"Whatever the newspapers say of the increasing popularity of the Bourbons, you have no idea how much Bonaparte is adored by the lower order. There is scarce a house here from which there is not one or two young men now serving in the French army, and the deserters are by no means so numerous as the papers would persuade us. "The French are collecting a very large force on the frontiers. At Lisle they have near 40,000 men, at Valenciennes and other places they are also very strong. It is the unanimous opinion of the army that we shall have some very hard fighting before we reach Paris. Much will depend on the first battle. It is generally supposed we shall advance in the course of a week and that hostilities will commence immediately. "I trust the next time I write to you we shall be on the road to the French Capital. "I am sorry to say the horse I bought in London has turned out very bad. I shall be obliged to send to England for another. The grey I took from Easton is a very promising horse, but is rather too slight for my weight. "I must now bid you adieu. "Give my kindest regards to all the family at Cockshut. "+F. C. Kinchant.+" * * * * * "_July 2nd, 1817._ "+Dear Sir+, "In the course of a short excursion which I was obliged to make last week thro' the lower part of Lancashire, I met at the Rectory house, Middleton, with Dr. Hardie, a young Scotch physician of considerable eminence in his profession at Manchester, where he practises. The battle of Waterloo being accidentally mentioned, Dr. H. amused myself and the rest of the party after supper with various anecdotes of the gallantry and success of Sergeant Ewart of the Scots Greys, who performed prodigies of valour on that day and whose good fortune it was to be the captor of one of the three French Eagles that were taken during the battle.