| Citation |
BEP(F.762.043
27 Sep 1762:11,12 (1412)
London, July 17. A letter from an officer in the Prince of
Soubise's army near Cassel, where they were driven by the
British legions, dated from the flying camp, June 26. 1762,
to a friend at Rosbach.
. . . [last 6 lines] You will imagine perhaps were all
asleep. No, but we were dreaming, though awake; and
reveries, exhibiting a variety of visions, kept our senses
in a state of absence from the objects that were so near us
[aftermath of battle]. Marshal d'Et--s was dreaming upon the
means of humbling Madame P--p-d--r, and leading S--b--se
imperceptibly by the nose, without shewing his play, as B--
g--o had done; so that when Prince Ferdinand made his
attack, he started like a man awaken'd out of a profound
sleep by a sudden noise,. . .
While d'Et--s was enjoying his vision and securing his
retreat, his Princely associate was also in a trance,
standing upright and a vision of the glory of France was
presented to his enraptured sight. He saw, or thought he
saw, two bright planets in conjunction. Mars, in the form
of Lou-s, and Venus, in that of Pomp-d-r, and hailed the
tutelary stars of the most amorous and warlike of nations. .
. [6th line] Mars wa out of his element. Venus was in
hers, she had also drawn Mars into it, and her point was to
lead him there: She had placed for this purpose, round the
voluptuous Hero, a band of Sybarite generals, who sooth'd
his soul to pleasure, exposed the folly of the bubble glory,
singing, in gentle strains, that male legions were made for
shew, and female for enjoyment.--Soubise beheld the pleasing
scene, and was just going to cry out, 'Long live our Mars,
with his lovely Fair! Long live his singing and dancing
sons, who carry the marks of honour on their backs, and
dispute with the foe a posteriori," when the alarm was a
given, of the approach of the British and German legions. .
. [2 full paras in all]
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