atic force, to which there was no
making any reply.

Do you remember, my dear friend; that exceedingly cold winter's night,
when, for lack of other book-entertainment, we took it into our heads to
have a rummage among the _Scriptores Historiae Normannorum_ of
DUCHESNE?--and finding therein many pages occupied by _Gulielmus
Gemeticensis_, we bethought ourselves that we would have recourse to the
valuable folio volume yeleped _Neustria Pia_:--where we presently seemed to
hold converse with the ancient founders and royal benefactors of certain
venerable establishments! I then little imagined that it would ever fall to
my lot to be either walking or musing within the precincts of the Abbey of
Jumieges;--or rather, of the ruins of what was once not less distinguished,
as a school of learning, than admired for its wealth and celebrity as a
monastic establishment. Yes, my friend, I have seen and visited the ruins
of this Abbey; and I seem to live "mihi carior" in consequence.

But I know your love of method--and that you will be in wrath if I skip
from _Duclair_ to JUMIEGES ere the horses have carried us a quarter of a
league upon the route. To the left of _Duclair_, and also washed by the
waters of the Seine, stands _Marivaux_; a most picturesque and highly
cultivated spot. And across the Seine, a little lower down, is the
beautiful domain of _La Mailleraye_;--where are hanging gardens, and jets
d'eaux, and flower-woven arbours, and daisy-sprinkled meadows--for there
lives and occasionally revels _La Marquise_.... I might have been not only
a spectator of her splendor, but a participator of her hospitality; for my
often-mentioned valuable friend, M. Le Prevost, volunteered me a letter of
introduction to her. What was to be done? One cannot be everywhere in one
day, or in one journey:--so, gravely balancing the ruins of still life
against the attractions of animated society, I was unchivalrous enough to
prefer the former--and working myself up into a sort of fantasy, of
witnessing the spectered forms of DAGOBERT and CLOVIS, (the fabled founders
of the Abbey) I resolutely turned my back upon _La Mailleraye_, and as
steadily looked forwards to JUMIEGES. We ascended very sensibly--then
striking into a sort of bye-road, were told that we should quickly reach
the place of our destination. A fractured capital, and broken shaft, of the
late Norman time, left at random beneath a hedge, seemed to bespeak the
vicinity of the abbey. We t