A TOUR THROUGH SOME PARTS OF FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, SAVOY, GERMANY ANDBELGIUM, DURING THE SUMMER AND AUTUMN OF 1814. 

BY THE HON. RICHARD BOYLE BERNARD, M. P. 

Majora minorane famæ! HOR. Say are they less or greater than report!

London:

PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN. PATER NOSTER-ROW;

1815. 

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HARVARD AND FARLEY, Skinner Street, London

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TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT. 

SIR, Permit me to offer my most respectful thanks to Your Royal Highness, forthe honor you have conferred upon me, by permitting the following pagesto be inscribed to Your Royal Highness. 

I beg at the same time to express my congratulations to Your RoyalHighness on the late glorious events, which have distinguished YourRoyal Highness's Government, which have restored to England theblessings of universal Peace, and will render the present æra evermemorable in History. 

 I have the Honor to be, With the highest Respect, Sir, Your Royal Highness's Obliged and most obedient Servant, R. B. BERNARD. 

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PREFACE. 

Had the following Pages required the exertion either of superiorjudgment, or of abstruse research, the Author is not sufficiently vainto have submitted them to the notice of the Public. 

They are therefore not recommended to the perusal of the criticalreader; as in fact, they contain merely the hasty observations suggestedby the scenes he visited in the course of his Tour, together with a fewoccasional remarks, which he thought might be acceptable to thegenerality of readers: since notwithstanding the late increase oftravellers, the numbers are still very great, who, being prevented bybusiness, or deterred by the inconveniences of travelling, from visitingthe Continent, might be disposed to pardon some inaccuracies, shouldthey meet with a small portion either of amusement or information. 

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CONTENTS. 

CHAP. I. PAGE

 Introduction--On the opening of the Continent--Departure from London--Arrival in France--Different appearance of Things-Large Bonnets--Custom House and Passports--Of Travelling in France--French Dinners--Abbeville--Beauvais--Vines--Chantilly; its ruined Appearance--St. Denis and its Abbey 1

CHAP. II. 

 Of the Approach to Paris--General Appearance of that City--Its Bridges--Is inferior in Comfort to London--Settled at an Hotel--Population of Paris--Its Markets--Badly supplied with Water--Of its various Divisions and their Inhabitants--Palais Royal--Gamblers--Police--English Papers--Rule to find one's Way through Paris--The Tuilleries--The Louvre--Plans of Improvement 19

CHAP. III. 

 Visit to the Gallery of The Louvre and Museum--To the Luxemburg--To the Royal Library--To the Palais des Beaux Arts--To the Church of Notre Dame--To the Pantheon--Protestant Church and Congregation--Of the Number of English in Paris--Column in the Place Vendôme--Gobelin Manufactory--Post Office--Botanic Garden--Lady and her Dog--Story of Dr. Moore--Of the Character of the Parisians--Their Loquacity--Of the Legislative Body--Heat of the Weather--Champs Elysées--Quarter of St. Antoine--Of the Revolution--Of the Boulevards--Of the Restaurateurs--Of Ladies frequenting Coffee-houses, &c. 39

CHAP. IV. 

 The Invalides--Elevation of different Buildings--Buonaparte desirous of Eclat--Champ de Mars--Place de Grenelle--Of the Plan of General Mallet and his Execution--Visit to the Museum of French Monuments--Infidelity of its Promoters--Of Colbert--Gardens of Tivoli--Great Numbers of Military Officers in Public Places--Of the Capture of Paris by the Allies--View of Paris from Montmartre--Vanity of the French--Their Love of Novelty--The Emperor Alexander's Entry into Paris--Of the Establishment of M. Delacroix--At the Tuilleries--Of the King--His Regard for England--France still unsettled--Advice of Galba to Piso--Curious Glass Stair Case--Of the French Theatres, and their Italian Opera--Number of Bureau d'Ecrivains. 61

CHAP. V. 

 Visit to the Royal Palaces--St. Cloud--St. Cyr--Malmaison--Versailles--Its Formality--Accuracy of Pope's Description of the Old Style of Decoration--Comparison of Windsor and Versailles--City of Versailles greatly reduced--Trianon--Sèvres--Porcelain Manufactory--Barrier of Passy--Of the Harvest--Castle of Vincennes--Few private Carriages at Paris--Great Numbers of Fiacres and Cabriolets--Attend at the Foreign Office for Passports to leave Paris--Arrive at Fontainebleau--Memorable for the Abdication of Buonaparte--Reflections on the Captivity and Character of the Pope--Reflections on Buonaparte--At Montereau; Battle near the Town--Sens--Auxerre--Description of the French Diligence--Dinners, &c. 79

CHAP. VI. 

 At Avalon--Public Promenades--Number of Beggars--Villages and Country Houses more numerous in Vine than in Corn Countries-Farming in this District--Land Tax and Customs of Descent--Dijon--A large and handsome City--Its Public Buildings--Company in the Diligence increased by the Arrival of two French Officers--Their Political Opinions--Advantage of the Diligence--Arrival at Dole--Battle near Auxonne--Genlis--Poligny--Vin d'Arbois--Woods but without Birds--Moray--English Breakfast--Resemblance to North Wales--Magnificent View of the Lake of Geneva--Excellent Roads made by Buonaparte--Visit to Ferney--Description of Geneva--View from its Cathedral--Its Manufactures--Population--Territory--Determination to visit the Alps; and not to go into Italy 100

CHAP. VII. 

 Departure for Chamouny--Bonneville--Valley of Cluse--Cascade d'Arpennas--St. Martin--Extravagant Bill--Proceed on Mules--Their astonishing Safety--River Arve--Pont de Chèvres--Cascade of Chede--Extravagance of English Travellers very prejudicial--Lake of Chede--Servoy and its Mines--Visited by the Empress Maria Louisa--Glaciers des Bossons--Definition of Glacier--Of the Valley and Village of Chamouny--Guides--Politics of the Savoyards--State of Taxation--Ascent of Montanvert--Magnificent and awful Spectacle of the Mer de Glace--Height of various Mountains, compared with Mont Blanc--Simile from Pope--Return to Chamouny--Larch and Fir mixed on these vast Mountains--Their Productions--The Valley continually threatened with Avalanches 119

CHAP. VIII. 

 Leave Chamouny--Delightful Situation of Valorsine--Festival there--Of the Savoyard Peasants--Anecdote from M. De Saussure--Country difficult to travel through--Trient--Magnificent View from the Fourcle--The French not so much disliked in the Valais as their Cruelty deserved--Castle of la Rathia--Martigny--Unsuccessful Attempt of two English Gentlemen to ascend Mont Blanc--Less adventurous, we did not ascend Mount St. Bernard--Cascade of the Pisse Vache--Number of Idiots and Goitrous Persons in the Valais--Opinion of Mr. Coxe on the Subject--Opinion of M. De Saussure--St. Maurice--Its strong Position--Roman Bridge and Antiquities--Passports demanded here--Different Colour of the Rhone here and at Geneva. 139

CHAP. IX. 

 Bex--Industry of the Inhabitants of this Country--Their Cottages and Wandering Lives--Salt Springs--Aigle--Growth of Corn--Villeneuve--Agitated State of the Lake--Labours of the Inhabitants often destroyed by the Fall of Rocks--Chillon--Clarens--Vevay--Magnificent View from its Church--Of General Ludlow--Lausanne--Its singular Situation--Its Antiquity--Its Cathedral--View from the Church-yard--Population and Manufactures--French Manners prevail here--Gibbon--Pope Felix V. A singular Character--Reformation--Morges--Festivity there--Rolle--Its Spa--Country Seats--Delightful Scene from the Garden of its Castle in the Evening--Nyon--Château de Pranqui--Joseph Buonaparte--Vines--Swiss Artillery--Copet--Anecdote of Md^e. De Staël--Versoi--Return to Geneva 156

CHAP. X. 

 On the Introduction of History into Tours--Early Government of Geneva--Reformation--Alliance with Berne and Zurich--A few Laws peculiar to Geneva--Theatre--Town Hall--Permission obtained to reside at Geneva--Lodging procured in Consequence--Fortifications of Geneva not devoid of Utility--Views from the Ramparts--Maintenance of the Allied Troops very expensive to Geneva--Regret of the Genevese at the Destruction of some ancient Avenues by them--Meet a Person who gives a melancholy Account of the State of Geneva under the French--State of Society--Fête de Navigation--Dress, &c. --Epigram by a Prince of Hesse--Rousseau--Voltaire--Raynal--Remarks of a Savoyard Peasant--The College of Geneva--The Library--Of Calvin--Water Works--Society of Arts--Corn Magazine--Churches, Service, &c. At Geneva. 184

CHAP. XI. 

 Excursion to the Perte du Rhone--Magnificent Spectacle which it affords--Rise of the Rhone--Hop Gardens--Malt Liquor badly made--Climate of Geneva--Of Switzerland in general--Opinion of Haller--Soil, Grain, and Population of Switzerland--Quantities of Cattle--Various Plants--Visit to a Watchmaker's Warehouse--Its elevated Situation--Great Ingenuity, but want of what in England would be thought good Taste--Circles of Genevese--Introduced to a French Gentleman who bad twice escaped the Guillotine--Walks and Rides--Junction of the Rhone and Arve--Coligny--Carrouge--St. Julian--Battle there--Inferiority of the Austrian Troops to the French--French Politics--Empress Maria Louisa--Lord Castlereagh at Geneva 193

CHAP. XII. 

 Regret at leaving Geneva--Lake of Joux--Coponex--Robbers--Lassera--Curious Separation of a Rivulet---Orbe--Face of the Country--Price of Land--Yverdun--Sea View--Spa--School--Anecdote of a Conductor--Game--Bridge of Serrier--Neufchâtel, said to resemble Naples--Description of its Territory--Anecdote respecting the Religion of Landeron--David Riri--Sketch of the History of Neufchâtel--Competitors for its Sovereignty--Lake of Bienne--Island of St. Pierre--Singular Government of Bienne--Great Change on passing the Pont de Thiel--Charge of Rapacity against the Swiss--Pleasant Travelling--Extensive View from Julemont--Agriculture--Arberg 205

CHAP. XIII. 

 Morat--famous for Kirschwasser--Monument commemorating the Defeat of the Burgundians removed by the French--Its Inscription--Seedorf--View of the Island of St. Pierre--Beauty of the distant View of Berne--Its Interior also handsome--Its Fortifications--Stags and Bears kept in the Trenches--Public Library--Botanic Garden--Chemists' and Bakers' Shops--Convicts chained in the Streets--Beautiful Public Walks--Government of Berne--Opinion of Pope--Excursions to Hofwyl and Hindelbanck--Extent of the Canton of Berne--Its Population, Productions, &c. &c--State of the Clergy--Departure from Berne--Village of Worb--Saw Mill--Bleach Greens--Care which the Swiss take of their Horses--Sumiswald--Little Wooden Inn--Zell--Castle of Haptalla--Irrigation--Beautiful Situation of Lucerne--Its Melancholy Interior--General Pfiffer's Model--Beautiful Lake--Mount Pilate and Rigi--Visit two Classic Spots--And the Small Canton--Gersau--Intolerance--Lake and Canton of Zug--Swiss Honey--Magnificent View of Zurich, described by Zimmerman--Considerations on the Difference between the Swiss Cantons, &c 222

CHAP. XIV. 

 Zurich--Its Interior not answerable to its distant Appearance--Population, Buildings, &c. --Dinner at the Table d'Hote--Excursion on the Lake--Country and Villages near Zurich--Winter there--Cascade of Lauffen--Its magnificent Effect--Cyder--Bad Vintage--Schaffhausen--Its Bridge--Population--Laws--Manufactures, &c. --View of Mount Banken--Chapsigre Cheese--Swiss Tea--Set out in the Diligence with a Doctor of Leipzig--His uncommon Love of Smoking--Civility, Dress, &c. Of the Germans--Deutlingen--Pass the Danube--Taste of the Germans for Music, preferable to the political Arguments of the French--Passports--Subdivisions of Germany--Trade--Posts well conducted--Accident at Bahlingen--House of Hohenzollern 242

CHAP. XV. 

 Tubingen--Its University--Different from ours--Agree to post to Frankfort--Of German Posting, and Dinners--Feather-beds--Stoves--Stutgard--A handsome City--Palace, its Decorations--Industry of the Queen--Council Chamber--Royal Stables--Garrison composed handsome Troops--Palace at Ludwigsburg--Waggons and Traffic on the road--Heilbron--Escape from being overturned--Sinzheim--Cossaok arrives there--Heidelberg--Its Castle--Venerable in Ruins--The Inn--Rich Country--Quantity of Potatoes--Manheim--Regularly built, but much deserted--The Palace in Decay--Walks--Darmstadt--Unfurnished and ill situated--Palace--Handsome Gardens--Frankfort a Magnificent City--Inns--Opulence of its Merchants--Population--Jews--Gates and Fortifications--Cassino--Villas--Orchards--Hochst--Inscription-- Hochheim--Rhiagau Wines--Mayence--Its Strength--Handsome only at a Distance--Its Bridge--Cathedral--Population--Exportation of Corn--Large Cabbage 258

CHAP. XVI. 

 Embark on the Rhine--Political Rhapsodies of two Frenchmen--Beautiful Scenery--Gulph of Bingerlock--Blighted state of the Vines--Most distressing to the Inhabitants--Boppart--'God Save the King'--Bonfires--Size of Paris and London--St. Goar--Coblentz--Royal Saxon Guards--Ruins of Ehrenbreitstein--Andernach--The Devil's House--Lowdersdorf--Linz--Bonn--Illuminations, Balls, &c. --End of the Picturesque Scenery--Boat driven on Shore--Walk to Cologne--A vast and gloomy City--Simile of Dr. Johnson's--Few Country Houses on the Rhine--Rubens--His excellence as a Painter and his great Modesty--Juliers--Aix la Chapelle--Its Antiquity--Waters--Pleasant Situation--Population not equal to its Estent--Burscheid--Manufactures of Cloth, &c. --Cathedral--Sunday ill observed--Liege--A large and extremely dirty City--Booksellers--Cutlery--Distress of the Manufacturers--Thieves--Bad Money--Expeditions Public Carriage--Axiom of Rousseau--St. Tron--Chimes--Tirlemont, its much reduced Manufactures 278

CHAP. XVII. 

 Population of the Netherlands--Louvain--Its Public Buildings--University--Character of the Belgians--By some represented as the worst in Europe--That Statement probably overcharged--Extortion--John Bull at Paris--French Kitchens, &c. --Breweries--Roads--Taste in Gardening--Canals not an agreeable mode of Travelling--Heavy Taxes--Unsettled Political State--Vast Numbers of English at Brussels--Its Extent, Population and Appearance--The Park--Anecdote of Peter the Great--Town House--Churches--Collections of Paintings--Anecdote of Bassano--Hotels--Table d'Hote, like the Tables at Cheltenham--Expence of Living--Houses--Jurourin--Forest of Sogne--House of Correction compared with ours--Walk round the City--Fortified Towns--Sieges of Ostend, Valenciennes, Troy and Azotus--Malines--Considerations on its Decline--Its Silk--Population--Buildings--Manner of cutting the Trees near the Roads--Antwerp, its Importance--Docks--River--Riches of Belgium--Buildings at Antwerp--Accuracy of the Flemish Painters--Appearance of the Country--The Inns not equally decorated with those in Germany--Wooden Shoes 296

CHAP. XVIII. 

 Ghent--Its great Size--Decreased in Populalation and Consequence--Charles V. --D'Arteville--Canals--Trade--Buildings-Prison--Land and Water Travelling--Ostend and Bruges--Derivation of Bourse--Noisy and Silent Travellers--Proficiency of Foreigners in English--Taste in Bonnets--Sportsmen without Game--Courtray--Dogs Drawing--Boundary Stone of France--Custom House--Passports, Danger of being without--Lille--Fortified by Vauban--Population--Buildings--Theatre--Society--OEconomical Residence-Remarkable View from Cassel--Berg--Fens--Canals--Dunkirk--First Impressions--The Origin of its Name--Buildings and Population--Flemish Language--Of the Union of Belgium with France--Political Consideration--Dunkirk sold by Charles II. --Lord Clarendon's House so called--Its Fortifications demolished--Gravelines---Its strong Situation--Liberty and Equality--Cheap Travelling--Calais the last English Possession in France--Contrary Winds--French Officers displeased at the Theatre--General Jealousy of England--Embark on board a French Packet--Loquacity of the French--Arrival in England--Its Superiority to other Countries 317

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ATOURTHROUGH SOME PARTS OFFRANCE, SWITZERLAND, &c. &c. 

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CHAP. I. 

I had long been desirous of visiting the Continent, but the longcontinuance of the war, and the little prospect which lately appeared ofits termination, seemed to afford no chance for the accomplishment of mywish. At a period, however, when that arbitrary power, which had so longheld in subjection the other nations of the Continent, sought tooverthrow the only monarch who dared to oppose it, and to claim for hissubjects the natural rights from which they had been excluded by the"_Continental System_, " it pleased Divine Providence to destroy thefetters which enslaved the nations of Europe, as if to try, whether inthe school of adversity, they had learned to merit the blessings ofindependence. These great and glorious changes, the reality of which itwas at first _difficult_ to believe, having opened to the subjects andcommerce of Britain, countries from which they had been for so manysuccessive years proscribed, it was not long before numbers of Britishrepaired to the continent to indulge that love of roving for which theyhad been always distinguished (and which a long war had suppressed butnot eradicated) and to claim from all true patriots, in the countriesthey visited, that friendly reception to which the long perseverance andvast sacrifices of England, during a struggle unexampled in history, hadso justly entitled the lowest of her subjects. 

The unsettled state in which most part of the Continent necessarilyremained for a little time after the entrance of the Allies into Paris, did not afford the most favourable moment for the journey of one whowas not a military traveller; and I did not regret that businessprevented my leaving England for a few months after the opening of theContinent, as I had the gratification of being a witness, in the Britishmetropolis, to the exultation of all ranks of men; first, at seeing thelegitimate monarch of France arrive there in company with ourillustrious Regent who having long contributed to lessen the afflictionsof the exiled _Count de Lille_, had first the satisfaction (to which he, amongst all the sovereigns of Europe, was best entitled, by the greatpart, which under his government, England had performed for the cause ofEuropean liberty) of saluting him as _King of France_, amidst the cheersof applauding thousands; and, secondly, of witnessing the arrival of themagnanimous Alexander, of that too long unfortunate monarch, FrederickWilliam, of those chiefs, Platoff and Blucher, whose exploits haveranked them amongst the first of heroes, and, at last, of seeing, in theperson of a _Wellington_, a British marshal who had successively foiledthe most renowned of the generals of Buonaparte, and who, like Turenne, was accustomed "_to fight without anger, to conquer without ambition, and to triumph without vanity_. "

About the middle of July I left London and proceeded to Dover, a journeywhich, in the improved state of our roads and of our conveyances, iseasily performed in one day; and often as I had before travelled theKent road, yet I could not see without surprise, the astonishing numberof public and private carriages with which it abounds, and which musthave doubtless much increased within the last few months. I becameacquainted on the road with a French Abbé, who, accompanied by hissister, was returning home after an absence of twenty-two years, whichhe had spent mostly in England, but he could by no means express himselfintelligibly in English. I therefore addressed him in his own language, which pleased him extremely, and I found him an amusing companion, aswell as very grateful for some little services I rendered him inarranging with the coachman respecting his baggage and that of hissister, as they took the whole of their property to France with them, including many household articles which I should not have thought worththe expence of carriage. We supped in the same apartment at Dover, butthey had brought their provisions with them, which as I afterwards foundwas sometimes the practice in France, either from motives of comfort oreconomy. Such travellers, however, would not be much wished for at anEnglish inn. 

Next morning my first business was to attend at the custom-house; andthe officers, after a diligent search, finding nothing illegal amongstmy baggage, permitted me to purchase a sufferance for it to be embarkedfor France. The rest of the passengers having likewise arranged theiraffairs and obtained sufferances, we proceeded on board the packet, andfound that it was extremely full without this last reinforcement; but Idoubt whether the captain way of that opinion. I found the charge forthe passage amounted to one guinea, which is the sum paid for thepassage between Dublin and Holyhead, although that is nearly threetimes the extent of the channel between Dover and Calais. I was informedthat the seeming disproportion in those prices was to be attributed tothe heavy _post dues_ at Calais, which, for so small a vessel as thepacket, amounted to £14 or £15, although in the year 1793 they did notexceed eighteen shillings. 

Amongst the passengers was a Swiss gentleman, who I found passed for aman of _great importance_ amongst the sailors. His carriage perhapscontributed not a little to this, as it had once been the property ofthe duke of Northumberland; and although the arms were defaced, yet thecoronet, the garter, and the gilding with which it was still decorated, no doubt contributed to increase the expences of a journey which, fromits length, is a heavy tax on the pockets of the generality oftravellers, however plain may be their equipage. 

We were above two hours on board before it was possible to extricate ourvessel from the great number of transports (I believe not less thanthirty-two) which crowded the harbour, being engaged for some time inbringing home a large portion of our cavalry, who added to the militaryglory they had acquired in Spain and Portugal, by their forbearance intolerating insults to which they were but too often exposed in theirpassage through France, by a people whose vanity forbids them to admirevalour, except in Frenchmen, but whose conduct on those occasions servedonly to increase the obligations which they had in so many instancesexperienced from the humanity which always attends on British valour. 

If we had to regret the delay we experienced in getting out to sea, thatsentiment soon vanished before the favourable breeze which, in aboutfour hours, brought us to the French coast. As the day was hazy, we hadnot long to admire the venerable castle of Dover, and the cliff whichShakspeare has celebrated; and some time elapsed before we coulddistinguish the shores of France, which differ entirely from those ofEngland, rising gradually from the water's edge, with the singleexception of _Scales Cliff_, which seems to correspond with some ofthose bulwarks which characterize our coast from Dover to Portland, where, I think, chalk cliffs are succeeded by masses of rock and greystone. 

The tide being out on our arrival before Calais, we could not get intothe harbour, and with that impatience to leave a ship, which is naturalto landsmen, we were glad to accept the offers of some boats whichhastened around the packet, to offer their services in landing us; this, however, they did not exactly perform, being too large to get very nearthe shore, to which we were each of us carried by three Frenchmen, oneto each leg, and a third behind. This service I had often had performedby one of my fellow-subjects, and it seemed to verify the old saying, that '_one Englishman is equal to three Frenchmen_. '

Each Monsieur however insisted on a shilling for his services, and theboatmen five shillings from every passenger. But I had travelled enoughto know, that extortion on such occasions is so general, as not to bepeculiarly the characteristic of the inhabitants of any country, and ifever there is _pleasure in being cheated_, it is surely on such anoccasion as that of exchanging the misery of a ship for the comforts ofthe most indifferent inn. 

The arrival for the first time in a foreign country, of a person who hasnever before quitted his own, is an epoch of considerable moment in hislife. Most things are different from those he has been accustomed to, and the force of first impressions is then stronger than, perhaps, atalmost any other period. We are, in general, not much disposed to likeany custom, or mode of dress, which is greatly at variance with what wehave been long used to, and the enormous height of the bonnets in Franceproduces, in my opinion, an effect far from pleasing; the ladies, bytheir strange costume, _out-top_ many of the military. 

I found the town of Calais in a state of equal bustle with Dover, andfrom the same cause. It is regularly fortified, and contains many verygood houses. The population is estimated at between seven and eightthousand. The market-place forms a spacious square. The town-house andchurch are handsome buildings, and altogether it must be allowed much tosurpass Dover as to appearance. 

The search which ray portmanteau had undergone the day before inEngland, was here renewed by the officers of the French _Douane_, butwith no better success on the part of the officers in being able toseize any thing. They were, however, very polite, and their fees onlyamounted to half a crown. My next care was, to attend at the town-hall, and present my passport to the inspection of the mayor, who indorsed itwith his licence for me to proceed to Paris. 

I accordingly determined on setting out without further delay, andjoined an acquaintance in hiring a cabriolet for the journey, to obviatethe trouble of changing our luggage at every post, and to avoid anydelay that might arise from not finding a carriage at every station, which is by no means certain, as in England. We found the _Cabriolet_ avery pleasant conveyance, it is nearly as light as a curricle, and hasa head and windows, which exclude rain. It is drawn by two or threehorses, and proceeds at a tolerably good pace. The postilions areprovided with boots of a very inconvenient size, and with whips whichthey are perpetually cracking, not much to the comfort of the ears oftheir passengers. 

Those who have never seen any thing but an English stage-coach, cannotbut feel some surprise at the different appearance which a French_Diligence_ presents. Most of them carry nine inside passengers, andthree in the cabriolet, and as much luggage behind, and in the Imperial, as would load a tolerably large waggon. They are generally drawn by fourhorses, which present a very different appearance from those under theEnglish carnages, and they are driven by one postilion, who rides thewheel-horse. Occasionally, a second postilion and two more leaders arenecessary from the weight of the carriage, or the heaviness of theroads. Carriages in France, in passing each other, take exactlydifferent sides of the road from what they are obliged to do by ourlaws of travelling. 

The country, for many leagues round Calais reminded me very strongly ofCambridgeshire in its general appearance, being flat, well cultivated, unenclosed, and abounding in wind-mills. About the villages there aresome trees and enclosures; but a few more church spires are wanting tocomplete the resemblance. The distance from Calais to Paris is about 180_English miles_, and may generally be considered as a flat country, occasionally diversified by a few hills of no great magnitude. Enclosures are rarely seen, but the quantity of corn is quiteastonishing. Agriculture appeared to me to be in a highly improvedstate: there are artificial grasses and meliorating crops. Theappearance of the villages in general on this road is but littleinferior to those in many parts of England. But the peasants, althoughnot for the most part badly off, have no idea of that neatness, and ofthose domestic comforts which form the great characteristic of the sameclass of people in England. 

An English farmer would laugh at the great cocked hat which is usuallyworn by the French husbandman, and would not be disposed to change hiswhite frock for the blue one used on the Continent. Some wood isoccasionally to be seen; but Picardy is not famous either for thequantity or quality of its timber. The general fuel of the lower ordersis _turf_, which, however, is not in any great quantity; and inappearance it is inferior to that used by the Irish peasants. The roadsare in general kept in good repair, and near Paris and some other greattowns they are paved in the centre. They are flanked in many places byavenues of trees, which are for the most part cut with great formality;but even where left to themselves, they do not add much to the ornamentof the country or to the comfort of the traveller, affording but ascanty shade. 

The whole of this road is without turnpikes; they were, as I understood, abolished about three years ago, and the roads are now managed by thegovernment. The French praise Buonaparte extremely for his attention tothe state of their _roads_, and it must be owned that in thisparticular he merits the praise bestowed on him, which cannot be saidwith truth of many other parts of his conduct which seem to have beenalso approved of by the French. Buonaparte, it is true, made excellentroads, but he made them only for his soldiers, either to awe those whohad submitted to his yoke, or to afford a facility of extending stillfurther his conquests. 

The drivers in France do not tax themselves at every public-house aswith us, for porter or spirits, which they do not want; they seldomstop, unless the stage is unusually long, and their horses require alittle rest. 

Before we were admitted within the gates of Boulogne our passports weredemanded, and underwent a strict examination, probably the remains ofthe etiquette established by Buonaparte, this place being chieflyremarkable as the port, from whence he proposed making his threateneddescent into England. We observed a vast unfinished fort, which he hadordered to be constructed; it will probably never be completed, butcrumble to pieces like the vast and ill-acquired authority of itsfounder. The town of Boulogne is large and well fortified, but thebustle in the port was chiefly occasioned by the embarkation of theEnglish cavalry. 

We dined at Samers, and there had the first specimen of a French dinner(as at Calais we had lodged at an hotel, which is kept by an Englishman, and where every thing was _à l'Angloise_). The _general_ hour for diningis twelve o'clock; many public carriages stop to dine before that hour, however, from twelve to one o'clock, the traveller is sure at everytolerable inn of finding a very abundant and cheap repast. We found thebread excellent, as also a profusion of fruit; the wine of Picardy isbad, but good wine may be had from the southern provinces, at areasonable price. 

Their meats are so much stewed, that their real flavour can hardly bedistinguished, but were they dressed by a mode of cookery that did themmore justice, I do not apprehend the epicure would have to find faultwith their quality. 

The next place which presented any thing worthy of remark, wasAbbeville, a large fortified city, which has manufactures of cloth anddamask. The church which has suffered much during the anarchy of therevolution, is still a large and handsome edifice. We proceeded tobreakfast at Boix, where the coffee was excellent, and the milk wasserved up boiled, as is generally the custom throughout France. 

We also found good accommodation at Beauvais, a large and ancient city, where the architecture of the houses reminded me much of Shrewsbury. Thestreets are narrow and winding. The cathedral is well worthy theattention of the antiquarian, although it has, like many others inFrance, suffered greatly during the revolution. In the neighbourhood ofBeauvais are a vast number of vineyards, and the effect produced by themis very striking to those who have never seen a vine but in a stove. Butthe novelty soon ceases, and a vineyard is then seen with as littleastonishment as a field of corn. 

We were easily persuaded to make a short deviation from the direct road, in order to visit Chantilly, the once splendid residence of the Princesof Condé, but which now affords a melancholy contrast to the scene whichit exhibited in more tranquil times. The Great Château has disappeared;but a small building remains at a distance, which is to be fitted up forthe reception of its venerable owner, who is expected in the course ofthe summer to pay a visit to the inheritance which the late happyrevolution has restored to him, after having undergone a sad change inits appearance. The great stables are standing, but only serve to add tothe desolation of the scene by their vacancy, and the contrast whichthey form to the small house which now only remains to the possessor ofthis great domain. --St. Denis, where we soon arrived, is a small townnot far distant from Paris; it was anciently remarkable for its _abbey_, which contained the magnificent tombs of the Kings of France. These weremostly destroyed early in the revolution (but a few still remain, inthe museum of monuments at Paris, as I afterwards found) when thepromoters endeavoured to obliterate all traces of royalty: but whenafter a long series of convulsions, Buonaparte thought his dynasty hadbeen firmly established on the throne of the Bourbons, he decreed thatthis abbey should be restored as the burying place of the monarchs ofFrance; and it is probable that decree will be carried into effect, although not in the sense which its promulgator intended. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. II. 

The approach to Paris is certainly very striking, but considering thevast extent of the city, its environs do not present an appearance ofany thing like that bustle and activity which marks the vicinity of theBritish metropolis: nor do the villas which are to the north of Parisdisplay that aspect of opulence which distinguishes those streets ofvillas by which London is encompassed. The gate of St. Denis, underwhich we passed, is a fine piece of architecture; it stands at the endof a long and narrow street, which is but ill calculated to impress astranger with those ideas of the magnificence of Paris of which theFrench are perpetually boasting, although it conducts him nearly to thecentre of the city. I afterwards found that this is the most crowdedquarter of the city; the houses are from six to eight stories in height, and are almost universally built of stone. --But although it must beadmitted that this entrance to Paris is one of the least distinguished, yet at the same time it must be observed, that there are but very fewstreets in that city which have much to boast of in point of appearance;they are mostly narrow, and the height of the houses necessarily makesthem gloomy. They are (except in one or two new streets at the extremityof the town) extremely incommodious for pedestrians, there being here noplace set apart for them as in London; hence they traverse the streetsin perpetual dread of being run over by some of those numerous carriageswhich are continually passing along with an _impetus_ which raises justapprehensions in the mind of the foot passenger, that he may share thefate of Doctor Slop, if nothing more serious should befall him; as inavoiding the carriages it is no easy task to keep clear of the _kennel_, which is in the centre of the street; the descent to it is rapid, and itis rarely dry even in the warmest weather. 

It is when seen from one of the bridges, that Paris appears to mostadvantage, as many of the quays are unquestionably very handsome, anddecorated with many elegant edifices. The Seine is in no part so much ashalf the width of the Thames, in some places not a fourth part, as itforms two islands, on one of which stands the original city of Paris. Its waters are united at the _Pont Neuf_, on which stands the statue ofHenry IV. Looking towards the Louvre, which he founded. The view fromthis bridge is without comparison the most striking in Paris, and isperhaps unequalled in any city, for the great number of royal and publicedifices which are seen from it; and inconsiderable as is the Seinecompared with many other rivers, yet nothing has been neglected torender its banks striking to the passenger. --Many of the bridges (ofwhich I think there are altogether 16) are handsome, particularly thoseof Austerlitz and of Jena, constructed by order of Buonaparte. There isone bridge, the arches of which are of iron, opposite the gallery of theLouvre, which is open only to foot passengers, each person paying twosous for the privilege of being admitted on this promenade, which isoften much crowded with company. Very soon after my arrival at Paris Icame to this conclusion, that although Paris far exceeds London, Dublin, or Edinburgh, in the splendour of its public buildings, and often in thehandsome appearance of many of its houses, yet those cities are farpreferable in point of all essential comforts. And after spending aconsiderable time in Paris, I saw no reason to change the opinion whichI had first formed; that opinion however cannot, I should apprehend, bequestioned by a Frenchman, as it admits fully the magnificence of manyparts of his favourite city, and this is sufficient for his vanity. Withus cleanliness and comfort are preferred to shew, we find them in mostof our own cities, but those who know most of Paris will not deny thatthey are rarely to be met with there. 

I had been recommended to the Hotel de Pondicherry, by a gentleman whohad for some time lodged there; but I found there were no vacantapartments. After making application in vain at many of the hotels inthe Rue de Richelieu, I at last succeeded in meeting with goodaccommodation in the Hotel des Prouvaires, which was in a convenientsituation, and had the advantage of having been lately painted. I foundthe people of the house very civil and attentive, and produced mypassport from the Secretary of States' Office, signed by LordCastlereagh, to satisfy them that I was no _avanturier_, a very numerousclass here. The expence I found differed but little from, that of mostof the hotels in London; but the French hotels are in fact more what weshould call lodging-houses, as they do not supply dinners, &c. Whichmust be procured from a restaurateur's, of which there are a vastnumber; and I have heard it stated, that there are no less than 2500coffee-houses in Paris. 

The population of Paris is stated by Marchant, in the last edition ofhis Guide to Paris at 580, 000; the number of houses is estimated to be29, 400; this would give an average of nearly twenty persons to eachhouse. This I do not consider as too great a proportion to allow, if weconsider the vast number of hotels that can contain at least double thatnumber of persons; and that in many parts of the town each story isoccupied (as in Edinburgh) by a separate family. 

The population of Paris has undoubtedly decreased since the revolution;Dutens, who published his Itinerary about thirty years ago, tells us, atthat period the inhabitants of Paris amounted to 650, 000: but evensupposing him to have over-rated them, still there remains a greatdisparity in the two calculations, and it is reasonable to conclude, that the present statement by Marchant is accurate, from the facilitieswhich the system of police affords in forming a just calculation on thesubject. 

Paris, including all its suburbs, is said to be about eight leagues incircumference, and, except London and Constantinople, exceeds all theother cities of Europe in extent. 

The markets of Paris are remarkably well supplied with provisions ofevery description, and at a price which appears moderate to anEnglishman. I have been told, that fuel is sometimes at a very highprice in the winter; but not being there at that season, I cannot speakfrom my own experience. What I had most reason to complain of during mystay, was scarcity of that great essential to health and cleanliness, _good water_. The city is for the most part supplied with this first ofnecessaries from the river Seine. Adjoining to one of the bridges is avast machine, which raises its waters, which are conducted to all partsof the town, and also supply several public fountains. They have, however, an extremely bad taste from the numerous establishments forwashing for all Paris, which are established in boats on all parts ofthe river, which is thus strongly impregnated with soap-suds, and itscathartic qualities have been experienced by many strangers on theirfirst arrival in Paris. 

The French never drink this water without mixing in it a proportion ofsugar, and then call it _eau sucré_, which is often called for at thecoffee-houses. Most houses have reservoirs of sand for filtering thewater before it is used for drinking; but those who have been accustomedto the luxury of good water, cannot be soon reconciled to that of theSeine. The water of the _Ville d'Arblay_ is sold in jars in the streetsfor making tea, and some of the fountains are supplied by springs. Ibelieve the late government had a scheme in contemplation for theconstruction of an aqueduct, to supply purer water for the Parisiansthan what they now use. 

Many fountains have been established within the last few years, and thesite of that once formidable building the _Bastile_ is now occupied byone. None of these modern fountains (although many of them display muchtaste) are, however, by any means to be compared, in point of elegance, to that which stands in the market of Innocents, and which was erectedin the year 1550. Its situation is too confined for so handsome astructure, and I had some difficulty in finding my way to it. It has thefollowing inscription from the pen of M. Santeuil, (who has furnishedmany others, particularly that on the fountain near the LuxemburgPalace:)

 FONTIUM NYMPHIS. 

 Quos duro cernis simulatos marmore fructus Hujus Nympha loci credidit esse suos. 

Which may be thus translated, The fruits you see on this cold marble hewn, This Fountain's Nymph believes to be her own. 

The Guide to Paris informs us, that the city is divided into severalquarters; that the vicinity of the _Palais Royal_, of the _Thuilleries_, and of the _Chaussée d'Antin_, are the most fashionable, and of coursethe most expensive; but that lodgings are to be met with on reasonableterms in parts of the city, which are fully as desirable, particularlyin the suburb of St. Germain. There are furnished hotels to be met withon a large scale in that quarter, it having been mostly inhabited byforeign princes and ambassadors; and it was also much frequented byEnglish families, as they considered it the most healthy and quiet partof Paris. 

The Quarter du Marais was principally occupied by lawyers, financiers, annuitants; and, in short, all the Jews of the nation lodged there. 

The Quarter of the Palais Royal is chiefly inhabited by sharpers, cheats, loungers, and idle people of all descriptions. Who could thinkthat a space of ground not exceeding 150 acres, contains moreheterogeneous materials blended together than are to be found in the9910 acres (the French acre is one and a quarter, English measure) onwhich the city of Paris stands? It is the great mart of pleasure, ofcuriosity, and of corruption; and if the police wish to apprehend anoffender, it is in the Palais Royal that they are sure to find him. Before the period of the revolution there were here but two publicgaming houses; but at present the number is really astonishing. Thepolice under Buonaparte did not discourage their increase; they arguedthat these houses were the _rendezvous_ of all sharpers, villains, andconspirators; and that they often saved an ineffectual search for themin other quarters. A government like that of Buonaparte did notreflect, that these houses, which thus abounded with desperatecharacters, did not fail to perpetuate their number by the corruptionwhich they caused in the principles of the rising generation; and manyof the best informed Frenchmen are well aware that it will be the workof time, to recover their country from the _demoralized_ state in whichit was left after the government of Buonaparte. 

On the subject of gaming a French writer has justly observed: "Quand ilserait vrai que la passion du jeu ne finit pas toujours par le crime, toujours est il constant qu'elle finit par l'infortune et ledeshonneur. " "Granting it to be true, that the love of gaming does notalways terminate in crime, yet still it invariably ends in misfortuneand dishonour. " But is it not rather improbable that those who have sofar transgressed as to apprehend the vigilance of the police, shouldventure into the very places where they must be aware of immediatedetection?

Perhaps the same argument holds in Paris as in London, against totallysuppressing the haunts of these depredators on society, _That if therewere no thieves there would be no thief-takers_; and the police arecontent to keep within moderate bounds, a set of men who oftencontribute to their emolument, and whom they fear to exterminate. Itmust, however, be allowed, that in all large towns, however great may bethe vigilance of the police, there still must be abundance of thefollowers of _Macheath_. Perhaps Paris most abounds in sharpers whocheat with _finesse_, and London in the number of pick-pockets androbbers. The _nightly police_ of Paris is admirably conducted; andduring my stay there I never experienced the smallest molestation in thestreets. 

The Palais Royal consists of six squares, the chief of which is largeand handsomely built on piazzas. There are rows of trees in the centre, but they by no means contribute to its beauty. 

The shops under these arcades are many of them the most shewy in Paris;and, as the owners pay a heavy rent for them, they take care to enhancethe price of their goods, so as not to carry on a losing concern. Thenumber of coffee-houses and restaurateurs for dining, in this square arevery numerous, and most of them are by no means moderate in theirprices, at least when we compare them with others in a different part ofParis, or even near the Palais Royal; but it is not under these piazzasthat economy is to be practised. The _Café de Foi_ is one of the mostcelebrated for newspapers and politicians; but one is considered ashaving seen nothing of the _manners of the place_, if the _Café desAveugles_ is not visited. This is situated under the ItalianCoffee-house, and has its name from the large orchestra which performshere continually, being composed wholly of blind persons. I visited thisplace with a friend for a few moments after its opening, which is nevertill five o'clock in the afternoon, as its frequenters tolerate only thelight of candles. 

The subterranean situation of this apartment renders it difficult ofventilation; and the noise of the musicians and their audiencecontending for the supremacy, added to the extraordinary heat of theplace and the density of the air, occasioned us to make a speedy retreatto what, after leaving such a place, might be considered as a pureatmosphere. 

Often as the Palais Royal has been described, and forcibly as the sceneswhich it exhibits have been depicted, yet I confess I do not think thedescriptions I have read of it by any means overcharged; and it may besafely affirmed that there is no place in the world where the scenevaries so often in the twenty-four hours as it does here. I wasattracted by a notice, that the English newspapers were taken in at theCabinet Littéraire of M. Rosa; and, having paid my subscription, wasconducted into a spacious reading room, exclusively for the Englishpapers. The love of news is at all times natural; but at a distance fromhome the mind is doubly anxious for the details of what is going onthere, and attaches an interest to particulars which, under othercircumstances, it would consider as too trivial to be worthy ofattention. During my stay on the Continent, I felt very forcibly thetruth of Dr. Johnson's observation, "_that it is difficult to conceivehow man can exist without a newspaper_. " I was, however, for aconsiderable time, _forced_ to be satisfied with the French papers, theexpence of the English being so great, as to cause them to be seldomtaken in abroad; and after my departure from Paris, I saw no Englishpaper until my arrival at Frankfort, an interval of above two months. 

If the pedestrian is exposed to many inconveniences and dangers in thestreets of Paris, yet intricate as they often are, he is seldom indanger of going far out of his way, if he attends to the manner in whichthe names of the streets are coloured, those leading to the river beinglettered in black, and those parallel to, or not leading directly to it, in red. The quays form the most prominent feature in Paris, and whenarrived there, he can experience little difficulty in finding the roadhe desires. The mode of numbering the houses in Paris differs from thatused with us, all the odd numbers being on one aide the street, and theeven numbers on the other. 

After having seen the Palais Royal, my attention was next attracted bythe Palace of the Tuilleries (so called from the circumstance of tileshaving been formerly made on the spot where it stands). This is a vastand magnificent building, extending in front next the gardens 168 toises(about 1050 feet English measure). The gardens were laid out by _LeNôitre_, and exhibit a specimen of the taste of that time, abounding instatues, avenues, and water-works; but it must at the same time beadmitted, that the general effect produced is not devoid ofmagnificence, which is heightened by the communication between thesegardens and the Champs Elysées, which forms a vista of great length, andwhen illuminated, the _coup d'oeil_ must be really superb. On the side ofthe gardens next the river, is a terrace considerably elevated, whichcommands a view well deserving the praise which has been bestowed onit. This was the usual promenade of Buonaparte, who caused asubterranean communication to be formed between it and the Palace, toavoid passing through those parts of the garden which were open to thepublic, who, during his promenade, were excluded from the terrace. TheParisians did not like this exclusion, and used to say, on seeing hisMajesty, "_See, the lion is come out of his den_. " This terrace was alsothe constant walk of the ex-Empress and her son. I was told, thatshortly after Buonaparte's installation as Emperor, the people, to marktheir disapprobation of the dignity which he had assumed, entirelydeserted the gardens of this palace, which had always been theirfavourite walk in the evenings; and that, being hurt at this, theEmperor ordered one of his military bands to play here every evening. The scheme succeeded; the attraction being too great for the Parisiansto resist, and the gardens were more frequented than ever. 

The other front of the Tuilleries looks towards the Place du Carousel, from which it is separated by a lofty iron balustrade, the top of whichis gilt. Opposite the centre entrance of the Palace stands a magnificenttriumphal arch, erected by Buonaparte, on the top of which he has placedthe four celebrated _bronze horses_, which were removed to Paris on theseizure of Venice by his army, as they had been formerly transported byconquest from Corinth to Constantinople, and thence to Venice, wherethey adorned for several centuries the Place of St. Mark. These horsesare conducted by two figures of Victory, and Peace, executed by M. Sencot, which many admire extremely. 

Buonaparte has been no bad _locumtenens_ of this palace for theBourbons, as it bears abundant testimony to the taste with which hecaused it to be decorated. He had the entire of the Louvre _scratched_, so as to give it quite a new appearance, and his crown and initials areeverywhere to be seen. On the grand _façade_ was an inscription, signifying, "_that_ _Napoleon the Great had completed what Henry theFourth had begun_;" but this inscription has disappeared, since thereturn of the descendants of Henry IV. To the palace which that greatking had built, and which an usurper endeavoured to persuade posterityhe had a share in constructing. It is worthy of remark, that this chefd'oeuvre of architecture, as if has always been considered, was not thework of a professed architect, but of M. Perrault, a physician. The wordLouvre is, by some, derived from the Saxon _Louvar_, signifying acastle. 

Buonaparte's plans for the further improvement of this palace were onthe most extensive scale imaginable, as he intended to remove all thebuildings situated between the Louvre and the Tuilleries; and some ideaof the extent of the proposed area may be formed, when it is consideredthat, in its present state, the place _du Carousel_ is sufficientlycapacious to admit of 15, 000 men being drawn up there in battle array. Whilst I remained at Paris, a considerable number of workmen wereengaged in carrying on these improvements, but it is probable, from theexhausted state in which the projector of these undertakings has leftthe finances of France, that it will be many years before it will bepossible to complete them. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. III. 

If the stranger at Paris is struck by the magnificent appearance whichthe exterior of the Louvre presents, he cannot fail of being delightedwith an inspection of the contents of its invaluable Museum. This, likenearly all the museums and libraries in Paris, is open to _everyindividual_, except on the days appropriated for study, when only_artists_ are admitted; but even then, a stranger, whose stay islimited, may be admitted on producing his _passport_, a regulation whichis highly commendable for its liberality; and at none of theserepositories are the attendants permitted to lay any contributions onthe visitants. The gallery of the Louvre was built by Henry IV. To jointhat palace with the Tuilleries, from which it was formerly separated, by the walls which surrounded Paris. This vast gallery is _two hundredtoises_ in length (not a great deal short of a quarter of an Englishmile); the collection of works of art here in without any parallel, asin this place are assembled most of the finest paintings and statues inthe world, which the most indifferent must survey with admiration. Butat the same time, it is impossible not to feel a portion of regret atthe causes which have robbed Italy of those monuments, which itsinhabitants so well knew how to appreciate, and for many of which theyentertained a religious veneration, as the ornaments of their churches. 

The French, as far as I am able to judge, do not (in general) possessany such feeling of sensibility, and merely value these _chefs d'oeuvre_because their merit is allowed to be _incontestable_, and because theirvanity is flattered, in seeing them thus collected by their victories asan additional attraction for strangers to visit their capital. 

But Italy, although thus despoiled of so many of her ornaments, willstill have many and great attractions for the man of taste; herbuildings exhibit the finest specimens of art that are any whereremaining; and those possessed of a classic genius will always beholdwith delight the scenes celebrated by a Horace or a Virgil. Thepaintings in this gallery exceed 1200 in number; they are divided intothree classes, the first contains the French school, the second theGerman, and the third the Italian. Catalogues and descriptions of thepaintings may be had at the doors. I often visited this gallery, andalways with increased admiration. I shall not attempt to enter into anydetails as to the respective excellence of the different paintings. Volumes have been written on the subject, and my testimony could addnothing to excellence which is acknowledged by all--by those who havenot seen, on the reports of those who have visited this splendidassemblage, who, having seen, have not failed to admire, and to givecurrency to their admiration. The following lines on Raphael, will bereadily admitted as just by those who have seen some of his sublimepictures:

 Hic ille est Raphael, timuit quo sospite vinci, Rerum magna parens, et moriente mori. 

 Here Raphael lies, who could with nature vie, To him she feared to yield, with him to die. 

Although I thought my admiration had been so largely called forth by thepictures I had just visited, as to have been almost exhausted, yet thedistinguished excellence of the statues did not fail to rekindle it; andindeed it is impossible it should have been otherwise, when surroundedby such admirable specimens of art. --The number bears its due proportionto that of the pictures, and the same reasons which induced me to saylittle of them, will prevent my dilating on the excellence of thestatues--

 Et la meilleure chose, on la gâte souvent. Pour la vouloir outrer, et pousser trop avant. 

I must, however, observe, that here are assembled the three fineststatues in the world, the _Laocoon_, the _Venus_ de Clomene, from thecollection of the Medici family, and the _Apollo_ Belvidere, which wasfound amongst the ruins of Antrum, about the end of the 15th century;and eveu in imagining the most perfect nature, it is difficult to forman idea of such perfection as is here exhibited; but much as I admiredthe Apollo, I was yet more delighted by contemplating the excellencedisplayed in the graceful figure of the Venus. 

The gallery of paintings at the palace of the Luxemburg (which is nowcalled the palace of the Peers of France, as they sit at present in thehall, formerly occupied by Buonaparte's Conservative Senate) althoughvastly inferior to that at the Louvre, both as to the number, and valueof the collection it contains; yet it is well worthy the attention ofthe stranger, and the circumstance of its not being too crowded isfavourable to the visitant, whose attention is not so much divided hereas by the attractions of the greater collection, where he is often at aloss which way he shall turn. Here are statues of Bacchus and Ariadne. The gallery of Rubens contains twenty-one pictures by that great master, representing the history of Mary of Medicis; it also contains hisJudgment of Paris. The gallery of Vernet contains a series of views ofthe principal sea-ports of France, by that painter, and also Poussin'spicture of the Adoration of the Magi. Here are also two celebratedpictures by that great modern painter, David--Brutus after havingcondemned his Son, and the Oath of the Horatii, which appeared to meworthy of the favourable report I had before heard of them. 

This palace has a spacious and handsome garden; the front of Queen'sCollege, Oxford, is an imitation on a reduced scale of its façade to thestreet. 

After the paintings, I next inquired after the Libraries which Pariscontains; these are very numerous, but as I had so much to see, Icontented myself with visiting the two principal ones, first, the royallibrary, Rue Richelieu. This contains the library of Petrarch, whichalone would render it an object of curiosity. Here are also the globesof the Jesuit _Coronelli_, which are upwards of thirty-four feet incircumference. The Cabinet of Antiquities contains the collection ofCount Caylus. The number of printed volumes is stated to amount to350, 000. The manuscripts are not less than 72, 000. Here is also a vastand very valuable collection of medals, and about 5000 engravings. Allpersons are permitted to read here from ten until two o'clock. 

The second Library which I visited was one which formerly belonged tothat celebrated Minister, Cardinal Mazarin, and is now in the Palais desBeaux Arts, on the opposite side of the river from the Louvre. Thiscollection consists of 60, 000 volumes, amongst which are many works ofgreat value. 

If the traveller sees much to interest him, and much to admire duringthe course of his tour, it is natural that he should occasionally meetwith disappointment; and I must confess that in the Metropolitan Churchof Notre Dame, I saw little worthy of that praise which is lavished onit by the French; it is only venerable from its antiquity, being one ofthe most ancient Christian churches in Europe. --In point ofarchitecture, and the general appearance of the exterior, it yields toany of the cathedrals, and to very many of the parish churches inEngland. The interior is mean in the extreme (the High Altar onlyexcepted;) the body of the church being entirely filled up with thecommonest rush bottomed chairs, and not kept in any tolerable order. Butthe most splendid church in Paris is unquestionably that of St. Sulpice, which is also one of the most striking buildings in the metropolis, notwithstanding the dissimilitude of the two towers of its grand Westernfront. 

The Pantheon is not very different as to its general appearance from thelast mentioned church. This edifice has cost already vast sums, but isnot considered as completed. I saw during my stay at Paris most of thechurches which it contains, and was in general disappointed with theirappearance. The church of St. Roque is the handsomest after that of St. Sulpice. There is a Protestant church in the Rue St. Honoré, calledL'Oratoire. Bossuet said of this congregation, "It is a body where allobey, and where no one commands. "--Adjoining to this church is a verysmall chapel, where since the peace the service has been performedaccording to the form of the church of England. I attended here theSunday after my arrival in Paris, and found the congregation consistedof about 40 persons, and at first sight one could not have supposed theywere all British subjects, so completely had the ladies adopted the_great hat_, and the other peculiarities of the French _ton_. 

Still one sees in the streets and public places several who do notdesire to be thought French subjects, and who persist in wearing themuch-abused habits of their own country. 

There have been many disputes respecting the number of English actuallyin Paris; I have no doubt it has been extremely exaggerated. I saw, atmy bankers, Messrs. Perregeaux & Co. A list of all those who had creditwith them, which was less considerable by half at least than report hadstated. 

In the Place Vendôme stands a truly magnificent column (copied from thatof Trajan at Rome) to commemorate the victories of Buonaparte, and hisarmy in Germany. The execution of the _bas reliefs_ reflects credit onthe state of sculpture in France, and cannot fail to claim theapprobation of the beholder. 

On the top of the column stood a colossal statue of Buonaparte; this, like the other statues of that modern _Sejanus_, has disappeared sincethe downfall of his empire, and the return of the ancient dynasty hascaused to be placed on its summit the white flag, formerly so muchvenerated by the French. 

I set out at an early hour to go over the celebrated Gobelin manufactoryin the Rue Mouffetard, the proprietor of which is extremely civil tostrangers, and permits them to see his premises from ten till oneo'clock, and they are well worthy of attention. The name of thismanufactory is derived from its founder Gille Gobelin, originally fromRheims, who settled here in 1450. --I was also the same day much pleasedwith surveying the Stereotype press of that famous printer _Didot_, whose editions of various authors are in such esteem amongst judges ofthe art. 

In the Place des Victoires, I observed an enormous statue of GeneralDessaix, on the site formerly occupied by one of Lewis XIV. (I havebeen informed, that about two months after my departure from Paris, thisstatue has been removed to a foundery, where by _fusion_, it may perhapsassume the appearance of a Bourbon. )--The Great Bureau of the Post, where only foreign letters can be _franked_, that is postpaid by thosewho send them (without which they are not forwarded) is in the Rue J. J. Rousseau, whose name was given to this street, from his having for sometime occupied an attic story in it. 

The Botanic Garden (Jardin des Plantes) being open to the public only onTuesdays and Wednesdays, and its situation being at the farthestextremity of Paris from my hotel, I set out as early as possible to viewit with the attention it deserved. It is on a very great scale, andcontains about 7000 plants, arranged according to the scientific methodof M. Jussieu. The Library I did not see, but the Museum and theMenagerie are on the most extensive scale, and accounts have beenpublished of their curiosities. --Being fatigued with _seeing the Lions_, I sat down to rest for a short time on a vacant seat in the garden; butpresently two elderly ladies came to the same place, and lamented in the_most expressive terms_ the loss of a favourite dog; the lady who hadlost it, said it was the _only consolation_ she had, that it wasabsolutely _necessary to love something_, and that she felt mostmiserable at her loss. 

This concern for the loss of a dog appeared to me much more natural, than the delight with which some virtuosos, whom I observed in theMuseum, contemplated many of the specimens preserved there. The Frenchhave a great _latitude of expression_, being naturally an extremelylively people; but certainly not so much so as formerly. I recollectsome years ago being much amused by an anecdote, related by the late Dr. Moore, in his "View of the State of Society and Manners in France, Italy, and Germany. " The Doctor was informed by a French gentleman ofhis acquaintance, with that vivacity which distinguishes his nation, that he had just then received a final dismissal from a lady, who hadfor some time appeared to favour his addresses, and that he wasabsolutely in _despair_. Dr. Moore, who, from the vivacity of hisfriend's manners, had no idea that any thing had happened that seriouslydistressed him, answered, that he thought him the merriest person he hadever seen in such a situation. The other immediately replied, "but youEnglish have such an idea of despair!"

The various revolutions of the last twenty-five years have doubtlesscontributed, in no small degree, to diminish much of that gaiety, whichformerly distinguished the French from most other nations, and whichformed one of their chief characteristics. 

Under the late government reserve was positively _necessary_, sonumerous were the emissaries of the police, and so anxious were they toreport the most trifling circumstances to their employer, that theymight convince him how very necessary they were to the furtherance ofhis government. In those unhappy times every man mistrusted hisneighbour, fearing he might be concerned in one of the _eighteen policeestablishments_ supported by the mistrust of the emperor in theaffections of his subjects. The _Conscription Laws_, and the right whichBuonaparte assumed of _disposing in marriage all ladies_ possessed of acertain income, as a measure of rewarding the services of his officers, and which violated the closest connexions and best interests of society;together with his system of _forced loans_, which entirely destroyed therights of _private property_, did not leave his subjects manyincitements to mirth--although it was dangerous to appear dejected. "TheVoyage Descriptif et Philosophique de Paris, par L---- P----, " containsthe following remarks, the truth of which renders them interesting, andI shall therefore translate them, for the information of those who maychance to peruse these pages. The author observes, "An air of inquietudehas succeeded that openness and sociability, which so much distinguishedthe French. Their serious air announces that most people are consideringthe amount of their debts, and are always put to expedients. Oneguesses, that in a company of thirty at least twenty-four are revolvingthe means of acquiring wealth; and notwithstanding twenty are withoutit. " I shall quote in conclusion what the same writer says of theParisian, and which strikes me as a correct statement. "The Parisian isin general tolerably indifferent as to his political situation; he isnever wholly enslaved, never free. He repels cannon by puns, and linkstogether power and despotism by witty epigrams. He quickly forgets themisfortunes of the preceding day; he keeps no diary of grievances, andone might say, he has sufficient confidence in himself not to dread tooabsolute a despotism. It is to be hoped, that the happy restoration ofthe Bourbons will restore to the Parisian his gaiety, and that LouisXVIII. The legitimate father of the French, will cause all formerpolitical convulsions to be forgotten. "

The Parisians are distinguished by their loquacity. Having occasion toemploy a hair-cutter, I was quite stunned by his volubility of tongue. _King Archelaus_ would find it difficult to be suited here; for beingasked how he would have his hair cut, he answered--"silently. "

After many ineffectual attempts, I at last succeeded in satisfying mycuriosity by seeing the assembly of the Legislative Body. The buildingis one of the greatest ornaments of which Paris can boast; it waschiefly the work of Buonaparte, who was satisfied to lodge thesegentlemen in a palace, provided they did not interfere in the governmentof their country. I was not gratified in proportion to the trouble I hadin getting into the hall, by the short and uninteresting debate whichensued. This House was occupied during the greatest part of my stay inParis in discussing the forms proper to be observed when the king meetsthe peers and commons. 

The deputies object, that the king should himself desire the peers to beseated, and that they should only receive that permission through themedium of the chancellor: how the point has been decided, I have notbeen since informed. 

The weather was intensely hot during part of my stay at Paris, thequicksilver being occasionally at 26° Réaumur, equal to 90° ofFahrenheit's scale, and the sky without a cloud, there not being, ingeneral, such a cloud of smoke over Paris as generally obscures theatmosphere of London. Yet, I believe, the best accounts allow thatLondon is to the full as healthy a city as Paris, and if cleanliness isconducive to health the point can admit of little doubt. During part ofthis oppressive weather, I used generally to resort, about mid-day, tothe gallery of the Louvre, being anxious to take every opportunity ofcontemplating its superb collection of the works of art. There, notwithstanding the number of visitors, the marble floors andventilators rendered the air much more cool than it was out of doors. Igenerally set out on my rambles through the city at as early an hour ascustom would permit, and in the evening, often joined the pedestrians inthe gardens of the Tuilleries, which were always thronged with companyof all descriptions. There are a vast number of chairs under the trees, and their proprietors demand one or two sous for the right of sitting inthem. I have been assured that this inconsiderable charge procures atotal by no means contemptible. 

I sometimes extended my walk into the Champs Elysées, which extend along way beyond the Place de Louis XV. Its avenues are lighted like thestreets of Paris, by lanthorns, suspended across them by ropes andpulleys, which give a stronger light than our lamps, but do not seemequally secure. At the end of the centre avenue, which runs in astraight line from the grand entrance to the Tuilleries, Buonaparte hadlately begun a triumphal arch to commemorate the victories of hisarmies; and still further, exactly opposite the bridge of Jena, hecaused a vast number of houses to be destroyed, to make way for aprojected palace for the King of Rome. The foundations only of thisedifice had been laid before the overthrow of Buonaparte, and this largeplot of ground now presents a scene of waste and desolation. 

The present government, which will not prosecute so expensive anduseless an undertaking, will still have to make compensation to theowners of the buildings of which only the ruins remain. 

The quarter of St. Antoine is celebrated in the annals of theRevolution; and, indeed, there are but few parts of Paris, which do notrecall to one's mind some of those scenes so disgraceful to humanity ofwhich it was the great theatre. The Place Royale in this district isonly remarkable, for having been built by Henry IV. : it forms a squarewith a small garden in the centre, but has long ceased to be afashionable residence. In Paris there are no squares similar in plan tothose in London, but occasionally one sees places formed by the junctionof streets, &c. The town-house is a large, and as I think, a tastelessGothic edifice; and in the Place de Grève stood that guillotine whichdeprived such incredible multitudes of their lives. At one period ofthe Revolution every successful faction in turn, endeavoured, as itshould seem, to exterminate its enemies, when it succeeded in possessingitself of the supreme power, which then chiefly consisted in the commandof this formidable instrument; and these successive tyrants, like_Sylla_, were often in doubt _whom they should permit still to remainalive_. 

I do not know that the invention of the _guillotine_, is to be ascribedto the ingenuity of the French, but they will for ever remain obnoxiousto the charge of the most dreadful abuse of it. I have heard it statedthat, so late as the reigns of Elizabeth, and James the First, aninstrument similar to the guillotine, was used for the execution ofoffenders in the vicinity of Hardwicke Forest, in Yorkshire. 

The _Boulevards_ are now merely very spacious streets, with avenues oftrees at the sides, but formerly they were the boundaries of the city. They form a fashionable promenade for the Parisians, and abound withhorsemen and carriages more than any other quarter of the town. Alongthe Boulevard Poissonnier are some of the handsomest houses in Paris. Idined with a family in one of them which commands a very cheerful scene. There are here, as in the Palais Royal, a vast number of coffee-houses, billiard-tables, and restaurateurs. The price of a dinner differs littlefrom what is usually paid in London, but bread is about half the price, and there is a great saving in the charge for wine, with this additionaladvantage, that it is generally of much better quality than can be metwith in London for double the price; as the heavy duties on importingFrench wines necessarily induces their adulteration. A stranger to_French manners_, is surprised at seeing ladies of respectabilityfrequenting coffee-houses and taverns, which they do as matter ofcourse;--so powerful are the habits in which we have been educated. 

After the Boulevards, the Rue Royale and the Rue de Rivoli are thehandsomest in Paris. The last named is far from being completed, andruns in a line, facing the gardens of the Tuilleries; in these twostreets there is a division to protect foot passengers, but they are notflagged. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. IV. 

The Royal Hotel of the Invalids, is one of the principal establishmentsin Paris, which claims the attention of the stranger, and I accordinglywent to view it with a party of friends. The principal court has justresumed the title of _Royal_, but we could easily distinguish that ithad been a few months since dignified by that of _Imperial_. Indeed, allover Paris, this change is very perceptible. The last letters are oftenin the old gilding, and the first part of the style only altered, as theFrench do not, in general, like to do _more than is necessary_, and butseldom _condemn_ a house, but continue to patch it up in some manner, soas to make it last a little longer, which accounts for the appearance ofantiquity which generally distinguishes their towns. 

But to return to the Invalids. The establishment is said to becalculated to accommodate 5000 men; but we found upon inquiry, that thenumber then actually maintained did not exceed 3600. As it was theirdinner hour, we went into their refectory; each man has a pint of the_vin ordinaire_, (the general price of which is from ten to twenty sousthe bottle;) but I doubt whether it would be received as a substitutefor malt liquor either at Chelsea or Kilmainham. The church of thisestablishment, is one of the most splendid in the capital. Theex-Emperor caused monuments to be erected here to Vauban and Turenne. The latter, by a special mark of the favour of Lewis XIV. Had beeninterred in the royal vault at St. Denis; but his remains now rest here;and the monument is worthy of so distinguished a general. That toVauban, on the opposite side, is by no means equally elegant. 

The elevation of the dome of this church, exceeds that of any otherbuilding in Paris; and the French boast, that it rises to a greaterheight than St. Paul's Cathedral in London; but this I do not think isthe case, although the point is of little moment. M. Dutens gives usthe following scale of the comparative elevation of some of the highestbuildings in the world. 

 Toisei. 

 The highest Pyramid 77½

 Strasburg Cathedral to the top of the vane 71¾

 St. Peter's at Rome, to the summit of the cross 68

 Church of the Invalids at Paris to the vane 54

 St. Paul's Cathedral, London, to the top of the Cross 53

The interior of the dome of the Invalids is handsomely painted; but theexterior exhibits what I must consider as a very misplaced species ofdecoration for a place of this nature, being _completely gilt_, pursuantto an order of Buonaparte, dated, as I have been informed by goodauthority, from _Moscow_. This decoration has, as can well be supposed, cost vast sums, but it probably obtained for the ex-Emperor that_eclat_, by which he constantly sought to please the vanity of theParisians. Many of his decrees for the embellishment of their city, being dated from Vienna, Berlin, and Madrid, he sought to astonish themultitude, by attempting to accomplish in a few years, what it would _ingeneral_ require an _age_ to effect. Perhaps, calculating on theinstability of his power, he hastened the construction of whatever mightrender it famous. A French writer observes, "Il vouloit courir à chevalà la postérité. "

Near the Invalids there is a _Military School_ for 500 children; andnear the _Champ de Mars_ are two large barracks. Indeed, Paris aboundswith them, as the military power has long been predominant in France. The _Champ de Mars_ is only celebrated in the history of the Revolution;its present appearance is by no means interesting. In this vicinity isthe _Place de Grenelle_, famous for being the spot where militaryexecutions used to take place. One of the last victims who perishedhere, was the unfortunate _General Mallet_, who whilst the oppressor ofhis country was still contemplating the devastation which he hadoccasioned in Russia, sought to deliver France from so galling a yoke;and he is said to have been possessed of many of the qualitiesnecessary for so honourable and arduous an undertaking; but the reign ofBuonaparte was still to continue for eighteen months longer; and he whohad the resolution to attempt, had not the satisfaction of seeing, itssubversion. In his way to the place of execution, being assailed by ahired mob with cries of 'Vive l'Empereur, ' "_yes, yes_!" said theGeneral, "_cry "long live the Emperor" if you please, but you will onlybe happy when he is no more_. " He would not suffer his eyes to becovered; and displayed in his last moments a fortitude, that will causehis memory to be long revered by the enemies of despotic power. 

The _Museum of French Monuments_ is one of the numerous institutionsproduced by the Revolution. This place contains a collection of those_tombs_ which escaped the fury of a _Revolution_ that at once proscribedboth _royalty_ and _religion_. They were deposited here as models ofart, which did honour to the republic, by proving the genius of itsstatuaries and sculptors, (the works being classed according to thecenturies in which they were made;) and as the busts of the mostcelebrated and declared enemies of Christianity, are every-whereinterspersed, the design seems obviously to have been to inculcate theprinciples which they inculcated; if, indeed, they acted upon anyprinciple, each fearing to acknowledge the superiority of the other. To_doubt_ was their criterion of wisdom (but although Hume said, that evenwhen he doubted, he was in doubt whether he doubted or not, he does notappear to have once doubted that he was wrong in his attacks onreligion, ) and they only united in ridiculing that _belief in a SupremeBeing_, which has been received, as it were instinctively, by allnations, however savage, and which has been the consolation of the bestand wisest of mankind. 

Any believer in religion, or any one who has not by perverted reasoning, brought his mind _really_ to doubt its divine truths, (for men are buttoo apt to admit even the arguments of absurdity, when they tend toabsolve them from duties, which they would avoid, ) cannot butexperience a sentiment of regret at this violation of the ancientconsecrated burial places, (where the contemplation of these emblems ofmortality was calculated to inspire a beneficial awe;) and of sorrow, that as religion is by law restored in France, these monuments, many ofwhich have been taken from the royal burying place of St. Denis, shouldnot be replaced in the churches from which they were taken in thosecalamitous times. 

I here saw the tomb of Cardinal Richelieu, which was originally in thecollege of the Sorbonne. It is the work of the celebrated _Gerardin_, and is a fine piece of sculpture. Many of the other monuments are veryelegant; but it would be tedious to enter into further details. 

In walking through the Rue Colbert, a French gentleman of myacquaintance pointed out to me the house in which _Louvois_ had resided, and declared his opinion, that that minister had proved one of thegreatest causes of the ruin of France; he followed up his assertion by adeclamation of such length, that I shall not attempt to collect hisarguments, but leave my readers to come to their own conclusions on thesubject. 

I had intended visiting those vast _catacombs_ which extend under agreat part of Paris, and which now serve as burial places, but wasinduced to desist from the undertaking by the advice of a person who hadmade the experiment, and had suffered much more from the state of theair in those caverns, than he had been gratified by the curiosity of thescene. I was in the evening induced to visit a scene of a very differentnature, and accompanied a party to the _Gardens of Tivoli_, in the RueLazare. This was, before the Revolution, the property of M. Boutin, formerly treasurer of the marine, who had spared no expense in it'sdecoration. The extent is about fourteen acres, and it much resemblesVauxhall. 

The vast proportion which the military officers bear in all companies, and in all the public places here, cannot fail to be remarked by astranger, and proves the success of the ex-Emperor, in his endeavoursto render the French merely a military people. Under the _old regime_, no military uniforms were permitted to be worn in public places; but atpresent such a regulation would be quite impracticable. At present themilitary take a great lead in society, which has, perhaps, suffered morethan is generally thought by the civil commotions of the state. 

Wishing to be able to form some idea of the military events which led tothe capture of Paris, I went by the gate of St. Martin to the otherplaces which were connected with those memorable operations. It was onthe 30th of March, 1814, that the allied armies, consisting of nearly200, 000 men, attacked the heights of Bellevue, St. Chaumont, andMontmartre; the cannonade continued from six in the morning until halfpast three o'clock in the afternoon, and after a bloody combat in theplains of Villette, where they were opposed by 30, 000 French troops, asuspension of arms was signed a little after five o'clock. The next dayabout noon, the Emperor of Russia and King of Prussia entered Paris bythe barrier of Villette, at the head of 50, 000 men. A French writerremarks, that Montmartre is rendered famous by the gallant-stand madethere by a _small body_ of French troops against the _whole_ of theallied army. The French cannot bring themselves to allow that theirnation has the worst in any contest. They are now, however, sensiblethat they have been defeated, which no doubt conduces greatly to theirpresent ill humour. Vanity is their domineering passion, and thisBuonaparte always contrived to flatter so successfully, by concealingunwelcome truths, and exaggerating success, that he is _still regretted_by a large number of persons, who hate the present government for theopenness of their conduct, as 'after being so long accustomed to the_fabulous histories_ with which they were amused by their late ruler, they have a contempt for that candour which informs them of their_actual_ situation, and which would excite the approbation of a nationpossessed of a less degree of vanity. A great love of novelty is alsovery conspicuous in the French character. I think it was Frederic theGreat, who observed in writing to d'Alembert, 'that to please theFrench, they should have every two years a new king. '

From the heights of Montmartre, a vast and magnificent panorama ispresented to the view. Nearly the whole of Paris is seen from thence, and a great extent of country terminated by distant mountains. Those whowish to have a good general idea of Paris, should not fail to ascendthis eminence. In point of size, Paris does not appear to me to be morethan half the extent of London, when seen from Hampstead or Greenwich. It was from this situation that the Emperor Alexander first surveyedParis, and he probably was struck with the shewy appearance of the_gilded_ dome of the Invalids, but perhaps was uninformed that it wasfrom the _Kremlin_, and whilst surrounded by the flames of Moscow, thatBuonaparte, gave orders for the commencement of this new and_extravagant decoration_ to increase the splendour of Paris. But themagnanimous perseverance of Alexander in the contest, was at lastrewarded, and he saw from Montmartre that proud city, which had so oftenexulted at hearing of the capture of the other capitals of Europe, lyingin his power. Without the capture of Paris in its turn, the triumph ofEurope for the injuries which were inflicted in most parts of it, by theFrench, so long the willing instruments of Buonaparte's tyranny, hadbeen incomplete. 

Alexander's entry into Paris was haired as a liberation from thatdespotism, which its inhabitants, had not themselves the energy to shakeoff, and which they had acquiesced in or abetted for so many successiveyears. 

That Alexander should have triumphed over Buonaparte, was fortunatefor the _liberty_ of _France_, but it was also indispensable to the_peace of Europe_. 

The establishment of M. Delacroix, Rue Croix-des Petits Augustins, toremedy the defect of nature by a gymnastic process, is unique in France. I shall give the prospectus a place here; and feeling my inability to_do it justice_, shall not attempt to translate it. 

 "Dans la Rue des "Vieux Augustin" est l'établissement de _M. Delacroix_ Mécanicien Bandagiste Gymnastique pour redresser les défauts de la nature, particulièrement chez les femmes. On y remarque _Le Mât_ qui est une Colonne en forme de Mât, autour duquel se trouvent des echellons servant à monter pour developer les hanches et la poitrine; _les Colonnes_ ou piliers, exercice servant à mettre le corps droit. Le _Balancier_ sert à redresser la Colonne vertébrale ou épine du dos. Les _Barilles_ pour redresser la tète les épaules et les hanches. Le _Balançoir_ est pour maintenir la tète et les reins droits quand on est assise. Le puits la _balle_ et la _manivelle_ pour donner de la force à une épaule faible. _L'Echelle_ pour redresser les épaules. Le _Cheval_ pour apprendre à y monter, et tenir le corps dans un état naturel. Le _Jube_ pour redresser la tête et donner des grâces; lès _Plombs_ pour apprendre à marcher avec grâce. Le _Fauteuil_ pour lever un coté de la poitrine qui seroit plus bas que l'autre; le soufflet pour donner un exercise régulier à toutes les parties du corps. 

 Ce mécanicien habile fait des mains dont les doigts ont les mouvements naturels; et son éstablissement est l'unique en France. "

To judge, from this description, it should seem as if those to whomnature has not been propitious, or those who have been deprived byaccident of a limb, are culpably negligent if they do not apply at aninstitution which professes to remedy some of the most desperatecalamities incident to human nature. With what probability of success, however, such an application would be attended, it is not possible forme to determine. I copy the prospectus of the Professor without beingable to judge myself of his proficiency. 

I accepted one morning a proposal to accompany a gentleman to theTuilleries to see the King go to mass (which he had been prevented bythe gout from doing, at least in public for some time); we found a greatnumber of spectators had assembled on the occasion in the hall throughwhich his Majesty was to pass, and which was lined with his _corps degarde_. We had a considerable time to wait before he made hisappearance, and had ample leisure to survey the portraits of themarshals of France, with which the apartment is decorated, as well aswith paintings representing many of Buonaparte's victories. His Majestyappeared to be in excellent health, and received with much affabilityseveral papers which were handed to him, and which he gave to agentleman in waiting. He was greeted repeatedly by cries of _Vive leRoi_! and there is no doubt that by far the most respectable portion ofthe French sincerely wish him prosperity. Ï trust they may provesufficiently strong to keep under those, who I fear are at least asnumerous a class, and who have not learned, by the experience of so manyyears of confusion, to value the blessings of tranquillity when theyhave at last obtained it, attended with the advantages of a mildgovernment. 

I believe it is agreed by all that the King has a good heart. His regardfor England, which has done so much for his family, is highly to hishonour; and I hear he testifies it upon all occasions. Lately, at aconsultation of his physicians, one of them having said he feared a longresidence in a damp climate, had contributed to increase the attacks ofthe gout, the King interrupted him by saying, "Ah! Monsieur P----, nedites pas du mal d'Angleterre. " The conduct of his Majesty, since hisrestoration to the crown of his ancestors, proves him not to bedeficient in either ability or resolution; and there perhaps never was aperiod which called for a greater exertion of both than the present. Theother day Paris was thrown into considerable alarm by the arrival ofintelligence from Nevers, that the garrison there had declared forBuonaparte. In consequence every precaution was resorted to on the partof government, and the guards in Paris were doubled; but happily nothingoccurred to disturb the public tranquillity. The number of discontentedspirits which the Revolution has left afloat, and which it would notrequire any very considerable share of artifice to raise against anygovernment, will require for a long time the exertion of the utmostvigilance on the part of the present administration. Louis might havebeen addressed with propriety, on his arrival in France, in theadmonitory words of Galba to Piso:

 "Imperaturus es hominibus, qui nec totam servitutem pati possunt nec totam libertatem. "

On my departure from the Tuilleries my friend conducted me to a famousglass manufactory, where I saw several mirrors of very large dimensions, and also a _staircase of glass_, which had a splendid effect, and wasthe first thing of the kind I had ever seen. The balustrades were ofglass, supported by steel, and had a particularly handsome appearance. The number of theatres in Paris have of late years much increased, andamount at present to eight or ten. The Opera Italien is justlycelebrated as the best in Europe; but I received more entertainment atthe Theatre François, in witnessing the representation of one of theadmirable comedies of Molière. The Theatre de l'Odéon is curious fromits construction, but the minor theatres on the Boulevards, de Gaieté, and des Variétiés, are in general the most frequented; and, except onextraordinary occasions, the Theatre François is by no means fullyattended. A stranger in Paris is surprised at the number of _bureauxd'ecrivains_, or offices for writing, which abound in all parts of thetown, where all materials for writing are provided for a few sous, andwhere persons attend to write letters, in any language, to the dictationof such as are not skilled in the graphic art. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. V. 

I resolved not to take my departure from Paris without visiting some ofthe numerous royal palaces situated in its vicinity. St. Cloud firstclaimed my attention, both from its proximity to Paris, and from itshaving been for a considerable time the favourite residence of theex-ruler of France. Its situation is certainly one of the most strikingnear the capital, and the views from it are both diversified andextensive. The improvements made here by Buonaparte render it a mostagreeable residence, and display an extremely good taste. This palace isat present occupied by the Prince of Condé. The approach to it fromParis is very striking, through avenues of elms, with lamps at regulardistances. 

I also visited Marli, which is chiefly remarkable for the machine whichraises water from the Seine to the height of five hundred feet. St. Cyrwas the retreat of Madame de Maintenon, and Malmaison was the residenceof Buonaparte, when first consul; but it is far inferior to St. Cloud. The palace of St. Germain is in a situation inferior to none I had seen. My expectations had however been particularly raised by the accounts Ihad heard of Versailles, which has at all times been the object of theadmiration of the French; and it is certainly better suited to theirideas of grandeur than to ours. 

This palace is about four leagues distant from Paris. The approach to ithas nothing of that magnificence that I had been led to expect, and theroad is in bad repair. On my arrival, I found it was impossible to gainadmittance into the palace, which was undergoing a thorough repair, rendered indispensable by neglect during the last twenty years. Thenumber of workmen employed is stated to amount to two thousand. It is avast pile of building, and certainly one of the most famous royalresidences in Europe. A Frenchman tells you with exultation of the vastsums which have been expended in its construction, and thinks that asufficient proof of its magnificence. An Englishman, however, will verynaturally be out of patience at the praises bestowed on gardens laid outin that taste which has been so long exploded in England, and cannothelp exclaiming with the poet--

 "Lo! what huge heaps of littleness around!"

In front of the palace is a vast terrace which you mount withconsiderable difficulty by innumerable flights of stairs. To occasion anunexpected treat to the admirers of art, by excluding every thingnatural, the whole of this elevation is abundantly supplied with pondsand water-works. The grand vista in front of the palace is formed into acanal, and no description can give a more just idea of these boastedgardens than the following lines of Pope; the _only_ difference being, that the water-works of Versailles are put in motion the first Sundayof every month, and remain stagnant the rest of the year. 

 "Grove nods at grove, each alley has a brother, And half the platform just reflects the other. The suffering eye inverted nature sees, Trees cut to statues, statues thick as trees; With here a fountain, never to be play'd, And there a summer-house that knows no shade; Here Amphitrite sails thro' myrtle bow'rs, There gladiators fight or die in flow'rs; Unwater'd see the drooping sea-horse mourn, And swallows roost in Nilus' dusty urn. "

What pleased me most at Versailles was the great number of large orangeand lemon trees. 

The forest of Versailles is of great extent, and abounds in wood, butthere is little of what would be considered in England as _good timber_. 

Windsor and Versailles have been often compared, although no two placescan possibly differ more completely than they do. To have again recourseto the words of the poet, Windsor is a place, "Where order in variety we see; And where, tho' all things differ, all agree. "

And, in my judgment, it is as far superior to Versailles as its forestsof oak are to the elms which surround that boasted palace. 

I was permitted to see the royal stables. They are, it is said, sufficiently large to contain 4000 horses, but are at present much outof repair. The city of Versailles is large and well built, but has amelancholy and deserted appearance, having lost nearly half itspopulation since it has ceased to be a royal residence, and the presentnumber of inhabitants does not exceed 30, 000. The Grand and PetitTrianons deserve attention from having been the favourite retreats ofthe late unfortunate Queen of France; but few traces of the taste oncedisplayed in their decoration now remain. They are situated within thelimits of the forest of Versailles, which is said to be twenty leaguesin circuit. At Sèvres, which is celebrated for the beauty of itsporcelain manufactory, I observed workmen employed in finishing a newand handsome bridge of nine arches over the Seine, in place of the oldone which is hardly passable. Near the barrier of Passy is acarpet-manufactory, which was established there by Henry the Fourth. This barrier is thought to be the most striking entrance to Paris. In myexcursions in the vicinity of Paris, I observed that the harvest wasextremely abundant, but the majority of those employed in collecting itwere women. I was informed that last year the greatest difficulty wasexperienced in saving the harvest for want of a sufficient number ofhands. I saw, at a distance, the castle of Vincennes, where Buonaparte(who had caused the removal of every vestige of the Bastile) haddungeons constructed many feet under ground, and with walls ten feetthick. This place is distinguished for the atrocious murder of the Duked'Enghien. I had occasion to observe, both in the streets of Paris andon the roads in its vicinity, that there were but few _private_carriages to be seen, and those by no means handsome; but the roads arecovered with _cabriolets_, of which there are 2, 800 in Paris, besidesabout 2, 000 fiacres, or hackney-coaches. The fare for an hour is onlythirty sous. 

As I had by this time pretty well satisfied my curiosity, in visitingthe objects in Paris that principally arrest the attention of atraveller who has not leisure to dwell longer than is indispensable inone place, I began to be impatient to exchange the continual bustle ofthat city--its

 "Fumum opes strepitumque, "

for those romantic and enlivening scenes in which Switzerland standswithout a rival, and is, as it were, by _acclamation_, allowed tosurpass the other countries of Europe. 

I therefore attended at the office for foreign affairs, and obtained thesignature of the Prince of Benevento (for about ten francs) in additionto the signature of our own distinguished minister, Lord Castlereagh. Iwas told it was necessary also to have my passport visited by the policebefore leaving Paris; and my landlord offered his services to arrangethat affair for me. I however recollected Dr. Franklin's maxim, "If youwould have your business clone, go; if not, send, " and went accordinglyto the office myself. 

These affairs being arranged, so as to permit my passing withoutmolestation through the interior of France, I quitted Paris without anysensations of regret at leaving a place which, highly as I had beenpleased with many of the great objects which it contains, I cannot butconsider, when curiosity is once gratified, to be an unpleasantresidence. I took the road to Fontainbleau, distant about thirty-sevenEnglish miles; a place formerly only remarkable for its castle, situatedin a forest of about 30, 000 acres, and often visited by the Kings ofFrance, for the amusements of the chace; but which will hold in historya distinguished page, and be visited in future ages as being the scenewhere it pleased Providence to terminate a tyranny unexampled in thehistory of the world. It is worthy of remark, that in this very castle, in which the venerable Head of the Romish Church was so long and sounjustly detained a captive, his once formidable oppressor was obligedto abdicate that authority which he had so long usurped and abused; andthe _11th of April 1814_, will be long hailed over Europe as the epochwhen liberty, peace and good order were restored to its inhabitants, after the long and stormy reign of oppression, war and anarchy had solong precluded the expected time of which it was impossible entirely todespair--when Europe, so long a prey to dissension, should again beunited as one common family. These hopes have at last been realized; theevils of the French Revolution (more productive of misfortune than thefabled box of Pandora) have in a manner been surmounted; and we haveonly further to wish, that the nations who have restored tranquillity toEurope, may continue to act with the moderation for which they havehitherto been distinguished [guess: distinguished]. 

It was natural, in beholding a place rendered memorable by such greatevents, --events which are probably destined to fix the fortunes ofsucceeding centuries, that the mind should dwell with more than commonattention on the scene, and give itself up to the reflections it wascalculated to produce. My thoughts were principally engaged inconsidering the very opposite characters of Pius VII. And of Buonaparte. 

In the first we see united all that can give dignity to an exaltedstation, or that is praiseworthy in private life. We see him disposed asmuch as possible to conciliation, and even persuaded by his cardinals tocross the Alps in the most inclement season notwithstanding his advancedage, to crown the _Usurper of France_, in the expectation of advancingthe interests of religion, by consenting to submit to a power which thenappeared but too firmly established. The hopes of the pope were notrealized; Buonaparte soon forgetting past services, made demands whichhe well knew could not be complied with, and amongst them that hisholiness should declare war against England, and that too without theslightest motive for such a proceeding on his part, as he stated in hismanifesto against the outrages of Buonaparte, a paper which must affectall who peruse it, and excite their regret that the pope was not in asituation effectually to preserve that independence which did suchhonour to his heart. 

The new-made emperor was not, however, to be reasoned with but by_force_; and in about four years after the pope had placed the diadem onhis head, he caused him to be removed from his capital as a prisoner, and united the Ecclesiastical States to the dominions of France. Thespirit of the pope was still unsubdued, and he refused, for himself andhis cardinals, all offers of subsistence from the usurper of theirpossessions. When urged to come to some agreement with Buonaparte, heanswered that his regret at having accepted the late _Concordat_, wouldbe a sufficient security against his being again deceived. And when thecardinals represented the evils which might result from his refusal, heanswered, "Let me die worthy of the misfortunes I have suffered. " On the23d of January, 1814, the pope was removed from Fontainbleau, as wereeach of the seventeen cardinals, in custody of a _gend'arme_, and theirdestination was kept secret. But on the 5th of April following, theprovisional government of France gave orders, that all obstacles to thereturn of the pope to his states might be removed; and, after five yearsof confinement and outrage, Pius VII. Returned to his capital, toreceive the reward of that _firmness_ and _moderation_, which, blendedso happily in his character, will long render it an object ofadmiration. 

I next considered the character of the tyrant, who so long and sosuccessfully triumphed over prostrate Europe, England alone preservingunimpaired that liberty, which she was destined to be the means ofdiffusing to rival nations. It would be absurd to deny Buonaparte thepraise due to the matchless activity, and consummate skill, with whichhe conducted the enterprizes suggested by his boundless ambition; andwhich made him the most formidable enemy with whom England ever had tocontend; but his cruelty, his suspicion, and his pride, (which made himequally disregard those laws of honour, and those precepts of morality, respected by the general feelings of mankind), as they excited theindignation of thinking men, prevented any pity at his fall. Such a manwas destined only to excite astonishment, not admiration; and thatastonishment could not fail of being greatly diminished, by his want ofextraordinary resources, when placed in a situation, upon thepossibility of which he had disdained to calculate. 

His continued aggressions raised Europe against him from without, and hewas overthrown, because he had completely disgusted the fickle people, whom he had made the instruments of his ambition. 

It would surely require the pen of _a Tacitus_ to delineate withaccuracy the character of such a man, who, to use the words of thelamented Moreau, "had covered the French name with such shame anddisgrace, that it would be almost a disgrace to bear it; and who hadbrought upon that unhappy country the curses and hatred of theuniverse. "

His ambitious wars are supposed to have occasioned the destruction ofnearly _four millions of men_, whom he considered merely as instrumentsto accomplish his extravagant views; and he is reported to have saidrepeatedly, that "it signified little whether or not he reigned over theFrench, provided he reigned over France. "

He delighted in carnage, and speaks in one of his bulletins of "800pieces of cannon dispersing death on all sides, " as presenting "a mostadmirable spectacle. "

On Buonaparte's arrival from Egypt, he found things as favourable forhis projected usurpation as his most sanguine hopes could have imagined. In the eighteen months which had preceded his arrival, there had arisenno fewer than four constitutions, and the French might well exclaim, "They have made us so many constitutions, that we have now noneremaining!" Wearied out with the succession of sanguinary factions, eachendeavouring to establish itself by proscriptions, banishments, andconfiscations, France submitted without opposition to the government ofa ruler, who seemed sufficiently strong to keep all minor tyrants insubjection; and, despairing of freedom, sought only an interval ofrepose. This hope was, however, not destined to be realized, forBuonaparte soon pursued all those who presumed to oppose his schemes inthe slightest degree with astonishing eagerness, and those who submittedwith the most alacrity, were treated only with contempt. 

He was hardly seated on his throne, before he spoke of making France acamp, and all the French soldiers. A long series of success made himdespise those precautions so necessary to insure it, and rendered hiscatastrophe the more striking. 

The character given by Seneca of the Corsicans, has been quoted asapplicable to the most famous character that island has ever produced:he says, "the leading characteristics of these islanders are revenge, theft, lying, and impiety. " Over the downfall of such a man, thecivilized world must rejoice; but the contemplation of his characteraffords a salutary lesson to ambition, which, carried to excess, ruinsthat greatness it would so madly increase. 

The last years of his reign were distinguished by the number of plotswhich were pretended to be discovered, and proved the truth of a remarkof Mary de Medicis, "That a false report believed during three days, tended to secure the crown on the head of an usurper. "

But neither his guards, nor his police, could insure him a moment ofrepose. 

 "Volvilur Ixion, et se sequiturque fugitque. "

Modern history has fully demonstrated a truth, which might have beencollected from more ancient records, and of which England affords anillustrious example, that the attachment of a free and enlightenedpeople is the only basis on which thrones can rest with security. 

Having now sufficiently satisfied my curiosity at Fontainbleau, Idetermined on continuing my journey (which I fear my reader may regret Idid not do sooner), and I accordingly arrived at noon at Montereau, which is an inconsiderable town, but beautifully situated in a fertileplain, at the junction of the rivers Seine and Yonne. The bridges overthose rivers had been partly broken down, to impede the progress of theallied troops in the late memorable campaign. They have been repairedwith timber in a temporary manner, but cannot be considered as at allsufficiently secure for the passage of heavy carriages. Many of thehouses in this town still exhibit abundant marks of bullets, but thecountry around appears in such a luxuriant state of cultivation, thathad I not myself seen the spot where a battle had been fought in thelast spring, I could hardly hare persuaded myself it had so lately beenthe theatre of war. 

I next reached Sens, a large and ancient city, but thinly inhabited, andwith little marks of activity, although situated in a country aboundingwith all the conveniences of life, and possessing a situation on therivers Vanne and Yonne, which seems to shame its inhabitants for theirneglect of the commercial advantages they afford. 

The Cathedral is a venerable structure, and contains the tomb of theDauphin, father of the present King, who died in 1765. --About sixteenEnglish miles distant is Joigny, beautifully situated on the Yonne, andsurrounded on all skies by vineyards; we now were approaching one of theparts of France most famous for its wines. 

The road, which is in excellent repair, follows the windings of theriver to Auxerre, which, although much less than Sens, has a more livelyappearance, and the inhabitants seem to make more use of the facilitieswhich the river affords of communicating with Paris and the rest of thecountry. The churches here are handsome, the tower of one of them issaid to have been built by the _English_. 

The Vineyards in this neighbourhood are numerous, and the wine is muchesteemed. 

I waited here for the arrival of the Paris Diligence, in which Iproposed to proceed to Dijon, wishing not to leave France without havingmade trial of one of their public carriages. 

The appearance of that which I saw at Calais was much against it; theone I met with here proved a very tedious conveyance, not going ingeneral above three or four English miles an hour; which, however is asmuch as could be expected from a carriage which is scarcely less ladenthan many of our waggons. It was drawn by five horses, all managed by_one_ postilion, mounted on one of the wheel horses, and furnished witha vast and _unwieldy_ pair of _boots_, cased with iron, and a long whip, which he is perpetually employed in cracking. Another importantpersonage is Monsieur le _Conducteur_, who has the care of the luggage, &c. The French in general adhere to old customs, as well as thepostilions to their antiquated boots; their hour of dinner in generalbeing from eleven to twelve o'clock, and seldom so late as one. This inEngland would be considered only as a _Déjeûner à la Fourchette_. Thehour of supper is from seven to nine, according as the length of thestages may determine. 

If the _hour_ of a French dinner is singular to an Englishman, theorder in which it is served up is not less so. The soup (that greatessential to a Frenchman) is always followed by bouilli, which havingcontributed to make the soup, is itself very tasteless. --Fricassées andpoultry succeed; then follow fish and vegetables, and last of all comesthe rôti, which, as I before had occasion to observe, is so much done asnot to be very palatable. The pastry and desert conclude their dinners, which certainly deserve the praise of being both cheap and abundant. Thefruit is astonishingly cheap; I. Have seen excellent peaches sell for asous apiece. A traveller is not, however, in general disposed tocriticise these singularities, either in the hour or order of the repastwith too much severity, as the remark attributed to Alexander the Great, has probably been made by many of less celebrity, "that night travellingserves to give a better appetite than all the skill of confectioners. "

The general price of the Table d'Hôte in France, including the _vinordinaire_, is about three francs, which are at the present rate ofexchange equal to about a shilling each. --Those who call for betterwine pay of course extra. 

The vin ordinaire, or common wine of Burgundy, is a pleasant beverage, little stronger than cider, but in many parts of France it is by nomeans palatable. The cider and beer in France are, with few exceptions, extremely indifferent, and consequently little used. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. VI. 

My first day's journey in the Diligence was short and uninteresting. Wearrived to sleep at Avalon, a small town partaking, in common with mostothers in France, of a degree of gloom occasioned by the want of thoseshops which enliven most of our country towns. Here a few articles areplaced in a window, to indicate that there is a larger supply to be hadwithin. There are few towns in France which have not a _public place_ orwalk, which is generally planted with trees, and kept in good order. Whilst supper was preparing, we took a few turns on the promenade ofAvalon, and found a considerable number of persons assembled there; butwere much shocked at the number and miserable appearance of the beggars, who thronged around us. They are much too numerous in all parts ofFrance, and particularly here. 

At an early hour next morning, we were summoned to resume our places inthe Diligence; these places are in general numbered, and each persontakes his seat in the order in which he has paid his fare, a regulationwhich prevents any delay, and precludes disputes or ceremony. 

We continued our journey through the small towns of Rouvray and Viteaux;the country is diversified with hills, which are not of sufficientmagnitude to present any great obstacle to the progress of thetraveller. 

There are vast numbers of vineyards, but there are few trees. In this, as in all other wine countries, villages and country houses are morenumerous than in the districts producing only corn, either because thelands which produce vines are more valuable, and consequently aredivided amongst a greater number of owners, or that the culture of thevine requires more people than other species of tillage. 

In one district, where corn was the chief crop, I enquired respectingthe usual mode of farming, and found that the land, which was this yearunder corn, was intended to be sown next year with maize (of whichthere is a vast quantity) and the year following to lie fallow, afterwhich it will be considered as again fit to produce corn. 

I found also, that the direct land-tax through France was not less than20 per cent, exclusive of the other taxes which fall incidentally onlanded property. There are also in many provinces _customs_ whichregulate the descent of land (often in a manner very different from thedisposition which the owner would wish) amongst the relations of thelast owner. These customs and the heavy taxes on land may account forthe seemingly small price which it in general sells for throughoutFrance. 

The approach to Dijon is striking, and the Diligence arrived theresufficiently early to afford us time to survey the city, which is one ofthe best built and most considerable in France. It was formerly thecapital of the province, and the residence of the ancient sovereigns ofBurgundy, whose tombs are still to be seen at the Chartreuse, near thecity. It is now the chief place in the department of the Côte d'or, andcontains a population of about 22, 000 inhabitants. It is situatedbetween the small rivers Ouche and Suzon, in a valley, which is one ofthe most highly cultivated districts in France, and which is worthy ofits name of _Côte d'or_. The churches here are handsome structures, asis also the palace of the Prince of Condé, where the Parliament used toassemble. The square before it is spacious and well-built, and the cornmarket is worthy of remark. The University of Dijon was formerly one ofthe most considerable in Prance, but my stay was not sufficient, toenable me to enquire with accuracy into its present state. Our companynext day was augmented by two French officers, who were going toBesançon, and who intended proceeding in this carriage as far as Dole, where smaller conveyances were to be had for those going to Geneva, &c. As the Great Voiture went on to Lyons. These officers did not longcontinue silent, and politics seemed the subject which occupied thefirst place in their thoughts. They said that Belgium and the Rhinewere _indispensable_ to France, and were particularly violent againstAustria, for the part she had taken in the late contest. 'One of themdid not affect to conceal his attachment to the ex-emperor; but theother, although he agreed with his companion in wishing, for a renewalof the war, did not seem at all pleased with Buouaparte for having saidthe French nation _wanted character_. They had both been at Moscow, andacknowledged that the Emperor had committed a capital error in notretreating in time from what he himself acknowledged to be such afrightful climate. 

If a public carriage has not all the comfort and expedition of a privateone, it certainly has this advantage, that one often meets companionsfrom whom may be derived amusement or information; and I think those whotravel with a view to either of those objects, would do welloccasionally to go in one of those conveyances. In a foreign country, the attention of the traveller is continually attracted by a variety ofobjects of a novel nature, which can be best explained to him by theinhabitants of the country: besides, it is impossible to have anycorrect idea of the manners and customs of foreigners, withoutconstantly associating with them, which, in general, English travellersdo not much desire. Whilst abroad, I would wish to accommodate myself asmuch as possible, to the habits of the country in which I were toreside, but if I found them irksome, I would certainly hasten mydeparture. 

We reached Dole about the French hour of dinner: here our companyseparated, and, accompanied by a friend, I continued my journey toGeneva. The road which we took is only practicable during four or fivemonths in the year, on account of the snow which is drifted from themountains of Jura. Near Auxonne we passed a plain, where a battle hadbeen fought between the French and the Allied forces. Many houses hadbeen destroyed, but the agriculture of the country did not seem to havesuffered by the contest. We passed through the village of Genlis, andwithin sight of the Chateau, the property of the lady of that name, well known by her numerous writings and compilations. 

We arrived late at Poligny, a small town, surrounded by lofty mountains. On leaving the place, one hill occupies three hours in ascending; butthe road is as good as the uneven surface of the country will permit. The people here begin to have quite a different appearance from theFrench: wooden shoes are generally worn; and the projecting roofs of thehouses shew that the climate is more rainy and severe than in thecountries we had passed. In this vicinity are some of the finest forestsI had yet seen in France, and the views from the road are occasionallyinteresting. About two leagues from Poligny is _Arbois_, famous for itswhite wine. We had a bottle by way of experiment, and thought it notundeserving of the reputation it had acquired. A Frenchman observed, "_Le vin nest pas mauvais_, " which phrase may be taken for acommendation, as they seldom carry their praise so far as to say a thingis positively good. The country between Poligny and Moray exhibits acontinued succession of fir-trees, unmixed with any thing to givevariety to the scene. The woods, however, seemed to afford shelter tobut few birds; and in most parts of the continent, even thesinging-birds are not spared, but included in the general proscriptionto gratify the palate of the epicure. 

We arrived to an _English breakfast_ at Moray; they told us its honeywas in great repute throughout France, and we thought it deserved morethan the ordinary commendation of a Frenchman. Every thing here was neatand clean, and both the town and appearance of its inhabitants brought_North Wales_ strongly to my recollection. This being a frontier place, the French custom-house officers put _seals_ on our portmanteaus, forwhich favour we paid two francs for each seal; these were cut off withgreat formality on our arrival at Geneva. After having travelled formany hours amongst a succession of gloomy mountains, which affordnothing that can either interest or enliven, I never recollect feeling agreater sensation of delight and astonishment, than when, from thesummit of one of the mountains of Jura, I first beheld the lake and cityof Geneva, backed by the mountains of Savoy, and by the Alps, which, even at this vast distance, made all the other mountains we had passedappear but trivial. 

It is by contrast that all pleasures are heightened, and even the tourwhich I afterwards made amongst the Alps, did not lessen the force ofthat impression which the sudden appearance of this magnificentspectacle had left upon my mind. The road down the mountain is anastonishing work, and is part of the grand line of road made byBuonaparte, to facilitate the passage of troops into Italy over theGrand Simplon. A fountain near the road has an inscription to Napoleonthe Great; in one part the road winds through an excavation in the rock. One cannot but here exclaim with the poet, What cannot Art and Industry perform, When Science plans the progress of their toil!

At Fernay we visited the Château, so long celebrated as the residenceof Voltaire. It is now the property and residence of M. De Boudet, who, as we were informed, has made great improvements in the place since ithas come into his possession. 

The saloon and bed-chamber of Voltaire are, however, preserved inexactly the same state as when he occupied them. There are a fewportraits of his friends, and under his bust is this inscription:

 "Son esprit est partout et son coeur est ici. "

 "His genius is every where, but his heart is here. "

His _Cenotaph_, as it is called, has a miserably mean appearance, andbears this inscription:

 "Mes mânes sont consolés puisque mon coeur "Est au milieu de vous. "

 "My manes are consoled, since my heart is with you. "

The formal taste in which the garden is laid out, but ill accords withthe stupendous scenery which is seen on all sides. The approach to theChâteau from the road is through a double avenue of trees. Near thehouse stands the parish-church, and also a Heliconian fountain in thedisguise of a pump, of excellent water, which we tasted, but withoutexperiencing any unusual effects. We had not leisure to prolong ourresearches, as it was necessary for us to reach Geneva before theclosing of the gates. If the first and distant appearance of the city ofGeneva, of its beautiful lake, and of the lofty mountains by which it issurrounded, produces the strongest sensations of delight in thebeholder, a nearer approach is not (as is too frequently the case)calculated to do away, or, at least, greatly to diminish the impressionmade by the distant view. 

Having, after a long descent, at length reached the Plain, the travellercannot fail of being delighted with the richly cultivated scene whichsurrounds him, with the neatness of the villages, and with the apparentease of the inhabitants of a country where property seems prettyequally divided, and where he is not shocked (as he is unhappily toogenerally throughout Europe) by the melancholy contrast between thesplendour of the opulent, and the extreme misery of the peasantry. Herethe peasant, as Goldsmith observes, Sees no contiguous palace rear its head, To shame the meanness of his humble shed; Cheerful at morn, he wakes from short repose, Breathes the keen air, and carols as he goes. 

The situation of Geneva is as striking as can be well imagined. It seemsto rise out of the transparent waters of its lake. Some tourists tellus, that, Naples and Constantinople excepted, no city in Europe can becompared to Geneva in point of situation, and those who have ascendedthe towers of its cathedral, will feel disposed to admit, that theprospect of the lake, the junction of the river Rhone with the Arve, thenumber of villas dispersed on all sides, the scene of cultivation whichthe nearer mountains present, almost to their summits, and the imposingeffect produced by the more distant Alps, whose bases rest in Italy, and whose tops, covered with perpetual snow, seem to unite with theclouds, present a spectacle which it would be indeed difficult tosurpass. 

 ----"While admiration, feeding at the eye "And still unsated, dwells upon the scene. "

 Cowper. 

The lake of Geneva (which, according to M. De Luc, is 187 toises, or1203 English feet above the level of the Mediterranean Sea) is one ofthe most considerable in Europe, being about eighteen leagues in length, by about three and a half at its greatest width. Its waters are at thisseason about six feet higher than in winter, and are of a beautiful bluecolour, derived from the nature of the soil beneath. Its depth, nearMeillerie, is 190 fathoms, that of the Baltic, according to Dr. Goldsmith, being only 115 fathoms. This lake abounds with fish ofvarious kinds. I myself saw a _trout of twenty-three pounds_, and therehave occasionally been taken of nearly double that weight. Theseextraordinarily large fish are often presented by the republic to itsallies, and are frequently sent as far as Paris or Berlin. The Rhoneissuing, with vast rapidity, from the lake forms an island which iscovered with houses, and constitutes the lower part of the city, whichrises to the summit of a hill, where stand the cathedral and manyelegant private houses. The city is, in general, tolerably well built;but many of the streets have domes, or arcades of wood, which arefrequently fifty or sixty feet in height, and which have an inelegantappearance, but are useful in the winter, and under some of them arerows of shops, Containing every article of luxury or utility, in equalperfection with those that are to be met with in some of the greatestcities. 

Here is every appearance of the activity produced by the revival ofcommerce, after the long prohibition it suffered during the periodwhilst Geneva remained united to France. 

The chief manufacture of Geneva is that of clocks and watches; in theperiod of the prosperity of Geneva, this trade was calculated to affordemployment to five or six thousand persons, but at present it is muchreduced. There are a considerable number of goldsmiths, and theingenuity of the Genevese, produces very curious musical-watches, snuff-boxes, and seals, many of which are sent to Paris and London, where they find a ready sale; they are sent likewise to Persia and toAmerica, there are considerable manufactures also of calico, muslin, &c. And a good deal of banking business is transacted. Perhaps there isno example of a city so _destitute of territory_, which has obtainedsuch commercial celebrity, and the persevering industry of itsinhabitants, enabled them to place large sums of money in the funds ofother nations, particularly of England. The revenues of the state aremuch exceeded by those of many individuals; but, during the oppressivegovernment of France, the taxes of Geneva were nearly quadrupled. 

The population of Geneva and its territory, having been so differentlystated as to leave the truth involved in ranch uncertainty, M. Naville, a senator, who possessed every facility for making the necessaryenquiries, published a calculation, which assigns to the republic apopulation of 35, 000, of which number 26, 000 resided in the city. Thisis a very large number if we consider that the territory of this littlestate is so limited as, according to M. Bourritt's Itinerary, to containonly 3 7/100 square leagues; being about 11, 400 inhabitants to eachsquare league. But, contracted as their territory certainly is, thosecitizens of Geneva, with whom I have conversed, do not seem to wish itsextension. They fear the introduction of religious dissensions, as the_Savoyards_, (on which side it could be most easily extended) are RomanCatholics and by no means cordial with their neighbours, the _Hugonots_of Geneva, as they call them. Nor would the nobility of Savoy wish to bethe subjects of so popular a government as that of Geneva. Religiousdifferences have, at all times, been productive of the worst species ofcivil discord, and the Genevese (although they tolerate most fully allreligious sects) are undoubtedly stronger at present, with their limitedpossessions, than they possibly could be with any increase of territory, accompanied by the chance of such unfortunate dissensions. 

All they seem desirous of, at present, is to see their little state_consolidated_; it being at present intersected by the possessions ofFrance, the Canton of Vaud, &c. In such a manner as to oblige theGenevese to pass over some portion of the territories of those states, in visiting many of their own villages. But more of Geneva hereafter, asalthough I had so recently arrived there, I was soon to quit it for ashort time. 

I found at my hotel a party, consisting of two of my countrymen and aFrench gentleman, who were waiting for a fourth person to join them, inmaking an excursion to the celebrated scenes of Chamouny and Moutanvert. 

This was an opportunity not to be neglected, particularly as my formercompanion had determined on going into Italy, notwithstanding the veryalarming accounts of its disturbed state, given us by some travellers, lately arrived from thence, who had themselves been robbed, and whoreported that the banditti, in many of the mountains, amounted to from500 to 1500 men. The unsettled political state of Italy too, renderedthe present, in my opinion, by no means an auspicious moment, for anexcursion of curiosity into that country. To see Italy well would occupya longer portion of time than I had at my disposal, and if once acrossthe Alps it would be almost impossible to return without visiting Rome. Under these circumstances, I resolved to content myself with seeingChamouny, and Mt. Blanc, and I had every reason to be pleased with mydetermination, as the party were extremely agreeable, and we had thegood fortune of having fine weather for our excursion, an occurrencewhich is rare amongst such lofty mountains nor were we disposed tocomplain of the inconvenience of occasional showers, in a country whereit is not unusual for the rains to continue without intermission formany days. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. VII. 

Having made the necessary arrangements in the evening, our carriage wasin readiness at an early hour next morning. It was something like anEnglish _sociable_, but had a leather cover which could occasionally bedrawn over our heads, and of which we more than once experienced theutility, in protecting us from the very sudden and violent showers whichwe sometimes met with. As soon as the rain was over we drew back thecover, and enjoyed the romantic prospects which surrounded us. FromGeneva we ascended continually through a wild but not uninterestingcountry to Bonnevilie, a distance of about five leagues; here webreakfasted, and remained two or three hours to allow our horses torepose from the fatigues of the road. This little town has nothingparticularly worthy of remark, and its appearance is dull, although itis the chief place of one of the three divisions which are formed ofSavoy. Here is a bridge of stone (which is not usual in this country, where timber abounds, and where many of the rivers are so rapid, as tooblige the inhabitants to remove the bridges, at the commencement ofautumn) over the river Arve, the course of which we followed for severalleagues through the valley of Cluse, so called from the little town ofthat name. This long and narrow district is surrounded by loftymountains, and the traveller is often at a loss to guess which way hecan proceed, until some sudden turning discovers an outlet, barelysufficient to admit the passage of a carriage, and by various windingshe arrives in the valley of Magi an, which presents a still moreinteresting variety of objects, amongst others the cascade of Nantd'Arpennas and many other inferior ones, which tumble from themountains, and increase the rapidity of the Arve. About a league beyondthe fall d'Arpennas is an excellent view of _Mont Blanc_, which crownedwith all the horrors of a perpetual winter, presents one of the mostsublime, and majestic spectacles, which it is possible to conceive. Todescribe the contrast between its snowy summit, and the cultivatedvalley beneath, so as to convey any just idea of the scene, to those whohave not themselves seen it, would require all the descriptive powers ofa _Radcliffe_. We arrived to a late dinner at the hotel de Mont Blanc, at St Martin, which is a large single house situated about a quarter ofa league from the little town of Salenche, of which I do not recollecthaving heard any thing remarkable, except that the right of burgershipmay be purchased for forty-five livres. The windows of our hotelcommanded a most astonishing extent of mountain scenery diversified bythe windings of the Arve through a well cultivated valley. The hotel wassufficiently comfortable, but the bill was extravagant beyond anyprecedent in the annals of extortion. We had occasion to remonstratewith our host on the subject, and our French companion exerted himselfso much on the occasion, that at last we succeeded in persuading thelandlord to make a considerable reduction in his charges, which were outof all reason, making every allowance that his house was so situated, asnot to be accessible during the whole year. We were afterwards told thathe would have considered himself amply paid by receiving the half of hisfirst demand, and I found it is often the practice to ask of the Englishat least double of what is charged to travellers of any other nation. Appearances were so much against our landlord, that one might say to himin the words of the epigram, _"If thou art honest thou'rt a wondrouscheat. "_

The carriage road ends at Salenche; and we, therefore, made thenecessary arrangements to proceed on mules, and sent back our carriageto Geneva. It was the first time I had travelled in a country only_accessible on foot or by mules_, and I cannot but add my testimony tothat of all those who have ever made excursions into these mountains, respecting the very extraordinary and almost incredible safety withwhich the mule conveys his rider over tracks, which were any one to seesuddenly, coming out of a civilized country, he would think it theheight of folly to attempt to pass even on foot. There are, however, places where it is expedient to climb for one's self, but as long as oneremains on the back of the mule, it is advisable not to attempt todirect his course, but to submit one's reason for the time to theinstinct of the animal. Our guides assured me that they had never knowna single instance of any one's having had reason to regret having placedthis confidence in them; and, indeed, it is by having the command of hishead that the mule is enabled to carry his rider in safety over passes, which one is often afraid to recall to one's memory. Several of themules in Savoy are handsome, but one of our party, who had crossed theFyrenean mountains, thought the Spanish mules were much more so; theordinary price of a mule here, is from fourteen to twenty Louis d'Ors. 

The distance between St. Martin and Chamouny, is little more than sixleagues, but from the extreme inequality of the ground and theintricacy of the paths, occupied a very long space of time in passing. We still continued to follow the course of the Arve, which, according tothe opinions of some writers, is believed to have, at one period, formeda lake between the mountains which encompass this valley; a conjecturewhich the marshy appearance of the ground seems to render probable. 

These mountains abound with an animal which is mostly an inhabitant ofthe Alps, the marmot, and there are a vast abundance of wildstrawberries. The river is most considerable at this season of the year, being supplied with the meltings of the snow and ice. About two hoursafter our departure from St. Martin we passed over the `_Pont desChèvres_, which, from the extreme slightness of its construction, seemshardly secure enough to permit the passage of a goat; and it is renderedmore formidable to the nervous traveller by its vast height from the bedof the rocky torrent over which it passes. 

We went a little way out of the regular track to see the beautifulcascade of Chede, which is by M. Bourritt ascertained to be sixty-sevenfeet in height. A number of peasants attended us from a cottage, wherewe left our mules, and one of them carried a plank to serve as a bridgeover a neighbouring stream, and levied toll on us for permission to passover it. We returned in about a quarter of an hour to the cottage, andpaid, as we thought, very liberally for the trouble the peasants had inholding the mules during that short time; but where expectations areunreasonable it is impossible to satisfy them; and that was the casehere. One old woman, in particular, exclaimed against us. She said, "_Wewere English, and ought to give gold. _" Such is the idea entertained, even in these secluded mountains, of the riches of the English, that asum, which would be received with thanks from the travellers of almostany other country, would be considered as an object of complaint ifgiven by an Englishman; and the thoughtless profusion of some Englishtravellers is a subject of regret to many persons, who, although lessopulent, are still desirous of visiting foreign countries, as theinhabitants of the Continent, in general, receive from some of ourfellow-subjects such an idea of the opulence of their country, that theythink it impossible to charge all who come from thence tooextravagantly. We next proceeded to the lake of Chede, which is not fardistant. It was first discovered by M. Bourritt, when hunting a wolfamongst these mountains, as he mentions in his Itinerary, which containsmuch useful information, and is a necessary appendage to the travellerin these wild districts. This lake, considering its limited extent, is ahandsome object. Here is a curious species of moss which gives the banksa singular appearance. We stopped to breakfast, as well as to refreshour mules, at a little cottage-inn near the village of Servoy, in theneighbourhood of which are mines of lead and copper, together with manylarge buildings and furnaces for the preparation of the ore. We here metanother party also going to Chamouny. They had preferred travelling inlittle carriages drawn by mules, which they were obliged to quitcontinually, by the uneven nature of the road; and they did not arrivetill some time after us. We here found that one of our party was mountedon the mule which had lately had the honor of carrying the Ex-EmpressMaria Louisa, who passed this way on her tour to Chamouny. She is saidto have appeared very thoughtful; but the guides praised both hercourage and her beauty. 

We breakfasted with the other travellers, under the shade of an orchard, near the inn; and the repast was much more luxurious than we could havesupposed from the rustic appearance of the place. As soon as the guidesinformed us that they were ready to attend us, we continued our journeyto Chamouny, making another little detour to visit the _glacier desBossons_. Here we were astonished at the singular appearance which wasexhibited by a vast number of _pyramids and towers of ice_, many of themupwards of 100 feet in height, and which remained at this season almostin the centre of a valley richly cultivated and well inhabited. 

The definition of the word _glacier_ has given rise to severalarguments. I shall therefore insert that given by the celebrated M. DeSaussure, in his Tour amongst the Alps, of which he was one of the firstand most able explorers. He says, "The word _glacier_ designates any oneof those cavities, natural or artificial, which preserve the ice, orguard it from the rays of the sun. " This glacier is only three quartersof a league from Chamouny, or the priory, where we soon arrived. Thevalley of Chamouny is about eighteen English miles long, and hardly onein breadth. It is as varied a scene as can possibly be imagined; and nowhere can the contrast between nature in its wild and in its cultivatedstate, make a more forcible impression on the mind. 

Many of the farms here are very neat. They sow the grain in May, andreap in August. 

We remarked several small chapels and crosses where promises of_indulgence for thirty days_ are held out to those persons who shallrepeat there a certain number of prayers. One of these chapels, morespacious than the rest, was constructed by a bishop of Sion. The villageof Chamouny is not large, but contains several extremely good inns, which, since the opening of the Continent, have had their full share ofEnglish travellers, whose names, in the books of the hotel where welodged, more than doubled those of all other nations who had visited thevarious grand scenes with which this country abounds; and the mostlucrative employment here is that of a guide. Strangers are often muchimposed on by them, and should therefore be careful to get recommendedto such as will conduct them safely to all that is curious. We met aparty who had been deceived by either the ignorance or laziness of theirguides; and who, we found, after spending two or three days in exploringthis neighbourhood, had seen but a small portion of what is worthy ofattention. The air here is of a very wintry temperature. This, however, is not astonishing, when we consider that this place is situated 500toises, or 2, 040 feet above the lake of Geneva, and 3, 168 feet abovethe level of the sea, but 11, 532 feet below the summit of Mont Blanc. 

Chamouny is the chief place in the commune to which it gives name, andwhich is inhabited by a remarkably hardy and intelligent peasantry. Iwas informed that the Austrians obliged this district to furnish 100cows, a vast quantity of cheese, butter, &c. &c. ; but the inhabitantswere so much rejoiced at being released from the French yoke, that theydid not complain of these exactions. As far as I could judge, the wishof the young men here seems to be, that Savoy should form a canton ofSwitzerland; but the old men, who formerly lived under the government ofthe King of Sardinia, wish for the restoration of the order of things towhich they were long accustomed; and it seems most probable that theKing of Sardinia will be restored to that part of this ancient patrimonyof his family which has not been ceded to France. The Savoyards complainof this division of their country. The part assigned to France is themost valuable district, and forms above a third of the duchy: in it issituated its ancient capital, _Chambery_. It is, however, not probablethat the wishes of the Savoyards will be consulted as to these points, which will be determined by the Allied Powers on the grounds of_political expediency_. 

I also made inquiries concerning the state of taxation in Savoy, andfound, that under France the inhabitants were obliged to pay more thanthree times the sum which they had paid to Sardinia. The imposts werehere the same as in the rest of France, no distinction having been madebetween this mountainous country and the other more productivedepartments. Doors and windows are amongst the articles taxed, and thestamp duties are very heavy. 

Having refreshed ourselves sufficiently to encounter fresh difficulties, we determined to visit _Montanvert_, and the _Mer de Glace_, two of themost distinguished objects of curiosity which this place boasts of. Having provided ourselves with guides and mules, we set out accordingly;and, after quickly passing the narrow valley, began to ascend mountainswhich abound with chamois, and which, by their height and irregularity, seemed to render our arrival on their summit an event not speedily to beexpected. We had more reason than ever to be astonished at theextraordinary security with which our mules carried us up such abruptascents, which in many places more resembled a flight of steps, hewnroughly in a rock, than a practicable road, and there were in manyplaces hardly any marks to shew which was the preferable way. 

After a continual ascent of between two and three hours, we were advisedto send back our mules to wait our return in the valley, and to continueour way on foot, which we did accordingly, being provided with longsticks, pointed with iron, to assist us in climbing the remainder of theascent. Our arrival on the summit amply repaid us for the toil which ithad cost us: the view is not to be described;--before us lay the _Mer deGlace_ (sea of ice) extending to the length of four leagues, and beingabout three quarters of a league in width; which is one of the mostsublime spectacles in nature. --Around us were mountains much moreelevated than those which cost us so much trouble in ascending, whichconsisting of granite, dispersed in the most majestic forms, and beingthe perpetual abode of frosts, storms, and tempests, leave a most awfulimpression on the mind. It is impossible to behold these stupendousscenes without, in the language of the Psalmist, 'ascribing unto theLord worship and power. '

Although we had ascended not less than 3000 feet, yet, to ourastonishment, Mont Blanc appeared _nearly as elevated_ as when we viewedit from the Galley. It is unquestionably the highest mountain in thethree old quarters of the world (being exceeded in height only by theAndes); and I shall insert here the calculations of its elevation, andof that of some other mountains:

 English feet. 

 Chimboraco, the highest of the Cordilleras 20, 608

 Mont Blanc, above the level of the Mediterranean, according to Sir G. Shuckburgh 15, 662

 Ditto, according to M. De Luc 15, 302 1/3

 Mount Caucasus 15, 000

 Etna, according to M, de Saussure 10, 700

 Teneriffe 10, 954

The highest mountain in Scotland is Ben-Nevis, 4, 337 feet. In Wales, Snowdon, 3, 555. In England, Ingleborough, 3, 200 feet. In Ireland, CroaghPatrick, 2, 666. 

Mont Blanc is easily distinguished from amongst the other mountains (ofwhich _Mont Buet_; of 9984 feet in height, approaches the nearest to it)when Steen on this side, by the astonishing altitude to which it rises, and by the vast body of snow with which its top and sides are covered tothe perpendicular height of above 4000 feet, without the intervention ofany rock, to take off from that extreme whiteness that gives name tothis mountain, uniting in the circular form of its summit all themajesty that can possibly be imagined. We partook of some refreshment inan apartment on the summit of Montanvert, which the extreme cold of theatmosphere rendered very acceptable. Having enrolled our names in abook kept here for that purpose, which abounds with the praises of alltravellers who have viewed these scenes, we descended to the _Mer deGlace_, which is appropriately so named, from the striking resemblancewhich its broken masses of ice bear to the waves of the ocean, and theresemblance is still further heightened by the blue appearance which thenumerous cavities present to the eye. --We walked a little way on thisfrozen ocean, the better to contemplate its vast extent, as well as tohave it in our power to boast of _having walked on a mass of ice in themonth of August_. The depth of the ice is calculated to be from three to_four hundred_ feet, and the solemnity of this scene of desolation isincreased by the sound of several torrents tumbling from the surroundingrocks. We again returned to the summit of Montanvert, and were againlost in astonishment at the scene; which did not fail to recall to myrecollection the beautiful lines of _Pope_, in his Essay on Criticism:

 So pleas'd at first the tow'ring Alps we try, Mount o'er the vales, and seem to tread the sky, Th' eternal snows appear already past, And the first clouds and mountains seem the last. But, those attain'd, we tremble to survey The growing labours of the lengthen'd way, Th' increasing prospect tires our wand'ring eyes, Hills peep o'er hills, and Alps on Alps arise. 

Having sufficiently contemplated the view, we began to think ofreturning to the valley, which presented a most enlivening appearanceafter the _chaos_ we had left. The descent was much easier than theascent, and we were not long before we met our mules, and returned toour inn in great prosperity, although we had, most of us, occasionalfalls during so difficult a progress. 

We had great reason to be pleased with our expedition, and were mostfortunate in the clearness of the day, without which our labour wouldhave been lost. The valley is, of course, much more mild in itsatmosphere than the mountain, but the weather was autumnal, and a firewas quite indispensable to our comfort. There are no less than _fiveglaciers_ in this valley, they are separated from each other by forestsand by cultivated lands, and this intermixture presents an appearancewhich, from its singularity, cannot fail to astonish the beholder. Theseglaciers all lie at the foot of that vast chain of mountains, whichsupply the sources of many of the greatest rivers in Europe. I observedthat the mountains in this vicinity were the first I had seen enlivenedby the mixture of the larch with the fir, which produces a very pleasingeffect, and continues afterwards to be often seen. The vast quantitiesof Alpine _strawberries_ that every-where abound on these mountains, have a most excellent flavor, and numbers of children employed ingathering them find ready sale among the numerous strangers, attractedby the wonders of the neighbourhood. These Alps possess greatattractions for the _botanist_, who is surrounded by saxifrage, rhododendrons, and a variety of other plants, which he must highlyvalue, but which I have not sufficient knowledge of the science todistinguish particularly. Nor would the _mineralogist_ find fewerattractions in the rocks themselves, than the botanist in the plantswhich they produce. We did not witness any of those _avalanches_ whichare said to fall so frequently from the mountains, and of the dreadfuleffects of which such interesting statements have been published. Thewhole of this valley, however, appears to be continually threatened, bythe enormous masses which hang over it, and seem to need the applicationof but a trifling force, to move them from situations, to which they areto all appearance so slightly attached. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. VIII. 

We left Chamouny at an early hour to proceed on our way to Martigny, from which it is nine leagues distant; but as there is nothing whichdeserves the name of a road, we continued our journey on mules. Themorning was so very hazy, that we were prevented from enjoying theprospect from the Col de Balme, and we travelled for several hoursamongst mountains, at one moment enveloped in the fog, which wassometimes the next instant carried to a considerable distance from us, by one of those sudden currents of air which are so common in theseelevated situations. As we approached Valorsine, the rain began to fall, but fortunately it was not of long continuance, and afterwards theweather became much clearer. 

_Nothing can surpass_ the romantic situation of this little village, itsvalley is one of the most secluded we had yet seen amongst the Alps. The impression which this scene has left on my mind, can never beeffaced; every thing presented an appearance of tranquillity, and ofextreme simplicity. It was the feast of the patron saint of the village, and the peasants were in their best dresses. The women were of a betterappearance than is usual in Savoy; their dress attracted the particularattention of our French companion, who had never before quitted his owncountry, and who had previously expressed a contempt for Savoy, which henow seemed willing to retract; and certainly it would be difficult tosee a spot where primitive simplicity was more conspicuous. Wedetermined to refresh ourselves here, and afterwards went through thevillage to the church, which was decorated with flowers for thefestival; and during our walk we were saluted with the utmost civilityby the peasants, who surveyed us with a curiosity which proved they hadbut little intercourse with strangers. A monk saluted me, and said inLatin he was rejoiced again to see Englishmen. In one of the groups, Iobserved a fortune-teller, who seemed to have a good deal of custom, but her dialect was one of the most singular I ever heard. The inn wherewe breakfasted, like most of the houses here, was raised on beams, toallow for the depth of the snow in winter. They are built of timber, andcovered with pieces of fir, cut to about the size of tiles. The roomswere very small, and could with difficulty accommodate the unusualnumber of guests then assembled. Civility was more abundant thanprovisions, but there was more fruit than one could expect to seeamongst these mountains. 

If the peasants of Meillerie, which is the part of Savoy Rousseau tookso much pleasure in describing, at all resemble those of Valorsine, hecannot there at least be accused of having dealt in fiction. M. DeSaussure relates an anecdote which serves to give an idea of theSavoyards in these situations, so remote from the corruption incident tocities. He says, "I was one day prosecuting my researches amongst theAlps, and being without provisions, was induced to take some fruit notfar distant from a cottage. I observed a woman coming towards me, as Iconcluded, to ask payment for the fruit; and I assured her I had nointention of going away without satisfying her. She answered, 'I cameout thinking you had lost your way, and that I might be able to set youright. As for the fruit, I will take nothing for it. He who made it, didnot intend it for the use of one in particular. '"

We had not yet performed above half our journey, and as it was gettinglate, we were obliged by the representation of our guides to continue onour road, which lay through a romantic district, abounding with streamsand falls of water. Some of the fir trees on the Tête Noire opposite tous, are said to be above 100 feet in height. We were after the firstleague frequently obliged to dismount, having in some places literallyto ascend steps cut in the rock, which I think must have not a littlepuzzled two gentlemen, who set out on _horseback_ about the same time wedid from Chamouny, but who did not reach Martigny for a long time afterus, and were greatly tired with the difficulties they had to encounter. 

The village of Trient is in a romantic situation, but has not the sameattractions as Valorsine. The hill near it is astonishingly difficult ofascent. The guides wished us to let the mules shift for themselves; andwe all at last arrived at the summit. An hour afterwards, we reached theMount Fourcle, from which is seen a vast extent of country. This view isby some travellers considered as surpassing all others in Switzerland, as it embraces the greatest part of the Canton of the Valais, watered bythe Rhone; and we could distinctly see its capital city Sion, althoughabove eight leagues distant. Martigny and St. Branchier seemed to lie atour feet; but we had still a long way to descend before we reached them. The city of Sion will be long remembered as the scene of one of the mosthorrible of those outrages which cast such a just odium on the Frenchname. It was given up to the savage fury of an army irritated by thebrave but ineffectual resistance, which its inhabitants attempted tooppose against the invaders of their property and liberty. But here, asin too many other instances, numbers occasioned the worse to prevailover the better cause. A person on whose authority I can confide, assured me he was at Geneva, when a part of the French army arrivedthere after this _glorious_ exploit, and that rather than return withoutplunder, they carried away with them the miserable household furnitureof these unfortunate people, which sold at Geneva for a sum so triflingas hardly to pay for the expense of conveying them thither. It may seem_incredible_, but it is however _true_, that many of the inhabitants ofthe Valois, _regret the recovery of their independence_, and would wishagain to see their country in the possession of the French. They preferthe advantages which Buonaparte's military road, and the frequentpassage of his troops into Italy afforded them of making money, to theirpresent liberty under a government of their own selection. 

The country, for about a league before the entrance into Martigny, becomes much more civilized than that we had just passed. The fieldsare well cultivated, and are divided by hedges from the road: here aresome of the largest walnut trees I have ever seen. 

On the left we remarked the venerable and extensive remains of laBathia, an ancient castle, formerly inhabited by the Bishops of Sion. Itis boldly situated on a rock, which rises over that impetuous torrentthe Dreuse, which a little below falls into the Rhone. 

The town of Martigny is situated on the Rhone, in that delightful plainwhich we had so much admired from the Fourcle, and which did notdisappoint the expectations we had formed of it. It is well watered, highly cultivated, and abounds with neat cottages, and seems almost torealize some fancied descriptions of enchanted valleys, being shut outfrom the surrounding countries by a formidable barrier of snow-cladmountains, and possessing in itself so attractive an aspect. Martigny isa well-built town; and some antiquarians insist, that it is the ancientOctodurum of the Romans. I can give no opinion on a point which hasoccasioned differences amongst the learned; but the present appearanceof the inhabitants was very favourable, it being a holiday here as wellas at Valorsine, and although their festivity was not altogether markedby the same simplicity, yet it was sufficiently removed from that whichprevails in many other countries to interest us by its singularity. Wewere here amused with an account of two English gentlemen, who attemptedto ascend Mont Blanc, notwithstanding the assurances they received ofthe impracticability of the attempt under present circumstances, as achasm had lately been made by the thaw on one side of the mountain; butthey were not to be intimidated either by the advice of the inhabitants, or by the accounts of the hardships suffered by M. De Saussure, andjudging with _Hannibal_, "Nil actum reputans si quid superesset agendum. "

 "Think nothing gained while ought remains. "

They set out on this difficult enterprise, attended by eighteen guides, but were at length obliged to desist, after running many hazards, andafter having expended at least £50. If they failed in accomplishingtheir undertaking, they had at least the satisfaction of exciting muchwonder amongst the surrounding peasants, at the curiosity and rashnessof the English. Our party were more easily satisfied; and having seen asmuch as could be accomplished without very great difficulty, we werecontented to judge of the rest from the ample descriptions that havebeen published respecting them. 

I could have wished, however, that time and the consent of the majorityof the party, would have permitted my ascending to the convent on theGreat St. Bernard; but being left in the minority, I did not feeldisposed to make the excursion by myself, and I therefore prepared toaccompany my friends back to Geneva. At Martigny, we entered on a partof the grand road of the Simplon, and bidding adieu to our mules, and tothe mountains over which they had carried us, we proceeded on ourjourney in a _charaban_ (or light country cart, with seats across it) toBex. I did not observe that extreme indolence in the inhabitants of theLower Valais, with which they have been reproached by some travellers. They are no doubt very poor, but their cottages are not devoid ofneatness and comfort. Our attention was soon attracted by the famouscascade called the _Pisse Vache_, the beauty of which consists chieflyin its seeming to issue immediately from a cavity in the rock, which issurrounded by thorns and bushes. Its perpendicular height cannot beestimated at less than 200 feet, although many make it double that, oreven more. The country of the Valais is remarkable for the vast numbersof persons it contains, affected with the _goitres_ and also of_idiots_. The neighbouring provinces are also more or less affected withthese maladies. 

Many writers have exerted their ingenuity in endeavouring to account forthis singularity with greater or less success; but what at Geneva isconsidered as the best treatise on the subject, is that by _Coxe_ in his_Account of Switzerland_. A gentleman there lent me a French edition ofthis valuable work, from which I extracted the following account of theorigin of the _Goitres_, (or extraordinary swellings about the glandsof the throat, ) which in Switzerland is considered as very satisfactory. Mr. Coxe says, "The opinion that water derived from the melting of snow, occasions these excrescences, is entirely destitute of foundation, which one cannot doubt if it is considered how generally such water is used in many parts of Switzerland, where the inhabitants are not at all subject to this malady, which is, however, very prevalent in parts where no such water abounds. 

 "These swellings are also frequently seen near Naples, in Sumatra, &c. Where there is little or no snow. "

Mr. C. Proceeds to shew that this malady is occasioned by a calcareousmatter called in Swiss _Tuf_; and adds, "This stone resembles very muchthe incrustations at Mallock in Derbyshire, which dissolve so completelyin the water as not to lessen its transparency; and I think that theparticles of this substance so dissolved, resting in the glands of thethroat, occasion the Goitres, and during the course of my travels indifferent parts of Europe, I have never failed to observe, that wherethis _Tuf_, or calcareous deposit is common, _Goitres_ are equally so. Ihave found an abundance of tuf, and also of goitrous persons inDerbyshire, the Valois, the Valteline, at Lucerne, Berne, Fribourg, inparts of Piedmont, in the valleys of Savoy, at Milan, and at Dresden. Ialso observed that at Berne and Fribourg, the public fountains aresupplied from sources where there is a vast quantity of this calcareousdeposit. General Pfiffer has informed me, that there is but one springat Lucerne, which is free from tuf, and that those who reside in itsvicinity, are much less subject to the goitres than the rest of theinhabitants. A surgeon also, whom I met at the baths of Louesch, informed me that he had _frequently_ extracted from different goitres_small pieces of tuf_, which is also found in the stomachs of cows, andthe dogs of this country are also subject to this malady. This gentlemanadded, that, to complete the cure of young persons attacked by thiscomplaint, he either removed them from waters impregnated with tuf, orrecommended them to drink only of water that had been purified. Thechildren of goitrous parents are often born with these swellings; butthere are also instances of children born with goitres, whose parentsare free from them. "

That celebrated naturalist, M. De Saussure, attributes Goitres not tothe water, but to the heat of the climate, and to the stagnation of theair, and he informs us, he has never seen Goitres in any place elevated5 or 6, 000 toises above the level of the sea, and that they are mostcommon in valleys where there is not a free circulation of air. "But itmay be observed, that in these elevated situations, fountains are toonear their sources to dissolve as much calcareous sediment as by thetime they reach the plain. Some say, that strangers are never attackedby the Goitres, but the truth is, they are only less subject to themthan natives of the country. In fine, we may observe, that if snow wateroccasions the Goitres wherever they abound, there should also be snowwater, which experience proves not to be the fact. If the concentrationof heat and stagnation of the air are necessary to their formation, itwould follow that they should not abound in those places where the aircirculates freely, which is not less contrary to fact than the formersupposition. If waters impregnated with tuf, or certain calcareoussubstances, produce the Goitres, it will follow, that in every placewhere they abound, the inhabitants should drink of waters soimpregnated, which seems consonant to the truth of the fact. " The samecauses which occasion the Goitres, have probably a considerableoperation in producing the number of idiots, as they are always in mostabundance where the Goitres prevail. Such is the intimate andinexplicable sympathy between the body and the mind. When the Goitresbecome large, they produce a difficulty of breathing, and render theperson so affected, extremely indolent and languid. These idiots aretreated with great regard by the rest of the inhabitants of the country, who even consider them, in some degree, peculiarly favoured byProvidence--thinking that they are certain of eternal happiness, as notbeing capable of forming any criminal intentions. Exaggeration is thecommon fault of travellers, and, to judge from the accounts given bysome who have visited this country, a stranger would be led to suppose, that all its population were either idiots, or afflicted with Goitres. The fact, however, is, that the inhabitants of the Valais are in generala strong and healthy race, but that these two unfortunate maladies arehere in greater frequency than in any other country. 

Our next stage, after leaving Martigny, was St. Maurice, which derivesits name from an abbey, founded by Sigismund, king of Burgundy, aboutthe commencement of the sixth century, in honour of a saint, who is saidto have here suffered martyrdom, having refused to abjure Christianityat the command of the Emperor Maximin. Its more ancient name is said byantiquarians to have been Agaunum. This place is very justly consideredas the key of the Lower Valais, of which it is the chief town. Itsbridge over the Rhone is of one arch, of 130 feet, which is thought tobe the work of the Romans, and by its boldness, does not seem unworthyof a people whose edifices are so justly distinguished for theirelegance and durability. Here is also a curious Mosaic pavement, and theantiquity of the place is proved incontestably by the many ancientmedals and inscriptions which have been found here at different periods. It must, indeed, have been always remarkable as a military position, andit is difficult to imagine one of greater natural strength, or moreeasily defensible by a small force against superior numbers. The road, which is extremely narrow, passes for a considerable length under amountain, which is absolutely inaccessible. 

Having passed the bridge, we entered the territories of the ancientcanton of Berne, but now of Vaud (as I think there appears to be butlittle doubt that it will be speedily acknowledged as such by the Swissdiet). Here our passports were demanded, but more in compliance with oldregulations, than from any mistrust of us; and one of our party havingforgotten his passport, the officer was perfectly satisfied with hisleaving his name and address. 

The Rhone is here of astonishing rapidity, and its waters have quite amilky hue, from the vast quantities of melted snow with which they aresupplied. On quitting the lake at Geneva, the river is of a transparentblue colour, which is attributed partly to its having deposited itssediment in the lake, and partly to the nature of the soil over which itthere passes. The rest of our stage was through a picturesque country, and the road was excellent. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. IX. 

We found at Bex an excellent inn, which is not undeserving thereputation it has acquired of being the best in Switzerland. This littletown is situated amongst lofty mountains, which the industry of thepeasants have cultivated wherever it was practicable, and they oftencarry their cattle with great labour to little spots of pasture whichwould otherwise have been lost, as without assistance, they could nothave arrived at them. The cottages on the side of the Valais are soplaced, as to contribute greatly to enliven the scenery; and they arealso remarkable for their singular construction, being mostly built onwooden pillars, several feet above the surface of the ground. 

Many of the inhabitants have two or three houses in different parts oftheir possessions, which they inhabit according as the season of theyear requires their attention to the different places where they aresituated. These people are said to be descended from the northerntribes, and certainly resemble them in their wanderings; I have seen awhole hamlet deserted, the season not requiring the residence of thepeople. In countries which boast a larger portion of civilization, thefashion prevails over the division which the seasons seem to point out. An inhabitant of the Valais would no doubt be surprised at the _summerbeing the season_ in which our fashionables resort to London, from thepurer air of the country. The Valais abounds with vineyards, but the_wines_ are by no means palatable to persons who have tasted those ofmore favoured countries. 

In the vicinity of Bex and Aigle are the only _salt-springs_ inSwitzerland. They are of vast extent, and the view of the subterraneangalleries, and of tin: reservoirs of brine, is very striking. The townof Aigle is principally built of black marble, which is in greatabundance in its neighbourhood, and the polishing of which affordsemployment to a number of persons. 

I observed more corn in this district than I had before seen inSwitzerland, but was informed, that it did not grow a sufficientquantity for the consumption of its inhabitants, who are said to exceed10, 000. The church of Bex is neat, and has been lately repaired. We nextarrived at Villeneuve, which is only remarkable as a place ofembarkation on the lake of Geneva. Our plan was to return to Geneva bywater, but the violence of the wind, which was against us, and which hadgreatly ruffled the lake, obliged us to continue our journey along itsbanks. The length of this lake is about 50 or 53 English miles, and itsbreadth from 10 to 12. This vast body of water is sometimes so muchagitated by sudden storms from the surrounding mountains, as to becovered with waves like the sea. We were highly pleased with theextraordinary scene of cultivation which its banks presented; they aresometimes extremely steep, but are formed by the unceasing industry ofthe inhabitants into terraces supported by walls, and if their labour inoriginally making these divisions is calculated to astonish, theirperseverance in repairing, and sometimes in rebuilding them, after thetorrents have carried them away, is not less worthy of praise. Theindustry of the inhabitants seems continually threatened by the vastmasses of rock which hang over their possessions, and which sometimescover them with ruin. We saw an enormous mass which had fallen from oneof the mountains, and is now in the lake, having been removed thither bythe inhabitants after it had for some time completely obstructed theroad. We passed near the castle of Chillon, which is singularlysituated, being built on some rocks in the lake, by which it iscompletely surrounded. It consists of a number of circular towers, andwas formerly used as a state prison. A more secure position, for such anedifice, it is difficult to conceive. Before our arrival at Vevay, wesaw the village of Clarens, so much celebrated by Rousseau. Vevay is ahandsome town, with about 4, 000 inhabitants; and is, after Lausanne, the principal place in the Canton of Vaud. The principal church issituated on an eminence above the town; from its tower I saw a mostmagnificent prospect, embracing nearly the whole of the lake, (which ishere nearly at its greatest breadth) the entrance of the Rhone through aromantic valley, and the stupendous scenery of the Alps, heightened bythe numerous villages on the Savoy side the lake. For the union of wildand cultivated scenery this view stands unequalled. No description ofmine could do it justice:

 "Car la parole est toujours réprimée Quand le sujet surmonte le disant. "

 "When we most strongly would delight express, Words often fail in which our thoughts to dress. "

In this church is the tomb of the celebrated General Ludlow, who diedhere in 1693, aged 63. His monument, according to custom, only speakshis praise; and makes no mention of his having been a member of thatassembly which condemned the ill-fated Charles to death. Over the doorof the house he inhabited, is this motto, '_Omne Solum Forti Patria_. 'He had resided for some time at Lausanne, but fearing the fate of Lisle, who was assassinated, he retired to this place. 

Between Vevay and Lausanne is the vineyard of Vaux, which bears a greatreputation. We passed through the village of Cully and Lutri, bothsituated on the lake, and after mounting a considerable hill arrived atLausanne, which is the capital of the Canton of Vaud. It stands on threehills, and on the intervening valleys, which being very steep, renderits situation more picturesque than convenient. It is situated about 400feet above the level of the lake, from which it is distant about half aleague; the village of Ouchy serves as its port, and carries on a gooddeal of trade. Lausanne contains several remains which prove itsantiquity, and several Roman inscriptions are preserved in thetownhouse, which is a handsome building. Here are three churches, one oneach of the hills. Of these the cathedral is well worthy of attention. It is said to have been founded by one of the ancient kings ofBurgundy, and is certainly superior to any church I had hitherto seen inSwitzerland. Its architecture exhibits various specimens of Gothic:there are many windows of painted glass in good preservation, and alsoseveral handsome monuments. The choir is handsome, and its pillars areof black marble. Its spire rises to a great height, and from thechurch-yard there is a fine prospect of the lake, and the surroundingcountry, with which I should have been more delighted, had I not sorecently seen the still grander scene which Vevay commands. Thepopulation of Lausanne is computed at 8, 000, and they are veryindustrious; there are manufactories of hats and cottons, and theprinting business is carried on to a greater extent than in any othertown in Switzerland. There are also several jewellers' shops andwatchmakers' warehouses. 

Of all the Swiss towns this is considered as the most remarkable for theadoption of French fashions, and there is much more dissipation herethan at Geneva, as it is the constant residence of many wealthyfamilies; but, with few exceptions, the houses are neither large norwell built. Near the church is shewn the residence of Gibbon, thehistorian, and his library is now the property of a gentleman of thistown, who purchased it in England. 

Lausanne was formerly subject to its bishops, who were princes of theGerman Empire. A council was held here in 1448, when Pope _Felix V. _, torestore peace to the Romish church, and extinguish the schisms to whichit was then a prey, resigned the tiara and retired to the Abbey ofRipaille, in Savoy, a second time. This prince is distinguished by someof the historians of his century by the title of the Solomon of the age. He succeeded to the Dukedom of Savoy by the name of Amadeus VII. , andhaving abdicated that sovereignty, retired to the abbey of Ripaille, which he had long admired as a secluded retreat, and to which he was agreat benefactor. His restless disposition having induced him to seekthe papal dignity, he, soon after obtaining it, became a second time arecluse but did not subject himself to any great _mortification_. 

This remarkable character died in 1451, æt. 69, at Geneva; he was buriedwith a Bible under his head, with this inscription, the application ofwhich, I do not exactly understand:

 "La ville de Genèva est située au milieu des montagnes; son territoire est sablonneux, très-peu etendu, et les habitans sont curieux de nouveautés. " "The city of Geneva is situated amongst mountains, its territory is sandy, and of small extent, and its inhabitants are curious concerning novelty. "

The reformation was established in the Pays de Vaud, in 1536, after apublic controversy had been held between the Protestant and Romishecclesiastics. The environs of Lausanne present as cheerful and animateda sight as is to be seen in any part of Switzerland, and the view fromthe public walk, in particular, is enlivened by the bays andpromontories, which diversify the sides of the lake. 

Our first stage, after leaving Lausanne, was _Morges_, which is situatedon the lake; it consists chiefly of two well built streets, and carrieson a good deal of trade, having a secure port with two moles, which, when seen from a distance, have a good effect, being ornamented withturrets. The church is a handsome edifice of Grecian architecture, andis calculated to accommodate a congregation much more numerous than thetown affords. But, in general, modern churches are not to be reproachedfor being on too large a scale. The public walk is near the water; it isshaded by lofty rows of glens, and presented, when we saw it, a verylively appearance, as it was under its shade that the town of Morgesentertained at dinner, two companies of infantry, and their officers, sent from Zurich to garrison Geneva. No place could be better adaptedfor the purpose, during so hot a season. The conviviality and goodhumour which prevailed were unbounded, and the patriotic tendency of thetoasts, given by those at the upper table, was proved by the cheers withwhich they were received by all the others. 

The road from Morges to Rolle does not continue along the banks of thelake, which is, however, occasionally seen, and heightens the beauty ofthe country, by the effect produced by its waters. We passed near thetown of Aubonne, which is chiefly distinguished by the venerable castle, which formerly protected it from attack, and now adds to the beauty ofits appearance. Rolle is a charming village: having neither walls, norgates, it is denied the title of a town, which it certainly merits morethan many paltry places, which have no other pretensions to the name, than the circumstance of their being so enclosed. It consists chiefly ofone wide and well built street; it is situated on the lake, which ishere very wide, and is surrounded by a country inferior to none we hadpassed. 

There is but little trade carried on here. Its mineral waters are, however, an attraction to strangers, and the society is generallypleasant. Many families of distinction reside in this neighbourhood, andtheir villas are handsome. I was particularly struck with the situationof one, which had been built by a Dutch gentleman; it was of an ovalform and crowned with a dome. We found its owner had lately returned toHolland; his house was shut up, and we could not gratify our curiosityin going over it. After dinner we took a turn on the promenade, which islaid out with great taste. From thence we visited the castle, formerlythe residence of the Barons of Rolle, but now vested in the commune bypurchase, and applied to various purposes. One part is reserved forpublic meetings, another as a poor house, and a third portionaccommodates the school of the district. We entered into conversationwith a person whom we met at the gate (who proved to be the master ofthe school); and who, after having taken several pinches of snuff fromthe box of one of our party, became extremely communicative, and shewedus some of the apartments of the castle, as well as the garden, where isa terrace washed by the lake, which as the sun had long set, and at itswaters presented an unruffled surface, was altogether one of the most_tranquillizing_ scenes which I have ever witnessed, and which washeightened by the venerable and mouldering appearance of this part ofthe castle. We contemplated the scene for some time in silence, and itwas not without regret that we left it. We arrived at an early hour nextmorning at Nyon, which is also built on the margin of the lake. It ischiefly remarkable for its Porcelain manufactory, and for the handsomeappearance of its castle, situated above the town. Very near it is theChateau de Prangin, which has been purchased within the last few monthsby _Joseph Buonaparte_, who proposes to console himself in thisretirement for the loss of regal power. His carriage passed us justbefore we entered Nyon; and we were told he was on his way to anotherhouse which he has in this neighbourhood, where he mostly resides, tosuperintend the alteration he is now carrying on at Prangin. We went tosee the _chateau_, and found a considerable number of men employed aboutit. It is a large building, with a tower at each angle, and surrounds apaved court. The terrace commands a charming prospect, and no man coulddesire a more agreeable residence. We entered into conversation with anofficer of his titular majesty's household, who said it was very naturalwe should desire to see one of the members of a family which had of lateyears acted so distinguished a part in Europe. He told us that KingJoseph was extremely fond of hunting, and intended to enclose a largeportion of the land he had purchased with a wall, in order to form a_chasse pour les bêtes sauvages_. This will be a great novelty in thishighly improved country, and the wall must cost a vast sum of money. 

We waited some time, but without success, in the hope of seeing hisMajesty. He will be probably much happier in this retirement than if thearmies of his brother had succeeded in placing him on a throne which hewanted ability to fill with honour to himself, or with advantage to thepeople over whom Buonaparte designed he should act as governor andpromulgator of his oppressive system. The Spaniards despised _Joseph_extremely, and gave him the appellation of _El Rey Botelli_, from hislove of wine; drunkenness being a vice to which the Spaniards are notaddicted. 

The hills which bound the lake near Nyon produce excellent wine, whencompared with the rest of the _Pays de Vaud_. The vin de la Cote is muchesteemed; I cannot, however, with all the partiality I feel forSwitzerland, contend for the general excellence of its wines; andalthough it is said, "Bacchus amat colles, " yet I think the hills of thePays de Vaud will hardly contend for this favour with those of theRhingau and of Burgundy. Between Nyon and Copet we saw some of theartillery of this canton practising at a mark, and were informed thatthey exercise here in turns, and that they are great proficients in theart of taking a correct aim. It is doubtless well to be prepared toresist any enemy who may wish to seize and oppress one's country; but Ihope Switzerland may not soon have to contend with the overwhelmingarmies of France. 

Copet is a pleasantly situated village. Fishing seems to be the chiefoccupation of its inhabitants. 

Near it is the chateau, formerly the property of M. Necker, and now theresidence of his daughter, Madame de Staël, who will probably be ascelebrated in future times for her writings, as her father for theadministration of the French finances. I was to have accompanied twofriends to a fête given here by Madame de Staël, but unfortunately wedid not return in time from our excursion to Chamouny; and shortly afterMadame de Staël went to Paris. This lady is said to have formerlyremarked, that she should probably find it very difficult to be suitedwith a husband, _as her mother insisted she should marry a man ofquality; her father wished for a man of talents, and she to pleaseherself_. The Baron de Staël Holstein was finally accepted, as no doubtuniting all the points required. We soon reached Versoi, which belongsto France, and was, during the disturbances which prevailed at Geneva in1765, much encouraged by the then minister, the Duke de Choiseul, whoexpected that its advantageous situation, as well as its proximity toGeneva, would attract many of its inhabitants to settle there; and that, by their well-known industry, his newly founded town would speedilyflourish. 

The duke was, however, disappointed in the expectations he had formed(as the present situation of Versoi affords ample testimony); for it wastoo much to suppose, that men born under a free government would, onaccount of trifling internal dissensions, abandon their country, andbecome the voluntary subjects of a despotic monarchy. _Confidence is aplant of slow growth_, and an absolute government is not likely toencourage it. An enlightened monarch may frame an edict equally liberalas that of Nantes; but the tyranny or bigotry of a succeeding sovereignmay revoke what only proceeded from sentiments to which he is astranger. The Genevese have now nothing to apprehend from Versoi as arival, but are anxious that it should be united to Switzerland, theFrench custom-house there being an obstacle to their trade by land, asthey are only separated from the rest of Switzerland by this narrowpoint which projects from the country of Gex. Gex was at one timesubject to Savoy, and at another period to Geneva. It is six leagues inlength, and about three and a half in width. On the road from Versoi toGeneva we had ourselves reason to perceive the inconveniences of theFrench custom-house, as it is quite absurd to insist on opening packageswhich are not destined to remain above ten minutes on the Frenchterritory. The country here is finely varied, and the distant view ofGeneva again drew from us expressions of admiration, after an excursionthrough a country where the traveller often sees more to delight and tointerest him in one day than he sometimes meets with in travelling for aweek through other Provinces. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. X. 

Having left Geneva so soon after my arrival there, I had not of coursesufficient time to speak sufficiently of a city so peculiarlyinteresting on many accounts. The journal of a traveller is not howeverthe place to look for long statements of the revolutions, wars, andsieges of the cities which he visits; but still there are very fewtourists who have omitted to swell their pages with details moreproperly the province of the historian, and, from the unconnected mannerin which they are generally introduced, not calculated to give any veryaccurate idea of the history of the place. I shall not therefore attemptto mention the various revolutions which have at different timesdisturbed the city of Geneva; and shall only remark, that it wasformerly annexed to the German empire, and that its bishops, like thoseof Lausanne, having taken advantage of the precarious authority of someof the emperors, succeeded in uniting to the spiritual jurisdiction mostof the temporal authority of the state, and lost both together at theintroduction of the reformation in 1585. The citizens, to defendthemselves from the powerful pretensions of the Dukes of Savoy, concluded, in 1584, a perpetual alliance with the cantons of Zurich andBerne (the most powerful of the reformed cantons), by which alliancethis republic became a part of the Swiss confederacy, and continued soto be until forced to unite itself to France, by the revolutionarygovernment of that country. It has again recovered its independence; andthe general wish is that Geneva may be declared a canton of Switzerland(this has, since I left Geneva, actually taken place, and the event wascelebrated with the utmost enthusiasm by its inhabitants). Their presentgovernment is not absolutely arranged, and seems but little varied fromthat democratic form which anciently prevailed (the merits of whichhave given rise to much discussion), and by which all power is finallyvested in the general or sovereign council, composed of all the citizensof Geneva who have attained their majority, there being a few particularexemptions. All citizens are equally eligible to the public employmentsof the state, of which, however, the emoluments are so scanty, as onlyto make them objects of honourable ambition. 

By the laws of Geneva, a father can never dispose of more than half hisestate, according to his inclination; the other half must be dividedequally amongst his children. Those citizens who do not discharge thedebts of their father after his decease, are excluded from holding anypublic situations; as also, if they omit to pay debts which they havethemselves contracted. There are still subsisting many _sumptuary laws_, which appear useful, to exclude the introduction of too great a degreeof luxury, which is generally so fatal to the liberty of a people. 

There is a theatre at Geneva, which I have heard was first projected byM. D'Alembert, but the magistrates endeavour to prevent as much aspossible the frequency of theatrical entertainments; and, during my stayat Geneva (between three and four weeks), I think the theatre was openbut twice for plays, and once for a concert. 

The town-house is a large and ancient building, and devoid ofregularity. It is chiefly worthy of mention, from the ascent to theupper apartments, being by an inclined plane, sufficiently spacious toadmit a carriage to drive up to them. Here are the apartments of thesenate, the councils of government, officers of justice, &c. Here I leftmy passports and received, in return, a permission to reside in thecity, which must be renewed every fortnight. The passport is returnedupon the final departure of its owner. 

I now found it easy to provide myself with a lodging (as, without theauthority of the state, no citizen can receive strangers into his house)on reasonable terms, for three weeks. My apartment commanded a handsomeprospect of the lake from one of the windows. I, however, occasionallydined at the hotel where I had first lodged (the Balances d'Or). I herefound sometimes pleasant society at the Table d'Hote. The hour of dinnerwas about a quarter past one o'clock, and the table was plentifullysupplied, much in the order I before mentioned, in speaking of theFrench dinners. I observed that excellent vegetable, the potatoe, washere in great estimation, at the tables both of the higher and inferiorclasses; and, except in Italy, I understand its value is dulyappreciated in the principal parts of Europe. I now proceed, accordingto my promise, to speak more of Geneva, having been for some timedomesticated there. 

The city is regularly fortified; but, according to the modern system ofwarfare, it would not probably make any efficient resistance; yetalthough its fortifications may not be sufficient to secure it during asiege, they are not entirely devoid of utility: they would prevent thecity's being suddenly occupied by an enemy, and thus afford time for theconclusion of a regular capitulation. Situated as the city is, betweenFrance and Sardinia, and divided from the rest of Switzerland, it mustbe granted, that the government acts wisely in preserving itsfortifications. Indeed, their utility was fully exemplified during theeventful period of last spring, when the allied troops, after having forsome days occupied the city, were suddenly called away, and theinhabitants were menaced by a force of 3, 000 Frenchmen, who demandedadmission. This was refused them; and happily, the return of the alliedforces in a few days, saved Geneva from the melancholy effects whichmust have ensued from the irruption of the French, who were greatlyexasperated that the city did not at first oppose the entrance of theAllies. The ramparts form the principal promenade of the Genevese; andfrom some of them (particularly from the Place St. Antoine, whichcommands the lake, and is well planted) the views are very striking overa highly cultivated valley, enclosed by some of the most lofty mountainsin Europe. Detachments of the allied forces remained a very considerabletime at Geneva, and at one period the Republic had to defray a dailyexpence of not less 40, 000 francs. 

But what seems to be most regretted by the Genevese, is the destructionby those troops, of several avenues of trees, which had for many yearslined one of the roads near the city, and formed one of their favouritewalks. The Austrians, in their impatience to obtain fuel, could not bepersuaded to spare them, and the inhabitants now avoid a walk which theyonce delighted in. 

I have not, however, heard many complaints at the sums expended for themaintenance of the allied troops, as they have relieved Geneva from theyoke of France, under which their trade (which alone had raised theircity to such celebrity) was nearly annihilated. 

I obtained some information on this subject, from a person of whom Iinquired my way to the hamlet of the Petit Sacconnex, near Geneva, whereis the best view of Mont Blanc. Seeing I was a stranger, he was verycivil; but he was delighted when he discovered of what country I was, and spoke of England with enthusiasm, as it was to her perseverance thathis country, in common with most of Europe, was indebted for the lateglorious change in the state of their affairs. He informed me, thatbefore the union of Geneva to France, he had been in good business as awatchmaker (the great occupation of the Genevese) but, like numberlessothers, was thrown out of employment. Many emigrated, some worked as daylabourers, others were forced into the army, and he, being very old, maintained himself with difficulty by setting up a small school. 

I found my conductor an extremely well informed man, as indeed are mostof the tradespeople of Geneva. The higher circles are remarkable forthat freedom, blended with politeness, which places society on its mostnatural basis, as I had frequent occasion to remark during my stay atGeneva. I must not omit to mention the pleasure I experienced from the_fête de navigation_ (to which I was invited by the kindness of agentleman, to whom I had been introduced) which is one of the mostsplendid at Geneva; and the scene of the lake, covered with boats ofvarious sizes, filled with elegant females (and I have seen few placesthat can boast of a greater proportion, ) prevented my reflections on the_more distant scene_ which its shores presented, and which, underdifferent circumstances, would not have passed unnoticed. After havingspent some time on the water, the company repaired to the Hall ofNavigation, near the village of Secheron, where a handsome entertainmentwas provided. The evening concluded with a brilliant display offire-works, and the Lake was again enlivened by the boats carrying backthe company to the city. I observed amongst the company an EnglishAdmiral, who attended this fête in his uniform. The Genevese lamentedthat so handsome a dress should be disfigured by the _small hat_ hewore, and it was indeed small compared with those of their officers. Thepeasants here wear larger hats than any I saw in France, probably toshade them from the sun; but in any climate, I do not think an Englishlabourer would feel at his ease with such a vast _edifice_ on his head. The bonnets worn by the inhabitants of parts of Savoy and Vaud, are notvery dissimilar in shape from some I have seen in Wales; they are ofstraw, and are commonly ornamented with black ribbon. 

I shall here insert an epigram composed in 1602, by a Prince of Hesse, who, at his departure, presented the city with 10, 000 crowns. 

 Quisquis amat vitam, sobriam, castamque tueri, Perpetuò esto illi casta Geneva domus: Quisquis amat vitani hanc bene vivere, virere et illam, Illi iterum fuerit casta Geneva domus. Illic iuvenies, quidquid, conducit utrique: Relligio hic sana est, aura, ager, atque lucus. 

Amongst the various objects which are pointed out as deserving theattention of a stranger, is the house in which the celebrated J. J. Rousseau was born, in the year 1712. The circumstance is recorded by aninscription over the door. His father was a watchmaker, and his housewas small and obscurely situated. 

Rousseau was perhaps the most eloquent and fascinating of all thesceptical writers of the last century; and probably the only one amongstthem who established a _system of his own_, if indeed his eccentricitiescan be so called. His character exhibited a strange mixture of _pride_, which made him perpetually anxious to be of public notoriety, and of an_unsociable temper_, which often made him retire in disgust with theworld, and treat (without any rational cause, that has been assigned)those who were most his friends, as if he considered them to be hisbitterest enemies. He was far more jealous of the reputation obtained byhis contemporaries, than delighted with the approbation he personallyreceived. Considered as a _philosopher_, he was paradoxical; as a_moralist_, dangerous and licentious; as a _parent_, unnaturallyabandoning his offspring; as a _friend_, suspicious and ungrateful. As_pride_ was the ruling passion of Rousseau, so was _vanity_ beyonddispute the grand characteristic of _Voltaire_, (the proximity of Fernaymay excuse my here comparing him with Rousseau, ) and this passioninduced him to pervert transcendent talents to the most pernicious andfatal purposes. 

The hostility of Voltaire to the _Christian dispensation_ has beencompared to the enmity rather of a rival than of a philosopher. He isthought to have wished its overthrow, not so much because he entertainedany solid objections to its sublime theories, or had real doubts as tothe miracles by which it is attested; as because his _vanity_ led him tothink, that if he once could persuade men to the abolition ofChristianity, he might himself become the founder of a new system of_moral indulgence_. The Abbé Raynal, in 1791; _already repented_ of thephilosophic principles, which he had so sedulously inculcated, andexpressed his conviction, that the consequence of the theories then sofinely fancied, would be a general pillage, for that their authorswanted experience, to reduce their speculations to a practical system. The Abbé was right in _this last_ expectation, and from the FrenchRevolution, so destructive in most respects, there has at least resultedthis advantage; it has furnished the most satisfactory comment upon the_grand experiment_ of the philosophers, and proved most folly that it is_religion alone_ that possesses authority to silence the clamours ofinterest, to control the passions, and to fetter the ambition ofmankind. The same year (1778) is memorable for the deaths both ofVoltaire and Rousseau; the first is represented as exhibiting on his_death bed_ the most melancholy spectacle of horror and remorse that canbe possibly conceived; the latter is thought to have committed _suicide_at Ermenonville, where he found an asylum, after having been banishedsuccessively from many states. This opinion is founded chiefly on theauthority of Madame de Staël; it is related, that he rose in the morningin perfect health, and returned after his usual walk; that soon after, he desired his wife to open the window, that he might, as he expressedit, _contemplate nature for the last time_ and that being presentlytaken ill, he refused to receive any assistance, and died in a fewhours. 

Those who have seen both those celebrated characters (who long attractedpersons from all parts of Europe to this country) have remarked, that_Voltaire_ at first sight was acknowledged to be a man of genius; butthat _Rousseau_ was only suspected of possessing superior abilities. 

I have perhaps said too much on this subject, into which I have been ledinsensibly, by reflecting on what I had read of these philosophers, andshall therefore conclude with inserting the remark of a Savoyardpeasant, who, according to M. Lantier, being asked his opinion of them, answered, "_I think that Voltaire has done a great deal of mischief inthe age in which he lived; and that Rousseau will not do less toposterity_. "

The college of Geneva and its library are generally pointed out tostrangers as worthy of a visit; for the Genevese are no less celebratedfor their proficiency in literature, than for their commercial industry. The college consists of nine classes, and owes its foundation to thecelebrated Calvin, who was born at Nyon, where his father was a cooper. He first arrived at Geneva in 1536, was exiled in 1538, and recalledfinally in 1541; he became the legislator as well as the religiousreformer of the state. He is still the great hero of the Genevese, whobelieve him to be innocent of the _death of Michael Servet_, which hasin the general opinion cast such disgrace on his memory. He did notaffect to deny the _great perversity of his temper_, which is indeedexhibited by many of his actions, so forcibly as not to admit ofconcealment. His writings, in 44 volumes, containing 2023 sermons, andhis portrait, are preserved in the college, library, which containsabout 50, 000 volumes, besides 200 manuscripts, some of which are ofgreat value. This library was originally founded by Bonnival, prior ofSt. Victor, and is open from one till three o'clock every Tuesday. Twosecretaries are then engaged, under the inspection of the librarian, intaking lists of the books which are borrowed or returned. The hydraulicmachine on the Rhone, which supplies the city with water, although it isless complicated than that at Marli, is not less ingenious, and iscertainly of greater utility. The wheel is twenty-four feet in diameter, and raises about 500 pints a minute at all seasons (being preservedfrom the effects of frost) to two reservoirs, one seventy, the other 126feet above the level of the river. The first supplies the fountains andhouses in the lower part of the town, and the second those in the moreelevated situations. The water of the Rhone, although transparentlyclear, is hard and unpleasant to drink. 

In enumerating the public establishments of Geneva, I must not omit tomention the Society for the Advancement of the Arts, which wasoriginally projected by M. Faizan, an eminent watch-maker; its firstmeetings were held at M. De Saussure's house. This society is now soconsiderable as to be under the direction of government, and itsmeetings are held in the town-hall, where subjects connected withagriculture and the useful arts are discussed, and prizes distributed, as well to the school of drawing (which is on a most respectablefooting) as to all, who distinguish themselves, either by inventions ofutility, or by noble or _humane_ actions. 

Another excellent establishment here, is the Chambre des Blés, ormagazine of corn; this is a large and handsome building, and alwayscontains an ample supply of good wheat. The direction of thisestablishment is immediately in the government, and its managers areselected from the different councils. The benefits arising from abundantseasons, cover the expences occasioned by years of scarcity. The bakersbeing obliged to buy here whatever quantity of corn they may require, and at an uniform price it follows that the price of bread alwayscontinues the same, and that price is fixed by the grand council. Themanagers of this store, to prevent the bakers from making bread of aninferior quality, have established a shop in each quarter of the city;and the bakers, to ensure a ready sale, are obliged to make their breadof equal quality with that which could be procured at the shops of themanagers of this establishment. The churches of Geneva are notdistinguished by any architectural beauties, if we except the portico ofthe _cathedral_, which is constructed of rough marble, said to becopied after that of the Rotunda at Rome; it is considered equal to thatof St. Genevieve at Paris, but I cannot subscribe to that opinion. 

The Calvinistic tenets (which are those of the state) are most generallyadopted at Geneva; but the Lutherans, the Germans of the Confession ofAugsburg, and the Roman Catholics, have each a church. The ministers areappointed by the Government, and care is taken that the Roman Catholicminister be subject to a Swiss Bishoprick. In the Calvinistic churches, the hours of divine service are nine in the morning and two in theafternoon. The service consists in the reading the commandments, a fewprayers, a chapter in the Bible, and the sermon; and concludes with apsalm or hymn, accompanied by the organ; the whole service generallyoccupies an hour. The Sunday is principally distinguished by the sermon, the rest of the week being allotted for reading the Scriptures. --Astranger is much surprised at seeing _many persons wear their hatsduring the sermon_, a custom which indicates a want of respect to theplace that cannot be excused, however inferior the compositions of apreacher may be to the rest of the service. There is one thing to benoticed here as worthy of imitation: no burials are allowed within thecity. At Paris also, most of the burial places near the churches havebeen removed to the catacombs, a change which has tended greatly topurify the air of the city. There is a box at each door of the churcheshere, and as the congregation retire after divine service, a person isstationed near it, to desire them to _remember the poor_. Thesecollections must be liberal, as few places are so free from beggars asGeneva. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. XI. 

The _Perte du Rhone_, or the spot where the Rhone suddenly sinks intothe ground, forms one of the objects usually visited from Geneva, and Iaccepted a proposal to join a party in making an excursion thither. Wewere careful in providing a carriage, which was so constructed, as toallow us a view on _both sides_, as some only afford a prospect of _halfthe country_, the passengers all sitting on one side, and the coverbeing immoveable. 

We set out at an early hour, and arrived at Vanchy about noon, fromwhence we proceeded on foot to the spot where the vast waters of theRhone, in approaching a ridge of rocks, with inconceivable rapidity, _sink into the earth_. The cavern is covered with foam, from theagitation of so great a body of water being forced into so small anaperture; and the sight is at once magnificent and solemn. The_emersion_ of the Rhone is not far distant from the place of itsingulphation, but presents a very different spectacle, as the riverascends so gradually as to be completely smooth, which in attributed tothe depth of the caverns from which it issues. It seems probable thatthese caverns have some undiscovered outlet, as the Rhone, after itsrise from them, is but inconsiderable, compared with what it is beforeits disappearance. 

Not far distant is the Pont de Bellegarde, over the little riverValserine, which runs through a deep dell into the Rhone. The scene iswell deserving of attention. In the vicinity of Geneva are several hopgardens, which seem very flourishing; but whether it is that theinhabitants do not understand the art of brewing as well as in England, or that there is any difference in the plant, I do not know; but no one, who has been accustomed to good malt liquor, could be persuaded torelish theirs. 

The elevation of Geneva (187 toises above the Mediterranean) togetherwith the proximity of the Alps, and of the mountains of Jura, causewinters to be long, and often severe. The summers are often extremelyhot, but the air is refreshed by the gales from the mountains, whichsometimes occasion very sudden changes in the atmosphere. 

The thermometer of _Réaumur_ has been known to rise 26 degrees abovefreezing, but I have never myself observed it above 18 or 20 during mystay. 

It is said, that very severe cold has brought it to 14 degrees belowfreezing, and then the lake, and even the rapid current of the Rhone, have been frozen. 

Often, during the summer months, the lake is ruffled by the _Bise_, orregular north-east wind; but the east and west winds occasion the mostdestructive tempests. The climate of Switzerland is in general muchcolder than in the countries by which it is surrounded. Its numerouslakes, mostly very elevated, add greatly to the freshness of the air, and the frequent rains from the Alps bring with them the temperature ofthose mountains. But, although the climate is so variable, being oftenchanged in a few hours, from the great heat which the reflection of thesun occasions in the valleys, to the cold rains which proceed from thesurrounding mountains, yet these sudden transitions do not appear tohave an ill effect on the health of the inhabitants. On the contrary, the celebrated physician _Haller_ attributes the salubrity of the air ofSwitzerland to the currents from the Alps, which preserve it continuallypure, and prevent its stagnation in the valleys. 

The soil of Switzerland is, in general, stony and unfertile, but thepeasants spare no pains to render it productive. I have had more thanonce before occasion to express my astonishment at the sight ofmountains divided into terraces, and cultivated to their very summits. Ihave been informed by a gentleman, who has devoted much of his attentionto agricultural pursuits, that the general return of grain inSwitzerland is about five times the quantity sown, and that Switzerlanddoes not produce much above a tenth part of the corn necessary for thesubsistence of its population, which he calculates at 130 to the squaremile, or nearly two millions; but if the parts which it is impossiblecan ever be cultivated, were left out of the calculation, the averagepopulation to the square mile would be of course greatly increased; asthe present scheme includes the whole superficies of the country. 

The proportion which some other countries bear to Switzerland, inrespect to the population subsisting on each square mile, is as follows, viz. 

 China, the most populous country in the world, of the same extent 260

 Holland, which has a greater population than any country of its limited extent 275

 France, as in 1782 174

 United kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 145

 Russia in Europe 30

 Iceland 1

I have been assured that in one part of the Canton of Appenzell, thepopulation amounts to 562 per square mile. It is one of the mostsecluded parts of Switzerland, and is famous for the music called the_Ranz des Suisses_. The Alps greatly increase the surface of Switzerlandwhen compared with less mountainous countries, and it therefore cansupport vast flocks in situations where agriculture would beimpracticable. I have been frequently surprised to see cattle in places, whither they must have been carried by the inhabitants. The number ofthe cattle, in many of the Swiss Cantons, greatly exceeds that of theinhabitants. 

_Haller_ has observed that Switzerland presents, as it were, threedistinct regions; that on the tops of _the mountains_ are found theplants indigenous in Lapland; _lower down_, are found those of the Capeof Good Hope; and the _valleys_ abound with plants peculiar toSwitzerland, besides others which are found in the same latitude. Iobserved in a former chapter, that the great occupation of theinhabitants of Geneva consists in the manufacture of watches, clocks, &c. And having a desire to see some specimens of their workmanship, Iaccompanied a friend, who had purchased a _musical snuff-box_, to theworkshop of its fabricator, who although he was of the first celebrityin Geneva, had no warehouse in a more accessible situation than hisworkshop on the fifth story. I afterwards found that most of thewatchmakers had their workshops at the tops of the houses, which here, as in Edinburgh, are mostly occupied by several families, who have acommon stair-case to their apartments. I was much pleased with thedisplay of ingenuity in this warehouse, and found that many of thearticles were intended to be sent to Paris, to Asia, &c. Geneva itselfcould not, of course, supply purchasers for such a profusion ofexpensive mechanism. The _taste_ of many of the articles, is by no meanssuch as would ensure them a ready sale in London. 

There are at Geneva many pleasant _circles_ or _societies_, who have acommon apartment to meet in within the city, where the papers are takenin; and often a garden in the neighbourhood for their recreation. I wasintroduced to one of these circles, and went to their garden, which waslarge and well-shaded with walnut trees. About the centre was a largepleasure house, furnished with billiard, chess, and backgammon tables. Some of the party were engaged at _bowls_; their game differs from oursin many respects, as here they prefer a gravel walk or uneven surface, and they throw the bowl a considerable height into the air, instead ofletting it glide gently along. I became acquainted with a Frenchgentleman, much advanced in years, who had resided here chiefly sincethe French Revolution. He told me his head had been _twice laid on theblock for execution_, and that the _whole_ of his family had perishedduring the troubles in France: he therefore did not wish to return intohis country, which would only recall melancholy recollections; but herejoiced much to see the royal family again seated on the throne. It isto be feared, that there are, in many parts of Europe, severalindividuals in equally unfortunate circumstances, after the dreadfulcarnage occasioned by the continued succession of wars with which it hasbeen ravaged. I must not take my leave of Geneva without mentioning, that there are few places which afford more of the requisites to apleasant residence. The walks and rides in its vicinity, are verynumerous, and abound with interesting prospects. The view of the cityfrom the village of Coligny, on the Savoy side of the lake, is highlyimpressive. The junction of the rivers _Arve_ and _Rhone_ forms anothervery fine scene. The waters of the Rhone are at least three timesgreater than those of the Arve, and are of a transparent blue colour, whilst those of the Arve are of a milky hue, something like theappearance of the Rhone when it first enters the Lake of Geneva, whereit leaves the tint it acquired from the mountain snows and torrents. TheRhone seems for a considerable distance to retire from any amalgamationwith the Arve, but at length assumes a less transparent aspect. 

About half a league from Geneva is the town of Carrouge, which at oneperiod was in some degree its rival in trade, but is at present by nomeans in a flourishing state. Its future destiny remains to be decidedalong with those of more important states, at the approaching Congressof Vienna. The general opinion seems to be that the Carrougians wish tobe reunited to France; but the King of Sardinia has invited them tosubmit to his authority. 

I walked one morning to St. Julian, about two leagues from Geneva; it ispleasantly situated in that part of Savoy which is ceded to France, andwhich is in fact the most essential part of the country, as it is saidthis division materially interrupts the communication between thoseparts which remain with the King of Sardinia. The object in visiting St. Julian, was principally to see the plain, where after a sharp contest, the Austrians were defeated by little more than half their number ofFrench troops, but having received reinforcements, renewed the actionand were victorious. It must be confessed, that the Austrian troops aremuch inferior to the French; and the latter having so frequentlydefeated them, feel quite indignant against the Austrians for the parttaken by their government in the invasion of France, and therestoration of the Bourbons. 

Most of the French officers I have met with indulge the hope, that somedifferences at the Congress may occasion a fresh war with Austria. TheFrench in general join the officers in looking forward to the recoveryof what they contend are their natural limits--the Rhine andBelgium;--and after so many years of war, are dissatisfied at having noconquests to boast of. 

It cannot be however expected that the great bias given to the French infavour of war, by their late ruler, should speedily subside; but therestless and impatient spirit which at present prevails in France, andwhich would engage immediately in a fresh war, must be in some degreerestrained by the exhausted state of their finances; and as it is, manyof the taxes are much complained of. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. XII. 

I remained at Geneva longer than I had at first intended, and at lastquitted it with regret. I shall ever recollect the time I spent therewith pleasure; but the period allotted for my tour would not permit meto remain any longer stationary; and I therefore set off for themountains of Jura, celebrated for the extensive and varied prospectswhich they afford of the Alps, &c. I was much pleased with the sceneryof the little lake and valley of _Joux_, shut out by mountains from therest of the Canton of Vaud. At Coponex I met two gentlemen, who wereindebted to their horse for having escaped being robbed the eveningbefore. They were travelling slowly in an open carriage, when suddenlythey were ordered to stop by several men of French appearance, who werethought to be disbanded soldiers. This adventure made a great noise in aneighbourhood, where highway robbery is extremely unusual. Webreakfasted at a neat inn in the village of Lassera, and afterwards wentto see the chief curiosity of the place, the separation of a rivuletinto two branches, one of which falls into the Lake of Neufchâtel, andeventually through the rivers Aar and Rhine into the German Ocean; theother runs into the Lake of Geneva, and by means of the Rhone at lengthreaches the Mediterranean. This singularity proves the facility withwhich the Lakes of Neufchâtel and Geneva might be made to communicatewith each other. Accordingly, a canal has long since been commenced; butits projectors have made little progress in their undertaking. Thelittle town of Orbe, is nearly surrounded by a river of the same name;it bears evident marks of antiquity, and from its position, must havebeen in former times a place of considerable strength. The ancient kingsof Burgundy had a residence here. 

This part of the country is highly varied, and presents a mostpicturesque appearance. 

Land in the Pays de Vaud, I found, generally sells for abouttwenty-five years purchase; and 3½ or 4 per cent, is thought sufficientinterest for money invested in it. Travelling and living are much dearerin this country than in France, as although the inhabitants have fewsuperfluities, yet they have to fetch them from a distance, Switzerlandnot affording a sufficient supply of food for the support of itsinhabitants. 

Yverdun was our next stage; it is after Lausanne and Vevay the mostconsiderable town in the canton. It is situated close to the Lake ofNeufchâtel, and is surrounded by water. It consists of three parallelstreets, terminating in a square, in which are the church and townhouse, both neat structures. The population is about 5000. The castle isflanked by numerous turrets, and has a venerable appearance. Thepromenade presents a sort of _sea view_, as the extremity of the lake(which is about nine leagues in length, by two in breadth) is hid fromthe eye by the convexity of its waters, and the view is terminated bythe sky. At a little distance from the town, is a mineral spring, witha large building containing baths and a pump-room. 

I found the waters were strongly impregnated with sulphur. Here is acelebrated school, containing about 250 boys; the annual expense foreach boarder is not less than fifty louis. 

We proceeded in the diligence to Neufchâtel, through the towns ofGranson, St. Aubin, and Boudri. The banks of the lake present acontinued succession of vineyards, which afford the best red wine inSwitzerland. The conductor of our voiture amused us a good deal by hiseccentricity. He seemed thoroughly happy and contented; and when an oldgentleman of the party wished for a bag of crowns that were put into thecarriage, to be conveyed to Berne, the conductor declared, _he was notlike Napoleon, and wished for nothing he had not_. We found that theestablishment of a game licence had occasioned some discontent in thiscountry. The quantity of game is said to have greatly diminished. Onegentleman told me, they sometimes hunted wild boars on the mountainsnear France. The roads here have been much shortened by a new line ofcommunication which has been lately opened, and the bridge at Serrier ofa single arch over a deep valley, (which formerly obliged travellers tomake a considerable circuit) has a very handsome as well as usefuleffect. The town of Neufchâtel contains between 4 and 5, 000 inhabitants;it is partly built on a hill, where stand the church and castle, andpartly on a plain near the lake, on the borders of which are handsomepublic walks and further improvements are carrying on. The elegantappearance of many of the private houses proves the wealth of theirowners. 

Neufchâtel is without fortifications, but is in general well built; itis said to present a perspective, resembling, in miniature, the distantview of Naples. The lake is not deep, but seldom freezes, although it isthirty-one toises more elevated than that of Geneva. 

The principalities of Neufchâtel and Vallingen are about twelve leagueslong, by eight at the broadest part; the soil is far from fertile, butthe industry of the inhabitants renders it astonishingly productive. Any person having a certificate of his general good conduct may settlehere, and enjoy every essential privilege of the native subjects. Thisis perhaps the only country in Europe _exempt from taxes_; for thepayment of a few sous annually from every householder cannot beconsidered as a tax. This circumstance lessens our astonishment at thecommercial activity which prevails in this little state, the populationof which exceeds 40, 000. The villages of Chaux de Fond and Locle, withtheir districts, contain about 600 inhabitants, and furnish annually10, 000 watches in gold and silver, besides clocks. There are alsonumerous engravers and enamellers. The country is celebrated for itswild beauty; and our excursion, which occupied a day, was pleasant. 

The Protestant is the established religion of the state, with theexception of the little town of Landeron, where the Roman Catholicreligion is maintained. It is recorded, that the inhabitants, havingassembled to deliberate, which of the two forms of worship should beacknowledged, the numbers were equally divided. It being howeverdiscovered, that a shepherd was absent, he was sent for, and havinggiven his vote, that the Roman Catholic religion should be continued, itwas decided accordingly. 

The town of Neufchâtel is much indebted to one of its citizens, DavidRiri, who expended three or four millions of livres in works of publicutility. Another individual built the town-house, which is a handsomeedifice of the Corinthian order. 

The little brook called the Serrieres, which does not run above thelength of two gun-shots before it falls into the lake, turns a greatnumber of mills of various kinds. 

Having been much struck with the spirit of industry and activity whichdistinguishes the appearance of this little state, I felt anxious toinquire concerning the government, and a gentleman of this town, to whomI was introduced when at Geneva, was kind enough to give me ampleinformation on the subject. As I say but little respecting the historyof _large states_, perhaps I may be excused for the following details, which I think possess some interest. 

The state of Neufchâtel is an independent sovereignty, allied withSwitzerland; which alliance secures its independence, and every prince, on succeeding to the sovereignty, is obliged to ratify it. The actualgovernment is a mixture of aristocracy and democracy. The sovereignty, which is _almost a name_, is inalienable and indivisible, and cannot besold or given to a younger branch of the reigning family, without theconsent of the people--it is hereditary, and a female is capable ofinheriting it. The revenues of the sovereign arise from quitrents, fines, tithes, and the exclusive right of trout fishing in the autumn;he can, on no pretext whatever, exact any thing additional from thestate, and the total of his revenue does not exceed 45, 000 francs. Theprince has the disposal of all civil and military employments, notreserved particularly for popular election; he is represented by agovernor, who presides at the general meetings of the estates of theprincipality, but has no vote unless the numbers are equally divided. Inthe event of a _contest_ relative to the succession to the principality, the _Estates General_ are alone competent to decide between thedifferent claimants; and the Canton of Berne has always decided anydifferences that may have arisen between the prince and the peoplerespecting their particular rights. The last time when the estates werecalled upon to decide between a number of claimants for the sovereignty, was in 1707, on the death of the Duchess of Nemours without issue. Mostof the claimants came in person to Neufchâtel, or sent ambassadors tosupport their pretensions. Amongst them were the King of Prussia, Margrave of Baden Dourlach, the Prince of Nassau, the Prince of Condé, the Marquis d'Algers, the Count of Montbeliard, &c. &c. In bestowing thesovereignty on the King of Prussia, care was taken that he shouldconfirm all the doubtful privileges of the people; for it is afundamental maxim of this little state, "_that the sovereignty residesnot in the person of the prince, but in the state_". 

The Neufchâtelois are permitted to serve in the armies of _any power, not at war with the Prince of Neufchâtel, as such_, and accordingly ithas happened that they have often fought against the Prussians in thewars of Frederic the Great. By the treaty of Tilsit, 1806, this statewas severed from Prussia, and given by Buonaparte to Marshal Berthier;but the recent events have restored it to the King of Prussia, and theinhabitants seem to bear the greatest attachment to his Majesty. I saw, in two places, the triumphal arches under which he passed in his latevisit to Neufchâtel. It appears probable that this will be acknowledgedas a canton by the Swiss Diet, but that the nominal sovereignty of theKing of Prussia will be preserved. The chief advantage his Majestyderives from this country is the supply of a great number of recruits tohis army. I saw a body of 1, 400 soldiers, of excellent appearance, setout on their march for Prussia. 

At the village of _St. Blaise_ we observed, under the sign of one of theinns, the sentiment, "_Honorez le Roi; soignez l'agriculture_" We nextproceeded to visit the celebrated lake of Bienne, which is about nineEnglish miles by four. The isle of St. Pierre, so much praised byRousseau, is situated near the centre of the lake, about a league fromCerlier, where we embarked for it. It is about half a league incircumference. The ancient convent is inhabited by a farmer, and the bedof the philosophic Rousseau is now at the command of any of his admirerswho may wish to repose in it. 

There is also a large building, which is in summer the scene of muchfestivity, and which commands an extensive and interesting prospect. 

One side of this island rises boldly from the lake to a great height;the other is on a level with its waters. It contains many vineyards, andseveral large chesnut trees. The town of Bienne, until its union toFrance in 1799, presented the singularity of a Protestant state beingnominally subject to a Roman Catholic prelate (the Bishop of Basle). Itsliberties were guaranteed by the Swiss Diet, where it sent arepresentative, a privilege the bishop did not possess. Its futuregovernment is not yet determined on. The country about Nydau moreresembles Holland and Switzerland, being marshy, or drained by Canals. Many Swiss writers are of opinion, that formerly the lakes ofNeufchâtel, Morat and Bienne were united; and the appearance of thecountry renders the supposition not improbable. 

The Pont de Thiel divides the territories of Rome and Neufchâtel; and itis also the limit of the French language, none of the peasants beyondthe bridge being able to answer any questions but in German. However, atall the chief inns, in both Switzerland and Germany, some of the waitersspeak French. It is difficult to suppose a more sudden change thanpresents itself to the traveller on his passing this bridge. The houses, dress, and appearance of the inhabitants, all announce that he isarrived in a country differing entirely from France, Savoy, and the Paysde Vaud. 

The enormous black crape head-dresses of the women have a most singulareffect, as well as their long hair, which reaches halfway down theirbacks, plaited into several divisions. It is said, that in somedistricts, the females after marriage, roll it round their heads. Thecostume of the men much resembles that of our sailors. Cotton or woollencaps are more worn than hats, as was the custom in England until aboutthe time of Henry the Eighth. 

We sent our baggage by the coach to Berne, and walked three leagues tobreakfast at Anet, in German _Eis_, a large village pleasantly situated. We observed that the direction posts had a translation into French ofthe German names, &c. ; a precaution very useful on the frontiers ofnations speaking two different languages. We found our inn extremelyneat, as indeed the inns generally are throughout Switzerland; and thatis one great advantage to the traveller which it possesses over France, where it is seldom that good accommodations can be procured at a countryinn. If the inns are more expensive than in France, the comfort isgreater also. The French talk much of the rapacity of the Swiss, andhave a common saying-, "_Point d'argent point de Suisse_"; but it wouldbe unreasonable to expect that the Swiss should give their servicesgratuitously to strangers; and, considering how much their country isfrequented by strangers, the guides, servants, &c. &c. Cannot be accusedof any particularly great extortion. Still, those who expect to findSwitzerland a cheap country will be disappointed, as many of their inns(particularly at Zurich) are more expensive than some in England. Therecan be, however, no country more agreeable to travel in than this, asthe scene is continually varying, and presents a succession of loftymountains, forests, cultivated grounds, lakes, rivers, and cascades, which will fully occupy the attention and excite the admiration of thetourist. The people are extremely civil. And those who understandGerman have assured me that they are also well informed. 

Although Anet is at such a short distance from the frontiers ofNeufchâtel, we found there were but two persons there who could speakFrench. One of them was our landlord, who provided us with a guide toconduct us to Mount _Iulemont, or Suslemont_ (which was the object wewished to see particularly, from previous report) as he could speak onlyGerman, our intentions were explained to him by the Landlord, and wemanaged, by signs, to understand enough for our purpose. Many of theGerman and English words have a strong resemblance; and a stranger inGermany is more likely to be understood by trying English than French, where neither are spoken. We at length arrived on the mountain, and weremuch pleased with the extensive prospect from it, which resembles a vastchart or map; the country surrounding us for many leagues in alldirections, being flat, although the view was terminated by distantmountains. From hence we saw, at the same time, the three lakes ofNeufchâtel, Bienne, and Morat, which had a beautiful effect. A travellershould not fail to visit this place. We continued our walk in theafternoon to Arberg, three and a half leagues further, through a plainwhich presented one of the most cheerful and interesting scenes I hadseen. It was quite covered with peasants, engaged in ploughing outpotatoes, and in gathering the leaves of the tobacco-plant, of whichthere was a vast quantity. We were constantly occupied in returningtheir salutations, as they seldom fail to speak to passengers. Thecountry was mostly unenclosed. I here observed the first extensive_beech_ woods I had yet seen on the Continent, which are occasionallymixed with fir, the most common timber in Switzerland. We arrived, aftersunset, at Arberg, where we found good accommodations after the fatiguesof the day. It takes its name from the river Aar, by which it issurrounded. At each end of the town is a wooden bridge covered, topreserve the timber from the weather. The town is a great thoroughfarebetween Berne, Neufchâtel, and the Pays de Vaud; and we observed, in themarket-place, several waggons stationed until morning. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. XIII. 

We proceeded next day to Morat. Its lake is about two leagues in lengthby three quarters of a league in breadth, and is said to be the onlylake in Switzerland where that voracious fish, the _silurus_, is found. There are many vineyards in this vicinity, but the wine is veryindifferent. It is, however said to produce the best _Kirschrvasser_, orCherry brandy in Switzerland. Morat is celebrated in history for thememorable victory obtained under its walls, by the Swiss, over theformidable army of the last duke of Burgundy in 1476. The bones of theBurgundians were piled up by way of monument on the field of battle. Thetriumph of the Swiss over their invaders was recorded by manyinscriptions, of which the following is admired for its simplicity. 

 D. O. M. Caroli incliti et fortissimi Burgundiæ ducis exercitus Muratum obsidiens, ab Helvetiis cæsus, hoc sui Monumentum reliquit, 1476. 

This trophy was destroyed by the French in 1798; as they, perhaps, feared that this memorial of the success of the Swiss, in contending fortheir liberty, should incite them again to rise against the descendantsof those whom they had formerly defeated; and their vanity was probablyhurt by the existence of a record, disadvantageous to their countrymen. 

We dined at the neat little village of Seedorf, and proceeded in theevening in an open carriage to Berne. Part of the road is very hilly, and at one time we had an interesting prospect of the island of _St. Pierre_, and the end of the lake of Neufchâtel, at about five or sixleagues distance. About half a league from Berne we passed the _Aar_(which is here a broad and rapid stream) by a long bridge of wood, covered according to the general custom in Switzerland. 

The city of Berne presents a _beautiful coup-d'oeil_, and is one of thefew places I have seen, where the interior does not greatly diminish theimpression, occasioned by the distant prospect. The road was lined bylofty trees, and presented a very cheerful scene. 

Berne is deservedly considered as _one of the handsomest cities inEurope_; it stands on a hill surrounded on two sides by the beautifulstream of the Aar; it is surrounded by higher grounds richly cultivated, and interspersed with woods, whilst the view is terminated by the snowysummits of the Alps. 

The chief street is half a league in length. The houses, which are ingeneral uniform, are built of free-stone upon piazzas, and have astately appearance, and there are several towers which add to thegeneral effect. In the middle of the street, runs a rapid stream, andthere is sufficient space for two carriages to pass at each side of it. Fountains are also placed at regular distances. The piazzas are flaggedand kept extremely neat; but, I should think, that in this climate theymust make the houses cold in winter. This was the first place since mydeparture from London, where I found a flagged way for the convenienceof pedestrians. 

Berne is not a city of very remote antiquity, having been founded inthe year 1191. It is 1650 feet above the level of the sea. Thefortifications are kept in tolerable order, but from the height of mostof the surrounding hills, above the city, cannot be considered as ofmuch utility. In the trenches are kept several very large stags, andalso several _bears_; there being an annual rent of 1200 livres fortheir support. This animal is thus favoured, as being the _armorialbearing_ of the city (to which it gives name) and these arms are everywhere to be seen, there being few barns without them. There are manyhandsome churches in Berne: the tower of the cathedral is very fine, andit contains many windows of stained glass. The public library is wellworth visiting; as is also the _botanic_ garden, which is on a mostextensive scale; in it is placed the tomb of the celebrated _Haller_. Iwas much struck by the great number of chemists' shops in Berne. Thebakers' shops also are very numerous, and the bread is inferior to nonein Europe. 

A stranger is surprised to see the _convicts chained to the carts_which are constantly in use to keep the streets clean. I confess thesight displeased me, and this system would not be tolerated in England, where I think there was an attempt to introduce it during the reign ofEdward the Sixth. The objects that most pleased me, at Berne, were the_public walks_, which are unequalled by any I have _ever_ seen, inrespect to their number, extent, and the neatness with which they arekept. The views from some of these walks are quite magnificent; one, inparticular, on an eminence beyond the city, which follows the course ofthe Aar for a long distance, commands a view which can never beforgotten by these who have seen it. The city is a striking object at adistance from the number of its spires; but although, from thespaciousness of its streets, it covers a good deal of ground, yet it isby no means populous, the inhabitants being only 11, 500, but there areno mendicants. The public roads, in the Canton of Berne, are kept inexcellent order, and every thing indicates the activity of theadministration. The government is an aristocracy, and I was informedthe chief power of of the state is vested in about twentyfour of theprincipal families. There are, doubtless, in general, many strongobjections against this form of government, but the comfort, opulence, and appearance of content, which is remarked in the Bernese is such, that it is impossible to suppose they are not well governed; the leastobservant traveller may soon perceive, by the appearance of a people, whether they are subject to a free or to a despotic government. Icannot, however, subscribe to Pope's opinion, "That which is best administered is best. "

The _form_ is still in my judgment the first requisite; nor can I agreethat the goodness consists in the mere administration. I visited theagricultural establishment of M. De Fellenberg, at Hofwyl, two leaguesfrom Berne, where may be learnt the principles of rural economy, andwhere annual fêtes are given for the encouragement of farming; and Ialso made an excursion to Hindelbanck, three leagues distant, where isa much admired monument, erected from a design of M. Nahl; it representshis wife, who died in child-bed, breaking; from her tomb with her childin her arms. The Canton of Berne, before the separation from it of theCantons of Vaud and Argovia, formed about a third of Switzerland; itspopulation is now about 300, 000. The country is fruitful, but like therest of Switzerland does not afford a sufficient supply of corn for itsinhabitants. Its fruit and vegetables are excellent. Its mountains feedvast herds of cattle, and there is abundance of game. Its exports areprincipally horses, cottons, watches, and kirschwasser, (or spiritextracted from the cherry) there are manufactories of silks, and woollenstuffs, and its gunpowder is in much estimation throughout Europe. Thesalt comes mostly from France, but does not cost above five sols thepound. Groceries are still dear, but are much reduced since the downfallof the continental system. This Canton first entered into the SwissConfederation, in 1353. I made some enquiries respecting clergy, from amost respectable minister of my acquaintance, who informed me, that thesenate appoint to all ecclesiastical benefices--that the clergy aredivided into _synods_ which assemble separately every year under thepresidency of a _Dean_, to examine into the conduct of each pastor, andto deliberate in the presence of the _Bailiff of the District_, concerning ecclesiastical affairs. The criminal code is well arranged, and justice is administered with a promptitude that merits the highestpraise, since legal delay often proves worse than injustice. 

I was doubtful in what direction I should next proceed, when I wasinduced, as the season was advanced, to give up the idea of visitingOberland, and to accompany a gentleman going to Lucerne; if the countrywas less romantic than that which I lost the opportunity of seeing, Iwas with a companion who would have rendered an excursion in any countryentertaining. We left Berne in an open carriage, and took the road toWorb, where we visited a _sawmill_, and were much pleased with thatuseful invention. There are near the village several of the mostextensive bleach-greens in Switzerland. At Luzelflüh we passed the riverEmmen, and soon after stopped some time whilst oar horses rested. I havenever been in a country where horses are taken better care of; they arealways in excellent condition, and after mounting any considerable hill, the driver does not fail to give them some slices of bread. 

As we proceeded, we were struck with the profusion of autumnal crocuses, with which the fields were enlivened, and stopped to sleep at theinconsiderable village of Sumiswald, where the inn, like the rest of thehouses, was entirely built of wood. We were shewn into an apartmentwhere several peasants were at supper, and on the table lay a newspaper, which (although its date was not very recent) seemed to interest themextremely. Several more peasants having come in, we were, as strangers, conducted into a more private room, but it was so _small_, as to give usthe idea that we were in a _box_. Our hostess was not long in preparingsupper, and as it was _extremely frugal_, she produced for us a bottleof _Neufchâtel wine_, of much better quality than one could haveexpected to meet with in so retired a situation. We set out at an earlyhour next morning, and, after passing through a vast forest of fir, arrived to breakfast at Zell, in the canton of Lucerne, where the numberof chapels by the road-side announced that the Roman Catholic was theestablished religion. The valley beyond Zell is extensive and wellwatered. The peasants display much ingenuity in _irrigating_ theirmeadows. The orchards are numerous, and, as well as the meadows, arerefreshed by _ductile streams_. In the centre of the valley rises alofty eminence, on the summit of which are the remains of the castle ofHapstalla, which, half concealed by a mass of wood, forms a conspicuousobject amidst the cultivation of the surrounding scenery. The smalltowns of Huttweil and Willisan present nothing worthy of remark; butSursee is a neat town, and the lake of Sempacli adds greatly to thecheerful appearance of the country, which it waters to a considerableextent. The town of Sempach is noted in history for the defeat ofLeopold, Duke of Austria, in 1386, by the forces of the Swissconfederation. The Duke, together with his chief nobility, perished inthe engagement, which is further memorable by the heroism of _ArnoldWinkdried_. The approach to Lucerne along the river Reuss is singularlybeautiful, the banks are steep and well wooded, and the distantappearance of the city, front the number of its turrets and spires, ishighly impressive. Its situation is certainly superior to that of anycity in Switzerland (Berne perhaps excepted). The mountains whichsurround that part of the lake seen from the town, immediately remindedme of the magnificent scenery of Killarney. The beauty of its situation, and the imposing aspect which Lucerne presents at a distance, rendersthe gloominess of its interior the more striking; and I do not know, whether coming from Berne, where all is activity, gave me theimpression, but I think I never was in a more melancholy and desertedtown of the same magnitude. The population is only 4, 000; but, to judgefrom its extent, it might contain at least three times that number. Itis difficult to account exactly for the causes of this inactivity, but Ishould be inclined to think some blame attaches to its government, ashere are no traces of that beneficial superintendence which is soperceptible at Berne, This city cannot even boast of a public library. There are at Lucerne several curious wooden bridges, to join thedifferent parts of the town separated by the river and the lake. Theyare from 5 to 600 feet in length, and one of them contains a vast numberof paintings from scriptural subjects, and also from the Swiss history. 

There are several handsome buildings at Lucerne, but many towns thatcannot boast of such a number, much exceed it in general appearance. 

We observed a great quantity of fruit for sale, and good peaches for onesol each. The celebrated plan, or rather, model, of this and the threesurrounding cantons, by General Pfiffer, is to be seen here on paymentof thirty sols; it is well worthy of a visit, and the General is said tohave refused _ten thousand pounds_ for it. Buonaparte is said to havewished to possess it. 

The lake of Lucerne, called also the lake of the _Four Cantons_, or the_Waldstraller See_, is one of the most picturesque pieces of water inSwitzerland, and by its numerous windings, as well as by the riverswhich fall into it, affords facilities for commerce, which areastonishingly neglected. 

Mont Pilate rises majestically from the lake. It is, perhaps, one of thehighest mountains in Switzerland, if measured from its base, and notfrom the level of the sea. Its elevation from the level of the lake is, according to the measurement of General Pfiffer, not less than 6000feet. Its name was, it is thought, given it by the Romans, from theaccumulation of snow upon its summit. 

Mount Rigi, so generally visited by travellers, presents anotherdistinguished feature in this romantic country. The ascent to thismountain having been within a few days rendered extremely difficult bya fall of snow, we were advised not to attempt it, and I the morereadily acquiesced, having found the ascent to Montanvert difficult, although unobstructed with snow. I therefore set out to visit twoclassic spots in the history of Switzerland, which distinguish the banksof this lake; first, the Grütli (the Runnimede of Switzerland), a fieldnow covered with fruit-trees, where the neighbouring cantons on the 12thof November, 1307, first took the engagement to found the liberty oftheir country. They carried their plan into execution on the 1st ofJanuary, 1308, by forcing their tyrannical governors to quit a countrythenceforward destined to be free. The second place is about a leagueand a half distant, it is the Rock of Aschen-berg, 5240 feet above thelevel of the lake (which is here 600 feet deep), on a part of which, called Tell Platte, that patriot killed the tyrant _Gessler_ here is asmall chapel. I also visited the little town of _Gersau_ (which was, bythe French, united to the canton of Schweitz), remarkable as being thesmallest republic existing in Europe, as it contains only _one hundredsquare toises_, and from 900 to 1000 inhabitants, who subsist chiefly byagriculture; there is besides, a small manufacture of cotton. Their_metropolis_ is a neat village, where only, perhaps; a pure democracysubsisted without anarchy and dissensions. 

The canton of Schweitz, which, at present, gives name generally to thewhole confederation of cantons, is said to have been first inhabited bysome persons forced to _quit Sweden_ by religious differences. The unionof this canton to those of Uri and Unterwald, first suggested that moreextended confederacy, so essential to the existence of these diminutivestates. 

Here the Roman Catholic is the only religion tolerated, but intolerancein Switzerland is not peculiar to the Roman Catholic cantons, as insome, _Calvinism_ only is permitted. At Brunnen I met some persons goingon a _pilgrimage_ to the shrine of Notre Dame des Ermites, atEinsiedlen, one of whom was a Frenchman, decorated with the _Lys_. Itwould be well for the Bourbons if all their subjects were possessed ofbut a small part of the loyalty which this gentleman expressed for them. Brunnen is a large and handsome town, situated on the lake; it was herethat the cantons of Schweitz, Uri, and Unterwald, concluded theirperpetual alliance. Altorf is the capital of the canton of _Uri_, itcontains many handsome houses, and here is the statue of William Tell, in the place where he was condemned to shoot the arrow at his son. Thecattle in this Canton, as well as in Schweitz, are large and handsome. Iwas told that many of their favourite cows had silver bells fastenedround their necks. The horses are also provided with tails of a largesize, the noise of which I thought extremely unpleasant, although oftenobliged to listen to it for many hours together. Stantz is the chieftown of Unterwald, but is only remarkable for its being prettilysituated. _In the three original_ cantons, every citizen on attainingthe age of sixteen, has the right of suffrage in the General Assemblies. On my return to Lucerne from this excursion, it appeared more gloomythan ever, and I determined on quitting it next morning for Zug. ThePope's nuncio resides in this town, as being the capital of the chiefRoman Catholic canton, and I observed sentinels at his door, althoughthere were none at the gates of the city. Lucerne was, under the Frenchsystem, the seat of the general government of Switzerland, now removedto Zurich. The canton of Lucerne is, in general, well cultivated, andcontains not less than 100, 000 inhabitants. Between Lucerne and Zug, Iobserved a number of peasants practising with the ancient weapons ofWilliam Tell, which they appeared to use with great dexterity. 

The badness of the road retarded considerably our arrival at Zug (Zoug, as it is pronounced and written in German); & small but neat town, andthe capital and only town of its Canton, which is the least inSwitzerland, containing only 30, 000 inhabitants, of whom 2500 inhabitthe capital. The lake, which washes the town, is about three leagueslong by one broad; one side of it presents a few mountains, but theother (nearest the town) is flat, marshy, and uninteresting. Between Zugand Zurich, we passed over the field of battle, where Zuingle, thereformer, lost his life; the plain is, I think, called Cappel. The road, which is still indifferent, passes through a country which resembles acontinued orchard. We passed the river _Sill_ by a long covered bridge, and stopped at a neat inn, where we found some honey not inferior to anyin France, although here they do not think it necessary (as in Poitou)to carry the hives of bees about the country, that by _travelling_ theymay collect every sort of perfume which it affords. Above the inn is amountain of vast height, which commands an extensive prospect over thesurrounding country. We soon after beheld one of the most magnificentscenes of which Switzerland can boast, the view of the lake of Zurich, from the hill above the village of Horgen. As it was evening when wearrived there, I could judge of the justness of Zimmerman's beautifuldescription of it at that time, which I had often admired at a periodwhen I had but faint expectation of ever seeing the scene itself. 

Before visiting Switzerland, I had often felt surprise, on consideringthe great variety of states which subsist in a country of suchcomparatively limited extent; but I no longer felt that astonishment, when I saw how completely many of the Cantons are divided from eachother, by chains of mountains, and how greatly their inhabitants differin their dress, manners, and religion. In one day, in the cantons ofBerne, Lucerne, and Zug, I saw three perfectly distinct modes of dress;and the enormous sleeves and crape head dresses of _Berne_, comparedwith the large flat hats, and short petticoats of Lucerne, are astotally different costumes as could be supposed to prevail in two of themost remote countries. The _political_ divisions of Switzerland arealmost as numerous as its geographical; and there are few countrieswhere more diversities of opinion prevail, respecting the means ofsecuring that liberty which is the boast of its inhabitants. 

At a distance, Zurich seems surrounded by beautiful hills, descendinggradually to the river Limmat, which, issuing from the lake, divides thecity into two unequal parts. These bills are rich in pastures andvineyards, interspersed with neat cottages; the horizon is bounded bythe mountains of Utliberg, which are connected with the Alps; forming, altogether, a very striking and interesting picture. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. XIV. 

On entering Zurich, it is impossible not to feel a sensation ofdisappointment, as its internal appearance by no means corresponds withthe beauty of the distant scene. Its streets are narrow and winding, andthe houses are mostly of mean architecture, but there are few placeswhere I observed more of the activity of commerce. Many of its churchesand public buildings are handsome. It boasts a population of 14, 000, anumber exceeding that of any town in Switzerland, Geneva excepted. TheCanton is next in importance to Berne, and contains 180, 000 inhabitants. 

The reformation was introduced here in 1523, by Ulric Zuingle, whosedeath was noticed in the last chapter; he, like _Pope Julius_, exchangedfor a time the mitre for the helmet. The inns at Zurich are moreexpensive than the hotels of Paris; they say it is owing to this beingthe seat of the Swiss Diet. I had the honour of dining in company withseveral of the Deputies (at the public table at the Sword Tavern) andthey seemed very inquisitive as to the state of affairs in England. Ourcompany exceeded thirty, and the dinner was unusually tedious: thisseems to have been _expected_, as there were pans of _charcoal_ or_ashes_, placed under the principal dishes, which had a very unpleasanteffect. A _band of music_, stationed in an adjoining room, only servedto add to the confused noise of the servants, without allowing us tojudge of the beauty of the music, or of the merits of the musicians; andI felt no regret when the master of the band at length thought fit thatwe should purchase an interval of quiet. Before I quitted Zurich, I wasdesirous of making an excursion on its lake, and accordingly joined aparty in visiting Rapperschwill, which is situated in a charmingcountry, but is chiefly remarkable for its bridge, constructed of wood, over that part of the lake which is by a promontory reduced to the widthof 1800 feet, forming, perhaps, the longest bridge in Europe, exceptthat of St. Esprit, near Nismes, which is 3000 feet. The bridge ofPrague is 1700 feet, and that of Westminster 1200. 

Soon after my return from this excursion, I set out for Schaffhausen;but after we had lost sight of the lake and city of Zurich, the countryhad nothing to interest the traveller. About a league from Zurich is theGreinfensee, but that piece of water is not interesting, either in pointof scenery or extent. The river Glatt flows through the plain; it hasnone of the characteristics of a Swiss stream, "_but choked with sedges, works its weary way_. "

About two leagues further, we passed the river Jòss, which, by thebeauty of its windings amongst wooded hills (on one of which stands anancient castle) convinced us that we had not yet altogether bid farewellto the romantic scenery of Switzerland. 

The woods here are very extensive, and almost entirely composed of fir;they produce annually a succession of plants which form an underwood, and greatly contribute to the beauty of the scene, by concealing thenaked stems of the older trees. 

The houses in the villages in the canton of Zurich much resemble thosein England, being mostly built of plaster, and roofed with tiles. I waspleased with this change, after the heavy wooden houses, and projectingroofs (of nearly three times the height of the building) usually seen inthe canton of Berne. They do not tend to enliven the country like thoseof Zurich, where the eye notices the contrast between the whitenedcottages and green meadows. We spent a day at Winterthur, which is aconsiderable municipal town, rendered lively by trade. The manufactoryof oil of vitriol is on a large scale, and is worthy of attention. Thereare several bleach-greens in the neighbourhood, as well as manyvineyards, but of no great celebrity. The public library is extensive, and there is also a considerable collection of medals. 

We left Winterthur on foot, as the bridge over the river Thur was underrepair, and not passable for a carriage, and as we wished to approachthe _fall of the Rhine_ by this road. We breakfasted at _Adelfaigen_, three leagues distant, and near the town were ferried over the Thar. About two hours afterwards, we heard the distant roar of the Cataract, and although I had heard so much previously of the grandeur of thescene, yet I was not disappointed with the sight. There are many fallsmuch greater in point of height, and I had seen two previously whichexceed the present one in that particular, but then the force of Waterwas there inconsiderable and uncertain: here one of the greatest riversin Europe falls with inconceivable force down a perpendicular height offrom sixty to eighty feet. The colour of the Rhine is greenish, and themixture of the water with the foam, has a curious effect. The castle ofLauffen hangs over the river, and appears to tremble from the force ofthe Cataract. 

The surrounding scenery is bold and picturesque, and when viewed from aboat on the river, the effect is very striking. There is a _cameraobscura_ placed in an ancient castle, which projects into the fiver, andwhich we admired extremely. It is supposed that the height of thiscelebrated cascade is much diminished from what it was formerly, and ifwe consider the vast force of the torrent which the rock has sustainedfor ages, it seems but reasonable to conclude, that it must have yieldedto such powerful and long continued assaults. We remained a considerabletime contemplating this magnificent scene, and then returned through thevillage of Lauffen, and observed that the spire of its _church_ wascovered with _painted tiles_, which in this district seem a commonspecies of decoration. 

We observed the peasants in many places employed in making _cyder_, which they but seldom think of doing except the season has provedunfavourable for the _vines_. I was told that here, as in Burgundy, the_last favourable vintage was that of_ 1811, and that consequently theproprietors of the vineyards (of which the cultivation is so expensive)were much distressed. 

The red stockings of the peasants in this Canton have a remarkableappearance, and reminded me of the dress of the theatre. 

Schaffhausen is the capital of the Canton of that name, and is built onthe right bank of the Rhine. Its bridge is but lately completed, in theplace of the ancient one, constructed by _Grubenman_, which wasconsidered as a great architectural curiosity, but was destroyed duringone of the campaigns in this country. The town of Schaffhausen is wellbuilt, and has a handsome appearance. Its population is calculated at7000, and that of the Canton at 23, 000. 

The reformed religion was introduced here in 1529. The clergy are paidby the state, but their allowance is far from liberal. _Many sumptuarylaws_ exist here, and dancing is prohibited by them, except underparticular circumstances. I am, however, inclined to question whetherthese laws are still enforced. 

In the vicinity of the town are some manufactories of linens, cottons, and silks. The country is well cultivated, and the road betweenOerlingen and Bancken affords an extensive prospect of the Swissmountains, which seem ranged in array to bid a last farewell to thedeparting traveller, who cannot but feel regret on leaving a country notless distinguished for the magnificence of its scenery, than for thesimplicity and good nature of its inhabitants. 

At Schaffhausen I made many inquiries respecting the celebrated_Schabecyge_ or _Chapsigre_ cheese (made in the canton of Glarus) andfound that the principal ingredient which gives it so strong a perfumeis the _trifolium odoratum_, or _meliot odorant_. The aromatic qualitiesof this cheese render it very wholesome. The _Swiss tea_, composed of_mountain herbs_, is said to be so likewise; it is not, however, verypalatable as a beverage, nor should I think it very effectual as aremedy. If it meets in general with no greater approbation than it didin a party where I saw it tried, Switzerland cannot expect to carry onany trade in this article, sufficient to prejudice the exclusivecommerce which the East India Company enjoy with China. 

There being nothing to detain, me at Schaffhausen, I was induced, at therequest of a Doctor of the University of Leipsic, with whom I becameacquainted at Zurich, to join him in proceeding in the diligence intoGermany. I found this conveyance, although tedious, yet little if at allinferior to those in France (although I had understood the contrary inthat country). The Doctor would have been a most agreeable companion, but for his unfortunate love of tobacco; _his pipe_ was hardly well_extinguished_, before he was busy in striking his flint to _rekindle_it. He seemed much surprised that I did not smoke, and still more sowhen I told him it was not usual in England to smoke in _company_; forin Germany, after dinner and in the evening, when ladies are present, itis usual to smoke a segar. The Doctor seemed to meditate a journey intoEngland, but I doubt whether he will find any thing there sufficient toafford him an equivalent for the abandonment of the _six pipes_ which hetold me he used alternately at Leipsic. 

The others who composed our party had also their pipes, but weremoderate in using them. 

The Germans are an extremely civil people compared with the French; atraveller is better treated among them, without the perpetual_affectation of superiority_; and, in the parts where I have been, hewill have no reason to regret the change from a French to a German inn. 

The general civility I met with in _Germany_, and the pains the peopleoften took to make themselves understood, as well as to understand, andsupply whatever might be requisite, claims my best acknowledgments. Ihad occasion to observe the truth of the remark, that there are manywords, and expressions, very similar in the English and Germanlanguages; they further agree in being the two languages in Europe, themost difficult to be learnt by a stranger. 

The Sunday dress of the peasants resembles that worn a century ago inEngland. Woollen caps are little used in Germany; and, in Suabia, Iobserved cocked hats were very general. 

It was late in the day when we left _Schaffhausen_. Our road laythrough a country, where the succession of woods, shewed us, that the_Black Forest_, although reduced, was not destroyed, and occasionally wehad extensive views towards Switzerland. We had fallen into that sort of_reverie_ which most travellers experience towards the close of the day, and which generally suspends conversation, the mind findingentertainment in its own illusions, when we were roused by findingourselves in Deutlingen. We here passed the _Danube_, which isinconsiderable, when compared with the vast size it afterwards acquires, by the junction of other considerable rivers, in the various countrieswhich it fertilizes by its waters. We reposed here for some hours, andto my astonishment the Doctor, laying aside his pipe, entertained uswith his performance on a piano forte, which was in the room, and whenhis tea arrived his place was occupied by another performer. 

The passion of the Germans for _music_ is very strong, and certainlythis was a more agreeable mode of passing the evening, than thetiresome recurrence of political discussions, so general in France, andwhich seldom fail to end in unpleasant altercations. At Deutlingen weentered the kingdom of Wurtemberg; and our passports, which had beensigned previously to our leaving Schaffhausen, were here re-examined: atStutgard they were again demanded, and although the Royal Arms wereaffixed by the police there, yet at Ludwigsburg, we were detained halfan hour for further scrutiny, although it is only one stage fromStutgard. The Grand Dukes of Baden, and of Hesse Darmstadt, whosedominions we next entered, were less suspicious and were satisfied atour writing down our names and destination. There are few countries moresub-divided than Germany. Its ancient constitution was described as, "_Confusio divinitùs conservata_, " and a _confusion_ it certainly was, for the circle of Suabia alone, contained _four ecclesiastical, andthirteen secular principalities: nineteen independent abbies andprelacies, and thirty-one free cities_. This list was, however, greatlyreduced during Buonaparte's supremacy in Germany; he increased thedominions of Baden, Bavaria, and Wurtemberg with the spoils of theecclesiastical possessions, and of the free cities. He nearly doubledthe territory of Wurtemberg, and its population was increased from700, 000 to 1, 300, 000. The territory of Baden is of great length, butnarrow; its population is now increased to 940, 000. The Germans are, ingeneral, extremely anxious for the re-establishment of the _ancientsystem_; as, notwithstanding its defects, it afforded them an appealfrom the tyranny of their numerous sovereigns to the _Diet and theEmperor_, besides that it _united the Germans as one people_. On thedissolution of the old system, the several princes of the"_Confederation of the Rhine_" became _absolute_ over their ownsubjects, but _military vassals to Buonaparte, who, like Cade, wascontent they should reign, but took care to be Viceroy over them_. 

The _game laws_ are much and justly complained of in Germany. InWurtemberg they are particularly oppressive. The farmers, however, seemmore opulent than in France. The possessions of many of the nobility aremuch neglected, as they reside almost entirely at one of the greatcapitals. Suabia is generally unenclosed, and is not often enlivened bycountry houses, the inhabitants residing together in villages. Its tradeconsists in the sale of its cattle, which are in vast numbers, togetherwith that of its _corn_, wood, and wines, which are occasionally oftolerably good quality. The kingdom of Wurtemberg is extremely fruitful, and is well watered by the Necker, as well as by several smallerstreams. After supplying its own population, which is as numerous as canbe found in most parts of Europe of the same extent, it exports vastquantities of grain to Switzerland. Almost the whole kingdom consists ofwell-wooded mountains, and of cultivated plains; and farming seems to bewell understood. 

The posts are conducted in a much better manner than I had expected. Thedrivers are all provided with a French horn, and wear the royal livery, yellow and black, with which colours also the direction-posts arepainted. The roads are in excellent order, and mile-stones are regularlyplaced; these roads are vastly superior to those in the states of Badenand Darmstadt, where there are a number of turnpikes. The travellercannot fail to perceive that the activity of the government ofWurtemberg, much exceeds that of many of the surrounding states. Webreakfasted at Bahlingen, a handsome and regularly built town. Here wewitnessed a dreadful accident: the conductor of the diligence, a largeand heavy man, whilst arranging some packages, fell from the top of thecarriage into the street, and laid open one side of his head, and had hefallen on a pavement it would probably have proved fatal. A surgeon wasimmediately sent for, who informed us that the wound was not very deep, and that he hoped it would have no serious effects. Our next stage wasHeckingen, in the little state of Hohenzollern. The ancient castle ofthat name is situated on an eminence, and is visible, for many leagues, in all directions. The territories of this state are about fifteenmiles by ten, and contain about 30, 000 inhabitants: but I believe thereare two reigning families; those of _Hohenzollem Heckingen_ and_Hohenzollern Sigmaringen_. This house is of considerable eminence; theroyal family of Prussia are descended from a junior branch, which becamepossessed by purchase of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, and thusfounded a power, which being aggrandized by the policy of succeedingsovereigns, now holds so distinguished a place in the political scale ofEurope. We soon quitted the territories of the princes of Hohenzollern, and again entered Wurtemberg, and after passing for several leagues overa highly improved country arrived at Tubingen. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. XV. 

Tubingen is a large and ancient town, containing about 5000 inhabitants:its situation is low, and it is chiefly worthy of notice, as being oneof the most celebrated _universities_ of the south of Germany. I wasinformed by one of its members who travelled in the Diligence, that thenumber of students did not then exceed 250, but that he had no doubt itwould increase as public affairs assumed a more settled appearance. Hereis little of that academic discipline, which distinguishes ouruniversities. There are no colleges, and the students live in privatehouses, according to their respective inclinations. There are eightprofessors, and an attendance on the lectures of such of them as thestudent may prefer seems to constitute the sum of his academic duty. There is a large botanic garden, which is kept in good order, andcontains a long range of green-houses and stoves. 

I here agreed to accompany a gentleman of my acquaintance, who wishedto _travel post_ to Frankfort: and had no reason to regret having leftthe Diligence, with the tediousness of which I was heartily tired. Weset out accordingly in a sort of cabriolet, resembling a coveredcurricle, for Stutgard. We found much less delay at each post than wewere led to expect; and part of the time was employed in greasing andexamining the wheels of the carriage before starting: this customprevents many accidents, for that operation for which no time isspecified, is commonly neglected. 

The price of each station is regulated by government; and thepostmasters and drivers are very civil and obliging; but the celeritywith which every thing is procured at an English inn, is not to beexpected here, as the Germans are habitually slow in all theirmovements. 

A German dinner is still more tedious than a French one, and it isperhaps yet more foreign to our taste. The custom of sleeping between_feather beds_, as it may be altered by the traveller, if unpleasant tohim, cannot be considered as a _grievance_; but all who have beenaccustomed to the _social and companionable cheerfulness of a fire_, must regret that custom, which here substitutes for it, the _dull andunenlivening heat of a stove_. 

That fire-place, which is so essential to the comfort of our apartments, is by German taste placed in the passage and shut up, whilst heat isconveyed into their rooms by flues. 

We arrived at Stutgard without the occurrence of any thing worthy ofmention, and were much pleased with its general appearance; its streetsare spacious, and the houses mostly well built. The city has increasedconsiderably in size, since it has become the constant residence of itssovereign. Its population is estimated at 24, 000. It is an open place, but although there are no fortifications there are gates, the only useof which are to detain the traveller whilst his passport is underexamination. The reformed religion is here established, but the churcheshave nothing to boast of in appearance. The palace is a handsomebuilding of Italian architecture, surrounding three sides of a square. It is built of hewn stone, and over the centre entrance is placed alarge _gilt crown_. Not far from the modern palace is the ancient_Château_, surrounded by a deep ditch, and flanked by gloomy bastions, formerly the requisites to a prince's residence, but incompatible withthe luxury sought for in a modern palace. 

Wishing to judge of the taste of a German palace, we procured a _Valetde Place_ to conduct us over this; we found it fitted up in a mannerwhich corresponded in many points to that usual in great houses inEngland. The suites of rooms are very numerous, but they are mostly ofsmall dimensions. Every apartment is provided with a musical clock. Themarbles, carpets, china, and glass lustres, are generally the productionof Wurtemberg. Many of these productions display much taste, and seem todeserve the encouragement they receive. 

A few of the rooms had fire-places, and almost all of them had to boastof some specimens of the industry and ingenuity of the _Queen_, eitherin painting or embroidery. There is a museum of considerable extent, which opens into the _King's Private Library_, where the books are allconcealed behind large _mirrors_, so that we could not judge of eitherthe value or taste of the selection. In a building near the palace, isthe King's Public Library, but we were told there was nothing in itparticularly worthy of notice. There are but very few paintings by thegreat masters in this palace; but we were particularly struck by aportrait of _Frederick_ the Great, by a German artist. I have forgottenhis name; but this portrait proves his skill. 

The Council Chamber is a handsome apartment, and contains two marblefigures of _Silence_ and _Meditation_. The Council Table is _long andnarrow_, which would not meet with _Lord Bacon's_ approbation, as, if Irecollect right, he gives the preference to a _round table_, where allmay take a part, instead of a long one, where those at the top chieflydecide. We next visited the royal stables, which contain a vast numberof fine horses, the King being very fond of the chase. 

I was informed, that in his _Private Stables_ here and at Ludwigsburg, there were from 700 to 800 horses, a number which exceeds that of mostprinces in Europe. The garrison of Stutgard consists of about 3000 men. We saw some of the troops go through their evolutions; and I have seldomseen a finer body of men. The band was remarkably fine. On the paradewere two little boys, sons of Prince Paul, who were decorated withstars. Having sufficiently satisfied our curiosity at Stutgard, weproceeded to Ludwigsburg, one stage distant, where there is a handsomeroyal palace adorned with extensive gardens, and many enclosures forgame, of great extent. The town is not large, but is regularly built;and the houses, as at Stutgard and many other places in Germany, areremarkable for having a vast number of windows. After some delay about_passports_, we were suffered to proceed, as they sometimes will notgive post horses without examining the passports. Beyond the town we metseveral waggons, one of them I remarked was drawn by fourteen horses. There is much more traffic on this road than on any I had yet travelled. 

We passed through but one great town, Heilbron, formerly an imperialfree city, but which, together with Ulm and many others, was _given_ byBuonaparte to the King of Wurtemberg. It is a tolerably well builtplace; and from the number of vessels in the river, I conclude it has ashare of trade. The country round it is unenclosed, and for a greatdistance we saw no pastures, to that they must support their cattle onartificial crops. At Furfeld we could procure no accommodation, it beingfull of company; we were therefore, notwithstanding the lateness of thehour, obliged to go on to Sinzheim. We parried the rain tolerably well(the carriages are but partly covered) with our umbrellas; and escapednarrowly a more serious disaster, having been nearly overturned by awaggon, which broke one side of our carriage. 

We found the inn small, but the people particularly obliging. Iperceived that they expected some personage of great importance, as thelandlady questioned our driver repeatedly whether _Der Cossack_ hadarrived at the last stage. It was not, however, until we had retired torest, that the expected guest arrived; and if importance is to bemeasured by noise, his must have been great indeed. 

Our road to Heidelberg lay for several miles along the banks of theNecker, which are well-wooded, and adorned with several villages, and alarge convent. The gate by which we entered Heidelberg, is a remarkablyfine piece of Grecian architecture. The city is large and well built;but there is little appearance of trade or activity amongst itsinhabitants. The _Castle_ is situated on a steep hill above the town, and its terrace commands a vast prospect over a plain, enlivened by thewindings of the river, as well as by the spires of the city. This palacewas the residence of the electors palatine, and must have been a finepiece of Gothic architecture. It was laid waste, together with the_whole palatinate_, in consequence of those orders which will for everdisgrace the memory of Lewis the Fourteenth. 

It is, however, still striking; and although the scene is _silent anddesolate_, it is _unquestionably grand_. 

In a building adjoining the castle, is the famed _Tun of Heidelberg_, constructed by one of the electors at the suggestion of his buffoon, whose statue is placed near this enormous tun, which can contain 326, 000bottles. We were told that _the jester_ (some will not allow him to becalled _the fool_) assisted his master in drinking eighteen bottles ofthe best Rhenish wine daily. The table where they sat, near the tun, isstill shewn. The country about Heidelberg and Manheim is from itsfertility called the _Garden of Germany_; but I have seen in Germanymuch finer districts. It is a well cultivated plain, and abounds withvineyards: beyond Manheim is a greater extent of ground under potatoes, than I have ever met with before out of Ireland. There is but littlewood, and the roads run between rows of walnut and cherry trees. Manheimis considered as one of the handsomest cities in Germany, being builton a regular plan. It consists of twelve streets, intersected at rightangles by eight others; but there is in this regularity a _sameness_which soon tires the eye. 

The Rhine passes close on one side of the city, and the Necker washingthe other side, soon after falls into the Rhine, over which there is abridge of boats. The palace is in a fine situation, and _next toVersailles_, is the largest structure for the residence of a sovereignthat I have seen. This city became the residence of the electorspalatine, after the destruction of the Castle of Heidelberg, and thepalace was erected in consequence. On the accession of the reigningfamily to Bavaria, Munich became their capital, and this palace wasneglected. Subsequent changes have transferred this country to the GrandDuke of Baden, who continues to reside at Carlsruhe. 

It would now require vast sums to restore this edifice; which willprobably be soon as desolate as the Castle of Heidelberg, with which, however, it could never stand a comparison, either in point ofsituation or architecture. There are some handsome walks near thepalace, which extend along the Rhine, where the fortifications have beendemolished. There are some spacious squares in the city; that before thetown-house is adorned by a handsome _bronze fountain_. The population ofthe city has been estimated at 24, 000; but it has probably ratherdiminished of late. Several of the tradespeople exhibit the arms ofBaden over their shops, and boast of supplying their sovereign's familywith various articles; but trade has every appearance of being here at avery low ebb. The road for some leagues beyond Manheim was by far theworst we had yet passed in Germany; but then we had made a _detour_ invisiting Manheim, which does not lie on the direct road to Frankfort. 

The next place of any note was Darmstadt, the residence of the grandduke of Hesse Darmstadt: it seems a place of recent origin, where muchhas been attempted and but little completed. There are several spaciousstreets marked out, and a few good houses dispersed over a considerableextent of ground, which give it a melancholy appearance. 

Its situation is not well chosen, as it is in a sandy plain, without anyriver in the vicinity. 

We visited the old castle or palace, situated in the centre of the town, which seems now used as a barrack. The number of troops seemed veryconsiderable, and they are not inferior to the Wurtembergers inappearance. Near the old palace are handsome gardens laid out in theEnglish taste, which were much frequented on Sunday. The present grandduke inhabits a palace in the suburbs, which has little to boast of. 

A few hours drive brought us to Frankfort. The country for the most partis flat, and abounds with woods, but, except near Frankfort, has littleto interest the traveller. We found that great commercial city fullyanswerable to our expectations. Every thing announces the opulence ofits inhabitants. The streets are spacious, and adorned with houses farsurpassing any that either Paris or London can boast of. Some of thegreat merchants maybe literally said to inhabit palaces. There are avast number of inns; some of them are on a great scale, and worthy to beranked among the best in Europe. I observed in the streets here a greaternumber of _handsome private carriages_ than I had seen in Paris. Although the _situation_ of Frankfort is not remarkable, in apicturesque point of view, when compared with some other cities, yet itis extremely advantageous for its inhabitants, being placed in thecentre of the richest country in Germany, whilst the Mein and Rhineafford every facility for commerce. The roads are also in excellentorder. That between Frankfort and Mayence is paved, and is perhaps themost frequented in Germany. There are various well-known manufactures, and the shops are supplied with the productions of all countries. Ifirst noticed here the custom of having small mirrors projecting intothe streets, that the inhabitants may see, by reflection, what passes inthem. 

The advantages of Frankfort for commerce have attracted a vast numberof Jews, and reconcile them to many regulations, imposed by themagistrates, which otherwise they would not submit to. Their numbers aresaid to exceed 6, 000 in a total population of nearly 50, 000. The fame ofFrankfort is not, however, merely of a commercial nature. It can boastof having produced many of the most eminent _literary_ characters ofGermany. 

All religions are here tolerated; but, under its old constitution, themembers of government were Lutherans, and Calvinists were excluded fromany share in the management of affairs. The present magistrates are onlyprovisionally appointed since the late change in its situation. Thecathedral is a venerable Gothic edifice, as is also the town-house; butFrankfort is more remarkable for a general air of magnificence than forthe exclusive elegance of any particular buildings. There are seven oreight gates to the city, some of which are handsome, and adorned withstatues of many worthies, whose names I could not learn. The busts ofAlexander and Roxana were however too conspicuous to escape notice; buttheir connexion with Frankfort I am not antiquary enough to trace. Frankfort cannot be considered as a fortified place. Its bastions areplanted with shrubs, and form a pleasant walk for the citizens. _Hamburg_ has recently afforded a melancholy example of the evil whichwalls may bring upon a commercial city; and the people of Frankfortcannot regret the use to which their bastions are applied. I was, by thefavour of a merchant, to whom I had an introduction, admitted as atemporary member of the _Casino_, or _Public Institution_. It is one ofthe best conducted establishments I have seen. There are not less than110 _newspapers_, besides other periodical publications; and, after aninterval of two months, I was glad again to peruse an English newspaper. The reading-room, like the council-chamber at Stutgard, is adorned by afigure of Silence, and I think the hint seems well observed. There are, however, several very spacious and elegantly decorated apartments, forconversation, cards, billiards, &c. These rooms are frequented by ladiesin the evenings, and then bear some resemblance to a London rout. The_concerts_ at Frankfort are remarkably good. There is only one theatre;and, as the performance was in German, I only went once out ofcuriosity. The number of villas around Frankfort are numerous andhandsome, and the villages are large, and have every appearance ofopulence. Here are many fine orchards, and the _cider of Afschaffenburg_can be only distinguished from wine by a connoisseur. 

At Hochst, six miles from Frankfort, stands the large edifice noticed byDr. Moore, as having been built by a great tobacconist of Frankfort, outof spite to the magistrates of that city, with whom he had quarrelled;and he endeavoured to induce merchants to settle here. His plan, however, failed, and this great building is almost uninhabited. Thisvillage is at present chiefly remarkable for a manufacture of porcelainof excellent quality. 

Great preparations were making at Frankfort to celebrate the anniversaryof the glorious battle of Leipsig; and I was present at the inspectionof about 6, 000 men, preparatory to the great review on the eighteenth. There were many ladies present, and, although the weather was far frombeing warm, yet few of them wore bonnets. In general their hair wasrolled round their heads. 

Not being able to delay any longer in Frankfort, I took the road to_Mayence_, and passed through the large village of _Hochheim_, whichcontains 300 families. It was formerly the property of the chapter ofMayence, but its future destiny is at present undecided. From this placeis derived the English name of _Hock_, which is applied to all the wineof the _Rhingau_. There are vast numbers of vineyards and fruit-treesaround the village; and, from a hill above it, is seen the junction ofthe Mayn with the Rhine, in the midst of this rich country. The watersof the Mayn are of a dark hue, but do not, however, succeed inobscuring altogether the colour which the Rhine brings from Switzerland, and which I had so much admired at Schaffhausen. From the bridge ofboats, which is 1, 400 feet in length, and which forms the communicationbetween Mayence and Cassel, one sees the Rhine forced by mountains tochange its northerly direction, and, after forming some small islands itruns for some distance to the eastward. The mountains, which change thecourse of this vast river, form the _Rhingau_ so celebrated for itswines. That of the village of _Rudesheim_ is particularly noted forproducing the best wine of the Rhingau, and consequently of Germany. TheFrench had expended vast sums on the fortifications of _Cassel_ and_Mayence_, and rendered the latter one of the keys of Germany, as wellfrom its strength as from its situation. They had always a great depothere, which considerably benefited the city; the loss of that advantageis much regretted. 

When seen from the bridge (which is longer than that of Westminster)Mayence presents a striking appearance on account of its spires, and thevessels that line its quay, which presents a scene of considerableactivity. On the customhouse were displayed the flags of Austria, Prussia, and Bavaria; but to which of those powers the city is to besubject is still undetermined. On the river are a great number ofcorn-mills, necessary where there is so great a garrison. The barracksare handsome, and on a large scale. The general appearance of theinterior of Mayence is bad. The streets are in general narrow, dirty, and intricate. Near the castle are some good houses. 

The cathedral is one of the largest buildings in _Germany_, It hassuffered considerably in the late wars, and is now covered with wood. Its appearance is not, however, very striking, and it is surrounded withmean houses. I observed that a statue, "_a l'Empereur_" is stillstanding in front of one of the houses in this city. Its population issaid to be 26, 000. The inhabitants, for a considerable distance roundMayence, subsist principally by agriculture. They export their grain onthe Rhine to Switzerland. They have abundance of vegetables, and thelower orders live a good deal on cabbage, which is here of a large size. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. XVI. 

At Mayence I embarked on the Rhine for Cologne (above 100 English milesdistant), to see the banks of a river so highly celebrated. Our companyin the boat was not numerous, and would have been sufficientlyagreeable, but for the continual _political rhapsodies_ of twoFrenchmen, one of whom was an officer, and spoke with confidence ofrecovering all the conquests of France. These Frenchmen, in spite of theremonstrances of the Germans present, insisted, like the physicians inMolière, _that they best knew what was for their good_, and that they(the Germans) mast be again united to France. One of these politiciansasked me, if I did not think that Talleyrand would demand the left bankof the Rhine, as _essential_ to France, at the congress of Vienna. Ianswered, I did not think it was probable he would ask for countrieswhich France had so recently relinquished, nor was it to be expectedthat the Allies would, to oblige him, depart from their principle ofrestraining France within those boundaries, which had, for centuries, been found as extensive as were consistent with the tranquillity of therest of Europe; and that, for my own part, I could not conceive theacquisition of those provinces to be _essential_ to France, which hadnever been more prosperous than at a period when she formed nopretensions to so great an aggrandizement. 

Waving any further discussions on a subject which the _vanity_ of thesegentlemen would have extended _ad infinitum_, or, at least, longer thanI wished, I left them to their own lucubrations, and went on deck tocontemplate the grandeur of the scenery which surrounded us, and whichwas reflected in the transparent waters of the Rhine. The river hereresembles a succession of lakes, and is surrounded in many places bysuch lofty mountains, that I was often at a loss to guess on which sidewe should find an opening to continue our course. The country along theRhine is considered as one of the richest districts in Europe; itabounds with considerable towns, and with villages which, in othercountries, would be considered as towns. Almost every eminence iscrowned with an ancient castle, and there is scarcely a reach of theriver which does not exhibit some ruin in the boldest situation that canbe imagined. The houses too being mostly white, and covered with blueslates, add considerably to the beauty of the scene. 

The _Tour de Souris_ is situated on an island near the _Gulph ofBingerlock_, where the river presents a curious appearance, beingextremely agitated by hidden rocks, and the different currents are veryviolent. We dined at Bingen, where the Noh falls into the Rhine. Themountains of Niederwald cast a considerable shade around, and themixture of woods and vineyards is highly picturesque, but the vinesbeing mostly blighted, had this year the same autumnal tint as thetrees. In this country, the vine is _almost the only product_ of thesoil, and the inhabitants, who subsist chiefly by it, now behold withregret its withered state, and are melancholy and inactive, instead ofbeing engaged in the pleasing cares of the vintage. 

This is the _third year_ here, as well as in Burgundy and otherdistricts, since there has been a favourable vintage; and it is only bymixing some of the vintage of 1811, with that of the subsequent years, that the inhabitants can dispose of a small portion of this inferiorproduce. 

Boppart was the former residence of the electors of Treves, but thePalace is now falling to decay. Whilst contemplating this moulderingpile, I was struck with the well-known sounds of our national air, '_Godsave the King_, ' which some of the company below sang in chorus (beingprobably tired of the politics of the Frenchmen, as much as I was), thisair being originally German. The evening was fine for the season, andabout sun-set, several of the distant hills presented a fine appearance, having bonfires ou their tops, this being the 18th of October, whichwill be long celebrated in commemoration of the decisive battle ofLeipzig. Most of the company came on deck to witness the effect of thebonfires. The Germans seemed delighted at the sight which the Frenchmensurveyed in silence. One of them, however, soon recovering hisloquacity, asked me if I had been at _Paris_, which he said was thegreatest city in the world, and _larger than London_. 

This I could not assent to, being contrary to fact. Yet it would hedifficult for _French ingenuity_ to prove what _benefits_ result to acountry from an overgrown capital. _Superiority_ is, however, all theycontend for. We soon saw the singular building (in an island) called the_Palatinate_; it is now used as a public granary, and was _illuminated_in honour of the day, as was also the neat village of St. Goar, where wepassed the night. _All_ seemed to partake of the festivity, and _I_could net discern in the inhabitants any symptoms of regret that theywere no longer subject to France. 

Having set out at an early hour, we reached Coblentz to breakfast. It isa large town, containing 12, 000 inhabitants, and is advantageouslysituated at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine. It was garrisonedchiefly by the _Royal Guards of Saxony_, who exceeded in appearance anytroops I had seen on the Continent. Some of them are stationed in theci-devant palace, which is situated close to the river. 

The lofty mountain opposite the town is covered with the _ruins ofEhrenbreitstein_, which was at one time considered as the strongestfortress on the Rhine. Opposite the town was a bridge of boats, but itwas destroyed in the last war, and a flying bridge is substituted protempore. The Rhine is so rapid near Andernach, as never to freeze in theseverest winter, and it here proceeds longer in a straight course, thanI had yet seen in any part. Neuwied, although subject to inundations, isa large well built and commercial town. Lower down, on the left bank ofthe river, I observed an obelisk, which I found, on inquiry, was erectedto the French General Marsan, who fell during the period of the firstinvasion of Germany by the French republicans. Still farther, and closeto the river, stands an ancient building, called _The Devil's House_, but, from what circumstance, I could not exactly discover. Someattribute it to the vast number of windows which it contains. 

The situation of Lowdersdorf is highly picturesque, and the surroundinghills are shaded with woods of great antiquity. We here saw severalrafts of timber of large dimensions, proceeding slowly down the stream. At Linz, the landsturm were mustered to fire a volley, as the victory ofLeipzig was celebrated for two or three days in most parts of Germany. At Bonn, I witnessed further rejoicings, and the illuminations presenteda highly pleasing effect when beheld from the river. I was at this placeinvited to a _ball and supper_, where I remained until a late hour, enjoying the general festivity. 

Bonn is a well built city, containing about 14, 000 inhabitants, and wasformerly the general residence of the electors of Cologne. About aleague above the city are the seven mountains, and near them is abeautiful island of considerable extent, in which is a large convent. 

Here ends the picturesque scenery of the Rhine, which pursues the restof its course through a flat country, until its waters are dispersedamongst the canals of Holland. The river is here of great width, but notso deep as it is higher up. 

Before Bonn we saw the remains of two merchant vessels which had beenwrecked there a few days before. Those who embark on the Rhine forpleasure, should here leave their boats, and pursue the rest of theirjourney by land, as the country ceases to be interesting, and thenavigation is often difficult. 

We set out with a favourable wind; but about a league from _Cologne_ ourboat was driven on the right bank of the Rhine by a violent gale; and asthere appeared no immediate prospect of proceeding by water, most of theparty determined on walking to the city. We found the flying bridge hadbeen damaged by the late storm, and were therefore obliged, to wait along time for a boat of sufficient size to pass the river, which wasgreatly agitated, and which is here of great depth, although muchnarrower than at _Mayence_. Few cities present a more imposingappearance than Cologne; a vast extent of buildings, a profusion ofsteeples, and a forest of masts, raise the expectations of thetraveller. The deception cannot be more justly or more emphaticallydescribed than in the words of Dr. _Johnson:_ "Remotely we see nothingbut spires of temples, and turrets of palaces, and imagine it theresidence of splendour, grandeur, and magnificence; but when we havepassed the gates, we find it perplexed with narrow passages, disgracedwith despicable cottages, embarrassed with obstructions, and cloudedwith smoke. "

Cologne is one of the largest and most ancient cities in Germany; it wasfounded by _Agrippa_, and is above three miles in length; but thepopulation is only between 40 and 50, 000, which is very inconsiderablefor its great extent. From the number of its churches, which at one timeamounted to 300, it has been called the Rome of Germany. One of them(the Dome), although still unfinished, is one of the grandest effortsof architecture, and excites the admiration of all judges of that art. The port owes its improvement to Buonaparte, and the quay is lined withships of considerable size. 

The city was anciently imperial, and the Elector of Cologne could notreside more than three days together in it without permission of themagistrates; but those who have ever seen this gloomy city, will not, Ithink, consider this restriction as a grievance. 

I here left the Rhine; it is difficult sufficiently to praise thebeauties of its banks, which afford also ample scope for the researchesof the naturalist. They are not, however, adorned with that number ofcountry-seats which enliven many of our rivers, and a few convents andpalaces only are to be seen; although villages and towns are verynumerous. I must not omit to mention, that I visited the house in which_Rubens_ was born; his name is given to the street, which, like mostothers at Cologne, has little beauty. He had furnished many of thechurches of his native city with paintings, but several of them havebeen removed to Paris. He has been called _the Ajax of painters_, andhis great excellence appears in the grandeur of his _compositions_; theart of colouring was by him carried to the highest pitch. Rubens, however great his skill, deserves the praise of _modesty_, as, althoughhe is allowed to have been little inferior to Titian in _landscape_, heemployed Widens and Van-uden when landscapes were introduced into hispaintings, and Snyders for animals, who finished them from his designs. 

The country around Cologne is well cultivated, but is unenclosed up tothe walls of the city, and there are none of those elegant villas to beseen which distinguish the neighbourhood of Frankfort; but it isimpossible for any two places to be more completely the reverse of eachother in every respect. 

My next stage was Juliers, the ancient capital of the duchy of the samename; it is a small city, but is well fortified, and its citadel is saidto be of uncommon strength. As we approached Aix-la-Chapelle the roadsbecame very indifferent, the soil being a deep sand; they are, however, in many places paved in the centre. 

Aix-la-Chapelle is a large, and, in general, a well-built city. Thewindows, in most of the houses, are very large, and give it a peculiarappearance. It was called by the Romans _Aquisgranum_, or _UrbsAquensis_. It has for ages been celebrated for its waters, whichresemble extremely those of Bath; but some of the springs are stillhotter. There are five springs which attract every year much company;but the season had ended before my arrival. This city was chosen by_Charlemagne_ as the place of his residence, on account of thepleasantness of its situation; and, until its incorporation with France, held the first rank amongst the imperial cities of Germany. According tothe _Golden Bull_ the emperors were to be crowned here; but Charles Vwas the last who conformed to that regulation. 

The ancient walls of Aix enclose a vast extent of ground, and afford apleasant walk; but there is much of the space enclosed in fields andgardens, and the population is not proportioned to the remainingbuildings, being no more than 30, 000. The surrounding country is highlypicturesque and varied, cultivation and woods being interspersed. Thewoods in this country have been, however, much diminished of late years. But there are, it may be observed, coal mines to supply sufficient fuelfor the inhabitants. 

The town or great village of Burscheid adjoins the gates of Aix; it isvery flourishing. Near it is a fine abbey. I was also pleased with theruins of the Castle of Frankenberg. Here is a manufactory of needles, and about Aix are several of cloth. 

From the Tower of Sittard is a view of vast extent over the Netherlands. The cathedral of Aix is a large Gothic structure, but many of itsdecorations are trifling, and inconsistent with the solidity of itsmassy columns of marble and granite. Its doors are of bronze highlywrought, but full of fissures. 

The streets here are crowded with beggars; and I think I never was in aplace where so little respect is paid to the observance of Sunday. Inmost towns on the continent the theatres, &c. Are open, but most of theshops are closed during some part of the day; here they were open duringthe whole day, and seemed equally busy as during the rest of the week. 

The country between _Aix_ and _Liege_ produces great quantities of hops(the vine of the north of Europe), and the beer here is very good. Clermont is a neat village, with several good houses. 

We passed over some mountains, which seem to be the limit of the Germanlanguage; the inhabitants of them speak a dialect intelligible neitherat Liege nor Aix. 

The country near Liege is rich, and the city is situated in a beautifulvalley on the Meuse; it is extremely large, but is ill built, and thestreets are more intricate and dirty even than those of Cologne. Thereis a good deal of trade carried on here, and the population is estimatedat not less than 50, 000. There are a great number of churches, but I wasnot much struck with any of them; that of the Dominicans is said to becopied from St. Peter's at Rome. There are a great number of booksellershere, and I was told it was a famous place to procure cheap books. Thecoal here seems of good quality, and the place is surrounded withcollieries. The lower orders in this city speak a jargon called_Walloon_, which is completely unintelligible to the higher classes. 

The French customs are generally prevalent here; and it is said, theinhabitants regret their separation from France. There were vastmanufactories of cutlery here, but the French, before their departure, destroyed most of the machinery; this, together with the failure ofother trades, is said to produce the distress which fills the streetswith beggars. 

The _general appearance_ of the inhabitants of Liege is not moreprepossessing to a stranger than that of their city. There are said tobe a great number of _thieves_, and I saw some surprised whilst cuttingthe trunks from behind a carriage at the inn-door. The money here isextremely adulterated, and is not taken one stage from the city, acircumstance which frequently is attended with great loss to thetraveller, if he has occasion to receive much change. 

In this neighbourhood are several vineyards, but the climate is too coldto admit of the wine having a good flavour. They here cultivate aspecies of cabbage, the seed of which produces a thick oil, which isused in dying stuffs, and forms part of the composition of the blacksoap of this country. 

I found that the season had long ended at Spa; that the roads were bad, and that it was above thirty miles out of my way, and thereforedetermined on proceeding to Brussels in the diligence, to make trial ofone of the public carriages of this country, having found the postinggood from Cologne to Liege. I found it extremely spacious, when comparedto those in England, and it was lined with faded yellow damask. I hadbut two companions, who, according to _Rousseau's Axiom_, would not beentitled to the name of _men_, which, he says, belongs to none under_five feet six inches_. 

They proved, however, sufficiently agreeable companions, and I foundthey resided at _Louvain_. We proceeded at the rate of rather more thanfour English miles an hour, which was quicker than I had beforetravelled in a public carriage on the continent. Our first stagepresented nothing remarkable; but the next, _St. Tron_, was a remarkablyneat little town. There is a spacious square, surrounded with goodhouses, and at one end is the _town-house_; the church is a largebuilding, and its steeple contains a set of musical chimes, to which thepeople of this country are very partial. 

We next reached _Tirlemont_, formerly one of the most considerablecities of Brabant, which is at present by no means of equal importance. The surrounding country is fruitful; many of its villages containcottages of clay, which I did not expect to see in so opulent aprovince; they are indeed spacious, and the interior is kept very neat. The general appearance of the people here is much more in their favourthan at Liege. 

Tirlemont contains manufactures of flannels, stockings, and cloth. The_cotton trade_, formerly the great staple of the Netherlands, has oflate years been greatly on the decline. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. XVII. 

Although the present population of the Netherlands bears no proportionto that which it formerly maintained, yet it is still very considerable, and exceeds that of any country in Europe, Holland only excepted; being202 persons to each square mile (see ch. Xi. For the population ofSwitzerland, &c. ) The decrease in the number of inhabitants in theseprovinces is chiefly to be attributed to the religious persecutionswhich compelled thousands of industrious families to emigrate. 

This depopulation is very perceptible in many of the cities I passedthrough, which are capable of containing double their present number ofinhabitants, and is nowhere more striking than at Louvain, where thepresent population does not exceed 25, 000, and where formerly there were4000 manufactories of cloth, which supported 15, 000 labourers. Thiscity is surrounded with an ancient wall of brick, which, as well as itsnumerous towers, presents a half mined appearance. Many of the publicbuildings of Louvain indicate its former opulence. The town-house isconsidered as a model of Gothic architecture, and the cathedral of St. Peter is a stately building. The portal of the _Collegium Falconis_presents a specimen of Grecian architecture, which is much admired forthe simplicity. The _University of Louvain_ was formerly of greatcelebrity, and no person could exercise any public authority in theAustrian Netherlands, without having graduated here. This regulation, however beneficially intended, only produced the effect of raisingextremely the expence of the different diplomas, without being attendedwith any advantage, except to the funds of the university. In thepresent unsettled state of the _Netherlands_, it cannot be expected thatthe seats of learning should be as much frequented, as they probablywill be when their new sovereign shall have had leisure to turn hisattention to the important subject of _public education_; and thewisdom of the regulations he has promulgated, on other matters ofgeneral interest (particularly that which enforces the more solemnobservation of Sunday) leaves little room to doubt that this point will, in its turn, be duly and successfully attended to. Those who haveresided at Louvain have observed, that its inhabitants are in general_more polite_ than in most of the towns in these provinces; but my staywas not sufficiently long to enable me to form any opinion on thesubject. The manners of the people do not seem to me very dissimilarfrom those of the French, but others think they most resemble the Dutch. In fact, the _Netherlanders_ have no _very peculiar characteristics_, but partake, in many respects, of those which distinguish the variousnations from whom they are descended. They have been much and oftenabused by various writers, who have attributed to them the _faults_ ofalmost all the nations of Europe, without allowing that they possess anyof the good qualities by which those faults are palliated in the othernations. Those, however, who are of a candid disposition will not feelinclined to assent to the truth of statements so evidently dictated byenmity or spleen. But whilst I would not have the Flemish considered asa compound of all that is exceptionable in the human character, I do notconsider them as meriting any _particular praise_; nor can I vindicatethem from the charge of dishonesty, which has been so often allegedagainst them. In general on the Continent, where _the English_ are the_subjects of extortion_, the fraud is considered as trivial, and theFrench often boast in conversation how _John Bull is pillaged at Paris_. But whatever may be the _Flemish character_, it is allowed by all thatthey follow the French customs in their domestic arrangement, but are ingeneral more cleanly. Their _kitchens_ are kept very neat, and thecooking apparatus is ranged in order round the stove, which, in many ofthe kitchens that I saw in the small inns, projects considerably intothe room. 

Many of the inhabitants of these provinces (like my two companions inthe Louvain Diligence) are below the middle size; they are extremelyintelligent and active, and in general civil to strangers. Before I quitLouvain, I must not omit to notice that it is famous for its beer, whichis certainly the best I have tasted on the Continent. The number ofbreweries is said to exceed twenty, and the consumption is astonishinglygreat in the neighbourhood, besides a considerable export trade. 

I continued my journey to Brussels along an excellent road, the centreof which was paved, as from the nature of the soil, it would beotherwise impassable in winter. The roads in this country run for manymiles together, in a straight line between rows of trees; and I mustconfess I thought it very uninteresting to travel through. The flatnessof its surface, is but rarely interrupted by any eminence, which affordsa prospect calculated to make any impression on the mind. There are manyneat villages, and occasionally one sees _country seats_ decorated inthat formal style of gardening, which was originally introduced fromthis country into England, but which has there long since yielded to amore natural taste. The farming seems very neatly managed; the numerouscanals, although they add nothing to the beauty of the country, are ofgreat utility to the farmer; and travelling is very cheap in the boats, which pass between the chief towns. 

It would require scenery like that of the Rhine, to induce me to adoptthis conveyance; but many of these canals pass between banks whichexclude all view of the surrounding country. I found the Netherlandergenerally impatient to be relieved from the great military expences, incident to their present situation. There is, I think, little reason todoubt, that when some of the existing taxes can be removed, the _Orangefamily_ will become popular. The stamp duties are very heavy; there areland and house taxes, and a personal tax. It is to be expected, that thepeople should wish for a diminution of their burdens, but _Liege_ is theonly place I have visited in the countries lately relinquished byFrance, where the separation seems to be generally regretted. I foundthat the Prussian government, was by no means popular, on the left bankof the Rhine, and that an union with either Austria or Bavaria, was muchwished for in those provinces, whose future destiny remains to bedecided at the Congress of Vienna. 

Having met with but few English travellers since I had quittedSwitzerland, I was much struck on entering Brussels with the _vastnumbers_ of my fellow subjects, moving in all directions. The garrisonwas almost entirely composed of English troops, so that I felt herequite at home. I found that there was an _English theatre_, as well as aFrench one, and that balls, and entertainments of all descriptions, _àl'Anglaise_, were in abundance. Indeed the upper part of the citydiffered little in appearance from an English watering place. 

Brussels is a city of great extent, built partly on the river Senne(naturally a very inconsiderable stream, but which, being formed hereinto a canal, becomes of much advantage), and partly on a hill, commanding an extensive view of the rich and fertile plain by which itis surrounded; much of which resembles a vast kitchen garden. It is, like Louvain, surrounded by a ruined wall of brick, as formerly all thetowns of Flanders were fortified. This was the capital of the AustrianNetherlands, and lately the chief place of the French department of theDyle: it will, probably, now become, for a part of the year, theresidence of its new sovereign, whose sons are at present amongst itsinhabitants. The inhabitants of Brussels are calculated at 70, 000, andits environs give the traveller an idea of its importance, as they havean appearance of much traffic and are decorated with many villas whichannounce the opulence, but not always the good taste of their owners. The city is, in general, irregularly built, and the lower part does notdeserve commendation; but the _place royale_ is fine: the park issurrounded by many handsome public buildings, and by a number of privatehouses, which would ornament any capital in Europe. The park is ofconsiderable extent, and forms an agreeable promenade. Its avenues arekept in excellent order; they abound with statues and other formaldecorations, which are, however, more admissible in a city promenadethan in the retirement of the country. A fountain here was celebrated by_Peter the Great's_ having fallen into it, as that monarch, like Cato, was said, "Sæpe mero caluisse virtus. "

 "His virtue oft with wine to warm. "

The circumstance was recorded by the following inscription:

 "Petrus Alexowitz, Czar Moscoviæ, magnus dux, margini hujus fontis insidiens, illius aquam nobilitavit libato vino hora post meridiam tertia, die 16 Aprilis, 1717. "

 "That renowned General P. A. , Czar of Moscovy, having poured forth ample libations of wine, whilst sitting on the brink of this fountain fell into, and ennobled its waters about three o'clock in the afternoon of the 16th of April, 1717. "

The town-house is one of the most conspicuous of the public buildings atBrussels, although it is situated in the lowest part of the town, itssteeple rising to the height of 364 feet; it is a very fine piece ofGothic architecture. The equestrian statue, noticed by M. Dutens, asbeing placed on the _top of a house_ in the square before thetown-house, has disappeared; the horse and his rider having been removedto a more suitable situation. The church of St. Gudule presents avenerable and interesting appearance; it contains several finepaintings, and windows of stained glass. There are many ancient tombs ofthe old Dukes of Brabant. The church of St. James is also worthy ofnotice, and its façade of the Corinthian order, is an elegant anduniform piece of architecture, which does honour to the taste of thebuilder. 

Brussels contains many fine collections of paintings, which I have nottime to enumerate; but I was much pleased with some pictures of _M. Danoots_, to whom I had a letter. They are not very numerous, but areundoubted originals of S. Rosa, Teniers, Rembrandt, Myiens, and of J. Bassano, who is remarkable for having attained a greater age (82) thanmost of the great painters, he has accordingly left behind him agreater number of pictures than almost any other master. He is said tohave expressed great regret on his death-bed, that he should be obligedto quit the world at the moment when he had begun to make some littleprogress in his art. A shorter life than Bassano's, is, however, sufficient to establish the reputation of an artist. _Raphael_ died inhis 37th year, but public opinion has placed him at the head of his artfor _general proficiency_. 

There are several excellent hotels in Brussels which command a view ofthe park. I was at one of these, the _Hotel de Bellevue_, and found thehour of the _table d'hote_ had been changed to accommodate the English, to four o'clock, at least two hours later than the usual time; but asthe company consisted always entirely of English it was but reasonablethey should fix the hour. The dinner here more resembled an _Englishone_ than any I had hitherto seen on the Continent, and reminded me ofthe public tables at Cheltenham. 

Brussels was some months since a very _cheap_ residence, but I havebeen assured, that the prices of most articles have more than doubledsince our troops first arrived here. Living at an hotel here is nearlyas expensive as in London; but no doubt there is a considerable savingin the expences of a family who are recommended to honest trades-people. There are still a number of good houses to be let, notwithstanding thegreat influx of English, many of whom have engaged houses for _four orfive years_, on terms which seem _very reasonable_ to those accustomedto the _London prices_. 

The country round Brussels presents several excursions which wouldprobably have better answered my expectations had the weather been morefavourable. The Abbey of _Jurourin_, was a country seat of the princesof the Austrian family, and was formerly famous for its menagerie. Theforest of _Sogne_ is of great extent; and its numerous avenues, whichnow had a sombre appearance, are, no doubt, in summer, much frequentedby the inhabitants of Brussels. This forest was the property of theEmperor of Germany, and is said to have produced an annual revenue ofone million of florins. 

The prison, or house of correction, at _Vilvorde_, is worthy ofattention, from the excellent manner in which it is conducted. Those whowish for the introduction of some improvements into our workhouses, might surely derive many useful hints from the manner in which similarestablishments are conducted abroad; and although I have never thoughtmuch on the subject, yet I did not fail to remark the cleanliness, regularity, and industry, which prevailed here and in another place ofthe same kind near Berne. 

Brussels is seen to great advantage from the ancient ramparts whichsurround it. I went entirely round the city in about two hours, andafterwards attended divine service, which was performed in English, to acongregation which proved the great number of English now here. Thereare at present but _few very strongly fortified cities_ in Belgium, compared with the vast number which it formerly contained. The period ispast, when, after the ablest engineers had exerted their utmost skillin the construction of fortifications around its cities, generals, notless distinguished, contended for the honour of reducing them. Amongstnumberless other instances, the siege of _Ostend_ sufficiently attestshow successful the engineers have been in rendering those places strong;and also bears ample testimony to the perseverance of the commanders whoat last succeeded in taking them. Ambrose Spinola entered Ostend in1604, after a siege of above three years, during which the besieged lost50, 000 and the besiegers 80, 000 men. The siege and capture of_Valenciennes_ might also be adduced, if testimony were wanting of thezeal and bravery of British armies and commanders. But however justlythese sieges are celebrated in _modern times_, the _antiquarian_ whocontends for the _supremacy of past ages_ over the present, will notfail to instance the siege of _Troy_ and the exploits of Achilles andAgamemnon, as a more distinguished instance of perseverance than any tobe met with in these _degenerate_ _days_, and if he should meet withsome _sceptic_ who insists that the heroes of Homer owe their existenceonly to the imagination of the poet, although he can assent to no suchhypothesis, yet he will also instance the siege of _Azotus_, on thefrontiers of Egypt, which Psammeticus, meditating extensive conquests, and thinking it beneath him to leave so strong a fortress unsubdued, isrelated to have spent 29 years of his reign in reducing. 

As I was desirous of visiting Antwerp and Ghent, and as the periodallotted for my tour was drawing to a close (a circumstance which theadvanced season of the year gave me but little reason to regret) I leftBrussels, enveloped in a fog, which might remind the Englishfashionables of those so prevalent in London during the gloomy season ofNovember, and proceeded to Malines, 14 miles distant, formerly one ofthe greatest cities of Belgium, but now like too many other oncecelebrated places in that country, affording a melancholy contrast toits former splendour, and proving that in the vicissitude of allsublunary affairs, cities, as well as their inhabitants, are subject todecay. 

 Non indignemur mortalia corpora solvi Cernimus exemplis oppida posse mori. 

Here are several manufactories of excellent lace and many breweries, butthe beer is considered as greatly inferior to that of Louvain. Thehouses are spacious, and exhibit singular specimens of ancient taste;the roofs rise to a great height and terminate in a sharp point. Theirwalls are generally of an excessive whiteness. The tower of thecathedral is highly finished, and rises to a vast height. There beinglittle to detain me here, Malines being more remarkable for what it oncewas, than for what it now is, I continued my way to Antwerp along anexcellent paved road, lined by avenues of trees, which are often so cut(the Dutch differing from the Minorquins, who never prune a tree, saying, that nature knows best how it should grow) as not to be at allornamental, and in some places cannot be said to afford either "fromstorms a shelter, or from heat a shade. " In that state, howeverunnatural, they answer the intention of their planters, by marking thecourse of the road in the snowy season, without excluding the air fromit in the wet weather, prevalent in autumn. 

Antwerp is one of the most celebrated cities of Europe, and although itspresent situation is far from comparable with its former celebrity, yetit has revived greatly of late years; and the events which have restoredto these provinces their independence, will, no doubt, fill with thevessels of all trading nations those docks, which were constructed bythe French Government at such incredible expence, and with far differentviews than the encouragement of commercial speculations. The canals bywhich these docks communicate with Bruges and Ostend, that the navy ofNapoleon might run no risks by passing on the _high seas_, are vastworks, which must have cost enormous sums of money. The Scheld is hereabout half the width of the Thames at Westminster; but _Antwerp_ isabove fifty miles from its mouth. Its depth is very considerable; andsuch was at one period the commerce of Antwerp, that not less than 2000vessels annually entered its port. The present population of this cityis stated at 60, 000. There are manufactures of lace, silk, chocolate, and extensive establishments for refining sugar. The export of theproductions of the fruitful district which surrounds the city is veryconsiderable. Nothing proves more strongly the _riches of theseprovinces_, than the short period in which they recover the evils of acampaign; and it was their fertility in grain, which principallyrendered them of such importance to the French government. During thelate scarcity in France, the crops succeeded tolerably well here; andBuonaparte obliged the inhabitants of Belgium to supply France at aprice which he fixed himself, and by which _they lost_ considerably. 

There are many buildings at Antwerp, which are justly admired for theirmagnificence, particularly the cathedral, which, like many otherchurches here, was decorated by the pencil of Rubens. The tower of thecathedral is a rich specimen of Gothic. The general effect of thisbuilding is lessened by a number of mean houses which surround it. Thechurch of St. Andre contains a monument to the memory of Mary Queen ofScotland. The town-house is a large building; its façade is 250 feet inlength, and is composed of all the orders of architecture. Many of thestreets at Antwerp are tolerably well built. I was informed that manyindividuals have good collections of paintings, by the chief painterswhich this country has produced. It is impossible to pass throughFlanders without being struck with the exactness with which its paintershave represented the face of their country, and the persons of itsinhabitants. Antwerp, on the whole, has a tolerably cheerful appearance. The promenade of Penipiere is pleasant, and much frequented by thecitizens. 

The country between Antwerp and Gand, presents, like the rest ofFlanders, a level surface, highly cultivated, traversed by excellentroads, running in straight lines from one town to another. I must, however, own that I have seldom traversed a more uninteresting country. But as the reign of a prince, which affords the fewest incidents for thecommemoration of the historian, is thought to be often the mostfortunate for the interests of his subjects, so a country, which ispassed over in silence by the tourist, as devoid of those naturalbeauties, which fix his attention, often contains the most landsusceptible of cultivation, which best repays the labours of thehusbandman, and is the most valuable to the possessor. Many of theFlemish inns are very neat; but the traveller who has recently quittedGermany, is struck with their inferiority in point of decoration(although, perhaps, in no other respect) to those of that country, whichabound with gilding, trophies, and armorial bearings, to invite thestranger, who here has a less shewy intimation of the entertainment heseeks for. The peasants here commonly wear wooden shoes; and they who donot consider how powerful is the force of custom, are surprised howthey contrive to walk so well, in such awkward and clumsy machines. 

 * * * * *

CHAP. XVIII. 

Gand, or _Ghent_, is the capital of Flanders, and is one of the greatestcities in Europe as to extent; it is seven miles in circumference. It issituated on the Scheldt and Lys, which are here joined by two smallerrivers, which with numerous canals intersect the city, and form upwardsof twenty islands, that are united by above 100 bridges. No position canbe conceived more favourable for trade than this. But Gand is greatlyfallen from the once splendid situation she held amongst the cities ofEurope, and although superior to either Brussels or Antwerp in point ofappearance, its population is now inferior to those cities, beingreduced to 58, 000: a very inconsiderable number for a city of suchextent. Gand is celebrated as the birthplace of the Emperor Charles theFifth. It exhibited at different periods proofs of his attachment to aplace of which he boasted being a citizen, and of the severity withwhich he punished the revolt of its inhabitants. In more ancient timesGand produced another character of political importance, _d'Arteville_, a brewer, whose influence in this city (then one of the first in Europe)made King Edward the Third of England solicitous for his friendship; andhistory informs us, that one of his sons, at the head of 60, 000 Gantois, carried on a war against his sovereign. 

Here was concluded the celebrated treaty in 1516, called thePacification of Gand; and it may in future times be famous for theconclusion of a treaty between England and America. 

Charles the Fifth comparing the extent of Paris with that of this city, is said to have remarked, "_qu'il auroit mis tout Paris dans Gand_;"and, except Paris, and perhaps Cologne, it is the largest city I haveseen on the Continent. Many of the canals have some appearance of trade. I observed many very extensive bleach-greens beyond the ancient ditchesand works which surround the city. The walls along the canal of _laCoussure_ are the most frequented by the inhabitants. 

The cathedral is a handsome structure, and contains some beautifulcarving. The church of St. Michael is also a noble and venerableedifice. There are many other handsome churches amongst the number whichthe city contains, and I do not recollect ever to have been in a placewhere there are such a number and variety of _chimes_. 

The town-house is an extremely large and handsome building, in theancient taste, as indeed are most of those in the Netherlands. The citycontains many elegant private houses. The streets are remarkably cleanand spacious, but the want of an adequate population is veryperceptible. Here is a good public library, and the Botanic Garden isconsidered as the best in the Netherlands. The prison built by theEmpress Maria Teresa is well worthy of a visit; and the stranger cannotfail of being struck with the extreme activity and industry whichprevails within its walls. Every thing seems conducted much in the samemanner, of which I had occasion to notice the advantages at Vilvorde. There is a theatre; but those who have lately arrived from Brussels orLisle will not be much struck with the merits of the performers. FromGand to Ostend and Dunkirk there are no public conveyances, except alongthe canals. This mode of travelling I was not inclined to adopt; andhearing that the road by Lisle, although thirty miles longer, passedthrough a finer country, I determined to proceed that way. I did nothear a favourable account of _Ostend_; and, notwithstanding the peace, above a third of the houses were said to be untenanted. Bruges hasneither river nor fountain, but abundance of stagnant canals andreservoirs. The word _Bourse_, as designating the place where merchantsassemble to transact business, had its first origin from a house atBruges, then belonging to the family of _Van der Bourse_, opposite towhich the merchants of the city used to meet daily. As the road betweenGhent and Lisle did not claim any minute survey, and as I had beensatisfied with the trial I had before made of a diligence in theircountry, I engaged a place for Lille for the next morning. 

I was awakened, long before daybreak, by the noise of packing in thecarriages in the yard, and by the vociferations of several Frenchmen inthe house, who seemed to exert their lungs more than the occasionrequired. I was not sorry to see them set off in a different carriagefrom that in which I was to proceed, as their extreme noise would havebeen tiresome. I had not to complain that my companions made anunnecessary _depense de parole_. They were, I believe, all Flemish. Oneof them prided himself on being able to speak a little English, which hesaid he could read perfectly, and pulled from his pocket "The Vicar ofWakefield, " which, he assured me, he admired extremely. I have, on manyoccasions, in Germany, been in company with persons who were moredesirous of beginning a conversation in English, than able afterwards tocontinue it; but in general I have found that the English make lessallowance for the want of proficiency of foreigners in their languagethan foreigners do for our ignorance of theirs. On one occasion, at a_table d'hote_, a person who sat near me pointed out a gentleman at somedistance, and observed that it would be impossible to please him morethan by giving him an opportunity of speaking English, as he valuedhimself much on his knowledge of that language. He was not long withoutfinding the opportunity he sought for, but not the approbation which hehad probably expected. 

But to return to the diligence. The rest of the passengers beinglethargic after dinner, an elderly lady and I had the conversation toourselves. She complained frequently of her _poor bonnet_, which, fromits _extraordinary elevation_ (having to all appearance antiquity toboast of) was frequently forced in contact with the top of the carriageby the roughness of the pavement. I told her, I had heard that thebonnets at Paris had been much reduced in point of height, and thatperhaps something between the French and English fashions would in timebe generally worn. But although she had to complain of theinconvenience arising from the unnecessarily large dimensions of herheaddress, she expressed a hope that no such reduction might takeplace, as the English bonnets were in her opinion so extremelyunbecoming, that she should much regret any bias in the French ladiestowards such an innovation. 

The pavement on which we travelled was rendered very necessary by theweight of the carriages, which would soon make the road impassable. Thecountry resembled the rest of Flanders. I observed a greater number ofsportsmen than I had yet seen, well provided with dogs, ranging acountry which is too thickly inhabited to abound in game; and I haveseldom seen a district where there are fewer birds of any kind. Courtrayis a large and handsome town. Here I observed some large dogs employedin drawing small carts, a custom very general in Holland. The town-housebears an inscription, indicating that it was erected _by the senate andpeople of Courtray_; a style lately used by all the cities of Germanywhich depended on the empire, however inconsiderable they had become inthe course of years. There are many beggars here although the town andneighbourhood exhibits more industry than I had observed since I leftAntwerp. 

At Courtray and Menin the garrisons are English, and a little beyond thelast named place we entered France. The _boundary stone_ was pointed outto me as curious, from having escaped unnoticed during the revolutionarytimes, as it bears the royal arms of France on one side and those ofAustria on the other, and after a series of eventful years, it servesagain to point out the ancient and legitimate limits of France. We weredetained above an hour at the custom-house, as the diligence was heavilyladen and all merchandise, as well as the baggage of the passengers, wasexamined with minute attention. 

The tax was however only on the patience, the purse not being diminishedby any claim from the officers, who were extremely civil in assisting toarrange what their search had convinced them not to be illegal. Ourpassports were not demanded until we reached the out-posts of Lille, andwe were not long detained, as every thing was satisfactory. I was toldthat a few days before, two English travellers not being provided withsufficient passports, were taken out of the diligence and conveyed underan escort into Lille, where they were next day recommended to return toEngland, and provide themselves with proper passports. 

Lille is the capital of French Flanders, and the chief place in thedepartment _du Nord_; it is one of the handsomest and best built citiesof France, as well as the strongest fortified. The _citadel_ especially, is considered as the _chef d'oeuvre_ of the celebrated _Vauban_, thisplace having been one of the most important fortresses on this side ofFrance; it has again become so, although far removed from that linewhich an insatiable ambition would have established as the boundary ofFrance; and which included nations not desirous of the union. Thepopulation of Lille is estimated at 61, 500. It contains manymanufactories, which a period of tranquillity will probably restore totheir ancient prosperity. Many of the streets here reminded me of Paris. The cathedral is a handsome building, as are also the exchange, thetheatre, and the porte royale. The barracks are large and spacious; andthere being generally a large garrison, the _theatre_ is well attendedand the performers superior to those in most provincial towns. I wastold by a gentleman who has resided here for some time, that there arefew towns in France which exceed this in point of agreeable society. Hehad two letters of introduction on his arrival and found no difficultyin enlarging the circle of his acquaintance. He added, that many Englishhad settled here for the sake of economy; and it certainly is cheaperthan most of the great towns of Belgium. 

I had much reason to be satisfied that I took this road to Calais, instead of going by the canals, as the country was much diversified, andthe _view from Cassel_ was one of the most striking and extensive that Ihad ever seen. Notwithstanding that the month of November is notcalculated for seeing a country to advantage, some of the richest andbest cultivated provinces of France and Flanders are discovered fromthis commanding situation. The scene is bounded on one side by the seaand on the other by the mountains of Hainault. Those who are acquaintedwith the country assert that from Cassel you can see thirty towns orconsiderable villages, of which seventeen are fortified. Cassel itselfis by no means remarkable; it was at one time a place of great strength, but its fortifications have gone to decay, although its situation mustalways render it a strong position. After a considerable descent onleaving Cassel, we arrived in the plain, which extends to the coast, with but little variation. It is fertile in corn and produces hops. There are several rich pastures and a tolerable proportion of wood. Thisday we travelled entirely in the department _du Nord_, where the roadsare much attended to. I observed a few country houses and a château ofGeneral _Vandamme_. 

Berg is a considerable town, but badly situated; the country from thenceto Dunkirk is a flat and marshy plain, resembling those extensivetracts which occupy a large proportion of the counties of Cambridge andLincoln. It abounds with canals and drains, which in some places arehigher than the fields, but this uninteresting district feeds largeherds of cattle, and is in many parts well cultivated. One of the chiefcanals leading to Dunkirk runs parallel with the road for a greatdistance, its banks are planted with trees, which have a stuntedappearance, owing probably to their proximity to the sea. I observed onthe canal several boats laden with the produce of the country, as wellas the stage boats. Dunkirk is well built, and the streets beingspacious it makes a favourable impression on the mind of the traveller, who is perhaps more liable to the force of a first impression than mostothers. Some of the churches and public buildings are handsome and thenumber of inhabitants is estimated at 22, 000. Its name is said tooriginate from a church built here by the Duns in 646, and in Flemishits name signifies the _church of the Duns_. There is much similaritybetween many words in the English and Flemish, but the latter cannotclaim the praise of agreeableness. 

It is endeavoured by a proclamation of the _Prince Sovereign_ to restorethe _Flemish language_ in all public acts and pleadings at law, to theexclusion of the French, which during the union of Belgium with France, was alone allowed to be used, and pains were taken that in all schoolsthe French language only should be taught. But it is a difficult task, to overcome the partiality of a people for their ancient dialect, andthe Flemish language is still used by the lower classes even in thoseparts of Flanders which have been united for above a century to France. At this day the difference between the two nations is not altogetherdone away. 

The scheme of again uniting Belgium and the left bank of the Rhine toFrance, is here perpetually introduced. The French talk of the oppressedstate of the Belgians, and of the vast number of _ordinary_, _extraordinary_, and _indirect_ imposts to which they are subject, andconclude that they must wish to become again the subjects of France, asif they would by that means escape taxation. That they would rather besubject to the _mild government of Louis XVIII_. Than to the _oppressivetyranny of Buonaparte_, I can easily conceive; but is it unnatural thatthey should be desirous of existing as an independent nation, under agovernment of their own? Yet were it ascertained beyond dispute, thatthe wishes of the Belgians are such as the French represent them, surelythe general interests of Europe, and the preservation of that balance ofpower so essential to its permanent tranquillity, would forbid thefurther extension of France, which might again reassume thatpreponderance which it has cost the other powers so much to reduce. Iam, however, inclined to think, that the wishes of the Belgians are notsuch as they are represented; but the French _knowing a little, presumea good deal, and so jump to a conclusion_. 

The merchants here seem to expect that their city will obtain theprivileges of a _free port_, which have been lately granted toMarseilles, but upon what grounds their hopes are founded, I did notdistinctly understand. 

Dunkirk was at one period subject to England; being taken in 1658, itcontinued an English garrison until sold by that needy monarch Charlesthe Second, to Louis the Fourteenth, in 1662. The odium of thistransaction was one of the causes of the disgrace of that greatstatesman, Lord Clarendon, and a house which he was then building, obtained the popular appellation of _Dunkirk House_. In the possessionof so enterprising and ambitious a sovereign as Louis, Dunkirk became soformidable by its fortifications, that the demolition of them was deemedessential to the interests of England, and was accordingly insisted onby the Treaty of Utrecht, 1713; but by the treaty of 1783, the articleagainst its being fortified was annulled, and although several workshave been constructed since that period, it has by no means re-assumedits former strength. From Dunkirk, I proceeded to Gravelines, which, although inconsiderable as a town, is strong as a fortress, since theflat country which surrounds it may be laid under water to a greatextent on the approach of an enemy. The market-place is spacious, butovergrown with weeds. I observed that it still bears the name of the_Place de la Liberté_, and a street which communicates with it isdesignated _Rue de l'Egalité_. 

The title of the market-place is more applicable to the present than tothe former state of France; that of the street cannot long exist in anycountry, for the maxim tells us, "_that all men are by nature unequal_, "and the attempt to render them equal has been often compared, in pointof absurdity, to the labours of _Procrustes_. _An equal right tojustice_ is all the _equality_ that can subsist in civilized society, consistent with the _liberty_, _property_, and _personal security_, ofindividuals, which would be perpetually violated by a system, topreserve which, it would be requisite continually to take from theacquisitions of the industrious, to give to the idle and the profligate. It is possible that the experience of the last twenty years may not haveproduced as full a conviction as might have been expected on the mindsof the French; but it cannot be supposed to have been altogetherunheeded by them. 

I found at Gravelines a diligence, which I think the cheapest landconveyance I ever met with. It runs from Dunkirk to Calais (abouttwenty-five English miles) for three francs. It carries six passengers, and performs the journey in about five or six hours. It is the _spiritof opposition_ which has so advantageously for the public reduced theprice, which used to be double, and which will probably, in a littletime, rise one franc more. 

The country between Gravelines and Calais is as uninteresting as can beconceived. The ground is shewn where Edward III. Of England had his campduring the memorable siege of Calais. This town continued to bepossessed by England until the reign of Queen Mary, (being the lastplace in France _proper_ which remained of the numerous territories oncepossessed by England), and its loss is said to have greatly afflictedher Majesty. The fortifications of Calais are kept in tolerably goodrepair. I found that for three days previous to my arrival no vessel hadbeen able to sail, owing to the contrary winds and the violent agitationof the sea. Two vessels had been wrecked by these storms, but nearly allthe crews were saved. In the evening I visited the theatre, and wassorry to observe, that a sentiment introduced into the performanceexpressive of satisfaction at the peace between France and England, excited much disapprobation from the officers present. The _jealousywhich prevails against the English in France is very striking_, afterthe cordiality with which they are received in Germany. It seems to bethe Englishman's _purse alone_ that commands a certain interestedassiduity, which they take care shall be _amply_ remunerated. 

The port of Calais presented no appearance of activity, the transportswhich filled it on my first arrival having long disappeared. After beingdetained one day, I was glad to hear a bustle in the hotel at an earlyhour next morning, and perceiving that the wind had become morefavourable for England, I hastened on board the packet, in which mylandlord had engaged me a place; the price I found was now reduced tohalf a guinea. I had procured the day before a _sufferance_ for theembarkation of myself and baggage. Our captain and crew were French, andthe vessel was not in the neatest order. 

Two other packets sailed at the same time, but arrived in Dover beforeus. All were full of passengers, owing to the weather having been longunfavourable for sailing. We had on board forty-six passengers, amongstwhom were several _Frenchmen_, who again gave me occasion to remark theloquacity of their nation; and they only agreed with La Fontaine in theformer part of the line, where he says, "_Il est bon de parler, etmeilleur de se taire_;" _'Tis good to speak, but better to be silent. _Our passage was extremely rough; but after twelve hours sailing, weentered the port of Dover, and I felt great pleasure in finding myselfagain in a country, which had only risen still higher in my estimation, from the comparison I had been enabled to form between it and the othercountries I had visited. 

THE END.