A Trip to Paris in July and August 1792 Part 8

"The confusion inseparable from a new order of things, has necessarily caused Paris to swarm with vagabonds; so that far from being surprized that some crimes have been committed, we ought rather to wonder that they are not more frequent."

"When _Louis XVI._ was brought back to Paris (25 June, 1791) the inhabitants of _fauxbourgs_ pasted a placard (advertis.e.m.e.nt) against the walls, saying, 'Whoever applauds him shall be cudgelled, whoever attacks him shall be hanged.' An awful silence was observed."

After the account of the Pantheon (p. 28) should be added: In April, 1791, the body or _Mirabeau_ was deposited here; and in July following that of _Voltaire_. Soon after this it was decreed, that _Rousseau_ had merited the honours due to great men, but that his ashes should remain where they were.

To the lift of engravings of the _Maiden_ must be added another, prefixed to a little tract, called _Gibbet-Law_.

By _premier An de l'Egalite_,(first year of Equality) it is not to be understood that every person in France is equal, but that as they have no sovereign, no person is above, but every person is equally under the protection of the law. This matter has been both misunderstood and misrepresented in England.

On the 18th I was out of the barriers of Paris by three in the afternoon, and proceeded to _Chantilly_, where we[43] arrived at nine, and remained for the night. We were informed that two hundred _Sans-culottes_ and _Ma.r.s.eillois_ had walk'd here from Paris, (28 miles) two or three days before, had pulled down an equestrian statue, (probably that of the Constable _de Montmorenci_) cut off a man's head, carried it about the streets on a pike, _a la mode de Paris_, caught and eat most of the carp which had been swimming in the ponds which surround the palace above a hundred years, were then in the stables and intended to return to Paris the next day. They did no other damage to the building than breaking the _Conde_ arms, which were carved in stone.

[Note 43: The Gentleman who came with me, an English and an Irish Gentleman, with their Ladies, in their own chaises.

There is an octavo Description of _Chantilly_ just published, with a map, and twenty _mezzotinto_ views of the gardens.]

The night of the next day we pa.s.sed at _Flixcourt_, and that of the Monday at the Post-house, at the foot of the hill on which _Boulogne_ is situated.

On Tuesday the 21st we arrived at Calais in the morning; the wind was so violent and unfavorable that we were detained here till the 24th, when we failed, and had a pa.s.sage of seven hours to Dover.

There was nothing to remark on the road from Paris to Calais, except that the harvest was not yet got in, for want of hands, that the corn was _lodged_, and sowing itself again; that every person and thing was as quiet as if nothing had happened in Paris, and that no one knew the particulars of what _had_ happened.

At Calais many person wore trowsers, after the fas.h.i.+on of the _Sans-culottes_.

EPILOGUE.

SOON after my return to London the two following paragraphs appeared in the newspapers.

"T. has been over to France, botanizing, and has gotten what he went to seek."

"I'll tell you, my Lord Fool, From this Nettle danger we pluck the _Flower_ safety."

This I insert merely on account of the Betise of the quotation. The Dutch inscription on sticks of sealing-wax would have been as applicable.

"T. the Tourist was the first to fly from Paris on the prospect of the tumults of the 10th of August. He is now writing a History of the b.l.o.o.d.y Murders which distinguished that day."

I suspect that the ingenious Genius who wrote this knew he was mistaking as to the former part of this paragraph. He may say _Trippist_ now.

I should not have seen either of these, had they not been pointed out to me by some of my "d.a.m.ned good-natured friends." I am in hopes of seeing a number of very pretty criticisms on the foregoing pages; many pa.s.sages were written purposely to catch critics, as honey catches gnats; if just, they shall be attended to, should there be another edition; and if they are merely absurd, they shall be collected, and faithfully presented to the gentle reader. I have told the truth, and have not "set down aught in malice."

THE END.