About Two Years Ago, This Place Was Said To Be Converted To A
Very Different Use.
There was among the monks one pere Charles, a
lusty friar, of whom the people tell strange stories.
Some young
women of the town were seen mounting over the wall, by a ladder
of ropes, in the dusk of the evening; and there was an unusual
crop of bastards that season. In short, pere Charles and his
companions gave such scandal, that the whole fraternity was
changed; and now the nest is occupied by another flight of these
birds of passage. If one of our privateers had kidnapped a
Capuchin during the war, and exhibited him, in his habit, as a
shew in London, he would have proved a good prize to the captors;
for I know not a more uncouth and grotesque animal, than an old
Capuchin in the habit of his order. A friend of mine (a Swiss
officer) told me, that a peasant in his country used to weep
bitterly, whenever a certain Capuchin mounted the pulpit to hold
forth to the people. The good father took notice of this man, and
believed he was touched by the finger of the Lord. He exhorted
him to encourage these accessions of grace, and at the same time
to be of good comfort, as having received such marks of the
divine favour. The man still continued to weep, as before, every
time the monk preached; and at last the Capuchin insisted upon
knowing what it was, in his discourse or appearance, that made
such an impression upon his heart "Ah, father! (cried the
peasant) I never see you but I think of a venerable goat, which I
lost at Easter. We were bred up together in the same family. He
was the very picture of your reverence - one would swear you were
brothers. Poor Baudouin! he died of a fall - rest his soul! I
would willingly pay for a couple of masses to pray him out of
purgatory."
Among other public edifices at Boulogne, there is an hospital, or
workhouse, which seems to be established upon a very good
foundation. It maintains several hundreds of poor people, who are
kept constantly at work, according to their age and abilities, in
making thread, all sorts of lace, a kind of catgut, and in
knitting stockings. It is under the direction of the bishop; and
the see is at present filled by a prelate of great piety and
benevolence, though a little inclining to bigotry and fanaticism.
The churches in this town are but indifferently built, and poorly
ornamented. There is not one picture in the place worth looking
at, nor indeed does there seem to be the least taste for the
liberal arts.
In my next, I shall endeavour to satisfy you in the other
articles you desire to know. Mean-while, I am ever - Yours.
LETTER IV
BOULOGNE, September 1, 1763.
SIR, - I am infinitely obliged to D. H - for the favourable manner
in which he has mentioned me to the earl of H - I have at last
recovered my books, by virtue of a particular order to the
director of the douane, procured by the application of the
English resident to the French ministry.
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