Avila mustered only four thousand infantry and not quite a thousand horse.  This inferiority would be changed on the morrow into an overwhelming superiority.  Meantime, it was well to remember the punishment endured by Aremberg at Heiliger Lee, for not waiting till Meghen’s arrival.  This prudent counsel was, however, very generally scouted, and by none more loudly than by Hierges and Chevreaux, who had brought the intelligence.  It was thought that at this juncture nothing could be more indiscreet than discretion.  They had a wary and audacious general to deal with.  While they were waiting for their reinforcements, he was quite capable of giving them the slip.  He might thus effect the passage of the stream and that union with his brother which—­had been thus far so successfully prevented.  This reasoning prevailed, and the skirmishing at the trench was renewed with redoubled vigour, an additional:  force being sent against it.  After a short and fierce struggle it was carried, and the Spaniards rushed into the village, but were soon dislodged by a larger detachment of infantry, which Count Louis sent to the rescue.  The battle now became general at this point.

Nearly all the patriot infantry were employed to defend the post; nearly all the Spanish infantry were ordered to assail it.  The Spaniards, dropping on their knees, according to custom, said a Paternoster and an Ave Mary, and then rushed, in mass, to the attack.  After a short but sharp conflict, the trench was again carried, and the patriots completely routed.  Upon this, Count Louis charged with all his cavalry upon the enemy’s horse, which had hitherto remained motionless.  With the first shock the mounted arquebusiers of Schenk, constituting the vanguard, were broken, and fled in all directions.  So great was their panic, as Louis drove them before him, that they never stopped till they had swum or been drowned in the river; the survivors carrying the news to Grave and to other cities that the royalists had been completely routed.  This was, however, very far from the truth.  The patriot cavalry, mostly carabineers, wheeled after the first discharge, and retired to reload their pieces, but before they were ready for another attack, the Spanish lancers and the German black troopers, who had all remained firm, set upon them with great spirit:  A fierce, bloody, and confused action succeeded, in which the patriots were completely overthrown.

Count Louis, finding that the day was lost, and his army cut to pieces, rallied around him a little band of troopers, among whom were his brother, Count Henry, and Duke Christopher, and together they made a final and desperate charge.  It was the last that was ever seen of them on earth.  They all went down together, in the midst of the fight, and were never heard of more.  The battle terminated, as usual in those conflicts of mutual hatred, in a horrible butchery, hardly any of the patriot army being left