Page:Caledonia (Defoe).djvu/56

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

Tilly's firſt Fury broke [1] the Saxon Line,
And cry'd Victoria, all the Troops fall in,
With Blood and Terror glittering Eagles ſhine.
The Scots reſerv'd for Dangers hither flye,
Dangers their Poſt by Nation, taught to dy,
And wing'd with Rage they [2] raviſht Victory.

Not the unequal Squadrons, not the Day
Half leſt, not ſlaughter'd Saxons in the way,
Not formidable Death, that Jeſt of War,
In whatſoever ſhapes ſhe durſt appear,
Could their intrepid ſtedy Motion ſtay,
Nothing but ſlaughterd Foes and Victory;
[3] Surrounded, they with doubl'd Fury fight,

And pleaſd with Danger, ſhine in [4] naked white,

  1. The Duke of Saxony's Troops formed the Left of the Swedish Army the King of Sweden having the Right: upon the first Charge, the Right of the Imperialists broke the Saxons, and drove 'em quite out of the Field, killing between two and three Thousand upon the Spot; and had not the Scots interpos'd, they had been all cut to pieces.
  2. The Scots being about twelve Battallions of Foot, joyn'd with some Dragoons, made the second Line of the Swedish Army; and finding how Matters went with the Saxons on their Flank, they immediately wheel'd to the Left, and joyning a Brigade of Foot of the Saxons, not yet broken, they fell in upon the pursuing Imperialists, and by their ex|traordinary Fury, turn'd the Fortune of the Day.
  3. The Imperial Dragoons being recalled from the Pursuit of the Sax|ons, and being Superiour in Number, surrounded the Scots, falling in upon their Flank, which making them Desperate, they fought like Mad men, and made a terrible slaughter of the Enemy.
  4. In the Fury o• this Fight, the Scots threw off their Cloaths and fought in their Shirts; the Novelty of which struck a strange Terror into their Enemies, and convinced 'em, that despising all Danger, these were resolv'd to Conquer.