travellers of their own, as well as other nations.
But as the murdered, and murderers, are generally foot-travellers,
though the dead body is found, the murderer is escaped;
and as nobody knows either party, nobody troubles
themselves about it. All over France, you meet
with an infinite number of people travelling on foot,
much better dressed than you find, in general, the
stagecoach gentry in England. Most of these foot-travellers
are young expensive tradesmen, and artists, who have
paid their debts by a light pair of heels; when their
money is exhausted, the stronger falls upon the weaker,
knocks out his brains, and furnishes himself with
a little money; and these murders are never scarce
heard of above a league from the place where they are
committed; for which reason, you never meet a foot-traveller
in France, without arms, of one kind or other, and
carried for one purpose, or the other.
Gentlemen, however, who travel only in the day-time,
and who are armed, have but little danger to apprehend;
yet it is necessary to be upon their guard when they
pass through great woods, and to keep in the middle
of the road, so as not to be too suddenly surprized;
because a convenient opportunity may induce
two or three honest travellers to embrace a
favourable occasion of replenishing their purses;
and as they always murder those whom they attack, if
they can, those who are attacked should never submit,
but defend themselves to the utmost of their power.
Though the woods are dangerous, there are, in my opinion,
plains which are much more so; a high hill which commands
an extensive plain, from which there is a view of
the road some miles, both ways, is a place where a
robber has nothing to fear but from those whom he
attacks; and he is morally certain of making his escape
one way or the other: but in a wood, he may be
as suddenly surprized, as he is in a situation to
surprize others; for this reason, I have been more
on my guard when I have seen people approach me on
an extensive plain, than when I have passed through
deep woods; nor would I ever let any of those people
come too near my chaise; I always shewed them the utmost
distance, and made them return the compliment,
by bidding them, if they offered to come out of their
line, to keep off: this said in a peremptory
manner, and with a stern look, is never taken ill by
honest men, and has a forcible effect upon rascals,
for they immediately conclude you think yourself superior
to them, and then they will think so too: whatever
comes unexpected, is apt to dismay; whole armies have
been seized with a panic from the most trifling artifice
of the opposite general, and such as, by a minute’s
reflection, would have produced a contrary effect:
the King’s troops gave way at Falkirk; the reason
was, they were dismayed at seeing the rebels (I
beg pardon) come down pell mell to attack
them with their broad swords! it was a new way of
fighting, and, they weakly thought, an invincible one;