e of Marseilles!" The crowd were enchanted,
purchased his bottles in abundance; and I heard afterwards in Aix, that
by this ingenious juggling, he had contrived to amass a fortune
sufficient to purchase a large estate, and to maintain, as we had
witnessed, a cavalcade worthy of an ambassador.

It is difficult to conceive any thing more ridiculous than the
characteristic vanity and scientific expressions, which are employed by
the French workmen. The wig-makers, tailors, barbers, all consider their
several trades as in some measure allied to science, and themselves as
the only beings who understand it.--This they generally contrive to
communicate to you with an air of mysterious importance. "Monsieur,"
said a French barber to a friend of mine, an English sea captain who
came in to be shaved; "you are an Englishman--sorry am I to inform you,
but I do it with profound respect, that the science of shaving is
altogether misunderstood in England. In their ignorance of its
principles, they have neglected the great secret of our art. Sir," said
he, coming closer up to him, and putting his hand to his own chin with
an air of solemn communication, "I am credibly informed that in England
they actually cut off the _epiderme_. Now, mon Dieu," continued he,
turning up his eyes, and raising his soap-brush in an attitude of
invocation, "who is there in France that will be ignorant that, in the
destruction of this invaluable cuticle, the chin of the individual is
tortured, and the first principles of our art degraded!"

I have already hinted at the ignorance of the French, as a component
part of their national credulity. This ignorance, as far as our
opportunities of observation extended, in travelling across France,
appeared to be deep and general; not only amongst the lower orders, but,
on many subjects, pervading also the higher classes of the people. The
only subjects upon which Napoleon considered that any thing like
attempts at a national education should be made, were those connected
with military affairs; mathematics, and the principles of mechanical
philosophy.--Schools for these were generally founded in all the
principal towns in the kingdom; it was there the younger officers of the
army received their military education, and there were many public
seminaries for public education, in addition to the Ecole Polytechnique
in Paris, where the pupils were maintained and educated at the public
expence. Every other branch of educat