56 BRITANNY AND THE CHASE. 



unpleasant uniformity to that part of the human figure. 

 There is a custom in Britanny equally repulsive, namely 

 spitting. All spit: men, women, and children, from 

 the cradle. The priest spits at the altar, the tradesman 

 spits at his counter, the gentleman spits in his drawing- 

 room. They seem to substitute spitting for perspira- 

 tion, and if a stray idea of Englishmen disliking it 

 comes into their heads, it only modifies it, for keep it in 

 they cannot. In that case gentlemen spit into the fire or 

 their handkerchiefs, and others into their hats. One day, 

 a neighbour called upon me : in the room was a carpet, 

 and this puzzled him sorely, for in Britanny a carpet is 

 quelque chose de bo7i, and he did not like to spit upon it ; 

 yet not to spit, — he would burst or blow up to a certainty. 

 But he was a man of resource, and soon struck out an 

 idea, for whipping off his hat he spat heartily into it, and in 

 a moment glued it firmly on his head again. No English- 

 man would have ever thought of this ! 



I wish I could speak well of Breton hospitality, but I 

 cannot. It is said that hospitality is strongest in the savage 

 state, and it is pleasant to read of the patriarchs sitting in 

 the doors of their tents, espying the stranger from afar, 

 and making ready the feast beforehand for him ; but how- 

 ever savage Britanny may be, she lacks the redeeming 

 virtue. Perhaps, however, the native virtue 7nay have 

 existed, and been corrupted by Ersnch habits, as many of 

 the causes which impair its exercise are of French origin. 

 Eor let the truth be spoken. With all their so called 

 politeness and warmth, the Erench are regular money 

 grubs, and in no country is the worship of the golden 



