David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

“ It is not only a certain knowledge, whereby I surely assent to all things which God has revealed unto us in His word, but also an assured trust, kindled in my heart by the Holy Ghost through the Gospel, whereby I repose myself upon God, being assuredly persuaded that remission of sins, everlasting righteousness and life, is given not to others only, but even to me, and that freely through the mercy of God for the merit of Christ alone. ”

“ The Duke of Schomberg, one of the greatest captains in the world, under His Majesty the then Prince of Orange, had his estates and pension all seized in France, and he has waived all things in this world to serve you and his religion. He has been solicited by the Duke of Brandenburg, and by the emperor, to be their general. He has quitted all to serve this king and kingdom; hither he comes, and the king is not in a condition to reward him, otherwise than with the honour of the Knight of the Garter. The king’s condition is not equal to his desires to reward him. ”

“ Religion had been the pretence for the injustice of withholding it. The King had with his own mouth assured him that he would promote him to that dignity if he would declare himself a Catholic. Schomberg had the courage to reply that his religion was more dear to him than everything else, and that if it hindered him from being actually invested with that honour, it was a sufficient consolation to him that His Majesty judged that he was worthy of such rank in his service. ”

“ The officers of the army had been demoralized under the Stewart’s unpatriotic rule, and so had the officials of the commissariat. Peculation and embezzlement were the business and object of their lives, which some of the officers but partially atoned for by flashes of bellicose impetuosity and English pluck. Soldiers and ammunition were sacrificed to the thoughtlessness and laziness of officers who did not look after them; and those who ought to have been the Duke of Schomberg’s coadjutors were practically spies and enemies in his camp. ”

“ Bishop Burnet told him of his plan to leave behind him a history of his own times. “Let me advise you,” said the old soldier, “never to meddle with the relation of military details. Some literary men affect to tell their story in all the terms of war, and commit great errors that expose them to the scorn of all officers, who must despise narratives having blunders in every part of them, and yet pretending to minute accuracy.” ”

“ Sir Henry Goodricke observed, “This house is possessed of the great merit of this gentleman as all the Protestants of Europe are; but to lay this debate aside now, I am against it. I would have it in your books to acknowledge this gentleman’s great service to the king, and to enable the king to settle a grateful acknowledgment on this great man.”
Mr. Hampden, junr., concurred, adding, “Ireland is not to be reduced without a general; and this is the greatest general in Europe; he is used to conquer kingdoms. Portugal by him was restored to the rightful owner. You will use him for Ireland.” ”

“ Speaker, I have desired this honour to make my just acknowledgment for the great favours I have received from this House, and doubt not but to find the effects of it in His Majesty’s grace and favour. I also would take my leave of this honourable House, being now going to Ireland, where I shall freely expose my life in the king’s service and yours.”
The Speaker (Mr. Henry Powell, Member for Windsor) replied, “My lord, the services that have been done by your Grace to their Majesties and this kingdom are so great, that they can never be forgotten. ”

“ One French captain, who thought it his duty to co-operate with the English, was sent to the Bastile as soon as he returned to France. The effect of this upon the English and upon Schomberg is thus told by Burnet: “This opened the eyes and mouths of the whole nation. All men cried out and said, we were engaged in a war by the French, that they might have the pleasure to see the Dutch and us destroy one another, while they knew our seas and ports, and learned all our methods, but took care to preserve themselves. ”

“ Nothing remains to be desired on your behalf, my Lord, but a long life for useful services to the glory of God, of the King, and of yourself; and to let all Europe see that God still raises up among us heroes not a whit less worthy than those of past times. Europe will offer many prayers for your preservation ”

“ It has been said that on hearing of Schomberg’s death, the king took the chief command and shouted, “Let the King of kings be king, and I will be general.” [27] We more than hesitate to accept this tradition, because the king from the day of his joining the army in Ireland had assumed the chief command. But there can be no doubt that the king was impressed with the calamity, and fully concurred in Luzancy’s reflection upon it, “Heroes seem to have a title to life, and though they have run a long course of years, their death is always surprising and untimely.” ”

“ After the landing of the army, the first action Duke Schomberg fell upon was the making himself master of Carrickfergus and of the country about, which he accordingly effected. As to the rest of his conduct there, we have all the reason in the world to believe that so great a General knows well on what grounds he has gone; and the event will prove how much it will conduce to the happy determination of the affairs of Ireland, that the General delayed to enter into any further action the last summer, and that he has put his army in winter quarters. ”

“ The Duke [also called the elector] of Brandenburgh, with his Duchess, and two brothers, with the great officers and ladies of his court, were with the army. He is very short and crooked as to his person; he is about the age of thirty; his face, indeed, is fine and comely. His brothers, prince Charles and prince Philip are both tall and well shap’d gentlemen. His court was exceeding splendid. Besides his guards, he hath an hundred French Gentlemen Refugees, all well mounted and clad in scarlet, with a broad gold lace on the seams, every one looking like a captain ”

“ That both in soul and body, whether I live or die, I am not mine own, but belong wholly unto my most faithful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who, by His precious blood most fully satisfying for my sins, hath delivered me from all the power of the devil, and so preserveth me that, without the will of my heavenly Father, not so much as a hair may fall from my head, yea, all things must serve for my salvation. Wherefore by His Spirit He also assureth me of everlasting life, and maketh me ready and willing that henceforth I may live to Him. ”

“ Sir Christopher Musgrave interposed, “I have a great honour for Marshal Schomberg, but you are out of the way, if you put the question that we take upon us to recompense him for his service. That is a prerogative of the king only. We are only to enable the king to gratify such persons. I move for the order of the day.” ”

“ The fraud was exposed by King James himself, who had been asked to repeat the process upon Protestant ministers.
Pastor Du Bosc’s biographer thus expresses the tribute which was universally paid to the great Schomberg:— “That hero could not better crown such a glorious life than by dying in the arms of victory, fighting in the cause of the best prince in the world, in whose court he had been brought up. Yet the pastor could not help shedding tears at the loss of so great a man, who deserved to live for ever.” ”

“ The defensive warfare of this campaign is well pictured in Story’s book. “Monday, September 16th, six hundred men were ordered to work at the trenches, which the Duke saw then convenient to draw round his camp, since he had an enemy that was too strong for him very near, and therefore he must put it out of their power to force him to fight; for woe be to that army which by an enemy is made to fight against its will ! And this is the advantage of an entrenched camp that none can compel you to give battle but when you please.” ”

“ As it was to the late Protector and to his admired European policy that England owed Dunkirk, he had no pride in possessing it The French offered to buy it at a tempting price; so he had an opportunity to gratify both his malicious envy and his love of money. Schomberg strongly advised him not to give up such an important post to a foreign power. “But,” said some of the weaklings in the dress of soldiers, “the place is not tenable; in time of war it will not pay the cost of defending it, and even in time of peace it will be a source of expense.” ”

“ But the numerous English and Irish recruits had to learn how to fire a gun; to learn to take an aim required more time. Officers, as well as privates, had to be drilled and instructed; and many of them were very unwilling to give regular attendance. So that Schomberg, when such men clamoured to be led into action, good-humouredly said, “We English have stomach enough for fighting. It is a pity that we are not as fond of some other parts of a soldier’s business.” This anecdote is from Macaulay. ”

“ Give us this day our daily bread; that is, give us all things needful for this life, that thereby we may acknowledge and confess Thee to be the only fountain from whence all good floweth, and that without Thy blessing all our care and industry (yea, even Thy gifts themselves) cannot prosper us, but are hurtful to us. Grant therefore that we, taking off our confidence from all creatures, may settle it on Thee alone. ”

“ The rule of the second Prince William was a short and troubled one. Because peace was established, the States wished to disband the army. But he felt that powerful and unscrupulous neighbours would at once take advantage of such a defenceless situation. He had at last yielded to a project of disbanding one hundred and twenty companies, on condition that the disbanded officers should continue in receipt of full pay. The latter part of the compromise having been rejected by the province of Guelders and the city of Amsterdam, William again declared himself against any disbanding. ”

“ Portugal was divided into provinces, in each of which there was a military governor in command of an army. The seat of war was the province of Alentejo, where, according to the rules of the Portuguese service, the regular military governor could not be superseded. Schomberg’s appointment would therefore be Camp-Master-General of the army of Alentejo, with a salary of 12,000 crowns, and a prospect of promotion to the military governor-ship in the event of a vacancy. ”

“ Schomberg could have no wish to overwhelm in disaster the young Prince of Orange. Though he had not any personal acquaintance with him (for he was the posthumous child of Prince William the Second) , he felt affection for his person, and admired the gallant course on which he had entered. Being not unwilling to take the Secretary’s hint, he gave his opinion in the King’s tent in conformity with it. This was his speech:— “The King is here, carrying forward his design to cover the siege of Bouchain. A young general has come up on a desperate humour to offer battle to His Majesty. ”

“ The French were thus blocked up on the German side; while the revolt of Amsterdam from French counsels obstructed the interference of Louis XIV. in an opposite direction.
France having her hands so full on the Continent — the Pope himself not escaping her armed visitations — the Prince of Orange hastened his projected descent upon England. He himself took the chief command; but it was necessary that a general of skill and fame should be his deputy, and, as Macaulay observes, “it was impossible to make choice of any Englishman without giving offence either to the Whigs or the Tories ”

“ Not only as a soldier and a tactician, but as a disinterested man, old Schomberg was pre-eminent. He could say to the king, from Lisburn, 30th December, “I have saved you since I came hear, £3000 on the artillery, and the same sum on the contingent money, as the accounts indicate. As I do not love to pillage, I do what I can to prevent others, who think of nothing else.” He also did a great act of self-denial. The troops were in want of their pay, and he at once offered his grant of £100,000 [22] for the purpose, thus sacrificing his hopes of retiring to a snug mansion and plentiful estate. ”

“ I spent some years in Holland, and ascertained that Rotterdam is one of the towns where both the air and the water are most unwholesome. As for society, there are few people there whom a person of your abilities would find congenial. Denmark may be colder, but not much. And the air and water are more healthy, and the country not subject to inundations. The court being resident at Copenhagen, and the Queen being of La Religion, you will find better support and more rational conversation, even among the Lutherans. ”

“ Because we are redeemed from all our sins and miseries, without any merit of ours, by the mercy of God for Christ’s sake — for what cause are we then to do good works? — Ans. Because Christ, after He hath redeemed us by His blood, reneweth us also by His Spirit to His own image, that we, receiving so great benefits, should show ourselves all our lifetime thankful unto God, and should honour Him ”