X. ditional burthen on the treasury. Alberoni, there- CHAP. fore, began to wish for his departure, and the Prince himself to be weary of his stay. A pretext 1719. alone was wanting on both sides, when news was brought that Princess Sobieski had contrived to make her escape from Inspruck, and to reach Bologna without further molestation.* James immediately took leave of the Spanish Court, and returned to Italy, to solemnize his marriage. Alberoni had hoped that a few of the shattered ships of Ormond's fleet might be speedily repaired and sent out; not, indeed, for their original destination, but for the smaller object of rousing and exciting the malcontents in Brittany. Partly, however, from necessary repairs, and partly from the dilatory disposition of Don Blas de Loya, the officer entrusted with this enterprise, the proper time for it slipt by, and the French Government was enabled to pour troops into the disaffected province, and to quell every hope of a rising.t Nor was the campaign on the Pyrenean frontier less adverse to the views of Alberoni. Early in The King of Spain wrote himself to James from Tudela (June 8. 1719, Stuart Papers), announcing this event. In the same collection are many curious particulars of the Princess's escape. + "J'ai lu le procès de ceux qui furent executés à Nantes. "Je me suis entretenu plusieurs fois avec quelques uns des "juges et de ceux qui furent effigiés; je n'ai jamais vu de complot "plus mal organisé. Plusieurs ne savaient pas exactement de "quoi il était question ou ne s'accordaient pas les uns avec les "autres." (Duclos, Mém. vol. ii. p. 30. ed. 1791.) X. 1719. CHAP. April, the French had taken the field with more than 30,000 men; and though Villars had refused the command, it had been accepted by Berwick. It was strange to see the conqueror of Almanza warring against Philip the Fifth, and the father of the Duke of Liria in arms against his son; but it was known that his cold temper was seldom stirred by any personal partialities; and that his stern sense of duty never yielded either to terror or temptation. On the other side, the Spaniards, the flower of whose forces was in Sicily, could muster only a few regiments of worn-out veterans or raw recruits. He Philip, nevertheless, determined to put himself at the head of those forces, deceived by the flattering representations of his agents, and trusting that, at his approach, the French soldiers would quit their ranks and hail as their chief the only surviving grandson of Louis the Fourteenth. arrived at Pamplona, attended by the Queen, the Prince of Asturias, and the Prime Minister; and in pursuance of his hopes, prepared an address to the soldiers of Berwick, and assigned the very regi ments in which those who should come over were to be enrolled. Nay, so confident was he of the issue, that he had formed the design of advancing almost alone amongst the French troops, and claiming their allegiance as the rightful Regent. But Alberoni, afraid to endanger his Majesty's person in this romantic enterprise, opposed it by urgent remonstrances; and finding these received with less do X. cility than usual, contrived to defeat it by a false CHAP. order, and consequent delay of the royal attendants. The King's proclamation to the French soldiers was, however, published. But the instinct of military obedience is too strong to be broken, except on very rare occasions and by very extraordinary men. The French troops, so far from deserting, advanced rapidly from conquest to conquest; and Philip was reduced to remain an indignant spectator of reverses which he could neither hinder nor avenge. M. de Silly, who commanded the army before the coming of Berwick, passed the Bidassoa and reduced Port Passage, where he found six large men of war on the stocks nearly finished; and these, at the instigation of Colonel William Stanhope (he had been sent on a mission to the French army) were committed to the flames. The arsenal and magazines were also consumed, and the total loss of the Spaniards on this occasion has been estimated at not less than two millions of dollars. Fuenterabia was then invested, and after a stubborn defence surrendered on the 18th of June. The next enterprise of the invaders was partly naval. An English squadron having appeared off the coast as auxiliaries, eight hundred French soldiers were embarked and conveyed to Santoña, another naval station, where Alberoni had carried on the construction of his fleet. The fortress was destitute of regular troops, and garrisoned only by some Miquelets and armed peasants of the neighbour 1719. X. 1719. CHAP. hood, who fled at the first fire. On taking possession of the place, the French, as at Passages, burnt three ships of war on the stocks, and the materials for seven more, -a conflagration which following the action off Cape Passaro and the tempest off Cape Finisterre, completed the destruction of the Spanish navy, and was ascribed to the maritime jealousy of England.* Marshal Berwick next turned his arms against St. Sebastian, and obtained possession of the city on the 2d, of the citadel on the 17th of August, while Philip, whose force did not exceed 15,000 men, could do nothing for its relief, and was compelled to return to Madrid without striking a blow. At the close of the campaign the whole of Guipuzcoa was in the hands of the French; and the States of that province even offered to acknowledge their dominion, on the condition that their own rights and liberties should be secured. That this offer, which would only have increased the jealousy of the Allies and the difficulties of a peace, was promptly rejected by the French Government, .... Que era el principal designio de los Ingleses, suspirando siempre, porque España no tenga navios, para aprovecharse asi de los thesoros de las Indias con los suyos. (San Phelipe, Coment. vol. ii. p. 233.) + This proposal was made from Guipuzcoa only, and not from Biscay and Alava, as stated by Coxe. (House of Bourbon, vol. ii. p. 354.) He is also mistaken in saying that the French took Urgel (it was not taken at all), and that the British dron which had co-operated with their army took Vigo; other ships performed that service. squa X. 1719. need excite no surprise, but it does seem strange CHAP. to find such an offer proceed from that loyal people. We find, however, on further investigation, that Alberoni, in his eagerness to establish a new and uniform tariff for trade, and to regulate the inland custom-houses between the various kingdoms of the monarchy, had despotically broken through and trampled on the ancient and cherished privileges of the Basques. It seems, in fact, the peculiar curse of all those who have attempted to regenerate Spain, that they think it necessary in the first place to destroy the liberties and laws which they find already happily established in some provinces, and to reduce every thing to the same dead level of servitude, to clear the ground, as they say, for a more regular structure; and thus, while they profess an extension of freedom, their first step is always to abridge it. Although the surrender of Vigo closed the campaign in Biscay, the north of Spain was exposed to further aggressions both from the French and English. The French troops entered Catalonia, where they took some small forts, and attempted Rosas. A British squadron sailed from Spithead on the 21st of September with 4,000 troops on board, who were commanded by Lord Cobham, and intended to attack Coruña; but on approaching the Spanish coast and obtaining further information, this project was abandoned as too hazardous, and Cobham resolved to turn his arms against Vigo, where he heard that many of Ormond's stores still |