lly injured by
shells or by storm, as was the case both of Cambrai and
Peronne. The men look very sulky; and if you speak three
words to a woman, she is sure to fall a-crying. In short,
the _politesse_ and good-humor of this people have fled with
the annihilation of their self-conceit; and they look on you
as if they thought you were laughing at them, or come to
enjoy the triumph of our arms over theirs. Postmasters and
landlords are all the same, and hardly to be propitiated
even by English money, although they charge us about three
times as much as they durst do to their countryfolks. As for
the Prussians, a party of cavalry dined at our hotel at
Mons, eat and drank of the best the poor devils had left to
give, called for their horses, and laughed in the face of
the landlord when he offered his bill, telling him they
should pay as they came back. The English, they say, have
always paid honorably, and upon these they indemnify
themselves. It is impossible to _marchander_, for if
{p.056} you object, the poor landlady begins to cry, and
tells you she will accept whatever _your lordship_ pleases,
but that she is almost ruined and bankrupt, etc., etc., etc.

This is a long stupid letter, but I will endeavor to send a
better from Paris. Ever your Grace's truly obliged,

Walter SCOTT.

The only letter which Scott addressed to Joanna Baillie, while in
Paris, goes over partly the same ground: I transcribe the rest.

PARIS, 6th September, 1815.

MY DEAR FRIEND,--I owe you a long letter, but my late
travels and the date of this epistle will be a tolerable
plea for your indulgence. The truth is, I became very
restless after the battle of Waterloo, and was only detained
by the necessity of attending a friend's marriage, from
setting off instantly for the Continent. At length, however,
I got away to Brussels, and was on the memorable field of
battle about five weeks after it had been fought....

If our army had been all British, the day would have been
soon decided; but the Duke, or, as they call him here, from
his detestation of all manner of foppery, the _Beau_, had
not above 35,000 British. All this was to be supplied by
treble exertion on the part of our troops. The Duk