iving
men bartered for a few livres, and literally passed from one hand to
another, to be squeezed and drained anew by each new possessor: in a
word, Sir, an abandoned court; an unredeemed _noblesse_,--unredeemed,
Sir, by a single benefit which, in other countries, even the most
feudal, the vassal obtains from the master; a peasantry famished; a
nation loaded with debt which it sought to pay by tears,--these are
what I saw,--these are the consequences of that heartless and miserable
vanity from which arose wars neither useful nor honourable,--these are
the real components of that _triumph_, as you term it, which you wonder
that I regret."

Now, although it was impossible to live at the court of Louis XIV.
in his latter days, and not feel, from the general discontent that
prevailed even there, what a dark truth the old soldier's speech
contained, yet I was somewhat surprised by an enthusiasm so little
military in a person whose bearing and air were so conspicuously
martial.

"You draw a melancholy picture," said I; "and the wretched state of
culture which the lands that we now pass through exhibit is a witness
how little exaggeration there is in your colouring. However, these are
but the ordinary evils of war; and, if your country endures them, do
not forget that she has also inflicted them. Remember what France did
to Holland, and own that it is but a retribution that France should
now find that the injury we do to others is (among nations as well as
individuals) injury to ourselves."

My old Frenchman curled his mustaches with the finger and thumb of his
left hand: this was rather too subtile a distinction for him.

"That may be true enough, Monsieur," said he; "but, _morbleu_! those
_maudits_ Dutchmen deserved what they sustained at our hands. No, Sir,
no: I am not so base as to forget the glory my country acquired, though
I weep for her wounds."

"I do not quite understand you, Sir," said I; "did you not just now
confess that the wars you had witnessed were neither honourable nor
useful? What glory, then, was to be acquired in a war of that character,
even though it was so delightfully animated by cutting the throats of
those _maudits_ Dutchmen?"

"Sir," answered the Frenchman, drawing himself up, "you did
_not_ understand me. When we punished Holland, we did rightly. We
_conquered_."

"Whether you conquered or not (for the good folk of Holland are not so
sure of the fact)," answered I, "that war was the mo