Lyons, the land lets high, and therefore sells
proportionately. Vegetables are of course in the greatest possible
plenty, and fruit so cheap and so abundant, as to be sold only by the
poorest people. Whoever is particularly fond of a dessert, let him seek
it in France: for a livre he may set out a table, which in London would
take him at least a Louis.

Lyons has given birth to many celebrated men. Amongst them was De Lanzy,
the celebrated mathematician, and friend of Maupertuis. He lived to such
an extreme age as to survive his memory and faculties; but when so
insensible as to know no one about him, Maupertuis suddenly asked him
what was the square of 12, and he readily replied, 144, and died, as it
is said, almost in the same moment. This illustrious genius was as
simple as he was learned. His character, as given amongst the history
of the French literati, is very amiable--of great learning, of extreme
industry, simple and amiable to a degree, and invariably benevolent and
good-tempered. He was yet more distinguished by his charities than by
his learning. The learned Thon likewise was a native of this town.

The society at Lyons very much resembles that of Paris; it is divided
into two classes--those in trade, _i. e._ merchants, and those out of
trade; the military, gentry, &c. The military, though many of them are
certainly of rather an humble origin, are characterized by elegant
manners, by great politeness, and by a gallantry towards the ladies
which would have done honour to the old court. It gave me great
satisfaction to hear this character of them. I should put no value on
any society in which the ladies did not hold their due place and perform
their due parts, and this is never the case, except where they are
properly respected. Gallantry has the same effect upon the manners which
Ovid attributes to learning--"_Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros_."

A stranger at Lyons, who makes the city his temporary residence, is
received with the greatest hospitality into all the parties of the town;
he requires nothing but an introduction to one of them; and even if he
should be without that, an unequivocal appearance of respectability
would answer the same end. The fashionable world at Lyons, however, are
not accustomed to give dinners; they have no notion of that substantial
hospitality which characterizes England. Their suppers however are very
elegant: they have always fish, and sometimes soup, roasted poultry, and