A bas, a bas Napoleon!
Vivent, vivent les Bourbons!
A number of beautiful women elegantly attired paraded up and down the
public promenades, which are exceedingly well and tastefully laid out. This
city is built with great regularity, and the streets are broad, neat, and
clean. It is by far the handsomest city I have ever seen either in France
or Belgium. The Hotel de Ville and the theatre both are on the Grande
Place and are well worth seeing. Lille is renowned for its fortifications;
I much wished to visit the citadel but I was not permitted. At dinner at
the table d'hote at the Hotel du Commerce, I remarked a French officer
declaiming violently against Napoleon; but I heard afterwards that he was
the son of an Emigrant; the rest of the company did not seem to approve his
discourse and shewed visible impatience at it.
Lille may be easily recognised at its approach from the immense quantity of
wind-mills that are in the vicinity of this city, some of which are used
for grinding of wheat and others for the expression of oil. A great deal of
flax from whence the oil is made, grows in the country.
I left Lille on the morning of the 24th inst., with the courier for Amiens.
From Amiens I took the diligence to Beauvais and on arrival there I put up
under the hospitable roof of my friend Major G., of the 18th Light
Dragoons, lately made Lt.-Colonel for his gallantry at Waterloo.[42] I did
not want for amusement here, for the next day a fete champetre was given
just outside the walls of the town, and I admired the grace and tournure of
the female peasantry and their good dancing.
