The comfort of the peasantry, whose situation was thereby much
ameliorated; and that they were now in a state of affluence compared with
what they were before the French Revolution. I added: "Enfin, Monsieur,
Dieu n'a pas besoin des choses terrestres." On my saying this he did not
chuse to continue the conversation, but calling for a bottle of wine drank
it all himself with the zest of a Tartuffe. I believe that he was surprised
to find that an Englishman should not coincide with his sentiments, for I
observe all the adherents of the ancient regime of feudality and
superstition have an idea that we are anxious for the re-establishment of
all those abuses as they themselves are, and it must be confessed that the
conduct of our Government has been such as to authorize them fully in
forming such conjectures, and that we shall be their staunch auxiliaries in
endeavouring to arrest and retrograde the progress of the human mind. In
fact, I soon perceived that my friend was not overloaded with wit and that
he was one of those priests so well described by Metastasio:
Il di cui sapere
Sta nel nostro ignorar....
MAASTRICHT, 27th June.
This morning, after a promenade on the banks of the Meuse - for I am fond of
rivers and woods (flumina amo silvasque inglorius) - we embarked on a
treckschuyt and arrived here after a passage of four hours. The scenery
on the banks of the Meuse all the way from Liege to Maastricht is highly
diversified and extremely romantic; but here at Maastricht this ceases and
the dull uniformity of the Dutch landscape begins. When on the ramparts of
the city to the North and West an immense plain as far as the eye can reach
presents itself to view; a few trees and sandhills form the only relief to
the picture. The town itself is neat, clean and dull, like all Dutch towns.
The fortifications are strong and well worth inspection. The most
remarkable thing in the neighbourhood of Maastricht is the Montagne de St
Pierre, which from having been much excavated for the purpose of procuring
stone, forms a labyrinth of a most intricate nature. I advise every
traveller to visit it, and if he has a classical imagination he may fancy
himself in the labyrinth of Crete.
AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, 29th June.
We started in the morning of the 28th from Maastricht in the diligence for
Aix-la-Chapelle and arrived here at twelve o'clock, putting up at Van
Guelpen's Hotel, Zum Pfaelzischen Hofe (a la Cour palatine), which I
recommend as an excellent inn and the hosts as very good people. The price
of our journey from Liege to Maastricht in the water-diligence was 2-1/2
franks, and from Maastricht to Aix-la-Chapelle by land was 7 franks the
person.
