An ACCOUNT of AMIENS, tranflated from the recent TRAVELS of CAMUS, MEMBER of the NATIONAL INSTITUTE.

THE

HE accefs to Amiens is by good roads, between beautiful walks. This city feems proud of the Congrefs, which gave peace to Europe. In paffing through the streets, the ear is inceffantly

accofted with the neife of the fhuttle.

Thus every houfe is a manufactory, where they make caffimeres, velvet, and all forts of woven goods, whether in cotton or wool. Some citizens, who have large capitals, and are able to make advances, have collected together a number of artists into their extenfive buildings. M. De la Haye fabricates both velvets and velveteens, which are frequently fold as velvets, though effentially different; as a much smaller quantity of the rawmaterial is confumed in the former, and a different method is ufed in cutting the fhag. The fhag of the velvet is cut in the loom cross-ways; whereas the velveteens come out clofe fhorn. It is by a fubfequent procefs the fhag is cut, not breadth-ways, but length-ways. The operation is fimple, but requires a hand practifed in it. It is commonly executed by a woman. The velveteen is ftretched upon a table about four feet in length, covered with a hard cushion. The workwoman takes into her hand a blade, like that of a very thin fword, about eighteen inches long, having at one end a handle, and at the other a frait groove, into which is inferted a fharp point, which projects with a very acute edge. This point is flid between the threads, that are to be cut, to form the fhag, and is rapidly puthed the length of the chain. If they cut along all the threads, the ftuff resembles complete velvet. If, after having cut length-ways a number of threads, they pass over many others of the warp without cutting, the refult is a ftriped ftuff, with ftripes equal or unequal, wide or narrow, according to the paces there are between the parts cut on the fhag, and the parts that remain even. This work is fo eafily and readily performed, that they pay no more than fix livres for cutting a whole piece. They ftamp many pieces of velveteen for waiftcoats, and, when the pattern is well chofen, it has a pleafing appearance; but, in general, the colours with which they stamp are not fast, because the expence necellary to fix them would exceed the price at which they are accustomed to fell these ftuffs. It is eafy to diftinguish the velveteens from velvets. The ground of the parts, MONTHLY MAG. NO. 113.

that are not cut in fhag, and the felvaged refemble fatin; whereas in the velvets the texture of the felvages is plain, like that of the cloth. On opening the pieces that are cut hag-fashion, and on folding the ftuff, it is perceived, that in velvets the nap divides itfelf breadth- ways, whereas in velveteens it feparates lengthways.

M. Genfe-Duming and company have a great manufactory of cloth and caffimeies. The latter have merited the com mendation of a jury named in the tenth year to examine the products of public induftry. The jury declared, that the texture of the cloth was perfectly regular, and that its fineness furpaffed that of foreign caffimeres of the first quality, in the proportion of 100 to 68. I fhall not dwell on this fubject, but only obferve, that there is a caffimere which has in the chain 3600 threads, which fuppofes extreme fineness in a stuff of so moderate a breadth and I will add, that M. Genfe propofes to give a perfection to his caffimeres by burning them as we burn dimities; that is, by paffing them over a red-hot cylinder to burn off all the fhag and all the plufh that do not-form the furface of the cloth.

A workman in M. Genfe's manufactory has invented a machine to hear cloth and other woollen ftuffs without employing hands to give force to the fhears, which can be worked by a fream of water, or any other power. The inventor has received from the Society for encouraging Discoveries a reward of 600 livres. I have feen the machine in action. The fame workman is actually employed in the construction of a machine to card and fpin the wool, like those which are used for carding and fpinning of cotton. In the verbal procefs of the jury for examining the products of the public induftry in the tenth year, there was mention of threads of wool carded and fpun at Marly by mechanical means. A late journalist, therefore, has done wrong in declaring, that there has not yet been feen on the Continent a mill for carding and fpinning of wool. The machine of M. Snieber, of which the journalist fpeaks, might, perhaps, be the firit of the kind, that has appeared in Germany; but it is not the first which has been

known on the Continent. The manufac tory of M. Gense is carried on with the greatest spirit and activity.

The central fchool is held in an old religious houfe; it is fpacious, and has a good room for the library; but the arrangement of books is in no great forGg

wardness.

wardness. Among the editions of the 15th century depofited in it, I have feen a fine copy of the Rationale of Durand, in velluin, dated 1459. Among the manufcripts are most of thofe which belonged to the Abbey of Corbie. Dur. ing the adminiftration of the district, fome learned members of it perceived, undoubtedly with great furprife, that the manufcripts were enclosed in wooden covers, in which they difcovered many worn holes; and, like good philofophers, they decided that it was neceflary to extirpate the evil from the root, by removing all the wooden coverings. It was done with quick difpatch; at this day all the volumes of manufcripts are no more than bundles wrapped up in a fheet of paper, tied with a pack thread. Every time that a manufcript is examined, the packet must be untied. Without doubt great care is taken, that not a leaf fhould drop out of the bundle.

The principal infirmaries are a general one and an hospital for the fick. The latter is too near the Somme, and is unwholefome. The windows are not low enough. The ward for the wounded is encumbered with beds, and filled with a thick air from the turf, which they burn in it. It should be the fcheme of the prefect and mayor to remove the hofpital for the fick into part of the buildings of the general one, and to divide it into two apartments. The most healthy fhould be deftined for the retreat of the indigent, who always live in the houfe. That part of the buildings, which is fituated by the fide of the river, would ferve to eftablish a house of industry; the current of water would be ufeful to the workmen, and a house for labour would be very useful to the town, because there are many beggars in it.

The general hofpital receives old men, old women, young boys, young girls, and new-born deferted children. The daily commons of thefe poor people is eftimated at eight fous each, all expences included. Every one has every day a quarter of a pound of meat, weighed out raw, fome roots, with a pound and a quarter of brown bread. The building is handsome, the wards are large and well ventilated. The dormitory for the old men is the neatest I have ever seen. Every one in the infirmary fleeps alone. There are befides work-fhops and refectories, fo that, except the chambers where the very old men and women, and the difabled, remain all the day, the other dormitories are empty and open in the

day. The prefect remarked, that the young boys had not been well regulated. Order is certainly now re-established. He is Citizen Quiette, who, after having been a member of the departments, and of the national affem lics, finifhed his education at Ehrenbreiftein and at Spielberg, a fortress of Brunn in Moravia. Nothing can be more proper to form a man for the cares and management, which the fick, the indigent, and prifoners require, than two or three years probation in the Auftrian prifons. The pains and trouble taken by Citizen Quinette, and the fingular and unalterable tranquillity, which he remaikably maintains under all, afford excelent leffons of compaflion to the fufferings of others, and applying all the refources, that are capable of allevi ating their weight.

In the hofpital of Amiens are received, as I have faid, new-born deferted children. They fend them into the country to be nurfed, till they are able to walk; at first they give them a little wine to drink, then cow's milk. If they are not healthy, they continue to feed them in the fame manner, and they have the happinefs of faving fome. In general, I have been exceedingly pleafed with the great care which I have obferved taken of new-born children, whom their parents have abandoned, in all the departments which I have visited. I have witnefied the attention beftowed on children of the first year, at Paris, by Dr. Andry, and Citizens Baudelocque and Auvity: and I cannot too much wonder at the impudence of an anonymous author of a pamphlet, lately published, who, in a ftrain of the greatest fenfibility, exclaims, when fpeaking of the hospitals defigned for the reception of deferted children,

66

Happy, most happy the people to whom fuch etablishments are unknown! O facred caufe of nature! where are thy difciples? And ye, who dare accept the moft honourable employment, the direction of hofpitals, do ye think that it is defigned to ferve, provoke, and haften depopulation?" The author does not conceal what has called forth from him these warm exclamations. "The public prints," fays he, " have declared, that it has been proved, that ninety-feven hundred children, deferted at their birth, have perished in the hospitals deftined for them." If we could interrogate an anonymous writer, we should afk, where has he feen thefe reports? By whom; and how were they attefted? And whe ther be had examined the state and condi

tion

tion of the children when they were taken up? Whether their parents had not fent them to the hofpitals to (pare themselves the anguish of feeing them die before their eyes, or to tave the expences of a funerai? Another ground of his diflike is, that an offer was made to the French government of fitance, in order o ref ue a great number of the defer ed children from death, and it was refuted. N thing was nevertneiels more ealy. It went to establish a governor of the children not a year o d; only it was neceff ry, that this governor fhould be a phyfician; without doubt to adminifter, according to the formulas of the author, barthorn philojophically prepared, &c.

We ought not, in my opinion, to feek to make ourselves ufetul by fuch clamours. As to myself, I embrace the opportunity of the laft obfervations, which I have offered on thefe hofpitals, to repeat, in explicit terms, a declaration, the different parts of which I have often expressed. When I have remarked fome faults in the adminiftration of the establishments of humanity, I have never pretended that thele faults attached to all hofpitais; and, when I have fpecified fome practices which I did not approve as common, it was very far from my defign to be understood as faying, that there was no exception. In the second place, a great part of the errors of the managements, which I obferved, did not arife from faults to be imputed to the directos, but were the effects of caufes, of which they were

not matters. I admired in all the pref

dents an emulation and zeal to form and improve humane eftablishments. Many of them are affited by men full of zeal and information. Others have not been fo happy as to meet with fuch good cod jutors. But in general, there is no failure of a defire to do good. In many places, there is need of an increase of knowledge, and we must patiently wait for the effects of experience and of good examples.

the axle of which is furnished with four excentric circles of caft iron, moves the flyers, that draw up and let down the pitons. There is fcarcely any expence in keeping it in repair: but the moving power is very coniserable, for the wheel is of a large diameter, and is fet in mo tion by a strong current of water.

There are tome fine edifices in this town: fit the cathedral, juftly celebrated. It has not fuffered during the revolution, and is yet very finely ornamented: then the corn-market, well built: the governor's house, built on a good plan, four years fince, to be the houfe of jurifdiction, by M. d'Agay. The population is about for y thoufand fouls, and it is an active town' A great inconvenience is, that they are obliged to burn turf for want of wood, which is fcarce and dear. This is difagreeable fuel. It produces a thick fmoke, which fpreads through the houses, and penetrates into the plaifter and even the bricks. It is not fufficient to wath, to ferape, and to white-wafh again, as in countries where they burn coal: it is neceffary to point the walls again, and to lay on them a new plafter.

My reafon for faying overlooked is, the portraits for he latt editions of Shakepeare's Works have been taken from engravings by Marshall and Droefhout, from which B. Arlaud copied the porvery coarfe arcfts. but the picture trait prefixe to P pe's edition, was an original picture, and probably in the poffellion of Pope;-perhaps fome of your Correfpondents may be able to inform me into whofe hands it came after his death, F. A. and whether it till exifts.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

I

SIR,

SHALL be much obliged to any of your learned correfpondens, who will be fo good as to inform me, through the channel of your interesting Mifcellany, whether any, and what ule was made of the word 'Avácsis by any Greek authors I am Sir, before the Chritian era. Your conftant reader,

Gg 2

S For

(Continued from p. 23, vol. XVI.)

Tthe Memoirs of Joan of Arc, in the HE fingularity and importance of

elucidation of a very important period of English history, has been already adverted to in the Monthly Magazine for August 1803, page 23. We now refume the account of the various inanufcripts relating to this fubject, which have been digested and arranged by the induftry and talents of the French editor; but as the whole occupies upwards of fix hundred quarto pages, our limits will permit us to present a statement of that part only of this memorable tranfaction in which the English were immediately

concerned.

This Memoir the editor, M. De L'Averdy, has divided into four parts. The first contains an account of all the proceedings which preceded the procès. The fecond, the proceedings up to the time when the articles were prefented, including the profeffional opinions which had been given upon them. The third, an account of what paffed from the prefentment of the accufation until the fpecies of retractation extorted from Joan apparently put an end to the proceedings; and the fourth, of what paffed from that period until the death of this hero ne.

The first act of the process is dated January 9, 1430, old flyle, but many of the proceedings bear an earlier date.The University of Paris played the principal part in this affair, to which they in a great measure gave rife by their clamours and interference. The inducements for this conduct is not beyond the reach of conjecture; but, confidering the great number of perfons who neceffarily took a part in their deliberations, une can only regard what they did and what they faid as produced by the opinion which then prevailed among the English, to whom the University was at this period entirely devoted.

Scarcely had Joan fallen into the hands of John of Luxemburg, when he found himself obliged to furrender the difpofal of her fate to the Duke of Burgundy, who was then exerting himself against

Charles VII. to revenge the affaffination of his father. On being apprized of this circumftance, the Univerfity immediately wrote to the Duke, calling upon him to proceed without delay against the prifon er; but receiving no anfwer, they lot no time in writing a fecond letter, in which they attribute the filence of the Duke, and his tardiness to inftitute proceedings against Joan, to the intrigues and cunning of his fecret enemies, who were exerting themfelves to obtain the deliverance of Joan in a manner which God would not permit ; " for in truth (add they) in the opinion of all good Catho lics, fo great an injury to our holy faith, fuch enormous peril, inconvenience, and danger, to the public weal of this kingdom, will never have happened in the memory of man, as in cafe Joan is extricated without a trial by fuch curfed means." They therefore intreat the Duke, "by the faith of our Saviour, for the prefervation of our holy church, and the maintenance of the divine honour, and alfo to the great advantage of this most Christian kingdom," that he will furrender Joan into the hands of the Inquifitor of the Faith and the Bishop of Beauvais, in whofe jurifdiction fhe had been apprehended, in order that fuch proceedings might be inftituted against her as might feem proper.

To enforce this application to the Duke, the University wrote a letter alfo to John of Luxemburg, in which they congratulate him that, in conformity to his oath of knighthood, to maintain and defend the honour of God, the Catholic Faith, and the Holy Church, he had appre hended a woman calling herfelf the Pucelle, by whofe means the honour of God had been greatly offended, the Catholic Faith fcandalized, and the Church beyond meafure dishonoured; for through her idolatry, pernicious doctrines and incalculable inconveniences had fallen upon the kingdom." And they call upon him to procure her being furrendered to the Inquifitor of Faith and the Bishop of Beauvais, who were the judges in matters of faith, and to whom every Christian, of whatever condition, was bound tó pay implicit obedience under the fevereft penalties.

Not fatisfied with thefe applications, the Univerfity wrote a letter alfo to the Bishop of Beauvais, in which they complain of his tardiness in not having alrea dy got Joan into his hands, alleging that, if he had ufed due diligence, the procefs would have been already commenced; and they invite him to come to Paris for that

purpose,