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==27th Brkfst [breakfast] at Lorvaen [[Louvain?]] 3.F. - = Reached [Brussels]] at 10:a:m: London Hotel - Kept by En- -glish people - 11.a:m:. thro' [through] the wood of [Scigncy?] & Wa - terloo [[Waterloo]] to Mt St Jean [[Mont-Saint-Jean]], La Haie Sainte [[La Haye Sainte ]] & Belle Alliance [[La Belle Alliance]] - Monument erecting to [[Sir A: Gordon]] close to Wallington's [[Wallonia?]] tree - torrents of Rain - Car & 18.F. Bile [Billet?] at Hotel 16. Fr. -
28th 4.a:m: by Diligence (65. F.) for [[Paris]] thro' [through] [[Valenciennes]] - N:B. 3.F. 20c. - at [[Halle]] brkfst [breakfast]. 6.a:m: - at Sorgny [[Soignies]] en- -tered the Church, whilst high mass was performing - [[Mons]] a large & handsome town with beautiful Gothic Cathedral - a little way below the barrier between the Kingdom of the [[Netherlands]] and [[France]], at [[Blanc Misseron]], our baggage examined by the Douamen [Douanes?] - 8.p:m: reached the gates of [[Valenciennes]] garrisoned by Scotch Troops - [thru?] camp to the E. [Edge?] of the town - Douamen [Douanes?] [feed?] to leave our baggage unexamined - our Conductor (the 5.[p?]) ought to have had the luggage [plumbed?] at the fin'l [final] place of [mispution?] - slept & [supplied?] here - {XI. F-} - General Burbane is the English Commandant - the Prussains made a breach in the walls of this place in 1814 * + as also at Cambray [[Cambrai]] [[Valenciennes]] seems a very extensive place & is commanded by heights -
29th at 6:a:m. for [[Bouchain]] - at 12. reached Cambray [[Cambrai]] - English Camp to the north of the town - Guards on duty - [ward?] of Coldstream Reg.t [Regiment] playing before the town hall in the beautiful marketplace - two elegant Churches - modern Shops kept by Englishmen - Passports demanded at our entrée - Took them to the Bureau of the Police, & at our sortie from the town, demanded again - our baggage was again examined about 2. hours from [[Cambray]] - Monument to [Marshal Villais?] - & extent of [Maiffsos Villones?] - [Hais?] at [[Peronne]], called La Pucelle - strongly fortified.
Brkfst [Breakfast] at [[Senlis]] - trees cutting {30th} down on each side of the road - 3.F: 1/2 - reached [[Paris]] at 1/2 3.p:m: - [Do.?] at Lambets 6.F.- gloves, the 6.p. & bill with Porters for luggage 7.p. and 5.h. Theatre Francaise, 6.h. 1/2 1- to see Talma [[François-Joseph Talma]] in la fosse [[Antoine de La Fosse]] Tragedy of Manluis [Manlius] - Mdmslle [[Mademoiselle Golnay]] - } Mdmsl. [[Mademoiselle Duchlemon]], aisle box.
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"Nomine Gregori, meritis, studioque colendi;" "Regis Graecorum natus, Gregorius Abbas" - "Primus Poncetum coluit templumque locavit;" "Cuius in hac fossa ^ requiescant corporis ossa," "Spiritus ante deum laudes resonabit in aevum."
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"Posteritas renovavit anno 1611."
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"Restaurato a belli clade templo" "Et pio: Parochiae sede recens dato."
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The Commerce of the town of Aix la Chapelle [[Aachen]] is not so [florishing?] as during the time the French excluded English goods from the Continent; but there are several large & excellent shops, & every sort of goods upon sale. [[Dupaty]]'s letters on [[Italy]] 3.F. 1/2 & [[Craan]]'s battle of [[Waterloo]] 4.F. Today had been at once the most interesting & most fagging of the whole I have employed on the tour; For besides seeing the tour & [environs?] I have had to devote eight hours at least to my Journals which I have close, as my route now lays, thro' [through] [[Brussels]] for [[Paris]]. I shall visit, en passant, the field of [[Waterloo]] & St. Jean [[Mont-St-Jean]], & state merely the names of the towns I pass on my route, as I hope another year to have time to make a detour of some days at [[Brussells]], & at [illegible?] of [the?] interesting towns in [advance?] upon [[Paris]].
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Bile [Billet?] at Auberge - aix } 26th } - Reached Liege [[Liège]]: 5.p:m:} 1. [Mad:m each 2 eeno?] By Diligence at 7.a:m: to Liege [[Liège]] - a very extensive & opulent City on the [[Meuse]] - its commerce in coal & iron carried down this river to the [[Rhine]] - former- -ly under the government of it's own Prince & Arch B'p [Bishop] - united to [[France]] by Bnpte [[Bonaparte]] - & now forming a part of the Dominion of the [[Netherlands]] - the Pays Bas [[Netherlands]] - it is situated in a very deep vale & the hills rise a- -round it, & on the line of the River, to a considerable height - great appararent fertility of the surrounding country - at 6.p:m> by Diligence to [[Brussels]] 15.F. - a cou -ner south covered Cabriolet goes hence to [[Paris]] by [Gioet?] 3. [per?] Semain
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those of [[Mr. Dubith]], the Hotel du dragon, & the hotel de la Cour de Hollande. I have [resided?] at the diligence Hotel de [Heuken?], where I have found the people extremely civil, and attentive. [[Cologne]] is about 14 l. [leauges?] from Liege [[Liège]], from [Maertnicht?] 6 L. & from [[Paris]] about 100 L. The town is situated between the [[Meuse]] & the [[Rhine]]. The town is very ancient, & [[Ptolemy]] men-tions it under the name of Veterna. It was known to the Romans in the times of Cesar [[Ceasar]] & [Drusus?] with the country between the [[Meuse]] & the [[Rhine]]. [[Charlemagne]] was born here in 742 & so he named this town the second of his great Empire & above the gate of his palace is still seen the following inscription - "Hic sedes regni trans Alpes habeatum caput omnium provin-" "-ciarum, et civitatum Galliae." The Emperor died here in 814. From that period downward for some time the town [underwent?] several changes of fortune. After the Carlovingian Emperors, those of the house of [[Saxe]], of Francony [[Francia]], of [[Suabria]], of Hapsbourg [[Habsburg]], & of [[Luxembourg]], had been for the most part crowned here [[Charles the IV]] made an express law, that thence forward all the Empe -rors of [[Germany]] should be crowned at Aix la Chapelle [[Aachen]]. The town is celebrated for the two treaties of peace, which it saw signed within its walls. The first on the 2d. of May 1668 between [[France]], and [[Spain]], & the second on the 18th of October 1748 between [[France]], [[England]] & the low countries. After dinner I walked to the town of [[Burscheid]] ([Porcetown, Borchette?]) to the [L.L.E?] of the town, by a pretty road, & not distant beyond a walk of 20 minutes. I was struck by seeing the stream issue from the rivulet, which ran thro' [through] the town, & the women washing their linen in it. On the hill to the left of the town are two Churches. It is said that this little valley remained a desert until the 10th. Century, the resort of wild boars. St. Gregory [[Gregor von Burtscheid]], son of Niciphoris [[Nikephoros?]], Emperor of [[Greece]], founded a convent of Monks, which in 1220 was converted into a cloister for women of rank. I went into the principal Church, & saw the founders "Beatus Gregonius Abbas" richly arrayed in his pontifical dress, of beautifully flowered silk, mitre & cross, contained in a glass gase. Over it was inscribed,
"S: Gregorio primo huius loci Abbati" "antiquitas posuit." and the following latin verses, "Continet hic tumulus peregrini membra sepulti"
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Amongst others, the cincture of Xt [Christ]: with the impression of Con- -stantine's [[Constantine]] seal; _ the girdle of our Lady, the Virgin, _ a mor- -cel of Aaron's rod, & a little bit of the Manna from the deserts - the [winding?] sheet of our blessed Lord - & the sheet upon which the head of [[John the Baptist was decapitated]] -. All these va- -luables are kept carefully from the [polluting?] eyes of the vuglar, in a chest, adorned with a profusion of ornament. They are ex- -hibited every seven years. Their exposition, which continues for 15 days, drew once to Aix la Chapelle [[Aachen]], an innumerable crowd of pilgrims from all parts of [[Europe]]. In 1492. one day reckoned 142,000, votaries, & at the conclusion of the Farce, so dear to the poor pilgrims, the chief actors behind the scenes found in their priestly chests 80,000, florins in gold. The pulpit presented by H: IV of France [[Henry IV of France]] is truly superb. It is covered with rich plates of pure gold, with some exquisite figures, carved in ivory, some precious stones, & an enormous agate in the centre. It is kept covered, & used only on Sundays. During the Revolutionary war it was sent off for Safety into [[Westphalia]]. In the Church of the Franciscans, whose walls are adorned with paintings of the chief circumstances of his life & death, I found over the great Altar a painting of the incarnate Deity, the "Fiat Lux", wh: [which] brought [[Leonardo]]'s famous picture to my recollection. On the Right of the Church, as you enter, over a side altar, which forms one wing, as it were, of the great, is a superb painting of [[Rubens]], "the descent from the Cross," full of expression, & finely colored. The French robbed the Church of this picture too, & exhibited it amid their spoils in the [[Paris]] Museum. Blucher [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher]] demanded it back for his country- -men, & it now occupies it's original situation. Over the folding doors to protect the picture is inscribed, & to his honor,
"[Gubente?] Generalissimo Principe de Blucher" "Spolium Ecclesiae Aquisgrani [[Aachen]]" "redit" -
And above this painting is another, by [[Rubens]], in an oval frame of the Virgin Mourning over the dead Xt [Christ], given by the K. [King] of [[Prussia]],
"Frederico Wilhelmo [[Frederick William III]] Parochiani."
The ancient [foss?] of the town has been turned into a garden planted with trees. The amusements of the place contain saloons for for dan- -cing, & a theatre; but I am again unlucky, for the actors have gone away to [[Amsterdam]] at present. The three best Hotels are
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flowers in to adorn the edifice, with the addition of some superb work in Mosaic. [Eguides?] [[Eudes of Metz?]] was commissioned to execute the plan. The form of the temple [soar?] antique, a rotund supported by pillars, in the circle of wh: [which] were comprised 32 columns with Cor'nthian [Corinthian] Capitals. Leo the 3.d [[Pope Leo III]] consecrated the edifice with much religious ceremony & a vast concourse of dignified Ecclesiastiques in 804. It was much inspired by the [Nossnaus?], but Otto, the 3.d [[Otto III]] reestab- blished & aggrandized it one hundred years later. One part was afterwards consumed by fire in 1236, & in 1366., & in 1358 the choir was added, a structure at once simple, & noble, with lancet win- -dows, & a very bold & high roof, arched. The Columns of the temple were carried off by the French, during the Revolutionary war, to [[Paris]], but have been restored in part since. The interior of the Cupola is adorned with paints & sculpture, of modern date, & not excellent. In the centre of the rotunda is the tomb of [[Charlemagne]], (who died here in 814) with the simple inscription, in brass letters,
"Carolo magno"
Above the tomb is an enormous crown of silver, & gilt copper, suspen- -ded by a chain affixed to the ceiling, the present of Frederic le grand [[Frederick II]], capable of holding 48 wax tapers. In our Saviour's chapel, where is his image on the cross, said to have been brought from [[Italy]] by the first Bishop of this town, we were shewn two columns of porphyry, & two of Granite, brought hither from [[Constantinople]] by [[Charlemagne]]. The wall over the altar is [covered?] with "ex voto", of silver legs, arms, eyes, & noses, & faces, which I looked upon with ra- -ther more complacency, than I did upon those at Einsielden [[Einsiedeln]], be- -because these expressed rather more a belief in the only intercecessor Xt [Christ]. But when I saw little bit bits of wax, [shoved?] into various parts of the human body, tied to the grating of the Chapel, & people praying with their arms extended, as if on the cross, my patience forsook me, & I turned away disgusted with the melancholy state of [formal?] delusion, in which these misled votaries are kept chained by their artful Priests. I went into the Sacristry with the hope of finding admission to the Relic, & other precious absurdities preserved for Ecclesiastical Juggle. Some excuse was made a- -bout the key being lost, but, altho' [although] I did not gain a sight of them, I found out a catalogue of them. Just the scull, & the arm bones of Charlemagne, inclosed in a precious chest. A golden cross, adorned with precious stones, & a bit of the true cross, wh: [which] "on dit" Charlemagne always wore - the "cor de chasse" of the Emperor, in Ebony, ornamented with plates of Gold.