they began to give way,
and retired in great confusion. The duke de Vendome, alighting from
his horse, rallied the broken battalions, called the officers by name,
conjured them to maintain the honour of their country, and animated the
men with his voice and example. But notwithstanding all his endeavours,
they were forced back among the enclosures in great confusion. Some
regiments were cut in pieces; others desired to capitulate; and if the
darkness had not interposed, their whole army would have been ruined.
The night coming on, so that it became impossible to distinguish friends
from enemies, the two generals ordered the troops to cease firing, and
the enemy took this opportunity of escaping by the road which leads from
Oudenarde to Ghent. The duke de Vendome seeing the French forces flying
in the utmost terror and precipitation, formed a rear-guard of about
five-and-twenty squadrons, and as many battalions, with which he secured
the retreat. To this precaution the safety of their army was entirely
owing; for at day-break the duke of Marlborough sent a large detachment
of horse and foot, under the lieutenant-generals Bulau and Lumley, to
pursue the fugitives; but the hedges and ditches that skirted the road
were lined with the French grenadiers in such a manner, that the cavalry
could not form, and they were obliged to desist. The French reached
Ghent about eight in the morning, and marching through the city,
encamped at Lovendegen on the canal. There they thought proper to cast
up intrenchments, upon which they planted their artillery, which they
had left at Gavre with their heavy baggage. About three thousand were
slain on the field of battle; two thousand deserted; and about seven
thousand were taken, including a great number of officers, together with
ten pieces of cannon, above an hundred standards and colours, and four
thousand horses. The loss of the allies did not amount to two thousand
men; nor was one officer of distinction killed on their side during the
whole engagement.*

* Among the officers who were engaged in this battle, old
general d'Auverquerque and the duke of Argyle distinguished
themselves by the most extraordinary valour and activity.

After the confederates had rested two days on the field of battle, a
detachment was ordered to level the French lines between Ypres and
the Lys; another was sent to raise contributions as far as Arras; they
ravaged the country, and struck terror e