Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton by Daniel Defoe
page 54 of 250 (21%)
page 54 of 250 (21%)
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Whole of the Debate ended in somewhat like that Couplet of the excellent
_Hudibras_: _Then he, that ran away and fled, Must lie in Honour's Truckle-bed._ However, my better Planets soon disannull'd those melancholy Ideas, which a Rumour of our being sent into the _West Indies_ had crowded my Head and Heart with: For being call'd over into _England_, upon the very Affairs of the Regiment, I arriv'd there just after the Orders for their Transportation went over; by which Means the Choice of going was put out of my Power, and the Danger of Refusing, which was the Case of many, was very luckily avoided. It being judg'd, therefore, impossible for me to return soon enough to gain my Passage, one in Power propos'd to me, that I should resign to an Officer then going over; and with some other contingent Advantages, to my great Satisfaction, I was put upon the Half-pay List. This was more agreeable, for I knew, or at least imagin'd my self wise enough to foretel, from the over hot Debate of the House of Commons upon the Partition Treaty, that it could not be long before the present Peace would, at least, require patching. Under this Sort of uncertain Settlement I remain'd with the Patience of a _Jew_, though not with Judaical Absurdity, a faithful Adherer to my Expectation. Nor did the Consequence fail of answering, a War was apparent, and soon after proclaim'd. Thus waiting for an Opportunity, which I flatter'd my self would soon present, the little Diversions of _Dublin_, and the moderate Conversation of that People, were not of Temptation enough to make my Stay in _England_ look like a Burden. |
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