enheim._

_To face page 143._]

As darkness gathered, the undefeated left under Marcin and the
Elector--the half now alone surviving out of the whole host, the other
half or limb being quite destroyed or surrendered--retreated with such few
prisoners and such few colours as they had taken. They retreated hastily
with all their train and their artillery, abandoning their camp, of
course, and all through the night poured towards the Danube and built
their bridges across the stream.

Darkness checked the pursuit. Some few remnants of Tallard's escaped to
join the retreat. The rest were prisoners or dead.

Of the fifty odd thousand men and ninety guns that had marshalled twelve
hours before along the bank of the Nebel, 12,000 men had fallen, 11,000
had surrendered, and one-third of the pieces were in the hands of the
enemy.

The political consequences of this great day were more considerable by far
than was even its character of a military success. It was the first great
defeat which marked the turn of the tide against Louis XIV. It was the
first great victory which stamped upon the conscience of Europe the genius
of Marlborough. It wholly destroyed all those plans, of which the last
two years had been full, for an advance upon Vienna by the French and
Bavarian forces. It utterly cleared the valley of the Danube; it began to
throw the Bourbons upon the defensive at last. It crushed the hopes of the
Hungarian insurrection. It opened that series of successes which we couple
with the names of Marlborough and Eugene, and which were not to be checked
until, five years later, the French defence recovered its stubbornness at
Malplaquet.

FINIS

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BRITISH BATTLE BOOKS

_Illustrated with Coloured Maps_

BY HILAIRE BELLOC

_F'cap 8vo, cloth, 1s. net; leather, 2s. 6d. net_

_HISTORY IN WARFARE_

The British Battle Series will consist of a number of monographs upon
actions in which British troops have taken part. Each battle will be the
subject of a separate booklet illustrated with coloured maps, illustrative
of the movements described in the text, together with a large number of
line maps showing the successive details of the action. In each case the
political circumstances which led to the battle will be explained; next,
the stages leading up to it; lastly, the action in detail.

1. BLENHEIM
2. MALPLAQUET
3. TOURCOING
4. WATERLOO

Later