The Battle of Fontenoy, May 11, 1745. Oil by Louis Nicolas van Blarenberghe.
During the battle of Fontenoy, when French soldiers were being mowed down, the Dauphin positioned himself at the front of some troops and, sword in hand, shouted:
— “Frenchmen, forward! Let’s fight for the honor of France!”
Some who were close to the Crown Prince cautioned that his life was too precious to risk in a charge, but he replied:
— “On the day of battle, only the life of the general is precious, not mine.”
Edmond Guérard, Dictionnaire encyclopédique d’anécdotes (Paris: Firmin Didot, 1872), Vol. 1, 262. (Nobility.org translation.)
Short Stories on Honor, Chivalry, and the World of Nobility—no. 430
