It Was Agreed That General Renchild Should Go To Meet Shullenburgh, And
The Two Kings Drive Out The Muscovites; Who
Being divided into several
parties, Stanislaus went at the head of one army, and the king of Sweden
led another;
And taking different routs, had every day what he called
skirmishes, but what the vanquished looked upon as terrible battles.
The king of Sweden, before their departure from Warsaw, told Horatio
that all his officers were gallant men, and it was not his custom to
displace any one for meer favour to another; he must therefore wait till
the fate of war, or some other accident, made a vacancy, before he could
give him a commission, in the mean time, said he, with a great deal of
sweetness, you must be content to be only my aid-de-camp. On this
Horatio replied to his majesty, with as much politeness as sincerity,
that it was the post he wished, tho' dare not presume to ask; for he
looked upon the honour of being near, and receiving the commands of so
excellent a monarch, preferable to the highest commission in the army.
Thus, highly contented with his lot, did he attend the king, thro'
rivers, lakes, marines, and all the obstacles nature had thrown in the
way of this conqueror; and whenever they came to any battle, was so
swift in bearing his commands to the general, and in returning to him in
which line soever he was, that Poniatosky gave him the name of the
Mercury to their Jove; nor did he less signalize his valour; he fought
by the side of the king like one who valued not life, in competition
with the praises of his master. In an engagement where they took the
baggage of Augustus, he did extraordinary service; and a colonel then
being killed on the spot, the king presently cried out, Now here is a
regiment for my Horatio. Our young warrior thanked him on his knees, but
beseeched he might not be removed from him, again protesting that he
could no were deserve so well, as where he was animated by his royal
presence. This Charles XII. took very kindly, and told him, he should
have his desire; but, said he, I must also have mine: - I will continue
you my aid-de-camp, but you shall accept the commission, and the
lieutenant colonel shall command the regiment in your absence.
He also allotted him so large a share in the prize taken in this battle,
that Horatio was already become rich enough to avow his pretensions to
the daughter of the baron de Palfoy; but, dear as she was to him, his
love and admiration of the king of Sweden, joined to the ambition of
desiring still more than he had received, kept him from entertaining the
least desire of quitting the service he was in.
In eight or nine weeks did the two kings clear the country round, and
drove their enemies into the heart of Lithuania. As they were about to
return, they were met by the welcome news that general Renchild had been
no less successful, and entirely routed the whole army of Shullenburgh,
and also that the diet of Ratisbon, fearing the king of Sweden would
enter Germany, had come to a resolution to declare him an enemy to the
empire, in case he offered to pass the Oder with his army.
They could not have taken a more effectual step to bring on what
they dreaded, than by daring him to it by this menace. He took but
little time for consideration, before he determined to carry the war
into Saxony, and drive Augustus from his electorate, as he had done from
his kingdom.
He had no sooner made known his resolution, than the troops began to
march, and with a chearfulness and alacrity, which shewed they had no
will but that of their king: - indeed he seemed the soul of this mighty
body, of which every single man was a member, and actuated only by him.
It is certain his heart was set on establishing Stanislaus on the
throne, and he knew no better way of preventing Augustus from molesting
him, than by calling off all communication between his electorate and
Poland: - accordingly he bent his course to Saxony, marched thro' Silesia
and Lusatia, plundered the open country, laid the rich city of Leipsic,
and other towns, under contribution, and at length encamped at
Alranstadt, near the plains of Lutsen, whence he sent to the estates of
Saxony, to give him an estimate of what they could supply, and obliged
them to levy whatever sums he had occasion for: not that he had the
least spark of avarice in his nature, but his hatred to Augustus, who
had by his injustice made him become his enemy, was so great, that it
extended to all those of his country, so far, as to humble and
impoverish the once opulent inhabitants, making them not only support
his numerous army, but laid on them besides many unnecessary imposts,
which he divided among his soldiers, so that they were all cloathed in
gold and silver, and every private man had the appearance of a general,
the king himself still preferring his usual plainness; but he loved, he
said, to see the Saxon riches upon Swedish backs.
Horatio had now a second opportunity of writing to France, which he did
not fail to do, and, as there was no talk of the army decamping for some
time, let his friends know he hoped to hear from them at Alranstadt.
Augustus, in the mean time deprived of every thing, and a wanderer in
that kingdom where he had lately reigned, sent a mean submission to him,
entreating peace, and that he might have leave to return to his
electorate. This was granted by the conqueror, on condition he would
renounce, for ever, all thoughts of re-entering Poland, or giving any
disturbance to Stanislaus.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 66 of 100
Words from 66753 to 67753
of 102800
