end of this Vol.]_ He assembled
a prodigious army in the Netherlands, under the command of the duke of
Burgundy, assisted by Vendome, and accompanied by the duke of Berry and
the chevalier de St. George. The elector of Bavaria was destined to the
command of the troops on the Rhine, where he was seconded by the duke of
Berwick; and the mareschal de Villeroy was sent to conduct the forces
in Dauphine. About the latter end of March, the duke of Marlborough
repaired to the Hague, where he was met by prince Eugene: these two
celebrated generals conferred with the pensionary Heinsius, and the
deputies of the states-general. Then they made an excursion to Hanover,
where they prevailed upon the elector to be satisfied with acting upon
the defensive in his command on the Rhine, and spare part of his forces,
that the confederates might be enabled to make vigorous efforts in the
Netherlands. The prince proceeded to Vienna, and the duke immediately
returned to Flanders, where he assembled the army towards the latter
end of May. On the twenty-fifth day of that month, the duke de Vendome
marched to Soignies, and posted himself within three leagues of the
confederates, who were encamped at Billinghen and Halle. The duke of
Marlborough having received intelligence that the enemy were on their
march by Bois-Seigneur-Isaac to Braine-la-Leuwe, concluded their
intention was to take post on the banks of the Deule, to hinder the
allies from passing that river, and to occupy Louvaine. He, therefore,
commanded the army to march all night, and on the third day of June
encamped at Terbank, general d'Auverquerque fixing his quarters in the
suburbs of Louvaine, while the French advanced no farther than Genap and
Braine-la-Leuwe. As they were more numerous than the confederates, and
headed by a prince of the blood, the generals of the allies at first
expected that they would hazard a battle; but their scheme was to
retrieve by stratagem the places they lost in Flanders. The elector of
Bavaria had rendered himself extremely popular in the great towns;
the count de Bergeyck, who had considerable interest among them, was
devoted to the house of Bourbon; the inhabitants of the great cities
were naturally inconstant and mutinous, and particularly dissatisfied
with the Dutch government. The French generals resolved to profit by
these circumstances. A detachment of their troops, under the brigadiers
la Faile and Pasteur, surprised the city of Ghent, in whi