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HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

III.

*.v

came from a lower class and received lower pay, was attachedto each troop. Another body of household cavalry distin-guished by blue coats and cloaks, and still called the Blues,was generally quartered in the neighbourhood of the capital.Near the capital lay also the corps which is now designatedas the first regiment of dragoons, but which was then the onlyregiment of dragoons on the English establishment. It hadrecently been formed out of the cavalry who had returnedfrom Tangier. A single troop of dragoons, which did notform part of any regiment, was stationed near Berwick, forthe purpose of keeping the peace among the moss-troopers ofthe border. For this species of service the dragoon was thenthought to be peculiarly qualified. He has since become amere horse soldier. But in the seventeenth century he wasaccurately described by Montecueuli as a foot soldier whoused a horse only in order to arrive with more speed at theplace where military service was to be performed.

The household infantry consisted of two regiments, whichwere then, as now, called the first regiment of Foot Guards,and the Coldstream Guards. They generally did duty nearWhitehall and St. James’s Palace. As there were then nobarracks, and as, by the Petition of Right, soldiers could notbe quartered on private families, the redcoats filled all thealehouses of Westminster and the Strand.

There were five other regiments of foot. One of these,called the Admiral’s Regiment, was especially destined toservice on board of the fleet. The remaining four still rankas the first four regiments of the line. Two Df these re-presented two brigades which had long sustained on the Con-tinent the fame of British valour. The first, or Royal regi-ment, had, under the great Gustavus, borne'a conspicuouspart in the deliverance of Germany. The third regiment,distinguished by flesh coloured facings, from which it derivedthe well known name of the Buffs, had, under Maurice of