At this period, the desire of conquest, with the disposition, by adding city to city and province to province, to form a vast empire, and to control the nations of Europe with despotic sway, marked the policy of the French court: this rendered it necessary for the British monarch to engage in war to preserve the civil and religious liberties of Europe; and while the army of the confederate states, commanded by King William, confronted the forces of Louis XIV. in the Netherlands, the THIRTEENTH were selected to form part of an expedition against the French coast, under Lieut.-General the Duke of Leinster (afterwards Duke Schomberg). The French fleet had been defeated a short time previously off La Hogue, and Louis XIV. had anticipated a descent, and had assembled so many forces on the coast, that the Duke of Leinster did not venture to land his troops. After menacing the coast of France at several points, the fleet sailed to Ostend, where the regiment landed on the 22nd of August. The THIRTEENTH and a number of other corps advanced a few stages up the country, when the French withdrew from Furnes and Dixmude, and the English took possession of, and fortified these towns. When the army went into winter quarters, the THIRTEENTH were ordered to return to England, and they were employed on home service during the remainder of the war. [Sidenote: 1693] After the loss of the battle of Landen, in July, 1693, by the confederate army under King William, the THIRTEENTH regiment sent a draft of one hundred and fifty men to Flanders, to replace the losses of the regiments which had suffered most on that occasion. [Sidenote: 1695] In the early part of 1695, an accusation was preferred against Colonel Ferdinando Hastings, of charging the soldiers too high a price for certain articles which he, as Colonel, was in the habit of providing for them; an investigation afterwards took place, he was proved guilty of extortion, and deprived of his commission on the 4th of March. On the 13th of March, King William conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on the Lieut.-Colonel, SIR JOHN JACOB, Baronet, who had served in it several years, and distinguished himself in Scotland and Ireland. [Sidenote: 1697] [Sidenote: 1698] [Sidenote: 1699] In 1697 the war was terminated by the treaty of Ryswick, and King William saw his efforts to arrest the progress of French conquests attended with complete success. The regiment was placed upon a peace establishment in 1698; the army was further reduced in 1699, and the THIRTEENTH proceeded to Ireland to replace one of the corps ordered to be disbanded in that country. [Sidenote: 1700]