144 The Life of William, Duke of Newcastle 



I have heard that in our late Civil Wars there were many 

 petty skirmishes and fortifications of weak and inconsiderable 

 houses, where some small parties would be shooting and 

 pottering 1 at each other ; an action more proper for bandits 

 or thieves than stout and valiant soldiers ; for I have heard 

 my Lord say, that such small parties divide the body of an 

 army, and by that means weaken it ; whereas the business 

 might be much easier decided in one or two battles, with 

 less ruin both to the country and army. For I have heard 

 my Lord say, that as it is dangerous to divide a limb from 

 the body, so it is also dangerous to divide armies or navies 

 in time of war ; and there are often more men lost in such 

 petty skirmishes than in set battles, by reason those happen 

 almost every day, nay, every hour in several places. 



VI 



Many in our late Civil Wars had more title than power ; 

 for though they were generals or chief commanders, yet 

 their forces were more like a brigade than a well-formed 

 army ; and their actions were accordingly, not set battles, 

 but petty skirmishes between small parties ; for there were 

 no great battles fought, but by my Lord's army, his being 

 the greatest and best-formed army which his Majesty had. 



VII 



Although I have observed that it is a usual custom of the 

 world to glorify the present power and good fortune, and 

 vilify ill fortune and low conditions, yet I never heard that 

 my noble Lord was ever neglected by the generality, but was, 

 on the contrary, always esteemed and praised by all ; for he 

 is truly an honest and honourable man, and one that may be 

 relied upon both for trust and truth. 



VIII 



I have observed that many instead of great actions make 

 only a great noise, and like shallow fords, or empty bladders, 



i ' Pottering ' seems to be used as a synonym for shooting, as we should say ' potting ', 

 and not in the sense of sauntering, or working inefficiently. 



