Discipline.—Gibraltar is a great big fortified rock which belongs to England, down on the South Coast of Spain. One hundred and twenty years ago it was besieged by the Spanish and French armies together.
The Spanish Army attacked Gibraltar on the land side, while the French attacked it by sea, but though they fought hard and with greatest endurance for over three years, the British troops defending the place were a match for them and held out successfully until they were relieved by the Fleet from home.
General Elliot, who had been a Cavalry officer in the 15th Hussars, commanded the troops at Gibraltar, and it was largely owing to his strict discipline that the Garrison succeeded in holding out. Every man had learnt to obey orders without any hesitation or question.
One day a man disobeyed an order, so General Elliot had him up before him and explained that for a man to be insubordinate at such a time showed that he could not be in his right senses; he must be mad. So he ordered that his head should be shaved and that he should be blistered, bled, and put into a strait-waistcoat and should be put in the cells, with bread and water, as a lunatic, and should also be prayed for in church!
Humility.—Humility or being humble was one of the things which was practised by the knights, that is to say that, although they were generally superior to other people in fighting or campaigning, they never allowed themselves to swagger about it. So Don't Swagger.
And don't imagine that you have got rights in this world except those that you earn for yourself. You've got the right to be believed if you earn it by always telling the truth, and you've got the right to go to prison if you earn it by thieving; but there are lots of men who go about howling about their rights who have never done anything to earn any rights. Do your duty first and you will get your rights afterwards.
Fortitude.—Then the knights were men who never said "Die" till they were dead; they were always ready to stick it out till the last extremity, but it is a very common fault with men to give in to trouble or fear long before there is any necessity. They often give up working because they don't get success all at once, and probably if they stuck to it a little longer, success would come. A man must expect hard work and want of success at first.
COURAGE.
Very few men are born brave, but any man can make himself brave if he tries—and especially if he begins trying when he is a boy.
The brave man dashes into danger without any hesitation, when a less brave man is inclined to hang back. It is very like bathing. A lot of boys will come to a river to bathe, and will cower shivering on the bank, wondering how deep the water is, and whether it is very cold—but the brave one will run through them and take his header into the water, and will be swimming about happily a few seconds later.