The military art would not be so difficult in practice, and
those who have become so distinguished in it would not have acquired
their renown, had it been a thing of invariable rules. To be really a
great general, a man must have great tact and discernment in order to
adopt the best plan in each case as it presents itself; he must have a
ready _coup d'oeil_, so as to do the right thing at the right time and
place; for what is excellent one day may be very injurious the next. The
plans of a great captain seem like inspirations, so rapid are the
operations of the mind from which they proceed: notwithstanding this,
everything is taken into account and weighed; each circumstance is
appreciated and properly estimated; objects which escape entirely the
observation of ordinary minds may to him seem so important as to become
the principal means of inducing him to pursue a particular course. As a
necessary consequence, a deliberative council is a poor director of the
operations of a campaign. As another consequence, no mere theorizer can
be a great general."
Battles, on which the fortune of the campaign must turn at last, receive
a large share of attention.
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