Years Journey through France and Part of Spain | Page 3

every week)
ever returns to England: Beside this, the quantity of gold carried over to
the ports of Dunkirk, Boulogne, and Calais, by the Smugglers, who
always pay ready money, is incredible; but as money, and matters of
that kind, are what I have but little concern in, I will not enlarge upon a
subject no way interesting to me, and shall only observe, that my
landlord, _Mons. Dessein_, who was behind-hand with the world ten
years ago, is now become one of the richest men in Calais, has built a
little Theatre in his garden, and has united the profitable business of a
Banker, to that of a Publican; and by studying the Gout of the English
nation, and changing their gold into French currency, has made, they
say, a Demi Plumb.
Notwithstanding the contiguity of Calais to England, and the great
quantity of poultry, vegetables, game, &c. which are bought up every
market-day, and conveyed to your coast, I am inclined to believe, there
are not many parts of France where a man, who has but little money,
can make it go further than in this town; nor is there any town in
England, where the fishery is conducted with so much industry.
Yesterday I visited my unfortunate daughter, at the convent at
_Ardres_;--but why do I say unfortunate? She is unfortunate only, in
the eyes of the world, not in her own; nor indeed in mine, because she
assured me she is happy. I left her here, you know, ten years ago, by
way of education, and learning the language; but the small-pox, which

seized her soon after, made such havock on a face, rather favoured by
nature, that she desired to hide it from the world, and spend her life in
that retirement, which I had chosen only to qualify her for the world. I
left her a child; I found her a sensible woman; full of affection and duty;
and her mangled and seamed face, so softened by an easy mind, and a
good conscience, that she appeared in my partial eyes, rather an
agreeable than a plain woman; but she did not omit to signify to me,
that what others considered her misfortune, she considered (as it was
not her fault) a happy circumstance; "if my face is plain (said she) my
heart is light, and I am sure it will make as good a figure in the earth, as
the fairest, and most beautiful." My only concern is, that I find the
Prieure of this convent, either for want of more knowledge, or more
money, or both, had received, as parlour boarders, some English ladies
of very suspicious characters. As the conversation of such women
might interrupt, and disturb that peace and tranquillity of mind, in
which I found my daughter, I told the Prieure my sentiments on that
subject, not only with freedom, but with some degree of severity; and
endeavoured to convince her, how very unwarrantably, if not
irreligiously she acted. An abandoned, or vicious woman, may paint the
pleasures of this world in such gaudy colours, to a poor innocent Nun,
so as to induce her to forget, or become less attentive to the professions
she has made to the next.
It was near this town, you know, that the famous interview passed
between Henry the Eighth, and Francis the First, in the year 1520; and
though it lasted twenty-eight days, and was an event which produced at
that time so many amusements to all present, and so much conversation
throughout Europe, the inhabitants of this, town, or Calais, seem to
know little of it, but that one of the bastions at Ardres is called the
Bastion of the Two Kings.--There still remains, however, in the front of
one of the houses in Calais, upon an ornamented stone, cut in old letter,
=God Save the King=;
And I suppose that stone was put, where it now remains, by some loyal
subject, before the King arrived, as it is in a street which leads from the
gate (now stopped up) which Henry passed through.

LETTER III.
In a very few days I shall leave this town, and having procured letters
of recommendation from some men of fashion, now in England, to
their friends in Spain, I am determined to traverse this, and make a little
tour into that kingdom; so you may expect something more from me,
than merely such remarks as may be useful to you on any future tour
you make in France; I mean to conduct you at least over the Pyrenean
hills to _Barcelona_; for, though I have been two or three times before
in Spain, it was early in life, and when my mind was more employed in
observing the customs and manors of the birds, and beasts