latter
words: and he concluded by telling me that he was himself the Cure of _Ste.
Trinite_ one of the two principal churches of the town--and that his name
was MOUTON. Be assured that I shall not lose sight of the Comte de la
Fresnaye, and Monsieur Mouton.

[166] [Only ONE letter has passed between us since my departure; and that
enables me to subjoin a fac-simile of its author's autograph.

[Autograph: de Larenaudiere]

[167] [It was in fact built by the famous Lord Talbot, about the year 1420.
A similar castle, but less strong and lofty, may be seen at Castor,
near Yarmouth in Norfolk--once the seat of the famous Sir JOHN
FASTOLF, (a contemporary with Talbot) of whom Anstis treats so fully
in his _Order of the Garter_, vol.i. p.142.]

[168] See p. 205 ante.

LETTER XX.

MONS. MOUTON. CHURCH OF STE. TRINITE. COMTE DE LA FRESNAYE. GUIBRAY CHURCH.
SUPPOSED HEAD OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. M. LANGEVIN, HISTORIAN OF FALAISE.
PRINTING OFFICES.

I lose no time in the fulfilment of my promise. The church of SAINTE
TRINITE, of which Monsieur Mouton is the Cure, is the second place of
worship in rank in the town. During the Revolution, Mons. Mouton was
compelled, with too many of his professional brethren, to fly from the
general persecution of his order. One solitary and most amiable creature
only remained; of the name of LANGEVIN--of whom, by and by, Monsieur Mouton
did me the honour of shewing me the interior of his church. His stipend (as
he told me) did not exceed 1500 francs per annum; and it is really
surprising to observe to what apparent acts of generosity towards his
flock, this income is made subservient. You shall hear. The altar consists
of two angels of the size of life, kneeling very gracefully, in white
glazed plaister: in the centre, somewhat raised above, is a figure of the
Virgin, of the same materials; above which again, is a representation of
the TRINITY--in a blaze of gilt. The massive circular columns surrounding
the choir--probably of the fourteenth century--were just fresh painted, at
the expense of the worthy Cure, in alternate colours of blue and
yellow--imitative of marble;--that is to say, each column, alternately, was
blue and yellow. It was impossible to behold any thing more glaring and
more tasteless. I paid my little tribute of admiration at the simplicity
and grace of the kneeling figure of the Virgin--but was stubbornly silent
about every thing else.