to be a gallant man. I have therefore put you upon this duty. I tell you
in confidence, it is certain death for you all. I place you there to
make the enemy spring a mine below you." Carew made a bow to the
general, and led on his men in silence to the dreadful post. He there
stood with an undaunted countenance, and having called to one of the
soldiers for a draught of wine, "Here," said he, "I drink to all those
who bravely fall in battle." Fortunately at that instant Tortona
capitulated, and Carew escaped. But he had thus a full opportunity of
displaying a rare instance of determined intrepidity. It is with
pleasure that I record an anecdote so much to the honour of a gentleman
of that nation, on which illiberal reflections are too often thrown, by
those of whom it little deserves them. Whatever may be the rough jokes
of wealthy insolence, or the envious sarcasms of needy jealousy, the
Irish have ever been, and will continue to be, highly regarded upon the
continent.

Paoli's personal authority among the Corsicans struck me much. I have
seen a crowd of them, with eagerness and impetuosity, endeavouring to
approach him, as if they would have burst into his apartment by force.
In vain did the guards attempt to restrain them; but when he called to
them in a tone of firmness, "Non c'e ora ricorso, No audience now," they
were hushed at once.

He one afternoon gave us an entertaining dissertation on the ancient art
of war. He observed that the ancients allowed of little baggage, which
they very properly called "impedimenta;" whereas the moderns burthen
themselves with it to such a degree, that 50,000 of our present soldiers
are allowed as much baggage as was formerly thought sufficient for all
the armies of the Roman empire. He said it was good for soldiers to be
heavy armed, as it renders them proportionably robust; and he remarked
that when the Romans lightened their arms the troops became
enfeebled.[137] He made a very curious observation with regard to the
towers full of armed men, which we are told were borne on the backs of
their elephants. He said it must be a mistake; for if the towers were
broad, there would not be room for them on the backs of elephants; for
he and a friend who was an able calculatour, had measured a very large
elephant at Naples, and made a computation of the space necessary to
hold the number of men said to be contained in those towers, and they
found that the back of the broadest elephant wo