, striking the page with his hand, "I'll be d----d if they
will, Mr. Scott, be forgot!"

SIR WALTER SCOTT.

Sir Walter Scott visited Brussels about the middle of August, 1816,
when I had the good fortune to meet him at the house of Sir Frederick
Adam, who was prevented by a wound from joining his brigade, though he
was able to do the duties of the small garrison there.

Mr. Scott accepted my services to conduct him to Waterloo. The
general's aid-de-camp was also of the party, Mr. Scott being
accompanied by two friends, his fellow travellers. He made no secret
of his having undertaken to write something on the battle; and he
took the greater interest on this account in every thing that he saw.
Besides, he had never seen a field of such a conflict; and never
having been before on the Continent, it was all new to his
comprehensive mind. The day was beautiful; and I had the precaution to
send out a couple of saddle-horses, that he might not be fatigued
in walking over the fields which had been recently ploughed up. The
animal he rode was so quiet that he was much gratified, and had an
opportunity of examining every spot of the positions of both armies;
and seemed greatly delighted, especially with the Farm of Goumont,
where he loitered a couple of hours. In our rounds we fell in with
Monsieur Da Costar, with whom he got into conversation, though I had
told him he was an impostor. But he had attracted so much notice by
his pretended story of being about the person of Napoleon, that he was
of too much importance to be passed by: I did not, indeed, know as
much of this fellow's Charlatanism at that time as afterwards, when
I saw him confronted with a blacksmith of La Belle Alliance, who had
been his companion in a hiding-place, ten miles from the field, during
the whole day; a fact which he could not deny. But he had got up a
tale so plausible, and so profitable, that he could afford to bestow
hush-money on the companion of his flight, so that the imposition was
but little known, and strangers continued to be gulled. He had picked
up a good deal of information about the positions and details of the
battle, and being naturally a sagacious Wallon, and speaking French
pretty fluently, he became the favourite _cicerone_, and every lie he
told was taken for gospel. Year after year, until his death, in 1824,
he continued his popularity, and raised the price of his rounds from a
couple of francs to five; besides as much for th