The Adventures of Peregrine PickleSmollett, T. (Tobias)
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The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Adventure stories; Fiction; Picaresque literature
As soon as he was in a condition to appear a la Francaise, he hired a
genteel chariot by the month, made the tour of the Luxembourg gallery,
Palais Royal, all the remarkable hotels, churches, and celebrated places
in Paris; visited St. Cloud, Marli, Versailles, Trianon, St. Germaine,
and Fountainebleau, enjoyed the opera, Italian and French comedy; and
seldom failed of appearing in the public walks, in hopes of meeting with
Mrs. Hornbeck, or some adventure suited to his romantic disposition.
He never doubted that his person would attract the notice of some
distinguished inamorata, and was vain enough to believe that few female
hearts were able to resist the artillery of his accomplishments, should
he once find an opportunity of planting it to advantage. He presented
himself, however, at all the spectacles for many weeks, without reaping
the fruits of his expectation; and began to entertain a very indifferent
idea of the French discernment, which had overlooked him so long,
when one day, in his way to the opera, his chariot was stopped by an
embarrass in the street, occasioned by two peasants, who having driven
their carts against each other, quarrelled, and went to loggerheads on
the spot. Such a rencounter is so uncommon in France, that the people
shut up their shops, and from their windows threw cold water upon the
combatants, with a view of putting an end to the battle, which was
maintained with great fury, and very little skill, until one of them
receiving an accidental fall, the other took the advantage of this
misfortune, and, fastening upon him, as he lay, began to thump the
pavement with his head.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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