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After answering their hail, we pushed on, and as the clocks were striking twelve, we were abreast of the strong beams that were clamped together with iron, and constituted the boom or chief water defence of Hamburgh. We passed through, and found an entire regiment under arms, close by the Custom-house. Somehow or other, I had drank deep of that John Bull prejudice, which delights to disparage the physical conformation of our Gallic neighbours, and hugs itself with the absurd notion, that on one pair of English legs doth march three Frenchmen.' But when I saw the weather-beaten soldier-like veterans, who formed this compact battalion, part of the élite of the first corps, more commanding in its aspect from severe service having worn all the gilding and lace away- there was not a piece of feather in the host'-I felt the reality before me fast overcoming my preconceived opinion. I had seldom or ever seen so fine a body of men, tall, square, and muscular, the spread of their shoulders set off from their large red worsted epaulets, and the solidity of the mass increased by their wide trowsers, which in my mind contrasted advantageously with the long gaiters and tight integuments of our own brave fellows.

"We approached a group of three mounted officers, and in a few words the officer, whose prisoner I was, explained the affair to the chef de battalion, whereupon I was immediately placed under the care of a sergeant and six rank and file, and marched along the chief canal for mile, where I could not help remarking the numberless large rafts-you could not call them boats-of unpainted pine timber, which had arrived from the upper Elbe, loaded with grain, with gardens, absolute gardens, and cow-houses, and piggeries on board; while their crews of Fierlanders, men, women, and children, cut a most extraordinary appearance,-the men in their jackets, with buttons like pot lids, and trowsers fit to carry a month's provender and a couple of children in; and the women with bearings about the quarters, as if they had cut holes in large cheeses, three feet in diameter at least, and stuck themselves through them-such sternsand as to their costumes, all very fine

VOL. XXXIII. NO. CCV.

in a Flemish painting, but the devils appeared to be awfully nasty in real life."

"Oh, Tom," said Aaron, "very impure figures all these."

"But we carried on until we came to a large open space fronting a beautiful piece of water, which I was told was the Alster. As I walked through the narrow streets, I was struck with the peculiarity of the gables of the tall houses being all turned towards the thoroughfare, and with the stupendous size of the churches. We halted for a moment, in the porch of one of them, and my notions of decency were not a little outraged, by seeing it filled with a squadron of dragoons, the men being in the very act of cleaning their horses. At length we came to the open space on the Alster, a large parade, faced by a street of splendid houses on the left hand, with a row of trees between them, and the water on the right. There were two regiments of foot bivouacking here, with their arms piled under the trees, while the men were variously employed, some on duty before the houses, others cleaning their accoutrements, and others again playing at all kinds of games. Presently we came to a crowd of soldiers clustered round a particular spot, some laughing, others cracking coarse jests, but none at all in the least serious. We could not get near enough to see distinctly what was going on; but we afterwards saw, when the crowd had dispersed, three men in the dress of respectable burghers, hanging from a low gibbet, -so low in fact, that although their heads were not six inches from the beam, their feet were scarcely three from the ground. We soon arrived at the door of a large mansion, fronting this parade, where two sentries were walking backwards and forwards before the door, while five dragoon horses, linked together, stood in the middle of the street, with one soldier attending them, but there was no other particular bustle, to mark the headquarters of the General commanding. We advanced to the entrance-the sentries carrying arms, and were immediately ushered into a large saloon, the massive stair winding up along the walls, with the usual heavy wooden balustrade. We as

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"At this moment, I heard the clang of a sabre, and the jingle of spurs on the stairs, and the group was joined by my captor, Colonel ***. Ah, colonel!' exclaimed the aides, in a volley, where the devil have you come from? We thought you were in Bruxelles at the nearest.'

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"The colonel put his hand on his lips and smiled, and then slapped the young officer who spoke first with his glove. Never mind, boys, I have come to help you here-you will need help before long;-but how is? Here he made a comical contortion of his face, and drew his ungloved hand across his throat. The young officers laughed, and pointed to the door. He moved towards it, preceded by the youngest of them, who led the way into a very lofty and handsome room, elegantly furnished, with some fine pictures on the walls, a handsome sideboard of plate, a rich Turkey carpet-an unusual thing in Germany-on the floor, and a richly gilt pillar, at the end of the room farthest from us, the base of which contained a stove, which, through the joints of the door of it, appeared to be burning cheerily. "There were some very handsome sofas and ottomans scattered through the room, and a grand piano in one corner, the furniture being covered

with yellow, or amber-coloured velvet, with broad heavy draperies of gold fringe, like the bullion of an epaulet. There was a small round table near the stove, on which stood a silver candlestick, with four branches filled with wax tapers; and bottles of wine, and glasses. At this table sat an officer, apparently about forty-five years of age. There was nothing very peculiar in his appearance; he was a middle-sized man, well made apparently. He sat on one chair, with his legs supported on another."

"All very natural," again said our friend Aaron.

"His white-topped boots had been taken off, and replaced by a pair of slipshod slippers; his splashed white kerseymere pantaloons, seamed with gold, resting on the unfrayed velvet cushion; his blue coat, covered with rich embroidery at the bosom and collar, was open, and the lappels thrown back, displaying a richly embroidered crimson velvet facing, and an embroidered scarlet waistcoat; a large solitary star glittered on his breast, and the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour sparkled at his button-hole; his black neckerchief had been taken off; and his cocked hat lay beside him on a sofa, massively laced, the edges richly ornamented with ostrich down; his head was covered with a red velvet cap, with a thick gold cord twisted two or three turns round it, and ending in two large tassels of heavy bullion; he wore very large epaulets, and his sword had been inadvertently, as I conjectured, placed on the table, so that the point of the steel scabbard rested on the ornamental part of the metal stove.

"His face was good, his hair dark, forehead without a wrinkle, high and massive, eyes bright and sparkling, nose neither fine nor dumpy-a fair enough proboscis as noses go."

"Now," quoth Aaron, "very inexplicit all this, Tom. Why, I am most curious in noses. I judge of character altogether from the nose. I never lose sight of a man's snout, albeit I never saw the tip of my own. You may rely on it, that it is all a mistake to consider the regular Roman nose, with a curve like a shoemaker's paring-knife, or the straight Grecian, with a thin transparent

ridge, that you can see through, or the Deutsch meerschaum, or the Saxon pump-handle, or the Scotch mull, or any other nose, that can be taken hold of, as the standard gnomon. No, no; I never saw a man with a large nose who was not a blockhead-eh! Gelid, my love? The pimple for me-the regular pimple.-But al lons"

"There was an expression about the upper lip and mouth that I did not like-a constant nervous sort of lifting of the lip as it were; and as the mustache appeared to have been recently shaven off, there was a white blueness on the upper lip, that contrasted unpleasantly with

66 6

the dark tinge which he had gal-that lad is one of the British offilantly wrought for on the glowing cers of the force that attacked us.' sands of Egypt, the bronzing of his Ha,' said the general again,general features from fierce suns 'how did you capture him?' and parching winds. His bare neck and hands were delicately fair, the former firm and muscular, the latter slender and tapering, like a woman's. He was reading a gazette, or some printed paper, when we entered; and although there was a tolerable clatter of muskets, sabres, and spurs, he never once lifted his eye in the direction where we stood. Opposite this personage, on a low chair, with his legs crossed, and eyes fixed on the ashes that were dropping from the stove, with his brown cloak hanging from his shoulders, sat a short stout personage, a man about thirty years of age, with very fair flaxen hair, a florid complexion, a very fair skin, and massive German features. The expression of his face, so far as such a countenance could be said to have any characteristic expression, was that of fixed sorrow. But before I could make any other observation, the aide-de-camp approached with a good spice of fear and trembling, as I could see. "Colonel *** to wait on your Highness.'

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"Ah!' said the officer to whom he spoke, ab, colonel, what do you here? Has the Emperor advanced again ?'

"Why, Marshal, we were detached to seize a depot of provisions in a neighbouring village, and had made preparations to carry them off, when we were attacked through a gap in the dike, by some armed boats from an English squadron, and hearing a distant firing at the very moment, which I concluded to be the Prussian advance, I conceived all chance of rejoining the main army at an end, and therefore I shoved off in the grain-boats, and here I am.'

"Glad to see you, however,' said the general, but sorry for the cause why you are here returned.-Who have we got here-what boy is that?'

"Why,' responded the colonel,

"No,' said the officer, he has not advanced; but the rear-guard were cut off by the Prussians, and thelight, with the grenadiers, are now in Cuxhaven.'

"Well,' replied the general, 'but how come you here?'

"The boat (one of four) in which he was in was blown to pieces by a six-pound shot. He was the only one of the enemy who swam ashore. The rest, I am inclined to think, were picked up by the other boats.'

"So,' grumbled the general, 'British ships in the Elbe?"

"The colonel continued. 'I hope, Marshal, you will allow him his parole?-he is, as you see, quite a child.'

"Parole!' replied the Marshal,'parole!-such a mere lad cannot know the value of his promise.'

"A sudden fit of rashness came over me. I could never account for it.

"He is a mere boy,' reiterated the Marshal. No, no-send him to prison;' and he resumed the study of the printed paper he had been reading.

I struck in, impelled by despair, for I knew the character of the man before whom I stood, and I remembered that even a tiger might be checked by a bold front- I am an Englishman, sir, and incapable of breaking my plighted word.'

"He laid down the paper he was reading, and slowly lifted his eyes, and fastened them on me,-' Ha,' said he, ha-so young-so reckless?'

"Never mind him, Marshal,' said the colonel. If you will grant him

his parole, I'—————

66 6

Take it, colonel-take it-take his parole, not to go beyond the ditch.'

"But I decline to give any such promise,' said I, with a hardihood which at the time surprised me, and has always done so.

6

"Why, my good youth,' said the general, in great surprise, why will you not take advantage of the offer a kinder one, let me tell you, than I am in the habit of making to an enemy?'

"Simply, sir, because I will endeavour to escape on the very first opportunity.'

Ha!' said the Marshal once more, 'this to my face? Lafontaine,'-to the aide-de-camp,- a file of soldiers.' The handsome young officer hesitated-hung in the wind, as we say, for a moment-moved, as I imagined, by my extreme youth. This irritated the Marshal―he rose, and stamped on the floor. The colonel essayed to interfere. 'Sentry-sentry-a file of grenadiers-take him forth, and'-here he energetically clutched the steel hilt of his sword, and instantly dashed it from him'Sacre !-the devil-what is that?' and straightway he began to pirouette on one leg round the room, shaking his right hand, and blowing his fingers.

pectedly patronised me rose, and said, Marshal, I promise.'

"The officers in waiting could not stand it any longer, and burst into a fit of laughter, in which their commanding officer, after an unavailing attempt to look serious-I should rather write fierce-joined, and there he was, the bloody Davoust-Duke of Auerstad-Prince of Eckmuhlthe Hamburgh Robespierre-the terrible Davoust-dancing all around the room, in a regular guffaw, like to split his sides. The heated stove had made the sword, which rested on it, nearly red-hot.

"All this while the quiet, plain-looking, little man sat still. He now rose; but I noticed that he had been fixing his eyes intently on me. I thought I could perceive a tear glistening in them as he spoke.

"Marshal, will you intrust that boy to me?'

"Poo,' said the Prince, still laughing, take him-do what you will with him;'-then, as if suddenly recollecting himself, But, Mr ***, you must be answerable for him-he must be at hand if I want him.'

"The gentleman who had so unex

"Very well,' said Davoust. 'Lafontaine, desire supper to be sent up.'

"It was brought in, and my new ally and I were shewn out.

"As we went down stairs, we looked into a room on the ground floor, at the door of which were four soldiers with fixed bayonets. We there saw, for it was well lit up, about twenty or five-and-twenty respectable-looking men, very English in appearance, all to their long cloaks, an unusual sort of garment to my eye at that time. The night was very wet, and the aforesaid garments were hung on pegs in the wall all round the room, which being strongly heated by a stove, the moisture rose up in a thick mist, and made the faces of the burghers indistinct.

"They were all busily engaged talking to each other, some to his neighbour, the others across the table, but all with an expression of the most intense anxiety.

"Who are these?' said I to my guide.

"Ask no questions here,' said he, and we passed on.

"Iafterwards learned that they were the hostages seized on for the trifling contribution of fifty millions of francs, which had been imposed on the doomed city, and that this very night they had been torn from their families, and cooped up in the way I had seen them, where they were advertised they must remain until the money should be forthcoming.

"As we walked along the streets, and crossed the numerous bridges of the canals and branches of the river, we found all the houses lit up, by order, as I learned, of the French marshal. The rain descended in torrents, sparkling past the lights, while the city was a desert, with one dreadful exception; for we were waylaid at almost every turn by groups of starving lunatics, their half-naked figures and pale visages glimmering in the glancing lights, under the dripping rain; and, had it not been for the numerous sentries scattered along the thoroughfares, I believe we should have been torn to pieces by bands of moping idiots, now rendered ferocious from their sufferings, in con

ch pectedly patronised me rose, and od said, 'Marshal, I promise.' ad "Very well,' said Davoust. 'Lafontaine, desire supper to be sent he up.' ill

"It was brought in, and my new fer ally and I were shewn out.

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"Ask no questions here,' said he, and we passed on.

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"Iafterwards learned that they were
a the hostages seized on for the tri-
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to

had seen them, where they were ad-
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nd money should be forthcoming.
"As we walked along the streets,
ad and crossed the numerous bridges of
it, the canals and branches of the river,
we found all the houses lit up, by
ok- order, as I learned, of the French
se; marshal. The rain descended in tor-
ng rents, sparkling past the lights, while
I the city was a desert, with one dread-
in ful exception; for we were waylaid

at almost every turn by groups of
at starving lunatics, their half-naked fi-
gures and pale visages glimmering
in the glancing lights, under the drip-
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the numerous sentries scatteredalong
the thoroughfares, I believe we should
have been torn to pieces by bands of
moping idiots, now rendered fero-
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sequence of the madhouses having been cleared of their miserable, helpless inmates, in order to be converted into barracks for the troops. At all of these bridges sentries were posted, past which my conductor and myself, to my surprise, were franked by the sergeant who accompanied us giving the countersign. At length, civilly touching his cap, although he did not refuse the piece of money tendered by my friend, he left us, wishing us good night, and saying the coast was clear. We proceeded without farther challenge, until we came to a very magnificent house, with some fine trees before it. We approached the door, and rung the door-bell. It was immediately opened, and we entered a large desolatelooking vestibule, about thirty feet square, filled in the centre with a number of bales of goods, and a variety of merchandise, while a heavy wooden stair, with clumsy oak balustrades, wound round the sides of it. We ascended, and turning to the right, entered a large well-furnished room, with a table laid out for supper, with lights, and a comfortable stove at one end. Three young officers of cuirassiers, in their superb uniforms, whose breast and back pieces were glittering on a neighbouring sofa, and a colonel of artillery, were standing round the stove. The colonel, the moment we entered, addressed my conductor. 66 6 Ab, we are devilish hungry-Ich bin dem Verhungern nahe and were just on the point of ordering in the provender, had you not appeared. A little more than that, thought I; for the food was already smoking on the table.

"Mine host acknowledged the speech with a slight smile.

"But who have we here?' said one of the young dragoons;-he waited a moment-Etes vous FranHe çais?' I gave him no answer. then addressed me in German :'Sprechen sie gelanfig Deutsch?'

"Why,' chimed in my conductor, 'he does speak a little French, indifferently enough; but still'

"Well, my dear how have you sped with the Prince ?' "Why, colonel,' said my protector, in his cool calm way, 'as well as I expected. I was of some service to him when he was here before, at the time

he was taken so very ill, and he has not forgotten it, so I am not included amongst the unfortunate détenus for the payment of the fine. But that is not all, for I am allowed to go tomorrow to my father's, and here is my passport.'

"Wonders will never cease,' said the colonel; but who is that boy?'

"He is one of the crew of the English boat which tried to cut off Colonel the other evening, near Cuxhaven. His life was saved by a very laughable circumstance, certainly, merely by the marshal's sword, from resting on the stove, having become almost red-hot.' And here he detailed the whole transaction as it took place, which set the party a-laughing most heartily.

"I will always bear witness to the extreme amenity with which I was now treated by the French officers. The evening passed over quickly. About eleven we retired to rest, my friend furnishing me with clothes, and warning me that next morning he would call me at daylight to proceed to his father's country seat, where he intimated that I must remain in the meantime.

"Next morning I was roused accordingly, and a long, low, open carriage rattled up to the door, just before day dawn. Presently the réveill was beaten, and answered by the different posts in the city, and on the ramparts.

"We drove on, merely shewing our passport to the sentries at e different bridges, until we reached the gate, where we had to pull up until the officer on duty appeared, and had scrupulously compared our personal appearance with the written description. All was found correct, and we drove on. It surprised me very much, after having repeatedly heard of the great strength of Hamburgh, to look out on the large mound of green turf that constituted its chief defence. It is all true that there was a deep ditch and glacis beyond; but there was no covered way, and both the scarp and counterscarp were simple earthen embankments, so that, had the ditch been filled up with fascines, there was no wall to face the attacking force after crossing it, nothing but a green mound, precipitous enough, certainly, and crowned with a low parapet wall of masonry, and brist

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