360 
out of the premium prefented him as a 
recruit, and his own little favings. As 
a treat was neceffary on this occafion, he 
gave a breaktaft to his new comrades; and 
his whole fortune was thus aétually de- 
voured at a fingle meal. 
The drill ferjeants and corporals had 
but little trouble with him; in a fingle 
month he learned, the manual,  at- 
tained a proficiency feldcm’ expected 
in lefs than a year, and, feareely a 
foldier himfelf, he was placed among the 
veterans. He was accordingly transierred 
to the Colonel’s company, Called Gzlernes 
blanches, from the colour of their knap- 
facks ; there the admirable proportion of 
his limbs, the cleanlinefs of his perfon, 
and the decency of his deportment foon 
diftinouifhed him from the crowd. The 
grenadiers of la rue ae Babylon, now de- 
firous of having fuch a fine young man 
among them accordingly pointed him 
out to their commanding officer, and 
Hoche alfo became a Grenadier. The 
pride of the new foldier was not a little 
wounded on this occafion, for he foon 
perceived his inferiority in point of men- 
ta] attainnients to many of the menshers - 
of the corps, and he now haftened to beftow 
on himfelf that education of which the 
poverty of his parents had deprived him. 
_ It was however, neceffary to procure 
books, and to procure books money be- 
came indifpenfable; his pay could not 
furnifh this: he therefore had reccurfe to 
his own induftry, and by +working early 
and late he found means to fcrape toge- 
ther a little cafh; at the end of evéexy 
week, divided his profits into three parts ; 
the firft went to the foldier who had mount- 
ed his guards, the fecond was laid afide to- 
pay his fhare of the diverfions of his com- 
f 
paper. and the third, fupplied him with 
ooks. 
In the mean time, his attachment to his 
friends was ‘carried even to fanaticifm. 
‘One of his brother foldiers happening to 
be killed in a fcuffle in Paris, Hoche was 
determined not to fleep before he had 
avenged his death. We accordingly re- 
paired to the houfe, where the deed was 
committed, broke the windows, deftroyed 
all the furniture, movables, &c. &e. This 
+ Te will raife a {mile to learn that this 
grenadier, was accuftomed to embroider: the 
“fact however is indifputable: 
‘© Aucun travail groffier ne le rebute: il fe 
leve de grand‘matin; il va, dans les-environs - 
de Paris, pailer la journée a tirer de l'eau pour 

*kes jardiniers 4 lécher Ja terre fous l’ardeur 
du foleil; il employait une partie de la nuit 
rr 7 + 7 ite ieee 7 Punts Shataie 
a. tieder des veftes et des bonmeis de pole.” 
Anecdotes of General Fhe: 
[ Nov, 
violence was punifhed with three months 
imprifonment in a dungeon, whence at 
lait he was liberated, pale, meagre, dif- 
fioured, without ftockings, fhirt or coat. 
On his arrival at the barracks, his com- 
panions received him with tranfports of 
joy, and threatened to wreak their ven- 
geance on the informer; his generous in- 
terpofition alone prevented a new cataft 
trophe. \ 
Some time after this, he himfelf avenced 
the common caufe, on a corporal of. the 
name of Serre, who was perpetually em- 
broiling the regiment by acting as a {py 
and carrying eomplaints to the officers. 
‘On the 28th of December 1788, he fought 
a duel with the informer, near the mills of 
Montmartre, when, after a few pafles, 
Hoche plunged his {word up tothevery hilt 
in his belly : but he recovered in fix weeks, 
was afterwards driven from the regiment, 
and actually emigrated in 1790: The 
victor did not efcape unhurt, for he re- 
ceived a fevere wound on the forehead, 
which detained him during a fortnight at 
the hofpital, and he carried the {car to his 
grave; it however ferved only to give a 
more martial air to his countenance. 
Previous to the revolution in the ftate, 
a memorable one had taken place in the 
army, which was fatigued with new eyo- 
lutions, and defrauded by new fehemes of 
finance. In1788, the capital began to 
be agitated, and the French guards were 
confined in their barracks under a variety 
of pretexts, all communication having 
been interdicted between them and the 
citizens., Ignomimious punifhments, fuch 
as thoie inflicted by the flat fide of the 
fabre and the picket were had recourfe to. 
Biron had juft died, and he was fucceeded 
by Duchatelet who is {aid atone and 
the fame time to have tricked the foldiers 
of their allowances, and fubjeGted them to 
the moft tyrannical uiage. He. dreaded 
to make the corps acquainted with the ge- 
neral difcontent; and the fureft means of 
avoiding this, in his opinion, was to intro- 
duce a’novel fyftem of taétics. The 
well known talents of Hoche pointed him 
out as a proper perfon to inftruét his 
fellow foldiers, in the newly adopt- 
ed difcipline, and notwithfanding the 
dificulties attendant on minute theory, 
he triumphed over every obftacle: on 
this occalion, he was prometed to the 
rank of corporal. 
‘Fhe part which the French evards took 
%n the fucceeding commotions, is well 
known. They were prefent at the captute 
of the Baftile, and Hoche was along with 
them. LaFayette foon after that important 
~ ; event 
