32 REMINISCENCES OF 



" Horse Guards, 2nd February, 1836. 



" Sir,— 



" I am commanded by General Lord Hill, 

 to acquaint you, that on your lodging the sum of 

 ^840 in the hands of Messrs. Cox & Co., Army 

 Agents, His Lordship will submit your name to His 

 Majesty for the purchase of a Cornetcy in the 9th 

 Light Dragoons. 



" I have the honour to be, 

 " Sir, 

 " Your humble Servant, 



" FiTZROY Somerset. 



"To John Anstruther Thomson." 



I was gazetted on the 12th of March, 1836, and 

 passed that summer at Nancy in a. pension at Madame 

 Lerboullet's. My window looked out on the barrack 

 yard of the cuirassiers. There were two families I 

 used to visit — Kortwrights and Major Fitzmaurice 

 (his wife was the sister of the parson at Clyro). 

 Harry Villebois came there for a bit. At that time 

 a M. Gastaldi was living near, and invited us all to 

 a feast (where we got very merry) and a musical 

 performance (where each guest took the part of a 

 different instrument). Harry Villebois and I had a 

 round or two to demonstrate the art of self-defence. 

 We all slept on the premises, one of the Kortwrights 

 and I under the billiard table. 



While at Nancy I wrote the following letter to 

 my mother : — 



