262 THE PLEASURES OF MILITARY SOCIETY. 



you want, get of the people ; and if you have any difficulty, bring them 

 to me. Allons, raon cher," he continued to me, and pointing to my 

 room. ts But stay, you sirs !" calling back the dragoons, " don't 

 bother me with your squabbles. My friend and I will have some 

 points to discuss. If the peasants are unruly, shew the vagabonds a 

 halter that's the shortest way. No offence to you, mon cher only 

 you don't know those churls so well as I do: they'll do nothing for 

 you without a trifle of discipline. Allons, aliens." My friend turned 

 on his heel ; and tucking his sabre under his arm, he clanked along 

 the hall into the room he had left, chaunting, " La belle Gabrielle." 



The summary disposition he had made regarding my own tenantry, 

 not being exactly to my taste, I descended into the court-yard, where 

 they were still congregated in groups, awaiting the result of my con- 

 ference with the captain, which I briefly related to them. I then de- 

 sired them to afford all the accommodation they could to the soldiers : 

 as they resumed their march the next morning, it would be better to 

 get rid of them on friendly terms, than risk a collision. The dra- 

 goons I pacified by calling them braves hommes, and ordering them 

 plenty of wine. The two fellows who were a little the worse for the 

 fray, I quieted with a piece of money : and then, by way of reconcil- 

 ing all parties, I ordered a capital supper, and sent an invitation to 

 the two lieutenants belonging to my friend the captain's troop. 



Armed with half a dozen of choice Burgundy, I returned to my 

 visitor, whom I found swearing at one of my servants, who did not 

 understand a word of French, for not clearing away the broken glass 

 with the dexterity of a Parisian gar^on. It appeared that the gallant 

 dragoon had upset the table, with a heavy account of bottles and 

 glasses, on the unexpected entrance of the bullet, which struck the 

 marble chimney-piece, and, by the recochet, was within an inch of 

 finishing the military career of my gallant friend. 



I found him no flincher: he had not tasted such Burgundy since 

 he left France ; and he swore an extraordinary oath, that, next to a 

 Frenchman, an Englishman was the best fellow under the sun. He 

 knew the value of good wine, and had a relish for cognac. Russians, 

 Austrians, and Prussians, were all canaille. He informed me, that 

 his regiment belonged to the corps of the Duke d'Abrantes (Junot), 

 and was ordered from the frontiers of Bohemia, to reinforce the 

 army in Portugal a tremendous march ; but to French soldiers, 

 who were independent of commissariat or quarter-master, and who 

 considered the whole continent as their especial property, the route 

 was by no means difficult. 



The two junior officers came according to invitation, and proved to 

 be very gentleman-like fellows, belonging to good families in France. 

 They found the captain a little worse for the wine he had taken. 

 They did not stay long after supper, but left me to manage their su- 

 perior as best I could. The discourse of the captain, which had 

 hitherto been principally confined to his own exploits, and to the 

 praise of Frenchmen and Englishmen, now changed to a discussion 

 upon the breed of horses. He asked me my opinion of his roan 

 charger, which I had been out to see, and I frankly said that I 

 thought him past his work. 



