Before and after Waterloo: Letters from Edward Stanley, sometime Bishop of Norwich (1802; 1814; 1816) — John Shaqi
Before and after Waterloo: Letters from Edward Stanley, sometime Bishop of Norwich (1802; 1814; 1816)Stanley, Edward
History
Before and after Waterloo: Letters from Edward Stanley, sometime Bishop of Norwich (1802; 1814; 1816)
Stanley, Edward
Europe -- Description and travel; France -- History -- Consulate and First Empire, 1799-1815
The former, I think, must have seen Kemble, as he
resembles him both in person and style of acting, but I did not admire
him so much. In his silent Acting, however, he was very great. Mme.
Petit acted better than any tragic Actress I have ever seen, excepting
Mrs. Siddons. After the Play last Night I went to the Frascati, a sort
of Vauxhall where you pay nothing on entering, but are expected to take
some refreshments. This, Mr. Palmer told me, was the Lounge of the Beau
Monde, who were all to be found here after the Opera & Plays. We have
nothing of the sort in England, therefore I shall not attempt to
describe it. We staid here about an hour. The Company was numerous, & I
suppose the best, at least it was better than any I had seen at the
Theatres or in the Walks, but it appeared to me to be very bad. The Men
I shall say nothing more of, they are all the same. They come to all
Places in dirty Neckcloths or Pocket Handkerchiefs tied round their
necks & most of them have filthy great Coats & Boots, in short, Dress
amongst the Bucks (& I am told that within this Month or two they are
very much improved) seems to be quite out of the Question. As for the
Ladies, O mon Dieu! Madame Récamier's[4] Dress at Boodles was by no
means extraordinary. My sister can describe that and then you may form
some idea of them. By what I can judge from outward appearance, the
Morals of Paris must be at a very low ebb. I may perhaps see more of
them, when I go to the Opera & Parties. I have a thousand things more to
say, but have no room. This Letter has been written at such out of the
way times & by little bits at a time, that I know not how you will
connect it, but I have not a moment to spare in the regular Course of
the Day. It is now between 6 & 7 o'Clock in the Morning, and as I cannot
find my Cloaths am sitting in a Dress à la Mode d'une Dame Française
till Charles comes up with them. Paris is full of English, amongst
others I saw Montague Matthews at the Frascati. I shall stay here till
5th July, as my chance of seeing Buonaparte depends on my staying till
4th, when he reviews the Consular Guard. He is a fine fellow by all
accounts; a Military Government when such a head as his manages
everything cannot be called a Grievance. Indeed, it is productive of so
much order and regularity, that I begin not to dislike it so much. At
the Theatres you have no disturbance. In the streets Carriages are kept
in order--in short, it is supreme and seems to suit this Country vastly
well, but God forbid I should ever witness it in England. You may write
to me and tell others so to do till the 25th of June. Adieu; I cannot
tell when I shall write again. This you know is a Family Epistle,
therefore Farewell to you all.
ED. STANLEY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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