GUARDS

Ordinary Guards, such as are fixed during the campaign, and relieved daily. Extraordinary Guards, or detachments, which are only commanded on particular occasions, either for the further security of the camp, to cover the foragers, or for convoys, escorts, or expeditions. Guards, also imply the troops kept to guard the king's person, and consist both of horse and foot. Horse Guards, in England, are gentlemen chosen for their bravery, to be entrusted with the guard of the king's person; and were divided into four troops, called the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th troop of horse-guards. The first troop was raised in the year 1660, and the command command given to Lord Gerard; the second in 1661, and the command given to Sir Philip Howard; the third in 1693, and the command given to Earl Faversham; the fourth in 1702, and the command given to Earl Newburgh. Each troop had one colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, one cornet and major, one guidon and major, four exempts and captains, four brigadiers and lieutenants, one adjutant, four sub-brigadiers and cornets, and 60 private men. But the four troops are now turned into two regiments of life-guards. Horse-Grenadier Guards, are divided into two troops called the 1st and 2d troops of horse-grenadier guards. The first troop was raised in 1693, and the command given to Lieutenant-general Cholmondeley; the second in 1702, and the command given to Lord Forbes. Each troop has one colonel, lieutenant-colonel, one guidon or major, three exempts and captains, three lieutenants, one adjutant, three cornets, and 60 private men. Tronmen of the Guard, first raised by Henry VII. in the year 1485. They are a kind of pompous foot-guards to the king's person; and are generally called by a nickname the Brief-Eaters. They were anciently 250 men of the first rank under gentry; and of larger stature than ordinary, each being required to be six feet high. At present there are but 100 in constant duty, and 70 more not on duty; and when any one of the 100 dies, his place is supplied out of the 70. They go dressed after the manner of King Henry VIII.'s time. Their first commander or captain was the earl of Oxford, and their pay is 2s. 6d. per day. Foot Guards, are regiments of foot appointed for the guard of his majesty and his palace. There are three regiments of them, called the 1st, 2d, and 3d, regiments of foot-guards. They were raised in the year 1660; and the command of the first given to Colonel Russell, that of the second to General Monk, and the third to the earl of Linlithgow. The first regiment is at present commanded by one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, three majors, 23 captains, one captain-lieutenant, 31 lieutenants, and 24 ensigns; and contains three battalions. The second regiment has one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, 14 captains, one captain-lieutenant, 18 lieutenants, 16 ensigns, and contains only two battalions. The third regiment is the same as the second. The French Guards are divided into those within, and those without the palace.—The first are the gardes du corps, or body-guards; which consist of four companies, the first of which companies was anciently Scots. See Scots Guards, infra. The guards without are the Gens d'Armer, light horse, musqueteers, and two other regiments, the one of which is French and the other Swiss. New arrangements, however, have taken place in this department as well as others since the late revolution. Scots Guards, a celebrated band, which formed the first company of the ancient gardes du corps of France. It happened from the ancient intercourse between France and Scotland, that the natives of the latter kingdom had often distinguished themselves in the service of the former. On this foundation the company of Scots guards, and the company of Scots gendarmes, were instituted.—Both of them owed their institution to Charles VII. of France, by whom the first standing army in Europe was formed, anno 1454; and their fates cannot but be interesting to Scotsmen. See GEN-DARMES. Valour, honour, and fidelity, must have been very conspicuous features of the national character of the Scots, when so great and civilized a people as the French could be induced to choose a body of them, foreigners as they were, for guarding the persons of their sovereigns.—Of the particular occasion and reasons of this predilection we have a recital by Louis XII. a succeeding monarch. After setting forth the services which the Scots had performed for Charles VII. in expelling the English out of France, and reducing the kingdom to his obedience, he adds—"Since which High of reduction, and for the service of the Scots upon that Louis XII. occasion, and for the great loyalty and virtue which he by Claude Seyfil, mafound in them, he selected 200 of them for the guard ster of reof his person, of whom he made an hundred men at quests to arms, and an hundred life-guards: And the hundred that princemen at arms are the hundred lances of our ancient orddinances; and the life-guard men are those of our guard who still are near and about our person."—As to their fidelity in this honourable station, the historian, speaking of Scotland, says, "The French have so ancient a friendship and alliance with the Scots, that of 400 men appointed for the king's life-guard, there are an hundred of the said nation who are the nearest to his person, and in the night keep the keys of the apartment where he sleeps. There are, moreover, an hundred complete lances and two hundred yeomen of the said nation, besides several that are dispersed through the companies: And for so long a time as they have served in France, never hath there been one of them found that hath committed or done any fault against the kings or their state; and they make use of them as of their own subjects." The ancient rights and privileges of the Scottish life-guards were very honourable; especially of the twenty-four first. The author of the Ancient Alliance says, "On high holidays, at the ceremony of the royal touch, the erection of knights of the king's order, the reception of extraordinary ambassadors, and the public entries of cities, there must be six of their number next to the king's person, three on each side; and the body of the king must be carried by these only, wheresoever ceremony requires. They have the keeping of the keys of the king's lodging at night, the keeping of the choir of the chapel, the keeping the boats where the king passes the rivers; and they have the honour of bearing the white silk fringe in their arms, which in France is the coronne colour. The keys of all the cities where the king makes his entry are given to their captain in waiting or out of waiting.—He has the privilege, in waiting or out of waiting, at ceremonies, such as coronations, marriages, and funerals of the kings, and at the baptism and marriage of their children, to take duty upon him. The coronation robe belongs to him; and this company, by the death or change of a captain, never changes its rank, as do the three others." This company's first commander, who is recorded as a person of great valour and military accomplishments, was Robert Patillock, a native of Dundee; and and the band, ever ardent to distinguish itself, continued in great reputation till the year 1578. From that period, the Scots guards were less attended to, and their privileges came to be invaded. In the year 1612, they remonstrated to Louis XIII. on the subject of the injustice they had suffered, and set before him the services they had rendered to the crown of France. Attempts were made to re-establish them on their ancient foundation; but no negotiation for this purpose was effectual. The troops of France grew jealous of the honours paid them: the death of Francis II. and the return of Mary to Scotland, at a time when they had much to hope, were unfortunate circumstances to them: the change of religion in Scotland was an additional blow; and the accession of James VI. to the throne of England disunited altogether the interests of France and Scotland. The Scots guards of France had therefore, latterly, no connection with Scotland but the name.