1810.] 
le Marechal,” so I wrote to him, “is to 
show you my perfect regard for your 
person, and [ am sure that a brave man 
like you will not abuseit. I congratulate 
you on your excellent defence.” 
My council of war, which I summoned 
out of politeness, objected to the article 
that the citadel should not be attacked 
on the side next the town. I yielded, 
having my plan in my head, and wrote 
to Boufflers: ‘ Certain. reasons, M. le 
Marechal, prevent me from signing this 
article, but { pive you my word of honour 
to observe it. I hope in six weeks to 
give you fresh proofs of my admiration.” 
Boufflers retired into the citadel, and I 
entered the city with Marlborough, the 
king of Poland, the landgrave of Hesse, 
&c. Inthe morning we went to church, 
and at night to the play, and all the bu- 
siness of the capitalation being finished 
on the 29th of October, I the same day 
ordered the trenches to be opened be- 
fore the citadel. 
Before I proceed to this siege, I ought 
to relate a circumstance that happened 
to me during that of the city. A clerk 
of the post-ofhce wrote to the secretary 
of general Dopf, desiring him to deliver 
to me two letters, one from the Hague, 
and the other I know not whence. I[ 
opened the latter, and found nothing but 
a greasy paper. Persuaded, as‘I still 
am, that it was a mistake, or something 
of no consequence, which [ might per- 
haps have been able to read had [ taken 
the trouble to hold the paper to the fire, 
I threw it away. Somebody picked it 
up, and it was said that a dog about 
whose neck it was tied, died poisoned in 
the space of twenty- ‘four hours. What 
makes me think this untrue, is, that at 
Versailles they were too generous, and 
at Vienna too religious, for such a trick. 
« The ninth day the besieged madera 
vigorous sortie. The Prince of Bruns- 
wick, who repulsed it, received a wound 
from a musket-ball in the head. The 
eleventh, a still more vigorous sortie of 
the Chevalier de Luxembourg, who drove 
my troops from the branches of the 
trenches, and made us fall back to St. 
Catherine’s. An excellent officer of my 
staff had his head shot off by a cannon- 
ball by my side. The enemy losta creat 
number of men before he returned to the 
citadel. i caused every thing to be re- 
paired. 
I was now suddenly obliged to aban- 
don the siege, leaving the direction of it 
to prince Alexander. of Wurtemberg, 
The elector of Bavaria was engaged in 
Moniuty Mac, No, 204. 
Memoirs of Prince Eugene, of Savoy. 5 O44 
that of Brussels. iad boroueh and I 
made him raise it after a pretty battle, 
and some excellent well-combined man- 
cuvres, of which he had all the honor, 
for I could not pass the Scheldt where L 
wanted. The elector of Bavaria was 
somewhat ashamed. The French princes | 
woukl have been so too, had not their 
Joy on returning to V ersailles ee 
thein. 
I went.back, to the siege ; hut wher a 
change! The marshal had taken advan- 
tage of my absence to drive the besiegers 
from the first covered way, of which I 
had left them in possession. 
had been abandoned, I wrote as follows 
to the brave Boufflers: “ The French 
army hasretired, M. le Marechal, toward 
Tournay, the elector of Bavaria to Na- 
mur, 
Spare yourself and your brave garrison ; 
I will again sign whatever you please.” 
His answer was: ‘* There is yet no oc- 
casion to bein ahurry. Permit me to 
defend mvself as long as I can. Ihave 
sull enough left to do to render my- 
self more worthy of the esteem -of the 
man wiiom [ respect above all others.” 
T gave orders for the assault of the second 
covered way. The king of France appa- 
rently anticipated this, for he wrote to 
the marshal to surrender. Notwith- 
standing his repugnance to such a step, 
he was on the point of obeying, when, in 
a note which the duke of Burgundy had 
subjoined to the king’s letter, he read: 
“T know from a certain quarter, that 
they want to make you a prisoner of 
war.” I know not where he picked up 
this information; but that prince, respec- 
table as he was in peace, could neither 
say nor do any but foolish, things in war, 
This note however produs sed some im- 
pression for a moment. Generals, sol- 
dicrs, and ali, swore rather to perish in 
the breach. Boutiters wept for joy, as 
Ihave been told; and when on the point 
of embracing this alternative, he recol- 
lected my note, which got the better of 
the duke of Burgundy’s s; and after the 
trenches had been opened four months 
before the city and citadel, he sent me 
on the 8th of December, all the articles 
that he wished me to sin, which IT did 
without any restriction. I went very 
soon with the prince of Orange to’ pay 
him avisit, and in truth to do homage 
to his merit. 1 cordially embraced him, 
and the princes to their courts. 
‘After re=) 
gaining it, as well as the other posts that’ 
and accepted an invitation to suppers. 
“on condition,” said I, “ that it be that 
of a famished citadel, to see what you 
OT may 
