The stranger in France : $b or, a tour from Devonshire to Paris illustrated by engravings in aqua tint of sketches taken on the spot.Carr, John, Sir
History
The stranger in France : $b or, a tour from Devonshire to Paris illustrated by engravings in aqua tint of sketches taken on the spot.
Carr, John, Sir
France -- Description and travel; Paris (France) -- Description and travel
I visited, one evening, a very beautiful exhibition, which I think
worthy of being noticed; it was the picturesque and mechanical theatre.
The company present were select and genteel. The room and stage were
upon a small scale; the former was very elegantly fitted up. The
spectacle consisted of scenery and appropriate little moving figures.
The first scene was a view of a wood in early morning, every object
looked blue, fresh, and dewy. The gradations of light, until the
approach of meridian day, were admirably represented. Serpents were seen
crawling in the grass. A little sportsman entered with his
fowling-piece, and imitated all the movements natural to his pursuit; a
tiny wild duck rose from a lake, and flew before him. He pointed his
gun, changed his situation, pointed it again, and fired. The bird
dropped; he threw it over his shoulders, fastened to his gun, and
retired. Waggons, drawn by horses about four inches high, passed along;
groups of peasantry followed, exquisitely imitating all the indications
of life. Amongst several other scenes was a beautiful view of the bay of
Naples, and the great bridge; over which little horses, with their
riders, passed in the various paces of walking, trotting and galloping.
All the minutiae of nature were attended to. The ear was beguiled with
the patting of the horses' hoofs upon the pavement; and some of the
little animals reared, and ran before the others. There were also some
charming little sea-pieces, in which the vessels sailed with their heads
towards the spectators, and manoeuvred in a surprising manner. The whole
concluded with a storm and shipwreck. Sailors were seen floating in the
water, then sinking in the surge. One of them rose again and reached a
rock. Boats put off to his relief, and perished in the attempt. The
little figure was seen displaying the greatest agonies. The storm
subsided; tiny persons appeared upon the top of a projecting cliff, near
a watch tower, and lowered a rope to the little sufferer below, which he
caught, and, after ascending to some height by it, overwhelmed with
fatigue, lost his hold. After recovering from the fall, he renewed his
efforts, and at length reached the top in safety, amidst the
acclamations of the spectators, who, moved by this enchanting little
illusion, took much interest in the apparent distress of the scene.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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