In one of these vignettes we encounter a squad whose joking military bluffness is in no way affected by the fact that they are out looking for women and children to murder; in another a bullying sexual puritan is disgusted by Mariana's boozy sexual freedom; in a third a soldier posted to the front, more or less able to face death but terrified of being wounded and disabled, is comforted by Mariana.
Baritone Etienne Depths brought the right kind of hearty bluffness to the role of Lescaut, while baritone Peter McGil-livray made the most of the role of de Bretigny, Manon's rich lover.
The English "national character" celebrated bluffness, robustness, and "pluck"--qualities that were actively inculcated through rowdy sports and which encouraged Britons to be fearsome in war and to settle personal disputes with their fists.