make a vehement false attack on the village
of Autre Eglise and the French left. The nature of the ground occupied
by the allies and enemy respectively, favoured this design; for the
French were posted round the circumference of a segment, while the
allies occupied the centre and chord, so that they could move with
greater rapidity than their opponents from one part of the field to
another. Marlborough's stratagem was entirely successful. He formed,
in the first instance, with some ostentation, a weighty column of
attack opposite to the French left, menacing the village of Autre
Eglise. No sooner did Villeroi perceive this than he drew a
considerable body of infantry from his centre behind Offuz, and
marched them with the utmost expedition to reinforce the threatened
point on his left. When Marlborough saw this cross-movement fairly
commenced, skilfully availing himself of a rising ground on which the
front of his column of attack on his right was placed, he directed the
second line and columns in support when the front had reached the edge
of the plateau, where they obstructed the view of those behind them,
to halt in a hollow where they could not be seen, and immediately
after, still concealed from the enemy's sight, to defile rapidly to
the left till they came into the rear of the left centre. The Danish
horse, twenty squadrons strong, under the Duke of Wirtemberg, were at
the same time placed in a third line behind the cavalry of the left
wing, so as to bring the weight of his horse as well as foot into that
quarter.

At half past twelve the cannonade began on both sides, and that of the
French played heavily on the columns of the confederates advancing to
the attack. The Allied right wing directed against Autre Eglise,
steadily advanced up the slopes from the banks of the Little Gheet to
the edge of the plateau; but there they halted, deployed into line,
and opened their fire in such a position as to conceal entirely the
transfer of the infantry and cavalry in their rear to the Allied left.
No sooner had they reached it, than the attack began in real earnest,
and with a preponderating force in that direction. Colonel
Wertonville, with four Dutch battalions, advanced against Tavieres,
while twelve battalions in columns of companies, supported by a strong
reserve, began the attack on Ramilies in the left centre. The
vehemence of this assault soon convinced Villeroi that the real attack
of the Allies was in that qua