154 Life of Cojtnt Rumford. 



driven us to Boulogne, where we landed in the evening, without 

 much noise and difficulty Laurens has read the pam- 

 phlet, and thinks it has done much mischief. A good sign ! " 



The pamphlet here referred to was Lord Sheffield's 

 Observations on the Commerce of the American States. 



Pictet continues to report from his own notes of con- 

 versations with his friend, and in what follows is proba- 

 bly almost literally correct. 



" Here begins a new epoch in the career of my illustrious 

 friend, and a purely accidental circumstance had a decisive influ- 

 ence over. his destiny. He arrived at Strasburg, where the 

 Prince, Maximilian of Deux Fonts, now [1801] Elector of 

 Bavaria, then Field-Marshal in the service of France, was in 

 garrison. This prince, commanding on parade, sees among the 

 spectators an officer in a foreign uniform, mounted on a fine 

 English horse, whom he addresses. Thompson informs him 

 that he comes from serving in the American war. The Prince, 

 in pointing out to him many officers who surround him, says, 

 4 These gentlemen were in the same war, but against you ! 

 They belonged to the Royal Regiment of Deux Ponts, that acted 

 in America under the orders of Count Rochambeau.' 



" They engaged in conversation which became very animated. 

 Colonel Thompson, being invited to dine with the Prince, met 

 at the table a number of French officers whom he had encoun- 

 tered on the field in America. They talked at length of the 

 events of this war. The Colonel produced his portfolio, which 

 contained exact plans of the principal engagements, the forts, 

 the sieges, and an excellent collection of maps. One and 

 another recognized the place or the interesting incident which 

 was recalled to him. They conversed a long while, and sepa- 

 rated promising to meet again. The Prince was passionately 

 devoted to his profession and intensely eager for information. 

 He invited the Colonel for the next day. They resumed with 



* The Autobiography and Correspondence of Edward Gibbon, the Historian. Re- 

 print of the original edition. London: Alexander Murray and Son. 1869. pp. 301, 302. 



