e casements. Nothing can be more delightful than the vine
when flourishing in all this unbridled wildness of its natural
luxuriance, and as if justly sensible of its beauty, the French
cottagers convert it to the double purpose of ornament or utility.
Whilst travelling along, my spirits frequently felt the cheering
influence of the united images of natural beauty and of human happiness.
Often have I seen the weary labourer sitting under a sunny wall, his
head shaded by the luxuriant branches of the vine, the purple fruit of
which furnished him with his simple meal. Bread and fruit is the
constant summer dinner of the peasantry of the Loire. Upon this subject,
the general plenty of the country, I should not have forgotten to
mention, that in the proper season partridges and hares are in great
plenty, and being fed on the heath lands of Bretagne and Anjou, are said
to have the best flavour. An Englishman will scarcely believe, that
whilst he is paying 12_s._ a couple for fowls, half a guinea for a
turkey, seven shillings for a goose, &c. &c.: whilst such I say are the
market prices in London, the dearest price in the market of Angers is
10_d._ a couple for fowls, a shilling a couple for ducks, 1_s._ 6_d._
for a goose. As to the quality of these provisions, the veal and the
mutton being fed in the meadows on the Loire, are entirely as good as in
England; but the beef, not being in general use except for soups and
stews, is of a very inferior kind. Wood is the only article which is
dear; but an Englishman in this country would doubtless rise above the
prejudices around him, and burn coal, of which there is a great plenty
in every part of France.

I must not take leave of Angers without mentioning, that it was a
favourite station of the Romans, who, like the monks, always consulted
natural beauty in the site of the towns and permanent encampments. Many
remnants of this people are still visible: some of the arches of an
aqueduct are yet entire, and without a guide speak their own origin.

Accompanied by Mr. Younge and Monsieur de Corseult, I visited the
Caserne and the National School. The Caserne was formerly a Riding
School of general reputation, and is one of the most superb buildings
of the kind in the world. Peter the Great of Russia was here instructed
in the equestrian art, and many other illustrious men are on its list of
scholars. The National School has nothing worthy of peculiar remark.
Angers before the Revolutio