IN SELECTING RECRUITS. 289 



years, and were not under twenty-two years of age. 

 The result of the march of this army may be com- 

 pared with that of another under different circum- 

 stances. In the campaign of the summer of 1809, 

 the troops cantoned in the north of Germany 

 marched to Vienna, but by the time they arrived at 

 the place of their destination, all the hospitals on the 

 road were filled with sick. More than one-half of the 

 men composing this army were under twenty years 

 o/age, the usual levy of conscripts having been an- 

 ticipated. After the battle of Leipsic, Napoleon 

 made great exertions to recruit his army, and called 

 upon the legislative senate to give him their assist- 

 ance, to which they showed some reluctance. 

 * Shame on you !' cried the emperor * * *, * I demand 

 a levy of 300,000 men, but / must have grown men, 



BOYS SERVE ONLY TO ENCUMBER THE HOSPITALS AND 

 ROAD-SIDES.' " 



In similar defiance of the laws of physiology, half- 

 grown lads were at one time preferred for the East 

 India service, on the false supposition that their un- 

 consolidated constitutions would more easily adapt 

 themselves to the climate than those of men already 

 arrived at maturity, a proposition very nearly 

 equivalent to saying, that because a person is al- 

 ready enfeebled, exposure to the causes of disease 

 will therefore have less effect on him than after his 

 strength shall be restored ! Palpably fallacious as 

 this kind of logic now appears to be, it nevertheless 

 reigned for years with undisputed sway, and it was 

 only in September, 1829, that an order was issued 

 from the Horse Guards that no recruits under twenty 

 should be received for regiments serving in tropical 

 climates ; and so late as the year 1826, nearly 15 

 per cent, of the king's troops in Bengal were under 

 that age. 



In touching upon this question also, Mr. Marshall 

 supports his positions by a reference to facts of a 

 very conclusive kind, and to authors whose opimons 

 K o 



