own to meet him at our quarters. But I was
disappointed; and for the dark and decided physiognomy, and military
frankness of that distinguished soldier, I saw the Prince Cobourg, stern
and lofty in his air, evidently too Austrian to be popular, yet known to
be a gallant officer. But my disappointment was considerably assuaged by
seeing one of his staff throw himself off his horse, and hasten towards
me with almost joyous salutation. My surprise and pleasure were equal
when I found him to be Guiscard!

Supper was on the table when I introduced the Prussian philosopher to my
brother officers, and they were delighted with him. But he was the
philosopher no longer, or rather had thrown off the half misanthropy
which had made him so strong a contrast to my honest friend Varnhorst.
His very countenance had adopted a different expression. It was no
longer stern and sarcastic, but was lighted up with pleasantry; and the
only conception of the change which I could form was, either that he had
arrived at that height of philosophy to which every thing seems trivial,
or that he had met with some of those extraordinary instances of good
fortune which throw all the world into sunshine for the moment.

But he was full of knowledge on the subject most interesting to his
hearers; and he gave us his information of the allied councils, and the
movements of the armies, with a copiousness and courtesy which all our
questioning could not tire.

"We have now," said he, "the finest army in line that Europe has ever
seen; little less than 200,000 men are under the command of the prince.
If he is suffered to move them in a mass, they must break through any
part of the French territory which they choose. If they divide, they
will be beaten. It will now take only three pitched battles to reach
Paris--for the three covering armies fight with the guillotine in their
rear. But a single unlucky skirmish may bring every peasant in France
upon us; and it takes but fifteen days to make the French peasant a
soldier. Blows, and those straightforward, are our true policy. If we
negotiate, we shall be beaten; if beaten here, we shall be beaten on the
Rhine, and perhaps even on the Danube."

The news of Dumourier's attempt to overthrow his government had reached
us, but in the usual way of mystification. The answer of Guiscard was
prompt and plain. "Dumourier," said he, "is one of those men who has a
one-sided understanding. He is a capital soldier, but a