o cabriolets
to Brussels, which were not quite so easy or pleasant as the Canal
boats; but the accommodations as far as Brussels have been really
_superbe_. I have longed for the papers or the carpets or the marble
tables in every room we have been in; and I have learned to consider
dinner as a matter of great curiosity and importance, and I cannot
wonder that Englishmen are not proof against the temptations of living
well and so cheap. Brussels is a nice place; there appear to be so many
pleasant walks and rides in all directions. The country about is so
pretty, and the town (with the exception of the steep hill which you
must ascend to get to the best part of it) very cheerful and agreeable
looking.... Every place swarms with English; we have met four times as
many English carriages and travellers as we did on our road to London.

Our weather has been very favourable. We had a cool day for walking
about at Waterloo, and the next day a delightful bright sunshine to show
off the Palace of Laeken to advantage. It is the place where Bonaparte
intended to sleep on the 18th, and he fitted it up. It is three miles
from Brussels, commanding a view of the whole country and surrounded by
trees and pleasure-grounds in the English style. After looking at
buildings and towns so much, it was an agreeable relief to admire shady
walks and fine trees. We went to the Theatre, which was execrable, but
at Ghent we were very much amused with some incomparable acting.

We left Brussels yesterday morning in a Barouche and _three_, which is
to take us to Paris. It holds us four in the inside and John on the box
as nicely as we could wish and is perfectly easy. We suit each other as
well in other respects as in the carriage. Donald is an excellent
_compagnon de voyage_--full of liveliness, good humour, and curiosity,
enjoying everything in the right way. He and Edward Leycester are my
beaux, while E.S. does the business; which makes it much pleasanter to
me than if I had only one gentleman with me. In short, we had not a
difficulty till yesterday. We came by Waterloo again and picked up
Lacoite to get what we could from him, and then to Charleroi, being told
the road by Nivelles was impassable. The road to Charleroi was bad, and
we did not arrive till 9, having had no eatable but biscuit and wine.
Donald entered the hotel to enquire what we could have for dinner, and
returned with the melancholy report that the woman had literally
nothing, a