In This Action Was Our Young Soldier Unlisted, And Had The Glory To Be
Signalized By Two Remarkable Accidents; One
Was, that pressing among the
foremost in this hazardous attempt, he had his hat taken off by a cannon
ball;
And the other was, that seeing a standard about to be taken by the
enemy, the person who carried it happening to be kill'd, he ran among
those who were carrying it away, and being seconded by some others,
retrieved that badge of English honour; and as this was done in sight of
the duke, he rode up to him directly and presented it to him. Take it
for your pains, cried he, you have ventured hard, and well deserve the
prize. There was no time for thanks; the duke, who was almost every
where at once, was immediately gone where he found his presence
necessary, and Horatio returned to take the place of the dead cornet,
doubly animated by the encouragement he had received.
This victory opening a way into the elector of Bavaria's dominions, that
poor country was terribly ravaged, no less than 300 towns, villages and
castles being utterly consumed by a detachment of horse and dragoons the
duke sent for that purpose. Some old officers told Horatio that now
would be the time to make his fortune if he went with these squadrons,
there being many rich things which would fall to the share of the
plunderers; to which he answered, that he came to fight for the honour
of his country, and not to rob for its disgrace. This they laughed at,
and endeavoured to make him sensible, that the taking away an enemy's
treasure was to take away their strength; but all they could say was
ineffectual; he was not to be perswaded out of what he thought reason
and justice: and this conversation being afterward repeated to the duke,
he smil'd and said, he was yet too young to know the value of money.
After this, prince Lewis of Baden dividing from the duke, in order to
undertake the siege of Ingoldstadt, our young cornet attended his grace
to the relief of prince Eugene, who expected to be attacked by the
united army of Bavarians and French, then encamped near Hockstadt.
It would be needless to give any description of this famous battle, few
of my readers but must be acquainted with it, so I shall only say, that
among the number of those few prisoners the French had to boast of in
attonement for so great a defeat, was the young brave Horatio, who fell
to the lot of the baron de la Valiere, nephew to the marquis of Sille.
This nobleman being extremely taken with his person and behaviour,
treated him in the politest manner; and tho' he carried him with him
into France, assured him, that it was more for the pleasure of
entertaining him there than any other consideration. Horatio was not
much afflicted at this misfortune, because it gave him an opportunity of
seeing a country he had heard so much commended, and also to make
himself master of a language, which, tho' he understood, he spoke but
imperfectly.
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