"Who are these?" said I to my guide.
"Ask no questions here" said he, and we passed on.
I afterwards learned that they were the hostages seized on for the
contribution of fifty millions of francs, which had been imposed on the
doomed city, and that this very night they had been tom from their
families, and cooped up in the way I had seen them, where, they were
advertised, they must remain until the money should be forthcoming.
As we walked along the streets, and crossed the numerous bridges over the
canals and branches of the river, we found all the houses lit up, by order,
as I learned, of the French marshal. The rain descended in torrents,
sparkling past the lights, while the city was a desert, with one dreadful
exception; for we were waylaid at almost every turn by groups of starving
lunatics, their half--naked figures and pale visages glimmering in the
glancing lights, under the dripping rain; and, had it not been for the
numerous sentries scattered along the thoroughfares, I believe we should
have been tom to pieces by bands of moping idiots, now rendered ferocious
from their sufferings, in consequence of the madhouses having been cleared
of their miserable, helpless inmates, in order to be converted into
barracks for the troops. At all of these bridges sentries were posted,
past which my conductor and myself were franked by the sergeant who
accompanied us giving the countersign. At length, civilly touching his
cap, although he did not refuse the piece of money tendered by my friend,
he left us, wishing us good--night, and saying the coast was clear.
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