had.

"Having thus undergone pillage, and being reduced to the extremity
of indigence in a foreign land, it is not to be supposed that my
reflections were very comfortable; and yet, though I sustained the whole
damage, I was the only person in the company who bore the accident with
any resolution and presence of mind. My coachman and valet seemed quite
petrified with fear; and it was not till I had repeated my directions
that the former drove farther into the wood, and took the first turning
to the right, in order to regain the road, according to the command of
the robbers, which I did not choose to disobey.

"This misfortune I suffered by the misinformation I received at Antwerp,
where I would have provided myself with an escort, had not I been
assured that there was not the least occasion to put myself to such
extraordinary expense. And, indeed, the robbers took the only half-hour
in which they could have had an opportunity of plundering us; for we no
sooner returned into the highway, than we met with the French artillery
coming from Brussels, which was a security to us during the rest of our
journey. We were afterwards informed at a small village, that there was
actually a large gang of deserters, who harboured in that wood, from
which they made excursions in the neighbourhood, and kept the peasants
in continual alarms.

"Having proceeded a little way, we were stopped by the artillery
crossing a bridge; and, as the train was very long, must have been
detained till night, had not a soldier informed me, that, if I would
take the trouble to come out of my coach, and apply to the commandant,
he would order them to halt, and allow me to pass. I took the man's
advice, and was by him conducted, with much difficulty, through the
crowd, to some officers, who seemed scarce to deserve the name; for,
when I signified my request, they neither rose up, nor desired me to sit
down; but, lolling in their chairs, with one leg stretched out, asked,
with an air of disrespectful raillery where I was going; and when I
answered, "To Paris," desired to know what I would do there.

"I, who am naturally civil where I am civilly used, and saucy enough
where I think myself treated with disregard, was very much piqued at
their insolent and unmannerly behaviour, and began to reply to the
impertinent questions very abruptly; so that a very tart dialogue would
have ensued, had not the conversation been interrupted by a tall, thin,
genteel young