English sufficient Proof that he was worthy hereafter of wearing their Crown. 'Twas in this Campaign that the famous Battel of Audenarde was fought, in which the French were again obliged to yield to the Efforts of the Allies. It must be said however, in their favor, that they were forc'd to fight without Artillery; for they had but four Pieces of Cannon, the rest of their Ordnance and Baggage not being yet arriv'd. The Action was very hot on both sides; they fought for several Hours with exceeding Obstinacy, and always with a considerable Loss on the part of the Enemy; whose Infantry was not only put to the rout, but a great many Squadrons of the French King's Houshold Troops; which advanc'd to support the Foot; were cut in pieces; whereupon the Confusion was so great, and the fire so furious in several places at once, that 'twas almost impossible to distinguish the Allies from the Enemy; therefore Orders were given to fire no more till next Morning, but to let the Enemy escape, rather than run the risque of putting our own Army in confusion.
The Night being come, the French scarce made any more Resistance but retir'd by the way that goes from Audenarde to Ghent, thro' the Village of Heusden. This very Evening as I was standing with some Officers of the Guards, at a small distance from the Prussian Guards, I perceiv'd a Trooper riding full speed towards us, who, when he arriv'd said, Gentlemen, the Duke de Vendosme orders you to retire towards Ghent. I cannot express to you how much he was surpriz'd when we told him for Answer, That he was a Prisoner. Kill me, said he, upon the spot, I don't desire to out-live what has happened to me. We comforted him as well as we cou'd, and carried
him to the Count de Lottum's Quarters, to whom he made himself known for M. Duplanti, Aid de Camp to the Duke de Vendosme. What led him into the mistake was the Habit of the Prussian Guards, which is not very different from that of the French.
The Battle of Audenarde was the more glorious for the Allies, because it was a Victory gain'd over the Duke of Burgundy who commanded the Army of France, and had with him the Duke of Berry his Brother, and the Chevalier de St. George; but they say this Battle was quite against the Opinion of the Duke de Vendosme, whose Advice was not hearken'd to, and the Cabals which the Duke of Burgundy gave into, hinder'd the Designs of that famous General from being follow'd, and were the Cause of the Loss of the Battle.
Next day about ten o'clock at Night the Count de Lottum was detach'd from the Grand Army with forty Squadrons and thirty Battalions, and without any Resistance took possession, of the Lines towards Ypres, which were immediately demolish'd. The 19th of that Month was celebrated by the Army as a Day of Thanksgiving for the Victory they had gain'd; upon which all the Cannon were fir'd, and there was a triple Salvo of all the small Arms.
On the 26th, my Lord Marlborough, who only waited for a Convoy of the heavy Artillery to begin the Siege of Lisle, sent a Detachment to Brussels, where there was a considerable Train, which came partly from Sas van Ghent and Maestricht. This March was cover'd by 22,000 Men of Prince Eugene's Army, which he himself commanded in Person. This great Convoy arriving
safe before Lisle, the Town was invested the 13th of August. As it was one of the most considerable Sieges that had been undertaken for a long time; and as 'twas natural to expect a vigorous Resistance, on the part of the Marshal de Boufflers who commanded in the Place, there came Voluntiers from all Quarters to the Camp of the Besiegers. Two great Princes, both able Generals, thought fit to be present at this Siege, viz. the King of Poland and the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, who were at the opening of the Trenches, which was on the 22d at Night.
Some Days after, the Enemy approach'd so near to us, that it was believed they had an Inclination to engage. Our Generals were therefore at the head of the Army as soon as the Day broke. Prince Eugene join'd my Lord Marlborough with twenty-six Battalions and seventy-six Squadrons of his Army which form'd the Siege; and the Army being drawn up in three Lines, of which the two foremost consisted of the Cavalry; they remain'd in this Posture till about ten o' clock in the Forenoon, when 'twas visible that the Enemy had no mind to come to a Battle, and that they only meant to disturb us; for which Reason the Generals caus'd Entrenchments to be cast up, which were finish'd next Day, and the Detachment which Prince Eugene brought, was sent back again, excepting some Squadrons that staid.
There was then so little Apprehension of an Attack, that most of the Generals quitted the Grand Army to assist in the storming of the Counterscarp, which happen'd on the 5th of September at Night. Our Men earned it, tho' with very great Loss on our side, and made Lodgments on it. When this Attack was over,
we set out to return to the Grand Army; but to our misfortune the Guide that had conducted us, was run away; and as it was not then more than one or two o'clock in the Morning, we were in a very great Perplexity, and fell exactly into the Road that led to the Centre of the Enemy's Camp. I was on horseback, perhaps a hundred Yards from the Count de Lottum who was in his Coach, when all on a sudden I heard some body call out, Who goes there? I confess to you, Madame that I was somewhat surpriz'd, but I comforted my self with the Thought, that it was perhaps a Centinel of some Walloon Regiment of the Spanish Troops, so that I answer'd, Officers. We were got in the midst of Hedges and Trees, which hinder'd me of the Benefit of a little Moonlight, by which I might perhaps have discover'd with whom we had to do; and therefore I still went on: but I was no sooner out of the Thicket, than I found my self near enough to a Body of Horse, to discern that 'twas impossible it shou'd belong to us, because it was too near the Place, and because it fronted us. I presently saw our Danger; I turn'd back as gently as I cou'd possibly to the Count de Lottum, and told him what I had observ'd. M. de K—— his first Adjutant call'd me a Simpleton. Kraut the second Adjutant treated me in much the same Stile; and in short I had like to have been dismissed for a Fool; only the Count de Lottum thought it was Wisdom to run no hazard, and therefore he order'd his Coachman to turn about, and the Officer of the Ordnance was detach'd to see whether I was mistaken. The Truth of the Fact being by him confirm'd, the Adjutants were almost frighten'd out of their Wits, made a thousand Apologies, and promis'd to make me any sort of