The allies, by the persuasion of the admiral of Cas tile, had resolved to carry the war into Spain, and to set up a competitor to Philip in the very heart of his kingdom. The Archduke Charles was consequently proclaimed king of Spain and the Indies at Vienna, and S0011 after arrived at Lisbon accompanied by 14,000 British and Dutch troops. This threatened invasion excited a spirit of alacrity and decision in the Spanish government which had been long absent from its councils. An army was hastily embodied and organized, and 12,000 French troops entered Spain under the Duke of Berwick. The allies wasted their time in disputes and inaction, and the events of the first campaign were favourable to the Spanish arms. But this was counterbalanced by the loss of Gibraltar, which was captured by the British, and by the battle of Blenheim, which was hailed by the Austrian party as a prelude to the downfal of the Bourbons.
The feuds in the cabinent continued with greater violence than ever; and at the moment when prompt and vigorous exertions were necessary to resist the increasing force of the allies, a total suspension of business ensued; and the most trifling as well as the most important measures were equally thwarted. This was occasioned chiefly by the recall of the Prin cess Orsini by the king of France, which so afflicted and irritated the queen, that she secretly obstructed every measure of the French ambassador, and en couraged the cabinet to oppose the exercise of fo reign influence. and to demand restoration of the an cient forms. The unpromising state of' affairs, how ever, forced her to yield to the demands of Louis, and a new council was appointed under the auspices of France. But she still resisted all reconciliation, and ceased not to exert all her power for the return of her favourite, which she at length accomplished to the great joy of herself and her husband; and the princess was allowed, to new model at pleasure the go vernment and administration of Spain.
The affairs of' the allies in the peninsula began to assume a more imposing attitude. Charles had land ed in Catalonia with a small body of troops under the Earl of Peterborough; the citadel of Montjuich was taken by assault in a most gallant style by their gene ral; and was soon after followed by the surrender of Barcelona and the submission of the whole province except Rosas. Valencia and Murcia followed the ex ample of Catalonia; and in these provinces nothing remained to Philip but the fortresses of Alicant and Peniscola. The recovery of Barcelona was now the great object of Philip's exertions. There his rival had established his court, and the fate of Spain seem ed to depend upon the issue of this enterprise. Phi lip advanced into Catalonia with 20,000 troops com manded by Marshal Tesse, and was joined under the walls of Barcelona by the Duke of Noailles with a considerable reinforcement from France. A French fleet also blockaded the port, and prevented all com munication by sea. The allies, dazzled with their
first success, had neglected the requisite preparations for a siege. They had dispersed their troops in the different fortresses of the province; and 3000 regulars constituted the principal strength of Barcelona. The inhabitants, however, were animated by the presence of Charles, and all ranks vied in devotion to his cause. The Earl of Peterborough also, with a flying camp, kept the besieging army in constant alarm. An ex tensive city so weakly garrisoned could not have long resisted the efforts of so powerful a force. After a month's operations, during which the citadel had been abandoned, practical breaches were formed in the rampart, and the last decisive assault was about to be made, when the allied fleet appeared in sight. The French squadron immediately withdrew; and Philip was compelled to raise the siege, with the loss of his magazines and artillery, and retreat into Rous sillon. There he left the remains of his army, and returning to Madrid, where, notwithstanding his dis asters, he was received with sincere affection, he re moved the court to Burgos. Saragossa opened its gates to Charles, and the whole kingdom of Aragon submitted without a struggle.
While these disastrous events were occurring in the north, the Duke of Berwick, who commanded on the frontiers of Portugal, was obliged to retire before a superior force, under the Earl of Galway, into the heart of the kingdom, and leave the way open to the capital. The allied army, consisting of 30,000 troops, entered Madrid; but instead of taking advantage of the general consternation, and pushing their con quests into old Castile, which would probably have secured the reduction of the whole. peninsula, they wasted their time in waiting for the archduke, who had been loitering in Barcelona and Saragossa, and preparing for a magnificent entry into the capital. The Duke of Berwick, however, was not slow in pro fiting by these delays. Ills army, reduced to 9000 men, was stationed behind the lIenares, and had been joined by the troops which had retreated from Bar celona, and increased by numerous new levies. With this increase of force, lie pushed a detachment to re cover Madrid, and having shut up the communica tion with Portugal, forced the allies to retreat towards Valencia, and by a vigorous and active pursuit, ren dered their loss scarcely less decisive than an abso lute defeat. The distresses and fortitude of Philip having endeared him to his subjects, he was received at Madrid with au universal burst of joy, far more impressive than the acclamations which had hailed his first accession. During this campaign, while Philip was upon the eve of beicg driven from his throne, the Netherlands was severed from the mo narchy by the battle of Ramilies, and Naples was soon after conquered by the emperor.