to what purpose dress the wound?

If I survive, it will be time enough in the evening." With these words he advanced again to the head of the line, and the troops, animated by the heroism of their beloved general, who pressed on though the blood was streaming over his shoulders, followed with such impetuosity that the works were carried, and the victors reentered the wood pell-mell with the broken enemy.*

35.

Decisive attack

ney on the cen

ter.

In the center, still more decisive advantages were gained. Lord Orkney there made the attack with such by Lord Ork- vigor, that the intrenchments, now not adequately manned, were at once carried; and the horse, following rapidly on the traces of the foot soldiers, broke through at several openings made by the artillery, and spread themselves over the plain, cutting down the fugitives in every direction. Marlborough, upon seeing this advantage, instantly gave the grand battery of forty cannon in the allied center orders to advance. With the utmost rapidity the guns were limbered up, and moving on at a quick trot. They soon passed the intrenchments in the center, and facing to the right and left, opened a tremendous fire of canister and grape on the dense masses of the French cavalry which stood in the rear of the infantry, who were almost all in front among the works. These noble troops, however, bore up gallantly against the storm, and even charged the allied horse before they had time to form within the lines; but they were unable to make any impression, and retired from the attack sorely shattered by the allied artillery.t

Admirable ef

The battle was now gained. Villars's position, how strong 36. and gallantly defended soever, was no longer tenforts of Bouf- able. Pierced through in the center, with a forflers to regain midable enemy's battery on either side, thundering on the reserve squadrons, in the very heart of his line, and turned and menaced with rout on the left, it was no longer possible to keep the field. Boufflers, upon whom, in the ab

the day.

* Coxe, v., 57. LEDIARD, ii., 289-291. KAUSLER, 789.

+ Coxe, v., 59, 60. KAUSLER, 788, 789.

37.

His able and or

sence of Villars in consequence of his wound, the direction of affairs had devolved, accordingly prepared for a retreat; and he conducted it with consummate skill, as well as the most undaunted firmness. Collecting a body of two thousand chosen horse yet fresh, consisting of the élite of the horse-guards and garde-du-corps, he charged the allied horse which had penetrated into the center, at this time much blown by its severe fatigues in the preceding part of the day. It was accordingly worsted and put to flight; but all the efforts of this noble body of horsemen were shattered against Orkney's infantry, which, posted on the reverse of the works they had won, poured in, when charged, so close and destructive a fire, that half of the gallant cavaliers were stretched on the plain, and the remainder were forced to make a precipitate retreat.* Still the indefatigable Boufflers made another effort. Drawing a large body of infantry from the works on his extreme right, which had been little engaged, he derly retreat. marched them to the left, and, re-forming his squadrons again, advanced to the charge; but Marlborough no sooner saw this, than he charged the garde-du-corps with a body of English horse which he himself led on, and drove them back, while the infantry staggered and reeled, like a sinking ship, under the terrific fire of the allied guns, which had penetrated the At the same time, the Prince of Orange and the Prince of Hesse-Cassel, perceiving that the intrenchments before them were stripped of great part of their defenders, renewed the attack; in ten minutes these works were carried; and a tremendous shout, heard along the whole line, announced that the whole left of the position had fallen into the hands of the allies. In these desperate circumstances, Boufflers and his brave troops did all that skill or courage could to arrest the progress of the victors, and withdraw from the field without any additional losses. Forming his troops into three great masses, with the cavalry which had suffered least in the rear, he slowly, and in perfect regularity, commenced his retreat.

center.

* CoXE, v., 59, 60. KAUSLER, 789, 790.

The allies had suffered so much, and were so completely exhausted by the fatigue of this bloody and protracted battle, that they gave them very little molestation. Contenting themselves with pursuing as far as the heath of Malplaquet, and the level ground around Taisnière, they halted, and the men lay down to sleep. Meanwhile the French, in the best order, but in deep dejection, continued their retreat still in three columns; and after crossing the Hon in their rear, reunited below Quesnoy and Valenciennes, about twelve miles from the field of battle.*

38.

battle to the

Such was the desperate battle of Malplaquet, the most bloody and obstinately contested which had yet ocResults of the curred in the war, and in which it is hard to say allies. to which of the gallant antagonists the palm of valor and heroism is to be given. The victory was unquestionably gained by the allies, since they forced the enemy's position, drove them to a considerable distance from the field of battle, and hindered the siege of Mons, the object for which both parties fought, from being raised. The valor they displayed had extorted the admiration of their gallant and generous enemies.† Both Eugene and Marlborough exposed themselves more constantly than they had ever done in any former action; and cordial as had been their understanding on all previous occasions, it was generally observed that on this they seemed animated only by a generous emulation which should most aid and support the other. On the other hand, these advantages had been purchased at an enormous sacrifice,

* Coxe, v., 54-63. Disp., v., 562, Marlborough to Mr. Secretary Boyle, Sept. 11, 1709, and to Mr. Wauchope, same date, v., 598,

"The Eugenes and Marlboroughs ought to be well satisfied with us during that day, since till then they had not met with resistance worthy of them. They may now say with justice that nothing can stand before them; and, indeed, what shall be able to stay the rapid progress of these heroes, if an army of one hundred thousand men of the best troops, strongly posted between two woods, trebly intrenched, and performing their duty as well as any brave men could do, were not able to stop them one day? Will you not then own with me that they surpass all the heroes of former ages?”— Letter of a French Officer who fought at Malplaquet. CoxE, v., 65.

and never since the commencement of the contest had the scales hung so even between the contending parties. In truth, the battle of Malplaquet was a desperate duel between France and England, in which the whole strength of each nation was put forth, and the successful result was rather owing to the superior talent of the English general, and the unconquerable resolution he had communicated to his followers, than to any superiority either of military skill or national resources enjoyed by the victorious party. Nothing had occurred like it since Azincour; nothing occurred like it again till Waterloo. Blenheim itself was not nearly so hard fought. The allies lost, killed in the infantry alone, five thousand five hundred and forty-four; wounded and missing, twelve thousand seven hundred and six; in all, eighteen thousand two hundred and fifty, ɔf whom two hundred and eighty-six were officers killed, and seven hundred and sixty-two wounded. Including the casualties in the cavalry and artillery, their total loss was not less than twenty thousand men, or nearly a fifth of the number engaged.*

39.

Loss of the

French, and humanity of Marl

borough.

The French loss, though they were worsted in the fight, was less considerable; it did not exceed fourteen thousand men an unusual circumstance with a beaten army, but easily accounted for, if the formidable nature of the intrenchments which the allies had to storm in the first part of the action is taken into consideration. In proportion to the numbers engaged, the loss to the victors was not, however, nearly so great as at Waterloo.† Then was seen the prophetic wisdom with which Marlborough had so strongly urged upon the British government the propriety of augmenting the allied force at the commencement of the

* KAUSLER, 791. CoxE, v., 64.

† At Waterloo, there were sixty-nine thousand six hundred and eightysix men in Wellington's army, and the loss was twenty-two thousand four hundred and sixty-nine, or one in three nearly; at Malplaquet, it was one in five; at Talavera, one in four-five thousand being killed and wounded out of nineteen thousand eight hundred engaged.-SIEORNE'S Waterloo, ii., 352 and 519.

campaign. But for these, the campaign would have been indecisive, or terminated in misfortune. With the additional troops he so strongly pleaded for, it would have terminated in a decisive victory, and Malplaquet had been Waterloo. Few prisoners, not above five hundred, were made on the field; but the woods and intrenchments were filled with wounded French, whom Marlborough, with characteristic humanity, proposed to Villars to remove to the French head-quarters, on condition of their being considered prisoners of war—an offer which that general thankfully accepted. A solemn thanksgiving was read in all the regiments of the army two days after the battle, after which the soldiers of both armies joined in removing the wounded French on two hundred wagons to the French camp. Thus, after the conclusion of one of the bloodiest fights recorded in modern history, the first acts of the victors were in raising the voice of thanksgiving, and doing deeds of mercy.* No sooner were these pious cares concluded, than the allies resumed the investment of Mons; Marlborough, with the English and Dutch, having his headcampaign, 26th quarters at Belian, and Eugene, with the GerOctober. mans, at Quaregnon. The Prince of Orange, with thirty battalions and as many squadrons, was intrusted with the blockade. Great efforts were immediately made to get the necessary stores and siege equipage up from Brussels; but the heavy rains of autumn set in with such severity, that it was not till the 25th of September that the trenches could be opened. Boufflers, though at no great distance, did not venture to disturb the operations. On the 9th of October, a lodgment was effected in the covered way; on the 17th, the outworks were stormed; and on the 26th, the place surrendered with its garrison, still three thousand five hundred strong. By this important success, the conquest of Brabant was finished; the burden and expense of the war removed from the Dutch provinces; the barrier which they had so long sought

40. Capture of Mons, and conclusion of the

*

Marlborough to Marshal Villars, 13th of September, 1709, and to Mr. Secretary Boyle, 16th of September, 1709; Disp., v., 596-599. CoXE, v., 64.