A
revelation of the overwhelming violence of enormous masses of men has
broken down the tradition of chivalry. War is now accepted with a sort
of indifference, as a part of the day's work; "pas de grands mots, pas
de grands gestes, pas de drame!" The imperturbable French officer of
1918 attaches no particular importance to his individual gesture. He
concentrates his energy in another kind of action.
But the French race is by nature bellicose and amorous of adventure,
and more than all other nations has a tendency to clothe its
patrimonial ardour of defence in beautiful terms and gallant
attitudes. This is one of the points on which the British race, with
its scrupulous reserve, often almost its affectation of
self-depreciating shyness, differs most widely from the French, and is
most in need of sympathetic imagination in dealing with a noble ally
whose methods are not necessarily the same as ours. It is difficult to
fancy a young English lieutenant quoting with rapturous approval, as
Pierre de Rozieres and Henri Lagrange did in August 1914, the counsels
which were given more than a hundred years ago by the Prince de Ligne:
"Let your brain swim with enthusiasm! Let honour electrify your heart!
Let the holy flame of victory shine in your eyes! as you hoist the
glorious ensigns of renown let your souls be in like measure
uplifted!" A perpetual delirium or intoxication is the state of mind
which is recommended by this "heart of fire," as the only one becoming
in a French officer who has taken up arms to defend his country.
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