The first town we came to after passing this vast plain, I have forgot
the name of; but it had nothing but its antiquity and a noble and
immense old castle to recommend it, except a transparent agate statue of
the Virgin in the church, as large as the life, with a _tin crown_ upon
her head. Neither the town nor the inhabitants had any thing of the
appearance of French about them; every thing and every body looked so
wild, and the place was in such a ruinous condition, that I could scarce
believe I was not among the Arabs in _Egypt_, or the ruins of
_Persepolis_. Without the town, in a fine beautiful lawn stands a most
irregular high and rude rock, perpendicular on all sides, and under one
side of it are ruins of a house, which I suppose was inhabited by the
first _Seigneur_ in the province. I looked in, and found the ruins full
of miserable inhabitants, I fancy many families; but it exhibited such a
scene of woe, that I was glad to get out again; and upon inquiry, I
found it had been in that state ever since it had been used as an
hospital during the last plague.
Pages:
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40