glory and independence against the unprincipled ambition of
the French Government; when, in the Duchy alone, no less than 8511
men and boys enrolled themselves in twenty-nine companies of foot,
horse and artillery, as well out of enthusiasm as to escape the
general levy threatened by Government (so mixed are all human
motives); then, you may be sure, Troy did not lag behind.

Ah! but we had some brave corps among the Duchy Volunteers!

There was the St. Germans Subscription Troop, for instance, which
consisted of forty men and eleven uniforms, and hunted the fox thrice
a week during the winter months under Lord Eliot, Captain and M.F.H.
There was the Royal Redruth Infantry, the famous "Royal Reds," of 103
men and five uniforms. These had heard, at second hand, of
Bonaparte's vow to give them no quarter, and wore a conspicuous patch
of red in the seat of their pantaloons that he might have no excuse
for mistaking them. There was the even more famous Mevagissey
Battery, of no men and 121 uniforms. In Mevagissey, as you may be
aware, the bees fly tail-foremost; and therefore, to prevent
bickerings, it was wisely resolved at the first drill to make every
unit of this corps an officer.

But the most famous of all (and sworn rivals) were two companies of
coast artillery--the Looe Diehards and the Troy Gallants.

The Looe Diehards (seventy men and two uniforms) wore dark blue coats
and pantaloons, with red facings, yellow wings and tassels, and white
waistcoats. Would you know by what feat they earned their name?
Listen. I quote the very words of their commander, Captain Bond, who
survived to write a _History of Looe_--and a sound book it is.
"The East and West Looe Volunteer Artillery was established in 1803,
and kept in pay from Government for six years. Not a single man of
the company died during the six years, which is certainly very
remarkable."

But, when you come to think of it, what an even more remarkable boast
for a body of warriors!

We of Troy (180 men and two uniforms) laughed at this claim.
Say what you will, there is no dash about longevity, or very little.
For uniform we wore dark-blue coats and pantaloons, with white wings
and facings, edged and tasselled with gilt, and scarlet waistcoats,
also braided with gilt. We wanted no new name, we! Ours was an
inherited one, derived from days when, under Warwick the King-maker,
Lord High Admiral of England, we had swept the Channel, summoned the
men of