LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS DYNELEY, C.B., R.A. 463 
he took himself off without saying a word; he paid me several visits 
of the same kind during my stay but never once opened his mouth. 
Well, I had gone on in this way with my mule for about two leagues 
farther when D’ Armagnac passed and, seeing the miserable condition © 
J was in, he ordered me to be given over to the Chief of Artillery, 
Lassole, which was done. I was put in front of his baggage waggon 
out of the sun, but was shaken to death; in this way they carried me 
a league farther to Valdemoro, where we halted for the day. The 
Chief, a Major, had a most capital dinner, but that day I could eat 
nothing. ‘The meal being finished, Morgan borrowed a blanket of one 
of the artillerymen (all German, of the regiment called the Baden 
artillery) and we lay down together and had a good sleep. We were 
awakened about one o’clock on the morning of the 1dth to march 
again. When my carriage was ready I mounted and off we set. 
When we had got about two leagues on the road a French General 
rode up and said, “Are you the Englishman ? ”’—‘ Yes.’’—“ I marry 
one English lady.” ‘Thinks I to myself, “ What of that?’ Then he 
said, ‘She wish to speak to you.”’—“ Certainly.” So out I got, and 
there sat my lady, who addressed me: “Have I the pleasure to 
address a countryman of my own?’”’—“ Yes, you have certainly.” 
—“From what part of England are you ?”— London.”—“ Oh 
dear London, I should be the most miserable creature in the 
world if I did not feel certain I should die there, I am so very partial 
to everything that is Hnglish—look here.” And out she pulled from 
the pocket of her carriage an old Twining’s tea-canister. This 
certainly did cut me up a good deal, she then gave me a bit of bread 
and meat, much in the same way as I had often smuggled it to a 
beggar at the back kitchen door at Moltingham!; I thought of you 
all. She continued her conversation, said she was a Kentish woman 
and came from Dover. I said I was from Kent too. She was very 
much pleased with this, and jabbered away German to the people who 
were standing round us, saying we both came from the same province 
in Hngland. She told me she was a daughter of Admiral Drake’s, that 
she had married this man (pointing to her husband) General Chasse 
in Holland, but that Bonaparte had obliged him-to enter the French 
service, and that for every pound then he had only a shilling now, etc., 
and concluded by introducing me to the General, who said he had for- 
gotten all his English. ‘The poor fellow then told me in the best way 
he could that I was welcome to everything he had. 
Of course my carriage did not wait for me, and I had about four 
miles to walk to overtake it. I found the troops: had halted half-a- 
mile short of Aranjuez in a delightful long walk, as much shaded as 
that at Chislehurst, only 500 times as long, with the Tagus running 
under the trees. I recalled the many happy days I had spent there 
previous to leaving England, and thought I would even put up with 
the rowing I got there for teasing the children to make the exchange. 
The city of Aranjuez is, or rather was, the residence of Ferdinand 
and has a beautiful palace, and I am not joking when I say the gardens 
1 The Dyneley’s country house near Eltham.—Ed. 
