7

embellished with a large board, upon which is recorded, in yellow characters, as ufual, the fuperior advantages of this house over every other hôtel in Havre. Upon our arrival, we were ushered up a large dirty ftaircafe into a lofty room, upon the first floor, all the windows of which were open, divided, as they always are in France, in the middle, like folding doors; the floor was tiled, a deal table, fome coinmon rufh chairs, two very fine pier glaffes, and chandeliers to correfpond, compofed our motley furniture. I found it to be a good fpecimen of French inns, in general. We were followed by our hoftefs, the porter, two cooks, with caps on their heads, which had once been white, and large knives in their hands, who were fucceeded by two chamber-maids, all looking in the greatest hurry and confufion, and all talking together, with a velocity, and vehemence, which rendered the faculty of hearing almost a misfortune. They appeared highly delighted to see us, talked of our drefs, Sir Sidney Sinith, the blockade, the noble English, the peace, and a train of etceteras. length we obtained a little ceffation, of which we immediately feized the advantage, by directing them to fhow us to our bed-rooms, to procure abundance of water hot and cold, to get us a good breakfast as foon as poffible, and to prepare a good dinner for us at four o'clock. Amidst a peal of tongues, this clamorous proceffion retired,

At

After we had performed our neceffary ablutions, and had enjoyed the luxury of fresh linen, we fat down to fome excellent coffee, accompanied with boiled milk, long delicious rolls, and tolerably good butter, but found no knives upon the table; which, by the by, every traveller in France is prefumed to carry with him having mislaid my own, I requested the maid to bring me one. The person of this damfel, would certainly have fuffered by a comparison with those fragrant flowers, to which young poets refemble their beloved mistreffes; as foon as I had preferred my prayer, the very deliberately drew from her pocket a large clafp knife, which after fhe had wiped on her apron, fhe prefented to me, with a"voila monfieur." I received this dainty prefent, with every mark of due obligation, accompanied, at the fame time, with a refolution not to use it, particularly as my companions (for we had two other English gentlemen with us) had directed her to bring fome others to them. This delicate inftrument w

as favory as its miftrefs, amongst the various agrancies which it emitted, garlic feemed to have the mastery.

About twelve o'clock we went to the hall of the municipality, to procureur paffports for the interior, and found it crowded with people upon the fame errand. We made our way through them into a very andfome any-room, and thence, by a little further

C

perfeverance, into an inner room, where the mayor and his officers were feated at a large table covered with green cloth. To fhow what reliance is to be placed upon the communications of English newfpapers, I fhall mention the following circumftance: my companion had left England, without a paffport, owing to the repeated affurances of both the ministerial and oppofition prints, and also of a person high în administration, that none were neceffary.

The first question propounded to us by the fecretary was, "citizens, where are your paffports?" I had furnished myself with one; but upon hearing this question, I was determined not to produce it, from an apprehenfion that I should cover my friend, who had none, with fufpicion, fo we anfwered, that in England they were not required of Frenchmen, and that we had left our country with official affurances that they would not be demanded of us here.

They replied to us, by reading a decree, which rigorously required them of foreigners, entering upon the territories of the republic, and they affured us, that this regulation was at that moment reciprocal with every other power, and with England in particular. The decree of courfe clofed the argument. We next addreffed ourfelves to their politenefs (forgetting that the revolution had made fad inroads upon it) and requested them, as we had been misled, and had no other views of vifiting the country, but those of pleasure, and improvement, that they would be

pleased to grant us our paffports for the interior. To this addrefs, these high authorities, who feemed not much given to "the melting mood," after making up a phyfiognomy, as fevere, and as iron bound as their coaft, laconically obferved, that the laws of the republic must be enforced, that they should write to our ambaffador to know who we were, and thaf in the mean time they would make out our paffports for the town, the barriers of which we were not to pass. Accordingly, a little fat gentleman, in a black coat, filled up thefe official inftruments, which were copied into their books, and both figned by us; he then commenced our "fignalement," which is a regular defcriptive portrait of the head of the perfon who has thus the honor of fitting to the municipal portrait painters of the dèpartement de la Seine inferieure.

This portrait is intended, as will be immediately anticipated, to afford encreased facilities of all national guards, marèchaufsèes, thief takers, &c. for placing in "durance vile" the unfortunate original, fhould he violate the laws.

The fignalement is added in the margin, to the paffport, and also registered in the municipal records, which, from their fize, appeared to contain a greater number of heads and faces, thus depicted, than any mufeum or gallery I ever beheld.

How correct the likeneffes in general are, I leave to the judginent of others, after I have informed

them, that the hazle eyes of my friend were defcribed "yeux bleus" in this mafterly delineation.

If the dead march in Saul had been playing before us all the way, we could not have marched more gravely, or rather fulkily, to our inn. Before us, we had the heavy profpect of spending about ten days in this town, not very celebrated for either beauty, or cleanlinefs, until the municipality could receive an account of us, from our ambaffador, who knew no more of us than they did. The other English gentlemen were in the fame predicament.

However we determined to purfue the old adage, that what is without remedy, should be without regret, and, English like, grew very merry over a good dinner, confifting of foups, and meat, and fowls, and fith, and vegetables (for fuch is the order of a French dinner) confectionary and a defert, accompanied with good Burgundy, and excellent Champaign. Our misfortunes muft plead our excufe, if the dinner is confidered extravagant. Uncle Toby went to fleep when he was unhappy; we folicited confolation in another way. Our fignalements afforded us much diversion, which at length was a little augmented by a plan which I mentioned, as likely to furnish us with the means of our liberation. After dinner I waited upon a young gentleman who was under the care of a very respectable merchant, to whom I had the good fortune to have letters of introduction. Through his means I was introduced to Mons. de la M