R A y’j and S K i P P o n’j Travels^ Sic, Book 11^ 
726 
three Leagues off. Between Air antes and Abbeville we 
paffed by a Fort. On the 5th, we rode five Leagues, 
and dined in Berneih a Village five Leagues thence, 
and lodged in Montrevil^ a Garrifon Town indifferently 
built, but well paved and fortified •, where we entred, 
there was a treble Wall, and good Ditches, and where 
we went out, was a fieep Defcent into a marfliy Ground. 
On the 6th, we travel’d two Leagues, very bad Way, 
to Fran,, a fmall Village ; and after Dinner rode hilly 
Way five Leagues to Boulogne, a City built on a Hill. 
The Suburbs called the Bajfe Ville, where we lodged j 
a little Sea-port here. All the Way, in this Journey 
from Paris, we bargained for our Meat before Meals, 
and at Night did the like, or elfe bought it out of the 
Cook’s Shops, paying only for our Lodging, Ufe of 
Table-linnen, in the Inn. Piccardy is a great Corn 
Country. 
On the 7th, we rode bad hilly Way, three Leagues 
to Marqm/e, a Village, and four Leagues further to Ca- 
lais : Half a League before we came into the Town, 
we defcended into the Fenny Country about it. We 
paffed alfo by a ftrong Cittadel, and among many little 
Cottages, which are ufed, as fome told us, for Peft- 
houfes in Time of Infedion. Entring Calais, the Guards 
only examined how many Englijh and French we were 
in the Coach. On the 8th, after taking a Paffport 
from the Judge-Major, and our Things fearched, we 
delivered our Paffport without the Gate, and entring 
the Englijh Packet-boat, fiiled two Hours S. W. to 
gain the Wind ; and in three Hours, without once 
changing Board, we fafely arrived at Dover, a Boat 
fetching us a Shore. The Author concludes his Jour- 
nal with this Infcription. 
Deo 
Omnipotenti 
Maximas reddit 
Gratias 
P.S, 
19. Thefe Travels of Mr. Ray and Mr. Skippon may 
prove both ufeful and entertaining to the Reader in 
riiany Refpeds, not only though they were written fo 
long ago, but even from that very Circumftance. They 
fhow the Condition that France was in at that Time of 
Day, the Size and the Number of the Inhabitants in 
feveral of the principal Cities, and above all, the Situ- 
ation of Things before the Edid of Nants was recalled, 
and the Proteftants were obliged to quit that King- 
dom : This will afford the Means of making many 
ufeful Comparifons to Perfons who have their Heads 
turned for rational Politicks, and ground their Opinions 
of Kingdoms and States, not upon the loofe and gene- 
ral Reprefentations of the ordinary Rank of Writers, 
but upon Obfervations of their own, founded in Fads 
that may with Reafon be concluded certain. As for 
Inftance, our Author laft-mentioned gives us the State 
of the Clergy in France at the Time he w.as there : I 
will alfo give another Ihort State of it as it now Hands, 
from a Book publifhed with Royal Authority : There 
are at prefent, in the Dominions of the French King, 
18 Archbifhopricks, 113 Bifhopricks, 770 Abbeys of 
Men, and 317 of W'omen, toiwhich the King names : 
There are befides 250 Commanderies of the Order of 
Malta, which fiiows not only the Power of the Clergy 
in that Kingdom j but alfo the Power and Influence of 
the Crown over the Clergy. 
We may learn likewife, from thefe Travels, fome 
very curious Circumftances with refped to Manufac- 
tures and Commerce. Thofe Things that appeared fo 
new and Angular even to thefe great Men, are now 
very common in this Kingdom. We are no Strangers 
£0 the Art of making Verdigreafe ; and_, as for the Art 
of Blanching or rather Bleaching 0^ Wax^ it is not 
only knov/n, but pradifed here with as great Succefs as 
Abroad fo that the Notions of peculiar Excellencies 
of the Climate or Water of France appear to have had 
no Foundation in Nature, but were the mere Chimera’s 
of French Vanity ; and there is no Doubt that, upon 
proper Experiments, the fame Thing will be found true 
in other Caffes. It is, indeed, highly likely that thefe 
Travels occafioned our looking into and transferring 
feveral French Manufadures hither j and therefore this 
Kind of Writing ought, of all others, to be en- 
couraged. 
There was an Attempt made in King James the 
Firfl’s Time, to introduce the Silk Trade into this 
Kingdom, and a Plantation of Mulberry-trees was raifed 
for that Purpofe at Chelfea but it failed, not becaufe 
the Thing was found impradicable from any Faults in 
the Soil or Climate, but becauffe thofe concerned in the 
Projed, wanted Steddinefs, and thofe employed under 
them. Care and Induftry ; without which, nothing of 
this Kind can be ever brought to bear. I have been 
informed, that in Eampjhire fome Trials of the like 
Nature have been made with great Appearance of Suc- 
cefs ; but thofe that were concerned made fuch a Se- 
cret of their Proceedings while living, that the Thing 
could not be conveniently carried on after their De- 
ceafe. It has been likewife afferted, that Olive-trees 
might be cultivated in at leafl: five of our Southern 
Counties ; but we delight, it feems, rather in havino- 
Rarities in our Gardens, than Riches in our Fields. ° 
The French had that Notion too, as well as we, but 
Henry IV. the very beft King they ever had, beat them 
out of it, and compelled the Inhabitants of the pooreft 
Provinces of France, to become wifer and richer in 
Spite of their Teeth. He made Ufe of his Power to 
make his Subjefets happy ; and defired it, for no other 
Purpofe, as appears from an Anfwer he made, when it 
was flily infinuated to him in Prejudice to the Pro- 
teffants, that he could do nothing in Rochelle, which 
was then in their Hands. It is a Mijtake, faid the 
King, / am abfolute in Rochelle, for I can do there juji 
as much Good as I pleaje, FIis Succeflbr dragooned the 
Proteftants out of France, though the moft induftrious 
People in it, becaufe they were not of his Religion j 
but Henry IV. dragooned his Subjedfs of all Religions 
into planting Mulberry-trees, and making Silk. One, 
from a Principle of publick Spirit, obliged People to 
do what they ought againft their Inclinations, becaufe 
he knew it was for their Good ; the other from a nar- 
row and bigotted Spirit, drove People out of his Do- 
minions, who were doing all the Good they could. 
But there is no Need of making Ufe of Force here 
another Method would do the Bufinefs much better. A 
Reward of Ten Thoufand Pounds for the firft Hundred 
Weight of Silk, or the firft Hogfhead of Oyl, upon 
Security given to make the like Quantity annually for 
twenty Years aftef, might beftow upon us both Com- 
modities, if it be poffible for us to enjoy them ; if not 
the Reward would never be obtained, and therefore no 
Hurt would be done. 
We find, in thefe Travels, a remarkable Point of 
fecret Hiftory ; I mean the Protedor’s faving the City 
of Nifmes, and that from the moft authentick Autho- 
rity,^ with many other Things which we might look 
for in vain any where elfe. But with regard to Matters 
of a later Date, which come nearer our own Times, 
and that may better enable us to judge of the prefent 
State of France, it is neceffary that we fhould have in 
this Colleflion, Travels of another Nature, and in ano- 
ther Seafon, which the Reader will find in the next Sec- 
tion ; and, from the Perufal of both, will be more in- 
ftruded and better entertained than they could have 
been with either, if it had ftood Angle. 
S E C T I O N IV. 
