I have seen, continues the same author, (and daily experience confirms his observation) one of the bravest officers in the world, suddenly turn pale in a thunderstorm, and even so far give way to his fears, as to hide himself in a cellar. One man possesses what the French so forcibly stile une valeur journalière, a sort of ephemeral courage, or what depends upon the influence of the moment; to-day he is as bold as Achilles; to-morrow he sinks into the degraded character of Thersites.
It is related of general Cadwallader, a man of unconquerable intrepidity in the field, that he trembled at the sight of a cat. The editor of this work had a friend, a lieutenant Muloch, in the Bengal army, a man of tried valor whose antipathy was of this singular kind, that he could not eat if there was a shoulder of mutton on the table; at a card party at Lady Oakley’s, at Madras, a shoulder of mutton was, without his knowlege, placed under his chair, the effect was, he fell from his chair in a state of convulsion from which he did not recover for several hours. The great Condé laughed at a man who said he never felt the sensation of fear, by asking him “have you never snuffed a candle with your naked fingers?” Going into action one of his friends observed to him, “My prince you tremble.” He replied, “My body trembles for the danger into which my soul will lead me.” The peculiarities of this celebrated hero were, that he was always affected in his nerves by any surprize, but never lost his presence of mind; some of his friends attempted to surprize him in his tent, and in Austrian uniform made their way to his bed side and awoke him with their noise; he turned round and observed, “If you had excited an emotion of fear in me I should instantly put you to death.” Count Turpin, in his Art of War, appears to think that valor which unites deliberation and prudence is preferable to mere muscular bravery. The French pay more attention to the former than the latter, they always reward bravery but prefer valor. Mere animal courage is not sufficient for them, and speaking of those who possess bravery without discretion, they treat it as if mere animal bravery was common to all men, but valor or discrimination rare; hence they say of a merely brave man—Il est brave comme mon épée, mais general ****—namely a brainless part of the body.
These changes in the character and constitution which are so visible in individuals, may be traced in their influence over whole nations, with little or no deviation. The Persian cavalry still maintains its ancient reputation for valor, and is still dreaded by the Turks. Tacitus relates, that the Sarmatian horse was invincible, but when the men were dismounted, nothing could be more miserably defective in all the requisites of war. Their whole dependence was on their cavalry, and, as far as we are enabled to judge, the same partial quality exists to this day.
The French, until the present revolution, seemed to have preserved the character and disposition of the ancient Gauls. They went with more alacrity into action, and met death, at first sight, with more valor, than they discovered firmness and resolution to wait patiently for its approach. Hurry and agitation appeared more congenial to their minds, than calmness and composure.
In order to conquer, it was found necessary, by their ablest generals, to make them attack and insult their enemy. They grew impatient in slow operations, and gradually became less capable of meeting their antagonists in proportion to the time they were restrained from coming to action. Their whole history, indeed, is a continued proof of the justness of this observation; and although their character seems to have undergone considerable changes since their revolution, they have still retained so much of the original cast, as to shew more promptitude in offensive, than steadiness and perseverance in defensive operations. Not that they are deficient in the latter, but that the former quality has been more brilliantly successful. To the first they owe their stupendous triumphs under Bonaparte; but they have again been rendered almost equally conspicuous by their conduct in the second under general Moreau, in his celebrated retreat from the Black Forest. But, alas! of what avail is the courage of the multitude, if the generality of their leaders are deficient in those indispensible qualities by which French officers have acquired the greatest reputation. It is like a torch in the hands of a fool or madman, who would as soon lead an enthusiast to a precipice, as he would shew him the paths he ought to tread.
VALUE, in a general acceptation of the term, signifies the rate at which any thing is estimated.
VAN. The front of an army, the first line; or leading column.
Van-guard. That part of the army which marches in the front. See [Guard].
VANCOURIER. See Avant courier.
VANNE, Fr. A floodgate.