egiment under the orders of their beloved colonel. Neither he nor they
belied their character for gallantry on this occasion; but it was about
his dear young lord that Esmond was anxious, never having sight of him
save once, in the whole course of the day, when he brought an order from
the Commander-in-Chief to Mr. Webb. When our horse, having charged round
the right flank of the enemy by Overkirk, had thrown him into entire
confusion, a general advance was made, and our whole line of foot,
crossing the little river and the morass, ascended the high ground where
the French were posted, cheering as they went, the enemy retreating
before them. 'Twas a service of more glory than danger, the French
battalions never waiting to exchange push of pike or bayonet with ours;
and the gunners flying from their pieces, which our line left behind us
as they advanced, and the French fell back.

At first it was a retreat orderly enough; but presently the retreat
became a rout, and a frightful slaughter of the French ensued on this
panic: so that an army of sixty thousand men was utterly crushed and
destroyed in the course of a couple of hours. It was as if a hurricane
had seized a compact numerous fleet, flung it all to the winds,
shattered, sunk, and annihilated it: afflavit Deus, et dissipati sunt.
The French army of Flanders was gone, their artillery, their standards,
their treasure, provisions, and ammunition were all left behind them:
the poor devils had even fled without their soup-kettles, which are
as much the palladia of the French infantry as of the Grand Seignior's
Janissaries, and round which they rally even more than round their
lilies.

The pursuit, and a dreadful carnage which ensued (for the dregs of a
battle, however brilliant, are ever a base residue of rapine, cruelty,
and drunken plunder,) was carried far beyond the field of Ramillies.

Honest Lockwood, Esmond's servant, no doubt wanted to be among the
marauders himself and take his share of the booty; for when, the action
over, and the troops got to their ground for the night, the Captain bade
Lockwood get a horse, he asked, with a very rueful countenance, whether
his honor would have him come too; but his honor only bade him go about
his own business, and Jack hopped away quite delighted as soon as he
saw his master mounted. Esmond made his way, and not without danger
and difficulty, to his Grace's headquarters, and found for himself very
quickly where the aide-