they might choose not to provoke temeraire again , while napoleon had men on british soil , but that , he hoped profoundly , was only a temporary state , and then - laurence did not discount , as dalrymple did , temeraire 's achievement : without experience or training for the task , or anything but will , he had persuaded sixty lazy , well-fed dragons to go with him to war ; and had won two victories already , against the french army .