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I have always considered, and have every reason to be confirmed in my opinion, that the foundation of all education is mathematics. Everything else may be obtained by rote, and without thinking: but from the elements of arithmetic, up to Euclid and algebra, no boy can work his task without thinking. I never yet knew a man who was a good mathematician, who was not well-informed upon almost every point; and the reason is clear-mathematics have prepared his mind to receive and retain that which he may attempt. In all foreign schools. this important branch of education is more attended to than it is in England; and that alone would be a sufficient reason for me to give them the preference. In point of morals, I consider the schools of both countries much upon a par, although, from the system abroad of never debasing a child by corporal punishment, I give the foreign schools the preference even in that point.

I consider, then, that boys are better educated abroad than in England, and acquire much more correctly the living languages, which are of more use to them than the classics. So much I can say in favour of the continent; but in every other respect I consider the advantage in favour of England. Young females who have been brought up abroad, I consider, generally speaking, as unfitted for English wives, and that in this opinion I am not singular, I know well, from conversation with young men at the clubs, and elsewhere. Mothers who have returned with their daughters, full of French fashions and ideas, and who imagine that they will inevitably succeed in making good matches, would be a little mortified and surprised to hear the young men, when canvassing among themselves the merits of the other sex, declare that "such a young lady may be very handsome, and very clever, but-she has received a continental education, and that won't do for them." Many mothers imagine, because their daughters, who are bold and free in their manners, and talk and laugh loud, are surrounded by young men, while the modest girl, who holds aloof, is apparently neglected, that their young ladies are more admired; but this is a great mistake. Men like that boldness, that coquetry, that dash, if I may use the term, because it amuses them for the time being; but, although they may pay them attentions on that account, they never would think of marrying them. No; the modest retiring girl, who is apparently passed by, becomes the wife, the others are flattered before their faces, and laughed at behind their backs. It certainly is unmanly, on the part of our sex, to behave in this manner, to encourage young women in their follies, and ruin them for their own amusement, as Shakspeare says,―

"Shame to him whose cruel striking

Kills for faults of his own liking."

But so it is, and so it will be so long as the world lasts, and mankind is no better than it is at present.

If then, as I have asserted, there is so little to be gained by leaving a comfortable home and a moral land, what is the inducement which takes so many people abroad to settle there? I am afraid that the true reason has been given by a late author whom I now quote; speaking of the French metropolis, she says,—

"I have been lately trying to investigate the nature of the charm which renders Paris so favourite a sojourn of the English.

"In point of gaiety (for gaiety read dissipation) it affords nothing

comparable with that of London. A few ministerial fêtes every winter may perhaps exceed in brilliancy the balls given in our common routine of things; but for one entertainment in Paris, at least thirty take place chez nous. Society is established with us on a wider and more splendid scale. The weekly soirées, on the other hand, which properly represent the society of this place, are dull, meagre, and formal to the last degree of formality. There is no brilliant point of re-union as at Almack's, no theatre uniting, like our Italian Opera, the charm of the best company, the best music, and the best dancing. Of the thousand and one theatres boasted of by the Parisians, only three are of a nature to be frequented by people of consideration, the remainder being as much out of the question as the Pavilion or the Garrick. Dinner parties there are none, water parties none, déjeûners, unless given by a foreign ambassadress, none. A thousand accessories to London amusements are here wanting. In the month of May I am told the public gardens and the Bois de Boulogne become enchanting. But what is not charming in the month of May? Paris, perhaps, least of all places; for at the commencement of the month every French family of note quits the metropolis for its country seat, or for sea or mineral bathing. Foreigners and the mercantile and ministerial classes alone remain. What, then, I would fain discover, constitutes the peculiar merit of inducing persons uninstigated by motives of economy to fix themselves in the comfortless and filthy city, and call it paradise? Alas! my solution of the problem is far from honourable to the taste of our absentees. In Paris people are far less amenable than in London to the tribunal of public opinion.

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And not only at Paris, but all over the continent; for, where morals are generally relaxed, what would cause surprise and censure elsewhere, is passed over without comment and, as a matter of course.

Indeed, there are so many petty annoyances and vexations of life attendant upon residents abroad, that it must require some strong motives to induce them to remain. Wherever the English settle they raise the price of everything, much to the annoyance of the rentiers and respectable people of the place, although of advantage to the country generally. The really high-bred and aristocratic people will not associate with them, and look upon them with any feeling but good will. With regard to servants, they are invariably badly served, although they pay two and three times the wages that are paid by the inhabitants, who, in most places, have made it a rule never to take a servant who has once lived in an English family; the consequence is that those who offer themselves to the English are of the worst description, a sort of pariahs among the community, who extort and cheat their employers without mercy. If not permitted so to do, they leave them at a minute's warning, and you cannot go to any foreign colony of English people. without listening to very justified tirades of the villany of the servants. Upon the same principle, there are few places abroad where the tradespeople have not two prices, one for the English, and the other for the inhabitants.

I was in company with an English lady of title who gave me a very amusing instance of the insolence of the Belgian servants. She had a large family to bring up without assistance, and had retired to the continent for that purpose. It should be observed that the Belgians July.-VOL. L. NO. CXCIX.

treat their servants like dogs, and it is only with the Belgians that they will behave well; they are allowanced in everything that they are permitted to have, but that is very little. This lady, finding her expenses very much exceeding her means, so soon as she had been some time in the country attempted a reformation. Inquiring of some Belgian families with whom she was acquainted what were the just proportions, she attempted to introduce the same by degrees. The first article of wasteful expenditure was bread, and she put them upon an allowance. The morning after she was awoke with a loud hammering in the saloon below, the reason of which she could not comprehend, but on going down to breakfast, she found one of the long loaves made in the country, nailed up with tenpenny nails over the mantelpiece; she sent to inquire who had done it, and one of the servants immediately replied that she had nailed it there that my lady might see that the bread did not go too fast.

There is another point on which the English abroad have long complained, and with great justice, which is, that in every litigation or petty dispute which may appear before a smaller or more important tribunal, the verdict, whether from the Juge de Paix up to the Cour de Cassation, invariably is given against them. I never heard an instance to the contrary, although there may have been some. In no case can an Englishman obtain justice; the detention of his property without just cause; all that he considers as law and justice in his own country is over-ruled; he is obliged to submit to the greatest insults, or consent to the greatest imposition. This is peculiarly observable at Paris and Brussels, and it is almost a jour de fête to a large portion of the inhabitants when they hear that an Englishman has been thrown into prison. It must, however, be acknowledged that most of this arises not only from the wish of the rentiers, or those who live upon their means, and have these means crippled by the concourse of English raising the price of every article, that the English should leave and return to their own country, but also from the number of bad characters who, finding their position in society no longer tenable in England, hasten abroad, and, by their conduct, leave a most unfavourable impression of the English character, which, when Englishmen only travelled, stood high, but, now they reside to economize, is at its lowest ebb; for the only charm which they had in the eyes of needy foreigners was their lavishing their money as they passed through the country, enriching a portion of the community without increasing the prices of consumption to the whole.

As a proof of the insolence to which the English are subjected, I will give the reader a verbatim copy of a letter sent to me by a friend not more than a year ago. I have heard of such a circumstance taking place in France, but then the innkeeper was a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour; but this case is even more remarkable. Depend upon it, those who travel will find many a Monsieur Disch before they are at the end of their journey. I will vouch for the veracity of every word in the letter:

"Wisbaden, July 3, 1836.

"MY DEAR-As you kindly said that you would be glad to hear of our progress when any opportunity offered of writing you a letter, I now avail myself of some friends passing through Brussels to let you know that thus far we have proceeded in health and safety; but whether

we shall complete our project of wintering in Italy seems more and more doubtful, as I believe the cholera to be doing its work pretty actively in some of the states we propose to visit, and a gentleman told me yesterday, who has lately left the country, that the Pope is so glad of an excuse to keep heretics out of his dominions, that he has never taken off the quarantine, so that, under any circumstances, we must vegetate in some frontier hole for a fortnight before we can be admitted; a circumstance in itself sufficiently deterring in my opinion; besides which, what with the perplexity of the coinage, and the constant attempt at pillage which we have already met with, and which I am told is quadrupled on the other side of the Alps, such a counterbalance exists to any of the enjoyments of travelling, that I am heartily weary of the continual skirmishing and warfare I am subjected to; warfare indeed, as at Cologne I was called out. The story is too good to be lost, so I will tell it for your amusement and that of our friends at Brussels, moreover, that you may caution every one against Mons. Disch, of the Cour Imperiale:-We had marchandéed with Madame Disch for rooms, who at last agreed to our terms, but when the bill came she charged her own. We remonstrated, and the bill was altered; but Mons. Disch made his appearance before I could pay it, insisting on the larger sum, saying his wife had no business to make a bargain for him. I remonstrated in vain, and Mrs. commenced most eloquently to state the case; he was, however, deaf to reason, argument, eloquence, and beauty; at last I said, Do not waste words on the matter, I will pay the fellow and have done with him, taking care that neither I or my friends will ever come to his house again,' at the same time snatching the bill from his hand; when he demanded, in a great fury, what Ĭ meant by that; exclaiming, I am Germans gentlemans,-you English gentlemans, I challenge you-I challenge you.' Although somewhat wroth before this, I was so amused that I laughed in the rascal's face, which doubled his rage, and he reiterated his mortal defiance, adding,'I was in London last year, they charge me twelve fourteen shillings for my dinner at coffee-house, but I too much gentlemans to ask them take off one farding. I challenge you-I challenge you.' I then said, 'Hold your tongue, Sir; take your money and be off.' 'Me take money!' replied he; me take money! No, my servant take money; I too much gentlemans to take money." Upon which the waiter swept the cash off the table, handed it to his master, who immediately sacked it and walked off.”

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These facts must prove that the idea of going abroad for economy is most erroneous. As I have before observed, the only article, except education, which is cheaper, is wine; and I am afraid, considering the thirsty propensities of my countrymen, that is a very strong attraction with the nobler sex. If claret and all other French wines were admitted into England at a much lower duty, they would be almost as cheap in England as they are in foreign capitals, and, as the increased consumption would more than indemnify the government, it is to be lamented that it is not so arranged. Formerly we shut out the French wines and admitted those of Portugal, as our ancient ally; but our ancient ally has shown any thing but good-will towards us lately, and we are at all events under no further obligation to support her interests. Let us admit French wines in bottles at a very low duty, and then England will be

in every respect as cheap, and infinitely more comfortable as a residence, than any part of the continent. The absentees who are worth reclaiming will return, those who prefer to remain on the continent are much better there than if they were contaminating their countrymen with their presence. How true is the following observation from the author I before quoted on her return from abroad::

"Home, home at last. How clean, how cheerful, how comfortable! I was shown at Marthieu the shabby, dirty-looking lodgings where the are economizing, in penance for the pleasure of one little year spent in this charming house. Poor people! How they must long for England how they must miss the thousand trivial but essential conveniences devised here for the civilization of human life! What an air of decency and respectfulness about the servants! what a feeling of homeishness in a house exclusively our own! The modes of life may be easier on the continent, but it is the ease of a beggar's ragged coat which has served twenty masters, and is twitched off and on till it scarcely holds together, in comparison with the decent, close-fitting suit characteristic of a gentleman."

FAREWELL, FAREWELL, MY FATHERLAND!

Farewell, farewell, my Fatherland!
Before me lies the broad blue sea,

Whose waves will waft me far from thee.
The ship's afloat, the decks are mann'd ;-
But ere I leave the hallow'd earth

Where first this changeful life had birth,
My knee shall bend in prayer above
To guard the country of my love.

Farewell, farewell, my Fatherland!
They say the sunny clime I seek
Will bring back freshness to my cheek,
By thousand odorous blossoms fann'd.
But what shall soothe my soul's unrest,
What cheer my sick and aching breast,
When, fond familiar faces gone,
I stand on foreign shores-alone!

Farewell, farewell, my Fatherland!
Farewell, my mother's peaceful tomb!
Farewell, ye flowers that round it bloom,
Which now I pluck with trembling hand!
Farewell, the scenes of childhood's glee,
Where step and spirit bounded free!
The village church-the Sabbath bell-
Home, love, and country-fare ye well!

E. W.

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