1 7S FREjUS. 



their bites; and at night we were devoured b)- equally 

 importunate but more loathsome insects. V/e were irri- 

 tated to fever pitch. Onh' those who were accustomed 

 to these pests could live here : to us they seemed the 

 greatest evil that human beings could have to endure. 

 ^^'e lamented that the thirst for knowledge, which prompt- 

 ed us to visit faiuous historical towns, liad led us to 

 tliis wretched place, and ■we wished to leave it as soon 

 as possible". Since then the condition of Frejus has 

 improved. Canals have been made to drain the neigh- 

 bourhood and thus make it more healthy. The town 

 itself has shrunk to bareh' a fifth of its earlier size, but 

 looks tolerabh pleasant. Anyone expecting to be deeply 

 impressed b^- remains of classic times will be disappointed. 

 \'er^' little is left ; too little to inspire veneration or to 

 be artisticalh' effective. Onh' the broken arches of the 

 aqueduct out in the fields, overgrown with climbing 

 plants, are beautiful here and there. The river Argens 

 has worked so industrioush' in bringing down fresh depos- 

 its that toda^' Frejus is separated fi'om the sea by a 

 broad stretch of sand, and the ruins of the old Roman 

 lighthouse rise from the ground one-and-a-half kilometres 

 from the shore. Thus the ancient glor\' of Frejus has 

 departed tor ever, and \\'hat remains of it can in no wa^' 

 be compared with the monuments of Nimes and Aries. 

 But the elevating sentiments inspired b\; classic soil possess 

 us e\'en here. We gaze out o\'er the blue Mediterranean 

 on whose shores grew and throve that mighty civilisation 

 under the dominion of which the entire \\-orld bowed down, 

 and we reflect that we are still ruled today b^' those 



