After a tedious illness the margrave of Baden closed
his long and laborious career on the 4th of January. Al-
though his dilatoriness or jealousy had repeatedly marred the
splendid designs of the British commander, his death was
peculiarly unfortunate at so critical a period as the opening
of the campaign; for his high rank and eminent services
gave him a degree of consideration in the empire, which it
was difficult to supply. By a concordate among the German
States, it had been stipulated that the direction of the army
should be alternately vested in a Catholic and a Protestant;
and, accordingly, after some delay, the choice fell on the
margrave of Bareith, a prince of the house of Branden-
burg. ^* The new general was, however, more aged and
inactive than his predecessor, and far inferior in influence
and military skill. The petty states and princes taking ad-
vantage of the embarrassments arising from the change,
withheld or withdrew their contingents; and the army was
reduced to such a weak and disorganized condition, that the
French were encouraged to depart from the defensive system
which they had lately maintained on the Rhine. On the
22d of May, Villars attacked and forced the lines of Stol-
hoffen, destroyed the magazines, and ruined the dikes and
sluices. Leaving a body of cavalry on the Lauter, he fol-
lowed the margrave to Gemund, and after levying contribu-
tions, and spreading terror on every side, pushed his preda-
tory parties as far as the plains of Hochstedt.

The diet, which was then sitting at Ratisbon, was seized
with a panic, and the most earnest appeals were made to the
court of Vienna for protection against the impending danger.
The two circles of Suabia and Franconia, as well as several
of the imperial towns, even evinced a disposition to accept
the neutrality which was offered by France.

Active measures were therefore adopted to awe the Ba-
varians, and collect the contingents of the circles; but the
most obvious expedient was, to remove the margrave of
Bareith from a situation to which he had proved himself
incompetent. Marlborough turned his attention to the
elector of Hanover, as the most proper person to succeed in
the command; not only from a wish to throw lustre on the
house next in succession to the British throne, but with the

-73-