Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/288

 258 l.'KTROSrECTIVE GLANCE. CHAP. X. Lord Rag- lan's vital give way. The strain that had been put upon him. What within less than a year lie had endui i aehieed. with his own eyes, Lord Raglan was free to in- a just pride when observing the vnlinnt devotion of his officers ami his men under what was a heavier trial than soldiers commonly meet; but every thought of this kind must have carried its sting; for in proportion to the gallantry and devotion of the troops and the sailors advancing against the Redan, was the anguish of seeing men of so high a quality mown down without power to reach the enemy, and — unhappily — mown down in vain. Men entitled to speak of the effect produced on Lord Raglan, are wont to agree that under this latest trial, more visibly than ever before, Ms vital strength seemed to give way. They, some of them, however, believe that this trial, though heavy, was still only one out of many that long had been straining his powers of endurance, and straining them so much the more since he had always held in horror the notion of showing de- pression, or seeming to harbour care. And, great in truth was the sum of what within less than a year Lord Raglan had borne and achieved. The task of firmly, gently discomfiting St Arnaud's early intrigues; the Cholera and the other fell maladies so fastening on our troops in Bulgaria, that even of those out of hospital none remained, it was said, in full health ; The dubious orders from Paris, the positive orders from London to cross the Black Sea, and at once invade the Crimea ;