io8 Travels in France 



incredible circumstance that they reach within three miles of 

 the great commercial city of Nantes ! This is a problem and a 

 lesson to work at, but not at present. Arrive — go to the theatre, 

 new built of fine white stone, and has a magnificent portico front 

 'Of eight elegant Corinthian pillars, and four others within, to 

 part the portico from a grand vestibule. Within all is gold and 

 painting, and a coup d'ozil at entering, that struck me forcibly. 

 It is, I believe, twice as large as Drury Lane, and five times as 

 magnificent. It was Sunday and therefore full. Mon Dieu I 

 ■cried I to myself, do all the v/astes, the deserts, the heath, ling, 

 furze, broom, and bog that I have passed for 300 miles lead to this 

 spectacle ? What a miracle, that all this splendour and wealth of 

 the cities in France should be so unconnected with the country ! 

 There are no gentle transitions from ease to comfort, from com- 

 fort to wealth: you pass at once from beggary to profusion, — 

 from misery in mud cabins to Mademoiselle St. Huberti, in 

 splendid spectacles at 500 livres a night (£21 17s. 6d.). The 

 country deserted, or if a gentleman in it, you find him in some 

 wretched hole, to save that money which is lavished with pro- 

 fusion in the luxuries of a capital. — 20 miles. 



22nd. Deliver my letters. As much as agiiculture is the 

 chief object' of my journey, it is necessary to acquire such intel- 

 ligence of the state of commerce, as can be best done from 

 merchants, for abundance of useful information is to be gained 

 without putting any questions that a man would be cautious of 

 answering, and even without putting any questions at all. 

 Monsieur Riedy was very polite and satisfied many of my 

 inquiries; I dined once with him, and was pleased to find the 

 -conversation take an important turn on the relative situations of 

 France and England in trade, particularly in the West Indies. 

 I had a letter also to Monsieur Epivent, consilier in the parlia- 

 ment of Rennes, whose brother, Monsieur Epivent de la Villes- 

 boisnet, is a very considerable merchant here. It was not 

 possible for any person to be more obliging than these two gentle- 

 men; their attentions to me were marked and friendly, and 

 rendered a few days 'residence here equally instructive and agree- 

 able. The town has that sign of prosperity of new buildings 

 which never deceives. The quarter of the comedie is magnifi- 

 <;ent, all the streets at right angles and of white stone. I am in 

 ^doubt whether the hotel de Henri IV. is not the finest inn in 

 Europe : Dessein's at Calais is larger, but neither built, fitted up, 

 nor furnished like this, which is new. It cost 400,000 li\Tes 

 ■^£17,500) furnished, and is let at 14,000 livres per annum 



