CHAPTER XXXI.
Country Fêtes—Brawls with the French—The Duke d’Angoulême—Mademoiselle Georges—The Actress and the Emperor—French Acting and French Audiences—Presentation of a Sword to Lord Dalhousie—Georges’ Benefit—Departure.Head-quarters, Bordeaux, July 4, 1814,Post-day.
Country Fêtes—Brawls with the French—The Duke d’Angoulême—Mademoiselle Georges—The Actress and the Emperor—French Acting and French Audiences—Presentation of a Sword to Lord Dalhousie—Georges’ Benefit—Departure.
Head-quarters, Bordeaux, July 4, 1814,Post-day.
My dear M——,
Wehave still had no instruction how to proceed, and are waiting the determination in England. In the mean time I am being gradually stewed, for the heat has again commenced, and is in full operation. My life is quite retired and monotonous, and affords no incidents. The only variety that has arisen is, that yesterday I dined at three o’clock with my patron’s sister, a West Indian elderly single lady, and a female party. I was the only beau, the brother was engaged; and in the evening I rode over about three miles to Briges, a village, where they were keeping an annual fête.
The crowd of country-people dancing and singing was very considerable, and the road was covered with the lower class, going and returning. The difference between this and our country fêtes seems to be, that there was nothing to buy or sell, and but little eating and drinking going on, the principal occupation being dancing and talking, laughing, and parading about. It seems impossible to make such a people as the French very unhappy in any way, however bad their government, except by the conscription.
Those who are satisfied with salads, sour wine, dancing, and other amusements entirety depending upon themselves and the meeting of the two sexes, can only be disappointed and deprived of their happiness by the removal of one sex altogether. Leave them alone, and they have nearly all they wish. John Bull, on the contrary, wants many things more to put him into the same state of joy and satisfaction.
Several of Marshal Soult’s officers have got into Bordeaux of late; disputes and quarrels have been the consequence, but hitherto they have been of no great moment. Every opportunity of seeking a row was eagerly laid hold of by the French—a jostle on the stairs at the theatre was sufficient. Lord Dalhousie, who is in command here now, has been obliged to forbid any officer going to the Theatre de la Gaieté where this was most likely to arise, and to order off every officer not on duty here to camp. We have here now only the Guards and staff officers. The inhabitants are all with us, particularly a set of very fine-looking young men, but a little hot-headed, who compose the Duke d’Angoulême’s guard of honour. They have been also insulted, and a few days since paraded with bludgeons to see if this would be repeated either against themselves or the English, and they determined to resist either on the spot. No great harm has yet happened. As far as I can learn, there have been about three fights, but none fatal.
A young Tyrolean, in the pay-office department, having been insulted, watched and followed the offender home. He then went for his sword, which we never wear (but the French always do), returned, and insisted upon instant satisfaction. Upon this the Frenchman’s zeal began to cool, but it was too late; the Tyrolean insisted upon his going out into a backyard and fighting directly. He cut him across the face, and was just about running his sword into his body, when a friendinterfered, and stopped him, saying that “he had done enough.”
Another Frenchman has been horsewhipped by an English officer, who, when insulted, returned with his sword and whip, and offered the Frenchman his choice, and as the latter persisted in asking for time, he chose for him and gave him the whip. All this makes Lord Dalhousie anxious to get the troops off, and as I hear Lord Keith has promised plenty of transports, in answer to his pressing letters on the subject, we expect to be all away in ten days’ time, and some immediately. There are nearly eighteen thousand men still in France, including the fifth division at Bayonne, where, by-the-by, the disposition on the part of the French to be uncivil, sulky, and quarrelsome has been much greater. On the contrary, the generals and superior officers are very civil, particularly Marshal Suchet, to the few English officers remaining at Toulouse, and General Villette, who is here, is also very civil.
Later.—A ship is just arrived in sixty-four hours from Plymouth, telling us that fifteen sail of the line, and as many frigates are close at hand, but no news of our destination.
Head-Quarters, Bordeaux, July 10th, 1814.—I have now received two letters and packets of papers from you by the last mail, including those up to the 28th June. The same mail brought orders for all the members of the Court-martial appointed for Tarragona to proceed direct for England, and there report themselves to the Adjutant-general. Upon this I asked Lord Dalhousie (our present chief) what I was to do? and was by him desired to remain here to the last and move with the head-quarters, who remain here till the troops move. This must, I think, take place in about a week or ten days, unless you cease to send shipping from England. We shall in three days’ time have only a brigade of Guards remaining forthe city duty. The rest who will not be already embarked will be at Pouillac in readiness.
We have now got our small share of Royalty also at Bordeaux, as the Duke d’Angoulême has arrived again, and means to stay a few days before he goes to join Madame la Duchesse at the Baths at Vichy. He looks worn, and less calculated than ever for public show, but still apparently as amiable as before. The Duc de G——, though still, I believe, in our 10th Hussars, came in with him, as his aide-de-camp. The Duc de G—— is come back much disgusted with Paris, and even almost with France and Frenchmen. He says that Paris is a dirty place, without society and manners, and that he has met with no one to whose word or whose honour he would fairly trust: that all seemed to be a system of deception and falsehood, and that unless things mend, and alter considerably, he should feel almost disposed, in case of any unfortunate quarrel with England, to renounce France, rejoin his regiment, and become an Englishman. This, I conclude, is the depression of first feelings, which, in the case of emigrants, must be very strong just now. Matters have not quite proceeded to their tastes, and they must every hour meet with that which must inevitably disgust them.
We have now also at Bordeaux the celebrated Mademoiselle Georges, the actress from Paris, and Mons. Joami, also from the metropolis. In spite of the heat, I have been three times to hear them in Voltaire’s plays,Merope,Phedre, andl’Orphelin de la Chine. The man has neither much figure nor countenance, and I should place him only as a second-rate performer, though still very superior to the ordinary set here in that line. In fact there are no tragic performers here at all; and the inferiority, beneath mediocrity, with which every other part is sustained, takes off the interest with which these tragedies would be otherwise attended.
Mdlle. Georges herself is also in many parts deficient, both in good taste and in true nature. She is of a large figure, but now fallen to pieces; and I am rather surprised that theci-devantEmperor should have fancied her anywhere except during his Moscow campaign. The story, however, goes here, that at one of their interviews, Bonaparte was taken ill, and in her confusion and ignorance Mdlle. Georges rang the Empress’s bell instead of that for the attendants, and that on the arrival of Maria Louise there was of course a scene.
Mdlle. Georges’ voice is good, and her countenance would by many be considered fine. In some parts of her acting I think she is strikingly great, but generally forced and extravagant. She runs into extremes from crying to laughing, and from low ghost-like intonations to loud vulgar screams. Upon the whole, one comes away fatigued from one of these representations, and not much pleased or affected. And what convinces me that it really is inferiority in the drama or in the actress, and not merely the difference of style and manner, or national feeling as to composition and taste, which causes this, is, that the French part of the audience never seem affected like an English audience under the influence of really fine acting. You never hear the generally suppressed sobs, or see the eyes full of tears all round the house as with us at an English tragedy, when, for example, Mrs. Siddons plays, and every one goes away with a serious impression. In the French auditors you only hear bursts of “Très beau, très beau! superbe! magnifique!” &c., always applied to some extravagant and sudden change of tone or manner; and now, at this present moment, if there happens to be a royal sentiment which can be applied, it is encored like a song. No one seems carried away by feelings which he cannot command; but the applause is given as it would be to a mountebank for a clever trick. The distressed heroine or empress spits inher pocket-handkerchief, or on the stage in the true French style, and certainly not in a manner to excite admiration or interest, or to impress the spectators very strongly with ideas of her dignity and elegance.
The first night the Duke d’Angoulême was at the play (on his arrival here this time), we had verses and songs in his honour, and “Vive Henry IV.!” without end. At last came for once, “God save the King,” which was received very differently from what it was even when I first came here; coolly and civilly enough, except by a few; and I believe we have a few sincere friends here.
As Paris gave a sword to General Sacken, Bordeaux is to give one to Lord Dalhousie; and I really think the town has (as they certainly ought to have) some feelings of gratitude towards him for his attention to everything which can be of service to the city, and in successful efforts to preserve order, and prevent any mischief being done to the inhabitants. This sword will be a curious heir-loom in the Dalhousie family, given to their ancestor by the French civil authorities of Bordeaux.
As a trait of the natural French feelings of vanity, I may tell you, that my loyal patron Mons. Emerigon said, not only should we have been all originally prevented from entering France, had the people been of one mind with the Emperor and the army, but that all along a single word of complaint from Louis XVIII. of the conduct of the allied troops would have been a signal for their entire destruction at any period since.
I am now told that the fifth division, from Bayonne are also on their march hither to embark. This will probably cause some little more delay; but I think in ten days we must be on board ship.
Head-Quarters, Bordeaux, July 15th, 1814.—Our final departure from hence appears, at last, to be gradually approaching. The numbers of the English diminish daily; and though we have for this month past beentalking of the “next week,” I begin to think that another week will really and truly see us off, and the French army again in possession of Bordeaux.
The tradesmen of the town will miss us greatly. They have made a famous time of it these last three months, for the army has in that time received six months’ pay, and most of it has found its way into the pockets of the keepers of the restaurateurs, the hotels, &c. Bordeaux has had its full share of the spoils of themilords. Nor have the inhabitants suffered anything by the army, except the little inconvenience of giving up a room or two in general as quarters for the officers, who partly made up even for this by giving their hosts tickets for the play, taking boxes for the ladies, &c., and making them presents every now and then. The only persons who have suffered by us at all in the neighbourhood, are those who have small gardens near the camp. They certainly have had their vegetables and fruit gathered gratis, and have generally not even had their share. This evil is, however, exaggerated, and much of it which really exists, has been done by the French peasantry and country servants, who, if a soldier takes six cabbages, immediately take a dozen more themselves, sell them in the camp, and swear to the owners that the soldiers are the culprits.
Those who have vineyards as well as gardens, have also their full revenge in the price of their wines, which were immediately doubled, by the arrival of the troops, and the latter in fact pay dearly for their vegetables, though they get a good part for nothing. It is fortunate for the inhabitants that we shall be off before the grapes begin to ripen, and for our own soldiers likewise. Surrounded by vineyards, the temptations would be irresistible, and the means of offence almost boundless; so that the loss to the cultivators of them principal harvest, and the injury to the soldiers, would be very considerable.
I have bought a violoncello to amuse myself this warm weather, and as my host, M. Emerigon, plays the violin in very excellent style, we have frequently music of an evening before he goes to his consultations.
We most of us, nevertheless, begin to find Bordeaux dull,—I do in particular. My occupation has nearly ceased, except as to swearing the paymasters, &c., to their accounts, and now and then a Court-martial,—not enough to give me full employment. The constant expectation of moving, the uncertainty when I may be wanted, and the natural indolence arising from the heat, prevent me from voluntarily engaging in any regular study or pursuit, and even prevent my making any excursions beyond a league or two on my pony. Shut up in this town, which, though airy, as to the general breadth of the streets and openings, is still in fact hot and low, and built in a country like that round Woolwich or Deptford, I get thin and languid, and shall be glad to be braced by the sea-air and the cooler climate of England.
Saturday, 1st.—As yet we have had no packets this week, and being beyond the usual time, this makes us believe the reports which have been some days in circulation, that you mean to send no more packets from England. I have still hopes.
I must tell you a trait completely French, of one of the noble guard of honour of the Duke d’Angoulême at Bordeaux. I had met him twice in the family with whom I live: on one of these occasions, at dinner. He dined here yesterday, and whilst the rest of the party were taking their coffee, I went to my room to dress, as I dined at Lord Dalhousie’s. This guardsman slipped up stairs after me. He came bowing into my room, whilst I was in my shirt, and without any excuse or apology, immediately began to tell me he had a little favour to ask, and hoped that I would oblige him, andsay nothing of it in the family, for he would not ask them, and was anxious they should not know anything about it; and at last said, “Could I just let him have five guineas or so, for which he would give me a bit of paper.” In short, he added that he was rather deficient in cash, and I should oblige him infinitely by the loan, which should be paid when he could. As I fully expected an application to ask some favour of Lord Dalhousie or the Duke of Wellington, or something very disagreeable, I felt rather relieved by the explanation in full. As he was quite a young man, had just got a commission in the new regiment to be raised in Martinique, and was, I concluded, of good character, from his connexion with M. Emerigon and his family, who are held in great esteem, I counted him out his five guineas (all the time in my shirt), and he went away very happy, saying that he would go below and leave me a bit of paper, though I told him there was pen and ink in my room. The paper said that he would send Mr. —— six guineas to England (a guinea more than I had given him) as soon as he could. It was signed—P. de V. De R——, De La Martinique, leaving my name a blank, and not inquiring where he should send, so as to reserve, I presume, enough to satisfy his conscience in not repaying the money, that he should never know where to send it. His bit of paper only confirmed me in my notion that I was doing an act of charity, and not turning Jew or money-lender.
The guard of honour are to-day dismissed, by order of the higher powers from Paris. In truth, there are quite troops enough in France, without adding the expense of these gentlemen, with their white feathers a yard long, who would be of no use except to quarrel with the regular troops. Only four years since Bonaparte, when at Bordeaux, was attended everywhere by a guard of honour of the same description. Volunteers were his only body-guard.
The Prefêt of Bordeaux last night gave a fête to the Duke d’Angoulême. I went with M. Emerigon. The Duke came a few minutes after eight o’clock in his carriage and six, dressed, I believe, in the uniform of a Field-Marshal, with thecordon-bleu, &c. He was received by the Prefêt, attended by Generals Villette, Blagnac, Clement de la Ronciere, &c., &c., and a number of old and new nobility, all in their best; and having been, as it were, proclaimed to the company by the Prefêt, the Duke went about most graciously, talking to every one as usual.
About ten supper was announced, for the Duke has very early habits; and in about half an hour afterwards he came to the window to see very pretty fireworks, which were let off in the main street, surrounded by thousands of people below, and at all the windows. It was a gay and attractive scene. Soon after eleven the Duke went home, for he rises at five, and works hard at business, on petitions, &c., and at four o’clock to-morrow morning is to start for Bayonne. He had been at two reviews in the course of yesterday, and had both times been in tolerably severe storms. I fancy he must now and then wish himself quiet again, as he has been for the last twenty years. I am almost sure I should. The new barons and nobility seem to make very good courtiers. Indeed, the duties are all the same; it is only a change in the cry and the idol, the same worship exists as before. The Prefêt, Monsieur le Baron de V——, while the fireworks were going on, observed to all around him (loud enough on purpose for the Duke to hear)—how fortunate he was to have thought of the fireworks; that the idea had come into his head, as he observed that every one would see Monseigneur so well at the window, whilst the fireworks were going off; and then how plainly we can read the inscriptions—O yes, observeVive le Duc d’Angoulême! Vivent les Bourbons!and the fleurs-de-lys—how well they look in the midst of the fire! He felt quite happy that he had thought of all this to gratify the people, as it necessarily must do.—Now the inscriptions were close to us, and in letters a foot long. And note besides, that this Baron was one of the functionaries who ran away from Bordeaux, when the Duke came here on the 12th of March, and who would probably not now hold his situation, if my patron and some others had not persuaded him to return in good time, and continue in his office to wait the result. The Duke must see through this, and be disgusted.
The women here are not as well dressed as at Toulouse—not so stylish. They do not show so much blood and fashion. I believe, however, among the higher orders, that there is much more morality, and that there is a greater difference in reality, as well as in outward appearance, between the ladies in the dress-boxes, and those in the tier above, than there was at Toulouse.
Shortly after eleven o’clock the few English who were present at the fête, had nearly all gone home, being chiefly Generals and their aides-de-camp. I came away, leaving the company waltzing and dancing away with less spirit and skill than at Toulouse.
I met with some very liberal Catholics here; for instance, a gentleman said yesterday, before me, that if all the pieces of the true Cross were collected, they would, when put together, make a cross half a mile long. A lady in company said to a friend (also before me), that she did not much trouble the father confessor, and indeed that it was what she liked the least of any part of her duty. She added that their religion depended on faith, hope, and charity, and that she understood (addressing me), ours did so too, but that theirs required a good deal of hope. Madame Emerigon, with whom I live, has returned home highly delighted with Paris, but abuses the inhabitants, who, she says, think only of makingmoney, taking in strangers, provincials and foreigners, and amusing themselves day and night.
She is a French creole from one of the islands. A little mulatto girl, about fourteen, always stands behind her chair, laughing at all her mistress says. The hairdresser is generally seated in one corner of the room, half the dinner-time, joining in the conversation, and sometimes adorning Madame, whilst we are taking our wine, and during this time an idle Paris lad, of the girl’s age, whom Madame seems to have fancied because he speaks such good French, and not the Patois, is running about, bustling, but in reality doing little or nothing from morning till night. Three other female servants, and a nephew of the family, complete the party on this side of the house, or rather wing.
In an opposite wing, are, first in the upper part, two respectable old ladies, and their servants; below themau-premier, is an old West Indian gentleman and his two sons, bothci-devantof the Imperial guard of honour, from Bordeaux, and his two daughters, with servants, &c. None of these are very elegant, nor, as far as I can judge from one visit, very well bred. They amused me the whole time with talking of the superiority of the French troops, and how the Imperial guards in particular could beat all the Allies if not more than two to one, as they always had done, to which I only said that I believed the Imperial Guards had been all withdrawn from the army of Spain, at least I supposed so, and that I had had, therefore, no opportunity of judging. One Miss also asked what the English lived upon? as she understood we ate no bread. Upon which a French visitor, to save me the trouble of explanation, informed her that we principally lived upondes potates(which is now the word here for potatoes) andbetraves, with which accurate information she seemed quite satisfied. This sort of conversation, and a few songs quite in the Frenchstyle, which I do not at all admire, though one of the demoiselles had a good voice, have not tempted me to pay another visit.
The other night I went to the benefit of Madame Georges. She acted Semiramis, in Voltaire’s play, and with considerable success, particularly when she let Nature have its way. She also acted in the sentimental farce ofLa Belle Fermière, and really well, if she had but omitted a miserable song, accompanied by an old violin or two behind the scenes, all out of tune. The orchestra, as well as every part of the house, was full—almost every passage crammed near the openings to the boxes. The play began at seven o’clock, and the company were all ready by four, and I saw many well-dressed women going to the play at two and three o’clock, as a box cannot be engaged without paying almost double price. The Duke was very well received, and as there was luckily no band, we escaped about five-and-twentyVive Henry IV.!which we should otherwise have had.
Mr. Wilberforce should exert himself in getting little essays written in French, on the Slave Trade, circulated in France, in some degree at least to enlighten the people. At present, even the more intelligent and better sort of men seem only to consider the English as playing the part of Don Quixote in this business, and consider the whole as a sort of romantic affectation of humanity; whilst many others insinuate motives not quite so honourable, by stating that, having well supplied our own islands with slaves, we wish to give up all the other colonies, with a diminished black population, and in bad condition, and then to prevent their ever recovering themselves. This is to be done by the abolition of the Slave Trade; whilst our own islands, in full prosperity, will be ready to reap the benefit of the distress of their rivals.
July 18th.—I have now only time to seal up and to tell you that the returns of embarkations are just arrivedfrom Pouillac, by which it appears that all the troops are now actually on board, except the two brigades of Guards, one of which entered Pouillac to-day to be prepared, and the other is still here. At present no more shipping is ready, though more are expected; some say we shall be moving about to-morrow week, some this day fortnight; but I believe no one knows anything of the matter.
From the following entry in the Diary kept by Mrs. Larpent, it appears that Mr. F. S. Larpent arrived at his father’s house, at East Sheen, on the 8th August, 1814.
8th August, 1814.—“In the evening came Seymour, looking younger than when he went away, and in excellent health, after having been absent two years, all but a fortnight. We thanked God sincerely for this great mercy and happiness.”