110 MEMOIRS OF THE DTJE32 OF SAINT-SIMOK

lost if attacked—hastened at once to join Mm, and arrived in
the middle of the morning of the 10th. Their first care was to
examine the position of our army, and to do so, while waiting
for their rear-guard, they employed a stratagem which suc-
ceeded admirably.

They sent several officers, who had the look of subalterns, to
our lines, and asked to be allowed to speak to our officers.
Their request was granted. Albergotti came down to them,
and discoursed with them a long time. They pretended they
came to see whether peace could not be arranged, but they, in
reality, spoke of little but compliments, which signified nothing.
They stayed so long, under various pretexts, that at last we
were obliged to threaten them in order to get rid of them. All
this time a few of their best general officers on horseback, and
a larger number of engineers and designers on foot, profited by
these ridiculous colloquies to put upon paper drawings of our
position, thus being able to see the best positions for their
cannon, and the best mode, in fact, in which all their disposi-
tion might be made. We learnt this artifice afterwards from
the prisoners.

It was decided that evening to give us battle on-the morrow,
although the deputies of the States-General, content with the
advantages that had been already gained, and not liking to run
the risk of failure, were opposed to an action taking place.
They were, however, persuaded to agree, and on the following
morning the battle began.

The struggle lasted many hours. But our position had been
badly chosen, and, in spite of every effort, we were unable to
maintain it. Villars, in the early part of the action, received
a wound which incapacitated him from duty. All the burden
of command fell upon Boufflers. He bore it well; but after a
time finding his army dispersed, his infantry overwhelmed, the
ground slipping from under his fleet, he thought only of beating
a good and honourable retreat. He led away his army in such
good order, that the enemy were unable to interfere with it in
the slightest degree. During all the inarch, which lasted until
night, we did not lose a hundred stragglers, and carried off all