72 Travels in France 



France. The preparations going on for a war with England 

 are in the mouths of all the world; but the finances of France 

 are in such a state of derangement that the people best informed 

 assert a war to be impossible; the Marquis of Verac, the late 

 French ambassador at the Hague, who was sent thither, as the 

 English politicians assert, expressly to bring about a revolution 

 in the government, has been at Liancourt three days. It may 

 easily be supposed that he is ca utious in what he says in such 

 a mixed company ;~TDut it is plain enough ^thaFTieTs^weirper- 

 su.;:dcd that that revolution, change, or lessening the Stadt- 

 holder's power — that plan, in a word, whatever it was, JJar, 

 Which he negotiated in Holland, had for some time been matured 

 and ready for execution, almost witho ut a possibility of f ailure, 

 hsid the Count de Vergennes consente d, andj iot spun out the 

 business by refinement on refinement, to make himself theTniore 

 necessary to the French cabinet; _and it- umtes with the idea 

 of some sensible Dutchmen with whom I have conv ersed on the 

 subject. ~ ' '~~' 



During my stay at Liancourt, my friend Lazowski accom- 

 panied me on a little excursion of two days to Ermenonville, 

 the celebrated seat of the ]\Iarquis de Girardon. We passed by 

 Chantilly to Morefountain, the country seat of Monsieur de 

 Morefountain, prevost des merchands of Paris; the place has 

 been mentioned as decorated in the English style. It consists 

 of two scenes ; one a garden of winding walks, and ornamented 

 with a profusion of temples^ benches, grottos, columns, ruins, 

 and I know not what: I hope the French who have not been 

 in England do not consider this as the English taste. It is^in 

 fact as remote from it-asthe most regular style of the last age. 

 The water view is fine. There is a gaiety and cheerfulness in 

 it that contrast well with the brown and unpleasing hills that 

 surround it, and which partake of the waste character of the 

 worst part of the surrounding country. Much has been done 

 here; and it wants but few additions to be as perfect as the 

 ground admits. 



Reach Ermenonville, through another part of the Prince of 

 Condi's forest, which joins the ornamented grounds of the 

 Marquis Girardon. This place, after the residence and death of 

 the persecuted but immortal Rousseau, whose tomb every one 

 knows is here, became so famous as to be resorted to very gener- 

 ally. It has been described and plates published of the chief 

 views ; to enter into a particular description would therefore be 

 tiresome, I shall only make one or two observations, which I 



