Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/59

 OANBOBBRT CONVERTED. 27 summate ability will l>e almost taken for granted chap. by those who happen to know how richly he was. — gifted with that kind of natural eloquence which rapidly, vividly pictures a given condition of things, and at once unleashes such motives upon the minds of his hearers as shall drive them to- wards action in the sense desired by the speaker ; but it is hardly credible that the drama of real life should — like the more clear, the more com- pact drama of poets — display such a sequence as that of persuasive speech causing instantly, by its own force alone, a change of design moment- ously affecting great nations ; and accordingly, one may treat it as probable that before this last meeting took place, General Canrobert must al- ready have felt some regret for the step he had taken when sending his recent despatch — must already have much reconsidered his objections to that joint advice which his own engineer General Bizot had concurred with Burgoyne in submitting. Be that as it may, he at once, and in presence The French of the officers of the French headquarters staff reverting and of General Rose, admitted the accuracy or sionoftue J ' Three ' ; what Lord Raglan's envoy had urged, and then intimated that he would, after all, follow the decision of the last Conference.* He required that, to cover his troops whilst effecting a lodg- and on ment on the Mamelon in front of the Malakoff, condition! the English should furnish two Hanking batteries to assail — one of eight, one of fifteen great guns ; but be- koff front
 * The English commissioner at the French headquarters.