representing the chancellor in his cuirassier's uniform, and you see before you two complete men, in each of whom, in the words of Baron Stoffelwords originally applied to Count Bismarck alone -"you have a remarkable type of the most perfect balance between intellect and energy of will." One is a soldier, with many of the qualities of a statesman; the other, a statesman, with many of the qualities of a soldier. Indeed, Baron Stoffel, in his celebrated reports on the Prussian army, has faithfully reproduced the character of both men,—not by the unprofitable method of descriptive phrases, but by quoting from the lips of each what he knew to be characteristic words.

When, for instance, the King of Prussia visited Paris during the International Exhibition of 1867, Count Moltke told Baron Stoffel how happy he was to see his Majesty take so much interest in the artistic splendour of the French capital. "General Moltke," writes Baron Stoffel, "who is not in the habit of saying what he does not think, pronounced these words, addressing himself to me: 'I am very glad that the king has seen all the magnificence of Paris. At home he is occupied almost exclusively with the army. He has now been able to convince himself that a sovereign, without neglecting the army, for yours is excellent, can at the same time interest

himself in all that contributes to the greatness of a

Soon after the peace, a German poet, Oscar von Redwitz, sent to Count Moltke a copy of his work, "Das Lied vom Neuen Deutschen Reich," which naturally contained verses in honour of Count Moltke himself. I do not think Count Moltke's reply is known in England. It ought to be, for here again his simple, straightforward words are characteristic of the man." The poet," he wrote to Herr von Redwitz, in thanking him for his book, "must be prodigal. He distributes with full hands diamonds and pearls, the stars of heaven and the flowers of the earth; and in the same way he lavishes praise. That is the sense in which I take it when your poem likens me to the great men of the past. For these men were great in misfortune, and then especially; whereas we have met with nothing but success. Now, call that chance, luck, destiny, or the will of God-men alone do not produce it; and such gigantic results are essentially the outcome of circumstances which we can neither create nor control. The excellent, but unfortunate, Pope Hadrian had these words inscribed on his tomb: 'What a difference does the epoch make in which the activity even of the best man is cast!' Often the greatest work may be wrecked by the same invincible force of circumstances which bears the least great along. If, not

from any vain or false modesty, I must look upon a good part of the praise bestowed on me as undeserved, I am none the less grateful for it; for verses like yours are indeed more lasting than monuments of brass and marble."

APPENDIX B.

THE BOMBARDMENT OF FORTIFIED TOWNS.

WRITER in "Le Spectateur Militaire," for

July, 1867, discusses with General Le Blois the question whether, in attacking a fortified place, the artillery ought to direct its fire at the fortifications only, or to shell the dwellinghouses, so as to make the position intolerable for the inhabitants? "Shell the dwelling-houses!" is the solution arrived at by General Le Blois, who, in his work entitled "Fortifications in Presence of the New Artillery" (1865), strongly recommends that "hollow projectiles" be thrown upon all points of the interior of the town. When," he explains, "the shells fall in the various quarters the catastrophes are in proportion to the density of the population. Death hovers above the heads of all. Each individual feels threatened as to his own existence and that of all that he holds dear in the

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world, while at any moment his property may be destroyed by fire. The situation becomes intolerable to the masses, and the very excess of the sufferings to which they are exposed brings about their termination. Experience proves that in such a case malevolent efforts are directed against the governor, who is made responsible for all the disasters that occur; and if he shows himself firmly attached to his duty, the people rise against him, and his own troops seek to compel him to an immediate capitulation, of which history furnishes only too many examples. Far be it from us,' cries General Le Blois, "to counsel the governor to commit such an act of weakness." He adds, however, that the probability will be against the governor's holding out, and proceeds to prove his case in quite mathematical style. "Let G.," he says, "represent the effective force of the garrison, and P. the valid portion of the population. Then, if the besieger wishes to conform to the principles of the French school of engineers, and directs his shells at the fortifications only, he will have G. + P. opposed to him; whereas if his resources include material for a bombardment, and he fires upon the houses of the inhabitants, he will only have G. — P. to contend with, P. being now on his side and in favour of a capitulation. If, in the collision within the walls, which must take place, G. succeeds in