184 



Travels in France 



flat country of the Bourbonnois for a great extent. — View at 

 Autun the temple of Janus — the walls — the cathedral — the 

 abbey. The reports here of brigands, and burning and plunder- 

 ing, are as numerous as before; and when it was known in the 

 inn that I came from Burgundy and Franche Compte, I had 

 eight or ten people introducing themselves in order to ask for 

 news. The rumour of brigands here had got to 1600 strong. 

 They were much surprised to find that I gave no credit to the 

 existence of brigands, as I was well persuaded that all the out- 

 rages that liad been committed were the work of the peasants 

 only, for the sake of plundering. This they had no conception 

 of, and quoted a list of chateaus burnt by them ; but on analysing 

 these reports, they plainly appeared to loe ill founded. — 20 miles. 



5//;. The extreme heat of yesterday made me feverish, and 

 this morning I waked with a sore throat. I was inclined to 

 waste a day here for the security of my health; but we are all 

 fools in trifling with the things most valuable to us. Loss of 

 time, and vain expense, are always in the head of a man who 

 travels as much en philosophe as I am forced to do. To Maison 

 de Bourgogne, I thought myself in a new world ; the road is not 

 only excellent, of gravel, but the country is enclosed and wooded. 

 There are many gentle inequalities, and several ponds that 

 decorate them. The weather, since the commencement of 

 August, has been clear, bright, and burning; too hot to be 

 perfectly agreeable in the middle of the day, but no flies, and 

 therefore I do not regard the heat. This circumstance ma}', 

 I think, be fixed on as the test. In Languedoc, etc., these heats, 

 as I have experienced, are attended by myriads, and consequently 

 they are tormenting. One had need be sick at this Maison de 

 Bourgogne ; a healthy stomach would not be easily filled ; yet 

 it is the post-house. In the evening to Lusy, another miserable 

 post-house. Note, through all Burgundy the women wear 

 flapped men's hats, which have not nearly so good an effect as 

 the straw ones of Alsace. — 22 miles. 



6//r. To escape the heat, out at four in the morning to 

 Bourbon Lancy, through the same country enclosed, but villain- 

 ously cultivated, and all amazingly improvably. If I had a 

 large tract in thio country, I think I should not be long in making 

 a fortune; climate, prices, roads, enclosures, and every advantage, 

 except government. All from Autun to the Loire is a noble 

 field for improvement, not by expensive operations of manuring 

 and draining, but merely by substituting crops adapted to the 

 soil. When I see such a country thus managed, and in the 



