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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through I lie lull lexl of 1 1 us book on I lie web al|_-.:. :.-.-:: / / books . qooqle . com/| -1 » i *. ».' r \ p ^'\> I -— ' - .) i i ' \ I i I Ir A HANDBOOK FOR fRAVELLERS IN FRANCE. Attention Patro: This volume is t( Please handle wit university of michic a* NOTICE TO THIS EDITION. The Editor of the • Handbook for Travellers in France ' requests that tra- vellers who may, in the use of the Work, detect any faults or omissions which they can correct from personal knowledge, will have the kindness to mark them down on the spot and communicate to him a notice of the same, favouring him at the same time with their names — addressed to the care of Mr. Murray, Albemarle Street. They may be reminded that by such com- munications they are not merely furnishing the means of improving the Handbook, but are contributing to the benefit, information, and comfort of future travellers in general, %• No attention can be paid to letters from innkeepers in praise of their own houses ; and the postage of them is so onerous that they cannot be received. Caution to Tbaveluers. — By a recent Act of Parliament the introduc- tion into England of foreign pirated Edition* of the works of British authors, in which the copyright subsists, is totally prohibited. Travellers will there- fore bear in mind that even a single copy is contraband, and is liable to seizure at the English Custom-house. Caution to Innkeepers and othebs. — The Editor of the Handbooks has learned from various quarters that a person or persons have of late been extorting money from innkeepers, tradespeople, artists, and others, on the Continent, under pretext of procuring recommendations and favourable notices of them and their establishments in the Handbooks for Travellers. The Editor, therefore, thinks proper to warn all whom it may concern, that recommendations in the Handbooks are not to be obtained by purchase, and that the persons alluded to are not only unauthorized by him, but are totally unknown to him. All those, therefore, who put confidence in such promises may rest assured that they will be defrauded of their money without attaining their object. English travellers are requested to explain this to innkeepers in remote situations, who are liable to become victims to such impositions. Notices to this effect have been inserted by the Editor in the principal English and foreign newspapers.— -1847. >n I A HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS \ IN \ FRANCE: BEING A. GUIDE TO NORMANDY, BRITTANY ; THE RIVERS SEINE, LOIRE, RHONE, AND GARONNE ; THE FRENCH ALPS, DAUPHINE, PROVENCE, AND THE PYRENEES ; THEIR RAILWAYS AND ROADS. SSI it) Jttay*. SIXTH EDITION, REVISED AND CORRECTED. WITH AH ACCOUNT OP THB ISLAND OF CORSICA. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. PARIS : A. & W. GALIGNANI AND CO. ; STASSIN AND XAVIER. 1858. \ iPk* W«W /%/ fran*bt±ian. it reutrved* THE ENGLISH EDITION'S OP MURRAY'S HANDBOOK* MAT BE OBTAINED OF THE FOLLOWING AGENT8 : — Germany, Holland, and Belgium. aix-la- i CHAPELLEf AMSTERDAM ANTWERP BADEN-BADEN BERLIN . BRUSSELS CARLSRUHB . COBLENTZ COLOGNE . DRESDEN . FRANKFURT . GRATZ THE HAGUE . HAMBURG I.A.MAYER. J. MULLER. — W. KTR- BERGEH.-,VAN BAR- KEN ESS. MAX. KORNIOKBR.T D. R. MARX. A. DUNCKER. MUQUARDT. — KIESSLING ft CO.— FROMENT. A. BIELEFELD. BAEDEKER. A. BAEDEKER.-EISEN. ARNOLD. C. JUGEL. „ . DAMIAN A SORGE. VAN STOCKUM. PERTHES, BESSER A MAUKE. HEIDELBERG . MOHR. KISSINGEN LEIPZIG . LUXEMBOURG MANNHEIM . MAYENCE MUNICH . NUERNBERG . PEST PRAGUE . " ROTTERDAM . I STUTTGART . i TRIESTE . ' VIENNA . WIESBADEN . C. JUG EI.. F. FLEISCHER.— WEIGEL. BUCK. ART ARIA ft FONTAINE. VON ZABERN. LITERARISCH - ARTISTI- SCHE ANSTALT — I. PALM. SCHRAG. HARTLEREN.— G. HECKENAST. CALVE. PETRI.— KRAMERS. P. NEFF. MONSTER. C. G1ROLD — BRAUMULLER.— STERNICKEL. C. JUGEL C.W.KREIDEL. Switzerland. BASLE BERN COIRE CONSTANCE ST. GALLEN OENEVA . BOLOGNA FLORENCE GENOA LEGHORN LUCCA MANTUA . MILAN MODENA . NAPLES . NICE . PALERMO . AMIENS . ANGERS . AV RANCHES . BAYONNE . , BORDEAUX , BOULOGNE BREST CAEN . CALAIS DIEPPE . DIN ANT . DOUAI DUNKERQUE . GRENOBLE HAVRE LILLE LYONS MARSEILLES . METZ . MONTPELLIER MADRID ST. PETERS- BURGH Malta. MUIR. SCHWEIGHAUSER. — NEU- KIRCH. DA LP, HUBER, ft CO. GRUBENMANN. MECK. HUBER. KESSMANN.— MONROE — DESROG1S. — CHERBU- LIEZ.-GKX.J LAUSANNE LUCERNE SCHAFFHAUSEN HURTER. HIGNOU ft CO.— WEBER. F. KAISER. SOLEURE ZURICH Italy. M. RU8CONI. GOODBAN. ANTOINE BEUF. MAZZAJOLI. F. BARON. NEGRETTr. ARTARIA ft SON.— DUMOLARD FRERES.— MOLINART SANGNER.- P.&J.VALLARDI. VINCENZI ft ROSSI. DETKEN. VISCONTT.— GIRAUD. CHARLES BEUF. PARMA PISA . PERUGIA ROME SIENA TRIESTE TURIN VENICE . VERONA . France. CARON. BARAS«E'. ANFRAY. JAYMEBON. CHAUMAS. WATEL.— MERRIDEW. HEBERT. VILLENEUVE. RIGAUXCAUX. MARAIS. COSTF J ACQUA RT.— LEMA LE. LEYSCHOCHART. VELLOT ET COMP. COCHARD.-POURDIGNON. — FOUCHER. VANACKERE.— BF/GHIN. GIBERTON ft BRUN.— AYNE' FILS. MADAME CAMOIN. WARION. LEVALLE. NANCY NANTES . ORLEANS . PARIS PAU . PERPTGNAN REIMS ROCHEFORT ROUEN ST.ETIENNE ST. MALO . ST. QUENTIN STRASBOURG TOULON . TOULOUSE TOURS TROYES . MONIER. Spain. f GIBRALTAR Russia. ISSAKOFF— N. ISSAKOFP.— BELLIZARD. MOSCOW ODESSA JENT. H. FUSS LI A CO.-MEYER ft ZELLER. H. F. LEUTHOLD, POST- STRASSE. S. KANGHIERI. NISTRI.-JOS. VANNUCCHI. VINCENZ. BARTELLT. GALLARINI.-SPITHOVER. —PI A LE— CUCCIONI. ONORATO TORRI. HERMAN F. MUNSTER.— GIANNINI ft FIORE.— MAGGI— MARIETTI. — BOCCA FRERES. HERMAN F. MUNSTER. H. F. MUNSTER. GONET. GUE'RAUD— FOREST AWE'. GATINEAII.— PESTY. GALIGNANT.— STASSIN ET XAVTER. AUG. BASSY.— LAFON. JULIA FRERES. BRTSSART BINET. BOUCARD. LEBRUMENT. DELARUE. HUE. DOLOY. TREUTTEL ET WtJRTZ GRUCKER. MONGE ET VILLA MUS. H. LEBON.— GIMET. COUSTURIER. LA LOY. ROWSWELL. W. GAITTIER. VILLIETTY. Ionian Islands. Constantinople. Greece. CORFU. .J.W.TAYLOR. WICK. ATHENS. A.N AST. *: PREFACE. ^ ====== r\ ^ The Handbook for France is the result of four or five journeys undertaken at different times between 1830 and 1841 ; and the Editor has covered the ground with a network of routes, de- scribed from personal observation, extending from Dunkirk to St. Jean de Luz ; from Toulon and Hyeres to Brest ; from Grenoble and the Grande Chartreuse through Aubenas and Aurillac to the Porte de Yenasque; and from Cherbourg and Mont St. Michel to Briancon and Embrun, and including the almost entire circuit of France. But in so vast a field many insterstices have been left to be filled up by the best printed information ; and that so meagre in some respects, so abundant and scattered in others, that the collecting and arranging of the materials has been a work of very serious labour. The materials, indeed, for describing a large part of France are far more scanty than those which present themselves for Germany and Switzer- land ; and the writer may fairly say that he has, in the following /q pages, laid down routes of which no account is to be found in French Guides. It would be unjust to omit to mention the Jj admirable Guides of Vaysse de Villiers, from which he has j[ derived essential information ; but though they extend to nearly c * twenty volumes, they comprise only a small part of France, and ^ only portions of their contents are calculated to interest English "T travellers. For their use this volume is compiled ; and if any „j French readers think fit to take it up, they must not be surprised to find many details well known to them, and doubtless many errors,' not a few of which will be equally discernible by the Editor's own countrymen. He trusts that in the statement of vi PREFACE. facts he has avoided invidious comparisons — that he has set down nought in such a light as to cause prejudice against the French, or to encourage or perpetuate estrangement between the two nations. The chapters into which the book is divided are arranged according to the ancient Provinces, as being less minute, more historical, and better understood by English than the more intricate subdivisions of Departments. Though the latter are universally used by the French themselves, some centuries must elapse before Champagne and Burgundy cease to be remem- bered for their wines, Perigord for its pies, and Provence for its oil ; nor will it be easy to obliterate the recollection of Wil- liam of Normandy, Margaret of Anjou, and Henri of Navarre. This volume contains no description of Paris, because to have included the capital would have extended this book to nearly double its present size, and because the ' Paris Guide ' of Ga- lignani is a very good one, and renders the preparation of another, for the present at least, unnecessary. CONTENTS. Pao« Introductory Information • i* Section I. PICARDY.— FRENCH FLANDERS.— ILE DE FRANCE.— NORMANDY. Introductory Information . 1 Routes 3 Section II. BRITTANY. introductory Information 103 Routes 109 Section III. OKL&ANOIS.— TOURAINE.— RIVER LOIRE.— LA VENDUE.— POITOU.— SAINTONGE. Introductory Sketch of the Country 166 Routes 168 Section IV. LIMOUSIN.— GASCONY.— GUIENNE.-THE PYRENEES.— NAVARRE.— B&ARN.— LANGUEDOC.— ROUSSILLON. Preliminary Information . . . ._ 224 Routes 235 Section V. CENTRAL FRANCE.— BERRI.— AUVERGNE.— VIVARAIS— ARDECHE.— CANTAL,— BOURBONNAIS.-LYONNAIS— THE CAYENNES. General View of the Country 335 Routes %. . . 339 Viii CONTENTS. Suction VI. PROVENCE AND LANGUEDOC. Paoh Preliminary Information 422 Routes ♦ 425 Section VII. DAUPHIN*. Introduction — Sketch of the Country 484 Routes « 485 Section VIII. BURGUNDY.— FRANCHE COMT& Routes 505 Section IX. CHAMPAGNE.— LORRAINE.— ALSACE.— THE VOSGES MOUNTAINS. Routes 518 Section X. ILE DE FRANCE.— FLANDRES.— ARTOIS. Routes 555 Section XI. THE ISLAND OF CORSICA. Preliminary Information . \ ' 566 Routes 570 • Index 587 1 HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS IN FRANCE. ** .1 nit INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION. CONTENTS. PAGfc a. Monet — Table of French Francs reduced to £. s. d. x „ English Monet reduced into French xi b. Tables of Weights and Measures . . . xii „ French Feet reduced to English Feet . xiii „ Metres — Do. . . xiv „ Kilometres 1 (English Miles 1 „ Mtriametres j (and Furlongs j „ Lteues de Poste — Miles and Yards, zv „ Kilogrammes — English Pounds . xv „ Hectares — English Acres . xvi „ Metres — English Yards . xvi „ English Yards — Metres . . xvi c. Passports and Police. . . . . .xvi d. Routes across France — London to Paris, Strasburg, Marseilles, &c. 4 ♦ xix Modes of Travelling — e. Posting and Private Carriage . * xxi /. Mallesfostes ..... xxv g. Diligences ..... xxvi h. Railroads ..... xxvii t. Steamboats ..... xxx k. Inns — Tables-d'Hote, etc. . . . . xxx I. Cafes . . .... . xxxii m. A Traveller's General View of France— Points of Interest — Soenert— Architecture . . xxxiii n. List of the 86 Departments into which France is divided, and of the 33 Ancient Provinces com- posing them ...... xxxvii o. The English abroad ..... xxsix p. Skeleton Tour through France • . *1 a 3 a. MONET TABLE8. a. MONET. In France, accounts are kept in francs and centimes (or hundred parts), the coinage being arranged on the decimal system. 1 franc contains 10 decimes (or double sous), and each decime 10 centimes. FRENCH MONET. Silver Coins : — £ *. d. Piece of 1 franc «~ 100 Centura* =» 20 sous «0 0 9) English. „ \ franc a 20 centime* = 4 sous ■» 0 0 2 „ | franc = 2ft centimes = 5 sous =0 0 24 „ $ franc =» 50 centimes = 10 sous —004} „ 2 franca= 200 centimes *» 40 sous •» 0 1 7 „ 5 francBaa 900 centimes =100 sous = 0 3 11$ Gold Coins .— £ *. d. Napoleon, or 20 franc piece . «= 0 15 10 Half Napoleon, or 10 franc piece • «■» 0 7 11 Double Napoleon, or 40 franc piece «=» 1 11 8 Copper Coins :— Decime, or 2-soua piece . . «= 0 0 1 5 centimes = 1 sous . . =0 0 0} 1 centime . . . ■*« 0 0 0^V N.B. To find the value of centimes, remember that the Tens are all pennies, and the Fives halfpennies : thus 75c =7W.— 25c. 2}c?. — 15c. = l%d. within a fraction, but near enough for all practical purposes. To reduce French francs to English money for common purposes, where minute exactness is not required, it is only necessary to divide the amount of francs by 25, or to substitute 4 for 100, thus : — Francs, £ 100 = 4 1,000 = 40 10,000 = 400 . lbO.000 = 4,000 1,000,000 = 40,000 The Bank1 of France issues notes for 1000, 500, 200, and 100 francs, but they are difficult to change in out-of-the-way places, and the traveller will do tetter to carry gold. FOREIGN COINS REDUCED TO THEIR VALUE IN FRENCH CURRENCY AT THE PAR OF EXCHANGE. fr. c. English sovereign . = 25 21 crown . . . s 6 301 shilling = 1 26 Dutch Willem = 10 guilders ss 21 30 guilder as 2 15 Prussian dollar . . ss 3 75 Frederick dror — 21 0 Bavarian florin ^ 20 pence English 2S 2 15 Eron thaler ^^ 5 81 Austrian florin = 2 shillings English SE 2 57 a. MONET TABUS. XI FRENCH FRANCS AND CENTIMES REDUCED TO THEIR VALUE IN ENOUSH FOUNDS, SHILLINGS, AND PENCE. £ s. d. £ 9. d. 5 cents. 0 0 oi* 10 francs 0 7 11 10 0 o oift ll 0 8 H 15 0 ° i** 12 0 9 6 20 0 0 It* 13 0 10 8* 25 0 0 2t* 14 0 11 li 30 0 15 0 11 10S 35 0 0 3|A 16 0 12 V 40 0 0 3fi 17 0 13 V 45 0 0 4Ia 18 0 14 3; 50 i0 0 4$ 19 0 15 0: 55 0 0 5* 20 0 15 10: 60 0 o 54I 30 1 3 9i 65 0 0 6-2 40 1 11 $ 70 0 0 64 ft 50 1 19 8 7a 0 0 7- A 60 2 7 7 80 0 0 7*,t 70 2 15 6i 85 0 0 87 A 80 3 3 54 90 0 0 9-A 90 3 11 4f 95 0 100 3 19 4 1 fame 0 0 94 200 7 18 8 2 0 1 7 300 11 18 0 3 0 2 44 400 15 17 4 4 0 3 2 500 19 16 8 5 0 8 114 750 29 15 0 6 0 4 9 1,000 39 IS 4 7 0 5 64 5,000 198 6 8 8 0 6 4 10,000 396 13 4 9 0 7 14 KNGL1SH MONEY REDUCED TO ITS VALUE IN FRENCH FRANCS AND CENTIMES. Fr. Cts. Fr. Cts. Fr. Cts 1] penny 0 104 12 shillings 15 12 15£sterL 378 15 2 0 21 13 16 38 16 * 403 36 3 0 31* 14 17 64 17 428 57 4 0 42 15 18 90 18 453 78 5 0 524 16 20 16 ■ 19 478 99 6 0 63 17 21 42 20 504 20 7 0 734 18 22 68 30 756 0 8 0 84 19 23 94 40 1008 0 9 0 944 1 £sterL 25 0 50 1260 0 10 1 5 2 no 0 60 1512 0 11 1 15 3 75 0 70 1764 0 1 I shilling i 26 4 100 0 80 2016 0 2 2 52 5 126 0 90 2268 0 3 3 78 6 151 0 100 2520 0 4 5 4 7 176 0 200 5040 0 5 6 30 8 201 0 300 7560 0 6 7 56 9 226 0' 400 10,080 0 7 8 82 10 252 0 500 12,600 0 8 10 8 11 277 0 1000 25,200 0 9 11 34 12 302 0 5000 126,000 0 10 12 61 13 327 0 10,000 252,000 0 11 13 86 14 3i S2 0 Xll 6. WEIGHTS AMD MEA8UBES. b. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. A uniform decimal system of coins, weights, and measures was intro- duced into France in 1790, and since 1840 takes the place of all others. In this new system all the measures of length, superficies, and solidity, the unit of weight, and the unit of money, are connected together, and are derived from one fundamental measure of length, deduced from the dimensions of the earth, and each is capable of being verified at all times and in all places. This fundamental unit is called Metre, and is equal to the ten-millionth part (0*0000001) of the distance from the pole to the equator. The prefixes which express multiples are Greek :— represented by the capital letters expressing the numbers Mtbia Kilo Hecto Deca, M K H D, 10,000 1,000 100 10 The prefixes which express sub-multiples are Latin : — Deci Centi Milli Deci-milli Cent-milli represented by d c m d-m c-m, expressing the fractions 0*1 0-01 0*001 0*0001 0*00001 By means of this system, with a small number of words, the divi- sion can be carried almost ad mfinitwn. The measures of length are all either decimal multiples, or sub- multiples to the mitre, thus ; — M.-m. : K.-m. : H.-m. = 100 D.m. = 10 m. = 1 Bed- — d.-m. = 0*1 Centi- — c.-m. = 0*01 Milli- — m.-m. = 0*001 Myria- Eilo- Hecto- Deca- 10,000 Metres. 1,000 2 it it Metre. a it a French. The Metre is Toise • Pied (or foot) nearly Inch • • Aune • Linear Measure. n =2 metres, = i = H li ll II English. about 3 feet 3 inches, or .. 6 „ 6 1 „ 1 0 ,. 14 a it 3 „11 a it a The Gramme Decagramme Hectogramme Kilogramme Myriagramme a it it it Weights. \o 100 1,000 10,000 15*4340 grains 5*64 drams, avoird. 3*527 ounces, avoird. 2 lbs. 3 oz. 4} drams, avoird. 22-0485 lbs. avoird. Capacity. A Litre is 1000 grammes of distilled water; 15406*312 grains; or 2*1135 wine pints. 6. TABLES OF FRENCH MEASURES AND WEIGHTS. X111 TABLES OF FRENCH MEASURES AND WEIGHTS. Table A.— French Feet reduced to English Feet.* French English Feet and French English Feet and French English Feet and Feet. Decimal Parts. Feet. Decimal Parts. Feet. Decimal Parts. 1 1*066 40 42*631 79 84*195 2 2*132 41 43-696 80 85*261 3 3*197 42 44*762 81 86*327 4 4-263 43 45*828 82 87*393 5 5*329 44 46-894 83 88*459 6 6*395 45 47*959 84 89*524 7 7*460 46 49*025 85 90*590 8 8*526 47 50*091 86 91*656 9 9*592 48 51-157 87 92*722 10 10' 658 49 52*222 88 93-787 11 11*723 50 53*288 89 94*853 12 12*789 51 54-354 90 95*919 13 13*855 52 55*420 91 96*985 14 14*921 53 56*486 92 98-050 15 15*986 54 57*551 93 99*116 • 16 17*052 55 58*617 94 100*182 17 18*118 56 59*683 95 101*248 18 19*184 57 60-749 96 102*313 19 20*250 58 61*814 97 103*879 20 21*315 59 62*880 98 104*445 21 22-381 60 63*946 99 105*511 22 23*447 61 65*012 100 106-577 23 24*513 62 66*077 150 159*865 24 25*578 63 67*143 200 213*153 25 26*644 64 68*209 250 266*441 26 27-710 65 69*275 300 319*730 27 28*776 66 70*341 350 373*018 28 29*841 67 71*406 400 426*306 29 30*907 68 72*472 450 479*594 30 31*973 69 73-538 500 532*883 31 33*039 70 74-604 550 586*171 32 34*104 71 75*669 600 639*460 33 35*170 72 76*735 650 692*747 34 36*236 73 77*801 700 746*036 35 37*302 74 78 • 867 750 799 '324 36 38*368 75 79*932 800 852*612 37 ' 39*433 76 80*998 850 905-901 38 40*499 77 82-064 900 959*189 39 41*565 78 83*130 1000 1065*765 1 French Foot = 1-06576543 English Foot. 1 English Foot =* 0*93829277 French Foot. • Tables A and B are abridged from Capt. Becher'a accurate work on Foreign Linear XIV b. TABLES OF FRENCH MEASURES AND WEIGHTS. Table B. — French Metres reduced to English Feet. Metres. English Feet and MftfM. English Feet and Metres. English Feet sod Decimal Vmtt*. UCIltw Decimal Farts. Decimal Parts. 1 3*281 I i 38 124*674 75 246-067 2 6*562 39 127*955 76 249*348 3 9 843 1 40 131*236 77 252*629 4 13*123 41 134*517 78 255*910 5 16*404 42 137*798 79 259*191 6 19-685 43 141*079 80 262*472 7 22*966 44 144*359 81 265 753 8 26*247 45 147*640 82 269*034 9 29 528 46 150-921 83 272*315 10 32*809 47 154*202 84 275*595 11 36 090 48 157-483 85 278-876 12 39*371 49 160-764 86 282*157 13 42*652 ! 50 164-045 87 285*438 14 45-932 51 167*326 88 288*719 15 49*213 52 170*607 89 292-000 16 52*494 53 173*888 90 295*281 17 55*775 54 177*168 91 298- 562 18 59*056 55 180*449 92 301-843 19 62*337 56 183*730 93 305-124 20 65*618 57 187*011 94 308-404 21 68*899 58 190-292 95 311*685 22 72*180 59 193*573 96 314-966 23 75*461 60 196*854 97 318-247 24 78*741 61 200*135 98 321-528 25 82*022 62 203*416 99 324-809 26 85*303 63 206-697 100 328-090 27 88*584 64 209*977 200 656-180 28 91*865 65 213*258 300 984-270 29 95*146 66 216*539 400 1312-360 30 98*427 67 219-820 500 1640-450 31 101*708 68 223*101 600 1968-539 32 104*989 69 226*382 700 2296-629 33 108*270 70 229-663 800 2624-719 34 111*550 71 232*944 900 2952-809 35 114*831 72 236*225 1000 3280-899 36 118*112 73 239*506 37 121*393 74 242*786 French metre = 3-2808992 English feet 39 fa inches. b. TABLES OF KILOMETRES AND L1EOES DE POSTE. XV Table C. — French Kilometres and Myriamrtreb reduced into ENGLISH MILES, etc. Eng. Pur- Ens;. Fur- KILOM. Miles. longs. Yds. Ft. In. KILOM. Miles. longs. Yds. Ft. In. 1 = 0 4 213 1 11 8 =4 7 169 0 4 2=1 1 207 0 10 9 =5 4 162 2 3 3 = I 6 200 2 9 lmyria.= 6 1 156 1 2 4=2 3 194 1 8 2 =12 3 92 2 4 5=3 0 188 0 7 3 =18 5 29 0 6 6=3 5 181 2 6 4 =24 6 185 1 8 7=4 2 175 1 5 5 =31 0 121 2 10 1 Kilometre =■ 0*624 English mile. Table D. — French Lietjes de Pqste into English Miles and Yards. L. Mis. Yds. L. Mis. Yds L. Mis. Yds. L. Mis. Yds. 1 2 743*061 11 26 1,133-671 30 72 1,171-832 '400 968 1,544*428 2 4 1,486-122 12 29 116*732 40 96 1,562*443 500 1,211 170*535 3 7 469*183 13 31 859*794 50 121 198*053 600 1,453 556*642 4 9 1,212*244 14 33 1,602*855 60 145 583*664 700 1,696 942*749 5 12 195-305 15 36 585*916 70 169 974*275 800 1,937 1,328-836 6 14 938-366 16 38 1,328*977 80 193 1.364*886 900 2.175 1,714 968 7 16 1,681*427 17 41 312-038 90 217 1,755*496 1,000 2,422 341*070 8 19 664*488 18 43 1,055*099 100 242 386*107 2,000 4,844 682*140 9 21 1 ,407-549 19 46 88*160 200 484 772-214 3,000 7,266 1.023*210 10 24 390*610 20 48 181 -221 300 726 1,158*321 5,000 12,110 1,705*350 Table E. — French Kilogrammes into English Pounds (Avoirdupois). Kil. E. Pds. Kil. E. Pds. Kil. E. Pds. Kil. E. Pds. Kil. E. Pds. 1 2*206 14 30*880 27 59-554 40 88-228 300 761-714 2 4*411 15 33*086 28 61*760 41 90-434 400 882-286 3 6*617 16 35*291 29 63*996 42 92*640 500 1,102*857 4 8-823 17 37-497 30 66171 43 94*846 1,000 2,205*714 5 11028 18 39-703 31 68*377 44 97-051 2,000 4,411*429 6 13 234 19 41*908 32 70*583 45 99*857 3,000 6,617*143 7 15*440 20 44*114 33 72*788 46 101*463 4,000 8,822*857 8 17-646 21 46*320 34 74-994 47 103*668 5,000 11,028*471 9 19*851 22 48*526 35 77*200 48 105*874 10,000 22,057*143 10 22*057 23 50*731 36 79*405 49 108-080 20,000 44,114*286 11 24-263 24 52*937 37 81*611 50 110-2*6 30,000 66,171*429 12 26*468 25 55*143 38 83-817 100 220-571 40,000 88,228*572 13 28*674 26 57*348 89 86*023 200 441*143 50,000 110,285*715 XVI C. PASSPORTS AND POLICE. Table F. — French Hectares into English Acres. Hect. Acres. Hect. Acres. Hect. Acres. Hect. Acres. Hect. Acres. 1 2'4?1 8 19*769 15 37-067 40 98*846 200 494 229 S 4*942 9 22*240 16 39-538 50 123-557 300 741-343 3 7*413 10 24*711 17 42 009 60 148*268 400 988*457 4 9*884 11 27*182 18 44*480 70 172-980 50D 1.235*571 5 12-356 12 29*634 19 46-952 80 197*691 1,000 2,471*143 6 14-827 13 32*125 20 49*423 90 222*403 2,000 4,942*286 7 17-298 14 34*596 30 74 134 100 247*114 5,000 12,355*751 Table G . — French Metres into English Yards. 1 metre equal to 1*09 yards. 20 metres equal to 21*86 yards. 2 ,, »> 2-16 „ 30 it it 32-79 „ 3 „ a 3-27 „ 40 tt tt 43*72 „ 4 „ tt 4'36 „ 50 ti it 54-75 „ 5 ,, tt 9*45 „ 60 it it 65*58 „ 6 ,, • • 6*54 „ 70 it it 76-51 „ 7 ,, »• 7*63 „ 80 it it 87*44 „ 8 „ tt 8-72 „ 90 it it 98*27 „ 9 ,, tt 9-81 „ 100 It l» 109*36 „ 10 „ a 10*93 „ Table H.~ -English Yards into METRE8. 1 yard equal to 0*914 metres. 20 yards equal to 18*288 metres. 2 ,, »i 1-829 »» 30 >» it 27-432 „ 3 „ a 2*742 tt 40 it it 36*576 „ 4 „ it 3-658 it 50 it ti 45-720 „ 5 ,, 19 4*572 >» 60 ti tt 54*884 „ 6 „ It 5*488 a 70 tt it 64-000 „ 7 „ It 6*400 ti 80 tt tt 73-150 „ 8 „ It 7-315 it 90 »» ii 82*292 „ 9 „ 1* 8-229 •» 100 tt it 91-440 „ 10 „ tt 9-144 a C. PASSPORTS AND POLICE. A passport is indispensable to enable a stranger to travel in France. However much the new Passport Kegulations in France may tend to incommode ruffians and conspirators, yet orderly and respectable English travellers need fear no annoyance from them. The chief changes are, — 1st, That no one can now land in France without a passport, which was formerly not required of persons visiting Boulogne or any other French seaport, and not proceeding inland. 2ndly, That the French Ambassador and Consuls are now prohibited furnishing any but Frenchmen with passports. Well* conducted English travellers of whatever class, provided with a proper British passport, will find in the interior of France no more trouble now from this source than under the previous French governments. N.B. — A French visa is indispensable on a Foreign-office passport to C. PASSPORTS AND POLICE. XVli enable an Englishman to enter France. It may be obtained in London at the French. Consul's, 36, King William Street, City, for a fee of 5 frs. It must be repeated every journey, English Passports. Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs -will grant passports to British-born subjects, or to fonians, or to such foreigners as have become naturalized, provided they are either known to the Secretary of State for Foreign Aflairs, or recom- mended to him by some person known to him, or upon the applica- tion of any banking firm established in London or in any other part of the United Kingdom, or on the recommendation of the mayor or chief magistrate of any corporate town in the United Kingdom, or of any magistrate or justice of the peace, physician, surgeon, solicitor, notary, or minister of religion, who shall certify, in writing produced by the applicant, that he is really the person he professes to be. Such recommendation must be addressed, upon the cover, to " Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Passport- office, Downing-street, London," and forwarded by post from the country ; and should be made in the following form, signed and sealed by the person giving the recommendation :— " (Date of place and day of the month.) " The undersigned, Mayor of Chief Magistrate of Magistrate for Justice of Peace for , recommends A.B. (Christian and surname to be written at length,^ ^^iSedidbjeot} for a passport to enable him|£ g^S the Continent}' «»»*«**> as the case may be, by his wife and children, with their tutor, named C. D. {a British subject \ a naturalized Britishi subject ) and governess, and maidservant (or servants) and man-servant (or «a«m«*a *,«*»-/7 w w i a British subject (or subjects), servants) named E. F. \ fl naiwnMud Br>ti6h Subj-J(ar subjects). "Signature (Christian and surname to be written at length). "(Seal)." If any person so recommended be a naturalized British subject, his certificate of naturalization, with his signature subscribed to the oath printed on the third page of his certificate, must be forwarded with the application for his passport. The passport so applied for will be transmitted by return of post, if possible, to the mayor, chief magistrate, magistrate*, or justice of the peace, or other person, who may have given the recommendation, to be delivered by him to the person requiring it. The charge on the issue 01 each passport, whatever number of persons may be named in it, is 2s. ; and that sum must be forwarded with the application for the passport ; and if the remittance be by XVlii C. PASSPORTS AND POLICE. Post-office order, such order is to be made payable to the " Chief Clerk of the Foreign-office," at the Post-office, Charing-cross.* If, however, a person recommended from the country for a pass* port prefers it, he may obtain his passport at the Foreign-office on the day following the receipt of the application, and pay the charge on the passport being delivered to him ; but in this case the words " Passport will be applied for at the Foreign-office" must be added to the letter of recommendation. The form of application heretofore adopted by banking firms will continue to be used by them. It is requisite that the bearer of every passport granted by the Foreign-office should sign his passport before he sends it to be vised at any foreign Mission or Consulate in England : without such signature either the visa may be refused or the validity of the passport questioned abroad. Travellers who may have any inten- tion of visiting the Austrian States at any time in the course of their travels on the continent are particularly and earnestly advised not to quit England without having their passports vised at the Austrian Mission in London: but there is no necessity for the visa to a Foreign-office passport of either the Prussian or Sardinian autho- rities in the United Kingdom. List of the principal Foreign Passport-offices in London where Foreign- office Passports are to be vised. Austrian Legation. — Chandos-house, Cavendish-square. Bavarian Legation. — 3, Hill-street, Berkeley-square. Belgian Consulate. — 53, Gracechurch -street. French Consulate. — 36, King William-street, City. Netherlands Consulate. — 20J, Great St. Helen's. Portuguese Consulate. — 5, Jeffireyis-square. Bussian Consulate. — Z% Great Winchester-street. Sicilian Consulate.— 15, Cambridge-street, Edgware-road. Spanish Legation.— 17, Hereford-street, Park-lane. Turkish Embassy.— 1, Bryanston-square. Agents appointed to issue Foreign-office Passports at the English Seaports. At Dover, Mr. Latham ; at Folkestone, Mr. Faulkner ; at Southampton), Mr. Le Feuvre ; and at Liverpool, Mr. Litherland. The description of the bearer's person, or signalement, should not be omitted in any passport for France : the want of it may lead, in remote parts of the country, to the bearer's detention or arrest ; and it is the more necessary to dwell on this point, because in the passports issued by the Foreign Office and by English ministers abroad it is omitted. Rentier, or Propri4taiere% i.e. man of inde- pendent means, is a convenient designation for those who travel for recreation. A peaceably disposed person may sojourn months in the country and traverse it in many directions without its being even asked * Any Information or farther explanations will be given by Messrs. Lee and Carter, Passport Agents and Booksellers, West Strand, who will mount the passport on linen, and insert it in a pocket-book, at a moderate charge. d. ROUTES TO PARIS AND ACROSS FRANCE. XJX for. Still he is never safe without it. The Gendarmes we autho- rized to call for it not only in frontier and fortified towns, but in remote villages : they may stop you on the highway, or waylay you as you descend from the diligence — may force themselves into the satie-a-manger, or enter your bed-room, to demand a sight of this precious document. It is needless to expatiate on this restraint, so inconsistent with the freedom which an Englishman enjoys at home ; it is the custom of the country, and the stranger must conform, or has no business to set his foot in it. It must be allowed that the police perform their duty with civility, so as to render it as little vexatious as possible. They cannot enter a private house without a warrant. Those who lose their passports, leave them behind, or do not take care to have them "en rdgle," are liable to be marched off to the juge de paix or preiet, often a distance of 10, 15, or 20 miles, on foot, unless they choose to pay for a carriage for their escort as well as themselves ; and if no satisfactory explanation can be given, may at last be deposited in prison. Before leaving Paris the passport must be vise' by the police authorities, and before embarking at a French part the traveller must be furnished with a separate permit (Tembarquement, which is given gratis immediately before the sailing of the vessel. In ail the respectable Paris hotels a commissionaire is appointed to attend to the passports, for which a fixed charge (3 francs) is made, and this saves the traveller a couple of days' running about from office to office. The signature of the Papal Nuncio for travellers going to Home can be obtained at Paris, but is not necessary, as that of the Minister at Florence, or of the Consular Agent at Mar- seilles or Leghorn, is sufficient. The duties of rural police are performed by Gendarmes, a fine body of men, chosen from the line, handsomely dressed, better mounted than any other French cavalry corps. Being settled in their native country, and not moved from place to place, they know everybody and all the localities. Their salary amounts to 80J. a-year, out of which they have to provide their horse and uniform. dn routes across francs — london to paris, strasburg, marseilles, &c. London to Paris by Rail and Steamer. a. By Folkestone (Rail — express 2i hours), Boulogne (2£ hours, steam), Paris (rail 6 hours). Total, say 11 hours on the road. By crossing from Dover or Folkestone to Boulogne, instead of Calais, several miles of land journey are saved. At Folkestone the Hotel is comfortable, and by staying there during bad weather you may choose a calm day and an uncrowded steamer for crossing. b. By Lover, Calais, Lille, 12$ hours by the evening mail at 8*3 from London (Lord Warden Hotel, Dover, good). N.B. Owing to the smallness of the steamboats which cross the Channel between France and England they are often crowded to inconvenience, and in rough weather passengers are very liable to XX . d. ROUTES TO PARIS AND ACROSS FRANCE, be wetted by the rain or spray. The passengers, especially ladies, should therefore take with them a small change of raiment in a. hand bag, which must not be labelled at London Bridge. c. By Newhaven near Brighton, Dieppe, and Rouen, 11 to 16 hours. This is both the most economical and perhaps the shortest route, as far as actual distance is concerned, but it involves a sea passage varying from 6 to 8 hours, and is therefore not to be chosen by those who suffer from sea-sickness. In spring and summer the voyage is generally performed in 6 hours. The land journey is agreeable, and Rouen well repays a halt of a day* The expense is not much more than half of that by Calais or Boulogne. Passengers taking through tickets, which cost 28s. and 20s., are allowed to remain 4 days on the road, which allows of their visiting Dieppe and Rouen comfortably. The steamboats on this line are excellent, and amongst the quickest in the Channel. d. By Southampton and Havre, 18 to 22 hours. Steamers in connexion with the S.W. Railway (trains from London, 7.30 p.m., daily) leave the Open Dock, Southampton, every second night but Sunday. London to Heidelberg, by Paris, 11 hours, Metz, Forbach, Mannheim, 18 hours. London to Bale, in Switzerland, by Paris (12 hours), Stras- burg (rail, 12 hours), Bale (4 hours). (In 1857 by Railway direct from Paris to Bale in 11 hours.) London to Geneva, by Paris, Tonnerre, Dijon, and Dole (20 to 24 hours by railway and mail). London to Marseilles in 34 hours — by Paris (railway), Lyons, and Chalons-sur-Soane, 10J hours (railway express) ; Lyons to Mar- seilles, 8 hours (rly.). The traveller bound for Marseilles should have his passport vise for that place direct on landing in France, which will enable him to retain his passport as far as Marseilles, and will save delay at Paris. An English contract steamer, belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Company, plies twice a-month between Marseilles and Malta, leaving the former port on the 12th and 28th of each month, where it meets the steamer which left Southampton on the 4th and 20th. The fare is 9Z., including board, for a 1st class passenger ; that of the 2nd class being 5L It leaves Marseilles on the 12th of every month, arriving at Malta early on the third day, or the 15th ; and brings with it the mail for India, which is made up in London on the 8th, unless it should happen to fall on a Sunday, when it is de- ferred till the following day. By this junction steamer letters can be despatched from London three or four days later than by the packet that goes round by Gibraltar to Malta. You ought to reach Marseilles on the 11th and 27th of the month, as the steamer often sails at an early hour, in order to go through the necessary passport formalities, and to embark comfortably. The arrangements of the Mediterranean steamers are frequently changing ; and it is therefore advisable to refer to the tariffs issued annually by the different companies. At Marseilles it is necessary to get the passport vis6 by the British e, POSTING. XXI ) consul and the local police ; also a bill of health, and a permis d'em* barquement. The people of the Packet-office will do this for a small fixed fee. French Government contract steamers of the Messageries Im- periales leave Marseilles for Alexandria, Constantinople, and the Levant, touching at Malta, every Thursday at 10 a.m. Other Govern- ment contract steamers run from Marseilles to Malta, touching on the way at Leghorn, Civita Vecchia, and Naples, every Monday in the forenoon ; and for Civita Vecchia and Naples every Tuesday at day- break, and every Thursday at 10 p.m., performing the respective voyages in 30 and 48 hours. London to Bordeaux and Bayonne, by Orleans, Tours, Poitiers, Liboume and Dax. Railway open all the way. Trains in about 21 hours. Pau may thus be reached in 28 hours from Paris. London to Dunkbrque (screw steamer, 3 times a week) in 12 hours. London to Boulogne and Calais (steamers, 9 to 12 hours, 5 hours of open sea). This is an economical route, and not fatiguing for those who can stand the sea. Owing to the prevalence of westerly winds and currents, the shortest passages are from Dover to Calais (1 h. 45 m.), and from Boulogne to Folkestone (2 hours.)* e. POSTING. — PRIVATE CARRIAGE. The French Post Book (Livre de Poste), published under the au- thority of the Government, is indispensable for persons travelling post, as it contains the exact distances from post to post, and the extra dues on entering and quitting towns (postes de faveur), which are constantly changing, likewise the legal distances from the chief stations of the chemins de fer to places in their vicinity. It may be had in all towns, and even at the post-houses. By a law enforced throughout France since the 1st Jan. 1840, distances are no longer calculated by " postes,"t but by kilometres and myriamdtres. 1 kilometre (i.e. 1000 metres) = nearly 5 furlongs, or $ths of an English mile ; 1 myrjamdtre = 10 kilom. = nearly 6£ Eng. m. (or 6 m. 1 fur. 156 yds.). See table, p. xv. The postmaster's authorised charge is, for each horse, 2 francs or 40 sous per myriametre, or 20 centimes per kilom. The Postilion is entitled by the tariff to demand only 1 franc per * Persons proceeding to Paris by the tidal trains via Folkstone and Boulogne, by the mail trains by Calais, and by the trains and boats of the Newnaven and Dieppe line, can register their luggage at the London Bridge Station direct for Paris, by which all worry of put- ting it on board and landing it from the steamer is avoided, the parcels remaining in charge of the company until their arrival in Paris, where only they are examined by the Customs officers. By this means travellers provided with a light car- pet bag, which they can carry in the hand and place under the seat of the railway carriage, can stop on the way, and will always be sure to find their luggage, by whatever train they may reach Paris. f The old poste = 8 kilometres. xxii e. posting. myriamdtre or 10 centimes per kik>m. ; but it is customary to pay him 2 francs per myriam., or at the rate of a horse, unless he nas misconducted himself when he may be punished by limiting his pay to the tariff. He is bound to drive the myriamdtre within 46 and 68 minutes. The English, who generally want to go faster, are too often in the habit of giving him 50 sous per myriam., or 6 per kilooL, which is at the rate of nearly 4d. an English mile, ue. more than a postboy in England gets. In fact, French postboys are not satisfied with 4 sous, but well contented with 5. This extravagant remuneration is contrary to the express injunc- tion of the French ' Livre de Poste,* which says, p. 42, " Les voya- geurs conservent done la faculty de restreindre le prix des guides a 1 franc, a titre de punition ; et ils seront invites par les maitres de Soste, et dans l'interSt du service, & ne jamais depasser la retribution e 2 fr. par myriamdtre." The cost of posting with 3 persons in a caldche, through France, may be calculated at 8 francs par myriamdtre, or 80 centimes par kilo- mdtre. For 2 persons, with 2 horses and postboy, the rate is about 6 francs, or nearly 9d. per English mile. The average speed of posting does not much exceed a myriamdtre per hour, including stoppages. In fixing the number of horses to be attached, the postmaster takes into account the nature, size, and weight of the carriage, and the quantity of luggage : a landau or berhn always requires 3 horses at least, generally 4 ; a chariot will require 3 ; while a britzka, holding the same number of persons, will need only 2. To facilitate this, carriages are divided into 3 classes : — 1. Cabriolets and light caldches without a front seat, or having one narrower than the back seat, must have 2 horses. 2. Limonidres, heavier carriages, chariots (coupees) ; to these the postmaster may attach 3 horses, even when they contain only 2 persons. 3. The heaviest kind of carriages, berlines, landaus, barouches, whether closed or not, but having a front seat as wide as the back, 4 horses. The posting regulations allot one horse to each person in a car- riage ; but allow tne traveller, at his option, and provided the post- master agrees, either to take the full complement of horses, at the rate of 40 sous each, or to take 2 or 3 at 40 sous, and to pay for the rest at 30 sous without taking them. Thus a party of 4 persons in a light britzka may be drawn by 2 horses, paying 30 sous each for a third and fourth horse, which Jiey are liable to take, or 3 francs extra for the 2 persons above tbb * -umber of horses, thus compound- ing with the postmasters along the whole line of road. Where the carriage is so light as not t0 require as many horses as there are passengers, it is, of course, a saving of 10 sous a myriam. for each horse to dispense with them. Postmasters in France are too apt to withhold the third horse, even in cases where the weight of the car- riage and the state of the roads require it to be put to. No one ought to submit to this when first attempted ; it will cause much loss of time on hilly roads. % The limitation of the number of horses on first setting out on a lourney is of importance, because you are obliged to take on from «• POSTING. xjuu Table op Posting Charges in France. Three Hones,and Two Kilometres. «• Petite Chevaux" paid for b»t not Med. One Postboy. Total. /r. C. fr. c. A. 0. 1 0 90 0 20 i 10 2 1 80 0 40 2 20 3 2 70 0 60 3 30 4 3 60 0 80 4 40 5 4 50 1 0 5 50 6 5 40 I 20 6 60 7 6 30 I 40 7 70 8 7 20 I 60 8 80 9 8 10 1 80 9 90 10 9 0 2 0 11 0 11 9 90 2 20 12 10 12 10 80 2 40 13 20 13 11 70 2 60 14 30 14 12 60 2 80 15 40 15 13 30 3 0 16 50 16 14 40 3 20 17 60 17 15 30 3 40 18 70 18 16 20 3 ' 60 19 80 19 17 10 3 80 20 90 20 18 0 4 0 22 0 every post station (except in the case of supplemental horses) the same number of horses that brought you to the relay. One postilion may drive 4 horses, " aux grandes guides ;" where 3 horses are required, they may be harnessed one in front of the others, or a l'arbaldte." Formerly, in France, 3 horses required to be yoked abreast ; and for this purpose shafts must be put to the carriage ; but this rule is not now enforced, and there yis no difficulty iu travelling with 3 horses and a pole, as in Belgium and Ger- many. On certain hilly stages one or more extra horses (chevaux de sup- plement) are required to be attached to carriages ; and at the entry into and departure from certain large t^owns the postmaster is allowed to charge for a number of kilometre jexceeding the real distance of the stage, called u distances suppK jntaires," ae faveur, or formerly " postes royales" For example, t> kilometres beyond the real dis- tance are charged on entering and quitting Paris. These privileges are denned by the * Livre de roste.' Those who merely pass through towns, changing horses but not stopping, are exempted from this extra charge. The furnishing of post-horses does not, as in England, include a pott-chaise, and those who mean to post in France must have a car- riage of their own. It is true the French postmasters are obliged to keep a cabriolet or small caldche for hire, but it is usually a rickety vehicle holding only 2 persons, with no room for baggage beyond a XS1V e. CARRIAGES. sac de nuit, and is therefore seldom resorted to. The charge for it is the same as for a single horse, i. e. 40 sous per myriam. Postilions are not allowed to pass another carriage on the road, unless the one in advance be drawn by fewer horses, or has been stopped by some accident. Travellers are supplied with horses in the order in which they and their couriers arrive ; the malles- postes and Government estafettes alone having a right of prece- dence. A register is kept at every posthouse, in which the traveller may enter complaints against tne postmaster or his servants in that or the neighbouring relays. These registers are inspected at stated times by proper authorities, and the charges are investigated. Tariff charge of post-horses for conveying a carriage from the rail- way termini in Paris — for 2 horses and 1 postilion, 6 francs ; 3 horses and 1 postilion, 8 francs 30 centimes ; 4 horses and 2 postilions, 12 francs. Carriages. Duty on English Carriages. — English travellers, on entering France with a carriage not of French make, are called upon to deposit one- third of an ad valorem duty for it ; a barouche or chariot is usually rated at 1000 frs. (sometimes you can get off for 600), and a landau or coach at 1500 frs. Travellers should be aware of this, in order that they may take with them ready money to meet this charge. A receipt, with an order upon the Bureau des Douanes, is given to the owner, entitling him to receive back Jths of this one-third, if the same carriage oe taken out of France within 3 years. This order describes very particularly the carriage, and, on presenting it at the frontier, the money deposited is repaid, except Jth (i. e. iith of the value of the carriage), which is all the duty paid. Carriages landed in France, and taken out of the country within six days, are exempted from the duty of a third of their value, formerly levied on all carriages without exception.* This remission of duty, however, can only be obtained on condition that some respectable French householder will guarantee that the carriage shall quit France within the six days specified. The landlord of the inn at which the traveller puts up in Calais will effect this arrangement : but as he subjects himself to a penalty of a very large amount in case the above condition is not complied with, he requires the traveller to sign an undertaking to indemnify and hold him harmless in case of failure. An order to procure this remission of duty, issued by the French custom-house, and called " acquit d caution,9 costs 5 francs, and must be delivered up on passing the French frontier. Owing to the inferiority of the post-chaises in France (alluded to above), those who intend to travel post, and are not furnished with a carriage of their own, must buy or hire one. * It is said that no duty is levied on carriages entering by land. /. MALLESPOSTES. XXV Hired Carriages — Voitures a vdonte*. It is difficult to fix a fair scale of prices to pay for the hire of a carriage and horses in different parts of France ; the best guide is to calculate it at one-half or two-thirds of posting price for the same distance, exclusive of the carriage. The carriage usually to be met with for hire is the cabriolet — a heavy, lumbering, said jolting vehicle : the charge for it is commonly 8 or 9 fr. a-day, exclusive of a pourboire of 2 or 3 fr. to the driver. It has neither the neatness nor the lightness of the gigs furnished at a country inn in England, but is necessarily clumsily built to stand the terrible cross-roads of France. In out-of-the-way places often no other vehicle is to be found than &patac?ie — a rustic cao, verging towards the covered cart, without its easy motion. He who rides in a patache must prepare to be jolted to pieces. /. MALLESPOSTES, equivalent to the English mail-coaches, and kept up at the expense of Government, still travel along a few great roads of France to carry the mail, and are allowed to take 2 or 3 passengers, but they are fast disappearing from service as the railways are completed. The various railways ramifying from Paris have superseded the malles which used previously to start from the capital ; indeed they are almost entirely superseded, the mail being carried from the railway stations by contract coaches or the diligence companies. 1. Laval to Brest. 2. Caen to Cherbourg. 3. Dole to Geneva, 10 hours. 4. Lyons to Mulhausen, 24 hours. 5. Limoges to Toulouse, by Cahors and Montauban. 6. Limoges to Toulouse, by Pengueux, and Agen. 7. Toulouse to Bayonne, by Auch, Tarbes, and Pau. f*J The French mails are on the whole very comfortable, though the in- side passengers have not very much room, and he that sits by the side of the conductor in the cabriolet is liable to be annoyed at every post- town by his companion's horn in his efforts to rouse the postmasters, and by his bustle in the delivery and receipt of the letter-bags. The mails consist of a stoutly-built barouche which holds comfort- ably inside 2 or 3 passengers ; painted of a light red colour, drawn by 4 horses with tolerable harness, with a seat in front for the postilion, and one behind for the conductor. Their rate of travelling exceeds that of the diligence on almost all the roads, equalling at least 9 or 10 Eng. m. an hour. The price of places is nearly double that of the diligence, being 1 fr. 75 cent, per myriam. = to nearly 3d. a mile, the outside fare on an English mail. As the mallespostes take few passengers, it is generally necessary to secure a place some days beforehand. Places are taken at the post-offices in the towns whence or through which the malleposte France. & XXVI g. DILIGENCES. E asses. The passport must be shown if required before the name can e entered, and half the fare must be paid at once, the remainder before starting. Baggage of passengers is restricted in weight to 25 kilogram, or 55 lbs. ; all above that weight must be paid for. No portmanteau, or sac de nuit, of dimensions exceeding the following measurement, can be admitted into a malleposte : — In length . . 0™, 70 decim.= 26 pouces = 27 English inches, breadth . . 0m, 40 — 14 = 15 height . . 0m, 35 =13 = 13 These regulations are strictly enforced, so that it is vain for those who travel with much baggage to think of availing themselves of the malleposte. There is room, however, for a writing-case or hat-box inside. The fare includes all charges ; nothing is to be given to the posti- lions ; the conductor generally receives a small douceur, varying from 5 to 10 fr. according to the length of the journey, at the good will of the passenger. Places cannot be secured except for three-fourths of the entire distance which the mail travels ; nor are passengers taken for short distances unless they are without baggage. g. DILIGENCES. The French stage-coach or diligence is a huge, heavy, lofty, lumber- ing machine, something between an English stage and a broad- wheeled waggon. It is composed of three parts or bodies joined to- gether : 1 . the front division called Coupe', shaped like a chariot or post- chaise, holding 3 persons, quite distinct from the rest of tho passengers, so that ladies may resort to it without inconvenience, and, by securing all 3 places to themselves, travel nearly as comfortably as in a private carriage. The fare is more expensive than in the other parts of the vehicle. 2. Next to it comes the Interieur, or inside, holding 6 persons, and oppressively warm in summer. 3. Behind this is attached the Botonde, " the receptacle of dust, dirt, and bad company," the least desirable part of the diligence, ana the cheapest except The BanquetteyOT Imperiale,an outside seat on the roof of the coup6, tolerably well protected from rain and cold by a hood or head, and lea- ther apron, but somewhat difficult of access until you are accustomed to climb up into- it. It affords a comfortable and roomy seat by the side of the conductor, with the advantages of fresh air and the best view of the country from its great elevation, and greater freedom from the dust than those enjoy who sit below. It is true you may sometimes meet rough and low-bred companions, for the French do not like to travel outside ; and fewpersons of the better class resort to it, except English, and they for the most part prefer it to all others. It is not suited to females, owing to the difficulty of clambering up to it. The diligence is more roomy and easy, and therefore less fatiguing, than an English stage : but the pace is slow, rarely exceeding 6 or 7 m. an hour, and in bad weather, when roads are heavy, falling below that. g. DILIGENCES, Xxvii Nevertheless, the diligences have undergone considerable improve- ment within the last 15 or 20 years ; the horses are changed more rapidly ; strips of hide have taken the place of rope harness ; and, on one or two lines of road, the rate of travelling is accelerated to 8 m. an hour. The coach and its contents are placed in charge of the Cvnducteur, a sort of guard, who takes care of the passengers, the luggage, the way-bill, and the mScanique, that is, the break or leverage, by which the wheel is locked. He is paid by the administration, and expects nothing from the passengers, unless he obliges them by some extra service. He is generally an intelligent person, often an old soldier, and the traveller may pick up some information from him. The large 1st class three-bodied diligences carry 15 passengers inside, ana 4 out, including the conductor, and weigh when loaded 11,000 lbs., or about 5 tons. They are drawn by 5 or 6 horses, driven by a postboy, from the box, instead of the saddle, as was formerly the case. Besides passengers, the diligence carries a great deal of heavy merchandise, such as in England would be sent by rail or canal-boat. The places in the diligence are all numbered, and are given out to pas- sengers in the order in which they book themselves, the corner seats first ; and it comports very much with the traveller's comfort to secure one of them, especially in long journeys. Before starting, the passen- gers9 names are called over, and to each is assigned his proper place. The average rate of the fares may be calculated at 45 or 50 centimes for 2 leagues, equivalent to l£d. a mile English, except for the coup6, which is somewhat higher. Never omit to ask for the receipt or bulletin for the fare paid, which constitutes your legal title to the place. Two great companies, whose head-quarters are at Paris, the Messageries Impenales and Messageries Generates (Laffitte, Cail- lard, et Comp^.), furnish diligences on the great roads of France, and correspond with provincial companies who " coach" the more distant and cross roads, so that there is no want of means of con- veyance in any part of France between places of moderate conse- quence. In many cases, however, the " turn-out" from provincial towns is of the worst kind, and the organisation is throughout in- ferior to the stage-coaching of England. The two chief Messageries are equally good, and, generally speaking, superior to any of the minor companies ; indeed, they manage to keep down their rivals, by a mutual understanding with each other. N.B. On some of the routes upon which railways have been begun, the diligence pursues the line of the rail ; the body of the vehicle being taken off from its wheels by a crane, and deposited, luggage, passen- gers and all, upon a truck attached to the train. On arriving at its destination it is taken off and placed upon a different set of wheels, and is instantly driven off. h. RAILROADS. By a law passed in 1842, a system of railways was laid down for France, which, with slight modifications, is now being carried into o & XXViii A. RAILROADS. effect. By this plan seven great arteries of railway communication were projected. 1. The Great Northern of France issues from Paris to Amiens, following the valleys of the Oise, Brfcche, Arc, and Somme. From Amiens it is carried to Douay, where it forks, one branch running by Valenciennes to the Belgian frontier, the other by Lille to Calais and Dunkerque. Connected with this line are 2 great branches, from Amiens to Boulogne, and from Creil to ErqueUnes by St. Quentin, to Charleroi and Namur. This line forms now the most direct communication with Belgium, N.W. Germany by Cologne, &c. &c. 2. N.W. line, from Paris to Rouen and Havre, and to Fe*camp, with branches from Mantes to Evreux and to Caen in progress ; to Cherbourg ; from Rouen to Dieppe. 3. Western Line, from Paris to the coast of the Bay of Biscay, has been completed to Chartres, Le Mans, and Rennes. It is in pro- gress to Brest. 4. S.W. line, from Paris by Orleans to Tours and Bordeaux, and thence to the Pyrenees, is in operation as far as Bayonne. This line throws off an important branch from Tours to Angers and Nantes, and another from Poitiers to La Rochelle, in progress. 5. An artery {Grand Central), branching from No. 4 line at Orleans, intended to proceed a. to Toulouse and the Pyrenees, is open as far as Limoges, and in progress to Montauban. Another branch of this line runs from Vierzon, by Bourges, Nevers, and Moulins, to Vichy, Clermont, and Le Puy, and will soon com- municate with that from Roanne to Lyons. 6. The railway from Paris to Lyons (Chemins de Lyon and de la Mediterranet), Marseilles, and the Mediterranean, by Dijon and Cha- lons, sends out branches from Montereau to Troyes ; from Dijon to Dole and Besanpon ; from St. Eambert to Grenoble ; from Tarascon to Nismes, Montpellier, and Cette ; from Marseilles to Toulon (begun). 7. The eastern line, proceeding from Paris to the Rhine at Stras- burg, is open. Branches extend from Epernay to Reims — from Nancv, byMetz, to Forbach and Mayence — Metz to ThionviUe — Strasburg to Bale. 8. The direct line from Paris to Mufdhausen and Bale, passing by Provins, Nogent-sur-Seine, Troyes, Chaumont, Vesoul, and Befiort, is in active progress (opened to Chaumont, 1857), and will form the most direct communication between the capital and N.W. Swit- zerland. 9. The Chemins de Fer du Midi embrace the lines from Tarascon on the Lyons and Avignon Rly. to Montpellier, Nismes, and Cette, already finished ; from Cette by Be'ziers and Narbonne to Carcas- sonne and Toulouse ; from Toulouse to Agen and Bordeaux, con- necting the Mediterranean with the Atlantic ; and from Toulouse to Perigueux. 10. A new network of Railways has been decreed, to connect the different towns bordering on the Pyrenees with Toulouse, Bayonne, and Bordeaux. Besides the above principal lines, a great variety of smaller ones h, RAILROADS. XXIX are in progress, for instance — from Lyons to Geneva; Lyons to Chambery ; Besancon to Neuchatel ; Lyons to Grenoble ; Mar- seilles to Toulon ; Niort to Rochelle and Rochefort ; Perigueux to Figeac and Rhodez ; Beauvais to Oreil ; Le Mans to Angers, &c. The Livret or Guide Chaix, published monthly, or the Jndicateur des Chemins de Fer, weekly, contains the time-tables, fares, &c., of all the French railways : it is the "Bradshaw" of France, and will be a useful companion to travellers in that country. Railway passengers are compelled to deliver up their luggage blindly into the hands of the officials, by whom it is booked {enregistre\ for which a fee of 2 sous must be paid, and a ticket is given, on delivery of which at the journey's end the baggage is restored to the holder. This gives rise to frequent inconvenience and inevit- able delay. The best way to obviate the nuisance is to take as little as possible, and to place it in one or more carpet bags, whicb will* he under the seat in the carriage.* 30 kilos (= more than 60 lbs. English) of luggage are allowed to every passenger free of charge. Provision is made for the personal comforts of railway travellers at the stations ; and refreshment-rooms, very superior to our Eng- glish ones, called buffets, are provided on all the lines at certain intervals, where halts are made of 10, 20, or 30 minutes, according to the distance travelled. * Travellers arriving in Paris are exposed to a very annoying delay of seldom less than half an hour at the railway stations, arising out of the examination and slow delivery of their luggage. They are obliged to wait until the whole of the luggage arriving by the train is laid out along tables, where it is examined by the Oc- troi and Custom-house authorities. Families can avoid this annoying ordeal, by leaving it to be performed by their servants. The examination of baggage, when it takes place, is rapid and superficial, except in cases when the traveller arriving from a foreign country has not had it examined on the frontier, as when arriving by the direct express trains from Lon- don. The traveller who takes the om- nibus must wait until the last per- son arriving by the train has left the station, t. e. as long as a chance remains of their picking up a new fare; and when the omnibus does start, it follows a circuitous course, dropping its passengers on the way at the different hotels. To avoid this the traveller should insist on his luggage being taken to a carriage, of which there are now plenty in attendance at every rail- way station, which will convey him immediately to his hotel, and at a charge of a few sols more than he would have to pay to the omnibus. The fare by the ordinary fiacre, with one horse, 1 fr. 50 c. ; by the pe- tites voitures, 2 fr,, .and 5 to 10 sols to the driver. Where the travelling party is numerous and the luggage abun- dant, the best and cheapest plan is to hire an omnibus to yourselves. Travellers arriving in Paris would do well to desire beforehand the own- ers of the hotels they intend stopping at to send a carriage with a laquais de place to meet them. The latter can remain with their servants to see their luggage examined, and to take it to the hotel. By doing this, a delay very annoying to ladies, es- pecially when arriving in Paris by the night trains, may be avoided. b 3 XXX h. RAILROADS. — U STEAMBOATS — k. INNS. Luggage Ticket— On arriving at your destination, instead of waiting for your things, you may give the ticket to the commis- sionnaire of the hotel to clear them for you. RAILWAY STATIONS IN PARIS. t TO/vtilnsmn Paris to Boulogne, Calais. ) Clos St. Lazare, 24, Place Rou- Amiens. Dunkirk. J baix, Faub. St. Denis. Rouen, Havre, and \ Rue d' Amsterdam, and Place du Dieppe. / Havre. {Orleans, Tours, Nantes, \ Boulevard de l'Hopital, near the and Bordeaux. ' J Jardin des Plantes. LyoM, ChMons.ManHnlW B2jj£"[d Maza8' near * B>" > Strasburg, Metz, Bale. Rue et Place de Strasbourg. / Versailles, right bank, and \ p, , _ \ St. Germain. |flace au Havre. {VeSTes!eftbMlk,aild} B0111^^ Mont Paniasse. i, STEAMBOATS. The use of steam is very general on all the great rivers of France, but for purposes of travelling steamers have been much superseded by railways. Inland Steam Navigation. The Seme, from Rouen to Paris, from Paris to Montereau for goods. The Oise, to Compidgne as steamtugs. The Loire, from Nantes to Angers ; — Orleans to Gien, Nevers, and Digoin for merchandize. The Avlne, Brest to Ch&teaulin. 2 he OJiarente, Rochefort to Saintes and Angouldme. The Garonne, Bordeaux to Agen. The Oironde, Bordeaux to the sea. The Bhdne, from Aries to Lvons, and Lyons to Aix les Bains. The Sadne, from Lyons to Chalons. The Moselle, from Treves to Thionville. Strasburg to Manheim and Basle. The rivers of France are more liable than those of Britain to rise and fall, and a sudden elevation caused by rains, or a want of water owing to drought, has equally the effect of arresting the navigation ; the last by withdrawing the necessary depth of water, the first by filling the arches of the bridges so as to leave no room for the steamers to pass under them. There are also a number of coasting steamers; but the traveller should be cautious in trusting himself to them, unless the character of the captains and engineers be well ascertained to be of tried ex- perience, as accidents not unfrequently happen, and even the French themselves do not place unlimited confidence in coasting steamers, k. INNS, TABLES-D'HdTE, ETC. On the whole, the inns in the provincial towns of France are in- ferior to those of Germany and especially of Switzerland, in the want of general comfort, and above all of cleanliness — their greatest draw- k. mate, tables-d'h6te, ETC. xxxi back. There is an exception to this, however, in the bed and table linen. Even the filthy cabaret, whose kitchen and salon are scarcely endurable to look at, commonly affords napkins and table-oloths clean, though coarse and rough, and beds with unsullied sheets and white draperies, together with well-stuffed mattresses and pillows, which put German cribs and feather-beds to shame. Many of the most important essentials, on the other hand, are utterly disregarded, and evince a state of backwardness hardly to be expected in a civilised country ; the provisions for personal ablution are defective. Fail not to take soap with you, a thing seldom to be found in foreign bedrooms ; indeed, the washing of floors, whether of timber or tile, seems unknown. In the better hotels, indeed, the floors are polished as tables are in England, with brushes attached to the feet instead of hands; but in other cases they are black with the accumulated filth of years, a little water being sprinkled on them from time to time to lay the dust and increase the dark crust of dirt. French inns may be divided into two classes : — a. Those which make some pretensions to study English tastes and habits (and a few of them have some claim to be considered comfortable), and, being frequented by Englishmen, are very exorbitant in their charges. Such are met witb along the great roads to Paris, and thence to Geneva, Lyons, and Marseilles, b. Those in remote situations, not yet corrupted to exorbitance by the English and their couriers ; where the traveller who can conform with the customs of the country is treated fairly, and charged no higher than a Frenchman. The expense of living in these country inns is moderate, — 6 francs a-day board and lodging, and 10 sous to the servants. In one respect the inns of France are more accommodating than those of Germany, that they will furnish at almost any hour of the day, at 10 minutes or £ hour's notice, a well-dressed dinner of 8 or 10 dishes, aft a cost not greatly exceeding that of the table-d'hdte. When ordering dinner in private, the traveller should specify the price at which he chooses to be served, fixing the sum at 3, 5, or more francs, as he may please. In remote places and small inns, never order dinner at a higher price than 3 francs : the people have ouly the same food to present, even if they charged 10 francs. A capital dinner is usually furnished at 4 fr. a-head ; but the traveller who goes post in his own carriage will probably be charged 6, unless he specifies the price beforehand. Travellers not dining at the table- d'hdte should bargain beforehand for their meals at so much per head (combien partite), otherwise they will be charged for each dish a la carte, a recent innovation, and a method of fleecing the stranger which ought to be resisted. The usual charge for a table- d'hdte din- ner is 3 fr. (including wine in a wine country, but not in the north), and ought never to exceed that except in large towns and first-rate inns. Bargaining for rooms before you enter an inn, though usual, some- times leads the landlord to suppose that you are going to beat him down (marchander), and he may therefore name a higher price than he is willing to take, and thus you may cause the exorbitance which you intend to prevent. In French inns it is the universal custom to lock the door of your room when you go out of the house, and to leave the key with the porter : it is expected, and is indeed r cessary for safety. XXXU k INKS, TABLES-D'HdTE, ETC. — I. CAPES. Tables-d'hote, though very general throughout France, are not so much resorted to by the most respectable townspeople, or by ladies, as in Germany. The majority of the company frequently consist of "commis-voyageurs," Anglice, bagmen, who swarm in all the inns, and are consequently the most important personages. English ladies will be cautious of presenting themselves at a French table-d'hdte, except in first-rate hotels, where English guests form a considerable part of the company, and at the well-frequented watering-places. Even at Bagneres de Bigorre, Lady Chatterton relates, "We laughed a good deal at a scene we witnessed at the table-d'hdte yesterday, where a Frenchman, after helping himself to all the best pieces of the roast fowl, turned to the lady next him, and said, with a most insinuating smile, ' Madame ne mange pas de volatile.'" There are no established fees for the servants at inns ; \ a franc a-day " pour le service/' and something extra (5 or 6 sous) for Boots, " le d6crotteur," is enough. In the principal hotels in Paris the charge for servants is only 1 franc a-day, and that sum is ample in any part of France. It is usual, besides, to give a trifle to the por- ter who carries down the luggage on arriving and leaving. Average Charges at French Provincial Hotels, Bedroom, 1 fr. 50 c. to 2 fr. 50 c. Salon, 3 fr. and upwards. Breakfast, tea and coffee, with bread and butter, 1 fr. 50 c. ; with eggs or meat, 2 fr. Dinner, table-d'hdte, 3 fr. — Apart 4 fr. to 5 fr. or upwards. Bottle of vin ordinaire, 1 fr. — N.B. Included in the charge for din- ner in wine-growing countries. The better wines are sold in demi-bouteilles. When only a part of the bottle is consumed, the waiter puts it aside for the owner until another time. Coffee, 1 fr. It is better to take it at a cafe', where it is always better, and costs only 8, and with a glass of brandy 12 sous. Bougies (wax lights), 1 fr. Where this charge is made, that for the bedroom ought not to exceed 2 fr. I. -cafes. We have no equivalent in England for the Cafes in France, and the number and splendour of some of these establishments, every- where seemingly out of proportion to the population and to other shops not only in Paris, but in every provincial town, may well excite surprise. They are adapted to all classes of society, from the mag- nificent salon, resplendent with looking-glass, and glittering with gilding, down to the low and confined estaminets, resorted to by carters, porters, and labourers, which abound in the back streets of every town, and in every village, however small and remote. The latter sort occupy the place of the beer-shops of England, furnish beer and brandy, as well as coffee, and, though not so injurious to health and morals as the gin-palaces of London, are even more de- structive of time : indeed, the dissipation of precious hours by almost all classes in France produces as bad an effect on the habits of the people. m. A traveller's general VIEW OF FRANCE. xxxiii It is only to the superior class of cafes that an English traveller is likely to resort, and they furnish some agreeable resources to a stranger in a strange place. In the morning ladies as well as gen- tlemen may there obtain a breakfast of coffee or tea, better and cheaper than in an hotel, and far better than they can procure it in England ; in the afternoon, a demi-tasse of coffee well prepared, and a petit verre of liqueur ; and in the evening, in summer, excellent ices, sorbettes, orgeats, limonade, and other cool drinks ; and in winter a very tolerable potation called " punch," but differing from its English prototype. They are always supplied with the journals of Paris and the provinces, including, in the principal cities, * Galig- nani's Messenger,' and have billiard-tables attached to them. Some of the best of these places in Paris and the large towns have a Salon where smoking is not allowed. In the evening they are most crowded, and even in the most re- spectable (except the first-rate Parisian caf6s) the company is very mixed. Clerks, tradesmen, commis-voyageurs, soldiers — officers as well as privates — and men in blouzes, crowded about a multitude of little marble tables, wrangle over provincial or national politics, or over games of cards or dominoes, while others, perspiring in their shirt-sleeves, surround the billiard- table. The rattling of balls, the cries of waiters hurrying to and fro, the gingling of dominoes, and the tinkling bell of the mistress who presides at the bar, alone prevail over the harsh din of many voices, while the splendour of mirrored walls and velvet seats is eclipsed behind a cloud of unfra- grant tobacco-smoke. Such is the picture of a French cafe ! A large cup of coffee (cafe* au lait), with bread and butter, and an egg for breakfast, costs about 25 sous. A demi-tasse, or small cup, in the afternoon, 8 sous ; a petit verre de cognac, 4 to 6 sous. The waiter usually receives 2 sous. m. A TRAVELLER'S GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE. It has been the custom of the English, who traverse France on their way to Italy or Switzerland, to complain of the tiresome and monotonous features of the country, and to ridicule the epithet u La Belle France," which the French, who, it must be confessed, have in general no true feeling for the beauties of nature, are wont to apply to it. By a " beautiful " country, a Frenchman generally un- derstands one richly fertile and fully cultivated ; and in this point of view the epithet is justly applied to France. It is also most fortunate in its climate. Many of its vineyards, the most valuable spots in the country, occupy tracts of poor, barren, and waste land, which in our climate would be absolutely unprofitable. But in truth our country- men are unjust in forming their opinion from the routes between Calais and Paris, and thence to Lyons, Strasburg, and Dijon, perhaps the least varied part of the kingdom, and at least no fair sample of its beauties. To this district, and to a large part of the province of Champagne, the descriptions of " wearisome expanse of tillage, un- varied by hill or dale, and extent of corn-land or pasture, without enclosures, supremely tiresome," are almost exclusively applicable. XXxiv m. GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE; SCENERY. Throughout nearly one half of France, especially in Lower Normandy, Brittany, a great part of the country S. of the Loire, the vicinity of the Pyrenees, Limousin, Auvergne, and Dauphin6, enclosures and hedge-rows are almost as common as in England, and the variety of surface in some of these districts is far greater. Our own island, indeed, presents as it were a miniature of other lands — a concentra- tion, within a small area, of scenery varying from flat fen and rolling down to mountains and precipices. In France, the features of nature are broad and expanded, and you must often traverse 50 or 100 miles to encounter those pleasing changes which, in Britain, succeed one another almost every 10 miles. If the English had confined themselves less to the beaten track in their way from the Channel to the Mediterranean, they would have verified the truth of this assertion. More than 50 years ago, Arthur Young advised those " who know no more of France than just once passing through it to Italy, that, if they would see some of the finest parts of the kingdom, they should land at Havre, follow the Seine up to Paris, then take the great road to Moulins, and there quit it for Auvergne, and so to the Rhdne at Valence or Viviers : such a variation from the common road, though it demand more time, would repay them by the sight of a much finer and more singular country than the road by Dijon." The tra- veller may at present farther vary his route by going from Paris by railway to Orleans, and thence by Bourges either to Clermont in Auvergne, or to Nevers and Moulins on the high road from Paris to Lyons. The districts of France which chiefly recommend themselves by their beauty and variety of scenery are, in the north, Normandy, the banks of the Seine (the finest of the great rivers of France), the valleys round Vire, Mortain, and Avranches, the wild coast scenery of Brittany, and the course of the Ranee, and of other streams near Quimper ; — in the centre, the Loire below Tours, and parts of Li- mousin, Auvergne, the Cantal and Arddche, the Rhdne — by some preferred to the Rhine, on account of its more extended prospects ; — in the east, the hills of the Jura, the mountains and valleys of Dauphine, especially the vale of the Gresivaudan, the gorge of the Grande Chartreuse, and the savage magnificence of peak and glacier around Mont Pelvoux, a region which may be styled the Chamouny or Grindelwald of France ; among the V osges and Ardennes are many soberly romantic scenes which have as yet attracted but little notice from travellers ; — in the south, Provence, with its sunny sky, is too arid to deserve general praise, excepting that favoured terrace at the foot of the Alps along the shore of the Mediterranean, inter- vening between Toulon and Nice. The Pyrenees, however, without doubt, include the finest scenery in France, and, except in the want of lakes, are scarcely inferior to the Alps of Switzerland and Savoy. This slight enumeration of the chief points of interest is filled up in ampler details in the introductions to the different sections into which this Handbook is divided, with a view of enabling the tra- veller to lay down for himself the plan of a tour, embracing as many of these points as his time or inclmation will permit. m. GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE ; ARCHITECTURE, XXXV " Bretagne, Maine, and Anjou, have the appearance of deserts. The fertile territories of Flanders, Artois, and Alsace are distinguished by their utility. Picardy is uninteresting. Champagne, in general, where I saw it, ugly, almost as much so as Poitou. Lorraine, Franche Comt& and Bourgogne are sombre in the wooded districts, and want cheerfulness in the open ones. Berri and La Manche may be ranked in the same class." — Arthur Young. On the other hand, these districts, which are not interesting in point of scenery, have a compensating recommendation in their ar- chitectural remains and relics of antiquity. The heaths of Brittany are studded with extraordinary Celtic remains, and abound in most beautiful churches. Out of the midst of the monotonous plain of La Beauce rises the wondrous fabric of Chartres cathedral ; that of Bourges (colossal pile) overlooks the dull plain of Berri, as the spire of Strasburg surmounts the flat valley of the Rhine. Reims, xroyes, Laon, &c, give an interest to the otherwise tiresome journey through Champagne ; the sight of Amiens, Beauvais, and Abbeville makes one forget the length of the way through Picardy and Artois ; and the Roman remains of Nismes, Aries, St. Remy, Orange, and Antibes, equal to almost any in Italy, would alone compensate for a journey to Provence, even had it no other claims to interest.* France, however, is particularly rich in architectural remains, especially in Gothic architecture, of which it possesses some of the noblest spe- cimens existing, viz. the cathedrals above enumerated ; to which must be added those of Metz, and 3 churches at Rouen. These glorious monuments of architectural skill and lavish devo- tion are far more stupendous in their proportions than the cathe- drals of England, but have this peculiarity, that scarcely one of them is finished : thus, Beauvais has no nave, Amiens is incomplete in its towers, Abbeville has no choir, Bourges no spire. It has been said that a perfect cathedral might be made of the portal of Reims, the nave of Amiens, the choir of Beauvais, and the tower of Chartres. The rose or wheel windows are both more frequent and of larger' dimensions than in English cathedrals, and contribute greatly to the beauty of those of France, where it is not uncommon to find three in one church* The quantity, variety, and richness of the painted glass which the ecclesiastical edifices still retain, in spite of Huguenot iconoclasts and revolutionary destructives, is quite marvellous : we have nothing to compare with it in England. The churches in the N. of France are closed from 12 to 6, except the cathedrals, which re-open at 4. In the S. they remain open all day. The choir, its aisles and side chapels, are usually closed by an iron grating, and to obtain admittance one must apply to the suisse, or beadle, who struts about in cocked hat, sword, and laced livery. * Fergusson's 'Illustrated Handbook of Architecture,' 800 woodcuts, 1855, and Mr. Petit's 'Architectural Studies hi France/ 1854, should be perused and digested by every student of Gothic before he visits France. They are books full of instruction and suggestion, and the illustrations are valuable memorials to refer to on returning from one's travels. Fergusson's work, pre- pared especially as a companion to the Tra- vellers' Handbooks of Europe, is the only one presenting a continuous view of all the French styles, arranged under the various provinces. XXXVi m. GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE; TOWNS. The finest provincial cities are Lyons, Rouen, Bordeaux, Mar- seilles, and Nantes, all more or less distinguished for commerce, manufactures, and fine edifices. The minor provincial towns have a certain number of features in common which will not fail to draw the traveller's observation : such are the formal walk near the en- trance or on the outskirts, often a mere platform, planted with rows of stunted trees, and the resort of nursery-maids, washerwomen, and recruits undergoing drill, except on Sundays or fdte-days, when the dusty and gritty platform is crowded with a gay throng, to whom the sight of bright ribbons, shawls, and new bonnets, compen- sates for the want of other prospect. A walk into the country and across the fields is never thought of by the French artizan or shop- keeper, nor indeed are there any field paths, green shady lanes, or pretty villas, or neat cottages with gardens, on the outskirts of the towns, to invite him to sally forth. The high roads in France have been greatly improved since 1844 ; many are now macadamized : indeed, in spite of the desolating anarchy of 1848-50, the whole country shows unequivocal signs of great and increasing pros- perity. Every town of a certain size is surrounded with a wall or barrier for the purpose of levying the octroi or town duties on all articles for eating and drinking brought into it, and which go to the municipal caisse or corporation funds. All carts and carriages, public and private, are stopped at the gates in consequence, by officers, who search them, and the baggage contained in them, to ascertain that no "comestibles" are concealed in order to evade this tax. The space outside the gates usually swarms with low cabarets, guinguettes, &c, where the poor man may eat and drink at a cheaper rate than within the walls. Arrived within the town, the traveller will commonly find narrow streets, with no pavement at the sides, but a huge gutter in the centre, neither clean nor sweet, lighted at night by lamDS (reverbe>es), swing- ing from ropes attached to the houses on either side. After passing one or more barracks, the number of which and of soldiers is striking everywhere, the barrack being often a sequestrated convent or church, he will reach the Grande Place or square. On one side of it, or in some other conspicuous situation, appears a large whitewashed build- ing, graced probably with a portico in front, guarded by a sentinel, surmounted by a tricolor flag, and fenced round by a tall iron railing tipped with gilt spearheads. This is the prefecture or sous-pr6fecture. There are many institutions and establishments in French towns deserving high commendation and general imitation in England : such are the Abattoirs, or slaughterhouses, always in the outskirts ; the public Cemeteries, always beyond the walls ; even the Public Walks to be found in every French town, though not suited altogether to English ideas of recreation, yet show an attention to the health and enjoyment of the people which is worthy of imitation north of the Channel. In all the larger towns there is a museum of natural history, and generally of paintings, which, although for the most part of inferior merit, are commendable as institutions for public recreation. n. PROVINCES AND DEPARTMENTS OF FRANCE. XXXV11 Still more commendable are the public libraries and reading-rooms arranged in convenient apartments, with salaried librarians, common in all French provincial towns. An amiable traveller observes, " I could not visit these libraries without wishing that similar institu- tions could be introduced into England, where the easy access to books in every part of the kingdom could not but prove at once agreeable and beneficial. The encouragement of such an object would be a wise application of the public money." — Knight's Tour in Normandy, There are three authors whose works should be perused before entering France : Caesar for its ancient history ; Froissart for its feudal history ; and Arthur Young, for the picture of France before the Revolution : his vivid local descriptions hold good to the present day. tl. LIST OF THE 86 DEPARTMENTS INTO WHICH FRANCE IS DIVIDED, AND OF THE 33 ANCIENT PROVINCES COMPOSING THEM. Provinces and date of union with France. Ile de France, with La Brie, &c. Always attached to the Crown. Picardie. Louis XIV. 1667. Artois and Boulonnais. 1640. Flandre and Hainault Fran- cais. Louis XIV. 1667-1669. Normandie. Philippe-Auguste, 1204. Bretagne. Francois 1. 1532. Orleanais. Louis XII. 1498. Beauce and Pats Ohartrain. Maine, Louis XI. 1481. Anjou. Louis XI. 1481. Toobaine. Henri III. 1584. Poitoc. Charles VI. 1416. Berri. Philippe I. 1100. Marche. Francois I. 1531. Limousin. Charles V. 1370. Axgoumois. Charles V. 1370. France* Departemens. Chefs-Lieux. /Seine. Paris. ISeine-et-Oise. Versailles. 1 Seine-et-Marne. Melun. jOise. Beauvais. vAisne. Laon. Somme. Amiens. Pas-de-Calais. Arras. JNord. /Seine-Inferieure . Lille. Rouen. lEure. Evreux. < Calvados. Caen. (Orne. Alencon. vManche. Saint-Ld. /Ille-et-Vilaine. Rennes. JCdtes-du-Nord. Saint-Brieux. the name of a village 12 m. from Abbeville; obscure in itself, but renowned for a victory gained in its precincts, Aug. 26th, 1346, by Edward III. and his 40,000 men over the French army of Philip of Valois 100,000 strong, commanded by the Count d'Alencon, which still, after the lapse of ages, remains one of the most brilliant in English annals. Here, upon that memorable day, to the win- ning of which the cannon, used, accord- ing to some, for the first time, con- tributed less than the clothyard shafts of the English yeomen, there fell, on the side of the French, the Kings of Bohemia and Majorca, the Duke of Lorraine, the Count d'Alencon (the king's brother), with 1200 knights, 1500 gentlemen, 5000 men at arms, and 30,000 infantry. Here it was that the Black Prince gained his spurs, and the feathers which the princes of Wales bear to this day. (See p. 16.) 7 Nbuvion. An extensive manu- factory of beet-root sugar is seen on the 1., 2 m. before reaching Abbeville. The most pleasing view on the whole road is that of Abbeville, and of the fertile vale of the Somme, in which it is situated, from the summit of the long and steep descent which leads down to it. 13 Abbeville. See Rte. 3. A Stat, on the Rly. to Paris. [About 6 m. E. of Abbeville is the Axney Ch. of St. Biquier, a very splen- did and interesting Gothic edifice, well preserved, having a beautiful flamboy- ant W. front, in the centre of which rises an elegant tower ; while beneath it opens the main portal, having statues in its top and sides. " The details of the front are exquisite, well arranged, and well executed/' The interior is also^ very fine ; the nave flamboyant, the choir apparently earlier. On the walls of the treasury are curious and ancient frescoes ; one in the style of the u Dance of Death." It is well worth a visit. Cardinal Richelieu was abbe* of St. Riquier ; in his time Abbeville was a small parish belonging to the abbey.] The post-road crosses the Somme by two bridges on quitting Abbeville. 19 Airaines. 10 Camps. 13 Poix(Amiennois), which gives the title to the chief of the Noailles family . The road from Amiens to Rouen passes through this place. 14 Grandvilliers. H. d'Angleterre. 10 Marseille (Oise). Dunng this stage the scenery is rather more in- teresting. Vineyards first appear a little to the N. of 19 Beauvais. — Inns; Hotel du Cygne ; — d'Angleterre. This is the chief town of the Dept. de rOise : it has 13,082 Inhab. The central portion (la Cit6) is very an- cient, still in part enclosed by its old walls, which on the E. side have given place to airy boulevards planted with trees ; many of the houses are of wood. The most conspicuous edifice, and the principal object of curiosity here, is the Cathedral. At a distance it appears a heavy and uncouth mass, overtopping the rest of the town with its prominent roof, which is sup- ported by 3 rows of flying buttresses, surmounted by double ranges of pinnacles rising from broad buttress walls. It was commenced 1225, and the design of its founders and archi- tects, excited to emulation by the splendour of Amiens, which haa been begun 5 years earlier, seems to have been to surpass in vastness and mag- nificence all other Gothic edifices. They miscalculated, however, the re- sources both of their art and their treasury, and the result was repeated failure and final defeat; for the pro- gress of the edifice was arrested when it was only half finished, and it re- mains a mere gigantic choir with transepts. As it is, however, this choir is the loftiest in the world, the eleva- tion of the roof above the pavement mm 24 Route 4. — Beauvais. o€Ct. X» being 153 ft.— 13 ft. higher than that of Amiens ; but though more extraor- dinary, it is less pleasing than it. " The extension of its dimensions up- ward is carried to a degree which strikes the spectator as exaggeration. Amiens is a giant in repose ; Beauvais a colos- sus on tiptoe." — W. To increase the wonder of the building, the architect designed to support it on half the num- ber of piers employed at present ; but in spite of the iron braces used to hold the piers in their places, the walls bulged out, and the roof fell twice. The only means, then, of maintaining it was by inserting intermediate piers in the wide spaces left between the original ones. The transepts, begun 1500, under the Bishop Villiers de rile Adam (who, as well as his brother the Grand Master of St. John of Jeru- salem, was a Beauvoisin), by the archi- tects Jean Waast and Martin Cam* biches, and finished 1555, are a fine example of the flamboyant style. One compartment of the nave was actually be^un when the architects (moved, it is said, by a vain ambition to rival the height of St, Peter's dome, and M. Angelo's masterpiece) aban- doned it to raise a tower 455 ft. high, which lasted only 5 years, having tumbled down 1573. The choir, "though raised to a loftiness that strikes the beholder with awe and astonishment, displays the space be- tween the tall and slender pillars so entirely filled with glass that the whole range of windows only appears like a single zone of light supported and separated by nothing but narrow mullions situated at wide intervals." — Hope. In the interior the effect of the admirable painted glass, executed in the best period of the art, is very rich. That in the N. and S. rose windows is attributed to Nicholas Lepot, and that in some of the side chapels to Augrand Leprince, both celebrated as artists in this line in the 16th cent. In the choir are hung 8 of the tapes- tries for the manufacture of which Beauvais was celebrated, and which preceded by 3 years that of Gobelins. The monument in the N. aisle of the choir of Cardinal, Forbin de Janson, surmounted by his kneeling effigy, is by Nicholas Coustou, and of good workmanship. The entrances to the Cathedral are by the transepts: the portal at the extremity of the S. transept is loaded with flamboyant decorations, though, from the fury of iconoclasts, it has lost the statues which filled the niches. It is surmounted by a noble rose win- dow, of very rich tracery. The facade of the N. transept has very much the character of English perpendicular Gothic; its portal, deeply recessed, with feathered mouldings to the arches, retains its original carved doors, which are surmounted by a bas-relief, in the tympanum, of a genealogical tree ; the escutcheons suspended from the branches. A ruinous building called the Basse GEuvre, on the W. of the cathedral, occupying part of the space which the nave, if carried out, would have covered, is curious as one of the most ancient buildings in France (8th or 9th cent.). The lower part of the outer walls displays masonry with bonds of tiles, and tiled arches in the manner of Roman edifices. The superstructure served as a church in the 10th cent. ; in its interior square piers support plain round arches. It seems never to have had a stone roof. St, Stephen's Church. The nave ex- hibits the transition from Romanesque to Gothic ; it is very plain, with round pier arches, and round-headed cleres- tory windows. The W. front resembles a plain early English front of our own country. The painted glass is very excellent. The Bishop's Palace, re- built in the 15th cent., has externally the aspect of a castle surrounded by walls, and its entrance flanked by 2 large round towers. Caesar thus mentions the Bellovaci, the ancient inhabitants of the Beau- vaisis : " Plurimum inter Belgas Bel- lovacos et virtute et auctoritate, et hominum numero valere." The most remarkable event; in the annals of Beauvais is its Siege by Charles the Bold in 1472, when, being destitute of garrison, it might have PlCABDr. Route 4. — Calais to Paris. 25 fallen by a coup de main, had not its citizens boldly closed their gates in the face of an army of 80,000 Bur- gundians, and maintained an obstinate resistance until succour arrived from Paris. The peculiar feature in this defence was the part which the wives and daughters of the townsfolk took in it, guarding the walls, and sharing in all the perils of the men. The chief heroine, Jeanne Hachette, ap- peared upon the breach at the moment of the fiercest assaults, seized a Bur- gundian standard which a soldier -was endeavouring to plant on the walls, and, hurling the bearer to the bottom, bore it off in triumph into the town. Louis XI. rewarded the valour of the citizens by releasing them from taxes, and complimented the ladies by an ordonnance authorising them to take precedence of the men in the procession of St. Angadreme, instituted to com- morate the raising of the siege. This procession is still kept up, on the Sun- day nearest the 14th Oct. ; the females lead the way, carrying the banner so valorously acquirea by Jeanne Ha- chette, which is preserved in the H. de Ville. A statue of her, erected 1850, adorns the " Place." At an earlier period (1357) Beau- vais* was the centre of the revolt of the serfs against their tyrannic lords, called Jacquerie, from Jacques Bon- homme (Goodman James), the familiar sobriquet of the peasantry. It ex- tended over several provinces before it was put down by the armed force of the seigneurs banded together, and with fearful cruelty. Froissart thus describes an instance of wholesale ven- geance performed upon the rebellious peasants by the Duke of Orleans, the Count of Foix, and the Captal de Buch : "They set fire to the town and burned it clean, and all the villagers of the town that they could close therein." Diligence to Breteuil Stat. (Rte. 3.) Railway — a branch to Creil Stat, passing by the valley of Therein, 85 kilo., is in progress. 15 Noailles. 13 Puiseux. 10 Beaumont -sur-Oise (H6tel du Paon), prettily situated on the K bank France. of the Oise. Here vineyards first appear. Rly. Stat. Before reaching Moisselles, a paved road, bordered with trees, strikes off to Viarmes, the Abbey of Royaumont, and Chantilly. (See p. 9.) 12 Moisselles. rt. lie the forest of Montmorency, and that of Ecouen, with its immense chateau. (See p. 11.) The road is carried through one of the Farts forming part of the out- works of the new Fortifications of Paris, before entering 13 St. Denis. (See Rte. 3.) Travellers bound for the W. end of Paris turn to the rt. on quitting St. Denis, pass one of the new barracks for the garrison attached to the fortifi- cations, and, leaving Montmartre on the 1., traverse the Faubourg des Batig- nolles, up to the Barriere de Clichv. The post-road is drawn in a perfectly straight line from St. Denis to the Barriere St. Denis, keeping the heights of Montmartre on the rt. It crosses the canal which unites the Seine at St. Denis with the Canal de l'Ourcq, and cuts off a bend of the Seine. Fur- ther to the rt., and near the Seine, is the villa where Louis XVIII. signed the Charter in 1814. 9 PARIS. Inns: -Hotel Bristol, Place Ven- dome, is the Mivart's or Clarendon of Paris; perfectly comfortable, capital cuisine. H. Wagram, Rue Rivoli, ex- cellent. H. du Rhin, Place Venddme. H. du Lodvre, a colossal establish- ment, at the corner of the Place du P. Royal and Rue Rivoli ; clean, and not exorbitant ; the chief complaint ia want of attendance. Table-d'hdte of 200 and 300 persons. H. de Londres, Rue Castiglione, good. N.B. In first-* rate hotels dinners served in private are now charged as in London, a la carte, each dish separately, which renders the prioe per head very high. H. Brighton, Rue Kivoli, clean, charges moderate— ~ a fine view over the Tuileries garden * the hotels in the Rue de Rivoli have the great advantage of sun in winter, and a covered walk under its arcades in wet weather. H. Mirabeau, Rue de la Paix; quiet and good. H. des Princes, Rue de Richelieu ; expensive, C 26 Route 5. — Dieppe. Sect. I. Hdtel Meurice, Rue Rivoli; a com- fortable and well-managed house, al- most exclusively frequented by Eng- lish and Americans : bed 3 fr. per day ; breakfast, tea and coffee, with eggs, 2 fr. ; dinner at table-d'hote, without wine, 5 fr. ; lacquais-de-place 5 fr. ; carriage 25 fr. ; servants all round 1 fr. a-day , but less in proportion for family. H. Windsor, Rue de Rivoli; on the same plan as the H. Meurice, moderate in charges. H. Victoria, Rue Chauveau la Garde, near the Madeleine. H. de la Terrasse, Rue Rivoli, quiet ; no table- d'hote. Hdtel de Lisle and Albion, for- merly Lawson's, in the Rue St. Honore. Boarding House, Madame Guilhom's Pension, 5, Rue des Champs Ely sees; a very respectable establishment The best. Restaurant* are Cafe de Paris, on the Boulevard des Italiens; Veron's, Very's, Vefour's, and the Trois Freres Provenceaux, Palais Royal; Philippe, Rue Montorgeuil, is good and very mo- derate in prices. Galignani's Reading Room, in the Rue de Rivoli, No. 224, formerly 18, Rue Vivienne, is a great resource to the Englishman in Paris: here he will find all the best newspapers of all the world ; here he will meet with his friends, a list of his countrymen visit- ing or residing in Paris being kept here, and may supply himself with books, or subscribe to the circulating library. GcdignanVs Messenger is a capital paper, condensing all the news of the English papers without reference to politics. It is a comfort to have it sent after the traveller from place to place as he moves about France, which MM. G. will undertake to do. Messrs. Stassin and Xavier, Rue de la Banque, near the Bourse, keep a very, extensive assortment of English and foreign books. Public and private carriages are stopped at the outer gate or barrier of Paris by the officers of the Octroit whose duty it is to levy a tax upon all provisions, wines, &c. Railway baggage is also searched by them. ROUTE 5. DIEPPE TO PARIS, BY GISORS. 168 kilom. = 104 Eng. m. Steamboats in spring and summer from Newhaven, near Brighton, daily, and. several times a week in winter ; sea passage 5 to 9 hours. This is the quickest and cheapest route to Paris; agreeable for those who can stand the sea. Fares, London to Paris, 28s. and 20*. See " Hints on Landing in France." (§ c. Introduction.) Dieppe. — Inns: H. Royal near the Quai — very good ; H. du Nord et Vic- toria, also good ; Grand Hotel des Bains (Morgan's), facing the sea, near the Baths; H. des Bains, next the Custom- house, on the Quai; H. de la Plage, clean and good, landlady English ; Taylor's Hotel. The seaport town of Dieppe (17,000 Inhab.) is situated in a depression be- tween two high ranges of the chalk clifls which here line the coast, as white and nearly as tall as those of England. Through this gap the small river Arques flows into the sea, making an abrupt bend round the tongue of flat land upon which a part of the town is built, and forming a tolerable tide har- bour fit for vessels of 500 tons, which is lined with quays, and cleared from mud by sluices. Dieppe is one of the chief fishing-ports in France, equipping an- nually 60 vessels of 9000 tons for the cod fishery, and many more for that of the herring. It is much frequented as a sea-bathing place in summer, and in July and Aug. becomes the resort of the fashionable people of Paris. The streets of Dieppe are regular, and display few specimens of antiquity, in consequence of the bombardment of the town by the English, who, return- ing from an unsuccessful attack on Brest, 1694, revenged themselves by laying this town in ruins, — a reckless and inglorious exploit. The principal street runs parallel with the sea from the harbour to the castle, and contains some tolerable shops. The market- place, especially on market-day, will display samples of the picturesque FlCARDY. Route 5. — Dieppe, 27 dresses and strange high caps of Nor- mandy ; perhaps one of those towering, helmet-like head-dresses, once the com- mon head-gear of the women of the Pays de Caux (cauchoise), may present itself. The Faubourg de Pollett how- ever, on the W., inhabited almost ex- clusively by fishermen, is that in which the most character and peculiarity of costume is observable ; and it includes a few old houses. This quarter can be reached now only by making the circuit of the harbour, the old bridge across it having been pulled down in order not to check the force of the waters discharged from the bassin de retenue behind. The town itself is quiet and pic- turesque. The *Ch. of St, Jacques stands in the square a little to the W. of the harbour. The body of the build- ing is much hidden behind the flying buttresses, some of them consisting of open screen-work tracery with 8 mul- lions. The anti-Gothic slated cupola, however, above the cross, does not add to its beauty. The interior also is dis- figured by yellow wash and wooden screens. The transepts are the oldest part, built in the 13th cent., as well as perhaps the arches of the choir: the nave is a little later, and the roof and many of the side chapels are not older than the 15th. The screens and curi- ous carvings in the side aisles, especi- ally that before the sacristy or tresor — a confusion of the Gothic and Italian styles — and that in the chapel of St. Tves, deserve notice as examples of French florid Gothic of the 15th and 16th cents. " The Lady Chapel is a late specimen of Gothic art. The bosses of the groined roof are of deli- cate filagree work, and the vaulting is ornamented with knots pendent from the ribs." Here is one of those strange representations of the Holy Sepulchre surrounded by figures of the 3 Maries and other holy personages, so common in Romish churches abroad, executed in a very inferior style. Near the Ch. is a fine Gothic Cross, The Castle, rising on the tall cliff at the W. end of the town, built in the 15th cent., is now a barrack, and modernised. It contains nothing re* markable. It is, however, a pictu- resque object, with its group of quaint cone-headed towers, its high bridge and drawbridge spanning a chasm which runs down to the sea ; it com- mands a fine view, and it possesses his- torical associations of great interest. Within these walls Henri IV., retreat- ing before the army of the League, found shelter among his " bons Diep- pois," as he called them, who had been the first to acknowledge his right to the throne, before the battle of Arques. He made choice of Dieppe from the attachment of its inhabitants, the fide- lity of its governor, and the advantage of an open communication by sea with England. While here he received from Queen Elizabeth a reinforcement of 1000 Scotch and 4500 English soldiers. In 1650 the famous Duchesse de Longueville, so prominent among the leaders of the party of the Fronde, de- fying the royal authority, was com- pelled to take refuge in the castle ; but being pursued even hither by the ven- geance of Mazarin and Anne of Austria, she with difficulty at length escaped hence by night, and, making her way amidst storm and tempest, after innu- merable escapes and adventures, em- barked alone from the coast in an Eng- lish vessel, dressed as a man, and at length succeeded in reaching Rotterdam . Dieppe at present gives little token of its former celebrity and prosperity ; yet 3 centuries ago it was the most nourishing seaport of France, and one of the first in Europe. The fleets of its adventurous merchants tra- versed every sea : one of them, indeed (Ango), riding in the Tagus with his merchant squadron, bearded the King of Portugal in his own capital ; another captured the Canaries. Its skilful and hardy sailors distinguished themselves by their geographical discoveries and early settlements in the 15th and 16th cents. Claims are put forth for their having found out the passage round the Cape of Good Hope before the Por- tuguese. If it were so, they certainly kept the secret so close that they have lost the credit of it. They were among the first visitors of the New World, ex- plored Florida, opening the fur trade in Canada, and establishing the earliest European colony in Senegal ; whence. c2 28 Route 5. — Dieppe — Arques. Sect. I. as well as from the East Indies, they drew the costliest gums, gems, precious stones, metals, and tissues, with which they for a long time exclusively sup- plied their luxurious countrymen. The importation of elephants' teeth from Africa is said to have given rise to the pretty manufacture of carved ivory, which still exists here, and is almost peculiar to Dieppe. The rivalry of the Port of Havre, and its superior advantages in internal communication up the Seine, were the ruin of Dieppe. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and the English bombardment, in- flicted severe blows in addition; and although the extensive equipment of vessels for the fisheries of cod in New- foundland, and of the herring, has long contributed largely to the support of the town, yet they are much fallen off at present. Dieppe, however, is much frequented as a watering-place in summer. The Etablissement des Bains is situated on the beach, nearly under the castle. There are bathing-machines; and a pretty structure of wood has been erected as a Bath-house and News- rooms. A serifs of little huts are erected at the sea-side, from which ladies issue in robes resembling those of nuns, and gentlemen in wide trou- sers, and thus bathe in public. Ladies are assisted by male dippers appointed for this service, if they require their aid. There are also hot baths near the beach. The ground bordering on the sea has been laid out in pretty gardens, walks, and drives, resorted to in the season by a gay throng. English Ch. service, Sunday at 1 p.m., in the old Carmelite convent chapel. Diligences to Fecamp, thence by rail to Havre and to Abbeville (Rte. 18). Railway to Rouen and Paris (Rte. 6). The Environs of Dieppe present se- veral interesting excursions. About 2 m. to the E., on the cliffs above the sea, is a camp capable of holding many thousand men, once attributed to Caesar, but now supposed to be Gallic, and called la Cite' des Limes. It is trian- gular in form, defended on the land- side by a rampart in places more than 50 ft. high. It is near the road to Eu 'Rte. 18), 18} m. distant, where the Chateau of Louis - Philippe and the Church deserve a visit. The most delightful walk, however, in the neighbourhood of Dieppe is to the ruins of the * Castle of Arques,v?hich are far more interesting than the Cite des Limes. They are situated in the valley of the Bethune, at its junction with the Arques, less than 4 m. S.E. of Dieppe, and are celebrated for the mo- mentous victory gained beneath the walls by Henri IV. and his devoted band of 4000 Protestants over the army of the League, 30,000 strong, under the Due de Mayenne, which decided the fate of the Bearnais prince. The ar- tillery from its walls contributed not a little to the result of that day. " II en fut tiree," says Sully in his Memoirs, " une volee de quatre pieces, qui fit quatre belles rues dans leurs escadrons et bataillons." Three or four more discharges not only checked their ad- vance, but drove them behind a bend of the valley to shelter themselves from the cannonade, and from this check they never recovered. The king, ex- pecting the Leaguers to debouche down the valley to attack him, had disposed and intrenched his little band accord- ingly, when he suddenly found the ad- vanced guard of the Due de Mayenne in his rear, pushing forward to cut him off from his stronghold, Dieppe. Henri, with great quickness and dexterity, changed his front, threw up fresh ram- parts to protect his flanks, and managed still to keep up his communication with Dieppe. Among the heroic traits of Henri on that anxious and hard-fought day, are his words to M. de Belin, an officer of the League, who scornfully inquired where Henri's forces were, to oppose so large an army : " Vousne les voyez pas toutes, car vous ne comptez pas Dieu et le bon droit, qui m'as- sistent." A rude obelisk, raised on the brow of the hill, marks the spot where the deadliest struggle occurred. The * Castle, a fine object at a dis- tance, occupies a commanding position on a tongue of high land between two valleys, and covers a large area with its ruins; but its shattered condition, arising less from the hazards of war and the effects of time than the dilapi- dations of man, has robbed it of much PlCARDY. Route 5. — Dieppe to Paris — Gisors. 29 of its picturesqueness. For a series of years, down to the end of the last cent., the government allowed it to be pulled to pieces as a mere quarry of building materials. It is difficult to fix the age of its shapeless walls, deprived of their casing of masonry ; but it is probable that the oldest parts, viz. the Donjon and its enclosure, date from the time of our Henry II., who rebuilt the castle at the end of the 12th cent. ; other por- tions are not older than the 16th cent. The English, under Talbot and War- wick, again obtained possession of it in 1419, and kept it for 30 years, down to the capitulation of Rouen, by which it was yielded to Charles VII. The main entrance remains flanked by 2 massive towers of immense size ; and portions of the piers of the draw- bridge which led to it are still standing, but the 3 successive arches of the gate- way are torn into nearly shapeless rents. Within a pleasant walk from Dieppe, at the pretty but scattered village of Varengeville, stands le Manoir d'Ango, the chateau of the celebrated Dieppois merchant Ango, — the host and friend of Francis I. Though now converted into a farm-house, so little of its exter- nal form is defaced that the eye can readily trace all the richness of decora- tion which distinguished the style of the Renaissance when it was built. " The walls are principally con- structed of black hewn flint, which, alternating with a white stone, produce a very beautiful mosaic. They retain all the sharpness of their original con- struction ; and the sculptures with which they are enriched are of the most classical and graceful form. A number of large medallions above the grand entrance, and along the facade of the principal corps de b&timent, are remarkable : among them the portraits of Francis I. and Diane de Poitiers. In the interior are some finely sculp- tured fireplaces and the remains of a large fresco ; but they are only to be discovered by groping amongst the greniers, into which the apartments once so splendid have been changed." — Miss Uostello. The following direct road from Dieppe to Paris by Gisors leaves Rouen altogether on one side, and is shorter by 8 or 10 miles, but few would omit visit- ing that highly interesting city. (Rtes. 6 and 9.) Besides, the raily. now renders the route by Rouen the quicker of the two. Diligences have in consequence ceased to run this way. The Gisors road strikes off to the 1., 3 m. beyond Dieppe. 12 Bois Robert 17 PommereVal. 4 or 5 m. on the 1. of our road lies Neufchatel, famed for its excellent cy- lindrical cream-cheeses, called Bondes. 24 Forges les Eaux. A village and watering-place, possessing chalybeate springs once of some repute, but ne- glected at present. They are three in number — La Reinette, La Roy ale, and Cardinale; the two last named from Louis XIII. and Cardinal Richelieu, who visited Forges to drink the waters in 1632, the period of their highest celebrity, in consequence of Anne of Austria, after living childless for 18 years, here becoming enceinte with Louis XIV. ; — an event which was at- tributed to a course of these waters. 21 Gournay, famed for its butter, is situated in the district anciently called ays de Bray. The Church of St. Hildebert was begun in the 11th cent., but not finished until the 13th, and its W. front, with pointed arches, is perhaps of the latter date. In the interior, very massive round piers support semicircular arches inclining to the horseshoe form. The sculptured ornaments of the capitals are very remarkable for variety of pattern. Herring-bone masonry occurs in the E. end. About 5 m. from Gournay is the Abbey ChurchofSt. Germes9a.s grand and large as a cathedral, of the 13th cent. 12 Talmoutiers. 14 Gisors. — Ton: H. de FEcu. An ancient town of 3500 Inhab., prettily situated on the Epte. Its venerable ramparts are converted into agreeable promenades, whose plantations encircle the ruins of its commanding Castle, once the bulwark of Normandy on the side of France, and still retaining many interesting characteristics of a feudal fortress of the middle ages. The octa- gonal Donjon especially, and its enclo- sure, crowning the top of a high arti- ficial conical mound, are of the most solid construction, and are works of the 30 Route 6. — Dieppe to Rouen by Railway. Sect. J. 12th cent., built by our Henry II. The walls of a dungeon under one of the towers have been curiously carved with a nail by some unfortunate prisoner. At an interview which took place here between Henry and Louis VII., the two monarchs agreed to assume the cross for the recovery of Jerusalem. The Ch. of SS. Gervais and Protais presents a singular combination of styles, and an abundance of uncouth sculptures : it has a choir built in the 13th cent, by Blanche of Castille (it is said) ; the nave and remainder of the ch. are of a later period. The sculpture of the portal, richly carved, is of the latest style of French florid Gothic, and much overladen with ornament. The organ-loft, and an emaciated monu- mental effigy, both attributed to Jean Goujon, merit notice, and there is some fine painted glass in the windows. In the S. aisle is a singular twisted column, surrounded by spiral bands of tracery. Gisors is on the high road from Paris to Rouen (Rte. 10). 19 Chars. 18 Pontoise (in Rte. 3). 10 Herblay. Here the road divides : the l.-hand branch leads to Paris by St. Denis (see Rte. 3) ; that on the rt. proceeds by Besons, where it crosses the Seine, and by 12 Courbevoie, to the Barriere de Neuilly, entering 9 Paris by the Arc de l'Etoile. See Galignani's Guide, and p. 25. ROUTE 6. DIEPPE TO ROUEN — RAILWAY. 61 kilom. = 37J Eng. m. This Railway was opened 1848. 4 trains daily : time l£ to 2 hrs. Terminus near the wet-dock (bassin- a-flot) at Dieppe. A tunnel at Appeville, rather more than 1 m. long, carries the rly. into the valley of the Scie, up which it runs for more than IS m., crossing it 22 times. It is enlivened by several mills in the midst of meadows and orchards. In the outskirts of Dieppe we cross the road to Havre. The high road to Rouen is passed on a level. 1. Beyond ^anqueville are the ruins of the Castle of Charlesmesnil. The way is varied here and there at long intervals by villas or chateaux, without any claim to beauty. The numerous orchards are one of the characteristic featuresFo± Normandy, which is a cider, not wine- drinking, province. 17 Longueville Stat, stands on the domain of an abbey, the chief conven- tual building of which is now a cotton- mill. Upon the hill over the village, on 1., may be perceived the ruins of the Castle of Longueville, celebrated during the wars of the Fronde, and for the courage and adventures of the Duchesse, sister of the Great Conde*. 9 Auffay Stat. A considerable vil- lage, with several cotton-mills, a large sugar refinery, and tanneries, and a pretty Gothic ch., 16th cent. 4 St. Victor Stat. William the. Con- queror was the founder of the abbey, and his statue occupies a niche outside of the ch. The Scie rises about 100 yards to the 1. This is the nearest Stat, to Neufchatel (p. 29): coaches thither. rt. About 24 m. is Tdtes. (Cygne, a small but clean country Inn.) The spinning and weaving of cotton nirnish employment to the inhabitants. Mills and factories increase in number as we approach Rouen, the great centre of the cotton manufacture in France. The summit level of the line is at- tained through the long and deep cut- ting of Frithemesnil, leading into the Valley de Cleres, a little beyond which is the 10 Cleres Stat. Here is an old castle in which is shown the bed of Henri IV. 6 Monville Stat. The line of houses, factories, and chimneys, interspersed with villas, or- chards, and gardens, almost uninter- rupted, from Malaunay to Rouen, may remind an Englishman of the clothing district of the W. of England. In 1 845 (Aug. 19) a terrific whirlwind swept down part of this valley, and in the course of 1 J minute demolished 3 fac- tories, crumbling them like houses of cards, and all within them, people and machinery. 60 lives were lost, 100 were wounded, many were buried in the ruins. The Dieppe Rly. falls into the line from Rouen to Havre near n r a ihe of jier de by aas lse. Ate) inch en- ind •eat she the ber i on ient * at lile. ;on- rsed I like the ilia. uise I • Dod. * the ! Itte, J PPe> * ! 658, lene' ifice rote at- arly tion and a to :>een leal, .cess idge The 2m ting until >eine \, °1T Normandy. Haute 8. — Paris to Rouen by Railway. 31 6 Malaunay Stat, and the Viaduct of 8 arches. (Rte. 14.) 3 Maromme Stat. Before entering Eouen a pretty view is obtained of the blue hills which bor- der the Seine ; nor is the atmosphere thickened with so dense an envelope of smoke as hovers over the great manu- facturing centres of England. A great part of the coal here used comes from England ; the Dept. du Nord furnishes also its supplies. 6 Rouen Stat, (in Rte. 8). ROUTE 8. PARIS TO ROUEN — RAILROAD. 140 kilom. = 87 Eng. m. Trains 7 times a day, in about 4 hrs. ; Express in 2\ hrs. Terminus in Paris, Rue d' Amsterdam. Fares, 17, 14, and 10 frs. This railroad was commenced in 1 84 1 , and opened May 1843. Its engineer is Mr. Locke, who executed the London and Southampton Railway ; many of the shareholders are English capitalists of Lancashire ; and even most of the work- men were English. A considerable number of experienced "navigators," having been transported across the Channel, worked on it harmoniously with their French brethren, showing them the mode of operation. The rails are of French iron, which is much dearer than English ; but the locomo- tives, though made in France (at Rouen), are executed by an English company, established there expressly to supply this railroad. The minute subdivision of property in France, and the great number of landholders with whom the company had to deal, occasioned some difficulty in obtaining the land over which the rly. passes, and caused the number of contracts to be multiplied enormously ; but the demands or the proprietors were by no means so exor- bitant as in England. The first part of the line is the same as that to St. Germain (Rte. 9). The rly., after passing on a bridge over the Rue de Stockholm, and through 2 tun- nels under the Place d'Europe and other streets, quits Paris by Les Batignolles. The village of Clichy is passed on the rt. hand, and the Seine is crossed by a bridge of 5 arches before reaching the village. 4£ Asnieres Stat., on the 1. bank of the Seine, here crossed by another bridge, below that of the Chemin de Fer. The rly. bridge was burned by the Republican mob of 1848, and has since been rebuilt at great expense. The Versailles Railroad (rive droite) and the St. Germain Railroad branch off to the 1. a little beyond this. rt. Branch Railway to Argenteuil. At Colombes, a small village, Hen- rietta Maria, widow of Charles I. and daughter of Henri IV., died in great poverty, 1669. The chateau which she inhabited no longer exists. At Bezons the railway crosses the Seine by a bridge of 9 fiat timber arches, each 100 ft. span, supported on stone piers. From this an embankment extends nearly a mile to a cutting at Houille which is also about a mile. Beyond this the embankment con- tinues to the Seine, which is traversed for the second time by a bridge like the former, conducting to 17 Maisons Stat., at the end of the avenue leading to M. Lafitte's villa. (Inns : Hotel Talma, so called because once the residence of the actor ; good. Le Petit Havre.) The Chateau was the property of the late M. Jacques Lafitte, banker and minister of Louis Philippe, • was built by Francois Mansard, 1658, for the Surintendant des Finances Rene' de Longeuil, and is a handsome edifice of Italian architecture. Voltaire wrote ' Zaire ' here ; and he was here at- tacked with small-pox, which nearly carried him off. Before the Revolution it belonged to the Comte d'Artois, and was afterwards given by Napoleon to Marshal Lannes. The park has been cut into building lots, sold piecemeal, and studded over with villas. Access is given to the new colony by a bridge of wood resting on stone piers. The distance hence to Paris is only. 12 m by land. The rly. proceeds hence in a cutting across the forest of St. Germain, until it again reaches the 1. bank of the Seine a little before 9 Poissy Stat. (H. de Rouen\ small town on the 1. bank of the Seir 32 Route 8. — Paris to Roueny Rail — Mantes — Rosny. Sect. I. the birthplace of St. Louis (1215), who was 'wont to sign himself by the modest style of Louis of Poissy. The font at which he was baptized is still shown in the Parish Ch., a picturesque building, late Romanesque, with flamboyant ad- ditions, surmounted by 2 octagon towers and spires. The Conference of Poissy was held 1561, with the hope of adjusting dif- ferences between the Popish andCal- vinistic churches; Beza, with a train of doctors, appearing for the one party, and the papal legate, Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, for the other; and Charles IX. attended the first meeting with his mother, Catherine de Medicis. But the controversialists soon separated, with- out having approached to a reconcilia- tion, each side believing it had the best of the argument. A dirty and inconveniently narrow street leads to the long bridge of Poissy over the Seine, of 37 arches of different sizes, including the approaches, built, it is said, by St. Louis. The 3 central arches, now supplied by timber, were blown up in 1815 to prevent the -pas- sage of the allies ; or, as some say, so long ago as in 1589, by Mayenne, the general of the League, to secure a safe retreat for his army from the pursuit of Mare'chal de Biron, who had sacked Poissy because it refused to deliver its keys to the kings Henri III. and IV. The greatest cattle-market in France is held here every Thursday for the supply of Paris with meat. 8 Triel Stat. In the ch. is an Adora- tion of the Shepherds, said to be an original, by Poussin, and some good painted glass. Here and at Vaux are extensive plaster quarries. 6 Meulan Stat. This town, on the rt. bank of the Seine, is partly built on the slope of the hill, partly on an island in the middle of the river joined to the banks by an old stone bridge in two divisions. 8 EponeStat. Here is afineCA., 12th century. The scenery of the valley is very pleasing, though the chalky white of the rocks is an eyesore. The banks of the river are enlivened with country houses. The post-road runs at some distance from the river until it reaches Limay, the faubourg of Mantes, where it crosses from the rt. to the 1. bank by the bridge. The rly. runs in a cutting to the W. of the town of 7 Mantes Junction Stat, The Rly. to Caen and Cherbourg (Rte. 25) branches off 1. Buffet, where trains stop 10 minutes. Inn: Grand Cerf — tolerable. This town is prettily situated on the margin of the Seine, whence it has gained the epithet La Jolie. The chief building is the Church of Notre Dame, standing a little way above the bridge. It is a fine Gothic build- ing ; the body supported by flying but- tresses, the roof covered with coloured tiles. The portals are pointed; the sculpture which adorns them is sadly mutilated. The interior, in the early pointed style, is very pleasing ; its most remarkable feature being the height of the triforium gallery formed of triple arches, which, being carried quite round the E. end, and lighted by windows be- hind, gives a cheerful character to the ch. The tower at the W. end (a second or twin tower has been taken down) opens into the nave. It was built for Blanche of Castille and her son St. Louis by the architect Eudes de Mon- treuil. The solitary Tower of St. Maclou is the sole remnant of another ch., built in 1344 with the toll dues exacted for leave to tow barges through the bridge on Sundays and holydays. It is de- servedly preserved as a fine light Gothic structure. It was among the glowing embers of the houses and monasteries of Mantes, which he had remorselessly caused to be burnt, that William the Conqueror received the injury in his corpulent person, caused by his horse starting, which proved mortal a few days after at Rouen. The castle of the French kings, where Henri IV. held the con- ferences with the Romish clergy which preceded his abjurance of the Protestant faith, was destroyed by the Regent Duke of Orleans. rt. About half way between Mantes and Bonnieres we pass 6 Rosny Stat., a dirty little village, contiguous to which, between it and the Seine, stand the Chateau, the birthplace of Sully , where he was frequently visited Normandy. Route 8. — Paris to Rouen — Gaillon. 33 by his friend and master Henri IV., who slept here the night after his victory at Ivry. The king, having overtaken Sully on the road desperately wounded, carried on a litter, accompanied by his squires in a like plight, fell on his -neck and affectionately embraced him. The chateau is a plain solid building of red brick, with stone quoins and a high tent roof, surrounded by a deep ditch ; it was rebuilt by Sully at the beginning of the 17th cent. It is destitute of architectural beauty externally, and within has been modernised, although one room is still called Chambre de Sully. From 1818 down to the Revo- lution of 1830, Rosny was the favourite residence of the Duchesse de Berri, who erected here a chapel to contain the heart of her husband. The chateau has since changed hands repeatedly, and its present proprietor has pulled down the wings, which were modern, and added by the duchess. The grounds extend for some distance along the margin of the river, to which they owe their sole charm, the ground being per- fectly flat, and traversed by long formal avenues. In skirting the forest of Rosny, con- tiguous to the village, we are reminded of the sacrifice made by Sully, in fell- ing in it at one time timber to the amount of 100,000 francs to pay his master's debts. A great projecting buttress of chalk now intervenes, over which the high road is carried by a steep ascent and descent, and round which the Seine winds in a widely circuitous curve. The rly. pierces this by a Tunnel about 2480 yards long — driven through the chalk and a flinty conglomerate very hard to penetrate, commencing at Rolle- boise, about 5 miles from Mantes, and terminating on the W. at a short dis- tance from 6 Bonnieres Stat., the rly. having been previously carried over the high- road by a bridge. Hence the railroad runs under the high ground close to the river as far as 11 Vernon Stat. Inn: Grand Cerf. This town (pop. 5300), which, like many others in Normandy, gives a name to a noble English family, is prettily situated, and its interior re- tains a venerable air of antiquity in its timber-framed houses ; but its narrow streets, however picturesque, are by no means convenient on a great highway of traffic. There is preserved an an- cient tower, tall and massive; and a Gothic CA., the choir of the 13th, the nave of the 16th cent., in which one monument only among many escaped the Revolution, — that of a lady of the family Maignard, — consisting of a kneeling effigy in marble (date 1610). At the foot of the bridge is a curious antique building, now a mill. Vernon possesses a hospi tal founded by St. Louis, very extensive cavalry barracks, and vast quarries of building-stone on the opposite side of the Seine. The Chateau de Bizy, one of the finest seats in Normandy, the property of the Counts of Eu, and afterwards of the Due de Penthievre, was destroyed at the Revolution, and is now replaced by a plain country house belonging to the Orleans family. It is small and mean, but the grounds are beautiful and the walks through them agreeable. They are approached by a fine avenue on the outskirts of the town. Coaches to Evreux, Dreux, and Chartres. 13 Gaillon Stat., about a mile from the village, where there is a huge penitentiary, or Maison Centrale de De- tention, occupying the place, and in part the remains, of the Chateau of the arch- bishops of Rouen. It was built 1515 for the Cardinal d'Amboise, out of the tribute levied on the Genoese, conceded to him by Jjouis XII., by the architects Jean Joconde and Androuet du Cerceau, and was adorned by the pculptor Jean- Juste de Tours. It was demolished at the Revolution, except the entrance portal flanked by 4 turrets, and covered with inscriptions and bas-reliefs, the clock tower, and the chapel tower. The gateway between the 1 st and 2nd courts, a splendid example of the style of the Renaissance, was rescued by M. Lenoir and transported to Paris, where it has been reconstructed in the court of the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Its architect was Pierre Fain, date 1509. In the distance is seen the imposing C 3 34 Route 8* — Paris to Rouen — Rouen. Sect. I. ruin of Chateau Gaillard, the pet castle of Richard Cceur de Lion (Rte. 11), rising on a lofty rock washed by the Seine, but 5 or 6 miles N. of our road ; so great is the circuit which the river Here again makes. Gaifion is the station nearest to Au- teuil and the town of Andelys (omnibus runs thither), and hence an excursion may be made to the interesting castle of Chateau Gaillard (p. 50). Near le Grand Villers, two Tunnels are driven through the mass of a projecting pro- montory of chalk hill. The first or easternmost, of Le Rule, is a mile lone, and the second, of Venables, 470 yards long. 14 St. Pierre de Vauvray Stat. The manufacturing town of Louviers is about 5 miles or 8 kilom. W. of this stat. (p. 46). Omnibus every train. A Jilt/, is projected. The Seine is traversed obliquely for the 3rd time by a bridge at Le Manoir just above the confluence of the Eure, and the rly. proceeds along the rt. bank of the Seine for a short distance to 12 Pont de TArche Stat, at the ex- tremity of the bridge leading to that town. Pont de l'Arche is a small town whose main street is a narrow and in- convenient lane leading to the bridge of 22 arches, by which the Seine is crossed by the post-road, a little below the junction of the Eure. The view from it is pretty ; on the rt. is seen the Cdte des Deux Amants (see Rte. 1 1). The tide ascends to this point. The Gothic Ch. contains some curi- ous painted windows : in one of them the inhabitants of the town, male and female, in the costume of the 16th cent., are seen towing barges through the central arch of the bridge. The rly. next passes through the hill of Tourville by a short Tunnel of about 500 yards, and crosses the Seine, here divided into two arms, for the 4th time, by a bridge resting on the He des Boeufs, to 5 Tourville, Station for the populous and industrious town of Ellxeuf (lite. 1 2). Hence it proceeds onwards along the 1. bank of the Seine through St. Eti- enne de Louvray and Sottevule (where the line to Havre (iiverges rt. and crosses the Seine) to its termination near the Rue Verte and Boulevards of the great city of 12 Rouen: Terminus, Cours laReine. Postmasters charge I fr. 50 c. for each horse and each postilion in conveying a carriage from the rly. to any part of Rouen. Omnibus to all parts of the city. Rouen. — Inns: H. d' Albion, on the Quai, clean and good ; — H. d'Angleterre, also good; excellent table-d'hdte ; — H. de Normandie ; — Hdtel Vatel, Rue des Cannes, second-rate. Rouen, anciently Rotng Epee: but the figures are not older probably than the 13th cent. The choir, separated from the nave by a modern Grecian screen, was built between 1280 and 1300. The carving of the stalls, executed 1467, is ex- tremely curious. The finest and oldest painted glass is to be found in the chapels of the choir aisles ; it is of the 1 3th cent. Small lozenge-shaped tablets of marble, let into the pavement of the choir, mark the spots where the heart of Richard Coeur de Lion, and the bodies of his brother Henry (died 1 183), of William son of Geoffroy Plantagenet their uncle, and of John Duke of Bed- ford, regent (prorex Normannise) under Henry VI. (1435), were interred. Their monuments, much injured by the out- rage of the Huguenots in 1663, when all parts of the church suffered more or less, were removed, and lost until 1838, when the effigy of Richard /., a rude statue 6£ ft. long, was dug up from under the pavement on the 1. of the high altar. His " lion heart " was also found still perfect, but shrunk in size, enveloped in a sort of greenish taffeta enclosed in a case of lead, and is now deposited in the Museum. His body was interred at Fontevrault ; but he bequeathed his heart to Rouen, on account of the great affection which he bore to the Normans. The effigy of limestone, much muti- lated, represents him crowned, and in the royal robes, and is now placed in the Lady Chapel behind the high altar, which contains two other splendid and highly interesting monuments. On the rt. hand is that of Cardinal George d'Amboise, Archbishop of Rouen and minister of Louis XII., and his brother, a magnificent structure of marble, in the style of the Renaissance, executed in 1525. The marble sta- tues of the two cardinals, uncle and nephew, kneel below a covered canopy richly ornamented and gilt ; behind is a bas-relief of St. George and the Dragon; above, in niches arranged two by two, are statues of the 12 Apostles ; below are the Cardinal Vir- tues. The pilasters and intervening spaces are adorned with rich and fanci- ful arabesques. The bodies of the Cardinals d'Amboise were torn from the grave by the Revolutionists of 1793, the lead of the coffins melted, and the contents scattered. On the 1. side of the chapel is. the monument, in white and black marble, of the Due de Breze\ grand seneschal of Normandy; but more remarkable as husband of Diana of Poitiers, mistress of Henry II., by whom it was erected. The effigy of the dis- tressed widow kneels at the head of an emaciated corpse representing her hus- band after death, stretched on a sarco- Normandy. Route 8. — Rouen — St Ouen. 37 phagus of black marble. She is in a mourning attitude corresponding with the words of the epitaph which she caused to be engraved on the tomb : — M Indivulsa tibi quondam, et fidi»ima conjux, Ut fait in thalamo sic erit in tamulo." A sentiment, however, which must be taken in an ironical sense ; it is quite certain that she was not buried with him, but at her chateau of Anet, and it is probable that she was as true to her word in one respect as in the other. Above, in an arched recess, is the statue of the duke in full armour on horseback. This tomb is a splendid work of the age of Francis I. ; and is attributed to Jean Goujon, or Jean Cousin. A rich florid Gothic niche at the side, surmounted by a stone canopy of open work and intervening stems, was erected at an earlier period (1465) to Pierre de Brez£, grandfather of the preceding. Neither statue nor inscrip- tion remains. The elaborately carved screen in front of the sacristy, executed in the latter part of the 15th cent., and its wrought-iron door, must not be passed without notice. Passing the Archevechf, contiguous to the cathedral on its N. and £. side, we come to the * Church of St. Maclouj which ranks third among the churches of Rouen in beauty. Its grandest feature is its triple porch ; it is a fine specimen of the florid architecture of the 15th cent., and the sculpture adorning it is of exquisite taste and beauty of execution. The traveller should pay attention to the wooden doors (including that on the N. side), beautifully carved with Scripture subjects, in bas-relief, by Jean Goujon, it is said, and to the elaborate winding stair of stone near the W. entrance, leading to the organ-loft. There is much painted glass in the windows. The new and wide street, the Rue ImpeYiale, leading from the Suspension Bridge to the Boulevard, brings you to the *Ch. of St. Ouen, which sur- passes the cathedral in size, purity of style, masterly execution, and splendid but judicious decoration, and is inferior only as regards historic monuments. It is beyond doubt one of the noblest and most perfect Gothic edifices in the world. Although it suffered con- siderably from the Huguenots (1562), who made 3 bonfires within the build- ing to burn the stalls, pulpit, organ, and priests' robes; and from the re- publicans, who turned it into an ar- mourer's shop, and raised a smith's forge in its interior, by the smoke of which the windows were blackened until they ceased to be transparent, it has escaped in a remarkable degree ; and recent judicious restorations leave little to desire touching its state of repair. The first stone of the existing edifice (for 4 other churches had preceded it) was laid 1318 by Abbot Jean Roussel; the choir, the chapels, and nearly all the transept were completed in 21 years, and the nave and tower finished by the end of the 15th cent. Thus, one plan being followed to the termina- tion, the most perfect harmony of style prevailed throughout. The W. front, long unfinished, has been completed by the addition of 2 flanking steeples, surmounting 3 deep-set portals. Al- though it may be regretted that the original design (still preserved in the library) has not been more strictly followed, the modern front and towers are very fine. The architect is M. Gre*goire. Above the cross rises the central tower, 260 ft. high, which, whether examined close at hand (as it ought to be) or seen at a distance rising above the town, is a model of grace and delicacy. It is an octagon com- posed of open arches and tracery, throw- ing out flying buttresses to the turrets in the angles, and terminates with a crown of fleurs-de-lis, which ancient royal symbol is also discovered in the pat- tern of the tracery of the windows, and in the painted glass. The S. portal, called des Marmouzets from figures of the animals carved on it, deserves attentive examination, as a gem of Gothic work scarcely to be surpassed. It is surrounded by a fringe of open trefoil arches ; while 2 groined pendants, 6 ft. long, drop from its vault. The bas-relief over the door 38 Route 8. — Rouen — Muste des Antiquites, Sect. I. represents the Death and Assumption of the Virgin, with the statue of St. Ouen beneath: the whole has been well restored. The interior (443 ft. long, and 106} ft. high), notwithstanding its size, is peculiarly light and graceful ; the front pillars of its richly moulded piers run up uninterruptedly to the roof as ribs, the side ones bend under the arches. The clerestory being very large increases the effect of lightness ; " the windows seem to have absorbed all the solid wall," and the roof is maintained in its place by the support of pillars and buttresses alone. All the glass is painted, and there are 2 noble rose windows filled with it. The stranger should look into the holy-water basin (be'nitier) close to the W. door ; he will find the beauties of the interior all mirrored on the surface of the water. The slab tomb of the master mason under and by whom this noble ch. was reared is in St. Agnes' chapel, the 2nd on the I. in the N. choir aisle. His name was Alexander Berneval ; and, according to tradition, he murdered his apprentice through envy, because the youth had surpassed, in the execution of the rose window in the N. transept, into the tracery of which the pentalpha is introduced, that which his master had constructed in the S. transept. Though the mason paid the penalty of his crime, the monks, out of gratitude for his skill, interred his body within the church which he had contributed so much to ornament. The whole of the transept, choir, and lower part of the tower, are decorated in character, passing into the flam' boyant in the upper story of the tower and in the nave. The material used in the structure of St. Ouen is an indurated grey chalk, containing flints, which have been often patiently cut through in the delicate carving and tracery. But the details of the building should be studied on the roof, upon the tower, and in the internal galleries. It will well repay the trouble of the ascent. A very pretty Public Garden, whose great ornament, however, is the adja- cent church, extends along the N. side of St. Ouen, behind the Hotel de Ville ; it was originally the convent garden. Within it, attached to the church, stands a very perfect Norman tower, with round-headed windows, in the style of the 11th cent.; it probably formed part of a previously existing church. It is called " La Chambre aux Clercs." St. Ouen was archbishop of Rouen, and died 678. The *H6tel de Ville, a handsome building of Italian architecture, at- tached to the N. transept of the church, formed part of the monastery of St. Ouen, to which a modern front, with Corinthian colonnade, has been added, so as to give the building an official, civic air. Besides the public offices, it contains the Public Library, and Le Muee'e dee Tableaux, a collection in which the good paintings bear a very small proportion to the bad. There is an ancient and curious picture, attri- buted to Van Eyck, of the Virgin and Child amidst Angels and Saints, " a delicious painting, and pronounced on good authority to be original " — (E. o. S.) ; the predella of an altar- piece, by Perugino, brought from Pe- rugia; a copy of Raphael's Madonna di San Sisto; St. Francis in ecstasy, by Ann. Caracci; the Plague at Mi- lan, by Lemonniere of Rouen ; and an Ecce Homo, by Mignard. The Bibliolheque Publique is a valu- able collection of 33,000 vols., very accessible, being open every day from 11 to 4, and from 6 to 9, except Sun- day and Thursday. Among the 1200 MSS., many richly ornamented with paintings, are the History of the Nor- mans, by William of Jumieges, 11th cent. ; a Benedictionary, which be- longed to an archbishop of Canter- bury; and a missal book of the 12th cent. The Gradual of Daniel d'Au- bonne, 17th cent., containing about 200 vignettes and initials, is very beautiful. *Le Mueee des Antiquite'x, in the sup- pressed convent de Ste. Marie, Rue Beauvoisine, the continuation of Rue des Cannes and Rue Grand Port, consequently near to the Rly. Stat., from the number and rarity of the curiosities deposited in it, consisting for the most part of voluntary dona- tions, is one of the most interesting sights in the town, and highly ere- Normandy. Route 8. — Rouen— Church of St. Gervais. 39 ditable to the administration of the department, by whom it was founded, 1833-4; no stranger should omit to visit it. The following enumeration will give an idea of the nature of the objects preserved here : — The door of the house in which Corneille was born ; many Eoman and Gallic tomb- stones, coffins, &c, dug up at Rouen and other places in the Dept. de la Seine Inferieure; many fragments of Roman sculpture; specimens of pot* tery, glass, mosaics ; inscriptions ; toge- ther with a draped female statue of good work, but wanting the head, from the Roman theatre, Lillebonne. It is chiefly, however, for works of art and antiquities of the Middle Ages, and the following period down to the 17th cent., that this museum is entitled to attention. The windows, 15 in number, by which the gallery is lighted, are all filled with painted glass derived from suppressed convents, churches, &c., forming a chronological series from the 13th to the 17th cent. ; very valu- able and interesting, as showing the progress of the art. The most remark- able are those from the Church of St. Eloi, Rouen, 16th cent. ; the miracle of St. Nicholas, from St. Godard (first half of 16th cent.), very fine. There is no collection of glass painting equal to this in France or England. In glazed frames against the wall are hung charters and other ancient MSS., containing autographs of re- markable persons — among them, Wm. the Conqueror's mark, a cross (he could not write); and the signatures of our other Norman dukes and kings, among which those of Henry I. and Richard Cceur de Lion may be observed. Here also is now deposited the heart of the Lion-hearted King (see p. 36). The shrine of St. Sever, which once contained the relics of that saint, for- merly placed in the cathedral, is in the shape of a Gothic chapel, with silver statues of saints in niches round its sides. It is of oak, covered with copper plates pit and silvered, and is an ele- gant piece of workmanship of the end of the 12th cent. : it has been restored. A crucifix, carved in stone, 16th cent. : at the foot of .the cross the holy women ; on the opposite side the Vir- gin and Child. Many other specimens of sculpture, of the 15th, 16th, and 17th cent., in stone and wood, from religious edifices : 5 bas-reliefs of the Last Judgment, in marble, from the Church of St. Denis-sur-Scie ; in one, Christ is rescuing souls from the jaws (literally) of hell. Many capitals of Gothic columns richly sculptured. An extensive collection of coins and medals; Roman, Gallo-Roman, French Norman, &c. Casts from the bas-reliefs of the Hotel de Bourgtheroude (p. 41), repre- senting the interview of the Field of the Cloth of Gold between Henry VIII. and Francis I. A small collection of arms and armour; among them will be found the coat of mail of Enguerrand de Marigny , from the Church of Ecouis : also several early cannon and wall pieces, ancient furniture, cabinets. A fragment of the famous bell George d'Amboise (see p. 35), which was melted into cannons and sous- pieces at the Revolution. This Museum is open Sunday and fete-days from 11 to 4, and Thursday from 12 to 3; but it is generally ac- cessible to strangers. In an adjoining building is a very respectable Museum of Natural History . The amateur of stained glass should not omit to visit the churches of St. Godard, containing two windows 32 ft. high and 12 wide, and St. Patrice, where there are many more of still greater beauty, executed in the 16th cent. The architecture of these two churches is not remarkable ; they are very late in the Gothic style. The Church of St. Vvicent has an exquisite Gothic porch, and very fine painted glass likewise. Another church, St. Gervais, situ- ated in the very remote faubourg Cauchois, near the Havre Railway ter- minus, is reputed the oldest structure in Rouen, and one of the earliest Chris- tian monuments in France. The church itself is low, humble, and not remarkable ; but below it is a crypt even more simple and unadorned, but exhibiting to the eye of the antiquary marks of construction as old probably as the 4th cent., in the courses of Ro- 40 Route 8. — Rouen — Palais de Justice. Sect. I. man tiles between the layers of rough masonry. It has an apsidal termina- tion: in the side walls are holes for the cancelli or rails, to which the cur- tain was hung to separate the chancel from the rest of the church : the altar- slab is marked with 5 + + . The two low arched recesses in the walls are said to have been the graves of St. Mello and St. Avitien, the first arch- bishop of Rouen. The circular E. end of the church itself, which rests upon this crypt, is in the earliest Norman style : and some of the pillars let into the wall, but too short to support the roof, have classic capitals. The Roman road to Lille- bonne passed close to St. Gervais. William the Conqueror, tortured by the wound he had received at the cruel sack and burning of Mantes (p. 32), repaired to the retired monastery of St. Gervais to die. His death-bed ex- hibited a melancholy example of the vanity of earthly grandeur. Deserted by his own sons when the breath was scarce out of his body, forsaken by friends and courtiers, and plundered by his servants, his body remained stripped and deserted, until the pity and charity of an unknown knight in the neighbourhood provided the funds necessary for the funeral ; and he him- self escorted the body to its last resting- place at Caen. There are perhaps a dozen suppressed churches in Rouen, most of them converted into ware- houses. The * Palais de Justice is a very in- teresting specimen of civic Gothic ar- chitecture, which may vie with some of the town-halls of the Low Countries. Reared at a time when the style had become fantastic in its forms and exu- berant in its adornments, it yet dis- plays so much originality of invention, beauty, and gorgeous magnificence, that it is hard to condemn it for a want of taste and purity. It is under- going a complete and judicious resto- ration. It lines 3 sides of a square; the wing on the 1. is the Salle des Procu- reurs, built 1493, as a sort of exchange for merchants, native and foreign, to meet in. It is a large and handsome *»^11, with an open roof, like a ship's hull reversed, I GO ft. long and 50 ft. high — a sort of Westminster Hall in miniature, and now serving the same purposes. The body of the building in the centre was raised 6 years later by Louis XII. for the Cour d*Echiquier of Normandy, the ancient supreme tri- bunal of the duchy, at least as old as the time of William the Conqueror, for which the name of parliament was substituted in 1515 by Francis I. This facade is decorated with all the orna- ment which the fertile resources of the architect afforded; the square-headed windows are set within the most deli- cate garlands of stone ; the buttresses are studded with niches and crowned by pinnacles; and the lofty dormer windows, rising against the high- pitched roof, are surmounted by cano- pies of the most delicate open work, with pinnacles and statues, many of them executed by first-rate artists at Paris, and are connected by a pierced battlement of arches and tracery. For many years past this front has been undergoing a careful restoration; it is only a pity that it makes so slow a progress. The chamber in which the parlia- ment of Normandy met is now the Salle d' Assises. It has a fine roof of black oak, set off with gold ; but the elegant pendants which hung from it have been removed, and the wainscot- ing, painted over with arabesques and old mottoes reminding judges of their duties, has been taken down or effaced by whitewash. The large building behind the Palais, once the residence of the president of the parliament, is now the Cour Roy ale. La *Bue de la Grosse Horloge, not far from the Palais, one of the nar- rowest and most picturesque in Rouen, is so called from the antique clock gate-house, built 1527, by which it is spanned, adjoining the tower of the Beffroi, whence the curfew is still tolled every evening. In this street are several ancient houses. Nos. 115 and 129 deserve notice. The Place de la Pucelley known also by the vulgar name Marche* aux Veaux, serves to record the fate of the heroic and unfortunate Jeanne d'Arc, the de- liverer of her country, and the terror ISormandy. Route 8. — Rouen — Place de la Pucelle. 41 of the English, who was burned alive here as a sorceress 1431, on the spot marked by the contemptible modern statue placed upon a pump, which bears her name, but the outward aspect of Bellona! Her ashes were collected by the hangman, and cast into the Seine, by order of the Cardinal of Winchester. He and other prelates were spectators of her execution ; and some of them, unmoved by her suffer- ings, even interrupted the priest who was confessing her, by their impatience, exclaiming, " Now, priest, do you mean to make us dine here ? " After she was bound to the stake, and while the flames were rising around her, she begged her confessor to hold aloft the cross, that she might still behold the sacred emblem above the smoke; and she died expressing her conviction of the truth of her mission, and calling on the name of Jesus. The cruelty exercised upon this simple and gentle maiden (for in all her battles she never killed an enemy, and was always intent on preventing the effusion of blood) is a disgrace to the annals of England. In prison she was subjected to insult, insidious treachery, and even outrage ; at her trial, in the chapel of the castle, she stood alone without counsel or ad- viser, browbeaten by her inhuman and bloodthirsty judges, yet baffling their cunning and sophistry by her plain straightforward answers. But one of the saddest circumstances connected with the death of the forlorn maiden of Domremy was, that her most active enemies and eventual be- trayers were her own countrymen : the Bishop of Beauvais, her unjust judge, her accuser, and the false priest who was introduced into her cell on the pretence of friendship as a spy to be- tray her secrets, were all Frenchmen. Her own countrymen allowed her to be made prisoner at Compiegne with- out an attempt to defend or rescue her ; it was they who sold her to the English ; and Charles VII., her king, who owed his country and throne to her enthusiasm, appears neither to have cared for nor remembered the heroine of Orleans, from . the hour when she fell into the hands of the English. He certainly neither at- tempted to ransom her, nor did he pro- test against her trial.* It was not until 24 years from her death that a papal bull proclaimed her innocence ; and a cross was raised by her own countrymen, once more be- come masters of Rouen, on the spot where she had been bound to the stake. The great tower of the old castle in which she was imprisoned was demo- lished 1780. She was shut up in a cage of iron, and her feet were fettered, yet her spirit remained unbroken ; and when some English nobles came to in- sult her, she answered, " Je sais bien que les Anglais me feront mourir, croyant apres ma mort gagner le roy- aume de France ; mais fussent-ils cent mille Goddams de plus qu'a present, ils n'auront pas ce royaume." On one side of the market-place, within a short distance of the statue, is an ancient mansion, which the common people call Maison de la Pucelle, but properly *VH6tel de Bourgtkeroude, con- structed at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th cent., by Wil- liam le Roux, seigneur of Bourgthe- roude, nearly at the same period as the Palais de Justice. It is built round a courtyard, and its inner wall is orna- mented with a series of bas-reliefs on tablets of marble, representing the in- terview of the Cloth of Gold, and the procession of the two kings Henry VIII. and Francis I., attended by their suite, among whom Cardinal Wolsey is conspicuous. Above these are other sculptures of allegorical figures, and the elegant hexagonal tower is deco- rated with pastoral subjects. The Convent of St. Amand, recently pulled down, was a building of the same age: a few curious fragments alone remain in the Rue St. Amand. There are several Gothic fountains in various parts of the city ; the most curious are those of La Croix de Pierre, resembling in form Waltham Cross, but erected, 1 500, by the Cardinal d* Amboise ; it stands in ,the Carrefour St. Vivien. La Fontaine de la Crosse is a low Gothic structure of the 15th cent., elegantly adorned with tracery. • From a masterly and most, interesting me- moir of Jeanne dArc in the Quarterly Review, vol. 7&. 42 Route 8. — Rouen — Bridges, Sect. I. The house in which " Le grand Cor- neille " (Pierre) was born, the most illus- trious of the natives of Rouen, exists in Rue de la Pie, No. 4; a statue of him has been erected by his fellow- citizens on the stone bridge. Fonte nelle, his nephew, author of the ' Plu rality of Worlds,' resided in the Rue des Bons Enfans, No. 132-134. The composer Boieldieu was also born here, and the town has raised a statue to him on the quay facing the Bourse. The great Lord Chancellor Clarendon died here, in banishment, 1674. The Creches -an asylum for infant children while their parents are at work — may be seen here in full opera- tion, and deserves a visit The edifice called Les Halles, situ- ated between the cathedral and the stone bridge, appropriated to the pur- pose of a cloth-hall for the sale of the manufactures of Rouen, occupies the site of the ancient palace and Vieille Tour, in which King John Lackland is said to have imprisoned and finally murdered his nephew Prince Arthur. The structure called Monument de St. Romain, opposite the cloth-hall (date 1542), was the spot where, by virtue of an ancient privilege conceded by King Dagobert, the chapter of the cathedral were entitled to claim, on Ascension-day, the release of a con- demned criminal, how great soever his crime. This custom was intended to commemorate the circumstance of a sentenced malefactor having been the only person willing to accompany St. Remain in his dangerous encounter with the dragon (gargouille) which in- fested the neighbourhood of Rouen. The monster, as it turned out, did not give much trouble; it was rendered powerless by the simple act of the saint making the sign of the cross over it, and, with his stole tied round its neck, allowed itself to be led quietly into the town. The privilege was maintained down to the time of the Revolution, though latterly under con- siderable modifications. In the front of the house at the corner of the Rue St. Romain and Rue la Croix de Fer, a curious bas-relief of the 16th cent., re- presenting a school, is inserted. Bridges. — The first bridge over the Seine here was built (1167) by Queen Matilda, daughter of Henry I. ; it lasted till the middle of the 15th cent., when it was destroyed, and a bridge of boats substituted for it. In 1829 the upper bridge of stone was completed, and in 1836 the boats were finally re- placed by the existing suspension bridge. An opening is left in the centre of this, between the supporting piers, under a lofty cast-iron arch rising 82 ft. above the river, to allow masted vessels to pass. The cotton manufactures of Rouen are of such extent and importance as to render it the Manchester of France ; they are greatly promoted by 3 small streams — the Robec, the Aubitte, and the Reuelle. A particular kind of striped and chequed stuff is called Ronennerie (toiles peintes, rayees, et & carreaux), because originally and more especially fabricated here. Spinning and weaving mills, dye-works, espe- cially of Turkey red, printing and bleaching works, are most plentifully distributed, not only through town and suburbs, but over the adjacent country in a circuit of many miles, employing, on a moderate computation, 50,000 persons. The English Church service -was given up 1849. There are 800 English resi- dents here. At the shop of Lebrument, bookseller , Quai de Paris, the traveller may pro- vide himself with many interesting works relating to the antiquities of Normandy, with views and maps. The Posts oux Lettres is on the Quai du Havre, near the Custom - house ; open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. British Vice-Consul* s address, Rue d'Orleans, 34. English Physician, Dr. Murphy, 10, Quais de la Bourse. Railroads— To Paris (Rte. 8.)— To Havre, Dieppe, and Fecamp — Ter- minus in the Rue Verte, on the rt. bank of the Seine, but some distance from the river. (Rte. 14.) Diligences to Caen daily, morning and evening; to Gournay and Beau- vais daily ; to Elboeuf and Lisieux ; to Evreux and Orleans ; to Pont Audemer and Honfleur ; to Angers and Nantes. Steamboats to Paris in 15 hrs., return- ing in 8, affording the best insight into Norm an dt. Route 9, — Paris to Rouen {Lower Road). 43 the beauties of the banks of the Seine ; to La Bouille, on the Lower Seine, daily ; steamers to Havre have ceased for some years. Walks and Excursions. The *Mont St. Catherine, the es- carped chalk hill on the £. of the city, rising above the Seine and the road to Paris, affords the best distant and pa- noramic view of Rouen, and will well repay the labour to those who are not afraid to face a steep ascent, 380 ft. high, which may be mastered in half an hour, starting from the extremity of the Cours Dauphin. The entire mass of the town is spread out below you, surmounted by engine chimneys mixed with spires, sending out its long lines of houses and factories up the hill sides and into the neighbouring industrious valleys, uniting it with dis- tant villages ; the noble spires of the cathedral and of St. Ouen rising out of the midst, the winding and sparkling river Seine, spanned by its 2 bridges and crowded with shipping, the Rail- way also crossing the river, and then pursuing its mole-like course, half above, half under ground, give a pleas- ing variety to the landscape. The marks of active industry are every- where apparent, the bleach-fields strewn with white webs, the stream - courses marked* by tows of factories and tall chimneys, the nooks in the hill sides choked with villages. All along the top of the mount are traces of ditches and foundations of bastions, part of the strong Fort oc- cupied by the Marquis Villars and the soldiers of the League during the siege of 1591, which were captured by Henri IV., and dismantled by him in compliance with the request of the citizens, with the memorable words, that " he desired no fortress but the hearts of his subjects." This post was taken by assault, chiefly through the bravery of Henri's English allies under the Earl of Essex, who challenged Vil- lars to maintain, in single combat, on horse or foot, in armour or doublet, that his cause was the better and his mistress the fairer. Not far from St. Catherine's is Blosseville Bonsecours, whose modern Gothic Ch., with painted windows, was built 1846, to contain a figure of the Virgin, much resorted to by pilgrims. It has 3 portals in the W. front : it is stone vaulted, and it cost 40,000/. ! It is worth while to drive out to the chateau of Canteleu, on the road to Cau- debec (Rte. 13), on account of its beau- tiful view, even if you go no farther. A more distant excursion, which will occupy 1 day very agreeably, is to Chateau Gaillard, near Andelys (Rte. 11), where the Steamer stops. The Paris Rly. passes within 3 m. of An- delys, and is the quickest way. There are many interesting monu- ments of architecture in the vicinity of Rouen, among them the Chapelle de St, Julien, 3 or 4 m. S.W. of Rouen, on the 1. bank of the Seine (Rte. 12) ; St. George Boscherville, 9 m. off, on the road to Havre (Rte. 13). ROUTE 9. PARIS TO ROUEN (LOWER ROAD), BY ST. GERMAIN AND LOUVIERS. 137 kilom. = 85 Eng. m. Only one Diligence, in 10 or 12 hrs. ; the rest are superseded by the rly. (Rte. 8). This road to Rouen is far more gene- rally interesting and more picturesque in scenery than the upper one, through Gisors, but is nearly 7 m. longer than it. It is carried down the valley of the Seine, quitting the bank of the river only to avoid its excessive windings. The high road from Paris to St. Ger- main commences at the " star," or ra- diation of routes which gives a name to the Arc de Triomphe de VEtoile, the largest triumphal arch in the world, and the finest entrance into the French capital. Yet the eye scarcely appre- ciates its vastness : few would suspect that it is nearly as wide and lofty as the facade of Notre Dame, or that the aperture of the arch equalled that of its nave. The road skirts on the 1. the Bois de Boulogne, famous for pro- menades, duels, and suicides — now shorn of its proportions to form a glacis for the new fortifications. A cross road, called Chemin de la Revolte, leading from Neuilly to Sf 44 Route 9. — Paris to Rouen {Lower Road). Sect. I. Denis, branches off on the rt. : near the entrance of it occurred the melan- choly death of the Due d'OrlSans, who was killed in jumping out of his car- riage, of which the horses had run away. An elegant Byzantine Chapel has been built on the site of the house in which he breathed his last: it is dedicated to St. Ferdinand, and is in the form of a Greek cross. It contains a monumental cenotaph, the effigy of the prince in his uniform reclining on a bed, by M. Triquety. On a pedestal to the rt. is an angel kneeling in prayer, one of the last works of his sister the Princess Marie. The painted windows were executed at Sevres, from Ingre's designs. The road next passes on the rt. the ruins of the Chateau de Neuilly, the most frequented residence of King Louis-Philippe, and beyond that Til- lage crosses the Seine by the celebrated bridge of 5 arches, each of 120 ft. span, the masterpiece of the architect Per- ronet, built 1772. Henri IV. and his queen were dragged into the water here in their cumbrous state coach, and narrowly escaped drowning: an accident which caused the ferry to be superseded by a bridge of wood. The park of Neuilly extends for some dis- tance down the rt. bank of the Seine, and into the islands which here divide its stream. On the 1. bank is seen the village and large barrack of 9 Courbevoie. A little beyond the posthouse, our road, a perfectly straight line hitherto, separating from the Route d'en haut (Rte. 10), bends to the 1. and passes the Versailles Rail, (rive droite). Mont Valerien, on the 1., converted into the citadel of the fortifications of Paris, is not more than 1J m. distant from the chateau of Neuilly. The Church on this height, founded on the debris of one destroyed by Napo- leon, contains numerous relics : among them a fragment of the true Cross (!) and the Calvary attached to it has attracted pious pilgrims for several centuries. Madame de Genlis, the preceptress of Louis Philippe, was buried in the cemetery. The aqueduct of Marly and chateau of St. Germain are now seen in the distance. At Ruel the Cardinal Richelieu had a magnificent residence. The large barrack on the 1. of the road was occu- pied in the time of the elder Bourbons by the Swiss guard. In the little church of the village, built 1584, and decorated with a portico at the cost of Cardinal Richelieu, from the designs of Lemer- cier, is buried the Empress Josephine. A simple monument bearing her statue kneeling, by Cartallier, has been erected by her children, Prince Eugene (Due of Leuchtenberg), and Hortense Beau- harnois (ex-Queen of Holland), mother of the Emp. Louis Napoleon, who has since been buried here herself. Jose- phine died, May 1814, at her favourite villa, hard by Kuel, Malmaison. Her pleasure-grounds have been cut up to be sold in lots ; her conservatory and mena- geries, in which she took much delight, and the Swiss dairy and Merino farm, are swept away. The spot seems to have owed its charms chiefly to art; the soil is very sterile. Buonaparte spent 5 days here in June 1815, between his second abdication and his final depar- ture for Rochefort, having been sent out of Paris by Fouche and the provi- sional government. The road skirts the enclosing wall of Malmaison for some distance, and, soon after reaching the 1. bank of the Seine, passes La Chauss6e, where La Belle Gabrielle had a house, and Marly la Machine, so called from the cumbrous pile of wooden scaffolding and wheels constructed to raise the water of the Seine S00 ft. to supply Versailles, but now partly replaced by a steam engine. The Aqueduct of 36 arches, the loftiest 70 ft. high, by which the water is con- veyed, is a conspicuous and fine object rising against the hill. The Chateau de marly, built by Mansard for Louis XIV., was destroyed at the Revolution, having been purchased by speculators who pulled it down to sell the materials, and nothing now remains to mark that scene of a monarch's extravagance and magnificence. St. Simon, describing its construction, relates that whole forests of full-grown trees were brought from Compiegne, fths of which died and were replaced by others; large tracts of wood were suddenly converted into sheets of water, and back again to shady groves ; and all to adorn a small villa Normandy. Route 9. — Paris to Rouen — St. Germain. 45 in a contracted valley "without view, in which Louis might pass 3 or 4 nights in the course of the year. The pavilion of Luciennes, on the brow of the hill above Marly, was the last residence of the notorious Madame du Barry, mistress of Louis XV. Le Pecq is a suburb of St. Germain, stretching down the hill, on whose sum- mit that town is built, to the margin of the Seine. 14 St. Germain-en-Laye (see below). Raiuroad — Paris to St. Germain, 19 kilom. == 12 Eng. m. The distance is performed in less than 30 min. Trains go every hour : but see the printed bills. The Terminus (Embarcadere) in Paris is in Rue St. Lazare. This rly. received injuries from the Republican mob of Feb. 1848, to the extent of 1,700,000 frs. The first part of this line as far as 4( Asnieres Stat, is the same as the Rouen Rly. (Rte. 8). Colombes Stat. (Rte. 8). The high road from Paris to Rouen is crossed within a short distance of 7 Nan terre Stat., a village celebrated as the birthplace of St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, who preserved it by her prayers, according to the legend, from the invasion of Attila. The chapel of the saint, at which Anne of Austria came to pray for an heir, 1636, who was born 2 years after, no longer exists. Nanterre is famed for cakes. Ruel Stat. (p. 44). The Seine is crossed for the second time shortly before arriving at 3} Chatou Stat., by 2 bridges resting on an island which here divides the river. The village of Chatou lies on the rt. hand of the rly. and rt. bank of the Seine. An atmospheric branch rly. has been constructed hence to St. Ger- main. 3£ Le Pecq Stat., opposite the vil- lage of Le Pecq, which is a suburb of St. Germain, and is connected with it by a bridge of stone, erected 1835, in the place of one of wood, by which, in 1815, the Prussian army under Bliicher crossed the river on its march upon Paris. The Rly. is carried (on the atmos- pheric principle) across the Seine and up the slope to the centre of the Ter- race de St. Germain, £ m. The steep ascent, from the bridge up to the town, is surmounted also by a broad road in zigzag, while a flight of stone steps affords access for the pedestrian to the Terrace which runs along the brow of the hill. St. Germain-en-Laye Stat. — Inns: H. du Prince de Galles, fair, near the Rly. Stat. ; de la Chasse Royale. There is a Restaurant on the slope of the hill, au Pavilion de Henri IV.; the best, but all dear. This deserted re- sidence of kings is interesting from historical recollections, and pleasing from the grandeur of its site; but although it contains 12,000 Inhab., it has a melancholy air of abandon- ment in its crass-grown streets and straggling edifices. The huge gloomy pile of the Royal Chateau itself, the favourite residence of Marguerite de Valois, Henri II., Henri IV., Francis I., and the birthplace of Charles IX. and of Louis XIV., having been gutted at the Revolution, has nothing but its souvenirs to recommend it. It looks like a prison, and is actually converted into a military penitentiary, and sur- rounded by a wall for security. Those who will take the trouble to seek an order of admission from the command- ant (which is not readily granted) may see the chapel, the eldest part and the least impaired, the hall of Francis I., the bed-chamber of Madame de la Val- liere, and the trap-door by which the youthful Louis gained entrance into it after his mother had caused the door of the backstair to be walled up ; also the Oratory of James II., and the chamber in which he died, 1701. This palace was assigned to him as a re sidence by his host Louis XIV., who was tired of the place himself, having taken an aversion to it because it com- manded a view of his destined resting- place St. Denis. James resided here 12 years, holding the semblance of a court. Part of his body, " une portion de la chair et des parties nobles du corps," was buried in the parish church, recently rebuilt and faced with a Doric 46 Route 9. — Paris to Rouen— Louviers. Sect. I. portico, where a monument was erected to his memory by George IV. % The only real attraction in St. Ger- main at present is its beautiful Terrace, stretching along the brow of the hill for 2400 metres = l£ m., and com- manding a delightful prospect over the valley of the Seine and its windings, with the aqueduct of Marly on the rt., Chateau of Maisons on the 1., the rlys. and the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, with the spires of St. Denis rising against the horizon, in front. The Forest of St. Germain, one of the largest in France, haying a circuit of 21 m., occupies a promontory formed by a sweeping bend of the river Seine. It is intersected by roads offering agreeable rides and walks in all direc- tions. In the midst of it is the Pavil- ion de la Meute (Dog-kennel), begun by Francis I. Deer and roes are found in the remote parts. The name of St. Germain-en-Laye comes from a chapel and monastery of St. Germanus, built in the reign of King Robert, in the midst of the forest then called Silva Ledia. Many English reside here, on ac- count of the cheapness of living and the pure air. The Church service is performed on Sundays in a private room. There are 2 roads from St. Germain to Mantes; the one called Chemin de Quarante Sous, keeping on the S. side of the Seine, is the shorter by about 5 m., but more hilly ; the other, the post- road, cuts across the S. extremity of the forest to Poissy. (See Kte. 8.) The road descends the rt. bank of the river henceforth as far as Mantes, through 11 Triel (Rte. 8). 8 Meulan (Rte. 8). The railroad is carried along the 1. bank of the Seine, and passes in the rear of Mantes, where is a station. 15 Mantes. About half-way between Mantes and Bonnieres we pass Rosny. The rly. is carried on a terrace side by Bide with the high road as far as Rolleboise, where it penetrates in a tunnel through a hill which the road j. surmounts by a steep ascent. An abrupt curve of the river, here sweep- ing round by the town and chateau La Roche Guy on (Rte. 1 1), is thus avoided. The farther extremity of the tunnel opens out close to 13 Bonnieres (Rte. 8). About l£ m. beyond this the road to Caen and Cherbourg by Evreux (Rte. 25) separates on the 1. from that to Rouen, which skirts the margin of the Seine under a shady avenue of walnut and ash trees. A small rivulet flowing into it from the S., crossed by our road, was the boundary of the ancient pro- vince of Normandy, as it now is of the department of the Eure; and 2 m. farther on we reach 11 Vernon (Rte. 8). There is another post-road from Ver- non along the rt. bank of the Seine, by Andelys (22 kilom.), and Chateau Gaillard (Rte. 11), Pont St. Pierre (19 kilom.), Le Forge Fe'ret (10 kilom.), to Rouen (11 kilom.), but it is longer by 3| m. than the following : 14 Gaillon. The isthmus of the peninsula formed by this curve is traversed by the rly. in the tunnel of Venables (Rte. 8). The post-road quite the borders of the Seine before reaching St. Pierre, and does not rejoin it until Pont de l'Arche is reached. Near the village Heudebouville the road to Andelys and Chateau Gaillard (6 m. distant) strikes off to the rt. Here also the road to Rouen divides into 2 branches; the rt.-hand one, by Vau- dreuil, though shorter, is more hilly, and takes the same time to travel, so that by Louviers is preferable. Tall chimneys and numerous huge red-brick buildings with many windows proclaim the manufacturing town of 14 Louviers {Inns : H. de Rouen, dear; du Mouton, good), advantage- ously situated on the numerous branches of the Eure ; it is one of the 3 prin- cipal clothing towns of France, the other 2 being Elboeuf and Sedan. It contains 30 cloth manufactories, and 19 spinning-mills of woollen yarn, which employ from 7000 to 8000 per- sons in and around the town, though the number of Inhab. does not exceed Normandy. Route 10. — Paris to Rouen ( Upper Road). 47 9927. The cloth of Louvierg is re- markable for its fine quality ; yet the town is not prosperous, being out- stripped by its rival Elbouf. Its ancient features are fast being swept away. The Ch. of Notre Dame, shrouded be- hind the number of its flying buttresses, presents a mass of incongruities and sad mutilations, yet is well worth ex- amination. Its S. portal, projecting forwards on fringed arches, with a pendant hanging from the centre, is decked out with an exuberance of florid ornament. It was built in 1496 The W. end has 3 portals, the centre sup- ported by a Corinthian pillar. In the inside the nave and choir date from 1218, and exhibit the transition from the round to the pointed style ; low and thick columnar piers support pointed arches, on which rests a glazed tri- forium of round-headed trefoil arches, with lancet windows under trefoil arches in the clerestory ; the aisles are more modern. The bas-reliefs, carved in wood, of sacred subjects from the life of our Saviour, and the painted glass, merit notice, as well as the open gallery of filagree stone-work under the central tower, S. side. The Gothic house with pointed win- dows, called Maison des Templiers, is probably as old as the 13th or beginning of the 14th cent. Coaches — to St. Pierre de Vauvray station of the Rouen and Paris Rly. A road branches off hence to Elbceuf (Rte. 11); coaches thither daily. At Vaudreuil, 3 or 4 m. to the rt. of the road to Rouen, is a modern chateau, surrounded by the waters of the Eure, and a fine church (12th cent.), with a beautiful W. window. A considerable tract of forest is passed between Louviers and Pont de l'Arche (Rte. 8). To avoid a long bend of the river the road is carried over a high hill, whose top commands a charming view, but on the opposite descent regains the margin of the river before 17 Port St. Ouen, and thence runs beside it, skirting the foot of the chalk hills through a series of villages and hamlets to the extensive suburb of Eauplet, which extends up to the gate of Rouen. The entrance into the town on this side is by the Cours Dauphin, a raised causeway planted with an avenue of trees, having the Seine on the 1. and the Champ de Mars on the rt. hand. 1 1 Rouen (see Rte. 8). ROUTE 10. PARIS TO ROUEN (THE UPPER ROAD), BY GISORS OR BY HAGNY. By Magny, 119 kilom. = 73 Eng. m. i.e. 6f m. shorter than the lower rd. (Rte. 9), but much less interesting. By Gisors, 126 kilom. = 77± Eng. m. 9 Courbevoie, 14 Herblay, 9 Pontoise, V in Rte. 5. 18 Chars, 18 Gisors, From Paris to Pontoise by St. Denis (Rte. 2) is 3 kilom. = 1 j Eng. m. longer, but there is a Rly. to Pontoise. At Herblay the road by St. Denis joins that by Courbevoie. It is a tire- some road from Pontoise to 14 Bord'haut, a hamlet dependent on the village of de Vigny, whose fine old Castle, flanked by round towers, topped with extinguisher roofs, and surrounded by a moat, stands on the 1. of the road. It was built by the Cardinal d'Amboise, minister of Louis XII., and is a picturesque and interest- ing specimen of domestic architecture in the beginning of the 16th cent. 13 Magny. — Inn: Grand Cerf. In the pretty Church, in the latest Gothic, passing into the Italian style, is a monument, consisting of 3 marble statues kneeling, to the memory of the family of Villerond (date 1617); another in bas-relief recording the virtues of M. Dubuisson, pastor of the parish, and a richly ornamented canopy, carved, and bearing statues, which covers the baptismal font. We now enter the district anciently called le Vexin. The little river Epte divided the French from the Norman Vexin, and formed the boundary of Normandy. It is crossed at St. Clair- sur-Epte, whose ruined Castle, a mix- ture of late Norman and early pointed, is reputed the scene of the interview 48 Route 10. — Paris to Rouen (Upper Road). Sect. I. between Charles the Simple and the pirate Rollo ; when the barbarian con- queror, called upon to do homage for the fertile province of Normandy, which he had in fact wrung from the weakness of the Frankish king, instead of kneeling to kiss the king's foot, seized the royal leg, and without bend- ing carried it to his mouth, so as to upset the monarch from his seat, amidst the laughter of the rude warriors of the north. The Epte is crossed on quitting St. Clair. 17 Thilliers-en-Vexin, in the midst of a monotonous plain of rich corn-land. Near the middle of this stage the road passes, at some distance on the rt., a vil- lage called Hacqueville, insignificant in itself, butdeservingmentionas the birth- place of the late Mark Isambart Brunei, the engineer of the Thames Tunnel, whom England is proud to own as her son by adoption, although France claims him by birth. He was educated in the college of Gisors, and when the vacations called him home his favourite resort was the shop of the village carpenter, whose tools and instruments had greater at- tractions for the youthful engineer than Latin and Greek, and his allotted holi- day task (devoirs). The writer of this has frequently heard him describe the wonder and delight with which he for the first time beheld (1784), on the quay of Rouen, the component parts of a huge steam-engine, just landed from England : " When I am a man," he said to himself, " I will repair to the country where such machinery is made." 15 Ecouis contains a fine Gothic Church, on the unusual plan of a Greek cross, founded by Enguerrand de Marigny, the unfortunate minister and high treasurer of Philippe le Bel, unjustly condemned to death without trial at the instigation of the succeed- ing king's uncle, Charles of Valois, and hung on the robbers' gibbet of Montfaucon. His monument, set up in this church at a time when his in- nocence and worth were acknowledged, was destroyed at the Revolution. That of his brother, Archbishop of Rouen, is still surmounted by his effigy in white marble. He went as ambassador to Edward III. in 1342, "and appeared at court in the guise of a warrior, not of a minister of peace." There are several other tombstones in the choir. A rapid ascent and descent carries the road across the industrious and pic- turesque vale of the Andelle, in the midst of which is 9 Fleury-sur-Andelle. About 10 m. N.E. of this, and 2 from Lions la Foret, are the ruins of the Abbey of Mortemer, begun 1154 by Henry II. of England. The church is pulled down; but some of the conventual buildings in the style of transition from round to pointed — including a fine chapter-house (date 1174)— remain. It was at Bourg-boudouin that Roland, the ex-minister and Girondist, com- mitted suicide, 1793. As soon as he heard of his wife's death by the guillo- tine, he resolved not to survive her ; but unwilling to endanger the generous friends who had sheltered him in their house at Rouen, he took leave of them, and, carrying a sword-stick in his hand, set out on the road to Paris. When he had got thus far, he sat down under a tree and stabbed himself, leaving about his person a note, written by his own hand, to this effect ; " Whoever you may be who find me lying here, treat my remains with respect. They are those of one who devoted his whole life to be useful, and who died as he lived, virtuous and unsullied. May my fel- low-citizens embrace more humane sen- timents ! When I heard of the death of my wife, I loathed a world stained with so many crimes." He perished an instance of the miserable fate which unerringly awaits those who, either from good or evil motives, are the first to plunge a country into revolution. 12 La Forge Feret. From the brow of the steep hill lead- ing down through deep cuttings into Rouen, a fine view is obtained of that city and the Seine. The upper and lower roads from Paris unite in the suburb Eauplet. 11 Rouen (Rte. 8). Nokmandt. Route II. — The Seine, A. — La Roche Guyon. 49 ROUTE 11. THE SEINE, A. — ST. GERMAIN TO ROUEN. The figures mark distances from place to place in French lieues = 2£ Eng. m. From St. Germain to Rouen is 56 leagues, about 140 Eng. m. Steamers daily except Friday. From Paris (Port St. Nicholas), at 7 a.m., in 12 hrs. ; from Rouen, at 4 a.m., in 16 hrs. They are less used since the com- pletion of the Railway (Rte. 8). The scenery of the Seine (Sequanay — from the Celtic seach, devious, and an, water) is "very pleasing, almost meriting the epithet "beautiful;" its banks are abundantly studded with towns, villages, and chateaux, and are alternately wooded, or rise in round bare hills, sometimes presenting escarp- ments to the river, which, from the white colour of the chalk, are not alto- gether picturesque. There are not many old castles — Chateau Gaillard, however, is an imposing and interesting ruin, and perhaps, taken as a whole, the finest feature in the voyage. The number of islands in the river between Paris and Rouen is said to be 300. The circuitous windings of the river prolong the distance from Pecq to Rouen to 141 m., while by land it is only 71m. Between St. Germain (or Pecq) and Poissy the river makes a bend of 21 m., enclosing as it were in a loop the forest of St. Germain (p. 46); by land the distance is 4£ m. 1. The river skirts the forest of St. Germain, passing Mesnil at the extre- mity of the terrace of St. Germain and the village. The Seine has been bridged to allow the rly. to pass at 1. Maisons (1). Rte. 8. rt. Conflans (2£), a village having a suspension-bridge over the Seine, by which the road from Pontoise to Ver- sailles crosses the river, is situated a little below the confluence of the Oise with the Seine, whence comes its name. rt. Andresis is situated below the mouth of the Oise ; it has a fine Gothic church. 1. Poissy (1 J) ; see Rte. 8. Poissy is not more than 5 m. by land from St. Germain, whereas by the windings of the river the voyage takes l£ or 2 hrs. France, The most interesting objects on the river as far as Rosny and Rolleboise are described Rte. 8." rt. Triel (2j). L Verneuil. rt. Meulan (2). The island lie Belle, opposite Meulan, is reputed the prettiest in the whole course of the river ; but it is feared its shrubberies, and thickets, and planta- tions have been cut down. 1. Mantes (4|), and rt. Limay, united by a bridge. 1. The Chateau of Rosny (£), a red brick building, with terraces on which Sully may have walked, clipped ave- nues, &c. 1. Rolleboise (J) ; between this place and Bonnieres the curve made by the Seine measures 12 m., the direct dis- tance is 3 m. rt. La Roche Guyon (3£), one of the largest chateaux on the Seine, and one of the most striking objects, is a structure of different ages, part modern, part Gothic, situated at the base of a rock of chalk, which has been escarped artificially to make room for it. The kitchen, vaults, cellars, &c, are exca- vated in the rock, with merely fronts of brick. The oldest part is the tower on the eminence above, commanding the country far and near, and communi- cating with the chateau by steps cut in the hill side. On the summit of the hill is a large reservoir for water, ex- cavated out of the rock. The chateau, long the property of the La Roche- foucauld's, now belongs to the family of Rohan. Francois de Bourbon, Comte d'Enghien, who piined the battle of Consoles, was killed here by a box thrown out of the castle window upon his head. The chamber and bed occu- pied by Henri IV. on his frequent visits to the castle are kept in their original condition. The attraction which drew him hither was the charms of the lady of the castle, the Marquise de Guerche- ville, whose high-minded reply to his assiduities deserves recording : " Je ne suis pas d'assez bonne maison pour etre votre femme, mais je suis de trop bonne maison pour etre votre maitresse." The bourg adjoining the castle has a hand- some Gothic church. " The houses of 50 Route 11. — The Seine y A. — Chateau Gaillard. Sect, L the poor people here, as on the Loire in Touraine, are burrowed into the chalk, and have a singular appearance ; here are 2streets of them, one aboveanother." — A. Young. A Suspension Bridge, of 656 ft. opening between the piers, has been thrown across the Seine here. 1. Bonnieres (1 J). rt. Limetz, a village at a little dis- tance from the river, nearly marks the situation of the embouchure of the Epte, a small stream, which once formed the boundary or limit of Normandy. Charles the Simple, in 911, was fain to offer to the Norman Rollo all the territory ex- tending from this streamlet to the sea, and with it his fair daughter Gisela, to arrest the exterminating inroads of the warriors of the North. The offer was accepted; and Neustria, receiving the name of its conquerors, became Nor- mandy* 1. Vernon (2£), Kte. 8. rt. The hills which border the river, with nearly precipitous cliffs, have a singularly wavy outline, their curved tops being saddled, as it were, with green turf, while between them dry valleys or coombes open out. They rise in the form of an amphitheatre, encircling an extensive plain. Nearly at the centre of the curve whieh the Seine here describes, on the summit of a commanding chalk cliff, rises rt. Chateau Gaillard (6), the most picturesque ruin and interesting object, both from its situation and associations, in the lower course of the Seine. Im- mediately below its frowning antique towers and crumbling orags, a light and convenient wire suspension bridge has been thrown over the river. The castle was begun and finished in one year by King Riohard Coeur de Lion, in defiance of his rival Philippe Augustus, and in the face of the treaty of Louviers, by whioh he had bound himself not to fortify Andelys, the little town on the strand at the river side. He thus broke it in substance, while he kept to the letter. Exulting in his stronghold, as he first looked down from its commanding battlements on the defenceless town and exposed river below him, he named it, in the pride of his heart, his " Saucy Castle." Even now that it is reduced to a mouldering ruin, one cannot gaze up to its tower- ing battlements, or down from them upon the sunny landscape below — the glassy Seine flowing close at the foot of the castle rocks, then girdling the peninsula in front, and reflecting vine and corn clad slopes, trees, spires, and cottages in its surface — without shar- ing in this feeling of exultation of the fierce soldier king, in the possession of a stronghold which enabled him to intercept the navigation of the Seine between Pan and the capital of Nor- mandy, to defy his enemies, and overawe the country around with the terror of his armed bands and unerring archers. The eminence on which it stands projects forward, isolated from the neighbouring hills on all sides but one, where it is connected by a narrow tongue. This was cut through by a deep fosse skirting the outer line of wall. On all the other sides steep escarpments rendered the height in- accessible; towards the river, indeed, it presents a vertical precipice. Yet even along the edge of the cliff tall flanking towers were raised, some of which have long since toppled over, while others are tottering to their fall. But these were only the outworks ; within them rose a citadel of singular form and strength, — a huge irregular circle or drum tower, having a wavy surface alternately projecting and reced- ing, like a frustum of a fluted column. The circle is broken by the insertion of a round tower shaped externally like a dice-box on the side overhanging the Seine. This was the Donjon, and con- tained the royal apartments ; its walls are 14 or 15 ft. thick. A second deep fosse surrounds this citadel, cut in the chalk rock, here interspersed with flints which were used in the building, and thus it served at once as quarry and defence. Extensive caverns, supported by piers of the rock left standing, branch off from one side of this fosse ; they probably were used as stables. The original gateway into the citadel is no longer accessible, but entrance may be gained by clambering through a small sallyport in the corner. It is to be feared that only a small part of Norm andt. JSoule 1 1 . — The Seine, A . — Andelys* 51 the existing nuns belonged to the eastle of King ,Richard. At his death Philippe Augustus, waging war as the champion of Prince Arthur with John, laid siege to this castle. It was bravely defended by Roger de Lacy for 6 months, when he was finally starved into surrender. He had previously expelled from its walls the useless mouths, the old men, women, and children, to the number of 400 or 500 ; but the French king, wish- ing to distress the garrison, drove them back and refused them passage, so that the poor wretches, denied admittance into the castle, perished of famine in the ditches between the two armies. Chateau Gaillard continued to be the chief bulwark of Normandy down to 1606, when Henri IV. demolished it along with other castles as dangerous to the Royal authority. In 1314 two frail queens were immured within its -walls, and one of them, Marguerite, wife of Louis X., was strangled here hy order of her husband. David Bruce found an asylum here 1334, when an exile from Scotland, the castle having been ceded to him by Philippe of Valois. With a small garrison of 120 men it resisted for 16 months the forces of Henry V., and yielded at length because cut off from a supply of water by the wearing out of the ropes by which the buckets were let down into the well ! Against the face of the cliff above the Seine rises a curious pigeon-house tower, lined with cells for the pigeons, a common appendage to ancient for- tresses, being a sort of natural larder. A chapel of recent date has been ex- cavated in the rock near it. The suspension bridge over the Seine beneath the castle opens a communica- tion with Louviers (12 m.), rt. Below the castle rock crouches the town of Petit Andelys (no Inn) ; the large and conspicuous red building, surmounted by a dome at the lower end of it, is an Hospital founded by the Due de Pen- thievre. Grand Andelys {Inn, Cerf, dear ; the house is a curious and picturesque spe- cimen of domestic Gothic architecture within and without; it was the resi- dence of the Archbishop of Rouen, Pierre Harley, temp. Henri IV.). This town of 5000 Inhab. lies about 1 m. inland away from the Seine. The Gothicch., somewhat in decay, curiously Italianized on its N. side, contains some painted glass, and a rude representation of the neighbouring Chateau Gaillard carved in stone. It has many rich de- tails, including a fine oriel. Turnebus, the Greek commentator, was a native of Andelys. The hamlet Villers, 3£ m. from this, was the birth-place (1594) of Nicolas Poussin, the painter; but the humble cottage of his parents is pulled down. A monument was set up to his memory (1851) in the market- place of Great Andelys. In the Mairie is a picture by him — Coriolanus among the Volsci, receiving his mother and wife. La Fontaine de Ste. Clothilde alone recalls to mind the monastery founded here by the first Christian queen of France. It is swept away, but the water of the well is believed by the peasantry still to retain the virtues im- parted to it by the royal saint, and to cure their children of stomachaches. Andelys is about 4 m. distant from the railroad (Rte. 8). There is a direct post-road to Rouen by Pont St. Pierre ; it is traversed daily by a diligence. The Seine, leaving behind the white crags and towering ruins of Chateau Gaillard, makes a wide sweep along the base of a series of semicircular chalk cliffs. This curve of the river is 18 m. long, while the direct distance from (rt.) Thuit to the mouth of the Andelle is only 8 m. There is no place worth notice on the Seine between these two points. The railway emerges from a tunnel near (rt.) Venables, and skirts the river. rt. (5f ). The pretty and industrious valley of the Andelle opens out into the Seine at the foot of a green hill, " the last of a long promontory," bearing the name of C6te des Deux Amans. It is the scene of the old romantic Lai of Mary of France — of the young lover who was to marry the mistress of his heart, a king's daughter, provided he could carry her to the top of the hill without stopping to rest. He fell dead under his precious burthen, exhausted with the exertion, just as he reac1^ D 2 52 Route 11. — The Seine, A.— 'Elbceuf. Sect. I. the summit ; at which the king's daughter died of a broken heart, and was buried in the same grave with him. The hardhearted father, who had caused this catastrophe by imposing such cruel conditions, struck with remorse, founded on the spot where it occurred a convent whose existence is traced to an early period, but the building now standing on the top of the hill is not older than 1685. At Romilly, 8 m. up the valley of the Andelle, are the most extensive copper- works in France, consisting of a foundry with rolling-mills. The banks of the Andelle are studded with fulling-mills. A bridge has been thrown across for the rly. a little above the influx of 1. The Eure, from which the Dept. is named, a considerable and useful river, on which stands Louviers, famed for its cloth manufacture (Rte. 9). The Eure falls into the Seine 2& m. above 1. 3J Pont de l'Arche (Rte. 8). This town is only 12 m. from Rouen ; whilst, in consequence of several serpentine bends, the distance by water is 33. The Seine abounds in islands in this part of its course, which increase the intricacies of the navigation. 1. A little below the bridge stand the remains of the Abbey of Bon Portf consisting of the refectory, and another monastic edifice, the ch. being quite destroyed. It was founded 1119 by Richard CoBur de Lion, in gratitude for his escape from drowning in the waters of the Seine, into which he had plunged in the heat of the chace while pursuing a stag. On reaching the bank , after a severe struggle with the current, he ealled the spot "bon port," and vowed to build a ch. The approach to the town of Elbceuf is marked by the number of tall chimneys, and the many floating arks moored in the midst of the river, used for washing wool. 1. Elbceuf, 3. Elbceuf is exclusively a manufactur- ing town, and, if Rouen has any claim to be compared to Manchester, it may be called a French Leeds, as one of the principal seats of the manufacture of cloth; more than half of its 15,000 In- hab. and about 20,000 persons in the adjoining communes being weavers, or occupied in other departments of this branch of industry. Its situation on the 1. bank of the Seine is advantageous to its prosperity. The wise enactments of the sage Colbert (1669) promoted greatly its already thriving commerce ; but the revocation of the Edict of Nantes annulled their good effect, dis- persing its industrious artisans, who settled in Leyden, Norwich, and Lei- cester. The manufactures of Elbceuf did not recover from this check until the events of 1815, relieving France from the competition of Belgium, gave them so decided an impulse that their produce is now threefold greater than it was then. The value of the cloth made here in one year is estimated at more than a million sterling. The two Gothic churches of St. Etienne and St. Jean contain curious painted glass; in the latter is a window pre- sented by the clothworkers* guild some- where about 1466, in which various implements of the craft, such as shears and teasels, are introduced. The working classes are generally industrious and economical, and are consequently far better off than those of Rouen. Steamers 3 times a-day to Rouen. 1. The Rocks of Orival, a range of chalk cliffs beginning at Elbceuf, con- sisting of detached pinnacles and pro- jecting shelves, formed by the hard flint layers enclosed in the rock, pre- sent a singular outline of fantastic forms. On a platform half way up their face a small chapel has found a niche; it is partly excavated in the rock, so are likewise many small dwellings around it. One of these needles of chalk, called Roche de Pignon. rises 200 ft. above the river. The Rouen Rly. crosses the river and an island in the midst of it at an oblique angle near Oissel. rt. From Oissel (2j), marked by its spire, to Rouen the river is thickly set with islands bearing long rows of tall poplars. Beyond (rt.) Authieux the rt. bank rises in tall chalk cliffs, at the base of which, between them and the Seine, runs the road to Paris (Rte. 9), passing a series of villages and manufactories. Normandy. Route 12. — The Seine, B. — Moulineaux. 53 1. 'St. Etienne de Rouvray, l£. Wm, the Conqueror was hunting in the forest of Rouvray, which still exists behind this village, when the news was brought him of the death of Edward the Confessor, and of the usurpation of his throne by Harold, his brother-in-law. rt. The high hill of St. Catherine (p. 43) and the spire of the Cathedral are conspicuous long before reaching 2 rt. Rouen (Rte. 8). ROUTE 12, &HE SEINE, B. — ROUEN TO HAVRE AND HONFLEUR. 34 leagues =8 5^ Eng. m. The dis- tance to Havre by land is 53 m. Steamers no longer run. The opening of the Rty* to Havre (Rte. 14) has for a time put a stop to the steamers. The scenery is so pleasing, that, not- withstanding the windings of the river, the voyage in fine weather is very agreeable. ■ The placet where the steamers stop for passengers are marked by Italics. The hour of starting varies so as to enable the vessels to meet the flood tide off Quillebceuf, and by the aid of it to pass the shifting sands there. The boats start from the Quai du Havre close to the Hdtel de Rouen. Fare 10 fr., carriages 30 fr. For some distance below Rouen the river is intersected by numerous islands, long narrow strips of earth planted with willows and poplars: a scene of rich verdure, but somewhatmonotonous. The hills near Rouen are dotted with white country houses of its citizens and manufacturers. rt. The vale of Bapaume, beset with cotton factories, opens out. 1. Petit Quevilly (3 m. from Rouen). Here is an ancient little chapel of St. Julien in the Romanesque style, ter- minating in an apse having the windows and doors roundheaded, built soon after 1162 by our Henry II., who had a hunting-seat in the adjoining forest. Though now degraded into a barn, it is an edifice possessing an interest for the antiquary. rt. Canteleu, a chateau of the time of Louis XIV. ; its terraces and gar- dens were laid out by Le Ndtre, but have been modernised. rt. Dieppedale, a long row of houses bordering the river. 1. Grand Quevilly once contained a Protestant ch. (temple) capable of hold- ing 10,500 persons; but in 1685, through the machinations of the Jesuits, it was closed, and a few months after razed to the ground. This act of intolerance was committed shortly before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes entailed persecution and exile on the large and industrious Reformed community which then occupied this district. 1. Moulineaux (4), a prettily situated but poor village^ on the high road to Honfleur (Rte. 23), has a ruinous but interesting ch. in the earliest pointed style; date the beginning of the 13th cent. On the hill above it are some heaps of stone, the very scanty traces of the walls of a castle destroyed by King John, which, ac~ cording to the tradition, once belonged to Robert the Devil, a fabulous per- sonage, a sort of Norman Blue Beard, who murdered his friends and mis- tresses, and in the end sold himself to the evil one. Some suppose him to have been Duke Robert, the father of William the Conqueror. 1. Near La Bouille and Caumont are extensive quarries of building-stone. Bare yellow cliffs line the river for some distance. rt. St. George de Boscherville. This famous abbey stands at some distance from the Seme, near the Havre road (Rte. 13), and is only just visible from the river. The Seine makes a bend 18 m. long between Rouen and this point; in a direct line they are not more than 10 m. apart. rt. Duclair (5J), a pretty village traversed by the road to Havre (Rte. 13), squeezed in between the river and the rocks, one of which, an elevated 54 Route 12. — The Seine, B. — Quillehceuf. Sect* T. crag, goes by the name of la Chaire de Gargantua. The it. bank again sweeps round to the S., its elevated slopes covered with hanging woods. rt. It is recorded that at the little hamlet of Mesnil, Agnes Sorely mis- tress of Charles VII., breathed her last, in the arms of the king. An old building is still pointed out as her abode ; it retains its chimneys of the 15th cent. It was called Mesnil la Belle ; it is now a labourer's cottage. The 1. bank below Mesnil has risen into round hills of considerable height, part bare, part wooded; houses few, and scenery solitary. To this succeeds on the rt. a plain, verdant and bosky, formed into a peninsula by the winding river, out of the midst of which rise the now spireless twin towers of Ju- mieges Abbey (p. 56). I 1. The Chateau de Mailleraye (7}), situated at the water's edge, below die village of Guerbaville, where there is a large shipbuilder's yard, belongs to the Due de Mortemart. It is an edifice of the 1 7th cent., in a park surrounded by green walls of straight clipped trees, and is a conspicuous object from the river, but not other- wise worth notice. Below Mailleraye the river expands considerably, and its ehannel begins to be beset with the sand-banks which render its navigation so difficult, leaving only a narrow passage in the middle free. rt. Caudebec (2j), the most consi- derable and prettily situated town on the banks or the Lower Seine; its long terrace of houses, screened by an avenue of green trees, and surmounted by its elegant church spire, was a favourite subject of the landscape pain- ter Vernet. It is described at p. 58. it. An humble structure at the foot of the steep wooded heights below Caudebec is the chapel of Notre Dame de Barre-y-va, much resorted to by sailors, who have covered its walls with ex-votos, paintings, models of ships, &c. The name probably comes from the circumstance of the much-dreaded Barre, or Bore, at the mouth of the Seine, ascending at times thus for. rt. Villiquier, prettily placed, and forming an agreeable intermixture of trees and houses surmounted by a Gothic spire, is a fishing village and station of the pilots whose duty it is to carry vessels between this point and Mailleraye. 1. Vatteville la Rue. The Seine, which has ran nearly due S. from Caudebec, resumes its proper direction from E. to W. below Vieux Port, and preserves the same as far as its mouth. Its banks, retir- ing to a considerable distance from each other, allow it to expand into a wide but shallow estuary, frequently en- livened by large shipping, tug steamers (remorqueurs), &c. 1. Quillebcevf (no good Inn), an im- etrtant town and small seaport which enri IV. wanted to convert into a fortress, but which his widow Marie de Medicis dismantled, is built on a pro- jecting promontory, at the extremity of which stands its massive church- tower and lighthouse. The Ch. is Norman (11th cent) and has some points of interest. This is the station of the pilots to the number of 110, with 28 apprentices (aspirants), whose duty it is to carry vessels through the in- tricate navigation of the mouth of the Seine, from Havre and Honfieur up to Villiquier. This is the most difficult and dan- gerous portion of the whole river for vessels, on account of the sunk rocks and shifting sands, only to be passed during high tide. Shipwrecks oc- curred here almost every year before the introduction of steam towage, which, by enabling vessels to pass up, even when the wind is unfavourable, has diminished the delay and risk. So variable are the sand-banks off Quilleboeuf that they have been known to change their position more than a league in the course of twelve months : this indeed occurred in 1840. The cause of this must be looked for in the sudden contraction of the river at this point to about f m., while a little below it is 3 m. wide. The consequence is that the vast mass of water poured into the Seine by the rising tide forms capricious and powerful currents, and very com- monly enters the river in the form of a Nobmawdy. Route 12. — The Seine, B. — Tancarville Castle. 55 lofty wave or wall of water, 8 to 6 ft. high, here called the Barre, and similar to the Sorest the month of the Severn. It stretches across from one bank. to the other, marked by a line of white foam, sweeping all before it with a roar like thunder, heard forty minutes before it arrives. It seems to acquire the greatest force abreast of Quilleboeuf, where it dashes over the quays, hurling vessels against them, and sometimes injuring the buildings, but it is per- ceived as high as Caudebec. The still water produced at the point where the rising tide encounters the descending current allows the sand and mud, carried along by the river when in rapid motion, to fall to the bottom, and accumulate into shift- ing deposits of sand. Among these sand-banks the " Telemaque," a vessel said to have been laden with property belonging to emigres, and with jewels of the Bourbon princes, was lost at the time of the Revolution. A recent attempt to raise the hull failed. rt. Through the vista of the valley of the Bolbec, which opens out opposite Quilleboeuf, a glimpse is obtained of the castle towers of Zillebonne, cele- brated for its remains of a Roman theatre (p. 58). rt. The opening of another small valley is marked on one side by a conspicuous conical white rock called Pierre Gante (? Geante), overhanging the Seine at a height of 200 ft., and on the other by the Castle of Tancar- ville, the venerable stronghold of the chamberlains of the Dukes of Nor- mandy, planted on a pedestal of high cliff forming part or the headland called Nez de Tancarville. To the water-side it presents an open terrace, on which stands a modern mansion, with sash windows, and a tall watch- tower, round on one side, and an- gular like a bastion on the other. Behind stretch two long lines of varied and stately towers connected by curtains forming a large triangu- lar enclosure, once the castle courts, now grass-grown and encumbered with ruins. The country behind it is one dense forest, over which these ancient battlements peer majestically. The best-preserved portions are the gate* house with caged windows, and grooves for double portcullis, and the contiguous tower dating from the latter half of the 15th cent. Here, within walls 9 ft. thick, may be seen the "cachots" — and the "chambre-de question" which is frequently mentioned in the old archives. In the corner tower (l'Aigle), on the brow of the cliff overhang- ing the Seine, one or two old wall- pieces, so constructed as to be loaded from the breech, are preserved. In this part only of the old castle do roofs and floors remain. All the rest is mere shattered walls, gutted towers, enclosures dark and overgrown with nettles and hemlock, which now luxu- riate on the hearths of the Tancarville, Montmorencys, Harcourts, and La Tours d'Auvergne, its ancient owners. The chapel and the Salle des Cheva- liers, with 3 fireplaces, are pointed out to strangers. The loftiness of some of the towers, and their singular form, deserve notice: the Tour de Lion is the segment of a circle; the Tour Coquisart, 60 ft. high, of 5 stories piled one over the other, and still sur- mounted by the stone-groined ribs of its roof, while all the rest is fallen, is in the shape of a triangle with curved sides. It communicates behind with the Donjon, which was detached from the body of the place and entered only by a drawbridge. It contains a well 300 ft. deep. The date of its con- struction is the early part of the 15th cent., and scarcely any portion of the castle seems older. The English under Henry V. burned down the preceding one 1487. The modern mansion is tumbling to pieces as fast as possible. From the noble owners whose names are mentioned above, Tancarville fell into the hands of Law of Lauriston, the South Sea schemer. It was plundered and de- molished at the Revolution as the property of aristocrats and emigre's (the Montmorencys); but after having been for 20 years attached to a hos- pital at Havre, it has once more re- verted to that family. The poor small hamlet of fishers' huts beneath the I castle affords no tolerable accommo- 56 Route 13. — Rotten to Havre — Jumieges. Sect. I. dation for travellers. The distance from LiUebonne is 6 m., and from St. Komain on the road to Havre (Rte. 14) about 12 m. Below this the banks of the Seine are too distant and destitute of objects of interest to need further notice, excepting the towns and ports of rt. Rarfleur, in Rte. 14. 1. Honfleur, described in Rte. 23. Passengers can be put ashore here, where they can take the diligence to Caen. It is about 7 m. across to rt. Havre, in Rte. 14. KOUTE 13. ROUEN TO HAVRE— LOWER ROAD, BY ST. GEORGE BOSCHERVHXE, JUMIEGES, CAUDEBEC, AND LILLEBONNE. 86 kilom=53£ Eng. m. Although the Railroad from Rouen to Havre (Rte. 14) is the quickest way, yet the following rte. is one of the most agreeable in Normandy, both for the pleasing view of the Seine which it commands, and for the suc- cession of ancient ecclesiastical re- mains in the vicinity of which it passes. It is, however, hilly. A little way beyond the industrious cotton-spinning village of Bapaume, it surmounts the long and steep hill of Canteleu, from whose top Rouen is seen to very great advantage, and the Seine winding away S. to double the ridge of which the hill of Canieleu forms a part. On the 1. is the Chateau of Canteleu, belonging to M. Elie Lefebure, which commands the view in perfection, and about 2 m. beyond it a road turning off to the 1. leads to the Abbey of St. George de Boschermlle, whose Church is one of the most ancient and unaltered monuments in Normandy. It was founded by Raoul de Tancarville, chamberlain of the Conqueror, previous to the Con- quest, and consecrated in the founder's presence. From the precision with which its age is fixed, it has been termed " a landmark of Norman archi- tecture ;" as usual, it was destroyed at the Revolution, but the church was preserved for the use of the parish. It has the usual characteristics — vast pro- portions, simplicity, and austere grand- eur. Its W. end has a round door ornamented with 5 mouldings, and 2 side towers, in whose upper story the pointed arch of a very early date ap- pears. This may have been the part of the church last finished. The vault- ing of the nave and transepts is also pointed, all the rest is Norman; the arches are carried round the ends of the transepts, forming 2 lofts or tri- bunes supported on a column, and there is an apse at the E. end of each, as in Winchester Cathedral, the older part of which is very like this church. The Chapter-house adjoining is of later date, 1157, and of mixed architecture, both round and pointed arches occurring in it. The capitals of its columns, sculptured with subjects in relief, such as the Passage of the Jordan and the Sacrifice of Isaac, merit notice. Returning to the high road, you de* scend to the borders of the Seine, on which is situated the village and post- station. 20 Duclair (6 m. from St. George's), a row of houses between the river and the cliffs, one of which, from a sup- posed resemblance to a pulpit, is called Chaire de Gargantua. The Seine once more takes a widely curving sweep, while the high road cuts across the neck of the peninsula. In the midst of this the twin towers of the Abbey of Jumieges are conspicuous. A cross road turns off to it near Yain-» ville, whence it is about 2 m. distant. It was the most important monastic institution on the banks of the Lower Seine for its extent, the number of its inmates, and its share in promoting learning during the dark ages, and it now towers venerable and majestic above the humble timber-framed and chalk-walled cottages of the village. It has been compared with some of the Romanesque churches of the Rhine in its plain but stately W. facade, sur- mounted by octagonal towers which have only recently lost their spires, but between them the porch projects in an unusual manner. This and the entire nave as far as the cross, sur* Normandy. Route 13. — Su Wandrille* 57 mounted by a more massive central tower, one side of which only remains standing, is of unchanged early Nor- man (date 1067). The round arches are supported alternately on square piers and circular columns ; their capi- tals, destitute of any sculpture, were ornamented with painted foliage, some traces of which still remain. The in- terior is in a state of ruin, entirely roofless, save a small fragment of vaulting in the aisles, and open to the rains of heaven ; greensward supplies the place of pavement ; the £. end, which was in the pointed style of the 13th cent, has been razed to its found- ations. For the origin of this dilapi- dation the Revolution has to answer, but its consummation is of very recent date, this ancient and interesting fabric having been absolutely quarried and carted away to build barns with .its masonry. The stone employed is a hard chalk enclosing flints, which are frequently exposed in the courses of the piers. The present owner fortu^ nately has respect for the ruins, and watches over their preservation, having fitted up the old gatehouse for his resi- dence. A number of curiously and rudely sculptured fragments, keystones, bas-reliefs, &c., have been discovered by him, and merit notice. Beneath a plain black marble slab, fractured into several pieces, and lying in a corner, was once deposited the heart of " Agnes Senrelle (Sorel), Dame de Breaute*." She died near this, at Mesnil, and Charles VII., her royal lover, had apartments fitted up in the abbey in order to be near her. She was a bene- factress to Jumieges, and the monks retained her heart, though her body was interred at Loches in Touraine. Breaute was the name of one of her domains ; some have read the inscrip- tion erroneously " Dame de BeauU" Here also another mutilated monument has been brought to light. It consists of mutilated effigies of youths in royal garbs, with circlets on their heads, known by the name of " lea Enervea " (i. e, the hamstrung), from a tradition that they represent the two sons of Clovis II., who, having rebelled and waged, war against their father, suf- fered the cruel punishment of having the sinews of their arms and legs cut. They were then bound and set adrift in an open boat on the Seine, whose current wafted them down as far as Jumieges, where they were kindly received by the monks, and ended their days. On the S. side of the ch. are remains of the chapel of St, Pierre, a pointed work of the 14th cent, ; and of a large vaulted apartment called " Salle des Gardes de Charles VII.," parallel with which runs a very extensive range of subterranean vaults, probably cellars, and the gatehouse. The high road beyond Yainville and Le Trait is carried on a lofty terrace- along the shoulders of the hills, com- manding a most pleasing view of the windings of the Seine both upwards and down. Nearly in front the inter- vening slopes are covered with orchards and gardens, and on the opposite bank stands the Chateau of Mailleraye, a conspicuous and large edifice (Kte, 12). At the little village Caudebec- quet, about 3 m. before reaching Cau* debec, a road turning to the rt. leads in 1£ m. to another monastic ruin, of inferior interest to the other two, but of great antiquity, St. Wandrille, founded by the saint of that name in the 7th cent., and at first called Fon- tanelle. Here may be seen some ele* gant pointed arches, sole relics of a church sold and pulled down at the Revolution for building- materials. The conventual buildings, a palace in ex- tent, are in the modern Italian archi- tecture of the 16th or 17th cent,, and have been converted partly into a ma- nufactory of Jacquerie, partly into a bark warehouse and mill. The Cloisters behind them contain several arches, rich morceaux of flamboyant Gothic, and a Lavatory, with a few relics of sculpture, becoming fewer every day- through wanton mutilation. Part of the Refectory is Norman, and lined with a circular arcade. The good judgment of the monks is very conspicuous in the choice of the site for this convent, a nook shut out from the world in a side valley of the Seine, fertile, well watered, and D 9 58 Route 13. — Rouen to Havre — Caudebec — Lillebonne. Sect. L wooded. St. Wandrille now stands a monument of the fall of ecclesiastic pomp and wealth. The hill side to the N. was terraced to form gardens and shady walks, now grown wild. On the top of the height above them is a little chapel of St. Saturnin, an early Norman structure Tilth cent.), with 3 apses and windows like loopholes and walls of herring-bone masonry, many centuries older than any part of the convent below. St. Wandrille is about 4 m. from 16 Caudebec. — Inn: Poste, extor- tionate. This is one of the prettiest little antiquated towns on the Seine, with its quay and terrace along the waterside, shaded by trimmed elms, forming a screen before the row of houses which face the river. The old wooden buildings in the heart of it have been scarcely at all modernized, and are highly picturesque. In its outskirts the hills are dotted with neat villas and country seats. Its only remarkable edifice is its Churchy a beautiful Gothic building in the florid style of the 15th cent., in the form of a parallelogram without transepts. It is surmounted by a tower having a short steeple of open 6tonework, the flamboyant tracery in it taking the form of fleurs-de-lis. Its flying but- tresses and variously patterned para- pets are very elegant. It was begun 1426, and stands at the side of the church. In the W. end, the gorgeous triple portal, with side porches bent back, all exuberantly ornamented with carved foliage, statues, and niches, and the rose window above, merit notice. Also the N. porch. Within, there is much fine painted glass of the 16th cent., and a wooden cover to the font, well carved in relief with subjects from the life of Christ. The spaces between the buttresses are occupied by small chapels ; those at the E. end expand, and the central one, the Lady Chapel, behind the high altar, is distinguished by a finely groined roof, the ribs of "which de- scend in the centre to form a pendant of stone, 14 ft. long, ending in a carved boss, or cul de lampe. In the next chapel of St. Sepulchre is a group of 8 figures, as large as life, representing the holy personages at the tomb of our Lord, under a florid Gothic ca- nopy. The master mason of the church, William Le Tellier, is buried in the Lady Chapel : he was employed on it 30 years, down to his death, 1484, and in that time completed the upper part of the nave, the choir and chapels around it, including the Lady Chapel and its pendant. The artist will find, in penetrating the dirty streets of the town, some picturesque bits among its timber- framed houses* Caudebec was anciently a strong fortress; it was taken 1419 by the English, under Talbot and Warwick ; and, during the wars of religion, Alex- ander Farnese, Duke of Parma, com- mander of a Spanish force sent in aid of .the League, lost his arm in recon- noitring the ramparts, 1 592. His army, having been hemmed in by that of Henri IV., escaped by crossing the Seine here. About \\ m. up the valley, near the road which goes to Yvetot (Rte. 14), stands the Church of St. Gertrude, re- paired 1841: it merits notice for its architecture, Gothic of the 16th cent., its stone tabernacle, and painted glass. The Havre road beyond Caudebec quits the borders of the Seine, not to rejoin it until Harfleur is passed. It mounts a steep ascent and traverses a part of the table-land of the Pays de Caux. There is nothing of interest until you descend into the valley where lies the town of 16 Lillebonne (Inn • H. du Com- merce), numbering 3500 Inhab., pret- tily situated on the stream of the Bol- bec, and interesting on account of its Roman theatre — a relic of the ancient Julia Bona of the itineraries of Anto- nine and Ptolemy, capital of the Ca- letes (inhabitants of the Pays de Caux), of which the present town occupies the Bite, and retains (with a slight change) the name. The road, on en- tering the town, passes under the old Castle on the rt., and nearly over the space which must have anciently been the stage of the Theatre. On the 1, hand is seen the semicircular portion Nobmandy. Route 13. — Rouen to Havre — Lillebonne. 59 allotted to the spectators, for the most part eut out of the hill, which, form* ing a gradual slope for the rows of seats to rest on, saved the cost of vast substructions — an advantage of which the Romans and Greeks usually availed themselves in their theatres. The re- mains consist chiefly of foundations, and have been laid open since 1812. The fragments of walls in the centre belonged probably to the orchestra, those on the slope of the side to the dressing-rooms. On the hill, among fragments of masonry, are several semicircular terraces, one above the other, with traces of the vomitories, or entrances; and round the whole runs a corridor or vaulted passage, gradually rising from the side to the centre, by which entrance was ob- tained to the highest seats. The walls and part of the vaults here remain tolerably perfect; they are supported by many spurs or buttresses. The walls are faced with ashlar masonry, or with small stones about the size of bricks neatly jointed, the centre filled in with rubble of flint strongly ce- mented with grouting, the whole banded together at irregular intervals by horizontal courses of red tiles. The stone employed is a porous but coherent calcareous tufa, or travertine, which is to this day deposited by the water of a neighbouring brook. This is the best preserved, and in- deed almost the only example of an ancient theatre in the N. of France, or of Europe. It measured across the chord of the arc 300 ft., and the di- mensions of the circular corridor were 625 ft. The ground in and about the town can scarcely be turned up with- out disclosing ancient remains of one sort or another. In 1823 a fine bronze male statue (now in the British Mu- seum) was discovered ; and the Mu- seum at Rouen has been greatly en- riched from this mine of antiquities. On the opposite side of the high road, looking down upon the theatre, is the Castle, a picturesque ruin, histo- rically interesting as the residence of Wm. the Conqueror, who here called together his barons to unfold the mo- mentous scheme of the invasion of England: The massive outer walls now serve to enclose a garden and modern house ; close beside it is a tall round tower of beautifully even ma- sonry, having walls 13 ft. thick, and some finely ribbed vaults ; isolated by a deep fosse, crossed by a drawbridge. It is a construction of the 15th cent., built probably by the Harcourts, who owned the castle down to the Revolu- tion. Not far off is a mutilated an- gular tower of the 13th or 14th cent, The great Norman hall, in which, ac- cording to the tradition, William met his barons in council, has been entirely swept away by the present proprietor, a cotton-spinner. The commanding elevation of these ruins gives them a magnificent view over the adjacent valley, with a peep, through a gap at its extremity, of the broad estuary of the Seine 3 m. below the town. The Parish Church has a fine tower and spire, similar to that of Harfleur, but inferior, and a rich portal. Owing to the abundant supply of water from the neighbouring hills, Lillebonne has become a manufactur- ing town, and cotton-mills have multi- plied considerably about it, especially up the valley towards Bolbec: calicos and indiennes are principally made here. The Castle of Tancarville (Rte. 12) is 6 m. distant from Lillebonne, by cross-roads, the latter part so narrow and steep as to be practicable only for a light carriage. A cabriolet may be hired for 12 fr. to go thither, and on to St. Romain on the Havre road (p. 56), waiting to allow the traveller to see the castle. The direct road from Lillebonne to Havre passes within 3 m. of the castle : the diligences go round by Bolbec. (Rte. 14.) Both roads meet at 18 La Botte. In descending from the Plain de Caux towards Harfleur, a fine view is obtained of that town, its noble spire, and the Seine beyond. The road hence to 17 Havre is described in Rte. 14. 60 Route 14. — Rouen to Havre — Yvetot. Sect. I. KOUTE 14. ROUEN TO HAVRE — RAILROAD. 95 ki lorn. = 59 Eng. m. 4 or 5 trains daily, in 2£ and 3 hrs. This line was opened 1847. Its en- gineer is Mr. Jos. Locke, and its con- struction is almost entirely due to English skill, enterprise, and capital. It is carried, for the most part of the way, over the high and fertile table- land of the Pays de Caux. It quits the line from Paris to Rouen (lUe. 8) at Sotteville, and, a little above the town of Rouen, crosses the Seine by a timber bridge of 8 arches, each 131 ft. span, its centre resting on an island ; rebuilt since its destruction by fire by the mob of 1848. (N.B. Beautiful view of Rouen from the bridge.) This leads direct into the first tunnel, carried under part of St. Catherine's Hill (p. 43), 1133 yds. long. It describes a radius of about half a mile ; the works were very difficult, owing; to the rash of waters from springs in the chalk. The rail- way issues from it into the valley of Darnel at, filled with dye-works and cotton-mills, and crossed together with the 2 small streams which traverse it, the Robee and Aubette, by a rly. viaduct. The line speedily re-enters the chalk hills, and in 2 succeeding tunnels (one of them 1530 yds. long) sweeps round the town of Rouen, penetrating beneath the Boulevards St. Hilaire and Beauvoisine in a series of cuttings and tunnels, works of ardu- ous execution and great engineering merit, made at great cost. It emreges at the Rouen Stat., in the Rue Verte (built by Tite, architect of the Royal Ex- change), situated in a hole cut in the chalk, shut in by escarpment, exclud- ing all view, and between 2 tunnels, and a long way from the heart of Rouen and the quays. On quitting the station you pass through the tun- nel Cauchois, under the suburb of Bouvreuil and the cemetery of St. Gervais. A fifth tunnel succeeds, which ends near the village of Deville. 6 Maromme Stat. Even after Rouen is a long way left behind, the country traversed by the road exhibits the vivifying effects of the cotton industry, in mills or fac- tories, conntry-houses, villages, &c. The chief of these is Deville, situated in a pretty valley which bears its name. 3 Malaunay Stat. Here is a Viaduct of 8 arches, and an embankment, over the Dieppe road. Near this the branch Railway to Dieppe (Rte. 6) diverges. A 6th tunnel, nearly 1 m. and 3 fur. long, pierces the heights of Piccy- Poville, and the railroad crossing the* high grounds is carried across the val- ley of 8 Barentm — Stat. The curved Viaduct of Barmtm, of 27 arches, each 60 ft. span, the central arch 108 ft. high, 765 yds. long, was constructed by Messrs. Mackenzie and Brassey. It gave way in the early part of 1846. It was reconstructed in the short space of 6 months, at great cost, with the utmost care and solidity. Barentin is a town of 2500 Inhab., in a small valley on the stream of the Austreberthe, which sets in movement many cotton-mills ; the railway leaves it on the 1. The railway has now emerged by gradual ascents out of the basin in which Rouen lies, to the table- land of the Pays de Caux, an elevation of about 400 feet. 2 Pavilly Stat. 11 Motteville Stat. 8 Yvetot Stat. (Inn, a cabaret) is an industrious little town of 9032 Inhab., with houses of timber, containing some manufactures of cotton, but destitute of objects of interest. The title of " Roi d' Yvetot" has given a wide cele- brity to its name, and has greatly puzzled antiquaries and local historians, who have failed in proving the exist- ence of any sovereign authority, or in discovering the origin of the title. There is a tradition that one Gaul- thier, Lord of Yvetot, having offended KingClothair, son of Clovis, and having been banished his presence, ventured to throw himself at the feet of the king while he was kneeling in prayer before the high altar at Soissons on Good Friday, thinking that the holi- Normandy. A 14. — Railway — Rouen to Havre-^Sarfleur. 61 ness of the place, and of the day of pardon for the sins of mankind, might obtain forgiveness for him also. Clo- thair, however, no sooner saw him than he drew his sword and slew him, bat, repenting afterwards of his crime, and desiring to make atonement to Gaulthier, created his heirs kings of Yvetot. But this story has no good foundation. Be*ranger describes the king of Yvetot : — * II etait un roi d' Yvetot, Pea conna dans l'histoire, Be levant tard, se couchant tot, 'Dormant fort bien sans gloire, Et couronne par Jeanneton D'un simple bonnet de coton." Diligence to Caudebec. Rte. 13. Here, in the very heart of the Pays de Caux, the traveller will now in vain look for the Cauchoise head-dress, once commonly worn by the women. It was a huge structure of cambric and lace, something between a cap and a helmet, and appears to have been the fashion even in England during the 15th and 16th centuries. The modern modes of Paris have driven it out of the field, even in remote Norman vil- lages, and it is now rarely seen. The Pays de Caux, through the centre of which the railroad runs, retains the name, slightly altered, of its ancient inhabitants in Caesar's time, the Ca- letes (? Celts). It is a high table-land, only here and there intersected by river- courses, exceedingly fertile, though somewhat arid. Trees are rare on the high ground, except the usual avenues of fruit-trees on the road-side, and around villages and farm-houses, whose existence and position are invariably denoted by a sort of verdant rampart of stiff elms, planted in straight lines and double rows, on or near a high bank of earth ; you may be sure that a farm or chateau is hid behind such an enclosure. 11 Alvimare Stat. 8 Nointot Stat. Omnibus to Bol- bec and Lillebonne* [4 m. S. is Bol- bec, a fresh-looking town of staring brick houses, which replace those of wood destroyed by a great fire in the last century: situated in one of the pleasant little valleys which in- tersect the Pays de Caux. It con- tains a vast number of cotton-mills, manufactories of calicos, printed stuffs, and handkerchiefs ; printworks, bleach- ing-grounds, &c. ; in short, it is one of the most industrious places in the Dept. of the Seine Inferieure, 9630 Inhab. The abundant stream which runs through it, and is a main cause of this acitivity, turns no less than 113 usines before it joins the Seine below Lillebonne. That ancient town (see Rte. 13) is only 5 m. distant; its Roman Theatre merits notice.] Bolbec lying in a depression of the table-land, high embankments and a viaduct were required to carry the railway across it. At Mirville is a brick viaduct of 48 brick arches, the highest 106 ft. above the ground. Hence there is a steep incline (requiring an extra engine to surmount in coming from Havre) by which the railway descends nearly to a level with the Seine at 6 Beuzeville Junct. Stat. Rail, to Fecamp (Rte. 18). S St. Romain Stat. Harfleur Stat, is situated on the Le*zarde, a small stream now barely navigable for barges, and 2 m. distant from the Seine, yet Monstrelet calls it " le souverain port de la Normandie." The deposits brought down by the Lezarde have contracted its bed, and formed a fringe of land along the shore of the Seine, which has greatly in- creased the distance between the town and the estuary. Before the rise of Havre, Harfleur was the chief port of the mouth of the Seine, at which the wool of Spain and Portugal was im- ported and sent up to Montevilliers to be wrought, while by reason of its for- tifications it was the key to the entranced of the Seine. In 1415 it resisted for 40 days the besieging army of Henry V., who, as soon as it had yielded, uncovered his feet and legs and walked barefoot to church to say his prayers, after which he collected the inhabit- ants to the number of 8000, and, turn- ing them out of their houses with only the clothes on their backs, ba- nished them and confiscated their [property, substituting English 62 Route 14. — Rouen to Havre— Havre. ckjci. j.« nists in their place. In 20 years, how- ever, the town was surprised by a band of peasants, aided by a number of the former inhabitants, and the English were expelled. The tower, spire, and N. aisle of its Church, built in the 1 5th cent., it is said, by Henry V., and its fringed S. portal, are deserv- edly praised as masterpieces of Gothic. The E. end dates from the 13 th centy. There is a fine timber-house (15th centy.) near the Ch. The Terrace of the Chateau of Orcher, running along the heights above the town, commands a remarkably fine view of the river. From Harfieur to Havre the rail- road is carried along the side of a hill, sloping gently down to the Seine, whose embouchure is seen at intervals between the trees and houses. On the rt. a little above the road stands Graville. Its small church, prettily situated on a wooded bank, is Norman of the end of the 11th century. Its transepts are decorated externally with round intersecting arches, surmounted by figures of animals. The capitals of the pillars in the nave are sculptured with monsters. In the courtyard be- hind the Hotel de Ville are caves in the rock, once the monks' cellars. The church was built in honour of St. Honoria. Her relics were removed for safety, at the Norman invasion, to Connans, and confided to the custody of the monks, who, when the danger was overpast, refused to restore them. Notwithstanding this loss, the place where they had been retained its sanc- tity, 60 that more pilgrims and wor- shippers repaired hither than to the church at Connans which actually held them ! Remains of the masonry of a. quay, with rings to attach vessels, are said to have been found under Gra- ville. (?) Passing numerous gardens and coun- try houses, intermixed with inns, ta- verns, and guinguettes, composing the towns of Graville and Ingouville, so numerous as to form an uninterrupted street, we reach 7 Havre Terminus, close to the Cours Napoleon, and not far from Bassin Vauban. It covers 36 acres. Havre. — Inns: H. Frascati, excel- lent, outside the walls, on the seashore, far from the Rly., with a good table- d'hote, reading-room, and neat and cheap warm-baths. H. de I' Europe, Rue de Paris, good. Wheeler's, on the Quai Notre Dame, near the steamers. Havre, originally Havre de Grace, from a small chapel of Notre Dame de Grace which stood on its site, the port of the Seine and of Paris, one of the most thriving maritime towns of France, is situated on the N. side of the estuary of the Seine, and contains 26,410 In- hab. It is quite a modern town, owing its foundation to Francis I. (1516), and its prosperity to the judicious enact- ments of Louis XVI., though it has re- ceived its great impulse since the war, and has been rapidly gaining upon its elder rivals, Bordeaux and Nantes. It has no fine buildings nor historical monuments; its streets are laid down chiefly in straight lines, and at right angles with one another, and they are grouped round the basins, or docks, which communicate from one to the other by lock-gates, and are placed so as to form a triangle entered from the outer (avant) port. The quays border- ing on the basins, lined with vessels, and choked up with cotton-bales, sugar- casks, &c, are the chief scenes of life. The strange cries and glittering plum- age of parrots and macaws will remind the stranger of the connexion of the port with tropical countries. Its prin- cipal street (and it is a handsome one) is the Rue de Paris, extending through the Place du Spectacle from the Porte d* Ingouville to the round tower of Fran* cois Premier, at the entrance of the port, the only relic of the fortifications constructed by that monarch. Improvements have been made here. The old ramparts are removed, and Havre, Ingouville, and Graville, con- taining a population of near 70,000, are united into one, and to be sur- rounded by new and more extensive fortifications. The Citadel, built by Richelieu, in which Cardinal Mazarin shut up, in 1650, the leaders of the Fronde, the Princes of Conde', Conti, and Longueville, "the lion, the ape, and the fox, caught in one trap." to Normandy. Route 14. — Havre* 63 use the expression of Gaston of Orleans, has been dismantled. The release of these distinguished captives was at length effected (Feb. 1651) by one of those sudden popular risings so common in the history of the Fronde. Mazarin, prostrated from the height of power by this revolution, bethought himself how he might make friends of his former victims, and, disguised as a courier, posted off instantly from Paris, in order to be the first to tell the joyous news, and unlock the prison gates. Assuming an air of the most obsequious servility, he assured them he had no hand in their imprisonment, and stooped to kiss the boot of Condi, as the hero mounted his carriage, amidst salvos of artillery, on his way to Paris. It is only by aid of a reservoir of water (Hetemie de la Floride), regulated by sluices, that the mouth of the harbour, formed in the fiat alluvium of the Seine, can be kept clear from the deposits of the river still in pro- gress. The port is accessible for ves- sels during only four hours each tide ; at low-water the Port and Avant-Port are left dry. The three old docks are capable of containing 250 or 300 vessels, or more with inconvenience; the fourth dock, the Bassin de Vauban, the largest of all, situated outside the walls, and finished 1842, is a magnificent work, with a fine masting-machine and ware- houses. A 5th dock, destined for steamers, has been constructed at the extremity of the Retenue de la Floride. The saying of Napoleon, that " Paris, Rouen, and Havre formed only one city, of which the Seine was the high- way," explains the cause of the pros- perity of Havre. It is the place of import of all the foreign articles needed for the supply of the French metro- polis : like Liverpool with us, it is the chief cotton port of France, furnishing this commodity to the manufacturer of Rouen, Lille, St. Quentin, and. even as far as Alsace, and from these cities it again receives the manufactured goods for exportation. It is also the point of communication between the Continent of Europe and America ; a great trade is carried on with the United States. The Decla- ration of Independence formed the groundwork of the present good for- tunes of Havre. A line of Ameri- can steamers runs twice a month to New York. Here also a great num- ber of emigrants, many from Ger- many, annually embark for the New World. The imports of Havre, though only one-half in quantity and weight of those of Marseilles (the chief seaport in France), are said nearly to equal them in value. The number of vessels belonging to the port is considerable. More than a*miIlion tons of shipping enter in and out yearly. Some of tbe principal mercantile houses here are English and American. The shipbuilders of Havre enjoy a high reputation for the skill and science which they display in the construction of their vessels, which are capital sea- boats, yet their shipyards are nothing more than an open space on the sea- beach, outside the fortifications, fenced in with a wooden paling. The annals of Havre are connected with the history of England at several points. Henry of Richmond embarked here, 1485, for Milford Haven and Bosworth Field, backed by 4000 men, furnished by Charles VIII. to aid his enterprise. The town was delivered over to the keeping of Queen Elizabeth by the Prince de Conde*, leader of the Huguenots, 1562, and the command of it was intrusted to Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick; but the English were ejected within a year, after a most obstinate siege, whose progress was pressed forward by Charles IX., and his mother, Catherine de Medicis, in person, sensible that the possession of Havre by the English would be a thorn in tbe side of France. Hatred of the English, indeed, had united all parties in France against them. The Protestant Conde* served in the besieg- ing army, which was commanded by the Constable Montmorency, previously the ally of the English. Warwick held out against vastly superior numbers, until his force was reduced by slaughter and the plague from nearly 6000 to 1500; he was himself shot in de*- J 64 Route 14. — Havre. Sect. I. ing a breach, after which the place sur- rendered. The fleet of William III., which had failed before Brest, made an ineffectual attempt in 1694 to bombard the town, as it had before done in the case of Dieppe with success. In 1796 Sir Sidney Smith, while cruising in the Channel, endeavoured to cut out a French ship of war from under the batteries, but became entangled in the currents and sandbanks of the Seine, and his vessel, having been perceived next morning lying high and dry, was captured by some gunboats, and he was sent a prisoner to the Temple in Paris. Bernardin de St. Pierre, author of ' Paul and Virginia,' was born here in a house No. 47, Rue de la Corderie. Havre is also the birthplace of Made- moiselle Scuder y, 1697, and of Casimir Delavigne. There is an English Chapel in the Rue d'Orle'ans; service at 12 and 3 4 on Sundays. A handsome Grecian edifice, destined to contain a Museum and Public Library, has been raised on the site of the old H. de Vijle. The Cercle du Commerce is a large commercial club-house, furnished with almost all the European newspapers and many American : strangers can be introduced to it by members. The Theatre in the Place Louis XVI., or du Spectacle, at the extremity of the Bassin du Commerce, is one of the most striking buildings in the town. Baths. — Frascati, on the sea-shore, not far from the pier, contains good hot and cold sea- water baths. In sum- mer, bathing is carried on in the open sea. Cabinets are provided for dress- ing and undressing, and men and women bathe together, but covered up in bathing dresses. There are no bath- ing-machines ; ladies are led out to a sufficient depth of water by the guide, who then seizes them by the shoulders, lays them on the surface of the water, and dips them by sousing their heads under water. N.B. The draught of the tide is so strong as sometimes to overpower even skilful swimmers. The bathers lay vold of ropes attached to posts, to pre- vent their being swept away in stormy weather. British travellers to Havre need not procure Passports in England, as they are permitted to land without them. They are to be obtained immediately on landing from Her Majesty's Consul [5 frs.], who has made arrangements for their delivery in time for the first train after the arrival of the steamers. These passports arecountersigned at the Bureau de Police, Hdtel de Ville, at the corner of the Place Francois I., not far from the old round tower. The office is open at 8 o'clock a.m. Passengers going to England require to have their passports vised — the police office is open for that purpose an hour before the sailing of the steamer. The Custom-house, corner of Quai Notre Dame and Grand Quai (entrance in Rue de la Gaffe), opens at 8 — 12, and 2 p.m. — 5, After the baggage has been examined (see Introduction), the dues for the harbour on the land- ing, and for porterage, are fixed by and paid to an Englishwoman, who ma- nages this department of the establish- ment, Poste aux Lettres, Place Louis Seize. Consuls reside here from Great Britain and from other maritime states of Eu- rope, and from the U. S. and other Governments of America. Railway to Paris (Rte. 14).— To Dieppe by Fecamp daily (Rte. 18). DUigences (offices, Rue de Paris, 49 and 101). — To Caen (starting from Honfleur on the opposite side of the Seine) daily (Rte. 23). Steamers to Caen daily in 3 or 4 hours (Rte. 24) ; to Honfleur twice a day in f hr. (Rte. 23) ; to Cherbourg twice a week ; to Morlaix in Brittany in 18 hours, every Wed. and Sat. ; to London twice a week; to Southampton daily, except Sunday (in summer), twice a week in winter ; to Dunkirk, Rotter- dam, and Hamburg twice a week ; to Amsterdam; to St. Petersburg and Copenhagen twice a month. More than 40 steam-vessels, including tug-boats, belong to the Port du Havre. The antiquarian and architect may visit the Norman Church of Graville, 2 m. on the Rouen road (p. 62). Xoemandy. Route 18. — Havre to Dieppe — Fecamp. 65 Those who have an hour or two to spare at Havre cannot better employ it than in ascending the hill of Ingou- vMe, a town of 12,000 Inhab., sepa- rated from Havre only by the gate, consisting chiefly of neat country- houses with gardens. The view from the top over the town of Havre — its forest of masts rising from amidst its buildings over the embouchure of the Seine, the distant hills of Calvados ap- pearing on the horizon like an island, and over the heights of La Heve to the rt. (N.), crowned by its twin lighthouses — is very striking and pleasing. The chalk cliffs under the lofty head- land of Cap la Heve, on which the lighthouses are erected at a height of 300 ft., offer some fine rock scenery ; but, except when the tide is low, the shingly beach is not favourable for walking. These rocks were the fa- vourite haunt of the author of ' Paul and Virginia/ ROUTE 18. HAVRE TO DIEPPE AND ABBEVILLE, BT FECAMP (BAIL.) AND E<7. 171 kilom. = 106 Eng. m. Diligence daily from Fecamp Stat. The Railway from Havre is de- scribed in Rte. 14, as far as Harfleur (p. 61) and Beuzeville Junct. Stat. Here a line of 18 kilom. branches N. from that to Rouen and Paris (3 or 4 trains daily), and ascends the pretty green valley of the Lezarde to Montivuliers, agree- ably situated with many trees about it, and containing some picturesque. wooden houses. Its Church belonged to a once famous abbey of Benedic- tine nuns founded in the 7th cent. It is in the Romanesque style of the 11th cent, except the N. aisle, which is florid, and the Lady Chapel, early pointed. Notice should be taken of its elegant Norman tower, surmounted by a light spire, with a florid portal on one side of it, and a round doorway, ornamented with the embattled fret, on the other, and within, of the carved capitals of the columns, and a gallery of stone fret-work near the W. end. Near Epouville we reach the high ground of the Pays de Caux (p. 60), but traverse a number of valleys or gullies intersecting it, running down to the sea, in every one of which a village or small town nestles ; this renders the road a succession of ups and downs. When the harvest is cleared from the ground and sheep are feeding among the stubble, a long narrow cart, covered either with a coved wooden roof or thatched with straw — a sort of horizontal sentry-box on wheels — may be seen drawn up by the road-side or in the fields ; it is the moveable bed of the shepherd, in which he shelters himself at night or in bad weather. Grainville. Godeville Stat. 43 Fecamp Stat, (Inns : Poste, extor- tionate ; H. du Commerce), a town of 10,000 Inhab., nearly fills the bottom and sides of a narrow valley opening out towards the sea between 2 high falaises or cliffs, on one of which stands a lighthouse. It has the advantage of being at once a seaport and a ma- nufacturing town, owing to the abund- ant stream which, as it descends the valley, turns numerous cotton and other mills, besides which there are 3 steam saw-mills. The harbour is small and much sanded up, but is resorted to by colliers from Newcastle and Sunder- land, and Baltic timber-ships, besides fishing vessels. In the centre of the town stands the Ch. of the Abbey of Notre Dame, a large and fine edifice in the early pointed style, with some Norman features, built in the beginning of the 13th cent., except the 2 round-arched apsidal 66 Route 18. — Havre to Dieppe. — Eu. idGCi* X* chapels, behind the E. end, which are older, and the S. side of the choir, which is more modern and florid. The Lady Chapel, with its carved wood- work of the 16th cent, and the monu- ments in the side chapels of abbots Richard 0223), William (1297), and Robert (1326), consisting of altar tombs enriched with crocketed niches, bear- ing their effigies reclining under florid canopies, merit notice. Also some curious carvings of Scriptural subjects in the N. transept. Fiquainville, near Fecamp, was the retreat of Cuvier during the storm of the Revolution. He pursued his studies in the natural history of marine animals here on the sea-beach. On the top of the cliff behind the town, near the new lighthouse, 328 ft. above the sea-level, is the Gothic Chapelle de N. Dame de Salut, built by Henry I. of England, much resorted to as a place of pilgrimage by sailors and fishers. The fishwives sometimes mount up to it on their knees as a penance. About 10 m. S.W. of Fecamp, on the coast, is the fishing village of Etretat, situated amidst rocks which have been excavated by the sea into arches, aiguilles, and other fantastic shapes. It is resorted to by French artists and bathers, and there is a tolerable and cheap little inn (Au Rendezvous des Artistes). A hill, steeper than that which leads into Fecamp from the W., carries the road out of it on the side of Dieppe. 19 Cany, in its pretty green and wooded valley, is an agreeable contrast to the bare open land which precedes and follows. The Ghdteau belongs to the Due de Luxembourg. The road again approaches the sea at 12 St. Vallery en Caux, a fishing town of 5328 Inhab., with a port formed by locking the stream, which here descends to the sea. 14 Bourg Dun. 18 Dieppe, in Rte. 5. Omnibus runs daily between Dieppe and Eu. Diligence twice a day to Abbe- ville. The road, as before, is carried over the high ground at some distance from the sea, and traverses in succes- sion several valleys. 19 Tocqueville, a small hamlet Be- yond it a considerably larger village, Creil, with a massive church, is passed. 11 Eu. — Inns: Poste or Cygne; H. de T Union, neither good nor cheap. Eu is a somewhat lifeless town of 3730 Inhab., on the Bresle, a small stream which formed the boundary of Nor- mandy, and which falls into the Channel 2 m. lower down at Treport. In the centre of the town is an irregular mar- ket-place, no two sides of which are parallel, overlooked by the E. end of the Parish Church, a heavy building and injured by modern reparations, exter- nally propped up by huge flying but- tresses. It is in the early pointed style; the triforium arches open into the aisles ; the E. end is angular, but several of the side chapels are of late florid Gothic. Attention should be directed to the screen before that of St. Laurent, an Irish archbishop ; to the Entombment in another chapel com* posed of statues as large as life ; and to the fantastic, spirally banded column in the S. transept The church was restored by Louis Philippe, who gave several painted windows from the ma- nufactory at Sevres. In the crypt (caveau) below the church are deposited a series of monu- mental effigies which were mutilated by the revolutionists 1793, and thrown into a vault filled with rubbish, but have been restored by the late king. The oldest is of St. Laurent, Archbishop of Dublin, who died at Eu (1181), whither he had* repaired on a mission of peace, to reconcile Henry II. and the King of Ireland. The rest are of the counts of Eu, of the family of Artois; viz. Charles d' Artois, 1471— the head and hands are of marble ; of his father, Philip d* Artois, made prisoner at Nico- polis by the Turks, d. 1397 in Anatolia: Jean d Artois, 1386, his surcoat studded with fleurs-de-lis of copper — he was taken prisoner at Cressy along with the French king; Isabella de Melun, his wife, in an elaborately carved dress, with dogs at her feet ; Jeanne de Sa- veuse, wife of Charles a Artois, a pleas- ing countenance and curious costume ; Helene de Melun, his 2nd wife; Isabelle 1 d' Artois, who died unmarried, 1397, NOBMANDY. Route 18. — Palace of Eu. 67 Eu is chiefly remarkable, however, on account of its Chdteau, which belonged to King Louis-Philippe, who inherited it, with the Comte d'Eu, from his mother, daughter and heiress of the Due de Penthievre. His Majesty here received H. M. Queen Victoria in 1843. The chateau is a low building of red brick surmounted by high tent-shaped roofs of slate, like the pavilions of the Tuileries, and is without architectural beauty. It was built 1578 by Henry of Lorraine, le Balafre Due de Guise, on the site of a castle which had be- longed in turn to the Lusignans, the Briennes, the Artois, the Cleves, and the Saint Pols, and which was burnt down by Louis XI. (1475), to punish the treachery of the Comte de St. Pol. It was much augmented by the late king, and splendidly fitted up, the walls being clothed with a collec- tion of historical and family portraits, including those of the royal family and the various lines of the counts of Eu, to the number of 1100. The collection was highly interesting, and the forma- tion of it seems to have given rise to the grander gallery of Versailles, which this resembled on a miniature scale. In consequence of the confiscation decree of 1852, all the pictures and furniture of the palace were moved to England ; the names under the vacant spaces now alone indicating the treasures which once covered the walls. The small Chapelle, a mixture of Gothic and Italian in its decorations, has some modern painted glass win- dows from Sevres ; one is a portrait of St. Amelie, after the picture by Paul Delaroche. The Pare or grounds are less at- tractive than the palace ; being a wil- derness of trees, mostly woody elms, planted in rows with angular terraces ; a gloomy canal, and muddy circular ponds beset with willows. On the 1. of the castle a few beeches preserve the remembrance of their prede- cessors, beneath whose branches the Balafre' Due de Guise heard the suits of his vassals, and concerted plots against his sovereign. Here a small space was railed in by Louis-Philippe, who affixed this inscription; — "Ici les Guises tenaient conseil au XVIe siecle." At the extremity of the grounds is a terrace overlooking the gap through which the Bresle, quitting the bare and dull valley, enters the sea, and the little village Treport is per- ceived at its mouth. On this terrace is a brick Pavilion, fitted up by poor Mademoiselle, during the time she was banished to her estate at Eu by Louis XIV. for refusing to marry the para- lytic and imbecile King of Portugal. The effigies of the Due Henri de Guise (le Balafr6), murdered at Blois, and of his wife Catherine de Cleves, are in the Eglise du College, originally of the Jesuits, who were established at Eu by le Balafre. The church, built out of the ruins of the old castle, as well as the monuments, were raised at ber expense ; they are rich in marble, but of no value as works of art. He is represented in armour, she in ruff and farthingale ; there are duplicate effigies of both, attended by figures of Prudence, Strength, Faith, and Cha- rity ; Gillot was the sculptor. From the pulpit of this ch. Bourdaloue preached his first sermon. On the Bresle, close to the palace, is a mill for making sea biscuits, sawing timber, &c., established by an English- man. Treport, the port of Eu, 3 m. dis- tant, is a fishing village of 2265 In- hab., having an old Church seated on a height, approached by a flight of steps, remarkable for hs elaborate W. porch, and for the roof of its nave dis- tinguished by pendants of stone hang- ing from it, of the 14th century. Tre- port is supposed to be the Ulterior Portus of Julius Ceesar. 16 Valines. 18 Abbeville (Rte. 3). 68 Routes 21, 23. — Rouen to Alengon and Caen* Sect. I. ROUTE 21. ROUEN TO ALENCON, BY BEBNAY, BROG- LIE, AND 8EEZ. 143 kilom. = 89 Eng. m. The Rly. by Mezidon to Alencon and le Mans (Rte. 29) will soon be preferred to this road. 42 Brionne (Rte. 23). 15 Bernay (Inn: La Poste, Lion d'Or), a manufacturing town of 7244 Inhab. It once possessed an import- ant abbey, founded by Judith, wife of Richard II. Duke of Normandy ; the Ck. of which, now converted into ware- houses, is one of the oldest Norman (Romanesque) buildings existing in Normandy, having been begun in the early part of the 1 1th century. It is large in its dimensions and perfectly simple in its style : plain square piers support equally plain circular arches. The columns attached to the piers are carved, and one is inscribed " Isam- bardus me fecit." The choir ends in an apse, and there is one in each tran- sept. "The dome vaulting in circular courses over the aisles is exceedingly curious/' In St. Croix are some painted windows, and the high altar was brought from Bee. iV. Dame de la Couture is a Gothic ch. of the 15th cent. The houses in the Grande Rue retain curious porches and bits of Gothic 10 Broglie, a town of 1052 Inhab. The Church is an ancient and singular building; along its W. front runs a row of interlacing circular arches ; one side of the nave rests on very massive piers ; the other is modernised, the piers pared down, and pointed arches substituted for round ones. The large and plain Chdteau on a height sur- rounded by wood near this is the family residence of the Due de Broglie, ex-minister, and one of the most vir- tuous, enlightened, and eminent states- men in France. 16 Monnai. 14 Gace* has a ruined castle, 12 Nonant. 12 S&z (Inn: La Corne), a poor little city with a population of only 5500, owing that title to the possession of a Cathedral, a fine edifice, the re- markable features of which are, the porch, 47 feet deep, under the W. front, flanked by 2 spires ; the nave, 80 ft, high, of pure early pointed Gothic of the 13th cent. ; the windows are double lancet and very elegant. The choir and transepts are in the decorated style of the end of the 14th cent. A cathedral was built here in 1055, but no part of it exists in the present one, judging from the style. The town was burnt down in 1150 and 1353, and probably the cathedral also. 21 Alencon Stat (Rte. 35). ROUTE 23. ROUEN TO CAEN, BY BRIONNE, OR BY HONFLEUB. a. By Brionne 128 kilom.=79* m. The road after issuing out of Rouen crosses the Seine, and runs within a short distance of the 1. bank, here bor- dered by chalk cliffs (Rte. 12), skirting on the 1. the forest of Rouvray, to 12 Grande Couronne; thence by Mou- lineaux (Rte. 12) and near the castle of Robert le Diable to Bouille, where it quits the Seine, separating -from the branch to Honfleur, which turns to the rt. (see below). 13 Bourgtheroude. About 2 m. N. of the road, and the Normandy. Route 23. — Rouen to Caen — Honfleur. 69 same from Brionne, are the ruins of the Abbey of Bee Hellouin, now of little im- portance or interest, but famous for having given two successive archbishops to the See of Canterbury, Lanfranc and Anselm. It has been demolished, ex- cept a tower of the 15th cent., and the vast conventual building erected in the 17th cent, is converted into a military stud-house. 17 Brionne. — Inn: La Poste, once the ch&teau of the seigneur of the place. Brionne is a small town on the Risle. The religious council which con- demned the doctrines of Berengarius was held in the presence of William the Conqueror in the Ch. of St. Denis. There are some fragments of the walls of the keep of the castle in the middle oftheRisle. 11 Marche* Neuf. 14 L'Hdtellerie. 13 Lisieuxy in Rte. 25. 17 Estre*es. 13 Moult. 17 Caen (Rte. 25). Before reaching this the road falls into the great Route 25, from Paris to Cherbourg, and is fully described under that head. b. By Honfleur 136 kilom. =84$ m. To Caen by Pont Audemer and Hon- fleur, a diligence runs daily. 12 Grand Couronne. 13 Bourgachard. At 5 min. past 1 on Sat. 19th Sept. 1829, the tower of the parish ch. sank down in a heap, crushing the nave and covering part of the churchyard. Had the accident occurred the following day, it being the hour of mass, the whole congregation must have been annihi- lated. There was a curious leaden font in this ch. A dreary district ex- tends from this place as far as the pleasant valley of the Risle, one of the loveliest streams in Normandy, in which lies 23 Pont Audemer.— Inn : Pot d'E- tain : the samlets (saumoneaux of the Risle) are excellent. This is a prettily situated town of 5400 Inhab., famed for its Tanneries, of which it contains 40 ; besides which some cotton is woven here, its industry being greatly pro- moted by the Risle, which passes through it in small streams. It once had a castle, in besieging which, in the early part of the 14th cent., cannon were first used in France : it was razed by Du Guesclin. The Churches of Notre Dame des Pre*s, now a tanhouse, and of St. Germain, in the suburb, may furnish some points of interest to the anti- quarian architect. The Churches of St. Ouen and of St. Sepulchre are said to be worth notice. The Terrace of the ch&teau de Bon- nebon presents a pleasant view. Eng- lish Ch. service on Sundays, 45, Rue de Bernay. It is a pleasant walk to ascend the lovely banks of the Risle as far as the Castle of Montfort. A direct road from Pont Audemer to Pont FEv§que, avoiding the detour by Honfleur, is completed — by Beuze- ville 14 kilom., to Pont 1'Eveque 13 kilom. At Fiquefleur we obtain a fine view over the embouchure of the Seine. 23 Honfleur. {Inn: Cheval Blanc, opposite the landing-place of the steamers. — Honfleur is famed for me- lons.) It is a seaport town of 10,000 Inhab. at the mouth of of the Seine, here 7 m. broad, on its S. bank, op- posite to Havre, and communicating with that port daily by steamboats. The town is dull and utterly without interest to the traveller, and moreover very dirty, but its situation, backed by wooded heights, is very pleasing. Its commerce, once considerable, has been absorbed by Havre. Its harbour, protected by a stone pier not yet finished, is accessible only at high water, and is principally resorted to by fishing vessels, though some timber- ships unload here. 7000 dozens of eggs are exported weekly to England, besides butter and fruit. The chapel of Notre Dame de Grace t on the hill above the town to the W., much re- sorted to by sailors and filled with their ex-votos, is in a charming situa- tion for the view over the Seine. It was formerly not uncommon for the crews of vessels which had escaped imminent danger at sea to make a pil- grimage hither in their shirts, bare- footed and bareheaded. Steamers, twice a-day to Havre, 7 m. 70 Route 24. — Havre to Caen. ©CCv. JL» and back, start according to the tide : the passage takes up f of an hour. Diligences daily to Caen. After the long and stately avenue of trees leading out of Honfleur, the way to Caen possesses no great interest : vet orchards and hedges give an Eng- lish cast to the scenerv. The head- dress of the women, a nightcap twisted like a Phrygian bonnet, is by no means elegant. 17 Pont l'Eveque, a town on the Touques. [Trouville, on the sea, at the mouth of the Touques {Inns : H. de la Plage; — de Paris;— de Bellevue), is a rapidly increasing bathing-place, much frequented from July to Sept. for sea-bathing: the sea is not so rough as at Havre, and the water is more salt. Steamers several times a-day to Havre.] Here the road to Lisieux (Rte. 25) and Falaise branches S. £ m. N. of our road, and 2} m. from P. l'E. ; in the midst of the Pays d'Auge is Beau- mont, a small bourg with an abbey, in which Laplace, the mathematician and author of the ' M£canique Celeste/ was born. 18 Dozulle. We here cross the Dives, from whose mouth the Con- queror set sail for England. 12 Troarn. 14 Caen, in Rte. 25. ROUTE 24. HAVBE TO CAEN. Steamboats pass daily to and fro, starting as soon as the height of the tide allows them. The voyage, which takes up about 4 hrs., 2l of them on the open sea, is pleasant m fine weather. The steamer skirts the coast of the dept. Calvados, in sight of the bathing-place Trouville (see above), and of the mouth of the Dives, where William the Conqueror tarried for a month to collect his fleet of 3000 ships and his army of 50,000 men. The mouth of the Orne is en- tered with difficulty on account of the sands and rocks, and we then thread its sinuous channel between low banks, but the landscape is enlivened by several ancient churches. A canal was com- pleted in 1857, by which some of the windings of the Orne are avoided, and the distance from the sea to Caen, 10 m., abridged. If the vessel, owing to tempestuous weather, should miss the tide to cross the bar, it must wait outside, and lie off the mouth for 10 or 12 hrs. for the next tide; but this rarely happens. "At length the city of Caen ex- tends itself, terminated at each ex- tremity by the venerable abbeys of William the Conqueror, and Mathilda his queen; the latter, surmounted by 3 towers, is nearest at hand, There are no traces of workshops and manu- factories, or of their pollution ; but the churches, with their towers and spires, rise above the houses in bold architectural masses, and the city as- sumes a character of quiet monastic opulence, comforting the eye and the mind." — Palgrave. ^ Abreast of the town the river is lined with sumptuous quays of solid masonry, alongside of which the vessel is moored. Caen. Rte. 25. Normandy. Route 25. — Paris to Caen — JEvrenx. 71 ROUTE 25. PARIS TO CAEN AND CHERBOURG, BY EVREUX AND LISIEUX (BAH,). Railway (opened 1856), four trains daily, 7i to 8 hi*. — To Caen 239 kilom. = 148 Eng. m. Caen to Cherbourg 118 kilom. = 74 Eng. m. — Rly. in progress. From Paris to Mantes June Stat. is described in Rte. 8. A little beyond this we quit the route to Rouen, turn- ing to the 1. out of the valley of the Seine, up a fertile but monotonous country. 14 Breval Stat. 10 Bueil Stat. Diligence to Anet and to Dreux. (Rte. 35). 11 Boisset-Pacy Stat. lOm.S.ofthis is Ivry, where Henri IV. gained a momentous victory over the Due de Mayenne and the army of the League 1590. At Cocherel, on the rt. bank of the Eure, 4 m. below (N. of) Pacy, Du Guesclin, in 1364, defeated the forces of the King of Navarre, Charles le Mauvais. 16 Evreux Stat. (Inns: H. du Grand Cerf, very good — de France, opposite the Cathedral), chef-lieu of the IMpt. de l'Eure, has 10,287 lnhab., and is pret- tily situated in a bowl-shaped valley shut in on N. and S. by hills, and watered by the Iton, an affluent of the Eure, divided into several branches. It has a considerable share in the cot- ton manufacture (ticking and stock- ings), here carried on by the hand- loom more than by the steam-engine. Its chief edifice is *La Cathedrale, presenting to the W. an incongruous front of Italian archi- tecture, flanked by two towers, and surmounted in the centre of the cross by a loftier tower and florid spire, erected by the Cardinal de la Balue, favourite of Louis XI. The nave is in the Norman style, probably of our Henry I.'s time, since he burnt the town, with the permission of the bishop, on condition of rebuilding the churches. The upper part of the nave, and the rest of the ch., are pointed, and for the mo6t part more modern than the reigu of Philippe- Auguste, who again burnt the town to revenge himself on the treachery of Jean Sans Terre, in making it over to him during King Richard's captivity, but on Richard's unexpected return not only withholding it, but murdering the French garrison placed in the castle. The choir, supported on clustered columns with glazed trifo- rium (1330-60), is very lofty and light. The Lady Chapel and the N. transept are still more recent (1465-75), and the Portal leading into it, in the flam- boyant Gothic, elaborately ornamented, is deservedly admired, in spite of the injuries and loss of its statues inflicted by the Revolutionists. It dates from the beginning of the 17th centy. The beautiful rose window in the S. tran- sept, and the wooden screens to the side chapels round the choir, showing the flamboyant Gothic style modified by the reviving Italian, also merit notice. The Lady Chapel, of elegant architecture (temp. Louis XI.), con- tains painted glass equally remarkable for its fine execution and perfect pre- servation. The woodwork enclosing the chapels round the choir, of mixed Gothic and Renaissance, merits notice. The Bishop's Palace, built 1484, pre- sents some curious details. At the opposite end of the town is the Ch. of St. Taurin, attached to the se*minaire: it is small, and resembles the cathedral in the various styles it displays, having shared like it tne for- tune of war and conflagration. The outer wall of the S. transept is orna- mented with an arcade of semicircular arches, the pannels of which are prettily diapered with a pattern formed of red tiles let into the masonry. This is supposed to be a relic of the ch. built 1026 by Richard II. Duke of Nor- mandy. The cloister is curious. The Chasse or Shrine of St. Taurin, which once contained his relics, is pre- served in the sacristy. It is a wooden box, shaped like a Gothic chapel, co- vered with plates of copper or silver gilt, enchased with a diapered pattern, and set round with bas-reliefs and small 72 Route 25. — Paris to Caen — Lisieux — Caen, Sect. I. statuettes of bishops and saints ; it is a work of the 13th cent. The archi- tectural decorations are rich and in good taste : such shrines are now very rare. The precious stones which once , ornamented it have been stolen or lost. The streets of Evreux preserve many antique timber-framed houses, and on the Boulevards are traces of the walls which once defended it. It possesses a Beffroi called Tour de VHorloge, built in the 15th cent. Excavations made at Vieil Evreux (Mediolanum Aulercarum) have led to the discovery of a theatre, baths, &c, and of various relics now deposited in the Muse*e d'Antiquit£s. The name of the premier English Viscount, Devereux Visct. Hereford, is derived from this town : the family traces its descent from Normandy. Coaches go hence to Chartres and to Cherbourg until the Rly. is completed. 9 La Bonneville Stat. 9 Couches Stat. Here the line turns N.W. 7 RomillyStat. [Harcourt is cradle of one of the noble houses of England, who trace their descent from a baron of the name who fell beside William the Norman at Hastings. There are scanty remains of a castle.] Beaumont le Roi Stat. Serquigny Stat. Bernay Stat. (See Rte. 21.) 14 St. Mards-Orbee Stat. 1 7 Lisieux Stat. (Inns : H. de France ; H. d'Espagne), a thriving manufac- turing town (11,473 Inhab.), prettily situated at the confluence of the Touques with the Orbec. About 3500 persons are employed in and around the town in weaving coarse woollens, flannels, horse-cloths, &c. Its main street ex- hibits specimens of ancient domestic architecture, timber-framed houses and pointed gables, well suited to the artist's pencil. The * Church of St Pierre (formerly cathedral) faces an open square, with its W. front surmounted bv a spire; one of its towers is rebuilding. It is in the early pointed style of the 13th cent., with lancet windows, holding a place between the Norman and the lancet Gothic of England. A preceding edifice, built 1143-82 (when the pointed style had scarcely begun to appear in this part of France) was burnt down 1226. Norman arches occur in the S. W. tower only ; the outside of the S. transept is a fine example of the pointed style. The Lady Chapel was founded, in the 15th cent., by Pierre Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, and pre- sident of the unjust tribunal which condemned Joan of Arc, in expiation of "his false judgment of an innocent woman," as he expressly states in the deed of endowment. Henry II. was married to Eleanor of Guienne, the divorced wife of Louis le Jeune, 1152, in this cathedral. There is a very singular old wooden house in the Rue aux Fees. Lisieux was the capital of the Lexovii, a Gallic tribe mentioned by Caesar, and ruins of the ancient town (Noviomagus, 1.) have been discovered at a short dis- tance from the present one. Thomas a Becket retired hither 1169, during his exile from England. Le Vat Richer, a small country house near Lisieux, is the summer-retreat of M. Guizot. Di- ligences to Trouville (sea-bathing place). 20 Mesnil-Mauger Stat. 6 Mezidon June. Stat. Here a Rly. to Le Mans, by Falaise, Argentan, and Alen$on, branches S. (Hte. 29.) 9 Moult- Argences Stat. 17 Caen Stat. Inns: H. d'Angle- terre ; bed, 2 fr. ; servants, 1 fr. 10 sous per diem ; — H. de Victoire, clean, and good cuisine, but small ; — H. de la Place Royale ; not very clean, but moderate. Caen, chief town of the D£pt. du Calvados (so named from a long reef of rocks on its coast, on which a Spanish vessel, the Calvados, was wrecked in the reign of Philippe II.), is situated on the Orne, 10 m. from its mouth, and has 43,079 Inhab. A smaller stream, the Odon, passes through the town and around the line of its old ramparts, to which it served as a fosse, before it joins the Orne, turning on its way several mills. Notwithstanding the antiquity of Caen, its wider streets, its large central square, in which stands Noemandt. Route 25. — Caen—Abbaye aux Hommes. 73 the statue of Louis XIV., and its houses of white stone, give it a more cheerful air than Rouen, though less enlivened by passing crowds. The tall white Norman head-dress of the women, ornamented with lappets behind and sometimes with lace, is striking and quaint to a stranger's eye. To the traveller Caen recommends itself by its numerous specimens of ancient architecture, to the permanent resident by the salubrity of its site and the cheapness of house-rent and provisions, which had caused our coun- trymen to settle themselves down here in a colony, until the troubles of 1848 put them to flight, and reduced their number from 4000 to less than 200. Near the centre of the town, on one side of a small market-place full of bustle and quaint costumes in the early part of the day, rises the Church of St. Pierre, surmounted by one of the most graceful towers and spires, in the com- plete Gothic style, which Normandy can produce ; the middle story, formed of tall lancet windows framed within reeded mouldings, is a model of strength and lightness. Its spire of stone, partly pierced a- jour, was built 1308, and is 242 ft. high. The nave was constructed probably about the same time, the choir, more richly orna- mented, rather later, while its roof and the chapels round the choir were added in 1 521. The rich groining of the roof of the choir is surpassed in the chapels, where it assumes the form of pendent fringes, giving the roof a cellular character. The side walls of these chapels are pierced with arches and set with statues. Some of the capitals of the columns in the nave exhibit ludicrous carvings, such as Aristotle bridled and ridden by the mistress of Alexander, and Lancelot crossing the sea on his sword, from the old romances. The exterior of the E. end, well seen from the banks of the river, is as much Italian as Gothic, so entirely are forms and styles jumbled together. Caen possesses two very remarkable monuments of the piety of William the Conqueror and his queen — or rather of their desire to appease the Pope for France. contracting a marriage within the pro- hibited degrees — in the churches of the Abbayes, Aux Hommes and Aux Dames : both founded 1066, and valu- able in an architectural point of view, because their date is undoubted. The * Church of St. Etienne, or of the Abbaye aux Hommes, destined by the Conqueror as a resting-place for his own remains, was finished and dedi- cated by him in his lifetime, 1077, un- der Archbishop Lanfranc, who was the first abbot. The W. front is so per- fectly and severely plain that it will probably disappoint expectations ; it is surmounted by 2 stately towers and spires of later date (1200), which, with the choir, were rebuilt, or added to the original edifice, long after the time of William, The interior of the nave, however, exhibits the rigid severity and massy strength, with the grandeur of proportion, of the Norman Roman- esque style. The ch. is 371 ft. long and 98 ft. high. The lower row of arches supports a gallery, having arches of nearly equal span and § of the height of those below, an arrangement resem- bling the arcades of the Roman Coli- seum. These upper arches originally opened into the aisles, the vaulting below them being of posterior date. The clerestory windows consist of a tall and short arch placed alternately on one side or the other to meet the curve of the vault. The choir, ending in an apse, and surrounded by apsidal chapels, is in the pointed Gothic style, answering to the early English of the 12th cent, (some say 1316-44). A plain grey marble slab in the pavement before the high altar marks the grave of William the Conqueror, the founder of the ch., but it has been long since empty : it was broken open, the costly monument erected over it by William Rufus destroyed, and the bones scat' tered, by the Huguenots, 156?, and lost without record, except one thigh-bone, which was re4nterred. The Revolu- tionists of 1 793 again violated the grave, and this also disappeared. The funeral of the Conqueror, un- dertaken by the charity of a simple knight, as already detailed (p. 40), was singularly interrupted, even within the E 74 Route 25, — Caen — Abbaye aux Dames, Sect. I. precincts of the ch., and before the service for the dead was concluded, by a cry from one of the bystanders, a man of low degree, who claimed the site of the grave, saying that it occu- pied the place of his father's house, that he had been illegally ejected from it in order to build the ch., and he de- manded the restitution of his property. This claim, thus boldly made, in the presence of the dead monarch's son Henry, the chief mourner, being backed by the assent of the townspeople, who stood by, was not to be denied or re- jected, and the bishop was obliged to pay down on the spot 60 sous for a place of sepulchre for the royal corpse. Even then it is related that, as the coffin was being lowered into the grave, it struck against 6ome obstacle, fell, and was broken into pieces, so that the corpse, ejected from its tenement, dif- fused so horrid a stench through the ch., that the rites were hurried to a close, and the assembled priests and laity dispersed. The exterior of this ch. surmounted by its 2 W. towers, its central octagonal tower, and 4 turrets on the £., has a peculiarly striking effect from a dis- tance, and reminds one of the arrange- ments of some of those on the Rhine. The adjoining conventual buildings (date 1726) have been converted, since 1800, into a College numbering not quite 300 students. On the W. side of the court adjoining is a handsome Gothic building (14th cent); lately restored as a school, which occupies the site of the old Norman Palace, called Grand Palais. The ancient hall called Salle des Gardes, of the 13 th or 14th century, still exists. At the opposite end of the town, on the heights of St. Gilles, is the * Abbaye aux Dames, and ch. of la Ste. Trinity founded and consecrated 1066, though probably unfinished, by the Conqueror's Siueen, Mathilda, and destined by her or a nunnery of noble ladies. The conventual buildings attached to the ch. are quite modern (1726), and are converted into ah Hospital {Hotel Dieu\ in which 40 sisters of the order of St. Augustine perform the duties of nurses of the sick : the choir of the ch. is railed off for their use. The ch., in the lighter and more ornate character of its archi- tecture, displays so broad a contrast to the masculine plainness of St Etienne, that it would scarcely be supposed that they had been both in progress at the same time. With the exception of the upper part of the W. towers, however, this edifice is a perfect and unaltered specimen of pure Norman Romanesque ; the choir ending in an apsis, being of the same age and style as the nave. The piers are lighter, the engaged pillars project more, than in St. Etienne, the embattled fret here runs round the main arches, and instead of a lofty triforium the walls above them are threaded by a gallery supported by misproportioned pillars, exhibiting gro- tesque figures among the foliage of their capitals. The arches under the central tower are remarkably bold, and their archivolts are chased with the Norman lozenge. The one opening into the nave is obtusely pointed, but apparently of the 6ame date. The choir, ending in a semicircle of double arches, one tier over the'other, encloses in the centre the fragments of the black marble grave-stone of the foundress, broken in pieces by the Calvinists, who dispersed her remains, which, however, were collected some years after. Underneath is a crypt resting on 34 closely set pillars. For the student of ancient architec- ture the following churches remain also to be visited. Not far from St. Etienne is St. Nicholas, another Norman ch., coeval with the two abbeys, having been built, except the tower and the pointed vaulting of the nave, between 1066 and 1083 ; it is now a hay-store, belonging to the Remonte de Cavalerie. It is unaltered, very plain in style, and ends in an apse. St. Etienne le Views, though desecrated and in ruins, is a fine specimen of point- ed Gothic : on the wall of the choir is a mutilated equestrian statue, said to be William I. St. Jean has two unequal and un- finished towers, in the style of that of St. Pierre, but inferior to it in late pointed style. St, Michel, in the suburb of Vaucelles, Nobmandy. Route 25. — Caen — Hotel de Ville. 75 displays some curious architectural fea- tures ; in the Norman tower the very long but narrow and round-headed windows deserve notice. The fringed portal is surmounted by a gable filled with elegant flamboyant tracery, in the style of the 15th or 16th cent. There are many old houses, with curiously ornamented fronts of the 15th and 16th centies., in the Rue St. Pierre (Nos. 52, 18, 20, 54, 24, &c.), but they are fast disappearing. The Hdtel de Valois, Place St. Pierre, now the Bourse, is of Italian architecture. The Castle, surmounting the height to the W. of St. Pierre, built by Wil- liam the Conqueror and his son Henry — held for a long period by the Eng- lish, but finally taken from them by the brave Dunois,who compelled the Duke of Somerset with a garrison of 4000 men to surrender, 1459 — has now the aspect of a modern fortress bastioned and counterscarped ; but having been dismantled by a decree of the Conven- tion, it is at present reduced to a bar- rack. The only Norman portions sub- sisting are the small Chapel of St. George, whose nave is probably of the 11th centy., though the earliest mention of it is in 1 18 1 ; while the chancel, separated from it by a bold arch, is of the 15th centy. : another very interesting Nor- man hall has been ascertained to have been the original Hall of the Exchequer of Normandy ,of the time of William the Conqueror. Both these buildings are now used as storehouses. From the ram- parts there is a good view of the town. In the Hotel de Ville, which occupies with its Grecian portico one side of the Place Royale, is aCollectionof Paintings. The only ones worth notice are a genuine *Pebugino, Marriage' of the Virgin, imitated by Raphael in the famous Sposalizio at Milan ; — the Pas- sage of the Rhine, by Van der Meulen ; — Melchizedec offering bread and wine to Abraham, Rubens ; — the Virgin with 3 Saints, by some old master, called Albert Durer. Here is also the Li- brary of 40,000 vols. In the Cabinet oVHistoire Natttrelle in the Palais de l'Universite, Rue de la Chain, is a collection of the fossils of Normandy, including Ichthyosaurus, Plesiosaurus, and a very perfect croco- dile from the neighbouring quarries of l'Allemagne. The collections made in the South Sea by Admiral Dumont d'Urville have been deposited here. The Lyceei or Public School, fur- nishes a first-rate education to boys for 251. to 30/. per annum. The English Church Service is per- formed on Sundays at 1, in the French Protestant Temple, Rue de la Geole. The Poste aux Lettres is in the Rue de l'Hdtel de Ville. Caen is well provided with prome- nades, formal avenues of trees; — the chief are called Grand Cours, and Cours Cafarelli, by the side of the Orne. The handsome quais bordering the Orne and the Odon near their junction form pleasant walks. The women of the lower and middle classes in Caen, and throughout a large part of La Basse Normandie, are finely formed, fully grown, and handsomer than in most other parts of France. The principal street, in which are the best shops, is the Rue St. Jean. Froissart narrates the story of the capture of Caen in 1346, a short while before the battle of Crecy, by Edward III. and the Black Prince, who, being irritated by the resistance of the citi- zens, gave it up to plunder. It was then " large, strong, and full of dra- pery and all sorts of merchandise, rich citizens, noble dames, damsels, and fine churches/' The English fleet returned home laden with its spoils. Several of the leaders of the party of the Girondins, proscribed by the Jaco- bins of the revolutionary tribunal, and driven from Paris by tne insurrection of May 31, 1793, retired to Caen to organise a revolt against the tyranny of the Mountain, but were entirely defeated and put down in a battle at Vernon.. It was shortly after this event that Charlotte Corday (a native of St. Saturnin, near Seez), actuated by the spirit of resistance against the tyranny of the Terrorists, which prevailed strongly at Caen, set out hence to Paris to assassinate Marat. The Girondins used to meet in the Hotel, No. 44, Rue des Cannes. E 2 76 Route 25. — Caen — Environs. Sect. I. Among the illustrious natives of Caen, the learned Huet Bishop of Avranches, born 1613, may be singled out ; also the poets Clement Marot, Malherbe, Malfilatre, and Segrais ; and the Oriental traveller and scholar Bo- chart. Brummel, the Beau par excellence of the court of George IV. when regent, lived many years at Caen, and ended his days miserably here in a madhouse, V Hospice du Bon Sauveur^ and Bouri- enne, Secretary and early friend of Napoleon, died in the same asylum. Malleposte daily to Paris (St. Pierre de Vauvray Stat) and Cherbourg. Diligences; to Lisieux and Evreux (pp. 71,72), and to the Stat. St. Pierre de Vauvray on the Paris and Rouen Rail- way (Rte. 8), in 14 hrs. ; daily to Cher- bourg (Rte. 26); to Vire, Dol, and St. Malo (Rte. 27) ; to St. Lo, Cou- tances, and Granville (Rtes. 27 and 32) ; to Kennes and Nantes (Rte. 34) ; to Havre by Harfleur and Rouen (Rte. 23) ; to Tours by Falaise and Alencon. Steamer to Havre. The making of lace is said to occupy 20,000 women and children in and about Caen. The streets of the suburbs are lined with family parties seated round their cottage doors merrily twirling their bobbins. They make tulles, brodees, and blondes. With this exception Caen has no claim to be a manufacturing town ; though it was so in an eminent degree until the revocation of the Edict of Nantes banished all its most indus- trious artisans. Environs. A cabriolet or other one- horse carriage may be hired for 8 or 10 francs the day. The student of ancient architecture might spend many days profitably and agreeably in visiting the ecclesiastical and civil monuments which abound in the neighbourhood of Caen. The Dept. du Calvados is particularly rich in monuments of architecture ; the dis- tinguished archaeologist of Caen, M. de Caumont, enumerates nearly 70 speci- mens of the Norman architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries existing in it. a. On the outskirts of Caen, to the E., at the extremity of the Rue Basse St. Gilles, is a singular castellated mansion called Les Gens d'Armes, from 2 stone figures of armed men on the top. Though surrounded by battlemented walls and furnished with towers, it was not built as a place of defence, but as a maison de plaisance for one Gerard de Nollent, in the beginning of the 16th cent. Its walls are fantastically ornamented externally with medallion heads of emperors, &c. b. 2 m. from Caen, rt. of the road to Bayeux, there is a very beautiful and remarkable ruin, first described by Prof. Whewell, the Abbaye oVArdenne, now a farm-yard. It has a fine gate- tower with a round-headed gate and pointed wicket, large stables, " a but- tressed barn which puts to utter shame the largest of our edifices of this kind," and a beautiful Ch., closely resembling in style the early English of our ab- beys of Bolton and Newstead, now a barn or hay-magazine. Its W. front is especially noticeable ; it has a rose within a pointed window, and a rich porch supported " on detached shafts." c. Thann, Fontaine-Henri, La Delve- rande, Luc-sur-Mer. A capital macadamised . road, tra- versed by a diligence, leads N. of Caen, to Luc, a bathing-place on the sea, about 12 m. It passes several objects of architectural and antiqua- rian interest, to which I a day may be devoted with advantage, as follows. (N.B. This excursion may be made in a gig, costing 12 frs., in 5 or 6 hrs., including stoppages.) From Caen a range of high table- land is ascended, on the summit of which is a calvaire, or crucifix. " The traveller will not fail to linger on the little hill just beyond the first crucifix. Here he enjoys a lovely prospect. The horizon is bounded by long lines of grey and purple hills: nearer are fields and pastures, whilst the river glitters and winds amidst their vivid tints; nearer still the city of Caen extends itself." It is worth while to walk thus far (2 m. from Caen), for the sake of the view. 7£ m. Thann. Here is a true Nor- man church, scarcely altered since the Noumaxdt. Rattle 25. — Caen — Luc — Caen Stone. 77 days of Henry I., when it was built, excepting the loss of its S. able. It is a good deal ornamented. The tower is capped with a hollow pyramid of stone, the oldest example of die nascent spire known. It is now deserted. 1 1 m. farther to the N. is the in- teresting Chdteau of Fontaine- Henri, a seat of the family d'Harcourt, built in the first 30 years of the 16th cent., partly in the bastard Gothic, corre- sponding more with the late Eliza- bethan of England, partly in the Ita- lian style, resembling the revived classic architecture of Audley End and Longleat. It is a mansion of no great size, but is distinguished by a prepos- terously lofty and steeply pitched roof, surmounting one wing, flanked by an equally lofty chimney. The most profuse decoration of sculpture is lavished on its singularly irregular facade. The ornaments of the win- dows, the panelling, balustrades, &c, are not inferior to those of the Palais de Justice at Rouen, which they much resemble. The Church of the village is Norman. A second steep ascent, surmounted by another cafvaire, commands a pleasing view over the sea, including 6 or 8 village spires, all having a strong family likeness to that of St. Pierre at Caen. A steep descent of about a mile brings you to the pil- grimage chapel of La Delivrande, to which the Norman sailors and peasants have resorted for the last 800 years. It is a small Norman edifice. The statue of the Virgin, which now com- mands the veneration of the faithful, was resuscitated in the reign of Henry I. from the ruins of a previous chapel destroyed by the Northmen, through the agency of a lamb constantly grub- bing up the earth over the spot where it lay. Such is the tenor of the legend. The reputation of the image for per- forming miracles, especially in behalf of sailors, has been maintained from that time to the present, although it suffered much at the Revolution, when pilgrimages were forbidden. It was visited by Louis XI. in 1471. It is a drive of dm. from this chapel to Zw-wr- Mer(Inns : H. de la Belle Plage; H. de Londres), a watering-place, with facilities for excellent sea-bathing. 12 m. from Caen, on the sea, is Cor- seulles, a small fishing port facing the terrible rocks of Calvados, which, however, are never visible except at the lowest ebb of spring tides. It is filmed for its oysters. Paris receives from the " pares aux huitres" here -fo of all that it consumes, amounting to 5 j million dozen annually. They are transported by light and fast carriages. d. The Church of Ifs, about 3 m. S. of Caen, has a curious early-pointed steeple; but a still more remarkable tower and spire exist at Norrey, on the way to Bayeux (Rte. 26). e. It is worth while to descend one of the quarries of Caen stone, so abund- antly used in England during the middle ages, and of which the White Tower, old London Bridge, Henry VI I. 's Chapel, Winchester and Can- terbury cathedrals, besides many of our country churches, were built : they are situated within the circuit of lj m. to the W. and S. of Caen, near Mala- drerie, on the road to Bayeux, and at Haute Allemagne. The rock is an oolite, equivalent to our Stonesfield slate, but without its slaty structure ; it is extracted from subterraneous quarries through vertical shafts, in blocks 8 or 9 ft. long and 2 ft. thick. It is still employed in Eugland; the new tower at the W. end of Canterbury Cathedral is built of this stone. A visit to Falaise Castle, the birth- place of the Conqueror, will occupy a day ; a diligence runs thither and back daily (see Rte. 29). Rly. in progress. Another antiquarian and architec- tural excursion may be made on the way to Bayeux, to Fresne-Camilly, Creuilly, and St. Gabriel (Rte. 26). 78 Route 26. — Caen to Cherbourg— Bayeux. Sect. I. ROUTE 26. CAEN TO CHERBOURG, BY BAYEUX. 121 kilom. = 74 Eng. m. Malleposte daily in 8£ hrs. Diligences daily, meeting the Gran* ville diligence at Carentan (Rte. 32.) v A Railway is to be open by 1857. 2 in. beyond Caen is la Maladrerie, 6o called from a lazar-house founded by our Henry II. for lepers of the town of Caen, now replaced by a huge penitentiary (Maison Central e de De- tention). Near this may be perceived the whims or wheels by which the Caen stone (see above) is raised out of the quarries. At St. Germain le Blancherbe the direct but not post road to St. Lo (Rte. 32) branches off to the 1. The first relay on the way to Bayeux, 12 Bretteville, is called l'Orgueil- leuse, though of what it has to be proud is not evident, except its hand- some steeple. This, however, is en- tirely eclipsed by the very fine open belfry and spire of Norr&y, seen on the 1. about 1 m. off the road. This beautiful Church, which has been termed a miniature cathedral, is in the pure and simple Gothic style of our early English, and of the most elegant proportions, with an enriched choir, circular apse, and N. porch. "Air the mouldings are deep, free, and repeated so as to give the greatest strength of line to all its parts." The tower owes its character of unequalled beauty to the 4 narrow and tall lancet arches which occupy the N. face of its belfry-story; the two central ones open so as to let daylight through. In going from Caen to Bayeux a de*tour may be made to visit Fresne Camilly, a church in the transition style, round arches prevailing in the body of the building, with indications of pointed arches in a panelled arcade on the exterior of the N. wall. At Creuilly the Castle, a construction of different ages, retains, among more modern additions, 2 round towers. It belonged to Robert of Gloucester, natural son of Henry I., and is now converted into a dwelling-house. The church is genuine Norman. A little farther is St. Gabriel, a ruined priory, founded by Robert of Gloucester, 1128: the choir of the church alone remains, and is a very remarkable ex- ample of florid Norman. This is a d&our which will repay those of anti- quarian taste. There is another road from Brette- ville to Creuilly, passing by Sacque- ville en Bessin, whose church is curious, partly pointed, partly round. On the direct road from Caen to Bayeux the country is not very in- teresting ; orchards abound, or rather the corn-fields are planted with rows of apple-trees, under which the grain- crop ripens. 16 Bayeux (Inns: H. du Luxem- bourg; good; — Grand Hotel; small, but clean), a quiet and dull ecclesias- tical city, with much the air of some cathedral towns in England, was an- ciently capital of the Bessin, and con- tains 10,303 Inhab. It is washed by a small stream, the Aure, which enters the sea at 5 m. distance. It consists of two main streets, including some ancient specimens of domestic archi- tecture, running up a hill to a large open Place, lined with trees. Its only curiosities are its Tapestry and its * Cathedral, its chief ornament, though disfigured by a central cupola in a semi-Grecian style. The W. front is a fine elevation, in the pointed Gothic, surmounted by 2 steeples of the t 12th cent., in the towers of which pointed arches alternate with round. The 3 porches, which, as well as that on the S. side, deserve attention for their bas-reliefs and ornamental foliage, are later in date and florid in style. Nobmandy. Route 26. — Bayeux — Tapisserie, The interior is 315 ft. long and 81 high. The W. end of the nave consists of florid Norman arches and piers, whose natural heaviness is relieved by the beautifully-diapered patterns "wrought upon the wall, probably built by Henry I., who destroyed the pre* viously-existing church by fire, 1106. Above this runs a blank trefbiled arcade in the place of a triforium, sur- mounted by a clerestory of early- pointed windows jvery lofty and nar- row. The arches of the nave, nearest the cross and the choir, ending in a semi- circle, exhibit a more advanced state of the pointed style, and are distin- guished by the remarkable elegance of their graceful clustered pillars. They were built by Bishop Henry de Beau- mont, an Englishman, 1205. ' The cir- cular ornaments in the spandrils of the arches are very pleasing and of fanciful variety. The stalls are of oak, well carved. The chapels in the side-aisles, and the exterior of the E. end, should not pass unnoticed. Under the choir is a crypt, probably the only part remain- ing of the original church, built, in 1077, by Odo, half-brother of the Con- ?ueror, and fifty years bishop of Bayeux. t is supported on 12 pillars with rude capitals, and contains some episcopal tombs. In the Tresor is preserved the chasuble of St. Regnobert, in a casket of ivory, with enamelled ornaments, both apparently of Arab workmanship, said to be gifts of St. Louis. The student of architecture may visit with profit the Chapel of the Se'mi- naire, adjoining the Hotel Dieu, a simple oblong plain groined hall, lighted by double lancet windows, and not unlike the E. end of the Temple Church in London : its date is 1206. Behind the altar is a singular recess, beautifully groined. The little Norman Church of St. Loup, in the outskirts of the town, on the way to St. Lo, also deserves notice. The * Tapisserie de Bayeux has been removed from the Hdtel de Ville — where it used to be unwound by the yard from a roller like a piece of hal>erdashery, and subjected to the fingers as well as eyes of the curious — to a new room in the Public Library (open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), where it is more carefully preserved, and quite as conveniently exhibited, under a glass- case. Many persons will look upon it merely as a long strip of coarse linen cloth, 20 inches wide and 214 ft. long, rudely worked with figures worthy of a girl's sampler. It is, however, a curious historical record of peculiar interest to an Englishman ; and, al- though it presents such anomalies as horses coloured alternately blue and red, there is much spirit in the draw- ing. It is ascribed, with much pro- bability, to the needle of Matilda, Queen of the Conqueror, and repre- sents the Conquest of England, and the events which led to it. It was preserved in the cathedral until the Revolution, being hung Tound the nave on certain days. The earliest record of it is in an inventory of the effects of the church, taken 1476. Its series of rude worsted pictures repre- sents such events as Edward the Con- fessor designating William as his heir : the treachery of Harold ; the shipment and landing of the Norman army and battle of Hastings : in many of these scenes, Odo Bishop of Bayeux, the Conqueror's half-brother, is a promi- nent figure. The design has evidently been to represent Harold as a usurper, and William as the rightful heir to the crown, having other claims besides that of conquest. The Normans are drawn with shaven heads and chins, in armour of scales, helmets protected by nose-pieces in front, and shields shaped like boys' kites, sometimes bearing devices of crests (supposed to be of later invention) suspended by a belt round the neck. All the build- ings have round arches. At the bottom runs a curious border of animals, in- cluding camels and elephants, said to represent fables from jEsop. (?) The tapestry has been excellently engraved for the London Society of Antiquaries by the late Charles Sto- thard. When Napoleon was medi- tating the invasion of England, he caused this tapestry to be transported from town to town, and exhibited on ! the stage of the playhouses be**,ro'>T1 80 Route 26. — Formigny — Carentan. Sect. I. the acts, to stimulate the spectators to a second conquest t Wace, the author of the Roman de Bou, was a canon of the cathedral. According to it Harold actually did homage to William of Normandy, as heir of Edward the Confessor, for the throne of England. Many of the women about Bayeux still wear the Bourgogne or Bavolette, a rich and high head-dress, resembling that worn at the courts of the Dukes of Bur- gundy. There are good Baths at the side of the river, and near them a pretty Nur- sery Garden, Diligences daily to Caen (4), to Cher- bourg and St. Lo, Granville and St. Malo. In going from Bayeux to Cherbourg the diligences make a de*tour of 9 eagues by passing through St. Lo (Rte. 32) ; the malleposte takes the direct line, as follows, passing La Tour en Bessiriy whose little church has a chancel in a style resembling the best English decorated ; the nave is Nor- man, the tower and spire earlier than the chancel. 16 Formigny. Here the English were defeated (1450) in an engagement so decisive, that it occasioned them the loss of Normandv, which has never since been separated from the French crown. A monument on the rt. of the road marks the battle-field, and commemorates the victory. It must be borne in mind that Sir Thomas Kyriel, who commanded the English, an old soldier of Agincourt, who took little account of superior numbers on the side of the French, attacked, with a vastly inferior force, the army of the Comte de Clermont, and while thus engaged was assaulted in the rear by a second army, under the Constable de Richemont. 16 Isigny-on-tbe-Aure is accessible for vessels of considerable size, with the tide. Much butter is exported hence to England and elsewhere. The river Vire, forming the boundary between the departments of Calvados and La Manche, is crossed about one- third of the distance. 11 Carentan (fnn: H. de la Place, good), a town of 3193 Inhab., in a low marshy situation, surrounded by forti- fications no longer kept up, possessing an old Castle, which belonged to the Kings of France, and was besieged by Edward III., 1346, and a handsome Church, surmounted by a spire; it is Norman, with pointed additions, the E. end in the style of the 14th cent. There is some painted glass, but de- fective. At Carentan we enter the peninsula of the Cotentin, so called from the "cotes" — coast's, which border it on 3 sides. It is a fertile and pleasing district, celebrated for its pastures, on which large herds are fed, everywhere enclosed within hedges, and abounding in old ruined castles and ancient churches. It is particularly interest- ing to Englishmen, as the cradle of some of the oldest and most noble English families. At every step the traveller will encounter obscure vil- lages and hamlets, whose names are familiar to him as household words, as patronymics of great houses distin- guished in French and English annals, most of whose founders left their country in the train of William the Norman. Such are Beaumont, Gre- ville, Carteret, Bruce, Neville, Bohon, Perci, Pierpont; but these are only a few examples among many. 13 Saint Mere l'Eglise has a similar church to that of Carentan. The ruin's of the Abbey of Monte- burg have been swept away to the foundation since 1817, having been sold in lots, and pulled down for the materials. At Quineville, 6 m. N.E. of this, on the coast, is an ancient monument of masonry, 27 ft. high, and 30 in cir- cumference at the base, which is square, and surmounted by a hollow cylinder garnished round with 2 rows of pillars. It is called la Grande Che- minee ; and though some writers have made it a Roman monument, it may be more safely pronounced a structure of the end of the 12th cent., and no- thing more nor less than a chimney. From the heights of Quineville King James II. beheld the sea-fight of La I/ougue, which destroyed all his hopes Normandy. Route 26. — Valognes — La Hovgue. 81 of regaining his throne. It is said that, in the heat of the battle, on seeing the French ships boarded and carried in succession, his English feelings so far prevailed, that he exultingly exclaimed to the French officers about him, " Look at my brave English sailors." (See p. 82.) Through a pleasing country, to which the hedges and woodlands give a per- fectly English character, not unlike parts of Sussex, to 17*Valognes (Inns: H. du Louvre; Grand Turc, tolerable), a pleasant town of 6940 Inhab., containing some large and handsome mansions, the resi- dence of numerous genteel families. The castle of William the Conqueror is demolished; it was here that he was warned by his fool, in the middle of the night, of the conspiracy of the Seigneurs of the Bessin and Cotentin to surprise and assassinate him. He in- stantly mounted his horse, and escaped with difficulty to Falaise. M. de Gerville, a distinguished anti- quary and geologist, resides here. Although Valognes possesses nothing in itself to detain the traveller, in its vicinity are several objects of high in- terest. St. Sauveur le Vioomte (10 m. S.) has a picturesque ruined castle and abbey (Rte. 27). At Bricquebec (9 m. S.W.) is a convent of Trappists. The geology of the Cotentin is very interest- ing ; its tertiary beds, in which more than 300 species of fossil shells, iden- tical with those of the Paris Basin, have been found, and its Baculite limestone, may be well studied in the quarries near Valognes. At Alleaume, the Roman Alauna, a village contiguous to Valognes, are very scanty remains of a bath. A Roman theatre, described by Montfaucon, has been totally demolished. An excursion may be made hence to La Hougue and Barfieur by Tamarville, (2£ m.), where the Norman Church has an elegant octagonal tower (a rare form) composed of 3 stories of narrow round-headed arcades and windows. St. Vaast la Hougue, 10 m. from Va- lognes, is a seaport town of 3500 Inhab., situated in a fine bay, with the fortified island and lazaret of Tatihou in front, provided with a pier 984 ft. long Previous to the rise of Cherbourg it was the chief port of the Cotentin. Vauban proposed to make it what Cherbourg is, the chief arsenal of France in the Channel, but the project was stopped, owing to the difficulty of quitting its port with a N. wind. The English frequently effected hostile landings here, to lay desolate the fair fields of France. King Stephen, in 1137, landed here, and the army which conquered at Crecy under Edward III. in 1346. Other armaments disembarked here in the reigns of Henry IV. and V. ; and in 1574 a force of 5000 French and English Protestants, despatched by Queen Elizabeth under the Comte de Montgomery, to aid the cause of the Huguenots, made a descent upon Nor- mandy at this point. La Hougue is chiefly known in English history, however, on account of the sea-fight of Cap la Hougue in 1 692, when the united English and Dutch ships, under Ad- mirals Russel and Rooke, annihilated the expedition prepared by Louis XIV. for a descent upon England, with the design of restoring James II. to the throne. The action commenced at some distance from the coast between Cape Barfieur and the Isle of Wight. The French admiral, Tourville, a man of great bravery, having orders from his master to engage at all odds, ven- tured to measure his strength with a fleet of 80 vessels, the largest which had entered the Channel since the Armada, while his own force did not exceed 44. It is supposed that he was ignorant of the junction of the Dutch, and that he counted on the desertion of Admiral Russell, who, it is well known, was in secret corre- spondence with James. However, nothing of this sort occurred; and; after a running fight, the French, in 3 divisions, retired to their own coast, pursued by the English. 3 of the largest ships, including the admiral's, le Soleil Royal, sought refuge in Cner- bourg, where they were blown up by the English admiral Delaval. Tour- ville, hoisting his flag on board an- other vessel, conducted 12 into the S3 82 Route 26. — Barfleur, Sect. I. bay of La Hougue, where he had time, before the arrival of Russell the day after, to prepare means for a stout de- fence, running them aground on the shallows with their broadside to the enemy. The French army, united with a body of Irish and English re- fugees, was drawn up on the heights above ; while the artillery was em- barked on floating batteries, a fleur d'eau, to assist in repelling any attack on the ships. James II. , attended by Marshals Berwick and Bellefonde, who commanded his forces, was a spectator of the action which ensued. The only really brilliant part of the battle was the attack and capture of this arma- ment by the boats of the English squadron under Sir George Rooke; these, and a few light frigates, only being able to approach near enough to take a part in the action on account of the shallows. In the teeth of a tre- mendous fire of musketry and artillery from shore and ships, the English sailors pulled up to the stranded ves- sels, boarded them all, one after the other, with loud huzzas, and pointed their guns against the French on the shore. All the 12 ships of war were burnt, together with a number of transports, 300 of which had been col- lected in this and the neighbouring ports to convey the army across to England. A magnificent view of the coast may be obtained from the churchyard of la Pernelle. About 7 m. N. of St. Vaast is Barfleur, an ancient and now nearly deserted town, built of granite. Down to the end of the 12th centy. it was the most frequented port by which the communication between Nor- mandy and England was maintained, in spite of the dangerous rocks around. Upon them perished the "Blanche Nef," — the ship which conveyed Wil- liam the only son of Henry I., with 140 young noblemen — through the fault of the intoxicated pilot and crew. The prince himself might have escaped had not an affectionate desire to save his natural sister, the Countess of Mor- tagne, caused him to turn back towards the foundering vessel. The boat which was bearing him to the shore was in- stantly filled by a crowd of despairing wretches, and all sank to the bottom together. On the extreme point of the Cap de GatteviUe, the W. horn of the great bay into which the Seine discharges itself, the E. headland being near Fecamp, about 1 m. N. of Barfleur, a magnificent Lighthouse was completed in 1835. It is 271 ft. high above the sea, and is constructed entirely of granite. The light is seen at a^ dis- tance of 27 m. out at sea. There is a fine view from the top. Barfleur is 1 5 m. E. of Cherbourg : a good road leads thither. Near to it, about 2 m. E. of St. Pierre l'Eglise, lies the Chateau de Tocqueville, seat of the family " of that ilk,'1 now belonging to the eminent author of * Democracy in America,' * The French Revolution/ &c, M. Alexis de T. ; and on the other side of the village, the Chateau St. Pierre, a building of the 18th cent., seat "of the Count de Blangy. At the distance of about 7 m. from Valognes the direct post-road from Valognes to Cherbourg passes, 2£ m. on the 1., the small town of Brix, a memorable name, since it is the same as Bruis or Bruce in its primitive spelling. The noble family of that name was allied to the Dukes of Nor- mandy, and from it sprang Robert Bruce the King of Scotland. The castle of the Seigneur de Brix, built in the 1 2th centy., is now reduced to a few ruined vaults and foundation walls. It was called Chateau d'Adam. About 2 m. S.E. of Cherbourg, not far off the road, is the castle of Tourla- ville, the magnificent seat of the family of Ravalez, now a farmhouse, belonging to the de Tocquevilles. Its position is beautiful and its architecture of high interest; part of it dates from the 15th centy., part was added in the reign of Henry II., and the Tour des 4 Vents (fine view from its top) has the charac- ter of Heidelberg Castle. " The bleed- ing heart and motto of the Ravalez family, * Un seul me suflSt/ are every- where visible among the faded frescoes and gilding of its walls and ceilings" — HM. There is nothing more to notice Normandy. Route 26. — Cherbourg. 83 on the road, until from the top of the last hill a fine view of the sea is pre* seated through the gap of the valley, with Cherbourg at its mouth. A wind- ing descent through a picturesque gully, displaying here and there bare cliffs, terminates in a long avenue of trees, which forms the approach to Cher- bourg. On the 1. rises the eminence La Fauconniere, crowned by the tele- graph ; on the rt. the cliff of Roule ex- poses a precipitous escarpment, 350 ft. above the sea. 20 Cherbourg. — Inns: H. de l'Eu- rope, on the Quai Ouest du Bassin, good ; H. de Londres, good restaurant ; H. de Commerce. Cherbourg, one of the principal naval ports and dockyards of France, is situ- ated at the N. extremity of the penin- sula of the Cotentin in the Dept. de la Manche, in the centre of a bay, the extremities of which are formed by Cap Levy on the E. and Point Omanville on the W. Its docks have been gained out of the rock, and its harbour won from the winds; for no pains nor cost have been spared to secure for France on this point, so advantageously projecting into the Channel, a naval arsenal and port, whence she may be ready to watch or annoy her rival on the opposite coast. The town lies in the hollow of the valley of the Divette, which opens out to the sea under the lofty falaise of the quartz hill of Roule, crowned by a fort. More than a dozen detached forts and redoubts have been erected on the hills behind the town, at dis- tances varying from b m. to lj m. from the sea. Apart from its conside- ration as a naval station Cherbourg is insignificant; with dirty streets, re- minding one of Portsmouth Point. Its commercial relations are very limited ; but its extensive naval works employ about 10,000 out of its 25,000 Inhab., and upon them depends its prosperity. Among its few articles of export are eggs to the value of one million francs yearly sent to England. Cherbourg has a Bassin de Commerce, a commercial harbour, formed at the mouth of the Divette, never very full of shipping, but often visited by vessels of the Eng- lish Yacht Clvb, who come over to lay in provisions and champagne. It is lined with quays, and the entrance to it is protected by stone piers, with a lighthouse at its extremity. The com- mercial port is quite distinct from The Dockyard (Grand Port), situated on the N.W. of the town. Travellers desirous of seeing the dockyard must apply to the Major de la Marine, at the Vieux Port, on the E. of the commer- cial harbour, showing their passports, in order to procure a ticket of admission. He will appoint a gendarme to accom- pany them, to whom a couple of francs may be • given for his trouble. The Grand Port occupies a nearly triangular space of ground, one side resting on the sea, and is surrounded by fortifications, surrounded by fosses cut in the rock, faced with granite masonry, and adding greatly to the strength of the place. The Port Militaire, and Arsenal de la Marine, designed, as well as the Digue, by Marshal Vauban, whose plan, drawn by his own hand and signed, is pre- served in the H. de Ville, were only partly begun by Louis XVI. They have been more than 50 years in pro- gress ; and the new works commenced since 1831 will take as many more, probably, to complete. The docks, floating basins (bassins a flot), &c, have been created by excavation by the aid of gunpowder out of the solid slate rock, which forms the foundation of the entire yard. From the stairs on the W. quai of the avant port, Charles X. and his family embarked in 1830. The 4 slips (Cales de Construction) are of very solid masonry ; the lofty roofs rest on arches supported by piers of granite and slate; the arches are partly closed by wooden blinds. Ad- joining them is a dry dock {Forme de Radoub), and beyond them are the Ateliers des Forges (smithy), des Ma- chines (workshops filled with ma- chinery for planing, turning, scooping, and cutting rods, beams, screws, &c, of iron) ; the Atelier de la Fonderie, roofed with zinc, furnished with 2 large and 6 smaller furnaces, and with iron cranes, &c. On the W. of the docks the Magasins GenSraux, the Pare et Caserne cFArtillerie, and the 0aaMun" 84 Route 26. — Cherbourg — La Digue. Sect. I. de Marine, magnificent buildings, are nearly completed. The Timber Shed (Hangar an Bois) is 958 ft. long, and supported on 130 stone pillars. The yard is supplied with water from the foivette by a long and expensive conduit. Convicts are not employed at Cher- bourg. *La Digue. The roads of Cherbourg, though protected on three sides by the land, are naturally open and exposed to the N. wind. To remedy this de- fect, the project of throwing a Break- water across the bay's mouth, in the deep sea, has been favoured by everv French government since that of Louis XVI. The old Bourbons, the Republic, the Empire, the Restoration, and Louis Philippe, have all desired to advance a scheme which should contribute to secure for France a safe and strong harbour on this part of her coast, exactly opposite Portsmouth, which would be an eye to watch and an arm to strike the English on the opposite side of the Channel. Hitherto the French have possessed no port for ships of war between Dunkirk (and that is fit only for frigates) and Brest. Now that the works have been carried on nearly 50 years, and more than 2j millions sterling, together with about 4,000,000 cubic metres of stone, sunk in the operation, the Digue at length ap- proaches to completion, since $ of it are now terminated, and its perma- nent duration seems probable, since for several years past no perceptible alteration has been produced by the action of the waves in the structure or profile of the base. For a long time the undertaking could be regarded only as a series of experiments and failures. The plan first adopted under Louis XVI. (1784) was that of forming trun- cated cones of timber, or huge broad- bottomed tubs, floating them on empty casks to the proper place, sinking them, and filling them with stones, and heap- ing up others round about them. But a very brief exposure to a few storms overset some of the caissons, shattered the framework of others to pieces, and spread the stone and wood over the >horage, so as to injure it. After a considerable interruption from the Re- volution, another scheme was resorted to of sinking stones at random (a pierre perdue), so as to be swept by the waves into a long and gradual slope to sea- ward: this was continued down to the time of Napoleon, who, as was his custom, looked at the project in a military point of view, and at once directed the formation of a fort in the centre of the Digue. .All exertions were thenceforth concentrated on this object; a mole was formed, a battery raised on it mounting 20 guns, a garrison of 90 men was established on it, and lodged in barracks erected for the purpose. In 1808, however, a storm of extraordinary violence burst upon the roads; the waves, carried to an unusual height, soon submerged all the buildings raised upon the Digue, and, by the impetuosity of their shocks, swept them all off, save the cabin of the commandant of the prison, and, forming a wide breach in the masonry, poured over and through it with tre- mendous violence. There were at the time upon the dyke 263 soldiers and workmen, of whom 194 were drowned, 69 were saved by finding shelter in hollows among the stones, and 38 got off in a boat which they managed to reach during a short lull, with great difficulty, since the vessels in the roads within the Digue were all driven from their moorings. By this disaster the operations of 16 years in sinking large blocks were nearly annihilated, and the whole mass of stone was re- duced to the condition of a rubble bed, rendering it doubtful whether the plan of even protecting the roads at all was practicable. Nevertheless, Napoleon did not abandon it, nor did his suc- cessors lose sight of it. A survey made by order of the government in 1828 showed, however, that the foundations had shifted in the course of 40 years from the position in which they had been first placed to a considerable dis- tance. Under the vigorous superin- tendence of Louis Philippe a new mode of proceeding was adopted in 1832. As the result of the schemes previously pursued had shown thatthe mere weight and volume of the stones thrown into Normandy. Route 26. — Cherbourg — La Digue. 85 the sea was insufficient to secure their fixity, a layer of beton, a species of concrete, composed of 1 part of small stones and pounded brick and 2 of lime, is now deposited on the loose stone heap, sloping on either side, and upon it a vertical wall of well-jointed and solid masonry, faced with granite, is raised. Even this, however, was destined to be the sport of the waves daring a storm which occurred in 1836, the most terrible since that of 1808 : the coat of concrete was broken and turned over in places ; blocks of stone, weighing 3 tons, were raised 22 ft. high in the air, and carried over the wall to the inside of the Digue. At the end of 3 days 300 of them had found their way across, hurled with appalling violence and noise against the granite masonry, and acting upon it like battering rams, so that serious breaches and wide gaps were formed in the body of the breakwater. This is more or less the effect of every serious tempest. The Digue de Cherbourg extends be- tween the He Pelee and the Pointe de Querqueville, in length 4111 yards, or more than 2 m., leaving openings for the entrance and exit of vessels on the E. of 1257 yards, and at the W. of about 1 J m. The width at the base is 310 ft. The depth of the sea about the Digue varies from 36 to 45 ft. at low water. There are at each end lighthouses and forts, crossing their fire with those on shore, and guns may be mounted at intervals all along the Digue. The stone employed is partly from the quarries at the base of the Montagne de Roule, conveyed to the harbour along a tramway ; the slate comes from the excavations made in forming the docks, and the jrranite from Fermanville and Flamanviile. Persons desirous of seeing the Digue are required to have a permission from the authorities. Failing this, the best way is to hire a boat m the harbour and row off to it, the distance being about 2 m. The following statement of compara- tive measurements in yards will show how much more serious an under- taking the Cherbourg Digue is than the Plymouth Breakwater : — Digue, Break-) water, J Length. 4111 1760 { Breadth. Height. '103-310 120 at base, 16 at top, XlfUgUW 22) M. ase, >•? The lapse of years however will alone decide whether the Digue will be com- pleted successfully. Commodore Sir Charles Napier, who visited Cherbourg during the Naval .Review, Oct. 1850, thus described it: — " We have seen, almost within sight of our own shores, a splendid Breakwater of nearly 3 m. long rise from the bottom of the sea, 60 ft. deep, under which can lie at moorings 50 sail of the line with perfect safety, almost frowning on Eng- land. That breakwater, ere long, will be defended by 3 tremendous fortifica- tions, independent of movable guns without number, to protect either entrance that may be" attacked. On the Isle of Pelee opposite the break- water, on the E. entrance, is Fort Imperial (or National), mounting 90 guns casemated, and guns pointing out of ports like a ship. Opposite this, on the main land, is Fort des Fla- mands, mounting many heavy guns; in its rear is the redoubt of Tourla- ville. "Opposite the breakwater, to the W., are the Forts of Querqueville, St. Anne, and Hornet, and one intended to be built on a rock between the W. end of the breakwater and Querqueville. These forts will mount upwards of 1 50 guns. There are also strong bat- teries to the left of the basin, bearing on the roads. Within the breakwater, excavated out of rock and faced with stone, is the avant port, capable of con- taining 10 sail of the line alongside the quay, 30 ft. deep at low water spring- tides. In this port are a dock and 4 slips; in a line with this, and com- municating with it, is an inner basin in which 10 sail of the line can also lie alongftde the quay. On two sides of this basin are magazines ; and here also lies the sheer hulk. In the rear of Fort Hornet there is another small basin, and two building-slips. This serves as a ditch to the fort, which is cut off from the mainland and island by a drawbridge ; from the lower tier 86 Route 26. — Cherbourg — Notre Dame de Vceu> Sect. T. of guns another bridge conducts you oyer a ditch to a large barrack-yard, casemated ; and two small stairs lead up to a second tier of guns. " In the rear of the atxmb port and the inner basin inland, there is another basin in construction, which commu- nicates with both. This basin when finished can accommodate 20 sail of the line alongside the quay. Here are 4 docks and 5 slips. To the 1. of the great avant port there is another avant port, which leads to the steam basin, where there are 3 slips. The store- houses are large, well arranged, and close to the basins. There is also a port of refuge, leading to another steam basin, where, as in the other basins, the steamers can coal alongside the wharf. " The splendid dockyard is sur- rounded by a high wall, and the wall is again surrounded by regular fortifi- cations, with a wet ditch : and to pro- tect the works, the heights in the rear, and, indeed, all round from Tourlaville, there is a double chain of strong re- doubts. Independent of all these there is a commercial basin, with gates, in which merchant vessels lie afloat. Two piers project a considerable distance beyond the gates. Both the town and basin are outside the fortification." These works would render Cher- bourg, if not impregnable from the sea, at least very difficult to attack. On the land side it has hitherto been almost open, but the fortifications now in progress are intended to strengthen it there. The expenditure of money on the works here, including the Digue, considerably exceeds 400 millions of francs. In 1758 the English, under General Bligh, effected a descent on the coast, to the number of 7000, in the face of 16,000 French troops, who offered no effective opposition. The English forces kept possession of Cherbourg forthree days, in which time they destroyed all the naval and military works, docks, arsenals, &c., blowing them up with the powder which the French had left be- hind, burning the lock gates of the harbour and all the vessels of war and commerce. They levied a contri- bution of 44,000 livres on the town, but no injuries nor pillage of the in- habitants or their dwellings were per- mitted. To this the French themselves bear honourable testimony, acknow- ledging that the protection of the British officers prevented any outrage. All the cannon were carried off, but the bells of the ch. were conceded to the entreaties of the cure\ and allowed to remain. Cherbourg has no antiquities to show, except the Vieille Tow, which formed part of the ancient fortifica- tions, washed by the sea, and the Ch., not far from it ; both built about 1450, and neither possessing any in- terest. The Chapelle de Notre Dame du Vau, outside the town near the dockyard, owes its existence and its name to a vow made by the Empress Maude when caught in a fierce tempest, which threatened to overwhelm the vessel in which she was attempting to gain the port of Cherbourg, on her flight from the usurper Stephen, by whom she had been driven out of England. While still at her prayers, and in the agony of anticipated death among the waves, "Chante, Reine," exclaimed a sailor, " behold the land ; your prayers are heard:" and from this circumstance, it is said, the spot where the queen landed, and near to which she built the chapel, now enclosed within the dockyard, *was called Chantereine, — a name which it still retains. The pre- sent Chapel of the Vow is however modern, and stands on a different spot. Mathilda is not the only refugee sove- reign whom Cherbourg has seen within its walls at various periods.: besides Charles X., who here took a last fare- well of his country, after abdicating the throne at Rambouillet, 1830, Don Pedro, ex-Emperor of Brazil, arrived here, 1831, when driven from his states, and James II. repaired hither after the battle of La Hougue. The Hotel de Ville contains a Collec- tion of 164 Pictures, formed and be- queathed to the town by a native, Thomas Henry, himself an artist. * The best are (33) David, by Hen-era el Viejo ; (34) Christ bearing the Cross , Normandy. Route 27. — Cherbourg to St. Malo. 87 by Alonso Cano (called Murillo) ; — the majority are of the French school." — R. F. In the court-yard is a very curious chimney-piece, of the age of Louis XI., rescued from a demolished convent. Consuls reside here from Great Bri- tain and the maritime states of Europe and the United States of America. There is a Bathing Establishment on the sands, to the E. of the old Arsenal and Jetee, but it is not well appointed. The Foste cmx Lettres is on the Quai dn Port. Malleposte daily to the Paris and Rouen Rly. Diligences daily to Caen ; to St. Lo, Coutances, and St. Malo. Inferior coaches daily to Valognes ; to Barnenr; to St Vaast ; to Bricquebec. Steamers to Havre twice a week ; to Weymouth once or twice in the sum- mer. Excursions may be made to the Phare deGatteville ; Barneur,and La Hougue; to the interesting Chateaux of Martin- vaast (p. 88), belonging to the Comte Dumoncel ; of Flamanville, a splendid mansion ; of Tourlaville ; of Blangy (p. 82). Querqueville 5 m.W. of Cherbourg, is a hamlet whose name is variously derived from the oak, guercus, which once surrounded it, or, with more pro- bability, from its small Church (kerk) of St. Germain standing by the side of the parish ch. This is one of the oldest monuments of Christianity in Normandy. It is in the form of a cross ; its chancel and transepts, lighted by loophole windows, all end in apses, and all this part is of herring-bone masonry; the nave and tower were added at a subsequent period. The ornaments of the towers, stripes of stone projecting from the wall, sur- mounted by the round arch, resemble those of Barton on the Humber, Bar- nack, and others in England. The fort of Querqueville is one of the defences of the roads of Cherbourg, and its lighthouse points out the en- trance to them. 13 m. farther to the W., beyond Beaumont, the Cap la Hague (often confounded on the maps with La Hougue) stretches out towards Al- derney (called by the French Aurigny), from which island it is only 9 m. dis- tant. Both the cape and the island, as well as the Cape Flamanville, are of granite, the fundamental rock of the Cotentin, supporting the grauwacke and clay slates, which for the most part appear on the surface of that dis- trict. Opposite Cap la Hague, on a rock called le Gros du Kaz, about a mile out at sea, stands a lighthouse. The Trappist Convent at Bricquebec, and the Castle and Abbey of St. Sau- veur le Vicomte, are described in Rte. 27. ROUTE 27. CHERBOURG TO ST. MALO, BY ST. SAUVEUR, COUTANCES, GRANVILLE, AVRANCHES, MONT ST. MICHEL, AND DOL. 205 kilom.'= 127 Eng. m. Diligences daily from Cherbourg by Carentan and Coutances to St. Malo. Persons travelling in their own car- riage may vary the road back to 20 Valognes, the first post-station (p. 81), by going round by Octeville (1 m.), where is a Norman church with an octagonal tower and curious carv- ings (a Last Supper, &c, in bas-relief) older than the reign of Henry II. ; and Martinvaast (2j m.), where is a still older ch. in the same style, and un- altered, with slender half-pillars, sup- porting Ionic capitals, outside its semi- 88 Route 27. — Cherbourg to St. Mato — St. Sauveur. Sect. I. circular E. end, and a cornice of gro- tesque heads under its eaves : its lofty stone vaulted roof is supported on horse-shoe arches. It stands in a se- questered spot, with a fine old yew beside it. There is a fine Castle, still inhabited, hard by. Bricquebec (9 m. from Valognes), a village, including an ancient Castle, whose lofty donjon keep, 100 ft. high, in shape a decagon, seated on a high mound, remains tolerably perfect (date 1 4th cent.), as well as the walls of the outer enclosure. Other portions are as late as the 16th, and some as early as the 11th* cent. It belonged in turn to the families of Bertram, Paisnel (Paganel) and Es- touteville. It was taken from the last by Henry V. after the battle of Agin- court, and bestowed on his favourite William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who parted with it to ransom himself from the hands of the French. In the adjoining forest, on the hill des Grosses Roches, are three Druidical monuments of the kind called " Gale- ries Couvertes." A little more than a m. N. E. of Bricquebec is the Trappist Convent, founded 1823 by M. Onfray, on a spot of ground just cleared from the forest. Its inmates, 32 in number, of whom 12 are priests, are bound by strict vows to silence, communicating by established signs on indispensable matters, living on coarse dry bread, a few vegetables, a salad with a spoon- ful of oil, a little milk, and a bit of cheese, and one plateful of a meagre potage, which on fast-days is reduced to 6 oz. of bread in the morning and 2 or 3 at night, with a fixed allowance of herbs and roots. They are pro- hibited from wearing linen even when ill, and sleep with their clothes on, upon a straw mattress piquee, 2 inches thick. They are allowed one sort of meat when sick, but fish is forbidden. They rise daily at 2 a. m. ; and on flSte- days at 12 or 1, and spend their time in prayer, reading, and work. There is a cross-road from Bricque- bec to St. Sauveur. On quitting Va- lognes our route separates from Rte. 26, and turning to the 1. passes by Columby (a church with pointed lancet win- dows) to j 15 St. Sauveur le Vicomte, where there is a picturesque and imposing Castle of the Tessons and Harcourts, but given by Edward III. after the treaty of Bretigny to John Chandos, one of the most famous captains of the wars of Edward III. and the Black Prince. He built the square and lofty keep-tower, one of the gateways, and other portions. In the 17th century it became a hospital, and continued such down to the Revolution. Al- though falling to ruin at present, it is the best preserved feudal fortress on the Cdtentin. Here are also ruins of an Abbey, which in 1831 were being pulled down for the sake of the materials. The church was beautiful, the groundwork Norman (1067-1160), with additions, in the pointed style, of the 13th cen- tury. Between St. Sauveur and Beriers the post-road passes near the Abbey of Blanchehmde, founded by Richard die la Haye,a favourite of Henry II. (1115- 85) who had been captured by cor- sairs, and passed many years in slavery. It is beautifully situated, and consists of the abbot's house, still perfect and inhabited by a farmer, and part of the Church, in which late insertions have been added to an original Norman structure. 10 La Haye du Puits. The castle, dating from the 11th cent., the only thing of interest in this obscure little town, has been pulled down within the last 15 years to mend the roads I The last remains, a fine old machi- colated tower, have probably by this time disappeared. At Lessay is another abbey and church in the Norman style, begun in the 11th cent., but not consecrated till_ 1178. " It is of one character, plain, but grand throughout ; and pos- sesses a noble central tower. The W. portal is more ornamented than the other parts, and exhibits the dog-tooth moulding, which does not appear in England till nearly the end of the 12th century." — Knight. 18 Periers. 16 Coutances. (Inns : H. de France, dear; H. d'Angleterre, tolerable.) Normandy. Route 27. — Coutances — Cathedral. 89 Coutances, at present a somewhat lifeless town of 8957 Inhab., is built upon a nearly conical hill, the summit of which is occupied by the Cathedral, proudly predominating over other buildings, with its 3 towers. The high road, carried in a broad winding terrace along the flank of the hill, round the outskirts of the town, forms an agreeable walk, while on the oppo- site or £. side are more formal and gloomy promenades closely planted with avenues of trees. The * Cathedral is one of the finest churches of Normandy, in the early pointed style, free from exuberant ornament, but captivating the eye by the elegance of proportion and arrange- ment. " The whole is of a piece, com- plete in conception and execution. The lofty towers terminating in spires, both finished and alike, iiank its W. front." " Its interior is very lofty, more than 100 ft. from the floor to the keystone of the vault. Cluster piers divide the nave from the aisles : cou- pled pillars surround the choir (which ends in a hexagon). Most of the windows are of later date than the body of the building.,,— Knight. " The peculiarities of this cathedral are, the side porches close behind the towers ; the open screens of mollioned tracery, corresponding with the windows, which divide the side chapels ; and the exces- sive height of the choir, which has no triforium, only .a balustrade just before the clerestory windows. *The central tower is wonderfully fine in the exte- rior ; it is apparently an expansion of the plain Norman lantern as at Caen. Some of the painted glass is in the oldest style: diapered patterns in a black outline, on a grey ground." — Palgrave. A magnificent cathedral was built at Coutances in the 11th cent, with contributions partly furnished by Tan- cred de Hauteville and his 6 sons, the conquerors of Sicily and Apulia, who were natives of the diocese of Cou- tances; "it was consecrated 1056 in the presence of William Duke of Nor- mandy, 9 years before he conquered England." Some of the antiquaries of Normandy have maintained that the existing edi- fice is the one completed at that time, and have claimed in consequence foi their country the invention of the pointed style in the 11th centy. ; but as no buildings either in W. France or in England were constructed in that style until 130 years after, and as, on the contrary, all the buildings erected during that period are in the round style — for instance, the church of Lessay, only 9 m. off, consecrated 1178 — there is no reason to concede their claim. The evidence upon which they found it is, that the Livre Noir, (a mere account of the advowsons of the diocese, compiled 1250) makes no mention of the rebuilding of the church after the 11th cent There exists, however, proof, from inscrip- tions on the walls of the side chapels, that several of them were dedicated, and therefore probably built, in the latter half of the 13th cent. (1274), and it is also known that the church was nearly ruined in 1356 by the army of Geoffrey d'Harcourt, so that it must have needed serious repairs, though the record of them is lost, executed probably about the end of the 14th cent. {See Knight* s Normandy.} From the top of the fine lantern tower a view may be obtained of the sea, with the distant island of Jersey on the W., and of the rock of Gran- ville. The Ch. of St. Pierre is in the florid Gothic style of the 15th cent. The steep and narrow valley which bounds the town on the W. and is traversed by the terraced road leading to Granville, before mentioned, is crossed by the remains of an ancient Aqueduct, consisting of 5 perfect arches, and 15 piers supported by buttresses, called Les Piliera, which is also the name given to the village or suburb in which it is situated, £ m. out of Coutances. In most guide-books and descriptions of the town it is called a Roman aqueduct, but its pointed arches, its buttresses with offsets, and coarse irregular masonry, prove clearly that it is not so, but a work of the middle ages, probably monkish. It is supposed to have been erected in the 13th cent. 90 Route 27. — Hambye — Granville. Sect. T. by one of the noble family De Paisnel (Paganel.) Coaches to St. Lo (Rte. 32) daily ; to Granville 3 times a day. Those who love old Gothic ruins, either for their picturesqueness or architecture, will be repaid oy an excursion hence to the Abbey of Hambye, about 13 m. to the S.E. It may be taken on the way to Granville, making a detour of 6 or 7 m. A good road leads through a pleasing but hilly country by Mesnil l'Aubert and St. Denis le Guest, leaving Hambye VEglise J m. to the rt., to Bourg d'Hambye, a scattered village, with a small but clean cabaret, furnishing only homely fare, — coffee, milk, cheese, and cider. The old Castle of Hambye, whose keep, 100 ft. high, stood on an eminence over the Bourg, is swept away to mend the roads. Happily a better spirit is now abroad in France, and the government holds out an example to England of zeal for the preservation of the many noble or cu- rious edifices dispersed over the country. It is a pleasant walk of 1} m. from the Bourg to the Abbey, but the road thither, through narrow lanes, is prac- ticable only for light cars. The little Abbey of Hambye nestles in a retired valley, sheltered under picturesque cliffs by the side of a trout-stream (the Sienne) the beau ide*al of a monastic site. The roof and W. end are gone, the ivy begins to creep up the mouldering walls, and destruction is advancing apace, yet there is much beauty in the narrow arches which enclosed the choir, rest- ing on columnar piers, in the style of the 1 5th centy. Behind them are side chapels much older, having round and pointed arches in combination, which marks the period of transition. The tower in the centre of the cross rests on square piers which become octa- gonal below by chamfering. The con- vent buildings are now occupied by a farmer. The Chapterhouse, a double pointed vault elegantly groined, rest- ing on angular pillars and entered by a^ fine doorway deep sunk in its early English mouldings, is now turned into a woodhouse: it should be seen. 'This "bbey was founded by William de Pagnel 1145, but renovated, or pro- bably rebuilt, in the 15th cent, by Joanne de Pagnel, the last of her family, who was buried in the church with her husband Louis d'Estouteville, the defender of Mont St. Michel against the English (p. 93). Their tombs were destroyed at the Revolution. About 5 m. from Hambye is Perci, cradle of the Earls of Northumberland. The high road to Granville may be regained at Bre*hal. The direct road from Coutances to Granville has no interest. 19 Brelial. Trees diminish in size and number on approaching the sea, glimpses of which and the island of Chaussey are seen at intervals. The entrance to Granville is by a steep descent, excavated partly through a deep hollow way ; on the rt. a natural wall of rock separates the road from the sea-shore, and through a gap cut in it access is afforded to the baths and sea-beach. In front rises a high hill, its slope cut away evenly and levelled, until it is as steep and smooth as the roof of a house, in order to form a glacis for the fort on its top. A bend in the road presently discloses to view the lower town and harbour. 10 Qranvxlle. — Inn : H. du Nord, improved and good. This is a small but tolerably prosperous seaport (7600 Inhab.)* chiefly resorted to by fishing vessels, but driving some commerce along the coast and with Jersey (33 m. distant) and Guernsey. Its situation is singular, built in steps or terraces under a rocky pro- montory projecting into the sea, sur- mounted by the fort, whose presence restricts many of the buildings from rising above one story in height. Under the shelter of this eminence lies the little port, screened by it from the N. winds. A new town is gra- dually spreading itself along the low margin of this harbour, and up the banks of a stream so small that it is generally swallowed up in soapsuds, and contributes, with the filthy abomi- nations of the town itself, especially at low water, when the harbour is drained to the lees of mud, to produce a state of atmosphere barely tolerable. The Normandy. Route 27. — Granville — Avranches. 91 sombre hue of the buildings, whose walls are dark granite and their roofs black slate, renders Granville on a near examination as unattractive to the sight as to the smell, and moreover it contains no objects of interest. The stranger desirous to rescue him- self from ennui must repair to the noble JPier, begun 1828 and still unfinished, enclosing an older one in its much wider circuit. It is very strongly built, so that guns can be mounted on it. The tide rises and falls here at times from 40 to 44 feet. Steamers go hence to Jersey (in 3 hours) and to St. Malo once a week. The Church at the W. end of the town is a low gloomy building, chiefly in the late flamboyant style, though it has some round arches. It is of grey granite, even the capitals of its columns being worked in that hard stone. In order to ascend the hill above the old town it is advisable not to thread the labyrinth of filthy alleys, steep slopes, and stone steps which compose it, but to issue out by the road to Coutances, and then scale the steep slope no farther than the walls of the fort, a point which commands a good sea view. Close under the cliffs lie the baths (Salon des Bains) and reading-room, which can be ap- proached only through the breach m the rock before alluded to, leading also down to the sands, a fine smooth and broad expanse, quite shut out from the town. There are no machines ; instead of them bathers are enclosed in cases of canvas carried in the fashion of sedan-chairs, and they must walk into the water thick-clad : the ladies led by the women : the men are banished to the distance of £ m. to the N.— British Consul here. Though Granville is not a particu- larly strong place, it resisted effect- ually the attack of the peasant army of Verufeans, 30,000 strong, on their ill-fated march, N. from the Loire, in 1793, led on by the gallant Laroche- jacquelin. The inducements of the royalists to make this attempt were the hope of opening a communication by the sea with England, whose go- vernment had promisee! to send them succour ; and to secure a fortified place where they could deposit in safety the women and children, the sick and the priests, who embarrassed the opera- tions of the army. The Vendeans, being destitute of artillery to breach the ramparts, were unable to resort to a regular siege. The attempt to storm the place, though conducted with the most dashing courage, was foiled. More than once these brave soldiers gained the ramparts, sometimes sup- plying the want of scaling ladders by sticking their bayonets into the chinks of the masonry, but as often they were swept off by grape and mus- ketry from the walls and gunboats in the harbour, until at length they were forced to retire with a loss of 1800 killed. Their army never advanced farther N. ; this was the culminating point of their success, and from hence- forth they were compelled to retreat. During this attack the suburbs of the town were set on fire by the repub- lican commander of the fortress and burnt down. It is a very pretty ride from Gran- ville to Avranches ; the view obtained from the height, after crossing the wooded dell of Sartilly, of the peaked rock of Mont St. Michel, is especially striking. f About 4 m. N.E. of Sartilly is the ruined abbey of Luzerne. The granite church, in the transition style, is tole- rably perfect : it was completed 1178, except the nave, which is later. The conventual buildings, turned into a cotton-mill at the Revolution, are fast going to decay. The situation in a wooded valley is very beautiful. The road from Sartilly is wretchedly bad.] 26 Avranches. — (Inns: H. de Lon- dres ; very good, clean, and moderate : table-d'hdte 1J or 2 fr., breakfast 1 J fr. ; garden behind. This house would prove a cheap and pleasant residence for a few weeks. H. de France ; H. de Bretagne; both tolerable. H. d'An- gleterre.) Avranches (Abrancse), a town of 7269 Inhab., is now chiefly remarkable for its very beautiful situa- tion on the sides and summit of a high hill, the last of a widely extending ridge, rendered accessible for the high 92 Route 27. — Avranches. Sect. I. road by broad terraces carried up its steep slope in zigzags. *The view which you obtain in ascending, and especially that from the little mound on the 1. of the road before you enter the town, in front of the Sous-Pre'fecture, is one of the most beautiful in the N. of France. The landscape abounds in wood, with partial clearances of well-cultivated corn-land, through the midst of which winds the river, flashing in glittering pools until expanding into a broad estuary it meets the sea, which borders the horizon. But the prominent fea- ture of the view is the peaked rock of Mont St. Michel, and the twin islet of Tombeleine rising grandly from the hem of the waters. Under this mound is a Public Walk planted with trees, formerly the garden of the Archeveche, in the midst of which a statue of General Valhubert, a native of Avranches, who fell at Austerlitz, is set up. The cathedral of Avranches, one of the noblest in Normandy, and the chief ornament of the town, was pulled down to prevent its falling 1799: its site remains an open platform, com- manding an extensive view, and now named Place Huet, from the celebrated Bishop of Avranches. All traces of the church are swept away, save a sin- gle stone, la Pierre de Henri II, said to be that on which the king kneeled, a humble penitent, before the Papal Le- gates, to make atonement for the mur- der of Becket, "which had affected him more than the death of his own father or mother." After swearing on the Gospels that he had neither ordered nor desired it, he here received the Papal absolution, 1172. The stone stands at what formed part of the door of the N. transept, and is surrounded by a chain. There are some portions remaining of the old ramparts of the town with herringbone and other masonry. Another point of view, preferable perhaps, in some respects, even to that above described, is obtained from the Jardin des Plantes. There is an extensive Public Library here, containing 10,000 volumes and some old MSS., among which was dis- covered a copy of Abelard's treatise called 'Sic et Non,' published 1836 by M. Cousin. A Museum of Antiquities and a Picture Gallery have been added. The beauty of the situation, the salubrity of the air, and the cheapness of living, have rendered Avranches a favourite residence of the English, who form a considerable colony here. The English Ch. Service is performed in a room once a barrack, in the Bou- levard de l'Ouest, where it joins the Rue Sanguiere. The Post Office is in Rue St. Gervais. The interesting Excursion to Mont St, Michel may be made from Avranches in 8 or 9 hrs. Provide yourself before starting with an order from the Sous- Pre*fet "pour visiter les objects les plus curieux." A one-horse chaise costs 10 frs. In going to Pont Orson and Dol you quit Avranches by another series of zigzags overlooking the bay of Can- cale with Mont St. Michel in the midst, rising above a beautiful foreground of trees, and at Pont au Baud, at the bottom of the hill, you cross the little river Selune. At Louis, 3 m. short of Pont Orson, a cross-road turns off on the rt. to the Mont St Michel, crossing the sands, which are never covered by the sea ex- cept at spring-tides. 22 Pont Orson. Inn : Croix Verte ; tolerable ; it will furnish a horse and car for 5 or 6 fr. to go to Mont St. Michel, and this is the best point to start from. The Castle, now entirely swept away, was intrusted by Charles the Wise, 1361, to Du Guesclin, to hold as a frontier post against the English. During his absence on a foraging ex- pedition, however, it was ver^r nearly lost, through an understanding be- tween an English prisoner, Felton, and the waiting-maids of Du Guesclin's lady. The attempt was discovered, as the enemy were scaling the walls, by his sister, a stout Amazon, who overthrew the ladders into the ditch, and the treacherous waiting-maids were sewed up in sacks and drowned in the river. The interesting granite C%wrcA,partly NOBMANDY. Route 27.— Mont St. Michel. 93 Norman, with a transition W. end and pointed choir, contains, in the N. aisle, a singular series of carvings in stone, representing the Passion — but so muti- lated as to lose much of their value ; also a very old stone altar-table, with sculpture mutilated, in the N. aisle. The Maire of Pont Orson can give an order of admission to see the inte- rior of Mont St. Michel. A good macadamised road, leading from Pont Orson to *Mont St. Michel, 5 m., renders this by far the best approach to the Mount. It passes near Beauvoir and Ardevon, where are the remains of conventual farm- buildings, anciently belonging to the monks of the mount. The road ter- minates on the margin of " la Greve," i.e. the sands, extending for many square leagues all round the mount, and left bare for 4 or 5 hours by the sea, which interrupts the passage to it between 1 and 2 hours near high water. "At neap-tides (aux eaux mortes) the rock is not surrounded by water at all at any part of the day. At spring-tides (aux eaux vives) it is surrounded twice each day, and then the sea sometimes breaks into the sol- diers' mess-room." — G.B.A. The distance across the Greve to the mount is about a mile ; the driest track is firm and perfectly safe for horses or carriages, but on either side are quicksands, which render it dan- gerous to diverge. There always remain behind a few pools which would reach above the ankles of a pedestrian. There is something mys- terious and almost awful in the aspect of this solitary cone of granite, rising alone out of the wide, level expanse of sand. One might imagine it the peak of some colossal mountain just piercing through the crust of the earth, but deprived, at the moment of its appear- ance, of the geological force necessary to rear it aloft Slight as. is its eleva- tion, its isolated position in .the midst of the sea, and its heaven-pointed top, render it the prominent object of every view from the surrounding coast, and from a long distance give it the appearance of being much nearer at hand than it really is. On approach- ing it, it is found to be girt round at its base by a circlet of feudal walls and towers, washed by the sea ; above these rise the quaint irregular houses of the little town, plastered as it were against the rock, and piled one over another. Above them project the bare beds of rock, serving as a pedestal from which the lofty walls, high tur- rets, and prolonged buttresses of the conventual buildings are reared aloft, surmounted in their turn by the pin- nacles and tower of the church (now bearing a telegraph), which crowns the whole, and forms the apex of. the pyramid. Not inferior in interest to its out- ward aspect are the historical asso- ciations connected with this shrine of the Archangel Michael— the successor of Bel and the Dragon — the saint of high places. Holy hermits suc- ceeded to Pagan priests in the posses- sion of this natural temple, which Norman dukes and kings further ho- noured by building a church, and converted into a fortress almost im- pregnable in ancient times. Henry I. here effectually resisted his two elder brothers. Here Henry IT., in 1166, kept his court and received the homage of the turbulent Bretons, whom he had subdued with a strong arm. This was the only fortress which held out for the French king when all Nor- mandy was overrun by the armies, of the conqueror of Azincour ; success- fully withstanding 2 sieges, in 1417 and 1423, under the brave Louis d'Estouteville. The shrine of St. Michel was for ages visited yearly by thousands of devotees from far and near, and the records of the convent preserve the names of more than a dozen royal pilgrims who have re- paired hither to prostrate themselves as penitents before it, and to load it with their bounty. The Revolution dispersed the monks, interrupted the pilgrimage, and changed the desti- nation of the building to a Prison, in which 300 aged priests were immured until death should release them. Its prisons and oubliettes, however, are of far greater antiquity. Who has not heard of the iron cage of St. Michel, 94 Route 27. — Mont St. Mickeh Sect. I. which, though originally of metal bars, was afterwards changed to one of thick beams of wood placed 3 inches apart ? Its last occupant was an un- fortunate Dutch journalist, who was seized most unjustifiably, beyond the territory of France, for having abused the unscrupulous tyrant Louis XIV., who treated the Dutchman as he did the Italian prisoner of the iron mask. St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, which bears so remarkable a resemblance to this, though on a smaller scale, was one of the foreign dependencies of the abbey. The entrance to Mont St. Michel is by 3 gates, one within the other, the second flanked by 2 of the cannon with which the English forces of Henry V. ineffectually bombarded the mount in 1424, firing from them stone balls 1 ft in diameter. Near this the arms of the knights of St. Michel, with a lion for supporter, are seen carved in the wall: the third gate is provided with a portcullis ; outside of it is the little Inn (tolerably clean, decent cook- ery ; crabs, shrimps, and other fish may be got here). The town (so to call it) consists of one narrow, steep, and very foul-smelling lane. The best way of ascending is by the ramparts, turning to the rt. after passing the gate, up a succession of grass-grown flights of stairs "hanging to the side of the rock," provided with machicoulis at the side to annoy an enemy below. The uppermost gateway, leading into the castle convent, stands midway across a flight of steps, and is flanked by 2 bartizans or turrets ; it " is very scenic and baronial," built probably 1*257 ; but the chamber of knights and princes now re-echoes to the clank of chains and the rattle of the shuttle and beam. The present destination of the building is a prison. The formality of delivering the order for admission having been gone through at this gate, the stranger is conducted by dark mys- terious vaults and passages, up and down gloomy stairs. The convent- building, called " the Marvel," consists of 3 stories, the lower one a series of vaulted crypts, once used for stables; above this 2 noble halls, probably erect- ed by Philip Augustus, who was a great benefactor; and above all the cloister and dormitory. The * Cloisters, the most beautiful part of the building, and a gem of Gothic architecture, unique of its kind, were built between 1220 and 1228. Towards the court they are supported by a double row of pointed arches resting on thin granite pillars, leaving an ex- quisitely groined narrow vault between the rows. The pillar of one arch alter- nates with the point of the next, so as to allow a most graceful carved volute or sprig, issuing from the capital of every alternate pillar, to be seen. The spandrils of the arches are filled up with a vegetative creation of foliage, sprigs, flowers, garlands, such as is scarcely to be equalled anywhere for fanciful variety, and sharpness and excellence of execution ; the whole is surmounted by a cornice of flowers, and is in good preservation. It highly merits to be drawn in detail. The arches and carvings are of soft lime- stone brought from a distance ; all the rest of the buildings are of granite, and the rock of St. Michel itself is of that stone. The Chambre des Chevaliers, below the cloisters, is a noble hall or nave, of 4 finely-vaulted aisles, supported on 3 rows of pillars, and measures 98 ft. by 68. The chapters of the knights of the order of St. Michel, founded 1496 by the bigot Louis XI., who twice re- paired hither as a pilgrim, were held in it. This is now filled with the looms at which the prisoners are com- pelled to work, and is shown to strangers provided with a special order. La Salle de Montgomery, or monks' Re- fectory, is also a fine Gothic apart- ment. The Church of the convent consists of 2 parts, of different ages and styles. The Romanesque nave, in the massive style of the 12th cent, (about 1140), with slightly ornamented capitals and a wooden roof, is now used as a chapel for the convicts. The pointed Gothic choir is of the 15th cent. (1452-1521): — the mouldings of die arches are car- ried down into the reeding of the piers Normandy. 4 te 27.— Mont St. Michel— Dol 95 without any interruption of capitals. The arches are closed up with walls, into which curious Scriptural bas-re- liefs, such as Adam and Eve driven from Paradise, Noah's ark, &c, St. Michael killing the dragon, very gro- tesquely treated, are let in. The piers supporting the central towers having given way, owing to the injury they received from a fire, the last of the 8 or 10 conflagrations, several of them caused by lightning, which at different times have consumed the abbey, the arches of the transept are staved up by a complicated framework of timber to prevent the roof falling. Beneath the choir of the church a circle of drum-like pillars, set very close together, with one in the centre, sup- ports the superincumbent weight, and forms a curious crypt. The view from the top of the church, elevated 400 ft. above the sands, from amidst its florid buttresses and pin- nacles, now much mutilated, is curious. The Rochers du Cancale, on the coast of Brittany, the town of Avranches, and the neighbouring rock of Tombeleine, are the most conspicuous objects ; all around is, as the tide ebbs or flows, either a waste of sand, interspersed with pools and channels of rivers, or a wild expanse of tossing waves. " The sea has receded from this coast of late years, so that it barely reaches the Mount except at spring-tides, and it then rises with such rapidity as to be extremely dangerous, especially as it renders the sand quick for some dis- tance in advance of it." — J.H. P. For- merly, owing to the short stay the sea made round the walls at every tide, the castle was hardly accessible by a boat, and from this circumstance, and its amphibious position, changing twice a- dav from land to water, its strength as a fortress arose. The river Couesnon, crossed by a bridge on quitting Pont Orson for Dol, forms the boundary between Normandy and Brittany. A fertile and very pictu- resque country succeeds, well wooded ; in fact, one entire orchard, the corn- fields being invariably planted with rows of fruit-trees. A last view is ob- tained of Mt. St. Michel from a lofty hill over which the road is carried. The caps worn by the women here- abouts consist of a piece of white linen, bent like a roof, laid on the top of the head, the front, or gable, turned up in a sort of scroll, exactly corresponding with that seen on monumental effigies in English churches, of ladies of the 15th and 16th cent. 19 Dol. — Inns: La Grande Maison, not very good ; homely, but not dear ; Hdtel de Notre Dame. Dol is a remarkable town, as bearing thoroughly the aspect of ancient days : the black hue of the granite of which its houses are built, contrasting some- times with splashes of whitewash dashed over them, the heavy projecting gables, the arcades of various heights and pat- terns running under the houses, the quaintly carved granite pillars on which they rest, all give a peculiar character to the place, and offer some good bits for the artist's pencil, while he may fill a sketch-book with costumes in its market-place. It has 3990 Inhab. and a considerable corn-market held in a desecrated church (des Cannes) distin- guished by fine flamboyant W. window and a Norman nave. The chief building is the * Cathedral (before the Revolution an episcopal see), build of sombre grey granite, uniformly in the early pointed style, except the porches ; that on the S. leading into the nave being florid, and having carvings in white stone like those in the cloister of Mont St. Michel. The arches of the nave have deep mouldings, and rest ou circular piers, composed of a group of 4 columns, the inner one towards the nave being detached half-way up to the roof, where it becomes engaged like the rest. The choir, more ornamented than the nave, but in the same style, has a square E. end, like the English churches, but behind the high altar is an open arch of two divisions separated by a slender pillar admitting a view into a small Lady Chapel behind. The space above this arch is occupied by a large E. window filled with old and 96 Route 27. — Dol — Cancale — St. Malo. Sect. I. good painted glass. These are the most striking points in this fine edifice, which is worthy of attention for its similarity to the Gothic of England; indeed many of the churches of Brit- tany are said to be the work of English architects. There is an antique building called le Palais or Maison des Plaids, appa- rently Romanesque. The old *uoalls of Dol remain toler- ably perfect, wanting the gates ; many of their flanking towers and bastions are surmounted with deep machicoulis, and the whole is surrounded by a fosse. A high Terrace walk has been formed on the outside of this, and planted with trees. On the side of the town next the cathedral a view is obtained from this walk of the solitary eminence of Mont Dol, a granite rock something like Mont St. Michel, only rising out of the dry land. (See below.) These antiquated fortifications of the 15th and 16 th cent, were defended by the Vend£ans after their retreat from Granville against the Republican army, which was beat off after a bloody com- bat of 15 hours' duration, and com- pelled to retreat. The tract of land between Dol and the sea, a distance of 3 m., is chiefly marsh gained from the waters by em- bankments ; very fertile, but teeming with miasma, which, however, has di- minished of late from improved drain- age. A tremendous irruption of the sea, reclaiming its own, in the beginning of the 17th cent., overwhelmed this dis- trict. About a mile outside of Dol, and £ m. to the 1. of the Rennes road, is one of those Druidical stones, so common in Brittany, called Menhirs (see p. 105). It is known as la Pierre du Champ Dolenty a name which probably marks it as a funereal monument, perhaps on some field of blood or battle. It is a rude, skittle-shaped obelisk of grauite, a single block, 30 ft high above ground, and 8 or 10, it is said, below, rising in the midst of a cornfield, and sur- mounted by a wooden cross. On the way to St. Malo you pass on the rt. the Mont Dol, a granite rock surmounted by a telegraph, rising out of the fiat land, and most probably once an island in the bay of Mont St Michel, for the sea no doubt once extended thus far. Where the road reaches the present margin of the bay the shore is lined by a long scattered village, composed of nearly as many windmills as cottages. Not a boat can approach them, owing to the shallow- ness of the water, although the tide comes up to their doors twice a day. On the W. shore of the bay, however, is the small port of Cancale— 4880 In- hab. — visible on the rt., backed by high cliffs, famed for the oyster-beds on the Rochers de Cancale below them, whence Paris and a large part of France are supplied. In 1758 an army of 14,000 Eng- lish, under the Duke of Marlborough, landed here, but after fruitlessly sum- moning St. Malo, which was found too strong to be taken by assault, they re- embarked, having burned a few small vessels; and, as H.Walpole said, "The French learned that they were not to be conquered by every Duke of Marl- borough." 28 St. Malo. — Inns : H. de France ; rooms at 1, 2, and 3 frs. per bed ; table- d'hdte at 5, 3 frs.; dejeuner a la four- chette, 2 frs. 50 c. ; in this house Cha- teaubriand was born ;— H. de la Pais, food ; in high repute for its cuisine, 'his fortified seaport town (pop. 10,100) may be styled a little French Cadiz from its position on a rocky island (l'lle d'Aron) communicating with the mainland by a long causeway called Le Sillon : the mouth of the river Ranee, which forms the port, being separated from the open sea by the island and this causeway. The town fills the island completely, so that its picturesque walls and flanking towers, surmounted by a deep cornice of machicoulis, rise at once from the water's edge, washed by the waves ; and the houses and build- ings squeezed closely together, having no room for lateral extension, rise to the height of 5 or 6 stories above its narrow and filthy lanes. The tides rise here higher than at any other point in the Channel, viz. to an elevation of 45 to 50 ft. above low- water mark, and the harbour, which is NOBMANDY. Route 2T.—St. Malo. 97 protected by a stout pier, is drained perfectly dry at ebb, so that carriages and foot passengers cross it to go to the populous suburb St. Servan (9984 Inhab.), in places covered an hour or two before with 4 fathoms of water. But a solid wall of granite, designed to be carried across from St. Servan, with lock-gates in the centre wide enough to admit steamers and frigates, so as to retain the tide, and form a floating dock (bassin a flot) of very large dimensions, has been begun. This if finished would open a second approach from the Bennes road to St. Malo, across a bridge to be thrown over the lock-gates. These works, unfortunately, are making very little progress (1851). After an expenditure of more, than 6 millions of francs symptoms of failure have shown them- selves in the pier and quays, and it seems likely that this vast undertaking will be abandoned. The harbour is lined with a broad quay running just under the town walls, and here the steamers moor when the tide permits them to enter. The Town walls afford an almost unin- terrupted walk around the island, and the circuit may be made in J of an hour. The view out to sea is varied by the little archipelago of islands; — white, angular, bare rocks which raise their bristling heads around the roads : the larger ones crowned with forts and batteries. That called La Conchee is occupied by a strong citadel built by Vauban; and Cisambre, 6 m. off, is also strongly fortified. The smaller isles and the sunken rocks attached to them render the access to the port difficult* ' The public buildings are of no in- terest : on the side of the town nearest the Sillon, and separated from it by a bridge, is the old Castle, which, together with a large part of the fortifications, may have been constructed in the 16th cent, by Anne of Brittany, who placed over one of the towers this inscription — "Qui qu'en grogne, ainsi sera, c'est mon plaisir." The Cathedral, very ca- pacious and much modernised, has a choir something like that of Dol, and a new gaudy Gothio altar from Paris, with several marble statues worth notice. France. The sabbath is more strictly ob- served by the Malouins, and indeed in Brittany generally, than in most other parts of France. English service is performed in a small old chapel, in the suburb of St. Servan, on Sunday. The statue opposite the Hdtel de Ville is that of Duguy Trouin, a native of St. Malo (born 1673), and a naval hero of whom the French are very proud, " parcequ'il a chasse* les Anglais sur toutes les mere." The illustrious Chateaubriand first drew breath in the Rue des Juifs, No. 15, in the house which is now the H. de France, in the room marked No. 5, from the window of which the sea and his tomb are visible. The Abbe' de la Mennais, author of Paroles d'un Croyant, and Mane* de la Bourdonnais, governor of the French East Indies, who took Madras from the English, 1746, were also Malouins. On the sea-shore, by the side of the Sillon, just beyond the castle, on the rt. of the road from Dol, are Sea-baths and a Subscription Heading-room. There is a large expanse of sand extending at low water a&kfar as a little rocky island in front, well adapted for bathing, but unprovided with machines. St. Malo was bombarded by an Eng- lish fleet in 1692, and by another under Admiral Berkeley, 1695 — both times with slight result. In June, 1758, an army under the 2nd Duke of Marlborough, having landed in the Bay of Cancale, burned 80 vessels lying in the harbour of St. Malo. St. Malo flourished during the last war, when it was styled the "Ville de Corsaires," fitting out privateers to prey on the commercial ships of England ; many large fortunes were then made. The best view to be obtained of St. Malo is from the half-ruined Fort de la Cite", situated on the promontory a little to the W. of St. Servan, reached by the first turning on the rt. after you enter that suburb from St. Malo. Hence from a considerable elevation you look down upon the town, upon the singular inlets of the sea branching out into the land which form the har* hour, and on the archipelago of little I 98 Saute 29. — Caen to Tours — Falaise. Sect. I. islands grouped around its entrance. Among them the islet of Grand Bey, situated to the 3. W. of the town, chosen by Chftteaubriand for his last resting- place, and bestowed upon him by the municipality of his native town, is con- spicuous. His fellow-citizens erected a tomb on it to contain his remains. Immediately beneath the spectator on his 1. rises the triangular tower of the Solidor, a feudal fort 60 ft. high, with flanking towers at its angles, ap- proached by a drawbridge. It is now a prison. At St. Servan the Union Boarding- house is recommended; charges 5 fr. a day, or 100 fr. a month, exclusive of wine. Diligences daily to Rennes (Rte. 41) and Paris (Rte. 35), to Brest (Rte. 36), to Dinan (Rte. 41), to Dol and Caen (Rtes. 27 and 31). Steamer*, It is a pleasant excursion up the river Ranee from St. Malo to Xtinant. A small steamer ascends and returns with the ebb, when the state of the tide permits. (Rte. 41.) Steamers once or twice a week to and from Jersey, where they corre- spond with the boats to Southampton. ROUTE 29. CAEN TO TOUR8, BT FALAISE, ALENCON, AND LE MANS — RAIL. 232 kilom. = 143£ Eng. m. Diligence daily from Caen to Falaise. "Railway in progress. It branches out of the line from Paris and Rouen to Caen and Cherbourg (Rte. 25) at Mezidon, It is open from Alencon to Le Mans. St. Pierre-sur- Dives. Here is a very fine Ch. to which was formerly attached a large monastery, suppressed at the Re- volution. The towers of the W. front are fine ; one, the S., Norman, the N. in the pointed style with deeply moulded lancet windows. Some of the painted glass is apparently very old. But a much more interesting object to the student of ecclesiastical architecture is to be found at about a league hence, viz. the ch. of Viel Pont-en-Auge which belongs to the 5th to the 10th centy., and presents fine specimens of the pe- culiar masonry ("petit appareir') of that time. About 7 m. from Caen, and 2 or 3 to the rt. of the post road, lies Fontenay le Marmion, cradle of the family of Marmion. 20 Langannerie. The country for the first 2 stages is bare, open, and monotonous, until the castle of Falaise is perceived on the rt. rising out of a picturesque valley. 6 m. short of Falaise, and nearly 2 to the 1. of the road, lie the rocks of St. Quentm, sometimes called Brtche du D table, a rocky gorge bounded by pre- cipices, pinnacles, &c. It has been compared with Cheddar Clif&, only on a much smaller scale. 15 Falaise. Inns: H. du Grand Cerf ; H. de France, good. This an- cient and not very prospering town of 9580 Inhab. occupies the summit of a lofty platform, bordering on a rocky precipice, or Falaise, whence its name. One very populous suburb has ex- tended into the narrow ravine below this precipice; and another, situated at the distance of 1 m. to theE., called Guibray, now rivals the town itself in Bize and population, and is distin- guished for its Fairs established by William the Conqueror, held in August, celebrated for the horses then brought to market. Falaise is a dull lifeless town at present, having only one ob- ject of interest to the passing traveller — the Castle, one of the few real Nor- man fortresses remaining in France, the ancient seat of the Dukes of Nor- mandy, and the birthplace of William the Conqueror. It is a grand and pic- turesque ruin, occupying a command- ing position at the extremity of the town, where the platform is cut into a narrow promontory by gullies which isolate it on 3 sides, rendering it a place of great strength, until the in- vention of gunpowder. To this it was indebted for the 9 sieges which it had to endure. The approach to it is be- hind the modern Hotel de Tille. A college or grammar school has been planted within the exterior court. A grassy terrace walk along the ramparts, shaded with trees, leads to the Norman Donjon Keep, an oblong square, whose walls, supported by high and massy buttresses, rise abruptly from the edge of the precipitous rocks de Norrou* It Normandy. R. 29. — Falaise. 31. — Caen to Rennes. 99 1b now a mere shale, partly filled with rubbish ; its walls show traces of herringbone masonry, and retain se- veral round-headed windows, of 2 lights supported on short pillars, and having capitals carved with Runic knots. In one corner a cell is shown in which, according to the tradition, the Conqueror was born. From those windows and ruined walls you look down into the Val d'Ante, so called from the small stream which runs through it, crowded with mills and tanneries. It was while gazing upon this seene, according to the tradition, that Duke Robert, the father of the Conqueror (like David of old), first espied Arlotte, the tanner's fair daugh- ter, and became at once so smitten with her charms, that he made her his mistress, and continued faithful to her until death. The keep is surpassed in elevation by Tatbotfs tower, a cylinder of beau- tifully smooth and perfeet masonry, rising beside it to a height of more than 100 ft., crowned with a rim of broken machicoulis. Its walls, 15 ft. thick, enclose a winding stair leading to the top, and a well opening into each of the 5 vaulted stories. The chapel is converted into a powder magazine. This tower is supposed to have been built by "Valiant Talbot," who was lord warden of the "Marche Normande," after the capture of Falaise by Henry V., between 1418 and 1450. Henry assaulted the castle from the top of the still loftier cliff Mont Mirat, on the opposite side of the ravine, where traces of his intrenchments still remain: the siege lasted more than 4 months. On the other side of the castle is a relic of another siege, viz. the breach in the wall by which Henri IV. carried the fortress by assault, after 7 days of cannonade, in 1589. A bronze equestrian statue of Wm. the Conqueror was set up by his fellow townsmen in 1851, in Trinity-square, lit the foot of the Castle. He is repre- sented in the attitude of leading on his followers to invade England! The churches are not remarkable. A considerable portion of the old town walls remain, running round the edge of the ravines, through which the stranger may ramble agreeably, either upwards into the suburb of Val d'Ante, the birthplace of the Conqueror's mo- ther, below the castle keep, or, issuing out of the picturesque " Porte des Cor- deliers," the only gate remaining per- fect, he may follow the direction of the Ante downwards through shady lanes, and re-enter the town by the dismantled Porte St. Laurent. There are some old houses and picturesque huts in the suburb Guibray. The Saturday market exhibits a larger collection and greater variety of quaint old Norman female headdresses than any other in Normandy perhaps. There are several cotton-mills in the vicinity, and the weaving of nightcaps occupiesa considerable number of hands. Railway in progress to 22 Argentan. — Inn: Trois Maures (?). A town of 6147 Inhab., on the Orne, surrounded by ramparts. Rail, opened 1857 to 23 S&z (in Rte. 21). 21 Alencon Stat (in Rte. 35). The rly. was opened hence to Le Mans, 1856, 56 kit. = 34 m.; 4 trains daily in about 1} hrs. It has 5 bridges over the Sarthe. 10 Bourg-le-Roi Stat. 6 La Hutte Stat. 6 Fresnay. 6 Vivoin Stat. 10 Mont Bizot Stat. 17 Neuville Stat. 9 Le Mans Stat, (in Rte. 46). Rly. to Tours to be open in 1857. 21 Ecommoy. — Jim: Poste. 20 Chateau du Loir. — Inn: Poste. The Castle, after which this village is named, is gone; it was built 1080 by Robert JEveille-chien, Due d' Anjou. The cliffs near this are hollowed into caves, serving partly for houses to more than 100 poor families, partly as cellars for the richer. 20 La Roue in Touraine. 20 TotJRS (in Rte. 53). ROUTE 31. CAEN TO EENNES, BY VIBE, MOBTAIN, AND FOUGERES. 171 kilom. = 106 Eng. m. 2 Diligences daily. r 2 100 Route 81. — Caen to Rennet — Vire — Mortaht. Sect. T: The road conducts through some of the most pleasing scenery in Nor- mandy; at first it ascends the valley of the Odon, in which lies 13 Mondrainville. We now enter the Bocage of Normandy, a pretty wooded district, situated about the source of the Orne, Odon, and Vire. 12 Villars Bocage; here is an hos- pice, founded 1366 by Jeanne Bacon, of Mollay. 15 MenilauZouf. 12 Vire (Inns: H. St. Pierre, clean and moderate, fine view ; Cheval Blanc, not good), a picturesque an- tique town (pop. 8000), the capital of the Bocage, situated on a lofty emi- nence, bordered by ravines. A Norman Castle occupies the extreme point of the promontory, naturally inaccessible on 3 sides, owing to the precipices which surround it; and on the 4th originally separated from the town by a deep ditch. It is now reduced to the fragment of the tall keep, a con- struction of the 11th cent., having been dismantled 1630, by order of Richelieu, but its ruins are preserved, and surrounded by a sort of dusty pleasure-ground or plantation belong- ing to a private individual. It com- mands a view of the country around, streaked with long lines of " tenters " upon which cloth is hung, and especi- ally of the 2 valleys beneath it, called, par excellence, Les Vaux de Vire, whence comes the word Vaudeville, originally applied to the merry and humorous drinking songs composed among these valleys by one Oliver Basselin. He was a native of Vire, and owner of a fulling-mttf, which still remains at no great distance from the town. He flourished in the 15th centy., and is reported to have been present at the battle of Formigny. His chansons, chiefly in praise of good wine and his native province, soon became so popular over France, that their name was transferred to those truly national dramas peculiar to the French stage, in which the plot or story is carried through chiefly by songs. In the narrow and steep streets of Vire may be found many specimens of ancient domestic architecture, well adapted for the artist's sketch-book. The Ch. of Notre Dame is a fine build' ing; but the chief boast of Vire are the walks in and about it. Terraced paths are carried up the hill side amidst thickets and plantations, commanding at intervals very pleasing views. The valleys in the neighbourhood, generally shut in by craggy heights and copse-covered slopes, abound in mills of paper and cloth, in which the clothing for the French army is made. This gives employment to half the inhabitants of Vire. On the 10th of August the "F6te des Drapiers" is celebrated here, and more than 10,000 persons assemble under the apple trees, which are illuminated at night for the occasion. Vire has a gastronomic celebrity for chitterlings (andouilles)and for pastry* Diligences, several daily, to Av- ranches through a beautiful country, "rich swelling hills, green meadows, and vast seas of waving wood. The first view of Avranches, about 8 m. before you get there, with the rich foreground, the spire of the town crowning the height, . and the sea be- yond, with Mont St. Michel rising out of it, is truly striking." — W. J. [10 m. S.E. of Vire is Tinchebray, where Robert of Normandy succumbed in battle to his younger brother Henry, 1106. This victory secured a throne to the one prince, and a prison for life to the other.] 13 Sourdeval. 10 Mortain. (Inn: La Poste, opposite the Ch. ; not bad, but not clean.) Mor- tain, a decayed and lifeless town, occu- pies a position nearly resembling that of Vire, and at least equally romantic. "The valleys are narrower, the steeps more rocky and better wooded; the river at the bottom is more consider- able, and a wide extent of distant Cam- pagna is seen through the jaws of the ravine. The whole scene put me in mind of Italy and of Tivoli, and the cascades which we heard from above and visited afterwards helped to keep up the resemblance." — G. Knight. " You descend to the side of the old Castle, but .when you arrive there you find it a most suitable spot for an eagle's nest. A jutting cliff, only con- nected to the height by a narrow ledge Normandy. Haute 32. — Bayeux to Avranches — St. Lo. 101 of rock, afforded just space enough for a feudal fortress. The strength of this fortress made it once a place of im- portance. Here dwelt the brothers and the sons of kings of England." The whole of this venerable structure has been levelled with the dust, and in its place now rises the staring modern Sous-Prefecture. The Collegiate Ch. has been ground- lessly pronounced to be a work of the year 1082, when a church is known to have been founded here. But the only fragment remaining of that epoch is a circular doorway leading into the nave on the S. side, ornamented with zigzags and saw-tooth ornaments ; the rest is of the pure and unmixed early pointed style of the 13th cent., and the clumsy junction of the new wall around the old circular portal is very apparent. The arches of the nave rest on thick short pillars; those of the choir are narrower. About a mile out of the town, seated j in a secluded valley, is the Abbaye Blanche, founded 1105. The Church, restored with care 1850, is in the Transition style, round-headed win- dows alternating with pointed. An early pointed cloister also remains tolerably perfect. The abbey is now a Seminaire for the education of priests. The Cascades of Mortain are the finest, and indeed almost the only ones, in Normandy. About 8 m. from Mortain are the ruins of the Abbey of Savigny, b. 1 173, in the Transition style, but partaking more of the round than pointed cha- racter. 15 St. Hilaire du Harcouet is the entrepot for the agricultural and ma- nufacturing produce of a large part of Brittany: — its markets are greatly fre- quented. The frontier of Brittany is crossed about 4 m. to the N. of 11 Louvigne\ At the door of the present posthouse M. de Lescure, the Vendean chief,, died of his wounds, and was buried at the road-side — site un- known. 16 Fougeres. — Inn: H St. Jacques. This town (4635 Inhab.), once a fron- tier fortress, the key of Brittany on the side of Normandy, "is full of pictu- resque interest. The old town, built on a steep acclivity, shows traces of the Middle Ages; the ancient arcades still obtrude in places upon the streets. It is still surrounded by antique ram- parts. There is a Church of some archi- tectural interest, and a charming promenade, on a high eminence com- manding romantic prospects." — G. Attached to the town walls, at the lower end, is the huge and picturesque ruined Castle t of which the Donjon, built by Olivier de Clisson, and la Tour de Melusine, so named by the former owners, the Lusignans, from the Fair M„ from whom they claimed descent, are the oldest parts of the castle ; the rest of the 14th and 16th cent. ; and the outer towers and cur- tains are still later. Its approaches and defences are very curious. In 1794 Fougeres was seized by the Vendeana. 20 St. Aubin du Cormier. Near this La Tr&nouille gained a decisive vic- tory, in 1488, over Francis II. Duke of Brittany, the Duke of Orleans, after- wards Louis XII., and others, who had leagued against the Crown, 10 Liffre*. 18 Rennes (in Rte. 35). ROUTE 32. BAYEUX TO ST. LO AND AVRANCHES. 90 kilom. = 55} Eng. m. Diligences daily. 13 Vaubadon. The road traverses a portion of the extensive forest of Cerisy. The Abbey of Cerisy, one of the most considerable in Normandy in olden time, lies on the rt. of the road. The church still exists, an early Norman building of the same plain character as St. Stephen's at Caen (p. 73). It was founded 1030, by Robert Duke of Normandy, and com- pleted by his son William the Con- queror. 21 St. Lo (Inns : Soleil Levant ; named from St. Lo, or Laudus, who lived in the 6th centy., and came from this part of Normandy, is pic- turesquely situated, and its Cathedral, standing prominently on the brow of the hill, has an imposing appearance, with its double towers and spires, but as a building it is not of much inter- est. The W. end is florid, of the 15th 102 Route 33. — fougeres to Dinan. Sect. I; centy. ; it has three fine porches, but the upper part is defective and irregu- lar; and, as well as the choir, exhibits marks of slovenliness in its builder. The nave is better, in the pointed style of the 12th centy. Outside the Church, in the N.E. angle, is a fine stone pulpit, with a pyramidal canopy over it. Charlemagne founded here, in the 9th centy., the once celebrated Abbey of St. Croix ; but this building was swept away at the invasion of the Northmen, and the present Eglise de St. Croix, a very curious edifice in the early Norman style, does not appear older than the 11th centy. The nave arches rest on pillars, and the S. side is plainer, and apparently older than the N. Over the round-headed door- way at the W. end is a bas-relief repre- senting St. Lo restoring sight to a blind woman. The adjoining conventual buildings are of late dates. St. Lo is chef -lieu of the Dept. de la Manche, and numbers 8941 Inhab. ; it has a manufacture of fine cloth, but possesses no great attraction to the stranger. There is a small terraced platform to the W. of the cathedral, called Petite Place, which commands a view of the vale of the Vire. The mo- dern H. de Ville is built with consi- derable taste in the style of the Renais- ance. The Haras, Government Stud for improving the breed of horses,! de- serves notice. There are 100 stallions here. Diligences twice a day. to Coutances (Rte. 27 ), passing within a short dis- tance of flauteville, the humble village which sent forth the bold Baron Tail- ored and his six sons to conquer Sicily and Apulia. On the way from St. Lo to Vire (Rte. 31) lies the town of Torigni. The building now used as an Hotel de Ville is one wing of the Cha- teau of the family of Matignon, Counts of Torigni, one of whom, by marriage with Louisa Grimaldi, became Prince of Monaco. In 1793 the building was turned into a prison, and the park, ter- races, and gardens sold piecemeal. The Ch. of St. Laurent is early Nor- man, and that of Notre Dame retains traces of the same style. The road from St. Lo to Avranches lies through 19 Villebaudon. The little humble village Perci was the cradle of the ancestors of the house of Northum- berland. 15 Villedieu les Poelee derives the adjunct to its name from the number of coppersmiths, who drive a thriving trade in pots, pans, and other articles, which the French call dinanderies and quincailleries. These artificers were originally settled here by the Knights Templars, who employed them in making decorations for churches. Here are many furnaces for melting the copper, and mills for rolling it into sheets. 22 Avranches (Rte. 27). ROUTE 33. FOUGERES TO DINAN. 80 kilom. A fine view of Mount St. Michel be- fore reaching Autrain, on the road between Avran- chances and Rennes. Bazouges la Perouse. In the Church is a fine painted window of the life of Christ, preserved from destruction 1591 (as appears by the parish register) by a ransom of 180 livres, paid to an English leader of marauders. On the way to Combourg, at the roadside, stands a Menhir, La Pierre Longue. Combourg, a poor small town, famed for its sausages and horse-fair, 18m. from St. Malo. The Castle has belong- ed to the Chateaubriands for 150 years, and before them to the Durases. Cha- teaubriand, the author and minister of Louis XVIII., spent part of his boy- hood here, and his chamber and study remain unaltered. It is a square build- ing with towers in the 4 corners, en- closing a small court: it is in perfect preservation, with its wall-galleries, and loopholes. The present entrance, by a long flight of steps, is modern. 4 m. from Dinan, in the midst of a thick wood (rt.), are the ruins of the Castle of the ancient family of the Coetgvens, the last of whom was the Duchesse de Duras. Beneath are large subterranean dungeons. Lanvanay. The viaduct is crossed to reach Dinan. (Route 41.) ( lO* ) SECTION IL BRITTANY. INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION. 1. Character of the Country. 2. People. 3. Language. 4. Celtic Remains classified. 5. Superstition. 6. Churches, Carvings, Flamboyant Gothic, Bone-houses, Kersanton Stone. 7. Connection with England. 8. Chouannerie. 9. Books to con- sult. 10. Tow of Brittany. 11. Accommodation for Travellers. PAGE 109 120 ROUTE 34 Paris to Rennes, by Versailles, Rambomllet, Chartres, Le Mans, and Laval (Railway) . . . 35 Paris to Remiss, by Versailles, Dreux, Verneuil, Alencon, and Laval (Railroads to Ver- sailles) 36 Rennes to Brest, by St. Brieuc and Morlaix 124 St. Brieuc to Brest, by Paim- pol, Lannion, Morlaix, St. Pol de L$on, and Folgoat . . . St. Malo to Nantes, by Dinan, Rennes, and Chdteaubriant. — Ascent of the Ranee . * . 38 41 132 137 ROUTE 42 Morlaix to Nantes, by Huel- goat, Carhaix, Pontivy, Jos- selin, and Ploermel .... 44 Brest to Nantes, by Quimper, Xorient, Auray, the Druidical remains of Carnac and Locma- riaker, Vannes, and Roche Ber- Ttarw • • i . . . . . . •45 Rennes to Vannes, by Ploer- mel.— Excursion to Carnac . 46 Le Mans to Mantes, by Angers 47 Dreux to Argentan, by l'Aigle PAGE 141 144 15 153 165 1. There can scarcely be a more abrupt contrast to the smiling land of Normandy than that presented by the neighbouring province of sombre, poverty-stricken Brittany. Here we find an atmosphere of mist and moisture ; and a soil based on hard granite, best fitted for heath, furze, and broom, the very broom ( genet) which supplied our first Plantagenet with his crest and name. In many points the country bears a strong resemblance to Scotland; the same wide, barren moors, the same deep and picturesque wooded dells and storm-beaten coasts. Here, however, are no grand lofty mountain chains like the Grampians : the highest ridges of the Menez- Aires hills, the back-bone of the peninsula of Brittany, rarely surpass 1200 ft. above the sea-level. 2. In civilization it is behind almost every other part of France: its inhabitants are of Celtic origin, speaking a language of their own, allied to, and, indeed, essentially the same as, the Welsh and Cornish, so that Breton sailors landing on our coasts can make themselves understood by the Welsh there. It is exclusively spoken to the W. of a line drawn from the point of Finisterre through Chatelaudran and Pontivy; the "Vrai Bretagne Brettonnante," as Froissart calls it, to distinguish it from "La Bretagne Douce," where French is spoken. One of the principal objects of interest and study for the stranger in Brittany is its inhabitants, who have been kept distinct from the rest of France by position as well as difference of language. The peasantry are almost as wild as their country, excessively quaint in their costume, wearing broad-brimmed hats and flowing hair, and in some districts trunk hose (bragous bras = breeks) of the 16th cent. ; in others wrapped up in goat-skins, like Robinson Crusoe, a costume which they retain as it was handed 104 § 2. — Brittany — Character of Country and People. Sect. II. down from their ancestors. They are usually mean and small in their persons ; coarse-featured in face; squalidly filthy in their habitations; rude and unskilful in their agriculture. They are almost unchanged in their manners, customs, and habits : modern innovation has not entirely rubbed off the rust of long- continued habit; old legends and superstitions still retain their hold on the popular mind. They present a curious picture of a primitive state of society; and if a century behind their neighbours in what is called improvements, they are at least not corrupted by revolutions and commotions. In no part of France are the people, both of upper and lower orders, more observant of their religious duties, of festivals, fasts, &c. ; nowhere are the churches so thronged. " There is much picturesque beauty in Brittany, though of a character not so imposing at first sight as that of countries moulded on a grander scale. Scenery of great and winning loveliness is to be found on the banks of the Trieux, the Lannion, the Chateaulin, and the Ranee, and in many other secluded and scarcely accessible valleys, where the 'broomie knowe/ the wooded dell, and the rocky cliff alternately border the brawling mountain torrent, as it flashes along its stony bed, or is pent up in the still pool of an old water-mill, which looks as if it had stood untouched (as it has perhaps) from the time of the ' good Duchess Anne.' The quaint ana1 antique aspect of the buildings adds much to the picturesque character of the country! Some, as in Dinan, Morlaix, Quimper, &c., are framed of timber, with projecting stories resting on gro- tesquely carved brackets ; but generally the houses both in the towns and vil- lages are of grey granite, with massive round or ogee arched imposts to the doors, and windows,, often enriched with Gothic mouldings; and presenting, from the peculiar colour and grain of the stone, an appearance of antiquity even in buildings recently erected. The churches again are features of great interest and beauty scattered profusely over the country, and many a ruined castle or tower, or dilapidated, ' manoir ' with its old avenue, huge granite portals, round turrets, and 'extinguisher' roofs, recalls the days of the Breton chivalry. Add to these characteristic features, that the country is usually very intricate and thickly wooded, the enclosures being small and surrounded by high earthen banks, upon which, from six to ten feet above the level of the road or field, grows a close phalanx of timber-trees, oak, elm, or ash, gnarled and pollarded into grotesque forms, and intercepting all view, so as to give rise to constant excitement, as the scene changes almost at every step that the traveller advances." — G. P. 8. "The Bretons are impetuous and violent in their temper, and give way to furious bursts of passion when angry. Their way of living is homely and frugal to a degree, even when in circumstances to afford better fare. Of drink they unquestionably are fond, but it is not a regular habit with them to indulge in strong potations — water is usually drunk at meals, and cider in small quan- tities on Sundays and feasts. Wine is hardly ever tasted in the province, but brandy is cheap and good, as in other parts of France. They live much upon buckwheat, made into cakes, and mix rye with their wheat into a coarse meal, which forms a dark-coloured bread; these, with savoury esculents, and at times salt-fish and meat, constitute the staple of their subsistence. With a climate unfavourable to production, or rather to the maturity of their produce (for the sun is even more coy in Brittany than in the British Isles), and a soil generally of a cold wet character, the Bretons labour under far greater difficulties than their Norman neighbours as to tillage. Yet if they would be guided by wise advice, much progress might be imparted to their well-doing. Even now some improvements have obtained, especially since 1834, and capital is finding its way to the land, although most commonly in the shape of a loan to the occupant, who pledges his land for the amount. When a Breton saves a little money, he buyB more land, if he can; he never seeks to apply more money to the land he has already under culture. The most perceptible feature of difference, perhaps, Brittany. § 4. — Brittany — Celtic Remains. 105 between Normandy and Brittany, is that, in the former, large and commodious farm-buildings are observed around the farmer'* dwelling, whilst in Brittany it is rare to see a barn, or granary, or any roomy out-house — in short, the Bretons pursue the wasteful habit of threshing out their corn in August, and housing it in the grain; paying enormously for such labour (to an ambulant class called "les batteurs"), and losing the otherwise valuable season of warmth and day- light for cleaning and working the soil against seed-time. But having no barns, they must do this. Stacking is unknown, and besides, there is no sheltered floor for threshing on in winter; the threshing grounds, as in Italy (here termed "aires"), are in the open space adjoining the cultivator's dwelling, and are composed of bare earth, swept clean. It is a pretty incident in rural life when you behold all the family at this work, in fine weather, singing as the flail twirls to enliven their toil ; but the inconceivable drawback which it forms to profit- able farming obtrudes itself upon the mind of the traveller and impairs his pleasure at this primitive pastoral picture." "The indescribable forms of many of the caps worn by the Bretonnes are worth remarking. Both Norman and Breton caps are pleasing auxiliaries to the scenery, which they enliven by their snowy whiteness. Old point lace is not unfrequently discerned on peasant heads, and these curious and costly 'coiffures' sometimes adorn the brows of more than one generation in turn. When caught in the rain the women instantly cover their fine caps over with a coloured handkerchief. It is the Bretons who chiefly man the navy of France : their qualities are eminently suited to the seafaring life, and the perseverance and patient courage they display stand out in contrast with the natives of other provinces of France, and denote a totally different origin." — G. 4. Of Ancient Monuments of different ages there is no lack in Brittany, and, above all, of Celtic Remains ; those extraordinary masses of rude unhewn stones whose objects, age, and uses have never been satisfactorily accounted for, but which are supposed to have been in some way connected with the religion of the Druids, and their number would prove this country to have been the chief seat of that mysterious worship. In Great Britain we possess a few, and, above all, we have in Stonehenge a more stupendous monument than any elsewhere; but in Brittany the number is enormous ; almost every wild heath possesses one or more. They are most numerous, however, on the storm-beaten promontories and islands of the W. coast ; especially in the Morbihan, which includes the wondrous stony array of Carnac and the monstrous granitic obelisks of Lok* mariaker, larger than any single blocks at Stonehenge, but now fractured. These rude Remains are of several different kinds, distinguished by the fol- lowing names : — a. Menhir (literally long stone : Ir-min-Sul; long stone of the sun) is a mono- lith in the form of a rude obelisk set upright on one end, whose height much exceeds its breadth. There is a menhir near Dol which rises 30 ft. above the ground, but the largest specimen of this class known is at Plouarzel, near Brest; it exceeds 42 ft. in height. Those at Lokmariaker, now laid prostrate and broken by violence, were more than 60 ft. high, and were thick in proportion. b. Peulven (pillar of stone), an upright stone of inferior height to the menhir; the single stones at Carnac are generally of this class. c. Dolmen (from "taal," table, and "maen," or men, stone), in England commonly called Cromlech, is an arrangement of rude blocks, by which one or more upright stones are made to support a horizontal block or slab. Some- times they nearly resemble a table; the upright stones serving merely as props or legs, and are called in French pierres levies, or pierres couvertes; at others the supporting stones are wide slabs, so arranged as to fit close to one another, and so lofty as to allow a man to walk upright beneath the horizontal roof -stone which they support. Kits Coity House in Kent is an instance of this kind, and there are others in Cornwall, but they are far inferior in size to those of Brittany, |3 106 § 5. — Brittany — Celtic Remains, Sect. 31. which are often 60 or 80 ft. long. The French sometimes call them " aUees couvertes." # d. Kistvaen is similar to the Dolmen, inasmuch as it consists of two rows of upright stones supporting fiat blocks; but the stones are smaller, and the whole structure lower and longer; it appears to correspond with the " Hunnengraber " of North Germany. The most remarkable example is on the island Gavre Innis near Lokmariaker. e. Oalgal is a tumulus, barrow, or cairn ; the largest known is the Butte de Tumiac on the shore of the Sea of Morbihan. The Celtio remains are not confined to Brittany, though most numerous there ; they occur almost invariably on some flat open plain at a distance from the hills, in situations corresponding with Salisbury Plain and Dartmoor in England. Brittany appears, like our Mona, to have been the sacred land of the Gauls, the centre of their worship, to" which probably the various nations and tribes repaired on pilgrimage at stated times to pay their devotions. Of the particular destination or object of these rude elevations in general, or of the individual uses of the different classes enumerated above, no satisfactory explanation has been offered. The accumulated ranges, the long avenues of stones of Carnac and Erdevan, amounting to thousands in number, may have stood in the place of temples where rites of initiation and purification similar to the Grecian mysteries may have been performed. The upright solitary menhir may have been a symbol of some individual deity, as the sun ; the dol- men may have served as an altar or shrine, and the galgal and kistvaen were probably monumental. Equally unexplained are the mechanical means by which a rude people contrived to transport, and to elevate one above another, such huge masses. 5. Their mysterious influence is not yet, by any means, effaced from the mind of the lower orders in Brittany. The first teachers of Christianity in this region found this attachment to superstition so strong, that, after in vain attempting to eradicate it by overthrowing and destroying these rude stones, they altered their plan to that of engrafting, to a certain extent, their own faith upon the old idolatrous worship of stones and fountains, converting the dolmen into a chapel, and making the menhir serve as a pedestal to a crucifix, which it commonly does even to the present day. The influence of paganism lingered long in these remote wilds, attached as it was to visible objects : indeed, the inhabitants of Ouessant are said to have been idolaters until within 150 years. Hence has arisen a strange jumble of Paganism and Romanism; thus pilgrim- ages are made to fountains by those who desire to be relieved from some malady, by pouring its holy water over the affected part : and visits are paid in the depth of night to some solitary menhir by the barren woman, who hopes to become fruitful by rubbing her bosom against the hard stone. Some of these inanimate objects also are supposed to possess virtue to cure the diseases of cattle. Heathen divinities were replaced by saints, of which the number in Brittany exceeds that of any other part of Romanist Europe; most of them are peculiar to the country, their names being unknown elsewhere, and their canonization conferred rather by the popular voice than with the authority of the Pope. Almost every church has its own strange legend, and on its saint's day a pilgrimage or Pardon is celebrated, when indulgence for past sins is obtained, and the penitent pilgrims are no sooner shrived than they begin to run up a fresh score, at the riotous festivities which follow these assemblies. These pardons, or village festivals, which are nearly equivalent to the German kirchweih, the Flemish kermes, and the English wake, deserve the attention of strangers, from the illustrations they afford of Breton life, manners, and costume. 6, In Ecclesiastical Monuments Brittany is not so well furnished as Normandy, Brittany. § 6. — Brittany — Gothic Architecture. 107 but the architecture is of a different style, chiefly the florid or flamboyant Gothic, and of a much later period : indeed, even in architecture, Brittany seems to have been behind the rest of the world, and the fashions of building only reached it when superseded in other parts. The following excellent remarks apply generally to all parts of France, yet will not be out of place here. " The most obvious characteristics of the Flamboyant style are the flat 3-oentred arches of doorways, the entire independence of different pilasters upon the same pier as regards the vertical height of their base mouldings, the scrupulous interpenetration of different mouldings, and the absence of capitals if the arch mouldings are continued on the pier, or their' dying gradually into the pier by penetration if they are not continued on it." — G. B. A. There are some peculiarities in "the Breton style," which render it well worthy the attention of architects. In elaborateness and profuseness of ornament, in the minuteness and delicacy of carving, especially of the foliage (for the figures are inferior), there are some churches in Brittany which yield to few in any part of Europe. As instances may be mentioned those of Folgoat near Brest, St. Pol de Leon, which is remarkable for its exquisite spire, The'ogoneo near Morlaix, St. Herbot near Poulahouan, and the cathedral of Nantes, The Department of Finisterre is the quarter in which churches more espe- cially abound, and it is quite as profusely supplied as Lincolnshire, and many of the village churches are of unusual size and richness. "In the churches near Brest, instead of building a tower with 4 walls, containing windows or panel work, the practice seems to have been to raise stages or floors, one upon another on open arches, so as to make a kind of square pagoda, not contracting in dimensions, through which in certain directions the light is seen and the arch piers look comparatively small. This peculiarity deserves attention from architects." — G, B. A. Several of the churches, even in remote situations, as at St. Herbot, are decorated internally with carvings »» wood and stone ; roodlofts still exist at Folgoat, St. Fiarre le Fahouet (of oak painted and sculptured), Lambader, &c, though scarcely found elsewhere on the continent : painted glass is also by no means uncommon. These very gorgeous churches of Brittany were erected principally from the end of the 14th to the beginning of the 16th cent. Formerly the churchyards and even roadsides were adorned with Crucifixes of most elaborate execution, and comprising a multitude of figures ; "most of them suffered by the Revolution, but many exquisite examples remain almost as perfect as those of Plougastel near Brest, St. Theogonec, &c, and hardly a single point of intersection of two roads can be passed which is not marked by a more or less mutilated cross, oftentimes restored by the piety of the present generation." — G. P, S. The Bone-house or Reliquaxre will be constantly found in the Breton church- yards, and illustrates a curious custom. To allow "the rude forefathers of the hamlet " to repose quietly in the grave is opposed to the ideas of piety and affection in these rude people : after a certain number of years the survivors are required to show their remembrance and respect for their parents and relations by removing the skulls and bones from the coffin and placing them in the Ossuary, — where the former are arranged on shelves, open to the view of all, each with the name or initials in black paint written across the fleshless brow. There is a curious Reliquaire in St. Herbot. One cause of the profuse decoration of these churches, and of their excellent preservation, may be referred to the materials employed— *a greenstone, peculiar to Brittany, called Kersanton (St. Anthony's house), remarkable for the facility with which it is worked, and its tenacity in withstanding the weather. It is believed to be a hornblende rock, with a mixture of oxide of iron, in particles minutely disseminated. It is found only in two localities, on the W. of the harbour of Brest, near the escarped rocks of Quelern, between the river of 108 § 10.— Skeleton Tour of Brittany. Sect. IT. Faou and that of Landerneau. It is regarded as volcanic, both from its com- position and because the rocks adjacent to it show marks of dislocation, caused apparently by its intrusion. The weather has scarce any destructive effect on it, even after the lapse of ages; and its peculiarly bright green colour gives to a portal carved out of it the appearance of being cast in bronze. Of churches in the Romanesque or Norman style the examples are few; among them are the church of Dinan and the chapel of Lanleff, which, after all the dis- putes of learned antiquaries respecting its origin and great age, is probably merely an equivalent to the round churches of England. The cathedral of Dol nearly corresponds in style to the Early English ; and the tradition of the country attributes it and some of the later churches to English architects. This is not surprising, considering the long and early connection between Great Britain and Little Britain to the S. of the Channel — Armorica, as it was styled, which the careful researches of historians and philo- logists have proved to have been colonised by natives of Britain after the 6th century, partly during the Roman dominion, partly after the invasion of the Saxons. From Brittany, -if we believe the native traditions, we derive our most popular romances, our nursery and fairy tales. Arthur here held his court with the Knights of the Round Table ; and the cradle of Merlin was on the lie de Sein, a low sand-bank in that stormy sea La Baie de Trepasses. 7. Many of the names of places closely resemble those of Wales and Cornwall. Brittany also has its Coumouaille, equally celebrated with our own for wrestling matches, still held annually, at which the true Cornish hug is said to be given; and for wreckers, whose infamous trade is promoted by the ever-raging sea and iron-bound coast. The Droit de Bris, right of "jetsam and flotsam/' is, how- ever, nearly abolished in France as in England : and the time is past when a race or whirlpool was as productive to a landlord as a mine or fishery. English armies have fought and bled on this soil of Brittany; and the chivalric heroes of our history, Edward III., Chandos, Sir Walter Manny, were opposed to no unworthy antagonists in the Du Guesclins and Clissons. In the castle of Elven, Henry of Richmond passed 15 years of his youth, though a prisoner, yet protected from the vengeance of the Yorkists. A perusal of Froissart will be a good preparation for a visit to Brittany. 8. Brittany, old-fashioned in all things, is still the stronghold of that old- fashioned virtue, loyalty to its sovereign ; and, besides sharing in the horrors and glory of the war in support of the legitimate monarch, which had its rise in La Vendee, was the seat of a hard-fought contest of its own, called La Chouannerie, from the cry, "chou, chou," in imitation of the night-owl, the signal for onset among the Breton peasantry, originally employed as a sign by smugglers in their nocturnal expeditions. Memorials or recollections of these struggles will be encountered by the traveller at every step. 9. Those who desire full information respecting the antiquities, customs, legends, and poetry of the Bretons should read Souvestre's excellent work, ' Les Derniers Bretons,' and Freminville's * Finisterre and Morbihan/ For its churches and Druidic remains consult Merim&e, 'Sur les Monumens de l'Ouest de la France ;' for its history, Daru : — and Mrs. Stotharcfs ' Tour in Brittany/ and Villema.rque'* s ' Chansons Populaires de la Bretagne/ will repay the perusal. The latest English work is Mr. Weld's ' Summer in Brittany/ 1856. 10. Skeleton Tow of Brittany. Brittany is accessible to travellers from England, by steamers either direct from Southampton to St. Malo, a very good starting-point, or from South- ampton to Havre, and thence by land through Normandy, or by steamer to Morlaix. , The traveller coming from Paris, may commence his tour at Rennes, but the Brittany. Route 34 — Paris to Rennes by Versailles. 109 capital of la Bretagne does not possess province. Dol. St. Malo. Dinan. St. Brieuc. {Lanleff. Paimpol. Treguier. Morlaix. St. Pol de Leon. Folgoat. Brest — dockyard. Pointe St. Mattliieu. Chateaulin (by water). . 11. Accommodation for travellers, even in the large towns, is inferior to that of the rest of France ; while in spots at all remote from the high road the filth is most disgusting, the fare miserable. any of the characteristic features of the Carhaix. Folgoat. St. Herbot. Chateaulin. Quimper. Quimperle*. Auray. Carnac and Lokmariaker. [Peninsula of Rhuys.] Valines. Roche Bernard. Nantes. ROUTE 34. PARIS TO RENNES, BY VERSAILLES, RAMBOUILLET, CHARTRES, LE MANS, AND LAVAL (GREAT WESTERN RAIL- WAT OF FRANCE : LAVAL TO RENNES OPENED 1857). To Laval 301 kilom. = 187 Eng. m. 5 Trains daily— Time hrs. ToAlen- con 267 kilom. 4 trains daily. Ter- minus, Boulevard Mt. Parnasse. From Paris to Versailles there are 2 railroads, one on the 1., the other on the rt. bank of the Seine. The 1. bank railway is continued from Versailles to Chartres and Le Mans. a. Chemin de Fer, Rive Gauche, 16| kilom. = ll£ Eng. m. Terminus, Boulevard Mont Parnasse, 44. Trains go every £ hr. Those starting at the hour are stopping trains, those at the J hour quick or direct. Time em- ployed 20 to 25 minutes, with stopping train 35 minutes. Before issuing beyond the line of the new fortifications you see on the rt. Grenelle and Vaugirard, now forming a town of about 6000 Inhab., most of the houses being cabarets, the resort of the working classes on Sundays and fete-days ; and on the 1. Montrouge, where are numerous quarries of build- ing stone. Beyond the Lines the railway passes between the detached forts of Vanvres and Issy, a village whose name is fanci- fully derived from a temple of Isis I In the Se'minaire, which still exists as a sort of country-seat dependent on that of St. Sulpice, Fen&on was in- terrogated by a conclave of bishops, styled the Conference of Issy, on cer- tain points of doctrine, and here the Cardinal Fie ury died, 1745. rt. Vanvres. The Chateau, formerly the property of the Condes, built here by Mansard for the Due de Bourbon, now belongs to the College Louis le Grand. 5 Clamart Stat. The village, ' half hid among the trees, on the 1., was the retreat of La Fontaine, of the Abbe' Delille, who wrote here his poem ' L' Imagination,' and of Condorcet. Emerging from a deep cutting we traverse on a lofty viaduct (Pont du Val) of 2 rows of arches, one above the other, 108 ft. high and 145 ft. long, the bosky dell of Val Fleury, com- manding a pretty view, of the chateau 110 Route 34. — Railways to VersaUles. Sect. II. of Meudon on the L, while the Seine is perceived on the rt. 2 Meudon Stat. A little on the 1. lies the bourg of 3000 Inhab. Rabelais was cure1 of Meudon, 1550. The Chateau, belonging to the crown, approached by a fine avenue of 4 rows of lime-trees, was built by the Grand Dauphin, son of Louis XIV., who died in it, from designs of Mansard, 1699, by the side of an older chateau now destroyed, the work of Phili- bert Delorme, which the widow of the minister Louvois sold to Louis XIV. During the Revolution the Comite* du Salut Public converted it into a factory for inventing and perfecting warlike engines, and surrounded it with a per- manent camp to keep out spies. The existing chateau was fitted up for Marie Louise by Napoleon, 1812. The best things about it are its situation, its gardens laid out by Le Ndtre, but lately re-arranged on a more modern plan, and its terrace. The view from the terrace is very fine. The Foret de Meudon is a favourite holiday resort of the Parisians. Near this the fatal accident occurred on this railway, May 1842, when, by the frac- ture of the axle of a locomotive, several of the foremost carriages of a long train were crushed, thrown upon the engine- furnace, and set on fire, and more than 100 persons were burnt alive, together with the railway-carriages in which they were locked up, in the space of about J hour. An expiatory chapel, dedicated to Notre Dame des Flammes, has been erected on the spot where this catastrophe occurred. Another cutting succeeds, and the railway passes under the Meudon avenue. 1 Bellevue Stat, was named from a villa .built in a few months to please Madame de Pompadour, but pulled to pieces during the Revolution. rt. Sevres Stat., contiguous to Belle- vue, is described farther on (p. 120). The high road, and the chemin de fer, rive droite, now run parallel and with- in a musket-shot of our line. A deep cutting through part of the crown forests leads to 4 Chaville Stat., so called from a 'Uage on the 1. 1 Viroflay Stat. 1. Railway to Char- tres diverges. 4 Versailles Station (in the Avenue de la Mairie). b. Chemin de Fer, Rive Droite. Ter- minus in Paris, Rue St. Lazare, 120, the same as the St. Germain and Rouen railways, and the 3 railways use the same line of rails as far as Clichy. Trains every £ hour (stopping), and every hour direct, from 7£ a.m. to 10 p.m., 2 2 -J kilom = 14 Eng. m.; time in going 30 to 35 minutes. After crossing the Seine by the Pont d'Asnieres Stat, beyond Clichy, this railway turns to the 1. out of the St. Germain line (See Rte. 8) to Courbevoie Stat., whose large bar- rack, built by Louis XV., is seen on the 1., and beyond it the Arc de l'Etoile The avenue leading from it, after pass- ing the Seine by the Pont de Neuilly, branches out into two roads leading to Rouen, the upper and the lower, both of which are crossed by the railway before reaching Puteaux Stat. A fine view is ob- tained of Paris and the Seine from this part of the line, while skirting on the rt. the flanks of Mont Valenen, now con- verted into one of the citadels of Paris. Suresnes Stat. St. Cloud Stat. The Imperial Chateau, built or altered by Mansard for the Due d' Orleans, brother of Louis XIV., has been the scene of great events. Here the fatal Ordonnances of July 1830 were signed, which lost Charles X. the throne ; here Napoleon, like Cromwell before him, laid the foundation of his power on the memorable 19Brumaire(Nov. 1 1, 1799), by expelling with his armed grenadiers the Council of Five Hundred from the Orangerie, in which they held their sittings ; — two of the most momentous of the Revolutions of France. It was a favourite residence of Marie Antoi- nette and of Bonaparte, and is now occupied by the President. The interior is handsomely furnished, and contains some paintings chiefly of the modern French school, Gobelin tapestry, Sevres vases, &c. The finest apartment is the Salon de Mars ; the Brittany. Route 84. — St. Cloud — Port Royal. Ill most interesting for its associations, the Orangerie already mentioned. Even more remarkable than the Chateau is the Pare de St. Cloud, laid out by Le Ndtre, always open to the public, and well worthy of a visit on account of the beautiful view which it commands over the winding Seine and the country around Paris, for its artificial cascades, and its waterworks, which play the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month. The Grand Jet d'Eau rises from the centre of a circular basin, at the extremity of a long avenue, to a height of 137 feet, and discharges 5000 gallons per minute. The copy of the beautiful circular temple at Athens, called the LanternedeDemos- thene, will not be passed unobserved, being made conspicuous by a very in- congruous basement. In this part a fair is held on the 7th September, and lasts 3 weeks, one of the most cele- brated and frequented of all the fdtes near Paris. The name of St. Cloud is a contrac- tion of St. Clodoald, grandson of Clovis, who escaped alive when his brothers were murdered by their uncle Clothaire, by hiding himself in a wood here, and living as a hermit. Here, in the Maison de Gondi, Henri III. was assassinated by Jacques Clement, 1 589, while his army, united with that of Henri of Navarre, was encamped on these heights preparing to attack Paris. The father of Louis-Philippe was born here. The railway is carried under a part of the park of St. Cloud in a Tunnel more than 1650 ft. long. Sevres Stat. Both railways have stations here, but at some distance from the village, as well as at Viroflay Stat. 1. The railway to Chartres diverges about 1 m. beyond Viroflay. rt. The small village of Montreuil is the birthplace of General Hoche, who commenced life as an under groom in the royal stables, and rose to be commander of the army of the Mpselle. Versailles Station, Rue Duplessis, Boulevard de la Heine. Inn: H. du Reservoir. A very grand view of the Palace is obtained on quitting Ver- sailles Stat, 5 St. Cyr Stat. Here is the Military Academy (Rte. 35). 5 Trappes Stat. (Rte. 35). Omni- bus to Pontchartrain. [Near Magny — Lea Hameux are the scanty remains of the once celebrated abbey of Port Royal des Champs, de- stroyed by royal decree 1709, at the instigation of the Jesuits, as the head- quarters of Jansenism, after the nuns, its tenants, had been subjected to the most cruel persecutions in order to compel them to subscribe to the bull of Alexander VII. against the doctrines of Jansen. In 1644 a number of learned men and profound divines, professing the same doctrines, settled in a farmhouse near the convent, called Les Granges, repairing hither for study ; and here composed those works which, as "they were published anony- mously, are known by the name of their place of residence. Arnauld, Nicole, are among the Messieurs de Port-Royal,< — an appellation so glorious in the 17th cent." — ffallam. Boileau and Pascal were their friends, and Racine, who wrote their history, their pupil. "He whose journey lies from Ver- sailles to Chevreuse will soon find him- self at the brow of a steep cleft or hollow, intersecting the monotonous plain across which he has been passing. The brook which winds through the verdant meadows beneath him stag- nates into a large pool, reflecting the solitary Gothic arch, the water-mill, and the dovecot, which rise from its banks, with the farmhouse, the decayed towers, the forest-trees, and innumer- able shrubs and creepers which clothe the slopes of the valley. France has many a lovelier prospect, though this is not without its beauty, and many a field of more heart-stirring interest, though this, too, has been ennobled by heroic daring; but through the length and breadth of that land of chivalry and of song, the traveller will in vain seek a spot so sacred to genius, to piety, and to virtue. That arch is all which remains of the once crowded monastery of Port-Royal. In those woods Racine first learned the lan- guage— the universal language — nf 112 Route 34. — Port Royal — Rambouillet. Sect. IT. poetry. Under the roof of that humble farmhouse, Pascal, Arnauld, Nicole, De Sace, and Tillemont me- ditated those works which, as long as civilization and Christianity sur- vive, will retain their hold on the gratitude and reverence of mankind. There were given innumerable proofs of the graceful good humour of Henri IV. To this seclusion retired the heroine of the Fronde, Ann Gene- vieve, Duchess of Longueville, to seek the peace the world could not give. Madame de Sevigne* discovered here a place ' tout propre & inspirer le de*sir de faire son salut.' From Versailles there came hither to worship God many a courtier and many a beauty, heartbroken or jaded with the very vanity of vanities — the idolatry of their fellow-mortals. Survey French society in the 1 7th cent, from what aspect you will, it matters not, at Port-Royal will be found the most illustrious examples of whatever imparted to that motley assemblage any real dignity or per- manent regard. Even to the mere antiquarian it was not without a lively interest." — Stephen, The ruins of the Ch, have been cleared out by the Due de Luynes.] 6 La Verriere Stat. The magnificent ChdteaudeDampierre, in the vale of Chevreuse, has lately been restored by its owner, the Due de Luynes, one of the richest nobles in France. It has been adorned with paintings by Ingres, and with sculp- tures by Simart. The park has an area of 2000 acres. The valley is one of the prettiest and least visited spots in the vicinity of Paris. The Chateau is curious. 7 Lartoire Stat. 8 Rambouillet Stat., a dull town of 3000 Inhab., remarkable only for its Chateau, long the residence of. the kings of France, down to the time of Charles X., who, after the July revolution, here signed, in conjunc- tion with the Due d'Angoul&ne, his abdication of the French throne, Aug. 2, 1830, under pressure of the news that the mob of Paris, armed, was on its march hither, seeming to threaten results not unlike those which befel Louis XVI. at Versailles, Oct. 1789. It is a gloomy and ugly pile of red brick, with 5 flanking towers of stone, destitute of interest beyond what it may derive from its history. A cham- ber is shown in the great round tower where Francis I. died, 1547, aged 52. The dreary park and extensive forest adjoining were the favourite sporting- ground of Charles X. The chateau was converted by Louis Napoleon into a Seminary for officers' daughters, 1852. Beyond this the road becomes more hilly and varied. The rly. descends the valley of the Guesle, -following its sinuosities, as far as 1 1 Epernon Stat., no tolerable Inn. The name of this town of 1600 Inhab. was changed from Autrist to Epernon by Henry III., who created it and the district around a duchy for his favourite Nogaret. It retains por- tions of its old walls and towers, and is prettily situated on the banks of the Guesle, under a commanding rock of limestone. Maintenon Stat, is situated between the ruined aqueduct of Louis XIV- (see below) and the imposing modern rly. viaduct of 32 arches, 65 ft. high, raised on light piers. The Chateau. attached to this little town was given by Louis XIV., with the. estate and title of Marquise de Maintenon, to Francoise d'Aubigne", widow of Scarron, at the time when the king made her his wife. Their marriage is said to have been celebrated in the chapel of the castle by the Pere la Chaise in the presence of Harlay and Louvois, 1685, she being 50 years old and Louis 47. The Castle stands on the margin of the Eure, and now belongs to the Due de Noailles, by whom it has been well restored. The round towers and cha- pel are parts of the original structure raised by Cocquereau, treasurer of finance to Louis XI. and Charles VIII. The bedroom of Mad. de Maintenon, and her portrait in robes trimmed with ermine and fleurs-de-lis, are shown. The valley of the Eure is here crossed by the imposing ruins of the Aqueduct, constructed 1684-88, at the mandate of Louis XIV., to convey the waters of the Eure from Pont Gouin Bb ittah y. Route 34. — Maintenon— Chart res. 113 to Versailles, but afterwards abandoned for the machine at Marly. " As Louis had committed the blun- der of building in a place without water, he proposed to remedy his mistake by conveying the river eight leagues, by a new channel, to adorn his park. To accomplish this it was necessary to join two mountains at Maintenon, and form an aqueduct: 40,000 troops were employed in this great work, and a camp formed ex- pressly for the purpose. From the unhealthiness of the work or of the air, a great mortality ensued; the dead were carried away in the night- time, that their companions might not be discouraged; but the loss of many thousand lives to please the wanton caprice of a despot excited no sympathy and created no surprise. The war of 1688, however, interrupted the labour, and it was never afterwards resumed." — Lord John Russell. It was partly pulled down, after a lapse of 65 years, to build the villa of Crecy for Mad. de Pompadour. The remains consist of 47 arches, 42 ft. span and 83 high. The total length of the canal, of which this was to form a part, would have exceeded 33 m. if completed. After leaving Maintenon across the viaduct of 32 . arches we enter the fertile plain called La Beauce, com- prising some of the finest corn-land in France. In the early summer it is an uninterrupted ocean of waving corn as far as the eye can reach — with- out hedges, little varied by trees or houses. "In crossing this monoto- nous plain I was much struck with the number of churches. I counted at one time about 13, yet the villages are neither numerous nor large." — P. H. 78 Jouy Stat. Rather more than 1 m. from Chartres the river Eure is crossed on a viaduct of 11 arches. The twin steeples of Char- tres are conspicuous a long way off. 88 Chartres Station. — Inns (none good): Post, or Grand Monarque; Hdtel Due de Chartres; H. de France, in- different. Chartres, a city of 18,234 Inhab., once capital of the fertile Beauce, and now of the Dipt. d'Eure et Loire, is situated on a slope, at the bottom of which runs the Eure, washing the only remaining portion of the old forti- fications and one of the city gates. The Porte Guillaume is picturesque ; the rest have been pulled down, the ramparts levelled into walks, and the town thrown open. Chartres is remarkable in a commercial point of view for one of the largest corn-markets in France, held every Saturday, where the" produce of the Beauce is disposed of; and in point of architecture f for its ** Cathedral, one of the most mag- nificent in Europe, conspicuous far and near, with its two tall but unequal spires surmounting the hill on which the city stands. Its most striking and interesting features, after its vast di- mensions and elegant proportions, are its 2 rich and singular lateral portals, its painted glass, scarcely equalled in France, and its 3 rose windows. There is much perplexity in the dates assigned to different parts of the building, but, with the evidence of style, we may pronounce the Crypt, running under the whole extent of the choir aisles, to be the only part remain- ing which was built by Bishop Fulbert, 1 029. He was aided in his pious foun- dation by gifts from the kings of Eng- land, France, and Denmark, and a great body of people came over from Rouen to work at it, encamping in tents around while it was in progress. The ch., as it exists, was not dedicated until 1260, and the greater portion of it may safely be referred to the 13th centy. ; but the W. front was completed in 1145, except the elegant crocketed N. spire raised in 1 514, partly at the charge of Louis XII., by Jean Texier, an archi- tect of the Beauce : it is 304 ft. high, and the upper part of beautifully light and delicately executed work. It is well worth ascending for the view, not only of the surrounding country, but of the Cathedral itself. In the W. front, which is simple in its style, we have to remark the triple portal of pointed arches ; that in the centre, called Porte Hoy ale, supported and flanked by statues of royal saints. These are attenuated figures with formal plaited drapery, characteristic of the Byzantine sculp- ture of the 12th centy. Above the door is the image of Christ in an oval. 114 Routt 34. — Chartres — Cathedral. Sect. II. with the symbols of the 4 Evangelists, as designated in the vision of Ezekiel, around him. Below these are the 14 Prophets in a row, and in the arches above the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse, playing on musical instruments of the middle ages. The sculpture of the right-hand portal relates to the life of the Virgin, and in that of the 1. is seen Christ, again surrounded by angels, with the signs of the zodiac, and the agri- cultural labours of the twelve months. Far finer are the two entrances on the N. and S. sides, consisting of triple projecting Gothic porticoes (something like the W. end of Peterborough), resting on piers, or bundles of pillars, with side openings between them. The stately statues which line the sides and vaults are of a superior style of art, and of a later date (14th cent.) than those of the W. front. The interior is of such consistent vastness in all its parts, that its dimen- sions do not perhaps strike the specta- tor, at first sight, to their fullest extent, but its length is 422 ft., and the height to the apex of its roof 112 ft. The style throughout nave and choir is the vigorous early Gothic. In the centre of the nave a maze or labyrinth, of in- tricate circles, called La Lieue, from its supposed length, is marked out on the pavement in coloured stone : to follow it through its windings (967 ft. long), saying prayers at certain stations, was probably at one time a penitential exer- cise. The ch. possesses a perfect trea- sure of Painted Glass, more than 130 windows being completely filled, and few being quite destitute of this splen- did ornament. They date, for the most part, from the 13th centy. Some of the glass is £ inch thick. The 3 rose windows at the end of the nave and transepts are remarkable for their size, 30 or 40 ft. diameter, and their com- plicated tracery, but it is somewhat clumsy. The windows, both in nave and choir, illustrate subjects from the Bible, or legends of saints; in the lower compartments are frequently seen re- presentations of various trades — shoe- makers, basket-makers, &c. — showing that their guilds or corporations were the donors. Attached to the E. end is a chapel dedicated to St. Piat, in the form of an oblong ; it was founded in 1 349, and is flanked by 2 round towers externally. The choir has double aisles and a semicircular E. end ; in the inside 8 marble bas-reliefs, of Scriptural sub- jects, mediocre in design and execution, are inserted, and behind the high altar is a huge marble piece of sculpture, in the taste of the time of Louis XIII., not consistent with the character of the building. The outside of the screen, which separates the choir from its aisles, is ornamented with a series of very remarkable Gothic sculptures, each representing an event in the life of Christ or the Virgin Mary, in 45 compartments surrounded with the most elaborate tracery and tabernacle work ; they were begun 1514, and con- tinued down to the middle of the 17th century, and are interesting as some of the final efforts of Gothic art. The execution has been compared to "point lace in stone, and some of the sculp* tured threads are not thicker than the blade of a penknife." In the choir of Chartres cathedral Henri IV. was crowned, 1594; Bheims, the ancient scene of the royal corona- tion, being at the time in the hands of the Leaguers. The ceremony was performed by the bishop of the dio- cese, and, as the "Sainte Ampoulle" was not to be got at, a vial of holy oil, said to have been given by an angel to St. Martin of Tours, to cure a bruise, was brought in procession from the Abbey of Marmoutiers, and with this the king was anointed. This cathedral narrowly escaped destruction by fire in 1836 : fortunately the roof and interior of the towers were alone consumed. " The origin and splendour of this cathedral are owing to the circum- stance that it was the earliest and chief church in France dedicated to the Virgin, and thus the object of vast pilgrimages. The sacred image, sup- posed to date from the time when this place was the centre of the Druidic worship, as described by Caesar, stood in the crypt. It was burned and the crypt sacked in 1 793. The church Btill contains the relic of the Sacra Carmsia, given by Charles le Chauve; and there is a black image of the 12th centy. in Brittany, Route M.—Chartres — Bretigny. 115 the N. aisle, which attracts mueb de- votion. It is worth while to ascend the tower — not for the panorama, which is only oyer a vast plain, but in order to have a near view of the painted glass inside the cathedral. A full account of every window will be found in the ela- borate History of the Cathedral by the Abbe* Bulteau, price 4£ francs," — A. JP. S. After exploring this noble and sur- passing edifice, the traveller will pro- bably have little desire to look at inferior churches, yet the only other curiosities here are The Ck. of St Pierre (St. Pere), in the lower town contiguous to a huge ca- serne, once a convent, and not far from the river; — although very inferior to the cathedral, it presents a remakable lantern-like E. end, filled with rich painted glass. The lantern character is increased by the triforium, running all round the choir, being open and glazed. The choir, though pointed, must be very early in the style, the piers having a Romanesque character; the nave slightly different, and apparently later, yet retains the transition appear- ance in its columns. Its triforium is a row of trefoil-headed arches, sup- ported on pilasters. In the chapel of the apse are 12 panels of the finest Limoges enamel, brought from Cha- teau d'Anet. Si. Andre, also near the river, and now a magasin de fburrage, filled with straw and hay, is yet interesting to the student of architecture as an early, plain, and severe example of the pointed style. In the W. facade a cir- cular-headed doorway is surmounted by a triplet of lancet windows, and these by a bold rose window. The piers supporting the nave arches are cylindrical, marking the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. The choir, which was carried across the Eure, is destroyed. A curious crypt extends from the south aisle down to the river, and below its level. St. Andre* is supposed to have been founded 1108. An Obelisk has been set up in the Marche aux Herbes, now called Place Marceau to record the fact that Mar- ceau was a native of Chartres, — " Sol- dat a 16 ans, General a 23 ; il mourut a 27." The original inscription men* tioned his exploits in destroying the rebel Vendeans at Le Mans and Laval. A statue has been erected to him near the Porto d'Epais. The revolutionary hero Petion was born here. The Corn Market is exceedingly well regulated ; business is transacted for ready money, and is usually over in j hour. The measuring and selling of the grain, and receiving payment for it, are managed by a corporation of women, of long standing, remarkable for their integrity, and implicitly trusted by the owners. There are a public Library of 30,000 volumes and a Museum in the town. Diligences daily to Orleans and Rouen by Evreux (Rte. 50). To Tours by Venddme (Rte. 54). To Nantes. Railway to Paris by Versailles: — to Le Mans, Alengon and Laval : — in pro- gress to Rennes and Brest. The little village Bretigny, 6 m. from Chartres, gives its name to the treaty of peace, signed 1360, be- tween France and England, by which Edward III. renounced his claim to the throne of France, and released the French king, John, taken prisoner at Poitiers, upon payment of a vast ran- som, and delivery of numerous host- ages. A violent storm which fell upon Edward and his army near Chartres, and "reminded him of the day of judgment," caused him to make a vow (looking towards the towers of the cathedral) that he would give peace to France, and led to this important treaty. The journey from Chartres is con- tinued through the monotonous but fertile, and well-cultivated corn-plain of La Beauce. 18 Courville Stat. [5 m. S. of this is the Chateau de Villebon, where the illustrious Sully died. It is a square building of brick, with towers at the angles, and not many years ago retained its ancient furniture, even to the bed on which the great minister expired. The Eure rises about 15 m. to the N. of Courville.] At Montlandon the fertile Beauce termi- nates, and the country becomes hilly. 8 Pontgouin Stat, La Loupe Stat. 11 Bretoncelles Stat. 5 Conde sur Huisne Stat. 116 Route 34. — Paris to Rennes — Le Mam* . Sect, II. 8 Nogent-le-Rotrou Stat., a town of 7070 Inhab., contains a ruined Castle of the Comtes du Perche, once the residence of Sully, and his Monu- ment in the chapel of the HStel Dieu founded by him. It bears the marble statues of himself and his wife by Boudin, 1642, and a long inscription at the back ; it escaped the fury of the Revolution, but the grave itself was violated, and the bones disinterred and scattered. The word Nogent is an abbreviation of the Latin Novigen- tium ; Rotrou was the name of a count of Perche, in which district it is situ- ated. The river produces crawfish in great abundance. (Inn: St. Jacques.) The railroad follows the direction of the Huisne river from Nogent nearly to Le Mans. 10 Le Theil Stat. 10 Ferte-Bernard Stat, is a prettily situated town in the Dept. de laSarthe. Within it the Parish Ch., N. D. des Ma- rats, is an interesting Gothic building, end of 16th centy., having a richly sculptured external gallery, with the words " Salve Regina " cut in stone, and 3 chapels, from the vaulted roofs of which hang stone pendants. One of the town gates is converted into an Hdtel de VUle. 10 Sceaux Stat. Near 8 Clonnerre Stat, is a large Dolmen or Druidic monument of rude stone slabs, like Kits Coity House in Kent. (§ 4.) 6 Pont de Qennes Stat. 6 St. Mars- la- Bray ere indicates by its name the desolate sandy heaths in the midst of which it is situated. 10 Yvre l'Eveque Stat. 9 Le Mans Stat. (Inn : Le Dauphin), once capital of the province of Le Haut Maine, now chef-lieu of the Dept. de la Sarthe, is situated on the 1. bank of the river Sarthe, a little above the junction of the Huisne, and has 20,000 Inhab. The principal edifice is the Cathe- dral of St. Julien, which is well de- serving of attention. It is in two styles ; the nave, Romanesque, though with pointed arches, dates probably from the 12 cent., but its side aisles and walls, and the plain W. front, are not later than the 11th, perhaps much irlier. Indeed, the external masonry of the side walls, resembling Roman construction, is probably part of the original church, founded in the 8th or 9th cent. Above the W. door are portions of reticulated masonry, and an ancient bust of a king or bishop ; on each side are figures supposed to represent the 2 signs of the zodiac, Capricorn and Sagittarius. On the S. side is a very richly- carved Romanesque doorway — a round arch preceded by a pointed porch, flanked by statues of kings and saints, resembling the W. door at Chartres, and with angels in .the vault. It is much mutilated, unfortunately. The Choir is a beautiful production of the 13th centy., the period of per- fection in pointed Gothic architecture. It is surrounded by 11 chapels, and its windows are filled with beautiful painted glass, little inferior to that of Chartres, except in preservation. In the transept is a fine rose window, together with much stained glass of the 14th or 15th cent., a date rather more modern than that of the choir. This church contains the monu- ments of Berengaria of Sicily, queen of Richard Coeur de Lion, brought from the abbey of Epau, and much de- faced; of Charles of Anjou, 1474; and of Langey du Bellay, distinguished as a soldier and as a writer in the reigns of Francis I. and Henri II. The last is attributed to Germain Pilon ; its ara- besques and bas-reliefs in marble are well worthy attention. An undressed block of silicious sand- stone, standing on one end, has been incorporated into the wall of the church on the outside ; it is supposed to be a Druidic stone. The Church of Notre Dame du Pre' is probably of the 11th cent. Notre Dame de la Couture (de cultura Dei) has a very old choir, supposed to have been begun 990 ; both arches and vaulting are round and of rude construction ; it has a very elegant portal, adorned with sculpture of con- siderably merit (Last Judgment). The conventual buildings to which it was originally attached are now the Pre- fecture, but contain besides the Library and a Museum, partly devoted to na- tural history, partly to paintings of a Brittany. Route 34* — Le Mans—LavaL m very inferior order, but possessing one curiosity at least, viz. a full-length por- trait of Geoffroi Plantagenet, Comte du Maine, enamelled on copper, 25 in. by 13, 12th centy., a yery early speci- men of that class of art : it was an- ciently placed in the cathedral where he was buried. There arelalso many objects of Roman antiquity found in Le Mans and the neighbourhood, at Alonnes pottery, &c. St. Pierre is supposed to be the oldest church here, that is to say, the lower part of its walls. The Sefntnaire, originally the Ab~ baye de St. Vincent, has a noble fa- cade and a fine staircase. There is a handsome theatre. Many specimens of ancient domes- tic architecture remained here until lately, but are fast disappearing, and the town is becoming modern and commonplace. There used to be some old houses in the Grande Rue. Nos. 7, 10, and 12 deserve attention ; the last is known as the house of Queen Berengaria, but appears not to be older than the 15th century. It contains a chimney-piece adorned with bas-reliefs. The house of Scarron (husband of Madame de Maintenon) is pointed out near the cathedral. The vestiges of the Roman rule at Le Mans are not considerable : the chief are the re- mains of 3 subterranean aqueducts, by which the city was supplied with water from a distance. A portion of them may be seen in a cellar of the Rue Qourdaine. Fragments of the Ro- man town walls still exist ; but all traces of an amphitheatre, discovered in the last century, have been swept away. Le Mans was the birthplace of Henry (II.) Fitz-Empress, the first of the Plantagenet kings of England: a name derived from the plant or sprig of broom (genet), the abundant produc- tion of his native province Anjou and Ifaine, which his father, Geoffroi, used to wear in his cap. A great trade is carried on here in clover-seed, which is sent over in large quantities to England. The chief ar- ticle of manufacture is wax candles. Le Mans is also famed for poultry ; its poulards and chapons supply the markets of Pans. Le Mans witnessed the ruin and final dispersion of the Vendean army in 1793. Worn out by the disastrous fatigues of a six months' campaign, they were here assaulted by the Re- publican forces under Marceau's com* mand. Very obstinate was the resist- ance made by the Royalists in the streets and great square of the town before they were finally expelled, with their leader, Larochejacquelin, who was wounded in the action. Then en* sued a fearful carnage, not only of the Vendean soldiery, but of their miserable wives and children, who accompanied them. By the joint exercise of cannonades of grape and platoons of musketry, discharged upon the defenceless crowd, under the order of the commissioners of the Convention, upwards of 10, 000 persons were slaughtered on that occasion. Conveyances daily to Tours. Branch Railway from Le Mans to Alencon (Rte. 29), in progress to Ar- gentan. From Le Mans to Laval the Railway stations are 7 St. Saturnin Stat* 14 Domfront Stat. 3 CoulieStat. 12 Sille Le Guillau Stat. 6 Rousse-Vasse* Stat. 7 Voutr^ Stat. 10 Evron Stat. 0 Neau Stat. 6 Montsurs Stat. 13 Lou- vern Stat. 6 Laval Stat. (Inns : H. de Paris, very good ; Tete Noire; Cour Royale), a curious ancient town, chef -lieu of the De*pt. de laMayenne, on the river May- enne, has 16,500 Inhab. The oldest part consists of black timber houses, each story projecting beyond that below it, until the gable overhangs the street ; but a new quarter has risen on the W., where the streets are wide and regular. On the rt. bank of the river, close to the old bridge, the Castle of the seigneurs of La Tremouille rises from a basement of rock, on which its lofty wall is raised, flanked at one end by a machicolated round tower. It was built in the 12th centy., and its Chapel on round arches is perhaps of life Route 34. — Paris to Beanes— Laval* Sect. II. that date, but there are many later additions, and the jambs of some of the windows facing the inner court retain some rich ornaments in the style of the Renaissance (15th or 16th centy.). It is now a prison. The Cathedral is a cruciform edifice, the choir alone having aisles: the nave a fine work of the same type as the churches of Angers and Poitier. The nave and choir (except the aisles and side ohapels, additions of the 15th and 16th centuries, in the flamboyant style) are not older than the 12th centy. The E. end is square ; the porch is a wretched addition of recent times. Under the ch. are very extensive substructions and crypts, thrown up in consequence of the slope of the ground to form a platform of pedestal for the building. St. Ven&and, a ch. of the 15th or 16th centy., has a little painted glass. The church in the village of Avenieres, adjoining the town, built 1040, well de- serves the notice of the architect. The fabric generally has all the character- istics of early Romanesque, yet the principal arches are all pointed, and are perhaps the earliest examples in this part of France. Its choir is sur- rounded by 5 apsidal chapels, and 2 others open into the transepts. Above the cross rises an elegant stone spire of very late flamboyant. The church contains a miracle-working image of the Virgin. The architect and antiquary ought not to leave unseen the little ruined Ch. of Grenoux, 2 m. from Laval. It is destitute of all ornament. The structure of its masonry, small square stones with intervening bonds of tiles, marks the style of a period not later than the 9th cent. Within it is a monument of a knight and his lady. Laval is essentially a manufacturing town, occupied in the production of linens and cottons (toiles, coutils, sia- moises), and of linen thread, large quantities of which are spun here. A market for the sale of these produc- tions is held every week in the Halle aux Toiles. Laval was the centre from which arose the Royalist insurrection of 1792, called Chouatmerie, either from 4 bro- thers named Chouan, its first leaders, of the village St. Ouen des Toits, or from the cry of the owl, imitated by the salt-smugglers of this district as a signal to their confederates, and after- wards adopted during the struggle, by the peasant guerrillas, to announce the enemy's approach. One of the most glorious victories of the Vendeans was gained in Oct. 1793, a little to the S. of the town. Defeated in several previous combats, and driven across the Loire, with a large Republican army in pursuit of them, their enemies believed the war extinguished. Barrere announced this intelligence to the Convention in Paris : "La Vendee is no more, the brigands are exterminated, a profound solitude reigns in the Bocage, covered with cinders and watered with tears:" — but at the very time that these words were being uttered, Larochejacquelin had carried Laval at the point of the bayonet; then, turning round on his pursuers, he exhorted his brave bands to efface the memory of their former defeats, and to fight for the preserva- tion of their wives and children who accompanied them, now far from their homes. Lescure insisted on being car- ried through the ranks on his death- litter, mortally wounded as he was, to encourage the Royalists by his pre- sence, and to share their peril and toil. The Vendeans, obeying the ap- peal, on this occasion rushed upon the enemy in close column, routed them entirely, and pursued them beyond Chateau Gonthier, with a loss to the Republicans of 12,000 men, among whom were the redoubted garrison of Mayence, who were mostly cut to pieces, and of 19 cannon. The conflict began at lea Croix de Bataille, 2 m. S. of Laval. So precipitate and complete was the rout, that the remains of the Republican army, reduced to 12,000 men, were not collected and reorganised until 12 days had elapsed, and not be- fore they had left the town of Angers in their rear. The RJy. Stations are Le Gerlest — Port Brille. St. Pierre la Cour Stat. There are large coal-works near this. 14 Vitro* Stat. {Inn: La Poste) is in appearance a town of the middle ages, Bhittany. Saute 34*— Viirl — Rensies. 119 Gothic and irregular, retaining the greater portion of its feudal fortifi- cation*, high and thick walls flanked by towers, surmounted by machicola- tions, and surrounded by a deep ditch. They appear not later in date than the 15th cent. On one side of them, but detached from them by a ditch, stands a venerable and picturesque Castle of the Seigneurs de la Tremouille, now converted into a prison and falling to decay. In the court is an elegantly ornamented structure, half Gothic, half Italian, supposed to have been a pulpit. At the time of its construction the lords of the castle were adherents of the reformed faith, and the inscription, which may still be read around the console, " post tenebras spero lucem," probably alludes to the persecutions they suffered. The Ch. of Notre Dame is in a style indicating the decline of Gothic art; attached to it, on the outside, is a Btone pulpit, and within one of the chapels hangs a frame containing 32 small enamels, probably from Limoges. The peasants of this part of Brittany wear a dress of goatskins with the hair turned outwards, which gives them a somewhat savage aspect, and reminds one of Robinson Crusoe. About 3 m. S. of Vitro" is the CM- teau des Rockers, long time the residence of Madame de Se'vigne' ; her bedroom and the eabinet where she wrote many of her charming letters are pointed out, and there is a fine portrait of her by Mignard, but the furniture, &c, of the interior has been altered. [Near Ess£, 7 lieues S. W. of Vitrei is a very fine Druidical monument called "la Roche aux Fees," consisting of 43 large rough blocks of stone — 34 up- right, supporting 8 others which form a roof.] The Vilaine river, after which the department is named, rises near Vitr6; our road runs parallel with its course as far as Bennes, crossing it by a stone bridge at 16 Chateaubourg Stat. 2 m. beyond this the road passes close to a large slate-quarry excavated to a depth of more than 100 ft. 19 Noyal Stat. The country pos- ■66868 little interest. 13 Rennes Junction Stat. Here the lines from Brest, Redan, and St. Malo will meet. — Inns: H. de la Come de Cerf, well situated and moderate charges-; — H. de France; — H. Jullien This town, once capital of Brittany, now chef-lieu of the Dept. Ille et Vilaine, is situated at the confluence of these two streams, and contains' 37,900 Inhab. Here are few antiquities; the town has an entirely modern aspect, arising from a dreadful fire which in 1720 reduced nearly the whole to ashes. It lasted 7 days, and consumed 850 houses, be- sides nearly all the public buildings ; the ancient and solidly built clock tower crumbled to pieces on the third day, calcined by the flames. The pub- lie buildings, of a date subsequent to this catastrophe, display for the most part the bad taste of the 18th centy. The streets are uniform ; and, "not- withstanding the sober and gloomy hue of which the houses are chiefly built, Rennes is rather a handsome city," but dull. Considerable improvements have taken place, many narrow streets have been removed, and a new bridge has been thrown over the Vilaine. The stately Palais de Justice, in the handsome Place du Palais, was the parliament house of the States of Brit- tany, and is the most remarkable building here. It contains one fine large Salle, des Pas Perdus, and several apartments rich in gilded ceilings and stucco ornaments, Cupids bearing fes- toons, &c., with roofs and panels painted by Jouvenet. Its date is 1670. The interior of the modern Cathedral "is a very spacious, lofty, and im- posing Hall of Grecian architecture; the principal aisle having a richly de- corated vaulted roof, supported by massive and well-proportioned fluted Corinthian columns. On the whole the effect is striking, but not all eccle- siastical." M. A, S. — St. Melaine retains a Romanesque porch supported on engaged pillars with curiously carved capitals, probably of the 12th century. The telegraph on the top of the cathe- dral is one of the chain communicating between Paris and Brest. There is a very handsome modern Theatre, situated in another respectable 120 Route 35. — Paris to Rennes — Sevres. Sect, ii; square, with covered arcades around it, lined with shops. In the modern Hotel de Ville facing the theatre is a collection of pictures removed from the damp Musee in which they were before deposited : the greater part are of little worth. As a curiosity may be cited a Judgment of Solomon painted by King Rent of Anjou, but much injured, faded and dingy in hue. There is a Lion Hunt, said to be by Rubens (?) Here is also the Public Library, con- taining 30,000 volumes, and many rare MSS., among them a charter of Don Henry of Trastamare, granting lands in Spain to Du Guesclin. The chief attraction of Rennes, how- ever, is its Public Walks, especially that called le Mont Thabor, planted with fine trees and commanding a pleasing view over the town, and valley of the Vilaine. A miserable statue of Du Guesclin has been set up in it. The other walks are le Mail, extending down to the junction of the Hie and Vilaine, le Mont de Madame, and le Champ de Mars. One of the old town gates, la Porte Mordelaise, is preserved opposite the new cathedral; the entrance is by a pointed arch, and the masonry includes a stone bearing a Roman inscription, dedicated by the town of Rennes (Re- douts) to the Emperor Gordian; it is no longer legible. Through this gate the ancient Dukes of Brittany made their solemn entry into Rennes on their accession, but before passing it they swore to preserve the Catholic faith and the ch. of Brittany, to govern wisely, and to execute justice ; they were then conducted into the ch., where, after 2 days spent in prayer, they were crowned with the golden circlet, and girt with the ducal sword. The manufactures of Rennes are sail-cloth, which it supplies to the French navy, and some table linen. The butter (beurre sale') is excellent, especially that of Prevalaye, large quan- tities of which are sent to other parts of France. Rennes has a communication by Canal with St. Malo and the Channel on the one hand, and with Nantes and Brest on the other. Diligences daily to Le Mans Rly . Stat, for Paris, and to Brest (Rte. 36) ; to Dinan and St. Malo (Rte. 41) ; to Caen (Rte. 31); to Nantes (Rte. 41). ROUTE 35. PARIS TO RENNES, BY DREUX, VER- NEUIL, ALENOON, AND LAVAL. 355 kilom. = 220 Eng. m. N.B. The quickest way to Alencon is by rail from Le Mans (Rtes. 34 and 29). c. The Sigh Road, now deserted for the railway (Rte. 34), quits Paris by the Barriere de Passy. The vil- lage of Passy was the residence of Benjamin Franklin, 1788. He occu- pied the house No. 40, Rue Basse, previously Hdtel de Valentinois. The Abbe" Raynal died here, 1796, and Bellini, the composer, 1834. Beranger has long lived in a very modest house here. The road runs along the rt. bank of the Seine through Auteuil, 2 m. farther on, which was also the resi- dence of many eminent men. The wise and good Chancellor d' Aguesseau lived and died here ; an obelisk in the church- yard marks his grave. Boileau's house is still pointed out, Rue de Boileau 18, and Moliere composed here a great part of his works. Condorcet and Madame Helvetius had also houses here. The park and chateau de St. Cloud are conspicuous on the hill to the rt. The river Seine is crossed by the Pont de Sevres, a short way before entering le Bourg de 12 Sevres (Top. 4000), situated on the 1. bank of the, river, 6 m. distant Bbittany. Route Zo.—^Paris to Rennes — Dreux. 121 from Paris, between 2 hills, the hill of Meudon on the 1. and that of St. Cloud on the rt., along whose slopes the 2 railways to Versailles are carried. Sevres, like Faenza and Delft, gives its name to the china made in it, and for which it is principally known. The manufactory is in the large building on the 1. of the road, erected 1755, when the works were transferred from Vin- cennes, and purchased by Louis XV. It is now the property of the nation, and employs 150 persons. Admission to see it is given by the directeur, M. Brongniart, a distinguished mineralo- gist and geologist, to whose scientific researches the manufacture owes much of its present perfection. Besides the show-rooms filled with objects for sale, there is a very complete and curious Porcelain Museum here, consisting of clay, earthenware, and china of all countries and periods, from the oldest Greek and Etruscan vases down to the most recent productions of the nations of Europe and Asia, China, Japan, and the East Indies, and of many of the rude tribes of America, Here is a Beries of all the objects made in the establishment since its commencement, marking the change of fashion and forms : also the various materials, earths, calces, colouring matters used in the manufacture. The Kaolin, or white clay, comes from St. Yreix near Limoges. The paintings are very re- markable from the talents of the art- ists employed, (among whom Madame Jacotot and M. Constantin rank high- est,) and the skill displayed in the burning of the colours gives an equal pre-eminence to Sevres ware. Several pictures by ancient and modern masters have been copied in the size of the originals; some were painted on the china tablet in Italy and sent over to Sevres to be .burnt, and again sent abroad to be retouched. The Sevres manufacture is celebrated for its white unglazed ware, biscuit de Sevres, the white glazed ware, the elegance of the shape, and the beauty of the painting. The manufacture of painted glass, erroneously supposed to be lost, has been revived and brought to con- France. siderable perfection within a few year a; also the imitation of precious stones. . The park of St. Cloud (p. Ill) reaches as far as Sevres ; there are 2 entrances to it from the town. The road continues between the 2 railways as far as Versailles, and enters that town by the Grande Avenue de Paris. 7 Versailles. — Inns: H. du Re- servoir, and H, de France. Railroad to Chartres. (Rte. 34.) The road to Bennes and Brest, in quitting Versailles, passes between the park wall and a large sheet of water called Pi&ce des Suisses. A little way on {he rt. lies St, Cyr (Stat.), converted by Napoleon into an Eoole Militaire, 1806, for 300 pupils— a destination which it still preserves ; but it was originally founded py Lou is XIV., at the suggestion of Madame de Main- tenon, as a school for 250 young ladies of noble birth, and Mansard furnished the designs for it, 1686. Racine's tra- gedies of Esther and Athalie, written for the pupils of the establishment, were here first' brought out, in the presence of the King and Madame de Maintenon, She retired hither after Louis's death, and dying here, 1719, was buried in the church, At the village of Trappes (Stat.) the road, leav- ing on the 1. the route to Nantes (Rte. 46), passes through a dull country to 19 Pontchartrain, near which is the Chateau built by Mansard. 11 La Queue, 13 Houdan. — Inns: 1'Ecu; le Cygne. There are a handsome Gothic Church and an old Tower, part of the ancient forti- fications, in this town of 2000 Inhab. 7 Maroles. The river Eure is crossed at Cherisy. 12 Dreux — (Inn: H. du Paradjs) (Durocassis), a town of 6400 Inhab., on the Blaise, a tributary of the Eure. It was on the plain between the two rivers that the battle, known as la Journee de Dreux, one of the bloodiest in the French religious wars, was fought between the Roman Catholics, under the Due de Guise, who was victorious, and the Huguenots, under the Prince de Condi, who was made prisoner, o 122 Route 35. — Paris to Rennes—Ivty. Sect. II. 1563. The Due de Guise shared his couch the "night after with his mor- tal enemy, and slept soundly by his side. The hill which rises above the town is crowned by the ruins of the Castle of the Comtes de. Dreux, which was cap- tured with the town from the Due de Guise by Henri IV. : the- remains of the very old Donjon or keep tower of brick, of a handsome Norman gateway, and of a Gothic Chapel, built 1142, still exist. The space enclosed by the walls is planted and converted into a garden, in the midst of which rises a modern Chapel, in the form of a Greek temple surmounted by * cupola, erected by the late Louis Philippe, when Due d" Orleans, to replace* one destroyed at the Revolution, which was the burial- place of his maternal ancestors. Be- neath it are interred the Duchesse de Penthievre, the remains of the Prin- Cesse de Lamballe, who was massacred at the Revolution, the Princesse Marie of Wiirtemberg, the accomplished daughter of the King, and the Duke of Orleans. Louis Philippe expended vast sums in adorning the edifice with the best productions of modern French Art. The entrances to the Chapel are Gothic : the dome is painted in fresco with the 12 Apostles. Some of the painted glass is very fine, and the sculpture on some of the tombs is exquisite, the finest of all being an Angel, in a bend- ing attitude, the chef d'oeuvre of the late King's daughter — finer even than her well-known Jeanne d'Arc. The Chapel of the Virgin is enriched with carving, with pendants from the roof, and with painted windows of modern glass, representing religious subjects. The King built a long low range of apartments for the residence of him- self and his family when he visited the spot — and they are left just in the state in which he quitted them. The sum laid out here by Louis Philippe exceeded 4, 000, 000 francs . Around the hill are carried agreeable walks. Its top is sur- mounted by a telegraph-tower, and the view from it is very extensive. The Gothic Parish Church, its lower portions in the style of the 13th cent., - the upper part and' tower in that of the 16th, contains the graves of Rotrou, a dramatist of the 13th cent., and of Philidor the chess-player, 'both natives of Dreux. The HMelde Ville, part Gothic, part the revival style of the 19th cent., now turned into a museum, contains a curious chimney-piece, and a bell, cast in the reign of Charles IX., bearing a representation, in relief, of the pro- cession of the Fhunbards. There, are numerous manufactures of coarse cloths, serges, &c., in the arron- dissement of Dreux. Diligences to Bueil Stat, on the rail- way to Paris r^to Chartres daily. [11 m. N.E. of Dreux are the scanty remains of the Chateau d'Anet, built by the architect Philibert Delorme for Diana of Poitiers Out of the funds furnished by the liberality of her royal lover Henri II., 1552, on the site of a castle which belonged to her husband Louis de Bre*ze", to which she retired . to pass her widowhood. When she first became acquainted with the king she was 31, and he a youth of 13, yet she maintained her influence over Mm to the day of her death, in spite of the Queen, Catherine de Medicis, and he wore her colours — the widow's weeds, black and white — to the last, : and her symbol, the crescent of Diana, is con- spicuous in all his palaces. She was buried in the Chapel, which still re- mains, surmounted by a cupola, but her monument was removed to Palis, 1793, when her body was torn from the grave and lost. The chateau was almost entirely pulled down at the Revolution; part of the facade Was transported to Paris, where it has been re-erected at the Ecole des Beaux Arte. The ruins are pleasantly situated on the banks of the Eure. That stream traverses, a little lower down, the Plain of Ivry, the scene of one of the most decisive victories gained by Henry IV. over the armies of the Ligue, 1590, composed of French and Spaniards under Mayenne. Henri's words to his -soldiers before the battle were — " Je veux vaincre ou mourir avec voits. Gardez bien vos range; ne perdez point de vue m6n panache blanc, vous'le trouverejz toujours au chemin ^de Bhutan y. Route 35. — Paris to Bennes—Atenpm. 123 Thonneur." The monumental obelisk erected on the spot to commemorate - the battle was thrown down 1793, but - restored by Napoleon.] The Ch. of St. Berne" near JDreux is >a fine .example of the flamboyant style. On theAvre, a tributary of the Eur*, are several manufactoriea: the paper- . mills .of the very .eminent stationer and publisher Didot, 2 or 3 cotton- mills . belonging* to Mr. Waddington, and the woollen yarn mill of Mr. Vulliamy— the 2 last Englishmen, who employ a great number of persons. The me- chanical power is water only. 14 rNonanoourt. The .site of the house in the market- place, near the church, in which Henri IV. slept the night before the battle .of Ivry, is pointed out. 11 TUlieres sur-Avre. 10 Verneuil. — Inns: Paste; Cheval Blanc. This interesting old town, of 4000 Inhab., contains several remark- able specimens of Gothic architecture — the finest being the Tour de la Made- leine, a magnificent work in the most gorgeous late Gothic style, surmounted by a stunted spire. Verneuil was once a .place of strength ;— under its wails, which partly remain, a fine specimen of fortification of the 12th cent., was fought a bloody battle, August 17, 1424, between the French and English, which, after two days of hard and uncertain contest, terminated in favour of the Begent Duke of Bedford, and was the last great victory obtained by him. The bravest leaders and most efficient troops who fought on the side of : the French were the Scotch. Their com- manders, the Earl of Douglas, who had been created Duke of Touraine, his son, the Earl of Buchan, and many other knights were slain. The English army was inferior in numbers to the enemy, yet it left 1600 dead on the field, while on the side of the French there fell 4000, including Scotch and Italian allies. As usual, the English archers contributed mainly to the victory. Attached to the portion of the fortifica- tions not yet removed, is a toll tower, 60 ft. high, on the margin of the Avre, called la Tour Qrise. Diligences to Laloupe Stat, on the Paris and Le Mans rly., and to Couches Stat, on the Park and Caen rly. (The road by .Ar gen tan and Falaise branches, ofi! here (Rte. 29). 16 St. Maurice. 22 Mortagne. — Inn: H. de France. .An old town (5158 Inhab.) which claimed to be capital of la Perche. It is situated in a commanding position on a hill, surmounted by the high road .in a series of aigaags,.in order to. reach the principal square. .It .was a place of strength, often besieged, and suf- fered much from the horrors of war. ;During the contests of the League it was taken and pillaged by the two par- ties 22 times, in 3£ years. Parts of its ramparts . remain. Ite only supply of water is obtained by meana of a steam- engine pump, from springs at the bot- tom of the hill. The Church is remark- able for the. pendants in the roof of its nave. Canvas used for pictures is made at Mortagne, besides coarse linens and some porcelain. Omnibus meets all the trains at Coudes Stat, on the Paris and Caen Railway. [7 m. N. of Mortagne, at Soligny, is the convent of La Trappe, founded in the 12th cent., but owing its celebrity to the severe rule of the order enforced, 1666, by the Abbe* la Rano£, who is said to have always lived strictly and ascetically. The well-known story of his conversion is a pure fable. The convent was suppressed 1790, by a deeree of the Assembler Nationale, and its church destroyed with the tomb of La Ranc£, but the monks were restored in 1814 by the exertions of M. Le- strange. They are interdicted from all intellectual labour, and only allowed to work in the fields.] 16 Mesle-sur-Sarthe. The Sarthe, a tributary of the Loire, is crossed here. 10 Meml Broust. 13 Alenpm (Stat.) (Inns: Grand Cerf, good; Poste; H. d'Angleterre), chief town of the Dept. de l'Orne, has a population of 14,500, and is a thriving place, situated on the Sarthe, near the junction of the Briante, in an open plain. Its manu- factures consist chiefly of cotton .and o 2 124 Route 36.—~Renne8 to Brest — Lamballe. Sect. II. woollen, hempen and linen cloths, called " Toilet dt Alenpm." The making of point lace, " Point d'Alencon," established here by 'Col- bert, for which the town was long cele- brated, has now nearly disappeared. Cider and perry (poir6), the common drink of the country, are sold to a con- siderable extent, in casks called pipes. The public buildings are not very- remarkable. The Cathedral consists of a Gothic nave, built in the 16th cent., having some painted glass, injured by a storm, 1821, and a pulpit approached by a staircase cut in the pier, attached to a plain modern choir. The crypt be- neath the church contains the remains of the Dues d' Alencon — lately opened. Three battlemented towers of the old Castle, built by Wm. de Bellesme 1026, are converted into a prison, and the Prefecture is a brick building, which once belonged to the Duchesse de Guise. One of the most atrocious of the Revolutionary leaders, Hubert the anarchist, editor of the infamous journal Pore Duehesne, was a native of Alencon. He was led trembling and weeping to the scaffold, to which he had condemned so many thousand innocent persons, in 1793, exhibiting in his last moments the most abject cowardice. The name Diamante d'Alencon is given to the crystals of smoky quartz (rock crystal) found in the neighbour- ing granite-quarries ; where the beryl also occurs. Alencon is built of gra- nite, which becomes the predominant rock of the country further W. The cultivation of wheat becomes rarer, buckwheat takes its place; broom and rushes abound. Diligences to Tours. Railway to Le Mans, — in progress to Mezedon. (Rte. 29.) 11 St. Denis. The river Mayenne rises near this, and is crossed about balf way to 13 Prez en Pail, in the Dept. de la Mayenne; the portion of it traversed by the road is a dreary country, un- enclosed and covered with heath. 18 Le Ribay. The high road to Brest merely skirts a suburb of Mayenne, leaving the town itself on the rt. 18 Mayenne. — Inns: Belle Etoile ; — Tdte Noire. A town of 10,000 In- hab., situated f on the rt. bank and- J on the 1. of the Mayenne. Its manu- factures of calicoes, linen cloth, and tickens employ 8000 persons in and around the town. The Castle, now in ruins, is a picturesque object, on the rt. bank of the river, near the bridge. It belonged to the seigneurs of May- enne, and was taken after a 3 months' siege, by the English, under the Earl of Salisbury, 1424. Many of the streets are very narrow, and so steep that it requires 8 or 10 oxen to draw a cart up them. The road descends the valley of the Mayenne, having the river on the rt. but out of sight, to 13 Martigne*. RL^M^Rte-34-) ROUTE 36. BENNES TO BREST. 240 kilom.=149 Eng. m. Malleposte daily in 18 hours. Diligences daily. Railway in progress by St. Brieuc and Morlaix. 10 Pace*. 13 Dede'e. 14 La Barette. 16 Broons is remarkable only as the birthplace of Bertrand Du Guesclin, the great captain of France in the 15th century. He was 10th child of Robert Du Guesclin, and remarkably ill-fa- voured to look upon. He first saw the light in the castle of La Motte Broons, of which no vestiges remain, but the place where it stood is marked by an avenue of trees, and a Monument* erected at the cost of the department, by the side of the road to Brest, about 1 m. out of the town. 12 Langouedre. 15 Lamballe (4400 Inhab.) was the chief place of the Comte* of Penthievre; the castle of the counts was reduced and dismantled by Cardinal Richelieu, 1626, to punish a rebellious seigneur. The Ch. of Notre Dame, on the top of the hill whose, slope is occupied by Brittany. Route Z6.—Bennes to Brest— Morlaix* 125 the town, was originally the castle chapel, and is a fine Gothic building. Thick cylindrical piers, surmounted by capitals in bands, support the lancet arches of the nave, whilst the choir rests on clustered pillars, the arches being surmounted by a double tri- forium gallery. It has a wooden roof. In a side aisle is some good carved woodwork, with decorated and flam- boyant tracery, perhaps the remains of a roodloft. Part of the church was built 1545. The road to St. Malo (Rte. 41) diverges from this. Glimpses of the sea are obtained on the rt. before reaching 20 St. Brieuc. — Inns : Croix Blanche, clean and good: H. Tassin, middling but moderate. There is nothing worth notice in this town of 14,053 Inhab. ; it is situated on the Gouet, and has a port called Le*gu£, 2 m. lower down the stream, provided with a long quai, accessible for vessels of 400 or 500 tons to un- load at. On the top of a hilly pro- montory, commanding the bouchure of the river, stands the ruined Tour de Cesaon, built 1395, to defend its en- trance, but blown up 1598, after the war of the League, by order of Henri IV. Such, however, was the thickness of the wall, and the coherence of the mortar, that one half of the cylinder re- mains standing, braving the tempests, while the other lies shattered into a few large masses at its base, as it fell. There is a pretty walk from St. Brieuc to Legue*, through a narrow ravine, traversed by a small tributary of the Gouet. St. Brieuc was taken by the Chouans in the Vend^an war, 1799. An interesting antiquarian and archi- tectural excursion to Lanleff, Paimpol, &c., may be made from this (Rte. 38). 17 Chatelaudren, a small town on theLeff. 14 Guingamp (Hdtel des Voyageurs) is a very picturesque town, situated in the vale of the Trieux, which abounds in pleasing scenery (7200 Inhab.). It formed part of the vast possessions of the Dues de Penthievre, and de- scended from them to Louis-Philippe. The site of their castle, razed to the earth, is occupied by a grove of trees, and serves as a promenade ; but frag- ments of the town walls remain. Its Church, surmounting the other build- ings, part Gothic, parff in the style of the revival, has some peculiarities, viz. grotesque heads projecting from the shafts of its piers. The Fontaine de Plomb, in the middle of the Place, is rather an elegant work of Italian artists in the 15th cent., it is supposed. The Chapel of Notre Dame de Grace, . 3 m. out of the town, is well deserving a visit, although its rich decorations in sculptured tracery and figures have been much mutilated. " Its elegant spire, finely proportioned pillars, and light arches, are still worthy of ad- miration ; and much of the grotesque carving which formed the cornices of the nave and aisles may still be seen." — Trollope. It was erected in the 14th cent, by Charles of Blois. 19 Belle-Ile-en-Terre. The Dept. of Finisterre, embracing the larger portion of la Basse Bretagne, the ancient Armorica, is entered before reaching 19 Ponthou. 15 Morlaix (Inns : H. de Provence ; good and moderate; — H. de Paris) is a flourishing little port and town of 10,500 Inhab., picturesquely seated in a valley wide enough only for the tidal river or creek which runs up it, lined with 2 quays and 2 rows of houses, " behind which the hills rise steep and woody on one side, on the other gardens and rocks and wood ; the effect romantic and beautiful." — A. Young. The rock rises so close behind the houses as to give rise to a proverb, "From the garret to the garden, as they say at Morlaix." It is only 6j m. from the sea, and is reached by vessels of considerable ton- nage. To the stranger its chief attrac- tion is the unaltered air of antiquity which it retains in its older quarters, such as the Bues des Nobles and du Pav6, and the thoroughly Breton cha- racter of its street architecture and houses overhanging the footway, each- story, fronted with an apron of slates, more nearly approaching its neighbour on the opposite side of the way, until 126 Route 36. — Rennet to Brest — Landivisiau* Sect II. the inmates of the garrets may shake hands. The grotesquely carved corner posts, ornamented with figures of kings, priests, saints, monsters, and bagpipers, the Gfbthic doorways; the sculptured cornices, would, enrich an artisVs sketch-book, and furnish em- ployment for many days; The cos- tame of the people also is thoroughly in keeping with' the buildings ; their pent-house brimmed hate, their loose trunk hose, their shaggy locks hang- ing like manes down their backs, are all thoroughly characteristic of la Bre- tagne Bretonnante (§ 2). Sad havoc, however, has* been made in this antique town- by modern im- provements ; and the opening formed for the new Rue Nation - Boyale, by which the road to Brest issues out on the W., has swept away a crowd of crazy but picturesque constructions, whose loss would have made poor Prout sigh. Two small streams, descending from separate ravines; but uniting above the town, are arched over to furnish space for the market-place and modern Hotel de Ville ; below which, expanding na- turally, and partly by their bed being artificially excavated, they form' a port, lined with quays and lofty picturesque houses, resting on covered galleries or arcades called Lance*. One of the houses on this quai is particularly re- markable for its carved staircase. Be- side these quays several merchant ves- sels may usually be seen lying, together with a variety of small craft. The churches are' not remarkable : St. Mathieu is Gothic ; in St. Metaine is some good carved screen-work. Many of the houses in the Rue du Pave" and Rue des Nobles (especially the staircase of one high up on the right hand) deserve notice ; they are richly ornamented in the flamboyant style. The Gothic fountain of the Carmel- ites, and the Chapel of the Convent of St. Francois, may be visited by those who' have time. The Manufacture Rationale de Tabac, ft large building on the W. quay, is said to produce the worst tobacco in Europe. In 1522 the fleet of Henry VIII., who was at that time incensed with Francis I. for seizing the ships and goods of English merchants in French ports, on its return from escorting the Empr. Charles V. to Spain, under the command of Henry Earl of Surrey, entered the river, m number 50 ves- sels, and, effecting a descent in the neighbouring bay of Dourdu, surprised Morlaix. The English set fire to it in 4 different places; pillaged it, mas- sacred the inhabitants, and burnt* to the ground great part of it, " together with some right fair castles; goodly houses, and proper piles." — State Papers. They retired to their vessels loaded with; booty ; but 600 of the hindmost were intercepted by the in- furiated inhabitants, and cut off with great slaughter near a spring, still called Fontaine des Anglais, or, as the Bretons, like their Welsh, kinsmen, style them, the Saxons. Near the said fountain begins a very pleasant promenade, planted with trees, called Cows Beaumont, which extends nearly 1J m. down the 1. bank of the river. The views from it of the river and the wooded valley are very pleasing. The site of the old castle, planted with trees, also commands a fine view of the town* Morlaix is the native place of Gene- ral Moreau. Diligences daily to Brest ; to St. Malo ; to Rennes ; to Lorient. A well-appointed Steamer runs from Morlaix to Havre, 70 leagues; in 20 hrs., once a week; fare 30 fr. The churches of Ereisker, at St. Pol de Leon, and of Folgoat, may be visited by making a detour on the way to, Brest (Rte, 38). Another interesting excursion is to the mining district of* Huelgoat and Poulahouen (Rte. 42). Rather more than half way (£ m.)1 between Morlaix and the next relay the village- of? Theogonec is passed,, re- markable for its fine Church, in the. style of the Renaissance ; a vast edi- fice, richly decorated with, sculptures in the dark Kersanton stone. Its deli- cately carved pulpit, its reliquary, aud- its Calvary, deserve notice. . 21 Landivisiau has a Church also, with a very fine S. portal filled with statues of the 12 Apostles ; and at tha Bbittany. Route 36. — Brest. 127 W. end almost elegant, tower and spire, ' well worth studying. . [The C&urch of Lanbader, 5.m. N". of tips, on the road to St.. Pol, sur- mounted by an, elegant tower, and spire, was originally attached- to a.1 commandery of Templars, ruins of., which exist near the. tower. Within is a. beautifully pierced and carved roodloft and screen of wood, composed of exquisite flamboyant tracery; also a ( staircase in the same s,tyle. The \ chains of some knight, liberated from slavery among the followers, of Ma- hoiin, still Aang in the choir.] .' 3 m. sh«R of Landerneau, on a hill above the village £a, Uoche Maurice, stand the ruins of its, castle, reduced tp 3. shattered towers, but very pic- turesque in its outline and position. In the churchyard is an Ossuary t filled with skulls and dry bones, orna- mented in front with a sculptured frieze, representing the Dance of Death, executed 1.639. The Church is Gothic, and built 1559, and contains some £ood painted glass. The carved portal in. Kersanton stone, and the sculp- tured roodloft of wood within, are worth notice. 16 Landerneau (//to; Hdtel de TUnivers), a pretty town,, seated in. tjie hollow of a valley on the Elorn, whose mouth forms, one branch of the roadstead of Brest. There are some picturesque Gothic bits among its old houses. 4963 Inhab. The roads to Brest from Morlaix, from Carhaix (Eta. 42),. and from. Quimper (Rte. 44), all converge at this point. A little beyond Landerneau, on the 1. of the road, between, it. and the river Elorn, a ruined gateway, draped with ivy, is the sole subsisting relic of the, Castle of the joyeuse Garde, now known as Chateau le Forefc, the cradle of chivalry, the seat of Arthur, Lancelot du Lac, and the Knights of the Round Table. Of course there- is no preten- sion that the existing remains are of their time. No satisfactory explana- tion is given of the. origin of the name joyeuse Garde, but it is. supposed to be a perversion of a Breton term. 20 Brest. — Lnns: H, du Grand Mo- narque, good and moderate ; — H. de Provence. N.B. The gates of Brest are closed at 10 p.m. in summer, and 9 in winter ; no entrance after. Foreign- ers must give up passports at the gates. Brest, the chief naval arsenal of France, a Dockyard, and fortress of the first class, is very, advantageously situated near the W. extremity of the Dept. Finisterre (the Land's End of France), on that portion of her territory which projects most to the W. between the. Channel and the Gulf of Gascony. It stands on the N. side of one of the finest harbours in the world, nearly land-locked, accessible only through a narrow and well-fortified throat, Le Goulet, and extending far inland in 2 branches, one running up to Lander- neau, the other towards Chateaulin. The town is built on the summit and sides of a kind of projecting ridge, and some of its streets are too steep to be passable except on foot. A narrow but deep creek, which is in fact formed by the mouth of the small stream the Penfeld, running up from the harbour behind this ridge, serves as the basin to the dockyard, and divides the town on its 1. bank from the suburb La Re- couvrance on its rt. The communica- tion between the town and suburb is kept up by numerous ferry-boats. Qlose above the mouth of this creek, which is not more than a musket-shot across, and is defended by several tiers of batteries on either hand, rise the feudal round towers and colossal cur- tains, not less than 100 ft. high, of the picturesque old Castle, which be- longed to the Dues de Bretagne. It was besieged in vain by Du Guesclin and Clisson, was long held by the English, having for governor, 1373, the brave warrior Robert Knolles. It. was yielded up by Richard II. 1395, in consideration of 12,000 orowns, and was finally modernised by Vauban, 1688, who formed casemates in the interior of its massive towers, and platforms, with embrasures for cannon on their tops. From its walls there is a good view of the port and dockyard, but the Fort de I'Ecble, on the opposite side of the water, commands one. still 128 Route 36. — Brest — Dockyard. Sect. IT. finer, including the roadstead also. There are numerous dungeons beneath the castle, and extensive vaults. The inner port of Brest, or creek above mentioned, is so narrow, that if the town had any commerce it would not be large enough to hold the mer- chant vessels ; but there is no defici- ency of depth (25 ft. at low water), and 30 or 40 ships of war might lie within it in single file. Above the castle the shores of both Bides of this creek are enclosed by a high wall, separating the dockyard within it from the town. The mouth of the creek is closed by a boom. The population of Brest is said to exceed 32,000, though, to avoid the additional contributions on large towns, it is put down in the census at 29,860. There is accommo- dation in the numerous barracks for a garrison of nearly 10,000 men. Although Brest is enclosed within ramparts, there are several fine open spaces within its walis ; such are the square called Champ de Bataille, inno- cent of any other combat than a sham fight, and the Cours cFAjot (so named from an officer of engineers who laid it out), a promenade agreeable on account of the fine trees which shade it, and the beautiful view of the roads, ap- pealing like a vast lake, which its ter- race commands, but infested all the morning by parties of recruits under- going drill. More rain, it is said, falls in Brest than in any other town of France, and the whole department of Finisterre is peculiarly exposed to storms, winds, mists, and fogs. In 1548 Mary Queen of Scots, then a child 5 years old, landed at Brest, and a few days after was affianced to the Dauphin Francis at St. Ger- main. The Dockyard, or Port Militaire* — The authorities connected with the dockyard (major de la marine, &c.) will not admit foreigners to see it without an order from the Ministre de la Marine at Paris. The Bagnes and H6pital de la Marine, the most inter- esting objects here, can be seen on presenting the passport. The dock* yard of Brest is situated on the 2 Bides of a narrow but deep creek or arm of the sea, running up in a wind* ing direction between high and steep rocks, which intrude so near upon the water that it is only by paring them down that space is formed for the buildings, and for the quays and yards required in front of them. The first view, looking down from above into this narrow ravine, lined with long and massive ranges of buildings rising tier over tier in the form of an amphi- theatre, is exceedingly striking. On one Bide is the VoSerie (dtil-house), Magasin General (stores), am Corderie (rope-walk), of 3 stories, surmounted by the Bagne, and above it rises the New Hospital. On the opposite side are various ateliers, forgeries, Atflier oVArtillerie de Marine (burnt in 1833). The Foundry (for casting cannon), and the Quartier des Matins, or sailors' bar- racks, where they are lodged when in port in the same manner as soldiers — an admirable establishment, which might be advantageously copied by the English Admiralty — fill up the opposite side. The level space at the water's edge is occupied by slips (cales de construction), only 2 of which are . covered, about 8 being uncovered, dry docks (formes), at times converted to the purpose of building ships. It is surprising that the first dockyard of France should possess so few covered slips. There are, besides, timber- yards, boat-sheds, water-cisterns sup- plied by a steam-engine where vessels fill their tanks, sheds for containing the new tanks, and government cellars, while a very large space near the sea entrance of the dockyard is covered with dismounted cannon. Here also is placed a trophy from Algiers, a brass gun 20 ft. long, which forms an excellent column reared on its breech « The precautions against fire and theft are very rigid ; a vigilant guardian watches in every apartment, a door* keeper at every door ; cisterns are placed at short distances, with tubs full of water every 8 or 10 yards. The ground occupied by most of these buildings hat been gained, as BktTTANY. Route 36. — Brest — Bagnes* 129 before observed, by excavations out of the hill-side. Greatly as the space on either side of the water has been widened by artificial means, the cliffs even now approach too near the slips and timber-sheds, preventing a free circulation of air, causing dampness, and consequently dry rot. Near the timber-sheds is the Mtisee Maritime, filled with models, ships' heads, &c, but containing nothing very remark- able. On both sides of the port, roads are carried up the steep sides of the con- fining heights in zigzag terraces, so that they may easily be surmounted by heavy carriages. The Victualling Office (Direction des Subsistences et Pare aux Vivres) is near the mouth of the port, on the rt. bank, and includes the bakehouse, containing 24 ovens, the slaughterhouse, kitchens, &c. In 1802-3, when the combined Spanish and French fleets lay in the roads, 50,000 rations were supplied hence daily. The Bagnes (from bagno, Ital., bath; the Christian slaves in Turkey and Barbary were employed in heating the baths of the sultans, pachas, deys, &c.) contain about 3000 convicts (forcats), condemned to forced labour for a cer- tain term of years or for life. Their dress is a jacket of dirty red serge, fitting no better than a sack, yellow trowsers, and a green, red, or yellow cap: the green cap denotes one con- demned for life ; the yellow sleeve one twice sentenced. The worst offenders are heavily loaded with shackles fastened to a ring riveted fast round the leg. The chain and shackle together weigh more than 7 lbs., and usually cause a wound on the leg at first. It is not, however, the hideous dress nor the clanking chains which renderthe forcats repulsive; it is the countenance marked with bad passions and villany, which indicate the degradation of human na- ture. The worst offenders are coupled two together to the same chain. They work in gangs, each gang accompanied by a plante or garde chourme, a fierce- looking moustache, with a tranchant sabre, accompanied by a soldier with a loaded musket. The Prison of the Bagnes has a long facade, with more of archi- tectural ornament and style in its pediment than usually marks a prison destined for doubly and trebly dyed criminals. It contains 4 salles, lofty, wide, and airy, filled with large wooden platforms, having sloping tops like desks ; these are the bedsteads of the forcats, who recline on them upon a small mattress provided with a coarse quilt of sackcloth, the chain of each being passed over a bar of iron running along the foot of the bed, but allowing tether enough to move a distance of 5 or 6 ft. Only the better class of con- victs are allowed a thin mattress. As soon as their allotted task for the day is done out of doors, they are allowed to repair hither ; some have writing-desks, others employ them- selves in handicrafts, many in making toys out of cocoa-nuts, horsehair, &c., by which they may earn a little money. At gunfire the names are called over, and in an hour profound silence is re- quired; the night, passed on a hard board, is a time of suffering, especially in winter, from the cold. Their daily allowance of food includes a pint of wine, a measure of biscuit, or £ a loaf of brown bread. The 4 salles are closed by strong iron gates at night, but stand open during the day ; there are, however, plenty of guards at hand, and imme- diately behind the Bagnes rises the Caserne de la Marine Alt lit aire, which could pour in some hundred men in a few minutes in case of revolt. The forcat, degraded as he is, is not allowed to be struck by his guards or keepers ; his punishment, if he does wrong, is either solitary confinement in the black hole, a series of cells in the court be- hind the building, or deprivation of his wine, &c, coupling to another prisoner, or flogging with the rope's end. As a further preventive of tumult or rebellion, the walls of each salle are pierced with embrasures through which 2 cannon show their mouths ; they are loaded with grape, and would enfilade the chamber, and sweep it from end to end. Outside the dockyard, a little higher up the hill than the prison, rises +1 Q 3 ISO Route 36. — Roadstead of Brest. Sect. H. BdpiM tie la Marine, an edifice of great extent, though of unpretending* archi- tecture, of which Brest may well be proud. It was begun 1324. It con- tains 2& salles, each- with 58 beds ; and is attended by between 30 and 40 Re- ligieuses, Soeuts Fiddles de la Sagesse- as they call themselves-, who are also- lodged within the building, So far from being revolting-, aa is the case in many hospitals, it is a pleasing sight to enter one of the salles ; its cleanliness puts to shame the confined frowsy wards of Greenwich Hospital. Here are wide, airy apartments, the roofs without speck, the floors, though- of tile, sedulously polished and provided with pieces of carpeting, each window hung with white curtains, each bed of metal, also with white curtains and furniture. The salle des officiers- is superior to the- common rooms, even elegant. The kitehens, laboratories, linen-Closet, &c., are in the same style, Even the convicts, when siek, are re- ceived and nursed in this establishment. A British Consul resides here. At Hubert's library and reading* room, Hue d'Aiguillon, the papers may be seen, and many interring works on Brittany, especially those- of MM. Souvestre and I'Vemmville, obtained. Maileposte daily to Laval Stat. (Rfte. 84) : diligences daily to- Rennes ; to St, Malo ; to Lorient, Auray, and Nantes. A railroad to Paris by Rennes and Char- tres is in progress. Steamer every day traverses the Road- stead. The excursion through them, and to the head of the harbour, is very fine and interesting. The Roadstead of Brest lies between the great promontory of Finisterre on the N. and the smaller peninsula of QueTern on the S., which approach so near as to leave a passage only 1749 yards broad between them, called the Goulet. The Mingan rocks, rising in the midst of this channel, contract the entrance still more, and compel vessels to pass close under the guns of bat- teries which line it on either side, and command it by a cross fire. The road consists of numerous bays, into which several risers empty themselves, the rincipal being the Elorn from Lander- neau, and the Chateanlifi, which h navigated by a steamboat. In some places tile harbour is 3 m. broad, and the area of its surface is estimated at' 15 square league*. All the fleets' of France might lie- snugly within it, and a hostile ship dare not venture within its entrance without the risk of being battered to pieces. Not only are the jaws- of the harbour bristling with for- tifications "a flour d'eau," but the works are carried inwards so as to command the anchorage, and the bat- teries spread outside to- the rt. and 1. of the entrance, while every eminence iff crowned with- other forts command- ing those below. The number of can- non and large mortars which could' be brought to bear on an enemy from the batteries of the Goulet, and of the coast ouside of it, is not less than 400, while 60 piece* sweep the anchorage from the forts within the Goulet, On the N. of the Goulet, in the midst of the bay of Bertheaume, are 2 island forts, united together by a rope bridge, and by one of wood with the shore. The extreme fort on this side is the batterie de St. Mathieu, under the ruined abbey (p. 131), and close to the new lighthouse. On the S. of the Goulet lies the Bay de Camaret, one of whose numerous and formidable bat- teries goes by the name of Mort Anglaise, commemorating the miserable defeat of the expedition which landed here 1694 from a British fleet commanded by Admiral Berkeley. On approaching the shore, the English found it bristling with armaments : batteries were thrown up on all sides, gunners at their posts, troops of horse and foot drawn up behind the guns, and, as soon as the English began to disembark, 3 masked batteries opened on the ships a destructive fire. 900 men under the command of General Tollemache, who persisted in landing in the face even of such formidable preparations, reached the shore, and were almost immediately cut to pieces, the ebbing of the tide having left their boats dry, and cut off their retreat. And thus the expedi- tion failed miserably. What wonder? The news of the intended descent had been betrayed to Louis XIV. and James Brittany. Route 36.— Roadstead of Brest — Excursions. 131 II. move than a month before by the Duke of Marlborough, the hero of Blenheim! These are the words in which he communicated the intelli- gence to his old master James: — " The capture of Brest would be a great ad- vantage to England, but no advantage can prevent or ever shall prevent me from, informing- you of all that I be* lieve to be lor your service ; therefore you may make your own use of this intelligence." — Macpher son's State Pa- pers. In the interval between the re- ceipt of this letter and the sailing of the armament, the skill and activity of Vauban- had put the intended landing- place in such a state of defence, by throwing up batteries, disposing can- non, and collecting troops, as to render success hopeless, defeat inevitable. The Potnte dee. Espagnols owes its name to a body of Spaniards, about 600 strong, who occupied it for several weeks, 1594, and threw up an earthen redoubt, which was captured by assault. The peninsula of Quelern is defended by lines, drawn across the isthmus winch connects it with the mainland, nearly a mile long, consisting of bas- tions faced with masonry, constructed by Vauban, mounting 60 pieces of can- non. From a point near these lines, just above the Bay of Camaret, the finest view is obtained of the roads of Brest and their defences, with the point of St. Mathieu and the archi- pelago of Ouessant on the N., and on the S. the Bay of Dournenez and the Pointe du Raz. The defences above enumerated do not include those of Brest itself, amounting altogether to 400 pieces of cannon, nor of the intrenched camp behind it, numbering 60 more cannon and mortars. Excursions. — The country about Brest is far from picturesque, but it contains many objects of interest. The Menhir of PUmarzel (§ 4), about 10 m. N. W. of Brest and 3 beyond the village of St. Benan, is the loftiest of those singular Celtic monuments now remaining in Finisterre. It measures 35 ft. in height, and stands on an eminence in the midst of a wild heath. Whatever its original destination, it is still looked on with awe by the pea- santry, and singular superstitions are associated with it. Often in the dead of night the barren woman repairs hither, hoping to procure the boon of fruitfulness by rubbing her naked breast against the hard granite. Near the mouth of the pretty river Aber Ildut, which flows past St. Renan, are the quarries of granite which fur- nished the pedestal for the obelisk of Luxor, erected in the Place Louis XV:, at Paris. 3 m. N. of St. Renan, at Lanriouare*, is the graveyard of the 7777 saints, a walled enclosure, never trod by the peasants except with bare feet and head uncovered ; it is paved with slabs, and marked by a cross. The ruined Abbey of St. Matthew, situated on the extreme W. cape of Finisterre) K. of the Bade de Brest, is about 15 m. W. from Brest and 10 from St. Renan. The roads from both places converge at the little town of Le Conquet, where La Grace de Dieu is a decent cabaret. Conquet suffered from an English fleet sent forth by Queen Mary, 155ft, to ravage the French coast, and to surprise Brest, "because it was known not to be well garrisoned, and was thought the best mark to be shot at for the time." But the English commander contented himself with a far more inglorious enterprise. Land- ing at Conquet, "he put it to the saccage, with a great abbey, and many ' pretty towns and villages, where our men found good booties and great store of pillage."— i/o/mstecf. Thence it is a walk of 3 m. along the tops of the granite cliffs (which abound in red feldspar, quarried at Le Conquest), battered below by the waves, to the storm-fretted ruins of St. Matthew's Abbey, which stand on the bleak exposed promontory aoove the sea — the most W. spot of France, and, with the ex- ception of Cape Finisterre in Spain, of the European continent. It occupies a position similar to St. Mary's Abbey, Whitby, so as to be the first and the last object seen by the mariner quitting or entering the Bay of Brest. What- ever wind may blow, it is rare but it rages a hurricane around these moulds- 132 Route 38. — St. Brieuc to Brest. Sect. II. ing arches and piers, which yet have braved for 5 centuries the pelting storm and whistling wind. The architecture is pointed in the greater part of the building, with some Romanesque por- tions and round arches. It is of solid granite, simple in style, and without ornament. Close beside the ruins a Lighthouse has been erected. There is much savage grandeur in the scene around, viewed from this point, in- creased by the sullen roar of the mighty Atlantic chafing in the eaves and fissures of the rocks below* In clear weather the eye ranges over the dangerous strait called Passage du Four, beset with rooks, between the mainland and the granitic islands Molene, Beniguet, and Oueasant. The last is supposed by some to be the Ultima Thule of the ancients : its in- habitants remained idolaters down to the 1 7th century. The indecisive naval action of Ushant (as we oall it) was fought off this island, 1778, between the French Fleet under D'Orvilliers, and the English under Keppel and Palliser. On the S. the roads of Brest and the peninsula of Qu&ern lie open, and on the horizon appears the Pointe du Raz. On the E. aide of the roadstead, and on the shore of the estuary of the Landerneau river, opposite to Brest, lies Plougastel, remarkable for a Calvary attached to its cimetiere, one of the most remarkable of the Gothic monu- ments of Finisterre. The 3 customary crosses, carved in Kersanton stone (§ 6) are surrounded by an army of stone saints on foot, raised on a platform with bas-reliefs running round it. A mul- titude of sculptures, rudely but forcibly executed, representing scenes of the Life and Passion of Christ. Some of the subjects, such as the entry of our Saviour into Jerusalem to the music of the bigniou (bagpipe), the Temptation, and Hell, are treated in a homely manner, approaching the grotesque, marking the hand of a rustic artist. ' ' Notwithstanding its Gothic character, it appears by an inscription upon it to have been executed in 1602 : but we must remember that the middle ages lasted longer in Brittany than else- where."— Souvestre. The costume of the women of Plougastel is remarkable for its ele- gance. Ferry and market boats ply between Brest and the point of Plougastel. The fine Gothic Ch.of Folgoat(Rte. 38) would form an agreeable day's excur- sion for any one who interests himself in architecture. He might take the patache which runs daily from Brest to Lesneven and back. ROUTE 38. ST. BBTECC TO BREST. — COAST ROAD BY PAIMrOL, LANNION, MORLAIX, ST. POL DE LEON, and FOLOOAT. The distances are marked in lieues communes of 3 Eng. m., measured from place to place. This rte. properly consists of two excursions from the high road from Rennes to Brest : it carries the traveller to a succession of interesting churches and ecclesiastical remains well worth visiting, though much of it lies over cross roads ; no posting. St. Brieuc (Rte. 3d). A wretched patache runs between this place and Paimpol, passing near the little port of Binic, through Plouha. Thus far there is nothing remarkable, unless the traveller diverge about 1 m. to the 1. of the road beyond Binic, to visit the beautiful Gothic chapel of Lantec, which has been compared with the Ste. Chapelle at Paris, but is far inferior to it. From Plouha the antiquarian tra- veller should diverge to the 1., to visit a ruined building, known as the 7$ Temple de Lanleff, about 8 m. from Plouha. A carriage cannot easily get within a mile of it, owing to the bad- ness of the roads. It has been the,, subject of much controversy, some* writers calling it a Pagan Temple: but in truth it is nothing more than an early Christian church, probably of the 10th or 11th cent., in the form of a rotunda, like the English churches of the Temple, St. Sepulchre, Cam- bridge, little Maplestead, &c. But the building which it perhaps most Bbittaht. Route 38.— Paimpol. — Treguier* 133 nearly resembles is the round church at Nymegen, in Holland, attributed to Charlemagne, but now in ruins. It consists of 2 concentric walls, the inner one a cylinder, 30 ft. high, resting on 12 circular arches, supported on square piers, with engaged columns on each side, of granite, having rudely carved capitals of monsters, human faces, rams' heads. Outside of this runs a lower concentric wall, destroyed for a con- siderable part of its circuit, but which once extended quite round the inner wall, and thus formed the aisles of the church. It is pierced with narrow loopholed windows, which widen in- wards, the early form common in churches built before glass came into use. The edges of the vaulted roof which covered this aisle may still be traced, and a small portion of the aisle is included in the modern church; but whether the vaulting of it be as old as the walls on which it rests cannot be distinctly affirmed. This ruin now forms a vestibule to a little village church. As a ruin, it is too rude in its architecture to be pleasing, but in the midst of it rises a noble yew-tree, tall and straight, surmounting the old wall with its dark canopy of foliage. The tradition of the country is, that it was built by the Templars, the " Moines Rouges" as they are called. It is just possible that Gothic archi- tecture in Brittany was not more ad- vanced in the 12th cent, than this building indicates. Lanleff is about 24 m. from St. Brieuc and 7£ from 2§ Paimpol (Inn: H. du Commerce, formerly Pelican), a town of 2112 Inhab. On the sea-shore, 2 m. to the E. of Paimpol, are the ruins of the Abbey of Beauyort. It is beautifully situated on the shore of a retired bay. The remains consist of a Church, now roof- less and deprived of the choir, in the pointed style, built 1202, with a W. front showing an early English charac- ter, together with several conventual buildings at the E. end. An elegant small chapterhouse, its vaulted roof supported on a row of circular pillars, is so perfect that it is now used as a school. On the N. side are an exten- sive vaulted cellar, and an apartment of a superior character, also vaulted, which was the grand refectory. These serve the purpose of farm-buildings at present, being divided between 2 tenants. From Paimpol to Treguier is about 9 m., passing through Lezardrieux, where the river Trieux, descending' from Guingamp, is crossed by a fine wire suspension-bridge resting on lofty piers. The castle of La Roche Jagu, 9 m. from this, is an interesting specimen of domestic architecture, finely situated on the Trieux above Lezardrieux. It is a semi-castellated mansion, entered by a low doorway closed by an oaken door and a heavy iron gate of cross- bars. Although dismantled, it is in- habited by a peasant. There is a fine view from its roof. Another still larger and loftier sus- pension-bridge thrown over the Jaudy leads into 3 Treguier (Inn: Hotel de France, tolerable), a town of 3178 Inhab., oc- cupying the summit and slope of a hill. The Church in the market-place, for- merly the cathedral, has a fine S. porch, • the vaulted roof panelled, and the divisions filled with quatrefoils, and a. doorway ornamented with statues in niches, of good workmanship. The piers of the nave are irregular in form, and its arches vary in width. The N. transept is Romanesque, with circular arches and well-wrought capitals to its pillars. Contiguous to it is a tower in the same style, and probably of the 11th cent., though named Tour de Hastings, after the Danish pirate of a much earlier period. This tower is best seen from the cloisters, where some mutilated effigies of ecclesiastics and knights are deposited. In a farmhouse a little way out of the town, called Kermartin, is pre- served the bed of St. Yves, a favourite Breton saint. It is a cupboard bed- stead, the front of dark wood finely carved. 4 Lannion {Inn : H. de France), on the Guier, possesses a market-place 184; Haute 38. — Lamtioh^St. Pol de Leon. . Sect. II. filled with odd old houses, several: of a very peculiar style of architecture, and nothing else- worthy of remark but. narrow and dirty streets. A diligence runs daily to Morlaix. There is a post- road hence, t*> Guingamp, 32 kilom., and another by Plesten, 18 kilom., to Morlaix, 19 kilom. The district extending- N. from Lan- nion to the sea, between the rivers Guier and Jaudy, is the very cradle of romance. Kiag Arthur held his court at Kerdluel, graced by the presence, of the Paladins, Lancelot, Tristan, and Caradoc; and a short distance off the coast i& an islet called Agalon or Avalon, which the Bretons maintain to be King Arthur's burial-place, thus depriving Glastonbury of that honour. ■ About 6 m. Si of Lannion, on the K bank of the Guier, between it and. the road to Guingamp, is the Castlh Ton- quedec, one of the largest and best pre- served in Brittany. It was built in the 13th centM and dismantled by order of Richelieu, after having served during the wars of the Ligue as a royal fortress. It consisted of 3 courts: de- fended by moats, drawbridges, and portcullises. In the inner court is the keep, a tall round tower, " accessible only by an opening in its 2nd story, approached by 2 drawbridges, sup- ported midway upon an isolated square pier." The staircase was: formed in the thickness of the wall. " In many respects these ruins are well worth coming some distance to visit. To the antiquary they are precious as a speci- men of the finest military architecture of the 13th cent. For the sketcher they combine the requisites to form a lovely landscape." — Tmltope. The direct road from Lannion to Morlaix (about 23 m.) passes St. Michel- sur-Greve, a spot where the sea en- croaches on the shore, and a little farther we enter the department Finis- terre. On the sands near this, accord- ing to the legend, King Arthur fought the dragon. The crypt under the church of Lan- meur is of great antiquity, and encloses the holy fountain which caused its foundation, and is still held in repute by the common people. The piers which support the crypt have serpents- carved on them* About 3 m. N. of Lanmeur, close upon the coast, lies the village of St. Jean: da Doigt, whose church, contain* ing the precious finger of St. John, front which it. is named, is a fayourite place of pilgrimage with the peasantry, who repair hither to the number of 12,000 on the eve of St. John. The church has a. wooden roof elegantly carved and painted, and surmounted by a spire of lead; it also possesses a> ciborium bearing enamelled medallions on the 12 Apostles, abeantiful crucifix of the 16th cent., a chalice and a patina presented by Anne of Brittany, * who was a patroness of St. John's*, finger. She built the hospice by the side of the church to receive pilgrims. Souvestre mention* a singular little chapel called the Oratoire, between this and Plougasnon, in which the young girls who are about to marry in the course of the year hang up their hair as- an offering to the Virgin; this ancient Gaulish custom, however, is diminishing every year. 7* Morluix (Bte. 36). There is nothing very interesting beyond Morlaix until the towers and spires appear of 5 St. Pol de L&m.— 7«n ; Hotel du Commerce, tolerable. This ancient and almost deserted ecclesiastical city reminds one of St. Andrew's in Scotland, and St. David'* in Wales, in its remote position near the sea-shore, in its decayed state, and in its ancient edifices. It possesses 6700 Inhab. and 2 very fine churches. The mCathedral, dedicated to St. Pof, is flanked at the W. end with 2 fine towers, whose central stories, pierced with long and elegant lancet windows (like St. Pierre at Caen), are sur- mounted by spires, also pierced through to the sky. They open to the choir beneath, so as to form a sort of vesti- bule as at Peterborough. The nave is in the early pointed style, probably of the 13th cent.; the transepts display Romanesque features; in the S. tran- sept is a fine circular window, ita tra- cery cut in granite. The trough-shaped bemtier near the W. end was probably BklTTANT. JRbute 38~— Lesneven.— Folgoat. 135 a tomb-, and' from its. rude, sculpture is certainly very old. The ehoit,. longer, more ornamented, and of later date than the nave, is surrounded by doable aisles, and ends in a Lady Chapel ; it contains some goad carved wood-work of the 16th cent. The S. porelv a rich florid work with foliage delicately cat in Kersanton stone, merits exami- nation. The boast of St. Pol is the spire: of the mChurch of Crmzker (the word means centre ot the town), 393> fib., high; a structure of open work of great light- ness and grace, though constructed entirely of granite. The' richly orna- mented, square tower is surmounted by a very boldly-projecting cornice, above which rises the spire, its masonry cut to imitate overlapping tiles. The whole rest* on 4 pillars, not particularly thick, but the arches of the aisles act as buttresses to support it. This spire was built at the latter end of the 14th cent, by John IV., Duke of Brittany; according to tradition the architect was English. The N. portal, florid and fringed, is very rich and in good taste, though much injured; the rest of the church is not remarkable. These are the curiosities of this dull town, and after exploring them one is happy to leave behind its grass-grown streets, and the melancholy which they in- spire. 3 m. to the N. lies the little port of Boscoff. Half-way, near Chapel Pol, are some Celtic remains, several dol- mens, and a menhir (§ 4). Boscoff is filled with, sailors and smugglers, and contains a vegetable prodigy, a jig - tree, in the garden of the Capucin convent, whose branches, supported by scaffolding, would shelter beneath them 200 persons. The church, though of the time of Louis XIV., has a Gothic character, while its details are Italian; below it are 7 very curious bas-reliefs in alabaster: Opposite Boscoff lies the little island of Bate, separated from the mainland by a strait which may be crossed in 10 min. In the cemetery there is a monu- ment of granite to the memory of a lady who succoured the proscribed and fugitive priests during the Bevolution. The young Pretender landed here after his- hazardous escape from Scotland* subsequent to the battle of Culloden. The road from St. Pol to Brest lies through 7 Lesneven. — firn: Grande Maison; tolerable. Some Roman remains* urns,, &c, found a few- miles S.E. of this dull little town on the way to Lan- divisiau, have been supposed to mark the site of the long-lost Breton town Occismor. Pursuing the road to Brest, 1 m. beyond Lesneven, on a dreary, bleak, unsheltered spot, we reach the village of*Folgoat, marked in the distance by its tail spire, little inferior to the Creizker, of unusual splendour for a village,, attached to the Church of Notre Dame,, one of the most remarkable Gothic buildings of Brittany. It owes its origin to the following circumstance : —This spot was once haunted by an idiot-boy, who was in the habit of begging alms of those who passed, using at the same time this one un- varied exclamation, " Oh! Lady Virgin Mary!" so that the place became known as " ar fol coat," the fool of the wood. The fool died, and in a short time there sprang up from his grave,, even out of his mouth, according; to the legend, a beautiful lily, whose leaves bore inscribed upon them the name of Mary. This miracle was noised abroad, and, coming to the ears ' of John do Montfort, then warring, with Charles de Blois for the dukedom ; of Brittany, he vowed to build a church on the spot if he triumphed over his rival. In consequence, after the vic- tory of Auray, he laid the first stone on the spot where the lily had sprouted forth, but the church was not finished until 1423, by his son John V., who, in an inscription legible on the 1. of the W. portal, claims to be its founder. It is built of the very dark green- stone called Kersanton (§ 6), which gives the edifice on the whole a gloomy appearance, but it is well adapted for delicate sculpture, and by the sharp- ness with which it has retained the delicate touches of the artist's chisel, shows how great judgment he exer- cised in selecting it. Almost every 136 Route 38. — St. Brieuc to Brest— Fblgoat. . Sect. II. pari of the church, inside and out, deserves minute inspection; the fertile invention, laborious pains, and dexter- ous skill of the sculptor are visible in almost every part, though the edifice has been sadly injured through neglect. This is more especially conspicuous externally in the W. portal, the canopy of which fell down 1824; but round the portal runs so delicate a wreath of thistles and vine-leaves, perfect in their prickly flowers and stems, and even in the very fibres of the leaves and the curves of the stalks and tendrils, as cannot be seen without wonder. Birds also (chardonneret) and serpents are interspersed among the leaves. Above the door is a bas-relief of the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi on one side (St. Joseph with wooden shoes has all the character of a Breton pea- sant), and of the Shepherds on the other. Below, the centre pier is formed into an elegant niche enclosing the benitier under a graceful canopy, and supporting it on a bracket. Among the foliage here and in other parts may be seen the ermine, the armorial de- vice of the dukes of Brittany, bearing their motto, " Melius mori quam fos- dari." The thistle (chardon) and the goldfinch (chardonneret) also recur re- peatedly in the ornaments of various parts of the church. A far more beautiful porch is at- tached to the S. transept. Here 12 very exquisite niches line the vault leading to the door, in the mouldings around which similar leaves and, wreaths are reproduced with far greater truth and delicacy. The stone from its pecu- liar colour has all the effect of bronze. This portal is believed to have been built by Anne of Brittany, as the arms of France united to those of Brittany are visible on it. The sloping, open parapets which decorate the gables of the transept, the tracery of the E. windows, espe- cially the central one surmounted by a rose, and the elegant arched niche at the £. end below it, on the outside of the church, constructed to receive the waters of the miraculous fount, which burst forth from beneath the *h altar itself, are not to be passed unnoticed. The water of this spring is held in great repute by pilgrims, who, regardless of bystanders, strip themselves to apply it to all parts of their persons. Within the church on the rt. as you enter is the FooVs Chapel, covered with frescoes nearly destroyed by the damp. Every capital, cornice, and border merits attention for the minute carv- ing; but the chief object of interest is the jvb£oT roodloft between the choir and nave: it consists of 3 round arches most elegantly fringed, surmounted by canopies resting on panelled pillars, . and supporting a gallery, of rich open work, pierced with quatrefoils. The foliage composing the crockets is an elaborate yet natural imitation of the most complicated leaves, and the two angels who occupy the place of finials are well designed. The E. window, seen from within, surmounted by its rose, is admirable for its tracery : the high altar below it is a single slab of stone, 14 ft. long, sup- ported on a front of niche-work filled with statuettes. The side screens and side altars are all more or less worthy of observation. There are numerous statues of saints ourious for their cos* tume. But the ohief peculiarity of this church is the manner in which the sculptor who decorated it has rendered into stone the productions of the vege- table creation. The roof of the church does not agree with the rest in splendour, and is evidently not completed conformably - with the original plan. The Gothic College on the N. side of the church was built by Anne of Brit- tany; she, as well as Francis I., were lodged in it when they came on a pil- grimage to Folgoat. The country between St. Pol and Brest is very dreary; much heath, furze, and broom; — the cottages are poor dingy peat-covered hovels, among which a few starveling black sheep seek a scanty mouthful: few trees appear higher than brushwood. There are many beggars, some of them rivalling in their rags the mendicants of Ire- land. We fall into the great high road Bbittany. Route 41. — St. Malo to Nantes — The Ranee. 137 from Paris about a mile before enter- ing 6i Brest, in Rte. 36. ROUTE 41. ST. MALO TO NANTES, BY DINAN AND RENNEg. — ASCENT OF THE RIVER BANCE TO DINAN. To Rennes direct 71 kilom. =44$ Eng. m. ; thence to Nantes 107 kilom. =r 66f Eng. m. The detour by Dinan is 13 kilom. or 8 Eng. m. longer than the direct road. St. Malo is described in Rte. 27. A Steamer ascends the Ranee 3 or 4- times a week, when the high tide permits (N.B. not at neap tides). There ia some beauty in the scenery, but no comfort in the voyage except when the tide is up. It takes 3 hrs. There are 2 locks (barrages £cluses) to be passed midway, at Chatelier and at Ecluse, which are not pleasant: by means of these a depth of more than 6 ft. is al- ways maintained in the Ranee at Dinan. Owing to the variation of the tides on this coast, amounting to 40 ft., the current of the Ranee is desperately rapid, and the river fills and empties with remarkable celerity. The places passed in succession upon either bank are — rt. St. Servan and the Castle of So- lidor, p. 98. 1. St. Suliac, the prettiest village on the Ranee. 1. Port St. Hubert, a little watering- place in a charming situation. 1. Plouer. rt. Pleadihen. Chatelier. 1. Tadens. The river is confined between lofty precipices nearly all the way to Dinan, and may vary in breadth from f to ^ m. Sometimes expanding into wide reaches, it resembles a Scotch lake. The high road from St. Malo to Dinan runs on the E. side of the Ranee, but only now and then in' sight of it, and is devoid of interest until it comes in view of Dinan. The postmaster charges 4 kilom. extra on quitting St. Malo at high water, on account of the circuit round the port which his hones are obliged to make, instead of crossing direct to St. Servan, as is done when the tide is out. 35 Ch&teauneuf, a strong fort cover* ing the high road to Rennes; here are remains of an old castle. We here quit the direct road to Rennes by St. Pierre de Plesguin 13 kilom. ; Hide* 20 kilom. (p. 140) ; Hermes 23 kilom. = 34| Eng. m. Some of the prettiest scenery of the Ranee may be seen by those who, tra- velling by land, choose to quit the high road and their vehicle about.8 m. short of Dinan, walk over to the river at l'Ecluse, and ascend its rt. bank. Pursuing the post-road, the pictu- resque towers and spires of Dinan are seen crowning the summit of a rocky steep. A granite viaduct — a work wor- thy of the Romans — carries the car* riage-road across the valley of the Ranee nearly on a level with the town, so as to avoid the tedious and toilsome descent and ascent formerly incurred by travellers approaching from St. Malo or Paris. The arches, are 10 in number ; the principal piers, rising from the bed of the Ranee, are 130 ft. high; the whole of solid masonry* The work was begun by Louis Philippe, but lingered until 1852 for want of funds. 18 Dinan. — Inns: H. de Bretagne, outside the gate, on the road to Brest; H. du Commerce; Poste; both in the Place Du Guesclin. Mrs. Barrf, 139, far the best. The country in which Dinan is placed is perhaps the most beautiful in Brittany. The situation of the town (8044 Inhab.) is very romantic, on the crown and slopes of a hill of granite, overlooking the deep and narrow val- ley of the Ranee, flowing 250 ft. below it. The sides of the hill are exces* sively steep ; but, notwithstanding, houses and streets have been built along the face of it to the water's edge. The Rue de Jersuel, which stretches down to the old bridge, is so precipitous as to be scarcely practicable except on foot, and it is even diffioult for a pe- destrian to descend its slippery pave* 138 Route 4L — St. Mala to Nantes — Dinan. Sect. II. meat;; yet tfcfe originally formed the only approach to the town, on the side of St* Malo, through a pointed and ribbed Gothic gateway. The modern road from St. Male, afterr making a wide sweep and many turns under tfcfc old walls,, in order to master the hill, enters the town by the. Porte St. Louis, close to the old and picturesque Castle, built about 1300, and often inhabited by Anne, of Brit- tany, but now a prison. It was be- sieged by the Duke of Lancaster, 13S9, and successfully defended, by Du Gues- clin against the English. It stands oa the edge of the ravine on the- out- skirts of the town, and: isolated from it by a deep fosse. The present en- trance has been forced through a wall into the: chapel, a finely vaulted cham- ber. A recess. on one side, beside the altar, in which, the lord or lady of the castle might .hear mass without being Been, is, called the oratoire of Anne of Brittany. The. deep cornice of machi- colations which crown the Donjon, tower give it a very picturesque ap- pearance, and there is. a pleasing view from ita top.. The, P.lace Du. Gueadin, receives its name from that Breton hero, whose statue (in decayed plaster!) is placed in the midst of it ; and from the circum- stance of He having been the lists in which he fought and vanquished an English knight* "Thomas, of Cantor- bie," whom he- challenged to single combat for seizing treacherously, in time; of truce between the two nations, his brother Oliver, 1359. The Cathedral of St, Sauveur is; an interesting edifice to the antiquary, in the Romanesque style, such as is more commonly- met with in the S. of Europe than in the- N. The crum- bling nature of the granite of which it. is composed gives it the appearance of greater antiquity than it really pos- sesses. The. lower part of the- W. front and the-S. side are probably of the 12th or even; 11th oenty. : the rest is modernised.. The central, portal, a round arch deeply; recessed within mouldings and pillars (the two outer ones detached), is flanked on each side by blank arches* containing statues of the four Evangelists stand- ing on lions, &c, under curious Roman- esque canopies. From the wall above, the winged lion and ox, attributes of of St. Mark and St. Luke, project in high relief. The buttresses against the. S. wall are in. the form of round . attached pillars,, or square pilasters surmounted by capitals. Nothing within the church merits notice except a black tasteless slab in the N. tran- sept, bearing, engraved on it and gilt a double-headed eagle, whose outspread, wings are crossed by a bar, below which a quaint inscription, in gold let-, ters, informs us that the heart of Ber- trand Du Guesclin ( spelt gueaqui) reposes beneath it, while his body lies- among those of kings, at St. Denis.. Now,, at least, neither statement is any longer true. The slab was- found among the ruins of the church of the Jacobins, now razed to the ground; and all traces of the heart, and of the tomb of the Lady Tiphaine, the wife of Du Guesclin, by whose side the heart was deposited, are gone: the body shared the: fate of the royal ashes at the desecration of St. Denis, in the Revolution. The old town, wall and watch -towers still remain; the streets in the older quarters abound in picturesque bits of archi- tecture ; and no spot, in Brittany is better fitted to exercise the artist's pencil. The Museum at the Mairie is very interesting and instructive. The. admirer of ancient domestic architecture should explore the narrow streets, with overhanging houses, the basements planted on pillars, each story projecting on corbels, which form the nucleus of the town. Ar- cades resting on carved granite pillars or wooden posts are very prevalent. Besides the steep Rue de Jersuel; already mentioned, the Carrefour d'Horloge, so called from its lofty granite clock-tower, the Rue de la Vieille Poissonnerie (where is a house bearing the date 1.366),. and tha Rue de la Croix (where the house of Du, Guesclin and his lady Tiphaine i& shown near the Hotel de Ville), are the most remarkable in this respect. BltlTTANr. Route 4\.r-Dinan — Excursions. 139 The English. Battled in Dinan are reduced from 400 to 100 since 1848: they have a Chapel here, in. which the English Church Service is performed' on Sunday at TliJ> Medical men, MM. Guillard and Piedvache. Mademoiselle Roussin keens. a toler- able circulating library. Mrs. Barr's Boarding-house; Rue de St. Malo, affords English comfort and cleanliness* Families can be received for one or more days. It is kept by the widow of a oaptain of the 33rd. Charge, 35 fr. a day.. Dinners, table*d'hdte> The- Steamer from St. Malo ascends the Ranee as far as. the bridge of Dinan. (See p. 137). Diligences daily to Rennes and Le Mans, to Brest, to St. Malo, to Pol, and to St. Brieuc in 5 hrs. On the outside of the town; under the old walls, now overgrown with ivy, while the ditches are converted into gardens, run agreeable Terrace*, commanding beautiful views over the vale of the Ranee. The Mont Dol and Mont St. Michel are visible, it is said, from some points. There are manufactories of fine linen1 and of sailcloth in and about the town. Excursions almost without end,, each varying from the other, may be made on horse and foot in this- delightful neighbourhood. Donkeys maybe hired. a. At the distance of less than a mile from the Porte St. Louis, prettily situated in the bottom of a dell,, through which a streamlet falls into the Ranee,, lies the village of Lehon,. where are the ruins of a once cele- brated abbey and a castle. The abbey is entered by a fine circular archway within deep mouldings : the church, now roofless, is in the early pointed style : it is called La Chapelfe des Beaumanoir, from being the burial- plaee of the family of that name,, whose, tombs were broken, open at the Revo- lution, and the remains dispensed, while their monumental effigies, ori- ginally placed in the niches on either side of the church, have been removed to the Mairie. There are 4 figures of warriors armed, and an ecclesiastic, all in high relief; the drapery well executed, the hands folded in prayer. One of them is said to have been the leader of the Bretons, in the famous " Combat des- Trente." (See Rte. 42.} The steep wooded height above the. village is crowned by the Castle, now reduced to a square enclosure, of walla levelled* down to the surface of the. potato-field which they enclose, having1 round towers in the angles and centra of each. face. It was taken by Henry II. of England, 1168. Erom this castle-orowned height a beautiful view opens out of the village* and abbey at its feet, of the oourse of the Ranee and the romantic valley through which it flows. The navigation above this is continued by means of a canal which unites, the. Ranee with the V-ilaine.. The walk may be very pleasantly extended from this along the slopes of the hills,, by paths across, the. fields behind the Hospice des Alienes, towards the Village of St. Esprit, where there is a curious Gothic crucifix of granite, with figures of the first and second persons of the Trinity, now much mu- tilated. The. charm of this walk, how- ever, is the fine view it presents of the antique towers and spires of Dinan, on the opposite, side of the valley to the rt., and the insight it affords into the curious system of labyrinthine lanes by which a great part of Brit- tany is traversed. The country is well wooded, abounding especially in oaks, and each field is surrounded by hedges. The lanes by which it \& intersected in all directions,, owing, to the soft and- crumbling nature of the soil, differ, little from ditches worn down 8 or 10 ft. below the surface of the fields, and vary in character between a pool or slough of mud and a mound of hard bare rock.. A stranger is almost Bure to. lose his way among them, so intricate, and numerous are their crossings. The. country, seamed and grooved by these, hollow ways,, is like a rabbit warren, and this thoroughly explains how the ' Chouans and Vendeans were able, among such fastnesses,, to put to de- fiance so long the armies of the Repub- lican Government. b. On the opposite side of Dinan, about 140 Route 41. — Dinan to Henries — Chateaubriant. Sect. II, 1 m. distant, at the bottom of a really romantic little valley, is the spa or Eaux Mmerales, a source of saline sul- phureous water, good for liver com- plaints, much resorted to in summer. Alleys have been planted and a sort of pump-room built, which contribute little to the beauty of the spot, though they cannot spoil it. A walk along the paths, cut through the trees along the steep sides of the dell, is highly to be recommended. c. The Chateau de la GarayeiBA ruined mansion of the time of Francis I., exhibiting in its falling walls and towers some picturesque bits of archi- tecture, in the style of la Renaissance, intermixed with Gothic ornaments. The last owner, M. de la Garaye, quitting the gay world, converted this house into an hospital, while, with his wife, he devoted all his time and for- tune to the care of the sick. To fit themselves for this duty they both studied medicine and surgery, and the lady became an excellent oculist. The hospital was destroyed at the Revo- lution, which the benevolent founders fortunately did not live to see, having died 1755-7; but the monument over the graves even of these benefactors of the district, in the churchyard of Faden, did not escape destruction from the ruthless hands of the Repub- lican spoilers. d. e. The Castles of Montafilant and Quildo on the sea-coast near Plombalay . f. About 14 m. N.W. of Dinan is the Chateau of La Hunaudaye, an inter- esting old castle surrounded by ram- part and ditch, and tolerably perfect, in the form of a pentagon. It is sup- posed to have been built in the 13th century, by Olivier de Touraemine. It is to be reached only by a cross road, intricate to find without a guide, passing through Corseul, site of Curi- osolitum mentioned by Caesar, where Roman remains have been discovered. About 10 m. beyond the castle, on the coast, is St. Cast, where an ill-con- trived ^ expedition of the English was ignominiously defeated in attempting an inroad on Brittany in 1758, with a loss of 822 men, including 42 officers, killed and taken prisoners* From Dinan to Rennes it is worth while to take the route by Hede, for the sake of the Ruined Castle, occupying a very picturesque site and commanding a beautiful view. In the chapel of Montmuran, near . He*de*> Du Guesclin was armed a knight. On the road from Dinan to Rennes the small town of Evrau is passed; it is situated on the Canal which joins the Ranee to the Ille. The castle of the Beaumanoir here is now modern- ised. The country beyond is very tame; fields and hedgerows, and few villages. Country-houses, where they occur, lie at a distance from the road, without lodges or dressed grounds. 29 La Chapelle Chaussee. 24 Rennes, in Rte. 34. There are 2 roads from Rennes to Nantes: —a. By Derval 107 kilom. = 66± Eng. m. 16 Bout de Lande. 11 Roudun. A high hill is crossed before reaching 17 La Breheraye. 9 Derval. 12 Nozay. 14 Bout de Bois. 14 Gesvres. 14 Nantes, in Rte. 46. — b. By Chateaubriant 119 kilom. = 73 Eng. m. 18 Corps Nuds. 17 Thourie. 18 Chateaubriant (Inn: H. des Voyageurs, small, but clean), a town of 3673 Inhab., at the intersection of several roads. Its ancient walls remain nearly intact. The Castle was dismantled by Henri IV. and Louis XIII., but part of it, including a spiral stair leading to the chamber in which, according to tradition, Fran- coise de Foix was bled to death by her husband Jean de Laval (1525 or 37), are incorporated in the public offices. The Ch. of St. Jean de Bfre* is an interesting Romanesque struc- ture. 18 La Meilleraye. About 1 m. on the 1. of the road lies a Monastery of the Order of La Trappe, It was sold as national pro- perty 1793, and was repurchased IB 16- .Brittany. . Route 42. — Morlaix to Nantes — Huelgoat. 141 by a Romanist Society of Trappists, who had been settled at Lulworth in Dorsetshire, but their number has been greatly diminished (to 25) since 1830, in consequence of their having mixed themselves up with the Chouan insurrection of that period. 19 Nort is a small town on the 1. bank of the Erdre, which becomes navigable here for steamers. One plies daily between Nantes and Nort, to . and fro. The Erdre is a river of sin- gular beauty, for 12 m. below this passing a succession of rocks, castles, .chapels, villages, alternating with tracts of wood and cultivation. At one place it swells out into the form of a lake. On its rt. bank are Chapelle- Bur-Erdre, and the castle of la Gache- rie, residence of the Princess Marguerite de Navarre, sister of Francis I., and authoress of the romances known by the title Heptameron. A little farther is the castle of Blue Beard (Gilles de Retz), whose story is told in Rte. 58. 18 Oarquefou. 11 Nantes, in Rte. 46. ROUTE 42. MORLAIX TO NANTES, BT THE BONES OF HUELGOAT AND POULLAOUEN, CAR- HADC, PONTIVT, JOSSELIN, AND FLO- This is a cross-country road, not a post-road, but traversed by a Dili- gence. It is described because it includes several places of interest. There is a good view of the pic- turesque town of Morlaix (Rte. 36) from the heights crossed on quitting it. The road gradually approaches and surmounts the chain of the Menez Aire's hills, through a desolate country chiefly moorland. The summit level is reached at Croix Court, which is also the boundary of the arrondisse- ments of Morlaix and Chateaulin. About 1& m. beyond Le Mendi, a hamlet 12 m. from Morlaix, a road turns off on the rt. to Huelgoat (4 m. farther). Here is only a poor Inn (Lion d'Or), which, however, can furnish a clean bed and something to eat. Huelgoat is a town of 1200 Inhab., in a remote and thinly-peopled district celebrated for its Mines of lead containing silver mixed with it. They are situated about If m. from the town, in the midst of a picturesque valley, through which runs a rushing stream, concealed from view at one particular spot by an eboulement of co* lossal fragments of rocks. The path to the mines is carried through thick woods by the side of a narrow canal or aqueduct, conveying water to move the machinery and the hydraulic pump by which the mine is kept dry. This machine is a master- piece of mechanical skill, constructed by M. Juncker, an engineer of Alsace, and related to Cuvier. It well deserves the minute attention of all who take an interest in mining or machinery, and has been thought worthy of an eulogistic report, read to the Academy of Science by M. Arago. It has the force of 280 horses, and raises 3 cubic metres 53 centiemes per minute, a height of 754 ft., effected by a column of water equal to 21 cubic inches falling from a height of 196 ft. It has been at work for many years night and day; its movements are free from the least irregularity or the slightest noise. It is entirely under ground, at a considerable depth below the sur- face. The process of separating the silver from the ores by amalgamation with mercury is also very curious. M. Juncker, who for many years di- rected these works, introduced consi- derable ameliorations on the Saxon me- thod, by means of which large masses of very poor ores have been worked, which were formerly rejected; by this means the prosperity of the Huelgoat mines has increased much of late years. Permission to enter the mines is readily given by the resident director. The best time for visiting them is at six o'clock, when the gangs of miners are shifted, and the nightworking set relieve those who have toiled through the day. The descent is made by a bucket and rope. The vein of lead 142 Route 42. — Morlaix to Nantes — Carhaix. Sect. II. has been traced for more than £ a mile • in a clay slate of the upper Silurian 'formation. The lead-ore (galena) is sent to Poulahouan to be smelted. In the Chwrch of Huelgoat k a cu- rious reading-desk (lutrin) resting on a pedestal resembling the classic tripod, but Of wood, each of the 3 sides orna- mented with a figure in bas-relief of a classic character. On one is a man with long hair and a maee oyer his •ahoulder, with no other clothing than a short cloak ; on another a young man in classic garb, bearing a toroh in one hand and a dart in the other; on .the third: a female bearing a cup and vase, in the guise of a Bacchante. It has been well described by M. Fre- • minville ; but nothing is known of its origin or the meaning of its carv- ings. The Manage de la Vierge is a species of cave formed by fallen masses of granite rock, through which a small stream of black water and of unknown origin flows, in places out of sight. It is possible with. a sure foot and steady head to descend into the gulf. Near this is a Rocking Stone, The Cascades of St. Herbot are worth the walk to them, less on account of the waterfalls themselves than for the scenery of the little valley in which they lie, varied with dense woods and bare jutting rocks. The village Church, surmounted by a fine square tower on a height above, contains the tomb and effigy of the anchorite St. Herbot, some carved screen-work in the choir, and a roodloft of elaborate and beautiful workmanship in the style of the Re- naissance. There are 2 painted win- dows of rich colour with the date 1 556. It has a fine W. portal in the decorated style, but bearing the date 1516, an ogee arch ornamented with frizzled foliage, and a still more beautiful S. porch, but the statues are poor. Herbot is a veterinary saint, who cures the diseases of animals, provided a look of the beast's hair be laid on his altar. At Branilis in the parish of Locque- fret, about 6 m. from Huelgoat, at a distance from any village, surrounded by 3 or 4 hovels, is a fine large Church in the best style of Gothic art, sur- mounted by a spire, and internally adorned with carving m stone and wood, and with painted glass, now all going to decay. Poulahouan, on the direct road from Morlaix to Carhaix, contains other lead- mines, but inferior in extent and pro- ductiveness to those of Huelgoat. Here, however, -are the smelting -homes in which the ore from both mines is reduced. The galleries of the mine have been driven horizontally -f of a. mile and vertically more than 600 ft. in the Silurian rooks. There is a direct road (15 m.) from Huelgoat to Garhaix (La Tour d'Auvergne is n good little Inn: game very cheap-; partridges 3d. a brace), a primitive town (2000 Inhab.) among the hills, in the midst of that most unsophisti- cated district of ancient Brittany, Cornouailles. ltabounds in old houses, with projecting cornices and carved timber-work, and is inhabited by people as old-fashioned as their dwellings. Here is shown the house in which La Tour d'Auvergne (Theophile-Malo Corret) was born, in 1743; who, stern republican as well as brave warrior, steadily refused rank, but died the "premier grenadier de France," in the battle-field on the banks of the Danube. A statue of him by the sculptor Marochetti is erected in the Place. In the Chdteau de la Haye are .preserved his heart, an early portrait, his sword, and his boots. A little way out of the town on the road to Callac is an ancient structure, said to be a Roman aqueduct. There is also a Roman road which can be traced for more than a mile on the way to St. Gildas. Richard Cceur de Lion was defeated at Carhaix, 1197, by his rebellious vassals, the nobles ef Brittany. Six high roads — to Brest, Morlaix, St. Brieuc, Vannes, Chateau- lin, and Quimper — unite herd. A direct road leads from Carhaix to Lorient, by Le Faouet, and over the high range of the Montague Noire. Not far from Le Faouet is' a very hand- some Gothic ohapel. The road to Pontivy and Vannes Brittany. Route A2.-~-P Auray is a celebrated pil- grimage church 3 m. from the town, frequented usually by 6000 devotees from all parts of Brittany in the month of July, but not otherwise remark- able. It is a modern and not hand- some building. In another direction, about a mile from Auray, is the nunnery of the Chartreuse, occupied by the Scsurs de la Sagesse, who instruct a school for the deaf and dumb. Attached to their church is the Expiatory Monument, erected by the Bourbons to the me- mory of the 950 unfortunate Emigres . and Royalists who composed the ill- advised expedition to Quiberon, 1795, and who either fell there, or were shot by the Republicans on the banks of the Auray, at the spot marked by fe Grecian temple not far distant from the Chartreuse. Another monument, which has been placed in the church to record their unhappy fate, is not a work of merit, either in general design or in the execution of the bas-relief intended to adorn it. It bears the names of those who fell. The village of Brech was the birth- place of George Cadoudal, a leader of V l Brittany. Route 44. — Morbihan — Locmariaker. 149 the Cbouans. Morbihan was the centre of their insurrection. The Excursion to Carnac and Loc- mariaker may be made in one day by pursuing the following plan, and pro- vided the traveller can walk 8 m., the only mode of passing between these two places being on foot. If the wind be favourable he may hire a boat for 10 francs and descend the Auray to Locmariaker, a pleasant voyage of a little more than an hour ; if he visit Gavr Innis (N.B. in this case take candles and matches), 1 or 1 £ hr. more is required : from Locmariaker on foot to Carnac will take ^ hrs. He must, however, beforehand, hire a gig at Auray, and send it on to Carnac to wait for him. He may return to Auray in the gig in 2 J hrs. In sailing down the estuary of the Auray he will pass rt. The Chateau de Plessis Kaer, a Gothic castle, with additions of the time of Francis I., and the ruins of another, called Bosnareu. Near this the boatmen assert that ruins of the piles of a bridge, which they attribute to Caesar, may be discovered at low water in the bed of the river. rt. A perfect Chateau, called Ker- entrec. The river now widens out, and a little farther on we enter The Morbihan (Little Sea), an inland sea or archipelago from which the de- partment is named, so thickly beset with islands that the common belief assigns them a number equal to the days of the year. The shores on all sides have a most jagged outline, fringed with capes, creeks, and inlets ; they are of granite, barely covered with the scantiest vegetable soil, sup- porting a growth of barren heath ; very often the surface is mere bare rock. 2 narrow peninsulas or arms, projecting from the E. and W., sepa- rate this gulf from the sea, allowing only a narrow passage between them. This archipelago is very difficult to na- vigate— a perfect labyrinth of islands, separated by intricate passages which only the experienced navigator can thread. The land rises but little above the sea ; it is sterile in the ex- treme ; the peasantry are miserably poor, and barely win a scanty crop from a soil whoso proper productions seem heath and furze. Yet this me* lancholy and mysterious but unin- viting district seems to have been the head - quarters of the religion of the Druids — the number of barrows, cairns, dolmens, menhirs, &c, is ex- traordinary (§ 4). The island of Gavr Innis, or Gaffr' ne*, nearly opposite Locmariaker, may be visited on the way thither, diverg- ing a mile or 2 to the E. It is " an island of granite about i m. long, of granite covered with turf, in which rises a tumulus 30 ft. high and 300 in circumference. It is traversed by a subterranean passage or cromlech, con- sisting of 13 and 14 vertical props at the Bides and 20 cap-stones. Some of them are 'covered with engraved lines forming patterns somewhat resembling the tattooing of a New Zealander. — Lukis. The best way to get to these islands is to take a boat from Loc- mariaker. The Auray boatmen will go over for an extra fee. Locmariaker is a poor village, possess- ing accommodation only of the common- est kind for a traveller. It stands on a heathy promontory projecting between the ocean and the Gulf of Morbihan, but is deserted by the tide at low water, so that one must land at a sort of pier a little to the N. of the village, near the Mont Hellu, a mound of stones or galgal, about f m. N. W. of the vil- lage. There is another similar mound to the S. E. called butte de Caesar. The most interesting of the Celtic monu- ments lie to the N. of the village, between it and the Mont Hellu. Con- tiguous to the last house is a menhir 20 ft. long, overthrown like every other in this district; a little to the 1. on an eminence is a dolmen, the top stone of which is 12 to 15 ft. square, and in parts 3 ft. thick. Still farther to the N. lies prostrate and broken into 4 fragments the largest Menhir known; it measures nearly 60 ft. in length, and 5 or 6 ft. in height as it lies. It is difficult to imagine by what force so huge a mass can have been snapped short across, with such clean fractures. Some have attributed its 150 Route 44. — Locmariaker — Carnac. Sect. II. fall to lightning. Near to it is another dolmen called Dol ar Marchant, the Merchant's Table, which seems larger than any other in the neighbourhood; it consists of 2 table-stones, one of them 16 ft. by 12, supported on 3 vertical ones; it is possible to creep under it, and remark the singular figures cut on its under surface. Be- tween it and the Mont Hellu, a vast heap of cinders is said to have been found (?) There are many other similar monu- ments near Locmariaker, but these are the principal ones. Locmariaker (i. e. place of the Virgin Mary) is supposed to occupy the site of the ancient Dariorigum, the capital of the V enetes : its position agrees with Caesar's description of their "oppida in extremis unguis, promontoriisque posita," and some substructures of houses laid bare near the village are attributed to the Romans. [The peninsula of Rhuys, which, with that of Locmariaker, form, as it were, the natural piers separating the Sea of Morbihan from the Atlantic, contains the following objects of curiosity. 1. Le Qrand Mont, called also la Butte de Tumiac, situated about 4 m. from Sar- zeau, an obscure little town, but me- morable as the birthplace of the author of Gil Bias. It is the largest tumulus existing in France, 100 ft. high and 300 in circumference, and is planted near the extremity of the promontory. 2. The ruined ch. of the Abbey of St. Gildas de Rhuys, remarkable because it was the retreat of Abelard in 1 125, who narrowly escaped poisoning at the hands of the refractory and ill-con- ditioned monks, whose dissolute man- ners he wished to repress. The re- mains consist of a modern nave, and a very ancient choir in the Romanesque style, terminating at the E. end in 3 semicircular chapels. The walls of the transept are partly of herring-bone masonry. The date of the oldest part of the building is probably 1038. The tomb of the saint is pointed out; an ancient font deserves notice. St. Gildas is about 21 m. from Vannes. On the way to St. Gildas from Vannes, 3, the Castle of Succinio may be visited. | It is a fine and perfect feudal fortress, built 1260 by John the Red, Duke of Brittany. It has nearly the form of a pentagon flanked by 6 round towers. It was the birthplace of the Constable de Richemont, who defeated the Eng- lish at Formigny.] Between Carnac and Locmariaker a deep frith of the sea penetrates far inland, and is crossed half way by a ferry; the way is very intricate, from the number of paths, so as scarcely to be found without a guide, and the road is very bad. The distance, 8 m., is practicable only on foot. The Ferry of Cherispere over this inlet is prettily situated, and com- mands a view of the little port of La Trinite* in the bay of Crach. A little to the W. of the ferry, near some salt-works, at the bottom of a shallow dell, is a rude monument to mark the grave of a royalist, shot on the spot, 1801. The approach to Carnac is marked by the prominent Cairn, or Tombelle de St. Michel, so called from the chapel surmounting it. It is a cone of loose stones artificially heaped together, standing at the E. extremity of the great army of rocks of Carnac, of which it commands a view, as well as of the sea and promontory of Qui- beron. Cai-nac. Inn : H. des Voyageurs, an humble auberge. The great Celtic Monument of Carnac, the most extensive in France, is situated about } m. from this remote village, and is traversed by the road from Auray. In the midst of a wide heath, as dreary and blasted in aspect as that "near Forres," extends this brother- hood of grey stones, — rude blocks set on end, angular, showing no marks of polish, and hirsute with the long moss which has covered the hard surface of the granite, and marks the length of time they must have stood in their present position. At first sight it is difficult to distinguish any order, so many are overthrown, and the gaps left in the lines by depredations are so numerous and wide; indeed, every house and every wall in the vicinity seems to have been built out of this Brittan Y. Route 44. — Carnac — Quiberon. 151 ready quarry. The great mass of the stones extends between 2 windmills. They are arranged in 11 lines, forming 10 avenues, with a curved row of 18 stones at one end, touching at its extremities the two outside rows. The ranks are best preserved, and the stones are highest, near the farm called Menec. There are, it is said, not less than 12,000 stones, blocks of the granite which forms the basis of the country, and which is barely covered with soil, and in many places projects naked above it. None ex- ceed 18 ft. in height, and a very large proportion are cubical masses not more than 3 ft. high. They give one the idea of a regiment of soldiers, and the tradition of the country respect- ing their origin is, that St. Comely (Cornelius), hard pressed by an army of Pagans, fled to the sea-shore, but, finding no boat to further his escape, uttered a prayer, which converted his pursuers into stones. Of the numerous theories invented by learned antiqua- ries to account for the origin and object of these stones, several are not less absurd nor more probable than the legend just mentioned; none are satis- factory. The opinions perhaps least unworthy of consideration would sup- pose either that it was a burial-place on the site of some great battle-field, and that each stone marked a grave, or that it was a great temple dedicated to serpent worship. It was probably connected with some of those rites of initiation which formed part of the Druidical religion, and were derived from the same source as the Greek Mysteries. At Erdevan, about 8 m. W. of Car- nac, and again at St. Barbe, between Carnac and Erdevan, there are similar assemblages of stones, but not so nu- merous. Some have maintained that these three systems of rude pillars were once united, but there is no evi- dence of this. The piles of stones invariably follow the same direction from E. to W. One can scarcely see Carnac without comparing it with Stonehenge; and it must be admitted that, in Bpite of the vast multitude of stones, the few and gigantic masses of Salisbury Plain are far more im- pressive than the long array of the petrified army on the heath of Mor- bihan. At Carnac there are no cross- stones raised on the top of the upright slabs, as at Stonehenge. The Peninsula of Quiberon stretches 10 m. S. into the sea, a little to the W. of the village of Carnac. Its name is associated with melancholy recollec- tions of the ill-contrived and ill-exe- cuted expedition, consisting of 6000 French emigrants in the pay of Eng- land, who were landed there from a British fleet 1795, and, after a futile attempt to break through the Repub- lican armies opposed to them, were for the most part driven into the sea by General Hoche. The surprise, by Hoche, of Fort Penthievre, which guards the neck of the peninsula, and of which the e*migre*s had made them- selves masters on first landing, decided the fate of the expedition. Sombreuil, their brave leader, when expelled from it, drew up his little band on the farthest extremity of the sand, where they made the most determined resist- ance, so as to call down the admira- tion of their antagonists and fellow countrymen. Humbert, the repub- lican general, advanced with a flag of truce, and promised that their lives should be spared if they laid down their arms. A storm prevented the 152 Route 44. — Vannes — Roche Bernard. Sect. II. British fleet rendering them any assist- ance; one corvette alone for a time checked the Republicans by its de- structive fire, and a few of the fugi- tives were brought off in the boats of the squadron; but many, including women and children, perished in the waves. 950 unfortunate men, most of them persons of rank or station, who capitulated on promise of am- nesty, with their commander, Som- breuil, were, in spite of that, con- veyed to Auray as prisoners of war, and shot there (see p. 148). The descent on Quiberon was an example of the danger of disgrace and failure which England runs by "waging a little war." The road from Auray to Carnac is not good; the latter part is very bad. Diligence, Auray to Nantes, in 12 hrs. There is nothing to note between Auray and 18 Vannes, — Inn: Hdtel du Com- merce, tolerable. This town, capital of the Dept. of Morbihan (population 12,000), is built at the extremity of a narrow inlet, branching out from the Gulf of Morbihan, and about 15 m. from the open sea. It possesses in an eminent degree the character of anti- quity which distinguishes most Breton towns, in its narrow streets, overhang- ing houses, massive town walls and gates, but has no curiosities to detain the stranger. The portal of carved Kersanton stone, the towers of the Cathedral, and a tower in the centre of the town, erroneously called Tour da Con- netable, because Olivier de Clisson was said to have been confined in it 1387, are the only buildings worth mention- ing. 8 or 4 old convents, suppressed at the Revolution, now serve for barracks and similar purposes. The castle into which the Constable de Clisson was entrapped, under pre- tence of asking his opinion of the new fortifications, by John (IV.) de Montfort, who then locked the door upon him, and loaded him with chains, was the Chateau de VHermine, which was razed, to the ground in the 16th oenty. Clisson owed his life to the forbearance of the governor, Bazvalan, who (like King John's Hubert) pre- tended compliance with De Montfort' b order to murder his prisoner, but, when his master's anger cooled, in- formed him of his captive's safety. Clisson was not released, however, without paying a heavy ransom. A sailing-boat with a favourable wind will cross the Sea of Morbihan to Locmariaker, on the way to Carnac (p. 149), in about 2£ hours; but as no conveyances are to be obtained at either of these places, most persons will prefer the land journey via Auray. Excursion through the Promontory of Ehuys. The pedestrian may walk by the Castle of Succinio (p. 150) to Sarzeau (where is an humble Inn), St. Gildas Abbey, and back to Sarzeau for the night ; next day by Butte de Tumiac to Port Navalo, whence cross in a boat to Gavr Innis and Locmariaker (see p. 149). Diligences daily to Rennes (Rte. 45); to Brest; to Nantes. Through a country abounding in heath and broom, we pass through 9 Theix, and 15 Muzillac, to 16 Roche Bernard, on the 1. bank of the Vilaine, which is here crossed by a remarkably fine Suspension Bridge of iron wire, supported on 2 piers of granite masonry, each approached by 3 lofty arches of granite. The opening between the two points of suspension measures 626 ft., the elevation of the roadway above high- water mark 108 ft. In its general appearance it resembles the Menai bridge; it was constructed under the superintendence of M. Le- blanc, the engineer des Ponts et Chaus- sees. It was completed 1839, and subjected to the trial of its strength which the French law requires, by placing 2 rows of 115 carts and car- riages heavily laden on the carriage- way, and of 117 barrows filled with stones on the footpath, which it stood without the least symptom of weak- ness. The road leading to and from the bridge is well engineered, and leaves the town of Roche Bernard on one side. Inn: Hdtel Silvestre, tolerable, Brit. R. 45. — Rennes to Vannes. 46. — Le Mans to Nantes. 153 on the new road, £ m. S. of the bridge. Those who remember the tedious and dangerous ferry which this bridge re- places, and all the trouble and in- conveniences of embarking and disem- barking, will rejoice in the improve- ment. There is nothing of interest beyond this; the country is very dreary, with few hills ; the road in the Dept. of the Loire Inferieure is only beginning to be macadamized. 19 Pont Chateau. 15 Le Moere. At Savenay, on the rt. of our road, in December, 1793, the last relics of that daring army of Vendean peasants, which had crossed the Loire 6 weeks before 80,000 strong, now reduced to 8000 or 10,000, made a last stand against the Republicans, but their obstinate bravery was of little avail against over- powering numbers. They fought long after their ammunition was exhausted, even women taking part in the combat, but were at length cut to pieces or made prisoners, 3000 only escaping back into La Vendee. 11 Le Temple. Glimpses of the estuary of the Loire, running parallel with our road, are seen on the rt. Near Santron, through which the road passes, is the Chateau de Buron, one of the residences of Madame de 86- vigno\ The approach to Nantes is marked by the number of neat country houses. 23 Nantes (in Rte. 46). ROUTE 45. RENNES TO VANNES, BT PLOERMEL, AND TO CABNAC. 92 kilom. = 57 Eng. m. A diligence daily. 15 Mordelles. 20 Plelan. 24 Ploermel (/»n ; H. du Com- merce), a town of 5207 Inhab. In the Parish Ch., a low and heavy structure of the 12th centy., are the monumental effigies in armour of Dukes John II. (1305) and III. (1341) of Brittany. They were brought from the church of the Carmelites, founded by John II., who had fought in Syria against the Infidels, and had visited Mount Carmel; the sculpture is good, and they are tolerably perfect: the church was destroyed at the Revolu- tion. These statues are interesting examples of the costume and armour of the time. There is some painted glass in the ehureiu AJbout 7 m. W. of Ploermel is the Castle of Josselin (Rte. 42), 10 Roe St. Andre\ 16 Pont Guillemet. Beyond this, about 1 m. to the rt. of the road, is the ruined Castle of E ken, one of the best preserved fortresses of the middle ages in Brittany, built on the model, it is said, of some castle in Syria. It stands on a flat, surmounted by a lofty octagonal keep-tower. Ehren is interesting to an Englishman, be- cause young Henry of Richmond (after- wards Henry VII.) was shut up in it for many years, along with his uncle the Earl of Pembroke, by Franeis II., Duke of Brittany, The two English fugitives, escaping from their own country after the battle of Tewkes- bury, were- driven by a storm on the coast of Brittany, and Henry remained a prisoner nearly 15 years, until 1484. when, escaping into France, he accepted the invitation of friends in England to. supplant the tyrant Richard III. 18 Vannes. (Rte. 44: where the excursion to the Druidical Monuments of Carnac is also described.) ROUTE 46. LE HANS TO NANTES, BY ANGERS. kilom.=» Eng. m. Diligence daily to Angers. JRailtcay projected to Angers Stat, down the valley of the Sarthe. Le Mans is described in Rte. 34. The road, on quitting Le Mans, crosses the Huisne just before it falls into the Sarthe, and then runs along the 1. bank of that river as far as 16 Guecelard. On the outskirts of Le Mans, not far from the bridge over B 3 154 Route 46. — Le Mans to Nantes — Angers. Sect. II. the Huisne, the buffoon Scarron threw himself into the river, to conceal him- self from the . pursuit and taunts of the mob, whose derision he had ex- cited by parading the streets during the Carnival tarred and feathered, by way of masquerading. The result of this frolic, so little becoming his posi- tion as canon of the cathedral, was, that he caught a rheumatism in his limbs which rendered him a cripple for life. Maize begins to grow to the S. of Le Mans, but nowhere to the N. of that place. 7 Fouletourte. The road descends into the pretty valley of the Loir (N.B,t not to bo confounded with the Loire), a little be- fore it reaches 19 La Fleohe (Inn: La Poste), a town of 6500 Inhab., prettily situated in a country where vineyards begin to be cultivated with advantage. The large edifice, now the Ecole Militaire, was built by Henri IV. as a Jesuits' College, 1603, but turned into its present destination by Napoleon. The heart of Henri is still preserved in the church. The Church of St. Thomas is a heavy Romanesque edifice. [20 m. N. W. of La Fleche is Sable* (Inn : Croix Verte, comfortable and moderate), *' a beautiful little town on the Sarthe, with a chateau built by M. de Torcy, foreign minister in the reign of Louis XIV. (1696-1715), and nephew of Colbert, still in the Torcy family. Near Sable* are immense marble quarries. Anthracite coal is worked at La Ragotene." — L. About 2 m. be- yond Sable*, ^ an hour's walk by the river side, is the Abbey of Solesmes, pur- chased since 1830 and re-occupied by a society of Benedictine monks, who devote themselves to study in this picturesque retreat. The church is remarkable for 4 groups of statues, called Les Saintes de Solesmes, enclosed in niches, each surrounded by a rich framework of architecture and sculp- ture, in a style of Gothic approaching to the Renaissance. The groups of statuary represent, 1. The Entomb- ment of our Saviour ; the head of Christ and the figure of the Magdalen are particularly well executed. Above the recess rises an ogee arch decorated with the richest foliage of thistles and mallows. It bears the date 1496. 2, Christ disputing with the Doctors ; the figures, in the dress of the 15th centy., are somewhat coarse, remind- ing one of a Dutch painting. 3. On the 1. of the choir, the Communion of the Virgin. 4. Death of the Virgin, in the N. transept. These sculptures have been variously attributed to Italian artists, and to the Frenchman Germain Pilon, but without authority. An altar in the S. transept has been lately fitted up with fragments of other statuary found among the ruins of the abbey. The stalls in the choir, carved with the genealogy of Christ, are worth notice.] The road to Angers follows the valley of the Loir downwards, running at the foot of gentle hills covered with vineyards, 13 Duretal is a town of 1500 Inhab., overlooked by two picturesque em- battled towers, part of a Castle built by Foulques Nera, Oomte d'Anjou. 14 Suette. The Loir now bends away from the road to the W., and 6 m. below this falls into the Sarthe. On approaching Angers the road passes near some of the vast quarries of Blate, which forms a principal pro- duction of the district. 19 ArfGEBS. — Inns: Cheval Blanc, in the heart of the town, a large house, built 1856, best;— H. le Roy;— H. de Londres, dirty and ill-conditioned. Angers, chef-lieu of the Dept. Maine et Loire, is situated on the Maine, called Mayenne in the upper part of its course, a little below the junction of the Sarthe with it, and about 5 m. above the influx of the Maine into the Loire, It has 33,000 Inhab. Modern improvements, the formation of a broad quay along the 1. bank of the river, the substitution of tall, regular white stone houses, like those of the Rue Rivoli, for the old gable-faced cottage-built structures, have greatly innovated upon the thoroughly antique character which Angers previously bore. A broad formal boulevard, Bbittany. Route 46.— Angers— The Castle. 155 planted with young trees, replaces the old fortifications, — ** The flinty ribs of this contemptuous town ;" • . " those sleeping stones, That as a waist did girdle it about, By this time from their fixed beds of lime Have been dish&bited." King John, The "strong barred gates "are all down, and only one tower remains near the upper bridge of those "saucy walls." Black Angers, as it was called from the sombre hue of its buildings of slate, is now like an old coat with a modern trimming: but plunge into the midst of its labyrinth of buildings, scale its steep and narrow streets, many of them inaccessible to wheel carriages, and you will find traces enough of the Angers of olden time, the capital of Anjou, and residence of its dukes. In few towns of France will the antiquary, artist, or architect find a greater number of interesting antique churches and houses than here. Most of the old houses are timber- framed, their fronts gable-faced, the roofs, and often fronts, covered with scales of slate, which abounds in the neighbourhood and forms the common building-stone, and many of the door and corner posts, the joists and cor- nices, bear rich Gothic earrings. The most venerable relic of antiquity is the old Castle, at the water-side, close to the suspension bridge. Its walls were originally washed by the waters of the Maine, until its moat was partly filled to give place to the new quay. If its size and preservation be jointly con- sidered, it is perhaps the finest feudal castle in France. 17 colossal towers surround it; they are 70 to 80 ft. high, close set along the walls, shaped like dice-boxes, thick below, narrow waisted, and having bands of white stone let into the black rough slate of which they are built, so as to give them the appearance of being hooped. A broad and deep ditch isolates the castle from the rest of the town; it is entered by a massive gateway under a perfect portcullis, and within its portal is the furnace where lead and pitch were melted for the benefit of invaders. This castle was begun by Philippe- Auguste, and completed by Louis IX. It serves at present for a prison, bar- rack, and depot of powder. The part which served as a palace of the Dukes of Anjou, overlooking the river, is now in ruins, but shows the architecture of the Renaissance. It stood between the high tower called Da Moulin, because it once supported a windmill, and that called Du IHable, because close to it was the fearful Oubliette, down which criminals were cast alive. From this tower there is a capital view of the town, ite spires and other buildings, of the river and its bridges; while a slight glimpse of the Loire also, deep set in its distant valley, may be gained. There is a neat chapel, now filled with fire-arms, showing, in the delicate tracery of its windows, a good example of Gothic. Beside it is a small build- ing flanked with turrets, in which, it is said, King Bend of Provence and Anjou was born. The view from the terrace outside the castle-gate is less extensive, but nearly as good, as that from within the walls, and on the whole the castle is more imposing from without than interesting within. On one side of the open space sur- rounding the castle stands a handsome modern building, originally L' Academic e\ He was shot near the village Olivet (Rte. 70), and died a few days after in the Chateau de Caubrai. Or- leans was then justly regarded as the stronghold of the Protestant party, and continued so until the revocation of the Edict of Nantes banished those who followed the Reformed faith. Pre- vious to that event its population amounted to 54,000. Francis II., husband of Mary Queen of Scots, ended his insignificant life at Orleans, whither he had repaired to assist at the meeting of the Estates, in the building now the Maine. In his last illness, at the instigation of his mother, Cath. de Medicis, he sent a deputation of pilgrims to Notre Dame de Cle*ry, promising to purge the king- dom of heretics if he ever recovered. The vow was accomplished not by him, but by Charles IX., at the instigation of the same wicked mother, in the St. Bartholomew's night. Csesar mentions Orleans in the fol- lowing passage: " Carnutes Genabum concurrunt, civesque Romanos, qui ne- gotiandi causa ibi con&isterant, inter ficiunt." Sect. III. JR. 50. — Motten to Orleans. 51. — Paris to Sceaux. 175 Promenades are formed round the town upon the line of the former ram- parts. Post- Office in the Rue d'llliers. Alphonse G&tineau, bookseller, has a shop well provided with guides, views, maps, and plans. Railways to Paris, 7 trains daily; to Vierzon and Moulins; to Tours and Bordeaux (Rte. 53) and Nantes. Diligences: — to Gien, to Montargis and Briare, to Chateaudun. Steamboats on the Loire, (?) in sum- mer, to Gien, Nevers, up the river (Rte. 52). Environs. The objects of interest in the vicinity of Orleans are — Notre Dame de Clery, the burial- place of Louis XI. (Rte. 53.) The Chdteau de la Source, the resi- dence of Lord Bolingbroke (Rte. 70), is about 5 m. off; a cab costs 4 or 5 fir. Omnibus as far as Olivet, twice a-day. The way thither leads across the bridge over the Loire to the village of Olivet, whither omnibuses run every hour from Orleans, where the road turns to the 1. The chateau is named from the little river Loiret, which here rises at once out of the ground in full flood, from a natural basin, but injured by art, close under the walls of the cha- teau, in the micUt of the pare. After a course of only 10 m. it falls into the Loire, giving, however, its name to the department. With this exception, the grounds, laid out in the formal French style, have little interest; nor has the chateau itself any other than what it derives from having been the residence of Bolingbroke, who rented it from the proprietor during the latter years of his life when exiled from England. He was visited here by Voltaire. He wrote here his Reflections on Exile. There is a second and more copious source, produced, at the beginning of the last century, by the artificial means re- sorted to to confine the waters of the old source, which, in consequence, broke a new passage for themselves. Here Davoust signed the decree for breaking up the Army of the Loire, after the reverses of Napoleon in 1815. Not far from La Source, near the road, is another handsome Chateau — de la Fontaine. ROUTE 50. ROUEN TO ORLEANS, BY CHARTRES. 201 kilom. = 124 Eng. m. 11 Port St. Ouen, ) z^. 0v 17 Louviers, ) <±ae' *'• 23 Evreux (Rte. 25). 13 Thomer. Our route traverses the fertile but monotonous district of La Beauce (Belsia), one of the granaries of France, on a table-land extending nearly from the Seine to the Loire; of which Chartres is considered the capital. 15 Nonancourt. 14 Dreux (Rte. 35). 16 Peage. 16 Chartres Stat (Rte. 46). Diligence to Angerville Stat. (Rte. 49). It takes about 10 hrs. to travel hence to Or- leans. At the village of Bercheres are stone-quarries from which Chartres cathedral was built. The road tra- verses the fertile corn-lands of La Beauce. 26 Allonne, 19 Allaines Stat. 15 Artenay, on the Paris Railroad (Rte. 49), and in the De*pt. du Loiret. 6 Chevilly Stat. 14 Orleans (Rte. 49). ROUTE 51. PARIS TO SCEAUX — RAILWAY. Terminus in Paris, Barriere d'Enfer. The peculiarity of the line is, that, for the sake of economizing outlay, it is constructed upon steep slopes and curves of narrow radius, which are tra- versed in safety by railway trains called trains articule's, owing to the carriages being made to turn on their wheels like road carriages, the invention of M. Arnoux. Arcueil Stat. Cachan Stat. Bourg-la-Reine Stat, (see Rte. 48) is situated in the valley, at the foot of the ascent on whose summit is situated the town of Sceaux. The intervening space is traversed by means of curves 1 76 Route 52.— The Loire (-4)— Gien to Orleans. Sect. III. carried along the face of the slope in zigzags (lacets) of small radius. The town of Sceaux was once famed for its splendid Chdteau, built by the Minister Colbert (1760), afterwards enlarged by the Due de Maine, whose duchess assembled around her here a literary circle the most eminent in France. It was destroyed, except some of the offices and the menagerie, at the Revolution, and its park, laid out by Le N6tre, ploughed up. A part of it has been made a public garden, and part belongs to the. Due de Trevise (Mortier). The Terrace is a favourite walk of the Parisians. Sceaux is now celebrated for its large cattle-market, and has a considerable glass-manufac- tory. Florian, the novelist, who re- sided in the chateau and died here, is buried in its Cimetiere. ROUTE 52. THE LOIRE (A) — GIEN TO ORLEANS. 62 kilom. = 38$ Eng. m. A Diligence daily. Steamers 3 times a week. (?) The scenery of this part of the course of the Loire is not particularly inter- esting. When the height of water permitted, steamers used to ascend as high as Nevers, and sometimes even to mount the Allier by Moulins to Digoin (Rte. 105). From Gien to Nevers the course of the Loire is described in Rte. 105. Gien is a town of 5530 Inhab., on the rt. bank of the Loire, here crossed by a bridge, on the road from Orleans to Lyons. Its old church, St. Etienne, has been injured by repairs. Near it is a portion of the ancient Castle, now turned into the prefecture. It was at Gien that the Maid of Orleans crossed the Loire on her way from her native village, to announce her divine mission to " Charles the Dauphin" at Chinon. 1. A mound of earth, called Motte du Leon, is supposed to be a Celtic tumulus. About 12 m. below Gien lies 1. Sully, a town of 2145 Inhab., possessing a wire suspension bridge, and an old Castle, resting its front upon the Loire, and separated from the town by a deep ditch. It is remarkable as the residence of the minister of Henri IV., Maximilian de Bethune, first Due de Sully, who purchased it from its for- mer possessors, the family de la Tre*- mouille; and in the alterations which he made in the building everywhere effaced their arms to substitute his own, along with cannons, grenades, bullets, and similar ornaments. He passed here the latter years of his life, after his disgrace under Louis XIII., maintaining considerable state with hi* regiment of lancers, and occupying himself with the preparation of his work ' Sur les Economies Royales,9 which he printed at a press established in one of the towers. It remained in the possession of his descendants down to 1807, when the last Due de Sully died. One of them fitted up a little theatre in the chateau, and was visited by the literary men of his times, among them by Voltaire, who here commenced his Henriade. The building is now going to decay, and is no longer inhabited : in one corner a few bits of tapestry, old portraits, &c, have been brought together; also a statue of Sully. rt. The Ch. of St. BSnoit, one of the oldest and finest in the Dept., was originally attached to a monastery, de- stroyed 1792. Its tower was lowered in consequence of a revolt of the monks against the royal authority under Fran- cis I. It has a curious N. portal, some carved stalls, and one or two curiosities in the sacristy. rt. Chateauneuf. Here are remains of a fine chateau. The river is crossed by another sus- pension-bridge at 1. Jargeau, a town of 2358 Inhab., 12 m. from Orleans. It still retains a portion of its old walls, within which a few hundred English soldiers, with their commander, the Earl of Suffolk, shut themselves up, after the raising of the siege of Orleans, to resist the attacks of the French led on by Dunois and the Maid. She was struck down into the ditch by a stone while mount- ing a ladder to scale a breach made in the wall 8 by the besiegers' cannon; but, recovering herself, instantly rose, and encouraged her followers by her voice 1. Smrni anal Kngetcred'W X* (MMEr » DxnwB una. tf mgrarrd by J.* (MVSXIiiir ^s ^m ^ 17? i B vine- 1n the rJ*Jj»m — tvered inter- e was which ength ^: but :>ronze royed isting '& pre- a is in lichel £V>1%|VLoui8 bare- deof with 'image ntical ' jmany - ^«Inde- 1 pro- Bveral o^'T'V-.pture x°iaTux\t the y^idow, Mtf#. tfhich 1477. lis to V T. # Sect. III. R. 53.— The Loire (B)— Notre Dame de CUry. 17? and waving banner. The town was taken, and almost all the garrison put to the sword, in spite of the endeavours of the Maid to prevent the shedding of blood. Suffolk was made prisoner. The Ch. of St. Etienne and St. Vrain, though injured by the Huguenots 1562, is still a fine building. rt. A little below Checy, at Com- bleaux, is the opening of the Canal d'Orleans, which unites the Loire with the Seine. rt. Orleans, Rte. 49. ROUTE 53. THE LOIRE (B). — ORLEANS TO TOURS — RAILWAY BY BLOIS AND AMBOISE. — EXCURSIONS TO CHAMBORD AND CHENONCEAUX. Railroad along the rt. bank of the Loire, 114 kilom. = 70£ Eng. m. 9 trains run daily in 2J to 3J hrs. Steamers have been superseded by the railway, and no longer run. The course of the Loire from Orleans to Tours lies for the most part through a wide valley, slightly varied by hills of very moderate height: its scenery, therefore, consisting chiefly of slopes covered over with vineyards, of low banks and islands, fringed with willows and poplars, is somewhat monotonous, though of a sunny character, and re- lieved now and then by a frowning old town such as Blois or Amboise, or by a formal chateau. Lower down a yel- low streak of cliffs hollowed out into caves and subterranean dwellings fre- quently forms the bank. vThe river itself winds very much : its shallow waters occupy a bed too large for them to fill in summer, and it is obstructed by shifting sandbanks. The first thing worth noticing after quitting Orleans is, 1. The outlet into the Loire of the Loiret, a stream not 30 feet broad, which yet gives the name to a depart- ment. On the peninsula between the rivers once stood the abbey St. Mesniin, whose fertile territory was the gift of Clovis to the monks. A part of the church and traces of the gardens re- main. The road to Cle'ry crosses the Loiret by a bridge at St. Mesmin. 7 La Chapelle Stat. 7 St. Ay Stat. 1. Opposite to St. Ay,* whose vine- yards produce the best wine in the Orleanois, the spire of Notre Dame de Cle'ry may be perceived about 3 m. from the Loire, on its 1. bank. This little town, 9 m. from Orleans, con- tains a very fine Church, remarkable for the veneration in which its image of the Virgin was held by Louis XL, who was buried within its walls. Its name must be familiar to every reader of ' Quentin Durward.' Louis, passing this way in his frequent journeys into Touraine, always performed his devo- tions to our Lady of Cle'ry, whose leaden figure he carried in his cap. The existing church was almost entirely built by him, in the place of an older one ruined by the English under Salis- bury, 1428. He selected it as his burial-place in preference to St. Denis, because he believed he had recovered from a severe illness by the inter- cession of the Virgin. A grave was made for him in his lifetime, in which he used to lay himself at full length to ascertain whether it fitted him: but this, as well as the statue in bronze which adorned the tomb, was destroyed by the Huguenots 1563. The existing monument is said to resemble the pre- ceding one, except that the statue is in marble : it was executed by Michel Bourdin, an artist of Orleans, for Louis XIII. Louis is represented bare- headed, on his knees in an attitude of prayer, upon a black altar-tomb with four angels in the corners. The image of the Virgin is said to be the identical one before which Louis spent so many hours in prayer: it is black. Inde- pendently of its fine architectural pro- portions, the church possesses several objects of interest, — as the sculpture of the Sacristy, much mutilated, the carved wood-work of its stalls, the fine painted glass of the E. window, 16th cent,, and the Chapel of the family of the Counts of Dunois, in which Tanneguy du Chatel was buried, 1477. A wretched road leads from this to Meung on the Loire. The Loire is crossed by a wire sus- pension-bridge at • Post-road.^ 13 St. Ay. I 3 178 E. 53.— The Loire {B)—Beaugency— Blois. Sect. III. 5 Meiing, or Mehun Stat., a town whose name occurs in the annals of the English campaigns. It has a Roman- esque church, and a red ruined Castle close beside it, partly concealed by trees, and backed by a hill. 1. In the churchyard of Lailly, Con dillac was buried without a line to mark the spot. An irregular bridge of some 30 arches, the oldest parts of which date from the 15th or 16th cent., is thrown over the Loire at 8 Beaugency* Stat. (Inn: l'Ecu de Bretagne, good), an antique town of 4849 Inhab., prettily situated between two hills. Conspicuous above its old houses rises the square Donjon tower, of great antiquity (10th or 11th centy.) and solid construction, 115 feet high, adjoining the Castle built by le*beau Dunois. The H. de Ville, designed by the architect Viart of Orleans 1526, has an elegant front ornamented with the arms of the Card, de Longueville and of the Comte de Dunois. The clocher de St. Firmin is the only remains of the ch. of that saint, and is now attached to the Hdtel Dieu. Beau- gency gives its name to one of the best wines of the Orleanois. Some miles off, beyond the Loire, is Eugene Sue's Sybarite chateau, the effeminate and selfish splendour of which was thought so inconsistent with his Republican professions. The high road runs at the back of the town, skirting without entering it, and for the next 3 stages separates itself from the Loire, to avoid its wind- / ings, and passes the little town of 12 MerStat.t The Chdtcau de Cham- bord (see p. 180) may be reached from this by a good road, crossing the Loire by a suspension bridge. 11 Menars le Chateau J Stat., a vil- lage so called from the well-built but ill-kept chateau, which belonged to Madame de Pompadour, and under Louis XVIII. to the Due de Bellune. It is now the property of the Prince de Chimay, who has established a college here. 1. St. Di6, nearly opposite Suevres, *> V * Post-road. — 13 k. Beaugency* f 13 Mer. % io Menars. $ 8 Biota. is about 1} m. distant from the Palace of Chambord. (See p. 180.) 9 Blois§ Stat.— Inns: H. d'Angle- terre, best ; close to the bridge, com- fortable, cheerful, and reasonable ; civil landlord. H. de Blois, in the centre of the town. This ancient and picturesque town, chef-lieu of the Ddpt. Loire et Cher, containing 14,000 Inhab., is built upon a steep slope, crowned by its historic and gloomy castle at one end of the ridge, and by the cathedral at the other. The quarter which reaches down to the river consists of modern houses, forming a handsome quay lined with rows of trees, and along it, between the town and the river, the high road passes. A bridge of 11 arches, sur- mounted by an obelisk in the centre, unites Blois with its suburb Vienne on the 1. bank. Numerous streets of stairs running up the hill, and winding narrow lanes lined with picturesque old houses, form the bulk of the town, and must be threaded to reach the very in- teresting. * Castle, for ages the residence of kings and princes, and the scene of momentous events, crimes, and mur- ders. It has been degraded to a barrack, and was allowed to go to ruin until 1845, since which the government, with laudable zeal, has restored a part of it to its pristine condition, with ex- cellent taste, under the direction of M. Duban. The interior is well worth visiting, and affords an excellent idea of the decorations of houses in the 16th and 17th cent. The E. front, of red brick, facing the square, is of the time of Louis XII., who rebuilt this edifice, in which he was born. The fine Gothic portal, surmounted by a niche or oriel, is not in the centre of the facade : it leads into a court, the E. side of which is lined with a cloister, resting on pillars carved with a net- like panelling. On the rt. hand (N*. side) is the pile raised by Francis I., corresponding in style (Renaissance) with part of Chambord. That on the W. was commenced under Gaston Due d' Orleans from the designs of Mansard, but never finished; that on the 1. (S.) is the most ancient and least like a Sect. III. Route 53.— The Loire (B)-Blois— Castle. 179 palace, the work of the early Dukes of Orleans. An elegant winding staircase of stone, on whose rich roof the Sa- lamanders of Francis I. have been lately replaced, leads into the suite of rooms in which the tragedy of the Guises was consummated. Tradition, as it seems, gloating over this deed of blood and deception, has preserved the memory of the minutest particulars connected with it ; and, though the interior was stripped of almost all its decorations at the Revolution, and the walls whitewashed like those of a pri- son, points out the chamber and ora- toire of Catherine de Medicis, the contriver of the plot, — the cabinet of Henri III., where he distributed with his own hand the daggers to his 45 gentlemen in waiting, who were to rid him of his rival, the hero of the barri- cades,— the Vieux Cabinet, at the en- trance of which the victim, sent for by the W, was set upon by his assassins as he was turning aside the tapestry hung over the door, and fell pierced with more than 40 wounds, — the outer chamber where the body lay for 2 hours with a cloak and a cross of straw thrown over it, until the royal mur- derer, issuing from his den to look at the corse of the once mighty Henri le Balafre", spurned it in the face with his foot, saying, "Je ne le croyais pas aussi grand," and then ordered it to be burnt, and the ashes thrown into the river. During the progress of the murder, prayers were being offered up for its success in the adjoining chapel, distinguished by the pendants which still ornament its roof. This happened on the 23rd December, 1588: — on the following day the Cardinal de Lor- raine, brother of the Balafre^ was mur- dered in cold blood in another part of the castle. The ground floor at the N.E. angle of the building is occupied by the Sal{e des Etats de Blois, to attend the meeting of which the Guises had been enticed hither from Paris, their stronghold. It was while seated at the council board in this hall, eating prunes de Brignolles, that the duke was sum- moned by the royal page to attend the king. This hall is supposed to be as old as the 13th centy. : a row of pointed arches supports its double, barn- like roof of wood. The king's throne was placed against the wall on one side. One other memorial of that age of crime and superstition remains to be noticed, — it is a sort of pavilion raised upon an old tower, detached from the S. side of the castle, projecting over the Ch. of St. Nicholas towards the river: this was the Observatory of Ca- therine de Medicis, to which she used to retire, with her astrologer, to consult the stars. It bears the inscription " Uranias Sacrum." A stone slab, like a tombstone, in front of the pavilion, served as a support for the astrolabe. The beautiful porcelain floorings in the rooms of Catherine de Medicis deserve notice. A good general view of the gloomy chateau is gained by turning to the 1., as you issue out of the great gate, through a vaulted passage into the Place du College, above which it rears aloft its sombre mass from a basement of grass-grown buttresses. Here we may remark the window from which Queen Marie de Medicis let herself down to escape when banished to Blois by the King her son, on the murder of Mar£- chal d'Ancre. In the Eglise St. Vincent, now belong* ing to a sisterhood, facing this Place, is the tomb of Gaston d'Orleans, who passed here, in a sort of exile, the last 8 years of his insignificant life. The *Ch. of St. Nicholas is a very fine Gothic edifice, chiefly belonging to the 1 2th centy., surmounted by a central tower (pyramidal roof) and 2 W. towers (one rebuilt). The choir ends in an apse of 7 arches resting on single shafts, and there are 3 apsidal chapels behind. The manner in which the capitals are executed, the regularity of the arches, and the elegance of the circular Gothic dome which surmounts the central tower, deserve notice. This ch. has been restored. The terraced Gardens attached to the former Eveche* form a very agreeable walk, commanding a fine view of the town and river, extending to the dis- tant towers of Chambord and Chau- mont. The Cathedral, or Ch. of the Jesuits, said to have been built by Mansard, has been repaired. Not far from it a Maison des Fous, a handsor"" 180 R. 53.— Loire (B)— Railway —Blots— Ckambord. Sect. III. edifice, has been built. A vaulted Bewer, partly cut in the solid rock, by some attributed to the Romans and called an aqueduct, runs under a con- siderable part of the town. It is known to the common people as the Pont de Cesar. A new square has been erected, having on one side the Prefecture, on another the Palais de Justice, and on a third the Halle au Ble\ In the old streets of Blois may still be found some interesting specimens of domestic architecture of the 16th centy. The H. d'Alluye retains an elegant portico in its inner court, and some rooms on the ground floor, but little altered. Miss Costello mentions a curiously-carved house in the Rue Pierre de Blois, leading to the Eveche'; and there is an elaborately-sculptured staircase of wood representing St. George and the Dragon, with a central balustrade corded to the top, and com- partments filled with various composi- tions. Among the illustrious natives of Blois may be named the learned divine and chronicler, Peter of Blois, who died in England a. d. 1200; Louis XII. ; and Denys Papin, for whom the French have claimed the invention of the steam-engine. A Statue of him has been erected here. In 1814 the Empress Marie Louise, with the King of Rome, and the rem- nant of the Imperial court, govern- ment, and army, were despatched hither by Napoleon, who made his wife regent ; and the last Imperial de- crees were dated from hence. Diligence to Vierzon Stat., on the way to Bourges, by Romorantin and the Sologne to le Mans : Vendome. [The interesting excursion to the C/id- teau de Chambord may be conveniently made from Blois, whence it is about 12 m. distant, a 2 hrs.' drive. Omnibus daily to and fro; a carriage with 1 horse 8 fr., with 2 horses 15 fr. The road thither runs up the 1. bank of the Loire in sight of the Chateau of Me- nars on the opposite bank, on an em- bankment or Levee, nearly as far as St. n' j* J111*** ***** a small Inn (an ^?n^?hainbord>' H m- dktant from tie chateau. A cross road leads thence to Chambord. Inn, H. St. Michael, built by the Comte de Chambord, very good. The Forest of Chambord is badly preserved: there are more jays and magpies in it than partridges, and the deer have been kept down for the sake of the young wood. Guests at the inn readily obtain permission to fish in the streams, which abound with pike. Few fine trees remain in the forest, which displays now little sylvan beauty. Beware of ague. * Chambord, the Versailles of Touraine, until Louis XIV. deserted that beau- tiful province'to fix the royal residence in a swamp close to the metropolis. It has no beauty of site to recommend it, being placed in the midst of a sandy flat, surrounded by a park 21 m. in circumference, where the roe and deer cross the traveller's path. The chateau itself, though somewhat fantastic, is on the whole a grand edifice, sur- mounted by a vast group of turrets, minarets, and cones, which rise con- spicuous at a distance from a solid basement, the chief features of which are 6 round towers of prodigious size, 60 ft. in diameter, which seem the types of all those which characterise French chateaux. Its architecture marks the transition between the for- tified castle and the Italian palace, and is a fine specimen of the age and taste of Francis I., who built it, after his return from captivity in Spain, on the site of a favourite hunting lodge of the Co ants of Blois, engaging Prunaticcio to furnish designs for it. He laid the foundation of it 1526, and employed 1800 men constantly on its construc- tion until his death. It was afterwards continued, though with less zeal, by Henri II. and Charles IX.; and even Louis XV. added the low screen at the back, which, though from Mansard's designs, is ugly, and of course inappro- priate to the style of the original. It is at present the property of the Due de Bordeaux, having been purchased for him and presented to him by public subscription. He has been confirmed in his possession, though the Bourbons have forfeited other estates in France, by the decision of the French law courts. Its 440 chambers, though un- inhabited, are undergoing judicious re- Sect. III. R. 53.— Tlie Loire (B)-Chambord— Valengay. 181 pairs in capital style and in good taste, the rental of the estate, amounting to about 3000/. a year, being entirely spent by its present possessor on its restoration. Enclosed within the building a cen- tral tower rises above all the rest, called Donjon, or Tour de la Fleur de Lis, from the lily of France, in stone, 6 ft. high, which surmounts it. After haying escaped the hammer which defaced all its minor brethren so profusely scattered over the build- ing, at the first Revolution, this mon- ster lily was destined to fall at the second, but has since been restored. This tower is filled with a very beau- tiful double spiral staircase, an archi- tectural curiosity, so contrived that 2 parties may pass up or down at the same time without meeting, scarcely even seeing each other. It opens on each floor upon 4 corridors, branching from it like the arms of a cross, vaulted. The compartments of their roof were once filled with the Salamander and F. of Francis I. One of these corridors was converted under Louis XIV. into a theatre, for the first performance of Moliere's Bourgeois Gentilhomme, in which Moliero and his troop performed before the King, for the first time, 1670. The device of Henri II. and Diana of Poitiers, the H. and D. en- twined with the crescent, are distri- buted over the parts which he built, but left unfinished. It is worth while to mount to the terrace and top of the tower to examine the details of the building, its solid masonry inlaid with morsels of black slate cut into the shape of lozenges, crescents, &c. Its rich niches, its classic chimneys converted into orna- ments instead of being eye-sores, its balustrades and flying buttresses, are all curious specimens of the style of the Renaissance, resembling somewhat the Elizabethan architecture of Bur- leigh. The roof is like the hull of a ship, and must contain a forest of tim- ber. From the top of the tower you look down upon the wide forest and wilderness of a park with its avenues. Since the commencement of the libe- ral repairs and restorations now in pro- gress, it is once more a pleasure to traverse the labyrinth of rooms, though showing no traces of the frescoes with which they were decorated by Jean Cousin. The well-read traveller, in imagination, can repeople their halls and corridors with the brilliancy and beauty of the courts of Francis I. and Henri II., recalling the time when Charles V. was entertained here on his passage through France, 1539, by his generous rival, or that when poor Ma- demoiselle de Montpensier here lost her heart to the fickle Lauzun. Among the occupants of Chambord since it was deserted by its royal own- ers, was Marshal Saxe, — that veteran of a hundred fights, to whom it was given by Louis XV. He brought with him 6 cannon taken from the enemy, and a regiment of lancers, whom he reviewed daily from the terrace, al- though with one foot already in the grave. He died here 1750. It after- wards became the asylum of Stanislas King of Poland, and his queen Maria Leczinska. It was plundered and dis- mantled by the mob of 1 792, and sold as national property. Napoleon be- stowed it in 1809 upon Marshal Ber- thier, from whose widow it was pur- chased by a body of Loyalists, and presented to the Due de Bordeaux, as already mentioned.] [Another excursion may be made from Blois to Valencay by Selles, an old town on the Cher. The Chateau of Valencay, built by Philibert Delorme in the reign of Francis I., is interesting architecturally as a specimen of the style of the Renaissance, and historic- ally as the prison-house allotted by Napoleon to Ferdinand VII. of Spain from 1808 to 1814, and still more as the residence of the late Prince de Tal- leyrand during the latter part of his life. The larger rooms contain portraits of monarchs (Napoleon and Louis-Philippe presented by themselves) and of states- men, his contemporaries. His study and bedchamber remained in 1843 exactly as he left them : his shoes, one furnished with steel spring and ban- dages for a club foot, his walking sticks, his desk, writing materials, to- gether with his robes, stars, and orders, in a glass case, may still be seen. Talleyrand's last resting-place is in 182 2?. 53.— The Loire (#)— Railway— Amboise. Sect. III. a vault beneath the chapel of a small nunnery, in a narrow street off the Place at Valencay. It is entered through an iron trap-door in the floor, and in one corner a dark stone sar- cophagus contains all that remains of the wily minister of so many sove- reigns. By the marriage of a niece of the Duchesse de Dino, it now belongs to the family Montmorency. Returning to Selles, the traveller may proceed down the valley of the Cher by the town of Montrichard to Chenonceaux, and thence to Amboise. Between Selles and Montrichard, but on the opposite side of the Cher is St. Aignan, where there is a magnificent Chdteau of various ages, formerly be- longing to the Dues de St. A. It is inhabited and kept up with beautiful gardens and terraces, fine trees, and profusion of flowers; the gardens open to the townspeople.] Bidding adieu to Blois, its frowning castle, whose W. front looking down the Loire is imposing and more cheer- ful than the rest, with the astrological tower of Catherine de Medicis in front of it, and the pepper-box dome of the cathedral in the distance, we resume our journey between vine hills and wil- low beds. rt. Hereabouts begins the colossal dyke called La Levde, commenced in very ancient times under the Carlovin- gian monarchs, and augmented and improved by different kings of France, to restrain the furious Loire within its bed, and check its destructive, inunda- tions. It runs along the rt. bank as far as the mouth of the Mayenne, below Angers, a distance of about 100 m. It is faced with masonry kept in constant repair, and the high road is carried along its top. It is a considerable work, though vastly inferior to the dykes of Holland, and was burst through by the inundations of 1846, and 1856. There are other very ex- tensive dykes on the 1. bank in diffe- rent portions of the river's course. This high embankment conceals from the view of those who travel by water the wide and fertile plain beyond it; only now and then the tops of houses > seen rising above it. 10 Chousy Stat.* 5 Onzain Stat. The first object to be noticed below Blois is, 1. The Chateau de Chaumont, opposite to Onzain, beyond the Loire, a conspi- cuous building picturesquely situated on a height, with machicolated towers, forming 3 sides of a square. It was the residence of Cath. de Medicis, whose chamber is shown, and who here spent her time in plotting and in reading the stars until the death of her husband, Henri II., when she obliged his mis- tress, Diana of Poitiers, to exchange her bijou chateau of Chenonceaux (p. 184) for this, which, however, Diana does not appear to have inhabited. It was the birthplace of the Cardinal George d' Amboise, 1460, the wise and popular minister of France under Louis XII. The arms, still visible, cut in the masonry, are a blazing hill, — chaud- mont. 12 LimerayStat. rt.f Veuves: a little beyond this the Loire enters the province of Tou- raine, and the Dipt. Indre et Loire. The high road does not pass through Amboise, but through a suburb on the opposite bank of the river. 6 1. Amboise Stat. I — Inns: Liond'Or; cheap and homely. At the Cygne, on the rt. bank of the river, a good horse and cab costs to Chenonceaux 8 fr., or thither and to Loches 15 fir. Amboise, an old and languid town of 4600 Inhab., stands on the 1. bank of the Loire, here divided by an island, upon which the 2 bridges which cross the river rest. The principal and most conspicuous object is the Castle, long the residence of the Kings of France, and late the pro- perty of the King of the French, Louis Philippe. Its buildings, flanked by round towers roofed with cones, re- duced to a very small portion of their original extent, occupy the platform of a lofty rock, escarped in front and rear. Louis Philippe, who inherited the castle as the descendant of the Due de Penthi- evre, caused the old houses to be swept away from the base of the rock, so as to form an opening from the bridge to a tunnel which he bored through the rock * Post-road.— 10 Chousy. t Post-road.— \ 1 Veuves. J 1 2 Amboise, Sect. III. Route 53. — The Loire (B) — Amboise. 183 and under the castle. It is vaulted with masonry. Two enormous towers, 90 ft. high and 42 in diameter, spring from the ground at the base of the rock, and rise to the level of the other towers. They contain 2 winding, inclined planes of so gradual a slope that horses and even carriages can ascend them to the summit of the rock. The one in front has been closed to form a saloon, but that behind, on the 1. as you emerge from the tunnel, still gives access to the castle, and is remarkable for its elegant florid Gothic doorway and groined roof. This and most of the other existing buildings date from the time of Charles VIII., who was much attached to Amboise, having been born here, 1470 ; he also died here, 1498. During the latter part of Louis Phi- lippe's reign (1847), the castle was converted into a prison, in which the brave Arab chief Abd-el-Kader and his family were immured. He was released by Louis Napoleon, 1853. In the interior of the chateau there is nothing worth seeing. The improv- ing hand of the late possessor had pierced holes as big as the embrasures of a battery in its old and massive walls, to admit broad day into vaults once perhaps cachots or oubliettes, but now, by the aid of whitewash, ventilation, and stoves, converted into comfortable kitchens, larders, pantries, and cellars ; while the upper rooms, papered, polished, and filled with cast- off furniture from the Palais Royal, preserve no traces of antiquity. Yet in them perhaps was decided the bloody doom of those 1200 miserable and mis- led Huguenot prisoners concerned in the well-known " Conjuration d' Am- boise" which had for its object to ex- tricate the young and simple king Francis II. from the clutches and in- fluence of the Guises, 1560. The secret of the plot was betrayed to the Due de Guise by one of the conspirators, and its leader, La Renaudie, seized and hung on a gibbet in the centre of the bridge, lie remainder of the con- spirators were dispersed and every- where seized ; the castle walls were de- corated with the hanging bodies of the criminals, and the courts and streets of the town streamed with blood, until the wearied headsman, resigning his axe, consigned the remainder to other executioners, who drowned them in the Loire. Such was the extent of the carnage that the court was driven from Amboise by the stench of the dead bodies. This butchery formed the prelude to the still more horrible tra- gedy of St. Bartholomew. In 1470 the exiled Queen Margaret of Anjou and her son, through the intervention of the cunning Louis XL, were reconciled in this castle to her quondam foe, by whom her own husband had been de- throned, the Earl of Warwick, the king- maker. Hatred to Edward IV. became the bond of union, and they agreed in vowing vengeance on him. The gardens are well kept up, and the view from their terraces is as good as that from the chateau itself, which is not worth entering, as it contains no paintings or architectural decorations, and is simply furnished as a country gentleman's house. Within the gar- den, however, stands the little Chapel, one of the most exquisite morsels of profusely florid Gothic in France, re- stored by Louis Philippe in a manner creditable to French taste. It is in the form of a cross, was built for Anne of Brittany, and is dedicated to St. Hubert, whose miraculous meeting with the stag, having a cross growing between its horns, is curiously carved over the rich doorway. This and the interior are panelled throughout, or decorated with foliage of the most de- licate sculpture. The leaves, showing all their fibres, crisped and curled round the edges like kail, are cut be- hind in a style more common in ivory than stone. Interspersed among the foliage are singular and grotesque figures; along the wall runs a sort of frieze of stone-work; the roof is elabo- rately groined, and the pendants hang- ing from it carved with grotesques, the whole reminding one of the richness of Henry VII. *s chapel, without its ar- rangement. Underneath is a crypt in which was originally placed the Holy Sepulchre, now removed to the chapel of St. Florentin in the town below. It consists of a group of figures as large as life, well executed in baked clay and coloured, representing the entombment 184 R. 53. — The Loire (J5) — Railway — Chenonceaux. Sect. III. of our Lord. The figures are said to be portraits of the family of an in- tendant of the palace named Babou, the three Marys being likenesses of his daughters, who were in turn mistresses of Francis I., as the story goes ! ! Marie dc Beauvilliers and Gabrielle d'Estrees, mistresses of Henri IV., were daughters of 2 of these ladies. The Ch. of St. Denis, restored, is in- teresting to the architect and antiquary. In the cliff a little above the castle, and entered from the garden behind a private house, are very singular ca- verns called Les Greniers de C&ar. They consist of a lofty, narrow excavation running in a direct line into the rock, evidently once divided into three sto- ries, as the broken edges of the chalk vaulting which formed the roofs and floors atill remain; and by their re- moval the three are thrown into one. The walls are covered with cement. At the extremity is a round, vaulted chamber lined with masonry; at one side runs a staircase cut in the rock, descending towards the river and as- cending to a level with the roof of the high excavation, where it leads to three other similar vaulted chambers, con- structed, it is supposed, to hold corn. There is a tradition that Caesar, after conquering the Gallic confederation, reached the Loire at this spot, and formed a camp, traces of which still exist on the cliff above, together with these caves below it, to serve as store- houses. It seems likely that these caves had a much later origin, though their desti- nation was probably for granaries or cellars. Amboise is said to derive its name from its position between the two streams, " ab ambabus aquis," the Loire and the Amasse, which here falls into the Loire. [A very pleasant excursion may be made from Amboise to Chenonceaux ; 10 m. S. The road lies through the forest of Amboise (till 1 852 a domain of the Orleans family), passing on the rt. the pagoda of the park of Chanteloup, whose magnificent chateau, the retreat of the Due de Choiseul, discarded mi- nister of Louis XV., when banished from the court to his estate by way of punishment, has disappeared. After the Revolution it belonged to le Comte Chaptal, the distinguished chemist and minister of Buonaparte, who established here a refinery of sugar from beetroot, which he first brought to perfection. The chateau was pulled down and sold about 1830 by the "bande noir."] At Ble*re* (Inn: H. de la Promenade), whose church has a good central octagon tower and spire of early date, we reach the valley of the Cher ; and a road turning to the 1. up the rt. bank of the river, covered hereabouts with black vines (gros noir), leads to the village of Chenonceaux (possessing a poor auberge), which is connected by an avenue with the Chateau de Che'nonceaux. In front of the building extends a stately terrace lined with stone balus- trades set with orange-trees, approached by a flight of steps; and adjoining is a pleasure garden. Chateau Chenonceaux has nearly as many souvenirs about it as Amboise, but not of so disagreeable a kind. It was built in the more joyous days of Francis I. Its picturesque round towers, bartizans, and bridged moat, though still preserving the shape of a castle, were not meant for defence; and its front is covered over with graceful and delicate Italian ornaments, such as are seen at Longleat, at Audley End, and in works of Inigo Jones. It stands on the river Cher: literally on, for it is built partly upon a bridge, and the river passes under it. At a distance it is most picturesque, with its green court, its single advanced round tower, occupied by the Concierge, and pretty formal gardens around. Its interior is almost unaltered since the day it was built, besides, what is so rare in France, being well and carefully kept up, retaining all its old furniture, old cabinets, old china, enamels, and glass. Its vaulted hall is hung with armour, its walls are covered with stamped cloth, its doors are screened by tapestry curtains which draw aside, and the rich ceilings are of blue ground studded with stars. You are shown the very glass out of which Francis I. drank; Mary Queen of Scots' mirror, &c. But its chief interest depends on the per- Sect. III. Route 53. — The Loire (B) — Chenonceaux. 185 Bona who have lived in it. It was given by Henri II. to his mistress, Diana de Poitiers, who enlarged it by extending the bridge, previously constructed over only part of the river, quite to the , other side, and raising upon it a hand- some, but less quaint and interest- ing building, of two stories. Hither her royal lover used to repair after hunting in the neighbouring forest of Loches. Her initial D is plentifully introduced combined with his H, thus B8 . She was, however, dispossessed of her fair mansion, on the death of Henri, by the wicked and unscrupu- lous Catherine de Medicis, whose bed- room, with the original furniture, is still shown. It was afterwards for some time occupied by Louise de Lor- raine, widow of Henri III. : her chamber is still hung with black. Nor does the list of distinguished inmates cease here, for near the end of the last century all the wits of the time used to assemble here, drawn together by the owner of the mansion, Madame Dupin, a beau- tiful, amiable, and accomplished lady, who died so recently as 1799, at the age of 93. In her time, Voltaire, the exiled Bolingbroke, Rousseau, and many others, were her constant visit- ors; and in the little, dusty,- faded theatre, which occupies the end of Diana's gallery, Rousseau's opera, ' Le Devin du Village/ was performed for the first time. The collection of his- torical portraits, including all the persons who have lived here, is very curious ; among them a whole-length portrait of Diana, said to be by Fri- maticcio, in the costume of her name- sake, the goddess, with a dog in a leash, a bow at her back, and wearing a taffeta petticoat, embroidered with golden fleurs-de-lis. Here are also portraits of Henri IV., of Sully, of Rabelais, and a cast of the sweet face of Agnes Sorel from her monument at Loches. The most remarkable thing about Chenonceaux, perhaps, is that it escaped the ravages of the Revolution, owing solely to the respect which the character of Madame Dupin, its mis- tress, commanded. Strangers are obligingly admitted by the present proprietor, le Comte de Villeneuve, to see the interior. I Loches (Rte. 56) is about 18 m. S. of Chenonceaux; the road runs partly through the forest of Loches. It is a dreary ride. rt. The road to Tours, below Am- boise, is carried along the Leve*e, at no great distance from the Loire. 6 Noizay Stat. 3 Vernau Stat. 13 Vouvray Stat. Here the Rly. is carried across the Loire to its 1. bank on a fine bridge, 42 ft. above the river. 1. Mont Louis Stat. This village, com- posed partly of caves cut in the rocks, was the place of meeting of an eccle- siastical assembly, convened to witness the reconciliation of Henry II. with Thomas Becket only 3 months before his assassination. rt. Frilliere.* Near this the banks of the river rise into considerable heights; and on the top of a projecting promontory stands, conspicuous from afar, rt., the feudal beacon-tower, called Lanteme de la Roche Corbon, not unlike a great factory-chimney of modern times. It anciently communicated by telegraphic signals with the Castle of Amboise. It is about 50 ft. high, and stands on the very verge of the cliff, above the small village of Roche Cor- bon, remarkable because most of its habitations are cut out of the lime- stone (craie tuffeau). They are some- times raced with walls, at others with partitions of the living rock, and are prettily festooned with vines. One mass of rock which must have slipped from above, and now lies in a nook, is turned into 2 cottages of 2 stories. These habitations seem comfortable, and are mostly provided with little gardens in front. Some large excava- tions which belonged to the castle of Roche Corbon, with fragments of ma- sonry, remain. It is worth while to climb up to the top of the rock, beside the Lanterne, to look down upon the Loire from thence — a pleasing pros- pect. It is possible to scramble through the vineyards along the top of the cliff nearly to St. Radegonde, and bo to reach Tours (4£m.),but there is no path. rt. A row of villas with formal gar- dens, interspersed with villages, line the bank nearly all the way to Tours, • Post-road.— 12 La Frilliere. 186 R. 53.-7%* Loire (B)— Tours— Cathedral. Sect. tH. whose cathedral towers form a fine object in the distance. rt. The round tower, rising at the water-side, close to the road, together with a gate-house and a few crumbling foundations of pillars and walls, are the sole remains of the once magnifi- cent Abbey of Marmoutiers (Majus Mo- nasterium), one of the richest in France, founded by St. Martin, in which the salute ampoulle, or vessel of holy oil, given by an angel to St. Mar- tin to rub a bruise which he had re- ceived, was preserved, an object of veneration with pilgrims. It was sent to Chartres to anoint Henri IV. at his coronation. 1. Just above the city of Tours is the mouth of the canal or cut which joins the Loire to the Cher, whose course is nearly parallel with the Loire, and only 13£ m. S. of it. 10 1. Tours Terminus on the S. side of the town. It is also terminus of the lines to Bordeaux (Rte. 64) and Nantes (Rte. 58). Tours.* — Inns: H. de TUnivers, a large and handsome building, one of the best in France, fitted up with every English convenience, clean and mode- rate ; H. de Bordeaux; both these are near to the railway terminus; Faisan, good ; H. de Londres, comfortable ; La Boule d'Or, in the Rue Royale. Tours, chief town of the Dept. Indre et Loire, and once capital of Touraine, is situated in the midst of the fertile but flat valley of the Loire, on its 1. bank, and between it and the Cher, and has 28,000 Inhab. The highway from Paris to Bordeaux and Bayonne here crosses the river by its bridge of 15 arches, 1423 ft. long, and traverses the whole extent of the town through its main street, the Rue Royale, a fine avenue running in a direct line from the bridge, near which a statue of Des- cartes is erected, and containing the principal cafes, shops, and offices of the diligences. At its entrance from the bridge stands on the rt. the H. de Ville, and on the 1. the Muse'e, while in front run quays and planted platforms, serving as promenades. The town is no longer remarkable for the many • Post-road.— \2 Toon. objects of curiosity which it possessed before the sweeping convulsion of the Revolution ; and the charms of its situation, in an unvaried plain, have been greatly overrated by the French. The Loire, though a fine river at cer- tain seasons, contributes less to its beauty than might be expected, owing to a great part of its channel being left bare in summer, so that only three or four of the arches of the bridge be- stride the shrunken stream, while the rest traverse wide, ugly beds of bare gravel. Owing to the flatness of the surface and the dust there are few in- teresting walks or rides in its imme- diate vicinity. However, our descrip- tion of the town shall assume the form of a walk which may occupy a long morning or a short day. Starting from the main street, the Rue Royale, a turning on the 1. (Rue de la Scellerie) leads you past the Poste aux Lettres to the Arche- veche", approached by a handsome Italian portal, at the side of which rises the stately Cathedral of St. Gatien. The W. front, consisting of 3 lofty portals enriched with florid ornaments, niches, and foliage, surmounted by a window having a 4-pointed head, as- tonishes by its vastness : it dates from about 1510. The 2 towers which flank it are 205 ft. high; their domed tops, carved as with scales, are somewhat later than the rest, and of a debased Italian style, not conformable with the lower part. The interior, 256 ft. long and 85 ft. high, is in a mature and noble style of Gothic resembling early English, with varied capitals to the columns. The choir was begun 1170, and the nave carried on to completion in the reign of St. Louis'; but the W. end is still later, of the 15th century. In the beautiful old painted glass surround- ing the choir, and shedding a venerable gloom about the altar, may be seen the arms of St. Louis, of his mother, Blanche of Castile, and those of the town, a group of towers. The fine rose-window in the N. transept is in- jured in effect by a thick stone prop carried through the middle to support the roof. At the angle of the S. tran- sept and aisle is the marble monument Sect. III. Route 5S.— J7ie Loire (B)— Tours. 187 of the 2 only children of Charles VIII. and Anne de Bretagne, in consequence of whose early deaths the succession passed to the branch of Valois Orleans. Figures of the 2 princes, watched by angels, recline on a sarcophagus of white marble decorated with the arms of France, with dolphins, bas-reliefs, and ornaments in the style of the Re- naissance : it is the work of 2 Tourain- geaux artists named Juste, contempo- raries of Jean Goujon. It is worth while to ascend the towers on account of the view, which includes Amboise, Plessis les Tours, and the course of the Loire and Cher. The woodwork of the roof, a master- piece of carpentry, covering the stone roof, and the elegant, light, spiral staircase (Renaissance), resting on a crown of open groins or ribs, in the N. tower, should be seen at the same time. Passing from the cathedral towards the quay, a circular and machicolated tower is seen on the rt., enclosed with- in the Cavalry Barracks : it is the only remaining part of the Castle built by Henry II. of England in the 12th centy. From this tower Charles de Lorraine, the son of the Due de Guise le Balafre*, imprisoned by Henri III. after his father's murder at Blois, escaped by letting himself down by a rope. Turning to the 1. and following the line of the quay, you reach the iron wire Bridge (Pont Suspendu) erected by M. Seguin 1847, and lower down the stone Bridge (b. 1762) al- ready mentioned: several of its arches have given way at different times, owing to the river undermining its foundations. The Mitsee contains a collection of nearly 200 bad pictures, chiefly copies, and some casts ; it is open to the public only on Sundays, 12-4. A Last Judg- ment, brought from the chapel of the castle of Plessis, may be mentioned as curious. A little way up the Rue Nationals, on the 1. in going from the bridge, is the Ch. of St. Julien, until 1847 desecrated and turned into a remise and coach-house for diligences, but happily rescued by a subscription raised among a few private persons amounting to 80,000 frs. It is a fine pointed edifice, date 1224, except the lower part of the W. tower, which is founded upon circular arches, with Romanesque capitals belonging to an older church. The building is under- going repairs in order that it may be rendered fit for divine service. There are 5 or 6 desecrated churches here. The first street on the rt. is the Rue de Commerce; and No. 35 (now Hotel Gouin) is the handsomest old man- sion in the town, and a perfectly pre- served specimen of the style of the Renaissance (15th centy.) adapted to domestic architecture : its front is richly decorated with coats of arms, scroll-work, &c; its dormer windows are terminated by crocketed gables ; a turret projects in front, below which is the entrance, and round the bottom runs a light trefoil balustrade. It was built by Jean Xaincoings, Controlleur des Finances to Charles VII., 1400. Continuing our walk along the Rue de Commerce we come to the Rue des Trois Pucelles, where the house No. 18 passes for that of Tristan VHermite, the ill-omened executioner of Louis XL (see ' Quentin Durward'), though there is no authority for the designa- tion. It is a brick mansion, apparently of the 15th centy.: its front termi- nates in a gable, and is flanked by a stair turret, 70 ft. high, curiously vaulted with brick, overtopping the neighbouring houses and command- ing a view of Plessis. Its door and windows are enriched with florid canopies, that over the door supported on twisted columns; but the remark- able feature, to which alone the house owes its name, is that the string courses dividing the 3 stories are formed by ropes in relief, ending in fantastic knots so as to resemble the noose of a halter. The same ornament occurs on the tomb of Anne of Brittany, and on her chan- try at Loches, and was adopted by her as an heraldic badge of her widowhood. This house may have belonged to her or to some of her retainers. On the wall may be read the motto, " Assez aurons, et peu vivrons," and "Priez Dieu pour — ." The court-yard walls are similarly decorated, and on the ground floor is an elegant vaulted recess for 188 B. 53.— ToursSt. Martin— Plessis les Tours. Sect. III. a lavatory. In the same street, on the opposite Bide, is a house of evi- dently much greater antiquity (14th centy.), having a vaulted ground floor, and an arcade of pointed arches run- ning along its first floor. In going hence to the Vieux Marche*, a corner house, now a shop, is remark- able for the carvings on the front, re- presenting the Holy Family. In the centre of the market-place itself is a white marble fountain, La Fontaine de Baune, of considerable elegance, in the Renaissance style, ex- ecuted by the brothers Juste. Among its ornaments are the porcupine, the crest of Louis XII., and the ermine of Anne of Brittany. Turo Towers, rising on either side of the Rue St. Martin, are conspicuous objects in all views of the town: one, containing the clock, having a domed top, is called the Tour de St. Martin, or d'Horloge; the other, La Tour de Charlemagne, was so named, it is said, because his wife Luitgarde was buried below it. They deserve notice and mention as the only remaining relics of the va3t Cathedral of St. Martin of Tours. The palladium of this cele- brated building was the shrine of St. Martin, the first metropolitan of Tours (a..d. 340), which became to the bar- barians of the dark ages what Delphi was to the Greeks — the oracle which kings and chiefs came to consult in the beginning of the 7th centy. The con- course of pilgrims to this shrine occa- sioned the old Roman town Ccesarodu- num of the Turones to swell to ten times its original extent. The great eccle- siastical establishment, of which this church was the centre, spread civiliza- tion and religion through the country, and its archbishop became the patriarch of France and one of the most influ- ential persons in the state. At the head of the chapter even the kings of France were proud to enrol them- selves. Its treasures in precious metals, jewels, &c, amounted to 575 marcs of gold and 2200 marcs of silver in 1562, when it was pillaged by the Huguenots, who broke the images, melted the lamps, and burnt the relics deposited here. After flourishing for 1 2 centu- ries, the church, an enormous edifice, was utterly destroyed at the Revolu- tion, excepting two towers out of the five which adorned it. On viewing the space which now intervenes between them, some idea may be formed of its extent. One of these stood at the W. end, the other at the N.W. ; both seem from their style to date from the 12th centy. Attached to that of St. Martin may be seen Romanesque pil- lars and capitals of an earlier edifice. Louis XI., through gratitude for sup- posed benefits derived from the Saint's intercession, surrounded St. Martin's shrine with a railing of solid silver which weighed nearly 6776 marcs. His needy follower, Francis I., had it taken down and converted into good crown-pieces, which were called " tes- tons au gros bonnet." Bishop Gregory of Tours, a native of the city, was buried within the walls of this church. A florid Gothic portal, forming the front of a house in the street running from the market to the Rue St. Mar- tin, was one of the residences of the chapter. The Halle aux Pie's is another secu- larised church, dedicated to St. Cle- ment, gutted to a mere shell. It is a building of the 16th centy.; its florid N". porch, though mutilated, still re- tains portions of foliage cut with much delicacy. There is nothing to be seen within. The new Palais de Justice is a splen- did building. There are extensive Barracks at the river-side near to the suspension bridge. Plessis les Tours, the castellated den of the tyrant and bigot Louis XI., with which all the world is acquainted through the admirable descriptions of 'Quentin Durward,' is situated in the commune of La Riche, adjoining a humble hamlet of scattered cottages, on a perfectly flat plain, about a mile distant from the Halle au Bl£, on the W. of Tours, passing the Barriere des Oiseaux, and beyond the Hospice G6- ne'rale. Visitors to Plessis must not expect anything in the shape of a feudal castle, for it was built at a time Sect. III. Route 53. — Tours — Plessis, 189 when the fortress was giving place to the fortified mansion. When complete, it must have been somewhat like the older parts of Hampton Court and St. James's Palaces, which were built not many years after Plessis, with this dif- ference, that the niggardliness of Louis, and his apprehension of danger, caused it to be built in so plain a style, and with so many defensive precautions, walls of enclosure, drawbridges, bat- tlements, and wet and dry ditches, that its external appearance must have corresponded with that of a gaol much more than of a palace. The small fragment now remaining, so far from having about it the least trace or cha- racter of a castle, looks like a mean ordinary dwelling: indeed it formed part of the inner constructions, but was surrounded by three ramparts and fosses. It is of plain red brick, with quoins of stone and sash windows, surmounted by a high pitched roof, and almost all traces of the scanty ornaments have been destroyed. Be- side it is a stair turret, recently raised 16 or 20 ft., with a wooden addition at the side, to convert it into & shot-tower! Originally a cloister ran along the front. The interior is modem, except the stair, and contains nothing worth notice. All traces are gone of the pit- falls, fosses, &c, which originally sur- rounded the castle; but on the 1., as you approach the house, are seen the foundations of walls of masonry; and a door, below ground, leads into a range of vaulted chambers barely lighted by small windows, which may once have served for prisons, as they now do for cellars. It is evident that the palace was well supplied with dun- geons. At the end of the small ter- race walk in the garden is another vault, called the prison of Cardinal de la Balue, who was shut up for betray- ing his master's secrets to Charles of Burgundy: it has been repaired, but the lower steps of a stair, the lower part of the fireplace, the grated bars and shutters are old. At the back of a cottage, nearly facing the garden gates, is a small vaulted chapel, now filled with casks, said to be the Oratory of Louis XI., where he passed hours in abject prayer to the Virgin and Saints for cure of his complicated maladies. The present doorway has been broken through the wall where the altar stood ; the two small windows are nearly stopped up. Louis ended his miserable life here, 1483. Plessis was converted into a D3p6t de Mendicite* about 1778; it was sold and pulled down at the Revolution. Plessis lies on the tongue of land between the Loire and Cher, about 1 m. from the Cher, and 9 m. above their junction. Between Plessis and the Hospice is an old house, called La Babaterie, having a square turret at the back which passes for the residence of Olivier le Daim, the barber and minister of Louis. There remains little else to de- scribe at Tours. Under the mutilated church of Notre Dame la Riche (ori- ginally called La Pauvre) is a cave, vaulted, and having pillars in the corners, where it is said St. Gatien, the predecessor of St. Martin, first preached Christianity to the Gauls, a.d. 251, but it is now shut up. At the Prefecture is placed the Public Library of 40,000 volumes, including some curious MSS.; for example, a copy of the Gospels in gold letters on vellum (8th centy.), which belonged to the church of St. Martin, upon which the King of France took the oaths as premier chanoine of that church; Les Heures of Charles V. of France and of Anne de Bretagne; and numerous Mis- sals, besides early printed books. The library is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 12-4. The most respectable Cafe" is that de la Ville de Paris, Rue Nationale. The Poste aux Lettres is in the Rue de la Scellerie, and the Theatre in the same. The number of English established in and around Tours is considerable, but has diminished since 1848: they have a subscription club. The English Church service is per- formed every Sunday at 11 J and 4J in the chapel, Rue de la Prefecture. Railways: — To Angers and Nantes; to Poitiers, Angouleme, and Bordeaux; to Paris, by Orleans; in progress to Le Mans. 190 Routt 53.— The Loire (B)— Tours— Mettray. Sect. III. Diligences daily, to Locbes, Bourges, and Chinon; to Le Mans, Venddme; to Chartres and Laval. Steamers (?) to Nantes (in 11 hrs.) Tours was long famed for its manu- facture of silk, established 1480 by LouiB XI., who brought over and set- tled here Italian weavers. This branch of industry, however, was ruined by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, by which the population was reduced from 80,000 to less than one half. This tyrannical act transferred 3000 families, with their wealth and in- dustry, from France to Holland, and the manufacture dwindled away at Tours to take root at Lyons. Tours has now no manufacture of great im- portance, but receives some life from being a place of much passage, planted on one of the great high roads of France. The pruneaux de Tours, once so celebrated, are now far less esteemed in oommerce than the dried plums of Gascony and Provence. Tours is a city of some importance in history. The Turones, its ancient inhabitants, joined the league of the 64 Gallic towns under Vercingetorix against Julius Caesar, and are mentioned by Lucan, " Instabiles Turones circum- sita castra coerunt." The Lande de Mire", about 9 m. to the S.W. on the road to Azay-le-Rideau, is supposed to be the place -where the Saracens under Abderahmen were defeated by Charles Martel, and Europe saved from the Mahomedan yoke, a.d. 732. One of the chief mints of France was established in the middle ages at Tours, whence come the livres Tournois, silver pieces (libra or as of the Romans), the equivalent of francs at present, which were coined here. The Porte Hugon, which stood at the end of a street running down to the Loire, is said to have given the name of Huguenots to the Protestant party in France, who, being very numerous in the town, but checked and watched by their enemies, used to meet beyond the walls, issuing out stealthily through this gate at nightfall. A more pro- bable derivation of Huguenot is from the Swiss Eidgenossen, i.e. Confede- rate. Another memorial of the days | of persecution of the Protestants is re- tained in the name Rue Renard, persons suspected of heresy being pursued in the streets by the Romanists about 1562, hunted down with the cry "au Reynard," and often massacred. Touraine was bestowed as an apanage on Mary Queen of Scots and her short- lived husband Francis, and she is said to have drawn revenue from it, as Duchess of Touraine, even while in captivity in England, but it was after- wards given in her lifetime to the Due d'Alencpn, brother of Henri III. It is a walk of about 4 m. along the road to Orleans up the rt. bank of the Loire to the singular village La Roche Gorbon, excavated out of the rock (p. 185). It would be better to ride thither, and thus avoid the long dusty road. The Colony of Mettray, about 4J m. from Tours, not far from the road to Le Mans, established by two philan- thropic French gentlemen, the Vicomte Bretigneres de Courteilles and le con- seiller Demetz, deserves very high praise, and will be visited by all who take an interest in the improvement of their fellow-creatures. The objects which its founders and directors have in view are, the education, reward, and restoration to society of juvenile offend- ers who while in the public prisons have distinguished themselves by good conduct and by signs of penitence. This is sought to be effected by teach- ing them the mode of gaining an honest livelihood, chiefly by agricultural la- bour. The ground on which the esta- blishment stands was given by the Vicomte; it is conducted by him and his friend in person, and is supported by voluntary donations and anym^l subscriptions. More distant and highly interesting excursions may be made to Amboise (p. 182), Chenonceaux, 24 m. off (p. 184; 4 hrs/ drive), Loches (p. 191), and to that curious and unexplained monument of antiquity La Pile de St. Mars (p. 196). M. Souille' furnishes good horses and carriages. Sect. III. R.54.—ChartrestoTours. 56. — Tours to Loches. 191 ROUTE 54. CHARTRES TO TOURS, BY VENDOME. 139 kilom. == 88 Eng. m. Diligences daily. 15 La Bourdmiere. 16 Bonneval, near the Loir. An ancient Benedictine convent here is converted into a cotton-mill. 14 Chateaudun, a town of 6500 Inhab., standing on the banks of the Loir. Its most conspicuous building is the ancient Castle of the Counts of Dunois, surmounted by a prodigious tower, 90 ft. high, built by Thibaut le Tricheur in the lOthcenty. The an- cient name of the town, whence comes the modern, was Castellodunum. During the next stage the road de- scends by the side of the Loir, passing the Gothic castle of Montigny on a height beyond the river. 12 Cloyes. 17 Pezou. 11 Venddme. — Inns: H. Gaillarde, good; Lion d'Or, not bad. A town of 9470 Inhab., on the Loir, at the foot of vine-clad slopes. Above it rise the picturesque ruins of the Castle of the Dues de Yenddme, demolished at the Revolution, when the graves of Jeanne d'Albret, mother of Henri IV., and of several Bourbon princes, were rifled, and their tombs destroyed. Near the Lion d" Or is a fine flamboyant C%., containing good painted glass, with elaborate and beautiful wood carvings in the stalls of the choir. It has an early Gothic tower and spire. Nearly opposite to it are very curious remains of a Norman Domestic edifice of un- usually early date. Several smaller churches will repay the notice of a lover of church architecture. There is a College here. We now cross the Loir for the 4th time, and quit its valley to traverse a monotonous plain to 14 Neuve St. Amand. 12 Chateau Begnault, a town of 2500 Iiihab. 15 Monnaye (Indre et Loire). 15 Tours, in Rte. 53. ROUTE 56. TOURS TO LOCHES AND CHATEAUROUX. 108 kilom. = 67 Eng. m. Diligences, daily, to Loches, in about 4±hrs. You continue along the road to Bor- deaux (Rte. 64) for about 2 m. after crossing the Cher; then turn to the 1. Several small villages are passed whose houses are caves cut in the soft rock, the fronts built up with masonry, the roofs covered with vines, from the midst of which peer the chimneys. After passing the prettily situated village of 19 Cormery (2 interesting Churches, and a detached spire of a ruined abbey) we reach the borders of the Indre, which flows through one of the richest and most fertile valleys of Touraine ; in the midst of which stands 21 Loches. Inns : H. de la Tour ; cheap, and obliging landlord : H. Grand Monarque. This is one of the most picturesque towns of Touraine, far more striking than Chinon or Am- boise; its buildings are huddled to- gether round the base of a lofty rock, from whose commanding top the ro- mantic ruins of its historic and ill- omened Castle still frown over the land- scape, forming the grand and striking feature in every view. In and around the town the number of religious houses, which clustered around the castle, is remarkable. Many of the buildings remain. The town still re- tains several of its old gates, grooved for the portcullis, and garnished with holes for stockade beams, and in its streets are some old houses. Pop. 4753. On the opposite bank of the Indre lies the suburb of Beaulieu, connected with the town by a row of bridges. The river winding through the vale over- spreads its bottom with a carpet of the richest verdure, fringed with willows and poplars, and turns the machinery of one or two mills. The Castle of loches, though long a royal palace, in which James V. of Scotland was married to Magdalen of France, and where Francis I. held his splendid court and received the Em- peror Charles V. on his way from Spain to Ghent, is better known and has a more terrible reputation as a prison of 192 Route 56, — Castle of Loches. Sect. III. state, especially during the reign of Louis XL, when "the sound of the name of Loches was yet more dreaded than Plessis itself, as a place destined to the workings of those secret acts of cruelty with which even Louis shamed to pollute the interior of his own re- sidence at Plessis. There were in this place of terror dungeons under dun- geons, some of them unknown even to the keepers themselves; living graves, to which men were consigned with little hope of further employment dur- ing the rest of their life than to breathe impure air, and feed on bread and water. At this formidable castle were also those dreadful places of confine- ment called cages, in which the wretched prisoner could neither stand upright nor stretch himself at length ; an invention, it is said, of Cardinal Balue." — Scott. Louis appointed Oli- vier le Daim, the barber, who was also his prime minister, governor of the castle and gaoler. It is composed of a pile of buildings of various ages, partly in ruins. The most conspicuous of all is the tall white Donjon tower, rising at the extremity of the platform of rock to a height of 120 ft., and over- hanging the verge of the precipice. Its walls of even and perfect masonry, supported by buttresses in the form of circular pillars, pierced by scanty round headed windows above, and by mere slits below, mark it as a work of the Norman style, probably of the 1 2th centy., though some attribute its con- struction to Foulques Nerra, Comte d' Anjou, in the 1 1th. In its size, form, and arrangement of the entrance stair, within a projecting lower tower, it is not unlike the White Tower of London, and the castles of Newcastle or Roches- ter. Its walls, 8 ft. thick, are now empty, gutted of the four stories into which they were divided. It stands within the enclosure of the town gaol, a part of the castle having been con- verted into that ignoble purpose. Be- side it rises a picturesque group of less ancient towers, in one of which, cir- cular in form, are the terrible Cachots of Lotus XL, extending downwards in four stories below one another. Two of them contained the iron cages in- vented by Cardinal Balue, who himself expiated his treasonable betrayal of his master's secrets to the Duke of Bur- gundy by a confinement of 8 years in one of them. In another, Ludovico Sforza, il Moro, Duke of Milan, the pri- soner of Louis XII. , was confined from 1500 until 1510, when death released him. Here Philip de Comines, the historian, was also shut up in 1486; the Due d'Alencon, 1456; Charles de Melun, who was beheaded, 1468; and many more victims of tyranny. These dungeons are vaulted, and dimly lighted by small windows, whose deep recesses, in walls 10 or 12 ft. thick, are crossed by double iron gratings. The cages existed down to 1789. At the other end of the castle plat- form, on the 1. as you ascend from the town through the arched gateway, is a more modern pile of building, now serving as the Sova-Pr€fecture. At one end of the terrace behind it, within a small tower, is placed the monument of Agnes Sorely mistress of Charles VII., who was born, 1400, in the neighbour- ing chateau of Fromonteau. Upon a base of black marble reclines the effigy of La Belle des Belles, well sculptured in white limestone, her hands uplifted in prayer, with two angels bending over her head and shielding her with their wings, and two lambs reclining at her feet. She is gracefully attired in long robes, and a simple circlet sur- rounds her brow; her countenance ex- hibits a refined character of beauty, modesty, sweetness, and gentleness, not unworthy of the Madonna of Ra- phael, and befitting one whose influence over a king was never exercised but for good. It has been proved, however, by an acute historian, that she could in no wise have contributed to stimu- late Charles to the assumption of his dominions and the expulsion of the English, not having been seen by him until 1431, after the death of Jeanne d' Arc. When Charles died, the ungrate • ful monks of Loches, whom the bounty of Agnes had cherished and her bequests had enriched, were desirous of eject- ing her remains and tomb from their church, on the score of some scruples as to the purity of her life; but even Louis XL, much as he hated Agnes, re- proved such ingratitude, telling them Sect. III. Route 57. — Tours to Saumur. 193 that if they abandoned her body they must also resign her legacies: so the bones remained in their place until the Revolution, when the grave was vio- lated, and the monument was preserved from destruction only by the inter- ference of the pre*fet. Between the Sous-Prefecture and the Norman keep stands the *Ch. of St. Ours, a very interesting monument of ecclesiastical architecture, meriting in a high degree the attention of every student of Gothic architecture.* In its outline it presents 4 conical roofs, 2 of them raised on towers, and 2 intermediate, covering the nave with cupolas of stone. To the W. of the belfry-tower is a low square porch, protecting a large and very perfect Romanesque W. doorway, rich in mouldings and sculptured figures. Beyond the other steeple is the £. apse : the transepts are short. A pointed arch divides the nave into 2 square compartments, each covered with an octagonal cupola of stone. According to records, the building was completed, as it stands, 1180, but the E. apse and crypt are older, probably of the 11th cent. Observe the sculpture throughout — the capitals, the corbels in tiers supporting the domed roofs of the nave, the cylindrical font. The crypt, beneath the choir, was the place of devotion of Louis XI. In the suburb Beaulieu, 1 m. E. of Loches, is a ruined Church, with a fine Romanesque tower. The view of Loches hence is very good. The Ch, of 8t. Laurent will interest the architect. The rest of the road lies up the pretty vale of the Indre to 21 Chatillon-sur-Indre, a town of 2700 Inhab., in the Dept. l'lndre, and the ancient province of Berry. 23 Buzancais, a town of 3800 Inhab., on the rt. bank of the river, whose branches are here crossed by several bridges. 23 ChAteauroux, in Rte. 65. ROUTE 57. TOUB8 TO SAUMUR, BT GHINON AND FONTEVRAULT. 76 kilom. = 47 Eng. m. * This church is perfectly delineated in Petltfe < Architectural Studies iu France.' France, The places on this route may now be most easily reached from stations on the Ely. to Nantes. Diligences daily. This route issues out of Tours lined by avenues of poplars, and crosses at the distance of l£ m. the river Cher, a little to the E. of Plessis les Tours (p. 188). The Cher runs for about 15 m. below this nearly parallel with the Loire, before uniting itself to that river. Along its N. bank runs a considerable levee or dyke constructed by Madame de Vermandois, abbess of Beaumont les Tours, to protect the land between it and the Loire from inundations. After crossing the flat land, passing numerous white hamlets and villas, the road ascends and traverses an extensive table-land before entering the valley of the Indre, on whose banks stands. 24 Azay-le-Rideau, a small town prettily situated, 15 m. from Tours. On the 1. of the road, nearly concealed by trees and surrounded by branches of the Indre, is the Chdteau, one of the best preserved specimens in France of the semi-castellated manor-house, in the style of the Renaissance. It was built by Gilles Berthelot in the reign of Francis I., and over the chief portal, enriched with sculpture and combina- tions of three classic orders,, may be discerned the emblem of that king," the Salamander, with the motto "Nutrio et extinguo," and the initials of Diana of Poitiers. The carving has been thought worthy of Jean Goujon; the entire facade and the staircase are very elegant, the wall partly panelled, and the compartments filled with diversi- fied patterns. The interior has been preserved nearly unaltered, and con- tains old furniture and a collection of portraits. A bed, supported in the 4 corners by carved figures, is of very elaborate Gothic workmanship. A neatly kept garden surrounds the house. The present owner is M. de Biancourt. A considerable tract of forest is tra- versed on the direct road from Azay, before it descends by the hollow way behind the castle of 22 Chinon. — Inns: H. de France, best, but miserable. — Ch6ne Vert, dirty. A deserted and dull town j (6700 Inhab.), which yet deserves a 194 Route 57. — Chinon — The Castle. Sect. III. visit, owing to its pleasing position on the rt. bank of the Vienne, and on account of the numerous and interest- ing historical associations attached to its utterly ruined Castle, the French Windsor of our Plantagenet kings, as it has been termed, where Henry II. breathed his last, uttering curses on his own sons, whose disobedience had hastened- his death. It was the fa- vourite residence, also, of the French monarchs, from Philippe-Augustus to Henri IV., and the scene of Joan of Arc's first public appearance. The re- mains are of vast extent, but too much demolished, and too white in colour, to be very picturesque. They occupy the summit of a lofty platform of rock, rising nearly 300 ft. above the town and river. A natural escarpment sur- rounds it on 3 aides; where the cliff was not naturally vertical, it has been cut away, and huge walls of smooth masonry have been built up from be- low to a level with the top of the cliff, so as to render it hopeless, before the days of gunpowder, to scale or batter such a fortress. Between the river and the rock crouch the buildings of the town. Behind the eastle, in a deep hollow, runs the road to Tours, ori- ginally commanded bj the castle em- brasures; and a deep gully or fosse is cut through the rock on the 4th side, to isolate the promontory from the ridge of which it forms the termination. Several of the tall flanking towers remain tolerably perfect; the rest is all crumbling wall. The 3 divisions into which the castle was separated by deep dry ditches may still be discovered. In the central division, above the en- trance to which rises the tall Donjon, the only part now inhabited, are shown the royal apartments; and among them the very one in which Joan the Maid, the simple shepherdess of Domr^my,* recognised Charles the Dauphin, though disguised in plain attire, and, singling him out from among the crowd of courtiers, led him apart to the recess of the window, where she unfolded to him "secrets known only to himself and to God." The scene of that inter- view, and of the splendours of the court of the careless and luxurious Charles, • See Lord Mahon's Life of Jeanne d'Are. whom even the loss of a kingdom could not recall from indolence and pleasure, is now a broken ruin open to the sky, with one or two transoms remaining in the windows, and a few traces of paint upon the walls. Close beside it is a very deep square tower, adjoining one of the ditches, and without openings, said to have been the Oubliettes down which prisoners were cast. Crossing a bridge into the 3rd court, we find around it the towers of la Glaciere, in which Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Templars, is said to have been confined ; the Tour du Moulin, so called because it was sur- mounted by a windmill, standing at the farthest extremity, and of very solid structure ; and the Tour cFAr- gentau, from which, as the story goes, a secret passage led beyond the wall to the Maison Robardeau, the retreat of Agnes Sorel, Charles's mistress. Among all these fragments, the only trace of the original Norman castle is to be found in the round tower du Moulin; the rest seems not older than the 15th centy. The view from the walls is very pleasing, extending for a long distance up and down the fertile valley, — " a glowing and glorious prospect; a green expanse of groves and vineyards all blending into one," — with the winding Vienne sparkling and flashing among the green meadows, or foliage of pop- lars, walnut-trees, and vines, nearly as far as its junction with the Loire, which, however, is not visible. Fon- tevrault, the last resting-place of Henry II. and his undutiful son the lion- hearted Richard, is concealed from view by intervening heights. There is nothing worth notice in the town of Chinon itself. No tra- dition is preserved of the hostelry in which the Pucelle was lodged on her arrival from her native village, and where she was kept two days before she could obtain admission to the king, until his councillors had ascertained whether she was a sorceress. Nor can the ch. be pointed out in which she spent the greater part of each day in prayer while she resided here. It was at Chinon that she first received from the king her suit of knight's armour, Sect. III. Route 58. — The Loire ( C )— Tours to Nantes. 1 95 and an escort of a squire, a confessor, and 2 pages. Here she first girt on the mysterious sword found in the ch. of St. Catherine of Fierbois, and here un- furled her white banner sprinkled with fleurs-de-lis, made expressly for her under the direction of her mysterious "voices." The rocks behind the town, under- neath the castle, have been quarried for ages to supply building materials, and these subterraneous excavations, called Les Caves Peintes, have attained a great extent. There is nothing worth seeing in them, nor is it a task of pleasure to explore them. Chinon is the country of Rabelais, who was born 1483, in the farm-house called la Deviniere, in the commune of Seuilly, a little way on the 1. of the road to Saumur, on the opposite side of the Vienne. He commenced his education in the school of the neigh- bouring abbey, whose monks he after- wards ridiculed in his writings. At Champigny, about 9 m. S. of Chinon, is a chapel containing very re- markable painted glass, representing the life of St. Louis. It is a very delightful drive from Chinon to Saumur, through a country teeming with fertility, amongst or- chards, and walnut groves, and acacia hedges, while beneath the fruit-trees springs up a crop of corn, without ex- hausting the soil. The valley of the Vienne terminates at Candes, remark- able for its fine ch. (Rte. 58), where that river falls into the Loire; and our road, emerging upon its 1. bank, is carried along it, through most pleasing scenery, to 30 Saumur, described, with the rest of the road, in p. 198. At Montsoreau, close to Candes, our road passes within 3 m. of the Abbey of Fontevrault. The excursion thither is described in p. 197. ROUTE 58. THE LOIRE (C): TOURS TO NANTES, BY SAUMUR AND ANGERS — RAILWAY. Ely.— 195kilom.= 121 Eng. m. 4 Trains daily, in 4 (fast) to 6£ hours. From Tours this rly. follows the 1. bank of the Loire as far as Cinq Mars. The prettiest part of the course of the Loire lies below Tours, in the neighbourhood of Saumur, and thence to Nantes. For some distance below Tours, however, its banks continue low, and its bed, everywhere too large for its stream, is left bare and un- sightly in summer. In winter the river sometimes rises 20 ft. above its ordinary level; and from these irregu- larities it is unfit for the permanent establishment of water-mills or manu- factories on its banks. It is confined on both sides by levies as far down as Augers. The high road continues, as before (Rte. 53), along the Leve*e, or river dyke, often on a level with the tops of the houses and cottages, which, to- gether with the fertile fields, orchards, gardens, and vineyards, it protects from the inundations of the Loire, commanding, both on the river and land side, an extensive view. rt. St. Symphorien, nearly opposite Tours, forms a sort of suburb to that city ; and not far from it is the pretty hamlet of St. Cyr, where a cottage, called La Grenadiere, is at present the retreat of the veteran poet Beranger. 13 Savonnieres Stat. On the hill beyond the Loire is seen rt. Luynes, a small town at the opening of a valley into the Loire, backed by a limestone cliff, pierced with numerous cave dwellings, on the top of which stands the old Castle, commanding the country around. It was the residence of the seigneurs of Luynes, and among them of the first duke, the favourite of Louis XIII. and Constable of France, who gave his own name to the castle and town, previously called de Maille, 1619. Not far off are the ruins of an aqueduct, said to be Roman, of which nearly 50 square pillars. and 8 arches remain. Luynes is the birthplace of Paul Louis Cour- rier, the celebrated political writer; he was found shot dead near his own residence, Veretz, on the banks of the Cher, not far from this, 1825. The Rly. crosses the Loire on a bridge of 19 arches before reaching K 2 196 J?. 58. — Tours to Nantes — Railway — Loire (C). Sect. III. rt. 7 Cinq Mars Stat., or more cor- rectly St. Mars, since the name is sup- posed to be a contraction of St. Me- dard. Near this village, whose ruined castle gave a title to another favourite of Louis XIII., who fell by the execu- tioner's axe, under the relentless rule of Cardinal Richelieu, is the curious ancient monument called La Pile de Cinq Mars, a square tower of brick, 95 ft. high and 13 ft. wide on each face, surmounted originally by 5 pinnacles 10 ft. high, one of which was thrown down by a storm 1751. The origin, use, and age of the pile are equally unknown. Some attribute it to the Romans, others to the Celts. It is des- titute of door, window, or other open- ing, and is perfectly solid. On the S. face the bricks are arranged in a pat- tern so as to form 12 compartments. It was probably a funereal monu- ment. The traveller continues to pass en- tire villages, cut in the yellow chalk rock, or tuffeau, whenever it rises into cliffs favourable for human habita- tions. 1. The Cher, after running parallel with the Loire for about 15 m., enters it a little above Cinq Mars, but sends off a branch which continues to run parallel with it until it joins the Indre, 9 m. lower down. rt. 5 Langeais Stat., another little town, has also a Castle, in tolerable pre- servation, which is remarkable because the marriage of Charles VIII. with Anne of Brittany was celebrated within its walls— an event which united that important province to France. It is well preserved and furnished in antique style. The gate-house serves as a gaol. This castle was built, in the 13th centy., by Pierre de BroBses, minister of Phi- lippe le Hardi, after having been bar- ber to his predecessor, St. Louis. He ended his career on the gibbet of Mont- faucon, being hung for high treason in poisoning his master's son, and accus- ing the queen of the crime. 9 rt. St. Patrice Stat. Near this is the Chateau of Rochecotte, where the Chouan leader of that name was born ; it belongs to the Duchesse de Dino, now Princesse de Talleyrand, who was often visited here by her uncle, M. de Talleyrand, of whom it contains some interesting memorials. rt. Trois Volets. 1. Nearly opposite this, backed by a wooded hill, is the Chateau d'Usse^ belonging to one of the family of La- rochejacquelin, but partly built by Vauban, its original owner. rt. Chouze, on the confines of Tou- raine. Near this, if anywhere, the val- ley of the Loire exhibits its garden- like character, an exuberant vegetation, with trees of large growth, capable of furnishing some shade to the road, — among them the graceful feathery aca- cia, which also forms the hedges, — vines, Indian corn, and mulberry-trees, prevail. 7 La Chapelle-sur-L'oire Stat. 47 Port Boulet Stat. Omnibus to Chinon, about 10 m. up the valley of the Vienne (Rte. 57). At Port Boulet the Loire is crossed by a wire suspension-bridge of 5 spans, leading to 1. Candes, opposite to which place we pass out of Touraine into Anjou. 1. The river Vienne here pours itself into the Loire ; and immediately below it stands the pretty white town of Can- des, where St. Martin of Tours breathed his last. It has an interesting ch., of which the apsidal choir seems to be of the 12th centy., and the nave of the 13th (1215). Its S. porch is remark- able, though much mutilated ; 14 sta- tues in trefoil -headed niches adorn the facade, with smaller niches below them filled with heads. The porch itself is a vestibule supported by a light central column, in the manner of the chapter- houses of English cathedrals. The W. end is flanked on either side by a ma- chicolated buttress, and includes a cir- cular window, now stopped up. The tomb of St. Martin is shown in this ch. The possession of his remains was warmly contested between the Poite- vins and Touraingeaux. A small brook alone separates Candes from Montsoreau, whose castle, now par- celled out among poor people, was the seat of that cruel Comte de Montsoreau who became the executioner of the Pro- testants of Anjou by carrying out the Sect. III. Route 58. — Abbey of Fontevrault. 197 infamous St. Bartholomew decrees of Charles IX. [3 m. up the little retired and wooded valley behind Montsoreau lies the Abbey of Fontevrault, one of the richest in France in ancient times, where 150 nuns and 70 monks sub- mitted to the rule of an abbess, who was always a lady of high degree. This singular establishment, which thus combined members of both sexes, was founded by a Breton monk, Robert d'Arbrissel, 1099 ; who by his power- ful preaching converted and led after him a multitude of followers of both sexes and all ages, amounting to 3000, whom he at length settled here, in a sequestered forest, on the borders of Touraine and Anjou. In spite of the scope for scandal, the convent main- tained its existence for 9 centuries, down to the Revolution. It has an in- terest to Englishmen, from having been the burial-place of several of our Plan- tagenet kings. A tolerably good road leads to the poor village of Fontevrault, where the inn (Croix Blanche) does not look promising. It is about 1J hrs. drive from Saumur Stat. The Abbey is now converted into a prison (Maison Central e de Detention) ; one of the largest in France, covering 30 or 40 acres with its courts and ranges of building, occupied by 500 women, 1200 men, and 300 boys; the entrance is in the little place close to the inn. The prison is not shown without an order from the preset ; and this is neces- sary now even to admit strangers into the ch. to see the tombs, which they can do without coming in contact with the prisoners. Above the abbey build- ing rises a singular octagon, which was in fact the Kitchen of the monastery,* called Tour oVEvravXt; it dates from the 12th cent. The church, approached by a covered way, from which you look through loopholes into the prison-yards, is an interesting building of Romanesque architecture, ending in an E. apse, with apsidal chapels. It is supposed to have been begun by Foulques, 5th Comte d' Anjou, 1125. Its nave is now par- • It is described in Turner's ' Domestic Archi- tecture.' titioned off, and, by the introduction of 2 floors, is converted into dormi- tories for the prisoners. The Royal monuments are transferred to the S. transept, enclosed by bolts and bars and grilles, in a dark corner, mutilated and broken by the Vandals of the Revolu- tion, who rifled the graves of their con- tents, and scattered the royal dust. The effigies, in spite of the injuries they received, are interesting from the evident marks they exhibit of being portraits ; they retain still a little of the colouring with which they were or- namented. They are recumbent statues of Henry II. and Rich