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ness of retirement; or to penfive efforts to enliven it.

ruin them by exAnd he who has

been used to pay that attention to personal air and appearance which is thought requisite on the parade, has but a step to take to the affectation and fopperies of dress; and it is well if he has not taken it already.

When an Officer is not called into employment, a portion of the leisure which he enjoys should be allotted to the study of his profeffion. Otherwife, when he returns into active fervice, his affociates will probably perceive, if he should not make the discovery himself, that he has rapidly declined in knowledge, alacrity, and merit. This too is the time for ftoring his mind with other attainments in fcience, in hiftory, in useful and elegant literature; which cannot be fully acquired, though they neither need nor ought to be neglected, during the fhorter intermiffions of profeffional avocations. In the intervals. of garrison duty, and the quiet of a voyage, a package of well-chofen books, not bulky enough to occafion inconvenience, will impart much fubítantial information; and prevent the

languor

languor of many a tedious hour. As young men are frequently placed in the Navy and Army before their education is properly completed, every fubfequent opportunity of improving the mind ought to be turned to the beft advantage. A Military Officer in quarters in time of peace has many ample opportunities; and the due application of them will preferve him from the idle, finical, and diffipated habits, which otherwise he will scarcely fail to contract. He who belongs to the Naval profeffion, when not engaged in real service, is generally detached altogether from profeffional bufinefs; and therefore feels himfelf at liberty to devote his thoughts and time to fome other liberal employment, until his country calls again for his exertions in her defence. But the Military Officer is commonly expofed during peace to the difadvantage of being fo far occupied by the duties, or at least by the forms, of his profeffion, as to be precluded from undertaking any other fettled purfuit; while at the fame time the greater part of his hours remains vacant, and open to the intrufion of indolence and vice,

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"In free States," Sir William Blackstone remarks (0), "no man fhould take up arms "but with a view to defend his country, and "its laws. He puts not off the citizen when " he enters the camp; but it is because he is 66 a citizen, and would wish to continue fo, "that he makes himself for a while a foldier." This juft reflection points to that depravation of public principle, which too often takes place among the Military of defpotic monarchies. Trained to habits of implicit obedience, and of entire dependence on the will and favour of the Prince; infulated in camps and fortreffes; and detached from the offices of civil life; they learn to confider themselves as poffeffing an intereft diftinct from that of the other members of the community, and thence are more calily led to co-operate in oppreffing them (p). It must be confessed that this danger will fubfift, in a greater or a less degree, in all countries where ftanding armies are

(0) Commentaries, vol. i. p. 407, 5th edition.

(p) The nature and circumstances of Naval fervice are fuch, that Offers in that line are little expofed to this temptation, unless it be in what regards the impress fervice.

maintained;

maintained; as fome of the circumstances from which it originates are effential to discipline and fubordination. And on this account, as well as for many other reafons, the numbers of the ftanding army ought ever to be reftrained within the narrowest bounds confiftent with the public fecurity. But the natural fpirit of liberty is, it furely may be hoped, too strong, and a rational fense of duty too prevalent, among British Officers, to leave reafonable ground for apprehenfion that their arms will ever be employed otherwise than for the fupport of the rights of their countrymen. The British Conftitution has wifely engaged the Military Officers in its defence, and shewn a just confidence in their patriotism, by admitting them to all the civil honours and occupations confiftent with their peculiar functions, and even to feats in both Houfes of Parliament,

If an Officer is also a member of the Legiflature, never let him prostitute his vote in a fingle inftance for the purpose of advancing himself, or of being employed in his profeffion. And let every Officer, whether in Parliament

I

liament or not, equally abhor acting a mean and dishonest part at the beck of any perfon whatever, whether in a public or in a private ftation, with the view of obtaining prefer

ment,

CHAP.

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