262

THE STRANGER

[CHAP. XXI.

ed upon affes and the young walking by the fides of them, haftening to the town, announced to us, that a fair, and merry making was to be held there, on that day. Lifieux was quite in a buftle. About fix o'clock in the evening of the fame 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 Hotel de la Place, before an English fervant entered my room, to inform me, that his miftrefs, Mrs. P, who, with her daughters, and another young lady, had the rooms over mine, prefented her compliments to me, and requested me to take my coffee with them that evening. I must confefs I was at firft a little furprised at the meffage, for the English are not very remarkable for politenefs and attenion to one another in a foreign country.

After I had finished my defert, I made my bow to Mrs. P, and her family, who proved to be very pleasant, and accomplished people, and were making the tour of France with English fervants. They had been in Caen near three weeks, where they had a large acquaintance of the first refpectability. This unexpected introduction became additionally agreeable, upon my discovering at the Meffagerie, 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

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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 ferved up by her own, fervants. The filth of the French kitchen is too well known to make it neceffary for me to fay how delicious fuch a dinner was. The French themselves admit that their cooks are deftitute of cleanlinefs.

The Convent of the Benedictines, which is 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 feen to great advantage. The water of the Orne is rather naufeous, but is not con fidered unwholefome. The Palais de Juftice is a fine modern ftructure. In its courts of law, I had again an opportunity of hearing the forenfic elocution of Normandy. The geftures, and vehemence of the orators here, as at Rouen, appeared to me to be tinctured with the extravagance of frenzy. But perhaps my ears, and eyes have been rendered fomewhat too faftidious by having been frequently banquetted with the grace, animation, and commanding eloquence of the unrivalled advocate of the British bar; who, when he retires from the laborious duties of the crowded, and admiring forum, where his acute fagacity has fo often unfolded the dark compact involutions of human obliquity, where his wit and fancy have covered with the choiceft flowers, the dreary barrennefs of tech

nical pleading; will leave behind him that lasting and honorable refpect and remembrance, which faculties fo extenfively beneficial, muft ever excite in the minds of men who have been inftructed, delighted, and benefited by their splendid, and profperous difplay.dí

In this city was pointed out to me, the house in which the celebrated Charlotte Corday refided, who, by her poniard, delivered France of the monster, Marat, on Sunday, the 14th of July, 1798. There is fome coincidence in the crimes, and fate of Caligula and Marat, both perifhed by the avengers of their country, whilst in the act of approaching their baths. Pofterity will embalm, with its grateful remembrance, the patriotic heroifm of this great and diftinguished female, and in her own firm, and eloquent language, will fay of her, " that crime begets difgrace, and not "the fcaffold."

On the evening after my arrival at Caen, I was invited to an elegant ball, which was given by the lady of the paymafter general of the district, in one of the government houses. I had before witnessed the dancing of the higher orders of people in Paris, and from this reafon was not furprifed in contemplat ing the exquifite grace which was here difplayed. The party confifted of near eighty persons. Amongft them were the judges of the district, and the principal officers quartered in the city, and its neighborhood, the latter were attired in fuperb military dreff es. Amongst the ladies were feveral beautiful, well

dreffed young women, who exhibited their perfons to great advantage. The grave, and elderly part of the company played at buillotte, which is at prefent the favorite French game. In France to pleafe and to be pleased, seem to be the prefiding principles in all their meetings. An elegant young officer, who had diftinguished himself at the battle of Marengo, obferving that the muficians appeared to be a little fatigued by the contribution of their exhilirating fervices to wards the feftivity of the evenings fupplied their room whilft they refreshed themfelves, and ftruck up an English country dance on one of the violins. The party attempted to dance it, but to flow how arbitrary habit is, in the attempt, all thofe powers of grace which they had before fo Beautifully difplayed, retired as if influenced by the magic of fome unpropitious fpirit. Amongst the, party, was a little girl, about nine years old, who was dreffed in the higheft ftyle of fashion and looked like a fashionable milliner's doll. This little spoiled child was accustomed to spend an hour, at her toilette every morning, and to be tricked out in all the ephemeral decoration of the haut ton. This little coquette already looked out for admiration, and its foolish mother expreffed the greatest fatisfaction, when any one, out of politenefs to her, paid attentions to the pert premature nurfling. Our entertainment concluded with a handfome fupper, and we parted, highly delighted, at the dawn of day. Nothing could be more flattering, than the attentions which, as an Englishman, I received from every one prefent.

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After a few hours repofe, I went with a large party - to the church of Notre Dame; in which there is a very fine altar piece. The keeper of the fachrifty, who was a very arch-looking little fellow, in spite of the folemnity of the place in which we were, made us fmile (even as a young lady who was going to be confeffed for the first time the next day, loft a confiderable proportion of her gravity) by informing us, that during the time of terror he had run off with the Vir gin Mary, pointing to the image, and that to prevent the detection of Robespierrre's agents, he had concealed her in his bed for three years. Nothing could exceed his joy in having saved her from the hatchet, or the flames, from which impending fate, the was reftored to her former fituation in this church and was, when we faw her, by the extravagance of her fprightly, and ardent protector, dreffed in a white muflin gown, fpotted with filver; a little bouquet of artificial flowers graced her bofom, and her wig was finely curled, and powdered. The figure in her arms which was intended to represent the Infant Jefus, was dreffed in a ftyle equally unfuitable his hair was alfo curled, and powdered, and a fmall cocked hat placed upon his head. Our delighted guide, whofe eyes fparkled with felf-complacency, afked us if we had ever feen a prettier Virgin Mary, or one dreffed more handfomely. We were all much amused by the quaintnefs of this man's conduct, although I am confident he had no intention of exciting unbecoming fenfations for, in faving this image, he had expofed his life.