raversed the morass, passed the Gheet
despite its steep banks, carried the castle of Wange, and, rushing
forward with a swift pace, crossed the ditch on the trusses of hay,
and, in three weighty columns, scaled the rampart, and broke into the
enemy's works. Hitherto entire success had attended this admirably
planned attack; but the alarm was now given; a fresh corps of fifteen
thousand men, under M. D'Allegre, hastily assembled, and a heavy fire
was opened upon the Allies, now distinctly visible in the morning
light, from a commanding battery. Upon this, Marlborough put himself
at the head of Lumley's English horse, and, charging vigorously,
succeeded, though not till he had sustained one repulse, in breaking
through the line thus hastily formed. In this charge the Duke narrowly
escaped with his life, in a personal conflict with a Bavarian officer.
The Allies now crowded in, in great numbers, and the French,
panic-struck, fled on all sides, abandoning the whole centre of their
intrenchments to the bold assailants. Villeroi, who had become aware,
from the retreat of Overkirk in his front, that some attack was in
contemplation, but ignorant where the tempest was to fall, remained
all night under arms. At length, attracted by the heavy fire, he
approached the scene of action in the centre, only in time to see that
the position was broken through, and the lines no longer tenable. He
drew off his whole troops accordingly, and took up a new position,
nearly at right angles to the former, stretching from Elixheim towards
Tirlemont. It was part of the design of the Duke to have intercepted
the line of retreat of the French, and prevented them from reaching
the Dyle, to which they were tending; but such was the obstinacy and
slowness of the Dutch generals, that nothing could persuade them to
make any further exertion, and, in defiance of the orders and
remonstrances alike of Marlborough and Overkirk, they pitched their
tents, and refused to take any part in the pursuit. The consequence
was, that Villeroi collected his scattered forces, crossed the Dyle in
haste, and took up new ground, about eighteen miles in the rear, with
his left sheltered by the cannon of Louvain. But, though the
disobedience and obstinacy of the Dutch thus intercepted Marlborough
in the career of victory, and rendered his success much less complete
than it otherwise would have been, yet had a mighty blow been struck,
reflecting the highest credit on the skil