, a very celebrated general and mareschal of France, was a posthumous
, a very
celebrated general and mareschal of
France, was a posthumous son of the famous Bouteville,
who was beheaded under Louis XIII. for fighting a duel.
He was born in 1628, and in 1643 was present at the battle
of Rocroi, under the great Conde, whose pupil he was,
and whom he followed in all his fortunes. He also resembled that great man in many of his eminent qualities,
in acuteness of perception, thirst for knowledge, promptness in action, and ardour of genius. These qualities he
displayed in the conquest of Franche-Comte in 1668, where
he served as lieutenant-general. He served also in the
Dutch campaign of 1672, took many towns, and gained
some trophies in the field. He closed this expedition by a
retreat more famous than his victories, which he accomplished with an awny of 20,000 men, against the opposition,
of 70,000. After distinguishing himself in another expedition in Franche-Comte, he was advanced in 1675, to
the dignity of mareschal of France. He fought, during
the remainder of that war, with various success. In the
second war of Louis XIV. against the allied powers in
1690, he gained the battle of Fleurus, and it was generally allowed that he prevailed in it chiefly by the superiority of his genius to that of his antagonist the prince of
Waldeck. In the ensuing year, 1691,“he gained the
battles of Leufen and Steinkirk; and, continuing to be opposed to king William of England, he was again successful, in the bloody battle of Nerwinde, where there fell on
the two sides near 20,000 men. It was said in France
that on this occasion they should not sing Te Deum, but
De profundis, the mass for the dead. The duke of Luxembourg is said to have had an ordinary countenance and a
deformed figure, in consequence of which William III.
whose constant antagonist he was, is reported to have said
once with some impatience,
” What! shall I never beat
this hump-backed fellow?“This speech being repeated to
the duke,
” How should he know,“said he,
” the shape
of my back? I am sure he never saw me turn it to him.“The last great action of the duke’s life was a second famous
retreat, in the presence of superior forces, through a considerable extent of country, to Tournay. This was in
1694, and he died the following year, Jan. 4, at the age
of sixty-seven. Notwithstanding the disadvantages of his
person, Luxembourg is said to have been much involved
in intrigues of gallantry. He had some powerful enemies,
particularly the minister Louvois, who once had him confined very unjustly in the Bastille. Among other frivolous
calumnies on which he was then interrogated, he was asked
whether he had not made a league with the devil, to marry
His son to the daughter of the marquis de Louvois. His
answer was replete with the high spirit of French nobility.
” When Matthew of Montmorenci,“said he,
” married a
queen of France, he addressed himself, not to the devil,
but to the states-general; and the declaration of the states
was, that in order to gain the support of the house of
Montmorenci for the young king in his minority, it would
be right to conclude that marriage." Idle as the accusations against him were, they cost him a confinement of
fourteen months, and he had no subsequent redress.