At Jedburgh. 71 



scarcity of bread ; the people were much distressed, 

 and the manufacturing towns in England were 

 almost in a state of revolution ; but the fear of 

 invasion kept them quiet. I gloried in the brilliant 

 success of our arms by land and by sea ; and 

 although I should have been glad if the people 

 had resisted oppression at home, when we were 

 threatened with invasion, I would have died to 

 prevent a Frenchman from landing on our coast. 

 No one can imagine the intense excitement which 

 pervaded all ranks at that time. Every one was 

 armed, and, notwithstanding the alarm, we could 

 not but laugh at the awkward, and often ridiculous, 

 figures of our old acquaintances, when at drill in 

 uniform. At that time I went to visit my relations 

 at Jedburgh. Soon after my arrival, we were 

 awakened in the middle of the night by the 

 Yeomanry entering the town at full gallop. 

 The beacons were burning on the top of the 

 Cheviots and other hills, as a signal that the French 

 had landed. When day came, every preparation 

 was made ; but it was a false alarm. 



The rapid succession of victories by sea and land 

 was intensely exciting. We always illuminated our 

 house, and went to the rocky bank in our southern 

 garden to see the illumination of Edinburgh, Leith, 

 and the shipping in the Roads, which was inex- 



