229. — In storming a work which is not re-
trenched, the besiegeJ- evidently has this great
advantage over the 'troops who defeiid it ; name-
ly, if he should happen to fail in the first assault,
he may retire with security, so as to make 'dis-
positions for a second attack ; proceeding in the
same manner, until he has succeeded ,• ^wheiseas
even admitting that the defenders of the -work



* The mines placed under the breach of a Work, in order to
defend it (226), are more likely to answer that purpose When
the work is retrenched, than when it is not. The 'reason is
that, in the former ease, the garrison <may leonventently set
fire to the mines at th« projier time ; whefeas it 'frequently
happens in the latter, that they are fired either too soon, or
too late.
DEFENCE OF PLACES. 2S7

might have a temporary success, yet its dura-
ticwi cannot be Ipng; and ;when ^J,iged to a-
baadoB the workj,.tI?ieir.j5etfe^,willb)e ^Wjended
■with consjderabks diflSmlty and daoger. But
whenever a work is properly retrenched, either
by means of a redoubt or otherwise, the troops
who defend it may withstand one or several
assauhs, and thus retard the surrendering of the
work, without having any dangerous con-
sequences to apprehend from their procrastin-
ated resistance; as they may afterwards safely
retire into the redoubt, or behind such other re-
trenchment as the work contains^ and there op-
pose the further progress of the enemy.
