'Faith,' he answered, 'it was a point of conscience with me; besides, it
would have given me pleasure to have seen his Horse engaged with my
Infantry, if he had taken anything amiss.'
The sum thus gained set the spendthrifts up; and De Grammont satisfied
his conscience by giving it away, to a certain extent, in charity. It is
singular to perceive in the history of this celebrated man that moral
taint of character which the French have never lost: this total absence
of right reasoning on all points of conduct, is coupled in our Gallic
neighbours with the greatest natural benevolence, with a generosity only
kept back by poverty, with impulsive, impressionable dispositions, that
require the guidance of a sound Protestant faith to elevate and correct
them.
The Chevalier hastened, it is related, to find out distressed comrades,
officers who had lost their baggage, or who had been ruined by gaming;
or soldiers who had been disabled in the trenches; and his manner of
relieving them was as graceful and as delicate as the bounty he
distributed was welcome. He was the darling of the army. The poor
soldier knew him personally, and adored him; the general was sure to
meet him in the scenes of action, and to seek his company in those of
security.
Pages:
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124