FRANCE. 233 



tainous, and difficult to pafs; and, after I 

 was near the place, I had very near loft my 

 way among the mountains, fo that it was 

 late, in the dark, before I arrived at the 

 houfe of M. de la Place. It was fo late, 

 that I was much afhamed at coming to vifit 

 him ; but, upon my exprefling myfelf to 

 that purpofe, and prefenting the letter from 

 the Vicomte dc Beaune, he received me 

 with great eafe and politenefs, prefented me 

 to his wife, and his daughter, a young lady 

 of about fixteen. There was fomething 

 uncommonly plain in the drefs of all the 

 three, and alfo of a young boy that was 

 playing about the room, not many degrees 

 above that of a peafant ; the women were 

 clean, but M. dc la Place feemed as dirty 

 as if he had been at work with the labourers. 

 He was, to appearance, about forty; a 

 thin, but aclive figure; his . countenance 

 remarkably expreflive, with a fpirit and 

 animation in his manner, which could 

 hardly fail of being caught by every perfon 

 in his company. There was, under the 

 uifguife of his homely drcfs, all the air and 

 freedom of courage of a man of fafhion, 

 which broke out upon every occafion, in 



fpite 



