ppear to him more formidable than they really are. For HIS attention is
not distracted--he has but one business, and that is with the object
before him. Neither in general conduct nor in particular emergencies,
are HIS plans subservient to considerations of rewards, estate, or
title: these are not to have precedence in his thoughts, to govern his
actions, but to follow in the train of his duty. Such men, in ancient
times, were Phocion, Epaminondas, and Philopoemen; and such a man was
Sir Philip Sidney, of whom it has been said, that he first taught this
country _the majesty of honest dealing_. With these may be named, the
honour of our own age, Washington, the deliverer of the American
Continent; with these, though in many things unlike, Lord Nelson, whom
we have lately lost. Lord Peterborough, who fought in Spain a hundred
years ago, had the same excellence; with a sense of exalted honour, and
a tinge of romantic enthusiasm, well suited to the country which was the
scene of his exploits. Would that we had a man, like Peterborough or
Nelson, at the head of our army in Spain at this moment! I utter this
wish with more earnestness, because it is rumoured, that some of those,
who have already called forth such severe reprehension from their
countrymen, are to resume a command, which must entrust to them a
portion of those sacred hopes in which, not only we, and the people of
Spain and Portugal, but the whole human race are so deeply interested.
(_See Appendix C_.)

I maintain then that, merely from want of this intellectual courage, of
courage as generals or chiefs, (for I will not speak at present of the
want of other qualities equally needful upon this service,) grievous
errors were committed by Sir Hew Dalrymple and his colleagues in
estimating the relative state of the two armies. A precious moment, it
is most probable, had been lost after the battle of Vimiera; yet still
the inferiority of the enemy had been proved; they themselves had
admitted it--not merely by withdrawing from the field, but by proposing
terms:--monstrous terms! and how ought they to have been received?
Repelled undoubtedly with scorn, as an insult. If our Generals had been
men capable of taking the measure of their real strength, either as
existing in their own army, or in those principles of liberty and
justice which they were commissioned to defend, they must of necessity
have acted in this manner;--if they had been men of common sagacity for
bus