Arthur was momentarily stunned, feeling a bit at a loss.
Palmerston continued to explain: "Most people might think an army is similar to a parade, where the leader gives a signal and everyone else naturally follows. But unfortunately, the Prussians are not like us Britons, the so-called 'punctual nation'. Your Excellency the Duke's troops, marching from Bordeaux all the way north, faced supply shortages but still maintained strict discipline and orderly personnel. Everyone knew which company they belonged to, how much ration they were entitled to, and who was on guard at night, all clearly defined. Now look at the Prussians. Every few days during the march, someone would disappear, and I heard that there was even a cavalry unit that spontaneously disbanded, allegedly to 'rescue villagers being plundered'. In the end, someone found them by the Loire River, each person with a fat chicken stolen from some village, drunkenly singing and roasting at a fire."
