Sunday 10th August 1834

Up at 10 to 8 – breakfast 9.30 afterwards read Prayers. then went out. saw Church d’Ainey [d’Ainay], formerly a Roman temple of Diana, 2 immense columns of granite stood at the entrance of it, which were cut in two, & now form two pillars on each side of altar table – small remains of Mosaic work near altar in the crypt, saw the Dungeon where 2 saints St. Blondine [Blandina] & St. Potin [Pothin] were im put [word crossed out] to death in early ages of Christianity – then to Faubourg St. Irenèe where are several well preserved arches of a Roman Aqueduct constructed by Antony to supply the troops of Julius Caesar with water from the River Furens, several Authors attribute these works to Agrippa – our guide one of these arches fell in 6 years ago, but our guide who appeared about 60 said he could remember walking from end to end – then to the tower of Fourvieres, 200 steps to the top, where there is a very fine & extensive view, with a telescope places can be seen that are one or two leagues distant at time of the disturbances, the insurgents went to the keeper of this tower put a pistol to his throat, & threatened to shoot him unless he gave them possession of it, accordingly he did, & from here they killed all they could the windows were broken of the tower, & are not yet repaired – there are three convents in Lyons, two of women & one of monks – Lyons was the birth place of Philibert Delorme, Coysevox, Chabry, two Coustous, the engraver Audran, & the painter Stella – among modern artists who do honor to this city are Revoil for historical painting & Dubois for miniatures During 18th Century Jussieu, La Jourette, Abbé Rozier & Bourgelat flourished here – it was birth place of great & virtuous Germanicus, & at present day of celebrated natural philosopher Ampère  In the Cathedral is a good deal of beautiful painted glass & a famous clock constructed by Lippius of Basle 1598 it marks course of Sun, phases of Moon, the years, months, & days, the hours, minutes & seconds & all saints’ days in the Calendar – architecture pointed, constructed at various periods, but principally in reigns of Philip Augustus & Louis 11th back to Hotel 7.15 dinner at 7.30 afterwards wrote to Mrs. Lister & wrote up journal from Wednesday – finished at 12.30 11 bridges over the Saône & 3 over Rhone, only one of stone – constructed by Pope Innocent the 14th [should be Innocent the 4th] – Hotel de Ville, considered handsomest edifice of kind in Europe built 1647 – except that at Amsterdam – St. Claire, one of finest quartiers of Lyons – magnificent quay – Joseph 2nd Emperor of Austria was so struck with Maison de Tolosan, that he said on seeing it, that “the merchants of Lyons were better lodged than Princes of Germany – Place de bellecour one of finest areas in Europe – bronze statue of Louis 14th by Lemot Lyonnais sculptor Population 146,900.

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale WYC:1525/7/1/5/1/25 & WYC:1525/7/1/5/1/26

[up at] 9 10/..

[to bed at] 1 50/..quiet night – very fine morning Fahrenheit 70 1/2° at 10 20/.. – breakfast at 10 1/2 – had our laquais de place to fix what to do, and writing notes of things to be seen – from 12 1/4 in 1/2 hour read prayers to Adney and George – out at 1 20/.. (Adney and I and took George) At the Eglise d’Ainay in 5 minutes – very interesting – on the site of an old temple of Diana – in the aisles old Roman pilasters of the original portico still remaining and some of the old mosaic about the high altar – the 2 granite columns that stood at the ancient entrance (time of Augustus) but since cut into 4 and standing at the entrance to the chancel and near the high altar – go along the Cours du midi into the allée de Perrache and at 2 pay 8 1/2 sols toll, and pass the new pont de mulatière, an iron rail-road (right side) for coal-waggons from St. Etienne – the bridge is over the Soane just before its junction with the Rhone – pass thro’ the village of Oulins /Oullins/, and along the little valley of ditto with its vine-clad hills to the ruin of Roman Aqueduct – not seen till within a short distance of it – 16 entire arches standing, in 2 pieces or lengths – a wide gap in middle where several arches are wanting – and where one crosses the Bionnat rivulet over al little wooden bridge – the few scattered houses here are called Bionnat – at the aqueduct at 3 15/.. – Adney sat down on a log of wood and ate her cold poulet in 1/2 hour – the aqueduct must have been very handsome – perhaps from 250 to 300 yards long here above ground, and, above or below, extended 14 lieues from Les bains des Romains on the montagne de Fouvières /Fourvières/ to St. Etienne – remains of it discovered here and there all along its line of route – it must have been much broader than the present remain, to judge from the appearances of 1 or 2 places – they say, it must have been 200 feet higher than at present – (perhaps 2 tiers above the present arches, 3 stories high, as at the pont du gard) – falling rapidly into decay – one arch fell down 6 years ago, and our laquais de place (about 60?) says he has walked with ladies on the top of the whole length of it, so that the line of arches must have been unbroken 30 or 40 years ago – 11 courses of 2 bricks thick each divide the caissons, and a 12th course forms the key of the arch – the walls from which the arches spring are all pierced with another arch upon the top of which lies the 7th brick course – these latter arches are several of them open particularly towards the ends of this part of the aqueduct that is above ground – the inside of the arches is faced with diamond shaped stones (about 6 inches from angle to angle) compact limestone probably originally polished – in some of the arches all white – in others alternately white and dark coloured, and must have looked very handsome – the water that falls on the top, sinks down into, and decays the brick course in the crown of the the arch, and thus the arch is in destroyed – this is evidently the source of the decay – were there a channel on the top, or paved glacis to take of[f] the water, the present remains might continue as they are for centuries – walked over the part of the aqueduct nearest Lyons which is, as near as I could stride it, about 75 yards long or rather more? consisting of eight arcades – Off from the aqueduct at 4 3/4 – pass at no great distance under the village and the mere shell of the old castle of Francheville (left) – At 5 5/.. at the fort or citadel they are now busy building on the top of the mountain of Fouvières /Fourvières/, near to the present telegraph, and the remains of the old Roman wall and fortification – consisting of 2 or 3 arches, and a tall, small round tower in apparently good preservation (and now inhabited?) – at 5 10/.. went into the neat new church of St. Irénée, built upon the old church – did not see the latter because now encombré with rubbish said our laquais de place – soon afterwards pass the new good looking convent cloître of St. Michel – for women – once in, never out again – only speak to parents thro’ a grate – a place, said our laquais, where he knew 3 young girls who had learnt nothing but libertinism – At 5 25/.., at the Roman baths – the house where they are, unoccupied at this moment – shut up – could not get in – at 5.40 at Mr. Perrères new square tower called le point de vue by our laquais de place – but properly called I suppose, la tour de Fourvières – 200 steps high, but easy steps of 6 inches – the bottom of the tower 500 feet above the level of the Soane – very fine panoramic view of the city and environs – the wind in the north, so too thick for a view of the Savoy mountains – had the wind been in the south, it would have been clear; and we should have seen Mont Blanc, the Savoy, Swiss and Dauphiny alps very plainly and beautifully – from the tower down immediately upon the very fine old Gothic cathedral – very fine painted glass windows round the apsis – and the other windows of stained glass, very neat – our laquais pointed out the damage done during the six jours (from 6 April last) – just went into the votive church of notre dame (a black lady) de Fouvières – full of people and ex voto prints and pictures and ex votos in the shape of all the members of the human body that she has healed – the insurgents rung the tocsin from this steeple and had a cannon on the platform of the tower (point de vue) – the military had 2 cannon under our windows (hotel de l’Europe) and fired 3 balls into the steeple, and struck the tower 3 or 4 times – several houses almost knocked down in the principal parts where the fighting was – 1000 (1/2 military) killed – the insurgents fired with poisoned shot and ball (dipped in solution of copper) so that the least scratch of a wound was mortal – home at 7 1/2 – dinner at 7 40/.. – had Eugenie – wrote the whole of today till 11 35/.. and Adney wrote 2 1/2 pages to my aunt – till 12 50/.. wrote the latter 1/2 page 3 and the ends and under the seal very small and close to my aunt – said we should sleep tomorrow at St. Etienne, and hoped to be at Clermont in Auvergne for 2 or 3 days, and at Paris on the 19th or 20th – very hot so cannot travel very rapidly ‘but we hope to be at home about the time mentioned in my last’ – will write if but a few lines both from London and Paris – very fine day Fahrenheit 72° now at one tonight –

In margin:

Maison d’Anquetaille a retraite, board and lodging found, for life, for those who on entering pay down 3000 francs an asylum for insanes, and a prison for ‘femmes du monde’ who are found on examination to be not [free] from the disease – if committed to l’Anquetaille a 2nd time they are immediately sent under escort home to their village.

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0071 & SH:7/ML/E/17/0072