manes.

Solemn indeed it must be, for the altars on which those expiatory services are annually performed, are constructed of the very bones for which these rites are solemnized; the wrecks of generations assisting in their own. purgation; supporting the lamps that light the books, which other fragments of the same mass bear; the sculls of the dead staring the priests in their face, and, as it were, mutely listening to hear if the prayers be faithfully performed.

Deeply impressed with the solemnity and gloom that surrounded them, our travellers began to feel almost too much oppressed by melancholy, and they were glad once more to see the dazzling brilliancy of the meridian sun, and again to gaze upon this fair world; but when they took leave of the Catacombs, they did not choose entirely to disturb the solemnity of their feelings by any further excursion, and they accordingly retired to their hotel, where they passed the rest of the day in comments upon the Catacombs and other interesting subjects.

DR. WALKER." How much do objects in themselves, inoffensive and even inanimate, excite in one's mind trains of distressing sentiments! I never pass between the magnificent eastern façade of the palace of the Louvre and the church of St. Germain l'Auxerrois," continued the Doctor; "but I feel an involuntary horror. True, the colonade of the Louvre, that master-piece of architecture, inspires me with the most agreeable thoughts; but the moment I hear the bell of the church of Saint Germain, which faces this front of the palace, begin to ring, I am carried back to the night of St. Barthélemi, in 1572; I seem thrown into the presence of Catherine de Médici, waiting the ringing of the tocsin of the clock of the palace. I seem to hear her give orders for the signal for the commencement of the massacre to be given (the bell of St. Germain l'Auxerrois to be rung!) In my mind's eye, as the immortal Shakspeare says, I behold the Duke of Guise approaching with his bloody myrmidons the door of the Admiral de Coligni, in the street Betizy, wiping with his handkerchief the blood off the face of this great man, and having kicked the corse with his feet, saying to the horrid gang that had enlisted in this cause, This is a good beginning; go on-we must finish the work we have begun!' But this does not close the scene. The head of the Admiral being cut off, and carried to Catherine de Médicis, she caused it to be embalmed, and sent it to Rome to

the Pope, who ordained a solemn procession and thanksgivings, for the result of the glorious night and day of St. Barthélemi.

notorious

But this, horrible as it may appear, was not all; as the queen has made herself, execrable as the Duke of Guise is looked upon by posterity, Charles IX is yet more detestable. It was from the windows of the constable of Bourbon's house, or as after his death it was called, le garde meuble du roi ; that Charles*, during the massacre of St. Barthélemi, fired with a long arquebuse on the Hugonots who crossed the Seine to save themselves in the Faubourg St. Germain; the Pont Neuf was not then built†.”

.1

SECTION VII.

PRINCIPAL PLACES IN FRANCE.

THE following morning proving wet, our travellers remained quietly at home, and Dr. Walker proposed that with a map before them, they should point out the principal places in France.

"There stands Paris, Edward, situated on both sides of the Seine, and surrounded by a fertile vicinity; the houses are chiefly of freestone; the public buildings much celebrated, and with good reason, as we can vouch. There are many universities in France, of which the following is a list. Paris, Orleans, Rheims, Poitiers, Bourdeaux, Angers, Douay, Nantz, Caen, Bourges, Montpellier, Cahors, Valence, Aix, Leon, Grenoble, Strasburg, Pont-a-Mouson N. W. of Nancy, Thoulouse, Pau, Perpignan, Orange 50 miles N. W. of Aix. Of these the Sorbonne of Paris is the most celebrated.

"Prior to the Revolution, there were in France, 17 archbishoprics, 750 great convents of monks, and 200 nunneries. The monks and nuns in the whole kingdom were reckoned at 200,000, and the revenues of the clergy and religious houses amounted to upwards of six millions sterling."

*P.de St. Foix. Ess. Hist. sur Paris, V. I. p. 65. Ed. 1778. + It was begun in 1578, and finished in 1594.

EDWARD." What an immense sum! Are the religious houses restored, Sir ?"

Partly

DR. WALKER. 66 ---splendour. Now proceed."

so; but not in their former

EDWARD." There is Dunkirk, a noted sea-port, but the entrance is dangerous. Here is a public library, and the churches contain numerous paintings by celebrated masters. It has many snuff-manufactories. This town was given to Cromwell by Lewis XIV. as a compensation for his assistance against Spain; it was sold to France by our Charles II. for 5,000,000 livres.

Dieppe has a good harbour; packet boats pass between this place and Brighthelmstone. Trades in fish, ivory, toys and lace. It is 132 miles N. W. of Paris..

"Brest stands on a declivity, the streets are narrow and crooked, the quay is about a mile in length. Its harbour is the finest and most commodious in France, but the entrance is narrow and difficult.

"Nantz. The Loire is here about three miles over, and contains several islands, which are connected by bridges: large vessels can come no higher than Port Launai, which is 12 miles below Nantz. This town is wealthy, and may be considered as the Liverpool of France."

DR. WALKER." Now for the towns in the North. I think you need not name any more of the sea-ports.".

EDWARD." Amiens has three bridges over as many branches of the Somme, and five gates. Manufactures linen and woollen cloth extensively. It is 75 miles N. of Paris. "Caen is divided by the Orne, which, with the tide, brings up large vessels. This town is neat, has a fine castle, and a good trade.

"

"Rouen is opulent, but inelegant, though many of its public buildings are grand. It has a bridge of boats that rises and falls with the tide. Rouen is called the Manchester of France."

DR. WALKER." The country about Rouen is extremely beautiful, and it contains upwards of eight thousand houses, and thirty-six parish churches; has every appearance of wealth, though the streets are narrow and crooked, and the houses built mostly of wood. But its great commerce ac counts for its opulence; and when, one sees at its quay ships of all nations, the disagreeable appearance it otherwise presents to our country folks, who come thither only to find

fault, is lost in the recollection that it is one of the most im portant places in France, being more than two leagues and a half in circumference, and containing nearly ninety-thousand inhabitants, who subsist principally by trade, merchandize and manufactures, and who must, therefore, with health and commerce, have all the comforts of this life cheap, and in abundance."

The day having cleared up, our travellers set forth on another pedestrian excursion through Paris. They were now greatly annoyed by the filth of the streets, particularly Edward, who expressed his chagrin at seeing his cloaths were profusely tinctured not only with the colour, but with the boue de Paris itself; and the Doctor proposed returning home.

"In London one may avoid the carriages and their spattering" observed Edward; "but here really one must have all one's wits about one to escape being run over. Oh for a broad pavement, at this moment, like that in Oxford-street, or any street, or any court in London!-Take care, Sir, there is a diligence and a fiacre, and a variety of other vehicles close upon us; do let us step into this shop for one instant.”

The Doctor laughed heartily; but followed the advice of his nimble friend. "I do begin to think we must return to England," said he, as Edward looked first at himself, and then at his tutor. "But, Edward, a brush will soon free you from your boue de Paris ! You have been as badly splashed in London I am sure.”

Edward laughed too; but he still regretted that amidst the many improvements and changes which had taken place in Paris, as he had been told, in the last forty years, that the French had never thought of making a pavé for foot passengers.

"But la totalite des Rues,' would then vanish you know," replied the Doctor. "Come let us begone, there is a free passage now."

When they returned to their inn, it was dinner time, after which the map of France was again produced, and they resumed the description of its principal towns.

66

Troyes," said the Doctor, "is chiefly built of wood, the stone in its neighbourhood being too tender för architecture. St. Stephen's, and the public library, are fine buildings, here is also an ancient castle, in which the counts of Champagne formerly resided. This town is surrounded with fine meadows and vines; it manufactures coarse cloth and fustians, also wax and tallow candles.

"Avignon, on the Rhone, the seat of the Popes from 1308 to 1376, and dependent upon them till it was united to the French Republic. This city is well built; and is sur-› rounded by a good stone wall with towers and bastions. It has seven monasteries, seven hospitals, seven colleges, seven palaces, seven markets, and seven gates; the churches are very stately, the surrounding avenues delightful.

"Besançon is large, ancient, and well built, has a fine cathedral upon a high rock, and a triumphal arch, built by the emperor Aurelius; the statue of Jupiter, in the garden of Versailles, was taken from this town. It is situated on a peninsula, formed by the river Doubs. The neighbouring territories produce corn, wine, fruits, copper, lead and iron.

"Nancy is large, and the new parts are very uniform and handsome. This part of France, the late Lorraine, abounds in all sorts of corn, wine, hemp, flax, game and fish; it has large forests, with mines of iron, silver, copper, and salt-pits. The south-west is occupied by the Vosges, a large range of

mountains.

"Strasbourg is ancient, large, handsome, populous and commercial, it is situated about a quarter of a league from the Rhine, on the river Ill, which runs through the town, and forms many canals. The principal structures are built of a red stone, which is dug from the quarries that lie along the Rhine. Here are six bridges, a clock in the cathedral, which shews the motions of the constellations, the revolutions of the sun and moon, the days of the week, &c. and a pyramidical tower, 549 feet high, ascended by 635 steps.

Metz, at the confluence of the Moselle and Seille, is ancient and large, its cathedral is esteemed one of the finest in Europe. Here are about 3000 Jews, who have a synagogue, and live in a part by themselves. Metz is 25 miles north-west of Nancy, bada,

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A

Lyons, at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone, from which it derives great advantages, is large, rich, handsome and ancient. Its trade is great through France, also to Italy, Switzerland and Spain. Manufactures silk very extensively.. The environs are mountainous.

"Travelling from Dieppe to Paris by Rouen, in the autumn, confers peculiar pleasure. The crops ripening into harvest, abundant as the mind can wish, and covering the entire face of the country, except where majestic woods in.