These Brave Men Had Also Other
Difficulties To Encounter With; The Forest Was So Extremely Thick, That
The Infantry Were Obliged To Fell Down Trees Every Moment, During The
Whole Time Of Their Passage, To Make Way For The Baggage And Troops.
Their industry and vigour surmounting all these obstacles, they once
more found themselves in an open country, but on the banks of a river,
on the opposite side of which were 20,000 Muscovites placed to oppose
their crossing.
The king made no delay, but quitting his horse, threw
himself into the river, and was instantly followed by all the foot,
while the troops under the command of general Renchild and Hoorn,
galloped round thro' the morrass in which that river ended, and both
together charged the enemy, who, after some faint shew of resistance,
fled with the utmost precipitation. The whole army being now joined
marched on toward the Boristhenes, but with fatigues which are
impossible to be described: Horatio kept still close to the king, and
whether he fought or marched, was on foot or on horsback, was always in
his fight ready to bear his commands to the generals, or assist him in
the time of danger. More than once had the conqueror been indebted to
this young warrior, for turning the point of the destructive sword from
giving him the same death he was dealing about to others; yet in all the
dangers he had been in never had he received one wound, and this often
made the king say, who was a firm believer in predestination, that
heaven designed him for a soldier:
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