Crépy-en-Valois (16 miles from Dammartin), founded 10th century, with St. Arnould's Abbey. It was the capital of the Valois country, and a strong place, having a palace called Bouville. Only one (St. Denis, with a good choir) of its five churches remains, with ruins of another; also a tower of the château. The English took it 1431, and the Leaguers, 1588; but it is best known for the treaty of 1544, between Francis I. and Charles V.

The next, Vaumoise, is followed by

Villers-Cotterets (11 miles from Crépy), in the forest of Retz, has a château restored by Francis I. (on the site of one burnt by the English) now a depôt de medicine, or poor-house, for the district. Near it are remains of Longpont abbey church, founded in the 12th century. General Dumas (called the French Cocles, for his defence of Brixen bridge), his son Alexander Dumas, author of Monte Christo, and Otto, the statesman, were natives.

[There is a short railway connection of 9 miles with

La Ferté Milon (25 miles north-east of Meaux), in department Aisne, on a hill by the Ourcq, fortified as far back as 845, and has the fine remains of a castle, dismantled by Henry IV. In front of the Hôtel de Ville is David's statue of Racine (born here, 1639), whose bust, by Stabinsky, is in the Bibliothèque of 17,000 volumes. Population, 4,800. Hotel.-Du Soleil d'Or (Golden Sun).]

The Gothic Cathedral of the 12th century, on the site of that in which Pepin was crowned by St. Boniface, has a tower 160 feet high, and Rubens's "Adoration of the Shepherds," given, they say, by him to the Cordeliers here, in gratitude for their care of him when sick. St. Pierre is in the Lombard style, small and round, with buttresses and a dome; St. Leger, in that of the Renaissance Only the fine Gothic portal and spire are left of St. Jean-des-Vignes Abbey, on a hill, founded in the 11th century.

The old Château, on the site of the palace, is flanked by heavy round towers. Other buildings are, the Intendance, the college, Hôtel Dieu, house of correction, museum and library of 19,000 volumes, two barracks, theatre, &c. A bridge leads over to St. Vaast.

In the neighbourhood are some remains of St. Medard's Abbey, founded 1545, with the dungeon where Louis-le-Debonnaire was for a time confined by his rebellious sons. Clotaire, son of Clovis, king of Soissons (whose dominions took in all the north-east of France) was buried in it. Another spot is Braisnes (as below) which belonged to the Counts of Egmont, before the Revolution, under the name of Château de la Folie. Coucy Castle and Anizy, built by Francis I., may be visited from here.

Soissons (17 miles from Villers-Cotterets), a sous-préfecture of 12,210 souls (department Aisne), a fortified town, and a diocese, in the valley of the Aisne. It was the chief hold of the Suessones in Cæsar's time. Clovis made it the capital of the Franks (486), after routing its Roman governor, Syagrius. Pepin deposed Childeric here, 752, and Charles the Simple was beaten, 922, by his competitor Robert. In 1315, it suffered from the Burgundians and Armagnacs; the Huguenots ravaged it, 1567; and it was taken and retaken twice over, 1814. It is well-built, and defended by a citadel, which capitulated to the German forces, 16th October, 1870, with 4,000 men, after four days' bombardment.

Hotel Croix d'Or,

natives of Soissons.

Linen and pottery are made; trade in grain, vegetables, cattle, &c.

Rail to Laon (Route 6), Rheims; Coach to Château-Thierry, &c.

At 12 kil. south-east of Compiégne, near one end of its forest, are the picturesque walls and towers of Pierrefonds Castle, a vast ruin on a hill. It was so strong that a determined soldier, Rieux, in 1592, held out against three or four of Henry IV.'s commanders, and was at last only bought over with gold. In 1617, no fewer than 15,000 men invested it, and took it after six days' continual firing, when it was dismantled. It is one of the finest remains of antiquity in France. There is a sulphur spring here, called Pierrefonds-lesBains, now much frequented in summer, and

and manufactures, &c., standing in a fertile valley, on the rivers Thérain and Avalon, on the old road to Calais.

This very ancient place was the Roman Caesaro- | magus or Bellovaci, which joined the league against Cæsar, without success. It gave name to the insurrection of the "Jacquerie," in king John's time, so called after one Jacques, a man of Beauvais, who headed the mob against their feudal oppressors. The English besieged it, 1472, but were repulsed by Jean Lignière. It was again attempted by Charles the Bold, with 80,000 men, in 1472, when it was so well defended, by the valour of Jeanne Laine, or Jeanne le Hachette, and the women of the town, that they have taken precedence of the men, in an annual procession, in October, ever since. This heroine's picture and banner are in the Hôtel de Ville.

In La Cité, the oldest part, some round towers of solid construction may be seen, as ancient as the 3rd or 4th century. The ramparts of the 12th century are laid out as promenades. You may notice a great number of timbered houses, curiously carved, with their gables turned to the narrow streets.

St. Pierre Cathedral, in Eue St. Pierre, with its buttresses and pinnacles, is the great object of attraction. It was begun, 1225, but is incomplete, having no nave or steeple. The latter was overturned in a storm, 1574. A fine rose window stands over the entrance, in the south porch, which is full of niches and other ornaments. The magnificent choir is 51 feet broad, but 145 feet high! so that in this respect it exceeds that at Amiens, by 13 feet, and Westminster, by about 57 feet. It is the highest choir, or roof, perhaps, in the world. The transepts were built, 1500-55. The long narrow windows are richly stained. In the chapel is the kuceling effigy of Cardinal Forbia de Janson, by Coustou, and a piece of tapestry, the "Healing of the Paralytic." One part, called the Basse Œuvre, on the west side, is of the 9th century.

older than the cathedral, with good stained windows of the 16th century. Formerly this town had three abbeys, seven convents, six collegiate, and thirteen parish churches, with a commandery of St. John, &c., attached to it.

The Bishop's Palace, now the Préfecture, is in the castle style, with towers, &c. The Hôtel de Ville, in the Grande Place, is a fine, regular building, with an Ionic front, built 1754. There are also, the college, the bibliothèque, or public library, of 7,000 volumes, the Hôtel Dieu, a salle de spectacle, or theatre, cavalry barracks, and the government tapestry factory, founded by Colbert.

L'Ile Adam, Grand Master at the siege of Rhodes, was a native. Small canals and branches of the Thérain run through the town. Its manufactures are woollens, flannels, good carpets, tapestry, shawls, linens (called demi-Hollands), felt for hats, cotton thread, black lace; and it has a commerce in grain, wine, woollen and other goods. The Germans occupied the town, 1870-1. Coachesto Songeons, Formerie, Crévecœur, Grandvilliers, &c.

[CREVECŒUR (20 kil. north), has the fine old brick Château of its seigneurs; and in the church are good fragments of the tomb of Admiral Bonnivet, the favourite of Francis I. GRENDVILLIERS (11 kil. north-west of this, near the Amiens and Rouen line), in a wide plain, was founded, 1213, by a bishop of Beauvais, and has near it the castle of Damerancourt, a curious seven-storied building, with battlements and corner towers, 106 feet high,-and the pretty Château of Sarcus, built 1522, for one of the mistresses of Francis I.] Gournay (183 miles), a small place on the Epte, and the Dieppe road, near the mineral water of Jouvence. Gournay may be noticed as having given name to the ancestors of the Gurney family, in Norfolk. Here the rail from Pontoise and Gisors makes a junction, and is to be carried on to Dieppe, 46 miles further (see Route 8). Rouen is about 35

aqueduct, three miles long.

The fishermen live in Faubourg Pollet, which is worth visiting; here they remain a race distinct from, and almost hostile to, their neighbours.

Among the buildings are, St. Remi's Gothic church, near the castle, rebuilt 1500-43; St. Jacques on the site of an abbey, a Gothic church, with buttresses, some good carvings, and towers, whence you get a fine prospect; Hôtel de Ville, near the Maison Quenouille, the favourite residence of Mademoiselle, or the Duchess of Berry, when she came here for bathing. There is a public library of 3,000 volumes, with a naval Museum; and a Navigation school in the Pollet.

Dieppe figures in the history of geographical progress. Its seamen discovered Canada, and conveyed the first settlers to Senegal, where they founded a port, called Petit Dieppe. Henry IV. was here before the battle of Arques Castle (6 miles off), in 1589, when he defeated the Leaguers under the Duke of Mayenne. Francis I. visited it in 1532, and was entertained by the merchant Ango, whose seat or manoir still remains at Varengeville (8 kil.), not far from which is Cape l'Ailly light, 304 feet high.

Lace, pipes, clay figures, small baskets, and ivory trinkets (at St. Nicholas) are made. Oysters are eaten, fresh from the beds, near the Cours Bourbon. High water at the moon's full and change, 10h.30m. Conveyances: By coach, to Abbeville, Neufchâtel, Eu, &c.; by steamer, to Newhaven, daily. (See BRADSHAW'S Continental Railway Guide). [CHÂTEAU D'EU (see Route 2) is about 30 kil., on the road to Abbeville and St. Valery-surSomme. At about 4 kil. on this road, you pass a large ancient camp, called Cité de Limes.] Leaving Dieppe, the line passes through the Appeville tunnel, 5,389 feet long, ventilated by six shafts; then the churches of St. Aubin, Saugeville, Vaudreville (the last turned into a factory), to

Longueville (9 miles), on a stream which runs to the sea, near Dieppe. The station occupies the site of an abbey, part of which is now a factory. Not far from the latter, on the east, is the ruined Castle of Arques, on a hill top, below which Henry IV. gained a great victory over the Leaguers and the Duke of Mayenne, 1589. It was built in the 11th century, with corner towers, &c,, and is noted

Auffay (6 miles), in the industrious and charming valley of the Scie, which the railway crosses and recrosses above twenty times. Its church and the Virgin chapel deserve attention. There was a castle on the hill above it. Coach to Bacqueville, 15 kil.

Saint-Victor (3 miles), takes name from a very ancient abbey, of which the church is left. Coaches to Tôtes, 5 kil.; St. Jeans, 14 kil.; and to Neufchâtel.

The chalk hills and valleys of the Pays de Caux, towards the summit of the line, are now traversed by several deep cuttings and embankments, the most remarkable of which is Frithemesnil cutting, 7,874 feet long, 62 deep. The valley of the Cléres is crossed by an embankment on the same scale. [NEUFCHÂTEL (28 kil. east-north-east), is a souspréfecture of 3,630 souls, on a wooded hill-side, on the fine valley of the Bethune, and is noted for its excellent cheese, of three sorts, viz., that from pure cream, the second sort called Hearts of Bray (the district around), and the large round cheese. It was called Driencourt when Henry I.. of England built his new castle (Neufchâtel) here; which suffered in the wars of the League. At Nesnière château they show his room. There is a church, with painted glass; also manufactures of wool, pottery, cotton, glass, and a trade in cheese, beer, cider, &c. Hotels.-Du Grand Cerf (Stag); Du Lion d'Or (Golden Lion). Coaches to Rouen, Paris, and Abbeville.]

Monville (9 miles), a centre of factories, up the Cailly, from which a chord rail of 14 miles goes to Cléres, and thence on to Monterollier-Buchy, on the Rouen and Amiens line. Monville was dreadfully ravaged by a storm of wind and lightning, April, 1845. Another cutting brings us to the junction with the Havre line at

Malaunay (32 miles), which has paper and cotton mills, on the Cailly, here crossed by an imposing viaduct, 95 feet high, on eight arches, 49 feet wide.

Maromme (2 miles), on the Cailly. Population 2,930, employed in the cotton, paper, and powder factories,