ystem had been abolished in
our island.
I may also observe, for it is to be gained from the chronicles of this
province, that the time at which it may be said that the primitive
Christian church first fell into error, appears to have been about one
thousand years after the death of our Saviour. And as I thought of all
this, and a great deal more, and smoked my cigar, I felt a great deal of
respect for the good old city of Liege; and then I wandered back to the
country I had passed through the day before, excelling in all lovely
scenery. I had seen it before, but it was many years ago; and it may be
seen many times without the least degree of satiety. I do not know any
scenery which raises up such pleasurable sensations as that of the
Valley of Meuse, taking it the whole way from Namur to Liege, and from
Liege to Spa. It is not so magnificent as the Rhine, to which it bears
a miniature resemblance. It is not of that description creating a
strong excitement, almost invariably succeeded by depression; but it is
of that unchanging and ever-pleasing, joyous description, that you are
delighted without being fatigued, and have stimulus sufficient to keep
you constantly in silent admiration without demanding so much from the
senses as to weary them. If I could have divested myself from the
knowledge that I was in motion, and have fancied that the scene was
moving past, I could have imagined myself seated at one of our large
theatres, watching one of Stanfield's splendid panoramas. But the
lighted end of my cigar at last approximated so near to my nose, that I
was burnt out of my reverie; I took the last save--all whiffs, tried to
hit an old woman's cap with the end of it, as I tossed it into the
street, and retreated to the diurnal labour of shaving--of all human
miseries, certainly, the "unkindest cut of all"--especially when the
maids have borrowed your razor, during your absence, to pare down the
apex of their corns.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
Liege.
I have been reading the "Salmonia" of Sir Humphry Davy: what a pity it
is that he did not write more! there are so many curious points started
in it. I like that description of book, which, after reading a while,
you drop it on your knee, and are led into a train of thought which may
last an hour, before you look for the page where you left off. There
are two cases argued in this work, which led me into
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