is not fit for a king." If there is any thing degrading, in a king, to assist by producing models to his people for their improvement in art or science, I will then confess the above remark was not illiberal.

The next day we visited Marli, and though the works groaned as in great distress, I could not help laughing at them. My design not being to describe the buildings, works, &c. that I visited, I shall only say, that I would have erected works for twenty thousand pounds, the price of the yearly expense of keeping them in order, without stopping up the river, and without their costing the regular expense of more than three or four labourers, which should have conveyed to the summit of the hill more water than was then forced up.

We, of course, visited the theatres frequently. One evening I was very much shocked at seeing the characters of our Saviour, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and the apostles, exhibited on the stage. The person who represented our Saviour had his hair extravagantly dressed, frizzled, and daubed with powder and pomatum. He had a large bag dangling from the back of his head; a full dress; superb suit; silk stockings; shoes with diamond or paste buckles; a chapeau de bras; and a handsome sword by his side.

St. Peter, who was standing near him, but had been engaged in something with the other apostles, that had required him to lay his hat and sword on the table, had perhaps been too tedious in his business, when the man, mis-representing our Saviour, cried out to him

"Allons!

"Prens ton chapeau et ton epée,
"Et suivez moi dans Galilée.”

M

In English

"Take your hat and sword,

"And follow me into Galilee."

I felt, I hardly know how; but dropping my head upon my arms on the cushion of my box, I began to reflect. This is but a remnant, said I to myself, of the ancient mysteries, but shamefully abused.

In the infancy of literature in the two countries, France and England, then constantly united, or constantly contending, the clergy, finding it very difficult to propagate the doctrines of the Christian religion by oratory alone, determined to refer from the intellectual faculties of their attendants, to their organs of sense. They assembled, plotted and planned several pieces, consisting each of some of the prominent acts of the history of our Saviour. They arranged them in the form of dramas, or as they then called them, "Mysteries." They erected a stage and performed on it themselves, representing their respective characters. This was the first introduction to theatrical amusements in England and France, originlly established by the clergy.

We know that the eye will convey more frequently to the mind, stamps of an impressive nature, than the ear. The eye receives an object and conveys it immediately to the mind. There appears to be a connecting reciprocity between the mind and the eye: the one says to the other, whatever you see I will feel; and the other to the mind, whatever you feel I will express; but to the ear there is no return made.

To resume the history-the prince de Condé had invited the count D'Artois to Chantilly, where he intended to offer the most splendid fête champêtre ever

exhibited. We were invited; and in order to have a full view of the celebrated spot, we arrived and put up at the inn close by his palace the evening before. The next morning, having provided ourselves with a guide and permission, we roamed over these beautiful gardens. I shall mention only one or two remarkable objects. We were admiring the beauty of the trees, when the guide asked us if we had seen the extraordinary poplars? We said, no. Then, says he, come this way. He led us a few hundred yards, and brought us before three poplar trees of such immense magnitude, as struck us all with astonishment. After a little conversation with my friends, I asked the guide how high they were. He told me they had been measured, and the tallest was proved to be three hundred feet high (French feet.) I do not say myself that they were so-I only say that our guide told us so. However, I measured a base as extended as I could from the tree, and planting a stick in the ground pointing to the summit of the tree, having my base and two angles, I calculated roughly, and believed it might be nearly as my guide informed me.

On these grounds were erected what they called English cottages, with all around corresponding. They had chosen the most romantic places for them; and some of them were the most delightful spots I ever saw.

There is as much whimsicality in the conjoint opinion of nations, as in the fanciful ideas of individuals. The French were accustomed to cut their trees, and trim them into the sturdiness of artificial statues; while the cone, the pyramid, and the cylinder were supposed more graceful to the garden, than the mild wavings of an unwounded tree, kissed by the passing breeze, or

struggling against the storm in nature's power and beauty.

Judging superficially of the delinquency of English art, they thought that the Englishman's love of nature was a deficiency of taste; and therefore they exhibited what they called English gardens (a totally unattended wilderness of shrubs and trees) to ridicule the supposed rudeness of English cultivation.

The English half-witted Cockneys thought that they could retaliate on their French neighbours, and therefore cut their trees into the forms of animals; but the goose appeared most prominent. Then was the representation of every thing by which art could be brought to distort nature: insignificancy in conception; incapability of execution. There was nothing but the smile of contempt to bestow on it.

Almost all the trees, in this immense space, were furnished with variegated lamps, to be lighted in the evening. The cascades, the lesser water-falls, were particularly, as intended, to be illuminated. In short, every thing was prepared for the most elegant fête champêtre that could be exhibited.

We returned from the woods and visited the armoury; after which we strolled down to the moat that surrounds the castle. Here we found, at one corner of it, a man sitting with a quantity of bread in his bag. We asked him why he sat there? He said, it was to show strangers the fish; do you wish to see them? Yes. He whistled, and immediately an immense number of carp flocked directly to him. Now, observed he, if you wish to feed them, they will take it from your hand. Give me some bread, said I. He did so. I knelt down

and offered it to them. They ate it from my hand as readily as if it had been thrown to them. My friends did the same; and when we were satisfied with our amusement, the man asking us if we were so, and we answering in the affirmative, he gave his signal to the fish and they dispersed. The fate of the fish will be mentioned hereafter.

We, however, whistled ourselves to them again, and they returned. We gave them more bread; and after a little conversation, with the physician and the philosopher, on the opinions of Buffon respecting animals, we left our host and withdrew.

We next visited the stable-I presume the most superb ecurie in the world. It is capable of containing several hundred horses. But it was no Augean stable, requiring the labour of a Hercules to cleanse it. No river, but cooling streams flowed by each stall. Regular attention obviated the necessity of extraordinary assistance. It was delicate almost to extreme; a wellpaved street ran through it; and, in the centre, was a dome, ornamented with equestrian figures and allusions, and kept so clean, that the prince would frequently have supper parties under it.

We retired home to dinner, all of us tolerably fa. tigued. While enjoying ourselves with the expectation of the pleasure we should have in the evening, the sun was suddenly overclouded. We started up, and observed an approaching storm. All our hopes were in one moment banished. The storm came on, and the rain poured in torrents, continuing all the afternoon and evening. Of course, the fête champêtre could not be given. The prince sent us an invitation to his palace; but this we thought it prudent to decline.