on prepared for the great struggle before
it. The king laboured to establish alliances and a plan for common
action, and all was in readiness, when his sudden death left the
guidance of affairs in other hands.

These hands were, happily for England, those of the Earl of
Marlborough, the finest diplomatist, as well as the greatest
soldier, of his time.

The struggle which was approaching was a gigantic one. On one side
were France and Spain, open to attack on one side only, and holding
moreover Flanders, and almost the whole of Italy, with the rich
treasures of the Indies upon which to draw for supplies. The
alliance of Bavaria, with a valiant population, extended the
offensive power of the coalition into the heart of Austria.

Upon the other hand were the troops of Austria, England, Holland,
Hanover, Hesse Cassel, and the lesser states of Germany, with a
contingent of troops, from Prussia and Denmark. In point of numbers
the nations ranged on either side were about equal; but while
France, Spain, and Bavaria formed a compact body under the guidance
of Louis, the allies were divided by separate, and often opposing
interests and necessities, while Austria was almost neutralized by
a dangerous Hungarian insurrection that was going on, and by the
danger of a Turkish invasion which the activity of French diplomacy
kept continually hanging over it. The coalition was weakened in the
field by the jealousies of the commanders of the various
nationalities, and still more by the ignorance and timidity of the
Dutch deputies, which Holland insisted on keeping at headquarters,
with the right of veto on all proceedings.

On the side of the allies the following were the arrangements for
the opening of the campaign. A German army under Louis, Margrave of
Baden, was to be collected on the upper Rhine to threaten France on
the side of Alsace. A second corps, 25,000 strong, composed of
Prussian troops and Dutch, under the Prince of Saarbruck, were to
undertake the siege of Kaiserwerth, a small but very important
fortress on the right bank of the Rhine, two leagues below
Dusseldorf. The main army, 35,000 strong, under the Earl of
Athlone, was destined to cover the frontier of Holland, from the
Rhine to the Vecun, and also to cover the siege of Kaiserwerth;
while a fourth body, of 10,000 men, under General Cohorn, were
collected near the mouth of the Scheldt, and threatened the
district of Bruges.

Upon the other side the French had