MARLBOROUGH AND HIS METHODS OF WARFARE. 133 
the generals nor Louis XIV. entertained any apprehension for Lille, which was 
Vauban’s master-piece, and it was indeed considered rather an advantage to the 
French that the allies should waste their strength in so quixotic an undertaking. 
Lille originally, as its name (L’Isle) imports, an island, was naturally strong, 
the surrounding plain, at one time an expanse of marshes from the overflowing of 
the Deule, being easily flooded. Deep canals uniting the Scarpe and the Lys, had 
drained the swamps, and by engineering skill the Deule, which flows through the 
town, was made along with its tributary, the Marque, to flow round the city as a 
moat. The city was defended by strong walls, bastions, and outworks, and 
especially by a great pentagonal fort the citadel which was on the north-west, 
and was also isolated by a moat. A few days before the allies appeared under 
the walls the old but still high-spirited marshal, the Duke of Boufilers, the gallant 
but unsuccessful defender of Namur against William 1II., entered the place, and 
the garrison now numbered 15,000 men. 
CELEBRITY OF THE SIEGE OF LILLE. 
Déja le bruit de cette expédition remplissait une partie de l’Hurope. L’électeur 
de Saxe, roi détroné, et le landgrave de Hesse-Cassel, arrivérent le 19 au Camp 
de Marlborough, qui fit passer en revue devant eux la premicre et la seconde ligne 
de son armée. Ces princes se rendirent dés le lendemain & l’abbaye de Loo, ot 
is furent traités avec une magnificence digne d’eux. Frederic-Auguste, l’année 
suivante sur le trone de Pologne, avait son quartier préparé dans Vabbaye de 
Marquette; mais il voulut rester auprés d’Eugéne. Le Comte Maurice son fils, si 
célébre depuis sous le nom de maréchal le Saxe, était venu le rejoindre. Le Prince 
électoral d’Hanovre, depuis rois de la Grande-Bretagne. Avec le landgrave de 
Hesse, étaient ses trois fils, dont ’un porta la couronne de Charles XII. Quand on 
lit tant de beaux faits d’armes, exempts des mensonges de la fable, ennoblis encore 
par le rang des guerriers, on est tenté de rire de pitié au souvenir des -roitelets 
de la Gréce, qui, sous prétexte de venger le rapt d’une femme sans honneur, 
allérent mettre devant Troie un siége ridicule (‘« Hist. de Marlborough, 369”). 
CONVOY ACTION AT WYNENDALE. 
On the first news that the convoy had departed, Count de la Motte advanced to 
Oudenberg, but the post being already occupied, he hastened by Ghistel, to inter- 
cept it in the defile of Wynendale. Finding himself anticipated by the allies, 
whom he descried at five o’clock in the afternoon, he opened a cannonade, which 
lasted two hours. In the interval he found his troops in several lines, the 
infantry in front, the cavalry in the rear; and then advanced, in full confidence, 
to overwhelm a force which did not amount to one half of his own. Within a 
few minutes the enemy began the attack, but approaching the allied lines were 
received by such a fire from the ambuscade in the wood, that the left wing gave 
way on the centre. The fire of the opposite ambuscade was then opened, and 
soon threw their whole line into confusion. They however still advanced, and 
broke two battalions: but reinforcements being drawn up from the rear, they 
were repulsed. They made a third attempt, but the fire in front and flanks 
again throwing back their wings in the centre, they retired in the utmost dismay. 
Neither the threats nor example of their officers could induce them to return to 
the charge, but after some distant and scattered vollies they feebly relinquished 
the contest (p. 319 “ Life of Duke of Marlborough ”—Coxe), 
