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 us, however, take care of ourselves, and lofe no part of our health by negligence. "I never knew whether you received the Commentary on the New Testament, and the Travels, and the glaffes. "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, 1775. Ætat, 66. "December, 1775 SAM. JOHNSON." It is to be regretted, that he did not write an account of his travels in France; for as he is reported to have once faid, that "he could write the Life of a Broomstick," fo, notwithstanding fo many former travellers have exhausted almost every thing fubject for remark in that great kingdom, his very accurate obfervation, and peculiar vigour of thought and illustration, would have produced a valuable work. During his vifit to it, which lafted but about two months, he wrote notes or minutes of what he saw. He promised to shew me them, but I neglected to put him in mind of it; and the greatest part of them have been loft, or, perhaps, destroyed in that precipitate burning of his papers a few days before his death, which must ever be lamented: One fmall paper-book, however, entitled " FRANCE, II." has been preferved, and is in my poffeffion. It is a diurnal regifter of his life and obfervations, from the 10th of October to the 4th of November, inclufive, being twenty-fix days; and fhews an extraordinary attention to various minute particulars. Being the only memorial of this tour that remains, my readers, I am confident, will perufe it with pleasure, though his notes are very short, and evidently written only to affift his own.recollection. "OCT. 10. Tuesday. We faw the Ecole Militaire, in which one hundred and fifty young boys are educated for the army. They have arms of different Son of Mrs. Johnfon, by her first husband. 1775. fizes, according to the age;-flints of wood. The building is very large, but Atat. 65. nothing fine, except the council-room. The French have large fquares in the windows;—they make good iron palifades. Their meals are gross. "We vifited the Obfervatory, a large building of a great height. The upper ftones of the parapet very large, but not cramped with iron. The flat on the top is very extenfive; but on the infulated 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 fmall convent of the Fathers of the Oratory. In the reading-defk of the refectory lay the Lives of the Saints. "Oct. 11. Wednesday. We went to fee Hôtel de Chatlois, a house not very large, but very elegant. One of the rooms was gilt to a degree that I never faw before. The upper part for fervants and their masters was pretty. "Thence we went to Mr. Monville's, a house divided into small apart→ ments, furnished with effeminate and minute elegance.-Porphyry. "Thence we went to St. Roque's church, which is very large;-the lower part of the pillars incrufted with marble.-Three chapels behind the high ́altar;--the last a mass of low arches.-Altars, I believe, all round. "We paffed through Place de Vendôme, a fine fquare, about as big as Hanover-fquare.-Inhabited by the high families.-Lewis 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 Boccage, the Marquis Blanchetti, and his lady.-The fweetmeats taken by the Marchionefs Blanchetti, after obferving that they were dear. Mr. Le Roy, Count Manucci the Abbé, the Prior, and Father Wilfon, who ftaid with me, till I took him home in the coach. "Bathiani is gone. "The French have no laws for the maintenance of their poor.-Monk not neceffarily a priest.-Benedictines rife 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 feven to eight. They may fleep eight hours.Bodily labour wanted in monafteries. "The poor taken to hofpitals, and miferably kept.-Monks in the convent fifteen-accounted poor. “Oct. 12. Thursday. We went to the Gobelins.-Tapestry makes a good picture-imitates flesh exactly.-One piece with a gold ground;-the birds not exactly coloured.-Thence we went to the King's cabinet-very neat, nots not, perhaps, perfect.-Gold ore.-Candles of the candle-tree.-Seeds.Woods.-Thence to Gagnier's houfe, where I faw rooms nine, furnished with a profufion of wealth and elegance which I never have feen before.-Vases.Pictures. The dragon china.-The luftre faid to be of crystal, and to have coft 3,500l.-The whole furniture faid to have coft 125,000l.-Damask hangings covered with pictures.-Porphyry.-This houfe ftruck me.-Then we waited on the ladies to Monville's.-Captain Irwin with us.—Spain. County towns all beggars. At Dijon he could not find the way to Orleans.-Crofs roads of France very bad.-Five foldiers.-Woman.-Soldiers escaped.The Colonel would not lofe five men for the death of one woman.-The magiftrate cannot feize a foldier but by the Colonel's permiffion.-Good inn at Nifmes.Moors of Barbary fond of Englishmen.-Gibraltar eminently healthy-it has beef from Baibary.-There is a large garden.-Soldiers fometimes fall from the rock. "Oct. 13. Friday. I ftaid at home all day, only went to find the Prior, whowas not at home.-I read fomething in Canus 7.-Nec admiror, nec multum laudo. "Oct. 14. Saturday. We went to the house of Mr. Argenfon, which was almoft wainscotted with looking-glaffes, and covered with gold.-The ladies' closet wainscotted with large fquares of glafs over painted paper. They always place mirrours to reflect their rooms. "Then we went to Julien's, the Treasurer of the Clergy :-30,000l. a year. The house has no very large room, but is fet with mirrours, and covered with gold.-Books of wood here, and in another library. -- "At D-- 's I looked into the books in the lady's clofet, and, in contempt, fhewed them to Mr. T.-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 watch-maker, a man of character in his business, who shewed a small clock made to find the longitude. A decent man. "Afterwards we faw the Palais Marchand, and the Courts of Juftice, civil and criminal.—Queries on the Sellette.-This building has the old Gothick. paffages, and a great appearance of antiquity.-Three hundred prifoners fometimes in the gaol. "Much disturbed;-hope no ill will be. • The reft of this paragraph appears to be a minute of what was told by Captain Irwin. 7 Melchior Canus, a celebrated Spanish Dominican, who died at Toledo, in 1560. He wrote a treatise De Locis Theologicis, in twelve books. This paffage, which fome may think fuperftitious, reminds me of Archbishop Laud's Diary. 1775. 1775. "In the afternoon I vifited Mr. Freron the journalist. He spoke Latin very Etat. 66. fcantily, but seemed to understand me.-His house not fplendid, but of commodious fize.-His family, wife, fon, and daughter, not elevated but decent. I was pleased with my reception. -He is to translate my book, which I am to fend him with notes. "Oct. 15. Sunday. At Choisi, a royal palace on the banks of the Seine, about 7 m. 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 table.-Labyrinth.-Sinking table. Toilet tables. "Oct. 16. Monday. The Palais Royal very grand, large, and lofty.-A very great collection of pictures.-Three of Raphael.-Two Holy Family.— One fmall piece of M. Angelo.-One room of Rubens.-I thought the pictures of Raphael fine. "The Thuilleries.-Statues.-Venus.-Æn. and Anchifes in his arms. Nilus. Many more.-The walks not open to mean perfons.-Chairs at night hired for two fous à piece.-Pont tournant. "Austin Nuns.-Grate.-Mrs. Fermor, Abbefs.-She knew Pope, and thought him difagreeable.-Mrs. has many books ;-has feen life.Their frontlet difagreeable.—Their hood.—Their life easy.-Rife about five; hour and half in chapel.-Dine at ten.-Another hour and half at chapel; half an hour about three, and half an hour more at seven-four hours in chapel.-A large garden.-Thirteen penfioners.-Teacher complained. "At the Boulevards faw nothing, yet was glad to be there.-Rope-dancing and farce.-Egg dance. "N. [Note.] Near Paris, whether on week-days or Sundays, the roads empty. "Oct. 17. Tuesday. At the Palais Marchand.-I bought "We heard the lawyers plead.-N. As many killed at Paris as there are days in the year.-Chambre de queftion.-Tournelle at the Palais Marchand.An old venerable building. "The Palais Bourbon, belonging to the Prince of Condé. Only one fmall wing shown;-lofty ;- fplendid;-gold and glass.-The battles of the great Condé are painted in one of the rooms. The prefent Prince a grandfire at thirty-nine. "The fight of palaces, and other great buildings, leaves no very distinct images, unless to thofe who talk of them, and imprefs them. As I entered, my wife was in my mind': fhe would have been pleased. Having now nobody to please, I am little pleased. "N. In France there is no middle rank. "So many fhops open, that Sunday is little diftinguished at Paris.-The palaces of Louvre and Thuilleries granted out in lodgings. "In the Palais de Bourbon, gilt globes of metal at the fire-place. "The French beds commended.-Much of the marble, only paste. "The Coloffeum a mere wooden building, at least much of it. "Oct. 18. Wednesday. We went to Fontainebleau, which we found a large mean town, crouded with people.-The foreft thick with woods, very extenfive. -Manucci fecured us lodging.--The appearance of the country' pleafant. No hills, few ftreams, only one hedge.-I remember no chapels nor croffes on the road.-Pavement ftill, and rows of trees. "N. Nobody but mean people walk in Paris. "Oct. 19. Thursday. At court, we faw the apartments;-the King's bedchamber and council-chamber extremely fplendid.-Perfons of all ranks in the external rooms through which the family paffes;-fervants and mafters.Brunet with us the fecond time. << The introductor came to us ;-civil to me.-Presenting.—I had scruples. Not neceffary. We went and faw the King and Queen at dinner.We faw the other ladies at dinner-Madame Elizabeth, with the Princess of Guimené. At night we went to a comedy. I neither faw nor heard.Drunken women. Mrs. Th. preferred one to the other. "Oct. 20. Friday. We faw the Queen mount in the foreft.-Brown habit; rode afide: one lady rode afide.-The Queen's horfe light grey;martingale. She galloped.-We then went to the apartments, and admired them. Then wandered through the palace. In the paffages, stalls and shops.Painting in fresco by a great mafter, worn out.-We faw the King's horfes and dogs.-The dogs almost all English.-Degenerate. - "The horses not much commended.-The ftables cool; the kennel filthy. "At night the ladies went to the opera. I refused, but should have been welcome. His tender affection for his departed wife, of which there are many evidences in his "Prayers and Meditations," appears very feelingly in this paffage. 1775 Atat. 66. |