in Leicester Fields.' Make my compliments to What he mentions in such light terms as, 'I am to set out to-morrow on another journey,' I soon afterwards discovered was no less than a tour to France with Mr. and Mrs. Thrale. This was the only time in his life that he went upon the Continent. 'TO MR. ROBERT LEVET. 'CALAIS, Sept. 18, 1775. 'DEAR SIR,-We are here in France, after a very pleasing passage of no more than six hours. I know not when I shall write again, and therefore I write now, though you cannot suppose that I have much to say. You have seen France yourself. From this place we are going to Rouen, and from Rouen to Paris, where Mr. Thrale designs to stay about five or six weeks. We have a regular recommendation to the English resident, so we shall not be taken for vagabonds. We think to go one way and return another, and see as much as we can. I will try to speak a little French; I tried hitherto but little, but I spoke sometimes. If I heard better, I suppose I should learn faster.-I am, sir, your humble servant, 'SAM. JOHNSON.' TO THE SAME. 'TO DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON. 'EDINBURGH, Oct. 24, 1775. 'MY DEAR SIR,-If I had not been informed that you were at Paris, you should have had a letter from me by the earliest opportunity, announcing the birth of my son on the 9th instant; I have named him Alexander after my father. I now write, as I suppose your fellowtraveller, Mr. Thrale, will return to London this week to attend his duty in Parliament, and that you will not stay behind him. Annals. I have undertaken to solicit you for a 'I send another parcel of Lord Hailes's favour to him, which he thus requests in a letter to me: "I intend soon to give you The Life of Robert Bruce, which you will be pleased to transmit to Dr. Johnson. I wish that you could assist me in a fancy which I have taken of getting Dr. Johnson to draw a character of Robert Bruce, from the account that I give of that prince. If he finds materials for it in my work, it will be a proof that I have been fortunate in selecting the most striking incidents." lordship means that part of his Annals which 'I suppose by The Life of Robert Bruce, his relates the history of that prince, and not a separate work. 'Shall we have A Journey to Paris from you in the winter? You will, I hope, at any rate be kind enough to give me some account of your French travels very soon, for I am very impatient. What a different scene have you in autumn 1773!-I ever am, my dear sir, your viewed this autumn, from that which you viewed much obliged and affectionate humble servant, 'JAMES BOSWELL.' 'PARIS, Oct. 22, 1775. 'DEAR SIR,-We are still here, commonly very busy in looking about us. We have been to-day at Versailles. You have seen it, and I shall not describe it. We came yesterday from Fontainebleau, where the Court is now. We went to see the King and Queen at dinner, and the Queen was so impressed by Miss,2 that she sent one of the gentlemen to inquire who she was. I find all true that you have ever told me of Paris. Mr. Thrale is very liberal, and keeps us two coaches and a very fine table; but I think our cookery very bad. Mrs. Thrale got into a convent of English nuns, and I talked with her through the grate, and I am very kindly used by the English Benedictine friars. But upon the whole I cannot make much acquaintance here; and though the churches, palaces, and some private houses are very magnificent, there is no very great pleasure, after having seen many, in seeing more; at least the pleasure, whatever it be, must some time have an end, and we are beginning to think when we 'Paris is, indeed, a place very different from shall come home. Mr. Thrale calculates that as we left Streatham on the 15th of September, the Hebrides, but it is to a hasty traveller not so fertile of novelty, nor affords so many opporwe shall see it again about the 15th of Novem-tunities of remark. I cannot pretend to tell the ber. 'I think I had not been on this side of the a five days before I found a sensible improvement in my health. I ran a race in the rain Where Sir Joshua Reynolds lived.-BOSWELL. 'TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. 'November 16, 1775. 'DEAR SIR,-I am glad that the young laird is born, and an end, as I hope, put to the only difference that you can ever have with Mrs. Boswell. I know that she does not love me; but I intend to persist in wishing her well till I get the better of her. of my readers than to myself. We can talk of public anything of a place better known to many it when we meet. 'I shall go next week to Streatham, from 1 This alludes to my old feudal principle of preferring male to female succession.-BOSWELL. R whence I purpose to send a parcel of the History every post. Concerning the character of Bruce, I can only say that I do not see any great reason for writing it; but I shall not easily deny what Lord Hailes and you concur in desiring. 'I have been remarkably healthy all the journey, and hope you and your family have known only that trouble and danger which has so happily terminated. Among all the congratulations that you may receive, I hope you believe none more warm or sincere than those of dear sir, your most affectionate, 'SAM. JOHNSON." 'TO MRS. LUCY PORTER, IN 'November 16, 1775. 'DEAR MADAM,--This week I came home from Paris. I have brought you a little box which I thought pretty; but I know not whether it is properly a snuff-box or a box for some other use. I will send it when I can find an opportunity. I have been through the whole journey remarkably well. My fellow-travellers were the same whom you saw at Lichfield, Paris is not so only we took Baretti with us. fine a place as you would expect. The palaces and churches, however, are very splendid and magnificent; and what would please you, there are many very fine pictures; but I do not think their way of life commodious or pleasant. 'Let me know how your health has been all this while. I hope the fine summer has given you strength sufficient to encounter the winter. 'December, 1775. 'DEAR MADAM,-Some weeks ago I wrote to you to tell you that I was just come home from a ramble, and hoped that I should have heard from you. I am afraid winter has laid hold on your fingers and hinders you from writing. However, let somebody write if you cannot, and tell me how you do, and a little of what has happened at Lichfield among our friends. I hope you are all well. 'When I was in France I thought myself growing young, but am afraid that cold weather will take part of my new vigour from me. Let 1 There can be no doubt that, many years previous to 1775, he corresponded with this lady, who was his stepdaughter, but none of his earliest letters to her have been preserved.-BOSWELL Since the death of the author, several of Johnson's letters to Mrs. Lucy Porter, written before 1775, were obligingly communicated to me by the Rev. Dr. Vyse, and are printed in the present edition. -MALONE. us, however, take care of ourselves, and lose no part of our health by negligence. 'I never knew whether you received the Commentary on the New Testament, and the Travels, and the glasses. 'Do, my dear love, write to me, and do not let us forget each other. This is the season of good wishes, and I wish you all good. I have not lately seen Mr. Porter,' nor heard of him. Is he with you? 'Be pleased to make my compliments to Mrs. Adey and Mrs, Cobb, and all my friends; and when I can do any good, let me know.-I am, dear madam, yours most affectionately, 'SAM. JOHNSON.' CHAPTER XXXIIL 1775, It is to be regretted that Johnson did not write an account of his travels in France; for as he is reported to have once said that he could write the life of a broomstick," so, notwithstanding so many former travellers have exhausted almost every subject for remark in that great kingdom, his very accurate observation, and peculiar vigour of thought and illustration, would have produced a wonderful work. During his visit to it, which lasted but about two months, he wrote notes or minutes of what he saw. He promised to show me them, but I neglected to put him in mind of it; and the greatest part of them has been lost, or perhaps destroyed in a precipitate burning of his papers a few days before his death, which must ever be lamented. One! small paper-book, however, entitled 'France II.,' has been preserved, and is in my possession. It is a diurnal register of his life and observations, from the 10th of October to the 4th of November inclusive, being twenty-six days, and shows an extraordinary attention to various minute particulars. Being the only memorial of this tour that remains, my readers, I am confident, will peruse it with pleasure, though his notes are very short, and evidently written only to assist his own recollection. 'Tuesday, Oct. 10. We saw the Ecole Mili taire, in which one hundred and fifty young boys are educated for the army. They have arms of different sizes, according to the age; -flints of wood. The building is very large, but nothing fine except the council-room. The French have large squares in the windows;they make good iron palisades. Their meals are gross. 'We visited the observatory, a large building 1 Son of Mrs. Johnson, by her first husband-Bos WELL. 2 It is probable that the author's memory here de ceived him, and that he was thinking of Stella's remark, that Swift could write finely upon a broomstick.-J. BOSWELL, jun. 1 of a great height. The upper stones of the parapet very large, but not cramped with iron. The flat on the top is very extensive; but on the insulated part there is no parapet. Though it was broad enough, I did not care to go upon it. Maps were printing in one of the rooms. 'We walked to a small convent of the Fathers of the Oratory. In the reading-desk of the refectory lay the Lives of the Saints. 'Wednesday, Oct. 11. We went to see the Hitel de Chatlois, a house not very large, but very elegant. One of the rooms was gilt to a degree that I never saw before. The upper part for servants and their masters was pretty. 'Thence we went to Mr. Monville's, a house divided into small apartments, furnished with effeminate and minute elegance.-Porphyry. 'Thence we went to St. Roque's [Roch] Church, which is very large;-the lower part of the pillars incrusted with marble.-Three chapels behind the high altar; the last a mass of low arches.-Altars I believe all round. 'We passed through Place de Vendôme, a fine square, about as big as Hanover Square. Inhabited by the high families.-Louis XIV. on horseback in the middle. 'Monville is the son of a farmer-general. In the house of Chatlois is a room furnished with japan, fitted up in Europe. We dined with Bocage, the Marquis Blanchetti, and his lady. The sweetmeats taken by the Marchioness Blanchetti, after observing that they were dear. Mr. Le Roy, Count Manucci, the Abbé, the Prior, and Father Wilson, who stayed with me, till I took him home in the coach. 'Bathiani is gone. The French have no laws for the maintenance of the poor.-Monk not necessarily a I priest.-Benedictines rise at four;- are at church an hour and half; at church again half an hour before, half an hour after, dinner; and again from half an hour after seven to eight. They may sleep eight hours. Bodily labour wanted in monasteries. The poor taken into hospitals and miserably kept.--Monks in the convent, fifteen ;--accounted poor. 'Thursday, Oct. 12. We went to the GobeIma-Tapestry makes a good picture: imitates Lesh exactly.-One piece with a gold ground; the birds not exactly coloured.-Thence we went to the King's cabinet; very neat, not perhaps perfect.-Gold ore.-Candles of the candle-tree. -Seeds-Woods.-Thence to Gagnier's house, shere I saw rooms nine, furnished with a profarion of wealth and elegance which I never had en before.-Vases.-Pictures. The dragon china.-The lustre is said to be of crystal, and to I have cost £3500.-The whole furniture said to have cost £125,000.-Damask hangings covered with pictures.-Porphyry.-This house struck me-Then we waited on the ladies to Monville's. Captain Irwin with us.'-Spain. - Country towns all beggars.-At Dijon he could not find the way to Orleans.-Cross roads of France very bad.--Five soldiers.--Woman.-Soldiers escaped. The Colonel would not lose five men for the death of one woman.-The magistrates cannot seize a soldier but by the Colonel's permission.Good inn at Nismes.-Moors of Barbary fond of Englishmen.-Gibraltar eminently healthy; it has beef from Barbary.-There is a large garden. Soldiers sometimes fall from the rock. 'Friday, Oct. 13. I stayed at home all day, only went to find the Prior, who was not at home. I read something in Canus."-Nec admiror, nec multum laudo. Saturday, Oct. 14. We went to the house of Mr. [D'] Argenson, which was almost wainscoted with looking-glasses, and covered with gold.-The ladies' closet wainscoted with large squares of glass over painted paper. They always place mirrors to reflect their rooms. Then we went to Julien's, the Treasurer of the Clergy; £30,000 a year. The house has no very large room, but is set with mirrors, and covered with gold.-Books of wood here, and in another library. 'At D' [Argenson's] I looked into the books in the lady's closet, and in contempt showed them to Mrs. T[hrale].-Prince Titi; Bibl. des Fées, and other books. She was offended, and shut up, as we heard afterwards, her apartment. 'Then we went to Julien Le Roy, the King's watchmaker, a man of character in his business, who showed a small clock made to find the longitude.—A decent man. 'Afterwards we saw the Palais Marchand, and the Courts of Justice, civil and criminal.Queries on the Sellette.-This building has the old Gothic passages, and a great appearance of antiquity.-Three hundred prisoners sometimes in the gaol. 'Much disturbed; hope no ill will be.3 'In the afternoon I visited Mr. Freron the journalist. He spoke Latin very scantily, but seemed to understand me. His house not splendid, but of commodious size. His family, wife, son, and daughter, not elevated, but decent.-I was pleased with my reception.-He is to translate my books, which I am to send him with notes. Sunday, Oct. 15. At Choisi, a royal palace on the banks of the Seine, about seven miles from Paris.-The terrace noble along the river. The rooms numerous and grand, but not discriminated from other palaces.--The chapel beautiful but small. - China globes. — Inlaid 1 The rest of this paragraph appears to be a minute of what was told by Capt. Irwin.-BOSWELL. 2 Melchior Canus, a celebrated Spanish Dominican, who died at Toledo in 1560. He wrote a treatise, De Locis Theologicis, in twelve books. -BosWELL. 3 This passage, which so many think superstitious, reminds me of Archbishop Laud's Diary.-BOSWELL tables. - Labyrinth. — Sinking table. Toilet woods, very extensive.-Manucci secured us tables. lodgings. The appearance of the country plea'Monday, Oct. 16. The Palais Royal very sant. No hills, few streams, only one hedge.grand, large, and lofty.-A very great collection I remember no chapels nor crosses on the road. of pictures. Three of Raphael. - Two Holy-Pavement still, and rows of trees. Family.-One small piece of M. Angelo. One room of Rubens.-I thought the pictures of Raphael fine. "The Tuileries.-Statues.-Venus.-Æn. and Anchises in his arms.-Nilus.-Many more.-The walks not open to mean persons.-Chairs at night hired for two sous a piece. - Pont tournant. 'Austin nuns.-Grate.-Mrs. Fermor, Abbess. She knew Pope, and thought him disagreeable. -Mrs. has many books; has seen life.Their frontlet disagreeable.-Their hood.-Their life easy.-Rise about five; hour and half in chapel; dine at ten. Another hour and half in chapel-half an hour about three, and half an hour more at seven; four hours in chapel.— A large garden. --Thirteen pensioners. --Teachers complained. 'N. Nobody but mean people walk in Paris. 'Thursday, Oct. 19. At court, we saw the apartments; the King's bed-chamber and council-chamber extremely splendid.-Persons of all ranks in the external rooms through which the family passes; servants and masters.-Brunet with us the second time. "The introductor came to us ;-civil to me.Presenting.-I had scruples.-Not necessary.We went and saw the King and Queen at dinner. -We saw the other ladies at dinner.-Madame Elizabeth, with the Princess of Guimene.-At night we went to a comedy. I neither saw nor heard.-Drunken women.- Mrs Thrale] preferred one to the other. 'Friday, Oct. 20. We saw the Queen mount in the forest.-Brown habit: rode aside: one lady rode aside.-The Queen's horse light grey; 'At the Boulevards saw nothing, yet was glad-martingale. She galloped.-We then went to to be there.-Rope-dancing and farce.-Egg- the apartments, and admired them.-Then wandance. dered through the palace. In the passages, 'N. [Note.] Near Paris, whether on week- stalls, and shops.-Painting in fresco by a great days or Sundays, the roads empty. master, worn out. We saw the King's horses Tuesday, Oct. 17. At the Palais Marchand, and dogs. -- The dogs almost all English. I bought A snuff-box. Table book, Scissors 3 p (pair) (Livres) 63--£2,12s. 6d. 'We heard the lawyers plead.-N. As many killed at Paris as there are days in the year.Chambre de question.-Tournelle at the Palais Marchand. An old venerable building. "The Palais Bourbon, belonging to the Prince of Condé. Only one small wing shown;-lofty; -splendid;-gold and glass.-The battles of the great Condé are painted in one of the rooms. The present Prince a grandsire at thirty-nine. 'The sight of palaces and other great buildings leaves no very distinct images, unless to those who talk of them. As I entered, my wife was in my mind: she would have been pleased. Having now nobody to please, I am little pleased. 'N. In France there is no middle rank. "So many shops open, that Sunday is little distinguished at Paris.-The palaces of Louvre and Tuileries granted out in lodgings. 'Faggots in the palace.-Everything slovenly, except in the chief rooms.-Trees in the roads, some tall, none old, many very young and small. 'Women's saddles seem ill-made. Queen's bridle woven with silver.-Tags to strike the horse. 'Sunday, Oct. 22. To Versailles, a mean town. Carriages of business passing.-Mean shops against the wall.-Our way lay through Sêve (Sêvres), where is the china manufacture. 'In the Palais de Bourbon, gilt globes of Wooden bridge at Sêve in the way to Versailles. metal at the fire-place. -The palace of great extent.-The front long; "The French beds commended.-Much of the I saw it not perfectly.-The menagerie. marble only paste. Cyg nets dark; their black feet; on the ground; "The Colosseum a mere wooden building, at tame. - Halcyons, or gulls. -Stag and hind, least much of it. 'Wednesday, Oct. 18. We went to Fontainebleau, which we found a large mean town, crowded with people.-The forest thick with young. -Aviary, very large: the net, wire.Black stag of China, small.-Rhinoceros, the horn broken and pared away, which I suppose will grow; the basis, I think, four inches across; the skin folds like loose cloth doubled over his body, and cross his hips; a vast animal, though young: as big, perhaps, as four oxen.The young elephant, with his tusks just appearing. The brown bear put out his paws;-all very tame. The lion.-The tigers I did not well view.-The camel or dromedary with two bunches called the Huguin,' taller than any horse. Two camels with one bunch.-Among the birds was a pelican, who being let out, went to a fountain, and swam about to catch fish. His feet well webbed: he dipped his head, and turned his long bill sideways. He caught two or three fish, but did not eat them. several thick cloths, hard strained, that the resistance may be equal; they are then rubbed with a hand rubber, held down hard by a contrivance which I did not well understand. The powder which is used last seemed to me to be iron dissolved in aquafortis; they called it, as Baretti said, marc de l'eau forte, which he thought was dregs. They mentioned vitriol and saltpetre. The cannon-ball swam in the quicksilver. To silver them, a leaf of beaten tin is laid, and rubbed with quicksilver, to which it unites. Then more quicksilver is poured upon it, which, by its mutual [attraction], rises very high. Then a paper is laid at the nearest end of the plate, over which the glass is slided till it lies upon the plate, having driven much of the quicksilver before it. It is then, I think, pressed upon cloth, and then set sloping to drop the superfluous mercury: the slope is daily heightened towards a perpendicular. In the way I saw the Grêve, the mayor's house, and the Bastile. 'We then went to Sans-terre, a brewer.' He 'Trianon is a kind of retreat appendant to Versailles. It has an open portico; the pavement, and I think the pillars, of marble.There are many rooms which I do not distinctly remember.-A table of porphyry, about five feet long, and between two and three broad, given to Louis XIV. by the Venetian State. In the council-room almost all that was not door or window was I think looking glass. -- Little Trianon is a small palace like a gentleman's Louse. The upper floor paved with brick.-brews with about as much malt as Mr. Thrale, Little Vienne.-The court is ill-paved. The rooms at the top are small, fit to soothe the imagination with privacy. In the front of Versailles are small basins of water on the terrace, and other basins I think below them. There are little courts.-The great gallery is wainscoted with mirrors, not very large, but joined by frames. I suppose the large plates were not yet made.--The playhouse was very large. The chapel I do not remember if we saw.-We saw one chapel, but I am not certain whether there or at Trianon. The foreign office paved with bricks.-The dinner half a louis each, and, I think, a louis over.-Money given at menagerie, three livres ; at palace, six livres. 'Monday, Oct. 23. Last night I wrote to Levet. We went to see the looking-glasses wrought. They come from Normandy in cast | plates, perhaps the third of an inch thick. At The Paris they are ground upon a marble table, by This epithet should be applied to this animal with banch-BoSWELL. When at Versailles, the people showed us the theatre. As we stood on the stage looking at some artery for play-house purposes-"Now we are site, what shall we act, Dr. Johnson? The Englishat Paris?"-"No, no," replied he, "we will try to 1 Harry the Fifth."-MRS. PIozzi. and sells his beer at the same price, though he pays no duty for malt, and little more than half as much for beer. Beer is sold retail at 6d. a bottle. He brews 4000 barrels a year. There are seventeen brewers in Paris, of whom none is supposed to brew more than he; reckoning them at 3000 each, they make 51,000 a year. They make their malt, for malting is here no trade. 'The moat of the Bastile is dry. 'Tuesday, Oct. 24.-We visited the King's library-I saw the Speculum humanæ Salvationis, rudely printed, with ink sometimes pale, sometimes black; part supposed to be with wooden types, and part with pages cut in boards. The Bible, supposed to be older than that of Mentz, in 1462; it has no date; it is supposed to have been printed with wooden types.-I am in doubt; the print is large and fair, in two folios. Another book was shown me, supposed to have been printed with wooden types; I think Durandi Sanctuarium in 1458. This is inferred from the difference of form sometimes seen in the same letter, which might be struck with different puncheons. The regular similitude of most letters proves better that they are metal. I saw nothing but the Speculum, which I had not seen I think before. "Thence to the Sorbonne.-The library very large, not in lattices like the King's. Marbone and Durandi, q. collection, 14 vol. Scriptores de rebus Gallicis, many folios.-Histoire Génialogique of France, 9 vol.--Gallia Christiana, the first edition 4to, the last f. 12 vol.-The Prior and Librarian dined [with us]: I waited on 1 The detestable ruffian, who afterwards conducted Louis the Sixteenth to the scaffold and commanded the troops that guarded it, during his murder.-MALONE. |