little trust in them."

"But some of them are good, are they not?"

"We do not consider any of them of much account. But then the
Spaniards on the other side are no better. They seem to have lost
all their military virtues, ever since their best troops were
demolished at Rocroi by Conde. That and the destruction of their
fleet by the English, and the drain of their resources both in men
and money, entailed by the long war in Holland, altogether
deprived the people of their martial spirit. The war is to some
extent between the English and us, because, of the allies England,
Holland, and Austria, neither the Austrians nor the Dutch take any
great share in the struggle. The Dutch are wholly engrossed with
the defence of their fens, the Austrians are fully occupied in
Italy and on the Rhine frontier, and it is only the English, who,
fortunately, are not very numerous, who are against us, for the
Portuguese can scarcely be counted in the business, being, if
anything, slower and more stupid than the Spaniards themselves.

"However, at present the prospect is good. Peterborough has gone.
Galway's army has been almost destroyed; though, to do them
justice, the English regiments fought magnificently, and if they
had been seconded by the Portuguese the result might have been
altogether different."

"Then you found Spain much less rich than France?"

"There is no comparison," Captain Fromart said. "It ought to be
fully as rich, but the plains lie almost uncultivated. The people
seem wholly without energy, and the ruling class are always
intriguing, and seem to pay little attention to their estates. You
see but few castles and chateaux, such as are dotted over France.
I do not say that, at the present moment, France can be considered
a prosperous country in material matters. The expenses of the wars
have been enormous, to say nothing of the Court. The people are
ground down by taxation, and the misery in some parts of the
country is extreme; but left to themselves the people will work,
and work hard. Our soil will grow anything, and after twenty years
of peace, France would altogether recover herself."

"And yet the alliance of Spain is considered as of vital
importance to France!"

"Of great importance, certainly. Spain has still soldiers who can
fight well, as they have proved in Italy; and were the levies at
home equally well drilled and disciplined, they would no doubt
turn out good soldiers. But these are, at presen