The Regiment of Picardy, consisting of about 1,400 horse and foot (among them was a captain whom I knew), being come to town, I took horses for myself and servant, and marched under their protection to Boulogne. It was a miserable spectacle to see how these tattered soldiers pillaged the poor people of their sheep, poultry, corn, cattle, and whatever came in their way; but they had such ill pay, that they were ready themselves to starve.
As we passed St. Denis, the people were in uproar, the guards doubled, and everybody running with their[Pg 259] movables to Paris, on an alarm that the enemy was within five leagues of them; so miserably exposed was even this part of France at this time.
The 30th, I got to Paris, after an absence of two months only.