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Travels in France 



treatment that I changed my quarters to the hotel de Halle, 

 where, at the table d'hote, I had the company of some agreeable 

 officers, two good courses, and a dessert, for 36 sous with a 

 bottle of wine. The chamber 20 sous; for building, however, the 

 hotel d'Angleterre is much superior, and is the first inn. In the 

 evening to Luneville. The country about Nancy is pleasing. — 

 17 miles. 



17/A. Luneville being the residence of Monsieur Lazowski, 

 the father of my much esteemed friend, who was advertised of 

 my journey, I waited on him in the morning; he received me 

 with not politeness only, but hospitality — ^with a hospitality 

 I began to think was not to be found on this side of the kingdom. 

 — From Mareuil hither, I had really been so unaccustomed to 

 receive any attentions of that sort, that it awakened me to a 

 train of new feelings agreeable enough. — An apartment was 

 ready for me, which I was pressed to occupy, desired to dine, 

 and expected to stay some days: he introduced me to his wife 

 and family, particularly to M. I'Abbe Lazowski, who, with the 

 most obliging alacrity, undertook the office of showing me 

 whatever was worth seeing. — We examined, in a walk before 

 dinner, the establishment of the orphans; well regulated and 

 conducted. Luneville wants such establishments, for it has no 

 industry, and therefore is very poor; I was assured not less than 

 half the population of the place, or 10,000 persons, are poor. 

 Luneville is cheap. A cook's wages 2, 3, or 4 louis. A maid's, 

 that dresses hair, 3 or 4 louis; a common housemaid, i louis; 

 a common footman, or a house lad, 3 louis. Rent of a good 

 house 15 or 17 louis. Lodgings of four or five rooms, some 

 of them small, 9 louis. After dinner, wait on M. Vaux dit 

 Pompone, an intimate acquaintance of my friend's; here 

 mingled hospitality and politeness also received me, and so 

 much pressed to dine with him to-morrow that I should certainly 

 have stayed had it been merely for the pleasure of more con- 

 versation with a very sensible and cultivated man, who, though 

 advanced in years, has the talents and good humour to render 

 his company universally agreeable: I was obliged to refuse 

 it ; I was out of order all day. Yesterday's heat was followed, 

 after some lightning, by a cold night, and I laid, without know- 

 ing it, with the windows open, and caught cold. I suppose, 

 from the information of my bones. I am acquainted vvith 

 strangers as easily and quickly as anybody, a habit that much 

 travelling can scarcely fail to give, but to be ill among them 

 would be enuyante, demand too much attention, and encroach 



