SWABEY DIARY. 949 
Military policy of Great Britain.” I claim however some excuse for 
so transgressing on military rules owing to the total impossibility of 
being out in the heat with any safety from 11 till 5 o’clock. 
The author of this book has, in plain though philosophical argument, 
sufficiently demonstrated to me the fatal truth that Hngland’s only 
hope is in war, I should say conquest. It is the peculiar character of 
his book to excite the pride and awaken the ambition of Mnglishmen, 
and by thus touching on man’s weakest or next to weakest passion, 
he tunes his understanding so as to be delighted with the glorious and 
I may say reasonable plans that he proposes for adoption. 
16th May.—Read part of a French work on Tacitus. The style, as 
far as I went, has like that of most authors of that nation too much 
vanity and egotism with unpoetic attempt at ornament, so that I have 
scarcely patience to read it. These attempts are the more ungraceful 
when made on a subject which should be plainly and concisely treated ; 
repetition is likewise an error too prevalent in French writers. I must 
admit however the inadequacy of an Hnglishman’s judgment on a 
French production. 
This day was the anniversary of Albuera, and all the regiments here, 
viz., the 57th, or “‘ Die-hards,” 31st, or young Buffs, 3rd, or old Buffs, 
etc., paid due honour to the occasion by getting what they term Royal 
rental? of their different exploits, which was as unintelligible as the 
confusion of tongues. 
Apropos of this celebration it should be stated that “ D” troop, 
the only one present at Albuera, played a distinguished part 
in the battle. On that hard-fought day it was engaged 
both on “the heights” and in the plain with the cavalry 
on the right of the position, where owing to the persistent 
efforts of Marshal Soult to turn that flank some of the severest 
fighting took place. The troop wasin the very thick of the 
melée, the guns were repeatedly ridden through, and many of 
the gunners charged over by the French Dragoons; indeed 
for a time one gun was in the hands of the enemy, who how- 
ever suffered very heavy losses both in men and horses from 
the destructive fire of the troop. In a letter describing the 
action dated June 26th, 1811, the cavalry Brigadier-General 
Long says: “the dispersion of our cavalry scarcely left us 
more than 400 or 500 British at any point, which with two 
regiments of Spaniards, that could not be depended upon, was 
all we had to offer by way of resistance to their numerous 
and overwhelming columns. ‘he ground, however, favoured 
us, and the Horse Artillery did its duty with brilliant effect. 
The enemy lost a great number of men, and from 400 to 500 
horses, by the operation of this arm alone.”—FA. |V. 
1 There appears to have been no real connexion between the two regiments. A legend exists, of 
' questionable authenticity, that at the battle of Dettingen in 1743, George the II. mistook the 31st 
regiment for the 3rd Buffs, and when the mistake was pointed out, he said, “‘ then they shall be the 
young Buffs.’—F.4.W. 
Bees probably means they all got excessively drunk, as was usual on similar occasions,— 
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