conquests stopped. A series of victories had raised his character as a commander to an extreme high pitch; he possessed the reputation of not only being the greatest General of his time, but even one of the most celebrated that ever existed. He was the sovereign of a powerful kingdom, and was equally formidable, both by sea and land. He had given France a terrible blow by one successful battle, and bid fair to conquer the whole kingdom in another campaign; these circumstances, at the same time that they raised the jealousy of his neighbours, equally occasioned a dread of his power: all wished to clip his soaring wings, but no one singly dared to attempt it.
His old enemy, the Czar Peter was engaged in a second war with the Turkish Emperor Bajazet, which had been carried on with various success two cam-paigns;
