We had heard so much in England about Napoleon's troops, and their feats
had appeared so extraordinary, that my imagination had prepared me for
men of very striking appearance. As a matter of fact, the ordinary
infantry of the line, in their blue coats and white breeches and
gaiters, were quite little fellows, and even their high brass-covered
hats and red plumes could not make them very imposing.

In spite of their size, however, they were tough and wiry, and after
their eighteen months in camp they were trained to the highest pitch of
perfection. The ranks were full of veterans, and all the under-officers
had seen much service, while the generals in command have never been
equalled in ability, so that it was no mean foe which lay with its
menacing eyes fixed upon the distant cliffs of England. If Pitt had not
been able to place the first navy in the world between the two shores
the history of Europe might be very different to-day.

Lieutenant Gerard, seeing the interest with which I gazed at the
manoeuvring troops, was good enough to satisfy my curiosity about such
of them as approached the road along which we were journeying.

'Those fellows on the black horses with the great blue rugs upon their
croups are the Cuirassiers,' said he. 'They are so heavy that they
cannot raise more than a trot, so when they charge we manage that there
shall be a brigade of chasseurs or hussars behind them to follow up the
advantage.'

'Who is the civilian who is inspecting them?' I asked.

'That is not a civilian, but it is General St. Cyr, who is one of those
whom they called the Spartans of the Rhine. They were of opinion that