STUDY xiir. 237 



of îhe AlphenSj or did it prefent the fwelling ridges 

 of Mount Lyceum, would appear to me a wilder- 

 nefs, if J did not fee in it, at leaft, one little cot- 

 tage. The works of Nature, and thofe of Man^ 

 cnutually embellifh each other. The fpirit of felf- 

 iihnefs has deftroyed among us a tafte for Nature. 

 Our peadmtry fee no beauty in our plains, but 

 there where they fee the return of their labour. I 

 o,ne day met, in the vicinity of the Abbey of la 

 Trappe, on the flinty road of Notre Dame d'Apre, 

 a countrywoman walking along, with two large 

 loaves of bread under her arm. It was in the 

 month of May ; and the weather inexpreffibly 

 fine. '^ Vv'hat a charming feafon it is !" faid I to 

 the good woman: " How beautiful are thofe apple 

 *' trees in bloflbm! How fweetly thefe nightingales 

 *' fing in the woods !"...." Ah!" replied (he, '' I 

 " don't mind nofegays, nor thefe little fquallers ! 

 " It is bread that we want." Indigence hardens the 

 heart of the country people, and fliuts their eyes. 

 But the good folk of the town have no greater re- 

 lilli for Nature, becaufe the love of gold regulates 

 all their other appetites. If fome of them ('Zi a 

 value on the liberal arts, it is not becaufe thofe arts 

 imitate natural objeds ; it is from the price to 

 which the hand of great mailers raifes their pro- 

 duftions. That man gives a thoufand crowns for 

 a pidure of the country painted by Lorrain^ who 

 would nor take the trouble to put his head gut of 



£h§ 



