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Chapter 8 All you need say of Fontainbleau (in case you are askd) is, that it stands about forty miles (south something) from Paris, in the middle of a large forestThat there is something great in itThat the king goes there once every two or three years, with his whole court, for the pleasure of the chaceand that, during that carnival of sporting, any English gentleman of fashion (you need not forget yourself) may be accommodated with a nag or two, to partake of the sport, taking care only not to out- gallop the king Though there are two reasons why you need not talk loud of this to every one. First, Because twill make the said nags the harder to be got; and Secondly, Tis not a word of it true.Allons! As for Sensyou may dispatchin a wordTis an archiepiscopal see. For Joignythe less, I think, one says of it the better. But for AuxerreI could go on for ever: for in my grand tour through Europe, in which, after all, my father (not caring to trust me with any one) attended me himself, with my uncle Toby, and Trim, and Obadiah, and indeed most of the family, except my mother, who being taken up with a project of knitting my father a pair of large worsted breeches(the thing is common sense)and she not caring to be put out of her way, she staid at home, at Shandy Hall, to keep things right during the expedition; in which, I say, my father stopping us two days at Auxerre, and his researches being ever of such a nature, that they would have found fruit even in a desert he has left me enough to say upon Auxerre: in short, wherever my father wentbut twas more remarkably so, in this journey through France and Italy, than in any other stages of his lifehis road seemed to lie so much on one side of that, wherein all other travellers have gone before himhe saw kings and courts and silks of all colours, in such strange lightsand his remarks and reasonings upon the characters, the manners, and customs of the countries we passd over, were so opposite to those of all other mortal men, particularly those of my uncle Toby and Trim(to say nothing of myself)and to crown allthe occurrences and scrapes which we were perpetually meeting and getting into, in consequence of his systems and opiniotrythey were of so odd, so mixd and tragi-comical a contexture That the whole put together, it appears of so different a shade and tint from any tour of Europe, which was ever executedthat I will venture to pronouncethe fault must be mine and mine onlyif it be not read by all travellers and travel-readers, till travelling is no more,or which comes to the same pointtill the world, finally, takes it into its head to stand still. But this rich bale is not to be opend now; except a small thread or two of it, merely to unravel the mystery of my fathers stay at Auxerre. As I have mentioned ittis too slight to be kept suspended; and when tis wove in, there is an end of it. Well go, brother Toby, said my father, whilst dinner is coddlingto the abbey of Saint Germain, if it be only to see these bodies, of which Monsieur Sequier has given such a recommendation.Ill go see any body, quoth my uncle Toby; for he was all compliance through every step of the journeyDefend me! said my fatherthey are all mummiesThen one need not shave; quoth my uncle TobyShave! nocried my fathertwill be more like relations to go with our beards onSo out we sallied, the corporal lending his master his arm, and bringing up the rear, to the abbey of Saint Germain. Every thing is very fine, and very rich, and very superb, and very magnificent, said my father, addressing himself to the sacristan, who was a younger brother of the order of Benedictinesbut our curiosity has led us to see the bodies, of which Monsieur Sequier has given the world so exact a description.The sacristan made a bow, and lighting a torch first, which he had always in the vestry ready for the purpose; he led us into the tomb of St. HeribaldThis, said the sacristan, laying his hand upon the tomb, was a renowned prince of the house of Bavaria, who under the successive reigns of Charlemagne, Louis le |
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