nding, we drove to the lower town,
down a somewhat fearful descent, to change horses. It was impossible to
avoid noticing the prodigious quantity of fruit--especially of currants and
strawberries. _Ligny_ was our next halting place, to change horses. The
route thither was sufficiently pleasant. You leave the town through rather
a consequential gateway, of chaste Tuscan architecture, and commence
ascending a lofty hill. From hence you observe, to the left, an old castle
in the outskirts of the town. The road is here broad and grand: and
although a very lively breeze was playing in our faces, yet we were not
insensible to the increasing heat of the day. We dined at _St. Aubin_. A
hearty good-humoured landlady placed before us a very comfortable meal,
with a bottle of rather highly-flavoured vin ordinaire. The inn was little
better than a common ale house in England: but every thing was "tres
propre." On leaving, we seemed to be approaching high hills, through flat
meadows--where very poor cattle were feeding. A pretty drive towards _Void_
and _Laye_, the next post-towns: but it was still prettier on approaching
_Toul_, of which the church, at a distance, had rather a cathedral-like
appearance. We drank tea at Toul--but first proceeded to the church, which
we found to be greatly superior to that of Meaux. Its interior is indeed,
in parts, very elegant: and one lancet-shaped window, in particular, of
stained glass, may even vie with much of what the cathedral of this place
affords.

At Toul, for the first time since quitting Paris, we were asked for our
passports; it being a fortified town. Our next stage was _Dommartin_;
behind which appeared to be a fine hilly country, now purpled by the rays
of a declining sun. The church of Toul, in our rear, assumed a more
picturesque appearance than before. At _Velaine_, the following post-town,
we had a pair of fine mettlesome Prussian horses harnessed to our voiture,
and started at a full swing trot--through the forest of Hayes, about a
French league in length. The shade and coolness of this drive, as the sun
was getting low, were quite refreshing. The very postilion seemed to enjoy
it, and awakened the echoes of each avenue by the unintermitting sounds of
numberless flourishes of his whip. "How tranquil and how grand!" would he
occasionally exclaim. On clearing the forest, we obtained the first glimpse
of something like a distant mountainous country: which led us to conclude
that we