FOREST OF EVREUX.

337

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 uniform 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

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338

LOWER NORMANDY.

corner of the carriage, I overheard one of my fellow travellers observe to the other, "The Eng"lishman is sleeping;" to which he replied, “No, "he is not sleeping, he is only thinking; it is the "character of his nation."

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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 milest 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. My fare to this city from Paris amounted to thirty livres, including my luggage. I had not completed my dinner at the Hôtel de la Place, before an English servant en