Possessions and Ready Money
Beyond the wardrobe, Strap’s generosity and friendship furnish Random with a gold watch in a chased case, two valuable diamond rings, three mourning swords (one with a silver handle and a fourth of cut steel inlaid with gold), a diamond stock buckle, stone buckles for the knees and shoes, a pair of silver-mounted pistols with rich housings, a gold-headed cane, and a tortoiseshell snuff-box mounted with gold bearing the picture of a lady. Other items the gentleman had carried had already been turned into cash, and the pair’s ready money amounts to somewhat more than two hundred pounds.
Life as a Gentleman in Paris
Equipped and attended by Strap as his valet, Random plays the gentleman of figure about Paris. He visits the Louvre and the Luxembourg gallery, goes to Versailles where he has the honour of seeing the Most Christian King eat a considerable quantity of olives, and during the month frequents the court, the Italian comedy, the opera, the playhouse, and a masquerade.
Journey from Paris to London
Leaving Paris, Random and Strap set out for England by way of Flanders. They pass through Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges, take ship at Ostend, and in fourteen hours arrive at Deal. Hiring a postchaise, they reach London twelve hours later, having disposed of their heavy baggage in the waggon.
CHAPTER XLIV
This chapter continues the memoir’s account of military service, the reunion with the faithful friend Strap, a dramatic change in fortune, and the journey back to England through France and Flanders.
Learning the Science of Defence
Following his defeat by the old Gascon soldier, the narrator seeks revenge by learning the art of fencing. An Irish drummer offers to teach him, motivated partly by jealousy over the Frenchman’s alleged correspondence with his wife. The narrator accepts and practices diligently, soon believing himself ready to face his conqueror once more.
Joining Marshal Noailles
The regiment marches and arrives at the camp of Marshal the Duc de Noailles the night before the Battle of Dettingen, though the soldiers are exhausted from their fatigue.
The Engagement at Dettingen
The narrator describes how the French forces under the Duc de Grammont take position to block the Allies in a narrow defile, where they would have been forced to surrender from lack of provisions. Lord Stair, though having a reputation as a good general, is overruled and acts in an inferior capacity. Against all expectations, Grammont abandons his advantageous position to attack the English, who are drawn up in order of battle on the plain.
Flight of the French Forces
The English severely maul the French forces, and after suffering heavy losses, the French turn and flee with such precipitation that hundreds perish in the river. The enemy shows remarkable generosity by not pursuing them, allowing an orderly retreat. The loss amounts to five thousand men, including many distinguished officers. King George II of Great Britain personally heads the Allies and halts the carnage. The French nevertheless claim victory, and soldiers exaggerate their exploits with Rhodomontades comparing themselves to lions, bears, and desperate stags.
Vanquishing the Old Gascon
The narrator magnifies English valour and describes French pusillanimity, provoking the old Gascon with irony about his speed in fleeing. The Gascon responds with threats and references to their previous encounter. The narrator answers with a kick that overturns him, and they duel. After receiving only a scratch, the narrator disarms his opponent and demands he beg for his life. The Gascon responds only with a grotesque expression that nearly makes the narrator laugh. To mortify his opponent’s vanity, the narrator thrusts the sword into something smoking on the ground and walks away calmly.
Winter Quarters at Rheims
The campaign ends with no further significant engagements. The English return to the Netherlands while part of the French army goes to Flanders, and the narrator’s regiment is ordered into winter quarters in Champagne, specifically Rheims.
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