2Z8 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

chap. made in the negotiation. Lord Berkeley, Sirlxvi. William Temple, and Sir Lionel Jenkins, were1676. the English ministers at Nimegtien. The Dnteh,who were impatient for peace , soon appeared :Lewis, who hoped to divide the allies, andwho knew , that he himself could neither be se-duced nor forced into a disadvantageous peace,sent ambassadors: The Swedes, who hoped torecover by treaty what they had loft by arms,were also forward to negociate. But as thesepowers could not proceed of themselves to fettleterms, the congress, hitherto, served merely as anamusement to the public.

Campr.ii!n Ir was by the events of the camnaien , not

<if it :s. , , ’ .

' the conferences among the negociators, that the

articles of peace were to be determined. TheSpanish towns, ill fortified and worse defended,made but a feeble resistance to Lewis; who, byfaying up magazines during the winter, was ableto take the field early in the spring, before theforage could be found in the open country. Inthe month of April he laid siege to Conde, andtook it by storm in tour days. Having sent theduke of Orleans to besiege Bouchaine, a smallbut important fortress, he posted himself so ad-vantageously with his main army, as to hinderthe confederates from relieving it, or sightingwithout disadvantage. The prince of Orange,in spite of the difficulties of the season , and thewant of provisions, came in fight of the Frencharmy; but his industry served to no other pur-pose than to render him spectator of the surrender

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