From Pully the road takes a pleasant winding course: quick-set fences line each side, over which we see an alternation of orchards, vineyards, enclosed pastures, and plantations. The approach to Lausanne is extremely pretty: the suburbs are agreeable, and contain many handsome houses. The town itself, though considerably larger than Vevay, is, I should conceive, of inferior accommodation as a place of residence. Built on three hills, the steepness of its principal throughfares makes them difficult and even dangerous for carriages, and the narrowness of the streets renders them disagreeable to pedestrians. We walked through the town as far as the western façade of the Cathedral, which is a fine building, and still retains its ancient appellation of Notre-Dame.

Returning from that elevated district of the town, we crossed La-place-de-Saint-François, in which stands the church of that name, and whence it was but a few steps to the residence of Gibbon. Close to the Geneva gate, to the right hand going into the town, is the house where this celebrated author put the finishing stroke to the work, which assures to his name a durability co-equal with the monuments of that mighty empire, whose "Decline and Fall" he had chosen for the subject of his learned research, and the theme of his philosophic pen. A man rich indeed in intellectual possessions; but deficient in more than "one thing needful." For what is learning when needlessly displayed at the expence of decency; or what is philosophy when inveterately set up against the faith of a Christian; or what are the most lasting foundations of earthly fame to be compared with the solid basis of that "Hope" which is "full of immortality?" The place is still in a respectable state

of habitation; but has nothing remarkable about it. The apartment, however, which our historian occupied, commands, through avenues of trees, and over terraces and bosquets, those magical points of view which the lake continually presents.

Looking towards the water from the superb public walk of Montbenon, (which to add to the variety of the scene is crossed by the high road from Geneva) we observed the sun struggling in vain to penetrate through the clouds that were now gathering over the enormous rocks on the opposite side. But its rays threw a lurid gleam on the summits of the more distant Alps, producing that awful tone of colouring-that mysterious and imposing effect of aerial perspective, peculiar to mountain scenery on so prodigious a scale, when viewed in a state of the atmosphere like that to which allusion has just been made. There are few occasions in which the relative heights of mountains may be better judged of than when collections of vapour assume the form of long narrow wreaths, drawn horizontally across their breasts, whilst their craggy brows and towering peaks rise far above these partial misty veils, and seem to touch the skies. This was the case at the moment of our viewing the Savoy coast from the position above-named, and I never beheld a grander sight, nor a pictorial accident more impressively curious.-The glowing description uniformly given of the environs of this city, I venture to affirm from my own transient view of them to be no more than a just eulogium on one of the most highly favoured and interesting spots in Europe. That its interior contains several other objects claiming the attention of strangers I was sufficiently aware, and left them

unseen for no reason less accordant with rational curiosity than the fullest design of returning thither from Geneva. Circumstances however occurred which prevented the fulfilment of this intention.

After dining at the slovenly ill-mannered Lion d'Or, beneath whose paw, it was resolved not to place ourselves again whilst another inn is to be found in the place, we continued our ride. The Pays-de-Vaud about Lausanne,* and extending thence to Morges, bears a strong resemblance to some of the finest parts of England: whilst the scenery on the other side is of such a nature as admits not of being illustrated by similitude to any in our own island—the sea-like expanse of Lake Leman, and the line of coast beyond it,

"Where the Alpine summits rise,

"Height o'er height stupendous hurl'd;

“Like the pillars of the skies,

"Like the ramparts of the world."

Our road, excellent as I ever travelled on even in Norfolk, runs between low-clipped hedges or white-stone walls, opening to us on either hand a view of corn fields, vineyards, and clumps of fruit and forest trees. The chain of the Jura, of which we gained our first view at Lutry, now fronts us all the way to Morges, a handsome well-built town, pleasantly situated on the water's edge. The church is large and lofty, and its general design, in the Grecian stile, highly creditable to the ecclesiastical

Lausanne is the largest town in the Pays-de-Vaud and possesses numerous privileges. It exercises full jurisdiction, and appoints its own magistrates. In the Hotel de Ville are numerous relics of antiquity, proving the importance of the town in time of the Romans.-Gibbon's library is carefully preserved at M. De Cerjat's in the Rue de Bourg.

architecture of Protestant Switzerland. It has a little harbour; and a very little commerce, if we may judge from what we saw, or rather were disappointed of seeing. The port of Morges might perhaps enclose half-adozen fishing boats and other small craft; whilst the immense basin of the lake itself displayed scarcely a single

sail!

Passing close to the public promenade in the agreeable environs of this place, the road gradually inclines from the lake; and afterwards as gradually approaching it again, brings us to the pretty town of Rolle, which commands the most extensive and delightful prospects. We had noticed a considerable improvement in the aspect both of villages and towns from Lausanne. The houses, though of a heavy construction, and disfigured by the necessary evil of large Venetian blinds on the outside of the windows, have for the most part a very respectable look, and bespeak the existence of easy circumstances amongst a large portion of the inhabitants. The land is a complete picture of successful cultivation; and the farmers, together with their wives and families, as well in dress and personal appearance as in their mode of travelling, forcibly remind me of that substantial class in my own country.

Soon after leaving Rolle we observed slopes of vines descending to within a short distance of the water. They are a continuation of the fine grape-districtcalled La-Côte-whose wine of that name is justly celebrated for its excellence, and whose extent in the direction of the lake, lies between Morges and Nion.

The degree of attention and skill here manifested in the culture of the vine, is greatly superior to that exercised in the Valais. The recently introduced expedient of the

Paragrèles gives a new feature to these borders. The ruinous effects frequently produced by storms of thunder and hail upon the crops have led to the almost universal erection of these conductors, which consist of a thin mast of fir, twice the height of an ordinary hop-pole, having a sharp point, and an iron wire running straight down from the top to the bottom. They are placed in rows among the vines, about a hundred yards from each other. We saw thousands of them in our progress, and were told that the experiment has been attended in various districts with the desired effect. All the vineyards of La Vaux and of La Côte have, it is said, been preserved from the hail by means of this new invention; but how, we could not very clearly understand. Some say that clouds, whence a fall of congealed drops would otherwise take place, are by these machines attracted, and made to discharge the electric fluid or dissolve in rain. Be this however as physiologists may determine, we were assured as a fact, that the success of the plan has induced the Bernois to form, by way of trial for nine years, an insurance-society, not only for grapes, but also for grain, fruit, and vegetables of every descripin a word, for all their agricultural productions.— Every canton may participate in the benefit of this insurance. The directors of the society are of the first families in Berne. Mr. De Fellenberg d'Hofwyl, an eminent Swiss agriculturist, is of the number.

tion;

We now find ourselves proceeding in a direction parallel with the Jura mountains: they have the appearance of an immense wall or ridge, stretching on our right hand far to the south, and still farther behind us to the north. This vast chain for the most part runs in a gently undu