110 MAJOR W. HODSON. 



thirty years of peaceful life, of parades and canton- 

 ments, would never impart. 



" There are men of iron, like Napier and Radetzky, 

 aged men, whom nothing affects; but they are just 

 in sufficient numbers to prove the rule by establish- 

 ing exceptions. Depend upon it, that for the rough 

 work of war, especially in India, your leaders must 

 be young to be effective." 



In a letter of April 5, Hodson tells how he had 

 just spent three days on civil duty in Sir Charles 

 Napier's camp. Sir Charles " was most kind and 

 cordial ; vastly amusing and interesting, and gave 

 me even a higher opinion of him than before. To 

 be sure, his language and mode of expressing himself 

 savour more of the last than of this century — of the 

 camp than of the court ; but, barring these eccen- 

 tricities, he is a wonderful man ; his heart is as 

 thoroughly in his work, and he takes as high a tone 

 in all that concerns it, as Arnold did in his — that is 

 to say, the highest the subject is capable of. I only 

 trust he will remain with us as Ions; as his health 

 lasts, and endeavour to rouse the army from the 

 state of slack discipline into which it has fallen. 

 On my parting with him he said, ' Now, remember, 

 Hodson, if there is any way in which I can be of 

 use to you, pray don't scruple to write to me.' I 

 didn't show him his brother's (Sir W. Napier's) letter, 

 that he might judge for himself first, and know me 

 jper se, or rather per me : I will, however, if ever I 

 see him asfain." 



In the same letter he refers to the death of Dr 

 Arnold as " a national misfortune. ... As it is, 

 the influence which he did produce has been most 



