various other topics, amongst others to the propriety of
renouncing a religion in which we conceived there were erroneous
opinions. "Senor, ecoutez," said he, "can that religion be good which
springs from a bad principle? Les Anglois etaient une fois des bons
Catholiques; le Divorce d'un Roi capricieux fut la cause de leur
changement. Ah, cela n'etait pas bon." ...

When we were on the point of parting he turned to me: "Senor, j'espere
que je ne vous ai pas fache, si je me suis exprime trop fortement devant
vous qui m'avez tant rendu service, il faut me pardonner, je suis pauvre
et malheureux, mais je pensois que c'etait mon devoir."

It was as lucky a meeting for him as for me. I assisted him with money
to expedite him homewards, and he entertained and interested me all the
way to Metz, when, much against my will, we parted, for had he been
going to Pekin I should have accommodated him with a seat....

LETTER IX.

COLOGNE, _July 25th_.

If you could see what I now see, or form any ideas adequate to the
scenery around me, you would indeed prize a letter which, though
commenced at 4 in the morning, cannot be valued at a less price than 2
or 3 old Castles; but it is not yet the moment to sing the praises of
the Rhine. I shall only say that we slept at Bacharach, and that I am
now looking at 4 old Castles whenever I raise my eyes from the paper,
and that a fine old Abbey is only eclipsed by the gable end of a Church,
equally curious, which is almost thrusting itself into the window as if
to look at the strangers.

Little enlivened our day after parting with our Monk, unless I should
except a good scene from a picture which happened at one of the Post
houses. No Postillions were at home, so the Landlord himself was to
drive--an enormous man, rather infirm, with a night-cap on his head,
from whence emerged a long pigtail. It was necessary he should be put
into his Jack boots. By Jack boots you are to understand two large
things as big as portmanteaus, always reminding me of boots fit for the
leg which appears in the Castle of Otranto. Accordingly no less than 4
or 5 persons actually lifted the Landlord into his boots, an operation
which, from the weight and infirmities of the one and the extreme
clumsiness of the others, took up nearly a quarter of an hour; and, of
course, when fairly deposited in them he was unable to move, and further
help was necessary to place him on the saddle.... The first view of
Metz, after