us--of the artillery uttered its
majestic bass to the sharp ringing fire of musketry. While, as wreath
after wreath of the light morning mist floated away before the breeze,
the glittering files and compact bristling squares, the centaur-like
cavalry, and stealthy riflemen gliding along the windings of the copse,
became apparent, stretching far into the distance; now hidden for a
moment by the rolling vapour from a discharge of firearms, then, as it
curled above them, dimming the clear sky, glancing bright in the sun,
which blithely kissed sabre and epaulet, and dancing plume, and the
knightly-looking pennoned weapon of the picturesque lancer. Truly the
scene was beautiful, and one to breathe a warlike spirit into the most
unexcitable. And we gazed in a paroxysm of admiration at the exquisite
evolutions and fierce charges that seemed as though they must bear all
before them, till this perfection of discipline came to an end, and the
long files of troops had taken their slow dusty departure; when, hot and
fagged, and with bright colours still dancing before our eyes, we
returned to our home. There, as each "pleasure has its pain," we found
that one was superinduced on ours, in the shape of a robbery of our
plate committed while we were staring ourselves out of countenance at
the gay spectacle; our faithless domestics having taken that opportunity
of indulging their own taste for the "sublime and beautiful." 'Tis to be
hoped they got enough of the "beautiful" at the show, as we indulged
them with a touch of the "sublime" (which has one of its sources in
_terror_) when we discovered our loss. But we enjoyed the review
thoroughly for all that, and are ready for another to-morrow, first
taking the precaution to "lock up all our treasure," warned by a
catastrophe which nearly reduced us to wooden spoons and hay-makers.

Military music! But to feel its power fully, let it be heard when the
exulting strains that are wont to fill the air with exuberant harmony
are saddened into the sweet, mournful, heart-breaking notes that steal
on the ear at a soldier's funeral, and the gaudy splendour of military
array has passed into the drear pomp of that most touching, most
monitory sight. Faint mournful bugle-notes are wafted fitfully on the
wind, plumes and glittering weapons glance and disappear as the
procession advances, now hidden by the hedge-rows, now flashing on the
sight, in the autumnal sun, as it winds slowly along the devious r