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
After spending the short time, during which I was detained at Caen, very
pleasantly, I resumed my seat in the diligence for Cherbourg, in which I
found a very agreeable woman, her two daughters, two canary birds, a
cat, and her kitten, who were, I found, to be my companions all the way.
After we left Caen, the roads became very bad. Our ponderous machine,
frequently rolled from one side to the other, and with many alarming
creakings, threatened us with a heavy, and perilous overthrow. At length
we arrived at Bayeux, where we dined, at the house of a friend of my
fair fellow traveller, to which she invited me with a tone of welcome,
and good wishes, which overpowered all resistance. We sat down to an
excellent dinner, at which was produced the usual favourite french dish
of cold turbot, and raw artichokes. After our repast, a fine young
woman, the daughter of the lady of the house, in a very obliging, but
rather grave manner, poured out a tumbler full of some delicious potent
liqueur, which, to my no small surprise, she presented me with; upon my
only tasting it, and returning it, she appeared to be equally surprised,
and confused. Her mother, observing our mutual embarrassment, informed
me, that in France it was understood that the english were troubled with
the ennui, or tristesse de coeur, and that they drank large draughts of
wine and spirits to expel the gloomy malady. I softened this opinion of
our common character, as well as I could, for, I fear, without offering
considerable outrage to truth, I could not wholly have denied it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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