17o

form the great book of war; and who cannot read it, mutt for ever be content with the title of a brave foldier, and never afpire to that of a great gerexal. p The firlt objeft of the mecha- nical part, is to form the foldier, relative to the ufe to be made of him, and to provide him with thofe inllruments of his profeliion, which are of molt general ufe, be- caufe he cannot be loaded with ma- ny ofdifferent kinds; and that he be inllrufled relative to the aéiions he is to perform, and nothing more. This is {o evident and conformable to reafon, that I will prefume to ellablilh, as the firll: laws, or prin- ciples of the art of war, what is already admitted in every other: l. That a jbldier he clothed and armed reIati-ve t0 the aéiion he i: to perfarm: 2. That he he taught nothing hut ‘what i: qf ufe to him, in the diferent fitualion: twhich can acrur, hefore the enemy: 3. That he he taught every thing that i: ah/b- lulely neceJ/"Zzry fir‘ hm: to hnomv, in every ca/e that may happen. will exclaim againfi thefe propo- iitions, particularly thofe whofe whole liudy has been applied to learn the numberlefs and infigni- iiicant triiles, with which all the armies in Europe abound, and whofe only fcience is reduced to adjnlla hat, a button, &c. and fuch other important matters, in which the merit of an oflicer en- tirely confills, according to their opinion of military deferts. They attribute the glorious vielories of the Ring ofPrullia to thefe, and the like puerilities ; and have therefore, with great care and diligence, even tiith a. degree of madnefs, intro- duced the Pruliian exercife into all the troops of Europe; nothing

Many.

ANNUAL REGISTER, 1766.

but Prullian will go down. Short cloaths, little hats, tight breeches, high-heeled lhoes, and an infinite number of ufelefs motions in the cxercife and evolutions, have been introduced, without any other rea- fon than their being Prulhan; as, ifreally thefe things could poflibly contribute to gain one battle, make a fine march or manuauvre, carry on the operations of a liege, chufe a fine camp or pofition, &c. It is impollible, one would think, that men can be fo blind, as not to perceive, that what makes the objeét of their fiudy and venera- tion, has, in faéit, no kind of con- neétion with, or influence on, the events of war: yet are they f0 infatuated with them, that they judge of every man as he appears to be expert in them, and elleem the rell of mankind ignorant, and worthy their contempt: but as, in my turn, [have no great regard for men who are attached to fuch trifles, I {ball be very indifferent as to the opinion they may be pleafed to form of me, and of my produflions.

If the form of drefs now in ufe among the foldiers be examined by our canon, it will be found, think, very unfit for the purpofe it is made for. Can any thing be

more troublefome and ufelefs than .

the hat? It anfwers no one end, the face is expofed to the fun, the neck and lhoulders to the cold and rain, which, in a very little time,

fends numbers of the poor men to‘

the hofpitals.

The coat and wailicoat are equally ufelefs, becaufe they leave the body totally expofed to the in- clemency of the weather, and be- ing tight, hinder the men from

moving with eafe and facility.

To

a ii-‘Zz

l.