178 Travels in France 



of Seniff, and the Grande Conde thrown from his horse, and a 

 ceiling, both well executed. Tomb of the Duke of Bourgogne, 

 1404. A picture by Rubens at the Chartreuse. They talk of 

 the house of Monsieur de Montigny, but his sister being in it, 

 not shown, Dijon, on the whole, is a handsome town; the 

 streets, though old built, are wide and very well paved, with 

 the addition, uncommon in France, of iroloirs. — 28 miles. 



2,1st. Waited on Monsieur de Morveau, who has, most 

 fortunately for me, received, only this morning, from Monsieur 

 de Virly, a recommendation of me, with four letters from 

 Monsieur de Broussonet; but Monsieur Vaudrey, of this place, 

 to whom one of them is addressed, is absent. We had some 

 conversation on the interesting topic to all philosophers, phlo- 

 giston ; Monsieur de Morveau contends vehemently for its non- 

 existence; treats Dr. Priestley's last publication as wide of the 

 question ; and declared that he considers the controversy as 

 much decided as the question of liberty is in France. He 

 showed me part of the article air in the New Encyclopaedia by 

 him, to be published soon; in which work he thinks he has, 

 beyond controversy, established the truth of the doctrine of the 

 French chemists of its non-existence. Monsieur de Morveau 

 requested me to call on him in the evening to introduce me to a 

 learned and agreeable lady; and engaged me to dine with him 

 to-morrow. On leaving him, I went to search coffee-houses; 

 but will it be credited, that I could find but one in this capital 

 of Burgundy where I could read the newspapers? — At a poor 

 little one in the square. I read a paper, after waiting an hour to 

 get it. The people I have found everywhere desirous of reading 

 newspapers, but it is rare that they can gratify themselves: 

 and the general ignorance of what is passing may be collected 

 from this, that I found nobody at Dijon had heard of the riot at 

 the town-house of Strasbourg; I described it to a gentleman, 

 and a party collected around me to hear it; not one of them 

 had heard a syllable of it. yet it is nine days since it happened; 

 had it been nineteen, I question whether they would more than 

 have received the intelligence; but. though they are slow in 

 knowing what has really happened, they are very quick in hear- 

 ing what is impossible to happen. The current report at present, 

 to which all possible credit is given, is that the queen has been 

 convicted of a plot to poison the king and Monsieur, and give 

 the regency to the Count d'Artois ; to set fire to Paris, and blow 

 up the Palais Royale by a mine ! — Why do not the several 

 parties in the states cause papers to be printed that shall trans- 



