116 Notes and Reflections during a Tour : — 



placed along the roads, at different distances, near the large 

 towns, as seats, with elevated benches adjoining them, of two 

 different heights, for the purpose just mentioned, of allowing 

 persons carrying heavy baskets to market on their back or 

 head, to stop, set down their baskets, rest themselves, and take 

 them up again without assistance. These stone benches and 

 the turf steps indicate a most humane attention to the laborious 

 classes, and to the very poorest people, on the part of the go- 

 vernment, and must greatly attach the inhabitants to their 

 rulers ; for in no country or condition of life is kindness lost 

 on human nature ; it is not even lost on the inferior animals, 

 and is in fact the leading principle of domestication. These 

 resting-benches are less required in England than on the 

 Continent; because in this country the markets, instead of 

 being supplied by very small proprietors, who send their pro- 

 duce to market, often (and perhaps it is less to be regretted 

 than at first sight it would appear) on the backs or heads of 

 their wives and daughters, are supplied by men of capital, who 

 keep horses and carts : but, still, for the fruit-women in the 

 neighbourhood of London and other large towns, they would 

 be useful and humanising, and possibly they may one day be- 

 come necessary. 



The roads in populous Catholic countries are rendered very 

 interesting from the crucifixes, statues of saints, stations, &c., 

 erected along the approaches to many villages and towns. It 

 does not belong to the progress of things to return to these 

 subjects for rendering roads interesting: but the saints and 

 heroes of philosophy and modern history might be substituted 

 for these, who were in fact the philosophers and heroes of 

 their age ; and we would not object to the eminent warriors 

 of modern times, though, we have little doubt, the glory which 

 surrounds their names will be reckoned, by posterity, as vain 

 as the present age reckons false the glory of the saints and 

 martyrs of the dark ages of religion and chivalry. It is right, 

 however, that those who have had the merit of their age should 

 have the reward of their age ; therefore we desire to see co- 

 lumns surmounted by statues of naval and military heroes, for 

 the admiration and respect of their contemporaries, and to 

 mark the progress of civilisation to posterity. 



It has been suggested to us * that milestones might be 

 made larger, of the form of an obelisk or sarcophagus, on the 

 model of an ancient classical or other building, or of other 

 forms, and that there might be inscribed on them the names 



* By our correspondent Variegata, who once promised us a paper on the 

 subject. 



