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Columbia SflnitJers^ftj)
mtI)eCttpotlfttigark
THE LIBRARIES
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Vardinq Jc
MAJOR JAMES GEORGE vSEMPIJE LISLE
PuifSa^mlcrl/lPfl. /n/ W. Steward mhcfodilii/
THE
LIFE
OF
MAJOR J. G. SEMPLE LISLE;
CONTAINING
J FAITHFUL NARRAriVE
OF HIS
ALTERNATE VICISSITUDES OF SPLENDOR AND MISFORTUNE.
If KITTEN BY HIMSELf.
THE WHOLE INTERSPERSED WITH
INTERESTING ANECDOTES,
AND
AUTHENTIC ACCOUNTS OF IMPORTANT PUBLIC TRANSACTIONS.
Jfpera piulta
Pertulit, adverjis rerum immerfabili; undis.
Horace.
THE SECOND EDITION.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR W. STEWART, NO. I94, OPPOSITE YORK
HOUSE, PICCADILLY,
1 80c.
9F,Black(iiett Piint^Tf 10,'^ukc^s Cpt'rtt Chancery I^m.
,A -^JL^ -/
s
V-
i
PREFACE.
When any one offers his own Memoirs to the world, it is very natural to afl^: what are his claims to the notice of the Public ? To this the Author of the following fheets can juftly reply, that perhaps there exifts not an- other individual who has been io much the play-thing of Fortune as him.felf ; and he can boldly add, that few have been fo unju/lly calumniated. With fliame he acknowledges that there have been parts of his life he can neither juftify, nor means to defend; but this Work, the truth of which refts not upon his own teftimony only, but upon that of cha- racters whom fufpicion itfelf would not dare to doubt, will prove that his life has been, by no means, a feries of difgraces.
uch
168089
vi PREFACE.
Such as it has really been, he lays it before the world, ready to receive from the impartial voice of the Public that praife or that cenfure to which he may be found entitled.
To the republic of letters he feels the ne- ceflity of apologizing for any inaccuracies which may be found in the compofition. Born a foldier, though happy in an excellent edu- cation, the profeflion of arms engaged his en- tire foul; fomething muft, therefore, be al- lowed for the produdiion of one no way in the habit of writing beyond private correfpon- dence or military orders. Befides, ever ac- cuftomed to execute his ideas with rapidity, he confefTes his want of patience to touch, re- touch, and ponder, words and fyllables ; but though his periods may want that harmonious chime which amufes the car, they fhall never be deficient in truth and candour.
The many exalted charad;ers whofe names are introduced in this work, will, the Author trufts, excufe the freedom he has ufed with them ; he has, indeed, had the honour of ftanding by their fides in the field of battle and in the drawing-room -, and he hopes, that
not
PREFACE. vil
not one of them will be afhamed of appearing along with him on paper.
In fome parts he has, however, fupprefled circumftances which, though highly honour- able to himfelf, are neverthelefs improper for publication ; but when his readers refledt, as he hopes they will have the goodnefs to do, that he has been entrufted with important /late fecrets, by the moft potent Princes in the world, they would, he is fure, confider him as far loft to all honour, indeed, fliould he fufFer them to efcape him, merely to gra- tify his own vanity.
Finally, fliould any m.aterial fadl be mif- tated, which may ealily happen to any one who writes from memory only, he will rea- dily and thankfully rectify his miftake on being informed of it. Of thofe defpicable fcriblers, who, without knowledge of him or his hiftory, have dared to publilh their anony- mous libels, he fhall, at prefent, take very little notice; though, perhaps, fome future day he may recompence them as they de- fer ve.
^<
CONTENTS.
-^:
CHAP. I.
THE author's birth, education, and military dehtlt in America in 1775. — Return to England in 1777. — Ren- contre with the well known Mrs. Gooch.— Goes to Lifle in Flanders.— Adventure there, which obliged him to go to Tournay, the frontier town of the em- pire •— -^ "— —* P* *
CHAP. n.
Goes to BrufTels. — Interview with Mr. Fitzherbert, now Lord St. Helens. — Leaves BrufTels, and accompanies the army of Frederic the Great, and the Emprefs Queen of Hungary to the field, — Returns through Holland to England. — Marries.— 'Goes to France ; and from thence, at the inft^nce of the Duchefs of Kingfton, to Ruffia. —Adventure at Riga in Livonia, — His arreft there. — Goes to St. Peterlburg, and is introduced to Prince Po- temkin and the Emprefs. — Curious particulars of the Duchefs of IC.'s family — •«- p. 5
CHAP. in.
The author performs his miflion to Dantzic, and return- in^ is met by a melTen ger to haftea his journey. — Ar-
b nves
CONTENTS.
V
rives at St. Peterfburg, and is ordered to wait the Em» prefs's difpatches. — Tiie Duchefs of Kingfton's con- duit.— Determines to remove his family to Narva, on account of the Dachefs's tyrannical difpofition.— Leaves the capita], with perraiffion to go to the Duchefs's houfe. — Laws refpecting travellers in Ruffila. — Quarrels with the Duchefs.-— Removes his family to Narva, and fets out for Cherfcn — -. ,— P« 14
CHAP. IV.
The author arrives at Cherfon, and delivers his difpatches to Prince Potemkin. — An exprefs arrives from the Du- chefs of Kingfton complaining of him to the Prince, which is received, and anfwered in a very mortifying manner. — Some account of Cherfon. — -The Corfes Bx- pidfes, a corps of them given to the author to organize. — Aftonifhing atchievement pf !:h^ Emprefs ip building (hips.' — Mode of launching and navigating them down the jriver Nieper. — Admira| Mackenzie and Captain Taite. — Military arrangements. — Mutiny among the Corfes Expulfes -— — — p. 22
CHAP. V.
Improvements in the Ruffian army by the author.— :Re-.
|t marks on military uniforms. — Ruffian peafants. — Re- mark? on the proper ufe of the bayonet in exercife. — A refutation of 3n anonymous libeller. — The author, ha- ving completed the organization of the Corficans, fets off to the army in the Crimea.— His flattering reception. — Character of the commanders Potemkin and Su- warrow. — Ruffian foldiers, their character and har- dinefs — — • — P-28
CHAP,
CONTENTS. xi
CHAP. VI.
Mr. Fltzherbert, now Lord St. Helens, arrives at St. Pa- terfburgh. — The author fent from Karazu-bazar to Ac- tiare, where he again meets Admiral Mackenzie.— Vifits a curious old building there. — Mackenzie and he receive prefents from fome of the Tartar Chiefs. — Re- turns to head-quarters, and has a narrow efcape. — ^Po- temkin retires to Krementchuck on account of his health. — The arrival of a Circaflian Prince there as hof- tage. — Plain where the battle of Pultowa was fought. — Splendour of the Viceroy of Mofcow. — Anecdotes of Potemkin, the Emprefs Catharine, and other remarkable perfons. — The author prepares to leave Ruflia) quits the Ri^ffian fervice, and fails for Copenhagen p. 36
CHAP. vn.
The author arrives at Copenhagen juft after the revolution there. — Anecdotes of the King of Denmark. — Goes to Pruflia. — Ceremony of entering Potfdam. — Frederic the Great's mode of receiving reports. — Waits on Comtc de Goertz.— Etiquette of prefentation to the King. — Meets feveral diftinguifhed characters. — The Heredita- ry Prince's apartments defcribed. — Receives permiflion from the King to attend his mancxuvres. — Prefented to the Queen, at the palace of Shoen Haufen, near Berlin. — Accompanies the Prince on fome private expeditions. —Is ordered to leave Potfdam. — The order revoked next day. — Defcription of Potfdam. — Defcriptions and anec- dotes of Frederic the Great. — Excellence of the Pruffian troops .. — . .^ 52.
h 2 CHAP.
xii C 6 N t E N t S;
CHAP. VJII.
The author leaves Prufiia and returns to Denmark.-— Sets out for England, where he arrives in December 1784. — Frequently vifits the Continent in the coqrfe of the two following years-'T-BefpeaJcs a travelling pcft-chaife of Mr. Lycet. — IVIr. Lycet, not being able to arreft him for the DEBT, twelve months after the delivery of the carriage, proceeds criminally againft him. — The un- happy confequences. — Sen4s a model of a faddle and acr coutrement to thp King of Pruffia. — Obtains his par- don, and goes to France. — Forms an intimacy with fome of the moft diftinguifhed characters there.— Pro- ceedings of the Convention, and anecdotes of the per- fons principally concerned in the maffacre of the King, with the proceiHqn to his trial --r- p. 67
CHAP. IX,
The Convention orders that the decree pronouncing the King's death fhould be made known to him within twenr ty-four hours — His counfellors refufed admiflion to him, — His fentence announced to him. — Proceedings the evening previous to his execution. — The author attends at the Temple with General Beruyer. — Santerre's bru- 'tal behaviour at the Temple the morning of the King's death. — The Queen and Royal Family refufed to fee the King, by the CommifTaries, with an explanation' of the reafon. — -Sahterre's fpeech to his Majefty when he came to fetch him, not related by Clery. — More "brutality of Sante'rre. — A man murdered for pitying the Kirig. — . Preparations feit the place of execution. — The King's liehaviour, and "the involuntary refpedl paid to him. — Kew infuUs of Santerre.— The King's death and burial -r* — — p. 84
CHAP.
CONTENTS, xiii
CHAP; X;
Santerre fends a letter to the Convention^ announcing the King's death, which the Prefident declined reading aloud. — -The city overwhelmed with forrow. — The au- thor fciids an account of the King's death to London. — ■ Jlclblves to leave France^ and receives i pafTport for that purpofe. — In danger of being arrefted as a fpy. — Makes his efcape from Paris.-^Pafles feVeral garrifon towns by ftratageim, and reaches Bruflels* — Difficulty of pafling the Cordon, and the method he took to avoid Antwerp, where Dumourier then was.— ^Arrives at Hoogftraten. — Stops for refrefhment at Baal-Kertog.— Reaches Bois !e Duc.^Propofes an enterprize which is approyedj and occafions him to go to the Hague.— Re- turns with power to carry his plan into execution p, 95
CHAP. XL
Change in the operations of the French, which defeats the author's plan.— ^He goes to cut off fome forage belong- ing to the Fren&h, in the vicinity of Alphen. — Per- feilly fucceeds. — ^Employs a bold ftratagem to recon- noitre Breda. — Finds the Duke Frederic of Brunfwic juft leaving Bois le Duc^ and follows him to the village of Oofterwyk. -^Without time to reft or take refrefh- xrxgnt, difpatched to Saxe Coburg. — Is prefent at the memorable battle of St. Tronde, which laftcd three days — The defperate taking of Ooftmaal.-— Account of the battle, with an anecdote of the Archduke.— Returns to the Duke of Brunfwic, after a moft extra- ordinary journey of fatigue and danger. — Without top- ping, proceeds to the Hague, and gives a dcfcription of the battle t9 the Stadtholder -^ p. 196
b 3 CHAP,
xiV C O N T £ N T S.
CHAP. XII.
The author fent for to court next morning, and forced t» go dirty as he came from his journey, — Returns to Duke F. of Brunfwic,— ^Capitulation of Breda. — Saxe - Coburg's great acStions. — Thofe excite fufpicions in the ^ Convention, who fent to recal Dumourier. — Dumou- rier fends the Commiflaries, and his intended fuccefTor, Bournonville, prifoners to Saxe Coburg. — -The author arrives at Saxe Coburg's head-quarters. — Dumourier _ deferts, w^ith feveral others. — The author returns to . Dulce F. of Briinfwic at Bois le Due. — ^Finds the Duke jndifpofed. — Receives a moft extraordinary and honour- able comm.iflion in the Dutch fervice at the Hague. — • ■ Returns to Bois le Due, and prepares to take the field. — Is fent on political bufmefs to BrulTells. — Is induced to leave that army, and go to the army of the Upper Rhine. — Situation of the army, and charailers of the Generals. — 'The King of PrufTia leaves the field. — The reigning^ Duke of Brunfwic fucceeds him. — The au- thor's diftreiTed fituation.— Retires to a fmall town in the interior - — — ■ — P- ^2.3
CHAP. XIII.
The author's afFair with Mrs. S. — Characler of Col. S. — • ' The author fets out for Augfburg in Suabia, accompa- nied by Mrs. S. — Becomes acquainted with Baron ■" D'Ompteda. — Reaches Augfburg. — iSuddenly arrefted ' there, on the requifitioji of the Baron D'Ompteda.— ' The Baron arrives at Augflnirg, and makes fome vague general charged. — Demands all the author's papers in the name of his Britannic Majcfty. — The author writes to
Mr.'
C O N T EN T Sr XV .
Mr. Dundas. — Was extremely Well treated during his confinement. — Receives a letter from Mr* Vv^alpole, * with an official denial on the part of the Britifh govern- ment, of any knowledge of the tranfadlion. — Decree of the Senate of Augfburg. — Remarks on the decree of the Senate. — Kind behaviour of Mr. Walpole p. 133
CHAP. XIV.
More accounts of the nature of the author's confinement.
. — Finds means to convey a letter to the Duke Frederic
. of Brunfwic— ^-Receives a letter from that great General
, in the moft flattering terms. — Receives indulgences
_. from the magiftrates. — Writes a letter to Baron D'Omp-
teda. — Copy of it. — The Baron rather chufes to fit down
difgraced, than to give the fatisfacflion required. — Goes
to Manheim. — A droll manoeuvre there. — Receives a
bayonet wound. — Proceeds to Cologne and Aix-la-Cha-
pelle, where he finds Colonel S. has been bullying in his
abfence. — Goes to Holland, hears the fame accounts,
but cannot find the Colonel. — Arrives in England,
where the Colonel has been more loudj feeks him by
every ftratagem, and in every place, but in vain p. 149
CHAP. XV.
The author's reafons for returnlnc; to England. — He waits on the Minifl:ers with fome propofals which are rejevSted. — Becomes involved in another misfortune. — Is about to proceed to the Continent, and put back by a ftorm. — > Apprehended and taken to Bow-ftreet. — Repeated ex- aminations there. — Ridiculous charges made againft him. — Would have been difcharg-ed but for Mr. Flood. —Is tried and convidled, but retains many valuable
b 4 friends.
jorf CONTENTS.
friends.— Mr. Burke's friendly interference ; copies of letters from him.— Mr. Bofwell, with one of his letters. ^^RemarJcs of the author's friends — P* ^SS
CHAP. xvr.
The author remains two years a prifoner in Newgate. -»• Begins to entertain hopes that he will not be fent away. —The fhcrifFs attempt to fend him away in an abrupt manner.— -His defpair- and its confequences. — Reflec- tions on this aiftion, and the conduil of the fherifFs.-^ Sent down to Portfmouth. — Receives the l^indeft treat- ment from Mr. Dyne, contractor for tranfports. — Em- barks on board the Lady Shore. — Finds the {hip in a ftate of mutiny. — Different inftances of the mutinous behaviour of the foldiers of the New S. Wales corps. —Pufillanimity of their officers — P« ^75
CHAP. xvn.
Mutinous proceedings at Portfmouth. — The Chief Mate makes a complaint to General Pitt. — Sail for Torbay, •^The mutineers difturb the Captain in mullering his men. — Captain Wilcocks complains to General Fox, who tranfmits his letter to the Duke of Portland.— Lieutenant Colonel Grofe, the Commander of the New South Wales corps, fent to infpeft them. — The fhips receive damage from a ftorm, and are obliged to go in- to harbour. — The Lady Shore fails, after the Captaift had addreflcd the Miniftcr on the fituation of the troops, to which the author alfo added his teftimony. — The troops increafe in mutiny and difobedience p. i?5
CHAP.
CONTENTS. xvii
CHAP. XVIII.
The Lady Shore proceeds in fafety aimoft to Rio de J»-
niero.— The mutiny commences Enfign Minchin re-
fufes to a<ft.— The Captain mortally wounded. — The author endeavours to pcrfuade the oificers of the troops to rally, but in vain. — He offers a variety of pra;2:icable plans, but without effcifl. — At the inftance of the Cap- tain and Minchin, the author enters into a treaty with the mutineers. — Minchin makes his fubmilTIon, and the fhip is given up. — The officers who hid themfelves brought to light. — The Captain's death.— The author wifhes to leave the mefs, but at the folicitation of the officers, continues with them. The officers endeavour to procure a boat from the mutineers to carry them to Rio Grande.— The author's ftratagem to procure leave for himfelf and the Purfer to go in the boat p. 192
CHAP. XIX.
The officers and fome others are allowed the boat. — The author procures leave for a boy committed to the Cap- tain's care to go with them. — Obtains a knowledge of the fhip's place by a ftratagem, — They embark, after being fearched fox money. — Enfign Minchin's conduit and good luck. — The boat fets fail, and meets with a terrible gale. — She is near loft in the breakers as flie ap- proached the coaft. — Thofe on board forced to throw their trunks overboard ; v/hen, in the utmoft diftrefs, they fee a boat coming towards them. They make the harbour, and are hofpitably received. — Minchin refufes the Purfer and Mr. Murchifon any affiftance.— Tiiejr fend a report af their fituation to the Governor- General,
tvw CONTENTS.
—Are fent for to Port St. Pedro, where they are hof-* pitably received. — Their fplendid entertainment by the Governor-General. — A fecorid report made, in which,^ as well as the firft, the author did not join. — Holpi- tality of the Commandant. — The author is prefented with a fword by the Governor- General p. 207
CHAP. XX.
News comes of the Lady Shore being brought into Mon- te Video on the Rio da Plata. — Enfign Minchin and the Purfer fend each a report to the Spanifh Governor. — ■■ Enfig-n Prater's behaviour to the author, and the con- fequences of it. — Prater, who was in difgrace, again admitted to the General's table, at the author's inter- ceffion. — Defcription of the Province of Rio Grande, the manners of the inhabitants, and their uncommon hofpitality. — Scandalous behaviour of the Englifii fol- diers. — A child of one of the Englifh. foldiers chriftened at Port St. Pedro. — The Governor and a lady of dif- tin£lion ftand fponfors. — The author and his companions prepare to leave Rio Grande. — Detained by contrary wrinds. — The mode of catching wild cattle in that country. — The author refolves to go over land to Rio Janeiro, and obtains the Governor's leave for that pur- pofe. — The fame favour refufed to Mr. Minchin p. 222
CHAP. XXI.
The author prepares for his journey, aceornpanied by Mr.
Black, Richards a boy, a Brazilian fervant, two dra- '' goons, and two Indians. — Set out, and lay the firft night
at Tropa Velba, where the country begins to grow • fertile. — Elegant entertainment there. — Dine at the hut '-» of
CONTENTS. x«
of a poor farmer. — Sleep at the houfe of an officer of auxiliary dragoons, where the entertainment is magni- ficent.— Remarkable fituation of Moiftardio. — Manner . of marking horfes on the royal farms. — Dexterity of the Indians in the ufe of two very fingular weapons. — A merry prank played on a farmer. — Torres, a fort on the frontiers of the province of Rio Grande, defcription of it ; vaft number of feals there. — Brazilian Cavalry.-— Charadter of the inhabitants of Rio Grande. — Farinha, a root ufed as a fubftitute for bread. — Difficulty in croft- ing a large river. — A curious old Frenchman. — Extra- ordinary mode of fifhing. — Mountains near Laguna.- — Part with their former guides. — From Laguna the road towards St. Catharine's very bad. — Stop at a whale fifhery, and next day arrive at St. Catharine's p. 236
CHAP. XXII.
Arrival at St. Catharine's j honourably received there.— The Portuguefe fleet from Rio de Janeir© laying in the road of St. Catharine's, the author's arrival is announced to the Admiral. — Superb ceremony at the Admiral's landing. — Charafter of the troops there. — The curious manner in which the Indians ride. — The author meets with an old acquaintance. — Is moft kindly treated by the Admiral. — He and Mr. Black go to dine with the Ad- miral, and vifit the other Captains. — They pafs their their time i~n every pleaCure. — The fail for Rio de Janei- ro.— The author is treated with much diftin^lion by the AdmiraL — He prefents his letters to the Adjutant-Ge- • neral and the Viceroy. — The perfidy of Enfign Min- chin, who gets into difgrace for it. — Minchin and Pra- ter make appllcati^on to the Viceroy to be paid as in
England,
XH cd>rTENts.
England, which is refufedj — The author refufes to re- ceive any money. — ^They prepare to depart, and the author is fent on board the UlyfTes; — Mr. Mure hifon and Mr. Blacic embark on board two South-fea whalers. — All, except the author, ordered on board.— Enfign Min- chin's humorous embarkation • — . p. 259
CHAP. XXIIL
Defcrlptlon of the town of Rio de Janeiro Military
eftablifnment there, — Uncommonly fine mulatto regi- ment of militia.— Produce of the country. — Dcfcrip- tion of the port. — The author fails from thence from thence for Bahia de Todos os Santos. — Meets with an honourable reception from the Governor. — Writes to Enfign Minchin. — The efFedl of his letter. — Minchin requefts to be left behind. — Refcues Drummond from an attack made upon him by Prater and fome of his com- panions. — Laughable adventure with a taylor. — Has a fracas with a Portuguefe gentleman. — Is attacked by af- faflins at night-time. — Character of the inhabitants of Bahia de Todos os Santos — Defcription of the place. — The author prevails with the Admiral to allow Minchin to remain behind. — Singular theft on board one of the fhips of war. — The fleet fails for Europe, and arrives at Lifbon — — — p. 276
CHAP. XXIV.
The author arrives at Lifbon, writes to the Minifters, and oiFers to furrender himfelf. — Is arrefted. — Applies to the Conful-General for Madeira, who can obtain no fatisfac- tory anfwer from the Intcndant of Police. — He learns at length that his confiaement is owing to the quarrels
in
CONTENTS, xjd
in Eiazil. — Is fuddenly removed at midnight to a houfe " tt Belem. — Is fent on board a lhip.-?!-Some account of the city of Llfbon, and of the manners of the Porta- guefe. — The Portu2;iiere army miferably bad.— rThe au- thor fails for Gibraltar. — Unable to reach that port, they make Tangier.— ^With a Lieutenant and fome of the people of the Dorothea, the author gains Gibraltar.-^— The parrow pfcape pf Captain Grey and his lady p, 298
CHAP. XXV,
The author arrives fafe at Gibraltar,— ris arrpfted on ac-? count of the difcovery of a confpiracy there. — Dif- charged from confinement. — Extraordinary exertions of Earl St, Vincent.r-r-The author arrives at Tangier, where he is moft kindly treated by the Conful-Genera!, •— Rcfolves to wait there for the Duke of Portland's or- ders.— Defcription of Tangier. — Manner of building houfes there.—r-The gaiety occafioned by the prefence of the Confuls. — Mofques.-r-Gates of the town. — Abject ftate of the Jews. — Charafter of the Moors — Their funerals. — Moorifti troops.— ^Their arms. — Their horfcs. — Their cavalry. — Remark on horfes' bits. — Their ^evolutions. — Surprifed that any one could perform their manoeuvres on a plain faddle. — The Moorifti mode of {hoeing horfes.— The author procures a horfe to be fhoed \n the European faftiion. — Barbarous manner of faften- ing horfes in the ftable. —Manner of travelling in Bar* bary ^ _ — p. 317
CHAP. XXVI.
Treatment of Chriftian flaves in Barbary.— The author receives notice of the demand of the Britilh Court for
his
xxii CONTENTS.
his furrender. — Complies with it, and fails for Gibral- tar.— His letter to the Governor, and the anfwer
Sails for Lifbon. — Politely received by the Britifh offi- cers there. — Writes to the Britifh Envoy and Mr. Mur- ray, with their anfwers. — Sails for Portfmouth. — His letter to the Duke of Portland. — Sent for to town p. 338
CHAP. XXVII.
The author arrives in town, is fent to Tothil-fields Bride- well.— Character of that prifon. — The author's exploits with bailifFs.— -Conclufion — p. 358
APPENDIX -- «. ^ 371
p
r
ERRATA,
Page 65, Line §, /orwa?, re->J-vicrt.
89* 3> f°^ ^'gl^ juftice, read the executioner of
high juftice. Qo, 9 from bottom, dele to them.
.«. -, after they, read all,
IOC i. It was not Maffena who commanded,
but another General whofe name I cannot recollect. \\z 4, for Brunfwic, read Orange.
iz\ S> f°'^ from, read for.
'26 J, /or drawn, rf*?^ driven.
S73 JO, dele and.
311 9 from bottom, efter they, r^<i^ therefore.
313 4) dele and.
314 4, after Xon^y t ead &'ca\u
jic 2, /cr friends, read my friends.
CHAPTER t
The author^ s birthy education^ and military dehul in America in 1775. — Return to England in I777i —Rencontre with the well known Mri. Gooch.— Goes to Lifle in Flanders.— Adventure there y which obliged him to go to Tournay, the frontier town of the empire,
Among the throng of icribblers, who, with- out any perfonal knowledge of me^ or my family, have done me the honour to write my hiflory, there is a prodigious variety of afler- tion concerning my parentage. Some have af- ferted that tny father was a farmer, fome a tradefrtian, fome a clergyman, arid forhej I be- lieve, will hardly all6w me any father at all. Had my family no more reafon to be afhamed
B of
THE LIFE OP
of mc than I have of it, I might here produce a long roll of honourable and virtuous anceftry : fuffice it to fay, that my defcent is too well known to every family of diftindtion of my country to render it necefTary to refute the ca- lumnies of anonymous libellers.
My education was what Jome of my biogra- phers have condefcended to allow, of the gen- teeleft fort ; and my friends gave me that en- couragement which is naturally given to lads of parts, an encouragement that too often leads into unconquerable habits of expence and difli- pation; and a too liberal fupply from my opu- lent^ connexions made me equally carelefs and extravagant. With the advantage of at leaft a tolerable figure, great adivity, and a perfed knowledge of all the polite manly exercifes, I very early was initiated into the gay world. My fkill in arms introduced me to the moft celebrated pfTofeflbrs of that art; as a horfeman, I likewife received the higheft praifes ; and na- turally gay, fiery, and haughty, my vanity was proportionably inflated, till it laid the founda- tion ^f my fubfequent misfortunes and dif- grace* '
It would be mere impertinence to take up the time of my readers with details of juvenile amufcments and juvenile amours : and it would be downright cruelty to expofe names yet un- polluted
kAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 3
polluted by the peftilent breath of flander-; I Ihall therefore confine rnyfelf to obferving, that my military debut was made in America, in the year 1775, at the age of fixteen.
My adventures there were not much varied beyond thofe of my brethen of the fame rank. ^, 1 was, however, taken prifoner in 1776; but.* Was relieved early in 1777, by* Lord Percy, whofe retirement from the army his country may juft- ly regret, and Sir Peter Pitker, theff com- manding at Rhode Ifland, I was foon after w ounded • and wis in confcquence fent home from New York, in th6 Bridget of Liverpool, Captain Gilbody.
I landed in Ireland, and came from thence ^ to Wales and to Bath; where I met with the beautiful, but unfortunate, Mrs. Gooch. I was in the rooms ; but 4s ^y wound rendered dancing impofliblej £l party at picquet was pro- pofed, which laid the' foundation of a connec- tion that induced me to retire to Lifle in Flan- ders. My ainour with Mrs. Gooch having been related by the lady herfelf, in her Memoirs, though not quite correSily^ I leave as it is t never- thelefs, my reader may perhaps fmile with me at her boaft of " then, and not till then, I fell,'* . when they are informed that our joint ages did iiot amount to fprty,
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4' THELIFEOr
Had fhe not mentioned uncandidly a tranfac-* tion which I cannot think upon without regret, I fhould have wifhed it to have been buried in eternal filence; I mean where Mr. K. and myfelf are reported by her to have ufed unfair conducft to a young Irilhman in a duel. The young gentleman, who was about my own age, undoubtedly fell; but nothing unfair took place : the whole bufinefs palTed in the prefence of Mr. D., a refpedlable inhabitant of London, who is yet alive; and him I exped: and entreat to expofe me as a villain if there was any foul play on my fide. Befides, if there needs a flronger proof of my conduifl, I myfelf carried the, unfortunate man to his lodgings, where, at his own requefl', I remained with him feveral hours, till prudence obliged me to provide for my own fafety from the effecls of the law, by leaving Lifle, and retiring to Tournay. The procefs was carried on in Mr. K.'s abfence and mine ; and we were, as Mrs. G. juflly relates, hung in effigy, the form of declaring outlawry there ; a ceremony which I was rafh enough to come into Lifle to fee; a rafhnefs which had nearly coft me dear, for I was difcovered, and had much difficulty to effed:uate my retreat to the Imperial territory : and after remaining fomc time at Tournay, I went to BrufTels.
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MAJOR SEMPLJ; LISLE.
5
fRBB^
'jr.by
BKtttd f l(UK!|
CHAP. II.
<^oes to Brujfeh, — Interview with Mr. Fitzherbert., now Lord St. Helens. — Leaves BruJJ'els^ and ac- companies the army of Frederic the Great, and the Emprefs ^een of Hungary to the field. — Returns through Holland to England. — Marries^ — Goes to France ; and from thence y at the injiance of the Duchefs of Kingjlon, to Rujfia. — Advent- ture at Riga in Livonia. — His arreft there. — 4^oes to St. Peterfbnrg, and is introduced to Prince Potemkin and the Emprefs. — Curious particulars of the Puchefs of K.'s family.
J\t BruiTels, in the beginning of 177 S, I met
with General Loekhart and the Earl of F r,
by whom I was prefented to Mr. Fitzherbert, now Lord St. Helens, then Refident at that court. I remained in Brabant till Frederic the Great marched againft Maria Terefa, the Em- prefs Queen : I followed thefe armies during that little war, which as the Germans them- felves call the " Ka'rtoffel Kreigy* or Potatoe PFar, I pafs over as of no importance to my readers. I held no coniiderable lituation at that time; but I gained fome experience by obferving the manoeuvres of the King of Pruffia and the cele- brated Laudhon.
B 3 la
:\?.
4' THELIFEOr
Had Ihe not mentioned uncandidly a tranfac- tion which I cannot think upon without regret, I fhould have wilhed it to have been buried in eternal filence; I mean where Mr. K. and myfelf are reported by her to have ufed unfair conduc!!: to a young Irifhman in a duel. The young gentleman, who was about my own age, undoubtedly fell; but nothing unfair took place : the whole bufinefs palTed in the prefence of Mr. D., a refped:able inhabitant of London, who is yet alive; and him I exped and entreat to expofe me as a villain if there was any foul play on my fide, Befides, if there needs a flronger proof of my condudl, I myfelf carried the, unfortunate man to his lodgings, where, at his own requefl-, I remained with him feveral hours, till prudence obliged me to provide for my own fafety from the effedls of the law, by leaving Lille, and retiring to Tournay. The procefs w^as carried on in Mr. K.'s abfence and mine ; and we were, as Mrs. G. juftly relates, hung in effigy, the form of declaring outlawry there ; a ceremony which I was rafh enough to come into Lifle to fee; a ralhnefs which had nearly cofl me dear, for I was difcovered, and had much difficulty to effeduate my retreat to the Imperial territory : and after remaining fomc time at Tournay, I went to BrulTels.
CHAP.
MAJOR SEMPL£ LISLE,
CHAP. II.
<loes to Brujfels. — Interview with Mr. Fitzherbert^ now Lord St. Helens. — Leaves Brujfels, and ac- companies the army of Frederic the Greats and the Emprefs ^een of Hungary to ihe field. — Returns through Holland to England. — Marries* -^Goes to France ; andfrojn thence ^ at ihe injiance of the Duchefs of Kingjiony to Rujfia. — Adven- ture at Riga in Livonia. — His arreft there. — '4^oes to St. Peterfhurgi and is introduced to Prince Potemkin and the Emprefs. — Curious particulars of the Puchefs of K.'s family.
XIlt BruiTels, in the beginning of 1778, I met
with General Loekhai't and the Earl of F r,
by whom I was prefented to Mr. Fitzherbert, now Lord St. Helens, then Refident at that court. I remained in Brabant till Frederic the Great marched againft Maria Terefa, the Em- prefs Queen : I followed thefe armies during that little war, which as the Germans them- felves call the " Ka'rtoffel Kreigy' or Potatoe War, I pafs over as of no importance to my readers. I held no conliderable lituation at that time ; but I gained fome experience by obferving the manoeuvres of the King of Pruffia and the cele- brated Laudhon.
B 3 In
t> THE LIFE OF
In 1779 I returned to England, by the way of Holland ; and pafllng immediately again to the continent, I met at Harwich with an amia- ble and acicomplilhed young lady, of a highly -refpedable family, then with her mother and filter, going to the Hague: with her I formed a connedion of the tenderell nature, which in a fhort time terminated in our marriage, and return to Britain. After fojourning fome months in London, I went with my wife tp France ; where I was prefentcd by her to the Duchefs of Kingfton. I - remained in that country fome time ; when being folicited by the Duchefs to go to Ruflia, I confented to follow her, as I was obliged, by affairs of my own, to take a circuitous route to Pruflia ; from whence I went through Courland to Riga, the frontier town of the Ruflian territory, where I had let- ters of recommendation to all the principal merchants.
At Riga, according to my ufual bufy fate, I met with an adventure worth relating, as it, perhaps, fcrved as the foundation of my future fortune in tjiar country. A perfon of the name of Sauvage^ a Hanoverian, and who had been employed by the Britifh government, during the adminiftration of Lord North, to recruit in Germany, was then in that city ; where he paffed for a Major of the Britifh army, and
wore
m^
\
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE, 7
wore the uniform of the Guards. Owing to fome improprieties of his conduft, which I confidered as incompatible with the charadler of a Britifh foldier, I found myfelf obliged to call upon him for an explanation ; which he was not only unable to give, but behaved with fuch in- folence that I was reduced to appeal to the mi- litary judicature of the fword. His wife, who was in an inner apartment, (for this happened in a large anti-chamber at an inn,) hearing what was going forward, fprung out; and, with all the fury of a tygrefs, entangled me in a no very loving embrace. Swords being already drawn, there was no time to trifle; fo, fome- what roughly difengaging myfelf from the la- dy's arms, I beckoned her hufband into the flreet, and fairly locked her into the room. I was making the bed of my way to the ramparts, when he told me there was a fhorter cut ; on which I followed him till he flopped oppofite a guard, when, without further ceremony, he began to roar out for afliftance. I went home to my inn, where I had not long been when the Deputy-Governor, (who commanded in the abfence of the Governor-General of Li- vonia, Brown,) fent a guard for me, at the in- ftance of the Fort-Major, who was a country- man of Sauvage's. The officer of the guard adled with great politenefs ; and took my word
B -^ thap
Ji THE LIFE OF
that I would attend at the Governor's houfe : I went accordingly, and found the Lieutenants Governor talking with fome officers in the yard. His behaviour to me was rude, which did not produce any excefs of politenefs on rny lide ; he did not take off his hat to me, and I refufe4 to do fo to him J ii> fine, without any examina- tion had, I ^yas put under an arreft.
My recommendations to the Britifh mer- chants had JDeen pf the ftfongeft kind; and they no fooner heard of my adventure, than they offered and became my fecurities until the Gor vernor-General, who was daily expedled, Ihould return. I then fent off an exprefs to the Duchefs of Kingfton, at her feat near Narva in. Livonia; and Sauvage's wife fet off in perfoiif for St. Peterfburgh.
The Lieutenant-Governor, finding me fo re- pedlably fupported, and that I was provided with the neceffary pafTports for entering thp country, made little objedion to leaving me at large in the town until the Governor-General fhould return. Mrs. Sauvage, who in the fcuffle had received fome flight hurt in her face, having procured recommendations from the Fort Major, (who himfe|f began tp be appre- henfive for his own fafety, from the fteps he hac} taken againft me,) laid her complaint before fhe Emprefs, through the Chancellor Count
Ofterman,
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. ^
Ofterman. The Empref^ heard it with atten- tion; and as Mrs. Sauvage had fuiFered by the froft in her journey, by which Ihe had nearly loft one of her ears, fhe had an apartment or- dered for her at an hotel ; and one of the £m- prefTes phyiicians. Dr. Rogerfon, to attend her. In the mean time, General Brown, the Gover- nor-General, arrived, examined into the bulinefs between Sauvage and myfelf, and fent a true ftatement of the fads to the court ; the confe- quence of which was, that Sauvage and his fa- mily were conducfled out of the country, and I received permillion to proceed to St. Peterf,- burgh, which I immediately did ; and the Duchefs of Kingfton's houfe laying in my way, I paid my refped:s en paffant to her Grace.
On reaching the capital of Ruffia, I waited on Sir James Harris, then his Majefty's Envoy at that court, who had been made acquainted with my adventure at Riga; and who was fo pleafed with my condud, that he, without a moment's delay, prefented me to Prince Po- temkin. After fome converfation with that il- luftrious general on my affair, and on general military fubjeds, he afked me if I would fcrve in the Ruffian army, which I confented to do; and was that fame evening appointed Captain. My appointment was extremely rapid, for the Frince having called for his Secretary, fpoke a
few
JO THE LIFE OF
few words to him in Ruflian, which I did not then underftand ; the latter retired, ^nd in a few minutes returned with my commiflion ready made out, which he handed to the Prince, who immediately prefented it to me, acquainting me at the fame time, that he had done me the honour to place me in his fuite, and that he gave mc two months leave of abfence to pre- pare myfclf for the enfuing campaign.
I remained a.few days in town to be prefented to her Majcfly the Emprcfs, and then returned to the Duchefs of Kingfton to acquaint her with my good fortune. I took with me Thomas Mackenzie, Efq. Brigadier of Marines, and Cap- tain of the RuHian navy, an officer who, both as a private gentleman and a foldier, has ever lield the highefl place in the efteem of all that have the happinefs to know him; he had not before been introduced to her Grace.
I was a good deal furprifed, that the Duchefs did not receive the news of my fudden and honourable appointment with all the warmth I cxpecled ; but, as I afterwards found, that ilie wifhcd to retain me about her perfon, the myftery was cleared up. The night of our arrival at the Duchefs's feat was fortunate to Mackenzie ; for as we were enjoying our bottle, a meffenger brought him down a brevet of Rear-Admiral, and the intelligence that he was
appointed
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. II
appointed to command in the Black Sea : he therefore immediately repaired to St. Peterf- burgh, and foon afterwards to his ftation.
I continued with the Duchefs. In her com- pany were a French lady Mad. de Porquet, iifter to Monf. de Cocove, and a French Secre- tary, whofe name I do not recoiled. At my arrival, I found they had all quarrelled, and were not upon fpeaking terms. Mad. de Por- quet was in fad fo much chagrined, fhe kept her room. On which the Duchefs, in all the native violence of her difpofition, locked her />, and adually detained her a prifoner in that Itate for fome days, in fpite of all my remon- ftrances.
The poor French Secretary was fo much , terrified at thefe tyrannical procedings, that he ran away the fame night, without even venturing to take a great coat with him. In an almoft defolate country, in the dead of ■winter, and without the fmallefl: knowledge of the language, he had to travel twenty miles to the Baron Rofen's, who, in that dreary fpot, is called a neighbour. He luckily overtook a peafant with a fledge by the way, to whom, by repeating the name of Rofen^ he fortunately made known his wilhes ; and being placed in the vehicle, and covered with a fheep fl^in, he,
at
12 THELIFEOF
St length, reached the Baron's more dead than alive.
As foon as we arrived, the Baron fent a fer- vant to me with a letter, wherein he ftates that he could not refufc the poor Secretary the rights of hofpitaliryj adding, that he could wilh the Duchefs would abltain from fuch adls of violence; and concluded, by defiring me to endeavour to effect a reconciliation between them. I laid this letter before the Duchefs, who fent me to the Baron's ; but the French- man would not lilien to the propofals I was authorized to make, which were to pay him his wages, but perfifted in his intention of going to Pcterlburgh to intereft the French Minifler in his caufe.
I returned next morning, and prevailed upon the Duchefs to permit Mad. de Porquet to go where fhe would. This lady, who, it feems, had preconcerted m.atters with her lover, the Secretary, went to St. Peterfburgh, and laid her complaint before the Marquis de Verac, the French Minifter there. The Marquis apprifed the Duchefs of the complaint, and I was fent to St. Peterfburgh to negotiate for her with them ; the confequence of which was, that the Duchefs was to pay Madame dc Por- <quet fix hundred ducats in fpecie, on condition
of
MAJOR S E M P L E L 1 i L E. 1^
of immediately returning to France; and I was, at the expence of the Duchefs, to condudl her to Dantzic, whether I was going to meet my own family, to bring them to the houfe which. the Duchefs had given me on her eftate, within a fhort league of that fhe inhabited.
The Duchefs had taken my receipt for the money with which fhe had entrufted me to pay Madame de Porquet on her arrival at Dantzic, charging me to take her receipt there; a feem- ing reconciliation then took place, and Ma- dame de Porquet ftaid a few davs at her Grace's feat to pack up her effeds. In the mean time, the Duchefs ordered her ftevvard Mr. Wilkinfon to prepare one of thofe carriages, which are ufed in Ruffia in time of fnow, and which refembles the body of a coach, only much long- er, to be got ready. Thefe carriages are fur- nifhed with beds; and when Mr. Vv^'ilkinfon informed her Grace that the machine was ready with two beds, fhe fmartly enough replied: — " You have done well, Mr. Wilkinfon, but " your precaution was unneceiTary ; I will an- " fwer for it, one bed will ferve them before ** they reach Dantzic." —
Having obtained, with my commiflion, two months leave of abfence, and permiflion to leave the country, 1 fet forward without any further
application to court.
CHAP,
14 THB LIFE OF
CHAP. III.
The author performs his miffton to Dantzlc, and re^ turning is tnet by a mejfenger to hajien his journey, ''—Arrives at St. Peter/hurg, and is ordered to wait the Emprefs's di/patches, — The Duchefs of Kingfton^s conduSL — Determines to remove his fa- mily to Narva^ on account of the Duchefs*s tyran- nical difpojition. — Leaves the capital, with per- ^ . mijjion to go to the Duchefs*s houfe. — Laws re- fpe^ling travellers in Ruffia, — parrels with the Du chefs. — Removes his family to Narva, and fets out for Cherfon.
1 PAID the money on my arrival at Dantzic to Madame de Porquet, and took her receipt for it, according to the Duchefs's diredions. My family were waiting for me ; I however found it neceflary to remain fome days there ; and I was further fo delayed by the badnefs of the weather and roads, that my two months had fome time expired. In the mean time. Prince Potemkin, finding himfelf obliged from cir^ <;umftances to fet off immediately for the army^ had applied to Sir James Harris to know where I was. In confequence an exprefs was fent off for mCj, (whom I met in Livonia^ about a hun- dred
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. I^
dred miles from the Duchefs's), to acquaint mc with the Prince's orders, and to haften my journey.
The inftant I met the courier I left my fa- mily to come forward as their heavy carriages would permit them ; and proceeded with the utmoft rapidity to the Duchefii's houfe. She exprefled much fatisfaclion at my arrival, and the great anxiety the length of my abfence had ^iven her on account of the Prince's want of me. Without more iofs of time I fet oif for St, Peterlburgh. I immediately went to Sir James Harris, who feemed hurt at my delay, and told me that there were inftrudlions for me at the War Office, but that Potemkin was gone: he preffed my departure to follow the Prince, adding, (for I will ufe his own words,) "You ^* may make your own terms with him ; he ** cannot do without you."
I went immediately to court, and received inftrudiions to wait her~ Majefty's difpatches, with which I was to follow the Prince to Cher- fon, who had taken the circuitous road of Warfaw. Having received thefe direcflions, ^nd not being able to leave St. Peterfburgh without the commands of the Emprefs, I wrote a letter to my wife, to endeavour to foothe the feelings which an amiable, virtuous, and affec- tionate woman mult naturaljy feel at the depar- ture
i^ THE LIF6 OF
ture of the hufband fhe loved, and who doatea upon her: nor was it an eafy talk to frame a letter capable of producing fuch an effed, in a coun- try where fhe knew not a face except the Du- chefs, nor could make her delires known in thd language of the place* I reprefented to her that my ftay at the army would be but fhort ; that my being in the fuite of the Prince would infure me from much danger, even fuppofing there lliould be any war, which I did not ima- gine there would, for that certainly the Crimea would^ be taken pofTefTion of without a fhot being fired: finally, I promifed to fee her pre- vious to my departure, and bring her to Narva, where I had already fent to take a houfe.
The fame courier carried a letter to the Du- chefs, in a fomewhat more military flyle : I dwelt upon the valour of Potemkin, and his turn for entcrprize ; I declared that, not con- tented with following where he would lead, I would endeavour to be foremoft in the field of glory ; for that I was determined to fhew the Ruflians that a Scot was neither their inferior in fupporting fatigue, nor encountering danger.
The Duchefs betrayed the confidence I had repofcd in her; for when my wife fhewed her the letter fhe had received from me, and event which was hardly enough to enable her to fup^ port my departure, her Grace^ with that hypo- critical
ilAJOU SEAIPLE LISLE. i'J
Critical canit (he fo well knew how to aiTume, inveighed againft my falfe reprefentations ; and, by way of completing her cruelty, concluded by fliowing the letter Ihe had received from me.
The efFedt of this frightful eccIairciiTement, upon the fenlibility of a delicate woman, may be ealier conceived than expreifed. She wrote a letter to Sir James Harris, and another to myfelf, in the moft pathetic terms that affec- tion could poffibly fuggeft. She expreffed the moft anxious folicitude, left the impetuofity of my temper fhould hurry me into unneceiTary dangers ; in fine, fhe wrote, to ufe Sir James's own words, *^ as none but an Englijhzvoman could
*^ write,'
It will be readily believed that the Duchefs's behaviour to Mad Porquet had not contributed to raife in my mind any high veneration for her charadter; and the idea of leaving a wife and children, whom I loved with the tendered affedlion, in the power of a woman, who alrea- dy had fported in the moft unfeeling manner with her forrows, became unfupportable. I had in fad dreaded fomething of the kind, and had taken a houfe at Narva, diftant between twenty and thirty miles from the Duchefs's eftate, to ferve as a retreat to my family,- and I now refolved, without lofs of time, to remove
C them
l8 THE LITE OF
them thither. I therefore wrote to my wife to confole her as well as I was able, telling her, that Sir James Harris had acquainted me with fome palTages of her letter, and defiring her to prepare for her departure without giving a hint of it to the Duchefs, till I ihould come down. In the courfe of a couple of days I was fent for to court to receive the difpatches of the Emprefs for Potemkin ; it was then evening : my orders were to leave St. Peterfburg.h that night. A fum of money was paid me by the Secretary of War for the expences of fo long a journey, and a Serjeant of the Guards (who bears the rank of Lieutenant in the army,) and who fpoke the French and German languages, was ordered to attend me. My route to the army lying through Narva, and my difpatches requiring no hafte (as it was expedled I ihould be at Cherfon be- fore the Prince got there,) on taking leave of her Majefty, I folicited permiilion to go off my road to the Duchefs's houfe for twenty-four hours ; this favour was benevolently granted ; and I went to take leave of Sir James Harris, and then to the hotel where my carriage and fervants were, from whence I meant to have fet off immediately. While my equipage was pre- paring, I was prevailed on by fome officers to gamble ; at which we continued till it was an- nounced to mc that all was ready. Unfortu- nately
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. I9
nately, however, 1 had not only loft all the Em- prefs's money, but all my own ; and had no other refource but to fend immediately to Sir James Harris to acquaint him with my embar- raflment ; who immediately, though he was then in bed, difpatched his butler to me with five hundred roubles. Thus reinforced, I inftantly
fet off.
When I reached Narva, I left there my mili- tary equipage, and went in a fmall carriage of the country to the Duchcfs's feat. I found my wife and family already in the houfe her Grace had given us. I then began to explain the mo- tives of our intended removal ; I told her Grace that, confidering the hazardous fervice I was going upon, and that no military man who was going to the field of acftion could ever fay his return was certain, I thought it necelTary my wife ftiould have fome eftablifliment to call a home J that though Ihe could as often and as long as fhc chofe take up her abode with her Grace, ftill, fhould any thing happen to me, Narva would always, particularly in the event of the Duchefs leaving Ruflia, prove a retreat where Ihe would find friends of her own na- tion ; whereas, in her prefent fituation, llie was an entire Itranger to every one, nor had xnore than one fervant who underftood the language ©f the country. To this the Duchefs replied,
C 2 firft
20 THE LIFE OF
firft with a flood of tears, and a complaint that I was depriving her of her only companion ; and then (finding me unmoved) with a torrent ot abufc that would have done credit to Billings- gate, concluded with faying, we might both go to the d — 1.
It is necelTary to inform my readers that, by the laws of Ruffia, no perfon can travel from the capital without a paffport defcribing his route, which he is not at liberty to alter ; in the country, travellers muft have a pafs from the perfon whofe eflatc they may have been upon, before they quit it, or no poft-maftcr dare lur- nilli them with horfcs. On my application at the poft-houfe, which was not above half a mile from the Duchefs's, I was not only told that they durfl not fupply me with horfes, but that they had her Grace's exprefs prohibition to that ef- fect. I anfwered the poft-mafter, that .1 fliould remove that difficulty by taking his or her horfes by force. . I inftantly removed my family to the poft-houfe. I juft then recolle(5ted that I had given the receipt I had obtained from Madame de Porquet at Dantzic to the Duchefs, without her Grace having returned me that which llie required of me, when flie entrufled the money to mv charge. I begun to be apprehenfive of her making a bad ufe of it ; I therefore wrote a note to Mr. Vvilkinfon her fteward, requeu- ing:
MAJOR SEMPLE LIS IE. 21
ing my receipt. The Uuchefs lliuffled with ex- "cufcs, that file could not come at it ; that fhe would give it to my wife, and fuch like eva- fions ; and inftantly jumping into her carriage* drove into the woods, to prevent further appli- cations on my part. I fent one of her own fer- vants after her Grace to tell her, that unlcfs I had my own receipt, or a difcharge from her in one hour from that time, that I would force my ■way into her houfe, and carry off her cajjctte^ which I would lay at the Prince's feet, and in- treat him to judge between us. In a few mi- nutes, Mr. Wilkinfon brought me the receipt I demanded, and I fet out for Narva, where I refled fcarcely one moment before I proceeded for Cherfon to join the Prince.
C 3 CHAP.
22 THELIFEOF
CHAP. IV.
The author arrives at Cher/on^ and delivers his dif- patchcs to Prince Potemkin. — An exprefs arrives from the Duchefs of Kingfion complaining of him to the Prince ^ which is received and anfizered in a lery mortifying manner. — Some ace omit of Cherfon. —The Corfes Expulfes, a corps of them given to the author to organize. — Jfonijhing atchievement of the Emprefs in building fhips. — Mode of launch- ing and na'ui gating them down the river Nieper. — Admiral Mackenzie and Captain Taite, — Mili- tary arrangements. — Mutiny among the Corfes Expulfes.
In fpite of my delays, and the heavinefs of my equipage, having with me all my baggage for the field, I reached Cherfon in twelve days from the time of my leaving St. Peterfburgh. I there found the Prince, who had not arrived many hours before me. I delivered to him the packet I had received from the Minifter of War Count Moufchkin Poufchkin, and the letter from her Majefty, the contents of which was not lefs plcafmg to myfelf than the Prince, as the Emprefs fpeaking of me, concluded by fay- ing, " May you in battle always have a mari
*' like
^ MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 2^
^' like him by your lidc, and a friend like me ** wherever you go."
Next day an cxprcfs arrived from the Duchefs for the Prince, \\'ith heavy complaints of my condud: to her, my delays upon the road, and a long firing of ^c.'s. This furnilhed matter of amufement to the Prince, v\ ho could not en- dure her ; for (he, partly through her ignorance of the Kmprefs's permifiion for me to go out of my route, and partly through malice, had (o caricatured the flory, that it became the fubjedl of laughter to all who heard it. To add to her mortification, he made me not only read it to him, but anfwer it forthwith ; which I did in French to the following effe(^l:, fometime in the month of July 1783: "' Madam, I had the ho- ** nour to receive your difpatch from his High- ** nefs ; I had aifo the honour to read it to him; " and am, by his Highnefs's commands, *' Madam, &c. &c. &c." Cherfon is a town which the Emprefs built on the river Nieper feveral leagues abave its mouth, with the view of^ forming a new colony there ; for this purpofe fne ilfued, by her Mini- ftfer at Leghorn, a proclamation to the exiled Corficans, by the title of Les Cor/es Expul/ts i under which name perfons of ^U nations afTem- bled at her rendezvous, and were tranfported by the way of the Dardenellcs and Black Sea to
C ^ Cher foil.
24 THE LIFE OF ^
Cherfon. Of the real Corficans, about 250, who were all military, flie formed a corps, dif- tinguiflied by the appellation of Royal Corii- cans, which I was directed to organize. Here it was the Emprefs put in pradtice the exalted fcheme of building fliips of war for the expedi- tion on the Black Sea. They were conftru(5l"ed upon a river fcarcely navigable for a fmall floop, the wood and iron for their conftrudion brought from a diftance of 700 miles up the country, fome of it much farther, and every gun came not r^iLich Icfs than 1000 miles by land. The mode of launching and navigating thefe veiTeis down to the fca was curious ; the Nieper, as before ob- ferved, being extrepnely fhallow, and not very broad, a fort of pool vvas firft formed in the bed of the river oppolite to the dock, then two large lafts, which were f:allcd Camels, were placed fo as to receive the veffel as flie Aid from the ■flocks, from which ilie was eafed down without much rapidity; being feated between the ca- mels, as in a cradle, fhe was thus floated down the river paft the Turkifh fortrefs of Ofchacow, and into the Black Sea. Had not I been an eye-witnefs to this ftupendous work, I Ihould hardly have ventured to have related it ; it was truly worthy the comprehenlivc mind of fuch a fovereign ; it completely formed a maritime {carrier againfl her troublefome neighbours the ^^ Turics,
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. Sg
Turks, and opened a channel for trade from her territories to the Mediterranean.
Admiral Mackenzie, whofe name may trnly be faid to have graced an early part of this nar- rative, had gone round to the harbour of A6li- are, now called Seballapole ; he had there, with the rapidity which diflinguiflied all his move- ments, begun to build a houfe for himfelf, ma- rine barracks, hofpitaP, ftore-houfes, eredl bat- teries, and put the harbour in a refpe(5lable ftatc pf defence.
A vice-admiral remained at Cherfon with fe- veral captains, among whom was Captain, now Admiral Taite, who, at the time I am writing this, is lying with a Ruflian fleet, which he com- mands, at Yarmouth, a moft amiable man and intelligent officer ; for whom, in common with ail who knew him, I entertained the higheft ef- teem ; an efteem which I exhibited in my ufual imprudent manner, by vifiting him at a time when we were directed not to go near his houfe, becaufe he was fick (fuppofed to be of the plague, which had broke out among us) a pre- caution ufed to prevent the fpreading of the infection : but, independent of his focial quali- ties, he had another flrong claim on me, he is a Scot. For this vifit I was feverely reprimanded by the General of the day, SolticofF, and dared pot to approach the Prince for feveral days.
T4ic
26 THE LIFE Of
The now well-known Field-Marfhall Suwar- row, and Ramfay Count of Balmain, were al- ready in the Crimea, whither Potemkin follow- ed, leaving me behind to organize the corps of Royal Corficans, and then to join him. The Prince of Wirtemberg, whofe fifter was mar- ried to the Grand Duke of Ruflia, arrived at Cherfon about this time; he M'as then Lieute- nant-General, and was left there by Potemkin to command the referve.
My Corficans, though brave fine fellows, were, as is^ their charadler, quite undifciplined ; and, as they were the objects of curiofity to the whole army, our manoeuvres were interrupted by the numbers thus drawn together ; I there- fore retired with them from the ground where the Rudians lay to a little fpot on the other fide of the town, between that and the Bifhop's pa» Jace, where I daily trained them.
To fhew the turbulent difpofition of the Cor- ficans, I fhall give the following inflance ; I bad given them permifTion to fell fome old flores and copper kettles which they had brought with them in the fhips, and for which we had no ufe. About the produce of thefe articles they difagreed. One evening, while I was at the Ruffian camp, on a vilit to the Command- ing General, a letter was delivered to me from the officer I had left on command, which I in^
•f inflantl)^
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. t^J
(lantly read. By this I was informed that my camp was in confufion, and that the men were firing upon each other. Without faying one word to the general, I inftantly rofe from tabic, and having previoufly requefleda colonel of in- fantry, whofe regiment Jay nearefl: me, to fend a detachment of his men before day-light to furround my camp, I galloped home as faft as I was able. The night was dark ; and I had a valt open common to pafs : however, I reached my camp, being partly guided by the fiaflies and reports of the mulkets. On my arrival I inftantly began to fire among them with my piftols ; and, as my voice was perfedlly known,, all was prefently quiet, and each in his tent. I gave orders to be called at day-break; when afking the officer of the guard if he faw any thing near the camp, he told me there were fome fmall bodies of infantry on three fides, the fourth being covered by the river ; on which I ordered the drums to beat to arms. As foon as my men were on the parade, they were difarmed, and the caufe of the quarrel en- quired into ; when the kettles, &c. appearing to be ALL they had fought about, the leaders were feverely and infiantJy punillied : thus tranquillity was refiored.
CHAP.
2^ THE LIFE OF
CHAP. V.
Improvements in the Rujfian army by the author. — Remarks on military uniforms. — RuJJian peafants, — Remarks on the proper ufe of the bayonet in exercije. — A refutation of an anonymous libeller, — 'The author having compleated the organization of the Corfican^y fets off to the army in the Cri- mea.— His fiat tering reception. — Character of the commanders^ Potemkin and Suwarrow. — Rujfian foldierSy their chara&er and hardinefs.
UuRiNG my firft converfations with Potemkin at Peterfburgh, he had afked my opinion of the Ruffian army; and I frankly told him that im- provements might be made_, in both their drefs and manoeuvres.
The Ruffian uniform confifled of a green coat, lined and faced with red, very tight, and fo long that it incommoded the wearer, by beating on the calves of his legs ; the breeches, which were alfo tight, did but barely cover the knee-joint; and as the Ruffian foldiers, both cavalry and infantry wear boots, though of a different form, a vacancy between the knee- welt of the breeches and the boots became una- voidable; the hat was very fmall, and unfit for
» a
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 2^
A covering in a cold country ; on which account the foldiers added a piece of flannel on each lide to cover the ears, and guard againft the fe- verity of the weather. This cloathing being ve- ry inconvenient, to fhevv the Prince my ideas on the fubjetfl, I had drefTes made for myfelf and a private, of the uniform which is ftill re- tained, without any material alteration; and which was allowed to be at once elegant, con- venient, and well adapted to the feverities of the climate. I muft here remark, that elegance fhould always, in fome degree, be confulted in the formation of a military uniform ; for if we wifh the foldier to keep up that nicety of ap- pearance which is fo becoming in military men, we mufl make him proud of his own figure. In Ruflia this was more than any where neceffa- ry, for the peafantry, (who fupply the recruits for the army), are the moft flovenly of mortals ; their outlide drefs being made of fheep-fkin, which they wear with the woolly lide inwards, unlefs here and there, in the vicinity of noble- men's feats, fome have them of coarfe cloth : yet fuch is the effedl of making men pleafed with themfelves, that at prefent the Ruffian ar- my may vie with any in the world, for appear- ance and fubordination. The Prince, thinking to improve upon me, put in orders, (without my knowledge) that the hair of the foldiers Ihould
be
36' THE LIFE or
be cropped, and that the bayonet Ihould only be fixed when they were about to charge the enemy. As I was the acknowledged author of the alteration in the uniform, thefe novelties were likewife attributed to me, and I was hearti- ly abufed for all. The cropping of foldiers* hair, (unlefs occafionally for a partifan's corps) I always difapproved, as by giving an opening to negligence, it ferves to introduce flovenli- nefs ; and whoever will reflect for a fingle mo- ment on the different poife of a mufket with and without the bayonet fixed, as well as on the abfolutc neceflity of learning to load and fire with fixed bayonets, will, I truft, fuppofe me incapable of proceeding on fo erroneous a principle ; and will, with me, think that the mufquet and bayonet fhould be infeparable. Accordingly, in a few days, the crops were fupplied with falfe tails ; but I had fome diffi- culty to prevail upon the Prince to reinftate the bayonet in its proper place.
I did not, till this moment, know what the author of the Life of the Emprefs Catherine II. (publiflicd by Longman of Pater-nofter Row, and Dcbrett of Piccadilly) has thought proper to fay of me (vol. iii. p. 20. 2d edit.) refpecfling my fituation with Prince Potemkin and the Du- chefs of Kingfton :
*' By h^'s advice the Prince introduced feveral
** new
tt <c
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 3I
** new regulations into the army, both in regard " to drefs and manceuvres ; and had it not been ** for fome manoeuvres of another nature, fu.ch as writing to the Duchefs of Kingfton, that he would come by night with fome foldiers, and break into her houfe, unlcfs Ihe fent him a " certain fum of money, &c. there is not a " doubt but he would foon have been raifed to ** the rank of a general officer, or appointed *' conful at whatever place he chofe." — He goes on to fay, that, " After his difmiflion from " the confidence of Prince Potemkin, on his way to England, Major Semple laid the mer- chants of Peterlburgh, Narva, Riga, &c- un^ der contribution by a variety of impoftures.** It is the eternal fate of falfhood to contradi<5l itfelf : and though I have given in the preced- ing pages an account of my affair with the Du- chefs of Kingflon, which I challenge earth or hell to contradid, (till, as this worthlefs fcrib- bler, who would tremble at my very fhadow, may gain credit with fome, I will, in one mo- ment, point out his abfurdities. Had I dared to have threatened the Duchefs of Kingfton, as he has afierted, a well-founded complaint (to which my own letter muft have given an irre- liftible weight,) would have procured me a ba- nifhment for life to Siberia ; befides, this quar- rel happened before I joined the Prince at Chcr-
fon ;
c< «
^2 THE LIFE OF
fon : and was it, I will afk, probable, that he woulcj have received me into his favour, intruded me ■with the organizing of a new corps, and after- wards treated me as will appear hereafter, had I been flained with robbery ? As to my frauds on the merchants, while I was in favour^ they might have been pofTible ; but, for a man difgra-^ eedy they would have been an utter impofTibility. Belides, I (did not pafs through, or near Riga ; for I went from Petersburgh to Narva, where I embarked, and went down the Eaft Sea to Co- penhagen.
Such peRilent libellers are unfit to be fufferecl in the world. Such have been my ruin ; and the author of the above, who, I am informed, is a prieft, certainly affords a Ihocking proof of that depravity which perhaps may, if ever I live to meet him, render his gown but an infecure protecflion. If he has any honour, let him contradid. his unfounded affertlons: but why ihouid I afk him ? Had he any honour, he would not have wrote it. One good, however, refults from his fcurrility : I am enabled by thefe anecdotes of myfelf, to judge of the au- thenticity of thofe parts of his hiftory which I have not yet had time to look at.
Having trained and difciplined my Corficans, I proceeded to the army, and joined the Prince >n the heights above the town of Karafu-bafar.
in
Major semple lisle, ^3
in the Crimea; where my pride was not a little flattered by feeing the uniform of which I had given the model worn by an immenfe army, and my manoeuvres adopted and applauded. I was then about twenty-five, and with my natural vanity^ this diftindion almoft turned my brain, as it perhaps might have done to men much older and wifer then myfelf ; and if I had no very great fhare of prudence in pecu- niary matters before, this made me quite re- gardlefs of them.
I was now at the Prince's right-hand day and night ; he loaded me with honours, and I left nothing in the line of duty undone to deferve them. Potemkin was juftly placed among the firfl charadlers of this or any other age; brave, open, rough, and impetuous, he was firfl in every exploit of danger ; fudden in his manoeu- vres, his plans were conceived and executed with unparalleled rapidity ; in the field he knew no charadler but a foldier, nor could age or rank plead with him any excufe for relaxation from the rules of duty.
Suwarrow was with us, already ading a diftinguifhed part. Bold and impetuous as his commander, he was indefatigable in duty, and feemed to afpire, by copying fo great a mafler, at that rivallhip of glory to which he has now arrived.
D The
fy
3: ¥
W 1^. 'B<
m f
\
« ?<i
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I
my «?rs»' mca
I hadao
n'.i.'V
I wsavi^ nighr ^ ^ Doch
tbciL *uu
S5
[n\y to ferve habitation o guard my love with a wooden , which in- me no fmall [Was, I con- luxury. I week after^ , I faw a ber. En- informed, » placed on r. Upon away his no:: fit for p upon it. fubflituted d a hard (ling, uflian fol- add, that er qualifi- wn among ature and while they of living, the paths pf
34 THE LIFE OF
The Ruffian foldiers fcem fitted by nature for war; their hardinefs is unparalleled, as eafily may be imagined from the manner in which they live. Their magazines are not as with other armies, depofited with even a finical care; their proviiion, which is rye meal, is piled up like pyramids in bags in the open air, where, by alternate expofure to rain and fcorching fun, I have feen it fo baked toge- ther that it was obliged to be hewed out wi^th axes. The raw meal is ferved out to the com- panies ; and where they have no wood, (as was the cafe with us while in the environs of Cher- fon where no Vvood grows, (and the chips of the dock-yard hardly fupplied the hofpital and General Officers,) they colled: weeds and the dung of the cattle, with which they heat it as well as they are able, and eat it half raw. They are not lefs hardy in their tents than in their eating ; ll:raw or blankets are never thought of by a Ruffian foldier : his cloak ferves him at once for bed and for covering i and wrapped up in this, he lies down con- tented on the bare cold ground. As an inftance of their contempt for thefe luxuries ^ I had en- trufted a foldier with the care of a conliderablc number of valuable articles, at a time when I was at a diftance from the Prince. I had got a trench dug in the earth to ferve as my cellar ;
and
ilAJOk SEMPLE LISLE. £5
atid ovet It a tent was erected, 'J)artly to ferve as a ftorehoufe, and partly as an habitation for the faithful veteran who was to guard my Itores. Willing to make him in love with his duty, I had got raifed for him a wooden bench, with a mattrafs to fleep on, which in- deed, though a moft vile one, coft me no fmall trouble to procure; but bad as it was, I con- cluded that he would efteem it a luxury. I was however miftaken ; for about a week after, going to look at my waggons, &c. I faw a mattrafs laying like a piece of lumber. En- quiring how it came there, I was informed, that it belonged to the foldier I had placed oi\ my cellar, whom I inftantly fent for. Upon afking him how he came to throw away his mattrafs, he cooly faid, that it was no: fit for a foldier, and that he could not fleep upon it. I then went to fee what he had fubftituted for this defpifed couch, and found a hard common ftraw mat of his own twilling.
Such is the real charader of a Ruffian fol- dier, and to the portrait I can only add, that their fidelity is equal to their other qualifi- cations, for defertions are hardly known among them; they are in fhorc formed by nature and education for the trade of war : for while they acquire hardinefs by their ufual mode of living, their minds are not eftranged frorn the paths
D 2 pf
3^ THELIFEOS"
of obedience by thofe fmatterings of knowledge* which only ferve to lead to infubordination and mutiny.
CHAP. VI
Mr. Fitzherherty nozv Lord St. HelenSy arrives at St. Peterjhurgh. — 'The author fent from Karazu^ bazar to Affiare^ where he again meets Admiral Mackenzie. — Vifits a curious old building there. — Mackenzie and he receive prcfentsfromfome of the Tartar Chiefs. — Returns to head-quart ers,
^ and has a narrow efcape. — Potemkin retires to Krementchuck on account of his health. — The ar- rival of a Circajftan Prince there as hoftage, — Plain where the battle of Pultowa was fought. — Splendour of the Viceroy of Mofcow. — Anec- dotes of PotemkiUy the Emprefs Catharine, and other remarkable perfons. — The author prepares in leave Ruffia ; quits the Ruffian fervice, and fails for Copenhagen,
As it is my intention hereafter to publiih a hiftory of my campaigns, I Ihall hear fay very little on that fubjedl. Some time in Auguft 1783, we learnt at the army that Mr. Fitzherbert, (now Lord St, Helens,) had
arrived
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 37
lirrived at St. Peterfburgh to replace Sir James Harris. The Prince was moft particularly cu- rious to know his character, and I had many converfations with him on the fubjed: ; for Sir James had been among the moft peculiar friends ;ind intimates of Potemkin. No ceremony, no drefs, no etiquette was obferved, however much the Prince might be engaged. Sir James in his pelice and cap always found immediate accefs, even though other foreign minifters had been fome time in the anti-chamber, and per- haps after all could not obtain an audience.
From Karazu-bazar, I was fent on military bufinefs to A6tiare, where I met my old friend Admiral Mackenzie, with his little fleet. His fortifications and other works were in great forwardnefs, and every thing bore the afpedl of improvement. We went to vifit an antient building, called, I think, the antient Cherfo- nefe, which is near Acfliare, and lays in a cove almoft inacceflible. We in vain endeavoured to reach it by fea, the rocks were fo perpendi- cular that they defied our attempts, and with much difficulty we fcrambled over the top of them from the land lide. The building, if it can be fo called, is compleat, and is almoft in- tirely cut out of the rock ; but it is uninhabited, except by one man ; and whether he lives there Crorn motives of religion, or of concealment, I
D 3 cannot
3^ THE LIFE OF
cannot fay. The few remaining natives however fliewed him much refped., and fupplied him with all necefTaries; and Admiral Mackenzie gave ftrid orders that he fhould nop be mo- lef^ed.
While I was at Adiare, Mackenzie and my- felf received the compliments offome of the Tartar Chiefs of that country, together with a prefent of each a horfe. Mine wa» very richly caparifoned indeed, but his was almoft covered with filver. The faddle was of purple clothj, all iliidded over with filvcf nails, and from each fide depended a huge ftirrup of the fame metal, made, as is the fafliion of the country, the fize and fhape of the fole of the foot ; nor were the crupper and bridle left without their due fhare of ornaments, which at every flep made almoft as much noife as the fore-horfe of an Engliih waggoner's team. Mackenzie eyed the gavvdy beafb with much pleafure, and in the prefence of the whole company jogged my elbow, and, polling a ftirrup in his hand, fiid, *• Take you the horfe, 1 will have the " ftirrups, by G — d ; each of them will make " a pair of candlefticks:" had he faid two pair, I do not think his calculation would ha.ve been extravagant.
I had been taken ill at A(5liare with a fort of ague, which prevailed in the army, and on
my
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLEC gg
my return to Karazu-bafar, my diforder was very much increafed ; however, as I found the Prince juft changing his pofition, great part of the army, and moft of my own baggage al- ready gone, I determined not to be left behind. Being too ill to mount my horfe, I got a bed put into one of thofe carriages which are com- monly ufcd there, and ordered horfes. I could get none but thofe of the irregular Coflacs, which were totally wild, and had hardly ever feen, much lefs drawn, a carriage before. My harnefs was of rope, fuch as I could pick up, and I was to be driven by a fellow^ equally unufed to his bufmefs. My curious equipage had nearly made me violate a general order, by which we were forbidden to enter any houfe or town on account of the plague; for being laid in my bed with my valer, (an honcfl faithful Wirtemburgher, whom I had from the prince of that name, then along with us,) our cattle fet off at a moft furious rate. For fome time they galloped along the ' precipice that almoft overhangs the town of Karazu-bazar, till at length the carriage over- turned, and we all tumbled down the fteep ; and had we gone a little further, fhould have fairly tumbled into the town. Of three horfes M-hich drew the carriage, two were killed on the fpot, and my poor valet de chambre broke his arm ; I efcaped by being fairly turned out
•D 4 with
40 THELIFEOF
with my bed into a bufh ; my Ruflian driver, who had received no hurt, comforted me, as he would have done, had we all broken our necks, with Nebos ! Nebos ! 'tis nothing ! 'tis nothing ! The Coflacs galloped on without taking the leaft notice, and fuppofing we muft be all infallibly killed, cooly informed the officers at head- quarters, that the Englifli Adjutant with his Kebeetky had fallen down the precipice. This news reached the Prince's cars, and an officer with one of his Highnefs carriages was fent to my affiftance. I met the officer upon the road ; for, refolved to fliew the Ruffians that I was as indifferent to accidents as themfelves, I lay quietly in the bufli till a new carriage could be procured, and then remounting with my unfortunate valet, I refumed my journey with all l\\Qfangfroid I could mufter.
In the end of the winter of 1783 the Prince, whofe fatigues had much exhaufted him, retired from the Crimea to Krementchuck, to recruit his flrength. In the mean time. Prince Alex. Potemkin, who had been fent againft the Circaf- fians, forced them to conclude a^peace. They had, together with other petty flates, been waging a pilfering war againfl Ruffia ; but were now compelled to fend the young Prince, fon to the reigning Prince, to Potemkin as a hoft- «^gc. He was accordingly put under the care
of
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 41
of an officer of dragoons, and condu6ted to- wards Krementchuck, near which place I was appointed to receive him. On meeting him, then a boy, feven or eight years old, I informed him, through the medium of the interpreter, that the Prince-General, though much indif- pofed, and even confined to bed, meant to fee him on his arrival ; adding fuch other blandifh- ments as were likely to foothe his mind. As we approached his Highnefs's quarters, which I pointed out to him, this young Circaflian feemed quite diftreffed at the noife of the bell, worn by the fbaft-horfe of his carriage; and which is the diftinguifhing mark of an officer and the Imperial poft. The amiable boy had no fervant near him, and was too mild to afk fuch a thing of me; he therefore requefted, by the interpreter, that I would allow him to alight and rake off the bell, leaft it might dif- turb the Prince who was fick. Immediately on my arrival I related this puerile anecdote to the Commander, who inltantly received the young Tartar into his favour; and continued to fliew him every mark of regard and attention. ^
We remained at Krementchuck fome time in cantonments ; when the affairs of the Crimea being fettled, Potemkin returned to the capital. As I wilhed to vilit fome parts of the country,
he
42 THE LIFE ©F
he gave me leave to proceed as I pleafed. Iri my progrefs I again pafTed through Pultowa ; and being more at leifure than when I came to the armv, I vifitcd with increafed intereft and attention the plain where the famous battle was fought between the Czar Peter the Great and Charles of Sweden. The mound ftill remains that was built with the bodies of the flain. On being dug into, it exhibits an awful melange of fkcletons of men and horfes, with the iron heels of boots, rufty fpurs, and broken weapons.
Here it was that Charles XII. difmounted to charge a body of Ruffians, at the head of his own regiment of infantry. His orders were not to fire till he fhould command them; how- ever, on approaching the enemy, they fired : but, though fuccefsful, the Swcdifh hero was fo mortified at their difobedience, that he mounted his horfe, and rode away without fpeaking one word.
On my arrival at Mofcow, I paid niy refpedts to Count Chernecheff, the Viceroy, who lived in a flyle of incredible magnificence. I had the honour of dining with him the day after my arrival. About a hundred guefts fat down to table, behind each of whom flood one of the Count's own fervants, in very fpleiidid liveries ; he himfeU' was furrounded by a hoft of upper
fervants.
MAjaR SEMPLE LISLE. 43
fervants, drelTed in the mofl fuperb manner : indeed, befide a body guard, he kept no lefs fhan three hundred domeftics.
At Mofcow I met feveral cart-loads of Eng- lifli midfhipmen; who being thrown out of employ by the conclufion of the American war, had entered into the Rullian fervice. They were ynder the care of a ferjeant and two ma- rines, and were going to join Admiral Macken- zie on the Black Sea.
After having fpent a few days at Mofcow, I continued my route to St. Peterlburghj and, having taken up my family at Narva, I reached the capital about the beginning of the fum- mer 1784.
As it may probably intereft my readers to learn a few authentic particulars of the great Potem.kin, I fhall here prefent them with fome which are not known to the common herd of fcribbling travellers, but my fituation in his fuite enabled me to colled:.
His levee commenced about eight in the morning; at which time a little fliabby anti- chamber, and a billiard room adjoining, were crowded with general-officers. Thefe apart- ments, with a bed-room, were all he ufually inhabited, though he had feveral magnificent ones in the fame houfe : the way to thofe he occupied led through a fuite of large rooms.
The
>J4 '^"^ LIFE OF
The firfi enquiry^rnade by thofe who appeared m the anti-chamber was, " In what humour is the Prince?" I fit was known he was out of temper, it was not unufual for many of the vilitors to de- part immediately, well knowing that no good was to be done that day. Prince Serge Galitzin, •who married one of the Prince's nieces, had the greateft influence; for his great livelinefs, added to the high favour in which he flood, and which enabled him, like Sir James Harris, to make a viiit anv hour without ceremonv, feldom failed to cure the g^Ioom of Potemkin.
Nor was the drcfs of this renowned comman- der on thefe occafions lefs extraordinary than his apartments. It conlilied of a loofe roi^e de cbambrcy which in winter he wore of velvet, and in fummer of filk or chintz, flowing round him; his neck and breaft were bare; and his lilk {lockings hung about his heels. No High- lander had a more cordial hatred to a pair of breeches ; thefe he never wore but when he drelT- cd. His hair flowed about his head in a mod dif- orderly ftate ; and in this naked flovenly trim he would fit down to table with all the princes or general ofiiccrs of Ruffia,
His behaviour at table was as far remiOved from the common road of life as his drefs ; Ibmetimes he would lit fullenly without faying d. word ; and this was not without its due effed:
OH
MAJOR SEWPLE LISLS. 4^
on the countenance and appetites of hh guefls : at others he was all gaiety, and kept the table in a roar, fo that nobody could eat for laugh- ing ; and I have feen him more than once, after eating a few morfels, fuddenly ftart up, as if fome important idea had flruck him, and go into his bed-room. This was the fignal for riling from table, for no one would fit when he he was up; and the guefls were expefted to fol- low the Prince to take coffee : very often, in- deed, when he retired with a louring afpecl, many of his vifitors had not courage to follow, but took coffee in the anti-chamber ; his fa- vourites, however, never failed to ftick clofe to him.
He was paffionately fond of mimicry, and was himfelf a tolerable mimic. He adluallj raifed a genius of this kind from Lieutenant to Lieutenant-Colonel for no other merit. This man was conftantly kept attcndir^g in the anri- chambers; and was occafionally called upon to divert his patron by takhig off^ as the phrafe is, all his acquaintance. I alone efcaped ; for ha- ving plainly told the filly buffoon, that if he prcfumed to take any liberties with me, I would chaftife him, he prudently abftained, even though the Prince, (who had heard of my me- naces, and wifhed to get him into a fcrape,) often delired him.
He
THE LIFE OP
of mc than I have of it, I might here produce a long roll of honourable and virtuous anceflry: fuffice it to fay, that my defcent is too well known to every family of diflinftion of my country to render it neceflary to refute the ca- lumnies of anonymous libellers.
My education was what Jome of my biogra- phers have condefcended to allow, of the gen- teeleft fort ; and my friends gave me that en- couragement which is naturally given to lads of parts, an encouragement that too often leads into unconquerable habits of expence and difli- pation; and a too liberal fupply from my opu- lent* connexions made me equally carelefs and extravagant. With the advantage of at leaft a tolerable figure, great adivity, and a perfedl knowledge of all the polite manly exercifes, I very early was initiated into the gay world. My Ikill in arms introduced me to the moft celebrated pfiofeirors of that art; as a horfeman, I likewife received the higheft praifes ; and na- turally gay, fiery, and haughty, my vanity was profportionably inflated, till it laid the founda- tion of iny^ fubfequent misfortunes and dif- grace. ^ ^ '
It would be mere impertinence to take up the time of my readers with details of juvenile amufcments and juvenile amours : and it would be downright cruelty to expofe names yet un- polluted
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 3
polluted by the peftilent breath of flander-; I Ihall therefore confine myfelf to obfeirving, that my military debut was made in 4^erica, in the year 1775, J^t the age of fixteeii.
My adventures there were not much varied beyond thofe of my brethen of the fame rank. ^. 1 was, however, taken prifoner in 1776; but * Was relieved early in 1777, by* Lord Percy, whofe retirement front the army hiscountry may juft- ly regret, and Sir Peter Parker, then" com- manding at Rhode I Hand, I was foon after w^ounded • and w^s in confcquence fent home from New York, in th6 Bridget of Liverpool, Captain Gilbody.
I landed in Ireland, and carne from thence ^ to Wales and to Bath j where 1 met with the beautiful, but unfortunate, Mrs. Gooch. J was in the rooms ; but ^ 'Iny wound rendered dancing impoffible^ i party at picquet was pro- pofed, which laid the' foundation of a connec- tion that induced me to retire to Lifle in Flan- ders. My amour with Mrs. Gooch having been ^ related by the lady herfelf, in her Memoirs, though not quite cofreUly^ I leave as it is t never- thelefs, my reader may perhaps fmile with me at her boaft of " then, and not till then, I fell,'* . when they are informed that our joint ages did not amount tQ forty,
B 2 ' Had
4' THE LIFE or
Had fhe not mentioned uncandidly a tranfac- tion which I cannot think upon without regret, I fhould have wifhed it to have been buried in eternal filence; I mean where Mr. K. and myfelf are reported by her to have ufed unfair condu(fl to a young Irilhman in a duel. The young gentleman, who was about my own age, undoubtedly fell; but nothing unfair took place : the whole buiinefs paffed in the prefence of Mr. D., a refpe6lable inhabitant of London, who is yet alive; and him I expedl and entreat to expofe me as a villain if there was any foul play on my fide. Befides, if there needs a llronger proof of my conduit, I myfelf carried the, unfortunate man to his lodgings, where, at his own requefl, I remained with him feveral hours, till prudence obliged me to provide for my own fafety from the effedls of the law, by leaving Lifle, and retiring to Tournay. The procefs was carried on in Mr. K.'s abfence and mine ; and we were, as Mrs. G. jufily relates, hung in c&igy, the form of declaring outlawry there; a ceremony which I was rafh enough to come into Lifle to fee; a raflinefs which had nearly coft me dear, for I was difcovered, and had much difficulty to effeduate my retreat to the Imperial territory ; and after remaining fome time at Tournay, I went to Bruficls.
CHAP.
MAJOR SEMPLi; LISLE,
CHAP. 11.
<ioes to Briijfek. — Interview with Mr. Fitzherbert.y now Lord St. Helens, — Leaves BruJJ'elsy and aC" companies the army of Frederic the Greats and the Emprefs ^een of Hungary to the field. — Returns through Holland to England. — Marries* — Goes to France ; and from thence ^ at the infiance of the Duchefs of Kingjion^ to Rujfia. — Adven- ture at Riga in Livonia. — His arreji there. — 4^oes to St. Peterfburgi and is introduced to Prince Potetnkin and the Emprefs. — Curious particulars of the Puchefs of K.'s family.
-A-T BruiTels, in the beginning of 1778, I met
with General Lockhai't and the Earl of F r,
by whom I was prefented to Mr. Fitzherbert, now Lord St. Helens, then Relident at that court. I remained in Brabant till Frederic the Great marched againft Maria Terefa, the Em- prefs Oueen : I followed thefe armies during that little war, which as the Germans them- felves call the " Ka'rtoffel Kreigy' or Potatoe War, I pafs over as of no importance to my readers. I held no confiderable lituation at that time; but I gained fome experience by obferving the manoeuvres of the King of Pruflia and the cele- brated Laudhon.
B 3 In
6 THE LIFE OF
In 1779 I returned to England, by the way of Holland ; and pafllng immediately again to the continent, I met at Harwich with an an^ia- ble and aCcomplilhed young lady, of a highly -refpe6lable family, then with her mother and lifter, going to the Hague : with her I formed a connexion of the tendereft nature, which in a fhort time terminated in our marriage, and return to Britain. After fojourning fome months in London, I went with my wife tq France j where I was prefentcd by her to the Duchefs of Kingfton. I - remained in that country fome time ; when being folicited by the Duchefs to go to Ruffia, I confented to follow her, as I was obliged, by affairs of my own, to take a circuitous route to Pruflia; from whence I went through Courland to Riga, the frontier town of the Ruffian territory, where I had let- ters of recommendation to all the principal merchants.
At Riga, according to my ufual bufy fate, I met with an adventure worth relating, as it, perhaps, fcrved as the foundation of my future fortune in tjiat country. A perfon of the name of Sauvage^ a Hanoverian, and who had been employed by the Britifti government, during the adminiftration of Lord North, to recruit in Germany, was then in that city ; where he palTed for a Major of the Britifh army, and
wore
t
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE, 7
wore the uniform of the Guards. Owing to fome improprieties of his conduct, which I coniidered as incompatible with the charadter of a Britifh foldier, I found myfclf obliged to call upon him for an explanation ; which he was not only unable to give, but behaved with fuch in- folence that I was reduced to appeal to the mi- litary judicature of the fvvord. His wife, who was in an inner apartment, (for this happened in a large anti-chamber at an inn,) hearing what was going forward, fprung out; and, with all the fury of a tygrefs, entangled me in a no very loving embrace. Swords being already drawn, there was no time to trifle; fo, fome- what roughly difengagingmyfelf from the la- dy's arms, I beckoned her hufband into the flreet, and fairly locked her into the room. I ■was making the beft of my way to the ramparts, when he told me there was a fhorter cut ; on which I followed him till he flopped oppofitc a guard, when, without further ceremony, he began to roar out for afliftance. I went home to my inn, where I had not long been when the Deputy-Governor, (who commanded in the abfence of the Governor-General of Li- vonia, Brown,) fent a guard for me, at the in- ftance of the Fort-Major, who was a country- man of Sauvage's. The officer of the guard adlcd with great poljtenefs; and took my word
B 4 thaf
^ THE LIFE OF
that I would attend at the Governor's houfe : I went accordingly, and found the Lieutenant^ Governor talking with fome officers in the yard. His behaviour to me was rude, which did not produce any excefs of politenefs on jny fide ; he did not take off his hat to me, and I refufe4 to do fo to him J ii) fine, without any examina- tion had, I was put under an arreft.
My recommendations to the Britiih mer- chants had JDeen pf the ftrongeft kindj and they no fooner heard of my adventure, than they offered and became my fecurities until the Go- vernor-General, who was daily expedled, fhould return. I then fent off an exprefs to the Duchefs pf Kingfton, at her feat near Narva in. Livonia; and Sauvage's wife fet off in perfoi) for St. Peterfburgh.
The Lieutenant-Governor, finding me fo re-
pedably fijpported, and that I was provided
with the necelTary palTports for entering thp
country, made little objedion to leaving me at
large in the town until the Governor-General
fhould return. Mrs. Sauvage, who in the
fcuffle had received fome flight hurt in her face,
having procured recommendations frqm the ... •*
Fort Major, (who himfejf began tp be appre- henfive for his own fafety, from the f^eps he ha^ taken againft me,) laid her complaint before fhe Emprefs, through the Chancellor Count
Ofterman,
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. ^
Ofterman. The Empref3 heard it with atten- tion ; and as Mrs. Sauvage had fufFered by the froft in her journey, by which fhe had nearly loft one of her ears, fhe had an apartment or- dered for her at an hotel ; and one of the Em- prefles phylicians. Dr. Rogerfon, to attend her. In the mean time, General Brown, the Gover- nor-General, arrived, examined into the bulinefs between Sauvage and myfelf, and fent a true ftatement of the fads to the court ; the confe- quence of which was, that Sauvage and his fa- mily were condu(5led out of the country, and I received permiflion to proceed to St. Peterf- burgh, which I immediately did ; and the Duchefs of Kingfton's houfe laying in my way, I paid my refpeds en pajfant to her Grace.
On reaching the capital of Ruflia, I waited on Sir James Harris, then his Majefty's Envoy at that court, who had been made acquainted with my adventure at Riga; and who was fo pleafed with my condud, that he, without a moment's delay, prefented me to Prince Po- temkin. After fome converfation with that il- luftrious general on my affair, and on general military fubjeds, he alked me if I would ferve in the Ruffian army, which I confented to do ; and was that fame evening appointed Captain. My appointment was extremely rapid, for the J'rince having called for his Secretary, fpoke a
few
JO THE LIFE OF
few words to him in Ruffian, which I did not then underftand ; the latter retired, ^nd in a few minutes returned with my commiflion ready made out, which he handed to the Prince, who immediately prefented it to me, acquainting me at the fame time, that he had done me the honour to place me in his fuite, and that he gave mc two months leave of abfence to pre- paFC myfclf for the enfuing campaign.
I remained a-few days in town to be prefented to her Majcfly the Emprefs, and then returned to the Duchefs of Kingfton to acquaint her with my good fortune. I took with me Thomas Mackenzie, Efq. Brigadier of Marines, and Cap- tain of the Rullian navy, an officer who, both as a private gentleman and a foldier, has ever held the highefl place in the efleem of all that have the happinefs to know him; he had not "before been introduced to her Grace.
I was a good deal furprifed, that the Duchefs did not receive the news of my fudden and honourable appointment with all the warmth I expeded ; but, as I afterwards found, that flie wifhed to retain me about her perfon, the myftery was cleared up. The night of our arrival at the Duchefs's feat was fortunate to Mackenzie ; for as we were enjoying our bottle, a meffi^nger brought him down a brevet of Rear-Admiral, and the intelligence that he was
appointed
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE, 11
appointed to command in the Black Sea : he therefore immediately repaired to St. Peterf- burgh, and foon afterwards to his ftation.
I continued with the Duchefs. In her com- pany were a French lady Mad. de Porquet, filter to Monf. de Cocove, and a French Secre- tary, whofe name I do not recoiled. At my arrival, I found they had all quarrelled, and were not upon fpeaking terms. Mad. de Por- quet was in fad: fo much chagrined, Ihe kept her room. On which the Duchefs, in all the native violence of her difpolition, locked her /;/, and adlually detained her a prifoner in that ftate for fome days, in fpite of all my remon- llrances.
The poor French Secretary was fo much , terrified at thefe tyrannical procedings, that he ran away the fame night, without even venturing to take a great coat with him. In an almofl: defolate country, in the dead of winter, and without the fmallell knowledge of the language, he had to travel twenty miles to the Baron Rofen's, who, in that dreary fpot, is called a neighbour. He luckily overtook a peafant with a fledge by the way, to whom, by repeating the name of Rojen^ he fortunately made known his wilhes ; and being placed in the vehicle, and covered with a fheep fkin, he^
at
' '^ ;^ i^ ^ ^; ^ - ^ » %'■ \
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: (10 car wtx& ttisa:
; ft^ ftrt^afi.i i: cBmiUI
- r ai r -.i
feflBB- h.
«fi»6at rrt*
ii«^'
ifie
:^u
Q&e
in) bbIk ^Ttwuflir..
I ffetnrmeil oezir cSk DtpdDC^i ens pesiBflL vEbcic Ibe wwxIidL TMs Ibd^, «&bw itt had ptreBWcyTTfgd ■mmiigii^ misfli irar Secretary* were .co Ss^ r>ctugffcuigm her conpEjioc be6ve cfac Biaqmss de Vcm^ the French Miaiillcr eboe. TBdc MMnyui apprifed che Dt!ocii)c& d'cBue GoaB|iBaiiBll^ smII was fenc ta Str. PeteriiBKBigGk co negoiaatfc Sar her with them; the coiifec5iDeE»De:«rf"wlttdi waa^ that the Duchefs was to pay Maeiaine ifc ?lor« quet fix hundred ducats in fpccie* oa .cwKlDtioia
ef
1
I
Uh.ic
cf iammlMtrfy ttttanla^ to Taacci anl I wa:x» 2t die czpcBcc of die Dadbdi, C9 V t£» IXuHzi^ wfcrdbcr I wm paissB^ co owa fimil J, to bfisg docHi to dkc dbe Dndbdi had gnica oKoa &er a flsoft IcjgiK OfthoKL Adrinbc&edL
Tbe l>ad»dk IemI taAKB nxj secsrptftr c^ ■Kscjr widi vludb fleclEid caencfted Madwr die Faapttiva herani^a clmgii^ me to taJte loer ifi4.gMpc dhcve; sft
de Pon^acc ftnd a Ibr ds^ ar &erCacsfiB fiat to pack op htr c^ds. Is ^e Hiaa ome^
tfee Dcc^-pfs otdeeed fcer Reward ife. WgliFiifiM
.,- - . - . . ^«,^ ^ id»dc czrrti^es, viscb aee
cic^ _i "^■. "ra m time cCfiKnr, aoed wliiir&
"^ tfae bodjy cf acaagti^gcly iBogat Sagg—
: z|oc rcarfv. Tqcbc cacrocics ave faF-
- be&; aosd wfcox Mr. Wi&nrfn
•ice rftTwr ^e i»K*rftrng -was r^icJjr
r fionaftEy etuou^ft lepoc'- —
« T: - :IBr Mr. WiimJuii'^ tide
■■ pxer ::::-- . , jge«gfl5gy; I wSL m-
*" Iw'er fibc is^ wwg lie : . :r»e t&gna beSajc
II Mill I leanccfahfeTTfr^ aff<f -
I'X-
H_< k *r ^ *- -*^*-
12 THE LIFE OF
at length, reached the Baron's more dead than alive.
As foon as we arrived, the Baron fent a fer- vant to me with a letter, wherein he ftates that he could not refufc the poor Secretary the rights of hofpitality; adding, that he could wifh the Duchefs would abftain from fuch adls of violence; and concluded, by defiring me to endeavour to effecl a reconciliation between them. I laid this letter before the Duchefs, who fent me to the Baron's ; but the French- man would not liften to the propofals I was authorized to make, which were to pay him his wages, but perlifted in his intention of going to Peterfburgh to intereft the French Minifter in his caufe.
I returned next morning, and prevailed upon the Duchefs to permit Mad. de Porquet to go where fhe would. This lady, who, it feems, had preconcerted matters with her lover, the Secretary, went to St. Peterfburgh, and laid her complaint before the Marquis de Verac, the French Minifter there. The Marquis apprifed the Duchefs of the complaint, and I was fent to St. Peterfburgh to negotiate for her with them ; the confequence of which was, that the Duchefs was to pay Madame dc por- quet fix hundred ducats in fpecie, on condition
of
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. , ij
of immediately returning to France; and I was, at the expence of the Duchefs, to condud her to Dantzic, whether I was going to meet my own family, to bring them to the houfe which the Duchefs had given me on her eftate, within a fhort league of that fhe inhabited.
The Duchefs had taken my receipt for the money with which fhe had entrufted me to pay Madame de Porquet on her arrival at Dantzic, charging me to take her receipt there; a feem- ing reconciliation then took place, and Ma- dame de Porquet ftaid a few days at her Grace's feat to pack up her effedls. In the mean time, the Duchefs ordered her fteward Mr. Wilkinfon to prepare one of thofe carriages, which are ufed in Ruffia in time of fnow^, and which refembles the body of a coach, only much long- er, to be got ready. Thefe carriages are fur- niflied with beds; and Vv'hen Mr. Vv^ilkinfon informed her Grace that the machine was ready with two beds, fhe fmartly enough replied: — " You have done well, Mr. Wilkinfon, but " your precaution was unneceffary ; I will an- " fwer for it, one bed will ferve them before ** they reach Dantzic." —
Having obtained, with my commiflion, two months leave of abfence, and permiffion to leave the country, I fet forward without any further
application to court.
CHAP,
14 1"HB LIFE OF
CHAP. III.
The author perfonns his m[(fion to Dantzic^ and re^ turning is met by a mejjenger to hajien his journey. -^Arrives at St. Peterjburg^ and is ordered to wait the Emprefs's difpatches, — The Duchefs of Kingfton's conduct. — Determines to remove his fa^ mily to Narva^ on account of the Duchefs' s tyran- nical difpofttion. — Leaves the capital, with per- mijjion to go to the Duchefs' s houfe. — Laws re-
f peeling travellers in Rujfia. — parrels with the Duchefs. — Removes bis family to Narva, and
fets out for Cherfon,
1 PAID the money on my arrival at Dantzic to Madame de Porquet, and took her receipt for it, according to the Duchefs's diredlions. My family were waiting for me ; I however found it neceffary to remain fome days there ; and I was further fo delayed by the badnefs of the weather and roads, that my two months had fome time expired. In the mean time, Prince Potemkin, finding himfelf obliged from cir- cumftances to fet off immediately for the army^ had applied to Sir James Harris to know where I was. In confequence an exprefs was fent off for me^ (whom I met in Livonia^ about a hun- dred
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE, I^
dred miles from the Duchefs's), to acquaint mc with the Prince's orders, and to hailen my journey.
The inllant I met the courier I left my fa- mily to come forward as their heavy carriages would permit them ; and proceeded with the utmolt rapidity to the Duchefs's houfe. She exprefled much fatisfadlion at my arrival, and the great anxiety the length of my abfence had ^iven her on account of the Prince's want of me. Without more lofs of time I fet off for St. Peterfburgh. I immediately went to Sir James Harris, who feemed hurt at my delay, and told me that there were inftrucilions for me at the War Office, but that Potemkin was gone: he prelTed my departure to follow the Prince, adding, (for I will ufe his own words,) "You " may make your own terms with him; he ** cannot do without you."
I went immediately to court, and received inftrudlions to wait her~ Majefty's difpatches, with which I was to follow the Prince to Cher- fon, who had taken the circuitous road of Warfaw. Having received thefe dire(5lions, and not being able to leave St. Peterfburgh without the commands of the Emprefs, I wrote a letter to my wife, to endeavour to foothe the feelings which an amiable, virtuous, and affec- tionate woman mufl naturaljy feel at the depar- ture
i^ THE LIFE OF
ture of the hufband fhe loved, and who doated upon her: nor was it an eafy tafk to frame a letter capable of producing fuch an eifed, in a coun- try where fhe knew not a face except the Du- chefs, nor could make her defires known in thd language of the place. I reprefented to her that my ftay at the army would be but fliort j that my being in the fuite of the Prince would infure me from much danger, even fuppofing there fliould be any war, which I did not ima- gine there would, for that certainly the Crimea would be taken pofTeffion of without a (hot being fired; finally, I promifed to fee her pre- vious to my departure, and bring her to Narva, where I had already fent to take a houfe.
The fame courier carried a letter to the Du- chefs, in a fomewhat more military flyle : I dwelt upon the valour of Potemkin, and his turn for enterprize ; I declared that, not con- tented with following where he would lead, I would endeavour to be foremoft in the field ^f glory ; for that I was determined to fhew the Ruffians that a Scot was neither their inferior in fupporting fatigue, nor encountering danger.
The Duchefs betrayed the confidence I had repofcd in her; for when my wife fhewed her the letter Ihe had received from me, and even which was hardly enough to enable her to fup- ^, port my departure, her Grace, with that hypo- critical
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. i^
Critical cant flie fo well knew how to afiume, inveighed againft my falfc rcprefentations ; and, by way of completing her cruelty, concluded by lliowing the letter llie had received from me.
The effedt of this frightful eccLiirciiTement, upon the fenfibility of a delicate woman, may be eafier conceived than expreifed. She wrote a letter to Sir James Harris, and another to myfelf, in the moft pathetic terms that affec- tion could poffibly fuggeft. She expreifed the inoft anxious folicitude, left the impetuofity of my temper fhould hurry me into unneceffary dangers ; in fine, fhe wrote, to ufe Sir James's own words, *^ as none but an KngliJJjzvoman could *' write."
It will be readily believed that the Duchefs's behaviour to Mad Porquet had not contributed to raife in my mind any high veneration for her charadlerj and the idea of leaving a wife and children, whom I loved with the tendereli affedlion, in the power of a woman, who alrea- dy had fported in the moft unfeeling manner with her forrows, became unfupportable. I had in fad: dreaded fomething of the kind, anci had taken a houfe at Narva, diftant between twenty and thirty miles from the Duchefs's eflate, to ferve as a retreat to my family; and I now refolved, without lofs of time, to remove
C them
1% THE LIFE OF
them thither. I therefore wrote to my wife to confole her as well as I was able, telling her, that Sir James Harris had acquainted me with fome pafTages of her letter, and deliring her to prepare for her departure without giving a hint of it to the Duchefs, till I fhould come down. In the courfe of a couple of days I was fent for to court to receive the difpatches of the Emprefs for Potemkin ; it was then evening : my orders were to leave St. Peterfburgh that night. A fum of money was paid me by the Secretary of War for the expences of fo long a journey, and a Serjeant of the Guards (who bears the rank of Lieutenant in the army,) and who fpoke the French and German languages, was ordered to attend me. My route to the army lying through Narva, and my difpatches requiring no hafle (as it was expedled I Ihould be at Cherfon be- fore the Prince got there,) on taking leave of her Majefty, I folicited permiOion to go off my road to the D u chefs 's houfe for twenty-four hours; this favour was benevolently granted; and I went to take leave of Sir James Harris, and then to the hotel where my carriage and fervants were, from whence I meant to have fct off immediately. While my equipage was pre- paring, I was prevailed on by fome ofhcers to gamble ; at which we continued till it was an- nounced to me that all was ready. Unfortu- nately
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. I9
nately, however, I had not only loft all the Em- prefs's money, but all my own ; and had no other refource but to fend immediately to Sir James Harris to acquaint him with my embar- raflment ; who immediately, though he was then in bed, difpatched his butler to me with five hundred roubles. Thus reinforced, I inflantly
fet off.
When I reached Narva, I left there my mili- tary equipage, and went in a fmall carriage of the country to the Duchcfs's feat. I found my wife and family already in the houfe her Grace had given us. I then began to explain the mo- tives of our intended removal ; I told her Grace that, confidering the hazardous fervice I was going upon, and that no military man who was going to the field of action could ever fay his return was certain, I thought it neceflury my wife fhould have fome efiablifliment to call a home; that though fhe could as often and as long as fhe chofe take up her abode with her Grace, ftill, fhould any thing happen to me, Narva would always, particularly in the event of the Duchefs leaving Ruffia, prove a retreat where fhe would find friends of her own na- tion ; whereas, in her prefent fituation, llie was an entire Granger to every one, nor had jnore than one fervant who underflood the language, ©f the country. To this the Duchefs replied,
C 2 fiffl
20 THE LIFE Of
firft with a flood of tears, and a complaint that I was depriving her of her only companion ; and then (finding me unmoved) with a torrent of abiifc that would have done credit to Billings- gate, concluded with faying, we might both go to the d — 1.
It is ncceffdry to inform my readers that, by the laws of Ruffia, no perfon can travel from the capital without a pafTport defcribing his route, which he is not at liberty to alter ; in the country, travellers mud have a pafs from the perfon whofe eflate they may have been upon, before they quit it, or no poft-maftcr dare fur- nifh them with horfes. On my application at the poft-houfe, which was not above half a mile from the Duchefs's, I was not only told that they durfl: not fupply me with horfes, but that they had her Grace's exprefs prohibition to that ef- fetft. I anfwered the poft-mafter, that .1 fhould remove that difficulty by taking his or her horfes by foi ce. . I inftantly removed my family to the poft-houfe. I jufl then recolleded that I had given the receipt I had obtained from Madame de Porquet at Dantzic to the Duchefs, without her Grace having returned me that which flie required of mc, when flie entrufled the money to my charge. I begun to be apprehenfive of her making a bad ufe of it ; I therefore wrote a note to Mr. Wilkinfon her fleward, requeft-
ing
MAJOR S E M P L E L I S I E . 21
ing my receipt. The Duchefs lliuffled with ex- cufes, that Hie could not come at it ; that fhe would give it to my wife, and fuch like eva- fions ; and inftantly jumping into her carriage> drove into the woods, to prevent further appli- cations on my part. I fent one of her own fcr- vants after her Grace to tell her, that unlcfs I had my own receipt, or a difcharge from her in one hour from that time, that I would force my way into her houfe, and carry off her cajfette^ which I v.ould lay at the Prince's feet, and in- treat him to judge between us. In a few mi- nutes, Mr. Wilkinfon brought me the receipt I demanded, and I fet out for Narva, where I relied fcarcely one moment before I proceeded for Cherfon to join the Prince.
C 3 CHAP.
22 THELIFEOF
CHAP. IV.
The author arrives at Cher/on^ and delivers his dif- patches to Prince Potemkin. — An exprejs arrives from the Duchefs of Kingfion complaining of him to the Prince ^ which is received and anfwered in a very mortifying manner. — Some acconnt of Cherfon. — 77>f Corfes Expulfes, a corps of them given to the author to organize. — Afionifhing atchievement of the Emprefs in building fhips. — Mode of launch- ing and na'uigating them down the river Nieper. — Admiral Mackenzie and Captain Taite, — Mili- tary arrangements. — IS/lutiny among the Corfes jLxpuIfes.
In fpite of my delays, and the heavinefs of my equipage, having with me all my baggage for the field, I reached Cherfon in twelve days from the time of my leaving St. Peterfburgh. I there found the Prince, who had not arrived many hours before me. I delivered to him the packet I had received from the Minifter of War Count Moufchkin Poufchkin, and the letter from her Majefty, the contents of which was not lefs pleafing to myfelf than the Prince, as the Emprefs fpeaking of me, concluded by fay- ing, " May you in battle always have a man
" like
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 2^
*' like him by your fide, and a friend like me ** wherever you go."
Next day an cxprcfs arrived from the Duchefs for the Prince, \vith heavy complainis of my condud: to her, my delays upon the road, and a long firing of &c.'s. This furnilhed matter of amufement to the Prince, v\ ho could not cn-^ dure her ; for (he, partly through her ignorance of the Kmprefs's permifiion for me to go out of my route, and partly through malice, had (o caricatured the ftory, that it became thefubjedl of laughter to all who heard it. To add to her mortification, he made me not only read it to him, but anfvver it forthwith; which I did in French to the following effed, fometime in the month of July 17S3: '' Madam, I had the ho- ** nour to receive your difpatch from his High- ** nefs ; I had alfo the honour to read it to him; ** and am, by his Plighnefs's commands, '* Madam, &c. 8>zc. &c."
Cherfon is a town which the Emprefs built on the river Nieper feveral leagues above its mouth, with the view of fornnjng a new colony there ; for this purpofe fne ilfued, by her Mini- ftfer at Leghorn, a proclamation to the exiled Corficans, by the title of Les Corfes Expuljes \ under which name perfons of gill nations alTem- bled at her rendezvous, and were tranfported by the way of the Dardenelles and Black Sea to
C 4 Cherfoij.
■M :^?-
'M' . t ■
1" I/;
t-..^..,
St w.
II
34 '. tlfE CF
•
Ch^fon, Of th^ rcaJ Corficans, about 20, ' ' ' -re all miliur/, flic formed a corps, cf- by the appt" ; of Royal Coii- v*. i.ich I was di' • 10 organize. Hre pur in practice the exalid of war for the expc<i- tion on the Black ; They were confkrucid
upon a rivrr fcarccly navigable for a fmall lloo, the u ron for their conftruction brouut
from - ace of 700 miles up the cpuntr,
fomc of it much farther, and every gun came nt much Icfi than 1000 miles by land. I'he mode t la' ' -^.g and navigating thefe veHbls down d ihc ica wai curious ; the Xieper, as before o- fcrvcd, ; extremely ihallow, and not vcv
broad, a fort of pool was firlt formed in the bd of the river oppolite to the dock, then two larc xafts, which were fialled Camels ^ were placed :■ as to receive the vciTcl as flie Hid from tn ftocks, from 'Ahich (he was eafed down withoc much rapidity ; being feated between the cy mels, as in a cradle, Ihe was thus floated dowL the river pall the Turkilh fortrefs of Ofchacow and into the lilac k Sea. Had not I been a. cye-wicncfs to this rtupcndous work, I fhoul hardly have \entured to have related it ; it wa truly worthy the comprehcnllve mind ot fuch ; rovcrci:;n ; it completely formed a maritim' J^arrier againll her troublefome neighbours th(. f Turks
I
i M W :,.
m u m
^^^
25
MAJOR SEMPLE. MSI. E.
Turks, and opened a channel for trade from Ikt territories to the Mediterranean.
Admiral Mackenzie, whole name may triil/ be faid to have graced an early part of this nar- rative, had gone round to the harbour of AcMi- are, now called Seballapole ; he had tiici c, with ihe rapidity which diilinguiflied all his move- ments, begun to build a houfe for himfelf, ma- rine barracks, hofpitaP, ftore-houfcs, crcdt bat- teries, and put the harbour in a refpeclable llatc pf defence.
A vice-admiral remained at C'.ierfon uithfe- veral captains, among whom was Captain, now Admiral Taite, who, at the time I am writing this, is lying with a Ruflian fleet, which he com- mands, at Yarmouth, a moft amiable man and intelligent officer ; for whom, in common v\ ich ail who knew him, I entertained the highefl: cf- teem ; an efteem which I exhibited in my ufual imprudent manner, by vifiting him at a time when we were directed not to go near his houfe, becaufe he was fick (fuppofed to be of the plague, which had broke out among us) a pre- caution ufed to prevent the fpreading of the infection : but, independent of his focial quali- ties, he had another ftrong claim on me, he is a Scot. For this vifit I was fevcrcly reprimanded by the General of the day, SolticofF, and dared fiot to approach the Prince for feveral days.
Tile
. )|
liydr
24 THE LIFE OF ^
CheiTon. Of the real Corficans, about 25Q, who were all military, flie formed a corps, dif- tinguifhed by the appellation of Royal Corfi- cans, which I was directed to organize. Here it was the Emprefs put in practice the exalted fcheme of building iliips of war for the expedi- tion on the Black Sea. They were conftrucfled upon a river fcarcely navigable for a fmall floop, the wood and iron for their conftru(!:l:ion brought from a diftance of 70Q rniles up the country, fome of it much farther, and every gun came not I77,uch Icfs than 1000 miles by land. The mode of launching and navigating thefe veffeis down to the fca was curious ; the Nieper, as before ob- fervcd, being extremely (hallow, and not very broad, a fort of pool was firft formed in the bed of the river oppolite to the dock, then two large lafts, which were palled Came/s, were placed fo as to receive the veffel as flie Aid from the flocks, from which ilie was eafed down without much rapidity ; being feated between the ca- mels, as in a cradle, ihe was thus floated down the river paft the Turkifh fortrefs of Ofchacow, and into the Black Sea. Had not I been an jCye-witnefs to this ftupendous work, I fhould hardly have ventured to have related it ; it was truly worthy the comprehenlive mind of fuch a fovereign ; it completely formed a maritime |)arrier againll her troublefome neighbours the
Turks,
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. Sg
Turks, and opened a channel for trade from her territories to the Mediterranean.
Admiral Mackenzie, whofe name may truly be faid to have graced an early part of this nar- rative, had gone round to the harbour of Adli- are, now called Sebaftapole ; he had there, with ihe rapidity which dillinguiflied all his move- inents, begun to build a houfe for himfelf, ma- rine barracks, hofpitalv ftore-houfes, erecl bat- teries, and put the harbour in a refped:able ftatc pf defence.
A vice-admiral remained at Cherfon with fe- veral captains, among whom was Captain, now Admiral Taite, who, at the time I am writing this, is lying with a Ruffian fleet, which he com- mands, at Yarmouth, a moft amiable man and intelligent officer; for whom, in common with ail who knew him, I entertained the higheft ef- teem ; an efteem which I exhibited in my ufual imprudent manner, by viliting him at a time when we were directed not to go near his houfe, becaufe he was fick (fuppofed to be of the plague, which had broke out among us) a pre- caution ufed to prevent the fpreading of the infection : but, independent of his focial quali- ties, he had another flrong claim on me, he is a Scot. For this vilit I was feverely reprimanded by the General of the day, Solticoff, and dared fiOt to approach the Prince for feveral days.
26 THE LIFE Of
The now well-known Field-Marlhall Suwar- row, and Ramfay Count of Balmain, were al- ready in the Crimea, whither Potemkin follow- ed, leaving mc behind to organize the corps of Royal Corficans, and then to join him. The Prince of Wircemberg, whofe fifter was mar- ried to the Grand Duke of Ruflia, arrived at Cherfon about this time; he Mas then Lieute- nant-General, and was left there by Potemkin to command the referve.
My Corficans, though brave fine fellows, were, as i^ their character, quite undifciplined; and, as they were the objects of curiolity to the whole army, our manoeuvres were interrupted by the numbers thus drawn together ; I there- fore retired with them from the ground where the Ruflians lay to a little fpot on the other fide of the town, between that and the Bifhop's pa- lace, where I daily trained them.
To Ihew the turbulent difpofition of the Cor- ficans, I fhall give the following inflance ; I had given them permiilion to fell fome old fiores and copper kettles which they had brought with them in the fhips, and for which we had no ufe. About the produce of thefe articles they difagreed. One evening, while I was at the Ruffian camp, on a vifit to the Command- ing General, a letter was delivered to me frona the officer 1 had left on command, which I in-
inflantl)^
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. fi^
flantly read. By this I was informed that my camp was in confufion, and that the men were firing upon each other. Without faying one word to the general, I inftantly rofe from tabic, and having previoufly requefteda colonel of in- fantry, whofe regiment lay neareft me, to fend a detachment of his men before day-light to furround my camp, I galloped home as faft as I was able. The night was dark ; and I had a vaft open common to pafs : however, I reached my camp, being partly guided by the Rallies and reports of the mufkets. On my arrival I inflantly began to fire among them with my piftols ; and, as my voice was perfedly known,, all was prefently quiet, and each in his tent. I gave orders to be called at day-break; when afking the officer of the guard if he faw any thing near the camp, he told me there were fome fmall bodies of infantry on three fides, the fourth being covered by the river ; on which I ordered the drums to beat to arms. As foon as my men were on the parade, they were difarmed, and the caufe of the quarrel en- quired into ; when the kettles, &cc. appearing to be ALL they had fought about, the leaders ivere feverely and infiantly puniHied : thus tranquillity was reftored.
CHAP.
ZS THE LIFE OP
CHAP. V.
Improvements in the Rujfian army by the author. — Remarks on viilitary uniforms. — RuJJian peafants, — Remarks on the proper uje of the bayonet in exercife. — A refutation of an anonymous libeller. — T^he author having compleated the organization of the CorJicanSy fets off to the army in the Cri- mea.— His flattering reception. — Chara£ler of the eommandersy Potemkin ajid Suwarrow. — Ruffian foldiersy their character and hardinefs.
xJuRiNG my firft converfations with Potemkin at Peterfburgh, he had afked my opinion of the Ruffian army ; and I frankly told him that im- provements might be made^ in both their drefs and manoeuvres.
The Ruffian uniform confifted of a green coat, lined and faced with red, very tight, and fo long that it incommoded the wearer, by beating on the calves of his legs ; the breeches, which were alfo tight, did but barely cover the knee-joint; and as the Ruffian foldiers, both cavalry and infantry wear boots, though of a different form, a vacancy between the knee- welt of the breeches and the boots became una- voidable; the hat was very fmall, and unfit for
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 2^
A covering in a cold country ; on which account the foldiers added a piece of flannel on each lide to cover the ears, and guard againft the fe- verity of the weather. This cloathing being ve- ry inconvenient, to lliew the Prince my ideas on the fubjccfl, I had drelTes made for myfelf and a private, of the uniform which is ftill re- tained, without any material alteration ; and which was allowed to be at once elegant, con- venient, and well adapted to the feverities of the climate. I muft here remark, that elegance ihould always, in feme degree, be confulted in the formation of a military uniform ; for if we wilh the foldier to keep up that nicety of ap- pearance which is fo becoming in military men, we muft make him proud of his own figure. In Ruflia this was more than any where necefla- ry, for the peafantry, (who fupply the recruits for the army), are the mofl: flovenly of mortals ; their outfide drefs being made of fheep-fkin, which they wear with the woolly fide inwards, unlefs here and there, in the vicinity of noble^ men's feats, fome have them of coarfe cloth : yet fuch is the effed of making men pleafed with themfelves, that at prefent the Ruffian ar- my may vie with any in the world, for appear- ance and fubordination. The Prince, thinking to imprpveupon me, put in orders, (without my knowledge) that the hair of the foldiers fhould
be
30 TftB LIFE or
be cropped, and that the bayonet Ihould on]y be fixed when they were about to charge the enemy. As I was the acknowledged author of the alteration in the uniform, thcfe novelties were likewife attributed to me, and I was hearti^ ly abufed for all. The cropping of foldiers* hair, (unlefs occafionally for a parcifan's corps) I always difapproved, as by giving an opening to negligence, it ferves to introduce flovenli- nofs ; and whoever will reflect for a fingle mo- ment on the different poife of a mulket with and without the bayonet fixed, as well as on the abfolutc neceility of learning to load and fire with fixed bayonets, will, I truft, fuppofe me incapable of proceeding on fo erroneous a principle ; and will, with me, think that the mufquct and bayonet fhould be infeparable. Accordingly, in a few days, the crops were fupplied with falfe tails ; but I had fome diffi- culty to prevail upon the Prince to reinftate the bayonet in its proper place.
I did not, till this moment, know what the author of the Life of the Emprefs Catherine II. (publiilied by Longman of Pater-nofter Row, and Dcbrctt of Piccadilly) has thought proper to fay of me (vol. iii. p. 20. 2d edit.) refpecling my fituation with Prince Potemkin and the Du- chefs of Kingfton :
*' By his advice the Prince introduced feveral
** new
tt <c
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 3I
** new regulations into the army, both in regard " to drefs and manoeuvres ; and had it not been ** for fome manoeuvres of another nature, fach as writing to the Duchefs of Kingflon, that he would come by night with fome foldiers, and " break into her houfe, unlefs fhe fent him a " certain fum of money, &c. there is not a " doubt but he would foon have been raifed to ** the rank of a general officer, or appointed " conful at whatever place he chofe." — He goes on to fay, that, " After his difmiilion from " the confidence of Prince Potemkin, on his way to England, Major Semple laid the mer- chants of Peterfburgh, Narva, Riga, &c. un-- der contribution by a variety of impoftures.** It is the eternal fate of falfhood to contradiifl itfelf : and though I have given in the preced- ing pages an account of my affair with the Du- chefs of Kingflon, which I challenge earth or hell to contradict, flill, as this worthlefs fcrib- bier, who would tremble at my very fliadow, may gain credit with fome, I will, in one mo- ment, point out his abfurdities. Had I dared to have threatened the Duchefs of Kingflon, as he has alTerted, a well-founded complaint (to which my own letter mufl have given an irre- liftible weight,) would have procured me a ba- nifhment for life to Siberia ; befides, this quar- rel happened before I joined the Prince at Cher-
fon ;
«
Cf
.^2 THE LIFE OF
fon : and was it, I will afk, probable, that he would have received me into his favour, intruded me with the organizing of a new corps, and after- wards treated me as will appear hereafter, had I been flained with robbery ? As to my frauds on the merchants, ivhile I zvas in favour^ they might have been poflible ; but, for a man difgra-^ eedy they would have been an utter impoflibility. Belides, I did not pafs through, or near Riga ; for I went from Petersburgh to Narva, where I embarked, and went down the Eaft Sea to Co- penhagen.
Such pedilent libellers are unfit to be fuffered in the world. Such have been my ruin ; and the author of the above, who, I am informed, is a pried, certainly affords a Ihocking proof of that depravity which perhaps may, if ever I live to meet him, render his gown but an infecure protecftion. If he has any honour, let him contradid his unfounded affertions: but why ihould I afk him ? Had he any honour, he would not have wrote it. One good, however, refults from his fcurrility : I am enabled by thefe anecdotes of myfelf, to judge of the au- thenticity of thofe parts of his hiftory which I have not yet had time to look at.
Having trained and difciplined my Corficans, I proceeded to the army, and joined the Prince >n the heights above the town of Karafu-bafar,
in
Major semple lisle. 33
in the Crimea; where my pride was not a little flattered by feeing the uniform of which I had given the model worn by an immenfe army, and my manoeuvres adopted and applauded. I was then about twenty-five, and with my natural vanityj^ this diftindion almoft turned my brain, as it perhaps might have done to men much older and wifer then myfelf j and if I had no very great fliare of prudence in pecu- niary matters before, this made me quite re- gardlefs of them,
I was now at the Prince's right-hand day and night ; he loaded me with honours, and I left nothing in the line of duty undone to deferve them. Potemkin was juftly placed among the iirft charadlers of this or any other age; brave, open, rough, and impetuous, he was firft in every exploit of danger ; fudden in his manoeu- vres, his plans were conceived and executed ,, with unparalleled rapidity ; in the field he knew no charader but a foldier, nor could age or rank plead with him any excufe for relaxation from the rules of duty.
Suwarrow was with us, already adling a dillinguiflied part. Bold and impetuous as his cornmander, he was indefatigable in duty, and feemed to afpire, by copying fo great, a mafter, at that rivalihip of glory to which he has now arrived.
D The
34 THE LIFE OF
The Rufiian foldiers fcem fitted by nature for war; their hardinefs is unparalleled, as eafily may be imagined from the manner in which they live. Their magazines are not as with other armies, depolited with even a finical care j their provifion, which is rye meal, is piled up like pyramids in bags in the open air, where, by alternate expofure to rain and fcorching fun, I have {e^n it fo baked toge- ther that it was obliged to be hewed out with axes. The raw meal is ferved out to the com- panies ; and where they have no wood, (as was the cafe with us while in the environs of Cher- fon where no Vvood grows, (and the chips of the dock-yard hardly fupplied the hofpital and General Officers,) they colled: weeds and the dung of the cattle, with which they heat it as well as they are able, and eat it half raw. They are not lefs hardy in their tents than in their eating ; draw or blankets are never thought of by a Ruffian foldier : his cloak ferves him at once for bed and for covering 5 and wrapped up in this, he lies down con- tented on the bare cold ground. As an inftance of their contempt for thefe luxuries^ I had cn- trufted a foldier with the care of a conliderabic number of valuable articles, at a time when I was at a diftance from the Prince. I had got a trench dug in the earth to ferve as my cellar ;
and
MAJok SEMPLE LISLE. 35
atid over it a tent was erefted, "j^artly to ferve as a ftorehoufe, and partly as an habitation for the faithful veteran who was to guard my llores. Willing to make him in love with his duty, I had got raifed for him a wooden bench, with a mattrafs to fleep on, which in- deed, though a mofl vile one, coft me no fmall trouble to procure; but bad as it was, I con- cluded that he would efteem it a luxury. I was however miftaken ; for about a week after, going to look at my waggons, &c. I faw a mattrafs laying like a piece of lumber. En- quiring how it came there, I was informed, that it belonged to the foldier I had placed on. my cellar, whom I inllantly fent for. Upon alking him how he came to throw away his mattrafs, he cooly faid, that it was not fit for a foldier, and th?it he could not fleep upon it. I then went to fee what he had fubflituted for this defpifed couch, and found a hard common fl:raw mat of his own twifting.
Such is the real character of a Ruffian fol- dier, and to the portrait I can only add, that their fidelity is equal to their other qualifi- cations, for defertions are hardly known among them: they are in fhort formed by nature and education for the trade of war : for while they acquire hardinefs by their ufual mode of living, their minds are not eftranged frorp the paths
D 2 pf
3*6^ THE LIFE 05"
of obedience by thofe fmatterings of knowledge which only ferve to lead to infubordination and mutiny.
CHAP. VI
Mr, Fitzherhert y now Lord St. Helens y arrives at St. Peterjhurgh. — 'The author fent from Karazu- bazar to A^iare^ where he again meets Admiral Mackenzie. — Vifits a curious old building there. — Mackenzie and he receive prcfentsfromfome of the Tartar Chiefs. — Returns to head-quart ers,
^ and has a narrow efcape. — Potemkin retires to Kremenichuck on account of his health. — The ar^ rival of a Circajftan Prince there as hojlage* — Plain zvhere the battle of Pultowa was fought. — Splendour of the Viceroy of Mofcow. — Anec^ dotes of PotemhUy the Emprefs CatharinCy and other remarkable perfons. — The author prepares t9 leave RuJJia ; quits the RuJJian fervice, and fails for Copenhagen.
As it is my intention hereafter to publifh a hiftory of my campaigns, I Ihall hear fay very little on that fubjedl. Some time in Auguft 1783^ we learnt at the army that Mr. Fitzherbert, (now Lord St. Helens,) had
arrived
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 37
arrived at St. Peterfburgh to replace Sir James Harris. The Prince was moft particularly cu- rious to know his charadler, and I had many converfations with him on the fubjed ; for Sir James had been among the moft peculiar friends and intimates of Potemkin. No ceremony, no drefs, no etiquette was obferved, however much the Prince might be engaged. Sir James in his pelice and cap always found immediate accefs, even though other foreign minifters had been fome time in the anti-chamber, and per- haps after all could not obtain an audience.
From Karazu-bazar, I was fent on military bufinefs to A6tiare, where I met my old friend Admiral Mackenzie, with his little fleet. His fortifications and other works were in great forwardnefs, and every thing bore the afpedl of improvement. We went to vifit an antient building, called, I think, the antient Cherfo- nefe, which is near Adiare, and lays in a cove almoft inacceffible. We in vain endeavoured to reach it by fea, the rocks were fo perpendi- cular that they defied our attempts, and with much difficulty we fcrambled over the top of them from the land fide. The building, if it can be fo called, is compleat, and is almoft in- tirely cut out of the rock; but it is uninhabited, except by one man; and whether he lives there ifforn motives of religion, or of concealment, I
D 3 cannot
38 THELIFEOF
cannot fay. The few remaining natives however file wed him much refped, and fupplied him with all necelTaries; and Admiral Mackenzie gave ftriit orders that he Ihould not be mo- lelied.
While I was at Adiare, Mackenzie and my- felf received the compliments offome of the Tartar Chiefs of that country, together with a prefent of each a horfe. Mine wa» very richly caparifoned indeed, but his was almoft covered v/ith filver. The faddle was of purple cloth, all nodded over with filver nails, and from each fide depended a huge ftirrup of the fame metal, made, as is the fafiiion of the country, the fize and Ihape ofthefole of the foot; nor were the crupper and bridle left without their due fhare of ornaments, which at every fi:ep made almoft as much noife as the fore-horfe cf an Englifh waggoner's team. Mackenzie eyed the gavvdy beaft with much pleafure, and in the prefence of the whole company jogged my elbow, and, poifing a flirrup in his hand, faid, " Take you the horfe, I will have the *• ftirrups, by G — d; each of them will make *' a pair of candleflicks:" had he faid two pair, I do not think his calculation would have been extravagant.
I had been taken ill at Acliare with a fort of ague, which prevailed in the army, and on
my
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLEC gg
xny return to Karazu-bafar, my diforder was very much increafed ; however, as I found the Prince juft changing his pofition, great part of the army, and moll of my own baggage al- ready gone, I determined not to be left behind. Being too ill to mount my horfe, I got a bed put into one of thofe carriages which are com- monly ufed there, and ordered horfes. I could get none but thofe of the irregular Coflacs, which were totally wild, and had hardly ever feen, much lefs drawn, a carriage before. My harnefs was of rope, fuch as I could pick up, and I was to be driven by a fellow equally unufed to his bufmefs. My curious equipage had nearly made me violate a general order, by which we were forbidden to enter any houfe or town on account of the plague; for being laid in my bed with my valet, (an honefl faithful Wirtemburgher, whom I had from the prince of that name, then along with us,) our cattle fet off at a mod furious^ rate. For fome time they galloped along the ' precipice that almoft overhangs the town of Karazu-bazar, till at length the carriage over- turned, and vve all tumbled down the fteep ; and had we gone a little further, fhould have fairly tumbled into the town. Of three horfes which drew the carriage, two were killed on the fpot, and my poor valet de chambre broke his arm ; I efcaped by being fairly turned out
^ 4 with
40 THE LIFE OF
with my bed into a bufh ; my Ruflian driver, who had received no hurt, comforted me, as he would have done, had we all broken our necks, with Nebos ! Nebos ! 'tis nothing ! 'tis nothing ! The Coflacs galloped on without taking the leaft notice, and fuppofing we muft be all infallibly killed, cooly informed the officers at head- quarters, that the Englifli Adjutant with his Kebeetky had fallen down the precipice. This news reached the Prince's ears, and an officer with one of his Highnefs carriages was fent to my afliftance. I met the officer upon the road i for, refolved to flievv the Ruffians that I was as indifferent to accidents as themfelves, I lay quietly in the bufli till a new carriage could be procured, and then remounting with my unfortunate valet, I refumed my journey with all thtfangfroid I could mufter.
In the end of the winter of 1783 the Prince, whofe fatigues had much exhaulled him, retired from the Crimea to Krementchuck, to recruit his flrength. In the mean time. Prince Alex. Potemkin, who had been fent againft the Circaf- lians, forced them to conclude a peace. They had, together with other petty dates, been waging a pilfering war againft Ruffia ; but were now compelled to fend the young Prince, fori to the reigning Prince, to Potemkin as a hoft- age. He was accordingly put under the care
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 4t
of an officer of dragoons, and conduced to- wards Krementchuck, near which place I was appointed to receive him. On meeting him, then a boy, feven or eight years old, I informed him, through the medium of the interpreter, that the Prince-General, though much indif- pofed, and even confined to bed, meant to fee him on his arrival ; adding fuch other blandilh- ments as were likely to foothe his mind. As we approached his Highnefs's quarters, which I pointed out to him, this young Circaflian feemed quite diftrefled at the noife of the bell, worn by the Ihaft-horfe of his carriage; and which is the diftinguilhing mark of an officer and the Imperial poft. The amiable boy had no fervant near him, and was too mild to afk fuch a thing of me; he therefore requefted, by the interpreter, that I would allow him to alight and take off the bell, leaft it might dif- turb the Prince who was fick. Immediately on my arrival I related this puerile anecdote to the Commander, who inftantly received the young Tartar into his favour ; and continued to fiiew him every mark of regard and attention. '
We remained at Krementchuck fbme time in cantonments ; when the affairs of the Crimea being fettled, Potemkin returned to the capital. As 1 wifhed to vilit feme parts of the country,
he
42 1HE LJFE ©r
he gave me leave to proceed as I pleafed. lr\ my progrefs I again paffed through Pultowa ; and being more at leifure than when I came to the army, I vifitcd with increafed interefl: and attention the plain where the famous battle was fought between the Czar Peter the Great and Charles of Sweden. The mound ftill remains that was built with the bodies of the flain. On "being dug into, it exhibits an awful melange of ikeletons of men and horfes, with the iron heels of boots, rufty fpurs, and broken weapons.
Here it was that Charles XII. difmounted to charge a body of Ruffians, at the head of his own regiment of infantry. His orders were not to fire till he fhould command them ; how- ever, on approaching the enemy, they fired : but, though fuccefsful, the Swedifh hero was fo mortified at their difobedience, that he mounted his horfe, and rode away without fpcaking one word.
On my arrival at Mofcow, I paid my refpecTcs to Count ChernechefF, the Viceroy, who lived in a flyle of incredible magnificence. I ha^ the honour of dining with him the day after my arrival. About a hundred guefts fat down to table, behind each of whom flood one of the Count's own fervants, in very fplendid liveries; he himfelf was furrounded by a hofc of upper
fervants.
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 43
fervants, drelTed in the mod fuperb manner: indeed, befide a body guard, he kept no lefs fhan three hundred domeftics.
At Mofcow I met feveral cart-loads of Eng- lilli midfhipmen; who being thrown out of employ by the conclufion of the American war, had entered into the Ruffian fervice. They were ynder the care of a ferjeant and two ma- rines, and were going to join Admiral Macken- zie on the Black Sea.
After having fpent a few days at Mofcow, I continued my route to St. Peterfburgh; and, having taken up my family at Narva, I reached the capital about the beginning of the fum- jiier 1784.
As it may probably intereft my readers to learn a few authentic particulars of the great Potem-kin, I fhall here prefent them with feme which are not known to the common herd of fcribbling travellers, but my fituation in his fuite enabled me to colledt.
His levee commenced about eight in the morning; at which time a little fliabby anti- chamber, and a billiard room adjoining, were crowded with general-officers. Thefe apart- ments, with a bed-room, were all he ufually inhabited, though he had feveral magnificent ones in the fame houfe : the way to thofe he occupied led through a fuite of large rooms.
The
44 '^^^^ LIFE OF
The firil: etiquiry^made by thofe who appeared rn the anti-chamber was, '* In what humour is the Prince?" I fit was known he was out of temper, it was not unufual for many of the vifitors to de- part immediately, well knowing that no good was to be done that day. Prince Serge Galitzin, ■who married one of the Prince's nieces, had the greateft influence; for his great livelinefs, added to the high favour in which he flood, and which enabled him, like Sir James Harris, to make a vifit anv hour without ceremonv, feldom failed to cure the gloom of Potemkin.
Nor was the drefs of this renowned comman- der on thefe occaiions lefs extraordinary than his apartments. It confined of a loofe roi^e de chamhrcy which in winter he wore of velvet, and in fummer of filk or chintz, flowing round him; his neck and breafr were bare; and his lilk {lockings hung about his heels. No High- lander had a more cordial hatred to a pair of breeches ; thefe he never wore but when he dreff- ed. His hair flowed about his head in a mofl: dif- orderly iiatc ; and in this naked flovenly trim he would fit down to table with all the princes or general officers of Ruffia,
His behaviour at table was as far removed from the common road of life as his drefs ; fometimes he would lit fulienly without faying a word^ and this was not without its due effect
OH
MAJOR S EM PLE LIS L£. 45
on the countenance and appetites of his guefts: at others he was all gaiety, and kept the table in a roar, fo that nobody could eat for laugh- ing ; and I have feen him more than once, after eating a few morfels, fuddenly ftart up, as if fome important idea had flruck him, and go into his bed-room. This was the fignal lor riling from table, for no one would fit when he he was up; and the guefts were expected to fol- low the Prince to take coffee : very often, in- deed, when he retired \vith a louring afpecl, many of his vifitors had not courage to follow, but took coffee in the anti-chamber ; his fa- vourites, however, never failed to ftick clofe to him.
He was paflionately fond of mimicry, and %vas himfelf a tolerable mimic. He adtuallj raifed a genius of this kind from Lieutenant to Lieutenant-Colonel for no other merit. This man was conftantly kept attending in the anti- chambers ; and was occafionally called upon to divert his patron by tak'mg offy as the phrafe is, all his acquaintance. I alone efcaped ; for ha- ving plainly told the filly buffoon, that if he prefumed to take any liberties with me, I would chaftife him, he prudently abflained, even though the Prince, (who had heard of my me- naces, and wifhed to get him into a fcrape,) often delired him,
H^
4^ THE LIFE Ot
He had an extraordinary and whimfical man- ner of punifliing his aides de camp, when they exhibited any thing unmilitary in their drefs and behaviour. Inftead of verbal reproof, he ufed to fend them long difagreeable journeys; and would take care they fhould fet off when lead: prepared. As an inftance, a young gen- tleman who had lately been appointed, and who had no other recommendation than his being protedied, appeared at dinner drelTed in all the frivolity of a coxcomb : Potemkin looked at him with a louring obliquity of countenance, and ordered his fecretary to prepare fome dif- patches. When thefe were ready, and before dinner was ended, the young beau was called for, and commanded inftantly to flep into a carriage that was waiting to carry them to the Viceroy of Mofco\v„ There was no refufmg or hefitating; and without even the necelTary cloathing for the feafon, he had fcven hundred verfles, (live hundred Englifli miles) to travel in the dead of winter.
After the Prince's return from the Crimea, the firfl: of the nobility gave him entertain- ments, in which invitation, his fuite was always fuppofed to be included. The Duchefs of Kingfton, willing to immitate thofe of the mofl diftinguiflied rank, and wifhing at the fame time %o affront mc, fent an invitation to Potemkin ;
but
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE ^"f
but inftead of faying nothing about his fuitc, Ihe fent letters of invitation to every indivi- dual officer except myfelf.
The Prince, who hated her, was refolved to take the fame opportunity to mortify her that fhe had deftined to gratify her malice to me; fo contriving that I fliould be on his duty that day, he told me he would give me my revenge, for I Ihould not only go with him, but I fhould lit next her at table.
Being on duty, I was obliged to attend him every where, and accordingly attended him to the Duchefs's, where I, with the reft, proceeded to pay our compliments to her Grace. My bro- ther officers fhe received with politenefs, but when I approached to make my bow, Ihe turned afide from me. When we went to be featcd at table, the Prince, under pretence of fpeaking to me on buiinefs, kept me near him, and fo arranged, that he feated me at the Duchefs's elbow. It would be difficult to depicT: the manner in which fhe fate fretting and fuming all the time of dinner ; havvever I was feated, and fhe could not move ; fhe had therefore jdothing to do but conceal her anger, and that. to a woman of her violence, was no eafy tafk.
Though Potemkin had long ceafed to be the lover of the Imperiar Catherine, he ftill con- tpue4 to govern j and though he was no longer
4^ TllE LliTE OF
an inhabitant of the palace, his houfc had it private communication with the Emprefs's a- partments. Potcmkin had fucceeded Orloff in her affedions ; and Lanlkoi, who had been a Chevalier Garde, with the intervention of a few fhort lived favourites, fucceeded Potemkin. It would however be an endlefs tafk to enume^ rate all the lovers, who fucceflively occupied the favourite's apartments. Thefe confift of a fuite of rooms on the entre fol, very magni- ficent, in which the Favourite (for fo he is always called,) is little better than a ftate prifoner, as he cannot mix in fociety, and all his mo- tions are clofely watched.
Such was the afcendancy of Potemkin, that I have feen him tear an order ligned by the ' Emprefs, and which only wanted his fignature, becaufe it had not been obtained by his means. The Emprefs frequently vifited him in his own apartments, at which time we, (the officers of his fuite) were ordered to attend in the anti- chambers ; fome times flie came unawares, and then all fled hclter-flvelter, and, without waiting orders, repaired to our polls.
Bcfides the houfe where he ufually lived, he had fcvcral rich palaces in the town, to which he occafionally went, and where he kept fer- vants ; he had alfo fome fplcndid apartments in the houfc I have jull defcribed, but thefe he
feldom
MAJOR SEMPLE LlSLES 4g
ftl'Idom ufcd ufllcfs by chance in an evening, when he meant to receive vifits in fome fort of form, but R'lW fans cuiloltcs.
Notwithftanding he treated officers in general very roughly, I always experienced politenefs from him, nor was he even offended with me when I out-manceuvred him, which I once did as follows.
A Colonel who wiflied to have his regiment removed from the place where it was, to an- other province, applied to the Prince for an order, the Prince who had no favourable opi- nion of the Colonel, felt no wifli to oblige him; neverthelefs he told him to dire(5l the fecretaries in the office to make out the order; this was ac- cordingly done, and, in the routine of bufinefs^ prefented with a mafs of other papers to the Prince for his fignature, which his i<ighnef$ however evaded, and continued to do fo for feveral months together, till at length it begun to look fomewhat dirty and was eafily diftin- guifhed.
When papers of this nature were brought before the Prince, it was cuftornary with the officers to arrange them in fuch manner as they thought fit J and as the Colonel had applied ta me, I endeavoured to place it uppermoft; but the Prince continually difappointed me, by ihuffling the papers together like a pack of cards,
E and
50 THELlFEOf
and whenever he came to this, he always threw it alide unfigned.
Anxious to ferve the gentleman who had fo long waited for it, I procured it to be new drawn out and fomewhat altered in form ; when placing it near the top, I prefented the whole together. The Prince fhuffled them as ufual, but not expedling to fee his old friend with a new face, and it happening to fall into his hands, he figned it without difcovering what he had done; nor was he difpleafed when I told him (which I did fome time after) how he had been tricked.
- I was likewife treated with much diftinclion by the Emprefs, from whom I received many prefcnts; one in particular I mention, not from its value, but becaufe it does away every idea of my having left Ruflla in difgrace ; fhe gave me, for fome little fervices I had rendered, a prefent of i;oo ducats of Holland in fpecie, a very few days before my departure. The court of the Emprefs was very fplendid, but fhe was herfelf a wonder of regularity and exertion. Every morn- ing at five her Secretary (Befborodko) attended her, at fix the intendant general of police and Giihers had their audience and received their orders. She dined precifely at twelve, and every evening at nine there was a fupper for the party at court. The Emprefs amufed herfelf with
walking
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 5 1
Walking about, till flie faw theguells feated, and then retired without faying a word or being ob- ferved by the company* ■ .
The great encouragement I had- hitherto re- ceived, had naturally encouraged me to fplendid living; few can bear the idea of retrenching, and I am unfortunately not one of that felf-de- nying clafs. While I -had the Duchefs of Kingfton's houfe, it faved me much money, but now, though I myfelf had a lodging and table at the Prince's, I was obliged to provide quarters for my family at an enormous expence, for houfes are not eafily to be hired at St. Peterf- burgh. Befides, the day of adive fervice was over, and the Prince, though he treated me with much politenefs, did not find me the indifpenfible officer I once was; I therefore ob- tainedleave to retire to Narva, and foon after from the fervice.
I immediately failed from Narva to Copen- hagen, furnifhed with letters of recommenda- tion for Pruffia from feveral of the moft diflin- guifhed charaders at the Ruffian court; parti- cularly from the Count de Goertz, minifter from Berlin, to his brother, then Major-General of cavalry and Aid-du-Camp General to Frederic the Great.
E a CHAP.
52 THE LIFE O'f
CHAP. VII.
The author arrives at Copenhagen juj} after the re^ •volution there. — Anecdotes of the King of Den- mark. — Goes to Pruffta. — Ceremony of entering Potf- dani. — Frederic the Great's mode of receiving re^ ports, — IFaits on Comte de Goert7:>. — Etiquette of prefentation to the King. — Meets fever al dijlin^ guifhed charaHers. — TbeHereditaryPrince' s apart- ments defcribed. — Receives permiffion from the King to attend his manceuvres. — Prefented to the ^leen, at the palace of Shoen Haufen^ near Ber- lin.— Accompanys the Prince onfome private ex- peditions.— Is ordered to leave Potfdam. — 'The order revoked next day. — Defcription of Potfdam., — Defcriptions and afiecdotcs of Frederic the Great. — Excellence of the Pruffian troops.
I ARRIVED at Copenhagen in September 17S4, and was received in a very flattering manner by ftrveral perfons of difl-ind:ion ; here I met that worthy and exalted character, Hugh Elliot, Kfq. the Britifli Minifter at the court of Den- mark. To this gentleman's friendfhip I have the higheft obligations ; his praifes I need not write, they are in the mouths of all who knew hims but I fhould be even more loft to honour
and
MAJOR S£MPLE LISLE. 53
and gratitude than calumny has dared to rcprc- ieiu me, did I not here in the moft public man- ner return him my mod fincere thanks for the almofi: innumerable favours h^ has done me, though I will not pain his generous mind by a recapitulation of them.
The lijttle revolution of Denmark, if indeed it merits that name, had juft taken place, and the Oueen-Mother, to vvhofe tyranny the late Oueen owed her misfortunes, had been banifh- ed to an eftate fome miles from Copenhagen. Affairs had been placed in the hands of the cele- brated Bernfdorff, and a law was palTed (on ac- count of the King's weaknefs, which had indu- ced him to give his lignature to any thing laid before him) that no cdid: (liould be valid unlef^i counterligned by the Prince Royal.
The King vvhofe derangement had rather re- duced him to :the ftateof boyhood than deprived him of reafon, did not much relifli this arrange- ment, though he knew it would be in vain co make complaints. He however contxi:/cd io fhew his diflatisfaclion; for one evening having a number of papers to lign, he defired they might be left till morning, when rhey fhould be ready. . In the morning the MiRiller went to receive them, but to his great furprize, he found the King had fomewhat exceeded his promife; the papers were indeed figned, but his Majefty had
E 3 madp
54 THE LIFE OF
made an addition to his name, and iigned theni Chriftian and Company. A thoufand droll anec- dotes might be related of this monarch, but I cannot confent to raife a laugh at the expenfe of fallen worth and greatnefs.
Having palTed fome time at Copenhagen, and the time of the King of PruHia's evolutions being at hand, I fet off for Berlin. I croffed the Belt, and went through Pomerania to Potfdam, the relidence of Frederic the Great.
Knowing the cuftomary mode ofprefentation and the difcipline pradlifed here, I was not fur- prifed at the ftridlnefs with which I was ex- amined at the gate of the garrifon. Every flfan- ger is afked his name, his age, to whom recqm- mended, his bulinefs in the garrifon, and feveral other queflions of the fame nature. On being afked " What are you ?" I anfwered " A Scots Highlander." " Whence came you.'"' "From the Black Sea." " What is your rank?'* '' Ma- jor of the Ruffian Army and Aid-du-camp to Potemkin." ''What is your bufmefs here?" ^* To compleat my education as a foldier under the firil mafter in the world, your King." ** Have you any letters for the King?" " Nq; but I have for feveral officers, particularly Count de Gocrtz, his Majefty's Aid-du-Camp General." " What inn do you go to?" Having anfwered all thefe queftions, I was fuffered to proceed.
The
1
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE* 55
The accounts given by all ftrangers are laid before the King; and are, if there is any thing extraordinary in the report or perfon, noticed by his Majefty. The old warlike monarch ufed to receive reports in the moft perfed military Ityle; for however engaged in ftudy or bulinefs, his paraphernalia of fword, cane,'hat, and gloves, always lay fo that he could reach them in a moment. A fingle page waited in the anti- chamber; and when any reports were brought, announced them to the King, who putting on his hat, cane, and gloves, and flicking his iword by his lide, made a military hobble, (for age at that time prevented him from raifing his boots,) into the anti-chamber. Here the great Frederic, with all martial form, flood with his hat in his hand till the officer had made his re- port ; and then facing about, he retreated in the fame manner he had before advanced.
As foon as I had drefled myfelf, which in compliment to the King, I did in the Pruflian ftyle, with boots half way up my thigh, and a queue down to my rump, I waited on thofe to whom I had letters, particularly the Count de Goertz, his Majefly's Aid-du-Camp. I aflced him how I might accomplifli the obje(5l of my voyage to Potfdam. He informed me, that for perfons who came recommended it was the eti- quette to write to the King, and alk his per-
E 4 . million
5^ THE llfE OF
milTion to be prefentcd to him, and to appear at his parades and man ceu vres.
I immediately went home, wrote a few lines to the King, addreffcd, (as the Count de Goertz had inilruclcd me,) fimply an Roi ; and fent my letter by my own fervann, in the ufual way. Next morning, at fix o'clock, I received an anfvver, brought to me at my hotel by the King's running footnian. The letter was in amount ^s follows;
<f
Major Semple,
" It is with pleafure I permit you to follow me to the manoeuvres of my troops. As to the prefentation, you muft addrefs yourfelf to Count de Goertz, my Aid-du-Camp General, who is charged with fuch affairs. Upon which, (Major Semple) I pray God tp have you in his Jioly keeping.
t(
FRf-DERIC.'*
This laconic epiflle was fomewhat curious in its form, for it was begun fo clofe to the top of the paper that there was hardly room for the Jetters. About an hour after it reached me, I received a vifit from Count de Goertz, to whom his Majcfty had wrote concerning me, fignify- ing his intention of receiving me that fame day,
at
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. £7
at eleven o'clock; and at the parade I was pre- fented to the Prince.
When thefe prefentations were over, and the parade ended, the King's running footman met me in my way, giving me an invitation to dine with the Prince. This was the etiquette at Potfdam ; for though you are entertained at the Prince's, the invitation is really the King's. The Marquis de Bouille, Monfieur De Cuftine, {fince guillotined at Paris,) and feveral other officers were the fame day prefented, and receiv- ed fimilar invitations.
Notwithftanding the King had feveral empty palaces, the Prince was obliged to content nim- felf with a lodging at a brewer's houfe. Here we all met, in a fmall dining-room : where we had an elegant entertainment, very handfomely
ferved.
This fuite of apartments might be called the Prince's q/le?i/Il^Ie lodgings ; but he had extended them far beyond the brewer's houfe, by occu- pying parts of two or three adjacent houfes. His Majefty was equally niggardly with refpeft to fcrvants, of which he allowed the Prince very few ; but feveral handfome young fellows, who had no warlike inclmations, were glad to purchafe the Prince's livery, and wear it with- out wages, as a protedlion from being forced into the army. Though the enlargement of the
apartments
^8 * THE LIFE OF
apartments might pofTibly be concealed, forty or fifty ftout handfome domeftics could not efcape the penetrating eye of Frederic : he knew in fait every body in Potfdam; and when he jnet any of thefe volunteer lacqueys, never failed to beftow reproachful epithets on them.
The King, whofe curiofity was raifed by the exploits of Potemkin in the Crimea, honoured me with fome marks of attention ; and thus I obtained a fort of indired: leave to relide at Potfdam, (a favour very rarely granted, parti- cularly to military men) ; nor was I unnoticed by the Prince, at whofe parties I frequently made one. Having {cen the King, and having attended different manoeuvres where that in- imitable foldier commanded in perfon, I was recommended by my friends to go to Berlin, in order to be introduced to the Oueen.
I went accordingly ; and Prince Dolgorouki, the Ruffian Envoy there, having introduced mc to the reft of the foreign minifters, I was on the firft public day prefented to her Majefty, by her firft Chamberlain, Pritwitz. It was on this vifit to Berlin that I had the good fortune to become acquainted with the amiable Duke Frederic of Brunfwick, and General MoUen- dorff. Governor of the capital.
After having remained a few days to enjoy the pleafures of Berlin, I returned to Potfdam,
not
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. g^
not without feeling fome reludance at leaving certain connexions I had formed. On my re- turn to Potfdam I waited on the Prince/ who now admitted me more frequently into his pri- vate parties. The Prince coi)fl;antly attended the King's military manoeuvres, and I always accompanied him: his Royal Piighnefs hacj, however, certain private 7?iann^uvres of his own, at which I alfo attended, and with which the King was not acquainted. The great Frederic, as is perfe<5lly known, had no high veneration for the fair fex in general j while the Prince Frederic William was, like myfeif, their devo- ted flave. Though it \\ as no eafy matter to elude the vigilance of the old warrior, the Prince, Baron Groorhaufcn, and myfelf, con- trived now ^nd then to fteal to Berlin without his knowledge.
Though thefe fallies v.erc fome time conceal- ed from the brave old King, it was impoffible they fhould be hid for ever ; in fa^vft they were detedled, qind I had the honour of an intimation. from the Governor of Potfdam, acquainting me that my prefence was no longer necelfary in that garrifon. He would in fadl have ufed his oldefl: general the fame way or worfe. This happened on the parade, in the prefence of the Prince, of whom I immediately took leave; and repaired to my hotel, in order to prepare
for
6p THE LIFE OF
for my journey. The Prince, well acquainted "with my extreme extravagance, and fufpedling I might want money, though he feldom had fufficient for his own purpofes, fent a fervant to me with a handfofne fupply. I then took horfe, and^ attended by one fervant, left Potf- dam.
I flopped at the houfe of a friend, with the intention of palling the night, and waiting the arrival of my baggage and fervant. I wrote from hence, by a xncfTcngQry to the Governor, acquainting him that I had obeyed his Majedy's orders with the alacrity and difpatch I owed to fo great a monarch ; that I hoped he would facilitate the departure of my fervant, by furnifh- inghim the necefTary pafTport : I added, that the keys of Spandau * had made a man tremble who would ftand undaunted before all the ar- tillery of the Houf€ of Brandenburgh.
The Governor granted my rcqued, inti- mating at the fame time that I might, when I pleafcd, return to Potfdam. After pafling fome time at Berlin, where I had now a numerous acquaintance, I accepted the invitation, and returned to that grand military academy, though not as a permanent refidence.
* Spandau is a garrifon not far diftant from Potfdam, where Frederic the Great frequently fent officers who gave him of- fence, and kept them as long as he thought proper.
Potfdam^
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 6i
Potfdam, though certainly the firft fchool for war, was in fad: no very pleafant place to ih- habit. The ftricflnefs of the difcipline rendered every man no better than a flave ; nobody could pafs or repafs the gates witliout being reported ; and to the very garrrfon it nearly was intolera- ble, as the foldiers had there no opportunity, as elfewhere, of earning any thing by their la- bour, as there was no trade or commerce what- ever in that town, its inhabitants being, to a very few exceptions indeed, military.
The King endeavoured to amend their con- dition, by ordering numbers of houfes to be built every year : ftill the foldiers were mifcra- ble ; bur, though fuicide was frequently the re- fult of diflrefs, the veteran monarch was abfo- lutely idolized by them.
Frederic the Great had in his younger days been a very adive man ; but when I faw him, he had upon him much of the infirmity of age* That fliarp, penetrating look, which would have marked him as an extraordinary man, even at a glance, ftill remained ; but he flooped much, and his legs were fcarcely able to fupport his weight, which, however, was not enormous.
He wifhed, as far as poflible, to conceal every appearance of decay ; and would have felt himfeif hurt had any one obferved him mount- ing his horfe. Unable to vault into his faddle
as
THELIFEOF
as he ufed-to do, he always got between his horfc and a wall. This was a fignal for all, ex- cept thofe employed in mounting him, to look another way. As foon as he had got his foot into the ftirrup, a powerful huzza r, in. a twinkling, hoifted his Majefty into his faddle; once there, he galloped off immediately.
Perhaps, hnce the time of Charles XII. of Sweden no prince ever paid lefs attention to drefs than Frederic the. Great. His coat was always military, and feldom, I believe, had its nap difturbed by the officious intrufion of a brufh : this he wore buttoned tight round him i and his legs were cafed in a pair of large ftrong boots. Thefe laft, the date of whofe antiquity I am not chronologift enough to fix, had been held facred from brufh and blacking; but when, overloaded with mud, having been wafhed with a fponge, had gradually deferted the fable, and alTumed a mahogany hue.
His hat was no way calculated to put the reft of his drefs out of countenance ; it feemed their: coeval fellow-foldier, and was fharp before.- As he never fpoke, even to a private foldier, with-, out uncovering and holding it in his hand, the right corner, by which he always held it, ihew- ed evident marks of hard duty.
His fnuff-box, the only gaudy thing about him, was of gold, of an enormous fize, and to
this
MAJOR S E MP LE LISLE. 63
this he was almolt perpetually reforting, not for pinches, but, I had almoft faid, handfulls.
Such was the exterior of Frederic! In fuch a homely cafket was contained a foul capable of conquering and governing tie univerfe! This was the truly great man who, amidft all the hurry of war, cultivated arts at home! The companion of a Voltaire, the avowed enemy of kings J he efteemed this philofophical republi- can, and was beloved in his turn by philofo- phers of all defcriptions. This was he who in the midft of difafters, rofe in proportion to his fuffcrings, and not only refcued his kingdom from ruin, but raifed it to a pitch of greatnefs unparalleled in Europe! Invincible in war, indefatigable in exertions, and inflexible in juf- tice, he never had a fuperior, hardly an equal.
At Potfdam this incomparable Prince occu- pied but three fmall apartments, and thofe in a corner of the vaft palace there. They confifted of a Salle a Manger, which ferved like wife as an anti-chamber, a bed-chamber and a library; thefe, like all the other apartments he ufed, were hung with blue fatin. It muft be confelTed that the hangings were fomewhat worfe for wear, the moths having made free with fuch parts as bed fuited their palates; the very curtains of the King's own bed were fo full of holes, that he might have pretty tolerably reconnoitred the
approach
64 THE LIFE or
approach of a vifitor, without the trouble 0/ withdrawing them.
He lived however but little in this palace, as his principal relidence was at Sajis Souci^ a fhorc diftance from the gates of Potfdam. Here was his favourite retirement ; here he unburthened himfelf from the cares of ftate; here he was the philofopher, the poiilhed fcholar, and he may be properly ftyled the father of the Pruflian helles iettres. His company at Sans Souci was ex- tremely feledj it confifted of the firft literary charad:ers and a few diftinguifhed generals; with thefe he palTed his time in converfation and mufic, in which his excellence, both as a compofer and performer, is admitted by all the world.
While I was in Pruffia, his Majefty had a violent illnefs, a little before the time appoint- ed for the Silelian manoeuvres; his attendance was thought to be impoflible, a circumftance the more remarkable, as, during his long and glorious reign, he had never been difappointed of any military operation for which he had fixed the time, either by fickncfs or bad weather.
However, juft as the feafon approached, and as if fuch was decreed to be the unchangeable fortune of the Great Frederic, he recovered;, contrary to all cxped:ation, and was perfedly able to review his gallant troops as uAial.
During
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 6^
During his illnefs he was fo reduced, that a lufty ftrong huzar was obliged to lift him from his bed to his chair, and back again. One day, when this faithful domeftic was lifting his royal mafter from his bed, the iron heel of his boot flipped on the wax-rubbed boards, fo that he found he muft unavoidably fall ; he had however the prefence of mind to tofs his Majefty on the bed, Avhile he himfelf meafured his length on the floor. Frighted to death, the huzar did not venture to raife his head, and the King who was hardly able to fpeak from debility, was rendered perfedly fpeechlefs with laughter at the droll accident. As foon as he recovered his fpeech^ he encouraged the honclt foldier to rife, and conceived fuch a liking to him for his fudden refource of thought, that he never would part with him from about his perfon.
From Sans Souci, the King ufed to gallop al- moll full fpeed to Potfdam to the parades, which he feldom miffed ; he was attended only by two pages, who not being fo well mounted, had frequently much difficulty to keep up with him. When he arrived there, he rode brifkly along the line, fometimes without fpeaking a word, and fometimes he would converfe with the Governor, the other general officers, and fuch ftrangers as had been prefented,
F It
66 THELIFEOF
It is impoflible, without having feen the Pruf- lian troops, to form an idea of their appearance and difcipline; no miftakes ever happen, no awkwardnefs is to be feen; they feem rather dif- ferent branches of the fame grand machine than dillindl beings. Every thing is perfedt, every thing is in a ftate of readinefs ; fo that were it neceffary to fend the whole army to the frontiers, or further, in an inftant they would begin their march.
The Great Frederic ufed to pay vifits on horfe- back, with little ceremony ; of which an inftance happened, in the beginning of the winter 1784, when the then reigning Duke of Courland came to Potfdam, to pay his refpedls to his Pruflian Majefty. The Duke had taken up his refidence at an hotel clofe to the parade, but by no means the bcfl: in the place. Here in a little, fliabby parlour, was his Serene Highnefs, dreffed in the moll fplendid ftylc, blazing with diamonds, and covered with the richefl: embroideries. In this place, immediately on his arrival, he had the honour of a vifit from the King, who in his old uniform coat and other ufual accoutrements, 'rode up to the door of the hotel, alighted in a mom.ent, and without further ceremony went into the parlour; he flopped a few minutes in converfation, when he took leave, remounted his
horfe.
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 67
horfe, and rode away with as little ceremony aS he had approached.
The Prince and Princcfs was kept under fuch reftraint by the King, that it was next to impof- lible for them to enjoy any picafure. But when his Majefly was gone to any diilance, which pre- cluded the pofTibility of his return for a day or two, the Princefs never failed to give a ball, at the palace of Charlottcnburgh, in the park of Berlin. To thefe aflemblies, which were very gay, thQ officers of the Gens d'Armes^ and variety of the mod falhionable and noble perfonages were admitted ; but the Princefs was obliged to be at home before the King's return to Potf- dam.
CHAP. VIII.
The author leaves PruJJia and returns to Denmark. — Sets out for England, inhere he arrives in Decern^ her 1784. — Frequently vijits the Continent in the courfe of the two following years. — Bef peaks d travelling pojl-chaife of Mr. Lycet. — Mr. Lycet, not being able to arreji him for the debt, twelve months after the delivery of the carriage , proceeds CRIMINALLY againjl him. — The unhappy confe- quences. — Sends a model of a f addle and accoutre^
F 2 , ment
68
TH£ LIFE OF
meni to the King of Prujfia. — Obtains his pardon, and goes to France. — Forms an intimacywith fome of the mojl dijiingtiifhed charaEiers there. — Pro- ceedings of the Con'uentiont and anecdotes of the per - fans principally concerned in the maffacre of the King, 'zcu'th the proceffion to his trial.
In November 1784, I left Prudia, and by the way of Lubeck, went again to Copenhagen; here I flaid a few days. I then fet out for Eng- land, charged with letters for government from Mr. Elliot, and arrived on the 23d of Decem- ber. I delivered the packet, with which I was intrufted, according to inftrudlions, and having fpent fome little time in London, I returned to the Continent, partly to gratify my turn for military operations, and partly on confidential bufinefs. I continued to go backward and for- ward as bufinefs or inclination led me, till an event took place, which firft fitted my name for the mouth of calumny, and which has humbled me in my own ty^^, more than in thofe of the public. Though this has been told and retailed a thoufand' times, and though I am far from ac- cufing either a judge or a jury, of willing injuf- tice, ftill will I boldly affirm, that it is not only poflible for both to be mifiaken, but that it is often impofllble for any but the man himfelf to judge of his own ititentms. The cafe flood thus
with.
-MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 69
with me: I had befpoke a travelling poft-chaife of a coach-maker, Mr. Lycet. It was ordered to be finifhed on a particular day, and on that day he fent it home. My then fituation render- ed fuch a carriage neceffary for me, and I w as at that time able to pay for it ; but my fatal turn for extravagance foon put that out of my power. After remaining fome time in town, I went again to the Continent, and during twelve months, paffed and repaffed very frequently; on which occalions feveral attempts were made to arrejl vie for the debty nor was there any idea of calling it a fraud, till a year after the carriage was delivered to me at 7ny lodgings at Knights-Bridge. I am far from vindicating the non-payment ofa jufl: debt, but I folemnly declare that I had not the fmalleft idtfa of defrauding the coach-maker, I had occaiion for a carriage; I was in a good fituation, though very carelefs and extravagant. But were every fafhionable young man, who buys a pofl-chaife, without conlidering how it is to be paid for, as ftridly dealt by as I was, the Newgate Calendar would, I fear, become an al- moft indifpenfible fupplement to the Red Book. It is true, Mr. Lycet fwore that I had hired the carriage only for a week; but had he ruot fworn it, would it have appeared credible, that he would fit up a new carriage for a week's hire? The attempt to arreft me was admitted; befides,
F 3 in
yO THELIFEOF
in his books there appeared an erafurey where the word hired was. Had it been originally fo, what need to alter it? If it was not, fome other word mull have- occupied that place. What that word was, or when erafed, Mr. Ly- cet befl: knows.
It is further remarkable, that he produced po perfon in court to whom he had complained of the robbery ; he had applied to no magiftrate, jior had he even entertained an idea of commen- cing a criminal profecution, till, as himfelf confelTed, he had been advijcd to it. Contrary however to the expedation of every Lawyer in court, the judge who tried me, was of opinion that the jury fhould find me guilty oi a felonious intention. »
After fuch a charge delivered by the Judge, it cannot excite much furprife, that I was found guilty, and that I was fentenced to feven years tranfportation.
Notwithftanding this had been the opinion of the Judge^ and the determination of the Jury^ \t weighed very little with thofe who knew me, and who exerted themfelves to extricate me from my difficulties.
I was of courfe committed to the charge of the keeper of Newgate, by whom I was lodged in the flate apartments of that prifon. Here I jiiad a room to myfelf; and having much fpare
time.
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 7I
time, I invented a faddle and accoutrement for cavalry, which faddle I find recently adopted in the Britifh army, with little alteration.
My model I fent to his Majefty Frederic William of PrulTIa, who had then jufl fucceeded the immortal Frederic the Great, accompanied by a letter, of which atranflation is here annex- ed, and which, at that time, appeared in moft of the periodical prints, in French and Englifh.
(TRANSLATION.)
(The original being wrote in French.)
"To THE KING. Potsdam.
♦' SIRE,
" When I had the honour of being prefented to your Majefty, on my return from the invafion of the Crimea, the gracious recep- tion which I met withj and the ftrong proof which your Majefty deigned to give me, (in a* moment of difgrace,) of your uncommon gene- roiity and condefcenlion, rivetted thofe chains, by which, as a man devoted to the profellion of war, I was already attached to your perfon.
* See Page 60.
F 4 « Such
72 THE LIFE OF
" Such, Sire, is my paffion for martial affairs, and fuch my vcneraiion for the PruHian arms, that even in difgrace and bondage, while afflic- tions are dealt to me with more than common liberality, flill my whole foul is occupied by the glorious fcenes I have feen, and ftill my diftrad- ed imagination holds to my view your Majefly's godlike troops. • ;.
*' Your cavalry, the fineft in the world, I have often gazed on with rapture, and the par- ticular attention which I payed to their accou- trements, occaiioned me to make fome remarks, which I now beg leave, with the moil: refpedlful fubmiflion, to lay before your Majefly, along with an accoutrement for light-horfe, an in- vention of my own, and which I had prepared to lay in perfon at your Majefty's feet, when I was prevented by the difgrace and deftrudlion, into which I was plunged, by unbounded extra- vagance, and ungoverncd paflions. Unable to adorn my tale, I will without further apology, proceed in the plain language ofafoldier, to point out the difadvantages which your Majef- ty's, and indeed all the cavalry on the Conti- nent of Europe, labour under by the prefent mode of faddling.
" It is an eftablifhed cuflom in your Maje- fly's cavalry to place the faddle on the fhoul-
der
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. ' 73
der of the horfe, by which means he is confined in his movement, travels with great inconve- nience to himfelf, is foon fatigued, is fubjedt to have fiftulas from the continual motion of his Ihoulders under the faddle; and, when he be- comes fatigued, having the weight of his rider fo much forwards, is fubjecl to ftumble. Was the faddle placed in fuch manner as to expofe entirely to view the fhouldcr, it would add grace to the appearance, give eafc to the horfe, render him more aciivc, lefs fubjed to an ulce- rated back, lefs apt to ftumble, and when he did ftumble, would be eafily recovered by his rider, who, being feated about the middle of his horfe's back, would fit firm, and have great command.
*' My prefent lituation renders it impradii- cable for me to convey my accoutrem.ent for light-horfe to your Majcfty by any other means than that of your Majcfty's Minifter at London. To enter into a defcription of this accoutre- ment would exceed the bounds of a letter. My earneft prayer is, that your Majcfty would faftcr it to be laid before you, when I hope its ap- pearance will fay more in its favolir than I could fay in a volume. I will, however, fo far ob- ferve, that it is well calculated for parade, for (Cafe, for fervice, and to encourage the men to clofe to the enemy, the only means by which
cavalry
■s? . J f
V -J
''
7i
Tf F LIFE or
cavalry can be icoubtablcor fucccfsful. Should it meet with you Majcdy's approbation, and Ihould it be Ibuncto poficfs the qualities which I have attempted to defcribc, I Ihall cltccm myfelt' the molt ictunate man on earth.
" I'he hour in wlch 1 muft be liberated, though, alas! 'tis too dillat, nevcrthelefs advances ; and as it approaches,! tremble for the diffij which I Ihall hav to encounter: that uhich mankind i general have lor t] tunate, will throwjji^^^kuitable dii
0
jerty me,
Moh luffc:
ii
grc:adicrs, I dull be :., viH watt tbc hoar of mf enlargement -y gnatwMi, and,
wben it cornea, flj to tg-. -.. Jard-
** With anxsous inipat-'r - T attend the iea- terxe which jonr Ma; ' - ^ooounce. Oa it depends tssjfxtcl
** I hare the hoootzr to e. Sire, with all dMt cnihaBifm wiach fo gfcat Captain as joor Ma^ jsfly can infpire in die f
" Your i^-.-
ted a pr ' ' - 5 a ccT— -
|b Majefir's pedon,
Toaragement Ir.^f ' i::aent, and *
I wii::^^ .7^ time, I cooditioacif
:. tieer.
I cc
X
74 "^KE LIFE OF
cavalry can be redoubtable or fuccefsful. Should in meet with your Majefty's approbation, and Ihould it be found to poffefs the qualities which I have attempted to defcribe, I fhall efteem myfclf the moft fortunate man on earth.
*' The hour in which I mufl: be liberated, though, alas! 'tis too diftant, neverthelefs advances ; and as it approaches, I tremble for the difficulties which I fhall have to encounter: that averfion which mankind in general have for the unfor- tunate, will throw unfurmountable difficulties in my way, unlefs your Majefly, as confpicuous for compadion as for military talent, will fuffer me to (land as a volunteer in the ranks with your grenadiers ; there I may find an opportunity of periihing as I ought ; further I do not expedl. I have forfeited all claim to confidence, of couife, to command; and only feck fuch a grave, as (in fpite of my prefent difgrace) the hard fer- vice which I have feen, and the dangers which I have braved, give me fome title to demand.
" If it is a fad, Sire, that men of courage are ever pofTefTcd of the moft tender feelings, I can no where look for compaffion, for pity, or par- don, with fuch hopes of fuccefs, as to your Ma- jefly, and your gallant army ! Have mercy on me, Sire, and command your brave General de Mollendorff to announce to me, that you will fuffer me to carry armiS with your Majefty's
grenadiers.
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 75
grenadiers, I lliall be happy ! will wait the hour of my enlargement with refignation, and, when it comes, fly to your ftandard.
** With anxious impatience I attend the fen- tence which your Majefty will pronounce. On it depends my fate !
'* I have the honour to be. Sire, with all that enthuiiafm which fo great a Captain as your Ma- jefty can infpire in the foul of a foldier.
Sept. 1790*
" Your Majesty's " Moft humble, ** Faithful and devoted fervant.'*
I remained a prifoner in the ftate apartments of Newgate a confiderable while. I was then fent to Woolwich, where, after fome time, I received his Majefty's pardon, on condition of going abroad.
The encouragement I had formerly received on the Continent, and the protedlion that I had fome reafon to exped from the King of Pruflia, inclined me to go to Germany ; but my friends advifed me rather to go to France, then at pea<"e with, and receiving fupplies of every thing from England. They very properly fupporteJ .ncir arguments by truths which I could not deny ;
ti.ut
Jb THE LIFE or
that the bare pay was too fmall for my turn of mind, and that France then deprived of her befl: officers wanted men of tried fkill and experience, and therefore held out a fairer profped to me. I yielded to thefe reafons and went to France, where I remained fome time an inadtive fpecfta- tor, till want of fubliftence forced me to apply to the Committee of War for employment. But already difgufted by their villainous proceedings, I declined accepting any fituation, though my advice was frequently taken refpeding the new corps they were forming. Curious however to fee the event of the King's trial, I determined to remain on the fpot until that was over, and was accordingly obliged to conceal my fenti- mcnts.
I had now formed a ftrid intimacy with General Beruyer, Commandant of the interior, a fituation often miftaken for that of Comman- dant of Paris, whereas in truth they are very diifcrent: the General has the command of all the troops in the interior, but the Commandant of Paris has only the command of the national guard in that city ; the former, Beruyer, was an old and excellent foldier ; the latter, Santerre, was a brewer. With Beruyer I went upon all his little excurfions. I was likewife very inti- mate with Pache, the minifler of war, Pethion^
Roland
MAJOR SEMPLE LISIE. 77
Roland, and feveral others of the then leaders of France, moft of whom have lince been guillo- tined.
During my abode in Paris, I was an eye-wit-, nefsofmany fhocking malTacres, and I cannot help wondering at my own efcapes; for at a time when liveries were forbidden to all but the foreign minifters, and brilliant equipages wholly out of ufe, I had both of the moft fplendid kind, and was generally called an arifiocrate^ a re- proach I did not take much pains to contradid:. The time fixed fbr the trial of the unfortunate Louis now drew near, and vaft preparations were made for that purpofe. During this time the violence of the Jacobin party daily increafed, though it had not then reached its height of wanton and indifcriminate murder.
When the day arrived for the King to appear before the Convention, I, with Mr. Maxwell, went in the fuite of Beruyer, to fetch him; the whole way was lined with troops, and the con- courfe of people was immenfe. The unhappy monarch was found drefled in a morning- coat of grey Bath coating, a v/aiftcoat, and, I think, breeches of the fame; his hair rolled up, and his beard long, not expecting, as we imagined, a
vifit of that kind.*
A lingular
* Clery fays that the King ^<7<^ received private intelligence, and defcribes the means by v/hich fugh intelligence was ob- tained.
^8 THE LIFE OF
A lingular delay happened, and for a time re- tarded the procefTion. The * decree of the Con- vention, ordering the King to be brought before them, had been forgotten ; a meffenger was there- fore d-ifpatched for it, and on his return it was read to his Majefty, who bowed and complied. Though there had elap fed fufficient time from the hour of Chambon's arrival at the Temple for him to have changed his cloaths, he went dreffed as I have juft defcribed.
From the King's wavering condudl, in his attempt to efcape from the country, and on other occafions, I had formed the idea of his being a very weak and irrefolute charader ; but I was far miflaken, for his examination con- vinced me, that he wanted neither courage nor talents, and indeed from that day I became de- voted to him.
With the utmoft coolnefs and intrepidity, he anfwered interrogatories, which he could not pofiibly forefee, and while his whole conduct
talned. But at that time this circumftance was unknown to any except thofe immediately concerned.
* Clery mentions, that though Chambon, Maire of Paris, was announced before eleven o'clock, as being with the coun- cil below, and coming up immediately to fpeak with the King, he did not appear before one ; as the caufe of this delay was only whifpered among the general ftaff, it could not well come to Mr. Clery 's knowledge.
evinced
MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE, 79
evinced firmnefs of mind, his anfvvcrs ihev*'ed that he poiFefled a clear underftanding, far above the ftandard of mediocrity.
When the King arrived at the hall of the Convention, he alighted from his carriage, and the general-officers quitted their horfes. San- terre and the municipal officers led the van ; the King walked next, clofe followed by Be~ ruyer. They paiTed along the Corridor till they came oppofite a fmall chamber, into which Santerre informed the King he muft go, while his arrival was announced to the Convention.
The King then addreffing himfelf to Beruyer, who always treated him politely, defired to have fome refreffiment ; on which the General told him he might have bread and wine, and he immediately fent for a bottle of the beft claret, *' vin de la fete.'*
His Majelly had drank a goblet of wine, eaten a morfel of bread, and was filling his glafs again, when Santerre entered the room, faying, *' Louis Capet! la Convention Nationale vous de- mande a fa harre.'" To this rude addrefs the King replied with a bow, and inftantly obeyed.
The firm conduct of this unfortunate mo- narch I have already remarked : it was fuch as difarmed many of his enemies ; and every friend to humanity entertained hopes of the moft fa- vourable kind. The examination ended, the
King
8o t:helifeof
King returned with the fame guards. The whole was, however, thrown into confufion, by fome battalions refufing to let Santcrre, (who had been delayed at the hall of the Convention,) pafs them, in order to get into his proper place, next to the King's carriage. Santerre