The Duke of
Tarentum
swam
across the river.
across the river.
Byron
]
[36] [The allusion may be to a case which was before the courts, the
Attorney-General _v_. William Carver and Brownlow Bishop of Winchester
(see _Morning Chronicle_, November 17, 1813). Carver held certain
premises under the Bishop of Winchester, at the entrance of Portsmouth
Harbour, which obstructed the efflux and reflux of the tide. "The fact,"
said Mr. Serjeant Lens, in opening the case for the Crown, "was of great
magnitude to the entire nation, since it effected the security, and even
the existence of one of the principal harbours of Great Britain. "]
[37] [The Russian and Austrian troops at the battle of Leipsic, October
16, 1813, were, for the most part, veterans, while the Prussian
contingent included a large body of militia. ]
[38] [For the incident of the "broken bridge" Byron was indebted to the
pages of the _Morning Chronicle_ of November 8, 1813, "Paris Papers,
October 30"--
"The Emperor had ordered the engineers to form fougades under the grand
bridge which is between Leipsic and Lindenau, in order to blow it up at
the latest moment, and thus to retard the march of the enemy and give
time to our baggage to file off. General Dulauloy had entrusted the
operation to Colonel Montford. The Colonel, instead of remaining on the
spot to direct it, and to give the signal, ordered a corporal and four
sappers to blow up the bridge the instant the enemy should appear. The
corporal, an ignorant fellow, and ill comprehending the nature of the
duty with which he was charged, upon hearing the first shot discharged
from the ramparts of the city, set fire to the fougades and blew up the
bridge. A part of the army was still on the other side, with a park of
80 pieces of artillery and some hundreds of waggons. The advance of this
part of the army, who were approaching the bridge, seeing it blow up,
conceived it was in the power of the enemy. A cry of dismay spread from
rank to rank. 'The enemy are close upon our rear, and the bridges are
destroyed! ' The unfortunate soldiers dispersed, and endeavoured to
effect their escape as well as they could.
The Duke of Tarentum swam
across the river. Prince Poniatowsky, mounted on a spirited horse,
darted into the water and appeared no more. The Emperor was not informed
of this disaster until it was too late to remedy it. . . . Colonel Montfort
and the corporal of the sappers have been handed over to a
court-martial. "]
[39] [Compare _Don Juan_, Canto VIII. stanza cxxxii. line 4. Sir Walter
Scott (_Journal_, October 30, 1826 [1890, i. 288]), tells the same story
of "an old woman who, when Carlisle was taken by the Highlanders in
1745, chose to be particularly apprehensive of personal violence, and
shut herself up in a closet, in order that she might escape ravishment.
But no one came to disturb her solitude, and . . . by and by she popped
her head out of her place of refuge with the pretty question, 'Good
folks, can you tell me when the ravishing is going to begin?
[36] [The allusion may be to a case which was before the courts, the
Attorney-General _v_. William Carver and Brownlow Bishop of Winchester
(see _Morning Chronicle_, November 17, 1813). Carver held certain
premises under the Bishop of Winchester, at the entrance of Portsmouth
Harbour, which obstructed the efflux and reflux of the tide. "The fact,"
said Mr. Serjeant Lens, in opening the case for the Crown, "was of great
magnitude to the entire nation, since it effected the security, and even
the existence of one of the principal harbours of Great Britain. "]
[37] [The Russian and Austrian troops at the battle of Leipsic, October
16, 1813, were, for the most part, veterans, while the Prussian
contingent included a large body of militia. ]
[38] [For the incident of the "broken bridge" Byron was indebted to the
pages of the _Morning Chronicle_ of November 8, 1813, "Paris Papers,
October 30"--
"The Emperor had ordered the engineers to form fougades under the grand
bridge which is between Leipsic and Lindenau, in order to blow it up at
the latest moment, and thus to retard the march of the enemy and give
time to our baggage to file off. General Dulauloy had entrusted the
operation to Colonel Montford. The Colonel, instead of remaining on the
spot to direct it, and to give the signal, ordered a corporal and four
sappers to blow up the bridge the instant the enemy should appear. The
corporal, an ignorant fellow, and ill comprehending the nature of the
duty with which he was charged, upon hearing the first shot discharged
from the ramparts of the city, set fire to the fougades and blew up the
bridge. A part of the army was still on the other side, with a park of
80 pieces of artillery and some hundreds of waggons. The advance of this
part of the army, who were approaching the bridge, seeing it blow up,
conceived it was in the power of the enemy. A cry of dismay spread from
rank to rank. 'The enemy are close upon our rear, and the bridges are
destroyed! ' The unfortunate soldiers dispersed, and endeavoured to
effect their escape as well as they could.
The Duke of Tarentum swam
across the river. Prince Poniatowsky, mounted on a spirited horse,
darted into the water and appeared no more. The Emperor was not informed
of this disaster until it was too late to remedy it. . . . Colonel Montfort
and the corporal of the sappers have been handed over to a
court-martial. "]
[39] [Compare _Don Juan_, Canto VIII. stanza cxxxii. line 4. Sir Walter
Scott (_Journal_, October 30, 1826 [1890, i. 288]), tells the same story
of "an old woman who, when Carlisle was taken by the Highlanders in
1745, chose to be particularly apprehensive of personal violence, and
shut herself up in a closet, in order that she might escape ravishment.
But no one came to disturb her solitude, and . . . by and by she popped
her head out of her place of refuge with the pretty question, 'Good
folks, can you tell me when the ravishing is going to begin?
