[39] They hate us now as much as they did then; and some of these fine mornings they will find out our strength in India, with its teeming millions under our glorious old flag, who would die to a man before they would yield. They will find that “unity is strength,” for our equal laws since the Mutiny have bound them to us in love. Hundreds of thousands of them have through us learnt the way of salvation, and God, even our God, is blessing us as a nation for it.
[40] Nelson, as an instrument in the hands of God, had done his work. He was raised up just at the right time to combat and humble infidelity. This wonderful man was, and always will be, the darling hero of England. This illustrious hero will live as long as our language endures, as the one who stood fearlessly at the deadly breach, and bid defiance to all our enemies. His noble conduct on all occasions when in presence of the foe was sublime. Other heroes have fought desperately to uphold the honour of our flag, but we can point to none whose conduct was so majestic. Scotland can point to a Moore—a Clyde; Ireland can point to a Wellington; Wales can point to a Picton; but all would bow in adoration to the illustrious Norfolk hero.
[41] He believed that his sceptre was to be universal. He bid for heavy stakes, viz., “the empire of the world.” It was only the detested Albions that thwarted his plans. He would exclaim in his rage or excitement, “I will humble them in the dust yet, and lay London in ashes.” It was in order to get at us that this terrible campaign in Russia of 1812 was undertaken. Alexander, backed up by England, would not suffer himself to be dictated to by the conqueror. He was a far-sighted man, but was blinded to the fact that he was rushing on to destruction, that he was fighting against the strong arm of the Great I Am. Alexander hated us as much as Napoleon did; he carried two faces under one hat; but, with his vast sea-coasts, he dreaded our power, which he well knew he could not withstand.
[42] What would he have said, had he lived to witness or to hear of the disgraceful capitulation of Marshal Bazaine at Metz? Why, he would have shot the traitor on the spot.
[43] “The heroic Ney was of an old Irish family.”—Alison.
[44] Quintal, 112 lbs.
[45] Allison.
[46] A little over two years rolled on; millions of money our forefathers advanced to the straggling nations of Europe. Hundreds of thousands of poor fellows were launched into eternity. The last act was fought out on the bloody field of Waterloo, and the final scene of the great drama came to an end in the midst of a terrible storm on the rock of St. Helena, 5th May, 1821. On his deathbed, Napoleon acknowledged to those around him that there was a God, who was Great Britain’s strong arm.
[47] This noble old veteran was for many years treated very harshly, to say the least of it, by Napoleon. His great offence was that he would persist in carrying a Bible with him, and using it as often as an opportunity presented itself. All Napoleon’s cuffs and sneers did not affect him. His counsel during the Moscow campaign had more weight with Napoleon than that of the fiery Murat or the heroic Ney. In his younger days he had sworn to stand or fall by the great conqueror, and he would not forsake his benefactor. He died as he had lived—a soldier in a twofold sense. He was the only one of Napoleon’s marshals or generals that professed Christianity, and he often had a stormy path; but owing to his constancy, his tormentors became his best friends. The great conqueror was not the only one that was melted to tears at this noble Christian’s death.—Allison.
[48] The conflicts at Montmirail, Vauchamps, Champanbert, and Montereau, in the campaign of 1814, were combats, not battles. Ligny was a pitched battle, but it could not be called a decisive victory. No prisoners or standards, and few guns, were taken.