llow eyed,
ferocious looking man, of whom he related the following story.

Immediately after the evacuation of Toulon by the english, all the
principal toulonese citizens were ordered to repair to the market
place; where they were surrounded by a great military force.

This man who, for his offences, had been committed to prison, was
liberated by the french agents, in consequence of his undertaking to
select those of the inhabitants who had in any manner favoured the
capitulation of the town, or who had shown any hospitality to the
english, whilst they were in possession of it. The miscreant passed
before the citizens, who were drawn out in lines, amounting to near
three thousand. Amongst whom he pointed out about one thousand four
hundred persons to the fury of the government; without any other
evidence, or further examination, they were all immediately adjudged to
be shot. For this purpose a suitable number of soldiers were drawn out.
The unhappy victims were marched up to their destruction, upon the quay,
in sets of three hundred, and butchered.

The carnage was dreadful. In the last of these unfortunate groups, were
two gentlemen of great respectability, who received no wound from the
fire, but, to preserve themselves, dropped with the rest, and exhibited
all the appearances of having participated in the general fate.

This execution took place in the evening: immediately after its close,
the soldiers, fatigued, and sick with cold-blooded slaughter, marched
back to their quarters, without examining whether every person upon whom
they had fired, had fallen a victim to the murderous bullet. Soon after
the soldiers had retired, the women of Toulon, allured by plunder,
proceeded to the fatal spot. Mounted upon the bodies of the fallen,
they stripped the dead, and dying. The night was stormy. The moon,
emerging from dark clouds, occasionally, shed its pale lustre upon this
horrible scene. When the plunderers had abandoned their prey, during an
interval of deep darkness, in the dead of the night, when all was
silent, unconscious of each other's intentions, the two citizens who had
escaped the general carnage, disencumbered themselves from the dead,
under whom they were buried; chilled and naked, in an agony of mind not
to be described, they, at the same moment, attempted to escape. In their
agitation, they rushed against each other. Expressions of terror and
surprise, dropped from each of them. "Oh! God! it is my fathe