From _Bonne_ we intended to have taken the high road to _Dijon_; but
being informed that there was another, though not much frequented, by
way of _Autun_, and that _that_ town, which was a Roman colony, still
contained many curious monuments worthy of notice, we pursued the
latter, which twisted in between a vast variety of small, but fertile
valleys, watered with brooks, bounded by romantic hills, and some high
mountains, most of which were covered with vines, which _did_ produce
the most delicious red wine in the world; I say _did produce_, for the
high _gout_ and flavour of the Burgundy grape has for many years failed,
and perhaps so as never to return again. We, however, missed the road to
_Autun_, and, after four leagues' journey through a most delightful
country, we arrived at a miserable auberge in a dirty village called
_Yozy_, which stands upon the margin of a large forest, in which, some
years since, the _diligence_ from _Lyons_ to _Paris_ was attacked by a
banditti, and the whole party of travellers were murdered: ever since
that fatal day, a guard of the _Marechaussee_ always escort the
_diligence_ through this deep and dreadful forest, (so they called it),
and we were persuaded it was right to take a couple of the
_Marechaussee_, and did so; but as we found the forest by no means so
long, deep, or dreadful, as it had been represented, we suspected that
the advice given us, was more for the sake of the men who _guarded us_,
than from any regard _to us_, two men could have made no great
resistance against a banditti; and a single man would hardly have
meddled with us.
The next day we passed thro' _Arnay-le-Duc_, a pretty country village,
three leagues from _Yozy_, and it being their annual fair-day, we had an
opportunity of seeing all the peasantry, dressed in their best, and
much chearfulness, not only in the town, but upon the road before we
arrived, and after we passed it. Amongst the rest of the company, were a
bear and a monkey, or rather what _Buffon_ calls the _maggot_. I desired
the shew-man to permit my _maggot_, as he was the least, the youngest,
and the _stranger_, to pay a visit to _Mons. Maggot_, the elder, who
embraced the _young gentleman_ in a manner which astonished and
delighted every body, myself only excepted; but as _my young gentleman_
seemed totally indifferent about the _old one_, I suspected he had
_really met his father_, and I could not help moralizing a little.
From _Arnay-le-Duc_ we passed through _Maupas_, _Salou_, _Rouvray_,
_Quisse la forge_, and _Vermanton_ to _Auxerre_, the town where the
French nobleman _was said_ to live, whom Dr. _Smollett_ treated so very
roughly, and who, in return, was so _polite_ as to _help to tie_ the
Doctor's baggage behind his coach!
About a quarter of a mile without this town, stands a royal convent,
richly endowed, and delightfully situated; the walls of which take in
near twenty acres of land, well planted on the banks of a river; and
here I left my two daughters, to perfect themselves in the French
language, as there was not one person within the convent, nor that I
could find, within the town, who could speak a word of English. And here
I must not omit to tell you, how much I was overcome with the generosity
of this virtuous, and I must add amiable, society of _religieux_. Upon
my first inquiry about their price for board, lodging, washing, cloaths,
and in short, every thing the children did, or might want, they required
a sum much beyond the limits of my scanty income to give; but before we
left them, they became acquainted with _some circumstances_, which
induced them to express their concern that the price I had offered (not
half what they had demanded) could not be taken. We therefore retired,
and had almost fixed the children in a cheaper convent, but much
inferior in all respects, within the town, when we received a polite
letter from the Lady Abbess, to say, that after consulting with her
sister-hood, they had come to a resolution to take the children at our
_own_ price, rather than not shew how much they wished to oblige us.
Upon this occasion, we were _all_ admitted within the walls of the
convent; and I had the pleasure of seeing my two daughters joined to an
elegant troop of about forty genteel children, and of leaving them under
the care of the same number of _religieux_. And yet these good people
knew nothing of us, but what we ourselves communicated to them, not
being known, nor knowing any person in the town.--The Lady-Abbess of
this convent is a woman of high rank, about twenty-four years of age,
and possesses as large a share of beauty as any reasonable woman, even
on the _outside_ of a convent, could wish for.
_Auxerre_ is a good town, pleasantly situated, and in a plentiful and
cheap country.
From _Auxerre_ to _Ioigni_ is five leagues. The _Petit bel Vue_ on the
banks of the river is very pleasantly situated, but a dreadful one
within side, in every respect, being a mixture of dirt, ignorance, and
imposition; but it is the only inn for travellers, and therefore
travellers should avoid it. In order to put my old hostess in good
humour, I called early for a bottle of Champaigne; and in order to put
me into a bad humour, she charged me the next day for two; but I
_charged her_ with _Mons. Le Connetable_, who behaved like a gentleman,
though I think he was only a _marchand de tonneau_: but then he was a
_wine_ not _beer_ cooper, who hooped the old Lady's barrel.
Where-ever I was ill-used or imposed upon, I always sent a pretty heavy
packet by the post, after I had run down a hundred miles or two, by way
of _draw-back_, upon my host, and recompence to the King's high road;
for in France,
_"Like the Quakers' by-way,
'Tis plain without turnpikes, so
nothing to pay"_
An old witch, who had half starved us at _Montpellier_, for want of
provisions, when we went, and for want of fire to dry us, when we came
back, left a piece of candle in my budget, which I did not omit to
return by the post, _well packed up_, lest it should grease other
packets of more importance, by riding an hundred leagues; besides this
it was accompanied by a very civil _letter of advice_, under another
cover.