wore a rueful aspect, and every individual told a tale more and
more harrowing to the feelings. The Postmasters seem to have been the
greatest sufferers, as their situation demanded a large supply of corn,
horses and forage, all of which, even to the chickens, were carried off.
One poor woman, wife of a postmaster, a very well-behaved,
gentlewoman-like sort of person, told me that when 80,000 Russians came
to their town she escaped into the woods (you will remember the snow was
then deep on the ground and the cold excessive) where for two days she
and her family had nothing to eat. The Cossacks then found her, but did
no harm, only asking for food. I mention her case not as singular, for
it was the lot of thousands, but merely to shew what people must expect
when Enemies approach.

Soissons was the next place, and compared with the scene of desolation
there presented all that we had hitherto seen was trifling.

I little thought last February that in July I should witness such
superlatively interesting scenes. With the exception of Elba alone, ours
has been the very best tour that could have been taken, and exactly at
the right time, for I apprehend that a month ago we could not have
passed the country....

LETTER VIII.

MAYENCE, _July 22nd_.

Our speed outstrips my pen. I am to retrace our steps to Soissons,
whereas here we are upon the banks of the Rhine, which is hurrying
majestically by to terminate its course amongst the dykes of Holland.

The nearer we came to Soissons[79] the nearer we perceived we were to
the field of some terrible contest, and the suburbs, where the thickest
of the fight took place, presented a frightful picture of war, not a
house entire. It seems they were unroofed for the convenience of the
attacking party, or set on fire, an operation which took up a very short
space of time, thanks to the energetic labours of about 50 or 60,000
men. Indeed, fire and sword had done their utmost--burnt beams,
battered doors, not a vestige of furniture or window frames. I cannot
give you a better idea of the quantity of shot, and consequent number of
beings who must have perished, than by assuring you that on one front of
a house about the extent of our home, and which was not more favoured
than its neighbours, I counted between 2 and 300 bullet marks. I was
leaning against a bit of broken wall in a garden, which appeared to be
the doorway to a sort of cellar, taking a sketch, when the gardener came
u