X ;V 
 
 1
 
 Ex Libris 
 C. K. OGDEN

 
 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 
 
 A TOUR UPON THE CONTINENT 
 
 IN THE SUMMER OF 1818, 
 
 THROUGH FARTS Or 
 
 FRANCE, ITALY, SWITZERLAND, 
 THE BORDERS OF GERMANY, 
 
 AND A PART OF 
 
 FRENCH FLANDERS. 
 
 BY MARIANNE BAILLIE. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET. 
 1819.
 
 LONDON: 
 
 TKINTII) BV THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS.
 
 TO 
 
 ONE OF THE MOST VALUED FRIENDS OF HER EARLIEST YEARS, 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. JOHN TREVOR, 
 THE AUTHOR 
 
 INSCRIBES THE 
 
 FOLLOWING LITTLE WORK, 
 
 WITH EVERY SENTIMENT OF AFFECTIONATE RESPECT 
 AND ESTEEM. 
 
 2G17C.
 
 DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. 
 
 Swiss Cottage to face the title. 
 
 View of Turin 164 
 
 Passage of the Simplon 212 
 
 Colossal Figure 218 
 
 Hermitage of St. Frene 312
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 IN perusing the following pages, it will 
 I hope be believed, that they were not 
 originally written with any view to publica- 
 tion: circumstances have since occurred, 
 which induce me to alter my first inten- 
 tion, and to submit them to a more en- 
 larged circle, than that of a few intimate 
 friends, to whose eye alone I had once 
 thought of presenting them. 
 
 In committing my First Impressions to 
 so fearful an ordeal as the opinion of the 
 Public, I feel oppressed by a sense of their 
 various imperfections, and by the convic- 
 tion of their trifling value as a work of the 
 sort ; yet I still flatter myself they will
 
 Vi PREFACE. 
 
 be received with forbearance. I had much 
 amusement in attempting this little sketch, 
 and I most sincerely entreat that it may be 
 considered as what it is, a sketch only. 
 My friends will not, and readers in general 
 must not, look for fine writing from the 
 pen of such a novice as myself; nor ought 
 they to expect me (labouring under the 
 twofold disadvantage of sex and inexpe- 
 rience) to narrate with the accuracy and 
 precision of a regular tourist, the history 
 (natural, moral, political, literary and com- 
 mercial) of all the places we visited : still 
 less, that (in compliment to the lovers of 
 the gastronomic art) I should undertake to 
 give the bill of fare of every table d'hote or 
 traiteur that we met with in our progress. 
 
 Among the many fears which assail me, 
 there is one that recurs to my mind with 
 more pertinacity than the rest: that I 
 may be taxed with having bestowed too
 
 PREFACE. Vll 
 
 warm and glowing a colouring upon some 
 objects of natural beauty and sublimity. 
 Formerly, indeed, I believe I was in danger 
 of leaning towards romance in describing 
 scenes which had particularly impressed my 
 imagination or interested my feelings, and 
 of attempting to imitate, with too rash and 
 unadvised a pencil, the fervour of a Mrs. 
 Radcliffe, although to catch the peculiar 
 charm and spirit of her style I felt to be (for 
 me) impossible. But notwithstanding that I 
 still remember with complacence the time 
 when the vivid imagination of very early 
 youth procured me the enjoyment of a 
 thousand bright and lovely illusions, and 
 cast a sort of fairy splendour over existence 
 which was certainly more bewitching than 
 many realities that I have since met with, 
 I at present feel (as better becomes me) 
 more inclined to worship at the sober 
 shrine of reason and judgment. This, it 
 will be easily conceived, was likely to render
 
 Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 my Tour a more faithful picture, than if it 
 had been undertaken some years ago, and 
 I can safely affirm, that I commenced it 
 with a determination to observe all things 
 without prejudice of any sort, not even that 
 of nationality; for prejudice is still the same 
 irrational and unworthy feeling, in every 
 shape and under every name. I was much 
 hurried at the time of writing this Journal ; 
 but a greater degree of subsequent leisure 
 has enabled me to add some few notes 
 which may, I hope, amuse and interest my 
 readers. In these I acknowledge with 
 gratitude the occasional assistance of a 
 partial friend. 
 
 April, 1819.
 
 FIRST IMPRESSIONS. 
 
 ON Monday, August 9th, we embark- 
 ed from the Ship inn at Dover, for Calais, 
 on board the Princess Augusta packet. 
 The passage was dreadful, the usual miseries 
 attended us, and at the time I am now 
 writing this, viz. August 13th, we are still 
 suffering from the effects of our voyage. 
 I will not make my readers ill by recalling 
 the disgusting scenes which we there en- 
 countered, suffice it to say, that the bare re- 
 membrance of them is sufficient to over- 
 whelm my still sick fancy, and to render 
 the very name of the sea appalling to my 
 ears. Upon landing at Calais, however, we 
 contrived to raise our heavy eyes, with a 
 lively feeling of curiosity and interest, to 
 the motley crowd assembled on the beach to 
 view us come on shore. I was pleased with
 
 CALAIS. 
 
 what we are taught to call the habitual 
 politeness of even the lowest order of 
 French people, evinced in the alacrity with 
 which twenty hands were held out to sup- 
 port me in descending from the packet, and 
 in the commiseration which I plainly dis- 
 covered in many a sun-burnt countenance 
 for my evident indisposition. The hotel 
 (Quillacq's) is excellent, and the attendants 
 remarkably civil and active. The style of 
 furniture is superior to that of the best 
 English hotels ; and for a dinner and dessert 
 of the most superior quality, we did not 
 pay more than we should have done at an 
 ordinary inn in our own country for very 
 common farei The dress of the lower classes 
 here is rather pretty ; the circumstance of 
 the women wearing caps, neatly plaited, 
 and tolerably clean, together with the body 
 and petticoat of different colours, gives 
 them a picturesque air : the long gold ear- 
 rings, also (universally worn at this place, 
 consisting of two drops, one suspended at 
 the end of the other), contribute greatly to 
 their graceful effect. The men do not differ 
 much in their appearance from those of
 
 I 
 
 CALAIS. 3 
 
 the same rank in England, but I think 
 the animation universally displayed in the 
 countenances of the fairer sex particularly 
 striking, and certainly preferable to that 
 want of expression so often to be found 
 among my countrywomen. 
 
 When we first started from Calais for Paris, 
 with post-horses, I could not help a little 
 national feeling of complacency upon ob- 
 serving the slovenly, shabby appearance of 
 their harness and accoutrements, compared 
 with those of England. From London to 
 Dover, we had bowled away with ease and 
 rapidity; the carriage seemed to cut through 
 the air with a swift and even motion. 
 Now we crawled and jumbled along, as it 
 pleased the fancy of the horses and driver, 
 upon the latter of which no remonstrance 
 of ours would have had any effect. The 
 costume of the post-boy (who drives three 
 horses abreast, a fat, full-sized beast in the 
 middle, his own rather smaller, and the off 
 horse always a ragged flap-eared pony, 
 looking as if he had just been caught up 
 from a common) is whimsical enough ; it 
 is universally the royal livery : a shabby,
 
 4 CALAIS. 
 
 dirty, short- waisted blue jacket, turned up 
 with crimson, and laced sometimes with 
 silver ; boots resembling those of our heavy 
 cavalry, and a thick clubbed pigtail, swing- 
 ing like a pendulum from beneath a rusty 
 japan hat. It was not till we had reached 
 the distance of Abbeville that we met 
 with the celebrated genuine grosses bottes. 
 whose enormous size put me in mind of 
 my nursery days, when I used to listen to 
 the wonderous tale of the giant-killer and 
 his seven-leagued boots. The lash of the 
 post-boy's whip is thick and knotted, and 
 they have a curious method of cracking it 
 upon passing other carriages, to give notice 
 of their approach: this saves their lungs, 
 and has not an unpleasant effect, the crack- 
 ing sound being of a peculiar nature, double, 
 as if it said " crac-crac" at each stroke. . It 
 is not every post-boy, however, who manages 
 this little implement in the true style. They 
 all carry the badge of their profession upon 
 the left arm (like our watermen), being a 
 silver or metal plate with the arms of 
 France upon it. From Calais to Haut- 
 buisson the country is extremely flat, barren.
 
 BEAUPRES. 5 
 
 and uninteresting, like the ugliest parts of 
 Wiltshire and Sussex ; and the straight line 
 in which all the French roads are cut is 
 tiresome and monotonous to a great degree. 
 The case is not mended even when you 
 advance as far as Marquise, and I began 
 to yawn in melancholy anticipation of a 
 similar prospect for nearly a hundred 
 and eighty miles, which yet remained 
 to be passed ere we reached Paris; but 
 upon coming near Beaupres, we were 
 agreeably disappointed, finding the surface 
 of the country more undulated, and patches 
 of woodlands thinly strewn here and there 
 it is amazing how greatly the eye is relieved 
 by this change. The hamlets between Haut- 
 buisson and Boulogne much resemble those 
 in the west of England ; we were per- 
 petually fancying ourselves in a Somerset- 
 shire village as we passed through them. On 
 the road-side it is very common to see large 
 crucifixes, raised to a considerable height, 
 with the figure of our Saviour the size of 
 life. We remarked one in particular, painted 
 black, and the image flesh-colour, with the 
 drapery about the middle gilt : another was
 
 6 BOULOGNE. 
 
 inclosed in a small railed space (like a 
 village pound), surrounded by four or five 
 clumsy stone images, which I rather imagine 
 were meant to represent the holy women 
 who assembled round the cross during our 
 Saviour's last moments. As we approached 
 Boulogne, we met several old peasants : 
 they all wore cocked hats, and a suit of 
 decent, sad-coloured clothes, not unlike the 
 dress of our villagers on a Sunday. 
 
 The entrance to Boulogne is very pic- 
 turesque : the fortifications are crumbling a 
 little beneath the touch of time, and the walls 
 are partly overgrown by trees and lichens ; 
 but a very little exertion would render it 
 formidable enough, I imagine, to besiegers. 
 We dined here at an inn, where they 
 thought they could not do us a greater 
 favour than by sending up a meal in what 
 they believed to be the English style of 
 cookery ; consequently it was neither one 
 thing nor the other, and extremely dis- 
 agreeable: amongst various delicacies, we 
 had melted salt butter swimming in oil, 
 and quite rancid, brought to table in a tea- 
 cup, and a large dish of tough spongy
 
 BOULOGNE, 7 
 
 lumps of veal, which they called veal cutlets. 
 As I sat at the window, which opened 
 upon the principal street, I had an oppor- 
 tunity of remarking a specimen of true 
 French flattery, but I was not quite so per- 
 vious to its benign influence as Sterne 
 describes his ladies to have been in the 
 Sentimental Journey. A little ragged ur- 
 chin of about ten years old rather annoyed 
 me, by jumping up and grinning repeatedly 
 in my face : " Allez, allez, que faites vous 
 la ?" said I. " C'est que je veux dire bon 
 jour a Madame !" " Eh, bien done, vous 1'avez 
 dit & present allez !" " Ah ! mais que Ma- 
 dame est jolie ! Mon Dieu ! eUe est very 
 prit. Elle me donnera un sous, n'est ce pas ?" 
 It was at Poix that we accidentally 
 met a woman of Normandy upon the road. 
 She was weU looking, and the costume both 
 singular and becoming : the snow white cap 
 with a deep plaited border, and a crown 
 half a yard in height, fastened on the fore- 
 head by a gold pin, the long drop ear-rings 
 and gold cross in a heavy worked setting, 
 suspended round the throat by a narrow 
 black riband, white handkerchief crossed
 
 8 BOULOGNE. 
 
 over the bosom, and a body and petticoat 
 of opposite colours, with full white shift 
 sleeves coming over the elbows, formed a 
 remarkably pretty dress. 
 
 I ought to have mentioned before now, 
 that on the road between Marquise and 
 Beaupres we were amused by observing 
 an unfinished tower, erected by Bonaparte 
 some years since, designed to commemorate 
 his intended victory over the English, by 
 invasion a true chateau en Espagne. Wish- 
 ing to refresh ourselves by leaving the 
 carriage while the horses were changed, 
 I entered a sort of rustic public-house, 
 where I observed with much interest the 
 interior of a French cottage kitchen and its 
 inhabitants. A group of peasants sat round 
 a wood fire, apparently waiting for their 
 dinner, which, as a brisk lively paysanne 
 took it off the embers to pour into a dish, 
 looked and smelt most temptingly ; it con- 
 sisted of a mess of bread, herbs, and vege- 
 tables, stewed in broth : there was a mem- 
 ber of this little circle who seemed to 
 watch the progress of the cooking with 
 peculiar delight ; I mean a large, powerful,
 
 BOULOGNE. 9 
 
 yet playful dog, whose exact breed we did 
 not discover, but we were informed he was 
 English doubtless he recognized his coun- 
 trymen ! The plates and dishes, utensils, &c. 
 were ranged upon shelves from the top to 
 the bottom of the little kitchen, and equally 
 distributed on all sides, instead of being 
 confined to the vicinity of the dresser, as is 
 generally the case in England ; they were 
 chiefly of a coarse white clay, painted in a 
 gaudy and sprawling pattern of red flowers : 
 the old woman of the house apologized for 
 their not being quite so bright as they 
 ought to have been, but said the flies dirtied 
 them sadly ; however, every thing looked 
 clean and comfortable. The costume of 
 the men is not becoming ; they all wear 
 white coarse cotton night-caps, and smock- 
 frocks dyed with indigo ; their features and 
 countenances much resemble those of a simi- 
 lar rank in England. It appears to me that 
 the old peasants alone wear the cocked hat 
 in this part of France: perhaps it is a 
 remnant of the national dress in the time 
 of the ancicn regime. The young children, 
 from one to five or six years of age, are
 
 10 SAMEll. 
 
 (generally speaking) very pretty, and some 
 of them have the drollest little faces I ever 
 saw, dark eyes and marked eyebrows and 
 lashes, full of smiles and roguery ; their hair 
 is always allowed to hang at full length 
 upon their shoulders, never being shorn and 
 cropt. Having dined at Boulogne, we pro- 
 ceeded on our journey as far as Samer, in- 
 tending to sleep the first night at Mon- 
 treuil ; but a direct stop was put to any such 
 project, by the circumstance of a total ab- 
 sence of post-horses ; they were all too much 
 fatigued to carry us farther, or were em- 
 ployed in the service of other travellers. 
 Evening was now closing rapidly in, and we 
 were really glad to comply with the urgent 
 solicitations of a rural fille de chambre, who 
 ran out of the little inn at that place (Samer), 
 and assured us we should meet with very 
 comfortable accommodations and be treated 
 with every attention at the Tete de Boeuf, 
 to which she belonged: " Mafoi, messieurs," 
 said the postilion, " vous trouverez que 
 cette demoiselle est bien engageante." 
 When we entered the house (through the 
 kitchen, which much resembled that of a large
 
 SAMER. 11 
 
 cottage), we found a neat little parlour, the 
 water ready boiling in the tea-kettle, ex- 
 cellent tea, bread, butter, and cream. The 
 demoiselle or fille de la maison (being the 
 daughter of the hostess), and her assist- 
 ant (the before-mentioned fdle de chambre, 
 in her country costume), flew about, seem- 
 ing to anticipate aU our wishes and wants ; 
 every thing was ready in an instant, and 
 all was done, not by the wand of an en- 
 chanter, but by the magical influence of 
 good humour and activity, void of pertness, 
 and free from bustle or awkwardness of any 
 sort. La jeune demoiselle was a pretty, modest, 
 well-behaved girl, of sixteen or seventeen, 
 and the maid a merry, good-looking, sprightly 
 lass, some few years older. She appeared 
 to enjoy a joke to her heart, and returned 
 a neat answer to our laughing questions 
 more than once, and this without being at all 
 immodest or impertinent. Mr. B. asked her 
 if she was married: " Pas encore, Monsieur," 
 (said she, looking comically naive), " mais 
 j'espere toujours !" In short, her manner was 
 something quite peculiar to the French in 
 that class of society. An English maid servant
 
 12 HAM Kit. 
 
 who had kept up this sort of badinage 
 would most probably have been a girl of 
 light character ; but servants in France are 
 indulged in a playful familiarity of speech 
 and manner which is amusing to witness, 
 and seldom (if ever) prevents them from 
 treating you with every essential respect and 
 attention. When we started the next 
 morning, the demoiselle earnestly entreated 
 us to breakfast at the Hotel de 1'Europe, 
 at Montreuil, which was kept by her sister, 
 a young woman only two years older than 
 herself, who was just married ; and both she 
 and her little maid added many a remem- 
 brance upon their parts to la chere saeur. 
 Whether this was genuine sisterly affection, 
 or the policy of two innkeepers playing into 
 each other's hands, I really cannot take 
 upon me to determine. 
 
 The country between Samer and Mon- 
 treuil becomes far more agreeable than 
 hitherto ; one here sees hills and vales, and 
 waving woods : we passed the forest of 
 Tingri, but did not remark any large trees ; 
 they were chiefly of beech, with a great 
 profusion of low underwood. We met
 
 .AR12GNE9. 13 
 
 many waggons and carts upon the road 
 which are all very different from those used 
 in England, being much narrower, and 
 lighter for the horses : they are usually 
 open at the ends, and the sides resemble 
 two long ladders. The wheat harvest in 
 this part of the country was remarkably 
 fine ; oats were plentifully planted, but the 
 crops were thin ; the hay, clover, &c. were 
 scarce also, and of inferior quality, owing 
 to the long drought. We observed the 
 women reaping quite as much as the men, 
 and their complexions, poor creatures ! were 
 absolutely baked black by the sun. The 
 road now led us though the heart of the 
 forest of Aregnes : it is of large extent, 
 but we observed the same want of fine 
 timber as in that of Tingri ; the reason of 
 this is, that the trees are always cut down 
 before they attain their full growth, for the 
 purpose of fuel, as wood fires are universal 
 in France. We admired, however, several 
 " dingles green,*' and " tangled wood walks 
 wild," which looked very cool and inviting, 
 but I remembered with pride the " giant 
 oaks and twilight glades beneath" of our
 
 14 MONTREUIL. 
 
 own New Forest, and this coppice made 
 but a trifling appearance in the comparison. 
 Emerging once more from hence upon the 
 open country, we beheld in the distance a 
 troop of English dragoons (probably from 
 Boulogne) exercising their horses. What 
 a singular spectacle in the midst of a people 
 who so lately ruled the world, but who 
 now are trampled beneath the feet of the 
 stranger ! The sight of the English, thus 
 proudly paramount, must necessarily be re- 
 volting and galling to them in the highest 
 degree: we should feel quite as bitterly, 
 were it our own fate more so, perhaps. 
 Let us therefore be just, and make allowance 
 for their natural disgust, while we con- 
 demn the vanity and mad ambition which 
 has thus reduced them. 
 
 x 
 
 The approach to Montreuil is pretty ; the 
 character of the landscape changes, in a 
 sudden and agreeable manner : in place of 
 an uninclosed tract of land, resembling a 
 vast ocean of waving corn, you now see ver- 
 dant meadows and green pastures, refreshing 
 the tired eye, and wearing the livery of early 
 spring ; this effect is produced by the fields
 
 MONTRKUIL. 15 
 
 lying low, and by the practice of irrigation, 
 which is an admirable substitute for rain. 
 
 Montreuil is a fortified town ; we passed 
 over drawbridges upon entering and leav- 
 ing it: the houses are aU very ancient, 
 and the whole appearance is picturesqtie. 
 Here we had a mental struggle between 
 sentiment and good nature, for we wished 
 to breakfast at the same inn where Sterne 
 met with La Fleur, and yet were unwilling 
 to disappoint the hopes of our little demoi- 
 selle at Samer, who had recommended her 
 sister's hotel. Good nature carried the day, 
 and we drove to 1'Hotel de 1'Europe, where 
 we met with most comfortable accommoda- 
 tion, and were pleased by the young hostess's 
 resemblance to her pretty sister, and by 
 her civil, lively manner of receiving us. 
 She sat during our breakfast in a neighbour- 
 ing apartment, by the kitchen (like the 
 mistress of the mansion in times of yore), 
 working at her needle, surrounded by her 
 hand-maidens, who were occupied in the 
 same employment. They all seemed to be 
 fond of her, and the light laugh of genuine 
 hilarity rang from one to the other as they
 
 16 MONTREUIL,. 
 
 cKatted at their ease. The room in which we 
 breakfasted had (in common with most of 
 the French apartments, which are not paved 
 with brick), a handsome oak floor, waxed 
 and dry rubbed till it was nearly as highly 
 polished as a dining-table ; the walls were 
 wainscoted in part, and partly hung with a 
 very amusing paper, having groups of really 
 superior figures stamped upon it, in the 
 manner of black and w r hite chalk drawings 
 upon a blue ground ; one space, which had 
 been intended for a looking-glass, was filled 
 up in this style, with a scene from the loves 
 of Cupid and Psyche, executed in a classical 
 manner. You would never see such a 
 thing in any English country inn, and I 
 consider the French in these sort of deco- 
 rations to possess far better taste than our- 
 selves. As we passed through the corn- 
 fields on our way from Montreuil to Xam- 
 pont, we were saluted by the ramasseurs 
 (gleaners), with a bouquet or two, formed 
 of wheat, platted in a neat and ingenious 
 way, which they threw into the carriage, 
 begging a sous in return, which we be- 
 stowed with much good will ! Some chil-
 
 CKECY. 17 
 
 dren also began to sing and dance on tiie 
 pathway by the road side, and I was sur- 
 prised by observing that the tune was that 
 of a quadrille, and that 4he steps were 
 correct. I plainly recognized the en avant. m 
 and the rigadon. Did this nation come into 
 the world under the influence of a dancing 
 star ? I should say yes. 
 
 When the horses were changed at Nam- 
 pont we disturbed the postillion at his 
 dinner, who made his appearance devouring 
 an indescribable something, which we after- 
 wards discovered to be an omelette aux 
 herbes : he deposited this occasionally on 
 the saddle, while adjusting his harness. 
 
 The ricks of corn and hay here are con- 
 structed rather in a slovenly manner : the 
 French farmers seem to have no idea of the 
 neat method of the Engh'sh, in this respect. 
 
 The road now led us by the celebrated 
 Forest of Crecy, and the image of our 
 gallant Black Prince rose vividly before my 
 mind's eye. At Bernay we entered another 
 peasant's cottage, where we (for the first 
 time since our landing in this country) 
 beheld real and positive beauty. Two lovely
 
 18 BERN AY. 
 
 girls with clear brown skins (through which 
 glowed a pure and animated carnation), 
 long, dark blue eyes, black fringed lashes, 
 and oval faces, came out with their mother, 
 (a hale, well-looking country woman), and 
 a younger sister of six years old, whose 
 infantine charms were full as great in their 
 way. I asked if the latter was the cadet i e 
 of the family ? Upon which the rural dame, 
 with infinite good humour and readiness, 
 corrected what she termed my mistaken 
 appellation, by informing me that it was 
 only the second child which they called 
 the cadet or cadette* : the youngest was 
 le dernier, or la derniere. We had much 
 pleasure in remarking this beautiful trio, and 
 the mother seemed not a little gratified at 
 our evident admiration of her progeny. 
 
 The face of the country here again 
 changed for the worse, relapsing into the 
 same flat and monotonous appearance as at 
 first, and it continued thus until within a 
 mile of Abbeville, which is a very fine old 
 
 * I had reason, however, afterwards to doubt the 
 accuracy of the rural darnels assertion.
 
 ABBEVILLE. 19 
 
 town, with a cathedral dedicated to Saint 
 Villefrond. The architecture is very striking, 
 and the interior replete with the usual 
 ornaments of superstition and idolatry : it 
 was built by the English. My companions 
 visited it, while I was resting quietly at 
 the hotel, and saw several precious relics 
 of saints departed. They found three very 
 young devotees there, before a Salvator 
 Mundi, who were much too merry to be very 
 religious ! I however met with quite an affect- 
 ing spectacle when I went in my turn. Two 
 poor paysannes, in the usual picturesque 
 costume, were prostrate before the image 
 of a dead Christ supported by the Virgin. 
 They were praying with an expression of 
 much earnest and sorrowful devotion : one of 
 them had a sick child in her arms, for whom 
 she appeared to invoke the divine com- 
 passion : poor little thing, the impression 
 of approaching death was stamped upon 
 its pale face, as it lay motionless, hardly 
 seeming to breathe. The group struck 
 my imagination so forcibly, that I after- 
 wards attempted to sketch it from memory. 
 Surely this religion, with all its faults, is
 
 20 ABBEVILLE. 
 
 very consolatory ; and the faith and piety of 
 these poor women must be confessed to 
 be respectable and praiseworthy, however 
 mingled with the alloy of superstition 
 and ignorance : Calvin himself might have 
 thought as I did, had he seen them. 
 
 It was market-day at Abbeville the 
 morning after our arrival, and we were much 
 amused with the various costumes and faces 
 assembled there. We did not, however, see 
 one pretty woman during the whole of our 
 stay, which was two nights and a day. 
 We went one evening to the theatre, and 
 observed the same dearth of beauty among 
 the audience, which chiefly consisted of pe- 
 tites bourgeoises, and officers of the national 
 guards. This theatre is a very inferior one, 
 and full of bad smells. We were assured 
 by our hostess that the company (from 
 Amiens) was very good, and that the piece 
 they were to act (Les Templiers) was 
 thought highly of. We all found it ex- 
 tremely difficult to follow the actors, owing 
 to their unnatural declamatory tones, and 
 the mouthing manner of pronouncing their 
 words : this I believe, however, is universally
 
 ABBEVILLE. 
 
 the case, even with the first tragedians at 
 Paris, Talma not executed. How brightly 
 do nature's favourite children, O'Neil and 
 Kean, shine in comparison ! 
 
 The inn at Abbeville, in which we took 
 up our quarters (1'hotel de 1'Europe), is 
 most excellent : it is very large and roomy, 
 and must once have been a handsome cha- 
 teau. There is a delightful garden, which 
 belonged formerly to a convent adjacent: 
 the high walls covered with a profusion of 
 delicious fruit. The trees in other parts of the 
 garden also were bending beneath the weight 
 of the apples and pears, plums, &c. Myrtles 
 and rododendrons (the latter very large and 
 fine) were placed here and there in tubs; 
 and the fig-tree and vine overshadowed our 
 bed-room windows, which looked upon this 
 agreeable scene: the grapes were nearly 
 ripe. The furniture of our bed-rooms was 
 in a very superior style, though I have 
 seen the same sort of things even in the 
 most shabby looking little inns throughout 
 France. Marble must be very common, 
 and of a reasonable price, for we met with 
 it every where, in chimney-pieces, slabs,
 
 22 ABBEVILLE. 
 
 tables, the tops of drawers, &c. The little 
 washing stand, in our room at Abbeville, 
 was of fine carved mahogany, in the form 
 of an antique altar or tripod ; and the bason 
 and ewer, of an equally pure and classic 
 form, were of fine French porcelain. 
 
 As I have a great passion for seeing the 
 manners of all ranks of people, I went 
 down into a little room next the kitchen, 
 to chat with the hostess, while she was 
 shelling some haricots blancs for dinner. I 
 found this lady very communicative and 
 civil ; and I won her heart I believe, by taking 
 some notice of her daughter, about six 
 years old (her farewel performance in the 
 maternal line), a pretty, gentle, timid little 
 creature, who was busily occupied in putting 
 her doll to bed in a cradle. Several peasants 
 came into the inn-yard as I sat on a bench 
 there : I observed that all the women wore 
 large crosses, of clumsy workmanship, chiefly 
 of white crystal, or glass, and coloured 
 ear-rings, but not so long as those at Calais. 
 We went into a little jeweUer's shop, and 
 bought a couple of the silver rings, with 
 curious ornaments, which the peasants
 
 ABBEVILLE. 23 
 
 usually wear; their sentimental devices were 
 very amusing. 
 
 Leaving Abbeville, we saw the common 
 people employed in making ropes by the 
 road-side, and remarked several large fields 
 of hemp, and one or two of flax : the hemp, 
 when cut, is piled up in sheaves, like corn. 
 The country here is verdant, and rather 
 woody : it lies low, and the river Somme 
 winds through it, whose course may be 
 plainly traced to a great distance by the 
 willows which grow upon its banks, re- 
 minding me of parts of Berkshire. I ought 
 not to omit mentioning the profusion of 
 apple-trees which grow by the road-side, 
 almost all the way to Paris : the trees were 
 absolutely sinking beneath the weight of 
 the fruit, and one or two of them had quite 
 given way, and lay prostrate, training their 
 rosy burthen in the dust. I am almost 
 ashamed to say that my appetite was so 
 much stronger than my honesty, that I 
 could not be satisfied without tasting them ; 
 when I discovered that these fair apples 
 were like those mentioned in the Scriptures,
 
 24 AI RAINES. 
 
 bright and tempting to the eye, but bitter 
 as ashes within ! In short, they were not 
 eatable, but entirely of the cider kind, which, 
 as every body knows, are good for nothing in 
 a natural state. There are quantities, how- 
 ever, of eating apples besides, in every cot- 
 tage garden ; and the favourite food of the 
 peasant children appears to be coarse, brown, 
 heavy bread, with these roasted and spread 
 upon it, instead of butter. We saw large 
 piles of roasted apples in the market at 
 AbbeviUe for this purpose. 
 
 The country near Airaines again be- 
 comes tiresome, from its barren sameness. 
 Passing a little public house, we observed 
 the following somewhat selfish inscription 
 over the door : " Messieurs ! nous sommes 
 quatres hussards, et nous disons, que pour 
 conservir nos amis, il ne faut pas faire de 
 credit." The weather was invariably de- 
 lightful: a bright sun, with a refreshing 
 cool breeze, and an elasticity and lightness 
 in the air, gave animation and cheerfulness 
 to us all. The sky was generally of a cloud- 
 less azure, and the nights almost as light
 
 GRANVILLIERS. 25 
 
 and as free from damps as the days : I 
 never beheld the moon in greater majesty. 
 Airaines is an uninteresting little town, not 
 worth mentioning. Our postillion here was a 
 most ruffian-like, cut-throat looking crea- 
 ture, all over dirt, and having a true Jaco- 
 binical air. He cast several glances full of 
 sullenness aad malignity at my companions ; 
 so much so, that I felt very thankful we 
 were in the cheerful haunts of men, and not 
 in the solitary Alps, or the black forests 
 of Germany, with such a conductor. 
 
 We dined at Granvilliers, where we were 
 waited upon by a little girl of thirteen, fair 
 and lively enough, with an English bloom. 
 She spoke our language remarkably well, 
 although she had only been six months 
 en pension at Amiens, in order to acquire it ! 
 Her instructress was a French woman, which 
 is singular, for she seemed to have given 
 her little pupil a perfect knowledge of our 
 idiom, and an excellent accent. 
 
 From Granvilliers to Marseille, the 
 country rapidly improves in beauty. Just 
 beyond the latter place we remarked a very 
 fine old chateau, embosomed in extensive
 
 26 BEAUVAIS. 
 
 woods: it must formerly have belonged 
 to some of the rich noblesse, and perhaps 
 does so still. Xear Marseille, vineyards ap- 
 peared for the first time. We now ap- 
 proached the town of Beauvais, which had 
 a very pretty effect, surrounded by woods, 
 with the cathedral standing proudly con- 
 spicuous over all. It just now occurs to 
 me to mention (though not immediately 
 d-propos to Beauvais), that the houses, in 
 most of the French towns and villages we 
 have yet seen, are numbered, and in a sin- 
 gular method; for the several streets are not 
 allowed their numbers, separately reckoned, 
 but they go on counting from the first 
 house in the place to the last, so that it 
 sometimes happens you might be directed 
 to call upon a friend at number 1000, 
 or 2000, and so on. In Paris they have 
 another peculiarity, for the even numbers, 
 such as 2, 4, 6, 8, &c. are all on one side of 
 the street, and the odd ones, 7, 9, 11, &c. on 
 the other. 
 
 Beauvais is a filthy town ; the streets 
 narrow and dark, and the houses very ordi- 
 nary. The diversity of intolerable smells
 
 BEAUVAIS. 27 
 
 here nearly overset me, and made me wish 
 almost to lose the power of my olfactory 
 nerves. The inn was miserable, dirty, 
 inconvenient, badly attended, and noisy. 
 The only good things we met with were 
 beds ; indeed we have been fortunate in that 
 respect every where, and the linen through- 
 out France is excellent and plentiful. 
 
 We had (with some difficulty) prevailed 
 upon the awkward Maritornes of a fille, de 
 chambre to set a tea-board before us in the 
 little chair-lumbered closet dignified by the 
 name of a mile, a manger, and into which 
 three or four doors were perpetually opened 
 sans ceremonic, when our Swiss travelling 
 valet, Christian, came in to tell us of the 
 hard fate of an English family who were 
 just arrived, and whose fatigue obliged them 
 to sleep here ; but as the sitting-rooms were 
 all occupied, they were under the necessity 
 of taking their tea in the kitchen, which 
 did not, alas ! boast the cheerful and clean 
 appearance of the cottage kitchens I have 
 formerly described. Common politeness, 
 therefore, laid us under the necessity of 
 sending an invitation to these unfortunates,
 
 28 BEAUVAIS. 
 
 to share our sitting-room, and join us at our 
 tea. Accordingly, in came two ladies ; one 
 a fat, comely, masculine dame, of a certain 
 age; the other lean, tall, plain, and some 
 few years younger. In a few minutes they 
 were joined by a large, gruff, sour-looking 
 old gentleman (the husband of the elder 
 lady), who, without attempting any saluta- 
 tion or apology to us, began to express his 
 dissatisfaction at finding tea going forward, 
 * when you know (said he) I never drink any.' 
 He then settled himself at a smah 1 table, 
 and ordered a pate for his supper. The 
 style of the ladies may easily be guessed 
 by the sort of language in which they 
 described every thing they had seen. The 
 younger, mentioning a tempestuous passage 
 which they had encountered, from Dover 
 to Boulogne, told us that the air smelt 
 quite sulphuruS) and the lightning tizzed 
 in the water very frightfully. The old 
 gentleman grumbled himself by degrees 
 into conversation, and we soon discovered 
 that he was a genuine Squire Sullen, and 
 that his companions were fully aware of it. 
 These poor people seemed to dislike almost
 
 BEAUVAlS. 2jj 
 
 all they had met with in France ; persons, 
 places, travelling, &c. They beheld every 
 thing en noir, and appeared to make moun- 
 tains of mole-hills. Peace be with them ! 
 and a speedy release from each other's 
 society. 
 
 We went (although the day was sinking 
 into twilight) to view the magnificent cathe- 
 dral, which for beauty of architecture I have 
 seldom seen equalled. It is not finished. 
 The different chapels of the saints, and the 
 high altar, were very striking, seen through 
 the solemn gloom of the fine old stained 
 glass windows. Lights were burning before 
 the shrine of one single saint, the patron 
 of the town ; they twinkled dimly through 
 the Gothic pillars and tracery, and had a 
 highly picturesque and singular effect*. 
 Many peasants were kneeling round the 
 altar at this shrine, and the old woman 
 (our guide) informed us they were praying 
 for rain, now the harvest w r as got safely in : 
 we asked her if she thought the saint would 
 
 * The principal beauty of this cathedral is the choir, 
 and it is also famous for Gobelin tapestry.
 
 SO BEAUVAIS. 
 
 grant their prayers, and she replied she 
 had no doubt but that he would. Prostrate 
 on the steps of the altars, in the different 
 small chapels of this cathedral, half lost in 
 shadow, were several other devotees, who 
 had come there for the purpose of con- 
 fessing themselves previous to the great 
 and solemn festival of the assomption de la 
 Sainte Vierge, which was to take place on 
 the morrow. Altogether the spectacle was 
 interesting and imposing, nor could I find 
 any disposition in my heart to ridicule a 
 religion which seemed to be carried on 
 with so much sacred solemnity, and in so 
 awe inspiring a temple. Certainly the ab- 
 sence of pews in the body of a place of 
 public worship is a great advantage, both 
 in a religious and a picturesque point of 
 view. There is something soothing and 
 elevating to the imagination in the idea of so 
 grand a building being open equally, and at 
 all times, to the noble and the peasant, who, 
 it might easily happen, may be seen side 
 by side kneeling on the same steps of the 
 magnificent altar, wrapt in devout adoration 
 of that Being, in whose sight all men are
 
 BEAUMONT. 31 
 
 equal. In my opinion (and I have ever 
 since I can remember thought the same) 
 a Gothic cathedral is the most appropriate 
 style of building for a place dedicated to 
 the worship of the Almighty, nor can I 
 look upon the magnificent style in which 
 the Roman catholics adorn their altars, and 
 array their officiating priests, without some 
 feelings of approbation and reverence. 
 
 We were right glad to quit Beauvais 
 early the next morning ; and, as we advanced 
 towards Beaumont, were delighted with 
 the beauty of its environs. The river 
 Seine has a fine appearance here, although 
 vastly inferior to our Thames ; and we re- 
 marked a great number of chateaus rising 
 among the woods, on every side : many 
 of them, with their parks and domains, were 
 really superb. Some peasants here attempted 
 to impose upon us as foreigners, in a very dis- 
 gusting manner, asking a franc for a couple 
 of green gages, and three sous a-piece for 
 pears, which they offered at the windows 
 of our carriage. Our servant w r as very in- 
 dignant at their impudence, and sent them 
 off in a hurry, saying, " Dey ought to be
 
 32 BEAUMONT. 
 
 shamed of demselves." Upon entering 
 Beaumont, we met the population of the 
 place returning from mass, in their cos- 
 tumes des fetes. Nothing can well be more 
 sweetly pretty, and delicately neat, than the 
 dress of the women ! snowy caps, with deep 
 lace or thin linon borders plaited, white 
 cotton gowns and stockings, gay coloured 
 cotton handkerchiefs crossed smartly over 
 the bosom so as to display the shape to 
 advantage, a large gold cross suspended 
 from the neck by a black narrow riband, 
 or gold chain, with ear-rings, and pin for 
 the forehead of the same material. Some 
 few wore a crimson apron and bib, over the 
 white gown, and others crimson gowTis, 
 with aprons of a bright antique sort of blue 
 a mixture of colours which is for ever 
 to be remarked in the paintings of the old 
 masters, and which has a singularly becoming 
 effect upon the skin. A little worked muslin 
 jfischu, with a vandyke bordering, is some- 
 times added, as a finish to the dress, worn 
 over all. 
 
 We now came to St. Denis, and at length 
 beheld Paris ! We did not pass the heights
 
 PARIS. 33 
 
 of Montmartre, &c. without emotion, when 
 we recollected the memorable contest which 
 so lately took place there between the ve- 
 teran Blucher and the French ! The country 
 in the immediate vicinity of Paris is flat and 
 ugly ; but we thought not of nature upon 
 entering this celebrated work and wonder 
 of art. Covered with dust, and followed 
 by the eyes of the multitude, who easily 
 discovered our English physiognomies, we 
 drove up to several hotels, at every one of 
 which we were refused admittance for want 
 of room to accommodate us, there being at 
 this moment no less than thirty thousand 
 English at Paris. At last, we were com- 
 fortably housed at the hotel Rivoli (near the 
 jar dins des Tuileries), one of the best in 
 the city, where we found abundant civility 
 and attention, and every convenience. 
 
 Why should I attempt to describe Paris ? 
 It has already and so often been done by 
 abler pens than mine, that the very school 
 girl in a country town in England is per- 
 fectly acquainted with all its lions ; I shall 
 only say, that we spent so short a time 
 there, and I was so afraid of exhausting my
 
 34 PARIS. 
 
 stock of strength, which was fully wanted 
 for the journey to Geneva, &c. that I did 
 not even attempt to see every thing that 
 might have been seen. 
 
 The extreme height of the houses, and 
 narrowness of the streets, together with the 
 inconceivable variety of horrible smells in 
 all parts of the town, and the want of 
 pavements for pedestrians, made an ex- 
 tremely unpleasant impression upon me. 
 The gaiety and fancy displayed in the signs 
 over the shops (every one of which has an 
 emblematic device peculiar to itself) \vere 
 very striking, however, as well as their mar- 
 kets, where Pomona seemed to have lavished 
 the choicest treasures of her horn : indeed 
 I never beheld such a profusion of exqui- 
 site fruits and vegetables, the cheapness 
 of which astonished us natives of a more 
 niggard clime not a little. The quantities 
 of cooling and refreshing beverages, sold 
 in every corner of the streets, were also 
 quite a novel thing to us, as well as the 
 circumstance of all the world sitting on 
 hired chairs out of doors, sipping lemonade, 
 or eating ices.
 
 PARIS. 35 
 
 I did not remark, I must confess, that 
 appearance of excessive animation and en- 
 joyment, which I had been led to expect 
 among the Parisians ; on the contrary, I 
 saw full as many grave faces as in notre 
 triste pays, as they call it. The Palais 
 Royal I thought a very amusing place; 
 and the fountain in the midst is most beau- 
 tiful and refreshing, throwing up a stream 
 of water, which in its descent resembles a 
 weeping willow. The fountain of the Lions, 
 also, is still superior, and I think them 
 among the most agreeable objects in Paris. 
 The Boulevards are an airy, cheerful situa- 
 tion, and the moving scene constantly going 
 on there put me in mind of a perpetual 
 fair. 
 
 The gentlemen went to the Opera Fran- 
 coise, where the splendour of the ballet, 
 and the superiority of the dancing, struck 
 them with astonishment and admiration. 
 They visited Tivoli (which did not appear 
 to them to be so good a thing of the sort 
 as our Vauxhall) ; and I went one evening 
 to the Beaujon, and les Montaignes Russes, 
 in les Champs Elysees. Both the latter,
 
 36 PARIS. 
 
 however, were shut ; that is, Ho sliding in 
 the cars was going on, for there had been so 
 many fatal accidents lately, that the rage 
 for this amusement was over. I did not 
 like les Champs Eli/sees so well as our Ken- 
 sington Gardens ; the want of turf was 
 unpardonable in our English eyes. La 
 place de Louis XV., opposite the Tuileries, 
 where the unfortunate Louis XVI. was 
 executed, is very superb in itself, as well 
 as interesting from its melancholy legends. 
 I was rather disappointed in les jar dins dcs 
 Tuileries, admiring the fine orange-trees 
 in tubs there more than the gardens them- 
 selves. We saw the remains of that horrible 
 monument of cruelty, injustice, and des- 
 potism, the Bastile ; and drove past the en- 
 trance to the celebrated Jar din des plantes, 
 which we did not enter, as I had already 
 seen a very fine botanical collection at Kew, 
 and a much superior set of wild beasts at 
 Exeter Change. 
 
 To the Louvre, however, even in its 
 present state of diminished splendour, no 
 words of mine can do justice ; its superb 
 gallery far exceeded even my expectations,
 
 PARIS. S7 
 
 which had been highly excited by all I had 
 ever heard upon the subject : to see the 
 paintings properly, one ought to go there 
 every day for a week. We had only time 
 particularly to distinguish several land- 
 scapes of Claude Lorraine, beautiful beyond 
 all idea, and the set of historical pictures 
 illustrative of the life of Henri qua Ire, by 
 Eubens: I was much struck with the fine 
 countenance and person of the gallant 
 monarch. A Saint Sebastian also, by Guido, 
 rivetted my delighted attention. A friend 
 of ours has painted an exquisite miniature 
 copy of it, with which I remember being 
 greatly struck in England, but it was not 
 until I had seen the original that I was fully 
 aware of its extraordinary merit. The 
 gallery itself is a most magnificent thing ; it 
 really is quite a long fatiguing walk from 
 one end of it to the other; and the crowds 
 of people of all ranks who are constantly to 
 be met with there render it altogether one 
 of the most curious and interesting spec- 
 tacles in Europe. 
 
 I was much amused with the shops, par- 
 ticularly the confectioners ; the ingenious
 
 38 PARIS. 
 
 and endless devices into which they form 
 their delicious bon bons and dried fruits 
 are really surprising, and we purchased speci- 
 mens of their different fancies, to astonish 
 our English friends upon our return home. 
 The vendeurs des tisannes (cooling be- 
 verages, something like eau de groseilles, or 
 lemonade), going about with their stock in 
 trade strapped to their backs like walking 
 tea-urns, were curious figures. The vessel 
 which holds the tisanne is not unlike a 
 long violin case in shape, with a spout to it ; 
 it finishes at the top like a Chinese pagoda, 
 and is sometimes covered with little jingling 
 bells, and hung round with pretty silver 
 mugs. The dress of the petites bourgeoises 
 is quite distinct from that of every other 
 rank of person ; it is rather smart and neat 
 than otherwise, but not at all picturesque. 
 
 I do not remember to have heard a 
 single note of agreeable music while I was 
 in Paris, except that which regaled our ears 
 in an opposite hotel (belonging to Count S.) 
 the second evening of our arrival. This 
 nobleman (of an Irish family, but now a 
 naturalized Frenchman) gave a grand
 
 PARIS. 
 
 ner (in a temporary banqueting-room, 
 built out upon the leads of the house a la 
 troisieme Stage) to the English ; and, during 
 the entertainment, his band of musicians 
 played several pieces, amongst others the 
 celebrated national air, still dear to the 
 French, of Vive Henri quatre ; they then 
 attempted God save the King, but made 
 a dreadful business of it, which I attribute 
 less to professional ignorance than to the 
 impossibility of their being able to feel it, 
 or to enter into the spirit of it con amore / 
 The ballad singers (at least all of them that 
 we had an opportunity of hearing) have harsh 
 wiry voices and nasal tones ; the latter cir- 
 cumstance, however, is almost inseparable 
 from their language. I could not but be 
 diverted with the espieglerie of the filh de 
 chambre who attended me at the hotel de 
 Kivoli : she was ugly, but shrewd, and very 
 active and civil. I asked her if Count S. 
 was a young man ; upon which she hopped 
 round the room in the most ridiculous 
 manner possible, imitating the action of a 
 decrepit old person. Jeune ! (said she) oh 
 mon Dieu, que non ! c'est tin vieux Monsieur
 
 40 PARIS. 
 
 qui va toitjours comme cela ! I inquired if 
 she knew why he gave this fete. Oh,je rien 
 sais rien, mats, le pauvre homme, il na que 
 tres peu de temps encore d restre dans ce 
 monde ci, etje crois quil aime dfaire parler 
 de lui, avant de partir pour I'autre. 
 
 As to the personal charms of the women 
 here, they appeared to me to be very 
 mediocre ; we remarked three or four pretty- 
 faces, but not one that had any claim to 
 superior beauty. The people were all civil 
 to us, except one woman, who kept a little 
 shop for bijouterie in le Palais Royal: 
 nothing could be more pert and sulky than 
 her language and manner ; she looked as if 
 she hated us and our nation altogether, 
 We heard reports from other English people 
 residing here, that it was very common for 
 the lower orders of French to treat us with 
 marked incivility and dislike ; indeed that 
 they should do so, under the present cir- 
 cumstances, ought not to be wondered at. 
 The bronze statue of Henri quatre was 
 erecting during our stay ; we passed by the 
 spot (close to the Pont Neuf), and beheld a 
 niob assembled around it, with gens d'armes
 
 PARIS. 41 
 
 on duty : we did not see the statue itself, 
 it being at that moment covered with a 
 purple mantle, studded with golden fleurs 
 de Its. The various political parties speak 
 differently of this affair: some say the 
 brass of the statue will soon be converted 
 into mortars, and others, that it is built 
 upon a rock, and will stand for ever ! The 
 bridges appeared to us all vastly inferior 
 to ours in London ; that of Waterloo, in 
 the Strand, makes them shrink into utter 
 insignificance in comparison ! but the pa- 
 laces and public buildings are, on the con- 
 trary, infinitely finer than our own. Nothing 
 can be more magnificent, or in a more 
 noble taste ! I was very much amused by 
 the novelty (totally unknown to ladies in 
 England) of dining at a restaurateur's. 
 Curiosity induced me to accompany Mr. 
 Baillie, and our friend, to V6ry's, and the 
 next day to Beauvilliers', two of the most 
 distinguished in the profession in Paris; 
 and the excellence of the cookery almost 
 awakened (or rather I should say created) 
 in me a spirit of gourmandise. There were 
 a few other ladies present, which was a sort
 
 42 PARIS. 
 
 of sanction for me. A Russian or Prussian 
 officer (by his appearance) sat at one of the 
 little tables next to us, at Beauvilliers', 
 and very nearly made me sick by the sight 
 of his long, thick, greasy moustaches, and 
 his disgusting habit of spitting every in- 
 stant upon the floor. I observed that the 
 French people eat their vegetables (always 
 dressed with white sauce) after the meat, &c. 
 and as a sort of dessert or bonne louche 
 even after they have finished their sweet 
 dishes: to us this seems an odd custom. 
 We took our coffee and liqueurs at a Cafe 
 near the Tuileries, and then, while the 
 gentlemen went to the opera, I returned to 
 the hotel, to go on with my journal. 
 
 One morning we devoted to an expedition 
 to the interesting cemetery of Pere de la 
 Chaise,the celebrated confessor of Louis qua- 
 torze. The house in which he resided stands 
 in the midst, and is preserved as a sacred 
 ruin. Nothing can be more striking, and 
 affecting to the imagination, than this place 
 of burial ; it is of considerable extent, with 
 a well managed relief of shade and inequality 
 of ground. The tombs and graves are kept
 
 PARIS. 48 
 
 in the highest order and repair, and almost 
 all of them are planted with shrubs and 
 fragrant flowers, mingled with the mournful 
 cypress and yew : the acacia tree also is 
 planted here in great abundance, and the 
 wild vine trails its broad leaves and graceful 
 clusters over many of the monuments. 
 We remarked several beautiful tombs ; 
 amongst others, a light Gothic temple, 
 which contains the mouldering remains of 
 Abelard and Eloise, brought from the former 
 place of their interment to the present ap- 
 propriate and lovely situation : their statues 
 lie side by side carved in stone, in their 
 religious habits, their heads resting on 
 cushions, and his feet upon a dog. All 
 this did him too much honour ; as he was 
 the most selfish tyrannical lover in the 
 world, and quite unworthy, in my opinion, 
 of the attachment of the unfortunate Eloise. 
 Several of the inscriptions on humbler tombs 
 were affecting from their brevity and sim- 
 plicity ; upon that of a man in the prime 
 of life we read the foUowing short sen- 
 tence: A la memoire de mon meilleur 
 ami cctoit mon frere ! On another, Ci
 
 44 PARIS. 
 
 git P N ; son epouse perd en ltd Ic 
 plus tendre de scs amis, et ses enfans un 
 modele de vertu. And upon one raised by 
 its parents to the memory of a child, ci git 
 jiotre Jils cheri ; a little crown of artificial 
 orange blossoms, half blown, was in a glass- 
 case at his head. We observed many gar- 
 lands of fresh and sweet flowers, hung upon 
 the graves; every tiling marked the ex- 
 istence of tender remembrance and regret : 
 it appears to me as if in this place, alone, 
 the dead were never forgotten. I ought, 
 however, to make honourable mention of a 
 similar custom in Wales, A woman was 
 kneeling upon one of the tombs (which 
 was overgrown by fragrant shrubs), weeping 
 bitterly, and I felt a great inclination to 
 bear her company : the last roses of sum- 
 mer were still lingering here, and she was 
 gathering one as we passed. There is a 
 remarkably fine view of Paris from the 
 mount on which the house of Pere de la 
 Chaise stands. I said it was preserved as a 
 sacred ruin, but I, as a protestant, could 
 not look with much veneration upon it, as 
 the residence of the instigator of the re-
 
 PARIS. 45 
 
 vocation of the edict of Nantes ; that foul 
 stain upon the character, and disgrace to 
 the understanding of le grand Louis, which 
 will ever be remembered with indignation 
 by every candid and liberal Christian. But 
 Protestantism has likewise its bigots, almost 
 as remorseless, and equally blind ! witness 
 some sentiments discovered in the dis- 
 courses of furious Calvin, and John Knox ; 
 witness the actions of Cromwell, and his 
 fanatical roundheads ; witness (alas ! in our 
 own days), the uncharitable and horribly pre- 
 sumptuous principles and tenets of the Me- 
 thodists and Saints ! But this is another di- 
 gression : I return to the view of Paris. It is, 
 as I said before, extremely fine ; you have a 
 bird's eye prospect of the whole city, with 
 the proud towers of Notre Dame eminently 
 conspicuous, and the gilded dome of I'ho- 
 pital des Invalides, glittering in the sun. 
 A word (only one word) relative to the 
 French custom of gilding so much and so 
 gaudily ; it quite spoils the dignified effect 
 of some of their noblest works of architec- 
 ture, and puts one in mind of a child who 
 prefers the showy ostentation of gold leaf
 
 46 PARIS. 
 
 upon his gingerbread to the more whole- 
 some taste of its own plain and unorna- 
 mented excellence. I have met with English 
 people, however, who are vastly delighted 
 with this false style of decoration. 
 
 Before I take leave of Paris, I ought in 
 justice to acknowledge that I have not had 
 an opportunity of enjoying its chief and 
 proudest attraction ; I mean its hest society. 
 Our time did not allow of any intercourse 
 of this nature, and I regretted it much, 
 because I have always heard (and from 
 those most capable of judging rightly) that 
 the tone of conversation in the upper circles 
 here is remarkably attractive and delight- 
 ful; and that lovers of good taste, high 
 breeding, social enjoyment, and literary pur- 
 suits, would find themselves in Paris en pays 
 de connoissance. Deprived of this gratifica- 
 tion, we felt (at least Mr. B. and myself) 
 no sort of reluctance or regret when the 
 day of our departure arrived : for our friend 
 Mr. W. I will not so confidently answer ; 
 he had been in Paris twice before, had 
 met with many agreeable people there, and 
 consequently felt more at home among them.
 
 PARIS. 47 
 
 As for me in particular, I can only say 
 that Paris made no great impression upon 
 my fancy, and none at all upon my feelings ; 
 (always excepting the Louvre, the cimetiere 
 of Pcre de la Chaise^ and one or two other 
 interesting spectacles) : and that I was, as I 
 before observed, so overpowered by its in- 
 conceivably filthy effluvia, and the wretched 
 inconvenience of its streets (both for walk- 
 ing and going in a carriage), that I rather 
 felt an exhilaration of spirits than otherwise 
 when we finally bade it adieu. 
 
 On the morning of our departure it 
 rained a good deal, and our postilh'on had 
 taken care to fence himself against the 
 weather ; for he had disguised himself in a 
 long shaggy dress of goats' skins, bearing a 
 very accurate resemblance to the prints of 
 Robinson Crusoe. We observed this done 
 by others, more than once. The horses 
 had little bells fastened to their harness; 
 which practice is very common, we were 
 told, both in France and Italy. All the 
 roads in the former, and most of them in 
 the latter country, are good ; wide, smooth, 
 and generally paved in the middle, which
 
 48 FROMENTEAU. 
 
 has a noisy effect, but it renders the draught 
 for horses much easier than the road, in 
 wet weather, or when they work in very 
 heavy carriages, Avenues are general ; they 
 improve the face of the country when seen 
 at a distance, but are monotonous and tire- 
 some in themselves. I used formerly to 
 admire roads leading though avenues, but 
 it is possible to have too much of this. 
 Between Villejuif and Fromenteau we ob- 
 served a pillar on the left with the following 
 chivalrous inscription ; Dieu, h Roi, les 
 Dames ! I was going to rejoice in this ap- 
 parent proof of the gallant spirit of the na- 
 tion, but I recollected the celebrated words 
 of Burke, in his letter upon the French re- 
 volution, and sighed as I involuntarily re- 
 peated, "The age of chivalry is no more." 
 Just beyond Fromenteau, the country 
 is really fine : woods, villages, chateaus 
 were in abundance, and the river Seine ap- 
 peared to much advantage; we remarked 
 two stone fountains, one on each side of 
 the road, with the fleurs de Us engraved 
 upon them, built by Louis XV. The 
 French mile-stones here have quite a clas-
 
 ESSONE. 49 
 
 sical air, resembling broken columns ; they 
 are not properly mile-stones, but serve to 
 mark the half leagues. 
 
 At Essone, where we changed horses, 
 the postillion came out in a white night-cap 
 (or rather a cap which once had boasted 
 that title of purity), loose blue trowsers 
 reaching scantily below the knee, and sans 
 shoes or stockings of any sort : upon seeing 
 that his services were wanted, he threw on 
 an old japan hat, jumped into his jack 
 boots, and clawing up the reins, drove off 
 with an air of as much importance and self 
 satisfaction as the smartest-clad post-boy 
 on the Epsom road during the race week. 
 
 In the stubble fields near Fontainbleau, 
 we observed great quantities of partridges. 
 The shepherds here sleep in li ttle moveable 
 houses or huts, upon wheels, somewhat in- 
 ferior to a good English dog-kennel. At 
 Chailly, we saw the Virgin Mary looking out 
 of a round hole in the wall, and not at all 
 more dignified in her appearance than the 
 well-known hero of Coventry. We now ex- 
 changed our driver for a spirited old gentle- 
 man, who frolicked alongbeneaththe burthen
 
 50 FONTAINBLEAU. 
 
 of threescore or more, seeming to bid de- 
 fiance to the whole collection of pains and 
 HH's (vide Kemble's classical pronuncia- 
 tion). Perhaps, reader, I do not make my 
 meaning perfectly clear ; but that does not 
 signify, the first authors write in this way ; 
 and besides, I know what I mean myself, 
 which is not always the case even with them. 
 We remarked in the course of our journey 
 a great number of similar merry Nestors, 
 and found, almost invariably, that they 
 drove us faster, better, and in a superior 
 style altogether to their younger com- 
 petitors. I suppose they have a sort of 
 pride in thus displaying their activity, 
 which a middle-aged man does not feel. 
 
 We entered the superb forest of Fon- 
 tainbleau just as the day began to decline ; 
 the sombre gloom and peculiar smell of 
 the leaves were very agreeable. I have ever 
 loved forest scenery, and would prefer a 
 constant residence in its vicinity to that of 
 mountain, lake, or plain: the trees here 
 were chiefly beech, mixed with silver pop- 
 lars, birch, and a few oaks. How was it 
 possible to thread these mazes without
 
 FONTAINBLEAU, 51 
 
 thinking of Henri quatre, and his famous 
 hunting adventure in the miller's hut? I 
 almost expected to see the stately shade of 
 the noble monarch start from each shadowy 
 dell. Methought the sullen, yet faithful 
 Sully, emerged from the dark glades on the 
 opposite side, seeking in vain for the be- 
 nighted sovereign ; and venting his affec- 
 tionate inquietudes in the language of ap- 
 parent severity and ill humour. I thought 
 but it does not matter what more I thought, 
 in which opinion I dare say my reader will 
 fully agree with me. We arrived at our 
 inn (la Galere), and well did it deserve 
 that name, for never poor slave chained to 
 the bench and oar suffered more severely 
 from the merciless lash of his task-master 
 than I did from the tormenting tyranny of 
 the bugs, which swarmed in this detestable 
 place. There was no sitting-room imme- 
 diately ready for our reception, so we sat 
 down in the old, lofty, smoke-stained kitchen, 
 and amused ourselves with observing the 
 progress of our supper, in company with a 
 very sociable little dog, (who took a great 
 fancy to me,) and Monsieur le Chef, an 
 
 i: 2
 
 52 FONTAINBLEAU. 
 
 appropriate name, invariably given to the 
 cook in most parts of the Continent. 
 
 When we retired to rest for the night, 
 no words can express the disgust which 
 assailed us: finding it impossible to re- 
 main in bed, I was obliged to He in the 
 middle of the room, upon six hard, worm- 
 eaten, wooden chairs, whose ruthless angles 
 ran into my wearied frame, and rendered 
 every bone sore before morning ; but even 
 this did not save me, for the vermin as- 
 cended by the legs of the chairs, and really 
 almost eat me up, as the rats did Southey's 
 Bishop Hatto*. My imagination for several 
 days after this adventure was so deeply 
 saturated with their nauseous idea, that 
 every object brought them in some way or 
 other before me*. 
 
 Upon quitting Fontainbleau, we first 
 observed the sabots (or wooden shoes) worn 
 by the peasantry ; they are of enormous 
 size, and must, I should think, be very 
 heavy and inconvenient to the wearer. A 
 piece of sheep-skin, with the woolly side in- 
 
 * Vide Southey's Miscellaneous Poems.
 
 MORET. 53 
 
 wards, is often slipt between the sabot and 
 the foot, to prevent the former from ex- 
 coriating the instep. 
 
 At Moret, a dirty little town, we saw a 
 whole row of women washing linen in the 
 river ; they were in a kneeling position, and 
 beat the clothes with a wooden mallet; 
 they ought all to be provided with hus- 
 bands from among the linen drapers, as 
 they are such admirable helps to the trade. 
 We met several donkeys here, carrying 
 rushes, piled up like moving houses, so 
 high, that only the heads and hoofs of the 
 animals were visible. Vast tracts of land, 
 covered with vineyards, extended on every 
 side, and the eternal straight road, where 
 one could see for three or four miles the 
 track one was to follow, began to be ex- 
 cessively tedious and wearing to the spirits : 
 how different from the winding, undulating, 
 graceful roads in England! 
 
 Country near Pont sur Yonne open, bald, 
 and monotonous. The French vineyards 
 when seen closely have a formal effect, being 
 planted in stiff rows, like scarlet runners 
 in a kitchen garden, but they much enrich
 
 54 SENS. 
 
 the landscape at a distance. The river 
 Yonne is a pretty little stream, but the 
 nymphs on its banks are not at all pic- 
 turesque in their costume, which is by no 
 means particularly marked, being dirty and 
 unbecoming, and very much (I am ashamed 
 to say) in the style of our common country- 
 women about Brentford, Hammersmith, &c. 
 Sens is an ancient town : it has a handsome 
 cathedral and gateway. The bread made 
 here (as weh 1 as in most parts of France, ex- 
 cept partiaUy in Paris) is mixed with leaven 
 instead of yeast, and is sour and disagreeable 
 in consequence. We remarked many gar- 
 dens richly cultivated, full of choice vege- 
 tables and fruit, by the side of the high- 
 road, without the smallest inclosure ; a 
 proof, I should imagine, of the honesty of 
 the country people. There are several 
 English families resident here, as the envi- 
 rons are very pretty, and the town itself an 
 agreeable one. We stopped to take our 
 breakfast at la Poste, and bought excellent 
 grapes for four-pence a pound English 
 money. The late Dauphin, father of the 
 present king, is buried in the cathedral of
 
 SENS. 55 
 
 this place, and the duke and duchess d'An- 
 gouleme, &c. come once a year to pray for 
 his soul'& repose. 
 
 Pursuing our route, we met many Bur- 
 gundy waggons, loaded with wine; the 
 horses were ornamented with enormous 
 collars of sheep-skin^ dyed of a bright blue 
 colour : the tout cjisemble had a picturesque 
 appearance, and the waggons were the first 
 we had seen in France which had four wheels, 
 the weight being usually balanced between 
 a pair. A sudden storm of rain now coming 
 on, had a beautiful effect; the retreating 
 sunbeams played in catching lights (to 
 use the expression of an artist) upon the 
 abrupt points of the distant hills, and par- 
 tially illuminated their soft and verdant 
 tapestry of vines. We particularly enjoyed 
 it after the long season of heat and drought. 
 Here are whole groves of walnut-trees, be- 
 neath which we met a group of five women 
 belonging to the vineyards ; they were 
 every one handsome, with ruddy, whole- 
 some, yet sun-burnt complexions, lively 
 smiles, and long bright dark eyes and 
 shadowy lashes.
 
 56 JOIGNY. 
 
 Entered Villeneuve sur Yonne ; saw loads 
 of charcoal on the river, going to replenish 
 the kitchens of many a Parisian Helioga- 
 balus ! this is also an ancient town, with 
 two curious old gateways, but it appeared 
 very dull. I admired some fine hedges of 
 acacia, and four pretty, sleek, grey donkeys, 
 who were drawing the plough. The road 
 is winding here, like those of our own 
 country, for which we were solely indebted 
 to the turns of the river, whose course it 
 accompanied. 
 
 Joigny; A handsome stone bridge seems 
 its most remarkable ornament: the river 
 is broad and fine; flowing through steep 
 banks fringed with wood. We dined and 
 slept at les Cinq Mineurs, and this in the 
 same room. A most obliging, intelligent, 
 young woman waited upon us, whose name 
 was Veronique. After dinner we walked 
 on the promenade by the side of the river, 
 and saw the barracks, &c. My friends met 
 with a little adventure in their rambles, 
 while I was resting myself at the inn. 
 Seeing a pretty little boy and his sister at 
 play near the chateau, (belonging to the
 
 JOIGNY. 57 
 
 ancient counts of Joigny,) they entered into 
 conversation with them, upon which they 
 were joined by the father of the children, 
 a French country gentleman, who resided 
 in a small house opposite the chateau : he 
 insisted upon their coming in with him, 
 and as the dinner was ready, much wished 
 to tempt them to partake the meal : this 
 they declined, and their new acquaintance 
 proceeded to shew them his collection of 
 pictures, de tres bons morcdaux^ as he called 
 them, but which did not rank quite so high 
 in the estimation of his visitors. He uninten- 
 tionally displayed, however, a much more 
 pleasing possession ; I mean that of an 
 amiable and grateful disposition, for he said 
 in the course of conversation, that he was 
 always on the watch for an opportunity of 
 shewing hospitality and attention to the 
 English, as some little return for the kind- 
 ness he had experienced from their na- 
 tion, during a visit he had formerly made 
 to his brother in Dorsetshire ; this brother 
 was one of the monks of the order of La 
 Trappe, a small number of whom had been 
 collected together, and who lived, in their
 
 58 JOIGNV. 
 
 former habits of monastic gloom and aus- 
 terity, at Lulworth castle in that county, 
 under the protection of an English catholic 
 (Mr. Weld), during the French revolution. 
 He related some interesting anecdotes of 
 this severe establishment ; in particular, 
 that of an Austrian general of high rank, 
 who after enrolling himself a member of 
 the community, and living some .years in 
 the practice of incredible hardships and 
 privations, at length permitted his tongue 
 to reveal his name and family, about ten 
 minutes previous to his dissolution ; faith- 
 ful to the vow which is common to them 
 all, of not speaking until the moment of 
 death. I was not aware that such an in- 
 stitution existed in England, till this French 
 gentleman related the circumstance, and it 
 strengthened the sensations of mixed horror 
 and pity, which I have ever felt for the 
 victims of fanaticism, in every shape and 
 in every degree. How incredible does it 
 appear, (in the judgment of reasonable 
 beings) that mortals should imagine the 
 benevolent Author of Mature can possibly 
 take pleasure in a mode of worship which
 
 JOIGNY. 59 
 
 restricts his creatures from the enjoyment 
 of those comforts and innocent pleasures 
 with which life abounds, and for which he 
 has so peculiarly adapted their faculties ! 
 Shall all created beings express their sense 
 of existence in bursts of involuntary cheer- 
 fulness and hilarity of spirit, and man 
 alone offer up his adorations with a brow 
 of gloom, and a heart withered by slavish 
 sensations of fear and alarm ? but enough 
 upon so sacred a subject. 
 
 On returning to their inn, the gentlemen 
 met several teams of oxen, decorated with 
 pretty high bonnets (d la cauchoise) made 
 of straw: the natives here seem to take great 
 pride and pleasure in the accoutrements of 
 their cattle. An English family arrived at 
 the Cinq Mineurs at the same time with 
 ourselves ; they were weh 1 known in Lori- 
 don as people of some consequence and 
 property. Their sensations on passing 
 through France were widely different from 
 ours, as they described themselves to have 
 been thoroughly disgusted with every body 
 and every thing they saw ; had met with 
 nothing but cheating and imposition among
 
 60 AUXERRE. 
 
 the people ; and had not been able to ob- 
 serve any pretty country, or interesting 
 objects en route yet they had gone over 
 exactly the same ground that we had done. 
 As they sometimes traveUed all night, I 
 conclude they slept the whole or greater 
 part of the time ; but there are more ways 
 than one of going through the world with 
 the eyes shut. 
 
 In the neighbourhood of Joigny, (on the 
 other side of the town,) there is a great 
 quantity of hemp grown ; and all the trees 
 are stripped up to the tops, like those in 
 many parts of Berkshire, where the graceful 
 is frequently sacrificed to the useful : they 
 had a very ugly effect. 
 
 Approaching Auxerre, the cathedral looks 
 handsome ; there are three churches besides. 
 The first view of Burgundy is not pre- 
 possessing ; nothing but tame-looking hills, 
 with casual patches of vines ; the river, 
 however, is a pretty object, and continues 
 to bestow a little life upon the landscape. 
 The same absence of costume continues. At 
 Auxerre, we breakfasted at I'hotcl du Leo- 
 pard ; the vines were trained over the
 
 AUXERRE. 61 
 
 house with some degree of taste, and took 
 off from the air of forlorn discomfort 
 which the foreign inns so frequently ex- 
 hibit. I was rather surprised at being 
 ushered into the same room with a fine 
 haughty-looking peacock, a pea-hen, and 
 their young broood ; they did not seem at 
 all disconcerted at my entrance, but con- 
 tinued stalking gravely about, as if doing 
 the honors of the apartment. The salle d 
 manger was in a better go&t (although 
 not hah so comfortable) than most of our 
 English parlours ; the walls were papered 
 with graceful figures from stories of the 
 pagan mythology and bold, spirited land- 
 scapes in the back ground, coloured in 
 imitation of old bistre drawings ; the crazy 
 sopha and arm chair were covered with rich 
 tapestry, of prodigiously fine colours, yet 
 somewhat the worse for wear. This was our 
 first Burgundy breakfast, and it evinced the 
 luxuriance of the country, for it consisted 
 (as a thing of course) of black and white 
 grapes, melons, peaches, greengages, and 
 pears, to which were added fresh eggs by 
 the dozen, good cafe an lait, and creaming
 
 62 AUXERRE. 
 
 butter just from the churn, with the cruci- 
 fix stamped upon it. At all French de- 
 je lines they ask if you do not choose fruit, 
 and at dinner it is in variably brought to table 
 in the last course, with a slice of cheese as 
 part of the dessert. Mr. Baillie was not 
 well, and starved like Tantalus in the midst 
 of plenty, which was very unlucky. 
 
 Bonaparte on his return from Elba oc- 
 cupied this apartment; and the postillion 
 who drove us was one of those who ren- 
 dered the same service to him : we had also 
 a pair of the same horses which aided in 
 conveying him on towards Paris. He 
 passed two days here, waiting for his small 
 army of five thousand men to come up with 
 him, as his speed greatly outran theirs. 
 He had six horses to his travelling carriage, 
 and gave each postillion ten francs a piece ; 
 " Mafoi /" (said ours in relating the circum- 
 stance) " nous avons bien galoppe ! quand on 
 nous paye si bien, les chevaux ne sefatiguent 
 jamais /" There was some honesty as well as 
 wit in this avowal. 
 
 Quitting Auxerre, we passed a large stone 
 cistern, with a cross on the top; several
 
 VERMANTOX. 68 
 
 loaded donkeys were drinking here, and 
 some women washing clothes ; it was altoge- 
 ther a picturesque group, and singular to an 
 English eye. Vineyards, vineyards, vine- 
 yards ! toujours perdrix ! I was quite tired of 
 them at last. The country, however, now 
 became much more hilly, and we used the 
 drag-chain, for the first time, between Saint 
 Bris and Vermanton ; these hills were 
 richly covered with vines, and woods began 
 to appear, in the form of thick dwarfish 
 oak. 
 
 Vermanton. This place is famed for 
 wood and wine. We saw the paysannes 
 here in deep gipsy straw hats, the first we 
 had beheld in France among this class of 
 people ; for even in Paris, the petites bour- 
 geoises, as weh 1 as the countrywomen, all 
 walk about in caps, or the French handker- 
 chief tied carelessly round the head. The 
 country from hence again changed much 
 for the worse, barren hills extended for 
 several miles, now and then covered with 
 partial spots of vegetation. 
 
 Close to the town of Avalon, we re- 
 marked a range of hills, one of which is of
 
 64 AVALON. 
 
 great height, called Montmartre. We 
 here bid adieu for some time to vine- 
 yards. Large extensive woods surround 
 Avalon, from which the greater part of the 
 fuel burnt in Paris is taken. Flocks of 
 sheep were continually passing, numbers of 
 black ones, and some goats always among 
 them. There seemed to be few pigs any 
 where, and all of them were frightfully 
 lean : " as fat as a pig" is a term of reproach 
 for which I have ever entertained a parti- 
 cular aversion, but I am now convinced 
 that these beasts are much more disgusting 
 when deprived of their natural embonpoint. 
 I fancy the French people make too good 
 a use themselves of what we should call 
 the refuse of the kitchen, to have any to 
 spare for the necessities of these their four- 
 footed brethren. We now came into the 
 neighbourhood of widely extended corn- 
 fields fields I ought not to call them, for 
 there are no inclosures. We saw an old woman 
 at a cottage door, with a distaff in her 
 hand ; the first I had ever seen except in 
 a picture. She was a withered, grim-looking 
 crone, but not quite sublime enough for
 
 ROUVRAY. 65 
 
 one of Gray's " fatal sisters." Scene the 
 next, a pretty, green, tranquil glen, (where 
 cattle were making the most of the un- 
 usually rich pasturage,) bounded by a steep 
 bank, and copse wood; not unlike some 
 spots in Surrey. 
 
 We drove on, through a shady wood, to 
 Rouvray, passing on the road crowds of wag- 
 gons drawn by oxen, loaded with empty wine 
 casks, preparatory to the vintage, which was 
 expected to be very fine this season : the 
 waggoners almost ah 1 wore cocked hats, and 
 we remarked that the oxen were yoked by 
 the head. We met a diligence drawn by four 
 mules, and observed many beautiful trees of 
 mountain ash, with their bright clusters of 
 scarlet berries, by the side of the highway. 
 
 Stopping for a few moments at la Roche 
 en Berney, we joined a group of the most 
 respectable bourgeoisie, (men and women,) 
 sitting with the hostess on a bench at her 
 door. They all rose up to salute us, and 
 the men stood sans chapeau as we passed, 
 with an agreeable expression of civil good 
 will upon every countenance. Some of the 
 ladies had little French dogs under their
 
 66 SAULIEU. 
 
 arms. The country near this place is 
 covered with wood, yet has notwithstand- 
 ing a monotonous character; these woods 
 however are worthy of remark, from their 
 extent and duration, continuing on all sides 
 without interruption for many miles. 
 
 We now arrived at Saulieu, where we 
 supped and slept at la Poste. It was quite in 
 the cottage style, which we all rather liked 
 than not : we had a cheerful little wood fire 
 at night (as the weather felt chilly), and sat 
 round it talking of the adventures of the day, 
 until the hour of repose. This town stands 
 upon the highest ground in France; the 
 snow was never entirely off the neighbouring 
 woods during the whole of the last winter : 
 vineyards will not flourish in so bleak a 
 situation, and other fruits are very scarce. 
 The hostess was a most loyal personage, 
 for upon my observing a bust of Henri 
 quatre over the chimney, and saying he 
 was truly the father of his people, she ex- 
 claimed, Oui, Madame ! mais a present nous 
 avons aussi des rois qui font le bonhenr de 
 leurs sujets. The costume here still con- 
 tinues undecided, and devoid of taste.
 
 SAULIEU. 67 
 
 Two very pretty, modest, rustic lasses waited 
 upon us, named Marie and Lodine. Lodine 
 was a brunette, with an arch, dimpled, 
 comical little face, (round as an apple, and 
 equally glowing,) teeth white as snow, and 
 regular as a set of pearls ; but I rather 
 preferred the opposite style of Marie, who 
 was slighter in her person, graver, and whose 
 long dark eyes and penciled brows alone 
 gave lustre and expression to an oval face, 
 and a pale yet clear and fine grained skin : 
 these eyes, however, were not so often illu- 
 minated by bright flashes of innocent gaiety 
 as those of Lodine, but they made amends 
 by the length and beauty of their soft black 
 lashes. Lodine's admiration was prodigiously 
 excited by my English ear-rings, and rings, 
 &c. She took them up one by one to ex- 
 amine, and exclaimed frequently that she 
 had never seen such beautiful things in her 
 life. Poor little rustic ! I hope no unprin- 
 cipled traveller will ever take advantage of 
 thy simplicity and love of finery, and per- 
 suade thee to exchange for toys of a similar 
 description the precious jewels of inno- 
 cence and good fame. Mr. W. went into
 
 SAULIEU. 
 
 the market the next morning, before either 
 Mr. Baillie or myself were up, and remarked 
 that almost every woman there was well 
 looking ; he ( also saw some really beautiful 
 girls among them. There are two neat 
 churches here. The swarms of beggars 
 which assailed us at every town, in this 
 part of the country, were positively quite 
 annoying; their bold and sturdy importu- 
 nity made me recollect, with regret, the 
 sensitive delicacy of Sterne's poor " Monk," 
 and wish that they were as easily repulsed ! 
 Had this been the case, I dare say we 
 should have given them every sous in our 
 possession ; but, as it was, I never felt less 
 difficulty in steeling my ears and my heart. 
 The face of nature seemed like a map, 
 the road was upon such elevated ground. 
 But leaving Saulieu, our route was agree- 
 ably varied by a continual alternation of 
 hill and dale; the foreground rocky, en- 
 livened with purple heath and furze. We 
 frequently made the remark, that we had 
 not yet seen a single cottage which could 
 be called pretty since we landed at Calais ; 
 and the lovely and picturesque hamlets of
 
 PIERRE ECRITE. 69 
 
 the Isle of Wight, the neighbourhood of 
 the Xew Forest, and of parts of Surrey, 
 returned upon my imagination in all their 
 force. There are woods of dwarf oak near 
 this place, beyond which we caught, for 
 the first time during our tour, the view of a 
 mountain in the horizon. We changed horses 
 at Pierre Ecrite, where we met with a postil- 
 lion who was a living image of Don Quixote. 
 I, who am such an enthusiastic admirer 
 of the latter, could willingly have given a 
 double fee for the pleasure I took in con- 
 templating his faithful resemblance; the 
 loose shamoy leather doublet, brown beaver 
 Spanish-looking flapped hat; long, black, 
 greasy hair, hanging in strings about his 
 scraggy neck and doleful visage ; the wild, 
 eager, prominent, dark eyes, &c. all was 
 complete ! The French drivers differ in 
 many particulars from ours ; in one respect 
 alone there is a wide line of demarcation. 
 The former talk a good deal (en route) to 
 their horses, while the latter confine them- 
 selves to the mute eloquence of the whip 
 and spur. 
 
 The country now assumes a totally new
 
 70 AUTUN. 
 
 character. The hills rise into the dignity 
 of mountains, and are entirely barren, save 
 in the immediate vicinity of a li ttle valley 
 or two which smiles between them, when 
 their rough granite sides are clothed with 
 partial underwood ; these valleys have a ver- 
 dant and cultivated effect, from being well 
 wooded, and also from the unusual practice 
 of inclosing the fields with hedges. In- 
 deed the whole scene for three or four 
 miles before you come to Autun is bold, 
 rich, and beautiful. We were told that the 
 people here and in the South of France 
 were (generally speaking) extremely well- 
 disposed towards the Bourbon government, 
 disliking the remembrance of Bonaparte. 
 
 Autun, an ugly town, yet most roman- 
 tically situated at the foot of three moun- 
 tains covered with superb woods. Here 
 are some fine gateways of Corinthian archi- 
 tecture, baths, and a cathedral. We went 
 to look at the latter, and saw several women 
 there telling their beads, who cast an eye 
 of curiosity upon us in the midst of their 
 devotions, while their fingers and lips con- 
 tinued to move with great rapidity. I
 
 AUTUN. 71 
 
 peeped into several vacant confessionals, 
 which resembled little sentry-boxes, par- 
 titioned into two apartments, in one of 
 which there is a seat for the priest, and in 
 the other a grated aperture through which 
 the penitent breathes his communications. 
 The tomb of the president Jennin and 
 his wife is shewn here. It was, I believe, 
 concealed during the fury of the revolution, 
 in common with many similar and sacred 
 curiosities. He was one of Henri quatres 
 ministers, and a man much esteemed by 
 that sovereign. He cannot have a higher 
 professional eulogium. The costume both of 
 the president and his dame is quaint in 
 the extreme, and the length of her waist is 
 quite ridiculous. Our inn (la poste) was 
 comfortable and reasonable. For five francs 
 a-head, they sent us up for dinner (I will 
 for once say what we had for dinner) some 
 capital soup au ris, a magnificent jack, a 
 duck stewed with pickles, a fowl, white and 
 delicate as those of Dorking, a ragout of 
 sweetbreads in brown sauce, a large dish of 
 craw-fish, potatoes drest d la maitre d'hotel, 
 Guyere cheese, and four baskets of fruit,
 
 72 AUTUN. 
 
 The latter evinced the coldness of the 
 climate here, for the peaches were diminu- 
 tive, crude, and colourless^ the grapes rather 
 sour, and the cherries hard, tough, and not 
 bigger than black currants. 
 
 Leaving Autun, we passed over a very 
 steep granite mountain of that name, 
 covered in the most luxuriant profusion 
 with trees of every sort, but chiefly oak : 
 the road wound round the sides till it 
 reached nearly the summit of this mountain 
 in graceful sweeps. It rained during our 
 ascent, and the groups of women emerging 
 at intervals from the woody recesses in the 
 steeps above us, with their gay coloured 
 cotton handkerchiefs held over their white 
 caps, to shelter them from the scudding 
 shower, looked highly picturesque. The 
 male costume here becomes marked ; it con- 
 sists of a very large black hat, (with a low 
 crown and an enormous breadth of brim,) 
 round which is sometimes worn a string of 
 red and white beads; a dark blue linen 
 jacket and trowsers, coloured waistcoat, 
 white shirt, with a square deep collar thrown 
 open at the throat, and sabots. We could
 
 AUTUJT. 73 
 
 plainly hear the babbling of the brook 
 which runs among these sylvan retreats. 
 My husband gathered me some blackber- 
 ries in the woods, and I longed to accom- 
 pany him in his rambles, instead of remain- 
 ing in the carriage. Altogether it was the 
 most romantic scene I had ever beheld, and 
 my exclamations of admiration reaching the 
 ears of the postillion, (who was easing his 
 horses by walking by their side) he came 
 up to the window, to ask me if I had 
 ever seen such a beautiful thing in my own 
 country? I assured him I had not, and he 
 graciously added that he would shew me sL 
 very grand plain also in a few minutes. 
 Our Swiss attendant, however, (Christian) 
 did not seem to approve of all these com- 
 mendations, and could not refrain from 
 throwing out a hint, that we should see much 
 finer things in his country. This mountain 
 is covered with wild strawberries in the 
 season. Bonaparte intended to have made 
 a wider road through it, had not the Fates 
 thought proper to cut short his plans when 
 he least expected it. The view of the pro- 
 mised plain was fertile as that of Canaan ;
 
 74 AUTUN. 
 
 the glimpses of it caught occasionally 
 through the openings of the rocks were 
 charming. I liked the national pride of 
 the postillion ; applied thus to the beauties 
 of nature, it had almost a character of re- 
 finement : he was a good-humoured, merry- 
 looking, ugly fellow, who seemed as if he 
 had never known a care in his life ; but (the 
 truth must be told) he was a great ad- 
 mirer of Bonaparte, and said he should live 
 and die in the hope of his return. He had 
 laid by his green jacket and badge in his 
 box, thinking it not impossible that he 
 might want to wear it again one day ; at 
 all events he trusted to see the young son 
 upon the throne, and spoke of him with 
 much affectionate emotion. Bonaparte had 
 been driven by this man (upon his flight 
 from Elba,) and this puts me in mind, that 
 I omitted to mention the circumstance of 
 my having slept in the same bed which he 
 then occupied at Autun ; I think he must 
 have left his troubled spirit behind him, 
 for my dreams were perturbed and melan- 
 choly in the greatest degree! There are 
 plenty of wolves and wild boars in this
 
 ST. EMILAN. 75 
 
 neighbourhood ; five of the latter were killed 
 the week before. I expected to have met 
 with gipsies, but neither here, nor in any 
 other part of the continent, had we yet en- 
 countered one of the race. 
 
 At St. Emilan, (a small village) we stopt 
 to breakfast: it was a merry, cheerful 
 meal. We sat round the blazing faggots in 
 the cottage kitchen of la Poste, and boiled 
 our eggs in a vessel which I believe was 
 an old iron shaving pot ; the milk (for our 
 coffee) was served up in a large earthen 
 tureen, with a pewter ladle ; and the cups 
 were of a dirty yeUow cracked ware, that I 
 am sure my cook would not suffer to be 
 exhibited in her scullery. The bread was 
 sour, and so was the fruit, but I never re- 
 member to have enjoyed a breakfast more 
 thoroughly ; so true is it, that hunger is the 
 best sauce. The host (seeing that we were 
 English) asked if we would not choose our 
 pain to be grilU? and was proceeding to 
 broil it accordingly, instead of toasting it, 
 if we had not preferred the loaf in its na- 
 tural state. We were somewhat surprised 
 at seeing a print over the chimney of Dr.
 
 76 ST. EMILAN. 
 
 Nicholas Saunderson, Professor of Astro- 
 nomy at Cambridge. An obscure village 
 kitchen in the heart of France was the last 
 place where one would have expected to 
 have found such a thing. The hostess had 
 bought it many years since at a sale of the 
 property of the celebrated Buffon. 
 
 Seeing some cows ploughing in the fields 
 here, which was what we had never before 
 witnessed, our servant Christian gave us an 
 account of the manner of conducting that 
 operation in Switzerland ; " de only dif- 
 ference is (said he) dat dere de cows be all 
 oxes" The costume of the paysannes is 
 very picturesque ; a straw hat, of the gipsy 
 form, and large as an umbrella, rather short 
 petticoat, gay coloured handkerchief, deep 
 bordered white cap, and sabots. The land- 
 scape was rather pretty for some distance 
 beyond St. Emilan. 
 
 We now began to meet with vineyards 
 again, as we descended from these bleak 
 and elevated regions. A brook wound 
 through the lowlands, fringed with willows, 
 by means of which we could as usual trace 
 its course for miles. I forgot to mention
 
 ST. EMILAN. 77 
 
 the cajoleries made use of by a set of little 
 beggar children, the preceding day. The 
 white beaver hats worn by my husband and 
 Mr. W. struck their fancy not a little, and 
 they ran after the carriage with incredible 
 perseverance, calling out, Vivent les chapeaux 
 blancs ! Vivent lesjolis messieurs ! vive lajolie 
 dame ! vive le joli carrosse / vive le roi, 
 et vive le bon Dieu ! We were engaged in 
 lamenting the drawback of a goitre (or 
 swelling in the throat) to the beauty of a 
 very pretty woman, whom we had just seen, 
 when in going down a steep hill we met 
 with an accident, which might have been 
 serious. The harness (made of old ropes) 
 suddenly broke, one of the horses fell 
 down, the postillion was thrown off, and 
 the other horses continuing to trot on 
 without stopping, we felt the carriage go 
 over some soft substance, which we con- 
 cluded to be the person of their unfortu- 
 nate driver. Both the gentlemen invo- 
 luntarily exclaimed " he is killed !" when 
 we were relieved by seeing him running by 
 the side of the animals, very little the worse
 
 78 ST. EMILAN. 
 
 for his fall. The poor horse was the greatest 
 sufferer, as the wheels went twice over his 
 neck ! however, even he was not much hurt, 
 and was able to rise and go on with his 
 work in a few seconds. The great creature 
 in the middle was an old, scrambling, wilful 
 beast, who liked his own way, and I believe 
 he would never have stopt, had not his 
 bridle been seized by a man in the road. 
 I was very much alarmed for the moment, 
 and so I rather suspect was our trusty 
 valet, who presented himself at the door to 
 inquire if " Madame was frighted," with a 
 face as white as his own neckcloth. This 
 con tret ems would not have occurred had 
 we not changed our horses and postillion 
 a few moments before it happened, with 
 those belonging to another carriage which 
 we met on the way. The country con- 
 tinued rather pretty, and was also inclosed ; 
 were it not for the vineyards, it wculd be 
 like many parts of England. We saw a 
 little insignificant chateau or two, and that 
 reminds me of the very dull effect of all the 
 houses in France when seen from a distance
 
 CHALONS. 79 
 
 they have universally the air of being 
 shut up, owing to the jalousies being 
 painted white instead of green. 
 
 Chalons sur Saone ; rather a pretty town : 
 there is a stone fountain here, with a statue 
 of Neptune, well executed. We stopt at 
 the hotel du Pare, a reasonable and tolerably 
 well appointed inn, though by no means 
 deserving of the pompous commendation 
 bestowed upon it in the printed Tourist's 
 Guide, where it is mentioned as being the 
 best in France. Mr. W. suffered some 
 annoyance from bugs, which I must ever 
 consider as great drawbacks to comfort. 
 We were attended at dinner by the first 
 male waiter we had seen since leaving 
 Paris, from which Chalons is about two 
 hundred miles distant. The people in the 
 town stared at and followed us about in 
 rather a troublesome manner; I believe 
 they were attracted by the white hats, and 
 my travelling cap, so different from any of 
 their own costumes. 
 
 People talk a great deal about the warmth 
 of the South of France, but all I can say is, 
 that as soon as we approached it, we ordered
 
 80 CHALONS. 
 
 fires, while we had left our countrymen in 
 frigid England fainting with heat ! I may 
 as well indulge myself in a few more de- 
 sultory remarks while I am about it, par- 
 ticularly as our narrative just now is rather 
 bare of incident. The first is, the great 
 inferiority of the French cutlery to ours : 
 all their knives are extremely coarse and 
 bad; and with regard to the forks and 
 spoons (both of which, to do them justice, 
 are almost always of silver), they do not 
 seem ever to have come in contact with a 
 bit of whiting or a leather rubber since 
 they were made ! Plate-powder of course is 
 an unknown invention here. How would 
 our butlers at home (so scrupulously nice in 
 the arrangement of their sideboard) have 
 stared, could they have beheld these shabby 
 appurtenances of a foreign dinner table ! 
 They are not less behind-hand also with re- 
 spect to the locks of their doors, all of which 
 are wretchedly finished, even in their best 
 houses. Their carriages are generally ugly, 
 shabby, badly built, and inelegant; and 
 they have some domestic customs (existing 
 even in the midst of the utmost splendor
 
 TOURNUS. 81 
 
 and refinement,) which are absolutely re- 
 volting to the imagination of an English 
 person, and to which no person who knows 
 what real cleanliness and comfort means, 
 could ever be reconciled ; but the French 
 are, beyond all doubt, an innately filthy 
 race, with them I'apparenee is all in all. 
 
 Leaving Chalons sur Saone, we observed 
 large fields planted with Turkey wheat, 
 called here Turquie ; they mix it with other 
 flour in their bread. There is nothing 
 but barren stubble for a length of way, and 
 we should have found the prospect ex- 
 cessively wearying and tiresome, had not a 
 bold hill or two in the distance afforded a 
 slight degree of relief. We saw a man 
 sowing among the stubble, which they 
 plough up after the seed is sown, thereby 
 saving the labour of the harrow ; the prac- 
 tice-is not general, however. 
 
 About three miles from Tournus, we 
 ascended a very steep hill, covered with 
 underwood and vines, and were refreshed 
 by the sight of a little pasture land. From 
 the summit a surprisingly fine country 
 burst upon us the river Saone leading its
 
 82 TOURNUS. 
 
 tranquil waters through a rich plain, the 
 town of Tournus with its bridge and spires, 
 and the chain of Alpine mountains bounding 
 the distant horizon, were altogether charm- 
 ing; the latter appeared like a continued 
 ridge of gray clouds, Mont Blanc tower- 
 ing far above them all. We formed some 
 idea of the magnitude of this hoary giant 
 from the circumstance of our being able 
 thus to see him at the distance of a hun- 
 dred and fifty miles ! He looked, however, 
 like a thin white vapour, rising amid the 
 lovely blue of the summer sky. 
 
 At Tournus, where we stopt to break- 
 fast, the maitresse de la maison was a very 
 pretty woman, but I cannot praise her 
 taste in china ware ; the cups she set before 
 us were of a most disgusting shape and 
 material, and of enormous proportions ; 
 they resembled our coarse red flowerpots 
 glazed, and it was with difficulty that I 
 could prevail upon myself to taste the tea 
 or coffee (I forget which) that they con- 
 tained. The women in this neighbourhood 
 wear a singular head-dress, a black beaver 
 hat, of the size and form of a small soup
 
 MACON. 83 
 
 plate, placed flat upon the crown of the 
 head, with three long knots of broad black 
 riband, hanging down, one behind, and 
 one on each side the face. They have a 
 little white cap, called la coquette, under 
 this, with a coarse open lace border, stand- 
 ing stiff off the temples, something like that 
 of Mary, Queen of Scots. This place is cele- 
 brated for its pretty women, and we re- 
 marked many ourselves. I took a hasty 
 sketch of one as we changed horses. There 
 is a great quantity of hemp grown here. 
 The weather now began to be intensely 
 hot ; and we did not wonder at this, as we 
 were in the same latitude as that of Verona 
 and Venice. The former chill, which I 
 mentioned upon first approaching the south 
 of France, was quite an accidental circum- 
 stance, partly induced by our being at that 
 time upon extremely high ground, whereas 
 the temperature of the valleys is very dif- 
 ferent. 
 
 We saw the peasants making ropes by the 
 side of the road ; one man carried a distaff 
 in his hand, much bigger than a large stable 
 broom. I bought of a villa geoise at Macon
 
 84 MACOX. 
 
 one of the little hats and caps before men- 
 tioned. She attempted to impose upon me 
 as to the price ; but I do not consider this 
 at all as a national trait. I am afraid an 
 English countrywoman would have been 
 equally anxious to make the best bargain 
 she could, fairly or otherwise ! The cap 
 was really very becoming, even to my Bri- 
 tish features. I saw in one of the cottages 
 a loaf of their bread: it was extremely 
 coarse, and as flat, round, and large as a 
 table. There is a grand chain of moun- 
 tains on the right, called the Charolais. 
 We again observed cows ploughing in the 
 fields : they had aU a curious head-dress, a 
 sort of veil or network, to preserve them 
 from the flies, like the military bridles of 
 our dragoon horses. Most of the cattle 
 hereabouts (and we had seen quantities) 
 were of a cream colour. The country is 
 luxuriant, full of chateaux, fertile, and cul- 
 tivated, more so than any we had yet ob- 
 served, and it is allowed to be the finest part 
 of France. Mr. W. examined the nature 
 of the soil, and found it fat and rich in the 
 highest degree. I must once more repeat
 
 MACON. 85 
 
 my admiration of the frequent and great 
 beauty of the young children in this coun- 
 try, more particularly in these parts. I 
 saw several with cheeks like the sunny side 
 of a peach ; little, round, plump faces, and 
 delicately chiselled features, with a profu- 
 sion of luxuriant hair hanging in natural 
 ringlets upon their shoulders : the mere 
 babies also are very interesting. The pa- 
 rents throughout France are remarkable 
 for love of offspring*. 
 
 About three or four miles from Macon 
 you enter the department of the Macon- 
 nais, and afterwards that of the Jura (so 
 called from the mountains of the same 
 name), but formerly known by that of the 
 Lyonnais. We saw at St. George de Ro- 
 gnains a most beautiful woman, a mllageoise; 
 her proportions were fine, and rather full ; 
 her face very much in the style of our well- 
 known English belles, Lady O. and Mrs. 
 L. ; but she was not so large as either of 
 them. She wore the usual costume of her 
 native place, which was more peculiarly 
 
 * Vide Spurzhuim's Craniology.
 
 86 VILLEFRANCHE. 
 
 marked in the cap. It is extremely be- 
 coming, and pretty in itself. I know not 
 how to describe it exactly; but it is flat 
 upon the crown, with a good deal of coarse 
 transparent lace, like wings, full every 
 where but on the brow, across which it is 
 laid low and plain, in the style of some an- 
 tique pictures I remember to have seen. 
 This superb woman's fine features set it off 
 amazingly* She also wore a flowered cot- 
 ton gown (of gay colours upon a dark 
 ground), a crimson apron and bib, with a 
 white handkerchief. What a charming 
 portrait would Sir Thomas Lawrence have 
 made of her, and how she would astonish 
 the amateurs of beauty in England, were 
 she suddenly to appear among them ! I 
 am thus particular in describing costume^ 
 to please the readers of my own sex. We 
 met here some religieuses walking in the 
 road, belonging to a convent in the di- 
 stance. Their habit was not very remark^ 
 able, except that they wore black veils, 
 with high peaks on the front of the head, 
 and long rosaries by their sides. 
 
 Villefranche ; a populous old town. It
 
 LYONS. 87 
 
 was market day ; yet not one instance of 
 intoxication did we see, neither here nor 
 in any other part of France through which 
 we had passed. Certainly drunkenness is 
 not the vice of the nation, although they 
 have a due admiration for strong beer, 
 which is sold under the name of bonnd 
 bierre de Mars. There is a fine church 
 here, of Gothic architecture. 
 
 We did not reach Lyons until late at 
 night; and, as I was very much fatigued, 
 and longed to get into the hotel, I thought 
 the length of the environs and suburbs end- 
 less. However, we arrived at last, and after 
 a refreshing sleep, were awakened the next 
 morning by the firing of cannon close under 
 our windows. It was the fete of St. Louis, 
 which is always celebrated with particular 
 pomp and splendour. It was also the great 
 jubilee of the Lyonese peruquiers, who went 
 in procession to high mass, and from thence 
 to an entertainment prepared for them. 
 Thejouteurs (or plungers in water) likewise 
 made a very magnificent appearance. They 
 walked two and two round the town, and 
 after a famous dinner (laid out for them in a
 
 88 LYONS. 
 
 lower apartment of our hotel) proceeded 
 to exhibit a sort of aquatic tournament, in 
 boats, upon the river. This is a very 
 ancient festival, and is mentioned (if I re- 
 collect right) by Rousseau. The dress of 
 the combatants (among whom were several 
 young boys of eight and five years old) was 
 very handsome and fanciful, entirely com- 
 posed of white linen, ornamented with 
 knots of dark-blue riband. They had white 
 kid leather shoes, tied with the same co- 
 lours, caps richly ornamented with gold, and 
 finished with gold tassels. In their hands 
 they carried blue and gold oars, and long 
 poles, and upon their breasts a wooden sort 
 of shield or breastplate, divided into square 
 compartments, and strapped firmly on like 
 armour, or that peculiar ornament, the 
 ephod, worn by the ancient Jewish high 
 priests. Against this they pushed with the 
 poles as hard as possible, endeavouring to 
 jostle and overturn their opponents; the 
 vanquished, falling into the water, save 
 themselves by swimming, while the victors 
 carry off a prize. We went down stairs to 
 see these heroes at dinner, and one of them
 
 LYONS. 89 
 
 civilly invited us into the room, to observe 
 every particular at our ease. 
 
 The military were all drawn out this 
 morning, and I thought there never would 
 be an end of their firing, trumpeting, &c. ; 
 the whole town resounded with noise, 
 bustle, and gay confusion. We distin- 
 guished the Swiss guards, who wore a red 
 uniform, like the English troops; a fine 
 regiment of chasseurs, green, faced with 
 red ; a troop of lancers, on beautiful spi- 
 rited black horses, uniform green and 
 orange ; the national guards, dark blue and 
 red, with cocked hats ; and, lastly, the foot 
 guards, in white : the officers of the latter 
 really looked like London footmen ; nothing 
 could be more ugly and ungentlemanly 
 than their costume. AU these were re- 
 viewed in la Grande Place, built by Bona- 
 parte, who laid the first stone. The houses 
 there are very handsome, and some of them 
 rise to the height of seven stories. A steep 
 hill, covered with vines, and crowned by 
 buildings like castles, forms the background 
 of this fine place, at the bottom of which 
 rolls the grand and magnificent Rhone.
 
 90 LYONS. 
 
 Our inn (Vhotel de Provence) stood here. 
 It is a very comfortable, excellent, well- 
 ordered establishment : the apartments as- 
 signed for our particular use put me in 
 mind of the old state-rooms in our shabby 
 palace of St. James. The furniture was of 
 crimson and white satin damask, and the 
 beds of rich crimson damask ; Lyons, as all 
 the world knows, being famous for its rich 
 silks. The ancient arm-chairs were studded 
 with gilt nails, and the brick-floors care- 
 fully rubbed and polished till they resem- 
 bled marble. That of the salle d manger 
 was of curiously inlaid oak. The attend- 
 ants were all men : one of them made my 
 bed, and was perpetually frisking in and 
 out (in his department of housemaid), ra- 
 ther to my annoyance and surprise. The 
 first night of our arrival, I was shut up (as 
 I thought) in my own room, unpacking my 
 sac de nuit, when, upon turning suddenly 
 round, I saw the great rough figure of our 
 postillion, who had entered without knock- 
 ing, and was standing much at his ease, ex- 
 pecting to be paid. The garcon who waited 
 at dinner was a fine specimen of the honest,
 
 LYONS. 91 
 
 cheerful French peasant lad, his counte- 
 nance and manner the perfection of good 
 humour and simplicity. 
 
 The promenade of the town (a walk of 
 shady trees in the midst of la Grande 
 Place) being filled with gay groups in every 
 possible variety of costume, offered a most 
 amusing spectacle to a stranger's eye. We 
 sat there some time upon the hired chairs, 
 which are in as great request as at Paris. Here 
 we found booths, kept by venders of tisanne, 
 lemonade, &c. who were, some of them, niched 
 in little covered tubs, like Diogenes. We 
 were much stared at ; but not with any rude- 
 ness or incivility. We even imagined that we 
 saw a more favourable expression of counte- 
 nance in the people of Lyons (while gazing 
 upon the English) than in those of Paris. In 
 the latter we certainly did now and then 
 discover the signs of unequivocal hatred and 
 dislike ; and although they never gave vent 
 (in our hearing at least) to their ill-will in 
 words, there was a mute eloquence of eye, 
 which it is difficult to mistake. 
 
 But to return to the promenade, &c. my 
 petticoat of moravian work seemed to catch
 
 92 LYONS. 
 
 the admiring observation of all the females 
 .who passed ; and indeed 1 ought, in justice 
 to our British needlewomen, to remark, 
 that their performance is rarely equalled, 
 and assuredly never surpassed, by their 
 continental rivals, however highly French 
 work may be praised and sought after by our 
 capricious leaders of ton. 
 
 The confluence of the rivers Rhone and 
 Saone here is reckoned to be one of the 
 finest things of the kind in Europe. We 
 went to see it, but were rather disappointed 
 in its effect ; for the late uncommonly dry 
 season had greatly diminished the pride 
 of both these celebrated streams. It takes 
 place at a spot about half a mile distant 
 from the town, and we drove thither in a 
 ridiculous hired vehicle, called a carriole, 
 very like a long four-posted bedstead, on 
 wheels, with coarse linen curtains for sum- 
 mer weather, and black shabby leather ones 
 for winter. A seat, resembling a mattrass, 
 was slung on the inside, upon which the 
 people sit back to back, like those in an 
 Irish jaunting car. The driver is upon a 
 seat in front, and manages two horses, which
 
 LYONS. 93 
 
 are generally ornamented with frontlets, 
 and knots of gay riband and bells. Our 
 coachman was quite a coxcomb, sporting 
 smart nankeen trowsers, gaiters, and yellow 
 shoes of washed leather. 
 
 The women at Lyons struck us as remark- 
 ably ugly, and we actually were unable to 
 discover a single pretty face among them. 
 We met a country dame, stumping into 
 town to partake in the gaieties of the fete, 
 dressed in a bright yellow gown, tucked 
 up at the pocket-holes, so as to display a 
 full rose-coloured petticoat beneath, white 
 stockings, black slippers, a deep gipsy hat 
 of Leghorn straw, and a white handkerchief 
 with the usual flow r ered border. 
 
 Nothing can be handsomer than this 
 town : it much resembles Eath, particu- 
 larly in its environs, which are built upon 
 hanging hills, and embosomed in woods and 
 vineyards. The convent of St. Michael, 
 rising among them, is very ugly, however, 
 reminding one of a large Birmingham ma- 
 nufactory. Here dwell les Sceurs de la 
 Charite, and we were informed that they 
 really are of great use, and do much good
 
 94 LYONS. 
 
 in their generation, which cannot, alas ! be 
 said of the regular nuns, poor victims ! 
 
 At night we went to the comedie. The 
 theatre was dirty, and somewhat shabby; 
 all the light thrown exclusively upon the 
 stage, as usual in foreign theatres. The 
 actors were really extremely good, and the 
 audience seemed a loyal one upon the whole, 
 which was discoverable by their seizing and 
 duly applauding the several claptraps which 
 occurred in the piece they were exhibiting. 
 It was La par tie de Chasse de Henri quatre 
 the first scene a beautiful part of the fo- 
 rest of Fontainbleau. The story, though 
 familiar to every body, seemed to interest 
 all hearts, ours among the rest. I confess 
 that, for my own part, I was surprised by 
 feeling the tears coursing each other down 
 my face, when I least expected it ; and yet 
 I was a stranger and a foreigner! How 
 must the French, then, feel in the recollec- 
 tion of this and all the other thousand acts of 
 benevolence and magnanimity of their glo- 
 rious monarch, whose now beatified spirit 
 seems to shed a guardian glory around the 
 heads of his descendants ! We returned
 
 LYONS. 95 
 
 home immediately after the representation 
 of this piece, not staying the farce ; and 
 after taking coffee, once more sallied forth 
 to view the beautiful illuminations which 
 were displayed in honour of the day. The 
 night was clear, warm, and balmy, and the 
 whole population of the city (a hundred 
 and nine thousand persons) seemed to be 
 walking about, enjoying themselves com- 
 pletely. The effect of the lights reflected 
 upon the distant vine-clad hills was singu- 
 larly beautiful. I admired the costume of 
 many of the children here ; they wore large 
 shepherdess-sort of Leghorn hats with very 
 low crowns, wreathed with pretty roses, 
 which harmonized with their little inno- 
 cent round faces remarkably well. The 
 soldiers, paysannes, and some of the bour- 
 geoises, were dancing quadrilles under the 
 trees of the promenade, which was lighted 
 much in the manner of Vauxhall. There 
 was a busy hum of voices in the air, swell- 
 ing upon the breeze, mixed with notes of 
 animating music, and occasional bursts of 
 mirth and laughter, which, I believe, might 
 have been heard for miles. In short, the
 
 96 LYONS. 
 
 scene was a perfect carnival. On reaching 
 our inn, we saw the officers of the foot 
 guards (who had been dining together in 
 the same apartment occupied by the jou- 
 teurs in the morning) dancing waltzes to 
 the loud music of their own band, in which 
 the brazen tones of the trumpet were pain- 
 fully pre-eminent. For want of female part- 
 ners, they had, some of them, taken off 
 their coats, and dressed themselves up in 
 mob caps, shawls, and petticoats made of 
 the dinner napkins. In this strange cos- 
 tume they tore about the room, swinging 
 each other in a manner that disgusted while 
 it made us smile. The master of the house, 
 who seemed to think all this very fine, 
 wanted to know if Madame would not join in 
 the merry dance ? (meaning me) ; but Mr. B. 
 quietly declined the obliging proposal, say- 
 ing, " I was not quite strong enough for 
 such an attempt just now." Upon which 
 Monsieur came behind me, and, supporting 
 me under both the elbows, almost carried me 
 up the stairs to the door of our apartment ; 
 so obsequious are the French to all women. 
 There is a proverb relative to our sex,
 
 LYONS. * 97 
 
 which observes, that Paris est le paradis des 
 fannies^ le purgatoire des maris, et I'enfor 
 des chevaux. I, as an English wife, how- 
 ever, can imagine no place to be a paradise 
 for me, which is at the same time a punish- 
 ment to my husband ; neither could I taste 
 perfect felicity, if it was purchased at the 
 expense of my brute fellow-creatures. But 
 I do not mean tediously to moralize upon 
 a little jeu d' esprit, which has some wit and 
 truth in it, after all. 
 
 Determined to make the most of our 
 short time, we went the next day to see 
 the cathedral, which is of Moorish archi- 
 tecture. Within we found a singular mix- 
 ture of orders ; the Corinthian, composite, 
 Gothic, Saxon, and a sort of nondescript, 
 which (as we were none of us particularly 
 learned on the subject) we concluded to be 
 the regular Moorish. The whole body of 
 this fine building appeared glowing with 
 the rose and purple tints of sunset, and the 
 gold ornaments upon the high altar actually 
 flamed resplendent in this lovely light, as if 
 they had been formed of solid fire ! The effect 
 was produced by the stained glass of the 
 
 u
 
 98 LYONS. 
 
 windows, of every possible variety of colour, 
 magnificent beyond all idea, and far differ- 
 ent from any which we had ever seen before ; 
 indeed, in attempting to describe their pe- 
 culiarity, I feel that I have done foolishly, 
 as it is impossible to give my readers any 
 adequate notion of their extraordinary 
 splendour and beauty. We did not so 
 much admire another curiosity exhibited 
 here, which is a clock, from a niche in the 
 front of which, when it strikes the hours, a 
 figure of the Virgin suddenly protrudes, 
 and makes a gracious inclination of the 
 body ; while in another recess above there 
 is a very paltry and shocking representa- 
 tive of the Father, who also leans forward 
 in the act of giving his benediction. The 
 attempt thus to embody the inconceiv- 
 able glories of person belonging to the 
 unseen God is both absurd and impious; 
 yet surely not so much so, as the wish 
 and endeavour of some fanatics to shroud 
 the ineffable mercy and benevolence of the 
 same being beneath a dark, chilling, and 
 repulsively gloomy veil of severity, wrath, 
 and implacability. In both cases, the true
 
 ST. LAURENT. 99 
 
 features of the Divinity are shamefully 
 and ridiculously misrepresented. We also 
 saw two fine white marble statues of St. 
 Stephen and St. John, both spoilt by 
 crowns of trumpery artificial flowers and 
 tinsel, which gave them the air of our 
 " Jacks in the green" on May-day. 
 
 We returned to our hotel, when, after an 
 excellent dinner, we tasted for the first time 
 fresh almonds, brought up in their outside 
 rinds ; they resemble small withered peaches 
 in a green state, and I believe, speaking 
 scientifically, that they are in fact a species 
 of that fruit, and are classed accordingly; we 
 found them very good, resembling filberts 
 in flavour, and they are eaten with salt, in 
 the same manner. 
 
 The next morning we bade adieu to 
 Lyons ; on the road from thence, at a place 
 called St. Laurent des Mures, we saw the 
 women as well as the men threshing corn, 
 and this in the open air a strong proof of 
 fine climate : we afterwards remarked the 
 practice universally. There are many wal- 
 nut trees about here, but the country was 
 flat and dull for some miles. We now
 
 100 ST. LAURENT. 
 
 however passed over a heath, (where, as 
 Shakespeare expresses it, " the air smelt 
 wooingly,") enriched by wood, and banks 
 of waving fern, bounded by some near 
 mountains; there was a picturesque view 
 of a castle, upon the summit of a hill, em- 
 bosomed in trees. These objects were a 
 great relief to the eye, after the eternal 
 stubble fields near Lyons. Here we observed 
 ploughing performed by mules, which I 
 approved of much, when compared with 
 the use of cows for these sort of labours ; the 
 latter, poor things, are of such inestimable 
 value in other respects, that surely it is very 
 unfair to require their services as beasts of 
 burthen. The roofs of the buildings in this 
 neighbourhood now first began to assume an 
 Italian character, and to harmonize with the 
 ideas I had formed of the vicinity of the 
 Alps, which were visible in the distance ; 
 but the latter did not improve the landscape 
 so much as my hitherto untravelled eyes 
 had expected, for they were so far off, that 
 they resembled clouds, for which I should 
 certainly have mistaken them,had I not been 
 told what they really were. We here en-
 
 ST. LAURENT. 101 
 
 countered a peasant, who was thin enough 
 to have passed for the Death in Burgher's 
 " Leonora :" his face was a mere skull, with 
 a sallow skin strained over it; his black 
 eager eyes deep sunk in their immense 
 sockets. I was quite afraid of dreaming of him. 
 For several days past, we had taken 
 leave of the peculiar costume of the postil- 
 lions, which is not much retained on this 
 side of Paris. Cattle now were seen of all 
 colours ; the country became more undu- 
 lating and woody, and the vineyards wore a 
 very different and much more graceful ap- 
 pearance, being trained far higher, not for- 
 mally planted, (as I have before described) 
 but frequently twined around standard 
 apple and other trees, from which they 
 hung in light and careless festoons, forming 
 altogether a singular effect of blended foliage. 
 They are universally trained in this manner 
 in Italy ; the French pretend that the pro- 
 duce is thereby rendered less plentiful, and 
 that what is gained in beauty is lost in 
 value : I cannot pronounce upon the truth 
 of the assertion. The walnut-tree grew here 
 in increased profusion, mixed frequently
 
 102 BOURGOIN. 
 
 with the mulberry, forming an agreeable 
 shade to the road. 
 
 We breakfasted at Bourgoin, where they 
 gave us good provisions, but charged in a 
 most extravagant way. There is a great deal 
 of marshy land, and the inhabitants look 
 unhealthy : some of them have goitres (or 
 glandular swellings) in consequence of ex- 
 treme relaxation from the moisture of the 
 air. Two filthy girls waited upon us at 
 breakfast : they wore no caps, and their hair 
 was in a most disgusting condition. We 
 afterwards remarked numbers of women, 
 equally devoid of coifs and cleanliness. 
 Apropos to the former, I certainly greatly 
 incline to prefer them to the more classical 
 and simple fashion of wearing the head 
 wholly uncovered : there is something very 
 feminine and pretty in a white, neat, well- 
 plaited cap, set off by a bright coloured 
 riband and smart knot ; and I really think 
 the French paysannes knew what they were 
 about, when they so universally adopted 
 that costume. 
 
 The country shortly changed to a scene 
 of wonderful richness and beauty, resembling
 
 BEAUVOISIN. 103 
 
 the finest parts of Devonshire; but the 
 view of an immense crucifix rising pic- 
 turesquely amid the woods gave it a foreign 
 character at once. Nothing can exceed 
 the loveliness of this part of France ; it is 
 indeed exquisite, and doubly pleasing from 
 its rarity. The unusual heat of the late 
 summer (felt as sensibly as in England) 
 had dried up most of the smaller rivers and 
 brooks hereabouts, and the dust was actually 
 flying in their sandy channels. We were 
 now in Dauphiny. 
 
 A few miles before we entered Beau- 
 voisin (which divides Dauphiny from Sa- 
 voy), a very grand amphitheatre of the 
 Savoy mountains rose suddenly upon us. 
 The sight was peculiarly striking to me, 
 as I had never yet seen the effect of this 
 sort of scenery. We frequently observed 
 buildings here of the pise or mud, very 
 neatly finished ; indeed we were surprised 
 to perceive how much they had contrived 
 to make of so base and common a material. 
 We met some countrywomen riding astride, 
 which had a very odd appearance odd is a 
 vague term, and rather an unclassical one :
 
 104 BEAUVOISIN. 
 
 I am perfectly aware of its defectSj but I 
 cannot at this moment think of any other 
 which would so well express my meaning ; 
 yet confound me not, kind reader, with that 
 mass of ignorant and conceited persons, 
 who always call every thing odd which 
 they themselves either cannot understand, 
 or to which they happen to be unaccus- 
 tomed. Such, for instance, whom I have 
 heard designating Byron's grand poetical 
 conceptions as odd fancies, or the exquisite 
 sketches of Westall's imaginative pencil as 
 odd things, or calling the truly enlightened 
 and liberal theological sentiments of Paley, 
 Watson, Fellows, &c. odd opinions. But I 
 have rambled strangely from the point ; the 
 little countrywomen and their nags com- 
 pletely ran away with me ! In spite of the 
 oddity of their position, I am ready candidly 
 to allow that there is a great deal of safety 
 in it. 
 
 Beauvoisin is in the near vicinity of pro 
 digiously fine scenery. We passed through 
 groves of the grandest chestnut trees, loaded 
 with a profusion of fruit, and the whole 
 face of nature afforded such a superb union
 
 105 
 
 of the beautiful and sublime, that we. thought 
 all we had previously seen in France paltry 
 in the comparison. The silkworm is much 
 cultivated here, and we saw many of the 
 peasants employed in spinning both silk 
 and flax with distaffs and wheels; multi- 
 tudes of women and girls were seated at 
 their doors, as we passed through Beau- 
 voisin, all busied in this occupation : they 
 seemed to be chatting together very happily, 
 their tongues going as fast as their fingers. 
 I thought of Shakspeare's " spinners and 
 knitters in the sun" telling " their tales." 
 We dined at the horrid little hole of an 
 inn at this place, dirty, dark, and full of the 
 usual bad odours so prevalent in continental 
 habitations. The meal was served, as might 
 be expected, in a slovenly manner, and we 
 were glad to proceed on our journey as 
 soon as it was despatched ; previously sub- 
 mitting our luggage, &c. to the inspection 
 of the custom-house officers, having now 
 entered the Sardinian territories. 
 
 We had not advanced far, ere the country 
 opened, if possible, into an increased blaze 
 of beauty. Close to us were well-wooded 
 mountains ; on the left, vineyards trained in
 
 106 BEAUVOISIN. 
 
 the graceful Italian fashion I have lately 
 mentioned ; far below us, on the right, was 
 a limpid river, sweetly winding though a 
 vaUey, and on ah 1 sides villas (beautiful in 
 themselves and most romantically situated) 
 lent an additional grace and charm to the 
 scene. The road was a perfect bower of 
 walnut trees ; and the attractions of some 
 of the peasant children, whom we now 
 and then met, with their large black eyes, 
 and peculiar style of beauty, told us that 
 we were fast approaching the confines of 
 Italy. 
 
 We now ascended a steep winding road, 
 which leads to the summit of a mountain 
 called La Montagne de I'Eschelles. I find 
 it more than ever impossible to give any 
 just and proportionate idea of the enchant- 
 ing prospects which every moment rose 
 upon our delighted eyes! to conceive them 
 properly, they must be seen. We distin- 
 guished paths amid the woody sides of the 
 opposite heights, which looked as lovely 
 as if they led to Paradise ; and I longed to 
 spring from the confinement of the carriage, 
 and to explore their wild and exquisitely ro- 
 mantic terminations, although the shades of
 
 BEAUVOISIN. 107 
 
 evening, fast closing upon us, might have ren- 
 dered such an attempt most perilous. The 
 low parapet wall, erected within the last eight 
 years by that mighty enchanter Napoleon, 
 (who seemed, w r hile his " star was lord of 
 the ascendant," to do ah 1 he wished with 
 un coup de baguette), preserved us from 
 the danger of falling down the precipice 
 which yawned by the side of our road ; and 
 also completely obviated the sort of nervous 
 sensation which travellers are so apt to feel 
 wliile gazing upon the awful depths which 
 surround them ! Upon turning a sharp 
 angle, the rocks, in vast and stupendous 
 masses, rose perpendicularly above our 
 heads, amidst which we were amazed to 
 perceive several cottages " perched like the 
 eagle's nest, on high." Rousseau has ably 
 painted this incomparable scene, in his 
 Nouvelle Heloise, and I was gratified in 
 thus convincing myself of the accuracy and 
 truth of his pencil. As we passed near these 
 lonely habitations, the breath of the cows 
 belonging to the rustic inmates, mingled 
 sweetly with the scent of the leaves and 
 aromatic herbs, and added new fragrance
 
 108 ECHELLES. 
 
 to the soft and refreshing winds of evening. 
 This wild ravine was succeeded by the 
 milder beauties of a green and mossy bank, 
 rising above smiling meadows ; the contrast 
 was striking. These are sights indeed, which 
 might arouse the dullest of mortals, and 
 which make the hearts of those gifted with 
 sensibility and imagination swell high within 
 them ! 
 
 Echelles, a small town, standing in a 
 valley, completely hemmed in with majestic 
 mountains. We drank our tea and slept 
 here at La Poste, and I sat out, as long as 
 it was prudent, in an open wooden gallery, 
 (which ran round the outside of the house, 
 and commanded a view of the superb scene), 
 talking with the hostess, a cheerful, well- 
 looking young woman, who was overwhelmed 
 by the number of her progeny. The youngest 
 of the children, a little girl of three years 
 old, came up to me and laid her head upon 
 my knees, with the happy ease of innocent 
 confidence, chattering bad French with all 
 her might; the mother also introduced two of 
 her sons to us (boys of five and seven), who 
 ran in to bid her good night before they
 
 ECIIELLLES. 109 
 
 went to bed, and to hug and kiss her. The 
 youngest (a fine sturdy rogue) told me 
 that he always said his prayers, and that 
 after le bon Dieu, he loved " Maman." This 
 woman, in the midst of her rustic simplicity, 
 had had the true good sense of presenting 
 the Deity to the infant imaginations of her 
 children, under the attractive image of an 
 indulgent parent, thus fulfilling the sacred 
 command of "Give me thine heart." A 
 convent of the Chartreuse still exists in 
 the neighbourhood ; I believe it is the famous 
 convent of La Grande Chartreuse, a most 
 interesting spot, but inaccessible to women. 
 I made inquiries about some of the natural 
 productions of these mountains, and learnt 
 that so many superior simples and aromatic 
 plants (note A) grew there, as to induce the 
 apothecaries and chemists who lived within 
 reach, to come in search of them very 
 frequently. 
 
 We left Echelles early the next morning 
 (our common hour of rising being five 
 o'clock), and proceeded through a solitary 
 road, winding at the feet of some desolate- 
 looking mountains. Passing by several deep
 
 110 SAVOY. 
 
 quarries of limestone, we soon arrived at the 
 tremendous ascent, known under the very 
 appropriate name of Les Esche/les de Savoy. 
 Here we stopped at a lone hovel, to add a 
 couple of oxen to our usual three horses ; but 
 these animals being at work at the plough, 
 we were obliged to be satisfied with the as- 
 sistance of another horse. A girl accordingly 
 brought him out, helped to arrange the 
 traces, &c., and ran by his side halfway up 
 the mountain, till we had attained the most 
 arduous pass, and then returned with him to 
 her cottage. She wore her hair gathered 
 in a knot at the back of the head, in the 
 true Italian style. As we toiled along, we 
 observed a paysanne, with a load upon her 
 head (most probably on her early way to 
 some village market), stop to pay her morn- 
 ing devotions at a shrine of the Virgin, 
 rudely carved in wood, and placed in a 
 niche by the road-side. How shah 1 I de- 
 scribe the wonderful manner in which we 
 climbed these frightful eschelles? We 
 seemed to be drawn up by our straining, 
 labouring horses almost in a perpendicu- 
 lar direction, and at a foot's pace. On
 
 SAVOY. Ill 
 
 our left was a yawning chasm of immense 
 magnitude, among a gloomy pile of frown- 
 ing rocks, which might well be the abode 
 of some ancient giant or geni ; while fur- 
 ther on, these same rocks, extending their 
 mighty barriers on every side, seemed to 
 hang tremulously over head, threatening to 
 crush the hapless traveller, should sudden 
 wind or storm arise to shake them from 
 their precarious-looking base. The blue 
 heaven above us was nearly shut from our 
 sight by their dark and shadowy projections. 
 Our guides (three or four in number, and 
 resembling, in their wild, strange attire and 
 features, a group of Salvator Rosa's banditti) 
 pointed out to us the ancient road, pass- 
 able, even in its best days, by mules alone. 
 It was a narrow ledge, with no defence 
 whatever from the precipice on one side, 
 winding in serpentine mazes through deep 
 grottos, or chasms, in the bowels of the 
 mountain. We saw a prodigious monu- 
 ment of Bonaparte's daring genius in a 
 tunnel, which had been cut through the 
 heart of these solid rocks, and beneath 
 which a fine road was to have been made ;
 
 112 SAVOY. 
 
 but his career of power having been so sud- 
 denly and awfully checked, the work remains 
 unfinished. After shuddering amid the 
 sublimity of these scenes for some time, 
 their rugged character gradually softened 
 upon us, and the tender green of the fern, 
 mingling richly with the tangled under- 
 wood, began to make its welcome appear- 
 ance. Far above our heads, also, dark fo- 
 rests of lofty pine were occasionally visible, 
 although the lower crags of overhanging 
 rock generally hid them from our view. 
 At length the prospect expanded into ver- 
 dant pastures (where cows and goats were 
 peacefully browsing), shaded by beech, elm, 
 chestnut, and apple trees, and skirted by 
 softly-swelling banks, covered with a rich 
 and mossy vegetation. The blue smoke 
 wreath, frequently rising above the tufted 
 foliage, marked the vicinity of hamlets, and 
 the little orchards and inclosed patches of 
 well-cultivated garden ground (seen here 
 and there), and the groups of women spin- 
 ning at their cottage doors, gave the whole 
 an indescribable air of pastoral comfort and 
 beauty. In the midst of this serene en-
 
 SAVOY. 113 
 
 joyment, my nerves were suddenly discom- 
 posed, by the fall of our postillion from his 
 horse, who had stumbled, and now took the 
 opportunity (during his short interval of 
 emancipation) of looking in at the side 
 window of the carriage ; the last place cer- 
 tainly in which I either wished or expected 
 to have seen him. However, no harm en- 
 sued, and we again proceeded quietly on 
 our way. We could not but remark the 
 extraordinary luxuriance of the hedges here, 
 rich in nut trees, brilliant scarlet berries, 
 convolvulus, blue bells, and other wild 
 plants. The master of the post-house in 
 the midst of these mountains seemed a 
 great admirer of the magnificent genius of 
 Napoleon, and said (speaking of the tunnel 
 we had lately passed), que cet homme la avoit 
 brave la nature : he added, " that if he had 
 reigned only two years longer, he would 
 have completed this grand undertaking ; 
 but now all was at an end ; for the king of 
 Sardinia was not the sort of person to carry 
 on the daring plans of his great predecessor." 
 The manner in which this man described 
 Bonaparte to have first conceived and de- 
 
 i
 
 114 SAVOY. 
 
 termined upon the work in question was 
 strongly characteristic of the decision pecu- 
 liar to the latter. He was passing through 
 the ancient horrible road, with his engineer, 
 stopped, and pointing to the mountains, 
 said, " Is it not possible to cut a tunnel 
 through the entrails of yonder rock, and to 
 form a more safe and commodious route be- 
 neath it ?" " It is possible, certainly, sire," 
 replied the scientific companion. " Then 
 let it be done, and immediately," rejoined 
 the emperor. 
 
 I was romantic enough to mourn over the 
 fate of the mountain stream here, which (in 
 common with many others we had seen) was 
 so weakened by long drought, that it had 
 scarcely force sufficient to pour its scanty 
 waters over their rugged channel, and 
 seemed to vent its complaint in weak mur- 
 murs, as it flowed feebly along. The grand 
 cascade, which feeds its urn so nobly dur- 
 ing winter, had now lost all strength and 
 magnificence of character. We felt the air 
 very sharp, even in this sultry season; and 
 in the bleak months of the year I can easily 
 conceive that the severity of the cold must
 
 SAVOY. 115 
 
 be intolerable. The grapes in such regions 
 are always small and sour ; they were not 
 half ripe at the present time, and, indeed, 
 never arrive at any perfection. 
 
 We breakfasted at La Poste at Cham- 
 berry, a picturesque town, and capital of 
 Savoy, situated in the bosom of the fine 
 scenery I have just described. The tops 
 of its surrounding mountains (which form 
 part of the endless chain of Alps) are hoary 
 with eternal snows : they had a very strik- 
 ing effect. It was at Chamberry that that 
 strange, inconsistent, wonderful creature, 
 Rousseau, lived for some time with Ma- 
 dame de Varennes : his house is still 
 shewn. The charm which, while he lived, 
 he contrived to throw around the vices and 
 frailties of his character, and the produc- 
 tions of his bewitching pen, is now broken, 
 the speU is dissolved ; but there are, never- 
 theless, immortal excellencies in many parts 
 of his writings which must make their due 
 and deep impression upon the hearts and 
 imaginations of every successive reader, till 
 time itself shall be no more. 
 
 To return to Chamberry. There is no 
 
 i 2
 
 116 SAVOY. 
 
 peculiarity of costume here, except that 
 the paysannes all wear gold hearts and 
 crosses ; the poorer classes of silver, lead, or 
 mixed metal. We changed horses at Mont- 
 meillant, and saw the fine river Isere, 
 formed by the melting of the snows. The 
 same sort of grand scenery continued. 
 There were several charming campagnes 
 (or gentlemen's houses) amid the moun- 
 tains, half concealed by luxuriant woods. 
 We longed to be invited (and able to ac- 
 cept such invitation) to spend a fortnight 
 at one or other of them, in tranquillity and 
 ease, in the society of agreeable, sensible 
 people, who would sometimes allow us lei- 
 sure to indulge in the luxury of solitude, 
 and our own thoughts ; for, without this 
 latter privilege, one might just as well be 
 in a fashionable drawing-room, in all the 
 sophistication of Paris or London. It is 
 among these scenes that Marmontel has 
 chosen to place his heroine in the graceful 
 little tale of the Shepherdess of the Alps." 
 But, alas ! the poorer inhabitants of these 
 fairy regions ! how unworthy of such lovely 
 Arcadian retreats ! Almost all we met were
 
 SAVOY. 117 
 
 squalid, filthy, listless, and indolent: a 
 blighted, blasted, wretched race, hardly de- 
 serving the name of human. Most of them 
 were (in addition to their universal hide- 
 ousness) afflicted with the disgusting dis- 
 ease of goitres, to say nothing of total 
 idiotcy, which is equally common amongst 
 them. Leaving M armontel's lovely fanciful 
 creations in the clouds, from whence they 
 came, these, these we found to be the " dull 
 realities of life ;" and such realities ! my 
 imagination actually sickened at their idea. 
 I will not hazard farther detail, lest I should 
 equally shock the feelings of my readers. 
 
 The mountains, as we approached Aigue- 
 belle, became yet more lofty and stupend- 
 ous than any we had before seen ; but 
 they continued to wear the same fea- 
 tures of luxuriant beauty, even in the 
 midst of the sublimity of a grander scale 
 of proportion. From their airy summits 
 we could now and then descry the fall of a 
 narrow perpendicular streamlet, sparkling 
 in the sun like a line of melted silver. We 
 reached Aiguebelle at four o'clock, dined, 
 and slept. The entrance to the inn was
 
 118 SAVOY. 
 
 like that of a cow-house, or large old rustic 
 stable, and the accommodations within were 
 uncomfortable enough : not worse, however, 
 than many which we afterwards encoun- 
 tered in various places on the continent. 
 An evening walk, which we took here after 
 tea, at the foot of the Alps, I shall never 
 forget; romantic, beautiful, and wild be- 
 yond even the dreams of a poetical ima- 
 gination. Passing through enormous masses 
 of rock, consisting of argillaceous slate, 
 called schist, in the foreground (at the en- 
 trance of a shadowy glade), we gradually 
 ascended a winding path, by which we 
 traced an opening through the richly- 
 wooded recesses of one of the nearer moun- 
 tains. Thick shady bowers of walnut trees 
 (the largest our eyes had ever beheld) 
 formed an agreeable sort of twilight, shed- 
 ding a flickering gloom around, that well 
 accorded with the pensive tone of our 
 minds, as we stole silently along, wrapt in 
 unfeigned and warm admiration of Nature 
 and her wonderful creations, while a rip- 
 pling spring, murmuring softly amid the 
 mossy grass, assisted the dreamy sort of
 
 SAVOY. 119 
 
 reverie that hung like a spell upon us ! A 
 fair green meadow lay smiling at our feet ; 
 where notwithstanding the burning heat 
 of the season, the cattle were feeding on as 
 rich a pasturage, as that which skirts the 
 Thames at Richmond. Far above (tower- 
 ing over our heads) were the snowy peaks 
 of the highest Alps, half veiled in clouds 
 of floating mist. I sat down upon a mossy 
 stone, my companions stretched on the turf 
 beside me ; the silent, deep, and soothing 
 tranquillity was broken only by the chirp of 
 the cricket, the distant bark of a cottage 
 cur, or the whirring flight of the bats who 
 now were beginning their evening pas- 
 times ; one of them, in his airy wheel, 
 almost brushed Mr. W.'s face with his wings, 
 as he flew fearlessly past. As the night 
 advanced, we were struck by the beautiful 
 effect of the blazing weeds, which were 
 burning on some of the surrounding heights. 
 At length we unwillingly bade adieu to the 
 enchanting spot, and returned to our inn. 
 
 We left Aiguebelle the next morning, 
 rising at four o'clock, and proceeded to St. 
 Jean de Maurienne, through a narrow valley,
 
 1 20 SAVOY. 
 
 inclosed by a chain of the same mountains, 
 which rose to the height of about two or 
 three thousand metres. A river, formed of 
 melted snows, ran constantly by our side, 
 now brawling and foaming over the rugged 
 stones, now stealing silently along, in an 
 almost imperceptible current, and often 
 seeming wholly exhausted, forming merely 
 a narrow runnel in the middle of its vast, 
 sandy, rocky channel. Cottages were fre- 
 quently dotted about here, some of them 
 perched at such an incredible height, and 
 apparently so inaccessible to human foot, 
 that we could hardly conceive them to be 
 the habitations of our fellow creatures ! 
 How the inmates continue to procure the 
 necessaries of life from the adjacent hamlets 
 in the valleys below, I cannot imagine, 
 unless they are drawn up and down by 
 ropes, in the manner which is so awfully 
 described, in his " scene on the sands," by 
 that bold painter from nature, the author 
 of " the Antiquary." The singular and 
 beautiful appearance of the opposite rocks 
 told us the moment when the sun had 
 risen to a certain height, but the first burst
 
 SAVOY. 121 
 
 of glory from that divine orb, it was not 
 our lot to witness, as the east was hid 
 from our sight by the overwhelming moun- 
 tains that surrounded us. I confess I was 
 disappointed at this circumstance, as the 
 idea of beholding a perfect sun-rise had 
 been the chief inducement to me to quit 
 my warm bed at such a preposterously 
 early hour, and to undergo with cheerful- 
 ness the disagreeable ceremony of hurrying 
 on my clothes by candlelight ! However, 
 I was in some measure consoled by the 
 lovely effect of the partial gleams, which 
 played occasionally upon the distant objects; 
 finely contrasting with the gloomy shadows 
 of the dark ravines, and lighting up the 
 spots of verdure upon which they brightly 
 fell, they seemed almost kindling into a 
 blaze of unearthly splendour. We passed 
 here a small but romantic fall of water; 
 and soon afterwards encountered (in one of 
 those narrow passes so frequent among the 
 Alps), and upon the brow of an abrupt 
 descent, a waggon, drawn by restive mules. 
 These animals flew about the road in every 
 possible direction, rearing till they stood
 
 SAVOY. 
 
 on end, kicking and plunging in the most 
 astonishing manner. The driver emulated 
 their fury, and I know not which of the 
 parties was in the right, they were all in 
 such a passion together ; we expected every 
 instant to see their heels dash against the 
 glass of our windows, but our postillion 
 managed with so much skill and discretion, 
 that we soon found ourselves safely hors de 
 I'embarras. We were somewhat surprised 
 at his admirable coolness and dexterity, as 
 he was no experienced old stager, but on 
 the contrary a mere boy. Solomon, how- 
 ever, justly observes that wisdom does not 
 exclusively reside with white heads, as 
 some veteran worthies have fondly flattered 
 themselves, and this will account for the 
 sagesse of our little driver, which might 
 otherwise have been discredited, perhaps, 
 by those, who constantly associate the ideas 
 of youth and imprudence. I believe that 
 the same author goes so far as to assert, 
 that " wisdom giveth hoary hairs." I am 
 not quite certain as to the accuracy of my 
 quotation, or I should at once feel sure 
 that I had discovered the reason why so
 
 SAVOY. 123 
 
 many of our beaux and belles evince such 
 a horror of mental attainments. Talking 
 of beaux and belles, we were now quite 
 among their antipodes ; for never did 
 I behold such a set of dirty, slovenly, 
 squalid, frightful creatures, as were per- 
 petually crossing our path ! I can only say, 
 that (like Sancho Panza and his goblins) 
 having once seen two or three of them, I 
 shut my eyes for the rest of the journey, 
 although I could not stop my ears against 
 the horrid guttural idiotical croak (re- 
 sembling that of a choked raven) which 
 they constantly maintained, as they ran 
 begging by the side of the carriage. Mr. 
 B. hoping to get rid of them, often threw 
 out money from the windows, but this only 
 attracted a larger flock, and we soon found 
 our sole refuge was in puUing up the blinds 
 the moment they appeared in sight. 
 
 We breakfasted at St. Jean de Mau- 
 rienne, situated at the base of the higher 
 Alps : it was dirty, as all the inns in Savoy 
 are; and they gave us sour bread and 
 butter, and muddled coffee, rather a mor- 
 tification to travellers, who (however re-
 
 124 SAVOY. 
 
 mantic and enthusiastic) could not help 
 feeling that they should have better re- 
 lished better fare, after having gone three 
 and twenty miles before breakfast ! We 
 met an Italian lady here, just come from 
 Turin ; who assured us, upon our expressing 
 our admiration of Savoy, that we should 
 think the scenery of Italy far more beauti- 
 ful : I could not at the moment believe in 
 the possibility of her assertion, and felt a 
 presentiment that after having seen and 
 compared some of the most striking features 
 in these countries, I should not coincide 
 with her in opinion; Italy (from all I 
 had heard on the subject) possessing a dif- 
 ferent character of beauty ; but difference 
 does not constitute superiority : I should 
 as soon think of comparing an apple and 
 an orange both are good in their way. If 
 any body takes offence at the lowliness of 
 my simile, I beg leave to refer him or her 
 to that delightful writer (at all times, and 
 upon such various subjects), Marmontel, 
 who avails himself of the very same, and 
 applies it in the still prouder instance of 
 human intellect.
 
 SAVOY. 25 
 
 The river Arque rushes impetuously 
 through this part of Savoy ; we passed by 
 a voiture overturned upon its stony banks, 
 the wheels in the air, and front nearly 
 touching the brink of the foaming torrent. 
 The accident did not seem to be a very 
 recent one, as no people were assembled 
 about or near it. The Savoyards (those 
 who are happily free from goitres, &c.) are 
 seldom brought up to any other trade than 
 stone masonry ; wandering about, following 
 this metier in an itinerant manner. Many 
 of the rustics appear well acquainted with 
 the scientific terms of mineralogy and 
 chemistry. We conversed with a common 
 cottager in particular, who discoursed most 
 intelligently upon the different substances 
 of which these mountains are composed. 
 We suffered a good deal of inconvenience 
 from the dust, which flew here in such 
 overwhelming eddies, that it completely 
 filled the carriage, and more than once im- 
 peded my respiration most painfully. I 
 could feel it gritting between my teeth, 
 and irritating the windpipe ; and when we 
 attempted to close the windows against it,
 
 126 SAVOY. 
 
 the heat thereby increased became equally 
 insupportable; the sun in these regions 
 being so fierce that it absolutely burnt us 
 when we drew up the blinds: still, the 
 peculiar sensation of weight in the atmo- 
 sphere, from which we experience so much 
 oppression in England, seemed to be un- 
 known in this climate ; there was an elas- 
 ticity in the air, superior to any of which 
 we foggy islanders can boast, and the sky 
 was perfectly Italian, *of a deep blue cloud- 
 less ether. 
 
 At St. Michel, a neat village (comparar 
 lively speaking), the peasantry become 
 more human ; the goitre begins to dis- 
 appear, and the countenance to assume a 
 more intellectual expression. Again the sub- 
 lime effect of the river Arque attracted our 
 attention. It is a regular mountain torrent, 
 flashing and raving over tremendous rocks, 
 with a rapidity and fury difficult to de- 
 scribe. If it was thus mighty during 
 the present parching season, what must 
 it not be in winter ! The imagination 
 shudders at the idea of its desolating force. 
 I could scarcely trace the affinity of this
 
 SAVOY. 
 
 element with the tame, slow, glassy, silent 
 waters to which I had been accustomed in 
 my own country. It was like the sublime 
 insanity of a superb human genius, when 
 compared with the almost vegetable exist- 
 ence of a mere common plodding mortal. 
 
 The little narrow alpine bridges, occa- 
 sionally thrown across this terrific stream, 
 were highly romantic and beautiful. At 
 this particular spot, dark forests of pine 
 began to succeed to the more pleasing ver- 
 dure of the tufted beech. They extended 
 tp the remotest pinnacles of the mountains, 
 from whose brown sides, lower down, a num- 
 ber of sparkling springs were seen to gush 
 dancing and flashing in the sun. Great 
 quantities of barberry trees, and of the plant 
 coltsfoot, were growing wild here. 
 
 Crossing a majestic mountain beyond Mo- 
 dena, we were shewn the Devil's Bridge 
 (note B.), three hundred feet above the 
 river. We ourselves looked proudly down 
 upon it, from our eagle height, where we 
 enjoyed the benefit of a noble and easy 
 road, made (as usual) by order of Bona- 
 parte ; for which all travellers ought to feel
 
 128 SAVOY. 
 
 deeply indebted to him. Not that I attri- 
 bute his works of this sort to benevolence 
 rather than ambitious policy : but what- 
 ever the cause, we voyageurs have great 
 reason to bless the effect ! The postillion 
 seriously assured us, as we gazed upon the 
 abovementioned bridge, that it was ori- 
 ginally built by the arch fiend, although he 
 added, that " this had happened a great 
 while ago." Mr. W. attempted to laugh 
 him out of so ridiculous a belief; but he 
 adhered to his point with immoveable 
 gravity. I had always heard that the na- 
 tives of mountainous countries were pecu- 
 liarly liable to the impressions of supersti- 
 tion, and in this instance I had an oppor- 
 tunity of proving personally the truth of 
 the remark. We regretted that time did 
 not allow of our making a few more ex- 
 perimental researches into these matters : 
 it might have been very interesting to 
 have collected a set of legends from the 
 mouths of the simple inhabitants ; and I 
 should have had considerable amusement 
 in tracing their similarity to those of the 
 Scotch Highlanders, the German, Swedish,
 
 SAVOY. 129 
 
 and other fond believers in romance. 
 The king of Sardinia was at that time build- 
 ing fortresses upon this mountain, and two 
 thousand men were employed in the work. 
 
 We met some Italian officers at Modena ; 
 they were fine men, and had a far more dis- 
 tinguished and gentlemanly tournure than, 
 the French. It is astonishing how vulgar 
 and gross in appearance and manner all the 
 latter were, whom we had yet had an op- 
 portunity of remarking. I had ever thought 
 the subalterns and captains in some of our 
 marching and militia regiments bad enough, 
 but they were certainly much superior to 
 the French officers. This reminds me, that 
 in our apartment at the inn at Aiguebelle, 
 we saw scrawled upon the walls a fierce 
 tirade (written by some Frenchman) against 
 that interesting work, " Eustace's Italy." 
 We, of course, were not much surprised at 
 the wrath therein expressed ; and I myself 
 think that Eustace bears evident marks of 
 being under the dominion of prejudice, in 
 speaking of the French as a nation. 
 
 Crossing another mountain, not far from 
 Lans le Bourg, we were made doubly sen-
 
 130 SAVOY. 
 
 sible of the prodigious altitude of our road, 
 by comparing the different proportions of 
 the objects around : for instance, a water- 
 mill at work in the valley below us ap- 
 peared like a baby-house, and the stream 
 which fell from the wheel not much more 
 important than what might have issued 
 from a large garden watering-pot. The 
 rocks here were all wild, gloomy, and bar- 
 ren. 
 
 Arriving at Lans le Bourg, where we 
 slept, we found the inn (Le Grand Hotel 
 des Voyageurs) clean and comfortable, 
 which was a delightful change to us, after 
 the dirt and misery of those we had lately 
 seen. It stood a short distance beyond the 
 little town, on the brink of a roaring tor- 
 rent. The host and his wife appeared flat- 
 tered at our observation of their neat esta- 
 blishment, &c.j and told us that it was not 
 the first time their house had been compli- 
 mented as being very like rthose in Eng- 
 land. The next morning we pursued our 
 route through the same magnificent scenes, 
 and here we first saw a giant glacier, 
 clad in his spotless mantle of everlasting
 
 SAVOY. 131 
 
 purity. At his feet (to give the reader 
 some idea of his stupendous height and 
 magnitude) lay a town ; the steeple of its 
 church did not appear taller than the ex- 
 tinguisher of a candle, which it also resem- 
 bled in shape. Amid these solitary wilds the 
 greatest variety of plants, flowers, &c. are 
 to be found, and violets in profusion during 
 the spring. We ate some strawberries, ga- 
 thered here by the peasant children, for a 
 large basket of which our host at Lans le 
 Eourg paid a sum in value rather less than 
 three English halfpence. The postillion 
 and Christian gathered me large bunches 
 of very fine wild raspberries, as they walked 
 up the steep ascent. We were now upon 
 Mont Cenis (note C.), of celebrated fame. 
 My husband collected for me a few speci- 
 mens of the lovely flowers which bloomed 
 there, and which I have since put by as 
 relics. One plant in particular (wholly un- 
 known to any^of us)' I must mention. It is 
 a poisonous but exquisitely graceful shrub, 
 with spiral leaves, jagged at the edges, and 
 clusters of brilliant scarlet berries, growing 
 in the form of miniature bunches of grapes.
 
 1 3% SAVOY. 
 
 The postillion called it la tourse ; but we 
 did not feel quite sure of the accuracy of 
 his botanical knowledge. Near the sum- 
 mit of this mountain we were shewn the 
 spot where adventurous travellers some- 
 times descend to the town of Lans le 
 Bourg upon a sledge, in the short space of 
 seven minutes ; whereas it takes two hours 
 and a half to ascend in a carriage, or on a 
 mule. The precipice looked horrible be- 
 yond description; yet the English fre- 
 quently adopt this mode of conveyance 
 during the winter : it is called la ramasse, 
 and the amusement of sliding in cars at the 
 Beaujon and Les Montagues Russes, in Paris, 
 was taken from this. As we continued to 
 climb, the effect of the sheep feeding amid 
 the rocky ledges, upon the grassy patches 
 of land far below us, was curious enough. 
 They appeared diminished to the size of 
 those little round, white, fat inhabitants of 
 a nutshell, which sometimes run races upon 
 a china plate, or a polished mahogany ta- 
 ble, after dinner. I believe their names 
 are not mentioned in the Newmarket Ca- 
 lender ; but my readers will know what I
 
 SAVOY. 133 
 
 mean. We here beheld a fatigued pedes- 
 trian, drawn up the steep path with much 
 comparative ease to himself, by clinging to 
 the long tail of a strong mule, upon which 
 another traveller was riding. 
 
 The road over Mont Cenis is most su- 
 perb : there are small houses at set dis- 
 tances, where dwell a regularly organized 
 body of men, called cantonniers, whose busi- 
 ness it is to keep the highway in repair, 
 and to shelter and assist all voyageurs who 
 may stand in need of their services. This 
 was first ordered and arranged by Bona- 
 parte. Upon reaching level ground, near 
 the utmost summit, we were agreeably sur- 
 prised by the sight of a small lake, of the 
 most heavenly blue (the real ultramarine 
 colour well kno\vn to artists), situated in 
 the midst of a little plain of verdant turf : 
 it was quite a scene of peace and repose, 
 all view of the surrounding precipices being 
 shut out. From this quiet haven we de- 
 scended with rapidity and ease, at the rate 
 of seven or eight miles an hour, with only 
 two horses ; while in going up on the other
 
 134 SAVOY. 
 
 side of the mountain, we found four unequal 
 to drag us along at more than a foot's pace. 
 We passed by the Hospice, originally 
 built by Charlemagne, and re-established 
 by Bonaparte, who really put us in mind of 
 the Marquis of Carrabas, in the fairy tale of 
 " Puss in Boots ;" for if we saw any road 
 better than another, any house particularly 
 well calculated for the relief of travellers, 
 any set of guides whose attendance was un- 
 usually convenient and well ordered, or any 
 striking improvement, in short, of whatever 
 nature, and were induced to inquire, " by 
 whom all had been done ?" the answer was 
 invariably, " Napoleon ! Napoleon ! Napo- 
 leon !" At this Hospice there is a set of 
 monks, who bear a high reputation for be- 
 nevolence and attention to travellers. A 
 very lofty and majestic waterfall shortly 
 afterwards greeted our eyes, grandly beau- 
 tiful, though bearing no character of terror. 
 It was the " roar of waters," not the " hell 
 of waters," so admirably described by Lord 
 Byron, in the fourth canto of his Childe 
 Harold. The road here perpetually re-
 
 PIEDMONT. 135 
 
 turned upon itself, in zigzag windings, re- 
 sembling the principle of a corkscrew stair- 
 case, and was, in the midst of grandeur and 
 sublimity, both easy and safe. 
 
 The Alps, on the Piedmontese side of 
 Mont Cenis, and to whose firm bases we 
 were now fast descending, were infinitely 
 more stupendous, more overwhelming in 
 their proportions, and displayed stronger 
 features of actual sublimity, perhaps, than 
 those we had seen in Savoy ; but we all 
 thought them less rich in sylvan beauty, 
 and far less enchantingly romantic in their 
 general character. Our wonder was not, as 
 formerly, mingled with delight ; on the 
 contrary, a shuddering sensation of horror 
 took possession of our minds, as we invo- 
 luntarily turned our eyes upon the vari- 
 ous dark gulfs, and tremendous abysses, 
 which yawned on every side. Jt was im- 
 possible not to feel, at every turn, that 
 there were but a few inches between us 
 and destruction. At length we reached 
 the foot of the celebrated Rocca Melone, 
 or Roche Melon, which is allowed to be 
 the highest of the chain, and is nine thou-
 
 13f) PIEDMONT. 
 
 sand feet from the base to the summit. We 
 could now perceive a visible alteration in 
 the costumes of the peasantry ; the men 
 came forth in coloured silk or cotton caps, 
 with a long net bag hanging down behind, 
 ending in a tassel : the women, in flat straw 
 hats, lined with pink sarsenet, and jackets 
 laced in front; exactly resembling those 
 Italian groups of figures which I had for- 
 merly seen in the drawings of Mr. W ^m 
 
 L k. I recognised them instantly as 
 
 my old acquaintance, and felt myself in 
 some measure en pays de connoissance. Our 
 postillion had the true features of the Ve- 
 netian Punchinello, and I almost expected 
 to hear him squeak. 
 
 We dined at Susa (inn la Posta), and 
 found it cleanly and comfortable ; the peo- 
 ple excessively attentive and civil : in short, 
 we looked upon it as a most auspicious 
 entrance into Italy. From Susa to San 
 Giorgio our driver was a regular Italian 
 wag, and I suspected he had got a little 
 too much of the juice of the grape in his 
 head, by the way in which he tore along 
 the road, to the amazement of every quiet
 
 PIEDMONT. 137 
 
 passenger. At last we called to him, to in- 
 quire the reason of his violent proceedings. 
 " I thought I was doing just what you 
 liked best," was his answer; and it was 
 with difficulty we could persuade him that 
 we w r ere not among the number of those 
 English travellers who take delight in risk- 
 ing their own necks, and the lives of their 
 horses, merely for the sake of " astonishing 
 the natives !" This was the first and only 
 instance of intoxication which we had wit- 
 nessed upon the continent. 
 
 The dress of the women near San Gior- 
 gio is picturesque ; a short blue petticoat, 
 with several narrow, coloured tucks at the 
 bottom, a high laced cap (something in the 
 style of the French cauchoises), and bright 
 necklaces, formed of boxwood beads, turned 
 in an oval shape, and highly gilt, so as to 
 resemble massy gold. The men all wore 
 cocked hats. The verdure of the fields and 
 trees here (the latter chiefly beech, olive, 
 and lime) was delightful, owing partly to 
 the late rains, which the people told us 
 had fallen to the great refreshment of the 
 long-parched earth; the whole air was em-
 
 PIEDMONT. 
 
 balmed with the fragrance of the limes : 
 we had a strong sun, but at the same 
 time, so reviving a breeze, so soft, pure, 
 and elastic, that I never remember to have 
 enjoyed any thing more, nor ever felt a 
 greater degree of physical animation. This 
 sweetly-breathing wind might (by poets) 
 have been supposed the same which blew 
 through the groves of Elysium. We now 
 passed by a fine ruin of a castle, built upon 
 a rocky eminence, and overhanging a brawl- 
 ing river. The peasantry in general were 
 well looking, but we still observed several 
 goitres among them. Nothing struck us 
 at this time with higher astonishment than 
 the convent of Benedictines, an enormous, 
 massive, dark pile of building, reared upon 
 the topmost height of one of the grandest 
 mountains here, and frowning over the 
 valley below. I in particular remem- 
 ber this with the strongest impression 
 of wonder and admiration ; it perfectly 
 seized upon my imagination, and involun- 
 tarily brought Mrs. KadclifFe's, and other 
 tales of romance, to the recollection of us 
 all.
 
 PIEDMONT. 19 
 
 At St. Antonine, (I sometimes avail my- 
 self of the French names of these places, 
 as both French and Italian are equally used 
 in this country), we first saw two paysannes 
 with their hair twisted up d I' antique, and 
 in long transparent veils of black gauze, 
 which admirably suited their handsome 
 dark eyes and eyebrows ; this costume is 
 sometimes worn over the high cap, but it 
 then loses half its graceful effect. It struck 
 me that if women in general were aware of 
 the peculiar advantage and charm of a long 
 floating veil, which thus shades, without 
 concealing, the features, there would be 
 but one style of head-dress in the world. 
 In addition to these bewitching veils, the 
 country girls at this place (St. Antonine) 
 generally carry fans ; we met several with 
 them, made of bright pink paper, covered 
 with gold spangles, and it appeared to us 
 rather an incongruous implement in the 
 hands of a village belle. Mass was perform- 
 ing as we passed, at a church of true Grecian 
 architecture ; upon the outside steps of 
 which the people were kneeling with every 
 symptom of devotion. In going through
 
 140 PIEDMONT. 
 
 a low valley beyond this town, narrow and 
 extremely confined by the tall hedge-rows, 
 where the circulation of air is in conse- 
 quence impeded, we felt the heat almost 
 intolerable ; and the atmosphere exactly 
 of that heavy nature from which we have 
 often suffered during the summers of our 
 own country. I must tell the truth (as it 
 is fit ah 1 respectable travellers should do), 
 and therefore am compelled to confess, 
 that in passing over the continent, I was 
 perpetually and forcibly struck with the 
 defects of our English climate when com- 
 pared with others. Condemn me not, ye 
 red-hot John Bulls ! remember that when 
 the noble animal you resemble makes his 
 fiercest attacks, he always shuts his eyes, in 
 common with every prejudiced person. 
 
 At Eivoli, they were celebrating the fete 
 of St. Bartholomew ; many pretty women 
 and fine spirited-looking men were among 
 the groups of gay figures assembled there. 
 The caps of the former were very re- 
 markable, being composed of lace in the 
 form of a high Eoman casque or helmet; 
 and worn over another of pink silk. The
 
 TURIN. 141 
 
 church was ornamented with flowers and 
 green wreaths ; guns were firing, and a 
 military procession going by as we passed : 
 some of the girls wore pea-green jackets 
 and red petticoats, some blue petticoats 
 and white shift sleeves, and ah 1 had a 
 bouquet of natural flowers in their bosoms. 
 
 From Rivoli, we emerged into the fertile 
 and widely extended plains of Piedmont ; 
 the distant hiUs, richly tufted with woods, 
 were studded thick with white villas (or 
 vignes as they are called here), and we now 
 entirely lost sight of those hideous goitres, 
 which had hitherto every now and then 
 made their appearance, even in the midst 
 of a generally handsome peasantry. 
 
 The approach to Turin was highly beau- 
 tiful, through a long avenue of the finest 
 trees ; the town itself embosomed among 
 gently rising hills, and adorned by the river 
 Po, glassy and smooth as a mirror, and so 
 transparent, that the banks and sky were 
 reflected upon its breast, unbroken by a 
 single wave or ripple. The buildings are 
 very high, many of them extremely hand- 
 some, with white or coloured striped awnings
 
 TURIN. 
 
 to every window, as a shelter from the noon- 
 day sun. Our hotel (Albergo del Universo) 
 stood in the middle of La Place du Chateau, 
 immediately fronting the royal palace. The 
 streets are clean, which indeed they ought 
 to be, since through almost all of them a 
 stream of the purest crystal water is per- 
 petually flowing, contributing not a little, 
 I should think, to the health and comfort 
 of the inhabitants. We found apartments 
 allotted to us in the Albergo of great height 
 and size, with cove ceilings, and en suite; 
 furnished with a curious mixture of poverty 
 and magnificence, and ornamented by some 
 exquisite and well chosen prints, from the 
 designs of Poussin and other old masters ; 
 rather in better style, it must be allowed, 
 than those of most English inns, where 
 you find " Going out to hunt," " In at the 
 death," " Matrimony and courtship," and 
 such things, hanging over every chimney 
 piece. But we found one annoyance here 
 that almost disgusted me with Italy, in 
 spite of her miracles of nature and art, 
 and brought back the remembrance of En- 
 glish neatness and purity in a very forcible
 
 TURIN. 14S 
 
 manner : I allude to the circumstance of the 
 vermin, which infest even some of their most 
 expensive establishments, and quite destroy 
 the sensation of comfort. There are other 
 sins also in their household arrangements, 
 which this nation share in common with 
 the French : suffice it to say, that both one 
 and the other are certainly the dirtiest 
 race of beings I ever encountered. I did 
 not much like the smell of garlic, on en- 
 tering our hotel, where the host, waiters, 
 and assistants, all puffed their vile rocam- 
 bole breath* in our face, as they bustled 
 about, preparing for our accommodation. 
 Neither could I relish their method of 
 cookery, and, after the first trial, begged to 
 have our future dinners drest a la Fran- 
 caise. I know not what my friend Mr. T. 
 would say to this, who I have heard vaunt 
 his Piedmontese garlic truffles as one of the 
 greatest delicacies of the table. To do the 
 people of this hotel justice, I ought, how- 
 ever, to acknowledge that they seemed most 
 anxious to please, and appeared delighted 
 
 * Vide Bath Guide, page 100.
 
 144 TURIN* 
 
 when they succeeded. Nor did they attempt 
 to impose upon us in their charges, although 
 they formed exceptions, in this instance, to 
 some other Italian innkeepers, by whom 
 we were considerably annoyed and dis- 
 gusted ; the system of cheating and over- 
 rating on their parts, and of shameless 
 begging from the lower classes, being in 
 general carried to an astonishing excess : 
 I must say, that we found the French far 
 preferable in these respects. The royal 
 residence here is a very magnificent and 
 classical building, and Laplace deSt. Charles 
 is also very fine. The shops are universally 
 built beneath the refreshing shade of piazzas, 
 which is a very necessary circumstance, for 
 the heat of the sun at noon would other- 
 wise overpower their inhabitants. No busi- 
 ness seems to be done at that time, at the 
 public-offices, banking-houses, &c. Indeed 
 the Italians say, il riy a que les cliiens et les 
 Anglois qui sortent d ces heures. We pro- 
 ceeded to view the principal lions the next 
 day, and, amongst others, the cathedral, 
 which is a regular Grecian temple. The 
 king's seat in a gallery above the high
 
 TURIN. 145 
 
 altar, very splendidly adorned, but we agreed 
 in thinking that this style of architecture 
 (although beautiful in itself), was far less 
 appropriate to a place of religious worship 
 than the gothic. In this opinion (which 
 I remember to have expressed before, in 
 the beginning of my tour), I am not sure 
 however, that we are not a little tinged 
 with the ideas of gloomy solemnity (as con- 
 nected with religion) peculiar to most of 
 the northern nations; and I own (at all 
 events) that I am guilty of an inconsistency 
 in taste, because I have ever been a warm 
 admirer of the bright, soft, and smiling type 
 under which a different mythology has re- 
 presented death. The poetical butterfly, 
 bursting from its chrysalis, and soaring on 
 triumphant wings to heaven, strikes me as 
 infinitely more rational than the horrible 
 (and low) taste which we have shown in 
 selecting the skeleton as the most proper 
 symbol of the same great and glorious 
 mystery ! a sort of rawhead and Uoodybone 
 plan, unworthy of so enlightened a people 
 as ourselves, and which seems to answer 
 no one purpose of religion or morality,
 
 146 TURIN. 
 
 if impartially considered ; but on the con- 
 trary to be well calculated to poison the 
 innocent minds of youth with aggravated 
 and unnecessary terrors, and to divert their 
 attention from the nobler truths of immor- 
 tality! 
 
 In the evening we drove upon the 
 Corso in a caleche, the same sort of vehicle 
 which we used while at Paris. The Corso 
 is a pretty, cool, shady promenade, by the 
 side of the river Po. The upper classes 
 of Turin take the cool air of the evening 
 here, every day, in their different carriages ; 
 we observed no pedestrians above the rank 
 of the bourgeoisie. We met the king of 
 Sardinia on horseback, not forming (as is 
 usual for sovereigns in England) the centre 
 of a galaxy of stars and ribands, but riding 
 first, by ~ himself, followed by an escort of 
 five gentlemen, among whom was his bro- 
 ther. He looked very earnestly into our 
 carriage, and returned our salutation by 
 taking off his hat in a graceful and cour- 
 teous manner. He is a little thin man, 
 apparently about fifty-five, with a coun- 
 tenance expressive of good nature. The
 
 TURIN. 147 
 
 queen next rolled by, attended by all her 
 suite, in an old-fashioned heavy coach and 
 six, her coachman (big, fat, and important, 
 sunk in his ample box) and her footmen 
 in gay scarlet liveries, gaudily laced. The 
 equipage altogether put me strongly in 
 mind of that raised by the fairy for her 
 god-daughter Cinderella, where the coach 
 was originally a pumpkin, the coachman a 
 fat hen, and the lackeys lizards ! We saw 
 shortly afterwards, during this brilliant 
 promenade, the prince and princess of 
 Carignano (who are adored by all ranks, 
 and are continually active in every bene- 
 volent duty), and the Spanish, Dutch, 
 and other ambassadors. The king shows 
 himself to the populace in this manner 
 every evening. We attended the Opera at 
 night ; the price of one of the best private 
 boxes did not exceed twelve shillings, and 
 the tickets of admission (being a separate 
 concern) were about fifteen-pence. In 
 London one thinks a box cheap at five 
 guineas ! The prince and princess de Ca- 
 rignano were present : the theatre is called 
 by their name, but it is not the principal
 
 148 TURIN. 
 
 one at Turin ; there being another upon a 
 larger scale, which was shut up during our 
 sejour at that place : it is never used but 
 during the carnival, or on some great occa- 
 sion, in compliment to some foreign prince. 
 TheCarignano theatre is, notwithstanding, a 
 handsome, spacious edifice, about the size of 
 Drury Lane, and the scenery and machinery 
 carried on in far better style than with us 
 in the Haymarket. The drop curtain in 
 particular caught my attention; it is an 
 exquisite painting, representing the Judg- 
 ment of Paris, his figure beautiful and 
 graceful in the highest degree, and the 
 drapery remarkably fine. The Opera (II 
 Rivale di se stesso, by Veigi) was well got 
 up, but we were not much struck with the 
 music, from the whole of which we could 
 only select one or two morceaux to admire : 
 there was a clever buffo (Signor Nicola 
 Taci), and a very agreeable prima donna, 
 whose style of singing and flexibility of 
 voice sometimes reminded us of Catalani ; 
 her name was Emilia Bonini. The ballet 
 was extremely superior to ours in numbers, 
 and in minute attention to the accuracy of
 
 TURIN. 149 
 
 costume ; but there were no French dancers 
 among them, and it is well known how in- 
 ferior in the comparison are all others. 
 Thegrofes^weSjhowever^a species of dancers 
 peculiar to Italy) were wonderful for ac- 
 tivity and strength : they consisted of four 
 men and two women, who really appeared 
 to think the air their proper element rather 
 than the earth; they flew about in every 
 possible strange attitude, but were totally 
 devoid of grace, to which, indeed, I believe 
 they do not pretend. I found that I had 
 by some means formed a very erroneous 
 idea of the usual conduct of an Italian 
 audience. I had expected to find a sort of 
 breathless silence, and a refinement of ap- 
 plause, wholly different from the character 
 of an English set of listeners ; but on the 
 contrary, they clapped as loudly as any 
 John Bulls in the world, and even hissed 
 one of the singers, who did not happen to 
 please. I have subsequently mentioned 
 this circumstance to those who are better 
 acquainted with the customs of Italy, and 
 learn that I have been quite mistaken all 
 my life in this respect. The house (as well 
 as those in France) was dark as Erebus,
 
 150 TURIN. 
 
 which I cannot approve, for it evidently 
 does not answer the purpose of increasing 
 the brilliancy and the illusion of the stage. 
 Thenext morning we drove to Moncallier, 
 about six miles from Turin, to call upon 
 Madame N , (an old acquaintance of our 
 friend Mr. T.'s,) for whom we had letters. 
 The coachman was an insufferable gossip, 
 and we dreaded to ask him a question, sure 
 that it would bring down upon us at least 
 a dozen long answers. We did not go to 
 the English minister's ; that gentleman (Mr. 
 Hill) being then absent for a fortnight at 
 Genoa. We therefore had not the pleasure 
 of presenting him with those letters of in- 
 troduction to himself and other families at 
 Turin, with which we were furnished by 
 the kindness of Mr. T. who was also 
 formerly minister here, and of whom the 
 people still speak in those terms of enthu- 
 siastic gratitude, which his benevolence 
 richly deserves. It was highly pleasing to 
 me to listen to these details, nor were they 
 imparted to us by one person alone; his 
 reputation appeared to be in the hearts 
 and upon the lips of every one who re- 
 membered him at all! But to return to
 
 TURIN. 151 
 
 our visit to Madame N : the vast ex- 
 panse of fertile, fresh, and woody country 
 seen from the heights of Moncallier, with 
 the Po winding in graceful sweeps through 
 the richest banks, is wonderfully like the 
 prospect boasted by Kichmond Hill. I 
 was national enough to admire it the more 
 upon this account, although I confess its 
 superiority in the sublime back ground of the 
 distant Alps and glaciers. When arrived at 
 the termination of the carriage road here, 
 we were informed of the necessity of alight- 
 ing, and of walking a short distance to the 
 garden gate that belonged to Madame N.'s 
 vigne. This short distance proved to be 
 upwards of half a league (a mile and half), 
 leading through a stony lane of hot sand, 
 (in which our weary feet sunk deep at 
 every step), upon a very long and steep 
 ascent. The hour of noon (which I have 
 already mentioned to be intolerable in this 
 country) rapidly approached, and the scorch- 
 ing influence of the sun caused the drops 
 to start from our foreheads, and our hearts 
 to sink within us, as we proceeded on our 
 way; to make the matter worse, I had
 
 159, TURIN. 
 
 attired myself that morning (little dreaming 
 of such a walk) in a smart Parisian costume, 
 with a triple flounce at the bottom of the 
 petticoat, which by the time I had reached 
 the end of this lane, formed a very pretty 
 receptacle of dust and sand, scattering its' 
 contents most liberally upon my already 
 blistered feet and ancles; a pair of thin, 
 small slippers, also, (which I unfortunately 
 wore) cut my insteps with their tight 
 binding, and admitted at each step the 
 sharp points of flint with which our path 
 abounded ! The guide (a bareheaded Pied- 
 montese boy) did not understand above 
 one word in ten of what was said to him, 
 either in French or Italian, speaking a 
 wretched and indistinct patois himself, 
 which was equally unintelligible to us. 
 He was a lively, arch little fellow, how- 
 ever, and made some amends for having 
 seduced us into attempting the walk, by 
 his encouraging signs that we should soon 
 arrive at its termination. Indeed it would 
 have been useless to have gone back, as we 
 had already advanced so far upon our way ; 
 and there was no possibility of reaching the
 
 TURIN. 153 
 
 house but on foot. I reproached him se- 
 veral times for replying only " No, Signora" 
 when I asked if such and such gates be- 
 longed to the vigne we were seeking ; and 
 could not help smiling at his desiring me 
 to take courage, for that in a few minutes 
 he should leave off saying " No, Signora," 
 and be able to please me better by " Eccola, 
 Signora :" at length we reached the goal, 
 and upon ringing, were ushered by two 
 servant girls in their paysanne costumes, 
 amid the barking of wondering dogs, into a 
 romantic garden, where flowers, fruit, vege- 
 tables, and grapes, all flourished together 
 without any attempt at regularity, forming 
 a singular and most agreeable melange. 
 This vigne commanded an exquisite and 
 extensive prospect of the plains of Pied- 
 mont, and the distant mountains. A grave, 
 respectable femme de chambre now made 
 her appearance, and speaking in English, 
 conducted us into the house, where in a 
 few minutes Madame N. herself received 
 us with a degree of frank politeness, and 
 a warm and unaffected hospitality of 
 manner, which was extremely pleasant to
 
 154 TURIN. 
 
 meet with, and quite a novelty to those 
 who like ourselves had been accustomed 
 to the reserve (I may say ultra-reserve) of 
 many Englishwomen. Both mistress and 
 maid (the latter personage above-men- 
 tioned having lived with Madame N. ever 
 since she was a girl) had a foreign accent 
 and idiom, in speaking our language, al- 
 though they were really of English birth, 
 and had passed their youth in the county 
 of Suffolk or Norfolk, I forget which. We 
 were much struck with the difference of 
 this little country house from those to 
 which we had been used in England, it 
 bore so completely the Italian character; 
 all the rooms were in demijour, having the 
 jalousies closed, to shield them from the 
 sun at this sultry time of the day : marble 
 in profusion rendered their appearance 
 doubly cool, brick floors and light green 
 stucco walls, still preserving the air of a 
 cottage residence, in which an English eye 
 is surprised at meeting the former costly 
 material. A few beautiful frescos, and water- 
 coloured drawings of mountain scenery, 
 evidently from the hand of a master, a
 
 TURIN. 155 
 
 gaily painted ceiling, and a guitar thrown 
 carelessly upon a pianoforte, told us we 
 were in the land of the arts. Passing into 
 the small dining-room, opening upon the 
 garden, through a porch thickly shaded 
 with vines, we saw the table ready laid for 
 dinner, to which we were cordially in- 
 treated to remain : it was entirely covered 
 with large vine leaves, spread upon the 
 white cloth, and amid which we perceived 
 wooden spoons and forks, in a true Arca- 
 dian style. Nothing could have a cooler 
 or more refreshing effect than this verdant 
 board prepared for 
 
 " all those rural messes, 
 
 Which the neat-handed Phyllis dresses." 
 
 We were not, however, at liberty to accept 
 Madame N.'s invitation to share her simple 
 meal, having left our friend waiting dinner 
 for us at Turin. She told us of a late visit 
 she had been making to the mountains: 
 their party consisted of a few intimate 
 friends, who, joining in a sort of gipseying 
 scheme, hired lodgings for three weeks, 
 at the humble cottage of one of the
 
 156 TURIN. 
 
 poor inhabitants of these remote and soli- 
 tary regions. They carried their own cook- 
 ing utensils, some provisions, and a com- 
 plete set of common earthen-ware dishes, 
 plates, wooden spoons, knives and forks, 
 &c. These they presented to their host 
 at parting, whose gratitude and delight 
 at the splendid gift, she said, were un- 
 bounded. He repeatedly exclaimed, " too 
 much ! this is too much ! what beautiful 
 things ! they are far too good for me !" 
 Their value in toto was about five English 
 shillings ; but this unsophisticated child of 
 nature, used to every sort of privation, 
 knowing but few wants, and totally igno- 
 rant of the customs and habits of the rest 
 of the world, really imagined that it was a 
 princely donation. The manners of the 
 people in these wild mountains are primi- 
 tive beyond all conception, and their morals 
 so pure, their affections so warm, and their 
 language so artless and unrestrained, that 
 they seemed as if just fresh from the hand 
 of the Creator in the beginning of the 
 world ! Altogether they had made such a 
 strong and touching impression on Madame
 
 TURIN. 157 
 
 N.'s mind (who is herself the purest and 
 most romantic child of nature), that she 
 said she should regret their society, and 
 remember their singular virtues and inno- 
 cence as long as she lived. The advocates 
 for the doctrine of original depravity, and 
 who deny that man is rendered vicious 
 chiefly by circumstances, might have been 
 somewhat staggered in this " plain tale," so 
 truly calculated to " put them down." 
 
 Speaking of the Italian character, and 
 more particularly of their excellence in the 
 fine arts, she confirmed the truth of what 
 so many accurate and enlightened observers 
 have remarked, namely, " that the genius 
 of an Italian is so peculiarly indigenous to 
 his native soil, so intimately and vitally de- 
 pendant upon the favouring and animating 
 breath of his own ardent clime, as to faint, 
 droop, and often wholly to wither, in the 
 chilling atmosphere of foreign lands !" Like 
 the giant son of the earth, who wrestled 
 with Hercules, his power, his very existence, 
 is drawn wholly from thence. Madame de 
 Stae'l, in her Corinne (that work, whose 
 kindling eloquence, depth of feeling, in-
 
 158 TURIN. 
 
 imitable powers of language, and historical 
 truth, as a portrait of Italy, is so univer- 
 sally admired by the best judges of excel- 
 lence, and so clamoured against by the 
 tasteless and ignorant cavillers of the day), 
 has forcibly illustrated this truth ; as has 
 also Canova, in his own. person. Madame 
 N. related an answer which the latter made 
 to Bonaparte (who had sense and elevation 
 enough to appreciate this modern Praxiteles 
 as he deserved), upon being reproached for 
 indolence, and want of professional exer- 
 tion while at Paris : " Emperor ! Canova 
 cannot be Canova but in his native Italy ; 
 she is the source of his inspiration ; his 
 powers are palsied in the separation !" 
 
 We walked in the garden of this pretty 
 vigne, after having partaken of the refresh- 
 ment of fruit and wine and water within, 
 and were surprised at the bruised and bat- 
 tered appearance of the grapes ; they had 
 been all nearly destroyed a short time before, 
 by a violent storm of hail ; the congealed 
 drops of this destructive element being 
 larger than a small bird's egg, or a goose- 
 berry ! What a scourge to the poorer
 
 TURIN. 159 
 
 classes, whose only wealth frequently con- 
 sists in their vineyards ! (note D). 
 
 We now took leave of our friendly, though 
 new, acquaintance ; who, not satisfied with 
 having pressed us to pass a few days with 
 her here, also offered us the use of her win- 
 ter residence in Turin, if we had staid 
 longer, assuring us we should find it more 
 comfortable than a hotel. Before I quit 
 her, however, I should mention the curious 
 difference which she pointed out to us, in 
 the necessary expenses of an Italian and 
 an English domestic establishment: the 
 comforts, and even luxuries, of the former 
 clime being obtained at so much more 
 reasonable a price than those of the latter, 
 as to seem almost incredible. She told 
 me, that for five or six hundred a year a 
 person might keep two houses (one in 
 Turin, and one in the country), a carriage, 
 a box at the Opera, an appropriate table, 
 and be able to receive friends under his 
 roof with perfect ease. Further up, 
 among the more retired mountains, and 
 relinquishing the accommodation of a 
 carriage, you might live most comfortably 
 (although, of course, upon a very small scale
 
 160 TURIN". 
 
 of establishment) for fifty pounds per an- 
 num. She added, that in her own case, an 
 income which gave her the reputation of a 
 " rich widow" in Turin, would not purchase 
 her a decent roof, and bread and cheese, in 
 London. I have no means of ascertaining 
 that this statement is correct, or exag- 
 gerated ; I merely relate the circumstance. 
 We found our friend, Mr. W., in expecta- 
 tion of our return, at the hotel : 
 
 " We entered, 
 And dinner was served as we came ;"* 
 
 for which we had a better appetite than 
 could have been imagined, after all our fa- 
 tigues. The heat of the weather would 
 not admit of our going out till the evening 
 had considerably advanced, when we again 
 drove about the town. The waiter (who, 
 by the way, was one of the best looking of 
 his kind we had seen, being particularly 
 remarkable for the elegant expression of 
 his countenance (if I may apply that word 
 to one in his rank of life), as well as the 
 regularity of his truly Grecian features), 
 told us, that the late summer had been the 
 
 * Goldsmith.
 
 TURIN. 161 
 
 most sultry that the people of Turin were 
 able to remember ; and that he himself had 
 found the heat so unusually oppressive, 
 that he had hardly been able to taste food 
 during the time of its continuance. Hav- 
 ing occasion to write letters this evening, 
 we sent for materials, and by the appear- 
 ance of the golden sand which was brought 
 to us, thought the river Pactolus ran 
 through the town instead of the Po. Ice 
 is used in profusion here, in the prepara- 
 tion of almost every beverage ; and there 
 are large meadows overflowing with the 
 clearest streams of water, kept solely for 
 this purpose. We went into a bookseller's 
 shop during our stay, where we were agree- 
 ably surprised by seeing a translation of 
 Rob Roy upon the table, which we were 
 assured was much relished in Italy, and 
 was extremely popular. A proof (if any 
 were wanting) of the intrinsic exceUence of 
 the work, even considered without refer- 
 ence to its merits as a mere national pic- 
 ture. We observed also a sermon, which 
 had been preached upon the death of our 
 lamented Princess Charlotte ; the style, as 
 
 M
 
 162 TURIN. 
 
 I slightly turned over the leaves, appeared 
 highly pathetic, and the expressions of pity 
 and regret very forcible and natural. It 
 was altogether a tender and soothing gra- 
 tification to our feelings as natives of Eng- 
 land. 
 
 Priestcraft struck us to be the staple 
 trade of the place ; the swarms of dismal, 
 sly-looking, vulgar figures, in their black 
 formal costume, were beyond all belief, and 
 the idea of a flight of ravens came into 
 my head every time I saw them. Pass- 
 ing by the market, we were astonished at 
 the quantities of peaches exposed for sale. 
 They are as common in Italy as potatoes 
 with us. Some small ones of an inferior 
 sort were then selling at the price of four 
 or five English halfpence for three pounds 
 weight of fruit. We went the next day, 
 in the cool of the evening, to drive, as 
 usual, about the environs, and intended to 
 
 have called upon the Marquise d'A 
 
 (nte d'A.), for whom we had letters of 
 introduction ; but were prevented by a vio- 
 lent and sudden storm of rain, thunder, and 
 lightning. The effect of its coming on was
 
 TURIN. 163 
 
 wonderfully grand and beautiful ; a painter 
 would have been in ecstasies ; and we were 
 highly interested in the sight. Looking 
 back upon Turin, we beheld the town, and 
 the conspicuous convent of Capucins, their 
 white walls starting luminously forth from 
 a background of lowering clouds of a pur- 
 ple hue, indicative of the gathering tem- 
 pest, which in a few moments darkened 
 into the most awful gloom that can be ima- 
 gined. We put up the hood and leather 
 apron of the carriage, and drove rapidly 
 homewards, while the clouds burst over our 
 heads, and the rain descended in absolute 
 sheets of water. We could not help being 
 delighted with the refreshing change. If 
 Pythagoras's doctrine is true, I am convinced 
 I must formerly have been a duck ; for never 
 creature of that nature enjoyed the sort 
 of thing more than myself. The lightning 
 continued for nearly an hour, accompanied 
 by tremendous bursts of thunder, louder 
 than the loudest artillery, the wind howl- 
 ing at the same moment as if in the depth 
 of winter, which, joined to the constant 
 rushing sound of the rain falling from the 
 
 M 2
 
 164 TURIN. 
 
 projecting roofs and broad water-spouts of 
 the surrounding buildings, formed the most 
 sublime concert of wild sounds that I ever 
 heard. We were told that storms are al- 
 most always thus violent in the near neigh- 
 bourhood of the Alps. 
 
 Before I quit the subject of Turin, there 
 are a few more observations, which, how- 
 ever desultory, I will not withhold, although 
 they sometimes may relate to things which 
 we did not ourselves see, owing to the ex- 
 treme heat of the weather, and the short- 
 ness of our stay. Among these is the church 
 of the Superga, which I advise every tra- 
 veller to visit, knowing how amply his 
 trouble would be repaid by the very noble 
 view that it affords, and the peculiar inte- 
 rest and magnificence of the structure itself. 
 In a clear day the spire of the cathedral of 
 Milan may be discerned from thence, at 
 the distance of eighty miles. To inspect 
 the convent, in all its details, it is neces- 
 sary for ladies to procure previously an 
 order from the archbishop of Turin. 
 
 The Colline de Turin, in addition to its 
 natural beauties, presents two other objects
 
 TURIN. 165 
 
 worthy of being seen : the Vigne de la 
 Reine (a very elegant little summer re- 
 treat), and the picturesque and romantic 
 convent, which is the burying-place of the 
 knights of the supreme order of the Annun- 
 ciade, in the neighbourhood of which are 
 found considerable masses of that fibrous 
 schist, called asbestos. 
 
 Bonaparte, it must be allowed, has made 
 considerable amends for the mischief which 
 his army occasioned at Turin, by the hand- 
 some bridge he caused to be built in place of 
 a miserable wooden one, and by weeding the 
 country of its too numerous monastic insti- 
 tutions, a few of which only have been re- i 
 stored by the present government. As the 
 seeds of revolutionary principles are apt to 
 retain their vital heat, even when appa- 
 rently crushed beneath the foot of power, 
 one cannot be surprised that a good deal of 
 unpopularity attends the present sovereign 
 among certain classes. But his truly paternal 
 government is nevertheless cherished with 
 affection by many, as the following fact clearly 
 proves, which I learned from the most in- 
 disputable authority. There existed an im~ 
 pot, highly profitable to the revenue, but
 
 166 TURIN. 
 
 ~ / 
 
 which the king believed to be vexatious 
 and unpopular. He was accordingly taking 
 measures to repeal it, when, unexpectedly, 
 he received addresses from different parts 
 of the country, expressive of their conviction 
 that this resource to the revenue was neces- 
 sary ; and such was their confidence in the 
 certainty of his majesty's relinquishment of 
 it, the moment the situation of the finances 
 would allow him to do so without inconve- 
 nience, that they were content willingly to 
 submit to it until that period arrived. 
 
 We regretted not being able to visit 
 Genoa, the magnificence of which city, and 
 its beautiful bay (the latter hardly inferior 
 to that of Naples), is much talked of. With 
 respect to this portion of his Sardinian ma- 
 jesty's new subjects, we were told that a 
 considerable time will be necessary to re- 
 concile them to the loss of their inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 We should have been glad to have availed 
 ourselves (as I said before) of our letters of 
 introduction to Mr. Hill, had he been at 
 Turin, as we had heard much of the affable 
 and amiable manners of the Piedmontese 
 nobility. I have, indeed, always under-
 
 TURIN. 167 
 
 stood that they were remarkable for quick- 
 ness and penetration. These latter quali- 
 ties distinguish their diplomacy at the se- 
 veral courts of Europe. From the abo- 
 minable patois which they speak, I should 
 think both gentlemen and ladies must be 
 singularly clever and engaging, to rise su- 
 perior to such a disadvantage : it seems to 
 be a corruption of French and Italian, and 
 to spoil both. They say, however, that it 
 is very expressive : all ranks are much at- 
 tached to it, and (strange to relate) it is 
 spoken at court, French being only adopted 
 when foreigners are present. 
 
 In this threshold of Italy, one expects to 
 find a considerable progress in the arts, nor 
 were we disappointed. Painting, sculpture, 
 orfevrerie, music, &c. have attained to a very 
 fair and reasonable height, and some of 
 their manufactures are particularly good; 
 especiaUy where silk (the great riches of 
 the country) is employed. Their damasks 
 for hangings are beautiful, both for patterns 
 and colour. They are the common furni- 
 ture of all their best apartments, and ex- 
 ceedingly cheap; one third perhaps of 
 what they could be manufactured for in
 
 168 TURIN. 
 
 England, whither their raw silk is sent 
 every year to an immense amount, and 
 under a no less immense duty ; a certain 
 proportion of it is requisite to mix up with 
 our Bengal silks. The light gauzes manu- 
 factured at Chamberry are a very elegant 
 and favourite article of dress. 
 
 Several of the English nobility have 
 been educated at the university of Turin, 
 which used to be the most considerable 
 in Italy ; the system of education having 
 been carried on in a most liberal and 
 gentlemanly style. There is a remarkable 
 and interesting little protestant colony, 
 which also deserves mention, the Vau- 
 dois, who, surviving the cruel persecutions of 
 the dark ages of the church, have for many 
 centuries (certainly before the twelfth) 
 preserved their existence in the midst of 
 this catholic country, and within thirty miles 
 of its capital. They are a very quiet, moral, 
 and industrious people. They owe their 
 ease and safety to the protection of some 
 of the protestant powers, and especially 
 that of Great Britain, whose minister is 
 particularly instructed to attend to their 
 interests, and to their enjoyment of the
 
 TURIN. 169 
 
 toleration that is allowed them ; they are, 
 like our catholics, deprived of many privi- 
 leges; but lately his present majesty has 
 consented to allow a salary to their priests. 
 Cromwell supported these people with pecu- 
 liar energy. 
 
 We left Turin the next morning. The 
 fresh and balmy spirit of the air was de- 
 lightful, and we had a glorious view of the 
 glaciers which hem in this fair city, the 
 new-risen sun shining brightly upon their 
 snowy and fantastic summits : the host 
 went by, in early procession ; all the people 
 as it passed dropped on their knees, in the 
 dirt of the street, and devoutly made the 
 sign of the cross. We met two friars, 
 whose picturesque and really dignified ap- 
 pearance formed a great contrast to the 
 demure, fanatical, formal-looking priests, 
 whom we had hitherto seen in all quar- 
 ters of the town. These friars were com- 
 plete models for a painter ; their bare feet 
 in sandals, rosary and gold cross by their 
 side, superb grey polls and beards ; the lat- 
 ter " streaming like meteors to the troubled 
 air." We now paid toll at the first turn-
 
 170 SETTIMO. 
 
 pike we had seen during the last seven 
 hundred miles. I believe I have before men- 
 tioned that it was Bonaparte who abolished 
 this troublesome system, and who really 
 seems to have favoured the interests of tra- 
 vellers in every respect. The cottages in 
 this neighbourhood were pretty, and many of 
 the little porches and doors were overgrown 
 with the broad verdant leaves of the pump- 
 kin, whose orange-coloured blossoms had a 
 remarkably gay and rich effect. 
 
 At Settimo we saw a beautiful girl, with 
 the true Grecian line of feature, long oval 
 cheek, dark pale skin (fine and smooth as 
 marble or ivory), curled red lips, with long 
 cut black eyes and straight eyebrows ; her 
 profile was not unlike that of Mrs. E., so 
 celebrated in her day for regularity of out- 
 line. 
 
 Between Settimo and Chivasco we passed 
 over a curious bridge, formed of planks, 
 thrown across four boats, which were fixed 
 immoveably in the river, by strong cords 
 fastened to posts. The shape of these boats, 
 and also of many we observed upon the 
 Po, resembled that of an Indian canoe.
 
 SETTIMO. 171 
 
 The turnpike was a little thatched hut, 
 erected upon the middle of this bridge. 
 Eefusing to comply with the importunities 
 of an old Italian beggar woman here, she 
 poured forth a volume of various maledic- 
 tions upon us ; being not at all inferior in 
 this sort of eloquence to the amazons of 
 our St. Giles's or Billingsgate. 
 
 The money (gold coins, I mean) of Italy 
 are of very pure metal, without alloy ; you 
 may (as a proof of it) bend them into any 
 shape with the fingers. 
 
 An accident happened to us near Rondiz- 
 zone, which was rather alarming, but hap- 
 pily passed over without any serious conse- 
 quences. The bridle of the centre horse 
 breaking, we were violently run away with 
 by the hot-headed animals ; nor could the 
 postillion stop them by any effort. This 
 was rendered more distressing by the cir- 
 cumstance of our going down a steep hill at 
 the moment. We called out repeatedly, and 
 waved our hands for assistance to one or 
 two peasants who were passing, making 
 signs for them to catch the bridle, if pos- 
 sible ; but they seemed to turn a deaf ear
 
 172 CIGLIANO. 
 
 to our entreaties, never offering to make 
 the smallest attempt to relieve us. By the 
 time we reached the bottom of the hill, 
 however, which was fortunately a long one, 
 the creatures felt tired, and stopped of 
 themselves. 
 
 At Cigliano we took a dtjeunk at L'Al- 
 bergo Reale, and while it was preparing, 
 stood in the open gallery on the out- 
 side of the house, gathering from a vine, 
 which overshadowed it, the most deli- 
 cious Frontigniac grapes that I ever remem- 
 ber to have tasted : indeed their flavour 
 was exquisite, but the people did not ap- 
 pear to think them of any particular value, 
 leaving them freely to the attacks of every 
 traveller. Here we first drank the vino 
 d'Asti, a light wine of the country, which 
 we thought extremely pleasant, tasting like 
 the best sweet cyder. I formerly thought 
 that the flies of this country would pro- 
 bably be much of the same sort as those in 
 England; but they turned out far more 
 impertinently troublesome, inflicting their 
 tiny torments without mercy, being equally 
 obnoxious to man and beast ; a true impu-
 
 SAN GERMANO. 178 
 
 dent, blood-sucking race ! This reminds 
 me, that under the head of vermin, I ought 
 to have recorded a disagreeable surprise 
 felt by v Mr. B. at the Opera at Turin : 
 feeling something tickle his forehead, he 
 put up his hand, and caught hold of a 
 monstrous black spider, at least four inches 
 in circumference. The people at the hotel, 
 to whom we related the circumstance, said 
 it was rather an uncommon thing, but 
 which sometimes occurred. The country, 
 since we turned our backs upon Turin, was 
 monotonous, and only relieved by the chain 
 of Alps in the distance. 
 
 At San Germano we observed a very 
 graceful costume among the peasant girls, 
 and women of all ages ; those who w r ere 
 advanced to extreme old age still con- 
 tinuing it without any variation. I allude 
 to the wearing silver pins or bodkins in 
 the hair behind, the long tresses of which 
 are tied together with a narrow black ri- 
 band, and divided into two braids. These 
 are then coiled into a round shape at the 
 back of the head, and fastened to the roots 
 of the hair by these ornamental pins, which
 
 174 VERCELLI. 
 
 are about a finger in length, and have large 
 heads, like beads. Their points form the 
 radii of a circle, and are plainly discovered 
 amid the shadowy locks which they thus 
 support. The landscape here was flat and 
 uninteresting; but we remarked a great 
 deal of pasture land. The trees chiefly 
 consisted of stunted willows, planted in 
 straight lines. There were no viUas, or 
 even hamlets, to be seen, and the tout en- 
 semble was almost as tame and as ugly as 
 that of the Netherlands. The first dulcet 
 notes of true Italian music, we heard at 
 Vercelli: a baker's wife, who lived next 
 door to the Albergo della Posta (where -we 
 stopped to change horses), sat working and 
 singing in her shop. It was the most ele- 
 gant, yet simple, air imaginable, and her 
 voice possessed the soft mellifluous tones 
 of a faint but mellow flute. She had a pe- 
 culiar ease and flexibility also in the execu- 
 tion of several charming and brilliant little 
 graces, which delighted me. I thought it 
 was extremely improbable that this woman 
 could have had the advantage of a master in 
 the art ; and yet her style was finished in
 
 VERCELLI. 175 
 
 the most perfect sense of the word ; being 
 simple, yet refined ; pathetic, yet chastely 
 ornamented. She was plain in face and per- 
 son ; but her lips half open looked almost 
 pretty, as she emitted these sweet sounds, 
 without discomposing a muscle. An effect 
 was thus produced, without effort or instruc- 
 tion, which is frequently denied in our 
 country to the pupils of the most cele- 
 brated teachers, although every exertion 
 has been cheerfully and indefatigably made, 
 both by master and scholar. Eut there is 
 no convincing some people that there are 
 things which are not to be taught. Had I a 
 daughter, I would never aUow her the assist- 
 ance of a music master until I perceived, by 
 unequivocal tokens, that nature had quali- 
 fied her to do credit to his instructions; 
 and hence waste of time, patience, temper, 
 and money, would be avoided. My baker's 
 wife I shall never forget; and if her ex- 
 ample would have opened the eyes of half 
 the world in England (who really seem to- 
 be music-mad in the present age), I wish 
 that she had had an opportunity of exhibit- 
 ing her gift, and of mortifying the silly am-
 
 176 VERCELLI. 
 
 bition, while she soothed the ears of them 
 all. How have I smiled to see people 
 toiling to acquire the knowledge of com- 
 position and thorough base, when I have 
 been certain that they have not possessed 
 a spark of native genius to enable them to 
 make any use of these rules after all. Pro- 
 metheus formed an image, but it was only 
 fire from heaven that could make that 
 image man ! 
 
 The costume of the women at Vercelli 
 became still more picturesque than those of 
 San Germano, as the bodkins which the 
 former wore were much handsomer, some 
 being of silver filligree, and others of silver 
 gilt, the heads worked and embossed with 
 great taste and richness. We saw large 
 fields of rice here ; this grain has a singular 
 appearance, something between the barley 
 and oat : when viewed closely, it has about 
 twelve ears upon each stalk. , The hedges 
 by the road side were of a species of acacia, 
 forming a very graceful foliage, but not 
 growing to any height or size. I got out 
 of the carriage to examine the manner in 
 which the women inserted the pretty orna-
 
 NOVABA. 177 
 
 ments I have just described into their hair. 
 I found them (like the French paysannes) 
 extremely courteous and frank in their 
 manners, and they seemed flattered by the 
 attention their costume had excited. An 
 old man stood by, holding the hands of his 
 two little grand-children ; he observed (in 
 the usual patois) that they were beautiful 
 rogues, and he was right, for I have seldom 
 seen sweeter children ; very dark, with the 
 bright yet soft black eye peculiar to Italians, 
 and which both Sir W. Jones and Lord 
 Byron, catching the poetical idea of the 
 eastern writers, have 'so happily defined, 
 (or rather painted) by a comparison with 
 that of the roe or gazelle. One of these dar- 
 lings had wavy curls of the darkest auburn 
 hair. What a pity that such lovely cherubim 
 faces and silken locks should not have 
 
 been kept free from dirt and worse than 
 
 dirt ! but it is always the case here, the 
 poorer classes are invariably filthy. 
 
 The same tiresome and tame style of 
 country continued until we reached Novara ; 
 where we dined and slept at I'Albergo 
 d' It ali a. The latter was a horrible-looking 
 
 N '
 
 178 NOVARA. 
 
 place; my heart sank within me, as we 
 drove into the court, for if I was so bitten 
 by the bugs, &c. at the superb albergo of 
 Turin, I naturally conceived I should have 
 been quite devoured here! This was a 
 striking proof, however, of the truth of that 
 moral axiom, which tells us, " it is not good 
 to judge of tilings at first sight," and also 
 that it is absurd to consider them on the 
 dark side, since at this same inn we found 
 every comfort: the dinner was served in 
 a cleanly manner (the knives, forks, and 
 spoons were really washed), and we enjoyed 
 a night of calm repose, undisturbed by ver- 
 min of any sort. The gentlemen went in 
 the evening to an Italian comedy, at the 
 theatre here, which was a neat building, 
 entirely fitted up with private boxes and 
 a parterre, the scenery and costumes far 
 above mediocrity, and the orchestra very 
 tolerable; but the length of the Italian 
 dialogues, and the unnatural bombast of 
 the actor's delivery, soon fatigued their 
 attention and exhausted their patience, and 
 they were glad to return home to indulge 
 unrestrained an overwhelming propensity
 
 NO V AH A. 179 
 
 to sleep. The women at Novara were 
 much better looking than any we had yet 
 seen in this country ; the custom of gently 
 parting the hair upon the forehead, d la 
 Madonna, finishing with a soft ringlet be- 
 hind each ear, and the longer tresses con- 
 fined in an antique knot, gave an air of 
 infinite grace to the head and throat, and 
 appeared to us to be in far better taste 
 than that of the French, which strains up 
 the long hair to the crown of the head, 
 rendering the forehead quite bald, save 
 at the temples, where a lank straggling 
 greasy curl always is left hanging down upon 
 the cheek, which has a formal and unbe- 
 coming effect. Apropos to personal charm. 
 I was assured before our departure from 
 England (by an amateur artist of high 
 genius and feeling, and who had lived for 
 years in different parts of Italy), that we 
 should find there a small number of what are 
 generally called " pretty women," in com- 
 parison with what we had been used to see 
 in our own country ; but that when real Ita- 
 lian beauty was occasionally encountered, 
 it was of that decided and exquisite nature,
 
 ISO NOVARA. 
 
 as to be infinitely superior to any which Eng- 
 land's daughters can boast. Even my slight 
 experience has perfectly convinced me of 
 the truth of the remark. I am national 
 enough to be sorry for it, but it cannot be 
 helped; we must submit to this mortification 
 of our vanity, and if we do it with a good 
 grace, may probably find that quality plus 
 belle encore que la beaut e of power to capti- 
 vate, where regularity of feature has failed. 
 The first stage of our journey the next 
 day did not afford us any relief from the 
 insipidity of country of which we had com- 
 plained since leaving Turin. We saw here 
 (as in most parts of the continent) large 
 tracts planted with corn, here called melliga, 
 and remarked a good deal of meadow land ; 
 but we did not once taste cream either 
 in Italy or France (except at Samer, and 
 afterwards at Quillacq's hotel at Calais, 
 when we were treated with a few spoonfuls 
 in our tea of a rich sort of milk which 
 boasted that name), nor was Paris itself 
 exempt from the want of it. This weary- 
 ing sameness in the landscape was at length 
 agreeably broken by the prospect of a vast
 
 NOVARA. 181 
 
 common, where the purple heath-flower, 
 with which it was entirely covered, wet 
 with dew, gleamed like an amethyst in the 
 morning sun. Yet even here, I missed the 
 gay variety of the bright golden broom, 
 which invariably is found upon our commons 
 at home- Home ! the term always makes 
 my heart throb with pleasure and pride ; I 
 know not why, but at that moment its idea 
 rose in vivid strength before me, softened 
 and beautified by the colours with which 
 memory never fails to adorn a beloved 
 object in absence. I felt (and my com- 
 panions warmly participated in my senti- 
 ments) that our dear little island had 
 charms of a different nature, but in no way 
 inferior, to those even of this favoured land, 
 .so celebrated, so enthusiastically vaunted, 
 by the poet and the painter. I felt (and 
 what Englishwoman ought not to feel?) 
 that I could truly ^exclaim in apostrophizing 
 my native country, 
 
 " Where'er I go, whatever realms I see, 
 
 " My heart, untravelTd, fondly turns to thee." 
 
 And yet, reader, we were no bigots in the 
 .cause, for we could discern foreign ex-
 
 182 NOVARA. 
 
 cellence and deeply feel it, and we could 
 perceive where England's faults lay, could 
 acknowledge those faults, and wish that 
 they were rectified ; and this, I am sorry to 
 say, is not always the case with our country- 
 men, many of whom have listened to all 
 commendations of other nations, as if they 
 were so many insults offered to our own. 
 It seems wonderful that such feelings 
 should in these enlightened days exist 
 among persons who are not actually fools, 
 nor of that class of society in which a want 
 of education necessarily induces ignorance 
 and prejudice ; yet so it is, unfortunately, 
 as it has more than once been my lot to 
 witness. 
 
 We now passed the river Tessin, by 
 means of a bridge of boats. It was much 
 impaired in beauty and force, by the heat 
 of the late season, but we could easily ima- 
 gine that in general its portion of both 
 must be extreme. Bonaparte had begun 
 to build a fine and permanent bridge across 
 it, but fate intervened, and it is left un- 
 finished, like his own eventful history. 
 At Buffalore, the douaniers were tire-
 
 MILAN. 183 
 
 some enough, according to custom (pardon 
 the pun), but we conducted ourselves to- 
 wards them with great patience and civility, 
 which (together with a little silver eloquence) 
 soon touched their stony hearts. Indeed 
 it would have been useless to have done 
 otherwise, as I never yet heard of any body 
 being able to soften rocks with vinegar, 
 except Hannibal ; and I consider even that 
 instance to be apocryphal. 
 
 We arrived at the grand city of Milan 
 early, and proceeded immediately to visit 
 the cathedral, that mighty duorno, of which 
 Italy is so justly proud. We were abso- 
 lutely silent with admiration and wonder, 
 upon first seeing this stupendous work of 
 art, and I really despair of doing it justice in 
 description ; like many other things, it must 
 be seen to be fully comprehended and 
 appreciated. St. Peter's at Rome is generally 
 accounted the superior miracle of genius ; 
 but I believe there are many imaginations 
 which have been more forcibly impressed 
 with the effect of this. In the first place, 
 the material claims pre-eminence, being 
 entirely of white marble, brought from the
 
 184 MILAN. 
 
 Lago Maggiore. It is of gothic architec- 
 ture, and was begun in the year 1386 : the 
 plan of the choir and the two grand organs 
 were given by the celebrated Pellegrini, and 
 the facade, which had remained for so many 
 years unfinished, was completed by Bona- 
 parte, from the simple and superior designs 
 of the architect Amati. Various statues 
 and bas reliefs, with other costly ornaments 
 in spotless marble, ornament the outside ; 
 and the interior has no less than five naves, 
 supported by one hundred and sixty superb 
 columns of the same magnificent material. 
 Immediately beneath the dome or cupola 
 (which is by Brunellesco) is a subterranean 
 chapel, where sleeps the embalmed body of 
 Saint Carlo Borromeo, (the Howard of his 
 age, and an ancient archbishop of Milan), en- 
 shrined in a coffin of the purest rock crystal, 
 inclosed in a tomb of solid silver, splendidly 
 embossed, and of enormous size and value. 
 The pillars which support this chapel are 
 alternately of silver and of the most ex- 
 quisite coloured marble, highly polished. 
 The wax tapers, which were lighted by the 
 guides, to enable us to thread the dark
 
 MILAN. 185 
 
 mazes of this magnificent dungeon (for I can 
 call it by no other name, debarred as it is from 
 the sweet air and light of heaven), cast a 
 stream of gloomy radiance upon our some- 
 what lengthened visages, and dimly illu- 
 minated the buried treasures of the tomb. 
 Never, surely, since the days of Aladdin, has 
 there existed so imposing a scene of sepul- 
 chral wealth and grandeur ! Having ex- 
 pressed a wish to see the saint (who I 
 ought to mention has now been dead for 
 nearly three hundred years), the priest 
 (first putting on a sort of cloak of old point 
 lace, and crossing himself with an air of 
 profound respect and reverence), assisted by 
 the guide, began to set some mechanical pro- 
 cess at \vork ; by means of which, as though by 
 a stroke of magic, the silver tomb appeared 
 to sink into the earth, the lid flew up as if 
 to the roof of the chapel, and the body in- 
 closed in its transparent coffin was suddenly 
 exhibited to our wondering gaze. It was 
 habited in a long robe of cloth of gold, 
 fresh as if just from the loom ; on the 
 head was a mitre of solid gold (presented 
 by one of the former kings of Spain), and by
 
 186 MILAN. 
 
 the lifeless side, as if just released from the 
 powerless hands which were crossed upon 
 its breast, lay a crosier, of massy chased 
 gold, studded with jewels of extraordinary 
 richness and beauty ; the price of which was 
 scarcely to be reckoned, and whose magni- 
 tude and lustre were wonderful ! They 
 sparkled brightly in the rays of the taper, as 
 if in mockery of the ghastly spectacle of 
 mortality which they were meant to honour 
 and adorn. Nothing certainly could well be 
 imagined more alarmingly hideous than St. 
 Carlo Borromeo ; and why the humiliating 
 exhibition of his corporeal remains should 
 thus be produced to the eyes of the careless 
 multitude, when the qualities of his noble 
 and benignant soul should alone be re- 
 membered and dwelt upon, I cannot possi- 
 bly conjecture. What a strange perversion 
 of taste, and what a ludicrous method of 
 evincing gratitude and admiration ! A very 
 brief account of the virtues of this good 
 archbishop may not be unwelcome to my 
 readers. He was the head of the noble 
 family of Borromeo, and equally distin- 
 guished for his extraordinary benevolence
 
 MILAN. 187 
 
 towards mankind, and his elevated senti- 
 ments of piety towards God. Not satisfied 
 with possessing the respect and homage of 
 his fellow creatures, he placed his happiness 
 in soothing their griefs, relieving their 
 wants, and in gaining their warmest affec- 
 tions : he rather wished to be considered as 
 a father than a superior, and the superb head 
 of the clergy was merged in the benevo- 
 lent friend of the people. His whole for- 
 tune was devoted to their service, and 
 during a year of famine he had so com- 
 pletely exhausted his annual income in 
 feeding others, that he literally was left 
 totally destitute either of food or ready 
 money, one evening when he returned 
 to his episcopal residence, fatigued and ex- 
 hausted with the charitable labours of the 
 day. This benign enthusiasm, kindled 
 in early life, never relaxed to the hour of 
 his dissolution, and he was after death 
 canonized as a saint by the universal con- 
 sent of all ranks of persons, as might reason- 
 ably be expected ; and with far more justice 
 than many of his calendared brethren. I am 
 afraid, never theless, that he does not quite
 
 188 MILAN. 
 
 come up to the ideas of moral and religious 
 perfection, entertained by a Faquir of In- 
 dia, or a strict Calvinist of our country ; for 
 he certainly never stuck any nails into his 
 own sides, or planted the thorns of terror in 
 the agonised bosom of all, whose notions of 
 duty happened not exactly to agree with 
 those he himself entertained. He perse- 
 cuted, he despised, he denounced no one ; 
 and he considered all mankind, whether 
 protestant or catholic, as equally entitled 
 to his good will and benevolence ! To re^ 
 turn to the narrative of our individual pro- 
 ceedings, we retired from the cathedral, 
 with our imaginations rather disagreeably 
 impressed by the splendid yet disgusting 
 spectacle we had there witnessed ; and in- 
 stead of remaining at home all the evening, 
 to brood over the idea of coffins and cross- 
 bones, and to " dream of the night-mare, 
 and wake in a fright*," we were wicked 
 enough to shake oif our melancholy, by 
 going to the theatre of the Marionetti (or 
 puppets), for which Milan is famous. The 
 
 * Vide Bath Giiide.
 
 MILAN*. 189 
 
 scenery and figures (the latter of which 
 were nearly four feet in height) quite sur- 
 prised us by their correct imitation of na- 
 ture. I assure the reader, that I have 
 often seen actors of flesh and blood far less 
 animated, and much more wooden. We 
 could now and then discern the strings by 
 which they were worked, and we found it 
 easy to follow the Italian dialogue, as the 
 judicious speaker (concealed behind the 
 curtain), did not indulge in the rant or 
 mouthing of high tragedy, but gave every 
 speech a natural degree of emphasis, and 
 possessed in addition, an articulation sin- 
 gularly clear and distinct. The orchestra 
 was capital, the selection of music extremely 
 agreeable, and I never heard a tout en- 
 semble better attended to, even at the Opera. 
 Milan is a large city, and has the con- 
 venience of excellent pavements both for 
 foot passengers and those in carriages. 
 There are four trottoirs in each street, two 
 of them in the middle of the road, which is a 
 great advantage to all the draught horses 
 of the place, as it considerably lessens and
 
 190 MILAN. 
 
 facilitates their exertions: I should not 
 wonder if this improvement had been sug- 
 gested by the guardian spirit of the amiable 
 Borromeo, since we are told that " a 
 righteous man is merciful unto his beast." 
 The bourgeoises of Milan generally wear 
 black or white transparent veils, thrown 
 carelessly over the hair, and carry fans in 
 the hand. Some have thin muslin mob caps 
 with flat crowns under the veil, but the 
 use of a bonnet is quite unknown. Both 
 the peasantry and bourgeoisie are generally 
 well-looking, and we saw two or three lovely 
 women : one in particular, a true Madonna 
 of Coreggio, who if seen in a London circle, 
 would, I am sure, have created an immense 
 sensation; we had no opportunity of judg- 
 ing whether she was fully aware or not of 
 her own extraordinary beauty, but taking 
 the thing in the most rational point of 
 view, I should think it impossible that she 
 should be ignorant of the personal ad- 
 vantages so liberally bestowed upon her. 
 Nothing has ever appeared to me more 
 sickening than the pretty innocence some
 
 MILAN. 191 
 
 women (who have been highly favoured by 
 nature) think it amiable to affect. That it 
 is genuine, no one will believe who is truly 
 acquainted with human nature and the 
 customs of society; nor will any female, 
 who is not weak in intellect, or of very de- 
 fective judgment, condescend to adopt so 
 paltry an artifice. A woman of sense must 
 know when she is handsome, and she will 
 also know how to enjoy this species of 
 superiority without abusing it. There is 
 nothing, however, more common than the 
 mistaking ignorance for virtue, amongst 
 persons of a certain calibre of intellect, who 
 yet at the same time pique themselves upon 
 a reputation for solidity. 
 
 The fruit sold in the markets here is in 
 the most luxuriant profusion that can be 
 imagined. We saw grapes piled up in 
 large wicker baskets, like those used for 
 holding linen ; peaches in tubs and wheel- 
 barrows, and innumerable quantities of ripe 
 figs. We had the pleasure of hearing se- 
 veral ballad-singers of a very superior stamp 
 to those of London or Paris. This is 
 giving them small praise ; but I mean to
 
 192 MILAN. 
 
 say, that they were really excellent, differ- 
 ing widely from some to whom we had 
 listened at Turin (who said they came from 
 Rome), and whose harshness of voice was 
 unpleasant, although their style, and the 
 music they selected, was very good. But 
 these people gratified us extremely : they 
 sang a buffo duet (accompanied by a vio- 
 loncello, violin, and guitar), with full as 
 much spirit and correctness as either Signers 
 N. or A. And we afterwards heard a man 
 (who came under our windows with his 
 guitar) execute one of Rossini's refined and 
 difficult serious arias in an equally finished 
 manner. 
 
 The next day we took a caleche, and 
 drove to see many lions, amongst others 
 the arena (i. e. amphitheatre), and the tri- 
 umphal arch, begun, but not finished, by 
 Napoleon. It was at Milan that this won- 
 derful man was crowned king of Italy, in 
 1805 ; and the arch in question was in- 
 tended to be at once a monument of his 
 fame, and a gate to the grand road of the 
 Simplon, which commences here. When 
 finished, it must have proved the admira-
 
 MILAN. 193 
 
 tion of posterity ; even now it is very strik- 
 ing to the imagination, and not the less so (in 
 my opinion) for being left thus awfully in- 
 complete. The groups of figures, prepared 
 as ornamental friezes, lie piled together 
 in a shed or outhouse hard by, scarcely se- 
 cured from the injuries of weather. No- 
 thing can be more chastely classical than 
 their designs, and the figure of Xapoleon, 
 for ever prominent among them, in the 
 costume of the ancient Roman conquerors, 
 is a very correct personal likeness. A sta- 
 tue of him also is shewn here (with some 
 little affectation of mystery), as large, or 
 larger, than the life, and is equally marked 
 as an accurate resemblance. 
 
 The amphitheatre (lately built by Coe- 
 nonica) is highly magnificent, and of im- 
 mense proportions, chiefly appropriated to 
 the celebration of the naumachia, or naval 
 tournament. We found the city full of En- 
 glish ; our attorney-general and Lord K., &c. 
 were in the same hotel with ourselves (Al- 
 bergo Rcale) ; and I should in justice men- 
 tion, that the master of this inn is one of 
 the most attentive, civil, and obliging per-
 
 194 MILAN. 
 
 sons in the world : I hope all our country- 
 men will patronise him. In the evening 
 we drove upon the promenade, which is a 
 very fine one, and situated in the best part of 
 the city. We were much struck by the width 
 of the streets adjacent, and by the beauty 
 and dignity of the buildings. Here we met 
 a crowd of equipages, of every denomination 
 and description; yet how mean did they 
 all appear, in comparison with those which 
 throng Hyde Park ! I am certain that 
 any English chariot and horses (however 
 plain and unpretending) would have been 
 gazed at, and followed here as a miracle 
 of elegance and beauty. At night we 
 took a box at the Opera (La Scala), which 
 is universally allowed to be the largest and 
 most superb in Europe. It was built by 
 Pierre Marini, in 1778, and did indeed amaze 
 us at the first coup d'ail, as a stupendous 
 miracle of art: but we found the same 
 want of brilliancy and cheerfulness as in all 
 other foreign theatres, and the performance 
 (to say nothing of the performers) was exe- 
 crable. Many of the boxes were shut up ; 
 but, by the lights which twinkled through
 
 MILAN. 195 
 
 the green latticed blinds, we perceived that 
 persons were in them ; and once, upon this 
 sullen screen being casually opened for a 
 few moments, we saw them playing at cards, 
 and eating ices, without the slightest idea 
 of attending to what was passing upon the 
 stage. The latter refreshment is quite in- 
 dispensable in this hot climate, and it was 
 brought to us in the course of the evening: 
 Camporese was the prima donna here ; but 
 we did not see her, as she was unwell during 
 the time of our stay at Milan. A Signora 
 Gioja appeared in her stead, who made us all 
 triste enough by her tame and stupid per- 
 formance. The ballet was ennuyant a la 
 mort : its strength lay in its numbers, and 
 the manner of grouping them ; for as to the 
 
 dancing it was in short, there was no 
 
 such thing which properly merited that 
 name. The theatre is far too large for the 
 purposes of hearing (much less of enjoying) 
 music ; and there was such a stunning echo, 
 that the noise of the enormous band of mu- 
 sicians in the orchestra was almost rendered 
 insupportable to a delicate and refined ear. 
 They played also (to my indignant asto-
 
 196 MILAN. 
 
 nishment) so loud as to drown the voices 
 of the singers, instead of keeping the in- 
 struments under, and subservient to them; 
 which I had imagined was a rule so firmly 
 established, as to render all deviation impos- 
 sible in a country which boasts itself to be 
 the veritable land of harmony. In short, 
 we infinitely preferred the opera at Turin, 
 and were completely disappointed with La 
 Scala. Indeed, I consider our own Opera 
 in the Haymarket (however fastidiously 
 abused by soi-disant connoisseurs, and al- 
 though it appears like a nutshell in point 
 of size, when compared with this overgrown 
 rival), to be indisputably superior in every 
 real advantage. The whole of Italy (as I 
 afterwards learned from some good judges 
 at Geneva) is at present lamentably de- 
 ficient in talent, both vocal and instrumental; 
 and whatever it affords of any celebrity is 
 sure to come over to England, where a richer 
 harvest is to be reaped than can be found 
 in any other country. I mean not, how- 
 ever, ignorantly to deny the superior ex- 
 cellence of the Italian school of music su- 
 perior (as all real judges must allow) to
 
 LOMBARDY. 197 
 
 ours or any other. It is the original pa- 
 rent of excellence, the nursing mother of 
 true genius. Whatever has charmed us in 
 the art has sprung from the principles it 
 inculcates ; and when, even in the national 
 melodies of Ireland and Scotland, I have 
 heard a finished singer enchant and touch 
 the feelings of their enthusiastic sons, I have 
 been perfectly aware that what they have 
 blindly insisted upon as being preferable 
 to the Italian school, has in reality been 
 formed upon its rules ; and when I hear 
 a contrary doctrine asserted, I look upon it 
 as nonsense, unworthy even the trouble of 
 contradiction. I only mean to say, that the 
 present singers, performers, and composers 
 of Italy are anxious to transplant them- 
 selves to the fostering protection of British 
 taste and munificence. 
 
 We left Milan at an early hour the next 
 morning, and found the country beyond, 
 both flat and ugly for some distance. We 
 saw great quantities of white mulberry 
 trees (for the benefit of the silk-worms) 
 in every direction, and many poplars (be- 
 ing now in Lombardy). The leaf of the
 
 198 RHO. 
 
 latter we observed to be much larger than 
 those in England : perhaps the tree dege- 
 nerates in some measure in our climate. 
 The maple also springs in abundance, and 
 I suppose there must be a proportionate 
 number of nightingales in consequence, if 
 the old saying is true, that these birds love 
 the maple better than any other tree. The 
 postillion wore the usual Austrian costume, 
 common to his profession : it bore some re- 
 blance to that of an old English jester, being 
 a yellow jacket with black worsted lace, and 
 a red waistcoat. 
 
 At Rho we passed by a church, called 
 Notre Dame des Miracles ; where signs and 
 wonders are believed to be displayed even 
 in these philosophical days. All the pea- 
 sants and bourgeoises wore beautiful coral 
 necklaces, brought from the Mediterranean, 
 of the true light pink colour, which is so ex- 
 pensive in England. The infants here were 
 cramped up in swaddling-clothes, and had 
 no caps upon their heads ; while the want 
 of hair, peculiar to their tender age, gave 
 them the air of little unfledged birds. But 
 now the period approached when we were to
 
 GALLARATE. 199 
 
 encounter a more serious and hair-breadth 
 scape than any whichhad occurred during our 
 tour. Passing through the town of Gallarate, 
 near the foot of the Alps, we were stopped 
 by a gentleman in an open travelling car- 
 riage, whose rueful visage, scared air, and 
 animated gesticulations, awakened our most 
 lively curiosity and attention. He was 
 a merchant of Neufchatel, and perceiving 
 that we were proceeding upon the same 
 route which he had just passed, desired us 
 most earnestly to stop at Gallarate, and 
 furnish ourselves with a couple of gens 
 d'armes, unless we wished to encounter the 
 same fate from which he had just escaped. 
 He then went on to relate a most terrific 
 account of his having been robbed (he 
 might have added, frightened) by three hor- 
 rible-looking banditti, masked, and armed 
 with carabines, pistols, and stilettos ! They 
 had forced his postillion to dismount, and 
 throwing him under the carriage, with his 
 head beneath the wheel (to prevent his offer- 
 ing any interruption to their plunder), pro- 
 ceeded to attack him ; and, finally, spared 
 his life, only by his consenting to part with
 
 200 GALLARATK. 
 
 every thing valuable in his possession. 
 They not only took his watch and all his 
 money, but a chain of his wife's hair, which 
 they discovered around his neck; but their 
 iU humour was great, and vehemently ex- 
 pressed, upon finding this poor man's pro- 
 perty a less considerable booty than they 
 had expected. All this had passed within 
 a quarter of an hour from the time at which 
 we met him at Gallarate. Of course, we 
 felt ourselves much indebted for the warn- 
 ing; and as my courage had completely 
 sunk under the recital, and I found it (like 
 that of Bob Acres, in the Eivals) " oozing 
 out at my fingers' ends," at every word this 
 gentleman spoke, my husband took com- 
 passion upon me, and accordingly de- 
 spatched messengers to summon the at- 
 tendance of a couple of well-mounted and 
 completely armed Austrian soldiers, with 
 long moustaches, and fierce martial-looking 
 countenances. These men afterwards rode 
 with us (one on each side the carriage) until 
 we had completely passed the borders, and 
 had entered the king of Sardinia's domi- 
 nions; where we were assured of finding per-
 
 GALLARATE. 201 
 
 feet safety. No event of the kind had 
 occurred for the last twelve months ; but 
 we were astonished and indignant at the 
 supine apathy of the police, who did not 
 appear to have the smaUest intention of 
 sending any soldiers after the robbers, or 
 of making exertions to secure them. These 
 Austrian states have a bad reputation, as 
 we were told by our host at Lans le Bourg, 
 and were warned by him of the possibility 
 of a similar adventure. Mr. W., who was 
 so good as to undertake to order the guards 
 for me at Gallarate, found that not a single 
 person he encountered in the town under- 
 stood French, and he was obliged to be con- 
 ducted to the schoolmaster (the only man 
 capable of conversing in the language), be- 
 fore he could make our wishes compre- 
 hended and attended to. My husband re- 
 mained in the carriage to scold me into 
 better spirits; for, I confess, I never re- 
 member to have been more frightened in 
 my life. 
 
 The country beyond this place began to 
 improve in picturesque beauty; the Alps (to
 
 202 GALLARATE. 
 
 which we had approached very close), and 
 woody hills in the distance, forming very 
 imposing features in the landscape. Here 
 we were met by several English carriages, 
 protected, as we were, by the attendance of 
 gens d'armes; which proved that fear had not 
 been confined to my bosom alone, and that 
 other people felt the same necessity of pre- 
 caution : a black servant upon the box, 
 grimly leaning upon a monstrous sabre, 
 formed an additional guard. We now en- 
 tered an irregular forest, where the postil- 
 lion (who was the same person that had 
 driven Monsieur Bovet) shewed us the spot 
 where the ruffians had issued forth. It was 
 a fine place for a romantic adventure of this 
 sort ; and never did I feel so thankful as 
 when I cast my eyes upon the spirited 
 horsemen, who continued to keep close by 
 the side of our vehicle, giving me now and 
 then looks of mirthful encouragement : in- 
 deed they seemed to consider the business 
 as a party of pleasure, and we heard them 
 laughing more than once as they rode 
 along.
 
 LAGO MAGGIORE. 203 
 
 At Sesto a mob gathered round the car- 
 riage, as it stopped at the post-house ; and 
 I am not sure that they did not at first 
 mistake us for state prisoners. Our postil- 
 lion was now truly a great man ! the centre 
 of an open-mouthed, staring circle, wild 
 with curiosity, to whom he held forth at 
 length upon the danger he had undergone. 
 Here we crossed a ferry over the river 
 Tessin, which divides the dominions of 
 Austria from those of Sardinia. The rich- 
 ness and grace of the wooded banks, which 
 fringed this fine stream, delighted us ; and 
 the face of the whole country gradually 
 smiled and brightened, till it at last ex- 
 panded into the most glorious burst of ex- 
 quisite loveliness that the imagination can 
 conceive : for now we first beheld the 
 Lago Maggiore, embosomed in romantic 
 hills, with the superb Alps rising beyond 
 them, and its shores studded with innu- 
 merable hamlets, villas, and cottages. The 
 declining sun shed a warm colouring of 
 inexpressible beauty upon the calm sur- 
 face of this celebrated lake, whose wa- 
 ters, smooth and glassy, pure and tranquil,
 
 204 ARONA. 
 
 seemed indeed, in the words of Byron, to 
 be a fit 
 
 " Mirror and a bath 
 
 " For Beauty's youngest daughters." 
 
 It was impossible not to kindle into enthu- 
 siasm as we gazed upon a scene of such 
 Armida-like fascination. Why should I at- 
 tempt a description of the Borromean Isles, 
 the Isola Madre, Isola Bella, and other fairy- 
 green gems, which adorned the bosom of 
 this queen of waters ? They have been al- 
 ready so celebrated by the pencil and the 
 lyre, that my efforts would be those of pre- 
 sumption. I find it quite too much even 
 to relate the effect they produced upon our 
 minds ; for no words can adequately express 
 our feelings of admiration and surprise ! 
 
 We were now once more in Piedmont, 
 and the road led us through the town of 
 Arona, built upon the shores of the lake, 
 which is full forty miles in length. We saw a 
 picturesque figure of a peasant girl kneeling 
 upon the banks, and laving (like a young 
 naiad) her long tresses in the stream. There 
 is a fine grey ruin of a castle upon the left, 
 as you enter Arona, and a chain of bold cliffs
 
 ARONA. 205 
 
 covered with vineyards, with several cottages, 
 peeping out from amid bowers of fragrance, 
 near their craggy summits. A refreshing 
 breeze tempered the still ardent heat of 
 day : it seemed to rise upon us, in a gale of 
 balmy softness, from the water, whose placid 
 waves are sometimes, however, ruffled into 
 sudden anger, by storms of wind from the 
 surrounding Alps ; and many unfortunate 
 accidents to boatmen, &c. arise in conse- 
 quence. It would be difficult to imagine any 
 thing in nature more luxuriantly beautiful 
 than the hanging gardens belonging to the 
 little villas in this neighbourhood; where 
 standard peach-trees, olives, filberts, grapes, 
 figs, Turkey wheat, orange blossoms, carna- 
 tions, and all the tribe of vegetables, are 
 mingled together in rich confusion, and the 
 vines trained upon low trellises slope down 
 to the water's edge ; while, among the grass 
 at the feet of the taller trees, the pumpkin 
 trails her golden globes and flowers. We 
 remarked several pretty faces, in a style 
 neither wholly Italian nor French, but 
 which formed an agreeable and happy mix- 
 ture of both. The ever odious goitre,
 
 206 FERIOLA. 
 
 nevertheless, sometimes obtruded its horrid 
 deformity among them ; and it was an equal 
 mortification to our dreams of perfection 
 to observe, that even in the little towns, 
 built in the very heart of all this sweetness 
 and purity, the most disgusting smells (in- 
 dicative of innately filthy habits) perpetu- 
 ally issued forth, poisoning every street, 
 and mingling their pollutions with the fra- 
 grant breath of the mountain gale. But 
 now the fanciful crags on the opposite side 
 of the lake began to assume a purplish blue 
 tint, deeply influenced by, and half lost in, 
 the shadow of lowering clouds, which (fast 
 gathering round their summits in dark and 
 misty volumes) foreboded an approaching 
 storm. Bright and catching lights, how- 
 ever, still lingered upon the bright sails of 
 distant boats, and upon the no less white 
 walls of the little villages ; which were built 
 so close upon the shore as to seem as if 
 they sprung from the bosom of the waves. 
 
 We arrived at Feriola (inn La Posta), 
 a small town, washed by the same trans- 
 parent waters, and sheltered by granite 
 mountains (covered with a mossy vegeta-
 
 FERIOLA. 207 
 
 tion mixed with vineyards), which rose 
 abruptly and immediately above the walls 
 of the house : here we passed the night ; the 
 storm was just beginning, as we drove up 
 to this welcome refuge : flashes of red and 
 forked lightning shot fiercely down from 
 the Alpine heights, and were quenched in 
 the dark lake below ; while peals of hollow 
 thunder reverberating from the adjacent 
 caverns, increased the awful effect of the 
 whole. Torrents of rain soon followed, 
 and lasted without intermission for many 
 hours. We slept well, our beds being free 
 from vermin, although of the humblest 
 sort, without curtain or canopy, and co- 
 vered with quilts which were very like 
 stable rugs. They had been occupied 
 before us, by dukes and duchesses ; who, 
 although not used to more comforts than 
 those which surround me in my own happy 
 home, had certainly reason to expect more 
 stateliness of accommodation ; necessity, 
 however, has no law, and I dare say they 
 were as glad as I was to avail themselves 
 of clean sheets, and a substantial roof over 
 head, after the fatigues of travelling. The
 
 208 FERIOLA. 
 
 whole of this little inn was built of granite* 
 from the neighbouring quarries. We rose 
 the next morning at four, and as I drest 
 by the yet imperfect light, which streamed 
 into the room through the lowly casement, 
 I was interested in observing the different 
 appearances of nature, in the midst of such 
 wild scenery, and at so early an hour. 
 
 The dewy mists were slowly rising from 
 the valley, which smiled in all the fresh 
 loveliness of morning, as they gradually 
 rolled off, and settled round the brows of 
 the higher mountains like a shadowy veil. 
 The grass smelt strongly of thyme and 
 balm, after the late rain, and seemed to be 
 eagerly relished by a flock of sheep, which 
 two shepherdess figures were leading up 
 the winding path. This fair prospect did not 
 last long; a heavy rain re-commenced ; and 
 as we proceeded upon our journey we could 
 hardly see our route amid the mountains, 
 from the dense and heavy fog which obscured 
 every object. All nature truly appeared 
 to be weeping; this is no merely poetical 
 term, but the truth : there are some things 
 which cannot be adequately described in
 
 MONTE ROSA. 209 
 
 the common expressions of prose, and this 
 is one of them. 
 
 We passed Monte Kosa, which is fifteen 
 thousand feet in height : a beautiful little 
 church hung upon its shelving side, built 
 in a style that gave it much the air of the 
 Sybil's temple. In all parts of the country 
 through which we had gone, we observed 
 numerous shrines of the Virgin; but instead 
 of a simple and appropriate statue, which 
 good taste might reasonably have hoped to 
 find within, they were constantly disgraced 
 by a paltry gaudy painting, in distemper. 
 The outside walls of houses, also, were 
 generally daubed in the same ridiculous 
 manner, and afforded us perpetual cause of 
 exclamation against the melange of real 
 and false taste, which Italy thus exhibits. 
 We were sorry to have missed seeing (near 
 Arona, in our preceding day's journey) the 
 celebrated colossal statue of St. Carlo Borro- 
 meo in bronze; which, rearing its proud 
 height far above the surrounding woods, 
 forms a very grand and noble spectacle : a 
 man (in speaking of its proportions to Mr. 
 B.) told him that the head alone held three
 
 210 DOMO D'OSSOLA, 
 
 persons, and that he himself had stood 
 within the cavity of the nose ! I believe it 
 is seventy feet from the ground. 
 
 We passed over a bridge on the river 
 Toscia, a graceful serpentine stream, whose 
 waters were of a milky hue, owing to the 
 heavy rains. Here we met a peasant, wear- 
 ing a singular sort of cloak, made of long 
 dry silky rushes, admirably adapted to re- 
 sist and throw off the wet ; he looked at a 
 distance like a moving thatched hut, his 
 hat forming the chimney, and we afterwards 
 saw several women and children in the 
 same costume. The common people also 
 use a rude kind of umbrella of divers 
 gaudy colours, the frame and spokes being 
 made of clumsy wood. 
 
 At Domo d'Ossola we stopped to take re- 
 freshment at la Posta, a most comfortable 
 and cleanly inn ; every thing was sent up 
 neatly, and really tempted the fastidious 
 traveller to " eat without fear :" a degree 
 of heroism which I confess I could not 
 always command, not feeling sure that I 
 might not be poisoned by some of the 
 dishes ; although it would have been by dirt,
 
 8IMPLON. 
 
 not arsenic. This is almost the last town 
 in the Sardinian dominions, for as soon as 
 you have crossed the Simplon, you enter 
 Switzerland. This arduous task we now 
 commenced, taking four horses instead of 
 the usual three. We ascended in a zigzag 
 direction, which seems to be the plan upon 
 which all roads cut through very high 
 mountains are formed; the present much 
 resembled those by which we had descended 
 Mont Cenis. Here we had the leisure and 
 opportunity of contemplating nature in 
 her grandest forms ! The wild fig-tree 
 sprung from the sides of the most profound 
 ravines, overhanging gulfs from which the 
 affrighted eye recoiled; and at the base 
 of the most stupendous mountains lay val- 
 leys of inimitable verdure and luxuriance. 
 An Alpine foot bridge, like a slight dark 
 line, crossed a rapid river here, and was 
 dimly discovered at intervals, amid the 
 snowy foam of the waves ; there were also 
 frequent waterfalls, pouring their sounding 
 floods from immense heights above us. At 
 this spot, Mr. B. tied a handkerchief over 
 my eyes, for three or four minutes : I
 
 SIMPLON. 
 
 thought I heard the noise of water in my 
 ears, louder and more hollow than usual ; 
 when he suddenly removed the handker- 
 chief, and I beheld myself in the first of 
 those astonishing galleries of the Simplon, 
 of which so much has justly been said by 
 all travellers. They were half cut, half 
 blasted by gunpowder, through the solid 
 rock, and have the appearance of long 
 grottos, with rude windows, or rather chasms 
 in the sides, to admit light, and through 
 which we discovered, with a shuddering 
 sensation of admiring wonder, the awful 
 precipices and steeps around. It was delight- 
 ful to contemplate them while thus in a situ- 
 ation of perfect security ; a species of feeling 
 analogous to that which I have sometimes 
 experienced, when comfortably housed be- 
 neath the domestic roof, during the raving of 
 a wintry storm ! How different was the as- 
 pect of the ancient road ; the view of which, 
 as it dangerously wound along the opposite 
 mountains, nearly blocked up by fallen masses 
 of rock, overgrown with tangled shrubs and 
 weeds, and undefended by even the slight- 
 est wall from the yawning abysses, which
 
 
 SCENE OB the SIMPLON.
 
 SIMPLON. 213 
 
 frowned horribly beneath, really made my 
 heart quake with terror! There are rude 
 crosses by the way side, erected here, at 
 long intervals ; sad monuments of the tra- 
 gical end of former unfortunate travellers. 
 Nothing can be more terrific than the 
 showers of stony fragments from the over- 
 hanging rocks, which frequently fall here 
 during stormy weather ; at particular sea- 
 sons it is certain destruction to attempt to 
 pass. We observed the lower and more level 
 ground to be strewn so thickly with these 
 formidable masses, that .it brought to my 
 mind the ancient story of Jupiter's w r ars 
 with the giants ; the place indeed truly re- 
 sembled the state of a field of battle after 
 one of those mighty engagements. 
 
 The parish church of Trasqueras is an 
 object of high astonishment ; we passed it, 
 not without adding our individual tribute 
 of wonder. It is built upon the topmost 
 verge of a barren mountain, at a frightful 
 height. Apparently no human power could 
 have conveyed thither the materials for its 
 erection ; we could only reconcile the ex- 
 istence of the fact, by supposing that there
 
 214 SIMPSON. 
 
 must have been a quarry upon the spot. 
 The priest who does duty there, and the 
 congregation whose zeal leads them to scale 
 the dreadful precipice to attend public 
 worship, are in some danger, I should think, 
 of being canonized for martyrs ! But to 
 speak more seriously, there is something 
 infinitely impressive in the idea of a little 
 band of humble and obscure mortals thus 
 meeting together to worship the Creator in, 
 such a spot of wild and solitary sublimity. 
 These scenes most certainly tend to ele- 
 vate the imagination, and to fill the heart, 
 with strong feelings of devotional adoration 
 and awful respect. It is not only " those 
 who go down to the great waters," who see 
 " the wonders of the Lord !" We remarked 
 a cottage here, in the style of the most ro- 
 mantic hermitage, close to a raving flood, 
 in the frightful strait of Yselle. The 
 living rock formed its roof, and the sides 
 were of flat uncemented stones ; a rude 
 door of pine wood shut in its inhabitants, 
 for inhabited it certainly must have been, 
 as a little pile of faggots for winter firing 
 evidently evinced. Gold dust is sometimes
 
 SIMI'LON. 215 
 
 found in the beds of the surrounding tor- 
 rents. There is no end to the varieties of 
 the Simplon : we sometimes crossed from 
 one mountain to another ; then dived into 
 the dark entrails of the rocks ; now wound 
 along narrow valleys at their feet, and at 
 last rose (by a gentle ascent) to the proud 
 summit of the loftiest glaciers, far above 
 the rolling clouds. In some places our eye 
 "rested with delight upon the rich green of 
 the chestnut and beech, in others all vegeta- 
 tion seemed wholly to cease. The rhodo- 
 dendron (note P.) flourishes here in perfec- 
 tion ; it grows where few other shrubs or 
 plants are able to exist, braves the severity 
 of the keeriest blasts of winter, and affords 
 firing to those cottagers who cannot easily 
 procure other wood. Its blossoms are of a 
 lovely pink, and from this circumstance it 
 is called the " rose of the Alps." These 
 regions are subject to perpetual avalanches ; 
 the top of every stone post that marked 
 the boundary of our road, at about three 
 yards distance one from the other, was in 
 many places knocked off, by the continual 
 falling of masses from the rocks above, and
 
 216 SIMPLON. 
 
 now and then, the whole of the posts had 
 given way, as well as large fir-trees, which 
 commonly grow out of the shelving sides 
 of the precipices. Just at the entrance of one 
 of the grand galleries, we crossed over a stone 
 bridge, hanging in mid air above a tre- 
 mendous gulf; the river Doveria boiling far 
 below, fed by a cataract from the heights, 
 near the source of which we passed : so near, 
 indeed, that its foaming spray seemed almost 
 to dash against the glass of our carriage 
 windows. Bonaparte had established here 
 (as well as upon Mont Cenis), a sort of 
 tavernettes, or houses of relief for way- 
 worn or distressed travellers. A few mili- 
 tary now occasionally inhabit them, and the 
 appropriate word refuge is frequently in- 
 scribed over the doors. (Note Q.) A piece 
 of writing paper inserted in the cleft of a 
 stick, by the road-side, here attracted our 
 attention. We examined it, and found 
 written thereon, Viva Napoleone ! Our pos- 
 tillions appeared delighted, and exclaimed 
 in a half-checked voice, bravo, bravo ! 
 Candidly speaking, one must be indeed 
 fastidious not to be forcibly struck with
 
 SIMPLON. 217 
 
 the various noble works of that wonderful 
 man. At all events we could not be sur- 
 prised at his still existing popularity in the 
 north of Italy, a part of the world where 
 he has really done great good, and far less 
 harm than any where else ; and in so short 
 a space of time also so young a man from 
 so obscure an origin ! It will not do to 
 indulge in reflections upon what might 
 have been, or I could not refrain, I am 
 afraid, from wishing that (for the sake of 
 the arts and sciences) he had known how 
 to set bounds to his ambition. This pass- 
 age of the Simplon alone is sufficient to 
 immortalize his name, and as long as the 
 mountains themselves exist, so must the 
 memory of Bonaparte. It is quite the 
 eighth wonder of the world. If he is a 
 fiend, he is not less than 
 
 " Arch-angel ruined P 
 
 But I have done, lest those readers who 
 have never crossed the Simplon, or gazed 
 upon the other numerous monuments of his 
 grand genius, should imagine that I am
 
 218 SIMPLON. 
 
 still (in the words of Pitt, as applied to 
 Sheridan's speech upon Warren Hastings), 
 " Under the influence of the wand of the 
 Enchanter !" 
 
 Now I am on the subject of this stupen- 
 dous passage of the Simplon, I am fortunate 
 enough to present my readers with an 
 engraving made by a friend, of a curious 
 medal, struck in France, representing an 
 immense colossal figure, which some modern 
 Dinocrates had suggested to Bonaparte to 
 have cut from the mountain of the Simplon, 
 as a sort of Genius of the Alps. This was 
 to have been of such enormous size, that 
 all passengers should have passed between 
 its legs and arms in zigzag directions : I 
 do not know whether any attention was 
 ever given to the proposal, but that the 
 idea was not a new one, every schoolboy 
 may learn, by looking into Lempriere's 
 Dictionary, where he will find that a stiU 
 more hyperbolical project was suggested to 
 Alexander the Great, by one Dinocrates, 
 an architect, who wished to cut Mount 
 Athos into a gigantic figure of the monarch, 
 that should hold a city in one hand, and a
 
 SIMPLOK. 219 
 
 vast bason of water in the other. Alexan- 
 der's reply was a fine piece of irony ; " that 
 he thought the idea magnificent, but he 
 did not imagine the neighbouring country 
 sufficiently fertile to feed the inhabitants 
 of the said city." 
 
 We observed quantities of timber felled, 
 and lying scattered about the dark forests ; 
 they consisted of a species of larch fir, I 
 believe, straight, taper, and of a yellowish 
 red. 
 
 At length we reached the village of the 
 Simplon, where we dined and slept. It is 
 only three or four and thirty miles from 
 Domo d'Ossola, yet we were seven hours or 
 more in accomplishing the distance, and 
 had never stopped by the way for more 
 than ten minutes. It was a continual ascent, 
 but very gradual, and our inn here (I'Etoile) 
 was four thousand five hundred feet above 
 the level of the sea. We found other tra- 
 vellers before us assembled in the only 
 sitting-room. Lord F , his tutor, and 
 another young gentleman: they appeared 
 all to be sensible, well-bred people, and we 
 rejoiced that accident had riot thrown us
 
 220 SIMPLON. 
 
 among less agreeable companions. The 
 next morning, we left our auberge, after 
 breakfast, with which we thought it prudent 
 to fortify ourselves, on account of the se- 
 verity of the cold. All the rooms were 
 obliged to be heated by stoves, as it was 
 (to all outward appearance and feeling) the 
 depth of winter, in its most rigid form ; 
 the day before, we had been almost fainting 
 with heat in the valleys, yet when we rose 
 this morning, the mountains around us 
 were entirely covered with snow, which had 
 fallen during the night, accompanied by a 
 rushing blast of wind and a heavy rain. 
 We were now truly in the " land of the 
 mountain and the flood," in the regions of 
 mist and storm. I shuddered at the sight, 
 having been rendered miserable from want 
 of sleep by the vermin, whose unremitting 
 attacks completely broke my rest, and made 
 me less able to encounter with proper for- 
 titude the fatigues of our still arduous 
 journey. I learned upon this tour to feel 
 a great horror at the expression of soyez 
 tranquille, which deceitful words were con- 
 stantly used by every fille de chambre,
 
 SIMPLON. 
 
 when I inquired if there were any of these 
 disagreeable inhabitants in the beds, and I 
 remarked that the more vehemently this soyez 
 tranquille was uttered, the more certain was 
 I of being bit into a fever. We got into the 
 carriage here in a gust of keen wind, so strong 
 and impetuous that I could not stand with- 
 out support. The women in these parts wear 
 a black platter hat (sometimes ornamented 
 with gold ribands), and the men a russet- 
 brown suit of clothes with a scarlet waist- 
 coat. A mixture of German and bad 
 French is spoken amongst them. We 
 passed by (during the continuation of our 
 journey) the enormous glacier of - 
 I know not exactly the proper name ; but 
 it sounded like Roschbaktn in the guttural 
 pronunciation of the postillion. Higher 
 up, there was a gallery cut through the 
 masses of frozen snow, but it is only used 
 as a foot-way for passengers during the 
 winter. We shortly afterwards saw the 
 Hospice of the Simplon, built in a com- 
 paratively sheltered spot; yet by its outward 
 appearance (resembling a sordid gloomy 
 prison), I should think nothing but the last
 
 222 SIMPLON. 
 
 necessity would induce travellers to seek 
 for refreshment within its walls. Mass 
 had been performed there that morning, 
 and we met several peasants returning from 
 it: all persons journeying this way are 
 entertained here gratis, but those whose 
 circumstances can afford it are expected to 
 make some little present to the monks. 
 We observed some dogs about the en- 
 trance, which we concluded were those 
 kept for the purpose of finding benighted 
 travellers. The colour of the rocks in 
 those places which were not covered with 
 snow was singular, being of a light aqua 
 marine, occasioned by the lichens which 
 grew upon them. Large eagles, formidable 
 from their strength and boldness, are fre- 
 quently seen amidst these dreary wastes. 
 I was soon quite wearied by the bleak 
 spectacle of such wide desolation, my eyes 
 ached with the dazzling brightness of the 
 snows, and I began sincerely to wish the 
 passage over. The ascent and descent 
 altogether is forty-two miles; coming 
 down from a height of seven thousand 
 feet, we could not see three yards before
 
 SIMPLOX. 
 
 us, being completely enveloped in a thick 
 dense fog. It seemed like plunging into a 
 (earful gulf of vapours ! Such a mist I 
 never could have imagined. 
 
 The road now led us though tall forests 
 of pine, darkly magnificent, which grew upon 
 the shelving sides of the precipitous descent. 
 Upon the jutting crags, we occasionally be- 
 held the fearless goat, bounding about, en- 
 joying the sense of liberty, and snuffing 
 the keen air of his native mountains ; a 
 child or two, also, sometimes appeared in 
 almost equally dangerous situations, at the 
 door of a wooden hut, called a chalet, built 
 of timber (of a reddish tint), and much in 
 the form of an ark. A little thinly scat- 
 tered underwood of birch, &c. with colts- 
 foot twining round the roots, now began to 
 evince our approach to more hospitable 
 regions, and the sensation of piercing cold in 
 some measure abated. The sun made several 
 felicitous attempts to struggle through the 
 heavy and obscuring clouds; and a pro- 
 spect (of which we caught a transient 
 glimpse between two enormous rocks) 
 seemed to open like an enchanted vision
 
 224 SIMPLON. 
 
 of ineffable brightness and beauty. During 
 this interval of a moment, we beheld a 
 narrow but fertile valley, a river, with hills 
 of vivid green rising beyond, bounded in 
 the distant horizon by mountains of glowing 
 purple, and smiled upon by a summer sky 
 of the clearest blue. Suddenly it was 
 brilliantly illuminated by a partial gleam 
 of sun, and thus discovered, (sparkling 
 through a thin veil of stiU lingering mist) 
 it seemed to break upon us like a lovely 
 dream. I could have fancied it Voltaire's 
 Eldorado, or the gay, unreal show of fairy 
 land, seen by Thomas the Rhymer, in 
 Scott's Minstrelsy of the Border. Indeed 
 sober language has no words or terms 
 to describe its singular effect. Apropos 
 to sobriety of language: Although there 
 is nothing so wearing as hyperbolical and 
 exaggerated expressions, applied on com- 
 mon or insignificant occasions, and although 
 I consider them in that case to be the re- 
 source of a weak capacity, which is in- 
 capable of judicious restraint and discrimi- 
 nation, it is equally insupportable to hear 
 the real wonders and charms of nature or
 
 VALAIS. 225 
 
 art spoken of with tame and tasteless 
 apathy. Those persons who have soul 
 enough to feel and appreciate them must 
 either vent their just enthusiasm, in terms 
 which to common minds sound romantic 
 and poetical, or else resolve to be wholly 
 silent. We reached the end of the Simplon, 
 and changed our tired horses at Brieg. We 
 were now in Switzerland. 
 
 Nothing can be more suddenly and ac- 
 curately marked than the difference of fea- 
 ture, as well as costume, between the Ita- 
 lian and Swiss peasants, (I more particu- 
 larly allude to the women), and it would be 
 impossible for any person of the least ob- 
 servation to mistake one for the other. The 
 latter are frequently hale, clean, and fresh- 
 looking, with cheerful open countenances ; 
 but adieu to grace, to expression, to beauty! 
 We left all these perfections on the other 
 side of the Alps. The children, too, struck 
 us (in general) as plain and uninteresting. 
 We were not greatly impressed by the en- 
 trance to the Pays du Valais, having al- 
 ready passed through scenery of the same 
 nature so much superior in Savoy and Italy ;
 
 226 VALAIS. 
 
 but it is certainly romantic and pretty in 
 some parts. How naturally one falls into 
 judging by comparison ! Had it been pos- 
 sible to have immediately entered the Va- 
 lais upon leaving the monotonous plains of 
 France, we should have thought the former 
 highly sublime and beautiful. The barberry 
 and elder flourish here in every hedge ; also 
 great quantities of the wild clematis. The 
 rocky banks are fringed with birch, hazle, 
 heath, and juniper, and between them is 
 the deep rolling turgid Rhone, skirted with 
 tall reeds and willows. 
 
 The climate still continued to be chilly 
 and disagreeable. Although it was only 
 the 8th of September, the weather rather 
 resembled that during the last days of 
 November, or commencement of the next 
 dreary month; and in the midst of this 
 picturesque and romantic scenery, I found 
 my imagination dwelling with great per- 
 tinacity and satisfaction upon the charms 
 of a blazing fire and a comfortable inn. I 
 did my utmost to shake off such vulgar and 
 unsentimental ideas, but they would recur 
 again and again.
 
 VALAIS. 227 
 
 We here passed a fall of the Khone, but 
 were rather disappointed in its force and 
 magnitude. Our road lay through wild fir 
 woods for a considerable length of way, the 
 snowy tops of the glaciers peeping above 
 them, forming quite a scene for the pencil 
 of Salvator Rosa. We journeyed on, almost 
 in total silence, the little bells at the horses' 
 heads alone disturbing the breathless still- 
 ness of these solitary glades, emerging 
 from which, we now crossed a bridge upon 
 the Rhone, which here assumes a character 
 of strength and grandeur, flowing with ra- 
 pidity, and emulating in its width an arm 
 of the sea. 
 
 Night and her shadows drew near, and 
 we began to wish for the comforts of the 
 friendly auberge ; but, owing to continual 
 delays of horses, postillions, &c., we did not 
 reach the town of Sierre until eight o'clock, 
 where we intended to have slept ; but found 
 upon our arrival that no beds were to be had, 
 and the place itself wore so forlorn, dismal, 
 and dirty an appearance, that we hardly 
 regretted the circumstance, and submitted 
 with a good grace to the inevitable neces-
 
 228 VALAIS. 
 
 sity of pursuing our route even at that late 
 hour. But ere this could be accomplished 
 we were obliged to wait (in the carriage) 
 till nine, for horses to carry us on ; for there 
 was at that time an immense run upon 
 the road. In this melancholy interval 
 our lamps were lit, and the moon arose ; 
 the latter (faintly glimmering amid dark 
 rolling clouds) feebly illuminated a road 
 which led us by the side of a terrible pre- 
 cipice, where part of the guardian wall was 
 broken down. The pass was accounted 
 perilous on that account ; but there was no 
 possible remedy. I had overheard my hus- 
 band and Mr. W. talking of it at Sierre, and 
 trying whether it was not practicable to 
 avoid it by securing any sort of accom- 
 modation at the wretched auberge : this, 
 however, being totally out of the question, 
 they did not acquaint me with the terrors 
 of the road by which we were in con- 
 sequence obliged to pass ere we could 
 attain shelter for the night at the next 
 habitable place : I felt their kindness, and 
 did not undeceive them as to my per- 
 fect information upon the subject until we
 
 VALAI8. 
 
 had safely reached the end of our day's 
 journey ; but I was truly thankful and re- 
 lieved when that happy goal appeared, in 
 the shape of the town of Sion, capital of the 
 Valais. Lord F. and party (having gone 
 on first) had politely undertaken to order 
 dinner for us at the Lion d'Or, and to that 
 house we accordingly drove up, half dead 
 with fatigue. Here another mortification 
 awaited us ; for so many English had pre- 
 viously arrived, and filled the rooms, beds, 
 &c., that accommodation for us was impos- 
 sible. We, therefore, went to an inferior 
 inn (called Le Croix Blanc), where we 
 knocked the people up, and in spite of their 
 being forced from their beds to receive us, 
 we found the utmost celerity, civility, and 
 comfort in every respect. The beds were 
 excellent (their linen furniture fresh wash- 
 ed, and looking inviting to enter), the floors 
 (oh ! prodigy of cleanliness) were neatly swept, 
 and our refreshments cooked in a wonder- 
 fully short space of time, served with cheer- 
 ful readiness, and in a clean manner. 
 The next morning we opened our eyes
 
 230 VALAIS. 
 
 upon a beautifully picturesque landscape. 
 A great delay, however, again took place 
 with regard to horses, as an English fa- 
 mily had arrived during the night, and 
 taken away eight. They intended to have 
 slept at Le Croix Blanc, as we had done, 
 but were fastidiously disgusted by the look 
 of the inn. Unhappy novices ! they little 
 knew what a paradise of comfort it af- 
 forded, when compared with those \vhieh 
 they would afterwards necessarily encoun- 
 ter, and for the shelter of which they would 
 soon learn to be thankful ! The waiter here 
 was remarkably attentive, and appeared a 
 truly simple, good-tempered, artless creature. 
 Mr. B. was so much satisfied with his beha- 
 viour, that he increased the usual fee; for 
 which small gratuity the poor fellow thanked 
 us again and again. We found our bills par- 
 ticularly reasonable, and the host a most 
 amusing and obliging person : he was one of 
 the richest bourgeois in Sion, and quite a cha- 
 racter. We asked him, amongst other ques- 
 tions, " what was the chief manufacture of 
 the place?" and he replied, with a ridiculous
 
 VALAIS. 231 
 
 shrug of the shoulders, " Des Enfans" This 
 man possessed a vigne upon the mountains, 
 and brought us a present of a fine basket of 
 grapes from thence, much lamenting that 
 we would not remain with him another 
 day, as " he would then have put his own 
 particular horses into a little vehicle of the 
 country, kept for his use and that of his 
 family, and would have had the pleasure of 
 driving us to see his vineyards, and also two 
 hermitages, in the neighbourhood, which 
 were very curious." 
 
 Mr. B. was taken extremely unwell this 
 morning, and had a terrible attack of faint 
 sickness, owing, as we then imagined, to hav- 
 ing fasted so many hours the day before ; 
 but we soon found that it was, in fact, the 
 beginning of a sort of ague and fever. 
 (Note E.) 
 
 The country was lovely during our first 
 two or three stages. We met the travel- 
 ling equipage of a Russian princess (Po- 
 temkin), and her people stopped to inquire 
 of ours about accommodations at Sion. 
 Christian had the honour of a personal
 
 232 VALAIS. 
 
 conference with her highness, who was ex- 
 tremely gracious and affable. Indeed this 
 man never lost any opportunity of gossip, 
 let it be with whom it might ; and I be- 
 lieve he loved chattering on all occasions 
 better than any thing in existence. He was 
 an honest creature ; but so idle, that he re- 
 quired constant looking after : we found 
 him, however, so useful, particularly where 
 the different patois is spoken, that we 
 have safely recommended him to our friend, 
 LordG. 
 
 The roads in this part of Switzerland 
 were most execrable, and I thought the car- 
 riage would have been overturned every 
 moment : the postillions universally adopted 
 a very disagreeable and awkward manner 
 of driving their horses ; not three abreast 
 (which is safe and rational), but harness- 
 ing one before the other pair, with long 
 reins, in the unicorn style ; the same postil- 
 lion thus acting the part of a coachman 
 also : the old rope traces were perpetually 
 breaking ; and the fore horse scrambling all 
 over the road, often running into a hedge
 
 VALAIS. 233 
 
 to crop what best pleased his appetite, or 
 to drink at a fountain by the wayside. The 
 driver seemed to have very little command 
 over his lawless motions, and altogether, I 
 confess that I was by no means delighted with 
 this mode of travelling, although no coward 
 in general. However, I recollected that 
 it was customary here, and soon was able 
 to reason myself into not caring for what I 
 had no possible means of altering or pre- 
 venting : in this instance, happily emulat- 
 ing the example of the late venerable Mrs. 
 H. who used to say, " that it was of little 
 use to have powers of understanding, and 
 the faculty of reason, if you could not avail 
 yourself of them, when occasion required ; 
 and that by a long and resolute habit of 
 self-control, it was undoubtedly possible 
 to bring the feelings nearly as much under 
 command as the limbs." I have frequently 
 proved the truth of her remark. 
 
 At Riddez (a little village) we saw a 
 christening procession pass by. The god- 
 father (a young man) walked first, with a 
 cockade of ribands, and a large bouquet of 
 natural flowers in his hat, carrying the in-
 
 234 VALAIS. 
 
 fant in his arms, covered with a long trans- 
 parent mantle of coarse white lace. He 
 was followed by the godmother, and the 
 sage femme, neither of the parents being 
 present. The manners of the inhabitants 
 here were remarkably gentle ; every pea- 
 sant we met bowed, and often wished us the 
 " good day" as we passed. Many horrible 
 goitres, however, and idiots are to be found 
 among them. The villages and hamlets 
 we had as yet seen were even frightful: 
 there was no such thing as a pretty cot- 
 tage ; and the costumes of the people were 
 gross and tasteless in the greatest degree. 
 
 Mr. B.'s illness increased to a height of 
 aguish shudderings and total exhaustion, 
 which prevented our attempting to pro- 
 ceed farther than Martigny, where we put 
 up at an inn called Le Cigne, which, on its 
 outside, was not of a much more promising 
 appearance than the Hospice of the Sim- 
 plon, which I formerly deprecated. How- 
 ever, we had learned by this time not to 
 judge of an auberge from its exterior, and 
 upon entering this, found shelter, comfort, 
 civility, and wholesome plain food, We
 
 VALAIS. * 235 
 
 procured the only good strong-bodied Bur- 
 gundy we had seen during the whole of 
 our tour, which was particularly fortunate, 
 as it acted as a great relief to our invalid. 
 The hostess was the widow of the poor inn- 
 keeper, who was carried away in the terrible 
 and memorable flood of last June (men- 
 tioned with much affecting detail in the 
 English newspapers), where a lake at nine 
 leagues distance burst, and, flowing into 
 the river Drance, the latter broke its usual 
 boundaries, and destroyed more than half 
 the viUage of Martigny, with many of the 
 unfortunate inhabitants. Poor woman ! she 
 was in mourning, as well as her children, 
 who waited upon us, two modest, simple, 
 young creatures. I never saw any thing 
 like their kind-hearted attention, in avoid- 
 ing the least noise which might have been 
 likely to disturb an invalid, while they were 
 preparing things for dinner in the same 
 room. Nothing could be imagined more 
 desolate and wretched than the present ap- 
 pearance of Martigny; and, at the moment 
 when the flood happened, the ruin was so
 
 236 VALAIS. 
 
 instantaneous and complete as to resem- 
 ble an earthquake. This house was ten 
 feet deep in water. The host might have 
 been saved: he had already avoided the 
 first horrible rush ; but venturing into dan- 
 ger once more, in the hope of saving his 
 cattle, he was borne down by the impetuous 
 torrent, and perished miserably ! For a long 
 tune he was plainly discovered with his head 
 far above the stream, yet unable to stem 
 its resistless tide : his body was afterwards 
 found, in an erect position, supported 
 against a tree, not in the least mangled or 
 disfigured. It was supposed his respira- 
 tion had been stopped by the weight and 
 force of the current, which could hardly be 
 called water, so thickly was it mingled with 
 mud. The cook (who happened to be in 
 the wine-cellar) was saved by his perfect 
 knowledge of swimming, and presence of 
 mind. The flood completely filled the cel- 
 lar, staircase, and hall, in a moment, and he 
 paddled and swam up the steps of the for- 
 mer, till he reached the surface, and thus 
 almost miraculously escaped.
 
 VALAIS. 237 
 
 The next day we quitted Martigny about 
 nine o'clock, our spirits depressed by this 
 wretched scene of desolation. The whole 
 country appeared wildly melancholy, under 
 the additional gloom of a very wet dark 
 morning. The prieur of this village, who 
 belonged also to some convent on Mont St. 
 Bernard (note F.) had written a petition for 
 the relief of his poor parishioners, which 
 was pasted up in the sitting-room of the 
 inn we had occupied. We did not, of 
 course, shut our hearts against the appeal, 
 and carrying our little subscription to the 
 house of the prieur, found it a most humble 
 primitive dwelling : it was built upon a hill 
 behind the church, and at the time of the 
 flood had been a foot deep in water, notwith- 
 standing its elevated situation. The old 
 man described the horrors of the scene, and 
 said he should never forget the moment 
 when he first heard the mighty roar of the 
 waters, louder than a mountain cataract. I 
 am proud to add, that our dear countrymen 
 have been almost the only travellers who 
 have had the humanity to bestow a farthing 
 upon the necessities of the surviving suf-
 
 VALAIS. 
 
 ferers. I should be narrow-minded indeed 
 not to regret the want of generous feeling 
 which those of other nations have thus 
 evinced, or to rejoice (as some people 
 would, I fear, do) at the foil they have af- 
 forded to the merit of the English ; but 
 surely it is impossible, as a British subject, 
 not to delight in this additional proof of 
 the liberali ty and compassion of our com- 
 patriots ! 
 
 We now passed a celebrated w T ater-fall 
 (note G.), which descends from a vast height, 
 between granite mountains, covered with 
 rich green moss. It was highly majestic, yet 
 not bearing the character of terror ; there- 
 fore (according to Burke) we must not de- 
 signate it by the term sublime, but rather 
 class it under the head of the beautiful. 
 Its feathery foam of spotless white, dashing 
 over the craggy obstacles in its descent, af- 
 forded a lovely contrast to the dark back- 
 ground of the adjacent rocks. There are 
 great numbers of chestnut, walnut, and apple 
 trees in this neighbourhood. We met an 
 English family in a coach and four here. 
 We stopped to change horses with them,
 
 VALAIS. 239 
 
 and as they were going to Sesto, and from 
 thence to Milan, we thought it but kind to 
 warn them that they ought to take gens 
 d'armes, on account of the banditti. The 
 abigail (elevated upon the seat behind) 
 seemed prodigiously discomposed at this 
 intelligence ; and I should not wonder if 
 she had given warning at the next stage, to 
 avoid the horror of proceeding with the fa- 
 mily. Her little round grey eyes almost 
 started from their red sockets, and her nose 
 assumed a purplish hue, w r hich was beauti- 
 fully heightened by the cadaverous tint of 
 her cheeks. Her master and mistress also 
 appeared not a li ttle startled, but expressed 
 themselves vastly obliged to us for our in- 
 formation ; and we parted with much cour- 
 tesy on both sides. A hearty fit of laughter, 
 at the expense of Mrs. Abigail, seized us 
 all at the moment of their departure ; but 
 I am sure I had no business to triumph ; 
 for never was there a more complete cow- 
 ard than I shewed myself to be, when in 
 my turn I first received a similar warning 
 from our Neufchatel friend at Gallarate.
 
 240 V ALA IS. 
 
 We saw, shortly afterwards, an old pea- 
 sant tending a few sheep, in a curious sort 
 of costume : it consisted of a whole suit of 
 clothes of a dingy yellowish brown ; his 
 hat, as well as his face and hands (parched 
 by summer's sun and winter's wind), being 
 of the same tan-coloured hue. Indeed the 
 costumes in this part of Switzerland ap- 
 peared to us universally unbecoming, as 
 well as singular. 
 
 We now entered St. Maurice. Upon the 
 rocks encircling the town was a small hut, 
 inhabited by a hermit; built in such a craggy 
 bleak situation, that we were led to suppose 
 he had chosen it asaplace of painful penance. 
 If he is an old man, I think he must have 
 found it nearly impossible to descend, even 
 for the means of subsistence : it would be 
 a hard task for a young and active hunter 
 of the chamois ; so I rather imagine he lives, 
 like a genuine ascetic, upon berries, wild 
 fruits, and roots, and quenches his thirst at 
 the crystal spring. Part of the town of 
 St. Maurice is actually built in the wild 
 rocks that rise abruptly behind it, their
 
 ST. MAURICE. 241 
 
 rough rude sides forming the back wall, 
 and now and then even the roof, of some of 
 the humbler dwelling-houses. The inhabit- 
 ants were plain and uninteresting in their 
 persons, and we did not observe any taste 
 or fancy displayed in their costumes. Here 
 we changed horses, and passed the Ehone 
 again, by means of a bridge, of so ancient a 
 date, that it is said to have been built by 
 Julius Caesar. The river is very magnificent. 
 Our road led us through a charming bower of 
 long-continued walnut and beech trees, the 
 opposite banks of the stream being covered 
 with rich vegetation, forming an agreeable 
 relief to the imagination, after the desolate 
 and melancholy scenes of the preceding 
 stages. The meadows were enamelled with 
 the autumnal crocus, of a delicate lilac co- 
 lour, and had a remarkably gay and bril- 
 liant appearance. We remarked a number 
 of beehives in the cottage gardens ; but 
 they were not of such a picturesque form 
 and material as those in England, being 
 made of wood, in the shape of small square 
 boxes. The whole face of the country was 
 
 R
 
 ST. MAURICE. 
 
 really beautiful, the rocks being fringed 
 with luxuriant copse wood, rich in every 
 varied tint of the declining year, while the 
 pasture-lands were verdant and fresh, as if 
 in early spring. Wild boars, wolves, and 
 bears, are common in the Valais ; very plea- 
 sant personages to meet during a late even- 
 ing ramble. Here we dimly descried the 
 Chateau de Chillo?i, on the borders of the 
 lake of Geneva ; but it was at too great a 
 distance for us to judge of it accurately. I 
 regretted this, as I did not then know that we 
 should afterwards have had an opportunity 
 of viewing it to greater advantage. The 
 waters of this wonderfully fine lake were of 
 the most brilliant pale blue, majestic moun- 
 tains rising beyond it, clothed even to their 
 summits with underwood, and mossy velvet 
 turf. It is vastly more expansive than 
 Lago Maggiore, but still we thought the en- 
 chanting Italian lake much more beautiful. 
 The roads now began to improve greatly, 
 and after all the jolting we had undergone 
 for the last two days, it was particularly 
 acceptable to find them returning into a
 
 THONON. 
 
 state of smoothness and regularity. We 
 dined this day early, at St. Gingoulph, 
 (sometimes spelt St. Gingo), on the borders 
 of the lake : our vulgar expression of St. Jingo 
 is a corruption of the name of this Saint. The 
 inn was delightfully clean and comfortable, 
 the people most attentive, civil and active, 
 and we procured an excellent dinner at a 
 very few minutes notice; a circumstance 
 peculiarly agreeable to travellers who were 
 quite exhausted with hunger, like ourselves. 
 
 We slept at Thonon, the capital of the 
 Chablais, and found comfortable accommo- 
 dation. The woman who waited upon us 
 was a native of Berne, as well as our ser- 
 vant Christian, and they went on puffing off 
 their canton, a I'envi I'un de I'autre. 
 
 I ought to have mentioned that before 
 we arrived at Thonon, we passed by the 
 rocks of Meillerie, so well known through 
 the medium of Rousseau's sentimental de- 
 scriptions. The same style of country 
 continued, by the side of the lake, for many 
 miles, and the roads were very good. We 
 were now once more in the King of Sardi-
 
 244 GENEVA. 
 
 nia's dominions, having entered upon them 
 at St. Gingoulph, and we did not quit them 
 until we reached Douvaine, not far from 
 Geneva. As we proceeded, the country 
 opened more, and the lake became re- 
 strained between much narrower bounda- 
 ries : the practice of enclosing fields with 
 hedges, in the same manner as those in 
 England, was general here. At length 
 Geneva, rising grandly from the blue waters 
 of her noble lake, and fenced on every side 
 by her superb mountains (Mont Blanc 
 dimly gleaming through a veil of clouds 
 upon the left), burst upon us ; the coup d'czil 
 was most electrifying. The morning w r as 
 clear and bright, the air had a cheerful 
 freshness which lent spirit and animation 
 to us all, and our first entrance to this 
 city was marked by a crowd of agreeable 
 and enlivening sensations. We found, 
 however, that it would be impossible for 
 Monsieur De Jean to receive us at his 
 well known and comfortable hotel at Seche- 
 rons (about a mile out of town) ; and even 
 at Geneva itself we had the mortification
 
 GENEVA. 245 
 
 of being turned away from every inn ex- 
 cept one, owing to the swarms of our coun- 
 trymen who had previously monopolized 
 all accommodation. At this one (hotel des 
 Balances) we at length gained admittance ; 
 it was opposite the Ehone, a circumstance 
 which to me made it the most desirable of 
 all possible situations, for I never was^ sa- 
 tiated with looking at and admiring the 
 extraordinary beauty which this glorious 
 river possessed. We had not before be- 
 held any thing to equal its force, ra- 
 pidity, depth, and exquisite transparency; 
 but above all other perfections, its colour 
 (in this particular part of Switzerland) ap- 
 peared to us the most remarkable. I can 
 compare it to nothing but the hue of liquid 
 sapphires ; having all the brilliancy, purity, 
 and vivid blue lustre, of those lovely gems. 
 I never passed it without feeling the 
 strongest wish to drink and at the same time 
 to bathe in its tempting waters, and from 
 the bridge we clearly discerned the bottom, 
 at a depth of at least twenty feet. We 
 sent our servant in the evening, to deliver
 
 246 FERNEY. 
 
 some letters of introduction to several 
 families here; among others to Dr. and 
 Mrs. M. to the former of whom our thanks 
 are particularly due, for his kind atten- 
 tion in prescribing for my husband, who 
 had here a relapse of his complaint. We 
 went the day afterwards to Ferney (the 
 celebrated residence of Voltaire), and also 
 to Sir F. d'l.'s beautiful country house 
 in the same neighbourhood. We were 
 highly interested by all we saw at Ferney. 
 Voltaire's sitting-room, and bed-chamber, 
 have been scrupulously preserved in the same 
 state in which they were left at the time of 
 his death : there was a bust of him in the 
 former, and in the latter a smaller one, 
 upon a mausoleum (which was erected to 
 his memory, by his niece), bearing this in- 
 scription : son esprit est partout, et son 
 caur est id. The latter was literally the 
 case for a considerable time, his heart having 
 been embalmed and placed in a leaden 
 box, within the mausoleum ; but it has 
 since been removed to the Pantheon at 
 Paris. We observed several prints framed
 
 FERNEY. 247 
 
 and glazed, hanging upon the walls of his 
 bed-room; portraits of those celebrated 
 characters he particularly esteemed, either 
 for their talents or from motives of per- 
 sonal regard. Among them we remarked 
 those of Milton (notwithstanding Voltaire's 
 unjust critiques upon the Paradise Lost), 
 Newton, Washington, Franklin, Marmon- 
 tel, Corneille, Kacine, Helvetius, and De~ 
 lille. The last personage (remarkable as a 
 poet, and as the translator of Virgil), had a 
 line underneath his portrait (written in 
 what many people have believed to be the 
 hand of Voltaire himself), which was singu- 
 lar enough, as it might be taken in a double 
 sense, either as a compliment or a satire. 
 Upon being made acquainted with its 
 meaning in English, I saw the truth of the 
 supposition in a moment. The words were 
 these, 
 
 " Nulli flebilior quam tibi Virgili." 
 
 We saw Delille's tomb in the burying- 
 ground of Perc de la Chaise, at Paris: a 
 garland of flowers, evidently fresh gathered,
 
 248 FERNEY. 
 
 had been hung by some admirer of his 
 works over the door of his sepulchre. 
 In this same apartment at Ferney were 
 also portraits of Voltaire, Frederic of Prus- 
 sia, the Empress Catharine of Russia (pre- 
 sented by herself), and some others. His 
 own picture made a great impression upon 
 us, not from any individual merit as a 
 work of art, but as it so exactly expressed, 
 in the countenance and air, the brilliant 
 and lively genius, the arch satire, and 
 acute penetration, of this celebrated wit. 
 All the furniture of both rooms was drop- 
 ping to pieces with age and decay. The 
 garden was laid out in the ancient French 
 mode, so abhorred by the purer taste of 
 Rousseau at that time, and since, by every 
 true judge of the grace and simplicity 
 of nature. On one side was a grove of 
 trees, and on the other a close embowered 
 alley of hornbeam, cut into the shape of 
 formal high walls, with gothic windows 
 or openings in them, from whence the 
 prospect of a rich vineyard in the fore- 
 ground, a lovely smiling valley beyond, and
 
 FERNEY. 249 
 
 the magnificent glaciers, with Mont Blanc, 
 in the distance, formed a most sublime and 
 yet an enchanting spectacle. I should think 
 it almost impossible to live in the midst of 
 all these charms and wonders of creation, 
 without lifting an admiring eye and grateful 
 heart to Nature's God." That Voltaire 
 was an atheist is thought now to be a 
 calumny entirely void of foundation, al- 
 though he was so miserably mistaken, so 
 fatally deceived, in regard to the glorious 
 truths of revealed religion. Living in an 
 age when the pure doctrines and benignant 
 spirit of Christianity were so atrociously 
 misconstrued and misrepresented, when 
 bigotry stalked abroad in all the horrors 
 of her deformity, and ignorance blindly 
 followed in the bloody traces of her foot- 
 steps, it is less to be wondered at than 
 regretted, that Voltaire's vigorous under- 
 standing should have disdained their dis- 
 graceful shackles; and that in his just 
 ridicule and detestation of the conduct of 
 some foUowers of Christianity, he should 
 have been unfortunately induced to mistake
 
 250 FEKNEY. 
 
 and vilify Christianity itself: notwithstand- 
 ing some impious expressions concerning 
 it, at which I shudder in the recollection, 
 he has in many parts of his works evidently 
 looked with a more favourable eye upon the 
 protestant doctrines of England. Certain 
 it is, that he built at his own expense the 
 church at Ferney. Xot that I mean to 
 assert, that church-building, any more than 
 church-going, is always an infallible proof 
 of religious feeling; I only mention the 
 fact. The church bears the following in- 
 scription : 
 
 ' Deo erexit Voltaire !" 
 
 There is a pretty copse or bosquet, at the 
 end of his garden, in which the present 
 proprietor has erected two paltry monu- 
 ments, to the memory of Voltaire and his 
 cotemporary Rousseau. I cannot wonder 
 at the dislike which subsisted between 
 them, since the latter was such a warm 
 admirer, and the former so declared an 
 enemy, of overstrained sentiment and sickly 
 sensibility. However, they neither of them
 
 KEKNEY. 251 
 
 did justice to the real merits of each other ; 
 and proved individually how strong is the 
 force of prejudice, in blinding the judg- 
 ment even of the cleverest men. 
 
 The village of Ferney was by far the 
 prettiest we had seen since we left our 
 own country ; the houses ah 1 had an air of 
 neatness and comfort dear to an English 
 eye, and nothing could be more gay and 
 cheerful than their little gardens and 
 orchards ; in the former, flowers and ve- 
 getables flourished promiscuously, and in 
 great luxuriance, and the latter were glowing 
 with a profusion of rosy apples. We ob- 
 served a species of this fruit among them, 
 which we did not remember ever to have 
 seen in any other country; it was quite 
 white, and full of a sweet and spirited juice. 
 
 From hence, we drove to call upon Sir F. 
 d'L, who is a native of Switzerland, conseiller 
 d'etat at Geneva, and well known in England 
 as the intelligent author of several political 
 works. We were much charmed by the grace- 
 ful politeness and hospitable frankness with 
 which both himself and Madame d'l. re-
 
 GENEVA. 
 
 ceived us. We had been provided with 
 letters of introduction to them, by friends 
 in England, and Sir F. was personally 
 acquainted with Mr. W. He shewed us 
 the grounds of his truly beautiful little 
 villa, which, from being laid out under his 
 own eye, in the English taste, bore a pecu- 
 liar character of grace and cultivated re- 
 finement. I must say that our method of 
 adorning shrubberies, lawns, gardens, &c. 
 appeared in a very superior point of view, 
 when compared with that of other countries. 
 The prospect from the drawing-room win- 
 dows, of the blue waters of the majestic kke, 
 with Mont Blanc, surrounded by his attend- 
 ant chain of humbler mountains, was grand 
 beyond all idea! in short, this abode was 
 far more like Paradise than any dwelling 
 upon earth. Sir F. was in momentary ex- 
 pectation of the arrival of the Duke of 
 Gloucester, (then visiting Geneva, &c.) and 
 who was desirous of viewing this enchant- 
 ing epitome of perfection, before he left 
 the neighbourhood. 
 We returned to our inn, and my com-
 
 GENEVA. 253 
 
 panions, leaving me under the guard of 
 our Swiss, immediately set off upon a three 
 days' journey to Chamouni, Mont Blanc, 
 the Mer de Glace, &c. I found it neither 
 prudent nor reasonable to attempt join- 
 ing them in this expedition, as the cold 
 and fatigue inseparable from it would have 
 been too much for my strength. I ex- 
 pected to have been quite solitary until their 
 return, but was agreeably disappointed; 
 my new friends (whose polite attention 
 to aU who bear the name of English is 
 well known), being kind enough to engage 
 my whole time in such a manner as com- 
 pletely to banish ennui. Sir F., who 
 passed many years of his life in our coun- 
 try, respected for his integrity and abilities, 
 and rewarded by the esteem of Majesty, 
 has returned to his native land (now re- 
 stored to its independence), in the bosom of 
 which he enjoys the high consideration 
 of its most distinguished members, among 
 whom he is noted for liberality of senti- 
 ment and a singular proportion of do- 
 mestic felicity. V\ r e were told that the
 
 254 GENEVA. 
 
 people of and near Geneva are remark- 
 able for honesty, and we found no reason 
 to doubt the accuracy of this information. 
 We heard also that the servants, as well 
 as country people, were faithful and harm- 
 less, and that such an offence as house- 
 breaking, or breach of trust in pilfering 
 personal property, was unknown : that 
 every family in these environs went to bed 
 without closing a shutter, and might safely 
 leave cabinets and drawers unlocked, during 
 any absence from home. There were 
 twelve or more physicians in Geneva, eight 
 out of the number having studied and 
 taken their degrees at Edinburgh ; they are 
 ah 1 accounted clever in tlreir profession. 
 The apothecaries here are not allowed to 
 practise as amongst us ; they are entirely 
 restricted to the preparation of medicines, 
 have a thorough knowledge of the proper- 
 ties of drugs (which here are of the purest 
 and finest quality always), are good chemists 
 and botanists, and in other respects well 
 educated men. This is a high advantage 
 to invalids. While I was in the boutique, of
 
 GENEVA. $55 
 
 a little jeweller, the Princess Eariatinski 
 came in, with one of her female attendants. 
 She appeared a graceful unaffected young 
 woman, was drest with extreme simplicity ? 
 and addressed herself to the persons who 
 waited upon her with great affability, and 
 a benevolent wish of sparing them all un- 
 necessary trouble. She is the second wife 
 of the prince. In the course of the day 
 I drove about the environs in a caleche, 
 and returned the visits of several ladies, 
 for whom we had letters from their friends 
 in England. Madame C. was fortunately 
 at home, and I was much pleased by her 
 polite reception, and also by the sweet 
 countenance and madonna features of her 
 grandaughter, Madame P. Their house 
 is upon the brow of a hill, commanding 
 the most extensive and lovely prospect; 
 but what place is not lovely in this part 
 of the world ? I never could have imagined 
 so delicious a sejaur as the neighbour- 
 hood of Geneva affords, had I not seen 
 and enjoyed it myself. In the grounds of 
 Mons. de C. a singular natural phenome- 
 non, takes place; I mean the confluence
 
 256 GENEVA. 
 
 of the Rhone and the Arve. They meet 
 here, yet without mingling their cur- 
 rents ; the clear blue pure waters of the 
 former being scrupulously distinct from 
 the thick turbid stream of the latter. 
 Destiny has compelled them to run the 
 same course, but the laws of sympathy 
 (more powerful still) seem for ever to pre- 
 vent them from assimilating. How fre- 
 quently is this the case with mankind! 
 no ties of affinity can cause two dispositions 
 to unite and flow on together in a tranquil 
 or felicitous course, where nature has placed 
 a marked opposition of sentiment and 
 character. Those moralists who endea- 
 vour, from motives of mistaken principle, 
 violently to force this native bent, do but 
 ensure themselves the mortifying fate of 
 Sisyphus. 
 
 I returned to dinner at r hot el des Ba- 
 lances, intending to accept Madame C.'s 
 polite invitation to take tea with her, at 
 eight o'clock; but first I accompanied Sir 
 F. and Madame d'l. in a promenade round 
 the environs, in a little open carriage called 
 a char : I found this a very social although
 
 GENEVA. 257 
 
 somewhat rough conveyance, and it was so 
 near the ground as to allow females to 
 alight from or ascend it without assistance, 
 and with perfect safety. Our drive was 
 charming : they pointed out many glorious 
 prospects to my observation, and I accom- 
 panied them to the campagne (or country 
 house) of Monsieur A., who possesses one 
 of the most elegant places in that neigh- 
 bourhood. Monsieur A. is an uncle of 
 Madame d'l.'s. We met him at the en- 
 trance of his grounds, driving in a low 
 phaeton. It was a novelty to a curious 
 contemplative English traveller, like my- 
 self, to observe the manners here of near 
 relations towards each other. Monsieur 
 A. took off his hat, and remained un- 
 covered the whole of the time during his 
 conversation with his niece ; and, upon tak- 
 ing leave, the expressions of " Adieu, mon 
 oncle /" " Adieu, ma chere niece /" with 
 another mutual bow, conveyed an idea of 
 mixed cordiality and ceremony, which was 
 far from unpleasing. I have often thought 
 that family intercourse among us in Eng- 
 land is too frequently carried on in a very
 
 258 GENEVA. 
 
 mistaken and (as it relates to eventual con- 
 sequences) a very fatal manner. How many 
 people think that it is needless to maintain a 
 constant habit of good-breeding and polite- 
 ness in their conduct towards immediate re- 
 lations, and that the nearness of connexion 
 gives them the liberty of wounding their 
 self-love, and of venting unpleasant truths 
 in the most coarse and unfeeling manner ; 
 and all this under the pretence of sincere and 
 unrestrained friendship ! How entirely do 
 such persons forget that admirable Christian 
 precept, " Be ye courteous one to another !" 
 We found Madame and Mademoiselle A. 
 at home : the former is somewhat advanced 
 in years ; she has frequently been in Eng- 
 land, and both of them speak our language 
 fluently. The conversation this evening, 
 however, was wholly carried on in French, 
 which was an advantage to me, as it 
 gave me an additional opportunity of con- 
 quering a ridiculous degree of awkward 
 shyness in speaking the latter, which is a 
 complete bar to improvement, and yet is 
 often dignified amongst very good sort of 
 people in our country by the name of amia-
 
 GENEVA. 259 
 
 ble modesty. These ladies were highly well- 
 bred and agreeable ; they knew several of 
 my friends, the L. family in particular: 
 Madame A. perfectly recollected the late 
 Mr. L. many years since, at the time he 
 was living at Geneva, and spoke of his vir- 
 tues, his distinguished and noble manners, 
 his various talents, and taste for the fine 
 arts, in a way that brought tears of pleased 
 remembrance into my eyes : indeed no one, 
 who had (like myself) the honour and hap- 
 piness of being intimate with this excellent 
 and lamented man, can ever, I should think, 
 forget him, and I shall always feel it as a 
 source of great and flattering gratification, 
 that I once was a favourite, and I may say, 
 an eleve, of so venerable and superior a 
 character. 
 
 Mademoiselle A. shewed me some exqui- 
 sitely fine casts from the antique, and co- 
 pies of paintings (the originals of which are 
 now in the Louvre at Paris), which formed the 
 chief decorations of a charming saloon here, 
 floored with walnut in so elaborate and ele- 
 gant a manner, that it almost rivalled a tessel- 
 lated pavement. The house and' grounds 
 
 *
 
 260 GENEVA. 
 
 altogether are delightful, and the latter re- 
 minded me of an English park. We enjoyed 
 a promenade under some noble trees in 
 front of the former, and then returned to 
 take our tea, when we entered upon a very 
 animated and (to me) a most interesting 
 conversation upon Voltaire. Madame A. 
 observed, that it was always a treat to her 
 to hear the original remarks of persons 
 who (judging for themselves) perused his 
 works for the first time. I was sorry when 
 the moment for taking leave arrived, and 
 could have passed the whole of the evening 
 here with much satisfaction. Sir F. and 
 Madame d'l. had the goodness to deposit 
 me safely at the hotel of Madame C., and 
 made me promise to spend the next day 
 with them at their lovely campagne. I 
 found a very agreeable and intellectual so- 
 ciety assembled at Madame C.'s. Among 
 them were Monsieur and Madame de 
 Saussure. He is a relation of the cele- 
 brated philosopher, who was one of the 
 first persons who ascended to the top of 
 Mont Blanc, many years since, and whose 
 observations taken there have been pub-
 
 GKNKVA. 261 
 
 lished. Madame P. (who is very young, 
 arid almost a bride) sang like an angel : her 
 husband also possesses no inconsiderable 
 vocal talent, and they gave us several duets 
 of Blangini's, which happened to be my 
 own peculiar favourites. Le Baron de M. 
 an intelligent gentlemanly man (a native of 
 the Pays du Valais, I believe), and who has 
 travelled a great deal in Italy, seemed per- 
 fectly to feel and appreciate the superior 
 merits of the Italian school of harmony, 
 which surprised me at first, as I had taken 
 him for a Frenchman, and knew how rarely 
 pure taste of that sort was to be expected 
 from his nation. He had the politeness 
 to conduct me home at night, and left me 
 at the door of my apartments, with many 
 profound bows, en preux chevalier ! 
 
 The next morning, presque a mon rtveil, 
 I received a long visit from Madame P. and 
 I afterwards drove to Sir F.'s, where I 
 dined, and passed a very happy day. I met 
 there the children of Count S. (minister for 
 Russia at the approaching congress at Aix 
 la Chapelle), and their goui'ernante. These 
 two little countesses (for so they were
 
 GENEVA. 
 
 always called), of eight and ten years of 
 age, and their brother, a very fine boy of 
 five or six, ran about amid the flowers and 
 shrubs, much at their ease, and seemed to 
 look upon Sir F. as a father. Indeed, he 
 had, in a manner, the charge of them at 
 this time. In the evening I accompanied 
 my kind hosts to the house of another very 
 pleasant family, which was also built in a 
 spot that commanded a superb and roman- 
 tic view, where we met a very large party, 
 among which were several English. Some 
 of the company were in full dress, having 
 called to take tea, in their way to a grand 
 ball, which was given that night by our 
 countrymen to the inhabitants of Geneva, 
 and the latter were to return the compliment 
 in a similar manner in the space of a few days. 
 I w r as invited by several of the Genevese 
 families, to attend this ball; but declined 
 doing so, for various reasons. This was not 
 the only amusement at that time antici- 
 pated; they were preparing to attend a 
 very pretty, and I may say, chivalrous sort 
 offSte (an alfresco breakfast), upon the bor- 
 ders of the lake, given to the ladies by a party
 
 GENEVA. 5263 
 
 of gentlemen, who were called les chevaliers 
 du lac. The day which the gallant enter- 
 tainers had long destined for this gay ban- 
 quet was unfortunately early overcast by 
 lowering and envious clouds, which, before 
 thecompany had been assembled half an hour, 
 broke over their heads in torrents of rain. 
 We had thus an opportunity of observing, 
 that England was not the only country 
 where the caprices of climate render fetes 
 cliampetres rather hazardous. The costume 
 of the rest of the ladies was very simple, 
 being exactly that of the French, when not 
 bien pare, and much resembling what we 
 wear as a morning dress, all having their 
 gowns made high in the neck, with long 
 sleeves, and many of them wearing large 
 bonnets. The profusion of rich needle- 
 work in petticoats, ruffs, &c. was, however, 
 very remarkable. 
 
 The tone of general conversation here 
 was easy, animated, lively, and full of bene- 
 volently polite attention to the feelings of 
 each other. In short, it was conversation ; 
 of which we do not always understand the 
 
 .
 
 264 GENEVA. 
 
 right meaning, or enter into the true spirit, 
 in the circles of England, whatever is the 
 reason. We had a discussion upon the 
 drama, and the present state of the Italian 
 opera, both with us and upon the continent. 
 Those who had been in England praised 
 Miss O'Neill very rapturously, but Kean did 
 not appear to have struck them so forcibly 
 as I thought his merits deserved. I was 
 asked (as the conversation turned upon 
 the marked taste for classical and studied 
 tragic acting upon the French stage), 
 whether I thought Miss O'Neill or Mrs. 
 Siddons (in her day) would have been most 
 applauded and understood by a Parisian 
 audience ? I had no hesitation in replying 
 that I thought the latter would have been 
 more to their taste, as her style was rather 
 the perfection of art than the wild and 
 spontaneous effect of nature. They ah 1 
 agreed in this opinion, and seemed to pre- 
 fer Miss O'Neill to her dignified and splen- 
 did rival : those who consider acting as a 
 science, however, will not coincide with them. 
 At about eight o'clock we adjourned to
 
 GENEVA. 265 
 
 another apartment, where tea was served : 
 the table was very long, and covered with 
 a cloth, round which the company seated 
 themselves as if at dinner. The lady of 
 the house made tea herself, and the ser- 
 vants waited behind her chair, to hand it 
 about; her situation was no sinecure: 
 There was a profusion of cakes, brioches, 
 and fine fruit. This is always the custom 
 at Geneva, where, as people dine at three 
 o'clock, they of course are ready to make a 
 sort of supper at tea-time. I never beheld 
 any thing so resplendently beautiful as the 
 moon during my drive home: I saw it 
 rise like a globe of fire from behind the 
 mountains, and throw a long track of glit- 
 tering brightness upon the calm bosom of 
 the lake. The effect was lovely, and the 
 sky appeared to me to be of a far deeper and 
 more decided blue colour than with us. I 
 ought not to omit the mention of a very sin- 
 gular and striking phenomenon (if I may so 
 call it), which I had likewise this day wit- 
 nessed at Sir F.'s : I mean the influence of the 
 setting sun upon the glaciers. They first, as 
 the orb declined, assumed a yellow tint, then
 
 266 GENEVA. 
 
 gradually warmed into pink, and kindled 
 at length into a glow of rich crimson, of in- 
 describable beauty. Mont Blanc's three 
 fantastic peaks received it last of all, and 
 immediately afterwards the whole snowy 
 chain of mountains rapidly faded into their 
 original hue of spotless (or, as my friend 
 Mr. T. fancifully calls it, ghostly) white. 
 Upon my return to the hotel, I had the 
 unexpected pleasure of finding Mr. Baillie 
 and Mr. W. safely arrived from their ex- 
 pedition to Chamouni. The following is 
 the former's account to me of the incidents 
 of their journey. 
 
 " As we could only allow ourselves two 
 entire days in which to perform our jour- 
 ney to Chamouni, it was quite necessary 
 that we should make the most of our time ; 
 the distance (if I recoUect right) being from 
 fifteen to eighteen leagues from Geneva. 
 We started from thence at about five 
 o'clock in the afternoon, on the 13th of 
 September, and slept that night at Bonne- 
 ville, a small town about fifteen miles on 
 our route. There was nothing particularly 
 worthy of remark thus far, except the magni-
 
 GENEVA. 267 
 
 ficently beautiful tints of the setting sun 
 upon the Mole and adjacent mountains, 
 which we enjoyed in great perfection. The 
 next morning we proceeded through the 
 small town of Kluse to St. Martin, where 
 we breakfasted, and hired mules for the re- 
 mainder of our journey, the road being im- 
 passable for any carriages except those of the 
 country, called char-a-bancs, which are the 
 most uncomfortable conveyances that can 
 be imagined, being built without springs. 
 
 " We passed this day two very beautiful 
 waterfalls; but as you have already seen 
 the P. V. (which is superior to both), I 
 need not trouble you with an account of 
 them. The aubergiste at St. Martin was 
 philosopher enough to have a cabinet of 
 the natural curiosities of the country, upon 
 which he set no small value ; his prices for 
 the minerals, &c. being absurdly high. The 
 prospect became far more interesting as we 
 advanced towards the base of that hoary 
 mountain, whose summit we had distinctly 
 seen at a hundred and fifty miles distance, 
 some few weeks since. We observed and 
 admired a singular piece of water, in whose
 
 
 268 GENEVA. 
 
 transparent bosom Mont Blanc was clearly 
 reflected. This was the Lac de Chede, and 
 though very small, is interesting, from its 
 retired and solitary situation. It is infested 
 by serpents, but I could not learn that 
 they were venomous. 
 
 " The valley of Servoz, into which we af- 
 terwards entered, and which joins the vale 
 of Chamouni, is romantic beyond any thing 
 I have ever beheld. The road (cut out of 
 the mountain's side) is in many places 
 rough, and somewhat dangerous, a very 
 abrupt precipice being on one hand, and 
 the river Arve rolling below, whose waters 
 are of great depth. I confess that I was a 
 little disappointed with the first view of 
 these glaciers (note H.), perhaps, as the 
 imagination has no bounds, from having 
 previously formed too magnificent an idea 
 of them. They are situated in the valley, 
 at the foot of the mountain, and are formed 
 by the frozen snow, or rather snow-water. 
 Their shape is irregularly pyramidical, and 
 their colour a very light blue. 
 
 " The Mer de Glace, which is the object 
 most worthy of notice in this valley, is a
 
 GENEVA. 269 
 
 glacier of giant size, the pyramids of ice 
 being in some places of prodigious altitude, 
 and the chasms proportionably deep. From 
 this place the Arve takes its source. It is 
 quite impossible for me to give you an ade- 
 quate idea of this stupendous sea of ice, so 
 called from its constant, although imper- 
 ceptible, movement towards the valley, the 
 entrance of which, it is generally expected, 
 it will in time effectually block up. We 
 witnessed one or two avalanches, which our 
 guide told us were inconsiderable; their 
 noise, however, made the valley roar. 
 
 " Our trusty mules deserve mention. We 
 really thought we could not too much ad- 
 mire them; although we had been pre- 
 pared to find them sure-footed and steady, 
 we had no conception that they could pos- 
 sibly have led us with such perfect safety 
 through such rugged and dangerous passes; 
 the more particularly as we had no reason 
 to reckon upon their complaisance, having 
 urged them to a pace to which they were 
 quite unaccustomed, from our desire of 
 visiting the Mer de Glace the first day. 
 
 " The inn at Chamouni was clean and
 
 270 GENEVA. 
 
 comfortable, and upon a far superior scale 
 of accommodation than could have been 
 supposed in so forlorn a situation. The 
 Duke of G. arrived during the evening, and 
 consequently must have travelled through 
 Servoz when it was dark, thereby losing all 
 the beauties of that wonderful scene. We 
 set off the next morning very early, upon our 
 return. It was a severe frost, the ground 
 quite white with the hoary particles, and 
 the weather feeling colder than I ever re- 
 member to have experienced, although the 
 season was but little advanced ; so much so, 
 that my companion had to walk at a great 
 pace for a considerable distance, to preserve 
 any degree of animal warmth. About the 
 middle of our route we observed a monu- 
 ment, in the shape of a large mile-stone, 
 which had been erected during the consul- 
 ship of Bonaparte, to the memory of a 
 young German philosopher, who was un- 
 fortunately lost, from the ignorance of his 
 guide, while traversing these mountains. 
 He fell into the crevice of a glacier, and 
 was not discovered until some time after- 
 wards, when it appeared his nails were
 
 GENEVA. 271 
 
 worn off, and his fingers stripped to the 
 bone, in his agonizing and desperate at- 
 tempts to release himself from his horrible 
 grave. The stone was erected (as it is 
 stated in an inscription) first, as a warning 
 to travellers in their choice of guides ; se- 
 condly, to commemorate the loss of the un- 
 happy youth ; and, thirdly, to inform the 
 world that France encourages science, even 
 in her enemies. 
 
 "We found a variety of all the rarest Alp- 
 ine plants and vegetables in this valley, 
 and were assured that it contained also 
 mines of gold, silver, and lead, (note I.) 
 which the poverty of the state at present 
 prevents being worked. We met at the 
 little inn two Polish gentlemen, who had 
 been making a pedestrian tour through 
 Switzerland ; one of them had a few days 
 before ascended the highest mountain (next 
 to Mont Blanc) in the neighbourhood: 
 he was the friend and companion of an en- 
 terprising nobleman of the same nation, 
 who some weeks since had gone up Mont 
 Blanc, by a different route to that pursued 
 by Monsieur de Saussure, who has written
 
 272 GENEVA. 
 
 voluminously on the subject. The Pole 
 had endured great difficulty and fatigue, 
 and had been three days in completing his 
 journey, having slept two nights upon the 
 mountain : he was attended by about twenty 
 guides, ah 1 of whom were tied together, as 
 a precaution against any one of them falling 
 into the chasms which are so frequently 
 met with in the ascent. The summit was 
 found to be considerably changed since it 
 had last been visited. This stupendous 
 mountain is 15000 feet above the level 
 of the sea, and rises about 9000 from the 
 vaUey of Chamouni. It is hardly ne- 
 cessary to teU you, that its brow is eternally 
 crowned with frozen snow. 
 
 " Travellers who are in delicate health, or 
 otherwise not strong, are by no means ad- 
 vised to undertake the journey from St. 
 Martin to Chamouni on mules; especially 
 if they are pressed for time, as that method 
 of conveyance is both fatiguing and dila- 
 tory. They will find the guides of the inn 
 particularly intelligent and conversible, pos- 
 sessing a knowledge of the mineral and 
 vegetable kingdoms that is quite extraor-
 
 GENEVA. 273 
 
 dinary in men of their situation and 
 rank in life. They are employed during 
 the winter months in chamois hunting, 
 and other dangerous and hardy exer- 
 cises, and are frequently detained (as 
 they told me themselves) by the snow, for 
 weeks together, in the cheerless shelter of 
 the most wretched chalets." 
 
 The next day we devoted to the pur- 
 chase of some of the curiosities for which 
 this place is celebrated (note J.), and to 
 taking leave of our friends, who had shewn 
 us so much attention : we also visited the 
 street in which Rousseau was born, and which 
 is called after his name, the Rue de Jean 
 Jaques Rousseau. We took leave of Sir F. 
 and Madame d'l. with a degree of regret that 
 was only softened by the hope of seeing 
 them in England ere many ages should 
 elapse. I believe I have not yet mentioned 
 their children ; a fine boy and a very pro- 
 mising little girl, both extremely young, 
 and in whose welfare and happiness the 
 parents seemed to be completely wrapped 
 up. Yet Sir F. did not appear to have 
 
 I
 
 274 GENEVA. 
 
 spoiled them by injudicious indulgence ; on 
 the contrary, he expressed his conviction of 
 the necessity and importance of early moral 
 restraint, and I had one accidental oppor- 
 tunity of witnessing that his practice per- 
 fectly harmonized with his theory: this 
 desirable union does not always take place, 
 even among parents who pride themselves 
 upon a superior system of education. 
 
 On September 17th, we bade adieu to 
 this delightful neighbourhood, arid pro- 
 ceeded upon our route to Lausanne. We 
 continued for a great length of way to wind 
 along the borders of the lake, which sparkled 
 like a diamond in the morning sun, and 
 whose extensive surface was slightly rippled 
 by a fresh and animating breeze from the 
 mountains. With respect to the extraordi- 
 nary exhilaration of mountain air, which 
 first struck me in crossing Mont Cenis, and 
 has been confirmed by subsequent expe- 
 rience, I had heard and read a thousand 
 times of its effect ; but a truth, when per- 
 sonally proved for the first time, always 
 seems like a discovery, rather than a sober
 
 COPPET. 275 
 
 confirmation of the words of other people. 
 This pure atmosphere appears to me the 
 finest remedy possible for every sort of 
 nervous indisposition. It would even lighten 
 (I should think) the heavy pressure of real 
 affliction, acting as a perfect cordial to the 
 spirits, as well as a tonic to the body 
 but Eousseau has expressed this opinion 
 so admirably in the first volume of his 
 Nouvelle Heloise, that while I recal his 
 magical description, any other seems power- 
 less and inadequate. (Note K). 
 
 We now passed though the village of 
 Coppet. Necker's house is still shewn here, 
 to which he retired upon being denounced 
 by the French government as an enemy to 
 his country, and where the adversity of this 
 great and amiable character was soothed 
 by the presence of his equally celebrated 
 daughter, Madame de Stael. I feel an 
 involuntary sensation of attendrissement, 
 whenever I think of the singular degree of 
 affection that subsisted between this ve- 
 nerable parent and his daughter, and which 
 breathes so touchingly in every line of her
 
 276 COPPET. 
 
 Memoires dt la Vit privet de Monsieur 
 Necker, lately published in our own country. 
 An affection so highly wrought, as to bear 
 rather the character of passion, and which 
 has therefore been objected to, by many 
 people, as overstrained and unnatural. 
 But let it be remembered that the great 
 virtues, the attractive gentleness, the grand 
 and expansive mind, and superior talents 
 of Necker, were (in her eyes) unique, and 
 might therefore well have the effect of 
 creating a more than ordinary portion of 
 admiration, respect, and love: nor, in 
 judging of Madame de Stael, should it 
 ever be forgotten, that her extraordinary 
 depth of feeling, and her native enthusiasm 
 of disposition, rendered it impossible for 
 her to experience sensations of any sort, 
 in a mediocre degree, or even in that 
 rationally moderated force, which can alone 
 secure the possession of real happiness. 
 This peculiarity of feeling, which unfor- 
 tunately induced some errors in her con- 
 duct, has been admirably commented upon, 
 by the Edinburgh Review, in its critique
 
 COPPET. 277 
 
 upon her works in general. It explains 
 and apologizes, I think, for those wildly 
 warm expressions in which she has in- 
 dulged, when speaking of Necker's charac- 
 ter, and which might perhaps sound strange, 
 if uttered by a less energetic personage, or 
 if applied to those sort of parents who are 
 usually met with in common life. The woman 
 who has been allowed by the general voice 
 of her cotemporary judges to be " the 
 greatest writer of a female, that any age, 
 or any country, has produced ;" (nay even by 
 one distinguished genius* has been called 
 " the most powerful author, whether man 
 or woman, of her day ;") has surely a high 
 claim upon the forbearance of all who have 
 been charmed by her transcendent talents. 
 At the same time, let me not be mis- 
 taken, as to my own particular sentiments 
 upon the subject ; for I have no hesitation 
 in avowing, that as a general principle, I 
 extremely disapprove of the admission of 
 A\hat is termed passion into the filial affec- 
 
 * Lord Byron.
 
 278 COPPET. 
 
 tions, and vice versa. I believe it to answer 
 no wise or rational end, but to be, on the 
 contrary, in nine cases out of ten, a fruit- 
 ful source of disquietude and disappoint- 
 ment. 
 
 I fear my earnestness in the cause of a 
 writer whose abilities I so greatly admire, has 
 led me into a dissertation which may prove 
 tedious to some of my readers. Reveno?is 
 d nos moutons. The country, the whole 
 of the way to Lausanne, is one continued 
 scene of beauty ; and the pastoral air of 
 the verdant meadows, the rich cultivation 
 of the hills (sprinkled with the prettiest 
 little hamlets), the appearance of comfort 
 and neatness in the cottages (each with a 
 garden and orchard), and the grandeur of 
 the lake and mountains beyond, altogether 
 formed a scene of peace, loveliness and de- 
 light, that is far more easily imagined than 
 described. Were it possible for me to 
 forget the charms of my dear native land, 
 it is here that I could happily live, and 
 tranquilly die. Not that it possesses the 
 Armida-like fascination of the shores of the
 
 MORGES. 279 
 
 Lago Maggiore in Italy, or the high ro- 
 mance of parts of Savoy : the imagination 
 here is less excited, but the heart is more 
 interested. I turned from one to the 
 other, with the kind of sensation which 
 the mind experiences, when comparing a 
 brilliantly beautiful and accomplished, a 
 highly enchanting and charming acquaint- 
 ance, with a tender, cheerful, and amiable 
 friend. 
 
 We stopped to take breakfast at Eolle, a 
 neat little town, where at the humble inn 
 (la Couronne) we hailed with great sa- 
 tisfaction the comforts of cleanliness and 
 domestic order, so totally unknown to the 
 natives of the other countries through which 
 we had passed. 
 
 Morges ; a remarkably pretty town. In 
 this neighbourhood there were many vine- 
 yards, which yielded the fruit of which the 
 wine called mn de cote is made. The lake 
 became much narrower here, and the moun- 
 tains upon the opposite side seemed to rise 
 abruptly from the water. Their dark 
 purple hue contrasted finely with the light
 
 280 LAUSANNE. 
 
 aqua-marine tint of the latter, and the fresh 
 verdure of the banks, where the peasants 
 were mowing their second crop of hay. 
 The beauty of some of the cottages also 
 struck us with admiration, but we observed 
 as yet no particular costume. 
 
 We arrived at Lausanne to dinner. The 
 entrance was cheerful and pretty, and the 
 town itself is clean and gay, built upon the 
 side of a very steep hill ; the grand street 
 forming as precipitous an ascent as that of 
 Lansdown in Bath. We found all the inns 
 full, therefore took lodgings at a charming 
 house upon a hill overhanging the lake, 
 (the view of the Chateau de Chillon and 
 mountains, in the distance) and to which 
 there was a garden and terrace, ornamented 
 with green-house plants and flowers. We 
 could hardly have desired une plus jolie 
 campagne even for our own permanent re- 
 sidence and property. The restaurateur 
 (who was an appendage to this establish- 
 ment, and lived in part of the house) was 
 a civil bustling personage, who extremely 
 loved to hear himself talk : he told us that
 
 LAUSANNE. 281 
 
 these lodgings ought to stand high in re- 
 putation, for they had been occupied suc- 
 cessively by les plus grands seigneurs, who 
 had all expressed themselves greatly pleased 
 with their accommodations ; a fair hint this, 
 how we were expected to behave. We found, 
 however, upon parting, that the hostess had 
 overcharged us for these wonderful accom- 
 modations in a very preposterous manner, 
 and she was so conscious of it, that she 
 consented without much difficulty to take 
 off part of her bill, and to allow us to pay 
 for her apartments in French money, instead 
 of the Swiss, which makes a very material dif- 
 ference. We breakfasted the next morning 
 upon honeycomb from the mountains; I 
 believe I have mentioned this before. It 
 is a very common article for breakfast in 
 Switzerland, and always brings an agree- 
 able association of ideas to my mind. I 
 ought perhaps to have made earlier men- 
 tion of the great opportunity afforded to 
 the traveller of leisurely surveying and en- 
 joying the beauties of scenery, from the cir- 
 cumstance of his not being able to travel
 
 282 LAUSANNE. 
 
 post through Switzerland: the system of 
 voituring is, however, rather tedious, and 
 very expensive. 
 
 The environs of Lausanne are almost 
 equally attractive with those of Geneva, 
 but the latter were impressed upon my 
 memory in such bright and bewitching 
 colours, that I could never think any other 
 part of Switzerland quite so delightful. 
 
 We quitted Lausanne, Sept. 19, for Berne. 
 Our road still led us through beauties innu- 
 merable. On the right was the lake, once 
 more expanded into a breadth like the ocean, 
 bounded, as usual, by mountains. On the 
 left were vineyards, gardens, and hamlets. 
 The grape ripens later here than in France, 
 but is equally luxuriant and delicious in 
 flavour. We frequently passed so near the 
 glowing clusters of this tempting fruit, that 
 we might easily have gathered as many as 
 we chose from the windows of the carriage. 
 There was a wonderfully fine growth of 
 walnut trees also, stretching their long 
 branches for many yards over the water. 
 They are in such quantities that oil is
 
 MEILLERJE. 283 
 
 made from the nut, for purposes of the 
 commonest use. 
 
 We again saw part of the romantic rocks 
 of Meillerie, so celebrated by Kousseau. 
 We had been reading his Nouvelle Heloise 
 for the last few days (as we were passing 
 through the same scenes which are so beau- 
 tifully depicted there), and felt as if these 
 rocks were our old acquaintance. I always 
 feel, in reading his works, ready to exclaim, 
 
 " I love thee, and hate thee !" 
 
 A literary friend (in a long conversation 
 which we had upon the subject of this author) 
 thought better of his Julie (as a single wo- 
 man) than I did, or ever can ; but we per- 
 fectly agreed in admiration of her conduct 
 as a wife and mother, mistress of a family, 
 &c. The lessons of morality (which she there 
 exhibits) are beyond every thing beautiful 
 and impressive ; but I never can forgive the 
 disingenuousness of her conduct in con- 
 senting to marry Monsieur de Wolmar, 
 without having previously told him her past 
 story. All the reasonings, the arguments,
 
 284 VEVAY. 
 
 the chain of entangling circumstances, which 
 Kousseau has contrived to justify her for not 
 doing so, I think false, perverted, and to- 
 tally unsatisfactory. 
 
 The costume of the peasants in this 
 neighbourhood is not at all remarkable, ex- 
 cept for their straw hats, which are univer- 
 sally of the gipsy shape, with a very high 
 crown, ending in a point like a Chinese pa- 
 goda, or the top of a parasol. We took 
 a dejeune at Vevay, and went in a boat 
 upon the lake, to view the Chateau de Chil- 
 lon somewhat nearer than we had hitherto 
 been able to do. The beauty of Lord Byron's 
 affecting Tale of its Prisoner returned 
 strongly upon my imagination. I certainly 
 prefer his picture of Captivity to that of 
 Sterne in the Sentimental Journey. It ap- 
 pears to me to be equally touching, and far 
 more sublime. One or two of the minor 
 incidents may probably have been founded 
 upon the legends of the Bastile; but 
 Byron's powerful genius stamps every line 
 with the character of originality. 
 
 A few miles beyond Vevay the country
 
 VEVAY. 285 
 
 assumed all the refined and cultivated 
 beauties of an English park. Here (near a 
 miniature lake) softly swelling hills of velvet 
 turf, ornamented with the rich and fea- 
 thery foliage of the beech, rose gently upon 
 the admiring eye. There vast plantations 
 of aspiring firs expanded their screen of 
 darker green. Close to the road were mea- 
 dows enamelled with the lilac crocus, and va- 
 rious wild flowers, fringed by hedges, where 
 the white convolvulus and scarlet hawthorn 
 berry mingled gaily with the thick hazel and 
 other native shrubs. A few ledges of rock 
 now and then started from amid these mild 
 beauties, as if to evince that we were still in 
 the vicinity of wilder scenery. This change 
 in the landscape was novel and delightful to 
 us all. We had not seen any thing exactly in 
 its style since leaving England, and I almost 
 felt annoyed when a turning in the road 
 displayed the snowy peaks of the eternal 
 glaciers towering, as usual, in the distance. 
 Forgive this honest confession, ye exclu- 
 sive lovers of the sublime, and recollect, 
 that the eye as well as the mind becomes
 
 286 VEVAY. 
 
 fatigued by being kept too long upon the 
 stretch. 
 
 Stopping at a little post-house, between 
 Vevay and Moudon, we were surprised to 
 see a large coarse loaf of bread brought out 
 (instead of hay) for the refreshment of the 
 horses. They eat it in slices, and appeared 
 to relish this sophisticated food not a little. 
 One of the animals, however, would not 
 take the crust in his mouth, tossing it away 
 in the most ridiculously disdainful manner, 
 when he had carefully devoured all the 
 crumb, and it was not until he had received 
 two or three good cuffs on the ears from his 
 driver that he condescended to sw r allow it. 
 
 We met several prettyish w r omen in the 
 course of this day's journey ; but the style 
 of their beauty did not please us so much 
 as that of France and Italy. It was mild 
 without being soft, and fresh without being 
 brilliant : they were, in short, neither jolie 
 ni belle ; neither had they la grace plus belle 
 encore que la beaut e ; but formed a class 
 apart, which I cannot exactly define, but 
 which certainly I did not like.
 
 MOUDON. 287 
 
 Dined and slept at Moudon (inn, au 
 Cerf), where we experienced the comforts 
 of warmth, cleanliness, and good beds ; no 
 bad things after a long and cold journey. 
 We were waited upon by a lively natural 
 young creature, of the name of Josephine, 
 who, together with several other girls, was 
 staying at this inn, to learn the French 
 language from the occasional guests. They 
 were all of them German Swiss. We 
 astonished them very much, by exhibiting a 
 couple of musical snuff-boxes, which we had 
 bought when at Geneva. The girls had 
 never seen any thing of the kind, and were 
 never tired of listening to them. We left 
 Moudon the next morning at six o'clock : 
 the country still continued to charm us 
 with a pleasing succession of woods, mossy 
 banks, and rich valleys, watered by little ser- 
 pentine silver brooks, softly flowing through 
 green meadows. We were still in the Pays 
 du Vaud. Our servant Christian's national 
 enthusiasm burst forth at every step. Our 
 friend, who frequently took a share of his seat 
 behind the carriage, amused us extremely
 
 288 MOUDOX. 
 
 with an account of his transports. " Ah ! 
 there are de cows with bells round their necks! 
 How I love those bells ! There be de neat 
 cottages, all of wood : dey builds very pretty 
 ones always in my country." At Lausanne 
 (where he had been at school) it was no- 
 thing but " shaking hands," and " greetings 
 in the market-place." " There is a friend 
 of mine ! I know dat man ! There lives 
 such a one, a very honest person !" In 
 short, the poor fellow was in a state of con- 
 tinual ecstasy, and carried it so far as to 
 think the very stones in the road were more 
 than commonly valuable and beautiful ; for, 
 knowing Mr. W. to have made a small col- 
 lection of spars and fossils, &c. he drew his 
 attention frequently, upon entering Swit- 
 zerland, to the pebbles by the way-side, 
 calling out every now and then, " There be 
 a pretty stone now, Mr. V. ! .Very pretty 
 stones all in my country !" A lady at Ge- 
 neva, in describing the peculiar attachment 
 of the Swiss to their native land, told me 
 that her brother, upon being exiled to 
 England for pecuniary reasons, actually
 
 MOUUON. 
 
 died of tlie true maladie du pays, pining 
 gradually away in hopeless longings after 
 the dear scenes amid wliich his youth had 
 been passed. We now entered the grandest 
 and most luxuriant beech woods I ever be- 
 held. I never had seen such magnificent 
 trees, except in some parts of Norbury 
 park, in Surrey ; indeed the whole view 
 strongly reminded me of that exquisite 
 spot, and brought a thousand agreeable re- 
 collections and associations to my mind. 
 Wherefore is it that the imagination feels a 
 charm and a repose so delightful amid 
 scenes of this nature ? My own peculiar 
 feeling is now confirmed by long experi- 
 ence, and I can consequently assert, with 
 renewed confidence, that wood, assisted 
 by a judicious inequality of ground, forms 
 by far the most satisfactory and sooth- 
 ing feature in a landscape. A visit to moun- 
 tains, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, and im- 
 petuous floods, gives great and animating 
 sensations, but a constant residence among 
 them I should never desire; though I have 
 no doubt but that a Highlander or a Swiss
 
 290 PAYERNE. 
 
 mountaineer would extremely despise me 
 for the homeliness of my taste. 
 
 Payerne, a small town. The women 
 here amazed us by their superb chevelures. 
 We saw three in particular, who wore their 
 hair (of a dark yet golden brown colour) 
 twisted round the head, in a large braid, 
 beneath an enormous flat straw hat. If 
 these braids had been dishevelled, I am 
 certain the hair would have swept the 
 ground, and the thickness of its growth 
 was even yet more remarkable than its 
 length. We were afterwards informed of 
 a circumstance which explained this appa- 
 rent phenomenon, as I shall presently take 
 occasion to mention. There was a large 
 stone fountain here (with a statue of some 
 warrior, armed from head to heel), which 
 appeared to form the only ornament of the 
 place. 
 
 At Avenche we observed a very singular 
 costume among the paysannes; in addi- 
 tion to the full shift sleeve and becoming 
 chemisette, confined beneath the bosom by 
 a coloured boddice, they wore a head-dress
 
 AVENCHE. 291 
 
 of black gauze, lace, or thin horse-hair, 
 transparent as a cobweb, stiffened with fine 
 wire, and standing out widely from the 
 temples, in the most extraordinary manner, 
 resembling some representations I have seen 
 of the cobra capella, or hooded serpent, the 
 wings of a Patagonian butterfly, or the sort 
 of bat-winged cap, which Fuseli, in the ex- 
 travagance of his wild imagination, has given 
 to his pictures of Queen Mab. The coarse, 
 tame, insipid style of feature which accom- 
 panied this attire, however, by no means 
 suited its peculiar character. I looked in 
 vain for the pale, delicate, oval visage, small 
 red lip, and large gazelle sort of dark eye, 
 with which it would have harmonized so 
 exquisitely. This is the usual Bernoise 
 costume. 
 
 The country here became much more 
 open, and was enlivened by the glittering 
 waters of the lake of Morat (note L). In 
 almost every house we passed, we remarked 
 great quantities of green tobacco leaves, 
 suspended from the projecting roofs, dry- 
 ing in the sun. On the borders of the lake
 
 292 -MORAT. 
 
 of Morat was formerly a chapel, filled with 
 the bones of the Bourguinons, who were 
 killed in battle, in the year 1476, when 
 Charles the Bold was defeated. It is now de- 
 stroyed, but the bones are still left " bleach- 
 ing in the wind." We got out of the car- 
 riage, and discovered among them some 
 very large thigh bones, &c. The size of the 
 warriors to whom they belonged must have 
 been wondrous. A small rise, upon which 
 we stood, was entirely formed of the bodies 
 of the slain. The fragrant wild thyme and 
 nodding hare-bell grew thickly upon the 
 fatal spot; and I observed a tuft of the 
 latter wreathing its azure flowers (as if in 
 mockery) around the fragment of a moulder- 
 ing skull ! 
 
 There are several beautiful little maisom 
 de campagne near this place, with their 
 surrounding vineyards, gardens, orchards, 
 and fountains. They were a good deal in 
 the style of what we are used to call cot- 
 tages ornees, so few of which we had hitherto 
 seen upon the continent, notwithstanding 
 the adoption of a foreign title. There were
 
 GUMINEN. 
 
 also many lovely dwellings belonging to the 
 peasantry, built of tan-coloured wood (note 
 M.), with stairs and galleries on the outside, 
 and neatly thatched or tiled. The frontis- 
 piece to this little volume, which has been 
 kindly presented to me by an elegant 
 amateur artist, is a most correct representa- 
 tion of a Swiss cottage. 
 
 We were now in the canton of Berne : 
 passing through another wood of beech, 
 scarcely less beautiful than the former, 
 the tremulous light, flitting capriciously 
 across the leaf-strewn paths, and the soft 
 chirping of the birds above our heads, again 
 gave us exquisite pleasure. I say we ; for 
 my sensations were fully participated by 
 my companions. 
 
 We now crossed the river Sarine, by 
 means of a large wooden bridge, covered 
 overhead like a penthouse, and entered the 
 village of Guminen, sunk between bold and 
 rocky hills, fringed with rich trees and un- 
 derwood. The females in this part of 
 Switzerland all appeared to possess a quali- 
 fication which Shakespeare has pronounced 
 (and with truth) to be " a marvellous ex*
 
 294 GUMINEN. 
 
 cellent thing in woman." I allude to the 
 soft musical tone of their voices in speak- 
 ing : it was really remarkable, and we 
 thought it almost made amends for the want 
 of beauty. We dined at Guminen, in a 
 cleanly little inn (FOurs), where, on looking 
 out at the window, we were struck by the 
 sight of a Lucerne paysanne in full cos- 
 tume. She wore the usual tresses of braided 
 hair hanging down at length behind, and 
 the black gauze cap ; but her boddice was 
 remarkably curious, being of black velvet, 
 richly embossed with lilac and black beads 
 (the latter coming from Venice, and ex- 
 tremely small), in the manner of embroi- 
 dery ; indeed such quantities had been 
 expended, that her bust looked as if in ar- 
 mour. This boddice was likewise orna- 
 mented with silver filigree buttons, and 
 long silver chains, ending in large tassels of 
 the same material, gilt. She had also a 
 black velvet collar, studded with Venetian 
 beads and coloured foil, and a worked linen 
 chemisette and full shift sleeves, white as 
 snow. This dress must have been very ex- 
 pensive for a woman in her rank of life ;
 
 GUMINEN. 295 
 
 and upon inquiry we found that she was, 
 in fact, the wife of a rich miller. We 
 were not annoyed here, as in Italy and 
 France, by the clamours of beggars ; they 
 very rarely made their appearance, and 
 even when they did, were always modest 
 and diffident. It gave us pleasure to pass 
 through so large a tract of country without 
 being able to discover any trace of abject 
 poverty among the peasantry : they all wore 
 an air of ease and content, and we found 
 upon inquiry that they were in general 
 enjoying the most comfortable and inde- 
 pendent circumstances. 
 
 From a lull near Berne we first caught 
 the distant harmony of a number of mel- 
 low-toned bells, which pastoral sounds, our 
 Swiss informed us, were produced by the 
 cattle (round whose necks the bells were 
 suspended), and who were at that moment 
 descending in large herds from the moun- 
 tains, for the evening milking. At the 
 same time we were struck by a glorious 
 view of the Alps (note N.), their frozen 
 peaks rosy from the reflection of departing
 
 296 BERNE. 
 
 light : one of the highest of them is called, 
 from hence, Monte Kosa. I have never 
 listened to church bells (when their clang 
 has been mellowed by distance) without a 
 feeling of melancholy ; but these seemed 
 to breathe of innocent joy, and to tell a 
 tale of peace, happiness, comfort, and do- 
 mestic delight. This, I know, must have 
 proceeded in both cases from early associa- 
 tions, and in the latter from the influence 
 of ideas connected with poetry. What an 
 ever-springing source of exquisite enjoy- 
 ment is that divine gift ! A susceptibility 
 of its powers is like a sixth sense, for which 
 it becomes all who possess it to be truly 
 grateful to the benevolent Donor. 
 
 We now entered Berne. This is a fine 
 large town, with a remarkably handsome 
 entrance. We obtained most excellent 
 rooms, replete with every essential com- 
 fort, and furnished with taste, at our inn 
 (au Faucori), which was spacious enough to 
 be taken for some ancient castle, when the 
 feudal lords lodged a hundred or two of 
 retainers, besides guests, beneath their am-
 
 BERNE. 297 
 
 pie roof. It was built in the form of an 
 oblong square, with three galleries, one 
 above another (each of which had inter- 
 minable passages connected with it, all 
 leading to different suites of apartments), 
 looking down upon an open court or area in 
 the midst. In this court a little army of 
 washerwomen were assembled (belonging, I 
 believe, to the establishment), carrying on 
 the process of purification with great ac- 
 tivity (in tubs almost large enough for 
 brewing vats), and with hot water, which 
 is an unusual thing upon the continent. 
 Apropos to cleanliness, we all made the 
 same observation in passing through Swit- 
 zerland, namely, that the inhabitants (more 
 especially in the protestant cantons) seemed 
 to understand the comfort inseparable from 
 this virtue, and that they certainly prac- 
 tised it in a far higher degree than any 
 people we had seen since leaving England. 
 We have frequently met with better ac- 
 commodations (because cleanliness has been 
 scrupulously attended to) in the inferior 
 inns of Switzerland than in the most su-
 
 298 BERNE. 
 
 perb hotels of Paris, Turin, Milan, &c. I 
 am sorry to be obliged, however, to except 
 those of Geneva, which are allowed by the 
 inhabitants themselves to be all very dirty. 
 We walked about Berne the next morn- 
 ing, and gave audience to Christian's ve- 
 nerable father and to his sister, who came 
 over from their farm in the neighbourhood 
 to fetch him to spend a day with them. 
 They had not met for some years ; neither 
 father nor daughter spoke a word of any 
 language but German patois ; the latter was 
 drest in the complete Bernoise costume, even 
 to the little bouquet of natural flowers in 
 the bosom. I forget what great author it is 
 who says that " a man who has left his 
 native place for years is generally anxious 
 to make some figure in it, upon his re- 
 turn," this was truly exemplified in our 
 servant, who, the morning after our arrival, 
 burst upon his town's folk, in all the glory 
 of the most dandy English dress, appearing 
 far more smart than his master, and forming 
 a curious contrast to the rustic figures of 
 his humble yet picturesque-looking rela-
 
 BERNE. 299 
 
 tions. We proceeded, after dinner, to view 
 the bears, and stags, which have from 
 time immemorial been kept in the deep 
 fosse, which surrounds the town. There 
 are tall fir-trees planted in this moat, for 
 the bears to climb, and plenty of green 
 cool turf for the refreshment of the stags. 
 The animals are separated from each other, 
 of course. The origin of this custom is 
 singular. In ancient times, a rich seigneur 
 of the country, and his sons, determined 
 to found a town, which should transmit 
 their memories to posterity, and should 
 be called after the name of the first ani- 
 mal that they might happen to kill in 
 a grand hunting-match, which they as- 
 sembled for the purpose. This animal 
 turned out to be a bear ; accordingly the 
 town was called Eerne, and the stone 
 image of the creature was erected at the 
 gates a custom which is continued to 
 the present moment. When the founders 
 died, they left a sum of money to be laid 
 out for the sole benefit of this bear, which 
 in process of time so greatly accumulated,
 
 300 BERNE. 
 
 as to form quite a little fortune ; so that 
 all the successive bears have been persons 
 of property, and accustomed to the enjoy- 
 ment of those agremens, which an easy in- 
 come can alone secure. Bonaparte pounced 
 upon the senior bruin (called Monsieur 
 Martin), and carried off both himself and 
 his money to Paris, where he now lives in 
 high reputation, and equal splendor, at the 
 bottom of a deep pit, in le Jardiii des 
 Plant es. The people of Berne have since 
 obtained some other bears, which are the 
 same that we now saw, and a proper sum 
 for their support is awarded by the govern- 
 ment, which also is increasing by occasional 
 legacies from individuals. 
 
 We passed the evening in company with 
 an Englishman (an old friend of my hus- 
 band's), who had spent many years upon 
 the continent, and who had made it one of 
 his chief objects to visit and inspect the 
 different prisons there. We were glad (as 
 far as nationality was concerned) to hear 
 that those of England are (comparatively 
 speaking) carried on upon a system of
 
 . BERNE. 301 
 
 benevolence superior to most others. This 
 gentleman told us, that the prisons of Turin 
 at this day, were a disgrace to humanity, 
 being the most horrible dungeons that the 
 imagination can picture. We saw several 
 groups of the convicts at Berne, who wore 
 an iron collar, and were chained by the 
 leg, to a small light cart, which (like beasts 
 of burden) they drew daily round the 
 town, to collect and carry away the dirt 
 of the streets. The prisoners of both 
 sexes are also employed in sweeping the 
 crossways, pavements, &c. and are drest in 
 a peculiar uniform, their labour being pro- 
 portioned to the degree of their guilt. 
 All the culprits in the country, who are not 
 condemned to death, are sent to Berne, and 
 are employed in these and similar offices. 
 
 The cathedral did not appear to us worth 
 visiting ; our eyes had been satiated with 
 buildings in this style, and after having 
 seen the glories of the Duomo at Milan, 
 we found all other cathedrals poor and 
 uninteresting. Most of the shops here are 
 built under stone arches, which renders 
 them somewhat gloomy, but adds to their
 
 302 BERNE. 
 
 convenience in rainy weather. There are 
 numerous stone fountains in all parts of 
 the town, many of which have a martial 
 figure on the top; we saw one, however, 
 with a statue of Moses upon it, no inappro- 
 priate patron, as he could make the solid 
 rock gush out with water. Over one of the 
 principal gateways, we remarked a colossal 
 image of Goliah, grim and gaunt enough to 
 frighten all the naughty boys in the place. 
 
 Happening to mention the circumstance 
 of the extraordinary growth of hair, among 
 the women about Payerne, we were in- 
 formed that it was almost all false. The pay- 
 sannes have an ancient and invariable custom 
 of mixing great quantities of borrowed 
 tresses with their own, in order to form 
 that singular braid round the head, which 
 had so forcibly attracted our notice. I 
 should imagine the toilette of these rural 
 belles must be an operation of some skill, 
 for the false is so very well mingled with 
 the real hair, that it might defy the sharp 
 eye of the most prying old spinster to 
 detect the method in which it is done. 
 
 We saw several girls at Berne working
 
 BERNE. 308 
 
 upon cushions (something in the manner 
 of lace-makers), under the piazzas; they 
 were embroidering the collars and sto- 
 machers of the Bernoise paysannes, in small 
 Venetian beads (called in England seed 
 beads) of all colours, gold tinsel, foil, &c. 
 upon a ground of black velvet. Their 
 performance was really very neat and taste- 
 ful. The prince Leopold of Coburg was 
 here, at the same time with ourselves, 
 looking very melancholy, and almost con- 
 tinually alone: he was on a visit to his 
 sister, the grand duchess Constantine, who 
 resides in the neighbourhood. She is se- 
 parated from her husband, who is brother 
 to the emperor of Eussia. They were 
 married, I believe (in pursuance of one 
 of those horrible schemes of state policy, 
 where every better feeling of the heart is 
 cruelly sacrificed and overborne), at the age 
 of fourteen, and the subsequent catastrophe 
 is not to be wondered at. Of the society 
 at Berne we could not judge, as our stay 
 did not exceed three days and a half, but 
 our English friend (lately mentioned, and 
 who had been a great deal amongst the
 
 '304 BERNE. 
 
 best families there) mentioned it to be par- 
 ticularly agreeable. During the winter, 
 there are concerts and balls, private par- 
 ties, and a company of actors. The hos- 
 pital is a fine establishment, with a garden 
 full of choice flowers and shrubs, green- 
 house plants, and a fountain, being sus- 
 tained upon the most liberal plan; any 
 poor person, passing through the town, 
 may find food and lodging at the hospital 
 for twenty-four hours, and is sent away at 
 the expiration of that time with a dona- 
 tion of one franc (value, in English money, 
 tenpence). There is also an asylum for 
 foundlings, where the children are main- 
 tained till they attain the age of fifteen, 
 and are then put out to service. It 
 being one of the market days, we saw 
 many different costumes (belonging to the 
 various cantons) assembled. That of the 
 women of Guggisberg is frightfully ugly; 
 a napkin is folded flat across the forehead, 
 and tied behind in a slouching manner; 
 the dress is of black cotton, with a very 
 long waist, and the petticoat does not reach 
 to the knee; their legs are terribly thick,
 
 BEHNK. 305 
 
 but luckily this circumstance is reckoned 
 amongst themselves as a beauty, and to in- 
 crease it, they wear four or five pair of 
 stockings at a time. Mr. B. observed a 
 Tyrolese peasant, with whose manly beauty 
 and elegant costume he was much struck. 
 I did not see him myself; they are generally 
 fine figures, strong and athletic, yet ex- 
 tremely graceful, the dress being always par- 
 ticularly becoming and highly picturesque. 
 The women of Lucerne I have already 
 described, in the specimen of the rich 
 miller's wife that we saw at Guminen. 
 Entering the shop of a famous picture- 
 dealer here, he shewed us a collection 
 of portraits, of the most celebrated rural 
 belles of Switzerland, among which was that 
 of the fair bateliere of the lake Brientz. 
 I hoped to have beheld another " Ellen, 
 Lady of the Lake," but was greatly dis- 
 appointed, not being able to admire the 
 character of her beauty, thinking it far too 
 coarse ; but those persons who have really 
 seen her assured us her picture by no 
 means did her justice. We were also 
 shewn a set of coloured prints from the
 
 306 BERNE. 
 
 original drawings of a poor wretch of the 
 name of Mind* ; he died about two years 
 ago, and his works are very much valued 
 hi this country, not only for their intrinsic 
 merit, but as being the performance of a 
 cretin, which means an idiot, afflicted with 
 a goitre. We were told by the picture- 
 dealer, who had known him well, that this 
 Mind was one of the most deformed and 
 horrible objects of the sort, and was per- 
 fectly imbecile and stupid in every thing 
 that did not immediately relate to his art. 
 He had (like some idiots who have fallen 
 under my own personal observation) a pro- 
 digiously retentive memory, from the im- 
 pressions of which he alone was able to 
 draw. If he met any group of men or 
 animals in his daily rambles, he would in- 
 stantly run home, lock himself up, and pro- 
 duce shortly afterwards the most spirited 
 and accurate drawing of the objects which 
 had thus fired his fancy. The high finish 
 of his colouring, also, was equally remarkable 
 with the boldness of his outline ; he more 
 
 * Some of the original productions of this person are 
 in the possession of collectors in our own country.
 
 BERNE. 307 
 
 particularly excelled in drawing cats, and 
 had completed a voluminous collection of 
 these animals, in all their stages of existence 
 and habits of life ; from which circumstance 
 he has obtained the name of le Ra/aelle 
 des Chats. At a first view of his works, we 
 were inclined to doubt the truth of his 
 having been so complete an idiot in all 
 respects which were unconnected with his 
 art ; but as vague arguments of conjecture 
 and probability, cannot stand against the 
 positive evidence of attested facts, of course 
 we gave up our objections, and felt that to 
 persevere in them would be obstinacy, rather 
 than penetration. The history of this man 
 would, I think, form an interesting subject 
 of reflection to the philosopher and the 
 physician, and I wish it were generally 
 Jknown and published. This evening we 
 went to see the exhibition of Mr. Kcenig, an 
 excellent landscape painter ; it consisted of 
 a set of transparent views (beautiful beyond 
 any thing of the sort that we had ever 
 previously beheld), taken from the most 
 celebrated scenes in Switzerland; among 
 them, we were most pleased with the chapel
 
 308 BERNE. 
 
 of William Tell (note 0.) by moonlight, 
 on the lake of Zug, and with a cottage 
 (also by moonlight) on the lakes of Bienne 
 and Thun. The wonderful degree of na- 
 ture and truth which these paintings dis- 
 played, I shah 1 hardly forget; indeed I 
 cannot say too much in praise of them, and 
 would advise every traveller who visits 
 Berne to go and see this enchanting little 
 spectacle : I will venture to say his expecta- 
 tions will be greatly exceeded. 
 
 September 24th. I must in justice re- 
 commend all our friends passing this way 
 to take up their quarters au Faucon, as it 
 is a most exceUent house, and the mistress 
 a very attentive sensible person. 
 
 I ought not to take leave of the place 
 without also mentioning the promenade 
 upon the ramparts, and the glorious view 
 of woods, hamlets, and glaciers to be seen 
 from thence*. We were much amused in 
 watching the sports of the youth of the 
 
 * The promenade also, near the cathedral, is remark- 
 able for the beautiful prospect it discloses of the glaciers, 
 particularly at sunset, when the rose-coloured tints upon 
 their snowy summits are wonderfully fine.
 
 BERNE. 309 
 
 town there, who have a green inclosure, 
 where various games and exercises (re- 
 sembling the ancient gymnastic) are carried 
 on every evening, at a certain hour ; they 
 are admirably well calculated to cherish 
 habits of activity and agility, and to pro- 
 mote both health and strength. 
 
 All the public offices here are served by 
 persons who faithfully and zealously fulfil 
 their functions, without emolument of any 
 sort. 
 
 Marriages through Switzerland are much 
 encouraged by some of their political institu- 
 tions ; in this canton, for instance, a bachelor 
 cannot arrive at the honourable post of 
 bailiff, or be admitted to the council, or 
 become what they call a seigneur, which is an 
 inferior office in the government; but at 
 the same time so fearful are these govern- 
 ments of any circumstance that might in 
 process of time by the accumulation of 
 fortunes infringe upon their liberties, that 
 marriages between cousins german are for- 
 bidden by law. 
 
 In the best statistic account of the popu- 
 lation of this country taken from the public 
 registers, it is estimated inclusive of the
 
 310 BERNE. 
 
 allied provinces at about two millions. The 
 protestant cantons are found to be the 
 most populous, as they are the most active, 
 industrious, and commercial, but they are 
 not always the richest. 
 
 The police is regulated with the most 
 exemplary vigilance and good order; the 
 canton is a protestant one. 
 
 Upon quitting Berne, we found the 
 country a lovely repetition of rich waving 
 woods (chiefly of beech and pine) ; the 
 brilliant autumnal tints of the former 
 trees glowing beneath the bright blue of a 
 cheerful morning sky, and the aromatic 
 perfume of the latter, scenting the fresh- 
 ness of the breeze. How weak and in- 
 adequate are words to express certain feel- 
 ings of delight ! How easy is it to mention 
 woods and plains, rocks and lakes, and to 
 expatiate upon the charm of each, in ap- 
 propriate terms; yet how far are we all 
 the time from conveying to the minds of 
 our hearers or readers the sensation of en- 
 joyment which thrilled through our own 
 bosoms while actually beholding the scenes 
 we attempt to describe. 
 
 We passed through several villages which
 
 BERNE. 311 
 
 appeared to be the favourite haunts of peace, 
 health, and humble happiness. The par- 
 sonage-house in one of them was a charming 
 picture of comfort, neatness, and picturesque 
 taste; close to the cheerful little white- 
 washed church, it reared its grey venerable 
 roof. The walls were covered by the spread- 
 ing branches of a fruitful pear-tree, and the 
 green latticed windows were shaded by a 
 vine, which wreathed its graceful foliage, 
 and hung in luxuriant clusters, likewise, 
 over a small bower, or recess, adjoining the 
 sitting-room, where I could imagine a simple 
 primitive pastor and his happy family as- 
 sembled together, enjoying the social even- 
 ing meal. La Fontaine's lovely descriptions 
 of such scenes and such beings, in his Nou- 
 veau Tableau de Famille, rushed upon my 
 recollection, and I almost expected to see 
 his sweet Augusta (in the days of her 
 prime) come forth from the rustic porch, 
 leaning on the arm of her valuable husband, 
 and surrounded by their innocent and 
 blooming race. When this same Augusta 
 becomes a grandmother, I think La Fon- 
 taine has painted her too selfishly forgetful 
 of the happiness of her youthful days, and of
 
 312 SOLEURE. 
 
 the feelings natural to girls at that age ; it 
 is not in character with the virtue and 
 sentimental graces of her earlier years, and 
 rather conduces to encourage in the bosom 
 of the reader a sensation of indignant dis- 
 gust at the rigid, frigid, and unamiable 
 propensities sometimes found among the 
 aged. This beautiful and affecting novel 
 is so well known to ah 1 persons of good taste 
 and discrimination, that my ah 1 usion to it will 
 I hope be at once understood and forgiven. 
 Beyond this neighbourhood, the country 
 opened in the most striking manner, afford- 
 ing a fine and heart-cheering prospect of 
 cultivated plains, fresh pastures, peaceful 
 flocks and herds, walnut groves and thatched 
 cottages; the latter looked at a distance 
 like large beehives, and the inhabitants 
 seemed to evince a similarity to the bees 
 in their habits of brisk and lively industry. 
 I can easily understand the pre-eminent 
 attachment of the Swiss to their native land; 
 they must indeed be senseless were they 
 less alive to the charms of scenes like this. 
 We took an early dinner at Soleure (note 
 R.), or Solothurne. We were now in a ca- 
 tholic canton, and the difference of our ac-
 
 I
 
 SOLEURE. 313 
 
 commodations at the inn (la Couronne) from 
 those we had experienced in the protestant 
 governments was very apparent, for once 
 more dirt, in various shapes, made its unwel- 
 come appearance. The houses were, some of 
 them, painted gaudily on the whitewashed 
 outsides, in the Italian manner, and the ca- 
 thedral, of Grecian architecture, was full of 
 paltry paintings. The costume of the towns- 
 people was both tasteless and dirty ; a white 
 linen cap, with a border of muslin, half 
 a yard in depth, flapping about in the most 
 unbecoming way, increasing the general 
 plainness of the women's features. Their per- 
 sons, also, were awkward and ill made, parti- 
 cularly about the legs and feet. The place 
 itself was full of bad smells, but situated in 
 a picturesque part of the country. As we 
 proceeded, we found the cottages decrease 
 in beauty ; nor did they exhibit the same 
 degree of aisance and comfort as those near 
 Berne. The fields likewise partook of 
 this spirit of decline, appearing less culti- 
 vated and productive. We could not help 
 attributing this to the people having their 
 time so perpetually broken in upon by the
 
 314 BAL8TADT. 
 
 necessity of going to mass, and by the too 
 frequent recurrence ofjottrs de fetes. 
 
 We passed a fine picturesque old castle 
 upon the left, a few miles beyond Soleure, 
 and arriving at Balstadt (a dirty-looking 
 village), where we slept, found a most 
 uncomfortable, slovenly inn, and bad at- 
 tendance; and to heighten our miseries, 
 our friend became so much worse, that 
 we were obliged to send for what medical 
 assistance the wretched place afforded. Ac- 
 cordingly there arrived the " village leech," 
 who had much the air of a farrier, or cow- 
 doctor, and who applied various nostrums 
 without success. His unfortunate patient 
 made a vigorous effort to shake him off the 
 next morning, and we went on, hoping to 
 get as far as Basle. We started with two 
 horses and three mules, having to ascend a 
 steep mountain immediately upon quitting 
 Balstadt (or rather Ballstall), in modern or- 
 thography. The surrounding scenery was 
 of a very different nature from that of the 
 preceding day: the road (in some places 
 nearly as perpendicular as any in the wild 
 mountains of Savoy) led us through pale
 
 FALKENSTEIN. 315 
 
 grey rocks, scooped occasionally into quar- 
 ries, and fringed on one side by an infinite 
 variety of young trees of every sort, and on 
 the other by extensive woods of pine, whose 
 shades formed a beautiful contrast to the 
 brighter verdure of the velvet turf, from 
 which they sprung. We observed (as usual) 
 great numbers of wild barberry trees, and 
 juniper bushes, while the purple heath-bell, 
 waving her fairy cups amid the moss and 
 thyme, upon every bank, gave a smiling 
 character to the foreground. 
 
 Falkenstein Castle (a fantastic ruin, crown- 
 ing the summit of a bold jutting mass of 
 rock far above our heads) had a very im- 
 posing effect. The battled waUs and nar- 
 row round towers were so much of the 
 same colour as the mountain from which 
 they rose, as scarcely to be distinguished 
 from it at a distance. It reminded us 
 strongly of some of Mrs. Kadcliffe's de- 
 scriptions, and our fancy easily peopled 
 it with a terrific baron, a fair suffering 
 heroine, a captive lover, and every other 
 requisite et cetera of romance. As we
 
 316 FALKENSTEIN. 
 
 were now in German Switzerland, such 
 visions were not inappropriate, and my 
 readers will pardon them accordingly. We 
 saw another castle, also, further on, situated 
 upon an eminence in the midst of magni- 
 ficent woods of beech, and looking down 
 upon a pretty hamlet of white cottages, each 
 with its neat little verger andpotager, some 
 of them shaded by vines, and almost all fur- 
 nished with a range of beehives. The in- 
 habitants were gathering the walnuts, apples, 
 and plums, from their loaded trees, as we 
 passed : a clear little wimpling stream ran 
 through the village, and the spire of the 
 church rose among rich tufted foliage in 
 perspective. We began to suspect, from 
 this appearance of comfort and neatness, 
 that we were once more in the neighbour- 
 hood of a protestant government, which we 
 found afterwards was really the case. The 
 sweet stream I have just mentioned was so 
 kind as to accompany us for a considerable 
 way, pure, sparkling, and dashing its shal- 
 low waters over the yellow pebbles, with a 
 rippling murmur that was delightfully sooth-
 
 BASLE. 317 
 
 ing to the ear. The country again resumed 
 the woody, cultivated appearance, which is 
 so pleasing to behold, and gradually ex- 
 panded into lovely meadows, which the 
 li ttle brook kept for ever fresh and verdant. 
 
 We stopped at Liestall, where we found 
 a cleaner town, a better inn, and a more 
 prepossessing hostess than at Ballstall. 
 The people manufacture gloves here : they 
 were good, but very dear. It is not to 
 be told how disagreeably the German lan- 
 guage grated upon our ears in passing 
 through these cantons ; after the melli- 
 fluous harmony of the Italian, and even 
 when compared with the French, it was 
 doubly intolerable. Our own is harsh 
 enough, in the opinion of foreigners ; yet 
 I can with difficulty imagine any thing so 
 bad as German. 
 
 We arrived to dinner at Basle. This is 
 a very large town (under a protestant juris- 
 diction), clean and gay. Its chief attrac- 
 tion to us was the river Khine, which rolled 
 ,its majestic waters beneath the windows of 
 our auberge (les Trois Rois), which was spa- 
 cious and convenient. We ascended to our
 
 318 BASLE. 
 
 apartments by a curious spiral staircase, in 
 an old round tower, that formed part of 
 the building. 
 
 The Khine is a noble river, but inferior 
 in beauty of colour to the Khone at Ge- 
 neva. Indeed the latter I cannot at this 
 moment recollect without a feeling of plea- 
 sure and admiration impossible to describe. 
 
 We left Basle, Sept. 26. The road as far 
 as Bourglibre, and even considerably be- 
 yond it, was flat and uninteresting; the 
 cottages rather dirty than otherwise, and 
 extremely ugly; the costume of the pea- 
 santry very indistinctly marked, and by no 
 means becoming, being a wretched imitation 
 of the French. All this was accounted for, 
 when we recollected that we had now once 
 more entered the territories of that nation, 
 leaving modern Germany on our right, and 
 turning our backs upon the sweet simplicity 
 and unequalled charms of Switzerland. The 
 postillion also strongly evinced the national 
 character, mounting his horse with a true 
 gasconade flourish, and cracking his whip 
 in the old well-remembered style. 
 
 We dined and slept at Colmar. The inn
 
 COLMAR. 319 
 
 (aux Six Montagues Noirs) was dirty, and 
 the attendance very mediocre ; but the beds 
 were good, and free from vermin. Our host 
 was the most hideous man I ever saw : he 
 was absolutely strangling with fat; his 
 bristly grizzled hair was strained off the 
 forehead, and forced into a long thick 
 queue, with so tight a hand, that the water 
 in consequence was perpetually running 
 from his little red eyes; his voice in speaking 
 was most unpleasantly guttural, and ren- 
 dered still more disagreeable by the ab- 
 surd mixture of bad French and German, 
 which he sputtered with great difficulty, 
 in answering our necessary questions. His 
 daughter usually sat in the bar, playing a 
 French love ditty upon an old guitar. Of 
 her I can only say, that she was the " soft- 
 ened image" of her " honoured papa." 
 
 The paysannes in the near neighbour- 
 hood of Colmar wear a pretty little flat, 
 round-eared cap, at the back of the head, 
 made either of very gay coloured silk, or 
 cotton, and sometimes of gold tissue with 
 crimson spots; their neck handkerchiefs 
 are likewise of the brightest dyes, thrown
 
 320 C'OLMAR. 
 
 carelessly over the gown, and the ends con- 
 fined before, by a girdle. These women, 
 generally speaking, are not at all handsome ; 
 the men chiefly wear coats of coarse bright 
 green cloth, without collars, enormously 
 long waisted waistcoats (sometimes red, 
 laced with gold, and large buttons), with 
 cocked hats. 
 
 The country upon first leaving Colmar 
 was mountainous, but not very pleasing or 
 interesting, in spite of the inequality of 
 ground, the presence of verdure, the view 
 of distant villages, and a very fine clear 
 sky ; all of which are notwithstanding the 
 materials for forming a beautiful landscape. 
 This, to my mind, had an analogy with the 
 persons of some women I had formerly 
 seen ; who possessed fine hair and teeth, 
 clear bright eyes, a good complexion, 
 were sufficiently young, and not ill-made; 
 yet with all these requisites to beauty, 
 were plain, awkward, and totally wanting 
 in agreeable effect. A strange caprice of 
 nature, but not less true than strange. 
 
 The face of things, however, rather im- 
 proved, upon approaching Schelestat. The
 
 8CHELE9TAT. 321 
 
 costume of the paysannes brightened into a 
 degree of taste and neatness that we had not 
 seen equalled since leaving St. Denis, near 
 Paris. Some of their caps were wholly of white 
 worked muslin, with a thin clear border, 
 and bound neatly round the head by a light 
 blue or rose-coloured riband: the gowns 
 also sometimes varied, being not unfre- 
 quently made of white cotton, with gay 
 crimson sprigs upon them. We continually 
 saw castles and churches upon the sur- 
 rounding heights, and a great number of 
 vineyards ; but the villages and small towns 
 were invariably dirty, and very ugly. 
 
 Since we had left Basle, we had been 
 travelling through Alsace (ancient Ger- 
 many), in the department of the Haut Rhin. 
 A few miles farther, brought us into 
 the vicinity of very fine fresh pasture lands, 
 bordered by willows, and relieved by a 
 magnificently rich back ground of high 
 hills, clothed with young beech-trees, in- 
 termingled with oak. Here vast herds of 
 cattle were feeding ; close to the road, and 
 forming a sort of border to the meadows, 
 were extensive fields of potatoes, turnips, 
 
 Y
 
 322 8CHELESTAT. 
 
 cabbages, and broccoli, &e. without any 
 guard or inclosure: this (as I formerly 
 mentioned) spoke well for the honesty of 
 the poor people, and at all events proved 
 them to be enjoying a degree of ease and 
 plenty, as far as vegetable riches were 
 concerned. I remarked, in the hedges 
 here, the first honey-suckles I had seen 
 since leaving England, The costume of 
 the young infants in this part of the 
 world is very singular ; they all wear lit- 
 tle foundling-shaped caps of black velvet, 
 studded with gold spots, or of white, with 
 silver embroidery upon them, which has 
 a very strange effect to an English eye; 
 but among the French people there is such 
 an infinite variety of fanciful attire, that 
 nothing appears extraordinary or out of 
 the common way. 
 
 Passing through a small village, we saw 
 several groups of the peasantry, mingled 
 with the Austrian soldiery, all dressed in 
 in their gayest costume (it being Sunday 
 evening), and we caught the musical tones 
 of the slow German waltz, to which national 
 melody some of them were dancing. There
 
 SCHELESTAT. 323 
 
 was not the least appearance of riot or 
 disorder; they were blamelessly rejoicing 
 in the natural gaiety of their hearts, at the 
 close of that day whose forenoon had been 
 spent in the exercise of their religious duties ; 
 that day which is devoted, in some parts 
 of the world, to mere peaceful rest from 
 labour, unattended with any demonstration 
 of hilarity : in others, to a puritanical 
 gloom, and rigid formality ; but in this, to 
 cheerful, social intercourse, and the enjoy- 
 ment of a harmless mode of exercise I 
 say harmless, because the waltz is not 
 looked upon by the natives here in at all 
 the same light as it sometimes is, in the 
 higher ranks of English society ; and it is the 
 only dance with which they are acquainted. 
 How weak and absurd, how really wicked 
 is the intolerance which leads people to 
 condemn or quarrel with their fellow crea- 
 tures, for the different points of view under 
 which they regard this same day! Al- 
 though I cannot quote Sterne as a moralist 
 in all cases, I certainly do most sincerely 
 coincide with him in his sentiments relative 
 to religious feeling, as expressed in that
 
 324 SCHELESTAT. 
 
 chapter of his " Sentimental Journey," 
 called " The Grace." At the same time I 
 am perfectly aware that a similar method 
 of passing the Sunday evening, after the 
 service of the day is fulfilled, would not be 
 advisable (even were it possible to try the 
 experiment), in our own country. It does 
 not agree with the character and habits of 
 the nation ; and the. lower orders of people, 
 (in the present state of existing circum- 
 stances), would assuredly debase it by every 
 species of vice and immorality. They re- 
 quire a strongly marked line to be laid 
 down, as a rule of right, from which all 
 deviation would probably be dangerous. 
 Considering the subject in this light, I 
 should therefore be concerned to behold 
 any great change attempted in the manner 
 of spending the Sunday evening, and would 
 certainly not be the first person to put myself 
 forward in the outward display of different 
 opinions to the generality of individuals 
 in the country, and under the government 
 to which I belong. We all owe an ex- 
 ample, which may be salutary to our in- 
 feriors and dependents.
 
 ST. MARIE AUX MINES. 825 
 
 At St. Marie aux Mines we were obliged 
 to take five horses to the carriage, as the 
 road beyond that place was very moun- 
 tainous. We had the mental refreshment 
 of observing numbers of sweetly pretty 
 women here, all dressed with native taste 
 and neatness ; the children also were en- 
 gaging in their appearance, and the men 
 generally good-looking. French is almost 
 universally spoken among them. 
 
 Ascending les montagnes de St. Marie 
 aux Mines, the scenery presented a beau- 
 tiful melange of wood and rock ; the road 
 likewise was excellent. We admired the 
 way in which the postillions managed their 
 horses, walking, the whole of the ascent, 
 by their side, but obliging them to main- 
 tain an unrelaxing steady pace, and this 
 by words alone : the poor animals were 
 almost as intelligent as their drivers, 
 obeying them with the utmost readiness 
 and alacrity. I must here indulge my- 
 self in marvelling at that perversion of 
 every generous and rational feeling, which 
 leads man to torture and abuse these 
 generous, noble creatures. I have before
 
 326 ST. DIEZ. 
 
 mentioned, that the conduct of the French 
 drivers to their horses is highly praise- 
 worthy. The sleek comely appearance 
 of the post-horses throughout France, as 
 well as the state of their feet, evinces that 
 they are well fed and kindly treated, and 
 during our whole tour, we met with no in- 
 stance of brutality among the postillions. 
 These roads have been greatly improved 
 by the present king. 
 
 We arrived to a late supper at St. Diez, 
 where we slept. We were not disposed to 
 quarrel with la Poste for being a true country 
 inn : the host had not been spoiled by 
 too many English travellers, those Milords 
 Anglais, of whose proverbial riches every 
 aubergiste imagines he has a right to take 
 advantage, and who in consequence render 
 humbler voyageurs of other nations ready 
 to execrate their very names. We were 
 taken for Germans, and found our bills 
 reasonable and moderate in consequence. 
 The maitresse de la maisoji was a kind- 
 hearted, natural little bourgeoise, and very 
 proud of her only child (a fine infant of 
 nine or ten months), which she brought to
 
 ST. DIEZ. 327 
 
 shew us, in hopes of its being admired and 
 praised. Mothers, in higher life than this 
 poor woman, are deeply sensible to the 
 charms of this species of flattery ; and, even 
 when they know it to be flattery, are hardly 
 ever able to resist feeling pleased and pro- 
 pitiated thereby. For myself, I plead 
 guilty at once. The amount of our charges 
 at St. Diez it may perhaps be as well to 
 mention : for supper (which was a good 
 one), beds, apartments, wine, fruit, lemon- 
 ade, and breakfast the next morning, we 
 three persons did not pay more than twelve 
 English shillings. 
 
 We started from hence at eight o'clock 
 the following day, and found the road for 
 the first stage mountainous and woody. 
 Most of the cottages were ugly (as usual), 
 and the inhabitants appeared dirty and la- 
 mentably poor. For the two or three fol- 
 lowing stages the country grew perceptibly 
 flatter, and more open ; the highway began 
 to resume the old French line of undeviat- 
 ing straightness, and avenues of puny seed- 
 ling trees were planted by its side. Large 
 (or rather vast) tracts of arable land, in all
 
 328 MENILFLIN. 
 
 the baldness of a recent harvest, spread their 
 tawny surface around, and the whole pre- 
 sented a picture of monotony that was far 
 from agreeable. 
 
 All the people in this part of France 
 seemed attached to the memory of Bona- 
 parte. The postmaster at Menilflin had a 
 conversation with the gentlemen upon the 
 subject. He said that " the nation enter- 
 tained a good opinion of the private virtues 
 of Louis XVIII., and wished him well ; but 
 it was impossible not to renvember what 
 vast improvements of various sorts Bona- 
 parte had introduced, what noble works he 
 had achieved, and to what a pitch of mili- 
 tary glory he had raised the country." He 
 then asked, with some appearance of re- 
 proach, " Why the English kept him so bar- 
 barously immured in a dreadful prison?'* 
 All attempt to soften this representation 
 of Napoleon's present circumstances seemed 
 of no avail ; our host only shook his head, 
 and seemed to entertain a very strong per- 
 suasion of the needless cruelty of the Bri- 
 tish nation. 
 
 BeyondMenilflin the scene again changed
 
 LUNEVILLE. 329 
 
 to a view of pasture lands, with hills and 
 woods in the distance ; and upon approach- 
 ing the latter we found they were chiefly 
 of oak. The potatoe was here generally 
 cultivated, and in great quantities. For- 
 merly the French despised this fine vege- 
 table, but at present they are fully sensible 
 of its importance. 
 
 Just beyond the large town of Luneville 
 there were many vineyards, and a profusion 
 of walnut-trees. The vines were planted 
 alternately with the potatoe, in patches, 
 and the contrast of the two different shades 
 of green was singular, and not unpleasing. 
 Beggars at this time began to make their 
 reappearance, clamouring, in the old cant, 
 at the windows of the carriage. 
 
 We now passed through a landscape of 
 wonderful richness and verdure, and en- 
 joyed a succession of woods and vineyards 
 for many miles. It was the time of les ven- 
 danges. Every waggon we met was loaded 
 with grapes, and every peasant was reeling 
 under the weight of a large wooden bucket 
 (as long as himself) filled with the same 
 luxuriant and picturesque burden. Groups
 
 330 NANCY. 
 
 of young children followed, each, like a little 
 Bacchus, holding a ripe cluster in its hand, 
 attended by several women carrying bas- 
 kets of the fruit, and all of them singing, 
 laughing, and warmly enjoying the cheer- 
 ful scene. 
 
 We reached Nancy to dinner. This is a 
 large, clean, and very handsome town, and 
 the streets are much broader than in most 
 foreign ones. They resounded, as the even- 
 ing advanced, with joyous songs in chorus, 
 sung (often in parts with considerable ac- 
 curacy) by the common people, in honour 
 of les vendanges ; but their mirth soon be- 
 came rather too loud for refined ears, as 
 they shouted (men and women together) 
 at ''the utmost pitch of their voices, a sort 
 of recitative and chorus, dancing at the 
 same time en ronde, and frequently min- 
 gling shrill bursts of laughter and shrieks 
 with this wild and extraordinary harmony. 
 Every one of the garpons of our inn ran 
 out in the street to join the peasantry in the 
 maddening dance. Altogether it was a per- 
 fect bacchanalian festival, strongly resem- 
 bling those ancient rites in honour of the
 
 NANCY. 831 
 
 rosy god mentioned in the pagan mythology. 
 We went iii the evening to the theatre, to 
 see Baptiste (from Paris), who is reckoned 
 one of the best French actors in comedy, 
 and who performed here for one night only. 
 The piece was a little comic pastoral, in- 
 terspersed with music, butBaptiste's role was 
 far too trifling for us to form any just idea 
 of his talents but how extraordinary it 
 is that this nation, from time immemorial to 
 the present day, should have been so totally 
 ignorant of the true genius of vocal music. 
 Rousseau's well-known opinion (in his letter 
 from St. Preux to Julie, upon the differ- 
 ence of Italian and French taste in singing) 
 came into my head more than once, and I 
 most sincerely wished that the French wfjild 
 always confine themselves to what they so 
 particularly excel in, the dance : their songs 
 make the same sort of impression upon my 
 mind, when compared with the beautiful 
 productions of the Italian school, that a 
 Savoyard cretin would do, if placed by the 
 side of an Apollo Belvidere. 
 
 The theatre at Nancy was large, and the
 
 332 THOUL. 
 
 decorations and machinery tolerably good. 
 It was the only one that we had seen illu- 
 minated in the boxes as well as upon the 
 stage, a lustre being suspended above the 
 pit, which shed a very pleasant light over 
 all the house. 
 
 The next day, Sept. 30, we pursued our 
 route. There is a beautiful Grecian gate- 
 way at this end of the town, which is wor- 
 thy of every traveller's observation. 
 
 The road from hence was in a straight 
 line with a tiresome avenue, as usual (note 
 S.), and led us through a fine wood of 
 beech and other trees (none of them of 
 large growth); but it lost nearly all pic- 
 turesque effect, from the vicinity of this 
 artificial avenue, and the unbending line of 
 the highway. The country for many miles 
 is very open, bounded by hills, and bearing 
 some resemblance to the county of Wilt- 
 shire. 
 
 Thoul, a pretty town, stands in the 
 midst of wide plains, a small hill covered 
 with vines sheltering it on one side. It 
 is decorated with long rows of formal
 
 THOUL. 333 
 
 stiff poplars, above which tower the spires 
 of its large cathedral. The river Moselle 
 runs near this place, an inconsiderable tame 
 little stream, whose banks can boast no 
 kind of beauty. 
 
 The town was adorned by several vine- 
 yards and kitchen-gardens, fuU of well-cul- 
 tivated vegetables and fruit ; but the coun- 
 try beyond it was wide, flat, and insipid, for a 
 considerable distance. At length we had the 
 agreeable variety of entering a remarkably 
 pretty, wild looking wood of young beech- 
 trees, where we observed an ancient, lone, 
 white mansion, greatly fallen to decay, yet 
 evidently inhabited, and surrounded by 
 gardens and walls for fruit, of large size 
 and height: the latter also, as well as 
 the house, much dilapidated. The wood, 
 closing round on all sides, gave it an air 
 of singularity and romance; nor could I 
 restrain my fancy (during a subsequent 
 uninteresting drive) from tracing the plan 
 of a little novel sort of history, relative 
 to the inhabitants of this solitude. How 
 delightfully would the late Charlotte Smith 
 have done the same thing ! All her novels
 
 334 LIGNY. 
 
 (putting on one side her passion for demo- 
 cracy, and her blind prejudices in favour 
 of the Americans) interest my feelings 
 extremely. They have a tone of elegant 
 pathos (far removed from the sickly whine 
 of affected sensibility) peculiar to them- 
 selves, and with many palpable faults are 
 altogether bewitching. I am not singular 
 in this taste, having, I believe, the honour 
 of acquiescing hi the opinion of some of the 
 best judges. 
 
 We were now close upon the borders 
 of Champaigne. Immense woods extended 
 in every direction, yet they were not suf- 
 ficiently near, to vary the landscape agree- 
 ably. As far as the eye could distinctly 
 reach, nothing but vast uninclosed stubble 
 fields appeared in view. 
 
 Ligny, a large tow r n (surrounded by vine- 
 yards), dull and dead-looking, and unen- 
 livened by any attempt at costume among 
 the inhabitants. There are large manufac- 
 tories of cotton here. 
 
 We dined and slept at Bar le Due, a 
 cheerful, neat town : inn (au Cigne), where 
 we met with excellent accommodations.
 
 BAR LE DUC. 335 
 
 At dinner we were attended by a merry 
 active paysanne : she brought us some 
 of the wine to taste, of this year's vintage. 
 It was then in its first state, previous 
 to fermentation, and much resembled sweet 
 cyder fresh from the press. When properly 
 clarified, and ripened by age, it would 
 turn out, we were told, to be a strong 
 bodied red wine. This town, for the last 
 few years, had been successively occupied 
 by soldiers of all nations, French, Prussians, 
 Kussians, Austrians, and Cossacks : the girl 
 persisted in calling the latter Turques, and 
 told us that during the time of their stjour 
 here, all the young paysannes of the neigh- 
 bourhood had been carefully concealed 
 (herself among the number), by their 
 mothers : she said that at that period she 
 had not entered service, but was living at 
 home with mam an. We observed maman 
 to be the usual title of all mothers, even in 
 the lowest class of people, and that it was 
 used by the grown up daughters (in speak- 
 ing of them), contrary to our English cus- 
 tom, where the term is a refinement, and 
 not much adopted, except by the little
 
 336 BAR LE DUC. 
 
 denisons of the nursery: the unlimited 
 power of mamans of all classes now appears 
 to be very happily moderated and reduced ; 
 a great moral improvement which has taken 
 place in France in consequence of the 
 Revolution. The unprincipled system of 
 parents arranging the marriages of the 
 children, independent of their own choice 
 or consent, which existed during the ajicien 
 regime, being nearly abolished, and con- 
 sequent crime and misery connected with 
 it, much diminished. I was happy to learn, 
 from one of the most enlightened and 
 sensible persons at Geneva, that since that 
 awful bouleversement, conjugal attachment 
 and fidelity, together with a taste for do- 
 mestic pleasures, had rapidly increased, and 
 this even in Paris itself. I was assured 
 that the English (judging of the whole 
 from their experience of a part) have formed 
 an erroneous idea of the general immo- 
 rality of French families, particularly in fan- 
 cying that their national and innate love 
 of amusement (springing from climate, 
 constitution, and other causes), interfered 
 improperly with, or was preferred to the
 
 BAR LE DUC. 337 
 
 duties of husband and parent. This de- 
 fence of the French nation (prompted by 
 a benevolent love of truth and candour) 
 appeared particularly amiable, coming as it 
 did from persons, whose government, re- 
 ligious opinions, and habits of life, were so 
 very different. 
 
 Leaving Bar le Due, October 1st, we 
 proceeded through several woods, and found 
 the face of the country more varied and 
 agreeable than during the journey of yes- 
 terday : there was an appearance of cleanli- 
 ness and comfort in this town, not often 
 met with in France : the dress of the in- 
 habitants and the neatness of the shops 
 bore a nearer resemblance to an English 
 country town than any we had yet seen. 
 It is situated on the river Ornaine, and is as 
 generally called Bar sur Ornaine as Bar le 
 Due. Being on the high road to Stras- 
 burg, we met with many German travel- 
 lers, and were ourselves now, as well as for- 
 merly, frequently mistaken for natives of 
 that country: the similarity of language, 
 and perhaps of features and complexion, 
 will naturally account for it. 
 
 z
 
 338 VITRI SUR MARNE. 
 
 We soon entered Champagne, and con- 
 tinually met bands of joyous peasants 
 gathering the rich produce of the widely 
 extended vineyards. This is the only pro- 
 vince throughout France where the grape 
 of which this wine is made will grow, and 
 there must be, I should imagine, some 
 great peculiarity of soil. The vintage, 
 universally, was finer than had been known 
 for years. It is generally remarked, that 
 neither in Paris, nor in any other place 
 upon the continent, is wine to be met 
 with of that very superior quality, which 
 it is usual to find in England; no other 
 nation can afford so high a price. 
 
 In the vicinity of Vitri sur Marne, the 
 country can scarcely be said to be the coun- 
 try, if trees, green fields, hiUs, and dales, 
 give a right to that appellation. Nothing 
 but one vast boundless uninclosed surface 
 of stubble was to be seen. It reminded me 
 (in point of monotonous effect) of the plain 
 in the Palais de la Veriti (mentioned by 
 Madame de Genlis), where a fairy con- 
 demns the fickle-minded Azelie to remain 
 for years, in order to cure her of a passion
 
 CHALONS SUR MARNK 
 
 for variety. During this wearisome journey, 
 I know not what we should have done 
 without Moliere. Fortunately we had him 
 in the carriage, and I need not say what an 
 enlivening compagnon du voyage he was. 
 Turning our eyes therefore from the " dull 
 realities" of the scene around, we were 
 soon lost in an imaginary world, full of 
 bright creations and amusing conceptions. 
 
 We dined and slept at Chalons sur 
 Marne, where we met with tolerable ac- 
 commodations, but were charged very ex- 
 travagantly, at la Cloche d'Or. We left 
 it at half past six the next morning, and 
 found the road equally uninteresting: I 
 could hardly have formed an accurate idea 
 of the bald sort of ugliness of a great 
 portion of France, had I not thus witnessed 
 its effect. The usual absence of costume 
 continued, and there was nothing to break 
 the dulness, or to give a ray of animation 
 to the scene. 
 
 We now and then passed through vil- 
 lages, built formally in a long street, with 
 the high road running between the houses ; 
 dirty, ugly, tasteless, and mean ! no gardens,
 
 340 CHALONS SUR MARNE. 
 
 consequently neither fruit nor vegetables 
 to be seen, and as there was no appearance 
 of trees for such an immense number of 
 miles, we were at a loss to conceive how 
 the wretched inhabitants warmed them- 
 selves sufficiently, during the winter, ex- 
 cept from the heaps of cinder dirt, at some 
 of their doors, which proved that coals 
 were burned there ; not a very common 
 circumstance in France. Troops of beggar 
 children now ran after us, bold, audacious, 
 and filthy in the extreme ; all our charitable 
 feelings froze in a moment. 
 
 The farther we proceeded, the wider 
 seemed to extend the vast and barren de- 
 sert that surrounded us ; never can I forget 
 the disgust and ennui which assailed us in 
 consequence. We tried to awaken our 
 powers of conversation, when wearied by 
 long continued reading, but it was a vain 
 attempt. Imagination seemed extinguished, 
 and our minds experienced a degree of 
 stagnation impossible to describe. After 
 passing through this country, I must be 
 allowed to differ, for the rest of my life, 
 from those theoretical reasoners, who think
 
 CHALONS SUR MARNE. 341 
 
 it is even a point of morality to maintain, 
 that the mental powers are not influenced 
 by local impressions. I am convinced 
 Madame de Genlis took her idea of the 
 redoubted plain in her Palais de la Veriti 
 before mentioned, from Jiaving travelled 
 through this part of her native country; 
 for surely she would never have discovered 
 its parallel in any other: even in the 
 deserts of Arabia the traveller finds a 
 species of sublimity, and undergoes perils, 
 which at all events prevent his suffering 
 from ennui. 
 
 In many of the villages (in all parts of 
 France) we observed the sign of " Saint 
 Nicholas." He is a very popular saint 
 among this nation, and must have been a 
 man of taste, as he stands forth the patron 
 of all the young unmarried damsels, pre- 
 siding over every noce, and fete de village. 
 He has chosen a most amusing metier 
 altogether, thereby proceeding upon a far 
 more rational and sensible plan than some 
 of his brethren, many of whom have made 
 it their business to frown upon the enjoy- 
 ments of mankind, and who pretend that
 
 342 RHEIMS. 
 
 the only way to merit heaven in the next 
 world, is to make a purgatory of this. 
 Fortunately their unhappy followers are 
 but few, (comparatively speaking) ; for the 
 great body of the people, in all ages, seem 
 to be of Sir Toby Belch's opinion, when 
 Shakespeare makes him indignantly exclaim 
 to his formal censor Malvolio, " what ! 
 dost think that because thou art virtuous, 
 there shall be no more cakes and ale ?" 
 These Roman catholic puritans, let it be 
 remembered, have the honour of being 
 imitated very closely by many a worthy 
 English heretic. 
 
 It was a great relief to us to enter Rheims, 
 where we took a luncheon, and afterwards 
 walked about the town, and saw the grand 
 gothic cathedral. The facade of this build- 
 ing is most superbly beautiful; the fret 
 work, carving, and imagery, are in some re- 
 spects superior to those of the Duomo at 
 Milan ; although the edifice is of a less 
 precious material, much smaller, and in a 
 different taste altogether. The interior is 
 grandly simple, the windows of the most 
 magnificent old stained glass, in patterns of
 
 RHEIMS. 343 
 
 infinite variety, and of the most glowing 
 colours. But the outside of this cathedral 
 is by far more imposing than any other 
 part, and I was rather discomposed upon 
 being obliged to acknowledge that our 
 Westminster Abbey is extremely inferior 
 in every way. Here the ancient monarchs 
 of France used to be crowned (as books of 
 juvenile information have duly informed 
 us), and we could scarcely^ imagine a finer 
 place for such sort of spectacles. The portal 
 was built in the thirteenth century, and 
 the other parts as far back as about the 
 seventh or eighth. 
 
 We did not remark any thing particu- 
 larly worth notice in the town (which is 
 nevertheless very large), and the only thing 
 which struck us forcibly was the general 
 ugliness of the bourgeoises, and also the pay- 
 sannes of the environs. The country be- 
 yond was exactly in the same wearisome 
 character with what we had already passed, 
 and the road for many miles extremely bad. 
 
 Owing to repeated delays about horses, 
 we did not arrive at Laon until nine o'clock 
 in the evening, by which means we lost the
 
 344 LAON. 
 
 view of the two last stages before reaching 
 that place, where the country is said to im- 
 prove in a very striking manner, swelling 
 occasionally into lofty hills, enriched with 
 wood. 
 
 Laon is built upon an abrupt and rocky 
 eminence, shaded by trees, and command- 
 ing a very extensive bird's-eye prospect of 
 the surrounding country. There was a high 
 appearance of cultivation and fertility of 
 soil, while the immediate vicinity of vine- 
 yards, filled with cheerful groups of people, 
 was very enlivening; but no costume was 
 to be observed except the almost univer- 
 sal cross worn round the necks of the wo- 
 men*. Our inn (ci la Hure) was ex- 
 tremely well appointed; the host an at- 
 tentive, civil old man, and we were waited 
 upon with celerity and good humour by 
 
 * This town is memorable for the sanguinary contests 
 between Blucher and the French army, during which it 
 was taken and retaken several times. The epicure will 
 here find the best grenouilles in France : we did not 
 chance to meet with this delicacy, nor with another, 
 which, however common here, does not exactly accord 
 Wth the taste of John Bull, viz. snails.
 
 LAON. 345 
 
 two young paysannes, who appeared to 
 think no exertion too much which could 
 contribute in any way to the comfort of 
 the guests. One of them (like most French 
 servants) chatted in a natural intelligent 
 manner, was full of frolic and glee, ready 
 to laugh at every thing, carolling with 
 the gaiety of a lark, in all parts of the 
 house, and seeming with difficulty to re- 
 strain herself from dancing at the same 
 time : all this (as I once before mentioned) 
 without the least degree of immodesty. 
 What a wide difference exists between the 
 ideas of a French and English woman in this 
 situation of life, on the score of what is 
 called propriety ; a vague term, and change- 
 able as the chamelion in its nature, however 
 some worthy folks may suppose it confined 
 solely to one shape, and one definite mean- 
 ing. The sense of female honour among 
 the country girls of France, so far from 
 being too lax, or but little regarded, seems, 
 on the contrary, to be particularly correct, 
 and I have taken some pains in my inquiries 
 upon this point. The loss of fair fame is 
 rare, and always accompanied by the ut-
 
 346 LAON. 
 
 most disgrace and ignominy ; so much so, 
 that one young woman (whose heart was, I 
 am sure, upon her lips) told me, " that if 
 such a circumstance occurred, the unfor- 
 tunate girl had much better be dead at 
 once ; for she never would be looked upon 
 again by her youthful companions." Let 
 it, therefore, be remembered, to the credit 
 of the French, that innocence is perfectly 
 compatible with a lively freedom of man- 
 ner, and that virtue can be firmly main- 
 tained, although unshackled by the re- 
 straints of primness and formality. I am 
 now convinced that climate has a great deal 
 more influence upon our feelings and con- 
 duct than I was once inclined to think. The 
 chilly fogs and heavy weight of atmosphere in 
 England do certainly affect, in some measure, 
 the mental faculties of her children, render- 
 ing their ideas of morality needlessly gloomy 
 and strict. I judge (in part) from my own 
 occasional sensations. I never feel in so 
 cheerful and happy a frame of mind, so 
 willing to be candid, and to look upon per- 
 sons and things in the most favourable 
 light, as during a fine clear sunshiny day.
 
 LAON. 347 
 
 Au contraire, there have been .moments in 
 the cold, humidity, and dark gloom of win- 
 ter, when I have been shocked and ashamed 
 at perceiving my sentiments involuntarily 
 narrowing into prejudices, and my spirits 
 saddening in proportion. It has required 
 a strong exertion of reason to get the better 
 of such feelings, and even to divest myself 
 of an idea of their being in some degree 
 meritorious. 
 
 I now hasten to continue the narrative 
 of our route from Laon to Cambray, which 
 was a day's journey. The road for the first 
 stage presented us with a welcome variety 
 of landscape, hills, dales, copses, shady vil- 
 lages, and fertile fields. Never did we see 
 such a profusion of fine apples as were grow- 
 ing here, on each side of the way. The pea- 
 sants were gathering them as we passed, 
 and heaps of this rosy, tempting fruit 
 were piled up in hillocks beneath the 
 trees from which they had just been taken. 
 They were even strewed by thousands on 
 the grass around, and were perpetually 
 rolling into the road under the wheels of 
 our carriage. Such a triumph of Pomona
 
 348 LAON. 
 
 it is really difficult to imagine without 
 having seen its animating effect ! We 
 stopt to purchase some, and found them 
 truly delicious ; spirited, juicy, and pos- 
 sessing all the acid sweetness of cham- 
 paigne. We remarked the soil in which 
 these trees so peculiarly flourished : it con- 
 sisted of a loose, light, sandy earth, with a 
 mixture of clay; but in those parts of Eng- 
 land where they thrive best, I understand 
 that the soil is of a redder earth, with not 
 nearly so large a proportion of sand. For 
 what are called common fruits and flowers 
 I have ever entertained a preference, and 
 for the latter I have almost a passion. The 
 richest collection of rare exotics do not 
 make the same agreeable and soothing im- 
 pression upon my imagination as the un- 
 pretending garden which my mother for- 
 merly cultivated in Surrey, or that of a 
 dear and excellent friend, in which from 
 childhood I have ever delighted, and 
 where the common flowers of each season, 
 fruits, vegetables, herbs, and shrubs, flou- 
 rish together, in defiance of the more re- 
 fined arrangements of modern days. I recol-
 
 CAM BRAY. 349 
 
 lect the simple charms of her sitting-room 
 windows (shadowed by the climbing honey- 
 suckle and sweetbriar), and those of my 
 mother's pretty doorway, half lost in a thick 
 bower of clematis, with the liveliest feel- 
 ings of pleasure, while I have totally for- 
 gotten a hundred prouder boudoirs, rich in 
 the odours of tuberose, cape jessamine, night- 
 blowing geraniums, and other splendid ex- 
 travagancies. 
 
 The country for the last stage before we 
 reached St. Quentin (a strong-built large 
 town) was very fast relapsing into the bald- 
 ness of that which had so lately annoyed 
 us ; but the peasantry were generally much 
 better looking, cleaner, and altogether gayer 
 in their appearance. This place is in the 
 direct road from Paris to Brussels. We 
 arrived at Cambray to supper, slept, and 
 breakfasted there the next morning, when 
 we proceeded towards the coast. The inn 
 was not very comfortable, although we had 
 the best apartments in the house. It was 
 a very striking and singular spectacle to be- 
 hold, as we now did, English sentinels on 
 duty at the drawbridges of this town, and
 
 350 CAMBRAY. 
 
 an encampment of the same troops just 
 beneath its walls. How would John Bull 
 have writhed and raged with shame and 
 grief, if the scene had been exhibited vice 
 versa in our own country ? Can we then 
 (with any pretence to candour and justice) 
 affect to wonder at the deep-felt disgust 
 and dislike of the French towards us ? 
 
 We saw the fine regiments of our foot 
 guards, and the 95th. or sharpshooters, here. 
 All the men looked clean, bright, and 
 cheerful, and most of them were decorated 
 with Waterloo medals. Our hearts sensibly 
 warmed at sight of the well-remembered 
 countenance of our countrymen, and (with- 
 out any degree of unjust partiality) we 
 could not but be forcibly struck with the 
 superiority of appearance and deportment 
 displayed by our English officers, when we 
 compared them with all the French whom we 
 had had an opportunity of observing. There 
 is, I think (generally speaking), a greater 
 suavity and benevolence in the manners of 
 a Frenchman of birth and education ; there 
 is a higher degree of polish in his address ; 
 but in point of personal appearance I must
 
 CAM BRAY. 351 
 
 decidedly award the preference to our manly, 
 graceful, dignified countrymen. An En- 
 glish gentleman (in the true acceptation of 
 the word) is the flower of the world. I do 
 not mean to discuss at length, the different 
 moral virtues and mental perfections of 
 either nation. I have neither time nor 
 sufficient experience and information for 
 such a task ; but of this I am convinced, 
 " that the head and heart of our country- 
 men (taking their fairest specimens) may 
 sustain a comparison with those of any 
 other race of men upon this habitable 
 globe, and fail not to come forth with ho- 
 nour and credit from the investigation." Of 
 the bourgeoisie of each country I cannot 
 pretend to judge ; but with respect to the 
 unsophisticated peasantry, I feel by no 
 means clear that the superiority lies on our 
 side. We were informed that a great many 
 of the English soldiers at Cambray, and 
 elsewhere, had taken wives from among the 
 paysannes, but that the petit es bourgeoises 
 did not listen so favourably to their vows. 
 Every where we had the gratification of 
 hearing praises of the orderly, quiet, and
 
 352 DOtTAY. 
 
 moderate behaviour of the British regi- 
 ments. 
 
 The country beyond this town, for a con- 
 siderable distance, was uninteresting, and 
 the lesser towns and villages were very 
 ugly. What was wanting in trees seemed 
 to be made up in windmills, which spread 
 their long arms abroad in every direction. 
 Had Don Quixote been alive, and travel- 
 ling this road, he would have found himself 
 in the predicament of poor Arlechino, dans 
 Vembarras des richesses. 
 
 We now passed through Douay, a clean, 
 gay-looking, strong-built town. It was more 
 than usually alive, from the circumstance of 
 a fair which was going on in the market- 
 place. Among the different articles ex- 
 posed for sale, I was struck by the cotton 
 handkerchiefs worn by the paysannes. Their 
 richness and beauty of colour were very re- 
 markable, the dyes being brilliant beyond 
 any that we possess, and the patterns very 
 fanciful and pretty. Here the women adopt 
 the same picturesque double gold drops in 
 the ears, as those of Calais ; wearing like- 
 wise richly-worked heavy crosses upon the
 
 LILLE. 353 
 
 bosom, and long loose cloaks, made of co- 
 loured linen or black silk, frilled round, 
 with a very deep hood. Two pretty little 
 girls, from twelve to thirteen years of age, 
 had a highly graceful effect, as they passed 
 through the crowd, in white gauze or muslin 
 veils, extremely transparent, and reaching 
 to the ground, thrown carelessly over their 
 heads. They appeared like young sylphs, 
 flitting in all their purity among the gayer, 
 yet grosser, figures which surrounded them. 
 We arrived in very good time at 
 Lille (frequently spelt Lisle), and entered 
 through a most beautiful gateway of Tuscan 
 architecture. This town is extensive, well 
 built, lively, and interesting: there are 
 excellent shops, with signs of the most fan- 
 ciful and ingenious devices, like those of 
 Paris. This place is reckoned impregnable, 
 and the citadel is of wonderful strength, 
 being the masterpiece of Vauban, the cele- 
 brated engineer. Our inn (I'hotel de Bour- 
 bon) was very comfortable in every respect, 
 except that we were bitten by bugs. They, 
 however, are so common in various parts 
 of the continent that the traveller must 
 
 A A
 
 354 LILLE. 
 
 make up his mind to bear with them as 
 things of course. We were amused by the 
 humour of a valet de place here, who was also 
 hair-dresser and barber : he was a true dis- 
 ciple of the renowned Vicar of Bray, having 
 squared his politics according to every 
 change in the government, and contrived 
 to thrive equally under all. He assured us 
 (as if he had been enumerating his virtues) 
 that Vive la liber 1 6 ! vive Napoleon ! or 
 vwent les Bourbons ! was all the same thing 
 to him ; and he had constantly held himself 
 in readiness to call out for each, provided 
 they left heads enough for him to find hair 
 to friz, and beards to mow. His counte- 
 nance made us laugh the moment he ap- 
 peared, being the counterpart of Liston's, 
 with that peculiar expression of niaiserie 
 which is so irresistibly ludicrous in him. 
 It was no wonder that we were amazed by 
 the number of windmills in the environs of 
 this town ; for we learnt that there were no 
 less than two hundred used in making oil,&c. 
 We quitted Lille the next morning, and 
 in changing horses at Bailleul we dis- 
 covered that the cap and linchpin of the
 
 CASSEL. 355 
 
 axletree had fallen off. They were found 
 about a quarter of a mile behind us ; and 
 it was very extraordinary that this acci- 
 dent did not occasion our overturn, as 
 the wheel had really no support. The coun- 
 try now began to improve in point of 
 trees and verdure, but still wore an air of 
 formality. A disagreeable patois is spoken 
 here. 
 
 The approach to Cassel was very pretty; 
 the trees gradually lost their prim re- 
 gularity, and formed a rich wood, which 
 entirely covered a high hill, called Mont 
 Cassel. It is the only one in the Nether- 
 lands, and commands a most extensive 
 view : no less than twenty-two fortified 
 towns may be discerned from it. Most of 
 the cottages in these environs are thatched, 
 and resemble those in England, each having 
 a little garden (inclosed by neat hedges) 
 full of vegetables. From the summit of the 
 above-mentioned hill, we were much pleased 
 by a prospect of great fertility, and some 
 beauty. Seen from this distance, the arti- 
 ficial mode of planting the trees was not dis- 
 tinguished, and they had a very luxuriant 
 
 A A 2
 
 356 ST. OMER. 
 
 woody effect altogether. Just at the en- 
 trance of Cassel is a churchyard, in which 
 we observed a tall crucifix, with a wooden 
 image of our Saviour, larger than life, painted 
 flesh colour, and having a stream of blood 
 flowing from the side (made of a long strip 
 of wire, standing far out in a curve from 
 the body), and which was caught in a cup 
 by another clumsy image (Dutch built) re- 
 presenting a cherubim. The latter was sus- 
 pended in the air, by some contrivance (not 
 discoverable at that distance), so as to ap- 
 pear flying. Nothing could well be more 
 absurd, or in a worse taste ! 
 
 We dined and slept at St. Omer, a large 
 town. We found at the inn (fancienne 
 Poste) very comfortable accommodations; 
 but it was full of English officers, who 
 had a mess there, and in consequence we 
 could not get a morsel to eat, or a creature 
 to attend upon us, till these messieurs were 
 first served. They were assembled there 
 in readiness for a ball, which was to take 
 place somewhere in the town, at night. 
 
 Suffering under the sharpest pangs of 
 hunger, we felt the warmth of our feelings
 
 PICARDY. 357 
 
 towards our compatriots rather decreasing ; 
 but we recovered our nationality after din- 
 ner. .The next morning we went on to Calais. 
 It was rather a pretty drive the first two 
 stages ; the country woody, and the villages 
 much neater than usual. No costume, 
 however, made its appearance (except the 
 long ear-ring and cross), neither could we 
 observe any beauty. 
 
 We breakfasted this morning at the small 
 post-house of Ardres. The old dame there 
 told us that the behaviour of the British 
 troops had been most exemplary, and that 
 they would be missed and regretted by 
 some among the natives. 
 
 We were now in Picardy, which we un- 
 derstood was more infested with beggars 
 than most other provinces. Some half 
 starved children ran after the carriage, 
 screaming the popular air of Vive Henri 
 Quatre. We gave them a sous or two, 
 purely for the sake of that pre de son 
 peuple, whose memory is yet green in their 
 hearts. It is in comparing his species 
 of greatness with that of Napoleon, that 
 I am most forcibly impressed with the
 
 358 PICARDY. 
 
 inferiority of the latter. The union of 
 talent and benevolence in a sovereign (like 
 that of judgment and imagination in an 
 author) seems almost indispensable ; and, at 
 all events, there can be no perfection of cha- 
 racter without it. How awfully requisite 
 are both these qualities in the head of an 
 absolute monarchy, and how devoutly to be 
 wished for, even under the less extensively 
 important influence which (like our own) is 
 limited by the laws of the constitution. 
 Those persons, who, from a timid sort of 
 morality, would exalt mere goodness, in 
 opposition to superior talent, seem to me 
 to be thereby counteracting the influence 
 of the very principle upon which they pro- 
 fess to act. Those, on the other hand, who 
 adopt the contrary mode of reasoning are 
 yet worse, for they assert an opinion which 
 is in direct defiance of humanity, morality, 
 and religion. Comparing Napoleon with 
 some of his crowned cotemporaries, I must 
 confess that my admiration of him alarm- 
 ingly increases ; but place him by the side 
 of Henri quatre, and he sinks at once. 
 Madame de Stael has beautifully and justly
 
 CALAIS. 359 
 
 expressed my own sentiments ; I must in- 
 dulge myself in quoting her eloquent lan- 
 guage. Speaking of another political tyrant, 
 (Cardinal Kichelieu) she remarks, " On a 
 beaucoup vante le talent de ce ministre, 
 parce qu'il a maintenu la grandeur politique 
 de la France; et sous ce rapport, on ne 
 scauroit lui refuser des talens superieurs! 
 Mais Henri quatre atteignoit au meme but, 
 en gouvernant par des principes de justice 
 et de verite ! Le genie se manifeste non 
 seulement dans le triomphe qu'on rem- 
 porte, mais dans les moyens qu'on a pris 
 pour Pobtenir." 
 
 Upon approaching Calais, we felt our 
 courage quail beneath the idea of the pass- 
 age to Dover, which was now so near at 
 hand ; but as it never answers any rational 
 purpose to dwell upon disagreeables which 
 are inevitable, and as this transient purga- 
 tory was the only means of attaining the 
 paradise of English comforts that awaited 
 us on the other side of the water, we 
 made up our minds, and prepared for 
 our fate with becoming resolution. We 
 were very fortunate in arriving at Quil-
 
 360 CALAIS. 
 
 liac's early in the day, as we had an op- 
 portunity of taking possession of a most 
 comfortable suite of apartments, which 
 would not have fallen to our share, half an 
 hour later ; for the concourse of equipages 
 which soon followed ours into the inn-yard 
 w r as quite astonishing. Quilliac's is a mag- 
 nificent hotel, and seems to be organized 
 in a manner that does credit to the head 
 of the master. They make up from a 
 hundred and fifty to a hundred and sixty 
 beds, and the day of our arrival, they were 
 serving up little separate dinners to a hun- 
 dred and forty persons, exclusive of ser- 
 vants. Yet the attendance was by no means 
 hurried, or our comforts of any sort di- 
 minished, upon that account : every waiter 
 andjille de chambre seemed to know their 
 particular walk, nor could we observe any 
 awkward scrambling or jostling among 
 them. 
 
 Determined not again to encounter the 
 annoyance of a crowded packet, we de- 
 sired inquiries to be made for any family 
 of respectability, who might wish to share 
 a private one with us : fortune befriended
 
 DOVER. 361 
 
 us, for we soon beheld some English friends 
 drive into the court, who agreed to join 
 forces, and accordingly we took the An- 
 tigone (Capitaine Margolle), between us. 
 She was accounted the best sailer in the 
 harbour, and we found the truth of her 
 reputation confirmed the next morning, 
 when at nine o'clock we all embarked. 
 She brought us into Dover before several 
 other packets, which had sailed from Calais 
 three hours previous to ourselves ; but the 
 winds were nevertheless against us, as we 
 were becalmed for seven hours, and the 
 passage lasted altogether ten. I was the 
 only person on board who suffered much ; 
 but I speedily forgot all my wretchedness, 
 when I found myself happily landed at 
 Dover, and seated by an English fireside. 
 
 We left that place the next day (Octo- 
 ber 8th), and felt that however we might 
 justly admire foreign countries, our native 
 land possessed a charm above all others, for 
 the hearts of its children. We were de- 
 lighted by the richness of the woods, and 
 the smiling fertility of the landscape be- 
 tween Canterbury and Sittingbourne, and
 
 362 ROCHESTER. 
 
 also by the peculiar air of neatness and 
 cleanliness displayed in every cottage and 
 house, both in the towns and villages: 
 their superiority in these respects to those 
 of France was very apparent ; but I could 
 not help being struck by the different 
 costume, countenance and air of the lower 
 classes of my countrywomen, from what 
 I had been used to behold for the last 
 few weeks among the daughters of the 
 continent. The former certainly did (since 
 the truth must be told) appear what is called 
 dowdy and heavy, and the general expression 
 of face was somewhat sullen, in comparison. 
 I also greatly missed the briUiant dark eye, 
 and the charming shadowy eyelash, which 
 is generally to be met with abroad. 
 
 We were once more gratified by the 
 pre-eminent swiftness, ease, and dexterity 
 of our English mode of posting ; the horses 
 reaUy seemed to fly, and their spruce effect, 
 together with that of their drivers, con- 
 trasted favourably with those we had left 
 on the other side the channel. 
 
 Passing through Rochester, to Dartford, 
 the river Thames presented a most im-
 
 LONDON. 363 
 
 posing spectacle, being covered with innu- 
 merable vessels in full sail, bound for Lon- 
 don. A foreigner must have been im- 
 pressed with a superb idea of our com- 
 mercial wealth and glory. 
 
 At length we reached home late in the 
 evening, and, full of grateful pleasure for 
 all we had enjoyed during our absence 
 from it, returned to the worship of our 
 Penates with all the fervour and sincerity 
 of true hearted, though not wrong headed, 
 Britons.
 
 NOTES. 
 
 Note (A.) page 109, line 18. 
 
 Aromatic plants. 
 
 NEAR the summits of these mountains, and in the highest 
 region of vegetation, is found the gennipi, a plant of the 
 camomile genus, and which, next to the sang du bou- 
 quetin, or wild^goat (which, as an inhabitant of these 
 places, though now a very rare one, is worthy of men- 
 tion), is the most powerful sudorific, and of high estima- 
 tion in the treatment of pleurisy. 
 
 Note (B.) page 127, line 21. 
 The De-viTs Bridge P&nt du Diable. 
 We cannot too much admire the boldness and skill 
 with which this extraordinary work has been achieved 
 in such a country, and one knows not in what age. The 
 marvellous histories believed concerning it by the credu- 
 lous peasantry are scarcely to be wondered at. Suffice 
 it to say, that its dimensions are a single arch of twenty- 
 four feet in the span, fourteen wide, and seventy-two 
 above the surface of the stream ; but in this circumstance 
 alone (considered without reference to the wild sublimity 
 of the surrounding scenery), there is nothing extraor- 
 dinary to English eyes, who may view the whole width
 
 366 NOTES. 
 
 of the Thames at London embraced by three arches of 
 such stupendous dimensions. 
 
 Note (C.) page 161, line 17. 
 
 Mont Cents. 
 
 Upon the plain of Mont Cenis are found large masses 
 of the gypsum, or alabaster, from which the plaster of 
 Paris is made. The more sheltered parts are bright with 
 the flowers of the rhododendron ferrugineum, which I 
 have in another part of my work described. Quantities 
 of the beautiful little blue butterfly, called the argus, 
 are seen here, and (though not so common) that fine fly, 
 named TApollon des Alpes. Besides the great wild goat 
 (le bouquetiri), there are in these mountains the chamois, 
 with the marmottes, which require bold anil active chasseurs 
 to be got at : they are shot by single ball. The whistling 
 sort of cry of the marmotte resembles that of some 
 birds of prey. It is the signal they give upon being 
 alarmed. When fat, they are considered as rather deli- 
 cate food. We saw one unfortunate little animal of this 
 species in a tame state, belonging to a peasant boy, who 
 had taught it to shoulder a stick like a firelock, and to 
 twirl itself about in a manner difficult to describe, that he 
 called dancing. He sung at the same time, to animate 
 the poor creature's reluctant exertions, a little patois 
 song, in which the words dansez a madama were fre- 
 quently repeated. The tune haunted me for some time 
 afterwards, and was really not inharmonious. 
 
 Note (D.) page 159, line 2. 
 Consists in their vineyards. 
 There is something awfully striking in the sudden de-
 
 NOTES. 367 
 
 vastation occasioned by the summer storms, too frequent 
 in these climates. In the same garden where at noon 
 you had been walking under the shade of pergolas (i. e. 
 latticed frames of wood, the roofs of which were fretted 
 with innumerable and rich clusters of grapes) surrounded 
 by fig and peach trees full of fruit, you would often find 
 in the evening the whole ground strewed with broken 
 branches, their fruit quite crushed, and hardly a leaf left 
 upon them. 
 
 Note (E.) page 231, line 19. 
 
 Agiie and fever. 
 
 We were induced, by the opinion of several persons to 
 whom we related this indisposition, to believe that it was 
 most probably brought on by the sudden transition from 
 the intense heat of the shores of the Lago Maggiore to 
 the equally intolerable cold of the Simplon. Mr. B. was 
 not provided with that additional clothing which might 
 have obviated the ill effects of the latter. The complaint, 
 however, went off very quickly in the subsequent health- 
 inspiring air of Switzerland. 
 
 Note (F.) page 237, line 8. 
 
 Mont St. Bernard. 
 
 Before Bonaparte formed his magnificent passage 
 across the Simplon, one of the principal roads from Swit- 
 zerland into Italy lay over this grand mountain. Our 
 line of road did not permit us to visit it, which we much 
 regretted. It was always highly interesting, from the 
 histories, both ancient and modern, which belong to it. 
 By this route it is supposed that Hannibal led his army
 
 368 NOTES. 
 
 over the Alps ; not by softening the rocks with vinegar, 
 but by refreshing his fatigued troops by a mixture of it 
 with water. He is said also to have founded here a splen- 
 did temple, dedicated to Jupiter. It is certain that se- 
 veral remains of antiquity, medals, inscriptions, sacrificial 
 instruments, &c. have been found here, and are pre- 
 served in the museum at Turin. That the modern Han- 
 nibal, with or without vinegar, led his army over the St. 
 Bernard, we too well know. Of the baths of Loesche, in 
 the Upper Valais, we also heard much ; but of these, as 
 well as the Grand St. Bernard, I can only speak from 
 the description of others. Notwithstanding the difficult 
 roads which lead to the baths, they are much frequented, 
 and are, we were told, justly celebrated for their salutary 
 effects. It must be truly curious to see water too hot to 
 bear the hand in, of the temperature of 43 degrees of 
 Reaumur (boiling water being 80), springing from the 
 earth in the midst of this icy country; a phenomenon, 
 however, with which those travellers who have frequented 
 still colder parts of the world are perfectly well ac- 
 quainted. This water has the peculiar quality of restor- 
 ing faded flowers to life and freshness, and of preserving 
 them so for some time, when one would rather imagine that 
 it would boil them. I do not here mean to offer a poetical 
 allusion to female beauty, but merely to relate a literal 
 fact. The mode of bathing is too singular not to men- 
 tion, although I cannot say much of its delicacy. There 
 are four square open divisions, in which twenty or thirty 
 persons of both sexes (attired, as properly as may be, in 
 flannel dresses) bathe all together. They sit very com- 
 fortably for half an hour, with a small desk before each, 
 upon which they have their books, and little planks are
 
 NOTES. 369 
 
 seen floating on the water, full of holes, in which fragrant 
 flowers and branches of verdure are inserted. 
 
 Note (G.) page 238, line 12. 
 
 A celebrated ivaterfall Cascade of the Pisse Vache. 
 
 There are several of the same name in Switzerland ; 
 but this, I believe, is reckoned the most remarkable. In 
 the neighbourhood of these mountains, one sees with plea- 
 sure the industry of man repaid by considerable fertility. 
 The cottages are comfortable, and surrounded with 
 orchards of various fruit-trees. The natural and un- 
 grafted cherry, called merise, is much cultivated in these 
 parts. It is from this fruit that the famed Jcirschenwasser, 
 or cherry- water, is made, and which is not only an agree- 
 able cordial, but a valuable medicine among the pea- 
 santry, subsisting, as they do, so much upon a crude and 
 milky diet, not easy of digestion. It was offered to Mr. 
 B. during his illness, by a rustic host, with strong com- 
 mendations. 
 
 Note (H.) page 268, line 17. 
 
 Glaciers. 
 
 The height of these glaciers, at their utmost point, is 
 9268 feet above the level of the sea. Voltaire might well 
 say, 
 
 " Ces monts soiucilleux, 
 Qui pressent les enfers, et qui fendent Ics cieux." 
 
 But there is another point of view in which the natural 
 philosopher will contemplate these stupendous mountains 
 with admiration and gratitude : I mean as being the im- 
 
 B B
 
 370 NOTES. 
 
 mense and inexhaustible reservoirs of those springs and 
 rivers which make so essential a part in the beautiful and 
 beneficial economy of nature. IQ these particular regions 
 will be found the sources of the Rhone, the Rhine, and 
 the Tessin, with a multitude of other rivers ; and some 
 idea of the enormous quantity of water that they produce 
 may be formed from the known fact, that the magnifi- 
 cent lake of Geneva (measuring above twenty-six square 
 leagues) is raised ten feet and a half, by the mere melt- 
 ing of the snows during the summer. Strawberries of the 
 finest flavour may be gathered almost at the very edge 
 of the ice, and the adjoining woods are full of wild 
 flowers, 
 
 Note (I.) page 271, line 14. 
 Mines of gold, silver, and lead. 
 
 It has been thought by some, that it is not so much 
 from the poverty of the state as from a moral policy that 
 the exploration of these dangerous productions has been 
 purposely discouraged. This is the nobler reason of the 
 two. Haller (the favourite poet of the Swiss) in his 
 poem on the Alps, exclaims, " The shepherd of the Alps 
 sees these treasures flow beneath his feet what an ex- 
 ample to mankind ! he lets them flow on." And he feels 
 a security in the rude simplicity of his country, that 
 holds out nothing to tempt the invasion of avarice or 
 ambition 
 
 " Tout son front he'risse', n'offre aux desirs de 1'homme 
 Ricn qui puisse tenter 1'avarice de Rome." 
 
 Crebillon, dans Rhadamiste.
 
 NOTES. 371 
 
 Note(J.) page 273, line 11. 
 For which this place is celebrated. 
 Among other interesting objects to be seen here are 
 the cabinets of natural history of Monsieur de Saussure, 
 so well known for his scientific and enterprising researches, 
 and of Monsieur de Luc. Petrifactions of the oursis, or 
 sea hedgehog, and of the corni d'ammon, are preserved in 
 this collection, which were found in the Alps of Savoy, 
 7844 feet above the level of the sea. 
 
 Note (K.) page 275, line 12. 
 
 Powerless and inadequate. 
 
 It will not, I am sure, be unacceptable to the reader 
 if I here transcribe part of the beautiful description to 
 which I have alluded. Speaking (in Letter 23) of the 
 exhilarating but soothing effect of the mountain air, he 
 says " II semble qu'en s'elevant au-dessus du sejour 
 des homines, on y laisse tous les" sentimens bas et ter- 
 restres; et qu'a mesure qu'on approche des regions 
 etherees, Tame contracte quelque chose de leur inalter- 
 able purete : on y est grave sans melancholie, paisible 
 sans indolence, content d'etre et de penser. Les jjaisirs 
 y sont moins ardens, les passions plus moderees. Tous 
 les desirs trop vifs, s'emoussent ; ils perdent cette point 
 aigue qui les rendent douloureux ; il ne laissent au fond 
 du comr qu'une emotion legere et douce, et c'est ainsi 
 qu'un heureux climat, fait servir a la felicite de 1'hommc, 
 les passions qui font ailleurs son tourment." Without 
 being so unfortunate as to possess Rousseau's irritable 
 temper and fiery passions, any person of sensibility must
 
 372 NOTES. 
 
 be forcibly struck by the truth of these remarks, in pass- 
 ing through the same scenes. 
 
 Note (L.) page 201, line 21. 
 
 Lake of M or at. 
 
 This lake in severe winters freezes sufficiently to bear 
 the heaviest loads. There is a popular and vulgar idea 
 in the country, that whoever falls into this lake can no 
 more be recovered; but another quality attached to it 
 (of rather superior probability) is, that its fish are of so 
 excellent a nature, as to sell, in time of Lent, at two 
 creutzers a pound dearer than those of any other. One 
 cannot see without surprise, and even a degree of indig- 
 nant concern, that the ancient chapel, containing the 
 bones of the Bourguignons, slain by the Swiss (then the 
 allies of Louis XI.) in 1476, should be no longer in 
 existence. These remains of mortality were, when we 
 beheld them, thrown upon the ground, totally unshel- 
 tered from the air, in a most careless and irreverent 
 manner. Formerly (I have heard) the inhabitants of 
 Morat used to celebrate the anniversary of this national 
 triumph with feast and song. Voltaire, in his " Melange 
 de Poesies," alludes to this triumph of liberty in some 
 truly elevated lines. 
 
 Note (M.) page 293, line 2. 
 Tan-coloured wood. 
 
 This is the cleft fir of which the cottages here are con- 
 structed. They have galleries running round the outsides, 
 protected by the projecting roofs. Sometimes thatch is 
 used ; but in the more mountainous parts of the country
 
 NOTES. 373 
 
 they are tiled (if I may be allowed the expression) with 
 pieces of slit wood, which are kept firm by the weight of 
 large stones lying upon them : the whole having a most 
 picturesque appearance. The wide projection of these 
 roofs not only secures their galleries from the snows, but 
 affords convenient shelter for their fire-wood and various 
 other articles. A granary is sometimes built over the 
 dwelling-rooms at the top of these houses, which is ren- 
 dered attainable by means of a sort of bridge (moveable, I 
 rather think), upon which we ourselves witnessed the 
 singular spectacle of a cart and horses conveying a load 
 of grain to this exalted store-chamber. These wooden 
 fabrics, although one would not suppose so, are warmer 
 than those of brick or stone ; but then, in case of fire, its 
 ravage is dreadful, from the quantity of turpentine con- 
 tained in the fir planks. 
 
 Note (N.) page 295, line 24. 
 The Alps. 
 
 The Alps of Switzerland are certainly the highest 
 points of Europe. But however elevated these moun- 
 tains may be, and removed as they now are, a hundred 
 leagues from the sea, there can be no doubt of their 
 having once been covered by its waters. This is clearly 
 demonstrated by the fossile maritime remains which arc 
 found in some of their highest parts, as well as by those 
 of shells, fishes, and animals, now only existing in other 
 quarters of the globe. What astonishing changes the 
 surface of our earth has undergone in periods anterior to 
 the Mosaic history, may be contemplated from the cir-
 
 374 NOTES. 
 
 cumstance of the petrified trunk of the palm-tree, and 
 the bones of elephants, being found in Siberia. 
 
 Note (O.) page 1308, line 1. 
 William Tell. 
 
 Although the limited time for our tour did not permit 
 us to visit either the Lac de Thoun, or the village of 
 Kussnacht, both of them consecrated in the eyes of the 
 Swiss, by the chapels built there in memory of Guil- 
 laume Tell, travellers must not leave Switzerland without 
 some mention of this renowned patriot. It was at the 
 latter place that the tyrant Ghessler fell by his hand. 
 There is (we were told) a tolerably painted representa- 
 tion of the occurrence on the walls of the chapel, and 
 under it the following inscription in German verse, the 
 French translation of which is this : 
 
 " lei a etc tue par Tell, 1'orgueilleux Ghessler. Ici est 
 le berceau de la noble liberte des Suisses, 1307. Com- 
 bien durera t'elle ? Encore long terns, pourvu que nous 
 ressemblions a nos ancetres." 
 
 Note (P.) page 215, line 13. 
 The rhododendron. 
 
 This is the rhododendron ferruglneum, which is not 
 much cultivated in our gardens. 
 
 Note (Q.) page 216, line 18. 
 
 Over the doors. 
 
 What a stupendous conception must the reader form 
 to himself of this range of mountains, when I tell him,
 
 NOTES. 375 
 
 that the ascent and descent make together forty-two 
 miles. 
 
 Note (R.) page 312, line 25. 
 
 Soleure. 
 
 Near Soleure is the hermitage of St. Frene. No tra- 
 veller, I am assured, should miss seeing this beautiful and 
 romantic spot. That we unfortunately did so was owing 
 only to our not having been previously aware of its 
 existence. 
 
 Note (S.) page 332, line 12. 
 
 Avenue as usual. 
 
 I ought (in justice) to have recollected, when I ex- 
 claimed so much against them, that hi forming these 
 roads, convenience, not taste, was consulted. No one 
 can be more grateful to the powers of convenience than 
 myself; but it is difficult to reconcile a lover of the pic- 
 turesque to so cruel a divorce between the utile et dolce. 
 
 THE END.
 
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