sighed, as we surveyed the ruins of the chapel—­a very interesting little piece of ecclesiastical antiquity:  and shuddered as we contemplated the enormous and ponderous portcullis—­which had a drop of full twenty feet ... to keep out the invading foe.  I was in truth delighted with this first reconnoissance of FALAISE—­beneath one of the brightest and bluest skies of Normandy! and—­within walls, which were justly considered to be among the most perfect as well as the most ancient of those in Normandy.

Leaving my companion to take a view of the upper part of this venerable building, I retreated towards the town—­resolved to leave no church and no street unexplored.  On descending, and quitting the gate by which I had entered, a fine, robust, and respectable figure, habited as an Ecclesiastic, met and accosted me.  I was most prompt to return the salutation.  “We are proud, Sir, of our castle, and I observe you have been visiting it.  The English ought to take an interest in it, since it was the birth-place of William the Conqueror.”  I readily admitted it was well worth a minute examination:  but as readily turned the conversation to the subject of LIBRARIES.  The amiable stranger (for he was gaining upon me fast, by his unaffected manners and sensible remarks) answered, that “their own public library existed no longer—­having been made subservient to the inquisitorial visit of M. Moysant of Caen[168]:  that he had himself procured for the Bishop of Bayeux the Mentz Bible of 1462—­and that the Chapter-Library of Bayeux, before the Revolution, could not have contained fewer than 40,000 volumes.  “But you are doubtless acquainted, Sir, with the COMTE DE LA FRESNAYE, who resides in yonder large mansion?”—­pointing to a house upon an elevated spot on the other side of the town.  I replied that I had not that honour; and was indeed an utter stranger to every inhabitant of Falaise.  I then stated, in as few and precise words as possible, the particular object of my visit to the Continent.  “Cela suffit”—­resumed the unknown—­“nous irons faire visite a Monsieur le Comte apres le dine; a ce moment il s’occupe avec le potage—­car c’est un jour maigre.  Il sera charme de vous recevoir.  Il aime infiniment les Anglois, et il a reste long-temps chez vous.  C’est un brave homme—­et meme un grand antiquaire.”

My pulse and colour increased sensibly as the stranger uttered these latter words:  and he concluded by telling me that he was himself the Cure of Ste. Trinite one of the two principal churches of the town—­and that his name was MOUTON.  Be assured that I shall not lose sight of the Comte de la Fresnaye, and Monsieur Mouton.

[166] [Only ONE letter has passed between us since my departure; and that
    enables me to subjoin a fac-simile of its author’s autograph.

    [Autograph:  de Larenaudiere]

[167] [It was in fact built by the famous Lord Talbot, about the year 1420. 
    A similar castle, but less strong and lofty, may be seen at Castor,
    near Yarmouth in Norfolk—­once the seat of the famous Sir JOHN
    FASTOLF, (a contemporary with Talbot) of whom Anstis treats so fully
    in his Order of the Garter, vol.i. p.142.]