The Paris Sketch Book of Mr. M. A. TitmarshThackeray, William Makepeace
General
The Paris Sketch Book of Mr. M. A. Titmarsh
Thackeray, William Makepeace
Paris (France) -- Description and travel
“Here I pause, to call for my valet-de-chambre, and call for tea; for
my head is heavy, and I’ve no time for a headache. In serving me, this
rascal of a Frédéric has broken a cup, true Japan, upon my honor—the
rogue does nothing else. Yesterday, for instance, did he not thump me
prodigiously, by letting fall a goblet, after Cellini, of which the
carving alone cost me three hundred francs? I must positively put the
wretch out of doors, to ensure the safety of my furniture; and in
consequence of this, Eneas, an audacious young negro, in whom wisdom
hath not waited for years—Eneas, my groom, I say, will probably be
elevated to the post of valet-de-chambre. But where was I? I think I
was speaking to you of an oyster breakfast, to which, on our return
from the Park (du Bois), a company of pleasant rakes are invited. After
quitting Borel’s, we propose to adjourn to the Barrière du Combat,
where Lord Cobham proposes to try some bull-dogs, which he has brought
over from England—one of these, O’Connell (Lord Cobham is a Tory,) has
a face in which I place much confidence; I have a bet of ten louis with
Castijars on the strength of it. After the fight, we shall make our
accustomed appearance at the ‘Cafe de Paris,’ (the only place, by the
way, where a man who respects himself may be seen,)—and then away with
frocks and spurs, and on with our dress-coats for the rest of the
evening. In the first place, I shall go doze for a couple of hours at
the Opera, where my presence is indispensable; for Coralie, a charming
creature, passes this evening from the rank of the RATS to that of the
TIGERS, in a pas-de-trois, and our box patronizes her. After the Opera,
I must show my face to two or three salons in the Faubourg St. Honoré;
and having thus performed my duties to the world of fashion, I return
to the exercise of my rights as a member of the Carnival. At two
o’clock all the world meets at the Théâtre Ventadour: lions and
tigers—the whole of our menagerie will be present. Evoé! off we go!
roaring and bounding Bacchanal and Saturnal; ’tis agreed that we shall
be everything that is low. To conclude, we sup with Castijars, the most
‘furiously dishevelled’ orgy that ever was known.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account