MAJok SEMPLE LISLE. 35 



atid over it a tent was erefted, "j^artly to ferve 

 as a ftorehoufe, and partly as an habitation 

 for the faithful veteran who was to guard my 

 llores. Willing to make him in love with 

 his duty, I had got raifed for him a wooden 

 bench, with a mattrafs to fleep on, which in- 

 deed, though a mofl vile one, coft me no fmall 

 trouble to procure; but bad as it was, I con- 

 cluded that he would efteem it a luxury. I 

 was however miftaken ; for about a week after, 

 going to look at my waggons, &c. I faw a 

 mattrafs laying like a piece of lumber. En- 

 quiring how it came there, I was informed, 

 that it belonged to the foldier I had placed on. 

 my cellar, whom I inllantly fent for. Upon 

 alking him how he came to throw away his 

 mattrafs, he cooly faid, that it was not fit for 

 a foldier, and th?it he could not fleep upon it. 

 I then went to fee what he had fubflituted 

 for this defpifed couch, and found a hard 

 common fl:raw mat of his own twifting. 



Such is the real character of a Ruffian fol- 

 dier, and to the portrait I can only add, that 

 their fidelity is equal to their other qualifi- 

 cations, for defertions are hardly known among 

 them: they are in fhort formed by nature and 

 education for the trade of war : for while they 

 acquire hardinefs by their ufual mode of living, 

 their minds are not eftranged frorp the paths 



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