cheerfully week after week upon the simplest necessaries of existence."
"I have not tasted game once this year, and the beef is far from good,"
sighed old gentleman No. 2; "but we will continue to endure our
hardships for months, or for years if need be, rather than allow the
Prussians to enter Paris." This sort of Lacedemonian twaddle went on
during the whole time of my visit, and my cousin evidently was proud of
being surrounded by such Spartans. I give a specimen of it, as I think
these worthies ought to be gratified by their heroic sacrifices being
made public. "I'd rough it in a campaign as well as any linesman," said
the cornet of her Majesty's Life Guards; "give me a pint of claret and a
chicken every day, or a cut at a joint, and I would ask for nothing
more;" and the Belgravian knight's idea of the discomforts of war is
very like that of the beleaguered Gaul. Want may come, but as yet never
has a large city enjoyed greater abundance of bread and meat. The poor
are nourished by the State. The rich have, perhaps, some difficulty in
getting their supply of meat, but this is the fault of a defective
organization; in reality they are only deprived of those luxuries the
habitual use of which has impaired the digestions of half of them. It is
surely possible to exist for a few weeks on beef, mutton, flour,
preserved vegetables, wine, milk, eggs, and every species of sauce that
cook ever contrived. At about seven, provisions at the restaurants
sometimes run short. I dined to-day at a bouillon at six o'clock for
about half-a-crown. I had soup, salt cod, beef (tolerable, but perhaps a
shade horsey), rabbit, French beans, apple fritters, grapes, and coffee.
This bill of fare is a very long way from starvation.

_October 14th._

According to the official account of yesterday's proceedings, General
Trochu was anxious to discover whether the Prussians were in force upon
the plateau of Chatillon, or had withdrawn from that position. The
villages of Chatillon, Bagneux, and Clamart, were consequently attacked,
and after an artillery and musketry engagement, the Prussian reserves
were brought up, thus proving that the report that they had withdrawn
was unfounded. The retreat then commenced under the fire of the forts.
About 100 prisoners were taken; in the evening they were brought to the
Place Vendome. The newspapers are one and all singing peans over the
valour of the Mobiles--those of the Cote d'Or most distinguished
thems