ung 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 Signor's Janizaries, 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 honour would have him come too; but his honour 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 head quarters, and found for himself very
quickly where the aides de camp's quarters were, in an outbuilding of a
farm, where several of these gentlemen were seated, drinking and singing,
and at supper. If he had any anxiety about his boy, 'twas relieved at
once. One of the gentlemen was singing a song to a tune that Mr. Farquhar
and Mr. Gay both had used in their admirable comedies, and very popular in
the army of that day; after the song came a chorus, "Over the hills and
far away"; and Esmond heard Frank's fresh voice soaring, as it were, over
the songs of the rest of the young men--a voice that had always a certain
artless, indescribable pathos with it, and indeed which caused Mr.
Esmond's eyes to fill with tears now, out of thankfulness to God the child
was safe and still alive to laugh and sing.

When the song was over Esmond entered the room, where he knew several of
the gentlemen present, and there sat my young lord, having taken off his
cuirass, his waistcoat open, his face flushed, his long yellow hair
hanging over his shoulders, drinking with the rest; the youngest, gayest,
handsomest there. As soon as he saw Esmond, he clapped down his glass, and
running towards his friend, put both his arms round him and embraced him.
The other's voice tremb