and to gain time is everything. Besides they are assisted with the good sense as well as the whole force of the country, which are both necessarily exerted to a great degree, and the door necessarily open to whatever talents may be to be found.
"When there is a want of Generals, Prince Generals are always ready to offer themselves, and it must be acknowledged that there are some advantages which attend upon them more than upon other men: first, on account of the strange deference which men pay to birth, particularly royal birth—they have likewise a facility in corresponding with sovereigns, connected and related, and many means of information which are useful in an army, particularly in an allied army. But on the other hand they have seldom the capacity of generals who rise by their own merit, and never their experience, knowledge of mankind and facility. They have always low favourites and flatterers, and sometimes very corrupt ones. A Minister therefore, if he has full power, had better find some soldier of fortune, who is an honest man, and may be depended upon, if he has an offensive war in contemplation. As for defensive or home war, he will easily find some man of a sensible plain understanding, of acknowledged courage, with a habit of deciding without too much obstinacy, and he need not be afraid of his acquiring quickly military knowledge sufficient to defend a country. As to expeditions, they depend upon intelligence, and as far as I can judge from the experience of two wars had better be many than great. They are easier kept secret, and one success will make up for two disappointments. The enemy is kept in perpetual alarm, and it is very hard if in large frontiers and scattered dominions some place is not found undefended, some officer caught napping, some garrison indisposed to obey. Mr. Pitt took his officers by accident he encouraged them going out, supported them while on service, but was the first to desert them on the least failure and to shift the blame from off his own shoulders, even when there was no foundation for any crime, and a false
