never misses its aim.. Be firm, and you are irresistible, but give way and you will be butchered without mercy; if you press boldly on, at the worst you stand an even chance with your opponent; but what chance has a man who offers his back to a pursuing and exulting enemy? An address should scarcely entertain the possi bility of men proving dastardly in such a cause; but with a view of providing against unforeseen contingencies, it should be known that a strong line of reserve would be at all times provided with positive orders to inflict instant death on any individual, who might endanger the general safety by shrinking from his duty; pusillanimity itself will advance against apparent danger in preference to certain death; and such timely severity on a few fugitives, would be humanity to a multitude of brave fellows. We all know how far and with what success this precaution was adopted in the early achievements of the French revolutionary army."

It is not one of the least recommendations of this patriotic plan, that it would be attended with almost no expense beyond the power of every man in the kingdom. No harlequin clothing, no expensive and clumsy guns, bayonets, cartouches, belts, powder, and ball; no magazines, which are equally destructible by fire and water, would be required for countless thousands of pikemen. This is a most important circumstance; for it should be remembered, that nothing but the enormous expense of military accoutrements prevented the Austrian, the Prussian, and even, still later, the Spanish, peasantry from marching in a mass against the common enemy. A moment's reflexion, indeed, will convince any person that the expense of equipping the male population, like our regular soldiers, would greatly exceed the ability even of this country, and consequently still more so that of the continental states.

"In striking contrast to a machine so cumbrous," observes Major B. "is the system of close combat ; no burden of accoutrements and ammunition would oppress the march of the pikemen; no dependance on magazines and tumbrils would embarrass their operations, or delay their march; with a dismissal of the numerous requisites for missile warfare, they might also banish changes of clothes, blacking balls, pipe-clay, and brushes; and merely supplied with provisions for a few days (slung in a wallet from the shoulder), and with their pointed staves in hand, the patriot host might march to the concerted point of union, with the independence of supply and ease of ordinary pedestrians; thence to inflict the summary vengeance of an entire population upon the presumptuous invaders of their country."

So far we have considered only the political practicability and advantages of this plan. What follows, will show that the author is equally skilled in military tactics.

"A Few Details on the Preparation and Employment of the People for National Defence.

"I have shown in the preceding pages that nations possess in their population efficient and easy means of defence against invading armies; and for this duty I would have every man, of the nations yet unconquered, in a train of preparation, who is not incapacitated by age, infirmity, or other special cause of exemption. The preparations, indeed, are such as in every political point of view ought to be cultivated; viz. a vigorous patriotism, and a due registry of the people, with arrangements for the work of defence. To the first of these a sedulous attention in the government to the interests of the people will most firmly contribute, as then the comforts that are secured by an existing government, and which would be destroyed by the success of invading armies, may be most convincingly insisted upon, and the duty which every man owes to the society wherein he moves, and under which he enjoys protection, to contribute his assistance, and, if necessary, intrepidly to offer his life in the common defence, may be most successfully inculcated. For the second, there should be opened three parochial accounts:the first of all births, which both fathers and mothers should be required to give in within a limited time, under penalties. The second, of males as they respectively attain the age of seventeen: this should contain the personal description, and refer to the former account, and be compulsory upon the youth as well as his parents, if then living. The third, of all persons between the ages of seven. teen and fifty; this should be given in yearly, and all persons entering a parish, and continuing in it seven days, should be required (under penalties) to enter their names with a reference to the two former accounts. Such register would also prove highly useful in various civil relations, and by recording the identity, and `tracing the motions of individuals, would tend to the prevention of crimes, and to the domestic security of society; nor would the trouble be so considerable as some may suppose. It should be incumbent on the individuals to attend at the office of registry at stated periods without official notice.

"Every male, on attaining seventeen years, should be imme diately subjected to frequent drills, until certified by the instructor to be effective; of which certificate he should have a copy as a voucher of having passed the necessary training*. Persons thus trained should be formed into companies, battalions, and regiments in their parishes, or other districts. Each regiment I propose should consist of two battalions; the first of men under forty years, not having three children under twelve years; the second of married men having three children under twelve years: the deficiency of a battalion of one class to be made up by the surplus of the other notwithstanding: I would have each battalion divided into four companies, numbered one, two, three, four, from right to left, and

"Corps of pioneers will be useful; and these may be a con venient depository for the mendicant, refractory, and disloyal.

the most trust-worthy and intelligent persons appointed, as their officers, by the crown, but without pay. I propose that they should be mustered from four to twelve times yearly, according to the exigency of the times, and practised in the following exercise and formations.

"To march in ordinary, quick, and charging time, in line, and in file: no intermediate times to be tolerated. To wheel by companies in the same time as charging timé.

"To order, shoulder, slope, poise, and charge the pike.

"The battalions to be formed three deep; the second battalion to be at the distance of one company in rear of the first.

"To charge and act from the rear as well as the front.

"With this arrangement all the essential operations of pikemen may be accomplished, without manoeuvres for the change of front, upon the simple principles explained in the annexed diagram.

"A B represents the enemy's line broke through at CD by the column or double line of pikemen, fig. 1.

"If this column has to charge or take ground to either flank (suppose to the left), wheel by companies backward on the right, and you have a column of four divisions instead of two, with a front as desired, fig. 2.

"If this column be attacked by cavalry, it may close to the front or rear divison, and facing outward present an impenetrable solid square, as at fig. 3.

"Should it be desirable to retreat in a solid column, the whole may face to the proper rear, and charge back through the line, as at fig. 4.

"This would only occur in a peculiar necessity. The preferable mode would be to open the colunin, as at fig. 5, then wheel forward into line, and facing to the rear, as in fig. 6, in that way charge back through the line...

"These are all the formations and movements essential to pikemen in the field, and scarcely any others should be practised, particularly in action. Much of the difficulty and confusion of raw troops in the battalion service, arises from their being too many modes in use of producing one and the same effect. When not in actual battle it may be useful to alter the direction of the proper front of the battalion. This I recommend should be done by the formation of a close column to the required front, and then a deployment into line: it might be done somewhat quicker by the eventail, echelon, or filing of divisions, but the few additional seconds are well bestowed on the firmness, simplicity, and uniformity of the other mode. It sometimes may happen in action that the battalions must have recourse to the close column, or even the doubling of divisions, in order to diminish their front; but these occasions cannot occur often, and ought to be avoided. A small inclination obliquely may be managed, by bringing up a shoulder, without encumbering the system with the usual manoeuvres employed for this purpose.

"With this principle of qualifying the population for close combat established, we may consider that order of attack which in the hands of a determined general, having a superiority of troops competently disciplined, and willing to meet their enemy hand to hand, is invincible. This principle is that of breaking the enemy's line, establishing a transverse position across that of the enemy, and keeping one part in check while such a body of force is thrown on the other as to disperse it, annihilate it, or compel it to surrender. Upon this principle our naval triumphs have been produced. The battle of the Nile strikingly exemplified it, and upon this principle also Buonaparte has achieved his chief victories. This mode of assault may be illustrated by the subjoined diagram.

"Let A B be the line of regulars of the invaded people, and

a double line of pikemen in reserve. An opening has been made in the line at E for columns of pikemen to advance, who charge through the enemy's line at F G H, and halt at I. These are immediately followed by a train of light artillery, who take up their ground successively from a to b, beginning at a, and are protected by lines of pikemen in their rear. A similar plan of cannonade is adopted on the left wing of the enemy at'd e, on which the grand attack is intended. For this the cavalry moves to w w to fall on the rear, and with the whole of the right wing, preceded by the pikemen, are prepared to charge, when the enemy shall give way before the artillery at d e.

"In such an attack, much of the effect of the artillery would depend on the selection of a proper place for breaking the line. A moderate eminence, with open ground to each flank, would afford wonderful execution. A greater portion of the enemy's line should not be attempted to be cut off than could be effectually dealt with; a fourth or less might be a good proportion; and when that was carried, the same plan of assault might be repeated with the remainder, or a general attack might be then made along the front and on the flanks, FG H.

"To enumerate all the purposes of war to which battalions of pikemen may be applied, would require a volume rather than a pamphlet, and would rather clog than elucidate the principle of their utility. I must, however, state, that although I have only considered the pike as an auxiliary, its effects are superior as a chief instrument of war. The objection to the advance of an army of pikemen is, that it would be exposed to the missiles of a retreating army, with which it might not be able to close; but there are nights, fogs, and rains, when a retreat cannot be conducted advantageously, nor missiles employed. Attacks at such times have often afforded the most complete victories: an objection, however, lies against such attacks, which is, that the armies are apt to fire on their own bodies, through mistake; but this defect could only operate against the enemy: pikemen could not harm their comrades until closed to them, and then their appearance would be so different to that of regular soldiers, that the error must be discovered. Under such circumstances, then, a population, when collected in superior numbers, might pour in upon their adversaries, en masse, without the aid of missiles. Military skill must then vanish, and the encounter be decided simply by individual prowess.'

The country, we understand, is indebted to Major Barber, the commander of the Duke of Cumberland's sharpshooters, for the well-written and ingenious tract before us. This gentleman was one of the first whose skill and patriotism were directed to the formation and improvement of rifle corps. His enlightened and patriotic exertions sufficiently prove, that if our arms are not successful, it is not for want of talents and military skill, but want of common sense or common honesty to select and appoint men qualified to command. We wish we could anticipate the same