ns l'hiver J'ai un autre talent_. And
I assure you I was glad she did not exercise _both her talents_ at the
same time of the year; yet I could not refrain from giving her a double
fee, for a single fare, as I thought there was something due to her
_winter_ as well as summer abilities.

But I must not let my little _Bateliere's_ talents prevent me, while I
think of it, telling you, that I did visit, and stay some days at the
Roman town lately discovered in Champaigne, which I mentioned to you in
a former letter: it stood upon a mountain, now called the _Chatelet_,
the foot of which is watered by a good river, and its sides with _good
wine_. _Monsieur Grignon_, whose house stands very near it, and who has
there an iron manufacture, first discovered the remains of this ancient
town; his men, in digging for iron ore, found wrought gold, beside other
things, which convinced _Mons. Grignon_ (who is a man of genius) that it
was necessary to inform the King with what they had discovered; in
consequence of which, his Majesty ordered the foundations to be laid
open; and I had the satisfaction of seeing in _Mons. Grignon_'s cabinet
an infinite number of Roman utensils, such as weights, measures, kitchen
furniture, vases, busts, locks, swords, inscriptions, pottery ware,
statues, &c. which afforded me, and would you, a great deal of pleasure,
as well as information. _Mons. Grignon_ the elder, was gone to Paris; a
circumstance which gave me great concern to hear before I went to his
house, but which was soon removed by the politeness, and hospitable
manner I was received by his son: yet, my only recommendation to either,
was my being a stranger; and being a stranger is, in general, a good
recommendation to a Frenchman, for, upon all such occasions, they are
never shy, or backward in communicating what they know, or of gratifying
the curiosity of an inquisitive traveller; their houses, cabinets, and
gardens, are always open; and they seem rather to think they receive,
than grant a favour, to those who visit them. How many fine gardens,
valuable cabinets, and curiosities, have we in England, so shut up, that
the difficulty of access renders them as unentertaining to the public,
as they are to the sordid and selfish possessors! I am thoroughly
satisfied that the town I am speaking of was destroyed by fire, and not,
as has been imagined, by any convulsion of the earth, as I found, among
a hundred other strong proofs of it, an infinite n