French Prisoners. 257 



French Army, one of the prisoners, afterwards a much- 

 respected teacher of French in Dumfries Academy, regarded 

 his mihtary chief with quite other feelings. He suppressed 

 his opinions, however, until after the final peace. 



Monsieur Guillemet's favourite text-book was Telemaque. 

 He was a devout man, and regarded Napoleon as a scourge 

 sent by the Almighty to punish Europe for its sins. Wherever 

 Napoleon went massacres followed in his train. Monsieur 

 Guillemet- wore small gold rings in his ears, and as he had 

 been in the Moscow retreat, he sometimes regaled his pupils 

 with an account of its horrors and of the terrible suffering of 

 the French troops from hunger and cold. Once he found a 

 frozen snake, which his companions divided amongst them 

 and regarded as a sumptuous repast. While one of his com- 

 patriots was proceeding to a party in a pair of faultless knee 

 breeches and silk stockings, a large, dirty pig, which was 

 being driven along the road, went between his legs and made 

 the Frenchman turn a rapid somersault on the muddy path. 

 His fine garments were all besmirched, and he ran after the 

 pig with his cane, crying excitedly : " Dat vile porker ! Dat 

 vile porker !" He became a naturalised British subject, and 

 lived in Maxwelltown. He added to his income by giving 

 lessons in rapier and broadsword practice. He was a great 

 favourite with the public and his pupils in the Academy. On 

 examination days he appeared in a robe, somewhat resembling 

 a modern dressing-gown, confined at the waist by silken 

 cords with bright coloured tassels, while on his head a black 

 silk skull-cap encircled his silver-grey hair, which hung over 

 his shoulders in ringlets — his whole attire imparting to him 

 a dramatic and picturesque appearance. His son for many 

 years was a successful chemist in Maxwelltown. 



A romantic incident is connected with one of the pri- 

 soners, Leopold Fleitz, Lieutenant, 4th Swiss Regiment, and 

 a native of Switzerland, who was captured in July, 1808, and 

 was located in Dumfries from 181 1 to 1813, and afterwards 

 in Lockerbie, about 12 miles off, whither he was removed by 

 order of the Transport Board. While in Dumfries he made 

 the acquaintance of " Lovely Polly Stewart," the daughter 

 of William Stewart, factor at Closeburn. Robert Burns 



