THE ARMIES AT J^ALPLAQUET. 109

weigh very heavily upon one man, and that in case of his death
there was no one to take his place, offered to go to assist him.
The Bang, after some little hesitation, accepted this magnani-
mous offer, and Boufflers set out, I say magnanimous offer,
because Boufflers, loaded with honours and glory, might well
have hoped to pass the rest of his life in repose. It was hardly
possible, do what he might, that he could add to his reputa-
tion : while, on the other hand, it was not unlikely that he
might be made answerable for the faults or shortcomings of
others, and return to Paris stripped of some of the laurels that
adorned his brow. But he thought only of the welfare of the
State, and pressed the King to allow him to depart to Flanders.
The King, as I have said, at last consented.

The surprise was great in the army when he arrived there.
The general impression was that he was the bearer of news of
peace. Yillars received him with an air of joy and respect, and
at once showed every willingness to act in concert with him.
The two generals accordingly worked harmoniously together,
taking no steps without consulting each other, and showing"
great deference for each other's opinions. They were like one
man.

After the fall of Tournai, our army took up position at Mal-
plaquet, the right and the left supported [by two woods, with
hedges and woods before the centre, so that the plain was, as it
were, cut in two. Marlborough and Prince Eugene marched in
their turn, fearing lest Villars should embarass them as they
went towards Mons, which place they had resolved to besiege.
They sent on a large detachment of their army, under the com-
mand of the Prince of Hesse, to watch ours. He arrived in
sight of the camp at Malplaquet at the same time that we en-
tered it, and was quickly warned -of our existence by three
cannon shots that Villars, out of braggadocio, fired by way of
appeal to Marlborough and Prince Eugene. Some little firing
took place this day and the next, the 10th of September, but
without doing much harm on either side.

Marlborough and Prince Eugene, warned of the perilous state
in which the Prince of Hesse was placed—he would have been