taken by the French King in 1667 in that irruption he made in Flanders after the death of Philip the Fourth 'T was left to the French King by the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle and remain'd in their hands till the Peace of Nimeguen when it was given up again to the King of Spain and as all Spanish Towns are very much improved by coming into French hands so this place got a signal advantage by it It was before of a very irregular figure as appears by the Gates before the French had it which are left standing to this day and its chief Strength consisted in the Morass made by the Dender and Cambron River on the one side of it the other was fortified with weak Bastions of Earth-work commanded by the neighbouring ground But as soon as the French had it yielded to them by the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle Mounsieur de Vauban was ordered to use his Skill about it He new Model'd the Circuit of the place and brought it almost to the figure of a regular Heptagone it has one side longer than the rest upon which is the Port of Tournay which occasions an almost flat Bastion else all the rest of the Courtines and Works are near equal the Circuit of the Town and all the Works of it are faced with Free Stone the Fosse all about the place is fortified with Tenailles or Horn-work in it according to Monsieur de Vaubans Method of Fortification and faced with Free Stone and the River Dender joyned by the other passing through the Town keeps the Fosse always full of Water which they can stop in the Town by Sluices or let it out again in Frosty-weather at which time such a Fosse would otherwise be dangerous and because the grouud about the Town from the Port of Mons to that of Brussels is high and commands the place every Bastion has a good Cavalier raised upon it to remedy this inconveniency The French had made a Horn-work by the Port of Mons and another by the Port of Tournay but as we marched through this place they were pulling it down to make it a double Fosse and covered way between these two places with Redoubts in the Angles Saillants or Points jetting out which they found more convenient and defensible The place has now three very stately Gates that of Mons that of Tournay and that of Brussels done according to Modern Architecture with an Inscription above each of them in Letters of Gold in Latin French and Dutch upon the several Gates upon that of Mons 't is in Latin importing that the King of France took the place in the Expedition he made in Flanders in 1667 to assert the right of his Queen Mary Theresa and that he was content to establish the limits of his Empire here when Fortune promised him the Conquest of all Flanders All the other States of Christendom are so much under-valued in this piece of Flattery that it may very well be incerted here for the satisfaction of England in particular as I have translated it The Inscription upon Mons-Port at Aeth LOUIS the XIV King of France and Navarre finding nothing that could Resist His Armes in the Expedition He made for the Legal Pretensions of Mary Theresa His Wife was content to give Bounds to Himself to a Fortune that promised Him in a short time the Conquest of all Flanders Thus it is that this Prince truly Great has known how to Reconcile two Vertues so much opposed to one another as the Love of Glory and Moderation and to let the World see that in the very height of His Victories He desired Peace Being the onely One that could find the Art of Obliging all Europe even His Enemies by extending the Bounds of His Empire And that the Town of Aeth may be an Everlasting Monument of so many Glorious Actions He has been willing after He has had it Fortified that it should serve for a Limit and a Bulwark to his Empire in the Year 1670. Within each of the Gates is a very fine Piazza with the Corps de Garde at one end and the Officers of the Guards-Room and other Apartments at the other The Pillars of the Piazza support a very fine Store house built of Free Stone with a good Frontispiece that over looks the Gate upon the Chemin des rondes or way that goes round the Rampart it has an Italian Roof with Crowns of Flower-de-luces or Dolphins gilt upon it all the Sentry-boxes are built very pretty with Free Stone with like Crowns of Flower-de-luces and Dolphins gilt upon them There is a fine Arcade in the Market over the Conduit with the French Kings-Armes upon it supported by two Angels and adorned with Trophies In short as to its Fortifications 't is a noble place the Magnificence of the French King appears in it and deserves a better description than I can give it which has made me wander from the account I was giving of the Armies march by and through the Town That Evening we incamped by Leuse the place where the Mareschal de Luxemburgh fell upon Prince Waldecks Rear-guard with the Cavalry of the Houshold in 1691 our Left was at Lignes upon the Dender that runs from Leuse by Lignes and Irchonwetz to Aeth our Right made an elbow from the Center where we had Leuse upon our Front to Harquignies towards Tournay where the Elector of Bavaria had his Quarters and the King took his at Grames That same Evening Lieutenant-General Tettan Major-General L. Meleniere and two Brigadiers with a Detachment of 60 Men per Battalion was commanded to the Scheld to post himself over against the Village of Hanterive in order to pass the River We heard firing at Tournay for the arrival of the Mareschal de Villeroy who as we said before had been detach'd from the Camp at Ausart letong with a good Body of Horse and all the Dragoons of the Army to pass the Sambre at Maubeuge and the Scheld at Conde and so to make all possible diligence to joyn the Marquiss De la Valette who upon our march towards Flanders was ordered to leave Courtray and to post himself at Pont de Espieres where the French Line of which we have given a sufficient account in our last Years History does terminate it self upon the Scheld The Mareschal de Villeroy at his passing through the Town of Tournay found Monsieur de l' Arteloire ready with a Train of Artillery to go down the Scheld under his Convoy to Pont de Espieres When he had joyned the Marquiss de la Vallette they left Pont de Espieres and marched down the Scheld about a League lower and posted themselves at Hanterive where they arrived on the other side of the Scheld much about the same time that Lieutenant-General Tettan was got by Escanaffe on this betimes in the Morning We attempted to lay a Bridge of Boats upon the River but the French opposed it with their small Shot and
this Campagne which we were to open in this Countrey where the greatest Scarceness of Forage was Whilst our Garrisons were thus filing off to form the Camp by Louvain the French on their side began to leave their Winter Quarters and to March towards the Countrey between the Sambre and the Meuse where the General Rendezvous was appointed And the Marshal de Boufflers gathered together another Body made up of the Garrisons beyond the Meuse in the County of Chiney between the Bishoprick of Liege and the Paiis de Luxembourg The 24th the King came to the Camp that had been form'd near the Cloister of Terbank where His Majesty found Thirty six Battalions of Dutch Infantry and the Regiments of Churchill Trelawney and Erle that had been quarter'd the Winter at Malines And the same day the Dutch Guards left their Winter Quarters upon the Canal of Brussels to come up to the Camp His Majesty took his Quarters at the Abbey of Bethlehem where he was waited upon by the Electors of Bavaria and Cologne who had left Brussels the same day for that purpose to Complement his Majesty upon his Arrival to the Army The 26th the English Infantry under the Command of Count Nassau Sir Henry Bellasis and Major-General Ramsey pass'd the Canal of Brussels at Vilvorde and encamp'd at Stannokezeel And the Dutch Guards arriv'd at the same time at Bethlehem where they encamp'd upon the King's Quarter to mount the Guard The 27th the Eight Battalions that had been left at Ghendt under the Command of Brigadier Collier to guard the English Train of Artillery came up to Vilvorde where they encamp'd between it and Grimberg along the Canal The Artillery was sent by Water to Malines where the Artillery-Horses had been order'd to come from Holland The 28th the Body of Foot encamp'd at Stannokezeel being joyn'd by Stanley and Collingwood's Regiments from Dendermond march'd to the General Rendezvous by Louvain and encamp'd upon two Lines with the Right at the King's Quarter at Bethlehem and the Left towards Louvain Three or four Dutch Regiments encamp'd in the same Line upon the Left The 31st the King review'd all the English Infantry that was come up to the Camp in the presence of the Electors of Bavaria and Cologne who were come from Brussels to be at the Review and they appear'd in very good Order Cloaths and Accoutrements The French as we have said before had mark'd their General Rendezvous on the other side of the Sambre between it and the Meuse where by this time most of the Army was come up but still they continued canton'd upon the Country both Foot and Horse for the Preservation of Forage Which thing was very carefully look'd after on both sides The 20th the Marshals of Luxemburgh and Villeroy came to Head the Army canton'd near the Sambre and the Infantry drew out to form a Camp And the 22d the Dauphin whom the French King had appointed to make this Campagne in Flanders as Generalissimo of his Forces both to get the Knowledge and Experience of a General and also because where there are several Mareschals of France in an Army it has been a Rule generally observed by the French Court to put a Prince of the Blood-Royal over them to prevent Disputes The Dauphin was follow'd by the Dukes of Chartres and Bourbon and other Princes of the Blood And the Armies on both sides were now come to their General Rendezvous and all things ready for the Opening of the Campagne The 3d. day of June the Army decamped from Bethlehem and Terbank and pass'd the Dyle by Louvain at Havre We march'd by the Camp we had last Year at Park Abbey and the Defiles of the Bois de Merdal but all along this March we could hardly find any Corn upon the Ground but here and there it may be half an Acre The Boors had left the Countrey so bare that they boasted of Starving both Armies into a Peace The King took his Quarter after this days March on the other side of the Bois de Merdal at the Cloyster of St. Hertogendale in French Valeduc a Cloyster of Nuns-of the Order of St. Bernard not Benedictins as I said in my last Year's Account through a mistake And the Army encamp'd with the Right at Tourine Bavechein Two Parishes that have but One Curate and belonging to the Diocess and Principality of Liege though surrounded on all sides with the Countrey of Brabant The Left of the Army went by the Villages of Sluys and Meldert and reach'd as far as Hoexem within an English Mile of Tilmont The Brigade of Guards encamped upon a Line by the Cloyster of Valeduc to cover the King's Quarter The whole Army was here dispos'd into Brigades and interlin'd with a Brigade of Horse and a Brigade of Foot so that a Brigade of Foot in the Front was sustain'd by a Brigade of Horse in the Rear But because the Cavalry was not yet come up Intervals were left accordingly in both Lines till they should joyn the Army The English Horse and Dragoons upon this March left their Quarters between Brussels and Dendermond and advanc'd to the Villages between Malines Louvain and Tilmont where they canton'd as before and My Lord Athlone left the Neighbourhood of Tongres to canton the Dutch Cavalry nearer our Army between Hassel St. Tron and Leauwe The 4th we were joyn'd by the Eight Regiments under the Command of Brigadier Collier which we had left encamped at Vilvorde and and by Ten Battalions under the Command of Lieutenant-General Tettau which had march'd out of the Garrisons of Maestricht Tongres and Hassel Four of them were some of the Swiss Regiments which the States-General had rais'd the last Winter for their Service The French being informed of our March to the Camp at Valduc had just Reason to fear lest we should advance farther towards the Sambre for which Reason they pass'd this River on the 4th and encamp'd at Gemblours where the Dauphin took up his Quarter He review'd all his Forces here and dispos'd them into an Order of Battel of which you may read the List following The Order of the French Army at the Camp at Gemblours being Commanded by the Dauphin and under him by the Mareschals of Luxembourg and Villeroy RIGHT WING First Line Lieutenant-Generals Duc de Bourbon Monsieur de Rose Major-Generals Duc d'Elbeuf Duc de Roquelaure Monsieur de Gassion Commanding the Troups of the King's House Brigades Regim Squad  Grenadiers Du Roy 2 Noailles 2 Duras 2 Luxembourg 2 Lorges 2 Gensd ' armes 1 Chevaux Legers 1 Montgon Cuirassiers 3 Bourbon 2 La Feuillade 2 Villequier 2 Rottembourg Rottembourg 3 Roquespine 3 Rohan 2 Phelipeaux Orleans 2 Dauphin 3 Cravates 3   Squadrons 37 Second Line Lieutenant-General Monsieur de Ximenes Major-General Duc de Montmorency Brigades Regim Squad Praslin Royal Roussillon 3 La Valiere 3 Levis 3 La Tournelle 3 Rassent Rassent 3 Manderscheid 3 Vaillac 3 La Bessiere Aubeleterre 3
Imecourt 3 Fiene 3 La Bessiere 3   Squadrons 33 Body of FOOT First Line Lieutenant-Generals Prince of Conti Duke of Berwick Major-General Marquis de Crequi Brigades Regim Battal Dantin Navarre 3 Languedoc 2 Surville Du Roy. 4 Cadrieux Dauphin 3 Thoulouse 2 Albergoti Humieres 2 Royal Italien 1 La Marche 1 Caraman Gardes Françoises 3 Gardes Swisses 2 Charots Vermandois 2 Haynaut 1 Motroux 1 L'Abadie Guiche 2 Gardes Angloises 2 Villeroy Lionnois 2 Roussillon 2 De Lux Provence 2 Piedmont 3   Battal 40 Second Line Lieutenant-Generals Feuquieres Rubantel Major-General Monsieur de Castres Brigades Regim Battal Pompane Bourbonnois 2 Artois 1 Chartres 1 La Marre 1 Reinold Suisse Stouppa 4 Reinold 4 Monim 2 Zurbeck Suisse Zurbeck 4 Greder 4 Cavoye Cavoye 1 Soissonois 1 Blesois 1 Bugey 1 Senneterre 1 Greder Greder Aleman 2 Angoumois 1 Periguex 1 Lignieres 1 Tulles 1 Surlanbe Royal Danois 2 Surlanbe 2 Crussol 2   Battal 40 LEFT WING First Line Lieutenant-Generals Duc du Maine Monsieur de Montrevel Major-Generals Count de Marsin Monsieur de Vandeuil Brigades Regim Squad Souternon Du Roy 3 Bourgogne 3 Thoulouse 2 Furstemberg 2 Du Mesiul Carabiners 16 Chaludes Villeroy 2 Du Maine 2 Berry 2 Maistre de Camp General 3   Squadrons 35 Second Line Lieutenant-General Busca Major-General Count de Nassau Brigades Regim Squad Lagny Lagny 3 Pujeol 3 St. Lieu 3 Thisenhausen Lully 3 Villers 3 Melun 3 Cossé 2 Massot Quadt 3 Clermont 3 Massot 3 Chartres 2   Squadrons 31 Body of RESERVE Due de Chartres General Major Generals Messieurs de Bezons de Mailly Brigades Regiments Squadrons  Hussars 1 Mousquetaires gris 2 Mousquetaires noirs 2  Dragons  Cailus Colonel-General 3 Cailus 3 Chenteran 3 Battalions  Royal Artillery 2 Artillery consisting of 66 Pieces of Cannon besides Mortars  Regiment of Bombardiers besides Gunners and Matrosses 1  Dragons  Davaret La Reine 3 Davaret 3 St. Ermine 3 Asfeldt Fimarçon 3 Asfeldt 3   Squadrons 29   Battalions 3 So that according to this List the Dauphin had Sixty and Nine Squadrons in the First and Second Line of his Right Wing of Horse and Sixty and Six in the Left and Twenty and Nine Squadrons of Dragons Hussars and Mousquetairs in the Reserve which makes in all 164 Squadrons And because the French had reformed their Troups of Horse last Winter to Forties we must compute each of their Squadrons to be at their coming in the Field of 120 Horse-men which makes the Total of the Horse and Dragons of this Army to be 19680. The Foot consisted of Forty Battalions in the First Line and Thirty Nine in the Second and Three in the Reserve which makes in all 82 Battalions which at 600 Men each Battalion at the first coming into the Field amounts to 49100 Men. So that the Total of this Army Commanded by the Dauphin and under him by the Marshals of Luxembourg and Villeroy came to 68880 Men besides what belonged to the Artillery as Gunners and Matrosses Miners c. We shall not make a Computation of all the Forces the French had in Flanders till we come to speak of the Bodies Commanded by the Marshal de Boufflers the Marquis de Harcourt and the Marquis de la Valette which shall be in their proper Places The Dauphin being come with this Army to Gemblours within a Day 's March from ours likewise there being but little Forage about our Camp which hinder'd the Cavalry from subsisting in it the King for this Reason order'd to make a Retrenchment to cover our Body of Foot in case the Enemy would have come to attack us Our Right was cover'd by the Villages of Tourine and Bavechein the first being just upon the brow of a Hill below which runs a small Current which has its Spring at Bavechein and so goes by Ham and other Villages into the River Dyle The Brigade of Guards encamped upon another Hill separated from the Right of the Main Body by this Current and cover'd the King's Quarter The Left was cover'd by deep hollow Ways and other Defiles of the Villages of Sluys and Meldert and a little Brook which rises at Meldert and so runs by Hoexem Oirbeck and Cumtick to Tilmont The Ground was Plain between the Villages of Bavechein upon the right and Sluys upon the left for about an English Mile and an half upon the Center of our Line which Plain went from the Village of Bossu and the Abbey of Florival cross our Camp towards Tilmont and again on the other side of the Villages of Sluys and Meldert towards Judoigne The French took up this Camp last Year when we were encamped at Park stretching their Line along the Plain from the Abbey of Florival towards Tilmont with the Villages of Tourine and Bavechein in their Front and Sluys and Meldert in their Rear where they had their Head-Quarter And the Year before we encamped one Night in this Plain stretching our Left another way towards Judoigne and the King's Quarter at Meldert and our Right near the Bois de Merdal which now at this Camp of Hertogendale remained in our Rear This was the Situation of our Camp so that nothing remain'd open to the Enemy but the Plain upon our Centre which the King upon the coming of the French to Gemblours orderd to be fortified with a Retrenchment from Bavechein to Sluys and Meldert We had several Parties toward the Sambre to observe the Motions of the French and upon their March to Gemblours they took many Prisoners which had straggled from the Army among which were some of the late King's Guard The 5th the Three Second Battalions of Guards and Eppinger's Dragons were ordered to encamp on the other side of the King's Quarter between it and the Bois de Merdal to cover it from Parties skulking in the Wood. The 6th the English Artillery came up from Malines under the Escort of Brewer Lesley and Buchan's Regiments which joyn'd us this Day These Three Regiments with those of Strathnaver and Hamilton had come but lately from Scotland they were put in Quarters at Leer and Malines to put themselves in a Condition to take the Field and Strathnaver and George Hamilton were sent to Ghendt Our English Train of Artillery consisted of Sixty Pieces of Cannon and Six Mortars Four Companies of Gunners and Matrosses and One Company of Miners all of One Hundred Men each This same day we were also joyn'd by the Cavalry who came up only to be review'd and encamp'd by Brigades in the several Intervals that had been left for them as we have said before The King review'd the same day the Eight Regiments which had come up to the Camp the 4th under the Command of Brigadier Collier in the presence of the Electors of Bavaria and Cologne who had left Brussels to come to Louvain to be nearer the Army where His Electoral Highness expected his own