town is to negociate the 20,oool. prize, which I bought at Pope's office only two months ago,

All the remaining company were by this time perfectly electrified by these lottery occurrences, and being now near town, agreed to give the coachman a douceur to drive immediately to Pope's Office, No. 12, corner of the Royal Exchange, facing the Bank of England.

ACCOUNT OF

VALENCIENNES, FRENCH VILLAGES, AND CHANTILLY.

[From Jones's Translation of Bygg's Travels in the French Republic.]

VALEN

ALENCIENNES is the first stage in Old France. I came in on that side which was attacked by the Austrians. In the part near the rampart, whole streets and lanes have been demolished, some have been levelled to the ground, and others burnt. They have not made the least attempt, since the siege, to build or repair them. Copenhagen has been more fortunate in this respect. The third part of that city was consumed by fire, and in less than three years the whole was rebuilt on an extensive and improved plan, far superior to the former. Fire-engines are found to be of great use in Denmark, even in villages. I am not certain that fire-engines are used in France, or in what manner they are regulated and kept up, since the revolution.

The French villages will lose by comparison, in the eye of the traveller, who has just passed through the neat and handsome ones of the Netherlands. The first moment you set your foot in the environs of Valenciennes, you are encircled with a host of beggars, so importunate, that they rather demand than solicit charity, It seems that, shortly

after the revolution, a number of the youth, ofde both sexes, engaged in the manufactures, were f thrown out of employment, and reduced to the ne={ cessity of living on the casual bounty of travellers.

In order to show my pass, it was necessary that I should go to the municipality, and thence to the police officer (bureau de police). As these two did not sit at the same time of the day, I went to the house of one of the municipal officers, a shoe-: maker, whom I found at work in his shop. He did not detain me a moment, when I showed him the pass I had from the French minister in Copenhagen. On showing him the royal Danish pass, he shook his head; as much as to say, That is of no use. His dress was not very fine, and yet he was the chief of the municipality. In all the other towns, in which there were barriers or turnpikes, I was only desired to show my pass, which the officer never took out of my hands; but this was not the case in fortified or garrisoned places, where they examine them very attentively. Formerly they expected a small douceur on these occasions, which was strictly forbidden by the last French proclamation; rien de votre générosité. I am told they were very well satisfied with ten or twelve sous.

It is not very far from Valenciennes to Frejus, where the French gained a very remarkable victory. Here I saw a small monument, erected to the memory of General Dampierre. Douay lies. farther off; a severe battle was fought hete in the reign of Louis XIV. and the French, in order to perpetuate that day, raised a monument on the road side, which consisted of a square pyramid, about thirty feet high, inserted in a square pedestal, ornamented with pyramids of marble, in bas relief, with inscriptions on each side. The.. pyra mid is now stripped of all these ornament, which were broken down or carried away. Some say that

this was done by the Imperialists, who could not bear that the defeat of their ancestors should be thus held out to the view of every passenger. But others impute the dilapidation to Jacobins and terrorists, who did wish that even the splendid exploits of their forefathers, under a monarch, should not be transmitted to posterity.

The French villages are inferior, in almost every respect, to those of Belgium. Most of the houses are built of common clay, and the little furniture betrays evident warks of poverty. Some of them, however, exhibit appearances of prosperity and ease. Besides common corn, clover, horse-beans, and walnuts are produced in abundance, from the kernels of which last they express oil.

I saw a great number of boys and girls in the fields, gathering in the harvest; which led me to conclude, that those who ought to have been employed in that task, were called to the field of battle. I observed that three-wheeled cars, or carts, were used instead of four-wheeled ones, which in general are very large, and sometimes require from two to four, and even six, to draw them; whilst one or two horses will pull a greater load in the former. But I must declare, that in no country with which I am acquainted, are the poor working horses treated with greater cruelty than in France. There can be no doubt, that, where the ground is even, and the roads good, these three-wheled waggons, or carts, ought to be preferred to those with four wheels.

The roads in this part of France are paved, like those of Belgium. Some of them, however, are better than the highways in that country though there are many hollows and rough parts in several places, and although the tolls are very high, all idea of repairing them seems to have been abandoned since the revolution.

Bouchain is a very strong fortification; for, by means of the well placed and finely constructed sluices, the greatest part of the adjoining country can be inundated at pleasure: so that it would be very difficult to besiege or take this fortress, if well supplied with provisions. As to the town itself, its mean buildings have fallen into ruins: the inhabitants seem to share the same fate, for you meet with poverty in every quarter of it. Along the whole tract from Valenciennes to Paris there is a stratum of chalk-stone, which is used in decorating the cast frames of the windows, doors, and gates; and, as you approach the capital, you meet with some houses built entirely with this stone instead of bricks.

Cambray is well fortified, and is furnished with a citadel. The city is well built, neat, and clean. Throughout the whole, you see the remains of wealth and prosperity, for which, no doubt, it is indebted to its famous manufactories of cambric. From Cambray the road runs through Bouavia, Fins, Peronne (which is fortified), Marche le Pot, Fonches, Roye, Conchy les Pots, Carilly, Gournay, Bois le Liheu, and Pont St. Maxenze.

The French posts are under very proper regulations. The horses belong to the post-masters themselves, some of whom have near 120, a num ber of which are always in the stable; so that you are not detained a moment. The post-boy rides on one of the horses, and goes at a smart trot over heights and hollows, rough places and smooth; and it is in vain either to entreat him to quicken or slacken his pace. This road is a great thoroughfare for carriages of every kind, and at every post-house there is a blacksmith's shop. As soon as you stop, the sons of Vulcan come out, and inquire if their assistance is wanted. The iron axle of my carriage happening to be broken by a

stone on my way to Pont Maxenze they were glad to hear of it, took it out, welded it together, and in about two hours I was enabled to resume my journey, They asked a louis-d'or, which was not unreasonable; and it was so well done, that it has not failed since.

✦ From Pont Maxenze I preferred the road round Chantilly. Here I travelled through a fine grove of oak and beech, with much underwood of forward growth. This narrow way is bordered with lofty trees, whose spreading branches form the most agreeable and grateful shade, especially from the noontide sun.

Chantilly belonged to the Prince of Condé, and is well known for the beauty of its architecture, and the enchanting walks and plantations, parks and pleasure-grounds around it. The Jacobins have nearly demolished the fine park walls, and cut down the trees which shaded the walls. All the internal decorations of the castle, the paintings, looking-glasses, tapestry, the valuable cabinet of natural history, library and all, were plundered; so that the empty shell is all that remain of its former splendour. The mob cut and carried off the heads and arms of the statues, which the Prince had been so many years in collecting. In many of the rooms are yet to be seen part of the small cells, in which those who were doomed to the guillotine were immured, during the bloody reign of the terrorists.

The roads begin to improve, as you approach Paris. The successive prospects on every side seem to vie with each other in richness and variety: they surpass whatever imagination can conceive. The mildness of the climate, groups of vineyards, highly cultivated orchards and kitchen-gardens, all contribute to render the scene delightful; and peaches, apples, pears, plums, cherries, and walnut-trees,