Afterwards  he  closed  the  ports  against  the  fugitives,  sent  to  the  gal-
leys those  who  attempted  to  escape,  and  confiscated  their  property,


384  MODERN  HISTORY.  [PAKT  IL

France  lost  by  these  cruel  measures  two  hundred  thousand — some
say  five  hundred  thousand — of  her  best  subjects ;  and  the  bigotry
of  Louis  gave  a  greater  blow  to  the  industry  and  wealth  of  his  king-
dom than  the  unlimited  expenses  of  his  pride  and  ambition.
15.  The  cruelties  of  Louis  to  the  Protestants  roused  the  hearts
of  the  Germans,  Dutch,  and  English,  against  him,  and  accelerated  a
general  war.     In  1686  a  league  was  formed  at  Augsburg  by  all  the
German  princes  to  restrain  the  encroachments  of  Louis  :  Holland
joined  it, — Spain  also,  excited  by  jealousy  of  a  domineering  neighbor;
Sweden,  Denmark,   and  Savoy,  were  afterwards  gained;    and  the
revolution  of   1688,  by  which  William  of  HollancJ   ascended  the
throne  of  England,  placed  the  latter  country  at  the  head  of  the
confederacy.     But  Louis  was   not  daunted  by  the   power  of  the
league  :  anticipating  his  enemies,  he  was  first  in  the  field,  sending  an
army  against  Germany  in  1688,  which  ravaged  the  Palatinate1  with
fire  and  sword.     He  also  sent  an  army  into  Flanders,  one  into  Italy,
and  a  third  to  check  the  Spaniards  in  Catalonia ;  while  at  the  same
time  he  sent  a  fleet  and  an  army  to  Ireland,  to  aid  James  II.  in  re-
covering the  throne  of  England.
