At ev’ry turn!—­such weary work—­I knew not what to do: 
  Oh nevermore!—­no, nevermore!—­would I that ride renew. 
  How very wide thy jaws were kept—­how far thrown back
    thine ears,
  As though to make me think thee ill and fill my soul with
    fears. 
  Safe and unmounted will I roam with stately step alone,
  No more to feel, on thee, such pains and aches in ev’ry bone: 
  And if I rest beside a well, perchance I’ll pause and think,
  How even if I’d brought thee there, I couldn’t make thee
    drink.

  I couldn’t even make thee move!  Away, the ride is o’er! 
  Away! for I shall rue the day on which I see thee more! 
  They said thou wert so meek and good, and I’m not over
    strong,
  I took their kind advice, but oh! their kind advice was
    wrong.

  Who said I’d gladly give thee up?  Who said that thou
    were old? 
  ’Tis true! ’tis true! my donkey steed! and I alas was sold.
  With joy I see thy form depart—­that form which ne’er again
  Shall bear me up the mountain-side and fill my soul with
    pain.

After such a potent warning posterity will doubtless avoid “donkey steeds” altogether.

Saturday is the great market-day of the week, and not only then is the “Place de Strasbourg,” at the end of the “Rue du Centre,” well crowded, but even—­as happens on no other day—­the Place Lafayette, in front of the hotel, and the top of the Coustous as well.  The first-named is the fruit, flower, and vegetable market; the second, the grain and potato; and the third, the iron and old shoe market.  The amount and variety of old iron and cast-off shoes exposed for sale is astonishing.  And if the vendors were given to crying their wares they might indulge in something like the following—­of course translated:—­

  “Now who’s for an ‘upper,’ a ‘heel,’ or a ‘sole’? 
  This way for some fine rusty chain! 
  The sum of ten halfpence will purchase the whole,
  And surely you cannot complain!

  “Just glance at this slipper, whose fellow is lost;
  Here’s a boot that was only worn thrice;
  A hammer, your honour, at half what it cost;
  I’m sure that’s a reasonable price.”

The curious characters loafing, begging, buying and selling, quite defy description, though the resemblance of many to the ape tribe was conspicuous.  One ancient individual, presiding over an “umbrella hospital,” presented an interesting spectacle surrounded by adult shoe-blacks whose trade did not appear to be too lucrative.

Sunday is usually a very quiet day out of the season, but on our first Sunday morning the Place de Strasbourg was the scene of a real cat-fight.  The combatants quite tabooed spitting and scratching, and went to work with their teeth.  After a few squeaks and a great deal of rolling in the dust, a magnanimous dog appeared on the scene, and after separating them, pursued the victor down the street.  The rest of the day, as usual, passed peacefully, and the pleasant services in the pretty little English Church were much enjoyed.  It is situated near Dussert and Labal’s marble works, just off the Rue des Pyrenees, leading to Campan, about a hundred yards beyond the Coustous, and is reached by crossing a small wooden bridge.