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affairs and observes what is going on around him, but only in order to inform himself, not to prophesy as some are doing. [Chronik, p 436]

August (no exact date) "Scene on the Bodensee"

" [...] No-one of all people who are alive today has experienced the sight of armed troops, hostile armies facing each other, scenes of war so near to our frontiers. We, in the centre of the Toggenburg have only to walk less than day's journey, or climb but one hill, then we see those fields, the far side of the Bodensee, with all its towns and villages. We can see smoke and steam rising up, can hear the thunder of the cannon, and armed with a good spyglass can even see the movements of the troops. We have heard and read of the crossing of the Rhine by the French at Kehl and afterwards at Hüningen, and we have heard of their advancing to higher ground. They say that they will march on Konstanz. Some dispute this, for and against. A week ago people were saying already, that they had arrived there. At last, at the beginning of this month, they finally advanced into Konstanz. Many people eager for news travelled thither, to keek at these men of wonder and upon their return to tell many tales of truth and lies mingled together. But in one thing all were agreed, that the French have levied heavy contributions, have let themselves be well clad and fed, and paid little for it, but for the rest behaved in quite a civil fashion, injuring no-one unless they were provoked to it. Especially towards common townspeople and country folk they were lenient and destroyed nothing except from necessity.

I was in St. Gallen when the troops were marching down the Swabian shore of the lake towards Lindau. People ran up the hills to see the skirmishes and to hear the thunder of the artillery. Some went across to Lindau, where I could have gone too in comfort and for no charge, but I had no inclination whatsoever to do so. Memories of such scenes forty years ago and the stories of eyewitnesses were enough for me.

A corn-dealer, who came from Buchhorn and walked with me as far as my house, told wonderful things of the Frenchmen. He was just standing by his granary in Buchhorn, when four hundred Imperial hussars came galloping past. They ran to the church tower and saw on the other side of Buchhorn the hussars already fighting hand to hand with the French advance guard. The hussars came back again at a gallop with some wounded men, and posted themselves on the other side of Buchhorn near a wood. But they were soon again driven away from there by the French and withdrew to Bregenz by way of Lindau. The Imperial troops disarmed Lindau, dragging off all heavy artillery and stores of grain. Also all the boats, as from all places on the whole lake, they took them to Bregenz, where they thought to establish themselves and make fortifications. But the French were hot on their heels and did not give them the time to encamp. Between Lindau and Bregenz by Baumle, on a common, another violent skirmish took place, where people from St. Gallen, Appenzell men and other strangers were present as eyewitnesses. The Imperial troops were beaten back and soon after that Bregenz was overrun. The Imperial troops withdrew to Feldkirch, where they encamped and made fortifications.

The advance of the French was awaited with anxiety. In respect of the rise in bread prices it had exactly the opposite effect. Grain was becoming cheaper from then onwards. The French allow all ready grain to pass freely into Switzerland. The grain-stores that they have taken by force they sell to the Swiss at low prices. But some Jews of corn-dealers are said to have abused this privilege, which threatens us with evil consequences. They are said, indeed, to have sold the grain to outsiders, even to the Imperial troops in Feldkirch, which has caused many complaints from the French authorities who will not let any more grain come in. Because of this in

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