282 THE PROSPECT WIloLM DEPENDENT CHAP, fixed opinion on the peril of 'discussions' with ! the French, will agree, I suppose, in believing in thai he would never have pressed, nor have suf- l any other to press these sweeping demands on Pelissier, unless he had seen reason to think that they either were certain, or else in a high de i' ■, likely to produce a result; and one even indeed must surmise that, when taking the step, he had either received some encouragement in that direction from his friendly, impetuous French colleague, or else had determined to be peremptory in requiring that, if ever his troops were to hazard another march under the batteries of the Great Redan, the French on their part must be ready to storm the Flagstaff Bastion. Circum- To act, and act cogently in that last direction, st'tiicos now enabling had, after the recent engagement, become a meas- "' ure more clearly within the power of Lord Raglan cogently. than at any earlier time ; for our Government and our people, when disciplined by the painful ex- perience of the 18th of June, might be safely ex- pected to support him in requiring that any new assault undertaken by our people should be an assault adventured under fair conditions; and od the other hand, Pe'lissier, weakened by his recent discomfiture, and the reckless outbreaks of will by which he had brought it about, whilst also ill- regarded by his Emperor and by many of the generals under him, stood more than ever in want of the shield he had so often used — the shield he always extended against unwelcome ad-
