months?" On being assured that had been done, he seemed for an instant at a loss what to say. After a short pause he gave orders that we should be totally out of the house in half a quarter of an hour; that he would not allow us to take either trunk or box, but only each person a small bundle. His manner of speaking appeared so strangely insulting, it threw us into the greatest terror, so that amidst the hurry and confusion of so sudden and unexpected a calamity, overwhelmed with sorrow in being turned out of our much beloved abode, and for want of time to collect together our few clothes, many came away with only what they had then on. At that afflicting moment, the future want of necessaries found little or no place in our distressed minds. We were almost stupefied with grief. The procuratrix petitioned to bring away a small book which contained a few memorandums very useful to herself, but the man whom she addressed tore the book from her hand, telling her instantly to fetch brandy for the hussars, which command she was obliged to obey, whilst this barbarous man was running about the house with a club in his hand to hasten and affright us to be gone.
Thus in less than half an hour we were completely out and dispossessed of our whole property, without being able to learn of any one what was to be our fate, but thought death would soon have followed, and expected to be despatched by the fatal guillotine. On approaching the street door we found a coach and two carts, each strongly guarded by a detachment of hussars on horseback with drawn swords. We were hurried away with much precipitation. The guards seemed greatly displeased at this barbarous usage—some of them even shed tears, and on the road, with the most feeling compassion, even lent their own cloaks to those religious who were in the uncovered carts, to shelter them in some degree from the intense cold.
