inhabitants. They reminded me much of what are common in the
county towns of England.

But the boast and ornament of Blois is its chateau, or castle. We
employed some hours in going over it, and I shall therefore describe it
with some fullness.

The situation of it is extremely commanding, and therefore very
beautiful. It is built upon a rock which overhangs the Loire, all the
castles upon this river being built with the evident purpose of
controuling and commanding the navigation. What first struck us very
forcibly was the variety and evident dissimilarity of the several parts.
This circumstance was explained to us by our guide, who informed us that
the castle was the work of several princes. The eastern and southern
fronts were built by Louis the Twelfth about the year 1520, the northern
front was the work of Francis the First, and the western side of
Gaston, duke of Orleans. Every part accordingly has a different
character. What is built by Louis the Twelfth is heavy, dark, and
gothic, with small rooms, and pointed arches. The work of Francis the
First is a curious specimen of the Gothic architecture in its progress,
perhaps in its very act of transit, into the Greek and Roman orders; and
what has been done by Gaston, bears the character of the magnificent
mind and bold genius of that great prince. This comparison of three
different styles, on the same spot, gave me much satisfaction.

The rooms, as I have said, such as were built by Louis the Twelfth, are
small, and those by Francis spacious, lofty, and boldly vaulted. Nothing
astonished me more than the minor ornaments on the points of the arches;
they were so grossly, so vulgarly indecent, that I was fearful the
ladies might observe me as I looked at them: but such was the taste of
the age. Others of the ornaments were less objectionable: they consisted
of the devices of the several princes who had resided there.

We were shewn the chamber in which the celebrated Duke of Guise was
assassinated, and the guide pointed out the spot on which he fell. A
small chamber, or rather anti-chamber, leads to a larger apartment: the
Duke had passed through the door of this anti-chamber, and was opening
the further door which leads into the larger apartment, when he was
assassinated by order of Henry the Third. His body was immediately
dragged into the larger apartment, and the king came to view it. "How
great a man was that!" said he, pointing to his prostrate body.
Histori