sume to guess.

The needless wreck and ruin which they make in the houses
adds much to the inconvenience of their presence. Most of
the chateaux, where the Prussians are quartered, are what is
technically called _rumped_, that is to say, plundered out
and out. In the fine chateau of Montmorency, for instance,
the most splendid apartments, {p.058} highly ornamented
with gilding and carving, were converted into barracks for
the dirtiest and most savage-looking hussars I have yet
seen. Imagine the work these fellows make with velvet
hangings and embroidery. I saw one hag boiling her
camp-kettle with part of a picture frame; the picture itself
has probably gone to Prussia. With all this greediness and
love of mischief, the Prussians are not bloodthirsty; and
their utmost violence seldom exceeds a blow or two with the
flat of the sabre. They are also very civil to the women,
and in both respects behave much better than the French did
in their country; but they follow the bad example quite
close enough for the sake of humanity and of discipline. As
for our people, they live in a most orderly and regular
manner. All the young men pique themselves on imitating the
Duke of Wellington in _nonchalance_ and coolness of manner;
so they wander about everywhere, with their hands in the
pockets of their long waistcoats, or cantering upon Cossack
ponies, staring and whistling, and trotting to and fro, as
if all Paris was theirs. The French hate them sufficiently
for the _hauteur_ of their manner and pretensions, but the
grounds of dislike against us are drowned in the actual
detestation afforded by the other powers.

This morning I saw a grand military spectacle--about 20,000
Russians pass in review before all the Kings and Dominations
who are now resident at Paris. The Emperor, King of Prussia,
Duke of Wellington, with their numerous and brilliant
attendance of generals, staff-officers, etc., were in the
centre of what is called the Place Louis Quinze, almost on
the very spot where Louis XVI. was beheaded. A very long
avenue, which faces the station where they were placed, was
like a glowing furnace, so fiercely were the sunbeams
reflected from the arms of the host by which it was filled.
A body of Cossacks kept the ground with their pikes,