TO THE ENGLISH READER

The militarj Literature of France is a rich and fertile ground, where many a sheaf of golden ears might be gathered. Still, nobodj, for aught I know, ever thought of writing its historj, in spite of the strong and eyen dazzling light which the works of its warriors throw on the annals of the countrj. I venture on fllling this gap, as far as it can be done in a limited volume.

When I began this interesting task, I became literallj astounded at the inexhaustible qaantitj of materials. The chief writers, indeed, are universallj known; but nobody, out of well-informed militarj circles, even suspects how manj French commanding and subaltern officers hâve, atall timeSygiven a lasting form to their thoughts on warfare in gênerai and on some campaigns in particular. The Catalogue alone would fill a good volume, even without an Essaj on Militarj Bibliologj, and without taking into account the numerous manuscripts which lie buried in the Archives of the French War- Office and of some important garrison-towns. Thèse manuscripts are sometimes signed bj such high sounding names as that of Yauban ; sometimes, thej are the labour of some obscure offlcer, uiiknown to famé, who gives his countrj the beneût of his expérience and his méditations.

In order to render mj work less drj and more attractive to the gênerai reader, I divided it into two principal parts. The first contains mj own sketch of the militarj Literature of France, from the dajs of