nant-Colonel, twelve shillings; a Major, ten shillings; a Captain eight shillings; a Lieutenant, six shillings; and an Ensign, four shillings and sixpence; an Adjutant, eight shillings; a QuarterMaster, six shillings. To meet this expence without imposing any additional burthen on the state, so soon as the peace establishment is fixed, the bounty of four guineas only should be allowed to each recruit, and the difference, eleven guineas, be appropriated to the half-pay list; that on all sales of commissions there should be a scale fixed, a certain sum paid to the said fund; every Ensign that purchases pays ten guineas; a Lieutenant, fifteen guineas; a Captain, twenty guineas; a Major, forty guineas; and a Lieutenant-Colonel, fifty guineas. That a state of the fund, with the deaths or removals that may happen on the half-pay list, during the preceding year, should be published in the Gazette, on the first of January in every year; that as half-pay Officers fall off by death, or are otherwise provided for, such as by regiments, governments, or are called to full pay, that the allowance to the half-pay list should augment to Generals, until it amounted to four guineas a day; Lieutenant-Generals, three guineas; Major-Generals, two guineas; Colonels, one guinea and a half; Lieutenant-Colonels, one guinea; Majors, fifteen shillings; Captains, ten shillings and sixpence; Lieutenants, eight shillings; Ensigns, six shillings and sixpence; Adjutants, ten shillings and sixpence; Quarter-Masters, eight shillings. It is to be perfectly understood that Officers retiring to half-pay, either receiving or giving a difference, are not to be entitled to any advance from the proposed fund: they are to remain stationary on the original half-pay that none are to benefit from the casualties or fund, save those placed upon half-pay by His Majesty, or the country; that is to say, it was not from their own choice that they were placed on half-pay. Thus, Sir, I have endeavoured to lay before you my very imperfect plan, on which I doubt not much valuable improvement will be made. If I have thrown out any new idea that can assist in an object so essential to the happiness of gentlemen who deserve from a generous and grateful country a comfortable retirement, I shall feel much gratification. I remain, Sir, your obedient, humble servant, MILES. N. B. The Editor requests further communications on this important subject to the interest of every Officer in the army. Sir, ON THE HALF-PAY TO OFFICERS. HAD I any faith in dreams, I should consider the one which disturbed my slumbers last night as ominous.-I fancied I saw Old England in a state of profound peace, enjoying that tranquillity and repose which it has so long sought for; amongst others, were men, who, although they appeared to rejoice in the event which was for their country's good, yet something in their aspect seemed to denote that their rations had been curtailed: these I was told were half pay officers, men who had served in France, Portugal, and Spain, ander the Marquess of Wellington, and gained immortal glory under the banners of that illustrious Commander.—I could not refrain entering into conversation with them; they informed me, that on full pay an officer has enough to do to support the dignity of his rank, but that when it is reduced to half, the pressure is doubly felt; they, however, consoled themselves with the assurance which they had just received, from a person high in office, that Ferdinand the 7th had, in testimony of the high estimation in which he held their services, graciously ordered that their half-pay should be made up to full out of his public treasury, until vacancies occurred of replacing them into employ. Oh, Magnanimous Prince! cried I, in whose bosom, although a monarch, gratitude holds so distinguished a place, for this one act alone may thy reign be prosperous and long !-- -I awoke. Chichester, April 18, 1814. SOMNO. AVARICE. AVARICE prompted Marcus Licinius Crassus, surnamed Dives, or the rich, to embark in a war against the Parthians, where he fell a victim to his own rashness and imprudence. His army was surrounded and cut to pieces, and himself taken prisoner and put to death. The Parthians, in derision, poured melted gold into his mouth, in order, as they said, that he, whose soul had so immoderately thirsted for that precious metal, should have his lifeless trunk completely sated with it. 160 COCKADE. A COCKADE, in French cocarde, is a bunch of ribbands, so called, it is said, because a soldier who has one mounted may be compared to a cock, distinguished by a beautiful crest, which, proud of its ornament, struts about with a bolder air. This military badge succeeded the scarf worn formerly by the officers and soldiers belonging to the different nations of Europe; but the period at which it began to be used is not known. We find only, that at the duel which took place between the Lords of Jarnac and De la Chateigneraye, in the presence of Henry II. of France, the friends and relations of the two champions who accompanied them to the place of combat, according to the custom of that period, were distinguished from each other by ribbands of different colours. Those of Jarnac's party had white and black ribbands; those of the other were blue and gray; and they were affixed to the hat or to the button-hole of the doublet. During the war which began about the commencement of the last century, the cockades in the combined armies of France and Spain were red and white; the former colour being that of the Spaniards. The Elector of Bavaria, who took part with the French in that war, caused his troops to wear blue and white cockades; and the Duke of Mantua, who joined the alliance of the two crowns, gave to his soldiers three-coloured cockades, white, red, and yellow, combining yellow, which was the livery of the house of Gonzaga, with the colours of France and Spain. At present, both in the British army and navy, the officers wear cockades of black silk ribbands, the non-commissioned officers, private soldiers, and marines, black hair ones. The French cockades are made of light blue, pink and white ribbands, mixed together, and are called tri-color, or three-coloured. The Spanish cockade is red; the Prussian, black; the Austrian, black; the Russian, green; and so forth. Under the old government of France, officers were not permitted to wear a cockade, unless they were dressed in regimentals. There are certain old regiments in the Prussian service, of which neither the officers or men wear cockades. In this country the cockade, till of late years, was worn by military men of all ranks and descriptions, both in and out of regimentals, and is frequently made use of by servants, to denote their masters holding some military rank. MILITARY ESSAY. THE COMMON ORDER OF BATTLE, OR GENERAL DISPOSITION ORDERED BY THE KING OF PRUSSIA TO BE OBServed by all GENERALS, COMMANDANTS OF REGIMENTS, AND SUBALTERNS IN HIS SERVICE. 1. THE vanguard shall not advance above two miles before the army, and shall take all imaginable precautions continually to reconnoitre the enemy. 2. The army marching in columns shall halt three miles from the enemy, and form in order of battle. 3. When the army has advanced far enough, the regiments shall range themselves in the manner which shall then be commanded them. 4. The first line, three deep, shall take care to keep in close order, their ranks straight, and equal. 5. The Colonels, Commandants, and Subalterns, who command platoons, ought to exhort the soldiers to do their duty, and make the affair appear to them as easy as possible. 6. The non-commissioned officers who are in the rear of the battalions, ought to beware of bringing the soldiers into confusion by useless words, but to keep a watchful eye over them. 7. If it shall happen that a soldier endeavours to run away, and goes one foot out of his rank for that purpose, the Officer, or non-commissioned Officer, in the rear, shall kill him on the spot, under the pain of being broke with infamy. 8. As the King observed that at the last battle the best soldiers were at the baggage, he absolutely hereby forbids that practice for the future, and the Commandauts of regiments shall answer for the same, under the pain of being cashiered. 9. To this effect each regiment shall employ only three Captains at arms, with the worst soldiers, the sick, or others unfit for action. 10. The field-pieces, and such heavy Artillery, as the King may have along with him, shall be advanced eight paces before the first line. 11. The Grenadiers shall be posted behind the first line on the right, left, and centre. 12. Three Brigades of Dragoons of four hundred each, shall sustain the right wing of the cavalry; the rest shall be posted at the centre, behind the first line, where they shall wait His Majesty's orders. 13. If the cavalry commanded for the attack shall be repulsed, as at Molwitz, without having done their duty, the Grenadiers shall fire on them, even to exterminating them entirely. 14. The Majors and Adjutants shall take care their battalions do not fall into confusion, and for that purpose shall be continually riding along the front of them. 15. The corps de reserve, consisting of eighteen squadrons and six battalions, shall be posted twenty paces behind the first line, equally divided on right and left, and there wait orders. 16. The Hussars shall sustain the left wing, shall observe the enemy's attack, and act in consequence. 17. If the battle is well disputed, and many are killed, a regiment from the right, and another from the left, shall complete the first line, where the General judges it most necessary, and the second line shall advance towards the first. 18. The second line shall be posted eight hundred paces behind the first, their firelock shouldered, and the Officers shall prevent, under pain of being broke, any soldier quitting his rank. 19. The Officers who command platoons shall carefully visit the soldiers' arms see that the pan holds the priming, and that every thing is in order; if any thing is wanting it must be instantly repaired. 20. The soldiers should be exhorted to take their aim well, to adjust their shot, and not fire too high. To all these points the Officer should give particular attention. 21. As soon as His Majesty shall cause the signal to be given by three cannonshot in the centre, the Artillery shall by a brisk fire throw the enemy into a confusion, and shall continue their fire till the King shall send them orders to cease by one of his Adjutant-Generals. 22. The Captains and Lieutenants of Artillery shall point their guns themselves, and not trust it to the gunners. 23. After the cannonade, the signal for the attack shall be given by three cannon-shot. 24. When the army in close order shall come within six hundred paces of the enemy, then in order to familiarize the soldiers with the fire, and to blind them with regard to the danger, they shall begin to fire regularly by platoons. 25. The first line, continuing to advance charging, shall take care that no regiment breaks the line. 25. The Officers, in advancing, shall give the word of command distinctly and loud, and place themselves one pace before the platoons, that the men may hear them, and they seeing the men better, may prevent the men hurting each other by an irregular fire. 27. In case the enemy's cavalry, or Hussars, shall pierce the first line, then the regiment where they have pierced shall face about, and charge them in the rear. 28. If victory declares for His Majesty, and that the enemy have been obliged to yield, the platoon-firing shall cease. 29. The Cavalry and Hussars shall then march out, and the King himself shall choose such of the Infantry as, jointly with the cavalry, shall pursue the enemy. 30. During the pursuit, no soldier shall, under pain of death, quit his rank to plunder or take booty; the Officer shall answer for this. 31. The regiments who are not sent on the pursuit, shall remain with shouldered firelocks until they are commanded to order them, but even then no soldier should quit his rank. 32. His Majesty's pleasure is, that this disposition shall, on all occasions, be invariably followed. Account of the Authors who have written upon Fortifications.-By the Author of the Military Mentor. THE science of fortification was by no means unknown, or uncultivated, long before the immortal Vauban, by an uncommon effort of genius, threw so much light upon the art of engineering, as to have placed it on the ground of being daily improved. Errard, of Bois-le-Duc, who was employed under Henry the Fourth, was the first engineer officer that published a complete system upon Fortifications. Marollois, whose system is distinguished by the name of the Dutch System, makes fichant, or hooked lines of defence. The Chevalier Antoine de Ville, engineer under Louis the Thirteenth, has given to the world a most excellent treatise upon Fortification; his method is styled, in most authors, the French method: he has the superior advantage of adding theory to practice: his particular, or favourite maxim, is to make the right flanked angle straight, and the flank equal to the demi-gorge.-This author is by no means an |