1827.] Travelling Sketches. 245 



he continued, " whatever be my practice, I have no antipathy to any 

 form of religion ; and if I could once meet with a priest of social man- 

 ners, cheerful conversation, and liberal opinions, in the genuine sense of 

 that term I am not sure that the practical effect of such a rencontre 

 would not go farther to convert me than all that has been preached and 

 written for a century. But wbat is of more importance, the influence of 

 a few such" ecclesiastics in the army would be prodigious : for after all, Sir, 

 scepticism is not a fundamental ingredient in the French character. The 

 organ of veneration finds a place even in the pericranium of a soldier; 

 and your Corporal Trim has, you know, ably defended our profession from 

 the charge of never praying."' " But, surely," I rejoined, " your clergy 

 must number many such as you describe." " Not one, I assure you ; 

 and so inveterate is the mannerism of the whole body, that I would wager 

 the best dinner Bordeaux can furnish, that, disguise a priest as you will, 

 I should know him among a thousand." " I accept your wager, Sir,"' 

 said the Parisian, " and though my society is much more among soldiers 

 than ecclesiastics, I do not despair of winning your entertainment." ~ 

 " And I should be most happy to lose it," said the Captain, " were it 

 only for the honour of the church; but I have little doubt/'' added he, 

 laughing, " that we shall fare sumptuously at your expense." -" I run 

 all risks," replied the other, '* and pledge myself to introduce you to a 

 young clerical friend of mine at Bordeaux, with whom you shall converse 

 for an hour, or a day, if you please, without ever suspecting him to be a 

 clerk." " Done, done, by all means," said the Captain. " Done," 

 said the Parisian : and I was requested to register the bet. 



We were just then entering a village where we stopped to change 

 horses ; it .was a beautiful summer's evening. A group of peasants were 

 gathered round the inn door ; some at their light potations : a more juvenile 

 party dancing under some elms at a short distance, while nearer to us a merry 

 circle were enjoying the mimics and drolleries of a comical looking fellow, 

 with a head of cabbage for a nosegay, and a cock's tail in his hat. He 

 was evidently the jester of the village, and seemed privileged among the 

 girls, whose shrill peals of laughter (breaking through the staves of a 

 Bacchanalian chorus from within) responded to every new flash of his wit, 

 or no less irresistible contortion of his countenance. Every surrounding 

 object furnished matter for his quips and cranks; and our trio in the 

 Diligence did not escape. He aimed at us some side-long jibes, which 

 produced a roar of laughter; and such is the effect of ridicule, that 

 even when of the cheapest quality, no one likes to pay for it. For my 

 part, I felt that I was no match for this champion of fun, and looked for 

 support to the young captain ; but his power of repartee, after one or two 

 unlucky attempts, was equally at fault; and our cause was growing 

 utterly hopeless, when the Parisian thrust his head out of the window. 

 The wit seemed determined to punish his temerity, and let fly a shower 

 of barbed jests; but to the astonishment of all present, he was met by 

 such a counter volley of jocular retort Rolands for Olivers doubles for 

 singles all delivered in so exact an imitation of his own voice, manner, 

 dialect, and slang, that victory soon changed sides. The cabbage nosegay, 

 from a badge of honour, became suddenly transformed into a mark of 

 defeat : the cock's tail drooped : the luckless jester grinned, blushed, and 

 finally slunk away, amid the jeers of his fickle audience, who compli- 

 mented our triumph by giving us three cheers, as we rolled away. 



