The Face Of The Country Between Paris And Auxerre Is Not
Peculiarly Striking; But The Soil Appears Fertile And The Road Excellent.
After Breakfast We Started From Auxerre And Stopped To Sup And Sleep The
Same Night At Avallon.
At Semur, which we passed on the following day,
there is a one arched bridge of great boldness across the river Armancon.
We arrived in the evening at Dijon.
The country between Auxerre and Dijon
is very undulating in gentle hill and dale, but for the want of trees and
inclosures it has a bleak appearance. As you leave Avallon and approach
Dijon, the hills covered with vines indicate your arrival in a wine
country. I put up at the Chapeau rouge at Dijon and remained there one
day, in order to visit the Chartreuse which is at a short distance from
the town and commands an extensive view. It was devastated during the
Revolution. The view from it is fine and extensive and that is all that is
worth notice. The country about it is rich and cultivated, and the
following lines of Ariosto might serve for its description:
Culte pianure e delicati colli,
Chiare acque, ombrose ripe e prati molli.[47]
'Mid cultivated plain, delicious hill,
Moist meadow, shady bank, and crystal rill.
- Trans. W.S. ROSE.
The city of Dijon is large, handsome and well built. It has an appearance
of industry, comfort and airiness. There are several mustard manufactories
in this town. A dinner was given yesterday by the municipality to the
National Guard, and an immense quantity of mustard was devoured on the
occasion in honor of the staple manufactory of Dijon. From Dijon I put
myself in the diligence to go to Chalon and after stopping two hours at
Beaune, arrived at Chalon at 5 o'clock p.m. The country between Dijon and
Chalon is flat, but cultivated like a garden. It is likewise the wine
country par excellence. I do not know a wine more agreeable to palate
than the wine of Beaune.
At Chalon I put up at the Hotel du Parc. Chalon is beautifully situated
on the banks of the Saone. The Quai is well constructed and forms an
agreeable promenade. There is an Austrian garrison in Chalon. The hostess
of the inn told me that Napoleon stopped at her house on his way from Lyons
to Paris, when he returned from Elba, and she related to me with great
eagerness many anecdotes of that extraordinary man: she said that such was
the empressement on the part of the inhabitants to see him, and embrace
him by way of testifying their affection, that the Emperor was obliged to
say: "Mais vous m'etouffez, mes enfans!" In fact, had the army remained
neutral, the peasantry alone would have carried the Emperor on their
shoulders to Paris. It is quite absurd to say that a faction did this and
that it was effectuated merely by the disaffection of the Army. The Army
did its duty in the noblest manner, for it is the duty of every army to
support the national cause and the voice of the people, and by no means to
become the blind tools of the Prince; for it is absurd, as it is degrading
to humanity, it is impious to consider the Prince as the proprietor of the
country and the master of the people; he is, or ought to be, the principal
magistrate, the principal soldier paid by the people, like any other
magistrate or soldier, and like them liable to be cashiered for misconduct
or breach of faith.
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