IS r \KNOT. 



llu^ ancient interests, it' they have only this same anti- 

 quiiv to invoke in their favour, become excited, resist, 

 and struggle, and society is shaken to iis foundations. 

 Tho tableau will bo complete, (*ontlomon. when I add 

 that, in tlu-se obstinate conlliets, it is novor tho principles 

 that succumb. 



CarnoU as 1 have alroadv remarked, had but lightly 

 touched on the technical part of Yauban's works, in his 

 eloge ; yol, in tho low sentomvs \vhioh ho \vroto on this 

 subjeeU ho took tn-oasion lo say that " <r ccrfain rttfyur, 

 ignorant, person " took an orronoons viow of fortification 

 in roduoinii' it to tht 1 art of traoin^ on panor linos snb- 

 jootod to oortain. more or loss, systematic conditions. 

 Those words, in their general sense, seemed as it' they 

 might have passed unnoticed: but an unfortunate con- 

 currence ot' circumstances gave to them an importance 

 which wa< not foreseen, and still loss desired by their 

 author. In 178,'\ a general ot' intantrv. member of this 



V * 



Academy. M. le Marquis do Montalembert, jmblished, 

 under the title of Perpendicular Fortniciitii-m. an entirely 

 new svstem of detence of fortresses. This system was 



* 



outrageously opposed by almost the whole corps of mili- 

 tary engineers. The scion of an illustrious family, the 



* * 



ireneral othcer of the French army, the academician, 



/ ' 



mii:ht assuredly, without too much vanity, believe him- 







self not included in the ignorant rul</tir that the author 

 of the euloiTv had lightly designated : but M. do 3Iont- 



V . .V 



alembert was determined to apply these expressions to 

 himself, and to revenge himself he published an edition 

 ot' Yauban's eloge accompanied by notes, in which orlenee 

 and gross atVront were carried to the utmost. There was 

 enough in this pamphlet to upset the mind of a young 

 man a thousand times : nevertheless, under these ditli- 



