Dijon 177 



To avoid the sentinels. I went round the town. The country 

 to Auxonne is cheerful. Cross the Soane at Auxonne; it is a 

 fine river, through a region of flat meadow of beautiful verdure; 

 commons for great herds of cattle; vastly flooded, and the hay- 

 cocks underwater. To Dijon is a fine country, but wants wood. 

 My passport demanded at the gate: and as I had none, two 

 bourgeois musketeers conducted me to the hotel de ville, where 

 I was questioned, but finding that I was known at Dijon, they 

 let me go to my inn. Out of luck: Monsieur de Virly, on whom 

 I most depended for Dijon, is at Bourbon le Bains, and Monsieur 

 de Morveau, the celebrated chemist, who I expected would have 

 had letters for me, had none, and though he received me very 

 politely, when I was forced to announce myself as his brother 

 in the royal society of London, yet I felt very awkwardly; how- 

 ever, he desired to see me again next morning. They tell me 

 here that the intendant is Red; and that the Prince of Conde, 

 who is governor of Burgundy, is in Germany: they positiveh- 

 assert, and with very little ceremony, that they would both be 

 hanged if they were to come here at present; such ideas do not 

 mark too much authority in the milice bourgeoise. as they have 

 been instituted to stop and prevent hanging and plundering. 

 They are too weak, however, to keep the peace: the licence 

 and spirit of depredation, of which I heard so much in crossing 

 Franche Compte, has taken place, but not equally in Burgundy. 

 In this inn, la Ville de Lyon, there is at present a gentleman, 

 unfortunately a seigneur, his wife, family, three servants, an 

 infant but a few months old, who escaped from their flaming 

 chateau half naked in the night; all their property lost except 

 the land itself; and this family valued and esteemed by the 

 neighbours, with many virtues to command the love of the poor, 

 and no oppressions to provoke their enmity. Such abominable 

 actions must bring the more detestation to the cause from being 

 unnecessary; the kingdom might have been settled in a real 

 system of liberty, without the regeneration of fire and sword, 

 plunder and bloodshed. Three hundred bourgeois mount guard 

 every day at Dijon, armed, but not paid at the expense of the 

 town; they have also six pieces of cannon. The noblesse of the 

 place, as the only means of safety, have joined them — so that 

 there are croix de St. Louis in the ranks. The palais des etats 

 here is a large and splendid building, but not striking pro- 

 portionably to the mass and expense. The arms of the Prince 

 of Conde are predominant; and the great salon is called the 

 Salle a manger de Prince. A Dijon artist has painted the battle 



