foreigner, made me forget that I was even a stranger.

Having previously determined to return by the way of Lower Normandy, upon the beauty and luxuriance of which I had heard much eulogy, about half past five o'clock in the morning of the 21st of Prairial, I left my hotel, and proceeded to the Messagerie, from which the diligences, all of which are under the control of the nation, set out. The morning was very beautiful. I was much entertained before I mounted that cumbrous vehicle, which was to roll me a little nearer to my own coast, by viewing the numerous groupes of travellers and their friends, who' surrounded the different carriages as the horses were tackling to them. In different directions of my eye, I saw about thirty men kissing each other. The women in France never think their prerogatives infringed by this anti-anglo mode of salutation. Some shed tears at parting; but the cheek down which it trickled never lost its colour or vivacity. All were animated; every eye looked bright; there was a gaiety in their very grief. "Bon voyage, bon voyage→→→ Dieu vous benisse, Dieu vous benisse," reiterated on all sides from sprightly faces, stretched out of the window frames of the massy machine, as it rattled through the gates of the yard to the incessant crackings of the postillion's long lash. I soon afterwards found myself seated in the diligence for Cherbourg, in company with two ladies, and three gentlemen, who were all polite and pleasing. In the cabriole, forward, was a French captain in the army, who had been in Tippoo's service at the time of the surrender of Seringapatam. He looked abominably dirty in his travelling habiliments; but that, in France, is now no just indication of inferiority or vulgarity.

We passed by the Place de la Concorde, upon the statues and buildings of which, and the gardens of the Thuilleries, the early sun shone most beautifully. My merry, but feeling fellow travellers, waving their

VOL. XXVIL

hands, addressed a short apostrophe to these mute objects of their regard, and exclaimed, "adieu ma très jolie ville-ah! très jolie ville adieu."

For near three miles after leaving the barrier, we passed through plantations of roses, which supply the markets of Paris with that beautiful flower, which, transferred thence, adorn the toilets, the vases, and the bosoms, of the fair Parisians, and form the favourite bouquets of the petits maitres; on each side of the road were cherry-trees, in full bearing, which presented a very charming appearance. We soon reached the water-works of Marli, which supply the jets d'eau of Versailles. They are upon a vast scale, and appear to be very curious. A little further on we passed Mal Maison, the country and chief residence of the first consul and his family. It is an ancient house, embosomed in beautiful woods and gardens. At the entrance are large military lodges, for the accommodation of a squadron of the consular cavalry, who mount guard when their general is here.

At St. Germain's we breakfasted upon pork cutlets, excellent bread, wine, and cherries, for twenty sols, or ten-pence English. At Mante we had an excellent dinner, of several dishes, for thirty sols, or one shilJing and three-pence English. Soon after we had passed Mante, we left the higher Norman road, and entered a country extremely picturesque and rich. We were conducted through the forest of Evreux by an escort of chasseurs. This vast tract of land is infested by an immense banditti, who live in large excavations in the earth, similar to the subterranean apartments of the celebrated robbers in whose service Gil Blas was rather reluctantly enrolled, and generally assail the traveller with a force which would render common resistance perilous and unavailing. This forest, in the course of the year, furnishes considerable employ for the guillotine of Caen, where the tribunal of justice is seated. The appearance of our guards was terrific enough to appal such valiant souls

as once animated the frames of prince Hal, and his merry friend Ned Poins. They wore Roman helmets, from which descended, to the bottom of their backs, an immense tail of thick black horsehair; their uni form was light green, and looked rather shabby.

We passed the forest without any molestation, and supped at the town of Evreux, which is very pleasant, where we halted for about four hours. As we were afterwards proceeding, I prepared myself to enjoy a little sleep, and as I reclined for this purpose with my hat over my face, in a corner of the carriage, I over. heard one of my fellow travellers observe to the other, "The Englishman is sleeping;" to which he replied, "No, he is not sleeping, he is only thinking; it is the character of his nation."

The French cannot bear the least appearance of thought; they have a saying, "Un homme qui rit ne sera jamais dangereux."

The next morning we breakfasted at Lisieux, an ancient town, in which are the remains of a fine convent, which formerly belonged to the Order of the Capuchins. For four or five miles before we approached the town, the laughing and animated faces of groups of peasantry, all in their jubilee dresses, the old mounted upon asses, and the young walking by the sides of them, hastening to the town, announced to us that a fair and merry making was to be held there on that day. Lisieux was quite in a bustle. About six o'clock in the evening of the same day, we arrived at Caen, the capital of Lower Normandy. I had not completed my dinner at the Hotel de la Place, before an English servant entered my room, to inform me, that his mistress, Mrs. P, who, with her daughters, and another young lady, had the rooms over mine, presented her compliments to me, and requested me to take my coffee with them that evening. I must confess I was at first a little surprized at the message, for the English are not very remarkable

for politeness and attention to one another in a foreign Country.

*

After I had finished my desert, I made iny bow to Mrs. P, and her family, who proved to be very pleasant and accomplished people, and were making the tour of France. They had been in Caen near three weeks, where they had a large acquaintance of the first respectability. This unexpected introduction be came additionally agreeable, upon my discovery at the Messagerie, that the diligence for Cherbourg would not proceed till three days from the time of my arrival. The next morning I rambled with my new friends about the city, which is large and handsome, and is watered by the river Orne: it is much celebrated for its lace trade. On that day I dined with Mrs. P, and a French party, and was regaled with an English dinner, cooked and served up by her own servants. The filth of the French kitchen is too well known, to make it necessary for me to say how delicious such a dinner was. The French ad mit themselves that their cooks are destitute of cleanliness.

The convent of the Benedictines, now converted into the palace of the prefect, is a noble building, The gardens belonging to it are well arranged. The promenade called de la Cour is very charming, from which the city is seen to great advantage. The water of the Orne is rather nauseous, but is not considered unwholesome. The Palais de Justice is a fine modern structure. In its courts of law, I had again an opportunity of hearing the forensic elocution of Normandy. The gestures and vehemence of the orators here, as at Rouen, appeared to me to be tinctured with the extravagance of phrensy.

In this city was pointed out to me, the house in which the celebrated Charlotte Cordy resided, who, by her poniard, delivered France of the monster Marat, on Sunday, the 14th of July, 1793. There is some coincidence in the crimes and fate of Caligula

and Marat; both perished by the avengers of their country, and whilst in the act of approaching their ba hs. Posterity will embalm, with its grateful remembrance, the patriotic heroism of this great and distinguished female, and, in her own firm and eloquent language, will say of her, "that crime begets disgrace, and not the scaffold.”

On the evening after my arrival at Caen, I was invited to an elegant ball, which was given by the lady of the paymaster general of the district, in one of the government houses. I had before witnessed the dancing of the higher orders of the people in Paris, and from this reason was not surprized in contemplating the exquisite grace which was here displayed. The party consisted of near eighty persons. Amongst them were the judges of the district, and the principal officers quartered in the city and its neighbour hood; the latter were attired in superb military dresses. Amongst the ladies were several beautiful, well dressed young women, who exhibited their persons to great advantage. The grave and elderly part of the company played at buillotte, which is a present the favourite French game. In France, to please and to be pleased seem to be the two presiding principles in all their meetings. An elegant young officer, who had distinguished himself at the battle of Marengo, observing that the musicians appeared to be a little fatigued, by the contribution of their exhilarating services towards the festivity of the evening, supplied their room whilst they refreshed themselves, and struck up an-English country dance on one of the violins. The party attempted to dance it, but to show how arbitrary habit is, in the attempt, all those powers of grace, which they had before so beautifully displayed, retired as if influenced by the magic of some unpropitious spirit.

After a few hours repose, I went with a large party to the church of Notre Dame; in which there is a