By this time all was ready for the execution of the plan which William had formed.  That plan had been communicated to the other chiefs of the allied forces, and had been warmly approved.  Vaudemont was left in Flanders with a considerable force to watch Villeroy.  The King, with the rest of his army, marched straight on Namur.  At the same moment the Elector of Bavaria advanced towards the same point on one side, and the Brandenburghers on another.  So well had these movements been concerted, and so rapidly were they performed, that the skilful and energetic Boufflers had but just time to throw himself into the fortress.  He was accompanied by seven regiments of dragoons, by a strong body of gunners, sappers and miners, and by an officer named Megrigny, who was esteemed the best engineer in the French service with the exception of Vauban.  A few hours after Boufflers had entered the place the besieging forces closed round it on every side; and the lines of circumvallation were rapidly formed.

The news excited no alarm at the French Court.  There it was not doubted that William would soon be compelled to abandon his enterprise with grievous loss and ignominy.  The town was strong; the castle was believed to be impregnable; the magazines were filled with provisions and ammunition sufficient to last till the time at which the armies of that age were expected to retire into winter quarters; the garrison consisted of sixteen thousand of the best troops in the world; they were commanded by an excellent general; he was assisted by an excellent engineer; nor was it doubted that Villeroy would march with his great army to the assistance of Boufflers, and that the besiegers would then be in much more danger than the besieged.

These hopes were kept up by the despatches of Villeroy.  He proposed, he said, first to annihilate the army of Vaudemont, and then to drive William from Namur.  Vaudemont might try to avoid an action; but he could not escape.  The Marshal went so far as to promise his master news of a complete victory within twenty-four hours.  Lewis passed a whole day in impatient expectation.  At last, instead of an officer of high rank loaded with English and Dutch standards, arrived a courier bringing news that Vaudemont had effected a retreat with scarcely any loss, and was safe under the walls of Ghent.  William extolled the generalship of his lieutenant in the warmest terms.  “My cousin,” he wrote, “you have shown yourself a greater master of your art than if you had won a pitched battle."604 In the French camp, however, and at the French Court it was universally held that Vaudemont had been saved less by his own skill than by the misconduct of those to whom he was opposed.  Some threw the whole blame on Villeroy; and Villeroy made no attempt to vindicate himself.  But it was generally believed that he might, at least to a great extent, have vindicated himself, had he not preferred royal favour to military renown.  His plan, it was said, might have succeeded,