was not collected amongst them and sent to the district before ten o'clock next morning, they should be punished with the greatest rigour. The prisoners being by no means able to furnish the demanded sum, were on the 11th of March stinted to coarse brown bread and water. Many of us were still unwell when this severe order came out—some were even confined to their beds.
Six red herrings, which we happened to have by us when this command was given, was all that we had for three days, not being allowed to buy anything, not even a little salt. A surgeon of Compiègne, who had attended us during sickness, was compassionate enough to go to the district when the members were assembled, to beg as a favour they would permit a little broth to be procured for Dame Alexander, who was near eighty years old, and had been confined to her bed six weeks of a fever which terminated in an imposthume; but this indulgence was not granted; all we profited by the well-intentioned charity of this good man was a heap of compliments of condolence from the mayor and other magistrates for grievances which they themselves inflicted.
Our wants growing every day greater, we applied at last to some of the inhabitants of Compiègne for needlework; but the windows of the room we occupied being partly made up, little could be done, so that in order to raise money to buy bread we contrived privately to sell, though at great loss, a few gold crosses, &c., which we happened to have about us when we left Cambray.
The magistrates, finding nothing could be obtained from the above place, were every day still more importunate with the prisoners for money, which they had not to give. One day they came to take away the beds, which consisted of each a mattress and one blanket, but a charitable friend advanced money on condition they would leave ours one month longer; at the expiration of which they
