184 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 
very pretty or striking views of which I should like 
vastly to have good prints, but I do not know whether 
any person has of late been illustrating the Rhone. 
But I must come to a close, not to fatigue you longer. 
I arrived at the most excellent Hétel du Palais Royal 
(recommended by Bentham) just in time for the table 
*hote at seven o’clock, and after dinner sallied out, 
with a guide to conduct me to see Requien,! to whom 
Bentham had given me a letter. I found him a prompt 
man, and in almost ten words we settled my plan for 
to-morrow, which is to start in a cabriolet for Vau- 
cluse at five o’clock in the morning, arrive at eight, 
spend two hours, breakfast, and return here by one 
o'clock ; spend the afternoon and evening in seeing the 
most interesting objects in town, looking at his collec- 
tions, his pictures, ete., ete. What would you give to 
see Vaucluse? I have many doubts whether it will 
equal my expectations, which are raised by the deserip- 
tion ; according to the account it must be very curi- 
ous and strange, apart from the associations of the 
place, which here pass for little with me, as I feel no 
interest at all in Petrarch or Laura, whoever she may 
have been. 
Avienon, Friday evening, April 19, half past eight o’clock. 
I think you will scarcely call me an idle lad. It 
was about midnight when I went to bed last night; I 
was called this morning at half past four; a few min- 
utes past five I was on my way in a cabriolet for Vau- 
cluse, with a very lazy horse, so that it was nine 
o'clock when I arrived. I visited the famous fountain, 
admired the rocks, etc.; collected a few plants as a 
1 Esprit Requien, 1788-1851 ; a pupil of A. P. de Candolle at Mont- 
pellier. Often quoted in the Flore Francaise. 
