DECEMBER 239 



same cannot be said of the manual, firing, pike, and 

 grenade exercises. In the days of William and Mary 

 it required no fewer than forty separate words of 

 command to call a company to attention, load, fire, 

 and stand-at-ease. Thus ' Musketeers, take heed to 

 your exercise Joyn your Right Hand to your Muskets 

 Poise your Muskets Joyn your Left Hand to your 

 Muskets Handle your Matches Blow your Matches 

 Cock your Matches Try your Matches' and so on, 

 every command being explained in the text by minute 

 instructions. The match was a fickle affair, especially 

 in wet weather, rendering far from superfluous the 

 caution appended to the command ' Give fire ' ! viz. 

 ' As soon as this command is given, you draw the 

 Tricker with the First Finger, drawing the cockt 

 Match quick and strong upon the Pan. If it discharge 

 or not, you must have a special care that you draw 

 your Tricker but once.' 



Loading after a volley was a lengthy operation. 

 First, the soldier received the order ' Blow your pans ' ! 

 then he 'cast about to load,' took a charger (i.e. a 

 cartridge) from his bandolier, and was commanded 

 'Open it with your teeth.' Next the powder and 

 bullet were dropped down the barrel (there was so 

 much windage that no ramming was required at this 

 stage), and the word came ' The Wad from your 

 Hats ' ! on which he took ' some of the Wad that 

 sticks between your Hat-band and your Hat,' drew 

 forth his rammer and rammed all home. 



It is difficult to imagine that even under the 

 elaborate discipline maintained in Marlborough's army 



