He represented the facility with which the Prince of Orange might now be beaten with one army and pursued by another; and how important it was to draw off detachments of the Imperial forces from Germany into Flanders, and how, by sending an army into Flanders instead of Germany, the whole of the Low Countries would be in our power.

But the King would not change his plans, although M.de Luxembourg went down on his knees and begged him not to allow such a glorious opportunity to escape.

Madame de Maintenon, by her tears when she parted from his Majesty, and by her letters since, had brought about this resolution.
The news had not spread on the morrow, June 9th.

I chanced to go alone to the quarters of M.de Luxembourg, and was surprised to find not a soul there; every one had gone to the King's army.

Pensively bringing my horse to a stand, I was ruminating on a fact so strange, and debating whether I should return to my tent or push on to the royal camp, when up came M.le Prince de Conti with a single page and a groom leading a horse.