CHAPTER VII: THE DUC D'ENGHIEN
From time to time news came up of what was passing in the world. TheSpaniards had afforded no assistance in men to the duke, for Richelieuhad sent a powerful army into the heart of Flanders, and so kept themfully occupied. An Austrian force, however, joined that of the duke, anda battle was fought with the royal army which, under Marshal Chatillon,lay encamped a league from Sedan. The Austrian general commanded themain body, the Duc de Bouillon the cavalry, while the Count de Soissonswas with the reserve. At first Chatillon's army had the advantage, butBouillon charged with such vehemence that he drove the cavalry of theroyalists down upon their infantry, which fell into confusion, most ofthe French officers being killed or made prisoners, and the rest put torout. The duke, after the victory, rode to congratulate Soissons, whoseforce had not been engaged. He found the count dead, having accidentallyshot himself while pushing up the visor of his helmet with the muzzle ofhis pistol.
Bouillon soon learned the hollowness of the promises of his allies.The Spaniards sent neither money nor men, while the Austrians receivedorders to march away from Sedan and to join the Spaniards, who weremarching to the relief of Arras.
The duke, deserted by his allies, prepared to defend Sedan till thelast. Fortunately for him, however, the position of the French at Arraswas critical. The place was strong, two armies were marching to itsrelief, and it would therefore have been rash to have attempted atthe same time the siege of Sedan. The king himself had joined the armyadvancing against Bouillon, while the cardinal remained in Paris. Manyof those round the person of the king, foremost among whom was theMarquis of Cinq-Mars, his master of horse, spoke very strongly in favourof the duke, and represented that he had been driven to take up armsby the persecution of the cardinal. The king was moved by theirrepresentations, and gave a complete pardon to Bouillon, who wasrestored to the full possession of all his estates in France, while onhis part he released the prisoners, baggage, and standards taken in thelate battle.
This was welcome news to Hector, who at once prepared to cross intoItaly; but when they reached Chambery he heard that Turenne had beenordered to join the army that was collected near the Spanish frontier,in order to conquer Roussillon, which lay between Languedoc andCatalonia. The latter province had been for three years in a state ofinsurrection against Spain, and had besought aid from France. This,however, could not easily be afforded them so long as the fortress ofPerpignan guarded the way, and with other strongholds prevented allcommunication between the south of France and Catalonia. As it wasuncertain whether Turenne would follow the coast route or cross thepasses, Hector and his companion rode forward at once, and arrived atTurin before he left.
"I am glad to see you back again," the general said as Hector enteredhis room, "and trust that you are now strong again. Your letter, givingme your reasons for leaving Sedan, was forwarded to me by a messenger,with others from my brother and his wife. He speaks in high terms ofyou, and regretted your leaving them; but the reason you gave for sodoing in your letter to me more than justified the course you took,and showed that you were thoughtful in other than military matters. Youserved me better by leaving Sedan than you could have done in any otherway. In these unhappy disputes with my brother, the cardinal has neverpermitted my relationship to Bouillon to shake his confidence in me. Butafter being engaged for many years in combating plots against him, hecannot but be suspicious of all, and that an officer of my staff shouldbe staying at Sedan when the dispute was going to end in open warfaremight well have excited a doubt of me while, had you traveled directhere at that moment, it might, as you said, have been considered thatyou were the bearer of important communications between my brother andmyself.
"Now, I hope that you are completely restored to health; you are lookingwell, and have grown a good deal, the consequence, no doubt, of yourbeing so long in bed. You have heard that I am ordered to Roussillon,of which I am glad, for the war languishes here. The king, I hear, willtake up his headquarters at Narbonne, and Richelieu is coming down tolook after matters as he did at Rochelle. So I expect that things willmove quickly there. They say the king is not in good health, and thatthe cardinal himself is failing. Should he die it will be a grievousloss for France, for there is no one who could in any way fill hisplace. It has been evident for some time that the king has been in weakhealth. The dauphin is but a child. A regency with the queen as itsnominal head, and Richelieu as its staff and ruler, would be possible;but without Richelieu the prospect would be a very dark one, and Icannot think of it without apprehension. However, I must continue to doas I have been doing ever since Bouillon fell out with the court; Imust think only that I am a soldier, prepared to strike where ordered,whether against a foreign foe or a rebellious subject.
"Happily my family troubles are over. I hear that there is a probabilitythat, now Bouillon has been restored to favour, he will obtain thecommand of the army in Italy, which will just suit his active spirit."
Three days later Turenne with his staff crossed the Alps, and journeyingacross the south of France reached Perpignan. The Marquis of Miellerayewas in supreme command, and Turenne was to act as his lieutenant; thelatter at once took charge of the operations of the siege of Perpignan,which had already been beleaguered for some months by the French. Thefortress was a very strong one, but as the efforts of the Spanishto reinforce the garrison by a landing effected on the coast failedaltogether, and as the operations of Mielleraye in the field weresuccessful, and there was no chance of any relief being afforded tothe besieged town by a Spanish army advancing through Catalonia, it wascertain that the fortress must in time surrender by hunger. As it couldnot be captured by assault unless with a very heavy loss indeed, Turennecontented himself with keeping up so vigilant a watch round it that itscommunications were altogether cut off, and the garrison knew nothingwhatever of what was passing around them.
The Duc de Bouillon had received the command of the army in Italy, andTurenne hoped that henceforth his mind would be free from the familytrouble that had for the past four years caused him great pain andanxiety. Unfortunately, however, Cinq-Mars, the king's master of horseand personal favourite, had become embroiled with the cardinal. Rash,impetuous, and haughty, the young favourite at once began to intrigue.The Duke of Orleans, the king's only brother, one of the mosttreacherous and unstable of men, joined him heart and soul, and Bouillonwas induced to ally himself with them, not from any political feeling,but because Cinq-Mars had been mainly instrumental in obtaining termsfor him before, and appealed to his sense of gratitude to aid him now.He insisted, however, that this time there should be no negotiating withSpain and Austria, but that the movement should be entirely a Frenchone.
Unknown to him, however, the others entered into an alliance with Spain,who engaged to find money and an army. The conspirators had gained theear of the king, Cinq-Mars representing to him that their hostilitywas directed solely against the cardinal, and the latter was in greatdisfavour until he obtained a copy of the treaty with Spain. Thedisclosure opened the king's eyes. The Duke of Orleans, Cinq-Mars,Monsieur de Thou, his intimate friend, and de Bouillon were at oncearrested. Orleans immediately turned traitor to his fellow conspirators,revealed every incident of the plot, and was sentenced to exile.Cinq-Mars and de Thou were tried and executed. De Bouillon saved hislife by relinquishing his principality to France, any hesitation theremay have been in sparing him on those terms being removed by the receiptof a message from the duchess, that if her husband were put to death shewould at once deliver Sedan into the hands of the Spaniards. De Bouillonwas therefore pardoned, and in exchange for the surrender of hisprincipality, his estates in France were to be enlarged, and aconsiderable pension granted to him.
All this was a terrible trial to Turenne, who was deeply attached to hisbrother, and who mourned not only the danger he had incurred, but thathe should have broken his engagements, and while commanding a royal armyshould have plotted against the royal authority.
At the end of November the cardina
l's illness, from which he had longsuffered, took an unfavourable turn, and the king, who had returned toParis, went to see him. Richelieu advised him to place his confidencein the two secretaries of state, Chavigny and de Noyers, recommendedCardinal Mazarin strongly as first minister of the crown, and handedthe king a document he had prepared barring the Duke of Orleans from anyshare in the regency in case of the king's death, the preamble callingto mind that the king had five times pardoned his brother, who had yetrecently engaged in a fresh plot against him. On the 2nd of December,1642, Richelieu died, and the king, on the following day, carried outhis last advice, and appointed Mazarin to a place in his council.
The year had passed quietly with Hector Campbell. His duties had beenbut slight during the siege, and as during his stay at Sedan and inSwitzerland he had continued to work hard at Italian, at the formerplace under a teacher, who instructed him in more courtly dialect thanthat which he acquired from Paolo, so during the six months beforePerpignan he had, after taking the advice of Turenne, set himself toacquire a knowledge of German. Working at this for eight hours a dayunder the tuition of a German gentleman, who had been compelled to leavethe country when his native town was captured by the Imperialists, hewas soon able to converse as fluently in it as in Italian.
"It is in Germany that the next great campaign is likely to take place,"Turenne said to him, "and your knowledge of German will be of infiniteutility to you. Fortunately for myself, Sedan standing on the borderbetween the two countries, I acquired German as well as French withoutlabour, and while in Holland spoke it rather than French; the knowledgeof languages is of great importance to one who would rise high in thearmy or at the court, and I am very glad that you have acquired German,as it may be of great use to you if we are called upon to invade thatcountry again, that is, if the new council of the king are as kindlydisposed towards me as Richelieu always showed himself to be; but I fearthat ere long there may be changes. The king's health is very poor.He may not live long, and then we have a regency before us, and theregencies of France have always been times of grievous trouble.
"Even had Richelieu lived he might not have been able to avert suchdisasters. He and the queen have never been friends, and he wouldnot have had the support from her that he has had from the king, who,although he no doubt fretted at times under Richelieu's dictation, yetrecognized his splendid genius, and knew that he worked heart and soulfor the good of France. However, his death is a sore misfortune. Aregency needs a strong head, but where is it to come from? The Duke ofOrleans is a schemer without principle, weak, easily led, ambitious,and unscrupulous. The Prince of Conde is equally ambitious, even moregrasping, and much more talented. There is no one else, save men likeChavigny, the father of our friend here, de Noyers, and some others ofgood family, honest and capable business men, but who would speedilybecome mere ciphers; and Cardinal Mazarin, who has just been appointedto the council."
"Do you know him, sir?" Hector asked.
"I have seen him more than once. He is said to be very clever, and itis no secret that he is nominated to the council on Richelieu'srecommendation, which speaks volumes in his favour, for Richelieu wasa judge of men, and must have believed, when recommending him, thatMazarin would render good service to France. But however clever he ishe cannot replace the great cardinal. On him was stamped by nature themaking of a ruler of men. He was tall, handsome, and an accomplishedcavalier. Seeing him dressed as a noble among noblemen, one would havepicked him out as born to be the greatest of them. No doubt this nobleappearance, aided by his haughty manner and by his ruthlessness inpunishing those who conspired against him, had not a little to do withhis mastery over men.
"Mazarin is a man of very different appearance. He is dark incomplexion, handsome in a way, supple, and, I should say, crafty; anItalian rather than a Frenchman. Such a man will meet with difficultiesfar greater than those which assailed Richelieu. The latter, personallyfearless, went straight to his end, crushing his enemies if theystood in his way, possessed of an indomitable will and unflinchingdetermination. Mazarin, if I mistake not, will try to gain his end byother means--by intrigues, by setting those who oppose him against eachother, by yielding rather than by striking. He is said to stand high inthe queen's favour, and this will be a great aid to him; for those whomight rebel against the authority of a cardinal will hesitate to doso when he has at his back the protection and authority of a queen.However, we must hope for the best. It is probable that Richelieuacquainted him with all his plans and projects, and urged him to carrythem into effect. I sincerely trust that he will do so; and in thatcase, if he comes to the head of affairs, I should assuredly serve himas willingly and faithfully as I served Richelieu, knowing that it willbe for the good of France."
It was, indeed, but a short time after the loss of his great adviserthat the king followed him to the tomb. He had for long suffered frombad health, and now that the statesman who had borne the whole burdenof public affairs had left him, he felt the weight overpowering. He hadalways been devoted to religious exercises, and saw his end approachingwithout regret, and died calmly and peacefully on May 14, 1643. By hiswill he left the queen regent. He had never been on good terms with her,and now endeavoured to prevent her from having any real power. The Dukeof Orleans was appointed lieutenant general, but as the king had rightlyno confidence in him, he nominated a council which, he intended, shouldoverride both. It was composed of the Prince of Conde, CardinalMazarin, the chancellor, Seguerin, the secretary of state, Chavigny,and superintendent Bouthillier. The king's will prohibited any changewhatever being made in the council, but this proviso was not observed.The queen speedily made terms with the ministers; and when the littleking was conducted in great state to the parliament of Paris, the Dukeof Orleans addressed the queen, saying that he desired to take no otherpart in affairs than that which it might please her to give him. ThePrince of Conde said the same; and that evening, to their astonishment,the queen having become by their resignation the sole head of theadministration, announced that she should retain Cardinal Mazarin as herminister, and shortly afterwards nominated Turenne to the command ofthe army in Italy. Prince Thomas had now broken altogether with theSpaniards, finding that their protection was not available, for the Kingof Spain had been obliged to recall a considerable proportion of histroops from Italy to suppress an insurrection in Catalonia. Hector didnot accompany Turenne to Italy, for early in April Turenne had said tohim:
"There seems no chance of employment here at present, Campbell, whilethere is likely to be some heavy fighting on the Rhine frontier.
"The death of Richelieu has given fresh courage to the enemies ofFrance, and I hear that de Malo, the governor of the Low Countries, hasgathered a large army, and is about to invade France. Our army there iscommanded by the young Duc d'Enghien, the Prince of Conde's son. Heis but twenty-two, and of course owes his appointment to his father'sinfluence. The king has, however, sent with him Marshal de l'Hopital,who will be his lieutenant and director. I know Enghien well, and esteemhis talents highly. He is brave, impetuous, and fiery; but at the sametime, if I mistake not, cautious and prudent. I will give you a letterto him. I shall tell him that you have greatly distinguished yourselfwhile on my staff, and being anxious above all things to acquiremilitary knowledge and to serve with honour, I have sent you to him,begging him to give you the same post on his staff as you have had onmine, asking it as a personal favour to myself. This, I have no doubt,he will grant. He has affected my company a good deal when I have beenin Paris, and has evinced the greatest desire to learn as much as he canof military matters from me."
"I am grateful indeed for your kindness, sir, of which I will mostgladly avail myself, and shall indeed be pleased at the opportunity ofseeing a great battle."
"I wish to show my approbation of the manner in which you have, sinceyou left me in Italy, endeavoured to do all in your power to acquireuseful knowledge, instead of wasting your time in idleness or gambling,to which so many young officers in the army give themselves up."
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The next day Hector and Paolo joined the army of Enghien as it wason the march to Eperney. The former was now within a few months ofseventeen, of middle height, strongly built, his hard exercise andtraining having broadened him greatly. He had a pleasant and goodtempered face, his hair, which was brown with a tinge of gold, clusteredclosely round his head, for he had not adopted the French mode ofwearing it in long ringlets, a fashion unsuited for the work of acampaign, and which de Lisle and Chavigny had in vain urged him toadopt. He was handsomely dressed, for he knew that Conde would besurrounded by many of the young nobles of France. He wore his broad hatwith feather; his helmet and armour being carried, together with hisvalises, on a sumpter mule led by Paolo.
Putting up at an hotel, he made his way to the house occupied by Enghienand the marshal. It was crowded by young officers, many of whom werewaiting in an anteroom. On one of the duke's chamberlains approachinghim Hector gave his name, and requested him to deliver ViscountTurenne's letter to the prince. In a few minutes his name was called,to the surprise of those who had been waiting for some time for aninterview. Enghien was seated at a table, from which he rose as Hectorentered.
"I am glad to see you, Captain Campbell, both for your own sake andfor that of Turenne, whom I greatly love and admire. As I was withMielleraye during the campaign in the south, while you were withTurenne, we did not meet there, for though he once rode over and stayedfor a few days you did not accompany him. But he has told me of youradventure at Turin, and has spoken of your diligent studies and yourdesire to learn all that is known of the art of war. I shall be gladindeed to have you riding with me, for I, too, am a diligent student inthe art, though until last year I had no opportunity whatever of gainingpractical knowledge. I envy Turenne his good fortune in having been sentto begin to learn his duty when he was but fourteen. He tells me thatyou were but a year older when you rode to Italy with him. It humiliatesme to think that while I am sent to command an army simply because myfather is a prince of the blood, Turenne gained every step by merit, andis a general in spite of the fact that his brother was an enemy of thecardinal and defied alike his power and that of the king. However, Ihope to show that I am not altogether unworthy of my position; and atleast, like Turenne, I can lead my troops into battle, and fight intheir front, even if I cannot always come out victorious. Where have youput up your horses? With the best will in the world, I cannot put eitherroom or stable at your disposal today, for I believe that every cupboardin the house is occupied; but at our halting place tomorrow we shall beunder canvas, and a tent shall be assigned to you."
"I thank you, sir. I have fortunately been able to find quarters at aninn."
"At any rate, I hope that you will sup with me. I will then introduceyou to some of my friends."
Enghien was at the age of twenty-two of a striking rather than ahandsome figure. His forehead was wide, his eyes sunken and piercing,his nose very prominent and hooked giving to his face something of theexpression of an eagle's. He resembled Turenne in the eagerness withwhich in childhood he had devoted himself to his studies, and especiallyto military exercises; but except that both possessed a remarkablegenius for war, and both were extremely courageous, there was butslight resemblance between their characters. While Turenne was prudent,patient, and thoughtful, weighing duly every step taken, bestowingthe greatest pains upon the comfort and well being of his troops,and careful as to every detail that could bring about success in hisoperations, Conde was passionate and impetuous, acting upon impulserather than reflection. Personally ambitious, impatient of opposition,bitter in his enmities, his action and policy were influenced chieflyby his own ambitions and his own susceptibilities, rather than by thethought of what effect his action might have on the destinies of France.He was a born general, and yet but a poor leader of men, one of thegreatest military geniuses that the world has ever seen, and yet so fullof faults, foibles, and weaknesses that, except from a military pointof view, the term "the Great Conde" that posterity has given him is butlittle merited. He had much brain and little heart. Forced by his fatherinto a marriage with a niece of Richelieu's, he treated her badly andcruelly, although she was devoted to him, and was in all respects anestimable woman and a true wife, and that in a court where virtue wasrare indeed.
At supper that evening Enghien introduced Hector first to the Marshal del'Hopital and then to the young nobles of his company.
"Monsieur Campbell," he said, "is the youngest of our party, and yethe is, as the Viscount of Turenne writes to me, one in whom he has thegreatest confidence, and who has so carefully studied the art of war,and so much profited by his opportunities, that he would not hesitateto commit to him any command requiring at once courage, discretion, andmilitary knowledge. No one, gentlemen, could wish for a higher eulogiumfrom a greater authority. Turenne has lent him to me for the campaign,and indeed I feel grateful to him for so doing. When I say, gentlemen,that it was he who saved the citadel of Turin to our arms, byundertaking and carrying out the perilous work of passing through thecity and the Spanish lines to carry word to the half starved garrisonthat succour would arrive in a fortnight's time, and so prevented theirsurrendering, you will admit that Turenne has not spoken too highly ofhis courage and ability. I have heard the full details of the affairfrom Turenne's own lips, when he paid a short visit to Paris after thatcampaign closed; and I should feel proud indeed had I accomplished suchan enterprise. Captain Campbell is a member of an old Scottish family,and his father died fighting for France at the siege of La Rochelle, acaptain in the Scottish regiment. And now, gentlemen, to supper."
It was a joyous meal, and of a character quite new to Hector. Gravehimself, Turenne's entertainments were marked by a certain earnestnessand seriousness. He set, indeed, all his guests at ease by his courtesyand the interest he took in each; and yet all felt that in his presenceloud laughter would be out of place and loose jesting impossible.Enghien, on the other hand, being a wild and reckless young noble, onewho chose not his words, but was wont to give vent in terms of unbridledhatred to his contempt for those whom he deemed his enemies, imposed nosuch restraint upon his guests, and all talked, laughed, and jested asthey chose, checked only by the presence of the gallant old marshal,who was nominally Enghien's guide and adviser. Next to Hector wasseated General Gassion, one of the finest soldiers of the time. He, likeHector, had no family influence, but had gained his position solely byhis own merits. He was enterprising and energetic, and eager to stillfurther distinguish himself, and Hector was not long in perceiving thatEnghien had his cordial support in combating the prudent and cautiouscounsels of the marshal. He spoke very cordially to the young captain.He saw in him one who, like himself, was likely to make his way by meritand force of character, and he asked him many questions as to his pasthistory and the various services in which he had been engaged.
"I hope some day to win my marshal's baton, and methinks that if youhave as good fortune as I have had, and escape being cut off by bulletor sabre, you, too, may look forward to gaining such a distinction. Yousee all these young men around us have joined rather in the spirit ofknight errants than that of soldiers. Each hopes to distinguish himself,not for the sake of advancing his military career, but simply that hemay stand well in the eyes of some court beauty. The campaign once over,they will return to Paris, and think no more of military service untilanother campaign led by a prince of the blood like Enghien takes place,when they will again take up arms and fight in his company.
"Such campaigns as those under Turenne in Italy would be distastefulin the extreme to them. They would doubtless bear the hardships asunflinchingly as we professional soldiers, but as soon as they couldwith honour retire you may be sure they would do so. It is well for usthat they should. Were it otherwise our chances of advancement wouldbe rare indeed, while as it is there are plenty of openings for men ofdetermination and perseverance who will carry out precisely any ordergiven to them, and who are always, whether in the field or in winterquarters, under the eyes of a commander like Turen
ne, who remains withhis army instead of rushing off like d'Harcourt to spend his winter inthe gaieties of the court, and to receive their smiles and praises as areward for his successes."
"I suppose, general, there is no doubt that we shall give battle to theSpaniards?"
"No doubt whatever. It depends upon Enghien, though no doubt the marshalwill throw every obstacle in the way. In the first place, there can beno denying that the Spanish infantry are superb, and that Fuentes, whocommands them, is a fine old soldier, while our infantry are largelycomposed of new levies. Thus, though the armies are not unequal instrength, l'Hopital may well consider the chances of victory to beagainst us. In the second place, in a battle Enghien will be in command,and though all of us recognize that he possesses extraordinary ability,his impetuosity might well lead to a disaster. Then the marshal mustfeel that while the glory of a victory would fall to Enghien, thediscredit of a defeat would be given to him, while if aught happened toEnghien himself the wrath of Conde and his faction would bring about hisdisgrace.
"I doubt not that he has received instructions not to hazard a battleexcept under extraordinary circumstances, while Enghien would, ifpossible, bring one about under any circumstances whatever. Lastly, theking is desperately ill, ill unto death, some say, and none can foretellwhat would take place were we to suffer a heavy defeat while France iswithout some great head to rally the nation and again show face to theSpaniards. At the same time, I may tell you at once, that in this matterI am heart and soul with Enghien. I consider that did we shrink frombattle now, it would so encourage Spain and Austria that they would putsuch a force in the field as we could scarcely hope to oppose, while avictory would alter the whole position and show our enemies that Frenchsoldiers are equal to those of Spain, which at present no one believes.And lastly, if we win, Enghien, when his father dies, will be theforemost man in France, the leading spirit of the princes of the blood,and having behind him the vast possessions and wealth accumulated byConde, will be a power that even the greatest minister might dread,and I need hardly say that my marshal's baton would be very appreciablynearer than it is at present."
"Then I may take it," Hector said with a smile, "that the chances are infavour of a pitched battle."
"That is certainly so; l'Hopital's instructions are to force theSpaniards, who have advanced against Rocroi, to raise the siege, but todo so if possible by manoeuvering, and to avoid anything like a pitchedbattle. But I fancy that he is likely to find circumstances too strongfor him, and that one of these mornings we shall stand face to face withthe enemy.
"The Spaniards are doubtless grand soldiers, and the army we shall meetis largely composed of veteran troops; but we must remember that foryears and years the Dutchmen, by nature peaceable and for the most partwithout training in arms, and although terribly deficient in cavalry,have boldly withstood the power of Spain."
"They seldom have met them in the open field," Hector said doubtfully.
"Not very often, I grant, though when allied with your countrymen theyfairly beat them on the sands near Ostend, and that over and over againthey fought them in their breaches on even terms, and, burghers thoughthey were, beat back Alva's choicest troops."
The next morning the army marched forward. Hector rode with the groupof young nobles who followed Enghien. Rocroi was a town of considerablestrength lying in the forest of Ardennes. It was the key to the provinceof Champagne, and its capture would open the road to the Spaniards. Thesiege was being pressed forward by de Malo, who had with him an army oftwenty-seven thousand veteran troops, being five thousand more thanthe force under Enghien. Gassion, who as Enghien's lieutenant had thecontrol of the movements, so arranged the marches that, while steadilyapproaching Rocroi, the marshal believed that he intended to force theSpaniards to fall back, rather by menacing their line of communicationsthan by advancing directly against them.
After the first day Gassion invited Hector to ride with him, aninvitation which he gladly accepted, for the conversation of his youngercompanions turned chiefly upon court intrigues and love affairs inParis, and on people of whose very names he was wholly ignorant. Ridingwith Gassion across from one road to another along which the army wasadvancing, he was able to see much of the movements of bodies of troopsthrough a country wholly different from that with which he was familiar.He saw how careful the general was to maintain communication between theheads of the different columns, especially as he approached the enemy.
"De Malo ought," he said, "to have utilized such a country as this forchecking our advance. In these woods he might have so placed his men asto annihilate one column before another could come to its assistance. Ican only suppose that he relies so absolutely upon his numbers, andthe valour and discipline of his soldiers, that he prefers to fight apitched battle, where a complete success would open the road to Paris,and thus lay France at his feet and bring the war to a conclusion at onestroke."