of Modena had engaged in a treaty with
the Spaniards, dispossessed that prince of his dominions. The duke
de Montemar, seeing his army diminished by sickness and desertion,
retreated to the kingdom of Naples, and was followed by the king of
Sardinia as far-as Rimini.

Here he received intelligence that Don Philip, third son of his
catholic majesty, had made an irruption into Savoy with another army of
Spaniards, and already taken possession of Chamberri, the capital. He
forthwith began his march for Piedmont. Don Philip abandoned Savoy at
his approach, and retreating into Dauphine, took post under the cannon
of fort Barreaux. The king pursued him thither, and both armies remained
in sight of each other till the month of December, when the marquis de
Minas, an active and enterprising general, arrived from Madrid, and
took upon him the command of the forces under Don Philip. This general's
first exploit was against the castle of Aspremont, in the neighbourhood
of the Sardinian camp. He attacked it so vigorously, that the garrison
was obliged to capitulate in four-and-forty hours. The loss of this
important post compelled the king to retire into Piedmont, and the
Spaniards marched back into Savoy, where they established their winter
quarters. In the meantime the duke de Montemar, who directed the other
Spanish army, though the duke of Modena was nominal generalissimo,
resigned his command to count Gages, who attempted to penetrate into
Tuscany; but was prevented by the vigilance of count Traun, the Austrian
general. In December he quartered his troops in the Bolognese and
Romagna; while the Austrian s and Piedmontese were distributed in the
Modenese and Parmesan. The pope was passive during the whole campaign;
the Venetians maintained their neutrality, and the king of the two
Sicilies was overawed by the British fleet in the Mediterranean.

The new ministry in England had sent out admiral Matthews to assume
the command of this squadron, which had been for some time conducted by
Lestock, an inferior officer, as Haddock had been obliged to resign his
commission on account of his ill state of health. Matthews was likewise
invested with the character of minister-plenipotentiary to the king
of Sardinia and the states of Italy. Immediately after he had taken
possession of his command, he ordered captain Norris to destroy five
Spanish galleys which had put into the bay of St. Tropez; and this
service was effectually performed.