From Notre Dame, we went to the Abbaye aux Hommes, built by William the Conqueror. It is a large lofty plain pile of building. The fpires are well proportioned, and very high. The pillars in the choir are, in my humble opinion, too maffy. Prepar ations were here making for the celebration of the great festival called the Feaft of God. We prefent ed to one of the priefts, who, in the fachrifty, was adorning the cradle of our Saviours' image with flowJers, fome very fine mofs rofès, which in France are very rare, which he received with great politenefs. This feftival before the revolution was always superbly celebrated. It was then renewed for the first time fince the profcription of religion, during which, all the coftly habits of the priests, and rich veffels ufed in the ceremonies of the church, have been stolen, fold or melted down. Near the alter, which has been hattered by the axe of the revolution is the vault of the Norman conqueror.

Upon our return to our hotel, we faw a confiderble crowd affembled near the bridge leading to de la Cour. Upon inquiring into the cause of this affemblage, we found it was owing to a curious rencounter between two blind beggars, who, in total darkness, had been waging an uncertain battle for near fix min→utes. It appeared that one of them had for feveral ~ months enjoyed quiet poffeffion of the bridge, which > happened to be a great thoroughfare, and had during that time, by an undifputed display of his calamity,

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contrived to pick up a comfortable recompenfe for it; thaat within a few days preceding this novel fracas, ̧ another mendicant, who had equal claims to compaf-fion, allured by the repute of his fuccefs, had deferted a lefs frequented part of the city, and had prefented himfelf at the other corner of the fame bridge, where by a more mafterly felection of moving phrafes, he foon not only divided, but monopolized the eleemofynary revenues of this poft of wretchednefs. The * original poffeffor, naturally grew jealous. Even beggars can bear no brother near the throne." "InBamed with jealoufy, he filently moved towards his rival, by the found of whofe voice, which was then. fending forth fome of its moft affecting, and purfe drawing ftrains, he was enabled to defermine whether his arm was within reach of the head of his competitor, which circumftance, having with due nicety afcertained, he clenched his fift, which in weight, fize, and firmnefs, was not much furpaffed by the hard, and ponderous paw of a full grown tiger, and with all the force of that propulfion, which a formidable fet of mufcles afforded, he felled his ri to the ground, and not knowing that he was fallen, discharged many other blows, which only ferved to difturb the tranquillity of the air. The recumbent hero, whofe head was framed for enterprifes of this nature, foon recovered from the affault, and after many unavailing efforts in the dark, at length fucceeded in opening one of the veffels of the broad nofe of his brawny af

failant, whofe blood, enriched by good living, ftreamed out most copioufly. In this condition we faw these orblefs combatants, who were fpeedily feparated from each other. Some of the crowd were endeavoring to form a treaty of pacification between them, whether they fucceeded I know net, for we were obliged to leave the bridge of battle, before these important points were arranged, to join a pleasant party at Mons. J's, an opulent banker at Caen, to whom I had letters of introduction from Mons. R, the banker of Paris...

After spending the short time, during which I was detained at Caen, very pleafantly, I refumed my feat in the diligence for Cherbourg, in which I found a very agreeable woman, her two daughters, two canary birds a cat, and her kitten, who were I found, to be my companions all the way. After we left Caen, the roads became very bad. Our ponderous machine,. frequently rolled from one fide to the other, and with many alarming crackings, threatened us with a heavy, and perilous overthrow. At length we arrived at Bayeux, where we dined, at the houfe of a friend of my fair fellow traveller, to which the invited me with a tone of welcome, and good wifbes which overpower-ed all refiftance. We fat down to an excellent dianer, at which was produced the ufual favorite French dish of cold turbot, and raw artichokes. After our repaft, a fine young woman, the daughter of the lady? of the houfe, in a very obliging, but rather grave man

mer, poured out à tumbler full of some delicious potent liqueur, which, to my no fmall furprife, the prefented me with ; upon my only tasting it, and returning it, the appeared to be equally surprised, and confufed. Her mother, obferving our mutual embarrafment, informed me, that in France it was understood that the English were troubled with the ennui, or tristeffe de cœur, and that they drank large draughts of wine and spirits to expel the gloomy malady. I foftened this opinion of our common character, as well as I could, for, I fear, without offering confiderable outrage to ! truth, I could not wholly have denied it out worg After dinner, we walked to the cathedral, which is a noble gothic pile, and, upon our return, found the diligence in waiting for us. My companions were attended to the door of the carriage by their hofpitables friends, between whom feveral kiffes were interchan-[: ged, I took an opportunity, juft before I mounted the step, of stealing one of those tokens of regard from the fair young damfel who had fo courteously offered me the liqueur, at the fame time telling her, that in England, a kifs was always confidered as the best rem edy for the trifteffe de coeur.Away trotted our lit tle Norman fteeds; and, notwithstanding they had come all the way from Caen, they foon carried us over the hills on this fide of Bayeux. The eye com municated delight to the heart, whilft it contemplated the vast extent of corn fields, which in this fertile prol. viace undulated on all fides of us, in waves of yellow

exuberance, over which, embofomed in trees, at fhort distances, peeped the peaceful and picturesque abode

of the profperous cottage farmer. The profpect afs forded an impreffive contraft to the impolitic agricul tural system, which lately obtained in England, by which cottage farms are confolidated into ample do mains of monopoly, and a baneful preference is given. in favor of the rearing of cattle, to the vital and bountiful labors of the plough. A celebrated writer, who well knew in what the real wealth of a nation confifted, has obferved, that he who could make two ears of corn grow upon a spot of ground, where only one grew be fore, would deferve better of mankind than the whole race of politicians. The high roads of Normandy are unneceffarily broad; hence confiderable portions of land remain uncultivated. A fpacious road, like every thing which is vaft, excites an impreffion of grandeur;; but in this prolific department, the facilities of travel- 3 ling, and the dignity of the country, might be confulted with lefs wafte. This prodigality is perhaps attributable to the highways in France having fhared but little of its legiflative attention; and accommodation appears to have been fought rather by a lavish allotment of fpace, than by a judicious formation, and frequent and thorough repair.

The Inns along the road are very poor, altho' overv the door of almost every little cottage is written, in large characters, Bon Cidre de Victoire. There i are alfo no regular poft-horfes to be met with. They