CHAPTER VII.

1775.

Excursion into France-Paris-Benedictine Monks-Choisi-Palais-Royal-Mrs. FermorPalais-Bourbon - Fontainebleau-Versailles-Trianon-Santerre, the Brewer-King's Library-Sorbonne-St. Cloud-Sêve - Bellevue-Meudon-Grand-Chartreux-Luxembourg -Friar Wilkes-St. Denis-Chantilly-Compiegne-Cambray-State of Society in FranceMadame de Boufflers--Voltaire-Dr. Burney's Collectanea--Letters to Mrs. Montagu, &c.

1

Ir is to be regretted, that Johnson did not write an accouut of his travels in France; for as he is reported to have once said, that "he could write the life of a broomstick," so, notwithstanding so many former travellers have exhausted almost every subject for remark in that great kingdom, his very accurate observation, and peculiar vigour of thought and illustration, would have produced a wonderful work. During his visit to it, which lasted but about two months, he wrote notes or minutes of what he saw. He promised to show me them, but I neglected to put him in mind of it; and the greatest part of them has been lost, or perhaps destroyed in a precipitate burning of his papers a few days before his death, which must ever be lamented: one small paper book, however, entitled "France II.," has been preserved, and is in my possession. It is a diurnal register of his life and observations from the 10th of October to the 4th of November, inclusive, being twenty-six days, and shows an extraordinary attention to various minute particulars. Being the only memorial of this tour that remains, my readers, I am confident, will peruse it with pleasure, though his notes are very short, and evidently written only to assist his own recollection.

"Tuesday, Oct. 10.-We saw the école militaire, in which 150 young boys are educated for the army. They have arms of different sizes, according to the age-flints of wood. The building is very large, but nothing fine except

1 It is probable that the author's memory here deceived him, and that he was thinking of Stella's remark, that Swift could write finely upon a broomstick.-J. BOSWELL, jun.

the council-room-The French have large squares in the windows. They make good iron palisades-Their meals are gross.

The up

"We visited the Observatory, a large building of a great height. per stones of the parapet very large, but not cramped with iron-The flat on the top is very extensive; but on the insulated part there is no parapetThough it was broad enough, I did not care to go upon it. Maps were printing in one of the rooms-We walked to a small convent of the fathers of the Oratory. In the reading-desk of the refectory lay the Lives of the Saints.

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Wednesday, Oct. 11.-We went to see Hôtel de Chatlois, a house not very large, but very elegant. One of the rooms was gilt to a degree that I never saw before. The upper part for servants and their masters was pretty.

"Thence we went to Mr. Monvil's, a house divided into small apartments, furnished with effeminate and minute elegance-Porphyry.

"Thence we went to St. Roque's church, which is very large. The lower part of the pillars incrusted with marble. Three chapels behind the high altar; the last a mass of low arches. Altars, I believe, all round.

"We passed through Place de Vendôme, a fine square, about as big as Hanover-square. Inhabited by the high families. Louis XIV. on horseback in the middle.

"Monville is the son of a farmer-general. In the house of Chatlois is a room furnished with Japan, fitted up in Europe.

"We dined with Bocage,' the Marquis Blanchetti, and his lady-The sweetmeats taken by the Marchioness Blanchetti, after observing that they were dear Mr. Le Roy, Count Manucci, the abbé, the prior, and Father Wilson, who stayed with me till I took him home in the coach-Bathiani is gone.

"The French have no laws for the maintenance of their poor--Monk not necessarily a priest-Benedictines rise at four; are at church an hour and a half; at church again half an hour before, half an hour after, dinner; and again half an hour after seven to eight-They may sleep eight hours--Bodily labour wanted in monasteries--The poor taken into hospitals, and miserably kept-Monks in the convent fifteen: accounted poor.

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Thursday, Oct. 12.—We went to the Gobelins-Tapestry makes a good picture-Imitates flesh exactly-one piece with a gold ground-the birds not exactly coloured―Thence we went to the king's cabinet; very neat, not, perhaps, perfect--gold ore-candles of the candle-tree--seeds-woods-Thence to Gagnier's house, where I saw rooms nine, furnished with a profusion of wealth and elegance which I never had seen before-vases-pictures-the dragon chinaThe lustre is said to be of crystal, and to have cost 3,5007.-The whole furniture said to have cost 125,000l.—Damask hangings covered with pictures— Porphyry-This house struck me-Then we waited on the ladies to Monville's --Captain Irwin with us 2_ Spain-County towns all beggars-At Dijon he

Madame Du Bocage. See post, p. 160.-C.

The rest of this paragraph appears to be a minute of what was told by Captain Irwin.- B.

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151

could not find the way to Orleans-Cross roads of France very bad--Five soldiers-Woman-Soldiers escaped-The colonel would not lose five men for the death of one woman—The magistrate cannot seize a soldier but by the colonel's permission-Good inn at Nismes-Moors of Barbary fond of EnglishmenGibraltar eminently healthy; it has beef from Barbary-There is a large garden-Soldiers sometimes fall from the rock.'

"Friday, Oct. 13.-I stayed at home all day, only went to find the prior, who was not at home-I read something in Canus-Nec admiror, nec multum laudo.

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'Saturday, Oct. 14.-We went to the house of M. [D']Argenson, which was almost wainscotted with looking-glasses, and covered with gold-The ladies' closet wainscotted with large squares of glass over painted paper-They always place mirrors to reflect their rooms.

2

"Then we went to Julien's, the treasurer of the clergy-30,000l. a year —The house has no very large room, but is set with mirrors, and covered with gold-Books of wood here, and in another library.

3

"At D********'s I looked into the books in the lady's closet, and in contempt showed them to Mr. T[hrale]—' Prince Titi; * Bibl. des Fées,' and other books-She was offended, and shut up, as we heard afterwards, her apart ment.

"Then we went to Julien le Roy, the king's watchmaker, a man of charac ter in his business, who showed a small clock made to find the longitude. A decent man.

"Afterwards we saw the Palais Marchand and the courts of justice, civil and criminal-Queries on the Sellette -This building has the old Gothic passages, and a great appearance of antiquity. Three hundred prisoners sometimes in the gaol.

"Much disturbed; hope no ill will be."

"In the afternoon I visited Mr. Freron the journalist. He spoke Latin very scantily, but seemed to understand me. His house not splendid, but of commodious size. His family, wife, son, and daughter, not elevated, but decent. 1 was pleased with my reception. He is to translate my books, which I am to send him with notes.

1 Melchior Canus, a celebrated Spanish Dominican, who died at Toledo, in 1560. He wrote a treatise on "De Locis Theologicus," in twelve books.-B.

2 M. de St. Julien, Receveur-général du Clergé.-C.

'D'Argenson's -C.

4 The History of Prince Titi was said to be the autobiography of Frederick Prince of Wales, but was probably written by Ralph, his secretary. See Park's Roy. and Nob. Auth, vol. i. p. 171; and Biog. Dict., art. Ralph, where it is added, that Ralph's executor gave up the unpublished MS. of Prince Titi to Lord Bute.-C.

5 The sellette was a stool on which the criminal sat while he was interrogate 1 by the court. This i what Johnson means by "queries."-C.

'This passage, which so many think superstitious, reminds me of "Archbishop Laud's Diary."--B.

Sunday, Oct. 15.--At Choisi, a royal palace on the banks of the Seine, about 7 m. from Paris. The terrace noble along the river. The rooms numerous and grand, but not discriminated from other palaces. The chapel beauti. ful, but small-China globes-inlaid tables--labyrinth--sinking table--toilet tables.

Monday, Oct. 16.—The Palais Royal very grard, large, and lofty—A very great collection of pictures-three of Raphael-two Holy Family-one small piece of M. Angelo-one room of Ruebens-I thought the pictures of Raphael fine.

"The Thuilleries-Statues: Venus-En. and Anchises in his arms-Nilus -many more-The walks not open to mean persons-Chairs, at night hired for two sous a piece-Pont tournant.

"Austin Nuns-Grate-Mrs. Fermor, abbess-She knew Pope, and thought him disagreeable-Mrs. has many books-has seen life--Their frontlet disagreeable―Their hood-Their life easy-Rise about five; hour and half in chapel-Dine at ten-another hour and half in chapel; half an hour about three, and half an hour more at seven-four hours in chapel-A large garden -Thirteen pensioners-Teachers complained.

"At the Boulevards saw nothing, yet was glad to be there-Rope dancing and farce-Egg dance-N.B. Near Paris, whether on week-days or Sundays, the roads empty.

"Tuesday, Oct. 17.—At the Palais Marchand I bought

"We heard the lawyers plead-N. As many killed at Paris as there are days in the year-Chambre de question-Tournelle at the Palais Marchand— An old venerable building.

"The Palais Bourbon, belonging to the Prince of Condé-Only one small wing shown-lofty-splendid-gold and glass-The battles of the great Condé are painted in one of the rooms-The present prince a grandsire at thirty-nine.1

"The sight of palaces, and other great buildings, leaves no very distinct images, unless to those who talk of them-As I entered, my wife was in my mind; she would have been pleased. Having now nobody to please, I am little pleased.

1 The grandson was the celebrated and unfortunate Duke d'Enghien, born in 1775, murdered in 1804. The father, "restes infortuneés du plus beau sang du monde," still lives under his former title of Duc de Bourbon. He died in August, 1830, under most melancholy circumstances.-C.

2 His tender affection for his departed wife, of which there are many evidences in his "Prayers and Meditations," appears very feelingly in this passage.

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"N.B. In France there is no middle rank.

"So many shops open, that Sunday is little distinguished at Paris-The palaces of Louvre and Thuilleries granted out in lodgings.

"In the Palais de Bourbon, gilt globes of metal at the fire-place. "The French beds commended-Much of the marble only paste. "The colosseum a mere wooden building, at least much of it.

“Wednesday, Oct. 18.-We went to Fontainebleau, which we found a large mean town, crowded with people-The forest thick with woods, very extensive-Manucci secured us lodgings-The appearance of the country pleasant --no hills, few streams, only one hedge-I remember no chapels nor crosses on the road-Pavement still, and rows of trees.

"N.B. Nobody but mean people walk in Paris.

Thursday, Oct. 19.-At court we saw the apartments-The king's bedchamber and council-chamber extremely splendid-Persons of all ranks in the external rooms through which the family passes-servants and masters-Bru. net with us the second time.

"The introductor came to us-civil to mee-Presenting I had scruples--Not necessary-We went and saw the king and queen at dinner-We saw the other ladies at dinner-Madame Elizabeth, with the Princess of Guimené- · At night we went to a comedy-I neither saw nor heard-Drunken women— Mrs. T. preferred one to the other.

Friday, Oct. 20.-We saw the queen mount in the forest-Brown habit; rode aside; one lady rode aside-The queen's horse light gray-martingale— She galloped-We then went to the apartments, and admired them-Then wandered through the palace-In the passages, stalls and shops-Painting in fresco by a great master, worn out-We saw the king's horses and dogs-The dogs almost all English-degenerate-The horses not much commended--The stables cool: the kennel filthy.

"At night the ladies went to the opera-I refused, but should have been welcome.

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The king fed himself with his left hand as we.

Saturday, Oct. 21.—In the night I got round-We came home to Paris-I think we did not see the chapel-Tree broken by the wind-The French chairs made of all boards painted.

"N. B. Soldiers at the court of justice-Soldiers not amenable to the magis trates-Dijon women.

"Fagots in the palace-Everything slovenly, except in the chief roomsTrees in the roads, some tall, none old, many very young and small.

"Women's saddles seem ill made-Queen's bridle woven with silver-Tags to strike the horse.

"Sunday, Oct. 22.-To Versailles, a mean town-Carriages of business passing-Mean shops against the wall-Our way lay through Sêve, where the China manufacture-Wooden bridge at Sêve, in the way to Versailles-The palace of great extent -The front long; I saw it not perfectly-The Mena