Luxembourg

Luxembourg, DUC DE. François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, one of Louis XIV.'s celebrated marshals, was born at Paris on 8th January 1628. A posthumous son, he was trained by his aunt, mother of the Great Condé, to whom he stuck faithfully all through the wars of the Fronde. After 1659 he was pardoned by Louis XIV., who created him Duc de Luxembourg (1661)—he had just married the heiress of the House of Luxembourg-Piney. He again took the field in 1667, serving under Condé in the invasion of Franche-Comté; but, receiving an independent command against the Netherlands in 1672, he successfully invaded the enemy's country, and when compelled to retreat in the winter of 1673 led back his men in such a masterly way as to win the reputation of being one of the greatest generals of the age. His chief exploits during the continuance of the war were to storm Valenciennes and to defeat the Prince of Orange at Mont-Cassel and St Denis. He had been made marshal in 1675. Soon after the conclusion of peace (1678) he quarrelled with the all-powerful minister Louvois, and was not employed again on active duty for twelve years. The story that Louvois implicated him in the affair of the poisoners of Paris is probably a myth, though Luxembourg seems certainly to have spent some part of 1680 in the Bastille. In 1690 he was sent to take command in Flanders, and defeated the allies at Fleurus, and in the following year he twice more routed his old opponent, William III. (formerly Prince of Orange) at Steinkirk and near Neerwinden. He died at Paris on 4th January 1695. Luxembourg had an unfailing instinct of the right thing to do on the field of battle, and when to do it. In action he was prompt and bold; but often failed to reap the full advantages of victory owing to his indolence. He was a little man and hump-backed, and addicted to self-indulgence.