Then a Soldier Full of strange oaths, and bearded like a pard. Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth! THE SOLDIER. Then a SOLDIER THE jaring interests of Man in society will not unfrequently break out into acts of hostility. Hence we find that scenes of bloodshed bebase the earliest records of the human race. Among the Greeks the siege of Troy forms a conspicuous era of their history. And the Romans were so inflamed with the love of war, that they could not rest till they became the masters of the world. Descending to modern times, we do not find men less inclined to oppose each other in the field of battle. Wars and rumours of wars, have distinguished these latter days! More than half of the last century was engaged in acts of violence. For these twenty years past the obstreperous trump of war has been incessantly blown; and it was reserved for the recent Battle of Waterloo alone, by its decisive issue, to hush the world into peace! Alluding to that por tion of the contest which passed on the Spanish peninsula, LORD BYRON has these energetic lines, awfully descriptive of the fury of the combatants bent on mutual destruction. Devastation is thus personified Lo! where the giant on the mountain stands, For on this morn THREE potent nations meet By Heaven ! it is a splendid sight to see The GRAVE shall bear the chiefest prize away, While the world is thus constituted, the character of THE SOLDIER will be upheld and retained. Indeed it has been justly remarked that, “WAR is a great evil, but it is inevitable, and oftentimes necessary. If he who first reduced to rules the art of destroying his fellow creatures had no end in view but to gratify the passions of princes, he was a monster whom it would have been a duty to srnother at his birth; but if his intention was the defence of persecuted virtue, or the punishment of successful wickedness, to curb ambition, or to oppose the unjust claims of superior power, mankind ought to erect altars to his memory! 7!" The office of Soldier has its origin in self-defence, or rather in the preservation of one's country from the attacks of the enemy. In this point of view the character is the object of commendation. But when employed in the career of unprincipled ambition, the man trained to arms is a curse to his species. The PATRIOT SOLDIER alone claims and deserves the regard of his fellow creatures. Under Heaven, in him we have to recognise the support and the defender of his country. This distinction is well drawn by Cowper, and ought never to be forgotten. The patriot Soldier is thus happily portrayed : Let laurels drench'd in pure Parnassian dews, : |