As the gathering tempest prevented me from penetrating into the south of Germany beyond Darmstadt, I applied to M. Bacher, the French minister, for permission to return _pour changer_ to Rotterdam, by the way of Brussels, Antwerp, &c. but the old, shrewd politician, in a very crabbed manner refused, and ordered me to keep on the right bank of the Rhine. Thus was I obliged to retrace my steps; however, it enabled me again to contemplate the sublime and beautiful scenes of the Rhine, which I did in a boat, the cabin and roof of which were crammed with passengers to various cities on different sides of the river: the wind was against us, but the stream was strong, of which our boatmen availed themselves by placing the vessel transversely, and, without rowing or towing, in two days and a half we bade adieu to our voyageurs, a little before we reached Cologne, where we landed at Duitz, and retrod our steps, which enabled me here and there to correct errors and supply omissions. At Wesel we arrived at half past six o’clock in the evening, and found the gates shut, which compelled us to sleep upon straw at a little inn in the suburbs. At six the next morning, we beheld a sad massacre perpetrating by the engineers and soldiers of the garrison, upon all the trees in the neighbourhood that could conceal or assist an enemy in approaching the town, and for a similar reason several houses in the suburbs were marked for destruction. Such is the commencement of the horrors of war! The Prussians were expected to lay siege to this strongly fortified town in a few days, which induced the Grand Duke of Berg, who was in the citadel at the time, to have recourse to these severe preparations. After pursuing our route through Amsterdam, where the great fair was holding, during which the Dutch character became absolutely lively, through Leyden and Rotterdam, at the last of which we were sadly annoyed about our necessary passports of departure, which require the signature of the King’s secretary at the Hague, and the countersign of a Dutch commissioner, appointed, during my absence, for such purpose at Rotterdam, in consequence of the French ambassador’s power over such matters having been withdrawn, we at length, like hunted hares, arrived at the spot from whence we started, viz. Maesland-sluys, where, after undergoing the vexation of more forms and ceremonies before our old friend the commodore, on board of his guard-ship, we embarked in the identical dismal galliot which brought us to Holland, and after expecting every moment an order of embargo, we got out to sea, where we endured no common misery for six days and nights, after which I landed again upon my beloved native country: That water-walled bulwark, still secure And confident from foreign purposes. _King John_, Act I. Scene 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES