of the most dandified of the London 'exquisites,' was proverbial throughout the whole Peninsular army."
An old soldier, hearing the officers talking largely of their office, could not forbear saying, "Gentlemen, you may call yourselves marshals, generals, or colonels, but the duties assigned to you are usually performed by a corporal's guard."
When all were getting ready, the Governor thought it proper that the blessing of Heaven should be implored upon the expedition. Prayers were ordered to be offered up for this object on the Sunday before the setting out. While those employing freedom of language in public ministrations were left to their own mode of carrying out this obligation, the Episcopalians of the colony were agitated upon the propriety of the form to be adopted. As their spiritual head—their Bishop—resided several thousands of miles off, at Calcutta, and the Archdeacon in another country, this additional call upon their devotions was committed to the care of the Chaplain, the Rev. W. Bedford. That good man, without doubt, prepared a very suitable form of supplication, but which, nevertheless, subjected him to public criticism.
While entreating the Divine favour on behalf of an enterprise which would, if successful, be attended with the blood-shedding of the Natives, an urgent request was offered for their speedy conversion to Christianity. This was held to be slightly inconsistent with the principles of the New Testament, though admitted to be agreeable to the practice of all Christian governments. It might not be unlike the conduct of the warlike Bishop of Norwich, who, after making Wat Tyler's rebels kneel and confess their sins, very episcopally gave them absolution, and afterwards very baronially ordered their throats to be cut.
But pretended exception was taken as to the prayer itself. It was called by one paper "a great constitutional error." Then there was blame attached to the chief clerk of the Colonial Secretary's department for not transmitting it to the Government printer, or to that functionary for not publishing it. It was declared "of importance to know who were the clergy by whom the English Bench of Bishops were represented." The ritualistic fervour of the writer led him further to say, "However unimportant may be the mere wording of such a prayer, yet it is of importance that the public should know by whom it was composed. There is nothing connected with the Church, not even
