ty-nine. This, of
course, very much injures the trade between England and France; but, for
the same reason, English families residing in France at present, more
than double their income, by drawing bills on London for such income,
and it will probably be many years before the exchange will be at _par_
again.

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. CHESSMEN. TREE OF LIBERTY.
CRUCIFIXES,VIRGINS. SAINTS. BISHOPS. OLD WOMEN, &C.

THE whole way from Calais to Paris the land was in the highest state of
cultivation.

The sandy soil near the gates of Calais abounded with the _Chelidonium
Glaucium_, or common yellow horned poppy.

The first vines on this road are about a mile on this side of Breteuil.

Between St. Just and Clermont is a magnificent _chateau_ and garden
belonging to the _ci-devant Duc de Fitzjames_: this seat has never been
described; it is not shewn to strangers at present, as the proprietor is
emigrated.

The country all around Chantilly, consists of cornfields; formerly it
appeared barren, because the immense quantity of game which infested and
over-ran it devoured all the crops and ruined the farmers, who were sent
to the gallies if they shot a bird.

I passed this way in 1783 and 1784, and saw vast numbers of pheasants,
partridges, and hares cross the road, and feed by the side of it, as
tame as poultry in a farm-yard; but at present the game is all
destroyed; neither are there any more wild boars in the forest, which is
of 7600 acres. These animals still inhabit the forest of
_Fontainebleau_. This forest (which covers almost four times as much
ground as that of _Chantilly_)[2] contains a greater number of trees, of
a more enormous size, than I have seen in any other part of Europe,
growing amongst rocks and stones equally remarkable for their
dimensions. I know not of any parallel to the _sublime-beautiful_, and
to the wild and romantic grandeur of the scenery here displayed. The
landscapes of _Salvator Rosa_ appear to have been taken from natural
objects, similar to those which are here seen. It is only forty miles
from Paris.

[Note 2: It is about five square miles, or rather, eight miles in
length from two to four miles in breadth.]

In the treasury of the Abbey at _St. Denis_ were formerly preserved the
Chess-men of _Charlemagne_; these I described in the first volume of
_Chess_, published in 1787; they are now either _stolen or strayed_, and
will probably never more be heard of.

All the hor