1809.] Account of Thomas Major's Confinement in the Bastille. 
the sport of fortune, _and the child of 
sorrow. 
*¢ For something or for nothing, for a word, 
Or thought, I might be doom’d to death un- 
heard.” Churchill. 
I was not. conscious of any ill, being al- 
ways cautious in speaking about religion 
or politics, but diligently pursued my 
studies, and therefere I could not charge 
myself with having inadvertently done 
any thing amiss. I patiently waited, 
though creatly agitated in my mind, till 
the return of the exempt, who had taken 
me up by a lettre de cachet, for such I 
found was his employment. He did not 
keep me long in suspense, but carried me 
across this outer court, to another draw- 
bridge, and another large pair of gates, 
in which a small wicket door opened, and 
we passed through a corps of guards. 
They quitted their amusement of gaming 
and drinking; their attention and re- 
marks, as I passed by them, were imme- 
diately fixed on a miserable being, con- 
demned as they thought to punishment, 
expecting to find ouilt and terror marked 
on my countenance, perhaps forming in 
their minds a variety of crimes, so fr equent 
ainong themselves. Beyond the corps 
de garde was a centinel in his box, sur- 
rounded with high palisades of wood. 
This was a strong barrier plated with 
iron, which separates the inner court 
from the corps de garde. The space 
within might be about fifteen or twenty 
feet for him to walkin. This was a pre- 
caution I had never seen in any fortified 
towns or places. It was to prevent any 
prisoner who might have dexterity enough 
to escape, (which is next to impossible) 
from his apartment into the court, from 
attacking the centinel by surprize, who 
could defend himself by firing at him 
through the bars. .We crossed this se- 
cond court, which was an oblong square; 
it was about one hundred and twenty, by 
eighty feet broad at the upper end, in 
the centre fronting the gate; we went up 
five stone steps, to the governor’s apart- 
ments, before whom I was brought. To 
arrive there, you must pass two draws 
bridges and five gates, all of which have 
sentries and three posts of guards. The 
castle is encircled with a dry ditch, 
twenty-five feet deep, and one hundred 
and twenty feet wide, round which isa 
wooden gallery, with sentries, anda pa- 
trole at night, who go their rounds every 
half hour; the signal was given by ring- 
ing a bell. This is to keep all sate, and 
to see that no attempts are made to- 
wards rescuing the prisoners, 
Menrury Mac. 185. 
438 
The governor (the Marquis de Thi- 
boutot, who was also keeper of the are 
senal,) was then sitting in a silk night- 
gown, in an arm-chair, before the fire. 
The exempt delivered. me into his cuse 
tody, and then very respectfully withdrew, 
having done his office. The governor, 
who seemed a very polite and affable 
man, asked me the same questions which © 
had been asked before by the exempt, to 
which I answered him in the same man- 
ner. Possibly the reason of this civil 
treatment might arise from the account 
he had received from the exempt, given 
him by my landlord at the time I was 
dressing, when he was making particular 
enquiries concerning my occupation, and. 
the connections J had in France. The 
governor enquired if I had any papers 
about me; I told him, I had; he desired 
tosee them. They were a pocket-book, 
and a letter or two, which he looked 
over, (whether he understood English or 
not, I cannot say) and retumed them to 
me again. He then asked me if I had 
any penknives or scissars, [ told him I 
had not, upon which the gaoler, or 
keeper, said, “ Sir, if you please, I will 
seatch him !” He replied, “ there isno oc- 
casion ; I believe [ may take his word.” 
He perceived that [I had an open 
countenance, that 1 answered his ques- 
tions without dread; and as a sensible 
man he made the proper allowances for 
the anxiety which must naturally attend ” 
any one upon such an occasion. 
The governor told me to follow the 
keeper, and he would conduct me to my 
lodving. He took a candle and lanthorn, 
and held a coarse pair of sheets under 
his arm. 
“© Led softly by the oitiieis of the night, 
Led like a murderer.” Young. 
With yrave and solemn pace, while 
all was awful silence, we crossed this 
inner court, to one of the angles on the 
right hand, and on the left, coming in 
through the palisades, where a draw- 
bridge was let down, and a door was 
opened, he went up circular stairs, and 
opened two other strong doors, each 
about seven inches thick, an outer and 
an inner one. ‘This last, within side, 
was plated with iron. All the doors 
were fastened witb large bolts, let into 
enormous locks. The ‘keeper set the 
candle upon the table, threw down the 
sheets upon the bed, and said, “* Sir; shift 
for yourself as well as you can, [ wish 
you a good night ” Without further ce- 
remony, he shut the door upon me with 
a tremendous noise, and the faithful echo, 
3L from, 
