"Mercy, Moses!" exclaimed my wife, as she saw me come back, "what is
the matter? Your face is all drawn up. Something dreadful has
happened."
"Yes, Sorle," I said, as I sat down; "the time of trouble has come of
which the prophet spoke: 'The king of the south shall push at him, and
the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind; and he
shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass over.'"
This I said with my hands raised toward heaven. Little Safel squeezed
himself between my knees, while Sorle looked on, not knowing what to
say; and I told them that the Austrians were in Alsace; that the
Bavarians, Swedes, Prussians, and Russians were coming by hundreds of
thousands; that a hussar had come to announce all these calamities;
that our spirits of wine were lost, and ruin was threatening us.