retreat, which
characterizes the scenery of the Loire. Our horses having preceded us by
an hour or more, every thing was prepared for us when we reached our
inn. A turkey had been put down to roast, and I entered the kitchen in
time to prevent its being spoilt by French cookery. Mademoiselle Sillery
had the table provided in an instant with silver forks and table-linen.
Had a Parisian seen a table thus set out at Ancennis, without knowing
that we had brought all these requisites with us, he would not have
credited his senses. The inns in France along the banks of the Loire,
are less deficient in substantial comforts than in these ornamental
appendages. Poultry is every where cheap, and in great plenty; but a
French inn-keeper has no idea of a table-cloth, and still less of a
clean one. He will give you food and a feather-bed, but you must provide
yourselves with sheets and table-cloths. Our accommodations, with
respect to lodging for the night, were not altogether so uncomfortable:
the house had indeed two floors, but there were no stairs; so that we
had to ascend by a ladder, and that not the best of its kind. There
being, moreover, but two rooms, the one occupied by the landlord, his
wife, and two grown girls, there was some difficulty as to the disposal
of Mademoiselle Sillery and myself. It was at length arranged, that all
the females in the house should sleep in one room, and all the males in
another. When I came to take possession of my bed, I found that Mrs.
Younge had contrived to exempt her husband from this arrangement: he was
now sleeping by the side of the handsomest woman in France, whilst I was
lying at one end of a dirty room, the other being occupied by the
snoring landlord. Fatigue, however, according to the proverb, is better
than a bed of down; I accordingly soon fell asleep, and Mademoiselle
Sillery was not absent from my dreams. I should not forget to mention,
as another specimen of French manners, that I learned from this lady on
the following day, that she had slept with her sister and her husband.
Such are French manners.

On the following morning, induced by the example of the landlord, and by
the beauty of the rising sun, I rose early, and accompanied by my host,
walked into the fields round the village. The environs of Ancennis
appeared to me extremely beautiful; whether from the mere effect of
novelty, or that they really were so, I know not. Some of the neater
cottages were situated in garde