and it was agreed that he and his men should be suffered to depart, leaving the citadel, the artillery, and the stores to the conquerors.  Three peals from all the guns of the confederate army notified to Villeroy the fall of the stronghold which he had vainly attempted to succour.  He instantly retreated towards Mons, leaving William to enjoy undisturbed a triumph which was made more delightful by the recollection of many misfortunes.

The twenty-sixth of August was fixed for an exhibition such as the oldest soldier in Europe had never seen, and such as, a few weeks before, the youngest had scarcely hoped to see.  From the first battle of Conde to the last battle of Luxemburg, the tide of military success had run, without any serious interruption, in one direction.  That tide had turned.  For the first time, men said, since France had Marshals, a Marshal of France was to deliver up a fortress to a victorious enemy.

The allied forces, foot and horse, drawn up in two lines, formed a magnificent avenue from the breach which had lately been so desperately contested to the bank of the Meuse.  The Elector of Bavaria, the Landgrave of Hesse, and many distinguished officers were on horseback in the vicinity of the castle.  William was near them in his coach.  The garrison, reduced to about five thousand men, came forth with drums beating and ensigns flying.  Boufflers and his staff closed the procession.  There had been some difficulty about the form of the greeting which was to be exchanged between him and the allied Sovereigns.  An Elector of Bavaria was hardly entitled to be saluted by the Marshal with the sword.  A King of England was undoubtedly entitled to such a mark of respect; but France did not recognise William as King of England.  At last Boufflers consented to perform the salute without marking for which of the two princes it was intended.  He lowered his sword.  William alone acknowledged the compliment.  A short conversation followed.  The Marshal, in order to avoid the use of the words Sire and Majesty, addressed himself only to the Elector.  The Elector, with every mark of deference, reported to William what had been said; and William gravely touched his hat.  The officers of the garrison carried back to their country the news that the upstart who at Paris was designated only as Prince of Orange, was treated by the proudest potentates of the Germanic body with a respect as profound as that which Lewis exacted from the gentlemen of his bedchamber.614

The ceremonial was now over; and Boufflers passed on but he had proceeded but a short way when he was stopped by Dykvelt who accompanied the allied army as deputy from the States General.  “You must return to the town, Sir,” said Dykvelt.  “The King of England has ordered me to inform you that you are his prisoner.”  Boufflers was in transports of rage.  His officers crowded round him and vowed to die in his defence.  But resistance was out of the question; a strong body