emptation of pillage, and are habituated to rapine: they
give loose to intemperance, riot, and intoxication; commit a thousand
excesses; and, when the enemy appears, run on board the ships with their
booty. Thus the dignity of the service is debased; they lose all sense
of honour and of shame; they are no longer restricted by military laws,
nor overawed by the authority of officers; in a word, they degenerate
into a species of lawless buccaneers. From such a total relaxation of
morals and discipline, what can ensue but riot, confusion, dishonour,
and defeat? All the advantage that can be expected from these sudden
starts of invasion, will scarce overbalance the evils we have mentioned,
together with the extraordinary expense of equipping armaments of this
nature. True it is, these descents oblige the French king to employ
a considerable number of his troops for the defence of his maritime
places: they serve to ruin the trade of his subjects, protect the
navigation of Great Britain, and secure its coast from invasion; but
these purposes might be as effectually answered, at a much smaller
expense, by the shipping alone. Should it be judged expedient, however,
to prosecute this desultory kind of war, the commanders employed in it
will do well to consider, that a descent ought never to be hazarded in
an enemy's country, without having taken proper precautions to secure a
retreat; that the severest discipline ought to be preserved during all
the operations of the campaign; that a general ought never to disembark
but upon a well-concerted plan, nor commence his military transactions
without some immediate point or object in view; that a re-embarkation
ought never to be attempted, except from a clear open beach, where the
approaches of an enemy may be seen, and the troops covered by the fire
of their shipping. Those who presume to reflect upon the particulars
of this last expedition, owned themselves at a loss to account for the
conduct of the general, in remaining on shore after the design upon St.
Maloes was laid aside; in penetrating so far into the country without
any visible object; neglecting the repeated intelligence which he
received; communicating, by beat of drum, his midnight motions to an
enemy of double his force; loitering near seven hours in a march of
three miles; and, lastly, attempting the re-embarkation of the troops
at a place where no proper measures had been taken for their cover
and defence. After the acti