about two
stories high; from whence, the rope being suddenly slackened, he falls
to within a yard or two of the ground, where he is stopped with a
violent shock arising from the weight of his body, and the velocity of
his descent, which generally dislocates his shoulders, with incredible
pain. This dreadful execution is sometimes repeated in a few minutes on
the same delinquent; so that the very ligaments are tore from his
joints, and his arms are rendered useless for life.

The poverty of the people in this country, as well as in the South of
France, may be conjectured from the appearance of their domestic
animals. The draughthorses, mules, and asses, of the peasants, are so
meagre, as to excite compassion. There is not a dog to be seen in
tolerable case; and the cats are so many emblems of famine, frightfully
thin, and dangerously rapacious. I wonder the dogs and they do not
devour young children. Another proof of that indigence which reigns
among the common people, is this: you may pass through the whole South
of France, as well as the county of Nice, where there is no want of
groves, woods, and plantations, without hearing the song of blackbird,
thrush, linnet, gold-finch, or any other bird whatsoever. All is silent
and solitary. The poor birds are destroyed, or driven for refuge, into
other countries, by the savage persecution of the people, who spare no
pains to kill, and catch them for their own subsistence. Scarce a
sparrow, red-breast, tomtit, or wren, can 'scape the guns and snares of
those indefatigable fowlers. Even the noblesse make parties to go a la
chasse, a-hunting; that is, to kill those little birds, which they eat
as gibier, or game.

The great poverty of the people here, is owing to their religion. Half
of their time is lost in observing the great number of festivals; and
half of their substance is given to mendicant friars and parish
priests. But if the church occasions their indigence, it likewise, in
some measure, alleviates the horrors of it, by amusing them with shows,
processions, and even those very feasts, which afford a recess from
labour, in a country where the climate disposes them to idleness. If
the peasants in the neighbourhood of any chapel dedicated to a saint,
whose day is to be celebrated, have a mind to make a festin, in other
words, a fair, they apply to the commandant of Nice for a license,
which costs them about a French crown. This being obtained, they
assemble after service