TWENTY YEARS IN RETIREMENT
CONTINUES the life of the author of Twelve Years' Military Ad- venture from the close of the Peninsular war to the present time. The first incident in the book is the hero's marriage; the second, a march to Paris, after the Battle of Waterloo; the third, his withdrawal from the service and final settlement as a gentleman farmer in England. Henceforth " Othello's occupa- tion's gone.' 'We hear no more of the plumed troop and the big wars; the remainder of the two volumes consists of accounts of our veteran's family, habits, and occupations, sketches of the cha- racters and amusements of the neighbourhood, with reminiscences of his youthful adventures, and expositions of his economical and political opinions; these matters being varied by narratives of a trip to Ireland, a tour to Paris, and a pilgrimage up the Rhine. A work consisting of such every-day materials must of course be less interesting than one dealing with the incidents and ad- ventures of active service. Twenty Years 'in Retirement is not, however, so dull as the table of contents might lead one to sup- pose. The author has a keen sense of the ridiculous, although It be of a material kind, anti shows itself rather in detecting the absurd in fashions and features than in manners. He also pos- sesses some rough vigour and a broad kind of humour, which reminds one of the wag of a marching regiment's mess-table ; and he is besides a man of shrewdness and common sense, which have both been sharpened by collision with the world. We therefore manage to get through his volumes without much weariness; now reading and laughing, and now skipping such trivial matters as the loss and " fate " of the dog Rover, such tame caricatures as the hen-pecked author, or such nasty and pointless jokes as that about the B flats. This statement, by the by,,, is incorrect: we have not skipped them; but we might as well. As we have intimated already, the earlier part of the work, which relates to military affairs, is the most interesting, not only for its freshness. but its information. There are some critical observations on the Battle of Waterloo, which are amongst the plainest and most popular we have read,—being brief, clear, and free from the cant of criticism. There are also some judicious remarks on the qualifications of soldiers, from which we will take
afew passages. BRITISH MODE. OF FIGHTING.
Although we islanders have been satisfied from our infancy that one English- man is equal to two Frenchmen, foreignera, who are not convinced of the fact by such early impressions, may, and no doubt it often, ask (themselves at least, if not others) how it is that the English soldier beats all the world? The true reason is, that he combines the principles of bath attack and defence. If in po.ition, he does not await the shock of Ills enemy ; but when the latter ar- rives within distance, he instinctively pounces upon him with a strength and velueity which his astonished opponent, out of Meath pelhaps, and weakened by the steady fire of the ltlitish ranks, has not the power to withstand. An- other reason for the superiority of the British infantry is their mode of attack hi line, which, I believe, is peculiar to our army. I know of no other that has adopted it. Since the invention of gunpowder the formation in column has lost its chief power. It is peculiarly exposed to the effect ot artillery ; and, when opposed to a line, it cannot possibly return a fire by any means equal to that avhich is directed against it. It is, besides, wholly dependent on the few men which compose its front ; and if these turn tail, it is ail over with the column. The Duke of Wellington's mode of Resisting these attacks was this Le dou•ded up the battalion in their front. placed one on each flank, and then, when the tire from the artillery and the line had produced it effect, he charged the C011111111 simultaneously in front and flank. This matneuvre has invariably' proved successful. In ordinary cases the assailants have the advantage in the open field ; first, because they are generally able to bring to bear on one point a larger force than the defendants have to oppose it ; and next, because the circumstance of their being the attacking farce gives them confidence, and rice versa. But on the British system of defence the superiority of three is more than compensated by the advantage of ground, by the fire of well-placed batteries, as well as of the lire itself. the freshness of the defioulers, and the exhausted state of the assail- ant,. while confidence, as long as he is well commanded, is never wanting to the British soldier.
USES OF CC/NMI:SCE.
Here I may remark that courage and activity, unless combined, are of little oval iu military matters. Activity without courage will only make a man ran away the faster; and courage cannot he brought properly to bear without ae• tivitv. The two qualities are to each other as weight and velocity in mechanics.
But after all, confidence is the soul of battle. That body which possesses the most confidence on coining to the charge will be successful. In the whole ecurse of my military career I never saw two bodies of any size cross bayonets. I have heard that such a thing occurred at the Battle of Maida ; but it will re- quire stronger evidence than I have yet seen to make me believe it. Before such a collision takes place, one side always gives way : and I hold it as a maxim in wart re that, if one boils- will only stand still, another of equal size will not come up to it. Any one who has seen a charge by the best troops will be con- vinced id this fact. Ilethre the assailing body arrives within twenty paces of their enemy, it will he found to be divided into three parts: the first composed of your rash, dare devil fellows who outgrip their companions; the next, of your steady hands, who will do their duty and no more; and the last of those who would stay behind if they could. They are, in filet, something like a pack of hounds in full ere. The foremost dogs do as much mischief by overrunning tle s:.ent as the hindniest by lagging. Fear is the most powerful of human passions, and is more evinced than the world generally supposes. We hear 01 m.m;es and corps " covering themselves wit It glory ;y" but we seldom hear of their covering themselves from the fire of the enemy. Yet doubtless any loan who has seen much service has observed more of fear than of courage—witness
the didiculty often experienced in getting men from under cover into an exposed Situation. What stooping, and bobbing-, and running back ! Indeed I have seen a great deal more to make me ashamed of my species than proud of it. Indi- viduals may be found, certainly, in whom tear seems scarcely to exist ; but in bodies it is always very apparent. It is not, however, your harebrained fellow who is the most courageous. I have observed that those who have the least thought of danger generally display the most fear when the danger conies upon them. That man is the best prepared to do his duty who has given the subject the most thought; and I myself have found that the actual presence of danger was less distressing than the anticipation of it.
COMPARATIVE MERITS OF GENERAL GO AND GENERAL LET-US-GO!
Nor are personal and moral courage very frequently combined. Your soberer, who will face any man, often wants the courage and determination to encounter difficulties, and is frequently what is termed a weak man. The French describe two kinds of generals by the names ot General Allen and General Allons. Now I like to see these two combined ; but in a general, if any thing, the die: should preponderate. Your man of great personal courage is is too often a croaker, and in reverses is too much disposed to despair.
These extracts will give an idea of the off-hand style of the writer ; although the nature of his subject in some measure re- strains him, and the weight of the matter renders it unnecessary to aim at producing effect by effort. There is no occasion to transfer to our columns any of the broader passages of our retired soldier ; but a sample may be given where the quality of the material requires more aid from the artist than was necessary in the preceding quotations. Here is the diameter of A PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHER.
Mr. Thompson was a bachelor on principle. He had just sufficient property to make him comfortable, and he did not see why be was to share it with any
other mortal. • • • • - • Ile was a decided epicurean. Not that he did not feel pleasure in conferring benefits on others—far from it. When he had more than lie wanted of the good things of this freely gave the superfluity to others. He was of a jovial disposition ; therefore he liked society. lie was an epicure in his living; but, at the same time, he liked to enjoy a good thing with another who equally relished it ; but not to share it with one who knew nut the value of it. lie had nothing churlish or dog-in-the-mangerish aboulhim. He took what he wanted himself, and was pleased to see others enMing themselves, even with such things as did not suit his taste; because there is something catching in good spirits, and a pleasure in seeing others pleased. You may call this good-heartedness, if you like; but it is quite consistent with the most consum- mate self love. Benignity based on this principle is lasting, and far superior to that founded on impulse. A person acting from the motive of self-love will not slobber a man over with kindness; but he will be kind to him because it gives him pleasure, and avoid quarrelling with him because it gives him pain.
Mr. Thompson, as I eaid before, inherited a tolerable property, sufficient
to command every thing essential to the comfort of a bachelor. The addition of a wife and family would have deranged the whole concern. Every thing about him was the best of its kind, and kept in the very best order. His house was old, but in excellent repair ; and in it was a delightful old wains- coated parlour, in which he often enjoyed a good dinner with a few kindred spirits. He had an excellent cook, and a choice cellar of wine. lie himself could took a beef-steak or mutton-clomp with aoy man or woman, and no one could enjoy them more. Moreover, he liked a snug rubber, and a barrel of oysters. lie was no sportsman; but he kept a nice gig and horse, both in prime order ; and he just took enough exercise to keep hint in health and to give an appetite for dinner, without what is called taking any thing out of himself. For this latter reason he never di l any thing in a hurry, or walked or rude so as to thioar himself into a perspiration. That was expending himself, and against his principle ; but, at the same time, he took all proper precautions to prevent indigestion. So, having no bodily ills and few mental cares, he appeared, though past the meritlim of life, with a brow smooth and unruffled and a head without a gray hair in it.
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