The Young Officer's Companion; Or, Essays on Military Duties and Qualities |
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acquired afterwards Aide-de-camp appear arms army artillery attack battalion battle body Boyd brave bravery Breda Cæsar camp cannon Cape Mounted Riflemen Captain cavalry character Clive Colonel command conduct confidence corps courage Court-martial danger death defence desire detachment discipline duel duelling Duke Duke of Guise duty effect Emperor endeavour enemy English fatigue favour fire force fortification France French garrison gate give guard Guelma guns hand honour horse hundred immediately infantry instantly killed King Lord Lord Clive Lord Norwich Lord Wellington Louis XIV Majesty Mandonius manner Marshal ment military mind nature never night observed occasion passed passion Peninsular war persons present Prince Prince of Condé principle prisoner rank received regiment remarkable rendered replied retreat river says sent siege soldiers soon Spain Spaniards Spanish spirit squadrons Suwarrow sword tion took town troops Turenne valour victory whole wounded Zieten
Popular passages
Page 56 - This gentleman being sent out by Henry, before the battle, to reconnoitre the enemy, and to find out their strength, made this report : — " May it please you, my liege, there are enough to be killed, enough to be taken prisoners, and enough to run away.
Page 121 - ... 5. To revenge this conduct on the peaceable inhabitants of France would be unmanly and unworthy of the nations to whom the Commander of the Forces now addresses himself, and at all events would be the occasion of similar and worse evils to the army at large than those which the enemy's army have suffered in the Peninsula, and would eventually prove highly injurious to the public interests.
Page 164 - There are many more shining qualities in the mind of mart, but there is none so useful as discretion. It is this, indeed which gives a value to all the rest ; which sets them at work in their proper times and places ; and turns them to the advantage of the person who is possessed of them.
Page 165 - The discreet man finds out the talents of those he converses with, and knows how to apply them to proper uses. Accordingly, if we look into particular communities and divisions of men, we may observe that it is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to the society.
Page 359 - Indolence is a stream which flows slowly on, but yet undermines the foundation of every virtue. A vice of a more lively nature were a more desirable tyrant than this rust of the mind, which gives a tincture of its nature to every action of one's life.
Page 184 - It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction, that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance. It is not like the practice of many other virtues, difficult and painful, but attended with so much pleasure, that were there no positive command which enjoined it, nor any recompense laid up for it hereafter, a generous mind would indulge in it, for the natural gratification that accompanies it.
Page 263 - He, then, who fights a duel, does not fight from passion against his antagonist, but out of self-defence ; to avert the stigma of the world, and to prevent himself from being driven out of society. I could wish there was not that superfluity of refinement; but while such notions prevail, no. doubt a man may lawfully fight a duel.
Page 358 - There is hardly any one person without some allay of it; and thousands besides myself spend more time in an idle uncertainty which to begin first of two affairs, than would have been sufficient to have ended them both. The occasion of this seems to be the want of some necessary employment, to put the spirits in motion, and awaken them out of their lethargy. If I had less leisure, I should have more; for I should then find my time distinguished into portions, some...
Page 483 - ... there was also his triangular shield suspended round his neck, and his barred helmet of steel, over which he had a hood and collar of mail, which was drawn around the warrior's shoulders and throat, and filled up the vacancy between the hauberk and the headpiece. His lower limbs were sheathed, like his body, in flexible mail, securing the legs and thighs, while the feet rested in plated shoes, which corresponded with the gauntlets.
Page 359 - I lose the reality : unmindful that the present time alone is ours, the future is yet unborn, and the past is dead, and can only live (as parents in their children) in the actions it has produced.