At present, however, my theme must be entirely monastic.  Prepare, therefore, to receive an account of some MONASTIC VISITS, which have perfectly won my heart over to the Institutions of ST. BENEDICT and ST. AUGUSTIN.  Indeed I seem to have been mingling with a new set of human beings, and a new order of things; though there was much that put me in mind of the general character of my ever-cherished University of Oxford.  Not that there is any one college, whether at Oxford or at Cambridge, which in point of architectural magnificence, can vie with some of those which I am about to describe.  My last letter, as you may remember, left us upon the point of starting from Lintz, for the monastery of ST. FLORIAN.  That monastery is situated within about three miles of Ens, the next post town from Lintz.  The road thither was lined, on each side, with the plum and the pear tree—­in their alternate tints of saffron and purple—­but far from being ripe.  The sight, altogether, was as pleasing as it was novel:  and especially were my spirits gladdened, on thinking of the fortunate escape from the perils that had seemed to have awaited us in our route from Chremsminster the preceding evening.

On turning out of the main road, about a dozen miles from Lintz, we began to be sensible of a gentle ascent,—­along a pleasant, undulating road, skirted by meadows, copses, and corn-fields.  In ten minutes, the valet shouted out—­“Voila le Monastere de St. Florian!” It was situated upon an eminence, of scarcely half the height of Chremsminster; but, from the abruptness of the ascent, as you enter the village, and make towards the monastery, it appears, on an immediate approach, to be of a very considerable elevation.  It looked nobly, as we neared it.  The walls were massive, and seemed to be embedded in a foundation of granite.  Some pleasing little cultivated spots, like private gardens, were between the outer walls and the main body of the building.  It rained heavily as we rolled under the archway; when an old man and an old woman demanded, rather with astonishment than severity, what was the object of our visit?  Having received a satisfactory answer, the gates were opened, and we stopped between two magnificent flights of steps, leading on each side to the cloisters.  Several young monks, excited by the noise of the carriage, came trooping towards the top of the stairs, looking down upon us, and retreating, with the nimbleness and apparent timidity of deer.  Their white streamers, or long lappets, suspended from the back of the black gown, (the designation of the Augustine order) had a very singular appearance.