the desertion of a small squadron under count de Santa Cruz, and the subsequent loss of the fortress of Oran, which, for many years, had been defended against the infidels. He also heard that general Stanhope had reduced the island of Minorca, and that the archduke's partisans had used their utmost endeavours to excite a revolution in Sicily: but he received material consolation by the safe arrival of his galleons, which were laden with twelve hundred thousand pieces of eight, besides nine hundred thousand sent as a present to the young prince of Asturias. Upon assurance that his grandfather had been compelled to treat of a separate peace, Philip, with the advice of his best friends, resolved to place all his affairs on a Spanish foundation, and to throw himself entirely on the affections of his people. Ac cordingly, the duke de Medina Cœli was placed at the head of the administration; the marquis de Bedmar was declared secretary of war; the French ambassador was ordered to quit the kingdom; and several domestics belonging to the duke of Orleans were treated with great severity. To complete the whole, as soon as the allies had published their preliminaries, his catholic majesty addressed circular letters to all his subjects, in which he exaggerated the cruelty of his enemies, in compelling his grandfather not only to abandon his interests, but even to assist in wresting the sceptre from his hand; yet, he said, in this they did him honour,

since it showed their opinion that he would defend himself to the utmost extremity-an opinion justly founded; as he was really determined to die at the head of the last Spanish army, and to tinge the beloved earth of Castile with his blood. This declaration produced its desired effect; for the general assembly of the clergy immediately granted a free gift; the grandees cheerfully gave up their plate to be converted into coin; and a spirit of loyal enthusiasm diffused itself through the whole nation.

About this time, the marquis de Baye defeated the Portuguese army, in the plain of Gudina, and took fifteen hundred prisoners.

In the course of the following spring, his catholic majesty received a timely supply by the arrival of a plate fleet at Cadiz; and the Spanish subjects were universally charmed by his equity in imprisoning two French captains who had attempted to sail home with their cargoes in contempt of the royal order. The sudden and unexpected disgrace of the prime minister, on the 15th of April, is thus related. -"About eight o'clock in the evening, his majesty called the duke de Medina Coeli into his cabinet, and, after a short conversation, directed him to go to the secretary of state's office to inquire for some dispatches. The duke readily obeyed: but, on his arrival at the office, he was arrested, and conducted, in a coach-and-six, to a castle +near Segovia. When the officer parted from him he presented him with a night gown, a box of chocolate, a purse of gold, and some other necessaries; observing that the king had taken >>care to provide them for his accommodation."

After much speculation on this singular oc

currence,

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