The times., 1899-07-30
Tho Story of n subnI,ern.

tDlS season output is q large Ied DOOh
with heavily gilded device on the cover
and on the titlepage the legend: "A Boy
In the Peninsular War; the Services. Ad-
ventures. and Experiences of Robert Blake
ney, Subaltern in the Twenty
eighth Regiment; an Autobiography,
and it is edited by Julian Stur
gis. This is one of the few books of
which it may be said that even the eX-
perienced reader cannot tell much about
1t without reading it. In nine cases out OF
ten the lover of books, if of catholic
taste can tell at a glance whether or rot
a new book will be interesting, in ninety
nine cases out of a hundred he can tell
TO what class ii belongs-whether to valu-
able biography or history. TO historical
fiction TO gossip, personal "Reminiscences, or
learned disquisition on historical events.
This book is the hundredth case. The rash
connoisseur will not make any wagers on
this book, or he will find himself in the
predicament of the Shipwreck Clerk when
confronted with the wreck of the Thomas
Hyke."
1t may be said, briefly. that this work,
while it consists of the personal reminis-
cences of a subaltern of the early years
of the century, is not altogether gossip,
nor does IL contain any very valuable com
ments on the famous campaign in the Iber-
ian Peninsula. II merely throws new
light-that of personality-on events al
ready recorded in the pages of history, and
will therefore be valuable to those who are
studying that particular time and place in
history. or to those who desire to accumu-
late a large reference library for public
or private use.
Robert Blakeney was a young 1rishman
who entered the English army at the early
age of fifteen, and during the next ten years
4 4a.rfaF Ff-ar~ Of NNarh,-
and-tumble order, as recorded in these
pages Some of the scenes which he has
put in here are of a nature to make care
full mothers gasp as they think Of youth
of tender age Witnessing and even taking
part in them; but 1t may be said to the
credit of young Blakeney that whatever
part he took seems in the main 10 have
been creditable. He is, in short, one OF
those officers of the British army from
whom the present colonels and captains
and subalterns, and the boys in the mill
tary schools of Great Britain, are logically
descended, and there is no finer stock IN
the world
AS for the literary style of the book, 1T
is that Of the eighteenth century, when the
frank iIliteracy which formerly infested the
upper class of English society had given
way TO a conviction that to write well was
a mark of a gentleman, though ones writ
ings be seen only in letters and journals.
There is some pomposity in 1t, not alto
gether to be charged TO the Irish race,
which is always disposed to more rhetoric
than the English; there Is certain still
ness and great deal of vigor; in short, 1t
is the style of Tom Cringle's Log and
like books Of adventure, and very readsnie.
Not the least interesting pages are those
of the preface by Mr.. Sturgis, who sums up
the style of the autobiographer quite as well
as il can be done. He says:
As in that island Of dreams (the Island OF
Zante) he recalled his stirring boyhood, his friend
ships formed and joyous under the SHADOW oi
death, his zeal and admiration ior the great
leaders under whom he served, his personal ad-
ventures and historic battles, his marches, bly,
ouacs. and careless jes,s his pen became again
like the pen of a boy who describes MS house
football match or the exploits OF the iaVofi,e
hero Of the scoool. Like q boy, too, he had his
more important moments-his fine attempts at
eloquence, grAndiloquence; he became literary,
sclf-conscious, innocently pompous, like boy.
The pen in his hand grew great as he proclaimed
the yalor OF the brave, the pageant OF plumed
troops the pornp Of glorious war. And, indeed,
the pen, grown mightier than the sword, exc
cuted at times cuts and fourishes so intricate
that the modest editor has had TO bring 1t 10
the scabbard But these tempestuous passages,
these patches which aim at the purple, are few;
and it should be said at once that they were never
concerned with the authors own exploits. Ii
Is the noble character of Sir John Moore that
starts the rhapsody, General Graham. or
Paret. or Hin, or the great Wellington himself;
and above all, II is the indomitable yalor OF the
British soldier-the British soldier who is 50
often Irish.
There may be some who think that Captain
Blskeney should have apologized for being Irish,
and indeed, though ! protest against any shadow
Of apology, the Irish nature Of our author, whose
ancestors came out Of Norfolk, may be mentioned
as an explanation Of the frank and flowing state
rnent OF his hopes and fears his joys and sorrows
his moving accidents and hairbreadth escapes.
Our Anglo-Saxon ideal Of the young soldier be-
comes more and more the youth who is hero
and won't mention IT. He is most engaging
person, too. Ask him Of the deed which filed
the daily papers and the mouths OF men, and he
blushes. mutters, and escapes TO his club. II you
bring all your power OF persuasion to bear upon
MIN in his most yielding hour, you may draw
from him some such statement as this: We'll, /
cut the Johnny down. and brought the Tommy
of 1t was all rot, and there was nothing in ii;
any chap would have done it. That is fine.
Perhaps It Is the fine flower Of more
eminent in action than in art. But II We care
for memoirs, let US be thankful for the French
man or the Irishrnan who will do his deeds OF
daring and not be ashamed 10 describe them for
profit and pleasure. Nor is II fair 10
infer that there IS more vanity in the one than
IN the other. In the case OF Blakcney, at least,
] shall be disappointed. indeed, if any reader
suspect him Of braggadccio. When he relates
his own adventures. his acts IN battle, his
language is simple. direct, vivid; he states plain
facts. When he recalls the exploits Of others-of
veteran generals. Of BOYS like himself of private
soldiers. and especially OF his own beloved Twen-
ty-eighth Regiment, then he cries out, q little
glmiously perhaps but with franknoss, gen
erusisy, and an honest ardor Of admiration which
surely may win pardon from the most severe Of
critics.
The life Of Blakeney, briefly, is this: He
was born in Galway in 1889. Joined the
army in 1901, and left it in 1928. He mar
rled Maria Gulia Balbi, Venetian lady
in Corfu, where he was inspector of police;
he was afterward inspector of health in
the Island OF Zante; and for twenty-one
years he was Resident OF the Island Of
Paxc, and died in 1855 in his seventeen
year.
The present work deals with the au-
fhor's adventures with Sir John Moore's
army in advance and retreat, at the bat
ties Of Corunna- Barossa, and Nivellae
and the siege OF Badajoz, and finally at the
great review In Paris. One of the things
which must impress the reader throughout
the book is that. although war is, as an
American general sententiously observed
not a picnic in these days, II was even less
picnic some seventyfve years ago. when
the rules OF civilized warfare were not en-
forced as they are now.
There is a particularly interesting page
of reminiscence about halfway through
the book. The character of Sir John
Moore is extremely vague in outline to
the average American reader. although
at one time it was reasonably certain that
''The Burial of Sir John Moore would
find place on the programme of every
Friday afternoon a; the country district
school, and that at some time or other
most OF the boys In the school would take
their turn at learning the noble lines of
this poem. with secret thrill OF an emo
tion which they could not have named.
Here, however, he is mentioned again and