continually mention the noble traits which it re- 

 quires. Whether it be a Christian calling depends 

 entirely upon the use made of it, and few will 

 question the assumption that the militia, as on a 

 grand scale, the police of the country, and on an 

 emergency, its defenders, are fulfilhng a religious 

 as well as a civil duty, in fitting themselves for 

 these objects. 



Now, although thorough military discipline is 

 the grand strength of an army, and the indispen- 

 sable requisite for the success of small numbers 

 against great ones ; yet, setting-up, which so far 

 as his body goes, enables a man to look and feel 

 like a soldier, is the physical beginning of this dis- 

 cipline, and with soldiers, as with children, the 

 physical education has great influence on the men- 

 tal. Beside this, a well set-up man may com- 

 plete his education as a private after the army is 

 in motion ; but setting-up can hardly be accom- 

 plished when the drill ground is once abandoned. 



In the following discussion we have taken the 

 ground that only a man who is ambidexter can 

 have the perfect command and full force of the 

 movements of his body; whether, indeed, some 

 slight inclination to one side be necessary to avoid 

 a sort of dead-centre catch, we cannot positively 



