In 1675, a confederacy, consisting of the Emperor and Spain, which had been alarmed at the conquests and ambi tion of the French monarch, and had already secretly assis ted the United Provinces, openly declared themselves their allies. In three obstinate but indecisive actions, with the fleets of France and England, De Ruyter maintained his character, and protected his country by sea. As,soon as the summer commenced, Louis resumed the command c his armies, and in 13 days took Maestricht, one of the strongest bulwarks of the United Provinces. The Prince of Orange, in the mean time, haling assembled a respecta ble army, laid siege to Naarden ; and, by its reduction, in spired his countrymen with confidence in his talents, and with hopes of the success of their cause. As soon as Naar den was reduced, he marched to join the Imperialists, who, under Montecuculli, on the banks of the Rhine, was oppo sed to Turenne. The Imperialists having in vain attemp ted the passage of that river, in the face of the Marshal, eluded his vigilance, however, and sat down suddenly be fore Bonne ; here they were joined by the Prince of Orange, who had displayed equal talents, in leaving behind him the other French generals. Bonne soon surrendered ; and by the fall of several other places in the Electorate of Cologne, the communication between France and the United Pro vinces was cut off, and Louis was obliged to recal his for ces, and abandon his conquests.
In 1674, the Parliament of England obliged Charles to make peace with Rolland ; and soon afterwards this Mo narch offered his mediation to the contending powers. The King of France readily acceded to the offer; but the Prince of Orange, who had great influence in the councils of the United States, and had just obtained the perpetual grant of the office of Stadtholder for his family, and who, besides, was ambitious of military fame, refused the medi ation, alleging that it would be in vain to negotiate, till a greater impression had been made upon France. Louis, therefore, resolved to open the campaign with such accu mulated means, as should render this expectation of the Stadtholder altogether fruitless. lie brought three great armies into the field ; one on the side of Germany, one in Flanders, and one on the frontiers of Rousillon, while he himself, at the head of a fourth, entered Franche Comp*, and subdued the whole province in the space of six weeks. The attacks on Besancon were directed by Vauban, who was so great a master of these operations, and besides found every thing necessary so well supplied by Lou vois, that it was reduced in nine days. In Flanders, the Prince of Conde, who commanded the French army, was opposed by the Prince of Orange; the former, though his forces were inferior in number, prevented the latter from pene trating into France ; and at last attacked the rear of his ar my, in a narrow defile at Seneffe; threw them into confu sion, and captured a great part of their cannon and baggage. On this occasion, the Prince of Orange, sensible that he had been ont-generalled, atoned for his mistake by his per sonal exertions and courage; he rallied his troops—led them back to the charge; in his`turn made the French re tire ; and obliged Conde to exert desperate efforts to ob tain the victory, which he at length atchieved. Such were the deeds of the Prince of Orange in this battle, that his adversary, always candid and magnanimous, remarked, rr The Prince of Orange has acted in every thing like an old captain, except exposing his life too like a young sol dier." At length the night parted the combatants, and, notwithstanding the advantage which the French obtained at the commencement of the engagement, the victory re mained undecided. The Prince of Orange, however, in
order to give himself the appearance of having been the conqueror, or to bring the French to a new engagement, besieged Oudenarde; but the Imperial general, who was with him, not choosing to hazard a battle, the siege was raised. Before the close of the campaign, however, he re duced Grave, the last town that the French held in any of the United Provinces.
In Alsace, Turenne commanded, and displayed much military skill against a superior army. By a rapid and well-concerted march, he attacked and defeated the Duke of Lorraine, and Caprara, the Imperial gener•/, at Sintzt ; and afterwards entered the Palatinate. During his absence in Lorraine, the Imperialists again returned, and with an army of 70,00 1 men, entered and overran Alsace. This obliged him to come hack for the defence of this pm vince ; and so unexpected was his arrival, that the Impe rialists, taken unawares, were completely defeated, and b• ing dislodged, were obliged to repass the Rhine. The Palatinate was now given up to the most wanton and bar barous destruction. From his castle at Manheim, the Elector heheld two cities and 25 towns in flames. Rapine and lust vied with each other in the dreadful destruction that they committed. The Elector, mad with rage and grief, challenged Turenne to single combat ; but the Mar shal coolly replied, that he could not accept such a chal lenge without his master's leave, but would, at any time, meet the Elector in the field, with their respective armies.
In 1675, Montecuculli was recalled arid placed at the head of the Imperial army, in order to oppose Turenne. Ile endeavoured to penetrate into Alsace, Lorraine, or Bur gundy; while Turenne endeavoured to defeat this design. The most consummate skill was displayed on the hanks of the Rhine, the scene of their manoeuvres, by these two celebrated generals, who had reduced war to a science. Turenne, by posting himself on the German side of the river, not only kept his Ilya] from passing it, but was in a situation to take advantage of any fortunate circumstance that might occur. At last he thought that such a circum stance presented itself, and was preparing to bring the Ger mans to a decisive engagement, by reconnoitering a situa tion to erect a battery, when he was killed by a cannon ball. Consternation, alarm, and indecision, their natural filled the French army ; of this the Imperial general took advantage ; and after having been kept three months on the German side of the Rhine, by the talents of Turenne, he passed it the moment he heard of his fate, and ted into Alsace. The Prince of Conde, upon this, was sent with a reinforcement to join the army, and supply the place of Turenne ; but, before his arrival, a part of the German forces had laid siege to Treves, and Marshal Ac qui, advancing to its relief, exposed himself by his negli gence to a total defeat, escaping with only four attendants into Treves. Here he resolved to atone for his negligence, by his gallant defence ; but the garrison mutinied, opened the gates, and delivered him up to the enemy. As soon as Conde assumed the command of Turenne's army, the good fortune of the Imperialists ceased, as he not only pre vented them from establishing themselves in Alsacie, but obliged them to repass the Rhine. With this campaign the prince terminated the career of his military glory, pass ing the remainder of his life in honourable retirement at Chantilly. Montecuculli withdrew at the same time from active service.