202 
HISTORY OF ENGLAND [1692-1702 
Russell was aroused, and when, in command of the English 
and Dutch fleets, he met the French off La Hogue, he at 
ance attacked them and, after a severe encounter, put them 
50 flight. This vicetory put an end to all thoughts of a suc- 
zessful attempt upon England. In commemoration of the 
battle of La Hogue, Mary gave up her palace at Greenwich, 
and turned it into a home for disabled seamen. 
The war was now carried on vigorously on the continent. 
William succeeded in joining several of the continental 
powers in a confederacy against Louis, and himself took the 
field in command of the allicd armies, He was unsuccessful 
at the battles of Steinkirk and Landen, but the power of 
France was being gradually weakened. At length, in 1697, 
the treaty of Ryswick was signed, by which Louis acknow- 
ledged William as king of England, and gave back all the 
territory he had won during the war. 
A new danger now presented itself, The king of Spain 
was old and he had no children to inherit his throne and his 
large possessions. William was anxious that the Spanish 
dominions should not be united with those of France, as 
France would then become powerful enough to encroach 
upon other nations. Negotiations were accordingly entered 
into which resulted in the French king agreeing to a Par- 
tition Treaty, by which it was decided that a prince of 
Bavaria should succeed to the Spanish throne. The prince 
died, and a second Partition Treaty was signed, by which 
‘he crown and the greater part of the Spanish possessions 
were to go to a son of the emperor of Austria. When, how- 
ever, the king of Spain died in 1700, he left his crown to a 
yrandson of Louis XIV. The French king now refused to 
be bound by the Partition Treaty, and prepared to aid his 
grandson. William knew that he must fight, or his life 
work would be undone. But few people in England felt 
like engaging in another war; many of them did not believe 
‘hat a union of France and Spain would threaten England 
with any real danger. Just at this time, however, James 
IT died, and Louis, contrary to the treaty of Ryswick, 
immediately acknowledged James III as king of England. 
This roused the English people to a sense of their danger,