e ragged beggar boy, who
addressed himself to our compassionate dispositions, by the appellation
of "tres charitable citoyen," but finding we gave nothing, he
immediately changed it to "mon chere tres charitable monsieur."

The strange uncouth expression of citoyen is generally laid aside,
except amongst the immediate officers under government, in their
official communications, who, however, renounce it in private, for the
more civilized title of "monsieur."

The principal church is a fine handsome building, and had been opened
for worship, the Sunday before we arrived: On that day the bell of the
Sabbath first sounded, during ten years of revolution, infidelity, and
bloodshed!!!

The royal arms are every where removed. They formerly constituted a very
beautiful ornament over the door of the hotel of the present prefect, at
the head of the market place, but they have been rudely beaten out by
battle axes, and replaced by rude republican emblems, which every where
(I speak of them as a decoration) seem to disfigure the buildings which
bear them. When I made this remark, I must, however, candidly confess,
that my mind very cordially accompanied my eye, and that natural
sentiment mingled with the observation. The quays, piers, and arsenal
are very fine, they, together with the docks, for small ships of war and
merchandize, were constructed under the auspices of Lewis XIV, with
whom this port was a great favourite.

We saw several groups of men at work in heavy chains. They were soldiers
who had offended. They are dressed in _red_ jackets and trowsers, which
are supposed to increase their disgrace, on account of its being the
regimental colour of their old enemy, the english. When my companion,
who wore his regimentals, passed them, they all moved their caps to him
with great respect.

The town, and consequently the commerce of Rouen, was most successfully
blockaded, for near four years, by british commanders, during the late
war, and particularly by sir Sidney Smith. It was here, when
endeavouring to cut out a vessel, which in point of value, and
consideration was unworthy of such an exposure, that this great hero,
and distinguished being was made a prisoner of war. The inhabitants, who
never speak of him, but with emotions of terror, consider this event as
the rash result of a wager conceived over wine. Those who know the
character of sir Sidney, will not impute to him such an act of _idle_
temerity. No doubt he con