WILLIAM AND MARY.

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the alliance. It was impossible that twenty governments, chap.divided by quarrels about precedence, quarrels about territory, ^ 9 1 | 1 ' ■quarrels about trade, quarrels about religion, could long acttogether in perfect harmony. That they acted together duringseveral years in imperfect harmony is to be ascribed to the wis-dom, patience and firmness of William.

The situation of his great enemy was very different. Theresources of the French monarchy, though certainly not equalto those of England, Holland, the House of Austria, and theEmpire of Germany united, were yet very formidable: theywere all collected in a central position: they were all under theabsolute direction of a single mind. Lewis could do with twowords what William could hardly bring about by two months ofnegotiation at Berlin, Munich, Brussels, Turin and Vienna.

Thus France was found equal in effective strength to all thestates which were combined against her. For in the political,as in the natural world, there may be an equality of momentumbetween unequal bodies, when the body which is inferior inweight is superior in velocity.

This was soon signally proved. In March the princes andambassadors who had been assembled at the Hague separated:and scarcely had they separated when all their plans were dis-concerted by a bold and skilful move of the enemy.

Lewis was sensible that the meeting of the Congress was sie e e aQ <ilikely to produce a great effect on the public mind of Europe. Mons.That effect he determined to counteract by striking a suddenand terrible blow. While his enemies were settling how manytroops each of them should furnish, he ordered numerous divi-sions of his army to march from widely distant points towardsMons, one of the most important, if not the most important, ofthe fortresses which protected the Spanish Netherlands. Hispurpose was discovered only when it was all but accomplished.AVilliam, who had retired for a few days to Loo, learned, with