and yet
after entering Spain they fell back, without doing anything, into
Portugal--their retreat beginning on the 11th of May, the day on which
Philip retreated from Barcelona. So that on the opposite side of Spain
two large armies simultaneously retired before others vastly weaker than
themselves. When the news of Tesse's retreat to France reached Portugal
they again advanced. Berwick was too weak to oppose them, and on the
25th of June the advance guard of the allies occupied Madrid, and there
proclaimed Charles as king.

Had Galway and his colleagues now shown the slightest energy, and moved
against Berwick's little force, with which was Philip himself, they
could have driven them across the frontier without striking a blow,
and the French cause would have been lost in Spain; but, having reached
Madrid, they remained there doing absolutely nothing--leaving ample
time to Philip to repair his misfortunes, receive aid from France, and
recommence the campaign with vigor. As Peterborough wrote indignantly to
General Stanhope: "Their halt is as fatal as was Hannibal's at Capua."

As soon as the movement upon Madrid had been decided upon, Peterborough
sailed with the English and Dutch infantry to Valencia, where he was
received with enthusiasm by the inhabitants. He at once set to work to
raise a regiment of dragoons, and organized them in three weeks. The
very day they were mounted he marched them upon Castile. During this
time not only had Lord Galway made no movement, but he had joined in
the German intrigue by which Charles was induced to abandon the plan of
marching to his capital under the escort of Peterborough.

The allied generals at Madrid were indeed basely jealous of the
brilliant conqueror of Catalonia and Valencia. His deeds had thrown
theirs entirely into the shade. With utterly insufficient means he had
done everything; with ample means they had effected nothing, and had
only been enabled to enter Madrid by the fact that he had drawn off the
army which had successfully opposed them.

After incessant labor in organizing his force, the earl sent two
thousand men, under the command of Lieutenant General Wyndham, to
besiege the towns of Requena and Cuenca--two places of some strength
which blocked the road between Valencia and Madrid.

Wyndham easily accomplished the task; and the road being thus secured,
Peterborough wrote to Charles that "nothing remained to hinder him
from entering Madrid with even a sm