History of the War of the Succession in Spain. (Appendix, comprising further extracts from General Stanhope's manuscript letters.)

Front matter

'■V l..h„ M„„„f, tBktmnrU I HISTORY OF THE WAR OF THE SUCCESSION IN SPAIN. London : Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode, New- Street- Square, HISTORY OF THE WAR OF THE SUCCESSION IN SPAIN. BY LORD MAHON. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1832. TO HIS GRACE, THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, &c. &c. Sec. My dear Duke, It is with great pride, as well as plea sure, that I avail myself of Your Grace's permission to inscribe this volume to one whom I so profoundly venerate and ad mire — who by his unrivalled public services, both at home and abroad, has laid every Englishman under the deepest debt of gra titude — and who in private life has honoured me with many marks of kindness and regard. For these I am happy to have an opportunity A S VI DEDICATION. of expressing my most sincere acknow ledgments. The History which I now dedicate to Your Grace, is limited, as much as possible, to what occurred in Spain itself.

As the war arising from the Spanish Succession was prosecuted at once, not only on both sides of the Peninsula, but in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, all these could scarcely be combined into one narrative without much confusion and frequent interruptions. In writing this work, I have (besides the usual printed authorities) carefully consulted the MS. papers and correspondence of Ge neral Stanhope, who was, at one period, commander of the British army in Spain, and afterwards First Lord of the Treasury in England. These papers fill no less than fifteen or sixteen folio cases, and serve not only to communicate new facts, but to throw light upon others that were doubtful or im- DEDICATION. VII perfectly known. As to General Stanhope himself I venture to claim the merit of im partiality.

Though strongly attached to his memory, I am still more strongly impressed with my own solemn duty to the public; and I trust and believe that 1 have never allowed the zeal of the descendant to interfere with the truth of the historian. I am not con scious of having, on any occasion, either mis stated, exaggerated, or concealed any of his actions. Still less have I endeavoured to raise his character by depressing those of his rivals and contemporaries. Your Grace will find that full and ready justice is done in this volume to the merits of such great Generals as the Dukes of Berwick and Vendome ; and with respect to Lord Peter borough, who finally became General Stan hope's personal and political enemy, I have been led, by an attentive perusal of the narratives in print, as well as of the MS. memorials in my own possession, to place A '1 DEDICATION. his character as a military man, and more especially as a partisan leader, even higher than has, I believe, been done by any former writer. I have the honour to remain, My dear Duke, Your Grace's most faithful and obedient, MAHON. London, January 19. 1832. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

a. d. Page Decline of the Spanish monarchy 1 Reign of Charles the Second 3 Views on his succession ib. Claims of Philip Duke of Anjou 4 Claims of the Archduke Charles ib. Treaty of partition between France, England, and Holland 5 1700. Cabals at Madrid 6 Testament of Charles in favour of Philip 9 His death ib. His testament accepted by Louis the Fourteenth 10 Character of Philip the Fifth 11 He is proclaimed in the Spanish dominions 13 And acknowledged by foreign states 14 Skilful manœuvres of Louis 15 Indignation of the Emperor 17 1701. He declares war ib. Arrival of Philip at Madrid 18 Administration of Cardinal Portocarrero 19 Wretched state of the army and navy 21 And of the finances 23 Reforms of Portocarrerro 24 Misconduct of the French at Madrid 27 Views of Louis on the Netherlands 28 His dishonourable policy X CONTENTS. a. d. Page 1701.

Unpopularity of Philip's government 30 His marriage "1 Character of his Queen, Maria Louisa 32 Choice of her Camerera-mayor 33 Princess Orsini ?"• The Cortes of Catalonia 35 1702. Philip embarks for Italy 38 Maria Louisa holds the Cortes of Aragon 39

Chapter II

State of parties in England 41 Wise policy of William the Third ib. He lays the foundation of the Grand Alliance 42 His death 44 Declaration of war 45 Expedition of the Allies against Cadiz ib. It arrives off the Spanish coast 46 The Marquis of Villadarias 47 His skilful preparations for defence 49 Measures taken at Madrid 50 Natural strength of Cadiz 51 Deliberations of the Allied generals 53 They land their troops 54 Romantic death of a Spanish officer 55 The Allies take Port St.Mary's 56 Skirmish with the Spaniards 57 Excesses of the Allied troops ib. Misconduct of the generals 58 Skill and activity of Villadarias ib. The enterprise is abandoned 59 Spanish galleons at Vigo.., 60 Attacked by the Allied Fleet 62 Taken or destroyed..... 63 The Allied fleet returns home ib. State of parties in Spain ..... #i. aj.

The Admiral of Castille , ?g_ His flight into Portugal CONTENTS. XI a. d. Page 1702. He declares for the Archduke Charles 67 1703. His negotiations 68 Portugal accedes to the Grand Alliance 69 Charles sets out from Vienna 70 His visit to Queen Anne at Windsor 71 Philip returns from Italy ib. Cabals at his Court 72 Violence of Princess Orsini 74 1704. Views of Louis 75 He induces Philip to dismiss the Princess 76

Chapter III

Charles lands at Lisbon 78 Preparations of the Portuguese 79 The Duke of Berwick 80 His plans for the invasion of Portugal 82 He begins the campaign 83 And besieges Salvatierra ib. Strange conduct of the Portuguese governor 84 Siege of Castel Branco 85 Surprise of the Allied troops 86 They are driven beyond the Sierra Estrella 87 Supineness of the Spanish army in the Alentejo 88 Berwick is obliged to cross the Tagus ib. He invests and reduces Portalegre 89 The Marquis Das Minas the general of the Portuguese 90 They resume the offensive in Beira 91 And defeat the Spaniards 92 Berwick returns across the Tagus ib. He is baffled in his projects 93 His singular loss of horses 95 The same loss experienced by the Duke of Wellington ib. His remarks on this campaign 96 English expedition against Catalonia 97 It fails CONTENTS.

XII a. d. Page 1704. On its return it attacks Gibraltar 98 Bombardment and reduction of that place 99 Engagement at sea off Malaga 101 Effects in Spain of the battle of Blenheim 102 Autumn campaign in Portugal 103 St. Anthony, a Portuguese field-officer 104 Sarcastic medal struck by the Spaniards 105 Recall of Berwick ib. The Duke of Grammont the new French ambassador 107 Royal belief in sorcery and spells 108 Intrigues for the reinstatement of Princess Orsini ... 109 Haughty refusal of Louis ib. Manœuvres of the Queen Ill Difficulties and vexation of Grammont 113 The Queen perseveres 114 Temporary reconciliation 116 Louis is obliged to yield 118 Princess Orsini at Versailles 119 1705. New intrigue of Grammont 120 Its failure and his disgrace 121 Vacillation of Philip ib. The Queen prevails 122 Return of Princess Orsini to Madrid 124

Chapter IV

Siege of Gibraltar by the Spaniards 126 Noble spirit of Villadarias 127 Inefficiency of Marshal Tesse ib. The siege is raised 128 Death of the Emperor Leopold ib. Campaign in Portugal . 129 Siege of Badajos by the Allies 130 The Earl of Peterborough 131 Leads an expedition to Spain 132 His proceedings at Lisbon 133 Joined by Charles and by the Prince of Darmstadt... CONTENTS. XIII a. d. Page 1705. He touches at Altea 135 His bold project of marching to Madrid 136 It is overruled 138 He proceeds to Barcelona 139 Councils of War 140 The troops disembark ib. Difficulties of the undertaking 141 Discord of the officers 142 Skilful design of Lord Peterborough 143 His secret preparations 144 His surprise of Montjuich 146 The Prince of Darmstadt is killed 148 Lord Peterborough rallies the troops 149 The keep of Montjuich is taken 151 Barcelona is closely invested ib.

Affecting incident during the siege 152 Tumult in the city 153 Quelled by Lord Peterborough 154 The city surrenders , ib. Insurrection in Catalonia and Valencia 156 The insurgents take the city of Valencia 157 Measures adopted at Madrid 159 The Spaniards besiege San Mateo ib. 1706. Lord Peterborough hastens to Tortosa 160 His stratagem for the relief of San Mateo 161 His chivalrous boldness 162 He pursues the enemy 164 And induces Nules to surrender 165 He converts some of his infantry into horsemen 167 Reinforcements join him 168 Plans of the Spanish generals 169 Lord Peterborough at Murviedro ib. His stratagems 170 He enters Valencia in triumph 171 Defeat of the Spaniards at Fuente de Higuera CONTENTS.

Chapter V

a. d. Page 1706. Preparations of Philip for the next campaign 173 Marshal Tesse in Aragon 174 He and Philip invade Catalonia 176 General James Stanhope 177 He brings reinforcements from England ib. Project of Lord Peterborough 178 Resolution of Charles 179 Barcelona is invested by the French and Spaniards... 180 Pretended vision and popular enthusiasm ib. Enrolment of monks and women as soldiers 181 Lord Peterborough's partisan warfare ib. The French take Montjuich 182 Blank letter from General Stanhope 183 Personal adventures of Lord Peterborough 184 His embarkation in the English fleet 185 Relief of Barcelona ib. Military operations in the Netherlands and in Italy... 187 Campaign on the Portuguese frontier 188 Return of Philip to Madrid 189 Is obliged to leave it again with his Court 191 It is entered by Lord Galway and the Marquis Das Minas ib.

Their fatal halt 192 They send a detachment to Toledo 193 Charles is acknowledged by the Queen Dowager 194 And by Cardinal Portocarrero ib. Inactivity of Charles at Barcelona 195 Stanhope proceeds to Gerona ib. And Peterborough to Valencia 196 Sarcastic style of his letters 197 Injudicious journey of Charles to Zaragoza 198 Conversation between him and Stanhope 199 Loyalty and zeal of the Castillians 200 Their exertions in the cause of Philip 202 Galway and Das Minas march from Madrid CONTENTS. XV a. d. Page 1706. Charles from Zaragoza , 205 And Peterborough from Valencia ib. They join at Guadalaxara 206 Madrid retaken by Berwick ib. Angry debates at Guadalaxara 207 Peterborough determines to leave the army 209 Loss of his baggage at Huete 210 His generosity and public spirit 211 Atrocious outrage at a Spanish village 212 Punished by Peterborough ib.

He hastens the surrender of Alicant 214 And sails to Italy 215 Difficulties of the Allied army ib. Disastrous retreat to Valencia 216 Remarks of Berwick 217 Philip and Maria Louisa return to Madrid 218

Chapter VI

1707. Cabals at the Court of Charles 219 The Duke of Orleans sent into Spain 220 Conquest of Naples by the Allies 221 Lord Peterborough returns to Valencia 223 His opinion for the next campaign 224 Counter-plan of General Stanhope ib. Angry discussions between them 225 Departure of Peterborough 226 He arrives in England 227 His conduct examined m the House of Lords ib. Journey of Charles to Barcelona 228 Galway and Das Minas take the field 229 They come in front of Berwick's army 230 Preparations for action 231 Battle of Almanza 232 Flight of the Allies •- 234 Berwick improves his victory 236 He enters Valencia • ib. CONTENTS. a. d. Page 1707. Siege of Xativa 237 Desperate resistance 238 The Duke of Orleans enters Zaragoza 239 His army mistaken for a magical apparition ib. Conquest of Aragon 240 Abolition by Philip of its provincial privileges ib.

Birth of the Prince of Asturias 241 Marriage of Charles 242 Siege of Lerida by the French 243 Close of the campaign 245 Galway recalled from Catalonia ib. 1708. Staremberg and Stanhope the new generals 247 Reduced to a strictly defensive system 249 The Duke of Orleans besieges and takes Tortosa ... 250 Skilful manœuvres of Staremberg and Stanhope 251 Retreat of the French army ib. Sardinia surrenders to the Allied fleet 252 Importance of Port Mahon 253 Its reduction pressed upon Stanhope 254 His expedition against it 255 His success , 256 Subsequent fate of the island 257

Chapter VII

Dissension between the Duke of Orleans and Princess Orsini 260 His views upon the Crown of Spain 261 His secret correspondence with Stanhope 262 Stanhope opens a new scheme to him 263 Progress of the negotiation ib. 1709. Discovered by Princess Orsini 265 Complaints to Louis the Fourteenth 266 Internal state of France ,. 267 Overtures of Louis for peace . 268 Preliminaries on the part of the Allies 269 Refused by Louis CONTENTS. XVII a. d. Page 1709. Firmness and magnanimity of Philip 271 Meeting of the Spanish Council of State 272 Speech of Cardinal Portocarrero , ib. His death 274 Campaign in Catalonia ib. Attempt on Tortosa by Staremberg and Stanhope... 275 Siege of Alicant by the Spaniards ib. Their construction of a mine 276 Dreadful explosion ib. Expedition of Stanhope for the relief of Alicant 277 Baffled by storms 278 His project for the invasion of France 280 Delays on the part of Staremberg 281 Campaign in Portugal „ ib.

Battle of La Gudifia 282 Measures adopted in England 283 Stanhope is directed to make an attempt on Cadiz ... ib. He arrives at Gibraltar 284 The scheme is frustrated /.. 285 He sails again to Catalonia™ ib. Philip takes the field in that province ib. But soon returns to Madrid 286 1710. Fresh overtures from Louis .~ 287 Conferences at Gertruydenberg 289 They are broken off by the Allies 291 Changes in the Spanish ministry ib.

Chapter VIII

General Stanhope returns to Catalonia 293 Charles takes the field in person 294 And King Philip likewise 295 The Marquis of Villadarias the real leader of the Spaniards 296 His attempt to surprise the Allies 297 Manœuvres of Staremberg and Stanhope ib. The Allies invade Aragon 298 a CONTENTS. a. d. Page 1710. And the Spaniards Catalonia 299 Timid policy of Staremberg 300 Over-ruled by Stanhope l"' Battle of Almenara 302 Personal encounter between the opposite generals ... 303 Danger of Philip 304 Intrepidity of Villadarias ib. That general is dismissed 305 The Allies take several towns in Aragon ib. Precipitate retreat of Philip 306 His position at Zaragoza ib. A battle is dissuaded by Staremberg 307 But is urged by Stanhope ib. The Allies pass the Ebro ib. Preparations on both sides 308 Battle of Zaragoza 309 Defeat and dispersion of the Spaniards 312 Charles enters Zaragoza ib.

Staremberg advises a movement towards Navarre ... 313 And Stanhope a march to Madrid 314 . The latter prevails ib. The Allies take possession of Madrid 315 Charles makes his public entry 316 High-spirited reply of the Marquis of Mancera 317 Ill-timed jest of Staremberg 318 Zeal of the Castillians against the Allies ib. The Portuguese Court makes no exertions 319 Proposal of the Marquis Das Minas rejected ib. Plans of the Allies at Madrid 320 The Duke of Vendome 322 He assumes the command of the Spanish army 323 His singular conversation with a Spanish grandee ... 325 Great exertions of the Castillians ib. Difficulties of the Allied generals 326 Their scheme to winter at Toledo t. 327 Invasion of Catalonia by the Duke of Noailles 328 Charles sets out for Catalonia 329 The Allied army compelled to retreat 330 The Alcazar at Toledo partially burnt ib.

CONTENTS. XIX a. d. Page 1710. Philip re-enters Madrid 332 Exultation of the people ib. His visit to Mancera ib. He and Vendome march in pursuit of the Allies 333 They come up with Stanhope at Brihuega 334 Stanhope is invested in that town ib. His preparations during the night 335 His desperate defence 336 Failure of ammunition 337 Stanhope is compelled to surrender ib. His captivity in Spain 340 Dilatory movements of Staremberg 341 He comes in presence of Vendome 342 Battle of Villa Viciosa 343 Skill and bravery of Staremberg 345 His retreat to Barcelona 346 The Spaniards re-conquer Aragon ib.

Chapter IX

1711. Death of the Emperor Joseph 347 State of parties in England 348 Estrangement of the Queen from the Whigs ib. Accession of the Tories to office 349 Their negotiations with France 350 Selfish views of Louis the Fourteenth 351 Special preliminaries are signed 353 Campaign in Catalonia 354 Charles embarks at Barcelona 355 He is elected Emperor 356 And crowned at Frankfort , ib. 1712. Conferences at Utrecht 358 Deaths of the Dauphin and Duke of Burgundy 359 Renunciations required in consequence 360 The Allies are defeated at Denain 361 Blockade of Gerona by Marshal Staremberg ib. Death of the Duke of Vendome XX CONTENTS. a. d. Page 1712. The British troops leave Catalonia 362 Progress of the negotiations 363 Enactment of the Salic law in Spain 365 1713. Neglect of the Catalans by the British ministers 366 Baseness of Lord Bolingbroke 367 Conclusion of the peace of Utrecht 368 Charles continues the war alone 371 But withdraws his troops from Catalonia 372 Grief and resentment in that country ib.

The Empress embarks 373 Cruel stratagem of Staremberg ib. Heroic resolution of the Catalans 374 They apply for aid to the Turks ib. Barcelona invested by the Duke of Popoli 376 Peace of Rastadt between Louis and Charles 377 1714. The Catalans still adhere to the latter 378 The Duke of Berwick is sent against Barcelona ib. Disgraceful co-operation of a British squadron 379 Desperate defence of the besieged 380 They repel the assailants in several assaults ib. Their fanatic preachers 381 The "Court of Conscience" 382 The Matadores ib. Arrival of Berwick and French reinforcements 383 The Catalans still undismayed 384 The French defeated in several attacks 386 General assault on the city 388 Unconquerable spirit of the besieged ib. Bloodshed on both sides , 389 The city is stormed ib. Surrender of Cardona and Majorca 390 Conclusion of the war CHAP. I. 1 1 ' HISTORY OF THE WAR OF THE SUCCESSION IN SPAIN.

Chapter I

During the reign of Philip the Second, the Spanish monarchy was, perhaps, the mightiest which the world had beheld since the downfall of the Roman. But bigotry and despotism were already undermining its foundations, and the next century of its annals displays one long unbroken train of losses, humiliations, and disasters. The establishment of the Dutch, and their enterprising spirit, struck a deep blow on its trade, while its domestic industry and population received a still more deadly wound from the fanatic banishment of the Morescoes. The revolt of the Portuguese severed from the empire its most important province, and raised up an active enemy in the heart of the Peninsula. The revolt of the Catalans, though finally suppressed, divided the affections and wasted the blood and treasure of the nation. 1!

I , . 1660. 1665, A race of imbecile monarchs, shut up in the seclu sion of their palace, were unable to remedy, and seemed scarcely to know the disasters of their sub jects. Every where the people were misgoverned, impoverished, and oppressed, declining in industry, and diminishing in numbers. Nothing was left them but the noble pride which had produced their greatness, and which, then, as now, continued to survive it. At the peace of the Pyrenees, Philip the Fourth, feeling the miserable weakness into which the monarchy had fallen, hoped to secure it from the future attacks of its most formidable enemy, by giving his eldest daughter, the Infanta Maria Theresa, in marriage to the King of France. But shortly afterwards, his untimely death left the throne to his only son, Charles the Second, an in fant three years of age, thus adding the evils of a long and turbulent minority to those under which the nation already groaned.

Had the manhood of Charles proved active and able, the public ruin •might yet have been arrested ; and the same des potic power which had done, or at least allowed the mischief, would in a strong hand have become the most speedy and effectual instrument of cure. But the young monarch, a prey from his earliest years to manifold disease and premature decline, formed no unfit emblem of the kingdom over which he ruled. As weak in intellect as frail in constitution, his reign was the reign of worthless ministers, and his life a lingering illness. The S CHAP. I. 1 . ' 1665. 1697. f SUCCESSION IN SPAIN. misrule which now disgraced the government, the wretchedness which now weighed upon tlie people, are quite without a parallel in modern times. " Starvation," says an eye-witness at this dismal period, " spreads even to the royal palace." * And this was said of a country into which the treasures of the Indies were yearly poured, and which might still proudly boast, that the sun never ceased to shine upon its conquests !

The hopes, too, which Philip had formed from his family alliance with Louis the Fourteenth were very speedily and completely disappointed. Ambition knows no kindred ; and ambition was (in his youth at least) the ruling passion of Louis. In several unprovoked and unnecessary wars, he wrested from Spain many most valuable possessions, and was withheld in his course, not so much by any re sistance he encountered, as by the interposition of the other European powers. Latterly, however, his hopes of obtaining the whole Spanish succession made him wish to conciliate the Spanish monarch and the Spanish people, so that at the peace of Ryswick he restored to them no small share of his conquests. By the show of forbearance and gene rosity he expected to prevail over the other com petitors for this splendid prize ; and, like a runner at public games, observes a Spanish historian, he threw down his spoils to be more nimble for the race, f * Lettres de Villars, p. 220. f San Phelipe Comentarios, vol. i. p. 1.

B ' , > 1697. 1699. Charles the Second, though twice married, had no issue, and was the last male of his dynasty. The Spanish law of succession, however, makes no exclusion of sexes ; and, after the young Prince of Bavaria, who was considered to have the best claim by female descent, the posterity of Louis by Maria Theresa would have been entitled to the crown, had not that marriage been accompanied by the most solemn, express, and repeated renunciation of any such rights. This obstacle seemed light in the eyes of Louis, whose whole reign was marked by the most perfidious and shameless disregard of his engagements, and he now prepared a long train of artful negotiations and intrigues to overcome it. His chief rival was the Emperor Leopold, whose mother had been a Spanish princess, and who was, more over, the next male representative ofthe Austrian line.

Leopold, well aware that the other European powers would never consent to see the vast Spanish dominions added to his own, and united under the same sceptre, declared himself ready to resign his claims, and those of Joseph his eldest son, in favour of his second, the Archduke Charles. On the same principle, the King of France aimed at the succession for his younger grandson, Philip Duke of Anjou. After much hesitation, King Charles at length acknowledged and proclaimed the Prince of Ba varia as his rightful heir ; but the sudden death of the young prince once more unsettled this great question. At such a crisis, none of the states of CHAP. I. • r ' 1699. Europe could remain indifferent lookers-on, — some wishing for the sake of the balance of power to prop and uphold the vast fabric which seemed tot tering to its fall, and some only solicitous to snatch some fragments from the ruin.

Louis seemed to enter eagerly into the views ofthe latter, partly to conceal his own upon the whole succession, and partly that, in case the Spaniards should decide in favour of the Archduke, he might, at the worst, seize and annex to France his stipulated share of their dominions. A treaty of partition, which had already, during the lifetime of the Bavarian prince, been signed between the Dutch states, William the Third of England, and himself, was now renewed upon another basis. It stipulated, that the Archduke should be acknowledged as successor, and inherit Spain, the Indies, and the Netherlands, while the Dauphin, as eldest son of Louis and Maria Theresa, should receive for the sacrifice of his claims the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, and the province of Guipuzcoa beyond the Pyrenees, besides the duchy of Milan, which was to be the subject of exchange.

This iniquitous compact, — concluded without the slightest reference to the welfare of the states so readily parcelled and allotted, — insulting to the pride of Spain, and tending to strip that country of its hard won con quests, — could not fail to fill it with mingled in dignation and alarm. So skilful, however, was the management of Louis, that he turned away the general indignation from himself, and directed it b r, CHAP. I. 1 /— ■ 1699. 1700. WAR OF THE against the two maritime powers, which he held forth as the chief promoters of the scheme. Charles himself was roused into resentment ; and, with one of those sudden bursts of resolution which weak minds are equally unable to check or to con tinue, he cut off all further friendly intercourse with both England and Holland, by commanding Mr. Stanhope, the British, and De Schonenberg, the Dutch, ambassador to leave Madrid.

Meanwhile that capital was the scene of the most active intrigues on all sides for the choice of a successor. The idea of partition made the Spa niards in general less anxious as to the person on whom that choice should fall, than that some choice should be made to keep their monarchy entire ; and their entreaties, joined to the clamours of the French and Austrian partisans, distracted the death bed of their suffering monarch. His own feeling was strongly against the house of Bourbon, from whose open enmity or pretended friendship he had undergone so many wrongs : his aversion was fomented by his Queen, a German princess, and shared by nearly all the grandees and leading statesmen of his court. The Emperor's game would, therefore, have been sure and easy in able hands ; but Leopold was narrow in mind and penurious in habits, unconciliating, selfish, and suspicious.

Instead of rallying all the Spaniards to his cause, by proclaiming the indivisibility of their dominions, he showed an inclination to ob tain the Milanese for himself; he forbade the Arch- CHAP I. v 1700. duke Charles to set out for Madrid, and seemed bent upon avoiding any sacrifice of men or money in his behalf. The faults of his diplomatic agent were, perhaps, still more injurious to him than his own. Leopold as well as Louis might each be said to be faithfully represented, not only in their public station as sovereigns, but also in their personal cha racter and disposition, by Count Harrach and the Duke of Harcourt, their ambassadors at Madrid. Harcourt was a man of winning manners, infinite skill, and well timed liberality, eager to make friends on all sides, and fully impressed with the useful maxim, that at courts there is no such thing as an inconsiderable enemy.

In Harrach, on the contrary, a cold and forbidding deportment, which offended the great, was joined to a sordid avarice, which disappointed the needy, and to a slow, pompous, indecisive temper, such as characterised, at this period, the whole cabinet of Vienna. " I " know your ministers," said one day to Harrach the Conde de Mancera, the ablest of the Spanish statesmen at this time, and a zealous partisan of Austria : " they will so mismanage matters, that in " the place of the Archduke we shall have some '' other prince proclaimed at Madrid ; we shall "' swear allegiance to him ; and if we have once " sworn, no circumstance, no consideration will " make us faithless to our new king, however re " luctantly acknowledged." After the event, these remarkable words sound almost like a prophecy.

The skill of Harcourt, the repulsive arrogance b s CHAP. I. ■ , 1 1700. WAR OF THE of Harrach, soon produced their natural effects, — the Bourbon party in Spain rapidly increased in numbers. Above all, it obtained a most powerful accession, and most able leader, in Cardinal Porto carrero, Archbishop of Toledo, whose high rank was supported by splendid genius and ready talents for intrigue. No means were left untried, by this prelate and his friends, to work upon the con science of Charles, and wring from him a decision favourable to their views. They urged that the renunciation of Maria Theresa could not bind her descendants ; that as little could it change a national law of inheritance ; that, at all events, it had only been intended to prevent the union of the French and Spanish crowns on the same head ; and that if this danger were still guarded against, by settling the succession on the younger son of the Dauphin, the renunciation, in its true and only object, would still remain fulfilled.

In support of such arguments, Portocarrero thundered forth in the ear of Charles the most awful threats of eternal damnation, should he, from any private partiality or resentment, act against his own conviction, betray the trust with which Providence had charged him, and appoint any other than the rightful heir; and these spiritual terrors swayed the mind of Charles with double force as his bodily strength declined. Every thing showed that his frame was rapidly sinking — a dysentery had set in — his pulse beat fainter — his limbs had begun to fail he had solemnly renounced all feelings of enmity and SUCCESSION IN SPAIN. CHAP. I. 1 v ' 1700. Nov. 1 projects of revenge, which, considering the tenacity of human hatred, is often the surest symptom of approaching death. The Cardinal and his adherents now beset the King with the most unwearied assi duity, and at length induced him to dictate to Ubilla secretary of the council, his celebrated testament, declaring Philip, Duke of Anjou, sole heir of the Spanish monarchy.