French Prisoners. 261 



and pored over the epitaph which was quite familiar to him, 

 being- engraved on his memory. He was the lover of the 

 lady whose remains lay beneath the sod, and never had he 

 forgotten that spot so dear to him where all his early hopes 

 lay buried. He remained, it is said, for a considerable time 

 beside the tomb where his beloved reposed, and then, tearing 

 himself away, he quitted the churchyard, after thanking his 

 conductor for the courtesy that had been shown him. Truly 

 a pious pilgrimage to a pure shrine ! 



" The news of the downfall of Paris," says the Dumfries 

 Courier, " filled the inhabitants of this town with the utmost 

 enthusiasm. No sooner did the arrival of the mail coach, 

 with its flag displayed, announce the joyful intelligence than 

 the principal streets of the town, as if by magic, were in a 

 blaze of light from the bonfires and tar-barrels that were 

 kindled in every direction. Next morning the joy-bells were 

 rung, and at one o'clock the cannon carried the tidings of 

 triumph to the surrounding country. Yesterday the addi- 

 tional information received of the establishment of a new 

 government in Paris gave another opportunity for public 

 demonstrations of exultation ; the bells were again rung and 

 the cannon fired ; and the accounts received last night of the 

 abdication of the man of blood have been again celebrated by 

 bonfires and the ringing of bells." 



When the Dumfries prisoners learned of the change of 

 Government in France and of the appointment of French Com- 

 missioners to arrange for their release, they were not long in 

 recognising the new order of things. They even became 

 fervent Royalists, spurning for the nonce their old garments 

 of Imperialism. They communicated to the Commissioners 

 their adhesion to the Bourbon Dynasty in the following 

 glowing terms : — " Dumfries, le 6 Mai, 1814. Les officiers 

 detenus sur parole donnent leur adhesion aux actes du 

 Gouvernement Fran^ais qui rappelle I'illustre sang des Bour- 

 bons au trone de ses ancetres. Puissent les Frangais compter 

 une langue suite de rois du sang de St. Louis et de Henri IV. 

 qui a toujours fait leur gloire et assur^ leur bonheur ! Vive 

 Louis XVIII. ! Vivent les Bourbons !" 



Two pages of signatures follow this address, the leading" 



