"I am rambling from place to place. In about a month I hope to be at Paris, and in the next month to be in England, and the next minute to see you. I am now at Dijon in Burgundy, where last night, at an ordinary, I was surprised by a question from an English gentleman whom I had never seen before; hearing my name, he asked me if I had any relation or acquaintance with _myself_, and when I told him I knew no such person, he assured me that he was an intimate acquaintance of Mr. Gay's of London. There was a Scotch gentleman, who all supper time was teaching some French gentlemen the force and propriety of the English language; and, what is seen very commonly, a young English gentleman with a Jacobite governor. A French marquis drove an Abbé from the table by railing against the vast riches of the Church, and another marquis, who squinted, endeavoured to explain transubstantiation: 'That a thing might not be what it really appeared to be, my eyes,' says he, 'may convince you. I _seem_ at present to be looking on you; but, on the contrary, I see quite on the other side of the table.' I do not believe that this argument converted one of the heretics present, for all that I learned by him was, that to believe transubstantiation it is necessary not to see the thing you seem to look at. "So much I have observed on the conversation and manners of the _people_. As for the _animals_ of the country, it abounds with bugs, which are exceedingly familiar with strangers; and as for _plants_, garlick seems to be the favourite production of the country, though for my own part I think the vine preferable to it. When I publish my travels at large I shall be more particular; in order to which, to-morrow I set out for Lyons, from thence to Montpelier, and so to Paris; and soon after I shall pray that the winds may be favourable, I mean, to bring you from Richmond to London, or me from London to Richmond; so prays, etc., JOHN GAY. "I beg you, madam, to assure Miss Lepell and Miss Bellenden, that I am their humble servant."[21] [Footnote 1: Pope: _Works_ (ed. Elwin and Courthope), IV, p. 412.] [Footnote 2: Pope: _Works_ (ed. Elwin and Courthope), VI, p. 223.] [Footnote 3: _Ibid_., VII, p. 455.] [Footnote 4: _Ibid_., VI, p. 227.] [Footnote 5: Pope: _Works_ (ed. Elwin and Courthope), VI, p. 237.] [Footnote 6: Pope: _Works_ (ed. Elwin and Courthope), VII, p. 460.] [Footnote 7: George Rooke, a Dublin linendraper.] [Footnote 8: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XVI, p. 251.] [Footnote 9: Johnson: _Works_ (ed. Hill), II, p. 271.] [Footnote 10: Pope: _Works_ (ed. Elwin and Courthope), VII, p. 418.] [Footnote 11: Spence: _Anecdotes_ (ed. Singer), p. 202.] [Footnote 12: Addison died on June 17th, 1719.] [Footnote 13: Stepson of Addison.] [Footnote 14: Spence: _Anecdotes_ (ed. Singer), p. 149.] [Footnote 15: _Life of Pope_, p. 126.] [Footnote 16: _Life of Pope_, p. 126.] [Footnote 17: Cibber's _Apology_ (ed. Lowe).]