Amongst the Ruins by John Darlington

Author:John Darlington
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2022-12-20T23:17:17+00:00

The Comte Maurice d’Hérisson, General Montauban’s aide, also records a similar scene of uncontrolled chaos and mayhem:

There were soldiers with their heads in the red lacquer boxes from the Empress’s chamber; others were wreathed in masses of brocade and silk; others stuffed rubies, sapphires, pearls and bits of rock-crystal into their pockets, shirts and caps, and hung their necks with pearl necklaces. Others hugged clocks and clock-cases. Engineers had brought their axes to smash up the furniture and get at the precious stones inlaid in it. One man was savagely hacking at a Louis XV clock in the form of a Cupid: he took the crystal figures on the face for diamonds. Every now and again the cry of ‘Fire’ rang out. Dropping whatever they had hold of, they all ran to put out the flames, which were by that time licking the sumptuous walls padded with silks and damasks and furs. It was like a scene from an opium dream.24

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