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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

CONTINENTAL
EXCURSIONS;
OR,
TOURS
INTO
FRANCE,
SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY,
IN 1782, 1787, AND 1789.
WITH A DESCRIPTION OP
AND THE '
GLACIERES OF SAVOY:
TO THIS ARE ADDED,
OBSERVATIONS UPON THE DISPOSITIONS
OF THE FRENCH, PREVIOUS TO
THE REVOLUTION.

BY THE REV. THOMAS PENNINGTON, M. A.
RECTOR OF THORLEY, HERTS,
CHAPLAIN TO EDWARD LORD ELLENBOROUGH,
AND LATE FELLOW OF CLARE-HALL, CAMBRIDGE.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
Nos patria: Jines, et dulcia linquimus arva.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR F. C. & J. RTVINGTON, 62, ST. PAUL'S
CHURCH YARD :
BY T. C. HANSARD, PETERBOROUGH COURT, FLEET STREET.
1809.

YAIE

AD VER TISEMENT.

THE following sheets were intended
to have been printed. ai the time they
were written ; hut from various causes
the intention has hitherto been delayed,
nor would they now have seen the light,
but from the persuasions of relatives.
too partial to the writer.
This will account for travels being
printed so long after they were under
taken. As to the work itself, it has need of
much indulgence ; but it should be re
collected, that it was written at a very

II ADVERTISEMENT.
early period of life, therefore, it is
hoped, that the imperfections in it will
he regarded as Maculae, quas incuria
fudit. When it is considered in what man
ner the mad ambition of one man has
chan^ ed the face of affairs nn the Con
tinent since this was written, it may
claim some attention from the reader,
if he should wish to compare the present
state of things with that which then
existed. Tours, the author is well aware, are
now become so common, that few will
venture to look into them, they only
vary in name, as. Sentimental, Descrip
tive, Picturesque, SfC. He can claim
no merit from this trifling performance,
but that of not mentioning any places
which he has not really seen.

ADVERTISEMENT. Ill
He has not ventured to describe
things of which he has no knowledge
but that which may be derived from
sitting in an arm chair.
The occasional misspelling the names
of places, especially in Germany, is
owing to the author s not undei Stand
ing the language, but catching the
sound as well as he could from the
natives. Such as it is, it is now submitted to
the Public, and if the following trifling
performance should serve to pass away
an hour cheerfully, the writers time has
not been spent in vain.

CONTINENTAL
EXCURSIONS.

Dover, March 6, 1782.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
You know that I have long talked
of taking a trip to the continent for a
few months, to see how our Gallic
neighbours go on; arid nothing but
the war which has raged for some years
between the two nations, has prevented
me. But as there is not this year
more probability of a peace, than there
was the last, I am determined no longer
to defer putting my plan in execution,
and am therefore come to this place,
VOL. I. B

2 JOURNEY TO
in order to embark for Ostend, which
is a neutral port, as the communication
is not yet open between Dover and
Calais, though it is said that it will
soon be.
As you have never been at this place,
I will just mention, that it is a very
long, and since it has been paved, a
handsome town. It is so populous,
that they reckon 12,000 inhabitants in
it. It is situated in one of the most
delightful and romantic valleys- imagi
nable, with a clear stream running
through it; on each side of which are
meadows; corn-fields and gentlemen's
houses. 1
The cliffs which hang over the .town
have, a most stupendous appearance.
Shakespear's celebrated one is about a
mile oiit of it.
I 'have often wondered that no one
has erected a pillar on the top of it;
:v!rith those fine lines of our dramatit
:i*oe^ wliichirelate to it; as they would

PARIS BY OSTEND. 3
have a great effect when read on the
very spot which gave rise to them,
Dover is a great resort for smugglers,
as the passage is so short to Calais,
Boulogne, and Dunkirk. It has many
privileges, as being chief of the cinque
ports. The wind is quite contrary, so that
you most probably will hear from me
again, from this place ; but I must first
desire, as a prelude to the correspond
ence which you was was so obliging as
to ask, that you would excuse any in
accuracies in style, &c. as I shall trans
mit things to paper as they occur,
without confining myself to any rules.
I am. Yours, &c.

B %

4 .TOlJRNEY TO

D6ver, March 7, 1782.
STILL wind-bound at this place, I
shall soon begin to think what I have
done to Neptune, for he uses me as ill
as he did the Greeks at Aulis ; -and I
have no Iphigenia to sacrifice, in order
to appease him ; and indeed, if I had,
I hope I should know her value bett&r
than applying her to such a pu^rpose.
I have this morning been clambering
up to the castle, which is built on a
high cliff overlooking the sea and the
town. It is said to have been begun
by Julius Caesar ; and has always been
of such importance, as to be esteemed
the bulwark of the kingdom. It is
the best fortified of any in the island,
and in the finest preservation. Indeed
nature and art unite in makiiig it in
accessible. The gallant defence which Hubert
de Bvirgh, earl of Kent, and chief jus-

PARIS BY OSTEND. 5
ticiary of the realm in the reign of
Henry III. made against Lewis of
France, is well known, his brave con
duct proved the safety of the kingdom.
Many persons think that the gun^
could not affect the ships iix the least.
They show you here an amazingly largQ
gun, ironically called. Queen ^Elizabeth's
Poqket Piee?,, which will carry a shqt
three miles. The Lord Ward^p of the
cinque ports, who is governor of the,
Castle ex officio, has a house here, as
has the lieutenant governor also ; and
there are many others for the officers
of the Castle within the walls, which
inclose 36 acres*.
The view from the castle is noble,
of the coast of France, and town of
Calais, (in a clear day) ; Dover, and
its harbour, cliffs, and a romantic beau-
* Since this was written, the author had the pleasure
of .seeing M. Blanchard and Dr. JefFeries, launch their
Balloon from the cliff. The day was fine, there were
numerous spectators, and it was one of the noblest
sights imaginable.

6

JOURNEY TO

tiful country. The harbour is very
difficult of entrance, as there is a bad
bar; however there are ships of 400
tons burden sometimes in it. I am at
the City of London, which is a good
Inn, but, as may well be imagined, all
the Inns here are extravagantly dear.
The captain is just come to say that
the wind is come round, and he shall
sail at one in the morning, so that I
shall not go J:o bed, till I get on board.
Good night. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND.

Ostend, March 8, 1782.
" THUS far our arms have with
success been crowned.'" After having
paid head money, &c. &c. and satis
fied thos^ rapacious gentlemen, the
custom-house officers, we embarked at
one in the morning, and after a very
rough passage landed at this town, at
half past twelve at noon*: as I am but
a young sailor, I own I was rather
afraid, when about mid-way, the mate
called the captain out of his cabin, and
told him to come upon deck, as the
wind rose ; however, my fears were
soon dispelled by the cool and easy
way in which the captain gave his
orders, and then very quietly went into
his hole again, for such these cabins
* A J)ye-boat, commanded by captain Cannon, had
been lost a few weeks before in this passage, and not a
person saved ; it is supposed she foundered oflF the
Goodwin Sands.

8 JOURNEY TO
may be justly called, as they are all
under water. We had several men
passengers, but what was much worse,
several horses in the hold, which kicked
about, and were so refractory, that I
every moment expected that they would
have started a plank. I at first was
vastly well, but whilst, with youthfiil
vanity, I was giving directions to the
French gentlemen how to avoid la
maladie de la mer, and even telling them
the postures which they must use ; I
was taken ill in the midst of my vanity,
and saluted my nearest neighbours, to
whom I was. holding forth, in the most
unpleasant way imaginable, and did
not recover till I went upon deck,
where I remained above six hours, most
of which time it snowed, and blew, and
hailed a torte outrance. You may
imagine that I had not a very pleasant
time of it, and I was heartily glad,
Avhen I heard the joyful sound of the
steeple of Ostend being to be seen.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 9
Ostend is twenty leagues from Dover,
and there are packets constantly going
to it with the mail and passengers to
the Low-Countries and Spa. The
harbour is difficult of entrance, but a
good one when you are over the bar.
There is the Keyser Joseph now in it
of 1000 tons burden, and it is said that
it will hold 1000 vessels, but this I am
inclined to doubt.
It is certain, however, that the Em
peror spares no pains to embellish and
improve the only port which he has.
And they are now making a bason
which will contain 300 vessels.
On each side of the quays are built
storehouses for the merchants, which
are here in abundance, as the Emperor
has declared it a neutral port.
The town is nearly of a circular form,
the streets broad and regularly built,'
but there is an astonishing air of dull
ness spread all over them, T^ie lamps
are huns across the street from one hoUse

10 JOURNEY TO
to the other, so that our modern built
carriages would not go under them,
Ostend is very commercial, and is
inhabited by French, Flemings, Dutch
and English, A vast number of the
latter have settled here since the war,
and the Flemish are the natural inha
bitants, I am sorry to say, that many
of the worst of our countrymen have
taken refiige here, and in other of the
Emperor's towns*.
There are here two Places or squares.
In the Grande Place, is the Hotel de
Ville, or town house, Avhich was for
merly a very handsome building, till
the uniformity of it was spoiled by one
of the towers being knocked down in
the famous siege by the archduke Al
bert of Austria, and the celebrated
marquis Spinola, This siege lasted
from July 5, 1601, to September 22,
* Since writing this, the Emperor has declared that
he will give up all outlaws, as his dominions shall not
be a receptacle for vagabonds.

PARIS BY OSTEND, ll
l604. The Spaniards are said to have
lost 80,000, and the besieged 50,000.
The city received above 300,000 can
non shot, frequently under covert of
the dead bodies, with which the be
sieged filled the breaches ; they sur
rendered at last for want of room, as
they had abundance of provisions sup
plied by the English. The duchess of
Parma is said to have declared that
she would not change her shift till it
was taken, but she probably altered
her mind, or had none left at the end
of three years, unless the linen tvore
better then, than it does now. It is
said that the Spaniards shot such a num
ber of bullets against the sand-hill bul
wark, where they stuck, that it became
a wall of iron and dashed the fresh
bullets to pieces. The fortifications
are very strong both by nature and
art. There are many respectable English
merchants here, which makes the place

12 JOURNEY TO
Yery gay, and there are two regular
qlubs, called the Houses of Lords and
Commons. I am at La Cour Imperiale*, with
four French gentlemen, who have in
vited me to take part of their English
coach, which is rather more coinmodi-
ous than the vehicles of this country.
To morrow we set off for Lille, six
teen leagues di&tant, where I mean to
continue some time. Yours, &c.

* It is much better to go to the ¦ inns of the country
than English ones, as you avoid imposition, see a variety
of people, and acquire the language sooner.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 13

Lille, March 15, 1 7S2.
WE set off at half past two in the
afternoon from Ostend, in an English
coach with six tolerable horses. The
day had an unpromising appearance,
as it snowed, and there was soon snow
on the ground above an inch deep.
We got to Menin at twelve at night,
which is thirty-nine miles from Ostend,
there we could not procure any thing
for supper but an omelet and bread
and butter, which too we were much
troubled to get, as they were all in
bed*. Menin is the last town in the Em
peror's dominions, and is very strongly
fortified. It is small and neat, and
there are two or three convents in it.
There was a great sameness in the
* Here I was first sensible of tire luxury of an English
chamber, as I slept in a cold bricked room, which was
not very comfortable, contrasted with a carpeted room ;
and the night 'was cold and snowy.

14 JOURNEY TO
road which we came, long views and a
dead flat, and a row of trees on each
side. This is the case almost all
through Flanders, TherC are crucifixes
fixed on trees, boards, &c, almost at
every mile, which they call bons Dieux,
for the Flemish are more bigotted than
the French, and it is astonishing to see
the devotion with which my fellow
travellers (in the midst of their conver
sation, and droll stories which they re
lated to each other) pulled off their
hats to them.
We went about five miles an hour,
for the Flemish horses, as well as post
boys, are very dilatory ; the latter are
so impertinent, that when we blamed
one for keeping us waiting in the cold
for half an hour, he took his pipe out
of his mouth (for they all drive and
smoke at the same time) and after
having abused our spokesman with the
utmost gravity, and in the grossest
manner, replaced his pipe in his mouthy

PARIS BY OSTEND, 15
and drove on with his usual coolness ;
another kept us in the coach till he
had done supper ; so that if you add
to this the tiresomeness of the harriere
man or turnpike man, who kept us
half an hour because he did not like
the money which was paid him, you
will not wonder that we were above
nine hours going forty miles, a thing
which would seem incredible in En
gland in a good road.
But it must be said for the credit of
the French, that these impertinences
would not be suffered in France. The
Grand Monarque and his substitutes
keep the postilions in better order.
After having . slept . badly in a hard
bed and brick room, we set off fot
Lille as soon as the bureau gentlemen
would let us : for at the division of their
territories, the arms of the respective
sovereigns are fixed up over a house
where the officers of the donane, or
custom-house, live, who are appointed

l6 JOURNEY TO
to search all travellers, so that if you
do not distribute your tAventy-four sous
a little freely, liiey have it in their
power to be very troublesome.
I have knoAvn some of these gentle
men, with their powdered bag- wigs, and
ruffles down to their nails, make a low
bow for sixpence ; and ansAver to your
protestations of having nothing forbid
den, " Je le crois," " Je ne a^ous de-
" rangerai pas. Monsieur ;" three hours
after haA^ng got rid of these impedi
ments, we arrived at Lille, when I took
leave of my fellow travellers, Avho
•pressed me to go with them to Paris.
Here I Avill finish this letter, which
I have spun out to an enormous
length. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND, It

Lille, March 31, 1782.
THIS toAvn has a noble appearance
at a distance, and yoii are not deceived
when you are in it, you enter it by the
Porte de la Magdeleine through three
redoubts. It is situated in a dead flat, as all the
towns of Flanders are, and almost
among the marshes. There are few
cities which can vie with Lille, for regu
larity of buildings, breadth of streets,
populousness, liveliness, &c, insomuch
that it has justly acquired the name of
petit Paris. It is about four miles in
circumference, but quite round the for
tifications, they tell you, it is above
eight, but I do not think it so much.
There are many hackney coaches on
the Grande Place, much better than
those of Paris, as I am informed, and
the fares are very reasonable.
It is very strongly fortified, and has
VOL. r. c

18 JOURNEY TO
sustained several long sieges, but was
finally ceded to France in 1713 under
LcAvis 14th, and has continued subject
to it ever since. No expence has been
spared to render it as strong as pos
sible, as it is the key of the French
dominions in the Low-Countries, and
the capital of French Flanders.
The prince de Soubize is the present
governor of Lille, and monsieur De
Sombreuil lieutenant governor ; he has
a good house, in Avhich however he does
not reside much. As I have letters of
introduction to many families in this
city, I shall I believe stay in it six or
seven Aveeks, that I may get some
insight into the language before I go
on to Paris : for although there is such
a mixture of French and Flemish here,
it is thought that they do not speak
bad French. I shall continue writing
to you from time to time as things
occur. Adieu, Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 19

Lille, April 5, 1782.
THIS city is like Thebes,* Hepta-
pylos, it has seven noble gates, the
handsomest of Avhich is the Porte des
Malades, which leads to Paris.
This is esteemed a very elegant piece
. of architecture, it Avas erected in l682,
by the magistrates, in honour of that
vain-glorious prince Louis the XlVth,
who had more incense of this kind paid
him by his numerous flatterers than
any prince before him. It must, how
ever, be owned to his credit, that he
had great generals and great statesmen,
and that is one sign of a great king,
(witness our Elizabeth) as it shews his
judgment in the choice of them.
The Grande Place, or square, is large,
regular, beautiful, and lively, and said
to exceed any in Paris ; the Corps de
* In Boeotia. Thebes in Egypt was Hecatompylos,
or had a hundred gates.
c 2

20 JOURNEY TO
Garde and the Bourse add not a little to
its beauty. Before the former, every
day at twelve, the troops are exercised,
the latter is full of shops like Exeter
'Change. > The Petite Place is the market, in
Avhicli there is abundance of every thing
in the greatest plenty, and is close by
the Grande Place. On this last, are
the tAvo chief inns, I'Hotel Royal and
I'Hotel de Bourbon ; I am at the for
mer, but the latter is most frequented
by the English.
Lille is situated on the D6ule, which
falls into the Lys nine miles from the
city. It is but an indifferent river, and
uuAvorthy of so fine a city.
The Rue des Malades and Rue
Royale are the best streets ; the latter
is three-quarters of a mile in length,
and reckoned the finest street in France,
but it is a very dull one. There are
ahvays many English in this city in
time of peace, but not many at pre
sent-

PARIS BY OSTEND. 21
I am sorry to say, that one is often
obUged to beware of one's countrymen
in these toAvns near the coast ; as too
often the Avorst sort takes refuge in
them, so that it is much better for a
traveller to associate as much as pos
sible with the French, than Avith them.
The French, to do them justice, are
very fond of conversing with the Eng-
Hsh. The servant of the inn Avhere I
was, rejoiced me much by saying that
she loved the English, but the sordid
reason of her loving them soon reduced
my pride, for she added, " parcequ'ils
sont riches." I shall contrive to see
every thing curious in this place. I
am now completely metamorphosed
into a Frenchman, as I have a full
dress coat and Avaistcoat, a bag, laced
ruffles and a SAVord ; the latter in pro
vincial towns is the distinction in dress
between a gentleman and a bourgeois,
I am, Yours, &c.

22 JOURNEY TO
Lille, April JO, 1782.
I HAVE been this morning to see
the citadel. It is very stong and well
built, with every convenience for troops,
there is a very neat chapel, and the
commandant has a good house. There
are in the citadel and town 10,000
troops in peace, and 4,000 in war.
The Arsenal is large and Avell stored.
There are only two churches in Lille,
the collegiate one of St. Peter, and St.
Stephens ; it is under the jurisdiction
of the Bishop of Tournay,
In the former church is a fine eulo-
gium on a nobleman who Avas killed at
the battle of Poitiers, Every thing
was very gay on Easter Sunday*, as
* The Carnival, or time immediately preceding Lent,
is a season not only of festivity but full of excesses
wheti Papists, to make themselves some amends for the
mortifications they are about to undergo in Lent, in
dulge in every pleasure : Balls, masquerades, plays, &c,
&c. are in every town, for in' Lent the zealous Catho-
lioks eat no meat, eggs, butter, &c. but live chiefly on
fish, vegetables, and plain puddings ; besides this, they
confess frequently, and practise numberless austerities.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 23
the bells rang all day, for they had
been to be blessed, and had been silent
from Good Friday ; this form of bless
ing them is one of the superstitious
customs of this country*,
I have been to a military mass at
St, Stephen's, which is very curious for
its novelty and noise. At the elevation
of the Host, the drums beat, and all
the instruments strike up, when you
must kneel, or at least appear to do it,
for I know a gentleman who was sent
to prison because he would not con
form to this custom. It is always best
to comply with the whims of a strange
country, especially when one travels
for curiosity,
I went also to St, Peter's to hear a
Sermon preached by a Capuchin, after
the mass and concert were over; it

* This is a time of great festivity, when after the
austerities of Lent, the Papists plunge jnto the contrary
extreme.

24 JOURNEY TO
might justly, be called a concert, as
there were all sorts of instruments, be
sides a very fine organ.
The Friar preached extempore neav
40 minutes, with a vast deal of action,
and without the least hesitation ; a
dead silence prevailed, nor was there
any of those cOughings or noises which
are too common in our churches.
The good father rested about the
middle of his discourse, and let them
cough, sneeze, &c. and the moment
he began again the same silence pre
vailed : a custom worthy of' imitation
among us.
Some skeletons and sculls Avhich,
surrounded the preacher, were^ very
disgusting. I often dine at the Table
d' Hote, at the hotel De Boiirbon, at
1 o'clock, which is reckoned late * in
this country, as noon in general is the
regular hour. There is an elegant
* They have now adopted English hours.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 25
dinner, two courses and a desert, and
a pint of claret, for three livres, or
half a crown : add to this, your coffee
and liqueurs, (for the French drink
their wine with their dinner and never
sit at the bottle,) and the Avhole will
be under three shillings.
Here you are sure of meeting with
the best company, both military and
the gentlemen of the town, who often
come to talk over the ncAVS and meet
their friends.
This is the best way, I think, of pro
ceeding for a single man, as by it he
will have the advantage of acquiring
the language better than any othei;
way, and the French, so far from
laughing at you, when you pronounce
their language wrong, are happy to
set you right ; for they are always
much gratified by travellers coming
amongst them. I remain, Yoursi, Sec.

26 JOURNEY TO

Lille, April 20, 1782,
IN few towns of its size, have su
perstition and bigotry erected more
altars to religion than at Lille,
There are here eighteen Monasteries
of men and seventeen of women.
The church of the Jacobins is very
beautifiii, and there are some good
paintings in it. And in that of the
Capuchins, there is a very fine Descent
of -the Cross by Rubens.
The Recolets and Capuchins have
the same dress, and the only difference
between them is, that the Capuchins
let their beards grow, and the Recolets
do not; but the Capuchins is much
the strictest order*, though they say

* Of this order was the famous Due De Joyeuse, in
the reign of Henry the 3rd, who had a dispensation to
quit the order, and take his title and estate oh the
death of the Duke, his brother.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 27
that there are more men of fashion
amongst them than in any other order,
on account of their austerity, as they
wish to retire from a dissolute life to
one of extreme mortification. They
live chiefly upon contributions, I ex
perienced great attention fi'om them,
and they have a good library ; they are
in general the best scholars among the
Monks, . The Augustins have a strange
custom of dressing always in white in
their content, and in black when they
go abroad,
I received several invitations to dine
with the Dominicans or Jacobins, who
seem to live very comfortably, but
could not go. Many of the Monks
get much by selling the produce of
their vineyard, which is generally very
good, as the pious fathers are not so
immersed in their studies as to be igno
rant of the goodness of wine.
Of the seventeen convents of women.

28 JOURNEY TO
ten only are close ones, the other
seven are called open ones. The busi
ness of the Nuns in these is, chiefly,
to tend the sick ; but none ever go
out of the grated ones, as it requires
such interest to get a dispensation from
their voavs as is hardly possible to be
got. It is grievous to see these victims
to religion ; they all tell you they are
very happy, but their looks and words
do not agree.
Whether the austere life they lead
affects their looks, I know not, but it
is generally observed, and I found the
observation true, that there is hardlv
a pretty woman among them.
I went to the Ursulines to see
Mere Eleanor, an Irish girl, reckoned
very pretty, but I Avas much disap
pointed ; indeed the dress of the Nuns
is very unbecoming, particularly the
head dress.
This is the only convent at Lille

PARIS BY OSTEND. 29
Avhich takes pensioners, and there are
more of this order than of all the
others put together *. Adieu, Yours, &c.

* It is not ohly the Nuns who consecrate themselves
to religion, but in France, there is a considerable num
ber called Devotees ; these are women who having
lived free lives, devote themselves to acts of piety.
They are constantly at mass, confession, &c, and are
seen with a downcast eye, walking with a solemn step,
counting their beads, and repeating their Ave-Marias.
In short, they begin with being rakes, and end with
being devotee.?.

30 JOURNEY TO

Lille, April 22, 1782.
THE chapel of L'Abbiette or little
abbey of the order of St. Dominic, is a
remarkably elegant building and finely
decorated*; I saAv and heard the Nuns
singing in it, to the number of about
forty, and they verified the truth of my
former observation, indeed they seem
as if they might have safely remained
in the world without being exposed to
much temptation ; I wish for the credit
of the devotees, that some handsome
ones would retire, that it might not be
supposed they did it for A^ant of atten
tion paid to them in the world : not
that I think none profess, or take the
vows fi'om religious motives, there cer
tainly are many who do, and it is a
* In many of the Convents, there is a large curtain
in the chapel which conceals the Nuns from view, and
you only hear them sing ; in general, the vocal and in
strumental music in Popish chapels is very pleasing.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 31
great pity, for they act from mistaken
ones, and imagine an inactive life Avill
contribute more to their good than an
active one.
Women who are admitted into these
societies without fortune, do the servile
offices of the convent and Avait upon
the pensioners, they are called Soeurs*,
as the principal ones are Meres ; I have
heard from friends who have been edu
cated in a convent, that nothing can
be more insipid or Avearisome than a
conventual life. Mattins, Vespers,
sauntering about within the same dull
walls, and doing some needle work,
fill up the heavy hours.
The Soeurs have the lowest place in
the chapels. For pride is not banish
ed even from these grated mansions
sacred to religion. When a stranger
Avishes to see the nature of a convent,
for the interior he cannot see, he goes
* The same distinction prevails in the convents of
men, they are called Peres and Freres.

32 JOURNEY TO
into one of the parlours, of which there
are many, and on ringing, some of the
Nuns will come and converse with
him, the grate being betAveen them.
In general they are fond of strangers *,
By this time you are as tired with read
ing this as I am with writing, so I will
release you. Yours, &c.
* Buonaparte has now put an end to all religious
societies.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 33

Li'.le, May 4, 1782,
ABOUT a mile and a half out of
the city is the abbey of Marquette, of
the order of Cis tertians. It is a noble
building, and a rich foundation. The
abbess is in general of the blood royal,
her apartments are noble, and the gar
dens extensive, and well laid out.
You go to the abbey through a fine
avenue of above 700 yards in length,
which is kept in the most exact order.
The Nuns live very comfortably, as it
is an open convent, and often come to
Lille ; once a year some of them go to
Paris for a few weeks *,
The dress of all Nuns, as I have said,
is very unbecoming, whether white or
black, and the hood which covers so
* On my enquiring of an English girl whether she
did not think of her country, she answered me very em
phatically, " Je ne peuse qu'a Marquette." I only
think of Marquette.
VOL. I. D

^4

JOURNEY TO '

much of their faces, if they Avere hand
some is not calculated to display their
beauty. About four miles from Lille
through the gate of Notre Dame is the
abbey De Los for men of the order of
Gistertians also. It is all almost lately
rebuilt. The choir of the > church is
very elegant, the library considerable,
-and the apartments extensive and well
furnished, U( J i ,r,.i,-r; ,,¦>. i ;:iv > .
jn They are allowed , three weeks every
year to visit tlieh' friends, and are not
strict in any thing : i they are a polite
and well-bred society, and, the abb6
has a large revenue. In the , road to
this abbey I saw La Nouvelle Avanture,
which is a large building, with a theatre,
&c, where, ; upon occasion, they can
act plays. It has a very good garden ;
this is Avell worth a stranger's seeing, as
more of the manners of the middling;
and lower order of people is seen here
in a few hours, than in many weeks in
other places, llie country people and

PARIS BY OSTEND, 35
those from Lille resort much to this
place on Sundays and holidays, where
they dance, Avalk, &c, &c, and it is
really vastly pretty to see hoAv well
many of them dance without any regu
lar figure.
The accommodations are very rea-
soiiable, you only give six sous for ad
mittance, I have been several times
to the plky; the house is not good
enough for such a town as Lille, but
some of the actors are tolerable. Every
night in: Easter week it was crowded,
as some of the inferior, players from
Paris perforrned that week, -
The performance begins a little after
five, and ends at nine, so that you may
sup afterAvards and go to bed in good
time*, which cannot be with us, as our
public diversions are so late.
There are several hospitals at Lille
taken care of by nurses, of which the
* This is now much changed, and they are adopting
fkiglish hours with their dress and customs,
D 2

30 JOURNEY TO
two principal Avere founded by Jane
countess of Flanders, one is called after
her I'Hospital Comtesse. These hospi-
, tals were of very great use to the French
and English officers wounded at the
battle of Fontenoi.
In the latter is a monument to the
memory of the French Avho were killed
in this battle, and were buried in la
chambre de convalescence. There are
beds in the hospital on each side, for
those Avho are almost recovered, so that
the living and the dead are mixed to
gether. Adjoining to it is a convent
for thirty nuns founded by the same
lady, for the express purpose of taking
Care of the hospital. The chapel is
very elegant, and there are some good
paintings, but the refectory, and the.
rooms, are in general dull,
' The esplanade or public walk is very
pretty, Avith distinct roads between two
rows of trees along the canal, for foot
passengers, horses and carriages. This

PARIS BY OSTEND, 37
is much frequented on evenings in
summer. At the beginning of the esplanade is
the coffee-house and public assembly-
room called the Redoute,
Among the troops quartered in this
town is one of the Irish brigades, which
adhered to the unfortunate James the
Second : their uniform is scarlet, like
ours, and the common soldiers are
composed of all sorts of people*, but
the officers must be Irish ; they have
more pay than the French troops;
there are four brigades ^f them.
As in all the large French towns,
there is here a commandant-f, toAvn
major, &c, &c, and a very good police.
The ramparts are very pretty, at
least part of them, and you have a fine
view of the town from them, and the
environs, which latter hoAA^ever are not
* As the French themselves say, la lie du peiiple.
t Who is Lieutenant Governor,

38 JOURNEY TO
very pleasant, as the whole country is
a dead flat.
I counted near a hundred mills
round the toAvn, no bad sign of a plen
tiful country, which it certainly is,
abounding in corn and meat.
I am going to Tournay in a day or
two, and shall write to you from this
place but once or tAvice more. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 39

Lille, May 6, 1782.
A LARGE party of us the other
day executed our intention, and went
in two coaches to Tournay, AA'^hich is
five leagues from Lille.
It is a large, handsome, well built
city, in Austrian Flanders, on the
Scheldt, or as the French call it
I'Escaut, as they often take the liberty
of changing the names of places ' and
rivers; it is here not very broad. The
cathedraL is not .remarkable ' for any
thing but its age, which is said to be
one thousand four hundred years.
The abbey of St. Martin is a very
fine one, and the church remarkably
elegant Avithout being tawdry ; ! there
are several paintings of Rubens in it.
The apartments of the abbey are very
good. There is a Porcelain manufactory
here, but the Avare is by nO means

40 JOURNEY TO
pretty, and very dear. This town is
not by any means populous, it belongs
to the Emperor.
Lille, as to ecclesiastical matters, is
subject to the jurisdiction of the bishop
of Tournay. Cardinal Wolsey, who
was administrator of this bishopric,
felt the sweets of its revenue, which are
very large. ;
Tournay is much better fortified
than it was in the reign of Henry the
eighth, when it was taken after only
six days siege,* though it had held out
nearly two months against the whole
French army commanded by marshal
Saxe in the year 1745, and even some
time after the unfortunate battle of
Fontenoi. We wished much to have
gone to the plain on which the battle
was fought, close by the village of
Fontenoi, which is only a league from
* Juiit before this, the runaway battle had taken
place, called the Battle of the Spurs, as Spurs were
more used than Swords.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 41
Tournay, but the road was so bad as
to be impassable for our carriage, and
we would not leave the ladies of our
party ; so that we had the mortification
of seeing the field of battle without
being able to go to it.
The walk on the ramparts is very
pleasant, and the environs are delight
ful. We saw the procession of their
tutelar saint, which Avas a very fine
one; after a very pleasant excursion,
we returned to this place in the even
ing. I propose going to Douay to-
morroAv, and Avill write on my return.
Adieu, Yours, &c.

42 JOURNEY TO

Lille, May 7, 1782.
I AM just returned from Douay, it
is a very large town, and greater in ex
tent than Lille, but dull and badly
peopled ; it is subject to the King of
France. The fortifications are very
strong. Here is a colle^ate church
and a famous EngUsJb seminary, in
wjiich are educated great numbers
of English and Irish papists.
From Lnie to Douay it is_ seven
leagues, and you only pass through
the village of Pont au Marc, half way
in Avhich we experienced bad entertain
ment at the inn called I'Hotel de
Versailles. When an Englishman first leaves
his country, he is astonished at the
insignificance and mean appearance
of the provincial towns in England,
compared with the fine, large towns
in the Pais Bas, which are so frequent,

PARIS BY OSTEND, 43
that you hardly quit the walls of one
but you come to another, such as Lille,
Tournay, Douay, &c, &c, but when he
considers the blessings Avhich he enjoys
in the Magna Charta and an excellent
Constitution, and the comfort of hav
ing open toAvns free from fortifications,
which he can enter and leave at any
hour of the night, withotit the tiresome
questions of a sentinel*; he is easily
consoled, by reflecting on the solid
blessings he enjoys contrasted with the
inconveniences inseparable from a mi-
fitary government, I propose setting
off to morrow to St, Omer for som^
days, and shall return by way of Dun
kirk. Yours, &c.
* These regular questions are, d'ou venez vous, oik
allez vous, voire nam Sf gwa/iV^ prepjiralory to the
search, which is however very light^ if ^ou sacrifice a
few livrei^.

44 JOURNEY TO

St, Omer, May 9, 1782,
WE left Lille at five in the morning,
and did not arrive at this place till
seven at night. The last part of the
road is tolerable, but the first by no
means so. La Basse is the first bourg*
through which you pass, where they
change horses.
We dined at Bethune, a compact
and strongly fortified town, which gave
title to SuUy-f-, the celebrated and vir
tuous minister of Henry the Fourth.
This is half Avay between Lille and
St, Omer, and a very dear place. We
dined au Palais Royal, and paid seven
livres and fourteen sous a head for our
* A large village, or small fortified town.
¦f This great man hved to a great age, and died in
tlie reign of Lewis XII [. ; be came to court in the reign
of that prince, dressed in the costume of the former
reign, and on the young courtiers laughing at him, he
said, " Sire, your father used to consult me, not laugh
at ffle."

PARIS BY OSTEND. 45
dinner ; This place and its environs are
much frequented by people of fashion.
Lilliers, the next place, or stage, is
a small village.
Aire is four short leagues from St.
Omer, and is a neat fortified town ; it
has sustained several sieges. There
are several handsome churches in it,
and the Fapade of the Jesuits is much
admired; the country about is very
pretty. The entrance to St. Omer is very
fine, as it has a noble appearance on
all sides, the town being rather on an
ascent, Avhicli is a great advantage in a
flat country.
It is a large and fine city, the cathe
dral is very handsome and has a shrine
of solid silver. The abbey St. Bertin
is well worth the attention of the curi
ous, and the treasury, library, &c. &c.
will amply repay the traveller for the
pains he takes to see them. It is a
very rich society.

46 . (..JOURNEY TO
The Jesuits' college is a fine founda
tion? and the terms of the pension very
reasonable. They only admit boys
from nine to fifteen.
Indeed, when One considers the learn
ing which this order possessed, and the
Avorks which we have written by them,
Ave are almost tempted to regret, that
the policy of princes found it necessary
to suppress their order, though when
we consider that it produced a Ravail-
lac, Avho assassinated that great and
good prince Henry, the Ninth ^ our
pity in a great measure subsides.
, The walk round St. Oriier on the
ramparts is very pretty, but the town
itself is dull, iiotwithstanding the great
resort of sttangers, especially English,
as it is so near the coast. It is only
eight leagues from Calais,, and a barge
or passage-boat comes by the canal
eV^ry day. It is fifty miles from Lille.
They have a custom here of making all
persons carry in their hands a light of

PARIS BY OSTEND, 47
some kind, Avithout Avhich in the even
ing, the centinels Avill not let you pass.
There is generally a strong garrison
at St. Omer, as it is a place of import
ance, and one of the frontier towns of
the province of Artois. There are no,
very curious convents here; I went to
that of the Riche-Clairs, and had a
great deal of conversation with the
abbess, who Avas an agreeable woman,
and had. seen much of the Atorld.
The twd chief streets at St. Omer are
La Rue de St. Bertin, and Rue de
Comrhandant. . I am: at a boarding-r
houSe, .where most of. the English. go,
kept by a blind man named Jean Petit.
It is astonishingly reasonable, Ave oiily
pay tAvelve livres or ten shillings a
week for our board, finding onir own
breakfasts and Avine, and Ave have two
good rooms each. Adieu, I mean to
go to Dunkirk and from thence to LiUe
again. Yours, &c.

48 JOURNEY TO

Lille, May 12, 1782.
I STAYED a day longer at St.
Omer, to go to the plains of Agincourt,
so interesting to every Englishman on
account of the memorable victory
which Henry the Fifth gained over the
French, which was followed by the
conquest of France.
I Avished some one to go with me,
but none of my friends had sufficient
curiosity, so 1 determined to set out
alone, rather than miss an opportunity
which might never occur again. I ac
cordingly mounted a bidet,* in praise
of which I cannot say much, as he was
almost head over heels every minute,
and with my utmost efforts of whip
and spur, I could not get him on more
than five miles an hour, but the French
are not famous for good horses. I
* A small French horse used for ridiog.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 49
dined, or rather fasted, at Fruges, as
it was a maigre day ; it is an insignifi
cant village, Avhere, hoAvever, they have
a Grande Place, if a little dirty square
deserves that name, composed of a few
huts. This is six long leagues from St,
Omer, in the road to Abbeville, &c,
I Avalked after dinner to Agincourt,
or rather to Azincourt, after the castle
of which the battle was named,* It is
two miles from Fruges, It is a large
plain, and at some distance is .the. vil
lage, where I went to call on the Cure,-!-
who lived in a small thatched house,
but he Avas unfortunately not at home ;
hoAvever, a man who had occasionally
shewn the lions accompanied me.
I saw Maisoncelle, and the other
villages,' which the historians speak of.
The position of the army seems to have
* Vid- Rapin.
t In France the Cures answer to the Incumbents of
our churches, and the Vicaire is the Curate!
VOL. I. E

50 JOURNEY TO
been admirable, as the small one of
Henry had full scope, whereas the other
from it's vast superiority,* had not
room. I smiled at the guide's shewing
me the place Avhere the king stood, and
Avhere he said, that he fought en diable.-f
A chapel is built, in which were bu
ried the French who Avere slain, and
masses are said for their souls.
The castle which gave name to the
battle, is now changed into a barn.
Sic transit gloria mundi !
In this extraordinary battle, we
know not which most to admire, the.

* The French are generally said to have had four
times the number of the English, and David Gam, who
was sent to survey their army, made that celebrated an.
Bwer, " there were enough to kill, to be made prisoners,.
" and to run away." This was completely verified, for
with the unfortunate massacre of the prisoners, there was
1 archbishop, 3 dukes, 6 counts, 90 barons, 1,500
knights, 7,000 esquires or gentlemen, and 10,000 sol
diers. There was also a vast number of prisoners taken,
besides the dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, the counts
of Eu, Vendome, Richemont, &c. &c. The third line
of the army retreated without fighting.
t Like a devil.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 51
bravery in the battle, or the modest
conduct of Henry after it ; and so de
sirous Avas he to avoid the effusion of
human blood, that he offered to restore
Harfleur, and to make ample amends
for all that France had suffered from
liim since his landing, if they would
only alloAV him a free passage to Calais ;
but so infatuated were the French, as
to refuse these offers,* as they had*
done at tfie battle of Poitiers, when Ed
ward, the Black Prince, even made
more liberal offers, and their refusal was
the cause of the dreadful CAdls which
France suffered so many years.
This celebrated battle, which decided
the fate of France, was fought in 1415,
and in the third year of the reign of
Henry the Fifth,
Some of the country betAveen St,
Omer and Fruges is very pretty, it is
hilly, and some part of it woody,
* They are said to have played dice for their pri
soners the night before the battle.
E 2

52 JOURNEY TO
The village of Fauconberg in parti
cular, is beautifully situated among
meadoAVS, Avith a clear stream running
through it.
Fruges is eleven leagues from Abbe
ville, near which the battle of Crecy
was fought by EdAvard the Third, I
wished that I could have reached it,
but had not time.
Thus these tAvo celebrated battles of
Crecy and Agincourt, were fought not
far from each other : and the Somme,
which is not a large river, Avas always
one of great consequence from its si
tuation, when the Kings of England in
vaded France ; and the towns on it
Avere mentioned ahvays as a leading
part, in the articles of the treaties.
From St. Omer I set off in the
passage boat to Dunkirk, ten leagues
from it. This is a cheap and conve
nient Avay of travelling, practised
almost all through the Loav Countries,
as in general, there are canals from one

PARIS BY OSTEND. 53
town to another. The boat is drawn
by horses, Avhich are changed every
seven or eight miles. It would be very
pleasant if the horses went faster ; but
in general, a league an hour is their
pace ; indeed, so regular is this, that
they count by hours as often as leagues;
We Avent on shore at a small village
called Ostin, to breakfast ; for as their
arrival does not depend on any of the
land-travelling casualties, such as break
ing down, &c. &c, they are in general
exact, almost to a minute, and every
thing accordingly is provided in readi
ness for their arrival.
We dined at Bourbourg, where there
is a noble abbey of Celestines ; the nuns
must all prove their noblesse, unmixed
with the canaille for many generations.
Their rule is to dress in black of morn
ings, and white of an afternoon. The
apartments and gardens are neat, and
the inhabitants were very polite in con
ducting us over them.

54 JOURNEY TO
Bourbourg is a small but neat toAvn,
from hence to Dunkirk it is nearly
twelve miles, for from St, Omer to
Dunkirk it is thirty by water, though
only twenty-one by land.
We arrived in the evening, but I
stayed so short a time, that I can say
but little of it, it is, however, a large,
populous, and handsome town, and
very neat ; and there is a fine lofty
tower which is a sea mark, and several
handsome buildings. The custom
house officers are very strict, as they
not only took two pounds of tea from
me, which I had bought for my own
use, but also about a quarter of an
ounce in a paper which was not smug
gled. I contested the matter, but in
vain, for they called some of the sen
tinels to assist them, who were near.
A gentleman however from Lyons,
Avith whom I Avas going post to Lille,
had his pockets stuffed with silks, and
escaped Avith all, from knowing how to

PARIS BY OSTEND, 55
manage them, but experientia docet,
and I comforted myself with thinking
that I should be Aviser another time
from bought experience, when I should
not have too much confidence in the
politesse of the officers.
We left Dunkirk at half past seven
at night, and supped at Cassel, which
is a small tOAvn beautifully situated on
the highest, and indeed only hill in the
country, from which it is said, that you
may see thirty-six towns ; certain it is,
that you may see a great many, as the
country round is a dead flat. This
town is strongly fortified, and is famous
for the battle between the duke of Or
leans and prince of Orange, when St,
Omer was besieged, and the loss of it
was followed by the surrender of St.
Omer to the duke, 1677-
Between Dunkirk and Cassel is Ber-
gues, the first stage, or rather post,
which is tAVO leagues, Cassel three more,
Bailleul, a small place, five, Armen-^

56 JOURNEY TO
tieres five, and Lille two, so that the
distance is fifty-seven miles. Armen-
tieres is a small but strongly fortified
town. We got in at five in the morn
ing, just as the gates Avere opened, for
these same gates are a great check to
an actiA^e mind, both morning, and
evening ; and a paltry inn, or rather
cabaret, in the fauxbourgs, nmst be
your resource for the njght, if you
happen to be too late, for they will sel
dom open the gates to you; so that
you must hit your time A^ery nicely.
When we think on these things, added
to many others, how ought we to prize
England; happy country of liberty,
Avhere gates, bolts, bars and walls are
given up for our wooden ones, which
answer all the ends of the others, Avith
out their inconvenience.
But, perhaps, you will be tired of
these reflections. It is astonishing how
quick the French postillions are in
changing horses in the night ; they

PARIS BY OSTEND. 57
make a great noise Avith their Avhips
before they come to the post-houses,
and the new postillion and horses are
out immediately ; they are frequently
changed in five minutes.
The post belongs to the king, and
the postillion's uniform is blue and
scarlet, and they usually haA^e long
queues, except in Flanders, Avhere they
almost all smoak, as in Germany.
I intend setting off to morroAv to
Amiens by Avay of Arras, where I shall
stay some time before I go to Paris, as
I am told it is a very good place to get
some insight into the language, for a
person will make but a poor figure in
the capital of a country without speak
ing the language of it, and there are too
many of our countrymen here for me
to. make much progress in it, and one
cannot help mixing with them without
being thought singular. I will write to
you from Amiens, Yours, &c.

58 JOURNEY TO

Amiens, May 20, 1782.
I SET off on the thirteentli for this
place, by Arras, dined, or railier fasted,
at Esclin, a disagreeable bourg, two
leagues from Lille, as nothing could be
procured but eggs, spinach and milk,
it being a maigre day ; and if it had
not bpen for the kindness of a woman
who made me partake of her son's
provisions, (as children may break
these religious rules and eat meat,) I
should have fared but badly. Lannes
is the next town, four leagues fi-om
Arras; the country about this town is
very pretty.
Two leagues from hence is a high
hfll, called Mount Vanmick, which
commands a fine and extensive pros
pect, you may see from it, Bethune,
Douay, &c. &c. In general, the road
from Lille to Arras is open and un^
pleasant ; the distance is ten leagues.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 59
Arras is the capital of Artois, and is
a large and populous city, and would
be.handsome, if the streets were not so
narrow, that you may almost reach
from one side to the other.
The cathedral is an old building,
with many figures in it as large as the
life. The Grande Place is a handsome,
well-built, and regular square ; the wall
on the ramparts is very high, and re
markably pleasant, I told from it
twenty-six steeples in the town.
The abbey St, Vas is a handsome
new building, Avith so large a front that
I reckoned forty-two windows in it.
The environs are very pleasant, and
there are many genteel families in the
town and neighbourhood,
I set off in the evening for Amiens
and breakfasted at Dourlens, distant
from it seven leagues. This is a small
town, but strongly fortified ; Hernando
Teillo, governor for the King of Spain,

60 JOURNEY TO
took Amiens from it by the well known
stratagem of the nuts in 1597*-
The road from Arras to Amiens is
rough and very bad in Avinter, as it is
not, like most of the roads in France,
paved.; it is in general dull, but towards
Amiens there are some good vicAVS, as
there are woods, and the country be
comes more inclosed. The distance
between the two cities is fifteen leagues.
Adieu, Yours, &c.
* A number of soldiers, disguised as countrymen and
countrywomen carrying nuts to market, which they
threw among the soldiers who guarded the gate of Mon-
trescu, got possession of the city in less than half an
hour, so that the count de St. Pol had but just time to
get into a boat, and escape to Corbie. Vid. Daniel. This
appears to have given that great prince Henry the Fourth
as much concern as any reverse which he had experi
enced in his numerous campaigns.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 6l

Amiens, June l6, 1782.
THIS is a large, populous, fine city,
built on the Somme, it is divided into
tAvo parts, the high and the Ioav town,
the former is the least populous but the
genteelest, and much the most agree
able to live in, as the streets are broad
and open, and very pleasant, among
gardens, Avalks, &c. &c. The Ioav
toAvn is very much crouded, and the
streets dirty and narroAV, and the houses
ill built, but all the commerce is in
this part of the town. The manufac
ture of Amiens is chiefly prince's stuff;
it is a very rich and populous city, and
the number of inhabitants is computed
at upwards of fifty thousand.
As this is the capital of the fertile
province of Picardy, the Intendant
chiefly resides here, he has a very good
house and gardens.

62 JOURNEY TO
The toAvn is governed by a provost
and mayor, the former for capital
causes, and the latter has a court every
week at the Hotel de Ville for trifling
ones. Hardly any thing can be conceived
more beautifiii than the walks on the
ramparts, among gardens, meadows,
&c. and the Somme, Avhich though
narrow is clear and rapid, adds not a
little to the scene. The city is about
a league in circumference. This is one
of the four towns in which is stationed
the Garde du Corps, This is a fine
regiment, consisting of twelve hundred,
all of Avhom must be gentlemen, six
hundred of them are half the year at
their own houses; the others are half
of them with the King at Versailles,
and the other half at Amiens, Beau-
vais, &c, &c. They change places
every quarter; their sole business is to
guard the King, and they cannot be
obliged to go out of the kingdom on

PARIS BY OSTEND, 63
service. Their uniform is blue and,
red, and red stockings. Their captain
is the marechal de Noailles, who Avas
so much in favour with Louis the Fif
teenth, I shall stay here about three
months, and shall write as any thing
occurs worth remarking, I board at
the house of an abb6 who is a teacher
of languages, and pay a guinea a month
for my board, Avine only, and tea and
sugar, excepted. We do not fare sump
tuously, but I hope to make great
progress in the language, as I am the
only Enghshman in the town. Yours, &c.

64 JOURNEY TO

Amiens, July 4, 1782.
THE fortifications of this place, for
Want of repair, are almost fallen doAvn,
and it could sustain but a very short
siege, though it sustained one in 1597,
against a chosen army of Henry the
Fourth, commanded by some of his
best generals ; the marshal de Biron,
due de Mayenne*, &c. and part of the
time by the King in person. It held
out six months, from April to the end
of September, and capitulated on
honourable terms.
The King was so pleased with the
gallant defence Avhich the marquis de
Montenegro had made, that he sent
the constable, marechal de Biron, and

* The celebrated chief of the League, and brother
to Henry due de Guise, sirnamed le Balafre, assassi
nated by order of Henry the Third at Blois. The due
de Mayenne, after he had made his peace with Henry
the Fourth, was ever after faithful to him, and much
trusted by him.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 65
due de Montbaron, to the Porte de
Beauvais to receive him.
The citadel is much neglected, though
it has been very strong ; it is situated
in a romantic spot, but there are in it
at present only three officers, and
tAventy-five invalids, it will hold four
thousand conveniently. There Avere
lately one hundred and fifty prisoners
in it. From the garden of the com-.
mandant is a fine prospect of the town
and environs.
I met here a sensible old soldier who
had been at the battles of Fontenoi
and Minden; he Avas yery intelligent
in his account of them, and imputed
the loss of the first entirely to the
Dutch. There is a very strong maga
zine in the citadel.
There are in Amiens eleven parishes,
the cathedral is one of the finest in
¦France ; the altars are remarkably ele
gant, and the choir large, neat, ancj
well paved.
VOL. I, F

66 JOURNEY TO
' The grand altar is very curious, in
stead of a painting to it, there is ele
gant carved work, intermixed AVith
clouds of open Avork, through which
you see part of the church behind,
which has a fine effect.
In the body of the cathedral, is a
pulpit very finely carved, which cost a
large sum of money, on the top is a
figure of Charity,
This church was buUt by the Eng
lish, but this is denied by the French,
Indeed our countrymen shew their
taste at least, by claiming the honour
of having built some of the finest
churches in France, aS this, Notre
Dame at Paris, Rouen, &c. &c.
The bishop of Amiens has a good re
venue, as most of the bishops of iVance
have, but it requires much interest to
get a bishopric, and they are generally
of the noblesse. His house and gardens
are good, and he has a noble library.
His income is one of the smallest among

PARIS BY OSTEND. 67
the bishops, and it is fifteen hundred
pounds a year*. I have been so fortu
nate as to see the FSte Dieu sinCe I
have been here, Avhich is the finest in
.the year. The procession Avas very
grand, and consisted of more than tAVO
hundred persons, monks, parish-priests,
and canons of the cathedral, after them
came the bishop superbly dressed in his
pontificals, and the dean and arcli-
tleacon under a canopy. On each
side of the canopy, marched the Garde
du Corps, richly dressed, with drawn
swords, and colours flying ; There
were crosses innumerable carried, but
•the Pon Dieu was reserved for the
bishop. The procession Avas received in the
Grande Place by some more of the
same corps on horseback, with drums
beating, &c. The priests shouted all
the way, and the streets through which
* The bishops m general are eminent for piety and
charity, though perhaps not so learned as ours.
p 2

68 JOURNEY YO
the procession passed Avere covered in
Avith canvas and boughs ; if to this
be added the gay dresses of the people,
the-Avhole formed a beautiful scene.
I atn the only Englishman here, so
that I have a chance of improving in
the language. I meet with no incivili
ties, though at their desire, I talk poli
tics every day at the Caffi Militaire
w^ith the officers.
The ricAvs of Rodney's victory did
not gain credit for some time, and when
I Avent to the coffee-house, I heard one
'officer ansAver another who asked him
Avhat he thought of it, that he thought-
'the English Avere great liars ; another
said, that it was impossible that the
Vi^le de Paris could be taken, as it
x^ould Avithstand all the efforts of the
English fleet several days together ;
this shcAvs what judges they are of
naA^-al affairs. Their behaviour, hoAV-
ever, towards me did not alter in the

PARIS BY OSTEND. 6^
least*; De Grasse Avas universally
blamed, and on my espousing his cause,
they said the English Avould do this, to
make the triumph of their own com
mander greater ; they seem hoAvever to
think he was not well supported- We
have been A^ery gay here with a fair at
the Bourse, or Exchange ; it lasted
several days, and the shops were beau
tifully set off; this sort of amusement
' suits this lively people Avell, and it was
Constantly attended. Adieu, Yours, &c.

* What a contrast between this conduct and that of
the French at present, in this reign of terror.

70 JOURNEY TO

Amiens, July 8, 1782,
, THERE are in Amiens eleven con
vents of men, and the same number of
wo^inen ; of those, the Paraclets is one
of the best; that of the Celestins is
abolished ; the King gave them their
choice, either to return to the rules of
their original institution, from which
they had much deviated, or leave the
convent; they chose the latter, as they
could not give up their luxurious way
of living ; there are only ten or twelve
of them, he allowed them fourteen
hundred livres* a year each.
I went a few days ago to see a battle
of beasts, or rather bears and bulls
baited by dogs, the former were staked
down, but even in this situation, the
dogs escaped with great difficulty ; but
the most curious thing of all was a
bull-dog attacking a wheel of fire, he
* Nearly sixty pounds a year.

PARIS BY OS-TEND, 71
Avas draAvn up into the air with it by a
pulley, and in spite of the noise, sparks,
&c, he kept liis hold two or three
minutes, till the Avheel was burnt, and
he Avas taken doAvn holding as fast as
ever. L'Haulois is a very pleasant walk*,
about half a mile from the toAvn ; there
is wood, water, &c, it is much resorted
to in holydays, there is a coffee-house
in the midst of it, well provided with
good cream, cakes, &c.
The play-house is an elegant build
ing, erected within these few years,
and the players by no means bad. The
first boxes are thirty-six sous.
There is a college at Amiens, other
wise a free school, in which are above
Six hundred boys, but the master and
professors are not paid well, the former
has twelve hundred livres a year, and
the profit of the garden ; the latter
* The environs of this beautiful walk are so full of
large frogs, that their noise is quite disagreeable.

72 JOURNEY TO
eleven hundred, equal to between forty
and fifty pounds ; there are often ex
periments made in natural philosophy
in the hall.
Although provisions, &c. are very
reasonable in this country, the salaries
of the master, &c. should certainly be
one hundred pounds, seventy at least ;
as men of talents and learning ought
to be encouraged.
The hospital for old people and or
phans is a very noble foundation, and
every care is taken of them; at a pro
per age the children are put out to
some trade, at the expence of the fund.
Adieu, Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 73

Amiens, July 12, 1782,
I HAVE been to see the abbey St.
Achelle, Avhich is about a mile from
this toAvn.
The church is neat, and the gardens
very pretty, but the convent, though a
handsome building, has a desolate ap
pearance, as there are not above four
or five monks in it : the rest are gene
rally at Paris*.
The Avalk to the abbey is pleasant,
Avith gardens on each side, and there
are some good views. Picardy is a fine
province, and if it does not produce
wine and oil, its fields are well culti
vated, and supply France with abun
dance of fine wheat.
* Surely no one can blame the policy of suppressing
monastic institutions, when this, and similar instances so
frequently occur, of their quitting their monastery, wliere
they might be of some use, for the only thing to be said
iii^favour of the monks, is their charity and hospitality.

74 JOURNEY TO
I have also been to see the Chateau
d'Eau, which is a very curious building,
ninety feet high. It supplies twelve
fountains in the town with Avater, and
the water is made to ascend to the top
of the tower by the force of engines.
This afternoon, a poor abb6 Avas set
at liberty, at the intercessioh of my
good-natured landlord, who had been
confined a year in prison, on bread and
>vater, and slept on straw. He Avas
arrested at the gates because he had
not a passport, and though he had
written several letters to his friends, he
received no ansAver, and supposes they
were never sent.
This poor man was of Bruxelles, and
a qniet inoffensive man ; but nobody
searched into the affair ; one instance
among many, of the evils of a despotic
government. I saw here, the other day, the man
ner of their funerals. The priests, and
a number of attendants, accompanied

PARIS BY OSTEND, 75
the corps through great part of the
toAvn, chaunting the whole way, but
when they came to the grave, the body
was deposited in it with very little
ceremony, Hoav different from the
awful, solemn service, used by us on
the like occasion.
When the priests visit the sick, they
also go in procession the Avhole Avay,
carrying the Host or Bon Dieu in cere
mony, and chaunt the service as they
go along. They often elevate the Host,
Avhen all who are present, are expected
to fall down on their knees. In short
all their religious ceremonies appear to
me fiiU of pageantry, very different
from the plain and simple ones of the
Protestant religion. I am, Yours, &c-

76 JOURNEY TO

Amiens, July 22, 1782.
We have been very gay here, pre
paring for the arrival of le comte and
comtesse du Nord,* who took this
place in their route to Paris ; there was
a play ordered for them, but they came
too late to see it. They remained but
a short time in the town, but were affa
ble and pleased with the attention
shewed to them.
I have been, since I wrote last, to
see the king's baths, which I think nei
ther commodious nor agreeable. The
garden in which they are, is a physic
; one. I have also been into the bishop's
garden and palace, it is a large Ioav
building, but there is a new part which
joins to the chapel, and looks into the
* The late unfortunate Paul, emperor of Russia, son
of Catherine the Second, and father of the present
emperor.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 77
garden, moderately high, in which is
an excellent library, and a very neat
room with an oaken floor.
The garden is good, and there is an
elegant piece of Avater in it.
The chapel is plain and neat, the
seiTants shewed me the bishop's robes
for the different festivals, which Avere
numerous, and all very rich. Among
other things I saAV a curious little cabi
net, made by the nuns of St, Clair, In
it the late bishop is represented saying
mass, a capuchin on one side, and the
abbess on the other.
In the different parts were three or
four more nuns, all cut out of bone,
and the dresses were done exceedingly
well,* As I begin to converse tolerably in
the language, I propose setting out in

* The nuns, in general, are very ingenious in works
of fancy, pocket-books, pincushions, &c. These are ex
hibited when you go to the convents, and it is ex
pected that you make some purchases.

f6 . JOURNEY TO
a fcAV days for Paris, I have every
reason to speak avcU of the Amienois,
for the politeness and attention which
I have experienced among them, I
constantly frequent le CafS Militaire,
and in spite of the situation in Avhich
the two countries are placed, nothing
unpleasant ever passed betAveen the
military and myself, so that my sejour
has been very agreeable : I will write
to you soon, I am. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 79

Paris, August 2, 1782,
I PURSUED my intention of leav
ing Amiens, and went through Hebe-
court, a small vfllage and post, and
Flers, another, and arrived at Breteuil,
a post and an half from Flers, here I
took some refreshment ; this is a very
neat bourg, alias, a town not fortified.
To St Just is a post, and Clei'mont
two : here I stayed all night, as, having
loitered, I could not reach Chantilly
according to my first intention.
From Amiens to Clermont the coun
try in general is open and disagreeable.
Clermont is a small, but by no means
an Unpleasant town, and finely situated
on a hill. About two miles from it is a
handsome house, which belonged for^
merly to a natural son of the Pretender,
the grounds of which are Avell laid out.
From Clermont a great change begins
to appear in the face of the country ;

80 JOURNEY TO
vineyards, and an inclosed beautiful
country, well wooded, now take place
of an open and dreary one. I set ofl"
€arly the next morning, that I might
have some time to see Chantilly; to
Longueville is a post and a quarter,
and one and an half to Chantilly, Avhere
I Avas very glad to get some breakfast.
The palace at Chantifly belongs to the
prince de Cond6, the second prince of
the blood, and came into his family by
the marriage of one of his ancestors,
Avith the heiress of the great Montmo-^
renci. I cannot give so full an account of
•this place, which is truly magnificent,
as I could Avish ; for I Avas in so great a
liurry to get to Paris, that I had not
time enough, to see it. The castle is
-large, and full of grand apartments, in
-one of which is a fine museum ; the gar-
dens and grounds, Avhichare extensive,
are laid out in the greatest perfection,
the servant brought us to a place in

PARIS BY OSTEND. 81
them, Avhere four Avays meet, and
in each of them the vicAv is bound
less : there is a vast quantity of fine
Avater, Avhich comes very near the house,
and pleasure boats of every kind in
abundance, L'Isle d' Amour is by no
means the least beautiful spot in this
charming place. I shall finish my ac
count of Chantilly in my next.
Yours, &c.

VOL. I. G

82 JOURNEY TO

Paris, August 2, 1782.
THE prince of Conde has tAVO hundred
thousand sterling a year, and lives in a
truly magnificent manner.* Besides his
other sen^ants, which are numerous, he
has above a hundred Gardes de Chasse,
as he is very strict in the preservation
of his game, Avhich is in great abun
dance ; if the game-keepers detect any
poachers, their least punishment is be
ing sent to the gallies for life ; such is
the arbitrary conduct of the princes of
the blood in this despotic govern
ment ; how happy ought we to think
ourselves in living in one Avhich is
limited.

* Since this was written, this prince is a fugitive wan
derer in foreign courts ever since the great French revolu
tion : another strong instance of the instability of
human greatness, and the evils of this revolution, though
partial good may have been produced.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 83
The stables at Chantilly are the most
magnificent in the Avorld, and much too
grand for the use to Avhich they are ap
propriated ; they are built of the finest
stone, and kept in the nicest order;
there are in general above tAVO hundred
horses in them ; the chief part English ;
as is usually the case in the studs of
the men of fashion in this country.
You see hares, pheasants, and par
tridges, in all parts of these extensive
and delightful grounds ; and they are
so tame, that they cross the high road,
and come near travellers without the
least fear ; the fish ponds are full of
remarkably large and curious fish ; in
short, there is nothing wanting in this
delightful place ; the prince and the
due de Bourbon his son are very fond
of it, and spend a great deal of time in
it, as it is only thirty miles fi'om Paris,
A traveller ought to dedicate a day
at least to this place, as he cannot sur-

84 JOURNEY TO
vey it's numberless beauties in less
time. The village of Chantilly is neat,
but has nothing remarkable in it ;
there is a tolerable inn in it, but as may
be imagined very dear,
I forgot to mention that, two leagues
from Chantilly, we passed by an old
castle, famoiis for the confinement of
Charles the Sixth, king of France, in his
times of madness ; it is said that cards
were invented to amuse this prince,
Avho was grandfather to Henry the
Sixth, king of England, who kept the
crown of France, till Charles the
Seventh, sumamed the Victorious,* re
covered what his father had so shame
fully given away, by the help of that

* The character of this licentious prince seems to
have been much mistaken ; he was certainly very for
tunate in his generals and ministers, for such a general
as le comte de Dunois, or such a minister as Tannegui
du Ch^tel are seldom found ; the latter it was the pe
culiar misfortune of Charles to be obliged to dismiss
from his service.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 85
heroine, the Maid of Orleans, so much
celebrated by the pen of Voltaire, At
this castle Ave crossed a small river
Avhich empties itself into the Seine, and
entered into the Isle of France, I shall
finish the rest of my journey to Paris
in my next. Adieu.

86 JOURNEY TO

Paris, August 4, 1782,
LEAVING Chantilly, Ave proceeded
through Luzarches and Econen, tAvo
insignificant villages, to St. Denis ;
Avhere Ave took some refreshment.
This is a large old dirty toAvn, but
famous for the Royal Abbey, in Avhich
the kings and queens of France have
been buried for several centuries ; I
shall hope to give a further account
of this in a future letter. From St.
Denis to Paris it is tAvo posts, one, and
the Poste Royale, but not above three
English miles ; the road is straight and
disagreeably uniform and flat, between
tAVO rows of trees ; and there is much
Avanted a hill, like Deptford or Shooter,
fi'om Avhich you might see Paris to ad
vantage. After a very pleasant jour
ney, I got safe to Paris early in the
evening, and was set down at L' Hotel

PARIS BY OSTEND. 87
au nom de Jesus*, Avhere I Avas not sor
ry to get a cup of tea, a 1' Angloise,
From Chantilly to Luzarches, the
road Avas particularly beautiful through
the grounds of the prince, and indeed
most of the road to Paris made ample
amends for the disagreeable country I
had gone through from Amiens for
several miles. If you have no chaise,
and the Inn-keeper furnishes you Avith
one, you pay each post for it, as for a
horse. And you generally get a crazy vehi
cle, with torn leather curtains that will
not keep out the cold: like an old
English one-horse-chaise; and you have
the trouble and inconvenience besides
of changing your luggage every post;
therefore the best Avay for a traveller,
who does not bring a chaise from Eng
land, is to buy a cabriolet, he may very
* This title and that of L'Esprit, at Cologne, seem
very strange when applied to Inns, but foreigners are
very inconsistent in their religious notions.

88 JOURNEY TO
often get one for twelve or fourteen Louis
d'ors, that will ansAver his purpose very
Avell, and may dispose of it Avhen he has
finished his journey Avith very little loss,
nay, often to advantage, if he meets
with any body on his return, Avho is
setting out on his tour*.
The stated price for post horses is
tAventy-five sols for each horse, and tlie
post master can ob ige you to take
three, for a cabriolet ; but if it is a very
light one, they Avill sometimes agree
Avith you for thirty, or tAvo and thirty
sols at most ; this is supposing there are
two in the chaise, as if there is but one,
they can oblige you to have but tAvo
horses; the established price to the
postillions is ten sous each post, but if
you do not make it up twenty, or
twenty four, you Avill travel slowly and
very uncomfortably, for they are all so
connected, that they acquaint each
* Monsieur Dessin, at Calais, will furnish him with
one.

PARIS BY OSTEJSTD. 89
other Avith what is given, as the com
mon interest is concerned, and ten to
one, if you do not attend to their grum
blings, but they do some mischief to
your chaise and harness.
Going in and out of Paris, Lyons,
and one or two more towns, you pay a
double post, as it is called a Poste
Royale, You travel about six miles an hour,
and though they stop so often to change
horses, it is done very expeditiously,
and they soon change their rope har
ness. I have frequently come to a post
in the middle of the night, when the
postillion was to be rouzed out of a
sound sleep : he has risen and put to
the horses, and been off in less than
ten minutes. The postfllions generally
night and day driA^e in night-caps ; those
and their long queues under them, have
a most ridiculous appearance ; the mon
strous jack-boots Avhich they put over
their shoes are very usefiil, as their

90 JOURNEY TO
horses are very apt to fall, and they
take off the force of the bloAv,
The postflHons are dressed in blue
turned up Avith red, which is the King's
livery, (as he regulates all the posts)
and cocked hats ; Avhen they come to
a post or town, they always violently
smack their Avhip, which is not very
pleasant to a traveller. They ride a
little horse or bidet, and drive the other
two, of which the shaft one is largest ;
altogether, it seems very odd to an Eng
lish jockey, and not a little aukAvard,
By this time, I fancy that you are as
tired Avith reading as I am Avith Avriting,
so I will release you. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 91

Paris, August 5, 1782,
The entrance into Paris by the rue
St, Denis does not give a stranger a
very favourable opinion of it, as this
street is narroAv and very dirty, and full
of old houses, but the Porte St. Denis is a
very handsome one, and like most of the
gates in Paris, has a great deal of sculp
ture on it. They in general represent
some of the conquests of Louis Qua-
torze, as every thing Avas done to raise
the vanity of that monarch, Avho Avas
naturally vain enough in himself.
This city is said to contain about
eight hundred thousand iahabitants, I
shall not here enter into the long con
tested opinion which is largest, London
or Paris ; it is sufficient to say, that they
are the two first cities in Europe;
though quite in a different Avay, as
London having the advantage of a fine

92 JOURNEY TO
navigable river, Avhich Paris has not,
is quite commercial ; the Seine is small,
though a pretty river, and is only na
vigable for barges.
The Parisian houses are so much
higher than those of London, that I
cannot think the former contains tAVO
hundred thousand inhabitants less than
the latter, but these things are chiefly
matters of opinion, and are not exactly
determined ; this is certain, that in walk
ing the streets, you find a great differ
ence, for the croAvd of passengers is so
great in London, that you can hardly
get along, whereas in the most frequent
ed street of Paris, Avhich is the rue St,
Honor6, you may Avalk at all times
without being incommoded Avith a
crowd. As the streets are very narrow
and dirty, and there is no ti'otoir, ladies
cannot walk Avithout great inconve
nience; you are continually alarmed
Avith the cry of * garde, garde,' from the
coachmen, AA^ho drive their coaches close

PARIS BY OSTEND, 93
to the houses, I am astonished that in
such a city as Paris, they have not as
yet hit on some security for foot passen
gers ; but in this city, no attention is
paid but to the rich and the great ; the
loAver order of people is entirely neglect
ed, I shall see all that I can of this
place, and trouble you pretty often Avith
my letters; commend me to all my
English friends. Yours sincerely, &;c.

94 JOURNEY TO

Paris, August 8, 1782.
I HAVE bought a plan of the city,
Avhich I think is one of the first things
a traveller should do, as it is as neces
sary as a book of the posts. This plan
of Paris Avill save him a vast deal of
trouble in his Avalks ; both this, and also
one of the environs, are to be bought
on the quays ; the sellers moderately
ask six livres for them, and take three ;
and in general, at Paris, you must not
venture to give, at most, above half
Avhat you are asked, for any thing that
you have need to buy.
The old city of Paris, which noAV
goes by the name of La Cit6, is very
inconsiderable, and the fauxbourgs or
suburbs, as in London, are by much the
greatest part of it.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 95
Paris Avas formerly very strong, and
under the administration of the Due
de Mayenne stood a considerable siege,
and resisted the poAver of Henry the
Third, till it Avas at length taken by
his glorious successor, Henry the
Fourth*, Avho added fresh laurels to
those which he had already reaped. At
present the fortifications are neglected,
and the gates are not shut.
Although the houses are lofty and
built of stone, as there are quarries
very near, yet is Paris badly built.
The streets are narroAV and dirty, and
they greatly need a trotoir, Avhich adds
so much to the beauty and convenience
of London and Westminster ; it is Avith
the greatest difficulty that you can avoid
the carriages , A s I am noAV going to walk
* So quietly did this great prince take possession of
the city, after this famous siege, that the shops were
all opened the same day, and he went to a card party
in the evening.

96 JOURNEY TO
out, I must finish for the present ; com
mend me to all my English friends ; as
sure yourself that the charms of this gay
city are not able to make me forget how
truly • I am. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 97

Paris, August 12, 1782,
IF London has the advantage in
cleanliness, breadth, and pavement,
Paris, in its turn, is not behind hand
Avith it in many things, and in many
is superior to it ; the palaces, gardens j
and walks are charming, and with re
gard to the quays, I never saAv any so
pretty, except those of Dubli^, which
much resemble them; you have a beau
tiful and broad walk along the Seine,
without the least fear of being incom
moded by the coaches, and there are
shops all the AVay, decorated in the
prettiest manner imaginable ; but one
of the pleasantest spots in Paris is, I
think, the Boulevardes, which is a walk
quite round it, something like the cir
cular road at Dublin, separating the
city from the suburbs; it is broad, beau
tifully planted Avith trees on each side,
VOL. T. H

98 JOURNEY TO
and full of all kinds of houses of enter
tainment, the continual concourse of
people makes it resemble a fair, and
you never fail to meet elegant and
splendid equipages, as people of fashion
generally take their airings here. In
this charming place is the Opera House,
Avhich is a noble building ; the former
was burnt doAvn a few years ago, and
the new one is a fine rotund. The
singers and dancers are good, and you
may have a seat from the first box,
which is twelve livres, or ten shillings,
to the parterre Avhich is but one shil
ling. The Louvre is a most magnificent
palace built of stone, and is said to be
only excelled by the Escurial ; I be
lieve I do not exaggerate when I say
that it is half a mile in length ; from
Louis the Thirteenth, the kings of
France have never resided here, as Louis
Quatorze improved, and indeed almost
Avholly rebuilt VersaiUes, intending to

PARIS BY OSTEND. 99
make it the place of his residence,
which he effected. And noAV, though
the king and queen often come to the
Plays at Paris, they never stay the night
in it, but always return to Versailles or
some of their country houses*.
At breakfast, I look over my plan of
the city, and arrange my walks for the
day, by which means I can see what is
curious, without walking fiirther than is
necessary; as it is, I am so tired at night
that I do not want laudanum to lull
me to sleep ; I have been out all day,
which must plead my excuse for not
adding any more at present. Yours, &c.

* At present, the states here obliged the king and
queen to reside at the Louvre, as they hold their sittings
in it, 1790.

H 2

'100 JOURNEY TO

Paris, August 14, 1782.
I HAVE been this morning rambling
to see the curious things of this city,
and now sit doAvn to give you some ac
count of them ; and first of the Louvre,
which I just mentioned in my last.
This noble palace was begun by Fran-
f ois Premier, and continued by Henri
Second his son and successor, under
Francois Second, whose reign was very
short, little was done to it; but in
spite of the civil wars which raged with
such violence under his tAvo brothers,
Charles Neuf and Henri Trois, this
building was much improved, and con
siderable additions were made to it.
Henri Quatre Avas so fond of Fon-
tainbleau, as it was convenient for his
favourite amusement of hunting, that
he resided here as little as possible, but
his son Louis Treize, and after him.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 101
Louis Quatorze put the finishing stroke
to it ; though the latter after Avards lived
wholly at Versailles.
At present the Louvre is used for the
exhibition of painting, the French aca
demy, &c. : a great number of officers
have apartments in it : the exhibition
of paintings also is in a large room,
but greatly inferior to that at Somerset
House, you pay nothing for admit
tance, unless you have a book, for
which you are charged twelve sous,
and this plan is I think a very liberal
one. In a fine gallery are the victories of
Alexander the Great, by le Brun. In
short, the apartments of the Louvre are
used for the best and most usefiil pur
poses. You go through the Louvre to the
much celebrated garden of the .Thuil-
leries, nor is it undeservedly celebrated,
as it is a charming spot; those who

102 JOURNEY TO
compare it with St. James's park, in
my opinion err much in the comparison,
as one is a park and the other com
pletely a pleasure garden, laid out in
walks and parterres ; here are chairs in
abundance for those that are weary ;
you are shewn a window of the Louvre,
from which Charles the Ninth, that
weak and bloody minded prince, fired
on the Huguenots, at the fatal massacre
of Paris. The Thuilleries run along
the Seine a great way, and leaving them,
you come into the Champs Elize6s,
which is a shady Avalk for retirement,
as that of the Thuilleries is for those
Avho are inclined to be gay ; in these
walks in a morning, and from six to
eight in the evening, are to be found
most of the gay and unthinking, the
melancholy and gloomy of both sexes
at Paris ; and in them is transacted all
that relates to politicks, business or
pleasure ; you see gentlemen saying

PARIS BY OSTEND. 103
soft things to their mistresses, and arm
in arm with them in almost every Avalk,
in short, as the French are great loun
gers, these places of public resort are
seldom empty. I am called away, so
will finish this by and by. Yours, &c.

104 JOURNEY TO
BETWEEN the ThuiUeries and the
Champs Elizees, is the unfinished part
of the Place de Louis Quinze, Avith a
fine statue of that monarch, who so lit
tle merited the epithet of bien aimi from
his subjects ; here is the Colisee, a hand
some building, which is only open at
a particular time of the year, and where
there is music, dancing, lotteries, &c.
The place de Louis Quinze will be
truly noble, Avhen finished : it is quite
in the country, and from it you have a
fine view of the Hospital of the Invalids,
the Ecole Militaire, and Champ de
Mars, on the opposite side of the riyer.
I am at an exceeding good hotel, and
haA^e a comfortable apartment; these
hotels find you nothing but rooms, but
the Traiteur Avill supply you with din
ners and suppers, from one shilling a
head, to whatever price you please, but
excellent ones at half a crown ; tea or
poffee, you must have from the coffee-

PARIS BY OSTEND. 105
house, which will be five pence a time.
The best way is, for a stranger, to
take a Valet de Place, Avhich the
master of the hotel will procure him, he
will give him forty sols a day, and have
no further trouble Avith him, as he finds
himself in every thing. Since I have
been here, I have had several to offer
their services, in large bags and deep
ruffles ; they accost you in a most easy
Avay Monsieur est etranger, Sf veut
voir les curiosities de la ville ; as I
fortunately am acquainted Avith the
language, I have no need to trouble
these fine gentleman, though some
times, I assure you, one has great
trouble to get rid of their importunities.
I generally dine at the Table d' H6tes,
as in this country, you are certain of
finding good company at them : and a
traveller Avho wishes to get some insight
into the customs and the language of
the country, may improve himself much
\)j frequenting them. You will gene-

106 JOURNEY TO "
rally meet a great 'many of the military,
who speak the language with a very
good accent ; there are two courses and
a dessert; first, soupe and houilli, this you
have constantly, as well in the burn
ing month of August, as the freezing
one of January ; secondly, an entreS,
consisting of all manner of made dishes,
many of which an Englishman's sto
mach revolts at, though Avith this, there
is a dish of roti; thirdly, an elegant des
sert, composed of all kinds of pastry
and the fruits of the season : this is ex
cellent, as the French excel in pastry.
Onions are necessary ingredients in
almost all their made dishes, as they
are very fond of this root.
They have hardly any good meat, ex
cept veal ; as to their beef, in general it
is very bad. For the dinner, just men
tioned, in a provincial town, you will
pay thirty sous, and if you wish to
be generous, three or four sols to the
garf on who officiously waits upon you,

PARIS BY OSTEND. 107
and with a pity-moving countenance,
not to be resisted, comes round to the
company, and says Avith a Ioav boAV, et
pour le garfon ; but at Paris, you can
not well dine for less than half a crown
a head. When a Frenchman comes to these
Table d'Hotes, he struts into the room
with a most consequential air, and his
hat on, looking very conceited, but on
his entrance, he always takes it off to
the company, and generally puts it on,
to eat his dinner, which "to an English
man has a strange appearance ; he
next takes his place, by turning a
plate upside down, and Avhen he sits
down tucks his napkin in his stock, or
pins it to his waistcoat, lest he should
drop some gravy on his full dressed
cloaths : for as to clean, or fine linen,
they hardly knoAV Avnat it means : and
neither of those comes into a French
man's idea of dress . After these prepara
tions, they take their seat and are veiy

108 JOURNEY TO
civil and obliging, always offering to
strangers and the company the things
on the table, before they take of them
themselves ; a bottle of Avine, where it is
reasonable, is set between two ; this
varies so much according to the country,
that one cannot even mention the ave
rage price ; on this side of Paris however,
and at Paris, you cannot have tolerable
wine Avith your dinner under thirty
sous a bottle. The French finish their
dinner and wine together and have not
the least idea, like the English, of drink
ing by themselves when the ladies are
gone ; a Frenchman, on hearing of this
custom, lifts up his hands in astonish
ment and cries ; mon Dieu ! quels bar-
hares, quels sauvages !
One thing is very comfortable, at a
French inn, hoAvever bad a dinner you
may sometimes be obliged to put up
with, and however disagreeable ap-,
pearance a dirty bed-room may have
to dine in, you are always certain to

PARIS BY OSTEND, 109
have a clean table cloth and napkins ;
I wish I could say as much for them
Avith regard to knives, for unless you
carry one Avith you, you must either be
Avithout one or borroAV one which is too
dirty to be used, as an Englishman is
not very fond of using a knife taken
out of a dirty pocket, and perhaps if
they are very neat, Aviped by their coat,
or handkerchief, for I do not exag
gerate in saying they are a very dirty
nation. The French use nothing but
their forks, for their meat is so much
done, that it shakes to pieces ; Avhen a
leg of mutton is on the table, of which
they are very fond, the knuckle is done
round Avith Avhite paper, and they take
hold of it with one hand, and cut slices
of it Avith the other, and send round to
the company, and this is their constant
custom, I have Avritten an intolerably
long letter, but I hope you will ,excuse
it, as it comes from Yours, sincerely.

110 JOURNEY TO

Paris, August 17, 1782.
I HAVE been this morning along
the quays, to the Celestins, and passed
by la place de Gr^ve, where public ex
ecutions are held, but, to the honor of
the police, they are but few. The au
thor of the Tableau de Paris,* gives mi
serable accounts of the regulations in
Paris, but the Parisians themselves deny
the whole, as they do indeed every
thing Avhich that sensible writer assert
ed. In the church of the Celestins, are the
monuments of several of the kings of
France, the Montmorencis, Brisacs,
and indeed of several distinguished
and noble families. Here also is the
heart of Franpois Second, the husband
of the beautiful, but unfortunate queen
of Scots,
¦* An ingenious book written by Monsieur Mercier.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 111
Near this gloomy place is the little
Isle de Louvier, croAvded with stacks of
wood, as it supplies this city with that
useful article, and notwithstanding,
firing is one of the dearest things in
Paris, Just by the Celestins are the gardens
of the Arsenal*, which is well stored
with ammunition ; these are much re
sorted to by persons Avho live in this
part of the city ; near this, is the Bas-
tile-f, the gloomy receptacle of unfor
tunate prisoners of state.
It is built very strong, with eight tow
ers, and has a deep moat round it ; it
was erected by Philip le Bel, the cruel
monarch Avho destroyed the Templars.
Persons are hurried aAvay with a lettre
de cachet into this prison, and every
thing is transacted with such secrecy,,
* Henry Quatre was going to inspect this, when he
was assassinated by Ravaillac,
t Since this was written, the Bastile has been pulled
down to the ground, and not a wreck remaint.

112 jou'r]>J^ey to
that the family of the prisoners do not
know where they are ; nor is it ever
known how many are in it ; they are
often confined for twenty years, and
sometimes the greatest part of their
lives ; there was an instance many
years ago, of a man, Avho after a tedious
imprisonment in it, either by a change of
ministry or the death of the king, I
forget which, obtained his liberty, and
immediately went to his house, Avhich
he found occupied by another family,
and himself not knoAvn in the least, nor
could he by themostdiligentenquiry dis
cover any of his relations, or find any
that recollected him but an old servant ;
he was so muoh shocked at being
obliged to begin the world again with
out friends or acquaintance, that he
went to the minister and besought him
with tears to suffer him to return to the
, Bastile, but even this Avas refused him.
When they are fortunate enough to
regain their liberty they must be cau-

PARIS BY OSTEND, 113
tious not to mention the least thing re
lating to their confinement, by which
means little was known relative to these
particulars, till an ingenious author*
pubhshed lately, a full history of the
Bastile, Such are the fruits of a despotic mo
narchy ; how much to be envied is the
liberty of an Englishman, whom his
Magna Charta defends from every cru
elty, which ambition might attempt, or
tyranny inflict.
It is said, however, that the French
are asserting their liberty, and having
endeavoured to obtain it for the Ame
ricans, next mean to take care of them
selves ; if so the King and Ministry
are rightly punished for their interfer
ence in the American war: for I am
of the poet's opinion, that it is quite
right, necis artifices arte perire sua .^
* Monsieur Mercier.
VOL, I. I

114 journey to
At all events, if lettres de cachet* are
abohshed, Avhich it is said they wUl be,
the first stone of the building is razed,
Avhich will, I hope, terminate in liber
ty ; and the Commercial treaty, which
must make us more connected, will not
a little advance this great Avork, and
teach the French to be men instead of
slaves. There certainly never prevailed a
greater freedom of speech than at pre
sent. Military and civil men, who for-^
merly dared not avow their sentiments,
now speak them openly, and without
the least caution,
I have met with an officer, in parti
cular, an experienced and sensible man,
who spoke of persons of high rank very
freely, and did not scruple to impute
the bad state of the kingdom, to the
Aveak councils of interested ministers.
* These are blank warrants signed by the King,
which the Minister has at his disposal, and inserts what
ever name he chuses. '

PARIS BY OSTEND. 115
The remonstrances of the parliament*
noAV breathe the spirit of Englishmen,
jealous of their freedom and govern
ment, by sending them into banishment
and being Soon obliged to recall them,
shcAvs that it is not so able to resist
them as formerly ; add to this, they
are destroying religious societies very
fast, which though a useful measure,
as it will promote population, and
bring riches into circulation, requires
great power and firmness to execute,
in a nation which still retains some re
mains of its former bigotry; and this
plainly appears from the reign of Hen
ry the Eighth, who if he had been a
prince of less courage, power, and re
solution, must have yielded to the

* Happy had it been for the nation, had the Repre
sentatives of it proceeded with the same moderation
with which they began ; those dreadful scenes would
then have been avoided, which were a disgrace to a ci
vilized people,
I 2

116 JOURNEY TO ^
rude shocks which he sustained so re
peatedly*. As then, they appear to approach
nearer to us in religion, politicks, and
manners, I cannot help being san
guine enough to entertain the opinion
of our being hereafter as firm allies, as
we have been for so many centuries in
veterate enemies ; and that as national
prejudices are daily becoming weaker,
and the shackles of superstition drop
ping off, amends may be made for
those deluges of blood, which have
been shed in supporting quarrels which
ambition made, and faction maintain
ed. In this case, the Britishf and
Galhc flag would be an ample match
for all the nations in the world.
A French gentleman Avas with me,
and would not let me look long at the
* Religious Societies are now suppressed.
t The British one alone, it appears, is sufficient for
tills. "

PARIS BY OSTEND, 117
Bastile, though he had before assured
me that the report Avas false, of your
not being suffered to survey it with at
tention, I left it there, thankful for
the blessing of freedom, and pitying
the unfortunate condition of the poor
prisoners, Avho are deprived of the light
of the sun, I am now so tired that I
shaU resume my narrative after dinner.
Adieu, Yours, &c.

118 JOURNEY TO

AS I promised in my last, I resume
my peregrinations.
After having refreshed myself, I
Crossed the Seine on the Pont Notre
Dame, Avhich is old and narrow, and
went to the cathedral situated in the
center of the Isle Notre Dame. It is
an old and fine building with two noble
towers, which are said to have been
formerly much higher than they are at
present; this church also is said to
have been built by the English when
Henry the Sixth was king of France,
and English architects crowded in such
abundance to France. This island is
the centre of Paris, and full of inha
bitants. I went afterAvards to the Enfans
Trouv6s, from whence was taken the
plan of our Foundling hospital. This
is however, on a much more enlarged
scale, as they take in all that offer.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 119
whereas in London they are balloted
for. There are computed to be in this
hospital three thousand chfldren, and
they often take in twenty a day, they
are kept very neat and all put out to
some business.
The Hotel Dieu adjoining, is a noble
foundation for the sick, in this also,
there are three thousand persons who
are taken the greatest care of.
The archbishop's palace just by the
cathedral, is a handsome building, his
revenues are above eight thousand
pounds a year, and he is the first arch-
, bishop, though he is not a peer of the
kingdom, as, though there are in this
kingdom eighteen archbishops, and one
hundred and thirteen bishops, only six
of them are peers. The see of Paris is
generally given to a man of great con
sequence*, as he is much about the
court.
* The famous Harlay, who lived in the reign of
Louis Quittor^e, was archbishop of Paris.

120 JOURNEY TO
The Palace* also is in this island,
where the courts of justice are held.
Besides the Isle de Notre Dame,
formed as this is, by the division of the
Seine into two branches, that of St.
Louis, and Louvre Avhich I have men
tioned, only the former is inhabited.
I crossed over the other branch of
the Seine and once more got on the
main land, Avhere the first thing Avhich
I came to, worthy of being seen was
the Sorbonne, situated in the rue St.
Jaques. This is a handsome square, in Avhich
reside the doctors so famous for deter
mining casuistical questions. To these
literati among many others, our Henry
the Eighth applied, touching the vali
dity of his marriage Avith Catharine of
Arragon, when he Avas fully determin
ed hoAv to proceed ; however, the re-

* This answers to Weslmmster-Hall, as to the use
?Hade of it.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 121
verend gentlemen fortunately decided
in his favour.
The church of the Sorbonne is a
handsome one, and the dome Avell
worth seeing, but the thing Avhich most
merits the attention of the curious, is
the monument of that patron of letters,
cardinal Richlieu, the Mecaenas of the
age in wliich he lived, who was buried
here : it is by Girardon, and is esteem
ed one of the finest pieces of sculpture in
the world ; the cardinal is in a recum
bent posture ; at his feet, is Science
Aveeping at his death, and at his head.
Religion and tAVO other smaller figures,
the whole is cut out of the same piece
of marble. I could not help reflecting on the va
nity of human grandeur, as I looked on
the effigy of a man who had made so
-many tremble even at his look, and
who by his wonderful abilities, had
made his country dreaded by its neigh«

122 JOURNEY TO
hours, and raised the foundation of
that glory Avhich Louis the Fourteenth
afterwards acquired, but the most ex
traordinary part of this great minister's
character was, that in spite of the ma
chinations of the nobles, and even the
king and the. queen, he lived to humble
the power of the former, which never
could be done before, and triumphed
X)ver all their repeated attempts to dis
place him, and died in full possession
of his honours; hated, feared, and
respected by all the Avorld. It Avas for
tunate I think for Louis the Thirteenth,
that he survived his minister so short a
time as three months ; for though he
seemed happy that death had freed
him from a man he both hated and fear
ed, but could not get rid of, yet he would
shortly have found the difference in his
successor. In short, whether we con
sider this great man as a man of letters
or patron of the learned, as a statesman

PARIS BY OSTEND. 123
or a warrior, we shall find him one of
the greatest ministers that France ever
had, nor had he need of this monuinent
to perpetuate his fame.
Adieu, for the present,
Yoursf Sec.

124 JOURNEY TO

FROM the Sorbonne, I went to the
college of Louis le Grand, which is one
of the eight that compose the Univer
sity of Paris. There are two Squares
in it, the first of which is tolerably large ;
but there is nothing elegant in either
of them ; the plan of this, as indeed of
all the French Universities, is very
different from ours, as it is for much
younger people, and more resembles
our schools.
Not far from this, I passed by the
magnificent skeleton of the church of
St. Genevieve, which has been building
many years, and wfll be many more
before it is finished ; there is here too, a
very good library.
I was now in the heart of the rue St.
Jaques, in which live almost all the
Booksellers, and came to the Carme
lites, where Madame la Valliere, the

PARIS BY OSTEND, 125
amiable and unfortunate mistress of
Louis the Fourteenth, lies buried.
The fate of this lady was peculiarly
hard ; she Avas the only one of his
mistresses wh^k loved him for himself,
but yet could not long keep the heart
of that fickle monarch, but was sup
planted by an infinitely less amiable
one, Madame de Montespan*; Madame
la Valliere -f however, shcAved the great
est fortitude on this trying occasion,
and retired from the world to this place,
at the age of thirty, and in full posses
sion of all her charms, at leisure to
lament her too great credulity; she
* Athenais de Mortimer, Marchioness de Montes
pan, was mistress to Lewis the Fourteenth, from 1 669
to 1676; her ascendancy over the King was so great,
that she by her interest, made her brother, Le Due
Vironne, Marshall of France.
t La Duchesse de la Valliere, daughter to Madame
de la Remi, and maid of honor to Madame, wife of
Monsieur; and sister to Charles the Second, king of
England. The celebrated and beautiful Dutchess of
Orleans, who died in the prime of life, poisoned, as is
supposed.

126 JOURNEY to
made this sacrifice Avithout a tear, and
in the long series of yea^rs, Avhich she
passed here, no less than thirty fiA'^e,
seems to have grieved at nothing mate
rially but the ill-conduct of her son,
who is by many supposed to have been
the state prisoner in the iron mask, so
much spoken of by Voltaire, and others
under the name of the Count de Ver-
mandois ; Mademoiselle de Blois, her
daughter, gave her great comfort, and
Avas a long time the ornament of the
Court of France, The order of the
Carmelites is very strict, and they are
seen by no person ; the chapel is a most
elegant building, and full of very fine
paintings ; among the rest, is one of
Madame le Valliere, as a Magdalen, at
least as you are told, but it has by no
means that mild penitential count
enance which you are taught to expect
in that lady ; she was a very consider
able benefactress to this convent,
A little farther are the English

PARIS BY OSTEND, 127
Benedictins, to which every Englishman
must go, to see the remains of James
the Second,
A man conducted me into a chapel
adjoining the church, Avhere is a coffin
unburied, covered with black cloth,
with the arms of France and England
on it, Avhich contains the body of that
Aveak and bigotted Prince, who, as the
Jester of Louis the Fourteenth said, lost
three kingdoms for a mass, and indeed
he was unworthy of one, as he plainly
shewed, by his pusillanimous behaviour
afterwards. In a glass case is his head
in wax taken Avhen he was dead.
I had often heard that prince was
not yet buried, but could never hear
the reason of it, but my conductor ex
plained it, and told ine that the Preten
der never would suffer his father, to be
interred ; as he hoped to bring him to
his ancestors in Westminster abbey^
after having got possession of the British
croAvn : so I fancy, James is likely to

128 JOURNEY TO
remain unburied, and must be content
ed with masses said daily for the good of
his soul.
His posterity, Avithout doubt, have
given over all hopes of this, and follow
ed the track of heroes and kings, in
being put under ground. His natural
children and grand-children lie here;
and a few weeks ago the funeral of the
due de Fitzjames Avas celebrated with
great pomp.
The English Benedictins are chiefly
from Lancashire ; they have severalgood
benefices belonging to them, and one
of them a thousand a year; these they
succeed to, by rotation, and share the
profits among them. After several
years residence in the convent, they
have leave given them to see their fi-iends
in England. They have a very good
garden, and convenient apartments,
and live very comfortably. The refec
tory is a very handsome one, in it is a
fine portrait of the pretender, and many
of his family.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 129
I Avas fortunate enough to find a
sensible, conversible man among them ;
Avho endeavoured a longAvhileto convert
me, and made use of some very specious
arguments for that purpose ; he assur
ed me that the portrait at the Carmelites
was not drawn for madame la Valliere,
which I was much rejoiced at, as it did
not please me; by this time you are as
tired of reading as I am of writing,, so
I will release you for the present. Yours, &c.

VOL. I. V.

130 JOURNEY TO

Paris, August 21, 1782,
AS my time in this city must be but
-short, I shall continue my walks and
make the most of it. I take a fiacre, or
hackney coach as little as possible, for
by Avalking, I find that I begin already
to knoAv my way into most parts of
Paris; indeed there is not much merit
in this, as all the names of the streets
are written at the corners of them, as
in London, which plan Avas taken from
this city.
If a stranger is tired, he has not
much inducement for taking a coach,
for nothing can be conceived more
dirty than they are, and in their out
ward appearance, they more resemble
waggons than coaches ; the coachman
stands before the box, from whence he
drives a pair of half starved wretched
looking horses. There are above a
thousand of these vehicles in Paris;

PARIS BY OSTEND. 131
lately indeed, there has been a great
importation of English carriages, and
they talk of having still more brought
over, so that I hope in time the old
ones will be no more to be seen, Avhich
Avill be much to the advantage of Paris;
and if the streets Avould admit of a
trotoir, Avhich I much fear the old ones
from their narroAvness cannot, it would
much more resemble London than it
does at present. A stranger who wishes
to have a carriage at command, and
has not his OAvn with him, would do
well to take a remise, Avhich is like an
English chaise, for Avhich he will give
fifteen shillings a day, and for this, he
Avill have a comfortable and convenient
carriage. The fares of these fiacres are much
the same as of the London hackney
coaches, but the English ones are
much dearer. After I had been at the
English Benedictins, I went along the
FauXbourg St. Jaques, a mean narroAv
K 2

132 JOURNEY TO
Street, to the Royal Observatory, leav
ing at the right, the Luxembourg palace
and gardens ; this is the residence of
Monsieur, the king's next brother. I
lamented that I could not see it, as it
Avas repairing; there is a very fine
gallery in it, full of the best paintings ;
the gardens are large, but so gloomy,
that you may meditate. even to mad
ness. The French cannot bear them
in general, and say they are only fit
for Englishmen ; there are here gene
rally some persons, however, more seri
ous than common, Avhom the gaiety of
the Thuilleries does not suit.
Before I came to the Observatory, I
passed by the magnificent convent of
Val de Grace*, the fapade of the
church is very fine ; but in one of the
most disagreeable parts of the city. I

* The public buildings in Paris have in general a
great advantage over those of London ; as they are in a
more open situation; whereas, ours are for the most
part confined among houses, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 133
was in the most southern part of Paris,
distant, as I imagine, from fauxbourgs
St. Martin, the opposite one, about
five miles.
The Observatory is a fine building
for the use of the French Astronomers,
and the Academy ; but the most extra
ordinary thing here is the subterraneous
passages ; you descend l60 steps ; the
height of the passage is, I think, about
six feet, and it is as many in breadth ;
the sides are of a shining substance,
resembling crystal ; a girl Avent before
me in these shades beloAV Avith a great
flambeau. I can't say but I felt a
fi-esh tremour every time she knocked
it against the side to quicken the light ;
for if it had gone out, or she had been
seized with the cramp, it had been all
over with us in spite of Avhat she said
to the contrary, as she asserted that
she could find her Avay out. I assure
you I Avas not comfortable while I Avas

134 JOURNEY TO
in this place, and was but a poor com
panion to my fair conductress who offer
ed to go Avith me in this cavern under
the greatest part of Paris, which I was
glad to decUne. These passages go
under the bed of the river, they were
supposed to have been made in the
Civil Wars; Ave ascended by another
door, to the top of the Observatory.
From the top of the Observatory to the
bottom of this place, it is 336 feet.
I afterwards Avent into the room, in
Avhich were many of the French
academy with important faces ex
amining the globes.
As I Avas so near the Gobelins, and-
had no inclination to visit this disagree
able part of the city again, I determin
ed to see this curious work in the
fauxbourgs St. Marcel.
I AA-as not disappointed in this won-
derflil tapestry, Avhich is made only for
the king, many haA'^e endeavoured to

PARIS BY OSTEND. 135
imitate it, but none can succeed ; there
is a manufacture at Bruxelles, which
comes nearest to it. I was so tired
that I was glad to return to my hotel,
and so ends this da,y's journal.

Yours, &c.

136 jqURNEY TO

i'aris, August 23, 1752.
; ;B,ESJPES th§ principal theatres at
Pa!ris; Avhich^re the Opera, the Comedie
Franpoise, and the Comedie Italienne.
They have several other smaller ones,
as Audinot's; Nicqlais, &c. &c. These
tAVO last are at la foire St. Laurents,, a
fair which lasts some Aveeks at this
time of the year. It is full of shops
and is a very good lounge, andj_ there
are some very pretty marchandes de
modes, who offer their Avares in a very
tempting manner; but you must be on
your guard, for though they declare
sur leur conscience, putting their hands
on their breast, that their goods are
Avorth the money and they can take
no less, they will often in spite of leur
conscience, take half what they first de
manded. I have been, since I Avrote last, at la
Comedie Fran^oise, and ali^o at Audi-

PARIS BY OSTEND. 137
not's and Nicolais; at the former I had
the happiness of seeing that fine player
PreniUe, in le Barbier de Seville, and
well he merits the praises given him.
You must understand the language
very Avell to understand a French play,
as it is very different from common
conversation. •
The Sale of the Comedie Franfoise
is in the fauxbourgs St, Gerniains,
where all the genteel people: live, and is
a very fine one, and a rotund, and the
actors are very attentive to their parts :
by the by, the fauxbourgs St, Ger-
mains, are very dull and gloomy; they
have noble houses and fine Porte-
Cocheres, and voila le tout.
I was a few nights ago at the Come
die Italienne, they perform in the style
of our Comic Operas, and it is a most
delightful amusement; there is more
singing than speaking. I heard one or
two celebrated voices, and among others,
that of the much admired Madame de

138 JOURNEY TO
Gazon, who is a charming singer ; but
the women in general were not pretty.
The theatre is old, and in that vile,
dirty, narrow street, la rue de Man-
couseil, where it is not uncommon to
have such a stoppage of carriages as to
be detained half an hour, and at the
hazard of broken limbs, &c, but they
are going to build a new theatre on the
Boulevardes. The two smaller theatres are neat,
and they are very full ; the price is not
so high as at the other theatres. The
French are so gay a people and love
public amusements so well, that all
these play-houses fill very Avell, Avhilst
we are troubled to support only two*,
¦* There are coffee rooms and large galleries to all
the French theatres, in which you may have what re
freshments you wish ; and the people of the ton meet
snd talk over the performance when it is over, and
make love to the actresses.
The apartments which belong to the Comedie Fran-
9oise, are very elegant, as the whole was built but a few
years ago.
It is the fashion also to go behind the scenes at tb«
time of acting, and no objection is made.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 139
Paris is very hot, and I walk a la
Franpoise Avith my hat under my arm.
They are very easy here in the article
of dress, and we may walk about Avith
out the incumbrance of a sword, I
shall continue to write to you as
things occur Avorth mentioningv Adieu, Yours, &c.

140 JOURNEY TO

Paris, August 25, 1782,
I HAVE this morning been rambhng
as usual, and first went over the Pont
Neuf to the Mint, and the Hot^ de
quatre JiTations, or de Mazarin.
This bridge, so much celebrated,
does not I think deserve the praise it
has received.
It is neat, but not remarkable for
any thing but being much exposed to
the wind, as there is a division in it, it
is in reality two bridges : at the end, is
an equestrian statue of that great king,
Henry the Fourth, the hero of the age
in which he lived.
The Mint is an elegant building,
finished many years ago, adjoining is
the college de quatre Nations, which
are Flanders, Alsace, Rousillon, and
the fourth I forget, but it was formerly
England, till by our repeated victories
we rendered ourselves so odious to ^he

PARIS BY OSTEND, 141
French that they erased our names and
inserted some other in their room, sic
fabula narratur. This is for young
gentlemen to study ten years, after
Avhich they go into the Army.
In the chapel is the tomb of cardinal
Mazarin, the crafty and the unworthy
successor in the ministry to Richlieu ;
and only superior to him in despising
satire, and it was happy for him that
he did, or he must have been Continu
ally unhappy.
This monument is certainly a very
fine one, and would be more spoken of ¦
if it was not for that of Richlieu, which
is so much superior to it : this is the
genteelest part of Paris, in which rj^st
of the noblemen; and ambassadors live,
the hotels are noble, and the 'streets
broad and handsome.
The hotel of the Marshal Biron, in
particular, and gardens, are well worth
seeing, the latter are elegant to the
greatest degree. This nobleman has

142 JOURNEY TO
not less than forty thousand pounds a
year, and uses this princely fortune in a
noble way : he never suffers his ser
vants to take any money, a custom
Avell Avorthy of imitation.
From hence I Avent to the luA-^alids,
This is a fine foundation like Chelsea
Hospital, for Avounded and decayed
soldiers; there are in it above three
thousand, and they are taken the great
est care of. The dome of the church
is noble, and supported by four other
smaller ones full of paintings, by the
best masters ; the marble is liighly
polished and A^ery beautiful.
The Sale de Conseil is a large hand
some apartment from whence you have
a beautiful view of the Seine and Paris,
for this hospital is quite out of the
city. In this room are all the portraits
of the ministers of war, for above an
hundred years back, Avhen it Avas found
ed by Louis the Fourteenth ; for it
must be OAvned that this prince, with

PARIS BY OSTEND. 143
all his pomp and ambition, was not for
getful of charitable foundations.
From hence I continued my walk in
the fields to 1' Ecole Militaire*, which is
for five hundred young gentlemen in
poor circumstances, who must prove
their noblesse for four generations, in
order to gain admittance; they are
educated for the army. This nobl.e
building has not been finished many
years. In the chapel, among many fine
paintings, is the complete History of
St, Louis,
La Sale de Conseil is an elegant
room, in it are the victories of Louis
Quinze, the founder of this institution,
and a fine portrait of this prince, in G obe-
lin tapestry, the colours are so lively
that it may be taken for a painting,
" In which Buonaparte was educated, who, if reports^
are true, could not provehis noblesse, but like founder
Kin, his claim was allowed.

144 JOURNEY TO
Adjoining the Ecole Militaire is a
beautiful sp6t of ground called Le
Champ de Mars, in which the military
assemble to exercise ; from it is a sweet
view of La Place de Louis Quinze,
and Les Champs Elizees, on the oppo
site side of the river. This place is
delightful. Continuing my Avay homeward, I
took Le Palais de Bourbon in my Avay,
which is on the banks of the Seine.
This is the town-house of the Prince of
Cond6; the apartments are rich and
elegant beyond conception, they are
full of the most costly glasses ; and the
magnificence of the furniture may be
imagined, from some of the chairs hav
ing cost several hundred pounds a
piece. In one of the rooms of this elegant
house, are all the victories of the great
Cond6 finely painted.
From the terrace on which the rooms

PARIS BY OSTEND. 145
look, is a beautiful prospect of the
Seine. In a smaller house adjoining
this, lives le due d' Enghuien, son of
le due de Bourbon, and the sole heir
of this illustrious family* ; a person
may spend an hour or tAvo in this
palace without being fatigued; it is
the custom in general to give the ser
vants six livres. In the smaller houses
and public buildings three Avill be
enough. I returned to my hotel by le Pont
Royal, Avhich is a very neat bridge, and
in my opinion does not in any thing
yield to le Pont Neuf I must finish
this or shall be too late for the post; by
the by, I never put a letter in the
Poste aux Lettres, Avithout admiring
this handsome building, so superior to
ours. In the provincial towns also in
general they are very handsome.
* This amiable prince was afterwards executed by
tirder of Buonaparte.
VOL, I, L

146 JOURNEY TO
In Paris they have also their petite
poste*, ansAvering to our penny one.
Adieu, Yours, &c.

* It appears that this term is more proper than ours,
as it saves the trouble of change from penny to twe-
|)enny, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 147

Paris, August 27, 1782.
I HAD too long deferred my visit to
le Palais Royal, although I had seve
ral times passed by it; but I deter
mined to see first, the most distant parts
of the city.
This noble palace is the toAvn resi
dence of le due d'Orleans, first prince
of the blood, and heir to the crown
after the sons and brothers of the king.
The apartments are large and ele
gant, and there is a noble gallery* of
paintings by jfhe best masters, estima
ted at a million sterling.
The servants do not imitate those
of le marechal Biron ; as the least
Avhich it costs to see this palace is six
Uvres. This prince is said to have
betAveen four and five hundred thou
sand a year ; after the death of le Due
* This is now taken down.
L 2

148 JOURNEY TO
de Penthievre, Avhose only daughter he
married, he Avill have the addition of
forty thousand, which Avill make him the
richest nobleman* in Europe, except
prince Esterhazi, a German nobleman.
The duke lives in a very high style,
and has an immense number of ser
vants ; he is so partial to the English that
the chief of them are of that nation ; he
has also English horses, English carria-
geSj and endeaA^ours to introduce Eng-
hsh customs, he has already instituted
a beef-steak-club as a prelude to it. It
is said that a great personage is so
jealous of his attachment jto our nation,
that he has more than once forbidden
his visits to England, lest he should
imbibe notions repugnant to the sys
tem of French government.
* This prince has afforded a strong instance of the
instability of human greatness; what must have been
his sensations, when he was taken in a cart by the door
of his palace to the place of execution ! this is an in-
staric€! of refined cruelty seldom met with, for the ruf
fians took this way on purpose.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 149
He has generally some horses at our
Taces, as he Avishes very much to get a
good breed. I Avas afterAvards at his
stables, in Avhich are several fine ones,
kept in the nicest manner; but Avith all
the care of the French noblemen, they
cannot attain our breed ; Avhether it is
OAving to their food, Avant of manage
ment, or to Avhat cause I know not,
but they are always obliged to have
our horses over at a great expence.
The back part of the Palais Royal is a
very fine square of houses, lately built,
which the duke has sold at a great
price. This is a most lively pleasant Avalk,
under piazzas, with shops all the way,
containing every kind of thing; this
Avas, a very fcAv years ago, a shady
walk, much resorted to by the public.
In the middle of the square they
were building a place for young Astley
to exhibit in, whose feats are much ap-

150 JOURNEY TO
proved of here. In the afternoon I
went to the king's gardens, in Avhich are
some tolerable Avalks and fine views,
and some curious plants, but as a
botanic garden, it has not enough.
Just by, is the cabinet of natural his
tory, consisting of a suite of rooms full
of beasts, birds, and insects, this Avould
seem a tolerable collection to a person
who had not seen Lever's Museum,
indisputably the finest in the Avorld:
and here I cannot help lamenting that
the exigencies of government were
such, as not to suffer them to purchase
this ; it might then have remained en
tire, to be seen by our posterity as a
lasting monument of the taste and la
bour of the founder, and munificence
of the nation; Avhereas noAV, itis highly
probable, that it Avill hereafter be divi
ded* or sold to some foreign state,
* This now has taken place.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 151
which has prudence enough to profit by
our remissness. I will finish this by
and b5^ Yours, &c.

152 JOURNEY TO

Paris, August 27, 1782.
In the afternoon I Avent to St. Denis,
the burial place of the French mo-
narchs ; the church is a very noble one,
in the style of Westminster Abbey, ob
scurely situated in a corner*, there are
some admirably painted windoAVS, and
I spent some time Avith pleasure in this
venerable building; there are monu
ments of the kings of France, from
Dagobert, to Henri the fourth, though
many of the intermediate ones are not
here. The funeral apparatus ¦!• of the late
king Louis quinze is there, and torches
burning constantly before it: masses
are also said daily for the repose of his
soul; this will be done till the next king
* This is not the case in general with the French
churches, as they are in more open places than ours.
t This is an imitation of a cotfin, covered with black
cloth, on which are the royal arms, &c. &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 153
takes his place ; thus,
Anbther and another still succeeds.
The finest monuments are those of
Franpois premier, Henri second and
Catherine de Medicis, and Charles
huit, on the first are finely carved the
battles of Marignan and Pavia : This
is all that remains of the pomp and
splendor with Avhich. those princes Avere
formerly surrounded.
As I looked on the effigies of those
conquerors who made so many people
tremble at their name, I could not
help thinking of these lines of the poet.
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
The famous Marechal de Turenne
has a fine monument, on which is re
presented the manner of his death ;
this great man was allied to the royal
family, lafterwardssaw the Treasury; among
many curious things in it, are the

154 JOURNEY TO
crown, sword, and sceptre of Charle
magne, used at the coronation of the
kings to this day, and a rich cross,
containing part of our Saviour's : this
indeed was so large, that pieces of it
are scattered into all Catholic coun
tries, and all tell you that they
have la croix veritable. There are ma
ny curious relics in this collection,
which is reckoned one of the richest in
France ; a Monk attends to shew it,
and is so much afraid lest |the smallest
relic should be taken, that he never
leaves you a moment, I shall to mor
row go to Choisi le Roy, and will
write when I return. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 155

Paris, August 29, 1782.
I am just returned from Choisi le
Roy, and in my way Avent to the Sal-
petriere : it is a general hospital for
poor, mad, orphans, &c. and it is a no
ble foundation ; the whole number is
estimated at seven thousand ; the build
ing is large and convenient, but there is
nothing elegant in it.
As I am not fond of seeing; human
nature in its Avorst state, I only took a
cursory view of these poor wretches,
and continued my route to Choisi,
Avhich to my great surprize, I found to
be nine miles, instead of fiA^e or six, from
Paris, The road is pleasant and good, .
and near the Seine, but remarkably
dull, and so little frequented, that at
two miles from the city, you might fan
cy yourself to be a hundred miles from
it ; and the quantity of game running
about the fields, helps not a little to

156 JOURNEY TO
strengthen this thought, as that is a
thing not very common in the environs
of a great city*,
Choisi le Roi is a royal palace on
the banks of the Seine, formerly used
by the king as a vflla, but now not
much fi'equented. The apartments
are good, and there are some valuable
paintings in them, but the gallery is
the most worth. Seeing, as it is elegant
ly furnished, and full of very fine
glasses. Plere also is a very neat Theatre pret
tily fitted up ; but the most curious
thing at Choisi is in the suite of rooms
called the petit chateau, that is, a large
round moveable table, in imitation of
Arthur's round one, on which he re
galed his knights, called after it. Knights
of the Round Table, this is so contrived
as to go down under ground when the
king rings a small bell, and comes up
¦* In this point, there is an essential difference be
tween London and Paris,

PARIS BY OSTEND, 157
again completely furnished ; it is done
Avith springs, and I am told so quick,
that it has the appearance of magic, it
cost five thousand pounds.
The gardens are spacious and ele
gant, with the river running close under
a terrace, and well diversified with
wood. In the whole, this might be
made a pleasant abode for two or three
months in the summer season*, I was
so tired with my walk, that I was glad
to sit quiet for the rest of the evening.
Yours, &c.
* Cheisi, formerly, I think, belonged to Mademoiselle
de Montpensicr, grand-daughter to Henri quatre.

158 JOURNEY TO

Paris, Sept. 1, 1782.
I am just returned from seeing the
King's Library in la rue de Richlieu,
which is one of the best streets in Paris ;
it is fiiU of good houses, and reaches
fi'om the rue St. Honore to the Boule
vards, which is no inconsiderable length.
This library is a most noble one, and
open to the public on Tuesdays and
Saturdays, there are tables set out, Avith
books, and pen and ink, when any one
is at liberty to go and stay as long as
he pleases, and commit to paper the
remarks which he has made.
This library contains two hundred
thousand volumes, and is only inferior
to the Vatican.
There are six large rooms, and so
high, that there are galleries on each
side fitll also of books.
There are two remarkably large
globes, the diameter of each is twelve
feet.

PARIS BY OSTEND. 159
In one of the rooms is a fine group
of the French poets, in bronze, climb
ing up the hill of Parnassus ; this is
executed in a most masterly manner.
In another part of the house are two
or three rooms fiiU of fine paintings and
drawings. In short, this library is
worthy of the sovereign of an enlight
ened nation, and is conducted in the
most liberal manner.
In my return, I took a view of the
church of St. Roch in the rue St.
Honor6, which is a very fine one, and
by much the most worth seeing of any
in Paris.
It is a great advantage to a stranger,
that when he has a mind to see churches,
Avhich in Catholic countries are in
general very elegant, he is certain in
France of finding them open at all hours
in the day; by which means he has
not the trouble of seeking for the clerk
or sexton ; from being constantly open
also the churches are not damp, and it

160 JOURNEY TO
would be well if we imitated them in
this, as many of ours Avhich are open
but once a Aveek are then hardly fit to
enter. The French have at least so much of
the externals of religion, that they go in
at all hours of the day to say thei],'
prayers, and the priest is saying mass
all the morning ; AA^hich however is ve--
ry short, a gallant is perhaps going to
see his mistress, and a. servant coming
along with a plate of bread and butter,
but they Avill each go through a church
in his way, take a chair and mumble
over their prayers, and often with so
little attention that they Avill talk to you
about the curious things in the church
the Avhole time*.

* You also see at all times priests in the confessionals
confessing their penitents. These confessionals much
resemble a watchman's box, with a smaller on each side
attached to it. The confessor is in the large one, and
frequently in each of the small ones is a penitent, they
each apply an ear to a place made on purpose,' from
whence the priest receives the confession.

PARIS BY OSTEND. l6l
In Flanders the churches are only
open till twelve, which is a great incon
venience to strangers.
I have now, I think, seen the most
curious things in the city, and shall
make some excursions into the country,
to see the royal palaces.
I am glad to find that my friends on
the other side of the water continue in
good health ; wherever I am, they will
be always certain of my best wishes.

Yours, &c.

A'^OL. I, M

162 Journey to
Paris, Sept 2, 1782.
Although thefanxbourgsSt. Germain
are the genteelest and pleasantest part
of Paris, and there are in them several
fine hotels, such as those of BirOn,
Villars, Villeroi, &c. ; yet are the streets
by no means so broad as those in the
fauxbourgs St. Martin, and St. Antoine :
these are the broadest in the city, but
unfortunately are in one of the Avotst
parts of it. La rue St. Honore is one
of the longest in Paris, but in many
parts very narroAV. In this, business of
all sorts is carried on, and it answers
to our Cheapside : les marchandes de
modes abound in it, I have seen fifteen
or sixteen in one shop at work at a time,
and the greatest part of them Avould
have done credit to a draAving room.
In this street, notwithstanding the mul
titude of shops, there are some gentle
men's houses, and among others le
Palais Royal ; Avhich comes into it.

PARIS BY OSTEND. l65
The chief squares in Paris, are le
Place des Victoires, de Venddme, and
Royale. ' La Place de Vend6me has a pedes
trian statue of Louis quatorze, and is
the finest in Paris ; la Place des Victoires
is smaller, and has one of the same
monarch, equestrian. They are both
reckoned fine pieces of architecture.
La Place Royale is of brick , and Avas built
in the reign of Louis treize, Avhose statue
is in the centre. This is the oldest in
Paris, and it is also the largest and most
regular, and has piazzas all round it. .
If la Place de Louis quinze should
be ever finished, it Avill much exceed
them all. The finest churches in Paris
are those of St, Roche, St, Eustache, St,
^ulpice, and St, Genevieve : the latter
has been already twenty years building ;
St, Eustache is thought to have been
built after the model of St, Paul's, and
is very elegant; the facade of St,
M 2

l64 JOURNEY TO
Sulpice is very fine ; this is the richest
benefice in the city.
The principal bridges in Paris are
those of St. Michel, N6tre Dame, le
Pont Neuf, and Royal; they are now
buUding another, which is to be called
le Pont de Louis seize, and will be a
very fine one.
There are no gates of this city which
have not some historical fact carved on
them. On the porte St, Denis, is Louis
quatorze, passing the Rhine at the
head of his army.
On that of St, Antoine, is the same
king, receiving the keys from the magis
trates of Besanpon, and both are thought
to be Avell done.
La Halle, in which is kept the corn
for the use of the inhabitants, is a hand
some building and well regulated*.
Religious societies -f^, as may be ima-
* By the Prev6t des Marchands et Echevins.
t One of the first acts of the national assembly has
been to suppress many of these, and seize their revenues.

PARIS BY OSTEND, l63
gined, are not Avanting in such a city
as this, abbeys and convents are to be
met Avith in all parts, and lazy monks
are seen SAvarming in almost every street,
and there are also many noble and
charitable institutions, which do honor
to the founders of them.
The hours at Paris are in general
very reasonable*, they dine at two, go
to the play at five, from whence they
return to sup comfortably at nine ; a
custom, I think, well worthy our imita
tion ; though even here, I am sorry to
find, that many people are imitating
the English in their late hours, and
gradually dining later.
It is very convenient to a stranger,
that at Paris, he may go to plays and
public places without being fiill dress
ed ; a sword which is worn in provin
cial towns, as the mark of distinction
between a bourgeois and a gentleman,
* The hours now are as late as the English,

166 JOURNEY TO
is not necessary in this city ; and you
may dress as you would in London,
Indeed, the Anglomania has so far in
fected others, as Avell as the duke of
Orleans, that you see short waistcoats,
buckskin breeches, and round hats,
^almost as much as in England, though
I cannot say that the French are yet
familiarized to this dress.
The inhabitants of Paris, as is the
case in most capitals, are thought to
speak the language badly ; but, in my
opinion, the Parisian accent is very
pre,tty. The Avomen, though not per
haps in reality handsomer than their
neighbours, have a smartness and viva
city, which make them very agreeable;
and I have, as yet, seen none Avhich I
hke so Avell as the pretty Parisians.
I am now going on my intended ex
cursion into the environs, and will Avrite
soon. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND, l67

Versailles, Sept. 4, 1782.
AS I wished to see all the royal.
palaces in the environs of Paris, I
thought it best to remain here for a
few days, as I could then have an op
portunity of seeing this palace and
those in its neighbourhood. Accord
ingly, two gentlemen took a remise
with me, for Avhich we gave tAvelve
livres or ten shfllings, and six pence for
a permis*, or leave to go out of Paris
in this vehicle ; this is a very produc
tive tax to the king,
VersaiUes is twelve miles from Paris,
and is from a village become a large
populous town, since the court has re
sided at it.
The palace, in the time of Louis
treize, was only a small house, but
* This must be done where there are stages, that
they may not be injured.

168 JOURNEY TO
Louis quatorze*, his son and suc
cessor, intending to make it the place
of his residence, considerably enlarged
it, and chiefly put it in its present
state. His successors have made this the
place of their residence, never staying
a night in Paris,
The palace is large and built of fine
stone, but is in general thought to have
a heavy appearance ; there are many
apartments in it, and many of them
very large. The gallery, which is full
of fine paintings, is above two hundred
feet in length, through this the king
and queen pass from mass to dinner^
which is before tAVo ; they dine in pub
lic twice a week.
* There is a singular anecdote related of this prince
in his infancy. His father finding his health declining,
wished to have the ceremony of his baptism completed,
which bad been hitherto deferred ; and on its being
finished, he asked his name, the child's answer was,
" Je m' appelle Louis quatorze ;" the infirm king
much hurt, answered, " pas encore, mon fils, pas en
core,"

PARIS BY OSTEND, l69
We saAV their majesties at dinner,
they eat separately, as the queen does
not dine till the king has finished;
they eat out of massy gold, and are
waited on by nobles. Monsieur* and
Madame, and the Comte and Comtesse
d' Artois, have also their public dinner,
in which the same etiquette is observ
ed. The last mentioned prince is by
far the most lively, and has the most
winning marks of any of the royal
family ; the king, with all due submis
sion to his majesty, has not a very
lively appearance ; but the French, who
never fail to discover some merit in
their sovereign, say il est bon. Indeed
this is very just, he has not shining
talents, nor a military turn, but in
every thing consults the good of his
people -f-, nor has he the arbitrary turn
* Louis 18th.
\ This he has shewn since the writing of this by the
convocation of the notables ; which, however laiighed
at, was in reality with a view of easing his people by
taxing the nobles.

170 JOURNEY TO
of his predecessors ; he has shewn his
judgment in the choice of his minis
ters, as Necker, de Castries, and Ver-
gennes. No court is inore gay and
splendid than this, nor is there any
king more nobly attended than the
king of Eranqe-.' His poAver is absolute
and his reivenhes very large. In shorty
if we consider the fine country he reigns
over, and the love of the people to
their sovereign, we shall find that there
is nothing more to be envied*. The
parliaments, which endeavoured to con-:
trol some of his predecessors, were so
often bounded by Lewis the fourteenth,
and Louis the fifteenth, that they are
now little more than nominal-j-f
* How applicable here are these words, " dicique
beatus, ante obitum nemo, &c."
¦^ The character of Louis xvi. appeared very diffe
rent in the latter part of his life ; and he rose very great in
adversity; his understanding and judgment also were
greater than was supposed, and his misfortunes were
owing to his humanity ; for at Varenues, if he had only
said " suivez le roi," he might have escaped ; but he
eould not bear to shed the blood of his people.

PARIS BY OSTEND. I7I
Of Monsieur, who has a very grave
countenance,theysa.y, il est unphilosophe.
Madame Elizabethe, the king's sister,
is a Very handsome woman, but nothing
can be conceived plainer than the
whole French court, so that the queen,
if she was not so handsome as she
really is, would appear to great advan
tage among the ladies of her court;
she is a charming AVoman, and has great
sweetness and majesty of countenance,
blended. Vera incessu patuit dea.
Before he Avent to dinner, the king
went to mass, where I also followed
him ; as I was determined to see the
whole ceremony. The chapel is very
elegant, and the galleries are full of the
Garde du Corps, dressed in their red
stockings, who, at the elevation of the
Host, cry, d genoux, d genoux, and en
force it with their spontoons if you do
not obey. The king and queen have
each a gilded dome in the front gallery,
but hear mass separately ; in the after-

172 JOURNEY TO
noon, they are in the body of the
Chapel to hear the sermon.
The gilded dome was the only mark
of royalty which Madame de Mainte-
non had, as she occupied it when she
heard mass. The Archbishop of Nar-
boune*, almoner to the king, attended
him the whole time; he was dressed
plain in the long clerical coat with
little buttons, but had a ribbon round
his neck ; the badge I suppose of some
order. The gardens of Versailles are large
and well laid out, but there is not va
riety enough in them ; there is a great
deal of fine Avater.
At a small distance is the little pa
lace of Trianon, in which was the young
Dauphin -f-. I did not so much lament
that I could not see this, as I did that
I had not time to see St. Cyr, at about
* I think he is dean of the order of St, Esprit.
t Since dead, and succeeded by his brother le ducde
Normandie.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 173
a mile distance, in the park, founded by
the celebrated Madame de Maintenon*,
who is buried at it.
This foundation is for two hundred
and fifty young ladies of fashion, whose
fathers have ruined their fortunes in
the service of the king ; they are re
ceived in it from the age of seven to
twelve, and go out of it at twenty.
Adieu, for the present. Yours, &c.

* Frances Daubigne, Marchioness of Maintenon, born
in l6"35, married to Louis xiv. in l685, by the
Archbishop of Paris, in the presence of Pere de la
Chaize, confessor to the king, and a minister of state ;
such was the opinion which the king had of her, that
latterly he undertook nothuig without consulting her<

174 JOURNEY TO

Sept. 5, 1782.
THE next royal palace which I
visited AvaS St. Germain en Laye, the
house is old and built of brick ; it was
buUt by Franfois premier chiefly, but
begun by Charles the fifth, though' it is
much out of repair, as the royal family
never reside at it ; it has an air of
grandeur, from the roof there is a
charming and extensive prospect of
above thirty miles on every side.
There is here a fine terrace, th^
gardens are not large ; but there is a
noble: and extensive forest, well stocked
Avith game, the circumference of which
is thirty miles. You are shewn the
room in which James the second died,
who resided here constantly, and had a
court as elegant as his circumstances
Avould admit of. Indeed I have often
thought the most amiable trait in

PARIS BY OSTEND, 175
the character of Louis quatorze, was
his kindness to his dethroned cousin:
he appointed him proper officers, and
ahvays made his attendants as respect
ful and assiduous toAvards him, as if
he had continued to be in substance
what ho was only the shadow of after
his abdication ; and the recommenda
tion of the court of St. Germains, for
preferment, had ahvays great weight
with Louis, so that James wanted no
thing but the actual possession of the
crown, of which he bore the title; he
seems to have been much fitter for a
monk than a king.
From St, Germains*, I returned to
Paris, by the so much celebrated ma
chine of Marli, this is on an arm of the
Seine, and composed of fourteen large
wheels, which convey the water into
pumps, by which means it is made to
ascend the hill to Marli ; nothing can
* St. Germains is famous for the salubrity of its air.

176 JOURNEY TO
exceed the beauty of this road, it is
quite a garden ; Avoods, villas, a fine
country, and the Seine running along
the road, render it charming. You
enter Paris through les Champs Eliz6es,
which, though not equal perhaps to
that abode of the Adrtuous, are not a
bad substitute for us niortals. In a
day or two I shall set off for Marii,
Meudon, &c. Yours, &c.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 177

Paris, September 6, 1782,
I PASSED over le Pont de Neuifli,
about tAVO miles from Paris in the road to
Marli ; this is a very fine bridge, and
much exceeds those of Paris in lightness
and elegance. Marli is about nine miles
from this city; and though the rooms in
it are not remarkable for their grandeur,
yet are they not deficient in neatness
and elegance ; and there are several fine
paintings, but the chief thing Avorth see
ing is the gardens, and prospect from
them, which is charming. The former
are very extensive ; and there is also a
forest, a fine cascade, and several pieces
of water.
On each side of the garden are tAvelve
pavilions, for the lords of the court to
reside in, when they attend the King,
and an arbour to go to each, Avhich has
VOL, I. N

178 JOURNEY TO
a pretty effect. From this to St, Cloud,
it is but two or three miles.
This palace, (which belongs to the
duke of Orleans*, first prince of the
blood after the king's own family), is a
noble building, and, in my opinion, the
most worth seeing of any in the neigh
bourhood of Paris, except Chantilli;
there is in it a fine suite of apartments,
full of paintings by the best masters ; at
the end is a gallery, 180 feet in length,
fiiU of busts, and over them, portraits
of the royal family of France and
that of Orleans, for sonie time back ;
this is a most magnificent room-j-.
The gardens of St, Cloud are largo
and well laid out. The Seine runs along
the plark, Avhich adds not a little to the
beauty of it; there is also a very fine
* Buonaparte now resides in it.
f Among the portraits, is Lewis, duke of Orleans, who
was afterwards Lewis the 1 2th. This great and amiable
prince, when pressed to revenge an injury offered to him
when duke of Orleans, answered, " The king of France
does not revenge the injuries of the duke of Orleans,"

PARIS BY OSTEND, 179
orangery, and among several fine pieces
of water there is a noble one, Avhich
plays every other Sunday, to the great
delight of the Parisians, Avho come in
croAvds to hear it ; this compliment also
is paid to any person of fashion, that
the duke, or king and queen, chuse to
gratify with this exhibition.
In short, the Avhole of St. Cloud is
magnificent to the greatest degree, and
the duke, among his numerous houses,
has none like this. I am going to Meu
don, Madrid, &c. another day, for near as
these places are to St, Cloud, I was so
tired with walking about, and riding
my French horse, that I was not sorry
to defer my visit to them ; it must be
said, hoAvever, that my horse, though
he went uneasy, was a very good one,
and did credit to his country ; he was
finely accoutred, and I gave five shiUings
a day for the use of him.
When I have visited these places, I
shall have seen most of the curious
N 2

180 JODRNEY TO
places in the environs, and shall then
set off for Brussels*. Yours, &c.

i" Among the portraits of the princes of the house of
Orleans, is that of the celebrated and profligate Regent,
The following anecdote is told of this prince, relating
to the abb6 du Bois, his confidant in state affairs,
as well as minister of ' his sensual pleasures. Th«
duke dining with a party of his friends, in the
height of their conviviality, asked them what tliej
thought of the new cardinal (du Bois), whom he had
lately got exalted to that dignity ; one of them answered,
" Your highness may make him a cardinal, and even
" Pope, but it is not in yourpo^er to make him an honest
" man," The duke was muth pleased with the answer, but
had the weakness to acquaint the cardinal, who caused
the offender to be confined in the Bastile, in which he
remained till the death of the cardinal. He had wit
sufficient to relish the bon mot, but not sufficient reso
lution to protect the author of it.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 181
Paris, September 7, 1782,
WE Avent to Meudon through the
grounds, and close by the house of Bel-
levue, the habitation of Mesdames of
France, the king's aunts*. The house
is not shewn, but the gardens are large
and well laid out ; and the name is well
appHed, as there is a fine vieAv from
them, Meudon is a large old house, built
of brick, and quite unfurnished and
neglected, Louis quatorze had it of
Monsieur Louvois-j-; nothing can be
conceived finer than the vicAv fi'om this
palace. You have the beautiful village
of Meudon under you Avhen on the
terrace ; a fine vicAV of the Seine, and
a charming country for thirty miles
round ; there is also a fine orangery ;

* Exiles from their country the latter part of their
lives. They established their residence in Italy.
t His celebrated minister of war.

182 JOURNEY TO
in short, the situation of this house is
so desirable, that it is great pity it re
mains uninhabited.
From Meudon I went to the famous
manufactory of SeA^e, Avhich is just by.
It is very elegant, and brought to great
perfection. The miniature portraits are
in general great likenesses, but very
dear : the empress of Russia is so fond
of this china, that she has sent for great
quantities of it, Madrid is two miles
from Seve, in le bois de Boulogne,
This palace Avas built by Franpois pre«-
mier, and is said to haA^e been construct
ed fi'om the model of that at Madrid, in
Avhich he was so long confined by his
great competitor Charles the fifth, when
taken prisoner at the battle of Pavia ;
other persons say that he built it in me
mory of his imprisonment; but both
these accounts want confirmation.
This also is built of brick ; but has
not, for some time, been inhabited by
any of the royal family. There are said

PARIS BY OSTEND. 183
to be in this, as many windows as days
in the year, but they are old casement
ones, fill! of wood and iron, and of an
astonishing thickness ; the apartments
are large, and there is an air of grandeur
runs through the whole building. From
the top of the house there is a very fine
view. At present one of the officers of the
crown resides in this palace. I shall
reserve what I have to say of la
Muette and le bois de Boulogne for
another letter. Yours, &c.

184 JOURNEY TO

Paris, Septembers, 17S2.
I REGRETTED much, that when
I Avas at Madrid, I had not time to go
to Bagatelle*, a beautiful house be
longing to the comte d' Artois, The
gardens are laid out in the English man
ner, which prevails much in this coun
try, and are said to be very elegant.
La Muette, as the name shcAvs, is a
hunting seat of the king's, at the en
trance of le bois de Bovilogne ; there
is nothing magnificent, but many of

•* I have since heard, that I did not lose much hy not
seeing Bagatelle, or Mousseaux, belonging to the duke
of Orleans, for though they are said to have gardens
laid out in the English way, they are so formal as to
do no credit to that nation ; and it is generally thought,
that the gardens of the Thuilleries and Marli, laboured
as they are with great skill and fatigue, have at least a
noble and magnificent appearance. Their terraces must
be allowed to be grand, and niany parts of the gar
dens beautiful; whereas ou the contrary, the others, by
imitating what they cannot attain,^ have an insipid,
formal appearance, void of taste or true beauty.

PARIS BY OSTEND, 185
the rooms are very elegant, though not
large, and fitted up very properly for
the use it Avas buflt for. The furniture
is plain and neat ; but there are several
good paintings, as few of the royal
houses, or those of people of fashion,
are without these. The gardens are
large and pleasant,
Le bois de Boulogne*, distant from
Paris about three miles, is a most
charming spot, full of gentlemen's
houses ; its extent is about twenty
miles ; this is constantly resorted to by
the Parisians; here, on festivals and
Sundays, you will see the peasants and
their mistresses dancing in a manner
that Avould not disgrace many of their
superiors, who have spent much time
and money in learning steps, Avhich
these untaught people perform so well ;
in short, with the shew, music, dancing,
&c, the liveliness of the scene is inex-
* This is much resorted to for deciding affairs of
honour.

186 JOURNEY FROM
pressible, and a spectator cannot be
uninterested, nor help wishing to join
in the rustic dance.
The village of Passy, through which
I returned to Paris, is a most beautifiii
one ; the river Seine runs along it, and
itis full of charming villas, gardens, &c.
Thus I have, I think, seen the greatest
part of the enviroiis of Paris, and have
been amply repaid for my trouble ; as
for variety and beauty, they can scarce
be exceeded.
To-morrow I intend setting off to
Brussels, in the diligence, and will write
soon. Yours, &c.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES, 187

Brussels, September 11, 1782.
WE set off from Paris at elcA'^en at
night, in the diligence*. The diligences
are very heavy long carriages, more like
our GreeuAvich coaches than any other
of our vehicles, but much more clumsy ;
this held ten, four in tAvo arm-chairs,
opposite to each other, and close to the
door ; and three behind each, in Avhat
they call le fond, which is much the
worst place, for as the coach does not
abound in Avindows, it may be imagined,
this is sufficiently close. The person
who comes first chuses the first place,
* Our company consisted of a lady going to Cam-
brai, a very agreeable wo:nan ; a young conceited officer
of the garrison of Valenciennes ; a young man of Paris
going into the army; a stupid tradesman of Lille; a
wine merchant of Mentz, an agreeable sensible man ; a
priest, or Italian Jew, we could not tell which, going
to the celebrated fair at Francfort; and a Frenchman
.going to Cambrai, to meet his friend ; so that you must
own we bad a variety of characters, and much amuse
ment they afforded me.

188 JOURNEY FROM
and so on ; they are all marked. No, 1,
2, &c, beginning with the arm-chairs.
There Avere never fewer than eight
horses, and generally ten the Avhole Avay,
Mons. le conducteur is a very great
man, and does little else than sit on the
box ; for the care of driving the horses de
volves on the postilions. They change
every post, which is tAVO short leagues,
about 5 English miles. They generally
go about 5 miles an hour.
We passed through Senlis, famous
for rabbits, 30 miles from Paris, where
we supped. The citizens of Paris come
here to eat rabbits, as the Londoners
to Dunstable to eat larks, Senlis is a
neat little town.
Dined at Gournay, a dirty village,
(but the inn Avas a good one ;) and slept
at Peronne,
This is so strong, both by nature and
art, that it has never been taken ; from
whence it is sirnamed the Virgin. You
enter by seven gates, and as manyi

PARIS TO BRUXELLES, 189
bridges. It is surrounded by water and
marshes, which add not a little to its
strength. The environs of Peronne are
far from pleasant. There is nothing very
curious in the town. It is in Picardy,
Some part of the Toad this day Avas
vastly pretty, especially as far as Senlis,
the country about which is charming.
I Avill finish this by and by. Yours, &C.

190 JOURNEY FROM

WE set off from Peronne at four in
the morning, for these vehicles take
plenty of time to make amends for their
want of speed ; and dined at Cambrai,
This is the capital of the Cambresis,
and nine leagues from Peronne, It is
a large old city, the seat of an arch
bishop ; that amiable prelate Fenelon
was archbishop of it.
The archbishops are peers of France.
This place is famous for the manu
factory of cambric, which takes its
name from it ; this is, however, dearer
here than in almost any other place.
We dined at the Poste, and had good
accommodations ; arrived at Valencien
nes, seven leagues farther, at five. We
came just in time to see a fine proces
sion of all the different tradesmen, which
was aboA'^e half a mile in length. This
is a large old city, and the frontier of
the French towns towards the empe-

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 191
ror's dominions. The Grande-Place is
a very good one, with a statue of Louis
the fifteenth in it. The ramparts are
dull and disagreeable. In general, the
streets of this town are remarkably
narroAV. We came this day within view of the
tomb of the celebrated J. J. Rousseau,
who so dreadfiilly prostituted his fine
talents. We could not help looking at
it with veneration mixed with pity.
Valenciennes is famous for its lace
trade. We were at the Poste, Avhich is
a very good house. Near this town is
a famous plain, where was a sanguinary
battle in 1712*, between the French,
commanded by Marshal Villars, and
the English; numbers fell in it, who
were buried in the plain. There is a
post lately put up on the road, which
• This must have been the battle of Malplaquel, ia
which the duke of Marlborough commanded, but it
was in 1709,

192 JOURNEY FROM
gives an account of this unfortunate
affair. The name of the parish is
Amain. Between Cambray and Valenciennes
we saw, on our left, Bouchain, a small
but remarkably strong fortified town.
Quievrain is the last place, subject
to the king of France ; it is a small
village. An insignificant bridge sepa
rates the dominions of the emperor
and the king, and, as usual, here you un
dergo the process of being searched by
the officers of the douane, but a pre
sent of three livres makes it very easy.
It is astonishing to find the difference
of manners on changing the country,
as hardly any thing can equal the stu
pidity of the common Flemish, but their
impertinence. Here we began also to
find an immense number of beggars.
Whole Adllages of men, Avomen, and
children, came out to pursue the de-
lightfiil occupation of ^tumbling, run-

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 193
ning with the carriages, and shewing all
manner of tricks.
We next came to Mons, so called
from being situated upon a hill ; it is
seven leagues from Valenciennes,
This is a large fine city, and has been
very strong, but the Emperor is level
ling the fortifications of it, as Avell as
of many other tOAvns in the low-coun
tries. His argument is said to be, that
a prince, Avho can bring 200,000 men
into the field, has no need of fortifica-r
tions, but the real reason is, the great
expence of keeping them up. He is
noAV an ceconomical prince*.
The ramparts are very pretty. We
dined au Saumo^, which is a bad
inn. At Mons they make use of great
dogs, six or eight at a time, to draw
small carts, heavily laden, and seem to
have no mercy on them.
* Joseph the Second.
A'^OL, I. O

194 JOURNEY FROM
In ten leagues farther we got to
Bruxelles, This last day's journey was
very pleasant, as there were a few hills,
which is very unusual in the Pais Bas.
The last part of it however, was a
heavy sand.
The environs of Bruxelles are charm
ing, full of gentlemen's houses, gardens,
&c. You enter it as ,you do most of
the Flemish toAvns, only by one gate.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 195

Bruxelles, September 13, 1782,
THIS is the capital of the duchy of
Brabant, and a handsome, regular city,
from its beauty and gaiety it is called
les delices des Pais Bas. There is an
elegant little court, and prince Albert
of Saxe, and his consort, the sister of
the emperor, reside in it, as gOA^ernor
and governess of the Low Countries.
The palace is small, but neat ; and
the floors are very curious, of many
different woods in the shape of dia
monds ; many of the rooms are hung
Avith the tapestry of the place, which
is thought to be only inferior to the Go
belins. La Place Royale and St. Michael are
very handsome ; in the former is a fine
pedestrian statue of the late prince
Charles of Lorrain, who Avas governor
of the Low Countries, and much beloved
o 2

196 JOURNEY FROM
here. The park* is very pretty, and
frequented as a public walk like the
Thuilleries. The Hotel de Ville is a noble uniform
building, with a handsome tOAA- er in the
centre, and the chamber of the states
is remarkably elegant.
The cathedral is a fine one, and has
several good paintings.
There are plays here constantly, and
the performers are reckoned very good ;
in short, there are no amusements want
ing in this gay place to make it agree
able to strangers.
The upper part of the toAvn, Avhich is
on a steep hill, is by much the finest ;
in this is the palace and the houses of
the nobility, which are in general lofty,
and built of fine stone. L'Hotel de

* In this are some good houses, in which peo
ple of rank live. The duke of St. A. has an hotel in
it. In the whole it is a beautiful place ; there is a fine
bason, and tlie walks are woody and well laid out, and
the whole has a good effect from being in the middle of
the town.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 197
Bellevue, Avhich is here, is the best in
the town.
The mark of distinction Avhich the
.governor has, is an hussar on each side
of his carriage Avhenever he goes out,
and the governess the same.
There is not, I suppose, a more dis
sipated city than this in Europe ; a
stranger no sooner arrives at it, than
he is accosted by one of those ministers
of sensual pleasures which are too often
to be met Avith, Avho offer to conduct
him immediately to the lodgings of a
lady of easy virtue : the number of these
is almost incredible, considering the size
of the place ; and it is astonishing that
the magistrates do not endeavour, at
least to put a stop to this evil: there are
vast numbers of lads kept in pay by
these Avomen, Avho every ovening watch
in the streets and squares, Avith flam
beaus, to decoy the uuAvary and Con
duct them to these houses of bad
fame.

198 JOURNEY FROM
The beggars I had seen at Paris were
nothing, when compared with those
which I have found in this city; the
streets almost swarm with them, and
you can hardly stir without being
plagued almost to death with their in
cessant cries. There are very good
hackney coaches here, and the fares
very reasonable, an escalin a course.
In that part of Brussels which is near
the court, only French is spoken ; and
the other, nothing but Flemish; but
most of the names of the streets are in
both languages.
They count here by florins, escalins,
and plaquets ; the former, or guilders, are
one shilling and eight-pence each, an
escelin of the low countries is about
seven-pence of our money, and a pla-
quet half of it,
I cannot be so near AntAverp without
iseeing that celebrated city ; I shall
therefore take that place in my way to
Ghent ; I Avill Avrite to you when I get

!paris to bruxelles, 199
to it. The environs of Bruxelles are
very pretty ; they are quite a garden :
the city itself, or at least great part of
it, is situated on an hill, by Avhich means,
after the heaviest rains, you may walk
with pleasure in the street in a few mi
nutes. The market, which is a very
good one, is kept in the streets. This
city is 200 mfles from Paris, I wfll
write from Antwerp ; I am at la Croix
Blanche, rue foss6 aux Loups, a good
and reasonable house, I am, yours, &c.

200 JOURNEY FROM

Antwerp, September 15, 1782'.
MECHLIN, or Mahnes, as the
French call it, is half Avay to this city ;
this is the seat of an archbishop, in
Avhose jurisdiction is Brussels ; it is fa
mous for its cleanliness and the manu
facture of lace, but, like most of the
Flemish toAvns, is dull ; the difference
betAveen them and the French ones, in
this respect, is inconceivable, and a
traveller can hardly help being affected
Avith the gloominess of these.
The streets of Malines are broad, and
the cathedral large and handsome, Ru
bens has contributed not a little to its
beauty by his paintings. The arch
bishops palace is a large handsome
square, pleasantly situated ; the church
of the Beguinage is very elegant : this
is a religious society, frequent in Flan
ders, of AVomen, who live on their pro
perty in a convent, and quit it Avhen-

PARIS TO BRUXELLES, 201
ever they please. This is on a most li
beral plan, and they live very comfort
able ; they are called Beguines,
' The play-house looks more like a pri
son than a house of recreation ; over
the door is a large figure of the virgin,
not very well adapted, I think, to the
place, " The toAver of the cathedral is very
high and beautiful, but they say it is
unfinished : the clock is a very fine one,
and the figures of it seven feet and a
half each, so that they are seen at a
great distance.
There is a considerable manufacture
of hats here.
The road fi;om Bruxelles to AntAverp
is flat, and chiefly sandy ; but the gen
tlemen's houses interspersed are very
pretty ; it is twenty-four miles,
AntAverp, or Anvers, is a fine large
city, built on the Scheldt ; it was for
merly very populous, and a place of
great trade, but is now much decayed ;

202 joiItrney from
it is renoAvned for having given birth to
Rubens, whose paintings are dispersed
in all parts of the city, and there ara
several gentlemen, who have fine col
lections, and are very liberal in shewing
them to strangers well recommended;
it Avould take up more time than I have
to spare, to see these ; besides, as I do
not profess myself a judge, I leave it to
those who are to describe them.
There is nothing else talked of here,
but the quietness with Avhich the Bra-
banpons have suffered the Emperor to
destroy the Joyeuse Entree, the buhvark
of their constitution, which answers to
the Magna Charta of the English ; but
most people think this will not last, but
that the ashes are only smothered,
which Avill, ere long, burst forth Avith
fresh fiiry.
The Emperor, even in a poUtical
sense, is certainly doing very wrong, in
oppressing a people, from Avhom he re
ceives a great part of his revenues, and

PARIS TO BRUXiELLES. 203
it is A'^ery well knoAvn, that he has not
more faithful soldiers, or better subjects,
than his Flemish ones, if he maintains
their privileges ; but they are so jealous
of these, that they take fire on the least
suspicion of being deprived of them ;
the end of it, in all probability, Avill be,
that they wfll be driven to desperation,
as a Avorm, Avhen trodden on, Avill turn ;
they may be Avorked on by mild mea
sures, but never by harsh ones; nor
Avill the arbitrary maxims of a despotic
government ever succeed in this country
of freedom*. The streets of this city
are broad and regular, and la Place de
Maire a very handsome one ; I am at le
Laboureur on this place, an exceeding
good inn.
The cathedral is a fine old building,
with many of Ruben's paintings ; both
in this and Malines are large statues in

* They have had now every shadow of liberty taken
away by Buonaparte,

204 JOURNEY FROM
niches opposite to each other, in the
TOdy ; this gives them, I think, a very
ti 2avy appearance.
The populousness of this fine city
bears no proportion to its size. The
ramparts are very pleasant ; the fortifi
cations have been very strong; and
there are many things noAV remaining,
Avhich bear Avitness to the tyranny which
the cruel duke of Alva exercised in this
city. The bishop's palace is a large
handsome square ; the apartments,
though not magnificent, are neat and
convenient, I shall set off to-morroAv to Ghent, in
the diligence, thirty miles from this city,
and Avill Avrite to you from thence.

Yours, &c.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES 205

Ghent, September l6, 1782.
WE ferried over the Scheldt, Avhich at
high Avater is about half a mile over,
(the embouchure of this river is not
more than ten or tAvelve miles from Ant
Averp,) and entered into le Pais de
Walsh : from this side of the water the
tOAvn has a fine appearance.
We dined at St. Nicholas, the chief
tOAvn of this curious country ; it is re
gularly built, and has some good streets ;
the grand March6 is large and Avell si
tuated, and the church is a good one ;
the populousness of this tOAvn and the
Avhole country is astonishing, and its
fertility and plentifulness are equal to
the number of inhabitants ; every thing
looks rich and flourishing.
I was here but a few miles from the
borders of Holland, and much regretted
that I could not, at present, see that

206 JOURNEY FROM
curious country. The same custom
prevafls in Flanders as in France, of
eating in bed rooms, which at first is
Very disgusting to Englishmen, and no
thing but custom can reconcile them
to it.
From AntAverp to St. Nicolas it is
four Flemish leagues, or sixteen of our
miles, as a league of this country is a
mile longer than one of France ; they
reckon also here by hours ; and Avhen
you ask the distance, say, so many-
hours, meaning as many leagues, as
they generally go about a league an
hour. We drank tea at the beautifiii village
of Dichnem, Avhich is a most delightful
spot, in the middle of a fine country,
and a clear stream (a branch of the
Scheldt) runs along it, which abundant
ly supplies the inhabitants Avith fish;
we crossed this little river in a ferry-boat,
fastened at each end Avith a rope, and
arrived at this town in the evening, after

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 207
having been twelve hours in coming ra»
ther more than thirty miles; but the
badness of the road is inconceivable;
the wheels were great part of the Avay
six inches deep in sand ; but the beauty
of the country made us ample amends,
as it is full of AVOods, meadows, gardens,
and neat cottages, prettily interspersed.
In this country the coachmen gene
rally give their horses broAvn bread and
beer, which refreshes them so much,
that they perform long stages vastly
Avell ; our vehicle was an old heavy ca
briolet, drawn by one horse, and we
were four in number, with much lug
gage, so that our equipage was not very
elegant, but what was wanted in ele
gance Avas supplied by the agreeableness
of my fellow-travellers, Avhich consisted
of a well-bred Frenchman and his wife,
going to Lille, and a sensible, intelli
gent German officer ; the conversation
was carried on in French, and did not
flag ; so that though we only went en

208 JOURNEY FROM
pas, the time did not seem tedious. In
this Pais de Walsh, as they are very
backAvard in the necessaries of life, so
do their manners appear very simple ;
as an instance of the former, at Ardolph,
Avhere we breakfasted, the coffee was
made in a large brass tea-kettle ; and
of the latter, the two girls of the house,
or rather young Avomen, Avere in bed in
the room in Avhich Ave breakfasted, and
remained in it the Avhole time without
being confused; this reminded us of
the golden age.
I shall stay a day or tAvo in this city,
and AviU Avrite to you again from it.

Yours, &c.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 209

Ghfent, Sept. 17, 1782.
THIS is the capital of Flanders, and
there are few finer cities in Europe ; the
streets are broad and regular, and the
houses lofty and well built ; but, as in
the rest of the cities of Flanders, there
is a striking air of dullness in it ; , and it
is so thin of inhabitants, that grass
grows in many of the streets.
This city is said to be more extensive
than Paris Avithout its suburbs; and
Charles quint used to say, that he could
put Paris in his gand ; he was very fond
of this tOAvn, in which he was born, till
the seditious temper of the inhabitants
obliged him to relax much of his kind
ness to them*.
There is at Ghent, as well as Brussels,.
a manufacture of lace, which is very
reasonable ; there is a pedestrian statue
* He punished them in the most severe manner for
their revolt.
VOL. I. P

210 JOURNEY FROM
of Charles quint in the Marche au Ven-
dredi. The cathedral is a very fine one, and
what is very singular, the altar is almost
in the centre of the body; but the
thing^ most worth seeing in this town is
I'Abbaife St. Pierre ; this is a very rich
society ; the church and library are very
elegant ; in the former is some fine ta
pestry, representing the acts of the
apostles, and in the latter a noble col
lection of books : the apartments of the
abbot are rich, and elegantly furnished ;
in one of them is a piece of work*, the
mechanism of which is very curious,
which cost a vast sum of money.
The refectory is a fine room, full of
paintings : from thence I went into the
kitchen, where I saw enough to con
vince me, that the good fathers took
care of their bodies as Avell as their
souls,
* Like Coxe's Museum.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 211
In the summer there are gardens
opened, after the manner of Vauxhall,
which are very pretty.
There is also a fine theatre, and plays
the greatest part of the year ; the per
formers are reckoned very good.
We are at I'Hotel St. Sebastien, an
excellent inn.
In Flanders the usual price of the ta
ble d'hotes is three escalins*; if you
dine in your room you must give four :
Avine is very dear, and but indifferent ;
beds are from tAvo to three escalins,
I shall set off to-morrow in the Ghent
barge, which goes every day to Bruges,
distant twenty-four miles, and Avill Avrite
from that city, where I propose staying
some time, as I have some friends there.
I am, yours, &c.
* An escalin is seven-pence,
p 2

^IS JOURNEY FROM

Bruges, Sept, 19, 17S2,
WE left Ghent at nine in the morn
ing. This barge is reckoned the most
elegant in Europe ; there are three
prices for the passage ; the first of which
is only fifteen-pence, and for this, you
are in the states room, Avhich is ele
gantly fitted up, with carpets, curtains,
&c, ; at twelve exactly the dinner* is
ready, consisting of two courses and a
dessert; for this you pay also fifteen-
pence'; besides Avine, which they have
on board, of every quality and price :
there is music whilst you dine, and you
are certain of having the best company,
as this conveyance is so pleasant and
agreeable, that many people go by it
in preference to any other, and have
* It is really curiouson a maigre day, to see the num
ber of dishes of fish, dressed in different ways, and of
various kinds: to lovers offish this must be a feast in
stead of a fast.

PARTS TO BRUXELLES, 213
their servants and horses meet them at
Bruges, so that the vessel is croAvded
every day ; there is another room for
inferior people, and some are on deck,
on Avhich is an elegant canopy, to pro
tect them from the weather. The most
disagreeable part of this conveyance is
the sloAvness Avith which you go, hardly
four miles an hour ; this might be reme
died, if instead of tAvo horses they would
have four, and this they might do very
Avell, with a small rise in the fare.
The banks of a canal are so much
alike, that there is nothing can be said
about them, as they are very disagree
able. The barge ahvays gets in at four,
Bruges is a very large old city, about
five miles in circumference ; it was for
merly extremely populous, and the
mart of almost all Europe, but is now
much gone to decay. There is a very
fine bason, capable of containing ves
sels that draw fifteen feet water, for the
.canal, which goes from hence to Ostend^

214 JOURNEY FR0»f '
is sixteen feet deep in general, and it is
very curious to see, so far inland, ves
sels of all nations assembled together of
so large a size. ' This town is four
leagues from the sea, and a barge goes
and comes every day to Ostend- The
market-place is a very large one ; the
toAver on it is very high, and a fine
object for many miles, but the top of
it has been destroyed by lightning : the
chimes in this are very musical, and the
construction of them much admired.
A person who has no objection to
climbing up a number of steps, will
do well to go to the top of this tower,
from whence he will have a fine pros
pect of the sea, and a flat country for
many miles.
Though this town is by no means well
built, yet, as at Ghent, there are several
high Spanish houses in it, which are
very gloomy, OAving to the thinness of
inhabitants. Bruges has but a dull ap
pearance, and but fcAV attractions to in-

PARIS TO BRUXELLES, 215
duce a stranger to dedicate much of his
time to it ; there is, however, a theatre,
in which, and at Ghent, the actors per
form alternately ; it is dark, and by no
means a good one.
In the church of N6tre Dame are
two noble monuments of Charles le
Hardi*, duke of Burgundy, and his only
daughter Mary, married to Maximilian
omperor of Germany, erected by the
order ofPhflip the second, king of Spain,
to the memory of his ancestors ; they
cost one thousand six hundred pounds
each, and though betAveen two and three
hundred years old, are in the finest pre
servation; here also is a remarkably
fine statue of thc^Virgin and Our Savi
our, by Michael Angelo, for Avhich a late
English nobleman offered four thousand
pounds. I am at I'Hotel de Commerce, a good
but gloomy inn.
* Killed at the siege of Nanci.

216 JOURNEY FROM
The bishopric of Bruges is a pretty
good one, and the bishop has a good
country house and gardens, at about
two miles distance ; the latter are well
laid out, and there are some valuable
plants in them. As I propose staying
here some time, I will write to you as
things occur. And am, Your's, &c.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. ^17

Bruges, Sept. 22, 1 782.
THIS toAvn, though far-from being a
lively one, is at present very gay, owing
to the concourse of Enghsh Avhich come
to the continent by Ostend, as the
French ports are not open.
There is an excellent table d'hdte at
I'Hotel de Commerce, at which I dine
very often, and there are many strangers
frequent it, particularly the English;
we pay three escalins, besides our wine,
Avhich is not very reasonable. There
are many English of respectability es
tablished in this city, and I have very
good society among them, and am ac
quainted Avith some agreeable Flemish
famihes, among others, a very Avorthy
physician, Avho in conversation the other
day, lamented the very little encourage
ment given to medicine : he said, the
usual fee which a physician had, was

218 JOURNEY FROM
only three escalins*, but I was not much
surprised at this, for at Paris, I heard
three livres were a common fee.
I have been up the noble tower to
hear the chimes play, and see the me
chanism of them, which is very curious ;
there are forty-seven bells, all very fine :
the prospect frorn this tower is very ex
tensive, of the sea, and the environs of
Bruges at a great distance. I am called
away, and will write again soon.

Yours, &c.

* One shiUing and nine-pence.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 219

Bruges, Sept. 26, 1782.
WE have made a party since I Avrote
last, and been to Blankenberg, a small
fishing toAvn, nine miles from hence, to
bathe, and eat muscles, which are there
in the greatest perfection.
It is a very romantic place, and the
road to it, though sandj^ in some places,
is in general very pleasant, and the day
ansAvered our expectations fully.
The next day I went to Lille, on
some business : it is forty miles from
this place ; the road in general is woody,
but sandy and heavy, and there are no
very fine views, as I think, three sturdy
fellows hanging in chains, about three
miles from Bruges, cannot be reckoned
one. I passed through Thourout and Rous-
selaut, at the latter of which I dined ;
it is a neat little town, and there are
two good convents in it ; at Menin I

220 JOURNEY FROM
joined the road which leads from Ostend
to Lille. There is now but little trade
carried on at Bruges, and the town
would be but dull, was it not for the
concourse of strangers; among these the
premier of Jjouvain, who is a native of
this place, has lately made a distin
guished figure.
He made his public entry here, and
the procession was very magnificent.
I saw it and Avas much pleased Avith it ;
there was a ball on the occasion, to
which I was invited, and there Avere
three hundred persons, of all nations,
and an elegant cold supper. The gen
tlemen waited on the ladies, as there
Avas not room for them at the table.
The Flemish dance cotillions, like the
French, and noAV and then an English
country dance.
This premier, who ansAvers to a senior
wrangler at Cambridge*, appears to be
* This is, I fear, parv\s componere magna.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 221
a young man of merit ; he is of low ori
gin, but has raised himself by his merit ;
he has breakfasted with me, and is a
well-behaved modest young man; he
Avishes to be admitted into an English
university, but his religion will be an
insurmountable objection. I make no
progress in the language, as I am too
much with the English ; but French is
much spoken here. I am going with a
party to Ghent for a day or two, and
will Avrite when I return.

I am, yours, &c.

222 JOURNEY FROM

Bruges, Sept, 30, 1782.
WE are returned from our excursion
to Ghent, which Was a very pleasant
one, as we took the state cabin, and
danced, played at cards, domino, &c.
&c. We were at milord Champon's, which
is a good but dear inn, and saw many
fine private collections of paintings,
with which this city, as well as Ant
werp, abounds.
We afterwards Avent to the noble Ab
bey de St, Pierre, which I was not sorry
to see again, and finished the day by
going to Vauxhall, where was a very
large company ; we danced all night.
and I had several smart Flemish part
ners, who were so good as to make al
lowances for my not knowing their cus
toms or language.
We all experienced great attention,
and every thing was well conducted.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 223
The company, as usual, consisted of
a variety of nations.
In this city was born the duke of
Lancaster, fourth son of Edward the
third, known by the name of John of
Ghent, We saw the church of St, Saviour,
which is a very fine one, and a superb
pulpit, which cost a vast sum.
The walls of Ghent are said to be
nineteen miles round : they are certainly
of a great extent, though the inhabitants
bear no proportion _ to the size of
the tOAvn. The Vauxhall is only open
on Sundays during the summer. We
returned to this place much pleased
with our little expedition.

I am, yourSj Sec.

224 JOURNEY FROM

Bruges, October \^, 1782.
I SHALL soon kave this place, and
leave it with regret, as I have passed
some weeks in it very pleasantly. The
French ports are now open, so that I
shall go by way of Ostend and Calais,
as I am not ambitious of having more
sickness than I can help.
The Flemish are in general very phleg
matic, not to say stupid, and the lower
sort very obstinate, and more bigotted
than the French.
It is a cheap and plentiful country
to live in, but the language is very dis
agreeable. The women are in general large and
badly- shaped, but have good faces.
The troops are well disciplined, as the
prince de Ligne, the emperor's general,
is very assiduous about them, and
reckoned one of the best generals in

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 2^5
Europe ; the uniform of the troo/s is
white, Avith different facings, /
The Emperor is here, as well as in his
German dominions, getting rid of the
monasteries ; this Avill much increase the
population of his dominions, Avhich at
present have great need of it, for in the
noble large towns wliich belong to him,
as AntAverp, Ghent, Bruges, &c, it is
astonishing to see how few inhabitants
there are ; yet it appears to me, that
this great change should be carefully
effected, and by slow means, for it is
hard to bring nuns into the Avorld, the
customs of which they are unacquainted
with ; living secluded as they do, and
having all their wants provided for, so
many years, they cannot be thought to
be equal to the artifice of designing
people, or fit to mix with that Avorld to
which they have so long been strangers ;
and I am firmly persuaded, that greater
injury cannot be done to the comfort
VOL. I. Q

226 JOURNEY FROM
of these people, than taking them from
their calm retreat*.
I am now just leaving Austrian
Flanders, a rich and plentiful country,
abounding; in all the comforts of life.
Although in travelling through it,
the eye may not be gratified Avith pleas
ing vicAvs, yet the mind cannot help
feeling satisfaction in reflecting on the
comfort of its inhabitants.
There is, I suppose, no space of se
venty miles in Europe, in which are to
be found four such large cities as Lou
vain, Bruxelles, Ghent, and Bruges;
in one of which is a celebrated uniA^'er-
sity, and the other, one of the most ele
gant little courts in Europe.
And the two last are episcopal sees
and wealthy cities ; and all of them are

* The order of nuns, which devotes itself to the care
of the sick, must be owned to be highly useful, and
they perform their duties with the most pious and un
remitting care.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 227
fine toAvns, and in each of them Avill the
traveller find things worthy his atten
tion. I propose setting off in a day or tAvo
for Calais, and hope to write to you
again soon. I am, yours, &c.

q2

328 JOURNEY FROM

Calais, October 18, 1782.
I SET off in the barge from Bruges
to Ostend, which is much inferior to the
Ghent one ; the distance is sixteen
miles by water and twelve by land.
Ostend did not seem in so flourishing a
state as it was before Avhen I was there,
owing to the French ports being open ;
but they still carry on a pretty brisk
smuggling trade; and there are still
three good English hotels there, at least
if dearness constitutes goodness, for in
that they excel.
The road from Ostend to Dunkirk,
which is thirty miles, is in general sandy
and disagreeable; excepting the first
nine miles, to Newport, which you go
on the sand when the tide is out : this
is a neat dull town, but has a good har
bour, and is pretty full of inhabitants ;
it was formerly a place of great trade.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 229
but is now much gone off. Near this
town the famous battle Avas fought,
Avhich took its name from it.
Furnes is six mfles farther, a small
town, but strongly fortified ; here is an
English church,
Dunkirk is a large handsome town ;
streets broad and lively, and the town
rich and fiiU of inhabitants. The inha
bitants are computed at sixty thousand.
The harbour Avas formerly a remarkably
fine one, till it was almost destroyed by
the conditions of the peace at Aix la
Chapelle, in 1748 ; but is now repairing
very fast, and promises soon to become
almost as good as ever. The fortifica
tions are also noAV nearly as strong as
they were formerly,
Calais is twenty-seven miles from
Dunkirk, We breakfasted at Grave-
lines, which is half way : this is small,
but one of the strongest and best forti
fied towns in France ; in other respects
it is dirty and disagreeable, and badly

230 JOURNEY FROM
peopled. There is a convent of Eng
lish nuns in it.
From Gravelines to Calais the road
is vile, sandy, and so uneven, that you
hardly can exceed four miles an hour.
Calais is a sniall neat town; the
market-place is large and handsome ;
and there is a very good church and
town-hall. The harbour is small, but
capable of containing vessels of four
hundred tons. Dessin's famous inn is
too well known to need any descrip
tion ; it is, I suppose, one of the finest
in the world, and considering how much
it is frequented, far from a dear one.
The play-house in it, is very neat ; in
front of it the six patriots*, natives of
this town, who devoted themselves ap
parently to death for the good of it, in
the reign of Edward the third, are ho
nourably mentioned. There is here a
strong garrison of two thousand men,
* Among them Eustace de St. Pierre was most con
spicuous.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 231
and the barracks are large and conve
nient. There are many genteel fami
lies at Calais, and the inhabitants are
reckoned to speak the language very
Avell, I have been five days wind bound,
and shall sail to-morrow to Dover, and
I Avill Avrite to you from thence. Yours, &c.

232 JOURNEY FROM

Dover, October 20, 1782.
WE are safe arrived at this town,
after a tolerable passage of ten hours.
Before I rblease you from a trouble
some correspondent, give me leave to
hazard some remarks on the French.
I am sensible that the subject is almost
worn thread-bare, but we all flatter our
selves, that we have something ncAV to
say on it ; thus does self-love deceive
us, and I must rely on your candour to
pardon this vanity. The French are a
quiet, inoffensive people, without the
least tincture of malice ; they are very
attentive to strangers, and polite ; tall
and thin in their persons, and lively in
their dispositions. Many persons say,
that they are, at times, as low spirited
as we are ; and indeed the word ennui,
Avhich we have no word to express that
conveys the exact meaning of it, helps

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 233
to confirm that opinion ; but I cannot
say that I ever saw any of them but
lively and active ; it is in general sup
posed, that the lightness of their food
and clearness of air are the occasion of
this, as they do not eat so much meat,
drink so hard, or have so many fogs as
the northern nations.
They keep very early hours* , seldom
dining after one, or supping after nine ;
as they dine so early, breakfast with
them is a trifling meal, and a French
man AAdll frequently make one, on a
crust of bread and glass of wine.
They finish their dinner Avith coffee
and a glass of liqueur, both which they
have in perfection.
The women are in general smart and
lively, and well made; the universal
custom of not wearing stays is a great
advantage to their shapes ; but have bad
complexions ; to which contributes the
* They now adopt English hours.

234 JOURNEY FROM
universal custom of regularly putting on
paint when they marry : they have,
however, a most pleasing manner and
address, which is very insinuating Avith
strangers, to whom they are very atten
tive. The salutation of the m§n, who kiss
you on each cheek, seems strange, at
first, to an Englishman ; as does also
the custom of men's wearing ear-rings,
for we are too apt not to make alloAV-
ances for different customs.
The clergy of France are divided into
two parts, the regular and secular ; the
former, monastic, the latter, parochial
clergy and canons : there is no order of
men more polite than this, as the monks
are often of a good family, particularly
the Capuchins, which, though one of
the most austere orders, have ahvays
men of high birth among them.
Friars used to travel every where
without expence, by which means there
were many in the public carriages ; a

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 235
thing not very pleasant to the other pas
sengers, especially in hot weather, as
many of them, by the rules of their or
der, are obhged to be without linen and
stockings. The revenues of the clergy are amaz
ing ; but the King seems determined,
like the Emperor, not to suffer any
longer so much money to be out of cir
culation, as he has suppressed many of
them in different places.
That religious societies are a great
hurt to a nation can be no doubt ; if
persons voluntarily enter into a state of
life, Avhich, like the Beguines, they can
quit when they like, the case is altered ;
but all compulsion is bad, and when
once the nuns have taken the voav, it
requires such interest to get them dis
solved as hardly can be obtained, for
the pope is the only one who has the
power to do if.
They have a year's noviciate, but in
that time they are treated with such in-

236 JOURNEY FROM
dulgence, and see every thing in so fa
vourable a lighi, that they think their
future station will be most desirable ; and
too late find the difference, when they
are compelled to finish their lives in
mortification and constraint, and a per
petual deprivation of the innocent plea
sures of life ; such a sacrifice can be ex
pected of no one, and nothing but the
greatest bigotry could have supposed
that it can be acceptable to God.
At the suppression of many convents,
the nuns of them have had but small
pensions to maintain them, which is the
height of cruelty, ignorant as they are
of the method to gain a livelihood.
With regard to monks the case is very
different, as men are under much,- less
restraint than women ; and of their re
ligious orders, except that of la Trappe,
there is none in which the friars do not
lead pleasant lives, compared with the
nuns, for at least they enjoy that
SAveetest of all blessings, liberty ; and

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 237
can go out Avhen they please, nor have
the inexpressible mortification of being
immured in gloomy Avails, with the me
lancholy prospect of ending their days
in them ; and forced, with aching heartSj
to put on smiling countenances, for the
nuns always say that they are happy,
hoAvever ill their looks and Avords cor
respond. The military are a very considerable
body in this country ; it is said the king
can bring with ease into the field, one
hundred and fifty thousand men*, but,
from the narrowness of their pay, they
can scarcely support life ; and the offi
cers, unless they are men of rank and
fortune, seldom can marry till they are
advanced in life ; and this is also one
reason of the small proportion which
population has in France, to the ex
tent of country.
The troops are well disciplined, and
* How small a number when compared with the pre
sent French army.

238 JOURNEY FROM
fine men ; the uniform of the infantry
is white, and the cavalry green and
blue. The young officers are in general con
ceited and boasting men, and it is ha
zardous for women of character to asso
ciate with them ; but at forty, and after
that age, an officer is a most agreeable
and valuable companion; the fire of
youth is then passed, and from having
more knowledge of the world, he is
enabled to correct those faults Avhich
before were such a disgrace to him.
Abb6s, in France, are very frequent,
and the dress of them (the long close
coat and little buttons) is a cover often
for great viUanies ; and it is not an un
common thing to hear, Morbleu ! Mons.
I'AbbS est un Fripon.
This is to be understood of those who
put on the dress preparatory, as they
pretend, to taking orders.
The theatres at Paris are very res
pectable ; and I had the pleasure, as I

PARIS TO BRUXELLES, 239
mentioned, of seeing Preville in la Bar
bier de Seville, at la comedie Franpoise,
and to hear Madame du Gazon, at la
comedie Italienne, both, I believe, un
rivalled in their genre.
To us the ceconomy of the French
appears astonishing. An income of two
thousand liArres* is a very decent one
amongjjthem ; and they are very frugal
and temperate in their meals ; drunken
ness is a vice hardly known among
them. They are so saving in the article of
fire, that they will make two small
pieces of wood, placed pyramidically,
last a whole day. This, of course, is to
be understood as referring to the Bour
geois and lower orders.
They are slovenly and dirty in their
persons, and such snuff-takers, that
none of them are without a snuff-box.
They are vehement in their discourse,
* About eighty-four pounds.

240 JOURNEY FROM
and make use of numberless actions
and grimaces, and high-flown expres
sions, such as Je mourrai de desespoir,
Je suis petrifii. Sec. Sec. which mean.no-
thing, for, as a nation, none can be less
sincere. The French live chiefly on soups*
and made dishes, and are very fond of
rich sauces ; but not understanding hoAv
to melt butter, they oil it, Avhich is very
nauseous to an English stomach ; when
they are shewn how to melt it, they call
it sauce blanche.
Titles in France are very common,
and monsieur, le comte, and marquis,
are every where to be met with ; but
there is a great difference between the
real titles conferred by the king and
those purchased with land. The peers
of France are very respectable, but les
Roturiers quite the contrary, though
they live very comfortably in their cha-
* I often heard of a dish of frogs as very common
in France, but never could procure one.

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 241
teaux, or rather maisons de campagne ;
these are about equal to our country
esquires. They used to dress up children of five
or six years old, like men and women,
in bags and SAVords, and large hoops,
and their hair dressed with the utmost
elegance ; but by degrees, in this, as in
many other things, they are imitating
us, and leaving off this strange unna
tural custom.
As to religion, the French are not
bigotted like the Spaniards or Portu
guese, but are the most moderate of all
the catholics, and are daily breaking
through the cloud of superstition, in
which they have been so long immersed;
they begin now to see through priest
craft, and penetrate into the motives
of the ignorance in which they have so
long kept them*.
* They now seem to be in the other extreme, and
have very little religion at all ; one effect, among others*
of their pernicious philosophy.
VOL. I. R

242 JOURNEY FROM
The most difficult thing in the lan
guage, Avhich is a branch of the Celtic,
is the accent ; which is seldom properly
attained, unless persons go young into
the country. English is becoming as
fashionable in France as French is
with us.
The chief good resulting fi'om the des
potism of the government is the police ;
this is under excellent regulations, and
those disorders are seldom, heard of,
which the licentiousness of manners,
proceeding from a free government, too
often gives rise to. In all fortified
towns the centinels go their rounds at
a stated hour, to see that all is right,
and Avhenever they meet any one, cry
qui vive f and if he does not answer, or'
give a good account of himself, on this
question being put to him three times,
he runs the risk of being shot, or at least
taken into custody.
The early hours which they keep
have this convenience to travellers, that

PARIS TO BRUXELLES. 243
they find every body up, and the towns
and villages lively, however soon they
set out on mornings : though on the
other hand it is not very pleasant to be
waked by six or seven in the morning
by a hair-dresser, to know whether you
are ready to have your hair dressed ;
Avhich is no uncommon thing.
In the whole, (abstracted fi'om the
love Avhich one naturally has to one's
own country), France, I think, must
be the pleasantest of any in Europe to
live in ; whether we consider its fertility,
the reasonableness of provisions, the
pleasantness of the climate, the gaiety
of amusements, and the good humour
and affability of the inhabitants, and
their attention to strangers.
Thus have I finished my Tour, and
flatter myself that I have reaped both
profit and pleasure from it, and at the
same time have endeavoured to comply
Avith your request. R 2

244 JOURNEY, Sec.
I shafl be not a httle gratified if it
has amused you, and convinced you;
how truly I am. Yours most sincerely.

JOURNEY TO
LYONS AND GENEVA,
THROUGH BURGUNDY,
IN
1787,
WITH AN EXCUESION TO THE GLACIERES, AND RETURN TO
ENGLAND, THROUGH SWITZERLAND, THE MARGRAVATE
OF BADEN, DOURLACH, ALSACE, THE PAL.\TI-
NATE, AND DOWN THE RHINE.

JOURNEY TO LYONS, <^c.

Boulogne, Sept. 7, 1787,
IT is with great pleasure, my dear
fiiend, that I comply with your desire
of acquainting you with my safe arrival
at this town. I am just landed, afte?*
a charming passage of two hours and
three quarters, which is an uncommonly
fine one. I should think that no one
Avould hesitate a moment at preferring
this passage to that of Calais ; since it
is made in about the same time, and
you save four posts and an half of the
dullest road in France. I went quietly
to bed, ^hich I have found, by expe
rience, to be the best way; and was
very little sjck, though the dirty con-

248 JOURNEY TO
dition of every thing on board the ves
sel was sufficient of itself to have made
almost any one so, for it was a French
boat; and I believe that no one, how
ever partial, Avill hesitate to pronounce
in favour of the English in point of
cleanliness ; indeed I am sorry to see
the time Avhen our Gallic neighbours
are permitted to have any passage-
boats. Our brave ancestors, who claim
ed and maintained the dominion of the
seas, kept them from this privilege, at
the expenCe of their blood ; and we
have tamely given it up without a strug
gle, Avhen, by the most authentic ac
counts, they Avere in so bad a condition
at the time of the peace, that they
could not long haA'^e insisted on any
thing. Perhaps it may be said, that
the thing was unjust in itself; but that
argument would have been good in the
golden age, but in ours, Justitia exce-
dens terris vestigia fecit ; force now oc
cupies the place of justice, and it must

LYONS AND GENEVA, 249
Tiot be enquired, who has the justest
cause, but who is the strongest. In
short, since it has been thought, for so
long a time, of such consequence to
keep this privilege to ourselves, I am
Briton enough to wish that our minis
try had thought so too, and been firm
in their resolutions, in which case I
don't doubt, they would have succeed-
od ; but these murmurings are fruitless.
So far by way of digression, which you
must excuse, as you may remember,
when your friendship prompted you to
solicit my correspondence, I agreed
Avith you to take this privilege, I did
not get up from my bed, or rather hole,
(for you know the beds in these cabins
are little better than holes), till I was
called to look at the pillar erected to
the memory of the unfortunate Pilatre
de Rozier, Avho, with his friend Ro-
maine, perished so miserably a fcAv
years ago in their aerial attempts. The
fate of this young man was much to be

250 JOURNEY TO
lamented, as he bore an excellent cha
racter, and was i^. affluent circum
stances ; the famu sitis was his ruin.
The day Avas clear, and we saAV the pil
lar distinctly, though at some miles dis
tance ; and gave a sigh to the memory
of the unsuccessful adventurers. Here
we had a view of Boulogne, which has
not a very fine appearance from the
sea ; as the loAver toAvn, the part nearest
to it, is very mean and dirty.
It was low water when we came, and
we were obliged to be taken on shore
on the backs of women, who surroundr
ed us. (Here, I think, I see you laugh,
put on a face of wonder, and make al
lowances for travellers; but it is no
more strange than true). These women
were half dressed, and had legs as large
or larger than men's, and gave us more
the idea of beasts of burden, than the
delicate sex to which they belonged;
such are the Boulogne fishwomen, nor
were they unequal to the task, for

LYONS AND GENEVA, 251
though we had one or tAvo passengers,
which seemed to baffle their strength,
they carried them to the shore, the dis
tance of several yards, with the greatest
ease ; but now we were Avorse off than
ever ; the confusion ¦ of the tower of
Babel was hardly equal to that which
prevailed here ; for not only all these
women, with men and children, kept
up a constant noise about us to let them
conduct us to an inn, but they began
to seize upon the baggage, thinking
that the surest Avay to succeed; and
we were obliged, however unwillingly,
to lose that respect which is due to the
sex ; and paying them twelve sols (which
is equal to six-pence of our money)
for the baggage ; we guarded our trunks
with our sticks, and proceeded in due
order along the sand, and through the
lower town to the Hotel Royal; where
we were hospitably received by Mon
sieur Ambron, and welcomed with the
smUes of madame and mademoiselle

252 JOURNEY TO
his daughter. Though my trunk Avas
very small, the distance was so great
that I had to pay tAventy-four sols for
the carriage of it ; so that with the half-
guinea for the passage, shflling head-
money, for permission to carry one's
head out Of the kingdom, half-a-crown
to the captain, a shilling to the sailors,
a douceur to monsieur le Commissaire,
and the expence of a boat to the shore,
as they generally contrive it shall be
low water* ; a traveUer cannot be set
doAvn in his inn for much less than a
guinea, though people in general only
appropriate half to it. The money to
the captain and sailors is not obliged to
be given, but, at the expence of a few
shillings, it is best to conform to re
ceived customs. It is noon, and I
hear the summons for dinner, which
* Tlie captain tells you, you may wait in his vessel
till high water ; but this is an indulgence few persons
avail themselves of, as they have had enough of sea
sickness.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 253
are by no means unpleasant, as I came
from Dover Avithout a breakfast. I
shall stay here a day, and if I have
time, wfll write to you again from
hence^ Yours, &c.

254 JOURNEY TO

Boulogne Sur Mer, Sept, 7, 1787.
Boulogne is the Gessoriacum of the
Romans, and supposed to be the Portus
Iccius of Cassar: it is generally known
by the name of Sur Mer : it is divided
into two parts, the upper and lower town,
separated by a strong gate; the former is
handsome and well built, with many good
houses ; in this is the cathedral, which
is a A^^ery fine one, with a number of mar
ble pillars in it ; but it is situated in a
crowded spot, which takes much from
the beauty of it. The bishop's palace
adjoining to it, is a long old building,
with a great number of apartments; the
revenues of the bishopric are about
one thousand five hundred pounds per
annum. The bishop is a most exem
plary man, and, in this age of dissipa
tion, remarkable for strictly performing
the duties of his function ; he rises at

LYONS AND GENEVA, 255
the unfashionable hours of six in sum
mer and seven in winter, and gives away
the greatest part of his income to the
poor, I saAV him saying mass at the
ohapel of thp Annonciades, and his
coach, Avhich was waiting for him, more
resembled Noah's ark than the carriage
of a man of fashion, and his whole
equipage was ansAverable to it, I was
not much surprised at it, Avhen I found
on enquiry that he had had it above
thirty years, for he makes it a rule to
have no unnecessary expences; by
which means he has always sufficient
for his charitable purposes.
The Avalks on the ramparts are beau
tifiii, and extend round the town ;
there is a fine view from them of the
sea ; and I could not help wishing, as
I cast my eyes towards the coast of
England, which is clearly discernible
when the weather is fine, that you Avere
Avith me to enjoy this fine scene; for
the sun was setting, and a serene-even-

256 JOURNEY TO
ing was succeeding to a tempestuous
day; the air was perfectly still, and
nature seemed to be quite composed :
the beautifiii Boulonnoises were taking
their evening Avalks, and solacing them
selves after the fatigues of the day ;
" forgot all time, all seasons, and their
" change,'' in the pleasing convjersafion
of their lovers ; in short, I don't know
when I have enjoyed a scene more
highly. One of the five passengers,
which made up the cargo of our little
vessel, was so obliging as to accompany
me in my walks; and here I cannot
help speaking of the politeness of the
French, and paying them the tribute
which is due to them: you no sooner
arrive at a place, and it is known that
monsieur est un Stranger, than you
have immediate offers of having the
town shewn you, and gentlemen vie
with each other in their expressions of
politeness, which are by no means
empty ones ; they never shew any signs

LYONS AND GENEVA, 257
of being weary of this kind office :
the comparison is so much in disfavour
of my own countrymen, Avhom I de
servedly esteem for their much superior
qualities, that I will not enter upon so
insidious a task, Boulogne was taken
from Francis the first in 1544, by Henry
the eighth, in person, and restored in
1550 for four hundred thousand croAvns
in lieu of it, and the arrears due from
the crown of France,
The Kings of France, from Louis
the eleventh, have been accustomed, on
cfeming to the croAvn, to offer to our
Lady of Boulogne, a heart of massy
gold, of the weight of two thousand
croAvns, and this custom is still ob
served. The lower town, at least that part
Avhichis nearest the sea, is poor and
miserable; but the upper part of it
much better, consisting of some good
streets ; the rue Royale, which leads to
the upper toAvn, aaIII vie with most
VOL, I. s

258 JOURNEY TO
streets in France for breadth and
beauty. There are eighteen thousand inha
bitants in Boulogne, a great number of
which are English ; for this tOAvn is so
conveniently situated, and provisions
are so reasonable in it, that many of
our countrymen quit their natale solum
for it.
The port and harbour are not gOod,
as there is a bad bar.
The fortifications are noAV not very
strong, but they have in age what they
want in strength ; and part of the castle
is said to have been built by Julius
Caesar, Avho built more castles than any
prince ever did, if we are to believe all
that are given to him.
The Boulonnois, owing perhaps, in
a great measure, to their constant in
tercourse Avith protestants, are not very
bigotted, ^nd there are fcAV religious
communities in it ; there are only three
convents of men, and two of women.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 259
and not many churches ; the chapel of
the Annonciades is a very fine one ; but
I could not learn that there Avas any
thing remarkable in the others. It is
sixty leagues of post from Boulogne to
Paris, We dined elegantly at the hotel
Royal, for thirty sols (fifteen-pence) aT^
head, and this, with ten for Avine, six
for coffee and liqueur, Avill make the
whole come to about two shiflings Eng
lish, Our beds Avere twenty sols each,
I have taken a place in the Paris dili
gence. Adieu, Yours, &c.

s 2

260

JOURNEY TO

Amiens, September 8, 1787.

I SET off from Boulogne in the dili
gence, which our countrymen, who are
used to the carriages which we call by
that name, Avould look upon with a
face of wonder, though we took the
name from the French, but in that, as
in many other things, we have improved
upon their inventions. This diligence
is made large enough to hold ten people,
four on each side, and one before each
door ; it is very long and heavy, with
but little glass to enliven it, but what
it Avants in beauty it has in strength,
and conveys the idea of a waggon more
than a coach ; we were only six in num
ber, an Italian, three French, an Eng
lishman, and myself; so that we had
abundance of room : to the dfligence
was fixed a cabriolet, a kind of one
horse chaise, which was large enough
for the conducteur and one more pas-

LYONS AND GENEVA. 26l
senger, Avho paid only two-thirds of the
fare of the inside. As it was fine, I rode
often in this,~as there were comfortable
leather curtains to it, and as I had the
advantage of seeing the country, it Avas
preferable, in good weather, to the di
ligence : in spite of the weight of the
equipage, the horses, six in number,
jogged on Avith their rope harness be
tAveen five and six miles an hour;
there Avere two postillions, as the con
ducteur is answerable for the baggage,
and regulates every thing ; so that he
smokes his pipe in his cabriolet, and is
very comfortable. The day Avas fine,
and I Avas fortunate in my companions,
as the Frenchmen, with all allow
ances for their nation, Avere silent
enough. We Avent through a pleasant
country to Samers, a disagreeable bourg,
situated on a high hill, Avhere, however,
there is a handsome convent of Bene
dictine monks. The good fathers have
every thing in abundance, and are

262 JOURNEY TO
glad to have boarders; they are re
markably partial to the English. Here
a gentleman, Avho Avishes to learn the
language, may live elegantly, hunt,
shoot, read, &c. &c, for less than thirty
pounds a year, I was told that they
had every thing in themselves : ponds,
Avell stocked with fish ; a manor fiill of
game ; gardens, abounding in fruit ; and .
what, though last, is by no means the
leasj; article with these gentlemen, a
cellar full of excellent wine : so that I
would recommend this convent to all
my friends, I am so tired, that I will
resume my narrative after dinner.
Yours, &c.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 263

FROM Samers to MontreuU it is five
leagues. This is a small, but strongly
fortified town, built on a steep hill, and
much frequented by the noblesse ; here
we dined, at la Cour de France, a good
inn, but Avhether reasonable or not, I
cannot tell, as the conducteur paid all
the bills at the inns, which saves one a
great deal of trouble ; you pay from
Boulogne to Paris, but nine livres (seven
shillings and six-pence) for your pro
visions, and tAVO pounds ten shillings
is the fare of an inside passenger.
We had a very good dinner at Mon-
treufl, and monsieur Varenne, the land
lord, came in and drank a glass of Avine
with us, and, at the age of eight^^-one,
entertained us not a little with his lively
sallies; he never had had a day's sick
ness ; no small proof of the healthiness
of the situation of Montreuil*. There
* Or of his own temperance.

264 JOURNEY- TO
are many young English in this town
in general, to learn the language, as it
is spoken here very well. We pro
ceeded through an open, and not very
pleasant, country to Nampont, three
leagues, Bernay two, and Nouvion
tAVO, all insignificant places, till after
having come nine post miles from the
last-mentioned place, we anived in the
evening at Abbeville, Avhere we were to
stay all night. This is a large hand
some city, built on the rapid and beau
tiful river Somme ; this is in the pro
vince of Picardy, as we had some time
before quitted the Boulonnois,
Abbeville is sirnamed, Ija Pucelle and
la Fidelle*, as they say it has never .^eeri
taken ; there are several good churches
and convents in it.
Near this toAvn is Creci, famous for
the ever memorable battle, which was

* This title is given to many cities, and among others,
Peronne.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 265
fought between the English and French,
in the reign of Edward the third, Avhen
that monarch, by the defeat of his ene
mies, with such an inferiority of forces
as is scarcely credible, first obtained
that superiority over the French, which
his successors so effectually main
tained*. We were at I'Etoile, a bad house,
Avith bad victuals, bad wine, and bad
accommodations. The country round Abbeville is ro
mantic, and prettily interspersed with
woods, and full of game, I shall finish
this by and by. Adieu, Yours, &c,
* And never more than at present, 1808.

^66 JOURNEY TO

Amiens, Sept. 8, 1787-
WE left Abbeville at two in the
morning, and went through Lilli le
haut Clocher to Flixecourt, which is a
pretty village, and a post ; where, of
course, we changed horses, for they
change very often, though the distance
varies, as it is from one post to one
and an half, or sometimes two, which
is twelve miles ; two post leagues are
seldom above a league and an half, or
four mfles and an half. We were hear
tily glad to get a good breakfast of cof
fee and toast at la Cour de France, at
Flixecourt ; for the conducteur lets the
passengers chuse their breakfast. Cither
meat and sour wine, or coffee, &c,
a r Angloise. At Flixecourt, I had the

LYONS AND GENEVA, 26*7
curiosity to go into the parish church,
but Avas not much gratified for my
trouble, as it Avas very old, and much
crowded with benches ; but there Avas
nothing in it Avorthy of remark. The
next post is Pequigni, a bourg situated
on a steep hfll, famous for a treaty be
tween Henry the eighth and Francois
premier*; near this is an abbey of Be
nedictines, on the Somme, which we
passed here. The road noAv began to
be very lively, as the countrymen were
conducting their damsels to the parish
churches to mass ; and we met frequent
parties of shooters, in pursuit of game,
which is very plentiful in this country,
and Sundays and holidays are the days
appropriated to this. We noAv ascend
ed a very high hill, from Avhence there
is a fine prospect of the adjacent coun
try, and fei a little time arrived at
* Called the treaty of Pequigni,

268 JOURNEY TO
Amiens ; where Ave dined at the Messa-
gerie, Avith my felloAV travellers. The
method of having your expences de
frayed on the road, by the proprietors
of the diligence, is a very good one ; as
strangers, who are unacquainted Avith
the language or customs of a country,
are almost certain of being imposed
upon at an inn ; they alloAv you three
meals, breakfast, dinner, and supper,
and you have every thing very good,
except the Avine, which is generally
sour. The most disagreeable part of
the Avhole is the earliness of the hours;
as they commonly set off at two or
three in the morning ; breakfast at six,
dine at eleven, or at farthest at twelve,
and sup at eight; so that it is some
time before you can accustom yourself
to the hours. As to other things it is
pleasant enough ; as you often meet
with a variety of characters, of different
nations, which are very amusing, I

LYONS AND CENEVA. 269
sliall give you some account of myself
from Paris in mv next*.

Yours, 8cc.

¦ At Amiens I had a curious instance how much our
neighbours are behind us in useful things. Happening
lo want a shaving brush, I sent out for one, and they
brought me what more resembled a clothes brush than
any thing else ; so that I was obliged to be shaved a la
Frangoise, or have a long beard like a Jewish Rabbi. —
I could not help making a comparison between the me
chanic arts in the two countries so near each other.

270 JOURNEY TO

Paris, September 10, 1787-
HAVING been at Amiens before,
and resided there some time, I just
called at my host's, and rejoined my
fellow travellers, who were ready to set
off. We left our Italian at Amiens,
which was rather a loss to us, as he was
a wellrbehaved man, and corrected the
noisy impertinence of one or two of our
Frenchmen, especially a, young cox
combical officer, of 17 or 18, Avho was
joining his corps for the first time, and
very disagreeable, continually talking
of the power of his king ; but we cha
ritably hoped that a few years would
make him Aviser,
I had stayed so long at my host's,
that I found monsieur le conducteur
quite impatient.
Off then we set, at a round trot ;
and the postillions neither spared the

LYONS AND GENEVA, 271
smacking of their Avhips, nor the use of
them ; but made the poor lean beasts,
in their rope harness, exert themselves,
I Avent the same road Avhich I had
gone before, by Hebecourt, Fleur, Cler
mont, &c, and Chantilli ; as Ave dined
there, I had just time to take one more
look at the prince de Conde's superb
chateau, Avhich Avill bear often visiting.
I Avas as much charmed with it the se
cond time as the first ; it is a magnifi
cent place, and worthy of a great
prince*. It was late in th^ evening before we
arrived at this place, and I Avas not
sorry to get some rest ; as, besides being
many hours on the road, I Avas pretty
well jolted in the diligence, which is not
quite so easy as an English chaise, I
propose staying a fcAV days in this me
tropolis, and then proceeding, Avith two

* Chantilli came into the prince de Condi's family by
the Montmorencis,

272 JOURNEY TO
Enghsh gentlemen, Avho have been
Avaiting for me some time, to Lyons, by
the Avay of Burgundy,
After dinner at Amiens, a cordelier,
one of the mendicant order of friars,
came to us asking alms; and, after
having collected a few sixpences, wished
much, from gratitude, to shew us his
convent ; he Avas a sensible, conversible
man; but many of these mendicants
are very troublesome. Adieu, I will
write soon. Yours, Sec.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 273

Paris, September 11, 1787.
I WAS not sorry to refresh my me
mory with revisiting some of the places
of this celebrated metropolis, I Avas
last night with some friends, who liA^e
in the rue d'Amboise, at the new Come
die Italienne*; I was in their box, and
was much charmed with the difference
of the theatres, and still more with their
different situations : that in the rue de
Mancouseil was old, dark, and in a
harrow and confined street, in which
you were hemmed in by carriages ; and
Garde, garde, resounded on all sides.
They are not improved in their fiacres
or hackney coaches ; but still the coach*
men stand behind the box, and, in that

* In the French theatres, the prompter appears out
of a trap-door, in the centre of the stage, as in our
Opera-bouse,
VOL. I. T

272 JOURNEY TO
(.English gentlemen, who have been
waiting for me some time, to Lyons, by
the way of Burgundy,
After dinner at Amiens, a cordelier,
one of the mendicant order of friars,
came to us asking alms; and, after
having collected a few sixpences, wished
much, from gratitude, to shew us his
convent ; he Avas a sensible, conversible
man; but many of these mendicants
are very troublesome. Adieu, I will
write soon. Yours, &c.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 273

Paris, September 11, 1787.
I WAS not sorry to refresh my me
mory with revisiting some of the places
of this celebrated metropolis, I Avas
last night with some friends, who live
in the rue d'Amboise, at the ncAv Come
die Italienne* ; I Avas in their box, and
Avas much charmed with the difference
of the theatres, and still more with their
different situations : that in the rue de
Mancouseil was old, dark, and in a
harrow and confined street, in which
you were hemmed in by carriages ; and
Garde, garde, resounded on all sides.
They are not improved in their fiacres
or hackney coaches ; but still the coach*
men stand behind the box, and, in that

* In the French theatres, the prompter appears out
of a trap-door, in the centre of the stage, as in our
Opera-house.
VOL. I. T

276 JOURNEY TO
Our hotel is very near the Boule
vardes ; which is the prettiest part of
Paris, and full of life.
We propose to set off in the Monte-
reau barge to-morrow, in our way to
Fontainbleau, as we intend visiting that
celebrated palace. I wiU write to you
firom thence. I am, Yours, &c.

LYONS AND .GENEVA. 277

Fontainbleau, Sept. 14, 1787.
AS we had intended, Ave set off in
the morning for this place ; they are so
exact, that they wait for nobody ; and
we were so tardy, that they had just
put off as Ave got to the quay ; the con
sequence of this Avas, that Ave were
obliged to have a boat to overtake the
barge, Avhich Avas almost as much as
its fare. There were, Avhen Ave Avent,
a hundred persons on board ; but they
increased so much in our passage, that
there was, I dare say, almost double
the number before Ave left it. This ves
sel is a hundred feet by eighteen ; but
there are not good accommodations;
the greatest part of the passengers, as
the Aveather was fine, enjoyed it upon
deck ; the rest arranged themselves, as
well as they could, in small cabins, or

278 JOURNEY TO
rather recesses, on each side under
neath, in which were fixed benches and
tables ; some made parties at cards and
domino"^; others read; and all were
emploj'^ed different ways.
In the middle, or passage, Avere girls,
with all kinds of fruits, toys, and cakes,
enticing the passengers to deal Avith
them ; they modestly asked above dou
ble the value of their goods ; the whole
was a lively scene, and had the appear
ance Of a fair. On the other side of
the vessel was a Avoman Avith her cook's
shop, Avho Avas continually roasting and
boiling; she had her closet for bread,
butter, and all sOrts of provisions ;
here Ave had coffee for breakfast,, for
which we gave four-pence; and at noon,
our soup, bouilli, tarts, and desert, for
which Ave gave a shilling each. We
were badly off for tables, for there were
,* This is a very simple game played much in France ;
it suits the French, as very little thought is required
in it.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 279
too many of us to be well supplied;
and not much better as to knives and
forks ; so in the whole, we had but a
scratnbling meal.
There are boats continually bringing
passengers to the vessel, and conveying
them to the shore ; as this mode of con
veyance is so pleasant and reasonable,
that some came on board Avho had only
to go three or four miles, from one vil
lage to another.
We were drawn up the river only by
two horses, and did not go three miles
an hour. The borders of the riA^er are
beautiful; interspersed with gentlemen's
houses, and convents (built chiefly of
stone), villages and vineyards*. Two
leagues from Paris, Ave passed by the
gardens of Choisi le Roy ; and a little
after came to the village of St, Jaques^
which is very romantic,
TAventy miles from Paris is a good
* The wine, however, made in this neighbourhood,
is not very good.

2B0 JOURNEY TO
house of the duchess of Bourbon, called
Petit Bourg. The house is large, with
tAventy windoAvs in front, and is on
an eminence opposite the river. The
grounds are pretty, and laid out with
taste. Before Petit Bourg Ave passed
Corbeil, formerly a town of some con
sequence, but noAv only a large village ;
it is still, hoAvever, very populous, and
has three parish churches. Here is a
good bridge over the Seine, and the
corn-market is a handsome building.
At Corbeil Ave changed hOrses, as it
Avas about half way to the place of our
destination. Between this and Petit
Bourg Ave had entered into the province
of la Brie, Avhich is very rich.
About thirty miles from Paris is a
noble house, belonging to the prince of
Salme, not long since sold to a rich
farmer general* ; the purchase money.

* The farmers general are thought to be the richest
body in France ; but they do not get their money in the
most creditable manuL'r.

tYONS AND GENEVA. 281
thei:e is too much reason to fear, was
got by fleecing the people ; as this body
of men is a disgrace to a civilized king
dom. The house is elegantly built in the
Italian manner ; and that and the sta
bles are magnificent. The grounds are
very extensive, overlooking the river.
There is a large Avood, abounding in
various kinds of game, as Ave saw, by
the huntsmen, who took a great deal in
siojht of us.
Thirty-two miles from Paris is St.
Assise, where Ave quitted our boat,
Avhich Avas going to Montereau, and
afterwards on the Yonne to Auxerre ;
Ave were not sorry to come to this place,
as, in spite of the beauty of the coun
try, Ave Avere heartfly fatigued with this
sloAv conveyance.
St. Assise is a small village, in which,
ho Av ever, is a tolerable inn. It Avas
quite dark when Ave got to it ; but the
next morning Ave Avent over the house

282 JOURNEY^ TO
which belonged to the famous duchess
of Kingston*. The late due d'Orleans,
whose it was, spent great part of his
time in it, with the marchioness de  ,
his reputed mistress ; but, in the Opinion
of the world, his wife. This prince died
here, much lamented by the people in
his neighbourhood, to Avhom he had
been a great benefactor. The present
Duke disposed of it to monsieur, the
King's brother, Avho sold that and the
estate for a large sum to the duchess of
Kingston. The house is large, and the
apartments magnificent. There is a
very good theatre -|-. The grounds are
extensive; and the situation of the.
house, overlooking the river, charming.
Ferrying over the Seine, Ave soon
gained the main road to Fontainbleau,
and took post horses and a cabriolet ;
the beauty of these tAvelve or fourteen
* She was unburied at Paris, till the validity of her
will could be ascertained.
i In many of the houses of the nobility in Franc*
there is a theatre.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 283
miles is inconceivable ; we soon got into
the forest, which is very fine ; it is a
rock, foil of noble trees, and abounding
in wfld boars, deer, &c. There are
many parts of this, Avhich much resem
ble the beautiful rocks of Wales. The
King and princes of the blood hunt
here constantly, as it is not above thirty
miles from Paris, llie comte d' Artois
had not long before killed above seven
ty head of game in one day ; nor is this
to be wondered at,, when it is known,
that the royal family /declare their in
tentions of hunting several days before,
and the chasseurs take care to get the
game out of their holes, and collect
them* as it were, in a ring, by which
means, they and their attendants, Avhich
are numerous, have nothing to Ho but
take and destroy, as they have not the
trouble of finding : you Avill agree Avith
me, that this is not hunting 4 1'Angloise ;
but every country has its peculiar cus
toms.

284 JOURNEY TO
The view of Fontainbleau and the
castle, through a long avenue, is very
. fine. In my next I shall give you some
account of this celebrated palace*

LYONS AND GENEVA, 285

Fontainbleau, Sept. 15, 1787.
THIS palace consists of five courts,
built irregularly, and at different times ;
the first part was built by Louis the se
venth, or Louis le Jeune, as far back
as the tAvelfth century ; Francis the first
also added a great deal to it ; but the
King, who embellished this palace the
most, was Henry the fourth; this great
prince, who was very fond of huntings
(and no place could be fitter for it than
this), resided here a great deal, with his
courtiers and mistresses ; for they make
up five hundred beds at Fontainbleau.
The part in which the present King
and Queen lodge, is built of fine stone j
but the rest is of brick.
The apartments of the King and
Queen are noble, and supei'bly fornish-
ed ; as also those of monsieur the comte
d' Artois ; the latter is often here, -on ac-*

286 JOURNEY TO
count of hunting, as is the King, for a
day or tAvo ; but the whole court gene
rally passes the month of October at
Fontainbleau ; the people of the town
were lamenting that they did not come
this year, as it was a great loss to them.
There is a great deal of Gobelin ta-
pestry in many of the rooms. The
chapel and theatre are very elegant; in
the former is a gallerj^ for the King and
Queen, which Communicates with the
house ; the latter is small, but neat ;
when the King comes, the companies
of the three theatres of Paris, or at least
select performers froni them, accom-^
pany him ; when he deft-ays the Avhole
expence of the performance, and no
"one is admitted AViithout ,a ticket from
the chamberlain.
The gardens are by no hueans larger
but made out of thQ. solid rock, which
runs through the whole country ; and
there is a fine fountain playing out of
a piece of th© rock, which is left oa

LYONS AND GENEVA. 287
purpose ; there is also an orangery, the
best trees of which have been carried
aAvay to Versailles.
The canal is about a mile in length,
and here are some of the largest and
finest fish I ever saAV.
The gallery is a noble one ; it is a
hundred and sixty feet in length, and
full of the portraits of most of the kings
of France ; but among them I looked
in vain for one of that hero, Henry the
fourth, the greatest King this country
ever produced, and that his countrymen
are noAV folly sensible of: for although
they never esteemed him when alive as
they ought, they are now conscious of
the value of the King they have lost,
and revere his memory.
It is an unpleasant reflection, that
the true value of persons seldom is
JcnoAvn till they are fallen from us,
when it is too late to shew our esteem
for them.
The town of Fontainbleau is not very

288 JOURNEY TO
large, but not badly buflt : it was one
of their market-days, Avhen we were
there ; and it was astonishing to see the
quantity of provisions, and the con
course of people, which was so greatj
that Ave could hardly pass ; I at first
thought it was a fair. This is a very
pleasant country, and all sorts of pro
visions are very reasonable.
Fontainbleau is in the Gatinois.
We slept at the Sirene*, a good house ;
but we were obliged to take off half-a-
crown from the bill ; no unusual thing
with strangers. Adieu, Your's, &c*

* The landlady, with an important countenance, told
ns, that she had a complete tea equipage, a I'Angloise ;
for that she often had the company of les messieurs de
cette nation. She was also desired, by my companions,
to dress a beef-steak i. I'Angloise, and very good-na
turedly complied with their request ; nor did her cookery
disgrace her.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 289

Auxerre, September l6, 178r,
¦ AT Fontainbleau we hired a carriage,
Avhich they called a cabriolet, but which
had much more of the clumsiness of a
cart in it, to carry us to Vflle Neuve la
Guyard, eighteen miles ; two of us sat
behind on a narrow seat, and the other
with the driver, on a front one; this
had the advantage of the prospect, but
was a most uneasy place.
The first part of the road Avas plea^-.
sant, through the forest ; the latter part
more dreary, near Vflle Neuve la Guy
ard ; on the left we had a fine vicAV of the
Seine, and the town of Montereau^
knoAvn by the name of Montereau Faut-
Yonne, from the river, I imagine, being
shallow there. It is famous for the as
sassination of the duke of Burgundy*,
* The duke of Orleans had been assassinated by the
duke of Burgundy. Thus is it necis artificei, &c,
VOL. I. U

290 ..? JODRNEY TO ^
who Avas kifled on the bridge by order of
the dauphin, afterAvards Charles the se
venth. Ville Neuve la Guyard is a
small town, Avith nothing very curious
in it. At the ;inn Ave could get nothing
to eat, and no CouA^ey ance on our jour
ney ; . hoAvever, at last, Ave were obliged
to hire a carriole, a sort of carriage
much Used in this part of the conntryi
it is very light, but uneasy, • as it is not
hung on. springs, fand more resembles a
long tilted cart, than any 'thing else*
in the inside there are seats,' in general
covered with cushions:; but some of
them are so Ioav, that you cannot sit
up ; and if you do not lie along, are
continually in danger of hitting your
head. 1 You seldom, hoAvcA'^erj get thes^
jolting carriages, if you have two horses,
for less than eight-pence or n'ine-pence
a mile; as they ahvays take advantage
of the great scarcity of carriages in this
road ; which, though not frequented, is
beautiful. If you can make a good

LYONS AND GENEVA. 291
bargain, y oil may sometimes get one
for six or eight livres, for a stage of
eight or ten miles, for the price is not
regulated, i - About five miles from Sens, we parsed
the Yonne, on a handsome bridge.
This is a post, and called Pont sur
Yonne,; and is a most lively spot.
Sens is a large old town, built on this
river; the cathedral* is a noble gothic
building, with a very fine altar-piece.
This is the seat of an archbishop, and
there are besides, sixteen prebendaries/
thirtyrsix minor canons, and forty-six.
chaplains, all pretty well paid ; for in
this country, as in general in France,
the inferior clergy are but poorly off.
The tower of the cathedral is high, and-
seen at; a great distance. Mete two-
little girls came, with their boxesi, to
ask our charity for the school, with so
'¦''¦¦'¦ ! '
, * In this cathedral the family of the present; King,
is buried; and among them, the d^uphin^ and daiqthir,
ness, his father and mother. < . >
u 2

292 JOURNEY TO
good a grace, and in such an elegant
manner, that we could not refuse them ;
they were not above nine or ten years
old, but dressed out after the manner
of their country, as if they had been
grown up.
Sens is in the province of Cham
pagne. We were at I'Ecu, a very good
house. Here we determined to go on, pbsC,
but had great difficulty to procure a
carriage; as the parliament of "Paris
was exiled at Troy es in Champagne*, at
about thirty miles distance, and had
procured all the carriages they could
get, far and near, in expectation of
their return ; at least that was the story
the people at the inn told us, to make
difficulties, I believe, for the price is
fixed; however, at last we procured
* The former King had had frequent brouilleries with
the parliament, which paved the way for the meeting of
the l^otables and National Convention ; and this brought
on tlic Revolution, and the overthrow of the dynasty of
the Bourbons.

LYOliTS AND GENEVA. 293
one, and set off in the evening. I wilJ
probeed in my account in my next,

Yours, &c,

29.4i JOURNEY TO

Auxerre, Sept, l6, 1787.
FROM Sens to Vflle Neuve le Roi
is nine miles. This is a small old town,
with vile inns. Here, as something was
left behind at Sens, Ave Avere obliged to
sup, and wait till a messenger returned
with it. We Avere at the Dauphin, the
master of which took off five shillings
fi'om his bill; and, as it was, charged
ten shillings for a bad supper, consist
ing of tAVO mutton chops, three pigeons,
and a little confiture and cream, Avith
tAVO bottles of tolerable Avine, We AverC
not sorry to see the parcel arrive ; and
quitted this house Avith great satisfac
tion. To Ville-Valliers it is one post. This
part of the road is beautiful, among
vineyards; and the charming river
Yonne running along it. To Joigni,
one post. This is a smaU town, finely

LYON'S AND GENEVA, 295
and. romantically situated on this river;
which you have frequent and fine vicAvs
of, before you come to Joigni, The
town is built on a declivity,
' Here, as usual, there are many vine
yards, and the environs are most beau-
tifol ; there is here a handsome bridge
over the Yonne, We came this last
post in a carriole, with post horses ;
and paid the^ame price.for that uneasy
vehicle, as we should have done for a
cabriolet, which we could not get. The
price of post horses in this country is
forty sous each post, for each horse {
and if there are three people, they
tnake you have three horses ; twenty tO
the postfllion, and if you do not give
him a few more, he contrives that the
next postillion shall knoAV it, and sO on,
by Avhich means you will get on but
slowly, in spite of all your endeavours.'
If you want a chaise, it is reckoned as
a horse ; but the best way is ahvays to
have one Of your own ; as otherwise; if

396 JOURNEY TO
the road is not much frequented, you-
will be often much troubled, and seldt^,
wifl find, a good one ; you will some
times meet with one, when a gentle^
man has no further use for it, for twenty
pounds, and may seU it again for very
little less.
The postfllions have, almost all of them,
long queues and night caps, and whipjs
with which they make a great noise at
every post they come to ; and it is asto^
nishing to think, even at night, when
they are obliged to call the post people
up, how soon they change horses ; the
harnesses are all rope, and the postillion
sits on a little horse, which they call a
bidet, and drives the other two, con
sisting of a large one in the shafts, and
another smaller.
Bad as the horses are, you may ge
nerally get on six miles an hour, stop
pages included ; and if you pay the
post-boys well, they will go much
faster. At Joigni we were obliged to

LYONS AND GENEVA. 297
hire a carriole, to convey us to Auxerre,
distant eighteen miles ; the road in ge
neral is hilly, and not very pleasant ;
but three or four miles from Auxerrci,
there is a fine view of it.
' This is a large old city, and the seat
of a bishop, whose revenues are about
two thousand pounds a year. The ca
thedral is a fine old gothic building,
with a very high and noble tower ; the
grand door is ornamented with niches
and old figures, some of which are
finely carved.
In the abbey of Benedictines is a very
curious vault, full of the bodies of their
antient saints. The church is large,
but there is nothing much worth in it.
The Yonne comes to this town, and
there is a good and Avell-built bridge
over it ; there is also a very handsome
quay. One may come fropi Paris to
this place, in general, by water; but
the river Avas so shallow at this time.

298 JOURNEY TO '
owing to the hot summer, that it was
impracticable. We were at the Dan-*
phin, at Auxerre, a good house.

Yours, &c.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 299

Dijon, Sept, 19, 1,787.
LEAVING Auxerre, Ave proceeded
as iisual, in a jolting carriole," to Ver-
manton, but could not help turning
back to look at the city Ave had just
left, AAhich has a fine and venerable apr
pearance. This stage is very hilly, and full of
vineyards, chiefly of the black grape ;
there were no fences to separate them
from the road, and we took as many
grapes as we would, Avithout the least
molestation ; pleading the privilege of
strangers, if we saw the proprietors^
which was always accepted with the
greatest politeness.
To Vermanton it is five charming
leagues, and the Yonne, which still ac
companied, us, running along the val
ley, added not a little to the beauty of
this lovely road. . ' '

300 JOURNEY TO
High as the hills were, which Ave had
hitherto come over, they were nothing
to that which we went down to Ver
manton ; it is steep and very winding,
and at least a mile in length from the
top of it. You have a beautifol view
of a fine romantic country, and the
vfllage under you, which is small ; but
(as most of them are in Burgundy),
very populous; they told us, that it
contained six hundred inhabitants. The
parish church, situated on an eminence,
is a very old one ; in short, Vermanton
is vastly pretty, surrounded with rocks
and vineyards, and in a sweet country.
This is a very expensive neighbour*
hood, and every thing is very dear; as
a partridge seUs for one shflling and
three-pence, and meat is three-pence
half-penny a pound ; and every thing
in proportion, excepting grapes, which
are so cheap, that they are seldom
sold. Near this place is the village of St.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 301
Assise, famous for a crystal rock, much
resorted to by strangers.
Our two horses, as lean as Rozinante,
brought us thesC eighteen miles, moun
tainous as they were, Avith ease in three
hours ; as they are so used to hills in
this country, that they trot up and
down them Avithout difficulty; after an
hour's rest, as we could get no fresh
ones, we took them another stage of
the same length, and they cheerfolly
undertook their load again, consisting
of four persons and two trunks.
, We now began to perceive the dif
ference of the climate, as Ive were
above one hundred and thirty miles
from Paris : the nights and mornings
were as cold as the days were hot. We
were at the Three Crowns at Verman
ton, a tolerable house. As you are, I
4are say, by this time, as tired of read
ing this, as I am of writing, I will finish
for the present. Yours, Sec.

302 JOUJINEY TO

Dijon, Sept. 1^, 1787.
IT Avas dark as we Avent down a long
and steep hill to Luis le Bois, distant
from Vermanton eighteen miles. This
is a small, but a very pleasant village','
in which we Were obliged to .piit up'
^ith the niiserable accommodations
which the due de Bourgogne', a wretch-^
ed ale-house, i frequented only by Avag-
goners, afforded us ; consisting; of eggs,'
baldly dressed; some French beans; and
the refuse of giblets, which'! the Avag-,
goners had; left. All the 'inns in the:
place were 'full. We got, however, a
good fire, and clean table-cloth and
napkins,' which are what you hardly
ever fail meeting with in the worst inna
in, this country ; and made the best of
our homel y fare , We were fortunate:
enough to get three tolerable, beds. , ;
We were by no means sorry the next

LYONS AND GENEVA. 303
inqrning to quit these accommodations,
and proceed on our journey to Rouvray,
fifteen mfles distant, through an open
disagxeeable country, ridge and, fuj-row,
with but few vineyards.
, ; Rouvray i,s a small village. We were
at the I'Ecu, the chief hotel of tfieplaca,
though but a poor cabaret; Here we
counted twenty-seven, Avine. carts,- o^
rather sm^ll, tilted. Avaggons, in a row,.
In this part of the country .y(|u, meet
so, many of these carriages, thatj Avher^
the roads .^re narrow, travelling is quite
inconvenient*. , ¦ , , ¦ ., ,
Vineyards in this neighbourhoot|, as
I was told,,;let for one pound teij,|hil-
lings, or two pounds an acre, and each
farmer has .from, ten to tAventy acres ;
.the appearance, of them is much j[ike
our hop^grounds the first year of poling,
only that the vines grow- much thicker
^m '}. .•; ;: ' ¦ .: ;,-.,^;:.\
V .'¦;*, . , " ' '
• These are the only carriages you meet, as you
scarce^, e ver ^^ee a chaise. , - ,, ,,

304 JOURNEY TO
and closer than hops : they add not
a little to the beauty of the prospects.
Beer in this country is so scarce, that
it is much sought after ; and the coun
trymen eagerly resort to an alehouse,
in which they see that it is sold ; it is,
however, very indifferent, and hardly
to be drank by an Englishman; but
it is much pleasanter to these poor
wretches, Avho have worked hard the
whole day, than the sour wine which
they give them, at two-pence or three
pence a bottle : I tasted some of it
once, but never wish to have a second
trial. To Maison Neuve it is four long
leagues *. This stage is hilly and woody,
and much pleasanter than the other;
but on the other hand, we had the
most inconvenient, uneasy carriole, that
we had had at all ; it was so low, that
we were obliged to lie along, if we had
* The leagues in thb country are computed.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 305
any regard to our bones, and in this
situation they were avcH shaken.
Maison Neuve is a small village, not
unpleasantly situated. Besides the mo
ney you give for carrioles, you are
obliged to give a penny a mile to the
King, for a permis, or permission to
have your sides shaken to pieces. '
To Vitreaux, a small' dirty tOAvn,
through an unpleasant country, it is
four leagues ; and to Pont Panis, five,
through a country full of immense hills
and beautifol views.
Pont Panis is a most romantic beau
tiful spot, consisting of a fcAv houses ;
there are all round it rocks, hills, and
woods ; and, just by, a most delightful
purling stream running among the
rocks; and over this river. Called the
Louche, there is a neat bridge, from
which this place takes its name. All
his part of the country much resembles
North Wales, and has the same bold
views. VOL. T. X

306 ^ JOURNEY TO
, We supped and slept at the post;
but got in so late, that they were all in
bed. It is a good inn; but they took
care to make us pay for having called
them up the night before; it is incon
ceivable how quick the hostess was in
(her preparations ; the fire was kindled,
and the chicken on the table in less than
an hour ; so that we paid the bill with
tolerable chearfulness.
To Dijon it is tAvelve miles, which
Ave Avent, for the last time, in a carriole,
having, travelled fifty-two post leagues
in these uneasy carriages*.
The rain now, Avhich; we had not had
for two or three Aveeks, came in great
abundance ; and the more unpleasantly,
as Ave had a bad top to our carriage.
We began also to find great inconve
nience from the flies, which covered the
tables and provisions, and they were not
easily dismissed.
* About 120 miles.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 307
This stage* is full of rocks, woods,
and hills, or rather mountains; the
httle river Louche accompanies you the
whole way, running along a most beau
tiful valley. Arrived at the Galere at
Dijon at tAvelve ; and here I shall finish
this long letter. Yours, &c.
* Nothing could be more interesting than this jour
ney, particularly lo an Englishman, The roads ran be
tween vineyards, and, as may be imagined, we did not
spare the grapes, which were just ripe. Indeed we
made so free with them, that our teeth would hardly
perforin their functions at meals. The country people
were very obliging, and suffered us to take what we
chose, justly thinking we should soon be cloyed. The
grapes cultivated in the vineyards, are the black ones ;
but in the gardens, they have the large white transpa
rent ones.

x2

308 JOURiSTEY TO

Dijon, Sept. 20, 1787.
THIS is a noble and beautifol city,
the capital of Burgundy, which was
formerly a kingdom, and since that, a
duchy, whose dukes were descended
from the blood royal of France; the
first race of them began in Robert*,
brother of Henri premier; and ended in
Philip, who died at the early age of
fourteen. This race flourished three
hundred and sixty years. The second
race of these dukes began m Philip,
fourth son of John, king of France, and
ended in Charles le Hardi, who was
killed at the battle of Nanci ; of this
last race there were only four dukes -j-,
all famous for their courage, riches, and
* Third son of Robert, son of Hugh Capet, He died
in 1075,
t Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the
Crood, and Charles the Bold,

LYONS AND GENEVA, 309
power; two of these four princes pe
rished by violent deaths*. At this city
they held their magnificent court, Avith
a splendor superior to that of many
crowned heads. It is astonishing how
the last dukes increased their dominions,
in a short space of time: Charles le
Hardi, the last duke, possessed Bur
gundy, Flanders, Brabant, Limbourg,
Namur, Luxembourg, Hainault, &c, ;
and these vast dominions were acquired
by descent, purchase, and fortunate
marriages. By this power the dukes
were enabled to give laws to most of
the princes of Europe, and their al
liance was courted by all ; of what con
sequence their friendship was, may be
knoAvn by the service which Philippe le
Bon rendered to Henry the fifth, and
his brother, the duke of Bedford, as
he was the great instrument of the foot-
* John, assassinated on the bridge of Montereau, by
order of the dauphin, afterwards Charles the seventh ;
and Charles the Hardy, the last duke.

310 JOURNEY TO
ing which the English got and main
tained for so many years, Mary of
Burgundy carried these rich dominions
into the house of Austria*, by her mar
riage with Maximilian, son of the em
peror Frederick, and afterwards Em
peror himself; but, great as the power
of these princes was, they were not
contented with the title of dukes, but
Charles le Hardi had endeavoured to
induce the Emperor to erect his dutchy
into a kingdom, but failed in his at
tempt. This great prince, at the latter
end of his life, experienced sad reverses
of fortune.
About half a mile from Dijon is the
convent of the Chartreux, in the church
of which are superb monuments of Phi
lip duke of Burgundy, the founder of
this church, and John, his son, (who
was assassinated on the bridge of Mon
tereau, by order of the dauphin, after-
* Which laid the foundation of the power of the
House of Austria,

LYONS AND GENEVA, 311
wards Charles the seventh,) and his
Avife, The monastery is neat, and
pleasantly situated. We are at la Ga
lere, a A^ery good house ; where we mean
to stay a few days, and taste some
Burgundy. I will write to you again
from Dijon, Adieu, Yours, «Scc.

312 , JOURNEY TO

Dijon, Sept, 23, 1787.
THIS city is finely situated in a plea
sant valley.; the streets are broad, and
the houses Avell built ; it is famous for
pretty women ; and French is reckoned
to be spoken very well here ; but the
former are by no means local, and the
latter is spoke equally Avell by genteel
people every where. There are said to
be about fifty thousand inhabitants in
this city. It is much resorted to on
account of its beauty, and the healthi
ness of its situation. The handsomest
churches are those of N6tre Dame, St.
Michael, and the Holy Chapel. This
last is very old, and was built by Hugh,
duke of Burgundy, in consequence of
a vow, which he had made when in the

LYONS AND GENEVA. 313
Holy Land, with Saint Louis. Here
are the stalls for the knights of the
Golden Fleece, an order held in great
esteem by all the sovereigns in Europe.
Edward the fourth, whose sister was
married to the duke, Charles the Bold,
was invested with the order by that
prince. The old palace of the dukes is now
modernized, and made use of for a
variety of things. Le prince de Conde*,
the governor, has some magnificent
apartments in it; his dining room is
ninety-six feet by thirty-six, and ele
gantly furnished ; there are in this roonx
sixteen hundred chandeliers, all made
use of on state occasions.
On the staircai^e is a fine statue of
the Belvidera of the Vatican of Rome,
done from it by Rineaud, and it i%
thought by judges to be done in a inas-
* Every thing belonging to this prince is in the highest
style.

314 JOURNEY TO
terly style. The carriage alone of this
statue cost three hundred pounds.
The cathedral has nothing remarkable ;
the bishop has above a thousand a year.
This is one of the parliament toWns,
and at the time of their sitting it is very
gay, and much resorted to by the gen
tlemen in the neighbourhood. At the
palace also is the hall, in which the
prince, as governor, tries causes. This
city was formerly strongly fortified, but
now the fortifications are much neg
lected ; the walls on the ramparts are
vastly pretty. At the church of N6tre
Dame is a famous clock, brought from
Bruges, and called, for Avhat reason I
know not, Jaques Mar ; among many
other figures on it, is a man striking
with a hammer, like St. Dunstan's, in
Fleet-street; this clock cost a large
sum, and is really very curious.
To-morrow I shall leave my com
panions, whose route lies a different

LYONSk AND GENEVA. 315
Avay, and proceed to Lyons, by Cha
lons and Macon, in the diligence d'eau.
I wUl Avrite from Lyons.

Yours, &c.

316 JOURNEY TO

Lyons, Sept. 26, 1787-
I SET off in the diligence for Cha
lons, distant from Dijon forty-two miles.
This road in general is flat and dull.
The only place of any consequence,
AvhiCh you pass through, is Dole*, fa
mous for excellent wine, and surround
ed with vineyards. This town has
suburbs much larger than itself.
Chalons is a large old city ; but has
nothing very famous in it. The cathe
dral is a neat old building ; the bishop
ric is worth about one thousand pounds
a year. We dined at the Three Phea
sants, a tolerable inn, at half past

* This principality belonged to mademoiselle de
Montpensier, grand-daughter to Henry the fourth, and
aftewards married to the famous comte de Lauzun, who
is said to have treated her so insolently, that he ordered
her to pull off his boots in these words, Henriette de
Bourbon, tires mes bottes.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 317
ten* in the morning, and embarked (in
the diligence d'eau) on the Saone at
tAvelve. This river is here broad, but in many
places very shalloAV, Travellers should
be careful to take the diligence, as the
coche d'eau is a heavy vessel, much
loaded, and takes double the time to
go to Lyons that the former does.
From Chalons to Lyons it is sevent}''
miles ; for this you pay ten sliillings for
yourself and baggage.
These conveyances are much fre
quented ; but the boats are not so ele
gantly fitted up as the Flemish ones ;
there are tAVO rooms beloAV, one of
Avhich is tolerably neat.
The first night the barge goes no fur
ther than Macon, thirty mfles from
Chalons, On landing on the quay of
this place, Avhich is a very noble one,
* In the French diligences they concentrate tlieir
breakfasts and dinners ; so that you may call it a late
brealifast, or an early dinner ; a very ceconomicalplaa.

318 JOURNEY TO
it is vastly pretty to see a number of
smart girls, in little straAv hats and
fancy dresses, surround you, and with
large paper lanthorns, endeavour to
entice you to an inn, for Avhich they are
kept in pay by the landlord ; one party
kept calling out, le Palais Royal, and
the other, le Pare ; which are the two
best in the place; and so vehement
were they in their recommendations
that they continually interrupted each
other ; all this was done in a kind of
singing, and, Non, monsieur, le Palais,
le Palais ; le Pare, le Pare; was echoed
from all quarters.
We ascended a noble flight of steps
from the quay, and as there were so
many of us, divided ; I Avent to the
Palais Royal, which is a good and rea
sonable house ; here was a table d'h6te,
well fitted, provided for the company,
which we were glad to partake of, as
we had dined before eleven, and it
was now late in the evening.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 319
The price of table d'h6tes in this
country is forty sols, wine included ;
but you are troubled to get good; I
have often been obliged to send away
tAVO or three bottles before I could get
any fit to drink. As we were now al
most in the heart of the wine country,
I enquired the price of Burgundy, and
found it Avas from four livres to as low
as five sols a bottle,
Macon is a small city ; but the bishop
ric is by no means a bad one, as it is
Avorth near a thousand a year.
There is a handsome bridge over the
Saone, (which is here rather broader
than the MedAvay at Rochester bridge)
of twelve arches.
The town was formerly strongly for
tified. They reckon here ten thousand
inhabitants. The count de Morile has a noble ho
tel at Macon, with a theatre in it, which
he lets to the actors. This nobleman

320 JOURNEY TO
has near eight thousand pounds a
year. We were stifl in Burgundy at
Macon. Adieu, Yours, Sec.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 321

Lyons, Sept, Z6, 1787.
WE set off from Macon at five in the
iTiorning, and arrived at this place at
six in the evening.
Soon after leaving Macon, the coun
try is very hilly, and covered with vine
yards, Avhich we had not seen for seve
ral miles, I found, on inquiry, that
the profit of vineyards, in a good year,
Avas from four to six pounds an acre.
The landlords in this country generally
keep them in their own hands, and
have people to cultivate them. The
cultivation is very expensive, as they
pay from twenty to thirty shillings an
acre. Five leagues from Macon is a con
vent of Carmelites, beautifully situated
on a romantic hill. The sight of Ri-
naut, about half Avay to Lyons, Avas
VOL, I, Y

322 JOURNEY TO
very pleasing to us, as many of us had
had no breakfast, I would advise every
body, who travels by these water car
riages, to take provisions with them,
as otherwise, they must fast many
hours, since they never make but two
meals a day, dinner and supper. For
tunately there were som^, women on
board who had grapes to sell ; so that
with these and some AAdne, which some
of the passengers had had foresight
enough to provide, and politeness
enough to offer me, I did pretty well.
Rinaut is a pretty village : here, as
usual, at twelve, we found a plentiful
dinner, and good wine, I Avas very
fortunate in the company in the barge,
as it chiefly consisted of military, among
which there was a French officer, going
to Naples, with sixteen or seventeen
Others*, at the express desire of the king
of Naples, to instruct the Neapolitans

* There were also some officers wives, dressed en
militaire, with very large cocked hats.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 323
in their exercises ; they Avere to have a
great increase of pay, and many ad
vantages. '
The environs of Lyons are beautiful,
and highly romantic : you see on all
sides of you AVOods, vineyards groAving
among rocks, and gentlemen's country
houses and pleasure grounds overlook
ing the Saone,
From Macon to Lyons it is forty-
eight miles ; and there is very little dif
ference betAveen the breadth of the
river at the former and latter of these
places, although its embouchure is
here. The first thing that strikes you on
entering this city, is a number of small
boats, covered over with cauA^as, coming
up to you, rowed by smart Avomen in
little hats, like the Maconnoises, who
incessantly cry out. Bateau, bateau ;
and if you do not take care to detain
your*baggage by main force, you can
hardly get it out of their hands.
Y 2

324 JOURNEY TO
These boats are light, convenient^
and easily managed by one woman;
the fare is A^ery reasonable ;, and they
constantly ply on that part of the city
Avhich is on the Saone*,
I Avent through some narroAV streets
Avith high houses, to the hotel de Pare,
Avhere I ara lodged, just by the Place
de Terreaux ; it is a good and reason-
af)le house ; every day at tAvo, there is
a superb table de h6te, for forty sols,
excellent Avine included, and, as may
be imagined, ;^uit of all sorts in
perfection. The French here gene
rally breakfast on bread, grapes, and
Avine, i
Grapes are here a half-penny a
pound, the best; peaches, one half
penny each ; and melons as Ioav as three
halfpence ; and all other fruits in the
same proportion; in short, this is

* These boat-girls also ply with their boats in this part
of the city, if strangers wish to go over the river, cry
ing, Passer reau, monsievr; Passer lean.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 325
quite the land of Canaan, In my
next, I will give some account of this
city. Yours, &c.

326 , JOURNEY TO

Lyons, Sept, 27, 1787,
THIS is a very fine city, and a
traveller may pass some time in it Avith
great pleasure.
The situation of it, is romantic and
beautiful ; and there are many fine Ro
man antiquities. The Convents, Cathe
dral, which is called I'Eglise de St,
Jean, library, and other public build
ings, are Avell worthy attention, but
unfortunately I have not time suf
ficient to see all these buildings, and
can only take a superficial view of
them at present, as I am obliged to
accommodate my time to the public car
riages, Avhich do not abound in this
country, I have accordingly taken my
place in the Geneva coach, Avhich sets
off from this place to-morrow, I have
seen but one person here Avith that

LYONS AND GENEVA, 327
dreadful malady the goitre, but expect
to find more as I advance among the
Alps, I will write to you soon
and am. Yours, &c.

328 JOURNEY TO

Pontdain, Sept. 28, 1787.

I SET off this morning from Lyons,
as soon as the gates Avere open, in the
Geneva coach, which is a very handsome
one, carrying only four persons and
draAvn by four good horses ; but to my
great surprise I found they only went
a footpace, and on enquiry, I heard
that the same horses went the whole
way Avithout being changed.
There was a large basket, full of mer
chandise, fixed behind, so that in some
places, which were hilly, the poor
beasts could hardly draAV the coach.
I had the pleasure of finding that we
were to be three days going those ninety
miles, the distance betAveen Lyons and
Geneva; which is performed in one

LYONS AND GENEVA. 329
Avith ease if you go post; the road in
general is very good, for this convey
ance you pay ten shiflings, besides
your expences on the road, Avhich come
to about six more.
I was surprized at first that there
should be no other public carriages, on
this well known and beautiful road, but
recollected afterwards, that the nearest
road to. Geneva from Paris is through
Dijon ; Avhen you do not go through
Lyons, but through Franche Comte; but
I did not by any mea,ns repent having
gone a little out of my Avay, to see
that famous city.
The best way of going from Lyons
to Geneva, is either to hire a cairiage
and horses, Avhich will cost about
two pounds, or seek for a returned one,
which is by no means difficult to be
found ; as frequent parties are made
to go from hence to Geneva, and Swit
zerland, , '

330 JOURNEY TO
To make amends for the slowness
of the horses, I Avas very fortunate in
the company of an agreeable captain of
invalids, (who had seen a great deal
of the world, and Avas just arrived at
the age, Avhen French officers are very ^
agreeable men) and a young lady of the
same nation ; and their pleasing com
pany and politeness, made me feel this
journey much less tedious than I other-
Avise should. There was formerly a dili
gence which went post; but at that
time, this road was so little fi'equented,
that it did not answer.
On leaving Lyons the road is beauti
ful, for some miles, you have a fine view
of the Rhone, on the one side of you,
which noAV appears sensibly narroAver
than at Lyons, and the mountainous
province of Dauphine on the other;
which, mountainous as it is, the King of
France Avas glad to get possession of,
by giving the title of it to his eldest son.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 331
Three leagues off, we stopped to
refresh the horses and man, at Mont-
mieul, a small village ; this latter
had as much need of being refresh
ed as his cattle; as he Avalked the
chief part of the Avay by the side of
them : there we found a tolerable inn,
and were not sorry to get some breakfast.
From hence to Maximeux, two leagues,
the road continues very pleasant, Avith
vineyards on all sides of you,
Tavo leagues further, we came to this
place, the Lion d'Or, Avhere Ave are just
going to sit down to a good supper : if
it had not been for the foresight of my
tAVO French companions, who carried
fruit, bread and liqueurs with them, and
made me partake of their fare, I should
have done but badly ; but whenever the
French travel, they generally take some
eatables Avith them, as they cannot al
ways find the accommodations which we
do at English inns. This little vfllage

332 JOURNEY TO
is most romanticly situated in a deep
valley on the little river Dain,
As Ave go so slow, I shall write to
morrow from the sta^, where Ave put
up for the night. Adieu, Your's, &c.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 333

Chalillon, Sept. 29, 1787,
LEAVING Pontdain at five in the
morning, Ave passed over the Dain, on
a very handsome bridge ; to our great
joy, Ave did not quit this beautiful
river for some time, as it ran along
the road for several miles,
Tavo leagues further Ave came to Cor
don ; here Ave had the mortification of
quitting our agreeable female traveller,
who Avas going on a visit to a lady
in the neighbourhood; her manners
Avere so pleasing, and she had made
the time pass so agreeably, that both
the captain and myself Avere very
sorry to lose her. From Cordon Ave
ascended an amazing hfll above two
miles in length, and great part of it
very steep. Soon after Ave got to the
top, Ave quitted the vineyards, Avhicli
hitherto had appeared on all sides in

334 JOURNEY TO
great abundance; and the country Avas
very mountainous and woody, and the
vallies were Avatered with beautifol
streams ; in short, the scene was en
chanting. *
Three leagues forther avc came to
a small but pretty town, situated on
a pleasant lake, and surrounded with
hills, here we had a good breakfast
at the Ecude France. At this toAvn
Ave were not a little surprized to meet
Avith a high English phaeton, and on
inquiry found that it belonged to a
gentleman of Geneva, who Avas just
come from England, with an English
lady. From hence to Chatillon, the road
is through the same chain of moun
tains, with a lake running along it.
We are here at the Lion d'Or; a
good and reasonable house,
To-morroAv we shall finish this tedi
ous journey ; and the driver gives us
the comfort of thinking that Ave shall
be at Geneva early in the afternoon.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 335
The Avhole road from Lyons to Ge
neva goes through the province o^
Bresse, Avhich in general is a very fertile
one, I shall write from Geneva, Yours, &c.

336 JOURNEY TO

(jeneva. Sept, 30, 1787.
WE left Chatillon at our usual hour,
about four in the morning, for the
horses went so sIoav that Ave Avere
obliged to take much time to per
form our day's journey, consisting of
thirty miles. The road noAV is A^ery in
teresting with the Rhone under it, on
the other side are the beautiful moun
tains of Savoy,
A little farther avc passed over a
bridge, Avhich, though built very plain,
and over a small rivulet, is said to
have cost one thousand five hundred
pounds : here I must not forget to
mention the little vfllage of Liard,
Avhere money is so scarce, that for
three half-pence, I bought one hun
dred and sixty Avalnuts, indeed it
must be said, that walnuts are here as
plentiful as money is scarce; on each

LYONS AND GENEVA. 337
side of the road, are rows of trees of
them. A league further we came to Fort
Ecluse, Avhere you are obliged to pro
duce your passport, as here you quit
the dominions of France and enter into
those of Geneva ; I should have done but
badly, as through heedlessness I had
taken no passport, had it not been for
the kind interference of my fellow
traveller, the officer, who kncAV the
commandant. This little fort is most romantically
situated on a rock ; the Rhone run
ning perpendicularly under it. I could
not help sitting some time on the fort
wall to enjoy this noble view. BetAveen
thirty and forty feet under me was this
fine river, and on the opposite side the
hills of Savoy. Altogether I was de
lighted with this charming spot.
Half a league farther is the dirty
village of Cologne ; in which however,
VOL. I. z

338 JOURNEY TO
at the post house, l' Ecu de France, I
got an excellent dish of coffee. Three
leagues farther St. Genis, a hamlet con
sisting of a few houses, where I parted
with the officer, who lived in the
neighbourhood, Aviih regret; he was a
man of engaging manners, and an ex
cellent companion.
From this last place to Geneva, six
miles, I Avalked : the road is in gene
ral flat and dull, there is however a
good view of the Alps, at a distance.
I found the gate shut, as it was
Sunday, and the inhabitants were at
the sermon, and at that time they al
ways shut the gates, and suffer no one
to enter. After waiting about a quarter
of an hour, however, they were open
ed ; Avhen I gave my name to the com
missary, and where I was going to
lodge, which is a precaution they take
here to prevent riots. I Avalked to the
hotel de Balance, a good inn, and in

LYONS AND GENEVA, 339
a good part of the toAvn, where I was
not sorry to get some refreshment,
as I Avas heartily tired Avith my
Avalk ; as you are by this time, of this
letter, which I Avill now finish, but
Avili AATite again soon. Yours, &c.

340 JOURNEY TO

Geneva, Oct. 4, 178r.
I NOW sit down to perform the
promise I made in my last letter,
I have been fortunate enough to find
a gentleman at les Balances, who, like
myself, Avanted a companion to go up
the Glacieres, Accordingly in the after
noon, having hired two horses at Ge
neva, for Avhich we were to give three
shilhngs a day, for each; we set off
and reached Salonche that night; to
Bonneville, four leagues from Geneva,
the road is very even, and the country
near Geneva very well cultivated.
Bonneville is a neat little toAvn in
Savoy, but as we were late in the
evening, we did not stop to refresh
ourselves or our horses : after going a
few miles farther, however, they Avere
so fatigued that we were obliged to

LYONS AND GENEVA, 341
stop at the village and give them some
corn. We began now to be quite in the
mountains; the road Avas as fine and
even as a bowling green, and wound
all round them ; the evening was fine,
and the moon shone bright on the
tops of the mountains, and the reflec
tion of it on Mont Blanc, cover
ed with snow, Avas beautiful; added
to this, there Avere cascades falling
within a field or two of us ; some of
which Avere so fine, that avc alighted
from our horses to look at them. As
the evening was perfectly still, the
noise of these Avas very awful. On the
whole, I do not know Avhen I have
enjoyed a scene more highly ; for avc
had all the beauty of the surrounding
mountains, without the inconvenience
of them ; for several miles, there was
a beautiful river running along the road
in a highly cultivated vaUey,
We arrived at Salonche about ten.

342 JOURNEY TO
and stayed all night at la Ville de
Chamberri, * where as usual they
brought us a book, in which we might
write our names; and here Ave read
those of several of our acquaintance
who had lately been this tour. This
inn is a very dear one, as Avere most
of them on this road; you cannot
well have a dinner and wine for less
than five shillings, and supper in the
same proportion. From Bonneville to
Salonche is six leagues,
September 24, we set off at five in
the morning for Chamoni, six leagues
from the last mentioned place; and
arrived at it at eleven. We pass
ed the river Arve, and found the first
six miles tolerable ; but it Avas very
cold, on account of the neighbourhood
of the mountains; but after this the road
was bad, and part of it very dange
rous. Here Ave quitted the vineyards,
* In this wild country, the inns are all good, not in
deed inferior to English ones.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 343
which had hitherto mucli added to
our prospect ; but they have a better
method, as we thought, of managing
them than in France,
The frost generally sets in, in this
country, in October, but every thing
noAV was in the highest state of cultiva"
tion, which contrasted with the barren
mountains, had a most pleasing effect-
In the woods and forests which abound
here, there are wolves, chamois,* stags,
squirrels ; and sometimes bears. The
vicAVS of the Arve (flowing rapidly a-
mong rocks, and Avhich we looked
down on from the road, Avhich was of
a vast height,) were beautifol. In some
places there was not the least fence to
hinder the traveller from falling down
vast precipices, if he made the least
false step.
It may be easily imagined, how bad
the road Avas from Salonche to Cha-
* A kind of wild goat.

344 JOURNEY TO
moni; when you know that Ave were
six hours going those eighteen miles.
The greatest part of the way avc Avere
obliged to hire a guide, who was so
fearless and strong, that he is surnamed
le G6ant, This man Avas much praised
by mons, Bourrit, we paid him five
shillings. We generally Avalked up the
precipices, but he had a mule ; Avhich
is the beast much used in this country,
and it is astonishing to see with what
care those creatures cross from one
side of the road to the other, when it
is steep, to avoid slipping, and by these
means they never make a false step.
We were not sorry to get some break
fast at la Vflle de Londres, at Cha
moni, after our fatigue, and here I wifl
finish for the present. Yours, &c.

LYONS AND GENEVA, 345

Geneva, Oct. 4, 1787.
CHAMONI is a neat httle village,
in a A^alley highly cultivated, surround
ed Avitli mountains. In this village there
are three good inns, as the concourse
of people Avho come to visit the Gla
cieres, is A^ery great.
At twelve, taking a guide, and tAvo
large poles, Avhich they call Glaciere
sticks, to prevent us from sliding
doAvn, Ave Avent up la Montague
Verte, about half a mile from our inn.
After climbing up for three hours Ave
reached the top ; some part of the as
cent Avas tolerable, but the rest so steep
that we Avere often obliged to take
hold of our guide, to prevent us from
falling; this man's name Avas Pierre
Balmat, and I Avould recommend him
to you and your friends as a very

346 JOURNEY TO
civil man ; if I mistake not, he went
up Mont Blanc with mons, Chaus-
sure of Geneva, After staying a little
while on the top to rest ourselves,
where was a wooden hovel, we de
scended upon the Glaciere, called la
Mer de la Glace, which Ave reached
about half an hour after. To give an
accurate description of this Glaciere
Avould be useless, as so many have
done it before : the length of this vast
body of ice is many miles, and is
about 'one in breadth, the depth of it
cannot be found. It is so full of ine
qualities, that we were careful how we
walked on it; there are also many
clefts in it, which one must take
care of*.
The perpendicular height of the
mountain we were on, was five hun
dred and thirty-eight fathoms, which,

* The usual way is to leap cross them with the Gla
ciere poles.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 347
high as it is, is nothing in comparison
with Mont Blanc, which is two thou
sand three hundred and forty-six.
But this mountain, at the foot of which
we were, before we arrived at Chamo--
ni, does not when you are near it, look
much higher than the others.* Trees,
chiefly pines, grow almost to the top
of the mountains. We expected to find
more suoav than we did ; as the season
was too late for going up.

* This celebrated mountain, so well described by Mr.
Chaussure of Geneva, is above four hundred and four
teen feet higher than the Peak of TenerifFe. These two,
and that of Coldpaxi, one of the Andes iu South America,
are reckoned the three highest mountains in the world, but
the latter is much the highest, as it is six thousand two
hundred and fifty-two yards above the surface of the
,sea, which is more than three geographical miles. Mr.
Bourrit, in his ingenious account of Mont Blanc, says it
is above two thousand three hundred and forty six fa
thoms high ; from this mountaia of snow are seen be
low yon the Alps, and countries so immense, that they
could no longer be distinguished, the lake of Geneva,
&c. &c. The descent of the sun to the horizon, was so
precipitate, and its apparent size so immense that the
travellers were terrified at it.

348 JOURNEY TO
The snow, melted by the sun, and fall
ing down into the river Arveron, which
has its source in this Glaciere, was very
tremendous : as Ave were coming down,
one of these Avalanches* fell not
far from us; and the noise of it
was like the loudest thunder; it was
well for us that it did not fall Avhere
Ave were, as these Avalanches are so vio
lent that they tear doAvn every thing
with them in their passage. We Avere
disappointed in our expectations of
the view from the top of la Montague
Verte, as the higher mountains inter
cepted it, mountain rising over moun
tain ; but, Chamoni and the other Adl
lages in the beautiful vale, looked vast
ly pretty, and the river running rapid
ly along added not a little to it.
So that on one side of us, was this
vast tract of ice never melted ; above it,
mountains covered with snow hanging
* Immense snow balls, which iu their fall, tear down
trees, &c.

LYONS AND GENEVA. 349
over it, and beneath, the vale and ri-
A^er ; so that the contrast was striking.
In the middle of this mountain, we
Avere not a little surprized to find fine
straAvberries, TTiey have a very inge
nious method of rolling doAvn the pines
from tlie mountains, Avhich otherwise
they could not get at.
Our descent Avas much more trouble
some than our ascent, as the steepness
made it very fatiguing to us. However
we got doAvn about six in the evening,
and Avere not a little fatigued with our
expedition, as Ave Avould not be pre
vailed upon to have mules, Avhich can
go part of the way up the mountains ;
but Avalked the Avhole of it. Our guide
informed us, that they Avere three days
getting to the top of Mont Blanc,
and went over a tract of sixty miles.
Eagles are very frequent in these moun
tains. There -are in Savoy five Glacieres,
but la Mer de la Glace is the largest

350

JOURNEY, Sec.

and finest. We paid the guide four shil
lings, with which he was well satisfied ;
there are a great many of those per
sons Avho get a living by guiding tra
vellers in this country ; and they are
very necessary to them, as there have
been instances of people, Avho Avould
not take them, that have never been
heard of afterwards. You make your
agreement Avith them, as there is no
fixed price. I Avill resume my account
in my next*.

Adieu,

Yours, &c.

• When we were on the Glaciei\ the scene was very
solemn ; we could almost fancy ourselves out of the
world, hemmed in as we were with mountains, and
upon an immense body of ice : it was so awful that we
were not sorry to q>iit it, for scenes of civilized life ; in
which, though perhaps curiosity might be less gratified,
more comfort was to be obtained.

YA L E '

END OF VOL. I.

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