. The British in Capri, 1806-1808 . of the greatestadvantage on a future occasion. Should good fortune send me with a favouring gale toEngland, I should try to profit by the acquaintance Ihave made upon actual service : for, I consider it thesoldiers particular duty to use every honourable en-deavour to advance himself in the service of his country,thereby to have the greater means of showing hisgratitude, by the more important services his higherrank place him in the situation of performing. Wouldto heaven that I could astonish you with some brilliantexploit, such as my heart pants after ! So
. The British in Capri, 1806-1808 . of the greatestadvantage on a future occasion. Should good fortune send me with a favouring gale toEngland, I should try to profit by the acquaintance Ihave made upon actual service : for, I consider it thesoldiers particular duty to use every honourable en-deavour to advance himself in the service of his country,thereby to have the greater means of showing hisgratitude, by the more important services his higherrank place him in the situation of performing. Wouldto heaven that I could astonish you with some brilliantexploit, such as my heart pants after ! So long have I now been accustomed to foreignersthat my native language seems of little use. Italian,or French, are our languages,—English is totally outof the question. The order to leave this island of Tiberius would be tome like the recall of exiles from a long and melancholybanishment. Nothing could prevent us from sinkingunder the pressure of ennui, so dreadfully experiencedin this island of despair, but the soldiers idea of a. SIR RICHARD CHURCH 103 post of honour. So it has been ; but now that idea isfled. We have found, to every brave mans disappoint-ment, that gasconnadiag fiUs up the ... of thevain threats of our insolent, spiritless adversaries. How much would I prefer an island infested byharpies, whose continued encroachments afforded usamusement in repelling their various attacks, to onewhere jaundiced ennui devours and preys upon thespirits of the stoutest soldier. Often and often have Iwished the island taken ! Yet, I daresay, were sucha thing attempted, I should get into such a passion asto fight to the last, rather than let the Monsieurs haveit, without paying for it more than it is worth. I have lately lost,—in fact through my own means, insome measure—, my most intimate friend in the regi-ment, except the Colonel, the Count St. Laurent, aPiedmontese officer in my company, and one of thoseofficers who, with the King of Sardinia, behaved sogallantly in the
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