to do their duty, and to repair by bravery what the artifice of William and the supposed treachery of Millevoix had effected. The Dukes of Bourbon and Vendôme were there, the Princes of Turenne and Conté, with the Duc de Chartres (son of Orleans, and nephew of the King of France), a youth of fifteen, whose almost feminine beauty made him the sport of that gay army. There, too, were the Marquis de Bellefonds, the young Duke of Berwick, the gallant Sarsfield (whom James II. had created Earl of Lucan), and several thousand chevaliers of noble birth and dashing bravery, whose presence, ardour, and example soon restored perfect order in the army so suddenly summoned to battle; and as the morning mist rose up from the plain around the then obscure village of Steenkirke, the entire army of the Protestant Confederation, more than 100,000 strong, could be seen advancing as rapidly as the numerous thorn hedges, the muddy water-cuts, and stone walls, which intersected the yellow cornfields, would permit. On the preceding evening, the 1st Battalion of the Scots Royals, under Sir Robert Douglas, with the 2nd Battalion of the English Foot Guards, Fitzpatrick's Regiment, the Scots Fusiliers, and two battalions of Danes, had been ordered forward to commence the attack upon the French army; and these troops were accompanied by a detachment from each battalion of Churchill's brigade, with hatchets and spades, to cut and dig a passage through the woody ground between the armies. By ten on the day of the battle these troops had taken post in a dense thicket, beyond which there was a small valley, the green hedges of which were thickly lined by the white-coated infantry of the French line, and beyond it appeared their camp. On the right and left of this wood the Prince of Wirtemberg got several guns into position. These opened fire at eleven, and under cover of this cannonade the army passed through the principal defile, at a point where a large farmhouse was blazing, and began to deploy into line on a plain that lay on its right. The division which led the way was that of General Mackay. His Scots were all veterans; but most of the English regiments were newly raised, yet they fought with incredible valour, and gave promise of what they were yet to achieve in the future wars of Flanders. They first encountered the Swiss infantry, and a close struggle ensued; for "in the hedge-fighting," says D'Auvergne, in his "Campaigns, 1692," "their fire was generally muzzle to muzzle, the hedge only generally separating the combatants." When this first column of the Allies engaged, and the roar of 40,000 muskets loaded the air with sound, the main body was still a mile in the rear, where William was slowly, laboriously, and awkwardly getting them deployed into line. The Swiss were driven back, with the loss of 1,800 killed and a vast number of wounded. The English Guards dislodged the enemy from one of their batteries, and turned the guns on them as they fled. It was on this column that the whole brunt of the battle fell, for William had intended to support it by a strong body of horse and foot, but failed to do so. "Among the foremost in this action," says "Cannon's Records," " was seen the brave Sir Robert Douglas, of Glenbervie, at the head of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment, emulating the noblest actions recorded in the annals of war. Having led his battalion against the troops behind the first hedge, he soon cleared it of French combatants, and drove one of the enemy's battalions from the field in confusion. A second hedge was attacked and carried by the Scots in a few minutes. A third was assaulted; the French stood their ground, the combatants fought muzzle to muzzle, and again the Royals proved victorious, and the third hedge was won. The toil of the conflict did not cool the ardour of the veteran Scots, but forward they rushed with a loud huzza, and attacked the troops that lined the fourth hedge. Here the fighting was most severe; but eventually the Royals overthrew a fourth French battalion, and drove a crowd of combatants from their cannon. In this conflict the 1st Battalion lost one of its three colours. Sir Robert Douglas perceived it in the hands of a French officer on the other side of a hedge. He leaped over the barrier, slew the bearer, and retook the colour, but was shot dead as he was returning." "The bravery of our men," says the London Gazette, "was extraordinary, ten battalions of ours having engaged above thirty of the French at one time, and Sir Robert Douglas, at the head of one battalion of his regiment, having driven four battalions of the enemy from their cannon." While the Prince of Wirtemberg, with the Danes and four English regiments, supported by those of Cutts, Mackay, Angus, Graham, Lauder, Leven, and the Prince of Hesse, maintained a terrible and most unequal struggle, and was actually fighting his way into the French lines, no supports came up; and Count Solmes, to whom he repeatedly sent his aide-de-camp demanding succour, brutally derided him by saying, "Let us see what sport these British bulldogs will make us.” Luxembourg admitted that he had never seen so close and fierce a struggle; and he now gave the order for the household troops to charge the column of Wirtemberg. The splendid Mousquetaires, Black and Grey, were in front, and all the horse and dragoons of the Guard, led by princes of the blood. "Sword in hand, messieurs !" was the cry as they came thundering on; "sword in hand-no firinglet the cold steel do it, the cold steel only!" Slinging their carbines and musketoons, these splendid troops came like an avalanche on the now exhausted infantry of the first column, whom the king and Solmes seemed resolved to sacrifice between them. Overpowered by numbers, they were now driven back, and began to retreat in disorder. The shock of the French charge was irresistible. The Scottish regiments were literally cut to pieces, and the English Guards nearly shared the same fate. Ten of their officers were killed in an instant. Mackay sent a last message to Solmes entreating support, "as he and his men were left to certain destruction." 437 position at Lambeque, after having won nothing, done less, and lost many brave officers and men; and this defeat he suffered after having lost Namur. He had 2,000 men killed and 3,000 wounded; two English colours were taken and several pieces of cannon. The losses of the French were nearly the same, including the Prince of Turenne, the Marquis de Bellefonds, Tilladete, Fernaçon, and many other brave chevaliers; but they remained masters of the field, over which they suspended from a lofty gibbet Luxembourg's luckless confidant, the spy and intriguer Millevoix. The casualty returns of several regiments were never published; but in the brigade to which the Royals belonged there were killed and wounded no less than 102 officers, and 1,114 non-commissioned officers and rank and file. Macaulay has it that the allied army retired unpursued and in unbroken order. Puffendorf states that when the Marquis of Boufflers' dragoons came in the fight was continued till night, and that the army made good its retreat "by the good conduct of the English grenadiers," who were continually "My troops can do no good," he replied; "and halting, facing about, and throwing their grenades, I shall not send them to be slaughtered." "God's will be done!" exclaimed the veteran Mackay; and a minute after he fell from his horse dead. James Douglas, the youthful Earl of Angus, fell at the head of his Cameronians; Sir John Lanier, Colonel Lauder, Colonel George Hamilton (of Abercorn), Colonel Wauchope, Colonel Hodges, William Stuart, Viscount Mountjoy (a volunteer), Lieutenant-Colonel Fullerton, and Major Kerr, of Angus's, eight officers of Viscount Fitzhardinge's Regiment (4th Hussars), six of the Scots Fusiliers, and an incredible number more, were killed and wounded; while the Prince of Conté, at the head of the household cavalry, bore all before him. Macaulay, slow to admit any shortcoming on the part of his hero William, says, "Five fine regiments were cut entirely to pieces. No part of this devoted band would have escaped but for the courage and conduct of Auverquerque, who came to the rescue in the moment of extremity with two fresh battalions. The gallant manner in which he brought off the remains of Mackay's division was long talked of with grateful admiration by the British campfires. The ground where the conflict had raged was piled with corpses; and those who buried the slain remarked that almost all the wounds had been given in close fighting, by the sword or the bayonet." The troops of Marshal Boufflers were now fast coming into action, regiment after regiment, and William had determined to fall back on his original so "that they-the French-durst not approach within reach of our firearms." Hence there must have been a pretty close pursuit. Paris was full of joyous exultation, and the people lined the roads to see the princes and nobles returning from the field. None was hailed with more rapture than the boy Duke de Chartres, who had received a ball through his laced coat and a wound in the shoulder. The name of Steenkirke was applied now to everything, to buckles and snuffboxes, hats and wigs, to perfumes and a new fashion of cravat, in memory of the Brigade de Bourbonnais, who had come of flying half dressed into camp, when routed by the troops of Wirtemberg and Mackay. On the other hand, the camp of the Allies was the scene of disunion, discontent, and dejection. The manner of Solmes was arrogant and his temper high. British officers would brook neither, and in their tents they spoke regretfully of their dear friends and old comrades who had fallen through his selfish obstinacy and the king's incapacity in his mode of handling the main body. They felt that the division of Mackay had been sacrificed to save the Dutch Blues and other troops. The English officers complained that incompetent foreigners were incessantly put in high command over them, the Dutch more especially; and in this mood the army once more prepared to meet that of Louis XIV., and to encounter fresh disasters under the baton of King William. battalions had been detached, "chiefly English and Scotch," says D'Auvergne, "viz., his own, of (Coldstream) Guards; 2nd Battalion Scots Guards, Colonel Trelawney's English Fusiliers (now 7th), commanded by Colonel Fitzpatrick; and the regiment that was Colonel Hodges' (16th), now Colonel Stanley's," arrived at Bruges, and joined another detachment under Brigadier George Ramsay. The troops under Talmash were to unite with the Duke of Leinster (a title bestowed on Meinhardt de Schomberg), who arrived at Ostend with fifteen British regiments. Thirty squadrons also joined ander Brigadier Boncourt. Every summer now saw William on the Continent, in spite of his delicate health, and engaged in hos Orange she owes the beginning of the National Debt, which was afterwards increased by the crusades in defence of Hanover. At the head of the allied army, consisting of 60,850 men, William advanced from his camp at Parck to Liège, in July, 1693. At Tongres, nine miles from that town, he found that the castle of Hüy, a strong place situated on a height above the Maese, had capitulated, and that Luxembourg was advancing on Liège; he therefore detached ten battalions, which with difficulty entered the town. After this, all offers of neutrality made by the Marshal Duke to the British in Liège were rejected. The king returned to his position at Neerhespen, Landen.] ORIGIN OF THE NATIONAL DEBT. MEETING OF WILLIAM III. AND THE DUKE OF BERWICK (see page 441). 439 and Luxembourg encamped at Hellick. The French the battle, surveyed the ground, expressed surprise then made a feint on Liège, their real intention at the rapidity with which entrenchments so vast being to attack the confederates at Neerhespen, as and strong had been prepared. the latter were much weakened by the absence of those columns dispatched by William to Liège and Maestricht. Hence, according to Harris's History of William's Life, the French were supposed to be at least 35,000 stronger. The enemy quitted their camp at Hellick; their advanced guard met at Waremme, on the Jaar, thirteen miles westward of Liège, one of those patrols which William was in the habit of sending forth daily to gain intelligence. It was still in his power to retreat; but, by another mistake in policy and generalship, in spite of all advice, he resolved to fight. He could easily have placed the deep and rapid waters of the Gette, then swollen by continued rains, between him and those 80,000 who were coming on in four vast columns; but he thought his position sufficiently strong to resist them, and resolved to make it stronger. For fighting the battle of Landen, or Neerwinden, that ensued, William has been greatly censured by all military men, when the great disparity in numbers between the two armies is considered by them. Strong parties of workmen under officers were detailed, and the musket and pike were, for a time, replaced by the pickaxe and shovel. In the avenues to the position, breastworks were thrown up of the earth dug from the ditches in front of them. In other places abattis were made and palisades planted. The sunrise of the 19th of July saw the whole position of the Allies entrenched, flanked by field-works in the form of redoubts and demi-lunes, over which 100 pieces of cannon peered grimly at the foe. The enemy's left wing of cavalry advanced at six o'clock on the evening of the 18th, under Jean Armand, the Marquis de Joyeuse, who in that year had been made a Marshal of France, and was burning to distinguish himself. The infantry and the greater part of the artillery came up about two hours after, but as it was too late to engage, Luxembourg made his arrangements to attack next morning; so for that night both armies rested on their arms-the last night on earth it proved to thousands of them. Brigadier Ramsay, with his brigade consisting of five battalions, had the extreme right, with orders to guard some hedges and ravines that covered his wing on the village of Laér. The Brandenburg regiments were stationed in the village itself, under Prince Charles of Brandenburg; and the Hanoverian infantry on their left, under Lieutenant-General Dumont, whose duty it was to defend the village of Neerwinden, which covered the camp, between the right wing of the cavalry and the main body of the army. He was afterwards reinforced by three battalions of the English, Scots, and Dutch Guards ("Coldstream Records."). On the left of Neerwinden were the first battalion of the Royal Scots, Selwyn's (2nd), Trelawney's (4th), and the Kentish Buffs (3rd), with Prince Frederick's battalion of Danes, and Fayel's. Between Neerwinden and Neerlanden there was an open space. During the night, by William's order, a breastwork was formed from one end to the other, connecting the two, to cover the line of infantry. On the left, the dragoons guarded the pass at the village of Dormal, on the brook of Beck, whence the cavalry reached to Neerlanden, where they were covered by the stream that flowed to the right, in rear of the infantry. So now all those hitherto peaceful Flemish villages and secluded homesteads were alive with troops preparing for mortal strife, and bristling with steel and waving standards. On the right flank of the position lay the little Belgian village of Neerwinden, with its red-brick and red-tiled cottages. On the left flank was the village of Romsdorff, beside which flows the Landen, a sluggish little stream, from which the English chose to name the battle. After the fashion of the old Walloon provinces, both of these hamlets were surrounded by wet moats and strong When the dawn of the 19th of June stole over the fences, and within these boundaries were the dwell-flat and level landscape, the French army was disings of the people, with their gardens, ricks, and covered in columns of attack, and within cannoncattle, their hives and honeysuckles, and all around shot, so the allied batteries instantly opened. A were stretching meadows, bordered by weeping hundred pieces of cannon sent their thunder on the willows, or poppy-covered fields, where the cavalry | air, and did considerable execution among the of Luxembourg devoured or trod to mire the troops of Luxembourg, ere the latter could bring his standing corn. The old village barricades which guns into position to reply. flanked his position were fairly utilised by William ; and the Duke of St. Simon, who, subsequently to At six o'clock the French line advanced firing; but so steady were the volleys of the confederate |