Rennes lor 



town of Combourg one of the most brutal filthy places that can 

 be seen; mud houses, no windows, and a pavement so broken as 

 to impede all passengers, but ease none — yet here is a chateau, 

 and inhabited; who is this Monsieur de Chateaubriant, the 

 owner, that has nerves strung for a residence amidst such filth 

 and poverty? Below this hideous heap of wretchedness is a 

 fine lake, surrounded by well wooded enclosures. Coming out 

 of Hede, there is a beautiful lake belonging to Monsieur de 

 Blassac, intendant of Poictiers, with a fine accompaniment of 

 wood. A very little cleaning would make here a delicious 

 scenery. ■ There is a chateau, with four rows of trees, and nothing 

 else to be seen from the windows in the true French style. 

 Forbid it, taste, that this should be the house of the owner of 

 that beautiful water; and yet this Monsieur de Blassac has 

 made at Poictiers the finest promenade in France! But that 

 taste which draws a strait line, and that which traces a waving 

 one, are founded on feelings and ideas as separate and distinct as 

 painting and music — as poetry or sculpture. The lake abounds 

 with fish, pike to 36 lb., carp to 241b., perch 4 lb., and tench 5 lb. 

 To Rennes the same strange wild mixture of desert and cultiva- 

 tion, half savage, half human. — 31 miles. 



2nd. Rennes is well built, and it has two good squares; that 

 particularly of Louis XV. where is his statue. The parliament 

 being in exile the house is not to be seen. The Benedictines' 

 garden, called the Tabour, is worth viewing. But the object at 

 Rennes most remarkable at present is a camp, with a marshal of 

 France (de Stainville), and four regiments of infantry and two 

 of dragoons, close to the gates. The discontents of the people 

 have been double, first on account of the high price of bread, and 

 secondly for the banishment of the parliament. The former 

 cause is natural enough, but why the people should love their 

 parliament was what I could not understand, since the members, 

 as well as of the states, are all noble, and the distinction between 

 the noblesse and roturiers nowhere stronger, more offensive, or 

 more abominable than in Bretagne. They assured me, however, 

 that the populace have been blown up to violence by every art 

 of deception, and even by money distributed for that purpose. 

 The commotions rose to such a height before the camp was estab- 

 lished that the troops here were utterly unable to keep the peace. 

 Monsieur Argentaise, to whom I had brought letters, had the 

 goodness during the four days I was here to show and explain 

 everything to be seen, I find Rennes very cheap; and it 

 appears the more so to me just come from Normandy where 



