433 



hy the prefenee of the commander in chief, 

 every one looks forward to a fuccefsful cam - 

 paign. No one imagines that fate has def- 

 tined him to fall ; but each anticipates the 

 joyous moment, when he fliall return to relate 

 hiftoriesof battles won, and iflands conquered, 

 to his friends in peaceful England. — ^Yet alas I 

 to how few is it allotted again to vifit either 

 England or their friends ! But to fuch re- 

 flexions let me be filent:— to fpeak them 

 were unmilitary ! Still the duties I may have 

 to^ perform will, fometimes, call up ftrong 

 affociations in my mind, and amidft the bufy 

 din of war, or, the loud rejoicings of vidory, 

 my very foul will often fwell with painful 

 fympathy. Even while I may feel a lively 

 joy in my country's fuccefs, my agonized 

 fpirit will dwell on fcenes of defolatlon ; and 

 be abforbed in the contemplation of indi- 

 vidual fufFerings and afflidlon. However 

 brilliant the campaign, the fad horrors of the 

 conteft will, frequently, ufurp the pofTeffionof 

 of my mind, and create an afflidive imprelEon. 

 But it would ill become me to expatiate on the 

 evils I am deftined to deplore. Upon the 

 great fubjed of war be it mine to view the 



