f the Allies, General Stanhope,
the English leader, defeating the French and Spanish at Almanza, and
the Dutch General Staremberg doing the like at Saragossa. Charles the
Archduke, styling himself Charles III, now for the first time entered
Madrid. It was also the last time. Presently Stanhope was badly
defeated at the important battle of Brihuega, and Staremberg shortly
afterwards lost at Villa Viciosa. This decided matters in Spain.
Charles was compelled to flee the country, and Philip's throne was
finally secured to him.

The end of the war came in an altogether unexpected and strange
fashion. This was the sudden downfall of the Marlboroughs and of the
Whig interest. For some time the Queen had been tired of the Duchess
of Marlborough, and had been inclining more and more to Mrs. Masham,
formerly Abigail Hill, a cousin of Harley, through whom the minister
was intriguing for the overthrow of the Churchills. Then Dr.
Sacheverell, a London clergyman, afterwards so notorious, had preached
violently against the Whigs, who were foolish enough to impeach him.
Sacheverell was suspended for three years, and in consequence became
exceedingly popular among the Tories, and their party gained greatly
in the country. Moreover the writings of certain pamphleteers tended
much to damage the cause of the Whigs. Dean Swift was at once the
ablest and the bitterest of these. Harley managed to get Godolphin
dismissed from office. And one day, early in 1711, Anne suddenly took
from the Duchess her various offices at Court, while later in the same
year the Duke himself was deprived of his command of the army, and was
succeeded by the Irish peer Ormonde. He, however, was ordered to take
no active steps in the war which was still in theory going on. A
general election came soon after, and the Tories had a large majority
over the Whigs. The Tories came into office, and all Whig members of
the Whig ministry were dismissed. From that time to the present the
principle has obtained of having the King's Ministers, or the Cabinet,
with the other chief administrators, drawn from the same side in
politics.

The Tories now sought to bring to a close a war that had become so
unpopular. Louis XIV was also suing for peace. Then in 1711 the
Emperor Joseph died, and his brother the Archduke succeeded him as
Charles VI. It was now useless to trouble further to support or oppose
the claims of either candidate for the Spanish throne. Spain might as
well be