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The Adventures of Harry Rochester
A Tale of the Days of Marlborough and Eugene
BY
HERBERT STRANG
AUTHOR OF "TOM BURNABY" "BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE" "KOBO: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR"
Illustrated by William Rainey, R.I.
NEW YORK G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 27 AND 29 WEST 230 STREET 1905
"Honour hath three things in it: the vantage-ground to do good; theapproach to kings and principal persons; and the raising of a man's ownfortunes."
--_Bacon_.
_My dear Tom,_
_You received my former books so kindly that I feel assured you will notobject to have this volume inscribed with your name. I am not the lessconvinced of this because you know well the country in which my openingscenes are laid, and I had the pleasure last year of playing cricketwith you within a few miles of the village here disguised as Winton St.Mary._
_I hope you will bear with me for one minute while I explain that inwriting this book I had three aims. First, to tell a good story: thatof course. Secondly, to give some account of the operations thatresulted in one of the most brilliant victories ever gained by ourBritish arms. Thirdly, to throw some light--fitful, it may be, but asclear as the circumstances of my story admitted--on life and manners twohundred years ago. History, as you have no doubt already learnt, is notmerely campaigning; and I shall be well pleased if these pages enlargeyour knowledge, in ever so slight a degree, of an interesting period inour country's annals. And if you, or any other Christ's Hospital boy,should convict me of borrowing a week from the life of a greatpersonage, or of antedating by a little a development in our nationalpastime--well, I shall feel complimented by such evidence of carefulreading, and not be in the least abashed._
_I take the opportunity of this open letter to acknowledge myindebtedness to the monumental "Memoires militaires relatifs a lasuccession d'Espagne" issued by the French General Staff; to Mr. AustinDobson for a detail which only his perfect knowledge of the 18th centurycould so readily have supplied; and to Lord Wolseley's brilliant life ofMarlborough, which every student of military history must hope socompetent a hand will continue and complete._
_Yours very sincerely,_ _HERBERT STRANG._
_Michaelmas Day, 1905._
*Contents*
_Chapter_ I The Queen's Purse-Bearer
_Chapter_ II Sherebiah Shouts
_Chapter_ III Master and Man
_Chapter_ IV Mynheer Jan Grootz and Another
_Chapter_ V A Message from the Squire
_Chapter_ VI My Lord Marlborough makes a Note
_Chapter_ VII Snared
_Chapter_ VIII Flotsam
_Chapter_ IX Monsieur de Polignac Presses his Suit