ed with stately trees.

My surprise, however, was soon quieted, by being informed, that this
church, having devolved to the nation as its property, by force of a
revolutionary decree, had been afterwards sold for stables, to one of
the owners of the Rouen diligences.

An old unsaleable cabriolet occupied the place of the altar; and the
horses were very quietly eating their oats in the sacristy!!

At the Bureau, we paid twelve livres and a half for our places and
luggage from Havre to this town.

[Illustration: _Rouen, from Mount St. Catherine._]

CHAPTER V.

_A female french fib.--Military and Civil Procession.--Madame
G.--The Review.--Mons. l'Abbe.--Bridge of Boats.--The
Quay.--Exchange.--Theatre.--Rouen.--Cathedral.--St. Ouens.--Prince
of Waldec.--Maid of Orleans._

Having collected together all our luggage, and seen it safely lodged in
a porter's wheelbarrow, Captain C. and I bade adieu to our fellow
travellers, and to these solemn and unsuitable habitations of ostlers
and horses, and proceeded through several narrow streets, lined with
lofty houses, the shops of which were all open, and the shopkeepers,
chiefly women, looked respectable and sprightly, with gay bouquets in
their bosoms, to the Hotel de l'Europe; it is a fine inn, to which we
had been recommended at Havre, kept by Madame F----, who, with much
politeness, and many captivating movements, dressed a-la-Grec, with
immense golden earrings, approached us, and gave us a little piece of
information, not very pleasant to travellers somewhat discoloured by the
dust of a long and sultry day's journey, who wanted comfortable rooms,
fresh linen, a little coffee, and a good night's repose: her information
was, that her house was completely full, but that she would send to an
upholsterer to fit up two beds for us, in a very neat room, which she
had just papered and furnished, opposite to the porter's lodge (all the
great inns and respectable townhouses in France have great gates, and a
porter's lodge, at the entrance.) As we wished to have three rooms, we
told her, we were friends of Messrs. G----, (the principal merchants of
Rouen). She said, they were very amiable men, and were pleased to _send
all their friends to her house_ (a little french fib of Madame F----'s,
by the by, as will appear hereafter); and she was truly sorry that she
could not accommodate us better. We looked into the room, which also
looked into the street, was