HINTS of OCCURRENCES, &c.

61

This fulphur is deemed very precious, and prefents of it are made to thofe princes and crowned heads, whoeither vifit the waters, or occafionally travel by way of Aix la Chapelle.

Formerly thefe falutary wells occafioned a great refort of people, afflicted with different difeafes.la Chapelle is the place for fharpers, who perform the moft fuccefsful cures upon the unwary idlers,hunt after pleafure and diverfion.

The Pharo-table, a few years fince, was monopolized at the price of fixty thoufand rix-dollars, paid to themagiftrate for an exclufive privilege of fifteen years, by one man, who is faid to have made a confiderable fortuneby the profits. The E O table, hazard, pafs-dix, trente et quarante, biribi, and la belle, fucceed each other;and the fpot is not wanting in opportunities to cure the amateurs of an indigeflion in their purfes, if the rapacityof the inn-keepers fhould be abfolutely baffled in totally removing the fymptoms of this uncommon complaint.

There are two ridottos at Aix la Chapelle. The old building for this purpofe being but a common houfe,adapted for breakfafts, balls, and gaming, fcarcely deferves any notice. The new one, ereCted within a few years,is defective in architecture, but fpacious and elegant in its decorations.

The company in the watering feafon decreafes every year; the caufe of which muft not be looked for in theeffeCt of the waters, which actually, to many, have proved highly falutary. By fome it is attributed to the vicinityof Spa, where it is pretended the company have better accommodations and greater liberty. By others the originof its decline is afcribed to the want of amufement, and chiefly to the vexations from the fynode, who oftenaffume the right of enquiring into the validity of fome pretended matrimonial connections of certain water-drinkers, and are accufed of views, rather pecuniary than religious, in their moral feverity; as they feldom failto condemn the parties concerned to a confiderable fine in cafe of prevarication.

The environs of Aix la Chapelle are very rural, and fome of them delightfully romantic. The inhabitantsare poffeffed of a natural turn for wit, and have a difpofition for many accomplifhments : yet from the impedi-ments of fuperftition, bigotry, careleffnefs, or habit, the caufes of their ignorance; literature and fcience arevery little cultivated among them; and their foie delight feems to be the bottle, the tobacco-pipe, and thegaming-table.

Now Aixwho there

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