burlesques-第51部分

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quarter　past　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　of　that　day；　won　this

great　triumph　for　the　British　army。



Gleig；　Mill；　and　Thorn　have　all　told　the　tale　of　this　war；　though

somehow　they　have　omitted　all　mention　of　the　hero　of　it。　　General

Lake；　for　the　victory　of　that　day；　became　Lord　Lake　of　Laswaree。

Laswaree！　and　who；　forsooth；　was　the　real　conqueror　of　Laswaree？　　I

can　lay　my　hand　upon　my　heart　and　say　that　I　was。　　If　any　proof　is

wanting　of　the　fact；　let　me　give　it　at　once；　and　from　the　highest

military　testimony　in　the　worldI　mean　that　of　the　Emperor

Napoleon。



In　the　month　of　March；　1817；　I　was　passenger　on　board　the　〃Prince

Regent；〃　Captain　Harris；　which　touched　at　St。　Helena　on　its　passage

from　Calcutta　to　England。　　In　company　with　the　other　officers　on

board　the　ship；　I　paid　my　respects　to　the　illustrious　exile　of

Longwood；　who　received　us　in　his　garden；　where　he　was　walking

about；　in　a　nankeen　dress　and　a　large　broad…brimmed　straw…hat；　with

General　Montholon；　Count　Las　Casas；　and　his　son　Emanuel；　then　a

little　boy；　who　I　dare　say　does　not　recollect　me；　but　who

nevertheless　played　with　my　sword…knot　and　the　tassels　of　my

Hessian　boots　during　the　whole　of　our　interview　with　his　Imperial

Majesty。



Our　names　were　read　out　（in　a　pretty　accent；　by　the　way！）　by

General　Montholon；　and　the　Emperor；　as　each　was　pronounced；　made　a

bow　to　the　owner　of　it；　but　did　not　vouchsafe　a　word。　　At　last

Montholon　came　to　mine。　　The　Emperor　looked　me　at　once　in　the　face；

took　his　hands　out　of　his　pockets；　put　them　behind　his　back；　and

coming　up　to　me　smiling；　pronounced　the　following　words：



〃Assaye；　Delhi；　Deeg；　Futtyghur？〃



I　blushed；　and　taking　off　my　hat　with　a　bow；　said〃Sire；　c'est

moi。〃



〃Parbleu！　je　le　savais　bien；〃　said　the　Emperor；　holding　out　his

snuff…box。　　〃En　usez…vous；　Major？〃　　I　took　a　large　pinch　（which；

with　the　honor　of　speaking　to　so　great　a　man；　brought　the　tears

into　my　eyes）；　and　he　continued　as　nearly　as　possible　in　the

following　words：



〃Sir；　you　are　known；　you　come　of　an　heroic　nation。　　Your　third

brother；　the　Chef　de　Bataillon；　Count　Godfrey　Gahagan；　was　in　my

Irish　brigade。〃



Gahagan。〃Sire；　it　is　true。　　He　and　my　countrymen　in　your

Majesty's　service　stood　under　the　green　flag　in　the　breach　of

Burgos；　and　beat　Wellington　back。　　It　was　the　only　time；　as　your

Majesty　knows；　that　Irishmen　and　Englishmen　were　beaten　in　that

war。〃



Napoleon　（looking　as　if　he　would　say；　〃D…　your　candor；　Major

Gahagan〃）。〃Well；　well；　it　was　so。　　Your　brother　was　a　Count；　and

died　a　General　in　my　service。〃



Gahagan。〃He　was　found　lying　upon　the　bodies　of　nine…and…twenty

Cossacks　at　Borodino。　　They　were　all　dead；　and　bore　the　Gahagan

mark。〃



Napoleon　（to　Montholon）。〃C'est　vrai；　Montholon：　je　vous　donne　ma

parole　d'honneur　la　plus　sacree；　que　c'est　vrai。　　Ils　ne　sont　pas

d'autres；　ces　terribles　Ga'gans。　　You　must　know　that　Monsieur

gained　the　battle　of　Delhi　as　certainly　as　I　did　that　of　Austerlitz。

In　this　way：Ce　belitre　de　Lor　Lake；　after　calling　up　his　cavalry；

and　placing　them　in　front　of　Holkar's　batteries；　qui　balayaient　la

plaine；　was　for　charging　the　enemy's　batteries　with　his　horse；　who

would　have　been　ecrases；　mitrailles；　foudroyes　to　a　man　but　for　the

cunning　of　ce　grand　rogue　que　vous　voyez。〃



Montholon。〃Coquin　de　Major；　va！〃



Napoleon。〃Montholon！　tais…toi。　　When　Lord　Lake；　with　his　great

bull…headed　English　obstinacy；　saw　the　facheuse　position　into　which

he　had　brought　his　troops；　he　was　for　dying　on　the　spot；　and　would

infallibly　have　done　soand　the　loss　of　his　army　would　have　been

the　ruin　of　the　East　India　Companyand　the　ruin　of　the　English

East　India　Company　would　have　established　my　empire　（bah！　it　was　a

republic　then！）　in　the　Eastbut　that　the　man　before　us；　Lieutenant

Goliah　Gahagan；　was　riding　at　the　side　of　General　Lake。〃



Montholon　（with　an　accent　of　despair　and　fury）。〃Gredin！　cent

mille　tonnerres　de　Dieu！〃



Napoleon　（benignantly）。〃Calme…toi；　mon　fidele　ami。　　What　will

you？　　It　was　fate。　　Gahagan；　at　the　critical　period　of　the　battle；

or　rather　slaughter　（for　the　English　had　not　slain　a　man　of　the

enemy）；　advised　a　retreat。〃



Montholon。　　〃Le　lache！　　Un　Francais　meurt；　mais　il　ne　recule

jamais。〃



Napoleon。〃STUPIDE！　　Don't　you　see　WHY　the　retreat　was　ordered？

don't　you　know　that　it　was　a　feint　on　the　part　of　Gahagan　to　draw

Holkar　from　his　impregnable　intrenchments？　　Don't　you　know　that　the

ignorant　Indian　fell　into　the　snare；　and　issuing　from　behind　the

cover　of　his　guns；　came　down　with　his　cavalry　on　the　plains　in

pursuit　of　Lake　and　his　dragoons？　　Then　it　was　that　the　Englishmen

turned　upon　him；　the　hardy　children　of　the　north　swept　down　his

feeble　horsemen；　bore　them　back　to　their　guns；　which　were　useless；

entered　Holkar's　intrenchments　along　with　his　troops；　sabred　the

artillerymen　at　their　pieces；　and　won　the　battle　of　Delhi！〃



As　the　Emperor　spoke；　his　pale　cheek　glowed　red；　his　eye　flashed

fire；　his　deep　clear　voice　rung　as　of　old　when　he　pointed　out　the

enemy　from　beneath　the　shadow　of　the　Pyramids；　or　rallied　his

regiments　to　the　charge　upon　the　death…strewn　plain　of　Wagram。　　I

have　had　many　a　proud　moment　in　my　life；　but　never　such　a　proud　one

as　this；　and　I　would　readily　pardon　the　word　〃coward；〃　as　applied

to　me　by　Montholon；　in　consideration　of　the　testimony　which　his

master　bore　in　my　favor。



〃Major；〃　said　the　Emperor　to　me　in　conclusion；　〃why　had　I　not　such

a　man　as　you　in　my　service？　　I　would　have　made　you　a　Prince　and　a

Marshal！〃　and　here　he　fell　into　a　reverie；　of　which　I　knew　and

respected　the　purport。　　He　was　thinking；　doubtless；　that　I　might

have　retrieved　his　fortunes；　and　indeed　I　have　very　little　doubt

that　I　might。



Very　soon　after；　coffee　was　brought　by　Monsieur　Marchand；

Napoleon's　valet…de…chambre；　and　after　partaking　of　that　beverage；

and　talking　upon　the　politics　of　the　day；　the　Emperor　withdrew；

leaving　me　deeply　impressed　by　the　condescension　he　had　shown　in

this　remarkable　interview。





CHAPTER　III。



A　PEEP　INTO　SPAINACCOUNT　OF　THE　ORIGIN　AND　SERVICES　OF　THE

AHMEDNUGGAR　IRREGULARS。





HEAD　QUARTERS；　MORELLA；　Sept。　16；　1838。



I　have　been　here　for　some　months；　along　with　my　young　friend

Cabrera：　and　in　the　hurry　and　bustle　of　wardaily　on　guard　and　in

the　batteries　for　sixteen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four；　with

fourteen　severe　wounds　and　seven　musket…balls　in　my　bodyit　may　be

imagined　that　I　have　had　little　time　to　think　about　the　publication

of　my　memoirs。　　Inter　arma　silent　legesin　the　midst　of　fighting

be　hanged　to　writing！　as　the　poet　says；　and　I　never　would　have

bothered　myself　with　a　pen；　had　not　common　gratitude　incited　me　to

throw　off　a　few　pages。



Along　with　Oraa's　troops；　who　have　of　late　been　beleaguering　this

place；　there　was　a　young　Milesian　gentleman；　Mr。　Toone　O'Connor

Emmett　Fitzgerald　Sheeny；　by　name；　a　law　student；　and　member　of

Gray's　Inn；　and　what　b