GUERNSEY. f 
from fituation: thefe are met with in Lihou, Towrvetie, 
ernfey, as in moft other places, many cuftoms 
by which the inhabitants are peculiarly diftinguifhed. They 
may yet he faid, as it was noticed by the hittorian, Malmi- 
bury ‘of their ancettors, Me bg moderate and abitemious, yet 
fond of external appear The ftranger is furprifed at 
the fize and handfome atieto of the feats and farm houfes, 
yet in the latter there is generally a want of comfortable 
finith. The Guernfey farmer, whofe character is 
fixed, is contented with Se walls, an earthen Soon, and his 
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the obfervance of an exaét fobriety, to which the 
pe mihi attaches, fince liquors are fo.eafy of accefs; and 
heie they are in exact oppofition to the-habits of the Eng lifh 
fettler, pid but too io eenenaty leaving his country to ou 
the preffur ws, is not often accompanied by many, 
of its. ata affection to their children, and un- 
alterable attachment to their parents, whom they cherifh to 
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country. Aco »a garden, a held, an orchard, appear 
to be in daca at aly the Romig el of every xs 
every one rove 
amufements are chiefly dance 8 on the elena at t 
cipal annual feltivals, riding in bares in the month 
guilt, the roads are crowded with cheerful cavalcades, 
rea y fuppofed to be derived from the abbot of St. 
Ee break up in te sg 
dden filled with ladies 
and anthorns. Several fuperititions are Sen ns exift.. 
Witc A man was very lately piloved: asa 
witch-finder ; and ages th meagre, n in, 
remote country refidences, reated with grave Rf oad 
leait their cattle fhould’ fuddenly die or their cyder turn 
four. And it is not long fince a fomething like our 
lane-gholt was played off by, fome enthufiaits, in which a 
defcent of fire, upon the bed of a child, was a principal part 
retended fi 
of the farce, which Me ory for feveral weeks. A. 
la bet ua alfo infeited the town for ae time 
ote ac Chriftmas.  Thefe fj 
The Jaws are the feud: ae 
cri boa mof of the oppreffive cuftoms of. that 
_ prefentatives of the peo 
Shep this 
k. fesrely seepelithle but on one S fide, aad and 
miniftration of jultice, among 2 numerous population fully 
e for the fecurity of life and property. vocates, and 
oe glorious uncertainty of the law, are not ftrangers i in the 
ifland. It has one or two petty-fog gers, yee t 
chicaneurs, art fuits can be pro » bu t in 
decent riddance is made, Law is shen, 
to conceive pee 
se on thofe who mae the rate in lieu, which is always 
paid in money. ‘T'he care taken of the dowries of women, 
is highly creditable, though it proves not vetrequep uy pres . 
judicial to the heirs. In cafe of ' fec n intelli+ 
gent abiftra&t of the laws and the prvi es of the | g-meetip 
of the bailiff and jurats, the cler; douzain 5 
» in the ak tt of the 1 lieutenant 
governor, called. abe States of the Iflan “may be feen in 
Dicey’s Hiftory of Guernfey 
The prefent pre Seunmatins fy ftem of saliscan : in the ifland 
is that of the church of England, though not unmarked 
with certain traits Sor the difci pline of Geneva, which’was 
pertinacioufly held till the reign of Charles II. The fol- 
lowers of the late John Wefley are very numerous and bufyy 
and the din of their meetings is heard throughout. the, 
countrys Calvinifm, ditting rom the Englifh church, has 
at prefent but a flight hold in the ifland. There ar ; 
feétaries of other denominations, and 
grants from France, and labourers from Ireland, cams 
congregation of Catholics, which is ney, tolerated. 
uernfey is confidered as divided into three 
q : 
claffes: of thefe, the firft feems to Biee 5 an si. 6 right.to 
confequence and office. Thefe are the feigne 
the merchant, fome of —- clergy and raven with military, _ 
he, and naval officers, and whatever it thould teem could. in 
Guernfey entitle the poffeffor to the rank of 
CIS» 
ntleman ; yet. 
rank is fo capricioufly diftributed, chat we find a mo- 
derate fhop kept by gentlemen of the firft clafs, with am 
exclufion to perfons of fuperior merit from their routs and 
aflemblies. ‘The fecond cht is formed of thofe who have 
n, yet not admitted to the fociety of the firit; and 
the third, or loweft, Aa iy the farmer and the peafant, the, 
artift and artificer, hole want of qualification no merit or 
pro — erty can compenfate: and thus be nohiliy, the title. 
thefe petty folks affume, are diftant and haughty, and the’ 
inferior rank, mifufed and difr ae are pliant, fervile, 
felfith, and fubtle. Among the feats in the ifland that of 
Harpe de Puye is the moft ancient. It is renfarkable for a@ 
re tie oe turret at each c stage named Emp fur le coins 
ere satay Shidcs are  ceithee at 
n taite altoge wan eects ' 
vile shout hem ede 
own, i 
royal court, and are chiefly Norman, to be found in the work, 1s : 
Te In criminal cafes, it fhould feem as.if the fen- grani Thsorigial foam foundation of thele fortrefles inte 
tence was rather guided by the sae the slalioes: * fds Raber Robert y.: this is a taped ee 
n by my RORIER IR Pm guet Fb; wane Evan LL. &c, on ’ 
owe precedeats are fort, An j —e tem ¥ the French to. re offels la 
not known 2 Obrly  yt ere ene a a ad-. been once taken, and, for oot 
