on his routs, ought to have it-Guthrie's geographical grammar is the best book of that kind, so far as I knowIt is concife, accurate, and instructive-And I think it is one very proper Vade mecum for travellers. I fet out from London for Dover on the 5th of September 1786, attended by two uncommonly good fervants; one of them, a foreigner, spoke French, Italian and German. By good advice, I avoid fatigue; and though I travel by post, my daily journies are very easy. For the first night, I was at the King's Head, Rochester; on the second night, at the RoseInn, Sittingbourne; next day, the 7th September, I arrived at the City of London inn, Dover. Many travellers have complained loudly of extortion on this road-I experienced no cause for this complaint. At both the above inns, I had good fare, and more moderate bills than ordinary in the fouthern parts of England. I was uncommonly pleased with the inn at Dover-The landlady, a widow, is sensible, civil, remarkably and unaffectedly kind and attentive to her guests. Just after my arrival, four or five captains of yachts, altogether, entered my room, and rather in a blunt and forward manner, severally pressed for my employment. After some reflection, I told them that I had a friend in town with whom I would advise; that Iwished them to retire for the present; and that, if they thought proper to return in about an hour and an half, I should be then ready to determine myself-In the interim I conversed with my landlady on the matter.She appeared shy of explicit and particular advice, for fear of offence to any of them; but from shrewd hints, I perceived that the had the best opinion of a Captain Sharp, whose good countenance and gentle manner had already prepossessed me in his favour. Accordingly, when they returned, which they did very punctually at the time appointed, I dismissed the rest, and dealt with him; and from his very fair and 4 obliging behaviour, I had good reason to be fatisfied with my choice-I told him, that as I travelled for health and amusement, being old, valetudinary, and timorous at fea, I was determined not to embark without a profpect and probability of an easy paffage; nor would I fail in the night time-Our bargain was regulated in these terms, and fix guineas fixed as his fare, for myself, my servants and carriage-Next morning early, he attended me, and honestly told me there was a fresh gale; but as the wind was cross, though the paffage would be safe enough, it would be tedious and uneasy; but that I might go down to the port and judge for myself-He was willing either to fail or stay till next day, as I pleased-When at the port, I thought what he called a fresh gale, was a horrible tempeft; fo I declined to go-He said he was well satisfied; ad that from appearances, he hoped foon for a favourable change of weather-Two other yachts failed, and had a very distressing passage-My good captain proved a true prophet. Next morning he annonced a moderate gale and fair wind-We failed, and had a delightful passage in three hours-Before we parted, Captain Sharp gave me an advice, which I believe to be very just and material for travellers to know-He faid, that in returning from the Continent, it is more eligible to fail from Boulogne than from Calais, as we save twenty-four miles of land journey, and generally have a more favourable and expeditious paflage-In Calais, I put up at the celebrated hotel of Deffein-I was immediately visited by a begging Capuchin, as I suppose, the same perion who is described by Sterne- told him, that being a heretic, he could expect nothing from me- His behaviour was mild and decent-He faid there were good men of all religions, and that charity was a general principle-I shall give him fomething, although I think it a vile practice, and one of many fanctified. modes of picking pockets-It cost me two guineas to clear all charges of landing, and custom house claims This, I believe, is moderate, especially as I was assured that a large case of English knives and forks would be liable to forfeiture, if the custom-house officers were rigorous-In this and other points, I think I can perceive symptoms of conciliating measures with France. The quaintness of Sterne's wit (which has many admirers) struck me forcibly when I again conversed with the Capuchin-This inn is not only magnificent, but commodious, and remarkably well served It well merits the encomiums bestowed on it by travellers-Mr. Dessein appears to me a sensible, confiderate, unaffected man-He is very attentive and ferviceable to travellers who defire to converse with him, and I think, wisely, leaves travellers who express no fuch defire, to their own discretion-I thought myself ruch obliged to him for his kind service, and good advice in several particulars-He aided me to settle with the custom-house-He gave me French money for my English guineas, at the best rate of exchange-He ad vised me to keep my English crowns and half crowns, as they have a profitable currency in all parts of France -He explained to me, that by the king's ordinance, if I kept the pole of my carriage, I must employ four horses; but that by quitting it, three would ferve, which proved a considerable saving in the course of my long journeys through France. On the 10th, I set out for Paris, and proceeded no farther that day, than to the post house at BoulogneI had good entertainment, below the common rates in England-Five livres for two bottles of very good Burgundy-Four livres for dinner to two perfons, and three for my lodgings-Here some British gentlemen, by recommendation from friends at London, waited on me, and offered me many civilities, which my state of health obliged me to decline-So, on the Irth I proceeded to Montreuil, and lodged at the Court of France inn, where my entertainment was elegant, and my bill very moderate-My servants were on board wages, at the rate of three livres each per day. : 12th September. Dined at the Tete de Beuf, at Abbeville, very well, with a bottle of good burgundy, for a reckoning of fix livres-Supped and staid at the post house Felixcourt, and fared well, for seven livres -In feveral articles, the expence of posting here is more moderate than in Britain-The rate per mile is less-We pay no tolls, no charge to waiters, hostler, or boot-catch-The waiting maids and drivers are well contented with one livre each. 13th September. I breakfasted at the Duke de Burgogne Arms-The French people are joyous and happy in all ranks, down to the lowest poverty-They are more properly objects of our envy than pity-My ragged driver this morning enjoyed his pipe, and sung a merry song by turns-Whilft, with some British thoufands of income, I could not divert a fit of British melancholy. To me, every thing appeared under a gloom -The ill condition of villages I had passed throughHalf inhabited-Houses in dreary difrepair-Numbers of beggars, of whom the most detestable are CapuchinsCustom-house extortions-A fine country, ill cultivated and uninclosed-Nothing like the accommodations for travelling in Britain. -N. B. I had been reading my friend Smollet's observations on this route. 14th September. I dined and slept at Bretuil-After dinner, I imbibed with my excellent burgundy, a portion of French spirit and good humour-I perceived that the ill condition and rainous state of villages, as described, was exaggerated-I confidered that it was better idle people be allowed to beg, than that the industrious should be obliged to maintain them The disgrace of begging is some restraint on the practice, and the miferable uncertainty of its success, a still greater discouragement-But legal maintenance is the reverse-It is a never-failing incitement to idleness, and discouragement to industry-The CaVOL. III. + puchins are respectful, generally modeft in their applications, and very pioufly thankful, returning prayers as value for our charity; and what better pennyworths have we from our own established clergy? - The cuftom-house officers are on public duty-A moderate bounty contents them, and they are always politeThe farmers begin to make some improvements in this country, and they feem to be in a good train-In the north of England and Scotland, the theory and practice of ornamental and profitable agriculture, are of a very modern date-If the accommodations for travelling in the articles of hired carriages, drivers, harness, are not yet so good as in Britain, they are cheaper, and this advantage is alfo a modern improvement, in which, with other more important reforms, it is not improbable that they may foon excell us. - Most kinds of provifions are good and plentiful in this countryCookery, to the general taste, is superior; the wine better, and cheaper Good burgundy for the price of adulterated port, in the English inns. These are capital articles for honeft fellows who love good cheer, and defire not to join any of those multitudes who difturb this world fo often about ferious, and, for the most part, incomprehenfible matters. To be continued. SIR, Int To the Editor of the Bee. 1 A few evenings ago, having accidentally cast my cye upon the queries of Arcturus, in the 9th number of the second volume of your useful miscellany, concerning the great revolution of the heavens, or the Platomié year, as explained by Mr. de la Grange, of the academy of Berlin; I fell into a profound and pleasing meditation (after supper, when I had retired to reft), |