was criticized and examined with a minuteness to which Austria herself, in her darkest hour of suspicion, would scarcely stoop; the contents of my portmanteau were rudely disturbed, my letters of introduction read, and my Bible carried off and not returned until it had been minutely inspected. From the time we landed until we were emancipated from the wretched little Custom-house, four hours had elapsed, a much longer period than is required to pass the luggage of three hundred passengers through the Paris Custom-house, and we did not muster more than a sixth of that number. The whole proceedings were of so vexatious a nature, that I was led to inquire why we should have been subjected to so much apparently useless annoyance. The answer was, that in consequence of the great number of French refugees living in the Channel Islands, who, with Victor Hugo at their head, were waging fierce paper-war against the French Emperor, orders had been received from Paris to search the luggage and persons of all passengers landing at Granville" avec rigueur;" and I can attest that, in my case at least, the officials carried out their instructions to the fullest extent. I can well understand that great anxiety must be felt to prevent any of those powerful but abusive and scurrilous articles emanating from Victor Hugo, which dishonour his pen, and which are published in a Jersey paper called

'L'Homme,' entering France; but at the same time I think the bearer of a Foreign Office passport, who is described as a Londoner, should not be subjected to the rough treatment I had to undergo.* It was difficult indeed to believe that England and France were friendly allies while a sturdy and uncivil douanier was almost stripping the clothes from my back. Had not political motives been assigned for the inquisitorial ordeal, it might have been ascribed to a desire, on the part of the French, to be revenged on Englishmen for the conduct of their ancestors who burned Granville in 1695.

As soon however as the thick-legged girls, who do the work of beasts of burden at Granville, had deposited my luggage in the Hôtel du Nord, and that I had dined, the flow of good humour, which had been rudely checked by the Custom-house authorities, again set in; and following Sterne's example, I drank the health of his Imperial Majesty, Napoleon III., to assure myself that I bore no grudge to him; and having thus restored the balance of temper, I set out for a stroll through Granville.

* M. Hugo and his scurrilous troupe have since paid the penalty of their abuse of British hospitality. They ought to consider them. selves highly fortunate that their punishment consisted simply in banishment from Jersey.

AVRANCHES.-Y. LE

SOUS-PRÉFET.—BEAUTIFUL SITUATION OF AVRANCHES-PORTAL OF ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. ANCIENT TOWER. -THE WIDOW'S HOSPITALITY. PAIN DE PRETRE. THE LAST STONE OF THE CATHEDRAL. HENRY II-HIS ABSOLUTION. STRIKING CEREMONY.-MUSEUM.-LIBRARY-ABELARD'S TREA TISE-TIPHAINE'S CALENDAR-DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES. THE COLLEGE INSPECTOR. WARLIKE ADDRESS-VOLHUBERT.-THE HIRSUTE PRIZEMAN.

FAMILIAR as the tourist may be with the Continent, there is always a charm in the first town in which he lands: the great fact that the sea-passage is over has probably something to do in gilding the threshold of a foreign tour. Be this as it may, it is certain that

a French or Belgian seaport wears a very different aspect when seen at the beginning or close of a two months' vacation.

Thus Granville, which in truth has little to recommend it to the attention of the traveller beyond its fortress and position, was scanned and explored by me with an ardour befitting the commencement of my travels. The citadel is certainly picturesque, and there is an eminently "Proutish" bit immediately within the gates, which, if sketched aright, will form an agreeable souvenir in the tourist's portfolio.

The fortress of Granville is closely associated with the melancholy fortunes of the Vendean army which, headed by the young and gallant Larochejaquelin, besieged it unsuccessfully for thirty-six hours. The difficulties the Royalists had to contend with were of the most terrible nature. The localities are still shown where desperate, and in some cases successful, attempts were made to scale the lofty walls by means of bayonets thrust into the crevices; but, unprovided with artillery, the Royalists were foiled, and being still further disappointed by not receiving assistance from England, they were obliged to abandon their undertaking, and retreated with great loss.

Having explored the fortress, and threaded with great caution the filthy streets in the lower town, which did not reward my enterprise by yielding a

single quaint house, I availed myself of a diligence, which started at four o'clock in the afternoon, for Avranches, and was fortunate in sharing the coupé with the Sous-Préfet of the Côtes du Nord, who lives at Avranches. This companionship was productive of much enjoyment. During the drive, which led us through an extremely beautiful country, M. Le SousPréfet was profuse in his information, and was so kind as to invite me to the hospitalities of the Sous-Préfecture. He was particularly solicitous that I should make due allowance for the rigorous Custom-house examination at Granville, the necessity for which he greatly deplored; for, said he, our trips to your islands, which were always most enjoyable, are now rendered highly vexatious and painful.

The sun was sinking in an aerial sea of golden glory as we wound up the long and steep ascent leading to the plateau on which Avranches is built. Scenes of great beauty were disclosed at each turn of the road. Presently a broad belt of bright light fringed the vast expanse of wooded landscape ; and a speck, scarcely bigger than a large ship under sail, and considerably resembling it, appeared in the centre of the brightness,—it was Mont St. Michel. On expressing my intention of visiting that celebrated place, my companion told me that he would give me an order to the Governor of the castle, desiring that I should be shown all that