110 THE REWARD OF INGENUITY.

actions of his spiders, of whose movements he was
now enabled to judge with perfect accuracy, that
within fourteen days there would commence a most
severe frost, which would afford the army sufficient
time to complete and make sure of the conquest they
had commenced, before it should be followed by a
thaw. The commander of the forces believed his
prognostication, and persevered. The cold weather
which d’Isjouvil had foretold made its appearance
in twelve days, and with such intensity, that the
ice over the rivers and canals became capable of
bearing the heaviest artillery. On the 28th January
1795 the French army entered Utrecht in triumph,
and Quatremer d’Isjouvil, who had watched his
spiders to such good purpose, was, as the reward of
his intelligence and ingenuity, released from cap-
tivity.