Mayence, from its having been always considered as one of the great bulwarks of Germany, suffered most dreadfully in the last war. In October, 1792, General Custine compelled it to surrender after a slight bombardment, and under his administration the majority of the inhabitants who did not fly entered cordially into the views of the French revolutionists: he augmented the fortifications of the city, and placed a strong garrison in the suburbs of Cassel, which has always been considered as a place of great importance, and raised a number of redoubts and batteries there. In July, 1793, the Prussians, after seizing on Costheim, and defeating an army under General Houchard, which was marching to succour the garrison of Mayence, reduced both that city and Cassel, the miserable inhabitants of which endured the greatest horrors, and many of the finest and most venerable buildings of the former were fired, and nearly destroyed, during the siege. Merlin, who acted as one of the commissioners to the French army during the siege, stated to the convention, that such was the scarcity of provisions, _a pound of horse-flesh had been sold at two, and a dead cat at six livres_, and that five thousand men had perished in defence of the place. Although Custine had no choice left but to capitulate, Barrere, by his report of the siege, led to his being denounced and decapitated. During this siege the palace of the provosts suffered terribly; the celebrated electoral palace called La Favorite, and seven churches, were totally destroyed; and scarce a house escaped without being pierced with cannon balls. Mutton sold for sixty sols a pound, and beef one hundred sols; and at last bell-metal and paper money were used: the following was the superscription of the latter: “Monnoye de siége. “10 sols, “à changer contre billon “ou monnoye du metal de siége. (Signed) “REUBELL. “_Siége de Mayence_, “HOUCHARD. “Mar. 1793—2de. de la Rep. Fran.” And, what an epicure will perhaps more regret, the whole vineyard of Hockheim was destroyed.