still the severest and most incessant discharges of shot came from one particular spot in the trenches. The governor soon after gave up the town, under the apprehension, as he afterwards informed the opposing general, that the grenadiers in that part of the trenches designed to attack the breach. He asked the Maréchal de Noailles who these men were, and was answered: 'Ces sont mes enfans: they are,' added the maréchal, 'the king of Great Britain's Scottish officers, who, to shew their willingness to share his miseries, have reduced themselves to the carrying of arms, and chosen to serve under my command.' The commander next day publicly thanked them for their gallantry, and the service they had done in obliging the governor to surrender the town, of which he lost no time in apprising his master. Louis no sooner received the intelligence, than he took coach for St Germain, and thanked King James for the brave conduct of his subjects, which had gained for him the town of Rosas, in Catalonia. The unfortunate monarch heard the news with joy, and said they were all of his officers that had been left to him, but they were such as could not easily be excelled.

The maréchal expressed his sense of their merits by at this time presenting each of them with a couple of pistoles and a supply of clothes; King James also was now able to make them an allowance of 5d. a day each, from his slender resources. It is painful to mention, that of much of these benefits they were deprived by the officers placed over them, who seem to have been as dishonest as the men were brave. All that was done for them having failed to preserve their health, they were requested by the commander to leave the camp, and go to any garrison they chose; but thanking him for his offer, they told him that they would not lie idly within walls whilst the king of France, who had been so kind to their master, had any occasion for their services, and they were determined not to leave the camp while one of them was alive. About the middle of June, the army left Rosas, and marched for Piscador, where, of 26,000 who commenced the journey, not more than 10,000

arrived in health, in consequence of the great heat and the want of water. One day, during this march, when some apprehensions were entertained of an attack on the rear-guard, and a sufficiency of pickets could not be obtained, all the officers who were present turned out for their comrades, and were the first who arrived on the ground. The general-officers, seeing them alone on the parade of the picket, where it was not their duty to be, remarked to each other: 'Le gentilhomme est toujours le gentilhomme, et se montre toujours dans le besoin, et dans le danger.'*

Most of the remainder of the season was spent by the officers at Perpignan, where sixteen of their number died of various diseases. One had previously been killed at the siege of Rosas, and three more soon after perished of sickness, so that twenty in all died during the first campaign. At the request of King James, who lamented this mortality amongst men he admired so much, they were now ordered from the south of France; but, unfortunately, Alsace was the place to which they were commanded to remove. They had thus to encounter a journey of 400 miles at the commencement of winter, and when their bodies were in general much debilitated by disease. The Maréchal de Noailles was taken by surprise by the order, and, fearing it was the result of some dissatisfaction with his command, offered to make them all fitting concessions, saying that, from the great respect he bore them, he had designed to get all of them introduced in time into the army in their original ranks. They assured him, that they had been entirely satisfied with the treatment they had experienced from him, and were reluctant to leave his corps. The order being, however, imperative, they commenced their march on the 4th of December, along with the other two Scottish companies already mentioned. The most frugal of them could now carry his baggage in a handkerchief, while many had none at all; from their meagreness of body

*The gentleman is always the gentleman, and so always shews himself in the hour of trouble and of danger.

and poorness of clothing, many looked rather like shadows and skeletons than men. Their coats were old and thin, their lower garments wanted lining, and their shoes were worn to pieces; so that by the time they reached Lyon, their miseries were such as no gentleman could express. Yet no one could ever observe the least discomposure or regret in their conversation on the contrary, they bore themselves cheerfully, and when they chanced to be able to supply themselves with a little liquor, they would drink the health of the king, queen, and prince, and indulge in the fond though fallacious hope that rightful royalty would still be restored to the British throne.

At Romans, in Dauphiné, Colonel Brown, their unworthy commander, parted from them to proceed to St Germain, without leaving them any money, although he had in his possession two months of that pay which King James had provided for them. To add to their very great distresses, a three days' snow overtook them in the country of Brace, and, remaining on the ground, produced a famine throughout all that part of France. So great was the scarcity of provisions, so severe the cold, and so imperfect their clothing, that they were all apparently on the point of being starved. One was actually taken ill at Besançon, where he soon after died. At length they reached Schelestadt, in Alsace, the garrison in which they were to take up their quarters. The officers there received them with the utmost civility, and administered much to their necessities; but they were, nevertheless, reduced to great want, bread being 6d. a pound, while their pay was only 3d. a day. They opened a market for the sale of certain articles which they formerly could not think of parting with, as rings which had been given them by mistresses, seals which had long been used in their families, and such like; yet, for a long period, the only food they could afford themselves was a few horse-beans, turnips, and colewort, or a little yellow seed, boiled in water. Still, it was observed with astonishment, they never uttered a repining word,

nor accused their unhappy monarch of either his own or their calamities.

They spent the summer of 1694 in Schelestadt, unable to enter into any species of active service; and here other five of their number died. The king, hearing of their misfortunes, sent orders that all who chose should be discharged; but their colonel in a great measure frustrated this kindness. At length, in November, fourteen of them, unable any longer to submit to their base commander, took their discharges, and proceeded to St Germain, where they met with a gracious reception, and had it put in their choice either to stay there upon suitable pensions, or to return to their native country. While deliberating about their future course, these gentlemen succeeded in exposing the iniquitous conduct of Colonel Brown, and in getting the pay of the company put upon a proper footing, at 10d. a day. We now lose sight of the fourteen retired officers, and must return to the rest left in garrison at Schelestadt.

During the summer of 1694, Prince Lewis of Baden passed the Rhine with an army of 80,000 men, and stayed three weeks in Alsace, with the design of bringing it under contribution. The governor of Schelestadt, apprehensive of a siege, was frequently heard to declare, that, if such should take place, he would depend more upon the Company of Officers, than on his two battalions. Afterwards, on some alarm, Lewis of Baden retreated across the Rhine in such a hurry, that 3000 of his men were drowned. There was a detached troop of his hussars, consisting of about 100 men, who, having been engaged in plundering the country, were completely isolated in Alsace before they knew of their commander's retreat. They made a bold attempt to reach Basel, in Switzerland, but in vain. The governor of Schelestadt planted the Scotch company in the way, and the hussars, being apprised of the reputation of that body of troops, fell back, and gave themselves up at Strasbourg, though no other such party, they declared, could have prevented them from cutting their way through into Switzerland.

The Officers' Company afterwards spent upwards of a year at Fort Cadette, on the Rhine. In December 1696, 16,000 of the enemy under General Stirk appearing on the opposite bank, as if for a new invasion, the French general, the Marquis de Sell, drew out all the garrisons of Alsace, amounting to 4000 men, and planted himself opposite to the German army, with the purpose of preventing its passage. There was an island in the Rhine, which the marquis conceived the Germans might employ in facilitating their transit across the river; and he resolved, if possible, to anticipate them in the possession of it. But ere he could obtain boats, they had constructed a bridge, and sent 500 men to form an intrenched post upon the island. The Company of Officers immediately sent their commander, Captain Foster, to request permission that they might wade into the island, and attack it. The Marquis said, that when the boats came up, the Scots should be allowed to lead the attack; for which the captain thanked him, but added, that it was their wish to wade into the island.' The French general, at so extraordinary a request, only shrugged up his shoulders, prayed God to bless them, and desired them to do as they pleased. The gentlemen, with the other two Scottish companies, immediately made ready for their enterprise, tying their clothes and arms about their necks, and then, it being night, advanced quietly to the brink of the river, into which they waded in the Highland fashion, holding each other's hands. It took them as high as their breasts, but all got over in safety. As soon as they had passed the depth of the river, they halted, untied their cartouch-boxes and firelocks, and prepared for the onfall; the Germans being in the meantime busy intrenching themselves, and altogether unsuspicious of an attack. The company then advanced in the same quiet manner as before, and suddenly poured in a volley of shot upon the enemy, who instantly fell into confusion, and fled, breaking down their bridges as they went, whereby many of them were drowned. The officers soon cleared the island of the