Nothing important happened this year on the side of Rousillon. In Flanders, Louis was opposed to the Prince of Orange ; but as each was unwilling to hazard a general engagement, the Monarch returned to Versailles.
Louis, thus deprived of two of his ablest generals, was obliged to supply their loss, as far as possible, by the vigour and extensiveness of his preparations for a new cam paign ; and by a new secret treaty, into which he entered with the King of England. By this, they obliged them selves to enter into no treaties, unless by mutual consent.
Early in the year 1677, Louis placed himself at the head of his army in Flanders, and began his operations, before the enemy's cavalry, for want of forage, could take the field. The Spanish towns, ill fortified, made but a feeble resistance. Condi was taken by storm in four days, and Bouchain was reduced before the middle of May. In or der to facilitate the reduction of this place, the King post ed himself to such advantage as to prevent the allies from coming to its relief. The Prince of Orange, indeed, came in sight of the French army, but he could not force Louis to light ; and thus was an inactive spectator of the fall of the place, which he had hoped to relieve. Louis soon afterwards returned to Versailles, leaving the command to Marshal Schomberg. As soon as the King had departed, the Prince of Orange laid seige to Macstricht ; but the place making a gallant defence, sickness breaking out in the Prince's army, and Schomberg coming to its relief, the siege was abandoned.
In the midst of these operations by land, Louis did not neglect his navy. A fleet, under the Duke of Vivonne, was sent into the Mediterranean, to support the people of Messina, who had rebelled against the Spaniards ; while the latter were aided by a Dutch fleet under the command of De Ruyter. After an obstinate combat, Messina was relieved by the French. Another engagement took place near Augusta, in which the French were also victorious, and De Ruyter was killed. A third, more decisive, was fought off Palermo : the battle was sustained with great vigour on both sides, till the French, taking advantage of a favourable wind, sent some fire ships among the Dutch fleet. All was now confusion and alarm ; 12 were sunk, burnt, or taken ; 5000 men were killed, and the French fleet were masters of the Mediterranean. They were,
however, soon afterwards induced to evacuate Messina, at the moment they flattered themselves with the hope of se curing it.
During these various operations, a congress had been established at Nimeguen, under the mediation of the King of England. The Dutch were tired of the war, which had greatly increased their taxes ; but the Prince of Orange, filled with ambition and animosity against France, per suaded them to continue it, representing, among other reasons, that it was necessary to obtain a strong frontier on the side of Flanders, and that they could not honourably desert their allies. Louis also was desirous of peace ; but as he wished for favourable conditions, he was sensible that these could be obtained only by a vigorous prosecution of the war. Thus, the negotiations leading to no result, the preparations for a new campaign were carried on with great activity on each side. Louis took the field, as usual, as early as February, Louvois having by this time es tablished large magazines. Valenciennes was his first object, which he carried by storm, by making the assault in the morning, when it was least expected, in preference to the night, the usual time ; to this he was advised by Vau ban. Indeed, lie never sate clown before any place that he was not almost certain of reducing. He next invested Cambray and St Omers. The Prince of Orange advanced to the relief of the latter place, with an army hastily as sembled : the siege was covered by the Duke of Orleans, the King's brother, and Marshal Luxemburg ; the former had the effeminate manners of a woman, but these concealed the most ardent courage ; the latter had been the intimate friend and favourite pupil of Conde. The Prince of Orange being resolved to raise the siege at any rate, an obstinate battle was fought at Mont Capel, on the I Ith of April : For some time the issue was doubtful, till Luxemburg made a masterly movement, which compelled the Prince to seek shelter under the walls of Ypres. The fall of St (Diners immediately followed. Louis, always anxious after military fame, and jealous of it in others, could not brook the idea that his brother should have gained a victory by an army, of which he was the commander ; he listened to the intelligence with no marks of satisfaction, and never afterwards entrusted the Duke with the chief command.