who took care of this prison had lived in our neighbourhood at Cambray, and seemed much affected on seeing our present distress. It gave her particular concern to see us go off in carts, whilst all the other prisoners, a few men excepted, were provided with coaches to their separate destinations; she thought as many others that we were exposed in carts that we might lie more open to insult.
Monday evening we arrived at Noyon. Words cannot describe the terror we here felt: the carts had no sooner stopped in the middle of the market-place than thousands assembled in the most tumultuous manner around us; for nuns to appear in their religious dress was at that time the worst of crimes. Some talked of tearing us to pieces, others were for burying us alive with the proscribed dress, as they termed it. The guards who conducted us endeavoured repeatedly to speak in our favour, but so great was the noise and riot amongst the populace, whose numbers had in a short time increased to a dreadful degree, that not a word could be heard. Not only the streets, but the windows and house-tops were crowded with spectators. The hussars, finding it impossible to keep order, called up the soldiers quartered in the town, by whose assistance we were taken out of the carts half dead with fright, after being detained in the marketplace near an hour amidst a variety of the most outrageous insults and threats. One instance may suffice to show the disposition of the people in our regard. One of our company, a very old lady, being taken out of the cart, finding herself unable to stand leant against the horse which stood next her, upon which the beast immediately kicked her; the rabble set up the most exulting shouts and clapped their hands for joy. The soldiers who came to assist ours, guarded us that night, and were extremely civil; from motives of compassion
