Bagnere de Luchon 33 



beastly dens they are placed in, one would think sufficient to 

 cause as many distempers as they cure. They are resorted to 

 for cutaneous eruptions. The life led here has very little 

 variety. Those who bathe or drink the waters, do it at half 

 after five or six in the morning; but my friend and myself 

 are early in the mountains, which are here stupendous; we 

 wander amongthemto admire the wild and beautiful scenes which 

 are to be met with in almost every direction. The whole region 

 of the P}Tenees is of a nature and aspect so totally different from 

 everything that I had been accustomed to, that these excursions 

 were productive of much amusement. Cultivation is here 

 carried to a considerable perfection in several articles, especially 

 in the irrigation of meadows : we seek out the most intelligent 

 peasants, and have many and long conversations with those 

 who understand French, which however is not the case with 

 all, for the language of the country is a mixture of Catalan, 

 Proven9al, and French. — This, with examining the minerals 

 (an article for which the Duke de la Rochefoucauld likes to 

 accompany us, as he possesses a considerable knowledge in that 

 branch of natural history), and with noting the plants with 

 which we are acquainted, serves well to keep our time employed 

 sufficiently to our taste. The ramble of the morning finished, 

 we return in time to dress for dinner, at half after twelve or one : 

 then adjourn to the drawing-room of Madam de la Rochefou- 

 cauld, or the Countess of Grandval alternately, the only ladies 

 who have apartments large enough to contain the whole com- 

 pany. None are excluded; as the first thing done, by every 

 person who arrives, is to pay a morning visit to each party 

 already in the place; the visit is returned, and then ev^erybody 

 is of course acquainted at these assemblies, which last till the 

 evening is cool enough for walking. There is nothing in them 

 but cards, trick-track, chess, and sometimes music; but the 

 great feature is cards: I need not add, that I absented myself 

 often from these parties, which are ever mortally insipid to me 

 in England, and not less so in France. In the evening, the 

 company splits into different parties, for their promenade, 

 which lasts till half an hour after eight ; supper is served at nine : 

 there is, after it, an hour's conversation in the chamber of one 

 of our ladies; and this is the best part of the day, — for the chat 

 is free, lively, and unaffected; and uninterrupted, unless on a 

 post-day, when the duke has such packets of papers and pam- 

 phlets that they turn us all into politicians. All the world are 

 in bed by eleven. In this arrangement of the day, no circum- 



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