judged worthy of a comparison with Parian; but this is surely a little
presumptuous. However, it is known that Cardinal Richelieu brought from
Vieux all the marble with which he built the chapel in the college of the
Sorbonne.

Upon the whole, as to general appearance, and as to particular society,
Caen may be preferable to Rouen. The costume and manners of the common
people are pretty much, if not entirely, the same; except that, as to
dress, the _cauchoise_ is here rather more simple than at Dieppe and Rouen.
The upper fille-de-chambre at our hotel displays not only a good correct
model of national dress, but she is well-looking in her person, and
well-bred in her manners. Mr. Lewis prevailed upon this good-natured young
woman to sit for her likeness, and for the sake of her costume. The girl's
eyes sparkled with more than ordinary joy at the proposal, and even an
expression of gratitude mingled itself in her manner of compliance. I send
you the figure and dress of the fille-de-chambre at the _Hotel Royale_ of
Caen.[102]

[Illustration: FILLE DE CHAMBRE, CAEN.]

Caen is called the depot of the English.[103] In truth there is an amazing
number of our countrymen here, and from very different causes. One family
comes to reside from motives of economy; another from those of education; a
third from those of retirement; and a fourth from pure love of sitting
down, in a strange place, with the chance of making some pleasant
connection, or of being engaged in seeking some strange adventure: Good and
cheap living, and novel society, are doubtless the main attractions. But
there is desperate ill blood just now between the _Caennois_ (I will not
make use of the enlarged term _Francois_) and the English; and I will tell
you the cause. Do you remember the emphatic phrase in my last, "all about
the duel?" Listen. About three weeks only before our arrival,[104] a duel
was fought between a young French law-student, and a young Englishman; the
latter the son of a naval captain. I will mention no names; and so far not
wound the feelings of the friends of the parties concerned. But this duel,
my friend, has been "THE DUEL OF DUELS"--on the score of desperation, and
of a fixed purpose to murder. It is literally without precedent, and I
trust will never be considered as one. You must know then, that Caen, in
spite of all the "bouleversemens" of the Revolution, has maintained its
ancient reputation of possessing a very large seminary, or