Itrustthatweshallneitheracceptit，northetemperwhichinspiresit。Itmaybeconvenientforthosewhoflattertheirnation，andespeciallythemilitarypartofit，intoaruinousself-conceit，toframesomesuchsyllogismasthis：\"Courageisheroism：everyFrenchmanisnaturallycourageous：thereforeeveryFrenchmanisahero。\"Butwe，whohavebeentrainedatonceinasounderschoolofmorals，andinagreaterrespectforfacts，andforlanguageastheexpressionoffacts，shallbecareful，I
hope，nottotriflethuswiththatpotentandawfulengine——humanspeech。Weshalleschewlikewise，Ihope，alikeabuseoftheword\"moral，\"whichhascreptfromtheFrenchpressnowandthen，notonlyintoourownpress，butintothewritingsofsomeofourmilitarymen，who，asEnglishmen，shouldhaveknownbetter。Weweretoldagainandagain，duringthelatewar，thatthemoraleffectofsuchasuccesshadbeengreat；thattheMORALEofthetroopswasexcellent；oragain，thattheMORALEofthetroopshadsuffered，oreventhattheyweresomewhatdemoralised。Butwhenonecametotestwhatwasreallymeantbythesefinewords，onediscoveredthatmoralshadnothingtodowiththefactswhichtheyexpressed；thatthetroopswereintheonecaseactuatedsimplybytheanimalpassionofhope，intheothersimplybytheanimalpassionoffear。Thisabuseoftheword\"moral\"hascrossed，Iamsorrytosay，theAtlantic；andawittyAmerican，whomwemustexcuse，thoughwemustnotimitate，whensomeonehadbeenblazingawayathimwitharevolver，hebeingunarmed，issaidtohavedescribedhisverynaturalemotionsontheoccasion，bysayingthathefeltdreadfullydemoralised。We，Ihope，shallconfinetheword\"demoralisation，\"asourgeneralsofthelastcenturywouldhavedone，whenappliedtosoldiers，tocrime，including，ofcourse，theneglectofdutyorofdiscipline；andweshallmeanbytheword\"heroism，\"inlikemanner，whetherappliedtoasoldierortoanyhumanbeing，notmerecourage，notthemeredoingofduty，butthedoingofsomethingbeyondduty；somethingwhichisnotinthebond；somespontaneousandunexpectedactofself-
devotion。
Iamglad，butnotsurprised，toseethatMissYongehasheldtothissounddistinctioninhergoldenlittlebookof\"GoldenDeeds，\"andsaid，\"Obedience，atallcostsandrisks，istheveryessenceofasoldier’slife。Ithasthesolidmaterial，butithashardlytheexceptionalbrightness，ofagoldendeed。\"
Iknowthatitisverydifficulttodrawthelinebetweenmereobediencetodutyandexpressheroism。Iknowalsothatitwouldbebothinvidiousandimpertinentinanutterlyunheroicpersonagelikeme，totrytodrawthatline；andtositathomeatease，analysingandcriticisingdeedswhichIcouldnotdomyself；but——