of Rocroy (May 18) put an end to the supremacy of the
Spanish army and inaugurated the long period of French military
predominance. Enghien himself conceived and directed the decisive
attack, and at the age of twenty-two won his place amongst the great
captains of modern times. After a campaign of uninterrupted success,
Enghien returned to Paris in triumph, and in gallantry and intrigues
strove to forget his enforced and hateful marriage. In 1644 he was sent
with reinforcements into Germany to the assistance of Turenne, who was
hard pressed, and took command of the whole army. The battle of Freiburg
(Aug.) was desperately contested, but in the end the French army won a
great victory over the Bavarians and Imperialists commanded by Count
Mercy. As after Rocroy, numerous fortresses opened their gates to the
duke. The next winter Enghien spent, like every other winter during the
war, amid the gaieties of Paris. The summer campaign of 1645 opened with
the defeat of Turenne by Mercy, but this was retrieved in the brilliant
victory of Nordlingen, in which Mercy was killed, and Enghien himself
received several serious wounds. The capture of Philipsburg was the most
important of his other achievements during this campaign. In 1646
Enghien served under the duke of Orleans in Flanders, and when, after
the capture of Mardyck, Orleans returned to Paris, Enghien, left in
command, captured Dunkirk (October 11th).

It was in this year that the old prince of Conde died. The enormous
power that fell into the hands of his successor was naturally looked
upon with serious alarm by the regent and her minister. Conde's birth
and military renown placed him at the head of the French nobility; but,
added to that, the family of which he was chief was both enormously rich
and master of no small portion of France. Conde himself held Burgundy,
Berry and the marches of Lorraine, as well as other less important
territory; his brother Conti held Champagne, his brother-in-law,
Longueville, Normandy. The government, therefore, determined to permit
no increase of his already overgrown authority, and Mazarin made an
attempt, which for the moment proved successful, at once to find him
employment and to tarnish his fame as a general. He was sent to lead the
revolted Catalans. Ill-supported, he was unable to achieve anything,
and, being forced to raise the siege of Lerida, he returned home in
bitter indignation. In 1648, however, he received the command in th