in the wars.  And indeed I burned with impatience to be a soldier; but being yet too young, I was forced to make a campaign at Bidache —­[A principality belonging to the family of the Grammonts, in the Province of Gascony.]—­before I made one in the army.  When I returned to my mother’s house, I had so much the air of a courtier and a man of the world, that she began to respect me, instead of chiding me for my infatuation towards the army.  I became her favourite, and finding me inflexible, she only thought of keeping me with her as long as she could, while my little equipage was preparing.  The faithful Brinon, who was to attend me as valet-de-chambre, was likewise to discharge the office of governor and equerry, being, perhaps, the only Gascon who was ever possessed of so much gravity and ill-temper.  He passed his word for my good behaviour and morality, and promised my mother that he would give a good account of my person in the dangers of the war; but I hope he will keep his word better as to this last article than he has done as to the former.

“My equipage was sent away a week before me.  This was so much time gained by my mother to give me good advice.  At length, after having solemnly enjoined me to have the fear of God before my eyes, and to love my neighbour as myself, she suffered me to depart, under the protection of the Lord and the sage Brinon.  At the second stage we quarrelled.  He had received four hundred louis d’or for the expenses of the campaign:  I wished to have the keeping of them myself, which he strenuously opposed.  ‘Thou old scoundrel,’ said I, ’is the money thine, or was it given thee for me?  You suppose I must have a treasurer, and receive no money without his order.  I know not whether it was from a presentiment of what afterwards happened that he grew melancholy; however, it was with the greatest reluctance, and the most poignant anguish, that he found himself obliged to yield.  One would have thought that I had wrested his very soul from him.  I found myself more light and merry after I had eased him of his trust; he, on the contrary, appeared so overwhelmed with grief, that it seemed as if I had laid four hundred pounds of lead upon his back, instead of taking away these four hundred louis.  He went on so heavily, that I was forced to whip his horse myself, and turning to me, now and then, ‘Ah! sir,’ said he, my lady did not think it would be so.  ’His reflections and sorrows were renewed at every stage; for, instead of giving a shilling to the post-boy, I gave him half-a-crown.

“Having at last reached Lyons, two soldiers stopped us at the gate of the city, to carry us before the governor.  I took one of them to conduct me to the best inn, and delivered Brinon into the hands of the other, to acquaint the commandant with the particulars of my journey, and my future intentions.