[Illustration]
There are many other buildings and churches at Caen which we should
examine, especially the exterior carving of '_St. Etienne-le-vieux_;'
which is now used as a warehouse.
The cathedrals and monuments are generally, as we have said, in
wonderful preservation, but they are desecrated without remorse; on
every side of them, and, indeed, upon them, are staring advertisements
of 'magazines,' dedicated '_au bon diable_,' '_au petit diable_,' or to
some other presiding genius; of '_magasins les plus vastes du monde_,'
and of '_loteries imperiales de France;_' whichever way we turn, we
cannot get rid of these staring affiches; even upon the 'footsteps of
the Conqueror' the bill-sticker seems master of the situation.
We must now speak of Caen as we see it on fete days, but for the
information of those who are interested in it as a place of residence,
we may allude in passing to the very pleasant English society that has
grown up here of late years, to the moderate rents of houses, the good
schools and masters to be met with; the comparative cheapness of
provisions and of articles of clothing, and to the good accommodation at
the principal inns. The situation of Caen, although not perhaps as
healthy as Avranches, is much more convenient and accessible from
England.
_Caen, Sunday, August_, 186-. It is early on Sunday morning, and Caen is
_en fete_.
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