People who are bound for the Continent should provide themselves with the
new edition of Mr. Leigh's descriptive Road Book of France--even before
they get their passports at the French ambassador's, or if they only
_intend_ to visit Calais, Boulogne, or Dieppe--and the chances are that
they will be induced to travel beyond these places, which, in truth, give
an Englishman no more idea of France than Dovor would afford a foreigner
of England. A few years since, comparatively speaking, people only knew
their way from York to London, much less the objects on the road--now, by
the economy of guide books they may know every good inn in France, and
carry the _ichnography_ of the kingdom in their coat pocket. In the
present edition of the "Road Book of France," attention has been paid to
the description of the delightful South, especially of Bordeaux, the
mineral springs and bathing-places of the Pyrenees, the navigation of the
Rhone from Lyons to Avignon, as well as of Marseilles, Toulouse, &c., and
some of the principal towns have been illustrated with plans. Dipping into
the Itinerary from Calais to Paris, we were reminded of a curious
coincidence: Julius Caesar is supposed to have sailed from Boulogne on his
expedition against the Britons; and in later times, Napoleon Bonaparte
there prepared to carry into execution the invasion of Great Britain. But
how different have been the results!
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