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had brought up the rear, with nearly all the cavalry of the left, and twenty battalions of Dutch and Danes, to execute this bold and decisive manœuvre.

The veteran hero, unmindful of his age and bodily infirmities, roused his expiring energy, and obeyed with equal alacrity and spirit. The last column of infantry having reached its ground, and deployed for battle, he directed General Week, with the brigade of Dutch guards, and of Nassau Woudenburg, to force the ravines near the castle of Bevere. The troops moved rapidly to the attack, having the castle to their right, and after a vigorous conflict, drove back the enemy into the coppices which fringe the banks of the rivulet. The prince of Orange and General Oxenstiern instantly followed with the remainder of the twenty battalions, ascended the Boser Couter, sustained by the cavalry, under Overkirk and Count Tilly, and formed with the left behind the mill of Oycke. Finding no enemy on the summit, the whole mass changed front to the right, and extended their left towards De Keele. The allied army thus formed a vast semicircle round the right wing of the enemy, who could only partially communicate with their centre and left, through the ravines and passes of Marolen, and by the mill of Royeghem.

This manœuvre being announced to the duke, he urged Marshal Overkirk to make a farther effort with his left, and cut off the remaining communications of the enemy. The execution of this movement was intrusted to the young prince of Orange, whose impetuous spirit panted for distinction. Accompanied by General Oxenstiern, he rushed with the infantry down the height overlooking Marolen, penetrated through the defiles, and forming in two lines, was sustained by twelve squadrons of Danes, under Count Tilly. Here they encountered a corps of French grenadiers, supported by the household cavalry, and covered by the hedges which skirted the extremity of the plain. A series of vollies and charges ensued, and the enemy were evidently dismayed by so unexpected an attack on their rear.

The onset was visible from the right and centre. The frequent vollies of musketry re-echoed by the woods, and heightened by the growing darkness, infused new ardour into the ranks of the allies, and equally damped the courage

of the enemy. Cut off from their own army, the hostile troops slackened in their resistance, and were at length broken and driven back on each other. At this moment the French dragoons made a noble effort, to favour the escape of the infantry, and cover the retreat of the household squadrons; but their valour was fatal to themselves; for the greater part of seven regiments were either killed or taken, and the gendarmerie suffered no less severely from the charge of the Danes.

Meanwhile Marlborough had continued to gain ground, and at length established his line between Chobon and Diepenbeck. Vendome, indeed, made a personal effort to avert the fate of the army which was intrusted to his care, by dismounting from his horse, and leading the infantry, near Mullem, to the rescue of their companions. But his exertions were unavailing. This body, inferior in numbers, subdued in spirit, masked by Eugene, and entangled by the intricacy of the ground, could make no impression; while the left wing was thrown out of action by the defiles and river in their front, and held in check by the British cavalry, which was drawn up in perfect order on the plain of Heurne.

In this crisis darkness enveloped the contending hosts, and the positions were discernible only by the flashes of musketry which rolled round the narrowing circle of the devoted army, till the right of Eugene and the left of the prince of Orange approached the same point. They mistook each other for enemies, and their conflict might have produced the most deplorable effects amidst the victorious ranks, had not the generals exerted themselves with unusual activity to put a timely stop to the fire. About nine, orders were given for the troops to halt as they stood, and suffer the enemy to escape, rather than expose themselves to mutual destruction. To this order numbers of the enemy owed their safety. Favoured by the obscurity, the broken corps forced their way in tumultuous crowds, as they were impelled by fear or despair. Some thousands slipped unperceived through an opening in the allied lines, near the castle of Bevere, and directed their flight towards the French frontier; others endeavoured to rejoin their left wing, in the direction of Mullem; and a considerable number wandered to the posts of the allies and were captured. In the midst of this tumultuous scene.

Eugene ordered several drummers to beat the French retreat, and the refugee officers to give the rallying word of the different corps who were known to be in the enclosures; they thus succeeded in capturing crowds of fugitives without resistance.

When Vendome perceived the destruction of his right wing inevitable, he retired with the infantry, which was still posted on the bank of the Norken, near Mullem, and joined the left wing at Huysse and St. Denast, where they were grouped together in great disorder. With his characteristic presence of mind, he proposed to the duke of Burgundy and a crowd of panic-struck generals to take advantage of the night for restoring order among the troops, so as to retire regularly; but his representations were fruitless. Finding therefore that his arguments could not persuade the reason, or allay the fears of the surrounding multitude, he consented to order a retreat. The word was no sooner given than generals and privates, horse and foot, hurried in the utmost disorder towards Ghent. He could only persuade twenty-five squadrons and some battalions to remain united, and with these he covered the flight of the crowd in person.

The allies, meanwhile, impatiently paused on the field; but dawn was no sooner visible, than Marlborough detached forty squadrons from the right wing, under Generals Bulow and Lumley, and a corps of infantry, commanded by Majorgeneral Meredith to pursue the enemy. With the return of day opened a scene of the most distressing nature, which gave scope to the humanity of the British general. Among several thousand corpses lay a prodigious number of wounded of different nations, enveloped in carnage and surrounded with the wreck of war. By his orders the utmost exertion was instantly made to collect the survivors, and to bestow on all, without distinction, the care and relief which circumstances would permit. The agonies of suffering nature were thus soothed, and many were snatched from a lingering and painful death to acknowledge the beneficence and bless the name of their conqueror.*

Various and contradictory accounts have been given of the loss of the two parties in this memorable battle. But we may estimate that of the allies at about 3000 killed and

For plan of the battle drawn up by Major Smith, see the Atlas that accompanies this edition.-ED.

wounded, and that of the enemy at no less than 4000 killed, 2000 wounded, and 9000 prisoners, including 700 officers.*

We find two letters from the duke, written in the first exultation of victory. One to the duchess deserves notice, because it proves that in his mind the joy of success was considerably allayed by reflections on the perplexed state of affairs in England and the perverseness of the queen.

"July 12. I have neither spirits nor time to answer your three last letters; this being to bring the good news of a battle we had yesterday, in which it pleased God to give us at last the advantage. Our foot on

both sides having been all engaged, has occasioned much blood; but I thank God the English have suffered less than any of the other troops none of our English horse having been engaged. I do, and you must, give thanks to God for his goodness in protecting and making me the instrument of so much happiness to the queen and nation, if she will please to make use of it."

The other to Godolphin is particularly interesting, because it shows that the attack on the hostile army was as daring as the preparatory movements had been rapid and decisive; and that where the exigency of affairs required, our able commander overstepped the established rules of military science, and surprised and disconcerted his antagonists by efforts beyond the calculations of ordinary experience.

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July 12. — I have been so very uneasy and in so great a hurry for some days, that I should not be able to write, were I not supported by the good success we had yesterday. The particulars you will have from Lord Stair, who will give you this. You know his pretensions and the friendship I have for him; and I will own to you that I hope her majesty may have, by this message, an excuse for others if she is pleased to † distinguish him at this time.

This

"I must ever acknowledge the goodness of God in the success he was pleased to give us; for I believe Lord Stair will tell you they were in as strong a post as is possible to be found; but you know when I left England I was positively resolved to endeavour by all means a battle, thinking nothing else would make the queen's business go on well. reason only made me venture the battle yesterday, otherwise I did give them too much advantage; but the good of the queen and my country shall always be preferred by me before any personal concern; for I am very sensible if I had miscarried, I should have been blamed. I hope have given such a blow to their foot, that they will not be able to fight any more this year. My head aches so terribly that I must say no more."

* Berwick himself makes the number of prisoners amount to 9000 T. ii. p. 12.

men.

+ By conferring on him British peerage.

CHAP. LXX.. CAPTURE OF THE FRENCH LINES.- 1708.

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THE two victorious commanders devoted little time to repose. The evening of the battle and the ensuing day were spent in concerting the necessary arrangements for their ulterior designs, and on the morning of the 13th Eugene departed to Brussels, for the purpose of forwarding the march of his army, which had already reached its vicinity. He was also to send out detachments for the protection of Flanders, and to superintend the conveyance of the heavy artillery and stores, which were to be drawn from Maestricht and the great towns of Holland.

Conscious that Berwick was hastening from the Moselle, Marlborough displayed his customary diligence. While the army remained on the field, Count Lottum was despatched at midnight of the 13th, with fifty squadrons and thirty battalions, to possess himself of the lines which the enemy had constructed from Ypres to Warneton, for the purpose of covering the country between the Scheldt and the Lys. The main army followed in the morning, and took up a position between Beleghem and Hauterive, with the head-quarters near Helchin. On the following day Marlborough resumed his march, and on his route had the satisfaction to receive intelligence that Lottum had forced the lines, captured Warneton, Comines, and Werwick, and made prisoners the whole guard left for the defence of the post, amounting to 500 men. This operation was effected at the very moment when Berwick was hastening to the spot, exhorting the officers to defend the lines to the last extremity, and announcing the approach of succours. Marlborough accordingly pressed forward, crossed the Lys near Menin, and on the evening of the 15th established his head-quarters at Werwick, having his left at Comines, and his right extended towards Menin.

We insert several letters written from this camp to his correspondents in England.

To the Duchess.

"July 16. I hope before this you have had the news by Lord Stair of the good success we had on last Wednesday. I have been obliged

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