- My
Lady, In The Midst Of Faintings, And When She Was Incapable Even Of
Flying To Death For Refuse, Was Brutally Ravished, And We Her Wretched
Attendants Suffered The Same Abuse.
- Shame will not let me, continued
she, blushing and weeping, acquaint your majesty with the shocking and
repeated violations we were compelled to bear!
- The wretches casting
lots who first should gratify his monstrous desires! - We were all bound
to trees, and without any means of opposition but our shrieks and cries
to unrelenting heaven! - My lord having a little recovered himself, had
crawled, as well as his wounds would give him leave, after us, and
arrived even while the horrid scene was acting: rage giving him new
strength and spirits; he snatched a sword that lay upon the earth, and
sent to perdition the villain who was about to add to the dishonour
which had been, alas! but too much completed by others. The death of
their companion incensing the accursed Muscovites, they turned upon him,
and in a moment laid him dead just at the feet of his ruined and almost
expiring wife! After having satiated their wicked will, they left us,
bound as we were, where we continued the remainder of the day and whole
night, and had doubtless perished thro' hunger and extreme cold, if a
second party had not passed that way, who having been out on a maroding,
were then returning to the camp. - Being actuated by somewhat more
compassion than the former, one of the officers made us be untied, and
having heard our story, blamed the cruelty with which we had been
treated, and brought us to his tent, the same we now are in, and ordered
something should be given for our refreshment; but my lady has continued
obstinate to dye, and to that end has refused all subsistence. This, oh
invincible monarch! is the sad history of our misfortunes: - misfortunes,
which, alas! can never be retrieved, nor admit any consolation but in
the hope of vengeance!
Here a torrent of tears closed the sad narration; and the king cried
out, turning as he spoke to us that followed him, - It is the cause of
heaven and earth, my friends, said he, to punish these barbarians, and
shew them that there is a God; for sure at present they are ignorant
of it!
The generous monarch after this gave orders that these afflicted and
abused woman should be escorted to a place of safety, and for that
purpose halted for the space of two days, then proceeded towards Grodno
with such expedition, that after-ages will look upon it as incredible
that so large an army, and also encumbered with a great quantity of
baggage, could have marched in the time they did.
But the king of Sweden was on fire to encounter in person the czar of
Muscovy, who, with about 2000 men, was then in that city: so great was
his impatience, that he galloped before his troops, not above 600 of
those best mounted being able to keep pace with him, till he came in
sight of the south gate, which gave him entrance without any opposition,
while the czar and his forces made their escape out at the north gate,
not doubting but the king of Sweden's whole army were come up with him.
He was afterward so much vexed and ashamed to think he had quitted the
town to no more than 600 of the enemy, that, to retrieve a mistake which
he feared might be looked upon as cowardice, being informed the body, of
the army was near five leagues off, he sent a party of 1500 horse in
order to surprize the king and his few guards. The Muscovites entered by
night; but the alarm being given, the fortune which still had waited on
the Swedish armies, immediately put them all to the rout; and the army
soon after arriving, the conqueror lost no time, but pursued those that
remained alive into the forest of Mensky, on the other side of which the
czar had then entrenched himself, and had made the general rendezvous of
the Russian army, which was continually divided into parties; and
sometimes falling on the Swedes in the rear, and sometimes in the flank,
very much annoyed them in their march: 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: his fortune, his valour, his
activity, added to his obliging and modest behaviour, indeed rendered
him so dear to his royal master, that there were very few, if any, to
whom he gave greater marks of his favour.
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