him; and as he now rode
along their ranks the air rang with "Long live the king!" "Long live
Marshal Villars!" The right wing was commanded by Marshal Boufflers.

A discharge of fifty pieces of cannon from the confederates was the
signal for battle, which commenced a little after eight. Each army had
between ninety and one hundred thousand men, and the battle raged for
some time with unexampled bravery. All the duties of a skilful general
were performed by Marlborough; and late in the day the French army
left the field in the possession of the allies, both armies having
fought with almost incredible valor. The loss of the French was
fourteen thousand men; the allies, though victory was on their side,
lost nearly twenty thousand.

An officer of distinction in the French army, writing an account of
this battle said: "The Eugenes and Marlboroughs ought to be well
satisfied with us during that day; since, till then, they had not met
with resistance worthy of them. They may say, with justice, that
nothing can stand before them; for what shall be able to stem the
rapid course of these two heroes, if an army of one hundred thousand
of our best troops--posted between two roads, trebly entrenched, and
performing their duty as well as brave men could do--were not able to
stop them one day? Will you not, then, own with me, that they surpass
all the heroes of former ages?"

With his usual humanity, Marlborough's first care, at the close of the
action, was the relief of the wounded. Three thousand Frenchmen who lay
on the field shared his attention, with the wounded of his own army; and
he immediately arranged means for conveying them away. Still, next
morning--the day set apart for burying the slain--notwithstanding his
care, when riding over the field he saw among the heaps which covered
the plain, not only the numerous bodies of the slain, but of the dying
also. Nor did he feel only for the sufferings of his companions in arms;
the groans of wounded enemies, and the sight of their mangled limbs,
equally awakened his compassion. Learning also, that many French
officers and soldiers had crept into the neighboring houses and woods,
wounded, and in a miserable condition for want of assistance, he ordered
them every possible relief, and despatched a messenger with a letter to
the French marshal, humanely proposing; a conference to arrange the
means of removing these wretched sufferers. By this humanity the larger
portion of not few