Quartering
:
Soldiers.
At an election for Shrewsbury, in the reign of George I., a
half-pay officer, who was a nonresident burgess, was, with some other
voters, brought down from London at the expense of Mr. Kynaston, one of the
candidates. The old campaigner regularly attended and feasted at the houses
which were opened for the electors in Mr. Kynaston's interest until the
last day of the polling, when, to the astonishment of the party, he gave
his vote to his opponent. For this strange conduct he was reproached by his
quondam companions, and asked what could have induced him to act so
dishonourable a part as to become an apostate. "An apostate," answered the
old soldier, "an apostate! by no means--I made up my mind about whom I
would vote for before I set out upon this campaign, but I remembered
Marlborough's constant advice to us when I served with the army in
Flanders, 'Always quarter upon the enemy, my lads--always quarter upon the
enemy.'"