re the exact words; I said, is that really true, Sir."
Upon which this gentlemen seems to have been piqued at having his
veracity questioned, and said, "if you doubt my word, you had better not
ask me any more questions;" in answer to which, Wright, not being
willing to have his curiosity unsatisfied, said, "I made an apology for
doubting the veracity of his story, and asked him, what were the
dispatches? he said, there had been a very general battle between the
French and the whole of the allied powers, commanded by Schwartzenberg
in person; that the French had been completely defeated, and Bonaparte
had fled for safety; that he had been overtaken by the cossacks, at a
village which I think was called Rushaw, six leagues from Paris; that
the cossacks had there come up with him, and had literally torn him in
pieces; that he had come from the field of battle from the emperor
Alexander himself, and that he either was an aide-de-camp of the
emperor, or of one of his principal generals." Now the account he gives,
tallies almost in terms with the letter which had been sent off to Deal;
so that there is another proof of the identity of this person, and a
connexion of him with this letter sent to Admiral Foley. Then he adds,
"He told me, that the allies were invited by the Parisians to Paris, and
the Bourbons to the throne of France. That was pretty well all the
conversation that passed; he ate very little, if he did any thing--he
said he was very cold; I asked him, if he would take any brandy? he
said, no, he would not, for he had some wine in the carriage;" it turned
out that it was so. "He enquired what he had to pay? I told him, what he
had had, had been so uncomfortable, I did not wish to take any thing for
it; he did not accept of that, he threw a Napoleon on the table, and
desired me to take that for what he had himself taken, and wished me to
give the servants something out of it, he meant the whole of the
servants, for when he got into the chaise, the ostler asked for
something; and he told him, that he had left something with his master,
out of which he might be paid. He went away in the same chaise that
brought him, with four horses. James Overy and Thomas Todd, were the
persons who drove him." Mr. Wright had proceeded thus far, and then he
looked round the court, and fixing upon De Berenger, said, "I believe
that is the person; I have no doubt--it is certainly the gentleman; I
had never seen him before, or since." Th