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
------------Look love, what envious streaks
Do lace the severing clouds, in yonder east;
Night's candles are burnt out; and jocund Day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
About eight o'clock in the morning, we arrived at Mante, a picturesque
town, built upon a fertile mountain, at the base of which the Seine
flowed along, rippling against its many islands of beautiful poplars. At
this hour, upon our alighting at the inn, we found a regular dinner
ready, consisting of soups, meats, fowls, and confectionary. To the no
small surprise of the host, I expressed a wish to have some breakfast,
and at length, after much difficulty, procured some coffee and rolls.
The rest of the party, with great composure, tucked their napkins in the
buttonholes of their waistcoats, and applied themselves to the good
things before them, with very active address. What a happy race of
people! ready for every thing, and at all times; they scarcely know the
meaning of inconvenience.
In the midst of difficulty, they find accommodation; with them, every
thing seems in harmony. After paying thirty sols for my repast, a charge
which announced our approach to the capital, I walked on, and made my
way to the bridge over another winding of the Seine, at the bottom of
the town; which is a light, and elegant structure. The houses along the
sides of the river are handsome, and delightfully situated. The
principal church is a fine gothic building, but is rapidly hastening to
decay; some of its pinnacles are destroyed, and all its windows broken
in.
A small chapel, in the street opposite, which had an appearance of
considerable elegance, was converted into a slaughter-house. Embosomed
in woods, on the other side of the bridge, is a fine chateau, formerly
belonging to the count d'Adhemar; here, while enjoying the enchanting
prospect about me, I heard the jingling approach of our heavy diligence,
in which, having reseated myself, we proceeded upon a fine high road,
through thick rows of walnut, cherry, mulberry, and apple trees, for
several miles, on each side of which, were vineyards, upon whose
promising vintage, the frost had committed sad devastation. For a vast
extent, they appeared blackened and burnt up. It was said that France
sustained a loss of two millions sterling, by this unusual visitation.
In the course of our journey, I experienced in the conduct of one of our
two female companions, an occurrence, allied to that, which is related
by Sterne, of Madame de Rambouillet, by which he very justly illustrates
the happy ease, with which the french ladies prevent themselves from
ever suffering by inconvenient notions of delicacy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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