just to say that France ought to be allowed to
remain under Napoleon, as she has desired his return: the army chiefly
have desired it, and plotted it. They burn for pillage and for revenge
on the allies, who had humbled their pride. If the allies are not
prompt, he will again be master of his former territory. Something might
even yet be done at Bourdeaux by an English army.

We are now in the mouth of the English channel, and in full hopes, that
as our stock, of water and of patience is almost exhausted, the Captain
will put us into the first English port. May God grant us soon the sight
of an English inn, and an English post-chaise, and in a day we shall
forget all our troubles.

END OF THE JOURNAL.

CHAPTER III.

STATE OP FRANCE UNDER NAPOLEON.

To trace, with accuracy, the effects of the revolution and of the
military despotism of Napoleon on the kingdom of France, it would be
necessary to attend to the following subjects:--the state of
commerce--wealth of the nation, and division of this wealth--the state
of agriculture--the condition of the towns and villages--of the noblesse
and their property--the condition of the lower ranks, namely, the
merchants, tradesmen, artificers, peasants, poor, and beggars--the state
of private and public manners--the dress of the people--their
amusements--the state of religion and morality--of criminal delinquency
and the administration of justice.

But to treat all these different subjects, and to diverge into the
necessary observations which they would naturally suggest, would form of
itself a voluminous work. In order, however, to judge fairly of the
state of France, and of the character of the people, we must select and
make observations on a few of the most material points. In my Journal,
which accompanies this, I have purposely said but little on the state of
the people and their character, as I intended to finish my travels
before I formed my opinion. I did not wish to be guilty of the same
mistake with another traveller, who, coming to an inn in which he had a
bad egg for breakfast, served by an ugly girl, immediately set down in
his Journal, "In this country, the eggs are all bad, and the women all
ugly." My readers are already aware of the opportunities I possessed of
obtaining information. They are such as present themselves to almost
every traveller in France; and they will not therefore be surprised if
my remarks are somewhat common-place. They will recolle