was represented to me as a handsome woman, of retired habits and exemplary conduct. A French couplet which I did not transcribe complimented her. Its substance was, Though at VILLENEUF, the storms of winter lower, The Duke of Orleans possesses much property hereabout, as at ORLEANS and in other parts of France. He keeps up great state, is attended by a large retinue, maintains the forest laws, and is considered as of nearly equal importance to the King himself. At length our dinner was served up, and although nothing favourable can be stated touching the attendance upon us, as far as the cooking was concerned, I may yet say with truth, that we had met with no attendants more civil, or more desirous to anticipate our wants. One thing is quite necessary in France. It is to maintain an affable, although at the same time a gentlemanly behaviour toward the attendants upon you. Let others laugh at you if they please. Take the joke patiently and be content, but do not yourself laugh at them nor let them suspect you of doing so. They are civil, they mean well, and will deem no trouble too great in their attendance upon you till you laugh at them. Then they are offended and it is difficult to reconcile them again. The women of France swaddle their infants into very mummies. I had seen several thus tortured, but to-day I could observe more nearly" the young Christian" (as we say in England,) as it lay prostrate, poor helpless little morsel of imbecility, upon the altar whereon the priest had placed it. It reminded me of a cake which is in request on new year's day or lady-day in some parts of England, which is called a poplady. The little creature's legs were confined in a bag or sack just big enough to hold them, which reaches as high as the waist, and it may kick as it will, without being able to kick to much effect. There must be mischief in such management of children, and if my remarks, penned in record of a journey undertaken for my own amusement, could be the means of expanding and invigorating the limbs only of a single child, by reprobation of this mummy-system; what a philanthrophist might I not fancy myself! The rival of a Howard and the co-equal of a Jenner! 29th. Frenchmen will enjoy themselves. My early walk this morning led me past the Café. The waiter and the postillion were very earnestly engaged together at billiards. It has been said of these people that even misfortunes were lost upon them, and they proved it during the reverses that followed the campaign of 1814. In the gardens of the widowed wife, the rose and its humbler companions of the partérre tempted me to be a partaker of their sweets. I made one more visit to the church. The priest of yesterday was engaged in the celebration of matins, attended by a few old men, old women, and children kneeling in different parts of the church. I bestowed a few minutes more on the monument and was still more forcibly impressed with the beauty of the angelic figure personifying Hope. It appeared as if actually on the wing. I was reminded of the performance of Chaudet (his Cupid) at Versailles, and that of Barry (his Mercury,) at the Society of Arts. We left this plain, but clean, hotel at seven o'clock in the morning. VILLENEUF might be called the town of windmills. Twenty of these at least were at work close to the town and should Don Quixote re-open his campaign, promised to provide for him very ample amusement. We passed for some time along the road which lay close to the wall enclosing the grounds of the chateau, and then quitted the paved-way extending from the town, for a road as bad as that of yesterday. In three points out of four, we were however better off. The morning was fine; the horses were good; and the postillion was an efficient person. The forest of Orleans commences about a league from the town we had left. It is one of the largest in France. Between hedges of acacias and through a long avenue of firs and acacias, which promise in a few years to become very pretty, we entered the out-skirts of this extensive chase, where royalty and nobility occasionally indulge in the pursuit of the stag and wild boar. We left the vicinity of the forest and passed, between thriving vineyards, through two well-built and well-situated towns. We crossed a bridge over the navigable canal, whose margin was agreeably ornamented with a shady walk that might be called a boulevard; and could not avoid noticing a house with garden laid out quite in the genuine stiffrectilinear French stile. It was ultra-formal, and tired the eye with its straight walk cut into arches and loop-holes on the side, at exactly equal distances from each other. Shortly after, we were a little relieved by another pleasureground which with the house within its precinct was, as if to rebuke the bad taste that reigned around, laid out in the English style. At nine o'clock, we caught a glimpse of the cathedral of ORLEANS; and at our then distance from it, it wore an aspect similar to that of Westminster Abbey. Stiffly laid out gardens multiplied upon us and one would have thought that the military mania had extended itself to the trees that were in them. They looked indeed not as if commanded to stand at ease; but as if the words "attention;" "rear rank take open order;" and "dress;" had been in continual use amongst them. If such a thing could be pretty, we saw one of the prettiest of these loop-hole-walks close to a vineyard on our right. They began in fact to be less fatiguing to the eye as they became more generally intermixed with the vineyards around. An image on horseback in a cage over a gateway caught my eye. He was at full speed, but like Parker in his French march made no progress. I may be thought too minute in thus noticing these exhibitions, but it appears to me not unimportant so to do, and, frequently as I have done so, I have not noted down all, by many. ་ Whilst I transcribe this part of my notes, the announcement of a project of law is before me making the insult of the host death with torture. Before this work issues from the press, the project may become law. Let those who know what Protestant freedom is, pity the people who are exposed to such an enactment! Let them above all feel for their Protestant brethren, against whom, upon the slightest pretence or upon the perjured testimony of any villain, the enforcement of its penalties may be directed; and then let them be thankful that they are members of a Protestant community, enjoying Protestant freedom under a Protestant King. The two light elegant towers seeming as if windowed on all sides, with between them the tapering spire of the cathedral, assumed a very different appearance as we approached the city; and the Loire, nearly parallel with which had been our course from VILLENEUF, became more than ever worthy of such a city as ORLEANS. We entered by a barrier, and passing an edifice that bore unequivocal marks of having been sadly shattered, along the bank of a fosse, once forming part of the fortifications and near to the ruins of the old wall, we reached the handsome and spacious square (Place de Martroi) wherein stands the bronze statue in honour of Joan of Arc; and at half past ten alighted at the hotel de France. The beauty of the cathedral's towers increased upon us as we advanced. The window-like appearance was produced by pretty open columns and below these appeared a profusion of the richest carved work; statues surmounted this; and many pinnacles fraught with fret-work surrounded the whole building and heightened its effect. It is justly said that this is one of the finest gothic cathedrals in France. Brief was the period we could remain at ORLEANS, and we resolved to make the most of it. I walked to the statue. It was, as I have said, of bronze. On one square of its white marble pedestal is merely inscribed, and it is enough "A Jeanne d'Arc." Above this, the four compartments of the bronze, represent her history and end, in bas relief. The armed and helmeted figure of herself is in a fine posture of defence and, with a sword in her right hand, seems to be protecting the standard which she holds in her left. Is this intended for the point of time when she encouraged the dispirited soldiers, or for a more advanced period of her brilliant career? Be this as it may, her history is well pourtrayed, as is the infamy of him who dealt treacherously |