Note 7 — Section 178. HOW THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON WAS DECEIVED.
Reading edition
[1] to be famously taken in, gehörig angeführt werden; once, eines Tages.
[2] = had begun to plunder; a good deal, tüchtig.
[3] to — it = to make an end of this nuisance, diesem Unwesen ein Ende zu machen.
[4] announcing that = according to which, wonach.
[5] the — act = the first man (der erste) whom one would take in the act. To take a person in the act, einen auf frischer That ertappen.
[6] to sit down to dinner, sich zu Tische setzen.
[7] Leute.
[8] in — plundering, beim Plündern.
[9] He has nothing for it, es bleibt ihm nichts anderes übrig; but, als; in, an; might = could, Impf. Subj.; column = army; in its march, vorbeimarschierend, adj. qualifying ‘army’.
[10] bei; place ‘I think’ after ‘and’; among the rest = among others.
[11] = These seemed to be very much shocked (ergriffen) at (von) the occurrence.
[12] to indulge one’s feelings, seinen Gefühlen freien Lauf lassen.
[13] Gut; went — gravely, ging ein wenig ernsthaft vonstatten.
[14] auch wirklich, which place after the subject, and construe the sentence in the Active Voice with the pron. man; men = soldiers.
[15] = had. There was no more talking, es wurde nicht mehr gesprochen.
[16] = one of my staff-officers (Stabsoffiziere); to take counsel in a matter with a friend, eine Sache mit einem Freunde besprechen.
[17] = these; culprits = condemned men (der Verurteilte, Nom. Sing.).
[18] Waren Eure (Ew.) Hoheit nicht sehr erzürnt darüber?
[19] Nun ja, anfangs vielleicht war ich’s.
[20] = however (aber), since I did not wish (wollen) the death of the poor fellows, but (sondern) only the example (Here follows the verb).
[21] ‘to die out’, here ersterben, insep. comp. str. v.
[22] To avoid a repetition of subordinate clauses, say: ‘that I am very glad (froh) now at (über) the preservation (Rettung) of the 3 men (Leute).