willing to turn him out of his service.”
“No, George” (that was his name), says
I, “but you may live on this money without being
a servant.” “I’d throw it all
into the Elbe,” says he, “over Torgau
bridge, rather than leave your service; and besides,”
says he, “can’t I save my money without
going from you? I got it in your service, and
I’ll never spend it out of your service, unless
you put me away. I hope my money won’t
make me the worse servant; if I thought it would,
I’d soon have little enough.” “Nay,
George,” says I, “I shall not oblige you
to it, for I am not willing to lose you neither:
come, then,” says I, “let us put it all
together, and see what it will come to.”
So he laid it all together on the table, and by our
computation he had gotten as much plunder as was worth
about 1400 rix-dollars, besides three horses with
their furniture, a tent, a bed, and some wearing linen.
Then he takes the necklace of pearl, a very good watch,
a diamond ring, and 100 pieces of gold, and lays them
by themselves, and having, according to our best calculation,
valued the things, he put up all the rest, and as
I was going to ask him what they were left out for,
he takes them up in his hand, and coming round the
table, told me, that if I did not think him unworthy
of my service and favour, he begged I would give him
leave to make that present to me; that it was my first
thought his going out, that he had got it all in my
service, and he should think I had no kindness for
him if I should refuse it.
I was resolved in my mind not to take it from him,
and yet I could find no means to resist his importunity.
At last I told him, I would accept of part of his
present, and that I esteemed his respect in that as
much as the whole, and that I would not have him importune
me farther; so I took the ring and watch, with the
horse and furniture as before, and made him turn all
the rest into money at Leipsic, and not suffering
him to wear his livery, made him put himself into a
tolerable equipage, and taking a young Leipsicer into
my service, he attended me as a gentleman from that
time forward.
The king’s army never entered Leipsic, but proceeded
to Merseberg, and from thence to Halle, and so marched
on into Franconia, while the Duke of Saxony employed
his forces in recovering Leipsic and driving the Imperialists
out of his country. I continued at Leipsic twelve
days, being not willing to leave my comrade till he
was recovered; but Sir John Hepburn so often importuned
me to come into the army, and sent me word that the
king had very often inquired for me, that at last I
consented to go without him; so having made our appointment
where to meet, and how to correspond by letters, I
went to wait on Sir John Hepburn, who then lay with
the king’s army at the city of Erfurt in Saxony.
As I was riding between Leipsic and Halle, I observed
my horse went very awkwardly and uneasy, and sweat
very much, though the weather was cold, and we had
rid but very softly; I fancied therefore that the