and a vast fund of information; although very learned in all the branches of the military art, they do not possess talents for commanding in chief. It would be difficult to find two better chiefs of staff. They have not the genius of Buonaparte, but they possess the intelligence, the exactness, and activity of Berthier. Having been bred up in the principles of honour and loyalty, they cannot be reproached for pillage or cruelty: we ought even to view them as softening the rigorous measures of their master, as much as they possibly could, without exposing themselves to complete disgrace. Ah! if Napoleon had never been surrounded but with men of their stamp, how much regret and grief would he not have spared himself!

The desire of pleasing Buonaparte has led them to many debasing measures; but in which they conceive themselves justified by the grand excuse of the general welfare. Andréossi, in his mission to London and Vienna, sacrificed his character by observing his instructions. Lauriston did the same at Brest and at Toulon, and no doubt pursues the same steps at St. Petersburg. They certainly acted at first with very great repugnance: but the ice once broke, they may be considered as rendering the most important services to Buonaparte, from their aptitude to do all that is prescribed to them, their masterly discretion, and by a fidelity and attachment which even the downfall of their idol would not affect.

AIDES-DE-CAMP.

MARSHAL DE PUYSEQUR says, in his Art of War, that "in the time of the great Prince of Condé and Marshal Turenne, the employment of Aide-de-Camp was always filled with officers of character." The reason is, that in a battle, a moment may change the face of affairs, insomuch, that an order sent by the General to an inferior officer, to act in such or such a manner, and which was properly given with respect to the situation of the action, at that moment may become improper, by the situation of the action changing before the Aide-de-Camp arrives and delivers it. In this case, it is necessary that he who carries the order should have comprehended the spirit in which the General meant it, and take care not to deliver it in such a positive manner, as to oblige him who receives it to act up to the letter of it, and not leave him liberty to change it. The Marshal says he saw a battle lost because an Aide-de-Camp, upon a false representation of the local situation made to the General, had been sent to the Commander of the right wing to order him to change his ground, and the latter, knowing the strength of it, tried to argue the matter, but to no purpose; the Aide-de-Camp delivered the positive order, and the Commander was obliged to obey: the enemy immediately possessed themselves of this advantageous post, and the battle was Lost.-Essay on the Art of War, London, 1761.

THE DISTRESSED OFFICER.

HE was in a military dress :-his figure, his face, and his walk, evinced the gentleman, yet poverty contracted his countenance; and a succession of blushes which flushed into his cheek whilst he traversed the coffee-room, indicated that his heart suffered. He leaned upon the bar, and whispered the mistress of the coffee-room, "a good-natured creature," and she curtseyed to him with a degree of respect that made me believe I had mistaken the index to the officer's mind, that instead of standing in need of a favour he was conferring an obligation. He took his seat, and the waiter laid a plate of toast before him, which he eyed and seized with a degree of avidity, not so much the sign of a wholesome appetite as the keenness of actual want:-he ate with every mark of real hunger.-The first plate of toast being finished, the mistress of the coffee-room ordered a second to be laid before him (but she gave her orders privately) :-the officer seized the toast,-the waiter wiped his eyes with his napkin,-and the mistress of the coffee-room drew up her breath again in a tone so soft, so sweet, and so harmonious, as inebriated the eyes of every one of those that heard it into that delightful unison of pity— the sure sign of an honest heart.-The officer having finished his breakfast, and taken leave of the mistress of the bar, a something (which was certainly not curiosity) induced me to inquire his name: -of that she was ignorant:-he had only called that morning for a breakfast, which he assured her, he would pay for on some future day—until that day arrives she requested that he would call every morning and breakfast at her house upon credit:- -" and he is welcome," said she," although that day should be the day of judg ment!"-" and when the day of judgment comes," said I, "you will hear of this matter-for you have done that which will gain you credit in the book of fate; for though your sins were even multitudinous, your charity has covered them."—" But let me see," said I, "if something else cannot be done for this poor officer, lend him these few guineas as coming from yourself."-Next day he received the cash, and I heard no more of my money until the end of nine years, when the mistress of the coffee-room told me that Ensign B (now a Lieutenant-Colonel) had returned from abroad,--repaid her the sum borrowed,-and gave her a ring worth one hundred guineas, by way of interest.

FRAGMENTUS *.

Further communications from this gentleman are requested.

EDITOR.

Orders of Knighthood in Russia.

THE Order of St. Andrew, or the Blue Ribband, the first ever known in this country, was instituted by Peter the First, in the year 1698, soon after his return from his first expedition into foreign countries.-Weber's Ver. Russ. Part 3. p. 38. 161. That of St. Alexander Nevski, or the Red Ribband, was founded by the same sovereign, but never conferred until the reign of Catherine the First, in 1725. The order of St. Anne of Holstein was instituted in 1735, by Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein, in memory of his wife Anne, daughter of Peter the Great, and introduced into Russia by her son, Peter the Third.-It is in the disposal of the Great Duke, as Sovereign of Holstein. The knights wear a red ribband bordered with yellow. The Military Order of St. George, called also the Order of Merit, and which has the precedence over that of St. Anne, was created by the Empress Catherine the Second, in 1769. It is appropriated to persons serving by sea or by land, and, excepting the small cross of the fourth class, never bestowed in time of peace. The knights wear a ribband with black and orange stripes. This order is divided into four classes: the knights of the first class, called the grand cross, wear the ribband over the right shoulder, and the star upon the left side. Each receives an annual salary of 700 rubles (1401. per annum). The knights of the second class wear the star upon their left breast; the ribband with the cross pendant round their neck. Each receives 400 rubles (801. per annum). The knights of the third class wear the small cross pendant round their necks. Each receives 200 rubles (401. per annum). This class admits fifty. The knights of the fourth class wear the small cross fastened by a ribband to the button-hole, like the French Croix de St. Louis. Each receives 100 rubles (201. per annum). The fund of this order, assigned by the Empress Catherine the Second for the payment of their salaries and other expenses, is 40,000 rubles, or 80001. per annum. Of this, 1680 is destined for the first class; and 2000 for each of the other remaining three. The num ber of knights is unlimited. In 1778 the first class, which is confined to Commanders-in-Chief, contained only four: viz. Marshal Romanzof, for his victories over the Turks; Count Alexey Orloff, for burning the Turkish fleet at Tchesme; Count Passin, for the

taking of Bender; and Prince Dolgorueki, for his conquests in the Crimea. The second class comprised only eight knights; the third forty-eight; and the fourth two hundred and thirty-seven. No person can obtain this order without having performed some gallant exploit; or having served with credit in the rank of officer twentyfive years by land, or eighteen by sea.-See Ukase lbeber die Stiftung de St. Georg's-Ordens, in Schmidts Beytrage. The order of St. Catherine, appropriated to the ladies, was instituted in 1714, by Peter, in honour of his wife Catherine. The motto " Love and Fidelity" was intended to commemorate the display of those virtues in her conduct on the banks of the Pruth. This order is extremely honourable, as, besides the Empress, the Great Duchess, and a few foreign Princesses, only five Russian ladies were decorated with it. The first and most distinguished of these several orders is the order of St. Andrew, which, besides the sovereign princes and foreigners, comprised, in 1778, twenty-six Russians; that of St. Alexander Nevski one hundred and nine; and that of St. Anne two hundred and eight. The Empress may also be said to have the disposal of the Polish Orders of the White Eagle and of St. Stanislaus. Catherine founded, on the 4th of October 1782, a new order, called St. Vlodimir, in favour of those who serve in civil employments; and it is nearly on the same footing as that of St. George, with respect to the salaries annexed to the different classes. There are to be ten great crosses, twenty of the second class, thirty of the third, and sixty of the fourth class, besides a fifth, for those who have served thirty-five years, which gives them a right to wear it.

Coxe's Travels,

RETORT VALIANT.

TWO Spanish officers having a violent quarrel, one accused the other with a slackness in times of any danger, and added, that such pusillanimous conduct would certainly ruin his character." Well,” replied the accused, "I should never incur the accusation of feeling any fears if I was sent against troops composed of such men as you."

For the Royal Military Panorama.

TELEGRAPHIC SIGNALS

Made by Three Soldiers armed with Firelocks, or Three Sailors furnished with Oars; also by the Symbols of Six Flags in Arithmetica Progression of Numbers, adapted to Military and Naval Services in Separate or Conjunct Operations; arranged by JOHN M'ARTHUR, Esq. L L. D. Author of the Principles and Practice of Naval and Military Courts-Martial.

Diagrams of the Six Different Positions of Three Signal Men.

Apply to the Correspondent No. of the Right Man's positions, that of the Centre Man's positions, and add the No. of the Left Man's positions, as denoted in the upper line.