“Bear in mind, boys, that I shall tell you of many places where I have never been, and of 13battles that I have never seen. Much have I talked with old soldiers and sailors in my time and much have they told me. It may happen that in speaking of ships I may be, now and then, ‘out of my reckoning,’ and a little ‘disorderly’ at times, in describing things belonging to the army, for we are all of us liable to commit mistakes, and no doubt I make as many as other people.”
“The more you tell us of the army and navy the better.”
“Well, I will do my best for you. Let me here give you one of my general rules for the conduct of a good soldier. The advanced guard should fall back from every dishonourable action, and every rear-rank man should set a bold front against insubordination.”
“Yes, that is a capital rule. Please now to tell us what was the very beginning of soldiers and sailors?”
“That would puzzle the horse-guards and the Admiralty to tell you. Sailors I suppose began with ships; and father Noah, who commanded the good ship the Ark, was the first sailor that I ever heard of. As to soldiers, we must confine ourselves to our own country, for we know very little about the soldiers of the earliest nations of the world.”
“Please to tell us, then, the beginning of English soldiers?”
14“We must go back to the time when the Romans invaded England. The British soldier was then rude in discipline and dress, but intrepidity5 marked his every action, as it does now. As the Roman soldiers descended6 from their ships the undaunted Britons rushed into the sea to attack them, and the flower of C?sar’s troops were astonished and fear-struck by their fierce and dauntless bearing.”
“Had they red coats and guns, as they have now?”
“No! no! their dress was of a very different kind: and the trade of gun-making was unknown among them. Their arms were clubs, short swords, and spears. Their cavalry7 had chariots, to the axles of which were fastened sharp pieces of iron, resembling scythe-blades; and their infantry8 went to war in long vehicles much like our waggons9, from which they alighted and fought on foot, jumping into them again, and driving off, when it suited their purpose.”
“Had we any sailors at that time?”
“I fancy not: if we had they must have been very different to what British sailors are now, or they would have met their invaders10 on the deep, and not have allowed them to set their feet on the shores of old England unmolested. Offa, one of the Saxon kings, had a fleet, and King Alfred invited over from abroad ship-builders, to build vessels11, and mariners13 to man them. The ships 15were, however, comparatively small. In the time of Henry VIII., and especially in that of Elizabeth, the British navy became formidable.”
“And when did soldiers begin to dress as they do now, and to have guns, and pistols, and cannon14?”
“These things were brought about by degrees. I have read that the soldiers of the Anglo-Saxons were mostly foot-soldiers, though some of them fought on horseback; but when William the Conqueror15 came, soldiers were mostly cavalry. Under the feudal16 system, if a man held land to a certain amount, called a ‘knight’s fee,’ he was obliged to serve the crown a period of forty days every year at his own expense, finding a horse, a helmet, a coat of mail, a shield, and a lance. After that, spear-men, battle-axe men, cross-bow men, and archers17 made their appearance; but when gunpowder19 was found out, it made a wonderful difference in the army.”
“No doubt it did. Bows and arrows would not do against guns and cannon.”
“At first fire-arms were very imperfectly made, and then British bowmen, being strong, brave, and skilful20, were very formidable; but the bravest archers that ever drew an arrow to the head would make a poor stand now against British soldiers. The Artillery21 Company of London had once a company of bowmen attached to them, but they have long since put down the bow, and taken up the musket22.”
16“All boys remember about Robin23 Hood24, and his merry men in Nottingham Forest; and about William Tell, the Swiss archer18, shooting the apple off his son’s head.”
“No doubt they do. At the battle of Cressy, in France, two thousand British bowmen drew their shafts25 against as many French bowmen. But now for the beginning of the British army.”
“Ay, now for the British army!”
“The army began with the guards that attended the king, though their weapons and uniform were very different to those that the household troops now use and wear. Whatever armed attendants monarchs26 may have had around their persons from the earliest times, there was no regular body of armed men appointed as guards till the reign27 of Richard the First. Richard instituted a body of twenty-four archers, and called them the ‘sergeants-at-arms.’ Their duty was to keep watch round the tent of the king, clad in complete armour28 with a bow, arrows, and a sword. Henry VII. established, in 1485, a band of fifty archers, all chosen men, to attend him; they were called ‘Yeomen of the Guard.’ This body still forms part of the royal establishment.”
“The yeomen of the guard hardly look like soldiers.”
“True: the commencement of the present regular army may be said to be the corps29 of life-guards established by King Charles II. at the 17Restoration. To these he added a regiment of horse-guards, with two regiments30 of foot-guards. A regiment of foot-guards was raised also in Scotland. These corps are what are usually called the British household troops; and the additions of horse and foot soldiers since made, constitute the British army as it exists at the present day.”
“The guards, then, are the oldest regiment of any soldiers we have?”
“They are. In the year 1679 the corps of life-guards were thus described:—‘The guards of horse—which the Spaniards call guardes de á caballo; the French, guardes du corps; the Germans, leibguarde; and we, life-guards, that is the guards of the King’s body—do consist of six hundred horsemen, well armed and equipped; and are, for the most part, reformed officers, and young gentlemen of very considerable families, who are there made fit for military commands. They are divided into three troops, viz. the King’s troops, distinguished31 by their blue ribbons and carbine belts, their red hooses and houlster caps, embroidered32 with his Majesty’s cypher and crown. The Queen’s troop, by green ribbons, carbine belts covered with green velvet33 and gold lace; also green hooses and houlster caps, embroidered with the same cypher and crown. And the duke’s troop, by yellow ribbons and carbine belts, and yellow hooses, embroidered as the others. In each of which troops are two hundred gentlemen, besides 18officers. There are four gentlemen who command as officers, but have no commissions, viz. sub-corporals or sub-brigadiers.’ The ranks of the life-guards are not at the present time recruited with sons of the higher classes, aspiring34 to commissions, but with men of good repute, generally sons of persons in a respectable sphere of life.”
“The life-guards are fine looking fellows!”
“In 1716, when George I. visited Hanover, the Prince of Wales, who was then left guardian35 of the kingdom, reviewed the brigade of life and 19horse-grenadier-guards, in Hyde Park, November 21st, when he declared them to be one of the finest bodies of men in person, appearance, and exercise that the world had ever produced. A life-guardsman, as he is seen at the Horse Guards at the present time, is indeed an imposing36 sight. We must not, however, be led astray by the size of men, nor by their gay regimentals. Many a foot-soldier in his coarse grey great-coat, and his knapsack on his back, has a heart in his bosom37 as brave as that of a life-guardsman!”
“Ay! a little man may be quite as brave as a big man.”
“I have somewhere heard the remark that ‘all great men are little men,’ but there is not much truth in it, though many great military commanders have been of small stature38: Alexander the Great, and Napoleon Buonaparte among them. The body, after all, let its stature be what it may, is of little value compared to the mind. The one is the leathern scabbard, the other the finely tempered sword. The poet has well expressed himself:
‘Were I so tall to reach the pole,
Or grasp the ocean with my span,
I must be measured by my soul;—
The mind’s the standard of the man!’
“In a military paper that I have seen, the regulation given by King Charles II. runs thus:—‘Each horseman to have for his defensive39 arms, 20back, breast, and pot; and for his offensive arms, a sword, and a case of pistolls, the barrels whereof are not to be under foorteen inches in length; and each trooper of our guards to have a carbine, besides the aforesaid arms. And the foote do haue each souldier a sword, and each pikeman a pike of sixteen foote long, and not under; and each musquetteer a musquet, with a collar of bandaliers, the barrels of which musquet to be about foor foote long, and to conteine a bullet, foorteen of which shall weigh a pound weight.’”
“How very particularly they are described!”
“When the war with Holland broke out in 1672, a regiment of dragoons was raised, when the soldiers therein were ordered to carry halbards, pistolls with holsters, matchlock, musquet, a collar of bandaliers, and one bayonet or ‘great knife.’ The arms of dragoons in 1687, (James II.’s reign,) were, snap-hanse-musquets, strapt with bright barrels of three foote eight inches long, cartouch boxes, bayonets, granado pouches40, buckets, and hammer-hatchets.”
“They called a bayonet, then, a great knife?”
“They did. Since then, regiment has been added to regiment, till the army has arrived at its present state. It is now, perhaps, about a hundred and twenty thousand strong, and is spread over Great Britain, Ireland, and our possessions in other quarters of the Globe—undoubtedly the first soldiers in the world.”
21“Then we have got the best soldiers and the best sailors?”
“Indeed we have! I believe there are neither sailors nor soldiers in any quarter of the world that would be a match for an equal number of British blue-jackets and red-coats. If ever you should go on board a King’s ship you will be surprised at the order and discipline that prevail, from the figure-head to the rudder, from the main-mast head to the hold. Discipline is everything in the army and navy, and I shall give you, by and by, some striking instances that set forth41 its use and abuse.”
“What daring fellows sailors are!”
“If British sailors are daring in battle, they are equally so in braving all dangers to save the lives of others. A Flemish brig in a heavy gale42 struck on a shoal, to windward of Ostend harbour, and the crew clung to the rigging for safety, as the vessel12 was fast going to pieces. Several Flemish boats attempted to get to the wreck43 in vain, and the crew seemed doomed44 to destruction. It happened, however, that a Deal galley was in the harbour, and the little band of daring tars45 aboard her were somewhat more accustomed to such scenes. They launched their light bark, and though every sea hid them from view, and every breaker covered them with foam46, they persevered47, undiscouraged by repeated failures, until they reached the wreck, and saved every man that was found in her.”
22“Noble! noble! It is pleasant to hear of such things! It makes us think better of sailors.”
“Some time ago a French sloop was stranded48 near the port of Dover, when some English fishermen, who are half sailors, directly put off for the sloop and rendered effectual service. ‘Your opposite neighbours, the French,’ said a spectator afterwards, ‘are not quite so ready to help you.’ ‘Maybe not,’ replied the fisherman; ‘maybe not; but we do our duty to the unfortunate without troubling ourselves about that matter. An English seaman49 don’t learn his manners on the deck of a French ship.’”
“Well done, fisherman!”
“Presence of mind and intrepidity are qualities very common among British soldiers and sailors. I will give you an anecdote50 that I read the other day, of a soldier. ‘When Buonaparte was preparing his flotillas, and his soldiers, to invade Old England, we expected every day to hear of his being at sea, so we all kept ready at the barracks, to act at a moment’s warning. One night, when we were snugly51 tucked up in bed, news came suddenly, that the French had landed. One of our trumpeters was a black, a tall strapping52 fellow, more than six feet high, and he was so frightened that when he took up his trumpet4 to sound an alarm, he let it fall from his hand and fainted away. A bold fellow, who happened at the time to be at his elbow, snatched up the trumpet from 23the ground, and blew a blast that made the barracks and the barrack-yard ring again. Up we jumped, hurried on our clothes, ran to the stables, leaped on our horses, and in eight minutes and a half every man of us was drawn53 up in the barrack-yard ready for action.’”
“The poor black must have been half frightened out of his senses.”
“He certainly was; and it was all very well that, being unable to do his duty, another was ready to do it for him. On common occasions, however, a soldier should attend to his own duty, and not intermeddle with that of his comrades. A gunner may prove himself a good swordsman, a riding-master may be a capital walker, and a foot-soldier may know how to manage a horse, but let each keep to his own duty. It would be bad indeed for a drummer to be his own trumpeter, and still worse for a fifer to be drummed out of his regiment for bad conduct.”
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1
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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intrepidity
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| n.大胆，刚勇；大胆的行为 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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waggons
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| 四轮的运货马车( waggon的名词复数 )； 铁路货车； 小手推车 | |
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invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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feudal
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| adj.封建的，封地的，领地的 | |
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archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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archer
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| n.射手，弓箭手 | |
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gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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pouches
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| n.（放在衣袋里或连在腰带上的）小袋( pouch的名词复数 )；（袋鼠等的）育儿袋；邮袋；（某些动物贮存食物的）颊袋 | |
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41
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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43
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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45
tars
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| 焦油，沥青，柏油( tar的名词复数 ) | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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47
persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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50
anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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51
snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
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52
strapping
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| adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式 | |
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53
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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