miens; but in every other place
where we stopped, we met with abundance of dirt, and the most flagrant
imposition. I shall not pretend to describe the cities of Abbeville and
Amiens, which we saw only en passant; nor take up your time with an
account of the stables and palace of Chantilly, belonging to the prince
of Conde, which we visited the last day of our journey; nor shall I
detain you with a detail of the Trefors de St. Denis, which, together
with the tombs in the abbey church, afforded us some amusement while
our dinner was getting ready. All these particulars are mentioned in
twenty different books of tours, travels, and directions, which you
have often perused. I shall only observe, that the abbey church is the
lightest piece of Gothic architecture I have seen, and the air within
seems perfectly free from that damp and moisture, so perceivable in all
our old cathedrals. This must be owing to the nature of its situation.
There are some fine marble statues that adorn the tombs of certain
individuals here interred; but they are mostly in the French taste,
which is quite contrary to the simplicity of the antients. Their
attitudes are affected, unnatural, and desultory; and their draperies
fantastic; or, as one of our English artists expressed himself, they
are all of a flutter. As for the treasures, which are shewn on certain
days to the populace gratis, they are contained in a number of presses,
or armoires, and, if the stones are genuine, they must be inestimable:
but this I cannot believe. Indeed I have been told, that what they shew
as diamonds are no more than composition: nevertheless, exclusive of
these, there are some rough stones of great value, and many curiosities
worth seeing. The monk that shewed them was the very image of our
friend Hamilton, both in his looks and manner.

I have one thing very extraordinary to observe of the French auberges,
which seems to be a remarkable deviation from the general character of
the nation. The landlords, hostesses, and servants of the inns upon the
road, have not the least dash of complaisance in their behaviour to
strangers. Instead of coming to the door, to receive you as in England,
they take no manner of notice of you; but leave you to find or enquire
your way into the kitchen, and there you must ask several times for a
chamber, before they seem willing to conduct you up stairs. In general,
you are served with the appearance of the most mortifying indifference,
a