Editing Battle of Lens (section)

===Beck's attack===
At 5 a.m. six guns from Cossé's artillery park fired a volley on the Spanish and the French began to retreat while still in battle formation, with the right-wing making up the [[rearguard]].{{sfn|Guthrie|2003|pp=191–193}}{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=165}} General Beck's Lorrainers suddenly attacked the isolated, 10-squadron-strong French rearguard under Villequier and Noirmoutier and routed them. Condé's [[Page (servant)|page]] was wounded and captured and Condé himself only narrowly escaped being killed or captured.{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=161}} The Picardie infantry regiment came up to support the French rearguard and helped to rally them.{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=165}} At 6:30&nbsp;a.m., Beck advised the Archduke to attack with all haste and crush the French.{{sfn|Guthrie|2003|pp=191–193}} The cautious Archduke at first refused and reaffirmed his express order to Beck to take no risks. Beck told him there was no risk on the open plain and the Spanish officers of the army told the archduke that he was giving up an opportunity to avenge the [[Battle of Rocroi|defeat of Rocroi]].{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=165}} The Archduke then gave permission to start the battle, armed himself, confessed to his [[Jesuit]] priest and fled the field, leaving his army to its fate.{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=165}}

Condé and Gramont ordered the French main body to turn around and form up for battle.{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=161}} By 8 a.m. the armies were ready for action. The nimble and well-handled French guns fired while moving on the advancing Spanish who were easy targets on the forward slope, while the French infantry and cavalry marched forward to the sound of [[trumpet]]s and the crash of [[Military drums|drum]]s.{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=163}} Condé frequently called a halt to the advance to keep the lines in order and maintain spacing to prevent the formations from bunching up. The Spanish artillery had trouble hitting the French.{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=163}} The Spanish were marching down the hill and arraying for combat simultaneously, which was a difficult task.{{sfn|Thion|2008|p=163}}