THE IRISH BRIGADE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 85, 12 December 1874, Page 11

THE IRISH BRIGADE.

4 fr Thb story of the Irish Brigade is one of the most interesting episodes in the history of the Irish people. Their ardent military spirit, which is one of the resultß of their Celtic origin, had been wasted through many centuries, in savage feuds among themselveß, or in fruitless resistance to their invaders — and when at length it had become disciplined under Sarsfield and St. Euth, and acquired a force which might have yielded England the greatest service in her ensuing wars, it was lost to her through the intolerance which proscribed the religion of a nation. s

The laws of the period, which forbade Catholics to bear arms under the English Crown, blindly renounced all the advantages to be derived from their devotion, and compelled the army of James 11., when disbanded at the Peace of Limerick, to pass over to the Continent, and enroll under its various monarchs. Almost every throne of Europe profited by the bold hearts and stalwart frames of the buoyant sons of the Emerald Isle, except only the one that still nominally claimed their allegiance while repudiating their services. It was in France, however, that James' army was found principally to reassemble — owing, probably, to the greater sympathy of the Hibernian and the Celtic temperaments — and there formed themselves into a body, which soon became distinguished under its title of the " Irish Brigade." These gallant emigrants, who left behind them" all their social and domestic ties, carried abroad, with their untarnished honor and their indomitable courage, all their unconquerable gaiety and their undying love for their native country. Almost as deep, however,' perhaps was their love for their native music. So strong was it that they refused to march to the French tunes, and on all military occasions insisted on the use of their national airs — a gratification that was conceded to them, though the same favor was denied to the Swiss. For this, however, there was a reason. The music of the " Eanz des Yaches " awoke in the breast of the latter such a passionate longing for home, that it often led to desertion ; while in the poor Irishman, whose home was lost~ to him, no such danger was to be feared.

.During the course of almost a century the Brigade was enrolled in the French army, and had an honorable share in all the latter's brightest achievements in Flanders, Spain, and Italy. Many instances of its staunch fidelity and its daring, decisive courage might be quoted from the military records of those days ; but one especially may "be selected, -which, in its singular combination of the heroic and the grotesque, must be regarded as very national. Cremona, besieged by Prince Engene, and defended by the French, was surprised one morning' before dawn, and would inevitably lave been lost but for the promptitude of the Irish. While the punctilious and ornate Frenchmen were deliberately buttoning up their regimentals, the former, at the sound of their trumpets, jumped out of bed, and, simply staying to buckle on their crossbelts and cartouch boxes, seized their guns and hurried to the square, where, on forming in fighting order, their commander's words, " Halt ! — dress ! " were, at least in one respect, superfluous. Their indifference to appearances on this occasion was all the greater that the period was midwinter, and the city was near the Alps. In this condition they were charged by the Austrian cuirassiers. It was steel-coats against night shirts ; but the linen trade of Ireland proved the more formidable of the two. The Austrians were driven back, and the French had time to form and recover possession of the town. For this 'brilliant service the Brigade was honored with the emphatic thanks of Louis XTV., and also had their pay increased. But these fearless fellows, as may be supposed, carried abroad to their new service not only their courage and fidelity, but all their exuberance as .Irishmen. Their rollicking spirit and love of fun were quite as great as their love of fighting, and at times were bo opposed to propriety and discipline, that the martinets of the French ranks had to make formal complaints on the matter. It fcwas on one such occasion that a great compliment was paid them 'by the brave Duke of Berwick, who, however, had good .reason to love them for their devotion to his father. " Marshal/ said the king to him, "this Irish Brigade gives me more trouble than all my army put together." " Please your majesty," replied the duke, "your enemies make just the same complaint of them ! " The idol of the Brigade was the celebrated Marshal Saxe,

whose great bravery in union with bis jovial, mirthful temperament gave nun a character that was so engaging, and so kindred to their own. It was in reference to him originated one of the blunders of poor Pat that has so often been repeated and localized everywhere. The marshal was wounded in some engagement, and, moreover, it was reported — in his back. None of the Brigade, however would believe it.

" When did he ever show his back to them ? " was the general exclamation. "Wasn't it his face they know the most of, and wasn't it their backs that he knew best ? "

At last a solution of the mystery was hit upon : "He was purehuing 'em, you see, and just to make the. villains think that on the contrary he was retrating, he "buttoned his coat behind him ! " Of the anecdotes and jokes told of the Brigade during their extended foreign service — proofs of a humor and light heartedness which exile even could not subdue—the number is, indeed, legion. Gallic vanity forced them often into the attitude of censors, and several of their repartees are excellent, and as full of sense as they were of pleasantry. Among the mass of these is one that has been often referred to their sources — when a Frenchman, claiming for his country the invention of all the elegances, named among other things, a ruffle ; and Pat answered : ** We improved on it — we put to it a shirt." In the same spirit, but less known, was his retort upon a shopkeeper in some petty town where he was quartered. The place

had rather a pretentious gate, and the grocer, dilated on its grandeur, and asked what the' Irish would say if they possessed it. The sarcasm, however, was deeper and more essentially Hibernian when, on bis going somewhere to dine, after hearing great praises of French cookery, he saw a pot of soup brought in with a bit of meat floating on the top of it — upon -which he -pulled off hiß coat, and, being asked why he did so, said : " Sure I ajn going to have a swim for that little bit of mate there."

Among the adventures recorded by the Brigade, one of the most amusing was an occurrence, in the time of the Eegent Orleans, in honor of whose birthday a grand masquerade was given in Paris. It was a high-class affair ; tickets were a double louis dor; all the rank and beauty of Paris were assembled round the regent, and a costly and luxurious supper crowned the attractions of the night. While the entertainment was proceeding, one of the prince's suite approached and whispered to him : " It's worth your royal highness's while to step into the sup-per-rooms ; there is a yellow domino there, who is the most extraordinary cormorant ever witnessed; he is a prodigy, your highness — he never stops eating and drinking; and the attendants say, moreover, that he has not done so for some hours."

His royal highness went accordingly ; and sure enough there was the yellow domino, laying about him as described, and swallowing everything as ravenously as if he had only just begun. Eaised pies fell before him like garden palings before a field piece ; pheasants and quails seemed to fly down his throat in a little covey ; the wine he drank threatened a scarcity, whatever might be the next vintage. After watching htm for some time, the duke acknowledged he was a wonder, and laughingly left the room ; but shortly afterward, on passing through another, he saw the yellow domino again, - and as actively at work as ever, devastating the dishes everywhere, and emptying the champagne bottles as rapidly as they were brought to lorn. Perfectly amazed, the duke at last could not restrain his curiosity. " Who," he asked, "is that insatiate ogre that .threatens guch annihilation to all the labors of our cooks ? " Accordingly, one of the suite was dispatched to him. " His royal highness the Duke of Orleans desires the yellow domino to unmask."

But the domino begged to be excused, pleading the privilege of masquerade. " There is a higher law " .replied the officer ; " the royal order must be obeyed." " Well then," said the trooper " since the saycret must come out, plase, your royal highness I am one of Clare's Horse — that's the guard-of -honor to-night — and when our men was ordered out, we clubbed our money to buy a ticket, and agreed to take our turn at the supper table, turn and turn about." " Oh, it's aisy, plase your highness j sure one domino -would do for all of vs — if ache tuk it in turn. I'm only the eighteenth, man, and there's twelve more of us to come."

The loud laughter of the jovial duke, probably the heartiest he had had for a long time, was the response to this explanation, followed by a, louis dor to the dragoon, and a promise to keep his " saycret " till the entire troop had supped. The career of the Irish Brigade closed with the approach of French Eevolution — and fortunately for them, no doubt; since, had they remained in Prance, there is little question they would have maintained their loyalty, and been massacred like the Swiss. —"Life of Samuel Lover" (Landen,) 1874).