Tour in England, Ireland, and France, in the years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1829.: with remarks on the manners and customs of the inhabitants, and anecdotes of distiguished public characters. In a series of letters by a German Prince.Pückler-Muskau, Hermann, Fürst von
History
Tour in England, Ireland, and France, in the years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1829.: with remarks on the manners and customs of the inhabitants, and anecdotes of distiguished public characters. In a series of letters by a German Prince.
Pückler-Muskau, Hermann, Fürst von
Great Britain -- Description and travel; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
_June 25th._
There is certainly something pleasant in having so many invitations at
your disposal every day; and, if you are not pleased in one place, in
being able immediately to seek out company that suits you better. Here
and there, too, one finds something new, piquant, and interesting.
Yesterday, at Prince L----'s, for instance, I met with a second Ninon
de l'Enclos. Certainly nobody would take Lady A----, to be more than
forty, and yet I was assured she is near eighty. Nothing in her appears
forced or unnatural, but every thing youthful; figure, dress, air,
vivacity of manners, grace and elasticity of limb, as far as this is
discernible at a party,--all about her is perfectly young, and scarcely
a wrinkle in her face. She has never made herself anxious, and has lived
a very gay life from her youth up: she ran away from her husband twice,
on which account she quitted England for a long time, and spent her
large fortune in Paris. Altogether she is a very 'amiable' person, more
French than English in her deportment, and quite 'du grand monde.' The
science of the toilet she has studied profoundly, and has made some
important discoveries in it. From all I could see of the results, I
should be very glad to impart them to you and my other fair friends.
Next day the Duke of S---- gave a 'déjeuné champêtre' at his villa, at
which invention was racked for something new in an entertainment of the
kind. His whole house was hung with beautiful 'hautelisse' and gay
Chinese hangings;--a multitude of sofas, easy chairs, 'chaises longues,'
mirrors, &c., in all parts of the garden as well as of the rooms;
besides a little encampment of tents of white and rose-coloured muslin,
which had a beautiful effect, set in the emerald-green of the grounds.
In the evening, followed, as usual, an illumination, consisting chiefly
of single lamps, half-hidden in tree and bush, like so many ruddy fruits
or bright-glow worms, enticing the loving or the lonely. Those who
preferred noisy to quiet pleasures also found their heart's desire.
Here, a large part of the company was dancing in a wide tent, the way to
which lay under a bowery archway of roses, brilliantly
illuminated;--there, resounded a delightful concert, executed by the
best performers from the Italian Opera. Italian weather, too, happily
shone on this fête from beginning to end; any little mischievous spirit
of air might have totally ruined it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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