” 
240 
offer him one: he said, “ Let us go toge- 
ther, and reconnoitre the ground between 
the Deule and the Marck.” After we 
had examined it, he said, “I have no 
eccasion for one, I shall only move my 
camp nearer to your's.” Vendome pro- 
posed not to lose a day, but instantly 
attack the army of observation, and the 
besieging force. ‘1 cannot,” said the 
duke of Burgundy, “I have sent a cou- 
riér to my grandfather to enquire his 
pleasure.” Conferences were held at 
Versailles, and the king sent his booby 
Chamillard to his grandson’s camp ; he 
went up with him into the steeple of the 
village of Sedin, to view our two armies, 
and he decided against giving us battle. 
I cannot conceive how Vendome could 
forbear running mad; another, with less 
zeal, would have sent every thing to the 
devil; and he, a better grandson of a 
king of France than the other, took the 
trouble the day before, to go so close to 
Marlborough’s position to reconnoitre, 
that he was grazed by a cannonrball. 
i had returned to Marlborough’s camp 
to.be his volunteer, if he had been at- 
tacked. ‘ 
But (while I think of it) a Chamillard, 
that is, in one word, a young prince of 
no character, avd an old king who had 
lost his, were quite sufficient to fill Ven- 
dome’s heart with rage. He was obliged 
by them to retreat, as if he had been 
beaten. I continued the siege, sure of 
not being interrupted, and took the re- 
doubt of the gate of Flanders, and some 
others; butafterthree hour’s fighting for 
one of the most essential, I was driven 
back and pursued to my trenches. I 
scarcely stirred from them, having the 
king of Poland and all my young ‘princes 
at my side, for it was necessary to set an 
example and to give orders. I ordered 
two assaults to facilitate the taking of 
the covered way; always repulsed, but 
a horrible carnage. Five thousand Eng- 
lish sent -me by Marlborough to repair 
my losses, performed wonders, but were 
thrown into disorder. We heard the 
cry of Vive le Roi et Boufflers!: I said 
2 few words in English to those brave 
fellows who rallied round me; I Jed them: 
back into the fire; but a ball below the 
left eye knocked me down senseless. 
Every body thought me dead, and so 
did too. They found a dung-cart, in 
which I was conveyed to my quarters; 
first my life, and then my sight, was de- 
spaired of. I recovered both. The ball 
had struck me obliquely. Here was 
another unsuceessful attack ; out of 5000 
Memoirs of Prince Eugene, of Savoys 
[Oct 1; 
men not 1500 returned, and 1200 work-" 
men were there killed. 
Being prevented for some time by my 
wound from interfering in any thing, £ 
left the command of the siege to Marl- 
borough, who delivered his to. Ouver- 
kerke. .He effected a lodgment in a 
tenaillon on the left, but a mine bafiled 
the assault and the assailants. Marlibo- 
rough countermined some of them, and 
took all possible pains to spare me troa- 
ble on my return. He obliged to eat in 
public in order to cheer my army, and 
returned to his ewn. | 
The Chevalier de Luxembourg des 
ceived me by introducing ammunition, of 
which the besieged were in great want 3° 
and a captain, named Dubois, deceived 
me by swimming with a note from Bouf-. 
fiers to the duke of Burgundy, informing 
him, that though the trenches had been 
opened forty days, I was not yet com- 
pletely master of any of the works. 
*« Nevertheless, Monseigneur,” added he, 
“J cannot hold out beyond the 15th or 
20th of October.” . 
I was in want of powder. A single 
letter. from Marlborough to his friend, 
Queen Anne, occasioned a quantity to 
be sent me, with fourteen battalions, 
by the fleet of vice-admiral Byng, who 
landed them at Ostend. Every body is 
acquainted with the stupidity of Lamotte, 
who not only suffered this convoy to 
reach me, but got a sound drubbing for 
his whole corps that was intended to 
prevent it. Being completely recovered - 
from my wound, I was night and day at 
the works, which Boutflers, also present 
every where, was incessantly interrupting 
or annoying. 
I bethought me of a stratagem to give 
frequent alarms for several, nights, at a 
half moon, with a view to attack it after- 
wards in open day, being persuaded that. 
the wearied soldiers would take that time 
for repose. This scheme succeeded. 
I ordered an assauit upon a salient angle, 
and that succeeded. I direeted the co- 
vered way to be attacked, and again 
succeeded. I thence made a breach in 
the curtain, and enlarged another in a 
bastion; and when I was at length work. 
ing at the descent of the ditch, the mars 
shal, who had every day invented some 
new artifice, sometimes tin-boxes, at. 
others earthen pots filled with grenades, 
and done all that valour and science 
could suggest, offered to capitulate on the 
22d of September: without mentioning. 
any conditions, I promised to sign such 
as he should propose to me. “ This, M. | 
