Notes and Queries, Number 197, August 6, 1853

Replies

BATTLE OF VILLERS EN COUCHÉ

(Vol. viii., p. 8.)

I possess a singular work, consisting of a series of Poetical Sketches of the campaigns of 1793 and 1794, written, as the title-page asserts, by an "officer of the Guards;" who appears to have been, from what he subsequently states, on the personal staff of His Royal Highness the late Duke of York. This work, I have been given to understand, was suppressed shortly after its publication; the ludicrous light thrown by its pages on the conduct of many of the chief parties engaged in the transactions it records, being no doubt unpalatable to those high in authority. From the notes, which are valuable as appearing to emanate from an eye-witness, and sometimes an actor in the scenes he describes, I send the following extracts for the information of your correspondent; premising that the letter to which they are appended is dated from the "Camp at Inchin, April 26, 1794."

"As the enemy were known to have assembled in great force at the Camp de Cæsar, near Cambray, Prince Cobourg requested the Duke of York would make a reconnoissance in that direction: accordingly, on the evening of the 23rd, Major-General Mansel's brigade of heavy cavalry was ordered about a league in front of their camp, where they lay that night at a farm-house, forming part of a detachment under General Otto. Early the next morning, an attack was made on the French drawn up in front of the village of Villers en Couchée (between Le Cateau and Bouchain) by the 15th regiment of Light Dragoons, and two squadrons of Austrian Hussars: they charged the enemy with such velocity and force, that, darting through their cavalry, they dispersed a line of infantry formed in their rear, forcing them also to retreat precipitately and in great confusion, under cover of the ramparts of Cambray; with a loss of 1200 men, and three pieces of cannon. The only British officer wounded was Captain Aylett: sixty privates fell, and about twenty were wounded.

"Though the heavy brigade was formed at a distance under a brisk cannonade, while the light dragoons had so glorious an opportunity of distinguishing themselves, there are none who can attach with propriety any blame on account of their unfortunate delay; for which General Otto was surely, as having the command, alone accountable, and not General Mansel, who acted at all times, there is no doubt, according to the best of his judgment for the good of the service.

"The Duke of York had, on the morning of the 26th, observed the left flank of the enemy to be unprotected; and, by ordering the cavalry to wheel round and attack on that side, afforded them an opportunity of gaining the highest credit by defeating the French army so much superior to them in point of numbers.

"General Mansel rushing into the thickest of the enemy, devoted himself to death; and animated by his example, that very brigade performed such prodigies of valour, as must have convinced the world that Britons, once informed how to act, justify the highest opinion that can possibly be entertained of their native courage. Could such men have ever been willingly backward? Certainly not.

"General Mansel's son, a captain in the 3rd Dragoon Guards, anxious to save his father's life, had darted forwards, and was taken prisoner, and carried into Cambray. Since his exchange, he has declared that there was not, on the 26th, a single French soldier left in the town, as Chapuy had drawn out the whole garrison to augment the army destined to attack the camp of Inchi. Had that circumstance been fortunately known at the time, a detachment of the British army might easily have marched along the Chaussée, and taken possession of the place ere the Republicans could possibly have returned, as they had in their retreat described a circuitous detour of some miles."

Mr. Simpson will perceive, from the above extracts, that the brilliant skirmish of Villers en Couché took place on April 24th; whereas the defeat of the French army under Chapuy did not occur until two days later. A large quantity of ammunition and thirty-five pieces of cannon were then captured; and although the writer does not mention the number who were killed on the part of the enemy, yet, as he states that Chapuy and near 400 of his men were made prisoners, their loss by death was no doubt proportionately large.

The 15th Hussars have long borne on their colours the memorable words "Villers en Couché" to commemorate the daring valour they displayed on that occasion.

    T. C. Smith.

In Cruttwell's Universal Gazetteer (1808), this village, which is five miles north-east of Cambray, is described as being "remarkable for an action between the French and the Allies on the 24th of April, 1794." The following officers of the 15th regiment of light dragoons are there named as having afterwards received crosses of the Order of Maria Theresa for their gallant behaviour, from the Emperor of Germany, viz.:

"Major W. Aylett, Capt. Robert Pocklington, Capt. Edw. Michael Ryan, Lieut. Thos. Granby Calcraft, Lieut. Wm. Keir, Lieut. Chas. Burrel Blount, Cornet Edward Gerald Butler, and Cornet Robert Thos. Wilson."

    D. S.

SNAIL-EATING

(Vol. viii., p. 33.)

The Surrey snails referred to by H. T. Riley, are thus mentioned by Aubrey in his account of Box Hill:

"On the south downs of this county (Surrey), and in those of Sussex, are the biggest snails that ever I saw, twice or three times as big as our common snails, which are the Bavoli or Drivalle, which Mr. Elias Ashmole tells me that the Lord Marshal brought from Italy, and scattered them on the Downs hereabouts, and between Albury and Horsley, where are the biggest of all."

Again, Aubrey, in his Natural History of Wiltshire, says:

"The great snailes on the downes at Albury, in Surrey (twice as big as ours) were brought from Italy by * * * Earle Marshal, about 1638."—Aubrey's History, p. 10., edited by John Britton, F.S.A., published by the Wiltshire Topographical Society, 1847.

The first of these accounts, from Aubrey's Surrey, I have quoted in my Promenade round Dorking, 2nd edit. 1823, p. 274., and have added in a note:

"This was one of the Earls of Arundel. It is probably from this snail account that the error, ascribing the planting of the box (on Box Hill) to one of the Earls of Arundel, has arisen. The snails were brought thither for the Countess of Arundel, who was accustomed to dress and eat them for a consumptive complaint."

When I lived at Dorking (1815-1821) a breed of large white snails was found on Box Hill.

    John Timbs.

Mr. H. T. Riley is informed that the breed of white snails he refers to is to be plentifully found in the neighbourhood of Shere. I have found them frequently near the neighbouring village of Albury, on St. Martha's Hill, and I am told they are to be met with in the lanes as far as Dorking. I have always heard that they were imported for the use of a lady who was in a consumption; but who this was, or when it happened, I have never been able to ascertain.

    Nedlam.

The breed of large white snails is to be found all along the escarpment of the chalk range, and is not confined to Surrey. It is said to have been introduced into England by Sir Kenelm Digby, and was considered very nutritious and wholesome for consumptive patients. About the end of the last century I was in the habit of collecting a few of the common garden snails from the fruit-trees, and taking them every morning to a lady who was in a delicate state of health; she took them boiled or stewed, or cooked in some manner with milk, making a mucilaginous drink.

    E. H.

I have somewhere read of the introduction of a foreign breed of snails into Cambridgeshire, I forget the exact locality, for the table of the monks who imported them; but unfortunately it was before I commenced making "notes" on the subject, and I have not been able to recollect where to find it.

    Seleucus.

INSCRIPTION NEAR CIRENCESTER

(Vol. viii., p. 76.)

This inscription is not "in Earl Bathurst's park," as your correspondent A. Smith says, but is in Oakley Woods, situated at some three or four miles' distance from Cirencester, and being separated and quite distinct from the park; nor is the inscription correctly copied. Rudder, in his new History of Gloucestershire, 1779, says:

"Concealed as it were in the wood stands Alfred's Hall, a building that has the semblance of great antiquity. Over the door opposite to the south entrance, on the inside, is the following inscription in the Saxon character and language [of which there follows a copy]. Over the south door is the following Latin translation:

"'Fœdus quod Ælfredus & Gythrunus reges, omnes Anglia sapientes, & quicunq; Angliam incolebant orientalem, ferierunt; & non solum de seipsis, verum etiam de natis suis, ac nondum in lucem editis, quotquot misericordiæ divinæ aut regiæ velint esse participes jurejurando sanxerunt.

"'Primò ditionis nostræ fines ad Thamesin evehuntur, inde ad Leam usq; ad fontem ejus; tum recta ad Bedfordiam, ac deniq; per Usam ad viam Vetelingianam.'"

I copy from Rudder, with the stops and contracted "et's," as they stand in his work; though I think the original has points between each word, as marked by A. Smith.

The omissions and mistakes of your correspondent (which you will perceive are important) are marked in Italics above.

Rudder adds,—

"Behind this building is a ruin with a stone on the chimney-piece, on which, in ancient characters relieved on the stone, is this inscription:

'IN . MEM . ALFREDI . REG . RESTAVR . ANO . DO . 1085.'

"It would have been inexcusable in the topographer to have passed by so curious a place without notice; but the historian would have been equally culpable who should not have informed the reader that this building is an excellent imitation of antiquity. The name, the inscription, and the writing over the doors, of the convention between the good king and his pagan enemies, were probably all suggested by the similarity of Achelie, the ancient name of this place, to Æcglea, where King Alfred rested with his army the night before he attacked the Danish camp at Ethandun, and at length forced their leader Godrum, or Guthrum, or Gormund, to make such convention."

It is many years since I saw the inscription, and then I made no note of it; but I have no doubt that Rudder has given it correctly, because when I was a young man I was intimately acquainted with him, who was then an aged person; and a curious circumstance that occurred between us, and is still full in my memory, impressed me with the idea of his great precision and exactness.

I would remark on the explanation given by Rudder, that the Iglea of Asser is supposed by Camden, Gibson, Gough, and Sir Richard Colt Hoare to be Clayhill, eastward of Warminster; and Ethandun to be Edington, about three miles eastward of Westbury, both in Wilts.

Asser says that, "in the same year," the year of the battle, "the army of the pagans, departing from Chippenham, as had been promised, went to Cirencester, where they remained one year."

On the signal defeat of Guthrum, he gave hostages to Alfred; and it is probable that, if any treaty was made between them, it was made immediately after the battle; and not that Alfred came from his fortress of Æthelingay to meet Guthrum at Cirencester, where his army lay after leaving Chippenham.

If the treaty was made soon after the battle, it might have been at Alfred's Hall near Cirencester, especially if Hampton (Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire), which is only six miles from Oakley Wood, be the real site of the great and important battle, as was, a few years since, very plausibly argued by Mr. John Marks Moffatt, in a paper inserted, with the signature "J. M. M.," in Brayley's Graphic and Historical Illustrator, p. 106. et seq., 1834.

The mention of Rudder's History brings to my mind an inscription over the door of Westbury Court, which I noticed when a boy at school, in the village of Westbury in this county. This mansion was taken down during the minority of Maynard Colchester, Esq., the present owner of the estate. Rudder, in his account of that parish, has preserved the inscription—

"D