FRANCE. 215 



lives tolerably, with the afiiftanceofa little 

 poft in the revenue. I enquired of him 

 concerning the diftrift of Beaujolois, but, 

 finding him not fo intelligent as I could 

 have wi(hed, I left him fooner than I in- 

 tended, and fet forward for Villa Franche, 

 where I arrived by dinner, and where M. 

 le Marquis de St. Levain refides, to whom 

 I had a recommendation from the Count de 

 Finnel, lieutenant-general of the diftrict. 

 I found the Marquis was a man of a conli- 

 derable eftate, part of which he kept in his 

 own hands. He received me with extraor- 

 dinary politenefs, and many aflurances of 

 giving me all the information I could wi(h 

 concerning the country in which he refides, 

 and the following is the defcription of the 

 province of Beaujolois, which he favoured 

 me with in the feveral converfations I had 

 with him : 



It is a barony belonging to the Duke of 

 Orleans, that is, the royalties, manors, 

 quit-rents, &c. and fome eftates, fcarce 

 any of the great nobility in the kingdom 

 having exteniive eflates, as in England, of the 

 whole property. Their income arifes more 

 generally from quit-rents, and various other 

 P 4 payments 



