money. The shops exhibited the utmost profusion of rich goods;
hospitality was exercised without grudging; old friends met from year to
year; matches between their children were frequently concerted; bargains
were struck, and commercial bills were commonly made payable at the Fair
of Beaucaire. The crowd was immense while it lasted; a hundred thousand
strangers being generally present.

Thus, you can easily conceive what charms such a lively scene had for
the young; while to the old it was the crown of their industry during
the year. Those at a distance, finding communications difficult and
journeys expensive, were glad to make an annual pilgrimage serve their
turn, when they were certain of meeting their fellow-traders, and of
having under their notice goods from all parts of the world.

It was with great glee, therefore, that I, a youth of nineteen, started
with my family for the Fair of Beaucaire on the 21st of July, 1685.
Accommodation was promised us by my uncle Nicolas, and we went the day
before the festival in order to see it from the beginning. I drove a
large and commodious char-a-banc, in which were my father and mother, my
younger brothers and sisters, Monsieur Bourdinave, my father's partner,
his two fair daughters, Madeleine and Gabrielle, and their old servant
Alice, who was also their kinswoman in a distant degree.

I was held to be a smart youth in those days, by my family and friends,
and certainly I had made myself as fine as I could, in the hope of
pleasing Madeleine, who, to my mind, was the most charming girl in the
world. Nor was she behindhand in the way of ornament, for she and her
sister were dressed in their best, and looked as fresh as daisies. In
fact, we were, one and all, in holiday attire; even the horse being
tricked out with ribbons, tassels, fringes, and flowers, till he was
quite a sight.

My father opened the day with family worship, which always seemed to put
us in tune for the morning, and spread a balmy influence over us. I well
remember the portion of Scripture he read was the seventeenth chapter of
St. John's Gospel, which, I need not remind you, contains this verse--"I
pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil." My father dwelt on this in his
prayer, and said, "Lord, I know that these dear young people cannot pass
through life without hearing and seeing much of evil: but, oh, keep them
unspotted by it! Let an at