WILLIAM AND MAliY.

219

At length Luxemburg formed his decision. A last attemptmust be made to carry Neerwinden; and the invincible house-hold troops, the conquerors of Steinkirk, must lead the way.

The household troops came on in a manner worthy of theirlong and terrible renown. A third time Neerwinden was taken.A third time William tried to retake it. At the head of someEnglish regiments he charged the guards of Lewis with suchfury that, for the first time in the memory of the oldest warrior,that far famed band gave way.* It was only by the strenuousexertions of Luxemburg, of the Duke of Chartres, and of theDuke of Bourbon, that the broken ranks were rallied. But bythis time the centre and left of the allied army had been so muchthinned for the purpose of supporting the conflict at Neerwin-den that the entrenchments could no longer be defended onother points. A little after four in the afternoon the whole linegave way. All rvas havoc and confusion. Solmes had receiveda mortal wound, and fell, still alive, into the hands of theenemy. The English soldiers, to whom his name was hateful,accused him of having in his sufferings shown pusillanimity un-worthy of a soldier. The Duke of Ormond was struck downin the press; and in another moment he would have been acorpse, had not a rich diamond on his finger caught the eye ofone of the French guards, who justly thought that the ownerof such a jewel would be a valuable prisoner. The Duke’s lifewas saved; and he was speedily exchanged for Berwick.Ruvigny, animated by the . true refugee hatred of the countrywhich had cast him out, was taken fighting in the thickest ofthe battle. Those into -whose hands he had fallen knew himwell, and knew that, if they carried him to their camp, his

* Saint Simon’s words are remarkable. “Leur cavalerie,” ho says,u y fit d’abord plior des troupes d’dlitc jusqu’alors invincibles.” lie adds,“Les gardes du Prince d’Orange, ceux 'de M. de Vaudemont, et deux rdgi-mens Anglais en eurcnt riiouneur.”

CHAP.

XX.