s fully, it is necessary to visit the citadel,
now used as a prison, which stands on a height above the town.[14] The
view which it commands is uniformly mountainous in the back grounds, and
flat and rich in its nearer details; but the finest part of it is
towards the east. The snowy Alps near Grenoble, and the line of
mountains from whence the Drome issues, and at whose foot Chateau
Grignan is situated, are its prominent features; and the little
farm-houses and tufts of trees in the rich pasture grounds which
intervene, seem disposed by the hand of a painter.

[Footnote 14: Vide Cooke's Views.]

Not to omit the luxuries of the palate as well as those of the eye, it
is worth while to procure at Montelimart a wedge or two of the nogaux,
or almond-cakes, which Miss Plumptre so particularly recommends. The
genuine sort is as glutinous as pitch, and made in moulds, from whence
it is cut like portable soup; and the makers at Montelimart, like the
rusk-bakers of Kidderminster, have, I understand, refused a large sum
for the receipt. Another of the good things of Provence, to which Miss
Plumptre's Tour introduced us, was the confiture de menage, or fruit
boiled up with grape juice instead of sugar. This is a preserve which
you meet with in most of the commonest inns, but which is so easily made
and little esteemed, that they do not bring it without a particular
order. It is very much like asking for treacle at an English inn;
nevertheless I, for my part, felt obliged to the fair tourist for an
information which has served to mend many a bad breakfast; and a bad
breakfast, as the world doth know, is the stumbling-block, or the
grumbling-stock, of most Englishmen, travelled or untravelled.

The inn at Montelimart is excellent; but Madame must not be left to make
her own charges. We should, however, have parted from her in good
humour, had not her avarice affected persons less able to help
themselves. The poor maid, who appeared jaded to the bone, confessed
that her mistress detained half her etrennes, and I have reason to
believe that she spoke truth.

To the classical ground of Chateau Grignan, which we visited next day, I
shall devote a separate chapter.

CHAP. V.

CHATEAU GRIGNAN.

MAY 10.--This was the day of the greatest interest and fatigue which we
had as yet passed; and moreover afforded us a tolerably accurate idea,
at the risk of our bones, of the nature of French crossroads. Having
understood that the