The women of Liege appear to labour even more than usual for this part of Europe.  They are employed in field-labour, everywhere; but in the towns, more attention is paid to the great distinctions between the employments of the sexes.  Here, however, I saw them toiling in the coal-yards, and performing the offices of the common porters.  They were much employed in unloading the market-boats, and yet they are far from being either coarse or ugly.  The men are short, but sturdy.  The average stature appears to be about five feet five and a half inches, but even this, I think, exceeds the average stature of the French.

The town has been illuminated two nights in succession, in honour of the King.  Every one is occupied with his approaching marriage with the Princess Louisa of France, or as it is now the fashion to say, the Princess Louisa of Orleans—­for since the revolution of 1830, there is no longer a King, nor any Children of France.  It would have been better had more essential points been attended to and the old names retained.  In England matters are differently managed, for there the government is always one of King, Lords, and Commons, though it is constantly fluctuating, and two of the parties are usually cyphers.

LETTER XI.

Leave Liege.—­Banks of the Mense.—­Spa.—­Beautiful Promenades.—­Robinson
Crusoe.—­The Duke of Saxe-Cobourg.—­Former magnificence of
Spa.—­Excursions in the vicinity.—­Departure from
Spa.—­Aix-la-Chapelle.—­The Cathedral.—­The Postmaster’s
Compliments.—­Berghem.—­German Enthusiasm.—­Arrival at Cologne.

Dear ——­,

On the fourth day of our quarantine, we left Liege, if not with clean bills of health, with passport bearing proof about it that would enable us to enter Prussia the next morning.  The King and his brother having laid all the horses in requisition, we did not get away before two; but once on the road, our postilions drove like men who had reaped a double harvest.

The route lay for some distance along the banks of the Meuse, and the whole region was one of exquisite landscape beauties.  An intensely dark verdure—­a road that meandered through the valley, occasionally shifting from bank to bank—­hill-sides covered with fruit-trees and fragrant with flowers—­country-houses—­hamlets—­cottages—­with every appearance of abundance and comfort, and back-grounds of swelling land, that promised equal beauty and equal affluence, were the principal features of the scene.  The day was as fine as possible, and, everything bearing a leaf having just been refreshed with a recent shower, we glided through this fairy region with something like enthusiasm with which we had formerly journeyed in Switzerland and Italy.

The Meuse, however, was soon abandoned for a tributary, and, after proceeding a few leagues, the character of the country gradually changed, although it still continued peculiar and beautiful.  The intensity of the verdure disappeared in a pale, but still a decided green—­the forest thickened—­the habitations no longer crowded the way-side, and we appeared to be entering a district, that was altogether less populous and affluent than the one we had left, but which was always neat, picturesque, and having an air of comfort.  We were gradually, but almost imperceptibly ascending.