Four Years in France: or, Narrative of an English Family's Residence there during that Period; Preceded by some Account of the Conversion of the Author to the Catholic FaithBeste, Henry Digby
Religion
Four Years in France: or, Narrative of an English Family's Residence there during that Period; Preceded by some Account of the Conversion of the Author to the Catholic Faith
Beste, Henry Digby
France -- Description and travel
At Orgon we passed through a room of the inn, of which the windows were
broken. The door of our room could neither be shut nor opened without
trouble and loss of time: such are "the miseries of human life" in a
fine climate: in England these inconveniences would not be endured for
an hour in the winter: the glazier would be sent for in case of a broken
pane as surely as water would be called for if the house were on fire. I
have been assured that, if one could be contented to pass the winter
without stirring out of doors, he would feel less cold at St.
Petersburgh than any where else in Europe. Where nature does least for
man, man does most for himself. Ananas or pine-apples are reared at
Archangel: I saw none in the south of France or Tuscany. Our anomalous
repast detained us too long, and it was almost dark when we arrived, at
five o'clock, at a handsome, palace-like-looking inn, on the Corso at
Aix.
It is a pleasant, airy, well-built town, so surrounded by hills, that,
in our walks next morning, we felt no cold. I expected to find hot baths
here, but was somewhat surprised to see a great basin of hot water in
the Corso, at which, as well as at other fountains in different parts of
the town, the washer-women ply their trade without the expense of fuel:
clean linen may here be called, by a perverted application of Burke's
phrase, "the unbought grace of life." The public baths are not so
convenient nor on so large a scale as I expected. We took a cursory view
of Roman remains of Aquæ Sextiæ. To the cathedral, a fine old structure,
is annexed a curious and perfect ancient temple which serves as the
baptistery.
In the afternoon of this day we proceeded to Marseilles. I drove to the
Hôtel Beauveau: they showed me two handsome salons, one of them with two
beds in it: I wanted more beds in the other salon, which they promised
to put up: I doubted what sort of beds these might be, and, in an
unlucky moment of distrust, went away to the Hôtel des Empereurs. Every
thing at the Hôtel Beauveau bespoke civility and good management; at the
Hôtel des Empereurs every thing was quite the reverse. I had intended to
pass a week at Marseilles: the badness of this inn determined me to stay
but one whole day. That day was excessively cold; the bise had followed
us, and had established itself in full force: I trembled for my
invalid; he was in high spirits, and would not stay within doors; he
was in the right, for it would have been impossible to make the
atmosphere within doors warmer than it was without, unless we had made
fires of all the fine pieces of mahogany furniture which garnished our
apartment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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