- CHASSE.
CHASSE, it is said, hoped that his defence would prove opyreable to his old commander, the Duke of WELLINGTON: the French officers were, lie trusted, satisfied with his defence. : So retizes an - approved actor front the stage. These anecdotes remind as of the theatre-roof, where people went to see the siege at soabuch ahead.
The siege of Antwerp is finished by the capitulation, but an after entertainment is kept up by the forts of Lillo and Liefkenshock.. By. way: of interlude, we are presented with little anecdotes of • French politeswe and Dutch enthusiasm. The following, for in- stance, is a fair example of Antwerp chivalry.
"I learn that when the soldiers laid down their arms, n Dutch °dicer took kis - sword and dashed it on the gmund, evidently in a state of great exeitcinent. An Aide-de-Camp of Gerard's advanced, took it up, and handing it hack to him,' with much kindness of manner said, Keep your sword, Sir ; it will be thile enough to deliver it tip when it is demanded. In the mean time, it cannot be in 'better hunch than your own.' The Dutchman, I tun nib', seemed oyet- whebned with the generosity of one of his chivalrous commit ors."— Times.
We did think that none but Frenchmen did the‘e things, and • that at least'none but Frenchmen told them. • It is; however, part of the grand melodramatic spectacle of the Siege of Antwerp; which seems to have been got • up, like the Pantomimes, for" Christmas amusement: War has been often called the game of-Kings, but death and destruction never assumed so sportive a, • shape as in this instance. The killed and wounded are forgotten the Dutch forces march out colours flying and music playing, and lay down their arms and their Miiiieal instruments; just as they would do at Astley's. The war is no war, but a quasi-war: 'the: ' prisoners are qucts-i-prisoners—neither one thing nor the other—a kind of tertium quid. Like the oranges we laid an embargo upon —they were neither prize nor property, till they began to rot, and then the' Privy Council was in a quandary : it was decided that some inspector should nose them, and in case of any unpleasant vegetable exhalation, they should be forwarded to Holland. It was just so- with CHASSE : he kept his men till they would keep no longer, and then Dutch honour was satisfied; as soon as they were in the state of Dutch cheese, French politesse came into play ; the officers handed out their snuff-boxes, and the privates clambered over the ditehes to exchange brandy for schiedarn. A mighty change has come over many things, but assuredly a pro- gress has been made in carrying on war : never was more skill employed, never more shot or bombs expended upon a place ; and yet there has been no hostility. It was unlucky that CHASSE had the rheumatic gout, or some arrangement would have been made for him and GERARD to have breakfasted together every morning ; and when the rolls and coffee were despatched, each, at the tap of drum, would have retired from table, the one to the trenches and the other to the walls. However, the curtain is 'about to drop. CHASSE will go either to the Hague or Paris : if to the latter place, instead of being a prisoner, in order to carry on the pseudo-war, he will dine with the King aud the Cafes will make him offers for reading the papers and drinking his chocolate in their establishments, by way of attracting company. No theatre will be frequented this winter in- Paris without the entertainment of the Siege d'Anvers, and no Pte complete unless M. le Baron CHASSE, " le blare Commandant, par excellence," deign to honour it with his presence.
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