greatest confidence of the almost total annihilation of the invaders, and as the account he gave at one place always agreed with what he had represented at another, the intelligence received general credit, and spread like a fire-brand in every direction, among the ill-treated and exasperated Prussians, who were already ripe for any act of vengeance against their oppressors, and who at length compelled their sovereign to adopt decisive measures[1].
Although, on these occasions. Captain Willoughby purchased permission to spend his evenings unattended by the gen d’arme, he was perfectly aware, that his constant communication with those who were disaffected to France, could not but be well known to him; but as by so doing, he felt that he was acting well in the great cause, and not infringing the terms of the document, unjustly withheld by St. Cyr, he was quite indifferent as to the notice that might be taken of his conduct by the French government; nor was he surprised to find himself conducted to a prison the moment he had crossed the Rhine.
At Mayence, Captain Willoughby was confined in the same prison with three officers who had been condemned to death, and were in hourly expectation of being called out to face a file of musketeers: these unfortunate men had formerly belonged to the gallant corps under Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick, who, in his romantic retreat from Saxony to the Weser (1809), was obliged to leave them, and all his other badly wounded followers, to the mercy of an implacable enemy.
After remaining about six weeks at Mayence, Captain Willoughby was removed to Metz, in Lorraine, where he enjoyed the liberty of walking about the town unattended, but under the surveillance of the police; an indulgence, he now, for the first time, obtained without money.
At the end of 12 or 14 days (April 20, 1813), Napoleon Buonaparte likewise arrived at Metz, accompanied by Marshal Berthier, with whom he was proceeding to join the newly
- ↑ A treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive, between the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia, wai signed by their respective plenipotentiaries, Feb. 22, 1813.
