1810.] 
misunderstanding, we should perhaps 
have been defeated; for our cavalry was 
engaged a full half hour before the in- 
fantry could join it. For the same rea- 
son, I directed the village of Hurne to 
be abandoned, that I might send the 
battalions by which it was occupied, to 
Support the squadrons on the left wing. 
But the duke of Argyle arrived with all 
eure expedition, at the head of the 
inglish infantry; and then came the 
Dutch, though much more slowly. 
“« Now,” said 1 to Marlborough, ‘ we are 
in aconditicn to fight.” It wassix in the 
evening of the Lith of July; we had yet 
three hours of day-light. I was on the 
right at the head of the Prussians, 
Some battalions turned their backs afier 
having been attacked with unequalled 
fury. They rallied, retrieved their fault, 
and we recovered the ground they had 
lost. The hattle then became general 
along the whole line. The spectacle 
was magnificent. It wasone sheet of 
fire. That of our artillery made a pow- 
erful impression; that of the French, 
being very injudiciously posted, in con- 
sequence of the uncertainty which pre- 
vailed in the army on account of the dis- 
union of its commanders, produced very 
little effect. With us it was quite the 
contrary; we loved and esteemed one ano- 
ther, not excepting the Dutch marshal 
Ouverkerke, venerable for his age and 
services, my old frend and Marlbo- 
rough’s, who obeyed and fought to ad- 
miration, 
The following circumstance may serve 
to prove our harmony. Matters were 
going wrong on the right, where I com- 
manded. Marlborough, who perceived 
it, sent me areinforcement of eighteen 
battalions, without which, TI should 
scarcely have been able to keep my 
ground. I then advanced, and drove in 
the first line; but at the head of the se- 
cond, I found Vendome on foot, with a 
pike in his hand, encouraging the troops. 
He made so vigorous a resistance, that 
I should not have accomplished my pur- 
pese, had it not been for Natzmer, at 
the head of the king of Prussia’s gen- 
darmes, who broke through the line, and 
enabled me to obtain complete success. 
~ Marlborough purchased his more dearly 
on the right, where he attacked in front, 
Memoirs of Prince Eugene, of Sazoy. 
_him but too soon. 
43 
while Ouverkerke dislodged the enemy 
from the hedges and villages. Nassau, 
Fries, and Oxenstiern, drove the in- 
fantry beyond the defiles, but they were 
roughly handled by the king’s household 
troops, who came to its assistance, I 
rendered the same service to the duke, 
Isent Tilly, who, making a considerable 
circuit,,. took the brave household 
troops, which had nearly snatched the 
victory from us, in the rear: but this de- 
cided the business. The darkness of 
the night prevented our pursuit, and ena- 
bled me to execute a scheme for increas 
sing the number of our prisoners. I sent 
out drummers in different directions, 
with orders to beat the retreat, after the 
French manner, and posted my French 
refugee officers, with directions to shout 
on all sides:’ A moi Picardie! A mos 
Champagne ! Amoi Piemont / The French 
soldiers ran to these posts, and J picked 
up a pretty round number: we took in 
all about seven thousand. The duke of 
Burgundy, and his evil counsellors, had 
long before withdrawn, Vendome col- 
lected the relics of the army, and took 
‘charge of the rear. 
As the firing had re-commenced while 
it was still dark, Marlborough waited for 
day-light to attack the enemy before he 
reached Ghent. His detachment found 
Vendonie had posted 
his grenadiers to the right and left of the. 
high-road, and they put our cavalry, 
which pursued them, to the rout. Ven- 
dome by this saved the remnant of his 
army, which entered Ghent in the ut- 
most confusion, with the dukes of Bur- 
gundy and Berry, and the count of Tou- 
louse. His presence pacified and cheered 
the soldiers. : 
They all held a council of war at th 
inn called the Golden Apple. The opt 
~nion of the princes and their courtiers, 
was as usual, detestable. Vendome grew 
warm, expressed his indignation at 
having been crossed by them, and dee 
clared, that as he was determined not to 
be served in the same manner again, he 
should order the army to encamp behind 
the canal from Bruges to Lovendeghem. 
I pitied him from the bottom of my heart, 
as I had done the elector of Bavaria ig 
1704, and the duke of Orleans in 1706, 
SCARCE 
