impossible for me to set off till the 12th, I was obliged to wait till that time, but was informed that I must be at Piccadilly with my trunk, &c. by seven in the evening of the 11th; and I was there at the time; lodged at the White Bear inn, and at five the next morning set off for Paris in company with five gentlemen. A lady in a post-chaise overtook us near Greenwich, and came into the diligence.

We breakfasted at a good inn on the road, and dined at Canterbury, where the lady left us, and at evening reached Dover, where we supped, lodged, and went to breakfast. About eleven in the morning of the 13th, we embarked for Calais, and arrived there in about three hours; but had a very rough passage, in consequence of which almost every lady and gentleman on board was afflicted with sea-sickness, which I believe was advantageous to the greatest part of us.

On our arrival at Calais a great number of French gentlemen came to our vessel, to welcome us to France, and invite us to put up at their houses; but on finding that some of us belonged to the diligences, and that there was a place prepared for our entertainment, they went off disappointed.

Although we had been told that we should have nothing to pay, only about five shillings to the porters, we found ourselves mistaken; for we were obliged to pay for the wine which we drank when we dined and supped on the preceding day, and to give money to a swarm of servants, &c. At Calais we were obliged to give in a list of our names to the Custom-house officers, and to give them some money to buy liquor with, that they might drink our healths—that being the custom, as we were told.

We put up at a hotel, called De la Messagrie; where we left another list of our names; for such were the orders of the mayor of the city.

An English lady that had come from Dover with us, and was a decent well-behaved person, and one of excellent sense and understanding, put up at this hotel: she told me she had travelled above 4,000 miles on the European Continent, had been through France, Germany, &c. and was then on her way to Flanders.

At this place we were soon beset with a number of beggars, as

1. By a priest of the order of St. Francis.

2. By the captain of the vessel, that brought us over the English Channel.

3. By the steward of the vessel.

4. By the sailors that came with us.

5. By the poor of the city.

6. By the porters, &c.

We gave the priest some money, and he pronounced a blessing and departed very well pleased. I was told that he and his convents got their living altogether by begging. We gave the captain half a crown a-piece, and some silver, sous, &c. to the other beggars.

In a few minutes another swarm of beggars came that belong to Calais, and as we did not supply all their wants, some of them broke one of the windows belonging to the room where we were sitting, by a rapid stroke with a stick, stone, or some such thing.

We soon sat down to dinner. The table was spread in an elegant manner, with napkins laid in our plates, which we used to keep our clothes clean.

I was asked, A'imez vous la soupe à la Françoise, Monsieur?

My answer was—Oui, Madame.

Besides soup, we had beef, mutton, veal, rabbits, hares, geese, fowls, pigeons, &c. several sorts of pies, excellent wine, and sweet cakes, figs, appricots, cherries and strawberries; the latter we mixed with white sugar and wine, and eat the composition with spoons, which is the French fashion. Their loaves of bread were about two feet in length, and six inches in breadth, and their knives had picked points, and their forks four tines a piece. Every one of us was allowed a tumbler to drink out of: but the French do not drink healths, though they pretended at the Custom-house, that we must give them money to buy liquor with for that purpose. We did not pay for our wines in France as we were on our way to Paris, as we had done at Dover, &c.

The drinking of healths has been, and still is, too much practised both in Great Britain and America; and especially among the lower class of people. For when Timothy Toss Pot is in company, he says, "Your healths ladies and gentlemen," every time he drinks, which will be perhaps fifty times in an evening; whereas it might be as well, nay much better, to drink their healths but once, or not at all, which would save much trouble, and prevent the company from being interrupted with such clamours.

I have asked why the health drinkers do not follow that practice when they drink tea, or coffee; as the Irish woman did when she partook of the sacrament; and have been told, that it is because it is not the fashion, and that from hence it has been omitted. The fashion, however, must be followed, right or wrong; for, Out of the fashion out of the world, according to the old woman's scripture: And, When we are among the Romans we must do as the Romans do. For,

Says the poet. Because it is customary I have sometimes been induced to drink healths myself, when I have been in company, through fear that I should be called an uncivil and an unpolite person. But this needless custom is now growing out of use; for our nobility and gentry have discovered that it is superfluous, and many of them have forsaken the needless practice; which example will undoubtedly be followed by the commonality in process of time.

We are told in Bailey's Dictionary, that the custom of drinking healths sprang from Rowena, a beautiful daughter of Hengistus, general of the Saxons. The general invited king Vortigern to supper, and after it was over called for Rowena, who, richly attired, and with a graceful mein, enters with a golden bowl full of wine in her hand, and drinks to the king, saying, "Be of health, lord king:" to which he replied, "Drink health." The king enamoured with her beauty, married her, and gave her and her father all Kent. This was upwards of 1300 years ago.

We are also told in the Historian's Vade-mecum, that the custom of drinking healths was in fashion so early as 1134 years before Christ. The accounts do not agree, and which is the truest I cannot tell.

CHAP. II.

Calais is situated in latitude 50 deg. and 58 min. North, and longitude 1 deg. and 49 min. East from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. It is a very pleasant town, invironed with ramparts thrown up at a vast expence.

At this place we found the people under arms, and they seemed to be filled with joy in consequence of the Revolution. We that were strangers, were obliged to put on and wear National Cockades, to prevent being insulted by mobs; and no lady or gentleman was suffered to travel without.

Whilst we tarried at Calais we were informed that English money would not pass in France, and that it would be best for us to get our guineas changed. We therefore took change for some, and received 26 livres for each guinea, although an English guinea commonly passes for but 24 livres in France. Hence, about twelve-pence is lost by the exchange.

Bank notes are not negotiable in France; therefore those that travel into that country, ought to take gold and silver, otherwise they will meet with much difficulty. If you draw on the bankers, they will charge you eight per cent. discount; but sometimes it is done at par by French merchants who want to send money to London. No money is allowed to