"What my government was, whether paternal, mild and just, it belongs to ye, oh Romans ! to give free testimony. But thou, oh Marcus! badst witnessed continued civil wars, not for liberty, but for the election of a tyrant. "How grossly obscured, then, must thy mind have been! how forgetful of all past experience! when thou couldst expect that, after killing me, a worse would not arise, ready to enslave and to destroy a servile people." (To be continued.) DEAR SIR, LETTER I. AN opportunity of visiting Rome and other celebrated cities on the continent having occurred, presented too great a temptation to be resisted. To traverse a country which has been illustrated by every page of classical history; to view regions that were associated with events which had so often been to me the subject of merited admiration, could not but be a most interesting employment. Italy has truly been called the nursery of the arts. Its edifices are adorned with all the skill that such painters as Paul Veronese, Michael Angelo, and Raphael, could communicate; and the most exquisite and beautiful sculpture adorns its museums, its galleries, and its gardens. I quitted London for Brighton, in company with two friends, on the 24th of July, that town having been fixed upon as the place of our embarkation. While there, we visited the showy apartments of the Pavilion, which contained, however, nothing worthy of regard, except a few sofas and chairs of peculiar workmanship, and a table painted in imitation of various kinds of rare marble. The more valuable and interesting objects were at that time concealed from public inspection, in consequence of the contemplated repairs. At eight in the evening we set sail for Dieppe. Our course was South, and the wind S. E.; but as it soon veered due South, we made but little progress during the night, and had scarcely lost sight of Beechy Head by noon the next day. freshened in our favour and at two Shortly after, however, the wind in the afternoon, being below and much indisposed, I was informed that they were able to discover the French coast, at about twenty-two miles distance. This inspired me with a degree of life and animation, having been for some hours in a state which those only can conceive who have felt the indisposition consequent of such a mode of travelling. Arriving off Dieppe about three o'clock, we entered the boat appointed to take us on shore; but wheiber from French politeness, or some other cause, instead of immediately landing us for the three francs, which is their regular charge (as if the money would have been too easily earned had they conveyed us directly to laud), they sailed about with us for more than an hour, apparently delighted to see Messieurs les Anglois exhausted with illness and fatigue. When at length we arrived near the shore, they informed us, that we must not quit the boat until the arrival of the Commissionaire des Droits. As Englishmen, unaccustomed to be detained against our inclination, until some petty officer should have the complaisance to examine our passports, and observing a motley groupe that had assembled on the shore, as if to laugh at our situation, we began to grow unruly, threalening to throw the boatmen over, and to land in spite of French laws and regulations. Their soft and soothing language, however, induced us to await the arrival of the Commissionaire, though certainly not without great anxiety. When a traveller first enters a coun try where the prevailing habits, manners, and language, differ greatly from those of his own nation, he cannot but be forcibly impressed with the coutrast. A military people especially, who for the last twenty years have been engaged in war and bloodshed, among whom every young man was a soldier, and every gentleman an officer, could not but present some striking points of comparison. I could not but observe, that the domestics of every class were either females, or men whose feeble limbs were scarcely adequate to support their tottering frames. On the evening of our arrival, we sallied forth in order to visit the Chateau, but were prevented from entering the gates by the centinel. We rose early the next morning; it was market-day, and the inn being situated in the market-place, out attention was attracted by the goods exposed for sale by the inhabitants. We afterwards sauntered to the Pier, which was undergoing a thorough repair, and returning through the town were struck with the curious manner in which they hang their lamps. They are suspended in the air: the cords from which they depend formerly served two purposes; for besides their present desiguation, they have too frequently been employed for the suspension of the bodies of many innocent, but suspected, persons. Dieppe, considered by many as a dirty fishing town, appeared to me not to deserve that character; though it is certainly not to be compared to many towns in England. The day of our arrival happened to be the second anniversary of the arrival of the Duchesse d'Angoulême in France; and as this was the precise place where she landed, the white flag was displayed from the window on the second floor of every house in the principal street. The diligence for Rouen setting off at ten o'clock in the morning, we left Dieppe, and entered upon our travels through a foreign country. The roads, as is well known, are particularly straight and broad; the fields, without hedges or inclosures, are open to the road; but the latter is in many places lined with fruit trees, producing altogether a very pleasing effect. The mode of driving is singular, but not so ridiculous as many travellers have represented it. As we approached Rouen, we observed several silk manufactories. The entrance to this town is through an avenue of trees, and has a beautiful appearance, especially when lighted in the evening, as the lamps are suspended is the centre of the road. From the quay and masts which present themselves to the view, the traveller is at first ready to imagine it a fishing-town; and great was our disappointment, when, instead of the bustle of commerce, we found only a dirty place, with streets both narrow and mean. The church is ancient, and contains some fine painted windows of great antiquity. The bridge over the Seine is of boats, and rises and falls with the tide. Leaving Rouen, we ascended a high hill, from which we had a commanding view of the town and surrounding country. There we mounted the cabriolet, soon lost sight of Rouen, and passing through Pontoise, entered Paris by St. Denis. Having alighted from the diligence, two or three dirty little fellows asked me whether I could spak Inglesh; and having given them to understand that I could, they left me apparently well satisfied. The Palais Royal was the first place we visited. The café's, the shops, the fountain playing in the centre of the garden, and the company promenading its various walks, give it a most enlivening appearance. To obtain a general idea of the city was our next object; and passing through the gardens of the Thuilleries, we took an opportu nity of ranging through the spacious halls of the Louvre, and gratified our taste by examining many beautiful productions of ancient and modern artists. Not having sufficient time to enter into the gaieties of this delightful city, and being anxious to pursue our journey to Rome, we quitted Paris for Lyons. On arriving at the barrier, we entered at once on the green fields, without being obliged to pass through a Knightsbridge, a Kensington, or a Hammersmith. The atmosphere was clear, the sky serene, and the sun shone forth with peculiar brilliancy. The trees waved their verdant foliage, agitated by a gentle and refreshing breeze, and every thing seemed to concur in promising us a delightful journey. There are a few houses built along the road side, but they are all too scattered to be termed villages, although some of them are of a considerable size. It was now evening, and nothing particular had occurred during the day, when, on a sudden turn of the road, the Forest of Fontainbleau burst at once upon our sight. A place which called to our recollection so many remarkable occurrences, could not fail to impress us with the most interesting reflections. The rocks on the hills have a curious appearance; we at first mistook them for houses. The village of Fontainbleau is situated in the centre of the forest; and the chateau, an ancient edifice, lies a little beyond it. Under its roof many projects were formed, and orders issued, decisive of the fate of France. A few posts brought us to La Croisière, where we supped, and made the requisite preparations for proceeding onwards during the night. The moon being at the full, rendered nocturnal travelling very pleasant, and we arrived early the next morning at Montargis. This village is of considerable size; but as it was early in the morning, we had no opportunity of making any particular observations. Here a fat French Lady, attended by a priest and three or four servants, being desirous to have an inside place to Lyons, I resigned my own in her favour; and gladly joined my companions in the cabriolet The interior of a diligence, when well warmed and scented by the garlic and eau de Cologne of French travellers. is not indeed very pleasant to the olfactory nerves of an Englishman. At two o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived at Colne, a village on the Loire. Following the course of the river, during the remainder of the day, at eleven at night we came to the extensive village of Nevers. Opposite to the inn, at the extremity of a large square, a cross of vast dimensions was now erecting; and our curiosity being ́ excited, we were approaching to view it, when a centinel making his appearance warned us to retire: a cominand which, on the continent, is not to be infringed, especially if issued by a man on duty. I must here remark, that the general behaviour of the military in France to strangers, and especially to Englishmen, is brutal in the extreme. Returning to the diligence, which was by this time ready, we remounted the cabriolet ; and leaving this village, crossed the Loire over an old bridge. Some men were at work by candle-light laying the foundation of a new one. The greater part of the night was occupied in crossing a range of mountains; and we arrived at Moulins the follow ing morning at nine o'clock. This town appeared to derive its supply of water from a fountain in the centre of it; and here, notwithstanding the early hour, we stopped to dine. The remainder of the day was occupied in admiring the beauty of the surrounding scenery. The next morning we contented ourselves with a hasty breakfast at a post-house. Early in the afternoon we arrived at Roanne, a small village of great antiquity. Our dili gence having to ascend a hill, we were requested to walk on; a Frenchman travelling with us shewed us a nearer way, and kept us in deep conversation until we had arrived at the summit, when he begged us to turn round. How were we surprised at the scene which burst upon us; enriched as it was by every beauty which could render it delightful to the admirer of Nature. Hills and vales, pasturage and vineyards, blended together, formed a continued succession of fertility and beauty. Within a few miles of Lyons, the country is fine; the hills are crowned with villas, and ancient ruins occasionally meet the eye. The entrance into this city is, however, destitute of beauty. Crossing the Rhone, we arrived at the Hotel du Parc, situated in the Place de Viile. Our passports being the first consideration, we repaired to the Police, and were occupied the whole day in procuring it. My next letter will find us in Italy: and as that country was the object we were most desirous to visit, I shall then be more particular. I remain, my dear Sir, Your's truly, Doughty-street. R. C. M. To the Editor of the European Magazine. SIR, Y OUR Correspondent K. in his ingenious account of Bartholomew Fair, says, it is " reported to be of great advantage to the City, by the reut of the standings." Now, Mr Editor, though I must confess I am a wellwisher to the City, or to any other part of his Majesty's dominions, yet I thuk this a subject that requires our most serious consideration, because it is well known from what quarter that advantage is derived. Is it for a moment to be supposed, that the City would hold out a bait to enrich itself with the present hard-earned pittance of the poor? or is it unwilling to rob them of the lillle innocent merry-makings that may serve to buoy the heart a few moments, ere it sinks again into the depths of indigence and misery? I would not suppose ibat the hand of poverty is stretched so far as is frequently represented, yet it is, I believe, pretty evident to the attentive observer, that there is a vast change in our fair going faces; when the pocket is heavy the heart is light. In regard to the morals of our countrymen, which is the most essential thing to be considered, I am only astonished that the clergy have not attempted to suppress such scenes of riot, drunkenness, and debauchery: can the Hell they preach of be more horrible to a virtuous mind than the interior of some of the old tenements in the neighbourhood of Smithfield, during the disturbances of Bartholomew Fair? For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. immorality, and the want of good impressions on the minds of youth too often renders them, in riper years, unfit to serve the public or themselves in any good capacity, it therefore greatly be hoves parents to have a special eye over the education of their children. As a garden uncultivated, and without good seed, will bring forth weeds, so the minds of children, if not corrected by the rod of rebuke and admonition, and sown with the seeds of virtue and religion, cannot be expected to bring forth good fruit: their little minds are susceptible, and will receive some impression or other. It is to the want of proper care in the education of youth that we may impute many of the evils generally complained of in this age, and the utter ruin of thousands, both as to soul and body, who, had they been duly impressed, in their infant years, with a love of virtue, and the fear of God, might have been, to the latest hour of their existence, shining lights in the world, and after death had the memory of their good deeds perpetuated to posterity. Parents should be careful in their choice of tutors for their children; and such only ought to be encouraged as schoolmasters and governesses, as are of good repute, and who lead such lives as do no discredit to religion. It is from such only that it can be expected to have a proper effect; it is these only, who, while they teach their pupils the sciences, will have a due care over their morals. Precepts without examples, in either preachers, parents, or teachers, like airy meteors, no sooner make their appearance but they are gone, and scarce any vestiges of them remain : so little impression do precepts make, when practice gives the lie to the tongue! But to return: Parents ought not only to send their children to school, and to church, but to teach them themselves at home, and enforce, as much as they can, a due obedience and reveren-. tial regard to their teachers abroad; on this depends, in a great measure, the childrens' tractability and the teachers' success. What parents, who enjoy but the smallest degree of prudence, would not strive to the utmost to improve their own image, especially when they reflect, that not only the eternal welfare B. of their offspring, but also that of the I must own, Mr. Editor, that it is much easier for any of your Correspondents to find errors, than for the administration to correct them: I have been railing against a public fair, and yet I could scarcely find in my heart, were it in my power, to abolish fairs altogether. That little relaxation from hard labour, that little genuine rising of the heart into laughter and festivity which we were wont to see in our country fairs, to me were worth all our public amusements summed up together-the smiles of the poor labourer, while shaping his way through the green fields, with his wife and family, decked in their Sunday suits, among a crowd of friends and acquaintances; the cordial shake of the band, and all the accompaniments of a rustic companionship, have always been the delight of the poet and the painter their honest faces not only bore the smile of contentment, but they expressed a certain honourable sympathy between the kind-hearted employer and the industrious servant.But how different is the impression which such a riotous scene as that of Bartholomew Fair presents, to the jocund simplicity that prevails at a village wake;-in the former, vice revels among its victims, boasting of the devastation of honour and honesty; in the latter, joy unchecked by guilt rejoice in the reciprocal satisfactions of friendship and good neighbourhood. I remain, Sir, Your humble servant, Greenwich, 22d Oct. 1818. church and state, depends entirely on the proper education of the rising generation? That deluge of vice which hath so long threatened these kingdoms with ruin, can never be suppressed in any other way. If we consider things rightly, it is on this our own hopes are founded, as to the little time we have yet to remain in this terrene abode: if we neglect this incumbent duty, and suffer our children to grow up without implanting in them a due sense of virtue and religion, we can never expect they will do their duty to us in the latter part of our existence, but will prove as it were harrows and thorns to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the mind, and add double weight to the too heavy infirmities of old age. On the contrary, if, by a steady adherence to our duties in their education, we implant in them a due sense of their duty to God and man, we may expect, when the winter of life comes upon us, that they will do their duty to us, and comfort us, and succour us in those days wherein we can enjoy few other pleasures but those accruing from a dutiful offspring, and the recollection of having done our duty in the station of life Providence was pleased to allot T. HILL. us. "Placed in an island on the main, Where rolling waves for ever swell, With many a pensive sigh and tear, Casts an assured, a sanguine eye, And careless of the griefs gone by. SPACE is the sea of boundless scope: And those whose days are thus employed, Pale Memory-and-glowing Hope! HODGSON. We felt satisfied with what we had seen and enjoyed. Like other Visitants, we were now to withdraw, and make room for our successors. Without a murmur we resigned our gratifications, bidding adieu to our favourite walks as well as prospects, and returning homewards with contentment and gratitude. Thus may we act-when the drama of life closes, submitting to the ordinary course and final destination of mortality! In this condition, however, which inevitably awaits every human being, glorious are the hopes and exalted the expectations inspired by our common Christianity. At eight in the morning on the last Wednesday of July, a VEHICLE Similar to that which brought us down was at our door. Well stowed, we drove off between nine and ten, reaching Islington, after a pleasant journey, by seven in the evening. The day was fine, and attractive were the more cultivated parts of the country. There are three roads from LONDON to Brighton; the first picturesque, through Dorking and Horsham-the second through Ryegate and Croydon, already delineated-the third through East Grinstead and Lewes, now to be described. The middle of these roads is the shortest. A directing-post at Horley Common, on the new road HAVING passed five weeks at BRIGA. turning fat Gatton Lodge, two miles TON, we began to think of returning Home. Under the dominion of agreeable sensations, Time speeds rapidly away. Our vacation, which had been the subject of fively anticipation, was become the object of sober retrospection. Thus HUMAN LIFE divides itself into the Past and the Futurethe present being of momentary dura tion this side of Ryegate, calls it 49 miles from London to Brighton. It is said there will be a further reduction of two miles by the completion of certa improvements at Clayton Hill. I a curious fact, that when isitans first came to BRIGHTON (fifty years go), they arrived as early in the summer as the deep roads of SUSSEX became passable with any degree of safely. |