Belle-Rose — page 359: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

348 > “PHE RHINE, rr - covered with floating corpses, with wounded men who stretched their arms toward the sky, with abandoned — flags, with horses which were struggling in the agony of death. The Chevalier de Sallas, struck by a ball, fell from _ his saddle and disappeared under the surface of the foam- ing Rhine; Comte de Nogent’s horse, having fallen back upon its master, drew him into the abys s, and the current — carried them both away. A ball kills the horse of a cornet of cuirassiers, Monsieur de Brasalay; the valiant young man leaps into the river and swims with one hand, carry- | ing his standard with the other. Monsieur de Pomereux, ~ who sees him, re-enters the river, aids him to gain the — shore, and returns to the combat. Meanwhile the cuiras- . siers arrive one after the other; Monsieur de Revel, — wounded and bleeding, animates the soldiers, rallies them — and bears down upon the Dutch, who already broken and ~ discouraged, scattered in all directions. Déroute had drank | blood even to the guard of his sword. Belle-Rose rode straight on without faltering. Cornelius and Grippard smote hip and thigh. Monsieur de Naucrais had passed with Monsieur de Revel’s cuirassiers, and ina bound had rejoined Belle-Rose. Monsieur de Pomereux pursued the fugitives, whom he struck with the handle of his sword. — ‘Eh! rascals! turn so we can see your faces,”’ he cried, half serious, half laughing. The Dutch rallied behind the hedges and palisades, which space Lieutenant de Montbas had occupied with infantry. The trumpet was sounded, and the soldiers, a moment dispersed, ranged themselves around their | ~guidons. There were before the French squadrons four.or five thousand men protected by numerous ditches and | other means of defense; before attacking them, it would at least be necessary to place themselves in order of battle. The cannon of the batteries constructed upon the right shore of the Rhine shelled the Tower of Tolhus and pro- tected the passage of the reinfurcements. The Prince de Condé threw himself into a bark along with the Duc de Luxembourg, the Duc d’Enghien, and the Duc de Longue- ville; their horses swam behind them. ‘T'wo entire regi- — ments of cavalry had just entered the river. Whenthe ~ Prince de Condé. and the gentlemen of his suite arrived upon the shore strewn with dead bodies, the squadrons of ——__ Messieurs de Revel, de Pilois, and de Bligeny were in GOn-) 2 <3 flict with parties of the enemy who had left their entrench- Pee ments to sustain the fugitives. The Princede Condéand the Duc de Luxembourg placed swords in their hands, and : “comicbooks.com