Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 5.djvu/10

 NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. v. JAN. e, im

Young says in his 'Autobiography,' first

Eublished at the beginning of 1898, that is "great plea of a horse militia pro- duced immediately three volunteer corps of cavalry, which multiplied rapidly through the kingdom." His liealth "was the first toast given for being the origin of those corps which, when assembled, had this opportunity of publicly declaring their opinion" ('Auto- biography/ p. 204). At a dinner given by the Duke of Bedford at Woburn, Young was told "by a gentleman of great property, captain of a troop of Yeomanry, that when- ever his troop met he always drank my [Young's] health after the King's, for being the undisputed origin of all the Yeomanry Corps in the kingdom" (p. 206). It is significant that in Young's own personal copy of his 'Annals' the passages relating to his suggestions as to the Yeomanry are marked, apparently in his own hand.

In his own county of Suffolk Young enrolled himself as a private in the ranks of a corps raised at his recommendation in the vicinity of Bury St. Edmunds, and commanded by Lord Broome, afterwards Marquis of Cornwallis (p. 205). In vol. xxvii. of the * Annals of Agriculture ' (1796), p. 537, Young prints a statement of the expense of equipping (with jacket, waistcoat, surtout, breeches, boots, gloves, cravat, &c.) a trooper in the Suffolk corps of Yeomanry Cavalry which, under the title of the Loyal Suffolk Hussars, now (1900) has as its Honorary Colonel H.R.H. the Duke of York and he even prints a song, obviously written by himself, commencing "Hear ye not the din from afar?" and winding up with these unexceptionable if rather tritely expressed sentiments :

Then, gallant Yeomen, sing with me.

May we fall or conquer free : Firm our union, just our cause, 'Tis our country, King, and laws.

ERNEST CLARKE. 13A, Hanover Square, W.

A LIFETIME'S WORK.

(See 9 th S. iv. 550.) IN the flush of youth's beginning, When renown seems worth the winning By a score of schemes accomplished

Ere the eve of life draws nigh, Then the mind surveys with pleasure All the length of life and leisure For researches carried forward

To completion ere we die.

But the march of time, incessant,

Proves our hopes but evanescent,

And the plans of finished labours

Dwindle down to two or one ;

Strange delays, still unexpected, One by one appear, detected, And the more we do, the greater Seems the task that lies undone.

Still, as year to year succeedeth, Each in turn more swiftly speedeth ; Fifty years soon fly behind us,

And are dwindled to a span ; Still the final day draws nearer, And the truth grows ever clearer That a life is all too little

To complete the cherished plan.

What remains ? Shall we, defeated, From the project incompleted Draw aloof, and seek for solace

In an indolent repose ? Rather be the toil redoubled, Though the light grow dim and troubled, As the swiftly-falling twilight

Hastens onward to its close.

No ! let never the suggestion Of thy weakness raise a question Of the duty that impels thee

Still to follow on the trace ; Every stroke of true endeavour Often wins, and wins for ever Just a golden grain of knowledge

Such as lifts the human race.

Truth is one ! To grasp it wholly Lies in One, its Author, solely ; And the mind of man can master

But a fragment of the plan ; Every scheme, howe'er extensive, Though it seem all-comprehensive, Is a portion of a portion

Fitting life's allotted span.

Death is near ; and then what matter Though a coming hand shall shatter All the fair but fragile fabric

Thou laboriously didst raise ? If a single brick abideth That thine honest toil provideth, Thy success hath proved sufficient,

Thou shalt win the Master's praise.

WALTER W. SKEAT. [The poem has already appeared in print.]

SPECIAL LITERATURE WRITTEN FOR SOLDIERS. Since our soldiers form a great topic of con- versation just now, brief allusion to some books written for them when on active service may not be out of place. From the nature of the case, they are few in number. A soldier's first duty is to fight, and he is not supposed to have any leisure to read, except the scanty correspondence he may be fortunate to receive from friends at home. However, in our great Civil War there were some curious little manuals and treatises written for him, now very scarce and interesting historically, Their dates lie between 1640 and 1649 that is, between the election of the Long Parliament and the king's execution. The Parliament had not long been in power when it began to