re certain but less useful, and
therefore less important, victory on the one hand, and a somewhat less
probable but far more decisive and important victory, on the other
hand. Presented in this form, boldness must have declared for the second
solution, which is the reverse of what took place, when the thing
was only superficially viewed. Buonaparte certainly was anything but
deficient in boldness, and we may be sure that he did not see the whole
case and its consequences as fully and clearly as we can at the present
time.

Naturally the critic, in treating of the means, must often appeal to
military history, as experience is of more value in the Art of War
than all philosophical truth. But this exemplification from history
is subject to certain conditions, of which we shall treat in a special
chapter and unfortunately these conditions are so seldom regarded that
reference to history generally only serves to increase the confusion of
ideas.

We have still a most important subject to consider, which is, How far
criticism in passing judgments on particular events is permitted, or in
duty bound, to make use of its wider view of things, and therefore also
of that which is shown by results; or when and where it should leave out
of sight these things in order to place itself, as far as possible, in
the exact position of the chief actor?

If criticism dispenses praise or censure, it should seek to place itself
as nearly as possible at the same point of view as the person acting,
that is to say, to collect all he knew and all the motives on which he
acted, and, on the other hand, to leave out of the consideration all
that the person acting could not or did not know, and above all, the
result. But this is only an object to aim at, which can never be reached
because the state of circumstances from which an event proceeded can
never be placed before the eye of the critic exactly as it lay before
the eye of the person acting. A number of inferior circumstances, which
must have influenced the result, are completely lost to sight, and many
a subjective motive has never come to light.

The latter can only be learnt from the memoirs of the chief actor, or
from his intimate friends; and in such things of this kind are often
treated of in a very desultory manner, or purposely misrepresented.
Criticism must, therefore, always forego much which was present in the
minds of those whose acts are criticised.

On the other hand, it is much