He asked what it was. "It's only
a soldier's blanket," was the reply. "WHOSE blanket is it?" said
he, half lifting himself up. "Only one of the men's." "I wish to
know the name of the man whose blanket this is." "It is Duncan
Roy's, of the 42nd, Sir Ralph." "Then see that Duncan Roy gets his
blanket this very night." {37} Even to ease his dying agony the
general would not deprive the private soldier of his blanket for
one night. The incident is as good in its way as that of the dying
Sydney handing his cup of water to the private soldier on the field
of Zutphen.
The quaint old Fuller sums up in a few words the character of the
true gentleman and man of action in describing that of the great
admiral, Sir Francis Drake: "Chaste in his life, just in his
dealings, true of his word; merciful to those that were under him,
and hating nothing so much as idlenesse; in matters especially of
moment, he was never wont to rely on other men's care, how trusty
or skilful soever they might seem to be, but, always contemning
danger, and refusing no toyl, he was wont himself to be one
(whoever was a second) at every turn, where courage, skill, or
industry, was to be employed."
Footnotes:
{1} Napoleon III., 'Life of Caesar.'
{2} Soult received but little education in his youth, and learnt
next to no geography until he became foreign minister of France,
when the study of this branch of knowledge is said to have given
him the greatest pleasure.
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