ty: few
months ago, till the persuasive sergeant came, what were they?
Multiform ragged losels, runaway apprentices, starved weavers,
thievish valets; an entirely broken population, fast tending
towards the treadmill. But the persuasive sergeant came; by tap
of drum enlisted, or formed lists of them, took heartily to
drilling them;--and he and you have made them this! Most potent,
effectual for all work whatsoever, is wise planning, firm
combining and commanding among men. Let no man despair of
Governments who looks on these two sentries at the Horse-Guards,
and our United-Service Clubs! I could conceive an Emigration
Service, a Teaching Service, considerable varieties of United and
Separate Services, of the due thousands strong, all effective as
this Fighting Service is; all doing _their_ work, like it;--
which work, much more than fighting, is henceforth the necessity
of these New Ages we are got into! Much lies among us,
convulsively, nigh desperately _struggling to be born._

But mean Governments, as mean-limited individuals do, have stood
by the physically indispensable; have realised that and nothing
more. The Soldier is perhaps one of the most difficult things to
realise; but Governments, had they not realised him, could not
have existed: accordingly he is here. O Heavens, if we saw an
army ninety-thousand strong, maintained and fully equipt, in
continual real action and battle against Human Starvation,
against Chaos, Necessity, Stupidity, and our real 'natural
enemies,' what a business were it! Fighting and molesting not
'the French,' who, poor men, have a hard enough battle of their
own in the like kind, and need no additional molesting from us;
but fighting and incessantly spearing down and destroying
Falsehood, Nescience, Delusion, Disorder, and the Devil and his
Angels! Thou thyself, cultivated reader, hast done something in
that alone true warfare; but, alas, under what circumstances was
it? Thee no beneficent drill-sergeant, with any effectiveness,
would rank in line beside thy fellows; train, like a true
didactic artist, by the wit of all past expedience, to do thy
soldiering; encourage thee when right, punish thee when wrong,
and everywhere with wise word-of-command say, Forward on this
hand, Forward on that! Ah, no: thou hadst to learn thy small-
sword and platoon exercise where and how thou couldst; to all
mortals but thyself it was indifferent whether thou shouldst ever
lear