He was afterwards
governor-general of Dutch India. Born in 1778, he died in 1848. His
memoirs have been published in French by Baron Sirtema de Grovestins
(1852), and contain an interesting passage on that momentous day,
18th June, 1815.--ED.
[16] Not before half past eleven.--ED.
[17] John Drinkwater, also called Bethune (1762-1844), published a
well-known _History of the Siege of Gibraltar, 1779-1783_.--ED.
CHAPTER II
From Bruxelles to Liege--A priest's declamation against the French
Revolution--Maastricht--Aix-la-Chapelle--Imperial relics--Napoleon
regretted--Klingmann's "Faust"--A Tyrolese beauty--Cologne--Difficulties
about a passport--The Cathedral--King-craft and priest-craft--The
Rhine--Bonn and Godesberg--Goethe's "Goetz von Berlichingen"--The Seven
Mountains--German women--Andernach--Ehrenbreitstein--German hatred against
France--Coblentz--Intrigues of the Bourbon princes in Coblentz--Mayence--
Bieberich--Conduct of the Allies towards Napoleon--Frankfort on the
Mayn--An anecdote about Lord Stewart and Lafayette--German poetry--The
question of Alsace and Lorraine--Return to Bruxelles--Napoleon's surrender.
LIEGE, June 26.
Mr L. and myself started together in the diligence from Bruxelles at seven
o'clock in the evening of the 24th inst. and arrived here yesterday morning
at twelve o'clock. I experienced considerable difficulty in procuring a
passport to quit Bruxelles, my name having been included in that of General
Wilson, which he carried back with him to England. Our Ambassador was
absent, and I was bandied about from bureau to bureau without success; so
that I began at last to think that I should be necessitated to remain at
Bruxelles all my life, when fortunately it occurred to Mr L. that he was
intimately acquainted with the English Consul, and he kindly undertook to
procure me one and succeeded. On arrival here we put up at the _Pommelette
d'Or_. The price of a place in the diligence from Bruxelles to Liege is
fifteen franks. We passed thro' Louvain, but too late to see anything. The
country about Liege is extremely striking and picturesque; the river Meuse
flows thro' the city, and the banks of the river outside the town are very
_riants_ and agreeable. Liege is a large, well-built city, but rather
gloomy as to its appearance, and lies in a hollow completely surrounded by
lofty hills. The remains of its ancient citadel stand on a height which
completely commands t
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