Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A31716
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The character of a true English souldier written by a gentleman of the new-rais'd troops.
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Gentleman of the new-rais'd troops.
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1678
(1678)
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Wing C1998; ESTC R43081
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3,128
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9
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THE CHARACTER Of a true ENGLISH SOULDIER Semper in Bello His maximum periculum est qui maxime TIMENT Audacia pro Muro Habetur Salust Written by a Gentleman OF THE New-rais'd Troops With Allowance Ro. L'Estrange LONDON Printed for D. M. 1678. The Character of a true English SOULDIER A True English Souldier is a free born Son of Courage voluntarily put Apprentice to the Art of War A stock of Heart-oak fit for Laurels to be grafted on or a sprig of Valour that duely prun'd by Discipline and Experience sprouts up in time into an Hero Though he take Pay you cannot without injustice call him Mercinary for he serves his King and Country as much out of Inclination as Necessity and differs from the common Ruffianly Souldier of fortune as a Charging horse from a Cart horse or a Cock of the Game from one of Dunghill breed so unlike that they scarce seem of the same Species For he scorns the vices as much as the power of his Enemies looks upon the Camp as a severe School of Vertue not a Sanctuary of Debauchery and lives like a Christian though he fights like a Turk He holds it next to his Creed that no Coward can be an honest man yet never bloodies his Sword but in the heat of Battel For in his Quarters he is as peaceable as a Constable and associates more lovingly with his Comrades than Monks in a Cloister The reason is he is stout not quarrelsome and delights to have the Sun behold his Valour because he resolves to do Actions worthy the Eye of Heaven He will never be perswaded that Success can justifie Cruelty or Victory legitimate a Rape or a Storming excuse a Sacriledge Next to Cowardize and a Mutiny he hates nothing so much as Rudeness to the fair Sex whose weakness he allows to be their protection being so honourably merciful to Women in a surprizal that the Triumphs of his Civilities can never be equall'd but by those of his Prowess 'T is true he is a Lover but 't is of Danger and Glory whom he courts as Jove did Semele in Clouds of Smoak and Thunder and appears more brave and lovely to a judicious Ladies eye in a tatter'd Red Coat or suit of Buff allow him but his Arms for Trimming than your little sprucified man of mode in his powdred Wig and Cloth of Tissue He is so abhorrent from treacherous Murders or crol-blood-Massacres that when he looks upon his Enemies dead body in the Field 't is with a kind of noble pity no insultation He attributes the whole glory of a Conquest to God's mercy and his Generals conduct and always prepares for Death though he never fears it He thinks not out of his own Calling when he accounts Life a continual Warfare and his Prayers then best become him when armed Cap a pe he looks as if he had a designe to take at once both Earth Heaven by violence Before an Engagement he signs out some such short but zealous Ejaculation Lord remember me anon when I shall be too apt to forget thee and then falls on as resolutely and unconcern'd as to a Feast He is so confident of victory that he always gives the On-set with a Hallo and Shouts of triumph and pursues a Charge so furiously that he is in with his Enemy almost as soon as his Bullet ready if that misses with the Butt end of his Musquet to do Execution He fears a Sword no more than an Ague and counts the roaring of Cannons and whistling of Small-shot mâ—ke as pleasant Musick as the Base and Treble in Consort His Courage is natural not borrowed from the Inspirations of Drink or thrust upon him by the necessity of Despair 'T is a base and malicious scandal to say That his Valour ebbs and flows with the condition of his Snapsack or that he can never fight well unless Beef and Bag-pudding be his Seconds 'T is true the Fertility of his Country has inur'd him to a plentiful Diet and he would willingly have his body in good plight to keep pace with the vigor of his mind Yet he can endure the most pinching Necessities and led on by Honour will hold out a Campagne though Hunger and Cold march never so close in the same File with him He is true Steel which may be bent by violence but in a minute return to its former posture Thus he may be overcome but never conquer'd for he will Rally after the Tenth Repulse and pluck Victory back by the wing when she is flying away to the Enemy Besiege him never so strictly so long as the Air is not shut up from him his heart faints not for like Hannibal he always either finds a way or makes it But Valor and endurance of Hardships are but two parts of a Souldier that which compleats him is Obedience in which our true Englishman is singularly exemplary never did any so much slight his Enemy and so revere his Chief The Roman Legions could not boast a Spirit at once so fierce and so docile that could overflow the Field with mote impetuosity and retire to his place in the Camp with less appearance of having ever gone out The respect he bears his Officers is more powerful than the Right of Life and Death they have over him He is more apprehensive of their Anger than of the Law Martial and Ordinances of War for he obeys for love not fear and resents their displeasure more terribly than any punishment He disputes no Orders but executes them and will charge up to a Cannons mouth or make a Scalado thâ—ough showers of Bullets and the midst of Flames naked if his Country's Honour or his Generals Command require it Thus far we have seen him in his private capacity now behold him when Merit has intituled him to a COMMAND you shall finde in his action neither a cowardly or heavy coldness nor a rash precipitate vehemence though he doth nothing meanly yet he doth nothing with violence but softly makes haste and advances with an insensible motion He cherishes his Souldiers as tenderly as a Father his Children and had rather save one of their Lives than kill ten of his Enemies He does not train by the Book dully reckoning up so many Postures of the Pike and Musquet as if he were counting a Game at Noddy but having a perfect Idea of the whole Art Military Theorick and Practick instructs every one according to his capacity and prefers or punishes with a just respect to Merit He endures equal toil with the meanest Souldier is the first in giving a Charge and the last in retiring his Foot From his Example they all take fire as one Torch lighteth many He hath learn'd as well to make use of a Victory as obtain it for then pursuing his Enemies like a Whirlwind he carries all before him being assured that is the time to compleat their Ruine when they have lost Force Wisdom Courage and Reputation He is the universal Genius that actuates all under his charge and moves them as the Intelligences without tiring themselves are said to turn about the Coelestial Spheres Observe how with his Eyes he leads the whole Army How a nod of his Head keeps thousands in their Duty How onely his presence establisheth Order and drives away confusion He knows in War there is no admitting of a second errour the first and least fault being sufficient to ruine an Army he therefore makes it his business to prevent faults not to pardon them and makes those that are Precedents of Disorder Mutiny Negligence or Cowardize repair their offence to the whole by being Examples of his Justice His Loyalty to his Prince and his Love to his Souâ—diers are essential parts of his Soul he would neither betray the one nor defraud the other for a greater Empire than Caesars little seeming affronts at home cannot disoblige him nor mighty Offers from abroad draw him to a Compliance He scorns Honour purchased by dishonourable means is Shot free against the Enemies golden Bullets and impenetrable to Vanity as well as Fear and Avarice He at once subverts discovered endeavours and guards himself from hidden Artifices Neither the Poison brought from afar nor the neighbouring corrupted Air nor Stranger nor Friend nor Hopes nor Fears nor Threats nor Flatteries have power to change the goodness of his Constitution or warp him from his duty He scorns to make a Trade of War by prolonging it unnecessarily for his own profit or reputation yet maintains it is never to be given o're but on one of these three conditions An honourable and well assured Peace absolute Victory or an honest Death But I remember our Noble Souldier's life is Action he hates many words and I am willing enough to comply with his Humour for when I have said all I can 't is onely his own Sword that can truely write his Character FINIS