They were civil to the victors, but severe
towards their late ruler. "The citizens," says Knox, "particularly
the females, reproach M. Vaudreuil upon every occasion,
and give full scope to bitter invectives." He praises the agreeable
manners and cheerful spirit of the Canadian ladies, concerning
whom another officer also writes: "It is very surprising
with what ease the gayety of their tempers enables them to
bear misfortunes which to us would be insupportable. Families
whom the calamities of war have reduced from the height of
luxury to the want of common necessaries laugh, dance, and
sing, comforting themselves with this reflection--_Fortune de
guerre_. Their young ladies take the utmost pains to teach our
officers French; with what view I know not, if it is not that
they may hear themselves praised, flattered, and courted without
loss of time."[819]
[Footnote 819: _Alexander Campbell to John Floyd, 22 Oct. 1759_. Campbell
was a lieutenant of the Highlanders; Lloyd was a Connecticut
merchant.]
Knox was quartered in a small stable, with a hayloft above
and a rack and manger at one end: a lodging better than fell
to the lot of many of his brother officers; and, by means of a
stove and some help from a carpenter, he says that he made
himself tolerably comfortable. The change, however, was an
agreeable one when he was ordered for a week to the General
Hospital, a mile out of the town, where he was to command
the guard stationed to protect the inmates and watch the
enemy.
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