Knowing how irresistible a weapon is the bayonet in British hands, the
intrepid Jenkins determined to carry on his advantage, and charged the
Saugrenue light infantry (now before him) with COLD STEEL. The Frenchmen
delivered a volley, of which a shot took effect in Jenkins's cockade,
but did not abide the crossing of the weapons. “A Frenchman dies, but
never surrenders,” said Saugrenue, yielding up his sword, and his whole
regiment were stabbed, trampled down, or made prisoners. The blood of
the Englishmen rose in the hot encounter. Their curses were horrible;
their courage tremendous. “On! on!” hoarsely screamed they; and a second
regiment met them and was crushed, pounded in the hurtling, grinding
encounter. “A Jenkins, a Jenkins!” still roared the heroic Duke: “St.
George for Mayfair!” The Footmen of England still yelled their terrific
battle-cry, “Hurra, hurra!” On they went; regiment after regiment
was annihilated, until, scared at the very trample of the advancing
warriors, the dismayed troops of France screaming fled. Gathering
his last warriors round about him, Nemours determined to make a last
desperate effort. 'Twas vain: the ranks met; the next moment the
truncheon of the Prince of Orleans was dashed from his hand by the
irresistible mace of the Duke Jenkins; his horse's shins were broken by
the same weapon. Screaming with agony the animal fell. Jenkins's hand
was at the Duke's collar in a moment, and had he not gasped out, “Je me
rends!” he would have been throttled in that dreadful grasp!
Three hundred and forty-two standards, seventy-nine regiments, their
baggage, ammunition, and treasure-chests, fell into the hands of the
victorious Duke. He had avenged the honor of Old England; and himself
presenting the sword of the conquered Nemours to Prince Henri, who now
came up, the Prince bursting into tears, fell on his neck and said,
“Duke, I owe my crown to my patron saint and you.” It was indeed a
glorious victory: but what will not British valor attain?
The Duke of Nemours, having despatched a brief note to Paris, saying,
“Sire, all is lost except honor!” was sent off in confinement; and in
spite of the entreaties of his captor, was hardly treated with decent
politeness. The priests and the noble regiments who rode back when the
affair was over, were for having the Prince shot at once, and murmured
loudly against “cet Anglais brutal” who interposed in behalf of the
prisoner. Henri V. granted the Prince his life; but, no doubt misguided
by the advice of his noble and ecclesiastical counsellors, treated the
illustrious English Duke with marked coldness, and did not even ask him
to supper that night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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