Ijgl'' TRAVELLING MEMORANDUMS. Ill 



very moderate — My fervants were on board wages, at 

 the rate ot three iivres each per day. 



1 2th September. Dined at the 'Tcte di Beuf, at Ab- 

 beville, very well, with a bottle of good burgundy, 

 for a reckoning of fix livres-^Suuped and llaid at the 

 poft houfe Felixcourt, and fared well, for feven Iivres 

 — In feveral articles, the expence of polling here is 

 more moderate than in Britain — ^The r^te per mile is 

 lefs — We pay no tolls, no charge to waiters, hoftler, 

 or boot-catch — The waiting maids and drivers are well 

 contented Vi^ith one livre each. ' - • . 



13th September. I breakfatfed at the- Duke de' Bur- 

 gogne Arms — The French people are joyous and happy 

 in all ranks, down to the lowed poverty— They are 

 more properly objefts of our envy than pity-^My rag- 

 ged driver this morning enjoyed his pipe, and lung a 

 merry fong by turns — Whillf, with fonie Britifh thou- 

 fands of income, I could not divert a fit of Britifh me- 

 lancholy. To me, every thing appeared under a gloom 

 — The ill condition of villages I had palled througli — 

 Half inhabited — Houfes in dreary difrepair — Number^ of 

 beggars, of whom the moft deteftable are Capuchins—^ 

 Cuflom-houfe extortions — A fine country, ill cultivat- 

 ed and uninclofed — Nothing like the accommodations 



for travelling in Britain N. B. I had been reading 



my friend Smollet's obfervations on this route. 



14th September. I dined and flept at Bretuil — After 

 dinner, I imbibed with my excellent burgundy, a por- 

 tion of French fpirit and good humour — I perceived 

 that the ill condition and ruinous flate of villages, as 

 defcribed, was exaggerated — I confidered that it was 

 ibetter idle people be allowed to beg, than that the 

 induftrious fhould be obliged to maintain them — 

 The difgrace of begging is fome rellraint on the 

 practice, and the miferable uncertainty of its fuccefs, 

 * ftill greater difcouragement — But legal maintenance 

 •is the reverfe — It is a never- falling incitement to 

 idlenefs, and difcouragement to induftry — The Ca- 



VoL. III. + • Q^ 



