1820.]

Mr. URBAN,

Dover, July 30, 1818. On the 28th July, we applied at the French Ambassador's office, in London, for passports. Having obtained them, we proceeded to Herries's Bank, St. James's-street, and supplied ourselves with a competent number of their bills of credit, which are convertible iuto cash by their correspondents at upwards of 150 of the principal towns on the Continent. At Thomas's, near the Royal Exchange, we procured a supply of gold and silver coin, for immediate use. In 1814, I only received 18 francs for a one-pound note, or 158. in the pound: in 1815, 20 francs, or 16s. 8d. in the pound: I now obtained 23f. 60c. or 19s. 8d. in the pound.

LETTER I.

Calais, July 31, 1818. We left Dover Harbour at five minutes past nine, and entered Calais Harbour at five minutes before twelve. The day was fine, and the wind (S.W.) fair. The packet-boat was the ChiIchester; the passage 10s. 6d.

On landing, we left our passports at the proper office, and our luggage was taken to the Custom-house to be examined. If I had had any new cotton stockings, they would have been seized.—We then proceeded to Quillacq's Hotel, and have ordered dinner. We are to procure new passports in lieu of those granted in London, which last will be forwarded to Paris: upon the new passports there is a stamp duty of two francs.

* See vol. LXXVIII. ii. 401; LXXXIX. i. pp. 29. 122. 204.

GENT. MAG. January, 1820.

25

This country smells of tobacco and burnt wood, as usual. The Pillar on the Pier was erected on the spot where the King landed from England, in April 1814.

LETTER II.

Cambrai, Aug. 3, 1818.

As a specimen of French dinners, lacq's, premising that the table was a I will tell you what we had at Quildeal board, set upon cross stickssoup, soles, mutton maintenon, veal fricandeau, potatoes, chicken and argooseberries, and plums: this was the tichoke, pastry, cheese, cherries, dinner for two; the tables d'hôte are on a larger scale.—The Duke of Wellington had announced his intention to sleep at Quillacq's on Friday night, and was expected at half-past eleven. I sat up considering whether I should go to bed (which I felt much inclined to do), or wait the arrival of the Conqueror of France. Whilst I was laid considering that I might sleep any on a large sofa, debating the matter, night, but could not see so great a man any night; on the other hand, what better should I be for having seen him? besides, he might not come, or might be behind his time, &c. 1 found my sitting up was not agreeable to the waiter, who every now and

then made errands into the room to see if I was wanting to retire. At length, at eleven o'clock, he came into the room, blew out the two candles on the table, and was proceeding to blow out a third on the side-table; and on my calling out for him to leave one candle, he replied, Tout le monde va se coucher.' This being the case, I was obliged to retire; for it was not for John Bull to introduce as all the world was going to bed, his bad customs of turning night into pect that my anxiety to see the Duke, day. I could not, however, but susand may having so repeatedly inquired about his arrival, might determine the waiter to baulk me; as the Duke is no mighty favourite with Frenchmen. The next morning, at seven, I went down to the pier, and saw the Duke's carriage embarked aboard the Lord Duncan packet. He was to sail The wind, at W. N. W. was directly at high water (between ten and eleven). against him, and his passage would probably occupy seven or eight bours at least. The sailors were disputing

3

about

about the number of tacks to be made, and the course to be steered, in order to get him soonest over. The Duke slept on the ground-floor of our hotel, in a room looking into the garden; his sitting-room was adjoining his bed-room. He got up between eight and nine, and at nine breakfasted with four or five officers; but the curtains were so much closed, that as we walked in the garden we could distinguish nothing. We determined not to leave Calais till we had seen him. About half past nine the master of the packet came to summon him. The Duke soon after came to the door, and looked up at the sky for a minute; he returned to his room, and in about five minutes set off to walk to the pier, in company with the officers. He said to Colo nel Campbell, who was near him, Is that your carriage, Campbell?' pointing to one in the Court.-The Duke is about 5 feet 7 inches high; has au enormous nose; is a cheerful smiling man, and without the gravity which the portraits of him represent: he is about 50: he was dressed in a blue frock coat, white trowsers, and short boots. He appears stiff, as if he wore stays: the French say he has armour under his clothes, which I don't believe; but though not an ostentatious man, he seems a little of the dandy in his dress. We experienced great politeness at the Custom-house relative to the examination of our lug gage. There was in the same room, with us at the hotel, a tall genteel young Englishman, who had lost his portmanteau: he sent for some of the finest ready-made shirts; but they were extremely coarse, so short, that they would scarcely reach below the waist, and besides very narrow.--After we had seen the Duke, we set off for St. Omer, in a cabriolet, calculated to contain two persons, and drawn by two horses: this we hired of Mr. Quillacq. The charge for one direct. to Paris is 120 francs, but by a circuitous route, which ours is to be, 150.-At the first place of changing horses, the only ostler or stable attendant was an old woman.-The harness as usual was chiefly ropes.Mount Cassell was visible a great part of the road. We arrived at St. Omer to dinner, at the Ancienne Poste, kept by an English woman. We found a great number of English officers,

with their wives and families at St. Omer; there being two English camps within four miles.-A little girl, with a small harp, played and sung in the streets very delightfully. We had a good dinner; but met with a disappointment in not being able to procure horses forward: there had been a great review the day before by Lord Wellington, which had drawn together the English families from Boulogne, Cambrai, &c. and all the horses were engaged in conveying them back again. Being informed that one of the camps was only six quarters of an hour distant, we set off to walk towards it, accompanied by a lad, as guide. We passed a fine old Jesuits' Church, now converted into a hay chamber or store house. On the road we overtook two Irish women, who were swearing at each other in the English fashion. What must the French think when they hear us complain of their profligacy of manners! the husband of one of the women, a soldier, told us he was a native of Limerick he and his wife complained much of the expence of living in France; a ration, which in England would cost 44d. here costs

6d. In England, when the regiment marches, the wives and families of the soldiers, bag and baggage, are conveyed with it; but here, they must go at their own expence, and the French impose on them; she also complained that cotton for the children's frocks, &c. was much dearer than in England. -The grand Review yesterday commenced at three in the afternoon, and was to have continued till night, with several sham fights, representing actions in Spain, and the battle of Waterloo-but the rain came on, and the Duke stopped the Review in about half an hour after it had begun. After we had walked about two miles we came in view of the encampment -a great number of white tents, on an eminence about two miles further; and as we found we should see a similar encampment at Cambrai, we did not proceed further. There are ten regiments in the neighbourhood of St. Omer. We were joined on the way back by a Highlander, a soldier in the 71st, who has been 32 years in the army. He is a native of Inver

HA

Mr. URBAN, Tavistock-place, Jan.1. AVING undertaken to write the “History and Antiquities of the Hundreds of Chippenham and North Damerham, in the County of Wilts," I feel particularly anxious to render the same as accurate and satisfactory as possible. I am therefore induced to adopt this mode of inquiry, from a persuasion that there are many gentlemen resident in, or belonging to the Hundreds of Chippenham and North Damerham, who can render much valuable assistance in such an undertaking, and who will be most likely to contribute such assistance, when they are assured that it is to promote and effect a Topographical History of Wiltshire. It must be known to the gentlemen of the County, that Sir Richard Hoare has announced his intention of publishing the History of some portions of Modern Wiltshire*, after having completed his interesting Work on the British and Roman Antiquities, and that he has invited different gentlemen to co-operate in this laudable undertaking. This is to constitute part of that Work. It has often been remarked with surprise and regret, that this County has been singularly neglected by the Topographer and Antiquary; whilst many other English counties have been amply, and even repeatedly illustrated. Till I published two volumes in 1800, and one more copious, and more Topographical, in 1814, there had scarcely been a volume written on the Paro. chial History of the County t. 1 therefore more eagerly come forward on the present occasion, and shalf zealously endeavour to illustrate the district above named; because it was the scene of my birth and childhood, because I have some esteemed friends there who have promised to assist me, and because I have already collected a large mass of materials towards the Work. Still eager to render" The History of Chippenham and North Damerham Hundreds” equal in accu

* See his "Hints on the Topography of Wiltshire."

+ The first, entitled "The Beauties of Wiltshire," a third volume of which, to complete the work, is now ready for the press. The second forms part of "the Beauties of England," but may be purchased as a separate work.

racy and extent of information to that of any other portion of the County, I most earnestly entreat a free and full communication on any subject connected with this undertak ing; and can assure my correspondents, that no labour or zeal shall be want, ing on my part to amalgamate the materials, to analyze facts, and to elucidate the Topography of these two Hundreds.

Though I have visited every Parish in these two Hundreds, it is my intention to make a more particular survey of each at the earliest opportunity. J. BRITTON,

.2000 is borrowed of this sum of 10,000, and lent by the first five description of persons, and taxes are laid on to pay the interest on the 20001. borrowed. What is the effect? -say the taxes are laid on articles of general consumption, malt and tea for instance; who pay these taxes? why say 2553 persons drinking beer and tea; and the taxes being on the number of persons, and not on the property, those that have the least property pay the same as those that have the most; which must, in the end, in the abstract view, soon reduce those that have least, to ruin first, and so on; and thus produce a pressure downwards, which is just the case with the country at the present moment.

But it will be said the 100%. per annum, taken away from the whole by the taxes on malt and tea, is returned again in the shape of interest, and that the same money circulates. True, it does so; but it circulates in the shape of an altered property ;· and as all cannot have the means of acquiring