I Was Acquainted At Lausanne With His Daughter, Mme
C - - , And Was Much Pleased In Her Society.
She had great talent of
conversation, and I never in my life met with a lady possessed of so much
historical knowledge.
I started on the 27th June from Lausanne, passed the
first night at Mondon and the next afternoon arrived at Avenches, the
Aventicum of the ancient Romans. Payerne is only a mile distant from
Avenches, and I was received with the utmost cordiality by the worthy
pastor and his daughter. The scenery on the road to Avenches is very like
the scenery in all the rest of the Canton de Vaud, viz., alternate mountain
and valley, lofty trees, and every spot capable of cultivation bearing some
kind of produce; corn just ready for the sickle and fruit such as cherries
and strawberries in full bloom. Avenches has an air of great antiquity and
looks very gloomy withal, which forms a striking contrast to the neat, well
built towns and villages of this Canton on the banks of the lake Leman
where everything appears so stirring and cheerful. Avenches, on the
contrary, is very dull, and there is little society.
At Mr. J[omini] there were, besides his daughter, his son and his son's
wife. All the ministres (for such is the word in use to designate
Protestant clergymen and you would give great offence were you to call them
pretres) have a fixed salary of 100L sterling per annum, with a house and
ground attached to the cure; so that by farming a little they can maintain
then?
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