Imagine the effect with troops trained to move their shields in formation - must have been quite effective. Must have been a bugger to do though - after all, no one bothered with it afterwards.

Pete

God is our guide! from field, from wave, From plough, from anvil, and from loom; We come, our country's rights to save, And speak a tyrant faction's doom: We raise the watch-word liberty; We will, we will,we will be free!