A History of the British Army, Vol. 1: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' WarFortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
History
A History of the British Army, Vol. 1: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' War
Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
So far then the succession of a diligent and competent
administrator to the shrewd but incorrigibly idle Charles promised
advantages that were obvious enough. But there was another
side to the question. Parliament had requited James's services
to the public by excluding him as an avowed Catholic from all
public employment, whether civil or military; and James was a
narrow-minded, a vindictive, and, like all the Stuarts, essentially
a wrong-headed man. Though valuable as the head of a department,
he was totally unfit to administer a kingdom; though not devoid of
constancy and patience in adversity, he was swift and unsatiable
in revenge; though ambitious of military fame, proud of English
valour, and not without jealousy for English honour, he saw no way
to the greatness which he coveted in Europe except by the overthrow
of English liberty. He longed to interfere effectively abroad, but
with England crushed under his heel, not free and united at his
back.
So he too sold himself to France, hoping to consolidate his
power by her help and to turn it in due time to her own hurt;
and meanwhile he sought to strengthen himself by the maintenance
of a standing Army. For this design Monmouth's insurrection of
1685 afforded sufficient excuse.[206] The opportune return of the
garrison of Tangier had already added two regiments of Foot and
one of Horse to the English establishment; and James seized the
occasion of the outbreak to summon the six British regiments, three
of them Scottish and three English, from Holland. These, though
they presently returned to William's service, secured for two of
their number on the invasion of England in 1688 the precedence of
Fifth and Sixth of the Line. Simultaneously twelve new regiments of
infantry and eight of cavalry were raised under the same pretext.
Of the foot the first was an Ordnance-regiment, designed like the
firelocks of the New Model to act as escort to the artillery, and
was called from its armament the Regiment of Fusiliers. It is still
with us as the Seventh of the Line. The remainder of the foot, some
of them formed round the nucleus of independent garrison-companies,
also abide with us, numbered the Eighth to the Fifteenth.[207] Of
the cavalry six were regiments of horse, and are now known as the
First to the Sixth Regiments of Dragoon Guards; the remaining two,
which are now numbered the Third and Fourth, after having been
successively dragoons and light dragoons, have finally become the
two senior regiments of hussars. Add to these thirty independent
companies of foot, borne for duties in garrison, and it will be
seen that King James's army was increasing with formidable speed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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