Previous - next
and I became soon so low-spirited, that I longed for a general
action and a ball to finish me, and vowed that I would take some
opportunity to desert.
When I think that I, the descendant of the kings of Ireland, was
threatened with a caning by a young scoundrel who had just joined
from Eton College--when I think that he offered to make me his
footman, and that I did not, on either occasion, murder him! On the
first occasion I burst into tears (I do not care to own it) and had
serious thoughts of committing suicide, so great was my
mortification. But my kind friend Fagan came to my aid in the
circumstance, with some very timely consolation. 'My poor boy,' said
he, 'you must not take the matter to heart so. Caning is only a
relative disgrace. Young Ensign Fakenham was flogged himself at Eton
School only a month ago: I would lay a wager that his scars are not
yet healed. You must cheer up, my boy; do your duty, be a gentleman,
and no serious harm can fall on you.' And I heard afterwards that my
champion had taken Mr. Fakenham very severely to task for this
threat, and said to him that any such proceedings for the future he
should consider as an insult to himself; whereon the young ensign
was, for the moment, civil. As for the sergeants, I told one of
them, that if any man struck me, no matter who he might be, or what
the penalty, I would take his life. And, 'faith! there was an air of
sincerity in my speech which convinced the whole bevy of them; and
as long as I remained in the English service no rattan was ever laid
on the shoulders of Redmond Barry. Indeed, I was in that savage
moody state, that my mind was quite made up to the point, and I
looked to hear my own dead march played as sure as I was alive. When
I was made a corporal, some of my evils were lessened; I messed with
the sergeants by special favour, and used to treat them to drink,
and lose money to the rascals at play: with which cash my good
friend Mr. Fagan punctually supplied me.
Our regiment, which was quartered about Stade and Luneburg, speedily
got orders to march southwards towards the Rhine, for news came that
our great General, Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, had been defeated-
no, not defeated, but foiled in his attack upon the French under the
Duke of Broglio, at Bergen, near Frankfort-on-the-Main, and had been
obliged to fall back. As the allies retreated the French rushed
forward, and made a bold push for the Electorate of our gracious
monarch in Hanover, threatening that they would occupy it; as they
had done before, when D'Estrees beat the hero of Culloden, the
gallant Duke of Cumberland, and caused him to sign the capitulation
of Closter Zeven. An advance upon Hanover always caused a great
agitation in the Royal bosom of the King of England; more troops
were sent to join us, convoys of treasure were passed over to our
forces, and to our ally's the King of Prussia; and although, in
spite of all assistance, the army under Prince Ferdinand was very
Previous - next
