ions, equally ready at all seasons for
action."

Lord Strathern took up the cudgels and maintained that though an army
might be called a machine, its component parts were men, who
necessarily had some perception of the contingencies and emergencies
incident to military life, and that great as were sacrifices they
might make, and the restrictions they might bear with when there was
obvious necessity for them, should the same exacting course be pursued
as a system, it would only break their spirits, freeze their zeal, and
disgust them with the service. "We have seen enough of your mechanical
armies, drilled and regulated to perfection, as soulless mechanism. We
have seen how, on the dislocation of this machine, the parts became
useless and helpless, without resource in themselves. In short, it is
the Prussian and Austrian system which has given half Europe to the
French. No; if the bow need unbending, still more does the soldier
need relaxation, to give vigor and elasticity to body and mind. A
little ease and pleasure chequering his career only beget desire and
the motives for new adventure and fresh exertions. How is it with our
horses," exclaimed his lordship, who was a jockey of the old school.
"Do we not give them a run at grass, to refresh their constitutions
and renew their youth?"

But L'Isle unshaken maintained his opinion, "With such materials as
make up a large part of our army, for his majesty gets the services of
many a fellow who can be put to no good use at home, your lordship's
relaxation system would only tend to sap its moral and physical
strength, and make it a curse to the country in which it is quartered,
whether at home or abroad."

It would have been well had the discussion stopped here. In the heat
of debate each pushed his argument beyond his own convictions.
Colonel Bradshawe sat sipping his wine, listening with mock gravity
and seeming to oscillate between the opinions of the disputants, but
most of the company agreed with Lord Strathern; still L'Isle found
several staunch backers for his mechanical theory. But when quoting
facts in support of his views, he referred to the conduct of their own
men on sundry late occasions, and stated the result of the inquiries
he that morning had made into the last outrage, he brought the whole
company down upon him. They were all sure that the English soldiers
had nothing to do with it. His lordship professed to detect, not only
in the act itself, but in th