now about to commence
his journal, to avoid making many remarks on the state of the country,
or the manners of the inhabitants, until he should have remained fixed
for a few months in France. In no country is it so difficult as there,
to obtain information regarding the most interesting points, whether
commerce, manufactures, agriculture, manners, or religion; and this
arises from the multitude of people of all descriptions, who are
willing, and who at least appear able, to afford you information.
Strange paradox. A Frenchman makes it a rule, never to refuse
information on any subject when it is demanded of him; and although he
may, in fact, never have directed his attention to the matter in
question, and may not possess the slightest information, he will yet
descant most plausibly, and then seeking some opportunity of bidding you
good day, he will fly off with the velocity of an arrow, leaving you
astonished at the talent displayed: But sit down and analyse what he has
said, and you will commonly find it the most thorough trifling--"_vox et
proeterea nihil_." This observation, however, I mean only to apply to the
information which a traveller obtains _en passant_; for there are
undoubtedly to be found in France, men of eminent talents and of solid
information; but these you can only pick out from the mass of common
acquaintances, by dint of perseverance, and by the assistance of time.
The result of the observations collected during a residence of five
months at Aix, in Provence, will be given at the end of the following
Journal.

JOURNAL.

As our present journey was undertaken principally for the benefit of my
health, it was necessary that we should travel slowly, and take
occasional rests. After our journey from Dieppe to the capital, we
remained five days in Paris for this purpose. The first part of this
book having conducted the reader by another route to Paris, and given a
better description of that city than I am able to supply, I have not
thought it necessary to insert the details of our journey thither; I
shall content myself with remarking, that we had already gained
considerable experience in French travelling, and were pretty well
prepared to commence our journey toward the south.--On the 7th of
November, therefore, we arranged matters for our departure with the
_voiturier_, or carriage-hirer, who agrees to carry us (six in number),
with all our baggage, which weighs nearly four cwt. to Lyons, a distance