106 
complaint throughout the republic, that 
the roads are worfe, and the tolls higher, 
than they were ever known before, 
Lifle-—1 ftaid here but twelve hours, 
and confequently had no opportunity of 
fecing much. The town, and efpecially 
the churches, have been confiderably da- 
maged by the fiege. 
The country from Courtray to Bruxelles 
is a perfe&t garden.— Although quite flat, 
it prefents a moft interefting picture of 
fertility and cultivation. I was told the 
harveftt of laft fummer was fo abundant, 
that mdf of the rich farmers had deter- 
mined to wait the moment of peace, and 
not to fell at the low price of about 34s. a 
quarter, er from that to 38s. which was 
then the common price all over France. 
Bruxelles. —1 had heard much of the 
elegance and beauty of this place; but 
mutt confefs it far exceeded any expeéta- 
tions I had formed. I rejoice to think 
that the Vandalifm, which in many places 
has done fo much mifchief, has not ex- 
tended its ravazes to the Arifocratic part 
(if I may be allowed the Gallicifm) of 
this charming metrepolis. The park fill 
enjoys its wonted beauties, at leaft as far 
as concerns the mere buildings. But, 
dias‘! nearly one-half of the houfes are 
empty! Moft of the churches (not ex- 
cepting St. Gudule) have been ftripped of 
their internal decorations. As I hagpen- 
ed to be here on a Sunday, [ took every 
opportunity of attending their public wor- 
fhip. The churches were moft of them 
much crowded; and I believe that few 
meafures of Bonaparte’s government have 
given more general joy than the fieedom of 
worthip which it has eftablifhed. 
~ Antwerp.—lT had only jult time enough 
to walk through the town, and to atk a 
few queftions about its trade, which, I 
was told, has increafed meft rapidly of 
late. They were at that time much alarm- 
ed, let the Batavian Dire&tory fhould in- 
fluence the French Government to fhut up 
the Scheidt again ; but on my return they 
feemed more tranquil upon that fubject. 
The Cathedral.—T his beautiful and ele- 
gant building has been robbed of its richett 
ornaments—I mean the paintings of Ru- 
bens—which are all placed in the Louvre 
Gallery. The walls are not much, if at 
all, injured ; notwithftanding which thirty 
or forty men were at work jn paying and 
beautifying the body of the church. 
I travelled from Antwerp to Rotter- 
dam in a public carriage, which pafies 
every day from the one place to the other. 
The fare was eleven florins— The diftance 
about fixty miles, 
Mr. Banks onthe State of France. 
[March y, | 
Hague—This is allowed tobe one of the 
moft elegant towns in Europe. The 
buildings appear to be in the fame ftate as 
they were before the war. E attended a 
debate of the Batavian Senate. It was 
held in an apartment of the Stadtholder’s 
Palace, which is fitted up with a good deal 
of elegance, as well as attention to the 
accommodation of the members and the 
public. TI afterwards went to the Maifon 
de Bois, the country refidence of the late 
Stadtholder. It is in perfeét repair; and 
I do not believe that a fingle picture of this . 
valuable collection has been removed oF 
difplaced. 
Amflerdam.—1 need {carcely “obferve 
that commerce, the foul of every thing 
that is either gay or interefting at this 
place, is now nearly at a ftand. TI believe. 
there are but few countries where diftrefs 
is fo generally felt as in this. ‘ip 
T mutt now apologize for fo long a trial 
of my reader’s patience, and entreat him 
to believe that thefe obfervations were 
communicated to the public with no other 
view than that of fating in as fhort a 
manner as poffible a few points relative to 
a country, which cannot fail to excite a 
lively interett in theaninds of Englifhmen. 
I was reftrained both by motives of »pru-" 
dence and honour from pufhing my inqui- 
ries toa degree of minutenefs that was 
indifpenfably neceffary to qualify me for 
the compofition of a journal. 
T leave my reader to his own conjec- 
tures upon the faéts which I have ftated. 
Perhaps, in the language of a promifing 
young fiatefman, they may be faid * to 
Speak for themfelves.”” I cannot but la- 
ment the fhortne{s of my ftay, and regret 
that I was merely permitted to “* fee -the 
Land of Promife.” 
Oftendunt terris hunc tantum fata, neque 
ultra 
Effe finunt. 
Feb. 9, 1801. J. C. B. 
SES 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
I AM forry, Mr. Editor, that the crops 
of your Correfpondent G. A. and of 
his neighbours are fo deficient as to have 
prompted the communication which ap- 
peared from him in your Magazine for 
January lat. As I lock upon the body 
of farmers with the fame refpeétful eye 
that he does, I fhall not be contidered as 
accufing them of having been inftrumental 
in ratfing the price of corn to its prefent 
unprecedented height, or in keeping j, 
it thus high, when I differ from your Co, 
refponde,, 
