A new league, beaded by the Prince of Orange, was formed against Louis XIV., and the war was renewed. In October 1688 Philipsburg surrendered to Louvois and Vauban after a siege of nineteen days; after which several other fortresses fell into their hands. In February 1689 the Palatinate was invaded a second time, the open country wasted, the towns and villages burned, and all the licence of war indulged in still-more inhumanly than during Turenne's campaign of 1674-75. This war, fanned by religious discord, extended so rapidly as soon to embrace Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, and a part of Spain ; whilst the active minister found means to raise well-appointed armies for each, without regard to the clamour of the suffering people. Stern and cruel as he was, his reputation for capacity increased ; even his enemies acknowledged his talents and his vigour. Meanwhile every year strengthened the confederacy against the French monarch, and the Prince of Orange, now become king of England, united his troops to the armies of the allies, whilst his fleets threatened the French coast along the whole seabord. But the minister's fall was approaching. After the campaign of 1691 had been opened by
Louis XIV., and during the siege of Mons, Louvois, whose long administration had raised his pride above all bounds, ventured to provoke his master by repeated contradictions. After the capture of Mons, Louvois followed the king to Versailles, and resumed his usual functions ; but the frigid behaviour of Louis made him sensible that his power was drawing to an end. Still he persisted in going to the palace; though on one occasion, it is said the king was so inceused at his arrogance as to lift his hand against the minister, but Madame de Maintenon interposed to prevent the indignity. From the disgrace of dismissal he was however saved by his sudden death. Hie health, broken by prolonged labour and anxiety, had wholly given way under the repeated mortifications he had lately been made to endure. Having fainted in the royal council-room at Versailles, on the 16th of July 1691, he was removed to his hotel, where, after being bled, he expired in the course of a few hours. The Marquis de Louvois was then in his fifty-first year, and had been thirty-six years in the service of the ' grand monarque.'