Marshal Villars has justly observed, that “no governor of a place
should be permitted to excuse himself for surrendering, on the ground
of wishing to preserve the king’s troops. Every garrison that displays
courage will escape being prisoners of war. For there is no general
who, however well assured of carrying a place by assault, will not
prefer granting terms of capitulation rather than risk the loss of a
thousand men in forcing determined troops to surrender.”