Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton, an English Officer: Including Anecdotes of the War in Spain Under the Earl of Peterborough, and Many Interesting Particulars Relating to the Manners of the Spaniards in the Beginning of the Last Century

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A. Constable, 1808 - Europe - 463 pages

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Page x - There my retreat the best companions grace, Chiefs out of war, and statesmen out of place: There St. John mingles with my friendly bowl The feast of reason and the flow of soul: And he, whose lightning pierced the' Iberian lines, Now forms my quincunx, and now ranks my vines; Or tames the genius of the stubborn plain, Almost as quickly as he conquer'd Spain.
Page xi - A fiery soul, which, working out its way, Fretted the pigmy body to decay, And o'er-informed the tenement of clay...
Page 141 - ... for, as success never fails to excite weaker minds to pursue their good fortune, though many times to their own loss ; so is it often too apt to push on more elevated spirits, to renew the encounter for achieving new conquests, by hazarding too rashly all their former glory. Accordingly, everybody...
Page viii - This day's arriv'd, without his train; Mordanto in a week from Spain. A messenger Comes all a-reek Mordanto at Madrid to seek ; He left the town above a week.
Page 178 - ... in his new quarters. Here the earl of Peterborow made his residence for some time. He was extremely well beloved ; his affable behaviour exacted as much from all ; and he preserved such a good correspondence with the priests and the ladies, that he never failed of the most early and best intelligence...
Page 123 - Earl acquainted him that he had at last resolved upon an attempt against the enemy ; adding that now, if he pleased, he might be a judge of their behaviour and see whether his officers and soldiers had deserved that character which he had so liberally given them. The Prince made answer that he had always been ready to take his share, but could hardly believe that troops marching that way could make any attempt against the enemy to satisfaction. However, without further discourse, he called for his...
Page 132 - When he had just turned the point of the bastion, he saw the Prince of Hesse retiring, with the men that had so rashly advanced. The Earl had exchanged a very few words with him, when, from a second fire, that Prince received a shot in the great artery of the thigh, of which he died immediately, falling down at the General's feet, who instantly gave orders to carry off the body to the next convent. ' Almost the same moment, an officer came to acquaint the Earl of...
Page 137 - The next day, after the Earl of Peterborow had taken care to secure the first camp to the eastward of the town, he gave orders to the officers of the fleet to land the artillery and ammunition behind the fortress to the westward. Immediately upon the landing whereof, two mortars were fixed, from both which we plied the fort of Monjouick furiously with our bombs. But the third or fourth day, one of our shells fortunately lighting on their magazine of powder, bien' it up, and with it the governor,...

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