Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton by Daniel Defoe
page 27 of 250 (10%)
page 27 of 250 (10%)
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the Oven, which had not yet wholly lost its Heat, I spy'd the Corpse of
a Man so bloated, swoln and parch'd, as left me little room to doubt, that the Oven had been the Scene of his Destiny. I confess the Sight struck me with Horror; and as much Courage and Security as I enter'd with, I withdrew in haste, and with quite different Sentiments, and could not fansy my self out of Danger till I had reach'd our Camp. A wise Man should not frame an Accusation on Conjectures; but, on Inquiry, I was soon made sensible, that such barbarous Usage is too common among those People; especially if they meet with a Straggler, of what Nation soever. This made me not very sorry when we decamp'd, and we soon after receiv'd Orders to march and invest _Charleroy_; before which Place we stay'd somewhat above a Week, and then drew off. I remember very well, that I was not the only Person then in the Camp that was at a Loss to dive into the Reason of this Investiture and Decampment: But since I at that time, among the Politicians of the Army, never heard a good one, I shall not venture to offer my Sentiments at so great a Distance. We, after this march'd towards _Mons_; and, in our March, pass'd over the very Grounds on which the Battle of _Seneff_ had been fought three Years before. It was with no little Pleasure, that I re-survey'd a Place, that had once been of so much Danger to me; and where my Memory and Fansy now repeated back all those Observations I had then made under some unavoidable Confusion. Young as I was, both in Years and Experience, from my own Reflections, and the Sentiments of others, after the Fight was over, methought I saw visibly before me the well order'd Disposition of the Prince of _Condé_; the inexpressible Difficulties which the Prince of _Orange_ had to encounter with; while at the same Moment I could not omit to repay my Debt to the Memory of my first |
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