with no other effect, than preventing the pursuit of Marmont
from being followed up by the vigour which might otherwise have been
displayed by the Silesian army, notwithstanding the fatigues which they
had undergone at that time, during six weeks of continued marching and
fighting.

The village of Athies, where the contest with Marmont's corps was
decided, containing about 200 houses, had been completely burnt in the
time of the action; and, when we were there, little progress had been
made in rebuilding it, but the inhabitants, then living in temporary
sheds, displayed their usual cheerfulness and equanimity; they were very
loud in reprobation of the military conduct of Marmont, and very anxious
to convince us, that the French had been overwhelmed only by great
superiority of numbers, and that the allies might have completely cut
off the retreat of Marmont towards Rheims, if they had known how to
profit by their success.

June 8th, we left Laon at sunrise, and took the road to St Quentin. For
a few miles the road passes through the plain in which the town is
placed, after which it enters a pass, formed between the sloping hills,
by which its boundary is marked. These hills are, for the most part,
soft and green, like those on the banks of the Yarrow in Scotland, but
varied, in some places, by woods and orchards; and their lower
declivities are every where covered by vineyards and garden cultivation.
Near their foot is placed the village of Cressy, which struck us as the
most comfortable we had seen in France. The houses are all neat and
substantial, covered with excellent slated roofs, and lighted by large
windows, each surrounded by a little garden, and exhibiting a degree of
comfort rarely to be met with among the dwellings of the French
peasantry. On inquiry, we found that these peasants had long been
proprietors of their houses, with the gardens attached, and had each a
vineyard on the adjoining heights. The effects of long established
property were here very apparent in the habits of comfort and industry,
which, in process of time, it had ingrafted upon the dispositions and
wishes of the people.

After passing the ridge of little hills, through banks clothed with
hanging woods, the road descends into a little circular valley,
surrounded on all sides by rising grounds, which presented a scene of
the most perfect rural beauty. The upper part of the hills were covered
with luxuriant woods, whose flowing outline s