| Citation |
NP.774.022
17-24 Feb 1774:41,42 (1/21)
ANECDOTE. When marshal Tallard was confined a prisoner of
war at Nottingham, he gave several balls to the ladies in
the neighbourhood, and danced one evening with a young lady,
who was a parson's daughter. She was extremely amiable, and
made a great impression upon the marshal. His secretary,
who was a man of easy morals, and had observed his master's
agitation of mind, and the cause of it, thinking to
recommend himself to the marshal's favour, threw out several
hints, that there would be no great difficulty of obtaining
the young lady upon his own terms; but the marshal replied,
with a magnanimity of soul that did him the greatest honour:
"Sir, if I were one-and-twenty, and of the same religion as
the lady, I should think it no discredit to offer her my
hand in an honourable manner; but to ruin a virtuous young
woman, for a momentary gratification. I should think a far
greater dishonour, than to be defeated and taken prisoner by
the Duke of Marlborough."
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