If there were any agreeable women in the neighbourhood of his camp, they were generally to be found at his banquets.  It may easily be supposed that, under such a commander, the young princes and nobles of France vied with one another in splendour and gallantry.310

While he was amusing himself after his wonted fashion, the confederate princes discovered that their counsels were betrayed.  A peasant picked up a letter which had been dropped, and carried it to the Elector of Bavaria.  It contained full proofs of the guilt of Millevoix.  William conceived a hope that he might be able to take his enemies in the snare which they had laid for him.  The perfidious secretary was summoned to the royal presence and taxed with his crime.  A pen was put into his hand; a pistol was held to his breast; and he was commanded to write on pain of instant death.  His letter, dictated by William, was conveyed to the French camp.  It apprised Luxemburg that the allies meant to send out a strong foraging party on the next day.  In order to protect this party from molestation, some battalions of infantry, accompanied by artillery, would march by night to occupy the defiles which lay between the armies.  The Marshal read, believed and went to rest, while William urged forward the preparations for a general assault on the French lines.

The whole allied army was under arms while it was still dark.  In the grey of the morning Luxemburg was awakened by scouts, who brought tidings that the enemy was advancing in great force.  He at first treated the news very lightly.  His correspondent, it seemed, had been, as usual, diligent and exact.  The Prince of Orange had sent out a detachment to protect his foragers, and this detachment had been magnified by fear into a great host.  But one alarming report followed another fast.  All the passes, it was said, were choked with multitudes of foot, horse and artillery, under the banners of England and of Spain, of the United Provinces and of the Empire; and every column was moving towards Steinkirk.  At length the Marshal rose, got on horseback, and rode out to see what was doing.

By this time the vanguard of the allies was close to his outposts.  About half a mile in advance of his army was encamped a brigade named from the province of Bourbonnais.  These troops had to bear the first brunt of the onset.  Amazed and panicstricken, they were swept away in a moment, and ran for their lives, leaving their tents and seven pieces of cannon to the assailants.

Thus far William’s plans had been completely successful but now fortune began to turn against him.  He had been misinformed as to the nature of the ground which lay between the station of the brigade of Bourbonnais and the main encampment of the enemy.  He had expected that he should be able to push forward without a moment’s pause, that he should find the French army in a state of wild disorder, and that his victory would be easy and complete.  But his progress