The lieutenant under whom he had enlisted, having commended him in the highest terms, these circumstances were communicated by the colonel to the marshal, and by the latter to the empress, who soon after gave him a lieutenancy. He continued to apply himself very diligently to the study of his profession, but an accident happened to him which was near putting an end to his life and prospects at once, Reading one night in bed, he fell asleep, and the candle falling from his hand, set fire to the curtains; he was however, fortunate enough to escape in time to save the house from destruction, but the greater part of the furniture in the room was consumed; on account of which the people of the house obtained the sequestration of half his pay, till the damage was made good. This involved him in great distress, but he acquiesced without complaint. The circumstance, however, soon became known, and coming to the knowledge of a large convent of Irish franciscans established at Prague, one of the fathers of which happening to have known Sir John Caldwell, our young hero’s father, in Ireland, gave this account of him to the fraternity:– “Sir John,” said he, “though a staunch protestant, always treated the Roman catholics with humanity and tenderness: in particular, one stormy day, when it rained very hard, he discovered a priest with his congregation, at mass under a hedge: and instead of taking that opportunity of blaming them for meeting so near his house, he ordered his cows to be driven out of a neighbouring cow-house, and signified to the priest and people that they might take shelter from the weather, and finish their devotion in peace. It ill becomes us, therefore, brethren,” said he, “to see the son of Sir John Caldwell distressed in a strange country, remote from all his friends, without affording him assistance.”
The fraternity, having heard this account, contrived, by mutual consent, to have the debt paid, unknown to young Caldwell, who, shortly afterwards, being advanced to a company, presented them with treble the sum, and returned his brother’s letter of credit. From this time he was
