most of the officers of the army and navy, received a second time the permission to appear only every fifth day. This was acting according to the generosity and hospitality of the grand nation. The officers, who were taken with arms in their hands, who landed as enemies, were treated with greater lenity and indulgence than we, who arrived as friends. In short, the government always shewed a rancor against the English, though it at the same time betrayed its fears of retaliation. Had it ill-treated the prisoners of war, repri sals might be made on the prisoners of war in England; whereas the English government not having arrested the peaceable French in England, the French government imagined, that they might torment and vex their guests with impunity. Thus lieutenants in the navy, often mere boys, were indulged with lying in bed in the morning, while detenus, perhaps old enough to be their

fathers, were obliged to wade through the dirty streets to the morning appel.

Here also the general had it in his power to shew his favor and partiality, the characteristics of a despotic government, in which even a Bow-street officer has a share. Those who had invited him to dinner the oftenest, those whose equipages he might command, those who presented him with pine apples, those who lost their money to him at cards, together with some few, to whose age or infirmities he out of common decency could not refuse a dispensation, received a note from him with his compliments, saying that he was very happy in granting them this indulgence. To several it was hinted, that if they would request the same favor, it would be granted to them. To others it was refused without ceremony. Some few held the government and the general in such contempt, that they would prefer

submitting to any hardship or incon-: venience rather than request a favor from a man whose spite indeed might vex them, but was more honorable to them than his partiality.

PERMISSION TO GO OUT OF THE GATES.

Every Englishman, who wished to be allowed to take a walk, or pass a few hours out of the town, was obliged to apply for a permission from the general, which was on a printed paper in the form of a passport. This he was to deliver to the gendarmes who guarded the gates, who delivered it to him again when he returned. By this means the gendarmes knew at the hours of shutting the gates if any prisoner had not returned; a search was made after him who was missing, and a cannon was fired as a signal to the peasants, to stop

any Englishman who might be making

his escape.

It frequently happened that when the English presented their passports to the gendarmes, expecting to be permitted to go out as usual, they were informed that the general had ordered that no prisoner should be permitted to go out of the town that day. These prohibitions were dictated by the whim of the moment, or for reasons which he never condescended to explain. Perhaps a society might have ordered a dinner at a neighboring village, when they were unexpectedly disappointed by one of these prohibitions; and the next day they were obliged to pay for a repast of which they had not partaken. How humiliating this treatment was, when ladies had been invited to the party, as they had the permission to walk, though their lords and masters had not-At first it was understood that these permis

sions were sufficient for those who wished to ride out, as well as for those who walked out of the town on foot; but e'er long, General Wirion required, that those who wished to ride out on horseback, or in a carriage, should solicit a permission extraordinary. This was probably a caprice of importance, to reduce some of the detenus to the humiliation of begging a favor; for no one had made his escape on horseback, which alone could be a reason for the prohibition.

A detenu, who supported himself by horse-dealing, being caught in a shower, borrowed a great coat from an inhabitant of a neighbouring village, who came to Verdun, and demanded an exorbitant sum for some slight damage which it had received. The detenu offered an indemnity, which every one whom he consulted judged more than reasonable, or proposed to let the cause