French returns to have been killed or wounded.  Luxemburg afterwards said that he had never in his life seen so furious a struggle.  He collected in haste the opinion of the generals who surrounded him.  All thought that the emergency was one which could be met by no common means.  The King’s household must charge the English.  The Marshal gave the word; and the household, headed by the princes of the blood, came on, flinging their muskets back on their shoulders.  “Sword in hand,” was the cry through all the ranks of that terrible brigade:  “sword in hand.  No firing.  Do it with the cold steel.”  After a long and desperate resistance the English were borne down.  They never ceased to repeat that, if Solmes had done his duty by them, they would have beaten even the household.  But Solmes gave them no effective support.  He pushed forward some cavalry which, from the nature of the ground, could do little or nothing.  His infantry he would not suffer to stir.  They could do no good, he said, and he would not send them to be slaughtered.  Ormond was eager to hasten to the assistance of his countrymen, but was not permitted.  Mackay sent a pressing message to represent that he and his men were left to certain destruction; but all was vain.  “God’s will be done,” said the brave veteran.  He died as he had lived, like a good Christian and a good soldier.  With him fell Douglas and Lanier, two generals distinguished among the conquerors of Ireland.  Mountjoy too was among the slain.  After languishing three years in the Bastile, he had just been exchanged for Richard Hamilton, and, having been converted to Whiggism by wrongs more powerful than all the arguments of Locke and Sidney, had instantly hastened to join William’s camp as a volunteer.311 Five fine regiments were entirely cut to pieces.  No part of this devoted band would have escaped but for the courage and conduct of Auverquerque, who came to the rescue in the moment of extremity with two fresh battalions.  The gallant manner in which he brought off the remains of Mackay’s division was long remembered with grateful admiration by the British camp fires.  The ground where the conflict had raged was piled with corpses; and those who buried the slain remarked that almost all the wounds had been given in close fighting by the sword or the bayonet.

It was said that William so far forgot his wonted stoicism as to utter a passionate exclamation at the way in which the English regiments had been sacrificed.  Soon, however, he recovered his equanimity, and determined to fall back.  It was high time; for the French army was every moment becoming stronger, as the regiments commanded by Boufflers came up in rapid succession.  The allied army returned to Lambeque unpursued and in unbroken order.312