Almanza was a bad opening for the new year, but worse was to follow. Throughout the winter Marlborough had, as usual, been employed in diplomatic negotiations¹, which nothing but his skill and fascination² could have carried to a successful issue. But on one most important point the Duke was foiled by the treachery of the Emperor, who, to further his own selfish designs on Naples, secretly concluded a treaty with France for the neutrality of Italy, and thus enabled the whole of the French garrisons³ in Italy to be withdrawn⁵ unmolested. The forces thus liberated⁷ were at once brought up to the scene of action on the Rhine and in Flanders, and the French were enabled to bring a superior force in the field against Marlborough. Again the Duke had hoped to save Spain by an invasion of France from the side of Savoy, but this project again had been deferred⁸ until too late, owing to the Emperor's cupidity⁹ for the possession of Naples. Finally, though Prince Lewis of Baden had died during the winter, he had been replaced on the Rhine by a still more incompetent¹¹ prince, the Margrave of Bayreuth, who, far from making any diversion in the Duke's favour, never ceased pestering¹² him to come to his assistance. So flagrant was this deplorable person's incapacity that he too was superseded¹³ before the close of the campaign, though too late for any effective purpose. His successor, however, deserves particular notice, being none other than the Elector[491] of Hanover, afterwards our own King George the First, no genius in the field, but, as shall be seen in due time, an extremely sensible and clear-headed soldier.

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