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which ought not to be grudged, as the forces prefently in pay, are not fufficient, even in peace, to anfwer the ordinary demands of government. And as the profpect of civil employments, will excite more men of rank to offer their fervice than can be taken in, the choice must be in the crown, not only with respect to the new regiments, but with refpect to the vacant offices of cornet and enfign in the old army. But as thefe regulations will not inftantly produce men qualified to be fecretaries of ftate or commiffioners of treafury, fo numerous as to afford his Majefty a fatisfactory choice; that branch of the plan may be fufpended, till those who have ferved feven years without pay, amount to one hundred at least.The article that concerns members of parliament must be ftill longer fufpended: it may however, after the first seven years, receive execution in part, by privileging thofe who have ferved without pay to reprefent a borough, refufing that privilege to others, except to actual burgeffes. We may proceed one ftep farther, That if in a county there be five gentlemen who have the qualification under confideration, over and above the ordinary legal qualifications; one of the five must be chofen, leaving the electors free as to their other reprefentative.

With respect to the private men of the old army, a thousand of fuch as have ferved the longeft may be disbanded annually, if fo many be willing to retire; and in their ftead an equal number may be inlifted to ferve but seven years. Upon fuch a plan, it will not be difficult to find

recruits.

The advantage of this plan, in one particular, is eminent. It will infallibly fill the army with gallant officers: Other advantages concerning the officers themselves, fhall be mentioned afterward. All appetite for military glory, cannot fail to be

roused

roufed in officers who ferve without pay, when their fervice is the only paffport to employments of trust and honour. And may we not hope, that officers who serve for pay, will, by force of imita tion, be infpired with the fame appetite? Nothing ought to be more feduloufly inculcated into every officer, than to despise riches, as a mercantile object below the dignity of a foldier. Often has the courage of victorious troops been blunted by the pillage of an opulent city; and may not rich captures at fea have the fame effect? Some fea-commanders have been fufpected, of beftowing their fire more willingly upon a merchantman, than upon a fhip of war. A triumph, an ovation, a civic crown, or fome fuch mark of honour, were in old Rome the only rewards for military atchievements *. Money, it is true, was fometimes diftributed among the private men, as an addition as an addition to their pay, after a fatiguing campaign; but not as a recompence for their good behaviour, becaufe all shared alike. It did not escape the penetrating Romans, that wealth, the parent of luxury and felfifhnefs, fails not to eradicate the military fpirit. The foldier who to recover his baggage performed a bold action, gave an inftructive leffon to all princes. Being invited by his general to try his fortune a fecond time ; Invite (fays the foldier) one

who has loft his baggage." Many a bold adventurer goes to the Indies, who, returning with a fortune, is afraid of every breeze. Britain, I fufpect,

* A Roman triumph was finely contrived to excite heroifm; and a fort of triumph no lefs fplendid, was ufual among the Fatemite Califs of Egypt. After returning from a fuccessful expedition, the Calif pitched his camp in a fpacious plain near his capital, where he was attended by all his grandees, in their fineft equipages. Three days were commonly spent in all manner of rejoicings, feafting, mufic, fire-works, &c. He marched into the city with this great cavalcade, through roads covered with rich carpets, ftrewed with flowers, gums, and odoriferous plants, and lined on both fides with crouds of congratulating fubjects.

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fufpect, is too much infected with the fpirit of gain. Will it be thought ridiculous in any man of figure, to prefer reputation and respect before riches; provided only he can afford a frugal meal, and a warm garment? Let us compare an old officer, who never deferted his friend nor his country, and a wealthy merchant, who never indulged a thought but of gain the wealth is tempting; and yet does there exist a man of spirit, who would not be the officer rather than the merchant, even with his millions? Sultan Mechmet granted to the Janifaries a privilege of importing foreign commodities free of duty was it his intention to metamorphofe foldiers into merchants, loving peace, and hating war?

In the war 1672 carried on by Lewis XIV, against the Dutch, Dupas was made governor of Naerden, recommended by the Duke of Luxembourg; who wrote to M. de Louvois, that he wifhed nothing more ardently, than that the Prince of Orange would befiege Naerden, being certain of a defence fo fkilful and vigorous, as to furnish an opportunity for another victory over the Prince. Dupas had ferved long in honouraable poverty; but in this rich town he made a fhift to amafs a confiderable fum. Terrified to be reduced to his former poverty, he surrendered the town on the firft fummons. He was degraded in a court-martial, and condemned to perpetual prifon and poverty. Having obtained his liberty at the folicitation of the Vifcount de Turenne, he recovered his former valour, and ventured his life freely on all occafions.

But though I declare against large appointments before-hand, which, inftead of promoting fervice, excite luxury and effeminacy; yet to an officer of character, who has spent his younger years in ferving his king and country, a government or o ther fuitable employment that enables him te

paf

pafs the remainder of his life in eafe and affluence, is a proper reward for merit, reflecting equal honour on the prince who bestows, and on the fubject who receives; befide affording an enlivening profpect to others, who have it at heart to do well.

With respect to the private men, the rotation propofed, aims at improvements far more important than that of making military fervice fall light upon individuals. It tends to unite the fpirit of industry with that of war; and to form the fame man to be an 'induftrious labourer, and a good foldier. The continual exercife recommended, cannot fail to produce a fpirit of industry; which will occafion a demand for the private men after their feven years fervice, as valuable above all other labourers, not only for regularity, but for activity. And with refpect to fervice in war, conftant exercise is the life of an army, in the literal as well as metaphorical fenfe. Boldness is inspired by ftrength and agility, to which conftant motion mainly contributes. The Roman citizens, trained to arms from their infancy and never allowed to rest, were invincible. To mention no other works, fpacious and durable roads carried to the very extremities of that vaft empire, fhow clearly how the foldiers were employed during peace; which hardened them for war, and made them orderly and fubmiffive (a). So effential was labour held by the Romans for training an army, that they never ventured to face an enemy with troops debilitated with idlenefs. The Roman army in Spain, having been worsted in feveral engagements and confined within their entrenchments, were funk in idleness and luxury. Scipio Nafica, having demolished Carthage, took the command of that army; but durft not oppose it

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(a) Bergiere hiftoire des grands chemins, vol. 2. p. 152.

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to the enemy, till he had accustomed the foldiers to temperance and hard labour. He exercifed them without relaxation, in marching and countermarching, in fortifying camps and demolishing them, in digging trenches and filling them up, in building high walls and pulling them down; he himfelf, from morning till evening, going about, and directing every operation. us, before engaging the Cimbri, exercised his army in turning the courfe of a river. Appian relates, that Antiochus, during his winter-quarters at Calchis, having married a beautiful virgin with whom he was greatly enamoured, spent the whole winter in pleasure, abandoning his army to vice and idlenefs; and that when the time of action returned with the spring, he found his foldiers unfit for fervice. It is reported of Hannibal, that to preferve his troops from the infection of idlenefs, he employed them in making large plantations of olive trees. The Emperor Probus exercifed his legions in covering with vineyards the hills of Gaul and Pannonia. The idlenefs of our foldiers in time of peace, promoting debauchery and licentiousness is no lefs deftructive to health than to difcipline. Unable for the fatigues of a first campaign, our private men die in thousands, as if fmitten with a peftilence *. We never read of any mortality in the Roman legions, though frequently engaged in climates very different from

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their

*The idleness of British foldiers appears from a tranfaction of the com miffioners of the annexed estates in Scotland. After the late war with France, they judged that part of the King's rents could not be better applied, than in giving bread to the disbanded foldiers. Houfes were built for them, portions of land given them to cultivate at a very low rent, and maintenance afforded them till they could reap a crop. These men could not wish to be better accommodated: but fo accustomed they had been to idleness and change of place, as to be incapable of any fort of work: they deferted their farms one after another, and commenced thieves and beggars. Such as had been made ferjeants must be excepted: these were fenfible fellows, and prof pered in their little farms.

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