the cavalry general-第10章

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　　　　Cf。　〃Hell。〃　VI。　v。　51。







＇13＇　Lit。　〃an　absolutely　weak　force。〃







Now；　my　maxim　would　be　precisely　converse：　if　you　attack　with　a



prospect　of　superiority；　do　not　grudge　employing　all　the　power　at　your



command；　excess　of　victory＇14＇　never　yet　caused　any　conqueror　one　pang



of　remorse。







＇14＇　Or；　〃a　great　and　decided　victory。〃　Cf。　〃Hiero；〃　ii。　16。







But　in　any　attempt　to　attack　superior　forces；　in　full　certainty　that；



do　what　you　can；　you　must　eventually　retire；　it　is　far　better；　say　I；



under　these　circumstances　to　bring　a　fraction　only　of　your　whole　force



into　action；　which　fraction　should　be　the　pick　and　flower　of　the



troops　at　your　command；　both　horses　and　men。　A　body　of　that　size　and



quality　will　be　able　to　strike　a　blow　and　to　fall　back　with　greater



security。　Whereas；　if　a　general　brings　all　his　troops　into　action



against　a　superior　force；　when　he　wishes　to　retire；　certain　things



must　happen：　those　of　his　men　who　are　worse　mounted　will　be　captured；



others　through　lack　of　skill　in　horsemanship　will　be　thrown；　and　a



third　set　be　cut　off　owing　to　mere　difficulties　of　ground；　since　it　is



impossible　to　find　any　large　tract　of　country　exactly　what　you　would



desire。　If　for　no　other　reason；　through　sheer　stress　of　numbers　there



will　be　collisions；　and　much　damage　done　by　kicks　through　mutual



entanglement；　whereas　a　pick　of　horse　and　men　will　be　able　to　escape



offhand；＇15＇　especially　if　you　have　invention　to　create　a　scare　in　the



minds　of　the　pursuers　by　help　of　the　moiety　of　troops　who　are　out　of



action。＇16＇　For　this　purpose　false　ambuscades　will　be　of　use。







＇15＇　Or；　〃by　themselves；〃　reading　｛ex　auton｝；　as　L。　Dind。　suggests。



　　　　Cf。　Polyb。　x。　40。　6；　or　if　as　vulg。　｛ex　auton｝　（sub。　｛kheiron｝；



　　　　Weiske）；　transl。　〃to　slip　through　their　fingers。〃







＇16＇　Zeune　and　other　commentators　cf　Liv。　v。　38　（Diod。　xiv。　114）；　but



　　　　the　part　played　by　the　Roman　subsidiarii　at　the　battle　of　the



　　　　Allia；　if　indeed　〃una　salus　fugientibus；〃　was　scarcely　happy。



　　　　Would　not　〃Hell。〃　VII。　v。　26　be　more　to　the　point？　The　detachment



　　　　of　cavalry　and　infantry　placed　by　Epaminondas　〃on　certain　crests；



　　　　to　create　an　apprehension　in　the　minds　of　the　Athenians〃　in　that



　　　　quarter　of　the　field　at　Mantinea　was　a　｛mekhanema｝　of　the　kind



　　　　here　contemplated。







Another　serviceable　expedient　will　be　to　discover　on　which　side　a



friendly　force　may　suddenly　appear　and　without　risk　to　itself　put　a



drag　on　the　wheels　of　the　pursuer。　Nay；　it　is　self…evident；　I　think；



that；　as　far　as　work　and　speed　are　concerned；　it　is　the　small　body



which　will　assert　its　superiority　more　rapidly　over　the　larger；　and



not　vice　versanot　of　course　that　the　mere　fact　of　being　a　small　body



will　enable　them　to　endure　toil　or　give　them　wings；　but　simply　it　is



easier　to　find　five　men　than　five　hundred；　who　will　take　the　requisite



care　and　pains　with　their　horses；　and　personally　practise　of　their　own



accord　the　art　of　horsemanship。







But　suppose　the　chance　should　occur　of　entering　the　lists　against　an



equal　number　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　according　to　my　judgment　it　were



no　bad　plan　to　split　the　squadron　into　divisions；＇17＇　the　first　of



which　should　be　commanded　by　the　squadron…leader；　and　the　other　by　the



ablest　officer　to　be　found。　This　second…officer　will　for　the　time



being　follow　in　rear　of　the　leading　division　with　the　squadron　leader；



and　by　and　by；　when　the　antagonist　is　in　near　proximity；　and　when　the



word　of　command　is　passed；　form　squadron　to　the　front　and　charge　the



hostile　ranks＇18＇a　manouvre　calculated；　as　I　conceive；　to　bring　the



whole　mass　down　upon　the　enemy　with　paralysing　force；　and　to　cause　him



some　trouble　to　extricate　himself。　Ideally　speaking；　both



divisions＇19＇　will　be　backed　by　infantry　kept　in　rear　of　the　cavalry；



these　will　suddenly　disclose　themselves；　and　rushing　to　close



quarters；　in　all　probability　clench　the　nail　of　victory。＇20＇　So　at　any



rate　it　strikes　me；　seeing　as　I　do　the　effects　of　what　is　unexpected



how；　in　the　case　of　good　things；　the　soul　of　man　is　filled　to



overflowing　with　joy；　and　again；　in　the　case　of　things　terrible；



paralysed　with　amazement。　In　proof　of　what　I　say；　let　any　one　reflect



on　the　stupor　into　which　a　body　of　men　with　all　the　weight　of



numerical　advantage　on　their　side　will　be　betrayed　by　falling　into　an



ambuscade；　or　again；　on　the　exaggerated　terror　mutually　inspired　in



belligerents　during　the　first　few　days；　of　finding　themselves　posted



in　face　of　one　another。







＇17＇　Or；　〃troops。〃







＇18＇　Possibly　on　flank。　See　Courier；　p。　35；　on　Spanish　cavalry



　　　　tactics。







＇19＇　Lit。　〃supposing　both　divisions　to　be　backed　by　footmen；〃　etc。







＇20＇　Or；　〃achieve　a　much　more　decisive　victory。〃　Cf。　〃Cyrop。〃　III。



　　　　iii。　28。







To　make　these　dispositions　is　not　hard；　the　difficulty　is　to　discover



a　body　of　men　who　will　dash　forward＇21＇　and　charge　an　enemy　as　above



described　intelligently　and　loyally；　with　an　eager　spirit　and



unfailing　courage。　That　is　a　problem　for　a　good　cavalry　general　to



solve。　I　mean　an　officer　who　must　be　competent　to　so　assert　himself　in



speech　or　action＇22＇　that　those　under　him　will　no　longer　hesitate。



They　will　recognise　of　themselves　that　it　is　a　good　thing　and　a　right



to　obey；＇23＇　to　follow　their　leader；　to　rush　to　close　quarters　with



the　foe。　A　desire　will　consume　them　to　achieve　some　deed　of　glory　and



renown。　A　capacity　will　be　given　them　patiently　to　abide　by　the



resolution　of　their　souls。







＇21＇　｛parelontas｝；　in　reference　to　S。　18　above；　｛parelaunoi｝；　〃form



　　　　squadron　to　the　front。〃







＇22＇　〃To　be　this；　he　must　be　able　as　an　orator　as　well　as　a　man　of



　　　　action。〃　Cf。　〃Mem。〃　II。　ii。　11。







＇23＇　Cf。　Tennyson's　〃The　Charge　of　the　Light　Brigade〃：







Their's　not　to　make　reply；



Their's　not　to　reason　why；



Their's　but　to　do　and　die。











To　turn　to　another　matter；　take　the　case　in　which　you　have　two　armeis



facing　one　another　in　battle　order；　or　a　pair　of　fortresses＇24＇



belonging　to　rival　powers；　and　in　the　space　between　all　kinds　of



cavalry　manouvres　are　enacted；　wheelings　and　charges　and　retreats。＇25＇



Under　such　circumstances　the　custom　usually　is　for　either　party　after



wheeling　to　set　off　at　a　slow　pace　and　to　gallop　full　speed　only　in



the　middle　of　the　course。　But　now　suppose　that　a　commander；　after



making　feint＇26＇　in　this　style；　presently　on　wheeling　quickens　for　the



charge　and　quickens　to　retirehe　will　be　able　to　hit　the　enemy　far



harder；　and　pull　through　absolutely　without　scathe　himself　most



likely；　through　charging　at　full　speed　whilst　in　proximity　to　his　own



stronghold　（or　main　body）；　and　quickening　to　a　gallop　as　he　retires



from　the　stronghold　（or　main　body）　of　the　enemy。　If　further；　he　could



secretly　contrive　to　leave　behind　four　or　five　troopers；　the　bravest



and　best　mounted　of　the　squadron；　it　would　give　them　an　immense



advantage　in　falling　upon　the　enemy　whilst　wheeling　to　return　to　the



charge。＇27＇







＇24＇　Al。　〃fields　and　farmsteads　between。〃







＇25＇　Or；　〃retirements；〃　see　〃Horsemanship；〃　viii。　12；　〃Cyrop。〃　V。　iv。



　　　　8；　〃Hell。〃　IV。　ii。　6；　〃Ages。〃　ii。　3。







＇26＇　Or；　〃having　precluded　in　this　fashion。　See　Theocr。　xxii。　102：







　　　　　　　　｛ton　men　anax　ataraxen　etosia　khersi　prodeiknus　Pantothen｝；







　　　　〃feinting　on　every　side〃　（A。　Lang）。　Al。　〃having　given　due　warning



　　　　of　his　intention。〃　Cf。　Aristot。　〃H。　A。〃　ix。　37。







＇27＇　Cf。　Aristoph。　〃Knights；〃　244　（Demosthene