Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive 
 in 2015 
 
 Iittps://arcliive.org/details/bibliograpliicala01dibd_0 
 
A 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL 
 
 9lntiq[uanan 
 
 AND 
 
 PICTURESQUE TOUR 
 
 IN 
 
 FRANCE AND GERMANY. 
 
 BY THE REV. 
 
 THO. FROGNALL DIBDIN, F.R.S. S.A. 
 VOLUME I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY W. BULMER AND W. NICOL, 
 
 AND SOLD BY PAYNE AND FOSS, LONGMAN, HURST AND CO. 
 J. AND A. ARCH, R. H. EVANS, R. TRIPHOOK, 
 AND JOHN MAJOR. 
 
 1821. 
 
SOLD AT PARIS, «V MESSRS. TREUTTEL AND WURTZ, 
 N° 17, RTJE DE BOURBON. 
 
TO THE 
 
 PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 THESE VOLUMES 
 
 ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED 
 BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
N appearing before the Public 
 for the first time in the charac- 
 ter of a Traveller, I am naturally 
 desirous, like most candidates 
 for fame in a similar situation, 
 of throwing myself upon the liberality of those 
 whom I address. 
 
 Since the establishment of peace upon the Con- 
 tinent, the English have eagerly yielded to their 
 well-known ardour and curiosity, in visiting those 
 countries, from which, by a long and apparently 
 interminable state of warfare, they had been pre- 
 viously excluded. In consequence, the wealth of 
 Great Britain has been plentifully scattered upon 
 VOL. I. b 
 
ii 
 
 PREFxiCE. 
 
 the soils of Italy, France, and Germany ; and we 
 have been favoured, in return, with many valuable 
 publications, in which the character, antiquities, 
 or peculiarities, of the countries visited, have been 
 described with ability and truth. 
 
 But, while one Traveller has confined his at- 
 tention exclusively to Antiquities ; and another, 
 \Adth the same exclusive attention, to the produce 
 and properties of soil; while a third has travelled 
 for the purposes of political economy — a fourth 
 as a statistical, and a fifth as a picturesque, tourist; 
 there have been few or none who have favoured 
 us with an account of the treasures of the 
 Libraries, or of the general literary character, 
 of those people with whom they have associated. 
 For the first time, therefore, the Public will here 
 find some attempt to gratify them in this important 
 branch of information. 
 
 Not that I can boast of having done much, 
 beyond exciting the curiosity of the more en- 
 terprising to make further researches, and to 
 impart more valuable information : yet I would 
 fain believe that, in a Tour which professes to 
 be " BIBLIOGRAPHICAL," as wcll as "antiquarian 
 and PICTURESQUE," there have been some suc- 
 cessfiil attempts to inform the lovers of literature. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 iii 
 
 and the collectors of books, of the various and 
 almost inexhaustible sources of information which 
 the Libraries of foreign countries contain. And 
 perhaps it may be here worth remarking, that there 
 are few pursuits, more gratifying to foreigners, 
 or more likely to lead to useful results, than those 
 connected with the object first specified in the 
 title-page of this work. In the furtherance of 
 such object, I am willing to hope that, as, on the 
 one hand, I have always found the friendliest dis- 
 position to assist my researches, so, on the other, 
 there has been no backwardness in a grateful ac- 
 knowledgment of favours conferred. Where so 
 many have contributed their kind offices, it would 
 be invidious to mention some names in exclu- 
 sion of others ; and a register of the whole would 
 occupy too large a portion of these prefatory 
 remarks. But it is here the less necessary, as the 
 names and the services of the persons alluded to 
 will be found recorded in the body of the work. 
 
 It will therefore be for the reader to determine 
 in what manner I have done justice to the " rich 
 and rare" volumes, in manuscript and print, which 
 have been unreservedly submitted to my inspec- 
 tion. My object has been to select, and bear 
 away, many of the curious, splendid, and interest- 
 
iv 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 iiig specimens of art, of the " OlDeit ttttie/' con- 
 tained in these volumes ; and which, till their pre- 
 sent appearance, were probably scarcely known 
 — even to their possessors. If, by means of the 
 beautiful embellishments selected from such vo- 
 lumes—and especially from those in the royal 
 libraries of Paris and Vienna* — I may be said 
 to have thrown a few flowers upon the otherwise 
 unalluring path of Bibliography, I shall never 
 consider my time mis-spent, nor the expenses, 
 attendant on my labours, misapplied. I am, how- 
 ever, abundantly persuaded that very much, of the 
 same character, yet remains to be accomplished ; 
 which, should the present attempt be crowned 
 with success, may possibly stimulate other travel- 
 lers to more prosperous undertakings. For myself, 
 the present is both a first and final effort. 
 
 * Tlie reader will be pleased to examine the pages, in the 
 second and third volumes, under the above running titles; in 
 which he will discover, together with several original portraits, 
 (here published for the first time) a great many beautiful spe- 
 cimens of art which have been hid for centuries from general 
 knowledge. The series of wood cuts, illustrative of the block-hooks 
 preserved at Munich, form striking contrasts to the more de- 
 licate " specimens of art" just alluded to. But such rude repre- 
 sentations are not without their use — even if they be considered 
 only as a supplement to Heineken's Idee Generale d^une Collection 
 Complette des Estampes. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 V 
 
 Annexed to this pursuit, has been the desire of 
 possessing the manuals of Instruction, or of Amuse- 
 ment, common to the lower orders of the people 
 where I have resided. These manuals are in 
 verse and in prose ; and I have endeavoured both 
 to diversify and enliven the following pages, by 
 the introduction of specimens or extracts from 
 them — especially throughout the account of the 
 tour in Normandy. Whether in the unpreme- 
 ditated Ballad, or the systematic Catechism,^ it 
 will be observed that the genius and character of 
 the people are yet the same. There will be fre- 
 quently found, in either composition, the same 
 peculiarity of custom, the same naivete of expres- 
 sion, and the same felicity of reply. Whether the 
 manual be moral or religious — and whether the 
 song treat of chivalry or of love —it generally par- 
 takes of that spirit and raciness which defies trans- 
 fusion into a different language. In the notes, will 
 be found accounts of, and extracts from, rare and 
 curious pieces, which may reward the toil of dili- 
 gent perusal. 
 
 So much in explanation of the bihUographical 
 objects in this Tour. The second object, as the 
 
 * See Vol. i. pp. 133— 6: 188—146: 224: 316—321: 435— 
 444 : Vol. ii. pp. 3 : 23 : 48—52 : 54: &c. 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 title-page announces, is antiquarian ; or con- 
 nected with the Antiquities of the several places 
 visited. These antiquities have been principally 
 architectural, with the exception of such as are in- 
 dicated chiefly in the second volume.* Of those, 
 which are distinctly architectural, the views of 
 the Cathedral and the Rue du Bac, at Rouen ; of 
 the Church of St, Pierre and of the Abbey of St. 
 Stephen, at Caen; of the Cathedrals of Coutances, 
 Strasbourg, Ulm, and Vienna ; of the churches of 
 St. Mary and St. James, at Nuremberg — together 
 with the monasteries qfMolk and Gottwic, and por- 
 tions of the crypt at Freysing, and the church of 
 the Monastery of St. James, at Ratisbon — as well 
 as the old Palace or Castle at Heidelberg — 
 may alone be considered sufficient to establish the 
 propriety of the second epithet in the title-page of 
 this work. But there are other decorations, smaller 
 in size, yet not less brilliant in execution, which 
 may be equally classed in the same department.^j* 
 It remains to notice the portion of the work 
 
 * This exception refers more particularly to the Plates from 
 page 491 to p. 500. 
 
 *[- Of these smaller antiquarian decorations, the Castle ofArques, 
 near Dieppe ; the remains of the old castle walls, the basso-relievo 
 of the Champ de Drap d^Or, and the figures upon the monuments 
 of Cardinal Amhoisc, and the Seneschal de Brczc, at Rouen ; the 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 vii 
 
 which is denominated picturesque ; and of 
 which some of the embeUishments necessarily par- 
 take of the antiquarian character. The View of 
 Rouen, on the road to Havre ; of Caudebec ; of 
 Montmorenci Castle, at Tancarville ; of Falaise 
 Castle ; of the Boulevards at Paris ; of the Old 
 Gateway and New Gateway, at Nancy ; of the 
 Market Place and Hotel de Ville at Stuttgart ; 
 of the Citadel of Salzburg; oi Albert Tourers 
 Street, Nuremberg ; and the Halt of Pilgrims 
 to Gottwic Monastery ; — to say nothing of minor 
 views, of the same character, — may fairly en- 
 title me to this popular epithet ; even at a time 
 when almost every bookseller's shop is teem- 
 ing with publications professing to be similar 
 views of countries abroad and at home. I will 
 not enter upon the invidious task of comparing 
 these, with others which are just now claiming 
 the attention of the public ; but it is equally 
 my duty and inclination to affirm, that the beauty 
 
 old houses at Caen ; the fac-similes of the Bayeitx Tapestry, (of 
 which the larger plate is perfectly unrivalled,) at Bayeux ; the 
 Castle at Vire ; the Castle and supposed head of William the 
 Conqueror, at Falaise ; the old buildings, and cathedral orna- 
 ments, at Strasbourg— together with the illustrations, of a similar 
 kind, at Ratisbon and Nuremberg, are among the principal . . 
 which claim the pecuUar attention of the reader. 
 
viii 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 of the views in this work, is at least equalled by 
 their fidelity. 
 
 It is therefore but a necessary consequence of 
 the foregoing premises, to introduce the name of 
 the Artist, to whom, after all, these pages are 
 probably indebted for their chief source of attrac- 
 tion. Mr. George Lewis, who accompanied me, 
 has here given such proofs of a varied and happy 
 talent, that I hardly know (" absit in vidia ") where 
 to look for a union of such attainments in any 
 other living Artist. When I say this, I am not 
 unmindful of the superior claims of merit, in a 
 knowledge of architectural perspective and an- 
 tiquities, which distinguish the efforts of Coney, 
 Mackenzie, Blore, Nash, Wild, and Cot- 
 man* — names, which are equally a glory to the 
 
 * Of the above artists, two only have ventured to exercise their 
 pencils upon the shores of Normandy. Mr. Cotman is first in the 
 order of time. His work will be found occasionally referred to, 
 in the first volume of these pages. They are entitled Anglo- 
 Norman Antiquities ; of which four parts (in folio) have al- 
 ready appeared. This publication consists entirely of architec- 
 tural and antiquarian views, with a slender portion of text, without 
 hterary pretensions ; and these views are both drawn and engraved 
 by the author. They are thoroughly artist-like ; without minute 
 finish or marking of the parts, or much breadth of shadow : and 
 they reflect very great credit upon the talents of their author. Some- 
 thing in the shape of a rival pubUcation has recently appeared in 
 France, under the title of Monumens Normands, by Jolimens : ac- 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ix 
 
 arts and to the age. But the reader will east his 
 eye upon the views included in the antiquarian 
 department of this work, and he will perceive 
 that Mr. Lewis is nearly as powerful in the de- 
 lineation of Gothic remains, as of picturesque ap- 
 pearances of nature, and of national character in 
 groups of the common people. It was due to 
 talents of this description, and more especially was 
 it due to a liberal public, that the copies from such 
 a pencil should be worthy of the originals ; and 
 I am willing to hope that, as no expense has been 
 spared, and no pains and exertions have been 
 withheld, the engravings in these volumes may, 
 upon the whole, be considered a splendid and 
 permanent monument of the progress of British 
 Art. 
 
 companied by letter-press, in folio. The plates are lithographical — 
 but they are what artists call "woolly and feeble." Nevertheless, they 
 occasionally exhibit architectural relics which are dear to the cu- 
 rious eye of an Antiquary. The performances of Mr. Mackenzie 
 are of a class quite different to either of the foregoing. They are 
 minute, elaborate, and highly finished drawings, chiefly of the Ca- 
 thedral Antiquities of France — with the figures supplied by 
 the pencil of a very able native artist, M. Langlois. It is hardly 
 possible to say too much in commendation of these exquisite, and 
 really matchless, productions; and when the public learn that they 
 will be made acquainted with them through the burins of the two 
 Le Keuxs . . . they will have only to look forward to a gratification, 
 which, of its kind, cannot possibly be exceeded. 
 
X 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Reverting to the Text — and being desirous of 
 detaining the reader as short a time as possible — 
 it may be necessary, in the first place, to state, 
 that these Letters must be understood as having 
 been written abroad; and that the Notes are 
 necessarily the result of subsequent intelligence, 
 since the author's return to England. In the 
 second place, it may be permitted me to re- 
 mark, that, of the countries here described, Nor- 
 mandy (although in France) may be considered 
 a distinct and peculiar country; and in a great 
 measure new to British readers. Since the ap- 
 pearance of Ducarel's very pompous but very im- 
 perfect work upon Anglo-Norman Antiquities^^ 
 there has been, with some few recent exceptions,*!* 
 scarcely any thing deserving of the careful perusal 
 
 * It was published in 1768, in a thin foho vokime, with a good 
 number of plates ; which latter are remarkable only for . . , their 
 general infidelity, and want of the most ordinary artist-like talent. 
 
 -j- some fexv recent exceptions^'] The principal of these " excep- 
 tions,'"' is the work of my friend Mr. Dawson Turner, under the 
 title of Some Account of a Tour in Normandy, S^c. published by J. 
 and A. Arch, in 1820, in two octavo volumes, in a manner equally 
 creditable to the author, the artists, and the printer. I hardly know 
 so elegant a specimen of a Provincial Press. But this is only 
 a secondary merit ; the style is that of a lettered gentleman, and 
 the researches and opinions, which the work dcvelopes, are those of a 
 yober and sensible antiquary. The copper-plate embellishments 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 xi 
 
 of an English antiquary . . respecting a country, 
 from which our Kings, and a great portion of our 
 Nobihty, have sprung — and in which many of 
 the churches and castles are supposed to have 
 been erected either by English money or by 
 English hands. Nor is the fertility of its soil, 
 and beauty of its landscape, (which latter har- 
 monises so perfectly with its objects of art) less 
 deserving of the admiration of the traveller : 
 
 are entirely by female hands . . the dearest to the author which 
 could have been employed . . and if they are sometimes slight, or 
 sometimes incomplete, they are generally delicate and faithful, 
 and rarely fail to arrest attention and receive applause. Mr. 
 Turner was earlier in the Norman field than myself ; but it has 
 been gratifying to me to observe, that, without any previous or 
 subsequent communication, we have formed many similar opinions 
 respecting the same objects of art and antiquity. We have, also, 
 without the least previous knowledge, devoted pretty nearly the 
 same number of pages to the same countries described. In our 
 respective performances, however, some places will be found to have 
 been visited by one traveller, which the other omitted to see : and 
 vice versa. Upon the whole, Mr. Turner''s performance is a valu- 
 able addition to our stock of knowledge respecting the architec- 
 tural Antiquities of Normandy. A yet more recent pubhca- 
 tion upon Normandy is that of Mrs. Stothard, under the title of 
 " Letters written during- a Tour through Normandy, Brittany^ 
 and other Parts of France, in the year 1818; published by Messrs. 
 Longman and Co. in 1820, 4 to. This work appears to treat more 
 fully of Brittany than of Normandy ; but I have as yet had no 
 opportunity of examining its contents. The plates, for the sake 
 of the name and reputation of Mr. Stothard, should have been 
 elstwhtre. 
 
xii 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 while, in the costume of the common people,* 
 we frequently observe those characteristics of a 
 style of art, with which our antiquarian eyes have 
 been familiar in the illuminated pages of the 
 fifteenth century. 
 
 The first volume of this work, together with a 
 small portion of the second, is exclusively devoted 
 to Normandy. The treasures of the Public 
 Libraries of Paris furnish the chief materials 
 of the second volume ; and a portion of the third 
 still belongs to France. In consequence, the 
 account of Germany is confined within narrower 
 limits than was originally intended : yet I am wil- 
 ling to hope that it will appear that the biblio- 
 graphical and architectural antiquities of 
 
 * the costume of the common people. '\ — The smaller plates (en- 
 graved with so much talent by the several artists whose names are 
 attached to them) will fully justify the truth of the above remark. 
 These plates abound more frequently in the first volume; as 
 in the groups at Dieppe^ Rouen, Caen, and St. Lo, — Normandy 
 being a country fertile in the exhibition of ancient and curious 
 costume. But they are also seen at Paris, (vol. ii. p. 499.) Sti'a-s- 
 hourg, (vol. iii. p. 32.) diwd Munich (vol. iii. p. 255.) In respect to 
 the larger subjects — such as the Fille de Chamhre at Dieppe, at 
 Caen, and at Nuremberg — it should be observed that these are re- 
 presented with great attention to truth ; and perfectly divested of 
 that theatrical and artificial air given to similar subjects by French 
 Artists. They also serve to prove, that the high caps and stiff 
 garments, which have delighted the curious Antiquary in ancient 
 illuminations, are yet feir from being ideal ornaments. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 xiii 
 
 that highly interesting country have not been 
 neglected. In the former department, the libra- 
 ries of Munich and Vienna afford inexhaustible 
 subjects of selection and admiration ; and to have 
 seen the celebrated purple MS. of a portion of the 
 Booh of Genesis^ — adorned with the art of the 
 fourth century — ^has, alone, almost requited the 
 toil and pains of a journey of no very ordinary ex- 
 tent. In the department of architectural anti- 
 quities, the cities of Ratisbon and Nuremberg 
 are, of themselves, sufficient to supply the most 
 curious and interesting details for a work of at 
 least half the extent of the present. 
 
 One word more, and I have done. Whatever 
 may have been the objects of other travellers, or 
 the feelings with which those objects have been 
 viewed by them — whether as connected with 
 
 * purple MS, of a portion of the hook of Genesis.'] This MS. 
 I apprehend to be the oldest extant. It has been before des- 
 cribed (on the exclusive authority of Lambecius) in the BihliogrOr- 
 phical Decameron, vol. i. p. xliii.— iv. Once, for all, let me be here 
 allowed to say, that, whenever that work and the Bibllotheca Spen- 
 ceriana have been quoted, in the following pages, it has been only 
 when they were conceived to afford the best information, within the 
 author's knowledge, upon the subject treated of I would cheer- 
 fully wave the right, which every man possesses, of doing what he 
 pleases with his own property, if I thought the imputation of 
 egotism could be justly said to apply to such self-reference. 
 
Xiv PREFACE. 
 
 art or with society— I have never ceased to bear 
 in mind, that an attachment to the laws and 
 hberties of one's own country, could never be in- 
 creased by a systematic disparagement of those 
 others: that civiUties and kindnesses conferred, 
 called for grateful returns ; and that the senti- 
 ments which possessed me, at an early period of 
 my continental visit,^ have never ceased to operate 
 till the moment of my return. This confession 
 implies neither unqualified praise, nor unqualified 
 censure, of the manners and customs of the coun- 
 tries visited. It neither checks freedom of thought, 
 nor truth of observation — but least of all does it 
 betray a fixed and malign disposition to disown 
 the soil of one's birth, to forget the country which 
 has yielded protection to our persons and pro- 
 perties, and to traduce those laws which have 
 long rendered her the envy and admiration of the 
 world. If, on the one hand, I may say with a wri- 
 ter,-f when speaking of the character of France — 
 " Gens, humanitate in exteros, benevolentia in eru- 
 ditos, et facili in omnes comitate, vb.m aliis in- 
 siGNis " — I trust, on the other hand, that I may be 
 
 ♦ See vol. i. 183, 4. 
 
 f Buckley; in his dedication of the edition of De Thoiis 
 Historia sui Temporis to Dr. Mead. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 XV 
 
 permitted to conclude, in the words of a much 
 higher authority,* — " I suppose that, wherever 
 mention is made of countries, manners, or men, 
 the English People, among the first that shall 
 be praised, may deserve to be accounted a right 
 pious, right honest, and right hardy nation." 
 
 Thomas Frognall Dibdin. 
 
 P. S. I had forgotten to state, that the references, 
 in some of the notes, to the tEdes Althorpian^ 
 must, till the publication of that work — towards 
 the close of the year — be considered as premature. 
 When these volumes were put to press, it was 
 imagined that they would have been preceded by 
 the work in question. The unavoidable cause of 
 the delay of that work, is sufficiently known to 
 the public. 
 
 * Milton : — Worhs^ vol. i. p. 217 : fol. edit. I698 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 VOLUME I. 
 
 Letter L 
 
 Passage to Dieppe, - - - - p. 1 
 
 Letter IL 
 
 Dieppe. Fisheries, Streets, Churches of St, Jacques 
 and St, Remi, Divine Worship, Military Mass, 9 
 
 Letter III. 
 
 Village and Castle of Arques, Sabbath Amusements, 
 Manners and Customs, Boulevards, - - 26 
 
 Letter IV. 
 
 Rouen. Approach, Boulevards, Population, Street- 
 Scenery, - - - - 36 
 
 Letter V. 
 
 Ecclesiastical Architecture. The Cathedral. Monu- 
 ments, Religious Ceremonies, The Abbey of St, 
 Ouen, The Churches of St. Maclou, St, Vincent, St, 
 Vivian, St. Gervais, and St, Paul, - - 47 
 
 Letter VI. 
 
 Halles de Commerce. Place de la Pucelle d^ Orleans. 
 (Jeanne d'Arc). Basso-Relievo of the Champ de 
 Drap d'Or, Palace and Courts of Justice, 89 
 
XX 
 
 CONTENTS, 
 
 Letter VII. 
 
 Rouen. The Quays. Bridge of Boats. Rue du Bac. 
 Rue de Rohec. Eaux de Robec et dAuhette. Mont 
 Ste. Catherine, Hospices — Generate et d'Humanite, 
 
 108 
 
 Letter VIII. 
 
 Early Typography at Rouen. Modern printed Chap 
 Books. Booksellers. Book Collectors, - 123 
 
 Letter IX. 
 
 The Public Library. Account of some of the more 
 curious and rare MSS. and Printed Books, 161 
 
 Letter X. 
 
 Departure from Rouen. St. Georges de Bocherville. 
 Duclair. Marivaux. The Abbey of Jumieges. Ar- 
 rival at Caudebec, - - - 185 
 
 Letter XI. 
 
 Caudebec. Lillebonne. Bolbec. Tankarville. Mont- 
 morenci Castle. Havre de Grace, - 208 
 
 Letter XII. 
 
 Havre de Grace. Honfteur. Journey to Caen, 242 
 
 Letter XIII. 
 
 Caen. Soil. Society. Education. A duel. Old 
 houses. The Abbey of St, Stephen. Church of St. 
 Pierre de Darnetal. Abbaye de la Saint e Trinite. 
 Other Public Edifices, - - 261 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xxi 
 
 Letter XIV. 
 
 Caen. Literary Society, Ahhe de la Rue, Messrs* 
 Pierre Aime Lair and Lamouroux, Medal of MaL 
 herhe. Booksellers, The Public Library, Memoir 
 of the late M, Moysant, public Librarian, ManU" 
 scripts and printed ^ooks. Protestant Place of 
 IVorship. Courts of Justice, - - 308 
 
 Letter XV. 
 
 Bayeux. Cathedral. Ordination of Priests and Dea- 
 cons. Crypt of the Cathedral. A Mysterious Inter- 
 view., - - - - 345 
 
 Letter XVL 
 
 Bayeux. Visit near St. Loup. M. Pluquet, Apo* 
 thecary and Booh V endor, Visit to the Bishop, The 
 Chapter Library, Description of the Bayeux Tapes- 
 try, with Facsimiles, Trade and Manufactures^ 359 
 
 Letter XVIL 
 
 Bayeux to Coutances, St. Lo, Adventure at St. Gilles, 
 Coutances. The Cathedral. Environs, Aqueduct, 
 Market-day, Public Librafy, Establishment for 
 the Clergy, - - - - 392 
 
 Letter XVIIL 
 
 Journey to Granville. Granville. Ville Dieu, St, 
 Sever. Town and Castle o/'Vire, - 415 
 
 Letter XIX. 
 
 ViRE. Bibliography, Monsieur Adam. Monsieur de 
 la Renaudiere, Olivier Basselin, M. Seguin. The 
 Public Library, - - - 428 
 
xxii 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 VOLUME II. 
 
 Letter XX. 
 
 Departure from Fire. Conde, Pont Ouilly, Arrival 
 Falaise. Hotel of the Grand Turc. The Castle 
 of Falaise. Bihliomaniacal IntervieWy - p,\ 
 
 Letter XXL 
 
 Mons. Mouton. Church of Ste, Trinite. Comte de 
 la Fresnaye, Guihray Church, Supposed head of 
 WiUiam the Conqueror, M. Langevin, Historian of 
 Falaise. Printing Offices, - - 21 
 
 Letter XXII. 
 
 A Sabbath at Falaise, Departure. Journey to Paris. 
 Dreux, Houdan. V ersailles. Entrance into Paris, 58 
 
 Letter XXIII. 
 
 Paris. The Boulevards. Public Buildings. Street- 
 Scenery. Churches, 8^c, Musee des Monumens 
 Francois. Fountains, - - - 76 
 
 Letter XXIV. 
 
 General Description of the Bibliotheque du Roi. The 
 Librarians, - - . - 122 
 
 Letter XXV. 
 Account of Illuminated MS S. in the Royal Library, 155 
 
 Letter XXVI. 
 The same subject continued, 
 
 204 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 ••• 
 
 XXIU 
 
 Letter XXVII. 
 Paris. Account of some of the early printed and rare 
 Boohs ^ in the Royal Library, - - 246 
 
 Letter XXVIII. 
 
 Conclusion of the Account of the Royal Library, The 
 Library of the Arsenal, - - 300 
 
 Letter XXIX. 
 
 Library of Ste, Genevieve, The Abbe Mercier St. 
 Leger, Library of the Mazarine College, or Insti- 
 tute, Private Library of the King. Mons, Barbier, 
 Librarian, - - 342 
 
 Letter XXX. 
 
 Some Account of the late Abbd Rive. Booksellers. 
 Printers. Book Binders, - - 381 
 
 Letter XXXI. 
 
 Men of Letters. Dom Brial. The Abbe Bdtencourt. 
 Messrs. Gail, Millin, and Langles. A Roxburghe 
 Banquet, - - - - 423 
 
 Letter XXXII. 
 
 The Collections of Mons, Denon, M. Quintin Craufurd, 
 and the Marquis de Sommariva, - 453 
 
 Letter XXXIII. 
 
 Notice of M. Willemins Monumens Francais inedits. 
 Miscellaneous Antiquities. Present State of the Fine 
 Arts. General Observations on the National Cha- 
 racter, - - - - 491 
 
 Letter XXXIV. 
 
 Journey from Paris to Strasbourg. Nancy, 521 
 
xxiv 
 
 COxNTENTS. 
 
 VOLUME III. 
 
 Letter XXXV. 
 
 Strasbourg. Establishment of the Protestant Religion, 
 The Cathedral, Other Ecclesiastical Buildings, The 
 Public Library/, - - - 1 
 
 Letter XXXVL 
 Society. Environs of Strasbourg. Domestic Archi- 
 tecture, Manners and Customs, Free Masonry, 
 Literature. Language, 74 
 
 Letter XXXVIL 
 
 Strasbourg to Stuttgart, Baden, The Elder Schweig^ 
 hceuser. Stuttgart. The Faustus of Goethe, 101 
 
 Letter XXXVIII. 
 
 Stuttgart. The Public Library, The Royal Library, 
 
 131 
 
 Letter XXXIX 
 
 The Royal Palace. A Bibliographical Negotiation, 
 Dannecker the Sculptor, Environs of' Stuttgart, 
 
 166 
 
 Letter XL. 
 
 Departure from Stuttgart. Ulm. Augsbourg. The 
 Picture Gallery at Augsbourg, - - 180 
 
 Letter XLI. 
 
 Augsbourg. Civil and Ecclesiastical Architecture, 
 Population. Trade, The Public Library, 218 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XXV 
 
 Letter XLII. 
 
 Munich. Churches. Royal Palace. Picture Gallery. 
 The Public Library, - - 238 
 
 Letter XLIIL 
 
 Further Book- Acquisitions. Society. The Arts. 
 Lithography, - - - - 299 
 
 Letter XLIV. 
 
 Freysing. Landshut. Altbting. Salzburg. The Mo- 
 nastery of St.Peter, - - - 322 
 
 Letter XLV. 
 
 Salzburg to Chremsminster, The Lake Gmunden. 
 The Monastery of Chremsminster. Lintz, 360 
 
 Letter XL VI. 
 
 The Monasteries of St. Florian, Mdlk, and Gottwic, 
 
 385 
 
 Letter XLVIL 
 
 Vienna. The Imperial Library. Account of' Illumi' 
 nated MSS. and early printed Books ^ - 446 
 
 Letter XLVIIL* 
 
 Population. Streets and Fountains. Churches. Con- 
 vents. Palaces. Theatres. The Prater. The Em- 
 peror's Private Library. Collection of Duke Al- 
 bert. The Ramparts. Subur^bs. Monastery of 
 Closterneuburg. Capuchin Monastery in the Sub- 
 urbs. Departure from Vienna, - - 535 
 
 SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 Ratlsbon, Nuremberg, Manheim - - { — Ixii 
 * This is numbered, erroneously, XLIX. 
 
PLATES WITHOUT TEXT. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 To face page 
 
 Crucifix at Dieppe - - . - ^ 
 
 Fille de Chambre, Dieppe - - - - 32 
 
 South transept of Rouen Cathedral - - 50 
 
 Rue du Bac, Rouen - - . - ] 12 
 
 View of Rouen, on the road to Havre - - 188 
 
 Caudebecj from the Heights . - - - ^08 
 
 Montmorenci Castle, Tanearville - - - 234 
 
 Fille de Chambre, Caen - . . - ggs 
 
 View of the Abbey of St. Stephen, Ditto - _ 
 
 Church of St, Pierre de Darnetal, Ditto - - . ^97 
 
 Portrait of Harold, from the Bayeux Tapestry - ^78 
 
 Aqueduct and Cathedral of Coutances - « _ 409 
 
 Market- Place and Fountain, Vire - « 421 
 
 VOL. IL 
 
 'Falaise Castle, Normandy - - - 10 
 
 Boulevards Italiens, Paris - - - - 77 
 
 John, King of France from a coeval painting - - 140 
 
 Figure from an ancient Ivory Diptych of the Vlth Century (No. 1.) 146 
 Figure of Christ, on ancient Brass Bookbinding - (No. 2.) 146 
 Soldiers sleeping near the Sepulchre of, from the same (No, 3.) 146 
 Charles the Bald, from a Latin Bible of the IXth Century 162 
 TheEmperorLotharius, from a MS. of the Gospels of the same period 164 
 Louisa of Savoy, Mother of Francis 1. from a coeval MS. - 187 
 Ann of Britanny, from a similar MS. - - 190 
 
 Louis the Twelfth, from a similar MS. - - 215 
 
 John, Duke of Britanny, from a similar MS. - - 225 
 
 Figure of Christ, (folded) from the Prayer Book of Charlemagne 373 
 Portrait of A. A. Barbier - - . 376 
 
LIST OF PLATES. 
 
 To face page 
 
 Portrait of Mons. Chardin, Bookseller - - 400 
 
 Portrait of Dom Brial - _ - 428 
 
 Pisani, the Medallist _ - . - 453 
 
 The Knife and Case of Diane de Poictiers - - 493 
 
 Faience Plate, from B. Palessi - - . 494 
 
 Statues in the grand Porch of the Cathedral at Chartres - 494 
 
 Wood Cut of St. Bernardinus - - - - 515 
 
 Portrait of the late A. B. Millin - - 524 
 
 Old Gate, Nancy - - (No. 1) 538 
 
 New Gate, Nancy - - - (No. 2) 538 
 
 VOL. III. 
 
 Front View of Strasbourg Cathedral - - 12 
 
 Suburbs of Strasbourg - - - _ §3 
 
 Portrait of J. Schweighseuser, Sen. - - 110 
 
 Crucifix at Stuttgart - - - - 1 18 
 
 Hotel de Ville and Market-Place at Stuttgart - - 136 
 Representation of the Trinity, from an illuminated MS. of the 
 
 Xllth Century, in the King's private library at Stuttgart 159 
 
 Ulm Cathedral - - - - 191 
 Folded Cut of four Female Figures, from an ancient wooden block 
 
 at Augsbourg - 234-5 
 
 Gaspard Ritter, a Bookbinder of the sixteenth century - - 274 
 
 Wood Cut of St. Christopher, at Munich - . 277 
 
 Fac-simile of a Dead Christ, copper-plate of, of the date of 1462 278 
 Fac-simile of a copper-plate Engraving of a Salvator Mundi, with 
 
 the Initials E. S. as the Engraver - - ibid. 
 
 Wood Cut from an old Dance of Death - - 279 
 
 Wood Cut of the Resurrection - - 284 
 
 Wood Cut,— from the Life of St. Meinart - - 285 
 
 Another — from ditto - - •• ibid. 
 
 Pillars in the Crypt at Freysing - - - 326 
 
 Citadel, Salzburg - - - 347 
 
 Monastery at Molk, in Austria - - - 408 
 
 Berthold Dietmayr, Restorer of the Monastery at Ditto - 415 
 
 Halt of Pilgrims in the road to Gottwic Monastery - - 422 
 
 Portrait of J. Adam de Bartsch - - - 448 
 
 Interior of the Imperial Library at Vienna - - 454 
 
LIST OF PLATES. 
 
 To face page 
 
 Fac-simile, from the purple MS. of the Pentateuch, Sec. IV., in 
 
 the same library - - - - 459 
 
 St. Jerom, from an Ivory Diptych in Ditto - - 460 
 
 The Emperor Wenceslaus and his Queen, from a coeval MS. Bible 462 
 Fac- simile from the same - - - 463 
 
 Saint Catherine - - - - 469 
 
 Saint Agnes _ - - - ihid. 
 
 STaint Margaret - - _ ihid. 
 
 Leopold de Sempach - 475 
 
 Song, from an old MS. of Sir Tristan - - 476 
 
 Fac-simile from the Breviaire d' Amour MS. of the Xlllth Century 479 
 Fac-simile of the Autograph of Tasso's Gerusalemme Conquistata 482 
 The Cathedral Church of St. Stephen, Vienna - - 548 
 
 Master and Apprentice, Architects of the same - - 554 
 
 SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 Specimens of the Interior of the Monastery of St. James, Ra- 
 
 tisbon - xiii 
 Portrait of Dr. Charles Arbuthnot, the late President of the same xiv 
 
 Portraits of De Murr and Panzer - - - xviii 
 
 Interior of the Church of St. Mary, Nuremberg - xxi 
 
 Interior of the Church of St. James, Ditto - - ^^'i 
 
 Albert Durer's Street and House - - xxvm 
 Fac-similes of the Paintings and Engravings of I. A. Klein, 
 
 of Nuremberg _ . - - xxxviii 
 
 Fille de Chambre, Nuremberg - - - xliv 
 
 Heidelberg Palace, or Castle - - - xlviii 
 Unknown Portrait, from the Collection of M. Artaria, at 
 
 Manheim • , . ~ liv 
 
PLATES WITH TEXT. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 Beach at Brighton - - - - - 1 
 
 Fish Market at Dieppe - - - - 1 7 
 
 Ecce Homo, and attendant Group, at Dieppe - - - 20 
 
 Market Women at Dieppe - - - - 25 
 
 Castle and Village of Arques - - - - 29 
 
 Boulevards, Rouen - - - - 44 
 Monumental Figure of Charity, in the Cathedral of Rouen - 57 
 
 Ditto, of the Seneschal Brez6, in ditto - - - 61 
 
 Confession in the Abbey of St. Ouen - - - 73 
 
 Basso-Relievo at Rouen - - . . 101 
 
 Lemonadier and Halle de Commerce at ditto - - 109 
 
 Castellated Remains - - - - 154 
 
 Rocks, and view of the Seine, Tancarville - . - 234 
 
 Packet Boat, from Havre to Honfleur - - 252 
 
 Group of Women, Caen - - - - 268 
 
 Old Houses at ditto - - - - 277 
 
 House of Malherbe, ditto - - - 278 
 
 Confession, in the Abbey-Church, at Caen - , - 283 
 
 Medal of Malherbe - - 312 
 
 Tapestry- roll, Bayeux - - - - - 377 
 
 Charlatan, at St. Lo - - - - 394 
 
 Remains of Vire Castle - - - - -425 
 
 VOL. IL 
 
 Ancient appearance of Falaise Castle - - - 1 1 
 
 Capital of an Ancient Pillar in the Interior of - » 12 
 
 Christ bearing his Cross at Guibray - - - 28 
 
 Supposed Head of William the Conqueror, Falaise - 34 
 
 Portrait of M Langevin, the Historian of Falaise - - 44 
 
 Remains of the Castle at Houdan - - - 70 
 
 Ancient Games of the Circus, Ivory Diptych - - 147 
 Adoration of the Magi, from the Breviary of John Duke of Bedford 178 
 
 Chess Play, from an illuminated MS. - - - 210 
 
 Portrait of the Abb^ Mercier St. Leger - - 361 
 
LIST OF PLATES. 
 
 Portrait of Goujet, the French Bibliographer - - 379 
 
 Portrait of the late Ahh6 Rive, ditto - - - 384 
 
 Portrait of the Baron Denon - - - 459 
 
 Book-binding pattern - - • - 495 
 
 Bust of Francis I. - - - - 496 
 
 Diane de Poictiers - - - - 497 
 
 Blanchisseuses, Rue St. Jacques - - . 499 
 
 VOL. III. 
 
 Old Conventj at Strasbourg - - - - 4 
 
 Figure of Clovis, on the exterior of the Cathedral at di tto -16 
 
 Group at Prayers — Interior of ditto - - 32 
 
 Old Houses — in the Town of ditto - - - 82 
 
 Portrait of Melancthon, in the Picture Gallery at Augsbourg 216 
 
 Vision of Peregrinus, (whole length figure irradiated) - 222 
 
 lUyricus, Pope and Martyr - - - - 223 
 
 Market Women at Munich - - _ 355 
 
 Portrait of John Mielich, the painter - - 275 
 
 Capital of a Pillar in the Crypt at Freysing - - 326 
 
 View from the Window of the Public Library at Landshut 333 
 
 Figure of Michael Neander, the Friend of Budaeus - - 353 
 
 Pilgrimage to the Monastery at Gottwic - - 433 
 Esau returning from Hunting, from a MS. of the Pentateuch of 
 
 the IVth Century, - - - - 458 
 The Emperor Wenceslaus, and his Bathing Girls, from a MS. Bible 463 
 Figures in a Boat, with Music, from an illuminated MS. - 468 
 Mary Magdalene, from an illuminated MS. - - 469 
 Group of Females at Prayers, in the Cathedral of Vienna - 551 
 Portrait of Charles the Bold, from an Illuminated MS. in the Em- 
 peror of Austria's private Library - - - 591 
 
 SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 Portions of the Exterior of the Porch in the Monastery of St. James, 
 
 at Ratisbon - - - - x 
 
 Portion of the Castle Walls of Nuremberg, - - xvi 
 
 Portrait of a Female at Nuremberg - - - xvii 
 
 A Horse, from an original design by M. Klein of Nuremberg xxxix 
 
 The Palace of Heidelberg, - - - xlviii 
 
LETTER I. 
 
 PASSAGE TO DIEPPE. 
 
 Dieppe, April 20, 1818. 
 
 At length then, my dear Friend, the long projected 
 " Voyage bibliographique, antiquaire, et pittoresque,'* 
 has begun to be carried into execution ; and the 
 
 Voyageur" is safely landed upon the shores of Nor- 
 mandy. When I think upon those pleasant strolls 
 which we used occasionally to enjoy together upon 
 the Downs, or on the Cliff, at Brighton — when I call 
 to mind how you used to excite my curiosity, and 
 inflame my love of enterprise, by pointing to every 
 accidental white sail which glimmered in the offing 
 of that dreary expanse of sea; — how you told me that 
 the outward-bound vessel was carrying some adven- 
 turous bibliographer to run away with all the book- 
 treasures along the shores of the Mediterranean, and 
 that the inward-bound was freighted with such vo- 
 lumes as Maittaire had never dreamt of, nor Panzer 
 had seen — and when you chided me for my scrupu- 
 
PASSAGE TO DIEPPE. 
 
 lous delays, because I was unwilling to break away 
 from Decameronic engagements, till the " Ten Days 
 Pleasant Discourse" w^ere fully and fairly before the 
 piiblic: — when, I say, I do remember me of these 
 things," and look back upon that said ocean which I 
 have crossed, and upon the strange and grotesque 
 objects by which I am here surrounded, I cannot but 
 experience a combination of feelings and of thoughts 
 which it were difficult to have anticipated, and which 
 it is still more difficult to describe. Without further 
 preface or prologue, therefore, I shall rush at once 
 upon the subject-matter of discussion. In other words, 
 I shall transmit to you (as you have earnestly requested 
 me to do) such periodical accounts of my " travels and 
 adventures" as may be most likely to interest yourself 
 and family. Grant me all your indulgent patience, and 
 all your unqualified candour. 
 
 Vous voila done. Messieurs, a Dieppe!" — ex- 
 claimed the landlord (De La Rue) of the Grand 
 Hotel d'Angleterre — as we made our way through a 
 vociferating crowd of old and young, of both sexes, 
 with cards of addresses in their hands, entreating us 
 
 to take up our abode at their respective hotels 
 
 But I know your love of method, and of minuteness of 
 detail, and that you will be angry with me if I do not 
 begin at the beginning." Be it so then : and yet, what 
 can you possibly expect in the description of that, 
 which thousands, and perhaps tens of thousands, have 
 done and said before me ? 
 
 It was surely on one of the finest of all fine days that 
 I left my home, on the 14th of this present month, for 
 the land of castles, churches, and ancient chivalry. The 
 
PASSAGE TO DIEPPE. 
 
 3 
 
 wind from the south-east was blowing pretty smartly 
 at the time ; but the sky was mthout a cloudy and I 
 could not but look upon the brilliancy of every ex- 
 ternal object as a favourable omen of the progress 
 and termination of my tour. The word of departure 
 being given — in one minute not a particle of my little 
 brick dwelling was to be seen : when^ commending its 
 precious inhabitants to the especial care of Heaven till 
 my return, I sank quietly backwards upon my seat, 
 and essayed to hold discourse with my companions. 
 Those companions, as you well know, were Mr. George 
 Lewis, and my Son. The former, an artist of singular 
 merit and amiable manners, was selected to accom- 
 pany me throughout the whole of my journey for the 
 purpose of taking views, or of making copies, of what 
 might be deemed curious and precious in art. 
 
 Adverse winds, or the indolence or unwillingness of 
 the Captain, detained us at Brighton two whole days 
 — instead of sailing, as we were led to expect, on the 
 day following our arrival there. We were to form 
 the first ship's company which had visited France 
 this season. Tlie passengers becoming clamorous as 
 well as numerous, it was resolved that we should sail 
 on the Friday : when, the wind still blowing stiffly, 
 with lowering clouds from the south-east — and the 
 Captain still thinking his passengers out of their wits 
 to desire to sail with such an almost directly adverse 
 wind — we were launched upon the ocean in the jolly 
 boat ; and approaching our gallant little packet, the 
 Nancy commanded by Captain Blaber, the anchor 
 
 * This smart little vessel^ considered to be the fastest sailing packet 
 from Dieppe, of about 70 tons burden, scarcely survived our voyage 
 VOL. 1. B 
 
4 
 
 PASSAGE TO DIEPPE. 
 
 was weighed, and hoisting sail, we stood out to sea. 
 The day began to improve upon us. The gloomy ap- 
 pearances of the morning gradually brightened up. A 
 host of black clouds rolled heavily away. The sun at 
 length shone in his full meridian splendour, and the 
 ocean sparkled as we cut through its emerald waves . . 
 
 Vela dabant Iseti, et spumas salis sere ruebant. 
 
 As we were approaching the period of a full moon, 
 about four o'clock that chaste orb became faintly 
 visible in the opposite horizon ; and for some two or 
 three hours our spirits continued buoyant, chiefly from 
 the extraordinary beauty of the day. What moments 
 were these for the indulgence of gay hope, and ardent 
 expectation ! It was to be my debut upon a foreign 
 
 eighteen months* Her end had nearly proved fatal to every soul on 
 board. In a dark nighty in the month of September, when bound 
 for Dieppe, she was struck by a heavy London brig. The crew were 
 with difficulty saved — and the vessel went down within about twenty- 
 five minutes after she had been struck. 
 
 In former times, it should seem that the voyage was usually under- 
 taken from Rye. In the Memoirs of Sir Hugh Cliolmley, Knt. and 
 Bart. 1687, Part II. p. xxi, 4to. there is an interesting account of a 
 passage from ' Rye to Deep,' (in which Sir Hugh was a passenger), 
 upon a very stormy night — in which above eighty sail ' were lost 
 between the entrance of the river at Rye, and the mouth of the Thames.' 
 Sir Hugh was driven back 5 but in a week afterwards tried the same 
 passage with success. He concludes by describing the sailors at 
 Dieppe as a sort of very troublesome and exacting seamen, and 
 with the stink of the worst tobacco in the world, added such suf- 
 fering to those who being subject to sea-sickness, had endured 
 enough a-board a bad vessel, and small cabin, that this addition be- 
 came almost intolerable- Indeed it was scarce to be endured by such 
 who used not to complain of evils at sea ! ' 
 
PASSAGE TO DIEPPE. 
 
 5 
 
 land ; and as I supposed we neared the French coast, 
 I strained my eyes to obtain an early glimpse of some- 
 thing in the shape of cliff or jettie. But the wind con- 
 tinued more determinedly in the south-east : the waves 
 rose in larger masses ; and our little vessel threw up a 
 heavy shower of foam as we entered upon the various 
 tacks. Then it was that the pallid cheek, and heavy 
 eye, and dejected visage, became manifest : while, to 
 add to our wretchedness, the Captain told us that, on 
 tacking from Beechey Head, it would be advisable for 
 every one to go below — for that the wind would be 
 blowing " rather fresh." These rathers," my good 
 friend, sound gently enough from the mouth ; but are, 
 in themselves, sometimes words of terrific import. In 
 another sense, we were to prepare for a strong breeze, 
 or something like a stiff gale — although, wonderful to 
 say! the atmosphere continued cloudless. 
 
 It is a grand sight — that vast, and apparently inter- 
 minable ocean I 
 
 maria undique et undique coelum ! 
 
 We now darted from Beechy Head upon a long tack 
 for the French coast ; and as the sun declined, we 
 found it most prudent to put our Captain's advice into 
 execution. Then commenced all the miseries of the 
 voyage ! Tlie moon had begun to assert her ascendancy, 
 when, racked with torture and pain in our respective 
 berths, a tremendous surge washed completely over the 
 deck, sky-light, and binnacle : and down came in con- 
 sequence, drenched with the ^ briny wave,' the hardiest 
 of our crew, who had, till then, ventured to linger 
 upon deck. Tliat crew was various ; and not without 
 a few of the natives of those shores vv^hich we were 
 
6 
 
 PASSAGE TO DIEPPE. 
 
 about to visit. Their gaiety however continued undis- 
 turbed, in spite of frequent and violent indisposition. 
 
 Dr. Johnson^ I beheve^ preferred a prison to a ship — 
 chiefly from the dread of fire. There are other causes 
 from which a preference may be given. These I will 
 not enumerate. But to cut short my ship-narrative, 
 suffice it only further to say, that, towards midnight, 
 we heard our Captain exclaim that he saw " the 
 lights of Dieppe!" — a joyful sound to us miserable 
 wretches below. There, however, we continued to lie, 
 tossing at anchor : it being impossible to enter the 
 harbour till towards seven in the morning, owing to a 
 want of sufficient water. But it was good news to find 
 that we were safe, and beyond the reach of further 
 overwhelming surges. I well remember, at this mo- 
 ment, looking up towards the deck with a cheerless 
 eye, and perceiving the light of the moon still linger- 
 ing upon the main-sail, — but I shall never forget how 
 much more powerfully my sensations were excited, 
 when, as the dawn of day made objects visible, I 
 looked up, and saw an old wrinkle-visaged sailor, 
 with a red night cap on, begirt with large blue, puck- 
 ered, short petticoats, in possession of the helm — about 
 to steer the vessel into harbour ! * " Here is the true 
 weather-beaten French mariner," thought I to myself ; 
 — and Mr. Lewis would have given his last English 
 piece of money to have sketched the face and figure of 
 this picturesque old pilot. But extreme indisposition 
 confined him in his berth, among the most helpless of 
 the passengers. 
 
 * The English are not permitted to bring their own vessels into 
 harbour — for obvious resaons. 
 
London .Pui/isi>eai /^r tibe lirv.Tr:/)^^^ ^ri/ /fiir. _ 
 
PASSAGE TO DIEPPE. 
 
 7 
 
 About seven we were all upon deck. The sea was 
 yet swoln and agitated, and of a dingy colour ; while 
 
 .... heavily with clouds came on the day, 
 
 as we slowly approached the outward harbour of 
 Dieppe. A grey morning, with drizzling rain, is not 
 the best accompaniment of a first visit to a foreign 
 shore. Nevertheless, every thing was new, and strange, 
 and striking; and the huge crucifix to the right, (of 
 which a representation is conveyed in this despatch) 
 did not fail to make a very forcible impression. It is, 
 however, sufficiently tasteless ; having the negative merit 
 only of being the largest in France. As we approached 
 the inner harbour, the shipping and the buildings more 
 distinctly presented themselves. What a scene (said 
 I to my companion) for our Calcott ! The harbour 
 is large, and the vessels are entirely mercantile, with a 
 plentiful sprinkling of fishing smacks — but the manner 
 in which the latter harmonised with the tint and 
 structure of the houses — the bustle upon shore — the 
 casks, deal planks, ropes, and goods of every description 
 upon the quays, — all formed a most animated and 
 interesting scene. The population seemed countless, 
 and chiefly females ; whose high caps and enormous 
 ear-rings, with the rest of their paraphernalia, half per- 
 suaded us that, instead of being some few twenty-five 
 leagues only from our own white cliffs, we had in fact 
 dropt upon the Antipodes ! It was a full hour before 
 we got upon terra firma — saluted, and even assailed 
 on all sides, with entreaties to come to certain hotels. 
 " Mais, Monsieur, Monsieur, par ici, par ici, — c'est ici 
 ou vous serez charme de votre reception — vous serez 
 
 1 
 
8 
 
 PASSAGE TO DIEPPE. 
 
 a votre aise chez"— ^^C'est I'Hotel d'Angleterre que nous 
 cherchons (replied I.)" — "A la bonne heure^ (exclaimed 
 a lively young man) — suivez, Monsieur^ je vous prie 
 wheU;, upon entering the coffee-room of the inn^ the 
 worthy De La Rue^ the landlord^ exclaimed (as I think 
 I before told you) " Vous voila donc^ Messieurs^ a 
 Dieppe — soyez le bien venu ! " We declared ourselves 
 well satisfied : and willing to forget the miseries of the 
 voyage, sat down to eggs and coffee, resolving to be in 
 good humour with every thing around us. 
 
9 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 DIEPPE. FISHERIES. STREETS. CHURCHES OF ST. 
 JACQUES AND ST. REMY. DIVINE WORSHIP. MILI- 
 TARY MASS. 
 
 The town of Dieppe* contains a population of about 
 twenty-thousand souls. Of these^ by much the greater 
 
 * town of Dieppe.'] Dieppe owes its origin to the accidental asso- 
 ciation of a few adventurous fishermen. The rapid strides by which 
 it rose from insignificancy to importance, are not marked in the annals 
 of the historian : nor does its present population arise from those 
 causes which have rendered Brighton and Hastings so prosperous. No 
 Frenchman thinks of settling at Dieppe without having commercial 
 objects in view 3 whereas, in the places just mentioned, some hundreds 
 of families yearly resort for the benefit of sea-air and sea-bathing. 
 Hence, the crescent, the colonnade, and other stately architectural 
 appendages, are erected, to invite residence and cause the diffusion of 
 money. At Dieppe a very different order of things prevails. I shall 
 translate an interesting passage from a French work published in 
 1795^ which gives a pretty good outline of the origin and ancient fish- 
 eries of Dieppe : In its origin, this town was only a miserable collec- 
 tion of huts of fishermen, who, for the convenience of carrying on 
 their trade, united themselves at the embouchure of the Arques, at the 
 foot of the western cliff. At that time Dieppe was only a small bay, 
 to which vessels resorted by favour of the tide : the whole of the 
 ground, in which the present port is excavated, exhibiting nothing but 
 a swamp inundated twice a day. By degrees Dieppe reared its head, 
 and the fishery, which may be called the agriculture of the sea, was 
 the first foundation of its future grandeur. 
 
 As this town owed its origin to some obscure fishermen, so has it 
 owed its prosperity to the same useful class of men. The deeds and 
 
10 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 stationary part are females; arising from one-third at 
 least of the males being constantly engaged in the fish- 
 eries. As these fisheries form the main support of the 
 
 charters of the time make mention of a great number of different sorts 
 of fish which every clay arrived at the port^ — of which the principal 
 species was the herring, and of which species the antiquity reaches to 
 the year 1030 ; there was also the mackarel, mentioned in a number 
 of title-deeds of the xiith century : to which must be added the cod, 
 the whiting, the congre-eel, more abundant formerly than at present 3 le 
 colletan, a fish which has now entirely forsaken our rivers 5 the thorn- 
 hack, tumhe, sole, haddock, anon, salmon, turhot, roach, porpoise, 
 sturgeon, &c. But of all these species, the herring was infinitely the most 
 useful and important in every respect 3 and not only were they sought 
 in the Channel, but our vessels went in search of them to the northern 
 seas, to Yarynouth even on the English coasts, and upon those of 
 Schonen in Sweden : they even brought away the herring from Escone, 
 of which there is often mention made in the ordinances of the time. 
 Afterwards they exported this fish, salted, to all the ports of the Medi- 
 terranean 3 and, for this purpose, made use of their own vessels, which 
 were called druggers ; because, in return, they brought home from the 
 sea-ports in the Levant, spices and drugs, such as wax, oil, honey, 
 pepper, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, rosin, alum, woad, &c. and all the 
 provisions of which mention is made in the tarifs of entry, by sea, at 
 Dieppe, in the xiiith and xivth centuries." p. 105. 
 
 Consult the " Premier Essai sur le Departement de la Seine Inf^- 
 rieure, contenant les districts de Gournay, Neufchatel, Dieppe et Cany. 
 Outrage topographique, historique etpittoresque, &c. par S. B. J. Noel, 
 Redacteur du Journal de Rouen/' 1795, an iii. 8vo. 3 a scarce work 
 at the present moment. But the author would have shewn more 
 judgment if he had spared a few imbecile flings at his opposite 
 neighbours. My predecessor. Doctor Ducarel, in his Anglo-Norman 
 Antiquities, 1767, folio, p. 6, devotes about sixteen widely-spaced 
 lines only, to his account of Dieppe 3 subjoining, however, in a note, a 
 copy of the original letters-patent of King Richard I. who granted the 
 town to Walter, Archbishop of Rouen, in exchange for Andely, which 
 he annexed to the duchy of Normandy. 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 11 
 
 inhabitants^ it is right that you should know something 
 about them — and the recent appearance of Goubes 
 work upon Normandy, will better enable me to send 
 you a tolerably correct account. ^^That which chiefly 
 gives occupation to the Dieppe vessels, is the diffe- 
 rent fisheries of the place — and especially the salted 
 herring, mackarel, and cod. The herring fishery takes 
 place twice a year: in August and October. The 
 August fishery is carried on along the shores of England 
 and the North. From sixty to eighty vessels, of from 
 twenty-five to thirty ton burthen each^ with about 
 fifteen men in each vessel, are usually employed. They 
 are freighted with salt and empty barrels, for seasoning 
 and stowing the fish, and they return about the end of 
 October. The herrings caught in August are consider- 
 ably preferable to those caught in October. The Octo- 
 ber fishery is carried on with smaller vessels, along the 
 coast of France from Boulogne to Havre. From one 
 hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty vessels 
 are engaged in this later navigation ; and the fish, 
 which is smaller, and of inferior flavour to that caught 
 upon the English coasts, is sent almost entirely to the 
 Provinces and to Paris, where it is eaten fresh." So 
 much for the herring. 
 
 The mackarel fishery usually commences towards 
 the month of July, along the coast of Picardy ; be- 
 cause, being a sort of fish of passage, it gets into the 
 channel in the month of April. It then moves towards 
 the straits of Dover, as summer approaches. For this 
 fishery they make use of large-decked vessels, from 
 twenty to fifty tons burden^ manned with from twelve 
 to twenty men. There are however Dieppe boats em- 
 ployed in this fishery which go as far as the Scilly 
 
I 
 
 12 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 Islands and Ushant, towards the middle of April. They 
 carry with them the salt requisite to season the fish^ 
 which are afterwards sent to Paris, and to the provinces 
 in the interior of France. The cod fishery is divided 
 into the fresh and dried fish. The former continues 
 from the beginning of February to the end of April — 
 and the vessels employed, which go as far as Newfound- 
 land, are two deckers, and from one hundred to one 
 hundred and fifty tons burden — although, in fact, they 
 rarely carry more than fifteen tons for fear of spoiling 
 the fish. The dried-cod fishery is carried on in vessels 
 of all sizes ; but it is essential that they be of a certain 
 depth, because the fish is more cumbersome than 
 weighty. The vessels however usually set sail about 
 the month of March or April, in order that they may 
 have the advantage of the summer season, to dry the 
 fish. There are vessels which go to Newfoundland 
 laden with brandy, flour, beans, treacle, linen and 
 woollen cloths, which they dispose of to the inhabi- 
 tants of the French colonies in exchange for dried cod. 
 Tliis latter species of commerce may be carried on in 
 the summer months — as late as July." The author 
 thus concludes with some animation : " Ces peches 
 occupent un grand nombre de marins : elles vivifient le 
 commerce de Dieppe : elles occupent tons les ateliers 
 — les chantiers pour la construction des batimens, la 
 confection des filets pour la peche, celle des hamegons, 
 des cordages, des voiles, des barils; ensuite vient la pre- 
 paration des poissons, et leur expeditions journalieres, 
 ainsi que celle du poisson frais, qui se renouvelle, pour 
 ainsi dire, a chaque maree." * Vol. iii. p. 170. 
 
 * Histoire du Duche de Normandie, par J. J. C. Goube, 181 5^ 8vo. 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 13 
 
 In the common markets^ for retail trade^ they are 
 not very nice in the quality or condition of their fish ; 
 and enormous congre eels^ which would be instantly 
 rejected by the middling, or even lower classes in 
 England, are, at Dieppe, bought with avidity and 
 relished with glee. A few francs will procure a dish 
 of fish large enough for a dozen people. The quays 
 are constantly crowded, but there seems to be more 
 of bustle than of business. The town is certainly 
 picturesque, notwithstanding the houses are very little 
 more than a century old;-}- and the streets are formal 
 
 3 vols. In the sequel;, this work will be more particularly noticed. 
 The author of the Itlneraire de Rouen (1816^ 12mo.) has given a 
 more dramatic effect to his colouring of the same picture : Alors 
 tout est en mouvement, et Tobservateur peut juger a son aise de leur 
 industrie, remarquer les differents effets de la joie^, de la crainte, quel- 
 quefois m^me de la tristesse, a la moindre nouvelle alarmante. L' alter- 
 native du plaisir, de I'inquietude se peint sur la physionornie des 
 femmes et des filles des marins, si le vent furieux et des nuages^ pr^- 
 curseurs delatempete, viennent soulfever les flots ecumants." p. 203. 
 
 f little more than a century old^ The town of Dieppe has suffered 
 often and severely. During the time of the Normans it was almost 
 demolished. It was sharply attacked by Lord Talbot (called the 
 English Ceesar) in 1442^ whose army seems to have been encamped 
 near Banquemont, about a league from Dieppe, and to have occupied 
 the strong position vulgarly called Caesar's Camp j (see Ducarel, p .5, 
 and Noel, p. 87-8) but it rose again with strength and beauty, till 
 the middle of the sixteenth century, when, in consequence of a 
 most sanguinary sea-fight between the Flemish and Dieppois, (in 
 which the famous Coligny commanded the latter) it experienced a 
 very heavy calamity in the loss of many vessels, and the destruction 
 of a portion of the town by fire. But a heavier calamity awaited 
 it in the memorable bombardment of the town by the English in 1694. 
 Every thing seemed demolished but the old churches. " Within the 
 
14 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 and comparatively wide: but this picturesqueness 
 arises from the materials of the buildings being- of stone 
 and brick, now gray-tinted — from the sharp pointed 
 roofs — from the bold projections of the architecture, 
 and the large dimensions of the windows. Indeed it 
 should seem that the houses were built expressly for 
 Noblemen and Gentlemen, although they are inhabited 
 by tradesmen, mechanics, and artizans in apparently 
 very indifferent circumstances. There is a great waste 
 of brick, stone, and mortar, and some of the largest 
 buildings are situated in the gloomiest courts. We 
 saw scarcely six private houses which could be called 
 
 short space of thirty hours (says Noel), the English threw in 3000 
 shells and 4000 balls, and made use of a machine charged with all 
 manner of combustible materials and bars of iron, in the view of set- 
 ting fire to the two wooden jetties, in which attempt, however, they 
 were foiled." p. 1 16. An ordonnance of Louis XIV., carried into effect 
 by the patriotic spirit of the people, caused the town of Dieppe to 
 rise out of its ashes, as we now behold it. The streets are well 
 planned and well paved j and the Dieppois would feign compare 
 their High-street to the rue de Richlieu, at Paris. I suspect that it 
 is sheer poverty which causes so great a number of their upper win- 
 dows to remain unglazed. A Tour in Prance, published in 1701^ thus 
 notices the town of Dieppe shortly after the memorable bombardment 
 just mentioned, These preparatory steps being over, we had our 
 dinner, and afterwards walked into the town ; which, being bom- 
 barded last war (1694) by the English, is hardly yet rebuilt. What 
 houses are up are lofty, so that the town is almost new, and will be a 
 fine one, when finished, though not large ; we saw the ruins of 
 many houses 3 for the bombardment was so violent and successful 
 that few were left standing entire. The great Church and Castle suf- 
 fered in some parts, and other churches were quite demolished. The 
 streets are large and straight, and the buildings uniform, generally of 
 the same height, and all of a sort of white brick," kc—Gent. Maga- 
 zine, March 1819, p. 207, vol. lxxxix. 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 15 
 
 elegant^ and not a gentleman's carriage has been yet 
 noticed by us in the streets. But if the Dieppois 
 are not rich, they seem happy, and are in a constant 
 state of occupation. A woman sells her wares in an 
 open shop, or in an insulated booth, and sits without her 
 bonnet — as indeed do all the tradesmen's wives — and 
 works or sings as humour sways her. A man sells gin- 
 gerbread in an open shed, and in the intervals of his cus- 
 tomers coming, reads some popular history or romance. 
 Most of the upper windows are wholly destitute of glass ; 
 but are smothered w^ith clothes, rags, and wall flowers. 
 The fragrance emitted from these flowers affords no 
 unpleasing antidote to odors of a very different de- 
 scription: — and here we begin to have a too convincing 
 proof of the general character of the country in re- 
 gard to the want of cleanliness. A little good sense, or 
 rather a better-regulated police, would speedily get rid 
 of such nuisances. The great crying evil throughout 
 France, in respect to out-door inconveniences, arises 
 from suffering the filth, of whatever description, to 
 accumulate in the streets : and when the office of 
 purification is put in force, it is so slovenly executed, 
 that a portion is always left behind in order to show 
 where future deposits are to be made. The want of 
 public sewers is another great and grievous cause of 
 smells of every description : but the French are used 
 to these things — and will quietly sit with a collection 
 of dirt beneath their noses, w^hich would cause a notable 
 spinster or housewife, on our side the water, to start 
 back with disgust. At Dieppe there are fountains in 
 abundance ; and if some of the limpid streams, which 
 issue therefrom, were directed to cleansing the streets. 
 
16 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 (which are excellently well paved) the effect would be 
 both more salubrious and pleasant — especially to the 
 sensitive organs of Enghshmen ! 
 
 We had hardly conchided our breakfasts, on land- 
 ing, when we saw a funeral go by : the priests and 
 boys, with their black caps, white surplices, and 
 umbrellas over their heads, (as it was raining) chaunt- 
 ing both loud and lustily — unconcerned at the busy 
 and bawling scenes through which the procession must 
 necessarily pass. What a novel object was this to gaze 
 at! Anon, a loud and clattering sound was heard ; and 
 down came, in a heavy trot, with sundry ear-piercing 
 crackings of the whip, the thundering Diligence : large, 
 lofty, and of most unwieldy dimensions : of a structure, 
 too, strong enough to carry a half score of elephants. 
 The postilion is an animal perfectly sui generis: gay, 
 alert, and living upon the best possible terms with 
 himself. He wears the royal livery, red and blue ; 
 with a plate of the fleur de lis upon his left arm. His 
 hair is tied behind in a thick, short, tightly fastened 
 queue : with powder and pomatum sufficient to wea- 
 ther a whole winter's storm and tempest. As he never 
 rises in his stirrups, I leave you to judge of the mer- 
 ciless effects of this ever-beating club upon the texture 
 of his jacket. He is however fond of his horses : is 
 well known by them ; and there is all flourish and 
 noise, and no sort of cruelty, in his treatment of them. 
 His spurs are of tremendous dimensions ; such as we 
 see sticking to the heels of knights in illuminated Mss. 
 of the xvth century. He has nothing to do with the 
 ponderous machine behind him. He sits upon the near 
 of the two wheel horses, with three horses before him. 
 
 1 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 17 
 
 His turnings are all adroitly and correctly made; and, 
 upon the whole, he is a clever fellow in the exercise 
 of his office. 
 
 We had not spent half of the Saturday at Dieppe, 
 before Mr. Lewis brought us a sketch, of which the en- 
 closed is a faithful and spiritedly-finished drawing ; and 
 so correctly are the characters identified, that the Jille 
 de chamhre, at our hotel, instantly recognized the old 
 woman, or the stout figure, to the right — as the per- 
 son who usually brought fish for the consumption of 
 their table. In this group, in fact, you have an epitome 
 
 OF THE WHOLE FISH-MARKET 
 
 ■ J., VI I 
 
 1 
 
18 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 I shall probably send you, in some future despatch, 
 a more sober and near view of the far-famed cauchoise. 
 You ought to know, that, formerly, this town was 
 greatly celebrated for its manufactures in Ivoiy ;* but 
 the present aspect of the ivory-market affords but a 
 faint notion of what it might have been in the sixteenth 
 and seventeeth centuries. I purchased a few subordinate 
 articles (chiefly of a religious character) and which I 
 shall preserve rather as a matter of evidence than of 
 admiration. There is yet however a considerable ma- 
 nufacture of thread lace; and between three and four 
 thousand females are supposed to earn a comfortable 
 livelihood by it. 
 
 * manufactures in Ivory.'] It was possibly under the bold excur- 
 sion of such distinguished navigators and captains as Parmentier, 
 DusMESNiL, and the great merchant An go, (in the sixteenth and seven- 
 teenth centuries) that the ivory trade had attained its highest pitch of 
 prosperity. The establishments of the Dieppois in Guinea necessarily 
 facilitated the means of improving this branch of commerce. Walpole, 
 in his Anecdotes of Painting, vol. iii. p. 262, makes honorable mention 
 of Le marchand, a native of Dieppe, who worked very successfully for 
 several years in London. Mr. West was in possession of that Artist's 
 own head, cut by himself 3 and Lord Oxford had his head of Lord 
 Somers. Evelyn, who visited Dieppe in the year 1644, observes that 
 it then abounded with workmen who made and ^sold curiosities of 
 ivory and tortoise-shell, and whatever the East Indies afforded of 
 cabinets and purcelan ; and that natural and exotic rarities were there 
 to be had with abundant choice." Life and Writings of Evelyn, vol. i. 
 p. 51, edit. 1818, 4to. In short, it appears to have been just at the 
 time of Evelyn's visit, that Dieppe was in the height of its opulence 
 and population ; for in one of Zeiller's views of it, (in his Topographia 
 Gallicc, 1650) there are special designations of the establishments of 
 Minimes, Capucins, Carmelites, Jesuits, Ursulins and the Halles, &c. 
 The river Argues seems also to have been very wide^ particularly at its 
 embouchure in the harbour. 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 19 
 
 My love of ecclesiastical architecture quickly in- 
 duced me to visit the churches ; and we all three set 
 out to pay our respects to the principal churchy called 
 St. Jacques. As we entered it^ a general gloom pre- 
 vailed^ and a sort of premature evening came on ; 
 while the clatter of the sabots was sufficiently audible 
 along the aisles. In making the circuit of the side 
 chapels^ an unusual light proceeded from a sort of 
 grated door way. We approached, and witnessed a 
 sight which could not fail to rivet our attention. In 
 what seemed to be an excavated interior, were several 
 figures, cut in stone, and coloured after life — of which 
 they were the size — representing the three Maries^ St, 
 Johriy and Joseph of Arimathea . . in the act of en- 
 tombing Christ : the figure of our Saviour being half 
 sunk into the tomb. The whole was partially illu- 
 minated by some two dozen of shabby and nearly con- 
 sumed tallow candles ; affording a striking contrast to 
 the increasing darkness of the nave and the side-aisles. 
 We retired^ more and more struck with the novelty of 
 every object around us, to our supper and beds, which 
 were both excellent ; and a good night's rest made us 
 forget the miseries of the preceding evening. 
 
 The next morning, being Sunday, we betook our- 
 selves in good time to the service at St. Jacques'^ : not 
 however before Mr. Lewis, who had risen between six 
 and seven o'clock, had brought home a sketch of what 
 had taken place in the front of the church in the 
 market place. This sketch represents a waxen figure 
 
 * the service at St. Jacques' — The stone with which this 
 church is built^ is said to have been brought from England; 
 but I should rather apprehend it to have been obtained from Caeriy 
 which^ as the reader will see in the sequel, has been long and 
 
20 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 of Christ (what is called ^' Ecce Homo") enclosed 
 within a box^ of which the doors are opened. The 
 figure and box are the property of the man who plays 
 the violin, and who is selling little mass books, sup- 
 posed to be rendered more sacred by having been passed 
 across the feet and hands of the waxen Christ. Such 
 a mongrel occupation, and such a motley group, must 
 strike you with astonishment — as a Sunday morning's 
 recreation ! You receive it here, after its having been 
 submitted to the finishing process of light and shade. 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 21 
 
 By half past ten the congregation had assembled in 
 good earnest ; and every side-chapel (I think about twelve 
 in number) began to be filled by the penitent flocks : 
 each bringing, or hiring, a rush-bottomed chair; with 
 which the churches are pretty liberally furnished, and of 
 which the Tarif (or terms of hire) is pasted upon the 
 walls. There were^ I am quite sure, full eighteen women 
 to one man ; which may in part be accounted for (as 
 I before observed) by the almost uniform absence of a 
 third of the male population occupied in the fisheries. 
 I think there could not have been fewer than two thou- 
 sand souls present. I contrived to get upon the steps 
 which separate the choir from the nave, and witnessed 
 from thence a sort of ocean of white caps — as the 
 women sat or knelt. But what struck me as the most 
 ludicrously solemn thing I had ever beheld^ was, a huge 
 tall figure, dressed like a drum-major, with a large 
 cocked hat and three white plumes, (the only covered 
 
 justly distinguished for the superior quahties of its stone. Here 
 also, as well as at Rouen, they will have it that the English built 
 the churches ! Noel says that the entombing of Christ, as above 
 described, is done after the original at Jerusalem, and that it was exe- 
 cuted in 1612, at the expense of a pious traveller, who returned from 
 Palestine- The fine sculptured culs-de-lampes, in silver, which used 
 to hang about the chapel of the Virgin, and which excited the admira- 
 tion of Cardinal Barberini, together with sundry other delicate and 
 precious embellishments, were destroyed during the bombardment 
 mentioned at p. 13 ante. And I may add that ornaments, of a more 
 solid character, such as interior and exterior fret-works, porches, ballus- 
 trades, &c. were dreadfully defaced during the Revolution — which, has 
 left frightful marks of its ravages in Normandy ! 
 
22 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 male figure in the congregation)^ a broad white sash 
 upon a complete suit of red, including red stockings ; 
 — representing what in our country is called a Beadle ! 
 He was a sturdy, baboon-visaged gentleman — bearing 
 an halberd in his right hand, which he wielded with a 
 sort of pompous swing, infusing terror into the young, 
 and commanding the admiration of the old. In the 
 procession of the priests, where the voices are raised 
 to a higher pitch, and where the service seems to de- 
 mand a more pious expression, the zeal of the con- 
 gregation was unequivocally manifested by very general 
 and sonorous responses : and I must say that, in some 
 particulars connected with the fulfilment of church du- 
 ties, it were well if we took a lesson from our conti- 
 nental neighbours. But so little sense of out-door 
 public decency prevails, that, during service, we were 
 constantly annoyed by the sounds of the drum and fife, 
 calling the national guard together for military mass 
 at St. Remy. I must not, however, omit to inform 
 you, that half the service was scarcely performed when 
 the preacher mounted a pulpit, with a black cap on, 
 and read a short sermon from a printed-book — -a 
 method, by the bye which some apologists for intellec- 
 tual and manual labour might think worthy of imita- 
 tion in our own country I I shall never forget the 
 figure and attitude of the Verger who attended the 
 preacher : he followed him to the pulpit, fastened the 
 door, became stationary, and reposed his left arm over 
 the railings of the stairs. Anon, he took out his snufF 
 box with his right hand, and regaled himself with a 
 pinch of snufF in the most joyous and comfortably-ab- 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 23 
 
 stracted manner imaginable. There he remained till 
 the conclusion of a thirteen minutes discourse ; not one 
 word of which seemed to afford him half the satisfac- 
 tion as did the contents of his snuff-box ! You know 
 that you have absolutely commanded me to be " mi- 
 nute in all things/' and you see with what trifles I have 
 in consequence ventured to entertain you. 
 , Military Mass was performed about an hour after 
 at the church of St. Re my. Both Mr. Lewis and my 
 Son saw this extraordinary spectacle^ but I had had 
 " sufficient for one dose." Yet I strolled quietly to that 
 same churchy to witness the devotion of the congrega- 
 tion previous to the entry of the soldiers ; and I will 
 not dissemble that I was much struck and gratified by 
 what I saw. There was more simplicity: a smaller 
 congregation : softer music : a lower-toned organ : less 
 rush of people; and in very many of the flock the 
 most intense and unfeigned expression of piety. At the 
 elevation of the host^ from the end of the choir^ (near 
 which was suspended a white flag, with the portrait of 
 the present King thereupon) a bell was rung from the 
 tower of the church : the sound, below, was soft and 
 silver-toned — accompanied by rather a quick movement 
 of the organ, upon the diapason stop ; which, united 
 with the silence and prostration of the congregation, 
 might have commanded the reverence of the most pro- 
 fane. I became motionless, save a slight and fixed 
 inclination of the head — in which attitude I could not 
 refrain from offering up a prayer for the preservation of 
 those left behind ! — and which prayer, although not bor- 
 rowed from the Romish ritual, might possibly be not 
 the less availing on that account. There is nothing, my 
 
24 DIEPPE. 
 
 dear friend, more refreshing, in a foreign land, than 
 this general appearance of earnestness of devotion, upon 
 a sabbath day ; especially within the House of God. Out 
 of doors a very different order of things prevails : But I 
 quickly heard the clangor of the trumpet, the beat of 
 drums, the measured tramp of human feet, and in 
 marched two or three troops of the national guard to 
 perform military mass. I retired precipitately to the 
 Inn. My companions, who staid behind, told me that 
 this military mass consisted of certain manoeuvres of 
 the soldiers, with their caps on^ within the choir — ac- 
 companied by loud and stunning music. It seemed 
 a frightful contrast to all that had preceded it. 
 
 I must not conclude this epistle, while upon the sub- 
 ject of churches, without informing you that, of the 
 two, I consider that of St. Remy, or rather of some 
 portions of it, to be the more ancient ; but St, Jacques, 
 upon the whole, is not only the largest, but the most 
 elaborately sculptured, edifice. I should think the 
 latter end of the XlVth century, a date quite anti- 
 quated enough for the completion of its building. The 
 Revolution has not failed to leave marks of its horrible 
 devastations upon portions of the exteriors of these 
 churches ; but modern manners have not yet produced 
 a revolution of a different and more desirable charac- 
 ter — that of paying attention to the affches stuck upon 
 the outer walls — in which all " ordure et immondices" 
 are strictly forbidden to be deposited. Thus, to for- 
 bid is one thing; and to pay attention to the prohibi- 
 tion is another. The filth that sometimes pervades 
 these churches is equally gross, noxious, and revolting. 
 They certainly do " order these things better in"— 
 
 / 
 
DIEPPE. 25 
 
 England. Forgive this neiv reading : but I cannot help, 
 in spite of all the marvels by which I am surrounded, 
 putting in a good word now and then for my own 
 country. So God bless you. 
 
 P. S. Mr. Lewis has just brought me another spirited 
 drawing, of what may be considered equally characte-. 
 ristic of the Market Women, look at it attentively ; 
 for I can assure you that the fidelity is equal to the 
 spirit, of the performance. 
 
26 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 VILLAGE AND CASTLE OF ARQUES. SABBATH AMUSE- 
 MENTS. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. BOULEVARDS. 
 
 As I had received especial injunctions from our 
 friend N ^ ^ =^ not to leave Dieppe without paying a 
 visit to the famous Chateau d'Arques,^ in its neighbour- 
 hood^ I resolved to seize the opportunity of a tolerably 
 fair, or rather gray-looking day, to go and pay due 
 homage to these venerable remains of antiquity ; and 
 accordingly, on the same Sunday, between one and 
 two, Mr. L. and myself set out upon this congenial en- 
 terprise. You go up the principal street, continue to the 
 left, and pass under the gate or outlet to Rouen, where 
 
 * the famous Chateau d'Arques.] — The French Antiquaries have 
 pushed the antiquity of this castle to the 8th century, supposing it to 
 have been built by William d'Arques y Count of Tallon, son of the se- 
 cond marriage of Richard Duke of Normandy. I make no doubt, 
 that, whenever built, the sea almost washed the base of it 3 for it 
 is known to have occupied the whole of what is called the Valley of 
 ArqueSj running as far as Bouteilles. Its p'osition, in reference to the 
 art of war, must have been almost impregnable. Other hypotheses 
 assign its origin, perhaps with more truth, to the ninth or tenth 
 century j as a bulwark against the invasion of the Normans. When- 
 ever built, its history has been fertile in sieges. In 1 144, it was 
 commanded by a Flemish Monk, who preferred the spear to the crosier, 
 but who perished by an arrow in the contest. Of its history, up to the 
 sixteenth century, I am not able to give any details j but in the wars 
 of Henry IV, with the League, 1589, it was taken by surprise by sol- 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 the noble road to Paris, on a fine ascent, faces you 
 upon quitting the town. You leave this to the right, 
 turn down a bye-road, which runs beneath a high bank 
 or small hanging wood, and continue straight forward 
 about two EngUsh miles ; when you catch the first 
 ghmpse of the castle to the right. The road thither 
 is completely rural : apple-trees, just beginning to burst 
 their blossoms, hamlets, small farm-houses, (many of 
 which were skilfully covered with blue slate) a profusion 
 of rich herbage of various kinds, delighted and regaled 
 us as we pursued our tranquil walk. The country is of 
 a gently-undulating character : but the flats or mea- 
 dows, between the parallel ranges of hills, are subject 
 to constant inundation from the sea ; and in an agri- 
 cultural point of view are consequently of little use, 
 except for summer grazing of the cattle. 
 
 It was drawing on to vespers as we approached the 
 Village of Arques : a young countryman, neatly dressed, 
 but bare-headed, having undertaken to conduct us thi- 
 ther by a nearer road. The old castle had frequently 
 peeped out upon us from its elevated situation ; but 
 we were resolved to see '^all that could be seen," — and 
 a French village, for the first time, was not to be over- 
 made themselves masters of the place. Henry caused it afterwards to 
 be dismantled . In the first half of the eighteenth century it received 
 very severe treatment from pillage, for the purpose of erecting public 
 and private buildings at Dieppe. The Revolution added to these 
 ravages: " Aujourd'hui ses tours, ses remparts, ce donjon qui reten- 
 tirent pendant plusieurs sifeclesdes crisdes combattans et dela victoire, 
 livr^s maintenant au plus morne silence, sont devenus le sejour des 
 hiboux et des oiseaux nocturnes :" such is the solemn description of 
 this venerable ruin by the author of the Itindraire de Rouen ^ 1816, p. 
 199. 
 
28 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 looked. Accordingly we made a complete detour; 
 and passing through the principal^ or high street^ ap- 
 proached the church. The bell was ringing for prayers 
 and we entered with the congregation. For a village 
 church, I hardly know a finer one th'an that of Arques : 
 it having much in common with portions of the cathe- 
 dral of Lincoln. The upper part of the outer walls, 
 with the tower and roof of the nave, are however com- 
 paratively modern ; but the interior, which is light and 
 airy, may be of the latter end of the xnith century.=^ This 
 interior is rather capacious, and may vie with any simi- 
 lar building, attached to a village, which the province 
 of Normandy (rich in ecclesiastical edifices can boast 
 of. We had no time to wait t he commencement of the 
 service, and indeed you will say we had ah-eady had a 
 sufficient portion ; but, on quitting the church,to ascend 
 the hill on which the castle stands, we passed a well- 
 dressed young lady, with a servant behind her, who was 
 hastening to prayers, and who entered the church with 
 the clergyman, whom she overtook on the way. We 
 had reason to be well satisfied with this excellent lady ; 
 for we found that, to preserve the old castle from utter 
 destruction, she had purchased it of government for 
 about seven thousand francs ; and by causing locks 
 and other fastenings to be applied to the principal 
 gates, she had secured it from the constant pillage 
 
 * The Itineraire de Rouen, 1816, p. 200, says, absurdly, that this 
 church is of the xith century. It possessed formerly a bust of Henry 
 IV., which is supposed to have been placed there after the famous 
 battle of Arques gained by Henry over the Duke of Mayenne in 1589. 
 The church was dedicated, according to the same authority, and with 
 more trutli, in 1257. 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 29 
 
 which used to be carried on within — for no one thought 
 of building', without demolishing a certain portion of 
 the castle for materials. To the best of my recollec 
 tion^ this lady's name is Barrois. She has certainly^ 
 in one of its very best senses, " deserved well of her 
 country." 
 
 The scite of the castle is admirable. Our approach 
 was to the western extremity ; which, as you look 
 down, brings the village and church of Arques in the 
 back-ground. Mr. Lewis, inspired I suppose by the 
 chaunt of the vespers, which we heard from our 
 elevated station — took out his pencil, and made the 
 following spirited httle design. 
 
30 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 If the eye were to be considered as a correct judge, 
 this venerable pile, composed of hard flint-stone, inter- 
 mixed with brick, (but not in layers, after the Roman 
 fashion of uniting these two materials) would perhaps 
 claim precedence, on the score of antiquity, over every 
 other relic of the middle ages. A deep moat, now dry 
 pasture land, with a bold acclivity before you, should 
 seem to bid defiance, even in times of old, to the foot 
 and the spear of the invader. There are circular towers 
 (as the view shews) at the extremities, and a square ci- 
 tadel or donjon within. Its area is also very extensive, 
 and perhaps yet retains its pristine limits as in the time 
 of William the Conqueror. The wars of Henry the 
 Fourth with the League helped to add to the previous 
 devastations; but, although one of the most ancient 
 and decayed-looking places of fortification imaginable — 
 and although, from the crumbling and broken outlines, 
 and the shelving of the banks rising from the moat, you 
 might expect it to yield within some few twenty years 
 to the ravages of time — yet I question if it be not tough 
 enough to outlive all the great great grand-children of 
 the present beholders of it ! To the north, a good deal 
 of earth has been recently thrown against the bases of 
 the wall. The day harmonised admirably with the 
 venerable object before us. The sunshine lasted but for 
 a minute : when afterwards a gloom prevailed, and not 
 a single catch of radiant light gilded any portion of 
 the building. All was gray, and quiet, and of a sombre 
 aspect, — and what i/ou, in your admiration of art, would 
 call in perfectly " fine keeping." Perhaps there is no 
 object which more powerfully excites meditation, and 
 calls forth the finer feelings connected with thoughts 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 31 
 
 upon the past, than that of an ancient, decayed, and 
 magnificently-situated castle. But all is here hushed ; 
 within and without. — Nor the harp of the minstrel, nor 
 the clang of armour, nor the echoes of the horn, nor the 
 uproar of the banquet — no, nor the invading nor the 
 repelling foe — are now heard or distinguished ! . . but — 
 It is time to wake out of this trance, and to pursue 
 our journey homeward. We descended the hill, bade a 
 long adieu to this venerable relic of the hardihood of 
 other times, and quickened our pace towards Dieppe. 
 As we gained upon the town, we began to discern groups 
 of rustics, as well as of bourgeoises, assembling and 
 mingling in the dance. The women never think of 
 wearing bonnets ; and you have little idea how bril- 
 liantly the red and blue* (the very colours of Ralfaelle's 
 Madonnas !) glanced backwards and forwards, amidst 
 the trunks of the fruit trees, to the sound of the spirit- 
 stirring violin. The high, stiff, starched cauchoise, with 
 its broad flappers, gave the finishing stroke to the 
 novelty and singularity of the scene ; and to their credit 
 be it spoken, the women were much more tidily dressed 
 than the men. We soon became spectators at more 
 than one place of festivity. The couples are frequently 
 female, for want of a sufficient number of beaus ; but, 
 whether correctly or incorrectly coupled, they dance 
 with earnestness, if not with agility. No foolish tricks, 
 or wanton mischief, ever disturbs the harmony of the 
 scene. It was a picture a la Teniers, without its occa- 
 sional grossness. "This then," said I to my companion, 
 " is what I have so often heard of the sabbath-gambols 
 of the French — and long may they enjoy them ! .... for 
 
 * The blue gown and red petticoat 3 or vice versa. 
 
32 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 they are surely better than the brutal orgies of a pot- 
 house, or the fanatical ravings of the tabernacle." You 
 will please to remember, my dear friend, that amidst 
 these groups, we discovered some score faces which we 
 had noticed the same morning in the cathedral ; and 
 as you cannot convince a Frenchman, or a Frenchwo- 
 man, that the evening of the sabbath may be better 
 devoted to a quiet stroll abroad, or to the perusal of 
 religious and instructive books at home, the mass of 
 people had better be so occupied than ... do worse ! 
 
 A late plain dinner, with our favourite vin ordinaire, 
 recruited our strength and kept us in perfectly good 
 humour with Dieppe. My companion, in the evenings 
 made a sketch of the fille de chambre, — an important 
 personage in my collection of costume — as you will 
 observe from the representation of her, here enclosed.* 
 She chose to put on her best bib and tucker" upon 
 the occasion — it being Sunday evening : so that you 
 behold her to every possible advantage. I have reason 
 to think that this costume, with very few and slight 
 variations, has continued for several centuries .-f- The 
 following and last day, spent at Dieppe, was as beau- 
 tiful as that of our voyage thither. Mr. Lewis began 
 at times with his pencil. He took a small bird's-eye 
 view of the harbour, and would have made another 
 drawing of a very picturesque character — were it not 
 for the fishing boats which continued to crowd into 
 
 * See the opposite Plate. The original thought it un peu trop 
 ag6e." 
 
 t The dress of the sailors is the same as in the xivth century 3 and 
 so probably is that of the women. The illuminations in Froissard and 
 Monstrelet clearly give us the Norman cauchoise. 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 33 
 
 the bason^ and^ by their extended sails^ to shut out 
 the view. He was also equally unfortunate in his 
 attempt at a sketch of the castle just above the town,^ 
 to the north-west^ but from another cause. On com- 
 mencing it, a centinel advanced, and brutally tore the 
 leaf out of his book — teUing him it was ' defendu.' He 
 was surely a boor of a centinel, and had never danced 
 on a Sunday evening ! To prohibit the drawing of an 
 unfortified place is quite a piece of absurdity ; and a 
 word to the Commandant would doubtless have equally 
 led to the chastisement of the centinel, and the gratifi- 
 cation of the artist's wishes . . . but " 9a ne vaut pas la 
 peine !" and I essayed to comfort Mr. L. upon his mis- 
 fortune. 
 
 Upon the whole the French are rather jealous of the 
 pencil of a British artist : for, on beginning the sketch 
 of the harbour, I was obliged to muster up all the 
 eloquence and logic I was master of, to persuade a 
 custom-house officer and a corps of gens-d' armes that 
 it was " tout-a-fait une affaire pittoresque, et qui n'avoit 
 aucun rapport a la guerre." A surly " hon !" was the 
 only reply to my remonstrance ; but " bon" was cer- 
 tainly preferable to another " defendu ! " 
 
 The deportment of the Dieppois towards the English, 
 is, upon the whole, rather gracious than otherwise ; 
 because the town profits by the liberality and love of 
 expense of the latter. Yet the young ones, as soon as 
 
 * It is built upon the scite of an old castle which was demolished at 
 the end of the xiith century j and the townsmen, fearing that it might 
 be rendered an important position to the Leaguers, in the xvith cen- 
 tury, proceeded to dismantle it. It was also materially injured in the 
 following century. 
 
34 
 
 DIEPPE. 
 
 they can lisp, are put in training for pronouncing the 
 G — d — ; and a few horribly-deformed and importunate 
 beggars are for ever assailing the doors of the hotels. 
 But beggary is nothing like so frightful an evil as I had 
 anticipated. The general aspect of the town seems to 
 indicate the poverty of the inhabitants ; their houses 
 being too vast to be entirely occupied^ The Boulevards, 
 facing the new bason, left unfinished by Napoleon, or 
 rather facing the range of meadows that run towards 
 the village of Arques, might be advantageously occu- 
 pied with houses ; but there is no speculation, and no 
 love of picturesque, among the French. I should not 
 be surprised, were the peace to continue a dozen years, 
 (and God send it may, three times three dozen of 
 years !) if a few adventurous English caused some more 
 houses to be built, to be tenanted on easy terms, as a 
 summer watering-place for those of their countrymen 
 who can only muster up courage sufficient just to put 
 their feet upon Gallic Ground. The immediate neigh- 
 bourhood of Dieppe, and its proximity to Rouen and 
 Paris, are inducements of no ordinary kind. 
 
 Bonaparte seems to have been very anxious about the 
 strengthening of the harbour ; the navigation into which 
 is somewhat difficult and intricate. The sides of the 
 walls, as you enter, are lofty, steep, and strong ; and 
 raised batteries would render any hostile approach 
 extremely hazardous to the assailants. 
 
 There is no ship -building at this moment going on : 
 the ribs of about half a dozen, half rotting, small mer- 
 chant-craft being all that is discernible. But much is 
 projected, and much is hoped from such projects. 
 Dieppe has questionless many local advantages both by 
 
DIEPPE. 
 
 35 
 
 land and by sea ; yet it will require a long course of 
 years to infuse confidence and beget a love of enter- 
 prise. In spite of all the naval zeal, it is here exhibited 
 chiefly as affording means of subsistence from the fish- 
 eries. The army will always be the favourite^ even at a 
 sea- port. A regiment marched into the town on Monday 
 evening. The men were intoxicated — and the officers 
 not only partook of the general inebriety^ but paraded 
 the streets arm in arm with the common men. This is 
 equally a decoy and a disgrace — and dared not have 
 been shewn at Versailles, or at Paris. I must not how- 
 ever conclude my Dieppe journal without telling you 
 that I hunted far and near for a good bookseller and 
 some old books — but found nothing worth the search, 
 except a well-printed old Rouen Missal, and a Terence 
 by Badius Ascensius, The booksellers are supplied with 
 books chiefly from Rouen; the local press being too 
 contemptible to mention. In respect to ' Boofe ratiti^iB?' 
 my countrymen had been beforehand with me ; and I 
 was told strange anecdotes of their lucky trouvailles, 
 and of their unlimited generosity. May this ever attend 
 them I 
 
36 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 ROUEN. APPROACH. BOULEVARDS. POPULATION. 
 STREET SCENERY. 
 
 Here I am^ my excellent good friend^ in the most 
 extraordinary city in the world. One rubs one's eyes, 
 and fancies one is dreaming, upon being carried through 
 the streets of this old-fashioned place : or that, by some 
 secret talismanic touch, we are absolutely mingling 
 with human beings, and objects of art, at the com- 
 mencement of the xvith century : so very curious, and 
 out of the common routine of things, is almost every 
 object connected with Rouen. But before I commence 
 my observations upon the town^ I must give you a brief 
 sketch of my journey thither. 
 
 Previously to leaving Dieppe, we had obtained our 
 regular circumstantial passports. No recruit was ever 
 more exactly measured than were Mr. L. and myself ; 
 and Linnaeus could not have written down the charac- 
 teristics of a plant with more scrupulous accuracy than 
 did the municipal officer survey and describe " Mes- 
 sieurs les Anglois." You should know, in few words, 
 that there is a printed list of the features ; so that the 
 scribe has only to add the epithet in writing to each 
 particular feature. 
 
 We had bespoke our places in the cabriolet of the 
 Lihgence, which just holds three, tolerably comfort- 
 able; provided there be a disposition to accommodate 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 37 
 
 each other. This cabriolet, as you have been often told, 
 is a sort of a buggy, or phaeton seat, with a covering of 
 leather, in the front of the coach. It is fortified with a 
 stiff leathern apron, upon the top of which is a piece of 
 iron, covered with the leather, to fasten firmly by means 
 of a hook on the perpendicular supporter of the head. 
 There are stiffish leathern curtains on each side, to be 
 drawn, if necessary, as a protection against the rain, &c. 
 You lean upon the bar, or top of this leathern apron, 
 which is no very uncomfortable resting-place. And 
 thus we took leave of Dieppe, on the 4th day after our 
 arrival there. As we were seated in the cabriolet, we 
 could scarcely refrain from loud laughter at the novelty 
 of our situation, and the grotesqueness of the convey- 
 ance. Our postilion was a rare specimen of his species, 
 and a perfectly unique copy. He fancied himself, I sup- 
 pose, rather getting " into the vale of years," and had 
 contrived to tinge his cheeks with a plentiful portion 
 of rouge. His platted and powdered hair was sur- 
 mounted with a battered black hat, tricked off with 
 faded ribband : his jacket was dark blue velvet, with 
 the insignia of his order upon his left arm. What struck 
 us as not a little singular, his countenance was no very 
 faint resemblance of that of Voltaire^ when he might 
 have been verging towards his sixtieth year. Most 
 assuredly he resembled him in his elongated chin, and 
 the sarcastic expression of his mouth. We rolled mer- 
 rily along — the horses sometimes spreading, and some- 
 times closing, according to the size of the streets through 
 which we were compelled to pass. Nothing apparently 
 can be more bungling than the management of the 
 conveyance, in going down hill. There is no such 
 
38 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 thing as a drag-chain; and at times the whole weight 
 of the machine seems to press upon the haunches of the 
 wheel-horses, — who, without breeching, go staggering 
 along, sometimes at right angles, sometimes almost in 
 one continued strait line with each other, turning face 
 to face. The reins and harness are of cord; which, 
 however, keep together pretty well. The postilion 
 endeavours to break the rapidity of the descent by 
 conducting the wheels over piles of gravel or rubbish, 
 which are laid at the sides of the road, near the ditch ; 
 so that, to those sitting in the cabriolet, and overlook- 
 ing the whole process, the effect, with weak nerves, is 
 absolutely terrific. They stop little in changing horses, 
 and the Diligence is certainly well managed ; and 
 in general no accidents occur. We carried with us 
 about fifty thousand francs of government money, and 
 a cavalry soldier (one t\ie gens-d' armes) accompanied 
 us, in consequence, all the way to Rouen. 
 
 The road from Dieppe to Rouen is wide, hard, and 
 in excellent condition. There are few or no hedges, 
 but rows of apple-trees afford a sufficient line of de- 
 markation. The country is open, and gently undulating ; 
 with scarcely any glimpses of what is called forest- 
 scenery, till you get towards the conclusion of the first 
 stage. There are several sharp ascents and descents ; 
 yet the conducteur does not request the passengers to 
 get down and walk. Nothing particularly strikes you 
 till you approach Malaunai, within about half a dozen 
 miles of Rouen, and of course after the last change of 
 horses. The environs of this beautiful village repay 
 you for every species of disappointment, if any should 
 have been experienced. The rising banks of a brisk 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 39 
 
 serpentine trout stream are studded with white houses, 
 in which are cotton manufactories that appear to be 
 carried on with spirit and success. Above these houses 
 are hanging- woods ; and though the early spring would 
 scarcely have coated the branches with green in our 
 own country, yet here there was a general freshness of 
 verdure, intermingled with the ruddy blossom of the 
 apple — altogether rejoicing" the eye and delighting the 
 heart. Occasionally there were dehcious spots, which 
 the taste and wealth of an Englishman would have 
 embellished to every possible degree of advantage. But 
 wealth, for the gratification of picturesque taste, is a 
 superfluity that will not fall to the lot of the French. 
 The Revolution seems to have drained their purses, as 
 well as daunted their love of enterprise, and thinned 
 their population. Along the road-side there were some 
 few houses of entertainment; and we observed the 
 emptied cabriolet and stationary voiture, by the side of 
 the gardens, where Monsieur and Madame, with their 
 families, tripped lightly along the vistos, and smirked 
 as John Bull saluted them! Moving vehicles, and 
 numerous riding and walking groups, increased upon 
 us, and every thing announced that we were approach- 
 ing a great and populous city. Let me tell you, how- 
 ever, that we had accompUshed the last eight miles 
 within an hour ; but during the preceding stages we had 
 not exceeded five miles in the hour. 
 
 The approach to Rouen is indeed magnificent. I 
 speak of the immediate approach ; after you reach the 
 top of a considerable rise, and are stopped by the bar- 
 riers. You then look down a strait, broad, and strongly 
 paved road, lined with a treble row of trees on each side. 
 
40 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 As the foliage was not thickly set, we could discern, 
 through the deUcately-clothed branches, the tapering- 
 spire of the Cathedral, and the more massive tower of the 
 Ahbaye de St. Ouen — with hanging gardens, and white 
 houses, to the left — covering a richly cultivated ridge of 
 hills, which sink, as it were into the Boulevards ; and 
 which is called the Faubourg Cauchoise. Perhaps 
 the Cathedral and St. Ouen are rather more in front ; 
 yet, with the town, they incline somewhat to the left : the 
 whole being built upon a slope. To the right, through 
 the trees, you see the river Seine (hereof no despicable 
 depth or breadth) covered with boats and vessels in 
 motion : the voice of commerce, and the stir of indus- 
 try, cheering and animating you as you approach the 
 town. We were told that almost every vessel which we 
 saw (some of them of two hundred, and even of three 
 hundred tons burden) was filled with brandy and wine. 
 The lamps are suspended from the centre of long- 
 ropes, across the road ; and the whole scene is of a 
 truly novel and imposing character. But how shall I 
 convey to you an idea of what I experienced, as, turn- 
 ing to the left, and leaving the broader streets which 
 flank the quay, we began to enter the penetralia of 
 this truly antiquated town. What narrow streets, 
 what overhanging houses, what bizarre,^ capricious 
 
 * The French themselves acknowledge that the houses and streets 
 are absolutely "frightful I strove frequently to defend them on 
 principles of picturesque taste, and from the association of ideas arising 
 from antiquity — but I should hope the defects of my speech, rather 
 than the weakness of my arguments, failed to produce the desired 
 effect. In Zeillefs European Topography ^ 1655, &c. folio, there is a 
 bird's-eye view of Rouen, of the date of 1620, [RothomagvS;, Rovan.] 
 about two feet two inches in length, by ten inches in width. It shows 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 41 
 
 ornaments — ^what a mixture of modern with ancient 
 art — what fragments or rather ruins, of old dehcately- 
 
 the old stone bridge (now destroyed) with two of the central arches 
 broken down — and therefore impassable. The walls and ramparts 
 are entire, and the view appears to be taken from the south-east 
 point. The hills surrounding it are thickly wooded. It exhibits but 
 indifferent art, yet is a pleasing print. There is another plate im- 
 mediately following it, of the date of 1655, where the bridge of boats 
 appears to the east of the old stone bridge, nearly one-half of which 
 latter is destroyed. This view is a ground plan : the walls, &c. are 
 entire j and the gardens, to the left of the western fauxbourgs, appear 
 rich and endless. 
 
 When I was at Paris, I examined, as the Abbe De la Rue advised 
 me, the three volumes of Drawings and Prints relating to Normandy, 
 which once belonged to De lioze, and are now to be found in the 
 Bibl. du Roy. Of their general merit this is not the place to say a word ; 
 but as connected with the preceding, and for the sake of juxta-position, 
 it may be as well to notice a few more old prints of Rouen. There 
 are three pretty etchings of the ruins of the old stone bridge by Israel 
 Silvestre. A bird's-eye view of the town, pretty much in the style of 
 that first above mentioned, after a painting by Georgius Hoefnagle. 
 A man and woman are in the foreground. It is an oblong clever 
 print. There is a duplicate of it. There is a large ground plan of 
 Rouen, with a small view in the corner : likewise an oblong view 
 in profile, as it were, by Silvestre : well engraved. Also a large bird's- 
 eye view, from a position, nearer than the two preceding, — sold by 
 H. Juillot—proche les grands Augustins au bout du pont neuf avec 
 priu, &c. : a black and badly- engraved print. Several similar views 
 not worth describing. There is an immense print, six feet, nine inches, 
 by two feet in width, of Rouen and its ramparts, published by 
 Jansen at Amsterda^m in 1631, with letter- press beneath. The inscrip- 
 tion above is in large white capital letters upon a black ground. It is 
 useful for the detail but the effect is bad. 
 
 There has been recently (1817) published a Carte Topographique de 
 la Ville et des Fauxbourgs de Rouen ; being a ground plan of the whole. 
 It is a large and handsome map, but perhaps too delicately executed 
 
42 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 built Gothic churches — what signs of former and of 
 modern devastation ! — what fountains, gutters, groups 
 of never-ceasing men, women, and children, all gay, 
 all occupied, and all apparently happy ! The Rue de la 
 Grosse Horloge (so called from a huge, clumsy, anti- 
 quated clock which goes across the street) struck us 
 as not among the least singular streets of Rouen. 
 Amazed, and half-bewildered, we turned floundering 
 from street to street, with the eyes of the gazing mul- 
 titude upon us, — " voila des Anglois ! " On reaching 
 the office of the Diligence, we prepared to put our 
 baggage in motion for the Hotel-V at el, the favourite 
 inn of the English. Porters appeared, with their 
 hottes upon their backs ; and a burden of at least 
 two hundred and fifty pounds was placed upon one of 
 those machines, and marched away with, in all the 
 triumph of conscious skill and strength. The hotte 
 is well contrived, causing the principal weight of 
 the burden to fall horizontally across the shoulders, 
 in an upright position, which is infinitely preferable to 
 the perpendicular pressure, from the English hnot, 
 upon the nape of the neck and shoulders. In five 
 minutes we were in the court-yard of the hotel, in the 
 centre of which was a large newly-constructed public 
 vehicle called a velocifere. The springs are enormous, 
 but there is much good sense in the planning of the 
 whole — and I thought that it savoured of British inge- 
 nuity, before I was told of the springs being actually 
 modelled after those of our own vehicles. 
 
 for its size, and the variety of objects which it embraces. It is never- 
 theless very useful, and has materially assisted me in designating with 
 accuracy the several places above mentioned. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 43 
 
 I commenced settling our plans by secm*ing rooms, 
 and bespeaking board and lodging " according to art." 
 The landlady^ a civil little woman^ soon convinced us 
 that she was perfect mistress of her occupation^ by an- 
 ticipating many of our wants, and answering all our 
 queries in a very good-humoured and satisfactory 
 manner. The relics of a table d'hote, hashed up in the 
 French style, was not the most agreeable dinner we 
 could have desired for our first meal — especially when 
 five francs were charged for one re-boiled fowl enfiladed 
 by sorel sauce ! However, here we are ; here we have 
 been these two days ; and here we purpose staying till 
 my particular objects of research shall have been ac- 
 complished. In spite of their national antipathies, the 
 French cannot but admit that in general " les Anglois 
 sont bien bons et tres propres." On the evening of 
 our arrival, we were soon saluted by a laquais de 
 place—the leech-like hanger-on of every hotel — who 
 begged to know if we would walk upon the Boule- 
 vards. We consented ; turned to the right ; and, gra- 
 dually rising, gained a considerable eminence. Again 
 we turned to the right, walking upon a raised prome- 
 nade ; while the blossoms of the pear and apple trees, 
 within a hundred walled gardens, perfumed the air 
 with their delicious fragrance. As we continued our 
 route along the Boulevard Beauvoisine, we gained one 
 of the most interesting and commanding views ima- 
 ginable of the city of Rouen — just at that moment 
 lighted up by the golden rays of a glorious setting sun 
 — which gave a broader and mellower tone to the 
 shadows upon the Cathedral and the Ahhey of St, 
 Ouen, The locality of Rouen renders it necessarily 
 1 
 
44 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 picturesque, view it from what station you will. 'Jo 
 convince you of this, examine the following sketch, 
 made but yesterday — from nearly the same spot, only 
 a little more elevated — by the indefatigable graphic 
 companion of my tour. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 45 
 
 The population of Rouen should seem to be after 
 the Chinese fashion : in other words., of an enormous 
 extent. It is supposed to amount to full one hundred 
 thousand souls. In truths there is no end to the suc- 
 cession of human beings. They swarm like bees, and 
 like bees are busy in bringing home the produce of 
 their industry. You have all the bustle and agitation 
 of Cheapside and Cornhill ; only that the ever-moving 
 scene is carried on within limits one-half as broad. 
 Conceive Bucklersbury, Cannon-street, and Thames- 
 street, — and yet you cannot conceive the narrow streets 
 of Rouen — filled with the flaunting cauchoise, and echo- 
 ing to the eternal tramp of the sabot. Here they are ; 
 men, women, and children, all abroad in the very 
 centre of the streets — alternately encountering the 
 splashing of the gutter, and the jostling of their towns- 
 men — while the swift cabriolet, or slow-paced cart, or 
 thundering diligence, severs them, and scatters them 
 abroad, only that they may seem to be yet more con- 
 densely united. Mr. L. with the natural enthusiasm 
 of his profession, becomes daily more in ecstacies with 
 all around him . . . for myself, it is with difficulty I am 
 persuaded that I am not living in the times of our 
 Henry VIII. and of their Francis I. ; and am half dis- 
 posed to inquire after the residence of George Tailleur 
 the printer — the associate, or foreign agent, of your 
 favourite Pynson,^ You will call this epistle a rare 
 rhapsody : but let it pass. To-morrow, and a few fol- 
 lowing days, 
 
 .... to fresh fields and pastures new . 
 For fields" you must read churches ; and for " pastures" 
 
 * See the Bibliographical Decameron, vol, ii. p. 137, 8. 
 VOL. I. D 
 
46 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 the public library^ booksellers' shops^ and printers' 
 offices. A thousand times farewell. 
 
 P. S. I cannot refrain from adding a postscript. Not- 
 withstanding all those tonneans d'eaii de vie and du 
 vin ordinaire, of which I spoke in the body of this letter, 
 we have been here upwards of forty-eight hours, and 
 have not yet encountered a drunken person. Their 
 brandy-shops (here, as well as at Dieppe) are however 
 as numerous as our pot-houses. 
 
47 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE. THE CATHEDRAL. 
 MONUMENTS. RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES. THE ABBEY 
 OF ST. OUEN. THE CHURCHES OF ST. MACLOU^ ST. 
 VINCENT^ ST. VIVIEN^ ST. GERVAIS^ AND ST. PAUL. 
 
 I HAVE now made myself pretty well acquainted with 
 the locale of Rouen. How shall I convey to you a 
 summary^ and yet a satisfactory^ description of it ? It 
 cannot be done. Let me prose away^ then, as I list 
 — and forgive all the minuteness, and even tautology, 
 of detail which you may encounter. You love old 
 churches, old books, and relics of ancient art. These 
 be my themes, therefore : so fancy yourself either 
 strolling leisurely with me arm in arm, in the streets, 
 or sitting at my elbow, conning over the marvellous 
 things that this city contains. First for the Cathe- 
 dral : — for what traveller of taste does not doff his 
 bonnet to the mother church of the town through 
 which he happens to be travelling — or in which he 
 takes up a temporary abode? You may remember 
 that I gave you a glimpse of this Cathedral in my 
 last letter, as we descended from the barriers down the 
 pav^, towards the city. At that time only its two end 
 towers, and central spire-crowned tower, were visible. 
 Now let us approach it in good earnest. The west- 
 front,* always the ^br^e of the architect's skill, strikes 
 
 * A view of this west front will be found in Mr. Cotman's Norman 
 Antiquities. 
 
48 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 you as you go down, or come up, the principal street ; 
 or La Rue des Carmes, which seems to bisect the town 
 into equal parts. A small open space, (which how- 
 ever has been miserably encroached upon by petty 
 shops) called the Flower-garden, is before this western 
 front — so that it has some little breathing room in 
 which to expand its beauties to the wondering eye of 
 the beholder. In my poor judgment, this western 
 front has very few elevations comparable with it=^ — even 
 Including those of Lincoln and York. It may pos- 
 sibly want the severe, simple, breadth of the former ; 
 but it unites vastness of outline with minuteness of 
 detail in a very extraordinary manner. The orna- 
 ments, especially upon the three porches, between the 
 two towers, are numerous, rich, and for the greater 
 part even yet entire : — in spite of the Calvinists-f', the 
 French revolution, and time. Among the lower and 
 smaller basso relievos upon these porches, is the sub- 
 ject of the daughter of Herodias dancing beforeHerod. 
 She is manoeuvering on her hands, her feet being up- 
 
 * few elevations comparable with it^ It is about 180 English feet 
 in width, by about 250 in the highest part of its elevation. The 
 plates which I saw at Mr. Frere's, bookseller, upon the Quai de Paris, 
 from the drawings of Langlois, were very inadequate representations 
 of the originals. 
 
 f in spite of the Calvinists] The ravages committed by the Calvinists 
 throughout nearly the whole of the towns in Normandy, and especially 
 in the cathedrals, towards the year 1560, afford melancholy proofs of 
 the effects of religious animosities — however real, or imaginary, might 
 have been the provocations experienced. But the Calvinists were 
 always a bitter and ferocious sect. Pommeraye, in his quarto volume, 
 Histoire de VEglise Cathedrale de Rouen, 1686, has devoted nearly 
 one hundred pages to an account of Calvinistic depredations : p. 86- 
 157- Farinis necessarily brief. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 49 
 
 wards. To the right, the decapitation of St. John is 
 taking' place. 
 
 Of the two towers, at the western extremity, on look- 
 ing at the cathedral, that to the left, or the northern 
 tower, is very much the older — perhaps of the early 
 part of the xiith century, if not of the latter part of 
 the XI th.* It wants, however, the elegance of the 
 opposite, or southern tower, which I imagine to be of 
 the xivth century; but of which the upper part is 
 clearly of the sixteenth. 
 
 Before I take you into the cathedral, you must just 
 step on each side to obtain a view of the transept 
 doors. They are both extremely elaborate in their 
 sculpture, but the exterior approach to the northern is 
 narrow and confined — little frequented — and half 
 choked with every species of revolting nuisance. The 
 southern transept makes amends for the defects of its 
 opposite neighbour. The space before it is devoted to 
 a sort of vegetable market : curious old houses flank 
 this space : and the ascent to the door, but more especi- 
 ally the curiously sculptured porch itself, with the open 
 spaces in the upper part — flight, fanciful, and striking 
 to a degree — produce an effect as pleasing as it is extra- 
 ordinary. Add to this, the ever-restless feet of suppli- 
 ants, going in and coming out — the worn pavement, 
 and the frittered ornaments, in consequence — seem to 
 
 * The author of the DescriptioTi Historique de Notre Dame de Rouen, 
 1816, 8vo. p. 12, 13, (judiciously compiled from the larger works of 
 Pommeraye and Farin) assigns the year 1100 as that of the com- 
 mencement of the building of this tower. He seems to think it pro- 
 bable that it was built upon the scite of the ancient tower erected by 
 St. Romanus, about the year 633. The upper part of the tower is 
 however of the end of the xvth. century. 
 
50 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 convince you that the ardour and activity of devotion 
 are almost equal to that of business. It was in front 
 of this south transept, for five successive days, sitting 
 within the chamber of a miserable entresol, (over 
 what in England we should call a liquor-shop) that 
 Mr. Lewis made the enchanting drawing which ac- 
 companies this dispatch. =^ 
 
 As you enter the cathedral, at the centre door, by 
 descending two steps, you are struck with the length 
 and loftiness of the nave, and at the lightness of the 
 gallery which runs along the upper part of it. By a 
 gallery, I mean a sort of open work, or passage left be- 
 tween the upper ornamental arches and the solid walls. 
 This continues throughout the choir also. Perhaps 
 the nave is too narrow for its length. The lantern of 
 the central large tower is beautifully light and striking. 
 It is supported by four massive clustered pillars, 
 about forty feet in circumference ; but on casting your 
 eye downwards, you are shocked at the tasteless divi- 
 sion of the choir from the nave by what is called a Gre- 
 cian screen : and the interior of the transepts has under- 
 gone a like preposterous restoration. The rose windows 
 of the transepts, and that at the west end of the nave, 
 merit your attention and commendation. I know you 
 will be anxious to have an account of monuments, stain- 
 ed glass, and of all the et ceteras of cathedral accom- 
 paniments. But remember, I am not only not an archi- 
 tectural antiquary, but, in order to satisfy your wishes 
 on this head, you must absolutely read professional 
 treatises — till the enterprising and well-directed taste 
 
 * See the opposite plate. M. Cotman intends publishing a portion 
 of the same subject 3 upon a larger scale, as an etching. 
 
ROUEN. 51 
 
 of Mr. Britton send some British artist over to do jus- 
 tice to the manifold beauties of this venerable building. 
 ' Yet the drawings and etchings of M. Cotman, of which 
 I heard much from the inhabitants^ may possibly 
 render the enterprise of Mr. Britton useless. I could 
 not avoid noticing^ to the rights, upon entrance^ perhaps 
 the oldest side chapel in the cathedral ; of a date little 
 less ancient than that of the northern tower^ before 
 mentioned. It contains by much the finest specimens 
 of stained glass — of the early part of the xvith century. 
 The capitals of the pillars are of a twelfth century aspect 
 — for I dread the chastisement of our friend N=^^=^*^^ if 
 I carry them only into the last ten years of the eleventh ! 
 There is also some beautiful stained glass on each side 
 of the Chapel of the Virgin^=^ behind the choir ; but 
 although very ancient, it is the less interesting, as 
 not being composed of groups, or of historical subjects. 
 Yet, in this, as in almost all the churches which I 
 have seen, frightful devastations have been made 
 among the stained-glass windows by the fury of the 
 Revolutionists. 
 
 Respecting the Monuments, I have no time, and 
 less inclination, to be copiously minute : never having 
 possessed that patient spirit of tomb-stone chronicling 
 which is painfully evident even in the pages of some of 
 
 * This chapel is about ninety-five English feet in length, by thirty 
 in width, and sixty in heighth. The sprawling painting by Philippe de 
 Champagne^ at the end of it^ has no other merit than that of covering 
 so many square feet of wall. The architecture of this chapel is of 
 the xivth century : the stained glass windows are of the latter end of the 
 xvth.' On going the circuit of the cathedral, one is surprised to count 
 not fewer than twenty-Jive chapels. 
 
52 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 our best antiquaries. Yet you ought to know that the 
 famous RoLLo=^ lies in one of the side-chapels^ further 
 
 * the famous Hollo.] M. Gilbert, the autiior of the Description, &c. 
 (mentioned at page 49, ante) says that both Rollo and his son William 
 were buried in the south side of the cathedral, and that their remains 
 were discovered about the year 1200, on building the present choir — and 
 that it was Rollo who built the ancient cathedral — according to 
 Ordericus Vitalis and other contemporaneous historians," p. 56*. But 
 it must be observed that Vitalis, (as may be seen in Duchesne's Hist. 
 Normann. Script, p. 459) says not a word about it : and from the pages 
 of the Neustria Pia, (9,300-1) it should seem that Rollo was rather 
 partial to the Abbey of St. Ouen, He died in 917. On the opposite 
 side-chapel is the tomb of his son William Longespee, who was taken 
 off treacherously in 944, and his remains carried for interment to the 
 cathedral. The monumental inscriptions of these are as follow : 
 Pommeraye (p. 68) having given the more ancient ones. 
 
 Rollo. William. 
 
 Hie positus est Hie positus est 
 
 Rollo Guillelmus Dictus Longua Spata 
 
 Normanii ast territi Vastatae RoUonis Filius, 
 
 Restitutse Dux Normanniae 
 
 Primus Dux Conditor Pater Proditorie Occisus dccccxxxxiv. 
 
 A Francone Archiep. Rotom. Ossa Ipsius in veteri Sanctuario, 
 
 Baptizatus Anno dccccxiii. Ubi nunc est Caput Navis Primum 
 
 Obiit Anno dccccxvii. Condita, Translate Altari, Hie 
 
 Ossa ipsius in veteri Sanctuario CoUocata sunt ^ B. Maurilio 
 
 Nunc capite Navis Primum Archiepisc. Rotom. 
 
 Condita, Anno mlxiii. 
 Translate Altari, CoUocata 
 Sunt ^B. Maurilio Archiep. Rotom. 
 An. mlxiii. 
 
 But towards the end of the choir, at the back of the high altar, are 
 
 monumental inscriptions yet more interesting to Englishmen. The 
 brother of Richard I. Richard I. himself, and John Duke of Bedford. 
 As they are short I shall give them : 
 
 Richard I. Henry the Younger. 
 
 Cor Hie Jacet 
 
 Richardi Regis Angli* Henricus Junior 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 53 
 
 down to the right, upon entering' ; although his monu- 
 ment cannot be older than the xiiith century. As you 
 
 Normanniae Ducis Richardi Regis Angliae 
 
 Cor Leonis Dicti Cor Leonis Dicti Frater 
 
 Obiit Anno Obiit Anno 
 
 mcxcix. mclxxxiii. 
 John Duke of Bedford. 
 
 Ad dextrum Altaris Latus 
 Jacet 
 
 Ioannes Dux Betfordi 
 Normannise pro Rex 
 Obiit Anno 
 
 MCCCCXXXV. 
 
 The Duke's tomb will be seen engraved in Sandford's Genealogical His- 
 tory, p. 314 ; which plate^ in fact, is the identical one used by Ducarel^ 
 who had the singularly good fortune to decorate his Anglo-Norman 
 Antiquities without any expense to himself. 
 
 The above is the famous Duke of Bedford, of bibliomaniacal cele- 
 brity. Consult for one minute the Bibl. Decameron, vol. i. p. cxxxvi. 
 There is a curious chapter in Pommeraye's Histoire de VEglise Cathe- 
 drale de Rouen, p. 203, respecting the Duke's taking the habit of a 
 canon of the cathedral. He attended, with his first wife, Anne of Bur- 
 gundy, and threw himself upon the liberality and kindness of the monks, 
 to be received by them as one of their order : il les prioit d'etre re^eu 
 parmy eux comme un de leurs frferes, et d'avoir tous les jours distribu- 
 tion de pain et de vin, et pour marque de fraternite d'etre vetu du sur- 
 plis et de I'aumusse : comme aussi d'etre associe, luy et sa tres gene- 
 reuse et tres illustre epouse, aux suffrages de leur compagnie, et a la 
 participation de tous les biens qu'il plaira k Dieu leur donner la grace 
 d'operer," p. 204. A grand procession marked the day of the Duke's 
 admission into the monkish fraternity. The whole of this, with the 
 Duke's superb presents to the sacristy, and his dining with his Duchess, 
 and receiving their portion of eight loaves and four gallons of wine," 
 are distinctly narrated by the minute Pommeraye. 
 
 Sandford, after telling us that he thinks there never was any por- 
 traiture" of the Duke, thus sums up his character. He was justly 
 accounted one of the best generals that ever blossomed out of the royal 
 stem of Plantagenet. His valour was not more terrible to his enemies 
 
54 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 approach the Chapel of the Virgin, you pass by an 
 ancient monument, to the left, of a recumbent Bishop, 
 reposing behind a thin pillar, within a vastly-pretty 
 ornamented Gothic arch. To the eye of a tasteful anti- 
 quary, this cannot fail to have its due attraction. While 
 however we are treading- upon hallowed ground, ren- 
 dered if possible more sacred by the ashes of the illus- 
 trious dead, let us move gently onwards towards the 
 Chapel of the Virgin — behind the choir. See what bold 
 and brilliant monumental figures are yonder, to the 
 right of the altar ! How gracefully they kneel, and how 
 devoutly they pray ! They are the figures of the Car- 
 dinals d'Amboise^' — uncle and nephew : — the former, 
 
 than his memory honourable j for (doubtful whether with more glory to 
 him^ or to the speaker) King Lewis the Eleventh^ being counselled by 
 certain envious persons to deface his tomb (wherein with him^ saith 
 one, was buried all English men's good fortune in France) used these 
 indeed princely words : ' What honour shall it be to us, or you, to break 
 this monument, and to pull out of the ground the bones of Him, whom, 
 in his life time, neither my father nor your progenitors, with all their 
 puissance, were once able to make flie a foot backwarde ? who, by his 
 strength, policy and wit, kept them all out of the principal dominions 
 of France, and out of this noble duchy of Normandy ? Wherefore, I 
 say first, God save his Soul 3 and let his body now lie in rest, which, 
 when he was alive, would have disquieted the proudest of us all. And 
 for THIS Tomb, I assure you it is not so worthy or convenient as his 
 honour and acts have deserved.'" p. 314-5, Ed. I707. 
 
 * the Cardinals d'Amboise.j France can boast of few brighter orna- 
 ments of church and of state than were these Cardinals : both of the 
 Christian name of George. The uncle died in 1510 : the nephew about 
 thirty years afterwards. It was the uncle, minister of Louis XIL who 
 diverted the rivers of Rohec and Auhette so as to pass through the city of 
 Rouen for the purpose of dyeing and manufacturing woollen cloths. 
 He also caused to be built, at his own expense, the whole of the facade 
 of the west front, between the towers^ running over the ancient porches 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 55 
 
 minister of Louis XII. and (what does not necessarily 
 follow^ but what gives him an infinitely higher claim 
 
 — " full (says Gilbert) of the most beautiful filagree-looking work." 
 The magnificent tomb, above mentioned, was executed at the charge 
 and cost of the nephew, and finished in 15^2 The names of the artists 
 employed upon it are, unfortunately, unknown. It is about twenty-three 
 feet high, by seventeen in length ; and displays the following inscrip- 
 tion : 
 
 PASTOR ERAM CLERI, POPULI PATER, AUREA SESE 
 
 LILIA SUBDEBANT, QUERCUS ET IPSA MIHI. 
 MORTUUS EN lACEO, MORTE EXTINGUUNTUR HONORES : 
 
 AT VIRTUS MORTIS NESCIA, MORTE VIRET. 
 
 This sumptuous monument was erected in the year 1522, by George 
 d'Amboise, the nephew, when he was only Archbishop of Kouen, and 
 had no great expectation of obtaining the purple j so that his statue, 
 which was at that time placed on the mausoleum, represented him 
 dressed in his archiepiscopal habit : but as soon as he had procured a 
 cardinal's hat, he ordered his statue to be taken down, and replaced by 
 that which we now see. This mausoleum is said to have been seven 
 years in making." Ducarel5 p. 19. I wish Ducarel had stated his 
 authority for this anecdote. The word quercus/' in the above inscrip- 
 tion, alludes to Pope Julius II. who was of the house of Rovera : it is 
 the Italian word latinised. Perhaps the three greatest ministers which 
 France ever possessed, were Amboise, Sully, and Colbert. Voltaire, 
 who always loved a sneer at churchmen, says, that if Amboise had but 
 one benefice in his own diocese, the whole Kingdom of France served 
 him for a second! It may have been so 5 for the Archbishop died 
 immensely rich — leaving (according to the authors of the Gallia Chris- 
 tiana, vol. xi. col. 96,) not less than 300,000 crowns (aureorum, qu. ?) 
 behind him — but then he made the poor his heirs, and willed that 
 they should enjoy every thing which he had accumulated by means of 
 his archiepiscopal, or other, revenues." Pope Julius II. pretended that 
 Amboise had no right, as a churchman, to leave such an immense pro- 
 perty behind him : but the King (Louis XII.) w.as of a different opinion j 
 and, on the other hand, forbade the interference of the Pope in the dis- 
 position of private property. The Archbishop's improvements in the 
 
56 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 upon the gratitude of posterity) the restorer and beau- 
 tifier of the glorious building in which you are contem- 
 plating his figure ! This splendid monument is entirely 
 of black and white marble, of the early part of the six- 
 teenth century. The figures just mentioned are of white 
 marble, kneeling upon cushions, beneath a rich canopy 
 of Gothic fret-work. They are in their professional robes ; 
 their heads are bare, exhibiting the tonsure, with the hair 
 in one large curl behind. A small whole-length figure of 
 St, George, their tutelary saint, is below them, in gilded 
 
 Cathedral alone shewed the liberality and munificence of his cha- 
 racter. His letters must be interesting 5 and especially those to Francis 
 de Paula (of the order of the MinimeSj to which order the Cardinal was 
 much attached) , of whom he was very fond. The Cardinal died in his 
 fiftieth year only 5 and his funeral was graced and honoured by the pre- 
 sence of his royal master. Guicciardini calls him the oracle and right 
 arm of Louis." Of eight brothers, whom he left behind, four attained 
 to the episcopal rank. His nephew succeeded him as Archbishop. See 
 also Historia Genealogica Magnatum Francicc ; vol. vii, p. 129 : quoted 
 in the work last mentioned. 
 
 It was during the archiepiscopacy of the successor of the nephew of 
 Amboise — namely, that of Charles of Bourbon — that the Calvinistic 
 persecution commenced. Tunc vero coepit ci vitas, dicecesis, univer- 
 saque provincia lamentabilem in modum conflictari, saevientibus ob reli- 
 gionis dissidia plusquam civilibus bellis," ike. But then the good Arch- 
 bishop, however bountiful he might have been towards the poor at 
 Roncevalles, (when he escorted Philip H.'s first wife Elizabeth, daughter 
 of Henry II. to the confines of Spain, after he had married her to that 
 wretched monarch) should not have inflamed the irritated minds of 
 the Calvinists, by burning alive, in 1559, John Cottin, one of their 
 most eminent preachers ^ by way of striking terror into the rest ! . . Well 
 might the Chronicler observe, as the result, " novas secta ilia in dies 
 acquirebat vires." About 1560-^2 the Calvinists got the upper hand 3 
 and repaid the Catholics with a vengeance ! Charles of Bourbon died 
 in 1590 : so that he had an arduous and agitated time of it. 
 
ROUEN. 57 
 
 marble : and the whole base, or lower frieze, of the 
 monument is surrounded by six delicately sculptured 
 females, about three feet high, emblematic of the vir- 
 tues for which these cardinals were so eminently dis- 
 tinguished. Take one — as a specimen — representing 
 Charity. 
 
 The cross and the heart were mutilated during the 
 Revolution. These figures again are flanked by eight 
 smaller ones, placed in carved niches ; while above 
 them, in turn, are the twelve Apostles, not less beau- 
 tifully executed. 
 
58 ROUEN. 
 
 On gazing at this splendid monument of ancient piety 
 and liberality — and with one's mind deeply intent 
 upon the characters of the deceased — let us fancy 
 we hear the sound of the great bell from the south- 
 west tower . . .called Amboise Tower^ . . . erected^ both 
 
 * called Amboise Tower.] You can never approach the Cathedral 
 without being teased by a half-dozen ragged-coated little rogues, who 
 importune you to mount the tower." But the Great Tom of France 
 no longer exists there. This bell was broken in the year 1786, on the 
 arrival of Louis XVI. at Rouen ; and during the revolutionary period 
 of 1793 it was conveyed to Romilly, for the purpose of being melted 
 into cannon. Yet fragments of it were transported to the mint at Paris, 
 for the sake of striking a few medals from it. These medals are of the 
 rarest possible occurrence. Millin, in his Hist. Medaillique de la Revolu- 
 tion Franraise, Paris, 1808, 8vo. has engraved the two sides of one. 
 The English are fond of the histories of great bells 3 and I shall give 
 a very brief one of the present. It was cast in 1501, under the auspices 
 of the first Cardinal d' Amboise, by one Jean le Masson, or Machon j 
 who, the story goes, died of joy on having succeeded in the attempt, 
 and was buried at the end of the nave under a small tomb, with a 
 bell sculptured upon it. The following were the verses upon his 
 tomb, before the Revolution had destroyed both : 
 
 Cy-dessous gist Jehan le Machon, 
 
 De Cfiartres, homme de fachon, 
 Lequel fondist Georges d' Amboise, 
 
 Qui trente-six mille livre poise, 
 Mil cinq cens tin, jour d^aoust deucoiesme. 
 
 Puis mourust le vingt et uniesme. 
 This unfortunately- sensitive artist never lived to hear the sound of the 
 bell which he had manufactured ; for it was not rung until the 1 6th of 
 February, 1502, by sixteen men. See Pommeraije, p. 50. 1686, foHo. 
 The following was the quatrain, in Gothic letters, which was cut upon 
 the bell itself : 
 
 3(e miss nommee (Georges ti'^lmboiise, 
 SHui bien trente-isijcmille poise : 
 
 QBt til qui bien me poiseia, 
 
 2Iiuarante mille 2 troubera. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 59 
 
 the bell and the tower, by the uncle and minister 
 d'Amboise. How the tone goes to one's heart! 
 How the nave and the choir reverberate its echoes ! 
 'Tis delusion all ; a mere cheat of the imagination. 
 But know, my dear friend, that there was once a bell, 
 (and the largest in Europe, save one) which used to 
 send forth its sound, for three successive centuries, from 
 the said tower. This bell was broken about thirty years 
 ago, and was destroyed in the ravages of the immedi- 
 ately succeeding years. =^ The south-west tower remains 
 and the upper part of the central tower, with the whole 
 of the lofty wooden spire : — the fruits of the liberality 
 of the excellent men of whom such honourable mention 
 has been made. Considering that this spire is very lofty, 
 and composed of wood, it is surprising that it has not 
 
 Below these were sixteen hexameter and pentameter verses. The dia- 
 meter of the beU was nearly eleven feet English. The enormous size of 
 the clapper (weighing 1838 lbs.) is said to have been the cause of the 
 original fracture. The knob of this clapper, yet in existence at the 
 door of a blacksmith of Deville, a village near Rouen, is seventeen inches 
 thick. It follows that this bell, although smaller than that at Moscow, 
 was the largest in the world which was placed in a tower and sounded. 
 
 It may be worth further remarking, that this tower goes by the name 
 of the Butter Tower. In other words, the Pope permitted the town's- 
 folk and country people, who had contributed by liberal donations to its 
 re-edification, to sell butter and milk in the market-place during Lent. 
 
 * The choir was formerly separated from the surrounding chapels^ 
 or rather from the space between it and the chapels, by a superb brass 
 grating, full of the most beautiful arabesque ornaments — another testi- 
 mony of the magnificent spirit of the Cardinal and Prime Minister of 
 Louis XII. : whose arms, as well as the figure of his patron, St. George, 
 
 were seen in the centre of every compartment The Revolution 
 
 has not left a vestige behind ! 
 
60 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 been destroyed by tempest, or accident from lightning.''^ 
 The taste of it is rather capricious than beautiful. 
 
 But I have not yet done with the monuments, or 
 rather have only commenced the account of them. 
 Examine yonder recumbent figure, to the left of the 
 altar, opposite the splendid monument upon which I 
 have just been dilating. It is lying upon its back, with 
 a ghastly expression of countenance, representing the 
 moment when the last breath has escaped from the 
 body. It is the figure of the Grand Seneschal de 
 Breze,-!^ — Governor of Rouen, and husband of the 
 celebrated Diane de Poictiers — that thus claims our 
 attention. This figure is quite naked, lying upon its 
 back, with the right hand placed upon the stomach, 
 but in an action which indicates life — and therefore is in 
 bad taste, as far as truth is concerned ; for the head being 
 
 * It has, however, undergone great changes and reparations. This 
 central tower, with the superincumbent spire, displays the architecture 
 of the XI nth, xivth, and xvth centuries. From bottom to top it is four 
 hundred and thirty English feet in height. The cock is fixed upon a 
 slender base of only six inches j yet it measures three feet and a half in 
 length. It is supposed to be precisely parallel with the top of Mont St. 
 Catharine. Let me add, that the whole length of the cathedral is about 
 four hundred and forty feet ; and the transept about one hundred and 
 seventy-five, English measure. The height of the nave is about ninety, 
 and of the lantern one hundred and sixty-eight feet, EngUsh. The 
 length of the nave is two hundred and twenty-eight feet. 
 
 t the Grand Seneschal De Breze'.] He died in 1.531. Both 
 the ancient and yet existing inscriptions are inserted by Gilbert, 
 from Pommeraye and Farin, and formerly there was seen, in the 
 middle of the monument, the figure of the Seneschal habited as a 
 Count, with all the insignia of his dignity. But this did not outlive 
 the Revolution. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 61 
 
 fallen back, much shrunken, and with a ghastly ex- 
 pression of countenance — indicating that some time 
 has elapsed since it breathed its last — the hand 
 could not rest in this position. The cenotaph is of 
 black marble, disfigured by the names of idle visi- 
 tors who choose to leave such impertinent memorials 
 behind! The famous Goujon is supposed to be the 
 sculptor of the figure, which is painfully clever, but it 
 strikes me as being too small. At any rate, the arms 
 and body seem to be too strong and fleshy for the 
 shrunken and death- stricken expression of the counte- 
 nance. Above the Seneschal, thus prostrate and life- 
 less, there is another and a very clever representation 
 of him on a smaller scale; as the following copy (sup- 
 plied from an etching by an ingenious female) evi- 
 dently proves. 
 
62 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 On each side of this figure (which has not escaped 
 serious injury) are two females in white marble ; one 
 representing the Virgin, and the other Diana of 
 PoiCTiERS :* they are little more than half the size of 
 
 * Diana of Poictiers.] — Again mention made of this extraor- 
 dinary woman ! ? (See the Bibliographical Decameron, vol. ii. p. 486, 
 &c.) The other figure^ with a child in its arms, supposed to be 
 the Virgin, is by some with more propriety thought to be the 
 nurse of the Seneschal. She is in the act of giving nourishment 
 to a child, and the child is considered to be no less a personage 
 than the Seneschal himself. In Pommeraye's time (about the 
 year 1680) there used to be a number of votive gifts presented by 
 the piety of the faithful." These have been all stolen. Besides the 
 two figures of the Virgin or Nurse^ and Diana, there are, by the side of 
 the equestrian statue, female figures representing the four virtues 
 Prudence, Glory, Victory, and Faith. To her honour it must be 
 mentioned, that Diana was exceedingly liberal in her presents to the 
 Cathedral. I regretted that I had not an opportunity of visiting even 
 the scite only of the Chateau d'Anet, the residence of that extraordi- 
 nary woman — especially as it was near Dreux^ in the neighbourhood of 
 Rouen — but I was deterred by the assurance that not a vestige of it re- 
 mained the whole having been broken up and appropriated during 
 the revolution. Gilbert quotes the verses upon this castle by Voltaire, 
 in his Henriade, 
 
 II voit les murs d^Anet, batis aux bords de PElure j 
 
 Lui-meme en ordonna la superbe structure. 
 
 and refers to the Anecdotes^ 8ic. des Reines et Regentes de France, 
 1776, vol. iv. p. 456. 
 
 Brantome may be advantageously consulted j as will be acknow- 
 ledged on reading the smart and lively account of Diana in the Vlllth. 
 chapter of the 1st volume of [Sir Nathaniel] Wr ax alV s Memoirs of the 
 Kings of France; 1777i8vo. an amusing, and now uncommon perform- 
 ance. In Zeillefs Topography of Gaul, forming three volumes out of the 
 sixteen in folio, of his views of the principal towns in Europe, 1650, 
 &c., there is a bird's eye view of the Chateau d'Anet, from which it 
 appears to have been, even at that time, in every respect magnificent 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 63 
 
 life. The whole is in the very best style of the sculp- 
 ture of the time of Francis I. These precious speci- 
 
 and complete. A kind of heavy portal entrance, in the middle, (like that 
 which may be now seen at the late Colonel Serjeantson's mansion, 
 near Cuckfield, in Sussex,) conducted you into a mansion containing 
 three sides of a sort of college quadrangle — the ends, upon entering, 
 having round towers, of a castellated structure. Immediately behind 
 the house was a sumptuous garden, laid out in formal flower beds, 
 and flanked, apparently, by offices and garden houses. Two foun- 
 tains played in the middle. Behind the garden, again, there was a 
 large smooth meadow or lawn, with a piece of water in the middle — 
 the whole surrounded by trees. On each side of the house, was a 
 large court, surrounded with offices for servants. In the centre of 
 each court a large fountain played j having a stag in the centre of one, 
 and a statue of Diana in that of the other. To the right of the right 
 hand court, appears what may be called stables — or the menagerie 
 of Diana : and behind this, was a thick wood or forest. Upon a hill, to 
 the left of the meadow behind the garden, was a church and a cru- 
 cifix by the side of it. Everything wears the aspect of a royal resi- 
 dence. Sir N. Wraxall observes that it was respectable even when he 
 saw it in 1774. 
 
 It must be admitted that Diana, when she caused the verses 
 
 Indimlsa tihi quondam et fidissima conjux 
 V t fuit hi thalamo, sic er'it in tmmilo. 
 
 to be engraved upon the tomb of the Seneschal, might well have 
 " moved the bile" of the pious Benedictine Pommeraye, and have ex- 
 cited the taunting of Ducarel, when they thought upon her subse- 
 quent connexion, in the character of mistress, with Henry the Second 
 of France. Henry however endeavoured to compensate for his indis- 
 cretions by the pomp and splendor of his processions. Rouen, so cele- 
 brated of old for the entries of Kings and Nobles, seems to have been 
 in a perfect blaze of splendor upon that of the Lover of Diana — qui 
 fut plus magnifique que toutes celles qu'on avoit vu jusqu'alors :" see 
 Farins Hist, de la Ville de Rouen, vol. i.p. 121, where there is a sin- 
 gularly minute and gay account of all the orders and degrees of citi- 
 zens — (with their gorgeous accoutrements of white plumes, velvet 
 
64 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 mens of art^ as well as several other similar remains, 
 were carried away during the revolution, to a place of 
 
 hats, rich brocades, and curiously wrought taffetas) of whom the pro- 
 cessions were composed. It must have been a perfectly dramatic 
 sight, upon the largest possible scale. It was from respect to the 
 character or the memory of Diana, that so many plaister-representa- 
 tions of her were erected on the exteriors of buildings : especially of 
 those within small squares or quadrangles. In wandering about 
 Rouen, I stumbled upon several old mansions of this kind. 
 
 May I be forgiven for an extension of this note ? — already perhaps 
 somewhat unconscionably long. De Thou, who was a little boy, 
 about six years of age, when he was present at the tilting match be- 
 tween Henry II. and Mongomery (so fatal to the former,*) seems to 
 have been unusually enflamed against Diana : and certainly he lived 
 near enough to the time in which she ruled her royal lover, to gather 
 evidence which would necessarily escape a later historian. He calls 
 her a woman of a proud and weak understandings" adding, that it 
 was thought she ruled Henry by means of philtres and charms, and 
 that she preserved her unbounded influence over him, till the close of 
 his life. All things (continues he) were ruled by her authority 3 and 
 Montmorenci himself submitted to the veriest acts of meanness to in- 
 gratiate himself with her — ^' pessimo exemplo summi imperii ad im- 
 potentis foeminae libidinem prostituti." A little onward he says that 
 
 * " Je vis blesser le Roi Henry 11. par Mongommery. La Reine m^re fit 
 demolir les Tournelles pour ce fait : lieu ainsi appelle, a cause d'un vieux 
 Chateau, ou il y avoit beaucoup de tournelles." See the Thuana, p. 199 : 
 attached to De Thou's Hist, sui temp. De Thou treats this duel (in which the 
 stump of Mongomery's lance penetrated the eye and fractured the skull 
 of Henry) much too seriously. A various reading has it — regem, in gre- 
 garii militis modum, dignitatis suae oblitum, inter ludos jocosque periisse." 
 But surely it was only the indulgence of a high chivalrous feeling, common to 
 that age — and which had been in some sort practised by Henry's own father 
 \\Ax\\ our Henry VIII. Besides, it must be remembered that Mongomery, 
 the ablest champion of the lance in Christendom, was compelled unwillingly 
 to fight. De Thou says that Henry's death was predicted by Luca Guaricus, 
 a mathematician and conjuror. See Ms History ; vol. i. p. 762-3. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 65 
 
 safety. The choir is spacious^ and well adapted to its 
 purposes ; but who does not grieve to see the Arch- 
 bishop's stalls once the most curious and costly, of the 
 Gothic order, and executed at the end of the xvth cen- 
 tury, transformed into a stately common-place canopy, 
 supported by columns of chestnut-wood carved in the 
 Grecian style ? The Library, which used to terminate 
 the north transept, is — not gone — but transferred. A 
 fanciful stair-case, with an appropriate inscription,^^ 
 
 the King ^' efFus^ Annam diligebat" — and that Diana was equally 
 
 mistress of the royal stud and palace." Hist. Sui Temporis : edit. 
 Buckley, vol. i, p. 108-9. At p. 767 he thus describes her downfall: 
 .... Deserted in her utmost need 
 
 By those her former bounty fed ! ... . 
 Valentina [she was the Duchesss de Valentinois] ignominiose 
 aula exigitur, regia gaza ac gemmis ingentis pretii, quas ilia penes se 
 habebat, non sine exprobratione repetitis : quod insigne fluxae auli- 
 corum fidei testimonium fuit. Nam ex iis omnibus, quos, dum rerum 
 potiretur, multos sed fere indignos ad honores evexerat, nemo unus 
 repertus, qui jacentis et a suis relictse fortunam sublevaret, praevalente 
 adversus beneficia privata odio publico." vol. i. 767- 
 
 * with an appropriate inscription.] The inscription is this : 
 Si quem sancta tenet meditandi in lege voluntas, 
 Htc poterit residens, sacris intendere Ubris. 
 
 Pommeraye has rather an interesting gossipping chapter [Chap, 
 xxii.] De la Bibliotheque de la Cathedrale:" p. 163: to which 
 Francois de Harlay, about the year 1630, was one of the most 
 munificent benefactors. Ducarel thus notices this library, as it 
 appeared in his time. The Library belonging to the cathedral is 
 a noble gallery, one hundred feet in length by twenty feet in breadth j 
 but hath not a sufficient quantity of light. It is furnished with a 
 great number of printed books, and some indifferent pictures of its 
 benefactors. Free access is allowed to all persons desirous of study- 
 ing there, from eight of the clock in the morning till twelve, and 
 from two till five in the afternoon, of every day in the week except 
 Sundays and holidays 3" p. 23. 
 
 VOL. I. E 
 
66 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 yet attest that it was formerly an appendage to that 
 part of the edifice. 
 
 Before I quit the subject of the cathedral, I must 
 not fail to tell you something- relating to the rites 
 performed therein. Let us quit therefore the dead for 
 the living. Of course we saw here, a repetition of 
 the ceremonies observed at Dieppe ; but previously to 
 the feast of the Ascension^ we were also present at 
 
 * feast of the Ascension.'] On this day there was formerly a very 
 singular ceremony observed — which has now gone to decay. At 
 least none such took place during my stay— although the prisons 
 did not want even capital criminals. It may perhaps be worth while to 
 refer the reader to Ducarelj p. 23, for a copious account of this 
 ceremony. 
 
 The authors of the Gallia Christiana, vol. xi. col. 3, &c. notice the 
 privilege, enjoyed by the Chapter, of rescuing one condemned male- 
 factor from decapitation, upon the feast of the Ascension ; and at 
 col. 12 it is again somewhat more particularly mentioned. Speaking 
 of the victory gained by the Saint over the Devil — and especially of 
 the Draconis ingentis simulacrum, quasi imago idololatriee pros- 
 trata;" — they take care to warn us, in a note, that the Devil, or 
 the Dragon of St. Romanus was ^' not a real dragon," but only a 
 symbol of idolatry — like those dragons attached to the figures of 
 St. Marcellus and St. Margaret. 
 
 Evelyn, who visited the cathedral of Rouen in 1644, says that the 
 quire had behind it a create dragon paynted on the wall ; which 
 they said had don much harme to the inhabitants till vanquished by 
 St. Romain, their archbishop 3 for which theie is an annual proces' 
 sion." Life and Writings of John Evelyn ; vol. i. p. 56, edit. 1818. 
 No traces of this precious piece of fresco painting now remain. Indeed 
 I do not find it even noticed by Pommeraye, who published upon the 
 cathedral about forty years afterwards. 
 
 St. Romain, or Romanus, was the first Archbishop of Rouen. In the 
 Thesaurus Novus Anecdotorum of Martene and Durand, vol. iii. col. 
 1653, Ike. there is a metrical fife of this archiepiscopal Saint. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 67 
 
 the confirmation of three hundred boys and three 
 hundred girls, each very neatly and appropriately 
 dressed, in a sort of sabbath attire, and each holding* a 
 lighted wax taper in the hand. The girls were dressed 
 in white, with white veils ; and the rich lent veils to 
 those who had not the means of purchasing them. The 
 cathedral, especially about the choir, was crowded to 
 excess. I hired a chair, stood up, and gazed as ear- 
 nestly as the rest. The interest excited among the 
 parents, and especially the mothers, was very striking. 
 " Voila la petite — quelle a Fair charmantl— le petit 
 ange 1 ". . . .A stir is made . . . they rise . . . and approach, 
 in the most measured order, the rails of the choir . . . 
 There they deposit their tapers. Tlie priests, very 
 numerous, extinguish them as dexterously as they can ; 
 and the whole cathedral is perfumed with the mixed 
 scent of the wax and frankincense. The boys, on ap- 
 proaching the altar, and giving up their tapers, kneel 
 down ; then shut their eyes, open their mouths ; and 
 the priests deposit the consecrated wafer upon their 
 tongues. The procession now took a different direc- 
 tion. They all went into the nave, where a sermon 
 was preached to the young people, expressly upon 
 the occasion, by a Monsieur Quillebeuf, a canon of 
 the cathedral, and a preacher of considerable popu- 
 larity. He had one of the most meagre and forbidding 
 physiognomies I ever beheld, and his beard was black 
 and unshaven. But he preached well; fluently, and 
 even eloquently : making a very singular, but not 
 ungraceful, use of his left arm — and displaying at times 
 rather a happy familiarity of manner, wholly exempt 
 from vulgarity, and well suited to the capacities and 
 
68 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 f 
 
 feelings of his youthful audience. His subject was 
 " belief in Christ Jesus on which he gave very excel- 
 lent proofs and evidences. His voice was thin, but 
 clear, and distinctly heard. 
 
 On the Feast of the Ascension, the Archbishop offi- 
 ciated. He is the brother of Cambaceres, the second 
 Consul of France when Bonaparte was the first ; and 
 he is said to have once brandished the dagger as grace- 
 fully as he now does the crosier. However this may be, 
 the Archbishop is, upon the whole, rather popular — 
 yet not with his clergy : by some of whom he is called 
 cunning and worldly, and by others ignorant and 
 selfish. The laity will have it that he is " too shrewd 
 for his brethren." He is a very portly gentleman, above 
 the mean height ; and the Abbe T^'^'^, with whom 
 I walked to the ceremony, did not scruple to call him 
 une grosse machine de chair." His countenance is 
 full, but of a benign expression ; and he has a sort 
 of gentlemanly air with him. I was opposite to him 
 during the service. He sat in his modernised stall, 
 before described ; and had two attendants, full- 
 dressed, with bag-wigs and swords. His square 
 cardinal's cap was placed upon the red cushion before 
 him. During the service he seemed to enjoy his fre- 
 quent pinch of snuff, but was not free from the odious 
 custom of spitting — even over the sides of his stall. I 
 had however the satisfaction of witnessing about 
 his person the only clean pair of bands and white 
 pocket-handkerchief, which I had then seen in France. 
 The service was long, and wearisomely ceremonial : 
 but I could not disguise my indignation on seeing the 
 canons, in pairs, or alone, as they passed the stall to 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 69 
 
 and from the high altar, make low obeisances, almost 
 amounting" to prostrations, before the Archbishop ; of 
 which the latter took as little notice as the Great Turk 
 would of those of his Muftis. This adulation to man^ 
 in a house of God, is most repulsive to honest feelings. 
 The Archbishop lives in a retired manner, within an 
 old and spacious palace, hard by the cathedral, into 
 which he has a private entrance ; and is said to be 
 shy of letting the English visit his residence.^ The 
 revenues of the archbishopric are yet very considerable ; 
 but they are supposed to have once netted little short 
 of £30,000. sterling.^ 
 
 And now, my dear Friend, if you are not tired with 
 this detour of the Cathedral, suppose we take a 
 promenade to the next most important ecclesiastical 
 edifice in the city of Rouen. What say you therefore 
 to a stroll to the Abbey of St. Ouen ?| " Willingly," 
 
 * He died within eight months after the ceremony above witnessed, 
 in his ()2d year. 
 
 t In the year 1740, the diocese of Rouen comprehended thirty 
 rural deaneries, thirty-four abbeys, twelve monasteries, and at least 
 forty other congregations or societies — of both sexes. To this, add 
 one thousand four hundred and thirty parishes, besides chapels and 
 subsidiary establishments. In the whole, one thousand seven hun- 
 dred places of worship. Gallia Christiana-, vol. xi. edit. 1759. 
 
 X the Abbey of St. Ouen.] The first sixty pages of the Neustria 
 Pia are devoted to an account of this abbey. It will answer all rea- 
 sonable purpose, if, from these minute and ponderous details, it be 
 only observed that there was probably an ecclesiastical building, on 
 the present scite of St. Ouen, erected about the year 540 during the 
 reign of Clothaire I. as Pope Gregory I. is supposed to have granted 
 some privileges to the monks of the said church or abbey — first dedi- 
 cated to St. Peter, about the year 595. However, the piety of St. 
 
70 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 methinks I hear you reply. — To the abbey therefore 
 let us go. In other words, you must listen patiently to 
 my description of this enchanting building. 
 
 AuDOEN or >t. Ouen, together with his attachment to this favourite 
 spot^ soon eclipsed all recollections of previous devotional ardour, 
 among the monks and abbots. The second chapter of the Neustria 
 Pia affords abundant confirmation of this remark j and thenceforward, 
 St. Ouen, having been made Archbishop of Rouen, and dying in 638 
 (not in 689, as Ducarel intimates), the abbey was to be designated by 
 his own name. Consult too the Gallia Christiana, vol. xi. col. 1^, 
 &c. Ducarel says, that St. Ouen dying at Clichy, his body was 
 brought to Rouen, and deposited in a tomb which he had prepared 
 for himself during his life-time, within the church of St. Peter, now 
 the abbey church of St. Ouen :" that three years after his inter- 
 ment, his remains were, by his successor Ausbert, inclosed in a shriiie 
 of silver, and placed near the high altar :" and that, in 842 they 
 were removed to Paris, and in 918 brought back to this abbey, 
 where they remained till they were burnt by the Calvinists in 1562." 
 p. 25 ; note. 
 
 This is erroneous. The shrine might have been carried away in 
 842, when the whole abbey was utterly destroyed by the incur- 
 sions and ravages of the Normans. Towards the commencement 
 of the following century, Rollo and other Norman chieftains 
 were converted to Christianity— when also, the shrine might have 
 been restored : but about the year 1050 the abbey was destroyed by 
 fire ; and is supposed to have been rebuilt by Richard I. and the 
 Empress Maud, in the following century. However, in the year 1248 
 it suffered a second general destruction by Jire — Qui combussit eccle- 
 sias S. Laurentij et S. Gildardi, et totam abbatiam S. Audoeni. 
 Tantum enim inualuit impetus ignis, vt omnia sedificia breui con- 
 sumpserit, campanasque liquefecerit, et abbatem cum monachis 
 exind^ fugere compulerit." It is true, the monks carried away some 
 " ornaments, chalices, deeds, writings, and reliques}" but 1 appre- 
 hend the shrine of the Founder was rather too weighty for transporta- 
 tion. See the Neustria Pia ; p. 31 . The Hugonots of 1562 have enough 
 to answer for, without the additional act of sacrilege in destroying the 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 71 
 
 Leaving the Cathedral, you go along the Rue des 
 Carmes, and pass a beautifully sculptured fountain (of 
 the early time of Francis I.) which stands at the corner 
 of a street, to the right ; and which, from its central 
 situation, is visited the live-long day for the sake of 
 its hmpid waters. Push on a little further; then, 
 turning to the right, you get into a sort of square, 
 and observe the Abbey — or rather the west-front of it, 
 full in face of you. You gaze, and are first struck 
 with its matchless window : call it rose, or marygold, 
 as you please. I think, for delicacy and richness of 
 ornament, this window is perfectly unrivalled. There 
 is a play of line in the mullions, which, considering 
 their size and strength, may be pronounced quite a 
 master-piece of art. You approach, regretting the neg- 
 lected state of the lateral towers, and enter, through 
 
 / 
 
 shrine of St. Ouen. It was after this fire, towards the end of the 
 xiiith, or rather about the beginning of the xivth century, that 
 the abbey, in its present form, was begun to be erected by the cele- 
 brated Jean Mardargent — and the building was continued by the 
 ten successive abbots. But the Abbots Bohier and Cibo, in the xvth 
 century, put the finishing strokes to it, as it now appears j though yet 
 imperfect. Consult Pommeraye's Histoire de VAbhaye Royale de St. 
 Ouen de Rouen, 1662, folio : especially the xxi-iid chapters : p, 188. 
 Consult also Ducarel ; p. 26. La seconde singularite c'est I'edifice de 
 I'eglise et maisons de I'jVbbaye de St. Ouen, comprins les plaisants 
 iardins et voUier de toutes sortes d'oyseaux : oti y a aussi vne fontaine 
 de marbre haute esleuee auecques diuers tuyaux d'vn plaisant et singu- 
 lier artifice : et je puis asseurer que le nef de ce temple est la plus 
 ample et mieux vitree qui soit en ce royaume." Such is the pithy but 
 eloquent little passage of Bourgueville, relating to this abbey, in his 
 Recherches et Antiquith de Caen-, 1588, 8vo. p. 39, from a personal 
 survey of it towards the middle of the xvith century. 
 
72 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 the large and completely-opened centre doors, the 
 nave of the Abbey. It was towards sun-set when we 
 made our first entrance. The evening* was beautiful ; 
 and the variegated tints of sun-beam, admitted through 
 the stained glass of the window, just noticed, were 
 perfectly enchanting. The window itself, as you look 
 upwards, or rather as you fix your eye upon the centre 
 of it, from the remote end of the Abbey, or the Ladys 
 Chapel, was a perfect blaze of dazzling light: and 
 nave, choir, and side aisles, seemed magically illu- 
 mined — 
 
 Seemed all on fire — within, around ; 
 
 Deep sacristy and altar's pale ; 
 Shone every pillar foliage-bound 
 
 Lay of the Last Minstrel. 
 
 We declared instinctively that the Abbey of St. Ouen 
 could hardly have a rival ; — certainly no superior. 
 
 A trifling circumstance here occurred to divert our 
 attention. In one of the remoter side chapels, feebly 
 visited by all this magic of light, there stood a Con- 
 fessional. Within this confessional was an invisible 
 priest. On the outside a woman was kneeling and 
 confessing: just before her, upon the pavement, be- 
 tween the pillars of the choir and the confessional, a 
 poor woman, and a lad or two, had each taken a chair, 
 and were praying in the attitudes here exhibited by the 
 rapid pencil of Mr. Lewis : and I will defy you to see 
 the story better told in any of the more elaborate 
 engravings of Picart. In the course of my corres- 
 pondence, you will probably be treated with another 
 similar exhibition or two. 
 
ROUEN. 73 
 
 As the evening came on, the gloom of almost every 
 side chapel and recess was rendered doubly impres- 
 sive by the devotion of numerous straggling suppli- 
 cants ; and invocations to the presiding spirit of the 
 place, reached the ears and touched the hearts of the 
 by-standers. The grand western entrance presents you 
 with the most perfect view of the choir — a magical circle, 
 or rather oval — flanked by lofty and clustered pillars, 
 and free from the surrounding obstruction of screens, &c. 
 Nothing more airy and more captivating of the kind can 
 be imagined. The finish and delicacy of these pillars are 
 quite surprising. Above, below, around — every thing is 
 
 1 
 
74 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 in the purest style of the xi vth and xvth centuries. The 
 central tower is a tower of beauty as well as of strength. 
 Yet in regard to further details, connected wdth the 
 interior, it must be admitted that there is very little 
 more which is deserving of particular description : 
 except it be the gallery, which runs within the walls 
 of the nave and choir, and which is considerably more 
 light and elegant than that of the cathedral. A great 
 deal has been said about the circular windows at the 
 end of the south transept, and they are undoubtedly 
 elegant : but compared with the one at the extremity 
 of the nave^ they are rather to be noticed from the tale 
 attached to them^ than from their positive beauty. 
 The tale, my friend, is briefly this. These windows 
 were finished (as well as the larger one at the west 
 front) about the year 1439. One of them was ex- 
 ecuted by the master-mason, the other by his appren- 
 tice ; and on being criticised by competent judges, 
 the performance of the latter was said to eclipse that 
 of the former. In consequence, the master became 
 jealous and revengeful, and actually poniarded his 
 apprentice. He was of course tried, condemned, and 
 executed ; but an existing monument to his memory 
 attests the humanity of the monks in giving him 
 christian interment. =^ On the whole, it is the absence 
 
 * christian interment^ — Les Religieux de Saint Ouen touchez de 
 compassion envers ce malheureux artisan, obtinrent son corps de la 
 justice, et pour reconnoissance des bons services qu'il leur avoit rendus 
 dans la construction de leur ^glise, nonobstant sa fin tragique, ne lais- 
 sbrent pas de luy fair I'honneur de I'inhumer dans la chapelle de sainte 
 Agnes, oh sa tombe se voit encore auec cet Epitaphe : 
 
 Cy gist M. Alexandre de Berneual, Maistre des oeuvres de Massonnerle, 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 75 
 
 of all obtrusive and unappropriate ornament which 
 gives to the interior of this building that lights un- 
 encumbered, and faery-like effect which so peculiarly 
 belongs to it, and which creates a sensation that I 
 never remember to have felt within any other similar 
 edifice. 
 
 Let me however put in a word for the organ. It is 
 immense, and perhaps larger than that belonging to 
 the Cathedral. The tin pipes (like those of the organ 
 in the Cathedral) are of their natural colour. I paced 
 the pavement beneath, and think it cannot be short 
 of forty English feet in length. Indeed, in all the 
 churches which I have yet seen, the organs strike me 
 as being of magnificent dimensions. 
 
 You should be informed however that the extreme 
 length of the interior, from the further end of the 
 Chapel of the Virgin, to its opposite western extre- 
 mity, is about four hundred and fifty English feet ; 
 while the height, from the pavement to the roof of 
 the nave, or the choir, is one hundred and eight 
 English feet. The transepts are about one hundred and 
 forty feet in length.* The monuments are easily run 
 
 ttu BailUage de Rouen, et de cette Eglise, qui trepassa Van de grace, 1440, le 5 
 Januier. Priez Dieu pour Vame de Imj. 
 
 PoMMERAYE : Hist de VAhhaye de St. Ouen, p. 197, 1662, folio. 
 
 At Paris, in a collection of prints, relating to Normandy, (see page 
 41 ante) I saw some clever, minute engravings in Grignion's style, 
 of these three rose windows : together with a geometrical plan of the 
 abbey. But these I think may be seen in Pommeraye, p. ] 96. 
 
 * The reader will find a description of the interior of this Abbey in 
 Ducarel, p. ^8, as it appeared in his time, I may add, however, 
 that the clock, with the figures of St. Michael and the Devil," and 
 the grilles de fer," are now no longer in existence. 
 
76 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 over: indeed they scarcely deserve to be mentioned. 
 Not so the exterior of this wonderful building. I have 
 already told you that the west end was never com- 
 pleted, but what is finished is worthy of its neighbour- 
 ing beauties. The central tower, upon the whole, is 
 not only the grandest tower in Rouen, but there is 
 nothing for its size in our own country that can com- 
 pete with it. It rises upwards of one hundred feet 
 above the roof the church ; and is supported below, 
 or rather within, by four magnificent cluster-pillared 
 bases, each about thirty-two feet in circumference. 
 Its area, at bottom, can hardly be less than thirty- 
 six feet square. The effect, seen at a due distance, is 
 perfectly enchanting — owing to the fine proportions of 
 every thing about it, which are neither too slim nor too 
 massive, neither too plain nor too ornate. Turn 
 which way you will, from any part of the town or 
 boulevards, the great tower of this Abbey lifts its 
 magnificent head 
 
 Quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi. 
 
 The choir is flanked by flying buttresses, which have 
 a double tier of small arches, altogether marvellous 
 and curious to behold." Attached to the northern 
 transept, was once a refectory, chapter-house, and 
 CLOISTER. But refectory, chapter-house, and cloisters, 
 are now gone ! — save a mere relic of the latter. What 
 could have caused their removal, think you? The van- 
 dalic revolution ? No — for hereunto adjoining, stand 
 some offices of government ; the Hotel de Fille, 
 Library, &c.— and the Refectory was taken down in 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 77 
 
 order that it might not impede the view of a tasteless, 
 monotonous pile of what is called Greek or Roman 
 architecture — in which the said government offices 
 are contained! Nay, down went the very northern 
 porch itself, attached to the northern transept . . and 
 all this within three years of writing the melancholy 
 record of such a preconcerted, tasteless, act of demo- 
 lition. Where were the pencils — where were the pens 
 — of the whole " corps academique" of the city of 
 Rouen. Pommeraye has favoured us with a view of 
 this refectory, &c.* and my friend M. Le Prevost 
 gratified me with a sight of some drawings of it — 
 executed at his own expense, to enrich his choice 
 little cabinet. It is due however to the present cor- 
 poration to state, that the earliest acts of devasta- 
 tion commenced during the revolution ; yet the grati- 
 tude of the survivors of that horrible scene should 
 rather have repaired what had been effiiced, than have 
 demolished the whole fabric — for the petty gratification 
 of an architect's vanity. To compensate you, in some 
 measure, for this ruthless act, you may steal quietly 
 
 * Pommeraye has favoured us with a view of this refectory.'] — It is a 
 bird's-eye view, and will be found between pages 220 and 221 of his 
 History. It is not only a view of the refectory and cloisters, but of the 
 gardens, &c. and is extremely curious. In Ducarel's time those fine 
 appurtenances were standing. He thus describes them. " The 
 Refectory, Chapter House, and Cloisters, are very grand edi- 
 fices. In the latter, which appears to be much more ancient than the 
 church, I observed some old stone desks stuck to the pillars, and de- 
 signed to place books upon : but I did not meet with the image of any 
 saint, or crucifix," Anglo-Norman Antiquities,'' 1767, folio, p. 29. See 
 old Bourgueville's short description^ at page 73 ante where he talks 
 of singing birds warbling in the adjacent gardens. 
 
78 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 round to the porch of the south transept^ and witness, 
 in that porch, one of the most chaste, light, and lovely 
 specimens of Gothic architecture, which can be con- 
 templated. Indeed, I hardly know any thing like it.=^ 
 The leaves of the poplar and ash were beginning* to 
 mantle the exterior ; and, seen through their green and 
 gay lattice work, the traceries of the porch seemed to 
 assume a more interesting aspect. They are now 
 mending the upper part of the fagade with new stone 
 of peculiar excellence — but it does not harmonise with 
 the old work. They merit our thanks, however, for the 
 preservation of what remains of this precious pile. I 
 should remark to you that the eastern and north- 
 eastern sides of the abbey of St. Ouen are surrounded 
 by promenades and trees : so that, occasionally, either 
 when walking, or sitting upon the benches, within these 
 gardens, you catch one of the finest views imaginable of 
 the abbey. Indeed, attached to the north-east side of 
 the north transept, there is one relic of former times — 
 rather of the castellated than of the ecclesiastical cha- 
 racter-j- — which strikes me as the oldest piece of build- 
 
 * hardly know any thing like it^ — Even Dr. Ducarel became 
 warm — on contemplating this porch! The porch at the south en- 
 trance into the church (says he) is much more worthy of the spectator's 
 attention, being highly enriched with architectonic ornaments 3 parti- 
 cularly two beautiful cul de lamps, which from the combination of a 
 variety of spiral dressings, as they hang down from the vaulted roof, 
 produce a very pleasing effect," p. $8. 
 
 f rather of castellated, than of ecclesiastical character^ — Adjoin- 
 ing to that part of the north side of the church, which is just below the 
 transept of the cross, I observed a very old tower, which, as the monks 
 assert, was part of the church built by king Richard I. and Maud the 
 Empress," Ducarel, p. 29. I have no doubt of this being of the 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 79 
 
 ing, of whatever kind, in Rouen — at least, that I have 
 yet seen. At this early season of the year, much com- 
 pany is assembled every evening in these walks : while, 
 in front of the abbey, or in the square facing" the 
 western end, the national guard is exercised in the 
 day time — and troops of fair nymphs and willing- 
 youths mingle in the dance on a sabbath evening, 
 while a platform is erected for the instrumental per- 
 formers, and for the exhibition of feats of legerdemain. 
 You must not take leave of St. Ouen without being 
 told that, formerly, the French Kings used occasion- 
 ally to make revel" within the Abbot's house. 
 Henry II, Charles IX, and Henry III, each took a fancy 
 to this spot — but especially the famous Henri Quatre. 
 It is reported that this monarch sojourned here for four 
 months — and his reply to the address of the aldermen 
 and sheriff of Rouen is yet preserved both in MS. and 
 by engravings. The King having arrived at St. Ouen 
 (says an old MS.)^ the keys of the tower were pre- 
 sented to him, in the presence of M. de Montpensier, 
 the governor of the province, upon a velvet-cushion. 
 The keys were gilt. The King took them, and re- 
 placing them in the hands of the governor, said — " Mon 
 cousin, je vous les bailie pour les rendre, qu ils les gar- 
 dent;" — then, addressing the aldermen, he added, 
 Soyez moi bons sujets et je vous serai bon Roi, et le 
 meilleur Roi que vous ayez jamais eu." 
 
 latter part of the xiith century ; but it must be now quite impossible to 
 appropriate, with exactitude, every portion of this building. 
 
 * Consult the account given by M. Le Prevost in the " Precis Ana- 
 lytique des Travaux de VAcademie, &;c. de Rouen,'' for the year 1816^ 
 p. 151, &c. 
 
80 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 Unconscionably long* as you may have found this 
 letter, I shall hazard an extension of it by giving you a 
 rapid sketch of the remaining ecclesiastical edifices 
 which are more particularly deserving of notice. Next 
 to the Abbey of St. Ouen, " go by all means and see the 
 church St, Madou'^' say your friends and your guides. 
 The Abbe Turquier accompanied me thither. The 
 great beauties of St. Maclou are its tower and its 
 porch. Of the tower, little more than the lantern 
 remains. This is about 160 English feet in height. 
 Above it was a belfry or steeple, another 110 feet in 
 height, constructed of wood and lead — but which has 
 been nearly destroyed for the sake of the latter arti- 
 cles — for sundry purposes of slaughter or resistance 
 during the revolution.* The exterior of the porches 
 are remarkable for their elaborate ornaments ; espe- 
 cially those in the Rue Martinville. They are highly 
 praised by the inhabitants, and are supposed to be 
 
 * Farin tells us that you could go from the top of the lantern to the 
 cross, or to the summit of the belfry, outside, without a ladder : so ad- 
 mirable was the workmanship." " Strangers (adds he) took models 
 of it for the purpose of getting them engraved, and they are sold pub- 
 licly at Rome." Hist, de la Villede Rouen, 1738, 4to. vol. ii. p. 154. 
 There are thirteen chapels within this church 3 of which however the 
 building cannot be traced lower than quite tlie beginning of the xvith 
 century. The extreme length and width of the interior is about 1 55 
 by 82 feet English. Even in Du Four's time the population of this 
 parish was very great, and its cemetery (adds he) was the first and 
 most regular in Rouen. He gives a brief, but glowing description 
 of it — " on va tout autour par des galeries couvertes et pavees^ et, 
 deux de ces galeries sont decorees de deux autels," &c. p. 150. 
 
 Alas! time — or the revolution— has annihilated all this. Let me 
 add that M, Cotman has published a view of the staircase in the 
 church of which I am speaking. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 81 
 
 after the models of the famous Goujon. Perhaps they 
 are rather encumbered with ornament, and want that 
 quiet effect, and pure good taste, which we see in the 
 porches of the Cathedral and the Abbey of St. Ouen. 
 However, let critics determine as they will upon this 
 point — they must at least unite in reprobating the 
 barbarous edict which doomed these delicate pieces of 
 sculptured art to be deluged with an over-whelming 
 tint of staring yellow ochre ! The monuments and the 
 stained glass cease to be interesting after what you 
 have already seen. Two circumstances, connected 
 with this church, I shall not easily forget. The one 
 was, that, close to the principal door of entrance, (at 
 right angles with the Rue Ma7^tinville) I got intelli- 
 gence from a vender of old and second-hand books — 
 who was seated in a narrow stall, or shed, with a 
 cocked hat on, which almost touched each extremity 
 of it — of a copy of the first impression of the New 
 Testament printed in the French language about the 
 year 1478, which he had sold to a brother book-vender, 
 and which I purchased within five minutes after re- 
 ceiving the intelligence. The other circumstance, of a 
 very different complexion, was, that, in one of my 
 visits to M. Megard, (the typographical Bulmer of 
 Rouen) on a Sunday morning, I arrived just at the 
 moment when the congregation were quitting the 
 church. The Rue Martinville runs at right angles 
 with the Rue Malpalu, which latter is on a rapid de- 
 scent, terminating at the quays. The human beings, 
 almost all females, with their broad " streamers waving 
 in the wind" — in other words, with their white 
 spiral caps, in a sort of undulating motion, as they 
 
82 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 descended the streets — presented one of the most novel 
 and amusing- sights of the kind which I had ever wit- 
 nessed. It seemed as if half of the population of 
 Rouen had uttered their orisons within St. Maclou. 
 Indeed, I thought there would have been no end to 
 the departing procession. 
 
 Of the remaining churches^ I shall mention only 
 four : two of them chiefly remarkable for their interior, 
 and two for their paramount antiquity. Of the two 
 former, that of St, Vincent presents you with a noble 
 organ, with a light choir profusely gilded, and (rarer ac- 
 companiment) in very excellent taste. But the stained 
 glass is the chief magnet of attraction. It is rich, 
 varied, and vivid to a degree ; and, upon the whole, 
 is the finest specimen of this species of art in the pre- 
 sent ecclesiastical remains of the city. St. Vivien^ is 
 
 * that of St. Vincent.'] Farin is rather brief in his account of this 
 church : which however he calls one of the largest and finest in 
 Rouen." He coldly observes les vitres sont estimes :" he might 
 have inserted the adverb tr^s" before the participle. The repara- 
 tions and beautifying, &c. took place chiefly about the year 1720. 
 The church suffered dreadfully from Calvinistic wrath in the year 
 1562. The tower was built in 1G69. It was on a fine sunny morn- 
 ing, before breakfast, that I visited this church ; and am willing to 
 hope that, if the panegyric above bestowed upon the stained glass 
 windows be overcharged, the fault may be attributed to the Sun ! — Yet 
 Gilbert countenances the eulogy. 
 
 f St. Vivien.'] In the beginning of the xiiith century, this church, 
 now almost in the heart of the city, was in the suburbs. The pre- 
 sent structure was completed towards the end of the xvth century. 
 Towards the middle of the same century a bone of the arm, one 
 of the shoes, and a part of the sepulchre — belonging to St. Vivien — 
 were carried to the cathedral church, and from thence deposited in that 
 called by the name of the Saint." In the year 1588 a very extraor- 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 83 
 
 the second of these two former. It is a fine open 
 churchy with a large organ, having a very curious 
 
 dinary procession of the White Penitents'' set out from this church 
 to the Cathedral. In 1560 it partook of the general calamity inflicted 
 by the implacable Calvinists. See Farin, vol. ii. p. 162-4. 
 
 I regret that I omitted to visit the churches of St. Patrice and St. 
 Godard ; and more especially the latter — which Farin says (in his 
 time) boasted of the finest stained glass windows in France" — and 
 which gave rise to the saying — when speaking of wine of a fine 
 transparent colour^ il est de la couleur des vitres de St, Godard !" 
 These brilliant windows are of the xvith century. The church of 
 St. Godard is also one of the very largest, as well as most ancient^ 
 in Rouen. In former days, the rich and the powerful seemed to vie 
 with each other in bestowing marks of their munificence upon it. 
 But it suffered perhaps more dreadfully than any other from the un- 
 bridled fury of the Calvinists. It may be worth noticing that Farin 
 says that the organ, which was erected in 1640, was the work of 
 William Lesley, a Scotchman. Vol. ii. p 132 — 143. Ducarel 
 (p. 33) has taken his brief notice of this church from Farin, without 
 having had the grace to acknowledge it. It should seem, from 
 Gilbert, that a great quantity of old stained glass had been of late sold 
 to the English at Rouen. But the revolution had facilitated this traffic. 
 
 On doit (says Gilbert) un tribut de reconnoissance a ceux des ma- 
 gistrats et des habitans qui, par leur z^le et par leur courage, sont 
 parvenus k les preserver de la destruction." He then goes on to 
 observe : " La peinture sur verre, cultivee alors avec le plus grand 
 succfes par d'habiles artistes (dont les descendans exercent encore la 
 profession de vitrier a Rouen et a Paris,)* trouva dans la munificence 
 des Rouennois, un noble sujet d'encouragement, et produisit cette 
 multitude de magnifiques vitraux peints qui Ton admiroit autrefois 
 dans les eglises, et dont un petit nombre a fort heureusement echappes 
 h, la fureur revolutionnaire, aussi bien qu' a la cupidite des acquireurs 
 
 * M. M. Levieil. " On doit h Pierre Levieil, mort en 1772, un excellent 
 Traite Historique et pratique de la peinture sur verre, qui fait partie de 
 I'EncyclopMie. Cet ouvrage est rempli de savantes recherehes. Gilbert, 
 p. 4. 
 
 VOL. I. F 
 
84 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 wooden screen in fronts elaborately carved^ and, as I 
 conceive, of the very earliest part of the sixteenth cen- 
 tury. I ascended the organ-loft ; and the door hap- 
 pening to be open, I examined this screen, (which has 
 luckily escaped the yellow-ochre edict) very minutely, 
 and was much gratified by the examination. Such 
 pieces of art, so situated, are of rare occurrence. For 
 the first time, within a parish church, I stepped upon 
 the pavement of the choir: walked gently forwards, 
 to the echo of my own footsteps, (for not a creature 
 was in the church) and, " with no unhallowed hand" 
 I would hope, ventured to open the choral or service 
 book, resting upon its stand. It was wide, thick, and 
 ponderous : upon vellum : beautifully written and well 
 executed in every respect, with the exception of the 
 illuminations — which were extremely indifferent. I 
 ought to tell you that the doors of the churches, abroad, 
 are open at all times of the day : the ancient or more 
 massive door, or portal, is secured from shutting ; but 
 a temporary, small, shabby wooden door, covered with 
 dirty green baize, opening and shutting upon circular 
 hinges, just covers the vacuum left by the absence of 
 the larger one. 
 
 But for the two ancient churches, above alluded to. 
 Of these two ancient churches, therefore, situated at 
 
 des monumens religieux qui en ont vendu une grande quantite aux 
 Anglois. Les ^glises de Saint Godard^ de Saint Patrice;, de Saint 
 Vivien, et la Cathedrale, poss^dent encore de pr^cieux morceaux de 
 peinture sur verre."t Descript. Hist, de Ndtre Dame de Rouen, p. 4. 
 
 t On se rappelle d'avoir vu avee int^ret les belles vitres de I'^glise de Saint 
 Cande-le-vieiix, de Saint Nicolas, et de la cliapelle de Saint Maur. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 85 
 
 the opposite extremities of the city, let me first take you 
 to that of aS'^. Gervais, considerably to the north of 
 where the Boulevards Cauchoise and Bouvreuil meet. It 
 was hard by this favourite spot, say the Norman histo- 
 rians, that the ancient Dukes of Normandy built their 
 country-houses : considering it as a lieu de plaisance. 
 Here too it was that the Conqueror came to breathe his 
 last — desiring to be conveyed thither, from his palace in 
 the city, for the benefit of the pure air. ^ I walked with 
 M. Le Provost to this curious church: having before 
 twice seen it. But the Crypt is the only thing worth 
 talking about, on tiie score of antiquity. We were both 
 
 * Ordericus Vitalis says that the dying monarch requested to be 
 conveyed thither, to avoid the noise and bustle of a populous town. 
 Rouen is described to be, in his time, populosa civitas." Consult 
 Duchesne's Historic Normannor. Scrip. Antiq, p. 656. It is not 
 perhaps generally known that William was considered to be extremely 
 munificent. He was certainly fond of giving large possessions to 
 monastic establishments. In the archives of St. Ouen was a Carta 
 Willelmi Anglorum regis, pro Monasterio Floriacensi Anno 1067, 
 in which he liberally confirmed all the privileges granted to the 
 same monastery by his ancestors Richard and Robert. In this charter 
 he styles himself Anglorum rex eflfectus." Consult Martene 
 and Durand's Thesaurus Novus Anecdotorum, 1717, fol. vol. 1. col. 
 196, F. But in the prologue to the work, concerning the acts of 
 the later Kings of France, in 11 10, the Conqueror is thus designated : 
 
 NuUus rex nostrorum temporum hoc Guillelmo fuit fehcior ac 
 moderatior. Ejus magnanimitatem & magnificentiam nemo laudare 
 sufficit, qui bus ille usque ad terminos terrse super omnes aevi nostri 
 reges ac principes apparuit gloriosus. Fauci posthac reges, sicut 
 reor, ilium imitabuntur, & ejus affluentia & morum elegantia per- 
 fruentur, quibus eum Deus in hac vita felixque fortuna ditavit." 
 Ejusd. Op. vol. i. col. 327-8. 
 
\ 
 
 86 ROUEN. 
 
 struck, after descending a narrow stair-case, with the 
 light which streamed from an aperture at the further 
 end — half covered by the " young and lusty grass" — and 
 which shed a soft mellow tint upon the gloom below. 
 As you enter, there are two tombs of the oldest Arch- 
 bishops of Rouen — who lived in times remote enough 
 (for aught I know to the contrary) to have shaken 
 hands with St. Jerom. These tombs are flat, solid, 
 and plain. But it is the crypt (designed by Mr. Cot- 
 man) upon which M. Le Prevost loves to expatiate ! — 
 and which strikes the eye of the antiquary. Perhaps 
 I might say with perfect safety that here are the un- 
 questionable remains of a Roman road. On quitting 
 this crypt, and examining the architecture of the 
 exterior above it, the same accomplished guide bade 
 us remark the extraordinary formation of the capitals 
 of the pillars : which, admitting some perversity of taste 
 in a rude, Norman, imitative artist, are decidedly 
 of Roman character. " Perhaps," said M. Le Prevost, 
 " the last efforts of Roman art previous to the relin- 
 quishment of the Romans." Among these capitals 
 there is one of the perfect Doric order; while in 
 another you discover the remains of two Roman 
 eagles. The columns are all of the same height ; and 
 totally unlike every thing of the kind which I have 
 seen or heard of. Let me tell you, however, as we 
 take leave of this curious old church, that WiUiam 
 the Conqueror died in its vicinity. 
 
 We descended the hill upon which SL Gervais is 
 built ; and walked onward towards St. Paul, situated 
 at the further and opposite end of the town, upon a 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 87 
 
 gentle eminence, just above the banks of the Seine. ^ 
 M. Le Provost was still our conductor. The day- 
 grew gloomy, and the heavens became black with 
 thunder-clouds, as we approached this small edifice. 
 It is certainly of remote antiquity, but I suspect it 
 to be completely Norman. The eastern end is full of 
 antiquarian curiosities. We observed a Grecian mask 
 as the centre ornament upon the capital of one of 
 the circular figures; and Mr. Lewis made a few 
 slight drawings of one of the grotesque heads in the 
 exterior, of which the hair is of an uncommon fashion. 
 We discovered the Saxon whiskers upon several of these 
 faces. Upon the whole, it is possible that parts of this 
 church may have been built at the latter end of the 
 tenth century, after the Normans had made themselves 
 completely masters of this part of the kingdom ; yet 
 it is more probable that there is no vestige left which 
 claims a more ancient date than that of the end of 
 the eleventh century. I ought just to notice the church 
 of St. Sever,-\ supposed by some to be yet more 
 ancient : but I had no opportunity of taking a pai'ti- 
 cular survey of it. 
 
 Thus much, or rather thus little, respecting the 
 ECCLESIASTICAL ANTIQUITIES of Roucu. They merit 
 indeed a volume of themselves. This city could once 
 boast of upwards of thirty parish churches; of 
 
 * A view of it is p^bJished by M. Cotinan. 
 
 f St. Sever. 1 This church is situated in the southern fauxbourgs, 
 by the side of the Seine, and was once surrounded by gardens, &c. 
 As you cross the bridge of boats, and go to the race-ground, you 
 leave it to the right : but it is not so old as St. PawZ— where, Farin 
 says, the worship of Adonis was once performed ! 
 
88 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 which very nearly a dozen have been recently (I 
 mean during the Revolution) converted into ware- 
 houses. It forms a curious, and yet melancholy 
 melange — this strange misappropriation, of what 
 was formerly held most sacred, to the common and 
 lowest purposes of civil life! You enter these ware- 
 houses, or offices of business, and see the broken 
 shaft, the battered capital, and half-demolished altar- 
 piece — the gilded or the painted frieze — in the midst 
 of bales of goods — casks, ropes, and bags of cotton : 
 while, without, the same spirit of demolition prevails 
 in the fractured column, and tottering arch way. Thus 
 time brings its changes and decays — premature as 
 well as natural — and the noise of the carmen and 
 injunctions of the clerk are now heard, where formerly 
 there reigned a general silence, interrupted only by the 
 matin or evening chaunt! I deplored this sort of 
 sacrilegeous adaptation, to a respectable-looking old 
 gentleman, sitting out of doors upon a chair, and 
 smoking his pipe — c'est dommage. Monsieur, qu'on 
 a converti Teghse a" — He stopped me: raised his 
 left hand: then took away his pipe with his right; 
 gave a gentle whifF, and shrugging up his shoulders, 
 half archly and half drily exclaimed — " Mais que vou- 
 lez vous. Monsieur? — ce sont des evenemens qu'on 
 ne pent ni pre voir ni prevenir. Voila ce que c'est !" 
 Leaving you to moralize upon this comfortable mor- 
 ceau of philosophy, consider me ever, &c. 
 
89 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 HALLES DE COMMERCE. PLACE DE LA PUCELLE d'oR- 
 LEANS (jEANNE d'aRC). BASSO-RELIEVO OF THE CHAMP 
 DE DRAP d'oR. palace AND COURTS OF JUSTICE. 
 
 You must make up your mind to see a few more 
 sights in the city of Rouen, before I conduct you to 
 the environs, or to the summit of Mont St, Catharine. 
 We must visit a few more relics of antiquity, and take 
 a yet more famihar sm-vey of the town, ere we strive 
 
 superas evadere ad auras. 
 
 Indeed the information to be gained well merits the 
 toil endured in its acquisition ; and as the labour we 
 delight in physics pain," so you must at least listen 
 attentively to the continuation of the Rouen Tale. 
 I should however notice to you, before hand, that 
 Goube's ^ account of this city, which occupies scarcely 
 twenty-five pages of his third volume, is utterly un- 
 worthy of criticism ; and though Goube says his work 
 is written without literary pretension," yet he might 
 have filled these twenty-five pages with better stuff. 
 The only town in England that can give you any 
 notion of Rouen, is Chester ; although the similitude 
 holds only in some few particulars. I must, in the first 
 place then, make especial mention of the Halle s de 
 Commerce. The markets here are numerous and abun- 
 
 * See p. 12^ ante. 
 
90 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 dant, and are of all kinds. Cloth^ cotton^ lace^ linen^ 
 fish^ fruit, vegetables, meat, corn, and wine ; these for 
 the exterior and interior of the body. Cattle, wood, 
 iron, earthen- ware, seeds, and implements of agricul- 
 ture; these for the supply of other necessities considered 
 equally important. Each market has its appropriate 
 scite. For picturesque effect, you must visit the 
 Vieux March^^ for vegetables and fish ; which is kept 
 in an open space, once filled by the servants and troops 
 of the old Dukes of Normandy, having the ancient 
 ducal palace in front. This is the fountain head 
 whence the minor markets are supplied. Every stall 
 has a large old tattered sort of umbrella spread above 
 it, to ward off the rain or rays of heat ; and, seen 
 from some points of view, the effect of all this, with 
 the ever-restless motion of the tongues and feet of the 
 vendors, united to their strange attire, is exceedingly 
 singular and interesting. Mr. Lewis's occupation 
 would not admit of his making a satisfactory sketch of 
 it, or I am not certain whether any effort of his pencil 
 could have more gratified the tastes of our country- 
 men. These huge and broad spreading umbrellas, 
 with their accompaniments of live and dead stock, 
 taken in a somewhat fore-shortened manner, would 
 produce a truly spirited picture for the burin of Mitan. 
 
 Leaving the old market place, you pass on to the 
 Marche Neufy where fruits, eggs, and butter are chiefly 
 sold. At this season of the year there is necessarily 
 little or no fruit, but I could have filled one coat 
 pocket with eggs (a dangerous experiment!) for less 
 than half a franc. These market places are at the 
 southern extremity of the town, near the quays. But 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 91 
 
 while upon the subject of buying and selling, I must 
 take you with me to the Halles of Rouen ; in other 
 words, to the large pubHc buildings now exclusively 
 appropriated to the vendition of cloths, linen, and the 
 varied et-ceteras of mercery. These are at once 
 spacious and interesting in a high degree. They form 
 the divisions of the open spaces, or squares, where 
 the markets just mentioned are held ; and were for- 
 merly the appurtenances of the palaces and chateaux 
 of the old Dukes of Normandy : the latter of which 
 are now wholly demolished. You must rise betimes 
 on a Friday morning, to witness a sight of which 
 you can have no conception in England : unless it be 
 at a similar scene in Leeds. By six o'clock the busy 
 world is in motion within these halls. Then com- 
 mences the incessant and inconceivable vocifera- 
 tion of buying and selling. The whole scene is 
 alive, and carried on in several vast, stone-arched 
 rooms, supported by a row of pillars in the cen- 
 tre. Of these halls, the largest is about three 
 hundred and twenty English feet in length, by fifty- 
 five in width. The centre, in each division, con- 
 tains tables and counters for the display of cloth, 
 cotton, stuff, and linen of all descriptions. The dis- 
 play of divers colours — the commendations bestowed 
 by the seller, and the reluctant assent of the pur- 
 chaser — the animated eye of the former, and the cal- 
 culating brow of the latter — the removal of one set 
 of wares, and the bringing on of another — in short, 
 the never-ceasing succession of sounds and sights 
 astonishes the gravity of an Englishman ; whose asto- 
 nishment is yet heightened by the extraordinary good 
 
92 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 humour which every where prevails. The laugh, the 
 joke, the equivoque, and reply, were worth being re- 
 corded in pointed metre ; — and what metre but that of 
 Dan Crabbe could possibly render it justice ? By nine 
 of the clock all is hushed. The sale is over : the goods 
 are cleared ; and both buyers and sellers have quitted 
 the scene. 
 
 La Halle au Bled, or the Corn Market, probably 
 presents a more interesting scene. This hall is close to 
 the preceding, and is about three hundred and twenty 
 English feet in length, and proportionably broad and 
 lofty. The market days are Monday, Wednesday, and 
 Friday; but more especially the latter day. Indeed 
 if you cast a leisurely and reflecting survey upon these 
 several markets — if you consider the bustle and barter 
 that is going on, and that every thing indicates the 
 renovation of prosperity after the late afflicting events 
 of the revolution — if you consider too (as the Rouen- 
 7101S ought, and I hope do, consider !) " how good the 
 God of harvest" has been to them in the fecundity of 
 their pasture and arable soil ! — when you gaze, I say, 
 with a truly philosophical feeling upon all this ani- 
 mated scene, here so inadequately described, you can- 
 not but instinctively acknowledge how preferable are 
 the quiet pursuits of peace to the tumultuous occu- 
 pations of war — how infinitely more instructive are the 
 arts of agriculture than those of arms — and what in- 
 calculable moral benefits result from the cultivation of 
 industrious habits, compared with all the glories to 
 be acquired from conquest, from ambition, and from 
 despotism ! 
 
 O Fortunatos nimium sua si bona norint ! — 
 
ROUEN. 93 
 
 From still, let me conduct you to active life. In 
 other words, let us hasten to take a peep at the Horse 
 and Cattle Market, These are subjects of consideration, 
 to which you, my dear Mend, who equally love to 
 be borne upon a fieiy steed, and to see your cows 
 grazing in your meadows, or grouped upon canvas, 
 by a Cuyp or a Vandevelde, can never be indifferent. 
 On the other hand, consider my inexperience — my total 
 ignorance of the meaning of words in Tattersal's Dic- 
 tionary ; though, for dead stock, I will not allow your 
 admiration of Cuyp, or of Vandevelde, to exceed my own. 
 In few words then, be it known that the Horse and 
 Cattle Market is carried on in the very opposite part 
 of the town ; that is, towards the northern Boulevards. 
 The horses are generally entire : and indeed you have 
 scarcely any thing in England which exceeds the Nor- 
 man horse, properly so understood. This animal 
 unites the hardiness of the mule with the strength of 
 his own particular species. He is also docile, and 
 well trained ; and a Norman, from pure affection, 
 thinks he can never put enough harness upon his 
 back. I have seen the face and shoulders of a cart- 
 horse quite buried beneath a profusion and weight of 
 collar; and have beheld a farmer's horse, led out 
 to the plough, with trappings as gorgeous and strik- 
 ing as those of a General's charger brought forward for 
 a review. The carts and vehicles are usually balanced 
 in the centre upon two wheels, which diminishes much 
 of the pressure upon the horse. Yet the caps of the 
 wheels are frightfully long, and inconveniently pro- 
 jecting : while the eternally loud cracking of the whip 
 is most repulsive to nervous ears. On one of these 
 
94 ROUEN. 
 
 market days^ my son, more learned in the knowledge 
 of horses than his parent, asked the price of an en- 
 tire, fine animal ; but the vender would hear of nothing 
 under forty louis — which I thought " a good round 
 sum." In the market these animals stand pretty close 
 to each other for sale ; and are led off, for shew, 
 amidst boys, girls, and women, who contrive very dex- 
 terously to get out of the way of their active hoofs. 
 The French seem to have an instinctive method of doing 
 that, which, with ourselves, demands forethought and 
 deliberation. 
 
 Of the Streets, in this extraordinary city, that of the 
 Great Clock — (Rue de la Gross e Horloge) which runs 
 in a straight line from the western front of the Cathe- 
 dral, at right angles with the Rue des Carmes^ is 
 probably the most important, ancient, and interesting. 
 When we were conveyed, on our entrance (in the 
 cabriolet of the Diligence,) beneath the arch to the 
 upper part of which this old fashioned clock is 
 attached, we were lost in admiration at the singu- 
 larity of the scene. The inhabitants saw, and enjoyed, 
 our astonishment. There is a fountain beneath, or 
 rather on one side of this arch ; over which is sculp- 
 tured a motley group of insipid figures, of the latter 
 time of Louis XIV. The old tower near this clock merits 
 a leisurely survey: as do also some old houses, to 
 the right, on looking at it. It was within this old 
 tower * that a bell was formerly tolled, at nine o'clock 
 
 * " C'est, comme on I'a dit, dans cette Tour qu'est placee la cloche 
 dite d' argent, ou BefFroy, que Ton sonne dans les ceremonies pub- 
 liquesj pour les diverses Elections, les moments de calamite, tels 
 que les incendies, etc. ; elle se fait remarquer par un timbre tr^s- 
 
« 
 
 ROUEN. 95 
 
 each evenings to warn the inhabitants abroad to retire 
 within the walls of the city; but not for the purpose of 
 extinguishing their fires — no curfew — as in times of 
 old with us. As to the clock, it is remarkable rather 
 for its antiquity than for the regularity of its move- 
 ments. It is heavy and clumsy, yet not wanting a 
 certain old fashioned richness of ornament. No in- 
 habitant, living on either side of it, whether stationary, 
 or moving beneath it, ever now thinks of lifting his eyes 
 towards this object — which formerly perhaps com- 
 manded the admiration of the young and the respect of 
 the old. Ancient usages are speedily forgotten ; and 
 what we are in the habit of contemplating when young, 
 ceases to attract attention in maturer years. 
 
 Turning to the left, in this street, and going down 
 a sharp descent, we observe a stand of hackney 
 coaches in a small square, called La Place de la Pucelle: 
 that is, the place where the famous Jeanne d'ARC=^ 
 
 clair et sonore qui produit une sensation extraordinaire. On la sonne 
 tous les soirs k neuf-heures : c'est que Ton nomme a Rouen la retraite, 
 parce que dans les temps de guerre, ou lorsque les portes de la ville se 
 fermaient, elle avertissait les habitants hors de la ville d'y rentrer, 
 au risque de passer la nuit dans les faubourgs. Sa destination a etd 
 aussi d'avertir les soldats de la garnison de I'heure de la retraite." 
 Itineraire, p. 126. 
 
 * the famous Jeanne d'Arc] Goube, in the second volume of 
 his Histoire du Duche de Normandie, has devoted several spiritedly 
 written pages to an account of the trial and execution of this heroine. 
 Her history is pretty well known to the English — from earliest youth. 
 Goube says that her mode of death had been completely prejudged — 
 for that, previously to ihe sentence being passed, they began to erect 
 
 a scaffold of plaister, so raised^ that the flames could not at first 
 
96 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 was imprisoned, and afterwards burnt. What sensa- 
 tions possess one as we gaze upon each surrounding 
 
 reach her — and she was in consequence consumed by a slow fire : 
 her tortures being long and horrible." Hume has been rather too 
 brief : but he judiciously observes that the conduct of the Duke of 
 Bedford was equally barbarous and dishonourable." Indeed it 
 were difficult to pronounce which is entitled to the greatest abhor- 
 rence — the imbecility of Charles VII. the baseness of John of 
 Luxembourg, or the treachery of the Regent Bedford ? I hope this 
 latter renowned character employed and paid the artists for his 
 famous Missal and Breviary — as an act of penance and atone- 
 ment for his absolute wickedness towards the Maid of Orleans. 
 
 It seems pretty clear that Monstrelet, the celebrated historian ^ and 
 contemporary with Joan^ was not well disposed towards her. She was 
 taken prisoner in a sortie from Compeigne, about five o'clock in the 
 afternoon, upon the eve of the day of Ascension, and was drag- 
 ged from her horse (says that chronicler) by an archer, near to 
 whom was [Lyonnel] the bastarde de Vendome ; and to him she sur- 
 rendered, and pledged her faith. He lost no time in carrying her 
 to Maligny, and putting her under a secure guard," &c. The Duke 
 of Burgundy went to the lodgings where she was confined, and 
 spake some words to her j but what they were (continues Monstrelet) 
 I do not now recollect, although I was present, [dolt !] The Duke 
 and the army returned to their quarters, leaving the Maid under the 
 guard of Sir John Luxembourg who shortly after sent her, under a 
 strong escort, to the castle of Beaulieu, and thence to that of Beau- 
 revoir, where she remained, as you shall hear, a prisoner a long 
 time." (Johnes's Monstrelet, vol. ii. p. 380, folio impression. Edit. 
 Sauvage, 1572. vol. ii. fol. 57-8.) So that it should seem Sir John 
 did not immediately dispose of his prisoner : Monstrelet has confined 
 his account of the incarceration and death of the Maid, to the Lettres 
 Missives of the Regent Bedford : in which, among her supposed 
 crimes, formal mention is made of her wearing man's apparel for 
 two whole years — chose d Dieu abhominable .''' Elle fut menee 
 par la dicte iustice liee au vieil marche' dedans Rouen, et Ik pub- 
 liquement fut arse k la veue de tout le peuple." Monstrelet, edit. 
 Sauvage, vol. ii. fol. 71. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 97 
 
 object ! — although, now, each surrounding object has 
 undergone a most palpable change. Ah, my friend — 
 
 The unfortunate sufferer is thus described by a French poet of the 
 latter end of the xvth century : 
 
 Et a Rouen en emmenerent 
 La PucELLE pour prisonniere. 
 
 EUe est trbs doulce, amiable, 
 Moutonne, sans orgueil ne envie, 
 Gracieuse, moult serviable, 
 Et qui menoit bien belle vie, 
 
 Tr^s souvent elle se confessoit, 
 Poiu avoir Dieu en protecteur, 
 Ne gaire Feste se passoit. 
 Que ne receust son Cr^atem*. 
 
 Mais ce nonobstant les Angloys 
 Aux vertuz & biens ne penserent, 
 Ain^ois en haine des Fran^oys, 
 Tres diuement si la traicterent. 
 
 Puis au derrenier la eondamnerent 
 A mourir douloureusement, 
 Et brief Parderent & bruUerent 
 A Rouen tout publiquement. 
 
 Les Poesies de Martial de Paris. Paris, 1 724, 
 12mo. vol. i. p. 120. 
 
 The identical spot on which she suffered is not now visible^ accord- 
 ing to Millin ; that place having been occupied by the late MarcM 
 des Veaux. It was however not half a stone's throw from the scite of 
 the present statue. In the Antiquit^s Nationales of the last mentioned 
 author (vol. iii. art. xxxvi.) there are three plates connected with 
 the History of Joan of Arc. The Jirst plate represents the Porte Bouve- 
 reuil to the left^ and the circular old tower to the right — in which lat- 
 ter Joan was confined^ with some houses before it : the middle ground 
 is a complete representation of the rubbishing state by which many of 
 the public buildings at Rouen are yet surrounded ; and French taste has 
 enlivened the foreground with a picture of a lover and his mistress, 
 in a bocage, regaling themselves with a flagon of wine. The old 
 
98 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 what emotions were once excited within this smail 
 space! What curiosity^ and even ag-ony of mind, 
 
 circular tower qui vit g^mir cette infortunee/' says Millin) exists 
 no longer. The second plate represents the fountain which was built 
 in the market-place upon the very spot where the Maid suffered, and 
 which spot was at first designated by the erection of a cross. From 
 the style of the embellishments it appears to have been of the time 
 of Francis I. Goube has re-engraved this fountain. It was taken 
 down or demolished in 1755 j upon the scite of which was built 
 the present tasteless production — resembling, as the author of the 
 Itin^raire de Ronen (p. 69) well observes, rather a Pallas than 
 the heroine of Orleans." The name of the author was Stodts. 
 Millin's third plate — of this present existing fountain, is desirable — 
 in as much as it shews the front of the house, in the interior of which 
 are the basso-relievos of the Champ de drap d'Or: for an account of 
 which see afterwards. 
 
 In the same work, vol. ii. p. 2, is a plate of the Maid's monument 
 at Orleans J cast in bronze (the second of the kind in France) in the 
 year 1571. She is kneeling, with her long hair slightly tied with a 
 riband behind the nape of her neck. Her head is uncovered, and 
 her helmet and spear are by the side of her. Opposite to her is no 
 very desirable neighbour — Charles VII. The central subject is the 
 dead Christ in the lap of the Virgin. Does this monument yet 
 exist? In a note at vol, iii. p. 3, Art, xxxvi,, Millin properly refers 
 to Lenglet du Fresnoy and Fontette's edition of Le Long's Bibliotheque 
 Historique, for a catalogue of the numerous, or rather innumerable, 
 works, of all kinds, and in all shapes, which were published relating 
 to the Maid's life and death. The subject has been even dramatised j 
 and in the MSS. of the Vatican there is a metrical mystery of the Siege 
 of Orleans. Millin allows, with equal propriety, that all portraits 
 of her — whether in sculpture, or painting, or engraving — are purely 
 IDEAL. Perhaps the nearest, in point of fidelity, was that which was 
 seen in a painted glass window of the church of the Minimes at 
 Chaillot : although the building was not erected till the time of 
 Charles VIII. Yet it might have been a copy of some coeval produc- 
 tion. In regard to oil paintings, I take it that the portrait of Judith, 
 with a sword in one hand, and the head of Holofornes in the other, has 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 99 
 
 mingled with the tumults of indignation, the shouts 
 .of revenge, and the exclamations of pity ! But life now 
 goes on just the same as if nothing remarkable had hap- 
 pened here. The past is forgotten. Nor smoke nor 
 flame is seen ; nor the shrieks of the sufferer are heard. 
 Poor Joan ! — she is one of the many who, having been 
 tortured as a heretic, have been afterwards reverenced 
 as a martyr. Her statue was, not very long after her 
 execution, almost adored upon that very spot where 
 her body had been consigned, with execrations, to 
 the flames. As I gazed upon the present wretched 
 sculptured representation of her, I could not but think 
 of the sleepy attempt of Chapelaine, and the more ani- 
 mated eftbrt of our Southey — to immortalize her 
 memory. The prison where Joan of Arc was confined 
 yet partly exists ; and the spot where she was burnt 
 is attested both bv a fountain and a statue, in the 
 centre of the square. The present statue is indeed 
 frightful in every respect. It is defective in form, and 
 divested of the costume of the time : two faults, which 
 no other beauties (had it possessed any) could have 
 compensated. However, this square contains probably 
 one of the very oldest houses in Rouen — and as inte- 
 resting as it is ancient. It is invisible from without : 
 but you open a wooden gate, and quickly find yourself 
 within a small quadrangle, having three of its sides 
 
 been usually copied (with the omission of the latter accompaniment) 
 as that of Jeanne d'Arc. But it is time to close this account of her. 
 Yet I hardly know a more interesting collection of books than that 
 which may be acquired respecting the fate of this equally brave and 
 unfortunate heroine. 
 
 VOL. I. G 
 
100 KOUEN. 
 
 covered with basso-relievo figures in plaister. That 
 side which faces you is evidently older than the left : 
 indeed I have no hesitation in assigning it to the end 
 of the xvth century. The clustered ornaments of 
 human figures and cattle, with which the whole of 
 the exterior is covered, reminds us precisely of those 
 numerous little wood- cut figures, chiefly pastoral, 
 which we see in the borders of printed missals of the 
 same period. The taste which prevails in them is half 
 French and half Flemish. Not so is the character of 
 the plaister figures which cover the left side on enter- 
 ing. These, my friend, are no less than the represen- 
 tation of the procession of Henry VIII. and Francis I. 
 to the famous Champ de drap d'Or : of which Mont- 
 faucon, after his fashion,* has published engravings. 
 
 MontfaucoUj after his fashiorij'] Far be it from me to depreciate the 
 labours of Montfaucon. But those who have not the means of getting 
 at that learned antiquarian's Monarchie Frangoise may possibly have 
 an opportunity of examining precisely the same representations^ of 
 the procession above alluded to, in DucareVs Anglo-Norman Anti- 
 quitieSy Plate XII. Till the year 1726 this extraordinary series of 
 ornament was supposed to represent the Council of Trent ; but the 
 Abbe Noel^ happening to find a salamander marked upon the back 
 of one of the figures, supposed, with greater truth, that it was a 
 representation of the abovementioned procession j and accordingly 
 sent Montfaucon an account of the whole. The Abbe might have 
 found more than one, two^ or three salamanders, if he had looked 
 sharply upon this extraordinary exterior ; and possibly, in his time, 
 the surfaces of the more delicate parts, especially of the features, 
 might not have sustained the injuries which time and accident now 
 seem to liave inflicted upon them. Mr. Lewis, in the opposite beautiful 
 specimen of art, both drawn and engraved by himself, has been 
 scrupulously exact in shewing the decayed and perfect parts just as 
 they appeared at the period of our visit. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 101 
 
 Having carefully examined this very curious relic, of 
 the beginning of the sixteenth century, I have no hesi- 
 tation in pronouncing the copy of Montfaucon (or 
 rather of the artist employed) to be most egregiously 
 faithless. I visited it again and again ; considering it 
 to be worth all the " huge clocks" in Rouen put toge- 
 ther. It was of course too tempting a subject to be 
 neglected by the pencil of Mr. Lewis : who selected the 
 following small portion — as being nearly the most 
 perfect which remains. 
 
Ifta ROUEN. 
 
 The house itself is now a lady s boarding-school, and 
 the mistress (Mrs. Harinar, an English woman) shewed 
 Mr. L. all manner of civility and attention during 
 the execution of the drawing*. Several of the young 
 and sprightly tenants of this old-fashioned place came 
 and conversed with him, while his pencil was in his 
 hand, and he contrived to vary the occupation of that 
 said pencil, by making one or two pretty little sketches 
 of their physiognomies. Mrs. Harmar herself had 
 nearly forgotten her legitimate English — so insensibly 
 and surely do foreign sounds and language operate in 
 giving an altered character to our own. I hardly know 
 how to take you from this interesting spot — from this 
 exhibition of beautiful old art — especially too when I 
 consider that Francis himself once occupied the man- 
 sion, and held a council here, with both English and 
 French : that his bugles once sounded from beneath 
 the gate-way ; and his goblets once sparkled upon 
 the chestnut tables of the great hall. I do hope 
 and trust that the Royal Academy of Rouen will not 
 suffer this architectural relic to perish, without leaving 
 behind a substantial and a faithful representation 
 of it. 
 
 While upon the subject of ancient edifices— =^ and 
 
 * the subject of ancient edifices,] On examining the note at page 4 1 , 
 it will be seen that mention is made of certain views of Rouen, or of 
 portions of it, which are to be found in tlie Bibliotheque du Roi at 
 Paris, In the same collection is a drawing of part of the ancient 
 building in the Court of the Abbey St. Amand, in one of the streets 
 of Rouen of which I have forgotten the name. In this composi- 
 tion are seen the arms of Mary of Anhault, the Abbess. It is 
 cleverly executed, and is well worth engraving. There is also rather 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 103 
 
 while the gallant deeds of Francis I. may be called 
 to mind from reading the last paragraph but one — let 
 me take you with me back again a few steps, and 
 crossing the Rue de la Gr^osse Horloge^ contrive to 
 place you in the centre of the square which is formed 
 by the Palais de Justice. The inhabitants con- 
 sider this building as the principal lion (of a civil 
 character) in their city. It has indeed great claims 
 to notice and admiration, but will not bear the severe 
 scrutiny of a critic in Gothic art. It was partly 
 erected by the famous Cardinal d'Amboise, (of whom 
 I expatiated somewhat in my fifth letter) and partly 
 by Francis I. ; and the Parliament of Normandy 
 assembled here at the beginning of the sixteenth cen- 
 tury, as it was built upon the scite of the old parlia- 
 ment house. This building precisely marks the resto- 
 ration of Gothic taste in France, and the peculiar 
 style of architecture which prevailed in the reign 
 of Francis I. To say the truth, this style, however 
 sparkling and imposing, is objectionable in many 
 respects : for it is, in the first place, neither pure 
 Gothic nor pure Grecian — but an injudicious mixture 
 of both. Greek arabesque borders are running up the 
 sides of a portal, terminating in a Gothic arch ; and 
 the Gothic ornaments themselves are not in the purest, 
 or the most pleasing, taste. Too much is given to 
 parts, and too little to the whole. The external orna- 
 ments are frequently heavy from their size and elabo- 
 
 an interesting view of the entrance into the same abbey ^ of the date 
 of 1702. Not a vestige of the original now^ remains. A little print, 
 by Sylvestre, of one of the old castles, at Rouen, may be also just 
 worth mentioning. 
 
104 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 rate execution ; and they seem to be stuck on to the 
 main building without rhyme or reason. Nevertheless 
 I know not how you can refuse assent to the criticism 
 tliat this is a " vaste batiment d'un gothique extreme- 
 ment delicate et tr^s hardi dans son execution."^^ 
 Surely however the architect would have improved, as 
 well as enriched, his building, if he had selected portions 
 from a purer as well as better style of art, observable 
 in the Cathedral and the Abbey of St. Ouen : — but 
 men will be always inventing, and indulging their 
 fancies equally at the expense of their judgment and 
 reputation. 
 
 The criminal offences are tried in the hall to the 
 right, and the prisoners are confined in the lower part 
 of the building to the left : above which you mount by 
 a pretty lofty flight of stone steps, which conducts you 
 to a singularly curious hall,-!- about one hundred and 
 seventy-five English feet in length — roofed by wooden 
 ribs, in the form of an arch, and displaying a most 
 curious and exact specimen of carpenter s work. This 
 is justly shewn and commented upon to the enquiring 
 traveller. Parts of the building are devoted to the 
 courts of assize, and to tribunals of audience of almost 
 every description. The first Presidents of the Parlia- 
 
 * Itintraire de Rouen, 1815^ 8vo. 
 
 t In Ducarel's time, the ground story consisted of a great quad- 
 rangle surrounded with booksellers shops. On one side of it a stone 
 staircase led to a large and lofty room^, which, in its internal as 
 well as external appearance, resembled, though in miniature, West- 
 minster hall. Here (continues Ducarel) 1 saw several gentlemen of 
 the long robe, in their gowns and bands, walking up and down with 
 briefs in their hands, and making a great show of business^" Anglo^ 
 Norman AntiquitleSj p. 32. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 105 
 
 ment lived formerly in the building which faces you 
 upon entrance, but matters have now taken a very 
 different turn. Upon the whole, this Town Hall, or 
 call it what you will, is rather a magnificent erection ; 
 and certainly very much superior to any provincial 
 building of the kind which we possess in England. I 
 should tell you that the courts for commercial or civil 
 causes are situated near the quays, at the south part 
 of the town : and Monsieur Riaux, who conducted 
 me thither, (and who possesses the choicest library =^ 
 of antiquarian books, of all descriptions, relating to 
 Rouen, which I had the good fortune to see) carried 
 me to the Hall of Commerce^ which, among other 
 apartments, contains a large chamber (contiguous to 
 the Court of Justice) covered with fleurs de lys 
 upon a light blue ground. It is now however much 
 in need of reparation : fresh lilies and a new ground 
 are absolutely necessary — to harmonise with a large 
 oil-painting at one end of it^-f^ in which is represented 
 
 * the choicest library. 1 Monsieur Riaux, Archiviste de la Chambre 
 de Commerce. This amiable man and intelligent Bibliomaniac pro- 
 mised to send me a list of his rarer and more valuable volumes, 
 before I left Rouen. He unites a love of literary with architectural an- 
 tiquities. The collection of M. Le Prevost is however as copious. 
 
 f At another end of this chamber of the Hall of Commerce is a 
 highly coloured picture, of colossal dimensions, representing the Genius 
 of Commerce. It was bespoke by the Corporation of M. Le Monnier, 
 of the Royal Academy of Painting, and is full of allegorical repre- 
 sentations, comprehending the four quarters of the globe. Imposant" 
 as this picture may be considered, and introduced to your attention 
 by several printed pages of description, I could not but consider it very 
 dull, very faulty, and very uninteresting. 
 
106 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 the reception of Louis XVI. at Rouen by the Mayor 
 and Deputies of the town^ in 1786. All the figures 
 are of the size of life^ well painted after the originals, 
 and appear to be strong resemblances. On enquiring 
 how many of them were now living, I was told that 
 — ALL WERE DEAD ! The fatc of the principal figure 
 is but too well known. They should have this inte- 
 resting subject — interesting undoubtedly to the inha- 
 bitants — executed by one of their best engravers. It 
 represents the vmfortunate Louis quite in the prime of 
 life; and is the best whole length portrait of him 
 which I have yet seen in painting or engraving. 
 What an ornament for a provincial, or what we should 
 call a county, publication ? But let us hope that the 
 city of Rouen will yet have its Whittaker to describe 
 its curiosities, and record its antiquities. I wish it no 
 better historian. 
 
 It is right however that you should know, that, in 
 the Tribunal for the determination of commercial 
 causes, there sits a very respectable Bench of Judges: 
 among whom I recognised one that had perfectly the 
 figure, air, and countenance, of an Englishman. I 
 will also add (in sober truth) that he was the best 
 looking of the whole. On enquiry of my guide, I 
 found my supposition verified. He was an English- 
 man ; but peradventure was indebted to a thirty years 
 residence in the climate of Rouen for his handsome 
 countenance and gentlemanly appearance ! The ju- 
 dicial costume is appropriate in every respect ; but 
 I could not help smiling upon meeting, the other 
 morning, betimes, with my friend the judge, standing 
 before the door of his house, in the open street — with 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 107 
 
 a hairy cap on — leisurely smoking his pipe. Would 
 
 Mr. Justice L of old^ or Mr. Justice • 
 
 that now is^, recreate himself in the like manner ? I trow 
 not. I hope you do not fail to remember that this is 
 my Sixth Letter — from the vine-covered hills and 
 gay regions of France !" 
 
108 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 THE QUAYS. BRIDGE OF BOATS. RUE DU BAC. RUE 
 DE ROBEC. EAUX DE ROBEC ET d'aUBETTE. 
 
 mont ste. catharine. hospices generale et 
 
 d'humanite. 
 
 Still tarrying within this old fashioned place! I 
 have indeed yet much to impart before I quit it, and 
 which I have no scruple in avowing will be well de- 
 serving of your attention. Do not expect me however 
 to be for ever lingering within mouldy walls and per- 
 ishing towers — and that the living are to be systemati- 
 cally neglected for the dead — tho' assuredly you had 
 life enough" towards the latter part of my last dis- 
 patch. Our day of departure is at length fixed, and 
 probably this may be my last epistle but one from 
 hence. 
 
 Just letting you know, in few words, that I have 
 visited the famous chemical laboratory of M. Vitalis, 
 (Rue Beauvoisine) and the yet more wonderful spec- 
 tacle exhibited in M. Lemere's machine for sawing 
 wood of all descriptions, into small or large planks, by 
 means of water works — I must take you along the 
 QUAYS for a few minutes. These quays are flanked by 
 an architectural front, which, were it finished agreeably 
 to the original plan, would present us with one of 
 the noblest structures in Europe. To the best of my 
 recollection this stone front was begun in the reign of 
 Louis XV. but many and prosperous must be the years 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 109 
 
 of art^ of commerce, and of peace, before money suffi- 
 cient can be raised for the successful completion of the 
 pile. The quays are long, broad, and full of bustle of 
 every description ; while in some of the contiguous 
 squares, ponderous bales of goods, shawls, cloth, and 
 linen, are spread open to catch the observing eye. In 
 the midst of this varied and animated scene, walks a 
 WELL-KNOWN CHARACTER, iu his large cocked hat, and 
 with his tin machine upon his back, filled with lemon- 
 ade or coffee, surmounted by a bell — which " ever and 
 anon" is sounded for the sake of attracting customers, 
 Mr. Lewis has copied the entire scene to the life, 
 
110 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 As you pass along this animated scene, by the side 
 of the rapid Seine, and its Bridge of Boats*, you 
 
 * The communication with the country lying south of Rouen, is 
 carried on by means of a timber bridge, two hundred paces in length, 
 thrown over the River Seine from the middle of the quay to the Fau- 
 bourg St. Sever, and of which the inhabitants talk with infinite rap- 
 tures. This structure, begun in the year 169.6, is framed upon nineteen 
 barges which rise and fall with the flux and reflux of the tide. It is so 
 contrived that when there is occasion for vessels to pass through, one 
 part of it, by the help of pullies, turns upon iron rollers over the other 
 part, without the least injury to either. It hath also, as I was inform- 
 ed, this farther covenience, that it can be taken to pieces in a few 
 hours, when any danger is apprehended from the winter floods bring- 
 ing down large flakes of ice. The expense of keeping this floating 
 bridge in repair is very considerable, as the barges on which it is con- 
 structed, as well as the other parts of it, are subject to frequent decay 5 
 inasmuch that it is said to amount, communibus annis, to ten thousand 
 livres French, or upwards of four hundred pounds sterling. Just be- 
 low it are the ruins of the once magnificent stone bridge, which con- 
 sisted of thirteen arches, and was built by the Empress Maud, daughter 
 of Henry I. King of England. This old bridge seems to have been 
 much better situated than the present, having been placed so as to 
 range in a line with the principal street, which is to this day called 
 Rue Grand Pont; but after having stood firm between three or four 
 hundred years, it began to feel a very sensible decay, and on the 22d of 
 August 1502, three arches fell down, which in 1533 were followed by 
 two otliers. These defects were supplied by a super- structure of tim- 
 berj but a few years after, some of the other arches beginning to open, 
 the carriage and foot ways became so dangerous, that they were to- 
 tally abandoned, and the passage over the river was from that time 
 effected by means of ferry boats. Several attempts were after this 
 made to repair the old bridge, but the ignorance of the French archi- 
 tects was so great, that they unanimously declared it impossible to re- 
 build a stone bridge in that place, on account of the depth of the 
 water, and the rapidity of the river. Whereupon the present floating 
 bridge was constructed in the manner I have mentioned." Ducarel, 
 p. 35-6. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 Ill 
 
 cannot help glancing now and then down the narrow 
 old-fashioned streets, which run at right angles with 
 the quays — with the innumerable small tile-fashioned 
 pieces of wood, like scales, upon the roofs — which 
 seem as if they would be demolished by every blast. 
 The narrowness and gloom of these streets, together 
 with the bold and overwhelming projections of the upper 
 stories and roofs, afford a striking contrast with the 
 animated scene upon the quays : — where the sun shines 
 with full freedom, as it were, and where the glitter- 
 ing streamers, at innumerable mast-heads, denote the 
 wealth and prosperity of the town. If the day happen 
 to be fine, you may devote half a morning in con- 
 templating, and mingling with, so interesting a scene. 
 Judge yourself of one of these cramped streets, and 
 overshadowing roofs, by the following spirited drawing 
 
 To this may be subjoined, that Buonaparte commenced the building 
 of a new stone bridge j of which only the abutments on each side 
 of the river, and one or two of the piers for arches in the middle, 
 were executed. I should apprehend that the present bridge of boats 
 (which is always one of the ugliest and most unpicturesque convey- 
 ances imaginable) would hardly last two dozen of years. The central 
 part for the carriages is terribly worn ; and as I was walking upon it, 
 during the passage of the Caen diligence, I thought the whole structure 
 would have sunk into the bed of the river. A view of the river, the 
 shipping, and the town, from a fine lofty stone bridge, would be en- 
 chanting. I saw however, at Paris, in a collection of prints relating to 
 Normandy (mentioned at page 41 ante) three pretty etchings, by 
 Israel Silvestre of the ruins of the old stone bridge. Silvestre 
 flourished in 1 650-60. Evelyn thus notices these ruins in 1644, There 
 stand yet the mines [says he] of a magnificent bridge of stone, now 
 supply'd by oneof boates only, to which come up vessels of consider- 
 able burden." Evelyn's Memoirs 'y vol. i. p. 50. Edit. 1818. 
 
112 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 of the Rue du Bac — leading to the south transept of 
 the Cathedral — which has already cut so gay a figure 
 in these despatches.* 
 
 We have had frequent thunder-storms of late ; and 
 the other Sunday evening, happening to be sauntering at 
 a considerable height above the north-west Boulevards^ 
 towards the Faubourg Cauchoise, I gained a summit, 
 upon the edge of a gravel pit, whence I looked down 
 unexpectedly and precipitously upon the town below. 
 A magnificent and immense cloud was rolling over the 
 whole city. The Seine was however visible on the 
 other side of it, shining like a broad silver chord ; while 
 the barren, ascending plains, through which the road 
 to Caen passes, were gradually becoming dusk with the 
 overshadowing cloud, and drenched with rain which 
 seemed to be rushing down in one immense torrent. 
 The top of the Cathedral and of the abbey of St. Ouen 
 were almost veiled in darkness, by the passing storm ; but 
 the lower part of the tower, and the whole of the nave 
 of each building, were in one stream of golden light — 
 from the last powerful rays of the setting sun. In ten 
 minutes this magically-varied scene settled into the 
 sober, uniform tint of evening ; but I can never forget 
 the rich bed of purple and pink, fringed with burnish- 
 ed gold, in which the sun of that evening set. I de- 
 scended — absorbed in the recollection of the lovely 
 objects which I had just contemplated — and regaled by 
 the sounds of a thousand little gurgling streamlets, 
 
 * See the opposite copper-plate. Perhaps this is one of the 
 closest and most faithful of copies j and gives you a decided idea of 
 the generality of those old, narrow streets, so particularly mentioned 
 in the text. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 113 
 
 created by the passing tempest, and hastening to pre- 
 cipitate themselves into the Seine. 
 
 Of the different trades, especially retail, which are 
 carried on in Rouen with the greatest success, those 
 connected with the cotton manufactories cannot fail to 
 claim your attention ; and I fancied I saw, in some of 
 the shop-windows, shawls and gowns which might pre- 
 sume to vie with our Manchester and Norwich produc- 
 tions. Nevertheless, I learnt that the French were 
 extremely partial to British manufactures : and cotton 
 stockings, colored muslins, and what are called 
 ginghams, are covetted by them with the same 
 fondness as we prize their cambric and lace. 
 Their best articles in watches, clocks, silver orna- 
 ments, and trinkets, are obtained from Paris. But in 
 respect to upholstery, I must do the Rouennois the 
 justice to say, that I never saw any thing to compare 
 with their escrutoires and other articles of furniture 
 made of the walnut tree. These upright escrutoires, 
 or writing desks, are in almost every bed^room of the 
 more respectable hotels : but of course their polish is 
 gone when they become stationary furniture in an 
 inn — for the art of rubbing, or what is called elhow- 
 grease with us, is almost unknown on either side of 
 the Seine. You would be charmed to have a fine spe- 
 cimen of a side board, or an escrutoire, (the latter 
 five or six feet high) made by one of their best cabinet- 
 makers from choice walnut wood. The polish and 
 tone of colour are equally gratifying; and resemble 
 somewhat that of rose wood, but of a gayer aspect. 
 The or-molu ornaments are tastefully put on ; but the 
 
114 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 general shape^ or contour, of the several pieces of fur 
 niture, struck me as being in bad taste. 
 
 He who wishes to be astonished by the singularity 
 of a scene, connected with trade, should walk leisurely 
 down the Rue de Robec. It is surely the oddest, and, 
 as some may think, the most repulsive scene imaginable: 
 but who that has a rational curiosity could resist such 
 a walk ? Here live the dyers of clothes — and in the 
 middle of the street rushes the precipitous stream, 
 called LEau deRobec^ — receiving colours of all hues. 
 To day it is nearly jet black : to-morrow it is bright 
 scarlet : a third day it is blue, and a fourth day it is 
 yellow ! Meanwhile it is partially concealed by little 
 bridges, communicating with the manufactories, or 
 with that side of the street where the work-people 
 live : and the whole has a dismal and disagreeable as- 
 pect — especially in dirty weather : but if you go to one 
 end of it (I think to the north — as it runs north and 
 south) and look down upon the descending street, 
 with the overhanging upper stories and roofs — the 
 foreshortened, numerous bridges — the differently-co- 
 lored dyed clothes, suspended from the windows, or 
 from poles — the constant motion of men, women, and 
 children, running across the bridges — with the rapid, 
 camelion stream beneath — you cannot fail to acknow- 
 ledge that this is one of the most singular, gro- 
 
 * Bourgueville describes this river, in the sixteenth century, as being 
 aucune fois iaulne, autrefois rouge, verte, bleue, viol^e & autres 
 couleurs, selon qu'vn grand nombre de teinturiers qui sont dessus, la 
 diuersifient par interualles en faisant leurs maneures." 
 
 Antiquitez de Caen, p. 36, 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 115 
 
 tesque, and uncommon sights in the wonder-working 
 city of Rouen. With all the betraying simplicity of 
 a stranger, I stopped opposite a house in which I 
 saw a basso-relievo ornament of a knight, praying be 
 neath a tree, while his horse was grazing beside him. 
 This plaister ornament had the date of somewhere be- 
 tween 1580andl590 — but just now I forget the precise 
 year. Possibly this might have been a representation 
 of St, Hubert; or possibly the house might have been 
 the residence of some distinguished character during the 
 League, — but how comfortable are '^possibilities" in the 
 solution of difficulties, or the appropriation of persons 
 and things? I ought to tell you that our old friend 
 the first famous Cardinal d'Amboise caused the 
 Eau de Robec to be directed through the streets of 
 Rouen, from its original channel or source in a little 
 valley near St, Martin du Vivien, Formerly there 
 was a much more numerous clan of these teintu- 
 riers" in the Rue de Robec — but they have of late 
 sought more capacious premises in the fauxbourgs de 
 St. Hilaire and de Martainvllle. The neighbouring sis- 
 ter-stream, VEau d'Aubette, is destined to the same pur- 
 poses as that of which I have been just discoursing ; 
 but I do not at this moment recollect whether it be also 
 dignified, in its course, by turning a few corn mills, ere 
 it empties itself into the Seine. Indeed the thundering 
 noise of one of these mills, turned by the Robec river, 
 near the church of St. Maclou, will not be easily for- 
 gotten by me. Thus you see of what various, strange, 
 and striking objects the city of Rouen is composed. 
 Bustle, noise, life and activity, in the midst of an at- 
 mosphere unsullied by the fumes of sea coal : hilarity 
 
116 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 and apparent contentment : the spruce bourgeoise and 
 the slattern fille de chambre : — attired in vestments of 
 deep crimson and dark blue — every thing flits be- 
 fore you as if touched by magic, and as if sorrow and 
 misfortune were unknown to the inhabitants. 
 
 " Paull5 majora canamus." In other words, let us 
 leave the town for the country. Let us hurry through 
 a few more bizarre alleys, courts, and streets — and as 
 the morning is yet beautiful, let us hasten onwards to 
 enjoy the famous Panorama of Rouen and its environs 
 from the Mont Ste. Catharine . . . Indeed, my friend, 
 I sincerely wish that you could have accompanied us 
 to the summit of this enchanting eminence : but as 
 you are far away, you must be content with a brief de- 
 scription of our little expedition thither.* The Mont 
 St. Catharine, which is entirely chalk, is considered 
 the highest of the hills in the immediate vicinity of 
 Rouen ; or rather, perhaps, is considered the point of 
 elevation from which the city is to be viewed to the 
 
 * expedition thither.'] — When John Evelyn visited this neighbour- 
 hood, in 1644 J the country so abounded with wolves, that a shep- 
 herd^ whom he met, told him that one of his companions was stran- 
 gled by one of them the day before — and that, in the midst of the 
 flock ! The fields (continues he) are mostly planted with pears and 
 apples and other cider fruits. It is plentifully furnished with quarries 
 of stone and slate, and hath iron in abundance." Memoirs of the Life 
 and Writings of John Evelyn, vol. i. p. 50. Edit. 1818. My friend 
 Mr. J. H. Markland (a tried good Roxburgher) visited Mont St. Catha- 
 rine the year after the visit above described. He was of course en- 
 chanted with the view ; and told me, that a friend whom he met there, 
 and who had travelled pretty much in Italy, assured him there was 
 notiiing like it on the banks of either the Arno or the Po. In short, it 
 is quite peculiar to itself — and cannot be surpassed. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 117 
 
 greatest possible advantage. It lies to the left of the 
 Seine, in your way from the town ; and the ascent begins 
 considerably beyond the barriers. Indeed it is on the 
 route to Paris. We took an excellent Jiacre to carry us 
 to the beginning of the ascent, that our legs might be 
 in proper order for scrambling up the acclivities imme- 
 diately above ; and leaving the main road to the right, 
 we soon commenced our ambulatory operations in 
 good earnest. But there was not much labour or 
 much difficulty : so, halting, or standing, or sitting, on 
 each little eminence, our admiration seemed to en- 
 crease — till, gaining the highest point, looking towards 
 the west, we found ourselves immediately above tlie 
 town and the whole of its environs 
 
 " Heavens, what a goodly prospect spreads around !" 
 
 said I to myself— bethinking me of the well-known 
 verse in Thomson's description of the view from Rich- 
 mond Hill. The prospect was indeed " goodly — " being 
 varied, extensive, fertile, and luxuriant ... in spite of a 
 comparatively backward spring. The city was the 
 main object, not only of attraction, but of astonish- 
 ment. Although the point from which we viewed it 
 is considered to be exactly on a level with the summit 
 of the spire of the Cathedral, yet we seemed to be 
 hanging, as it were, in the air, immediately over the 
 streets themselves. We saw each church, each public 
 edifice, and almost each street ; nay, we began to think 
 we could discover almost every individual stirring 
 in them. The soldiers, exercising on the parade in the 
 Champ de Mars, seemed to be scarcely two stones 
 throw from us ; while the sounds of their music reached 
 
118 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 us in the most distinct and gratifying manner. No 
 Diable boiteux" could ever have transported a " Don 
 Cleophas Leandro Perez Zambullo" to a more favour- 
 able situation for a knowledge of what was passing in a 
 city ; and if the houses had been unroofed, we could have 
 ahnost discerned whether the escrutoires were made of 
 mahogany or of walnut-wooa ! This wonder-working 
 effect proceeds from the extraordinary clearness of the 
 atmosphere, and the absence of sea-coal fume. The sky 
 was perfectly blue — the generality of the roofs were 
 also composed of blue slate : this, added to the incipient 
 verdure of the boulevards, and the darker hues of the 
 trunks of the trees, upon the surrounding hills — the 
 lengthening forests to the left, and the numerous white 
 maisons de plaisance"=^ to the right — while the Seine, 
 with its hundred vessels, immediately below, to the 
 left, and in face of you — with its cultivated little 
 islands — and the sweeping meadows or race-ground-f^ 
 on the other side — all, or indeed any, of these objects 
 could not fail to excite our warmest admiration, and 
 to make us instinctively exclaim " that such a pa- 
 norama was perfectly unrivalled!" Mr. Lewis took 
 
 * It is thus prettily observ ed in the little Itiniraire de Rouen — " Ces 
 agreables maisons de plaisance appartiennent a des habitants de Rouen 
 qui y viennent en famille^ dans la belle saison, se delasser des embarras 
 dela ville et des fatigues du commerce." p. 153. 
 
 t race-ground.'] — ^When the English cavalry were quartered here in 
 1814-5, the officers were in the frequent habit of racing with each 
 other. These races weregaily attended by the inhabitants j and I heard, 
 from more than one mouth, the warmest commendations bestowed upon 
 thefieetness of the coursers and the skill of the riders. 
 
ROUEN. 119 
 
 out his drawing-book and pencil — and rather attempt- 
 ed, than executed^ a sketch of this enchanting view. 
 
 More immediately opposite, within a fine wood upon 
 a bold hill, stood the house of the Mayor of Rouen for 
 the time being. I think they call this place Canteleu, 
 It is very picturesque : but, as my hour of departure 
 from hence draws near; ' and as you cannot possibly 
 have more than another Rouen dispatch, (which must 
 and shall be devoted to Booftc^ — with the delightful 
 et ceteras dependent thereupon) I shall only express my 
 regret that I cannot visit other equally well known spots 
 in the environs of Rouen . . . that I cannot wander in 
 the lonely valley of Mont-aux- Malades^ — fit place for 
 conventual or monastic dwelling — and ascend its nu- 
 merous adjacent eminences, which, although they 
 should seem to shut out the world, enable you to see 
 the world from thence ! . . . that I must turn my back 
 perhaps for ever upon Bapaume^ Croisset, and D^ville, 
 and (yet more cruel fate !) upon the sweet and smiling 
 plains of Bois-guillaume. But I will not repine. I 
 have seen much and enjoyed much. I have paced the 
 naves of the Cathedral and of the abbey of St. Ouen ; and 
 
 * Mont-aux-Malades], — Les campagnes environnantes du Mont- 
 aux-Malades ofFrent des coteaux charmants qui invitent a s'y reposer. 
 Leurs richesses, leur variete, le silence de ces lieux solitaires, qui n'est 
 trouble que par les chants de PhilomMe et des heureux habitants des 
 airsj tout invite a s'y arr^ter et a se livrer a la plus douce melanchohe 
 sur ces pelouses emaillees de fleurs," Itineraire de RoueUf p, 152. 
 Such a passage — though from a waistcoat-pocket Itinerary — is not un- 
 deserving of quotation. Mont-aux-Malades (its name derived, I ap- 
 prehend, from the place being the resort of valetudinarians) lies above 
 the Fauxbourgs Cauchoise and Bouvreuil 3 about a French league from 
 the city. 
 
 VOL. I. H 
 
120 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 have stood as it were upon their pinnacles, while gazing 
 at them from the height of Mont Ste. Catharine ! 
 
 M. Periaux, a very sensible man, and Member of 
 the Royal Academy of Rouen, as well as a printer of 
 equal business and reputation, wrote out for me a list 
 of all the desirable places to be visited in the vicinity 
 of the city : but to write out," and to carry what is 
 written into execution, are very different matters. I 
 admitted to my Instructor that Mont-aux-Malades 
 and Bihorel must remain unvisited by me . . . He 
 answered, " done vous n'auriez rien vu." But this 
 is surely a mere Academic flourish. We descended 
 Mont Ste. Catharine^^ on the side facing the Hospice 
 Gdndral', a building of a very handsome form, and 
 considerable dimensions. It is a noble establishment 
 for foundlings, and the aged and infirm of both sexes. 
 I was told that not fewer than twenty-five hundred 
 human beings were sheltered in this asylum ; a number, 
 which equally astonished and delighted me. The de- 
 scent, on this side the hill, is exceedingly pleasing ; 
 being composed of serpentine little walks, through 
 occasional alleys of trees [and shrubs, to the very 
 base of the hill, not many hundred yards from the 
 
 * This mount takes its name from an abbey formerly built there and 
 dedicated to the Holy Trinity ; of which abbey Simeon, a religious 
 character from Mount Sinai, was the founder. He, and his holy at- 
 tendant (of the name of Gosselin) carried thither the relics of St. Ca- 
 therine, and hence the place is called Mont Ste. Catharine. Pommeraye 
 has devoted ninety foUo pages to the Histoire de VAhhaye de la Ste. Tri- 
 nity ; dite du Mont de Sainte Catharine ^ and is careful to tell us how 
 Simeon got into possession of the relics of the Saint." 
 
 Histoire de VAhhaye Roy ale de St Ouen, 1662, folio. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 121 
 
 hospital. The architecture of this extensive building is 
 more mixed than that of its neighbour the Hospice 
 d Humanite, on account of the dilferent times in wiiich 
 portions of it were added : but, upon the whole, you 
 are rather struck with its approach to what may be 
 called magnificence of style. I was indeed pleased with 
 the good order and even good breeeding of its motley 
 inhabitants. Some were strolling quietly, with their 
 arms behind them, between rows of trees : — others 
 were tranquilly sitting upon benches : a third group 
 would be in motion within the squares of the building : 
 a fourth appeared in deep consultation whether the 
 potage of to-day were not inferior to that of the pre- 
 ceding day ? — " Que cherchez vous. Monsieur ?" said a 
 fine looking old man, touching, and half taking off, 
 his cocked hat " I wish to see the Abbe Tur- 
 quier," — rejoined I. " Ah, il vient de sortir — par ici, 
 Monsieur.'* Thank you." " Monsieur je vous sou- 
 haite le bon jour — au plaisir de vous revoir !" And 
 thus I paced through the squares of this vast building. 
 The " Portier" had a countenance which our Wilkie 
 would have seized with avidity, and copied with inimi- 
 table spirit and fidelity. 
 
 The Jardin des Plantes is in the immediate vicinity 
 of this Hospital. It was established during the reign 
 of Louis XV., and my amiable acquaintance, the fore- 
 mentioned Abbe, is one of the brightest ornaments of 
 the Botanic institution which is attached to it. This 
 garden, next to that at Paris, is considered the most 
 curious in France. I rambled through it — regaled by 
 
122 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 the odours of the violet and jonquille^ and still more 
 rejoiced at the sight of the blossoms of the apple and 
 almond trees. Spring is come at last . . . But where 
 are the Books, and MSS, and Printing Presses of 
 which I heretofore spake ? A little patience^ and then. 
 
123 
 
 LETTER VIIL 
 
 EARLY TYPOGRAPHY AT ROUEN. MODERN PRINTERS. 
 CHAP BOOKS. BOOKSELLERS. BOOK COLLECTORS. 
 
 " Yes — and then" ... for all the gossip and chit- 
 chat connected with paper ^ ink, books, printing-offices, 
 and curiosities of every graphic description. Perhaps 
 the most regular method would be to speak of a few 
 of the principal presses, before we take the productions 
 of these presses into consideration. And first, as to 
 the antiquity of printing in Rouen.=^ The art of print- 
 ing is supposed to have been introduced here, by a 
 citizen of the name of Maufer, between the years 
 1470 and 1480. Some of the specimens of Rouen 
 Missals and Breviaries, especially of those by Morin, 
 who was the second printer in this city, are very 
 splendid. His device, which is not common, but ra- 
 ther striking, is here enclosed for your gratifica- 
 tion. 
 
 * antiquity of printing in J2omcw.]— The reader may possibly not ob- 
 ject to consult two or three pages of the Bibliographical Decameron, 
 beginning at page 137, vol. ii. respecting a few early Rouen printers. 
 The name of Maufer, however, appears in a fine large folio volume, 
 entitled Gaietanus de Tienis Vincentini in Quatt. Aristot. Metheor. Li- 
 hrosj of the date of 1476 — in the possession of Earl Spencer. From 
 the colophon of which we can only safely infer that Maufer was a 
 citizen of Rouen. 
 
 I 
 
124 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 Few provincial towns have been more fertile in ty- 
 pographical productions ; and the reputation of Tail- 
 LEUR, GuALTiER, and Valentin, gave great respect- 
 ability to the press of Rouen at the commencement of 
 the xvith century.=^ 
 
 * at the commencement of the x\ith cew^wrz/.]— Among the earlier 
 works of a poetical description, which seem to have any direct connection 
 with Rouen, is the one entitled Palinodz, Chantz royaux, Ballades, 
 R5deaulx, et Epigrammes j a I'honneur de limmaculee Coception, &c. 
 
 On the third leaf are the names of those who contributed ballads, &c. 
 among which we read M. Andry de la vigne : M. Guillaume Cretin. 
 lehanMarot. Nicolle le vestu. Nicolle aubert. Pierre lelieur. N. tur- 
 bot. G. Thibault. laques du pare. Innocent tourmente. Pierre le 
 cheuallier. Crygnon de Dieppe. Guygnart appoticaire. Picot. Guil- 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 125 
 
 Yet I am not able to ascertain whether this press was 
 very fruitful in l!!oinance^,€l>rDniclc^, and olb ^oetrp- 
 
 laume roger. Clement marot. laques fillaster. Busquet. Tasserie. 
 Frere Guillaume Alexis. 
 
 All the poetry is of a serious and sombre cast — not approaching any 
 thing like energy or sublimity : with over- strained conceits. I will 
 give a specimen or two, that the reader may judge for himself. At 
 feuillet. Ixxi, we have 
 
 Ballade premier de la roze. 
 
 Lan passe en terre gellee 
 Ble fut si rudement traicte. 
 Que au iourdlmy par la grande gelee 
 Nous soufFrons au ble la charte : 
 Mais deuant que tout fut gaste, 
 Dieu retint en certaine place. 
 Contre froit qui cest trop haste 
 La terre rendant ble de grace : 
 
 Ceste terre nest point fouUee 
 Ne fouye yuer ny este 
 Le soleil ou pluye coulee 
 Par grace ya tousiours este 
 Son rayon dorient monte 
 Grace sur elle contre la glace 
 Garda par diuine bonte 
 La terre rendant ble de grace. 
 
 Par la terre ainsy desolee 
 Vint fain au peuple supplian 
 Par lautre ame est consolee 
 Du ble que grace y a plante 
 Ble en lyuer fut desplante 
 Lautre est tousiours fertille et grasse 
 Preste a donner fruict a plante 
 La terre rendant ble de grace. 
 
 Renuoy. 
 
 Prince le pain par vous gouste 
 De son ble porte lefficace 
 
126 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 your beloved objects of research ! I rather think, 
 however^ that it was not deficient in this popular class 
 
 Qui preserua du froit doubte 
 La terre rend ant ble de grace 
 M. Guillaume Thibault. 
 
 Beneath a rondeau, by Guillaume Cretin, is the following — by the 
 same hand : — 
 
 Argumentum. 
 
 Vng facteur fut Osrhan nomme 
 Roy sui- tous chantres renomme 
 Qui feist en des partz trente six 
 Vng motet tellement asseiz 
 Quon ne veit oncq oeuure semblable 
 A clerici chantre louable 
 Premier queuoyer par cliemin 
 Le feist noter en parchemin 
 Puys pour le chanter assembla 
 Chantres auquelz tresbon sembla. 
 Le facteur dieu nous signifie 
 Son motet dont les partz ie nombre 
 Ce sacre concept certifie 
 Qui grace et vertus eut sans nombre. 
 
 Le noteur et le parchemin 
 Figurent Anne & loachin 
 Verbes passifz, pleurs manifestes 
 Chantres, patriarches, prophetes 
 Et les docteurs de saincte eglise 
 Qui prouuent oeuure tresexquise 
 Ceste vierge dont fut yssant 
 lesu Christ sen resiouyssant 
 
 fueillet Ixxii. 
 
 I may be pardoned for not giving more of the French : the latter 
 few leaves are devoted to Latin verse — somewhat more refreshing 
 than the preceding: Thus: — 
 
 " Qu/s est ista quce progreditur, quasi 
 
 aurora consurgens. Canticorum vi. cap. 
 
 lam noua concipiens intacte exordia prolis, 
 Pieria proferre tuba, atq j decentibus orsis 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 127 
 
 of literature/ if I am to judge from the specimens which 
 are yet lingering, as it were, in the hands of the curi- 
 ous. I ought rather to say, which are yet " extant" 
 (certainly not in choice print,") in the hands of the 
 many. The gravity even of an archiepiscopal see could 
 never repress the natural love of the French, from 
 time immemorial, for light and fanciful reading. 
 
 You know with what pertinacity I grope about old 
 alleys, old courts, bye-lanes, and unfrequented corners 
 — being like Harry Dyson of old, (according to Tom 
 Hearne's account of him^) a person of a very strange, 
 prying, and inquisitive genius, in the matter of books" 
 — in the search of what is curious, precious, and rare 
 in the book way. But ere we touch that enchant- 
 ing chord, let us proceed according to the plan laid 
 down. First therefore for printing offices. Of these, 
 the names of Periaux, (Imprimeur de VAcademie^) 
 
 Hereo, cui liceat diuam conferre nitentem. 
 An sit phas homini, quae iam supereminet orbes : 
 Etheris ardentis describere nubibus imbris 
 Siue niui similem, plerumq ; nocentia terris 
 Icta cadut. sed virgo manet super astra salutem 
 Terrigenum curans, ne non nocitura coercens. 
 Ergo nec est nubes seu nix dicenda nee imber 
 Virgo mihi. potius latijs aurora vocanda est 
 Vocibus, etherei certissima nuncia solis. 
 
 &c. &c. &c. Fo. Ixxvii. 
 
 It is signed Picardus laurea donatus." The whole volume con- 
 tains 100 leaves. A wood cut of the Virgin and child within a glory, in 
 the middle of an upright figure of a female, radiated, is on the reverse 
 of the last leaf. Messrs. Arch, Booksellers, had a copy of this curious 
 volume in their Catalogue of 1819, which was bound in blue 
 morocco, marked at the price of Ql. 8s. 
 
 * See Bibliomania, p. 398. 
 
128 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 Baudry, (Imprimeur du RoiJ Megard, (Rue Mar- 
 tinville) , and Lecrene-Labbey, (Imprimeur-Lihraire 
 et Marchand de Papiers) are masters of the principal 
 presses ; but such is the influence of Paris, or of me- 
 tropolitan fashions, that a publisher will sometimes 
 prefer getting his work printed at the capital — and 
 even the " Description Historique de rEgUse Metro- 
 poUtaine de Notre-Dame de Rouen (which I have so 
 frequently mentioned, and which is published by 
 Frere, the most respectable bookseller at Rouen), 
 was printed in the Metropolis. Of the foregoing 
 printers, it behoves me to make some particular 
 mention ; and yet I can speak personally but of two : 
 Messieurs Periaux and Megard. M. Periauxis printer 
 to the Academie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts de 
 Rouen, of which academy, indeed, he is himself an 
 accomplished member.^ He is quick, intelligent, 
 well-bred, and obliging to the last degree ; and may 
 be considered the Harry Stephen of the Rouen 
 Printers. He urged me to call often : but I could 
 visit him only twice. Each time I found him in his 
 
 * himself an accomplished Member^ — In the sittings of the Society 
 for August M. Periaux is announced as having communicated 
 
 " un memoire rempli de recherches et d'erudition_, dans lequel il 
 examine cette question:" La Lune pascale doit elle etre appelUe Lune 
 de Mars'' En d'autres termes : Aquel mois solaire un mois lu- 
 naire est-il cens4 appartenir?'' Two of the Members pronounced a 
 most favourable eulogy upon this ingenious performance — which is 
 printed, and may be had of all the Rouen booksellers. M. Periaux is 
 just now occupied in the laborious but useful task of giving a Guide 
 or History of Rouen, according to the alphabetical order of the 
 streets and public buildings, &c. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 129 
 
 counting house^ with his cap on — shading his eyes : a 
 pen in his right hand, and a proof sheet in his left. 
 Though he rejoiced at seeing me, I could discover 
 (much to his praise) that, like Aldus, he wished me to 
 
 say my saying quickly,"'^' and leave him to his deles 
 and stets ! He has a great run of business, and lives 
 in one of those strange, old-fashioned houses, in the 
 form of a square, with an outside spiral staircase, so 
 common in this extraordinary city. He introduced 
 me to his son, an intelligent young man — well quali- 
 fied to take the labouring oar, either upon the tem- 
 porary or permanent retirement of his parent. M. 
 P^riaux shewed me, with a conscious air of triumph, 
 a map — printed with metal types within wood-cut de- 
 markations of the different countries — and executed 
 upon a scale which renders it rather an uncommon 
 performance for the press. He has promised to pre- 
 sent me with a copy of it — but I am not sure that I 
 merit such a mark of his kindness. He was very 
 anxious that I should make myself well acquainted 
 with the locale of this city, and even penned down, as I 
 told you, the several places I ought to visit, with an 
 earnestness approaching to a command — that I should 
 of necessity see them. 
 
 Of Monsieur Megard, who maybe called the an- 
 cient Jenson^ or the modern Buhner, of Rouen, I can 
 speak only in terms of praise — both as a civil gentle- 
 man and as a successful printer. He is doubtless the 
 
 like Aldus, ''say my saying'' quickly ?i Consult Mr. Roscoe's Lije of 
 Leo X. vol. i. p. 169-70, 8vo. edit, Unger, in his Life of Aldus, 
 edit. Geret. p. xxxxii. has a pleasant notice of an inscription, to the 
 same effect, put over the door of his printing office by Aldus. 
 
130 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 most elegant printer in this city ; and being also a 
 publisher, his business is very considerable. He 
 makes his regular half yearly journeys among the 
 neighbouring towns and villages, and as regularly 
 brings home the fruits of his enterprise and indus- 
 try. The approach to his premises, in the Rue 
 Martinville, is sufficiently repulsive. In the usual 
 manner, you pull a wire or string, and the door is 
 opened by an invisible hand. You enter ; pass along 
 a range of offices, where presses are at work ; ascend a 
 flight of steps in front ; enter the warehouse^ filled with 
 a large stock of common vendible books ; and view, 
 from the windows thereof, a beautiful portion of the 
 south side of the Abbey of St. Ouen. Below, are a small 
 court and garden ; such as would be considered of in- 
 estimable value if adjoining the premises and appurte- 
 nances of many of our London printers. If a large 
 chimney, or a good part of a shabby old house were dis- 
 placed, the view of the abbey, from this warehouse, 
 would be perfectly enviable. On my first visit, M. 
 Megard was from home ; but Madame, " son epouse 
 Tattendoit a chaque moment !" There is a particular 
 class of women among the French, which is sin- 
 gularly inteUigent, civil, and even well-bred. I mean 
 the wives of the more respectable tradesmen. Thus 
 I found it, in addition to a hundred similar previous 
 instances, with Madame Megard. " Mais Monsieur, 
 je vous prie de vous asseoir. Que voulez vous?" "I 
 wish to have a little conversation with your husband. 
 I am an enthusiastic lover of the art of printing. I 
 search every where for skilful printers, and thus 
 it is that I am in pursuit of Monsieur Megard." 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 131 
 
 An immediate declension of the eye-lids, accompa- 
 nied with the most gentle obeisance, attested the 
 sensibility of the wife to the just eulogy bestowed 
 upon her husband. We both sat down and con- 
 versed together; and I found in Madame Megard a 
 middle-aged woman, and mother of several children,) 
 a communicative, and well- instructed representative 
 of the said ancient Jenson, or modern Buhner. — 
 " Enfin, voila mon mari qui arrive" — said Madame, 
 turning round, upon the opening of the door : — when 
 I looked forward, and observed a stout man, rather 
 above the middle size, with a countenance perfectly 
 English — but accoutred in the dress of the national 
 guard, with a huge grenadier cap upon his head. 
 Madame saw my embarrassment : laughed : and in two 
 minutes her husband knew the purport of my visit. 
 He began by expressing his dislike of the military 
 garb : but admitted the absolute necessity of adopting 
 such a measure as that of embodying a national guard. 
 " Soyez le bien venu : Ma foi, je ne suis que trop sensible. 
 Monsieur, de I'honneur que vous me faites — vu que 
 vous etes antiquaire typographique, et que vous 
 avez public des ouvrages relatifs a not re art. Mais 
 ce n'est pas ici qu il faut en chercher* de belles 
 epreuves. C'est a Paris." 
 
 I parried this delicate thrust by observing that I was 
 well acquainted with the fine productions of Didot — 
 and had also seen the less aspiring ones of himself— of 
 which indeed I had reason to think his townsmen 
 might be proud. This I spoke with the utmost 
 sincerity. " But you are printer to his Grace the 
 Archbishop !" " Yes, Sir." " I hope he is a patron 
 
132 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 of the art, as well as a Cardinal of the see of Rome ?" 
 M. Megard hesitated. "But think of the ecclesias- 
 tical patrons of typography, of old. Think of the Cardi- 
 nals Bessarion, Campanus, and of the Bishop of Aleria." 
 " C'est bien vrai. Monsieur, mais I'Archeveque de 
 Rouen n'est ni le Cardinal Bessarion ni I'Ev^que 
 d'Alerie !" — replied M. Megard with equal promptitude 
 and dexterity. In short, I learnt that M. Megard had 
 seen his patron but once ; at which interview it 
 should seem that he had experienced ten times the 
 reserve and formality which were ever displayed 
 by the Popes Paul II. and Sixtus IV. towards Sweyn- 
 heym and Pannartz, and John Philip de Lignamine. 
 I then bethought me of the " grosse machine de 
 chair" of the Abbe T.'^ My first visit concluded 
 with two elegant little book-presents, on the part of 
 M. Megard — one being Heures de Rouen, a V usage 
 du Diocese, 1814, 12mo. and the other Etrennes nou- 
 velles commodes et utiles, 1815, 12mo. — the former 
 bound in green morocco ; and the latter in calf, with 
 gilt leaves, but printed on a sort of apricot-tinted paper 
 — producing no unpleasing effect. Both are exceed- 
 ingly well executed ; and which our Bensley or Bulmer 
 might own without the least apricot-blush upon their 
 cheek. My visits to M. Megard were rather frequent. 
 He has a son at the College Royale, or Lycee, whither 
 I accompanied him, one Sunday morning, and took the 
 church of that establishment in the way. It is built 
 entirely in the Italian style of architecture : is exceed- 
 ingly spacious: has a fine organ, and is numerously 
 attended. The pictures I saw in it, although by no 
 
 * See page 68. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 133 
 
 means of first-rate merit, quite convince me that it is 
 in churches of Roman, and not of Gothic architecture, 
 that paintings produce the most harmonious effect. 
 This college and church form a noble establishment, 
 situated in one of the most commanding eminences of 
 the town. From some parts of it, the flying buttresses 
 of the nave of the Abbey of St. Ouen, with the Seine at 
 a short distance, surmounted by the hills and woods 
 of Canteleu as a back ground, are seen in the most 
 gloriously picturesque manner. 
 
 But the printer who does the most business — or 
 rather whose business lies in the lower department 
 of the art, in bringing forth what our friend B. usually 
 calls chap books — is Lecrene Labbey — imprimeuT' 
 lihraire et marchand de papiers. The very title im- 
 ports a sort of Dan Newberry's repository. I believe 
 however that Lecrene Labbey's business is much dimi- 
 nished. He once lived in the Rue de la Grosse- 
 Horloge, No. 12: but at present carries on trade in 
 one of the out- skirting streets of the town. I was 
 told that the premises he now occupies were once an old 
 church or monastery, and that a thousand fluttering 
 sheets were now suspended where formerly was seen 
 the solemn procession of silken banners, with religious 
 emblems emblazoned in colours of all hues. I called 
 however at the old shop, and supplied myself with 
 a dingy copy of the Catalogue de la Bibliotheque 
 Bleue =^ — from which catalogue however I could pur- 
 
 * Catalogue de la Bibliotheque Bleue qui se trouve chez Lecrc^ne- 
 Labbey, Imprimeur — Libraire et Marchand de Papiers, rue de la Grosse 
 Horloge, No. 12, Rouen. Such is the title. I select a few of the 
 
134 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 chase but little : as the greater part of the older books, 
 several of the Caxtonlan stamp, had taken their de- 
 more curious works^ desiderated more particularly by the Roxhurghers, 
 and by collectors of our ancient literature. It will be seen that, what 
 was popular in Caxton's time^ is yet sought after at the opening of the 
 xixth century. 
 
 The following at 4 liv. 16 sous the dozen: 
 
 Calendrier du Berger, fig. (Our old Shepherd's Calendar: see 
 Typog. Antiq. vol. ii. p. 5^6.) Gallien Restaure, fig. Huon de Bor- 
 deaux, premier et seconde parties. Les quatre Fils Aymon. Wood 
 cut frontispiece opposite the title-page: pp. 152, large 8vo. Noels, 
 (X IGfeuilles. Valentin et Orson. I purchased a copy of this edition, 
 as well as of The Four Sons of Aymon" just noticed. It is a large, 
 and closely printed octavo volume of 1 66 pages. 
 
 When we consider that a dozen of such books as these may be had 
 for about 4^. English, one cannot help contrasting it with the 
 very dear terms upon which a similar set of books would be purchased 
 in our own country. I apprehend that a volume, like either of 
 those here last noticed, could not possibly be sold under Is. 6d. : 
 thus raising the sum of a dozen copies to little short of that of 
 four times beyond what is given abroad, I proceed leisurely with 
 a few others at 
 
 Four livres 4 sous the dozen. 
 
 Conquetes de Charlemagne — which I presume to be the Life of 
 Charlemain, as originally printed in the xvth century, and from 
 which our Caxton published his version : see Typ. Antiq. vol. i. p. 255. 
 
 Cuisinier Frangais. Mar^chal expert, nouvelle edition, figures 
 neuves. 
 
 I obtained a copy of this latter work, which is a small, but full- 
 printed, octavo of 152 pages. The figures" are sufficiently mise- 
 rable but I could not help smiling to observe, with all the veterinary 
 quackery of the present day, a few of the old maxims of Datne Juliana 
 Berners" Book of Hunting, &c. engrafted upon the text of this work. 
 Thus, at page 11 we read : 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 135 
 
 partures. It was from this Catalogue that I learnt 
 the precise character of the works destined for vulgar 
 reading, and from hence inferred, what I stated to 
 you a little time ago, that Romances, Rondelays, and 
 chivalrous stories, are yet read with pleasure, if not 
 wit havidity, by the good people of France. It is, in 
 short, from this lower, or lowest species of literature — 
 
 Des marques que doivent avoir les hons Chevaux. 
 
 Si tu veux bon Cheval, qui longuement te serve, 
 Prends sur-tout le brun bai, et soigneux le conserve ; 
 Le grison n'est mauvais j mais on r(^pute beau 
 Le cheval quand il est de toutes parts moreau. 
 Si pour les tiens et toi tu veux avoir monture, 
 Choisis sur-tout le blanc, car longuement il dure. 
 
 Le cheval doit avoir des marques distinguees, tant pour la bont^ 
 que pour la beaute. II doit tenir de la Femme, du Boeuf, du Renardj 
 et du Cerf. 
 
 De la Femme. Qu'il soit doux au montoir^ beau de devant, et belle 
 chevelure de crin. 
 
 Du Ba^uf. Qu'il ait les yeux beaux et gros, I'encolure belle, et qu'il 
 soit bien releve. 
 
 Du Renard, Qu'il ait beau trot, les oreilles petites et belles, la 
 queue grande et toussue. 
 
 Du Cerf. Qu'il ait les jambes s^ches, qu'il soit bien relev^ du 
 devant, qu'il ait la tete s^che. 
 
 Consult Typog. Antiq. vol. ii. p. 55-9, for something like a similar 
 description in the work of Dame Juliana Berners. This book has 
 some wretched wood cuts in the first part. The second part exhibits, 
 in the title page, the dead stag, with his heels upwards, fastened 
 to a pole — as we see it in some of the more ancient works upon 
 hunting. This second part is devoted to Plusieurs Recettes, 
 Approuvees du Sieur d L'Espiney, Gentilhomme Perigourdin, pour 
 toutes les maladies et accidens qui arrivent aux Chevaux." This 
 second part is composed of 76 pages : the first, of 80. 
 VOL. I. I 
 
136 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 if it must be so designated — that we gather the real 
 genius, or mental character, of the ordinary classes of 
 society. I do assure you that some of these chap 
 publications are singularly droll and curious. Even 
 the very rudiments of learning, or the mere alphabet- 
 book, meets the eye in a very imposing manner. Let 
 me send you the following specimen, being the first 
 page of a little religious manual, of which the press 
 of M. M6gard has not disdained to throw off a few 
 copies UPON VELLUM. You will observe from hence 
 how carefully, and at what a tender age, the forms of 
 the Roman Catholic religion are impressed upon the 
 minds of youth. No child ever enters a place of wor- 
 ship without making the form of a cross upon his 
 breast — ^which custom, as you will observe by the red 
 cross in the specimen here sent, he has been taught in 
 the very elements of his education. In other respects, 
 there is little difference in the fornmlaries, or elemen- 
 tary treatises, of both countries. 
 
 Chap books at 3 livres 12 sous the dozen. 
 
 Ancien Testament. Aventurier Buscon. Figures de la Bible. Grande 
 Danse Macabre. Jig. (From the celebrated old work under that name.) 
 Histoire de Fortunatus. Palais des Curieux. Recueil de Chansons. 
 
 At 3 livres the dozen. 
 
 Les Loisirs des jolies Femmes, ou Recueil d'ariettes nouvelles. Pro- 
 ph^ties de Moult, edit, ample. L'Amant de J^sus. Doctrinal de Sa- 
 pience. (Caxton's original: see Typ.Antiq, vol. i. p. 266.) Purgatoire 
 de St. Patrice, fig, Recueil de Chansons, &c. &c, &c. The Purgatory 
 of St. Patrick was out of print. I sought for it every where^ in vain : 
 but they endeavoured to console me by the assurance that a new, and 
 improved edition had been long in contemplation. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 137 
 
 ^ In nomine Patris, k Filii. ^ 
 k fpiritus fancti. Amen. ^ 
 
 ^^^^4 e f g h i k $ 
 tWi m Imnopf 
 X T^^^T q r f s t u ^ 
 
 V X y z & 
 
 ______ ^ 
 
 ^ a e 1 o u m n f t ct fi fi ^ 
 fflflfflffiffi^oe. I 
 *f' UOraifoti Dommicale. "f" 
 
 ;|p Ater nofter , |; 
 
 qui es in coe- ^ 
 ^ lis 5 fanctifice- J 
 ^ tur nomen tuum , J; 
 
 Z/Oi;e^ Marriage, and Confession, are fertile themes 
 for dissemination by means of these little farthing- 
 chap books. Whether such fag^itive and superficial 
 pieces ever find their way into the boudoirs of respecta- 
 ble families^ I will not^ as a traveller^ have the teme- 
 rity to affirm : but that they are familiar to the middling 
 and lower orders of society, is palpable from almost 
 every lounge which you take in the streets. Yonder 
 sits a fiUe de chambre, after her work is done. She is 
 
138 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 intent upon some little manual, taken from the Bib- 
 liotheque Bleue. Approach her, and ask her for a 
 sight of it. She smiles, and readily shews you Cate- 
 chisme a F usage des Grandes Filles pour 4tre MarUes ; 
 ensemble la maniere dattirer les Ama^is.^ At the 
 
 * The character of the lower classes^ and even frequently of the 
 upper classes, of society takes its form and pressure" from these 
 juvenile manuals of moral and social instruction. It is with this view 
 only that I venture to submit to the reader a specimen or two taken, 
 first, from the Cat^chisme des Amans, par Demandes &; R^ponses, ou 
 sont enseignees les principales maximes de 1 amour, 8^ le devoir d'un v4ri- 
 tahle Amant. A Rouen, chez Lecrene-Lahhey , &c. 
 
 DIALOGUE. I. 
 
 VAmante. Estes vous amant ? 
 
 L' Amant. Oui, par la faveur de Cupidon. 
 
 LAmante. Qu'est ce qu'un Amant ? 
 
 V Amant. C'est une personne qui ayant fait une sincere & veritable 
 declaration, cherche les moyens d'etre aimee de I'objet qu'elle aime. 
 
 DIALOGUE IL 
 
 LAmante. Quels sont les signes d'un veritable amant ? 
 
 V Amant. C'est I'assiduit^, la complaisance, la sinc^rite, I'exacti- 
 
 tude & le billet tendre 
 
 VAmante. Qu'est-ce que la sincerite? 
 
 L Amant. C'est une grande conformite entre ce que nous voulons 
 ex6cuter.' 
 
 LAmante. Qu'entendez-vous par ce mot executer? 
 
 L Amant. J'entends parler d'une diligence perpetuelle a faire ce 
 que nous avons promis k Tobjet que nous aimons, & a chercher I'occa- 
 sion de lui temoigner notre inclination & notre zfele. 
 
 LAmante. Qu'entendez-vous par le billet tendre ? 
 
 L Amant. Un petit compliment par ^crit que nous envoyons a nos 
 Maitresses, quand nous ne pouvons pas trouver I'occasion de les 
 entretenir. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 139 
 
 first glance of it^ you suppose that this is entirely, from 
 beginning to end, a wild and probably somewhat in- 
 
 LAmante. En quel temps, en quel lieu & k quelle heure le faut-il 
 f aire ? 
 
 VAmant. Le matin lorsqu'on est lev^, le soir auparavant de se 
 coucher, quand on entre dans son cabinet, & quand on se trouve 
 presse de quelque jalousie • . • • • . . . 
 
 DIALOGUE V. 
 
 LAmante A quel ^ge peut-on commencer k faire 1' amour? 
 
 LAmant. Les gar^ons k quatorze ans, les fiUes a douze, selon que 
 Ton est avance pour son age. 
 
 LAmante. Comment faut-il qu'un amant se comporte quand il 
 commence h faire I'amour ? 
 
 L' Amant. II faut premi^rement qu'il sache ce que doit faire un 
 veritable amant, qu'il n'ignore pas la difF<^rence qu'il y a entre les 
 complimens des grands & des petits. 
 
 DIALOGUE VL 
 
 L'Amante. Combien y a-t-il de bonheurs en amour pour rendre un 
 Amant heureux ? 
 
 V Amant. II y en a sept. 
 VAmante. Enseignez-les moi done. 
 
 LAmant. 1. Heureux sont les Amans qui aiment veritablement, car 
 les plaisirs de I'Amour ne sont pas sensibles a ceux qui n'en sont que 
 m^diocrement touches. 
 
 2. Heureux sont les Amans sains & vigoureux, car ils sont aim^s 
 longtems, & sont les plus consideres. 
 
 3. Heureux sont les Amans qui aiment veritablement k rire, car il 
 y a du sujet de s'affliger en I'amour, sans y joindre le temp^ramment. 
 
 4. Heureux sont les amans qui ont de Tesprit^ car ils goditent des 
 plaisirs que les niais ne ressentent pas. 
 
 5. Heureux sont les Amans qui ont de la patience, car il est tr^s- 
 difficile de trouver une Maitresse qui accorde au premier moment ce 
 qu'un Amant desire. 
 
140 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 decorous manual of instruction. By no means ; tor 
 read the very devout Litanies and Prayer with which it 
 
 6. Heureux sont les Amans riches^ car 1 amour aime la depense. 
 
 7. Heureux sont les Amans sans rivaux^ car ils possedent seuls les 
 bonnes graces de leurs Maitresses. 
 
 Oraison trh-utile a une Jille qui desire ^tre pourvue comme il faut du 
 Sacrement de Manage. 
 
 Mon DieUj qui avez cree le genre humain pour benir votre nom 
 adorable, & qui lui avez donne par la source feconde du sacrement de 
 Mariage, une voie legitime pour eteindre le feu de la concupiscence, 
 & en meme temps multiplier j je vous addresse mes voeux du plus 
 profond de mon coeurs, afin qu'il vous plaise me remplir d'une vertu 
 vivifiante, qui me rende capable de produire du fruit de I'union con- 
 jugale, & me donner un Epoux qui ait toutes les qualites necessaires 
 
 pour s'acquitter dignement des voeux du Mariage 
 
 C'est, mon Dieu, ce 
 
 que je vous demande de toute mon ame avec les derni^res instances; 
 regardez done en pitie votre trhs humble servante N. 
 
 It is observable, from hence, how little the French character has 
 altered. In the copper plates to the better editions of their pas- 
 toral and love poets, upwards of a century ago, we observe young 
 ladies and young gentlemen, of fourteen and twelve years, with their 
 brows encircled by wreaths of flowers, reclining upon grass banks, and 
 enacting the parts of passionate lovers. The same thing is observed in 
 their modern productions. I now proceed, in the second place, to a 
 specimen or two from the Cat4chisme a V Usage des Grandes Filles pour 
 ^Ire marines ; Ensemble la maniere d attirer les Amans. Par Demandes 
 ^ R^ponses. A Rouen chez Lecrtne-Lahhey , &c. 
 
 Demande. Quel est le Sacrement le plus necessaire aux grandes Filles ? 
 
 R4ponse. C'est le Mariage. 
 
 D. A quel age doit on marier les Filles ? 
 
 R. Selon comme elles sont belles. 
 
 B. Les plus belles, k quel {ige faut-il les marier ? 
 
 R. C'est ordinairement ^ seize & dix huit ans. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 141 
 
 concludes, and which I here send — for your gratifica- 
 tion, however transient. I admit that it is a strange 
 mixture of the simple and serious. 
 
 LITANIES 
 
 Pour toutes les Filles qui d^sirent entrer en menage. 
 Kyrie, je voudrois^ 
 Christe, ^tre marine. 
 Kyrie^ je prie tous les Saints^ 
 Christe, que ce soit demain. 
 Sainte Marie, tout le Monde se marie. 
 Saint Joseph, que vous ai-je fait? 
 Saint Nicolas, ne m'oubliez pas. 
 Saint Mederie, que j'aie un bon marl. 
 Saint Matthieu, qu'ilcraigne Dieu. 
 Saint Jean, qu'il m'aime tendrement. 
 Saint Bruno, qu'il soit joli & beau. 
 Saint Francois, qu'il me soit fidele. 
 Saint Andr^, qu'il soit a mon gr6. 
 Saint Didier, qu'il aime a travailler. 
 Saint Honore, qu'il n'aime pas k jouer. 
 Saint Severin, qu'il n'aime pas le vin. 
 Saint Clement qu'il soit diligent. 
 Saint Sauveur, qu'il ait bon coeur. 
 Saint Nicaise, que je sois a mon aise. 
 Saint Josse, qu'il me donne un carosse. 
 Saint Boniface, que mon mariage se fasse. 
 Saint Augustin^ d^s demain matin. 
 
 Oraison. 
 
 Seigneur, qui avez forme Adam de la terre, and qui lui avez donn^ 
 Eve pour sa compagne ; envoyez-moi, s'il vous plait, un bon mari 
 pour compagnon, non pour la volupt^, mais pour vous honorer & avoir 
 des enfants qui vous benissent. Ainsi soit il. 
 
 D. Pourquoi a cet ^ge } 
 
 R. De peur qu'il n' arrive quelque inconvenient k leur honneur. 
 D. Mais celles qui ne sent pas belles, k quel ^ge faut-il done les 
 marier } 
 
142 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 Among' the books of this class, before alluded to, 
 I purchased a singularly amusing little manual called 
 
 R. Aussitot que les Garcons les demandent, pour ne pas perdre la 
 bonne occasion. 
 
 D. Quand une Fille n'a point d'Amant, comment faut-il faire pour 
 en avoir ? 
 
 R. II y a plusieurs moyens pour s'en procurer. 
 T>. Quels sont ces moyens ? 
 
 E. Premi^rement^ il faut avoir la sagesse & la modestie3 se- 
 condement, ^tre bonne menag^re^ bien actionnee a son occupation k 
 son travail ; troisi^mement, etre bien propre dans ses habillements, 
 djans son linge & dans sa chambre ; quatri^mement, ne pas s'aviser 
 de porter plus que son etat ne permet^ car c'est le moyen de les ren- 
 voyer^ plut6t que de les attirer. 
 
 D. Quand une Fille a un Amant bien a son grd^ comment doit-elle 
 faire, peur de le perdre ? 
 
 R. II faut I'aimer d un amour honn^te, qui est le veritable moyen 
 de le conserver 3 il faut aussi eviter envers lui les paroles hardies & peu 
 respectueusesj peur de le f^cher ; se garder bien d'^couter les mauvais 
 discours, tant d'un cote que de 1' autre ; il faut aussi toujours etre de 
 bonne humeur, principalement devant lui 5 ne point lui causer de la 
 jalousie en faisant trop d'accueil aux autres. 
 
 D. Quand une Fille veut aller a la promenade, comment doit-elle se 
 comporter avec son Amant & avec ceux de la compagnie ? 
 
 R. Elle doit premiferement en demander permission k son pere, k sa 
 m^re ou k ses sup^rieurs, & leur dire que c'est pour aller en tel en- 
 droit. II faut aussi qu'elle se comporte en la compagnie de laquelle 
 est son Amant, avec beaucoup de modestie. 
 
 D. Les Dimanches et les Fetes, quand une Fille garde la maison 
 pendant la grand'-IMesse ou les Vepres, & que son Amant la vient voir, 
 comment doit-elle se comporter } 
 
 R. Avec une grande modestie & retenue, faisant son menage avec 
 beaucoup d'action, sans s'amuser a badiner avec son Amant, a cause 
 des mauvaises suites qui pourroient en provenir. II faut aussi lui re- 
 montrer qu'il auroit et^ plus a propos d'etre a la grand' -Messe ou k 
 Vepres, & qu'il seroit bien venu II une autre, le tout avec termes & pa- 
 roles de douceur , 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 143 
 
 " La Confession de la Bonne Femmer It is really not 
 divested of merit. Whether however it may not have 
 
 D. Quand une Fille est demandee en mariage par un Garcoii qui est 
 bien k son gre, que doit elle repondre ? 
 
 R. II faut d'abord qu'elle fasse semblant d'etre un peu surprise, & 
 repondre qu'elle ne pent pas croire qu'un Gar^on de son merite & de 
 son moyen, vouliit avoir en mariage une aussi simple Fille comme elle. 
 
 D. Si I'Amant persiste, lui faisant des protestations d'amiti^, ou lui 
 disant par exemple : Ce seroit tout mon desir, si je pouvois possMer 
 I'amitie d'une aimable personne comme vous, & je serois le plus con- 
 tent du monde. Si je ne craignois point de vous faire de la peine, 
 j'aurois I'honneur d'en parler k M. votre Pere et a Madame votre 
 Mere. 
 
 R. La Fille doit repondre avec beaucoup de respect : Monsieur, si 
 vous avez Tamitie que vous dites avoir pour moi, ils ne seront pas 
 moins surpris que j'ai ete^ parce qu'ils ne s'attendent, pas d'avoir cet 
 avantage. 
 
 Si I'amant a Pere ou Mere, il doit leuren parler, leur temoigner son 
 dessein, en leur disant : Si c'etoit votre volont^ comme c'estlamienne, 
 je souhaiterois avoir en mariage une telle, qui est une trbs-honnete 
 Fille. 
 
 MonFils^ j'ai trouv6 que vous avez tres-bien choisi, il faut voir au 
 plutot si nous pourrons avoir cet avantage. 
 
 Le Pere & la Mere du Garcon parlant au Pere & k la Mere de la 
 Fille, apr^s avoir fait le salut & les complimens ordinaires, pourront 
 dire: Monsieur & Madame, nous avons appris avec bien du plaisir 
 qu'il y avoit une parfaite amitie entre Mademoiselle votre Fille & 
 notre Garcon ; c'est ce qui nous oblige a vous la demander en mariage 
 pour notre Fils, si vous nous I'accordez, nous serous parfaitement con- 
 tens. 
 
 Monsieur & Madame, nous sommes charmes de I'honneur que vous 
 nous faites aujourd'hui 3 pour vous faire voir que nous avons une 
 parfaite amitie pour vous & pour toute votre aimable famille, nous 
 vous la promettons de bon coeur. 
 
 Monsieur & Madame, nous sommes entierement satisfaitsj c'est k 
 vous, s'il vous plait, a donner jour pour passer le contrat. 
 
 Monsieur, le jour de votre commoditie sera le ndtre. 
 
144 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 been written, during the Revolution, with a view to 
 ridicule the practice of auricular confession which yet 
 obtains throughout France, I cannot take upon me 
 to pronounce ; but there are undoubtedly some por- 
 tions of it which seem so obviously to satirise this 
 practic, that one can hardly help drawing a conclu- 
 sion in the affirmative. On the other hand it may 
 perhaps be inferred, with greater probability^, that it is 
 intended to shew with what extreme facility a system 
 of self-deception may be maintained. Referring how- 
 ever to the little manual in question, it is to be ob- 
 served that the book has neither imprint nor date. 
 Among the various choice morceaus which it con- 
 tains, take the following extracts — exemplificatory 
 of a woman's evading the main points of confession — 
 and judge yourself of the accuracy, or otherwise, of my 
 opinion. 
 
 C. Ne voulez vous pas me repondre j en un mot, combien y a-t-il 
 de temps que vous ne vous etes confess^e ? 
 
 P. II y a un mois tout juste, car c'^toit le quatri^me jour du mois 
 passe, & nous sommes au cinqui^me du mois courant j or comptez, 
 mon pbre, & vous trouverez justement que 
 
 C. C'est assez, ne parlez point tant, & dites moien peu de mots vos 
 peches. 
 
 Elle raconte les p^cMs d'autrui. 
 
 La P^nitente. J'ai un enfant qui est le plus m^chant gar^on que 
 vous ayez jamais vu, il jure, bat sa soeur, il fuit I'ecole, derobe tout ce 
 qu'il peid })Our jouer,- il suit de medians fripons : I'autrejour en cou- 
 rant il perdit son chapeau. Enfin, c'est un mechant gar^on, je veux 
 vous l ameiier afin que vous me I'endoctriniez un peu s'il vous plait. 
 
 C, Dites-moi vos p^ch^s? 
 
 P. Mais, mon p^re, j'ai une fille qui est encore pire^ je nela peux 
 faire lever le matin, je I'appelle cent fois : Marguerite : plait-il ma Mere ? 
 Uve-toi promptement et descends : fy vais. Elle ne bouge pas. Si tu 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 145 
 
 ne viens maintenant, tu seras battue. Elle s'en moque : quand je I'en- 
 voie k la Ville, je lui dis, reviens promptement, ne f amuse pas. Ce- 
 pendant, elle s'arr^te k toutes les portes comme I'une d'un meCinier, 
 elle babille avee tous ceux qu'elle rencontre 3 & quand elle me fait cela, 
 jela bats: ne fais-je pas bien, mon p^re? 
 
 C. Dites-moi vos peches et non pas ceux de vos enfans? 
 
 P. II se trouve, mon pere, que nous avons dans notre rue une voisine 
 qui est la plus mechante de toutes les femmes^ elle jure, elle querelle 
 tous ceux qui passent, personne ne la pent souffrir, ni son mari, ni ses 
 enfans, & bien souvent elle s'enivre, & vous me dites, mon p^re quelle 
 est celle-la ? c'est 
 
 C. Ah gardez-vous bien de la nommer, car k la confession il ne 
 faut jamais fair connoitre les personues dont vous d^clarez les 
 pdches. 
 
 P. C'est elle qui vient se confesser apr^s moi^ grondez-la bien^ car 
 vous nelui en sauriez trop dire. 
 
 C, Taisez-vous donc^ & ne parlez que de vos peches, non pas de 
 ceux des autres. 
 
 Elle s" accuse de ce qui n'est point pech^. 
 
 Penitente. — Ah ! mon pfere, j'ai fait un grand peche, ah ! le grand 
 peche, helas je serai damnee, quoique mon confesseur m'ait defendu de 
 le dire j'amais, neanmoins mon p^re je vais vous le declarer. 
 
 C. Ne le dites point puisque votre confesseur vous I'a defendu, jene 
 veux point 1' entendre. 
 
 P. Ah! n'lmporte^ je veux vous le dire, c'est un trop grand p^ch^ : 
 J'ai battu ma mere. 
 
 C. Vous avez battu votre mere ! Ah ! miserable, c'est un cas reserve 
 & un crime qui merite la potence. Et quand I'avez-vous battue ? 
 
 P. Quand j etois petite del'age de quatre ans. 
 
 C. Ah! simple, ne savez-vous pas que tout ce que les enfans font 
 avant I'age de raison qui est environ I'&ge de sept ans, ne sauroit 6tre 
 un peche. 
 
 P. J'ai desire la mort dans I'impatience. 
 
 C. Mais auriez-vous \oulu etre morte tout debon! 
 
 P. O que nenni : je I'ai desiree k mon enfant. 
 
 C. Auriez-vous voulu qu'il lui fCit arriv^e quelque mal? 
 
 P. Ah! que Dieu Ten preserve. 
 
146 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 C. Pourquoi dites-vous done cela ? 
 P. Je me suis f^chee du bien d'autnii. 
 
 C. Est-ce par envie que vous avez ete affligee que les autres eussent 
 du bien ? 
 
 P. Non: mais j'aurois souhait^ que le bon Dieu m'en eht donne au- 
 tant. Je me suis rejouie de la mort d'un fils que j'avois^ qui etoit 
 muet, aveugle & paralytique. 
 
 C. Pourquoi vous en etes-vous rejouie } est-ce parce que vous lui 
 vouliez du mal ? 
 
 P. Non^ mais parce que je me voyois delivree d'une grande peine 
 qu'il nous donnoit a tous. 
 C. Cela n'est pas un peche. 
 
 P. Je me suis rejouie de la mort de mon oncle, qui m'a laisse son 
 heritage. 
 
 C. Vous ^tes-vous rejouie de sa mort ou seulement d' avoir eu son 
 heritage ? 
 
 P. Ce n'est que d' avoir eu son heritage. 
 C. Cela n'est pas aussi pdchd. 
 
 P. J'aijuge temerairement d'un gar^on & d'une fille que j'ai vu en 
 cachette se comporter mal. 
 
 C. Cela n'est pas un p^che ni un jugement tem^raire^ quand ils 
 vous donnent un juste sujet de juger mal d'eux^ & vous pecheriez si 
 vous jugiez qu'ils font bien. 
 
 P. J'ai travaille les F^tes & les Dimanches. 
 
 C. Quel travail avez-vous fait ? 
 
 P. J'ai attach^ avec im point d'aguille le colet au pourpoint de mon 
 enfant. 
 
 C. Cela n'est rien. 
 P. J'ai jure Dieu. 
 
 C. Vous avez jure Dieu^ voilk qui est fort scandaleux k une femme ; 
 & comment disiez-vous? 
 P. Je disois Ma foi. 
 
 C. Cela ne s'appelle pas jurer Dieu, mais seulement jurer sa foi, et 
 quoiqu'il ne le faille jamais dire ce n'est pas toujours un p^ch€. 
 P. J'ai blaspheme. 
 C. Comment disiez-vous? 
 P. Je disois Chienne k ma vache ! ! 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 147 
 
 Of Romances, I bought terribly coarse editions of 
 Huon de Bourdeaux, Valentin et Orson, and the Four 
 So7is of Aymon, However, I knew they would be ac- 
 ceptable to some of our curious friends ; though I am well 
 aware that Palme rin would not exchange his English 
 FIRST EDITION of the secoud of these Romances for a 
 ship-load of such gipsey copies as " are to be sold" at 
 Lecrene-Labbey's. Upon the whole, our own presses, 
 even in country-towns, put forth better impressions of 
 popular tales : but what is novel, especially in a fo- 
 reign land, is generally acceptable ; and I am almost 
 ashamed to think how many sous, or rather francs, I 
 have expended upon the Blhliotheque Bleiie ! There 
 is one thing, my dear friend, which I must frankly de- 
 clare to you as entitled to distinct notice and especial 
 commendation. It is — the method of teaching " ca- 
 techisms" of a different and higher order — I mean the 
 CHURCH CATECHISMS. Both the Cathedral and the 
 Abbey of St. Ouen have numerous side chapels. Within 
 these side chapels are collected, on stated days of the 
 week, the young of both sexes. They are arranged in 
 a circle. A priest, in his white robes, is seated, or 
 stands, in the centre of them. He examines, ques- 
 tions, corrects, or commends, as the opportunity calls 
 for. His manner is winning and persuasive. His 
 action is admirable. The lads shew him great respect, 
 and are rarely rude or seen to laugh. Those who an- 
 swer well, and pay the greater attention, receive, with 
 words of commendation, gentle pats upon the head — 
 and I could not but consider the blush, with which 
 this mark of favour was usually received, as so many 
 presages of future excellence in the youth. I once 
 
148 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 witnessed a most determined catechetical lecture of 
 girls ; who might be called^ in the language of their 
 matrimonial catechism, des grandes filles." It was 
 on an evening in the Chapel, of My Lady in St. Ouen's 
 Abbey, that this examination took place. Two el- 
 derly priests attended. The responses of the fe- 
 males were as quick as they were correct ; the eye 
 being always invariably fixed upon the pavement, 
 accompanied with a gravity and even piety of expres- 
 sion. A large group of mothers, with sundry spec- 
 tators, were in attendance, — and perceiving we were 
 English, both teachers and pupils seemed to exert 
 themselves with greater energy. At length a question 
 was put, to which a supposed incorrect response was 
 given. It was repeated, and the same answer fol- 
 lowed. Tlie priest hesitated : something like vexation 
 was kindling in his cheek, while the utmost calmness 
 and confidence seemed to mark the countenance of the 
 examinant. The attendant mothers were struck with 
 surprise. A silence for one minute ensued. The ques- 
 tion related to the " Holy Spirit." The priest gently 
 approached the girl, and softly articulated — " Mais, 
 ma chere considerez un peu,'' — and repeated the ques- 
 tion. " Mon pere, (yet more softly, rejoined the pupil) 
 j'ai bien consideree^ et je crois que c'est comme je vous 
 Fai deja dit." The Priest crossed his hands upon his 
 breast . . . brought down his eye-brows in a thinking- 
 mood . . . and turning quickly round to the girl^ 
 addressed her in the most aflfectionate tone of voice — 
 " Ma petite, — tu as bien dit ; et j'avois tort." I shall 
 never forget the expression of the girl. She curtsied, 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 149 
 
 blushed . . . and with eyes, from which tears seemed 
 ready to start, surveyed the circle of spectators . . . 
 caught the approving glance of her mother, and sunk 
 triumphantly upon her chair — with the united admira- 
 tion of teachers, companions, parents and spectators ! 
 The whole was conducted with the most perfect pro- 
 priety ; and the pastors did not withdraw till they 
 were fairly exhausted. Candour obliges one to confess 
 that this reciprocity of zeal, on the part of master and 
 pupil, is equally creditable to both parties — and espe- 
 cially serviceable to the cause of religion and morality. 
 Between complins and vespers, on the Sabbath, it is 
 delightful to observe this attention to the performance 
 of clerical duties. 
 
 We approach by degrees the book-theme in all its 
 plenitude of discussion. Of Booksellers, the principal 
 is the house of Frere, situated on the Quai de Paris, 
 no. 70. Whether the father be living, I have forgotten 
 to enquire ; but if civility, quickness, and intelligence 
 be the chief requisite of a bibliopolist, the young Frere 
 stands not in need of parental aid for the prosperity of 
 his business. His sisters are also very active in their se- 
 veral capacities. The premises, although not large, are 
 sufficiently commodious. The more respectable literati 
 of Rouen come to read, to lounge, and to gossip in the 
 upper room : in the manner of our own literati at Mr. 
 Murray's more costly suite of apartments in Albemarle 
 Street. From one corner of this upper room, I was 
 surprised and delighted, on ray first entrance, by the 
 notes of a warbling canary. This bird is taught to sing 
 opera and concerto airs — and at particular periods 
 
150 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 " 't wiW discourse most eloquent music." The effect is 
 not unpleasing, especially as the sound is infinitely softer 
 and mellower than the generally shrill and penetrating 
 notes of that bird: and^ peradventure, occasionally 
 somewhat more grateful than the notes of the said 
 lounging literati ! From the windows of this room you 
 have also a good view of the bustle of the quay, and 
 of the movements which take place on the river Seine ; 
 while, within, you may discoure with an ancient white- 
 crossed Bourbonist, a suppressed Buonapartist, an 
 abb6, a chevalier, a barrister, a critic, or a student. 
 Here I met the amiable and well-informed Monsieur 
 Adam ; a gentleman, whose kindness and pleasing con- 
 versation only makes me regret that the period is fast 
 approaching when I am probably to take leave of him 
 for ever. 
 
 Of the remaining booksellers in our way, I need only 
 notice Le Maitre and Le Roux. The former, who has 
 a very good stock of literary publications, lives in the 
 Place St, Ouen . . and it was here that I hunted down 
 the fine copy of the first edition of the French version 
 of the New Testament (printed at Lyons about the 
 year 1478), of which (as you may remember) I had 
 got scent, at a stall, close to the portal of St. Maclou. 
 You may be sure that I scrupled not to give fifteen 
 francs for this desirable copy — in its ancient monastic 
 binding. I bought here a French version of the first 
 volume only of Strutfs Manners and Customs, 8^c. 
 with a great number of the plates, for eight francs : 
 and a copy of the Bibliotheque Francois e of Goujet 
 
 See p. 8lj ante. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 151 
 
 for twenty-five francs. This latter has been sold for 
 £4. 4s. in our own country ; but to my joy I have found 
 that it might be obtained for one half that sum. Let me 
 here make honourable mention of the kind offices of 
 Monsieur Longchamp, who volunteered his friendly 
 services in walking over half the town with me, to shew 
 me what he justly considered as the most worthy of 
 observation. It is impossible for a generous mind to 
 refuse its testimony to the ever prompt kindness of a 
 well-bred Frenchman^ in rendering you all the services 
 in his power. Enquire the way, — and you have not 
 only a finger quickly pointing to it, but the owner of 
 the finger must also put himself in motion to accom- 
 pany you a short distance upon the route, and that 
 too uncovered ! Mais, Monsieur, mettez votre cha- 
 peau. . je vous en prie . . mille pardons." " Monsieur ne 
 dites pas un seul mot . . pour mon chapeau, qu'il reste 
 a son aise." 
 
 Upon the whole, the soil of Rouen is not at present 
 fertile in the curious lore of antiquity ; — however it 
 might have once yielded a rich harvest from the pro- 
 lific seeds sown by Morin, Tailleur, and Valentin. I 
 groped about in all directions ; and to an hundred 
 earnest enquiries for something curious, or rare, or 
 ancient, was answered that I ought to have been 
 there in the year 1814, when Paris was first taken 
 possession of by the Allies — that my countrymen had 
 preceded me, and had left nothing for future gleaners. 
 I bought however of Lemaitre the last unsold copy, 
 probably in Rouen, as well as in his own warehouse, of 
 Pommerayes History of the Ahhey of St. Ouen, to 
 
 VOL I. K 
 
152 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 which I have so frequently alluded, and for which I was 
 glad to give a dozen francs. 
 
 I find I cannot include the whole of my book-theme 
 in this my intended last Rouen dispatch — as I have 
 one or two private collectors to notice ; and as the ac- 
 count of the Public Library and Picture Gallery, &c. 
 must be considered at least worthy of a separate 
 epistle. Among these book-collectors, or antiquaries, 
 let me speak with becoming praise of the amiable and 
 accomplished M. Auguste Le Prevost — who is 
 considered, by competent judges, to be the best anti- 
 quary in Rouen. ^ Mr. Dawson Turner, (a name, ia 
 
 * the best Antiquary in Rouen^ — This gentleman is a belles-lettres 
 Antiquary of the highest order. His Memoire faisant suite k I'Es- 
 sai sur les Romans historiques du moyen ^ge" may teach modern 
 Normans not to despair when death shall have laid low their present 
 oracle the Abbe' de la Rue. This memoire^ printed in the Transac- 
 tions of the Rouen Society for 1816^ p. 117-141, is written in excel- 
 lent taste and with sound critical acumen. It is followed by the same 
 gentleman's remarks upon the abbey church of St. Ouen" — and 
 upon the drawings relating to its ancient construction." At page 
 151, M. Le Prevost speaks, in a dignified style of severity, of the de- 
 struction of ancient monuments of art — Encore quelques ann^es, 
 diront-ils, (observes he) et k I'exception d'un petit nombre d'edifices 
 d'une utilite pressante et immediate, nous aurons vu disparaitre tout 
 ce qu'ont eleve nos anc^tres : — ces ^glises, ces convents, ces palais, 
 ces chateaux, toutes ces constructions consacrees a la religion, k la 
 representation ou k I'utilit^ publique. Une population k-la-fois su- 
 perbe et frivole, d^pensifere et mesquine, a pris la place de ces sages 
 et pieuses generations, austbres et economes dans les details habituels de 
 la vie privee, mais si magnifiques dans les grandes occasions, et qui 
 b^tissaient comme les Romains pour I'eternite," p. 151. This is 
 eloquent, but it is also just. M. Le Prevost was one in the commis- 
 sion with Messrs. Gourdin, Descamps, de Bois-Hebert, Vauquelin, 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 153 
 
 in our own country synonymous with all that is libe- 
 ral and enlightened in matters of virtii) was so oblig- 
 ing as to give me a letter of introduction to him. 
 Unluckily he has been unavoidably absent during half 
 the time of my stay here. M. Le Prevost had reason 
 to exult in shewing me the following books. 
 
 Romances Nvevamente sacados de Historias anil- 
 guas de la Cronica de Espdna compuestos por Lorenco 
 de Sepidueda, &c. e7i Anvers^ 1566. 12mo. 
 
 Another edition, 1580. 12mo. 
 
 For the first, the fortunate owner gave four sous — 
 and for the second, six sous only — at Rouen. 
 
 Cancionero General, 1573. 8vo. The table MS. : but 
 bought at the sale of La Serna Santander s library for 
 40 francs only. 
 
 Leonis Papce Sermones, 1470 : printed by Sweyn- 
 heym and Pannartz, folio. A cropt and rather indiffe- 
 rent copy. 
 
 Chrysostomi Sermones, &c. 1470 : printed in the 
 Eusebian monastery. A clean and sound copy ; ex- 
 hibiting the pecuharity which is mentioned in a note 
 (vol. i. p. 409) in the Bibliographical Decameron. 
 
 Mlssale Rothomagense, 1499, folio. Without the 
 device in front. A fine copy : but with two leaves MS. 
 
 A beautiful Missal hv Pioouchet upon vellum, in 
 8vo. in the original binding. 
 
 M. Le Prevost very justly discredits any remains 
 of Roman masonry at Rouen ; but he will not be dis- 
 
 and Desoria, to give an account of the more precious relics of art yet 
 existing in the Abbey Church of St. Ouen — of which the destruc- 
 tion IS ALREADY BEGUN ! 
 
154 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 pleased to see that the only existing relics of the castle 
 or town walls, have been copied by the pencil of a 
 late travelling friend. What you here behold is pro- 
 bably of the fourteenth century. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 155 
 
 Tlie next book-collector in commendation of whom 
 I am bound to speak, is Monsieur Duputel ; a 
 member, as well as M. Le Prevost, of the Academy of 
 Belles-Lett res at Rouen. The Abbe Turquier conducted 
 me thither ; and I found, in the owner of a choice col- 
 lection of books, a well-bred gentleman and a most 
 hearty bibhomaniac. He has comparatively a small 
 library ; but, withal, some very curious, scarce, and 
 interesting- volumes. M. Duputel is smitten with that 
 amiable and enviable passion, — the love of printing for 
 private distrihution — thus meriting to become a sort of 
 Roxburghe Associate. He was so good as to beg my 
 acceptance of the nouvelle edition" of his " Bagatelles 
 Poetiques,'' printed in an octavo volume of about 112 
 pages, at Rouen, in 1816. I took it home and quickly 
 examined its contents. An advertisement, following 
 the title page, tells us that of this new edition, which 
 is not printed for sale, there are only eighty copies 
 printed — and those copies, which have not the signa- 
 ture of the author subjoined, must be considered as 
 counterfeits." Whether any speculator has had the 
 hardihood to counterfeit, or to put forth a spurious 
 edition of, these rhymes, I have never had an opportu- 
 nity of ascertaining. Perhaps the attempt may not 
 be altogether tanti. However, I am wiUing that M. 
 Duputel should speak for himself, — which I think he 
 does somewhat prettily in the following original lines. 
 
 La Rose ei le Ruisseau. 
 
 Une Rose un jour se mirait 
 Dans le ciistal d'une onde claire 3 
 
156 ROUEN. 
 
 Mais, pendant qu'elle s'admirait, — 
 Du bout de son aile leg^re, 
 
 Zephir I'effeuille Le Ruisseau 
 
 Repoit sa fragile parure, 
 
 Et Tentraine au gr6 de son eau. 
 
 Tel est Tordre de la nature, 
 
 Ainsi, Chloe, ces agremens, 
 
 Dont aujourd'hui vous semblez vaine> 
 
 S'ecouleront avec le tems. 
 
 Qui, dans sa course, les entrains. 
 
 p. 10. 
 
 The version from the German fable^ and from our 
 Prior s well-known beautiful little poem, are certainly 
 very creditable to a muse which boasts only a " trifling'' 
 degree of inspiration. Receive them with courtesy. 
 
 Ma Solitude, 
 
 Loin des temp^tes du monde, 
 Dans cet asile enchanteur, 
 Au sein d'une paix profonde, 
 J'ai trouve le vrai bonheur. 
 
 II fuit r enceinte des villes, 
 S^jour que les passions. 
 En erreurs toujours fertiles, 
 Remplissent d'illusions. 
 
 Leur seduisante imposture, 
 Voudrait en vain m'6blouir j 
 Des bienfaits de la nature 
 Ici j'apprends ^ jouir. 
 
 Dans ces riantes prairies, 
 Quand je vois de clairs ruisseaux 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 Le long ties rives fleuries 
 Rouler leurs limpides eaux, 
 
 Le seul destiri que j'envie 
 Est de voir^ comme leurs cours, 
 Paisiblement de ma vie 
 Couler les rapides jours. 
 
 Puisse TEcho solitaire 
 De ces tranquilles vallons, 
 Modeste Andelle, se plaire 
 A r^peter ses chansons ! 
 
 p. 57. 
 
 La Guirlande, 
 Traduction de V Anglais de Prior, 
 
 Pour orner de Chloe les cheveux ondoyans, 
 Parmi les fleurs nouvellement ecloses 
 J'avais choisi les lis les plus brillans, 
 
 Les oeillets les plus beaux, et les plus fraiches roses. 
 
 Ma Chlo^ sur son front les pla9a le matin : 
 Alors on vit ceder sans peine, 
 Leur vif eclat k celui de son teint, 
 Leur doux parfum a ceux de son haleine. 
 
 De ses attraits ces fleurs paraissaient s'embellir, 
 Et sur ses blonds cheveux les bergers, les bergbres 
 Les voyaient se faner avec plus de plaisir 
 Qu'ils ne les voyaient naitre au milieu des parterres. 
 
 Mais, le soir, quand leur sein fletri 
 Eut cesse d'exhaler son odeur seduisante, 
 
 Elle fixa, d'un regard attendri, 
 Cette guirlande, h^las ! n'aguferes si brillante. 
 
158 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 Des larmes aussi-t6t coulent de ses beaux yeux. 
 
 Que d'eloquence dans ces larmes ! 
 Jamais pour I'exprimer, le langage des dieux. 
 Tout sublime qu'il est, n'aurait assez de chamies. 
 
 En feignant d'ignorer ce tendre sentiment ; 
 
 " Pourquoi/' lui dis-je, ^' 6 ma sensible amie, 
 " Pourquoi verser des pleurs ? et par quel changement 
 
 Abandonner ton ame k la melancholic ?" 
 
 " Vois-tu comme ces fleurs languissent tristement ?" 
 Me dit, en soupirant, ce moraliste aimable, 
 
 " De leur fraicheur^ en un moment, 
 
 S'est eclipse le charme peu durable. 
 
 " Tel est, helas ! notre destin, 
 Fleur de beaute ressemble a celles des prairies , 
 " On les voit toutes deux naitre aveo le matin, 
 Et d^s le soir ^tre fletries. 
 
 Estelle hier encor brillait dans nos hameaux, 
 Et I'amour attirait les bergers sur ses traces 5 
 De la mort, aujourd'hui, I'impitoyable faulx 
 A moissonne sa jeunesse et ses graces. 
 
 Soumise aux m^mes lois, peut-etre que demain, 
 Comme elle aussi, Damon, j'aurai cesse de vivre .... 
 *^ Consacre dans tes vers la cause du chagrin 
 Auquel ton amante se livre." 
 
 p. 02. 
 
 The last and not the least of book-collectors, which 
 I have had an opportunity of visiting-, is Monsieur 
 RiAux ; of whose very choice collection I have indeed 
 already had occasion to make slight mention. With 
 respect to what may be called a Rouen noise Li- 
 brary, that of M. Riaux is infinitely preferable to 
 any which I have seen ; although I am not sure whether 
 M. Le Prevost's collection contain not nearly as many 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 159 
 
 books. He promised me a list of his works relating- 
 to the antiquities of Normandy in general, but I fear 
 I must leave this place without it. I shall not however 
 easily forget his fine copy of the Images de Phllostrate, 
 (always a shewy book) formerly in the library of De 
 Thou. M. Riaux is himself a man of first-rate book 
 enthusiasm ; and unites the avocations of his business 
 with the gratification of his literary appetites, in a 
 manner which does him infinite honour. A city like 
 Rouen should have a host of such inhabitants : and 
 the government, when it begins to breathe a little from 
 recent embarrassments, will, I hope, cherish and sup- 
 port that finest of all patriotic feelings, — a desire to 
 preserve the relics, manners, and customs of past 
 AGES. Normandy is fertile beyond conception in 
 objects which may gratify the most unbounded passion 
 in this pursuit. It is the country where formerly the 
 harp of the minstrel poured forth some of its sweetest 
 strains ; and the lay and the fabliaux of the xiith and 
 xiiith centuries, which delight us in the text of 
 Sainte Palaye, and in the versions of Way, owed their 
 existence to the combined spirit of chivalry and lite- 
 rature, which never slumbered upon the shores of Nor- 
 mandy ! But do not let me omit telling you of a very 
 
 singular character, a priest of the name of who 
 
 lives in the vicinity of Rouen. He is the keenest of all 
 bibliomaniacal hunters ; and evinced, in a late acqui- 
 sition, the spring of a tiger with the eye of a lynx. 
 He bought at Rouen the rarest of all rare Mysteries,* 
 for a few sous. Within three weeks of the purchase, 
 I was told that Monsieur Van-Praet, made the irresis- 
 
 * Les blasphemateurs du mm de Dieuy 
 
160 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 tible offer of 750 francs for the acquisition of it ! . . . 
 and it is now reposing upon the shelves of the royal 
 library. " Thinks I to myself — " I will see this said 
 mystery when I reach Paris ; but ere that event 
 take place, I have Cathedrals, and Libraries in abun- 
 dance to visit. Upon the whole, it may be safely 
 affirmed that accident only can present the most 
 diligent enquirer after old and curious books, with 
 any thing in the shape of a satisfactory result from 
 his searches. Rouen has been thoroughly weeded : 
 or rather little better than weeds, in the charac- 
 ter of hoohs, now present themselves to the eye of the 
 travelling collector. To be successful, you must be 
 stationary for a few months : as there is no time for 
 a temporary inhabitant to make experimental journeys 
 to neighbouring villages, or to neighbouring private 
 collections. One more letter, and then — farewell to 
 Rouen I 
 
161 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. ACCOUNT OF SOME OF THE 
 MORE CURIOUS AND RARE MSS. AND PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 The clock of the Cathedral has struck eleven^ and it 
 is high time to visit the Public Library. In other words, 
 this Public Library is open every day, with the excep- 
 tion of Thursday, from ten till two. M. Gourdin, 
 the principal librarian, is an intelligent and experienced 
 bibliographer ; to whom we are indebted for two good 
 treatises upon the famous Missal and Benedictiona- 
 rius, — the oldest and most curious of their illuminated 
 manuscripts. Of these, presently. M. Fossard is 
 the sub-librarian ; and M. Fossard shall always have 
 my best thanks and kindest reminiscences for the 
 obliging and even laborious manner in which he was 
 pleased to verify some readings and transcribe a 
 portion of a MS. of Rohertus Montensis — to satisfy 
 our friend =^ At present, M. Fossard has some- 
 what to learn in his bibliographical calling; but an 
 early period of life, and a willing, well-regulated, and 
 well-educated mind can accomplish any thing. He is 
 a sprightly and pleasing young man; and facilitated my 
 researches with unintermitting assiduity. He would 
 fill up the intervals of bibhographical gossip by expa- 
 tiating, in raptures, upon the beautiul blue eyes of a 
 fair English Lady, whom he once saw in the great 
 
162 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 library — looking at the huge folio Missal of which some 
 notice has been taken in the pages of a certain work 
 called the Bibliographical Decameron. Of this 
 splendid volume, by and by. 
 
 Meanwhile it is necessary that you should know all 
 about the scite upon which this respectable edifice 
 is built. Turn to one of my former letters, if you 
 happen not to have burnt it, and you will find mention 
 made of a certain ancient refectory running at right 
 angles with the nOrth side of the Abbey of St. Ouen. 
 This was taken down ; and the present Hotel de 
 ViLLE built either upon the scite of, or contiguous to 
 it. The building is respectable from its size rather 
 than from its beauty. The ofl[ices of government 
 occupy the ground and first floors, and the Public 
 Galler^y of Pictures ^ and Public Library ^ running in 
 parallel lines, fill the whole of the second or upper 
 floor. The staircases, leading to all the public depart- 
 ments, are airy and elegant ; especially that conduct- 
 ing to the Library and Picture Gallery. I was shewn, 
 as an unrivalled specimen of masonry, the flying stair- 
 case to one of the government oflftces ; but observed 
 that we had two similar and rather superior specimens 
 — one at Somerset House, and the other at Drury-lane 
 Theatre. For a provincial town, the Library and 
 Picture Gallery are two noble institutions. Of the 
 pictures, seen at all times, without fee, by strangers, 
 I will only observe, that, amidst a great deal of glaring- 
 trash, sent thither from Paris to astonish the Rouen- 
 nois, I saw with great satisfaction a curious old 
 
 * See Vol. I. p. clxxxiv. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 picture containing" the portraits of the chiefs of the 
 League — for which I learnt that one of the Princes of 
 the Blood was willing to give a considerable sum. There 
 is also a good early picture or two^ supposed to be by 
 John Van Eyk — an early Raffaelle of the entombing of 
 Christy somewhat in his Perugino manner — and, better 
 than many dozens of surrounding ornaments, a fine 
 St. Francis, by Jnnibal Caracci ; worthy of all his hig-h 
 reputation. The La Hires and Jouvenets cover count- 
 less square feet ; and seem to be estimated rather 
 from their size than by their merit. A little tender 
 Raffaelle^ or elegant Parmegiano, is worth a ship-load 
 of such gaudy colouring- and unmeaning composition. 
 At the end of the first of the two long rooms, or 
 galleries of pictures, is placed a whole-length statue, 
 in terra cotta, of Corneille — a native, and the boast 
 of Rouen. It is in a sitting posture ; and has very con- 
 siderable merit. The countenance is full of expression ; 
 but the nose, though sufficiently prominent, is somewhat 
 flattened — contrary to the medallic representation of 
 his countenance, which exhibits it rather aquiline. 
 Every facility is afforded to artists, male and female, 
 to copy the treasures of this collection ; and we 
 saw, with equal pleasure and surprise, two ladies, 
 and one Major of the National Guard, (the latter in 
 long spurs and hessian boots, with a due portion of 
 mustachios) busied in covering no small quantity 
 of canvas with subjects not remarkable for their beauty 
 or expression.^ 
 
 ^ The Founder of the Academy of Painting at Rouen was Monsieur 
 Descamps, a young Flemish painter, who happened to be passing- 
 that way in the year 1740;, in his route to England by Havre. Des- 
 
164 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 In approaching- the Public Library, you pass through 
 a well-proportioned but not a very large room, in which 
 the sittings of the Academy of Rouen are held. A 
 marble bust of the present King is at one end of it. 
 The view from the opposite side, or from the range 
 of windows in the Library, is really exhilarating. This 
 view commands some of the gently rising eminences 
 in the environs of the town ; and M. Gourdin, who 
 lives behind one of these eminences, told me that he 
 retired thither, and returned from thence, every day to 
 the performance of his public duties in the Library. 
 After passing the before-mentioned room, you enter 
 the second — which is designated the Reading-room : 
 here the books, of whatever description you stand in 
 need, are regularly brought to you. The library, where 
 these books are kept, may be full one hundred English 
 
 camps was strongly urged to alter his views by Messrs. Cideville, 
 Bourdonnaye, and Lecat^ and to settle at Rouen, and become the 
 founder of a School of Painting there. About the year 1750 the esta- 
 blishment was perfected. Descamps is better known by his elegant 
 performance entitled La Vie des Peintres FlamandeSj Alleynands et 
 Hollandois, avec des portraits graves, 1753, 8vo. 4 vols. The engrav- 
 ings, of which FicQUET executed several, are supposed by some to 
 constitute the chief merit of this work. It was translated into Dutch, 
 and HouBRAKEN exhibited his unrivalled talents in executing several 
 of the heads. Lord Spencer has a collection of proofs of these heads, 
 grouped without order and without letter-press, in a quarto form. The 
 grandson of Descamps, now an old man, is the professor of painting ; 
 and a very civil and lively old gentleman he is. If the reader wish for 
 a more particular account of the pictures in the Museum at Rouen, he 
 may consult Travels in France hij Lieut. Hallj 1819, 8vo j where, how- 
 ever, it is evidently intended only as a subordinate portion of that gen- 
 tleman's account of the city of Rouen. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 165 
 
 feet in lengthy of a proportionate height and width. 
 The windows are large, and there is ample light for 
 the survey of the treasures exhibited. Among these 
 treasures, at the further end of the room, reposes, 
 upon a small table, the huge folio Missal of which I 
 heretofore spake. The shew-man, or Cicerone, an old 
 porter^ of about seventy, advances in due form, and 
 places you at the bottom of the book, while he stands 
 at the top : after a little common-place flourish, the 
 hard-hearted creature wets his huge thumb, and turns 
 over the leaves by fixing it precisely, every time, in the 
 self-same spot. In consequence, I leave you to judge 
 of the frightful appearance of the margin where this 
 begrimed thumb is in the habit of alighting ! This prac- 
 tice is most heretical and abominable, and should be 
 instantly corrected. All strangers, and especially the 
 English, visit this graphic curiosity as the first thing to 
 be seen. It is the result of thirty years patient and 
 ingenious toil. The character, or the style of art, may 
 be variously criticised ; but nothing can induce you to 
 withhold your admiration from the feUcity of invention 
 and the splendor of colouring which it displays. Having 
 before described the writing, &c. it only remains to 
 add that the name of the artist was D'Eaubonne, a 
 Benedictin monk, and that he died in 1714. 
 
 The first MS. which I opened to examine minutely, 
 was the famous Missal, supposed with good reason 
 to be of the xith. century ; as the dominical table 
 extends from 1000 to 1095.=^ It is called St. Guthlacs 
 
 * Of the English Saints, we observe, in the Calendar, the names 
 of Cuthbert, Guthlac, Elfege and Etheldith— hut neither Dunstan, 
 nor Ethelwold, 
 
166 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 book ; and the first seatence contains an orison for 
 the protection of that saint. It is a fine beautiful 
 volume, about 13 inches in length, by 9 in width. I 
 shall be particular in my account of it. The first four 
 leaves are written in the usual large semi-Saxon cha- 
 racters of the time. The calendar is in a small hand, 
 with alternate red, blue, and gold. In the opinion of 
 the Abbe Gourdin, this is not only a very copious, but a 
 curious calendar ; at the end of which we observe a 
 short poem, in hexameter and pentameter verses, upon 
 the lunar revolutions, the days of the week, and the 
 months of the year. It is also observable that they 
 then used the terms of the Easter Moon, Rogation 
 Moon, and Whitsuntide Moon. In the preface, the 
 name of each person is noticed for whom mass 
 for the repose of his soul is said. The prefatory 
 matter may be said to occupy the first sixteen 
 leaves. The leaves immediately succeeding appear to 
 have been cut out. The work itself follows, precisely 
 in the character, or general style, of the Duke of De- 
 vonshire's famous Missal, written by Godemann, in the 
 xth. century, by command of the Great Ethelwold.^^ 
 The illuminated borders, consisting of architectural 
 ornaments, in colours and gold, together with the larger 
 capital letters, are very splendidly executed. On the re- 
 verse of the 8th, and on the recto of the 9th, leaf of the 
 text, begins the series of illuminated subjects : such 
 as the Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, 8^c. The 
 Flight into Egypt is thus singularly represented ; Jo- 
 sepli being made to carry the distaff of Mary. 
 
 * See the Bibliographical Decameron ; vol, i. p. lix. 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 1(37 
 
 All these are within a sort of architectural border^ 
 or frame work. Among* the subsequent subjects, the 
 Betrayal of Christ is not very inaptly treated; the 
 figures are about three inches in height, and the border 
 is here very good. The Crucifixion and the taking 
 down from the Cross follow ; in the latter, the figure 
 of the mother of Christ is rather touchingly executed. 
 In the Resurrection, the angel upon the tomb is pre- 
 cisely in the style of art of that in the Duke of Devon- 
 shire's book ; but, the composition is less spirited. On 
 the recto of the leaf where the Day of Pentecost occu- 
 pies the reverse, the border encircles a text entirely 
 gold. On the reverse of the 106th leaf is the following 
 figure, intended for St. Peter ; the text on the oppo- 
 site page, in letters of gold, relating to him. 
 
168 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 It may be worth informing- you that the hair of the 
 Saint is light blue ; his vestment, or upper garment 
 green — his under garment, orange : the glory, gold : 
 the book, gold ; and the footstool gold. The illumina- 
 tion for All Saints Day is fresh and good. That of 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 169 
 
 St. Andrew is particularly brilliant ; the opposite page 
 of text is gold. The representation of the Trinity is 
 torn out : the text, opposite, is in capitals of gold. 
 After the 100th leaf—" Sfltcipit ^X^^^ ptD ittffcmi^/' 
 The text concludes on the reverse of the 201st leaf. 
 Upon the whole this is a volume of great intrinsic 
 curiosity, and considering its age, is in a fine state of 
 preservation. — It belonged formerly to the Abbey of 
 Jumieges ; as is evident from the following coeval 
 memorandum: — ^written in the hand-writing of Robert 
 Bishop of London (afterwards Archbishop of Canter- 
 bury), who was formerly head of that Monastery, and 
 who died there in 1053 : It is as follows ; being an 
 anathema against any future purloin er of the volume — 
 " Quem si quis vi vel dolo seu quoquo modo isti loco 
 subtraxerit, animse suae propter quod fecerit detrimen- 
 tum patiatur atque de libro viventium deleatur et cum 
 justis non scribatur." 
 
 We must now take a peep at the companion of 
 the foregoing old-fashioned treasure. This is empha- 
 tically called the Benedictionarius. It is a curious 
 volume ; perhaps of equal — perhaps of greater — anti- 
 quity : being about half an inch shorter, and having 
 twenty-two lines in a full page. The text is generally 
 executed in larger letters. The illuminations (de- 
 scribed by M. Gourdin*) are larger, coarser, and fewer 
 in number than those in the Missal. The first speci- 
 
 * described by M. Gourdin ?i Notwithstanding this worthy Abb6 
 and most respectable librarian has published a sort of critical disser- 
 tation upon this old-fashioned treasure," in the transactions of the 
 Rouen Society for 1812, p. 164—174— in which he is pleased to give 
 the preference to the illuminations in the Benedictionarius over those 
 
 VOL. I. L 
 
170 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 men of frame-work bordering is broad and bold. The 
 second similar specimen encloses the angel upon the 
 
 of the Missal just above described — I venture to differ from him 
 entirely in such conclusion. His criticism is thus : Les figures en 
 sont beaucoup plus mal dessin^es que celles du Benedictionnaire, mais 
 on pent dire que I'or est prodigue dans ce manuscrit" — that is to 
 say, there is " a lavish expenditure of gold in the Missal." But there 
 is something more than a mere profusion of gold 3 while the figures in 
 theBenedictionarius are, in fact, less skilfully and less spiritedly drawn. 
 
 The Benedict roNARius, as above intimated, has given rise to a 
 critical dissertation of the Abbe Gourdin, in the work just mentioned. 
 The object of this dissertation is to refute the opinion of the Abbe' 
 Saas, who assigned this ancient volume, apparently on the authority 
 of Father Morin, to the viiith century. Montfaucon, without having 
 seen the book, acquiesced in the same conclusion. But M. Gourdin 
 has justly shewn, from the introduction of certain Saints {Swithin and 
 Grimbald, the latter of whom died in the beginning of the xth century) 
 that it could not have been executed in the eighth century. It seems 
 the MS. had been given to the Cathedral of Rouen 3 and the second 
 question in agitation is, whether it was given by Robert Archbishop of 
 Rouen, or by Robert Archbishop of Canterbury — a question, upon 
 which a lively altercation took place between the Abbe Saas and Dom 
 Tassin, one of the Editors of the Nouveau Tra'ite de Diplomatique. 
 That it was given by an Archbishop of the name of Robert, seems incon- 
 trovertible — from an ancient entry in an old Catalogue of the Books of 
 the Cathedral. After six pages of bibliographical criticism, M. Gourdin 
 concludes, upon apparently safe grounds, that the volume in question 
 was given by the Robert who was Archbishop of Rouen, and who 
 died in 1053 : in consequence, says M. Gourdin, the MS. is not of the 
 ixth nor of the xiiith century. In all probability, it is of the com- 
 mencement of the xith century. The latter part of the volume contains 
 a Pontifical, or forms and ceremonies connected with the eccle- 
 siastical office. My friend the Rev. H. Drury posseses a very fine 
 MS. (from the M'^Carthy collection) of the Cathedral Service of Rouen, 
 of the xiith or xiiith century. The initials are in a sober and appro- 
 priate style ; the text is a large semi-gothic, varied by red and blue 
 
ROUEN. 171 
 
 tomb, (after the resurrection of Christ) of which I 
 have thus made a fac-simile. 
 
 The markings of the lights are very strong, and have 
 the roughness of oil-painting. The gilding is less skil- 
 
 inks^ but more particularly red. The forms of the exorcism of oil, 
 as well as the exorcism itself C Exorciso te creatura olei per domi- 
 num patrem omnipotentem^ &c.) are curious and even diverting. 
 
172 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 fully executed than in the Missal^ and the style of art is 
 generally of a very inferior kind. I subjoin two tracings 
 of corner portions from the fourth and sixth frame work, 
 at top, which you may compare with what has already 
 appeared before the public, and hence convince yourself 
 of the contemporaneousness of the respective produc- 
 tions. 
 
ROUEN. 173 
 
 The Descent of the Holij Ghost is rather boldly 
 represented by flames of fire issuing' from the opened 
 mouth of the Dove. In the whole, there are only eight 
 illuminations ; of which three are composed of figures, 
 and of these the third represents the Death of the 
 Virgin. The vellum is thick, but soft: and though 
 this volume, on the score of graphic beauty, be inferior 
 to the preceding, yet is it a most interesting and vene- 
 rable relic of ancient art. The Abb6 Gourdin says, 
 that " it was reported that some of our countrymen had 
 offered as much as 15,000 francs for this volume :" but 
 I consider this report as exceedingly questionable. 
 The Missal, which is in every respect a more market- 
 able article, may be worth one-seventh of that sum. 
 Of the remaining MSS. there was little or nothing (on 
 the score of art, antiquity, or intrinsic worth) in those 
 which I saw, that much interested me ; and when I 
 expressed a desire to make further and minute 
 researches, I learnt, with equal surprise and sorrow, 
 that they wanted both room and opportunity to exa- 
 mine upwards of eight hundred yet uninspected MSS. 
 In other words, they want finances ; for the reading- 
 room itself, with appropriate shelves, might contain 
 the whole of these unexamined volumes very commo- 
 diously. However, you shall have the fruits of a little 
 more gleaning among illuminated MSS. An Ovid 
 MORALIZED, in Frcuch, in one large foHo written in 
 double columns, in a small close gothic character, 
 is no contemptible volume for a short half hour's 
 amusement. This volume is evidently much cropt. 
 The illuminations are precisely similar, in style and 
 
174 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 colour^ to those of the Roman (T Alexandre — before so 
 copiously expatiated upon:^ the back grounds are 
 diamond-wise : the figures are of the same height ; but 
 there are no drolleries ; and upon the whole fewer embel- 
 lishments. One illumination is worth noticing. It is a 
 representation of fortune^ blinded^ in the middle of her 
 wheel — around which are four figures: a king at 
 top, and a naked figure at bottom. At folio 59, recto, 
 from the commencement of the text, which begins 
 thus : — after 13 leaves of table : 
 
 Se lescripture ne nous ment 
 Tout est pour nre enseignement 
 QiX quil a en liures escript 
 Soient bon ou mal li escript. 
 
 Tliere is at bottom an escutcheon of arms, five 
 balls argent, upon a ground azure. At the end of the 
 MS., which is much soiled, we read 
 
 Explicit 
 
 a Jinent les fables douide le grant. 
 
 Another MS. worth noticing, is that entitled Livre 
 HisTORiAL des faits de feu Messire Betrand du 
 GuESCLiN jadis connetable du Royaume de France^ 
 This interesting volume was given to the library by the 
 Abbe Des Jardins, a canon of the cathedral of Rouen, 
 in 1640. A note prefixed by Saas is wrong, according 
 to M. Gourdin, who refers to hehong'sBibLHlstorlque, 
 art. 13495-6. This MS. is executed in a coarse Gothic 
 hand, in prose ; and has the following colophon : 
 
 En vng teps qui a yuer no 
 Ou chastel royal de vernon 
 Qui ist aux chaps & la ville 
 
 * Bibliogr. Decameron; vol. i. p. cxcviii. 
 
ROUEN. 175 
 
 Fist iehannet destoutenville 
 Au dit chastel lors capitaine 
 Aussi de verndmel sur saine 
 Et du roy escuier de corps 
 Mectre en prose \ h me recors 
 Ce liure cy extrait de rime 
 Complet en mars dix & neufuieme 
 Qui de Ian la date ne sect 
 Mil. ccc. quatre vins & sept. 
 
 This volume is in good condition ; and is bound in 
 boards covered with red velvet. 1 examined also a 
 curious old volume of various tracts^ which is bound in 
 wood ; having in the centre^ on each side, a large fi- 
 gure, about nine inches high, carved in ivory. This 
 volume is called the Ivorj/ Book — and may be of the 
 xivth century. I was well satisfied with turning over 
 the leaves of an old volume of Homilies and Sermons, 
 some of thein of St. Jerom, of the xiith century ; hav- 
 ing two or three ancient and well-executed grotesque 
 capital initials ; of which the M. and P. struck me as 
 being admirably imagined. 
 
 From MSS. it is natural to go to Printed Books. 
 When I first took my station among the students, I 
 was much amused on finding, at my left hand, my old 
 friend the porter, or Cicerone, gravely sitting, with 
 " spectacles on nose", intent upon a modern publication 
 — which was entitled, I think, " Precis de la Revolution 
 Francoise'' The generality of the students, few in num- 
 ber, were not remarkable for a very spruce exterior — in- 
 cluding even the venerable head Librarian himself: but 
 they sometimes compensate for these outward defi- 
 ciences by the respectability and utility of their pur- 
 suits. Thus, I saw a dingy looking young man con- 
 
176 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 suiting with facility the Arabic Lexicon of Castell, to 
 assist him in the perusal of a large Latin and Arabic 
 folio: while to my right sate an ancient gentleman, 
 busied in a careful examination of the " Index Chronolo- 
 gicus" of Bouquet's Recueil des Historiens des Gaules. 
 But this is very immaterial — and we go at once to the 
 htikt^ : especially to the Fif teeners. The oldest work 
 they possess, of the xvth century, is 
 
 Sti. Jeronimi Epistolje : finnted ly Siveynheym 
 and Pannartz in 1468, 2 vols, folio. A fair copy, but 
 cropt — in its second binding, and wormed a little at 
 the end. 
 
 S. AuGUSTiNUS DE CiviTATE Dei, printed hy J, de 
 Spira in 1470, folio. The largest and finest copy I 
 ever saw of this not very uncommon book. It is in 
 its original binding, with many rough leaves. 
 
 Manipulus Curatorum, printed hy Ccesaris only, 
 (without his partner Stol) in 1473, at Paris, folio. A 
 very early specimen of the press of this printer : but 
 unluckily this is a very bad copy. 
 
 Speculum Historiale Vincentii Bellovacensis, 
 printed by Mentelin in 1473, in four folio volumes : the 
 name of the printer in each volume. This copy is much 
 cropt, and soiled. 
 
 ZopHiLOLOGiuM; editum afratre Jacoho Magin de 
 Parisius ordinis her emit arum sti Augustini. Jinit f eli- 
 cit er (sic.) This is a folio volume, without date — 
 distinguishable for the peculiar formation of the letter 
 R ; but respecting the name of the printer, all en- 
 quiries have been hitherto fruitless. Look into the first 
 volume of the Bihl. Spenceriana, and you will find a 
 fac simile of this long-legged letter. Together with 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 177 
 
 this work is bound an edition of the Three Kings of 
 Cologne, printed by Guldenschaiff'm 1477, in his best 
 manner. The copy is too much cropt. 
 
 Tractatus de Questionibus sec. Balbum. Print- 
 ed at Paris, in 1477, 4to. without 7iame of printer. To 
 me, this type is perfectly new — as a Parisian produc- 
 tion. It resembles the small and earlier type of Pyn- 
 son ; but is certainly the model upon which Vostre, 
 Eustace, and Bonfons, &c. formed their character. 
 Perhaps it may have been executed by the printer of 
 the Chronique de St, Denis, in three folio volumes, 
 1476. 
 
 Justinus. Printed hy Philip Condam Petri, in 
 
 1479, folio. This is the earliest printed Classic in 
 the library: but as a specimen of ancient and valuable 
 printing, it is scarcely worth more than a Napoleon or 
 two. 
 
 BiBLiA Sacra. Latine, Printed hy Koberger in 
 
 1480. This is their earliest Bible. They ought to 
 have one eighteen years earlier. Take eighteen from 
 1480, and there remains the number 1462. You un- 
 derstand me. 
 
 La Vie des Peres, 1486, folio. An indifferent 
 copy. M. Gourdin thinks that this is the first and 
 only edition of the work in the xvth century— but " il 
 se trompe." 
 
 Ciceronis Epistol^ Familiares. Printed in 
 1488. The earliest Cicero of the xvth century. There 
 are libraries, private as well as public, which contain a 
 few more Fifteeners of the same author ! 
 
 We may notice, en passant, the Legenda Aurea of 
 1486, La Mer des Histoires, by my old friend Philip 
 
178 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 Le Rouge, in 1488, a Catholicon of 1489, and Le 
 SoNGE Du Verdier, 1491 : the latter the Jirst edition, 
 I tried to get a sight of the Sacramento de la peni- 
 TENciA, printed at Seville in 1492 ; but M. Fossard, 
 whose attentions were unremitting, and whose manual 
 exertions covered him with dust and cobwebs, was 
 not able to lay his hand upon it. A word now re- 
 specting 
 
 Missals and Breviaries appertaining to the church 
 service at Rouen. They have a " ruled and washed" 
 paper copy of the Missal, printed at Paris, in 1491, 
 folio ; and also of the Breviary, printed at Paris by 
 Levet, for Bernard, a Rouen bookseller, in the same 
 year : folio. Also an edition of the Breviary in 1491, 
 printed at Rouen. But the folio editions by Morin, in 
 1495 and 1499, are glorious volumes — especially as they 
 are printed upon vellum. The former is soiled from 
 much thumbing : the latter is fresh, beautiful, and 
 splendid : presenting us with a magnificent title-page. 
 They have a duplicate of the latter, equally fine, and 
 also upon vellum : with a difference in the title-page, 
 it being ornamented at bottom. There is, however, a 
 MS. leaf in the middle of this second copy. An edi- 
 tion of the Winter Part of the Cathedral Service at 
 Rouen, printed by Jean de Bourgoys, in 1492, 8vo. 
 upon vellum, exhibits a beautiful specimen of print- 
 ing ; but the copy is rather cropt. We may vary our 
 book subject by a notice or two of 
 
 Aldine Classics. There is a good, clean, but 
 cropt copy of the first Theocritus, 1495 : a desirable, 
 clean copy of the Ainstophanes of 1498 : a sound, clean, 
 and perfect copy of the Epistolce Diversor, Philos, et 
 
ROCJEN. 
 
 179 
 
 Orator, 1499^ 4to. and a very good copy of the second 
 Demosthenes, of 1504. But the whole of these form 
 nothing to boast of. I shall conclude my remarks 
 among the Fifteeners, by mentioning 
 
 HoRATius, 1492 : 1498, folio. The former has the 
 commentaries of Aero and Porphyrio : the latter has 
 the well known wood-cut decorations : but, singularly 
 enough, a figure seems wanting in the middle com- 
 partment at folio Ixxxix. As well as I could estimate, 
 there are about 245 articles printed in the xvth cen- 
 tury, with dates ; and about 88 articles in the same 
 century without dates. But the character and com- 
 plexion of these Fifteeners are, upon the whole, of a 
 very secondary nature. Indeed, two-thirds of them 
 may be easily dispensed with. Of the more rare and 
 curious articles in the sixteenth century , I noticed only 
 the following : 
 
 Victoria Porcheti adversus impios Hebr.eos, 
 &c. 1520. A beautiful small folio, printed by Des- 
 plain for Gourmont and Regnault, upon vellum. It 
 came from the library of the Abbey of Jumieges. 
 . Flos Sanctorum. Toledo, 1582, folio. A curious 
 volume ; abounding with legendaiy tales of consider- 
 able interest — as Mr. Southey, in his occasional re- 
 ferences to it, has given us opportunities of knowing. 
 
 Acta Sanctorum, 52 volumes : including a portion 
 of the month of October. A very desirable copy^ in 
 nice old calf binding, with gilt tooling. 
 
 Upon the whole, they reckon upon about 20,000 
 volumes in the public library. Alas ! it was once of 
 far greater extent. During the Revolution, they could 
 boast of about 250,000 volumes ; but a considerable 
 
180 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 portion of this vast number was pillaged from the 
 libraries of the Emigrants. These however have been 
 partly restored to their respective owners. Yet during 
 that maddest of all manias, the revolutionary mania, 
 they sold the greater part of this library for the paltry 
 sum of 20,000 francs, and not fewer than 10,000 vo- 
 lumes are supposed to have been publicly burnt in the 
 Place des Carmes . . . within fifty yards of the very spot 
 whence this account of it is penned! Do I still sniff 
 the heart sickening odour of the fire and smoke of this 
 almost sacrilegious conflagration ? How many unique 
 Mysteries, Romances, and Chronicles, were possibly 
 destroyed at that eventful crisis ? A word now only 
 respecting the finances of this public library. The last 
 year 1000 francs — only — ^were expended upon it. It 
 was all they could spare. But what can you expect 
 — when I learnt, at the last seance of their Royal Aca- 
 demy, (in reply to some official questions from the 
 Minister of the Interior) that the annual funds of the 
 society consisted only of 1800 francs ? 
 
 I attended two Meetings of this Society — which 
 can boast of some very intelligent clever members. 
 They meet once a week, on a Friday, at six o'clock, 
 and terminate the sitting at eight. M. Vitalis, who 
 took the chair of the President, understands English 
 well, and is a very well-informed and respectable man. 
 He gave me a good notion of the French gentleman of 
 former times. There were about thirty Members pre- 
 sent. Excellent order was observed, and some dis- 
 cussions took place, in the shape of debates, which 
 were conducted with equal temper and spirit. I heard 
 a paper read relating to some travels in the alpine 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 181 
 
 parts of Italy, undertaken with a view to botanical re- 
 searches, which was justly commended. Indeed bo- 
 tany is a favourite subject with nearly all the Members 
 of the Society: but I hope good M. Le Prevost will 
 never lose sight of local Antiquities — in every point of 
 view in which it is capable of affording equal instruc- 
 tion and delight. What a volume they might produce 
 connected with their own city ! They print, but do not 
 publish, an analytical abridgment of the Transaciions 
 of the Society ;^ and I should tell you that, had it 
 it not been for the kind activity of M. Le Prevost, I 
 should never have procured for Lord Spencer a perfect 
 copy of these Memoirs — upwards of fifteen volumes 
 in octavo. In the Althorp Library such a work is 
 absolutely necessary : the more so, as I understood, 
 when I left England, that neither the British Museum 
 nor the Bodleian Library possessed a perfect set. 
 
 * Memoirs of the Transactions of the Society^ — The History of these 
 Memoirs is briefly this. The Society was established in 1744 j and a 
 
 Precis Analytique" of its labours, from the date of its foundation to 
 the year of its restoration in 1803, was pubhshed in the years 1814, 
 1816, and 1817- These three volumes comprehend its history in the 
 following manner : that of 1814, called the 1st volume, gives the his- 
 tory from 1744 to 1750: that of 1816, from 1751 to 1760: and 
 that of 1817 from 1761 to 1770." What became of the History 
 from the year 1770 to the period of its interruption by the Revolution 
 —or whether it ceased in the year 1770 — I am unable to mention ; as a 
 supposed perfect copy of these Transactions, supplied by the kindness 
 of M. Le Prevost, only furnishes me with a resumption of the labours 
 of the Academy in 1804. These were published in 1807. From this 
 latter period, that is from 1804, the series goes in a regular succession 
 down to the year 1815— the account of the transactions in one year 
 being regularly published in the year following. Thus, including the 
 three volumes published in 1814, 18 1 6, and 1 8 17, supplying an abridged 
 
182 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 Farewell now to Rouen. I have told you all the 
 tellings which I thought worthy of communication. I 
 
 history of the labours up to the yesir 1 770, there will be sixteen vo- 
 lumes in the whole. The work is published in an octavo form, upon 
 an indifferent paper, and is indifferently printed. The title is uni- 
 formly thus : Precis Analytique des Travaux de VAcademie Royale 
 des Sciences, des Belles Lettres et des Arts de Rouen'* De VImp. de 
 P. Periaux, Imprimeur du Roi et de VAcademie." There are no en- 
 gravings — but those which are tabulated, displaying the results of 
 certain calculatiorfs and experiments. The generality of the commu- 
 nications are abridged ; but there are several Memoires dont TAca- 
 demie a delibere de I'impression en entier dans ses Actes." These 
 communications, like those of our Royal Society's Transactions, are al- 
 most entirely scientific. Chemistry, Botany, and Medicine are in high 
 request among the Rouennois. 
 
 In the last volume, published in 1817^ giving an account of the la- 
 bours of the preceding year, the stream of usual information is diverted 
 a little into political channels — all about Louis Le Desire'. The 
 French are admirable masters of quick transition. Thus, upon the in- 
 auguration of the bust of Louis XVIII., M. Gourdin, the President, 
 pronounces a discourse" beginning thus — Messieurs, la c^r^- 
 monie qui nous rassemble aujourd'hui est egalement auguste et 
 touchante. EUe est auguste, puisqu'il s'y agit de I'inauguration du 
 buste de notre Monarque : elle est touchante, puisque ce sont des 
 enfans r^unis autour de I'image de leur pere pour lui payer le tribut de 
 leur amour. C'est done une fete de famille. Ah ! Messieurs, qu'elle 
 est douce pour nos coeurs!" — This is followed by yet more ardent and 
 more encomiastic language by ''^ M. Boistard, Ing^nieur en chef, 
 chevalier de I'Ordre royal de la Legion d'Honneur," which concludes 
 with Vivent les Bourbons ! Vive le Roi ! . . , .Vive le Roi ! Vivent 
 les Bourbons!" My worthy acquaintance M, Duputel — of whose 
 privntely-printed lucubrations of the muse, honourable mention 
 has been made in a preceding page, has followed up these testimo- 
 nies of loyalty in prose, by the effusions of his own muse— entitled 
 and beginning thus : 
 
ROUEN. 
 
 183 
 
 have endeavoured to make you saunter with me in the 
 streets, in the cathedral, the abbey^ and the churches. 
 We have^ in imagination at least, strolled together 
 along the quays^ visited the halls and public build- 
 ings, and gazed with rapture from Mont Ste. Ca- 
 tharine upon the enchanting view of the city, the 
 river, and the neighbouring hills. We have from 
 hence breathed almost the pure air of heaven, and 
 surveyed a country equally beautified by art, and 
 blessed by nature. Our hearts, from that same height, 
 have wished all manner of health, wealth, and pros- 
 perity, to a land thus abounding in corn and wine, 
 and oil and gladness. We have silently, but sincerely 
 prayed, that swords may for ever be " turned into 
 plough-shares, and spears into pruning-hooks" that 
 all heart-burnings, antipathies, and animosities, may 
 be eternally extinguished ; and that, from henceforth, 
 there may be no national rivalries but such as tend 
 to establish, upon a firmer footing, and a more com- 
 prehensive scale, the peace and happiness of fellow- 
 creatures, of whatever persuasion they may be: — of 
 such, who sedulously cultivate the arts of individual 
 
 HoMMAGE A Louis le Desire'. 
 Idylle. 
 
 Vous, du docte Parnasse et I'amour et I'honneur, 
 
 Au son de la trompette, 
 Des vertus de Louis celebrez la grandeur; 
 
 Une simple musette 
 Sied mieux k mon esprit, et plait mieux k men ccBur. 
 &c. &c. &c. 
 
 I apprehend there are no similar specimens in the printed Memoirs 
 our own Societies . . . .But what then ? 
 
184 
 
 ROUEN. 
 
 and of national improvement, and blend the duties 
 of social order with the higher calls of morality and 
 religion. Ah! my friend, these are neither foolish 
 thoughts nor romantic wishes. They arise naturally in 
 an honest heart, which, seeing that all creation is 
 animated and upheld by one and the same power, 
 cannot but ardently hope that all may be equally 
 benefitted by a reliance upon its goodness and bounty. 
 
 From this eminence we have descended somewhat 
 into humbler walks. We have visited hospitals, strolled 
 in flower-gardens, and associated with publishers and 
 collectors of works — both of the dead and the living. 
 Hence we have diverged to witness the silent, and yet 
 eloquent relics of ancient art ; from the chissel of the 
 sculptor, to the pencil of the illuminator ; and aul& 
 hoht^, like "aul& iang ^?pne," have comforted us in 
 our latter and more congenial researches. So now, 
 fare you well. Commend me to your family and to 
 our common friends, — especially to the iioxhutl^tt^f 
 should they perchance enquire after their wandering 
 Vice President. Many will be the days passed over, 
 and many the leagues traversed, ere I meet them again. 
 No Clarendon festivals for me, till the year of our Lord 
 1819 ! Again adieu ! . . . I have hired a decent cabriolet, 
 a decent pair of horses, and a yet more promising pos- 
 tilion ; and within twenty-four hours my back will be 
 more decidedly turned upon "dear old England" — 
 for that country, in which her ancient kings once 
 held dominion, and where every square mile (I had 
 almost said acre) is equally interesting to the anti- 
 quary and the agriculturist. I salute you wholly, and 
 am yours ever. 
 
185 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM ROUEN. ST. GEORGES DE BOCHER- 
 VILLE. DUCLAIR. MARIVAUX. THE ABBEY OF 
 JUMIEGES. ARRIVAL AT CAUDEBEC. 
 
 MY DEAR FRIEND. May, 1818. 
 
 My last letter led you to expect that, in spite of all 
 its grotesque beauties and antiquarian attractions, the 
 CITY OF ROUEN was at length to be quitted — and that 
 we were to pursue our route more in the character of 
 independent travellers, in an hired cabriolet. No 
 more Diligence^ or Conduct eur. Our OM^n sagacity and 
 prudence, aided by that of the gargon de poste, were 
 henceforth to be our sole guides. Adieu therefore to 
 dark avenues, gloomy courts, overhanging roofs, nar- 
 row streets, cracking whips, the never-ceasing noise 
 of carts and carriages, and never-ending movements of 
 countless masses of population : — Adieu ! — and in their 
 stead, welcome be the winding road, the fertile mea- 
 dow, the thickly-planted orchard, and the broad and 
 sweeping Seine. 
 
 Accordingly, on the 4th of this month, between the 
 hours of ten and eleven, A. M. the rattling of horses' 
 hoofs, and the echoes of a postillion's whip, were heard 
 witiiin the court-yard of the H6tel Vatel, Monsieur, 
 Madame, Jacques, and the whole fraternity of domes- 
 tics, were on the alert — " pour faire les adieux a 
 Messieurs les Anglois." This Jacques has been al- 
 ready incidentally noticed. He is the prime minister of 
 
 VOL. I. M 
 
186 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM ROUEN. 
 
 the Hotel Vatel. A somewhat uncomfortable deten- 
 tion in England for five years, in the character of 
 " prisoner of war/' has made him master of a pretty 
 quick and ready utterance of common-place phrases 
 in our language ; and he is not a little proud of his 
 attainments therein. Seriously speaking, I consider 
 him quite a phenomenon in his way ; and it is right 
 you should know that he affords a very fair specimen 
 of a sharp, clever, French servant. His bodily move- 
 ments are nearly as quick as those of his tongue. 
 He rises, as well as his brethren, by five in the morn- 
 ing; and the testimonies of this early activity are 
 quickly discovered in the unceasing noise of beating 
 coats, singing French airs, and scolding the boot- 
 boy. He rarely retires to rest before mid-night ; and 
 the whole day long he is in one eternal round of occu- 
 pation. When he is bordering upon impertinence, he 
 seems to be conscious of it — declaring that " the Eng- 
 lish make him saucy, but that naturally he is very 
 civil." He always speaks of human beings in the neu- 
 ter gender ; and to a question whether such a one has 
 been at the Hotel, he replies, " I have not seen it to- 
 day." I am persuaded he is a thoroughly honest crea- 
 ture ; and considering the pains which are taken to 
 spoil him, it is surprising with what good sense and 
 propriety he conducts himself. 
 
 But to return. The whole complement of inn- 
 door occupants, including even visitors, attended our 
 departure. " Au plaisir de vous revoir" — Bon 
 voyage" — and other similar exclamations resounded 
 on all sides — when, about eleven o'clock, we sprung for- 
 ward, at a smart trot, towards the barriers by which 
 
DEPARTURE FROM ROUEN. 187 
 
 we had entered Rouen. Our postillion was a thorough 
 master of his calling-, and his spurs and whip seemed 
 ,to know no cessation from action. The steeds, per- 
 fectly Norman, were somewhat fiery ; and we rattled 
 along the streets, (for the pave never causes the least 
 abatement of pace with the French driver) in high 
 expectation of seeing a thousand rare sights ere we 
 reached Havre — equally the limits of our journey, 
 iand of our contract with the owner of the cabrio- 
 let. That accomplished antiquary, M. Le Prevost, 
 whose name you have often heard, had furnished me 
 with so dainty a bill of fare, or carte de voyage, that 
 I began to consider each hour lost which did not bring 
 us in contact with some architectural relic of anti- 
 quity, or some elevated position — whence the wander- 
 ing Seine and wooded heights of the adjacent country 
 might be surveyed with equal advantage. 
 
 You have often, I make no doubt, my dear friend, 
 started upon something like a similar expedition : — 
 when the morning has been fair, the sun bright, the 
 breeze gentle, and the atmosphere clear. In such 
 moments how the ardour of hope takes possession of 
 one! — How the heart warms, and the conversation 
 flows ! The barriers are approached ; we turn to the 
 left, having the Grande Route da Havre rather before 
 us, and commence our journey in good earnest. Pre- 
 viously to gaining the first considerable height, you 
 pass the village of Canteleu. This village is exceed- 
 ingly picturesque. It is studded with water-mills, and 
 is enlivened by a rapid rivulet, which empties itself, in 
 a serpentine direction, into the Seine. You now begin 
 to ascend a very commanding eminence ; at the top of 
 
188 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 which are scattered some of those country houses which 
 are seen from Mont Ste. Catharine. The road is of a 
 noble breadth. The day warmed — and we dismounted 
 to let our steeds breathe more freely, as we continued 
 to ascend leisurely. Mr. Lewis ran on before ; took a 
 position, — with the magnificent sweep of the river, 
 and the towers and spires of Rouen at a little distance 
 before him — and drawing forth his ready pencil, trans- 
 ferred, in a fit of extacy, the whole of the enchanting 
 scene ^ into his sketch-book. I send it you : matured 
 and mellowed by the magic of light and shade. It is 
 at once a most faithful copy of the particular scene re- 
 presented, and of the generality of the river and hill sce- 
 nery in the route from Rouen to Bolbec. Perhaps the 
 distance is too delicately marked ; so as to give you 
 an idea of the hill, to the right of Rouen, (which in 
 fact is Mont Ste. Catharine) being farther situated 
 from the city than it really is. But the whole is de- 
 lightfully picturesque. 
 
 We remounted, having gratified the postilion by 
 granting his request to have a peep at the drawing, 
 which he pronounced to be " charmant !" I love cu- 
 riosity of this kind, when it does not border upon im- 
 pertinence ; and I had a shrewd suspicion that our 
 gargon was a lad of no ordinary mettle. Our first 
 halting-place was to be St. Georges de Bocherville ; an 
 ancient abbey of the xiith century, according to the 
 instructions of M. Le Prevost. This abbey is situated 
 about three French leagues from Rouen. Our route 
 
 * See the Opposite Plate. Lieut. Hall has described the same^ 
 or a similar scenC;, with great truth and animation, in his Travels 
 in France^ in 18>8 j 8vo. p. 45, 6. 
 
ST. GEORGES DE BOCHERVILLE. 189 
 
 thither, from the summit of the hill which we had just 
 ascended, lay along a road skirted by interminable 
 orchards now in their fullest bloom. The air was 
 absolutely perfumed, to a sort of aromatic excess, by 
 the fragrance of these blossoms. The apple and pear 
 were beautifully conspicuous ; and as the sky became 
 still more serene, and the temperature yet more mild 
 by the unobstructed sun beam, it is impossible to con- 
 ceive any thing more balmy and more genial than was 
 this lovely day. The minutes seemed to fly away too 
 quickly — when we reached the village of Bocherville, 
 where stands the church ; the chief remaining relic of 
 this once beautiful abbey. We alighted at the au- 
 berge ; and while our steeds and postillion were feast- 
 ing upon their peculiar provenders, we started for the 
 enjoyment of provender of a very different description. 
 
 Turning quickly down a lane to the left, thickly 
 shaded by overhanging branches of fruit trees, we 
 hastened onward, still keeping to the left ; when, peep- 
 ing between the trees, at a little distance, we discerned 
 the venerable ecclesiastical edifice — of a pale and 
 even fresh tone of colour. It appeared to be small, 
 but extremely beautiful, and of a deliciously old 
 aspect. The village was all alive in a moment. 
 Women and children were chiefly visible ; the men 
 being engaged in the fields. The towering cauchoise 
 and wooden shoes proved that we were still in the vi- 
 cinity of Rouen. There seemed to be plenty of dirt 
 and plenty of wretchedness in the village. We in- 
 quired for Le Concierge ; and in his absence came 
 ^*^madame son epouse." We surveyed the west front 
 very leisurely, and thought it an extremely beautiful 
 
190 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 specimen of the architecture of the twelfth and thir- 
 teenth centuries ; for certainly there are some portions 
 more ancient than others. M. Le Prevost had apprised 
 me that Mr. Cotman had designed pretty nearly the 
 whole of the building,* with the exception of the chap- 
 ter-house to the left of the west front. A survey of this 
 chapter-house filled me with mingled sorrow and de- 
 light : sorrow, that the Revolution and a modern cot- 
 ton manufactory had metamorphosed it from its origi- 
 nal character ; and delight, that the portions which 
 remained were of such beautiful forms, and in such fine 
 preservation. The stone, being of a very close-grained 
 quality, is absolutely as white and sound as if it 
 had been just cut from the quarry. The room, where 
 a parcel of bare legged girls and boys were working the 
 respective machineries, had a roof of what may be called 
 interlaced arches of the most delicate construction. 
 
 This old building has been recently divided into an 
 upper and ground floor ; and it was by means of this 
 artificial division that, while upon the upper floor, we 
 were enabled to make so minute a survey of the arched 
 roof. I imagine the whole of this portion of the build- 
 ing to have been the Chapter House ; and that on the 
 scite, which is now occupied by a long front of build- 
 ing, of the usual architecture of modern times, stood 
 the Refectory and Dormitory. It may, however, be 
 just the reverse : nor is it material whether what we saw 
 be the chapter-house or the refectory. The conversion 
 of the whole to the purposes of trade has a very strange 
 
 * Mr. Cotman has in fact published views of the West Front, the 
 South East, the West Entrance^ and the South Transept, with sculp- 
 tured capitals and basso-relievos, &c. In the whole, seven plates. 
 
ST. GEORGES DE BOCHERVILLE. 191 
 
 effect. Bat the present is not the first metamorphosis : 
 for the large building, just mentioned^ was erected about 
 four-score years ago by a nobleman, or prince, who 
 chose to retire from the bustle of public life, and to de- 
 vote a large fortune to the erection of this mansion as a 
 monastery for a prior and seventeen lay-monks. A fine 
 piece of g*round, or walled park, surrounds it ; which is 
 just now in a most pitiable state of neglect. In short, 
 this g-eneral aspect of decay pervades the interior, or 
 manufactory itself The superintendant, who shewed 
 us every part of this large establishment, told us that 
 the owner was anxious to get rid either of the whole 
 or of the half of it ; and that he would part with the 
 latter for 35,000 francs. This apparently trifling* sum 
 would startle, at first sound, an English manufacturer : 
 but all things, you know, must be estimated with refe- 
 rence to the country in which they occur. Here, land 
 and labour are cheap and reasonable enough, and the 
 demand (though things are upon the mend) is slow and 
 uncertain. 
 
 The very sound of a Monastery made me curious to 
 examine the disposition of the building-. Accordingly, 
 I followed my guide through suites of apartments up 
 divers stone stair-cases, and along sundry corridores. 
 I noticed the dormitories with due attention, and of 
 course inquired eagerly for the Library : — but the 
 shelves only remained — either the fear or the fury of 
 the Revolution having long ago dispossessed it of 
 every thing in the shape of a hook. The whole was 
 painted white. I counted eleven perpendicular di- 
 visions ; and, from the small distances between the up- 
 per shelves^ there must have been a very considerable 
 
192 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 number of duodecimos. The titles of the respective 
 classes of the library were painted in white letters 
 upon a dark -blue ground^ at top. Bibles occupied the 
 first division, and the Fathers the second : but it 
 should seem that equal importance was attached to 
 the works of Heretics as to those called Litterce Hu- 
 maniores — for each had a division of equal magnitude. 
 
 On close inquiry, I found that the ravages of one 
 day, during the Revolution, had gutted the poor li- 
 brary of all its book-furniture. It is, however, a very 
 small room. There was something excessively melan- 
 choly in the air of all this premature ruin : stout walls, 
 and spacious chambers, (the paint yet fresh) without 
 occupation ! . . On looking out of window, especially 
 from the back part of the building, the eye rests en- 
 tirely upon what had once been fruitful orchards, 
 abundant kitchen gardens, and shady avenues. Yet 
 in England, this spot, rich by nature, and desirable 
 from its proximity to a great city, would, ere forty 
 moons had waned, have grown up into beauty and 
 fertility, and expanded even into luxuriance of condi- 
 tion. How interesting are the remains of ecclesiasti- 
 cal architecture — and how yet increased in sanctity 
 seems to be the house of God — when surrounded by a 
 domain of this description ! I must confess that I 
 quitted this congenial spot (the first which united 
 rural quiet with architectural antiquity, since our ears 
 had been stunned by the train-train" of Rouen) with 
 sensations of no ordinary kind. We retrod our steps ; 
 and reaching the auberge, where stood the horses with 
 the cabriolet ready to receive us, we remounted, and 
 told the postillion to push on for Due lair. 
 
DE LA FONTAINE 
 
 193 
 
 The day was now, if possible, more lovely than before. 
 On looking at my instructions I found that we had 
 to stop to examine the remains of an old castle at De- 
 lafontalne — about two English miles from St. Georges 
 de Bocherville. These remains, however, are but the 
 fragments of a ruin, if I may so speak ; yet they are 
 interesting, but somewhat perilous : for a few broken 
 portions of a wall support an upper chamber, where 
 appears a stone chimocy-piece of very curious con- 
 struction and ornament. Mr. Lewis contrived in ten 
 minutes to make a slight yet characteristic sketch of it. 
 I call these fragments perilous ; for there is a portion of 
 them of which the superincumbent floor, of flint-stone 
 and mortar, is just giving way — threatening to crush 
 every thing below. On observing a large cavity or loop- 
 hole, about half way up the outer wall, I gained it by 
 means of a plentiful growth of ivy, and from thence 
 surveyed the landscape before me. Here, having for 
 some time past lost sight of the Seine, I caught a fine 
 bold view of the sweep of that majestic river, now be- 
 coming broader and broader — while, to the left, softly 
 tinted by distance, appeared the beautiful old church we 
 had just left behind :— the verdure of the hedges, shrubs, 
 and forest trees, affbrding a rich variety to the ruddy 
 blossoms of the apple, and the white bloom of the pear. 
 For a painter, or rather upon the principles of compo- 
 sition for a well-painted landscape, there was nothing 
 that an artist would think deserving of representing 
 upon canvas : for there was absolutely neither what is 
 called fore-ground, nor middle-ground, nor distance — 
 and yet, altogether, you would have preferred it even 
 to the wooded scenery of Hobbima, to the cool stream- 
 
194 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 lets of Rysdael, or to the herbacious richness of Cuyp. 
 I admit, however, that this delicious morceau of land- 
 scape was greatly indebted, for its enchanting effect, to 
 the blue splendour of the sky, and the soft temperature 
 of the air; while the fragrance of every distended blos- 
 som added vastly to the gratification of the beholder. 
 But it is time to descend from this elevation, and to 
 think of reaching Duclair. 
 
 Due LAIR is situated close to the very borders of the 
 Seine, which has now an absolutely lake-like appear- 
 ance. We stopped at the auberge to rest our horses ; 
 and Mr. Lewis, as usual, betook himself to some fa- 
 vourable spot, at a small distance, for the sake of exer- 
 cising his pencil. Meanwhile I commenced a dis- 
 course with the master of the inn and with his daugh- 
 ter ; the latter, a very respectable-looking and well-be- 
 haved young woman of about twenty-two years of age. 
 She was preparing a large crackling wood-fire to dress 
 a fish, called the Alose, for the passengers of the dili- 
 gence — who were expected within half an hour. The 
 French think they can never butter their victuals 
 sufficiently ; and it would have produced a spasmodic 
 affection, in a thoroughly bilious spectator, could he 
 have seen the enormous piece of butter which this ac- 
 tive young cuisiniere thought necessary to put into 
 the pot in which the ' Alose' was to be boiled. She 
 laughed at the surprise I expressed ; and added 
 "qu'on ne pent rien faire dans la cuisine sans le 
 beurre." You ought to know, by the bye, that the Alose, 
 something like our mackerel in flavour, is a large 
 and delicious fish ; and that we were always anxious 
 to bespeak it at the table-d'hote at Rouen. Extricated 
 
DUCLAIR. 
 
 195 
 
 from the lake of butter in which it floats, when brought 
 upon table, it is not only a rich, but a very substantial 
 fish ; and I give it decidedly the preference to all the 
 items of every bill of fare presented to us by Juliana 
 Berners or Isaac Walton. 
 
 The auberge is situated at the base of rather a lofty 
 chalk chff, close to the road side; and the opposite 
 side of the road is washed by the waters of the Seine. 
 I took a chair and sat in the open air, by the side of 
 the door — enjoying the breeze, and much disposed to 
 gossip with the master of the place. Perceiving this, 
 he approached, and addressed me with a pleasant 
 degree of familiarity. " You are from London, then, 
 Sir?" "I am." "Ah Sir, I never think of London 
 but with the most painful sensations." " How so ?" 
 " Sir, I am the sole heir of a rich banker who died in 
 that city before the Revolution. He was in partner- 
 ship with an English gentleman. Can you possibly 
 advise and assist me upon the subject?" I told 
 him that my advice and assistance were literally 
 not worth a sous ; but that, such as they were, he was 
 perfectly welcome to both. " Your daughter Sir, is 
 not married ?" — " Non, Monsieur, elle n est pas encore 
 6pousee : mais je lui dis qu elle ne sera jamais heureuse 
 avant qu'elle ne le soit." The daughter, who had 
 overheard the conversation, came forward, and look 
 ing over her shoulder very archly, replied — " ou maU 
 heureuse, mon pere !" In the discourse which followed, 
 the worthy innkeeper seemed wholly to forget all the 
 agonies of disappointment in not succeeding as heir to 
 the rich banker in London. Nevertheless, I am far 
 from accusing him of falsehood . . . but the French 
 
196 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 are admirable masters of variety. Upon ordinary 
 topics of discussion^ their conversation darts^ with the 
 velocity of an Indian's arrow. 
 
 From grave to gay, from lively to severe ; 
 
 The horses were now refreshed — the postillion's whip 
 not only awakened the echoes of the place, but caused 
 Mr. L. to start up from the quiet nook in which he 
 had been pencilling a few surrounding objects. We 
 were solicited to mount :" — and though we had not 
 spent a sous with the good people of the house, they 
 helped us into the cabriolet, and bade us a hearty 
 farewell. On enquiring for the road to Jumieges — 
 " Ha, vous voulez done voir. Messieurs, cette fameuse 
 abbaye — maintenant il n'en existe que les debris" — 
 replied the loquacious host. I thanked him for his 
 civility, wished him and his daughter all manner of 
 happiness, and we started at a smart trot for the once 
 far-famed Abbey of Jumieges. 
 
 Do you remember, my dear friend, that exceedingly 
 cold winter's night, when, for lack of other book-enter- 
 tainment, we took it into our heads to have a rummage 
 among the Scrip tores Historice Normannorum of Du- 
 chesne ? — and finding therein many pages occupied 
 by Gulielmus Gemeticensis, we bethought ourselves 
 that we would have recourse to the valuable folio 
 volume ycleped Neustria Pia : — where we presently 
 seemed to hold converse with the ancient founders 
 and royal benefactors of that venerable establishment ! 
 I then little imagined that it would ever fall to my lot 
 to be either walking or musing within the precincts of 
 that same Abbey — or rather, of the ruins of what was 
 
MARIVAUX. 
 
 197 
 
 once not less distinguished as a school of learning, than 
 admired for its wealth and celebrity as a monastic 
 establishment. Yes, my friend, I have seen and visited 
 the ruins of the Abbey of Jumieges ; and I seem to live 
 
 mihi charior" in consequence. How * will envy 
 me this felicity when he hears of it ! 
 
 But I know your love of method — and that you will 
 be in wrath if I skip from Duclair to Jumieges ere the 
 horses have carried us a quarter of a league upon the 
 route. Be it so then : yet remember, if you love chit- 
 chat, you must be prepared for trifles. To the left of 
 Duclair, and also washed by the waters of the Seine, 
 stands Marivaux ; a most picturesque and highly cul- 
 tivated spot. Here are hanging gardens, and jets 
 d'eaux, and flower -woven arbours, and daisy-sprinkled 
 meadows — for here lives and occasionally revels La 
 Marquise ^ # # I might have been not only a spec- 
 tator of her splendor, but a participator of her hospi- 
 tality ; for my often-mentioned valuable friend, M. Le 
 Prevost, volunteered me a letter of introduction to her. 
 What was to be done ? One cannot be every where in 
 one day, or in one journey : — so, gravely balancing the 
 ruins of still life against the charm of animated society, 
 I was dolt enough to prefer the former — and work- 
 ing myself up into the fantasy of witnessing the spec- 
 tered forms of Dagobert and Clovis, (the fabled 
 founders of the Abbey) =^ and of hearing 
 
 .... voices, through the void deep-sounding, 
 I resolutely turned my back upon Marivaux, and as 
 
 * Dagobert and Clovis, the fabled founders of the Abbey. '\ — Arthur 
 Du Monsfier, author of the Neustria Pia, is disposed to give up the 
 
198 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 Steadily looked forwards to Jumieges. " We will eat 
 our cold fowl and drink our vin ordinaire upon the 
 grass within the walls of the abbey/' said I to my 
 companion ; " The Marchioness (rejoined he) can 
 afford us nothing so delightful." Unchivalrous reply ! 
 The road became more and more circuitous. We 
 ascended very sensibly — then striking into a sort of 
 bye-road, in a field, we were told that we should 
 
 former, but to retain the latter : see pages 259, 261, of the work 
 just mentioned. Yet William Longespee, and his Son William, have 
 doubtless better claims than either 5 although not a vestige remains 
 of the building as it appeared in the times of the more ancient 
 Rulers of Normandy. I do not conceive indeed that any present 
 portion of the ruins can be older than the beginning of the xiith cen- 
 tury. That Clovis may have been the original planner of the Abbey 
 should seem to be not very improbable, from the following verses, 
 taken from an old MS. Life of St. Bathilde, the wife and Queen of 
 the French King : 
 
 Jumegia ex natis Clodousei dicta Gemellis : 
 Aucta refulgebat nongentis fratribus olim. 
 
 It must have been in RoUo's time, therefore, a noble establishment. 
 RoUo is indeed considered as the great restorer of religious edifices 
 in Normandy: 
 
 Tune fieri delubra iubet, cellasque, domosquej 
 Multaque restituit, priscis subuersa ruiiiis 
 Prsedia, diuitias, quo possent qusestibus absque, 
 Quique Monoptolemi seclusam ducere vitam. 
 
 Protinus artificas sponsa mercede labori, 
 Structuras renouare parant arctando minori 
 Schemate, limitibus, domumque locique tenore 
 Archetypum : tandem fabrefacti enccenia Templi, 
 
 &c. &c, &c. Neustria Pia, p. 306. 
 
 William, surnamed Longespee, was the son of Rollo and it is 
 just possible that he may have the most effectually contributed to the 
 building of the Abbey. The first Abbot was Martinus j or rather St. 
 Martin— for, like St. Ouen, and the generality of first Abbots, he was 
 
ABBEY OF JUMIEGES. 
 
 199 
 
 quickly reach the place of our destination. A frac- 
 tured capital, and broken shaft, of the late Norman 
 time, left at random beneath a hedge, seemed to bespeak 
 the vicinity of the abbey. We then gained a height ; 
 whence, looking straight forward, we caught the first 
 glance of the spires, or rather of the small towers of the 
 Abbey of Jumieges.* La voila. Monsieur," — exclaim- 
 ed the postilion — increasing both his speed and the 
 flourishes of his whip — " voila la belle Abbaye !" 
 
 It was indeed " beautiful" or " fine but these are 
 words which carry force only by association of ideas. 
 It had been questionless most beautiful. The grey or 
 almost white tint of the stone, contrasted by the wood- 
 covered hills, in which the monastery seemed to be 
 embosomed, struck us with peculiar force : if these 
 are end-towers (observed my companion) the central 
 tower, now destroyed, must have been of very large 
 dimensions." We approached and entered the village 
 of Jumieges. Leaving some pretty houses to the right 
 and left, among which is a parsonage residence of 
 more than usually comfortable appearance for France, 
 
 canonized. Among the grants of privileges, &c. is one from our 
 Henry I. " Not only ( says T)u Monstier) did the Norman Dukes love 
 the locality of, and largely endov^r, the Abbey of Jumieges, but even the 
 Kings of France — and chiefly Charles VII. — who erected there a reli- 
 gious house which was standing in Du Monstier's time — not however 
 without affording evidence of the ravages committed upon it by the 
 Calvinists in the xvith century. It is above observed that Agnes 
 SoREL (mistress of Charles) was buried in the Abbey. 
 
 * Mr. Cotman has published etchings of the West Front : the Towers, 
 somewhat fore-shortened j the Elevation of the Nave— and doorway of 
 the Abbey : the latter an extremely interesting specimen of art. A 
 somewhat particular and animated description of it will be found in 
 Lieut. Halls Travels in France, 8vo. p. 57> 1819. 
 
200 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 we descended — and drove to a snug auberge, evidently 
 a portion of some of the outer buildings, or of 
 the chapter-house, attached to the Abbey. A large 
 gothic roof, and central pillar, upon entering, un- 
 equivocally attest the ancient character of the place. 
 The whole struck us as having been formerly of very 
 great dimensions. It was a glorious sun-shiny af- 
 ternoon, and the villagers quickly crowded round 
 the cabriolet. " Voila Messieurs les Anglois, qui 
 viennent voir TAbbaye — mais elfectivement il n'y a 
 rien a voir." I told the landlady the object of our 
 visit. She procured us a guide and a key : and within 
 five minutes we entered the nave of the abbey. 
 
 Sacred be the moment, and serene be the heavens, on 
 the first view of this interior ! I can never forget it. It 
 has nat the magical effect, or that sort of artificial burst, 
 which attends the first view of Tintern abbey: but, as the 
 ruin is larger, there is necessarily more to attract atten- 
 tion. Like Tintern also, it is unroofed — yet this unroof- 
 ing has proceeded from a different cause : of which pre- 
 sently. The side aisles present you with a short flat- 
 tened arch : the nave has none : but you observe a long 
 pilaster-like or alto-relievo column, of slender dimen- 
 sions, running from bottom to top, with a sort of Ro- 
 man capital. The arched cieling and roof are entirely 
 gone. We proceeded towards the eastern extremity, 
 and saw more frightful ravages both of time and of ac- 
 cident. The latter however had triumphed over the 
 former : but for accident you must read revolution. 
 
 On the first view of each surrounding object, we 
 were struck with a variety of sensations. In the land 
 of Normandy — the land of castles and cathedrals — 
 
ABBEY OF JUMIEGES. 
 
 201 
 
 we fancied a higher tone of feeUng was connected 
 with every thing we saw. But this was only the 
 venial enthusiasm of young travellers. The day had 
 been rather oppressive for a May morning ; and we 
 were getting far into the afternoon, when clouds 
 began to gather, and the sun became occasionally 
 obscured. We seated ourselves upon a grassy hillock, 
 and began to prepare for dinner. To the left of us 
 lay a huge pile of fragments of pillars and groin- 
 ings of arches — the effects of recent havoc : to the 
 right, within three yards, was the very spot in which 
 the celebrated Agnes Sorel, Mistress of Charles VII., 
 lay entombed : — not a relic of mausoleum now marking 
 the place where, formerly, the sculptor had exhibited 
 the choicest efforts of his art, and the devotee had 
 repaired to 
 
 Breathe a prayer for her soul — and pass on ! 
 
 What a contrast, my dear friend, to the present aspect 
 of things! — to the mixed rubbish and wild flowers with 
 which every spot is now well nigh covered ! The misr- 
 tress of the inn having furnished us with napkins and 
 tumblers, we partook of our dinner, surrounded by 
 the objects just described, with no ordinary sensations. 
 The first and only sentiment which we drank, was, 
 (naturally I would hope) dear Old England, and all 
 that it contains !" — A more enthusiastic toper would 
 have drunk to the memories of those who slept within 
 the walls of the abbey — but we were content to sacrifice 
 the unknown dead to the cherished Hving. Yet I 
 will not conceal that, more than once or twice, I felt 
 a sort of romantic twinge come across me, which had 
 
 VOL. I. N 
 
202 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 nearly induced me to make a libation to ... . But it 
 was only a twinge — and, like twinges in general, was 
 perfectly evanescent. 
 
 'J'he air now became oppressive ; when, looking 
 through the few remaining unglazed mullions of the 
 windows, I observed that the clouds gi^ew darker and 
 darker, while a faint rumbling of thunder reached 
 our ears. The sun however yet shone gaily, although 
 partially ; and as the storm n eared us, it floated as it 
 were round the abbey — affording, by means of its 
 purple, black colour, contrasted with the pale tint of the 
 walls, — one of the most beautiful painter-like effects 
 imaginable. Mr. L. started up from his seat to enjoy a 
 more general view : but I was unwilling to quit the 
 vicinity of Agnes Sorel — and remained tranquilly upon 
 the hillock, even though two smart flashes of lightning 
 had come across me. In an instant almost — and as 
 if touched by the wand of a mighty necromancer — 
 the whole scene became metamorphosed. The thunder 
 growled, but only growled — and the threatening pha- 
 lanx of sulphur-charged clouds rolled away — and 
 melted into the quiet uniform tint which usually 
 precedes sun-set. Our dinner being dispatched, we 
 rose to make a thorough examination of the ruins which 
 had survived .... not only the Revolution, but the 
 cupidity of the present owner of the soil — who is a 
 rich man, living at Rouen — and who loves to dispose 
 of any portion of the stone, whether standing or pros- 
 trate, for the sake of the lucre, however trifling, 
 which arises from the sale. Surely the whole cor- 
 poration of the city of Rouen, with the mayor at 
 
ABBEY OF JUMIEGES. 203 
 
 their head, ought to stand between this ruthless " rich 
 man," and the abbey — the victim of his brutal avarice 
 and want of taste. 
 
 We ascended the worn stone steps of the left tower 
 of the western extremity as you enter, and walked over 
 the arched roof of the side aisles, which was covered 
 with earth, grass, weeds, and wild flowers. There is 
 nothing above it ; so that, in a short time, from its 
 exposure to the vicissitudes of weather, it must soon 
 give way, and add to the enormous heap of rubbish 
 below. Indeed, in one part, (but I forget over which of 
 the aisles) there is a frightful fracture, or opening, 
 threatening to precipitate several ton weight of the 
 roof. The right tower is inaccessible of ascent ; but 
 we pursued our spiral route to the very top of the 
 left ; and, from its summit, enjoyed a glorious view 
 of every thing immediately below and around us. The 
 abbey had a most interesting but somewhat terrific ap- 
 pearance. Nearly the whole of the eastern extremity 
 was in ruins: — while, in the centre, the portion of the 
 lantern, or square tower, which remained, denoted the 
 extent of its original dimensions. The nave was en- 
 tirely unroofed ; — and indeed not a single fragment of 
 any portion of the roof was visible. Such a scene of sa- 
 crilegious desolation can scarcely be conceived. What 
 had been the abbot s lodge, the refectory, the chapter- 
 house and cloisters, with all their appurtenances, is 
 now perhaps only matter of conjecture : but the mate- 
 rials are in a very entire state — that is to say, the stone 
 is yet hard, close-grained, and of a beautiful creamy tint. 
 
 The situation of the abbey is delightful. It lies at the 
 bottom of some gently undulating hills, within two or 
 
204 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 three hundred yards of the Seine. The river here runs 
 gently, in a serpentine direction, at the foot of wood- 
 covered hills — and all seemed, from our elevated sta- 
 tion, indicative of frnitfulness, of gaiety, and of pros- 
 perity, — all — save the mournful and magnificent 
 remains of the venerable abbey whereon we gazed ! — 
 In fact, Jumieges exists only as a shell. We descended, 
 strolled about the village, (taking every possible view 
 of the Abbey) and mingled in the conversation of the 
 villagers. It was a lovely approach of evening — and 
 men, women, and children were seated, or sauntering 
 in the open air. Perceiving we were anxious to gain 
 information, they flocked around us — and from one 
 man, in particular, I obtained exact intelligence about 
 the havoc which had been committed during the Revo- 
 lution upon the abbey. The roof had been battered 
 down for the sake of the lead — to make bullets ; the 
 pews, altars, and iron-work, had been converted into 
 other destructive purposes of warfare; and the great 
 bell had been sold to some speculators in a cannon- 
 foundery at Rouen. The revolutionary mania had 
 even brutalized the Abbot. This man, who must be 
 considered as 
 
 .... damned to everlasting fame, 
 
 had been a moiak of the monastery ; and as soon as he 
 had attained the headship of it, he took it int<? his 
 head to dispose of every tangible and moveable piece of 
 furniture, to gratify the revolutionary pack which were 
 daily howling at the gates of the abbey for entrance ! 
 Nor could he plead compulsion as an excuse. He 
 seemed to enjoy the work of destruction, of which he 
 had the absolute direction. But enough of this wretch. 
 
CAUDEBEC. 
 
 205 
 
 Having gratified our curiosity, as much as we were 
 enabled, rather than as much as we wished, to do — 
 we returned to the cabaret : ordered the horses, and 
 prepared to quit Jumieges for Caudebec. The land- 
 lady seemed loath to part with us, — " taut elle aima 
 Messieurs les Anglois qui venoient voir sa ch^re Abbaye 
 de Jumieges !" In five minutes we retraced our route 
 through the village, and bade adieu to the Abbey . . 
 
 a long and lingering adieu" — while the two slim 
 western towers seemed to requite us for our solicitude 
 by keeping in view whenever we chose to look behind 
 — even till we came within a league of our next resting- 
 place. 
 
 That resting-place was Caudebec ; and the road 
 thereto, from the spot we had just quitted, was, if pos- 
 sible, more interesting than the preceding route. The 
 sun was about to sink into the waters of the Seine : 
 — ^which were in one warm crimson hue for the last 
 hour before we reached Caudebec. An evening of un- 
 usual serenity — or rather of splendour — crowned the 
 gratifications of this busy day. The road was fre- 
 quently winding ; but in general we kept pretty close 
 to the banks of the Seine — on the opposite side 
 of which, within about a league of Caudebec, we saw 
 the chateau and terrace of the Marquise of (men- 
 tioned a few minutes ago) whither many English resort, 
 and where fruit trees and flowers rejoice the wondering 
 eye and make sweet the circumambient air ! A ferry 
 conducts you straight to the spot— which my imagina- 
 tion peopled with valorous knights and courtly dames. 
 Indeed I almost sighed as I passed this supposed ma- 
 gical residence . . . and pressed onwards for Caudebec. 
 
20G 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 Caudehec is a very considerable village, or rather a 
 small town. You go down a steep descent, on entering 
 it by the route we came. As you look about, there 
 are singular appearances on all sides — of houses, and 
 hanging gardens, and elaborately cut avenues — upon 
 summits, declivities, and on the plain. But the charm 
 of the view, at least to my old-fashioned eyes, was a 
 fine old gothic church, and a very fine spire of what 
 appeared to belong to another. As the evening had 
 completely set in, we resolved to reserve our admiration 
 of the place till the morrow. We had forgotten the 
 name of the best inn — always a most important me- 
 mento — and accordingly, in compliance with the in- 
 structions received from the people in the street, we 
 drove to the first auberge which presented itself. It 
 w^as certainly of the sorriest possible aspect, and of the 
 most straightened dimensions. But we were tired, and 
 heartily glad of a resting-place. After securing beds, 
 we strolled about the village. An avenue of trees, 
 close to the water s edge, (I am speaking of the Seine) 
 quickly caught our attention — and the light from a 
 spruce cafFee as quickly induced us to enter and be- 
 speak refreshment. It was now quite dark. Remote 
 as w.as this solitude, and humble as appeared almost 
 every mansion, we were equally surprised and delighted 
 by the appearance of neatness and comfort of every 
 thing within this coffee-house. We ordered tea: when 
 the sound of this well-known English beverage brought 
 forth a middle-aged, respectable looking woman, who 
 addressed us in French — which instantly struck me as 
 an Anglo-gallican melange. My reply helped to throw 
 off the mask completely ; and we were glad to recog- 
 
CAUDEBEC. 
 
 207 
 
 nise each other as English. She told us she had been 
 fourteen years domesticated in that mansion, of which 
 the mistress was a woman of beauty and virtue, but 
 overwhelmed with misfortune — " but," says she, " let 
 me go and tell the girl how to make your tea, and then 
 we will talk more at leisure." 
 
 On her return, we quickly resumed our promis- 
 cuous chit-chat. To be sure she dearly loved talking : 
 but the tea was good, and so was the cream, and so 
 were the eggs, and eke the bread and butter : — and a 
 delicious repast we made. Meanwhile some straggling, 
 countrified-looking customers, came with their sous to 
 enjoy their draught of eau de vie, but without the least 
 tendency to inebriety. There was a brightly-burn- 
 ing lamp suspended to the cieling of the coffee house, 
 and as Englishmen were rarely seen in the retired 
 village of Caudebec, these customers gazed at us with 
 a wonder-smitten eye. " You must come to-morrow 
 morning and take your coffee here" — observed our 
 good countrywoman — " they make excellent coffee at 
 this house." We agreed to come on the morrow to 
 breakfast, and so took our leave : retiring to our humble 
 auberge, where two good beds, and sheets yet whiter 
 than the freshest looking remaining stone in the abbey 
 of Jumieges, awaited our return. Here I finished the 
 journal of the occurrences of the day before I went to 
 rest and here methinks is a fair and fitting oppor- 
 tunity to wish my friend good night. So fare you 
 well : and open the leaves of your Neustria Pia, to 
 make yourself master of tl^e Antiquities of the Abbey 
 OF Jumieges. 
 
208 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 CAUDEBEC. LILLEBONNE. BOLBEC. TANKARVILLE. 
 MONTMORENCI CASTLE. HAVRE DE GRACE. 
 
 My last concluded with a night-scene at Caudebec. 
 The present opens with a morning scene at the same 
 place. Mr. Lewis, who generally contrives to borrow 
 the wings of the lark, was stirring before six o'clock : 
 and put his pencil in requisition a very short time after 
 he had reached a favourable spot. I told you in my last 
 that Caudebec was a sort of an up-and-down place : 
 with hanging gardens, villas, and commanding terraces. 
 Upon one of these latter, Mr. L. took his station. It 
 commanded a good bird's-eye view of the principal 
 street in the town. The sun was shining beautifully 
 bright, lighting up the broad meandering Seine, the 
 tower, and spire of the church, and the curiously cut 
 avenues of the public gardens : which latter, indeed, 
 have the effect, upon paper, of an ancient aqueduct. 
 In the foreground, upon the walled terrace, some 
 girls were sitting and gathering vegetables. One of 
 them was reading. A dexterous artist knows how to 
 seize such an opportunity — and accordingly Mr. L 
 contrived to put his whole picture together in a man- 
 ner which perfectly enchanted me — when we met at the 
 foremen tioned cafFee at breakfast. Look at it — * and 
 fastidious as you are, dare you venture to say that it 
 hath a single defect ? 
 
 * See the Opposite Plate. 
 
CAUDEBEC. 
 
 209 
 
 I was however myself, for a miracle, stirring before 
 nine. The church was the first object of attraction. 
 For the size of the place, it is really a noble structure : 
 perhaps of the early part of the sixteenth, or latter part 
 of the fifteenth century. I speak of the exterior gene- 
 rally, and of a great portion of the interior. A little 
 shabby green-baise covered door (as usual) was half 
 open, and I entered with no ordinary expectations 
 of gratification. The painted glass seemed abso- 
 lutely to warm the place — so rich and varied were 
 its colours. There is a great abundance of it, and espe- 
 cially of figures of families kneeling — rather small, but 
 with great appearance of portrait-like fidelity. They 
 are chiefly of the first half of the sixteenth century : and 
 I own that, upon gazing at these charming specimens of 
 ancient painting upon glass, I longed to fix an artist 
 before every window, to bear away triumphantly, 
 in a portfolio of elephantine dimensions, a faithful copy 
 of almost every thing I saw. In some of the counte- 
 nances, I fancied I traced the pencil of Lucas Cra- 
 NACH — and even of Hans Holbein. But I must not 
 omit informing you of an interesting occurrence, 
 which helped to give additional magic to the scene. I 
 have told you that, in France, there is a perpetual in- 
 gress and egress of devotees — especially of females. 
 The nave and aisles are plentifully sprinkled with rush- 
 bottomed chairs, upon which the devotees kneel — 
 but always with a slanting or see-saw position of the 
 chair. Upon one of these chairs, in such slanting posi- 
 tion, knelt a young woman of the most regular set of 
 features and interesting expression. Her profile, even 
 to your own severe taste, might have been considered 
 
210 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 perfect. She had large circular ear-rings, and was 
 dressed in the Norman attire of blue and crimson. 
 Her lips appeared to be exercised in prayer before a 
 statue of the Virgin, and her raised eye and clasped 
 hands denoted an intensity of devotion. The sun shone 
 full upon the window which faced her, and which threw 
 a warmth of colour over her whole figure. Her eye 
 turned towards me, but her lips and hands were yet 
 occupied in devotion. Perhaps, for effect ^ no devo- 
 tional figure ever presented itself in a more interesting 
 manner — both personally and locally considered. 
 
 This church has numerous side chapels, and figures 
 of patron-saints. The entombment of Christ in white 
 marble, (at the end of the chapel of the Virgin,) 
 is rather singular ; inasmuch as the figure of Christ 
 itself is ancient, and exceedingly fine in anatomical 
 expression ; but the usual surrounding figures are mo- 
 dern, and proportionably clumsy and inexpressive. 
 I noted one mural monument, to the memory of Guil- 
 laume TelUer, which was dated 1184. This date was 
 undoubtedly only a repetition of the ancient one. Few 
 churches have more highly interested me, than this at 
 Caudebec.=^ From the church I strolled to the Place, 
 where stood our cafFe, by the banks of the Seine. The 
 morning view of this scene perfectly delighted me. 
 Nothing can be more picturesque; The river cannot 
 be much less than a mile in width, and it makes a per- 
 fect bend in the form of a crescent. On one side, that 
 on which the village stands, are walks and gardens 
 
 * the Church at Caudebec.l — Lieutenant Hall has well described it. 
 I did not see his description till more than a twelvemonth after my 
 
CAUDEBEC. 
 
 211 
 
 through which peep numerous white villas — and on 
 the other are meadows, terminating in lofty rising 
 grounds — feathered with coppice-wood down to the 
 veiy water's edge. This may be considered, in fact, 
 only a portion of the vast Forest de Bretone, which 
 rises in wooded majesty on the opposite heights. As 
 the morning was fine, the effect was really exhilarating: 
 but the recollection of Richmond Hill suggested to me 
 how this infinitely more magnificent sweep of river 
 would have been improved, in a picturesque point of 
 view, by vessels and sailing boats, with gay streamers, 
 in perpetual motion ! The spirit and the wealth of our 
 countrymen would make Caudebec one of the most 
 enchanting summer-residences in the world. The po- 
 pulation of the town is estimated at about five thousand. 
 
 We assembled at the caflfe a little after nine, and 
 there met the good Englishwoman who had procured 
 
 own had been written. A part may be worth extracting .... " The 
 principal object of attraction is the Church, the gothic spire of which 
 is encircled by fillets of roses, beautifully carved in stone, and conti- 
 nued to the very summit of the steeple. The principal portal too is 
 sculptured with no less richness and delicacy than that of St. Macloud 
 at Rouen. Its interior length is about 250 feet by 72 of width. The 
 central aisle [nave] is flanked on either side by ten massive circular 
 columns, the capitals of which represent vine leaves and other decora- 
 tions, more fanciful, and not less rich, than the Corinthian acanthus . . 
 In one of the chapels there is a rude monumental effigy of the original 
 architect of this church. It consists of a small skeleton, drawn in 
 black lines, against a tablet in the wall : a mason's level and trowel, 
 with the plan of a building, are beside it, and an inscription in gothic 
 characters, relating that the architect endowed the church he had built 
 with certain lands, and died Anno 1184." Travels in France, p. 47, 
 1819, 8vo. I take this to be Guillaume Tellier — mentioned above. 
 
212 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 us tea " according" to art" the preceding evening. The 
 coffee, I must own, was even better than we were 
 taught to expect. Our conversation was directed 
 chiefly to a knowledge of the locale, and of the general 
 character of the inhabitants. There was a brewery; 
 which, said our loquacious guide, was conducted by a 
 Scotchman; who had also entered into partnership in the 
 coal trade. This latter will excite your astonishment 
 — considering that Normandy abounds in woods. But 
 the truth is, the present generation is entirely thought- 
 less of that which is to succeed. Within the imme- 
 diate vicinity of great towns, even of Rouen, the coun- 
 try is denuded of trees; and yet no one thinks of 
 planting. Thus, let only twenty-five years pass away, 
 and where will be the Frenchman's fuel ? Even as it 
 is, that article is of excessive high price — through- 
 out the whole of France. Understanding that our 
 friends in =^ =^ =^ ^ ^ had some thoughts of hiring a house 
 for the summer in this neighbourhood, I told our female 
 acquaintance of the circumstance, and begged that 
 she would interest herself for me. " Let us," said she, 
 " set off immediately — for at this precise moment, 
 there is an excellent vacant residence close to the river 
 side." We paid our reckoning, (three francs a-head) 
 and left the coffee-house immediately. 
 
 But j adge of my astonishment, when, on going out 
 of doors, I saw the river in a state of extreme agitation: 
 the whole mass of water rising perpendicularly, as it 
 were, and broad rippling waves rolling over each other. 
 It was the coming in of the tide .... and within a 
 quarter of an hour it appeared to have risen upwards 
 of two feet. You may remember that, in our own 
 
r 
 
 CAUDEBEC. 213 
 
 countiy^ the Severn-tides exhibit the same phenome- 
 non; and I have seen the river at Gloeester rise at 
 once to the height of eight or ten feet, throwing up a 
 shower of foam from the gradually narrowing bed of 
 the river, and causing all the craft, great and small, to 
 rise up as if by magic, and to appear upon a level with 
 the meadows. The tide at Caudebec, though similar in 
 kind, was not so in degree ; for it rose gradually yet 
 most visibly — and by the time we had reached the 
 " house to let," the elevation could not have been less 
 than seven or eight feet. 
 
 As you ought to have a picture of a bettermost 
 house to let in Normandy, you must read patiently 
 what follows. An outer-wall with a carriage entrance 
 first arrested our attention. We could not see what 
 was bbhind — and omne ignotum pro magnifico" you 
 know. We pulled a wire, expecting that wire to 
 cause a bell to sound; but we pulled a long time with- 
 out being favoured with any such sound. Effects are 
 only adequate to their causes, and vice versa. Now the 
 bell happened to have no connection with the wire, 
 simply because the wire happened to have no connec- 
 tion with the bell: in other words, because the said 
 wire had been broken these six months. We knocked 
 with our fists, and obtained admission. To the left 
 was a remise, or place to put a carriage in : above 
 was a good hay loft, and below was a stall (without 
 divisions, as usual) for five horses. The mansion 
 house was long and low: covered with white thick 
 Venetian bhnds, half open, and half in want of re- 
 pair. The suite of apartments was considerable, but 
 in a most melancholy looking plight : the furniture be- 
 
214 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 low was withdrawn. The dining room, with a brick 
 floor, was of goodly dimensions — and the end-rooms 
 were in the character of boudoirs. The kitchen, 
 hard by, exhibited but sorry capabilities — and neither 
 spit, pot, nor pan, was visible. Above stairs, there were 
 bed rooms furnished with beds, and a good drawing 
 room — with yellow velveteen furniture, even to the 
 bottoms of the chairs. The view of the garden, and 
 of the river, immediately in front, was extremely in- 
 teresting — and English neatness would have ren- 
 dered the former a little " paradise of sweets." The 
 end rooms, like those below, in the character of 
 boudoirs, had each a view of the bend of the river ; 
 — and that, to the left, might have warmed the most 
 cold-hearted observer of nature. The situation was unr 
 doubtedly charming; but a rubbishing look pervaded 
 even the very laburnums, which were streaming with 
 gold. As for the box, which flanked the gravel walks, 
 both box and walk wanted a thorough revolutionising — 
 in other words, clipping, turning up, and rolling. The 
 furniture must have been hired ; and exclusively of 
 this extra cost, we were told that the house could not 
 be let for three months under forty Napoleons : — un- 
 doubtedly a very considerable price for the remote 
 town of Caudebec. 
 
 Having followed up this expedition by a walk upon 
 the heights of the town, with which I was much grati- 
 fied, we returned to our humble aubeige, ordered the 
 cabriolet to be got ready, and demanded the reckon- 
 ing : — which, considering that we were not quite at an 
 hotel-royale, struck us as being far from moderate. 
 Two old women, of similar features and age, presented 
 
CAUDEBEC. 215 
 
 themselves as we were getting into the carriage: one 
 was the mistress, and the other the fille de ehambre. 
 " Mais, Monsieur (observed one of them) n'oubhez 
 pasje vous prie, la-fille-de-chambre — rappellez-vous 
 que vos souliers ont et€ sup6rieurement decrottes." I 
 took out a franc to remunerate the supposed fille-de- 
 chambre — but was told it was the mistress. N'importe, 
 Monsieur, c'est a ce moment que je suis fille-de-cham- 
 bre — quand vous serez parti, je serai la maitresse." 
 The postillion seemed to enjoy this reparteee as much 
 as ourselves : and bidding adieu to the worthy English- 
 woman, who had so long resided in this place, and who 
 appeared to look upon her countrymen as the rarest of 
 all rare birds, we started forward for Lille bonne. 
 
 We were scarcely out of the town half a mile, when 
 we began to ascend. We found ourselves quickly in 
 the middle of those rising grounds which are seen from 
 the promenade or Place du Caffe, and could not look 
 without extraordinary gratification upon the beautiful 
 character of spring in its matured state. The larch 
 was even yet picturesque : the hazel and nut trees 
 were perfectly clothed with foliage, of a tender yet 
 joyous tint : the chestnut was gorgeously in bloom ; the 
 lime and beech were beginning to give abundant pro- 
 mise of their future luxuriance — while the lowlier tribes 
 of laburnum and box, with their richly clad branches, 
 covered the ground beneath entirely from view. 
 The apple and pear blossoms still continued to varie- 
 gate the wide sweep of foliage, and to fill the air with 
 their delicious perfume. It might be Switzerland in 
 miniature — or it might not. Only this I know — that 
 it seemed as though one could live embosomed and en- 
 
216 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 chanted in such a wilderness of sweets — reading the 
 fabliaux of the old Norman bards till the close of hu- 
 man existence. We continued visibly, and even 
 sharply, to ascend ; and when we caught glimpses of 
 the reach or winding of the river, nothing more beauti- 
 fully picturesque could be imagined. But it was a 
 picture of Spring scenery — lighted up by a bright blue 
 sky, and golden glow of sun shine. Nor must my fa- 
 vourite church, before so particularly described, be 
 forgotten in this joy-inspiring panorama. It stood, 
 grey and venerable, (yet full of projecting gothic or- 
 nament), like age in the midst of youth : attempering 
 and harmonising every thing around it. Still we con- 
 tinued to mount higher and higher. We had some 
 time past quitted the cabriolet, and walked on foot. 
 " Ma foi Messieurs (exclaimed our postillion) " il me 
 paroit que nous allons monter jusqu'au ciel." " Mais 
 pour mes pauvres chevaux. Monsieur — ils seront bien 
 fatigues. II faut qu'ils mangent un bon dine." " lis 
 le mangeront a Lillebonne," replied I. — " A la bonne 
 heure, done. Messieurs, montez, je vous prie : Lille- 
 bonne est un peu loin d'ici — et pour y arriver a midi, 
 il faut les fouetter un peu." So saying, we mounted — 
 having gained the summit, and one of the animals be- 
 coming hot and restive, the postillion forgot all his com- 
 passionate feelings, and never ceased to belabour him, 
 with spur and whip, at a smart gallop, for nearly half 
 a French league. In five minutes we left all that was 
 picturesque behind us ; and striking off through bye- 
 roads, across fields, (of which every inch was in an ad- 
 mirable state of cultivation) enquired at almost every 
 turn for the nearest route to Lillebonne. 
 
LILLEBONNE. 
 
 217 
 
 We found ourselves on a hard, strait, chalky old 
 road — evidently Roman : and in due time perceived 
 and entered the town of Lillebonne. But the sky had 
 become overcast : soft and small rain was descending, 
 and an unusual gloom prevailed . . . when we halted, 
 agreeably to our instructions, immediately before the 
 gate of the ancient Castle.^ Venerable indeed is this 
 Norman castle, and extensive are the ruins which 
 have survived. I shall never forget how it peeped 
 out upon us — through the light leaf of the pop- 
 lar, and the pink blossom of the apple. It lies 
 close to the road, on the left. An old round tower, 
 apparently of the time of William the Conqueror, 
 very soon attracts your attention. The stones are 
 large, and the interstices are also very considerable. 
 It was here, says a yet current report, that William 
 assembled the Barons of Normandy, and the invasion 
 of England was determined upon. Such a spot there- 
 fore strikes an English beholder with no ordinary 
 emotions. We alighted; sent the cabriolet to the inn, 
 and wished both postillion and horses to get their 
 dinners without delay. For ourselves, we had resolved 
 
 * the ancient Castle^ — This Castle is well described by Lieut. 
 Hall 5 who has also given a wood-cut representation, but in too rude a 
 manner, of the discovered walls in the adjacent Roman theatre. He 
 thinks this latter the Julia Bona of Ptolemy and Antoninus. He 
 supposes the old circular Norman tower, above mentioned, to be the 
 donjon-keep. Upon the key-stone of the vaulting of the upper story, 
 which had fallen in, was carved an escutcheon, bearing quarterly 1 
 and 4, three manacles upon barulets j 2 and 3, five bosses, (perhaps 
 besants) with an escutcheon of pretence, three barulets." 
 
 Travels in France, p. 52. 
 
 VOL I. O 
 
218 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 to reserve our appetites till we reached Bolhec ; 
 and there was food enough before us^ of a different 
 description, to exercise our intellectual digestion for at 
 least the next coming hour. We knocked at the mas- 
 sive portals^ and readily obtained admittance. 
 
 The area, entirely a grass-plat, was occupied by 
 several cows. Before us were evidently the ruins of a 
 large chapel or church — perhaps of the xivth century. 
 The outer face of the walls went deeply and perpendi- 
 cularly down to the bottom of a dry fosse ; and the right 
 angle portion of the building was covered with garden 
 ground, where the owner showed us some peas which 
 he boasted he should have at his table within five 
 days. I own I thought he was very likely to carry his 
 boast into execution ; for finer vegetables, or a finer 
 bed of earth, I had scarcely ever noticed. How things, 
 my dear friend, are changed from their original cha- 
 racter and destination! " But the old round tower," 
 say you ! — to the old round tower" then let us go. 
 The stair-case is narrow, dark, and decayed. We 
 reached the first floor, or circular room, and Mr. L. 
 made a rough drawing of the pecuharity of the con- 
 struction of the window seats— all of rough, solid, and 
 massive stone. No silken settees, or chintz sofas, ever 
 adorned the interior of this prison-like abode ! W e 
 ascended to the second floor; which, if I remember 
 rightly, was strewn with a portion of the third floor — 
 that had fallen in from sheer decay. Great must have 
 been the crash — as the fragments were huge, and 
 widely scattered. On gaining a firm footing upon the 
 outer wall, through a loop-hole window, we gazed 
 around us with equal wonder and dehght. Bunches 
 
LILLEBONNE. 
 
 219 
 
 of wall-flower, in full bloom, were growing at our feet, 
 and regaling us with tiieir fragrance ; while shrubs of 
 different species had contrived to take root in the in- 
 terstices of the wall, and to make our immediate fore- 
 ground a representation of youth compared with old 
 age, . . . the latter arising from the character of the sur- 
 rounding ruins. The wall of this round castle could 
 not be less than ten feet in thickness. A young woman, 
 the sheperdess of the spot, attended us as guide. 
 
 " What is that irregular rude mound, or wall of 
 earth, in the centre of which children are playing?*' 
 " It is the old Roman Theatre, Sir." I immediately 
 called to mind M. Le Prevost's instructions — and if I 
 could have borrowed the wings of a spirit, I should 
 have instantly alighted upon the spot — ^but it was situ- 
 ated without the precincts of the old castle and its ap- 
 purtenances, and a mortal leap would have been at- 
 tended with a mortal result. " Have you many English 
 who visit this spot?" said I to my guide. — " Scarcely 
 any. Sir — it is a frightful place — full of desolation and 
 sadness . replied she. We gazed around, and in the 
 distance, through an aperture in the orchard trees, we 
 saw the little fishing village of Quillebeuf,^^ quite bu- 
 ried, as it were, in the waters of the Seine. An arm 
 of the river meanders towards Lillebonne. Having 
 gratified our picturesque and antiquarian propensities, 
 from this elevated situation, we retrod, with more dif- 
 
 * the little fishing village of Quilleheuf^—^mdll as may be this 
 village, and insignificant as may be its aspect, it is one of the most im- 
 portant places, with respect to navigation, in the whole course of the 
 river Seine. Seven years ago there were not fewer than four -score 
 
220 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 ficulty than toil, our steps down the stair-ease. A 
 second stroll about the area, and along the skirts of 
 
 pilots settled here, by order of government, for the purpose of guard- 
 ing against accidents which arise from a want of knowledge of the 
 navigation of the river. In time of peace this number would necessa- 
 rily be increased. In the year 1789 there were upwards of 250 Eng- 
 lish vessels which passed it — averaging, in the whole, 19,000 tons. 
 It is from Quillebeuf to Havre that the accidents arise. The author of 
 a pompous, but very instructive memoir, Sur la Topographic et la 
 Statistique de la Ville de Quillebeuf et de Vembouchure de la Seine, 
 ayant pour objet-principal la navigation et la pecM,'' (published in the 
 Transactions of the Rouen, Society for the year 1812, and from which 
 the foregoing information has been obtained) mentions three or four 
 wrecks which have taken place in the immediate vicinity of Quillebeuf: 
 and it should seem that a calm is, of all things, the most fatal. The 
 currents are strong, and the vessel is left to the mercy of the tides 
 in consequence. There are also rocks and sand banks in abundance. 
 Among the wrecks, was one in which a young girl of eighteen 
 years of age fell a victim to the ignorance of the pilot. The vessel 
 made a false tack between Hode and Tancarville, and running upon a 
 bank was upset in an instant. An English vessel once shared the same 
 calamity. A thick fog suddenly came on, when the sloop ran upon a bank 
 near the Nez de Tancarvillej and the crew had just time to throw them- 
 selves into the boat and escape destruction. The next morning, so 
 sudden and so decisive was the change wrought by the sand and cur- 
 rent, that, of the sloop, there remained, at ebb-tide, only ten feet of 
 her mast visible ! It appears that the Quillebois, owing to their de- 
 tached situation, and their peculiar occupations, speak a very bar- 
 barous French. They have a sort of sing-song method of pronuncia- 
 tion j and the g andjf' are strangely perverted by them. Consult the 
 memoir here referred to ; which occupies forty octavo pages : and 
 which forms a sequel to a previous communication (in 1810) upon 
 the Topography and Medical properties of Quillebeuf and its adjacent 
 parts." The author is M. Boismare. His exordium is a specimen of 
 the very worst possible taste in composition !" One would suppose it 
 to be a prelude to an account of the discovery of another America ! 
 
LILLEBONNE. 
 
 221 
 
 the wall, was sufficient to convince us only — how 
 slight and imperfect had been our survey ! This I am 
 quite sure of: — our friend ^^^^ would have break- 
 fasted, dined, and supped, within the walls of the 
 castle of Lillebonne : or, rather, he would have gone 
 without breakfast, dinner, and supper, could he only 
 have had a fair sky and a good Broohman and Lang- 
 don pencil, with kindly drawing-paper, in his hand ! 
 
 On quitting the portal through which we had en- 
 tered, and bidding adieu to our Shepherdess and guide, 
 we immediately hastened towards the Roman The- 
 atre. The town of Lillebonne has a vastly pretty, 
 picturesque appearance from the old mound, or raised 
 terrace, along the outer walls of the castle. In five 
 minutes we mingled with the school boys who were 
 amusing themselves within the ruins of all that is 
 left of this probably once vast and magnificent old 
 theatre. It is only by clearing away a great quantity 
 of earth, with which these ruins are covered, that you 
 can correctly ascertain their character and state of 
 preservation. M. Le Prevost bade me remark that the 
 walls had much swerved from their original perpendi- 
 cularity, — and tliat there was much irregularity in the 
 laying of the bricks among the stones. But time, de- 
 sign, and accident, have each in turn (in all probabi- 
 lity) so contributed to decompose, deface, and alter 
 the original aspect of the building, that there is no 
 forming a correct conjecture as to its ancient form. 
 Earth, grass, trees, flowers, and weeds, have taken 
 almost entire possession of some low and massive outer 
 walls ; so that the imagination has full play to supply 
 all deficiencies which appear to the eye. 
 
 N 
 
222 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 From the whole of this interesting spot we retreated, 
 with mixed sensations of melancholy and surprise — to 
 onr little auberge of the Three Negroes, in the centre 
 of the town. It had begun to rain smartly as we took 
 shelter in the kitchen — where, for the first time since 
 leaving England, I saw a display of utensils which might 
 have vied with our own, or even with a Dutch interior, 
 for neatness and order of disposition. Some of the 
 dishes might have been as ancient as — not the old 
 Round Tower — but as the last English Duke of Nor- 
 mandy who might have banquetted there. The whole 
 was in high polish and in full display. On my com- 
 plimenting the good Auhergiste upon so creditable a 
 sight, she laughed, and replied briskly — " Ce ne'st 
 rien, ceci : Pentecote est tout pres, et done vous verrez. 
 Monsieur." — It should seem that Whitsuntide was the 
 season for a general household purification. Some of 
 her furniture had once belonged to the Castle : but she 
 had bought it, in the scramble which took place at the 
 dispersion and destruction of the moveables there, 
 during the Revolution. Wherever we went, traces of 
 that curse of France seemed to come across us ! I 
 recommend all travellers to take a lunch, and enjoy a 
 bottle of vin ordinaire, at Les Trots Negres — as we 
 did. I was obliged to summon up all my stock of 
 knowledge in polite phraseology, in order to decline a 
 plate of soup. " It was delicious above every thing" 
 — but we had postponed taking dinner till we got 
 to Bolbec." " Bon — vous y trouverez un hotel su- 
 perbe." We parted in the utmost good humour, upon 
 my making no doubt that " her soup was the best in the 
 world." The French are easily pleased, and civility is 
 
BOLBEC. 
 
 223 
 
 so cheap and current a coin abroad, that I wish our 
 countrymen would make use of it a little more fre- 
 quently than they appear to do. We started about 
 two for Bolbec. 
 
 The rain continued during the whole of our route 
 thither ; but it did not prevent us from witnessing a 
 land of plenty and of picturesque beauty on all sides. 
 Indeed it is scarcely possible to conceive a more rich 
 and luxuriant state of culture. To our left, about half 
 a league from Lillebonne, we passed the domain of a 
 once wealthy, and extremely extensive abbey. 1 think 
 they call it the Abhey of Beauclois . A long rambling 
 bare stone wall, and portions of a deserted ruin, kept 
 in sight for full half an English mile. What a country is 
 Normandy for ecclesiastical remains ! The immediate 
 approach to Bolbec is that of the entrance to a modern 
 and flourishing trading town, which seems to be be- 
 ginning to recover from the effects of the Revolu- 
 tion. After Rouen, and even Caudebec, it has a stiff 
 modernized air. We drove to the principal inn, 
 opposite the church, and bespoke dinner and beds. 
 The church is perfectly modern, and equally heavy 
 and large. Crowds of people were issuing from F es- 
 pers ; when, ascending a flight of steps, (for it is built 
 on ground considerably above the ground-floor of the 
 inn) we resolved to wait for the final departure of the 
 congregation, and to take a leisurely survey of the in- 
 terior, while our dinner was getting ready. 
 
 The sexton was a perfect character in his way ; old, 
 shrewd, communicative, and civil. We saw several 
 confessionals. " What — you confess here pretty 
 much?" " Yes, Sir; but chiefly females, and among 
 
224 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 them many widows." I had said nothing to provoke 
 this ungallant reply. " In respect to the sacrament, 
 what is the proportion between the communicants, 
 as to sex ?" " Sir, there are one hundred women to 
 twelve men." I wish I could say that this dispropor- 
 tion were confined to France. 
 
 We quitted this heavy and ugly, but large and com- 
 modious fabric, and betook ourselves to our inn and 
 dinner. The cook was in every respect a learned pro- 
 fessor in his art, and the produce of his skill was 
 equally excellent and acceptable. We had scarcely 
 finished our repast, and the Gruyere cheese and nuts 
 yet lingered upon our table, when the soft sounds of 
 an organ, accompanied by a youthful voice, saluted 
 our ears in a very pleasing manner. " C'est le 
 PAUVRE PETIT SAVOYARD, Mcssicurs" — cxclaimcd the 
 waiter — " Vous allez entendre un air touchant ! Ah, le 
 pauvre petit !" — " Comment 9a ?" Messieurs, il n'a 
 ni pere ni mere ; mais pour le chant — oh Dieu, il n'y 
 a personne qui chante comme le pauvre petit Savoy- 
 ard !" We were well disposed to hear the song, and 
 to admit the truth of the waiter's observation. The 
 little itinerant stopped opposite the door, and sung the 
 following airs : — 
 
 Bon jour, Bon soir, 
 
 Je peindrai sans detour 
 
 Tout Femploi de ma vie : 
 
 C'est de dire honjour 
 
 Et hon soir tour-a-tour. 
 
 Bon jour a mon amie, 
 
 Lorsque je vais la voir. 
 
 Mais au fat cjui m*ennuie, 
 
 Bon soir. 
 
BOLBEC. 22c 
 
 Bon jour franc troubadour. 
 Qui chantez la bombance ; 
 La paix et les beaux jours ; 
 Bacchus et les amours. 
 Qu'un rimeur en demence 
 Vienne avec vous s'asseoir. 
 Pour chanter la romance, 
 
 Bon soir, 
 
 Bon jour, mon cher voisin, 
 Chez vous la soif m'entrame : 
 Bon jour — si votre vin 
 Est de Beaune on du Rhin ; 
 Mon gosier va sans peine 
 Lui servir d'entonnoir ; 
 Mais sll est de Surene, 
 
 Bon soir, 
 
 Aussi content qu un roi 
 Quand mes vers vous font rire, 
 Je suis de bonne foi. 
 C'est un bon jour pour moi. 
 Si ma muse en delire 
 A trahi mon espoir, 
 Je n'ai qu'un mot a dire, 
 
 Bon soir. 
 
 Le Valllant Troubadour.^ 
 Brulant d'amour, et partant pour la guerre, 
 Un Troubadour, ennemi du chagrin, 
 
 * I subjoin a version of this popular French air, from " PauTs 
 Letters to his Kinsfolk,''^ p. 211. It is worthy of juxta-position, 
 because it may be considered as fully equal to the original. 
 
 The Troubadour. 
 Glowing with love, on fire for fame, 
 
 A Troubadour that hated sorrow. 
 Beneath his Lady's window came. 
 
 And thus he sung his last good morrow ; 
 
ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 Dans son delire, a sa jeune Bergere, 
 En la quittant repetait son refrain : 
 Mon bras a ma patrie, 
 Mon coeur a mon amie ; 
 Mourir gaiment pour la gloire ou Tamour, 
 C'est le devoir d\m vaillant Troubadour. 
 
 Dans le bivouac le Troubadour fidele, 
 Le casque au front, la guitare a la main, 
 Toujours pensif et regrettant sa Belle, 
 Allait partout en chantant son refrain : 
 
 " My arm it is my country's right. 
 
 My heart is in my true love's bower ; 
 
 Gaily for love and fame to fight 
 
 Befits the gallant Troubadour." 
 
 And while he march'd with helm on head 
 And harp in hand, the descant rung. 
 
 As faithful to his favourite maid. 
 
 The minstrel burthen still he sung : 
 
 " My arm it is my country's right. 
 
 My heart is in my Lady's bower ; 
 
 Resolv'd for love and fame to fight, 
 
 I come a gallant Troubadour." 
 
 Even when the battle's roar was deep. 
 
 With dauntless heart he hew'd his way 
 Mid splintering lance, and falchion sweep. 
 
 And still was heard his warrior lay ; 
 My life it is my country's right 3 
 
 My heart is in my Lady's bower ; 
 For love to die, for fame to fight. 
 
 Becomes the valiant Troubadour." 
 
 Alas ! upon the bloody field 
 
 He fell beneath the foeman's glaive ; 
 But still, reclining on his shield. 
 
 Expiring sung the exulting stave ; 
 " My life it is my country's right. 
 
 My heart is in my Lady's bower j 
 For love and fame to fall in fight 
 
 Becomes the valiant Trouhadoui*." 
 
BOLBEC. 
 
 227 
 
 Mon bras a ma patrie, etc. 
 Dans les combats deployant son courage, 
 Des ennemis terminant le destin, 
 Le Troubadour, au milieu du carnage, 
 Faisait encore entendre ce refrain : 
 Mon bras k ma patrie, etc. 
 Ce brave, helas ! pour prix de sa vaillance 
 Trouva bientot le trepas en chemin ; 
 II expira sous le fer d'une lance 
 Nommant sa belle et en chantant son refrain : 
 Mon bras a ma patrie, 
 Mon coeur a mon amie; 
 Mourir gaiment pour la gloire ou Tamour, 
 C'est le devoir d"*un vaillant Troubadour. 
 
 I know not how it was, but had the petit Savoy- 
 ard" possessed the cultivated voice of a chorister^ I 
 could not have listened to his notes with half the satis- 
 faction with which I dwelt upon his history, as stated 
 by the waiter. He had no sooner concluded and 
 made his bow^ than I bought the slender volume from 
 which his songs had been chanted^ and had a long- 
 gossip with him. He slung his organ upon his back, 
 and " ever and anon" touching his hat, expressed his 
 thankfulness, as much for the interest I had taken in 
 his welfare, as for the trifling piece of silver which I 
 slipt into his hand at parting. Meanwhile all the 
 benches, placed on the outside of the houses, were 
 occupied — chiefly by females — to witness, it should 
 seem, so novel and interesting a sight as two English- 
 men holding famiUar discourse with a poor wandering 
 Savoyard ! Our friend the sexton was among the 
 spectators, and from his voice and action, appeared 
 especially interested. " Que le bon Dieu vous b^nisse 
 
228 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 exclaimed the Savoyard as we bade him farewell. On 
 pursuing our route for a stroll upon the heights near the 
 town, we had occasion to pass these benches of spec- 
 tators. The women, almost without any exception, 
 inclined their heads by way of a gracious salute ; and 
 Monsieur le Sacristahi pulled off his enormous cock'd 
 hat with the consequence of a drum-major. He ap- 
 peared not to have forgotten the donation which he 
 had received in the church. We smiled ; and conti- 
 nuing oar pursuit, gained an elevated situation : 
 whence, looking down upon the spot where we had 
 left the Savoyard, we observed him surrounded by the 
 aforesaid females — each and every one of them appa- 
 rently convulsed with laughter ! Even the little mu- 
 sician appeared to have forgotten his orphan state." 
 
 The environs of Bolbec, especially in the upper 
 part, are sufficiently picturesque. At least they are 
 sufficiently fruitful: orchards, corn and pasture land — 
 intermixed with meadows, upon which cotton was 
 spread for bleaching — produced altogether a very 
 interesting effect. The little hanging gardens, at- 
 tached to labourers' huts, contributed to the beauty of 
 the scene. A warm crimson sun-set seemed to en- 
 velope the coppice wood in a flame of gold. The road 
 was yet reeking with moisture — and we retraced our 
 steps, through devious and slippery paths, to the hotel. 
 Evening had set in : the sound of the Savoyard's voice 
 was no longer heard : we ordered tea and candles, and 
 I added considerably to my journal before I went to bed. 
 As we were to sleep directly opposite the church, we 
 were compelled the live-long night to hear the striking 
 of every quarter of every passing hour— -in sounds the 
 
BOLBEC. 
 
 229 
 
 most harsh and penetrating. Mr. Lewis, who boasts 
 of having a patent for sleeping, (and wlio had hither- 
 to scarcely known the deprivation of slumber) was 
 equally awake and restless with myself. As dawn and 
 sun-rise appeared, we determined upon an immediate 
 departure ; and though we had told the post-boy that 
 we should not want him till eight, his good nature was 
 not to be ruffled by our impatience. We rose at five ; 
 and before six the horses were harnessed to the cabri- 
 olet. Having obtained the necessary instructions for 
 reaching Tancarvllle, (the ancient and proud seat of 
 the MoNTMORENcis) we paid our reckoning, and left 
 Bolbec in a very cross and almost irritable mood. In 
 proportion to the comfort of body, and elasticity of 
 mind, arising from a night of sweet slumber, is the 
 misery of a heated frame, and an oppressive head-ach — 
 the effect of the want of that delicious slumber ! The 
 latter was nu/ lot in particular — for my companion's 
 nerves had not been shattered like my own by repeat- 
 ed nights of wakefulness and weariness. Allow, my 
 friend, that the misery endured in consequence, is 
 just in proportion to the joy and rapture with which 
 one looks upon every gilded piece of scenery, and 
 every transparent vapour, within an hour or two after 
 sun-rise ! A fine day, fresh objects, and strange oc- 
 currences — how they make the heart dance with exul- 
 tation ! As we ascended a long and rather steep hill, 
 and, looking to the right and left, saw every thing in a 
 state of verdure and promise, we did all we could to 
 persuade ourselves that the journey would be agree- 
 able, and that the castle of Montmorenci could not 
 fail to command our admiration. We were now in 
 
230 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 the high and broad " route royale' to Havre le Grace ; 
 but had scarcely been a league upon it, when, looking 
 at our instructions, we struck out of the high road, to 
 the left, and followed a private one through flat and 
 uninteresting arable land. I cannot tell how many 
 turns we took, or through how many pretty little vil- 
 lages we passed — till, after a long and gradual ascent, 
 we came upon a height, flanked the greater part by 
 coppice wood, through one portion of which — pur- 
 posely kept open for the view — we saw at a distance a 
 marvellously fine group of perpendicular rocks (whose 
 grey and battered sides were lighted up with a pink 
 colour from the morning sun) in the middle, as it 
 were, of the Seine — which now really assumed an 
 ocean-like appearance. In fact, these rocks were at 
 a considerable distance, and appeared to be in the 
 broadest part of the embouchure of that river. We 
 halted the cabriolet ; and almost forgot the sound 
 of the Bolbec clock— as we gazed upon this truly 
 magnificent and fascinating scene ! . . for the larks 
 were now mounting all around us, and their notes, 
 added to those of the " songsters of the grove," pro- 
 duced an effect which I even preferred to that arising 
 from the organ and voice of the " pauvre petit Savoy- 
 ard." The post-boy partook of our rapture. Voila, 
 Messieurs, des rochers terriblement perpendiculiers — 
 eh^ quelle belle vue de la riviere, et du paysage !" It 
 was impossible to make any thing of so expansive a 
 scene with the pencil — at least, by travellers who had 
 wanted the refreshment of sleep, and who were begin- 
 ning to grow hungry and impatient for their breakfast. 
 But I shall always bear in remembrance these " terribly 
 
TANCARVILLE. 
 
 231 
 
 perpendicular rocks," and the foreground from which 
 it was our good fortune to view them. 
 
 Leaving this briUiant panorama, we kept onward, 
 turning rather to the left, and then found our descent 
 proportionably gradual with the ascent. The Seine 
 was now right before us, as hasty ghmpses of it, through 
 partial vistos, had enabled us to ascertain. Still we 
 deemed Tancarville a terrible way off ; first we were 
 to go up, and then we were to go down — now to turn 
 to the right, and afterwards to the left — a sort of 
 iroKkcx, ^'avocvloo xalavla route — when a prepossessing young 
 paysanne, with a decidedly-pointed finger and a well- 
 regulated voice, told us that, after passing through such a 
 wood, we should reach an avenue, from the further end 
 of which the castle of Montmorenci would be visible . . 
 " une petite lieue de distance." Every thing is " une 
 petite lieue !" It is the answer to every question rela- 
 ting to distance. Though the league be double a Ger- 
 man one, still it is " une petite" — Here however the 
 paysanne happened to be right. We passed through 
 the wood, gained the avenue, and from the further end 
 saw — even yet towering in imposing magnitude — the 
 far-famed Chateau de Montmorenci. It might be a small 
 league off. We gained spirits and even strength at 
 the sight : told the postilhon to mend his pace — of 
 which he gave immediate and satisfactory demonstra- 
 tion, while the echoes of his whip resounded along the 
 avenue. A closer road now received us. The hazel 
 and filbert occasionally brushed our faces, and the lad 
 could with ditficulty quarter the ruts — almost broad 
 and deep enough to bury a Lincolnshire ox. We still 
 continued to descend, and at length began to discern 
 
232 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 the form and colour of the castle, to the right. As we 
 descended, the castle seemed to gain in height and 
 magnitude — but that descent brought us into the very- 
 heart of a neighbourhood, in which Mrs. RatclifFe 
 would have placed troops of retainers, or of banditti, to 
 listen to the warders horn from the turrets of the 
 castle. It was on all sides woody : at this period, of a 
 bright, yellowish green — but in autumn, rich must be 
 the tints, and dark and deep must be the shadows. 
 Knolls of moss-interwoven grass, on the summits of 
 which the beech and lime threw up their sturdy stems, 
 now enclosed the road — which began to widen and to 
 improve in condition. At length, turning a corner, 
 a group of country people appeared — " Est-ce ici 
 la route de Tancarville ?" — " Tancarville est tout 
 pres : c'est la, ou on voit la fumee des cheminees." 
 Joyful intelligence ! — The post-boy increased his speed 
 . . . the wheels seemed to move with a readier play, 
 and in one minute and a half we were' upon the beach 
 of the river Seine, and alighted at the door of the only 
 auberge in the village. 
 
 I know you to be both a lover of and connoisseur in 
 Rembrandt's pictures ; and especially of those of his 
 old characters. I wish you could have seen the old 
 woman, of the name of Bucan, who came out of this 
 same auberge to receive us. She had a sharp, quick, 
 constantly moving black eye ; keen features, projecting 
 from a surface of flesh of a subdued mahogany tint ; 
 about her temples, and the lower part of her cheeks, 
 were all those harmonizing wrinkles which become old 
 age — upon canvas — while, beJow her chin, communi- 
 cating with a small and shrunken neck, was that sort 
 
TANCARVILLE. 
 
 233 
 
 of concavity, or dewlap, which painters delight to ex- 
 press with a minuteness of touch, and mellowness of 
 tint, that contribute largely to picturesque effect ! This 
 good old woman received us with perfect elasticity of 
 spirits and of action. It should seem that we were the 
 first Englishmen who had visited her solitude this year. 
 Her husband approached, but she soon ordered him " to 
 the right about" — to prepare fuel, coffee, and eggs. We 
 were promised the best breakfast that could be got in 
 Normandy, in twenty minutes. The inn being suffici- 
 ently miserable, I was anxious for a ramble — and Mr. 
 L. of course for a sketch. The tide was now coming up, 
 as at Caudebec ; but the sweep and breadth of the river 
 being upon a considerably larger scale, its increase was 
 not yet so obvious — though I am quite sure that all the 
 flats, which we saw on our arrival as a bed of mud, 
 were, within a quarter of an hour, wholly covered with 
 water : and, looking up to the right, we perceived the 
 perpendicular walls of Montmorenci Castle to be washed 
 by the refluent wave. It was a sort of ocean in minia- 
 ture before us. A few miserable fishing boats were 
 moored upon the beach ; while a small number of ill- 
 clad and straggling villagers lingered about the same 
 spot, and seemed to look upon us as beings dropt from 
 the sky ! We strolled to the left — quickly mounted 
 a wooded cliff— and, gaining a considerable eminence, 
 Mr. Lewis saw the village of Tancarville at his feet . . : 
 while the tide was coming up in a more agitated man- 
 ner, and the Castle of Montmorenci appeared to gain 
 a most imposing height and magnitude. A dark sha- 
 dow flitted across the whole range of intermediate 
 forest scenery, and an angry atmosphere seemed to 
 
234 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 threaten to overwhelm castle, trees, village, and 
 river, in a deluge of rain. The view was so striking, 
 that my companion hastened to transfer it to his sketch 
 book ; — and you shall not only see, but be charmed 
 with it, on our return from this wild region of solitude 
 and romance."* 
 
 I continued my route — still ascending, and leaving 
 Mr. L. to his sketch. From the beach I had observed 
 two very singular mushroom-shaped rocks: and I was 
 resolved to stand upon their summits. They project 
 from the cliff as if they had been cut out by art, and 
 the bottom parts have been so v/orn, or scooped away 
 by a strong current of water — that nothing can alFord 
 more decisive proof of ancient diluvian havoc. You 
 have here the slight but faithful sketch of them taken 
 by Mr. Lewis. 
 
 * Sec the Opposite Plate. 
 
TANCARVILLE. 
 
 235 
 
 A winding path leads to them, which you must re- 
 trace if you wish to gain, as I did, a higher part of 
 the cliff. The whole is covered with coppice-wood. I 
 had now the gratification of viewing Quilleheiif a little 
 more nearly. It was almost immediately opposite : 
 while, to the right, I looked up the wide sweep of the 
 river towards its embouchure, and fancied I could see 
 Havre. The group of rocks, which had so charmed us 
 on our journey, now assumed a different character. 
 Meanwhile the threatening tempest passed on — rolling 
 over the forest of Montmorenci : the sun was restored, 
 and the day and the scenery equally broke upon us 
 with an effulgence which cannot easily be described. 
 But twice twenty minutes had elapsed — and where 
 were our coffee and eggs r On descending, we could 
 discover, although at a considerable distance, the old 
 woman standing at the door of the cabaret — apparently 
 straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of us ; and she 
 was almost disposed to scold us for having put her 
 reputation of giving good breakfasts to so hazardous a 
 trial. The wood was blazing, and the room was al- 
 most filled by smoke — ^but a prolonged fast, and a 
 stage of sixteen or eighteen miles, in a keen morning 
 air, made us think only of allaying our hunger. In 
 every public house, however mean, you see the white 
 metal fork, and the napkin covering the plate. A 
 dozen boiled eggs, and a coffee-pot and cups of per- 
 fectly Brobdingnagdian dimensions, with tolerable 
 bread and indifferent butter, formed the subject matter 
 of our breakfast : and heartily and satisfactorily did we 
 get through that meal. The postboy having stabled 
 and refreshed his horses, was regaling himself in the 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 p 
 
236 
 
 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 kitchen — but how do you think he was regaling him- 
 self ? — Truly^ in stretching himself upon a bench, and 
 reading, as old Ascham expresses it, " a merry tale in 
 Boccace." In other words, he was reading a French 
 version of the Decameron of that celebrated author. 
 Now, my friend, whether he had ever heard of the Val- 
 darfe)^ Boccaccio,* is truly beyond my power of divi- 
 nation to affirm : but most certain it is that he was so 
 occupied — thereby putting to shame perhaps the whole 
 tribe of postillions in Great Britain ! Indeed, I had 
 already received sufficient proof of the general pro- 
 pensity of the common people to read — whether good or 
 bad books . . . but let us hope and believe the former. 
 We left the bibliomaniacal postboy to his Boccaccio, 
 and prepared to visit the castle . . .the once proud and 
 yet commanding residence of the family of Montmo- 
 
 RENCI. 
 
 We ascended — with fresh energies imparted from our 
 breakfast. The day grew soft, and bright, and exhi- 
 larating . . but alas ! for the changes and chances of 
 every thing in this transitory world. Where was the 
 warder ? He had ceased to blow his horn for many a 
 long year. Where was the harp of the minstrel ? It 
 
 * the Valdarfer Boccaccio.'] — At the sale of the present Duke of 
 Marlborough's Library, in 1819, this far-famed volume was purchased 
 by the House of Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Brown, and Ormefor 
 £918. it having cost the Duke, at the sale of the Roxburghe Library 
 (see the Bibliographical Decameron^ vol. iii. p. 62), in 1812, not 
 less a sum than £.2260. Earl Spencer, who was the Duke's opponent, 
 obtained this desirable volume of Messrs. Longman, Hurst^ and Co. 
 for precisely the same sum which they had given for it. Such a pur- 
 chase was equally honourable to both parties. 
 
CASTLE OF MONTMORENCI. 237 
 
 had perished two centuries ago, with the hand that had 
 struck its chords. Where was the attendant guard? — 
 or pursuivants — or men at arms ? They had been swept 
 from human existence, like the leaves of the old limes 
 and beech trees by which the lower part of the buil- 
 ding* was surrounded. The moat was dry ; the rampart 
 was a ruin : — the rank grass grew within the area . . . 
 nor can I tell you how many vast relics of halls, ban- 
 queting rooms, and bed rooms, with all the magnificent 
 appurtenances of old castellated architecture, struck 
 the eager eye with mixed melancholy and surprise ! 
 The singular half-circular, and half square, corner 
 towers, hanging over the ever-restless wave, interested 
 us exceedingly. The guide shewed us M^here the 
 prisoners used to be kept — in a dungeon, apparently 
 impervious to every glimmer of day-light, and every 
 breath of air. I cannot pretend to say at what period 
 even the oldest part of the Castle of Montmorenci was 
 built : but I saw nothing that seemed to be more an- 
 cient than the latter end of the xvth century.=^ Per- 
 haps the greater portion may be of the beginning of the 
 xvith ; but, amidst the unroofed rooms, I could not 
 help admiring the painted borders, chiefly of a red co- 
 lour, which run along the upper part of the walls, or 
 wainscoats — giving indication not only of a good, but of 
 a splendid, taste. Did I tell you that this sort of orna- 
 ment was to be seen in some parts of the eastern end 
 of the Abbey of Jumieges ? Here, indeed, they afibrded 
 evidence — an evidence, mingled with melancholy sen- 
 
 * Mr. Cotman has a view of the gateway of Tancarville, or Mont- 
 morenci Castle. 
 
238 ROUEN TO HAVRE. 
 
 sations on conviction — of the probable state of mag- 
 nificence which once reigned throughout the castle. 
 Between the corner towers, upon that part which runs 
 immediately parallel with the Seine, there is a noble 
 terrace^ now converted into garden ground — which 
 commands an immediate and extensive view of the 
 embouchure of the river. It is the property of a spe- 
 culator residing at Havre. Parallel with this terrace, 
 runs the more modernised part of the castle, which the 
 last residing owner inhabited. It may have been 
 built about fifty years ago. and is — or rather the re- 
 mains of it are — quite in the modern style of domestic 
 architecture. The rooms are large, lofty, and commo- 
 dious ; — yet nothing but the shells of them remain. 
 The revolutionary patriots completely gutted them 
 of every useful and every valuable piece of furni- 
 ture: and even the bare walls are beginning to 
 grow damp, and threaten immediate decay. I made 
 several memoranda upon the spot, which have been 
 unluckily, and I fear irretrievably, misplaced ; so that 
 of this once vast, and yet commanding and interesting 
 edifice, I regret that I am compelled to send you so 
 short and so meagre an account. Farewell — a long 
 and perhaps perpetual farewell — to the Castle of 
 
 MONTMORENCI ! 
 
 The cabriolet met us at the bottom of the mound 
 upon which the castle is built. We had paid our 
 reckoning before we left the inn — so that we had no- 
 thing to do but to step in, and push forward for Havre, 
 We retraced the road through which we came ; and 
 having repassed the village of St^ Romaine, (containing 
 a very picturesque sprinkling of houses) we darted 
 
HAVRE. 
 
 239 
 
 into the Route Royale, and got upon one of the noblest 
 high roads in France. Between Tancarville, and 
 Havre lie Hooker and Harjieur ; each almost at the 
 waters edge. I regretted I could not see the former; 
 but in our approach to Flarfleur we observed, to the 
 right, some dehghtfully situated, and not inelegantly- 
 built, country villas or modern chateaux. The imme- 
 diate run down to Harfleur is exceedingly pleasing ; 
 and though we trotted sharply through the town, the 
 exquisite little porch of the church was not lost upon 
 us. It resembles that of St. Ouen — in miniature. The 
 town, but especially the church,* is of the time of 
 Francis I. Few places, I beheve, for its dimensions, 
 have been more celebrated in the middle ages than 
 Harfleur. The Seine to the left becomes broader and 
 bolder ; and, before you, beneath some wooded heights, 
 lies Havre. Every thing gave indication of commerce 
 and prosperity as we gained upon the town. The 
 houses increased in number and respectability of ap- 
 pearance — " Voyez-vous la. Messieurs, a droit, ces belles 
 maisons de plaisance? — (exclaimed our charioteer) — 
 " C'est la ou demeurent Messieurs vos compatriotes : 
 ma foi, ils ont un joli gout." The first glance upon 
 these stone houses confirmed the sagacity of our postil- 
 lion. They are gloriously situated — facing the ocean ; 
 while the surrounding country teems with game of 
 every species. Isaac Walton might have contrived 
 to interweave a pretty ballad in his description of the 
 trout streams. 
 
 But we approach the town. The hulls of hundreds 
 
 * Mr. Cotman has given a view of the Spire only. 
 
240 
 
 HAVRE. 
 
 of vessels are seen in the commodious docks ; and the 
 flags of merchantmen^ from all quarters of the globe, 
 appear to stream from the mast-heads. It is a scene 
 of bustle, of business, and variety; and perfectly Eng- 
 lish. What a contrast to the gloomy solitude of 
 Montmorenci ! The outer and inner gates are passed. 
 Dihgences issue from every quarter. The centinels 
 relieve guard. The sound of horns, from various 
 packet-boats immediately about to sail, echoes on all 
 sides .... We drove up the high street, and ap- 
 proached the hotel of the Aigle d'Or,^ kept by 
 Justin, and considered to be the best. We were just 
 in time for the table d'hote, and to bespeak excellent 
 beds. Travellers were continually arriving and de- 
 parting. What life and animation ! . . and could I 
 have shaken off my jaded spirits, arising from a sleep- 
 less and restless night, I should have relished, with a 
 keener delight, the multitudinous objects before me. 
 We sat down upwards of forty to dinner : and a good 
 dinner it was. Two English ladies, and three English 
 gentlemen, were among the guests ; and though we 
 were too distant to interchange a word, I could per- 
 ceive and feel that we each thought ourselves a pro- 
 tection to the other. After dinner, I settled for the 
 cabriolet, and bade the postboy adieu ! — nor can I sup- 
 press that, in wishing him well, I felt ten times more 
 than I had ever felt upon taking leave of a postillion. 
 Was it because I found him reading a French version of 
 Boccaccio? Something better, I should hope, mingled 
 itself with my sensations ; and I would willingly be- 
 
 * I am not sure whether this inn be called the Armes de France, or 
 as above. 
 
HAVRE. 
 
 241 
 
 lieve, although he knows not my name^ that the said 
 postillion will not think the worse of Messieurs les 
 Anglois" . . . for having conducted a Bibliomaniac and 
 a craniology-loving artist from Rouen to Havre. And 
 now, fare you well, till I reach the opposite shore . . . 
 and take up my residence at Caen. 
 
242 
 
 LETTER XIL 
 
 HAVRE DE GRACE. HONFLEUR. JOURNEY TO CAEN. 
 
 Caen^ May^ 1818. 
 
 Well, my friend I ... I have at length visited the 
 interior of the Abbey of St. Stephen, and have walked 
 over the grave of William the Conqueror and of 
 Mathilda his wife. I am here very comfortably situ- 
 ated, and shall not think of quitting this place for a 
 week at least. But as you dearly love the gossip of a 
 travelling journal, I shall take up the thread of my 
 narrative from the spot in which I last addressed you : 
 — particularly as our route hither was marked by some 
 circumstances not unworthy of recital. First, how- 
 ever, for Havre, 
 
 We staid there only long enough to express our re- 
 gret that the time of our residence could not be ex- 
 tended. It happened to be a very fine afternoon, and 
 I took a leisurely stroll upon the docks and ramparts,* 
 
 * Evelyn, who visited Havre in 1 644, when the Duke de Richlieu 
 was governor, describes the citadel as strong and regular, well 
 stored with artillery, &c. The works furnished with faire brass canon, 
 having a motto, ^' Ratio ultima Regum.'' The allogiaments (con- 
 tinues he) of the garrison are uniforme ; a spacious place for drawing 
 up the soldiers, a pretty chapell, and a faire house for the governor, 
 &c. The citadel was built by the late Cardinal Richlieu, unkle of the 
 present Duke, and is very strong. The haven is very spacious." 
 
 Life and Writings of John Evelyn, edit. 1818, vol. i. p. 51. 
 
 Indeed Havre seems always to have been a place of note and dis- 
 
HAVRE. 
 
 243 
 
 while Mr. Lewis ascended the heights upon which we 
 had observed the maisons de plaisance" pointed out to 
 us by our postilHon. The principal street is broad; 
 straight^ and seeais surmounted at one end by these 
 heights ; though there can be little short of a French 
 league between them and its extremity : the other ex- 
 tremity of the street ending with the harbour. The rect- 
 angular and parallel streets are narrower and of less 
 length ; but there are more interesting pieces of archi- 
 tectural antiquity in them. As far as I could observe, 
 or could receive information, there was no house older 
 than of the time of Francis 1. Few of the churches 
 could boast of a much more remote antiquity. The 
 population of Havre is estimated at 20,000; and I 
 should think this is no exaggerated statement. The 
 town is full of animation — whether as relating to busi- 
 ness or pleasure. For the former, you must visit the 
 quays ; for the latter, you must promenade the high 
 street, and more especially the Boulevm^ds, towards 
 the heights. The sun shone merrily, as it w^ere, upon 
 the thousands of busy, bustling, and bawling human 
 creatures . . who were in constant locomotion in this 
 latter place. 
 
 Resolving to postpone my visits to the Booksellers 
 till evening, I took advantage of every quarter of an 
 
 tinction in more senses than one. In Zeiller's Topographia Gallia, 
 (vol. iii.) there is a view of it^ about the period in which Evelyn saw it, 
 by Jacques Gomboust, Ingenieur du Roy, from which it appears to 
 have been a very considerable place. Forty- two principal buildings 
 and places are referred to in the directions ; and among them we ob- 
 serve the Boulevards de Richlieu. There are windmills in abun- 
 dance in the neighbourhood. 
 
244 
 
 HAVRE. 
 
 hour of day-light^ after four, to make myself master of 
 the locale of the harbour. The docks are the " great 
 guns" of the place ; and in these you see three Ame- 
 rican vessels for one Enghsh. In fact, the business 
 with America is of very considerable extent. I recog- 
 nised among the vessels a beautiful little three-masted 
 merchantman, which I had seen, about five years ago, 
 lying within Ramsgate pier — and any thing which re- 
 minds you of your own country, though at no very ter- 
 rific distance from it, is looked upon with a fonder 
 and more frequent eye. Just so it was upon viewing 
 this tightly trimmed vessel. I wished, for a minute 
 only, that I could leap on board — command a pros- 
 perous breeze, unfurl the sails by magic, — and be 
 gently landed upon that said pier at Ramsgate ! But 
 where would have been Caen — and Bayeux — and 
 Coutances — whither my steps were bending? What a 
 difference between the respective appearances of the 
 quays of Dieppe and Havre ? Although even here 
 things would assume a rubbishing and littered as- 
 pect compared with the quays at Liverpool or at 
 Hull, yet it must be admitted, for the credit of Gal- 
 lico-Norman commerce, that the quays of Havre 
 make a very respectable appearance. You see men 
 fiddhng, dancing, sleeping, sitting, and of course talk- 
 ing a pleine gorge, in groupes without end — but no 
 
 drunkenness! . . not even a G m saluted my ear. 
 
 The Southampton packets land their crews at Havre. 
 I saw the arrival of one of these packets ; and was 
 cruel enough to contrast the animated and elastic 
 spirits of a host of French laquais de place, trades- 
 people, &c. — attacking the passengers with cards of 
 
HAVRE. 
 
 245 
 
 their address — with the feeble movements and dejected 
 countenances of the objects of their attack. Mean- 
 while a packet would sail in the evening for Harjieur^ 
 but nothing could shake the determination I had made 
 of stopping (and sleeping, if possible) at Havre. Again 
 the packet masters caused the " note of departure" to 
 be sounded ; and again the high street reverberated 
 its echoes — while trucks and wheel-barrows^ laden 
 with goodly or with sorrowful looking furniture, ap- 
 peared in motion on all sides — hastening to be in time 
 for the moment of departure. 
 
 From the quays, I sauntered along the ramparts, 
 which are flanked by broad ditches ; (of course plenti- 
 fully supplied with water) and passing over the draw- 
 bridge, by which all carriages enter the town — and 
 which absolutely trembles as if about to sink beneath 
 you, as the diligence rolls over it. — I made for the 
 boulevards and tea-gardens ; to which, business being 
 well nigh over, the inhabitants of Havre flock by hun- 
 dreds and by thousands. A fine afternoon throws 
 every thing into " good keeping" — as the artists say. 
 The trees, and meadows, and upper lands were not 
 only bright with the sun-beam, but the human counte- 
 nance was lighted up with gladness. The occupations 
 partook of this joyful character. Accordingly there 
 was dancing and singing on all sides ; a little beyond, 
 appeared to sit a group of philosophers, or politi- 
 cians, upon a fantastically cut seat, beneath laburnums 
 streaming with gold — while, still further, gradually be- 
 coming invisible from the foliage and winding path, 
 strolled pairs in more gentle discourse ! Meanwhile 
 the whoop and halloo of school-boys, in rapid and 
 
246 HAVRE. 
 
 ceaseless evolutions, resounded through the air, and 
 heightened the gratification of the scene. 
 
 And young and old came out to play 
 Upon a sun-shine holiday. 
 
 On looking up a winding road, I saw Mr. Lewis busi- 
 ed with his pencil. Knolls of rich verdure, with fine 
 spreading trees, and elegant mansions, were in the 
 foreground — in the middle-ground, and quite at his 
 feet, stood the town of Havre : — in the distance, 
 rolled and roared the expansive ocean I The sun was 
 visibly going to rest; but his departing beams yet 
 sparkled upon the more prominent points of the pic- 
 ture. There was no time for finishing the subject. 
 After a stroll of nearly a couple of hours, on this inter- 
 esting spot, I retraced my steps over the draw-bridge, 
 and prepared for objects of still life ; in other words, 
 for the examination of what might be curious and pro- 
 fitable in the shape of a "btikt- Yet I could not turn 
 my back upon the rising ground, which I had just con- 
 templated, without thinking that your friends in 
 London — or any friends in any part of England — 
 would do very wisely to spend an occasional summer 
 and autumn upon the heights of Havre : and I will 
 tell you why. In the first place, the locale is perfectly 
 picturesque : there are both town and country gratifi- 
 cations : sea and landscape in abundance^ — while the 
 air is pure and elastic. In the second place, the time 
 (that engenderer of spleen, and deadly weight upon 
 the shoulders of too many of our countrymen) may be 
 pleasingly and even usefully divided : in the morning 
 you are mixing with the inhabitants of the town : in the 
 
HAVRE. 247 
 
 * 
 
 evenings with those of the country : the walks are com- 
 modious, and the roads are, in that season of the year, 
 perfectly excellent. But you begin to grow tired both 
 of town and country. Be it so. In the third place, 
 then, take a trip to Rouen, for a week or ten days ; 
 (to say nothing of the intermediate and interesting 
 spots, so superficially described in my late dispatch) 
 return, and then tell me how you like the heights of 
 Havre! ! Or, cross an arm of the sea, (as I have 
 just done) ramble about Honfleur, and make a leisurely 
 
 journey to Caen or, go yet further : — then return, 
 
 and tell me how you like the heights of Havre ? Re- 
 member, that the streams abound with trout, and the 
 adjacent hills in variety and plenty of game ; also do not 
 fail to call to mind that one shipment^ at Southampton, 
 brings you direct to your place of destination. A 
 prosperous wind may make you dress at one place, 
 and undress at another. Where jthen shall be the ra- 
 tionally founded objection to a residence upon the 
 
 HEIGHTS OF FIaVRE ? 
 
 The lamps were lighted when I commenced my hih- 
 liomaniacal voyage of discovery among the book- 
 sellers. But what poverty of materials, for a man 
 educated in the schools of Fust and Caxton ! ? To 
 every question, about rare or old books, I was told 
 that I should have been there when the alHes first got 
 possession of Paris. In one of the shops of a respect- 
 able bibliopolist, I heard an animated, and even some- 
 what fierce, discussion about the good or bad effects 
 of the respective dynasties of the Bourbons and 
 Buonaparte. Each of the two disputants defended 
 his own side with warmth and eloquence. Each took 
 
248 HAVRE. 
 
 snuff, and took it pretty copiously ; and the more ve- 
 hement the argument, the more frequent the supply of 
 that spirit-stirring' stimulant. Perceiving me to 
 be an Englishman, I began to be apprehensive that I 
 should be appealed to — or peradventure, abused 
 with equal heartiness by both parties. But the result 
 was very different, and afforded an admirable illustra- 
 tion of the faciUty and sang-froid with which the 
 French can take up, or discard, any subject, however 
 interesting or important. You are from England, 
 Sir," — remarked the Buonapartist, taking off his hat, 
 and inclining his head towards me, with a gracious 
 salutation. " I am, Sir." " How go on your House of 
 Lords and House of Commons ?" " As usual. Sir, — 
 very sound and very active : at least they were so. At 
 present the latter exists no longer." " Exists no 
 longer ! — what has happened then. Sir? — Ha! you do 
 right to visit these shores in such a crisis of alarm ! 
 Did I not (turning to his Bourbon antagonist) did I 
 not predict that things could not long last as they had 
 been going on in England !" Whereupon, the said 
 Prophet added sundry other sympathetic exclamations, 
 without allowing me to say one word in explanation of 
 the cause of the dissolution of our far-famed House of 
 Commons ! At length, an opening presenting itself, I 
 observed, with a mock solemnity of manner, that it 
 was " the period of a general election'' Qu'est-ce que 
 ce mot la veut signifier ? — je n'ai jamais entendu parler 
 de cela." I explained it as briefly and as perspicu- 
 ously as I was able : but both Buonapartist and Bour- 
 bonist (to my astonishment) continued to express their 
 ignorance and surprise. I then explained to them how 
 
HAVRE. 
 
 249 
 
 these respective houses carried on their proceedings ; 
 and that the members of the house of Lords sat un- 
 covered, with scarlet robes trimmed with ermine — but 
 that those of the House of Commons sat with their 
 hats on, and appeared in the dresses which they hap- 
 pened to wear during the day — booted, or otherwise, 
 just as they pleased. It is impossible for me to convey 
 to you an idea of the shrug, and exclamation of con- 
 tempt, with which these opposite-principled disputants 
 simultaneously treated our unfortunate Commoners : 
 nor could these political champions separate the elo- 
 quence and importance of the debates from the vilain 
 appearance of hats and boots : while the Upper House 
 was pronounced by them to be the only proper arena 
 for the display of intellectual strength and national 
 wisdom. " Enfin, mon ami, (exclaimed the one, turn- 
 ing to the other) il faut avouer que ces choses sont du 
 plus mauvais gout ; et je ne puis pas concevoir com- 
 ment les Anglois, qui sont vraiment de braves gens, peu- 
 vent se conformer a des reglements qui doivent avoir 
 un resultat si funeste. A ga! partons. Neuf heures 
 vient de sonner. Monsieur je vous souhaite le bon 
 soir. Adieu, adieu." These adieus were directed, the 
 first to the bookseller, the second to myself . . . and 
 both Bourbonist and Buonapartist marched off, arm 
 in arm, forgetting the dynasties which they had advo- 
 cated, but uniform in their expressions of surprise, and 
 predictions of evil from the homely costume of the 
 Members of the House of Commons ! I could scarcely 
 refrain from loud laughter as they shut the door of the 
 shop, and disappeared. Doubtless these gentlemen 
 had never consulted our Blackstone ! 
 
250 HAVRE. 
 
 Luckily, at that moment, a copy of the Hahiti anti- 
 chi moderni, from the supposed designs of Titian, 
 and printed in 1590, 8vo. happened to catch my eye, 
 and make me forget the scene which had just taken 
 place. It was a sound, but somewhat cropt copy, and 
 attired in a goodly jacket of calf-skin. The price de- 
 manded was twelve francs : in our own country it brings 
 double that price . . . and even more than treble might 
 be given for such a copy as Mr. Grenville possesses. 
 " C'est un peu fort, ce prix," observed I. " Comment 
 fort, Monsieur ? voila un joli livre, rempli de planches 
 en bois — dont on ne pourroit, aujourd'hui, executer un 
 pareil, sans en exiger au moins trois fois le prix." 
 This is any thing but an argument; but it is the 
 common observation used by very many booksellers, 
 whether near the banks of the Seine or the Thames. 
 I counted down nine francs . . . and made a pause, 
 looking at my bibliopolist. " He bien, comme vous 
 le desirez, je prendrai les neuf francs et vous prendrez 
 le livre'. Ce'st 9a." This was droll enough. I laid 
 the book aside, and sought about for more . . . but a 
 torn Sauvage Monstrelet, and a thumbed and defective 
 Gaguins Chronicle^ (these are technical phrases) were 
 the only fruits — or rather results — of a very anxious 
 forage for full three quarters of an hour. In three 
 shops, previously visited, there was scarcely any thing 
 to be seen but Voltaire and Rousseau. I made the 
 most of my supposed prize, returned to the hotel, 
 drank a late and excellent cup of coffee, and after com- 
 paring notes with Mr. Lewis, as to what we had seve- 
 rally seen and heard, retired to rest, thoroughly worn 
 out, and oppressed with sleep. 
 
HAVRE. 
 
 251 
 
 The packet was to sail by nine in the morning ; pre- 
 cisely. For a wonder, (or rather no wonder at all, con- 
 sidering what had occurred during the last twenty-four 
 hours) I had an excellent night's rest, and was pre- 
 pared for breakfast by eight. Having breakfasted, 
 we immediately accompanied our luggage to the inner 
 harbour. Of course we had plenty of offers for the 
 conveyance of it : so that in five minutes we were 
 close to the water's edge, and observed the Honjleur 
 packet swarming with passengers, and crammed with 
 every species of merchandize: especially tubs, casks, 
 trunks, cordage, and earthen-ware. We descended; 
 saw our luggage stowed, took our stations near the 
 helm — and after experiencing a good deal of un- 
 comfortahle heaving of the ocean, got clear from the 
 mouth of the harbour, and stood out to sea. The 
 tide was running briskly and strongly into the 
 harbour ; and a good deal of see-sawing of the vessel 
 was the consequence of such current. We were 
 in truth very closely stowed ; and as these packets 
 are built with flattish bottoms, and low sides, — a 
 rough sea would not have failed to give to a crew, thus 
 exposed, the appearance of half-drowned rats. Luckily 
 the wind began to subside, and by degrees old ocean 
 wore a face of undisturbed serenity. Not how- 
 ever that very many of the passengers were not in- 
 convenienced by the agitation, however trifling, which 
 had occurred. Our crew was a motley one ; but 
 among them, a parchment- visaged Abbess, with her 
 broad streaming bands, seemed to experience parti- 
 cular distress. She was surrounded by some hale, 
 
 hearty market women, whose robust forms, and copper- 
 1 
 
252 
 
 HAVRE. 
 
 tinted countenances, formed a striking* contrast to her 
 own. A little beyond was an old officer or two, with 
 cocked hats of the usually capacious dimensions. But 
 the poor Abbess was cruelly afflicted ; and in a gesture 
 and tone of voice, of the most piteous woe, implored 
 the steward of the vessel for accommodation below. Mr. 
 Lewis seized an opportunity of transferring the whole 
 foreshortened picture to his sketch book ; and I think 
 you will allow it to be an admirable piece of compo- 
 sition. 
 
HONFLEUR. 
 
 253 
 
 Fortunately, as I was not in the least annoyed by 
 sickness, I had leisure to survey the heights of Honfleur 
 before we landed. These heights may be called counter- 
 parts to those of Havre ; but they are less lofty, though 
 equally well wooded. Looking towards the course of 
 the River Seine, as it narrowed in its windings, 1 dis- 
 covered Harfleur and Hocher nearly opposite ; and, a 
 good deal lower down, the little fishing town of Quille- 
 beiff, apparently embedded in the water. I necessa- 
 rily had a different view of those rocks which so much 
 astonished our postillion on the approach to Tancar- 
 ville ; and indeed on all sides I contemplated nothing 
 but picturesque beauty and agricultural plenteousness. 
 Honfleur itself is surely among the most miserable of 
 fishing towns^^ — or whatever be the staple commodity 
 that supports it. But the environs make amends for 
 the squalidness of the town. A few years of peace and 
 plenty would work wonders even in the improvements 
 of these environs. Perhaps no situation is more fa- 
 vourable for the luxury of a summer retirement. 
 Across this arm of the sea, or rather the very embou- 
 chure of the river Seine, you observe Havre — (some 
 eight English miles distant) yet a consequential look- 
 ing town. We paid only eight sous apiece for our 
 passage ; and having no passport to be vis^d (which in- 
 deed was the case at Havre,) we selected a stout lad or 
 
 * It was so in Evelyn's time : in 1644^ " It is a poore fisher towne 
 (says he) remarkable for nothing so much as the odd yet usefull 
 habites which the good women weare^ of beares and other skinns, as 
 of raggs at Dieppe^ and all along these coasts." 
 
 Life and Writings of J. Evelyn; 1818, 4to. vol. i. p. 51. 
 VOL. I. Q 
 
254 
 
 HAVRE TO CAEN. 
 
 two, from the crowds of lookers on, as we landed, to 
 carry our luggage to the inn from which the diligence 
 sets off for Caen. It surprised us to see with what 
 alacrity these lads carry the luggage up a steep hill 
 in their trucks, or barrows ; but we were disgusted 
 with the miserable forms, and miserable clothing, of 
 both sexes, which we encountered as we proceeded. 
 Most fortunately we were in time to secure our places, 
 and the horses were in the very act of being put to, as 
 we paid our fares beforehand. 
 
 All this, you will say, is veiy trifling ; but the fact 
 is, you tell me that I must make you accompany me 
 wherever I go, and in whatever transaction I am con- 
 cerned. " Paullo majora." Judge of our surprise and 
 gratification upon seeing two well-dressed and well- 
 bred Englishmen, in the very act of securing their 
 places. It is not always that, at first sight. English- 
 men associate so quickly, and apparently so cordially, 
 as did these gentlemen with ourselves. They were 
 the Messrs. D^=^^ ofL*^^^ Hall in Yorkshire : 
 the elder brother an Oxford man of the same standing 
 with myself. The younger, a Cantab. We were all 
 bound for Caen ; and right gladly did we coalesce 
 upon this expedition. I shall not easily forget the shower 
 of rain which fell as we set off ; and most thankfully 
 did I prefer the shelter of the roof of the coach to the 
 security of an umbrella in an open packet-boat. The 
 mode of starting was peculiar to this part of the world. 
 My love of out-door comforts, and of witnessing the 
 scenery of a new country, made me solicitous to secure 
 a place in the cabriolet ; but our acquaintances had 
 previously obtained two places, and the driver and con- 
 
HAVRE TO CAEN. 
 
 255 
 
 ducteur (on this occasion the same individual) claimed 
 the third place as a matter of right and necessity, for 
 himself ; from whence he exercised the office of the 
 whip — a singular, and rather ticklish, situation for the 
 management of four horses, unaided by a postillion ! 
 But what was my astonishment, when, on his good- 
 nature ceding to me this third place, he took his 
 station upon the roof — and from thence, with the 
 reins in one hand, and a whip in the other, he es- 
 sayed to guide four high-mettled Norman stallions, 
 down one descent and up another ascent . . . the rain 
 at the same moment pouring down in torrents ! To 
 say that I was not nervous, would be foolish . . I will 
 own that I was even terrified — for what a machine was 
 behind me ! . . and if we had been overset, what a 
 result must have ensued ! Fortunately we had not got 
 out of the town, and had scarcely cleared the first 
 descent, when one of the horses got his leg completely 
 over the rope traces, and it was impossible to pro- 
 ceed. I now saw the danger of retaining my place in 
 the cabriolet to the exclusion of the worthy driver, and 
 instantly gave it up. He said very coolly Ce sont 
 des diables de chevaux, et il faut etre un pen plus pr^s 
 pour les chatouiller." Leaving him in full possession to 
 " tickle" the animals as he pleased, I got inside the 
 diligence ; and as the rain continued to descend yet 
 more heavily and steadily, I was not chagrined at the 
 change : the leathern curtains of the cabriolet proving 
 but a sorry defence. — Nothing, howevej*, could disconb- 
 pose the gravity, or ruffle the good-hiiinour of the 
 conducteur. In the midst of the descending rain, and 
 while the horses appeared to be sprawling all over the 
 
256 
 
 HAVRE TO CAEN. 
 
 road, he whistled and sang alternately, as if nothing 
 had taken place. 
 
 We now proceeded at a good sharp pace, and as we 
 ascended the very high hill on the direct road to Caen, 
 with fine leafy trees on each side, and upon a noble 
 breadth of road, I looked out of the diligence to enjoy 
 the truly magnificent view of the Seine — with glimpses 
 of Harfleur and Havre on the opposite coast. The 
 cessation of the rain, and the slow movement of the 
 vehicle, enabled me to do this in a tolerably commo- 
 dious manner. The ground however seemed saturated, 
 and the leaves glistened with the incumbent moisture. 
 There was a sort of pungent freshness of scent abroad — 
 and a rich pasture land on each side gave the most 
 luxuriant appearance to the landscape. Nature in- 
 deed seemed to have fructified every thing in a 
 manner at once spontaneous and perfect. The face of 
 the country is pasture-land thro'ighout ; that is to say, 
 there are comparatively few orchards and little arable. 
 I was told to pay attention to the cattle, for that the 
 farmers prided themselves upon their property of this 
 kind. They may pride themselves — if they please : but 
 their pride is not of a lofty cast of character. You 
 know I am rather more conversant in Caxtons than 
 in cows ; but I have been in Lincolnshire, Hereford- 
 shire, and Gloucestershire — and have seen and enjoyed, 
 in these said counties, groups of cattle which appeared 
 calculated for the land and the table of giants, com- 
 pared with the Lilliputian objects, of the bucoline spe- 
 cies, which were straying in thin flocks, throughout 
 the luxuriant pastures of Normandy. That trium- 
 phant and immutable maxim of " small bone and 
 
PONT L'EVEQUE. 
 
 257 
 
 large carcase" seems, alas ! to be unknown in these re- 
 gions. Nor are the cows extraordinary good milchers. 
 
 However, on we rode — and on all sides we gazed. 
 At length we reached Pont LEveqiie, a pretty long 
 stage ; where we dined (says my journal) upon roast 
 fowl, asparagus, trout, and an excellent omelette, with 
 two good bottles of vin ordinaire — which latter, for 
 four Englishmen, was commendably moderate. Dur- 
 ing dinner the rain came down again in yet heavier 
 torrents — the gutters foamed, and the ground smoked 
 with the unceasing fall of the water. In the midst of 
 this aquatic storm, we toasted Old England right mer- 
 rily and cordially ; and the conducteur, seeing us in 
 good humour, told us that " we need not hurry, for 
 that he preferred a dry journey to a wet one." We 
 readily assented to this position ; but within half an 
 hour, the weather clearing, we remounted ; and by 
 four o'clock we all got inside — and politics, religion, 
 literature, and the fine arts, kept us in constant dis- 
 course and good humour as we rolled on for many a 
 league. All the way to Troarn (the last stage on this side 
 of Caen) the country presents a truly lovely picture of 
 pasture land./ There are occasionally some wooded 
 heights, in which English wealth and English taste 
 would have raised villas of the prettiest forms, and with 
 most commanding views. Yet there is nothing to be 
 mentioned in the same breath with the country about 
 Rodwell in Glocestershire. Nor are the trees of the 
 same bulk and luxuriant foliage as are those in our 
 own country. A fine oak is as rare as an uncut JVyn- 
 hyn De Worde : but creeping rivulets, rich coppice 
 wood, avenues of elms and limes, and meadows be- 
 gemmed with butter-cups — these are the characteristics 
 
258 
 
 HAVRE TO CAEN. 
 
 of the country through which we were passing. It is 
 in vain however you look for neat villas or conse- 
 quential farm houses : and as rarely do you see groups 
 of villagers reposing, or in action . . A dearth of popu- 
 lation gives to French landscape a melancholy and soli- 
 tary cast of character. It is in cities that you must 
 look for human beings — andjbr cities the French seem 
 to have been created. Not any thing like an exempli- 
 fication of Watteau's enchanting pieces . . but I check 
 myself — ladies and gentlemen do not stir abroad to 
 dance, swing, romp, and enjoy a fete champetre, 
 
 . When storms and clouds obscure the sky, 
 And thunders roll, and lightnings fly ! 
 
 Yet I shall not easily forget the sweep of country, or 
 continuation of pasture land, between Pont L'Eveque 
 and Troarn, This latter village is sufficiently poor. 
 We passed a good house to the left, and a delicious 
 trout stream to the right ; but the road itself was 
 absolutely flooded with rain. It was at Troarn, I think, 
 or at some halting place beyond, that our passports 
 were demanded, and the examination of our trunks 
 solicited. We surrendered our keys most willingly. 
 The gentlemen with their cocked hats and blue jackets 
 — having a belt from which a sword was suspended — 
 consulted together for a minute only — returned our 
 keys, and teUing us that matters would be thoroughly 
 looked into at Caen, said they would give us no trouble. 
 We were of course not sorry at this determination — 
 and the Messrs. D ^ ^ =^ and myself getting once more 
 into the cabriolet, (a postboy being secured for the 
 leaders) we began to screw up our spirits and curio- 
 
CAEN. 
 
 259 
 
 sity for a view of the steeples of Caen. The country, 
 from Troarn to Caen, gets more into the arable kind ; 
 but, though flatter and less ornamented with trees, it 
 is fruitful and agreeable to the eye. Unluckily the sun 
 had set, and the horizon had become gloomy, when we 
 first discovered the spires of St. Stephens ahhey — the 
 principal ecclesiastical edifice at Caen. It was hard 
 upon nine o'clock ; and the evening being extremely 
 dusky, we had necessarily a very indistinct view of the 
 other churches — but, to my eye, as seen in a lengthened 
 view, and through a treacherous atmosphere, Caen 
 had the appearance of Oxford upon a diminutive scale. 
 The town itself, like our famous University, is built in 
 a slanting direction ; though the surrounding country 
 is yet flatter than about Oxford. As we entered it, 
 all the population seemed collected to witness our 
 arrival. From solitude we plunged at once into tu- 
 mult, bustle, and noise. We stopped at the Hotel 
 (TEspagne — a large, but black and begrimed mansion. 
 Here our luggage was taken down ; and here we were 
 assailed by gargons de place, with cards in their 
 hands, intreating us to put up at their respective 
 hotels. We had somehow got a recommendation to the 
 Hotel Royale in the Place Roijale, — and such a union 
 of roi/al adjuncts was irresistible. — Accordingly, we 
 resolved upon moving thither. In a trice our trunks 
 were placed upon barrows : and we marched behind, 
 " in double quick time," in order to secure our pro- 
 perty. The place appeared to improve as we made 
 our different turnings, and gained upon our hotel. 
 " Le voila. Messieurs" — exclaimed our guides and 
 baggage conductors — as we got into a goodly square. 
 
260 
 
 CAEN, 
 
 And saw a fair and comely mansion in front. The rush 
 of landlord, waiting maids, and gargons de place, en- 
 countered us as we entered. "Messieurs, je vous salue," 
 — said a huge, ungracious looking figure — which said 
 figure was nothing less than the master of the hotel — 
 yclep'd Lagouelle. We were shown into a small room 
 on the ground floor to the right — and ordered tea ; but 
 had scarcely begun to enjoy the crackling blaze of a 
 plentiful wood fire, when the said ungracious figure 
 took his seat by the side of us ... to tell us " all about 
 
 THE DUEL." 
 
 I had heard (from an English gentleman in the 
 packet boat from Havre to Honfleur,) something res- 
 pecting this most extraordinary duel between a young 
 Englishman and a young Frenchman : but as I mean 
 to reserve my Caen budget for a distinct dispatch, and 
 as I have yet hardly tarried twenty hours in this place, 
 I must bid you adieu, only adding that I dreamt, last 
 night, about some English antiquaries trying to bend 
 the bow of William the Conqueror ! — Can this be sur- 
 prising ? Again farewell. 
 
201 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 CAEN. SOIL. SOCIETY. EDUCATION. A DUEL. OLD 
 HOUSES. THE ABBEY OF ST. STEPHEN. CHURCH 
 OF ST. PIERRE DE DERNETAL. ABBE DE LA SAINTE 
 TRINITE. OTHER PUBLIC EDIFICES. 
 
 I HAVE now resided upwards of a week at La- 
 gouelle's, the Hotel Royale, and can tell you something 
 of the place and of the inhabitants of Caen. But do not 
 expect such a copious or curious sketch of these as 
 you received of Rouen and of the Rouennois. Caen is 
 still-life after Rouen : but it has been, and yet is, a 
 town exceedingly well-deserving the attention of the 
 lounging traveller and of the curious antiquary. Its 
 ecclesiastical edifices are more ancient, but less vast 
 and splendid, than those of Rouen ; while the streets 
 and the houses are much more wide and comfortable. 
 This place is the capital of the department of Cal- 
 vados, or of Lower Normandy : and its population 
 is estimated at forty thousand souls. It has a public 
 library, a school of art, a college, mayoralty, and all 
 the etceteras of a corporate society. But I must first 
 give you something in the shape of political economy 
 intelligence. Caen with its arrondissemens of Bayeux, 
 f^ire, FalaisSy Lisieux, and Pont L'Eveque, is the coun- 
 try of pasturage and of cattle. It is also fertile in the 
 apple and pear ; but from recent experiments made at 
 Argences, they have abandoned all further attempts to 
 cultivate the vine. There are beautiful and most abun- 
 
262 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 dant market gardens about Caen ; and for the last seven- 
 ty years they have possessed a garden for the growth and 
 cultivation of foreign plants and trees. Just about the 
 establishment of Buonaparte's power they could boast 
 of three thousand plants of this kind, classed accord- 
 ing to the systems of Linnaeus and Tournefort ; but, 
 now, that number is even increased. It is said that 
 more than nine hundred species of plants and trees are 
 to be found in the department of Calvados, of which 
 Caen is the capital ; of which some (but I know not 
 how many or how few) are considered as indigenous. 
 Of forests and trees, the number is comparatively 
 small ; and upon that limited number great injuries 
 were inflicted by the Revolution. In the arrondisse- 
 ment of Caen itself, there are only 344 hectares.'^ The 
 truth is, that, in the immediate neighbourhood of popu- 
 lous towns the French have no idea of planting. They 
 suffer plain after plain, and hill after hill, to be denuded 
 of trees, and make no provision for the supply of those 
 who are to come after them. Thus, not only a great 
 portion of the country about Rouen — (especially in 
 the direction of the road leading to Caen — ) is gra- 
 dually left desolate and barren, but even here, as you 
 approach the town, there is a dreary flatness of country, 
 unrefreshed by the verdure of foliage : whereas the 
 soil, kind and productive by nature, requires only the 
 slightest attention of man to repay him a hundred fold ! 
 What they will do some fifty years hence foryz/e/,is quite 
 inconceivable. It is true that the river Orne, by means 
 of the tide, and of its proximity to the sea, brings up 
 
 * Somewhere about 150 English acres. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 263 
 
 vessels of even 200 tons burden, in which they may 
 stow plenty of wood ; but still, the expenses of carriage, 
 and duties of a variety of description — together with 
 the dependence of the town upon such accidental sup- 
 ply — would render the article of fuel a most expensive 
 concern. It is also true that they pretend that 
 the soil, in the department of Calvados, contains coal ; 
 but the experiments which were made some years ago 
 at Littry, in the arondissement of Bayeux, should 
 forbid the Caennois to indulge any very sanguine ex- 
 pectations on that score. 
 
 In respect to the trade of the town, the two princi- 
 pal branches are lace and cap making. The former 
 trade is divided with Bayeux ; and both places together 
 give occupation to twenty thousand pair of hands. 
 People of all ages may be so employed ; and the annual 
 gross receipts have been estimated at four millions of 
 francs. But the manufactures of Lisieux form the 
 chief supplies of the department of Calvados. Yet in 
 cap making only, at Caen, four thousand people have 
 been constantly engaged, and a gross produce of two 
 millions of francs has been the result of such branch of 
 trade. A great part of this manufacture was consumed 
 at home ; but more than one half used to be exported to 
 Spain, Portugal, and the colonies belonging to France. 
 They pretend to say, however, that this article of com- 
 merce is much diminished both in profit and reputa- 
 tion : while that of table linen is gaining proportionably 
 in both.=^ There were formerly great tanneries in 
 
 * that of table linen gaining proportionably in both.'] — Caen was ce- 
 lebrated for its table linen three centuries ago. Et si ne me puis 
 
264 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 Caen and its immediate vicinity, but lately that branch 
 of trade has suffered extremely. The revolution first 
 gave it a violent check, and the ignorance and inat- 
 tention of the masters to recent improvements, intro- 
 duced by means of chemistry, have helped to hasten 
 its decay. To balance this misfortune, there has of 
 late sprung up a very general and judiciously directed 
 commercial spirit in the article of porcelaine; and 
 if Caen be inferior to its neighbouring towns, and 
 especially to Rouen and Lisieux, in the articles of 
 cloth, stuffs, and lace, it takes a decided lead in that 
 which relates to pottery and china : no mean articles 
 in the supply of domestic wants and luxuries. But 
 it is in matters of higher " pith and moment" that 
 Caen may claim a superiority over the towns just 
 noticed. There is a better spirit of education abroad ; 
 and, comparatively for its size, more science and more 
 literature. This place has been long famous for the 
 education of lawyers. There are two distinct acade- 
 mies — one for " Science and Belles-Lettres" — the 
 other for agriculture and commerce. The Lycde is a 
 noble building, close to the Abbey of St. Stephen : but 
 I wish its fagade had been Gothic, to harmonise with 
 this latter. Indeed, Caen has quite the air of Oxford, 
 from the prevalent appearance of stone in its public 
 
 taire qu'il n y a ville en Europe oil il se face de plus beaux & singulier 
 LiNGE DE TABLE quc I'on appelle hautelice — sur lequel les artisans 
 telliers representent toutes sortes de fleurs, bestes, oyseaux, arbres, nie- 
 dalles, & armoiries de Rois, Princes, Seigneurs, voire aussi naifue- 
 ment & proprement que le plus estime Peintre pourroit rapporter 
 auecques son pinceau, &c. Bourgueville; Antiquitez de Caen ^ 1588, 
 8vo. p. 26. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 265 
 
 buildings. The environs of the town afford quar- 
 ries, whence the stone is taken in great blocks, in a 
 comparatively soft state — and is thus cut into the 
 several forms required with the greatest facility. It 
 is then exposed, and every succeeding day appears 
 to add to its white tint and durable quality, I saw 
 some important improvements making* in the out- 
 skirts of the town^^ in which they were finishing 
 
 * improvements making in the outskirts of the town.'] — The faux- 
 bourgs of Caen, in the present day, wear a melancholy contrast to 
 what they appear to have been in the middle of the xvith century. 
 Listen to the pleasantly penned description of them by the first topo- 
 grapher of the place . . auxquelles les habitans et ieunesse se pour- 
 meinent, prennent plaisir a la saison du printemps, et de Teste, meme 
 les ^coliers de 1' University 5 les vns k sauter, lutter, courir, iouer aux 
 barres, nager en la riviere qui les enclot, tirer de Tare, et prendre 
 toutes honnestes recreations, comme aussi font les damoiselles^ dames, 
 et bourgeoises, a y estendre et secher leur beau linge, duquel les dites 
 prairies sont aucunes fois si couuertes quelles semblent plustot blanches 
 que vertes — et au jour des festes aprfes le souper s'y asserablent les 
 grandes compagnies, tant de seigneurs, officiers, dames, damoiselles, 
 bourgeoises, en nombre de trois h quatre mile personnes qui s'y pour- 
 menent par troupes, pour y auoir leur plaisir et recreation & voir les 
 passe temps, &c." — Mais encores le plus grand plaisir qui se treuue en 
 telles assemblees, c'est qu'en ce beau printemps vernal Ton y voit le 
 chant et ramage melodieux des rossignols quifleurissent, fredonnent et 
 degoissent, dedans cette circle et iardins prochains, rapportans par 
 leur chant la memoire de I'histoire de Philomene, &c." Again, a few 
 pages further : ^' Je dire aussi, auecques assurance, qu'il croist aux 
 beaux prairies et iardins de cette ville & fauxbourgs des plus excellens 
 etdelicats fruits de toutes sortes que en autre ville de France, et de toutes 
 fleurs odoriferentes en de belles & plaisantes trailles, gallerie, pallis- 
 sades & parterres." Bourgueville : Antlquitez de Caen: pp. 5, 6', 26. 
 
 It may be worth subjoining, from the same interesting authority, 
 that long after the time even of the publication just referred to. 
 
266 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 shafts and capitals of coluniiis in a manner the 
 most correct and gratifying. Still further from the 
 
 the town of Caen was surrounded by lofty and thick stone walls — 
 upon the tops of which three men could walk a-breastj and from 
 thence the inhabitants could discern the vessels sailing in the river 
 Orne, across those large and beautiful meadows, and unloading their 
 cargoes by the sides of the walls." It appears indeed to have been a 
 sort of a lounge or fashionable promenade— by means of various 
 ladders for the purposes of ascent and descent. 
 
 Among the old prints and bird's-eye views of Caen, which I saw in 
 the collection of De Boze at the Royal Library at Paris, there is one 
 accompanied by three pages of printed description j which latter be- 
 gins with the lines of Guillaume Breton Villa potens, opulenta/' &c. ; 
 see post. There is also a very large print of Caen, by P. Buache, of the 
 date of 1747 '• in which, however, the trees are made of more conse- 
 quence than the houses. Also a bird's-eye print of the city, from the 
 pencil of Gombouste. This latter I take to be from Zeiller's Topographia 
 Galliae, vol. iii. in which the towers of the Abhaye de la Trinite, and of 
 St. Etienne, having two stories, as it were, are unlike any thing we now 
 observe. The view, in other respects, gives a good idea of the town 
 (of the date of 1640-50) and of the precincts of St. Stephen's abbey. 
 The Place Roy ale seems to have been the Place de la Chaussee j where 
 we observe a gallows to be erected. Among the drawings, &c. in the 
 royal collection, is one of the castle of Caen, of the date of 1702, rather 
 interesting. The castle is now destroyed. There is also an imposing 
 view of the Abbaye de la Trinite: or rather of the monastery or hospi- 
 tal now attached to it : also of the date of 1702 : a wretched per- 
 formance. An equally faithless view of the abbey of St. Stephen 3 
 of the same date. Evelyn, in 1644, thus describes the town 
 of Caen. The whole town is handsomely built of that excel- 
 lent stone so well knowne by that name in England. I was lead to a 
 pretty garden, planted with hedges of Alaternus, having at the en- 
 trance, at an exceeding height, accurately cut in topiary worke, with 
 well understood architecture, consisting of pillars^ niches, freezes, and 
 other ornaments, with greate curiosity, &c. 
 
 Life and Writings of J. Evelyn; 4to. vol. i. p. 52. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 267 
 
 immediate vicinity of Caen, they find stone of a closer 
 grain ; and with this they make stair-cases, and 
 pavements for the interior of buildings. Indeed 
 the stone stair-cases in this place, which are usually 
 circular, and projecting from the building, struck me 
 as being equally uncommon and curious. It is assert- 
 ed that they have different kinds of marble in the 
 department of Calvados, which equal that of the 
 south of France. At Basly and Vieux white marble 
 is found which has been judged worthy of a compari- 
 son with Parian ; but this is surely a little presump- 
 tuous. However, it is known that Cardinal Richelieu 
 brought from Vieux all the marble with which he 
 built the chapel in the college of the Sorbonne. 
 
 Upon the whole, as to general appearance, and as to 
 particular society, Caen may be preferable to Rouen. 
 The costume and manners of the common people are 
 pretty much, if not entirely, the same ; except that, as 
 to dress, the caucJioise is here rather more simple than 
 at Dieppe and Rouen. The upper fille-de-chambre at 
 our hotel displays not only a good correct model of 
 national dress, but she is well-looking in her person, 
 and well-bred in her manners. Mr. Lewis prevailed 
 upon this good-natured young woman to sit for her 
 likeness, and for the sake of her costume. The girl's 
 eyes sparkled with more than ordinary joy at the pro- 
 posal, and even an expression of gratitude mingled it- 
 self in her manner of compliance. I send you, as a 
 rival to the cauchoise Dieppoise,^ the figure and dress 
 
 * See p. 32. 
 
 1 
 
268 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 of the fille-de-chambre at the Hotel Royale of Caen.^ 
 And as a counterpart to it, pray examine this pleasing 
 little group, of the same character, or order in society, 
 which Mr. L. brought in this morning — from a peram- 
 bulation in the suburbs of the town before breakfast. 
 It is thus that Norman women sit, and gossip, and 
 work, out of doors, betimes in the morning. 
 
 A.W.i¥arref!,Sc 
 
 Caen is called the depot of the English.f In truth 
 there is an amazing number of our countrymen here, 
 
 * See the Opposite Plate 
 f dtj)6t of the English.]— It was a similar dep6t in Ducarel's time. 
 
ZenAon-. F».}>/t.sh.ed fr> 
 
CAEN. 
 
 269 
 
 and from very different causes. One family comes to 
 reside from motives of economy ; another from those of 
 education ; a third from those of retirement ; and a 
 fourth from pure love of sitting down^ in a strange 
 place, with the chance of making some pleasant con- 
 nection, or of seeking some strange adventure. Good 
 and cheap living, and novel society, are doubtless the 
 main attractions. But there is desperate ill blood just 
 now between the Caennois (I will not make use of the 
 enlarged term Francois) and the English; and I 
 will tell you the cause. Do you remember the em- 
 phatic phrase in my last, " all about the duel?" 
 Listen. About three weeks only before our arrival,* 
 a duel was fought between a young French law stu- 
 dent and a young Englishman, the latter the son of a 
 naval captain. I will mention no names ; and so far 
 not wound the feelings of the friends of the parties con- 
 cerned. But this duel, my friend, has been " the duel of 
 duels" — on the score of desperation and of a fixed pur 
 pose to murder. It is literally without precedent, and I 
 trust will never be considered as one. You must know 
 then, that Caen, in spite of all the " bouleversemens" of 
 the Revolution, has maintained its ancient reputation of 
 possessing a very large seminary, or college for stu- 
 dents at law. These students amount to nearly 600 in 
 number. Most young gentlemen under twenty years of 
 
 ^ The story was in fact told us the very first night of our arrival, 
 by M. Lagouelle, the master of the hotel royale. He went through 
 it with a method, emphasis, and energy, rendered the more striking 
 from the obesity of his figure and the vulgarity of his countenance. 
 But he frankly aUowed that " Monsieur I'Anglois se conduisoit bien." 
 
270 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 age are at times riotous, or frolicsome, or foolish. Gene- 
 rally speaking, however, the students conduct them- 
 selves with propriety : but there had been a law-suit be- 
 tween a French and English suitor, and the Judge pro- 
 nounced sentence in favour of our countryman. The 
 hall was crowded with spectators, and among them was 
 a plentiful number of law-students. As they were retir- 
 ing, one young Frenchman either made frightful faces, 
 or contemptible gestures, in a very fixed and insulting 
 manner, at a young Englishman — the son of this naval 
 captain. Our countryman had no means or power of 
 noticing or resenting the insult, as the aggressor was 
 surrounded by his companions. It so happened that 
 it was fair time at Caen ; and in the evening of the 
 same day, our countryman recognised, in the crowd at 
 the fair, the physiognomy of the young man who had 
 insulted him in the hall of justice. He approached 
 him, and gave him to understand that his rude beha- 
 viour should be noticed at a proper time and in a 
 proper place : whereupon the Frenchman came up to 
 him, shook him violently by the arm, and told him to 
 ^' fix his distance on the ensuing morning." Now the 
 habit of duelUng is very common among these law- 
 students ; but they measure twenty-five paces, fire, and 
 of course . . . miss — and then fancy themselves great 
 heroes, and there is an end of the affair ! Not so upon 
 the present occasion. Fifteen paces," if you please — 
 said the student sarcastically, with a conviction of the 
 backwardness of his opponent to meet him. " Five, 
 rather" — exclaimed the provoked antagonist — " I will 
 fight you at five paces :" — audit was agreed that they 
 
CAEN. 
 
 271 
 
 should so meet and fight on the morrow^ at five paces 
 only asunder. 
 
 Each party was under twenty ; but I believe the 
 English youth had scarcely attained his nineteenth 
 year. What I am about to relate will cause your flesh 
 to creep. It was determined by the seconds, as one 
 must necessarily from firing at so short a distance, 
 that only one pistol should be loaded with hall-, the 
 other having nothing but powder : — and that, as the 
 Frenchman had challenged, he was to have the first 
 choice of the pistols. They parted : the seconds pre- 
 pared the pistols according to agreement — and the 
 fatal morning came. The combatants appeared, with- 
 out one jot of abatement of spirit or of cool courage. 
 The pistols lay upon the grass before them: one loaded 
 only with powder, and the other with powder and ball. 
 The Frenchman advanced : took up a pistol, weighed 
 and balanced it most carefully in his hand, and then 
 . . . laid it down. He seized the other pistol, and 
 cocking it, fixed himself upon the spot from whence 
 he was to fire. The English youth was necessarily 
 compelled to take the abandoned pistol. Five paces 
 were then measured . . and on the signal being given, 
 they both fired . . . and the Frenchman fell . . . dead 
 UPON THE SPOT I Hc had in fact taken up and laid 
 down the very pistol which was loaded with the fatal 
 ball, on the supposition of its being of too light a 
 weight ; and even seemed to compliment himself upon 
 his supposed sagacity upon the occasion. But to pro- 
 ceed. The ball went through his heart, as I under- 
 stood. The second of the deceased, upon seeing his 
 friend a reeking corpse at his feet, became mad and 
 
 VOL. I. R 
 
272 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 outrageous . . and was for fighting the survivor imme- 
 diately 1 Upon which the lad of mettle and courage 
 replied, that he would not fight a man without a 
 second — But go," said he, (drawing his watch coolly 
 from out of his fob) I will give you twenty minutes to 
 come back again with your second." He waited, with 
 his watch in his hand, and by the dead body of his 
 antagonist, for the return of the Frenchman ; but on 
 the expiration of the time, his own second conjured 
 him to consult his safety and depart ; for that, from 
 henceforth, his life was in jeopardy. He left the 
 ground ; obtained his passport, and quitted the town 
 instantly ; but he had scarcely lost sight of the field of 
 action a dozen minutes, ere a multitude of students 
 came, determined to avenge the death of their country- 
 man by that of his destroyer ! . . The dead body of the 
 duellist was then placed upon a bier : and his funeral 
 was afterwards attended by several hundreds of his 
 companions — who, armed with muskets and swords, 
 threatened destruction to the civil and military autho- 
 rities if they presumed to interfere ... for the Mayor 
 had, in fact, prohibited the funeral rites to be performed 
 within consecrated ground. All this, my dear friend, 
 has necessarily increased the ill-blood which is ad- 
 mitted to exist between the English and French . . . but 
 the affair is now beginning to blow over — and when 
 one of our fair young countrywomen, who has been 
 visiting in the best circles here, with her mother, (for 
 the last eight or ten months) asked me " how often I 
 had been insulted since my arrival?" — and I replied 
 " not once" — she expressed herself astonished beyond 
 measure. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 273 
 
 A truce to such topics of vexation and dismay. Only- 
 let us admit that, at this present moment, after what 
 has passed, the wonder may be that the breach is not 
 wider between the Caennois and our countrymen. It 
 is now high time to furnish you with some details 
 relating' to your favourite subjects of architectural 
 and BOOKISH antiquities. The former shall take 
 precedence. First of the streets; secondly of the 
 houses ; and thirdly of the public buildings, ecclesias- 
 tical and civil. Yet a word upon the antiquity of the 
 town itself. Its name, Caen, {Cadomi in Latin) is 
 supposed to be derived from Cad-Hom : a compound 
 word, half Celtic and half Saxon — denoting, in the 
 opinion of Bochart, the place of war. Hence the old 
 words Cad-hom, Cathien, Cahem — and finally Caen. 
 Let this suffice for etymological research. As to the 
 antiquity of the place, it is supposed never to have been 
 inhabited by the Romans : in other words, not to have 
 existed as a town when they occupied the country : I 
 shall say nothing about its condition during the time of 
 the Saxons ; who, it should seem, made no settlement 
 here but it may be fairly stated that, on the introduc- 
 
 * the Saxons . . . made no settlement here."]—'' It was not, however, 
 a great many years after, [the possession of the northern parts of Gaul 
 by the Danes] that it was esteemed one of the chief towns in the pro- 
 vince, as we find in the account of the interview at Rouen, in the year 
 942, between Louis Ultramarinus, King of France, and Rollo, Duke of 
 Normandy, as given us in a very ancient chronicle of that dukedom. 
 Monsieur De Bras assures us, that in a MS. of the customs of Nor- 
 mandy, written in the time of Duke Rollo, and which had fallen into 
 his hands, Caen is spoken of as a town which then made no contemp- 
 tible appearance 3 and in the charter of dotation given by Richard II. 
 
274 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 tion and establishment of Christianity, Caen was at 
 least a more insignificant place than Bayeux ; inasmuch 
 as the Diocesan s see is established at this latter place 
 — whereas, had Caen been of more local importance, we 
 should not have heard of the Bishop of Bayeux, but of 
 the Bishop of Caen. Let me therefore take you at once 
 to the beginning of the tenth century, when, under 
 the government of the famous Rollo, this place attained 
 strength and celebrity. It appears to have increased 
 in wealth and distinction during the following century. 
 William the Conqueror built a noble abbey here, and 
 chose it as the spot for his interment ; and such was 
 its population and magnificence during the thirteenth 
 century, that a poet of that period has noticed it in the 
 most pointed and commendatory manner.^ Before the 
 Revolution it had thirteen parishes, a college, and 
 twenty public establishments for either sex. At pre- 
 sent the number of parishes is reduced to two ; and of 
 the thirteen churches, seen in Ducarel's time, I should 
 
 Duke of Normandy, to his daughter Adela, upon her marriage 
 with Raynauld Count of Burgundy, the town of Caen, together 
 with its churches, markets, custom-house, quay, and other dependen- 
 cies, are amply specified." Anglo-Norman Antiquities; p. 48. 
 
 * a poet has noticed it in the most pointed and commendatory manner."] 
 — This poet is William Le Brito, or Guillaume Breton, who tells us, 
 in his Philipidos, that it was so well peopled, and so magnificently 
 built, that there was no town in all France comparable to it, except 
 Paris. His words are these : 
 
 Villa potens, opulenta, situ spatiosa decora j 
 
 Fluminibus, pratis, et agromm fertilitate, 
 
 Merciferasque rates portu capiente marino ; 
 
 Seque tot ecclesiis, domibus, et civibus omans, 
 
 Ut se Parisio vix annuat esse minorem. 
 
 p. 48-9. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 275 
 
 think it probable that a fourth part has been demo- 
 lished. At least I know that, on the further extremity 
 of the town, beyond the Abbey of St. Stephen, there is 
 little more than the shell of an ancient church, (St. 
 Nicholas,^ I think) of which the western end, be- 
 traying the architecture of the thirteenth century, is 
 converted into a blacksmith's shop, and the nave and 
 side aisles are mere stabling for horses. The Revolu- 
 tion taught the importance of this adaptation to time 
 and circumstances ! 
 
 However, to begin with the Streets. Those of St. 
 Pierre, Notre Dame, and St. Jean are the principal 
 for bustle and business. The first two form one con- 
 tinuous line, leading to the abbey of St. Stephen, and 
 afford in fact a very interesting stroll to the observer 
 of men and manners. The shops are inferior to those 
 of Rouen, but a great shew of business is discernible 
 in them. The street beyond the abbey, and those 
 called Guilhert, and des Chanoines, leading towards 
 the river, are considered among the genteelest. Du- 
 carel pronounced the houses of Caen mean in gene- 
 ral, though usually built of stone;" but I do not 
 agree with him in this conclusion. The open parts 
 about the Lyc^e and the Ahheij of St, Stephen, toge- 
 ther with the Place Royale, where the library is 
 situated, form very agreeable spaces for the promenade 
 
 * All that Ducarel says of it^ is " that it is remarkable on account 
 of its great age. He calls it St. Nicholas des Champs, p. 75. Huel 
 observes that time and the new fortifications had much changed the 
 limits of this parish — which formerly extended as far as the Isle Re- 
 naud, out of the enclosure of the town, behind St. Stephen's. Origines 
 de Caen ; p. 258. 
 
276 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 of the ladies and the exercise of the National Guard. 
 The Courts are full of architectural curiosities^ but 
 mostly of the time of Francis I. — Indeed that monarch 
 seems to have been particularly anxious^ both here and 
 at Rouen^ to revive a taste, whether good or bad, for 
 gothic architecture ;^ and it is not only in courts, but 
 in public edifices, wherever situated, that you observe 
 specimens of architecture of the early part of the six- 
 teenth century. Of the houses, those witn elaborate 
 carvings in wood, beneath a pointed roof, are doubt- 
 less of the greatest antiquity. There are a great num- 
 ber of these ; and some very much older than others. 
 M. PiERRE-AiME Lair (a worthy gentleman, of whom 
 I shall by and by speak in ample terms) conducted 
 Mr. Lewis and myself to two of these houses — which 
 he deemed the oldest in the town. They are in the 
 Rue St, Pierre : but modern innovations had begun to 
 make encroachments in the one to the left. Mr. L. ob- 
 tained permission to sit in a room on the first floor, on 
 the opposite side of the way, and occupied two mornings 
 in making drawings of these old-fashioned residences. 
 Cast your eye upon them : and tell me whether you are 
 not charmed by the brilliancy and minuteness of touch 
 
 * a taste, whether good or bad j for Gothic architecture.'] — Francis not 
 only introduced a taste for '^architecture/' but for spectacles, festivities, 
 and gaities of almost every class and description. The account of the 
 triumphal entry of that Monarch and the Dauphin, in the year 1532, 
 by Bourgueville, (taken apparently from his own curious and contem- 
 poraneous publication) may be placed alongside of any thing which 
 has been said of the triumphal entries of Henry 11. at Rouen — though 
 even at Caen, Henry took pains to rival the regal pomp of his prede- 
 cessor. Consult the Antiquith de Caen, p. 103—121, &c. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 277 
 
 which the artist has exhibited. At the same time they 
 will remind you of the general character of our older 
 houses in the city of Chester, and elsewhere. They are 
 covered with coats of plaister, the work of succeeding 
 generations. 
 
278 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 A third curious old house is to the right hand corner 
 of the street St. Jean ; as you go to the Post Office. 
 But talking of houses^ I must inform you that the resi- 
 dence of the famous Malherbe yet exists in the street 
 leading to the abbei/ St, Etienne. This house is of the 
 middle of the sixteenth century : and what Corneille 
 is to Rouen, Malherbe is to Caen, Ici naquit Mal- 
 herbe^ &c. as you will perceive from the annexed 
 drawing of this said house^ is inscribed upon the front 
 of the building. But Malherbe has been doomed to 
 receive greater honours. His head was the first struck, 
 in a series of medals, to perpetuate the resemblances 
 of the most eminent literary characters (male and fe- 
 male) in France : and it is due to the amiable Pierre- 
 Aime Lair to designate him as the Father of this 
 medallic project. 
 
 Brawn, ly &. Lew ur . En,or.n,',< m '/f 
 
IFA€ ©f tlae Sinpposed Portrait of HAlR©iL©,fr©m *s MAWEWK TAlFmUTB,^. 
 
CAEN. 279 
 
 Towards the street La belle Croix, is this inscription 
 Avith the subjoined arms, 
 
 FRANCISCVS MALHERBVS 
 HASCE AEDES EXTRVI CVRAVIT 
 
 Towards la Rue de L'Odeon : 
 
 CIVITATIS ORNAMENTO 
 LARIVMQUE AVITORVM MEMORISE. 
 
 In perambulating this town, one cannot but be sur- 
 prised at the non-appearance of fountains — those 
 charming and commodious pieces of architecture and 
 of street embellishment. In this respect, Rouen has 
 infinitely the advantage of Caen : where, instead of the 
 trickling current of translucent water, we observe 
 nothing but the partial and perturbed stream issuing 
 from ugly wells,^ as tasteless in their structure as they 
 
 * ugly wells.'] — Bourgueville seems bitterly to lament the substitu- 
 tion of wells for fountains. He proposes a plan, quite feasible in his 
 
280 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 are inconvenient in the procuring of water. Upon one 
 or two of these wells, I observed the dates of 1560 and 
 1588. 
 
 The Public Edifices, however, demand a particular 
 and appropriate description : and first of those of the 
 ecclesiastical order. Let us begin therefore with the 
 Abbey of St. Stephen ; for it is the noblest and most 
 interesting on many accounts. It is called by the 
 name of that Saint, inasmuch as there stood formerly 
 a chapel, on the same scite, dedicated to him. The 
 present building was completed and solemnly dedi- 
 cated by William the Conqueror, in the presence 
 of his wife, his two sons Robert and WilUam, his 
 favourite Archbishop Lanfranc, John Archbishop of 
 Rouen, and Thomas Archbishop of York — towards 
 the year 1080: but I strongly suspect, from the 
 present prevailing character of the architecture, that 
 nothing more than the west front and the towers 
 upon which the spires rest, remain of its ancient 
 structure. The spires (as the Abbe De La Rue 
 conjectures, and as I should also have thought) are 
 about two centuries later than the towers. 
 
 The outsides of the side aisles appear to be of the thir- 
 teenth rather than of the end of the eleventh, century. 
 The first exterior view of the west front, and of the 
 
 own estimation, whereby this desirable object might be effected : and 
 then retorts upon his tow nsmen by reminding them of the commodious 
 fountains at Lisieux, Falaise and Vire — of which the inhabitants 
 *' n'ontrien espargne pour auoir ceste decoration et commodite en leurs 
 villes.'' — spiritedly adding — si j'estois encore en auctorit^, j'y ferois 
 mon pouuoir, et ie y offre de raes biens." p. 17. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 281 
 
 towers^ is extremely interesting ; from the grey and 
 clear tint, as well as excellent quality of the stone, 
 which, according to Huet, was brought partly from 
 Vaucelle and partly from Germany. One of the corner 
 abutments of one of the towers has fallen down ; and 
 a great portion of what remains seems to indicate rapid 
 decay. The whole stands indeed greatly in need of 
 reparation. The prettily fashioned Norman stone- 
 tile upon the spires, cannot fail to attract the attention 
 of the antiquary. Ducarel, if I remember rightly,* has 
 made, of this whole front, a sort of elevation as if it 
 were intended for a wooden model to work by : having 
 all the stiffness and precision of an erection of forty- 
 eight hours standing only. As the eye runs along the 
 body of the building, towards the eastern end, a pro- 
 portionate disgust prevails. The central tower is cropt 
 close, and overwhelmed by a roof in the form of an 
 extinguisher. This, in fact, was the consequence of the 
 devastations of the Calvinists ; who absolutely sapped 
 the foundation of the tower, with the hope of over- 
 whelming the whole choir in ruin — but a part only of 
 their malignant object was accomplished. The com- 
 ponent parts of the eastern extremity are strangely 
 and barbarously miscellaneous. However, no good 
 commanding exterior view can be obtained from the 
 
 * Ducarel, if I remember rightly^ The plate of Ducarel^, here alluded 
 to, forms the fourth plate in his work : affording, from the starch 
 manner in which it is engraved^ an idea of one of the most dispropor- 
 tioned, ugly buildings imaginable. Mr. Cotman has favoured us with 
 a good bold etching of the West Front, and of the elevation of com- 
 partments of the Nave : The former is at once faithful and magnificent ; 
 but the lower part wants characteristic markings. 
 
282 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 place, or confined square^ opposite the towers. You 
 must therefore turn to the right about, and procure a 
 survey from the more open space, (assuming the cha- 
 racter of boulevards) facing also the Lycee — which em- 
 braces a view of the eastern end, taking in the towers 
 in a very picturesque manner. Hither Mr. Lewis and 
 myself resorted ; and while I was seated upon a bench, 
 reading the Abbe De la Rue's recent treatise upon the 
 Armoric Bards (which the venerable author had pre- 
 sented to me on the same morning,) Mr. Lewis was 
 occupied with his pencil in transferring one of the 
 prettiest representations imaginable of the objects be- 
 fore him to his sketch book. It unites the fidelity of 
 antiquarianism with all the picturesqueness of which 
 the subject is capable. =^ 
 
 But let us go back again to the west-front ; and 
 opening the unfastened green baize covered door, enter 
 softly and silently the venerable interior — sacred even 
 to the feelings of Englishmen ! Of this interior, very 
 much is changed from its original character. The side 
 aisles retain their flattened arched roofs and pillars ; 
 and in the nave you observe those rounded pilasters — 
 or alto-relievo-like pillars — running from bottom to 
 top, which are to be seen in the abbey of Jumieges. 
 The capitals of these long pillars, are comparatively of 
 modern date. To the left on entrance, within a side 
 chapel, is the burial place of Matilda, the wife of the 
 Conqueror. The tombstone attesting her interment 
 is undoubtedly of the time. Generally speaking, the in- 
 terior is cold, and dull of effect. A desolate nakedness 
 
 * See the Opposite Plate. 
 
 / 
 
CAEN. 
 
 283 
 
 prevails^ and you are disappointed that you do not see 
 more objects of costliness or curiosity. The side 
 chapels, of which not fewer than sixteen encircle the 
 choir, have the discordant accompaniments of Grecian 
 balustrades to separate them from the choir and nave. 
 There is a good number of confessionals within them ; 
 and at one of these I saw, for the first time, two wo- 
 men, kneeling-y in the act of confession to the same 
 priest, C'est iin pen fort," observed our guide, in 
 an under-voice, and with a humourous expression of 
 countenance I Meanwhile Mr. Lewis, who was in an 
 opposite direction in the cathedral, was exercising his 
 pencil in the following delineation of a similar subject. 
 
 r 
 
284 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 To the right of the choir (in the sacristy^ I think,) is 
 hung the huge portrait, in oil, within a black and gilt 
 frame, of which Ducarel has published an engraving,=^ 
 on the supposition of its being the portrait of William 
 THE Conqueror. But nothing can be more ridicu- 
 lous than such a conclusion. In the first place, the 
 picture itself, which is a palpable copy, cannot be 
 older than a century ; and, in the second place, were 
 it an original performance, it could not be older than 
 the time of Francis I. : — when, in fact, it purports to 
 have been executed — as a faithful copy of the figure of 
 King William as it appeared to the Cardinals in 1522, 
 who were seized with a sacred phrenzy to take a peep 
 at the body as it might exist at that time ! The cos- 
 tume of the oil painting is evidently that of the time 
 of our Henry VIII. ; and to suppose that the body of 
 William — even had it remained in so surprisingly per- 
 fect a state as Ducarel intimates, after an interment of 
 upwards of four hundred years — could have presented 
 such a costume, when, from Ducarel's own statement, 
 another whole-length representation of the same person 
 is totally different, and more decidedly of the cha- 
 racter of William's time, is really quite a reproach 
 to any antiquary who plumes himself upon the posses- 
 sion even of common sense. 
 
 In the middle of the choir, and just before the high 
 
 * the huge portrait . . . of which Ducarel has published an engraving.'] 
 Ducarel shall tell his own prosing tale ; lest, by abridging it, I should 
 be suspected of partiality. I only beg that a second perusal of the 
 text may follow the first perusal of this note : of which latter, indeed, 
 a small portion is not divested of interest. See the next note but two, 
 at page 292. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 285 
 
 altar, the body of the Conqueror was entombed with 
 great pomp ; and a monument erected to his memory 
 of the most elaborate and costly description.^^ Nothing 
 
 * In the middle of the choir^ and just before the high altar, was 
 deposited the body of the founder, William the Conqueror, King 
 of England, and Duke of Normandy, under a most stately monument, 
 erected at the expence of his son, William Rufus, and richly adorned 
 with gold, silver, and precious stones, by one Odo, a goldsmith of 
 Caen. The top stone of the monument was of touch, supported on 
 each side by three pilasters of white marble 3 and thereon lay the 
 figure of the King, as large as life, dressed in his robes of state ; and 
 at the foot, was the following epitaph, composed by Thomas, Arch- 
 bishop of York. : 
 
 QUI REXIT RIGIDOS NORTHMANOS ATQUE BRITANOS, 
 
 AUDACTER VICIT FORTITER OBTINUIT 
 ET COSNOMANENSIS VIRTUTE COERCUIT ENSIS 
 
 IMPERIIQUE SUI LEGIBUS APPLICUIT 
 REX MAGNUS PARVA JACET HAC GULIELMUS IN URNA 
 
 SUFFICIT ET MAGNO PARVA DOMUS DOMINO 
 TER SEPTEM GRADIBUS SEJ VOLVERAT ATQUE DUOBUS 
 
 VIRGINIS IN GREMIO PHOEBUS ET HIC OBIIT. 
 1087. 
 
 In the year 1522, one of the cardinals, attended by an archbishop and 
 several dignified ecclesiastics, visiting the town of Caen, was prompted 
 by a strong curiosity to see the body of the Conqueror 5 and having, 
 for that purpose, obtained permission from Peter de Martigny, bishop 
 of Castres, who was at that time abbot of St. Stephen, they caused the 
 tomb to be opened. Upon removing the cover stone, the body, which 
 was corpulent, and in stature greatly exceeded the tallest man then 
 known, appeared as entire as when it was first buried. Within the 
 tomb lay a copper plate gilt, on which was engraven the like epitaph 
 with that on the outside of the monument, and beneath it was the fol- 
 lowing inscription in old French : 
 
 le Guillaume tres magnanime 
 
 Due de Neustrie pareil a charlemaigne 
 
286 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 now remains but a flat black marble slab^ with a short 
 inscription^, of quite a recent date. 
 
 Passay le mer par un doux vent de sust 
 
 Pour conquester toute la grand bretaigne 
 
 Puis desployer fis mainte noble enseigne 
 
 Et dresser tentes et pavilions de guerre 
 
 Et ondrier fis comme fil d'araigne 
 
 Neuf cent grand's nefz si tost qui euz pied a terre 
 
 Et puis en armes de la partis granderre 
 
 Pour coups recenz au doubte roy herault 
 
 Dont come preux i'euz toute la deferre 
 
 Non pas sans dur et marveilleux assault 
 
 Pour bien j ouster le desloyal ribault 
 
 Je mis a mort et soixante et sept mille 
 
 Neuf cents dixhuict et par ainsi d'un sault 
 
 Fuz roy d'anglois tenant toute leur isle 
 
 Or n'est il nue tant soit fort et habile 
 
 Qui quant c'est fait apres ne se repose 
 
 Mort m'a defFait que suis il cendre vile 
 
 De toute choses oil jouit une pose. 
 
 The cardinal, who, as well as the rest of the spectators, was greatly 
 surprised at finding the body in so perfect a state, after having been 
 buried near four hundred and fifty years, in order to perpetuate the 
 memory of so remarkable an incident, procured a picture of the royal 
 remains, in the condition they then appeared, to be painted on board, 
 by the most eminent painter of the place, and caused it to be hung up, 
 together with the before-mentioned original inscription, on the wall of 
 the abbey church, opposite to the monument. The tomb being again 
 carefully closed, remained undisturbed until the year 1 56*^2, when the 
 Calvinists, in a religious fury, forced it open, in expectation of meeting 
 with immense treasures, but finding nothing more than the bones of 
 the Conqueror, wrapt up in red taffeta, they threw them about the 
 church in great derision, after having broken in pieces the monument, 
 together with the royal effigies which lay thereon. Most of the bones 
 were afterwards collected together by Monsieur de Bras, and delivered 
 into the custody of Father Michael de Canalle one of the monks and 
 bailly of the abbey, who carefully lodged them in his cell, with an in- 
 
CAEN. 
 
 287 
 
 In the present state of the abbey, and even in that of 
 Ducarel's time, there is, and was, a g-reat dearth of se- 
 pulchral monuments. Indeed I know not whether 
 
 tent to restore them to their ancient place of sepulture, as soon as the 
 troubles should be ended j but the town being some time after taken 
 by Admiral Chastellion, the religious were driven from the abbey, and 
 the royal remains once more dispersed. However, the Viscount de 
 Falaise having at the time of these disturbances obtained from the 
 rioters one of the thigh bones, it was by him afterwards deposited in 
 the royal grave. About the same time the picture of the Conqueror's 
 remains, as they appeared lying in the tomb, in the year 1522, fell in 
 the hands of Peter Hode, gaoler of Caen, and one of the rioters, 
 who converted one part thereof into a table, and used the other as a 
 cupboard doorj but these being four years after discovered and re- 
 claimed by Monsieur de Bras, remained in his possession till his death, 
 since which time it is unknown what is become of them. Anglo- 
 Norman Antiquities; p, 51-4. 
 
 It should be noticed that, besides the immense benefactions which 
 William in his life time conferred upon this abbey, he, on his death, 
 presented thereto the crown which he used to wear at all high festi- 
 vals, together with his sceptre and rod : a cup set with precious stones 3 
 his candlesticks of gold, and all his regalia 5 as also the ivory 
 bugle-horn which usually hung at his back." p. 5 1 . note. The story of 
 the breaking open of the coffin by the Calvinists, and finding the Con- 
 queror's remains, is told by Bourgueville — who was an eye witness of 
 these depredations, and who tried to soften the obdurate hearts" of 
 the pillagers, but in vain. This contemporaneous historian observes 
 that, in his time the abbey was filled with beautiful and curious 
 stained-glass windows and harmonious organs, which were all broken 
 and destroyed — and that the seats, chairs, &c., and all other wooden 
 materials were consumed by fire," p. 171 • Huet observes that a Dom 
 Jean de Baillehache and Dom Matthieu de la Dangie, religious of St. 
 Stephen's, took care of the monument of the Conqueror in the year 
 1642, and replaced it in the state in which it appeared in Huet's time." 
 Origines de Caen; p. 248. The revolution was still more terrible than 
 Calvinistic fury:— for no traces of the monument are now to be seen. 
 
288 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 you need be detained another minute within the inte- 
 rior ; except it be to add your share of admiration to 
 that which has been long and justly bestowed upon 
 the huge organ* at the west end of the nave^ which is 
 
 * the huge organ] — The west window is almost totally obscured 
 by a most gigantic organ built close to it, and allowed to be the finest 
 in all France. This organ is so big, as to require eleven large bellows, 
 &c." Ducarel, p. 57- He then goes on to observe, that amongst 
 the plate preserved in the treasury of this church, is a curious 
 SILVER SALVER, about tcu iuchcs in diameter 3 gilt, and inlaid with an- 
 tique medals. Tradition assures us, that it was on this salver, that 
 king William the conqueror placed the foundation charter of the abbey 
 when he presented it, at the high altar, on the dedication of the church. 
 The edges of this salver, which stands on a foot stalk of the same 
 metal, are a little turned up, and carved. In the centre is inlaid a 
 Greek medal; on the obverse whereof is this legend, Ava-ocvhp Awxovo? : 
 but it being fixed in its socket, the reverse is not visible. The other 
 medals, forty in number, are set round the rim, in holes punched quite 
 through j so that the edges of the holes serve as frames for the medals. 
 These medals are Roman, and in the highest preservation. They were 
 probably collected by Duke Robert, father of the Conqueror, during 
 his pilgrimage to the Holy Land^ and after his death fell into the 
 hands of his son." 
 
 The convent is a fine stone building, consisting of two quad- 
 rangles 3 one whereof hath of late been partly rebuilt ; three of its sides 
 being already finished. The galleries and cells for the monks are 
 upon the principal and second stories. Under them, on the ground- 
 floor, is a large refectory, fronting the garden, and near it a hand- 
 some room, well fitted up, called la Salle de compagnie, where, over 
 the chimney, I was shewn a diminished picture of William the 
 Conqueror, copied from the original, still preserved in the porter's 
 lodgCj and of which I shall speak hereafter. In the same room are 
 likewise the pictures of the present king and queen of France, that of 
 Cardinal Fleury, formerly abbot of this convent j and some others. 
 The south side of this quadrangle, which was formerly the abbatial 
 house, is now in a ruinous condition, but is intended to be soon rebuilt. 
 
CAEN. 289 
 
 considered to be the finest in all France. But Nor- 
 mandy abounds in church decorations of this kind. 
 Leaving therefore this venerable pile, endeared to the 
 British antiquary by a thousand pleasing associations 
 of ideas, we strike off into an adjoining court yard, 
 and observe the ruins of a pretty extensive pile of 
 building, which is called by Ducarel the Palace of 
 the Conqueror.^ But in this supposed palace, in its 
 
 The second, or inner quadrangle, is very large, but not closely built. 
 Some of the windows of the apartments have pointed arches^ but 
 others are circular, as are likewise those of the house at present appro- 
 priated for the abbot's residence, and which was part of the ancient 
 palace. The whole of these buildings is encompassed with large and 
 extensive gardens." Anglo-Norman Antiquities-, p. 57. 
 
 * called by Ducarel the palace of the Conqueror^ — It may be as 
 well to give the whole of Ducarel' s account of this palace, as time (even 
 fifty years ! ) has now given it a so decidedly altered character. That 
 the building, in its present construction, was ever inhabited by Wil- 
 liam the Conqueror is utterly absurd to imagine. Ducarel has en- 
 deavoured to render his description more palateable by the addition of 
 a copper plate representation of a portion of this supposed regal resi- 
 dence. But he shall speak for himself. 
 
 " Within the precinct of this abbey, adjoining to the church, king 
 William the Conqueror built a stately palace, for his own residence : 
 several parts of it still remain ; particularly one apartment, which is 
 very large, and makes a noble appearance. The rooms in this apart- 
 ment are at present used as granaries, but were formerly called the 
 Guard chambers and Baron's hall. These are perhaps as well worth 
 the notice of an English antiquary, as any thing within the province 
 of Normandy, One of these rooms, and indeed the principal now re- 
 maining, was distinguished by the name of the Great Guard Cham- 
 ber. This room, the cieling whereof is vaulted, and forms a most 
 magnificent arch, is lofty, and well proportioned, being one hundred 
 and fifty feet in length, and ninety in breadth. The windows on the 
 east and west sides are decorated with fluted pillars, and at each end is 
 
290 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 present state, most assuredly William I. never resided : 
 for it is clearly not older than the thirteenth century: if 
 
 a beautiful rose window of stone work^ glazed with painted glass of 
 exquisite workmanship. On the north sides are two magnificent chim- 
 neys in good preservation ; and round the whole of the room runs a 
 stone bench intended for the convenience of the several persons doing 
 duty therein. The floor is paved with tiles, each near five inches 
 square, baked almost to vitrification. Eight rows of these tiles, 
 running from east to west, are charged with different coats of arms, 
 generally said to be those of the families who attended Duke William 
 in his invasion of England. The intervals between each of these rows 
 are filled up with a kind of tessellated pavement j the middle whereof 
 represents a maze, or labyrinth, about ten feet in diameter, and so art- 
 fully contrived, that, were we to suppose a man following all the in- 
 tricate meanders of its volutes, he could not travel less than a mile be- 
 fore he got from the one end to the other. The remainder of this floor 
 is inlaid with small squares of different colours, placed alternately, 
 and formed into draught or chess boards, for the amusement of the 
 soldiery whilst on guard. Turning out of this room on the left hand, 
 you enter into a smaller room, called the Barons Hall, twenty-four 
 feet in breadth and twenty-seven feet in length j paved with the same 
 sort of tiles as the former — but with this difference, that instead of 
 coats of arms they are stained with figures of stags, and dogs in full 
 chase. The walls of this room seem to have been ornamented with 
 escutcheons of arms painted on heater shields, some of which are still 
 remaining." 
 
 The fertile fancy of Ducarel will here have it that it was in this 
 guard chamber, and the baron's hall adjoining, that King William the 
 Conqueror^ as tradition tells us, in the most sumptuous manner enter- 
 tained, ^is mother Arlette with her wedding dinner on the day 
 of her marriage to Harluin Count de Conteville, by whom she had 
 Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, &c. &c." 
 
 It is further remarkable, that, notwithstanding these rooms have 
 been used as granaries for upwards of four hundred years, neither the 
 damps of the wheat, the turning and shifting of the grain, nor the 
 wooden shoes or spades of the peasants constantly employed in bring- 
 
CAEN. 
 
 291 
 
 ancients. Ducarel saw a great deal more than is now to 
 be seen ; for^ in fact, as I attempted to gain entrance into 
 
 ing in and cleansing the wheat, have in the least damaged the floor, or 
 worn off the painting from the tiles. The only injury this floor hath 
 received, is the taking up some few of the tiles, in order to open 
 funnels through the floor for the more ready conveyance of the com 
 into the rooms beneath. The great door of the guard room is very 
 curious, and shows the skill of the workmen of those times. It is 
 loaded with fine carvings, and though injured by time and the putting 
 on and pulling off its locks, is well worth observation. Under these 
 rooms is another apartment, supported by fine columns. They were 
 formerly used as waiting rooms for persons of inferior rank^ but are 
 now likewise converted into granaries. 
 
 Opposite to the great wall, which was taken down about twenty 
 years since, and till that time had for many years served as a dormitory 
 for the monks, stood an ancient chapel, built before the abbey was 
 founded ; upon the outside of the wall of this chapel, were painted in 
 fresco, four portraits, as big as life, representing William the Conqueror, 
 his wife Matilda, and their two sons, Robert and William. The Con- 
 queror was drawn as a very tall man, clothed in a royal robe, and 
 standing on the back of an hound couchant : on his head was a diadem, 
 ornamented with trefoils, his left hand pointed to his breast ; and in 
 his right he held a sceptre surmounted with a fleur de lys. Queen 
 Matilda was dressed in a kirtle and mantle, and had on her head a di- 
 adem similar to that of her husband 5 from the under part whereof 
 hung a veil, which was represented as falling carelessly behind her 
 shoulders ; in her right hand was a sceptre, surmounted with a fleur de 
 lys, and in her left, a book : her feet were supported by the figure of a 
 lion. Duke Robert was represented as standing on a hound, and clad 
 in a tunique, over which was thrown a short robe, or mantle, his head 
 was covered with a bonnet ; upon his right hand, clothed with a glove, 
 stood a hawk 5 and in his left hand was a lure. The picture of 
 Duke William represented him as a youth bare headed, dressed in the 
 same habit as his brother, and standing upon a fabulous monster, pro- 
 bably intended for a double-bodied harpy, it having only one head 
 with the face of a virgin, and two bodies, each resembling in shape 
 VOL. I. S 
 
292 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 what appeared to be the principal room, I was stopped 
 by an old woman, who assured me " quil n'y avoit 
 
 that of a bird ; each of the bodies of this monster terminated in the 
 tail of a cat, and had the hind legs of a swine ; the left hand of this 
 Prince was clothed with a glove, and supported a falcon, which he was 
 feeding with his right. These paintings are supposed to have been 
 coeval with the foundation of the abbey of St. Stephen 3 and to have 
 been drawn from the life : [of course !] They were destroyed in the 
 year 170O, when the chapel was pulled down ; but fortunately father 
 Montfaucon had previously procured drawings of them to be made j 
 and from those drawings I have caused them to be engraven." Anglo- 
 Norman Antiquities ^ p. 59. 
 
 I have caused reduced, but faithful, copies of the two first, and 
 the last of these figures to be taken 3 and I here put it to the reader 
 how it is possible that such figures, as the first and the last, in such 
 different costumes, can be meant to represent the same person ? 
 
 In regard to this supposed regal palace, I am surprised how Huet 
 could observe that the abbey and the palace were of the same struc- 
 ture." They are surely quite different — unless Huet saw what has 
 since been demolished. That cautious antiquary observer, however. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 293 
 
 rien que du chauffage." It was true enough: the 
 whole of the untenanted interior contained nothing 
 but wood fuel. Returning to the principal street, 
 and making a slight digression to the right, you descend 
 somewhat abruptly by the side of a church in ruins, 
 called St. Etlenne le VlelL In Ducarel's time this 
 church is described as entire. On the exterior of one 
 of the remaining buttresses is a whole length figure, 
 about four English feet in height (as far as I could guess 
 by the eye) of a man on horseback — mutilated — tramp- 
 ling upon another man at its feet. 
 
 It is no doubt a curious and uncommon ornament. 
 But would you believe it? — this figure also, in the 
 opinion of M. Le Bras^* was intended for William 
 
 properly rejects the supposition that the coat armours are of the time 
 of William the Conqueror. He adds, very judiciously, that, in respect 
 to residence, he is persuaded that that monarch was more fre- 
 quently at his castle than at his palace." Origines de Caen; p. 247. 
 
 * See the Anglo-Norman Antiquities ; p . 74. Bourgueville favours 
 the same hypothesis; but his description of the group, as it appeared 
 in his time, trips up the heels of this conjecture. He says that there 
 were, besides the two figures above mentioned, vn autre homme et 
 femme k genoux, comme s'ils demandoient raison de la mort de leur 
 enfant, qui est vne antiquite de grand remarque dont ie ne puis 
 donner autre certitude de I'histoire." Antiquitez de Caen; p. 39. 
 Now it is this additional portion of the group (at present no longer in 
 existence) which should seem to confirm the conjecture of my friend 
 Mr. Douce — that it is a representation of the received story, in the 
 middle ages, of the Emperor Trajan being met by a widow who de- 
 manded justice against the murderer of her son. The Emperor, who 
 had just mounted his horse to set out upon some hostile expedition, 
 replied, that he would listen to her on his return." The woman said<, 
 
 What, if you never return r" " My successor will satisfy you"— he 
 rephed — " But how will that benefit you," — resumed the widow. The 
 
294 CAEN. 
 
 THE Conquerors — representing his triumphant entry 
 into Caen ! As an object of art, even in its present 
 mutilated state, it is highly interesting; and I re- 
 joice that M. Cotman is likely to preserve the 
 little that remains from the hazard of destruction by 
 the fidelity of his own copy of it. It is quite clear that, 
 close to the figure, you discover traces of style which 
 are unequivocally of the time of Francis I. The in- 
 terior of what remains of this consecrated edifice is con- 
 verted into a receptacle for . . carriages for hire. Eheu ! 
 Not far from this spot stood formerly a magnificent 
 Cross — demolished during the memorable visit of the 
 Calvinists. I was told that drawings and prints of it 
 were yet in existence.* In the way to the abbey of 
 the Trinity, quite at the opposite or eastern extremity 
 
 Emperor then descended from his horse^ and enquiring into the wo- 
 man's case, caused justice to be done to her. Some of the stories say 
 that the murderer was the Emperor's own son, 
 
 * prints of it [the cross] yet in existence.'] — Bourgueville has fur- 
 nished us with a very minute description of this cross — such as it 
 was before its destruction by the Calvinists. Ceste grande et 
 belle Croix estoit d'une structure singuliere, dont la masse contenoit 
 quinze pieds de haut, et trente de tour, sur laquelle masse y 
 auoit cinq coulonnes de vingt pieds de haut, & n'auoient que demy 
 pied de diamettre pour chacun chapiteauj sur les dites coulonnes 
 y auoit vne masse de sept pieds de haut & de deux pieds & demy dia- 
 mettre, & entour estoient posees quatre images de cinq pieds de hautj 
 et sur I'amortissement du chapiteau estoit une belle Croix plantee de 
 cinq pieds de hauteur auecques autres imaginaires, et graueures memo- 
 rabies de belle et forte pierre, & tour au tour d'icelle vn grand escalier 
 de degrez, par les quelz les Catholiques amontoyent & receuoyoient ce 
 signe de Croix au jour des Rameaux, qui leur reduissoit en memoirede 
 la passion de nostre Seigneur. Et en ce quel qiiartier de St. Estienne, 
 residoient du temps de ma ieunesse vn bon nombre d'officiers en de 
 belles et magnifiques maisons> &c." Antiquitex de Caen-, p. 17. 
 
4 
 
 CAEN. 295 
 
 of the town, you necessarily pass along the Rue St, 
 Pierre^ and enter into the market-place, affording 
 an opening before the most beautiful church in 
 all Normandy. It is the church of St. Pierre de 
 Dernetal^ of which I now speak, and from which the 
 
 * the church of St. Pierre de Dernetal.'] — Situate in the middle of 
 the town, and remarkable for the elegance and beauty of its spire, 
 which is extremely lofty, and so admirably contrived, that, at what 
 part soever of the church you enter, the eye does not discover either 
 of the four columns on which the spire rests. This elegant piece of 
 masonry was completed in the beginning of the xivth century, by 
 [the cost and charges ofj one Nicholas, an Englishman, who was at 
 that time a burgess of Caen, and treasurer of this church. At the 
 time of his death, which happened in June, in the year 1317^ the fol- 
 lowing epitaph, preserved by Monsieur de Bras, was composed j but 
 it is not altogether certain whether it was ever placed over his grave, 
 or not : 
 
 LE VENDREDY DEVANT TOUT DROICT 
 
 LA SAINT CLERQUE LE TEMPS n'eST FECIT 
 
 TRESPASSA NICOLLE l'aNGLOIS 
 
 l'an mil trois gens et dix sept 
 
 SON CORPS GIST CY l'aME A DIEU SOIT 
 CHASCUN EN PRIE CAR c'eST BIEN DROICT. 
 
 BOURGEOIS ESTOIT DE NOBILE GUISE 
 MOULTE de BIEN FIST EN CESTE EGUSE 
 TRESORIER EN FUT LONGUEMENT 
 ET PAR LUY ET PAR SA DEVISE 
 FUT LA TOUR EN SA VOYE MISE 
 d'ESTRE FAICTE SI NOBLEMENT, 
 
 PRUD' HOMS ESTOIT COURTOIS ET SAGE 
 ET SANS ORGUEIL ET SANS OUTRAGE 
 
 DE TOUS GENS CHERY ET AIME . 
 DE SA MORT SE FUT GRAND DOMMAOK 
 SON ESPRIT SOIT EN l'hERITAGE 
 DE PARADIS SOIT HOIR CLAME. 
 
296 CAEN. 
 
 name of the street is derived. The tower and spire, the 
 effect ofENGLisH liberality, are of the most admirable 
 
 The remainder (two stanzas), is devoted to his wife — who died the 
 2d October, in the same year : 
 
 GRAND DOMMAGE FUT COMME ON SCAIT 
 CAR ELLE ESTOIT BIEN SAGE ET SOBRE 
 OR PRIEZ PAR DEVOTION 
 QU'lLS AYENT PLEINE REMISSION. 
 
 The body of another of our countrymen, Michael Tregobe, the 
 first rector of the University of Caen, lies buried at the entrance of the 
 choir of this church, where his effigies still remains. Te Deum is 
 constantly sung in this church upon all high festivals and other solemn 
 occasions, and from hence it is, that the clergy and religious of Caen 
 set out, in order to make their public processions." Anglo-Norman 
 Antiquities, p. 72. 
 
 Ducarel, in saying that the above epitaph was preserved by M. Le 
 Bras, appears to have been unacquainted with its preservation by 
 Bourgueville a century and a half before. Bourgueville is extremely 
 particular and even eloquent in his account of the tower, &c. He 
 says that he had seen towers at Paris, Rouen, Toulouse, Avignon, 
 Narbonne, Montpelier, Lyons, Amiens, Chartres, Anglers, Bayeux, 
 Constances, (qu. Coutances?) and those of St. Stephen at Caen, and 
 others, in divers parts of France, which are built in a pyramidal form 
 — but THIS Tower of St. Peter exceeded all the others, as well in 
 its height, as in its curious form of construction." Antiq. de Caen; 
 p. 36. He regrets, however, that the name of the architect has not 
 descended to us. His more particular eulogy upon this tower is worth 
 transcription: C'est vn grand cas & bien digne de remarque que 
 neanmoins la hauteur de ceste tour piramide, qui semble auoisiner les 
 nues, le soufflement et violence des vents, la rigueur des gellees, la 
 froideur des nieges, gresles, & frimats, Tabondance des pluyes, la ve- 
 hemence des chaleurs du soleil, et orages, la lueur et humidite de la 
 lune, n'ont faict aucun dommage, ny apparence de froissure k au- 
 cunes des pieires de ceste tour depuis son edification." &e. p. 38. At 
 page 145 he relates a hardy adventure of a young man who mounted 
 on the outside to the very summit, to take down the weather cock. 
 
CAEN. 297 
 
 form and workmanship. Mr. Lewis went to the left, 
 facing the great window, at right angles with the Rue 
 St. Pierre^ and made the beautiful drawing, of which a 
 copy is here sent you.^ Observe the extreme delicacy 
 
 which had grown stiff, and would not turn — II auoit (concludes he) 
 vn cerv eau bien asseur^^ & plus de temerity que de sagesse." 
 
 Huet is somewhat particular in his account of the locale of the 
 parish of St. Pierre de Darnetal ; observing, first, that it had the names 
 of S. Pierre sous Caen, and S. Pierre du Chdtel en rive. Of the appel- 
 lative Darnetal/' he thus remarks. Mais le nom qu'on luy a 
 donne, plus communement, a ^t^ S. Pierre de Darnetal. C'etoit 
 Tancien nom du principal lieu de cette paroisse, et peut-etre de la pa- 
 roisse toute entifere : car le Pont de Saint Pierre, et un moulin sur 
 rOdon, dont il est parle dans la Chartre de fondation de TAbbaye de 
 S. Etienne, ont porte le nom de Darnetal." Again : " Le nom de Dar- 
 netal que Ton donnoit a ce lieu, semble marquer un bourg, un village, 
 ou une seigneurie." Of the different periods of the completion of the 
 church, he goes on to say: Quoy qu'il en soit, le b^timent a et6 fait 
 k diverses reprises. M. de Bras en a marque quelques dattes : celle 
 du clocher^ en Tan 1308 3 celle deTaile du cot^ du Carrefour, en Tan 
 1410 > celle de 1' autre aile quelque tems apr^st le rond-point et les 
 voutes du choeur et des ailes. Tan 1521. Jacques de Cahuignes a 
 donne rang parmi les illustres citoyens de Caen, k Hector Sohier, 
 c^lebre architectes pour avoir fait les voutes du choeur et des ailes de 
 cette Eglise." Origines de Caen-, p. 263, 4, 7, 8 3 1702, 8vo. Huet 
 says not one single word in commendation of the building. He is 
 among the driest of dry antiquaries. Reverting, however, to old 
 BouRGUEviLLE, I cauuot take leave of him without expressing my 
 hearty thanks for the amusement and information which his unosten- 
 tatious octavo volume— entitled Les Recherches et Antiquitez de la 
 Ville et Universite de Caen, S^c. (A Caen, 1588, 8vo.) has afforded me. 
 And as we love to be made acquainted with the persons of those, from 
 whom we have received instruction and pleasure, so take, gentle 
 reader, a representation of the Portrait of Bourg ueville — as it ap- 
 pears on the reverse of the title of the book just mentioned. 
 
 * See the Opposite Plate. 
 
298 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 Ce Pourtrait & maint liure 
 Par le Peiutre & I'escrit, 
 Feroiit reuoir et viure 
 Ta face & ton esprit. L V. D. L. F. 
 Hoc pictoris opus, vigilataque scripta labore 
 Et vultum & mentem post tua busta fereiit. 
 
 /. Fauquelinus F. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 299 
 
 and picturesque effect of the stone tiles, with which the 
 spire is covered, as well as the lightness and im- 
 posing consequence given to the tower upon which 
 the spire rests! The whole has a charming effect. 
 But severe criticism compels one to admit that the 
 body of the church is defective in point of fine taste 
 and unity of parts. The style is not only florid Gothic, 
 but it is luxuriant, even to rankness, if I may so 
 speak. The parts are capriciously put together : filled, 
 and even crammed, with ornaments of apparently all 
 ages : concluding with the Grecian mixture introduced 
 in the reign of Francis I. The buttresses are, how- 
 ever, generally, lofty and airy. Towards the op- 
 posite extremity of this view, a branch of the river 
 Orne, if not the river itself, runs : and from the prome- 
 nade, or part where the post office is established, the 
 body of the church is seen with all its grotesque and 
 multiform divisions. In the midst of this complicated 
 and corrupt style of architecture, the tower and spire 
 rise like a structure built by preternatural hands ; and 
 I am not sure that, at this moment, I can recollect 
 any thing of equal beauty and effect in the whole 
 range of ecclesiastical edifices in our own country. 
 Look at this building, from any part of the town, and 
 you must acknowledge that it has the stongest claims 
 
 The author, who teUs us he was born in 1504, lived through the 
 most critical and not unperilous period of the times in which he wrote. 
 His plan is perfectly artless, and his style as completely simple. Nor 
 does his fidelity appear impeachable. Such ancient volumes of topo- 
 graphy are invaluable— as preserving the memory of things and of ob- 
 jects, which, but for such record^ must perish without the hope or chance 
 of recovery. 
 
Soo 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 to unqualified admiration. The body of the cliureh 
 is of very considerable dimensions. I entered it on 
 a Sunday morning, about eleven o'clock, and found 
 it quite filled with a large congregation, in which 
 the caiichoise, as usual, appeared like a broad white 
 mass — from one end to the other. The priests were 
 in procession ; one of the most magnificent organs 
 imaginable was in full intonation, with every stop 
 opened ; the voices of the congregation were lustily 
 exercised : and the offices of religion were carried on 
 in a manner which should seem to indicate a warm 
 sense of devotion among the worshippers. There is a 
 tolerably good set of modern paintings (the best which 
 I have yet seen in the interior of a church) of the Life 
 of Christ, in the side chapels. The eastern extremity, 
 or the further end of Our Ladys Chapel, is most hor- 
 ribly bedaubed and overloaded with the most tasteless 
 specimens of what is called Gothic art, perhaps ever 
 witnessed 1 The great bell of this churchy which has an 
 uncommonly deep and fine tone, is for ever 
 
 Swinging slow with solemn roar ! 
 
 that is to say, is tolling from five in the morning till 
 ten at night, for the performance of the several offices 
 of religion, so incessantly, in one side-chapel or ano- 
 ther, are these offices carried on within this maternal 
 parish church. 
 
 I saw, with momentary astonishment, the leaning 
 tower of a church in the Rue St. Jean, which is one 
 of the principal streets in the town : and which is 
 
CAEN. 
 
 301 
 
 terminated by the Place des Cazernes, flanked by the 
 river Orne. In this street I was asked, by a book- 
 seller, two pounds two shillings, for a thumbed and 
 cropt copy of the Elzevir-Heinsius Horace of 1629 ; but 
 with which demand I did not of course comply. In 
 fact, they have the most extravagant notions of the 
 prices of Elzevirs, both here and at Rouen. We shall 
 see how this rage increases, or cools, as we approach 
 Paris. But you must now attend me in a visit to the 
 most interesting public building, perhaps all things 
 considered, which is to be seen at Caen : I mean the 
 Ahhey of the Holy TV/mV^, or L'Abbave aux Dames.=* 
 This abbey was founded by the wife of the Conqueror, 
 about the same time that William erected that of St, 
 Stephen. It was founded for nuns of the Benedictin 
 order. Ducarel's description of it, which I have just 
 seen in a copy of the Anglo-Norman Antiquities, in a 
 bookseller s shop, is sufficiently meagre, as are also his 
 plates sufficiently miserable : but things are strange- 
 ly altered since his time. The nave of the church 
 is occupied by a manufactory for making cordage, or 
 twine, and upwards of a hundred lads are now busied 
 in their flaxen occupations, where formerly the nun 
 knelt before the cross, or was occupied in auricular con- 
 fession. The entrance at the western extremity is 
 entirely stopped up : but the exterior gives manifest 
 proof of an antiquity equal to that of the Abbey of St. 
 
 * Of this building M. Cotman has published the West front, east 
 end, exterior and interior j great arches under the tower 3 crypt 5 east 
 side of South transept 5 elevation of the North side of the choir : eleva- 
 tion of the window^ j South side exterior j view down the nave, N.W. 
 direction. 
 
302 CAEN. 
 
 Stephen. A representation of the western front of this 
 exterior will be drawn and engraved by M. Cotnian ; 
 together with one of the subterraneous Saxon-called 
 arches. The upper part of the towers are palpably 
 of the fifteenth^ or rather of the early part of the six- 
 teenth century. I had no opportunity of judging of 
 the neat pavement of the floor of the nave^ in white 
 and black marble, as noticed by Ducarel, on account 
 of the occupation of this part of the building by the 
 manufacturing children ; but I saw some very ancient 
 tomb-stones (one I think of the twelfth century) which 
 had been removed from the nave or side aisles, and 
 were placed perpendicularly, or rather leaning a little 
 against the sides of the north transept. The nave is 
 entirely walled up from the transepts, but the choir is 
 fortunately preserved ; and a more perfect and inte- 
 resting specimen of its kind, and of the same antiquity, 
 is perhaps no where to be seen in Normandy. All 
 the monuments as well as the altars, described by 
 Ducarel, are now taken away. Having ascended a 
 stone staircase, we got into the upper part of the choir, 
 above the first row of pillars — and walked along the 
 wall. This was rather adventurous, you will say : but 
 a more adventurous spirit of curiosity had nearly 
 proved fatal to me : for, on quitting day-light, we 
 pursued a winding stone staircase, in our way to the 
 central tower — from hence to have a view of the town. 
 I almost tremble as I relate it. There had been put 
 up a sort of temporary wooden staircase, leading abso- 
 lutely to . . . nothing : or rather to a dark void space. 
 I happened to be foremost in ascending this, yet grop- 
 ing in the dark — with the guide luckily close behind 
 
CAEN. 
 
 303 
 
 me : and having reached the topmost step, was raising 
 my foot to a supposed higher or succeeding step . . , 
 but there was none ! A depth of eighteen feet at least 
 was below me. The guide caught my coat, as I was 
 about to lose my balance — and roared out Arretez — 
 tenez I" The least balance or inclination, one way or 
 the other, is sufficient, upon these critical occasions : 
 when luckily, from his catching my coat, and thereby 
 puUing me slightly backwards, my fall . . and my life . . 
 were equally saved ! I have reason from henceforth to 
 remember the Abba ye aux Dames at Caen. 
 
 However, let us proceed. We gained the top of the 
 central tower, which is not of equal altitude with those 
 of the western extremity, and from thence sur- 
 veyed the town, as well as the drizzling rain would per- 
 mit us. I saw enough however to convince me that the 
 scite of this abbey is fine and commanding. Indeed 
 it stands nearly upon the highest ground in the town. 
 Ducarel had not the glorious ambition to mount to 
 the top of the tower ; and did not even possess that 
 most commendable of all species of architectural cu- 
 riosity, a wish to visit the crypt. Thus, in either extre- 
 mity — whether to gaze upon the starry heavens, or to 
 commune with the silent dead — we evinced a more 
 laudable spirit of enterprise than did our old-fashioned 
 predecessor. Accordingly, from the summit, you must 
 accompany me to the lowest depth of the building. 
 We descended by the same (somewhat intricate) route, 
 and I took especial care to avoid all "temporary 
 wooden stair-cases.'\ The crypt, beneath the choir, is 
 perhaps of yet greater interest and beauty than the 
 choir itself. Within an old, very old stone coffin— at 
 
304 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 the further circular end — are the pulverized remains 
 of one of the earliCsSt Abbesses. I gazed around with 
 mixed sensations of veneration and awe, and threw my- 
 self back into centuries past, fancying* that the shroud- 
 ed figure of Matilda herself glided by, with a look as 
 if to approve of my antiquarian enthusiasm. Having 
 gratified our curiosity by a careful survey of this sub- 
 terraneous abode, we revisited the regions of day-light, 
 and made towards the large building, now a manufac- 
 tory, which in Ducarel's time had been a nunnery.* 
 
 * in DucareVs time had been a nunnery.'] — Ducarel's account of this 
 nunnery, is as follows : — I was not permitted to see any other part 
 of the Abbey, except the Lady Abbess" s parlour, which is a small room 
 commanding a most delightful prospect of the country, extending to a 
 great distance, this abbey being situated on a very high hill. Among 
 the muniments preserved here, is a very curious manuscript, containing 
 an account of the foundress. Queen Matilda's wardrobe, jewels, toi- 
 lette, &c. but I was not able to procure a copy of it, neither would 
 the abbess admit me to a sight of a very ancient picture which hangs 
 in one of the rooms, and is generally thought to be that of Matilda, 
 their first abbess, dressed in the habit of a nun j though some are 
 rather inclined to believe it to be the picture of the royal foundress. 
 Cicely, eldest daughter of William the Conqueror, having in the yeaj- 
 1075, made her profession at Fescamp, was, upon the dedication of 
 this church, removed hither, in order to be educated under the care of 
 Matilda the first abbess, upon whose decease she succeeded to the go- 
 vernment of the abbey j which she managed with singular piety, for 
 the space of fifteen years, and dying upon the 13th day of July in the 
 year 1126 was buried in the church of the monastery, having worn a 
 religious habit for the space of fifty- two years. From that time the 
 government hath constantly been conferred on ladies of the first rank. 
 All the nuns are likewise daughters of persons of high birth, no others 
 being admitted to take the veil here." — Anglo-Norman Antiquities, p. 
 66. There is of course an end to every thing of the kind at the present 
 day. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 305 
 
 The revolution has swept away every human being 
 in the character of a nun ; but the director of the 
 manufactory shewed us, with great civiUty, some 
 relics, of oldc rosses, rings, veils, lachrymatories, &c. 
 which had been taken from the crypt we had recently 
 visited — on account of erecting some tomb, or eleva- 
 ting some portion of the ground, to the remains of a 
 person of distinction — whether of old or modern times, 
 I cannot just now recollect. These relics savoured of 
 considerable antiquity. Tom Hearne would have set 
 about proving that they must have belonged to Ma- 
 tilda herself ; but I will have neither the presumption 
 nor the merit of attempting this proof. They seemed 
 indeed to have undergone half a dozen decompositions. 
 Upon the whole, if our Antiquarian Society, after 
 having exhausted the cathedrals of their own country, 
 should ever think of perpetuating the principal eccle- 
 siastical edifices of Normandy, by means of the Art 
 of Engravings let them begin their labours with the 
 Abbaye aux Dames at Caen. 
 
 The foregoing, my dear friend, are the principal 
 ecclesiastical buildings in this place. There are other 
 pubhc edifices, but comparatively of a modern date. 
 And yet I should be guilty of a gross omission were I 
 
 Bourgueville describes the havoc which took place within this abbey 
 at the memorable visit of the Calvinists in 1562. From plundering the 
 church of St. Stephen (as before described p. 986,) they proceeded to 
 commit similar ravages here:—'' sans auoir respect ni reuerencek la 
 Dame Abbesse, ni a la religion et douceur feminine des Dames Reli- 
 gieuses." — '' plusieurs des officiers de la maison s'y trouuerent, vsans 
 de gracieuses persuasions, pour penser flechir le coeur de ces plus que 
 brutaux p. 174. 
 
306 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 to neglect giving you an account, however superficial, 
 of the remains of an apparently castellated build- 
 ing, a little beyond the Abbaye aux Dames — or rather 
 to the right, upon elevated ground, as you enter the 
 town by the way we came. As far as I can discover, 
 this appears to have escaped Ducarel.=^ It is doubtless 
 a very curious relic. Running along the upper part 
 of the walls, is a series of basso-relievo heads, medal- 
 lion-wise, cut in stone, evidently intended for por- 
 traits. They are assuredly not older than the reign of 
 Francis I. but may be even as late as that of Henry II. 
 Among these rude medallions, is a female head, with a 
 ferocious-looking man on each side of it, either salut- 
 ing the woman, or whispering in her ear. But the 
 most striking objects are the stone figures of two men 
 — upon a circular tower — of which one is in the act 
 of shooting an arrow, and the other as if holding a 
 drawn sword. We got admittance to the interior of the 
 building ; and ascending the tower, found that these 
 were only the trunks of figures, — and removable at 
 pleasure. We could only stroke their beards and 
 
 * appears to have escaped Ducarel.'] — Unless it be what he calls 
 the FORT OF THE HoLY Trinity OF Caen j in which was constantly 
 kept a garrison, commanded by a captain, whose annual pay was 100 
 single crowns. This was demolished by Charles, king of Navarre, in 
 the year 1360, dm-ing the war which he carried on against Charles the 
 dauphin, afterwards Charles V., &c.*' Anglo-Norman Antiquities^ p, 67. 
 This castle, or the building once flanked by the walls above described, 
 was twice taken by the English : once in 1 346, when they made an 
 immense booty, and loaded their ships with the gold and silver vessels 
 found therein — and the second time in 1417^ — when they established 
 themselves as masters of the place for 33 years. Annuaire du Calva- 
 dos ; 1803-4 } p. 63. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 307 
 
 shake their bodies a little, which we of course did 
 with impunity. Whether the present be the original 
 place of their destination may be very doubtful. The 
 Abbe de la Rue, with whom I discoursed upon the sub- 
 ject yesterday morning, is of opinion that these figures 
 are of the time of Louis XI. : which makes them a little 
 more ancient than the other ornaments of the build- 
 ing. As to the interior, I could gather nothing with 
 certainty of the original character of the place from the 
 present remains. The earth is piled up, here and there, 
 in artificial mounds covered with grass : and an or- 
 chard, and rich pasture land (where we saw several 
 women milking cows) form the whole of the interior 
 scenery. However the Caennois are rather proud of 
 this building. 
 
 Leaving you to your own conclusions respecting 
 the date of its erection, and " putting the colophon" 
 to this disquisition respecting the principal public 
 buildings at Caen, it is high time to assure you how 
 faithfully I am always yours. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 T 
 
308 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 LITERARY SOCIETY. ABBE DE LA RUE. MESSRS. 
 PIERRE-AIME LAIR AND LAMOUROUX. MEDAL OF 
 MALHERBE. BOOKSELLERS. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
 MEMOIR OF THE LATE M. MOYSANT^ PUBLIC LIBRA- 
 RIAN. MANUSCRIPTS AND PRINTED BOOKS. PRO- 
 TESTANT PLACE OF WORSHIP. COURTS OF JUSTICE. 
 
 From the dead let me conduct you to the living. 
 In other words, prepare to receive some account of 
 Society, — of Libraries — and of things appertaining to 
 the formation of the intellectual character. Caen can 
 boast of a public Literary Society, and of the publica- 
 tion of its memoirs.^ But these " memoirs" consist at 
 present of only six volumes, and are in our own coun- 
 try extremely rare. My excellent friend, Pierre- Aim6 
 Lair, made me a present of a set, which I intend for 
 Lord Spencer s library. The volumes are in crown 
 octavo, tolerably well printed. 
 
 Among the men whose moral character and literary 
 reputation throw a sort of lustre upon Caen, there is 
 no one perhaps that stands upon quite so lofty an emi- 
 
 * Memoir es de V A cademie des Belles Lettres deCaen. Chez Jacques 
 Manoury, 17^7 j 4 vols, croion Svo. Rapport gen4rale sur les travaux de 
 VAcademie des Sciences, Arts, et Belles Lettres de la villede Caen, jusqu'au 
 premier Janvier, 1811. Par P. F. T. Delariviere, Secretaire. A Caen, 
 chez Chalopin, An. 1811 — 15. 2 vols, on diflferent paper, with diffe- 
 rent types, and provokingly of a larger form than its precursor. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 309 
 
 nence as the Abbe de la Rue ; at this time occupied 
 in publishing a ^/^^or«/ of Caen in two quarto volumes. 
 As an archaeologist, he has no superior among his coun- 
 trymen; while his essays upon the Bayeux Tapestry and 
 the Anglo-Norman Poets, published in om Archceologia, 
 prove that there are few, even among ourselves, who 
 could have treated those interesting subjects with more 
 dexterity or better success. The Abb6 is, in short, the 
 great archaeological oracle of Normandy. He was 
 pleased to pay me a visit at Lagouelle's. He is fast 
 advancing towards his seventieth year. His figure is 
 rather stout, and above the mean height : his com- 
 plexion is healthful, his eye brilliant, and a plentiful 
 quantity of waving white hair adds much to the expres- 
 sion of his countenance. He enquired kindly after 
 our niutual friend Mr. Douce ; of whose talents and 
 character he spoke in a manner which did equal honour 
 to both. But he was inexorable, as to — not dining 
 with me : observing that his Order was forbidden to 
 dine in taverns. He gave me a list of places which I 
 ought to visit in my further progress through Nor- 
 mandy, and took leave of me more abruptly than I 
 could have wished. He rarely visits Caen, though a 
 great portion of his library is kept there : his abode 
 being chiefly in the country, at the residence of a noble- 
 man to whose son he was tutor. It is delightful to 
 see a man, of his venerable aspect and widely extended 
 reputation, enjoying, in the evening of life, (after brav- 
 ing such a tempest, in the noon-day of it, as that of 
 the Revolution) the calm, unimpaired possession of his 
 faculties, and the respect of the virtuous and the wise. 
 The study of Natural History obtains pretty gene- 
 
310 CAEN. 
 
 rally at Caen ; indeed they have an Academy in which 
 this branch of learning is expressly taught— and of 
 which Monsieur Lamouroux^ is at once the chief 
 ornament and instructor. This gentleman (to whom 
 our friend Mr. Dawson Turner furnished me with a 
 letter of introduction) has the most unaffected man- 
 ners, and a countenance particularly open and winning. 
 He is " a very dragon" in his pursuit. On my second 
 call, I found him busied in unpacking some baskets of 
 sea-weed, yet reeking with the briny moisture ; and 
 which he handled and separated and classed with the 
 same eagerness that we have seen our friend =^ * ^ run 
 through an auction lot of books with "13 more !" The 
 library of Mr. Lamouroux is quite a workman-like 
 library : filled with sensible, soh'd, and instructive 
 books. His mansion, in the Rue Jaune^ is of much 
 narrower dimensions than his mind. Though he be 
 a member of the Institute, he spoke of Sir Joseph 
 Banks, and of our literary Societies, in a manner which 
 did him infinite honour — and if he had only accepted 
 a repeated and strongly-pressed invitation to dine with 
 me at Lagouelle's, to meet his learned brother Pierre- 
 Aime Lair, nothing would have been wanting to the 
 completion of his character. There's elevation of sen- 
 timent for you ! What alert creatures these Savants 
 are. They rise before six, and labour incessantly in 
 their respective vocations (chiefly in the instruction of 
 youth,) till dinner-time, at twelve or one ; and then 
 " at it again" till six in the afternoon. 
 
 * Monsieur Lamouroux.'] — He has recently (1816) published an oc- 
 tavo volume entitled Histo' e des Poly piers, Coralligenes Flexihles, 
 vulgairemcnt nomm^s Zoophytes. Par J. V. F. Lamouroux. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 311 
 
 You have frequently read the name of Pierre-Aime 
 Lai r. Prepare to receive, a sketch of the character to 
 which that name appertains. But what a pallet of 
 colours should I possess for such a task ! — or, rather, 
 what dexterity of handling- were required if such a pal- 
 let could be furnished ? With what " hues, tints, tones, 
 and masses," should the picture glow I A truce to com- 
 mon-place exclamation — and receive, in g-ood sooth, 
 a very homely and very sober, but very faithful, descrip- 
 tion. This gentleman is not only the life and soul of 
 the society — but of the very town — in which he moves. 
 Mr. L. and myself walked with him, more than once, 
 through very many streets, passages, and courts, which 
 were distinguished for any relic of architectural anti- 
 quity. He was recognised and saluted by nearly one 
 person out of three—at all distinguished for respecta- 
 bility of appearance — in our progress. Je vous salue* 
 — vous voila avec Messieurs les Anglois" — " bon 
 jour," — " comment ga va-t-il — The activity of 
 Pierre-Aime Lair is only equalled by his goodness 
 of heart and friendliness of disposition. He is all kind- 
 ness. Call when you will, and ask for what you please, 
 the object solicited is sure to be granted. He 
 never seems to rise (and he is a very early riser) with 
 spleen, ill-humour, or untoward propensities. With 
 him, the sun seems always to shine, and the lark to 
 tune her carol. And this cheerfulness of feehng is 
 carried by him into every abode however gloomy, and 
 every society however dull. In short, he is always 
 the gay and the good-natured Pierre-Aime Laii\ 
 
 But more substantial praise belongs to this amiable 
 man. Not only is Pierre-Aime Lair a lover and col- 
 
312 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 lector of tangible antiquities — such as glazed tiles, 
 broken busts, old pictures, — and fractured capitals- 
 all seen in " long array" up the windings of his stair- 
 case — but he is a critic, and a patron of the literary 
 antiquities of his country. Caen (as I told you in my 
 last despatch) is the birth-place of Malherbe ; and, in 
 the character now under discussion, it has found a per- 
 petuator of the name and merits of the father of French 
 verse. In the year 1 806 our worthy antiquary put forth 
 a project for a general subscription " for a medal in 
 honour of Malherhe'^ — which project was in due time 
 
 * subscription for a medal in honour 0/ Malherbe,] — The medallic 
 project here alluded to is one which does both the projector, and the arts 
 of France, infinite honour j and I sincerely wish that some second Simon 
 may rise up among ourselves to emulate, and if possible to surpass, 
 the performances of Gatteaux and Audrieu. The former is the artist 
 to whom we are indebted for the medal of Malherbe, and the latter 
 for the series of the Buonaparte-medals, M. Lair told me that his 
 subscribers amounted to 1500 in number ) nor do I think this, from 
 evidence of the printed brochure before me, an exaggerated statement. 
 The price of the head in bronze is 5 francs 5 and with the addition of a 
 ring, one quarter of a franc more. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 313 
 
 rewarded by the names of fifteen hundred efficient sub- 
 scribers, at five francs a piece. The proposal was 
 doubtless flattering to the literary pride of the French ; 
 and luckily the execution of it surpassed the expecta- 
 tions of the subscribers. The head is undoubtedly of 
 the most perfect execution ; and almost puts me in a 
 fever, on contemplating it, when I think upon the com- 
 paratively decrepid state of the medallic art in our own 
 country. Wherefore is it so ? Not only, however, did 
 this head of Malherbe succeed — but a feehng was ex- 
 pressed that it might be followed up by a series of 
 heads of the most illustrious, of both sexes, in literature 
 and the fine arts. The very hint was enough for Lair : 
 though I am not sure whether he be not the father of 
 the latter design also. Accordingly, there has appear- 
 ed periodically a set of heads of this description, in 
 bronze or other metal, as the purchaser pleases, which 
 has reflected infinite credit not only upon the name of 
 the projector of this scheme, but upon the present state 
 of the fine arts in France. 
 
 On the reverse is a lyre^ surmounted by a laurel crown, with this 
 emphatic inscription 3 ^ 
 
 ENFIN MALHERBE VINT, 
 
 which is taken from the well-known passage in Boileau's Art Poetique 
 beginning thus : 
 
 Enfin Malherbe vint, et le premier en France, 
 Fit sentir dans les vers une juste cadence ; 
 D*un mot mis en sa place enseigne le pouvoir, 
 Et reduisit la muse aux regies du devoir. 
 
 The profile of Madame de Sevign^, executed by the same able me- 
 dallist (Gatteaux)^ has in every respect equal merit. 
 
314 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 Yet another word about Pierre- Aim6 Lair. He is not 
 so inexorable as M. Lamouroux: for he has dined with 
 me, and quaffed the ehambertin and champagne of La- 
 gouelle, commander in chief of this house. Better wines 
 cannot be quaffed ; and Malherbe and the Duke of Wel- 
 lington formed the alternate subjects of discourse and 
 praise. In return, Mr. L. and myself dined with our 
 guest. He had prepared an abundant dinner, and a 
 very select society : but although there was no wand, 
 as in the case of Sancho Panza, to charm away the 
 dishes, &c. or to interdict the tasting of them, yet it 
 was scarcely possible to partake of one in four . , so 
 unmercifully were they steeped and buried in hutter. 
 Among various vegetables was a dish of " pommes de 
 terre, a la mode Angloise " — professed so to be — but 
 utterly untouchable. They were almost floating in 
 the liquified produce of the dairy. However there 
 was an excellent course of pastry ; and, better than 
 all the wines, was the society which encircled the 
 table. The principal topic of discourse was the me- 
 rits of the poets of the respective countries of France 
 and England, from which I have reason to think 
 that Pope, Thomson, and Young, are among the great- 
 est favourites with the French. The white brandy of 
 Pierre-Aime Lair, introduced after dinner, is hardly to 
 be described for its strength and pungency. " Vous 
 n avez rien comme 9a chez vous ?" Ma foi je le crois 
 bien ; c'est la liquefaction meme du feu." We broke 
 up before eight ; each retiring to his respective avoca- 
 tions — but we did not dine till five. I borrowed, how- 
 ever, " an hour or twain" of the evening, after the de- 
 parture of the company, to enjoy the more particular 
 
CAEN. 
 
 315 
 
 conversation of our host ; and the more I saw and 
 conversed with him^ the greater was my gratification. 
 At parting, he loaded me with a pile of pamphlets, of 
 all sizes, of his own piibHcation; and I ventured to 
 predict to him that he would terminate his multifa- 
 rious labours by settling into consolidated Biblioma- 
 NiACiSM. On peat faire pire!" — was his reply — on 
 shaking hands with me, and telling me he should cer- 
 tainly meet me again at Bayeiix, in my progress 
 through Normandy. My acquaintance and walks 
 with this amiable man seemed to be my security from 
 insults in the streets. But I must absolutely now have 
 done with him : delightful as it is to think upon, and 
 to record, acts of friendhness and liberality in a fo- 
 reign land. 
 
 Education, here commences early, and with incite- 
 ments as alluring as at Rouen. Poisson in the Rue 
 Froide is the principal — and indeed a very excellent — 
 printer ; but Bonneserre, in the same street, has put 
 forth a vastly pretty manual of infantine devotion, in 
 a brochure of eight pages, of which I send you the 
 first, and which you may compare with the specimen 
 transmitted in a former letter. =^ 
 
 * See page 137^ ante. 
 
316 
 
 CAEN, 
 
 A ab c d e 5 
 fghikll 
 m n o p q t 
 
 |rfstuvxyz&| 
 
 I j § ^ oe 
 
 L'Oraison dominicale. 
 
 p 
 
 A T E R nos- $ 
 ter, qui es in l 
 
 Chalopin, in the Rue-Froide-Rue, has recently pub- 
 lished a most curious little manual^ in the cursive se- 
 cretary gothic^ entitled " La Civility honn^te pour les 
 Enfans, qui commence par la maniere d apprendre et 
 Men lirey prononcer et ^crire'' I call it " curious^" be- 
 
CAEN. 
 
 317 
 
 cause the very first initial letter of the text, represent- 
 ing C, introduces us to the hizarrerie of the early part 
 of the xvith century in treatises of a similar character. 
 Take this first letter, with a specimen also of those to 
 which it appertains. 
 
 ^fHj (]Ui 
 
 tottittitncf 
 
 J doit 
 
 A^Oit p>itj 
 
 This work is full of the old fashioned (and not a bit 
 the worse on that account) precepts of the same pe- 
 riod ; such as we see in the various versions of the 
 " De Moribus Juvenum," of which the Contenance 
 de la Table,'' in the French language, is probably the 
 most popular. It is executed throughout in the same 
 small and smudged gothic character ; and, as I con- 
 ceive, can have few purchasers. The printers of Caen 
 must not be dismissed without respectful mention of 
 the typographical talents of Le Roy ; who ranks after 
 Poisson. Let both these be considered as the Bulmer 
 and Bensley of the place. 
 
 But among these venders of infantine literature, or 
 of cheap popular pieces, there is no man who " drives 
 such a trade" as Picard-Guerin, Imprimeur en taille- 
 
318 
 
 -CAEN. 
 
 douce et Fahrlcant d' Images,'' who lives in the Rue des 
 Teinturiers, n°. 175. I paid him more than one visit ; 
 as, from his " fabrication," issue the thousands and 
 tens of thousands of broadsides, chap-books, &c. &c. 
 which inundate Lower Normandy. You give from one 
 to three sous, according as the subject be simple or 
 compound, upon wood or upon copper : — Saints, mar- 
 tyrs, and scriptural subjects ; or heroes, chieftains, and 
 monarchs, including the Duke of Wellington and Louis 
 XVIII. le Desire — are among the taille-douces speci 
 fied in the imprints. Madame did me the honour of 
 shewing me some of her choicest treasures, as her hus- 
 band was from home. Up stairs was a parcel of mirthful 
 boys and girls, with painting brushes in their hands, and 
 saucers of various colours before them. Lpon enquiry, 
 I found that they received four sous per dozen, for co- 
 louring ; but I will not take upon me to say that they 
 were over or under paid — of so equivocal a character 
 were their performances. Only I hoped to be excused if 
 I preferred the plain to the coloured. In a foreign coun- 
 try, our notice is attracted towards things perhaps the 
 most mean and minute. With this feeling, I examined 
 carefully what was put before me, and made a selection 
 sufficient to shew that it was the produce of French soil. 
 Among the serious subjects, were two to which I paid 
 particular attention. The one was a metrical cantique 
 of the Prodigal Son, with six wood cuts above the text, 
 exhibiting the leading points of the Gospel-narrative. 
 I will cut out and send you the second of these six : in 
 which you will clearly perceive the military turn which 
 seems to prevail throughout France in things the most 
 minute. The Prodigal is about to mount his horse and 
 
CAEN. 
 
 319 
 
 leave his father s house, in the cloke and coek'd hat of 
 a French officer. 
 
 The fourth of these cuts is droll enough. It is entitled, 
 " U Enfant Prodigue est chasse par ses maUressesJ" 
 The expulsion consists in the women driving- him out 
 of doors with besoms and hair-brooms. It is very pro- 
 bable, however, that all this character of absurdity 
 attaches to some of our own representations of the 
 same subject; if, instead of examining (as in Pope's 
 time) 
 
 .... the walls of Bedlam and Soho. 
 
 we take a survey of the graphic broadsides which 
 dangle from strings upon the wall at Hyde Park 
 Corner. 
 
 Another subject of a serious character, which I am 
 about to describe to you^ can rarely, in all probability. 
 
320 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 be the production of a London artist. It is called 
 Notre-Dame de la bonne D^livrande,'" and is neces- 
 sarily confined to the religion of the country. You 
 have here, first of all^ a reduced form of the original : 
 probably about one-third — and it is the more appro- 
 priate, as it will serve to give you a very correct notion 
 of the dressing out of the figures of the Virgin and 
 Child which are meant to grace the altars of the 
 chapels of the Virgin in most of the churches in Nor- 
 mandy. 
 
CAEN 
 
 321 
 
 To describe all the trumpery which is immediately 
 around it, in the original, would be a waste of time ; 
 but below are two good figures to the right, and two 
 wretched ones to the left. Beneath the whole, is the 
 following accredited consoling piece of intelUgence : 
 
 L'an 830, des Barbares descendent dans les Gaules, massacrent les 
 FideleSf profanent et brdlent les Eglises. Raoul, Due de Normandie, se 
 joint a eux: V image de la Ste.-Vierge demeure ensevelie sous les mines de 
 Vancienne chapelle jusqu'au regne de Henri I. Van 1331. Beaudouin, 
 Baron de Douvres, averti par son berger quun mouton de son troupeau 
 fouillait toujours dans le meme endroit, Jit ouvrir la terre, et trouva ce 
 trhor cach4 depuis tant d'annees. II Jit porter processionnellement cette 
 sainte image dans VEglise de Douvres : mais Dieu permit qu'elle fut 
 transportee par un Ange dans V endroit de la chapelle oU elle est mainte- 
 nant reveree. C'est dans cette chapelle que, par V intercession de Mariey 
 les prehears resolvent leur conversion, les ajffiig^s leur consolation, les in- 
 Jirmes la sante, les captifs leur d^livrance, que ceux qui sont en mer 
 echappent aux temp^tes et au naufrage, et que des miracles s'operent 
 journellement sur les pieux Fideles. 
 
 A word next for Bibliopolists — including Bou- 
 qidnistes, or venders of " old and second-hand books." 
 The very morning following my arrival in Caen, I 
 walked to the abbey of St. Stephen, before breakfast, 
 and in the way thither stopped at a book stall, to the 
 right, within one hundred yards of the " Place" before 
 the said abbey — and purchased some black letter 
 foUos : among which the French version of Ccesars 
 Commentaries, printed by Verard, in 1488, was the 
 most desirable acquisition. It is reserved for Lord 
 Spencer s Hbrary ;^ at a price which, freight and duty 
 
 *for Lord Spencer's Library ."l— and is described in the 2d vol. of 
 the ^DES ALTHORPIAN.E J foiming the Supplement to the Biblio- 
 THECA Spenceriana : see page 94. 
 
322 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 included^ cannot reach the sum of twelve shilUngs of 
 our money. I carried it home^ triumphantly beneat h 
 my arm, wishing, however, it had been in a little 
 more desirable condition. Of venders of second 
 hand and old books, the elder and younger Ma- 
 NOURY take a decisive lead. The former lives in the 
 Rue Froide ; the latter in the Rue Notre Dame, The 
 father boasts of having upwards of thirty thousand 
 volumes, and is tolerably knowing in the " arte and 
 crafte" of vendition. But I much doubt whether his 
 stock amount to one half of the number just mention- 
 ed. He asked me two louis d'or for a copy of the 
 f^audevires o/' Olivier Basselin, which is a modern, 
 but privately printed, volume ; and of which I hope to 
 give you some amusing particulars anon. He also told 
 me that he had formerly sold a paper copy of Fusfs 
 Bible of 1462, with many of the illuminated initials 
 cut out, to the library of the Arsenal, at Paris, for 100 
 louis d'or. I only know that, if I had been librarian, 
 he should not have had one half the money. It is ra- 
 ther singular that, both here and at Rouen, I have not 
 found a single copy of the Anglica Normanica of 
 Du Chesne : nor indeed does Manoury the elder pos- 
 sess any stock of vendible volumes in the way of lite- 
 rature or antiquities, either in the French or in the 
 Latin language. 
 
 Now for Manoury the younger. Old and young are 
 comparative terms : for be it known that the son is 
 
 age de soixante ans." Over his door you read an 
 ancient inscription, thus : 
 
 " Battu, perc^, lie, Je veux changer demain.'" 
 
I 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 323 
 
 This implies either (like Aladdin's old lamps for new) 
 that he wishes to give new books in exchange for old 
 ones, or that he can smarten up old ones by binding or 
 otherwise, and give them a renovated appearance. 
 But the solution is immaterial : the inscription being 
 as above. The interior of the younger Manoury's 
 book repository almost appalled me. His front shop, 
 and a corridore communicating with the back part of 
 the house, are rank with moisture ; and his books are 
 consequently rotting apace. Upon my making as 
 pitiable a statement as I was able of this melancholy 
 state of things — and pleading with all my energies 
 against the inevitable destruction which threatened the 
 Seat bohc^ — the obdurate bibliopolist displayed not one 
 scintillation of sympathy. He was absolutely indif- 
 ferent to the whole concern. In the back parlour, al- 
 most impervious to day-light, his daughter, and a stout 
 and handsome bourgeoise, with rather an unusually 
 elevated cauchoise, were regaling themselves with 
 soup and herbs at dinner. I hurried through, in my 
 way to the upper regions, with apologies for the intru- 
 sion ; but was told that none were necessary — that I 
 might go where, and stay as long, as I pleased ; and 
 that an explanation would be given to any interroga- 
 tory in the way of business. I expressed my obliga- 
 tions for such civility ; and gaining an upper room, by 
 the help of a chair, made a survey of its contents. 
 What piles of interminable rubbish! I selected, as 
 the only rational or desirable volume — half rotted 
 with moisture — Beloiis Marine Fishes, 1551, 4to; and 
 placing six francs (the price demanded) upon the 
 table, hurried back, through this sable and dismal ter- 
 
324 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 ritory, with a sort of precipitancy amounting to 
 horroiir. What struck me, as productive of a very 
 extraordinary effect — (like the light pouring through 
 an artificial aperture in one of Rembrandt's pic- 
 tures — thereby giving a radiant magic to tlie whole) 
 was the cheerfulness and gaiete de cceur of these fe- 
 males, in the midst of this region of darkness and de- 
 solation. Manoury told me that the Revolution had 
 deprived him of the opportunity of having the finest 
 bookselling stock in France ! His own carelessness 
 and utter apathy are likely to prove yet more destruc- 
 tive enemies. 
 
 But let us touch a more spirit-stirring" chord in the 
 book theme. Let us leave the Bouquiniste for the 
 PUBLIC library: and I invite you most earnestly to 
 accompany me thither^ and to hear matters of especial 
 import. This library occupies the upper part of a fine 
 large stone building, devoted to the public offices of 
 government. The plan of the library is exceedingly 
 striking; in the shape of a cross. It measures one 
 hundred and thirty- four, by eighty, French feet ; and 
 is supposed, apparently with justice, to contain 20,000 
 volumes. It is proportionably wide and lofty. M. He- 
 be rt is the present chief librarian, having succeeded 
 the late M. Moysant, his uncle. Of this latter presently. 
 Among the more eminent benefactors and Biblioma- 
 niacs, attached to this library, the name of Francois 
 Martin is singularly conspicuous. He was, from all 
 accounts, and especially from the information of M. 
 Hebert, one of the most raving of book-madmen : but 
 he displayed, withal, a spirit of kindness and liberality 
 towards his favourite establishment at Caen, which 
 
CAEN. 
 
 325 
 
 could not be easily shaken or subdued. He was also a 
 man of letters, and evinced that most commendable of 
 all literary propensities — a love of the Literature of 
 HIS Country. He amassed a very large collection of 
 books, which was cruelly pillaged during the Revolu- 
 tion; but the public library became possessed of a 
 great number of them. In those volumes, formerly 
 belonging to him, which are now seen, is the following 
 printed inscription : " Franciscus Martin, Doctor Theo- 
 logus Parisiensls, comparavit, Oretur pro eo^ He 
 was head of the convent of Cordeliers, and Prefect of 
 the Province: but his mode of collecting was not ex- 
 actly that which a public magistrate could call legitU 
 mate. He sought books every where ; and when he 
 could not buy them, or obtain them by fair means, he 
 would steal them, and carry them home in the sleeves 
 of his gown ! He flourished about a century ago ; 
 and, with very few exceptions, all the best conditioned 
 books in the library belonged to this magisterial book- 
 robber. Among them I noted down with singular sa- 
 tisfaction the Aldine edition of Stephanus de Urblbus, 
 1502, folio — in its old vellum binding : — seemly to the 
 eye, and comfortable to the touch. Nor did his copy 
 of the Repertorium Statutorum Ordinis CartusiensiSy 
 printed by Amerbach, at Basil, in a glorious gothic 
 character, 1510, folio, escape my especial notice — more 
 than the same Bibliomaniac's beautiful copy of the 
 Mentz Herbal, of 1484, in 4to. 
 
 But the obliquities of Martin assume a less formi- 
 dable aspect, when we contemplate a noble work, 
 which he not only projected, but left behind ready for 
 publication. It is thus entitled : Athena: Normanno^ 
 
 VOL. I. u 
 
326 CAEN. 
 
 rum veteres ac recenteSy seu syllabus Auctorum qui 
 oriundt e Normannia" 8^c, It consists of one volume, 
 in MS., having the authority of government to publish 
 it, prefixed. There is a short Latin preface, by Martin, 
 followed by two pages of Latin verses beginning thus : 
 
 In Auctorum Normanicorum Syllabum, 
 Prolusio metrica. 
 En Syllabus prodit palam 
 Contextus arte sedula 
 Ex Litteratoe Neustrice 
 Auctoribus celebribus. 
 
 Why this work has not been taken up and published 
 by the Academy of Caen, seems rather strange — if they 
 possess the pecuniary means of bringing it to light. 
 But the " Saturnia regna," should they ever return" 
 to France, may give animation to this inactivity, and 
 pour a little gold into the emptied coffers of the trea- 
 sury. Among the men, the memories of whom throw 
 a lustre upon Caen,=^ was the famous Samuel Bochart ; 
 at once a botanist, a scholar, and a critic of distin- 
 guished celebrity. He was a native of this place, and 
 his books (many of them replete with valuable ms. 
 notes) are among the chief treasures of the public li- 
 brary. Indeed there is a distinct catalogue of them, 
 and the funds left by their illustrious owner form the 
 
 the memories of whom throw a lustre upon Caen."] — Goube, in his 
 Histoire du Duche de Normandie, 1815, 8vo. has devoted upwards of 
 thirty pages to an enumeration of these worthies^ vol. iii, p. 295. But 
 in HuefsOrigines de la Ville de Caen-, p. 491-652, there will be found 
 much more copious and satisfactory details. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 327 
 
 principal support of the library establishment. Bo- 
 chart's portrait, with those of many other benefactors 
 to the library^^^ adorns the walls ; suspended above the 
 
 * with those of many other benefactors to the library.'] — M. Hubert 
 was so obliging as to favour me with a list of these portraits j which 
 may probably be gratifying to the curious : 
 
 Bertand, Jean, Eveque de S^ez, ne k Caen, en 1552. 
 BocHART, Samuel, Ministre Protestant, a Caen, n€ k Rouen, 
 Blouet, de Camilly, Vice-Amiral, ne k Rouen. 
 Blouet de Camilly, Archeveque de Bourges. 
 BuQUET, Premiere Bibliothecaire de 1' University en 1736. 
 Catragnes, Jacques, Professeur en Medecine, ndk Caen, en 1556. 
 Cavelier, Antoine, imprimeur k Caen. 
 De Colleville, fils de Bochart. 
 
 Couture, J. Baptiste, Recteur de FUniversit^, Paris, ne k Langrune, 
 
 prbs Caen. Peint en habit de Recteur. 
 Crevel, Professeur en Droit, ne k Ifs, pr^s Caen, en 1692. Peint en 
 
 habit de Recteur de I'Univ. de Caen. 
 EuDES, Jean, Fondateur de la Congregation des Eudistes, ne en 1601. 
 Fleury, (Le Cardinal de,) Abbe de St. Etienne de Caen. 
 GoNFREY, Professeur en Droit, k Caen. 
 Halley, Antoine, Professeur d'Eloquence k Caen. 
 HuET, Pierre Daniel, a Caen, en 1630. 
 De laLonde, Ingenieur, n6 a Caen, en 1689. 
 De Luynes, Eveque de Bayeux. 
 Mace', Astronome, ne k Caen, en 1586. 
 Malheube, Francois, Poete, ne k Caen, en 1555. 
 Le Matstre de Savigny, Jacques, Recteur de I'Universit^. 
 Moysant, Francois, Professeur et Bibliothecaire de la Ville. 
 Le Neuf de Montenay, Abbe de Ste. Genevieve, k Paris. 
 Pore'e, Jesuite. 
 
 PosTEL, Guillaume, Professeur en Medecine. 
 Pyrrhon, Guillaume, Professeur en Droit. 
 Segrais, de TAcademie Fran^aise, ne ^ Caen. 
 Le Sens de Mons, de V Academic de Caen. 
 
328 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 books : affording a very agreeable coup d'oeil. Indeed 
 the principal division of the library, the further end of 
 which commands a pleasant prospect, is worthy of an 
 establishment belonging to the capital of an empire. 
 The kindness of M. Hebert, and of his assistant, render- 
 ed my frequent sojournings therein yet more delectable. 
 But I have promised (before we come to notice a few 
 of the books seriatim) to give you some account of M. 
 MoYSANT, the late principal librarian, and uncle of the 
 present. His portrait is among the j)ictured orna- 
 ments of the chief room. The nephew has favoured 
 me with a copy or two of the " Notice Historique" 
 upon the uncle — composed by himself, and read at a 
 public sitting of the Academy of Science, Art, and 
 Belles-Lettres at Caen, on the 29th of July, 1814. 
 From this you are to learn that Francis Moysant was 
 born in 1735, at the village of Audrieu, near Caen. 
 Though he was of a large stature, his lungs were feeble, 
 and his constitution delicate. At the age of nineteen, 
 he was appointed professor of grammar and rhetoric in 
 the college of Lisieux. He then went to Paris, and 
 studied under Beau and Batteux ; when, applying 
 himself more particularly to the profession of physic, 
 he returned to Caen, in his thirtieth year, and put on 
 the cap of Doctor of medicine ; but he wanted either 
 nerves or stamina for the successful exercise of his pro- 
 fession. He had cured a patient, after painful and la- 
 borious attention, of a very serious illness ; but his pa- 
 
 Tannegui le Fevre, ne k Caen, en 1647^ p^re de Mde. Dacier. 
 Vabignon, Pierre, Mathematicien, ri6 k Caen^ en 1654. 
 
CAEN. 
 
 329 
 
 tient chose to take liberties too soon with his conva- 
 lescent state. He was imprudent : had a relapse ; and 
 was hurried to his grave, Moysant took it seriously 
 to hearty and gave up his business in precipitancy and 
 disgust. In fact^ he was of too sanguine and irritable 
 a temperament for the display of that cool, cautious, 
 and patient conduct, which it behoveth all young phy- 
 sicians to adopt, ere they can possibly hope to attain 
 the honours or the wealth of the Baillies and Halfords 
 of the day ! Our Moysant returned to the study of his 
 beloved belles-lettres. At that moment, luckily, the 
 Society of the Jesuits was suppressed; and he was 
 called by the King, in 1763, to fill the chair of Rhe- 
 toric in one of the finest establishments of that body 
 at Caen. He afterwards successively became per- 
 petual Secretary of the Academy of Sciences, and Vice- 
 President of the Society of Agriculture. He was next 
 dubbed by the University, Dean of the faculty of arts, 
 and was selected to pronounce the public oration upon 
 the marriage of the unfortunate Louis XVI. with Marie 
 Antoinette. He was now a marked and distinguished 
 public character. The situation of Public Librarian 
 was only wanting to render his reputation complete, 
 and that he instantly obtained upon the death of his 
 predecessor. With these occupations, he united that 
 of instructing the English (who were always in the 
 habit of visiting Caen,) in the French language ; and 
 he obtained, in return, from some of his adult pupils, 
 a pretty good notion of the laws and hberties of Old 
 England. 
 
 The Revolution now came on ; when, like many of 
 his respectable brethren, he hailed it at first as the har- 
 
330 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 binger of national reformation and prosperity. But he 
 had soon reason to find that he had been deceived. 
 However, in the fervour of the moment, and upon the 
 suppression of the monastic and other public libraries, 
 he received a very wide and unqualified commission to 
 search all the libraries in the department of Calvados ^ 
 and to bring home to Caen all the treasures he might 
 discover. He set forth upon this mission with truly 
 public spirited ideas : resolving (says his nephew) to 
 do for Normandy what Dugdale and Dodsworth had 
 done for England — and a Monasticum Neustriacum 
 was the commendable object of his ambition. He pro- 
 mised much, and perhaps did more than he promised. 
 His curious collection (exclusively of the cart-loads of 
 books which were sent to Caen) was shewn to his 
 countrymen ; but the guillotine was now the order of 
 the day — when Moysant ^ resolved to visit England, 
 and submit to the English nobility the plan of his work, 
 as that nation always attached importance to the pre- 
 servation of the monuments, or literary materials, of 
 the middle ages." — He knew (continues the nephew) 
 how proud the English were of their descent from the 
 Norman nobles, and it was only to put them in pos- 
 session of the means of preserving the unquestionable 
 proofs of their origin. Moysant accordingly came 
 over with his wife, and they were both quickly declared 
 emigrants ; their return was interdicted ; and our 
 bibliomaniac learnt, with heart-rending regret, that 
 they had resolved upon the sale of the national pro- 
 perty in France. He was therefore to live by his wits ; 
 having spiritedly declined all offer of assistance from 
 the English government. In this dilemma he pub- 
 
CAEN. 
 
 331 
 
 lished a work entitled " BihUotheque des Ecrivains 
 Francais, on choix des meilleurs morceaux en pilose et 
 en vers, extraits de lew^s ouvrages" — a collection, 
 which was formed with judgment, and which was 
 attended with complete success. The first edition was 
 in four octavo volumes, in 1800 ; the second, in six 
 volumes 1803 ; a third edition, I think, followed, with 
 a pocket dictionary of the English and French lan- 
 guages. It was during his stay amongst us that he 
 was deservedly admitted a member of the Society of 
 Antiquaries ; but he had returned to France in 1802, 
 before the appearance of the second edition of his 
 BihUotheque ; and hawk-like, soaring or sailing in 
 suspense between the book-atmospheres of Paris and 
 Caen, he settled within the latter place — and again 
 perched himself (at the united call of his townsmen) 
 upon the chair destined for the Public Librarian ! 
 Up to this moment, or rather till just before the return 
 of Moysant, the public library could not boast of a fine 
 locale,* A portion of the present building, called les 
 Batimens de la Mairie, was accordingly devoted to its 
 reception ; the books having been formally declared 
 the property of the town"— and not, as before, of the 
 University. It was to give order, method, and freedom 
 of access, to the enormous mass of books, which the 
 dissolution of the monastic libraries had caused to be 
 accumulated at Caen, that Moysant and his colleagues 
 now devoted themselves with an assiduity as heroic as 
 
 * In Ducarel's time, it was a handsome regular building, tolerably 
 well furnished with books, and was kept open for the public two days 
 in every week. — Anglo-Norman Antiquities, p. 70. 
 
332 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 it was iinintermitting. But the health of our generalis- 
 simo, which had been impaired during his residence in 
 England, began to give way beneath such a pressure 
 of fatigue and anxiety. Yet it pleased Providence to 
 prolong his life till towards the close of the year 1813 : 
 when he had the satisfaction of viewing his folios^ 
 quartos, octavos, and duodecimos, arranged in regular 
 succession, and fair array — when his work was honestly 
 done — and when future visitors had only to stretch 
 forth their hands and gather the fruit which he had 
 placed within their reach. His death (we are told) 
 was gentle, and like unto sleep. Religion had con- 
 soled him in his latter moments ; and after having 
 reposed upon its efficacy, he waited with perfect 
 composure for the breathing of his last sigh. Let the 
 words of his nephew tell the rest ;^ and meanwhile, 
 
 * ^' M. Moysant avait une conversation douce, instructive, et en 
 m^me temps amusante par le grand nombre d'anecdotes qu'il racon- 
 tait d'un ton qui lui etait propre, et qui y ajoutait encore un degre d'in- 
 tdret ; sa correspondance etait tr^s-etendue, et son extreme complai- 
 sance lui faisait faire volontiers les recherches qui lui etaient demandees. 
 
 " Toujours pret k faire part des connoissances qu'il avait acquises 
 par ses travaux, il pensa toujours que les services qu'il rendait avec 
 plaisir dtaient une des obligations de la place qu'il occupait, et si M. 
 Barbier, auteurdudictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes, et M. Henniker, 
 auteur d un ouvrage en Anglais sur les briques armori^es de I'Abbaye 
 St. Etienne de Caen, n'eussent consigne son nom dans leurs ouvrages, 
 on ignorerait les obligations qu'ils lui ont, et qu'ils se sont plu ^ faire 
 connaitre 5 il a revu et corrige deux Editions du Dictionnaire des Grands 
 Hommes qui lui doit plus d'un volume d'augmentation. 
 
 Les diflerens emplois queM. Moysant a rem pliset seautres travaux 
 lui ont assignd un rang honorable parmi les hommes instruits : sa m^~ 
 raoire vivra encore long-temps dans une portion de la society ^tran- 
 gcire ^ sa reputation litt^raire, et c'est a une des plus belles qualites 
 
CAEN. 333 
 
 let the name of Moysant be mentioned with the bibli- 
 omaniacal honours which are doubtless its due ! . . 
 
 From Librarians revert we to books : to the books 
 in the pubhc library of Caen. The oldest printed 
 volume contained in it, and which had been bound with 
 a MS, on the supposition of its being- a manuscript 
 also, is Numeister s impression of Aretin de Bello 
 adversus Gothos, 1470, foho ; the first book from the 
 press of the printer. I undeceived M. Hebert, who 
 had supposed it to be a MS. The lettering- is covered 
 with horn, and the book is bound in boards ; ''all pro- 
 per." The oldest Latin Bible they possess, is of the 
 date of 1485 ; but there is preserved one volume of 
 Sweynheym and Pannartz's impression of De Lyra's 
 Commentary upon the Bible, of the date of 1471-2, 
 which luckily contains the list of books printed by 
 those printers in their memorable supplicatory letter to 
 
 qui fassent honneur au coeur humain^ c'est au desir de se rendre utile 
 aux malheureux qu'il doit le souvenir qu'ils conserveront des services 
 qu'il leur a rendus : ses connoissances littdraires Tavaient mis de bonne 
 heure en relation avec les personnes les plus distinguees de la Ville et 
 de la Province, par leur rang ou leur fortune j plus tard ses dlfeves 
 remplissaient les premiers emplois dans les administrations et la ma- 
 gistrature y il se servit de I'acces qu'il avait auprbs d'eux pour leur 
 porter les reclamations de ceux qui gemissaient dans Tinfortune, ou 
 qui avaient des graces a demander il ^tait si naturellement compa- 
 tissant, qu'il s'occupa toute sa vie des malheureux, et qu'il d^ploya 
 dans tous les instans la plus grande activite pour leur rendre service. 
 
 " M. Moysant s'etait marie et une union qui a dure quarante-trois 
 ans, lui avait fait gouter tous les charmes du bonheur domestique 3 il 
 fut cependant trouble par la mort de son fils unique : le temps seul 
 put afFaiblir sa douleur, le temps seul consolera I'epouse qui lui 
 survit." 
 
334 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 Pope Sixtus IV. The earliest Latin Classic appears to 
 be the Juvenal of 1474^ with the Commentary of Cal- 
 derinus^ printed at Rome ; unless a dateless impres- 
 sion of Lucan, in the earliest type of Gering, with the 
 verses placed at a considerable distance from each 
 other^ claim chronological precedence. There is also 
 a Valerius Maximus of 1475^ by Caesaris and Stol, 
 but without their names. It is a large copy, soiled at 
 the beginning. Of the same date is Gering's impres- 
 sion of the Legenda Sanctorum ; and among the jpiC^ 
 tttWt^ I almost coveted a very elegant specimen of 
 Jehan du Pre's printing (with a device used by him 
 never before seen by me^) of an edition of La Vie des 
 Peres, in 1494, folio, original binding. It was not 
 however free from the worm. I collected, from the 
 written catalogue, that they had only forty-five 
 works printed in the fifteenth century ; and of 
 these, none were of first-rate quality. Indeed I know 
 not if the most interesting be not already recorded. 
 
 Among the MSS., I was much struck with the beau- 
 tiful penmanship of a work, in three folio volumes, of 
 the middle of the xvith century, entitled ; Divertisse- 
 mens touchant le faict de la guerre, extraits des livres 
 de Polybe, Frontin, Vegece, Cornazzan, Machiavel, et 
 autres hons autheursy It has no illuminations, but the 
 scription is beautiful. A Breviary of the Church Ser- 
 vice of Lisieux, of the xvth century, has some pretty 
 but common illuminations. It is not free from injury. 
 Of more intrinsic worth is a MS. entitled Du Costentin 
 (a district not far from Caen,) with the following prefix 
 in the hand-writing of Moysant. " Ces memoires sont 
 de M. Toustaint de Billy, cure du Mesnil au-parc, qui 
 
CAEN. 
 
 335 
 
 avoit travaille toiite sa vie a Thistoire du Cotentin. lis 
 sont rares et m ont ete accordes par M. Joiirdan, No- 
 taire, aiiquel ils appartenoient. Le p. (P^re) le Long 
 et Mons. Teriet de fontette ne les ont pas connu. 
 Moysantz." It is a small folio, in a neat hand-writing. 
 Another MS.^ or rather a compound of ms. and printed 
 leaves, of yet considerably more importance, in 3 folio 
 volumes^ is entitled Le Mover I des Normans, par Joseph 
 Andrid Guiat de Rouen : on the reverse of the title, 
 we read/^ Supplement au Dictionnaire de Moreri pour 
 ce qui concerne la province de Normandie, et ses 
 illustresr A short preface follows ; then an ode aux 
 Grands Hommes de Normandie." It is executed in the 
 manner of a dictionary, running in alphabetical order. 
 The first volume extends to I, and is illustrated with 
 scraps from newspapers, and a few portraits. It is 
 written pretty fully in double columns. The portrait 
 and biography of Bouzard form an admirable specimen 
 of biographical literary memoirs. The second volume 
 goes to Z. The third volume is entitled ^^Les troisSiecles 
 palinodiques, ou Histoire Gen&ale des Palinods de 
 Rouen, Dieppe, ^c, — by the same hand, with an equal 
 quantity of matter. It is right that such labours should 
 be noticed, for the sake of all future BLiss-like editors 
 of provincial literature. There is anothei' similar work, 
 in 2 folio ms. volumes, relating to Coutance. 
 
 Before we again touch upon printed books, but of a 
 later period, it may be right to inform you that the 
 treasures of this Library suffered materially from the 
 commotions of the Calvinists. Those hot-headed in- 
 terpreters of scripture destroyed every thing in the 
 shape of ornament or elegance attached to book-covers ; 
 
336 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 and piles of volumes^ however sacred^ or unexceptiona- 
 ble on the score of good morals^ were consigned to the 
 fury of the flames. Of the remaining volumes which I 
 saw, take the following very rapid sketch. Of Hours, 
 or Church Services, there is a prodigiously fine copy of 
 an edition printed by Vostre, in 4 to., upon paper, with- 
 out date. It is in the original ornamented cover, or 
 binding, with a forest of rough edges to the leaves — 
 and doubtless the finest copy of the kind I ever saw. 
 Compared with this, how inferior in every respect is 
 a cropt copy of Kerver's impression of a similar work, 
 printed upon vellum ! This latter is indeed a very 
 indifferent book ; but the rough usage it has met with 
 is the sole cause of such inferiority. I was well pleased 
 with a fair, sound copy of the Speculum Stultorum, in 
 4to., bl. letter, in hexameter and pentameter verse, 
 without date. Consult De Bure^ vol. i. no. 3988. Nor 
 did I examine without interest a rare little volume 
 entitled "Le.v Orlgines de quelques Coutumes anciennes, 
 et de plus'ieurs faco7is de parler trivlales. Avec un vieux 
 Manuscrit en vers, touchant VOrigine des Chevaliers 
 Bannerets ; printed at Caen in 1672, 12mo. : a curious 
 little work. They have a fine (royal) copy of Walton s 
 Polyglot, with an excellent impression of the head; 
 and a large paper copy of Stephens Greek Glossary ; 
 in old vellum binding, with a great number of ms. 
 notes by Bochart. Also a fine large paper Photius of 
 1654, folio. But among their large papers, few 
 volumes tower with greater magnificence than do the 
 three folios of La Sainte Bible, printed by the Elze- 
 virs at Amsterdam, in 1669. They are absolutely fine 
 creatures ; of the stateliest dimensions and most attrac- 
 
CAEN. 
 
 337 
 
 tive forms. They also pretend that their large paper 
 copy of the first edition of Huefs Prceparatio Evan- 
 gelica, in folio^ is unique. Probably it is, as the author 
 presented it to the Library himself. The Basil East a- 
 thius of 1559, in 3 volumes folio, is as glorious a copy 
 as is Mr. Grenville's of the Roman edition of 1542. It 
 is in its pristine membranaceous attire — the vellum 
 lapping over the fore-edges, in the manner of Mr. 
 Heber's copy of the first Aldine Aristotle, — most com- 
 fortable to behold ! There is a fine large paper copy of 
 Montaigne s Essays, 1635, folio, containing two titles 
 and a portrait of the author. It is bound in red mo- 
 rocco, and considered by M. Hebert a most rare and 
 desirable book. Indeed I was told that one Collector 
 in particular was exceedingly anxious to obtain it. I 
 saw a fine copy of the folio edition of Ronsard, printed 
 in 1584, which is considered rare. There is also a copy 
 of the well known Liber Nance idos, from Bochart's 
 library, with a few ms. notes of Bochart himself. 
 Hei^ I saw, for the first time, a French metrical ver- 
 sion of the works of Virgil, by Robert and Anthony 
 Chevaliers d'Agneaux peres, de Vire, en Normandie ; 
 published at Paris in 1585, in elegant italic type ; con- 
 sidered rare. The same translators published a version 
 of Horace; but it is not here. You may remember 
 that I made mention of a certain work (in one of my 
 late letters) called Les Vaudevires d" Olivier Basselin, 
 They preserve here a very choice copy of it, in 4to., 
 large paper ; and of which size only three copies are 
 said to be in existence. The entire title is Les V lude- 
 vires, Poesies du xyme. siecle, far Olivier Basselin^ avec 
 un Discours sur sa Vie et des Notes pour V explication 
 
338 CAEN. 
 
 de quelques anciens Mots: Vire^ 1811," 8vo. There 
 are copies upon pink paper, of which this is one — -and 
 which was in fact presented to the Library by the 
 Editors. Prefixed to it, is an indifferent drawing, in 
 india ink, representing the old castle of Vire, now 
 nearly demolished, with BasseUn seated at a table along 
 with three of his boosing companions, chaunting his 
 verses " a pleine gorge." This Basselin appears in 
 short to have been the French Drunken Barnaby of 
 his day. 
 
 " What ! (say you :) " not one single specimen from 
 the library of your favourite Diane de Poictiers! 
 Can this be possible ? " — No more of interrogatory, I 
 beseech you : but listen attentively and gratefully to 
 the intelligence which you are about to receive — and 
 fancy not, if you have any respect for my taste, that 
 I have forgotten my favourite Diane de Poictiers. On 
 looking sharply about you, within this library, there 
 will be found a magnificent copy of the Commentaries 
 of Chrysostom upon the Epistles of St. Paul, printed 
 by Stephanus et Fr aires da Sabio, at Verona, in 1529, 
 in three folio volumes. It is by much and by far the 
 finest Greek work which I ever saw from the Sahii 
 Press. No wonder Colbert jumped with avidity to 
 receive such a copy of it : for, bating that it is un 
 pen rogne," the condition and colour are quite enchant- 
 ing. And then for the ligature, or binding thereof ! — 
 which either Colbert, or his librarian Baluze, had the 
 good sense and good taste to leave untouched. The 
 first and second volumes are in reddish calf, with the 
 royal arms in the centre, and the half moon (in tarnished 
 silver) beneath: the arabesque ornaments, or surround- 
 
CAEN. 
 
 339 
 
 ing border are in gilt. The edges are gilt, stamped ; 
 flush with the fore edge of the binding. In the centre 
 of the sides of the binding, is a large with a fleur de 
 lis at top : the top and bottom borders presenting 
 the usual D and H, united — for which you may take 
 a peep at a certain work ycleped the Bibliographical 
 Decameron. The third volume is in dark blue leather, 
 with the same side ornaments ; and the title of the 
 work, as with the preceding volumes, is lettered in 
 Greek capitals. The H and crown, and monogram, as 
 before ; but the edges of the leaves are, in this volume, 
 stamped at bottom and top with an H, surmounted by 
 a crown. The sides of the binding are also fuller and 
 richer than in the preceding volumes. I well remember, 
 at this moment, that this was the very work, of which^ 
 when residing at Worcester^ — commencing my career 
 in life as a provincial Counsel — I had the misfortune to 
 lose the third volume : and the loss so affected me, that, 
 to recover it^ I left the profession, and became biblio- 
 grapher and divine. But the long sought after, and 
 deeply regretted object, has ever continued to elude my 
 research. The magnificent copy which I have been 
 just describing was given to the Library by P. Le 
 Jeune. It is quite a treasure in its way. 
 
 Another specimen, if you please, from the Hbrary of 
 the said favourite Diana. It is rather of a singular 
 character: consisting of a French version of that 
 once extremely popular work (originally published in 
 the Latin language) called the Cosmography of Sebas- 
 tian Munster. The edition is of the date of 1555, in 
 folio. This copy must have been as splendid as it is 
 yet curious. It contains two portraits of Henry the 
 
340 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 Second (^^ Henricvs II. Galliarvm Rex invictiss. 
 PP.") and four of Holofernes (^^ Olofarne") on each 
 side of the binding-. In the centre of the sides we 
 recognise the lunar ornaments of Diane de Poictiers ; 
 but on the back^ are five portraits of her, in gilt, each 
 within the bands — and, like all the other ornaments, 
 much rubbed. Two of these five heads are facing a 
 different head of Henry. There are also on the sides 
 two pretty medallions of a winged figure blowing a 
 trumpet, and standing upon a chariot drawn by four 
 horses : there are also small fleur de lis scattered be- 
 tween the ornaments of the sides of the binding. The 
 date of the foremen tioned medallion seems to be 1553. 
 The copy is cruelly cropt, and the volume is sufficiently 
 badly printed ; which makes it the more surprising that 
 such pains should have been taken with its bibliope- 
 gistic embellishments. On examining it, I could not 
 help thinking how much inferior, in size and condition, 
 was the copy of it which I had seen at Frere's, at 
 Rouen, and in the dark and dank corridore of the 
 younger Manoury at Caen. Yet, upon the whole, the 
 copy, for the sake of its ornaments, is vehemently 
 desirable. 
 
 And now, my dear friend, you must make your 
 bow with me to M. Hebert, and bid farewell to the 
 PUBLIC LIBRARY at Cacu. ludccd I am fully dis- 
 posed to bid farewell to every thing else in the same 
 town : not however without being conscious that very 
 much, both of what I have, and of what I have not, 
 seen, merits a detail well calculated to please the in- 
 tellectual appetites of travellers. What I have seen, 
 has been, indeed, but summarily, and even superfi- 
 
CAEN. 
 
 341 
 
 cially described ; but I have done my best ; and was 
 fearful of exciting* ennui, by a more parish register-Uke 
 description. Yet what becomes of those grand topics, 
 the religion and law of the country through which one 
 has travelled ? Not a word about altars and tribu- 
 nals ? Very little indeed : and that little, I fear, most 
 jejune and unsatisfactory. For the service performed in 
 places of public worship, I can add nothing to my Rouen 
 details — except that there is here a brilliant diversity 
 in the Protestant church in the person of M. Martin 
 RoLLiN — Pasteur, President de FEglise Reform6 
 consistoriale de Caen" — who has just published a Me- 
 moir eHistorique sur VEtat EccUsiastique des Prof est ans 
 Francois depuis Francois \er. jusqiia Louis XF^III:'^ 
 in a pamphlet of some fourscore pages. The task was 
 equally delicate and difficult of execution ; but hav- 
 ing read it, I am free to confess that M. RoUin has 
 done his work very neatly and very cleverly. I went 
 in company with Mrs. and Miss I^*^ to hear the 
 author preach ; for he is a young man (about thirty) 
 who draws his congregation as much from his talents 
 as a preacher, as from his moral worth as an indivi- 
 dual. It was on the occasion of several young ladies 
 and gentlemen taking the sacrament for the first time. 
 The church is strictly, I beheve, according to the Ge- 
 neva persuasion; but there was something so com- 
 fortable, and to me so cheering, in the avowed doc- 
 trine of Protestantism, that I accompanied my friends 
 with alacrity to the spot. Many English were pre- 
 sent ; for M. Rollin is deservedly a favourite with our 
 countrymen. The church, however, was scarcely 
 half filled. The interior is the most aukwardly adapt- 
 
 VOL. I. X 
 
342 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 ed imaginable to the purposes either of reading or 
 of preaching : for it consists of two aisles at right 
 angles with each other. The desk and pulpit are fixed 
 in the receding angle of their junction ; so that the voice 
 flies forth to the right and left immediately as it 
 escapes the preacher. After a very long, and a very 
 diously-sung psalm^ Mr. Rollin commenced his dis- 
 course. He is an extemporaneous preacher, and is 
 said to strive (very foolishly, in my opinion) to imi- 
 tate Talma in some of his action. I observed (and 
 could not help regretting as I observed) the mode in 
 which, after extending his arms at their entire length 
 in a right line, he would cause his hands to shake 
 and flutter, like the tremulous wing of a bird ere 
 it settles ! But " de gustibus" . . . His voice is sweet 
 and clear, rather than sonorous and impressive ; and 
 he is perhaps, occasionally, too metaphorical in his 
 composition. For the first time I heard the words " Oh 
 Dieu r pronounced with great effect : but the sermon 
 was made up of better things than mere exclamations. 
 M. Rollin was frequently ingenious, logical, and 
 convincing ; and his address to the young commu- 
 nicants, towards the close of his discourse, was im- 
 pressive and efficient in the extreme. The young 
 people were deeply touched by his powerful appeal, and 
 I believe each countenance was suffused with tears. 
 He guarded them against the dangers and temptations 
 of that world upon which they were about to enter, 
 by setting before them the consolations of the religion 
 which they had professed, in a manner which indicated 
 that he had really their interests and happiness at heart. 
 The females were dressed in white, with long white 
 
CAEN. 
 
 343 
 
 veils ; and not one of the congregation, on quitting the 
 church, passed by them without fixing their eye upon 
 objects of such interest and sensibility. The sermon was 
 followed by a psalm, as drawling in its mode of per- 
 formance as that by which it had been preceded. I 
 forget if it was permitted to any of the congregation to 
 stay behind, to communicate ; but I cannot leave the 
 threshold of the church without expressing how much 
 I was gratified by the promptitude and civility of the 
 verger, in accommodating us with good seats : " si sic 
 semper apud nos" — would be no bad hint to attend to 
 across the Channel. 
 
 So much for Sabbath worship. A word only about 
 Courts of Justice. " A smack of the whip" will tingle in 
 my ears through life ; and I shall always attend " Nisi 
 Prius" exhibitions with more than ordinary curiosity. I 
 strolled one morning to the Place de Justice — which is 
 well situated, in an airy and respectable neighbourhood. 
 I saw two or three barristers, en pleine costume, pretty 
 nearly in the English fashion, walking quickly to and 
 fro with their clients, in the open air, before the hall ; 
 and could not help contrasting the quick eye and un- 
 concerned expression of countenance of the former, 
 with the simple look and yet earnest action of the 
 latter. One of these barristers might have been mis- 
 taken for an Englishman : but I will not say wherefore, 
 for fear a Frenchman should be looking over your 
 shoulderwhen you read this. I entered the Hall, and to 
 my astonishment, heard only a low muttering sound. 
 Scarcely fifteen people were present. I approached the 
 bench ; and what, think you, were the intellectual ob- 
 jects upon which my eye alighted? Three Judges . . 
 
344 
 
 CAEN. 
 
 all fast asleep! Five barristers, two of whom were 
 nodding : one was literally addressing* the bench . . . 
 and the remaining two were talking to their clients in 
 the most unconcerned manner imaginable. The entire 
 effect, on my mind, was ridiculous in the extreme. 
 With difficulty I refrained from absolute laughter, 
 and quitted the Hall of Justice within five minutes of 
 my entrance. Far be it from me, however, to desig- 
 nate the foregoing as a generally true picture of the 
 administration of Justice at Caen. I am induced to 
 hope and believe that a place, so long celebrated for 
 the study of the law, yet continues occasionally to ex- 
 hibit proofs of that logic and eloquence for which it 
 has been renowned of old. I am wiUing to conclude 
 that all the judges are not alike somniferous ; and that 
 if the acuteness of our Giffords, and the rhetoric of 
 our Den MANS, sometimes instruct and enliven the au- 
 dience, there will be found Judges to argue hke Gibbs 
 and to decide like Scott. Farewell. Ere the setting of 
 to-morrow's sun, I shall have gazed upon the famous 
 tapestry at Bayeux. Most cordially yours. 
 
345 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 BAYEUX. CATHEDRAL. ORDINATION OF PRIESTS AND 
 DEACONS. CRYPT OF THE CATHEDRAL. A MYSTERI- 
 OUS INTERVIEW. 
 
 Bayeux^ May 16, 1818. 
 
 Two of the most gratifying days of my " voyage" 
 have been spent at this jDlace : and although the Tapes- 
 try has not yet been absolutely "gazed upon/' the Ca- 
 thedral (the most ancient religious place of worship in 
 Normandy) has been paced with a reverential step, 
 and surveyed with a careful eye. That which scarcely 
 warmed the blood of Ducarel has made my heart beat 
 with an increased action ; and though this town be 
 even dreary, as well as thinly peopled, there is that 
 about it, which, from associations of ideas, can never 
 fail to afford a lively interest to a British antiquary. 
 
 Our old favourite method of traveUing, in the cabri- 
 olet of the diligence, brought us here from Caen in 
 about two hours and a half. The country, during the 
 whole route, is open, well cultivated, occasionally 
 gently undulating, but generally denuded of trees. It 
 is always so in the vicinity of great towns. Many 
 pretty little churches, with delicate spires, peeped 
 upon us to the right and left during our journey ; but 
 the first view of the Cathedral of Bayeux put all the 
 others out of our recollection. Yet even this first 
 
346 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 view produced a " pish !" from both of us : which arose 
 from the corrupt style of architecture of the central 
 tower— the upper part of which is of the time of Francis 
 I. This central tower is not only lower than the two 
 spire-crowned towers at the western extremity, but is^ 
 in other respects, a very indifferent piece of building*. 
 The end spires are rather lofty than elegant : in truth 
 they are, in respect to form and ornament, about as 
 sorry performances as can be seen. We were con- 
 veyed to the Hotel de Luxembourg, the best inn in the 
 town, and for a wonder rather pleasantly situated. 
 
 Mine hostess" is a smart, lively, and shrewd woman 
 — perfectly mistress of the art and craft of innkeep- 
 ing, and seems to have never known sorrow or disap- 
 pointment. Our bed-rooms are excellent, and a silk 
 coverlid and fringed bed-furniture gives to my own 
 apartment the aspect of neatness and even of gaiety. 
 Knowing that Mr. Stothard, Jun. had, the preceding 
 year, been occupied in making a fac-simile of the " fa- 
 mous tapestry" for our own Society of Antiquaries, I en- 
 quired if mine hostess had been acquainted with that 
 gentleman : " Monsieur," replied she, " je le connois 
 bien ; c'est un brave homme : il demeura tout pres : aussi 
 travailla-t-il comme quatre diables !" I will not dis- 
 guise that this eulogy of our amiable countryman 
 pleased me " right well" — though I was pretty sure 
 that such language was the current (and to me some- 
 what coarse) coin of compliment upon all occasions — 
 and instead of " vin ordinaire" I ordered, rather in 
 a gay and triumphant manner, " une bouteille du 
 vin de Beaune" — "Ah ! 5a," (replied the lively landlady,) 
 vous le trouverez excellent — Messieurs, il n'y a pas 
 
BAYEUX. 347 
 
 du vin comme le vin de Beaune." We bespoke our 
 dinner, and strolled towards the cathedral. 
 
 There is, in fact, no proper approach to this inter- 
 esting- edifice. The western end is suffocated with 
 houses. Here stands the post-office ; and with the 
 most unsuspecting frankness, on the part of the owner, 
 I had permission to examine, with my own hands, 
 within doors, every letter— under the expectation that 
 there were some for myself. Nor was I disappointed. 
 But you must come with me to the cathedral : and of 
 course we must enter tog-ether at the western front. 
 There are five porticos : the central one being rather 
 large, and the two, on either side, comparatively small. 
 Formerly, these were covered with sculptured figures 
 and ornaments ; but the Calvinists in the sixteenth, and 
 the Revolutionists in the eighteenth century, have con- 
 trived to render their present aspect mutilated and re- 
 pulsive in the extreme. You should know, however, 
 before you enter, that the tower to the left is coeval 
 with the nave and choir — that is, of the middle of the 
 xiith century ; while the one to the right is of the xvth 
 century. On entering, we were struck with the two 
 large transverse Norman arches which bestride the 
 area, or square, for the bases of the two towers. It 
 is the boldest and finest piece of masonry in the whole 
 building. We were disappointed with the interior. It 
 is plain, solid, and rather divested of ornament. A very 
 large wooden crucifix is placed over the screen of the 
 choir, which has an effect — of its kind : but the monu- 
 ments, and mural ornaments, scarcely deserve mention. 
 The richly ornamented arches, on each side of the nave, 
 springing from massive single pillars, have rather an im- 
 
348 
 
 BAYEUX 
 
 posing effect : above them are Gothic ornaments of a 
 later period, but too thickly and injudiciously applied. 
 The choir is rather fine, than otherwise ; but taken as a 
 whole, I cannot say much for the interior of this ca- 
 thedral. Let us, however, suppose that the dinner is 
 over, and the " vin de Beaune" approved of — and that 
 on our second visit, immediately afterwards^ there is 
 both time and inclination for a leisurely survey. On 
 looking up, upon entering, within the side aisle to the 
 left, you observe, with infinite regret, a dark and filthy 
 green tint indicative of premature decay — arising from 
 the lead of that part of the roof having been stript for 
 the purpose of making bullets during the Revolution- — 
 a fate usually attendant upon poor cathedrals during 
 popular insurrections ! The extreme length of the in- 
 terior is about 320 English feet, by 76 high, and the 
 latter number of feet in width. The transepts are 
 about 125 feet long, by 36 wide. The western towers, 
 to the very top of the spires, are about 250 English 
 feet in height. The cathedral, in its present form,* 
 (with the exception of such additions as are evidently 
 of a posterior date) owes its erection to the munificent 
 spirit of Philip de Harcourt, bishop of the diocese in 
 the middle of the xiith century. The exact date of 
 the completion of the choir, supposed to be the earlier 
 
 * in its present form.'] — Ducarel's faithless and diminutive view of it 
 is only fit for a lady's pocket-book. Nor can I think^ without pain^ of 
 a copy of this defective print having been introduced into the pages of 
 the Gentleman s Magazine for July 1819 3 especially as the 53d 
 and 54th volumes of that work contain some creditable representa- 
 tions of the cathedrals^ copied from better models in Ducarel's work. 
 
BAYEUX. 349 
 
 part, is of the year 1159. But it had been previously 
 twice or thrice rebuilt; by the Normans in 891,^ and 
 afterwards, from two successive fires— one in 1046, and 
 the other in 1 106. As you pace the nave you cannot fail 
 to be struck, on the left, with one of the most magnificent 
 and highly ornamented pulpits in Normandy. It has 
 however suffered from the revolutionary barbarians. 
 
 One of the most curious objects in the cathedral is 
 the CRYPT ; of which, singularly enough, all knowledge 
 had been long lost till the year 1412. The circumstance 
 of its discovery is told in the following inscription, cut 
 in the Gothic letter, upon a brass plate, and placed just 
 above the southern entrance: 
 
 €n Ian mil qmttt tm^ ^ tiouje 
 €icr^ imt ti'Sturil que plupe artousfe 
 %t0 him^' ijc la urn, Ka joutnce 
 <©ue la ^a^qm^ fut tekhm 
 l^oBIe l^ommc ^ iletjerenti ^ete 
 3[e!>an lie 25oi^^ep, be la a^cre 
 
 * The church was dedicated, after the second fire^ byOoo de Conte- 
 viLLE, the Conqueror's brother: — and William, his wife, and two 
 children (Robert and William Rufus) were present at the ceremony. 
 Odo lavished upon the church still greater property than William 
 had bestowed upon it— and especially the Barony of Plessis. '^^ Ce 
 Prelat combla sa nouvelle eglise de presens. Un des plus remarqua- 
 bles etoit la Couronne de cuivre dore, couverte de lames d'argent, & at- 
 tachee a une chaine de fer dans la nef vis-a-vis du crucifix. Cette 
 couronne de 16 pieds de hauteur, et ornee d'autres couronnes en forme 
 de tours, occupoit la largeur de la nef : elle servoit a porter quantite de 
 cierges qu'on allumoit dans les grandes fetes : il y avoit aussi 47 vers 
 Latins graves tout autour, k la louange de I'eglise." Hist. Sommaire 
 de la Ville de Bayeux; 1773, 8vo. p. 39. This extraordinary ornament 
 was destroyed during the religious persecution of 1562. 
 
350 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 Mmbi I anic a $on Crcatcur 
 
 €t lov^ cn foi^^fant la place 
 
 jaoeljant la {jranD %\xttl lie grace 
 
 €rDba I on la Ba^sf^e Cljapelle 
 
 SDont il n aboit ete noutoelle 
 
 <©u il c^t mi^ en i0?epulture 
 
 2Dieu ueuille atooir ame en cure» SBmen. 
 
 Ducarel seems to have had an aversion, or at least 
 no curiosity, towards crypts ; and accordingly both at 
 Caen and Bayeux he raised his head above the influ- 
 ence of subterraneous, and supposed noxious, vapours : 
 but a good sniff of these cold and darksome regions is 
 quite refreshing to a thorough-bred architectural anti- 
 quary ! It was my good fortune to visit this crypt at a 
 very particular juncture. The day after my arrival 
 at Bayeux, there was a grand ordination. Before I 
 had quitted my bed, I heard the mellow and measured 
 notes of human voices; and starting up, I saw an al- 
 most interminable procession of priests, deacons, &c., 
 walking singly behind each other, in two lines, leaving 
 a considerable space between them. They walked bare- 
 headed, chanting, with a book in their hands, and bent 
 their course towards the cathedral. I dressed quickly ; 
 and dispatching my breakfast with equal promptitude, 
 pursued the same route. On entering the western 
 doors, thrown wide open, I shall never forget the effect 
 produced by the crimson and blue draperies of the 
 Norman women — a great number of whom were clus- 
 tered, in groups, upon the top of the screen, about the 
 
BAYEUX 
 
 351 
 
 huge wooden crucifix ; — witnessing the office of ordi- 
 nation going on below, in the choir. They seemed to 
 be suspended in the air ; and considering the piece of 
 sculpture around which they appeared to gather them- 
 selves — with the elevation of the screen itself — it was a 
 combination of objects upon which the pencil of Nash 
 (the most poetical of our architectural draftsmen) 
 might have been exercised with the happiest possible 
 result. An ordination in a foreign country, and espe- 
 cially one upon such an apparently extensive scale, 
 was, to a professional man, not to be slighted ; and ac- 
 cordingly I determined upon making the most of the 
 spectacle before me. Looking accidentally down my 
 favourite crypt, I observed that some religious cere- 
 mony was going on there. The northern grate, or en- 
 trance, being open, I descended a flight of steps, and 
 quickly became a lodger in this subterraneous abode. 
 The first object that struck me was, the warm glow of 
 day light which darted upon the broad pink cross of 
 the surplice of an officiating priest: a candle was 
 burning upon the altar, on each side of him : another 
 priest, in a black vesture, officiated as an assistant — 
 and each, in turn, knelt, and bowed, and prayed . . to 
 the admiration of some few half dozen casual yet at- 
 tentive visitors — while the full sonorous chant from the 
 voices of upwards of one hundred and fifty priests and 
 deacons, from the choir above, gave a peculiar sort of 
 solemnity to the mysterious gloom below. In spite of 
 my abstraction, I did not fail, however, to notice that 
 the pillars, about half a dozen in number, were of the 
 character of those in the crypt of the Ahhaye aux 
 Dames at Caen ; but the capital of the first pillar, 
 
352 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 upon entering^ exhibits almost the perfect Composite 
 order ! . . . while the other capitals are, generally, of 
 the grotesque character of the xiith century. The 
 arch above them takes its spring immediately from the 
 abacus of the capital : producing rather a singular 
 effect : there is something like painting in fresco just 
 above the capital : but evidently, I should think^ of 
 the latter half of the xvth century. 
 
 I now ascended ; and by the help of a chair, took a 
 peep at the ceremony through the intercolumniations 
 of the choir : my diffidence, or rather apprehension of re- 
 fusal, having withheld me from striving to gain admit- 
 tance within the body. But my situation was a singularly 
 good one : opposite the altar. I looked, and beheld this 
 vast clerical congregation at times kneeling, or standing, 
 or sitting : partially, or wholly : while the swell of their 
 voices, accompanied by the full intonations of the or- 
 gan, and the yet more penetrating notes of the serpent, 
 seemed to breathe more than earthly solemnity around. 
 The ceremony had now continued full two hours — 
 when, in the midst of the most impressive part of it^ 
 and while the young candidates for ordination were 
 prostrate before the high altar — the diapason stop of 
 the organ (as at Dieppe) sending forth the softest notes 
 — the venerable bishop placed the glittering mitre 
 (apparently covered with gold gauze) upon his head, 
 and with a large gilt crosier in his right hand, de- 
 scended, with a measured and majestic step, from the 
 floor of the altar, and proceeded to the execution of the 
 more mysterious part of his office. The candidates, 
 with closed eyes, and outstretched hands, were touched 
 with the holy oil — and thus became consecrated. On 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 353 
 
 rising-j^ach received a small piece of bread between the 
 thumb and forefinger, and the middle and third fingers ; 
 their hands being pressed together — and, still with 
 closed eyes retired behind the high altar — where an offi- 
 ciating priest made use of the bread to rub off the holy 
 oil. The bishop is an elderly man, about three score and 
 ten ; he has the usual sallow tint of his countrymen, 
 but his eye, somewhat sunk or retired, beneath black 
 and overhanging eyebrows, is sharp and expressive 
 — and his whole mien has the indication of a well- 
 bred and well-educated gentleman. When he descend- 
 ed with his full robes, crosier, and mitre, from the high 
 altar, methought I saw some of the venerable forms of 
 ourWvKEHAMs and Waynefletes of old — command- 
 ing the respect, and receiving the homage, of a grate- 
 ful congregation ! You must allow, my dear friend, 
 that if there be few ceremonies more imposing, there 
 are also few more beneficial, than that which I have 
 described ; and that impressions, imbibed in young and 
 honest minds, by such serious offices, are not easily 
 effaced, but are productive in the end of the most salu- 
 tary results. I really do not speak and reason thus 
 because I have partaken of the same ceremony, in a 
 mitigated form, in my own country— or from any vio- 
 lent adherence to what may be called a Laud-like pas 
 sion for hierarchy. On the contrary . . . but you know 
 my sentiments upon this head so fully, that, if you 
 pleatse, as this ceremony is just ended— we will take 
 a stroll together to see what else is worthy of observa- 
 tion within this venerable cathedral. How provoking 
 —or rather how disgusting ! ... At the very moment 
 my mind was deeply occupied by the effects produced 
 
354 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 from this magnificent spectacle, I strolled into Our 
 Ladys Chapel, behind the choir, and beheld a sight 
 which converted seriousness into surprise — bordering 
 upon mirth. Above the altar of this remotely situated 
 chapel, stands the image of the Virgin with the in- 
 fant Jesus in her arms. This is the usual chief orna- 
 ment of Our Lady's Chapel. But what drapery for the 
 mother of the sacred child ! — stiff, starch, rectangu- 
 larly-folded white muslin, stuck about with diverse 
 artificial flowers — like unto a shew figure in Brook 
 Green Fair ! This ridiculous and most disgusting cos- 
 tume began more particularly at Caudebec. Why is it 
 persevered in ? Why is it endured ? The French have a 
 quick sensibihty, and a lively apprehension of what 
 is beautiful and brilliant in the arts of sculpture 
 and painting . . . but the terms " joli," " gentil," and 
 propre," are made use of, like charity, to " cover a 
 multitude of sins" . . or aberrations from true taste. I 
 scarcely stopped a minute in this chapel, but proceeded 
 to a side one, to the right, which yet affords proof of 
 its pristine splendour. It is covered with gold and 
 colours. Two or three supplicants were kneeling before 
 the crucifix, and appeared to be so absorbed in their 
 devotions as to be insensible of every surrounding ob- 
 ject. To them, the particular saint (I have forgotten 
 the name) to whom the little chapel was dedicated, 
 seemed to be dearer and more interesting than the 
 general voice of" praise and thanksgiving" with which 
 the choir of the cathedral resounded. Before we 
 quit the place you must know that fourscore candi- 
 dates were ordained : that there are sixty clergy at- 
 tached to the cathedral ; and that upwards of four hun- 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 355 
 
 dred thousand souls are under the spiritual cognizance 
 of the Bishop of Bayeux. The treasures of the Ca- 
 thedral were once excessive^^*^ and the episcopal stipend 
 proportionably large : but, of late years, things are 
 sadly changed. The Calvinists in the sixteenth cen- 
 tury, began the work of havoc and destruction ; and 
 the Revolutionists in the eighteenth, as usual, " put 
 the colophon" to these devastations. At present, from 
 a very respectable source of information, I learn that the 
 revenues of the Bishop scarcely exceed 7001 per annum 
 of our own money. The chapter had anciently the 
 privilege of coining money. I cannot take leave of the 
 cathedral without commending in strong terms of ad- 
 miration, the lofty flying buttresses of the exterior of 
 the nave. The perpendicular portions are crowned with 
 a sculptured whole length figure, from which the semi- 
 arch takes its spring ; and are in much more elegant 
 taste than any other part of the building. While view- 
 ing the exterior, you cannot fail to be struck, in the 
 general dearth of monuments, with the following mys- 
 terious inscription i-f^ 
 
 Quarta dies Pasche fuerat cum Clems ad hujus 
 
 Que iacet hic uetule uenimus exequias, 
 Letitieque diem magis amisisse dolemus 
 
 Quam centum tales si caderent uetule. 
 
 * were once excessive.']— Cette iglise . . . ^toit sans contredit une des 
 plus riches de France en vases d'or d' argent, et de pierreries 5 en re- 
 liques et en orneniens. Le procfes-verbal qui avoit et^ dresse de toutes 
 ses richesses, en 1476, contient un detail qui va presque k Tinfini." 
 Bezi^res, Hist. Somniaire,p. 51. 
 
 t this mysterious inscription.'] — Cette inscription, dont les lettres 
 sont anciennes et telles qu'on s'en servoit avant les diphtongues, ne 
 
356 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 Hard by the cathedral stood formerly a magnificent 
 EPISCOPAL PALACE. Upon this palace the old writers 
 (and Bezieres, in particular — whose sensible manual of 
 the history of the town, I purchased within two hours 
 after my arrival here) dearly loved to expatiate. There 
 is now however nothing but a good large comfortable 
 family mansion : sufficient for the purposes of such 
 hospitahty and entertainment as the episcopal revenues 
 will afford. I have not only seen, but visited, this 
 episcopal residence. In other words, my friend Pierre- 
 Aime Lair having promised to take his last adieu of 
 me at Bayeux. as he had business with the Bishop, I 
 met him agreeably to appointment at the palace : but 
 his host, with a strong corps of visitors, having just 
 sate down to dinner — it was only one o'clock — I bade 
 him adieu, with the hope of seeing the Bishop on 
 the morrow — to whom he had indeed mentioned 
 my name. Our farewell was undoubtedly warm and 
 
 porte ni date ni nom appellatif. Quelques uns pretendent qii'elle 
 regarde la Maitresse du Due de Normandie, qui, au lieu d'etre enterree 
 dans I'eglise, comme elle I'avoit desire, fut enclavee, pour parler ainsi, 
 dans r^paisseur du mur de la Tour, par ordre du chapitre. Ne seroit- 
 ce point plutot Isabelle de Douvre, maitresse de Robert Comte de 
 Glocestre, batard de Henri I. Roi d'Angleterre, dont naquit Richard, 
 qui malgre le defaut de sa naissance fut nommee ran 1 133, al'Ev^ch^ 
 de Bayeux? La date de son Obit au 24 d'Avril insinue, que ce fut le 
 jour de son deces. La femme designee dans I'epitaphe mourut agee, 
 et aux Fetes de Paques : or Paques en I'annee 1166 tomba au 24 
 d'Avril. Ces epoques paroissent assez s'accorder entr'elles, et I'in- 
 scription est assurdment du meme terns." In a note, Bezieres adds, 
 Le Necrologe delaCath^drale en fait mention en ces termes : ^4 die 
 mensis Aprilis, Obitus Isabellis, matris Richardi Episcopi Bajoc. filii 
 Comitis Glocestrioer — Hist. Som. p. 54. 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 357 
 
 sincere. He had volunteered a thousand acts of kind- 
 ness towards me without any possible motive of self 
 interest ; and as he lifted up his right hand, exclaiming 
 " adieu^ pour toujours! — " I will not dissemble that 
 I was sensibly affected by the touching manner in 
 which it was uttered . . and Pierre Aime Lair shall 
 always claim from me the warmest wishes for his 
 prosperity and happiness. I hurried back through 
 the court-yard — at the risk of losing a limb from the 
 ferocious spring of a tremendous (chained) mastiff — 
 and without returning the salute of the porter, shut 
 the gate violently, and departed. For five minutes, 
 pacing the south side of the cathedral, I was lost in 
 a variety of even painful sensations. How was I to 
 see the Library ? — where could I obtain a glimpse of 
 the Tapestry ? — and now, that Pierre Aime Lair was to 
 be no more seen, (for he told me he should quit the 
 place on that same evening) who was to stand my 
 friend, and smooth my access to the more curious and 
 coveted objects of antiquity ? 
 
 Thus absorbed in a variety of contending reflec- 
 tions, a tall figure, clad in a loose long great coat, in a 
 very gracious manner approached and addressed me. 
 
 Your name. Sir, is D ^ ^ * ?" At your service. 
 Sir, that is my name.'' You were yesterday evening 
 at Monsieur Pluquet's, purchasing books ?" " I was. 
 Sir." " It seems you are very fond of old books, and 
 especially of those in the French and Latin languages ?" 
 
 I am fond of old books generally ; but I now seek 
 more particularly those in your language — and have 
 been dehghted with an illuminated, and apparently 
 coeval, MS. of the poetry of your famous Olivier 
 
 VOL. I. Y 
 
358 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 Basselin^ which . . You saw it, Sir, at Monsieur 
 Pluquet's. It belonged to a common friend of us both. 
 He thinks it worth . . " He asks ten louts dor for 
 it, and he shall have them with all my heart." " Sir, 
 I know he will never part with it even for that large 
 sum." I smiled, as he pronounced the word large" — 
 bethinking myself of Attic us, for whose library I 
 had intended it I " Do me the honour. Sir, of visiting 
 my obscure dwelling, in the country — a short league 
 from hence. My abode is humble : in the midst of an 
 orchard, which my father planted : but I possess a 
 few books, some of them curious, and should like to 
 read double the number I possess'' I thanked the 
 stranger for his polite attention and gracious offer, 
 which I accepted readily . . " This evening. Sir, if 
 you please." " With all my heart, this very evening. 
 But tell me. Sir, how can I obtain a sight of the Chap- 
 ter Lfbrary, and of the famous Tapestry?" " Speak 
 softly, (resumed the unknown) — for I am watched in 
 this place. You shall see both — but must not say that 
 Monsieur * * * * was your adviser or friend. 
 For the present, farewell. I shall expect you in the 
 evening." W e took leave ; and I returned hastily to the 
 inn, to tell my adventures to my companion. 
 
 There is something so charmingly mysterious in 
 this little anecdote, that I would not for the world add 
 a syllable of explanation. Leaving you, therefore, in 
 full possession of it, to turn and twist it as you please, 
 consider me as usual. Yours. 
 
359 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 VISIT NEAR ST. LOUP. M. PLUQUET, APOTHECARY AND 
 BOOK-VENDER. VISIT TO THE BISHOP. THE CHAP- 
 TER LIBRARY. DESCRIPTION OF THE BAYEUX TAPES- 
 TRY^ WITH FAC-SIMILES. TRADE AND MANUFACTURES. 
 
 Well^ my good friend ! the stranger has been visited: 
 his hbrary inspected: his services accepted: and his cha- 
 racter partly unfolded. To this I must add^ in the joy of 
 my heart, (as indeed I mentioned shghtly in my last) 
 that both the Chapter Library and the famous Tapes- 
 try have been explored and examined in a manner, 
 I trust, worthy of British curiosity. I hardly know 
 what sort of order to adopt in this my second and last 
 epistle from Bayeux ; which will be semi-bibliomania- 
 cal and semi-archseological : and sit down, almost at 
 random, to impart such intelligence as my journal and 
 memory may supply. 
 
 The last was almost a purely ecclesiastical dispatch : 
 as I generally first take off my cap to the towers and 
 turrets of a cathedral. Now then for the stranger! 
 ^ * for it would be cruel to prolong the agony of 
 expectation. Mr. Lewis having occupied himself, 
 almost exclusively, with his pencil during the whole 
 morning, I persuaded him to accompany me to .S'^. 
 Loup, After dinner we set out upon our expedition. 
 It had rained in the interim, and every tree was 
 charged with moisture as we passed them . . their 
 
360 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 blossoms exhaling sweets of a yet more pungent fra- 
 grance. The road ran in a straight line from the west 
 front of the cathedral, which^ on turning round, as we 
 saw it irradiated by partial glimpses of sunshine, be- 
 tween masses of dark clouds, assumed a very imposing 
 and venerable aspect. I should tell you, however, 
 that the obliging Monsieur # =5«= # * # came himself 
 to the Hotel de Luxembourg, to conduct us to his 
 humble abode : for " humble" it is in every sense of the 
 word. About two-thirds of the way thither, we passed 
 the little church of St, Loup : a perfect Gothic toy of 
 the xiith century — with the prettiest, best-proportioned 
 tower that can be imagined. It has a few slight clus- 
 tered columns at the four angles, but its height and 
 breadth are truly pigmy. The stone is of a whitish 
 grey. We did not enter ; and with difficulty could 
 trace our way to examine the exterior through the high 
 grass of the church yard, yet laid with the heavy rain. 
 What a gem would the pencil of Blore make of this 
 tiny, ancient, interesting edifice ! At length we struck 
 off, down a lane shppery with moisture — when, 
 opening a large swinging gate — here (exclaimed our 
 guide) — lived and died my father, and here his son 
 hopes to live and die also. Gentlemen, yonder is my 
 hermitage." On looking at it, 
 
 ... I said to myself if there's peace in the world, 
 A heart that is humble might hope for it here. 
 
 It was indeed a retirement of the most secluded kind : 
 absolutely surrounded by trees, shrubs, hay-stacks, and 
 corn-stacks — for Monsieur ^ # =^ # # hath a fancy 
 for farming as well as for reading. The stair-case, 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 361 
 
 though constructed of good hard Norman stone, was 
 much worn in the middle from the frequent tread of 
 half a century. It was also fatiguingly steep, but 
 luckily it was short. We followed our guide to the 
 left, where, passing through one boudoir-like apart- 
 ment, strewn with books and papers, and hung with 
 a parcel of mean ornaments called pictures^ we en- 
 tered a second — of which portions of the wainscoat 
 were taken away, to shew the books which were de- 
 posited behind. Row after row, and pile upon pile, 
 struck my wondering eye. Anon, a closet was opened 
 — and there again they were stowed, " thick and three- 
 fold." A few small busts, and fractured vases, were 
 meant to grace a table in the centre of the room. Of 
 the books, it is but justice to say that rarity had been 
 sacrificed to utiUty. There were some excellent, choice, 
 critical works : a good deal of Latin ; some Greek, 
 and a sprinkle of Hebrew — for Monsieur =^ * * is 
 both a general and a sound scholar. On pointing to 
 HouUganfs Hebrew Bible, in four folio volumes, 1712, 
 " do you think this copy dear at fourteen francs ?" said 
 he I — " How, Sir," (replied I, in an exstacy of as- 
 tonishment) — you mean to say fourteen louis ?" " Not 
 at all. Sir. I purchased it at the price just men- 
 tioned, nor do I think it too dear at that sum," re- 
 sumed he, in the most unsuspecting manner. I then 
 told him, as a sort of balsamic consolation, that a late 
 friend (I alluded to poor Mr. Ormerod) rejoiced on 
 giving £12. for a copy by no means superior. " Ah, 
 le bon Dieu ! . . was his only observation thereupon. 
 
 When about to return to the boudoir, through which 
 we had entered, I observed with mingled surprise and 
 
362 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 pleasure^ the four prettily executed English prints, 
 after the drawings of Lady Spencer, called " New 
 Shoes,'' — " Nice Supper,'' &c. Monsieur * * =^ * was 
 pleased at my stopping to survey them. Ce sont 
 la, Monsieur (observed he), les dames qui me font 
 toujours compagnie — nor can you conceive the very 
 soft and gentlemanly manner, accompanied by a voice 
 subdued even to sadness of tone, with which he made 
 this, and almost every observation. I found, indeed, 
 from the whole tenor of his discourse, that he had a 
 mind in no ordinary a state of cultivation : and on ob- 
 serving that a great portion of his library was theolo- 
 gical, I asked him respecting the general subjects 
 upon which he thought and wrote. He caught hold of 
 my left arm, and stooping (for he is much taller than 
 myself, . . . which he easily may be, methinks I hear 
 you add . .) " Sir, said he, I am by profession a clergy- 
 man . . although now I am designated as an ex-Cure. 
 I have lived through the Revolution . . and may have 
 partaken of some of its irregularities, rather, I should 
 hope, than of its atrocities. In the general hue-and- 
 cry for reform, I thought that our church was capable 
 of very great improvement, and I think so still. The 
 part I took was influenced by conscientious motives, 
 rather than by a blind and vehement love of reform ; . . 
 but it has never been forgiven or forgotten. The esta- 
 blished clergy of the place do not associate with me ; 
 but I care not a farthing for that — since I have here 
 (pointing to his books) the very best society in the 
 world. It was from the persuasion of the clergy hav- 
 ing a constantly-fixed eye upon me, that I told you I 
 was watched . . when walking near the precincts of the 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 363 
 
 cathedral. I had been seeking you during- the whole 
 of the office of ordination." In reply to my question 
 about his archceological researches, he said he was 
 then occupied in writing a disquisition upon the Bay- 
 eux Tapestry, in which he should prove that the Abbe 
 de la Rue was wrong in considering it as a perform- 
 ance of the XII th century. " He is your great anti- 
 quarian oracle" — observed I. " He has an over-rated 
 reputation" — replied he — and besides, he is too hy- 
 pothetical." Monsieur # # * # promised to send 
 me a copy of his dissertation, when printed ; and then 
 let our friend N ^ =^ * be judge in the matter of the 
 Bayeux Tapestry." From the open windows of this 
 hermitage, into which the branches absolutely thrust 
 themselves, I essayed, but in vain, to survey the sur- 
 rounding country ; and concluded a visit of nearly two 
 hours, in a manner the most gratifying imaginable to 
 honest feelings. A melancholy, mysterious air, seemed 
 yet, however, to mark this amiable stranger, which 
 had not been quite cleared up by the account he 
 had given of himself. Be assured (said he, at part- 
 ing) that I will see you again, and that every facihty 
 shall be afforded you in the examination of the Bayeux 
 Tapestry. I have an uncle who is an efficient member 
 of the corporation." 
 
 Never was a solitude more complete, nor were man- 
 ners more mild than those of Monsieur # * # =^ # # : 
 and I returned through the orchard which his father 
 had planted, with sensations that it would be difficult 
 to describe. On my way homeward, I called again 
 upon M. Pluquet, an apothecary by profession, but a 
 
364 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 book lover and a book vender =^ in his heart. The 
 scene was rather singular. Below, was his Pharma- 
 copeia ; above were his bed-room and books ; with a 
 broken would-be antique or two, in the court-yard, 
 and in the passage leading thereto. My first visit 
 had been hasty, and only as a whetter to the second. 
 Yet I contrived to see from a visitor, who was pre- 
 sent, the desirable MS. of the vulgar poetry of Olivier 
 Basselin, of which I made mention to M. =^ * *. The 
 same stranger was again present. We all quietly 
 left the drugs below for drugs of a different de- 
 scription above — books being called by the ancients, 
 you know, the " Medicine of the Soul." We 
 mounted into the bed-room. Two birds, in comically- 
 wired cages, were suspended from the cieling, and 
 warbling aloud. A sick child, of three years of age, 
 lay in a crib, by the side of the bed of Monsieur and 
 Madame Pluquet — the pillows of which were fringed 
 in a very fanciful manner. Opposite the side of the 
 bed, were some few half dozen shelves, covered with 
 books of all descriptions. M. Pluquet now opened 
 his bibhographical battery upon us. " Gentlemen (for 
 M. Lewis was with me) you see, in this room, all 
 the treasures in the world I possess : my wife — my 
 
 * He has since established himself at Paris^ as a bookseller : and 
 it is scarcely three months since I received a letter from him, in 
 which he told me that he could no longer resist the more powerful 
 impulses of his heart — and that the phials of physic were at length 
 abandoned for the volumes of Verard and of Gourmont. My friend, 
 Mr. Dawson Turner, who knew him at Bayeux^ has purchased books 
 of him at Paris. 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 365 
 
 child — my books — my antiquities." Here the child 
 moaned somewhat piteously, crying out " cher papa, 
 venez ici ;" but the hard-hearted biliomaniacal ^Escu- 
 lapius continued — with a parenthetically pronounced 
 " soyez tranquille, mignon." — " Yes, gentlemen, these 
 are my treasures. I am enthusiastic, even to mad- 
 ness, in the respective pursuits into which the latter 
 branch out ; but my means are slender — and my aver- 
 sion to my business is just about in proportion to my 
 fondness for hoohs. Examine, gentlemen, and try 
 your fortunes." 
 
 I scarcely needed such a rhetorical incitement : 
 but alas ! the treasures of M. Pluquet were not of a 
 nature quite to make one's fortune. I contrived, 
 with great difficulty, to pick out something of a re- 
 cherche kind; and expended a napoleon upon some 
 scarce little grammatical tracts, chiefly Greek, printed 
 by Stephen at Paris, and by Hervagius at Basil: 
 among the latter was the Bellum grammaticale of 
 E. Hessus. M. Pluquet wondered at my rejecting the 
 foMos, and sticking so closely to the duodecimos ; but 
 had he shewn me a good Verard Romance or a Eustace 
 Froissart, he would have found me as alert in running 
 away with the one as the other. I think he is really 
 the most enthusiastic book-lover I have ever seen: 
 certainly as a Bibliopolist. We concluded a very ani- 
 mated conversation on all sides : rendered more noisy 
 by the notes of the canaries, (who raised their voices 
 as we raised ours) and the squalling of the sick child, 
 who necessarily in turn became more clamorous as 
 papa and mama refused to listen to its cries. jVL 
 
366 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 Pluquet told me at parting that M. ^ =^ * had requested 
 his uncle to facilitate our researches respecting the 
 Chapter Library, and the Tapestry : that he had him- 
 self spoken to the adjoint of the mayor respecting 
 the former, and that the Abbe Fetit had been solicit- 
 ed to promote my wishes in regard to the latter. 
 Upon the whole, this was one of the most variously 
 and satisfactorily spent days of my ^' voyage biblio- 
 graphique." 
 
 On the morrow, the mysterious and amiable M. 
 * ^ =^ was with me betimes. He said he had brought 
 a basket of books, from his hermitage, which he had 
 left at a friend's house, and he entreated me to come 
 and examine them. In the mean while we had had 
 not only a peep at the Tapestry, but Mr. Lewis 
 had obtained permission to make a fac-simile of such 
 portion of it as I might deem necessary for any par- 
 ticular object in view. I had been introduced to the 
 mayor, who is chief magistrate for life : a very Caesar 
 in miniature. He received me stiffly, and appeared 
 at first rather a priggish sort of a gentleman ; observ- 
 ing that " my countryman, Mr. Stothard,^ had been 
 
 * Mr. Stothard, Jun. This gentleman has completely finished his 
 labours, in a manner which reflects equal credit upon the Society of 
 Antiquaries, at whose expense his mission was performed, and upon 
 himself. His own account of the tapestry may be seen in the xixth 
 volume of the Archaeologia. It is brief, perspicuous, and satisfac- 
 tory. His fac-simile is one half the size of the original 3 executed 
 with great neatness and fidelity; but probably the touches are a 
 little too artist-like or masterly. This invaluable drawing will be 
 engraved and published by the same Society. 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 367 
 
 already there for six months, upon the same errand, 
 and what could I want further ?" A short reply 
 served to convince him " that it would be no abuse of 
 an extended indulgence if he would allow another 
 English artist to make a fac simile of a different de- 
 scription, from a very small portion only." Permis- 
 sion was then granted — the Tapestry unrolled — and 
 down sat, or stood, or stooped, my graphic companion 
 to commence and conclude his labours. Let us leave 
 him awhile, hard at work, and continue the book-nar- 
 rative. 
 
 In our way to M. * ^ =^ =^'s friend, I called with 
 him at the Abbe's, with a view to get a sight of the 
 Chapter Library. He was from home, but would re- 
 turn in an hour. I then attacked the aforesaid basket 
 — not of apples, or of flowers, but — of books : and from 
 a few unimportant articles I selected a loose uncut 
 (mark that I) copy of the Petit Bernard's Ovid's Meta- 
 morphoses^, of which the generous Stranger begged 
 my acceptance. What a pretty thing will Charles 
 Lewis (thought I to myself) make of this book!" 
 and so saying I shpt it gradually, but in the face of 
 all present, (mark that also!) into my large inner 
 pocket. Meanwhile a young paysanne, of the superior 
 order, arrived with her cher ami ; who carried a gay 
 china cup in one hand, and a slender cane in the 
 other. Droll accompaniment ! She had a very tower- 
 ing cauchoise ; and as it was market-day, was dressed 
 in her best. A fourth gentleman next arrived; 
 another friend of M. =^ ^ * *'s. He had brought a 
 
 * Consult the Bibliographical Decameron j vol. l.p. 181-8. 
 
368 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 " bel exemplaire" of a Latin Testament in a silk hand- 
 kerchief, and " would I do him the favour to accept 
 it ?" I was absolutely " penetre." This followed its 
 precursor into the self-same inner pocket. It was 
 bound in blue morocco, and the outside decoration 
 put me in mind of Count Hoym — simply because the 
 arms of that distinguished Bibliomaniac were upon 
 the cover. 
 
 The little book -assembly broke up, and the Stranger 
 again accompanied me to the Abbe. More than an 
 hour had clasped — but the Abbe was still invisible. 
 The maid smiled as I repeated the question of his 
 being at home, and I thought I saw the head of a 
 man peeping through the blinds of the parlour. You 
 shall quickly know why J am thus particular. " This 
 will never do, said I to my amiable companion : we 
 will go at once to the Bishop." " Say not we^'' he 
 replied. " If you take me there, you will never obtain 
 the object you have in view. Besides, I am an excom- 
 municated man. . added he, smiling. He left me, to 
 return with his basket of books under his arm to his 
 beloved hermitage ; promising to see me once again be- 
 fore my departure. I then went boldly towards the epis- 
 copal palace, and wrote a note in pencil to the Bishop 
 at the porter s lodge, mentioning the name of M. Lair, 
 and the object of my visit. The porter observed that 
 they had just sat down to dinner — but would I call 
 at three ? It seemed an age to that hour ; but at 
 length three o'clock came, and I was punctual to the 
 minute. The recollection of a certain library attached 
 to one of the most venerable and most magnificent of 
 the cathedrals of our own country — and of which the 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 369 
 
 curators have always shewn a most Uberal sense of its 
 management, as well as a just appreciation of its trea- 
 sures — has always inflamed my curiosity to take 
 a peep at <t|)aptet SiBtatic^f, wherever situated. I was 
 immediately admitted into the premises, and even the 
 large mastiff seemed to know that I was not an un- 
 expected visitor — for he neither growled, nor betrayed 
 any symptoms of uneasiness. In my way to the au- 
 dience chamber I saw the crosier and robes which the 
 Bishop had worn the preceding day, at the ceremony 
 of ordination, lying picturesquely upon the table : a 
 good vignette (thought I to myself) for a history of 
 the cathedral. The audience chamber was rather an 
 elegant one, adorned with Gobeleins tapestry, quite 
 fresh, and tolerably expressive : and while my eyes 
 were fastened upon two figures enacting the parts of 
 an Arcadian shepherd and shepherdess, a servant came 
 in and announced the approach of Monseigneur 
 TEvEQUE. I rose in a trice to meet him, between 
 doubt and apprehension as to the result. The Bishop 
 entered with a sort of body-guard; being surrounded 
 by six or seven canons who had been dining with him, 
 and who peeped at me over his shoulder in a very 
 significant manner. The flush of good cheer was 
 visible in their countenances — but for their Diocesan, 
 I must say that he is yet more interesting upon a 
 familiar view. He wore a close purple dress, but- 
 toned down the middle from top to bottom. A cross 
 hung upon his breast. His countenance had lost 
 nothing of its expression by the absence of the mitre, 
 and he was gracious even to loquacity ! I am willing 
 to hope that I was equally prudent and brief in the 
 
370 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 specification of the object I had in view. My request was 
 as promptly as it was courteously granted. " You will 
 excuse my attending- you in person ; (said the Bishop) 
 but I will instantly send for the Abbe Fetit^ who is our 
 librarian ; and who will have nothing to do but to wait 
 upon you, and facilitate your researches." He then 
 dispatched a messenger for the reluctant Librarian, 
 and began a familiar chat respecting " the situation 
 and number of my Cures,'' — the answer to which of 
 course did not require a catalogue raisonne. At the 
 mention of this Abbe Fetit, I pricked up my ears — 
 but I had now only to thank the Bishop for his polite- 
 ness, and to wish him a good day. The Abbe Fetit 
 quickly arrived with two more, who came trotting 
 after him — and enlivened by the jingliug music of the 
 library keys, which were dangling from the Abbe's 
 fingers, I quickened my steps towards the Chapter 
 Library. 
 
 But I was resolved to catechise this said Abbe for 
 his incivility in not admitting me into his house after 
 two repeated calls. While therefore we were posting 
 through the transepts of the cathedral, or rather just 
 as we had gained a confined passage, after turning the 
 key upon the north transept door, I began to prepare 
 my string of interrogatories. My first question was 
 perfectly a home thrust: " Je vous dirai (replied he, 
 very readily — just as the key of the Library door had 
 been admitted into the wards of the lock, and looking 
 at me at the same time rather archly, over his right 
 shoulder) je vous dirai pourquoi je ne vous ai pas 
 admis chez moi, pour causer touchant la bibliotheque, 
 — c'etoit parce que j'ai bien appergu que votre com- 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 371 
 
 pagnoii n'etoit pas Vhomme pour nous." The recol- 
 lection of the conversation near the cathedral, the 
 preceding day — as well as the whole conduct of M * * — 
 immediately came across me . . and I asked no more 
 questions. But the Abbe complaisantly, and even 
 jocosely, added — comme vous etes bien avec Mon- 
 seigneur L'Eveque, vous verrez tout ce qu il vous faut. 
 Ah ca, montons!" This "addition" — together with 
 a certain unaccountable magnetic influence, arising, 
 I make no doubt, from the properties of the furni- 
 ture above stairs — entirely subdued all irritabilities, 
 and I mounted a good deal quicker than my com^ 
 panions. 
 
 We were no sooner, all four, fairly within the library, 
 than I requested my chief conductor to give me a brief 
 outline of its history. " Willingly" he replied. "This 
 library, the remains of a magnificent collection, of from 
 30, to 40,000 volumes, was originally placed in the 
 Chapter-house, hard by. Look through the window 
 to your left, and you will observe the ruins of that 
 building. We have here about 5000 volumes: but 
 the original collection consisted of the united libraries 
 of defunct, and even of living, clergymen— for, during 
 the revolution, the clergy, residing both in town and 
 country, conveyed their hbraries to the Chapter-house, 
 as a protection against private pillage. Well ! in that 
 same Chapter-house, the books, thus collected, were 
 piled one upon another, in layers, flat upon the floor — 
 reaching absolutely to the cieUng . . . and for ten long 
 years not a creature ventured to introduce a key into 
 the library door. The windows also were rigidly kept 
 shut. At length the Revolutionists wanted lead for 
 
372 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 musket balls^ and they unroofed the chapter-house 
 with their usual dexterity. Down came the rain upon 
 the poor books, in consequence ; and when M. Moy- 
 sant received the orders of government to examine 
 this library, and to take away as many books as he 
 wanted for the public library at Caen ... he was abso- 
 lutely horror-struck by the obstacles which presented 
 themselves ! From the close confinement of every door 
 and window, for ten years, the rank and fetid odour, 
 which issued therefrom, was intolerable. For a full fort- 
 night every door and window was left open for venti- 
 lation, ere M. Moysant could begin his work of selec- 
 tion. He selected about 5000 volumes only ; but the 
 infuriated Revolutionists, on his departure, wantonly 
 plundered and destroyed a prodigious number of the 
 remainder . . et enfin (concluded he) vous voyez. 
 Monsieur, ce qu'ils nous ont laisse." — You will give 
 me credit for having listened to every word of such a 
 tale. 
 
 The present library, which is on the first floor, is 
 apparently about twenty-five feet square. But what, 
 think you, was the first curiosity which the Abbe Fetit 
 darted upon to shew me ? The Contes de la Fontaine 
 in four folio volumes — as common a work (I had al- 
 most said) as a penny roll. My cicerone was astonish- 
 ed on hearing of its frequent occurrence with us ; — but 
 I hastened to dispense with his services — under the more 
 courteous tournure de phrase of giving him no fur- 
 ther trouble, and began to cater for myself. On re- 
 marking that, of the Acta Sanctorum, they had only 
 20 volumes, — " it is complete nevertheless," was the 
 reply ! A good sample of fitness for the office of Head 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 373 
 
 Librarian. I had not yet met with a single copy of 
 the Polyglot Bible of Cardinal Ximenes, and of course 
 was not much disappointed at findhig it wanting here. 
 Of Le Jay's Polyglot there was, as usual, a very desi- 
 rable copy. The Abbe made me observe the Xlllth. 
 volume of the Gallia Christiana,^ in boards, remark- 
 ing that " it was of excessive rarity f but I doubt this. 
 On shewing me the famous volume of Sanctius or San- 
 chez de Matrimonio Sacr anient ario, 1607, folio, the 
 Abbe observed — " that the author wrote it, standing 
 with his bare feet upon marble." I was well pleased 
 with a vastly pretty illuminated ms. Missal, in a large 
 thick quarto volume, with borders and pictures in good 
 condition ; but did not fail to commend right hear- 
 tily the proper bibliomaniacal spirit of M. F6tit in 
 having reserved (or kept concealed) the second volume 
 of Gerings Latin Bible — being the first impression of 
 the sacred text in France — when M. Moysant came 
 armed with full powers to carry off what treasures he 
 pleased. No one knows what has become of the first 
 volume, but this second is cruelly imperfect — contain- 
 ing about a dozen blank leaves to supply the place of 
 those which were wanting. It is otherwise a fair copy. 
 There are scarcely any classics, and not three of the 
 xvth century. Upon the whole, although it is almost 
 a matter of conscience, as well as of character, with me, 
 to examine every thing in the shape of a hbrary, and 
 especially of a public one, yet it must be admitted that 
 
 * the Gallia Christiana.']— A complete copy is of excessive rarity in 
 our own country, but not so abroad. It is yet, however, an imperfect 
 work. 
 
 VOL. I, Z 
 
374 
 
 13AYEUX. 
 
 the collection under consideration is hardly worthy of a 
 second visit : and accordingly I took both a first and a 
 final view of it. The Abbe Fetit gained upon me much 
 before I took my leave. To say the truth, he is not 
 only very good-looking, but very civil, and even face- 
 tious in his manner of shewing the book-hons. Why 
 does an unchristian-like spirit of prejudice, in rehgious 
 matters, turn the milk of human nature into gall ? 
 
 From the Cliapter I went to the College Library. 
 In other words, there is a fine public school, or Lyce^, 
 or college, where a great number of lads and young 
 men are educated according to art.'* The building 
 is extensive and well-situated : the play-ground is large 
 and commodious ; and there is a well-cultivated gar- 
 den tempting with forbidden fruit." Into this gar- 
 den I strolled in search of the President of the College, 
 who was not within doors. I found him in company 
 with some of the masters, and with several young men 
 either playing, or about to play, at skittles. On com- 
 municating the object of my visit, he granted me an 
 immediate passport to the library — mais. Monsieur^ 
 (added he) ce n'est rien : il y avoit autrefois quelque 
 chose ; maintenant, ce n'est qu'un amas de livres tr^s 
 communs." I thanked him, and accompanied the 
 librarian to the Library ; who absolutely apologized 
 all the way for the little entertainment I should receive. 
 There was indeed little enough. The room may be 
 about eighteen feet square. Of the books, a great por- 
 tion was in vellum bindings, in wretched condition. 
 Here was Jai/'s Polyglot, and the matrimonial Sane- 
 tius again ! There was a very respectable sprink- 
 ling of Spanish and French Dictionaries ; some few not 
 
BAYEUX. 375 
 
 wholly undesirable Alduses ; and the rare Louvain edi 
 tion of Sir Thomas Mores Works, printed in 1566, fo- 
 lio.* I saw too with horror-mingled regret, a frightfully 
 imperfect copy of the Service of Bayeux Cathedral, 
 printed in the Gothic letter, upon vellum. But the 
 great curiosity is a small brass or bronze crucifix, 
 about nine inches high, standing upon the mantle- 
 piece ; very ancient, from the character of the crown, 
 which savours of the latter period of Roman art — and 
 which is the only crown, bereft of thorns, that I ever 
 saw upon the head of our Saviour so represented. The 
 eyes appear to be formed of a bright brown glass. 
 Upon the whole ; as this is not a book, nor a fragment 
 of an old illumination, I will say nothing more about 
 its age. I was scarcely three quarters of an hour 
 in the library ; but was fully sensible of the politeness 
 of my attendant, and of the truth of his prediction, 
 that I should receive little entertainment from an 
 examination of the books, 
 
 Nowthen, my friend, it is high time that you should 
 be introduced in proper form to the famous Bayeux 
 Tapestry. Let us leave, therefore, paper and print- 
 ing, for linen and needle-work. It is unnecessary 
 to communicate the hundred little things which oc- 
 curred till Mr. Lewis had finished his laborious task, 
 
 * the rare Louvain edition of Sir Thomas More's Works, &c.] —There 
 have been bibliographers, and there are yet knowing book-collectors, 
 who covet this edition in preference to the Leipsic impression of Sir T. 
 More's Works of 1 698 j in folio. But this must proceed from sheer ob- 
 stinacy ; or rather, perhaps, from ignorance that the latter edition con- 
 tains the Utopia — whereas in the former it is unaccountably omitted to 
 be reprinted — which it might have been, from various previous editions. 
 
376 BAYEUX. 
 
 after an application of six or eight hours, for two suc- 
 cessive mornings. His labours are at an end, and 
 they have been thoroughly successful. I hope to carry 
 with nie, throughout France and Germany, this most 
 marvellous fac-simile — stitch for stitch, colour for co- 
 lour, size for size. Not that I would be understood to 
 under-rate the previous labours of Mr. Stothard, which 
 are in truth equally admirable — only that they are of a 
 different nature, and upon a more extensive scale. 
 Know then, in as few words as possible, that this cele- 
 brated piece of Tapestry represents chiefly the Invasion 
 OF England by William the Conqueror, and the 
 subsequent death of Harold at the battle of Has- 
 tings. It measures about 214 English feet in length, 
 by about nineteen inches in width ; and is supposed to 
 have been worked under the particular superinten- 
 dance and direction of Matilda, the wife of the Con- 
 queror. It was formerly exclusively kept and exhi- 
 bited in the Cathedral ; but it is now justly retained 
 in the Town Hall, and treasured as the most precious 
 relic among the archives of the city. There is indeed 
 every reason to consider it as one of the most valuable 
 historical monuments which France possesses. It has 
 also given rise to a great deal of archaeological discus- 
 sion. Montfaucon, Ducarel, and De La Rue, have 
 come forward successively — but more especially the 
 first and last : and Montfaucon in particular has fa- 
 voured the world with copper-plate representations of 
 the whole. There are in fact several series of plates of 
 portions of this needle-work ; but all those which I have 
 seen are lamentably defective. Montfaucon's plates 
 are generally much too small : and the more enlarged 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 377 
 
 are too ornamental. It is right, first of all, that you 
 should have an idea how this piece of tapestry is pre- 
 served, or rolled up. You see it here, therefore, pre- 
 cisely as it appears after the person who shews it takes 
 off the cloth with which it is usually covered. 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 A female unrolls and explains it to you. The first 
 portion of the needle-work, representing the embassy 
 of Harold, from Edward the Confessor to William 
 Duke of Normandy, is comparatively much defaced — 
 that is to say, the stitches are worn away, and little 
 more than the ground, or fine close linen cloth, remains. 
 It is not far from the beginning — and where the colour is 
 fresh, and the stitches are, comparatively, preserved — 
 that you see the Portrait of Harold which accom- 
 panies this letter.^ Nothing can be more true to the 
 original. 
 
 * See the Opposite Plate. In the original^, this figure, Avhich is 
 upon horseback, is thus introduced — with the attendant pursuivants 
 and dogs : but great hberties, as a nice eye will readily discern — even 
 upon this reduced scale — have been taken, when compared with the 
 opposite fac-simile. The ensuing is a mere copy of the smaller suite 
 from Montfaucon 3 also in outhne. 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 379 
 
 You are to understand that the stitches^ if they may 
 be so called, are threads laid side by side — and bound 
 down at intervals by cross stitches, or fastenings — upon 
 rather a fine linen cloth ; and that the parts intended 
 to represent Jlesh are left untouched by the needle. I 
 obtained a few straggling shreds of the worsted with 
 which it is worked. The colours are generally a faded 
 or bluish green, crimson, and pink. About the last five 
 feet of this extraordinary roll are in a yet more de- 
 cayed and imperfect state than the first portion. But 
 the designer of the subject, whoever he was, had an 
 eye throughout to Roman art — as it appeared in its 
 later stages. The folds of the draperies, and the pro- 
 portions of the figures, are executed with this feeling: 
 witness the following representation of one of the 
 messengers of William. 
 
 I admit that this is a mere copy of Montfaucon's 
 plate, and that, compared with the original, it is too 
 sharp and brilliant — but you can hence judge pretty 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 accurately of the general character of the original. 
 You may possibly like to have a further specimen or 
 two : first of the Shippings and secondly of the Architec- 
 ture. Take them^ and admit that they are very curious 
 and very interesting performances of the age. 
 
• 
 
 BAYEUX. 381 
 
 You will observe that, both at top and at bottom of 
 the principal subject, there is a running- allegorical 
 ornament ;^ of which I will not incur the presumption 
 to suppose myself a successful interpreter. The constel- 
 lations, and the symbols of agriculture and of rural oc- 
 cupation, form the chief subjects of this running orna- 
 ment. All the inscriptions, as you have them above, are 
 executed in capital letters of about an inch in length ; 
 and upon the whole, whether this extraordinary and in- 
 valuable relic be of the latter end of the xith, or of the 
 beginning or middle of the xiith century-}- seems to me a 
 
 * a running allegorical ornament,'] — Something similar may be seen 
 round the border of the baptismal vase of St. Louis, in Millin's Anti- 
 quity Nationales. A part of the border in the Tapestry is a represen- 
 tation of subjects from .^sop's Fables. 
 
 t he of the latter end of the Xlth or of the beginning or middle of the 
 Xllth century] — Of a monument, which has been pronounced by one 
 of our ablest antiquaries to be The noblest in the world relat- 
 ing TO OUR OLD English History," (See Stukelys Palrrog. Britan. 
 Number XI. 1746, 4to. p. 2-3) it may be expected that some archaeo- 
 logical discussion should be here subjoined. Yet I am free to confess 
 that, after the essays of Messrs. Gurney, Stothard, and Amyott, (and 
 more especially that of the latter gentleman) the matter — as to the 
 period of its execution — may be considered as well nigh, if not 
 wholly, at rest. These essays appear in the XVIIIth and XlXth 
 volumes of the Archaeologia. The Abbe de la Rue contended that this 
 Tapestry was worked in the time of the second Matilda, or the Empress 
 Maud, which would bring it to the earlier part of the xiith. century. 
 The antiquaries above mentioned contend, with greater probability, 
 that it is a performance of the period which it professes to commemo- 
 rate 5 namely, of the defeat of Harold at the battle of Hastings, and 
 consequently of the acquiring of the Crown of England, by conquest, 
 on the part of William. This latter therefore brings it to the period 
 of about 1066, to 1088 — so that, after all, the difference of opinion is 
 
382 BAYEUX. 
 
 matter of rather secondary consideration. That it is at 
 once (borrowing a word out of the bibliomaniacal vo- 
 
 only whether this Tapestry be fifty years older, or younger than the 
 respective advocates contend. 
 
 Mr. Gurney's Essay is chiefly occupied by the " Inscriptions and Sub- 
 jects'' These are faithfully specified r as are the engravings of a few of 
 the subjects to be seen on the banners. Mr. Gurney justly observes 
 that the prints we have of it, are very insufficient to convey any 
 accurate idea" of the original. He further calls the performance 
 
 an apologetical history of the claims of William to the Crown of 
 England, and of the breach of faith and fall of Harold; and that it is 
 a perfect and finished action." Archaeologia : vol. xviii. p. 359. — Mr. 
 Charles Stothard has an observation worth extracting. On coming 
 (says he) to that part of the tapestry where Harold is prisoner in the 
 hands of Guy Earl of Ponthieu, a most singular custom first presents 
 itself in the persons of Duke William, Guy, and their people not 
 only are their upper lips shaven, but nearly the whole of their heads, 
 excepting a portion of hair left in front. It is from the striking con- 
 trast which these figures form with the messenger who is crouching 
 before William, that it is evident he is a Saxon, and probably dis- 
 patched from Harold. It is a curious circumstance in favour of the 
 great antiquity of the Tapestry, that time has, I believe, handed down to 
 us no other representation of this most singular fashion, and it appears 
 to throw new light on a fact, which has perhaps been misunderstood ; 
 the report made by Harold's spies, that the Normans were an army of 
 priests, is well known. I should conjecture, from what appears in 
 the tapestry, that their resemblance to priests did not so much arise 
 from the upper lip being shaven, as from the circumstance of the 
 complete tonsure of the back part of the head. The following pas- 
 sage seems to confirm this conjecture, and at the same time to prove 
 the truth of the tapestry : 
 
 Un des Engles que ot veus, 
 Tos les Normans res ct tondus 
 Cuida que tot provoire feussent 
 Et que messes canter peussent. 
 
 Le Roman du RoUy fol. 232. 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 383 
 
 cabulary) unique and important, must be considered as 
 a position to be neither doubted nor denied. It is at once 
 
 ^'Hovv (continues Mr. Stothard) are we to reconcile these facts with 
 a conjecture that the tapestry might have been executed in the time of 
 Henry the First, when we are well assured that during the reign of 
 that king the hair icas worn so long, that it excited the anathemas of 
 the church ?" Archceologia; vol, xix. p. 184, &c. 
 
 But the most copious, particular, and in my humble judgment the 
 most satisfactory, disquisition upon the date of this singular historical 
 monument, is entitled '^A Defence of the early Antiquity of the Bayeux 
 Tapestry,"" by Thomas Amyott, Esq. immediately following Mr. Sto- 
 thard's communication, in the work just referred to. It is at direct issue 
 with all the hypotheses of the Abbede la Rue, and in my opinion the re- 
 sults are triumphantly established. Whether the iVorwia^zs or the English 
 worked it, is perfectly a secondary consideration. The chief objections, 
 taken by the Abbe, against its being a production of the xith century, 
 consists in, first, its not being mentioned among the treasures possessed 
 by the Conqueror at his decease : — secondly, that, if the Tapestry were 
 deposited in the church, it must have suffered, if not have been anni- 
 hilated, at the storming of Bayeux and the destruction of the Cathedral 
 by fire in the reign of Henry I., A. D. 1106 : — thirdly, the silence of 
 JFace upon the subject,- -who wrote his metrical histories nearly a cen- 
 tury after the Tapestry is supposed to have been executed." The 
 latter is chiefly insisted upon by the learned Abbe 3 who, which ever 
 champion come off victorious in this archoeological warfare, must 
 at any rate receive the best thanks of the antiquary for the methodical 
 and erudite manner in which he has conducted his attacks. 
 
 At the first blush it cannot fail to strike us that the Abbe de la Rue's 
 positions are oW of a negative character; and that, accordingto the strict 
 rules of logic, it must not be admitted, that because such and such 
 writers have not noticed a circumstance, therefore that circumstance 
 or event cannot have taken place. The first two grounds of objection 
 have, I think, been fairly set aside by Mr. Amyott. As to the third 
 objection, Mr. A. remarks — But it seems that Wace has not only 
 not quoted the tapestry, but has varied from it in a manner which 
 proves that he had never seen it. The instances given of this variation 
 
384 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 an exceedingly curious document of the conjugal attach- 
 ment, and even enthusiastic veneration, of Matilda, 
 
 are, however, a little unfortunate. The first of them is very unimpor- 
 tant, for the difference merely consists in placing a figure at the stern 
 instead of the prow of a ship, and in giving him a bow instead of a 
 trumpet. From an authority quoted by theAbb^ himself, it appears 
 that, with regard to this latter fact, the Tapestry was right, and Wace 
 was wrong : and thus an argument is unintentionally furnished in 
 favour of the superior antiquity of the Tapestry. 1'he second instance 
 of variation, namely, that relating to Taillefer's sword, maybe easily 
 dismissed ; since, after all, it now appears, from Mr. Stothard's exami- 
 nation that neither Taillefer nor his sword is to be found in the 
 Tapestry," &c. But it is chiefly from the names of tElfgyva and Wa- ' 
 DARD, inscribed over some of the figures, that I apprehend the conclu- 
 sion in favour of the Tapestry's being nearly a contemporaneous 
 production^ may be safely drawn. 
 
 It is quite clear that these names belong to persons living when the 
 work was in progress, or within the recollection of the workers, and 
 that they were attached to persons of some particular note or celebrity^ 
 or rather perhaps of local importance. An eye-witness, or a con- 
 temporary only would have introduced them. They would not have 
 lived in the memory of a person, whether mechanic or historian, who 
 lived a century after the event. No antiquary has yet fairly appro- 
 priated these names, and more especially the second. It follows 
 therefore that they would not have been introduced had they not been 
 in existence at the time and in confirmation of that of Wadard, it 
 seems that Mr. Henry Ellis (Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries^ 
 
 confirmed Mr. Amyott's conjecture on that subject, by the references 
 with which he furnished him to Domesday -Book, where his name 
 occurs in no less than six counties, as holding lands of large extent 
 under Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, the tenant in capite of those properties 
 from the crown. That he was not a guard or ceniinel, as the Abb^ de 
 la Rue supposes, but that he held an office of rank in the household of 
 either William or Odo, seems now decided beyond a doubt." Mr. 
 Amyottthus spiritedly concludes : — alluding to the successful comple- 
 tion of Mr. Stothard's copy of the entire original roU.^ — Yet if the 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 385 
 
 and a political record of more weight than may at first 
 sight appear to belong to it. I suspect that, in painting 
 as well as in poetry, a little fiction is mixed up with 
 the truth ; but taking it altogether " none but itself 
 
 Bayeux Tapestry be not history of the first class, it is perhaps some- 
 thing better. It exhibits general traits, elsewhere sought in vain, of 
 the costume and manners of that age, which, of all others, if we ex- 
 cept the period of the Reformation, ought to be the most interesting 
 to us 3 — that age, which gave us a new race of monarchs, bringing with 
 them new landholders, new laws, and almost a new language" . . . 
 " Most sincerely therefore do I congratulate the Society on possessing 
 a faithful and elegant copy of this matchless relic, affording at once 
 a testimonial of the taste and liberality of our Council, and of the dili- 
 gence and skill of our artist." 
 
 Mr. Amyott has subjoined a delightful specimen of his own poetical 
 powers in describing the Minstrel Taillefer's achievements," in 
 the battle of Hastings, from the old Norman lays of GAiMAKand Wace. 
 I am half tempted to subjoin it but can only find room for the first few 
 verses. The poem is entitled. 
 
 The Onset of TailLefer. 
 
 Foremost in the bands of France, 
 
 Arm'd with hauberk and with lance, 
 
 And helmet glittering in the air. 
 
 As if a warrior knight he were, * 
 
 Rush'd forth the Minstrel Taillefer 
 
 Borne on his courser swift and strong, 
 
 He gaily bounded o'er the plain. 
 And raised the heart-inspiring song 
 (Loud echoed by the warlike throng) 
 
 Of Roland and of Charlemagney 
 Of Oliver, brave peer of old. 
 
 Untaught to fly, unknown to yield, 
 And many a Knight and Vassal bohi. 
 Whose hallowed blood, in crimson flood, 
 
 Dyed Roncevalles' field- 
 
386 
 
 BAYEUX. 
 
 can be its parallel." I have learnt^ even here, of 
 what importance this tapestry-roll was considered in 
 the time of Buonapaite's threatened invasion of our 
 country : and that, either after, or before, displaying it 
 at Paris for two or three months, to awaken the curio- 
 sity and excite the love of conquest among the citi- 
 zens, it was conveyed to one or two sea-port townsy 
 and exhibited upon the stage as a most important ma^ 
 teriel in dramatic effect. Whether, at such a sight, the 
 soldiers shouted — and, drawing their glittering swords. 
 
 Clashed on their sounding shields the din of war, 
 
 — confident of a second representation of the same 
 subject, by a second subjugation of our country — is a 
 point which has not been exactly detailed to me ! But 
 the supposition may not be considered very violent, 
 when I inform you that I was told, by a casual French 
 visitor of the Tapestry, that— pour cela, si Bonaparte 
 avoit eu le courage, le resultat auroit 6te comme autre- 
 fois." Matters however have taken rather a different 
 turn ; and instead of all the notable duchesses and 
 countesses of Paris,=^ sitting down to display the pro- 
 gress and the prowess of their needles, to commemorate 
 
 * M. Denon told me^ in one of my visits to him at Paris, that by 
 the commands of Bonaparte, he was charged with the custody of this 
 Tapestry for three months : that it was displayed in due form and cere- 
 mony in the Museum 3 and that after having taken a hasty sketch of it, 
 (which he admitted could not be considered as very faithful) he re- 
 turned it to Bayeux — as it was considered to be the peculiar property 
 of that place. 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 387 
 
 a second conquest of the same country by a second 
 tapestry roll — I would advise them^ as a subject for 
 a reverse to the present, to embody, in suitable 
 stitches and tints, the poor solitary intended pillar of 
 TRIUMPH upon the heights near Boulogne, with the 
 rotting gun- boats and deserted corvettes, in picturesque 
 groups around ! . . . and instead of Caesar s memorable 
 three-worded designation of victory, to substitute a 
 motto a little more lengthy, but not quite so pleasant: 
 
 VOLUI SED NON POTUI." 
 
 And now, my dear friend, I think you have had a 
 pretty good share of Bayeux intelligence ; only that I 
 ought not to close my despatches without a word or 
 two relating to habits, manners, trade, and population. 
 This will scarcely occupy a page. The men and women 
 here are thoroughly Norman. Stout bodies, plump 
 countenances, wooden shoes, and the cauchoise — even to 
 exceedingly tall copies of the latter ! The population 
 may run hard upon ten thousand. The chief articles 
 of commerce are butter and lace. Of the former, there 
 are two sorts : one, delicate and well flavoured, is made 
 during winter and spring ; put up into small pots, and 
 carried from hence in huge paniers, not only to all the 
 immediately adjacent parts of the country, but even to 
 Paris — and is shipped in large quantities for the colo- 
 nies. They have made as much as 120,0001b. weight 
 each season; but Isigny, a neighbouring village, is ^ 
 rather the chief place for its production. The other 
 sort of butter, which is eaten by the common people, 
 and which in fact is made throughout the whole of 
 Lower Normandy, (the very butter, in short, in which 
 the huge alose was floating in the pot of the lively 
 
388 BAYEUX. 
 
 cuisini^re at Duclair*) is also chiefly made at Isigny; 
 but instead of a delicate tint^ and a fine flavour, it 
 is very much the contrary : and the mode of making 
 and transporting it accords with its qualities. It is 
 salted, and packed in large pots, and even barrels, for 
 the sake of exportation ; and not less than 50,0001b. 
 weight is made each week. The whole profit arising 
 from butter has been estimated at not less than two 
 millions of francs : add to which, the circulation of 
 specie kept up by the payment of the workmen, and 
 the purchase of salt. As to lace^ there are scarcely fewer 
 than three thousand females constantly employed in 
 the manufacture of that article. 
 
 With respect to agricultural pursuits, in the vicinity 
 of Bayeux, it may be fitting that you should know 
 that lime is a most important article of profit. It is 
 used equally for manure and for building. The softer 
 lime is appropriated to the former, the harder to the 
 latter purpose ; and both sorts are burnt either with 
 wood or coal. The kilns, where coal is used, are built of 
 a conical form, of which the interior is about five, and 
 the exterior about fourteen, French feet in diameter : 
 the depth is about eighteen feet. Each kiln at a working- 
 consumes about two hundred bushels of coal. The other 
 kilns are nearly of the same depth, and always of the 
 same diameter. Without reckoning those who are em- 
 ployed in hewing and drawing the stone, each kiln 
 employs twenty men, and it is filled about one hundred 
 times in the course of the year, yielding about seventy- 
 five tons of lime in the same period. One hundred 
 weight of lime is sold for about one franc and a half : 
 
 * See page 194. ante. 
 
BAYEUX. 
 
 389 
 
 a treasure, which, if obtainable at the same price in 
 our own country, would make the farmers jump for joy. 
 
 The mechanics here, at least some of them, are equally 
 civil and ingenious. In a shop, in the high or principal 
 street, I saw an active carpenter, who had lost the 
 fore finger of his right hand, hard at work — alternately 
 whistling and singing — over a pretty piece of ornamental 
 furniture in wood. It was the full face of a female, 
 with closely curled hair over the forehead, surmounted 
 by a wreath of flowers, having side curls, necklace, and 
 platted hair. The whole was carved in beech, and 
 the form and expression of the countenance were 
 equally correct and pleasing. This merry fellow had 
 a man or two under him, but he worked double 
 tideSj compared with his dependants. I interrupted 
 him singing a French air, perfectly characteristic of the 
 taste of his country. The title and song were thus : 
 
 TOUJOURS. 
 TouJouRS, toujours, je te serai ficlMe^ 
 Disait Adolphe h. chaque instant du jour 5 
 Toujours^ toujours je t'aimerai, ma belle, 
 Je veux le dire aux §chos d'alentour 5 
 Je graverai surl'^corce d'un hetre, 
 Ce doux serment que le dieu des amours, 
 Vient me dieter, en me faisant connaitre j 
 Que mon bonheur est de t aimer toujours. Bis. 
 
 Toujours, toujours, lui repondit Ad^le, 
 Tu rfegneras dans le fond de mon coeur ; 
 Toujours, toujours, comme une tourterelle, 
 Je promets bien t'aimer avec ardeur 5 
 Je pense a toi quand le soleil se Ihve, 
 J*y pense encore a la fin de son cours 3 
 Dans le sommeil si quelquefois je reve, 
 C'est au bonheur de te'cherir toujours. 
 
390 BAYEUX. 
 
 Toujours, toujours, mon adorable Adfele 
 Fera I'objet de mes plus tendres voeux, 
 Toujours, toujours, je garderai loin d'elle 
 Le souvenir de ses traits radieux. 
 Dans ses beaux yeux Venus a son empire, 
 Sa douce voix commande les amours ^ 
 Un baiser d'elle, excitant le delire. 
 Me fait jurer de la cherir toujours. 
 
 The craft he exercised is now lost, as a distinct branch 
 of business, in our own country. He was a carver on 
 wainscoat wood : and if I would give myself la peine 
 d'entrer," he would shew me all sorts of curiosities. I 
 secured a favourable reception, by purchasing the 
 little ornament upon which he was at work — for a na- 
 poleon : and this ornament, if I can manage well, shall 
 be transported to England as soon as I reach Paris. I 
 followed the nimble mechanic (ci-devant a soldier in 
 Bonaparte's campaigns, from whence he dated the loss 
 of his finger) through a variety of intricate passages 
 below and up stairs ; and saw, above, several excel- 
 lently well finished pieces of furniture, for drawers or 
 clothes-presses, in wainscoat wood : — the outsides of 
 which were carved sometimes with clustered roses, 
 surrounding a pair of fond doves ; or with represen- 
 tations of Cupids, sheep, bows and arrows, and all the 
 various emhlemata of the tender passion. They would 
 have reminded you of the old pieces of furniture which 
 you found in your grandfather s mansion, upon taking 
 possession of your estate : — and indeed are of them- 
 selves no despicable ornaments in their way. I was 
 asked from eight to twelve napoleons for one of these 
 pieces of massive and elaborately carved furniture, 
 some six or seven feet in height. 
 
BAYEUX. 391 
 
 Now fare you well. To have seen the Bayeux Tapes- 
 try is a requital for all my sufferings at sea, and all 
 my tours and detours by land. But, in other respects, 
 this is a town well deserving of greater antiquarian re- 
 search than appears to have been bestowed upon it ; 
 and I cannot help thinking that its ancient ecclesias- 
 tical history is more interesting than is generally ima- 
 gined. In former days the discipline and influence of its 
 See seem to have been felt and acknowledged through- 
 out nearly the whole of Normandy. Again adieu. In 
 imagination, the spires of Coutances Cathedral 
 begin to peep in the horizon. First, however, for St. 
 Lo. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 A a 
 
392 
 
 LETTER XVIL 
 
 BAYEUX TO COUTANCES. ST. LO. ADVENTURE AT ST. 
 GILLES. THE CATHEDRAL OF COUTANCES. ENVI- 
 RONS. AQUEDUCT. MARKET-DAY. PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
 ESTABLISHMENT FOR THE CLERGY. 
 
 I SEND you this despatch close to the very Cathe- 
 dral, whose spires, while yet at Bayeux, were already 
 glimmering in the horizon of my imagination. The 
 journey hither has been in every respect the most 
 beautiful and interesting that we have experienced on 
 this side the Seine. We have seen something like 
 undulating pasture-lands, wooded hills, meandering 
 streams, and well-peopled villages ; and an air of gaiety 
 and of cheerfulness, as well as the charm of picturesque 
 beauty, has accompanied us from one cathedral to 
 the other. 
 
 We left the Hotel de Luxembourg, at Bayeux, in a 
 hired cabriolet with a pair of horses, about five in the 
 afternoon, pushing on, at a smart trot, for St. Lo: 
 which latter place we entered by moon-light. It was 
 delightful to witness the gradual decay of day, as we 
 passed through the extended forest of Cerny ; now in 
 full luxuriance of foliage. The road, as usual, was 
 broad and bold, and at times undulating; flanked 
 by beech, elm, and fir. As I just observed to you, 
 we entered St. Lo by moon-light : the double towers 
 
ST. LO. 
 
 393 
 
 of the great cathedral-like looking church, having 
 a grand and even romantic effect, as we approached 
 the town. An old castle, or rather a mere round- 
 tower relic of one, appeared to the left, upon entering 
 it. We passed the porch, or west end of the church, 
 sometimes descending, at others ascending — midst 
 close streets and overhanging roofs of houses, which 
 cast a deep and solemn shadow, so as to shut out 
 the moon beams for several hundred yards — and pur- 
 suing our winding route, we at length stopped at 
 the door of the principal hotel — au Grand Coq ! We 
 laughed heartily when we heard its name ; for with 
 the strictest adherence to truth the adjective ought 
 to have been petit ! It was one of the dingiest and 
 smallest at which we had yet stopped ; a degree only 
 superior to that of which such honourable mention was 
 made in the account of Caudebec* 
 
 However, we were shewn up stairs ; and the best 
 front bed rooms were assigned to us. They were tole- 
 rably large. The beds seemed to be in good order, and 
 the coffee, with which we were quickly served, proved 
 to be excellent. We strolled out, on a recomioissance, 
 about half-past nine ; but owing to the deep shadows 
 from the moon, arising from the narrowness of the 
 streets, we could make out nothing satisfactory of the 
 locale. The church, however, promised a rich treat on 
 the morrow. As soon as that morrow came, Mr. Lewis 
 sprung with his accustomed alertness from his bed, 
 and betook himself to the occupations of his pencil. 
 It was Sunday morning. The square, before the 
 
 * See page *206, ante. 
 
 1 
 
394 BAYEUX TO COUTANCES. 
 
 west front of the church, was the rendezvous both of 
 townsmen and countryfolks. How was I delighted 
 ,and surprised, when, on his returning to break- 
 fast, he exhibited a sketch, — of which you have here 
 the finished picture! It is a charlatan vending 
 powder for the effectual polishing of metals. He has 
 just beaten his drum, which you see by the side of hhn, 
 in order to collect his audience ; and having got a good 
 assemblage, is full of the virtues of his wares — which 
 are pronounced to be also " equally efficacious for 
 complaints in the stomach !" 
 
ST. LO. 
 
 395 
 
 This man had been preceded^ in the situation which 
 he occupied, by a rival vendor, upon horseback, with 
 powders to hill rats. The latter stood upon the same 
 eminence, wearing- a hat, jacket, and trowsers, all white 
 — upon which were painted black rats of every size 
 and description ; and in his harangue to the populace 
 he took care to tell them that the rats, painted upon 
 his dress, were exact portraits of those which had been 
 destroyed by means of his powders ! This, too, on a 
 Sunday morning. But remember Dieppe.* For a 
 wonder, I had risen time enough to take a turn before 
 breakfast ; when I paid my respects to the Cur^, or 
 minister of the church, in order to make enquiries about 
 a Chapter Library. For the first time, since I trod upon 
 Gallic ground, I found a clean, well-dressed, closely 
 shaven, and respectable looking clergyman, of a Sunday 
 morning. Note well, he had resided several years in 
 England as an emigre. Such is the force of habit. He 
 received and treated me with that civility which one 
 gentleman should always shew to another ; and though 
 no library, such as I enquired after, was in exist- 
 ence, I had reason to be well satisfied with my visit. 
 From the residence of the Cure, (still before breakfast) 
 I sought out the prefect, or chief superintendant, of 
 the Hotel de Ville, in order to examine the public li- 
 brary there. Although he was not at home, an entire 
 stranger, and accidental looker on, told me he w^ould 
 accompany me where the key could be readily pro- 
 cured ; when, equally gratified and surprised at this po- 
 lite offer, I accepted it, and followed my jnan" down 
 
 * See page ^0, ante. 
 
396 BAYEUX TO COUTANCES. 
 
 one street and up another ; till, having obtained the 
 wished-for keys, I was shewn, by a second stranger, the 
 library in question. 
 
 It is certainly a most unostentatious affair. A room, 
 scarcely seventeen feet square, contains the library at- 
 tached to the Hotel de Ville. Here I saw confusion 
 of every description. Imperfect duplicates ; piled up 
 volumes of obsolete divinity, and neglected canon-law. 
 Two copies of Le Jays Polyglot Bible had a singular 
 appearance in this straitened collection : but there was 
 nothing exactly to my palate (hungry as I then was) 
 saving an early Boecius, a good copy of Aldus s Quin- 
 tilian of 1514, and a black letter edition of the Grand 
 Coustumier de Normandie, The books, however, had 
 suffered dreadfully during the Revolution. I thanked 
 my Cicerone for his obliging attention, and sought the 
 qoffee and eggs of the H6tel du Grand Coq, with the 
 best possible disposition to do them justice. I found 
 Mr. L. ready to receive me — putting a few finishing 
 touches to the characteristic drawing of which I have 
 just made mention. Having dispatched our break- 
 fasts, we proceeded to survey the church — from which 
 the town takes its name. And first for the exterior 
 of this edifice. The attached towers demand atten- 
 tion and admiration. They are so shghtly attached 
 as to be almost separated from the body or nave; 
 forming something of that particular character which 
 obtains more decidedly at the cathedral of Coutances. I 
 am not sure whether this portion of the church at St. 
 Lo be not preferable, on the score of regularity and de- 
 licacy, to the similar portion at this latter place. The 
 west front is indeed its chief beauty of exterior attrac- 
 
ST. LO. 
 
 397 
 
 tion ; and it was once rendered doubly interesting by a 
 profusion of alto-relievo statues, which disappeared 
 during the commotions of the revolution. You ascend 
 rather a lofty flight of steps to this entrance ; and into 
 which the whole town seemed to be pouring the full 
 tide of its population. We suffered ourselves to be 
 carried away along with the rest, — and were quickly 
 separated from each other. 
 
 I almost startled as I entered the nave.* To the 
 left, is a horribly-painted statue of the Virgin, with the 
 child in her arms. The countenance is even as ugly, 
 old, and repulsive, as the colouring is most despicable. 
 I never saw such a daub : and what emotions, con- 
 nected with tenderness of feehng, or ardour of de- 
 votion, can the contemplation of such an object 
 excite ? Surely the parish must have lost its ivits^ as 
 well as its taste, to endure such a monstrous exhibi- 
 tion of art. 
 
 As I advanced towards the choir, I took especial 
 notice of the very singular, and in my opinion very 
 ugly, formation both of the pillars and arches which 
 sustain the roof. These pillars have no capitals, and 
 the arch springs from them in the most abrupt man- 
 ner. The arch itself, is also very short and sharp 
 pointed ; like the tops of lancet windows. This mode 
 obtains pretty generally here ; but it should be noted 
 that, in the right side aisle, the pillars have capitals. 
 There is something unusual also in the row of pil- 
 lars which spring up, flanking the choir, half way 
 
 * M. Cotman has a view of this church j as announced in his Pro- 
 spectus. 
 
398 BAYEUX TO COUTANCES. 
 
 between the walls of the choir and the outward wall 
 of the church. Nor am I sure that, destitute of a 
 graceful, superadded arch, such massive perpendicular 
 lines have either meaning or effect. Whether St. Lo 
 were the first church upon which the architect, who 
 built both that and the cathedral at Coutances, tried 
 his talents — or whether, indeed, both churches be the 
 effort of the same hand — I cannot pretend to deter- 
 mine ; but, both outwardly and inwardly, these two 
 churches have a strong resemblance to each other. 
 Like many other similar buildings in France, the 
 church of St. Lo is closely blocked up by the sur- 
 rounding houses. 
 
 On descending the flight of steps by which I had en- 
 tered, I turned to the right, and inquired the price of 
 some plaister images of the Virgin, coloured, about 
 three feet high, and intended as ornaments for churches. 
 I was asked forty francs for one, which I thought a 
 sufficiently extravagant price for such an article. We 
 prepared to leave St. Lo about mid-day, after agreeing 
 for a large heavy machine, with a stout pair of horses, 
 to conduct us to this place. There are some curious 
 old houses near the inn, with exterior ornaments like 
 those of the xvith century in our own country. But 
 on quitting the town, in the road to Coutances, — after 
 you come to what we called the old castle walls, on 
 passing the outer gate — your eye is struck by rather 
 an extraordinary combination of objects. The town 
 itself seems to be built upon a rock. Above, below, all 
 appears like huge scales of iron ; while, at the bottom, 
 in a serpentine direction, runs the peaceful and fruitful 
 
BAYEUX TO COUTANCES. 399 
 
 river Aure.^ The country immediately around abounds 
 in verdant pasture, and luxuriantly wooded heights. 
 Upon the whole, our sortie from St. Lo, beneath a 
 bright blue sky and a meridian sun, was extremely 
 cheerful and gratifying. 
 
 A hard road (but bold and broad, as usual) soon con- 
 vinced us of the uncomfortableness of our conveyance ; 
 which, though roomy, and of rather respectable appear- 
 ance, wanted springs. Add to this, the post-boy gravely 
 
 • the peaceful and fruitful river Aure."] — I suspect that the peace- 
 ful" waters of this stream were frequently died with the blood of Hu- 
 gOnots and Roman Catholics during the fierce contests between Mont- 
 gomery and Matignon towards the latter half of the sixteenth cen- 
 tury. At that period St. Lo was one of the strongest towns in the 
 Bocage ; and the very pass above described, was the avenue by which 
 the soldiers of the captains just mentioned, alternately advanced and 
 retreated in their respective attacks upon St. Lo j which at length sur- 
 rendered to the victorious army of the latter ; the leader of the Catho- 
 lics. ^' Le nom de Matignon devint alors celebre dans toute I'Europe. 
 On fecrivit I'histoire de ses expeditions au Bocage, et elle fut imprimfee 
 k Paris chez Ruffet. Les Peuples chantaient les louanges dans plusieurs 
 chansons dont je rapporterai quelques couplets : 
 Ju premier tour de Mai par permission divine. 
 Saint ho fut assailU a coups de couleuvrines, 
 Somme qu'on eut pense que tout y fut rask 
 Et cendre consume. 
 Matignon y etait et sa Gendarmerie, 
 Rampan, Clerel, aussi Agneaux, Ste-Marie 
 Qui sans cesse disait Colombieres, rends-toi 
 Au grand Charles ton Roi 
 Ou tu perdras la vie. 
 Colombi^res repond tout rempli defurie 
 De me rendre en poltron qu'on ne me parle mye. 
 Jamais ne me rendrat 
 J^y veux perdre la vie. 
 Seguin : Histoire Militaire des Bocains ;p. 340-384 ; 1816, \2m0. 
 
400 BAYEUX TO COUTANCES. 
 
 told us that he could not venture upon putting his 
 horses beyond the speed of Jour miles an hour, (and it 
 was upwards of 12 miles to Coutances) as he had to 
 return to St. Lo the same evening. Complaint and 
 vexation were equally unavailing : so we gazed around 
 us, and having got into a country of rich verdure and 
 variegated scenery, we endeavoured to forget the occa- 
 sional jolts and inconveniences of our vehicle. We 
 approached a pretty village ; in the centre of which a 
 church stood by the road side. It was the village of 
 St. Gilles; to which saint the church is dedicated. 
 This was too tempting an object to forego the visita- 
 tion of it. Our time was our own ; and both the gargon 
 and the sturdy Norman horses, which he drove so lei- 
 surely along, were also at our command. " Arretez :" 
 and in five seconds we were within the church — a drea- 
 ry, deserted, and unornamented building ; but yet an- 
 cient. Somebroken fragments of sculpture were thrown 
 about in obscure places — but what is that yonder ?" 
 observed I to my companion. A more interesting mor- 
 ceau — and clearly of the time of Francis I. — I had not 
 seen. It was a dead Christ in the lap of his mother, 
 each without head and feet. Mr. Lewis took a small 
 and hasty sketch of it, and we both agreed that a more 
 interesting and perfect specimen of the sculpture of that 
 time had not been seen by us. It was lodged upon a 
 stone shelf, or projection from the wall, and might be 
 about two feet in height. 
 
 The more I examined it, the greater was my admira- 
 tion. " Let us see if we cannot obtain it." So saying 
 — (leaving Mr. L. to make further sketches) I quitted 
 the church, and enquired for the residence of Monsieur 
 
ST. GTLLES. 
 
 401 
 
 Le Cur6. His house was completely a rural hermitage ; 
 half smothered with the blossoms of trees of various 
 descriptions. The good man had dined, and was di- 
 gesting his potage by a stroll in his garden. He was 
 decently attired ; and looked with more than ordinary 
 surprise at the intrusion of an English stranger. In 
 three minutes I told my tale. Without making the 
 least objection, or even observation, he looked around 
 him, and replied coolly — " A ga, mais il faut mettre 
 les sabots, parceque le hameau est un pen crott6 a 
 cause de la pluie qui vient de tomber." So the worthy 
 Cure put on his wooden shoes, surmounted with a 
 coarse skin, and we both trotted along together to- 
 wards the church-door, where stood the voiture and 
 the aforesaid " sturdy Norman horses." It was quite 
 a sight for the villagers ; who, by this time, had 
 assembled to the number of fifty at least, around the 
 carriage, " Que veut dire tout ceci "? — was the obser- 
 vation of more than one of the spectators. We ap- 
 proached; and I was delighted to see the general 
 attention paid to the clergyman by the respectful 
 manner of their salutation. Under such a convoy I 
 considered myself quite safe, and even began to think 
 I might be successful in the object for which I had 
 brought him thither. But " nothing could be done 
 without the sub-mayor. It concerned the parish at 
 large ; and they must be consulted. What is the sum 
 you propose giving for this fragment ?" " Two louis," 
 — rephed I, with the utmost decision and promptitude. 
 " A ga, voyons." The sub-mayor was sent for. He 
 was not far off ;— in an auberge, which we should 
 call a common pot-house. On his arrival the wor- 
 
402 
 
 BAYEUX TO COUTANCES. 
 
 thy Cur^, raising his voice, addressed the magistrate 
 and the people, — now much increased in number — 
 and stated the object and the wishes of " Monsieur 
 FAnglois, voyageur antiquaire." I then claimed a mo- 
 ment's attention, and urged the reasonableness of my 
 proposal — to which, as they appeared to listen, I felt 
 considerable gratification . . . inasmuch as my French 
 was endured. 
 
 The people looked at each other and said nothing. 
 In the midst of this general wonder, Mr. L. surveyed 
 us all with the intelligent eye of an artist, and declared 
 that he had never seen so very singular and novel a 
 scene. His pencil was beginning to be exercised ; 
 when Messieurs Le Cure and Sous-maire consulted 
 apart — and turning round to me, concluded by observ- 
 ing — " vous pouvez bien partir : nous y aviserons ; et 
 vous aurez des nouvelles la-dessus." I requested, if they 
 agreed, that the marble might be sent to Pierre-Aim6 
 Lair at Caen ; who would receive intelligence from me 
 upon the subject, and would be authorised to pay the 
 two louis as soon as the packet should arrive. We 
 mounted our voiture, apparently in the best possible 
 humour with each other : and bidding a thousand 
 adieus, pushed on for this place. I am very sanguine 
 — from the good-humoured expression of countenance 
 of the Cure and Sub-mayor, after they had chatted 
 apart — that the affair will terminate agreeably to my 
 wishes.* 
 
 The reflection upon this whimsical adventure, toge- 
 
 * Not a syllable of intelligence has since reached me upon the sub- 
 ject. The fragment is however worth a contre-projet. 
 
COUTANCES. 403 
 
 ther with the increasing beauty of the country, kept 
 our attention perfectly occupied — so as almost to forget 
 that the voiture was without springs — till the beautiful 
 cathedral of Coutances caught our notice, upon an 
 elevated ground, to the left. The situation is truly stri- 
 king, gaze from which quarter you please ; but from 
 that of St. Lo, the immediate approach to the town is 
 rendered very interesting from the broad route royale 
 lined with birch, hazel, and beech. The delicacy, or 
 perhaps the peculiarity of the western towers of the 
 cathedral, struck us as singularly picturesque ; while 
 the whole landscape was warmed by the full effulgence 
 of an unclouded sun, and animated by the increasing 
 numbers and activity of the paysannes and bourgeoises 
 mingling in their sabbath-walks. Their bright dark 
 hlues and crimsons were put on upon the occasion ; 
 and nought but peace, tranquillity, and fruitfulness 
 seemed to prevail on all sides. It was a scene wherein 
 you might have placed Arcadian shepherds — worthy 
 of being copied by the pencil of Claude. 
 
 We entered the town at a sharp trot. The postillion, 
 flourishing his whip, and causing its sound to re-echo 
 through the principal street; upon an ascent, drove to 
 the chief inn, the Hotel d'Angleterre, within about 
 one hundred yards of the cathedral. Vespers were just 
 over; and I shall not readily forget the rush and 
 swarm of clergymen who were pouring out, from 
 the north door, and covering the street with one ex- 
 tensive black mass. There could not have been fewer 
 than two hundred young Ecclesiastics — thus return- 
 ing from vespers to their respective homes ; or rather 
 to the College, or great clerical establishment, hard 
 
404 
 
 COUTANCES. 
 
 by ; which having suffered from violence and neglect, 
 through the revolution and Buonaparte's dynasty, is 
 now beginning to raise its head in a very distinguished 
 and commanding manner. It was a singular sight 
 — to see such a crowd of young men, wearing cocked 
 hats, black robes, and black bands with white edging I 
 The women were all out in the streets ; sitting before 
 their doors, or quietly lounging or walking. The af- 
 ternoon was indeed unusually serene. 
 
 We ordered a late dinner, and set out for the cathe- 
 dral. It was impossible to visit it at a more favorable 
 moment. The congregation had departed ; and a fine 
 warm sun darted its rays in every surrounding direc- 
 tion. We had also a communicative and civil guide, 
 and were resolved to glean every intelligence which 
 could be imparted. As we looked around, we could 
 not fail to be struck with the singular arrangement 
 of the columns round the choir : or rather of the dou- 
 ble aisle between the choir and the walls, as at St. Lo 
 but here yet more distinctly marked. For a wonder, 
 an unpainted Virgin and child in Our Lady's chapel, 
 behind the choir I There is nothing, I think, in the in- 
 terior of this church that merits particular notice and 
 commendation, except it be some beautifully-stained 
 glass windows ; with the arms, however, of certain no- 
 ble famihes, and the regal arms (as at Bayeux) oblitera- 
 ted. There is a deep well in the north transept, to sup- 
 ply the town with water in case of fire. The pulpit is 
 large and handsome; but not so magnificent as that at 
 Bayeux. The organ is comparatively small. Perhaps 
 the XII ith century is a period sufficiently remote to 
 assign for the completion of the interior of this church. 
 
COUTANCES 
 
 405 
 
 for I cannot subscribe to the hypothesis of the Abbe de 
 la Rue, that this edifice was probably erected by Tan- 
 cred King- of Sicily at the end of the xith, or begin- 
 ning of the xiith century. 
 
 Herewith I transmit you a print=^ of the exterior of 
 this beautiful church ; which exterior is indeed its chief 
 attraction. Unquestionably the style of architecture 
 is very peculiar, and does not, as far as I know, extend 
 beyond St. Lo, in Normandy. Our great object was 
 to mount upon the roof of the central tower, which 
 is octagonal, containing fine lofty lancet windows, and 
 commanding from its summit a magnificent pano- 
 rama. Another story, one half the height of the pre- 
 sent erection from the roof of the nave, would put a 
 glorious finish to the central tower of Notre Dame at 
 CouTANCEs. As we ascended this central tower, we 
 digressed occasionally into the lateral galleries along 
 the aisles. To look down, was somewhat terrific ; but 
 we could not help bewailing the wretched, rotten, green- 
 tinted appearance of the roof of the north aisle ; which 
 arose here, as at Bayeux, from its being stripped of 
 the lead (during the Revolution) to make huUets — and 
 from the rain s penetrating the interior in consequence. 
 
 * This print, about 19 inches long, and 14 wide, is executed in 
 a coarse manner. It is dedicated to " Leonor Goujon de Matignon. 
 Ev^que de Coutances j of the date of 1747. To the left, stuck at 
 the top of a roof of a house, the artist has represented himself in the 
 act of taking his view. I bought it for a franc. The next principal 
 
 church St is to the right, as a sort of background. The whole 
 
 is a very gross deviation from the rules of perspective. But the reader 
 will be doubtless gratified by the artist-like view of M. Cotman, as 
 announced to embellish his Architectural Antiquities of Normandy. . 
 
406 
 
 €OUTANCES. 
 
 It was a most melancholy sight ; and the same had 
 occurred beneath the roof of the tower whereon we 
 stood, which had been also stript for the like murde- 
 rous purpose. As we continued to ascend, we looked 
 through the apertures to notice the fine formation and 
 almost magical erection of the lancet windows of the 
 western towers : and the higher we mounted, the more 
 beautiful and magical seemed to be that portion of the 
 building. At length we reached the summit; and con- 
 centrating ourselves a little, gazed around. 
 
 The view was lovely beyond measure. Coutances lies 
 within four miles of the sea, so that to the west and south 
 appeared an immense expanse of ocean. On the oppo- 
 site points was an extensive landscape, well-wooded, 
 undulating, rich, and thickly studded with farm-houses. 
 Jersey appeared to the north-west, quite encircled by 
 the sea ; and nearly to the south stood out the bold 
 insulated little rock of Granville^ defying the eternal 
 washing of the wave. Such a view is perhaps no 
 where else to be seen in Normandy ; certainly not 
 from any ecclesiastical edifice with which I am ac- 
 quainted. The sun was now declining apace, which 
 gave a warmer glow to the ocean, and a richer 
 hue to the landscape. It is impossible to particu- 
 larize. All was exquisitely refreshing, and joyous. 
 The heart beats with a fuller pulsation as the eye 
 darts over such an expansive and exhilirating scene ! 
 Spring was now clad in her deepest-coloured ves- 
 ture : and a prospect of a fine summer and an abun- 
 dant harvest infused additional delight into the be- 
 holder. Immediately below, stood the insulated and 
 respectable mansion or Palace of the Bishop ; in the 
 
COUTANCES. 
 
 407 
 
 midst of a formal garden — begirt with yet more for- 
 mally dipt hedges. As the Prelate bore a good char- 
 acter, I took a pleasure in gazing upon the roof which 
 contained an inhabitant capable of administering so 
 much good to the community. In short, I shall 
 always remember the view from the top of the central 
 tower of the cathedral of Coutances !^ 
 
 We quitted such a spot with reluctance ; but time 
 was flying away, and the patience of the cuisinier at 
 the Hotel d'Angleterre had already been put somewhat 
 to the test. In twenty minutes we sat down to our 
 
 * ^' I went up to the top of the great center tower, to enjoy one of 
 the finest prospects imaginable. The town of Granville appears in 
 front, and beyond it are the islands of Chausey and Jersey, at the dis- 
 tance of seven leagues to the north, forms a noble object. The country 
 on all sides, towards St. Lo, Avranche, and Carenten, is a garden, rich, 
 cultivated, and shaded with woods." [Sir Nathaniel] WraxalVs Tour, 
 1775, 8vo. The author, a little before, thus describes the town and 
 neighbourhood — but I must be permitted to question the accuracy of 
 the date of some of the domestic architecture ; as well as of the erec- 
 tion of the cathedral in its present state. — Coutances stands on a 
 hill, the sides of which descend with prodigious rapidity. Beyond the 
 vale, a range of hills rises like a superb amphitheatre, and invests it on 
 every side. The houses bear all the marks of antiquity in their struc- 
 ture and taste, which is rude in a great degree. Many of them have 
 doubtless stood five or six hundred years ; and on one, the style of 
 which merits peculiar study, is the date lOOTj, yet remaining, in very 
 legible characters. On the summit of the hill, in the centre of the town, 
 stands the cathedral. I have spent several hours in the examination of 
 its architecture. There is a grotesque beauty spread over the whole ; 
 and the fantastic ornaments of gothic building are mingled with a won- 
 drous elegance and delicacy in many of its parts. It was begun in 
 1047, and William the Conqueror, King of England, assisted in person 
 at its solemn consecration some years after." 
 
408 
 
 COUTANCES. 
 
 dinner, in a bed- room, of which the furniture was 
 chiefly of green silk ; but the produce of the kitchen 
 and the skill of the cook made us wholly indifferent to 
 surrounding objects. The females, even in the humblest 
 walks, have generally fine names ; and Victorina was 
 that of the fille de chambre at the Hotel d'Angle- 
 terre. After dinner we walked upon what may be 
 called the heights of Coutances ; and a more delightful 
 evening s walk I never enjoyed. The women of every 
 description — ladies, housekeepers, and servant maids — 
 were all abroad ; either sitting upon benches, or stand- 
 ing in gossiping groups, or straying in friendly pairs. 
 We were much struck with the comeliness of the 
 women; a certain freshn-ess of tint, and prevalence 
 of the bon point, reminded us of those of our own 
 country ; and among the latter, I startled, — as I 
 gazed upon a countenance which afforded but too vivid 
 a resemblance to that of my late lamented niece ! Here 
 indeed we almost fancied ourselves in a large mar- 
 ket town in England. Certainly the Norman women 
 are no where more comely and interesting than at 
 Coutances. 
 
 The immediate environs of this place are beautiful 
 and interesting : visit them in what direction you 
 please. But there is nothing which so immediately 
 strikes you as the remains of an ancient Aqueduct ; 
 gothicised at the hither end, but, with three or four cir- 
 cular arches at the further extremity, where it springs 
 from the opposite banks. Mr. Lewis in his stroll of 
 this morning — it being market-day — visited that par- 
 ticular spot, and from thence took the charming little 
 view, — of the aqueduct in the foreground, and the ca- 
 
COUTANCES. 
 
 409 
 
 thedral^ and St. . . . in the distance, — of which I trans- 
 mit you a finished copy.=^ Tlie market-people add 
 much to the effect ; while the peculiar play of light 
 and shade cannot fail to strike you as singularly happy. 
 Fine as was yesterday, this day has not been inferior 
 to it. I was of course glad of an opportunity of visiting 
 the market, and of mingling with the country people. 
 The boulevards afforded an opportunity of accomplish- 
 ing both these objects. Corn is a great article of 
 trade ; and they have noble granaries for depositing it 
 Apparently there is a great conflux of people, and 
 much business stirring. I quickly perceived, in the 
 midst of this ever-moving throng, our old friend the 
 vender of rat-destroying powders — busied in the exer- 
 cise of his calling, and covered with his usual vest- 
 ment of white, spotted or painted with black rats. 
 He found plenty of bearers and plenty of purchasers. 
 All was animation and bustle. In the midst of it, a 
 man came forward to the edge of abank — below which 
 a great concourse was assembled. He beat a drum, to 
 announce that a packet boat would sail to Jersey in the 
 course of the afternoon ; but the people seemed too 
 intent upon their occupations and gambols to attend 
 to him. I sat upon a bench and read one of the little 
 chap books — Richard sans peur — which I had pur- 
 chased the same morning : Mr. L. being wholly occu- 
 pied, in the mean time, with the view of which I have 
 just made mention. 
 
 While absorbed in reflections upon the heteroge- 
 neous scene before me — and wishing for some of my 
 dearest friends in England to be also spectators of it — 
 
 * See THE Opposite Plate. 
 VOL I. fib 
 
410 
 
 COUTANCES. 
 
 the notes of an hand-organ more and more dis- 
 tinctly stole upon my ear. They were soft, and even 
 pleasing notes. On looking round, I observed that the 
 musician preceded a person, who carried aloft a waxen 
 Virgin with the infant Jesus ; and who, under such a 
 sign, exhorted the multitude to approach and buy his 
 book-wares. I trust I was too thorough-bred a Rox- 
 burgher to remain quiescent upon the bench : and 
 accordingly starting up, and extending two sous, I be- 
 came the fortunate purchaser of a little chap article — 
 of which our friend Bernardo will for ever, I fear, 
 envy me the possession ! The vender of the tome sang 
 through his nose, as the organ warbled the following 
 
 Cantique d&pitituel. 
 
 EN l'honneur du tres-saint sacrement. 
 Qui est expose dans la grande Eglise cath^drale de St. Pierre et St. Paul 
 de Rome, pour implorer la mis^ricorde de Dieu. 
 
 Air : Du Theodore Francais. 
 Approchez-vous_, Chretiens fideles, 
 A fin d' entendre reciter : 
 Ecoutez tons avec un grand zMe, 
 Avee ferveur et piet6, 
 Le voeu que nous avons fait, 
 D'aller au grand Saint Jacques 5 
 Grace k Dieu nous I'avons accompli. 
 Pour r amour de Jesus Christ. 
 
 Dieu cr^a le ciel et la terre, 
 Les astres et le firmament j 
 II fit la brillante lumi^re, 
 Ainsi que tous les autres ^l^mens, 
 II a tir^ tout du n^ant, 
 Ce qui respire sur la terre : 
 Rendons hommage k la grandeur 
 De notre divin Cr^teur. 
 
COUTANCES. 
 
 411 
 
 * Tous les jours la malice augmente, II y a tr^s-peu de religion ; 
 La jeunesse est trop p^tulante, Les enfans jurent le saint Nom. Et 
 comment s'etonneroit-on Si tant de fl^aux nous tourmentent, Etsi Ton 
 voit tant de malheurs, C'est Dieu qui punit les p^cheurs. 
 
 Souvent on assiste k I'Office, C'est comme une maniere d' acquit. 
 Sans penser au saint Sacrifice, Oil s'est immole Jesus-Christ. On 
 parle avec ses amis De ses affaires temporelles. Sans faire aucune at- 
 tention Aux myst^res de la religion. 
 
 Reftechissez bien, pferes et mferes, Sur ces morales et v^rit^s : C'est 
 la loi de Dieu notre Pere ; C'est lui qui nous les a dictees : II taut les 
 suivre et les pratiquer, Tant que nous serons sur la terre. N'oublions 
 point qu'apr^s la mort, Nos ames existeront encore. 
 
 Jesus nous en montre I'exemple Par sa bonte et par sa douceur. 
 Marchons, allons a son saint Temple, Pour le prier avec ferveur. Pour 
 qu'il repande ses bienfaits Sur les precieux biens de la terre, Et qu'il 
 accorde k chaque maison Sa sainte benediction. 
 
 Portons, Chretiens, sur nous I'imageDe notre Sauveur Jesus-Christy 
 Pla^ons la dans notre menage. Sera en tout lieu notre appui. II met 
 le Chretien k I'abri Du feu du ciel et du tonnerre. Portons les armes 
 du Seigneur, Pour nous preserver de malheur. 
 
 Que la paix chez nous toujours rfegne. En bons Chretiens accordons- 
 nous, Et que tous les troubles s'eteignent. Nous gouterons un sort plus 
 doux. Que d'une parfaite union Nous jouissions comme des frferes : 
 Ayons confiance en J^sus Christ, Nous aurons ses dons infinis. 
 
 Adorons tous, d'un coeur sincere, Jesus-Christ notre Redempteur 5 
 Offrons-lui nos voeux, nos priferes ; Reclamons le avec ferveur. Tous 
 les jours prions le Seigneur De nous preserver sur la terre, De mal- 
 heurs et d'accidens. Prions le Sauveur tout-puissant. 
 
 The day was beginning to wear away fast, and I had 
 not yet accomplished the favourite and indispensable 
 object of visiting the Public Library. I made two 
 unsuccessful attempts ; but the third was fortunate. 
 
 * It cannot fail to be noticed that the following sentences are in fact 
 rhyming verse, though printed prose -wise. 
 
412 
 
 COUTANCES. 
 
 I had no letter of introduction, and every body was 
 busied in receiving the visits of their country friends. 
 I was much indebted to the polite attention of a 
 stranger : who accompanied me to the house of the 
 public librarian, his friend, and, he not being at home, 
 undertook the office of shewing me the books. The 
 room in which they are contained — wholly detached — 
 and indeed at a considerable distance from the ca- 
 thedral — is about sixty English feet long, low, and 
 rather narrow. It is absolutely crammed with books, 
 in the most shameful state of confusion. I saw, for 
 the first time in Normandy, and with absolute glad- 
 ness of heart, a copy of the Complutenslan Polyglot 
 Bible ; of which the four latter volumes, in vellum 
 binding, were tail and good : the earlier ones, in calf, 
 not so desirable. For the first time too, since treading 
 Norman soil, I saw a tolerably good sprinkle of Italian 
 books. Ascensius's first edition of Bedes Epistles, in 
 small quarto : several old first editions of Greek au- 
 thors : and a copy of the edition of the History of the 
 Chevalier Bayard, with the portrait, precisely in the 
 same style of binding, as that for which, at the sale 
 of the Roxhurghe Library, I was insane enough to 
 give nine guineas. But the collection stands in dread- 
 ful need of weeding. Indeed, this observation may 
 apply to the greater number of public collections 
 throughout Normandy. I thanked my attendant for 
 his patient and truly friendly attention, and took my 
 leave. 
 
 In my way homewards, I stopped at M. Joubert's, 
 the principal librarian, and " beat about the bush" for 
 bibliographical game. But my pursuit was not crowned 
 
COUTANCES. 
 
 with success. M. J. told me, in reply to black-letter 
 enquiries, that a Monsieur A^=^**, a stout burly man, 
 whom he called " un gros papa" — was in the habit of 
 paying yearly visits from Jersey, for the acquisition of 
 the same black-letter treasures ; and that he swept 
 away every thing in the shape of an ancient and equi- 
 vocal volume in his annual rounds. I learnt pretty 
 nearly the same thing from Manoury at Caen. M. 
 Joubert is a very sensible and respectable man; and is 
 not only " Seul Imprimeur de Monseignenr VEvdque'' 
 (Pierre Dupont-Poursat), but is in fact almost the 
 only bookseller worth consulting in the place. I 
 bought of him a copy of the Livre (TEglise ou Nou- 
 veau Parol ssien a r usage du Diocese de Coutances, or 
 the common prayer book of the diocese. It is a very 
 thick duodecimo, of 700 double columned pages, print- 
 ed in a clear, new, and extremely legible character, 
 upon paper of sufficiently good texture. It was bound 
 in sheepskin, and I gave only thirti/ sous for it new. 
 How it can be published at such a price, is beyond my 
 conception. M. Joubert told me that the compositor 
 or workman received 20 francs for setting up 36 pages, 
 and that the paper was 12 francs per ream. In our 
 own country, such prices would be at least doubled. 
 
 It is impossible not to be struck here with the great 
 number of young ecclesiastics. In short, the estab- 
 lishment now erecting for them, will contain, when 
 completed, (according to report) not fewer than four 
 hundred. It is also impossible not to be struck with the 
 extreme simplicity of their manners and deportment. 
 They converse with apparent familiarity with the very 
 humblest of their flock : and seem, from the highest to 
 
414 
 
 COUTANCES. 
 
 the lowest, to be cordially received. They are indiffe- 
 rent as to personal appearance : one young man car- 
 ries a bundle, as if of linen for his laundress, along the 
 streets : another carries a round hat in his hand, with a 
 cocked one upon his head : a kitchen utensil is seen in 
 the hand of a third, and a chair, or small table, in that 
 of a fourth. As they pass, they are repeatedly saluted. 
 Till the principal building be finished, many of them 
 are scattered about the town, living quite in the upper 
 stories. In short, it is the profession^ rather than the 
 particular candidate, which seems to claim the respect- 
 ful attention of the townsmen. 
 
 Thus much, or rather thus little, for Coutances. At 
 five this afternoon we start in the cabriolet of the dili- 
 gence for Granville — where we purpose sleeping. I 
 regret that my time will only allow of so superficial a 
 survey of this interesting place : of which both the 
 town and the environs would richly repay a week's resi- 
 dence at least . . and I have been here scarcely seventy- 
 two hours ! A well-built country-house in the neigh- 
 bourhood, especially in that direction whither the aque- 
 duct leads, would be a delightful acquisition to the 
 lover both of nature and of the antiquities of art. In- 
 deed, to a Parisian, what residence, throughout Nor- 
 mandy, could be more desirable ? But Fictorina has 
 announced the speedy approach of the diligence — 
 and having dispatched our maintenon cutlet and our 
 vin de Beaune, we are preparing for our departure. 
 A thousand adieus. 
 
> 
 
 415 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 JOURNEY TO GRANVILLE. GRANVILLE. VILLE DIEU. 
 ST. SEVER. TOWN AND CASTLE OF VIRE. 
 
 Vire. 
 
 Since my last, I have been as much gratified by the 
 charms of nature and of art, as during any one period 
 of my tour. Prepare, therefore, for a melange of intel- 
 ligence; but such as, I will make bold to predict, 
 cannot fail to afford you considerable gratification. 
 Normandy is doubtless a glorious country. It is 
 fruitful in its soil, picturesque in the disposition of its 
 land and water, and rich in the architectural relics of 
 " the olden time." It is also more than ordinarily in- 
 teresting to us Englishmen. Here, in the very town 
 whence I transmit this despatch — within two hundred 
 and fifty yards of the hotel of the Cheval Blanc, which 
 just now encloses us within its granite walls — here, I 
 say, lived and revelled the illustrious family of the De 
 Veres.^'^ Hence William the Conqueror took the 
 famous Aubrey de Vere to be a spectator of his 
 prowess, and a sharer of his spoils, in his decisive sub- 
 jugation of our own country. It is from this place that 
 
 * The reader will find tlie fullest particulars relating to this once- 
 distinguished family, in Halstead's Genealogical Memoirs of Noble 
 Families, &c. : a book, it is true, of extreme scarcity : but in lieu of it 
 let him consult Collinses Noble Families. 
 
416 
 
 COUTANCES TO GRANVILLE. 
 
 the De Veres derive their name. Their once-proud 
 castle yet towers above the rushing rivulet below, 
 which tarns a hundred mills in its course: bat the 
 warder's horn has long ceased to be heard, and the 
 ramparts are levelled with the solid rock with which 
 they were once, as it were, identified. The ruin, how- 
 ever, which remains, will probably speak for itself in 
 the course of this epistle. 
 
 I recollect that my last concluded with the an- 
 nounce of the arrival of the diligence at Coutances, 
 and of our preparation for departure to Granville^ 
 in our route hither. We were well pleased to find 
 a seat ia the cabriolet occupied by a very agreeable 
 and intelligent countryman — Lieutenant M. of the 
 royal artillery at Woolwich : with whom we quickly 
 became familiar — and who was, at that moment, in 
 the prosecution of an extensive tour to all the sea port 
 towns of France. We left Coutances with something 
 approaching to reluctance ; so completely anglicised 
 seemed to be the scenery and inhabitants. The evening 
 was beautiful in the extreme; and upon gaining the 
 height of one of the opposite hills, within about half a 
 league of the town, in the high Granville route, we 
 alighted — walked, stopped, and gazed, alternately, 
 upon the lovely landscape around us — the cathedral, in 
 the mean time, becoming of one entire golden tint 
 from the radiance of the setting sun. It was hardly 
 possible to view a more perfect picture of its kind ; 
 and it served as a just counterpart to the more expan- 
 sive scene which we had contemplated, but the pre- 
 ceding evening, from the heights of that same cathe- 
 dral. Mr. Lewis was for exercising his pencil without 
 
GRANVILLE. 
 
 417 
 
 delay ; but an " en avant'' from the eondueteur roused 
 him from his rapturous abstraction, when we remounted, 
 and descended into a valley; and ere the succeeding 
 height was gained, a fainter light floated over the dis- 
 tant landscape . . . and every object reminded me of the 
 accuracy of those exquisite lines by Collins — descrip- 
 tive of the approach of evening's 
 
 . . . gradual, dusky veil. 
 
 For the first time, we had to do with a drunken eon- 
 dueteur. Luckily the road was broad, and in the 
 finest possible condition, and perfectly well known to 
 the horses. Every turning was successfully made ; 
 and the fear of upsetting began to give way to the 
 annoyance experienced from the roaring and shouting 
 of the eondueteur. It was almost dark when we reach- 
 ed Granville — about twelve miles from Coutances ; 
 when we learnt that the horses had run six miles before 
 they started with us. As we descended towards the town, 
 the road was absolutely solid rock : and considering what 
 a house we carried behind us (for so the body of the dili' 
 gence seemed) and the uncertain footing of the horses, 
 in consequence of the rocky surface of the road, we 
 apprehended the most sinister result. Luckily it was 
 moon-light ; when, approaching one of the sorriest 
 looking inns imaginable, whither our eondueteur (in 
 spite of the better instructions of the landlord of the 
 Hotel d'Angleterre at Coutances) had persuaded us 
 to go, we alighted with a thankful heart, and bespoke 
 supper and beds. The landlord's, or landlady's name 
 was Fouche ; whereas we ought to have paid our re- 
 
418 
 
 GRANVILLE. 
 
 spects to Madame Puquet — or some such name — and 
 it is right that^ (for the benefit of all travellers^ who 
 are unhappy unless they sleep at what is called the 
 " principal inn") the first auberg-e^ to the left^ upon 
 entrance into Granville, be studiously avoided. But 
 wherefore ? In a case of necessity, or indeed in any 
 case, let none but the most fastidious eschew the resi- 
 dence of Madame Fouche ; for her manner is civile 
 her discourse is kind, her farinage is sweet and good, 
 her beds are clean, and her charges are moderate. 
 
 In the morning (which was one of the coldest I ever 
 remember for the season of the year) Mr. Lewis rose 
 betimes, and betook himself, as usual, to his pencil : 
 but the time did not admit of any very extensive 
 operation. 
 
 Granville is fortified on the land side by a deep 
 ravine, which renders an approach from thence almost 
 impracticable. On every other side it is defended by 
 the ocean, into which the town seems to have dropt 
 perpendicularly from the clouds. At high water, 
 Granville cannot be approached, even by transports, 
 nearer than within two-thirds of a league ; and of course 
 at low water it is surrounded by an extent of sharply 
 pointed rock and chalk: impenetrable — terrific — and 
 presenting both certain failure and destruction to the 
 assailants! It is a Gibraltar in miniature. The 
 English sharply cannonaded it a few years since, but 
 it was only a political diversion. No landing was 
 attempted. In the time of the civil wars, and more 
 particularly in those of the League, Granville, how- 
 ever, had its share of misery. It is now a quiet, dull^ 
 
GRANVILLE TO VIRE. 
 
 419 
 
 dreary, place ; to be visited only for the sake of the 
 view from thence, looking- towards St. Malo, and 
 Mont St. Michel; the latter of which I give up — as 
 an hopeless object of attainment. After breakfast 
 — which was of the very best quality — we joined our 
 fellow traveller Lieutenant M. in visiting the town. 
 Granville is in fact built upon rock ; and the houses 
 and the only two churches are entirely constructed 
 of granite. The principal church (I think it was the 
 principal) is rather pretty within, as to its construc- 
 tion ; but the palpably gloomy effect given to it by 
 the tint of the granite — the pillars being composed 
 of that substance — renders it disagreeable to the eye. 
 We saw several confessionals ; and in one of them, the 
 office of confession was performing by a priest, who 
 attended to two penitents at the same time ; but whose 
 physiognomy was so repulsively frightful, that we 
 could not help concluding he was listening to a tale 
 which he was by no means prepared to receive. Mr. 
 Lewis took a sketch of him. 
 
 An hour's examination of the town thoroughly satisfied 
 us. There was no public conveyance to Vire, whither 
 we intended immediately departing, and so we hired a 
 voiture to be drawn by one sturdy Norman horse. To 
 a question about springs, the conducteur replied that 
 we should find every thing " tres propre." We paid 
 our reckoning, parted with reluctance from our ami- 
 able countryman Lieutenant M. (who was pursuing 
 his journey towards St. Malo) and set our faces to- 
 wards ViRE. The day, for the season of the year, 
 turned out to be gloomy and cold beyond measure: 
 and the wind (to the east) was directly in our faces. 
 
420 
 
 GRANVILLE TO VIRE. 
 
 Nevertheless the road was one of the finest that we 
 had seen in France, for breadth and general sonndness 
 of condition. It had all the consequence and evident 
 utility of a Roman route ; and as it was perpetually 
 undulating, we had frequently some gratifying glimpses 
 of its broad and bold direction. The surrounding 
 country was of a quietly picturesque but fruitful as- 
 pect ; and had our seats been comfortable, or after the 
 fashion of those in our own country, our sensations 
 had been more agreeable. But in truth, instead of 
 springs, or any thing approximating to " tres propre," 
 we had to encounter a hard plank, suspended at the 
 extremities, by a piece of leather, to the sides ; and as 
 the road was but too well bottomed, and the convey- 
 ance was open in front to the bitter blast of the east, I 
 can .hardly describe (as I shall never forget) the misery 
 of this conveyance. 
 
 Fortunately our first stage was Ville Dieu, Here 
 we ordered a voiture and post horses : but, the master 
 of the Poste Roy ale, or rather of the inn, shook his 
 head — " Pour les chevaux, vous en aurez des meilleurs ; 
 mais, pour la voiture il n'y en a pas. Tenez, Messieurs ; 
 venez voir." We followed, with miserable forebodings — 
 and entering a shed, where stood an old tumble-down- 
 looking phaeton — " la voila. Messieurs, c'est la seule que 
 je possede dans ce moment" — exclaimed the landlord. It 
 had never stirred from its position since the fall of last 
 year s leaf. It had been — within and without — the 
 roosting place for fowls and other of the feathered 
 tribe in the farm yard ; and although literally covered 
 with the evidences of such long and undisturbed pos- 
 session, yet, as there was no appearance of rain, and as 
 
ST. SEVER. 421 
 
 we discovered the wished for ressorts" (or springs) 
 we compromised for the repulsiveness of the exterior, 
 and declared our intention of taking it onward. Water, 
 brooms, brushes, and cloths, were quickly put in re- 
 quisition ; and two stately and well fed horses, which 
 threatened to fly away with our slender machine, being 
 fastened on, we absolutely darted forward, at a round 
 rattling gallop, for St, Sever, Blessings wait upon 
 the memory of that artisan who invented . . . springs ! 
 
 We began to recover from our past miseries, and to 
 fancy ourselves upon the Bath road, as we pursued 
 our route towards St. Sever. The postillion had the 
 perfect command of his horses, and we gallopped, or 
 trotted, or ambled, as his fancy — or rather our wishes 
 directed. The approach to our halting-place was 
 rather imposing. What seemed to be a monastery, or 
 church, at St. Sever, had quite the appearance of 
 Moorish architecture; and indeed as we had occa- 
 sional glimpses of it through the trees, the effect was 
 exceedingly picturesque. This posting town is in truth 
 very delightfully situated. While the horses were 
 being changed, we made our way for the monastery ; 
 which we found to be in a state rather of dilapidation 
 than of ruin. It had, indeed, a wretched aspect. I en- 
 tered the chapel, and saw lying, transversely upon a 
 desk, to the left — a very clean, large paper, and uncut 
 copy of the folio Rouen Missal of 1759. I had no 
 doubt but that a few francs would have made me the 
 possessor of it ; but surely this would have been called 
 little short of an act of mitigated sacrilege ! Every 
 thing about this deserted and decaying spot had a 
 melancholy appearance : but the surrounding country 
 
422 
 
 GRANVILLE TO VIRE. 
 
 was rich, wooded, and picturesque. In former days of 
 prosperity — such as St. Sever had seen before the Re- 
 volution — there had been gaiety, abundance, and hap- 
 piness. It is now a perfect contrast to its pristine state. 
 
 On returning to the " Poste Royale' we found two 
 fresh lusty horses to our voiture — but the postillion 
 had sent a boy into the field to catch a tMrtL Where- 
 fore was this? The tarif exacted it. A third horse 
 
 reciproquement pour Tannee" — parce qu'il faut tra 
 verser une grande montagne avant qu'on peut arriver 
 a Vire" — was the explanatory reply. It seemed per- 
 fectly ridiculous, as our vehicle was of such slender 
 dimensions and weight. However, we were forced to 
 yield. To scold tlie post-boy was equally absurd and 
 unavailing ; " parce que le tarif Texigea." But the 
 " montagne" was doubtless a reason for this addi- 
 tional horse : and we began to imagine that something 
 magnificently picturesque might be in store for us. 
 The three horses were put a-breast — and off we 
 started with a phaeton-like velocity ! Certainly no- 
 thing could have a more ridiculous appearance than 
 our pigmy voiture thus conveyed by three animals — 
 strong enough to have drawn the dihgence. We were 
 not long in reaching this " huge mountain," which 
 provoked our unqualified laughter — from its insignifi- 
 cant size — and upon the top of which stands the town 
 of Vire. It had been a^Ixfr-day ; and groups of men 
 and women, returning from the town, in their blue 
 and crimson dresses, cheered somewhat the general 
 gloom of the day, and lighted up the features of the 
 landscape. The nearer we approached, the more nu- 
 merous and incessant were these groups. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 423 
 
 Vire is a sort of Rouen in miniature — if bustle and 
 population be only considered. In architectural com- 
 parison, it is miserably feeble and inferior. The houses 
 are generally built of granite, and look extremely 
 sombre in consequence. The old castle is yet inter- 
 esting and commanding*. But of this presently. We 
 drove to the Cheval Blanc,'' and bespoke, as usual, a 
 late dinner and beds. Our first visit was to the castle ; 
 but it is right that you should know, before hand, that 
 the town of Vire, which contains a population of about 
 ten thousand souls, stands upon a commanding emi- 
 nence; in the midst of a very beautiful and picturesque 
 country called the Bocage. This country was, in 
 former times, as fruitful in civil wars, horrors, and de- 
 vastations, as the more celebrated Bocage of the 
 southern part of France, during the late Revolution. In 
 short, the Bocage of Normandy was the scene of blood- 
 shed during the Calvinistic or Ilugonot persecution. 
 It was in the vicinity of this town, in the parts through 
 which we have travelled — from Caen hitherwards — 
 that the hills and the dales rang with the feats of 
 arms displayed in the alternate discomfiture and sue- 
 cess of CoLiGNY, CoNDE, MONTGOMERY, and Ma- 
 
 TIGNON.^ 
 
 * An epitomised account of these civil commotions Avill be found in 
 the Histoire Militaire des Bocains, par M. Richard Seguin^ (t Vire, 
 1816: 12mo. of which work, and of its author, some notice will be 
 taken in the following pages. Meanwhile, consult page 399, ante. 
 Among the MSS. in the Royal Library at Paris, there are three 
 folios (to be distinctly noticed in the second volume of this work) 
 containing various excerpts relating to the town of Vire, In the 
 
424 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 But for the castle. It is situated at the extremity 
 of an open space^ terminated by a portion of the bou- 
 levards ; having, in the foreground, the public library 
 to the left, and a sort of municipal hall to the right : 
 neither of them objects of much architectural conse- 
 quence. Still nearer in the foreground, is a fountain ; 
 whither men, women, and children — but chiefly the 
 second class, in the character of hlanchisseuses — 
 regularly resort for water; as* its bason is usually 
 overflowing. It was in a lucky moment that Mr. 
 Lewis paid a visit to this spot ; which his ready 
 pencil transmitted to his sketch-book in a manner too 
 beautiful and faithful not to be followed up by a finish- 
 ed design This design is enclosed for your . . . un- 
 qualified admiration ! ^ But much as you love art, 
 and much as you will be gratified by such a delightful 
 specimen of it, I am persuaded you would be inclined 
 
 third of these ms. volumes, (numbered 1029 or 1329^) under the title 
 of Jrmes qui sont a VEglise paroissiale de Vire. Diocese de Bayeux,"" 
 there is an account of the town being taken by the Comte de Mont- 
 gomery, in the year 156*8, about five o'clock in the morning. The 
 assailants are called an army de la pretendue nouvelle religion, les 
 quelez auroient pille et rauage I'Eglise, rompu, froisse, casse et ruind 
 les vitres, greillez, huis et fenetres, chaires, bancs, siegez, colfrez, sa- 
 crairez, autelz, imagez," &c. This account is followed by two large, 
 and not unskilfully executed drawings, of two families, kneeling, 
 which were in the stained glass windows of the principal church. 
 
 * See the Opposite Plate. The woman with a bucket before her, 
 turning round to the left, stood on purpose to be drawn ; and seemed 
 vastly pleased by the compliment which she considered to be thus 
 paid her. The castle shews the reverse of that side which appears in 
 the opposite vignette. 
 
VIRK 
 
 425 
 
 to scold me if I do not give you a nearer introduction 
 to the old castle. Accordingly you have here a most 
 exquisite little morceau of its kind. It is taken from 
 hehhid the portion which you observe in the annexed 
 representation ; and was minutely finished, upon the 
 spot. 
 
 Frequently, in the act of executing it, several young 
 men, apparently students at the College, would sur- 
 round Mr. L. with exclamations and compliments upon 
 the minute delicacy and apparent difficulty of the un- 
 dertaking As to the antiquity of the castle, I should 
 Apprehend it to be of the twelfth century. Probably 
 of a more ancient date ; though this is pretty well. 
 
 1 
 
426 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 Its foundation is a solid rock. Indeed the whole keep 
 is of the same kind of stone. The " Cheval Blanc^ — 
 the name of the hotel at which we reside — should be 
 rather called the Cheval Noir for a more dark, 
 dingy, and even dirty residence, for a traveller of any 
 nasal or ocular sensibility, can be rarely visited. Our 
 bed room, where we drink tea, is hung with tapestry ; 
 which, for aught I know to the contrary, may repre- 
 sent the daring exploits of Montgomery and Matig- 
 NON '.^^ but which is so begrimed with filth that there is 
 no decyphering the subjects worked upon it. On leav- 
 ing the inn — and making your way to the top of the 
 street — you turn to the left ; but on looking down, 
 again to the left, you observe, below you, the great high 
 road leading to Caeriy which has a noble appearance. 
 Indeed, the manner in which this part of Normandy is 
 intersected with the " routes royales' cannot fail to 
 strike a stranger ; especially as these roads run over 
 hill and dale, amidst meadows, and orchards, equally 
 abundant in their respective harvests. The immediate 
 vicinity of the town is remarkable as well for pic- 
 turesque objects of scenery as for a high state of culti- 
 vation ; and a stroll upon the heights, in whatever 
 part visited, will not fail to repay you for the certain 
 disappointment to be experienced within the streets 
 of the town. Portions of the scenery, from these 
 heights, are not unlike those in Derbyshire, about 
 Matlock. There is plenty of rock, of shrubs, and of 
 fern; while another Derwent, less turbid and muddy, 
 meanders below. Thus much for a general, but hasty 
 
 * See page 399, ante. 
 
VIRE. 427 
 
 sketch the town of Vire. My next shall give you some 
 detail of the interior of a few of the houses, of which 
 I may be said to have hitherto only contemplated the 
 roofs. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 c c 
 
428 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY. MONSIEUR ADAM. MONSIEUR DE LA- 
 RENAUDIERE. OLIVIER BASSELIN. M. SEGUIN. THE 
 PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
 
 It is a sad rainy day ; and having no temptation 
 to stir abroad, I have shut myself up by the side of a 
 huge vi^ood fire — (surrounded by the dingy tapestry, of 
 which my last letter did not make very honourable men- 
 tion) — in a thoroughly communicative mood, to make 
 you acquainted with all that has passed since my pre- 
 vious despatch. 250Dft^ and the 25i6Iiomama be the 
 chief " burden of my present song I" You may re- 
 member, in my account of the public library at Caen,* 
 that some mention was made of a certain Olivier 
 Basselin — whom I designated as the drunken Bar- 
 NABY of Normandy P Well, my friend — I have been 
 at length made happy, and comforted in the extreme, 
 by the possession of a copy of the Vaudevires of that 
 said Olivier Basselin — and from the hands, too, of one 
 of his principal editors ! . . Monsieur Lanon de la Re- 
 NAUDfERE, Avocat, ct Mairc, de Tallevende-le-Petit. 
 This copy I intend (as indeed I told the donor) for the 
 beloved library at Althorp. But let me tell my tale 
 my own way. 
 
 Hard by the hotel of the Cheval BlanCy (the best. 
 
 • See page 337^ ante. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 429 
 
 bad as it is — and indeed the only one in the town) 
 lives a printer of the name of Adam. He is the prin- 
 cipal, and the most respectable of his brethren in the 
 same craft. After discoursing upon sundry desultory 
 topics — and particularly examining* the hoohs of Edu- 
 cation, among which I was both surprised and pleased 
 to find the Distichs of Muretus^ — I expressed my re- 
 
 * " Les Distiques de Muret, traduits en vers Frangais, par Aug. A. 
 Se vend k Vire, chez Adam, imprimeur-lib. An. ISOp. The reader 
 may not be displeased to have a specimen of the manner of rendering 
 these distichs into French verse : 
 
 1. 
 
 Dum tener es, Murete, avidis hEec auribus hauri : 
 Nec memori modb conde animo, sed et exprime factis. 
 
 2. 
 
 Inprimis venerare Deum j venerare parentes : 
 Et quos ipsa loco tibi dat natura parentum. 
 
 3. 
 
 Mentiri noli. Nunqukm mendacia prosunt. 
 Si quid peccaris, venia est tibi prompta fatenti. 
 
 4. 
 
 Disce libens. Quid dulcius est qu^m discere multa ! 
 Discentem comitantur opes, comitantur honores, 
 
 6. 
 
 Si quis te objurget, mal^, chm quid feceris, illi 
 Gratiam habe, et ne iteriiin queat objurgare cavet. 
 
 6. 
 
 Ne temer^ hunc credas tibi qui blanditur amicum. 
 Peccantem puerum quisquis non corrigit, odit. 
 
 1. 
 
 Jeune encore, 6 mon Fits ! pour kre homme de bien, 
 Ecoute, et dans ton cceur grave cet entretien. 
 
430 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 gret at having travelled through so many towns of 
 Normandy without meeting with one single copy of 
 the Vaudevires of Olivier Bass elm for sale. " It is 
 not very surprising, Sir, since it is a privately printed 
 book, and was never intended for sale. The impres- 
 sion too is very limited. You know, Sir, that the 
 book was published here — and — " I started backwards, 
 just one step and " no more." " Then I begin to be 
 confident about obtaining it" — replied I. " Gently, 
 Sir ; — " resumed Monsieur Adam — " it is not to be 
 bought, even here. But do you know no one . . . ?" 
 " Not a creature." " Well, Sir, take courage. You 
 are an Englishman ; and one of its principal editors — 
 a very gallant Biblioma^ne — who is a great collector 
 and lover of the literature of your country — (here I 
 picked up courage and gaiety of heart) lives in this 
 
 2. 
 
 Sers, honore le Dieu qui crka tons les itres ; 
 Sots Jils respectueux, sois docile h tes maitres. 
 
 a 
 
 Crains de mentir : toujours c'est en vain que Von ment ; 
 En avomnt ses torts^ on est presquHnnocent. 
 
 4. 
 
 Qii'il est beau d'kre instruit ! Aime^ acquiers la science ; 
 Assez d'honneurs, de liens seront ta recompense. 
 
 5. 
 
 D^un reproche obligeant, au lieu d^itre confiis^ 
 Rends grace h I'amiti^, mais n'en m&rite plus. 
 
 6. 
 
 Crains la louange : il est Vennemi de Venfance 
 Celui qui pour ses torts n'a que de V indulgence. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 431 
 
 town. He is President of the Tribunal. Go to him." 
 Seeing me hesitate, in consequence of not having a 
 letter of introduction — " Ce n'est rien (said he) 
 allez tout-droit. II aime vos compatriotes ; et soyez 
 persuade d'un accueil le plus favorable." Methought 
 Monsieur Adam spake more eloquently than I had yet 
 heard a Norman speak. 
 
 In two seconds I quitted his shop, (promising to re- 
 turn with an account of my reception) and five mi- 
 nutes brought me into the presence of Monsieur Lanon 
 de la Renaudiere, President du Tribunal, &c. My 
 name is a most unfortunate one (as I have experienced 
 more than once) for Gallic ears. It is made caco- 
 'phony itself. Monsieur Le President repeated it — 
 and I repeated it — " Enfin, donnez vous la peine de 
 Tecrire" — said the Bibliomane, very politely. I had 
 no sooner got through the half of the final n, than he 
 shouted aloud, — Est-ce done vous qui etes . . ?! 
 naming certain bibliographical performances which 
 need not be here mentioned. I never heard so rapid 
 an utterance. On bowing, and replying in the affir- 
 mative — it is not possible for me to convey to you a 
 notion of the warmth, cordiality, and joyousness of 
 heart, that marked the reception which this gentle- 
 man instantly and in consequence gave me: and I 
 will frankly own that I was as much " abashed" as 
 ever our ancient friend Caxton had been — in the pre- 
 sence of his patroness the Duchess of Burgundy. I fol- 
 lowed my new bibliomaniacal acquaintance rapidly 
 up stairs ; and witnessed, with extreme pleasure, a few , 
 bundles of books (some of them English) lying upon 
 the window seats of the first landing-place : much after 
 
432 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 the fashion followed in a certain long, rambling, and 
 antique residence not quite three quarters of a mile 
 from the towers of Westminster Abbey. 
 
 We gained the first floor ; when mine host turned 
 the keys of the doors of two contiguous rooms, and 
 exclaimed, " Voila ma Bibliotheque ! Theair of con- 
 scious triumph with which these words were uttered, 
 delighted me infinitely ; but my delight was much in- 
 creased on a leisurely survey of one of the prettiest, 
 most useful, and commendable collections of books, 
 chiefly in the department of the Belles-Lettres, which 
 I had ever witnessed. Monsieur La Renaudiere has a 
 library of about 9000 volumes, of which eight hundred 
 are English, But the owner is especially fond of poe- 
 tical archaeology ; in other words, of collecting every 
 work which displays the progress of French and Eng- 
 lish poetry in the middle and immediately following 
 ages ; and talks of Trouveurs and Troubadours with an 
 enthusiasm approaching to extacy. Meanwhile he points 
 his finger to our Warton, Ellis, Ritson, and Southey ; 
 tells you how dearly he loves them ; but yet leads you 
 to conclude that he rather prefers Le Grand, Ginguene 
 Sismondi, and Renouard,^ Of the venerable living 
 oracle in these matters, the Abbe de la Rue, he said he 
 considered him as un peu trop systematique." In 
 short, M. La Renaudiere has almost a complete critical 
 collection, in our tongue, upon the subject of old poe- 
 try ; and was most anxious and inquisitive about the 
 present state of cultivation of that branch of literature 
 
 * A member of the Institute ; and not the bibliographical bookseller 
 of the same name. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 433 
 
 in England : adding*, that he himself meditated a work 
 upon the French poetry of the xiith and xiiith cen- 
 turies. He said he thought his library might be worth 
 about 25,000 francs : nor did I consider such a valu- 
 ation overcharged. He talks rapidly, earnestly, and 
 incessantly ; but he talks well : and spoke of the 
 renown of a certain library in St. James's Place, in a 
 manner which could not fail to quicken the pulse and 
 warm the blood of its historian. We concluded an 
 interview of nearly two hours by his compliance with 
 my wishes to dine with me on the following day : al- 
 though he was quite urgent in bargaining for the pre- 
 vious measure of my tasting his pdtage and vol au 
 vent. But the shortness and constant occupation of 
 my time would not allow me to accede to it. M. 
 La Renaudiere then went to a cabinet-like cupboard, 
 drew forth an uncut copy, stitched in blue spotted 
 paper, of his beloved Vaudevires by Olivier Basse- 
 LiN :* and presenting it to me, added " Conservez 
 
 * beloved Vaudevires by Olivier Basselin.] — The present seems to 
 be the proper place to give the reader some account of this once fa- 
 mous Bacchanalian poet. It is not often that France rests her preten- 
 sions to poetical celebrity upon such claims. Love^ romantic adven- 
 tures, gaiety of heart and of disposition form the chief materials of her 
 minor poems : but we have here before us, in the person and produc- 
 tions of Olivier Basselin, a rival to Anacreon of old ; to our own 
 Richard Braithwait, Vincent Bourne, and Thomas Moore. As 
 this volume is perhaps the only one which has travelled into England, 
 the reader may be prepared to receive an account of its contents 
 with the greater readiness and satisfaction. First, then, of the life 
 and occupations of Olivier Basselin 3 which, as Goujet has entirely 
 passed over all notice of him, we can gather only from the editors of 
 the present edition of his works. Basselin appears to have been a 
 
434 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 le, ponr ramour de moi." You may be assured that 
 I received such a present in the most gracious man- 
 ner I was capable of — but instantly and honestly 
 
 P'irois j in other words^ an inhabitant of the town of Vire. But he 
 had a strange propensity to rusticating^ and preferred the immediate 
 vicinity of Vire— its quiet little valleys, running streams, and rocky 
 recesses — to a more open and more distant residence. In such 
 places, therefore, he carried with him his flasks of cider and his 
 flagons of wine. Thither he resorted with his boon and merry 
 companions," and there he poured forth his ardent and unpremeditated 
 strains. These strains" all savoured of the jovial propensities of 
 their author : it being very rarely that tenderness of sentiment, whether 
 connected with friendship or love, is admitted into his compositions. 
 He was the thorough-bred Anacreon of the close of the fifteenth 
 century. 
 
 The town of Vire, as the reader may have already had intimation, is 
 the chief town of that department of Normandy called the Bocage : 
 and in this department few places have been, of old, more celebrated 
 than the Vaux de Vire ^ on account of the number of manufactories 
 which have existed there from time immemorial. It derives its name 
 from two principal valleys, in the form of a T, of which the base (if it 
 may be so called— ^^jambage") rests upon the Place du Chateau de 
 Vire. It is sufficiently contiguous to the town to be considered among 
 the fauxbourgs. The rivers Fire and Virene, which unite at the bridge 
 of Vaux, run somewhat rapidly through the valleys. These rivers are 
 flanked by manufactories of paper and cloth, which, from the xvth 
 century, have been distinguished for their prosperous condition. In- 
 deed, Basselin himself was a sort of cloth manufacturer. In this 
 valley he passed his life in fulling his cloths, and " in composing 
 those gay and delightful songs which are contained in the volume 
 under consideration." Discours Preliminaire, p. 17, &c. Olivier 
 Basselin is the parent of the title Vaudevire — which has since 
 been corrupted into Vaudeville. From the observation at page 16, 
 Basselin appears to have been also the Father of Bacchanalian Po- 
 etry in France. He frequented public festivals: and was a welcome 
 guest at the tables of the rich — where the \'audevire was in such re- 
 
VIRE. 
 
 435 
 
 added — " permettez qu'il soit depos^ dans la bibli- 
 oth^que de Milord S . . . ? " C'est la menie chose"— 
 
 quest, that it is supposed to have superseded the Conte, or Fabliau, 
 or the Chanson d' Amour. p. xviij : 
 
 Siu" ce point-1^, soyez tranquille : 
 
 Nos neveux, j'en suis bien certain, 
 
 Se souviendront de Basselin, 
 
 Perejoyeux du Vaudeville : p. xxiij. 
 
 Basselin is supposed to have died at the conclusion of the fifteenth 
 century. His first editor was Jean le Houx, a poet and advocate of 
 Vire, who was born about the middle of the following century. Le 
 Houx was also an imitator of the Vaudevires of Basselin, and in short 
 preferred poetry to his profession. The editors of the present volume 
 have favoured us with one of Le Houx's " Vaudevire pour le jour 
 de la Ste. Yves, fete des Avocats." I shall select the third and fourth 
 stanzas as specimens of the imitator's muse: 
 
 Que les auares Aduocats 
 Gaigncnt k se rompre la teste, 
 PourvCi que je sois de leur feste, 
 Certes ne me souciray pas 
 De leur procez ni de leur sacs. 
 
 MiEux vaut vider et assaillir 
 Un pot qu'un procez difficile ; 
 Au moins cela m'est plus utile, 
 Car les procez me font vieillir j 
 Le bon vin me fait raieunir. 
 
 Le Houx's commendation of Basselin is thus expressed : 
 
 De ce Virois conservons la m(imoire, ^ 
 A tout le moins a la table en beuvant ; 
 Lequel ne beut jamais en rechignant, 
 Et qui uous fait si joyeusement boirc- 
 
 * The host, at these public and private festivals, usually called upon some 
 one to recite or sing a song, chiefly of an amatory or chivalrous character ; 
 
436 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 rejoined he ; and giving me the address of the public 
 librarian, we separated in the most cordial manner till 
 the morrow. 
 
 • line bonne boisson 
 
 Prise avec marisson 
 
 Par un saturnien, 
 
 Ne lui fait point de bien. 
 Mais le vin honor^ d'un gentil Vaudevire, 
 N'aporte que sant6 en ne beuvant du pire. 
 
 The poems of Basselin were printed at least twice by Le Houx — be- 
 fore the year 1 6'00 } but he took a few liberties with the style in adapt- 
 ing it to his own times. Le Houx was persecuted by the clergy for 
 the supposed licentiousness of these poems^ and could only obtain ab- 
 solution by a journey to Rome, and by the suppression of his own edi- 
 torial labours. The first edition is now wholly unknown ^ and only 
 two copies of the second, or last, should seem to have been known to 
 the editors of the reprint under consideration. The title of that edi- 
 tion is as follows : Le Livre des Chants nouveaux de Vaudevire^ par 
 ordre alphabetique, corrige et augment^ outre la prec^dente impression ; d 
 Vire, chez Jean de Cesne, Imprimeur.'* It is without date. Le Houx 
 died in 1616, and this impression is supposed to have been published 
 before his death. The text of this edition, together with a purer one 
 found in an octavo MS. written in the black letter, and containing 
 the poetry both of Basselin and Le Houx — (probably of the time of 
 the latter) formed the basis of that of the present impression. This 
 MS. belonged to a medical gentleman, of the name of Poliniere. The 
 corruptions in orthography have been corrected from the models af- 
 forded by the older compositions of Charles d' Orleans and Alain Char- 
 tier, But it should doubtless appear that the curators of the present 
 
 and this custom prevailed more particularly in Normandy than in other parts 
 of France : 
 
 Usaige est en Normandie, 
 Que qui hebergiez est qu'il die 
 Fable ou Chanson a son oste. 
 See the authorities cited at page xv, of this Discoui'S pr^liminaire. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 437 
 
 I posted back to Monsieur Adam, the printer and 
 bookseller, and held aloft my l^lue-covered copy of 
 
 edition were ignorant of the genuine, and somewhat elegant MS. 
 written also in the gothic letter, which is incidentally noticed at page 
 357, ante, as in the possession of M. Pluquet. 
 
 We now come, therefore, immediately to the volume before us, and 
 to a consideration of the character of its contents. It is of a handsome 
 form, approaching the size of a royal octavo. The half title is thus : 
 
 Les Vaudevires par Olivier Basselin." The full title, on the follow- 
 ing leaf, is — Les Vaudevires, Poesies du Ibme Siecle, par Olivier 
 Basselin, avec un Discours sur sa Vie, et des Notes pour V explication 
 de quelques anciens mots. Vire, 1811." On the reverse of this title- 
 page we learn the names of the gentlemen, inhabitants of Vire — ten in 
 number— by whose care and at whose expense the edition was put 
 forth." The preliminary discourse, with its notes, occupies the firstxxxvi 
 pages. The text of the poet begins with this prefix : ^' Les Chants du 
 Vaudevire par Olivier Basselin.'* The text, composed of lxvi Vaude- 
 vires, occupies \W pages : the notes conclude the volume at page 131. 
 At the bottom of this last page we read the imprint thus: De Vim- 
 primerie de F. Le Court, a Avranches." For the honour of the place, 
 and of the memory of its old poetical inhabitant, the book should have 
 been printed as well as published at Vire. There is nothing so very 
 skilful or splendid in its typographical execution, as should have 
 caused Monsieur Adam to have despaired. However, as the produc- 
 tion of a provincial press, it is very creditably executed. 
 
 I now proceed to submit a few specimens of the muse of this Fa- 
 ther OF Bacchanalian Poetry in France ; and must necessarily begin 
 with a select few of those that are chiefly of a bacchanalian quahty. 
 
 VAUDEVIRE IL 
 
 Ayant le doz au feu et le ventre k la table, 
 Estant parmi les pots pleins de vin delectable, 
 
 Ainsi comme ung poulet 
 Je ne me laisseray morir de la pepie. 
 Quant en debvroye avoi la face cramoisie 
 
 Et le nez violet. 
 
438 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 the Vaudevires as an unquestionable proof of the suc- 
 cessful result of my visit to Monsieur La Renaudiere. 
 
 Quant mou nez devendra de couleur rouge ou perse, 
 Porteray les couleurs que ch^rit ma maitresse. 
 
 Le vin rent le teint beau. 
 Vault-il pas mieulx avoir la couleur rouge et vive, 
 Riche de beaulx rubis, que si pasle et ch^tive 
 
 Ainsi qu'ung beuveur d'eau.* 
 
 VAUDEFIRE XXIX. 
 
 Je ne treuve en ma medecine 
 Simple qui soit plus excellent. 
 Que la noble plante de vigne 
 D'ou le bon vin clairet provient. 
 
 1l n'y a chez PApothicaire 
 De drogue que je prize mieulx, 
 Que ce bon vin qui me faict faire 
 Le sang bon et I'esprit joyeulx. 
 
 Qu'oN ne m'apporte point de casse, 
 Et qu'on ne courre au Medecin : 
 De vin qu'on remplisse ma tasse. 
 Qui me vouldi-a rendre bien sain. 
 
 En mon r6cip6 qu'on ordonne 
 Que je boirai vin d'OrMans ; 
 La recepte me sera bonne, 
 Les Medecins honnestes gens. 
 
 Mais s'ils m'ordonnent de I'eau doulce, 
 Ou la tisanne simplement. 
 
 * The opening of the following and third Vaudevire begins thus epigi am- 
 matically : 
 
 Adam, c'est chose tr^s notoire 
 Ne nous eust mis en tel dangler, 
 Se au lieu du fatal mangier 
 II se fust plustost mis k boire. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 439 
 
 N'est-ce pas done, Monsieur, (replied he) que je vous 
 ai bien conseille ? Ma foi, vous avez bien joue votre 
 r61e." 
 
 Sont gens qui veulent tout de course 
 Me faire morir povremeiit- 
 
 Je ne \ ueil ni laict ni fruictaige ; 
 De ce je ne suys point friant. 
 Mais je vendroye mon heritage 
 Pour avoir de ce vin friant. 
 
 O que c'est dure depart ie 
 De ma bouclie et de ce bon vin 
 A tous ceulx-la je porte envie 
 Qui ont encor le verre plein. 
 
 The. greater part of the Xlth Vaudevire has some fair good broad 
 humour about it : 
 
 VAUDEVIRE XL 
 
 Certes hoc vinum est bonus : 
 Du maulvais latin ne nous chaille, 
 Se bien congru n'estoit ce jus, 
 Le tout ne vauldroit rien que vaille. 
 Escoher j'appris que bon vin 
 Aide bien au maulvais latin. 
 
 Ceste sentence praticquant, 
 De latin je n'en appris gu^re j 
 Y pensant estre assez s9avant, 
 Puisque bon vin aimoye k boire. 
 Lorsque maulvais vin on a beu, 
 Latin n'est bon, fust-il congru 
 
 Fy du latin, parlous frangois, 
 Je m'y recongnois davantaige. 
 Je vueil boire une bonne fois. 
 Car voicy ung maistre breuvaige : 
 Certes se j'en beuvoye soubvent, ^ 
 Je deviendroye fort Eloquent. 
 
440 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 Ce'st im livre de la 
 nous." Leaving" the 
 
 plus grande rarete, meme chez 
 precious cargo with him^ and 
 
 The manner of thanking his jolly host, and of getting up from a 
 well furnished table, is thus humorously expressed : 
 
 VAUDEVIRE XVI. 
 
 C'est assez, troupe honorable, 
 De ees gentils chants Virois ; 
 II fault se lever de table, 
 Le reste en une aultre fois ; 
 
 Car peut-estre 
 
 Que le maistre 
 Qui nous assemble c^ans 
 
 N'oze dire 
 
 Le martire 
 Et mal que lui font les dents ; 
 Souvent incommodit^ 
 Provient d'avoir trop chants. 
 
 Mais il est trop volontaire 
 Pour avoir le cueur marry 
 D'avoir veu la bonne chi^e 
 Que nous avons faict chez luy. 
 
 Monsieur I'hoste, 
 
 Voyez, j'oste 
 Mon bonnet honnestement. 
 
 On me prie 
 
 Que je die 
 Qu'on vous rent graces humblement 
 Mais si le vin reste au pot, 
 Sommes encor de P^cot. 
 
 Faictes-en laver la bouche 
 A quelques uns d'entre nous, 
 Avant qu'ung varlet y touclie, 
 Puisque tout depend de vous. 
 
 Je ne cure, 
 
 Je vous jure. 
 
/ 
 
 VIRE. 441 
 
 telling him that I purposed immediately visiting the 
 public library, he seemed astonished at my eagerness 
 
 Jamais ma bouche aultrement. 
 
 Nostre hostesse, 
 
 Je vous laisse 
 Mille mercis en payement j 
 Cecy seroit esvent^, 
 J'en boy ^ votre sant6. 
 
 J' AY ouy-dire h. ma grand-m^re, 
 Tousiours des vieulx on apprent. 
 Que de la goutte derni^re 
 La bonne chiere d^pent 
 
 Bonne femme. 
 
 Que ton ame 
 Puisse estre au ciel en repos ! 
 
 J'ay envie. 
 
 Si j'ay vie, 
 D'ensuibvre bien tes propos ; 
 Quant sur le bon vin je suis, 
 J'en laisse moins que je puis. 
 
 A further variety of Basselin's metre is discoverable in his XX I Id. 
 Vaudevire, thus : 
 
 VAUDEVIRE XXIL 
 
 He ! qu'avons-nous affaire 
 Du Tare ny du Sophy, 
 
 Don don. 
 Pourveu que j^aye ^ boire, 
 Des grandeurs je dis fy, 
 Don don. 
 Trincque, Seigneur, le vin est bon : 
 Hoc acuit ingenium 
 
 Qui songe en vin ou vigne. 
 Est ung pr^saige heureux, 
 Don don. 
 
442 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 about books — and asked me if I had e\ev published any 
 thing bibliographical P " Car enfin^ Monsieur, la plus - 
 
 Le vin a qui rechigne 
 Rent le cueur tout joyeux, 
 Don don. 
 Trincque, Seigneur, le vin est bon : 
 
 Hoc acuit mgenium. 
 
 Meschant est qui te brouille, 
 Je parle aux ta verniers, 
 Don don. 
 ' Le breuvaige grenouille 
 Ne doibt estre aux celliers, 
 Don don. 
 Trincque, Seigneur, le vin est bon : 
 Hoc acuit ingenium. 
 
 Que ce vin on ne couppe, 
 Ain^ois qu'on boive net, 
 
 Don don. 
 Je pry toute la trouppe 
 De vuider le godet, 
 Don don. 
 Trincque, Seigneur, le vin est bon : 
 Hoc acuit ingemum. 
 
 I have observed that the poetry of Basselin is almost wholly devoted 
 to the celebration of the physical effects of wine upon the body and 
 animal spirits ; and that the gentler emotions of the tender passion 
 are rarely described in his numbers. In consequence he has not in- 
 voked the Goddess of Beauty to associate with the God of Wine : to 
 " Drop from her myrtle one leaf in his bowl 
 
 or, when he does venture to introduce the society of a female^ it is 
 done after the following fashion — which discovers however an extreme 
 facility and melody of rhythm. The burden of the song seems wonder- 
 fully accordant with a Bacchanalian note. 
 
 VAUDEVIRE XIX. 
 
 En ung jardin d'ombraige tout convert, 
 Au chaud du joui*, ay treuv^ Madalaine, 
 
VIRE. 
 
 443 
 
 part des Virois ne savent rien de la literature an- 
 gloise"— concluded he . . . but I had just witnessed a 
 
 Qui pr^s le pi6 d*ung sicomorre vert 
 Dormoit au bort d'une claire fontaine ; 
 Son lit estoit de thin et marjolaine. 
 Son tetin frais n'estoit pas bien cach^ : 
 
 • D'amour touch^. 
 Pour contempler sa beaut^ souveraine 
 Incontinent je m'en suys approch^. 
 
 Sus, sus, qu'on se resveille, 
 
 Voicy vin excellent 
 
 Qui faict lever I'oreille ; 
 
 II faict mol qui n'en prent. 
 
 Je n'eus pouvoir, si belle la voyant, 
 De m'abstenir de baizotter sa bouche ; 
 Si bien qu'enfin la belle s'esveillant. 
 Me regardant avec ung oeil farouche. 
 Me dit ces mots : Biberon, ne me touche, 
 Tu n'est pas digne avecq moy d'esprouver 
 
 Le jeu d'amer : 
 Belle fiUette ^ son aize ne couche 
 Avecq celuy qui ne faict qu'yvrongner. 
 
 Sus, sus, qu'on se resveille, 
 
 Volcy vin excellent 
 
 Qui faict lever I'oreille ; 
 
 II faict mol qui n'en prent. 
 
 Je luy respons : Ce n'est pas deshonneur 
 D'amer le vin, une choze si bonne : 
 Vostre bel oeil entretient en chaleur, 
 Et le vin en sant^, ma personne. 
 Pour vous amer, fault-il que j'abandonne 
 Le soing qu'on doibt avoir de sa sant^ ? 
 
 Fy de Beaute 
 Qui son amant de desplaisir guerdonne, 
 Au lieu de bien qu'il avoit m^rit^. 
 
 Sus, sus, qu'on se resveille, 
 
 Voicy vin excellent 
 
 Qui faict lever I'oreille 
 
 II faict mol qui n'en prent. 
 VOL. I. D d 
 
444 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 splendid exception to this sweeping clause of censure. 
 1 then sought the residence of the Abbe Du Mor- 
 
 J'ayme bien mieulx Tombre d'ung cabaret 
 
 Et du beiichon de taverne vineuse, 
 
 Que oil qui est en ung beau jardinet. 
 
 La Belle alors me respond despiteuse : , 
 
 Tu ne m'es bon, cherehe une aultre ampureuse. 
 
 Puisque par toy j'ay perdu mes amours, 
 
 Tousiom*s, tousiours, 
 Contre Tamoiu* et la soif rigoureuse, 
 Que sois, bon vin, arm^ de ton secours. 
 
 Sus, sus, quon se resveille, 
 
 Voicy vin excellent 
 
 Qui faict lever I'oreille ; 
 
 II faict mol qui n*en prent. p. 33. 
 
 There is no space for further extracts ; and possibly too much already 
 may be supposed to have been devoted to the poetry of Basselin. But 
 this is a volume in every respect interesting — both to the literary anti- 
 quary and to the Book -Collector. It remains therefore only to add — 
 according to the very minute and specific note, accompanying the 
 copy of it presented to me by Monsieur Lanon de La Renaudiere, one 
 of the Editors — and who now meditates a new and improved as well 
 as enlarged edition of it — that, of this privately circulated impression, 
 ONLY ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY COPIES wcreprintcdj of which uumbcr 
 ten were upon red coloured paper, of the manufacture of Vire — ten 
 upon fine vellum paper — ten upon vellum paper in quarto — ten upon 
 common paper in quarto. In his projected edition, M. LaRenaudiere 
 purposes to separate the poetry of Basselin from that of Le Houx — 
 which have been somewhat mingled in the volume before us : as well 
 as to write notes upon local customs, events, and places mentioned or 
 alluded toby Basselin, &c. It is proper also to add,' that this gentleman 
 is the author of the article Basselin in the Biographie Universelle — to 
 which work indeed he is a regular contributor. The copy under con- 
 sideration has been recently bound by C. Lewis, in red morocco binding, 
 with every appropriate garniture in the character of gilt ornaments : — a 
 compliment due to the liberality of spirit, and kindness of disposition^ 
 of its enthusiastic dpnor. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 445 
 
 TUEUX, the public librarian. That gentleman was 
 from home, on a dinner party. I obtained information 
 of the place where he might be found ; and considering 
 two o'clock to be rather too early an hour (even in 
 France) to disturb a gentleman during the exercise 
 of so important a function, I strolled in the neigh- 
 bourhood of the street, where he was regaling, for a 
 full hour and half : when, at the expiration of that 
 time, I ventured to knock at the door of a very res- 
 pectable mansion, and to enquire for the bibliogra- 
 phical Abbe. " He is here. Sir, and has just done 
 dinner. May I give him your name " I am a stran- 
 ger : an Enghshman ; who, on the recommendation 
 of Monsieur La Renaudiere, wishes to see the public 
 library. But I will call again in about an hour." 
 " By no means : by no means : the Abbe will see you 
 immediately." And forthwith appeared a very comely, 
 tall, and respectable-looking gentleman, with his hair 
 en plein costume, both as to form and powder. Indeed 
 I had rarely before witnessed so prepossessing a figure. 
 His salutation and address were most gracious and 
 winning ; and he told me that I had nothing to do 
 but to accompany him to the place which I wished 
 to visit. Without even returning to his friends, he 
 took his hat, gave me the precedence on quitting the 
 house — and in one minute, to my surprise, I found 
 myself in the street with the Abbe de Mortueux, in 
 the highway to the Public Library. In our way 
 thither our discourse was constant and unrestrained. 
 " You appear here. Monsieur FAbb^, to be partial 
 to literature ; . . but allow me first to congratulate 
 you on the beautiful environs of your town." For 
 
446 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 literature in general, we are pretty well disposed. In 
 regard to the beauties of the immediate neighbourhood 
 of Vire, we should be unworthy inhabitants indeed, if 
 we were not sensible of them." In five minutes we 
 reached the Library. 
 
 The shutters of the room were fastened, but the wor- 
 thy Abbe opened them in a trice ; when I saw, for the 
 first time in Normandy, what appeared to be a genuine, 
 old, unmutilated, unpillaged library. The room could 
 be scarcely more than twenty-two feet square.* I 
 went instantly to work, with eyes and hands, in the 
 ardent hope, and almost full persuasion, of finding 
 something in the shape of a good old Greek or Roman 
 Classic, or French Chronicle, or Romance. But, alas, 
 I looked, and handled the tomes in vain ! The history 
 of the library is this : — The founder was a Monsieur 
 PiCHON who, on being taken prisoner by the Eng- 
 lish, at the capture of Loiiisburg in 1758, resided a 
 long time in England under the name of Tyrrel, and 
 lived in circumstances of respectability and even of opu- 
 lence. There — whether on the dispersion of the libra- 
 ries of our Meads, Foulkes', and Rawlinsons, I know 
 not — he made his collection ; took his books over with 
 him to Jersey, where he died in 1780 : and bequeathed 
 them, about 3000 in number, to his native town of Vire. 
 M. da Mortueux, who gave me these particulars, has 
 drawn up a little memorial about him. His portrait, 
 executed by an English artist, (whilst he lived among 
 us) adorns the library ; with which I hope it will go 
 down to a remote and grateful posterity. The colour- 
 
 ♦ It forms the building to the left, in the middle ground, in the 
 view of the Fountain, &c. See page 424, ante. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 447 
 
 ing of this portrait is faded : but it is evident that 
 Monsieur Pichon had an expressive and sensible phy- 
 siognomy. Mr. Lewis could not do every thing ; or I 
 would have carried a transcript of it, by his faithful 
 pencil, with me to Paris — to be executed by a French 
 burin. 
 
 Wonderful to relate, this collection of books was un- 
 touched during the Revolution ; while the neighbour- 
 ing library of the Cordeliers was ransacked without 
 mercy. But I regret to say that the books in the cup- 
 boards are getting sadly damp. Do not expect any 
 thing very marvellous in the details of this collection ; 
 The old-fashioned library doors, of wood, are quite in 
 character with what they protect. Among the earlier 
 printed books, I saw a very bad copy of Sweynheym 
 and Pannartzs edition of the De Civitate Dei of St. 
 Austin, of the date of 1470 ; and a large folio of Ge^ 
 rings impression of the Sermons of Thomas de Utino 
 printed in the xviith year of the reign of Louis XI : 
 or about the year 147L This latter was rather a fine 
 copy. A little black-letter Latin Bible by Froben, of 
 the date of 1495, rather tempted me ; but I could not 
 resist asking, in a manner half serious and half jocose, 
 whether a napoleon would not secure me the posses- 
 sion of a piquant httle volume of black-letter tracts, 
 printed by my old friend Guido Mercator?=^ The 
 Abbe smiled : observing—" mon ami, on fait voir les 
 livres ici : on les lit meme : mais on ne les vend pas." 
 I felt the force of this pointed reply : and was re- 
 solved never again to ask an ecclesiastic to part with 
 
 * Some account of this printer, together with a fac-simile of his 
 device^ may be seen in the Bibliographical Decameron, vol. ii, p. 33-6. 
 
448 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 I 
 
 a black-letter volume, even though it were printed by 
 *^ my old friend Guido Mercator." Seeing there was 
 very little more deserving- of investigation, I enquired 
 of my amiable guide about the Library of the 
 Cordeliers," of which he had just made mention. 
 He told me that it consisted chiefly of canon and civil 
 law, and had been literally almost destroyed : that he 
 had contrived however to secure a great number of 
 
 rubbishing theological books," (so he called them !) 
 which he sold for three sous a piece — and with the pro- 
 duce of which he bought many excellent works for the 
 library. I should like to have had the sifting of this 
 
 theological rubbish I" Peradventure an Olivet Bible, 
 or a TyndaVs New Testament, (in former times, when 
 theCalvinists got a temporary ascendancy) might have 
 found their way amidst the interminable rows of the 
 Latin vulgate impression. Or rather, I wished to per- 
 suade myself that this supposition was not a mere 
 delusion ; and accordingly rummaged, high and low, 
 in all directions . . . but to no purpose. It remained 
 therefore only to thank the Abbe most heartily for his 
 patient endurance of my questions and searches, and 
 particularly to apologise for bringing him from his 
 surrounding friends. He told me, beginning with a 
 
 soyez tranquille," that the matter was not worth 
 either a thought or a syllable ; and ere we quitted the 
 library, he bade me observe the written entries of the 
 numbers of students who came daily thither to read. 
 There were generally (he told me) from fifteen to 
 twenty " hard at it :" and I saw the names of not 
 fewer than ninety -two who aspired to the honour 
 and privilege of having access to the Bibliotheca 
 
VIRE. 
 
 449 
 
 PiCHONiANA. There is certainly no evidence of a back- 
 wardness of disposition to obtain knowledge among 
 the students of the department of Calvados, 
 
 For the third time^ in the same day, I visited Mon- 
 sieur Adam ; to carry away, like a bibliomaniacal 
 Jason, the fleece I had secured. I saw there a grave, 
 stout gentleman — who saluted me on my entrance, 
 and who was introduced to me by Monsieur A. by the 
 name of Seguin. He had been waiting (he said) full 
 three quarters of an hour to see me, and concluded by 
 observing, that, although a man in business, he had 
 aspired to the honour of authorship. He had written, 
 in fact, two rather interesting — but wretchedly, and 
 incorrectly printed — duodecimo volumes, relating to 
 the BocAGE,* in the immediate vicinity of Vire ; and 
 
 * relating to the Socage, "] — The first publication is entitled Essai 
 sur VHistoire de V Industrie du Bocage en General, et de la Ville de 
 Vire sa capitale en particulier, ^c." Par M. Richard Seguin. A 
 Vire, chez Adam, Imprimeur, an 1810, 12mo. It is not improbable that 
 I may have been the only importer of this useful and crowdedly- 
 paged duodecimo volume ; which presents us with so varied and ani- 
 mated a picture of the manners, customs, trades, and occupations of 
 the Bocains and Virois, that I am persuaded the following extracts 
 will be received rather with indulgence than censure. 
 
 Manufactories of Cloth and Paper. 
 ''La reunion des deux rivieres de Vire et de Virene, ainsi que de plu* 
 sieurs ruisseaux, ont encore facilite en cette ville I'etablissement de 
 deux autres belles manufactures, la draperie et la papeterie. La 
 Virene, dont les eaux claires et limpides roulent sur un sable dore, 
 semble avoir et6 placee expr^s par la nature pour 1' emplacement des 
 moulins k papier ,• car les bords de la Vire etant converts de moulins k 
 fouler, et les eaux de cette riviere etant continuellement troublees par 
 la crasse des degrais des draps et tirtaine qu'on y foule en grande 
 
450 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 was himself the sole vender and distributer of his pub- 
 lications. On my expressing a wish to possess these 
 
 quantity, elle ne serait guferes propre pour la papeteriej cependant il 
 s'y en est ^tabli quelques-unes depuis la grande inondation de Vire^ ar- 
 rivde en 1782. 
 
 '*^Plusieurs moulins foulons ayant ete entraines par les eaux, quelques 
 fabricants de papier achet^rent les emplacemens situ^s sous le chateau 
 de Vire, et y b^tirent plusieurs moulins qu'on y voit. On en trouve 
 aussi quelques-uns sur la petite riviere de Maisoncelles, qui se jette 
 dans la Vire audessus de cette villej mais le plus grand nombre des 
 papeteries de Vire, et les plus belles de tout le Bocage, sont sur la 
 Virene. Au commencement du quatorzi^me siecle, le papier fut in- 
 vente par un citadin de Padoue en Italic. Auparavant on ne faisait 
 usage que de parchemin. On ne commenca k s'en servir en France 
 qu'en 1342. Toute la Vallee des Vaux de Vire est remplie de 
 moulins a papier, de vastes magasins, tant pour Icger le chiffon, la 
 colle et les autres mati^res premieres que pour le papier de toute 
 esp^ce qu'on y fabrique en grande quantite. Toutes ces usines, ainsi 
 que les maisons des manufacturiers qui les accompagnent, sont b^ties 
 presque toutes en pierre de taille et bien construites, &c. &c." p. 156. 
 
 ''Quoiqu'on ne puisse fixer au juste I'etablissement de lapapeterie k 
 Vire, il parait pourtant que c'est dans le courant du seizieme siecle 
 puisque dbs Tan 1 600, il y avait deja des moulins a papier batis dans 
 les Vaux de Vire 3 ainsi il y avait a peine deux si^cles que cette inven- 
 tion ^tait connue qu'on en fabriquait deja a Vire. Les manufacturiers 
 de cette ville tirent la plus grande partie du chiffon necessaire, de la 
 ci-devant Bretagne. Tout le papier de cette fabrique est export^ en 
 differentes villes de I'interieur, k Rouen, au Havre et sur-tout a Paris, 
 oti il en est vendu la majeure partie." p. 159. 
 
 In the following paragraph we learn that " St. Anne is the pre- 
 siding patroness of paper makers 3 and that the anniversary of her 
 birth day is celebrated by a suspension of all labour, and by proces- 
 sions and amusements among the workmen." But of these two ma- 
 nufactories, that of CLOTH is the greater. The author becomes quite 
 animated and picturesque in a portion of his description of it. 
 
 Quoiqu'il en soit, cette manufacture^ ^tablie k Vire, ne tarda pas a y 
 
VIRE. 
 
 451 
 
 books, he quitted the premises, and begged I would 
 wait his return with a copy or two of them. While he 
 
 faire de grands progr^s. Le cours tortueux de la riviere de Vire, sa 
 rapidite, les rocliers dont elle est remplie, formant aupr^s de cette 
 ville une grande quantite de cascades et de sauts, a rendu facile la 
 construction des moulins k foulon, et autres qui y sont en assez grand 
 nombre. D' autre part, la terre qui sert b, degraisser les draps s'y 
 trouve tres k commodite dans la lande de Clermont j les foulons de 
 Vire la vantent comme excellente et lui donnent la preference sur 
 toutes celles qu'on trouve ailleurs. Ces divers avantages naturels 
 r^unis, favoriserent beaucoup I'etablissement et les progr^s de cette 
 grande manufacture, une des plus considerables qui soit en France, au 
 moins par le grand nombre d'ouvriers qu'elle occupe, puisque je ne 
 crois pas exagerer de porter leur nombre k plus de cinq mille per- 
 sonnes, tant dans la ville qu'k la campagne." p. 161 . 
 
 During the invasion of Italy by the French, it v^^as the town of Vire 
 which supplied all the clothing — especially the coarser part— for the 
 army. Hear what the author observes upon this. 
 
 Dans ce tems-la nos armees faisant de grands progr^s en Italic, Vire 
 fournit k cette armee une immense quantite de draps de bourre, de la 
 plus basse qualite qu'il soit possible de faire. On les nomma cisal- 
 pins, du nom d'une republique nouvellement fondee. Ces draps gris, 
 bruns, et de toutes sortes de couleurs mMees, semblaient ^tre toujours 
 trop bons, puisqu'on voyait des marchands, apres les avoir achetes, les 
 faire remettre a la ramme pour les faire allonger de plusieurs aunes : 
 aussi le plus cher des cisalpins allait-il au prix de cine francs Taune^ 
 car les Virois ont le talent de faire du drap au prix le plus modique 
 qu'on puisse desirer. Quoiqu'il en soit, ce talent, si e'en est un, a fait 
 entrer dans Vire, des sommes immenses de numeraire, et les cisalpins 
 ont enrichi bien des drapiers, qui auraient tout perdu, s'ils n'avaient 
 fabrique que des draps fins et de haut prix." p. 172 
 
 The concluding sentence, and that which immediately follows* 
 
 " * VoilJi, je crois, la vraie cause qui fait que la draperie de Vire est depuis 
 long-tems dans le meme ^tat, d'ou elle ne peut gu^res esp^rer de soiiir, parce 
 
452 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 was gone, M. Adam took the opportunity of telling me 
 that he was a rich, respectable tradesman ; but that, 
 
 the preceding, were one among the causes which drew down upon the 
 author the indignation of his fellow-townsmen. I proceed to pro- 
 bably more interesting extracts j and shall commence with that relating 
 to the 
 
 Dress and Character of the Women. 
 Quant au costume des fkmmes d'aujourd'hui^ comme il faudrait un 
 volume entier pour le decrire, je n'ai pas le courage de m' engager 
 dans ce labyrinte de ridicules et de frivolites. Ce que j'en dirai seule- 
 ment en general, c'est qu'autant les femmes du temps passe, etaient 
 decentes et chastes, et se faisaient gloire d'etre graves et modestes, 
 autant celles de notre si^cle^ mettent tout en oeuvre pour paraitre cy- 
 nyques et voluptueuses. Nous ne sommes plus au temps oil les plus 
 grandes dames se faisaient honneur de porter la cordeli^re.* Leurs ha- 
 billemens 6taient aussi larges et fermes, que celui des femmes de nos 
 jours sont ouverts et legers et d'une finesse que les formes du corps, 
 au moindre mouvement, se dessinent, de mani^re k ne laisser rien ig- 
 norer. A peine se couvrent-elles le sein d'un voile transparent tr^s- 
 leger ou de je ne sais quelle palatine qu'elles nomment point-a-jour, 
 qui, en couvrant tout, ne cache rien j en sorte que si elles n'etalent 
 pas tous leurs charmes a decouvert, c'est que les hommes les moins 
 scrupuleux, qui se contentent de les persifler, en seraient revoltes 
 tout-a-fait. D'ailleurs, c'est que ce n'est pas encore la modej plu- 
 sieurs poussent meme I'impudence jusqu'a venir dans nos temples 
 sans coiffure, les cheveux herisses comme des furies 3 d'autres, par 
 une bizarrerie qu'on ne peut expliquer se dcpouillent, autant qu'il est 
 en leur pouvoir, des marques de leur propre sexe, semblent rougir 
 d'etre femmes, et deviennent ridicules en voulant paraitre demi- 
 hommes. 
 
 que plusieurs obstacles presqu'invincibles s'y opposent. Le premier est danf? 
 la quality des laines qu'on y employe ; un second vient du trop peu d'attention 
 de la part des fabricants. " 
 
 * " Ceinture alors regard de comme le symbole de la continence. La reine de 
 France en ddcorait les femmes titrdes dont la conduite dtait irrdprochable." 
 Hist, de la reun. de Bretagne d, la France par Vabb^ frail. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 453 
 
 having said some severe things of the manufactures 
 of Vire in his first piibhcation^ relating to the civil 
 
 Apr^s avoir deshonorfe I'habit des femmes, elles ont encore voulu 
 prostituer celui des hommes. On Ics a vues adopter success! vement 
 les chapeaux, les redingoteS;, les vestes, les gilets, les bottes et jus- 
 qu'aux boutons. Enfin si, au lieu de jupons, elles avaient pu s'ac- 
 commoder de Tusage de la culotte, la metamorphose fetait complette j 
 mais elles ont prefdre les robes trainantes ; c'est dommage que la na- 
 ture ne leur ait donne ime troisifeme main, qui leur serait nfessaire 
 pourtenir cette longue queue, qui sou vent patrouille laboue on balaye 
 la poussifere. Pldt a Dieu que les anciennes lois fussent encore en vi- 
 gueur, oil ceux et celles qui portaient des habits indecent etaient obliges 
 d'aller k Rome pour en obtenir I'absolution, qui ne pouvait leur ^tre 
 accordee que par le souverain pontife.* 
 
 Eneffet, le pape Eugfene ne permit, en 1435, aux Cordeliers, d'ab- 
 soudre les femmes qui portaient des habits indecens et des robes a 
 queues, que dans le cas oil elles n'auraient fait que suivre la coutume 
 du pays et non a dessein de seduire 3 et s'il permit egalement d'absou- 
 dre les tailleurs et couturieres qui faisaient de ces habillemens^ ce ne 
 fut qu'a condition qu'ils n'imagineraient plus de nouvelles modes. O 
 antiques et sages ordonnances, que vous seriez utiles de nos jours ! 
 
 Mais aprfes m'etre ennuye a decouvrir la turpitude de quelques folles 
 k qui la fureur des modes tourne la tMe, ou dont la toilette fait toute 
 I'occupation^ il est doux de se reposer sur un sujet plus agreable, en 
 essayant.de tracer le tableau des vertus et des talens du plus grand 
 nombre des femmes du Bocage, ou Ton pent dire que les bonnes 
 moeurs et I'honnetete sont encore en honneur, malgre le d^bordement 
 des vices qui ont inonde la France pendant I'absence de la Religion. 
 Mais comme les Bocains y sont tr^s-attaches et que la plupart lui sont 
 restes fideles, meme durant son exil, on doit espferer que I'air hagard et 
 les reparties fibres de quelques femmes (assaisonnees d'un b, ou d'une 
 f.) disparaitront entierement. On voit dejk avec plaisir que la saine 
 morale reprend son empire de jour en jour, sur-tout parmi les femmes. 
 
 * Voyez Vhab. des bcoh secuUers par Vahht Boileau. Recreations liistoriques 
 par M. Dreux-Duradiery tome II. 
 
454 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 history of the Bocains, his townsmen sharply resented 
 what they considered as reflections thrown out against 
 
 qui ne devraient jamais oublier que la sagesse et la modestie sont les 
 deux plus beaux orneinens de leur sexe. 
 
 "Les femmes du Bocage, et sur-tout les Viroisesj'oignent k un esprit 
 vif et enjou6 les qualites du corps les plus estimables. Blondes et brunes 
 pour le plus grand nombre, elles sont de la m( yenne taille^ mais bien 
 formees : elles ont le teint frais et fleuri^ I'oeil vif, le visage vermeil, la 
 demarche leste, un air 6tofi6 et tr^s 616gantes dans tout leur maintien. 
 Si on dit avee raison que les Bayeusines sont belles, les filles du Bo- 
 cage, qui sont leurs voisines, ne leur cedent en aucune manibre, car en 
 g^n^ral le sang est tr^s-beau en ce pays. Quant aux talens spirituels, 
 elles les poss^dent k un d^gre Eminent. Elles parlent avec aisance, ont 
 le repartie prompte, et outre les soins du manage, ou elles excellent 
 de telle sorte qu'il n'y a point de contr^es oh il y ait plus de linge, 
 elles entendent k merveille^ et font avec succ^Sj tout le detail du com- 
 merce." p. ^38. 
 
 These passages also, notwithstanding the sort of amende honor- 
 able made in the concluding paragraph, raised a storm of indignation 
 and bitterness against the unsuspecting author. From a consideration 
 that copies of this work may be of extreme rarity, as well as from a 
 conviction that it contains within itself some very interesting informa- 
 tion, I shall submit two — and only two more passages : the one, rela- 
 ting to the introduction of the art of painting } the other, to that of 
 the art of printing, in the Bocage. They are as follow: 
 
 Le grand nombre d'anciens tableaux qu'on voyait dans les egliseset 
 les monastcres du Bocage, peuvent faire croire que cet etat y 6tait en 
 estime^ sans doute que la plupart de ces tableaux n'avaient pas kii 
 executes que par des etrangers, puisque ce fut un peintre de Rome 
 qui vint peindre la vodte de I'eglise de Vire en 1534, cela prouve qu'il 
 n'y avait point de peintre en ce pays, puisqu'on fut oblige d'en faire 
 venir un de si loin et U si grands frais. Entre tons les anciens tableaux 
 qui se voyaient dans I'eglise Notre-Dame de Vire, on remarquait I'ado- 
 ration des bergers qui 6tait autrefois au maitre-autel 3 il est actuelle- 
 ment plac6 dans la chapelle N uve, au c6t^ de I'^pitre. Quoiqu'il soit 
 vieux, il porte encore des marques de son ancienne beauts. Le co- 
 
VIRE. 455 
 
 them ; and M. Seguin was told that perhaps his per- 
 sonal safety was endangered ! ... He wanted not a 
 
 loris en ^tait eclatant, il formait un bel ensemble, on y remarquait 
 sur-tout un bel ange qui parait dans 1' admiration, ainsi qu'un berger 
 tenant sa houlette, ayant un agneau couche k cot^ de lui." p. 245. 
 
 Quant a l'imprjmerie, on sait que cet art n'est pas ancien, puisqu'il 
 n'a ete invente qu'au quinzi^me si^cle. Pendant tout le si^cle suivant, 
 il n'y eut guferes que les grandes villes qui en eussent. Ainsi il n'est 
 pas etonnant qu'il n'y en edt pas au Bocage. 
 
 ^^he premier Imprimeur dont on ait connaissance, pour la ville de 
 Vire, fut ut nomme Jean Decesne, vers le commencement du 17e. 
 sifelce. Quelques exemplaires de son impression font voir que, non- 
 seulement il etait habile dans I'art typographique, mais qu'il ^tait sa- 
 vant et possedait les langues anciennes : car dans quelques livres sortis 
 de ses presses, on trouve, outre le Latin, du Grec, et meme de YHe- 
 breu. II y a entr autres un livre de controverses contre les Calvinistes, 
 que Decesne imprima en 1670. Les exemplaires en sont tr^s- 
 rares. 
 
 " Depuis sa mort, jusqu'en 1790, Vire n'eut aucune Imprimerie, mais 
 ^ cette epoque, la revolution etant arrivee, M. Malo, fr^re-queteur cor- 
 delier, du convent de cette ville, se fit Imprimeur. Mais M. Malo osa 
 aspirer k une plus haute fortune. On a vu bien des fois, sous la haire 
 et le froc, le meme courage, que sous le casque et la cuirasse. M. 
 Malo, sentant p6tiller le feu martial au fond de ses entrailles, se fit sol- 
 dat, et la fortune le servit si bien qu'il devint general. Ce grade valait 
 infiniment mieux que de faire gfemir la presse , aussi il la vendit, et le 
 sieur Lehel lui suceeda. 
 
 Un an apres, le sieur Adam en fetablit une nouvelle k Vire. Ainsi 
 cette ville possfede actuellement deux Imprimeries. En 1S08, le pre- 
 mier Janvier, le sieur Adam entreprit de publier un nouveau journal, 
 qu'il continue sous le nom de Journal de V arrondissement de Vire'' p. 
 253. 
 
 It seems not a little severe and discouraging, that a man, who, im- 
 mersed in business, and writing both to amuse himself and to exalt the 
 talents of his townsmen — as M. S6guin has done— (in the little volume 
 before us, of upwards of 400 pages) should have met with a fate so 
 wholly unmerited and unexpected. But doubtless there must be a 
 
456 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 second hint— but fled from home with precipitancy : 
 and in his absence the populace suspended his effigy, 
 
 secret history^ or key, attached to the transaction, which I frankly own 
 I have neither the curiosity nor the means to ascertain. We now 
 come to the second of M. Seguin's publications— entitled Histoire Mili- 
 taire des Bocains ; k Vire, &c. 1816 12mo. pp.429. This is in every 
 respect more generally interesting (beyond the limits of Vire) than its 
 precursor. The author begins thus : 
 
 Lorsque je donnai mon Histoire de I'lndustrie du Bocage au Public, 
 je me vis en butte aux calomnies les plus odieuses et les plus contra- 
 dictoires. Ma vie fut exposee aux plus graves dangers. Je fus juge 
 sans examen, condamn6 avecfureur, et livre aux ex6cuteurs des hautes 
 oeuvres, avant m^me d'avoir pu ouvrir la bouche pour me d^fendre. 
 Mais I'avidit^ mercantile qu'on supposait bless^e, n'en etait que le prfe- 
 texte J la jalousie en 6tait le veritable sujet, et I'esprit revolutionnaire 
 permettait alors de tout oser centre moi.* 
 
 11 est vrai que ce n'est pas d'aujourd'hui que les hommes qui ont le 
 plus travaillfe k illustrer leur Patrie, ont 6t6 lionnis et p6rsecut6s. 
 N'est-ce pas dans ce pays qu'ont vecu des Olivier Basselin et des Maljil- 
 aire, dont I'un fut priv^ de ses droits les plus legitimes, et I'autre r^duit 
 k mourir de mis^re ? Si de si grands hommes ont 6te m^connus ou 
 mfeprisfes, je sais que je nesuis pastrop en droit de me plaindre, car je n'ai 
 ni leur talent, ni leur reputation, aussi n'est-ce point pour accuser per- 
 sonne que je rapporte ces faits, mais seulement pour obtenir la gr^ce 
 d'etre lu avant d'etre jug6, afin du moins de n'etre condamn6 que dans 
 les formes. J'aurais pu citer en ma faveur le temoignage honorable 
 que m'ont rendu plusieurs Academiciens et autres Savans illustres, 
 tant de la Capitale que des D6partemens. Mais quelques soient les 
 clameurs de mes ennemis, je me contenterai de leur r^pondre avec un 
 des plus grands hommes du 1 6^. si^cle,f Faites mieux, ou laissez faire 
 ceux a qui Dieu en a donn^ le talent.X" 
 
 * Voyez le Journal de PArrondissement de Vire, Aout 1810. 
 + Le Card. Ximtlntis aux ddtracteurs d'Erasme. Dupin des Antiquites, 
 T. 1. p. 77., Fleuii Hist. Eccl. T. 26, p. 339. 
 
 % Chacun k ce metier 
 
 Peut perdre impun^ment de Pencre et du papier. Boileau. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 457 
 
 and burnt it before the door of his house. This, how- 
 ever, did not cool the ardour of authorship in M. 8e- 
 guin. He set about publishing his militarij history of 
 
 This publication is really filled with a great variety of curious histo- 
 rical detail — throughout which is interspersed much that relates to 
 
 romaunt lore" and romantic adventures. The civil wars between 
 Montgomery and Matignon form alone a very important and inter- 
 esting portion of the volume ; and it is evident that the author has ex- 
 erted himself with equal energy and anxiety to do justice to both par- 
 ties — except that occasionally he betrays his antipathies against the 
 Hugonots.* I have quoted the commencing passage of this work : let 
 me also quote the concluding one. There may be at least half a 
 score readers who may think it something more than merely histo- 
 rically curious : 
 
 ''Je finirai done ici mon Histoire. Je n'ai point parl6 d'un grand 
 nombre des faits d'armes et d'actions glorieuses, qui se sont passes dans 
 la guerre de I'independance des Etats-Unis d'Am^rique oh. beaucoup 
 de Bocains ont eu part j mais mon principal dessein a 6te de traiter des 
 guerres qui ont eu lieu dans le Bocage^ ainsi je crois avoir atteint mon 
 but, qui ^tait d'ecrire I'Histoire Militaire des Bocains par des faits et 
 non pas des phrases j je ne peux cependant omettre une circonstance 
 glorieuse pour le Bocage; c'est la visite que le bon et infortune Louis 
 XVI. fit aux Bocains en 1786. Ce grand Monarque dont les vues 
 €taient aussi sages que profondes, avait resolu de faire construire le 
 beau Port de Cherbourg, ouvrage vraiment Royal, qui est une des 
 plus nobles entreprises qui aient ete faites depuis I'origine de la Mo- 
 narchic. Les Bocains sentirent I'avantage d'un si grand bienfait. Le 
 Roivenant visiter les travaux, fut accueilli avec un enthousiasme presqu'- 
 impossible a decrire, ainsi que les Princes qui I'accompagnaient. Sa 
 marche ressemblait a un triomphe. Les peuples accouraient en foule 
 du fond des campagnes, et bordaient la route, faisant retentir les airs 
 de chants d'alegresse et des cris millions de fois r6p6tes de Vive le Roi ! 
 
 * " Les soldats Huguenots commirent dans cette occasion, toutes sortes de 
 cruaut^s, d'infaimes et de sacrileges, jusqu'k meler les Saintes Hostjes avec 
 I'avoine qu'ils donnaient h. lours chevaux : mais Dieu permit qu'ils n'en vou- 
 lurent pas manger." p. 369. 
 
458 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 the Bocains ; and in the introductory part takes occa- 
 sion to retort upon the violence of his persecutors. To 
 return to M. Seguin. In about ten minutes he appear- 
 ed, with two copies in his hand — which I purchased, 
 I thought dearly, at five francs each volume ; or a 
 napoleon for the four books. After the adventures 
 of this day, I need hardly tell you that I relished a 
 substantial dinner at a late hour, and that both Mr. L. 
 and myself were well satisfied with Vire. 
 
 Yesterday M. La Renaudiere made good his engage- 
 ment, and dined with us at five, in the salle a manger. 
 This is a large inn ; and if good fare depended upon the 
 number and even elegance of female cooks, the tra- 
 veller ought to expect the very best at the Cheval 
 Blanc. The afternoon was so inviting — and my guest 
 having volunteered his services to conduct me to the 
 most beautiful points of view in the immediate neigh- 
 bourhood — that we each seemed to vie with the other 
 in dispatching what was placed before us . . . and 
 within thirty-five minutes, from the moment of sitting 
 down, we were in the outskirts of Vire. Never shall I 
 forget that afternoon's ramble. The sun seemed to 
 
 Musique^ Processions, Arcs de triomphe, Chemins joncMs de fleurs j 
 tout fut prodigufe. Les villes de Caen, de Bayeux, de Saint-Lo, de 
 Carentan, de Valognes, se surpasserent dans cette occasion, pour 
 prouver k S. M. leur amour et leur reconnaissance 3 mais rien ne fut plus 
 brillant que I'entree de ce grand Roi k Cherbourg, Un peuple immense, 
 le clergfe, toute la noblesse du pays, le son des cloches, le bruit du 
 canon, les acclamations universelles prouv^rent au Monarque mieux 
 encore que la pompe toute Royale et les f^tes magnifiques que la ville 
 ne cessa de lui donner tons les jours, que les coeurs de tous les Bocains 
 ^taient k lui." p. 428. 
 
VIRE. 
 
 459 
 
 become more of a golden hue, and the atmosphere to 
 increase in clearness and serenity. A thousand little 
 songsters were warbling in the full-leaved branches of 
 the trees ; while the mingled notes of the blanchis- 
 seuses and the milk-maids, near the banks of the 
 rippling stream below, reached us in a sort of wild and 
 joyous harmony — as we gazed down from theoverhang- 
 ing heights. The meadows were spotted with sheep, and 
 the orchards teemed with the coming fruit. You may 
 form some notion of the value of this rich and pictu- 
 resque scenery, when I tell you that M. La Renau- 
 diere possesses land, in the immediate vicinity of Vire, 
 which lets at o£6. 6^. per English acre! My guide was all 
 gaiety of heart, and activity of step. We followed him 
 through winding paths and devious tracks, amidst 
 coppice-wood and fern — not however till we had 
 viewed^ from one particular spot upon the heights, a 
 most commanding and interesting panorama of the 
 townofVire. We left Mr. Lewis, busied in tracing 
 this panorama with his pencil, to continue our route, 
 and to pay a visit to a Mr. and Mrs. S * * Enghsh 
 people — and friends of M. La Renaudiere . . . living 
 about a league further on. 
 
 In our way thither, we discoursed of English poetry ; 
 and I found that Thomson was as great a favourite 
 with my guide as with the rest of his countrymen. 
 Indeed he frankly told me that he had translated him 
 into French verse, and intended to publish his transla- 
 tion. I urged him to quote specimens ; which he did with 
 a readiness and force, and felicity of version, that quite 
 enchanted me. He thoroughly understands the origi- 
 nal ; and in the description of a cataract^ or mountain 
 
 VOL I. EC 
 
460 
 
 VIRE. 
 
 torrent, from the Summer, he appeared to me almost 
 
 to surpass it. Monsieur R. then proceeded to quote 
 
 Young* and Pope, and delivered his opinion of our two 
 
 great Whig* and Tory Reviews. Fie said he preferred 
 
 the politics and vivacity of the Edinburgh, but thought 
 
 the Quarterly more instructive and more carefully 
 
 written. " Enfin (he concluded) j'aime infiniment 
 
 votre gouvernement, et vos ecrivains; mais j'aime 
 
 moins le peuple Anglois." I replied that he had at 
 
 least very recently shewn an exception to this opinion, 
 
 in his treatment of one among this very people. C'est 
 
 une autre chose" — replied he briskly, and laughingly — 
 
 " vous allez voir deux de vos compatriotes, qui sont 
 
 mes amis in times, et vous en serez bien content !" So 
 
 saying, we continued our route through a dehghtful 
 
 avenue of beech-trees, upon the most elevated part 
 
 within the vicinity of the town ; and my companion 
 
 bade me view from thence the surrounding country. 
 
 It was rich and beautiful in the extreme ; and with 
 
 perfect truth, I must say, resembled much more 
 
 strongly the generality of our own scenery than what I 
 
 had hitherto witnessed in Normandy. But the sun was 
 
 beginning to cast his shadows broader and broader, 
 
 and where was the residence of Monsieur and Madame 
 S * # ^ p 
 
 It was almost close at hand. We reached it in a 
 quarter of an hour — but the inmates were unluckily 
 from home. The house is low and long, but respect- 
 able in appearance both within and without. The ap- 
 proach to it is through a pretty copse, terminated by a 
 garden ; and the surrounding grounds are rather taste- 
 fully laid out. A portion of it indeed had been trained 
 
VJRE. 
 
 461 
 
 into something in the shape of a labyrinth ; in the centre 
 of which was a rocky seat, embedded as it were in moss 
 — and from which some fine glimpses were caught 
 of the surrounding country. The fragrance from the 
 orchard trees, which had not yet quite shed their blos- 
 soms, was perfectly delicious ; while the stilness of 
 evening added to the peculiar harmony of the whole. 
 We had scarcely sauntered ten minutes before Madame 
 arrived. She had been twelve years in France, and 
 spoke her own language so imperfectly, or rather so 
 unintelligibly, that I begged of her to resume the 
 French. Her reception of us was most hospitable: 
 but we declined cakes and wine, on account of the 
 lateness of the hour. She told us that her husband 
 was in possession of from fourscore to a hundred 
 acres of the most productive land, and regretted that 
 he was from home, on a visit to a neighbouring gen- 
 tleman ; assuring us, if we could stay, that he would 
 be heartily glad to see us — " especially any of his 
 courHrymen, when introduced by Monsieur La Re- 
 naudiere." It was difficult to say who smiled and 
 bowed with the greater complacency, at this double- 
 shotted compliment. I now pressed our retreat home- 
 wards. We bade this agreeable lady farewell, and re- 
 turned down the heights, and through the devious 
 paths by which we had ascended, 
 
 While talk of various kind deceived the road. 
 
 A more active and profitable day has not yet been de- 
 voted to Norman objects, whether of art or of nature. 
 To morrow I breakfast with my friend and guide^ 
 and immediately afterwards push on for Falaise. 
 
462 
 
 .VIRE. 
 
 A cabriolet is hired, bat doubts are entertained re- 
 specting- the practicability of the route. My next 
 epistle will be therefore from Falaise — where the re- 
 nowned William the Conqueror was born whose body 
 we left entombed at Caen. The day is clearing up ; 
 and I yet hope for a stroll upon the scite of the castle. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 London : pnntert by W. Bulmer and W. Micol. 
 Cleveland-row, St. James's. 
 
Sibliograpliical Jrtbe^ 
 
 A 
 
\ 
 
 ♦#* From the omission to notice certain editions of works, in certain 
 libraries, the reader will not infer that such libraries are therefore without 
 them. Nor does it necessarily follow that they contain them. My object has 
 been, only to describe such books as, from choice, or the particular inclina- 
 tions of the librarians, were placed before me in the several libraries visited. 
 
 The MSS. are designated by the titles being printed in small capital 
 letters. 
 
INDEX 
 
 OF MANUSCRIPTS, 
 
 AND OF PRINTED BOOKS, 
 
 DESCRIBED, QUOTED, OR REFERRED TO. 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 Abano de Petri, Conciliator^ 1472, folio — in the Public Library 
 
 at Munich, - - - - iii. 292-3 
 
 uEnees Silvii Hist. Bohem. 1475, folio — in the Public Li- 
 brary at Augsbourg, - - - iii. 228 
 JEsopnSy Gr. 4to . Edit. prin. — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 493 
 — — Lat. 1475, 4to. V. de Villa in the Royal Library at 
 
 Stuttgart, - - - - - — 142 
 
 — — Lat. 1480, folio — in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 296 
 ■ Ital. 1485, Tuppi, in the same library at Paris, - — 297 
 
 Lat. 1486, G. de Leeu, folio — in the same library, 297 
 
 Without date, or name of printer, in the same, - 297 
 
 Ital. 1491 and 1492, 4to. — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - - - iii. 493 
 
 Hispan. 1496, folio — in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 298 
 
 • Germ. Without date, 8fc., in the same library, - 297 
 
 in the same library, - 298 
 
 Lat. 4to. — Prince Eugene's copy in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, . - - - iii. 493 
 
 no date. Jig. lig. incis. (/. Zeiner) in the Royal 
 
 Library at Stuttgart, - - - - — 143 
 
 JEsopi Fabulee (Fab. iEsopicse) Brandt. 1501, folio copy pur- 
 chased of Mr. Fischeim at Munich, - - — 304 
 Acta Sanctorum, 52 vols., folio — in the Public Library at 
 Rouen, - - - i. 179 
 
 20 volumes, in the Chapter Library at Bayeux — 372 
 
 three sets of, in the Public Library at Stras- 
 bourg, - - - - iii. 73 
 
 — six sets of, in the Public Library at Munich, — 298 
 
 Alain Char tier, paraboles de, Verard, 1492, folio — upon vel- 
 lum — in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 289 
 
INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 Ala'm Chartier, les fais de, V erard, no date, folio — in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 289 
 Albert Durer ; original drawings of, in a Book of Prayers, 
 
 in the Public Library at Munich, - - iii. 2/3 
 Alcuimis de Trinitate, Momst. Uthnpurrha, 1500, folio — in 
 
 the Public Library at Augsbourg, - - - — 233 
 
 Aldtne Classics, in the Public Library at Rouen, - i. 178 
 
 , in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 31 1-314 
 
 , in the Library of St. Genevieve, - — 350 
 
 ■ " , in the possession of M. Renouard, book- 
 seller, - . . - - 351 
 
 , in the King's Private Library at Stuttgart, iii. 165 
 
 , in the Public Library at Munich, - — 296 
 
 Alexandnis Galhs, vulg5 de Villa Dei Doctrinale. V. de 
 
 Spira, folio^ — ^in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - — 502 
 
 Almanac historique — le Messager Boiteux — a chapbook, 
 extracts from, . _ . iii. 199 
 
 Angelius de Arctis, 1474, /. de Sidrano, folio — in the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - - - — 292 
 
 Anti-Christ — block book — in the Public Library at Landshut, — 335 
 
 Ambrosii Hexameron, (1460,) in the Library of Gottwic 
 monastery, - - - - — 429 
 
 — — 1472, folio — in the Public Library at 
 
 Augsbourg, - - - — 229 
 
 , in the Public Library at Nuremberg, 
 
 Supplement, xxv 
 
 Amours, chasse et depart, Verard, 1509, folio — upon vellum, 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 287 
 
 Angelus de Gamb. Tract Maleficiorum, 1472, folio — in the 
 
 Public Library at Augsbourg, - - iii. 232 
 
 Anthologia Grceca, 1498, 4to. — upon vellum, in the Li- 
 brary of Ste. Genevieve, at Paris, - ii. 349 
 
 , 1503, Aldus, 8vo. upon vellum, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 311 
 
 Anthonit de Burtrio Concilia, Adam Rot, 1472, folio — in the 
 
 Royal Library at Stuttgart, . . - iii. 143 
 
 , in the Li- 
 brary of Closterneuberg Monastery, - - — "617 
 
 Antonii Archpi Opera Theologica, 1477, Koberger, folio— 
 in the Public Library at Strasbourg, - — 61 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. v 
 
 Vol Page. 
 
 Antonius Sabellictcs, in Munit. Sontiac. 4to. — in the library of 
 
 Gottwic Monastery, - - - - iii. 430 
 Anton, de S. Greg. Com. Decret. Pavia, 1476, folio — in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, . _ - Hi. 502 
 
 Apocalypse, hloch-book — in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 256 
 
 — , in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, iii. 146 
 
 , in the library of Gottwic Monastery, — 428 
 
 , in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 531 
 
 , Ital. Re'isinger, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 483 
 
 ApoUinaris Offred. adv. Mant. B. Gal his , 1478, 4 to. — in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, - - . _ 504 
 
 Apostles Creed, in German, hloch-hook, with fac simile — in the 
 
 Public Library at Munich, - - - — 384 
 
 Appianus Lat., 1472, F. de Spira, in the Public Library at 
 
 Nuremberg, - - Supplement^ xxvi 
 
 , Ratdolt. 1478, folio— in the library of the Monas- 
 tery of St. Florian, . - - - iii. 390 
 
 , Gr. 1551. folio — Diane de Poictiers' copy, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 316-7 
 Apuleius, 1469, folio — in the Royal Library at Paris, - — 282 
 ^ imperfect, in the Public Library at 
 
 Munich, - ... iii. 290 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - — 493 
 , 1472, Jenson, folio — in the last mentioned 
 
 library, - - - - — 493 
 
 Aquinas, T., Sec. Secundce, Schoeffher, 1467, folio — upon 
 
 VELLUM, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - — 505 
 — — ^ Mentelin, folio, in the Public 
 
 Library at Strasbourg, - - — 69 
 , P. de Puzbach. No date, folio 
 
 — in the same library, - - _ ibid. 
 '■ , Opus Quartiscript. Schoeffher. 1469, folio — 
 
 UPON VELLUM, iu the same library, - - ibid 
 , In Evang. Matt, et Marc. 1470, S. and 
 
 Pannartz, folio — in the same library, - - ibid. 
 , de virtut. et vitiis. Mentelin — in the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - - 289 
 
 Arbre des Batailles, Verard, 1493, folio — upon vellum, 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - i. 286 
 
vi 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Fol Page. 
 
 Aretims de Bello Gothico, 1470, folio — in the Public Library 
 
 at Caen, - - . . i. 333 
 
 Aretims, L., de Studiis et Litterisy (Laver) 4to. — in the Royal 
 
 Library at Stuttgart, - . _ _ iii. 142 
 
 Aristophanes, Gr. Aldus, 1498, folio, in the Public Library at 
 
 Rouen, - - - - - i. 178 
 
 Aristotelis Opera, Gr. Aldus, 1498, 6 vols. Two copies upon 
 
 VELLUM (the first volume in each copy vi^anting) in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 291 
 Comment Eustratii, 1536, Aldus, folio, large paper 
 
 copy in the same collection, - - - — 314 
 Ethica Nichomachea. Gr. {Aldus) — remarkably 
 
 splendid copy of, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - — 293 
 Ethica. hat. Mentelin. Folio — in the Public 
 
 Library at Strasbourg, - - - iii. 69 
 
 Ars Memorandi, Sec. — block book : five copies of, in the 
 
 Public Library at Munich, - - - — 282 
 
 — in the Public Library at 
 
 Landshut, - - - - — 335 
 in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - _ - _ — 531 
 in the Library of Gottwic 
 
 Monastery, - - - - — 428 
 
 Ars Moriendi, Germanich — 4to. — in the Royal Library at 
 
 Stuttgart, - - - . 146 
 , hat. block book — two editions, in the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - - - 283 
 
 Art de Men Mourir, V erard, no date, folio — upon vellum, 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 288 
 
 Art and Crafte to know well to dye, Caxton, in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 277 ' 
 
 Artus Le Roy, MS. xiith century, — in the Royal Library 
 
 at Paris, - - - - - ii. 223 
 
 Another MS. of the same Romance, in the same Library, 224 
 Artawani Summa, (1469) folio — in the Public Library at 
 
 Augsbourg, _ _ . - iii. 232 
 
 Augustinus Sts. De Civitate Dei, 1467, folio — in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 262 
 
 ■ in the Library 
 
 ©f Ste. Genevieve at Paris, - - - 346 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. rii 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 Augusttnus Sts. De Civitate Der, 1467, folio, in the Imperial 
 Library at Vienna, - - - iii. 483 
 
 , in the Library 
 
 of Closterneuburg Monastery, - - - — 616 
 Sweynheym and Pannartz, 
 
 1470, folio, in the Public Library at Vire, - - i. 447 
 F. de Spira, 1470, folio — 
 
 in the Public Library at Rouen, - - - i. 176 
 
 — — , UPON VELLUM, 
 
 late in the Library of Chremsminster Monastery, - - - iii. 375 
 
 UPON VELLUM. 
 
 in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - — 483 
 
 , upon paper, in 
 
 the Library of Gottwic Monastery, - - — 429 
 ^ Mentelhiy folio. 
 
 in the Public Library at Strasbourg, - - — 62 
 iji the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - - — 293 
 in the Public 
 
 Library at Land shut, - - - - — 335 
 Schoefher, 1473, 
 
 folio — in the Library of the Monastery of Chremsminster, — 374 
 , Jenson 1475, 
 
 folio — UPON VELLUM, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 483 
 Epistolce, Mentelin, folio, three copies, with 
 
 different ms. dates, in the Public Library at Munich, - — 293 
 — , Mentelin — in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - - - iii. 484 
 Confessionum, L'lbri XIII. 1475. 4to. — in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, - - — 484 
 
 de Trinitate, folio — in the same collection, - ibid. 
 
 de arte pradicandi. Fust — in the possession of 
 
 M. Levrault at Strasbourg, - - - — 96 
 • de singularitate Clericorum, 1467, 4to. — in the 
 
 King's Private Library at Stuttgart, - - — 163 
 
 AuGusTiNi Sti. in Psalmos, MS. xvth century — formerly 
 in the library of Corvinus, King of Hungary, and now in 
 that of the Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - - — 155 
 
 — - — Yppon. de Cons. Evang. 1473, folio — in the 
 
 Public Library at Augsbourg, - - - — 232 
 
 Aulus Gellius, 1469, folio— in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 282 
 
viii 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 Aulus Gellius, upon vellum, in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, . . - . , iii. 493 
 
 Ausonius, lAT^y ioYio — in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 282 
 
 in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - iii. 494 
 
 , Aldus, 1517, 8vo. Grolier's copy, on large 
 
 paper, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 314 
 AymoUy les quatre Jilz, 1583, 4to. —in the Library of the Ar- 
 senal, at Paris - - - — 334 
 
 B. 
 
 Balbus, Tract, de Qiicest. 1477- 4to. in the Public Library at 
 
 Rouen, - - - - - i. 177 
 
 Ballads; Bon Jour, Bon Soir : Le Faillant Troubadour, vol. i. 
 224 — Toujours, 389 ; various, from the Faudevires of Oli- 
 vier Basselin, 435-444 ; Five Le Roi, Five V Amour, ii. 3. ; 
 Naihsance de Gicillaume le Conqtierant, ii. 54 ; en arborant 
 le drapeau blanc, at Falaise, ii. 23 ; le Baiser d' Adieu, 48 ; 
 D Image de la Fie, 49 ; Le Troubadour Parisien, 50 ; Sauve 
 qui peut, 51 ; Balade joyeuw des Taverniers, ii. 287. 
 
 Bartholus Lectura. F. de Spira, 1471. Folio. In the Impe- 
 
 rial Library at Vienna, - _ . . 
 
 iii. 
 
 505 
 
 Bartsch, I. Adam de — Catalogue des Estampes, par , S^c. 1818. 
 
 
 
 8vo. .... , [- 
 
 
 605 
 
 Bastiano Foresi, 4to. — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, 
 
 
 514 
 
 Bella (La) Mano, 1474, 4to. — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, . . . . 
 
 
 514 
 
 Bellovacensis Fine. Spec. Hist. 1473, folio ; in the Public Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Rouen, .... 
 
 
 176 
 
 — ' — in the Public Library at Augs- 
 
 
 
 bourg, - _ - . _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 233 
 
 in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - - - . - 
 
 iii. 
 
 506 
 
 Morale, 1476, folio, in the Public 
 
 
 
 Library at Strasbourg, - - - - 
 
 iii. 
 
 59 
 
 Benedictionarius, MS. xith century— in the Public Librtiry 
 
 
 
 at Rouen, - . _ . . 
 
 
 169-175 
 
 Berlinghieri, Geograjia, folio — in the Imperial Library 
 
 
 
 (Prince Eugene's copy) at Vienna, - - - 
 
 iii. 
 
 515 
 
 Berinus et Aygres de Lamant, Bonfons, no date, in the Li- 
 
 
 
 brary of the Arsenal at Paris, _ _ . 
 
 ii. 
 
 336,7 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. ix 
 
 Fol Page. 
 
 Bessarionis Epistolis, (1469) folio— in the Royal Library at 
 Stuttgart, - - - iii. 143 
 
 , folio — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - - - — 506 
 
 Bessarion, Card. Orat. ad Inclit. Ital. Pr'mc. Gering. 4to. in 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna, - . . — 506 
 
 BiBLiA Latina, MS. ixth century, of Charles the Bald -in 
 the Royal Library at Paris, with a copper-plate engraving of 
 that Monarch's portrait, - - - ii. 156-162 
 
 • xiith century, in the same library, - ii. 166 
 
 xvth century, of the Emperor Wen- 
 
 ceslaus — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, with three fac- 
 simile engraved illustrations, _ - _ Hi. 461-463 
 
 Biblia Hist. Paraphrastica, MS. xvth century, - - ii. 168-172 
 
 Biblia Polyglotta Complut. 1516, &c. in the Public Library at 
 
 Coutances, - - - _ _ i. 412 
 
 ■ copy belongingto Diane 
 
 de Poictiers, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 315 
 
 • copy of Demetrius Chalcondylas, 
 
 afterwards that of Eckius, in the Public Library at Land- 
 shut, .... - iii. 336 
 Walton ; royal copy, in the Public Library 
 
 at Caen, - - - - - i. 336 
 vvith the original de- 
 
 dication, in the Library of the Arsenal at Paris, - - iii. 138 (note.) 
 with the original de- 
 
 dication, in the Public Library at Stuttgart, - - — 138 
 in the Library of the 
 
 Monaster)^ of St. Florian, in Austria - - — 391 
 
 Biblia Polyglotta, LeJay: in the Chapter Library at Bayeux, i. 373 
 
 in the Library of the Lycee at do. — 374 
 
 in the Library of the Hotel de Ville 
 
 at St. Lo, - - - - - — 396 
 Hebraica, edit. Soncini, 1488, in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - - - iii. 486 
 Houbigant, 1753, in a Private Collec- 
 
 tion near Bayeux, - - - - i. 361 
 Hahn, 1806, in the Library of the Mo- 
 
 nastery of Clostemeuburg, - - - - iii. 615 
 Grceca, Aldus, 1518, folio — Francis Ist's copy, upon 
 
 thick paper, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 313 
 
 B 
 
X INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 Biblia GrcBca, Aldus, upon thick paper, in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - ii. 323-4 
 the usual copy, in the King's Private Li- 
 brary at Stuttgart, - - - - iii. 162 
 Bihl'ia Lat'ina, (edit. Maz. \Abb) folio, 2 vols., two copies of, 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 253 
 
 a copy in the Mazarine 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 364-5 
 
 a copy in the Public Li- 
 brary at Munich, - - - - - iii. 287 
 
 a copy in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna - - - - - — 484 
 
 PJister, (1461) folio, 3 vols, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 255 
 
 in the 
 
 Royal Library at Stuttgart, (imperfect) - - iii. 137 
 
 ' ■ ■ • in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna - - - — 485 
 
 ■ — Fust and Schoeffhery 1462: folio- 
 three copies (two UPON vellum, and a third on paper) in 
 the LibrarA^ of the Arsenal at Paris, - - - ii. 321 
 
 VELLUM COPY, in the Library of Ste. Genevieve, - - ii. 346 
 
 in the Mazarine Library at Paris, - ii. 365 
 
 in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - iii. 137 
 
 (imperfect) in the Public Library at Landshut, — 335 
 
 in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - — 485 
 
 B'lhlia Latina, Mentelin — in the Public Library at Stras- 
 bourg, - - - - - — 56 
 
 in the Imperial Library at Vi- 
 enna, - - - - - — 485 
 
 Eggesteyn, (ms. date, 1468) in the Public 
 
 Library at Strasbourg, - - - - — 57 
 
 (ms. date, 1466) in the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - - - - — 289 
 
 . supposed edition of Eggesteyn, in the Public 
 
 Library at Strasbourg, - - - - — 55 
 
 , 1475, folio, Frisner, &c. — in the Public Li- 
 brary at Augsbourg, - - - - iii. 228 
 
 (1475 edit. Gering) imperfect copy in the 
 
 Chapter Library at Bayeux, - - - i. 373 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 Bihlia Latina, Hailbrun, \476, folio : two copies, of which one 
 is UPON VELLUM, in the Imperial Library atVienna, 
 
 Jenson, 1479, folio, in the Public 
 
 Library at Strasbourg, . _ _ 
 
 UPON VEL- 
 LUM, in the Imperial Library at Vienna— and a second copy 
 upon paper, - 
 
 Lift. R — m the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - . - - 
 
 — , 1483, folio, in the Public 
 
 , 1485, folio, in the Public 
 
 Library at Rouen, 
 
 Library at Caen, 
 
 Froben, 1495, 8vo. in the Public 
 
 Library at Vire, 
 Biblia Germanica, Mentelin, folio — in the Royal Library at 
 Paris, - - . _ _ _ _ 
 
 in the Public Library 
 
 at Strasbourg, - - 
 
 two copies, in the Public 
 
 — two copies in the Public 
 
 ^ in the Public Library at 
 
 in the Library at Clos- 
 
 Library at Stuttgart, 
 
 Library at Munich, 
 
 Landshut, 
 
 terneuburg Monastery, 
 
 at Ratisbon, 
 
 in the Public Library 
 
 Supplement, 
 
 imperfect copy, (ms. date 
 
 of 1467) in the Library of the Prince of Tour and Taxis, at 
 Ratisbon, - - - Supplement, 
 
 ■ " in the Public Library at 
 
 Nuremberg, - - Supplement, 
 
 • supposed first edition, in the 
 
 Public Library at Landshut, . _ _ 
 
 , supposed first edition, folio, in the Library 
 
 of Gottwic Monastery, - - - - 
 , Sorg, Augsbourg, 1477, folio, in the Li- 
 brary of Professor Veesenmeyer, at Ulm, 
 
 Page. 
 
 485 
 68 
 
 485 
 486 
 177 
 333 
 447 
 255 
 55 
 137 
 287 
 334 
 616 
 
 XI 
 
 XXV' 
 
 334 
 428 
 195 
 
xii INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 B'lblia Germaniea, Sorg, Augsbourg, 1477, folio, in the Li- 
 brary of the Monastery of St. Florian, - - iii. 390 
 
 . , Peypus, 1524, folio — upon vellum, in 
 
 the Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - - — 137 
 
 Biblia Italica ; Kalend. Augusti, 1471 — ^folio — in the Mazarine 
 
 Library, at Paris, - - - - ii. 365 
 
 imperfect copy, 
 
 in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - iii. 138 
 
 Kalend. Octobris, 1471, folio — in the Library 
 
 of Ste. Genevieve, at Paris, - - - ii. 346 
 ' in the Royal Li- 
 
 brary at Stuttgart, - - - - iii. 138 
 in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 486 
 1477, folio, in the Library of Gottwic Mo- 
 
 nastery, - - - - — 428 
 Bibl. Hist. Venet. 1492, folio — copy purchased of M. Fis- 
 
 cheim at Munich, - - - — 304 
 
 B'lblia Bohemica, 1488, folio — in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 257 
 
 Polonica, 1563, folio — in the same Library, - - — 256 
 
 in the Royal Library at Stutt- 
 gart, _ - - . - iii. 137 
 
 ■ — copy purchased by the Author at 
 
 Augsbourg, - - - - - - - iii. 228 
 
 : — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 488 
 
 , 1599, folio — in the Library of Ste. Genevieve, ii. 347 
 
 Hunganca^ 1565, folio — incomplete, in the King's Pri- 
 
 vate Library at Stuttgart, _ - . iii. 162-3 
 
 •, 1626, folio, in the Public Library at Stras- 
 
 bourg, - - - - - — 58 
 
 Sclavonica^\b'^\y folio, in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, — 139 
 
 , 1584, in the Public Library at Stras- 
 bourg, - - - - - — 58 
 , 1587, folio — in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 257 
 
 Bible y La Saintey 1669, folio ; large paper copy in the Public 
 Library of Caen, - - - - i. 336 
 
 Biblia — Historica, MS. versibus germanicis, Sec. xiv. — in 
 the Royal Library at Stuttgart, _ . - iii. 152 
 
 Aurea, Lat. I. ZeineVy 1474, folio — in the Library of 
 
 Chremsminster Monastery, - - - — 375 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xiii 
 
 f^ol. Page. 
 
 BihVia Pauperiim, block book : in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 255 
 
 , printed by Pfister, in the same, - - — 261 
 
 , block book, German, — in the Royal Li- 
 brary at Strasbourg, - - - - iii. 146 
 
 , Latme, first edition, in the same Library, — 147 
 
 , block book — one German, and two Latin 
 
 editions, in the Public Library at Munich, - - — 283 
 , Lat. in the Library of Gottwic Monas- 
 tery, - - - - - — 428 
 in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 531 
 
 Biography, Royal, of France — xvith century — magnifi- 
 cent MS. in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 216 
 
 Blasphemateurs du mm de Dieu, an ancient morality, in 8vo., 
 without date — discovered in the vicinity of Rouen, i. 159 — 
 and fully described, with copious extracts, from the same 
 unique copy in the Royal Library at Paris, . . _ — 302-310 
 
 Blazonry of Arms, Book of — xivth century, with fac- 
 simile portrait of Leopold de Sempuch — in the Imperial Li- 
 brary at Vienna, - - - - iii. 474-5 
 
 Block books; at Paris, i. 255; at Stuttgart, iii. 146; at Mu- 
 nich, iii. 279 ; at Landshut, iii. 335 ; at Gottwic Monastery, 
 iii. 428; at Vienna, iii. 531. 
 
 Bocace, des Cas des Nobles Hommes & Femmes, MS. 
 XV th century, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 212 
 
 two more 
 
 MSS. of the same work, in the same Library, - - — 214 
 
 Boccace Rubies des Nobles Hommes, 6fc. 1476, Colard Man- 
 sion, folio, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - — 280 
 
 Boccaccio II Decamerone, 1471, Valdarfer, folio — in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - — 279 
 
 , 1472, A. de Michaelibus, folio, in 
 
 the Royal Library in Paris, - - - ibid. 
 
 , in the Public Library at Nurem- 
 
 berg, - - - - Supplement, xxv 
 , 1476, Zarotus, folio, in the Impe- 
 
 rial Library at Vienna, - - iii. 515 
 Deo Gracias, Sine Anno : forsan edit. 
 
 jorm. in the Public Library at Munich, - - — 291 
 , Nimphale, 1477, 4to., in the Royal Library at 
 
 Stuttgart, - . - — 146 
 
xiv 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIFl^S 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 Boccaccio, de Clar. Mulier. (1470, qu. ?) folio, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - iii. 507 
 
 BoetiuSy Kohurger, Germ. Lat., 1473, folio, in the Public 
 
 Library at Augsbourg, - - iii. 231 
 , F. Johannes, 1474, 4to., in the Library of Ste. 
 
 Genevieve at Paris, - - ii. 348 
 
 Bonaventurce Papce Medit. Fit. Christi, 1468, G. Zeiner, in 
 
 the Library of Gottwie Monastery, - - iii. 431 
 
 Boni/acii Papce Libr. Decret. 1465, folio, upon vellum, in 
 
 the Library of Molk Monastery, - - - — 411 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, - - — 507 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the Public Library at Nurem- 
 berg, - Supplement, xxv 
 Bonne Vie, ou Madenie, Chambery, 1485, folio, in the Im- 
 perial Library at Vienna, - - — 525 
 Brandt Navis Stult. Germ., 1499, 4to., in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - — 526 
 
 Breviaire d'Amours, MS. xiiith century, with copper plate 
 
 fac-simile, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - — 477-430 
 
 Breviaire de Belleville, MS., xivth century, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 174-6 
 
 Breviary of John Duke of Bedford, MS. xvth century — 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris — with copper plate fac-simile 
 
 of a portion of the Adoration of the Magi, from the same, ii. 176-185 
 Breviaire de M. de Monmorency, MS. xvith century — in 
 
 the Emperor of Austria's private collection at Vienna - iii. 592 
 Breviarium, seu de dubiis Casibus in Missa: no date, &c., in 
 
 the Public Library at Strasbourg - - - — 63 
 , Teutonice, 4to.,''upON vellum, copy purchased 
 
 of M. Fischeim, at Munich, - - - — 304 
 
 Breviarium EccL. Liss. MS.; in the Public Library at Caen i. 334 
 Breydenbach Itinerariiim Lat. 1486, folio, in the library of the 
 
 Prince of Tour and Taxis, at Ratisbon, Supplement, xi. 
 
 ■ , Itineraire, 1488, folio — in the Imperial Librai*y at 
 
 Vienna, - , - - iii. 526 
 
 Brut d* Anglettere, MS. xivth century — in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - — 477 
 
 BudcBt Comment, in Ling. Gr. 1529, folio — Francis 1st. copy, 
 
 UPON vellum, in the Royal Library at Pari?, - ii. 295 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 XV 
 
 Fol Page. 
 
 J^wr^^^/^-Z/o /Sow(?«/, 4to., ill the Imperial Library at Vienna, - iii. 516 
 Biirtrio, Anthon. de, Adam Rot, 1472, folio, in the library of 
 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the Imperial Library, - iii. 494 
 
 ,1471. in the library of Giittwic Monastery, iii. 430 
 
 , 1472. S. and Pannartz, folio, in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - — 494 
 
 Calderi Opus Concilior. Adam Rot. 1472. Folio, in the 
 
 library of Closterneuburg Monastery, - - — 617 
 
 Calexdarium, MS., xvith century in the Public Library at 
 
 Munich, - - - — 269 
 , Regtomontanty block book, in the Public Library 
 
 at Munich, - - - — 286 
 
 Cancionero General, 1566, 8vo., 1573, 1580, 8vo., at Rouen, i. 153 
 Caratzullus, De Tim. Div. Judic. Arnold de Bruxella, 1473, 
 
 folio, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - iii. 507 
 
 Castille et Artus d'Algarbe, 1587. 4to., in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris - - - ii. 327. 
 
 Catichisme des Amans, - - i. 140 
 
 , a Vusage des grandes filles pour Ure marites - — ibid, 
 
 Caterina, da Sienna, 1477, 4to., in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - iii. 517 
 
 , de Senis, 1500, folio, in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 315 
 
 Catholicon, 1460, folio, upon vellum, in the Royal Library 
 
 at Paris, - - - — 264 
 
 Closterneuburg Monastery, 
 
 - iii. 617 
 
 - ii. 53 
 
 - ii. 282 
 
 - ii. 367 
 
 - iii. 290 
 
 -, in the Public Library 
 
 at Munich, 
 
 111. 
 
 290 
 
 291 
 
 507 
 
 428 
 
 374 
 
INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Fol Page. 
 
 Catholicon, 1489, folio, in the Public Library at Rouen, 
 
 i. 
 
 178 
 
 , without date, &c., in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Strasbourg, - _ _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 63 
 
 , without date, folio, in the Imperial Library 
 
 
 
 at Vienna, - 
 
 — 
 
 507 
 
 Catonis Ethica, 1477, folio, in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, 
 
 — 
 
 164 
 
 — , (I. Zeiner) no date, in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Strasbourg, - . _ 
 
 — 
 
 63 
 
 Catullus y Tibullus, Propertius, 1472, in the Royal Library at 
 
 
 
 Paris, - - - 
 
 ii. 
 
 282 
 
 , in the Mazarine Library, 
 
 
 367 
 
 -— , in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Strasbourg, - - - 
 
 iii. 
 
 67 
 
 — , 1473, folio, in the Imperial 
 
 
 
 Library at Vienna, 
 
 
 494 
 
 CaMoUy boohs printed by, in the Royal Library at Paris, 
 
 ii. 276-8-322 
 
 , in the Imperial Library at Vienna, 
 
 iii. 
 
 532 
 
 Celestina Commedia de, Anvers, ISmo., in the Library of the 
 
 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - 
 
 ii. 
 
 332 
 
 Chaucei'^s Book of Fame, Cawton, folio, in the Imperial 
 
 
 
 Library at Vienna, _ _ . 
 
 iii. 
 
 532 
 
 Chess, Game of, metrical German version of, MS., sec. xv.. 
 
 
 
 in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, 
 
 
 154 
 
 Chevalier Delibre, 1488, 4to., in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - 
 
 
 526 
 
 Chevalier au Lion, MS., 1470, in the Royal Library at 
 
 
 
 Stuttgart, 
 
 
 155 
 
 Chivalry; see Tournaments. 
 
 
 
 Chretien de Meckel, Cat. des Tableaux de la Galerie imp. et 
 
 
 
 roy. de Vienne, 1781, 8vo., 
 
 
 573 
 
 Chronique de Louis XI., MS., xvith century, in the 
 
 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, 
 
 iii. 
 
 480 
 
 Chronicon Pontificum, 1474, 4to., in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - - 
 
 
 507 
 
 
 
 
 Public Library at Strasbourg, 
 
 
 59 
 
 . Hungarice, 1485, 4to., in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Augsbourg, _ _ . 
 
 
 229 
 
 . Chronicon Norimbergense, 1493, folio, quoted, or 
 
 
 
 referred to, iii. 219, 237, 356, 536, Supplement, 
 
 
 ix. 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xvii 
 
 P'oL Page. 
 
 Chronicon Gottimcense, 1732, folio, 2 vols., some account 
 
 of this rare and valuable work, - - iii. 436-7 
 
 , referred to, - — 356 
 
 Chrysoloras Erotemata, Gr. edit. prin. 4to., in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - — 609 
 
 Chrysostomi Comment., Gr. 1529, folio, copy of Diane de 
 
 Poictiers, in the Public Library at Caen, - - i. 338 
 
 Cicero de Ojfficiis, 1465, 4to., upon vellum, from a private 
 
 collection in the Vos^es, now in that of the Rev. H. Drury, iii. 70. 
 , 1465, 4to., two copies upon vellum, in 
 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - iii. 494 
 , 1466, 4to., upon paper, in the Mazarine 
 
 Library at Paris, - - ii. 367 
 ^ 1466, 4to., UPON vellum, in the Royal 
 
 Library at Stuttgart, - - - iii. 140 
 , 1466, 4to., UPON VELLUM, in the same 
 
 collection, - - - — ibid. 
 , {Aldus), 8vo., UPON VELLUM, iu the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - ii. 312 
 , Epistolee ad Familiares, 1467, folio. Cardinal Bes- 
 
 sarion's copy, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - iii. 495 
 , 1469, S. and Pannartz, 
 
 folio, in the same Library, - - - — ibid. 
 , 1469, S. and Pannartz, 
 
 folio, in the Public Library at Augsbourg, - - — 228 
 ^ 1469, /. de Spira, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - — 140 
 
 , 1488, in the Public Library at Rouen, i. 177 
 
 , 1502, Aldus, 8vo., upon vellum, in 
 
 the possession of M. Renouard, bookseller, - - ii. 396 
 
 CicerOy de Orator e, Monast. Soubiac., folio, in the Library 
 
 of Ste. Genevieve, at Paris, - - ii. 346 
 , F. de Spira, folio, in the Public Library 
 
 at Strasbourg, - - - iii. 67 
 , in the Imperial Li- 
 
 brary at Vienna, - - - — 496 
 , Opera PhilosopMca, Ulric Han, folio, in the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - - — 290 
 , in the Imperial Li- 
 
 brary at Vienna, - - - — 495 
 
xviii 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 Cicero, Opera Philosophica, typ. Ausonii, 1472, in the 
 Library of Gottwic Monastery - - iii. 431 
 
 , De Natura Denrum, V. de Spira, 1471, folio, in the 
 
 Mazarine Library, at Paris, - - ii. 367 
 
 , Rhetorlca Fetus, Jenson, 1470, folio, upon vellum. 
 
 in the Library of Ste. Genevieve, at Paris, - - — 348 
 
 , UPON VELLUM, 
 
 in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - iii. 496 
 Orationes, S. and Pannartz, 1471, folio, in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, - - — 496 
 , Valdarfer, 1471, folio, upon vellum. 
 
 (wanting one leaf) in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 295 
 , perfect vellum copy, in the 
 
 possession of Mr. Renouard, bookseller, - - — 394 
 , 1519, Aldus, 8vo., upon vellum, first volume 
 
 only, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 312 
 , perfect copy, upon vellum. 
 
 in the Library of Ste. Genevieve, - - ii. 351 
 , Ped'iam Comment, una cum Trapezunt. 
 
 de art. Cicer. or at. (/. de Colonia) 1477, folio, in the Public 
 Library at Strasbourg, • - - iii. 67 
 , Opera Omnia, 1498, folio, 4 vols., in the Library of 
 
 Ste. Genevieve, at Paris, - - ii. 349 
 , in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - — 496 
 ^ 1534, Giunta, folio, singular copy in 
 
 the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 317 
 
 Cid, el Cavalero, 1627, 4to., in the Library of the Arsenal, 
 at Paris : bound with Seys Romances del Cid Ruy Diaz de 
 Bevar, 1627, 4to. - - - ii. 330 
 
 Cite de Dieu, MS., in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 204-209 
 
 Cite des Dames, {Verard) folio, upon vellum, in the Impe- 
 rial Library at Vienna, - - iii. 526 
 
 Clement. Pap. Constit. 1468, upon vellum, in the Imperial 
 Library at Vienna, - - — 508 
 
 Compendium Morale, folio, upon vellum, unique copy, 
 late in the possession of the Baron Derschau, at Nuremberg, 
 
 Supplement, xxxiv. 
 
 Confessionale, Arnotdi's, 1473, 4to., in the library of Gottwic 
 Monastery, - - - iii. 430-1 
 
 CosTENTiN Du, MS., in the Public Library at Caen, - i. 334 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xix 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 Cotman, Mr., character of his Anglo-Norman Antiquities, 
 
 preface, p. viii. See General Index, 
 Coustumier Grand, de Normandie, in the Public Library at 
 
 St. Lo, in Normandy, - . . i. 396 
 
 Coutances, MS., biographical details connected with, in 
 
 the Public Library at Caen, - - — 335 
 
 Coiitumes Anciennes, 16/2, 12mo. at Caen, - - — 336 
 
 Crastoni Lexicon, 1481, Gr. and Lat., folio, in the Library of 
 
 Professor Veesenmeyer, at Ulm, - - iii. 194 
 , Gr. and Lat., 1499, folio, in the Library 
 
 of the Prince of Tour and Taxis, at Ratisbon, Supplement, xi 
 Cronica del Cid. Seville, 4to., in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - _ _ — 52/ 
 
 Cronica del rey Don Juan, Seville, 1563, 4to., copy pur- 
 chased of Mr. Fischeim, at Munich, - - — 304 
 Cronique de France, 1493, Verard, upon vellum, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 284 
 de Florimont, 1529, 4to. — in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - — 335 
 de Cleriadus, 1529, 4to., — in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - — 337 
 
 Daigremont et Fivian, 1538, 4to., in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal, at Paris, - - — 338 
 
 Dance of Death, MS., with wood cuts, in the Public Library 
 
 of Munich, - - iii. 278-9 
 
 Dante, Numeister, 1472, folio, in the Mazarine Library 
 
 at Paris, - - - - - ii. 368 
 , in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, _ _ _ _ - iii. 518 
 , Petrus Adam, 1472, folio, in the Library of Ste. 
 
 Genevieve, at Paris, - - - - ii. 348 
 
 -, Neapoli, Tuppi, folio, in the Royal Library 
 
 at Stuttgart, - - - iii. 144 
 , Milan, 1478, with the comments of G. Tu- 
 
 zago, folio, in the same collection, - - — ibid. 
 
 -, 1481, folio, imperfect copy, in the Public Library 
 
 at Augsbourg - - - - iii. 231 
 
 perfect copy, with twenty copper plates, 
 
 in the Public Library at Munich, - - - — - 291 
 
XX 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIFIS 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 Dantey 1481, folio, with xx, copper-plates, in the Imperial Li- 
 brary at Vienna, - - - ili. 618 
 
 Dasypodius Conrad, his treatise on the clock in Strasbourg 
 
 Cathedral, - - - - - — 33 
 
 Datti ElegantiolcB, cum quibiisd. ali'is opusa. grammat., 4to. 
 no date, in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - — 141 
 
 Decor Puellarum, Jenson, 1461, 4to., in the Imperial Li- 
 brary at Vienna, - - - - — 518 
 
 Defemio Immac. Concept. B. V. M. 1470, block hook, in the 
 Public Library at Munich, - - _ _. 286 
 
 De Fide Conciibinarum in Sacerdot. 4to., late in the possession 
 
 of M. Koch, of Manheim, Supplement, Ivi. 
 
 Delphin Classics, fine set of, in the library of Chremsminster 
 Monastery, - - - - — 376 
 
 Demosthenes, Or., 1604, folio, in the Public Library at Rouen, i. 179 
 
 Der Ve'is Ritter, 1514, folio, unique copy, in the Public 
 Library at Landshut, - - - - iii. 337 
 
 Dictionarium Pauperum, Colon. 1504, 8vo., copy pui'chased 
 of M. Fischeim, at Munich, - - _ _ 304 
 
 Dion Cassius, 1548, Gr. folio, edit, prin., Diane de Poictiers 
 
 copy, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 316-7 
 
 Dio Chrysostom. de Regno, Faldarfer, 4to., upon vellum, 
 in the Emperor's private collection at Vienna, - iii. 693 
 
 D'lonysius Halicarnassens'is, Gr., 1546, folio, Diane de Poic- 
 tiers* copy, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 317 
 
 DioscoRiDES, Gr^ce, MS., vith century, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, _ _ - _ _ iii. 471-3 
 
 DiVERTISSMENTS TOUCHANT LA GUERRE, MS., in the PubHc 
 
 Library at Caen, - - - - i. 334 
 
 Doolin de Mayence, Paris, Bonfons, 4to. in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal, _ _ _ _ _ - ii. 339 
 
 Donatus : several early editions of, in the Public Library at 
 
 Munich, . . _ _ _ iii. 294 
 , 4to. — {Bamler) in' the Library of the Prince of 
 
 Tour and Taxis, at Ratisbon, - Supplement, x 
 
 Duns Scotus, I. de Rheno, 1473, folio — in the Library of 
 
 Gottwic Monastery, - - - - iii. 431 
 Durandi Rationale, 1459, folio, in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 255 
 , in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - iii., 508 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xxi 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 Durandi Rationale, 1459, folio, in the Public Library at Nu- 
 remberg, - _ _ _ Supplement, — xxv 
 
 , 1474, /. Ze'iner, folio, in the Library of 
 
 Chremsminster Monastery, _ _ - . iii. 375 
 
 , Without Date, Litt. R. in the Public Li- 
 
 brary at Strasboiu-g, - - - - — 63 
 Speculum Judiciale, Hussner, 1473, folio — in the 
 
 Public Library at Strasbourg, - - - — 59 
 
 EcHECs Amoreux, MS. folio — with copper-plate fac-simile — 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 209 
 
 Echec Jeu de,{Verard) no date — upon vellum, in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - - — 286 
 
 Ein nuizlich buchlin, Augs. , 1498, 4to. — in the Imperial Li- 
 brary at Vienna, . _ _ _ iii. 527 
 
 Erasmus expurgatus iuaita cens. Acad. Lovan. 1579, folio, in the 
 
 Public Library at Augsbourg. '^qq Testament. Novum, — 234 
 
 EvANGELiA QuATuoR, Lat. MS. vith century, in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - ii. 155-6 
 '- VI nth century, in the Library 
 
 of Chremsminster Monastery, - - iii. 377-9 
 
 ixth century, belonging to 
 
 the Emperor Lotharius, with engraving of his portrait, ii. 163-166 
 ixth century — in the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - - iii. 259-261 
 xith century, inthe same Li- 
 brary, - - - - — 262 
 
 xth century, in the Public 
 
 Library at Landshut, - - - — 333 
 xith century — in the Royal 
 
 Library at Stuttgart, - - - - — 148 
 xvth century, in the Im- 
 
 perial Library at Vienna - - - — 464 
 
 EvANGELiuM' Sti. Iohannis, MS. Lat. xith century, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 173 
 
 Evangelia cum EpistoUs : Ital. folio — in the Library of Gott- 
 
 wic Monastery, - - - - iii. 428 
 
 Euclides, 1482, folio, upon vellum, in the Royal Library at 
 
 Paris, - - - - - ii. 294 
 , four varying copies of, in the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - . iji. 290 
 
xxii 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Fol. Page 
 
 Euripides, Gr., 1503, Aldus — upon vellum, in the Royal Li- 
 
 
 brary at Paris, - 
 
 ii. 311 
 
 , Hecuba et Iphigenia in Aul. Gr. and Lat. 1507, 
 
 
 8vo. UPON VELLUM, in the same Library, 
 
 — ibid. 
 
 Eustathius in Homerum, 1542, folio — upon vellum, in the 
 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, _ - - 
 
 — 292 
 
 — ■ upon paper, in the 
 
 
 same collection, - 
 
 — 316 
 
 , 1559, folio, fine copy, upon paper. 
 
 
 in the Public Library at Caen, - - 
 
 i. 337 
 
 Eutropius, 1471, haver, folio — in the King's Private Library 
 
 
 at Stuttgart, - 
 
 iii. 162 
 
 Exhortation against the Turks (1472) in the Public Library at 
 
 
 Munich, . _ _ - - 
 
 — 282 
 
 Eyb. Margarita Poetica, 1472, folio — in the Public Library at 
 
 
 Strasbourg, - 
 
 — 62 
 
 F. 
 
 Fait de la Guerre, C. Mansion, folio — in the Royal Library at 
 
 Paris, - - - - - ii. 280 
 
 Fazio Dita Mundi, 1474, folio — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - _ _ . iii, 518 
 
 Ficheti Rhetorica — Gering — 4to. — upon vellum, in the Im- 
 perial Library at Vienna, - - - — 509 
 Fiorio e Bia)iciJiore, Bologna, 1480, folio — in the Library of 
 
 the Arsenal, at Paris, - - _ _ ii. 331 
 
 Fierbras, 1486, folio — Prince Eugene's copy), in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - iii. 528 
 
 Flos Sanctorum, 1582, folio — in the Public Library at Rouen, i. 179 
 Fontaine Conies de la, copy of in the Chapter Library at 
 
 Bayeux, - - - - - i. 372 
 
 Fortalitium Fidei- — folio — no date — in the Public Library at 
 
 Munich : curious printed advertisement in this copy, - iii. 295 
 Frezzi II Quadriregio, 1481, folio — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - _ _ - — 518 
 
 Fulgosii Anteros — 1496 — folio — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - - - - — 518 
 
 FuNERAiLLES DEs Reines DE France, MS. folio — in the 
 
 Emperor's Private Collection at Vienna, - - — 592 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. xxiii 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 G. 
 
 GalenuSy Gr. 1525, folio, Aldus — large paper copy, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii, 314 
 
 F. Gaffurii Laud. Harm. Inst. MS. xvith century — in the 
 
 Emperor's Private Collection at Vienna, - - - iii. 592 
 Galien et Jaqueline, 1525, folio — in the Library of the Arsenal, 
 
 at Paris, - - - - - ii. 333 
 
 Gallia Christiana, 1732, folio, in the Chapter Library at 
 
 Bayeux, - - - - - i. 373 
 
 Games of Chess, Caxton, folio, 2d. edit. — in the Imperial Li- 
 brary at Vienna, - - - - iii. 532 
 Genesis — MS. of the ivth . century— fra foments of Chapters of, 
 account of — with fac-simile Illuminations, in the Imperial 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 457 
 Gerard, Comte de Nevers, 1526, 4to. — in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 335 
 
 Germanicar. Rer. Tres Script. Select. 1707, folio — referred to, iii. 353 
 
 curante Nidano, Sfc. 1726 — referred to, - — 356-378 
 
 Gesta Romanorum, MS. xivth century, in the King's Pri- 
 vate Library at Stuttgart, - - - - — 163 
 
 Geyler, Name. Fat. 1511, 4to — in the Public Library at 
 Augsbourg, - - - - — 233 
 
 Gloria Mulierum, Jenson, 4to, — in the Imperial Library at 
 Vienna, - - - - - — 519 
 
 Godfrey of Boulogne, Caxton, folio — in the Imperial Library 
 at Vienna, - - - - — 532 
 
 Graal, St., MS. in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 223 
 
 Grammatica Rhythmica, 1466, folio — in the Royal Library at 
 Paris, - - - - - - - — 264 
 
 Grandidier, Essai Hist, et Topog. sur VEgUse Cath&drale de 
 
 Strasbourg, 1782, 8vo. - - - iii. 17-18 
 
 Gratian Opus. Decret. Schoeffher, 1470, folio, upon vellum, 
 in the Library of Gottwic monastery,* - - iii. 428 
 
 , Schoeffher, 1472, folio, upon vellum, in 
 
 the Library of Closterneuburg monastery, - - — 617 
 
 Gregorii Opera, Germ. 1483, folio, in the Library of Professor 
 Veesenmeyer, at Ulm, - - - - — 193 
 
 * I doubt whether there be any such edition, or whether the ensuing, by the same 
 printer, be not here uiteiided. 
 
xxiv 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Griseldis, Germ., 1483, 4to., wood cuts, in the Library of Pro- 
 
 
 
 fessor Veesenmeyer, at Ulm, ... 
 
 iii. 
 
 194 
 
 , 1471, 4to,, without cuts, in the same collec- 
 
 
 
 tion. See Petrarcha. - _ , 
 
 — 
 
 ibid. 
 
 Guillaime de Palerne, 1552, 4to., in the Library of the Arse- 
 
 
 
 nal: another edition, 1634, 4to., 
 
 ii. 
 
 337-i 
 
 GuUelmus de Saliceto, Ital. 1474, folio, in the Library of 
 
 
 
 Gottwic Monastery, _ . _ _ 
 
 — 
 
 431 
 
 Gmj de Warwichy no date, 4to., in the Library of the Arsenal 
 
 
 
 at Paris, _____ 
 
 ii. 
 
 326 
 
 Gyron Le Courtoys, no date, Ferardy upon vellum, in the 
 
 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - _ . 
 
 ii. 
 
 284 
 
 HartUefs Chiromancy, block book, in the Royal Library at 
 
 
 
 Paris, - - _ _ _ 
 
 ii. 
 
 266 
 
 , in the Imperial Library at Vienna, 
 
 iii. 
 
 531 
 
 Hceberlm, Analecta Medii Mm, 1734, 12mo., copy in the pos- 
 
 
 
 session of Professor Siebenkees at Strasbourg 
 
 iii. 
 
 80 
 
 Relay ne La Belle, 1528, 4to., in the library of the Arsenal at 
 
 
 
 Paris, - - - _ 
 
 ii. 
 
 339 
 
 Hector de Troye, Arnoullet, 4to. in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - — 340 
 
 Herbarium Mogunt., 1484, 4to., in the Public Library at Caen, i. 325 
 Hermann, Notices Historiques, Statistigues, et Litt&raires sur 
 
 la Ville de Strasbourg, - - - iii. 3, &c. 
 
 Heures, printed by V ostre, fine copy of, in the Public Library 
 
 at Caen, - - - - i. 336 
 
 Herodotus, Gr. 1502, Aldus, folio, large paper copy in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 316 
 
 HiSTORiA B. M. ViRGiNis, MS., folio, xvth century, with 
 
 engraving of the portrait of Louisa of Savoy, therefrom, in 
 
 the Public Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 186-188 
 , block book, folio, in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - — 266 
 , in the Royal Library 
 
 at Stuttgart, - - - - - - — 146 
 
 ^ in the Public Library 
 
 at Munich, . . _ _ iii. 286 
 , in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - - — 531 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. xxv 
 
 Fol Page. 
 
 Historic Augusta: Scriptores, 14/5, folio, P. de Lavagna, 
 in the Public Library at Strasbourg, - - iii. 67 
 
 -— — ■ , Aldus, 1521, 8V0., UPON VEL- 
 LUM, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 312 
 
 Historia de Calumnia mvercali, 1490, 4to., in the Public 
 Library at Augsbourg, - _ . jii. 230 
 
 HisToiRE RoMAiNE, MS., xvth ccutury, folio, 3 vols., in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - . - ii. 216 
 
 Homeri Opera, Gr., 1488, folio, uncut, in the Royal Library 
 at Paris, - - - . - ii. 283 
 
 , ill the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, ----- iii. 496 
 
 — , in the Public Library at Nu- 
 
 remberg, - - - Supplement, xxvi. 
 , No date, Aldus, 8vo., upon vellum, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 311 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the 
 
 Library of Ste. Genevieve, - - - ii. 350 
 , 1808, Bodoni, folio, upon vellum, 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - - — 283 
 , Batrachomt/omachia, Or. 4to., edit. prin. in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, . _ _ iij. 495 
 
 HoR^ B. M. Virginis, MS., 8vo., in the Royal Library at 
 
 Paris, - - - - - ii. 183 
 , folio, belonging to Ann of Brit- 
 tany, with copperplate engravingof her portrait therefrom, 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - . _ _ 188-201 
 , belonging to Pope Paul III. in the 
 
 same Library, - - - - ii. 202 
 , MS., xvth centurv, in the Royal 
 
 Private Library at Stuttgart, . > . iii. 160 
 , 8vo., in the Emperor's private 
 
 collection at Vienna, - - - iii. 593 
 — , Sti. Ludovici, MS., xiiith century, in the Library of 
 the Arsenal at Paris, - - - - - ii. 324 
 , Gr. 1497, 12mo. printed by Aldus, in 
 
 the Royal Library at Paris, - - - — 248-313 
 , purchase of a copy from Mr. Stiiger, 
 
 at Munich, - - - iii. 299-302 
 , missing in tlie Public Library at Land- 
 
 shut, - - - _ — 331 
 
 D 
 
xxvi LNDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 HoRATius, MS,, xiith century, in the Library of Molk Mo- 
 nastery, - - - - - iii. 412 
 
 , Edit. prin. 4to., in the Public Library at Augs- 
 
 bourg, - - - - — 228 
 
 , 1492-8, folio, in the Public Library at Rouen, - i. 179 
 
 , 1498, folio, in the Public Library at Stras- 
 
 bourg, - - - - iii. 68 
 , 1601, Aldus, 8v'o., UPON vellum, in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 312 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the Public 
 
 Library at Munich, - - - iii. 296 
 
 Horloge de Sapience, Verard, 1493, folio, upon vellum, in 
 
 the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 285 
 
 HoRTUs Deliciarum, MS., xiith century, in the Public Li- 
 brary at Strasbourg, - - - iii. 62 
 
 HoRTULUs Anim.e, MS., xvth century— with five fac-simile 
 copper plate engravings therefrom, in the Imperial Library 
 at Vienna, - - _ _ — 467-471 
 
 , 1498, 12mo., in the King's Private Li- 
 brary at Stuttgart, - - - — 162 
 
 Rosarum, Sfc, 1499, 8vo., in the Public Library 
 
 at Augsbourg, - - - - — 233 
 
 Huet, Demonstrat. Evang. 1690, (1679?) folio, unique copy in 
 
 the Public Library at Caen, - - - i. 337 
 
 Huon de Bourdeaux, four editions of, in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 333 
 
 hocmtes, Gr., Aldus, 1634, folio, large paper copy in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 314 
 
 Jason, Roman de, printed by Caxton, in the Royal Library at 
 
 Paris, - - - - . 250 
 
 , same edition, in the Library of the Arsenal 
 
 at Paris - - - - - — 322 
 
 Jehan de Saintre, Bonfons, no date, 4to., in the Library of 
 the Arsenal at Paris, - - • — 336 
 
 Paris, Bonfons, no date, 4to., in the same col- 
 lection, - - - - - — 337 
 
 ^ Paris, 1600, 4to., in the same, - — ibid. 
 
 Jerome, St., Vie, Mort, et Miracles de, MS., xvth cen- 
 tury, in the Royal Library of Stuttgart, - - iii. 153 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. xx^ 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 leronimi Epistolce, 1468, S. and Panmrtz, folio, in the 
 Public Library at Rouen, - - - i . 1 76 
 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - iii. 488 
 
 ^ 14/0, S. and Pan. folio, in the Li- 
 brary of Closterneuburg Monastery, - - — 617 
 
 , in the Public Library at 
 
 Nuremberg, - - - Supplement, xxv. 
 
 , 1470, Schoeffher, in the Public Li- 
 brary at Strasbourg, - - - iii. 61 
 
 , Mentelin, in the Public Library 
 
 at Strasbourg, - - _ - — 62 
 
 , in the Public Library 
 
 at Nuremberg, - - Supplement, xxv. 
 
 , Parmee, 1480, folio, in the 
 
 Public Library at Augsbourg, - - iii. 228 
 
 Josephiis, Lat.y 1470, Schuzler, folio, two copies, somewhat 
 differing from each other, in the library of Professor Vee- 
 senmeyer, at Ulm, - - - - - — 193 
 
 , 1480, folio, in the Library of the Monastery 
 
 of St. Florian, - - - . - 390 
 
 , Gallic^, 1492, folio, in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - - - — 628 
 
 Jourda'm de filave, Paris, Chretien, no date, 4to., in the 
 Library of the Arsenal at Paris, - - - ii. 339 
 
 Jouvencel le, 1497, Verard, folio, upon vellum, in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, _ _ . iii. 528 
 
 Justiniis, 1479, folio, in the Public Library at Rouen, - i. 177 
 
 Juvenalis, folio, V. de Spira, edit. prin. in the Public Li- 
 brary at Strasbourg, _ _ - iii. 68 
 
 , Ulric Han, typ. grand, folio, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 496 
 
 , 1474, folio, in the Public Library at Caen, - i. 334 
 
 , /. de Fivizano, folio, in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - iii- 497 
 
 K. 
 
 Kentzinger, Documens Historiques relatifs a Phistoire de 
 
 France, tires des Archives de la Ville de Strasbourg, - iii. 9 
 
xxviii 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Fol. Paqe. 
 
 L. 
 
 Lactantu Instttutiones, 1465, folio, in the Royal Library at 
 
 Paris, - - - - ii. 262 
 
 , in the Library of Ste. 
 
 Genevieve, - - - — 345 
 
 , in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - - 489 
 — — , 1470, aS'. and PannartZy folio, in the 
 
 Mazarine Library at Paris, . _ _ 367 
 ^ 1478, folio, in the Public Library at 
 
 Strasbourg, - - _ _ _ iii. 64 
 — — , Rostochf 1476, UPON vellum, in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, - - - — 489 
 
 Lancelot du Lac, MS., xivth century, in the Royal Li- 
 brary at Paris, ii. 217: another MS. of about the same 
 period, in the same Library, ii. 219 : another MS. in the 
 same library, - - - ii. 220 
 
 , 1488, Verard, folio, in the Imperial 
 
 Library (Prince Eugene's copy) at Vienna, - - - iii. 528 
 , 1494, Verardy folio, upon vellum, in 
 
 the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 284 
 , 1496, Ferard, folio, upon vellum, in 
 
 the Imperial Library, at Vienna, - - - iii. 528 
 
 Lascaris Gram. Greec. 1476, 4to., in the Royal Library 
 
 at Paris, - - - - - ii. 281 
 
 Laurentius Valla, Jenson, 1471, folio, in the Library of 
 
 Gottvvic Monastery, - - - - iii. 431 
 
 Leges Bavaric^, MS., xiiith century, in the Public Li- 
 brary at Landshut, - - - - — 334 
 Legenda Aurea, (seu Sanctorum) Ital. Jenson, 1476, folio, in 
 
 the Mazarine Library at Paris, - - - ii. 365-6 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - iii. 519 
 , 1486, folio — in the Public Library at Rouen, i. 177 
 , 1475, Geringy folio, in the Public Library 
 
 at Caen, - - - - - — 334 
 
 Leonis Papce SermoneSy 1470, folio, in the possession of M. 
 
 Le Prevost, at Rouen, - - - — 153 
 
 Les Deux AmanSy Ferard, 1493, 4to., in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - iii. 528 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xxix 
 
 Vol Page. 
 
 Liber Generationis Ies. Xti. MS. viith century: in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 172 
 
 L'lher Modorum signi^candi, 1480, St. Albans, — in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - _ _ — 2/8 
 
 Liber Moralisat. Bibl. 1474, Ulm, folio — copy purchased of 
 
 M. Fischeim, at Munich, - . _ iii. 304 
 
 Liber NanceidoSy 1518, folio; copy of, with ms. notes of 
 
 Bochart, in the Public Library at Caen, - - i. 337 
 , two copies of, one upon large 
 
 paper, in the Public Library at Nancy, - - ii. 643 
 Liber Precum, cum not. cant. MS. pervet. in the Royal Li- 
 brary at Paris, - - - - — 173 
 , MS. xvth century, in the Public Library at 
 
 Munich, - iii, 272 
 
 Liber Regum^ seu Fita Davidis — block book — in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 531 
 
 Life of Christ, block book — in the Public Library at Munich, iii. 279 
 Ligurini Poet. clar. 1507, folio — in the Minster Library at 
 
 Ulm, - - - - . — 187 
 
 Littleton's Tenures, Lettou, &c. folio — ^in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - - - — 532 
 
 Liturgia Siiecanee Ecclesice, 1576, folio — in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 324 
 
 Livius, MS. xvth century — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - iii. 473 
 
 , 1469, folio, — in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 274 
 
 , — in the Public Library at Munich, - iii. 290 
 
 1470, F. de Spiruy folio, upon vellum, in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 275 
 upon paper, in the same 
 
 Library, - - - - - — 275 
 
 in the Library of Closter- 
 
 neuburg Monastery, - - - - iii. 616 
 , 1472, S. and Pann., folio, in the same Collection, - — 276 
 
 LivRE HisTORiAL, MS. Auct. B. du Guesclin; in the Public 
 
 Library at Rouen, - - - - i- 174-6 
 
 Lombardi Petri Sentent. {Eggesteyn), folio, in the Library 
 
 of Closterneuburg Monastery, - - - iii. 617 
 
 Lucas Cranach, his Book of Prayers, with original drawings 
 
 by, in the Public Library at Munich, - - — 273 
 
XXX 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 
 y 01. 
 
 1 age. 
 
 Lucanus, 1469, folio — in the Public Library at Munich, 
 
 iii. 
 
 290 
 
 , 1475, folio. cum comment. Omniboni — in the 
 
 
 
 Royal Library at Stuttgart, - _ . 
 
 — 
 
 141 
 
 , typ. Ger'ing, folio, in the Public Library at Caen, 
 
 i- 
 
 334 
 
 Luciani, Opera, Gr. 1496, folio — fine copy, in the possession of 
 
 
 
 M. Renouard, at Paris, - - - - 
 
 ii. 
 
 396 
 
 , 1503, Aldus, folio — larg-e paper copy, in the 
 
 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - 
 
 — 
 
 316 
 
 , Opusc. Qiiced. Lat. 1494 — 4to. — upon 
 
 
 
 VELLUM, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, 
 
 iii. 
 
 497 
 
 LucretluSy 1486, folio — in the King's Private Collection at 
 
 
 
 Stuttgart, _ . - . _ 
 
 — 
 
 162 
 
 ■ — ' in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - 
 
 — 
 
 497 
 
 , T. de Ragaz.y 1495, 4to. — m the same Library, 
 
 — 
 
 498 
 
 , Aldus, 1500, 4to. — in the same Library, 
 
 — 
 
 ibid. 
 
 , Aldus, 1515, 8vo. — upon vellum, (supposed to 
 
 
 
 be unique) in the Royal Library at Paris, 
 
 ii. 
 
 312 
 
 Luctus Christknorum, Jenson, 4to. — in the Imperial Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Vienna, - 
 
 iii. 
 
 520 
 
 Ludolphus Vita Christi (^Eggesteyn), 1474, folio, in the Public 
 
 
 
 Library at Nancy, 
 
 ii. 
 
 544 
 
 ' De Terra Sancta, &c. 4to. — in the Imperial Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Vienna, - - 
 
 iii. 
 
 509 
 
 Lyra Nic. de inBihlia, 1471-2 ; one volume of, at Caen, 
 
 
 333 
 
 M. 
 
 Mahrian, 1625, 4to. — in the Library of the Arsenal at Paris, ii. 334 
 
 Macrobius, 1472, folio — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, iii. 498 
 
 Maguelone, La Belle, 1492, Trepperel, 4to. — in the Imperial 
 Library, at Vienna, - - - - — 628 
 
 Maius, de propriet. prise, verb. 1477, folio — B. de Colonia — in 
 
 the Public Library at Strasbourg, - - - — 64 
 
 Mammotrectus, Schoeffher, 1470 — folio — upon vellum, in 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - - — 609 
 
 ■ '■ in the Library of 
 
 Closterneuburg Monastery, - - - — 617 
 
 , H. de Helie, 1470, folio — in the Public Li- 
 brary at Landshut, - - - - — 336 
 
 Mancinellus, de modo Scribendi, 1499, 4to. — in the Library 
 of Professor Veesenmeyer, at Ulm, - - — 194 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xxxi 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 Mandeville, MS. German — 1471— in the Royal Library at 
 
 
 
 Stuttgart, - 
 
 iii. 
 
 155 
 
 Maml'ius, 1474, folio,— in the King's Private Library at Stutt- 
 
 
 
 gart, - - . . _ 
 
 _ 
 
 162 
 
 Manipulus Citratorum, 1473, folio, in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Rouen, - - - . . 
 
 i. 
 
 176 
 
 Marco Polo, Germ. 1477, folio — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - - - - _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 529 
 
 Martialis, 1475, folio — in the Library of a Capuchin Monas- 
 
 
 
 tery, near Vienna, - - _ _ 
 
 ___ 
 
 621 
 
 {Laver) folio — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - - - _ 
 
 
 498 
 
 , AlduSy 1502, 8vo. two copies upon vellum. 
 
 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - _ 
 
 ii. 
 
 312 
 
 Mayni Iasonis Epitalamion, MS. 4to. — in the Emperor's 
 
 
 
 Private Library at Vienna, - - 
 
 iii. 
 
 592 
 
 Mayster of Sentence, Caxton, folio — in the Imperial Library 
 
 
 
 at Vienna, - - - _ . 
 
 
 532 
 
 Meinart, St. Life of block hook : in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Munich, - - _ _ _ 
 
 
 
 285 
 
 Melusina, Historic von der. Germ, no date, folio, in the King's 
 
 
 
 Private Library at Stuttgart, - . _ 
 
 
 
 164 
 
 Melusine, P. Le Noir, 4to. — in the Library of the Arsenal, - 
 
 ii. 
 
 339 
 
 Memoirs of the Transactions of the Society of Belles Lettres, 
 
 
 
 &c. at Rouen, vol. i. page 181 : of a similar '^ocitty at Caen, 
 
 i. 
 
 308 
 
 Mer des Histoires, 1488, folio; in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Rouen, . - _ _ . 
 
 i. 
 
 178 
 
 Messer Nobile Socio, Miserie de li Amante di, 1533, 4to. in 
 
 
 
 the Library of the Arsenal at Paris, 
 
 ii. 
 
 327 
 
 Meurin Fils d'Oger, Paris, Bonfons, 4to. — in the Library of 
 
 
 
 the Arsenal at Paris, - - - - 
 
 ii. 
 
 339 
 
 Milles et Amys, Verard, no date, folio — upon vellum, in the 
 
 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, _ _ _ 
 
 ii. 
 
 285 
 
 — , Rouen, 4to. — in the Library of the Arsenal at 
 
 
 
 ditto, . _ _ - 
 
 
 332 
 
 Mirabilia Urbis RomcB, block book, — in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Munich, - _ _ _ - 
 
 iii. 
 
 284 
 
 MissALE, MS. (Sti. Guthlaci) xith century, in the Public 
 
 
 
 Library at Rouen, - 
 
 
 165-8 
 
 xivth century, in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, 
 
 iii. 
 
 152 
 
INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS. 
 
 rol Page. 
 
 MissALE, MS. xvth century, two in the Royal Library at 
 
 
 
 Stuttgart, _ _ . - - 
 
 iii. 
 
 152 
 
 ■ of Charles the Bold, xvth century — in the Im- 
 
 
 
 peria Library at Vienna, with fac-simile. 
 
 — 
 
 691 
 
 xvth century, — in the Public Library at Mu- 
 
 
 
 nich, - - - - 
 
 — 
 
 270 
 
 , 8vo. — belonging to Sigismund, King of Poland, 
 
 
 
 in the Public Library of Landshut, 
 
 — . 
 
 334 
 
 Herbipolense (1479), folio, upon vellum, in the 
 
 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, - - . 
 
 — 
 
 490 
 
 ~ , Reyser, folio — in the King's Pri- 
 
 
 
 vate Library at Stuttgart, . _ - 
 
 — 
 
 163 
 
 Fenet. 1488, folio — upon vellum. 
 
 
 
 in the Emperor's Private Collection at Vienna, 
 
 — 
 
 594 
 
 Pro Patav. Eccl. Ritu, 1494, folio, in the Library 
 
 
 
 of a Capuchin Monastery, near Vienna, 
 
 
 621 
 
 Rothomagense, 1499, folio, in the possession of M. 
 
 
 
 Le Prevost at Rouen, - - - - 
 
 i. 
 
 153 
 
 , copies, UPON VELLUiM, in the 
 
 
 
 Public Library at Rouen, _ _ _ 
 
 5. 
 
 178 
 
 Mozarabicum^ 1500, folio — with the Breviary 1502, 
 
 
 
 in the Library of the Arsenal at Paris, 
 
 ii. 
 
 323 
 
 in the Library of Ste. 
 
 
 
 Genevieve, _____ 
 
 
 
 352 
 
 in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - - _ _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 489 
 
 Pariftiense, 1522, folio — upon vellum, in the Library 
 
 
 
 of the Arsenal at Paris, - _ _ _ 
 
 ii. 
 
 323 
 
 Missa Defunctonm, Fiennes, 1499, folio, in the Library of a 
 
 
 
 Capuchin Monastery, near Vienna, 
 
 iii. 
 
 621 
 
 Latim, 1557, Svo., in the Library of the Arsenal, 
 
 ii. 
 
 322 
 
 Montaigne's Essays, 1635, folio, large paper, in the Public 
 
 
 
 Library at Caen, - - - 
 
 i. 
 
 337 
 
 Monte Soncto di Dio, 1477, folio, — in the Royal Library at 
 
 
 
 Paris, _ . _ _ . 
 
 ii. 
 
 289 
 
 ^ in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - > _ _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 520 
 
 Morer'i des Normans, par /. A. Gutat, MS. in the Public Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Caen, . _ . - 
 
 i. 
 
 335 
 
 Morgant le Ghint, 1650, 4to.— in the Library of the Arsenal, 
 
 
 
 at Paris, - - - - _ 
 
 ii. 
 
 334 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xxxiii 
 
 Fol Page. 
 
 Mori Thomes Opera, edit. Lovan. 1566, folio, in the Library of 
 
 the Lyc^e at Bayeux, - - - - i. 375 
 
 Morlim Novellce ComoedicB, &e. 1520, 4to. — in the Library of 
 
 the Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 322 
 
 Munsteri Cosmographia, 1555, folio, copy of, belonging to D. 
 de Poictiers, in the Public Library at Caen, - - i. 337 
 
 Mureti Disticha, Lat. and Fr. chap booky at Vire, - - — 429 
 
 N. 
 
 Nanceidos Liber: see Liber Nanceidos. 
 
 Nef des Folz du Monde, Verard, no date, folio — upon 
 
 VELLUM, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 288 
 , Marnef, 1497, folio — upon vel- 
 lum, in the same library, _ . _ lUd. 
 Nef des Dames, Arnollet, a Lyon, 4to. — in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - — 327-9 
 
 Niger P., contra perjidos Judceos, 1475, folio — in the King's 
 
 Private Library at Stuttgart, _ _ _ iii. 164 
 
 Nonius Marcellus, 1471, folio — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - - _ — 509 
 in the Library of Gottwic 
 
 Monastery, - - - - - — 430 
 
 Nonnus, Gr. Aldus, 4to. — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 492 
 Normandy, three folio volumes of miscellaneous MSS. and 
 
 illustrations, relating to, in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 231-244 
 , the same number of volumes of Engravings and 
 
 printed Pieces, relating to — in the same Collection, - — 232-234 
 Nova Statuta, Machlinia, in the Royal Library at Paris, - — 278 
 Novelas, por de Maria Zayas, 1637, 4to. — in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - — 327 
 Amorosas, 1624, 4to. in the same Library, - - — ibid. 
 
 O. 
 
 Officium B. M. Virginis, MS., xvth century, in the Empe- 
 ror's private collection at Vienna, - - - iii. 591 
 
 , MS., xvith century, in the Pub- 
 lic Library at Munich, - - - — 270 
 
 , in the same library, - — 271 
 
 Ogier le Danois, 1525, folio, in the Library of the Arsenal 
 
 at Paris, - - - - - - ii. 333 
 
 Olivier Basselin ; See General Index. 
 
xxxiv 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 Ossian, copy of, ^vith drawing of Isabey, in the King*s 
 Private Library at Paris, - - - ii. 876 
 
 Ovidius moralisatus, MS., xvth century in the Public Li- 
 brary at Rouen, - - - - i. 1 73 
 
 Ovidii Opera Omniay Azoguidi, 1471, wanting two leaves, in 
 the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 296 
 
 , Fast% Azoguidiy in the Imperial Library at Vienna, iii. 498 
 
 Opera Omniay S. and Panmriz, 1471, in the Im- 
 perial Library at Vienna, - - - iii. 498 
 
 , EpistolcB et Fasti, folio, in the same collection, - — ibid. 
 
 , Metamorph. Edit. Bernard., 1567, 8vo., in a private 
 
 collection at Bayeux, - - - - i. 367 
 
 P. 
 
 Paris et Vienne, Paris, no date, 4to., in the Library of the 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 336 
 
 Parole Devote de Vanima, Jenson. 4to., in the Imperial 
 Library at Vienna, - - - iii. 621 
 
 Pentateuch, Hebr. 1491, folio, in the Royal Library at 
 
 Paris, See also Genesis, ante. - - - ii. 260 
 
 Petrarcha, MS. xvth century, in the Library of Chrems- 
 
 minster Monastery, _ _ . _ iii. 379 
 
 Petrarcha Sonetti, 1470, Prince Eugene's copy in the Im- 
 perial Library at Vienna, - - - — 621 
 
 , 1473, Zarotus, folio, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 522 
 
 , Jenson, 1473, folio, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — ibid. 
 , folio, in the Library of 
 
 Gottwic Monastery, - - - — 429 
 , L. Achates, 1474, folio, in the same 
 
 Library, - ibid'. 
 , Comment. Borstii, Bologn., 1475, folio. 
 
 two copies in the Imperial Library at Vienna, of which one 
 belonged to Prince Eugene, - - - — 622 
 
 -, Bolog., 1476, folio, {Azoguidi*) with 
 
 the comment of Philelphus, in the Royal Library at Stutt- 
 gart, - - iii. 146 
 
 * In the page refe;rred to, I have conjectured it to be printed by Ulric Han or 
 Reisinger. To these names, I add the above. 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 XXXV 
 
 Foh Page. 
 
 Petrarcha Sonetti, Con comment., T. PhilelfOy 1478, folio, 
 in the Library of Gottwic Monastery - - iii. 429 
 
 , AlduSy 1601, 8vo., UPON vellum, in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 313 
 
 , 1614, 8vo., UPON VELLUM, in the pos- 
 session of M. Renouard, bookseller, - - — 395 
 
 , Giunta, 1615, 8vo., upon vellum, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - — 313 
 
 , Aldus, 1521, 12mo., in the King's Private Li- 
 brary at Stuttgart, - - - - iii. 165 
 
 , Hist. GriseldiSy Lat.y 1473, folio, — Prince Eu- 
 gene's copy in the Imperial Library at Vienna - — 510 
 
 , Germ.y 1473, folio, in the Li- 
 brary of Professor Veesenmeyer, at Ulm, - - — 194 
 
 , De Cas. Firor. Illustr. Italy 1476, folio, in the 
 
 Library of Gottwic Monastery, - - - — 429 
 
 Phalaris Epist.y 1471, 4to., in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - - - — 510 
 
 , Ulric Hariy folio, in the same collection, — 511 
 
 Philostratus, Lat.y MS., xvth century in the Imperial 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 473 
 
 Pierre de Provence et la belle Maguelonne, 1490, 4to., in the 
 Library of the Arsenal at Paris, - - ii. 336 
 
 Pindarus, Gr.y 1502, Aldiy 12mo., in the Library of the Monas- 
 tery of St. Florian, . - . . iii. 390 
 
 PlautuSy 1472, folio, edit. prin. in the Mazarine Library at 
 Paris, - - - - ii. 367 
 
 , in the Public Library at Strasbourg, iii. 64 
 
 , 1522, Aldus, 4to., Grolier*s copy, apparently large 
 
 papery in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 314 
 
 Plinius Senior, 1469, folio, one copy, upon vellum, and 
 
 another upon paper, in the Royal Library at Paris, - — 271 
 
 , in the Library of Ste. Gene- 
 vieve, - - - - - — 347 
 
 , UPON vellum, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - iii. 498 
 
 , S. and PannartZy 1470, folio, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 499 
 
 , Jensony 1472, folio, upon vellum, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 273 
 
xxxvi INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 yol. Page. 
 
 PUnius Senior, Jenson, 1472, folio, upon vellum, in the 
 
 Imperial Library at Vienna, _ _ . iii, 499 
 , upon paper, in the Li- 
 brary of Closterneuburg Monastery, - - — 61 7 
 , Ital. 1476, Jenson, folio, upon vellum, in 
 
 the Royal Library at Paris - - - ii. 273 
 
 ■ , upon paper, in 
 
 the same collection, - - - - — 274 
 , upon paper in 
 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - - iii. 499 
 
 PUnius Junior Epistola, 1476, folio, in the Public Library of 
 
 Strasbourg, - - - - - — 68 
 
 Plutarchi FitcB Parallella:, Ital, folio, Litt. R., in the 
 
 Public Library at Strasbourg, - - - — 67 
 , the same edition in the Monastic 
 
 Library at Closterneuburg, - - - — 616 
 
 Plutarchi Opuscula Moralia, Gr., 1509. Aldus, upon vellum, 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 292 
 
 Poems selected and printed by a small party of English, Stras- 
 bourg, - - - - - iii. 97 
 Poetce Grccci Principes, Gr., 1556, folio, large paper, 
 
 De Thou's copy in the Royal Library at Paris, - — 317 
 
 Pogii Facetice, Monast. Euseb , folio, in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, _ _ > - iii. 511 
 , Hist. Fiorent., 1476, folio, upon vellum and paper, in 
 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - - — 522 
 
 Polybius, Gr., MS., sec. xvi,, Diane de Poictiers's copy, in 
 
 the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 230 
 
 Polybius, Lat., S. and Pannartz, 1473, folio, in the Library 
 
 of Closterneuburg Monastery, - - - iii. 616 
 
 Pompeius Festus, 1471, 4to., in the Library of Gottwic 
 
 Monastery, - - - _ . 430 
 
 Porcheti Fictoria, -1520, folio, upon vellum, in the Public 
 
 Library at Rouen, - - - i. 179 
 
 Priscianus, 1470, F. de Spira, folio, upon vellum, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 294 
 , upon paper, in the 
 
 Library of Gottwic Monastery, - - - iii. 430 
 ^ > ^ in the Imperial Li- 
 
 at Vienna, - - - - - — 511 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. xxx 
 
 Fol. Page. 
 
 Priscianus, Ulric Han, folio — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, iii. 612 
 
 , Aldus, 1527, 8vo., Grolier's copy, upon large paper, 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 314 
 
 , UPON VELLUM, 
 
 in the Library of Ste. Genevibve, - - - — 348 
 
 Prosperi Liber, (H. Glim) 4to.— in the Public Library at 
 
 Munich, _____ iii. 293 
 
 PsALTERiuM, MS., ixth ccutury, of Charles the Bald; in the 
 Public Library at Paris; - - - - ii. 163 
 
 • , Sti. Ludovici, xiiith century, in the same 
 
 library, - - - - _ _ _ 166-168 
 
 -, xith century, in the Royal Library at Stutt- 
 
 gart, . _ . . . iii. 147 
 
 , xiith centiu-y, in the same Collection, - — 149 
 
 , xiith century, in the Royal Private Library 
 
 at Stuttgart, - - - - - — 158-9 
 , xiith century, in the Public Library at Mu- 
 nich, - _ _ - - — 263 
 
 , with most splendid illuminations, of the 
 
 xvith century, in the same library, 
 
 Lat. 1457, Fust and Schoeffher, folio, in 
 
 the Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii 250 
 , in the Imperial Li- 
 
 brary at Vienna, - - - - - iii. 490 
 
 — — 1459, folio — in the Royal 
 
 Library at Paris, - - - - ii. 250 
 1490, folio, Schoeffier, 
 
 UPON VELLUM, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 251 
 1502, folio, Schoeffher, in 
 
 the same library, - - - - — 252 
 without date — Creusner — 
 
 in the Imperial Library at Vienna, _ _ _ iii, 491 
 ■ -, folio, in 
 
 the same Collection, - - . . _ /^f^. 
 
 , Lips. 1486, 4to. — in the Public Library at 
 
 Landshut, - - - - - — 335 
 
 , Germanic^, 4to. — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - - - — 491 
 
 Ptolem^eus, Lat. MS. folio — in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 214 
 
 Ptolemceus, Lat. 1462, folio, in the Public Library at Stras- 
 bourg, . - - - - - — 59 
 
xxxviii INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 PtolemoBuSyLat.y 1462, folio, in the Public Library at Munich, iii. 290 
 . — in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - _ _ - — 512 
 
 Pulci II DriadeOy 1481, 4to., in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - - - iii. 523 
 
 , Pistole, 1492, in the same Library, - - ibid. 
 
 , Morgante Maggiore, 1500, 4to., in the same Library, iii. 524 
 
 Q. 
 
 Quatuor Novissimorum, Germ., 1473, folio, in the Library of 
 
 Professor Veesenmeyer at Ulm, - - - — 194 
 
 Quintiliams, I. de Lignam. 1470, folio, in the Library of 
 
 Ste. Genevieve, at Paris, - - - ii. 348 
 , 1471, Jenson, folio, in the Public Library at 
 
 Nuremberg, . . _ Supplement, xxv 
 
 Quintus Curtius, Laver, folio, in the Library of Gottwic 
 
 Monastery, - - - iii. 431 
 
 R. 
 
 Rabams Maurus, de Universo, ^c. Lift. R., no date, folio, 
 
 in the Public Library at Strasbourg, - - iii. 69 
 
 Raderi Bavaria Sancta, 1615, &c., folio, extracts, with fac- 
 simile copper plates, from, - - - — 221-4 
 
 Ratdolt, specimens of the types from his press, in the Public 
 Library at Munich, - - - - — 294 
 
 Recueil des Histoires de Troy e, printed by Cawton, in the Royal 
 Library at Paris, - - - ii. 247 
 
 , printed by Verard, upon vel- 
 lum, in the same Library, - - - — 248 
 
 Regnars les, ^c, Verard, 4to., Prince Eugene's copy in 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - iii. 529 
 
 Regulce Juris Canon. Adam Rot, 1472, folio, in the Impe- 
 rial Library at Vienna, - - - - — 512 
 
 , Confitend. peccata sua. Ital., 1473, 4to., in the Im- 
 perial Library at Vienna, - - - . — 524 
 
 Repertorium Statut. Ord. Carth., 1510, folio, in the Public 
 Library at Caen, - - - - i. 325 
 
 Repertorium Vocabulor. Eajquisit. Bertoldus, Basle, folio, no 
 
 date, in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - iii. • 142 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xxxix 
 
 FoL Page. 
 
 Repertorium, N. de Milis, 1475, folio, in the Library of Gott- 
 
 wic Monastery, - - - iii. 432 
 
 Richard sans Peur, Janot, no date, 4to., in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 325 
 
 , Bonfons, no date, 4to., in the same Library, ib d. 
 
 , chapbook, — at Rouen and Coutances, - i. 409 
 
 Robert le Diable, Janot, no date, 4to., in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 326 
 
 Romancero General, 1492, folio, in the possession of Madame 
 
 Debm-e, at Paris, - - - - ii. 388 
 
 Romances, MS., in the Royal Library at Paris, - - — 217-229 
 
 , printed, in the same Library, - - ii. 284-288 
 
 , in the Public Library at Strasbourg, - iii. 64-5,&c. 
 
 , in the Public Library at Munich, - — 263, &c. 
 
 Ronsard, 1584, folio, in the Public Library at Caen, - i. 337 
 
 Rose Roman de la, MS. xivth century, in the Royal Library 
 
 at Paris, - - - ii. 224 
 , Verard, no date, upon vellum, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - — 285 
 
 Rossei opus elegans, 8fc., Pynson, 1523, 4 to., the author's 
 
 copy, afterwards that of Sir Thomas More, in the Public 
 
 Library at Land shut, - - - iii. 337 
 
 Ruberto Quadragesmale, 1479, 4to., in the Imperial Library 
 
 at Vienna, - - - iii, 524 
 
 Sacramentarium, seu Missa Pap. Greg., MS., vith cen- 
 tury, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - iii. 469 
 
 Sallustius, 4to., edit. prin. in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 499 
 
 , Gering, Sfc, 4to., in the Imperial Library at 
 
 Vienna, - - - — 500 
 
 Sanchez de Matrim. Sacram., copy in the chapter Library at 
 Bayeux, i. 373, in the Library of the Lyc^e, at Bayeux, i. 374 
 
 Sannazarii Arcadia, 1514, Aldus, 8vo., Grolier's copy, on 
 large paper, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 314 
 
 Sannazarius de partu Firginis, Aldi, 1527, 12mo. in the 
 
 King's Private Library at Stuttgart, - - iii. 165 
 
 Sawoferrato Disputationes de — V. de Spira, 1472, folio, in 
 
 the Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - - — 143 
 
 , 1470, folio, in the Public Li- 
 brary at Munich, - - - - — 292 
 
xl 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol, Page. 
 
 Shgu'in, Histo'ire Militaire des Bocains, quoted, i. 399; 423; 
 sur Vhistoire de Vindustrie du Bocage en gmeraly et de la 
 ville de Fire m capitale en particuU^re, 1810, 8vo., - i. 449 
 
 Servius in VirgiUum, see Firgilius. 
 
 Sevis G. de, Decretalia, 1472, folio, printed by Adam Rot, in 
 
 
 
 the Public Library at Strasbourg, 
 
 iii. 
 
 62 
 
 Sforziada La, 1480, folio, upon vellum, in the Royal Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Paris, - 
 
 ii. 
 
 290 
 
 Shyppe of Fools, 1509, 8vo., printed by W. de Worde, 
 
 
 
 UPON VELLUM, in the Royal Library at Paris, 
 
 ii. 
 
 249 
 
 Sibils, &c., MS., xvth century, in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Munich, - 
 
 iii. 
 
 269 
 
 Silius Italicus, Laver, 1471, folio, in the Mazarine Library 
 
 
 
 at Paris, - 
 
 ii. 
 
 367 
 
 ■ , in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - - _ . _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 500 
 
 , S. andPannartz, 1471, folio, in the Imperial 
 
 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - . . 
 
 
 500 
 
 Songe du Verdier, 1491, folio, in the Public Library at Rouen, 
 
 J 
 
 178 
 
 Speculum Hum Salv. bloch hooh, in the Royal Library at Paris, 
 
 ii. 
 
 256 
 
 , in the Royal Library at Stutt- 
 
 
 
 gart, - - - _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 146 
 
 — — — •, in the Imperial Library at 
 
 
 
 Vienna, - - _ . _ 
 
 
 531 
 
 Spec. Hum. Salv. 1476, folio, printed by Richel, in the Public 
 
 
 
 Library at Strasbourg, - - - 
 
 
 61 
 
 Spec. Fit. Hum. 1471, folio, G.Zeiner, in the Public Library 
 
 
 
 at Strasbourg, - - - - - 
 
 
 
 62 
 
 Speculum Stultorum, no date, 4to., in the Public Library at 
 
 
 
 Caen, - - . _ _ 
 
 
 336 
 
 Statius in usum Delphini, 4to., two copies, in the Library of 
 
 
 
 the Arsenal at Paris, - 
 
 ii. 
 
 323 
 
 , beautiful copy in the Library of Chremsmin- 
 
 
 
 ster monastery, - 
 
 iii. 
 
 376 
 
 Statutes of Rich. HI. Machlinia, in the Royal Library at 
 
 
 
 Paris, - - _ - 
 
 ii. 
 
 278 
 
 Stella Meschiah, 1477, 4to., in the Public Library at Stras- 
 
 
 
 bourg, _ - - _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 59 
 
 , in the King's Private Library 
 
 
 
 at Stuttgart, - 
 
 
 164 
 
 Stertgelii fmag. Sanct. August. Sfc, et Monasteriologia, 
 
 
 
 1619-20, referred to, . . . . 
 
 
 224 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. 
 
 xli 
 
 Fol. Page, 
 
 Stengelii Monasteriologia, \63S, iolio, quoted, - - iii. 378-9 ; 426 
 
 Stramhott'i — no date — 4to., in the Public Library at Munich, — 293 
 Stepham, R. B'lhl. Lat., 1556, folio, sealed copy, in the 
 
 Public Library at Augsboiu-g, - - - — 234 
 
 ' , H. Gloss. Grcec. 1573, &c., folio — cum notis 
 
 mss: Bocharti, copy of, in the Public Library at Caen, - i. 336 
 Successes y Prodigos de Amor y 1626, 4to., in the Library of 
 
 the Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 330 
 Suetonius I . de Lignamine, 1470, folio — in the Library of 
 
 Ste. Genevieve, at Paris, - - - — 348 
 , *S'. and Pannartz, 1470, folio — in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - iii. 500 
 
 , Jenson, 1471, 4to. — in the same collection, - — ibid. 
 
 , Reisinger, 4to., — without date, in the private 
 
 royal collection at Stuttgart, - - - iii, 162 
 
 Suidas, Or., 1499, folio — Lambecius's copy, in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 512 
 ■ , copy in the Library of the Prince of 
 
 Tour and Taxis, at Ratisbon, - Supplement, xi . 
 
 — , 1514, folio, Aldus — large paper copy, in the 
 
 Royal Library at Paris, - - - ii. 316 
 Sylvii Mnem Epistoloe, Koelhoff, folio — in the Public Li- 
 Library at Strasbourg, - - - - iii. 62 
 Sypperts de Finemulw, Paris, no date, 4to. — in the Library 
 of the Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 326 
 
 T. 
 
 Tacitus, I. de Spira, folio, edit, prin., in the Royal Library 
 
 at Stuttgart, - - - - - iii. 141 
 
 , in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - — 500 
 
 Tasso, Gerusalemme Conquistata, the author's autograph — in 
 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - - — 482 
 Teatro Jesuitico, Coimhra, 1634, 4to., in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal at Paris, - - - - ii. 322 
 
 Terentius, Mentelin, folio — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 500 
 
 , Ulric Han, folio — in the Royal Library at Paris, — 291 
 
 , Reisinger, folio — in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, iii. 140 
 
 , 1472, S. and Pannartz, folio, in the same Library, ibid. 
 
 , Cc^s. and Stoll, folio, in the same Library, - ibid, 
 
 F 
 
xlii INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 Terentiui, Gerardingen, 1479, folio — in the Library of Pro- 
 fessor Veesenmeyer, at Ulm, - . . 
 
 Testamentum Novum, Gallic^, (1478,) folio, copy purchased 
 at RoucD, _ - - - - 
 
 , Hollandici et Russ.y 1717, folio, 
 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, _ _ _ 
 
 — , Bohemic^y Sec. xv — in the Im- 
 
 perial Library at Vienna, 
 
 , Gr(Bc6, Erasm'i, 1516, folio — three co- 
 
 pies of, in the Public Library at Strasbourg,- 
 
 — ^ , copy of, in the Library 
 
 of Mr. Haffher, at Strasbourg, 
 
 — . ^ — ill the King's Pri 
 
 vate Library at Stuttgart, _ _ . 
 , R. Stephaniy 1550, folio 
 
 Diane de Poictiers's copy — in the Royal Library at 
 Paris, - _ - - - 
 
 TewrdanckhSy 1517, folio — upon vellum, in the Library of 
 Ste. Genevieve, at Paris, ^ _ - . 
 
 , two copies of, in 
 
 the Public Library at Munich, _ . - 
 
 , ditto, in the Im- 
 perial Library at Vienna, _ - - . 
 
 , in the Library of the Monastery 
 
 of St, Florian, - - 
 
 — , upon paper, in the 
 
 possession of M. Traiteur, at Manheim, Supplementy 
 
 Theocritus y Gr. 1493, folio — unique copy, upon large paper, 
 in the Royal Library at Paris, - _ - 
 
 , JIdns, Gr. 1495, folio — in the Public Library at 
 
 Rouen, _ _ _ _ , 
 
 Theophrastus, 1497, Gr. Aldus — Diane de Poictiers's copy, in 
 the possession of M. Renouard at Paris, 
 
 Tliucydldey Gourmont, folio, Ferard — upon vellum, in 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna — Prince Eugene's copy, 
 
 Tibaldeo da Ferrara, 4to. Without date, — in the Imperial Li- 
 bar y at Vienna, - - - 
 
 TiTE-LiVE, MS. folio — in the Royal Library at Paris. See 
 Livius. - - _ - 
 
 Tityrell 8f Pfartzival, 1477, folio — in the Public Library at 
 Strasbourg, - - 
 
 iii. 
 
 194 
 
 ii. 
 
 81 
 
 — 
 
 258-! 
 
 iii. 
 
 492 
 
 
 58 
 
 
 81 
 
 
 163 
 
 ii. 
 
 316 
 
 ii. 
 
 352 
 
 iii. 
 
 297 
 
 — 
 
 529 
 
 iii. 
 
 391 
 
 
 Iv. 
 
 ii 
 
 316 
 
 i. 
 
 178 
 
 ii. 
 
 396 
 
 iii. 
 
 530 
 
 
 525 
 
 ii. 
 
 215 
 
 iii. 
 
 65 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. xliii 
 
 Fol Page. 
 
 Tityrell ^ Pfartzival, 1477, folio — in the Public Library at 
 Landshut, - - - - - iii 335 
 
 — — in the Library of the Mo- 
 nastery of St. Florian, - - - — 390 
 
 in the Library of Gott- 
 
 wic Monastery, - - - - - — 431 
 
 Tournaments, Book of, MS. xvth century — in the Royal 
 Library at Paris, with copper-plate portrait of John Duke 
 of Brittany, - - - - ii. 225 
 
 __ . duplicate and more recent 
 
 copy of, - - - - - — . 228 
 
 — another MS. of the same 
 
 work, 8vo., - - - - - — 229 
 
 Tractatus de Fenenis, &c. 1473, 4to. — in the Library of Giitt- 
 
 wic Monastery, - - - - - iii 432 
 dedoctrina dicendi, &c. : without date, &c. — in the 
 
 Public Library at Strasbourg, - - - iii. 64 
 
 ' de Pietate Concil. Gen., 1480, folio, in the Impe- 
 
 rial Library at Vienna, - - - - — 512 
 
 Trebisondy Paris, 4to. — in the Library of the Arsenal at 
 
 Paris, - - - - - ii. 340 
 
 Tristan, MS., xivth century, in the Royal Library at 
 
 Paris, - - - - - — 220 
 , another MS. in the same 
 
 Library, - - - - - — 221 
 , a third MS. in the same 
 
 library, - - _ . - - — 222 
 
 Germ. Sec. xiii., in the Public Library at Munich, 
 
 with wood-cut fac-similes, - - - iii- 263-268 
 
 Gall. Sec. xiii., in the Imperial Library at Vienna, 
 
 Avith copper-plate engraving, - - - — 475 
 
 -, another MS. in the same Collec- 
 
 tion, - - - - - — 476 
 
 Tristran, Verard, folio — in the Imperial Library at Vienna, — 530 
 Trithemii J finales Hirsaugienses, 1690, folio— in the Library 
 
 of the Monastery of Chremsminster, - - — 381 
 , in the Library of a 
 
 Capuchin Monastery, near Vienna, - - - — 621 
 
 Troys filz de Roys, Paris, no date, 4to. — in the Library of the 
 
 Arsenal, - - - - - ii. 335 
 
xliv 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 Vol. Page. 
 
 Tiilhj of Old Age, Caxton — in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 276 
 Tundaliy Fisio, Germ. 4 to. in the Library of Professor Veesen- 
 
 meyer at Ulm, - - iii. 194 
 
 Turner, Mr. Daivson, Tour in Normandy, - Pref. x. 
 
 Turrecremata I. de Meditationes, Ulric Han, 1467, folio — in 
 
 the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - - — 513 
 _ in 
 
 the Public Library at Nuremberg, - Supplement, xxiv. 
 : ^ 1473^ in the 
 
 Library of Gottwic Monastery, - - - iii. 431 
 , the same edition 
 
 in the Imperial Library at Vienna, - - - — 492 
 , In Librum Psalmor. Cracii impr. no date — 
 
 in the Public Library at Munich, - - — 294 
 
 Valerius Maximus, MS. xvth century — in the Imperial Li- 
 brary at Vienna, - - - - iii 473 
 
 ^ Mentelin, folio — two copies in the Pub- 
 lic Library at Strasbourg, - - - — 66 
 
 in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - . - - — 500 
 in the Royal Li- 
 
 brary at Stuttgart, - - . - - — 140 
 , V. de Spira, folio — in the Imperial 
 
 Library at Vienna, - - - - — 501 
 Schoeffher, 1472, folio — upon 
 
 VELLUM, in the same library, - - - — ibid. 
 — , 1475, Ciss ^ StoL, folio — in the 
 
 Public Library at Caen, - - - - i. 334 
 , Aldus, 1534, 8vo. Grolier's copy. 
 
 on large paper, in the Royal Library at Paris, - - ii. 314 
 Valturius De Re MiUtari, 1472, folio — in the Imperial Library 
 
 (Prince Eugene's copy) at Vienna, - - - iii. 514 
 
 " , Ital. Reisinger, folio — in the 
 
 same Collection, - - - — iMd. 
 
 Vaudevires : see Basselin, General Index. 
 
 Vie des Peres, 1486, folio, in the Public Library at Rouen. - i. 177 
 ~, 1494, folio, at Caen, - - . _. 334 
 
AND OF PRINTED BOOKS. xlv 
 
 P^ol. Page. 
 
 VirgiUus, S. 4* PannartZy (1469) folio — in the Royal Library 
 
 
 
 at Paris, - - _ . 
 
 ii. 
 
 267 
 
 FirgiUuSy Mentelin, folio — in the Library of Ste. Gene- 
 
 
 
 vieve — (incomplete^ - 
 
 — 
 
 347 
 
 in the Public Library at Stras- 
 
 
 
 bourg — incomplete, - 
 
 iii. 
 
 66 
 
 in the Imperial Library at Vi- 
 
 
 
 enna, - - _ _ . 
 
 — 
 
 501 
 
 14/0, f^. de iSpira, upon vellum, m the Royal Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Paris, - - 
 
 — 
 
 267 
 
 , UPON VELLUM, in the possession 
 
 
 
 of Messrs. Treuttel and Wiirtz, . _ . 
 
 ■ — 
 
 268 
 
 ■ , upon paper, in the Royal Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Paris, - 
 
 — 
 
 ibid. 
 
 ^ in the Imperial Library at Vi- 
 
 
 
 enna, . - - _ _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 501 
 
 1471, Sw. and Pannartz, folio — in the Royal Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Paris, - 
 
 — 
 
 269 
 
 late in the Royal 
 
 
 
 Library at Stuttgart, - - - - 
 
 iii. 
 
 138 
 
 ■ , 14/1, V. de Spira, folio — in the Imperial Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Vienna, - - 
 
 — 
 
 501 
 
 , 1471, Adam, folio — late in the Royal Library 
 
 
 
 at Stuttgart, - _ _ . _ 
 
 — 
 
 138 
 
 1473, L. Achates, folio — in the Imperial Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Vienna, - 
 
 — 
 
 501 
 
 P de Lavagna, 1474, folio — in the library of Gott- 
 
 
 
 wic Monastery, - - . _ _ 
 
 — 
 
 431 
 
 1475, Jenson, folio, in the Imperial Library at Vienna, 
 
 — 
 
 502 
 
 Servius in Virgilim. Ulric Han, folio — Diane de 
 
 
 
 Poictiers's copy, in the Mazarine Library at Paris, 
 
 ii. 
 
 366 
 
 . Valdarf er, ioVio — in 
 
 
 
 the Public Library at Strasbourg, . _ _ 
 
 iii. 
 
 66 
 
 . Lift. R. in the Imperial Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Vienna, - - 
 
 
 502 
 
 , 1478, Gering, folio — in the Royal Li- 
 
 
 
 brary at Paris, - - - 
 
 ii. 
 
 271 
 
 Aldus, 1501, 8vo. — UPON vellum, in the Public 
 
 
 
 Library at Munich, . _ _ . 
 
 iii. 
 
 296 
 
 VirgiUus, Aldus, 1605, 8vo. — in the possession of M. Re- 
 
 
 
 nouard, bookseller, - 
 
 iii. 
 
 395 
 
xlvi 
 
 INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS, &c. 
 
 Vol. Page, 
 
 Firgilmsy ltd. H. L. de Colon. 1476, folio — ^in the Library of 
 Gottwic Monastery, - - - - iii 431 
 
 Gallicd, 1586, folio — in tlie Public Library at 
 
 Caen, - - - - - i. 337 
 
 Vita Christi, MS. in the Royal Library at Paris, - ii. 209 
 
 Fita Sti. Goar, Schoeffher, 1481, 4to. — ^late in the possession 
 of M. Traiteur, at Manheim, - - Supplement, Iv. 
 
 ViTiE Sanctorum, MS. Sec. xii. — in the Royal Library at 
 
 Stuttgart, - - iii. 149 
 
 Diversor. Princ. et Tyran. cum Eutropio, Paulo Di- 
 
 acono, ^c. P. de Lavagna, folio — in the Library of Gottwic 
 Monastery, - - - - - — 431 
 
 Fitruvius, Giuntce, 1513, 8vo. — upon vellum, in the Library 
 of Ste. Genevieve at Paris - - - - ii. 352 
 
 F ocabularium Biblicum, H. de Hassce, folio — ^in the Public Li- 
 brary at Strasbourg, - - - - iii. 62 
 
 U. 
 
 Vt'inOy T. de, Sermones, printed by Gering — in the Public Li- 
 brary at Vire, - - - - i. 447 
 
 , L. de, Quodragesimale, 1471, folio — ^in the Library of 
 
 Chremsminster Monastery, . _ . iii. 375 
 
 W. 
 
 mdiffii Dialogi, 1525, 4to.--in the library of Professor Vee- 
 senmeyer at Ulm, - . _ _ 194 
 
 WiLLiBRooDi Sti. Vita. Auct, Alcuino. MS. xith century, 
 in the Private Royal Library at Stuttgart, - - - — 161 
 
 2. 
 
 Zophilologium, without date — in the Public Library at 
 
 Rouen, - . . . - i. 176 
 
GENERAL INDEX. 
 
INDEX 
 
 OF PERSONS, 
 PLACES, AND THINGS. 
 
 Abbey o^^L Ouen, i. 69-78; of Jumieges ; i. 196-205; of St. Stephen, 
 at Caen ; 280-288 ; of the Holy Trinity, at Caen, 301. 
 
 Achermanriy Mr., his extraordinary copy of his own publication of West- 
 minster Abbey, iii. 596. 
 
 , a collector of medals and coins at Manheim, Supplement y Ivi. 
 
 Adam, Mr. attentions to the author at Rouen, i. 150 ; and at Caen. 
 
 , a printer at Vire, i. 429, 449. 
 
 jEneas Sylvius, his account of Strasbourg Cathedral in the xvth century, iii. 
 24. 
 
 Afra and Ulric, Sts., Abbey of, at Augsbourg, iii. 220. 
 
 Agnes Sorel; her tomb in the abbey of Jumieges, i. 201. 
 
 , supposed portrait of, in the collection of Q. Craufurd, ii. 472. 
 
 Agony of our Saviour in the Garden of Gethsemane, representation of, at 
 Landshut, iii. 339 ; various, 345; at KopfF, near Salzburg, 361 ; at the 
 church of St. Mary, at Vienna, 557; in a church at Neiimarkt, Supple- 
 ment, xvii. 
 
 Albert, Madame, opera singer, at Paris, ii. 516-7. 
 
 Albert, Duke, his fine collection at Vienna, iii. 599; monument erected 
 
 by him to the memory of his Duchess, iii. 558. 
 Albert Durer, his productions at Nuremberg — the street called after his 
 
 name, with copper-plate view of — his tombstone — and high character of. 
 
 Supplement, xvii., xxvi., xl. ; destruction of his diary, xxxiii., pictures of 
 
 in Kloster Heilbronn, xliv-v. 
 Alexander, late Mr,, allusion to his talents, iii. 33. 
 Allan, Sir Alexander, Bart., late, — tribute to his memory, iii. 171. 
 Alose, fish so called, i. 194. 
 
 Altmann, Principal or Abbot of the monastery of Gottwic, in Austria, his 
 
 G 
 
1 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 hospitable reception of the author, iii. 423, &c., his book presents, 436 ; 
 his autograph, 439. 
 Alsace, entrance within — and description of the country so called, ii. 551-3; 
 
 ii. 551-3; See also Fosges. 
 Alsatian poetry, iii. 90-92. 
 
 Altdting, town between Munich and Salzburg — singular place of worship, 
 
 iii. 340, 342. 
 
 Amherger, Christopher, pictures by, at Augsbourg, with copy of the head of 
 
 Melanchthon from, iii. 215, 6. 
 Amboise Cardinal, monument of uncle and nephew, in the cathedral at 
 
 Rouen, i. 54, 60 ; high characters and anecdotes of, ibid. 
 Ambrass, collection of armoury from the castle of, in the little Belvedere at 
 
 Vienna, iii. 567. 
 
 Amyott, Mr. Thomas, his dissertation on the Bayeux tapestry, i. 383, 385 : 
 
 his poetical composition, 385. 
 Andr^ossi, Gen. commander of the artillery at the capture of Vienna, anecdote 
 
 of, iii. 611. 
 
 Andrieu, his great talents as a medallist, ii. 465-7. 
 
 Ann of Brittany, account of her copy of the HorcB B. M. Firginis, with 
 
 copper-plate engraving of her portrait, ii. 188, 201 ; her copy of Catherine 
 
 de Senis, 1500, folio, 315, 
 Ansbach, arrival at, and interview with Comte Dreclisel, Supplement, xlv. 
 Antiquities, National and Miscellaneous, at Paris, ii. 494, 502. 
 Apponi Count, his library, with intended sale of a portion of, iii. 601, 603. 
 Arhuthnot, Dr. Charles, late President of the monastery of St. James, at 
 
 Ratisbon, with portrait of, Supplement, xiii. 
 Arc Jeanne d\ account of her sufferings, i. 95-8 — ^lier ancient and present 
 
 statue, 99. 
 
 Arch, Messrs. J. and A., booksellers — in possession of a fine copy of the 
 supposed first edition of the German Bible, from the public library at 
 Landshut, iii. 335, 
 
 Arques, village and castle of, near Dieppe, i. 26, 31. 
 
 Arsenal, library of, at Paris, ii. 320 — collection of military stores at Vienna, 
 iii. 569. 
 
 Artaria, printseller at Vienna, iii. 605; Dom., bookseller, printseller, and 
 banker, at Mdnc^htim, Supplement, Iii.; his collection of pictures, liii. ; 
 his kind-hearted hospitality, liv. 
 
 Arts, Fine, present state of, at Paris, ii. 502-14 ; at Nuremberg, Supplement, 
 xxxviii. 
 
 Ascension Day, ancient custom on, at Rouen, i. 66. 
 
 Atticus, a book collector — his library alluded to, i. 358; his visit to Paris, ii. 
 446. 
 
PLACES AND THINGS 
 
 li 
 
 AuGSBOURG: entrance into, iii. 202; appearance of the houses, ibi f.; mag- 
 nificent hotel of the Three Negroes, 202; its gallery of pictures, with 
 specimens of the catalogue, describing them, written in the English 
 language, 203; the Town Hall, 206; the Picture Gallery, 206; ancient 
 splendour of the City, 218; abbey of Sts. Ulric and Afra, 220; the 
 martyrological roll of Augsbourg, 221; trade of Augsbourg, 224; forti- 
 cations and environs, 225 ; the public library, with account of some of the 
 rarer books, &c., 226, 235 ; society of the Rev., * * , at the table d'hote 
 of the inn, 238-9 — departure from Augsbom-g, 239. 
 
 B. 
 
 Baber, Rev. H. H., honourable mention of, by the Baron Von Moll, iii. 309. 
 
 Baden, near Rastadt, arrival at, iii. 104; its hot baths, 105; monuments 
 in the principal church, 106-8 ; sabbath occupations, 108 ; master-singer 
 and his niece, 109: the mall, 110 ; evening walk to an adjacent convent, 
 with the Elder Schweighseuser, 111; castle in the vicinity of, 115. 
 
 Bagster, Mr., his intended edition of a Polyglot Bible alluded to, iii. 608. 
 
 Barbery, abhaye de, msT collections relating to — in the royal Library at Paris, 
 
 ii. 240. 
 
 Barbier, Mr., private librarian of the King, ii. 371 ; portrait of, and an 
 
 account of his works, 376-7 ; his present to Earl Spencer, 380. 
 Barthelemilate Abb&, bust of — in the collection of Q. Craufurd, ii. 471. 
 Bar-le-Duc, town on the road to Strasbourg, ii. 534. 
 
 Bartsch, I. Adam de, Aulic counsellor, and director in chief of the Imperial 
 Library — ^his kind reception of the author, and furtherance of his views, 
 
 iii. 447, 451, 636; his portrait, 448; his talents appreciated, 604. 
 Basselin Olivier, see Olivier Basselin. 
 
 Bavaria, entrance into the territories of, and forests of fir, iii. 200. 
 
 Bayeux : cathedral ; ordination of priests and deacons; crypt of the cathedral; 
 a mysterious interview, i. 345, 358 ; visit near St. Loup, 359 ; M. Pluquet, 
 apothecary and book vendor, 364-5 ; visit to the Bishop, 369 ; the chapter 
 library, 370, 374 ; College Library, 374 ; account of the Bayeux tapestry, 
 with vignette and plate, 375, 387 ; agriculture and trade, 387, &c. ; ms. 
 papers and drawings relating to the history of, in the Royal Library at 
 Paris, ii. 241-3. 
 
 Beauclois, ruins of the abbey, near Lillebonne, i. 223. 
 
 Becket, Thomas-a, ms collections relating to, ii. 236-8. 
 
 Bedford, John Duke of, his monument in the cathedral at Rouen, i. 53 ; his 
 Breviary in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 176, 185. 
 
 Bell, the great, at Rouen, i. 58 ; at Strasbourg, iii. 23 ; at Freysing, iii. 327. 
 
 Belvedere Palaces, great and small, at Vienna, iii. 567, 573. 
 
m 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Benard, Mr., printseller to his Majesty, at Paris, ii. 507 ; opinion about the 
 engravings of the Duke of Wellington, and of the Battle of Waterloo, 607, 
 510. 
 
 Berggekt Die, extraordinary ballet, so called, performed in the suburbs of 
 
 Vienna, iii. 579, 582. 
 Bernardhms, St., old print of, ii. 514-15. 
 Bernardo, a Roxbiu-gher — alluded to, i.410. 
 
 Bernhard, M., one of the public librarians at Munich ; his bibliographical 
 
 talents, and kind attentions to the author, iii. 256, 313. 
 Bitencoiirt, Abb^, his literary character and attachment to Dom Brial, ii. 426. 
 Beyschlag, Rector, public librarian at Augsbourg, iii. 226 ; negotiation with, 
 
 about the purchase of certain books, 228. 
 Bibliophiles, les, a society so called, at Paris, ii. 447-9 ; list of the members 
 
 of the same society, 449; symposium given by the society to Earl Spencer, 
 
 449, 450. 
 Binding-, see Book. 
 
 Binz, an antiquar, or seller of old books, at Vienna, iii. 606. 
 Bischoffsheim, near Kehl, mixture of sects in the church of, iii. 102-3. 
 Blamont, old castle at, in the way to Strasbourg, ii. 547. 
 Blanc liisseuses, at Paris, copper plate of, ii. 499. 
 Blenheim, battle of, alluded to, iii. 184. 
 
 Bloch-wood, cut — original— of the xvth centm-y — purchased of the curators 
 of the public library at Augsbourg, iii. 234-5. 
 
 Blore, Mr. E., his talents as an artist, alluded to. Preface, viii. ; i. 360. Sup- 
 plement, xxii. 
 
 Bocage, account of the country so called — in the vicinity of Vire, in Nor- 
 mandy, i. 423, 449. 
 
 Boccaccio, Valdarfer, 1471; sale of, i. 236; see Bibliographical Index. 
 Bochart, Samuel, native of Caen, his books, (many of them with ms. notes) 
 
 in the public library at Caen, i. 326, 336. 
 Bocherville, St. Georges dc; village and church of^ i. 188, 190; monastery 
 
 and manufactory at, i. 19 1 . 
 Bolbec, to^^^l of, in Normandy, i. 223; the church, and songs of the young 
 
 Savoyard there, 223-5 ; anecdote connected therewith, 227-8; environs of 
 
 Bolbec, 228. 
 
 Bonaparte, anecdote of at St. Dizier, ii. 532 ; of him, and Marshal Lasnes, 
 iii. 308 ; receptionof, at the monastery of Gbttwic, iii. 424 ; character of 
 his son, at Vienna, 574. 
 Books, numbers of, in public libraries at Paris, ii. 369. 
 
 Book-binding, ancient, at Paris — with three copper plates, and one vignette, 
 . of the exteriors of some of the more ancient diptychs, ii. 146-7.; modern, 
 at Paris, ii. 411,421. 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 liii 
 
 Book-collectm's, at Rouen, i. 152-160. 
 
 Bothsellers, at Rouen, i. 149-151 ; at Havre, i. 247-250 ; at Caen, 321-4; at 
 Bayeux, 363 ; at Coutances, 412; at Vire, 429 ; at Falaise, ii. 48-56 ; at Paris, 
 386-404; at Nancy, 541; at Strasbourg, iii. /I; at Stuttgart, 119; at 
 Munich, 299 : at Vienna, 605 ; at Nuremberg, Supplement, xli. 
 
 Boosey, Mr.jun. hookseller, his republication of the Faustus of Goethe com- 
 mended, iii. 121; his manual of the ciu-iosities of Nuremberg, xx. ; and 
 specimen of Klein's drawings, Supplcmenty xix-xxxix. 
 
 Bossuet, portrait of, by P. de Champagne, ii. 475. 
 
 Bourguei'Ule, topographer of Caen ; extracts from his vvork, and wood-cut 
 
 portrait of, i. 294-7- 
 Boulevards at Paris, with copper-plate of the " Boulevards Italiens," ii. 76-80. 
 BoziriaHy the Elder, book-binder at Paris, ii. 414. 
 the Younger, do. 416. 
 
 Bret Le, Mr., public librarian at Stuttgart — anecdotes and character of, iii, 
 131, 133, 171, 181. 
 
 Brez6, Seneschal de ; husband of Diane de Poictiers — his tomb (with en- 
 graving) in the Cathedral of Rouen, i. 60-1. 
 
 Brial, Dom, his residence, library, and literary character, ii, 423-429; his 
 portrait, 428 ; symposium with him and the Abb^ Betencourt, 426. 
 
 Bridge across the Rhine, near Strasbom'g — importance of, iii. 8. 
 
 Bright, Dr., his animated description of the Prater, at Vienna, iii. 586 j his 
 account of the present state of Nm-emberg, Supplement, p. xvii. 
 
 Brittany, John Duke of, portrait of, ii. 225 ; Ann of Brittany — see Ann. 
 
 Brunei Fils, I. C, bookseller at Paris, ii. 397 character of his publications, 
 398-400 ; interview with Earl Spencer, 400. 
 
 Burgmair Hans, fine pictures by, at Augsbourg, iii. 212-215. 
 
 C. 
 
 Cabinet des Medailles, at Paris, ii. 136; des Estampes, ii. 138-144. 
 
 Caen ; approach to the town, i. 259. Account of its soil, manufactories, 
 population, and environs, i. 261-267; costume of the common women, 
 with vignette, and copper-plate of the Fille-de-Chambre, 268 ; desperate 
 duel fought there, 269-273 ; antiquities of the town, 273 ; streets and houses 
 of, with copper-plate vignettes, 275-8; fountains of, 279; abbey of St. 
 Stephen, with view of, 280-288; tomb, portrait, and palace of William 
 the Conqueror, 284-292; supposed figure of do, 293; church of St. Dar- 
 netal, with copper-plate view, 295-7 ;. portrait of Bourgueville, the histo- 
 rian of Caen, with extracts from his work, 294-299; account of the 
 Abbaye aux Dames, or of the Holy Trinity, 301-5 : castellated buildings, 
 306; the Abbe de la Rue, 309; Memoirs of the Academy at Caen, 308; 
 
liv 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Mons. Lamouroux, 310; Pierre Aim^ Lair, 311 ; printers, and Manuals of 
 instruction, 316-321 ; booksellers, 321-4; description of the Public Library, 
 with account of the books, 324-340 ; list of portraits in the same, 327 ; pro- 
 testant church and preaching, 341 ; courts of justice, 342. 
 Callot Jacques, original portrait of, in the collection of Mr. Q. Craufurd, 
 ii. 479. 
 
 Calvinists, ravages committed by — at Rouen, i. 49, 56, 82, — at Caen, 281, 
 
 287, 335,— at Bayeux, 355. 
 Camhacerts, Archbishop, of Rouen, i. 68. 
 
 Campbell, Mr. his Poem of " Hohenlinden" alluded to, iii. 325. 
 
 Canova, specimens of his sculpture in the collection of the Marquis de Som- 
 mariva, ii. 485-489, in the palace at Stuttgart, iii. 168; his tomb of the Du- 
 chess Albert, at Vienna, iii. 558, &c. 
 
 Canstadt, near Stuttgart, description of, iii. 177- 
 
 Capuchin convent, at Vienna, iii. 563; in the suburbs of, called the Rossau, 
 619. 
 
 Castlewalls, remains of, at Rouen, i. 154; — at Caen, i. 306; at Nuremberg, 
 
 Supplement, xviii. 
 Catechisms ; see chap-boohs, and Bibliographical Index. 
 Catharine, Mont Ste., at Rouen, view from, i. 116-120. 
 Catharine, Ste., chapel of, in Strasbourg cathedi-al, with eopper-plate of a 
 
 group of women at prayers, in the same, iii. 32. — engraving of the 
 
 Saint, from an illuminated MS. in the Imperial Library, at Vienna, iii. 
 
 469. 
 
 Catholics and Protestants, controversy between, at Strasbourg, in the xvth 
 and xvith centuries, iii. 5-10. 
 
 Cathedral — of Rouen, Avith a plate, i. 50; of Caen, with a plate, i. 282; of 
 Coutances, with a plate, i. 409; of Paris, ii. 95; of Strasbourg, with a 
 plate, iii. 12 ; of Ulm, with a plate, 191; of Munich, 242; of Freysing, 
 with a plate, 325-7; of Vienna, with a plate, 547; of Ratisbon, Suppl. 
 viii. 
 
 Caudebec, village near Rouen; i. 206-215; copper-plate view of, 208; church 
 of, 209-10; description of a ready furnished house to let at, 212-14; ap- 
 pearance of the tide coming in, 212. 
 
 Cerny, forest of, in Normandy, i. 392. 
 
 Chalons sur Marne, town on the road to Strasbourg, ii. 530. 
 
 Chamilli M., instrumental to the surrender of Strasbourg to Louis XIV. iii. 
 8-10. 
 
 Champ de Drap basso-relievo representation of, with engraving, i. 100-2. 
 Chap-books, at Rouen ; including Catechisms, Romances, Manuals of instruc- 
 tion, &c. i. 134-148, 410. 
 Chaplet of the Ftrgin, Hymn so called, ii. 531. 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Chardin, Mr. bookseller at Paris ii. 400.— portrait of, with some particulars 
 relating to, 400-403. 
 
 Charlatan, at St. Lo, vignette of, i. 394 — account of, 395. 
 
 Charlemagne, book of prayers belonging to, in the Private Library of the King 
 of France, with fac-simile of the figure of Christ therefrom, ii. 372-6. 
 
 ^ < — , a similar book in the Library of Cliremsminster 
 
 Monastery, iii. 378. 
 
 Charles the Bald, his Latin Bible, Psalter, and Prayer Book, in the Royal Li- 
 brary at Paris, ii. 156-163. 
 
 Chateaugiron, le Marquis de, president of the Society of Bibliophiles at Paris, 
 ii. 449. 
 
 Chesne, Du, M., curator of the print room in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 
 140 ; his opinion respecting the supposed original wood-cut of St. Cliristo- 
 pher, of the date of 1423, ii. 143. 
 
 Chevalier, M., Librarian of Ste. Genevieve library, ii. 343. 
 
 Chremsminster, town and Monastery of, account of a visit paid to the 
 latter, w^ith a description of the Monastery and of its Library, iii. 370-381. 
 Journey from Chremsminster to Linz, 381-3. 
 
 Christopher, St., wood-cut of, of the date of 1423 — at Paris, ii. 143 — disqui- 
 sition upon its genuineness, 143-145 ; ancient wood-cut of at Munich, iii. 
 277. 
 
 Clock, at Strasbourg — formerly much celebrated, iii. 33. 
 
 Closterneuburg Monastery, near Vienna, account of a visit to, with a 
 
 description of the Library of, iii. 613-619. 
 Clovis, figm-e of, on Strasbourg Cathedral, iii. 15-17. 
 Cluny, Hotel de, at Paris, ii. 118. 
 
 Colbert, le Ministre, his book passion : portrait of, in the collection of Mr. Q. 
 Craufurd, ii. 477. 
 
 Colmar, a town near the Rhine, supposed place for early typographical pro- 
 ductions, iii. 96. 
 
 Colonnies, Hotel des, rue de Richelieu, ii. 128«-; Supplement, Ixii. 
 
 Condb, village of, between Vire and Falaise, ii. 3. 
 
 Coney, Mr. his graphic talents alluded to, Pref. viii : — iii. 42. 
 
 Confessional in the Abbey of St. Ouen, i. 72-3 j in the Abbey of St. Stephen, 
 at Caen, i. 283 ; at Granville, 419. 
 
 Conrad de Lichtemherg, the founder of Strasbourg cathedral, iii. 17. 
 
 Corneille, plaister figure of, at Rouen, i. 163. 
 
 bust of, at Mr. Q. Craufurd's, ii. 471. 
 
 Cotman, Mr. references to his engravings of the architectural antiquities of 
 
 Normandy, i. 199, 281, 301, 397 ; ii. 13. 
 Cotta, M. bookseller at Stuttgart, iii. 119. 
 
 CouTANCES; approach to, i. 403^ the town, 403; the Cathedral, and view 
 
Ivi 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS. 
 
 from thence, 404-406 j number of young clergy, and college, 403-413; 
 
 comeliness of the women, 408 ; ancient aqueduct, 408 ; copper-plate view 
 
 of the aqueduct and cathedral, 409 ; market-place and general bustle, 409 ; 
 
 the Public Library, 411; booksellers, 413; ms. collections relating to, ii. 
 
 231-236; ancient tapestry belonging to the cathedral, 237. 
 Crapelet, Mr. celebrated printer at Paris, ii. 406-410; his Souvenirs de 
 
 Londres, 407 ; bibliographical symposium, 409 ; Madame, mention of, ibid. 
 Crucifix, at Dieppe, with copper-plate, i. 7 ; at Falaise, ii. 22 ; at Vilisburg, 
 
 near Landshut, iii. 340 ; at St. Polten, 419 ; near Nuremberg, Supplement, xl. 
 
 old copper-plate engraving of, bought of Baron Derschau at do. xxxiv. 
 Crypt, in the church of St. Gervais, at Rouen, i. 85 ; of Bayeux cathedral, 
 
 349; of the Abbaye aux Dames, at Caen 303, ; of Strasbourg cathedral, iii. 
 
 37 : of the cathedral of Freysing, with copper-plates, iii. 324-7. 
 
 D. 
 
 Dannecker, sculptor, at Stuttgart, iii. 172-176 ; observations upon his bust of 
 Schiller, ibid. 
 
 Danube, the river, from Linz to Vienna, appearance of, near the Monastery of 
 Molk, iii. 407; near that of Giittwic, 422; near that of Clostemeuburg, 613- 
 14; at Straubing, Supplement, iv.-v. 
 
 David, a Parisian artist, his picture of Cupid and Psyche, ii. 482 ; his sup- 
 posed skill in drawing, 502 ; remarks upon his picture of the Horatii and 
 Curatii, 503-4. 
 
 Debure, Messrs. booksellers to His Majesty, at Paris, ii. 387-9. — Madame, her 
 very choice collection of books, ii. 388. 
 
 Denon, M. (now Baron) ; his anecdote about the Bayeux Tapestry, i. 386 ; a 
 guest at the Roxburghe banquet, 442 ; account of his collection of curiosities, 
 prints, and pictures, 453-461 ; of his library, 462-464; his portrait, from the 
 bust of Bosio, 459. 
 
 Derschau, Baron, his curiosities at Nuremberg, Suppl. xxxii-v. 
 
 Desnoyers, celebrated engraver at Paris, ii, 504-5. — His opinion of the British 
 school of engraving, ii. 511. 
 
 Diane de Poictiers, anecdotes of, at Rouen : i. 62-5: several books belonging 
 to, in the Public Library at Caen, i. 338-40, in the Royal Library at Paris, 
 ii. 291-2; 293, 315, 316, 317, in the Library of Ste. Genevieve, ii. 366 ; her 
 case-knife, with engraving, ii. 493 ; engraving of her bust, 497 ; her por- 
 trait, in the collection of Mr. Q. Craufurd, ii. 478. 
 
 Didot, Firmin, celebrated printer at Paris, ii. 405 ; his letter-foundery, ibid. 
 
 Dieppe: passage from Brighton to, i. 1-8: fisheries at, 11-13: rise and 
 progress of the town, 13: want of good police, 15 : engravings of market 
 women, 17-25 : engraving of wax crucifix, 20 : engraving of wooden crucifix 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Ivii 
 
 on entrance of the harbour, 8^ church of St. Jacques, 19; service therein, 
 21; church service at St. Reiny, 23: engraving of Fille de Chambre, 
 32 ; local advantages of Dieppe, 34-3. 
 
 Dietmayr, BertholduSy Restorer of the Monastery of Molk, account and 
 copper-plate engraving of the portrait of, iii. 415, 
 
 Diligence: at Dieppe, i, 16, 37, 38; in Germany, iii. 201. 
 
 Diptychy ancient, in the Royal Library at Paris, with two copper-plate 
 engravings, ii. 146, 147; in the Imperial Library at Vienna, with a cop- 
 per-plate engraving of St. Jerom, upon the same, iii. 460. 
 
 Dizier, St., town in the road to Strasbourg, anecdote of Bonnparte when 
 there, ii. 532. 
 
 DoKce, Mr., in possession of a bronze medal of Louis XII., ii. 135.— his col- 
 lection referred to. Supplement, xxxv. 
 
 Dreux, between Falaiseand Paris, ii. 65; churches and ruins of castles, 66-7. 
 
 Drolleries, in sculpture, on the outside of Strasbourg cathedral, iii. 25-29. 
 
 Drury, Rev. Henry, in possession of a MS. of the cathedral service at Rouen, 
 of the xiiith century, i. 170; of a copy of Cicero's Offices of 1465, upon 
 VELLUM, from a private collection in the Vosges, iii. 70. 
 
 Duclair, village of, i. 194 ; anecdote of the innkeeper and his daughter, 
 194-6. 
 
 Duel, desperate one fought at Caen, i. 269-272. 
 
 Duputel, M., a book-collector at Rouen, i. 155; specimens of his poetical 
 
 compositions, 155-8, 182-3. 
 Durand de Lanqon, M., an active member of the Society of the Bibliophiles, at 
 
 Paris, ii. 447- 
 
 E. 
 
 Earthquakes, frequency of at Strasbourg, iii. 39. 
 
 Ebner Family, and Codex Ebnerianus, at Nuremberg, Suppl. xxxvi. 
 
 Eckius, the celebrated antagonist of Luther — his chair, cap, and collection of 
 
 tracts by, preserved in the Public Library at Landshut, iii. 336. 
 Emmeram, St. Monastery of, at Ratisbon, Suppl. x. 
 
 Engelhardt, M. at Strasbourg, his work connected with the Minne-Singers, 
 iii. 90, 91, 120. 
 
 Engraving, French school of, preceded by notices of a few of the more cele- 
 brated engravers, ii. 504-511. 
 
 Engravings, number and value of, in the Imperial Library at ^^ienna, iii. 
 451 ; in the private collection of the Emperor of Austria, 598; in the col- 
 lection of the Duke Albert, 549. 
 
 Ens, a post town between Linz and Vienna, iii. 404-5 : suffered during the 
 advance of the French to Vienna, ibid. 
 
 H 
 
Iviii 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Epernay, distinguished for its champagne wine — anecdote of the Prussians, 
 
 when passing through this town, ii. 529. 
 Evelyn, John, his description of Havre, i. 242 : of Honfleur, i. 253 ; of Mont 
 
 Ste. Catherine, at Rouen, i. 116. 
 Eugene, Prince, his book benefactions to the Imperial Library at Vienna, iii. 
 
 452, &c. 
 
 Eustache, St., church of, at Paris, ii. 97. 
 
 F. 
 
 Falaise ; approach to, ii. 9: Hotel of the Grand Turc, 9-10; copper-plate 
 view of Falaise castle, 10 ; copper-plate vignette of the castle, as it appeared 
 two centuries ago, 1 1 ; copper-plate vignette of one of the capitals of the 
 pillars in the same, 13 j general description of the castle, 13-19 ; church of 
 Ste. Trinity 21-5; return of Louis XVIII. celebrated, 23; manufacture of 
 wax candles, 25 ; mansion and hospitable treatment of the Comte de la 
 Fresnaye, 25-30; church and fair at Guibray, in the neighbourhood, 28-31 ; 
 supposed head of William the Conqueror, with engraving, 33-36 ; church 
 and place of St. Gervais, 36-40 ; account of M. Langevin, the historian of 
 Falaise, with copper-plate vignette, 40-46; temperature and situation of, 
 47 ; fountains, ib. ; printers, 48-56 ; booksellers, 56 ; celebration of the 
 fete-dieu, 59-62; Hdpital General, 62; departure in a diligence for Paris, 
 63. 
 
 Faustus {the) of Goethe, account of, with fac-simile wood-cuts from, iii. 120- 
 130 : reference to a more particular account of in Mr. Baldwin's Magazine, 
 iii. 121. 
 
 F^tit, Abbi, librarian to the Chapter Library at Bayeux, i. 370. 
 
 Fille de Chambre, at Dieppe, engraving of, i. 32 ; at Caen, engraving of, i. 
 
 268; at Nuremberg, engraving of. Supplement, Ixiv. 
 Fire-works, at the Prater, near Vienna, iii. 588. 
 Fischeim, Von, bookseller at Munich, purchases from, iii. 303-5. 
 Flocon, M., head librarian of Ste. Genevieve, ii. 343. 
 
 Florian, St., Monastery of — visit to, and account of the building, — 
 church, library, saloon, and picture gallery, iii. 387-404; description of the 
 Abbot, 388-9; antiquity of the monastery, 397. 
 
 Font, in a church at Salzburg, iii. 349 ; in the church of St. Sebald, at Nu- 
 remberg, Supplement, xx. 
 
 Fontaine, de la, village of, near Rouen, i. 193. 
 
 Forest, in the neighbourhood of Baden, iii. 103 ; in the neighbourhood of 
 
 Heilbronn, Supplement, xlvi. 
 Forster, Mr., celebrated engraver at Paris, ii. 507. 
 Fossard, M., sub-lihs arian at Rouen, i. )C1. 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 lix 
 
 Fountains, at Falaise, ii. 10-47; at Paris, ii. 110-114 ; at Augsbourg, iii. ISO; 
 at Vienna, iii. 542. 
 
 Francs, (Franks) Madame, banker at Strasbourg, iii. 745 — hospitality and 
 liberal conduct towards the author, 75, 77, 97-8. 
 
 Francis /., his vellum copy of the Commentaries of Budaeus (his tutor) 
 upon the Greek language, in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 295 j his copy 
 of Aldine Greek Bible upon thick paper, ii. 313; portrait of, in the 
 Louvre, and in the collection of M. Q. Craufiu-d, ii. 472 ; engraving of 
 the bust of, ii. 496, 
 
 Franciscan Convent, at Vienna, iii. 564. 
 
 Freemasonry, account of its rise and progress at Strasbourg, iii. 88, 90- 
 French, national character of, ii. 517, 520. 
 Freres, Messrs. booksellers at Rouen, i. 149. 
 
 Fresnaye, Comte de la, residing at Falaise — his literary amusements and 
 
 kind attentions to the author, ii. 19, 25, 30, 37. 
 Freysing, visit to ; the church, crypt, (with copper plate engravings of pillars 
 
 in the latter) and adjacent library, iii. 325, 329 ; M. Mozler, bookseller at, 
 
 ibid. 
 
 Furth, a town near Nuremberg, excursion to. Supplement, xli. 
 Fust and Gutenberg, original depositions relating to the lawsuit between 
 them, at Strasbourg, iii. 53. 
 
 G. 
 
 Gaertner Corbi7iian, librarian of the monastery of St. Peter, at Salzburg, iii. 
 354-5. 
 
 Gail, M., one of the curators of the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 150; his 
 literary character, and editions of Thucydides and Xenophon, 430, 433 ; 
 his verses recited at the Roxburghe banquet, 445. 
 
 Gallery of Pictures, at Rouen, i. 162-4; of portraits at Caen, i. 327; at 
 Augsbourg, iii. 203, 206; at Munich, 249 ; at Vienna, 571; at Nurem- 
 berg, xxviii. 
 
 Gascon, ancient book-binder at Paris, ii. 412, 
 
 Geisler, M., beautiful engraver at Nuremberg, Supplement, i. xl. 
 
 Geislingen, town near Ulm, curious adventure at, iii. 182. 
 
 Genevieve, Ste., nouvelle Eglise de, ii. 99, 100; library of, 342, 362. 
 
 Gerard, M., portrait painter at Paris, remarks upon some of his pictures, ii. 
 503. 
 
 Germain, St. des Pres, ii. 97 ; aux Juxerrois, 98; destruction of the old 
 library, ii. 284. 
 
 German character, friendliness of disposition of, iii. 198 ; 622. 
 
 Gervais, St., church of, at Rouen, i. 85 ; at Falaise, ii. 36; at Pari?,ii. 96. 
 
Ix 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Geijler, John, a celebrated reformer at Strasbourg, iii. 5, 35. 
 Gilgeny St., village near Gmunden — night adventure at, iii. 363. 
 Gilles, St., village between St. Lo and Coutances — adventure there, i. 401. 
 Gmunden, lake and village of, iii. 367-9 ; journey from Gmunden to Chrems- 
 minster, iii. 370. 
 
 GiiTTWic Monastery J appproach and visit to — with an account of the 
 church, library, saloon, and hospitable reception at, iii. 422, 440 ; copper- 
 plate engraving of halt of pilgrims, in the approach to, 421-2; the same, 
 of a portion of the same party, on their nearer approach to the monastery, 
 433. 
 
 Goujet, account of his bibliographical labours, with portrait, ii. 378-9. 
 Gourdin, Mr., chief librarian of the public Library at Rouen; i. 161. 
 Grahame, Mr., commendation of his poem called " the Sabbath," ii. 105. 
 Grammont, Comtesse de — ^portrait of, in the collection of Q. Craufurd, ii. 
 473. 
 
 Granville, town in Normandy, i. 417, 419. 
 
 Grenville, Right Hon. T., his library alluded to, i. 337 5 ii. 262; 264; 
 316; iii. 68; 616. 
 
 Griffiths, Dr., about to establish a stereotype press at Vienna, attention to 
 
 the author. Supplement, vii. 
 Grolier, books formerly in the library of, ii- 312, 314. 
 Grosier, Abbe, chief librarian of the library of the Arsenal, ii. 320 
 Grotius, portrait of, in the collection of Q. Craufurd^ ii. 472. 
 Gruber, Antonius, M., librarian to Count Apponi — ^his bibliographical aid, 
 
 iii. 601-3. 
 
 Guerin, M., his picture of Diana and Endymion, ii. 483. 
 Guibray, in the vicinity of Falaise — church and fair, ii. 28, 31. 
 Guides, publications, rarity of, upon the continent, iii. 178. 
 Guryicy, Mr. {Hudson) his dissertation on the Bayeux tapestry, i. 382. 
 Gutenberg, spot at Strasbourg, where his first operations with the press are 
 supposed to have been carried on, iii. 78 ; see Fust. 
 
 H. 
 
 Haffner, M., a protestant clergyman, at Strasbourg — his library, iii. 77> 80. 
 
 Halles de Commerce, at Rouen, i. 89, 92. 
 
 Hammer, Mr. a celebrated orientalist, at Vienna, iii. 604. 
 
 Hamilton, Mr., charge d'affaires at Stuttgart — his kind attentions to the 
 
 author, iii. 134, 168. 
 Hapsburg, Rudolph Count of, one of the benefactors towards the building 
 
 of Strasbourg Cathedral, iii. 1 7- 
 Harfieur, in the route to Havre, i. 239. 
 
 Hartenschneidcr, M., Processor — in the monastery of Chremsmin^ter — 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Ixi 
 
 his kind attentions to the author, iii. 374, &c. ; his opinion of our more 
 celebrated writers, 380. 
 
 Haslewood, Mr. J., historian of the Roxburghe Club, ii. 445. 
 
 Havre, road from Rouen to — and view of the latter from, i, 187-8; ap- 
 proach to the town, 239, &c. ; description of the town and environs, 242, 
 250. 
 
 Heher, Mr., his library alluded to, iii. 381. 
 Hebert, M., public librarian at Caen, i. 324, 328. 
 
 Heerdeg&n, M., bookseller at Furth, visit to, and purchases from. Supple- 
 ment^ xli. 
 
 Heidelberg, description of the palace, or castle, with engravings of. 
 
 Supplement, xlvii ; of the great Tim, xlix. j visit to the public library, 1. 
 Heilbronn, near Heidelberg, Supplement, xlvi. 
 
 Henry 11. , King of France, his triumphal entry into Rouen, i. 63-4; his 
 death, ibid. ; books in the public library at Caen, i. 338, &c. ; at Paris, ii. 
 311, 317 ; bronze bust of, in the collection of the late Q. Craufurd, 471. 
 
 Henri IF., College de, near Ste. Genevieve, ii. 353. 
 
 Herarde, Abbess of Landsberg, account of a ms. by her called Hortus 
 Deliciarum, iii. 52. 
 
 Herman, King of Hungary, sec. xii. his psalter in the private library of 
 the King of Wirtemberg, iii. 159. 
 
 Hermann, M., a literary gentleman at Strasbourg, iii. 77 ; See Bibliogra- 
 phical Index. 
 
 Hess, M., Professor of design, and engraver, at Munich, his amiable cha- 
 racter, iii. 313, 316. 
 
 Hibbert, Mr. George, his copy of the Sforziada alluded to, ii. 291. 
 
 Hohenlinden, plains of — seen from the top of Freysing cathedral, iii. 327. 
 
 Holbein, John, father of Hans Holbein— pictures by, at Augsbourg, iii- 
 207, 211. 
 
 Hommartin, village in the road to Strasbourg, ii. 548. 
 
 Honfleur, passage thither from Havre — and departure from thence to Caen 
 
 in the Diligence, i. 251-5; description of the country from Honfleur to 
 
 Caen, i. 256, 260. 
 Hook, Abbe, late librarian of the Ste. Genevieve library, ii. 363-4. 
 Hotel de Fille, at Paris, ii. 89 ; de Soubise, at Paris, ii. 90 ; de Cluny, at Paris, 
 
 ii. 118 ; at Stuttgart — with copper-plate, iii. 136. 
 Houdan, between Dreux and Paris, with copper-plate vignette of the 
 
 castle, ii. 69, 70. 
 Houses, old, at Caen, i. 277 ; at Strasbourg, iii. 81-2. 
 Hulmandel, M. C, the excellence of his lithographical publications, iii. 319. 
 
 I. 
 
 Illyricus Quirinus, Pope and Martyr, copper-plate of, iii. 223. 
 
Ixii 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Institute at Paris, description of the library of, ii. 370; sitting of the society, 
 ii. 429. 
 
 Inderlamhachy near the lake Gmunden, iii. 366. 
 
 Isabey, M., his painting in a copy of Ossian, formerly belonging to Bona- 
 parte, ii. 376. 
 Ischel, near the lake Gmunden, iii. 365. 
 Ivory manufactures, at Dieppe, i. 18 ; at Geislingen, iii. 182. 
 
 J. 
 
 Jacques, St., church of, at Dieppe, i. 21. 
 
 Jacques, head waiter at the Hotel- Vatel, at Rouen, i. 185. 
 
 Jaquotot, Madame, her eminence as a painter in enamel, ii. 500-502. 
 
 James, St., monastery of, at Ratisbon, Supplement, xii. 
 
 Jews, at BischofFsheim, iii. 102 3 at Furtt, Supplement, xlii., &c 
 
 John, King of France, original portrait — with coj)per-plate of, ii. 140. 
 
 Joseph II. Emperor of Austria, character of, iii. 564. 
 
 Jouhert, M. bookseller at Coutances, i. 413. 
 
 Judges, at Rouen, i. 106 3 at Caen, 343-4. 
 
 Jumieges, description of the abbey of, i. 196-205. 
 
 K. 
 
 Karlsruhe, near Rastadt, iii. 116. 
 
 Kensingtonian acquaintance, met at Strasbourg, iii. 84. 
 
 Keux, I. and H. Messrs., their graphic talents commended, Pref ix. iii. 42. 
 
 Klein, M. librarian of the monastery of St. Florian, iii. 388, &c. 
 
 Klein, M., distinguished artist at Nuremberg, with copper-plate fac-similes of 
 
 his drawings and engravings. Supplement, xxxviii-xl. 
 Koberger, Anthony, the famous printer at Nuremberg, his office, &c. Suppl. 
 
 xxii-iii.; bronze head of his nephew John, in the possession of the author, 
 
 xxiii. 
 
 Koch, late, one of the celebrated literary characters of Strasbourg, iii. 47. 
 
 Koch, M., a book-collector at Manheim, Supplement, Iv. 
 
 Kopitar, M. one of the librarians of the Imperial Library at Vienna, iii. 448- 
 
 9 ; his opinion of the antiquity of a German version of the Bible, 462. 
 Kopff, village near Landshut, iii. 361. 
 
 Kraemer, M . Augustus, librarian to the Prince of Tour and Taxis, — kind at- 
 tentions of to the author. Supplement, x-xv. 
 
 L. 
 
 Lacquais de Place, at the Hotel Vatel at Rouen, i. 43-183. 
 
PLACES, AND THINGS. 
 
 Ixiii 
 
 Lair Pierre M., at Caen ; his patriotic zeal, and kind attention to tlie 
 
 author, i. 311-315; his parting faresvell at Bayeux, i. 356. 
 Lamouroux, M., botanical professor at Caen, i. 310. 
 
 Landshut, arrival at, with anecdote of its captui*e by the French, iii. 329 ; ac- 
 count of the books in the Public Library, removed thither from the Uni- 
 versity of Ingoldstadt, 330 ; copper-plate engraving of street scenery seen 
 from the library, 333 j the chair and doctor's bonnet of the celebrated 
 EchiuSy kept in the Public Library, iii. 336 ; opinion of a professor of 
 botany at Landshut, respecting Shakspeare, iii. 338 j church of St. Martin, 
 the highest in Bavaria, 339. 
 
 LangUs, M,, one of the head librarians of the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 151 ; 
 his literary and social qualities, 438, &c. ; his praise-worthy conduct during 
 the revolution, 441. 
 
 Lasnes, late Marshal, anecdote of and Bonaparte, iii. 308. 
 
 Laugier, a distinguished engraver atlParis, ii. 508. 
 
 Laurent, M., distinguished painter at Paris, ii. 520. 
 
 Lays, M. an Opera singer at Strasbourg, iii. 83. 
 
 Lecrtne, VAhhi, printer at Rouen, i. 1 33. 
 
 Lemonadier, at Rouen, engraving of, i. 109. 
 
 Lenoir, M. keeper of the monuments in the Rue des Petits Augustins — com- 
 mendation of his work upon the same, ii. 107-9. 
 
 Lesn&, M., book-binder and poet, at Paris, ii. 412-421. 
 
 Levrault, M., a celebrated printer at Strasbourg, iii. 95, 
 
 Lew'is, Charles, bookbinder; his talents alluded to, i. 367; ii. 189, 245, 262, 
 399, 421. 
 
 Library, Public ; at Rouen, i. 161-179; at Caen, i. 324-340; at Bayeux, i. 
 371 ; at St. Lo, i. 396 ; at Coutances, 411 ; at Vire, 446; at Paris — the 
 Royal, ii. 128-318; the Arsenal, 318-341 ; of Ste. Genevieve, 342-362; the 
 Mazarine, 362-368; private library of the King, 371-380; at Strasbourg, iii. 
 50-69; at Stuttgart, 136-165; at Ulm (the Chapter Library), 187; of Augs- 
 bourg, 227-235 ; at Munich, 257-297 ; at Freysing, 327 ; at Landshut, 331-3 ; 
 at Salzburg, (monastic) 354 ; at Chremsminster monastery, 374 ; at St. Flo- 
 rian Monastery, 391; at Miilk monastery, 409; at Gottwic monastery, 
 427 ; at Vienna, 451, &c. ; at Closterneuburg, 614 ; at Ratisbon, Suppl. xiv. 
 at Nuremberg, Suppl. xxiii-v. 
 
 Library, Private ; of Messrs. Le Prevost, Duputel, and Reaux, at Rouen, i. 
 153, 155, 158 : of a gentleman near Bayeux, i. 361 ; at Strasbourg, iii. 70- 
 77; of Professor Veesenmeyer at Ulm, 193; of Professor May at Augsbourg, 
 229 ; of the Emperor of Austria, at Vienna, iii. 589-599 ; of the Duke Al- 
 bert, at ditto, 599 ; of Count Fries, at ditto, 600; of Count Apponi, at ditto, 
 601 ; of the Prince of Tour and Taxis, Suppl. x. 
 
Ixiv 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Lichtenherger, M., the typographical antiquary, at Strasbourg; his book 
 
 donation to Earl Spencer, iii. 79, 80. 
 JJgnon, M., celebrated engraver at Paris, ii. 506. 
 
 Lillebonney town of, in Normandy, i. 217; ancient castle, 217, 221 ; inn of 
 
 the Three Negroes, 222. 
 IJntz or LhiZy a town in Austria, brief description of, iii. 383-4; journey 
 
 from Linz to St. Florian, iii. 386-7. 
 Lithography, as practised at Paris, ii. 513; at Munich — its excellence there, 
 
 iii. 317,320. 
 
 Lo, St., between Bayeux and Coutances, i. 393; anecdotes of itinerary 
 charlatans, with a copper-plate vignette, 394-5 ; library of the hotel de 
 ville, 396 ; principal parish church, 397 ; ancient strength and history of 
 the town, 399. 
 
 Louis XII., gold medal of, in the Cabinet des M^dailles at Paris, ii. 133 ; 
 
 portrait of, from an illuminated MS., 214. 
 Louis XIF., manner of taking possession of Strasbourg, iii. 10. 
 Louis XVIII., homage paid to, at Rouen, i. 182-3; his return to France, 
 
 celebrated at Falaise, ii. 23; his patronage of Madame Jaquotot, the 
 
 enamellist, ii, 500. 
 Loup, St.,_ visit to, in the neighbourhood of Bayeux, i". 359. 
 Lotharius, Emperor, his copy of the Gospels, ii. 163-6. 
 Louvre, description of, ii. 84-5. 
 
 Lucas Cranach, extraordinary specimens of his painting, in the citadel at 
 Nuremberg, Supplement, xxviii. 
 
 Luther, Martin, his hymn sung by children at Strasbourg, iii. 54 ; his mo- 
 nument by Ohmacht, iii. 98; collection of tracts relating to his contro- 
 versy with Eckius kept in the public library at Landshut, iii. 336 : portrait 
 of his wife at Nuremberg, Supplement, xxviii. 
 
 Luxembourg gardens, and palace of, ii. 94, 427. 
 
 M. 
 
 M*, Lieutenant, meeting and parting with, 416, 417- 
 
 Mach General, his treachery or cowardice, in the surrender of Ulm, iii. 184. 
 
 Maclou, St., church of, at Rouen, i. 80-2. 
 
 Mackenzie, Mr., his beautiful drawings of the Cathedrals of France, Preface, 
 viii-ix. 
 
 Malherbe, view of his house at Caen, i. 278 ; medal struck in honour of him, 
 312. 
 
 Manheim; arrival at the Golden Fleece, now so called: visit to Dom. Artaria, 
 and friendliness of his reception; his collection of paintings, &c., and 
 extensive business ; book-collectors there; the public gardens, and old 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Ixv 
 
 palace ; culture of grapes in the neighbourhood ; journey from Manheini 
 
 to Paris ; Supplement, lii-lxii. 
 Magdalen, statue of the, by Canova, ii. 487, &c. 
 ManoKrif, Sen. and Jun., booksellers at Caen, i. 322-3. 
 Mansion Colard, books printed by — in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 280. 
 MarivautV, village of, near Rouen, i. 197. 
 Marmion, Robert de, his arms, ii. 240. 
 
 Martin, Francois, a singular bibliomaniac at Caen, i. 325 ; his copy of tlie 
 
 Athence Normannorum, 326-6. 
 Mary, Queen of Scots, portrait of, ii. 477 ; altar of gold, belonging to, now 
 
 in the palace at Munich, iii. 248. 
 Massard, celebrated engraver at Paris, ii. 505. 
 Mauffer, an ancient printer at Rouen, i. 123. 
 
 Maximilian the Great, adventure of, upon the top of Ulm cathedral, 191 ; 
 his own copy of the Tewrdanckh in the Imperial Library at Vienna, iii. 
 529. 
 
 May, Professor, public librarian at Augsbourg, iii. 226 ; purchase of books 
 from, 229. 
 
 Mazarine Library, description of, ii. 362, 368. 
 
 Mazarin, Cardinal, portrait of, in the collection of Q. Craufurd, ii. 477- 
 
 Meaucc, cathedral of, ii. 526. 
 
 Megard, M., printer at Rouen, i. 129, 132. 
 
 Melanchthony his portrait when young, from an original picture by Christ. 
 Amberger, at Augsbourg, iii. 215-6; literary pieces of, collected at Nu- 
 remberg, Supplement, xxvi. 
 
 Mercator, Guido, book printed by, in the public library at Vire, i. 447- 
 
 Mercier, St. Leger, Abbi, some account of, with engraving of his portrait, 
 ii. 353, 362. 
 
 , his posthumous labours, ii. 360, 378. 
 
 MetZy briefly described, on the road from Manheim to Paris, Supplement, lix. 
 
 Millin, M., one of the curators of the royal library at Paris ; his dissertation 
 upon the medal of Louis XII., ii. 134; his literary character, 433, 438; 
 library, 434 ; symposium at Paris, 435 ; preservation of national antiquities, 
 437 ; writes the account of the Roxburghe banquet, 444 ; his death, and 
 portrait of, 522, 524. 
 
 Minne- Singers, or love poets, history of, at Strasbourg, iii. 90. 
 
 Missal, MS., several in the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 202; in the collec- 
 tion of M. Denon, ii. 462; in the Royal Library at Stuttgart, iii. 152; 
 in the Royal Library at Munich, iii. 270; in the Imperial Library at 
 Vienna, iii. 465. 
 
 Missals, printed, copies of at Rouen, i. 165; at Caen, 336; at Bayeux, 
 373,375 ; St. Sever, 421; in the Library of the Arsenal, ii. 323. 
 
 I 
 
Ixvi 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 MoLK, in Austria, Monastery of — account of a visit to the same, with a 
 description of the interior, (including the library and church) and a copper- 
 plate engraving of a view of the exterior, and of the portrait of Berthold 
 Dietmayr, the restorer of the monastery, iii. 406, 418; anecdote of the 
 French here, on their march to Vienna, 414 ; monastery revisited, on 
 return from Vienna, Supplement, v. 
 
 Molly Baron Von, one of the curators of the Public Library at Munich, iii. 
 306, &c. ; excursion to his villa, 307. 
 
 Monasteries : St. Peter, at Salzburg, iii. 349, 356 ; of Chremsminster, 
 370, 381; St. Florian, 387, 404; Molk, 406, 418; Gottvvic, 422, &c.; 
 Closterneuburg, 613-9; Capuchins, 619, &c. ; Sts. Emmeram and James, 
 Ratisbon, Supplement, x-xiv. 
 
 Montausier, J. L. duchesse de, portrait of, in the collection of Q. Craufurd, 
 ii. 473. 
 
 Montmorenci, Castle, at Tancarville ; description, and copper-plate view of, 
 i. 234-8. 
 
 More, Sir Thomas, his copy of the work of Rossei opus elegans, &c., for- 
 merly belonging to Eckuis — in the Public Library at Landshut, iii. 337. 
 
 Moreau, late General, commendation of by Baron Von Moll, iii. 308. 
 
 Morin, ancient printer at Rouen — his device, i. 123-4 
 
 Morteux, the Ahhk, public librarian at Vire, i. 445. 
 
 Mouton, M. Le, Cur^ of St. Trinity Church, at Falaise, ii. 20, 25. 
 
 Moysant, Mr. late public librarian at Caen — some account of, i. 328, &c., 
 his mission to search libraries, 330; at Bayeux, 372; at Falaise, ii. 19. 
 
 Mozler, M., bookseller at Freysing, iii. 328. 
 
 Munich; appearance of the city, population, &c., iii. 241; the cathedral, 242; 
 
 fine monument in the choir, 242; church of St. Michael, 243; of St. 
 
 Caetan, 245 ; palace of Maximilian, 246, 249 ; picture gallery, 249, 252 ; 
 
 palace of Schleisheim, 252; public garden, 253; a threatening storm, 254 ; 
 
 market women, with copper-plate, 255 ; the public library, 251 — descrip- 
 
 jtion of the MSS. and rarer printed books, 259 — 298 ; book acquisitions, 
 
 and booksellers, 299, 306; curators of the public library, 306, 313; M. 
 
 Hess, engraver, 314-5; M. Nockher, 316 : Lithography, 317- 
 Mysterious interview, with Stranger, at Bayeux, i. 357, 363. 
 
 N. 
 
 Nancy; approach to, ii. 537; description of, 537, 545; copper-plate views 
 of the old and new gates, 538 ; public garden, by moonlight, 539 ; the ca- 
 thedral, 539 ; churches, 540; booksellers, 541; Le Dragon Rouge, 542 ; 
 public library, 543. 
 
 Neander, Michael, the friend of Budjeus, portrait of, iii. 353. 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Ixvii 
 
 Neumarht, a post town between Landshut and Altoting, iii. 340 j between 
 
 Ratlsbon and Nuremberg, Supplement y xvi. 
 Ney, late Marshal^ spot where he was shot, ii. 427- 
 Nicholas, St., village near Nancy, ii. 545. 
 
 Nockher, J/r., banker at Munich — his kind attentions to the author, iii. 316-7, 
 355. 
 
 Nuremberg; approach to. Supplement, xvii — copper-plate vignette of a 
 portion of the walls, xviii — of a townswoman met in the vicinity of, xix; 
 appearance and population of the town, xx ; description of the churches, 
 with copper-plate views of the interiors of St. James and St. Mary, xix, 
 xxiij of the public library, xxiiij of the citadel, xxvi, xxx; of the town 
 hall, xxx J decay of art and commerce, xxxi; writers upon the antiqui- 
 ties and customs, &c., of the town, xviii, xx ; supposed residence of 
 Anthony Koberger, the famous printer of Nuremberg, in the xvth century, 
 xxii, &c. ; the curiosities of Baron Derschau, xxxii, xxxv; negotiation 
 for the Codex Ehnerlanus, a Greek ms. of the New Testament of the 
 xiith century, xxxvi; present state of the fine arts at, xxxviii, xl; anti- 
 quity of some of the bookselling-establishments, xli ; excursion to Furth, 
 in the neighbourhood of, and purchase of books of Heerdegen, a book- 
 seller there, xli-ii ; gaiety of sabbath costume, xliii j departure from, to 
 Manheim, xliv. 
 
 O. 
 
 Oberlin, one of the celebrated literary characters of Strasbourg, iii. 45-6, 90. 
 Odilo, Klama, Mr., librarian at the monastery of Gottwic, iii. 422. 
 Ohmacht, sculptor, at Strasbourg, iii. 47, 97- 
 
 Olivier Basselin, price of a copy of his Vaudevires, i. 322 j copies of that 
 work in the public library at Caen, 337 j some account of that work, and 
 of its author, 433, 444; original MS. of, in the possession of a private 
 gentleman at Bayeux, 364 j copy of, presented to the author at Vire, 433, 
 &c. 
 
 Organ, in the church of St. Godard, at Rouen, i. 83 ; in the abbey of St. 
 Ouen, i. 75 j in the abbey of St. Stephen at Caen, 288; at Coutances, 
 404 ; at St. Germain des Pr^s, at Paris, ii. 98 ; in the cathedral of 
 Strasbourg, iii. 36 ; in the church of the monastery of St. Florian, 399. 
 
 Ottley, Mr. W. Y., his fine collection of engravings alluded to, iii. 600 ; 
 Supplement, xxxvi. 
 
 Ouen, St., abbey of, at Rouen, i. 69, 78; refectory attached to, 77. 
 
 Ouilly, Pont, village between Vire and Falaise, ii. 5. 
 
 P. 
 
 P * Captain, R. N., pleasant fellow-traveller — met at Nancy, ii. 539; and 
 at Strasbourg, iii. 98. 
 
Ixviii INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Painted — see Windoics. 
 
 Palais de Justice, at Rouen, i. 103, 6 ; Palais Royal, at Paris, ii. 81-2. 
 Palissi Bernard, Faience plate by, ii. 494. 
 
 Pallas, Mr., Vice Principal of the monastery at Molk — his kind attentions to 
 the author, iii. 413, &c. 
 
 Paper and printing, ordinary, at Paris, ii. 410 ; at Vienna, iii. 610. 
 
 Paris J approach to, ii. 73-5; the Boulevards, with a copper-plate view of 
 the Boulevards Italiens, 76, 8p ; the Thuileries, 80, 84 5 Champs Elyses, 
 81 ; Palais Royal, 81-2; CafF^ des mille colonnes, 82; Jardin des Plantes, 
 83; Louvre, 84-5; Bridges, 87; Halle aux Bibs. 88; Exchange, 89; 
 Hotel Soubise, 90; Street Scenery, 91,94; Notre Dame, 95; St. Ger- 
 vais, 96; St. Eustache, 97 ; St. Germain des Prbs, 97; St. Germain aux 
 Auxerrois, 98 ; the Sorbonne, 99 ; the new Ste. Genevieve, or Pantheon, 
 99, 100; St. Sulpice, 100; the Oratoire, 103; St. Roch, 103; I'Assomp- 
 tion, 104; St. Philippe du Roule, 104; a Parisian sabbath, 105; mo- 
 numents in the Rue des Petits Augustins, 107; Fountains, 110, 114; 
 topographical works upon, 115, 117; Hotel de Cluny, 118; old and 
 modern Paris, 119, 120; ancient manners, customs, and locality of Paris, 
 120, 127; general description of the Royal Library, 128, 148; the public 
 librarians, 131, 160, 151; Cabinet des Medailles, 136, 137; Cabinet des 
 Estampes, 138; 144; account of the illuminated MSS., 155, 245; of the 
 early printed books in the royal collection, 246, 318; library of the 
 Arsenal, 318, 341 ; Library of Ste. Genevieve, 342, 353; Abbe Mercier 
 Saint L^ger, late librarian, 354, 362 ; the Mazarine Library, 362, 368 ; 
 Library of the Institute, 370; private library of the King, 371, 3/6; 
 some account of the late Abb6 Rive, 381, 385; booksellers, 387, 404; 
 printers, 405, 411; bookbinders, 413,422; men of letters, Dom Brial, 
 the Abbe B^tencourt, 423, 430; Messrs. Gail, Millin, and Langlbs, 
 430, 440; a Roxburgh e banquet, 443, 452; collection of M. Denon, 453, 
 467; ofM. Quintin Craufurd, 468, 480. of the Marquis de Sommariva, 
 481, 490; notice of M. Willemins Monumens Inedits, 491, 493; miscel- 
 laneous national antiquities, 495, 502; of the Fine Arts, 502, 515; 
 national character, 516, 520; departure from, 524. 
 Pascal, Blaise, portrait of, in the collection of Q. Craufurd, ii. 473. 
 Paul, St., church of at Rouen, i. 86-7. 
 
 Payne, Mr. John, his purchase of the second edition of Shakspeare, from 
 the public library at Augsbourg, iii. 231 ; his purchase of the Codecc 
 Ebnerianus, Supplement, xxxvii. 
 
 Peregrinus, B. G., vision of, to Count Albert, with copper-plate, iii. 221. 
 
 Pcriaikv, M., printer, and member of the Academy at Rouen, i. 127-9. 
 
 Pfistcr, tracts printed hy-"m the Royal Library at Paris, ii. 260; the Four 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Ixix. 
 
 Histories, Biblia Pauper um, Lat. and Germ. 261 ; Fables, 1461 — formerly 
 in the Royal Library, now restored, to the Wolfenbuttle library, ii. 261. 
 
 Phalsbourg, a fortified town near the Vosges, ii. 549. 
 
 Picard, Guerin, Mr., vendor of chap-books at Caen, i. 317-8. 
 
 Pichon, Mr., founder of the Public Library at Vire, i. 446. 
 
 Pictures, see Gallery. 
 
 Pilgram, Anthony, architect of Vienna cathedral, iii. 648-553. 
 
 Pilgrims, halt of, in the road fi'om St. Polten to Gottwic Monastery, with a 
 
 copper-plate engraving of the same party, on their nearer approach to the 
 
 same monastery, iii. 421-2, 433. 
 Pisanif portrait of, from the painting of Antonello da Messina, ii. 457-8. 
 Plochingen, curious old town, near Stuttgart, iii. 181. 
 Pluquet, Mr. an apothecary and book vendor at Bayeux, i. 363. 
 Polten, St., post-town between Molk and Vienna, iii. 419. 
 Pont UEveque, between Honfleur and Caen, i. 257- — Ouilly, between Vire 
 
 and Falaise, ii. 5. 
 Portraits, list of, in the Public Library at Caen, i. 327. 
 Portraits, engraved, number of, in the collection of the Emperor of Austria, 
 
 iii, 598. 
 
 Postillion, in the Dieppe diligence, i. 37; at Tancarville, i. 236; in the duchy 
 of Baden, iii. 101 ; in the territory of Bavaria, iii. 200; in Austria, iii. 369. 
 Prater, the, at Vienna, description of, iii. 582, &c. 
 
 PrevostLe, Mr. his drawings of the Abbey of St. Ouen, i. 77 ; his antiquarian 
 knowledge, 152; list of some rare books in his library, 153; attentions to 
 the author, 187- 
 
 Printing, ancient and mo^/^rw, at Rouen, i. 123-152; at Vienna, iii. 608.; 
 
 see Stereotype. 
 Printselling and Print shops, at Paris, ii. 512. 
 Protestant church at Caen, i, 341. See Catholics. 
 Prudhon, Parisian painter, character of his pictures, ii. 483. 
 Pucelle d' Orleans ; see Arc, Jeanne d\ 
 
 Pulpit, in Bayeux cathedral, i. 349 ; of stone, in Strasbourg cathedral, iii 35 ; 
 of marble and gilt in the church of the monastery of St. Florian, 400 ; en- 
 tirely of gilt, in the monastic church of Molk, iii. 416. 
 
 Q. 
 
 Quays, at Rouen, i. 108. 
 
 Quillebeuf, Mr., his preaching in Rouen catheckal, i. 67- 
 
 Quillebeuf, fishing village in Normandy, i. 219. 
 
 Quintin Cravfurd, late Mr., his collection of pictm-es, ii. 468-480. 
 
 R. 
 
 Radel, Petit, Mr., librarian of the Mazarine Library, ii, 364-369. 
 
Ixx 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Rambouillet, la Marquise de, portrait of, in the collection of Mr. Q. Craiifurd, 
 ii. 474. 
 
 Ramparts of Viennay remarks upon, iii. 610. 
 
 Ranner, Mr., Public Librarian at Nuremberg, Suppl. xiii., &c. 
 
 Ratisbon : account of the town, cathedral, monasteries, and public collec- 
 tions, Suppl. vii.-xv. 
 
 Redoute, Mr., his drawings of flowers — collection of, in the King's Private 
 Library at Paris, ii. 376. 
 
 Reformation, at Strasbourg, anecdotes connected with, iii. 87. 
 
 Rembrandt, M. Denon*s collection of prints by, ii. 460. 
 
 Renatidiere, M. Lanon de la, at Vire — his bibliomaniacal ardour and library, 
 
 i. 431-46 ; society 458 ; his love of, and translations from, Thomson's 
 Seasons, 459, &c. ; opinion of our reviews, 460 ; afternoon's ramble with 
 the author, 460 j friendly attentions to the author, ii. 2. 
 
 Renouard, Mr., bookseller at Paris, ii. 392 j character of his publications, 
 
 392-3; his choice library, 394-7. 
 Reposoirs, what — at Falaise, ii. 60. 
 Reviews, Edinburgh and Quarterly, opinion upon, i. 460. 
 Revolution, late, in France, direful effects of, i. 88, 180, 204, 362, 371, 405, 
 
 ii. 360 ; iii. 50. 
 
 Rheims, its cathedral, &c. briefly described, Suppl. Ix. 
 Riaux, Mr., at Rouen — his library, i. 105-158. 
 
 Rive, Abb^, the late — account of, with copper-plate of his portrait, ii. 381- 
 385. 
 
 Robec, Ruede, at Rouen, i. 114-5. 
 Robertsau, place so called near Strasbourg, iii. 13. 
 Rob Roy, read for the first time at Strasbourg, iii. 76. 
 Roger, Mr. stippling engraver at Paris, ii. 509- 
 
 Rohfritschy a valet — ^hired at Strasbourg, iii. 99; — his expedition from Man- 
 
 heim to Stuttgart, iii. 171-2. 
 RoUin, Mr., protestant preacher at Caen, i. 341. 
 
 Rolloy the monument of, in Rouen cathedral, i. 52 , his patronage of ecclesias- 
 tical architecture, 198; 274. 
 
 Romain, or Romanus, St. and the dragon — at Rouen, i. 66. 
 
 Rouen : approach to the city, i. 38-40 ; general impression from appearance 
 of the streets, i. 40-2 ; old copper-plate views of the town, and of its vici- 
 nity, 40-1 ; Hotel Vatel 42 ; Boulevards, 43-4 ; population. 45 ; cathedral, 
 47 ; copper-plate view of the exterior of the south transept, 50 ; chapel of 
 our Lady, 51 ; Monuments (with engravings) in the cathedral, 51-64; an- 
 cient library attached to it, 65; ancient feast on Ascension Day, 66; con- 
 firmation, seen by the author, 67 ; the abbey of St. Ouen, 69-78 ; churches 
 of St. Maclou, St. Vincent, St. Vivien, St. Gervais, and St. Paul, 80-88; 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Ixxi 
 
 revolutionary depredations, 88, 180 ; Halles de Commerce, 90-2 ; cattle- 
 market, 93 ; Rue de la Grosse Horloge, 94 ; Place de la Pucelle, 95 ; repre- 
 sentation of the Champ de Drap d'Or, 100-2; Palais de Justice, 103-5; 
 Judges in the Tribunal of Commerce, 106 ; Quays, 108 ; Bridge of Boats, 
 110; Rue du Bac, with engraving, 111-2; manufactories, 113; Rue de Ro- 
 bec, 1 14 ; Mont Ste. Catharine, 1 16-122 ; old and modern printing at Rouen, 
 123-151 ; chap-books, religious, moral, and amusing, 134-148; booksellers, 
 149 151 ; book-collectors, 152-160; account of the MSS. and early printed 
 books in the Public Library, 161-184; departure from, and distant view of, 
 with engraving, 185-8; picture gallery, 162. 
 
 Roxburghe Club, alluded to, i. 184; iii. 302; iii. 446; Roxburghe banquet, 
 given by the author at Paris, ii. 441-451. 
 
 Rue, Abbk de la, his Treatise upon the Armoric bards, i. 282 ; description of 
 his person, i. 309 ; appreciation of his talents,' i. 363. 
 
 S." 
 
 Sabbathy the, at Dieppe, i. 19-24; at Falaise, ii. 59; at Paris, ii. 105; at 
 Vienna, iii. 584, &c. at Nuremberg, Suppl. xliii.-iv. 
 
 Sacy, Silvestre de, Mr., his high character as an Orientalist, ii. 438. 
 
 Saloon, in the monastery of St. Florian, magnificence of, iii. 402, &c. 
 
 Salzbubg, approach to, iii. 322, 329, 343, 346; the hotel of the Golden 
 SchifF, 346 ; the Citadel, with copper-plate engraving, 347 ; Place, near the 
 cathedral, 348 ; diminished population of theftown, 348 ; churches of Ste. 
 Trinite and Sebastien, ibid. ; monastery of St. Peter, with an account of the 
 library and book purchases therefrom, 349-356 ; mountainous country in 
 the vicinity of Salzburg, 35/ ; height of the principal mountains, ibid ; de- 
 parture from Salzburg, 361. 
 
 Salzburg marble, commendation of, iii. 403. 
 
 Sandrart, his chef d'oeuvre, as a painter, at Nuremberg, Suppl. xxix. 
 Sarcander, P. I. librarian of the Capuchin convent, in the Rossau, near 
 
 Vienna; his Latin bill of parcels, of books bought from thence, iii. 621. 
 ^averne, entrance into — and mountainous country in the vicinity of, ii. 
 
 551-3. 
 
 Saudrupt, village on the road to Strasbourg, ii. 533. 
 
 SaajCy Marshal, account of his monument, in the church of St. Thomas, at 
 
 Strasbourg, iii. 43. 
 Schalbacher, a bookseller at Vienna, purchase of books from, iii. 607, &c. 
 Scherer, Mr., head librarian of the Public Library at Munich, iii. 312-3; 
 
 kind assistance of, in the translation of a German metrical ms. of Sir Tris- 
 
 trem, 264. 
 
Ixxii 
 
 I.NDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Schiller, colossal bust of, by Dannecker, iii. 173-6. 
 
 Schlichtegroll, Mr., one of the curators of the Public Library at Munich, iii. 
 
 310; kind attentions of, ibid. 
 Schlosser, Mr. Professor at Heidelberg, his ** Universal Biography," Suppl 
 
 l.-li. 
 
 Schoepflin, among the celebrated characters of Strasbourg, iii. 45. 
 Schdnhrunn Palace, near Vienna, 575. 
 
 Schtveighceuser, I. sen. Mr., his talents alluded to, iii. 79-20 ; his edition of 
 Herodotus, 95; interview with, at Baden, iii. 105, &c. ; his portrait, 110 ; 
 evening walk with, iii. 114. 
 
 Schweighceuser,jun. Mr., his kind attentions to the author, iii. 25, 60, 97 ; his 
 Memoirs of Koch, iii. 47. 
 
 Sebastian, St., sculptured figure of, in the church at Falaise, ii. 22. 
 
 Seguin, Mr. account of his publications at Vire, i, 449. See Bibliographi- 
 cal Index. 
 
 Sever, St., between Ville-dieu and Vire, i. 421. 
 Sevre, near Paris, ii. 72. 
 
 Siebenkees, Mr. Professor, public librarian at Landshut — kind attentions to 
 
 the author, iii. 330-332. 
 Society of Belles Lettres, at Rouen: sitting of, i. 180. 
 Soleinne, Mr., his fine dramatic library, ii. 301. 
 
 Sommariva, Marquis de, his collection of paintings and sculpture, ii. 480- 
 490. 
 
 Sorbonne, neighbourhood of, and College Royale, ii. 386. 
 Spechlin, Daniel, his plate of Strasbourg cathedral, iii. 41. 
 Spencer, Countess, prints from her designs in a private house near Bayeux, 
 i. 362. 
 
 , Earl ; his purchase of the Valdarfer Boccaccio, i. 236 ; his visit 
 
 to Paris, and confrontation of his own impression of the wood-cut of St. 
 Christopher, with a supposed similar impression at Paris, ii. 143-145; 
 his library alluded to, i. 433 ; ii. 263, 265, 266, 273, 311,314, 316, 317; iii. 
 56, 79, 132, 140, 192, 288, 306, 381, Suppl x., xxv , xxxiv.; his opinion 
 respecting a copy of Ulric Han's edition of Servius in Virgilium, in the 
 Mazarine library, ii. 366 ; is toasted, with the Roxburghe Club, 443 ; feted 
 by the Society of Bibliophiles at Paris, 449-450. 
 
 Spire, on. the banks of the Rhine, nearManheim, desolated state of the cathe- 
 dral, Suppl. Iviii. 
 
 Steinbach, Ervin de, one of the architects of Strasbourg cathedral, iii. 15-17. 
 Stereotype printing, ancient — in the Public Library at Augsbourg, iii. 235 ; 
 
 modern, about to be established at Vienna, iii. 608. 
 Stoeger, Mr., bookseller at Munich, iii. 299-303. 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Ixxiii 
 
 Stothardy Mr.Jun., his labours connected with the Bayeux tapestry, i. 366, 
 383. 
 
 Strasbourg J approach, and entrance into, ii. 654; the Protestant Religion, 
 iii. 5; treacherous surrender of the city to Louis XIV., 8; the cathedral, 
 with account of publications and prints relating to, 11, 41 ; church of St. 
 Thomas, 41 ; the Public Library, 49 ; booksellers, 71 ; society, 74; environs 
 of Strasbourg, 81 ; manners and customs, 85 ; Free-Masonry, 89; literature, 
 &c. 91. 
 
 Strattmariy Ahhky the a resident in the Monastery of Molk, and late public li- 
 brarian of the Imperial Library of Vienna, iii. 408-410, &c. ; urges the 
 author to visit the monastery of Gottwic, 411. 
 
 Straubingy town near Ratisbon, Suppl. vi. 
 
 StiidentSy in the Public Library at Rouen, i. 175. 
 
 aS'tuttgart; arrival at, iii. 116; crucifix at, with a plate, 117; booksellers, 
 119 ; M. Le Bret, public librarian, 131 ; the Public or Royal Library, 134- 
 157 ; copper-plate view of the street scenery near, 136 ; Private Library of 
 the King of Wirtemberg, with a fac-simile of the Trinity, of the xiitli 
 century, iii. 157-165 ; description of the Royal Palace, iii. 166 j description 
 of the late Queen, 168-171; attendance at the levee for a bibliographical 
 negotiation, 168. 
 
 T. 
 
 Tancarvilie, village of, in Normandy; route thither from Bolbec, i. 231 ; Au- 
 bergiste, 232; Montmorenci castle, and neighbourhood, with vignette and 
 separate view of, 233-4 ; anecdote of the postillion, i. 236. 
 
 Tapestry, at Bayeux, account of, with wood-cuts and copper-plates, i. 376, &c. 
 in the cathedral of Strasbourg, iii. 30. 
 
 Thotty Dcy was an eye witness of the fatal wound received by Henri II. from 
 Montmorenci, i. 64 ; numerous copies of books, from his library, in the 
 royal collection at Paris, ii. 317- 
 
 Thouvenin, Mr., book-binder at Paris, ii. 416-418. 
 
 Thunder-stormy over the city of Rouen, i. 112 ; over the town of Baden, iii. 
 
 108 ; over that of Munich, iii. 254. 
 ThuilerieSy description of^ ii. 80-84. 
 
 Tombstones in Germany y brief description of their general character, iii. 369. 
 
 Touly town on the road to Strasbourg, ii. 635. 
 
 Traiteury Mr., a book-collector at Manheim, SuppL liv. 
 
 Travelling, dearth of fellow-travellers in France, ii. 556. 
 
 Treuttel and WurtZy booksellers at Paris, ii. 389 \ excursion to their country 
 
 villa, ii. 390 ; benevolent character of Madame Treuttel, 390; booksellers at 
 
 Strasbourg, iii. 72. 
 
 K 
 
Ixxiv 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, 
 
 Turner, Dawson, Mr., his antiquarian taste and love of virtii, alluded to, i. 
 ] 52-3 ; character of his Tour in Normandy ; Preface, x. 
 
 Ulm ; approach to, iii. 183-4 ; hotel of the White Stag- commended, 184, 
 193 ; visit to Professor Veesenmeyer, iii. 185 ; description of the cathe- 
 dral, and of the library within it, 186, 188, 192 j of the choir, 189 ; view 
 from the tower of the cathedral, 190; adventure thereupon, 190; copper- 
 plate view of the exterior, 191 ; market place, and credulity of the common 
 people, 199 ; departure from, 200 ; date of the completion of the cathedral, 
 237. 
 
 Ursula, St., legend of, ii. 199. 
 
 Falliere, Diichesse de la, portrait of, in the collection of Mr. Q, Craufurd, ii. 
 474. 
 
 Fan Praet, M., one of the public librarians at Paris, ii. 131 ; a guest at the 
 Roxburghe banquet, 442, &c.; at M. Millin's dejeun^ ^ la fourchette, 435; 
 his kind attentions to the author, 132 ; his forthcoming catalogue of books 
 printed upon vellum, in the Royal Library, 247; his purchase of the mo- 
 rality of the Blasphemateurs du nom de Dieu, ii. 301 ; his lamentation at 
 the departure of the Fables printed by Pfister in 1471, 450; his print of 
 St. Bernardinus, 514. 
 
 Veesenmeyer, Professor, at Ulm ; visit to, and account of his library, fare- 
 well salutation of, iii. 185, 193-6, 197. 
 
 Vernet,M., his lithographical productions, ii.513. 
 
 Versailles, ii. 71. 
 
 Vienna ; approach to, iii. 442-3 ; arrival at the hotel called the Crown of 
 Hungary, 444 ; description of the Imperial Library, and head librarians, 
 447, &c. ; number and value of the volumes in the same library, 451 ; 
 copper-plate view of the interior of the library, 454; description of some 
 of the MSS. in the library, 455, 485 ; description of the rarer and earlier 
 printed books in the same, 483, 533 ; population and general description 
 of Vienna, 536 ; number of Jews at, 537 ; national character and society 
 at, 539; the streets, 541 ; fountains, 542; mode of living, 544; cafriages, 
 545 ; description of the cathedral, with copper-plate view of the exterior, 
 547, 555 ; monuments in the cathedral, 553 ; church of St. Mary, 555 ; 
 publication descriptive of ecclesiastical edifices at Vienna, 556-7 ; church of 
 the Augustins, and monument by Canova, to the memory of the Duchess 
 Albert of Saxe-Teschen, 558 ; convents, 563 ; Capuchin and Franciscan, 
 563-6 ; the two Belvedere Palaces, 567, 573 ; the young Bonaparte, 574 ; 
 Palace of Schonbrunn, 575; the Treasury, 577 j Theatres, &c., 578; 
 the Prater, 583, 586; fire works, near the same, 588; account of the 
 Emperor of Austria's private library, &c., 589, 599; of the collection of 
 drawings, &c. of Duke Albert, 599 ; of the libraries of Counts Fries and 
 Apponi, 600; literature, 603; booksellers, 605; printing, 608; the 
 
PLACES AND THINGS. 
 
 Ixxv 
 
 ramparts, 610; monastery of Closterneuberg, in the vicinity of, 613; of 
 the Capuchins, in the Rossau, 619 ; departure from, Supplementy v. 
 
 Ville DicUy post to\vn, between Granville and Vire, i. 420. 
 
 Vincent, St., church of, at Rouen, i. 82. 
 
 Vire ; approach to, i. 422; the town, 423; hotel of the Cheval Blanc, 423, 
 436; market place and old castle, with copper-plate view of, 424; vig- 
 nette of the castle, 425 ; bibliography, 428, 458 ; account of the Vaudevires 
 of Olivier Basselin, 433, &c. ; of the Public Library, 446 ; founder and 
 history of the Public Library, 447; manufactories, manners and customs, 
 449, &c.; history of printing at, 455. 
 
 Virgily two ancient editions of — procured from the Royal Library at Stutt- 
 gart, iii. 170, 171-3. 
 
 Virgin Mary, wretched representation of at St- Lo., i. 397; price of plaister 
 images of, at St. Lo, 398; figure of, in the cathedral at Coutances, 404; 
 wood cut of, i. 320. 
 
 Vitalis, M., president of the society of belles-lettres at Rouen, i. 180. 
 
 Vit7'i/, a small town, on the road to Strasburg, ii. 531. 
 
 Vivien, St., church of at Rouen, i. 82-4. 
 
 Voiture to VilleDieu, i. 419: from Dreux to Paris, ii. 
 
 V ohaire, his bust by Houdon, in the collection of Mr. Q. Craufurd, ii. 471 ; 
 his figure, in the Library of the Institute, ii. 370. 
 
 ^(?*^^*, mountainous country near Strasbom-g, iii. 20; number of baronial 
 castles in the same, ibid. ; libraries in the same, iii. 70. 
 
 W. 
 
 Waterloo, print representing the effects of the battle of, ii. 510. 
 
 W atts, Mr., about to establish a stereotype press at Vienna, iii. 608. 
 
 Wellington, Duke of, his portrait by Gerard, ii. 50/; in aquatint, 511 ; 
 anecdote relating to, at Phalsbourg, 550; at Strasbourg, iii. 85; at Vienna, 
 606 ; at Neiimarkt, between Ratisbon and Nuremberg, Supplement, xvi ; 
 his military character appreciated, ibid. ; ii. 467 ; sale of his portrait, en- 
 graved by Bromley, from Sir T. Lawrence's painting, at Manheim, Supple- 
 ment, liii. 
 
 Wenceslaus, Emperor of Bohemia, his MS. Bible (with three copper-plate 
 
 engravings of his person) in the Imperial Library at Vienna, iii. 461, 463. 
 Wilkie, D., R. A., engravings from his pictures in the collection of M. 
 
 Langles, ii. 439 ; his talents complimented by M. Benard, ii. 510. 
 Willemin, M., his antiquarian labours commended, ii. 491-4. 
 William the Conqueror, his tomb and supposed portrait in the abbey of St. 
 
 Stephen, at Caen, i. 284, 294; Palace of, at Caen, 289; collection of 
 
 chartularies, granted by, ii. 236. 
 Windows, painted, in the abbey of St. Ouen, i. 71 j in the churches of Saints 
 
Ixxvi 
 
 INDEX OF PERSONS, &c. 
 
 Vincent and Godard, at Rouen, i. 82-3 ; in the church at Dreux, ii. 66 j in 
 the church at Toul, 536; in the cathedral at Strasbourg, iii. 31 ; in the 
 church attached to the Public Library at Strasbourg, iii. 49. 
 JVirtembergy late Queen of, description of her person and manners, at court, 
 iii. 168, 170; her funeral, 175. 
 
 Y. 
 
 Young, Mr., Librarian to the Emperor of Austria, and Secretary to the 
 Privy Council of State — ^his kind attention to the author, iii. 599. 
 
 Z. 
 
 Zeiner, J. printer at Ulm, supposed place of his residence, iii. 192. 
 
[ Ixxvil ] 
 
 ADDENDA. 
 
 Vol i. p. 309. The History of Caen by the Abbe de la Rue, 
 has just appeared in two small octavo volumes (not quarto — as here 
 specified — and as I had been previously informed) under the title of 
 Essais Historiques sur la Ville de Caen et son Arrondissement. 
 Caen, 1820. With the exception of two or three indifferent plates 
 of relics of sculpture, and of tiles, with armorial bearings, this 
 work is entirely divested of ornaments. There are some useful 
 historical details in it, taken from the examination of records and 
 achives: but a History of Caen is yet a desideratum. 
 
 Vol. i. p. 444. The new edition of the Vaudevires of Oli- 
 vier Basselin, here alluded to, has recently appeared under the 
 editorial care of Mr. Louis Dubois, under the title of Vaux-de- 
 Vires d'OIivier Basselin, Poete Normand, de la Jin du xiv. 
 Steele,^' &c. Poisson, Caen, 1821. 8vo. pp. 264: Papier ordin. 7 
 fr. Pap. velin 15 fr. 
 
 Vol. ii. p. 59. Falaise. The Sabbath-preparation, and pro- 
 cession therefrom, here recorded, denoted the celebration of the 
 Fete Dteu. I happened to be at Paris, two years afterwards, 
 on the celebration of the same fete ; and walked between the fa^ 
 mous Goblein tapestry, extended on either side, for at least 100 
 yards, towards the Louvre. The grandest procession in Paris, on 
 that day, was from the Thuilleries to the parish church of St. 
 Germains aux Auxerrois. The Duchesse d'Angouleme walked 
 in this procession; and it happening to rain, several umbrellas, 
 from the bystanders, were offered for her acceptance— but she de- 
 clined receiving one. These processions are moving in all parts of 
 Paris, by times in the morning : but the people, generally speak- 
 ing, heed them very little. 
 
 Vol. ii. p. 313. The first Aldine Aristotle upon vellum. Not- 
 withstanding I deferred to the opinion of Mr. Van Praet, and had 
 even supposed, from the evidence here adduced, that there was no 
 
Ixxviii 
 
 ADDENDA. 
 
 copy of the first volume of this edition upon vellum, yet it had al- 
 ways appeared to me strange and unaccountable, that a printer, 
 like Aldus, should have struck off copies upon vellum, of the re- 
 maining volumes of an edition, of which there had been no similar 
 impressions taken of the first : and thereby rendering every mem- 
 branaceous copy incomplete. It has at length turned out that 
 there does exist a copy of the fi^^st volume upon vellum : and the li- 
 brary of New College, Oxford, boasts of this unique treasure in its 
 way. This discovery, I learn, was made by the Rev. Mr. Gaisford, 
 the Greek Professor of that University. It is probable that some 
 accident had attended the impressions of the first volume upon vel- 
 lum; as it is otherwise impossible to account for its general non-ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 Vol.iii. 455. MSS.in the Imperial Library at Vienna. Inthexlvth 
 number of the Classical Journal, for March 1821, there appears 
 a very particular account of the Theodosian Map, or Tabula 
 Peutingeriana, (it having belonged to an individual of the name of 
 Desiderius Ignatius Peutinger, in 1714) the two Greek MSS. of 
 Dioscorides, and some Greek MSS of Homer, &c. together with 
 slighter notices of a few other similar curiosities. The author is 
 Dr. Noehden. 
 
 Supplement, p. xx, note. The Shrine of St. Sebald. I am 
 favoured by Mr. Boosey, jun. with a translation of that part 
 of the Guide of Nuremberg, printed in the German language, 
 which relates to this very curious and splendid shrine, and which 
 is as follows : " The shrine of St. Sebald was began in 1 506 by 
 Peter Fischer, and his five sons, and was finished on the 19th 
 June 1519; it required one hundred and twenty hundred weight 
 of metal, and cost twenty-six thousand four hundred guldens, 
 which was paid by voluntary contributions. The part which is 
 covered with gold and silver, is five feet ten inches long, and one 
 foot seven inches broad inside the coffin. It was built in 1397, 
 and cost five hundred and six guldens in gold. Fischer's 
 work measures fifteen feet in height, eight feet seven inches 
 in length, and four feet eight inches in breadth. It has this 
 inscription upon it : " Peter Fischer, citizen of Nuremberg, per- 
 
ADDENDA. Ixxix 
 
 formed this work with his sons, and brought it to a completion in 
 the year 1519. To God alone is the praise, and to *S'^ Sebald^ 
 the heavenly prince, the honour, with the assistance of the charity 
 of pious persons." 
 
 Londoti : Printed by W. Bulmer and W. Nicol, 
 Cleveland-row, St. James's. 
 
CORRECTIONS. 
 
 VOLUME I. 
 
 page. line. for 
 
 67. 13. choir. 
 
 159. 21. Saint Palaye, 
 
 221. 12. vastly pretty, 
 
 261. 4. Dernetal, 
 (This error has been introduced in the inscription of the copper-plate of the 
 church so called.) 
 
 read. 
 
 altar. 
 Barbasan. 
 
 extremely picturesque 
 Darnetal. 
 
 291. 
 
 I. 
 
 ancients. 
 
 so ancient. 
 
 
 11. 
 
 fine. 
 
 five. 
 
 315. 
 
 20. 
 
 a vastly. 
 
 rather a 
 
 361. 
 
 20. 
 
 1712, 
 
 1753 
 
 408. 
 
 15. 
 
 en bon point. 
 
 embon point. 
 
 412. 
 
 32. 
 
 librarian. 
 
 bookseller. 
 
 VOLUME 11. 
 
 for 
 
 62. last but 6. feature, 
 
 122. 2. indea, 
 
 448. 17. Transdentals, 
 
 457. 6. inventor, 
 
 467. the reference, to the " Opposite Plate" at the bottom of the 
 page, is erroneous; the head of Denon being introduced at page 459, after the 
 previous leaf was cancelled. 
 
 read 
 
 features, 
 iudea. 
 
 Transcendentals. 
 restorer. 
 
 478. 
 
 Marmontel, Montmartel. 
 
 VOLUME IIL 
 
 
 
 for 
 
 read 
 
 67. 
 
 20. 
 
 Lavargna, 
 
 Lavagna. 
 
 68. 
 
 19. 
 
 Attium, 
 
 Attius. 
 
 74. 
 
 20. 
 
 Francs, 
 
 Franks. 
 
 228. 
 
 24. 
 
 Fisner, 
 
 Frisner. 
 
 285. 
 
 4. 
 
 Meinrat. 
 
 INIeinart. 
 
 464. 
 
 21. 
 
 Vrwino, 
 
 Vni verso. 
 
 512. 
 
 last but 2. 
 
 et. 
 
 etc.