INT 



INT 



has different significations. No general 

 can be said to be in any degree qualified 

 for the important situation which he holds, 

 unless, like an able minister of state, he 

 be constantly prepared with the requisite 

 means to obtain the best intelligence re- 

 specting the movements and the designs 

 of the enemy he is to oppose. On the 

 other hand, it is not possible to conceive 

 a greater crime than that of affording in- 

 telligence to an enemy, and thereby 

 bringing about the overthrow and destruc- 

 tion of a whole army. A French military 

 writer makes the following observations 

 respecting the latter species of intelli- 

 gence, which he classes under two spe- 

 cific heads. He justly remarks, that to 

 hold correspondence, or to be in intelli- 

 gence with an enemy, is not only to be- 

 tray your king, but likewise your coun- 

 try. Armies and fortified places are al- 

 most always surprised and taken by means 

 of a secret intelligence which the enemy 

 keeps up with domestic traitors, acting 

 in conjunction with commissioned spies 

 and delegated hirelings. 



A garrison town may be taken by sur- 

 prise, under the influence of secret intel- 

 ligence, in two different ways. The one is, 

 when the assailant, to whom the place 

 has been surrendered, is not bound to 

 join his forces to those troops by whom 

 he has been admitted ; the other, when 

 it is necessary that an assault should be 

 made by openly storming, by throwing 

 shells, and by petards, or by stratagem. 

 The first species of intelligence may be 

 held with a governor, who has influence 

 enough to direct the will and actions of 

 the garrison ; with a garrison, which is 

 indisposed towards the governor and the 

 officers that command the troops ; with 

 the inhabitants, who have undertaken to 

 defend a place where no garrison is sta- 

 tioned; and, lastly, with the prevailing 

 faction, where there are two parties that 

 govetn in a free town. The other species 

 of intelligence may be practised with a 

 governor, who either wants power or is 

 afraid to tamper with the fidelity of the 

 garrison ; with some particular officer, 

 Serjeants, or soldiers ; with the body of 

 inhabitants, who think differently from the 

 armed force that overawes them ; or with 

 active and shrewd individuals, who have 

 access to the ruling party, and can skil- 

 fully combine affected loyalty with secret 

 disaffection. 



There is not, however, in human nature, 

 perhaps, a more insidious or a more dan- 

 gerous ground to tread on, than that of 

 secret intelligence ; nor are the faculties 



of the mind ever so much put to the lest, 

 as when it is necessary to listen to the re- 

 port of an individual, who, whilst he is 

 betraying one side, may be equally dis- 

 posed to dupe the other. A wise general 

 will consequently hear every thing, and 

 say nothing ; and a wise man, let his se- 

 cret wishes be what they may, will warily 

 consider, whether the person, who in- 

 sinuates to him even the possibility of a 

 plot, does not at that instant endeavour 

 to get into his confidence, for the sole pur- 

 pose of acting contrary to his supposed 

 views, and of betraying the man who has 

 unfolded other schemes. It is certainly 

 justifiable policy, either in the governor 

 of a town, or in a general, to affect to give 

 into the views of any man or party of men 

 whom he has cause to suspect, and whose 

 ultimate object he is determined to de- 

 feat. But he should be equally cautious 

 how he listens to the communications of 

 spies or informers. The veil of honesty 

 is often assumed to cover a deep-laid 

 scheme of villany ; and apparent candour 

 is the surest path to unguarded confi- 

 dence. When villains voluntarily unfold 

 themselves in such a manner as to con- 

 vince an able and penetrating officer that 

 their treachery can be depended upon, 

 much blood may be spared by making- a. 

 proper use of their intelligence. This 

 axiom has prevailed in every civilized 

 country ; and should be well attended to 

 by thinking men. For when a battle has 

 been gained, it avails little to ask whether 

 the enemy owed his success to force or 

 treachery ? No treachery, however, is ad- 

 missible, or should be sanctioned by bel- 

 ligerent powers, which militates against 

 those laws of nations which are founded 

 upon the wise basis of humanity. Private 

 assassination, the use of poison, or the 

 disregard of paroles of honour, must be 

 generally reprobated; and whatever ge- 

 neral obtains his ends by any of these 

 dark means, his name should be stamped 

 with infamy, and he himself be exposed 

 to all the melancholy casualties of retalia- 

 tion. See James's Military Dictionary. 



INTENSITY, in physics, is the degree 

 or rate of power or energy of any quality, 

 as of heat and cold. The intensity of 

 qualities, as gravity, light, heat, &c. vary 

 in the reciprocal ratio of the squares of 

 the distances from the centre of the ra- 

 diating quality. 



INTERCALARY, in chronology, an 

 appellation given to the odd day inserted 

 in leap-year; which was so called from, 

 calo, calare, to proclaim it, being pro- 



