At the beginning of 1695, France assembled a large army in Flanders, forming a defensive line from the Lys River to the Scheldt River. At the same time, the French general Villeroi established his headquarters near Tournai, while Marshal Boufflers led around twelve thousand men stationed in Namur.
Meanwhile, the British and Dutch forces gathered near Ghent under William's command. The Marquis of Bavaria was stationed in Brussels, while a small force composed mainly of people from Bremen Fortress was positioned not far from Humberside.
On one hand, William remained at headquarters, issuing orders for the offensive; on the other, he personally went to the battlefield to direct the fighting. Michael Godfrey, governor of the Bank of England at the time, secretly went to the front to watch the battle without William II's permission. William III was furious and ordered him to withdraw immediately, but Michael felt that if the king himself was at the front, he had no reason to retreat. Then the French fortress artillery fired. Due to the range, a shell exploded very close to Michael, frightening him into immediately crawling at William III's feet. Though he became a laughingstock once news reached London, at least he had not been blasted into a bloody pulp by a cannonball like the new commander's adjutant Napoleon encountered during the Battle of Toulon.
In the history written by Tacitus, there was mention of the Flavian Revolt in Italy during Vespasian's reign. Put simply, the soldiers sent to suppress the rebellion demanded a payment known as "varium." This differed from demanding rewards from a commander during a triumphal ceremony. Roman infantrymen's shoe buckles wore out easily and had to be replaced often, so this money could also be called "shoe buckle money." Without it, the soldiers would claim they had no