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
This mode of travelling by the voiturier is now generally adopted by
travellers of the first respectability, and where the whole voiture is
engaged, differs in no respect from travelling in a private carriage,
except that the right of property in the horses and carriage is but
temporary, and the coachman does not wear a livery. I am acquainted with
persons, who would not choose to be considered otherwise than as persons
of distinction, who have travelled in this way. I have seen attestations
of the good conduct of the coachman or voiturier signed with names, some
of which were known to me, and sealed with armorial bearings, according
to the English use abroad. I dwell on this point, because voituriers are
unknown in England, and the mode of travelling is in low repute abroad,
where, from the way in which it is practised, it is impossible it should
be creditable.
In France and Italy there are but few stage-coaches, and no good ones
but between the towns on the channel and Paris. The post-houses furnish
no carriages, but horses only. In every great town there are persons
whose trade is to keep carriages ready for those who want to take
journeys, but have no carriage of their own. Two or three places being
engaged, the voiturier, now afloat, makes up his cargo as he can: rather
than have any vacant space in his carriage, he will sell it at a low
rate to such as can afford to pay but low prices; he then makes up with
dead lumber what is wanting in weight of live stock; and the good
people, thus assembled, thus encumbered, proceed as they can under the
auspices of the conductor, who presides at their meals. All this
accounts very well for some English making a difficulty in avowing their
having travelled by the voiturier, and for the French aubergistes and
others confounding, at first, all inmates of carriages of the same
denomination. I do not suppose that any respectable English family has
travelled in the manner above described. I do not know that any single
persons have done so. It is evident that a voiture, engaged for the sole
use and service of him who hires it, is "quite another thing."
I would have purchased a berline at Paris, and travelled post,--a plan
not more expensive, as I could have gone twice as far in the day as with
the same horses it was possible to do,--but the regulations of the post
not only require six horses for six persons, but make no provision for
any number more than six in the same carriage,--a case as little
contemplated as parricide among the ancient Romans. I must therefore
have had two carriages, or disputed the question at every post-house.
Add to this, that a travelling carriage is not well-suited for a town,
nor a town carriage for travelling.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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