i| 44 MEMOIES OF THE DUKE OF SAIOT-SIMOH.

fi

I that he answered for it on his head. With such a guarantee

I1 from a man in such favour at Court, who could doubt ? Yet,
M shortly after, Marlborough crossed the Escaut in four places,
& and Yendome actually wrote to the King, begging him to re-
fl member that he had always declared the defence of the Escaut
f* to be impossible !

$ The cabal made a great noise to cover this monstrous auda-

;1 city, and endeavoured to renew the attack against the Due de

j$ Bourgogne. We shall see what success attended their efforts.

Jt The army was at Soissons, near Tournai, in a profound tran-

t| quillity, the opium of which had gained the Due de Bourgogne,

when news of the approach of the enemy was brought. M. de
Vendome advanced in that direction, and sent word to the Due,
that he thought he ought to advance on the morrow with all
his army. The Due was going to bed when he received tne
j letter; and although it was too late to repulse the enemy, was

% much blamed for continuing to undress himself, and putting off

| action till the morrow.

^ To this fault he added another. He had eaten; it was very

ft early; and it was no longer proper to march. It was necessary

i to wait fresh orders from M. de Vendome. Tournai was near.

*'* The Due de Bourgogne went there to have a game at tennis,

fj This sudden party of pleasure strongly scandalized the army,

jjj and raised all manner of unpleasant talk. Advantage -was

taken of the young Prince's imprudence to throw upon him
the blame of what was caused by the negligence of M. de Ven-
dome.

A serious and disastrous action that took place during these
operations was actually kept a secret from the King, until the
Due de la Tremoille, whose son was engaged there, let out the
truth. Annoyed that the King said nothing to him on the way
in which his son had distinguished himself, he took the oppor-
tunity, whilst he was serving the King, to talk of the passage of
the Escaut, and said that his son's regiment had much suffered.
"How, suffered?" cried the King; "nothing has happened/"
Whereupon the Due related all to him. The King listened
with the greatest attention, and questioned him, and admitted