VILLARS (Lewis Hector, duke de) marshal of France, grandee of Spain, &c. and a very brave general in the 18th century, was the son of Peter marquis de Villars, of a noble and ancient family. He was at first aid-de-camp to marshal de Bellefont, his cousin; and distinguished himself in several sieges and battles till the year 1702; when having obtained the victory at Fredinghem from the prince of Baden, he was made marshal of France. The marshal de Villars took the fort of Kell the year following, and gained the battle of Hochstet. In 1707 he forced the lines of Stolhoffen, and raised large contributions from the enemy: but in 1709, he, in conjunction with marshal Boufflers, was entirely defeated by the duke of Marlborough, at the battle of Malplaquet, when marshal Villars was wounded at the beginning of the action. In 1712, he gained much glory by forcing the intrenchments at Denain on the Scheld; which was followed by the taking of Marchiennes, Douay, Bonchain, Landau, Friburg, &c. and by the peace concluded at Rastat between the emperor and France in 1714. The marshal de Villars, who had been plenipotentiary at the treaty of Rastat, was made president of the council of war in 1715, then counsellor of the regency, and minister of state. In 1733, he was nominated to command in Italy under the king of Sardinia, and the French king declared him marshal-general of his camps and armies; a title which had not been granted to any one since the marshal Turenne, who
Villain. who appears to have been the first who was ever honoured with it. The marshal de Villars made himself master of P.ighitona, Milan, Novara, and Tortona, But having opened the following campaign, he fell sick, and died at Turin, in 1734, aged 82. The Memoirs of M. de Villars have been published in Holland, the first volume of which was written by himself.