as a single Power of such enormous strength that the consequences could not fail to be disastrous to the rest of Europe. And especially to England would there be disadvantage. Statesmen realised that the combination of Spain and France would result in the development of a maritime strength which would become more than "a menace to English naval supremacy." The whole of the Bourbon dominion, says Innes, would have been closed for British commerce, while the British Colonies in America and British trade in the East would have been seriously endangered.

William III realised the far-reaching results of such a combination, and his policy throughout the crisis was to preserve the Balance of Power so gravely threatened. He, like the Powers who regarded him as their leader, awaited with anxiety the decision to which Louis the Fourteenth would come, hoping that the French monarch would avoid precipitating a disastrous quarrel. Louis' ambition, however, led him to yield to the temptation which the dead king's will presented. He decided to act upon it and face the consequences. Accordingly, the news travelled to the Courts of the Continent that in defiance of all treaties Louis had proclaimed the young Duke of Anjou King of Spain, under the title of Philip the Fifth.

William III was hampered by the unsympathetic attitude of the English people. He realised that if he joined the other interested Powers in declaring war against France, it was doubtful whether he would receive the co-operation of his English subjects; hence, at the outset, he would be seriously embarrassed, alike for want of money and of men. What could he and his Allies, who composed the GRAND ALLIANCE, do, when a tremendous coalition, made up of France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, existed, while England denied money and men and moral support in a contest with Louis, who possessed such enormous resources ?

The English King was paralysed. In spite of his statesmanship, he was reduced to the position of a looker-on, while Louis became the dominating power in European politics, in reality the arbiter of the Continent's destinies. Louis, however, took a course which aroused England out of her indifference, and awoke her indignation when, on the death of the exiled king at St. Germains, Le Grand Monarque recognised James the Second's son as King of England. This afforded William his opportunity.

sponse to his appeal the Lords and the Commons, resenting the insult to the nation, assured him in unmistakable terms of " their firm resolve to defend the succession against the pretended Prince of Wales, and all other pretenders whatsoever." The Commons went further, for they gave the king the assurance that they would " to the utmost of their power enable his Majesty to make good all alliances he had made." They did more, for they passed votes of supply, and a Bill of Attainder against the Pretender, as the exiled Prince of Wales was henceforth named.

William the Third thus saw his way to war, and drew up an estimate of the forces required to meet the crisis. The estimate was accepted almost without discussion by the Commons, and the resolution, passed without a dissentient, ran as follows: "That the proportion of land forces to act in conjunction with those of the Allies, for making good the Alliances, should be 40,000 men, consisting of 33,000 foot, and 7,000 horse and dragoons; that 40,000 men should be employed in the sea service for the year 1702, and that as was usual for the maintaining of so many seamen, four pounds per month should be allowed them, including the ordnance for the sea service."

Preparations on such a scale created alarm in France, and might well have caused the French monarch to reconsider his position. An accident to William brought about his death on March 8th, 1702, and the conflict with France was postponed.

It remained to be seen what Queen Anne's attitude would be.

She made it sufficiently clear when her first speech was read in Parliament. The clause which referred to the question of the Spanish Succession was decisive enough: "That too much cannot be done for the encouragement of our Allies to reduce the exorbitant power of France." Europe immediately realised the situation, that "England was to be the soul of the Grand Alliance against France." The Emperor of Germany, such of the Netherlands as came under the sway of William the Third, and England, made up this coalition which was to play its part against Louis in what became known as the War of the Spanish Succession. The Grand Alliance was in reality "a league to wrest the whole of the Spanish dominions from Philip in favour of the Austrian Archduke, Charles," the Emperor of Germany's second son.

So far as war went, England at the time was hopelessly unready. She was practically without an army. The policy of Parliament with regard to the military forces of the Crown was astounding. Whenever a war was progressing, money was voted to maintain the army at the requisite fighting strength; but as soon as peace was declared there was a wholesale disbandment of regiments in order to reduce expenditure. The result was, that whereas there had been an army of 70,000 men during the last war, it was scarcely possible now to muster 20,000. Of these, little more than 7,000 belonged to the English Establishment, the remaining 12,000 being stationed in Ireland.

There can be little doubt that Louis XIV realised that with such a meagre standing army England need scarcely be reckoned with, and hence he could pursue his policy of aggrandisement, as well as insult the nation by espousing the cause of the Pretender. It now remained for the Government to bring up the army to the required strength, and provide at least

40,000 soldiers to play their part in the coming war. As many as fifteen regiments were therefore hastily raised, the 33rd among them.

The following order was issued to the Earl of Huntingdon on March 14th, 1702:

ANNE R.

These are to authorise you by Beat of Drum or otherwise, to raise Voluntiers for a regiment of Foot under your command, which is to consist of twelve Companys, of Two Serjeants, Three Corporals, Two Drummers, and Fifty-nine private soldiers, with the addition of one Serjeant more to the Company of Grenadiers. And as you shall raise the said voluntiers you are to give notice thereof to our Commissary General of the Musters, that they may be mustered according to our directions in that behalf. And when the whole number of non-commission officers and soldiers shall be fully or near completed, in each company, they are to march to our city of Gloucester, appointed for the rendezvous of the said regiment. And you are to order such person or persons as you think fit to receive Arms for our said regiment out of the Stores of our Ordnance. And all Magistrates, Justices of the Peace, Constables and other our Officers, whom it may concern are to be assisting to you in providing Quarters and otherwise as there shall be occasion.

Given at our Court of St. James' this 14th day of March, 1702, in the first year of our Reign. To our Trusty and Well-beloved

The Earl of Huntingdon,

Col. of One of Our Regiments

of Foot.

The names of the Officers of the Commission

Register stand as follows for the Earl of Huntingdon's Regiment of Foot:

George, Earl of Huntingdon, Colonel.

Robert Duncanson, Lieut.-Colonel.
John Rose, Major.

It has been stated that the first Colonel of the 33rd was James Stanhope, first Earl of Stanhope. It would have been a credit to the new regiment to have had so fine a soldier for its commander, for he was spoken of by friend and foe as "high-minded, liberal, and well-skilled in the higher functions of statescraft.' It must have been impossible that he should be the Colonel of the 33rd, for on the 12th of the preceding month he was appointed Colonel of the 11th Regiment, and was serving with it under Marlborough on the Meuse in 1703. There is nothing in the "Complete Peerage," which deals with Stanhope's career fully, to show that he had any connection with the 33rd, however remote.

George Hastings, who succeeded to the Earldom of Huntingdon, was undoubtedly the first Colonel of the Regiment, and was not more than twenty-five years old when he received the Commission to form the Regiment, coming from the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, of which he was Lieutenant-Colonel.

The young Colonel's task was not any easy one, to raise the Companies as indicated in the Order. So many of those to whom the appeal was issued to offer themselves as "Voluntiers" had already seen service, and were among the "disbanded." They remembered the miseries of soldier life, the abominable housing of the troops, with consequent sickness, "want of firing and the badness of the barracks." It was common knowledge that with the troops already in the Service, one regiment alone had been reduced by death and desertion to about one half their number. Added to that was the experience as