The barrenness of lands makes men industrious, sober, hardened to work, courageous, fit for war : they have no choice but to procure for themselves what the terrain refuses them. The fertility of a region imparts, along with convenience, lethargy and a certain love for the preservation of life. It has been observed that German troops raised in places where the peasants are rich, as in Saxony, are not as good as the others. Military laws can address this disadvantage with stricter discipline