69 



miserable times, and it has become necessary to 

 husband the corn, to forbid all bakers to admit to 

 their ovens every kind of delicacy made of flour. 



"The armies on the Rhine ? and the cold procure 

 us frequent visits from wolves, — charming com- 

 pany ! we have more than usual. Last night (Ja- 

 nuary 24) one was seen in the garden of a country- 

 man at Montcheraud, a village very near us ; and 

 plenty of their tracks about the Grotto of Mont- 

 cheraud, of which you have a view. There are 

 societies of five or six together." 



The next letter has the date of 1798, expressing 

 too plainly the progress of disease in his enfeebled 

 frame. 



Mr. Davall to J. E. Smith. 



Feb. 13, 1798. 

 For a long time, — a very long time past, I have 

 not written to you, because there was no proportion 

 between the fullness of my heart, all that I wished 

 to say, and the strength I have had for the execu- 

 tion. I have been obliged to comfort myself with 

 thinking almost without intermission of you ; but, 

 also, for some time past, my dearest and only hope 

 has been that of meeting my friend in another and 

 a better world. 



This letter, which did not arrive in England till 

 after Mr. Davall's death, was left unfinished. He 



