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December, 17092, a travellor, pausime on the summit of the mountain at the foot of which rolls the river Moine, near the village ol Saint- Crépin, would have looked down upon strange spectacle.

[e would have perecived thick volumes of smoke rising from the roofs and windows of cottages, succeeded by fierce tongues of flame, and in the crimson glare of the increasing conflagration the olitter of arms. 2\ Republican bricade of twelve or fhifteen hundred men had found the village of Saint-Crépin abandoned, and had setitina blaze. Apart from the rest stood acottage, which had been 1eft untouched by the flames. At the door were stationed two sentinels. Inside, sitting at a table, was o young man, who appearcd to be from Lwenty to twenty-two years old. His long, fair hair waved round his clear-cut features, and his blue mantle, but half concealing his figure, left revealed the cpaulettes of a general. - He was tracing on a map by the light of a lamp the route his soldiers must follow. "This man was General Marceeau,

“Alexandre,” he said, turning to his sleeping companion, *wake up; an order has arrived from General Westermann,” and he handed the despatch to his col- league,

" Who brought the order.”

“ Delmar, the people’s representative.” Very good. Where do POOY devils assemble #

“In a wood a league and a hall from this place. Tt is here upon the map.”

Then orders, given in a low voice, broke up the group of coldiers extended round

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these

the cvening of the 1zth of

the ashes which had oncee been o village. The e of soldiers descended the 1’0:“,1\\'&}' which separates Saint-Crépin from Mont- tavucon, and when, =ome ~ceonds atter, the moon shone forth between two clouds upon the long Tines of bavonets, they scemed to resemble asgreat black serpent with scales of stecl ghiding awayv into the darknes-.

They marched thus for half an hour, Marceaw at their head. The studv he had mide of the localities prevented him from missing the route, and after a quarter of an hour’s further march they perceived before them the black mass of the forest. Accord- g to their mstructions, it was there that the inhabitants of some villases and the remnants of several armics were to assemble to hear mass; altoecther about cighteen hundred Rovalists, |

The two generals separated their Tittle troop mto scveral partics, with orders to surrownd the forest. As they advanced thus in a cirele, 1t scemed that the olade which formed the centre of the forest was lighted up. Still approaching, thev could distinguish the glare of torches, and soon, a5 objects became more distinet, a strange scene burst upon their sight.

Upon an altar, roughly represented by ome piles of stones, stood the cure of (he village of Sainte-Marie-de-Rhé, chanting the mass ; erouped round him was a circle of old men grasping torches, and, upon their women and children were prayving. DBetween the Republicans and this group a wall of soldicis was placed. Tt was cvident that the Royvalis=ts had been warned.,

They did not wait to be attacked, hut opened hre at once upon thelr assailants, who advanced without firing a single shot. The priest still continued chunting the mass. \When the Republicans were thirty paces froim their enemies the first rank

Kk nees,