self, but drop'd down and had been trampled to Death under my own Mens
Feet, had not a strong Body'd Drummer hurried me out of the Croud upon
his Back; but he carried me off with such Precipitation, that one of the
Enemies Troopers seeing me at a Distance, and thinking me to be somebody
of Consequence, sprung after me upon his Gelding, and carried both me
and the Drummer into a Village on the left Hand of the Attack, where
several Squadrons were posted. The commanding Officer who was a Colonel
of the _English_ Guards, finding, I was of the _British_ Nation, order'd
me to be laid in a Barn with a Centinel to guard me, and the Surgeon of
the Regiment was immediately call'd for to dress and tie up my Wounds. I
had not been in that Lodging above an Hour, but the Village was attack'd
by the _French_ Gens d'Arms, and there was a Tryal of Skill between the
Flower of both the Armies, in which Action the _French_ at last were
Superior, so I was releas'd, but it was equal to me in the Condition I
was in whose Hands I fell into, for I had so many fainting Fits which
succeeded one another, that I expected not to survive any of 'em. My
Brother, whom I desired to go to _Loraine_ during the Action had a Mind
to be a little nearer, so remain'd with the Baggage, but met not with me
till the next Day, that we both went in a Waggon to his Lodgings in
_Loraine_, where I was confin'd three Months before I was able to
Travel.

In this Retirement it was that I began to be very Serious: A Soldiers
Life has many Occurrences which are not very reconcileable to strict
Morality. To comprize my own Character in relation to Christianity, I
was neither a Saint nor a Devil. The Pains I felt were very Sharp, and
hindred my Rest; my Blood was heated and boiling up to a Fever, which
being agitated with daily dressing my Wounds, it requir'd a skillful
Physician and a good Regimen in the Patient, to stave off a Fit of
Sickness. My Brother prov'd an excellent Nurse, and had he not us'd a