K
A
m
N
people were dancing on the public walks
on the Sunday.
Briare, on the Loire, north of Nevers,
is the place where the canal commences,
that unites the Loire and the Seine. After
leaving Briare the road rises from the valley
of the Loire to a sandy plain, similar in
appearance, and, I believe, in geological
position, to that of Bagshot heath. About
two miles beyond Briare, we were shown
a laige chateau, which, with several thousand
acres of ground, had been purchased
by three Irish gentlemen, with the
intent to improve and cultivate this sterile
soil; they were still residing there, but the
experiment was understood to have entirely
laded. In proceeding, the heaps of flint
by the road side, indicated that we were
approaching the upper chalk formation.
The second night after leaving Nevers,
we slept at Montargis. The large ancient
castle is situated on a rising ground above
the town ; it is often mentioned in the history
of France. This castle had been
recently purchased as national property by
some persons on speculation, who were
pulling It down and selling the materials,
at the time we were there. It is impossible
FONTAINBLEAU.
to see without regret the destruction of these
monuments o f past ages, that properly belong
to the country where they are placed,
and are identified with its historic records.
The popular story of the Dog of Montargis,
we were informed by a French
gentleman, well acquainted with the history
and antiquities of the country, originated
from a piece of sculpture over the mantle-
piece o f the great hall in the castle of
Montargis, representing a dog rescuing a
child from assassins ; but the real history
o f the sculpture is unknown. The approach
to Nemours from the south, is beautiful,
and the rocks of sandstone in the vicinity,
though on a small scale, are very picturesque.
The palace and gardens of Fontain-
bleau have been often described ; we spent
a day here. A small apartmuent in the
palace contains the table on which Napoleon
signed his abdication. When we consider
the state of mind of that extraordinary
character, the situation of France, and the
hopes and fears of all the civilized world
at the time ; we must regard the moment
o f Napoleon’s abdication, as the most
eventful crisis in the history of modern
Europe.
c c 2