Page:Memoirs of a Huguenot Family.djvu/225

 Rh ." She then said, "Are you the Commander of this party?"

"I am, Madam."

"Wait a moment," said she, "and I will give you my keys." As she handed them to him, she begged he would restrain his followers within the bounds of propriety. He promised to do so.

"In making terms with you, I forgot to name my library," said I. "I hope that you will not take advantage of my omission, but allow me to retain my books, which are of great value to me, and can be of no use to you or your followers."

He promised that they should be spared, and he placed a guard at the door of my study; but very soon the men forced their way there, as elsewhere, and took possession of all my handsomest books, leaving behind but few, and those the shabbiest in external appearance.

My house was well furnished; and as we had not thought of a surrender until it actually took place, we had not had time or opportunity for secreting any thing. We were stripped of every thing, furniture, linen, clothing, even to our very coats, which, in the heat of action we had taken off to give more freedom in the movement of our arms.

They filled their own three boats quite full, and then they took three of mine, and filled them also with their booty. When they were ready to return with their rich prize to the vessel, they took me, my sons James and Peter, and two of the servants, prisoners. It was all to no purpose that I reminded the Commander of the terms upon which we had surrendered, and that it was a decided infraction of the treaty which he had sworn to observe. He replied that my name had become so notorious amongst the privateers of St.