Non-Fiction > Books > London, 1887 - Virginibus Puerisque, and other papers

The English Admi7^als 199
seems all one from a personal point of view.
The man who lost his life against a henroost,
is in the same pickle with him who lost his
life against a fortified place of the first order.
Whether he has missed a peerage or only
the corporal's stripes, it is all one if he has
missed them and is quietly in the grave.
It was by a hazard that we learned the
conduct of the four marines of the Wager.
There was no room for these brave fellows in
the boat, and they were left behind upon the
island to a certain death. They were soldiers,
they said, and knew well enough it was their
business to die ; and as their comrades
pulled away, they stood upon the beach,
gave three cheers, and cried "God bless the
king !" Now, one or two of those who were
in the boat escaped, against all likelihood,
to tell the story. That was a great thing
for us ; but surely it cannot, by any possible
twisting of human speech, be construed into
anything great for the marines. You may
suppose, if you like, that they died hoping
their behaviour would not be forgotten ; or