orps removed into the others, all those
regiments would be improved, as being rendered more even, whilst the
Carabineers would then be equal in appearance, with regard to the men,
to any regiment in the world. With respect to the horses, it would be
more difficult to render it as perfect as our Life Guards, and as to
their bridles and equipments in general (except their regimentals) there
is often an inequality and want of care and attention as to uniformity
of appearance, but throughout all the French cavalry, the men have an
excellent command over their horses. I have been at many grand reviews
both in France and in England, and in the former I never saw a man
thrown, whereas in the latter it has frequently occurred, either from
the horse falling or other circumstances.

With regard to the French army in general, the effect is that of the men
having individually a degree of independent appearance, or as if each
man acted for himself, instead of being as one solid machine set in
motion as it were by a sort of spring, which moving the whole mass, all
the parts must operate together. The French infantry, in point of
marching, are an exact contrast to the most highly disciplined troops of
Russia and Prussia, who pretend to assert that they have regiments who
can march with such extreme steadiness and regularity, that every man
may have a glass of wine upon his head and not a drop will be spilt;
attempt the same thing with a French regiment, and wine and glass would
soon be on the ground, and in all their military proceeding there is an
apparent slovenliness and irregularity, a want of closeness and
compactness in their movements; with regard to outward appearance, the
National Guard have the advantage on a field day, as there is a sort of
_esprit du corps_ between the legions, which causes them to take great
pains with regard to the _tenue_ of their respective battalions; but
after all, the great force of the French army is _enthusiasm_, and that
would be excited to a much greater degree in a war with England, than
with any other power, because they have been so taunted by the English
press, with the old absurd doctrine, viz., that one Englishman can beat
three Frenchmen, and several papers lately raked up the battles of
Cressy, Poitiers, Agincourt, etc., but the reply of the French is
indisputable, that those successes were most efficiently revenged, when
it is remembered that England was in possession of the whole of the