Essay on the Military Policy and Institutions of the British Empire, Part 1 |
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advantage affairs afterwards alliance allies allowed amongst appear arms assistance attack Austria Britain British army British troops Buonaparte cause certainly colonies command commerce conduct conquer conquest consequence considered continental contrary defend destroyed destruction employed enemy England equal Europe evacuating executive government favor feelings fleet force foreign former France French empire fully Galicia garrison greater hope increase island Italy justice kingdom of Naples land latter law of nations Lord Lord Nelson Malta Maltese martial policy means measures ment military nation Naples native nature naval power naval superiority necessity never object observed officers opinion ourselves Palermo peace political Portugal possession present Prince of Orange princes principles proper proved province reason revenue Romans Sardinia seamen ships Sicilian Sicily Sir John Moore soldiers Spain Spaniards Spanish spirit strength subsidy success supposed supreme central junta thing tion valor vigorous Walcheren warlike whilst whole Zealand
Popular passages
Page 122 - Though the people of the world, in the dregs of the •Gothic empire, be yet tumbling and tossing upon the bed of sickness, they cannot die ; nor is there any means of recovery for them but by ancient prudence, whence of necessity it must come to pass that this drug be better known. If France, Italy, and Spain were not all sick, all corrupted together, there would be none of them so ; for the sick would not be able to withstand the sound, nor the sound to preserve their health, without curing of...
Page 228 - The wise and active conquer difficulties, By daring to attempt them. Sloth and folly Shiver and shrink at sight of toil and hazard, And make th
Page 191 - Your lordship knows, that had I followed my own opinion, as a military man, I should have retired with the army from Salamanca. The Spanish armies were then beaten, there was no Spanish force to which we could unite...
Page 168 - I am aware of the great want of them in England, and that other services must be starved to take care of home. If I were at your Lordship's elbow, I think I could say so much upon the subject of Sardinia, that attempts would be made to obtain it; for this I hold as clear, that the King of Sardinia cannot keep it, and, if he could, that it is of no use to him; that if France gets it, she commands the Mediterranean; and that by us it would be kept at a much smaller expense than Malta: from its position,...
Page 187 - Saragossa, against the young students of the universities, who served as private soldiers, and nearly perished in the disastrous operations of Blake, against the many thousands of unhappy men, the flower of the youth of Spain, who from a want of good officers, and of all the essentials of an army, which are not to be acquired in a few months, or even in a few years, were unable to withstand their warlike invaders in the field, and who (small as the proportion of them that have actually fallen in...
Page 251 - But the constitution of the Supreme Central Junta is not founded on any well understood system of union among the provinces, and still less on any just or wise distribution of the elements or powers of government; the confederacy of the provinces yet exists ; the executive power is weakened and dispersed in the hands of an assembly too numerous for unity of council or promptitude of action, and too contracted for the purpose of representing the body of the Spanish Nation. The Supreme Central Junta...
Page 191 - I was sensible, however, that the apathy and indifference of the Spaniards would never have been believed ; that, had the British been withdrawn, the loss of the cause would have been imputed to their retreat; and it was necessary to risk this army to convince the people of England, as well as the rest of Europe, that the Spaniards had neither the power, nor the inclination, to make any efforts for themselves.
Page 191 - I was satisfied that no efforts would be made to aid us, or to favour the cause in which they were engaged. " I was sensible, however, that the apathy and indifference of the Spaniards would never have been believed ; that had the British been withdrawn, the loss of the cause would have been imputed to their retreat, and it was necessary to risk this army to...
Page 122 - Look you to it, where there is tumbling and tossing upon the bed of sickness, it must end in death or recovery. Though the people of the world, in the dregs of the •Gothic empire, be yet tumbling and tossing upon the bed of sickness, they cannot die ; nor is there any means of recovery for them but by ancient prudence, whence of necessity it must come to pass that this drug be better known. If France, Italy, and Spain were not all sick, all corrupted together, there would be none of them so ; for...
Page 96 - Ce n'est pas la fortune qui domine le monde ; on peut le demander aux Romains, qui eurent une suite continuelle de prospérités quand ils se gouvernèrent sur un certain plan, et une suite non interrompue de revers lorsqu'ils se conduisirent sur un autre. Il ya des causes générales, soit morales, soit physiques, qui agissent dans chaque monarchie...