about 1_l._ 4_s._, in the inside from Boulogne to
Paris; and the other expenses will amount to about
fifteen or sixteen shillings; with respect to the charges
on the other routes, they are so often varying that
it might only deceive the reader by stating them as
they at present exist, when in a few weeks they may
be higher or lower as circumstances may arise.
Some persons choose, the route by Southampton and
Havre as being the most picturesque, as from the latter
town to Rouen such exquisite scenery is presented
by the banks of the Seine, as you pass in the steamer
between them, that the passenger is at a loss on which
side to bestow his attention, whilst rapidly hurried
through so delightful and fertile a country; in fact,
he is tempted for once to regret the velocity of steam
conveyance, in not permitting him to tarry awhile to
contemplate the beautiful scenes by which he is environed.
Rouen, where the traveller should at least remain
some days, is an object of great attraction. As
my work is especially devoted to Paris, I cannot afford
much space to the description of towns on the road;
but as the city of Rouen is the largest, the most
interesting, and the most connected with history and
English associations of any upon the routes to Paris,
I cannot pass it over without some comment. Its
boulevards first strike the English, as being not
only most picturesque and beautiful, but as presenting
a scene to them wholly novel, the noble vistas formed
by towering trees, mingling their branches, shading
beneath their foliage many a cheerful group, the merchant’s
stone villas, seen amongst their bowers, the high
shelving grassy banks, and the lively bustle that is
ever going forward, has so animated an effect that
the beholder cannot but catch the infection and feel
his spirits elevated by the enlivening spectacle.
But what a contrast on entering the city; the streets
narrow, dark, and with no foot pavement, have a mean
and gloomy appearance, but many of them being built
mostly of wood, carved into fantastic forms, offer
a rich harvest to the artist, and those of our own
country have amply profited by the innumerable picturesque
objects which Rouen presents. The cathedral,
built by William the Conqueror, is one of the most
interesting monuments of France; the Church of St.-Ouen
is at least as beautiful, and there are several others
which well repay the visiter for the time he may expend
in visiting them. The statue of the Maid of Orleans
stands in the Marche aux Veaux, on the spot
where she was burnt as a sorceress under the sanction
of the Duke of Bedford in 1431. Above all, the
traveller must not fail to visit Mount Catherine, which
rises just above the city, and commands a view equally
beautiful and extensive. The delightful environs
of Rouen are displayed before him, comprising almost
every scenic beauty that a country can afford; even
the factories, which in most places rather deform the
view than otherwise, are here so constructed as to