1827.J Narrative of an Escape from Valenciennes* 483 



subjects then within the dominions of France as " detenus;" and the con- 

 sequence was, that the author, with a considerable number of companions 

 in misfortune amounting, altogether, to about a hundred and forty were 

 conducted up the country, to remain in permanent captivity at Verdun. 

 On the march to this place some laughable accounts are given of the con- 

 duct of the French authorities ; and especially of the behaviour of the new 

 revolutionary officers, whose desire to exhibit their suddenly gotten power, 

 and violent national hostility to the English, displayed itself in various 

 petty annoyances inflicted on the prisoners ; but we must go forward, at 

 present, to the more material points of the narration, referring our readers, 

 for these smaller details, to the book itself. 



The town of Verdun, in which Captain Boys remained almost five 

 years, was, at the time when he reached it with his party, almost a British 

 colony. The whole number of English residents prisoners of war and 

 " detenus" exceeded a thousand : who had no choice for regret and 

 wailing cannot go on for ever but to live, in some sort, as though they 

 were reconciled to their situation. So large a population of idlers, though 

 they were any thing rather than rich, of course became a valuable pro- 

 perty to the trading and industrious classes of the district; and not merely 

 for their wants, but for their convenience or luxury, arrangements by de- 

 grees when it was found that they could pay for them were pro- 

 jected, and sprung up. Schools were organized among the prisoners them- 

 selves for children were born and grew up in confinement. A gaming- 

 table was established (with the concurrence of the French authorities), ex- 

 pressly for the English use : the affiche over the door announcing that 

 " This bank being established for the peculiar accommodation of the Eng- 

 lish, all Frenchmen are forbidden to play." And, like men who sat down 

 to reconcile themselves to a lot which there was no evading, little by little, 

 some of the " detenus" formed friendships and connections among the 

 French; others availed themselves of their long leisure to pursue peculiar 

 studies, which their former duties in life had not allowed them time for : 

 and what with a tolerable deal of drinking, and some dicing, and a little 

 duelling, occasionally diversified by a passing love affair, or an excursion 

 into the country to snare quails and rabbits, the time especially with any of 

 the detained parties whose prospects did not happen to be particularly 

 brilliant at home rolled tolerably well away. 



This feeling, however, did not, by any means, prevail with all. There 

 were many, to whom the lapse of year after year, in unprofitable inactivity, 

 joined to the apparent hopelessness of all relief, grew, the longer it was 

 borne, only the more entirely unbearable. And among those who became 

 most disgracious by this kind of feeling (together with the daily attempts 

 at breaking prison, which arose out of it), to the governing powers of 

 Verdun, it appears by Captain Boys's account and we are not at all dis- 

 posed to question the fact were those mischievous ornaments of our 

 English naval armament, the " midshipmen." 



It very frequently will happen, that little points arise upon which the 

 opinions of prisoners, and of those appointed to guard them, do not exactly 

 tally ; and this was the case between his Majesty's midshipmen and the 

 commandant of Verdun. While upon parole, it was frankly and openly 

 admitted, by the whole body of officers, that any thought of attempting to 

 escape was impossible. But, as it was convenient to sail as near the shore 

 as possible, in getting round this point of difficulty, a device was hit upon 

 which rather kept the word of promise to the ear, and broke it to the 



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