himself at Marienthal on the river Tauber. Merci, as he fell back,
had caused a rumour to be spread that he was making for the Danube.

There was a great scarcity of forage in the country round Marienthal,
and the officers of the cavalry strongly urged upon Turenne that
they should divide and take up stations at various points where
they could obtain food for their animals, which were much exhausted
by their long and heavy marches. Turenne for some time resisted
their entreaties, but at last, seeing that the cavalry would
speedily be ruined unless they could obtain food, permitted this
course to be taken. Before allowing them to leave, however, he
sent parties of horse forward in various directions to discover
what the enemy were doing. These returned with the news that the
Bavarian army had broken up, and was fortifying itself in the towns
among which it had been divided. Turenne, however, was still
apprehensive. He kept his cannon and the greater part of the
infantry with him, and also General Rosen with a portion of his
horse, and refused to let the rest of the cavalry go farther than
three leagues from the army. He himself rode out with a regiment of
cavalry some ten miles beyond Marienthal, along the road by which
the Imperialists would advance were they to assemble to attack
him.

At two o'clock the next morning a party he had sent to watch the
Bavarians brought in the news that Merci was advancing with all
his force. Rosen was ordered to hurry forward to the spot where
the advanced division was lying. Messengers were sent off in all
directions to recall the scattered cavalry, and having seen that
everything had been done to place affairs in a better position,
Turenne rode off with what troops he could gather to aid Rosen.