CHAP. II.PARIS.
While supper was in preparation, I walked to the Rue de la Paix, to call upon a lady whom I had known in England, and was at first surprised to learn, it being Sunday evening, that she was gone to a ball; but it is the custom in France to participate in amusements on Sunday more than on any other day in the week. It rejoiced me, however, to know, that my friend was in Paris.
At supper, themaitre d’hotel, a Swede, but acquainted with the English language, waited upon me himself, and enumerated with such encomiums his fine stock of wine, that I could do no less than order a bottle of Burgundy, which I found deliciously refreshing; and thought it economical enough, as it was charged only two francs.
In consequence of the fatigue which I had experienced on my journey, I was glad to retire early to bed. On entering my chamber, I could not but be impressed by its cold comfortless feel; the floor was of stone, the tables marble, the wash-hand basin long, oval, and shallow, like anold fashioned salad dish, and all the furniture of correspondent antiquity. But I had determined not to give way to gloomy reflections; therefore, I wished my host a good night, and being left to myself, soon regained that contented frame of mind, which is indispensable to those who mean to pass smoothly, and happily, through this scene of mortality. On the present occasion I convinced myself that I had every reason to be grateful to that Power, which had so far conducted me in safety through my journey, and whose blessings and mercies have been so largely, I may say incessantly, extended over me.
A part of the succeeding morning was appropriated to calling upon friends for whom I had letters. The one I first inquired for was gone to the south of France; but I had the pleasure of meeting with my old shipmate L⸺ and a friend of his, both of whom had been fellow students with me in Edinburgh. I then repeated my visit to Miss L⸺, at whose house I had called on the preceding evening, and found she had returned that call during my absence; she expressed much surprise and pleasure at seeing me, and engaged me to dine with her on the following day.
I returned to our table d’hôte dinner, and had the unexpected pleasure of finding there a friend whom I had left in Bath the previous spring.There was also another English gentleman at table, who invited me to walk with him to the Palais-Royal. We accordingly took our coffee at one of the numerous caffés, with which that quarter abounds. My companion was a stranger in Paris as well as myself; in consequence of which we contrived to lose our way, and had considerable difficulty in regaining our hotel; we escaped, however, all the dangers, andsupercheries, of this very notorious place.
On Tuesday morning, my friend L⸺ called, for the express purpose of accompanying me to inquire after the conveyances to Bordeaux. We were informed, that two coaches leave Paris daily for that place; one at three o’clock, from the Messagerie-Royal, running by way of Tours, where it rests on the second night for a few hours, and occupying four days, and as many nights, in the journey, the fare sixty francs; the other taking the route of Orleans, five days on the road, and the fare fifty francs. The former is considered the best appointed, and the roads and hotels, with which it is connected, much preferable.
But, as it cannot fail to be irksome to travel three or four hundred miles at one sitting, with the exception of the short rest at Tours, I would recommend the English traveller to accomplish some part of his journey in a voiture de voyage,and then rest for a day or two; or perhaps he might, in the first instance, take a place in a regular coach, termed a jumeaux, which travels to Tours in two days; after which the journey may be prosecuted to Poitiers in a voiture or diligence, where the chance must be taken of being carried forward to Bordeaux in the same manner.
After this inquiry, I had to keep my appointment for dinner with Miss L⸺, where I met a young lady, her niece, who resided with her, and Colonel M⸺, a gentleman to whom my friend was on the point of marriage. I enjoyed my visit much, but took leave at an early hour, under the promise of breakfasting with her, at twelve in the morning,a la fourchette.
This lady was anxious that, instead of leaving Paris immediately for Bordeaux, as I had intended, I should place myself for a week in a boarding-house, with a view of gaining, before I commenced so long a journey, some slight acquaintance with the French language. This advice appeared so excellent, that I determined to follow it; and after breakfast, Miss L⸺ was kind enough to accompany me to a house which she recommended, and where I immediately took up my residence.
I should feel myself inexcusable, if I neglected, in this place, to express the lively sense I entertain,of the many kind attentions, which I received from this amiable lady, and which rather indicated the affectionate regards of a sister, than the notices of an accidental acquaintance. I regretted that this was the last opportunity I had of seeing her in Paris, as she was obliged immediately to leave town for Fontainbleau, and did not return before my departure.
“Sweet friendship, solace of mankind,Come! with thy presence warm my heart,And when a kindred soul I find,Oh never, never let us part.They call thee changing, sordid, vain,On earth scarce known, and rare to see;And when they feel base treach’ry’s pain,They lay the heavy blame on thee.’Tis true there are whom interest blind,That prostitute thy sacred name;Their souls to narrow views confined,They never felt thy noble flame.”
“Sweet friendship, solace of mankind,Come! with thy presence warm my heart,And when a kindred soul I find,Oh never, never let us part.They call thee changing, sordid, vain,On earth scarce known, and rare to see;And when they feel base treach’ry’s pain,They lay the heavy blame on thee.’Tis true there are whom interest blind,That prostitute thy sacred name;Their souls to narrow views confined,They never felt thy noble flame.”
“Sweet friendship, solace of mankind,Come! with thy presence warm my heart,And when a kindred soul I find,Oh never, never let us part.They call thee changing, sordid, vain,On earth scarce known, and rare to see;And when they feel base treach’ry’s pain,They lay the heavy blame on thee.’Tis true there are whom interest blind,That prostitute thy sacred name;Their souls to narrow views confined,They never felt thy noble flame.”
“Sweet friendship, solace of mankind,
Come! with thy presence warm my heart,
And when a kindred soul I find,
Oh never, never let us part.
They call thee changing, sordid, vain,
On earth scarce known, and rare to see;
And when they feel base treach’ry’s pain,
They lay the heavy blame on thee.
’Tis true there are whom interest blind,
That prostitute thy sacred name;
Their souls to narrow views confined,
They never felt thy noble flame.”
During the week I remained in Mr. Fetherstone’s boarding-house, the weather was wet and cold, so that we were much confined within doors; but as our party consisted of twenty individuals, there was no want of amusement, and the continued intercourse necessarily kept up amongst us, tended materially to promote my object of acquiring the language. The following anecdote will serve to shew, how much I was in need of improvement in this respect.
On the morning after my entrance into this family, I rang the bell of my bed-chamber, and requested a French servant to bring me hot water; in answer to this he replied, “toute a l’heure,” with the meaning of which I was at the time totally ignorant: after waiting a quarter of an hour, I rang again, and received the same reply, “toute a l’heure,” but with no better result: I again repeated my application, it was still “toute a l’heure:” at length, after, the lapse of an hour, he brought the water. At breakfast, I took the opportunity of inquiring the signification of this convenient expression, requesting to be informed, whether it implied any specific time, when they told me it meant “immediately.” I thought, however, in the present instance, that the action did not suit the word.
It may be expected, that I should make some remarks concerning the Parisian theatres, and other places of amusement; however my ignorance of the language, and want of vision, as well as the state of the weather, diminished the ardour of the desires which I possessed, on entering Paris, to visit these scenes; however, the many recent accounts that have been published, leave me no cause to regret the omission. For similar reasons I am prevented from attempting any description of this grand city; and, therefore, in lieuof it, beg leave to offer the following laconic and popularpetite chanson.
LE PORTRAIT DE PARIS.Amour; marriage; divorce;Naissance; mort; enterrement;Fausse vertu; brillante écorce;Petit esprit; grand sentiment;Dissipateurs; prèteurs sur gages;Hommes de lettres; financiers;Financiers; créanciers; maltotiers, et rentiers;Tiedes amis; femmes volages; riches galants;Pauvres maris. Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!Là des commères qui bavardent;Là des viellards; là des enfans;Là des aveugles qui regardentCe que leur donnent les passant;Restorateurs; apoticaires; commis; pedants;Taileurs; voleurs; rimailleurs, ferrailleurs;Aboyeurs; juges de paix, et gens de guerre;Tendrons vendu, quittè, repris.Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!Maints gazetiers; maints impostures;Maints enneuyeux; maints ennuyés;Beaucoup de fripons en voitures;Beaucoup d’honnêtes gens à pied;Les jeunes gens portent lunettes;Le vieux visage rajeuni;Rajeunis bien garnis, bien garnis de vernis;Acteurs; ventes; marionettes; grand melodrames;Plats ecris. Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!
LE PORTRAIT DE PARIS.Amour; marriage; divorce;Naissance; mort; enterrement;Fausse vertu; brillante écorce;Petit esprit; grand sentiment;Dissipateurs; prèteurs sur gages;Hommes de lettres; financiers;Financiers; créanciers; maltotiers, et rentiers;Tiedes amis; femmes volages; riches galants;Pauvres maris. Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!Là des commères qui bavardent;Là des viellards; là des enfans;Là des aveugles qui regardentCe que leur donnent les passant;Restorateurs; apoticaires; commis; pedants;Taileurs; voleurs; rimailleurs, ferrailleurs;Aboyeurs; juges de paix, et gens de guerre;Tendrons vendu, quittè, repris.Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!Maints gazetiers; maints impostures;Maints enneuyeux; maints ennuyés;Beaucoup de fripons en voitures;Beaucoup d’honnêtes gens à pied;Les jeunes gens portent lunettes;Le vieux visage rajeuni;Rajeunis bien garnis, bien garnis de vernis;Acteurs; ventes; marionettes; grand melodrames;Plats ecris. Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!
LE PORTRAIT DE PARIS.
LE PORTRAIT DE PARIS.
Amour; marriage; divorce;Naissance; mort; enterrement;Fausse vertu; brillante écorce;Petit esprit; grand sentiment;Dissipateurs; prèteurs sur gages;Hommes de lettres; financiers;Financiers; créanciers; maltotiers, et rentiers;Tiedes amis; femmes volages; riches galants;Pauvres maris. Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!
Amour; marriage; divorce;
Naissance; mort; enterrement;
Fausse vertu; brillante écorce;
Petit esprit; grand sentiment;
Dissipateurs; prèteurs sur gages;
Hommes de lettres; financiers;
Financiers; créanciers; maltotiers, et rentiers;
Tiedes amis; femmes volages; riches galants;
Pauvres maris. Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!
Là des commères qui bavardent;Là des viellards; là des enfans;Là des aveugles qui regardentCe que leur donnent les passant;Restorateurs; apoticaires; commis; pedants;Taileurs; voleurs; rimailleurs, ferrailleurs;Aboyeurs; juges de paix, et gens de guerre;Tendrons vendu, quittè, repris.Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!
Là des commères qui bavardent;
Là des viellards; là des enfans;
Là des aveugles qui regardent
Ce que leur donnent les passant;
Restorateurs; apoticaires; commis; pedants;
Taileurs; voleurs; rimailleurs, ferrailleurs;
Aboyeurs; juges de paix, et gens de guerre;
Tendrons vendu, quittè, repris.
Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!
Maints gazetiers; maints impostures;Maints enneuyeux; maints ennuyés;Beaucoup de fripons en voitures;Beaucoup d’honnêtes gens à pied;Les jeunes gens portent lunettes;Le vieux visage rajeuni;Rajeunis bien garnis, bien garnis de vernis;Acteurs; ventes; marionettes; grand melodrames;Plats ecris. Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!
Maints gazetiers; maints impostures;
Maints enneuyeux; maints ennuyés;
Beaucoup de fripons en voitures;
Beaucoup d’honnêtes gens à pied;
Les jeunes gens portent lunettes;
Le vieux visage rajeuni;
Rajeunis bien garnis, bien garnis de vernis;
Acteurs; ventes; marionettes; grand melodrames;
Plats ecris. Voilà Paris! Voilà Paris!
The week now drawing to a close, I prepared to quit Paris; in particular, I had my passport arranged, a point frequently attended with much trouble, as it must in the first instance be procured from the police, then presented for the signature of the English ambassador, after which it is returned to the police, and some other office, for their definitive signatures, before the individual is permitted to depart.