The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Volume 01Smollett, T. (Tobias)
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The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Volume 01
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Adventure stories; Gothic fiction
He that thinks I recapitulate these particulars out of ostentation, does
wrong to the unhappy Don Diego de Zelos, who, in having performed these
little acts of gallantry, thinks he has done nothing, but simply approved
himself worthy of being called a Castilian. I mean only to do justice to
my own character, and to make you acquainted with one of the most
remarkable incidents of my life. It was my fate, during my third
campaign, to command a troop of horse in the regiment of Don Gonzales
Orgullo, between whom and my father a family feud had long been
maintained with great enmity; and that gentleman did not leave me without
reason to believe he rejoiced at the opportunity of exercising his
resentment upon his adversary's son; for he withheld from me that
countenance which my fellow-officers enjoyed, and found means to subject
me to divers mortifications, of which I was not at liberty to complain.
These I bore in silence for some time, as part of my probation in the
character of a soldier; resolved, nevertheless, to employ my interest at
court for a removal into another corps, and to take some future
opportunity of explaining my sentiments to Don Gonzales upon the
injustice of his behaviour.
While I animated myself with these sentiments against the discouragements
I underwent, and the hard duty to which I was daily exposed, it was our
fate to be concerned in the battle of Saragossa, where our regiment was
so severely handled by the English infantry, that it was forced to give
ground with the loss of one half of its officers and men. Don Gonzales,
who acted as brigadier in another wing, being informed of our fate, and
dreading the disgrace of his corps, which had never turned back to the
enemy, put spurs to his horse, and, riding across the field at full
speed, rallied our broken squadrons, and led us back to the charge with
such intrepidity of behaviour, as did not fail to inspire us all with
uncommon courage and alacrity. For my own part, I thought myself doubly
interested to distinguish my valour, not only on account of my own glory,
but likewise on the supposition, that, as I was acting under the eye of
Gonzales, my conduct would be narrowly observed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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