This celebrated march, which was one of the most expeditious ever known, was performed in eight days; a rapidity that was astonishing. The King, by such prodigious celerity, however, prevented the two armies of French and Spaniards from joining. He expected indeed, that Philip would take a different course as fast as possible to effect the junction: but herein he was mistaken; Philip, or rather Siletta, no sooner saw how far George had got the start of him, than he perceived the extreme difficulty of joining the Spaniards; and knowing that the operation of the whole campaign must be greatly retarded by waiting for the Duke of Lerma, he determined to make a resolute push, to recover the capital, and the northern provinces of his kingdom: the attempt must necessarily be attended with greatdifficulty,
