Travels through the South of France and the Interior of Provinces of Provence and Languedoc in the Years 1807 and 1808Pinkney, lieutenant-colonel (Ninian)
History
Travels through the South of France and the Interior of Provinces of Provence and Languedoc in the Years 1807 and 1808
Pinkney, lieutenant-colonel (Ninian)
France -- Description and travel
From the cathedral church, we were conducted to the other curiosities of
the city, one of which is well worthy of mention. This is a cave or
vault in the parish church of St. Andre. Upon descending it, our guide
removed successively the covers of six coffins, and desired us to
examine the bodies. They consisted of four men and two women; the faces,
arms, and breasts were naked, and had all the freshness as if dead only
the preceding day. One of the men had the mark of a wound under his left
breast; it seemed as if made by a pointed sword or pike, and was florid,
red, and fresh. "These persons," said our guide, "as you may see by the
inscriptions, have been buried from fifty to an hundred years; the
wounded man was the Mayor of the town about sixty years since, and was
wounded in an affray, of which wound he died." Upon receiving this
information, I had the curiosity to examine the vault more accurately:
it was walled all around, paved with stones closely cemented, and was
evidently more than commonly dry.
We remained at Chartres the whole of the following day; and on the
morning of the next, still accompanied by the Cure, continued our
journey to Le Mans, where we likewise remained a day, and thence
proceeded for Angers. As our projected Tour along the Loire was to
commence at Nantes, we were eager to gain that city, and indeed scarcely
made use of our eyes, however invited, till we reached it.
Mr. Younge and myself had an hour's walk over Angers; but as we saw it
more in detail as we descended the Loire, in the progress of our future
Tour, I shall say nothing of it in this place.
Throughout the greater part of this road, as well as of that from Angers
to Nantes, nothing could be more delightful than the scenery on both
sides, and nothing better than the roads. From La Fleche to Angers, and
thence to Ancennis, the country is a complete garden. The hills were
covered with vines; every wood had its chateau, and every village its
church. The peasantry were clean and happy, the children cheerful and
healthy-looking, and the greater part of the younger women spirited and
handsome. There was a great plenty of fruit; and as we passed through
the villages, it was invariably brought to us, and almost as invariably
any pecuniary return refused with a retreating curtsey. One sweet girl,
a young peasant, with eyes and complexion which would be esteemed
handsome even in Philadelphia, having made Mr. Younge and myself an
offering of this kind, replied very prettily to our offer of money, that
the women of La Fleche never sold either grapes or water; as much as to
say, that the one was as plentiful as the other. Some of these young
girls were dressed not only neatly, but tastily. Straw hats are the
manufacture of the province; few of them, therefore, but had a straw
bonnet, and few of these bonnets were without ribbons or flowers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account