The Scottish Cavalier: An Historical Romance, Volume 2 (of 3)Grant, James
History
The Scottish Cavalier: An Historical Romance, Volume 2 (of 3)
Grant, James
Scotland -- History -- 1649-1660 -- Fiction
"De Guichet quarrelled with me about precedence and right of
_entrée_, though, as Chaplain of the Scots Royals, in the line of
battle I rode next to Dunbarton himself. 'Tush, monsieur,' said I,
laying hand on my sword, 'remember I am a Scottish cavalier, and
Chaplain to the Guards of Pontius Pilate.' '_Nombril de Beelzebub!_'
said the irreverend rascal, 'I believe you rightly name yourselves
the Guards of Monseigneur Pilate, for had the old _routiers_ of the
Regiment de Picardie kept guard on the Holy Sepulchre, they would not
have slept on their posts as the Scots Musqueteers must have done.'
'This to a clergyman?' I exclaimed. 'Have at thee, d----d runnion!'
and attacking him, sword in hand, I disarmed him at the third pass;
and ever afterwards Messieurs the Regiment de Picardie cocked their
beavers the other way when passing us in the breach or on the
Boulevards."
"'Tis a brave old band," said Gavin of that ilk. "I saw them on the
plains of Nordlingien. You remember how gallantly they repulsed a
charge of the Count de Merci's steel-clad Lancers. We had just
formed square, with Sweyns' feathers in front, to repel their onfall,
when Monsieur de Martinet (whom all the world knows of), Adjutant of
the Regiment du Roi, galloped up, rapier in hand, with an order from
Monseigneur le Duc d'Enghien to form line in battalion with the horse
and dragoons on the wings; but my Lord of Dunbarton was too old a
soldier to hear him amid the roar of such a battle; and luckily a
cannon-ball took Martinet's charger in the crupper, on which he
scrambled away. But only conceive, sirs, to form line in face of a
horse brigade! By my sooth, wild Hielandmen would have known better,
and I marvel that Monseigneur d'Enghien and Monsieur de Martinet so
greatly forgot their boasted _tactiques de guerre_; but, as I said to
my Lord Dunbarton," _et cetera_, and so forth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account