broke the bone
of his thigh. The horse he rode upon was rather furiously choleric,
than bravely proud, so forced him to forsake the field, but not his
back, as the noblest and fittest bier (says lord Brook) to carry a
martial commander to his grave. In this progress, passing along by the
rest of the army where his uncle the [3] General was, and being faint
with excess of bleeding, he called for drink, which was presently
brought him; but as he was putting the bottle to his mouth, he saw a
poor soldier carried along, who had been wounded at the same time,
wishfully cast up his eyes at the bottle; whereupon Sir Philip took it
from his own mouth before he drank, and delivered it to the poor man,
with these words, "thy necessity is yet greater than mine;" and when
he had assisted this poor soldier and fellow sufferer, as he called
him, he was presently carried to Arnheim, where the principal surgeons
of the camp attended him.

This generous behaviour of our gallant knight, ought not to pass
without a panegyric. All his deeds of bravery, his politeness, his
learning, and courtly accomplishments, do not reflect so much
honour upon him, as this one disinterested, truly heroic action: It
discovered so tender and benevolent a nature; a mind so fortified
against pain; a heart so overflowing with generous sentiments, to
relieve, in opposition to the violent call of his own necessities, a
poor man languishing in the same distress, before himself, that as
none can read it without the highest admiration of the wounded hero,
so none I hope will think me extravagant in thus endeavouring to extol
it. Bravery is often constitutional; fame may be the motive to feats
of arms, a statesman and a courtier may act from interest; but a
sacrifice so generous as this, can be made by none but those who
are good as well as great, who are noble-minded, and gloriously
compassionate, like Sidney.

When the surgeons began to dress his wound, he told them, that while
his strength was yet entire, his body free from a fever, and his mind
able to endure, they might freely use their art; cut and search to the
bottom; but if they should neglect their art, and renew torments in
the declination of nature, their ignorance, or over-tenderness would
prove a kind of tyranny to their friend, and reflect no honour upon
themselves.

For some time they had great hopes of his recovery; and so zealous
were they to promote it, and overjoyed at its seeming approach, t