cipal
military historian in this country tells us how "on the 16th, Mack
prepared an elaborate plan which he designed."[3]

Well, the 16th was the Friday.

Now we know that on the 11th of May, the Sunday, the Emperor and his
staff had no intention of making a combined attack to cut off Souham from
Lille, for orders were given to Clerfayt on that day to engage Souham
along the valley of the Lys for the purpose of holding the attention of
the French, and in the hope of recovering Menin--the exact opposite of
what would have been ordered if a secret and unexpected attempt to cut off
Souham by crossing further up the river had been intended. It was at the
same moment that the Duke of York was sending word to Clerfayt on his own
account, to the effect that he intended to submit a plan to the Emperor,
and it is worth noting that in the very order which was sent to Clerfayt
by the Emperor he was told to refer to the Duke of York as to his future
movements.

The archives of the Ministry of War at Vienna have it on record that the
Duke of York made a definite statement of a plan to Clerfayt, which plan
he intended to submit to the Emperor immediately, and a letter dated upon
the Monday, the 12th--four days before there is any talk of Mack's
arranging details,--York writes to Clerfayt telling him that he hopes to
make his decisive movement against the enemy on the Wednesday, the 14th.

On the 13th, Tuesday, the orders of the Emperor to both Clerfayt and the
Duke of York (which are also on record) set down this plan in detail,
mentioning the point Wervicq at which Clerfayt was expected to cross the
river Lys, and at the same time directing the Duke of York to march
northward with the object of joining Clerfayt, and thus cutting off the
French forces massed round Courtrai from their base. Further, in this same
despatch, the initiative is particularly left to the Duke of York, and it
is once more from him that Clerfayt is to await decisions as to the moment
and details of the operation.

The same archives record the Duke of York sending Lieut.-Colonel Calvert
to Clerfayt upon the 14th, to tell him that he meant to attack upon the
morrow, the 15th, and they further inform us that it was on the English
Prince's learning how scattered were Clerfayt's units, and how long it
would therefore take him to concentrate, that action was delayed by some
thirty-six hours.

Evidence of this sort is absolutely conclusive. The plan was not Ma