s Monsieur, je vous prie de vous asseoir. Que voulez vous?" "I
wish to have a little conversation with your husband. I am an enthusiastic
lover of the art of printing. I search every where for skilful printers,
and thus it is that I come to pay my respects to Monsieur Megard." We both
sat down and conversed together; and I found in Madame Megard a
communicative, and well-instructed, representative of the said ancient
Jenson, or modern Bulmer. "Enfin, voila mon mari qui arrive"--said Madame,
turning round, upon the opening of the door:--when I looked forward, and
observed a stout man, rather above the middle size, with a countenance
perfectly English--but accoutred in the dress of the _national guard_, with
a grenadier cap on his head. Madame saw my embarrassment: laughed: and in
two minutes her husband knew the purport of my visit. He began by
expressing his dislike of the military garb: but admitted the absolute
necessity of adopting such a measure as that of embodying a national guard.
"Soyez le bien venu; Ma foi, je ne suis que trop sensible, Monsieur, de
l'honneur que vous me faites--vu que vous etes antiquaire typographique, et
que vous avez publie des ouvrages relatifs a notre art. Mais ce n'est pas
ici qu'il faut en chercher de belles epreuves. C'est a Paris."

I parried this delicate thrust by observing that I was well acquainted with
the fine productions of _Didot_, and had also seen the less aspiring ones
of himself; of which indeed I had reason to think his townsmen might be
proud. This I spoke with the utmost sincerity. My first visit concluded
with two elegant little book-presents, on the part of M. Megard--one being
_Heures de Rouen, a l'usage du Diocese_, 1814, 12mo. and the other
_Etrennes nouvelles commodes et utiles_; 1815, 12mo.--the former bound in
green morocco; and the latter in calf, with gilt leaves, but printed on a
sort of apricot-tinted paper--producing no unpleasing effect. Both are
exceedingly well executed. My visits to M. Megard were rather frequent. He
has a son at the College Royale, or Lycee, whither I accompanied him, one
Sunday morning, and took the church of that establishment in the way. It is
built entirely in the Italian style of architecture: is exceedingly
spacious: has a fine organ, and is numerously attended. The pictures I saw
in it, although by no means of first-rate merit, quite convince me that it
is in churches of _Roman_, and not of _Gothic_ architecture, that paintings
pr