Item 06: Frank H. Molony diary, 25 March 1918-7 August 1918 - Page 89

[Page 89]

May 5
Chapter XV, "Cambronne" stands with Chapters IX and X.

What is truly admirable in the battle of Waterloo, is England, English firmness, English resolution, English blood: the superb thing which England had there – may it not displease here – is herself. It is not her captain, it is her Army.

Wellington, strangely ungrateful (but true to all of the Englanders instinct) declared in a letter to Lord Bathurst, that his army, the army that fought on the 18 of June 1815 was a "Detestable army". What does this dark assemblage of bones, buried beneath the furrows of Waterloo, think of that?

England has been too modest in regard to Wellington. To make Wellington so great, so to belittle England.

But this great England will be offended at what we say here. She has still, after her 1688, and our 1789, the feudal illusion. This people, surpassed by none in might and glory, esteems herself as a nation, not as a people. So much so, that as a people they subordinate themselves willingly, and take a Lord for a head. Workmen, they submit to be dispersed: soldiers, they submit to be whipped.

To add the remainder of the paragraph is unnecessary. Hugo has judged well, and has admired clearly. But now, after all these years, the selfsame condition obtains, still the soldiers submit to be whipped and the Lord officer looks upon his men as his "detestable soldiers".

I wonder how England herself and her people will come out of this war.

114.
Mail tonight brings back sketches posted to War Records from Kemmel.

"I regret to inform you that you were not among the successful applicants" … the sketches were returned, all with the one exception of Bailleul's Hotel de Ville and the tower of the church, and both now are in heaped ruin.

115.
Nancy has delivered to the Ambulance four puppies: it is sincerely to be hoped Dian's jealousy is not arroused. Dian's sons and Nancy's tho' will move in different societies – the M.T.'s and the Cookhouses.