The sluggish Emperor began to bestir himself. Spain, fast dwindling to
the shadow of that mighty figure which had once bestrode two worlds,
sent some troops to aid a cause which was, indeed, half her own. By sea
the Dutch could do no more than keep their flag flying, but it says much
for their sailors that they could do that against a foe their equal in
skill and courage, and almost always their superior in numbers. On land
they were more successful. The Bishop of Munster was driven back from
the walls of Groningen: Naerden and Bonne were retaken: before the
summer was over the whole electorate of Cologne was in the hands of
William and his allies. The campaign of 1674 was less fortunate to the
young general. Charles had, it is true, been compelled by his Parliament
to make a peace more favourable than the Dutch could have hoped for; but
in almost every direction Lewis made good again the ground he had lost
in the previous year. William, indeed, took Grave, but he was compelled
to raise the siege of Oudenarde. A large force of Germans under the
Elector of Brandenburg was driven out of Alsace across the Rhine by
Turenne, who had a short while before completely routed the Imperial
troops under the Duke of Lorraine at Sintzheim. Franche Comté was
reconquered in a few weeks. But the most notable action of the year was
the battle of Seneff, fought near Mons on August 11th between William
and Condé. It was long, bloody, and indecisive; but it raised William's
reputation for courage and ability to the highest pitch, and drew from
his veteran opponent one of those compliments a brave soldier is always
glad to pay a foeman worthy of his steel. "The Prince of Orange," said
Condé, "has acted in everything like an old captain, except in venturing
his life too like a young soldier."

The battle of Seneff has for us, too, a particular importance. It gives
us, according to some of his biographers, the first glimpse of
Claverhouse as a soldier. The story goes that, at an early period of the