Hungarians in revolt, joined with the Turkish forces which they had
called to their assistance, marched into Germany and laid siege to
Vienna. Louis XIV. had hitherto taken care to foment the spirit of
insurrection, and to aggravate the more pressing dangers of Germany;
but at this moment, to cover the encouragement he had held out
privately to the rebels, he permitted the nobility of his court to
volunteer in defence of Christendom, which the fall of Vienna would
have laid open to Infidels. A large body of young men set out
immediately for Austria, among whom Prince Eugene contrived to effect
his departure in secret. The famous, but unamiable minister Louvois,
when he heard of the young abbe's escape remarked with a sneer, "So
much the better, it will be long before he returns."

The speech was afterward repeated to Eugene, who replied, "I will
never return to France but as a conqueror;" and he kept his word, one
of the few instances in which history has been able to record that a
rash boast was afterward justified by talents and resolution.

On arriving at Vienna, Eugene cast away the gown forever, and his rank
instantly procured him a distinguished post near the person of the
Duke of Lorraine, then commanding the imperial forces.

Shortly after he had joined the army, John Sobieski, the valiant King
of Poland, advanced to the assistance of the emperor, and the Turks
were forced to raise the siege of the Austrian capital. In the
campaign that followed against the Infidels, Eugene distinguished
himself greatly, both by a sort of light unthinking courage, and by a
degree of skill and judgment, which seemed to show that the levity he
was somewhat too fond of displaying, though perhaps a confirmed habit
from his education in an idle and frivolous court, was no true type of
the mind within. It was the empty bubble dancing on the bosom of a
deep stream. This was felt by those who surrounded him; and promotion
succeeded with astonishing rapidity. Before the end of three months he
was in command of a regiment of horse.

Continual battles, sieges, and skirmishes, now inured Eugene to all
the hardships and all the dangers of war, and at the same time gave
him every opportunity of acquiring a thorough knowledge of his new
profession, and of obtaining higher and higher grades in the service.
In the course of a very few years he had been wounded more than once
severely; but at the same time he had aided in the taking of
Neuha