he told me he was going to say adieu to the King, and advised me to do likewise.  “What do you mean by saying Adieu?” answered I. He sent his servants to a little distance, and begged me to do the same, and with shouts of laughter told me about the King’s retreat, making tremendous fun of him, despite my youth, for he had confidence in me.  I was astonished.  We soon after met the whole company coming back; and the great people went aside to talk and sneer.  I then proceeded to pay my respects to the King, by whom I was honourably received.  Surprise, however, was expressed by all faces, and indignation by some.

The effect of the King’s retreat, indeed, was incredible, even amongst the soldiers and the people.  The general officers could not keep silent upon it, and the inferior officers spoke loudly, with a license that could not be restrained.  All through the army, in the towns, and even at Court, it was talked about openly.  The courtiers, generally so glad to find themselves again at Versailles, now declared that they were ashamed to be there; as for the enemy, they could not contain their surprise and joy.  The Prince of Orange said that the retreat was a miracle he could not have hoped for; that he could scarcely believe in it, but that it had saved his army, and the whole of the Low Countries.  In the midst of all this excitement the King arrived with the ladies, on the 25th of June, at Versailles.

We gained some successes, however, this year.  Marechal de Villeroy took Huy in three days, losing only a sub-engineer and some soldiers.  On the 29th of July we attacked at dawn the Prince of Orange at Neerwinden, and after twelve hours of hard fighting, under a blazing sun, entirely routed him.  I was of the third squadron of the Royal Roussillon, and made five charges.  One of the gold ornaments of my coat was torn away, but I received no wound.  During the battle our brigadier, Quoadt, was killed before my eyes.  The Duc de Feuillade became thus commander of the brigade.  We missed him immediately, and for more than half an hour saw nothing of him; he had gone to make his toilette.  When he returned he was powdered and decked out in a fine red surtotxt, embroidered with silver, and all his trappings and those of his horse were magnificent; he acquitted himself with distinction.

Our cavalry stood so well against the fire from the enemy’s guns, that the Prince of Orange lost all patience, and turning away, exclaimed—­ “Oh, the insolent nation!” He fought until the last, and retired with the Elector of Hanover only when he saw there was no longer any hope.  After the battle my people brought us a leg of mutton and a bottle of wine, which they had wisely saved from the previous evening, and we attacked them in good earnest, as may be believed.

The enemy lost about twenty thousand men, including a large number of officers; our loss was not more than half that number.  We took all their cannon, eight mortars, many artillery waggons, a quantity of standards, and some pairs of kettle-drums.  The victory was complete.