uence either of an excess, or of
a deficiency, of energy. All these opinions have been broached, and
it is easy to see that they might very well arise, because each person
takes a different view of the connection of events. At the same time
these antagonistic opinions cannot be reconciled with each other, and
therefore one of the two must be wrong.

Much as we are obliged to the worthy Feuquieres for the numerous
examples introduced in his memoirs--partly because a number of
historical incidents have thus been preserved which might otherwise
have been lost, and partly because he was one of the first to bring
theoretical, that is, abstract, ideas into connection with the practical
in war, in so far that the cases brought forward may be regarded as
intended to exemplify and confirm what is theoretically asserted--yet,
in the opinion of an impartial reader, he will hardly be allowed to have
attained the object he proposed to himself, that of proving theoretical
principles by historical examples. For although he sometimes relates
occurrences with great minuteness, still he falls short very often of
showing that the deductions drawn necessarily proceed from the inner
relations of these events.

Another evil which comes from the superficial notice of historical
events, is that some readers are either wholly ignorant of the events,
or cannot call them to remembrance sufficiently to be able to grasp
the author's meaning, so that there is no alternative between either
accepting blindly what is said, or remaining unconvinced.

It is extremely difficult to put together or unfold historical events
before the eyes of a reader in such a way as is necessary, in order
to be able to use them as proofs; for the writer very often wants the
means, and can neither afford the time nor the requisite space; but
we maintain that, when the object is to establish a new or doubtful
opinion, one single example, thoroughly analysed, is far more
instructive than ten which are superficially treated. The great mischief
of these superficial representations is not that the writer puts his
story forward as a proof when it has only a false title, but that he
has not made himself properly acquainted with the subject, and that from
this sort of slovenly, shallow treatment of history, a hundred false
views and attempts at the construction of theories arise, which would
never have made their appearance if the writer had looked upon it as his
duty to deduce