rable extent decently
fortified; the number of English there was from 1,000 to 1,100; they
were all sent off in a hurry. At 5 in the evening they received the
order, at 7 the next morning the greater part were off, and 24 hours
afterward the Allies hovered round the town. The French boast, and
nobody can contradict the assertion, that the Allies were never able to
take their fortresses; certainly not; for they never attempted. Instead
of losing their time in besieging, they left a few to mark the place and
went on.... The English prisoners seem to have enjoyed every comfort
they could expect--in fact, their imprisonment was in great measure
nominal; with little difficulty they were allowed to go as far as they
wished; they were noticed by the inhabitants, and many have married and
settled in France. I think the prisoners in England have not been so
well off, and complain with reason.

[Illustration: VERDUN BRIDGE.

_To face p. 168._]

We went to the English church and Theatre, and saw as much as we could
for half a day. For the honor of my country I lament to say that many
here contracted heavy debts which are not likely to be paid. Some
instances were mentioned, the truth of which were proved by letters I
read from the parties themselves, little creditable to our national
character, and by persons, too, who ought to have known better. On the
18th we left Verdun for Metz. I had always winked at and generally
encouraged the addition of another passenger behind our Cabriolet. The
road was quite crowded with straggling soldiers going or returning to
their several homes or regiments. We rarely passed in a day less than 2
or 300, and really sometimes in situations so very favorable to robbing
that I am surprised we were never attacked, their appearance being
generally stamped with a character perfectly congenial to the Banditti
Trade--dark, whiskered, sunburnt visages, with ragged uniform and naked
feet. Sometimes we were more fortunate than at others; for instance,
stragglers from the Hamburg garrison, whose wan faces bore testimony to
the fact they related of having lived for the last 4 or 5 months on
horseflesh; but our charitable assistance was to be this day most
abundantly rewarded. We overtook a poor fellow, more wretched than most
we had seen, toiling away with his bivouacking cloak tied round him. He,
too, solicited, and misunderstanding my answer, said in the most
pitiable but submissive tone, "Alors, Monsieur n