 ten days after he should sit down before it. The North-Briton, who was
as great a pedant as the physician, having studied fortification, and made
himself master of Cæsar's Commentaries and Polybius, with the observations of
Folard, affirmed, that all the methods of besieging practised by the ancients,
would be utterly ineffectual against such a plan as that of the citadel of
Lisle; and began to compare the Vineæ, Aggeres, Arietes, Scorpiones and
Catapultæ of the Romans, with the trenches, mines, batteries and mortars used in
the present art of war. The republican, finding himself attacked upon what he
thought his strong side, summoned all his learning to his aid; and describing
the famous siege of Platæa, happened to misquote a passage of Thucydides, in
which he was corrected by the other, who having been educated for the church,
was also a connoisseur in the Greek language. The doctor, incensed at being
detected in such a blunder, in presence of Pallet, who (he knew) would
promulgate his shame, told the officer, with great arrogance, that his objection
was frivolous, and that he must not pretend to dispute on these matters with one
who had considered them with the utmost accuracy and care. His antagonist,
piqued at this supercilious insinuation, replied with great heat, that for ought
he knew, the doctor might be a very expert apothecary, but that in the art of
war, and knowledge in the Greek tongue, he was no other than an ignorant
pretender. This asseveration produced an answer full of virulence, including a
national reflection upon the soldier's country; and the contention rose to
mutual abuse, when it was suppressed by the admonitions of the other two, who
begged they would not expose themselves in a strange place, but behave
themselves like fellow-subjects and friends. They accordingly ceased reviling
each other, and the affair was seemingly forgot; but, after they had resumed
their places in the coach, the painter unfortunately asked the meaning of the
word Tortoise, which he had heard them mention among the Roman implements of
war. This question was answered by the physician, who described the nature of
this expedient so little to the satisfaction of the officer, that he
contradicted him flatly, in the midst of his explanation; a circumstance which
provoked the republican to such a degree, that in the temerity of his passion,
he uttered the epithet impertinent scoundrel; which was no sooner pronounced
than the Caledonian made manual application to his nose, and leaping out of the
coach, stood waiting for him on the plain; while he
