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travels through france and italy-第37章

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 upon the road。 Before we left Paris; we laid in a stock of tea;  chocolate; cured neats' tongues; and saucissons; or Bologna  sausages; both of which we found in great perfection in that  capital; where; indeed; there are excellent provisions of all  sorts。 About ten in the morning we stopped to breakfast at some  auberge; where we always found bread; butter; and milk。 In the  mean time; we ordered a poulard or two to be roasted; and these;  wrapped in a napkin; were put into the boot of the coach;  together with bread; wine; and water。 About two or three in the  afternoon; while the horses were changing; we laid a cloth upon  our knees; and producing our store; with a few earthen plates; discussed our short meal without further ceremony。 This was  followed by a dessert of grapes and other fruit; which we had  also provided。 I must own I found these transient refreshments  much more agreeable than any regular meal I ate upon the road。  The wine commonly used in Burgundy is so weak and thin; that you  would not drink it in England。 The very best which they sell at  Dijon; the capital of the province; for three livres a bottle; is  in strength; and even in flavour; greatly inferior to what I have  drank in London。 I believe all the first growth is either  consumed in the houses of the noblesse; or sent abroad to foreign  markets。 I have drank excellent Burgundy at Brussels for a florin  a bottle; that is; little more than twenty pence sterling。

The country from the forest of Fontainbleau to the Lyonnois;  through which we passed; is rather agreeable than fertile; being  part of Champagne and the dutchy of Burgundy; watered by three  pleasant pastoral rivers; the Seine; the Yonne; and the Saone。  The flat country is laid out chiefly for corn; but produces more  rye than wheat。 Almost all the ground seems to be ploughed up; so  that there is little or nothing lying fallow。 There are very few  inclosures; scarce any meadow ground; and; so far as I could  observe; a great scarcity of cattle。 We sometimes found it very  difficult  to procure half a pint of milk for our tea。 In  Burgundy I saw a peasant ploughing the ground with a jack…ass; a  lean cow; and a he…goat; yoked together。 It is generally  observed; that a great number of black cattle are bred and fed on  the mountains of Burgundy; which are the highest lands in France;  but I saw very few。 The peasants in France are so wretchedly  poor; and so much oppressed by their landlords; that they cannot  afford to inclose their grounds; or give a proper respite to  their lands; or to stock their farms with a sufficient number of  black cattle to produce the necessary manure; without which  agriculture can never be carried to any degree of perfection。  Indeed; whatever efforts a few individuals may make for the  benefit of their own estates; husbandry in France will never be  generally improved; until the farmer is free and independent。

From the frequency of towns and villages; I should imagine this  country is very populous; yet it must be owned; that the towns  are in general thinly inhabited。 I saw a good number of country  seats and plantations near tile banks of the rivers; on each  side; and a great many convents; sweetly situated; on rising  grounds; where the air is most pure; and the prospect most  agreeable。 It is surprising to see how happy the founders of  those religious houses have been in their choice of situations;  all the world over。

In passing through this country; I was very much struck with the  sight of large ripe clusters of grapes; entwined with the briars  and thorns of common hedges on the wayside。 The mountains of  Burgundy are covered with vines from the bottom to the top; and  seem to be raised by nature on purpose to extend the surface; and  to expose it the more advantageously to the rays of the sun。 The  vandange was but just begun; and the people were employed in  gathering the grapes; but I saw no signs of festivity among them。  Perhaps their joy was a little damped by the bad prospect of  their harvest; for they complained that the weather had been so  unfavourable as to hinder the grapes from ripening。 I thought;  indeed; there was something uncomfortable in seeing the vintage  thus retarded till the beginning of winter: for; in some parts; I  found the weather extremely cold; particularly at a place called  Maison…neuve; where we lay; there was a hard frost; and in the  morning the pools were covered with a thick crust of ice。 My  personal adventures on the road were such as will not bear a  recital。 They consisted of petty disputes with landladies; post… masters; and postillions。 The highways seem to be perfectly safe。  We did not find that any robberies were ever committed; although  we did not see one of the marechaussee from Paris to Lyons。 You  know the marechaussee are a body of troopers well mounted;  maintained in France as safe…guards to the public roads。 It is a  reproach upon England that some such patrol is not appointed for  the protection of travellers。

At Sens in Champagne; my servant; who had rode on before to  bespeak fresh horses; told me; that the domestic of another  company had been provided before him; altho' it was not his turn;  as he had arrived later at the post。 Provoked at this partiality;  I resolved to chide the post…master; and accordingly addressed  myself to a person who stood at the door of the auberge。 He was a  jolly figure; fat and fair; dressed in an odd kind of garb; with  a gold laced cap on his head; and a cambric handkerchief pinned  to his middle。 The sight of such a fantastic petit maitre; in the  character of a post…master; increased my spleen。 I called to him  with an air of authority; mixed with indignation; and when he  came up to the coach; asked in a peremptory tone; if he did not  understand the king's ordonnance concerning the regulation of the  posts? He laid his hand upon his breast; but before he could make  any answer; I pulled out the post…book; and began to read; with  great vociferation; the article which orders; that the traveller  who comes first shall be first served。 By this time the fresh  horses being put to the carriage; and the postillions mounted;  the coach set off all of a sudden; with uncommon speed。 I  imagined the post…master had given the fellows a signal to be  gone; and; in this persuasion; thrusting my head out at the  window; I bestowed some epithets upon him; which must have  sounded very harsh in the ears of a Frenchman。 We stopped for a  refreshment at a little town called Joigne…ville; where (by the  bye) I was scandalously imposed upon; and even abused by a virago  of a landlady; then proceeding to the next stage; I was given to  understand we could not be supplied with fresh horses。 Here I  perceived at the door of the inn; the same person whom I had  reproached at Sens。 He came up to the coach; and told me; that  notwithstanding what the guides had said; I should have fresh  horses in a few minutes。 I imagined he was master both of this  house and the auberge at Sens; between which he passed and  repassed occasionally; and that he was now desirous of making me  amends for the affront he had put upon me at the other place。  Observing that one of the trunk
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