John Churchill, one of Britain's best generals in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, served under the celebrated French marshal Turenne in his early twenties. He attracted the notice of Turenne, who called him "the handsome Englishman" and soon had an opportunity to put his spirit to the test.
In 1672, when the French were trying to capture Nimeguen from the Dutch, a French colonel abandoned, without resistance, a position he had been ordered to defend to the last extremity. Turenne exclaimed, "I'll bet a supper and a dozen of claret that my handsome Englishman will recover the post with half the number of men that the officer who lost it commanded." Churchill instantly accepted the wager. He repelled the enemy after a short but desperate fight.
約翰．邱吉爾是十七世紀末、十八世紀初英國一位出色將領，才過二十歲的時候，曾為法國著名元帥圖任效力。圖任對他青眼有加，稱為「那個俊朗英國人」，不久還找到機會，試驗他的勇氣。
一六七二年，法軍要從荷蘭人手上奪取奈梅亨市。一個法國上校奉命死守一處陣地，却不戰而退。圖任說：「我以一頓晚飯、十二瓶波爾多紅葡萄酒作賭注，這個俊朗英國人只要那失守上校一半的兵力，就可奪回陣地。」邱吉爾毫不猶豫，接受打賭，經過短暫激戰，擊退敵軍。