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THE REIGN

(or rather the Marshal Siletta, who had the command) and making a flying march, passed by his army, and entered Swisserland in safety. The allied troops were in the neighbourhood of Zurick, Bury placed himself at their head, entered Franche Compté without opposition; Siletta was too weak, though far superior in numbers, to prevent him. Perceiving the weakness of the enemy, he laid siege to Besançon; expecting an easy conquest, but a brave Governour commanding in it, he was obliged to open the trenches against it.

In the mean time, his Grace of Devonshire was not idle; he had collected forty thousand men to drive Philip from Lyons, and and attack that city; but an unforeseen event changed his design. General Sommers, who commanded ten thousand men in Hainault, was unfor-tunately