"It is a pity that it cannot be managed without fuss and trouble. I hate trouble."
"Nothing can be done worth doing, without trouble, Your Majesty9," Desmond said sturdily. "It almost seems to me that, if everything could be had without trouble, it would not be worth having."
"How do you mean, Mr. Kennedy?"
"I may illustrate10 it by saying, Sire, that no true fisherman would care about angling in a pond, close to his house, and so full of fish, that he had but to drop a baited hook into the water to bring up one immediately. The pleasure of fishing consists largely in the hard work that it demands. It is, perhaps, miles to a stream across the hills, and a long day's work may produce but a half dozen fish; but these the angler prizes in proportion to the trouble he has had to get them. I think that, were I born heir to a throne, I would rather that it should cost me hardship, toil11, and danger to obtain it, than walk into a cathedral, a few days after my father's death, and there be crowned."
"I do not agree with you, at all," James said, shortly. "If anything could not be had without toil, hardship, and danger, as you say, I would willingly go without it."
"Then, Sire, I can only hope that the toil and danger may be borne by your devoted12 followers13, and that you may be spared them, personally."
James looked sharply up at his companion, to gather whether the words were spoken sarcastically14, but Desmond's face, though flushed, was calm and serious. Nevertheless, indolent as he was, James felt that the words were a reproof15; that, although he had at first liked him, there was in reality little in common between him and this energetic young fellow; and the next time he came, he received him with much less cordiality than before; while Desmond, who was beginning to tire of the companionship of one who lacked, alike, the fun and humour, and the restless activity of his comrades, Patrick and Phelim; and who saw that the professions of James's friendship were but short lived, came over to Saint Germain less frequently, until, at last, he only rode over with his colonel, or when some duty called him there.
"So you have been a failure, Master Kennedy," the counsellor who had first spoken to him said, one day, when the change in the king's manner became evident to them all.
"I am afraid so, sir," Desmond replied with a smile. "I have no doubt that it was my fault. Perhaps I was not patient enough with him; but, indeed, my efforts to rouse him to take exercise, to practise in arms, and so on, were so ill received, that I felt I was doing more harm than good."
"I was afraid that it would be so," the other said, regretfully. "You see, during his later years, his father gave up his time almost entirely16 to religious observances; and, consequently, the lad's life was very dull and monotonous17. Constitutionally, he undoubtedly18 takes after his father, who, with all his virtues19, was at once indolent and undecided. We have observed, with regret, his disinclination to bestir himself in any way. Seeing that we, who were his father's companions, are too old, or too much disheartened, to be lively companions for him, we had hoped that the talk of one of spirit, and of his own age, might have roused him to make some exertions20 to overcome his disinclination for anything like active exercise. I think now, however, that we were wrong; that the tonic21 was too strong; that he could not but feel that your abundance of spirits, and life, were too much for him; and that the companion he needs is one who could, to some extent, sympathize with him, and who could, perhaps, make more allowance for the manner in which he has been brought up.
"We do not blame you at all. I am sure that you have done your best. But it is evident that the contrast between you and himself has been too strong a one; and that, feeling he cannot hope to emulate22 your soldierly activity, he has come to resent it, as a sort of reflection upon himself."
Desmond was, by no means, sorry at being relieved of the necessity of paying frequent visits to Saint Germain. In the first place, he begrudged23 the time that was taken from his fencing lessons, at which he had worked enthusiastically; and in the next, he had felt, after two or three visits, that between himself and the young king there was really nothing in common. Full of life and spirits himself, it seemed to him nothing short of disgraceful that one, who aspired24 to rule, should take no pains whatever to fit himself for a throne, or to cultivate qualities that would render himself popular among a high-spirited people. And, as he came to understand James more thoroughly25, he had found his visits increasingly irksome, all the more so, as he felt their inutility.
"Thank goodness," he said, to his two friends, when he went home that day, "I have done with Saint Germain. I am as warm an adherent26 as ever of the cause of the Stuarts, and should be perfectly27 ready, when the time comes, to fight my hardest for them; but I would vastly rather fight for the king, than converse28 with him."
"I suppose, by what I have seen of him, that he must be somewhat wearisome," Phelim O'Sullivan said, with a laugh. "Fortunately, wit and gaiety are not essential qualities on the part of a monarch29; but I must own that, treasonable as it may sound, I fear His Majesty is lacking in other qualities, far more essential in a monarch. I should say that he is kindly30 and well disposed, he wishes to be fair and just, and may turn out a wise ruler; but he is altogether deficient31 in energy. I suppose there is no occasion for a king, safely seated upon a throne, to be energetic; but a prince in exile should possess the qualities that excite enthusiasm, and bind32 men to him. Possibly, the qualities King James possesses would be highly valued by the Scotch33, but they would certainly fail to inspire our people."
"Yes," Patrick O'Neil agreed. "His father did more to ruin his cause, in Ireland, than all William's Dutch generals and troops, together. It was disheartening to be risking life and possessions for a man who would do nothing for himself, whose indecision paralysed our leaders, and who, the moment a reverse came, sought safety in flight, instead of taking his place among the men who were devoted to his cause. I can understand that, in England, where the majority of those who professed to be devoted to him were betraying him, and were in secret communication with William, he should be by turns obstinate34 and vacillating; but in Ireland, where every man who surrounded him was risking his life in his cause, he should have shown absolute confidence in them, listened to their advice, set an example of personal gallantry and courage, and, at least, remained among them until all was definitely lost. It was the desertion of James, rather than the loss of the battle of the Boyne, that ruined his cause.
"Well, I am glad you are out of it, for it was a pity that you should be going without your work at the salle d'armes, when you were making such progress that, the master reported, in a few months you would become one of the best swordsmen in the regiment36."
There were, in Paris, many Irish officers besides those belonging to Colonel O'Brien's regiment. These were, for the most part, men who had been severely37 wounded in the preceding campaign, and who now remained in the capital with the depots38 of their regiments39. These were constantly recruited by fresh arrivals from Ireland, by which means the Irish Brigade was not only kept up to their original strength, in spite of the heavy losses they suffered, in the engagements in which they had taken part, but largely increased its force, new regiments being constantly formed. Naturally, O'Brien's corps40, being the only complete regiment in Paris, at the time, was regarded as the headquarters and general meeting place of all the Irish officers there; and, as some of these had campaigned in Flanders, in Italy, and in Spain, Desmond learned, from their talk and anecdotes41, far more of the doings of the Brigade than he had hitherto known. From the first they had, by their reckless bravery, in almost every engagement that had taken place, so distinguished42 themselves that they received the highest commendation from the French generals, and were almost invariably selected for specially43 dangerous service.
"I think the hottest affair I was ever engaged in," a major, who had served in Burke's regiment, said one evening, when some ten or twelve of his companions had gathered, at the room which was the general meeting place of the officers of the corps, "was at the attack on Cremona by Eugene. You have all heard how our regiment, and that of Dillon, distinguished themselves there, but you may not have heard particulars. The place was a strong one, and it was garrisoned45 by some 4000 men--all French, with the exception of our two regiments. Marshal Villeroy was himself in command; an excellent officer, but, as is often the case in the French army, very badly served by his subordinates.
"Here, as you know, almost everything goes by influence; and the generals are surrounded by men who have been forced upon them by powerful persons, whom they cannot afford to disoblige. The consequence was that, relying upon the strength of the place, no proper watch was set. There were guards, indeed, at the gates, but with no communication with each other; no soldiers on the ramparts; no patrols were sent out beyond the town, or maintained in the streets.
"No harm might have come of this, had it not been that treachery was at work. There was a scoundrel, who was brother of the priest of one of the parishes near the wall, and both were in favour of the enemy. The priest's residence was near a sewer46, which communicated with the moat outside the walls. The entrance was closed by an iron grating. Were this removed, troops could enter, by the sewer, into the priest's wine cellar.
"The priest, being promised a large sum of money, set to work. First, he laid a complaint before the governor that the sewer was choked with filth47, which might be a source of disease to the town unless removed; and to do this, it was necessary that the grating should be taken down. Being altogether unsuspicious of evil, the governor granted his request.
"As soon as the grating was removed, Eugene despatched eight miners, who crossed the moat at night, made their way up the sewer, and opened a communication between it and the priest's house. When all was ready, four or five hundred picked grenadiers entered, and were concealed48 in the house of the priest, and other adherents49 of the emperor.
"Eugene set two strong bodies of picked troops in motion. The one was to enter by the Saint Margaret gate, which would be seized by the force already in the city. This column consisted of five thousand men. The second force, of two thousand infantry50 and three thousand cavalry51, under the Prince de Vaudemont, was to cross the river by a bridge of boats.
"We slept like stupid dogs. Such watchmen as there were on the walls gave no alarm. The gate of All Saints was seized, its guard being instantly overpowered, and a party of engineers broke down the gate of Saint Margaret, which had been walled up; and at daylight Eugene rode into the town, followed by his troops and one thousand cavalry; while another mounted force watched the gate, and the country round, to prevent the escape of fugitives53.
"Before any alarm was given, Eugene had established himself at the Hotel de Ville, was master of the great street that separated half the garrison44 from the other half, had taken possession of the cathedral; and, in fact, the place was captured without a shot being fired.
"Then the uproar54 began. Parties of troops, led by natives of the town, seized a large number of officers at their lodgings55; and as the alarm spread, the troops seized their muskets56 and rushed out, only to be sabred and trodden down by the enemy's cavalry. I was asleep, and dreaming, when my servant rushed into my room, and said:
"'The Germans are in possession of the town, Captain.'
"'You are a blathering idiot,' I said.
"'It's true, your honour. Get up and listen.'
"Very unwillingly57, I got out of bed and opened the window, and, by the holy poker58, I found that Pat was right. There was a sound of firing, shouting, and screaming, and I heard the gallop59 of a heavy body of horsemen, and, directly afterwards, a squadron of German cuirassiers came galloping60 down the street.
"'It is time for us to be out of this, Pat,' I said, and jumped into my clothes, quicker than I had ever done before.
"We went downstairs, and I borrowed two overcoats that we found hanging there, and put them on over our uniforms. Then we went out, by the back door, and ran as hard as we could, keeping through narrow lanes, to the barracks.
"On my way, I had to pass a barrier near a toll61 gate. Here there were thirty-six of our men under a sergeant62. Not knowing where the enemy were, or whether they were between me and the barracks, I thought it best to stay there, and of course took the command. Just as I had done so, I heard the tramping of cavalry, and had the gate shut. We were just in time, for two hundred and fifty cuirassiers came galloping along.
"Their leader, Baron63 de Mercy, as soon as the troops began to enter Saint Margaret's gate, was ordered to dash round and capture the Po gate, through which Vaudemont's corps would, after crossing the bridge, enter the town. He shouted to me to surrender, promising64 us our lives. I told him that if he wanted the place, he would have to come and take it. He used language which I need not repeat, but he did not attack us, waiting for the arrival of four hundred infantry, who had been ordered to follow him. They were some time in coming up, having lost their way, owing to the rascally65 native who was their guide being killed by a shot from a window.
"I was not sorry for the delay, for it gave us time to look at matters quietly, and prepare for defence. Another six hundred cavalry now came up, and Mercy placed them so as to cut off, altogether, the French cavalry, who were quartered away to the right; then he ordered the infantry to attack us.
"Our position was a good one. The barricade66 was formed of square piles, driven into the ground with small narrow openings between them. I ordered the men to keep behind the timbers until the enemy came up. The Germans opened a murdering fire as they approached, but, though the bullets pattered like rain against the palisades, and whistled in between them, not a man was touched. I waited till they were within two paces, and then gave the word, and you may well guess that there was not a bullet thrown away, and the Germans, mightily67 astonished, drew back, leaving nigh forty of their men behind them. Then, falling back a bit, they opened fire upon us, but it was a game that two could play at. We could see them, but they could not see us; and while we loaded our muskets in shelter, they were exposed, and we picked them off by dozens.
"The firing had, of course, given the alarm to our two regiments, who turned out just as they were, in their nightshirts. Major O'Mahony, who was in command of Dillon's regiment, as Lally was away on leave, luckily made his way in safety from his lodgings to the barracks, got his own men in order, while Colonel Wauchop, who commanded our regiment, took the command of the two battalions68. Fortunately, a portion of the regiment had been ordered to fall in early for inspection70, and this gave time for the rest to get into their uniforms; and, as soon as they were ready, Wauchop led them out and fell suddenly upon a portion of Mercy's force, poured in a volley, and then charged them.
"Horse and foot fell back before the attack. Then they turned the cannon71 on the ramparts, and thus secured possession of the Po gate, and, pushing on, the guns helping72 them, drove the Austrians from the houses they occupied, and so opened communications with the French cavalry.
"A brigadier now came up, and ordered the battalions to barricade all the streets they had won, with barrels and carts. A French regiment arrived, and occupied the church of Saint Salvador, and the battery which commanded the bridge, across which Vaudemont's corps could now be seen approaching. The redoubt on the other side of the bridge was only held by fifty men, and they were now strengthened by a hundred of the French soldiers. The Austrians approached, making sure that the town had already been taken, and looking out for a signal that was to be hoisted73. Their astonishment74 was great, when a heavy musketry fire was opened upon them by the garrison of the outpost, while the guns of the battery on the wall plunged75 their shot in among them.
"The column was at once halted. Eugene had regarded the struggle as over, when news was brought to him of the defeat of Mercy's corps by the Irish. Everywhere else things had gone most favourably76. Marshal Villeroy had been wounded and made prisoner. His marechal de camp shared the same fate. The Chevalier D'Entregues, who advanced to meet the enemy, was defeated and killed, as was Lieutenant77 General de Trenan, and the Spanish Governor of the town mortally wounded.
"On receiving the news, Eugene at once sent an officer to inspect the Irish position; but his report was that they were too well placed to be driven from it. He then sent Captain MacDonnell, an officer in his service, to offer, if the Irish would leave their position, to enrol78 them in the Austrian service, with higher pay than they now received. You may guess the sort of answer he received, and he was at once arrested for bringing such a message to them. Eugene then endeavoured to engage Marshal Villeroy to order the Irish to lay down their arms, as further resistance would only end in their slaughter79. Villeroy simply replied that, as a prisoner, he could no longer give orders.
"During this pause, the Count de Revel80 and the Marquis de Queslin succeeded in gathering81 together a considerable number of the scattered82 French infantry, and with these they marched to endeavour to recover the gates that had been lost, and, having occupied the church of Santa Maria, and a bastion near the gate of All Saints, ordered the Irish to leave a hundred men at the barricades83, and with the rest to push forward to the gate of Mantua. So I found myself in command of a full company.
"O'Mahony was now in command of the two regiments, as Wauchop had been wounded. It was pretty hard work they had of it, and they suffered heavily in carrying the guardhouse, held by two hundred Austrians. Eugene now launched a great force against our people, and attacked them on all sides; but O'Mahony faced them each way, and received the charge of the cuirassiers with so heavy a fire that they fled in disorder84. Another corps of cuirassiers came up, and these charged with such fury that their leader, Monsieur de Freiberg, pushed his way into the middle of Dillon's regiment, where he was surrounded, and, refusing quarter, was killed; and his men, disheartened by the fall of their leader, fled, carrying with them the infantry who were ranged in their rear.
"But our men were now exhausted85 by their exertions, and suffered heavily; and O'Mahony, seeing that he was likely to be attacked by fresh troops, and that my post guarding the approach of the Po gate would then be left altogether unsupported, returned to it. I was glad enough when I saw them coming, for it was mighty86 trying work being left there, and hearing the storm of battle going on all round, and knowing that at any moment we might be attacked.
"They did not stop long, for orders came from Revel, who had captured the gate of All Saints, and was preparing to attack Saint Margaret's, to march again to the gate of Mantua. It seemed a hopeless enterprise. Captain Dillon, of Dillon's regiment, marched out and, after hard fighting, drove the Austrians from house to house; but, on reaching a spot where the ground was open, he was attacked on all sides, and for a time the enemy and our men were mixed up together in a melee87.
"I could hear by the sound of the firing that our men were returning, and posted my fellows so as to cover their retreat; and as they came back, hotly pressed by the enemy, we opened so warm a fire that they passed in through the gate of the barrier in safety, but only half as strong as they had gone out.
"As soon as they were in, they aided us in strengthening the position. Seeing that Vaudemont's corps was on the point of attacking the redoubt, the Marquis de Queslin sent orders to the little garrison there to withdraw across the bridge, and destroy the boats. This they effected, in spite of the heavy fire kept up by the enemy.
"In the meantime, fighting had been going on all over the town. The gate of Mantua had been held by Captain Lynch, of Dillon's battalion69, and thirty-five men. As soon as he heard the din7 of battle in the town, he collected a few fugitives, entrenched88 his position at the guardhouse, and maintained it for the whole day; not only that, but, finding that his position was commanded by a party of Austrians, who had taken post in the church of Saint Marie, close by, he sallied out, drove them from the church, and maintained possession of that as well; until, late in the afternoon, he was reinforced by two companies of our regiment, who made their way this time without opposition90.
"The enemy fell back, but not unmolested, as, sallying out, we pressed hotly upon them. There now remained only the gate of Saint Margaret in the hands of the Austrians. Here a large body of troops had been stationed, and succeeded in repulsing91 the repeated attacks made upon them by Revel's force.
"The fight had now lasted for eleven hours, and the position of the Austrians had become critical. The desperate resistance of our men had entirely changed the position. They had repulsed92 every attack upon them, had given time for the scattered French to gather, and the one gate remaining in Eugene's possession was seriously threatened. Vaudemont's corps was helpless on the other side of the river, and could render no assistance, and Eugene gave the order for his troops to retire, which they did in good order.
"It had been a hot day, indeed, for us, and we were only too glad to see them go. We had lost three hundred and fifty men, out of the six hundred with which we began the fight; altogether, the garrison had lost, in killed, wounded, and in prisoners, fourteen hundred men and officers, while Eugene's loss was between fifteen and sixteen hundred.
"Personally, I have had hotter fighting, but taking the day altogether, it was the most terrible through which I have ever passed. Throughout the day we were in total ignorance of what was going on elsewhere, though we knew, by the firing in other parts of the town, that the French there had not been overpowered, and, each time the regiments left us, I was expecting every moment to be attacked by an overwhelming force. Faith, it was enough to make one's hair white! However, I have no reason to grumble93. I obtained great praise for the defence of the barrier, and was given my majority; and, if it had not been for the wound I received, two years ago, which incapacitated me from active service, I might now be in command of the regiment."
"Yes, indeed," another officer said. "It was truly a gallant35 affair; and, although our men had fought equally as well in many another engagement, it was their conduct at Cremona that attracted the greatest attention, and showed the French the value of the Brigade. I would we had always been employed in actions on which we could look back, with the same pride and pleasure, as we can upon Cremona and a long list of battles where we bore the brunt of the fighting; and never failed to be specially mentioned with praise by the general.
"The most unpleasant work that I ever did was when under Marshal de Catinat. Eight Irish battalions were sent up, in 1694, from Pignerolle into the valley of La Perouse, to oppose the Vaudois, who had always offered a vigorous resistance to the passage of our troops through their passes. They were wild mountaineers, and Huguenots to a man, who had, I believe, generations ago been forced to fly from France and take refuge in the mountains, and maintained themselves sturdily against various expeditions sent against them.
"I own the business was not at all to my taste, and many others of our officers shared my opinions. It was too much like what we remembered so bitterly at home, when William's troopers pursued our fugitives to the hills, burning, destroying, and killing94, and, above all, hunting down the priests. This was the other way, but was as cruel and barbarous. The poor people had given no offence, save that they held to their own religion. An Irishman should be the last to blame another for that, and, seeing they had successfully opposed the efforts of the French to root them out, it was much against my will that I marched with my regiment. I hope that, when it comes to fighting against regular troops, of whatever nationality, I am ready to do my work; but to carry fire and sword among a quiet people, in little mountain villages, went against the grain.
"It seemed to us that it was to be a massacre95 rather than fighting, but there we were mistaken. It was the hardest work that I ever went through. It was impossible in such a country to move in large bodies, and we were broken up into small parties, which advanced into the hills, each under its own commander, without any fixed96 plans save to destroy every habitation, to capture or kill the flocks of goats, which afforded the inhabitants their chief means of subsistence, and to give no quarter wherever they resisted.
"Even now, I shudder97 at the thought of the work we had to do; climbing over pathless hills, wading98 waist deep through mountain torrents99, clambering along on the face of precipices100 where a false step meant death, and always exposed to a dropping fire from invisible foes101, who, when we arrived at the spot from which they had fired, had vanished and taken up a fresh position, so that the whole work had to be done over again. Sometimes we were two or even more days without food, for, as you may imagine, it was impossible to transport provisions, and we had nothing save what we carried in our haversacks at starting. We had to sleep on the soaked ground, in pitiless storms. Many men were carried away and drowned in crossing the swollen102 torrents. Our clothes were never dry. And the worst of it was, after six weeks of such work, we felt that we were no nearer to the object for which we had been sent up than we were when we started.
"It was true that we had destroyed many of their little villages, but as these generally consisted of but a few houses, only rough buildings that could be rebuilt in a few days, the gain was not a substantial one. We had, of course, killed some of the Vaudois, but our loss had been much heavier than theirs, for, active as our men were, they were no match in speed for these mountaineers, who were as nimble as their own goats, knew everything of the country, and could appear or disappear, as it seemed to us, almost by magic. It was a wretched business, and once or twice, when our parties were caught in the narrow ravines, they were overwhelmed by rocks thrown down from above; so that, on the whole, we lost almost as many men as we should have done in a pitched battle, gaining no credit, nor having the satisfaction that we were doing good service to France.
"I hope I may never be employed in a business like that again. It was not only the Vaudois that we had to fight, for, seeing that at first we were pushing forward steadily103, the Duke of Savoy, under whose protection they lived, sent six hundred regular troops to assist them, and these, who were well commanded, adopted the same tactics as the peasants, avoiding all our attempts to bring on an engagement, and never fighting except when they had us to great advantage.
"As a rule, our men were always dissatisfied when they received orders to fall back, but I think that there was not a man among us but was heartily104 glad, when we were recalled to rejoin Catinat at Pignerolle."
The expedition, however, although altogether unsuccessful in rooting out the Vaudois, created such terrible devastation105 in the mountains and valleys that the Irish name and nation will long remain odious106 to the Vaudois. Six generations have since passed away, but neither time nor subsequent calamities107 have obliterated108 the impression made by the waste and desolation of this military incursion.
"You were at Blenheim, were you not, Captain O'Donovan?"
"Yes. A tough fight it was, and a mismanaged one. I was in the Earl of Clare's regiment, which, with Lee and Dorrington's battalions, was stationed with the force in Oberglau in the centre of our position. It seemed to us, and to our generals, that our position was almost impregnable. It lay along a ridge52, at the foot of which was a rivulet109 and deep swampy110 ground. On the right of the position was the village of Blenheim, held by twenty-seven battalions of good French infantry, twelve squadrons, and twenty-four pieces of cannon. Strong entrenchments had been thrown up round our position, but these were not altogether completed. Blenheim, moreover, had been surrounded by very heavy and strong palisades, altogether impassable by infantry, and, as the allies could not hope to get cannon across the stream and swamps, it seemed to defy any attack. From Oberglau the army of Marshal de Marcin and the Elector stretched to the village of Lutzingen. We had some five-and-twenty cannon at Oberglau.
"The weak point, as it afterwards turned out to be, was the crest111 between us and Blenheim. Considering that both the artillery112 and musketry fire from both villages swept the slope, and as in numbers we equalled the enemy, it was thought well-nigh impossible for him to cross the swamps and advance to the attack; and almost the whole of the French cavalry were massed on the crest, in order to charge them, should they succeed in crossing and try to ascend6 the slope.
"At first the battle went altogether favourably. We had opposite to us the English, Dutch, Hanoverians, and Danish troops under Marlborough, while facing our left were Prussians, Imperialists, and other German troops under Eugene. Marlborough's Danish and Hanoverian cavalry first crossed, but were at once charged and driven back. Then they tried again, supported by English infantry. Then Marlborough led up a still stronger force, drove back our light cavalry, and began to ascend the hill. We were attacked by ten battalions--Hanoverians, Danes, and Prussians, while the English bore against Blenheim. The fighting at both places was desperate, and I must do the Germans the justice to say that nothing could have exceeded the gallantry they showed, and that, in spite of the heavy fire we maintained, they pressed up the slope.
"We remained in our entrenchments, till it could be seen that the English were falling back from Blenheim, whose palisade, manned by twenty-seven battalions of infantry, offered an obstacle that would have defied the best troops in the world to penetrate113.
"Immediately this was seen, nine battalions, headed by our three regiments, leapt from the trenches114 and poured down on the Germans. The enemy could not withstand our onslaught. Two of their regiments were utterly115 destroyed, the rest suffered terribly, and were driven back. On the left, Marcin held his ground against all the attacks of Eugene, and it seemed to us that the battle was won.
"However, it was not over yet. While the fierce fighting had been going on in front of Oberglau and Blenheim, Marlborough had passed the whole of his cavalry and the rest of his infantry across the rivulet, and, in spite of artillery and musketry fire, these moved up in grand order, the infantry inclining towards the two villages as before, the cavalry bearing straight up the slope, and, when they reached the crest, charging furiously upon our horse stationed there. They were superior in numbers, but on this head accounts differ. At any rate, they overthrew116 our cavalry, who fled in the greatest disorder, pursued by the allied89 horse.
"The infantry poured into the gap thus made, Blenheim was entirely isolated117, and we were exposed to assault both in front and rear. Nevertheless, we repulsed all attacks, until Marcin sent orders for us to retire; then we sallied out, after setting fire to the village, flung ourselves upon the enemy, and succeeded in cutting our way through, our regiment forming the rear guard. The whole of Marcin's army were now in full retreat, harassed118 by the allied cavalry; but whenever their squadrons approached us, we faced about and gave them so warm a reception that they attacked less formidable foes. As for the garrison in Blenheim, you know they were at last surrounded by Marlborough's whole force, with artillery; and with the Danube in their rear, and no prospect119 of succour, they were forced to surrender.
"It was a disastrous120 day, and I have not yet recovered from the wound I received there. Had five thousand infantry been posted in a redoubt, halfway121 between Blenheim and Oberglau, so as to give support to our cavalry, the result of the battle would have been very different. Still, I suppose that most battles are lost by some unlooked-for accident--some mistake in posting the troops. We can only say that, had the allied forces been all composed of such troops as those Eugene commanded, they would have been beaten decisively; and that had, on the contrary, Eugene commanded such troops as those under Marlborough, Marcin would never have held his ground."
"How many British troops were there in the battle, Captain O'Donovan?"
"Somewhere about twelve thousand, while the Continental122 troops were forty-seven or forty-eight thousand. There is no doubt that they were the backbone123 of the force, just as we flatter ourselves that our three regiments were the backbone of the defence of Oberglau."
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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pique
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| v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气 | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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lethargic
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| adj.昏睡的，懒洋洋的 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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7
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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8
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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11
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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15
reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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16
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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17
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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18
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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21
tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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22
emulate
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| v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿 | |
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23
begrudged
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| 嫉妒( begrudge的过去式和过去分词 )； 勉强做； 不乐意地付出； 吝惜 | |
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24
aspired
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| v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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26
adherent
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| n.信徒，追随者，拥护者 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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29
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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30
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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32
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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33
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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34
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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36
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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37
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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38
depots
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| 仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库 | |
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39
regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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40
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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41
anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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42
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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43
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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44
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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45
garrisoned
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| 卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 )； 派部队驻防 | |
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46
sewer
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| n.排水沟，下水道 | |
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47
filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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48
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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49
adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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50
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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51
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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52
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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53
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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54
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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55
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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56
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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57
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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58
poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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59
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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60
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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61
toll
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| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
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62
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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63
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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64
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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65
rascally
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| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
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66
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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67
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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68
battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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69
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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70
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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71
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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72
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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73
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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75
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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76
favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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77
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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78
enrol
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| v.（使）注册入学，（使）入学，（使）入会 | |
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79
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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80
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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81
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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82
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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83
barricades
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| 路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 ) | |
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84
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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85
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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86
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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87
melee
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| n.混战；混战的人群 | |
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88
entrenched
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| adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯) | |
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89
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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90
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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91
repulsing
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| v.击退( repulse的现在分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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92
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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93
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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94
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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95
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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96
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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97
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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98
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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99
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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100
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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101
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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102
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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103
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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104
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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105
devastation
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| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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106
odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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107
calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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108
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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109
rivulet
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| n.小溪，小河 | |
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110
swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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111
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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112
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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113
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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114
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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115
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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116
overthrew
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| overthrow的过去式 | |
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117
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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118
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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119
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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120
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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121
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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122
continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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123
backbone
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| n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气 | |
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