Memoirs of Major Alexander Ramkins (1718)Defoe, Daniel
History
Memoirs of Major Alexander Ramkins (1718)
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories; Great Britain -- History, Military -- Fiction; Soldiers -- Fiction
It appear'd afterwards, that this _French_ Officer having been often
play'd upon by several in his Regiment, that he had been two Years among
them and never yet made any Experiment of his personal Courage, told
them at his going up to _Paris_, That they should here in a little Time
he had qualify'd himself by killing his Man. Now it is suppos'd he
thought the _British_ Nation, not being fam'd for their Skill in
handling the Sword, he had an excellent opportunity of showing his
Manhood, and the Advantage of making his escape when he had done the
Fact, because little or no Enquiry wou'd be made after a Stranger. My
Brother being convinc'd his Adversary was incapable to Rally, made haste
to gather up his Cloaths, exchanging the Evangelical Advice of _burying_
the dead, to that natural Precept of _Self-preservation_, and I must
leave him pursuing his Journey towards _Brest_, to return to his
Lodgings, and give an account how this Catastrophe came to affect me at
my coming to _Paris_.
The young Lady who was the Innocent occasion of this unfortunate
Accident, took little Rest after she was inform'd of the Contents of the
Note left by her Kinsman, and her Concern grew upon her when she
understood Captain _Ramkins_ was out of his Lodgings all Night; thus she
remain'd under great Inquietudes till Three a Clock the next Day, when
she, with her Landlady and Daughter, took a Coach privately and drove
directly to the Place where the Gentlemen were to meet according to the
Contents of the Letter. They discharg'd their Coach upon a pretence of
taking a Walk in the Fields, and after a small Tour the Landlady's
Daughter put her Foot into a Cake of clotted Blood, but it was so
chang'd, as to the Colour, that she could not well distinguish what it
was, but at a little distance finding a Glove, and several Blades of
Grass ting'd with a Vermillion Dye, being press'd down and ruffled as it
were with some Cattle weltring and tumbling about. They had a strong
Suspicion one of the Gentlemen had ended his Days upon the Spot, and to
clear their Suspicion, they walk'd back into the City till they arrived
at the _Petite Chastelet_, which is a publick Room in the Nature of a
Guard Bed, where all Corps are expos'd to view and whither People
usually go in quest of any of their Friends, or Acquaintance that are
wanting. And here the young Gentlewoman was quickly satisfy'd that her
Cousin's Rashness had brought him to his End. This Accident happening
not long before I came to _Paris_, the Discourse of it was very fresh,
and what occasion'd me to have an account of it at my first Arrival, was
my Lodging at the same House with my Brother, it being the usual
Lodgings for _English_ and _Scotch_. 'Tis true that Landlady and her
Daughter where remov'd to _Orleans_, where they had an _Estate_
belonging to their Family, but the young Lady, Cousin to the deceas'd
Officer, was still in her old Apartment. I had not been above three
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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