be believed, for his health, but in order to ingratiate himself with the important foreigners whom he thought to find there, learn some of the enemy’s plans, and come back with an account of them to the King, who would, no doubt, reward him for his zeal.  But he was deceived in his calculation.  Aix-la-Chapelle, generally so full of foreigners of rank, was this year, owing to the war, almost empty.  M. de Lauzun found, therefore, nobody of consequence from whom he could obtain any useful information.  Before his return, he visited the Marechal de Villeroy, who received him with all military honours, and conducted him all over the army, pointing out to him the enemy’s post; for the two armies were then quite close to each other.  His extreme anxiety, however, to get information, and the multitude of his questions, irritated the officers who were ordered to do the honours to him; and, in going about, they actually, at their own risk, exposed him often to be shot or taken.  They did not know that his courage was extreme; and were quite taken aback by his calmness, and, his evident readiness to push on even farther than they chose to venture.

On returning to Court, M. de Lauzun was of course pressed by everybody to relate all he knew of the position of the two armies.  But he held himself aloof from all questioners, and would not answer.  On the day after his arrival he went to pay his court to Monseigneur, who did not like him, but who also was no friend to the Marechal de Villeroy.  Monseigneur put many questions to him upon the situation of the two armies, and upon the reasons which had prevented them from engaging each other.  M. de Lauzun shirked reply, like a man who wished to be pressed; did not deny that he had well inspected the position of the two armies, but instead of answering Monseigneur, dwelt upon the beauty of our troops, their gaiety at finding themselves so near an enemy, and their eagerness to fight.  Pushed at last to the point at which he wished to arrive, “I will tell you, Monseigneur,” said he, “since you absolutely command me; I scanned most minutely the front of the two armies to the right and to the left, and all the ground between them.  It is true there is no brook, and that I saw; neither are there any ravines, nor hollow roads ascending or descending; but it is true that there were other hindrances which I particularly remarked.”

“But what hindrance could there be,” said Monseigneur, “since there was nothing between the two armies?”

M. de Lauzun allowed himself to be pressed upon this point, constantly repeating the list of hindrances that did not exist, but keeping silent upon the others.  At last, driven into a corner, he took his snuff-box from his pocket.

“You see,” said he, to Monseigneur, “there is one thing which much embarrasses the feet, the furze that grows upon the ground, where M. le Marechal de Villeroy is encamped.  The furze, it is true, is not mixed with any other plant, either hard or thorny; but it is a high furze, as high, as high, let me see, what shall I say?”—­and he looked all around to find some object of comparison—­“as high, I assure you, as this snuffbox!”