Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/61

 corruption, until Buonaparte, in 1806, abolished the tables. As a proof that these swindling managers visited Verdun solely to defraud the English, the following notice was placed upon the door of the gaming house:—"This bank is established for the accommodation of the English; all Frenchmen are forbidden to play." When such was the unblushing avowal, one cannot be surprised at the number of atrocities, peculations, and extortions, of those in authority. I have taken some trouble in making the subjoined calculations, for the perfect accuracy of which it would be impossible to vouch, from the difficulty of ascertaining the facts; but, judging from what was made public, I shall be very near the truth when I lay the robberies committed by the military authorities on the English, at about £30,000; to say nothing of those by the civil power, nor of the extortions of Jews, money dealers, and the "bourgeoiserie" in general; for the English appeared fair game for all, and he that could rob them most, was the most envied. But not having so wide a