The Merry Past 



parasols twinkling around him. No wonder that 

 usually Sir John attracted a crowd in his train ! 



Of a different nature altogether were the numerous 

 adventurers whose eccentricities took a more dangerous 

 form. At that time the most disreputable characters, 

 when possessed of a good appearance and address, 

 frequently obtained admission into the highest circles 

 without much difficulty. Major Semple, a well- 

 known character in London, finding that city be- 

 coming rather uncomfortable for him in 1792, 

 betook himself to Paris, where, calling himself Colonel 

 Lille, and armed with a letter of recommendation 

 from Alderman Macaulay, he got introduced to 

 Petion, the then mayor, who recommended him to 

 the Minister of War, and introduced him to all the 

 principal political characters in Paris. 



Here he offered to raise a regiment of Hussars, into 

 which an Englishman named Dr. Maxwell readily 

 entered, by purchasing the rank of lieutenant-colonel 

 of the soi-disant colonel. 



Dr. Maxwell soon discovering that the person of 

 whom he had bought his commission was the famous 

 Major Semple, immediately made it public, by having 

 placards pasted up in the Palais Royal and different 

 parts of Paris, offering a reward for the apprehension 

 of the ingenious major, who, however, made his 

 escape with the doctor's purchase-money. 



By some means or other he contrived in the course 



of the winter to be received in the Austrian lines as 



a deserter from the French service, and brought with 



him such perfect information of the state of Du- 



s 257 



