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AFTER
WATERLOO
ROMANCES OF THE FRENCH REVOLU-
TION. By G. LENOTRE. Translated by
FREDERIC LEES (Officier de PInstruftion Pub-
lique). In Two Vols. Demy 8vo, fully Illus-
trated, price zos. net.
RECOLLECTIONS OF A SPINSTER AUNT.
Edited by S. SOPHIA BEALE. Demy 8vo, price
8s. 6d. net.
DAN TO BEERSHEBA. Work and Travel in Four
Continents. By ARCHIBALD R. COLQUHOUN,
F.R.G.S. With a frontispiece. Demy 8vo, price
8s. 6d. net.
THE REVOLT OF THE "POTEMKIN."
Reminiscences of CONSTANTINE FELDMAN.
Crown 8vo, price 6s. net.
WILLIAM HEINEMANN, 21 Bedford Street,
London, W.C.
AFTER WATERLOO
Reminiscences of European Travel
1815-1819
By
MAJOR W. E. FRYE
EDITED WITH A PREFACE AND NOTES
By SALOMON REINACH
Member of the Institute of France
Copyright, London, 1908, by William Heinemann.
To
V.A.M.
S.R.
PREFACE
THE knowledge of Major Frye's manuscript and the privi-
lege of publishing it for the first time I owe to the kindness
of two French ladies, the Misses G . Their father, a well-
known artist and critic, used to spend the summer months
at Saint Germain-en-Laye together with his wife, who was
an Englishwoman by birth. They had been for a long time in-
timately acquainted with Major Frye, who lived and ended his
life in that quiet town. The Major's hostess, Mme.de W ,
after his death in 1853, brought the manuscript to Mrs.
G and gave it to her in memory of her friend. It was
duly preserved in the G family, but remained unno-
ticed. The Misses G rediscovered it in 1907, when it
had been lying in a cupboard for upwards of half a century.
On their showing it to me I thought it was interesting for
many reasons, and worthy of introduction to the public. I
hope the reader will share my opinion, which is also that
of several English scholars and men of letters, to whom I
communicated extracts from the manuscript.
The reminiscences are in the form of letters addressed
to a correspondent who, however, is never named and of
whose health, family and private circumstances not the
slightest mention is to be found. So I am inclined to believe
that he never existed, and that Major Frye chose to imitate
President de Brosses and others who thus recorded their
travelling experiences in epistolary form.
The manuscript which will eventually be deposited in a
public library is entirely in Major Frye's large and legible
hand ; at some later time it was evidently revised by himself,
but many names which I have endeavoured to complete were
left in blank or only indicated by initials. There are three
folio volumes, bound in paper boards. In this edition it has
been thought advisable to leave out a certain number of
vii
PREFACE
pages devoted to theatricals, of which Major Frye was a
great votary, and also some lengthy descriptions of land-
scapes, museums and churches, the interest of which to
modern readers does not correspond to the space occupied by
them. For the information contained in the footnotes I am
indebted to many correspondents, English, French, Swiss,
Belgian and Italian, to whom I here express my hearty
thanks. I am under special obligation to Sir Charles Dilke,
Mr Oscar Browning, Professor Novati, Professor Corrado
Ricci, Commandant Esperandieu, Professor Cumont, Pro-
fessor Stilling and Mr Hochberg.
Major Frye's tombstone is in the cemetery of Saint Ger-
main, and reads thus: " To the memory of Major William
Edward Frye, who departed this life the 9th day of October,
1853." On the same stone has been added in French: " Per-
ceval Edmond Litchfield, decede le 15 Avril, 1888." About
P. E. Litchfield I know nothing; he must have been the
Major's intimate friend during the last period of his life.
W. E. Frye was born Oct. 29, 1784, and received his
education at Eton (1797-9) in the time of the French
Revolution. " The system was," he says, " to drill into the
heads of the boys strong aristocratic principles and hatred
of democracy and of the French hi particular." The effect
produced on the youth was the reverse of that intended.
From 1799 to 1822 he belonged to the British army: here
is an abstract of his services :
Ensign, 2nd Foot, 5th August, 1799.
Lieutenant, 2nd Foot, 7th March, 1800.
Half-pay, 4th Foot, 14th April, 1803.
Lieutenant, 24th Foot, 8th December, 1804.
Captain, 56th Foot, 18th April, 1805.
3rd Ceylon Regt., 15th Feb., 1810.
Half -pay, 3rd Foot, 7th March, 1816.
4th Foot, 24th Feb., 1820.
Brevet-Major, 12th August, 1819.
Sold out, 15th August, 1822.
viii
PREFACE
In 1799, Frye took a part in the British Expedition to
Holland. In 1801 he was in Egypt with Lord Abercrombie's
army and received the medal for war service. His career in
India lasted six years and gave him occasion to visit the
three presidencies and Ceylon. In 1814 he returned on fur-
lough to Europe and was in Brussels during the Waterloo
campaign. The subsequent years 1815 to 1819 he em-
ployed visiting Western Europe, as appears from his re-
miniscences. I have read letters of his which prove that he
lived in Paris from 1830 to 1832. Later, about 1848, he took
an apartment in Saint Germain, and died there in 1853.
Major Frye was a very distinguished linguist; besides
knowing Greek and Latin, he understood almost all Euro-
pean languages, and was capable of writing correctly in
French, Italian and German. The Misses G have shown
me a rare book published by him at Paris in 1844 under the
following title :
" Trois chants de PEdda. Vaftrudnismal, Thrymsquidal,
Skirnisfor, traduits en vers franfais, accompagnes de notes
explicatives des mythes et allegories, et suivis d'autres
poe'mes par W. E. Frye, ancien major d'infanterie an service
d'Angleterre, membre de P Academic des Arcadiens de
Rome. Se vend a Paris, pour Pauteur, chez HeidelofT
& Cie, Libraires, 18 Rue des Filles St. Thomas. 1844 "
(In 8vo, xii, 115 pp.)
At the end of that volume are translations by Major
Frye of several Northern poems in German, Italian and
English verse from the Danish and the Swedish; then
come two sonnets hi French verse, the one in honour of
Lafayette, the other about the Duke of Orleans, whose
premature death he compares with that of the Northern
hero of the Edda, Balder. A part of Frye's translation
of the Edda, before appearing in book form, had been
published in VEcho de la Litterature et des Beaux Arts, a
periodical edited by the Major's friend, M. de Belenet.
Frye loved poetry, though his ideas on the subject were
rather those of the eighteenth century than our own. It is
ix
PREFACE
interesting to find an English officer reading Voltaire, Gessner,
Ariosto, and quoting them from memory (which explains
that some of his quotations had to be corrected). The
sentimental vein of Rousseau's generation still flows and
vibrates in him, as when he says that he has never been
able to read the letters of Wolmar to St Preux in Rousseau's
Nouvelle Helo'ise without shedding tears. German minor
poetry, now quite forgotten, attracted him almost as much
as the great pages of Schiller, Burger, and Goethe. The
Misses G. possess a manuscript translation in three volumes,
in the Major's own hand, of Wieland's Agathodemon done
into English. This he evidently intended to publish, as he
had written the title-page which is worded as follows :
" Agathodemon, a philosophical romance translated from
the German of Wieland by W. E. Frye, member of the
Academy degli Arcadi in Rome, and of the Royal Society of
Northern Antiquarians of Copenhagen, ex-major of infantry
in His British Majesty's service."
Frye describes with accuracy, and shows much apprecia-
tion of fine scenery and architecture. His judgements in
painting and sculpture are sincere, though often betraying
the autodidact and amateur. He loved music, especially
Rossini's operas which were then beginning their long
career of triumph. Theatricals of all sorts, especially ballets,
had a great attraction for him and elicited his enthusiastic
comments. In comparing tragedies and comedies which he
had seen performed in different countries, he gave repeated
proofs of his knowledge and critical insight. We can take
him as a good example of that intelligent class of English
travellers whose intercourse with the Continental litterati
has so well contributed to establish the good reputation of
British culture and refined appreciation of the arts.
The chief interest of Frye's reminiscences lies, however,
in quite another direction. He was a friend of liberty, a
friend of France, an admirer of Napoleon, and a hater of the
Tory regime which brought about Napoleon's downfall.
" France's attempts at European domination, in the
PREFACE
Napoleonic era, are graciously described as but so many
efforts towards spreading the light of civilization over
Europe." These words, written about a quite recent work and
a propos of the "Entente cordiale," apply perfectly to Frye's
reminiscences. Travelling immediately before and after the
Emperor's collapse, he found that everywhere, excepting in
Tuscany, the French domination was regretted, because the
ideals of liberty and equality had shone and vanished with
the tricolour flag. He admires the French people, though
not the Ultras and bigots, and has fine words of praise for
the French army: " Yes, the French soldier is a fine fellow.
I have served against them in Holland and in Egypt, and I
will never flinch from rendering justice to their exemplary
conduct and lofty valour." He takes trouble to refute the
exaggerated reports which were then circulated all over
Europe about the cruelties and vandalism practised by the
French: "If the French since the Revolution have not
always fought for liberty, they have done so invariably for
science; and wherever they carried their victorious arms
abuses were abolished, ameliorations of all kinds followed
and the arts of life were improved. Our government, since
the accession of George III, has never raised its arm except
inffavour of old abuses, to uphold despotism and unfair
privileges or to establish commercial monopoly."
Sometimes, indeed, speaking of his own country and its
government, Major Frye uses very hard words, which
might seem unpatriotic if we did not know, from many
other memoirs and letters, to what a terrible strain orthodox
Toryism, coupled with bigotry and hypocrisy, had put the
patience of liberal Englishmen at that period. He called the
British government " the most dangerous, artful, and
determined enemy of all liberty," " England," he says,
" has been always ready to lend a hand to crush liberty, to
perpetuate abuses and to rivet the fetters of monarchical,
feudal and ecclesiastical tyranny." And later on he in-
veighs against the English merchants, who "contributed
with their gold to uphold the corrupt system of Pitt
xi
PREFACE
and to carry on unjust, unreasonable and liberticide
wars."
Whatever may be the final judgement of history on the
Tory principles in politics in the days of the Congress of
Vienna, Major Frye's love of liberty and intellectual pro-
gress entitle him to the sympathy of those who share his
generous feelings and do not consider that personal freedom
and individual rights are articles for home use only. Since
Frye wrote, the whole of Europe, excepting perhaps Russia,
has reaped the benefits of the French Revolution, and
reduced, if not suppressed, what the Major called "kingcraft
and priestcraft." He did not attempt to divine the future,
but the history of Europe in the nineteenth century has been
largely in accordance with his desires and hopes. It is not a
small merit for a writer, in the midst of one of the most
rabid reactions that the world has known, to have clung with
such tenacity to ideals, the complete victory of which may
now be contemplated in the near future.
S.R.
xn
CONTENTS
PART I.
CHAPTER I
MAY JUNE, 1815
Passage from Ceylon to England Napoleon's return Ostend Bruges
Ghent The King of France at Mass Alost Bruxelles The Duke of
Wellington very confident Feelings of the Belgians Good conduct of
British troops Monuments in Bruxelles Theatricals Genappe and
Namur Complaints against the Prussian troops Mons Major-General
Adam Tournay A French deserter General Clinton's division Cavalry
review The Duke de Berri Back to Bruxelles Unjust opinions about
Napoleon and the French Battle at Ligny The day of Waterloo in
Bruxelles Visit to the battlefield Terrible condition of the wounded
Kindness of the Bruxellois i
CHAPTER II
From Bruxelles to Li^ge A priest's declamation against the French
Revolution Maastricht Aix-la-Chapelle Imperial relics Napoleon
regretted Klingmann's " Faust " A Tyrolese beauty Cologne Diffi-
culties about a passport The Cathedral King-craft and priest-craft
The Rhine Bonn and Godesberg Goethe's "Gotz von Berlichingen "
The Seven Mountains German women Andernach Ehrenbreitstein
German hatred against France Coblentz Intrigues of the Bourbon
princes in Coblentz Mayence Bieberich Conduct of the Allies towards
Napoleon Frankfort on the Mayn An anecdote about Lord Stewart and
Lafayette German poetry The question of Alsace and Lorraine Return
to Bruxelles Napoleon's surrender 30
CHAPTER III
From Bruxelles to Paris Restoration of Louis XVIII The officers
of the allied armies The Palais Royal The Louvre Protest of the author
against the proposed despoiling of the French Museums Unjust strictures
against Napoleon's military policy The cant about revolutionary robberies
The Grand Opera Monuments in Paris The Champs Elysees Saint-
Cloud The Hotel des Invalides The Luxembourg General Labedoyere
Priests and emigrants Prussian Plunder Handsome behaviour of
the English officers Reminiscences of Eton Versailles 58
CHAPTER IV
From Paris to Bruxelles Visiting the plains of Waterloo The Duke de
Berri at Lille Beauvais Return to Paris Remarks on the French theatre
Talma Mile Duchesnois Mile Georges French alexandrine verse The
Abbe Delille The Opera Comique 83
xiii
CONTENTS
CHAPTER V
From Paris to Milan through Dijon, Chalon-sur-Saone, Lyons, Geneva
and the Simplon Auxerre Dijon Napoleon at Chalon-sur-Saone The
army of the Loire Macon French grisettes Lyons Monuments and
theatricals Geneva Character and opinions of the Genevois Voltaire's
chateau at Ferney The chevalier Zadera From Geneva to Milan Crossing
the Simplon Arena The theatres in Milan Rossini Monuments in
Milan Art encouraged by the French Mr Eustace's bigotry Return
to Switzerland Clarens and Vevey Lausanne Society in Lausanne
Return to Paris The Louvre stripped Death of Marshal Ney ... 97
PART II
CHAPTER VI
MARCH JUNE, 1816
Ball at Cambray, attended by the Duke of Wellington An Adventure
between Saint Quentin and Compiegne Paris revisited Colonel Wardle
and Mrs Wallis Society in Paris The Sourds-Muets The Cemetery of
Pere La Chaise Apathy of the French people The priests Marriage of
the Duke de Berri 145
CHAPTER VII
Journey from Paris to Lausanne Besan^on French refugees in Lausanne
Fran9ois Lamarque General Espinassy Bordas Gautier Michau
M. de Laharpe Mile Michaud Levade, a Protestant minister Chambery
Aix Details about M. de Boigne's career in India English Toryism and
intolerance Valley of Maurienne Passage across Mont Cenis and arrival
at Suza Turin 155
CHAPTER VIII
Journey from Turin to Bologna Asti Schiller and Alfieri Italian cuisine
The vetturini Marengo Piacenza The Trebbia Parma The Empress
Maria Louisa Modena Bologna The University The Marescalchi
Gallery Character of the Bolognese 173
CHAPTER IX
Journey across the Appennines to Florence Tuscan idioms and customs
Monuments and galleries at Florence The Cascino Churches Theatres
Popularity of the Grand Duke Napoleon's downfall not regretted
Academies in Florence 189
CHAPTER X
Journey from Florence to Rome Sienna Radicofani Bolsena Monte-
fiascone wine Viterbo Baccano The Roman Campagna The papal
douane Monuments and Museums in Rome Intolerance of the Catholic
Christians The Tiber and the bridges Character of the Romans The
Palazzi and Ville Canova's atelier Theatricals An execution in
Rome , 205
xiv
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XI
From Rome to Naples Albano Velletri The Marshes Terracina
Mola di Gaeta Capua The streets of Naples Monuments and Museums
Visit to Pompeii and ascent to Vesuvius Dangerous ventures Puzzuoli
and Baiae Theatres at Naples Pulcinello Return to Rome Tivoli 243
CHAPTER XII
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1816
From Rome to Florence Sismondi the historian Reminiscences of India
Lucca Princess Elisa Baciocchi Pisa The Campo Santo Leghorn
Hebrews in Leghorn Lord Dillon The story of a lost glove From Flo-
rence to Lausanne by Milan, Turin and across Mont Cenis Lombardy in
winter The Hospice of Mont Cenis 272
PART III
CHAPTER XIII
MARCH-SEPTEMBER, 1817
Journey from Lausanne to Clermont-Ferrand A wretched conveyance
The first dish of frogs Society in Clermont-Ferrand General de Vergennes
Cleansing the town Return to Lausanne A zealous priest Journey
to Bern and back to Lausanne Avenches Lake Morat Lake Neuf-
chatel The Diet in Bern Character of the Bernois A beautiful Milanese
lady 289
CHAPTER XIV
SEPTEMBER, i8i7-APRIL, 1818
Journey from Lausanne to Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples Resi-
dence at Naples The theatre of San Carlo Rossini's operas Gaming in
Naples The Lazzaroni Public writers Carbonarism Return to Rome
Christmas eve at Santa Maria Maggiore Mme Dionigi Theatricals
Society in Rome The papal government Lucien Bonaparte, prince of
Canino Louis Napoleon, ex-King of Holland Pope Pius VII Thor-
waldsen Granet The Holy Week in Rome The Duchess of Devon-
shire From Rome to Florence by the Perugia road 304
CHAPTER XV
APRIL-JULY, 1818
Journey from Florence to Pisa and from thence by the Appennines to
Genoa Massa-Carrara Genoa Monuments and works of art The
Genoese Return to Florence Journey from Florence through Bologna
and Ferrara to Venice Monument to Ariosto in Ferrara A description
of Venice Padua Vicenza Verona Cremona Return to Milan The
Scala theatre Verona again From Verona to Innspruck. . . . 331
CHAPTER XVI
JULY-SEPTEMBER, 1818
Innspruck Tyrol and the Tyrolese From Innspruck to Munich
Monuments and churches Theatricals Journey from Munich to Vienna
XV
CONTENTS
on a floss Trouble with a passport Complicated system of Austrian
money Description of Vienna The Prater The theatres Schiller's Joan
of Arc A KinderballetThe young Napoleon at Schoenbrunn Journey
from Vienna to Prague 355
CHAPTER XVII
SEPTEMBER, i8i8-MARCH, 1819
The splendid city of Prague The German expression, "To give the
basket" Journey from Prague to Dresden Journey from Dresden to
Berlin A description of Berlin The Prussian Army Theatricals
Peasants talk about Napoleon Prussians and French should be allies
Absurd policy of the English Tories Journey from Berlin to Dresden A
description of Dresden The battle of Dresden in 1813 Clubs at Dresden
Theatricals German beds Saxon scholars The picture gallery To-
bacco an ally of Legitimacy Saxon women Meissen Unjust policy of
Europe towards the King of Saxony 380
CHAPTER XVIII
MARCH- APRIL, 1819
Journey from Dresden to Leipzig The University of Leipzig Liberal
spirit The English disliked in Saxony The English Government hostile
to liberty Journey to Frankfort From Frankfort to Metz and Paris
A. F. Lemaitre Bon voyage to the Allies Return to England. . . 410
XVI
CHAPTER I
MAY JUNE, 1815
Passage from Ceylon to England Napoleon's return Ostend Bruges
Ghent The King of France at Mass Alost Bruxelles The Duke of
Wellington very confident Feelings of the Belgians Good conduct of
British troops Monuments in Bruxelles Theatricals Genappe and
Namur Complaints against the Prussian troops Mons Major-General
Adam Tournay A French deserter General Clinton's division Cavalry
review The Duke de Berri Back to Bruxelles Unjust opinions about
Napoleon and the French Battle at Ligny The day of Waterloo in
Bruxelles Visit to the battlefield Terrible condition of the wounded
Kindness of the Bruxellois.
BRUXELLES, May 7, 1815.
I PROCEED to the fulfilment of my promise, to give you
from time to time the details of my tour, and my reflections
on the circumstances that occur at this momentous crisis.
To me, who have spent the greatest part of my life out of
Europe, the whole scene is so new that I am quite bewildered
with it; and you will, I am afraid, as I write on the impulse
of the moment, find my ideas at times rather incoherently
put together. What changes have taken place in Europe
within the last two years! and how great were those which
occurred during the interval of my passage from Ceylon
last year, which island I quitted about the time that we
received in that part of the world intelligence of the battle
of Leipsic! Having had a long passage from distant Tapro-
bane, it was only on my arrival at the Cape of Good Hope,
that I learned, to my utter astonishment, the news of the
capitulation of Paris to the allied powers, and of the over-
throw of the power and dynasty of Napoleon. I recollect
that at the Cape there was great rejoicing and jubilee on
this occasion ; but I confess, as to myself, I did not see any
reason for giving vent to this extravagant joy; and I must
have had even at that time somehow or other a presenti-
ment of what would soon happen, as in communicating this
B 1
AFTER WATERLOO
intelligence to a friend in India I made use of these words :
" get a court dress made, my good friend, and a big wig,
ruffled shirt, and hair-powder, and stick an old-fashioned
sword by your side, for, depend on it, old fashions will come
into play again ; the most arbitrary and aristocratic notions
will be revived and terrible machinations will be framed
against the liberties of Europe."
Of course at the Cape we only heard one side of the ques-
tion; and I began to be almost convinced that it was as
necessary for humanity, as for the repose of Europe, that
the giant should be put down; and I was consoled when it
was effected, ostensibly, at least, by the voice of the people.
I had scarcely been three months in England, when the
return of Napoleon from Elba, and the extraordinary dis-
location of the Bourbons from the throne of France,
summoned Europe again to arms; the crusade is preached
at Vienna, and behold! his Grace of Wellington appointed
the Godfrey of the holy league. I had reason, about six
weeks before the news of this event reached London, from
some conversation I had with an intelligent friend, who
had just returned from a tour on the Continent, to suppose
that the slightest combination against the Bourbons
would prove successful, from their injudicious conduct and
from the temper of the people; but I never could have
supposed that the return of the man of Elba would be hailed
with such unparalleled and unanimous acclamation. As I
had long ago wished for an opportunity of visiting the
continent of Europe, which had never before occurred to
me, I eagerly embraced the offer made to me by my friend
Major-General Wilson, formerly Lieut.-Governor of Ceylon,*
to accompany him on a military tour through the country
about to be the theatre of war. Though I had never before
visited the Continent (except with the British army in the
invasion of Holland in 1799, when I began my military
career), yet I was not wholly unprepared for travelling,
* Sir Wiltshire Wilson (1762-1842), Commander of the Royal Artillery in
Ceylon, 1810-1815. ED.
2
ARRIVAL AT OSTEND
having united to a classical, as well as military education, a
tolerable knowledge of history, and a partial acquirement
of the principal modern European languages, which I had
begun to learn when very young and which I kept up during
my leisure hours in India, which, like those of Don Quixote,
were many. I preferred this study infinitely to that of the
Asiatic languages, for which I never felt any taste, as I dis-
like bombast, hyperbole and exaggeration; and though an
ardent admirer of the Muses, I never could find pleasure in
what Voltaire terms " le bon style oriental, ou Ton fait
danser les montagnes et les collines," and I prefer the
amatory effusions of Ovid to those of the great King Solo-
mon himself.
The war will no doubt commence in Belgium, and of
course the Emperor Napoleon will be the assailant, for it
cannot be supposed that after the act of ban passed against
him by the Amphictyons of Vienna he will remain tranquil,
and not strike the first blow, which may render him master
of Belgium and its resources.
We embarked at Ramsgate on the first of May for
Ostend on board of a small vessel bound thither. Our
fellow passengers were two officers of dragoons, several
commissaries with their servants, horses, etc. After a
passage of twenty-four hours, we entered the harbour of
Ostend at one o'clock the following day. Ostend, once so
flourishing and opulent, has long since fallen into decay; its
usual dullness is however just now interrupted by the
bustle of troops landing to join the allied army. Cavalry,
infantry, artillery, horses, guns, stores, etc., are landed
every minute. The quays are the only parts of this city
which can boast of handsome buildings; the fortifications
seem to be much out of repair; in fact, the aggrandizement of
Antwerp occasioned necessarily the deterioration of Ostend.
The General and myself went to put up at the Tele cTOr,
the only inn where we could procure beds; and we embarked
early next morning at the embouchure of the canal on board
of a treckschuyt which conveyed us in three hours to Bruges.
B2 3
AFTER WATERLOO
The landscape between Ostend and Bruges is extremely
monotonous, it being a uniformly flat country; yet it is
pleasing to the eye at this season of the year from the ver-
dure of the plains, which are all appropriated to pasturage,
and from the appearance of the different villages and towns,
of which the eye can embrace a considerable number. There
is a good road on the banks of the canal, and the troops, on
their line of march, enlivened much the scene. Bruges, for-
merly the grand mart and emporium of the commerce of the
East, not only for the Low Countries, but for all the North
of Europe, seems, if we may judge from the state of the
buildings and the stillness that prevails, to be also in a state
of decline. We however had only time to visit the Hotel de
Ville and to remark the immense height of the steeple
on the Grande Place. We observed a number of pretty
women in the streets and in the shops employed in lace
making. Bruges has been at all times renowned for the
beauty of the female sex, and this brought to my recollec-
tion a passage in Schiller's tragedy of the Maid of Orleans,
wherein the Duke of Burgundy says that the greatest boast
of Bruges is the beauty of its women.
Another treckschuyt was to start at twelve o'clock for
Ghent; but we preferred going by land and General Wilson
hired a carriage for that purpose. The distance is about
thirty miles. The road from Bruges to Ghent or Gand is
perfectly straight, lined with trees and paved like a street.
The country is quite flat, and though there is nothing
to bound the horizon, the trees on each side of the road
intercept the view.
We arrived at Ghent about six in the afternoon of the 4th
and had some difficulty in finding room, as the different
hotels were filled with officers of the allied army; but at
length, after many ineffectual applications at several, we
obtained admission at the Hotel de Flandre, where we took
possession of a double-bedded room, the only one unoccupied.
Gand seems to be a very neat, clean and handsome city,
with an air of magnificence about it. The Grande Place is
4
LOUIS XVIII AT GHENT
very striking, and the promenades are aligned with trees.
We inspected the exterior of several public buildings and
visited the interior of several churches. In the cathedral we
had the honour of seeing at High Mass his most Christian
Majesty, Monsieur and the Comte de Blacas, Vicomte de
Chateaubriand and others, composing the Court of noire
Pere de Gand, as Louis XVIII is humorously termed by the
French, from his having fixed his head-quarters here. A
great many French officers who have followed his fortunes
are also here, but they seem principally to belong to the
Gardes du Corps. A number of military attended the
service in the cathedral in order to witness the devotions of
the Bourbon family. Monsieur has all the appearance of a
worn out debauchee, and to see him with a missal in his hand
and the strange contrite face he assumes, is truly ridiculous.
These princes, instigated no doubt by the priests, make a
great parade of their sanctity, for which however those who
are acquainted with their character will not give them much
credit. But religious cant is the order of the day intra et
extra Iliacos muros, abroad as well as in England. The King
of France takes the lead, having in view no doubt the advice
of Buckingham to Richard III :
A pray'r book in your hand, my Lord, were well,
For on that ground I'll make an holy descant.
and M. de Chateaubriand will no doubt trumpet forth the
devotion and Christian humility of his master. Those, how-
ever, who are at all acquainted with this prince's habits,
and are not interested in palliating or concealing them,
insinuate that his devotions at the table are more sincere
than at the altar and that, like the Giant Margutte in the
Morgante Maggiore of Pulci, he places more faith and
reliance on a cappone lesso ossia arrosto than on the conse-
crated but less substantial wafer.*
* Pulci, Morgante, canto xvm, ottava 114-115. The Giant Morgante
meets the villain Margutte and asks him if he be a Christian or a Saracen.
Margutte answers that he cares not, but only believes in boiled or in roasted
capon :
Rispose allor Margutte: A dirtel tosto
lo non credo piu al nero ch' all' azzurro,
Ma nel cappone, o lesso. o vuogli arrosto . . .
AFTER WATERLOO
After contemplating this edifying spectacle, we returned
to our inn, and the next morning after breakfast we set out
on our journey to Bruxelles. The road is exactly similar to
that between Bruges and Gand, but the country appears to
be richer and more diversified, and many country houses
were observable on the road side. We passed thus several
neat villages. At one o'clock we stopped at Alost to refresh
our horses and dine. At the table d'hote were a number of
French officers belonging to the Gardes du Corps. On enter-
ing into conversation with one of them, I found that he as
well as several others of them had served under Napoleon,
and had even been patronised and promoted by him; but I
suppose that being the sons of the ancient noblesse they
thought that gratitude to a parvenu like him was rather too
plebeian a virtue. Some of them, however, with whom I con-
versed after dinner seemed to regret the step they had
taken. " If we are successful," said they, " it can only be by
means of the Allied Armies, and who knows what con-
ditions they may impose on France? If we should be unsuc-
cessful, we are exiled probably for life from our country."
During dinner, two pretty looking girls with musical instru-
ments entered the hall, and regaled our ears with singing
some romances, among which were Dunois le Troubadour
and La Sentinelle. They sang with much taste and feeling.
I surmise this is not the only profession they exercise, if I
might judge from the doux yeux they occasionally directed
to some of the officers. These girls did not at least seem by
their demeanour as if likely to incur the anathema of
Rinaldo hi the Orlando Furioso:
meritamente muore una crudele,
but rather more disposed to
dar vita all'amator fidele.*
Alost is a neat, clean town or large village, and the same
description will serve for all the towns and villages in
Brabant and Flanders, as they are built on the same
plan. We arrived at Bruxelles late in the evening and put
up at the Hotel d'Angleterre.
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, iv, 63, f. ED.
6
ARRIVAL AT BRUXELLES
BRUXELLES, May 9.
This morning, the General and myself went to pay our
respects to the Gran Capitano of the Holy League, and we
left our cards. He is, I hear, very confident of the result of
the campaign, and no doubt he has for him the prayers of
all the pious in England against those atheistical fellows the
French; and these prayers will surely elicit a "host of
angels " to come down to aid in the destruction of the
Pandemonium of Paris where Satan's lieutenant sits
enthroned. The reflecting people here are astonished that
Napoleon does not begin the attack. The inhabitants of
Belgium are in general, from all that I can hear or see, not
at all pleased with the present order of things, and they
much lament the being severed from France. The two
people, the Belgians and Hollanders, do not seem to amal-
gamate; and the former, though they render ample justice
to the moderation, good sense, and beneficent intentions of
the present monarch, who is personally respected by every
one, yet do not disguise their wish to be reunited to France
and do not hesitate to avow their attachment to the
Emperor Napoleon. This union does not please the Hol-
landers either, on other grounds. They complain that their
interests have been sacrificed entirely to those of the house
of Orange, and they say that from the readiness they dis-
played in shaking off the yoke of France, and the great
weight they thereby threw into the scale, they were entitled
to the restitution of all their colonies in Asia, Africa, and
America. The colonies of the Cape of Good Hope and
Ceylon are what they most regret ; for these colonies in par-
ticular furnished ample employment and the means of pro-
vision for the cadets of patrician families. If you tell them
they have acquired the Belgic provinces as an indemnifica-
tion, they answer: " So much the worse for us, for now the
patronage of the colonial offices must be divided between us
and the Belgians."
The preparations for the grand conflict about to take
place are carried on with unabating activity; the conscrip-
7
AFTER WATERLOO
tion is rigorously enforced arid every youth capable of
bearing arms is enrolled. Almost all the officers of the
Belgian army and a great proportion of the soldiery have
served with the French and have been participators of their
laurels ; one cannot therefore suppose that they are actuated
by any very devouring zeal against their former com-
mander; nor have I found amongst the shop-keepers or
respectable people with whom I have conversed, and who
have been falsely represented as having suffered much from
the tyranny of Napoleon, any who dislike either his person
or government, and certainly none either high or low
express the cannibal wish that I heard some English
country gentlemen and London merchants utter for the
destruction of Paris and of the French people, nor would it
be easy to find here men of the humane and generous senti-
ments professed by some of our aldermen and contractors
when they welcomed with ferocious acclamations of joy
and were ready to embrace the Baschkir or Cossack who
told them that he had slaughtered so many French with his
own hand ; nor would the ladies here be so eager to kiss old
Blucher as was the case in London.
This city is filled with British and Hanoverian troops.
Their conduct is exemplary, nor is any complaint made
against them. The Highland regiments are however the
favourites of the Bruxellois, and the inhabitants give them
the preference as lodgers. They are extremely well behaved
(they say, when speaking of the Highlanders) and they
cheerfully assist the different families on whom they are
quartered in their household labour. This reflects a good
deal of credit on the gallant sons of Caledonia. Their
superior morality to those of the same class either in
England or in Ireland must strike every observer, and must,
in spite of all that the Obscuranten or Chevaliers de VEteig-
noir and others who wish to check the progress of the
human mind may urge to the contrary, be mainly attri-
buted to the general prevalence of education a la portee de
tout le monde. Wherever the people are enlightened there is
8
TRIBUTE TO THE HIGHLANDERS
less crime ; ignorance was never yet the safeguard of virtue.
As for myself I honour and esteem the Scottish nation and
I must say that I have found more liberal ideas and more
sound philosophy among individuals of that nation than
among those of any other, and it is a tribute I owe to them
loudly to proclaim my sentiments; for though personal
gratitude may seem to influence me a little on this subject,
yet I should never think of putting forth my opinion in
public, were it not founded on an impartial observation of
the character of this enterprising and persevering people.
A woman who had some Highlanders quartered in her
house told me in speaking of them: " Monsieur, ce sont de si
bonnes gens; ils sont doux comme des agneaux." " Us n' en
serontpas moins des lions au j our du combat, "was my reply.
I have amused myself with visiting most of the remark-
able objects here, but you must not expect from me a detail
of what you will find in every description book. You wish
to have my ideas on the subjects that most strike me indi-
vidually, and those you shall have; but it would be very
absurd and presumptuous in me to attempt to give a cata-
logue raisonne of buildings and pictures and statues, or to set
up as a connoisseur when I know nothing either of sculp-
ture, of architecture or painting; nor am I desirous of
imitating the young Englishman, who, in writing to his
father from Italy, described so much in detail, and so scien-
tifically, every production, or staple, peculiar to the cities
which he happened to visit, that he wrote like a cheese-
monger from Parma, like a silk mercer from Leghorn, like
an olive and oil merchant from Lucca, like a picture dealer
from Florence, and like an antiquarian from Rome.
BRUXELLES, May 10.
The Hotel d'Angleterre where we are lodged is within four
minutes' walk from the finest part of the city, where the
Pare and Royal Palace is situated. The Pare is not large,
but is tastefully laid out in the Dutch style, and is the
fashionable promenade for the beau monde of Bruxelles.
9
AFTER WATERLOO
The women, without being strikingly handsome, have
much grace; their air, manner and dress are perfectly a la
franfaise. A good cafe and restaurant is in the centre of one
of the sides, and the buildings on the quadrangle environ-
ing the Pare, which form the palace and other tenements
are superb. The next place I went to see was the Hotel de
Ville and its tower of immense height. It is a fine Gothic
building, but that which should be the central entrance is
not directly in the centre of the edifice, so that one wing of it
appears considerably larger than the other, which gives it
an awkward and irregular appearance. On the Place or
Square as we should call it, where the Hotel de Ville stands,
is held the fruit and vegetable market, and a finer one or
more plentifully supplied I never beheld. This Place is
interesting to the historian as being the spot where Counts
Egmont and Hoorn suffered decapitation in the reign of
Philip II of Spain, by order of the Duke of Alva, who wit-
nessed the execution from a window of one of the houses.
The conduct of these noblemen at the place of execution
was so dignified that even the ferocious duke could not
avoid wiping his eyes, hardened as his heart was by reli-
gious and political fanaticism ; and though he held them in
abhorrence as rebels and traitors a tear did fall for them
down his iron cheek. How fortunate for the liberties of
Holland that William the Taciturn did not also fall into the
claws of that Moloch Philip! I next visited the museum and
picture gallery, where I witnessed the annual exposition of
the modern school of painting. The specimens I saw
pleased me much, particularly because the subjects were
well chosen from history and the mythology, which to me is
far more agreeable than the subjects of the paintings of the
old Flemish school ; but I am told often that I know nothing
about painting, so I shall make no further remarks but
content myself with sending you a catalogue, with the
pictures marked therein which made most impression on me.
With respect to the churches of Brussels those of Ste.
Gudule and of the Capuchins are the finest and most re-
10
ASPECTS OF BRUXELLES
markable. In the former is the Temptation of Adam by the
Serpent, richly carved in wood in figures as large as life
grouped round the pulpit.*
The Place du Sdblon is very striking from the space it
occupies, and on it is a fountain erected by Lord Bruce.f
The fountains which are to be met with in various parts of
the city are highly ornamental, and among them I must
not omit to mention a singularly grotesque one which is held
in great veneration by the lower orders of the Bruxellois
and is by them regarded as a sort of Palladium to the city.
It is the figure of a little boy who is at peace, according to
the late Lord Melville'sJ pronunciation of the words, and
who spouts out his water incessantly, reckless of decorum
and putting modesty to the blush. What would our vice-
hunters say to this? He is a Sabbath breaker in the bar-
gain and continues his occupation on Sundays as well as
other days and in fine he rejoices in the name of Manne-
kenpis.
The ramparts, or rather site of the ramparts (for the
fortifications of Bruxelles no longer exist), form an agree-
able promenade; but the favourite resort of all the world
at Bruxelles in the afternoon is the A llee verte. Here all
classes meet ; here the rich display their equipages and
horses; and the lower orders assemble at the innumerable
guinguettes which are to be met with here, in order to play at
bowls, dominoes, smoke and drink beer, of which there is an
excellent sort called Bitterman. The avenues on each side
of the carriage road are occupied by pedestrians, and on one
side of the road is the canal, covered at all times with
barges and boats decked with flags and streamers. At the
cabarets are benches and tables in the open air under the
trees ; and here are to be seen the artisan, the bargeman and
the peasant taking their afternoon delassement, and groups
* A work of H. Verbruggen of Antwerp (1677). ED.
f Lord Bruce, Earl of Ailesbury, caused this fountain to be erected in
175 1, as a token of gratitude to the town of Bruxelles where he had lived in
exile. ED.
J Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville ( 1741-1811), elevated to the peerage
in 1802. ED.
11
AFTER WATERLOO
of men, women and children drinking beer and smoking.
These groups reminded me much of those one sees so often
in the old Flemish pictures, with this difference, that the old
costume of the people is almost entirely left off. Female
minstrels with guitars stroll about singing French romances
and collecting contributions from this cheerful, laughter -
loving people. The dark walk, as it is called, near the park
is a favourite walk of the upper classes in the evening. There
his Grace of Wellington is sometimes to be seen with a fair
lady under his arm. He generally dresses in plain clothes,
to the astonishment of all the foreign officers. He is said to
be as successful in the fields of Idalia as in those of Bellona,
and the ladies whom he honours with his attentions suffer
not a little in their reputations in the opinion of the
comperes and commeres of Bruxelles.
I have only been twice to the theatre since I have been
here. The Salle de Spectacle is indifferent, but they have an
excellent company of comedians. The representations are in
French. I saw the Festin de Pierre of Corneille exceedingly
well performed. The actors who did the parts of Don Juan
and Sganarelle were excellent, and the scene with M.
Dimanche, wherein he demands payment of his bill, was
admirably given. I have also seen the Plaideurs of Racine,
a very favourite piece of mine ; every actor played his part
most correctly, and the scene between the Comtesse de
Pimbeche and Chicaneau and L'lntime wherein the latter,
disguised as a Bailli, offers himself to be kicked by the
former, was given in very superior style. The scene of the
trial of the dog, with the orations of Petit Jean as deman-
deur and L'lntime as defenseur, were played with good
effect. I never recollect having witnessed a theatrical piece
which afforded me greater amusement.
NAMUR, May 12.
We left Brussels yesterday afternoon, and having
obtained passports to visit the military posts we went to
Genappe, a small village half-way between Bruxelles and
Namur, where we brought to for the night at a small but
12
EXCESSES OF BLUCHER'S ARMY
comfortable inn called Le Roi d'Espagne. Two battalions of
the regiment Nassau-Usingen are quartered in Genappe.
We arrived at Namur this morning at nine o'clock and put
up at the Hotel d'Arenberg. On the road we stopped at a
peasant's house to drink coffee ; and we were entertained by
our hostess with complaints against the Prussians, who
commit, as she said, all sorts of exactions on the peasantry
on whom they are quartered. Not content with exacting
three meals a day, when they were only entitled to two, and
for which they are bound to give their rations, they sell
these, and appropriate the money to their own use; then
the demand for brandy and schnapps is increasing. But
what can be expected from an army whose leader encou-
rages them in all their excesses? Blucher by all accounts is
a vandal and is actuated by a most vindictive spirit. The
Prussians reproach the Belgians with being in the French
interest; how can they expect it to be otherwise? They
. have prospered under French domination, and certainly the
conduct of the Prussians is not calculated to inspire them
with any love towards themselves nor veneration for the
Sovereign who has such all-devouring allies. I asked this
woman why she did not complain to the officers. She
answered: " Helas, Monsieur, c'est inutile; on donne tou-
jours la meme reponse: ' Nichts verstehn,' " for it appears
when these complaints are made the Prussian officers pre-
tend not to understand French.
Namur is now the head-quarters of Marshal Blucher, who
is in the enjoyment of divers noms de guerre, such as " Mar-
shall Vorwarts," " Der alte Teufel." On the high road,
about two miles and a half before we reached Namur, we
met with a party of Prussian lancers, who were returning
from a foraging excursion. They were singing some warlike
song or hymn, which was singularly impressive. It brought
to my recollection the description of the Rhenish bands in
the Lay of the Last Minstrel:
Who as they move, in rugged verse
Songs of Teutonic feuds rehearse.
13
AFTER WATERLOO
The Prussian cavalry seem to be composed of fine-looking
young men, and I admire the genuine military simplicity of
then- dress, to which might be most aptly applied the
words of Xenophon when describing the costume of the
younger Cyrus: 'Ev r# llepo-i/c^ cn-oA# ovdev ri <;/3/ooy>ieV#* in
substituting merely the word Ilpva-a-iKri for lie/XT^. One sees
in it none of those absurd ornaments and meretricious fop-
pery which give to our cavalry officers the appearance of
Astley's men.f
The situation of Namur is exceedingly picturesque, par-
ticularly when viewed from the heights which tower above
the town, whereon stood the citadel which was demolished
by order of Joseph II, as were the fortifications of all the
frontier fortresses. The present Belgian Government how-
ever mean to reconstruct them, and Namur in particular,
the citadel of which, from the natural strength of its posi-
tion, is too important a post to be neglected. The town
itself is situated on the confluent of the Sambre and Meuse
and lies in a valley completely commanded and protected
by the citadel. The churches are splendid, and there is an
appearance of opulence in the shops. The inhabitants, from
its being a frontier town, are of course much alarmed at the
approaching contest, for they will probably suffer from
both parties. We heard at the inn and in the shops which we
visited the same complaints against the Prussians. The
country in the environs of this place is exceedingly diversi-
fied, and it presents the first mountain scenery we have yet
met with. The banks of the Meuse hereabouts present either
an abrupt precipice or coteaux covered with vines gently
sloping to the water's edge. Namur is distant thirty-four
miles from Brussels, and there is water conveyance on the
Meuse from here to Liege and Maastricht.
MONS, May 14.
We started yesterday morning at four o'clock from
Namur. The whole road between Namur and Mons presents
* Xenophon, Education of Cyrus, n, 4, 4. ED.
f Astley's Amphitheatre, near Westminster Bridge. ED.
14
VISIT TO FLEURUS
a fine, rich open country abounding in wheat, but not many
trees. We stopped to breakfast at Fleurus, at an inn where
there were some Prussian officers. One of them, a lieutenant
in the 2nd West Prussian Regiment, had the kindness to
conduct us to see the field of battle where the French under
Jourdan defeated the Austrians in 1794. It is at a very short
distance from the town; he explained the position of the
two armies in a manner perfectly clear and satisfactory to
us. The Prussian officers all seem very eager for the com-
mencement of hostilities, and their only fear is now that all
these mighty preparations will end in nothing; viz., either
that the French people, alarmed at the magnitude of the
preparations against them, will compel the Emperor
Napoleon to abdicate, or that the Allies will grow cool and,
under the influence of Austria, bring about a negotiation
which may end in a recognition of the Imperial title and
dynasty. They would compound for a defeat at first, provided
the war were likely to be prolonged. In the meantime, rein-
forcements continue to arrive daily for their army. We hear
but little news of the intentions or movements of the other
Allies ; it being forbidden to enter into political discussions,
it is difficult to ascertain the true state of affairs.
We continued our journey through Charleroy and Binch
to this place. At a small village between Binch and Mons we
were stopped by a sentinel at a Prussian outpost and our
passports demanded. Neither the sentinel, however, nor the
sergeant, nor any of the soldiers present, could read or under-
stand French, in which language the passport was drawn
up; but the sergeant told me that the officers were in a
house about a quarter of a mile distant and that he would
conduct me thither, but that he himself could not presume
to let us pass, from not knowing the tenor of our passport. I
went accordingly with the sergeant to this house. There I
found the officer commanding the piquet and several others
sitting at table, carousing with beer and tobacco and nearly
invisible from the clouds of smoke which pervaded the room.
I explained to the officer who we were and requested him
15
AFTER WATERLOO
to put on the passport his visa in the German language, so
that the non-commissioned officers at the various posts
through which we might pass would be able to understand
it and let us pass without hindrance. This he did accord-
ingly and we proceeded on our journey.
We arrived here in the evening and put up at the Hotel
Royal. We found at Charleroy, Binch and here, a number of
people employed in repairing and reconstructing the fortifi-
cations. Men, women and boys are all put in requisition to
accelerate this object, as it is the intention of the Belgian
Government to put all the frontier fortresses in the most
complete state of defence. On ascending one of the steeples
this morning we had a fine view of the surrounding country
and of the height of Genappe, which are close to Mons and
memorable for the brilliant victory gained by Dumouriez
over the Austrians in 1792. The landscape presents an undu-
lating campaign country, gentle slopes and alternate
plains covered with corn, as far as the eye can reach, and
interspersed with villages and farmhouses. In Mons is a very
large splendid shop or warehouse of millinery, perfumery,
jewellery, etc. It is called La Toilette de Venus, and is served
by a very pretty girl, who, I have no doubt from her simper-
ing look and eloquent eyes, would have no objection to be
a sedulous priestess at the altar of the Goddess of Amathus.
A battalion of Hollanders a very fine body of men
marched into this place yesterday evening; the rest of the
garrison is composed of Belgians, chiefly conscripts.
LEUZE, May 15.
Yesterday morning we left Mons and proceeded to Ath to
breakfast. A multitude of people were employed there also
at the fortifications. The garrison of Ath is composed of
Hanoverians. Ath reminded me of the wars of King
William III and my Uncle Toby's sieges.* There was so
little remarkable to be seen at Ath that we proceeded to this
place shortly after breakfast and arrived at one o'clock, it
* Uncle Toby, in Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy. ED.
16
AT LEUZE WITH MAJOR-GENERAL ADAM
being only ten miles distance between Ath and Leuze. We
took up our quarters with Major-General Adam, who com-
mands the Light Brigade of General Sir H. Clinton's
division. This brigade is quartered here and in the adjacent
farmhouses. General Adam, though he has attained his rank
at a very early age, is far more fitted for it than many of our
older generals, some of whom (I speak from experience) have
few ideas beyond the fixing of a button or lappel, or polish-
ing a belt, and who place the whole Ars recondita of military
discipline in pipe-clay, heel-ball and the goose step. Fortu-
nately for this army, the Duke of Wellington has too much
good sense to be a martinet and the good old times are gone
by, thank God, when a soldier used to be sentenced to two or
three hundred lashes for having a dirty belt or being with-
out a queue. To the Duke of York also is humanity much
indebted for his endeavours to check the frequency of cor-
poral punishment. The Duke of York, with all his zeal for
the service, never loses sight of the comfort of the soldier
and is indefatigable in his exertions to ameliorate his con-
ditions. We had a pleasant dinner party at General Adam's,
and at night I went to sleep at the house occupied by Cap-
tain C., one of the aides-de-camp of the General,* an active,
intelligent officer who had formerly served in the marines,
which service he had quitted in order to enter the regular
army.
May 16.
Yesterday morning we paid a visit to Tournay, which is
distant from Leuze about ten miles, and we breakfasted at
the Signe d'Or. We then proceeded to pay our respects to
the Commandant General V.f The garrison consists of Bel-
gians. General V. had been some time in England as a
prisoner of war. He was made prisoner, I think he said, at
Batavia. He received us very politely, and not only gave us
permission to visit the works of the citadel, but sent a ser-
* Lieutenant R. P. Campbell, aide-de-camp to Major-General Adam.
ED.
f In May, 1815, the officer commanding-in-chief at Tournai was General-
Major A. C. Van Diermen. ED.
c 17
AFTER WATERLOO
geant to accompany us. The new citadel is building on the
site of the old one, and, like it, is to be a regular pentagon.
The fortifications of the city itself are not to be recon-
structed; these of the citadel, which will be very strong,
rendering them superfluous. The sergeant was a native of
Wiirtemberg and had served in the army of his own country
and in that of France in most of the campaigns under
Napoleon. He was a fine old veteran, and very intelligent,
for he explained to us the nature of the works with great
perspicuity. With true Suabian dignity he refused a five
franc piece which I offered him as a slight remuneration for
the trouble he had taken, and as he seemed, I thought, rather
offended at the offer, I felt myself bound to apologize. From
the number of workmen employed in repairing the citadel,
it will not be long before it is placed in a respectable state of
defence. Tournay is a large handsome city and the spacious
quais on the banks of the Scheld which runs through it add
much to the neatness of its appearance. It is only ten miles
distant from Lille, but all communication from France is
stopped. We learned that some of the Hanoverians had been
deserting. In return we met with a young French hussar
who had come over to the Allies. He seemed to be an impu-
dent sort of fellow, and said, with the utmost sang-froid,
that the reason he deserted was that he had not been made an
officer as he was promised, and he hoped that Louis XVIII
would be more sensible of his merits than the Emperor
Napoleon. We returned to Leuze to dinner in the afternoon.
This morning we went to assist at a review of General
Clinton's division, on a plain called Le Paturage, about seven
miles distant from Leuze. The Light Brigade and the Hano-
verian Brigades form this division. The manoeuvres were
performed with tolerable precision, but they were chiefly
confined to advancing in line, retiring by alternate com-
panies covered by light infantry and change of position on
one of the flanks by Echelon. The British troops were per-
fect; the Hanoverians not so, they being for the most part
new levies. In one of the Echelon movements, when the line
18
CAVALRY REVIEWED BY WELLINGTON
was to be formed on the left company of the left battalion,
a Hanoverian battalion, instead of preserving its paral-
lelism, was making a terrible diversion to its right, when a
thundering voice from the commander of the brigade to
the commandant of the battalion: " Mein Gott, Herr Major,
wo gehn Sie hin?" roused him from his reverie; when he
must have perceived, had he wheeled up into line, the fearful
interval he had left between his own and the next battalion
on the left.
After the review had finished we repaired to the chateau
of the Prince de Ligne, then occupied by Lieut. -General Sir
H. Clinton, to partake of a breakfast given by him and his
lady. On the breaking up of the breakfast party, General
Wilson and myself remained at the chateau to dine with
General Adam al fresco in the garden under the trees. The
palace and garden of the Prince de Ligne are both very
magnificent. The latter is of great extent, but too regular,
too much in the Dutch taste to please me. Little or no furni-
ture is in the palace ; but there are some family pictures and
a theatre fitted up in one of the halls for the purpose of pri-
vate theatricals. In the garden is a monument erected by
the late Prince de Ligne to one of his sons, Charles by name,
who was killed in the Russian service at the siege of Ismail.
The present prince is a minor and resides at Bruxelles.
GRAMMONT, May 18.
We left Leuze yesterday afternoon and arrived here at
seven in the evening in order to be present at the cavalry
review the next morning. We partook of an elegant supper
given to us by our friend, Major Grant of the 18th Hussars,
and we were much entertained and enlivened by the effusions
of his brilliant genius and inexhaustible wit. The whole
cavalry of the British army passed in review this morning
before the Duke of Wellington, who was there with all his
staff and received the salutes of all the corps like Godfrey,
con volto placido e composto. It was a very brilliant spectacle.
The Duke de Berri was present. I think I never beheld so
c2 19
AFTER WATERLOO
ignoble and disagreeable a countenance as this prince pos-
sesses. I thought to myself that he had much better have
stayed away from this review ; for he must be insensible to
all patriotism who could take pleasure in contemplating a
foreign force about to enter and ravage his own country.
We learn that the Duchess d'Angouleme is to have a review
of the fideles very shortly. She is certainly much more war-
like than the males of that family; this disposition is
increased by her religious fanaticism. This renders her, of
course, a most dangerous person to meddle with politics;
but great allowances must be made for her feelings, which
must naturally be embittered by the recollection of so much
suffering during the Revolution and of the barbarous and
inhuman treatment experienced by her father and mother.
I observed a peculiarity in this part of the country, viz.,
that there are villages lying close to each other in some of
which French is spoken, in others Flemish; and that, with
some few exceptions, the inhabitants of neighbouring
villages are reciprocally unintelligible. General Wilson does
not intend to return to Bruxelles. I shall accompany him as
far as Gand and then return to Bruxelles to await the issue
of the contest.
BRUXELLES, June 11.
I took leave of General Wilson at Gand on the 22nd of
last month and immediately returned here, where I have
been ever since. I have shifted my quarters to a less expen-
sive hotel and am now lodged at the Hotel de la Paix. We get an
excellent dinner at the table d'hote for one and a half francs,
wine not included ; this is paid for extra, and is generally at
the price of three francs per bottle. This hotel is very neatly
fitted up and is very near the Hotel de Ville. At the table
d'hote I frequently meet Prussian officers who on coming in
to visit Bruxelles put up here. We have just learned the pro-
ceedings of the Champ de Mai at Paris, by which it appears
that Napoleon is solemnly recognized and confirmed as
Emperor of the French. This intelligence sent a young
Prussian officer, who sat next to me, in a transport of joy,
20
THE COMING STRUGGLE
for this makes the war certain. The Prussians seem deter-
mined to revenge themselves for the humiliation they
suffered from the French during the time they occupied
their country, and I sincerely pity by anticipation the fate
of the French peasants upon whom these gentlemen may
chance to be quartered. Terrible will be the first shock of
battle, and it may be daily expected, and dreadful will be
the consequences to the poor inhabitants of the seat of war.
Cannot this war be avoided? I am not politician enough to
foresee the consequences of allowing Napoleon to keep quiet
and undisturbed possession of the throne of France ; but the
consequences of a defeat on the part of the Allies will be the
loss of Belgium and the probable annihilation of the British
army; certainly the dissolution of the coalition, for the
minor German powers, and very likely Austria also, would
be induced to make a separate peace. We can clearly see
that Napoleon has not now the power he formerly possessed
and that the Republican party, into whose hands he has
thrown himself, seem disposed not only to remain at peace,
but to shackle him in every possible manner. It is evident,
too, that his last success was owing to the dislike of the
people to the Bourbons from their injudicious and trea-
cherous conduct; and the threats and impossible language
held by the priests and emigrants towards the holders of
property paved the way for the success of his enterprise
and enabled him to achieve a triumph unparalleled in history.
On the contrary, by forcing him to go to war, should he
gain the first victory, Belgium will be re-united to France,
all the resources of that country brought into the scale
against the Allies : Napoleon will be more popular than ever,
the Republican party will be put to silence, the enthusiasm
of the army will rise beyond all restraint, and, in a word,
Napoleon will be himself again. The other Allies can do
little without the assistance of England, and our finances
are by no means in a state to bear such intolerable drains.
As to the Prussians, on minute enquiry I do not find that
they were so ill-treated by the French as is generally
21
AFTER WATERLOO
believed, and that, except the burden of having troops
quartered on them (no small annoyance, I allow), they had
not much reason to complain. The quartering of the troops
on them and the payment of the war contributions was the
necessary consequence of the occupation of their country
by an enemy; but I have just been reading a German work,
written by a native of Berlin, shortly after the entry of the
French troops in that city after the battle of Jena in 1806.
This work is entitled Vertraute Brief e aus Berlin, and in it
the author distinctly declares that the discipline observed
by the French troops during the occupation of Berlin was
highly strict and praiseworthy, and that the few excesses
that took place were committed by the troops of the
Rhenish Confederation; and he adds that the inhabitants
preferred having a French soldier quartered on them to
a Westphalian, Bavarian or Wiirtembergher. Further,
the troops that behaved with the greatest oppression and
insolence towards the burghers were those belonging to a
corps composed of native Prussians, raised for the service
of Napoleon by the Prince of Isenburg.* In his recruiting
address the prince invites the Prussian youth to enter into
the service of the invincible Napoleon, and tells him.that to
the soldier of Napoleon everything is permitted. The regi-
ment was soon fitted up and the soldiers began to put in
practice in good earnest the theory of the affiche. They com-
mitted excesses of all sorts; and one officer in particular
behaved so brutally and infamously to a poor tailor on
whom he was quartered, and to whom, before he entered
the French service, he was under the greatest obligations,
that General Hulin, the commandant of the place at Berlin
during the French occupation, was obliged to cashier him
publicly on the parade and to cause his epaulettes to be torn
from his coat in order to mark the disgust and indignation
*KarlFriedrichLudwigMoritz, Furstzu Ysenburg-Bierstein (1766-1820),
took service with Austria (1784), with Prussia (1804), and later with
Napoleon (1806), who commissioned him as brigadier-general. The shame-
less conduct of this officer is exposed by B. JPoten, Allgemeine Deutsche
Biographic, vol. XLIV, p. 61 1. ED.
22
NAPOLEON'S ATTITUDE TO PRUSSIA
that he and all the French officers felt at the base ingrati-
tude of this man.
This work, " Vertraute Brief e" (confidential letters), con-
tains much curious matter and very interesting anecdotes
respecting the corruption, venality and depravation that
prevailed in the Prussian Court and army previous to the
war in 1806. Let this suffice to show that the Prussians
have not so much reason to complain against the French as
they pretend to have ; besides, the conduct of the Prussian
Government itself was so vacillating and contradictory that
they had themselves only to blame for what they suffered.
They should have supported Austria in 1805. But the fact
is that the vanity and the amour propre of the Prussian
military were so hurt at the humiliation they experienced
at and after the battle of Jena that it was this that has
embittered them so much against the French.
Let it not, however, be supposed for a moment that I seek
to excuse or palliate the conduct of Napoleon towards
Prussia. I have always thought it not only unjust but
impolitic. Impolitic, because Prussia was, and ought always
to be, the obvious and natural ally of France, and Napoleon,
instead of endeavouring to crush that power, should have
aggrandized her and made her the paramount power in
Germany. It was in fact his obvious policy to cede Hanover
in perpetuity to Prussia, and have rendered thereby the
breach between the Houses of Brandenburgh and Hanover
irreparable and irreconcileable. This would have thrown
Prussia necessarily into the arms of France, in whose
system she must then have moved, and all British influence
on the Continent would have been effectually put an end to.
Another prime fault of Napoleon was that he did not crush
and dismember Austria in 1809 as he had it in his power to
do ; and by so doing he would have merited and obtained the
thanks and good will of all Germany for having overturned
so despotic and light-fearing a Government. But he has paid
dearly for these errors. Instead of destroying a despotic
power (Austria), he chose rather to crush an enlightened
23
AFTER WATERLOO
and liberal nation, for such I esteem the Prussian nation,
and I always separate the Prussian people from their
Government. The latter fell, and fell unpitied, after one
battle; but it has been almost miraculously restored by the
unparalleled exertions and energies of the burghers and
people. May this be a lesson to the Government! and may
the King of Prussia not prove ungrateful!
Troops continue to arrive here daily, and now that the
ceremony of the Champ de Mai is over, we may expect that
Napoleon will repair to his army and commence opera-
tions.
June 17.
Napoleon arrived at Maubeuge on the 13th and the grand
conflict has begun. The Prussians were attacked on the
14th and 15th at Ligny and driven from their position.*
They are said to have suffered immense loss and to be
retreating with the utmost confusion. Our turn comes next.
The thunder of the cannon was heard here distinctly the
most part of yesterday and some part of our army must
have been engaged. Our troops have all marched out of
Bruxelles in the direction of the frontier. In the affair with
the Prussians we learn that the Duke of Brunswick was
killed and that Blucher narrowly escaped being made
prisoner.
June 18.
The grand conflict has begun with us. It is now four
o'clock p.m. The issue is not known. The roar of the cannon
continues unabated. All is bustle, confusion and uncer-
tainty in this city. Cars with wounded are coming in con-
tinually. The general opinion is that our army will be com-
pelled to retreat to Antwerp, and it is even expected that
the French will be in Bruxelles to-night. All the towns-
people are on the ramparts listening to the sound of the
cannon. This city has been in the greatest alarm and agita-
tion since the 16th, when a violent cannonade was heard
during the afternoon. From what I have been able to collect,
* The battle at Ligny was fought on June 16. ED.
24
GENERAL CONFUSION AT BRUXELLES
the French attacked the Prussians on the 14th, and a
desperate conflict took place on that day, and the whole of
the 15th,* when the whole of the Prussian army at Ligny,
Fleurus and Charleroy was totally defeated and driven from
its position; a dislocation of our troops took place early in
the morning of the 16th, and our advanced guard, consist-
ing of the Highland Brigade and two Battalions of Nassau-
Usingen, fell in with the advanced guard of the French
Army commanded by Marshal Ney near Quatre-Bras, and
made such a gallant defence against his corps d'armee as to
keep it in check the whole day and enable itself to fall back
in good order to its present position with the rest of the
army, about ten miles in front of Bruxelles. Indeed, I am
informed that nothing could exceed the admirable conduct
of the corps above mentioned. Yesterday we heard no
cannonade, but this afternoon it has been unceasing and still
continues. All the caricatures and satires against Napoleon
have disappeared from the windows and stalls. The shops
are all shut, the English families flying to Antwerp ; and the
proclamation of the Baron de Capellenf to the inhabitants,
wherein he exhorts them to be tranquil and assures them
that the Bureaux of Government have not yet quitted
Bruxelles, only serves to increase the confusion and con-
sternation. The inhabitants in general wish well to the arms
of Napoleon, but they know that the retreat of the English
Army must necessarily take place through their town ; that
our troops will perhaps endeavour to make a stand, and
that the consequences will be terrible to the inhabitants,
from the houses being liable to be burned or pillaged by
friend or foe. All the baggage of our Army and all the mili-
tary Bureaux have received orders to repair and are now on
* The facts and dates here given are of course inaccurate ; but this proves
that Major Frye wrote his text in the very midst of the crisis, and that his
manuscript has not been tampered with. ED.
f Baron van Capellen, a Dutch statesman, was governor-general of the
Belgian provinces, residing at Bruxelles. He was afterwards governor-
general of Dutch India. Born in 1778, he died in 1848. His memoirs have
been published in French by Baron Sirtema de Grovestins (1852), and con-
tain an interesting passage on that momentous day, i8th June, 1815. ED.
25
AFTER WATERLOO
their march to Antwerp, and the road thither is so covered
and blocked up by waggons that the retreat of our Army
will be much impeded thereby. Probably my next letter
may be dated from a French prison.
BRUXELLES, June 21.
Judge, my friend, of my astonishment and that of almost
everybody in this city, at the news which was circulated
here early on the morning of the 19th, and has been daily
confirmed, viz., that the French Army had been completely
defeated and was in full flight, leaving behind it 220 pieces
of cannon and all its baggage, waggons and munitions de
guerre. I have not been able to collect all the particulars,
but you will no doubt hear enough of it, for I am sure it will
be said or sung by all the partizans of the British ministry
and all the Tories of the United Kingdom for months and
years to come; for further details, therefore, I shall refer you
to the Gazette. The following, however, you may consider
as a tolerably fan: precis of what took place. The attack
began on the 18th about ten o'clock* and raged furiously
along the whole line, but principally at Hougoumont, a
large Metairie on the right of our position, which was
occupied by our troops, and from which all the efforts of the
enemy could not dislodge them. The slaughter was terrible
in this quarter. From twelve o'clock till evening several
desperate charges of cavalry and infantry were made on the
rest of our line. Both sides fought with the utmost courage
and obstinacy, and were prodigal of life in the extreme. But
it is generally supposed that our army must have suc-
cumbed towards the evening had it not been for the arrival
of Bulow's division of Prussians, followed closely by
Blucher and the rest of the army, which had rallied with
uncommon celerity. These moved on the right flank of the
French, and decided the fortune of the day by a charge
which was seconded by a general charge from the whole of
the English line on the centre and left of the French. Seeing
themselves thus turned, a panic, it is said, spread among
* Not before half past eleven. ED.
26
VISIT TO THE BATTLE-FIELD
the young Guard of the French army, and a cry of " Sauve
qui pent! nous sommes trahis! " spread like wildfire. The
flight became universal; the old Guard alone remained,
refused quarter and perished like Leonidas and his Spartans.
The Prussian cavalry being fresh pursued the enemy all
night, I'epee dans Us reins, and it may be conceived from
their previous disposition that they would not be very mer-
ciful to the vanquished. Indeed, on the 15th, it is said that
the French were not very merciful to them. It was like the
combat of Achilles and Hector.
No thought but rage and never ceasing strife
Till death extinguish rage and thought and life.
France will now call out to Napoleon as Augustus did to
Varus, " Give me back my legions !" The loss on both sides
was very great, but it must have been prodigious on the side
of the French. The whole Allied Army is in full pursuit.
Several friends and acquaintances of mine perished in this
battle, viz., Lieut.-General Sir T. Picton, Colonel Sir H.
Ellis and Colonel Morice.
June 22.
This morning I went to visit the field of battle, which is a
little beyond the village of Waterloo, on the plateau of Mont
St Jean; but on arrival there the sight was too horrible to
behold. I felt sick in the stomach and was obliged to return.
The multitude of carcases, the heaps of wounded men with
mangled limbs unable to move, and perishing from not
having their wounds dressed or from hunger, as the Allies
were, of course, obliged to take their surgeons and waggons
with them, formed a spectacle I shall never forget. The
wounded, both of the Allies and the French, remain in an
equally deplorable state.
At Hougoumont, where there is an orchard, every tree is
pierced with bullets. The barns are all burned down, and in
the court-yard it is said they have been obliged to burn
upwards of a thousand carcases, an awful holocaust to the
War-Demon.
27
AFTER WATERLOO
As nothing is more distressing than the sight of human
misery when we are unable to silence it, I returned as
speedily as possible to Bruxelles with Cowper's lines in my
head:
War is a game, which, were their subjects wise,
Kings should not play at.
I hope this battle will, at any rate, lead to a speedy peace.
June 23.
We have no other news from the Allied Army, except that
they are moving forward with all possible celerity in the
direction of Paris. You may form a guess of the slaughter
and of the misery that the wounded must have suffered, and
the many that must have perished from hunger and thirst,
when I tell you that all the carriages in Bruxelles, even
elegant private equipages, landaulets, barouches and
berlines, have been put in requisition to remove the
wounded men from the field of battle to the hospitals, and
that they are yet far from being all brought in. The medical
practitioners of the city have been put in requisition, and
are ordered to make domiciliary visits at every house (for
each habitation has three or four soldiers in it) in order to
dress the wounds of the patients. The Bruxellois, the
women in particular, have testified the utmost humanity
towards the poor sufferers. It was suggested by some
humane person that they who went to see the field of battle
from motives of curiosity would do well to take with them
bread, wine and other refreshments to distribute among the
wounded, and most people did so. For my part I shall not
go a second time. Napoleon, it is said, narrowly escaped
being taken. His carriage fell into the hands of the Allies,
and was escorted in triumph into Bruxelles by a detach-
ment of dragoons. So confident was Napoleon of success
that printed proclamations were found in the carriage
dated from " Our Imperial Palace at Laecken," announcing
his victory and the liberation of Belgium from the insatiable
coalition, and wherein he calls on the Belgians to re-unite
28
ANECDOTE OF SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR
with their old companions in arms in order to reap the fruits
of their victory. This was certainly rather premature, and
reminds me of an anecdote of a Spanish officer at the siege
of Gibraltar, related by Drinkwater in his narrative of that
siege.* When the British garrison made a sortie, they carried
the advanced Spanish lines and destroyed all their prepara-
tions; the Spanish officer on guard at the outermost post
was killed, but on the table of his guard room was found his
guard report filled up and signed, stating that "nothing
extraordinary had happened since guard-mounting."
Mr L. of Northumberland, having proposed to me to
make a tour with him to Aix-la-Chapelle and the banks of
the Rhine, I shall start with him in a day or two.
* John Drinkwater, also called Bethune (1762-1844), published a well-
known History of the Siege of Gibraltar, 1779-1783. ED.
29
CHAPTER II
From Bruxelles to Lie'ge A priest's declamation against the French
Revolution Maastricht Aix-la-Chapelle Imperial relics Napoleon
regretted Klingmann's " Faust " A Tyrolese beauty Cologne Diffi-
culties about a passport The Cathedral King-craft and priest-craft
The Rhine Bonn and Godesberg Goethe's "Gotz von Berlichingen "-
The Seven Mountains German women Andernach Ehrenbreitstein
German hatred against France Coblentz Intrigues of the Bourbon
princes in Coblentz Mayence Bieberich Conduct of the Allies towards
Napoleon Frankfort on the Mayn An anecdote about Lord Stewart and
Lafayette German poetry The question of Alsace and Lorraine Return
to Bruxelles Napoleon's surrender.
LIGE, June 26.
MR L. and myself started together in the diligence from
Bruxelles at seven o'clock in the evening of the 24th inst.
and arrived here yesterday morning at twelve o'clock. I
experienced considerable difficulty in procuring a passport to
quit Bruxelles, my name having been included in that of
General Wilson, which he carried back with him to England.
Our Ambassador was absent, and I was bandied about from
bureau to bureau without success; so that I began at last
to think that I should be necessitated to remain at Brux-
elles all my life, when fortunately it occurred to Mr L. that
he was intimately acquainted with the English Consul, and
he kindly undertook to procure me one and succeeded. On
arrival here we put up at the Pommelette d'Or. The price of
a place in the diligence from Bruxelles to Liege is fifteen
franks. We passed thro' Louvain, but too late to see any-
thing. The country about Liege is extremely striking and
picturesque; the river Meuse flows thro' the city, and the
banks of the river outside the town are very riants and
agreeable. Liege is a large, well-built city, but rather
gloomy as to its appearance, and lies in a hollow com-
pletely surrounded by lofty hills. The remains of its ancient
citadel stand on a height which completely commands the
city; on another height stands a monastery, a magnificent
building. There are a great many coal-pits in the vicinity of
Liege, and a great commerce of coals is carried on between
30
A PRIEST ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
this city and Holland by the treckschuyte on the Meuse. We
visited the ancient Episcopal palace and the Churches. The
Palace is completely dismantled. This city suffered much
during the revolt of the Belgian provinces against the
Emperor Joseph II, and having distinguished itself by the
obstinacy of its defence, it was treated with great rigour by
the Austrian Government. The fortifications were blown up,
and nothing now remains on the site of the old citadel but a
large barrack. I remained two whole hours on this height
to contemplate the beauties of the expanse below. The
banks of the river, which meanders much in these parts, and
the numerous maisons de campagne with the public pro-
menades and allees lined with trees, exhilarate the scene of
the environs, for the city itself is dull enough. Several pretty
villas are situated also on the heights, and were I to dwell
here I should choose one of them and seldom descend into
the valley and city below,
Where narrow cares and strife and envy dwell.
Lige, however sombre in its appearance, is a place of
much opulence and commerce. A Belgian garrison does duty
here. At the inn, after dinner, I fell into conversation with a
Belgian priest, and as I was dressed in black he fancied I
was one of the cloth, and he asked me if I were a Belgian,
for that I spoke French with a Belgian accent; "Apparem-
ment Monsieur est eccle"siastique? Monsieur, je suis ne
Anglais et protestant." He then began to talk about and
declaim against the French Revolution, for that is the doc-
trine now constantly dinned into the ears of all those who
take orders ; and he concluded by saying that things would
never go on well in Europe until they restored to God the
things they had taken from Him. I told him that I differed
from him very much, for that the sale of the Church
domains and of the lands and funds belonging to the sup-
pressed ecclesiastical establishments had contributed much
to the improvement of agriculture and to the comfort of the
peasantry, whose situation was thereby much ameliorated;
31
AFTER WATERLOO
and that they were now in a state of affluence compared
with what they were before the French Revolution. I added :
" Enfin, Monsieur, Dieu n'a pas besoin des choses ter-
restres." On my saying this he did not chuse to continue the
conversation, but calling for a bottle of wine drank it all
himself with the zest of a Tartuffe. I believe that he was
surprised to find that an Englishman should not coincide
with his sentiments, for I observe all the adherents of the
ancient regime of feudality and superstition have an idea
that we are anxious for the re-establishment of all those
abuses as they themselves are, and it must be confessed
that the conduct of our Government has been such as to
authorize them fully in forming such conjectures, and that
we shall be their staunch auxiliaries in endeavouring to
arrest and retrograde the progress of the human mind. In
fact, I soon perceived that my friend was not overloaded
with wit and that he was one of those priests so well
described by Metastasio :
II di cui sapere
Sta nel nostro ignorar ....
MAASTRICHT, 27th June.
* This morning, after a promenade on the banks of the
Meuse for I am fond of rivers and woods (flumina amo
silvasque inglorius) we embarked on a treckschuyt and
arrived here after a passage of four hours. The scenery on
the banks of the Meuse all the way from Liege to Maas-
tricht is highly diversified and extremely romantic; but
here at Maastricht this ceases and the dull uniformity of the
Dutch landscape begins. When on the ramparts of the city
to the North and West an immense plain as far as the eye
can reach presents itself to view; a few trees and sandhills
form the only relief to the picture. The town itself is neat,
clean and dull, like all Dutch towns. The fortifications are
strong and well worth inspection. The most remarkable
thing in the neighbourhood of Maastricht is the Montagne de
St Pierre, which from having been much excavated for the
purpose of procuring stone, forms a labyrinth of a most
32
AIX-LA-CHAPELLE
intricate nature. I advise every traveller to visit it, and if
he has a classical imagination he may fancy himself in the
labyrinth of Crete.
AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, 29th June.
We started in the morning of the 28th from Maastricht
in the diligence for Aix-la-Chapelle and arrived here at
twelve o'clock, putting up at Van Giilpen's Hotel, Zum
Pfdlzischen Hofe (a la Cour palatine), which I recommend
as an excellent inn and the hosts as very good people. The
price of our journey from Liege to Maastricht in the water-
diligence was 2 1 franks, and from Maastricht to Aix-la-
Chapelle by land was 7 franks the person. The road from
Maastricht to this place is not very good, but the country
at a short distance from Maastricht becomes picturesque,
much diversified by hill and dale and well wooded. As the
Meuse forms the boundary between the Belgic and Prussian
territory, we enter the latter sooner after leaving Maastricht.
I find my friend L. a most agreeable travelling companion;
travelling seems to be his passion, as it is mine ; and fortune
has so far favoured me in this particular, that my profes-
sional duties and private affairs have led me to visit the four
quarters of the globe. After dinner, on the first day of our
arrival here, we went to visit the Hotel de Ville, before which
stands on a pedestal in a bason an ancient bronze statue of
Charlemagne. It has nothing to recommend it but its
antiquity. The Hotel de Ville is similar to other Gothic
buildings used for the same purpose. In the great hall thereof
there is a large picture representing the ambassadors of
all the powers who assisted at the signing of the treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle in 1742; and a full length portrait of the
present King of Prussia, as master of the city, occupies the
place where once stood that of Napoleon, its late lord. We
next went to see the Cathedral and sat down on the throne
on which the German Caesars used to be crowned. We viewed
likewise the various costly articles of plate, the gifts of pious
princes. The most remarkable things among them are
several superb dresses of gold and silver embroidery, so
D 33
AFTER WATERLOO
thickly laid on that they are of exceeding weight. These
dresses form part of the wardrobe of the Virgin Mary. Next
to be seen is a case or chest of massy silver, adorned with
innumerable precious stones of great value ; which case con-
tains the bones or ashes of Charlemagne. His right arm bone
is however preserved separate in a glass case. The sword of
this prince too, and the Imperial crown is to be seen here.
The sacristan next proceeded to show to us the other relics,
but having begun with the exhibition of a rag dipped in the
sweat of Jesus Christ and a nail of the Holy Cross, we began
to think we had seen enough and went away perfectly
satisfied. There is no other monument in honour of Charle-
magne, but a plain stone on the floor of the Church with the
simple inscription "Carolo Magno." On going out of the
city thro' one of the gates, and at a short distance from
it, we ascended the mountain or rather hill called the
Louisberg on which are built a Ridotto and Cafe, as also a
Column erected in honour of Napoleon with a suitable in-
scription ; the inscription is effaced and is about to be replaced
by another in the German language in commemoration
of the downfall of the Tyrant, as the Coalition are pleased
to call him. This Tyrant is however extremely regretted by
the inhabitants of Aix-la-Chapelle and not without reason,
for he was a great benefactor to them and continually em-
bellished the city, confirming and increasing its privileges.
The inhabitants are not at all pleased with their new
masters; for the behaviour of the Prussian military has
been so insulting and overbearing towards the burghers and
students that it is, I am told, a common exclamation among
the latter, alluding to the Prussians having stiled them-
selves their deliverers: De nostris liberatoribus, Domine,
libera nos. Indeed, I can evidently discern that they are
not particularly pleased at the result of the battle of
Waterloo.
In the evening I went to the theatre, which has the most
inconvenient form imaginable, being a rectangle. As anti-
Gallicanism is the order of the day, only German dramas are
34
KLINGMANN'S " FAUST "
allowed to be performed and this night it was the tragedy
of Faust, or Dr Faustus as we term him in England, not
the Faust of Goethe, which is not meant for nor at all
adapted to the stage, but a drama of that name written by
Klingmann.* It is a strange wild piece, quite in the German
style and full of horrors and diableries. In this piece the
sublime and terrible border close on the ridiculous; for
instance the Devil and Faust come to drink in a beer-schenk
or ale-house. 'Tis true the Devil is incognito at the time and
is called " der Fremde " or " the Stranger " ; it is only towards
the conclusion of the piece that he discovers himself to be
Satan. . . . The actor who played the part of the Stranger
had something in his physiognomy very terrific and awe-
inspiring. In another scene, which to us would appear
laughable and absurd, but which pleases a German audience,
three women in masks come on the stage to meet Faust, in a
churchyard, and on unmasking display three skeleton heads.
Poor Faust had stipulated to give his soul to the Devil for
aiding him in the attainment of his desires; the Devil on
his part agrees to allow him to commit four deadly sins
before he shall call on him to fulfil his contract. Faust, in
the sequel, kills his wife and his father-in-law. Satan then
claims him. Faust pleads in arrest of judgement, that he
has only committed two crimes out of the four for which he
had agreed; and that there consequently remained two
others for him to commit before he could be claimed. The
Devil in rejoinder informs him that his wife was with child
at the time he killed her, which constituted the third crime,
and that the very act of making a contract with the Devil
for his soul forms the fourth. Faust, overwhelmed with
confusion, has not a word to say; and Satan seizing him by
the hair of his head, carries him off in triumph. This piece
is written in iambics of ten syllables and the versification
appeared to me correct and harmonious, and the sentiments
forcible and poetical; this fully compensated for the bizar-
* Philipp Klingmann (1762-1824) was better known as an actor than as
an author. ED.
D2 35
AFTER WATERLOO
rerie of the story itself, which, by the bye, with all the
reproach thrown by the adherents of the classic taste on
those of the romantic, is scarcely more outre than the intro-
duction of Death (Qavaros) as a dramatic personage in the
Alcestis of Euripides.
There is at Aix-la-Chapelle at one of the hotels a Faro
Bank ; it is open like the gates of Hell nodes atque dies and
gaming goes forward without intermission; this seems,
indeed, to be the only occupation of the strangers who visit
these baths. There is near this hotel a sort of Place or
Quadrangle with arcades under which are shops and stalls.
At one of these shops I met with the most beautiful girl I
ever beheld, a Tyrolese by birth and the daughter of a print-
seller. She was from the Italian Tyrol; Roveredo, I think
she said, was her birthplace. She united much grace and
manner with her beauty, on account of which I could not
avoid complimenting her in her native tongue, which she
seemed pleased to hear. Her eyes and eyebrows brought to
my recollection the description of those of Alcina:
Sotto due negri e sottilissimi archi,
Son due neri occhi, anzi, due chiari soli,
Pietosi a riguardare, a mover parchi,
Intorno a cui par che Amor scherzi e voli.*
* Two black and slender arches rise above
Two clear black eyes, say suns of radiant light;
Which ever softly beam and slowly move ;
Round these appears to sport in frolic flight,
Hence scattering all his shafts, the little Love.
Trans. W. S. ROSE.
We then proceeded to look at the suburb of this city
called Bortscheid, by far the finest part of the city and at
some elevation above it. It commands an extensive view.
We also visited the various bath establishments ; the taste
of the water had some resemblance to that of Harrogate,
and is good in bilious, scrofulous and cutaneous complaints.
On our return to the hotel we learned the news of the
capitulation of Paris to the Allied powers. It is said to be
purely a military convention by which the French army is
to evacuate Paris and retire behind the Loire. There is no
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, vn, 12, I. ED.
36
ARRIVAL AT COLOGNE
talk and no other intelligence about Napoleon, except that
he had been compelled by the two Houses of Legislature to
abdicate the throne. We are still in the dark as to the inten-
tions of the Allies. I regret much that my friend and fellow
traveller L. is obliged to return to Bruxelles and cannot
accompany me to Cologne, to which place I am impatient
to go and to pay my respects to old father Rhine, so
renowned in history.
COLOGNE.
I left Aix-la-Chapelle on the morning of the 2nd of July
and arrived at Cologne about six o'clock in the evening,
putting up at the Inn Zum heiligen Geist (Holy Ghost),
which is situated on the banks of the river. The price of the
journey in the diligence is 13 franks. On the road hither lies
Juliers, a large and strongly fortified town surrounded by a
marsh. It must be very important as a military post. The
road after quitting Juliers runs for the most part thro'
a forest, and has been much improved and enlarged by the
French; before they improved it, it was almost impassable
in wet weather. We met on the road several Prussian
waggons and reinforcements on their march to Bruxelles.
Two of my fellow travellers in the diligence were very
intelligent young men belonging to respectable families in
Cologne and were returning thither; they likewise com-
plained much of the overbearing demeanour of the Prussian
military towards the burghers.
Cologne is a large, but very dull looking city, as dull as
Liege; it would seem as if all towns and cities under eccle-
siastical domination were dull or rendered so by the pro-
hibition of the most innocent amusements. The fortifications
are out of repair; but the Prussian Government intend to
make Cologne a place of great strength. The name of the
village on the opposite of the river isDeutz, and in the time
of the French occupation there was a tete-de-pont. The next
morning I was obliged to appear before the police, and
afterwards before the Commandant de la Place, in order to
have my passport examined and vise. At the bureau of the
37
AFTER WATERLOO
police it was remarked to me that my passport was not
en regie, the features of the bearer not being therein speci-
fied. I replied that it was not my fault; that it was given to
me in that shape by the English Consul at Bruxelles and
that it was not my province to give to the Consul any
directions as to its form and tenor. The Commissary of
Police then asked me what business I was about in travel-
ling, and the following conversation took place: "Was
haben Sie fiir Geschafte? " " Keine; ich reise nur um
Vergniigen's Willen." " Sonderbar! " " Worin liegt das
Sonderbare, dass man reist um einschonesLand zu sehen? "*
He made no answer to this, but one of his coadjutors
standing by him said in a loud whisper, " Ein Herum-
reiser," which means an adventurer or person who travels
about for no good, in a word, a suspicious character.
I then said with the utmost calm and indifference: " Gen-
tlemen, as soon as you shall have finished all your com-
mentaries on the subject of my passport, pray be so good as
to inform me what I am to do, whether I may go on to
Mayence and Frankfort as is my intention, or return to
Bruxelles." The Commissary, after a slight hesitation,
signed the visa and I then carried it to the bureau of the
Commandant, whose secretary signed it without hesitation,
merely asking me if I were a military man.
In the afternoon I went to visit the Dome or Cathedral.
It is a fine specimen of Gothic architecture, but singular
enough the steeple is not yet finished. In this Cathedral the
most remarkable thing is the Chapel of the Three Kings,
wherein is deposited a massy gold chest inlaid with precious
stones of all sorts and of great value, containing the bones
of the identical three Kings (it is said) who came from the
East to worship the infant Jesus at Bethlehem. The Scrip-
tures say it was three wise men or Magi. The legend how-
ever calls them Kings and gives them Gothic names. Let
schoolmen and theologians reconcile this difference: ce
* "What business have you? None, I travel for amusement. Strange!
What is there strange in travelling to see a fine country?"
38
THE LEGENDS OF COLOGNE
n'est point noire affaire. To me it appears that when the
German tribes embraced Christianity and enrolled them-
selves under the banner of St Peter, it was thought but fair
to allow them to give vent to a little nationality and to
blend their old traditions with the new-fangled doctrine,
and no doubt the Sovereign Pontiffs thought that the
people could never be made to believe too much; the same
policy is practised by the Jesuit missionaries in China, where
hi order to flatter the national vanity and bend it to their
purposes they represent Jesus Christ as being a great per-
sonal friend and correspondent of Confucius.
To return to these monarchs, wise men or Magi: their
sculls are kept separate to the rest of the bones and each
scull bears a crown of gold. But if you are fond of miracles,
legends, and details of relics, come with me to the Church
of St Ursula in this city, and see the proof positive of the
miraculous legend of the eleven thousand Virgins who
suffered martyrdom in this city, in the time of Attila; the
bones of all of whom are carefully preserved here and adorn
the interior walls of the Church in the guise of arms arranged
in an armoury. Eleven thousand sculls, each bearing a
golden or gilt crown, grin horribly on the spectator from the
upper part of the interior walls of the church, where they
are placed in a row. What a fine subject this would make for
a ballad in the style of Burger to suppose that on a particu-
lar night in the year, at the midnight hour when mortals in
slumbers are bound, the bones all descending from the walls
where they are arranged, forming themselves into bodies,
clapping on their heads and dancing a skeleton dance round
the Ghost of Attila! The people of Cologne, in the time of
the ecclesiastical Electorate, had the reputation of being
extremely superstitious, and no doubt there were many
who implicitly believe this pious tale; indeed, who could
refuse their assent to its authenticity, on beholding the
proof positive in the sculls and bones?
I recollect that in the History of the Compere Mathiew*
* Le Compare Mathieu, a satirical novel by the Abbe Henri Joseph
39
AFTER WATERLOO
the Pere Jean rates mightily the natives of Cologne for
their bigotry and superstition and for the bad reception
they gave to him and to his philosophy. That people are
happier from a blind belief, as some pretend, appears to me
extremely problematical. For my part, under no circum-
stances can I think bliss to consist in ignorance; nor have
I felt any particular discomfort in having learned at a very
early age to put under my feet, as Lucretius expresses it,
the strepitumAcherontisavari. On the contrary, it has made
me a perfect cosmopolitan, extinguished all absurd national
and religious prejudices, and rendered me at home wherever
I travel ; and I meet the Catholic, the Lutheran, the Moslem,
the Jew, the Hindou and the Guebre as a brother. Quo me
cunque ferat tempestas, deferor hospes.* Let me add one word
more to obviate any misrepresentation of my sentiments
from some malignant Pharisee, that tho' I am no friend
to King-craft and Priest-craft, and cannot endure that
religion should ever be blended with politics, yet I am a
great admirer of the beautiful and consoling philosophy or
theosophy of Jesus Christ which inculcates the equality of
Mankind, and represents the Creator of the universe, the
Author of all being, as the universal Father of the human
race.
Cologne derives its name from Colonia, as it was a
Roman Colony planted here to protect the left bank of the
Rhine from the incursions of the German hordes. It is here
that the grand and original manufactory of the far-famed
Eau de Cologne is to be seen. The Eau de Cologne is a
sovereign remedy for all kinds of disorders, and if the
affiches of the proprietor, Jean-Marie Farina, be worthy of
credit, he is as formidable a check to old Pluto as ever
uEsculapius was. The sale of this water is immense.
On my return to the inn, I met with a Dutch clergyman
who was travelling with his pupils, three very fine boys, the
Dulaurens, published 1765 and sometimes (though wrongly) attributed to
Voltaire. One of the prominent talkers in the dialogues is Pere Jean de Dom-
front. ED.
* Horace, Epist., I, i, 15. ED.
40
THE RHINE AT COLOGNE
sons of a Dutch lady of rank. He was to conduct them to the
University of Neuwied, on the right bank of the Rhine, in
order to place them there for their education. The young
men seem to have profited much from their studies. Their
tutor seemed to be a well-informed man and of liberal ideas ;
he preferred speaking German to French, as he said he had
not much facility in expressing himself in the latter lan-
guage. He said if I were going his way he would be happy to
have the pleasure of my company, to which I very willingly
acceded, and we agreed to start the next morning early so
as to arrive at Bonn to breakfast, and then to go on to
Godesberg, where he proposed to remain a few days.
From the windows of our inn we have a fine view of the
river, and I have not omitted doing homage to old Father
Rhine by taking up some of his water in the hollow of my
hand to drink. The Rhine of later years has been considered
the guardian of Germany against the hostile incursions of
the French, and Schiller represents this river as a Swiss
vigilant on his post, yet in spite of his vigilance and fidelity
unable to prevent his restless neighbour from forcing his
safeguard. The following are the lines of Schiller where the
river speaks in a distich:
Treu wie dem Schweizer gebiihrt bewach'ich Germaniens Grenze,
Aber der Gallier hiipft iiber den duldenden Strom.
In vain my stream I interpose
To guard Germania's realm from foes ;
The nimble Gauls my cares deride
And often leap on t'other side.
GODESBERG, 4th July.
The distance from Cologne to Bonn is 18 miles and
Godesberg is three miles further. We stopped to breakfast
at Bonn and after breakfast made a promenade thro' the
city. Bonn is a handsome, clean, well-built and cheerful
looking city and the houses are good and solid.
The Electoral Palace is a superb building, but is not
occupied and is falling rapidly to decay. From the terrace in
the garden belonging to this Palace, which impends over the
41
AFTER WATERLOO
Rhine, you have a fine view of this noble river. This Palace
was at one time made use of as a barrack by the French, and
since the secularization of the Ecclesiastical Electorates it
has not been thought worth while to embellish or even
repair it. There is a Roman antiquity in this town called the
Altar of Victory, erected on the Place St Remi, but remark-
able for nothing but its antiquity; it seems to be a common
Roman altar.* The road from Bonn to Godesberg is three
miles in length and thro' a superb avenue of horse-
chesnut trees; but before you arrive at Godesberg, there is
on the left side of the road a curious specimen of Gothic
architecture called Hochkreutz, very like Waltham cross in
appearance, but much higher and in better preservation ; it
was erected by some feudal Baron to expiate a homicide.
The castle of Godesberg is situated on an eminence and
commands a fine prospect ; it is now a mass of ruins and the
walls only remain. It derives its name of Godesberg or
Gotzenberg from the circumstance of its having been
formerly the site of a temple of Minerva built in the time
of the Romans, and thence called Gotzenberg by the Chris-
tians, Gdtze in German signifying an idol.
On the plain at the foot of the hill of Godesberg and at
the distance of an eighth of a mile from the river, a shelving
cornfield intervening, stand three large hotels and a ridotto,
all striking edifices. To the south of these is situated a large
wood. These hotels are always full of company in the sum-
mer and autumn: they come here to drink the mineral
waters, a species of Seltzer, the spring of which is about
a quarter of a mile distant from the hotels. The hotel at
which we put up bears the name of Die schone Aussicht (la
Belle Vue) and well does it deserve the name; for it com-
mands a fine view of the reaches of the river, north and
south. Directly on the opposite bank, abruptly rising, is the
* This altar, inscribed Dece Victoria Sacrum (Corpus inscr. lat. xin, 8252),
was erected by the Roman fleet on the Rhine at the place now called
Alteburg near Cologne and, after its discovery, taken to Bonn, where it was
set up on the Remigius-Platz (now called Roemer-Platz) on Dec. 3, 1809. It
is now in the Provincial Museum. ED.
42
DAS HEIMLICHE GERICHT
superb and magnificent chain of mountains called the
Sieben Gebirge or Seven Mountains. On the summit of these
mountains tower the remains of Gothic castles or keeps,
still majestic, tho' in ruins, and frowning on the plains
below; they bring to one's recollection the legends and
chronicles of the Middle Ages. They bear terrible awe-
inspiring names such as Drachenfels, Lowenberg; the
highest of them is called Drachenfels or the Rock of Dragons
and on it stood the Burg or Chateau of a Feudal Count or
Raubgraf, who was the terror of the surrounding country,
and has given rise to a very interesting romance called The
Knights of the Seven Mountains. This feudal tyrant used to
commit all sorts of depredations and descend into the
plains below, in order to intercept the convoys of merchan-
dize passing between Aix-la-Chapelle and Frankfort. It was
to check these abuses and oppressions that was instituted
the famous Secret Tribunal Das heimliche Gericht, the
various Governments in Germany being then too weak to
protect their subjects or to punish these depredations. This
secret tribunal, from the summary punishments it inflicted,
the mysterious obscurity in which it was enveloped, and the
impossibility of escaping from its pursuit, became the
terror of all Germany. They had agents and combinations
everywhere, and exercised such a system of espionage as
to give to their proceedings an appearance of supernatural
agency. A simple accusation was sufficient for them to act
upon, provided the accuser solemnly swore to the truth of it
without reserve, and consented to undergo the same punish-
ment as the accused was subjected to, in case the accusation
should be false; till this solemnity was gone through, no
pursuit was instituted against the offender. There was
scarcely ever an instance of a false accusation, for it was
well known that no power could screen the delator from the
exemplary punishment that awaited him; and there were
no means of escaping from the omniscience and omni-
potence of the secret tribunal.
To return to Godesberg, it is a most beautiful spot and
43
AFTER WATERLOO
much agreeable society is here to be met with. The families
of distinction of the environing country come here for the
purpose of recreation and drinking the mineral waters. We
sit down usually sixty to dinner, and I observe some very
fine women among them. On Sunday there is a ball at the
ridotto. The promenades in the environs are exceedingly
romantic, and this place is the favourite resort of many new
married couples who come here to pass the honeymoon.
The scenery of the surrounding country is so picturesque
and beautiful as to require the pencil of an Ariosto or Wie-
land to do justice to it:
Ne se tutto cercato avessi il mondo
Vedria di questo un piu gen til paese.*
* And, had he ranged the universal world.
Would not have seen a lovelier in his round.
Trans. W. S. ROSE.
To the researches of the naturalist and mineralogist the
Seven Mountains offer inexhaustible resources. The living
and accommodation of the three hotels are very reasonable.
For one and a half florins you have an excellent and plenti-
ful dinner at the table d'hote, including a bottle of Moselle
wine and Seltzer water at discretion ; by paying extra you
can have the Rhine wines of different growths and crops and
French wines of all sorts.
I am much pleased with the little I have seen of the
German women. They appear to be extremely well educated.
I observe many of them in their morning walks with a book
in their hand either of poetry or a novel. Schiller is the
favourite poet among them and Augustus Lafontaine the
favourite novel writer.f He is a very agreeable author were
he not so prolix; yet we English have no right to complain
of this fault, since there is no novel in all Germany to com-
pare hi point of prolixity with Clarissa, Sir Charles Grandi-
son, or Tom Jones. The great fault of Augustus Lafontaine
* Ariosto, Orlando Furtoso, vi, 20, 3. ED.
f August Lafontaine (1758-1831), born in Brunswick of a family of
French protestants, was the very prolific and now quite forgotten author of
many novels and novelettes. ED.
44
VISIT TO EHRENBREITSTEIN
is that of including in one novel the history of two or three
generations. A beautiful and very interesting tale of his,
however, is entirely free from this defect and is founded on
a fact. It is called Dankbarkeit und Liebe (Gratitude and
Love). There is more real pathos in this novelette than in
the Nouvelle Heloise of Rousseau.
EHRENBREITSTEIN, 8 July.
After a stjour of three days at Godesberg, we left that
delightful residence and proceeded to Neuwied to deposit
the boys. We stopped, however, for an hour or two at
Andernach, which is situated in a beautiful valley on the
left bank. We viewed the remains of the palace of the Kings
of Austrasia and the church where the body of the Emperor
Valentinian is preserved embalmed.
Andernach is remarkable for being the exact spot where
Julius Caesar first crossed the Rhine to make war on the
German nations. Directly opposite Neuwied, which is on
the right bank, stands close to the village of Weissenthurm
the monument erected to the French General Hoche. We
crossed over to Neuwied in a boat. Neuwied is a regular, well-
built town, but rather of a sombre melancholy appearance
and is only remarkable for its university. Science could not
chuse a more tranquil abode. This University has been
ameliorated lately by its present sovereign the King of
Prussia. It was not the interest of Napoleon to favour any
establishment on the right bank at the expence of those on
the left, the former being out of his territory. At Neuwied I
took leave of my agreeable fellow travellers, as they
intended to remain there and I to go on to Ehrenbreitstein.
An opportunity presented itself the same afternoon of
which I profited. I met with an Austrian Captain of Infantry
and his lady at the inn where I stopped who were going to
Ehrenbreitstein in their caleche, and they were so kind as to
offer me a place in it. I found them both extremely agree-
able; both were from Austria proper. He had left the
Austrian service some time ago and had since entered into
45
AFTER WATERLOO
the Russian service; from that he was lately transferred,
together with the battalion to which he belonged, into the
service of Prussia and placed on the retired list of the latter
with a very small pension. He did not seem at all satisfied
with this arrangement. He had served in several campaigns
against the French in Germany, Italy and France, and
was well conversant in French and Italian litterature.
We stopped en passant at a maison de plaisance and
superb English garden belonging to the Duke of Nassau-
Weilburg. The house is in the style of a cottage orne, but
very roomy and tastefully fitted up; but nothing can be
more diversified and picturesque than the manner in
which the garden is laid out. The ground being much broken
favours this; and in one part of it is a ravine or valley so
romantic and savage, that you would fancy yourself in
Tinian or Juan Fernandez. We arrived late in the evening in
the Thai Ehrenbreitstein, which lies at the foot of the
gigantic hill fortress of that name, which frowns over it and
seems as if it threatened to fall and crush it. My friends
landed me at the inn Zum weissen Pferd (the White
Horse), where there is most excellent accommodation.
Just opposite Ehrenbreitstein, on the left bank, is Coblentz;
a superb flying bridge, which passes in three minutes, keeps
up the communication between the two towns.
Early the next morning, I ascended the stupendous rock
of Ehrenbreitstein, which has a great resemblance to the
hill forts in India, such as Gooty, Nundydroog, etc. It is a
place of immense natural strength, but the fortifications
were destroyed by the French, who did not chuse to have so
formidable a neighbour so close to their frontier, as the Rhine
then was. The Prussian Government, however, to whom it
now belongs, seem too fully aware of its importance not to
reconstruct the fortifications with as little delay as possible.
Ehrenbreitstein completely commands all the adjacent
country and enfilades the embouchure of the Moselle which
flows into the Rhine at Coblentz, where there is an elegant
stone bridge across the Moselle. Troops without intermis-
46
GERMAN RAGE AGAINST FRANCE
sion continue to pass over the flying bridge bound to
France, from the different German states, viz., Saxons,
Hessians, Prussians, etc., so that one might apply to this
scene Anna Comnena's expression relative to the Crusades,
and say that all Germany is torn up from its foundation
and precipitated upon France. I suppose no less than
70,000 men have passed within these few days. The German
papers, particularly the Rheinische Mercur, continue to
fulminate against France and the war yell resounds with as
much fury as ever. From the number of troops that con-
tinue to pass it would seem as if the Allies did not mean to
content themselves with the abdication of Napoleon, but
will endeavour to dismember France. The Prussian officers
seem to speak very confidently that Alsace and Lorraine
will be severed from France and reunited to the Germanic
body, to which, they say, every country ought to belong
where the German language is spoken, and they are con-
tinually citing the words of an old song:
Wo 1st das deutsche Vaterland? ....
Wo man die deutsche Zunge spricht,
Da 1st das deutsche Vaterland.*
In English: " Where is the country of the Germans? Where
the German language is spoken, there is the country of the
Germans!"
Coblentz is a clean handsome city, but there is nothing
very remarkable in it except a fine and spacious " Place."
But in the neighbourhood stands the Chartreuse, situated
on an eminence commanding a fine view of the whole
Thalweg. This Chartreuse is one English mile distant from
the town and my friend the Austrian Captain had the
goodness to conduct me thither. It is a fine large building,
but is falling rapidly to decay, being appropriated to no
purpose whatever. The country is beautiful in the environs
of this place, and has repeatedly called forth the admiration
and delight of all travellers. Near Coblentz is the monu-
ment erected to the French General Marceau, who fell
*From Ernst Moritz Arndt's (1779-1860) celebrated poem, Des Deutschen
Vaterland. ED.
47
AFTER WATERLOO
gloriously fighting for the cause of liberty, respected by
friend and foe.
July 10th.
We had a large society this day at the table d'h6te. The
conversation turned on the restoration of the Bourbons,
which nobody at table seemed to desire. Several anecdotes
were related of the conduct of the Bourbon princes and
of the emigration, who held their court at Coblentz when
they first emigrated ; these anecdotes did not redound much
to their honor or credit, and I remark that they are held
in great disgust and abhorrence by the inhabitants of these
towns, on account of their treacherous and unprincipled
conduct. It was from here that " La Cour de Coblentz," as
it was called, intrigued by turns with the Jacobins and the
Brissotins and, by betraying the latter to the former, were
in part the cause of the sanguinary measures adopted by
Robespierre.* The object of this atrocious policy was that
the French people would, by witnessing so many executions,
become disgusted at the sanguinary tyranny of Robespierre
and recall the Bourbons unconditionally; which, fortunately
for France and thanks to the heroism and bravery of the
republican armies, did not take place; for had the restora-
tion taken place at that time, a dreadful reaction would
have been encouraged and the cruelties of the reign of
Terror surpassed. With the same view, emissaries were
dispatched from the Court of Coblentz to the South of
France in order, under the disguise of patriots, to preach
up the most exaggerated corollaries to the theories of liberty
and equality.
Among other things at Ehrenbreitstein is a superb
pleasure barge belonging to the Dukes of Nassau for water
excursions up and down the Rhine. A coche d'eau starts
* There seems to be much truth in this opinion, though the question of the
intrigues of Louis XVIII with Robespierre is still shrouded in obscurity.
Some pages of General Thie"bault's memoirs might have cleared it up, but
they have been torn out from the manuscript (M/moires du Gtnfral Baron
Thidbault, vol. i, p. 273). Louis XVIII paid a pension to Robespierre's sister,
Charlotte. ED.
48
ON THE RHINE TO MAYENCE
from here daily to Mayence and another to Cologne. The
price is ten franks the person. The superb chaussee on the
left bank of the Rhine, which extends all the way from
Cologne to Mayence, was constructed by the direction of
Napoleon. In the evening I went to the theatre at Coblentz,
where Mozart's opera of Don Giovanni was represented. I
recollected my old acquaintance "La ci darem la mano,"
which I had often heard in England.
MAYENCE, 12th July.
I embarked in the afternoon of the llth in the cache d*eau
bound to Mayence. Except an old " Schiffer," I was the only
passenger on board, as few chuse to go up stream on
account of the delay. I, however, being master of my own
time, and wishing to view the lovely scenery on the banks
of the river, preferred this conveyance, and I was highly
gratified. After Boppart, the bed of the river narrows much.
High rocks on each bank hem in the stream and render it
more rapid. Nothing can be more sublime and magnificent
than the scenery; at every turn of the river you would sup-
pose its course blocked up by rocks, perceiving no visible
outlet. Remains of Gothic castles are to be seen on their
summits at a short distance from each other, and where
the banks are not abrupt and escarpSs there are coteaux
covered with vines down to the water's edge. The tolling
of the bells at the different villages on the banks gives a
most aweful solemn religious sound, and the reverberation
is prolonged by the high rocks, which seem to shut you out
from the rest of the world. There are the walls nearly entire
of two castles of the Middle Ages, the one called "Die
Katze " (the cat); the other "Die Maus " (the Mouse);
each has its tradition, for which and for many other interest-
ing particulars I refer you to Klebe's and Schreiber's
description of the banks of the Rhine.
We arrived early in the evening at St Goar, where we
stopped and slept. St Goar is a fine old Gothic town, roman-
tically situated, and is famous from having two whirlpools
E 49
AFTER WATERLOO
in its neighbourhood. It is completely commanded and pro-
tected by Rheinfels, an ancient hill fortress, but the forti-
fication of which no longer exist. It requires half an hour's
walk to ascend to the summit of Rheinfels, but the traveller
is well repaid for the fatigue of the ascent by the fine view
enjoyed from the top. I remained at Rheinfels nearly an
hour. What a solemn stillness seems to pervade this part of
the river, only interrupted by the occasional splash of the
oar, and the tolling of the steeple bell! Bingen on the right
bank is the next place of interest, and on an island in the
centre of the river facing Bingen stand the ruins of a cele-
brated tower call'd the " Maiisethurm " (mouse tower), so
named from the circumstance of Bishop Hatto having been
devoured therein by rats according to the tradition. This
was represented as a punishment from Heaven on the said
bishop for his tyranny and oppression towards the poor;
but the story was invented by the monks in order to vilify
his memory, for it appears he was obnoxious to them on
account of his attempts to enforce a rigid discipline among
them and to check their licentiousness.
Bieberich, a superb palace belonging to the Dukes of
Nassau on the right bank, next presents itself to view on
your left ascending ; to your right, at a short distance from
Bieberich, you catch the first view of Mayence on the left
bank, with its towers and steeples rising from the glade.
We reached Mayence at 4 o'clock p.m., and I went to put
up at the three Crowns (Drei Kronen). The first news I
learned on arriving at Mayence was that Napoleon had
surrendered himself to the Captain of an English frigate at
Oleron ; but though particulars are not given, Louis XVIII
is said to be restored, which I am very sorry to hear. The
Allies then have been guilty of the most scandalous infrac-
tion of their most solemn promise, since they declared that
they made war on Napoleon alone and that they never meant
to dictate to the French people the form of government they
were to adopt. Napoleon having surrendered and Louis
being restored, the war may be considered as ended for
50
MAYENCE AND ITS ENVIRONS
the present, unless the Allies should attempt to wrest any
provinces from France, and in this case there is no saying
what may happen. This has finally ended the career of
Napoleon.
There is in Mayence a remarkably fine broad spacious
street called " die grosse Bleiche " and in general the
buildings are striking and solid, but too much crowded
together as is the case in all ancient fortified cities. The
Cathedral is well worth seeing and contains many things of
value and costly relics. When one views the things of value
in the churches here, at Aix-la-Chapelle and at Cologne,
what a contradiction does it give to the calumnies spread
against the French republicans that they plundered the
churches of the towns they occupied! There is an agreeable
promenade lined with trees on the banks of the river called
IS Alice du Rhin. Mayence is strongly fortified and has
besides a citadel (a pentagon) of great strength, which is
separated from the town by an esplanade. The Place du
Marche is striking and in the Place Verte I saw for the first
time in my life the Austrian uniform, there being an
Austrian garrison as well as troops belonging to the other
Germanic states, such as Prussians, Bavarians, Saxons,
Hessians, and troops of the Duchy of Berg. This City
belongs to the Germanic Confederation and is to be always
occupied by a mixed garrison. The Archduke Charles has
his head-quarters here at present. I attended an inspection
of a battalion of Berg troops on the Place Verte; they had a
very military appearance and went thro' their manoeuvres
with great precision. From the top of the steeple of the
Church of Sanct Stephen you have a fine view of the whole
Rheingau. Opposite to Mayence, on the right bank, communi-
cating by an immensely long bridge of boats, is the small
town and fort of Castel, which forms a sort of tete-de-pont to
Mayence. The works of Castel take in flank and enfilade the
embouchure of the river Mayn which flows into the Rhine.
One of the redoubts of Castel is called the redoubt of Monte-
bello, thus named after Marshal Lannes, Duke of Montebello.
2 51
AFTER WATERLOO
The German papers continue their invectives against
France. In one of them I read a patriotic song recommend-
ing the youth of Germany to go into France to revenge
themselves, to drink the wine and live at the cost of the
inhabitants, and then is about to recommend their making
love to the wives and daughters of the French, when a
sudden flash of patriotism comes across him, and he says :
" No! for that a German warrior makes love to German
girls and German women only! " (Und kusst nur Deutsche
Madchen.) With regard to the women here, those that I
have hitherto met with, and those I saw at Ehrenbreitstein,
were exceedingly handsome, so that the German warriors,
if love is their object, will do well to remain here, as they
may go further and fare worse, for I understand the women
of Lorraine and Champagne are not very striking for
personal beauty. There were some good paintings in the
picture gallery here and this and the fortifications are
nearly all that need call forth the attention of a traveller
who makes but a fleeting visit.
FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAYN, 14th July.
I arrived here the day before yesterday in the diligence
from Mayence, the price of which is two and a half florins
the person, and the distance twenty-five English miles;
there is likewise a water conveyance by the Mayn for half
the money. The road runs thro' the village of Hockheim,
which in England gives the name of Hock to all the wines of
Rhenish growth. The country is undulating in gentle
declivities and vales and is highly cultivated in vines and
corn. I put up here at the Hotel Zum Schwan (The Swan),
which is a very large and spacious hotel and has excellent
accommodation. There is a very excellent table d'hote at
one o'clock at this hotel, for which the price is one and a
half florins the person, including a pint of Moselle wine and
a krug or jar of Seltzer water. About four or five o'clock in
the afternoon it is the fashion to come and drink old Rhine
wine a VAnglaise. That sort called Rudesheimer I recom-
52
LAFAYETTE AND LORD STEWART
mend as delicious. There is also a very pleasant wine called
the Ingelheimer, which is in fact the " red Hock." At one
of these afternoon meetings a gentleman who had just
returned from Paris related to us some anecdotes of what
passed at the Conference between the French commissioners
who were sent after the abdication of Napoleon, by the
provisional government, to treat with the Allies ; in which
it appeared that the British commissioner, Lord S[tewart],*
brother to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, made
rather a simple figure by his want of historical knowledge
or recollection. He began, it seems, in rather a bullying
manner, in the presence of the commissioners, to declaim
against what he called the perfidy and mutiny of the French
army against their lawful Sovereign; when the venerable
Lafayette, who was one of the commissioners and who
is ever foremost when his country has need of his assistance,
remarked to him that the English revolution in 1688, which
the English were accustomed always to stile glorious, and
which he (Lafayette) stiled glorious also, was effectuated in
a similar manner by the British army abandoning King
James and ranging themselves under the standard of the
Prince of Orange; that if it was a crime on the part of the
French army to join Napoleon, their ancient leader who
had led them so often to victory, it was a still greater crime
on the part of the English army to go over to the Prince of
Orange who was unknown to them and a foreigner in the
bargain ; and that therefore this blame of the French army,
coming from the mouth of an Englishman, surprised him,
the more so as the Duke of Marlborough, the boast and
pride of the English, set the example of defection from his
Sovereign, who had been his greatest benefactor. Lord
S[tewart], who did not appear to be at all conscious of this
part of our history, was staggered, a smile was visible on the
countenances of all the foreign diplomatists assembled
there, and Lord S[tewart], to hide his confusion, and with an
* Sir Charles Stewart, created Lord Stewart in 1814; he was a half-brother
of Lord Castlereagh. ED.
53
AFTER WATERLOO
ill-disguised anger, turned to Lafayette and said that the
Allies would not treat until Napoleon should be delivered
to them. " Je m'e" tonne, my lord, qu'en faisant une proposi-
tion si infame et si deshonorante, vous vous plaisez de vous
adresser au prisonnier d'Olmiitz," was the dignified
answer of that virtuous patriot and ever ardent veteran of
liberty.*
The main street in Frankfort called the Zeil is very
broad and spacious, and can boast of a number of splendid
houses belonging to individuals, particularly the house of
Schweitzerf ; and on the Quai, on the banks of the Mayn,
there is a noble range of buildings. The bridge across the
Mayn is very fine and on the other side of the river is the
suburb of Sachsenhansen, which is famous for being the
head-quarters of the priestesses of the Venus vulgivaga who
abound in this city. There are in Frankfort an immense
number of Jews, who have a quarter of the city allotted to
them. The gardens that environ the town are very taste-
fully laid out, and serve as the favourite promenade of the
beau monde of Frankfort. The Cathedral will always be a
place of interest as the temple wherein in later times the
German Caesars were crowned and inaugurated. At the
Hotel de Ville called the Romer, which is an ugly Gothic
building, but interesting from its being in this edifice that
the Emperors were chosen, is to be seen the celebrated
Golden Bull which is written on parchment in the Latin
language with a golden seal attached to it. In the Hall
where the Electors used to sit on the election of an Emperor
of the Romans, are to be seen the portraits of several of the
Emperors, and a very striking one in particular of the
* The same story is given, with slight differences, by Lafayette himself
(M ^moires, vol. v, p. 472-3; Paris and Leipzig, 1838). See also Souvenirs
historiques et parlementaires du Comtede Pontdcoulant, vol. in, p. 428 (Paris,
1863). Major Frye's narrative is by far the oldest and seems the most
trustworthy. ED.
\ The house in question was built about 1780 by Nicolas de Pigage for
the rich merchant, Franz von Schweizer ; Pigage was the son of the architect
of King Stanislas at Nancy. The Schweizer palace became later on the H6tel
de Russie and was demolished about 1890, the Imperial Post Office having
been erected in its place. The Schweizer family is now extinct. ED.
54
THE THEATRE AT FRANKFORT
Emperor Joseph II, in full length, in his Imperial robes.
There is no table d'hote at the Swan for supper, but this
meal is served up a la carte, which is very convenient for
those who do not require copious meals. At the same table
with me at supper sat a very agreeable man with whom I
entered into conversation. He was a Hessian and had
served in a Hessian battalion in the English service during
the American war. He was so kind as to procure me admis-
sion to the Casino at the Hotel Rumpf,* where there is a
litterary institution and where they receive newspapers,
pamphlets and reviews in the German, French, English and
Italian languages. In Frankfort there are several houses of
individuals which merit the name of palaces, and there is a
great -display of opulence and industry in this city. In the
environs there is abundance of maisons de plaisance. For
commerce it is the most bustling city (inland) in all Ger-
many, besides it being the seat of the present German
Diet ; and from here, as from a centre, diverge the high roads
to all parts of the Empire.
I have been once at the theatre, which is very near the
Swan. A German opera, the scene whereof was in India, was
given. The scenery and decorations were good, appropriate,
and the singing very fair. The theatre itself is dirty and
gloomy. The German language appears to me to be better
adapted to music than either the French or English. The num-
ber of dactylic terminations in the language give to it all the
variety that the sdruccioli give to the Italian. As to poetry,
no language in the world suits itself better to all the
vagaries and phantasies of the Muse, since it possesses so
much natural rythm and allows, like the Greek, the com-
bination of compound words and a redundancy of epithets,
and it is besides so flexible that it lends itself to all the
* A Casinogesellschaft, still in existence (1908), was founded at Frankfort in
1805, with the object of uniting the aristocratic elements of the city, admit-
tance being freely allowed to distinguished strangers, in particular to the
envoys of the Bundestag. The Gesellschaft or club occupied spacious rooms in
the house of the once famous tapissier and decorator Major Rumpf, grand-
father of the German sculptor of the same name. That building, situated at
the corner of the Rossmarkt, was demolished about 1880. ED.
55
AFTER WATERLOO
ancient as well as the modern metres with complete success :
indeed it is the only modern language that I know of which
does so.
As for political opinions here, the Germans seem neither
to wish nor to care about the restoration of the Bourbons ;
but they talk loudly of the necessity of tearing Alsace and
Lorraine from France. In fact, they wish to put it out of the
power of the French ever to invade Germany again; a
thing however little to be hoped for. For the minor and
weaker Germanic states have always hitherto (and will
probably again at some future day) invoked the assistance
of France against the greater and stronger. I observe that
the Austrian Government is not at all popular here, and that
its bad faith in financial matters is so notorious and has
been so severely felt here, that a merchant told me, alluding
to the bankruptcy of the Austrian Government on two
occasions when there was no absolute necessity for the
measure, that Frankfort had suffered more from the bad
faith of the Austrian Government than from all the war
contributions levied by the French.
BRUXELLES, 28th July.
On arrival at Coblentz we heard that Napoleon had sur-
rendered himself unconditionally to Capt. Maitland of the
Bellerophon. He never should have humiliated himself so
far as to surrender himself to the British ministry. He
owed to himself, to his brave fellow soldiers, to the French
nation whose Sovereign he had been, not to take such a step,
but rather die in the field like our Richard III, a glorious
death which cast a lustre around his memory in spite of the
darker shades of his character; or if he could not fall in the
field, he should have died like Hannibal, rather than com-
mit himself into the hands of a government in which
generosity is by no means a distinguishing feature, and
which on many occasions has shown a petty persecuting
and vindictive spirit, and thus I have no hesitation in por-
traying the characteristics of our Tory party, which, unfor-
56
SURRENDER OF NAPOLEON
tunately for the cause of liberty, rules with undivided sway
over England. He will now end his days in captivity, for his
destination appears to be already fixed, and St Helena is
named as the intended residence ; he will, I say, be exposed
to all the taunts and persecutions that petty malice can
suggest; and this with the most uncomfortable reflections:
for had he been more considerate of the spirit of the age, he
might have set all the Monarchs, Ultras and Oligarchs and
their ministers at defiance. But he wished to ape Charle-
magne and the Caesars and to establish an universal
Empire: a thing totally impossible in our days and much
to be deprecated were it possible.
Consigned to St Helena, Napoleon will furnish to pos-
terity a proverb like that of Dionysius at Corinth. This
banishment to St Helena will be very ungenerous and
unjust on the part of the English Government, but I
suppose their satellites and adherents will term it an act of
clemency, and some Church and Kingmen would no doubt
recommend hewing him in pieces, as Samuel did to Agag.
I stopped three days at Aix-la-Chapelle to drink the
waters and then came straight to this place stopping half
a day in Liege. I shall start for Paris in a couple of days, as
the communication is now open and the public conveyances
re-established. My passport is vise in the following terms:
" Bon pour aller a Paris en suivant la route des armees
alliees." I am quite impatient to visit that celebrated city.
57
CHAPTER III
From Bruxelles to Paris Restoration of Louis XVIII The officers
of the allied armies The Palais Royal The Louvre Protest of the author
against the proposed despoiling of the French Museums Unjust strictures
against Napoleon's military policy The cant about revolutionary robberies
The Grand Opera Monuments in Paris The Champs Elysees Saint-
Cloud The H&tel des Invalides The Luxembourg General Labedoyere
Priests and emigrants Prussian Plunder Handsome behaviour of
the English officers Reminiscences of Eton Versailles.
PARIS, August 3rd.
HERE I am in Paris. I left Bruxelles the 29th July,
stopped one night at Mons and passing thro' Valen-
ciennes, Peronne and St Quentin arrived here on the
third day. The villages and towns on the road had been
pretty well stripped of eatables by the Allied army, as well
as by the French, so that we did not meet with the best
fare. In every village the white flag was displayed by way
of propitiating the clemency of the Allies and averting
plunder.
AUGUST 7th.
I have put up at the Hotel de Cahors, Rue de Richelieu,
where I pay five francs per diem for a single room; such is
the dearness of lodgings at this moment. It is well furnished,
however, with sofas, commodes, mirrors and a handsome
clock and is very spacious withal, there being an alcove for
the bed. This situation is extremely convenient, being close
to the Palais Royal, Rue St Honore, Theatre Frangais,
Louvre and the Tuileries on one side, and to the Grand
Opera, the Theatre Feydeau, the Italian Opera and the
Boulevards on the other. The National Library is not many
yards distant from my hotel, and a few yards from that
en face is the Grand Opera house or Academic Royale de
Musique.
This city is filled with officers and travellers of all kinds
who have followed the army. The House of Legislature of
the Hundred Days, as it is the fashion to style Napoleon's
58
PARIS AFTER THE HUNDRED DAYS
last reign dissolved themselves on the demand of a million
of francs as a war contribution made by Marshall Blucher.
Louis XVIII has been hustled into Paris, and now occupies
the throne of his ancestors under the protection of a million
of foreign bayonets, and the banniere des Lis has replaced
the tricolor on the castle of the Tuileries. A detachment of
the British army occupies Montmartre, where the British
flag is flying, and in the Champs Elysees and Bois de Boulogne
are encamped several brigades of English and Hanoverians.
The Sovereigns of Russia, Austria and Prussia are expected
and then it is said that the fate of France will be decided.
The Army of the Loire has at length made its submission to
the King, after stipulating but in vain for the beloved
tricolor. Report says it is to be immediately dissolved and
a new army raised with more legitimate inclinations. Should
the King accede to this, France will be completely disarmed
and at the mercy of the Allies, and the King himself a state
prisoner. The entrance into Paris, thro' the Faubourg St
Denis, does not give to the stranger who arrives there for
the first time a great idea of the magnificence of Paris; he
should enter by the Avenue de Neuilly or by the Porte St
Antoine, both of which are very striking and superb.
Now you must not expect that I shall or can give you a
description of all the fine things that I have seen or am
about to see, for they have been so often described before
that it would be a perfect waste of time, and I can do better
in referring you at once to the Guide des Voyageurs d Paris;
so that I shall content myself with merely indicating these
objects which make the most impression on me.
My first visit was, as you will have no doubt guessed, to
the Palais Royal: there I breakfasted, there I dined, and
there I passed the whole day without the least ennui. It is a
world in itself. It swarms at present with officers of the
Allied army. The variety of uniforms adds to the splendour
and novelty of the scene. The restaurants and cafe's are filled
with them. The Palais Royal is certainly the temple of
animal gratification, the paradise of gastronomes. The
59
AFTER WATERLOO
officers are indulging in all sorts of luxury, revelling in
Champaign and Burgundy, in all the pleasures of the belly,
as well as in Us quae sub venire sunt. 'Twill be a famous
harvest for the restaurateurs and for the Cyprians who
parade up and down the Arcades, sure of a constant suc-
cession of suitors. In fact, whatever be the taste of a man,
whether sensual or intellectual or both, he can gratify
himself here without moving out of the precincts of the
Palais Royal. Here are cafes, restaurants, shops of all kinds
whose display of clocks, jewellery, stuffs, silks, merchandize
from all parts of the world, is most brilliant and dazzling;
here you find reading-rooms where newspapers, reviews
and pamphlets of all tongues, nations and languages are to
be met with ; here are museums of paintings, statues, plans
in relief, cosmoramas; here are libraries, gaming houses,
houses of fair reception; cellars where music, dancing and
all kinds of orgies are carried on; exhibitions of all sorts,
learned pigs, dancing dogs, military canary birds, herma-
phrodites, giants, dwarf jugglers from Hindostan, catawbas
from America, serpents from Java, and crocodiles from the
Nile. Here, so Kotzebue has calculated, you may go through
all the functions of life in one day and end it afterwards
should you be so inclined. You may eat, drink, sleep, bathe,
go to [the Cabinet d'aisance, walk, read, make love, game
and, should you be tired of life, you may buy powder and
ball or opium to hasten your journey across Styx; or should
you desire a more classic exit, you may die like Seneca
opening your veins in a bath. Deep play goes forward day
and night, and I verily believe there are some persons in
Paris who never quit these precincts. The restaurants and
cafes are most brilliantly fitted up. One, Le Cafe des Mille.
Colonnes, so called from the reflection of the columns in the
mirrors with which the wainscoat is lined, boasts of a limona-
diere of great beauty. She is certainly a fine woman, dresses
very well, as indeed most French women do, and has a re-
markably fine turned arm which she takes care to display on
all occasions. I do not, however, perceive much animation in
60
THE PALAIS ROYAL
her; she always appears the same, nor has she made any
more impression on me tho' I am of a very susceptible
nature in this particular than a fine statue or picture
would do. There she sits on a throne and receives the
hommage and compliments of most of the visitors and the
money of all, which seems to please her most, for she
receives the compliments which are paid her with the
utmost sang-froid and indifference, and the money she
takes especial care to count. English troops, conjointly with
the National Guard, do duty at the entrance of the Palais
Royal from the Rue St Honore ; and it became necessary to
have a strong guard to keep the peace, as frequent disputes
take place between the young men of the Capital and the
Prussian officers, against whom the French are singularly
inveterate.
The French, when left to themselves, are very peaceable
in their pleasures and the utmost public decorum is observed;
their sobriety contributes much to this ; but if there were in
London an establishment similar to that of the Palais
Royal, it would become a perfect pandemonium and would
require an army to keep the peace. The French police keep
a very sharp look-out on all political offences, but are more
indulgent towards all moral ones, as long as public decorum
is not infringed, and then it is severely punished. But they
have none of that censoriousness or prying spirit in France
which is so common in England to hunt out and criticise
the private vices of their neighbours, which, in my opinion,
does not proceed from any real regard for virtue, but from a
fanatical, jealous, envious, and malignant spirit. Those
vice-hunters never have the courage to attack a man of
wealth and power; but a poor artisan or labourer, who buys
a piece of meat after twelve o'clock on Saturday night, or a
glass of spirits during church-time on Sunday, is termed a
Sabbath-breaker and imprisoned without mercy.
In the Palais Royal the three most remarkable temples
of dissipation are Very's for gastronomes, Robert's faro
bank for gamesters, and the Cafe Montausier for those
61
AFTER WATERLOO
devoted to the fair sex. The Cafe Montausier is fitted up in
the guise of a theatre where music, singing and theatrical
pieces are given; you pay nothing for admission, but are
expected to call for some refreshment. It is splendidly illu-
minated, and is the Cafe par excellence, frequented by those
ladies who have made the opposite choice to that of Her-
cules, and who, taking into consideration the shortness and
uncertainty of life, dedicate it entirely to pleasure, reflect-
ing that
Laggii nell' Inferno,
Nell' obblio sempiterno,
In sempiterno orrore,
Non si parla d'amore.
Of course, this saloon is crowded with amateurs, and the
Prussians and English are not the least ardent votaries of
the Goddess of Paphos; many a vanquished victor sinks
oppressed with wine and love on the breast of a Dalilah :
this last comparison suggests itself to me from the immense
quantity of hair worn by the Prussians, as if their strength,
like that of Samson's, depended on their chevelure. There is a
very pretty graceful girl who attends here and at the different
restaurants and cafes with an assortment of bijouterie and
other knick-knacks to sell. She is full of wit and repartee;
but her answer to all those who attempt to squeeze her hand
and make love to her is always: "Achetez quelque chose."
Her name is Celine and she has a great flow of conversation
on all subjects but that of love, which she invariably cuts
short by "Achetez quelque chose."
10th August.
I have been to see the Museum of sculpture and paint-
ing in the Louvre, but what is to be seen there baffles all
description :
Se tante lingue avessi e tante voci
Quanti occhj il cielo o quante arene il mare
Non basterian a dir le lodi immense.
The Apollo Belvedere, the Venus de Medici and the
Laocoon first claimed my attention, and engaged me for at
least an hour and a half before I could direct my attention
62
THE MUSEUM OF THE LOUVRE
to the other masterpieces. I admire indeed the Laocoon, still
more the Venus, but the Apollo certainly bears away the
palm and I fully participate of all Winkelmann's enthu-
siasm for that celebrated statue. The Venus is a very beau-
tiful woman, but the Apollo is a god. One is lost, and one's
imagination is bewildered when one enters into the halls of
sculpture of this unparalleled collection, amidst the statues
of Gods, Demi-Gods, Heroes, Philosophers, Poets, Roman
Emperors, Statesmen and all the illustrious worthies that
adorned the Greek and Roman page. What subjects for
contemplation! A chill of awe and veneration pervaded my
whole frame when I first entered into that glorious temple
of the Arts. I felt as I should were I admitted among super-
natural beings, or as if I had " shuffled off this mortal coil "
and were suddenly ushered into the presence of the illus-
trious tenants of another world; in fact, I felt as if Olympus
and the whole Court of Immortals were open to my view.
No! I cannot describe these things, I can only feel them; I
throw down the pen and call upon expressive silence to
muse their praise.
Of the Picture Gallery too what can I say that can pos-
sibly give you an idea of its variety and extent? Here are
the finest works of the Italian, Flemish, and French
schools, and you are as much embarrassed to single out the
favourite object, as the Grand Signor would be, among six
or seven hundred of the most beautiful women in the
world, to make his choice. The only fault I find in this col-
lection is that there were rather too many Scripture pieces,
Crucifixions, Martyrdoms and allegorical pictures, and too
few from historical or mythological subjects. Yet perhaps I
am wrong in classing the Scripture pieces with Martyr-
doms, Crucifixions, Grillings of Saints and Madonnas; there
are very many beautiful episodes in the Scriptures which
would furnish admirable subjects for painters. Why then
have they chosen disgusting subjects such as Judith sawing
off Holofernes' head, Siserah's head nailed to the bedpost,
John the Baptist's on a trencher, etc.? But the pictures
63
AFTER WATERLOO
representing Martyrdoms are too revolting to the eye and
should not be placed in this Museum.
It is reported that the Allies mean to strip this Museum
[of sculpture and painting]. No! it cannot be, they never
surely can be guilty of such an act of Vandalism and con-
temptible spite. I am aware that there is a great clamour
amongst a certain description of English for restoring these
statues and pictures to the countries from whence they
came, and that it is the fashion to term the translation of
them to Paris a revolutionary robbery; but let us bring
these gentlemen to a calm reasoning on the subject.
The statues and paintings in question belonged either to
Governments at war with France, or to individuals inhabit-
ing those countries ; now, with respect to individuals, I will
venture to affirm, on the best authority, that the property
of no individual was taken from him without an equivalent.
Those who had statues and pictures of value and wished to
sell them, received their full value from the French Govern-
ment, but there was no force used on the occasion ; in fact,
many who were in want of money were rejoiced at the oppor-
tunity of selling, as they could never have otherwise dis-
posed of those valuable articles to individuals at the same
price that the French Government gave. I recollect a day
or two ago being in conversation with a Milanese on this
subject and others connected with the occupation of Italy
by the French. I happened to mention that the conquest of
Italy by the Republican armies must have been attended
with confiscation of property; he assured me that no such
thing as confiscation of property took place; that so far
from being the losers by the French invasion and the
establishment of their system, they had on the con-
trary been considerable gainers, for that the country
flourished under their domination in a manner before
unknown, and that one of the greatest advantages attendant
on the occupation was the establishment of an equality
of weight and measures, the decimal division of the coin,
the introduction of an admirable code of laws free'd from all
64
THE SPOILS OF CONQUEST IN THE LOUVRE
barbarisms legal, political and theological and intelligible
to all classes, so that there was no occasion to cite old
authors and go back for three or four hundred years to hunt
out authorities and precedents for what men of sense could
determine at once by following the dictates of their own
judgment.
With respect to the statues and pictures belonging to the
different governments of Italy, it must never be forgotten
that these governments made war against the French Revo-
lution either openly or insidiously, and did their utmost to
aid the coalition to crush the infant liberties of France.
Those who did not act openly did so covertly and indirectly;
in short, from their tergiversations and intrigues, they had
no claim whatever on the mercy of the conquerors, who
treated them with a great deal of clemency. The destruc-
tion of these governments was loudly called for by the
people themselves, who looked on the French as their
deliverers.
It will be admitted, I believe, that it is and has been the
custom on the continent, in all wars, for all parties to levy
war contributions on the conquered or occupied countries;
but Buonoparte thought it more glorious for the French name
to take works of art instead of money; and not a statue or
picture was taken from the vanquished governments
except by a solemn treaty of cession, or given in lieu of con-
tributions at the option of the owners, and the Princes were
very glad to give up their pictures and statues, which the
most of them did not know how to appreciate, in lieu of
money which they were all anxious to keep; and on these
articles a fair value was fixed by competent judges. In this
manner did the French become the possessors of these
valuable objects of art, and in this manner was the noble
Museum in Paris filled up, and surely nothing could be more
generous and liberal than the use made of the Museum by
the French Government; foreigners were indeed more
favoured than the inhabitants themselves. To the inhabi-
tants of Paris this Museum is open twice a week; but to
F - 65
AFTER WATERLOO
foreigners on producing their passports, it is open every day
in the week all the year round; artists of all nations are
allowed, during a certain number of hours each day, to
come to copy the statues and pictures which suit their
taste ; and stoves are lighted for their accommodation during
winter, and all this gratis. Now, before these objects of art
were collected here, they were distributed, some in churches,
and some in Government palaces. To see the first, required a
specific introduction to the owner; to see the second, appli-
cation to the attendants of the churches became necessary,
and for both these you were required to pay fees to the ser-
vants and church-attendants, who are always impatient
to take your fee and hurry you through the apartments or
chapels, scarcely giving you time to examine anything.
To be admitted into the Government palaces was a matter
of favour, and here also fees were required.* Here in the
Louvre there is no introduction required; no court to be
paid to majordomes, no favour; it is open to all classes, high
and low, without exception, and no money is allowed to
be given.
But there are some people, in their ridiculous fury
against the French Revolution, who would fain persuade us
that before that epoch there was a golden age on the earth,
that there were no acts of violence committed, no frauds
practised, no property injured, no individuals ill-used;
that every Prince governed like Numa; that every noble
was a Bayard, and every priest like a primitive apostle.
Why I need go no further than the Seven Years' war to
show that in that war, during the height of European civi-
lisation, and carried on between the most polished nations
in Europe, there were much more acts of violence and
rapine carried on than ever were done by the French
republicans. I by no means wish to excuse or even palliate
the acts of ferocity which took place at that epoch of the
French Revolution called the reign of Terror, which were
* Exceptions to this are, I understand, the Gallery at Florence, and the
Museo Vaticano at Rome, which are both open to all and no fees allowed.
66
RAPINE DURING THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR
executed by a people wrought up to frensy by a recollection
of their wrongs; and I know too well that many virtuous
individuals fell victims to their indiscriminating fury ; but I
do believe and aver that much more clamour was made at
the execution of a handful of corrupt courtiers, intriguing
and profligate women of quality and worthless priests, than
all the rest put together.
To return to the Seven Years' war (I may be permitted
to take this retrospect, I hope, since it is the fashion, and
those who differ with me in opinions go much farther back
than I do), let the French royalists and emigrants recollect
the confiscation of property and barbarity exercised by
Marshall Richelieu in Hanover, where many families were
reduced to beggary. They may not chuse to recollect this;
but the Hanoverians do and they have not forgotten the
Pavilion de Hanovre, so called by the wits of the time from
its having been built by the Marshall with money arising
from the spoils of Hanover; will they recollect also the
harsh treatment inflicted on the burghers and citizens of a
town in Germany, who were shut up in a room and kept
without food or drink for nearly three days because they
would not consent to fix a heavy and unwarrantable con-
tribution on their fellow citizens; when these unhappy
but virtuous men were only allowed to go out for the neces-
sities of nature attended by sentries, and on the third day,
when fainting with hunger, a little bread and water was
given to them, with an assurance that in future they were
not to expect such luxuries. Have they forgot the devasta-
tion committed in Berlin by the Austrians in the Seven
Years' war, when they pillaged, burned or destroyed all the
valuable property of the royal Palaces, the most valuable
works of art, vases, statues of antiquity, the loss of which
could never be replaced; when they lopped off the heads,
arms and legs of the statues? Have they forgot the conduct
of the belligerent powers at the siege of Dresden at the same
epoch, when whole families, among whom were helpless old
men and women with children at the breast, were compelled
F2 67
AFTER WATERLOO
to leave Dresden in the middle of a most rigorous winter
and were driven to take refuge in the fields where the most
of them perished with hunger and cold; and where many
individuals lost their reason and became insane from the
treatment they received? Have they forgotten the merciless
barbarities inflicted by the Russians in the same war on the
inhabitants of the Prussian territory? their ripping up and
burning men, women, and children? and the dreadful
retaliation inflicted on them at the battle of Zorndorff,
when the Prussians, exasperated at the idea of those horrors
so fresh in their memory, on being ordered to bury the Rus-
sian dead, threw the wounded men also belonging to that
nation into the graves dug for the dead, to be thus buried
alive, and hastily filled them up with earth, as if fearful
that they might relent, did they give themselves time for
reflection? These are not exaggerations; they are given by
an author celebrated for his impartiality and deep research
and who was an eye-witness of many of these proceedings;
I mean Archenholz in his admirable history of the Seven
Years' war.*
Then again in the war of American Independence (and
here my countrymen must excuse me if I point out the acts
of injustice committed by them, when acting in obedience
to an unprincipled and arbitrary government and in a cause
hostile to freedom), who does not recollect the private
property wantonly destroyed and confiscated by the
English? their employing the Indian tribes, those merci-
less savages of the forest, to scalp, etc., which called forth
the indignation of a Chatham? and the grossly unjust pillage
and confiscation of property which took place at St
Eustatius by the commanders of a religious and gracious
King?^ Again, who does not recollect the gentle but deep
* Johann Wilhelm Archenholz (1743-1812), author of the Geschichte des
Siebenjahrigen Krieges, r 789. ED.
f In February, 1781, before the declaration of war was generally known
in the West Indies, Rodney's fleet surrounded the Dutch island of Eustatius,
which had become a sort of entrepot for supplying America with British
goods ; two hundred and fifty ships, together with several millions worth of
merchandise, were seized and sold at a military auction. The plunder of
68
ANECDOTE OF SCHUYLER AND BURGOYNE
reproof given by the American General Schuyler to the
English General Burgoyne, when the latter was made
prisoner by the Americans under Gates? General Schuyler's
valuable house, barns, etc., had been burned by the express
order of Burgoyne. Nevertheless, Schuyler received him
with dignified politeness, magnanimously stifled the recol-
lection of the injury he had received, and obtained for him
a good quarter, merely remarking, " General, had my house
and farms not been burned, I could have offered you a more
comfortable abode." How Burgoyne must have felt this
reproof! yet he was not by nature a harsh man, but he had
the orders of his government to exercise severities; he was
educated in Tory principles, and passive obedience is their
motto.
Can one forget likewise even, in the late war, Nelson's
conduct to Caraccioli at Naples, whom he caused to be
hanged on board of an English ship of war, together with a
number of other patriots, in violation of a solemn capitu-
lation, by which it had been stipulated that they should be
considered as prisoners of war and sent to France? Then
again the wanton destruction of the Capitol and other public
buildings at Washington not devoted to military purposes,
which it is not usual to destroy or deface ; and the valuable
public library too which was burned? What excuse can be
offered for this? Were the times of Omar returned? It is
fair and allowed by the laws of war to blow up and destroy
arsenals, magazines, containing warlike stores and engines
of destruction, but to destroy with Gothic barbarity
buildings of great symmetry and beauty, and a library
too O fie!
Why I will defy any man to point out a single instance
where the French republican armies or Napoleon ever
injured or wantonly destroyed a single national edifice, a
single work of art, a single book belonging to any other
Eustatius was bitterly commented upon in the British House of Commons.
Lee Richard Hildreth, The History of the United States, vol. in, p. 335.
ED.
69
AFTER WATERLOO
country! On the contrary, they invariably extended their
protection to the Arts and Sciences. Why at Vienna, where
there is, I understand, a most splendid museum, and many
most valuable works of art and antiquity, tho' this city fell
twice into their possession, they never destroyed or took
away a single article ; but, on the contrary, there, as well as
in Berlin, they invited the inhabitants to form a civic guard
for the protection of their property. As to the Vandalism
shewn during the reign of Terror, and I by no means seek
to palliate it, that was of short duration, it was madness, if
you will, but it was disinterested and other nations who
talk a great deal about their superior morality would do well
to look at home. They would there observe, in their own
historic page, that the atrocities of the French Revolution
have not only been equalled but surpassed perhaps by more
dreadful scenes committed at Wexford in 1798, under the
auspices of the Government then ruling Ireland and which
the noble and virtuous * disdained to serve.
Excuse this long digression, but I feel it my duty to open
the eyes of my countrymen and prevent them from sup-
porting on all occasions the unjust acts of their Govern-
ment, which reflect dishonour on a great and enlightened
nation; which can boast, among its annals, of some of the
most heroic, splendid, and disinterested characters that
ever the world produced.
All that I need add on the subject of the statues and pic-
tures is, that putting out of the question the justice or in-
justice of the restitution, it will be a great loss to England and
to English artists in particular, should they be removed : many
an artist can afford to make a trip to Paris, who would find
it beyond his means to make a journey to Florence or Rome.
If these objects of art are to be taken away, it should be
stipulated so in the treaty of peace; and then everybody
would understand it. This would be putting it on the fairest
* The name is in blank. Major Frye may have meant Beauchamp Bagenal
Harvey (1762-1798), the squire of Wexford who deserted to the Irish rebels.
ED.
70
THE OPERA IN PARIS
footing. You then say to France: "You gained these things
by conquest; you lose them by defeat"; but for God's sake
let us have no more of that cant about revolutionary
robberies!
PARIS,
I went for the first time to the Grand Opera, or, as it is
here called, the Academic Royale de Musique, which is in
the Rue de Richelieu. Armida was the piece performed, the
music by Gliick. The decorations were splendid and the
dancing beyond all praise. The scenes representing the
garden of Armida and the nymphs dancing fully expressed
in the mimic art those beautiful lines of Tasso :
Cogliam d'amor la rosa! amiamo or.quando
Esser si puote riamato amando!*
The effect of the dissolution of the palace and gardens by
the waving of Armida's wand is astonishing; it appears
completely to be the work of inchantment, from the
rapidity of execution which follows the potentissime parole.
The French recitative however does not please me. The
serious opera is an exotic and does not seem to thrive on the
soil of France. The language does not possess sufficient
intonation to give effect to the recitative.
On the contrary, the comic operas are excellent; and here
the national music and singing appear to great advantage.
It never degenerates to the grotesque or absurd buffo of
the Italians, but is always exquisitely graceful, simple,
touching and natural.
Among the ballets, I have seen perhaps three of the best,
viz., Achille a Scyros, Flore et Zephire and La Jolle par
amour. In the ballet of Flore and Zephire, the dancers who
did these two parts appeared more aerian than earthly. To
use a phrase of Burke's, I never beheld so beautiful a vision.
Nina, or la folle par amour, is a ballet from private life. The
title sufficiently explains its purport; it is exquisitely touch-
ing and pathetic. O what a divine creature is Bigottini! what
* Tasso, Jerusalemme liber ata, canto xvi, ottava 15. ED.
71
AFTER WATERLOO
symmetry of form! what innate grace, what a captivating
expression of countenance; and then the manner in which
she did the mad scenes and her return to reason! Oh! I was
moved even to tears. Never had any performance such an
effect upon me What a magnificent tout ensemble is the
Grand Opera at Paris! Whenever I feel chagrined or
melancholy I shall come here ; I feel as if I were in a new
world; the fiction appears reality; my senses are ravished,
and I forget all my cares.
I have very little pleasure in visiting royal Palaces, unless
they have been the residence of some transcendent person
like Napoleon or Frederick II of Prussia, as the sight of
splendid furniture and royal pomp affords me no gratifica-
tion; and I would rather visit Washington's or Lafayette's
farms in company with these distinguished men than dine
with all the monarchs of Europe. After a hasty glance at the
furniture of the Tuileries, what fixed my attention for a
considerable time was " La Salle des Marechaux," where
are the portraits of all the modern French Marshalls. They
are all full length portraits and are striking resemblances;
some are in the Marshall's undress uniform and others in the
full court costume which is very elegant, being the costume
of the time of Francis I with the Spanish hat and plumes.
I did not observe Ney's or Soult's portraits among them.
In front of the great square of the Tuileries where the
troops exercise, stands the Arch of Triumph erected by
Napoleon, commonly called VArc du Carrousel. It is a beauti-
ful piece of architecture, but is far too small to tally with
such a vast mass of buildings as the Palace and offices of the
Tuileries. By the side of them it appears almost Lilliputian.
It would have been better to have made it in the style of the
trumphal arch of the Porte St Denis. On this arc of the
Carrousel are bas-reliefs both outside and inside, represent-
ing various actions of Napoleon's life. He is always repre-
sented in the Roman costume, with the imperial laurel on
his brows, with kings kneeling, and presenting the keys of
conquered cities. On the outside are statues, large as life,
72
THE GARDENS OF THE TUILERIES
in modern military costume, representing the different
armes which compose the French army.* On the top of this
Arc du Carrousel is an antique car of triumph, to which are
harnessed the four bronze horses which were taken from the
fa$ade of the Church of San Marco in Venice. They are of beau-
tiful workmanship and of great antiquity. What various and
mighty revolutions have these horses witnessed! Cast in
Corinth in the time of the glories of the Grecian common-
wealths and removed by conquest to Rome, they witnessed
the successive fall of the Grecian and Roman states ; trans-
ferred to Constantinople in the time of Constantine, and
from thence removed to Venice when Constantinople fell
into the hands of the French and Venetians; transferred
from thence to Paris in 1798, they have witnessed the
successive falls of the Eastern and Western Empires, of
the Republic of Venice and the Napoleonic dynasty and
Empire. Report says they are to be restored to Venice;
and who knows whether they may not be destined one day
to return to their original country, Greece, under perhaps
Russian auspices?
The Gardens of the Tuileries which lie at the back part
of the palace are very spacious, well laid out in walks and
lined with trees. Large basins inlaid with stone, fountains
and statues add to the grandeur of these gardens; they
extend from the Tuileries as far as the Place Louis XV
parallel to the Seine, and are separated by a wall and parapet
and a beautiful cast iron railing from the Quai, and on the
other side from the Rue de Rivoli, one of the new streets, and
the best in Paris for pedestrians. On the side opposite the
palace itself is the Place Louis XV, called in the time of the
republic Place de la Revolution, and where the unfortu-
nate Louis XVI suffered decapitation. The Place Louis XV
is by far the most magnificent thing of the kind I have ever
seen and far exceeds the handsomest of our squares in London.
On one side of it is the Hotel du Garde Meuble, a superb edifice.
* For instance, a Cuirassier, a Dragoon, a Grenadier, a Tirailleur, an
Artilleryman.
73
AFTER WATERLOO
On the other the Quai, the river; and on the other side of the
river is the Palais du Corps legislatif, now the place where
the Chamber of Deputies hold their sitting, and which has
a magnificent faade. In front of this place are the Champs
Elysees and avenue of Neuilly and behind the gardens and
palace of the Tuileries.
My next visit was to the Place Vendome, where stands
the majestic column of the Grand Army. To me this column
is the most striking thing of its kind that I have hitherto
seen. It is of bronze and of the most beautiful workman-
ship, cast from the cannon taken from the Austrians in the
war of 1805, and on it are figured in bas-relief the various
battles and achievements, winding round and round from
the base to the capital. It is constructed after the model of
the Column of Trajan in Rome.
The next place I visited was the Chamber of Deputies.
It is a fine building with a Doric fa$ade and columns; it is
peculiarly striking from its noble simplicity. On the fayade
are bas-reliefs representing actions in Napoleon's life.
The flight of steps leading to the f ayade is very grand, and
there are colossal figures representing Prudence, Justice,
Fortitude and other legislative virtues. The Chamber itself
where the Deputies hold their sittings is in the form of a
Greek theatre ; the arch of the semi-circle forms the gallery
appropriated to the audience, and comprehends in its enclo-
sure the seats of the deputies like the seats in a Greek
theatre; on the chord of the semi-circle where the pro-
scenium should be, is the tribune and President's seat. The
whole is exceedingly elegant. The Orator whose turn it is to
speak leaves his seat, ascends the tribune and faces the
Deputies. The anti-rooms adjoining this Chamber are fitted
up with long tables and fauteuils and are appropriated to the
sittings of the various committees. These antichambers
are hung round with pictures representing the victories of
the French armies; but they are covered with green baize
and carefully concealed from the public eye in order to
stifle recollections and prevent comparisons.
74
THE ALLIES IN PARIS
PARIS, August.
I mounted on horseback and rode out to St Cloud to
breakfast, passing through the Champs Elysees, the Bois
de Boulogne and the little town of Passy, and returned by
the Quai, as far as the bridge of Jena, which I passed and
went to visit the Hotel des Invalides, le Champ de Mars, the
Pantheon or Church of St Genevieve and the Palace of the
Luxembourg. This was pretty good work for one day; and
as you will expect some little account of my ideas thereon,
I shall give you a precis of what most interested me.
In the Champs Elysees are quartered several English regi-
ments who are encamped there, and this adds to the liveli-
ness of the scene; our soldiers seem to enjoy themselves very
much. They are in the midst of places of recreation of all
kinds, such as guinguettes, tennis-courts, dancing salons
and cafes, and besides these (places of Elysium for English
soldiers), wine and brandy shops innumerable ; our soldiers
seem to agree very well with the inhabitants. In the Bois de
Boulogne are Hanoverian troops as well as English. At
Passy I stopped at the house occupied by my friend, Major
C. of the 33rd Regt.,* who was to accompany me to St
Cloud. St Cloud is an exceedingly neat pretty town, well and
solidly built, and tolerably large. There are a great many
good restaurants and cafes, as St Cloud with its Palace,
promenades and gardens forms one of the most favourite
resorts of the Parisians on Sundays and jours de fete. Diners
de societe and noces et festins are often made here ; and there
is both land and water conveyance during the whole day.
There are two roads by land from Paris: the one on the
Quai the whole way; the other through the Bois de Bou-
logne and Champs Elysees. The gardens of St Cloud are laid
out something in the style of a jardin anglais, but mixed
with the regular old fashioned garden; it abounds in lofty
trees, beautiful sites and well arranged vistas commanding
extensive views of Paris and the country environing. St
Cloud was the favourite residence of Napoleon; and the
* Major G. Colclough, senior major of the 3jrd Regt. ED.
75
AFTER WATERLOO
furniture in the palace here shows him to be a man of the
most refined taste. All is elegant and classic; there is
nothing superfluous; the furniture is modern, but in strict
imitation of the furniture of the ancients and chiefly in
bronze. There are superb vases and candelabras in marble,
magnificent clocks of various kinds, marble busts, and
busts in bronze of great men, and bronze statues large as
life holding lamps. The chairs and sofas too are in a classic
taste, as are the beds and baths. We were informed here
that Blucher, who passed one night here, tore with his
spur the satin covering of one of the sofas and that he did it
wilfully; but I never can believe that the old man would be
so silly, and I rather think that this story is an invention of
the keeper of the Palace, or that if it was done, it was done
by an accident merely. But the fact is that Blucher has a
contempt for and hates the Parisians and likes to mortify
them on all occasions; he threatens to do a number of
things which he never seriously intends, merely for the sake
of teasing them; and it must be owned that they deserve
a little contempt from the want of caractere they showed on
the entrance of the Allies. Be it as it may, Blucher is the
bSte noire of the Parisians and they are as much afraid of
him as the children are of Monsieur Croque-mitaine.
We returned from St Cloud by the Quai, crossed the
bridge of Jena, gallopped along the Champs de Mars, took a
hasty glance at the Hotel des Invalides, a magnificent
edifice and which may be distinguished from all other build-
ings by its gilded cupola. It is a superb establishment in
every respect, and is furnished with an excellent library. A
great many old soldiers are to be seen in this library occu-
pied in reading; they are very polite to all visitors, par-
ticularly to ladies. Nothing can better demonstrate the
superior character, intelligence and deportment of the
French soldiers over those of all other countries than the
way in which they employ their time in literary pursuits,
their dignified politeness to visitors and the intelligent
answers they give to questions. I am afraid our British
76
THE HOTEL DES INVALIDES
veterans, brave as they are in the field, occupy themselves,
when laid up as invalids, more in destroying their bodies
by spirituous liquors than in improving their minds by read-
ing. The Chapel of this establishment where were dis-
played the banners and trophies taken at different epochs
from the enemies of France, and which were much mutilated
by the wars since the Revolution, is now stripped of all the
ensigns of glory. They were all burned by the French them-
selves previous to the capitulation of Paris in 1814, in order
to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy. An old
soldier who was my guide related this with tears in his eyes,
but suddenly checking himself said: " Mais telle est Vhis-
toire."
The only things now in this Chapel that interest the eye
of the traveller are the monuments of Vauban and Turenne.
Of the rest nought remains but the brilliant souvenirs.
Fuit Ilium, et ingens
Gloria Teucrorum! ... *
I had a great deal of difficulty in inducing this old soldier
to accept of three franks ; I told him at last that, as he did not
want it himself, to take it and give it to somebody that did.
I then visited the rest of the establishment. There is a whole
range of rooms which contains models or plans in relief of
all the fortresses of France; they are admirably and most
minutely executed; not only the fortifications and public
buildings, but the private houses, the gardens, orchards^
meadows, mountains, hill and dale, bridges, trees, every fea-
ture of the ground in fine and of the surrounding country are
given in miniature. In fact it gives you the same idea of the
places themselves and of the environing country as if you
were held up in the air over them to inspect them ; or as if you
viewed them from a balloon at the distance of 300 yards
from the earth. The models of Strassburg, Lille and three
or four others have been taken away by the Austrians and
Prussians, but I have seen those of Calais, Dunkirk, Ville-
* Virgil, Aen., II, 325. ED.
77
AFTER WATERLOO
franche, Toulon, and Brest, and in fact almost every other
French fortress. This is one of the most interesting sights
in Paris, and for this we are certainly indebted to the occu-
pation ; for I question much if travellers were ever permitted
to see these models until Paris fell into the hands of the
Allies. Prussian sentries do duty at the doors; how grating
this must be to the old invalids! Among the models I must
not omit to mention a very curious one which represents
the battle of Lodi. The town of Lodi, the bridge and river
are admirably executed. The soldiers are represented by
little figures about a quarter of an inch in height and cobwebs
are disposed so as to represent the smoke of the firearms.
Buonaparte and his staff are on horseback on one side of the
bridge. There is also a very fine model of the Hotel des
Invalides itself.
From hence we went to the garden and palace of the
Luxembourg. These gardens form the midday and afternoon
promenade of that part of the city. In one wing of the Palace
is the Chamber of Peers, elegantly fitted up and in some
respect resembling a Greek theatre. The busts of Cicero,
Brutus, Demosthenes, Phocion and other great men of
antiquity adorn the niches of this chamber and on the
grand escalier are the statues in natural size of Kleber,
Dessaix, Caffarelli and other French generals. Report says
that these statues will be removed.
In the picture gallery at the Luxembourg is a choice
collection of pictures of the modern French school such as
Guerin, David, etc. The subjects are extremely well chosen,
being taken from the mythology or from ancient and
modern history. I was too glad to find no crucifixions,
martyrdoms, nor eternal Madonnas. I distinguished in
particular the Judgment of Brutus and the Serment des
Horaces et des Curiaces. Connoisseurs find the attitudes too
stiff and talk to you of the Italian school; but I prefer
these; yet I had better hold my tongue on this subject,
for I am told I know nothing about painting.
78
FRANCE DISARMED
PARIS.
Poor Labedoyere* is sentenced to be shot by the Court
Martial which tried him, and the sentence will be carried
immediately into execution. His fate excites universal
sympathy, and I have seen many people shed tears when
talking on this subject. He certainly ought to be protected
by the 12th Article of the Capitulation. The French are very
uneasy ; the Allies have begun to strip the Louvre and there
is no talk of what the terms of peace are to be, or what is the
determination of the Allies. This is a dreadful state of un-
certainty for the French people and may lead to a general
insurrection. The Allies continue pouring troops into France
and levying contributions. " Vae metis " seems their motto.
France is now a disarmed nation, and no French uniform is
to be seen except that of the National Guard and the
" Garde Royale." France is at the mercy of her enemies
and prostrate at their feet; a melancholy prospect for
European liberty!
The Allies have parades and reviews two or three times a
week and the Sovereigns of Russia, Austria and Prussia con-
stantly attend; Wellington is their showman. These crowned
Heads like mightily playing at soldiers; I should think His
Grace must be heartily tired of them. Massacres and per-
secutions of the Protestants have begun to take place in the
South of France, and the priests are at work again threaten-
ing with excommunication and hell the purchasers and
inheritors of emigrant estates and church lands. These
priests and emigrants are incorrigible. Frequent quarrels
take place almost every evening in the Palais Royal
between the Prussian officers and the French, particularly
some of the officers from the army of the Loire. I rather sus-
pect these latter are the aggressors. The Prussians being
* La Bedoyere (Charles Huchet, Comte de) distinguished himself in several
of the Napoleonic wars, in particular at Ratisbonne and Borodino. Being a
colonel at Grenoble, in March, 1815, he deserted to Napoleon's cause and
was nominated by him general and pair de France. In July, 1815, he was
arrested in Paris, tried for high treason and shot, August 19, in spite of
Benj. Constant's efforts to save him. ED.
79
AFTER WATERLOO
gorged with plunder come there to eat, drink and amuse
themselves and have as little stomach for fighting as the
soldier of Lucullus had after having enriched himself; but
the officers of the army of the Loire are, poor fellows, in a
very different predicament; they have not even been paid
what is due to them, and they, having none of those nice
felicities (to use an expression of Charlotte Smith's)* which
make life agreeable, are ready for any combat, to set their
life on any cast, " to mend it, or to be rid of 't." The
Prussians indulge in every sort of dissipation, which they are
enabled to do by the plunder which they have accumulated,
and of which they have formed, I understand, a depot at St
Germain. They send these articles of plunder to town every
day to be sold, and then divide the profits, which are sure
to be spent in the Palais Royal, and other places of revel
and debauchery.
They sometimes affect a fastidiousness of stomach which
is quite laughable, and not at all peculiar to the Germans,
who are in general blessed by nature with especial good appe-
tites; and they spend so much money that the English
officers who have not had the advantages of plunder that
these Prussians have had must appear by the side of them
stingy and niggardly.
I was witness one day to a whimsical scene, which will
serve to give you an idea of the airs of importance these
gentlemen give themselves. I was one day at Versailles
and after having visited the palace and gardens I entered the
Salon of a restaurateur and called for a veal cutlet and vin
ordinaire. There was a fat Prussian Major with two or three
of his companions at one of the tables, who had been making
copious libations to Bacchus in Burgundy and Champaign.
He heard me call for vin ordinaire, and whether it was to
show his own magnificence I know not, but he called out to
the cafetiere: " Madame, votre vin ordinaire est il buvable?
car j'en veux donner a mon trompette,et s'il n'est pas bon,
* Charlotte Smith (1749-1806), author of Emmeline, or the Orphan of the
Castle (1788), Celestina (1792), The Old Manor House (1793), etc. ED.
80
REMINISCENCES OF ETON
il n'en boira pas. Faites venir mon trompette." Now I dare
say in his own country this Major would not have disdained
even the " schwarze Bier " of Brandenburgh.
Scarcely any quarrels, I believe, take place between
the English and French, nor did I hear of any violent fracas
but one. In this instance, the English officers concerned must
have been sad, brutal, vulgar fellows. They, however, after
behaving in a most gross insulting manner, were compelled
by some Frenchmen not to eat but to drink then* words,
and that out of a vessel not usually employed in drinking. I
shall not repeat the contemptible affair, but it furnished the
subject of a caricature.
The English officers in general behave in a handsome
and liberal manner, and their conduct was spoken of in
high terms of encomium by very many of the French them-
selves. I regret however exceedingly that any of the British
officers should have imbibed the low prejudices and vulgar
hatred against the French, which certain people preach up
in England to cover their own peculations and interested
views. A young friend of mine, with whom I was one day
talking on political subjects, said to me: " I cannot help
agreeing with you in many things, but I am staggered when
I think that your ideas and reasoning are so contrary to the
ideas in which I have been brought up; so that I rather
avoid entering at all on political questions."
I do not wonder at all at this, for I recollect when I was
at school at Eton, the system was to drill into the heads of
the boys strong aristocratic principles and hatred of
Democracy and of the French in particular; we were
ordered to write themes against the French Revolution and
verses of triumph over their defeats, with now and then a
sly theme on the great advantage of hereditary nobility;
in these verses God Almighty was to be represented as
closely allied to the British Government and a sleeping
partner of the Administration. One of the fellows of Eton
College actually told the late Mr Adam Walker, the cele-
brated lecturer on natural and experimental philosophy,
G 81
AFTER WATERLOO
who was accustomed to give lectures annually to the
Etonians, that his visits were no longer agreeable and
would be dispensed with in future; as " Philosophy had
done a great deal of harm and had caused the French
Revolution."
With respect to my visit to Versailles, I was much struck
with the vast size and magnificence of the buildings and
with the ingenuity displayed in the arrangement of the
grounds and the numerous groupes of statues, grottos,
aqueducts, fountains and ruins. Still it pleases me less than
St Cloud, for I prefer the taste of the present day in
gardening and the arrangement of ground, to the pon-
derous and tawdry taste of the time of Louis XIV, and I
prefer St Cloud to Versailles, just as I should prefer a Gre-
cian Nymph in the simple costume of Arcadia to a fine
court lady rouged and dressed out with hoops, diamonds,
and headdress of the time of Queen Anne. Napoleon must
have had an exquisite taste.
CHAPTER IV
From Paris to Bruxelles Visiting the plains of Waterloo The Duke de
Bern at Lille Beauvais Return to Paris Remarks on the French theatre
Talma Mile Duchesnois Mile Georges French alexandrine verse The
Abbe Delille The Opera Comique.
I MET with my brother-in-law and his nephew at Paris,
and hearing from them that they had an intention of
returning to England by the way of Bruxelles, with the
idea of visiting the plains of Waterloo, I was induced to
accompany them. We started on the 18th August, taking
the exact route from Paris that was taken byNapoleon. Passed
the first night at St Quentin; the second at a small village on
the line between Mons and Charleroy in the Belgian terri-
tory. The next morning, after breakfasting at Nivelles, we
proceeded to Quatre Bras and Mont St Jean. At the little
cabaret called a la belle Alliance we met a host of English-
men who had been to behold the field of battle; Lacoste,
the peasant who was Napoleon's guide on the day of
battle, was about to conduct them across the fields to
Hougoumont. We followed them. The devastation of the
place, every tree being pierced with bullets, and the whole
premises being nearly burned to the ground, seemed to
astonish their weak minds; one of them was not con-
tented till he had measured the length and breadth of the
garden and orchards.
Cuirasses, helmets, swords and various other spoils of
war found on the spot, were offered for sale by some boys and
eagerly bought up as relics. My brother-in-law made a pur-
chase of a helmet, sword and cuirass, intending to hang it
up in his hall. For my part I have seen, and can see no
reason whatever to rejoice at this event. I fear it is pregnant
with infinite mischief.
We arrived at Bruxelles on the afternoon of the 20th Au-
gust and after visiting the Park, Alice verte and Palace of Lae-
ken, we proceeded the next morning on our journey to Lille.
G2 83
AFTER WATERLOO
The Duke of Berri was at Lille and a grand fete was given
in the evening to celebrate the second restoration of the
Bourbons. Fireworks were let off, the city was brilliantly
illuminated and boys (hired of course) went about the
streets singing the following refrain
A has, a bas Napoleon !
Vivent, vivent les Bourbons!
A number of beautiful women elegantly attired paraded
up and down the public promenades, which are exceedingly
well and tastefully laid out. This city is built with great
regularity, and the streets are broad, neat, and clean. It is
by far the handsomest city I have ever seen either in France
or Belgium. The Hotel de Ville and the theatre both are on
the Grande Place and are well worth seeing. Lille is re-
nowned for its fortifications; I much wished to visit the
citadel but I was not permitted. At dinner at the table
d'hote at the Hotel du Commerce, I remarked a French
officer declaiming violently against Napoleon; but I heard
afterwards that he was the son of an Emigrant ; the rest of
the company did not seem to approve his discourse and
shewed visible impatience at it.
Lille may be easily recognised at its approach from the
immense quantity of wind-mills that are in the vicinity of
this city, some of which are used for grinding of wheat and
others for the expression of oil. A great deal of flax from
whence the oil is made, grows in the country.
I left Lille on the morning of the 24th inst., with the
courier for Amiens. From Amiens I took the diligence to
Beauvais and on arrival there I put up under the hospitable
roof of my friend Major G., of the 18th Light Dragoons,
lately made Lt.-Colonel for his gallantry at Waterloo.* I
did not want for amusement here, for the next day a fete
champetre was given just outside the walls of the town, and I
admired the grace and tournure of the female peasantry and
their good dancing. How much more creditable are these
* Major James Grant, of the i8th Light Dragoons, was made a Brevet
Lieutenant Colonel on 1 8th June, 1815. ED.
84
CRICKET MATCH AT BEAUVAIS
innocent and agreeable fetes to the fairs and meetings in
England, which are generally signalized in drunkenness!
The next afternoon presented a novel sight to the inhabi-
tants of Beauvais, it being a grand cricket match played
between the officers of the 10th and 18th Dragoons. It was
won by the latter, mainly owing to the superior play of
Colonel G. of the 18th, who never touched a bat since he
was at Burney's school. The Officers afterwards dined
al fresco and many toasts accompanied by the huzzas were
given, to the astonishment of the bystanders, who seemed
to consider us as little better than barbarians. One of the
officers wishing to pay a compliment to the inhabitants of
Beauvais proposed the health of Louis XVIII, but they
seemed to take it coldly and not at all to be flattered by the
compliment.
After five days very agreeable residence at Beauvais, I
put myself in the diligence to return to Paris. During the
journey an ardent political altercation arose between a
young lady, who appeared to be a warm partisan of Napo-
leon, on the one side, and a Garde du Corps on the other.
The lady was seconded by a young gentleman, of whom it was
difficult to say, whether he sustained her argument from a
dislike to the present order of things, or from a wish to
ingratiate himself in her favour. The argument of the Garde
du Corps was espoused, but soberly, by one of the passengers
who was a mathematical professor at one of the Lyceums;
he was not by any means an Ultra, but he supported the
Bourbons, with moderate, gentlemanly and I therefore
believe sincere attachment. This professor seemed a welt
informed sort of man; he told me that he was acquainted
with Sir James M., formerly recorder at Bombay. On our
arrival at the Bureau des Messageries, the whole company
forgot their disputes and parted good friends; and the
young man who was partisan of the young lady in the political
dispute took care to inform himself of her abode in Paris.
* * * * *
Remarks on the various dramatic performances which I
85
AFTER WATERLOO
witnessed at Paris, with opinions on the French theatre in
general.
In my ideas of dramatic works I am neither rigidly
classic nor romantic, and I think both styles may be good
if properly managed and the interest well kept up; in a
word I am pleased with all genres hors le genre ennuyeux, *
and tho' a great admirer of Shakespeare and Schiller, I
am equally so of Voltaire, Racine and Corneille; I take
equal delight in the pathos of the sentimental dramas of
Kotzebue as in the admirable satire and vis comica of the
unrivalled Moliere, so that on my arrival at Paris I was not
violently prejudiced either for or against the French stage,
but rather pre-occupied, to use a gentler term, in its favour;
and I have not been at all disappointed, for I think I can
pronounce it with safety the first, perhaps the only stage
in Europe.
I now mean to speak not of Operas, nor of Operas-
comiques, nor of melodrames, nor of vaudevilles; all these
have their respective merits; but when I speak of the
French stage, I confine myself to the regular theatre of tra-
gedy and comedy, of their classical pieces ; in a word, to the
dramatic performances usually given at the Theatre Franc, ais.
The first piece I saw performed was Manlius,"f but I was
too far off from the stage to judge of the acting, and could
do little more than catch the sounds. The parterre and the
whole house was full. I was in the fourth tier of boxes, yet I
could distinguish at intervals the finest and most prominent
traits of Talma's acting, particularly in that scene where
he upbraids his friend with having betrayed him. This he
gave with uncommon energy and effect. The plot of this
piece is very similar to that of Venice preserved.^
The next piece I sa<w represented was the Avare of
Moliere, which to me was one of the greatest dramatic
* A phrase in prose, often quoted as a verse, from Voltaire's preface to the
Enfant Prodigue: Tous les genres sont bans, hors le genre ennuyeux. ED.
t A tragedy often acted by Talma, the work of Antoine d'Aubigny de
Lafosse (1653-1708). ED.
Thomas Otway's once celebrated tragedy, 1682. ED.
86
THE THEATRE FRANCAIS
5
treats I had ever witnessed. Every part was well supported.
The next was Aihalie of Racine. Here too I was highly
gratified. Mile Georges performed the part of Athalie and
gave me the perfect ideal of the haughty Queen. Her narra-
tion of the dream was given with the happiest effect, and in
her attempt to conceal her uneasiness and her affected
contempt of the dream in these lines:
Un songe, me devrois-je inquie"ter d'un songe?
she seemed in reality to labour under all the anxiety and
fatigue arising from it. That fine scene between Joad and
Joas was well given, and the little girl who did the part of
Joas performed with a good deal of spirit. The actor who
played Joad recited in a most impressive manner the
advice to the young prince terminating in these lines :
Vous souvenant, mon fils, que cache sous ce lin,
Comme eux vous futes pauvre et comme eux orphelin.
The interrogating scene between Athalie and Joad was
given spiritedly, but the rather abrupt and uncourtierlike
reply to the Queen's remark, " Us sont deux puissans dieux"
" Lui seul est dieu, Madame, et le votre n'est rien "
excited a laugh and I fancy never fails to do so, every time
the piece is performed.
Racine has several passages in his tragedies which
perhaps have rather too much naivete for the dignity of the
cothurnus; for instance in the answer of Agamemnon to
Achille in the tragedy of Iphigenie:
Puisque vous le savez, pourquoi le demander?
A poet of to-day would be quizzed for a line like the above,
but who dare venture to point out any defect in an author
of whom Voltaire has said and with justice too, that the
only criticism to be made of him (Racine) would be to write
under every page: "Admirable, harmonieux, sublime! "
The costume and the decorations at the Theatre francais
are so strictly classical and appropriate in every respect,
that it is to me a source of high delight to witness the
representation of the favourite pieces of Racine, Corneille,
87
AFTER WATERLOO
Moliere and Voltaire, which I have so often read with so
much pleasure in the closet and no small quantity of which
I have by heart.
The next piece I saw was the Cinna of Corneille; and here
it was that I beheld Talma for the second time. I was of
course highly pleased, tho' I was rather far off to hear very
distinctly; this was, however, no very great loss, as I was
perfectly well acquainted with the tragedy. Talma's
gestures, his pauses, his natural mode of acting gave a
great relief to the long declamation with which this tragedy
abounds. When this tragedy was given it was during the
time that poor Labedoyere's trial was going on, and the
allusions to Augustus' clemency were eagerly seized and
applauded. It was hoped that Louis XVIII would imitate
Augustus. Vain hope!
I have seen Phedre; the part of Phedre by that admirable
actress Mile Duchesnois, who performs the part so naturally
and with so much passion that we entirely forget the ex-
treme plainness of the person. She acts with far more feeling
and pathos than Mile Georges. I shall never be able to forget
Mile Duchesnois in Phedre. She gave me a full idea of the
impassioned Queen, nor were it possible to depict with
greater fidelity the "Venus toute entiere a sa proie attachee,"
as in that beautiful speech of Phedre to Oenone wherein she
reveals her passion for Hippolyte and pourtrays the terrible
struggle between duty and female delicacy on the one
hand, and on the other a flame that could not be overcome,
convinced as it were of the complete inutility of further
efforts of resistance and invoking death as her only refuge. I
was moved even to tears. I am so great an admirer of the
whole of this speech beginning " Mon mal vient de plus loin"
etc., and ending " Un reste de chaleur tout pret a s'ex-
haler," that I think in it Racine has not only united the
excellencies of Euripides, Sappho and Theocritus in
describing the passion of love, but has far surpassed them
all; that speech is certainly the masterpiece of French
versification and scarcely inferior to it is that beautiful and
88
VOLTAIRE'S MEROPE
ingenuous confession of love by Hippolyte to Aricie. What
an admirable pendant to the love of Phedre! In Hippolyte
you behold the innocence, simplicity and ingenuousness of a
first and pure attachment: in Phedre the embrasement, the
ungovernable delirium of a criminal passion.
I have seen Mile Duchesnois again in the Merope of Vol-
taire and admire her more and more. This is an admirable
play. The dialogue is so spirited; the agitation of maternal
tenderness, and the occasional bursts of feelings impossible
to be restrained, render this play one of the most interesting
perhaps on the French stage, and Mile Duchesnois gare
with the happiest effect her part in those two scenes; the
first wherein she supposes Egisthe to be the person who has
killed her son; in the other where having discovered the
reality of his person, she is obliged to dissemble the discovery,
but on Egisthe being about to be sacrificed she exclaims
"Barbare, c'est mon fils! " The part of Egisthe was given
by a young actor who made his appearance at this theatre
for the first time, and he executed his part with complete
success (Firmin, I think, was his name). Lafond did the
part of Polyphonte and did it well. At this tragedy many
allusions were caught hold of by the audience according as
they were Bourbonically or Napoleonically inclined ; at that
part of Polyphonte's speech wherein he says:
Le premier qui fut Roi fut un soldat heureux.
Qui sert bien son pays n'a pas besoin d'ayeux.
Thunders of applause proceeded from those who applied
it to Napoleon. At the line:
Est il d'autre parti que celui de nos rois?
a loud shout and clapping proceeded from the Royalists;
but I fancy if hands had been shown these last would have
been in a sad minority. I have often amused myself with
comparing the Merope of Voltaire with that of Maffei and am
puzzled to which to give the preference. Maffei has made
Polyphonte a more odious and perhaps on that account a
more theatrical character, while Voltaire's Polyphonte is
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AFTER WATERLOO
more in real life. In the play of Voltaire he is a rough brutal
soldier, void of delicacy of feeling and not very scrupulous,
but not that praeternatural deep designing villain that he is
represented in the piece of Maffei. In fact Maffei's Poly-
phonte appears too outre ; but then on the stage may not a
little exaggeration be allowed, just as statues which are
destined to be placed in the open air or on columns appear
with greater effect when larger than the natural size?
Alfieri seems to have given the preference to the Merope
of Voltaire.
I have seen Talma a second time in the part of Nero in the
Britannicus of Racine; Mile Georges played the part of
Agrippina. Talma was Nero from head to foot; his very
entry on the stage gave an idea of the fiery and impatient
character of the tyrant, and in the scene between him and
his mother Agrippina nothing could be better delineated.
The forced calm of Agrippina, while reproaching her son
with his ingratitude, and the impatience of Nero to get rid
of such an importunate monitress, were given in a style im-
possible to be surpassed. Talma's dumb show during this scene
was a masterpiece of the mimic art. If Talma gives such
effects to his roles in a French drama, where he is shackled
by rules, how much greater would he give on the English
or German stages in a tragedy of Shakespeare or Schiller!
Blank verse is certainly better adapted to tragedy than
rhymed alexandrines, but then the French language does
not admit of blank verse, and to write tragedies in prose,
unless they be tragedies in modern life, would deprive them
of all charm; but after all I find the harmonious pomp and
to use a phrase of Pope's " The long majestic march and
energy divine " of the French alexandrine, very pleasing to
the ear. I am sure that the French poets deserve a great deal
of credit for producing such masterpieces of versification
from a language, which, however elegant, is the least
poetical in Europe; which allows little or no inversion,
scarce any poetic license, no enjambement, compels a
fixed caesura; has in horror the hiatus; and in fine is subject
90
THE ABBE DELILLE
to the most rigorous rules, which can on no account be
infringed; which rejects hyperbole; which is measured by
syllables, the pronunciation of which is not felt in prose;
compels the alternative termination of a masculine or
feminine rhyme; and with all this requires more perhaps
than any other language that cacophony be sedulously
avoided. Such are the difficulties a French poet has to
struggle with; he must unite the most harmonious sound
with the finest thought. In Italian very often the natural
harmony of the language and the music of the sound
conceal the poverty of the thought; besides Italian poetry
has innumerable licenses which make it easy to figure in
the Tuscan Parnassus, and where anyone who can string
together rime or versi sciolti is dignified with the appella-
tion of a poet ; whereas from French poetry, a mediocrity is
and must be of necessity banished. Neither is it sufficient
for an author to have sublime ideas; these must be filed
and pruned. Inspiration can make a poet of a German, an
Italian or an Englishman, because he may revel in un-
bounded license of metre and language, but in French
poetry inspiration is by no means sufficient; severe study
and constant practise are as indispensable as poetic verve
to constitute a French poet. The French poets are sensible
of this and on this account they prefer imitating the ancients,
polishing their rough marble and fitting it to the national
taste, to striking out a new path.
The Abbe Delille, the best poet of our day that France
has produced, has gone further; he had read and admired the
best English poets such as Milton, Pope, Collins and Gold-
smith, and has not disdained to imitate them; yet he has
imitated them with such elegance and judgment that he
has left nothing to regret on the part of those of his country-
men who are not acquainted with English, and he has
rendered their beauties with such a force that a foreigner
versed in both languages who did not previously know
which was the original, and which the translation, might
take up passages in Pope, Thomson, Collins and Goldsmith
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and read parallel passages in Delille and be extremely
puzzled to distinguish the original : for none of the beauties
are lost in these imitations. And yet, in preferring to imi-
tate, it must not be inferred that he was deficient in original
thoughts.
To return to the theatre, I have seen Mile Mars in the
role of Henriette in the Femmes Savantes of Moliere. Oh!
how admirable she is! She realizes completely the con-
ception of a graceful and elegant Frenchwoman of the
first society. She does not act; she is at home as it were in
her own salon, smiling at the silly pretensions of her sister
and at the ridiculous pedantry of Trissotin; her refusing
the kiss because she does not understand Greek was given
with the greatest naivete. In a word Mile Mars reigns
unrivalled as the first comic actress in Europe.
I have seen too, Les Plaideurs of Racine and Les four-
beries de Scapin of Moliere, both exceedingly well given;
particularly the scene in the latter wherein it is announced
to Geronte that his son had fallen into the hands of a
Turkish corsair, and his answer " Que diable alloit-il faire
dans la galere? "
I have seen also Andromaque, Iphigenie and Zaire. Mile
Volnais did the part of Andromaque; but the monotonous
plaintiveness of her voice, which never changes, wearies
me. In Iphigenie I was more gratified ; for Mile Georges did
the part of Clytemnestre, and her sister, a young girl of
seventeen, made her debut in the part of Iphigenie with
great effect. The two sisters supported each other wonder-
fully well, and Lafond did Agamemnon very respectably.
Mile Georges the younger, having succeeded in Iphigenie,
appeared in the part of Zaire, a bold attempt, and tho'
she did it well and with much grace, yet it was evidently
too arduous a task for her. The whole onus of this affecting
piece rests on the role of Zaire. In the part where naivete
was required she succeeded perfectly and her burst: "Mais
Orosmane m'aime et j'ai tout oublie " was most happy; but
she was too faint and betrayed too little emotion in por-
92
THE PERFECTION OF FRENCH ACTING
traying the struggle between her love for Orosmane and the
unsubdued symptoms of attachment to her father and brother
and to the religion of her ancestors. In short, where much
passion and pathos was required, there she proved unequal
to the task; but she has evidently all the qualities and dis-
positions towards becoming a good actress, and with more
study and practise I have no doubt that three or four years
hence, she will be fully equal to the difficult task of giving
effect to and portraying to life, the exquisitely touching
and highly interesting role of Zaire. She was not called for
to appear on the stage after the termination of the per-
formance, tho' frequently applauded during it. The actor
who did the part of Orosmane, in that scene wherein he
discovers he has killed Zaire unjustly, gave a groan which
had an unhappy effect; it was such an awkward one, that
it made all the audience laugh; no people catch ridicule so
soon as the French.
What I principally admire on the French stage is that
the actors are always perfect in their parts and all the
characters are well sustained; the performance never flags
for a moment; and I have experienced infinitely more
pleasure in beholding the dramas of Racine and Voltaire
than those of Shakespeare, and for this reason that, on our
stage, for one good actor you have the many who are
exceedingly bad and who do not comprehend their author :
you feel consequently a hiatus valde deflendus when the
principal actor or actress are not on the stage. I have been
delighted to see Kemble, and Mrs Siddons and Miss O'Neil,
and while they were on the stage I was all eyes and ears;
but the other actors were always so inferior that the con-
trast was too obvious and it only served to make more
conspicuous the flagging of interest that pervades the
tragedies of Shakespeare, Macbeth alone perhaps excepted.
I speak only of Shakespeare's faults as a dramaturgus and
they are rather the faults of his age than his own; for in
everything else I think him the greatest litterary genius
that the world ever produced, and I place him far above any
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AFTER WATERLOO
poet, ancient or modern; yet in allowing all this, I do not
at all wonder that his dramatic pieces do not in general
please foreigners and that they are disgusted with the low
buffoonery, interruption of interest and want of arrange-
ment that ought of necessity to constitute a drama; for I
feel the same objections myself when reading Shakespeare,
and often lose patience; but then when I come to some
sublime passage, I become wrapt up in it alone and totally
forget the piece itself. In order to inspire a foreigner with
admiration for Shakespeare, I would not give him his plays
to read entire, but I would present him with a recueil of the
most beautiful passages of that great poet ; and I am sure he
would be so delighted with them that he would readily join
in the " All Hail " that the British nation awards him.
Thus you may perceive the distinction I make between the
creative genius who designs, and the artist who fills up the
canvas; between the Poet and the Dramaturgus. I am
probably singular in my taste as an Englishman, when I
tell you that I prefer Shakespeare for the closet and Racine
or Voltaire or Corneille for the stage: and with regard to
English tragedies, I prefer as an acting drama Home's
Douglas* to any of Shakespeare's, Macbeth alone excepted ;
and for this plain reason that the interest in Douglas never
flags, nor is diverted.
In giving my mite of admiration to the French stage, 1
am fully aware of its faults, of the long declamation and the
fade galanterie that prevailed before Voltaire made the
grand reform in that particular: and on this account I prefer
Voltaire as a tragedian to Racine and Corneille. The Phedre
and Athalie of Racine are certainly masterpieces, and little
inferior to them are Iphigenie, Andromaque and Britannicus,
but in the others I think he must be pronounced inferior to
Voltaire; as a proof of my argument I need only cite
Zaire, Alzire, Mahomet, Semiramis, VOrphelin de la Chine,
Brutus. Voltaire has, I think, united in his dramatic
writings the beauties of Corneille, Racine and Crebillon and
* The Tragedy of Douglas, by John Home (1722-1808). ED.
94
THE OPERA COMIQUE
has avoided their faults; this however is not, I believe,
the opinion of the French in general, but I follow my own
judgment in affairs of taste, and if anything pleases me I
wait not to ascertain whether the " master hath said so."
It shows a delicate attention on the part of the directors
of the Theatre Francais, now that so many foreigners of all
nations are here, to cause to be represented every night
the masterpieces of the French classical dramatic authors,
since these are pieces that every foreigner of education has
read and admired; and he would much rather go to see
acted a play with which he was thoroughly acquainted than
a new piece of one which he has not read; for as the reci-
tation is extremely rapid it would not be so easy for him
to seize and follow it without previous reading.
Of Moliere I had already seen the Avare, the Femmes
savantes and the Fourberies de Scapin. Since these I have
seen the Tartuffe and George Dandin both inimitably per-
formed; how I enjoyed the scene of the Pauvre homme!
in the Tartuffe and the lecture given to George Dandin by
M. and Mme de Sotenville wherein they recount the virtues
and merits of then- respective ancestors. Of Moliere indeed
there is but one opinion throughout Europe; in the comic
line he bears away the palm unrivalled and here I fully
agree with the " general."
I must not quit the subject of French theatricals without
speaking of the Opera comique at the Theatre Faydeau. It
is to the sort of light pieces that are given here, that the
French music is peculiarly appropriate, and it is here that
you seize and feel the beauty and melody of the national
music; these little chansons, romances and ariettes are so
pleasing to the ear that they imprint themselves durably on
the memory, which is no equivocal proof of their merit. I
cannot say as much for the tragic singing in the Opera seria
at the Grand French Opera, which to my ear sounds a per-
fect psalmody. There is but one language in the world for
tragic recitative and that is Italian. On the other hand, in
the genre of the Opera comique, the French stage is far
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AFTER WATERLOO
superior to the Italian. In the French comedy everything is
graceful and natural; the Italians cannot catch this happy
medium, so that their comedies and comic operas are
mostly ouiri, and degenerate into downright farce and
buffoonery.
96
CHAPTER V
From Paris to Milan through Dijon, Chalon-sur-Saone, Lyons, Geneva
and the Simplon Auxerre Dijon Napoleon at Chalon-sur-Saone The
army of the Loire Macon French grisettes Lyons Monuments and
theatricals Geneva Character and opinions of the Genevois Voltaire's
chateau at Ferney The chevalier Zadera From Geneva to Milan Crossing
the Simplon Arona The theatres in Milan Rossini Monuments in
Milan Art encouraged by the French Mr Eustace's bigotry Return
to Switzerland Clarens and Vevey Lausanne Society in Lausanne
Return to Paris The Louvre stripped Death of Marshal Ney.
I LEFT Paris on the 17th Sept., in the diligence of
Auxerre. The company was as follows: a young Gene-
vois who had served in the National Guard at Paris, and
had been wounded in a skirmish against the Prussians near
that city; a young Irish Templar; a fat citizen of Dijon and
an equally fat woman going to Dole. We arrived the follow-
ing day at 11 o'clock at Auxerre, a town situated on the
banks of the Seine. Water conveyance may be had from
Paris to Auxerre, price 12 francs the person: the price in the
diligence is 28 francs. We had during our journey much
political conversation; the Bourbons and the English
government were the objects of attack, and neither my
friend the barrister nor myself felt the least inclined to take
up their cause. The Genevois had with him Fouche's expose
of the state of the nation, wherein he complains bitterly of
the conduct of the Allies. All France is now disarmed and
no troops are to be seen but those in foreign uniform. The
face of the country between Paris and Auxerre is not pecu-
liarly striking; but the soil appears fertile and the road
excellent. After breakfast we started from Auxerre and
stopped to sup and sleep the same night at Avallon. At
Semur, which we passed on the following day, there is a one
arched bridge of great boldness across the river Armanyon.
We arrived in the evening at Dijon. The country between
Auxerre and Dijon is very undulating in gentle hill and dale,
but for the want of trees and inclosures it has a bleak
H 97
AFTER WATERLOO
appearance. As you leave Avallon and approach Dijon,
the hills covered with vines indicate your arrival in a wine
country. I put up at the Chapeau rouge at Dijon and
remained there one day, in order to visit the Chartreuse
which is at a short distance from the town and commands
an extensive view. It was devastated during the Revolution.
The view from it is fine and extensive and that is all that is
worth notice. The country about it is rich and cultivated,
and the following lines of Ariosto might serve for its descrip-
tion:
Culte pianure e delicati colli,
Chiare acque, ombrose ripe e prati mplli.*
* 'Mid cultivated plain, delicious hill,
Moist meadow, shady bank, and crystal rill.
Trans. W. S. ROSE.
The city of Dijon is large, handsome and well built. It
has an appearance of industry, comfort and airiness. There
are several mustard manufactories in this town. A
dinner was given yesterday by the municipality to the
National Guard, and an immense quantity of mustard was
devoured on the occasion in honor of the staple manufac-
tory of Dijon. From Dijon I put myself in the diligence to
go to Chalon and after stopping two hours at Beaune,
arrived at Chalon at 5 o'clock p.m. The country between
Dijon and Chalon is flat, but cultivated like a garden. It is
likewise the wine country par excellence. I do not know a
wine more agreeable to palate than the wine of Beaune.
At Chalon I put up at the Hotel du Pare. Chalon is beauti-
fully situated on the banks of the Saone. The Quai is
well constructed and forms an agreeable promenade. There
is an Austrian garrison in Chalon. The hostess of the inn told
me that Napoleon stopped at her house on his way from
Lyons to Paris, when he returned from Elba, and she
related to me with great eagerness many anecdotes of that
extraordinary man : she said that such was the empresse-
ment on the part of the inhabitants to see him, and embrace
him by way of testifying their affection, that the Emperor
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, vi, 20, 7.
98
TRUE FUNCTIONS OF A SOVEREIGN
was obliged to say: " Mais vous m'etouffez, mes enfans!"
In fact, had the army remained neutral, the peasantry alone
would have carried the Emperor on their shoulders to Paris.
It is quite absurd to say that a faction did this and that it
was effectuated merely by the disaffection of the Army. The
Army did its duty in the noblest manner, for it is the duty
of every army to support the national cause and the voice
of the people, and by no means to become the blind tools
of the Prince; for it is absurd, as it is degrading to humanity,
it is impious to consider the Prince as the proprietor of the
country and the master of the people; he is, or ought to be,
the principal magistrate, the principal soldier paid by the
people, like any other magistrate or soldier, and like them
liable to be cashiered for misconduct or breach of faith. This
is not a very fashionable doctrine nowadays, and there is
danger of it being forgotten altogether in the rage for what is
falsely termed legitimacy; it becomes therefore the bounden
duty of every friend of freedom to din this unfashionable
doctrine into the ears of Princes and unceasingly to
exclaim to them and to their ministers :
Disci te justitiam moniti et non temnere gentes*
In their conduct on this occasion the French soldiers
proved themselves far more constitutional than those of
any other army in Europe; let despots, priests and weak-
headed Tories say what they please to the contrary.
I embarked the following morning at 12 o'clock in the
coche cTeau for Lyons. There was a very numerous and
motley company on board: there were three bourgeois
belonging to Lyons returning thither from Paris; a quiet
good-humoured sort of woman not remarkable either for
her beauty nor vivacity; a young Spaniard, an adherent
of King Joseph Napoleon, very taciturn and wrapped up in
his cloak tho' the weather was exceeding hot; he seemed to do
nothing else but smoke cigarros and drink wine, of which
he emptied three or four bottles in a very short time a
* Virgil, A en., vi, 620 (temnere divas). ED.
H2 99
AFTER WATERLOO
young Piedmontese officer, disbanded from the army of the
Loire, who no sooner sat down on deck than he began to
chaunt Filicaja's beautiful sonnet, " Italia, Italia, O tu
cui feo la sorte," etc. a merchant of Lyons who had been
some time in England, and spoke English well a Lyonnese
Major of Infantry, also of the army of the Loire, who had
served in Egypt in the 32nd Demi-brigade; three Austrian
officers of Artillery with their servants. A large barge
which followed and was towed by the coche d'eau was filled
with Austrian soldiers, and on the banks of the river were
a number of soldiers of the Army of the Loire returning to
their families and homes.
The peaceable demeanour and honourable conduct of
this army is worthy of admiration, and can never be suffi-
ciently praised: not a single act of brigandage has taken
place. The Austrian officers expressed to me their astonish-
ment at this, and said they doubted whether any other army
in Europe, disbanded and under the same circumstances,
would behave so well. I told them the French soldier was
a free-man and a citizen and drawn from a respectable class
of people, which was not the case in most other countries.
Yes, these gallant fellows who had been calumniated by
furious Ultras, by the base ministerial prints of England,
and the venal satellites of Toryism, who had been repre-
sented as brigands or as infuriated Jacobins with red caps
and poignards, these men, in spite of the contumely and
insult they met with from servile prefects, and from those
who never dared to face them in the field, are a model of
good conduct and they preserve the utmost subordination,
tho' disbanded: they respect scrupulously the property of
the inhabitants and pay for everything. Mr. L., the young
Irish barrister, told me at Dijon that he left his purse by
mistake in a shop there in which were 20 napoleons in gold,
when a soldier of the army of the Loire, who happened to be
in the shop, perceived it and came running after him with
it, but refused to accept of anything, tho' much pressed by
Mr. L., who wished to reward him handsomely for his dis-
100
EULOGY OF THE FRENCH SOLDIER
interested conduct. Yes, the French soldier is a fine fellow.
I have served against them in Holland and in Egypt and I
will never flinch from rendering justice to their exemplary
conduct and lofty valour. No! it is not the French soldiery
who can be accused of plundering and exaction, but what
brought the French name in disrepute was the conduct of
certain prefects and administrators in Germany who were
promoted to these posts for no other reason than because
they were of the old noblesse or returned Emigrants, whom
Napoleon favoured in preference to the Republicans whom
he feared. These emigrants repaid his favours with the
basest ingratitude; after being guilty of the grossest and
most infamous concussions on the inhabitants of those
parts of Germany where their jurisdiction extended, they
had the hypocrisy after the restoration to declaim against
the oppression of the Usurper's government and its
system: but Napoleon richly deserved to meet with this
ingratitude for employing such unprincipled fellows. I
believe he was never aware of the villany they carried on,
or they would have met with his severest displeasure in
being removed from office, as was the case with Wirion at
Verdun.*
I do not find that the French soldiers with whom I have
conversed are so much attached to the person of the
Emperor as I was led to believe; but they are attached to
their country and liberty; and in serving him, they con-
ceived they were serving the man par excellence of the
People.
The French army too was beloved by the people, instead
of being dreaded by them as the armies of most other
European nations are. In short, whenever I met with and
held conversation with soldiers of this army, I was always
* Louis Wirion (1764-1810), an officer of gendarmerie, commander-general
of the place de Verdun since 1804, was accused in 1808 of having extorted
money from certain English prisoners quartered in Verdun (Estwick, Mors-
head, Garland, etc.). Wirion shot himself before the end of the long proceed-
ings, which do not seem to have established his guilt, but had reduced him
to misery and despair. ED.
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AFTER WATERLOO
tempted to address them in the words of Elvira to Pizarro
when she seeks to console him for his defeat:
Yet think another morning shall arise,
Nor fear the future, nor lament the past.*
The French Major was very much inclined to take up a
quarrel with an Austrian officer, on my account, but I dis-
suaded him. The cause was as follows. A young Austrian
boy, servant to one of the officers of Artillery, had entered
the coche d'eau at Chalon, some minutes before his master,
and began to avail himself of the right of conquest by taking
possession of the totality of one of the cabins and endeavour-
ing to exclude the other passengers; among other things
he was going to thrust my portmanteau out of its place.
I called to him to let it alone, when the French Major
stepped forward and said that if he dared to touch any of
the baggage belonging to the passengers, he would punish
him on the spot and his master also, for that he longed to
measure swords with those " Jean F d'Autrichiens."
Fearful of a serious quarrel between them and being
unwilling that any dispute should occur on my account,
I requested the Major not to meddle with the business, for
that I was sure the Austrian officer would check the
impertinence of his servant when he came on board; and
that if he did not, I was perfectly able and willing to defend
my own cause. The Austrian officers came on board a few
minutes after, when I addressed them in German, and
explained to them the behaviour of the boy; they scolded
him severely for his impertinence to us and threatened him
with the Schlag, should it occur again. The rest of the
journey passed without any incident. I found that my
friend the Major had served in the French army in Egypt
in the division Lanusse in the battle of the 21st March, 1801,
(30 Ventose) and that consequently we were opposed to each
other in that battle, as I was then serving as a Lieutenant
in the Queen's Regiment, commanded by that excellent and
* Richard Brinsley Sheridan's (1751-1816) Pizarro, produced at Drury
Lane in 1799. ED.
102
TO LYONS BY " COCHE D'EAU "
amiable officer the Earl of D[alhousie] in General Doyle's
brigade.
The voyage on the Saone presents some pleasing and
picturesque points of view ; the coteaux on the banks of the
river are covered with vines. We arrived at 8 o'clock in the
evening to sup and sleep at Macon and put up at the Hotel
des Sauvages. We had a most sumptuous repast, fish, flesh,
fowls, game, fruit and wine in profusion, for all which,
including our beds, we had only to pay 2| francs the
person.
There is a spacious Quai at Macon, which always adds to
the beauty of a city, and there are some fine buildings,
public and private. I need not enlarge on the excellence of
the Macon wine. The country girls we observed on the
banks of the river as we floated along, and the grisettes of the
town who were promenading on the Quai when we arrived,
wore a peculiarly elegant costume and their headdress
appeared to me to be something Asiatic.
The voyage on the subsequent day was more agreeable
than the preceding one. The country between Macon and
Lyons is much more beautiful and diversified than that
which we have hitherto seen and resembles much the
picturesque scenery of the West-Indian landscape. One
part between Macon and Trevoux resembles exactly the
island of Montserrat.
Within two miles of Trevoux we were hailed by some
grisettes belonging to the inns at that place, in order to
invite us to dine at their respective inns. There was one girl
exceedingly beautiful whose name was Sophie, daughter of
the proprietor of the Hotel des Sauvages at Trevoux. She, by
her grace and coquetry, obtained the most recruits and
when we disembarked from the boat, she led us in triumph
to her hotel. From her beauty and graceful manner,
Sophie, in a country where so much hommage is paid to
beauty, must be a most valuable acquisition to the interests
of the inn, and tho' she smiles on all, she takes care not
to make herself cheap, and like Corisca in the Pastor Fido
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AFTER WATERLOO
she holds out hopes which she does not at all intend to
gratify. After passing by the superb scenery on the banks
of the river (which increases in interest as you approach
Lyons), the Isle Barbe and la Tour de la belle Allemande, we
arrived at Lyons at 5 p.m. and debarked on the Quai de la
Saone. A fiacre took me up and deposited me safe at the
Hotel du Nord situated on the Place St Claire and not many
yards distant of the Quai du Rhone.
LYONS, 26th Sept.
Lyons is situated on a tongue of land at the junction of
the Saone and Rh6ne, and there is a fine bridge on the spot
where the streams unite, called le pont du Confluent, which
joins the extremity of the tongue of land with the right
bank of the Saone. There is besides a large bridge across
the Rhone, higher up, before it joins the Saone, leading in a
right line from the Hotel de Ville: and two other bridges
across the Saone. The Quai du Rhone is by far the finest and
most agreeable part of the city. It is spacious, well paved,
aligned with trees, and boast the finest edifices public and
private in the whole city; it is the favourite promenade of
the beaux and belles of Lyons. The sight of the broad and
majestic Rhone itself is a grand object, and on a fine day the
prospect is augmented by the distant view of the fleecy head
of Mont Blanc. On this Quai and within a 100 yards of the
bridge on the Rhone are the justly celebrated bains du
Rhone, fitted up in a style of elegance even superior to
those called les Bains Vigier on the Seine at Paris. The
grand Hospital is also on the Quai ; the f a9ade is beautiful ;
its architecture is of the Ionic order and the building itself
as well as its interior economy has frequently elicited the
admiration of travellers. Among the Places in this city the
finest is that of Bellecour.
The scenery is extremely diversified in the environs of
Lyons, and in the city there is great appearance of wealth
and splendour. Lyons flourished greatly during the time of
the continental blockade, as it was the central depot of the
104
LYONS AND ITS INHABITANTS
commerce between France and Italy. Napoleon is much
respected and regretted here, and with reason, as he was a
great benefactor to this city. The Lyonnese are too frank,
too open in their sentiments and too grateful not to render
justice to his great talents and good qualities, while they
blame and deplore his ambition. In fact an experience of a
few days and some acquaintance I made here has given me
a very favourable impression of the inhabitants of this city.
The men are frank in their manners, polite, well informed,
and free from all frivolity. The women are in general hand-
some, well shaped, and have much grace and are exceedingly
well educated; they seem totally free from the Petite-
maitressism of the Parisian women, and both sexes seem to
possess a good deal of what the French term caractere.Had
the Parisians resembled the Lyonnese, Paris would never
have fallen twice into the hands of the enemy, nor would
the Lyonnese women have welcomed the entry of the
invaders into their city with waving handkerchiefs, etc.
These qualities of the inhabitants, the beauty of the country,
and the cheapness of all the comforts and luxuries of life,
would make Lyons one of the most agreeable places of resi-
dence to a foreigner of liberal sentiments and principles.
Cloth and silk are the staple manufactures of Lyons, par-
ticularly the latter ; I accompanied my friend Mr M
to see his fabrique of silk which is of considerable extent
and importance, and everything appeared to me, as far as
one totally ignorant of the business and its process could
judge, admirably regulated and rapid in its execution. The
tournure of the grisettes of Lyons is very striking and they
possess completely the grata protervitas, the vultus nimium
lubricus aspici which Horace so much admires in Glycera.
I visited both the theatres here, viz. : the Grand TMdtre,
situated near the Hotel de Ville, and the smaller one called
the TMdtre des Celestins. At the former was some good
dancing, and at the latter I was engaged in a conversation
which I cannot forbear citing as it will serve to show the
dislike the people have to the feudal system and the dread
105
AFTER WATERLOO
they have of its re-establishment, tho' they can know
nothing about it except by tradition. The piece performed
was called Le petit Poucet (Tom Thumb and the Ogre) ; but
I missed my old acquaintance the Ogre and his seven-league
boots of Mother Goose, and found that in this melodrama
he was transformed into a tyrannical and capricious
Seigneur Feodal. There was a very pretty young lady
about 16 years of age accompanied by her father in the
same box with me, and I observed to her, " Ou est done
POgre? il paroit que 1'on en a fait un Seigneur feodal."
" Oui, monsieur (she replied), et avec raison, car ils etoient
bien les Ogres de ce temps la." I entered into a long con-
versation with my fair neighbour and found her well
informed and well educated, with great good sense and
knowledge of the world far beyond her years. She told me
that she had begun to study English and that her father
was a miniature painter. I took leave of her not without
feeling much affected and my heart not a little " percosso
dah" amoroso strale."
I must not forget to mention that there is a most spacious
and magnificent building on the Quai du Rhone to the North
of the bridge, which serves as a cafe and ridotto or assembly
room for balls, etc. I am afraid to say how many feet it has
in length; but it is the most superb establishment of the
kind I have ever met with.
Fortunately for the city of Lyons, the famous decree of
Robespierre for its destruction, and the column with the
inscription, " Lyon a porte les armes contre la liberte;
Lyon n'est plus," which was to occupy its place, was never
put in execution and tho' this city suffered much from
revolutionary vandalism yet it soon recovered and has
flourished ever since in a manner unheard of at any former
period. No people are more sensible than the Lyonnese of
the great benefits produced by the Revolution, and no people
more deprecate a return to the ancien regime.
106
ARRIVAL AT GENEVA
Oct. 2nd, GENEVA.
I started in the diligence for Geneva on the 28th Sept.
and found it exceedingly cold on ascending the mountain
called the Cerdon; the scenery is savage and wild, and the
road in many parts is on the brink of precipices. We stopped
at Nantua for supper and partook of some excellent trout.
There is a large lake near the town, and 'tis here that the
Swiss landscape begins. Commanding a narrow pass stands
the fort of L'Ecluse. The Austrians lost a great many men
in attempting to force it. From this place you have a noble
view of the Alps and Mont-Blanc towering above them. As
this was the first time I beheld these celebrated mountains
I was transported with delight and my mind was filled with
a thousand classical and historical^ recollections! The
scenery, the whole way from Fort 1'Ecluse to Geneva, is
most magnificent and uncommonly varied. Mountain and
valley, winter and summer, on the same territory. Descend-
ing, the city of Geneva opens gradually; you behold the
lake Leman and the Rhone issuing from it. We entered the
city, which is fortified, and after crossing the double bridge
across the Rhone, we arrived at the Hotel de VEcu de
Geneve at 12 o'clock. The most striking thing in the city of
Geneva to the traveller's eye as he enters it, is the view
of the arcades on each side of the street, excellent for
pedestrians and for protection against sun and rain, but
which give a heavy and gloomy appearance to the city. An
immense number of watch-makers is another distinguishing
feature in this city. The first thing shewn to me by my valet
de place was the house where Jean Jacques Rousseau was
born ; I then desired him to shew me the spot where that
barbarian Calvin caused to be burnt the unhappy Servetus
for not having the same religious opinions as himself.
The most agreeable promenades of the city are on the
bastions and ramparts, a place called La Treille and a
garden or park of small extent called Plain Palais. In this
park stands on a column the bust of J. J. Rousseau. This
park was the scene of a great deal of bloodshed in 1791 on
107
AFTER WATERLOO
account of political disputes between the aristocratic and
democratic parties, or rather between the admirers and
imitators of the French Revolution and those who dreaded
such innovations. This affair excited so much horror, and
the recollection of it operated so powerfully on the imagina-
tion of the inhabitants, that the place became entirely
abandoned as a public promenade, and avoided as a pollu-
ted spot for many years. Very likely however a sort of lus-
tration has taken place; an oration was pronounced and
the place again declared worthy of contributing to the
recreation of the inhabitants. It is now become the favourite
promenade of the citizens of Geneva, tho' there are still some
who cannot get over their old prejudices and never set
their foot in it. There is likewise a pleasant walk as far as
the town of Carrouge in Savoy, which town has been lately
ceded by the King of Sardinia to the republic of Geneva. In
Geneva the sentiments of the inhabitants do not seem to be
favourable either to the French Revolution, or to Napoleon.
Their political ideas accord very much with those pro-
fessed by the government party in England, and they make
a great parade of them just now, as a means of courting the
favour of England and of the Allied Sovereigns. The govern-
ment here have shewn a great disposition to second the
views of the Allied Powers in persecuting those Frenchmen
who have been proscribed by the Bourbon government.
This state lost its independence during the revolutionary
wars and was incorporated with France. As the citizens
were suspected of being more favourable to the English
than suited the policy of the French government of that
time, they were viewed with a jealous eye and I believe some
individuals were harshly treated; but what most vexed and
displeased them was the enforcement of the conscription
among them, for the Genevois do not like compulsion ; they
are besides more pacific than war-like and tho' like the
Dutch they have displayed great valour where their interest
is at stake, yet Mercury is a deity far more in veneration
among them than Bellona. The natural talent of this
108
\ GENEVESE CULTURE
people is great, and it has been favoured and developed by
the freedom of their institutions; and this republic has
produced too many eminent men for that talent to be
called in question; they seem to have decided talents and
dispositions for financial operations. A Genevois has the
aptitude of great application united to a very discerning,
natural genius, and he generally succeeds in everything he
undertakes. Litterature is much cultivated here, and the
females, who are in general handsome and graceful, excel
not only in the various feminine accomplishments, such as
music, dancing and drawing, but they carry their researches
into the higher branches of litterature and science and
acquire with great facility foreign languages. It is true that
you now and then meet with a little pedantry on the part of
the young men and some of the young women are tant soil
peu precieuses; and you may guess from their conversation,
which is sometimes forced, that the person who speaks has
been learning his discourse by heart from some book in the
morning, with the intention of sporting it as a natural
conversation in the evening. In short, one does not meet
with that abandon in society that is to be met with in Paris ;
you must measure your words well to shine in a Genevese
society. This, however, is a very pardonable sort of cox-
combry; and tho' it appear sometimes pedantic, and occa-
sionally laughable, yet it tends to encourage learning and
science, and compels the young men to read in order to
shine and captivate the fair.
The Genevese women make excellent wives and
mothers ; and many strangers, struck with their beauty and
talent, as well as with the agremens of the country in general,
marry at Geneva and settle themselves there for life. It is
observed that the Genevoises are so attached to their
country that on forming a matrimonial connection with
foreigners, they always stipulate that they shall not be
removed from it. On the dismemberment of the Empire of
Napoleon, Geneva was agrege to the Helvetic Confederation,
as an independent Canton of which there are now twenty-
109
AFTER WATERLOO
two. Three, viz. Geneva, Vaud, and Neufchatel, are French
in language and manners. One, the Tessino, is Italian, and
the remaining eighteen are all German. It is a great
advantage to Geneva to belong to the Helvetic Confederacy,
as formerly, when she was an isolated independent state,
she was in continual dread of being swallowed up by one or
other of her two powerful neighbours, France and the King
of Sardinia, and only existed by their forbearance and
mutual jealousy.
I walked out one morning to Ferney in order to visit the
chateau of Voltaire and to do hommage to the memory of
that great man, the benefactor of the human race. It was he
who gave the mortal blow to superstition and to the power
of the clergy. It is the fashion for priests, Ultras and Tories
to rail against him, but I judge him by his works and the
effect of his works. His memory is held in reverence by the
inhabitants of Ferney as their father and benefactor. He
spent his whole fortune in acts of the most disinterested
charity; he saved entire families from ruin and portioned
off many a young woman who was deprived of the gifts of
fortune and enabled them to form happy matrimonial
connections ; in short, doing good seems to have been one of
the most ardent passions of his soul. In three memorable
instances^he shewed his hatred of cruelty and injustice, and
unmasked triumphantly ecclesiastical imposture and
fanaticism. He has been reproached with vanity, but
surely that may be pardoned in a man who received the
hommage of the whole litterary world, who was con-
sidered as an oracle, and whose every sentence was recorded;
whose talent was so universal, that he excelled in every
branch of litterature that he undertook.
Ferney, which was only a miserable village when Voltaire
first took up his residence there, is now a large flourishing
and opulent town.
I found Voltaire's Chateau occupied by a fat heavy
Swiss Officer who was on duty there, Ferney being at this
moment occupied by the troops of the Swiss confederation.
110
VISIT TO FERNEY
He was at breakfast, but on my stating to him that I was
come to see the apartments of Voltaire he directed the
housekeeper to shew them to me. On the left hand side
after ascending a flight of steps, before you come into the
Chateau, is a Chapel built by Voltaire with this simple
inscription: "Deo erexit Voltaire." In the apartment
usually occupied by him for the purpose of composition,
are preserved his chair, table, inkstand and bed as sacred
relics; and in the Salon are to be seen the portraits of
several public characters, his contemporaries, and which
were constantly appended there in his life time. Among
these portraits I distinguished those of Frederick the
Great of Prussia, Catherine II of Russia, Lekain, Diderot,
Alembert, Franklin, Helvetius, Marmontel and Washington,
besides many others. There is nothing remarkable either
in the Chateau, or in the gardens appertaining to it; but
as it stands on an elevation, it commands a fine view, which
is so well described in that ode which begins :
6 maison d'Aristippe, 6 jardins d'Epicure!
I returned to Geneva and dined with my friend M. Picot
the banker, who presented me to his brother's family, which
I found a very amiable one, and I was particularly de-
lighted with his father, a fine venerable old man, who is
a pastor of the Church of Geneva and a great admirer of
our poets Thomson and Milton.
I have made acquaintance at the Ecu de Geneve with a
very gallant and accomplished officer, the Chevalier
Zadera, a Pole by birth and a Colonel in the French army.*
He had been on the staff of the Prince d'Eckmiihl at Ham-
burgh and had served previously in St Domingo, in
Germany and in Italy. He had just quitted the French
service, having a great repugnance to serve under the
Bourbon dynasty, and he is about to go to Italy on private
business. He seems a very well informed man and well
versed in French, Italian and German litterature. He also
* Three brothers Zadera, all born in Warsaw, served ia the Imperial
army. ED.
Ill
AFTER WATERLOO
understands well to read and write English and speaks it,
but not at all fluently. He acquired his English in the
United States of America, whither he went when he escaped
from the horrors of St Domingo. By the Americans he was
received with open arms and unbounded hospitality as the
compatriot of Pulaski who fell gloriously fighting in their
cause, the cause of liberty, at the battle of Savannah. He
was liberally supplied with money by several individuals
without the smallest expectation or chance of repayment at
the time, and was forwarded in this manner from town to
town and from state to state throughout the whole Union ;
so that the tour he made and the time he passed in that
land of liberty, he reckons as far the most agreeable epoch
of his life. One evening at the Ecu de Geneve I found Zadera
in altercation on political subjects with two French Ultras
who had been emigrants, a Genevois and a Bernois, both
anti-liberal. This was fearful odds for poor Zadera to be
alone against four acharnes. I sat down and espoused his
cause and we maintained our argument gloriously. The
dispute began on the occasion of Zadera condemning the
harshness shewn by the government of Geneva towards
the Conventionnels and others who were banished from
France on the second restoration of Louis XVIII by a vote
of the Chambre introuvdble in refusing them an asylum in
the Republic and compelling them to depart immediately in
a very contumelious manner. I said it was inconsistent and
unworthy of the Genevese who called themselves republi-
cans to persecute or join in the persecution of the repub-
licans of France in order to please foreign despots. The
others then began to be very violent with me. I replied,
" Messieurs, vous avez beau parler; les Genevois sont de
tres bons cambistes et les meilleurs banquiers de FEurope,
mais il ne sont pas bons republicans."
Geneva has been so often described by tourists that I
shall not attempt any description except to remark that
there are several good Cabinets and collections of pictures
belonging to individuals. There is a magnificent public
112
JOURNEY TO ITALY
library. The manufactures are those of watches and
models of the Alps which are exceedingly ingenious. There
are no theatrical amusements here; and during divine ser-
vice on Sunday the gates of the city are shut, and neither
ingress nor egress permitted; fortunately their liturgy (the
Calvinistic) is at least one hour shorter than the Anglican.
Balls and concerts take place here very often and the
young Genevois of both sexes are generally proficient in
music. They amuse themselves too in summer with the
" tir de 1'arc " in common with all the Swiss Cantons.
October 3rd.
I have been in doubt whether I should go to Lausanne,
return to Paris or extend my journey into Italy; but I have
at length decided for the latter, as Zadera, who intends to
start immediately for Milan, has offered me a place in his
carriage a frais communs. I found him so agreeable a man
and possessing sentiments so analogous to my own that I
eagerly embraced the offer, and we are to cross the Simplon,
so that I shall behold a travel over that magnificent
chaussee made by Napoleon's orders, which I have so much
desired to see and which everybody tells me is a most
stupendous work and exceeding anything ever made by
the Romans. As the Chevalier has served in Italy and was
much ripandu in society there, I could not possibly have a
pleasanter companion. He has with him Dante and Alfieri,
and I have Gessner's Idylls and my constant travelling
companion Ariosto, so that we shall have no loss for con-
versation, for when our native wits are exhausted, a page
or two from any of the above authors will suggest innu-
merable ideas, anecdotes, and subjects of discourse.
MILAN, 10th Oct.
We started from Geneva at seven in the morning of the
4th October, and in half an hour entered the Savoyard
territory, of which douaniers with blue cockades (the
cockade of the King of Sardinia) gave us intimation. The
road is on the South side of the lake Leman. In Evian and
I 113
AFTER WATERLOO
Thonon, the two first villages we passed thro', we do
not find that aisance, comfort and cleanliness that is per-
ceivable on the other side of the lake, in the delightful
Canton de Vaud. The double yoke of priestcraft and military
despotism presses hard upon the unhappy Savoyard and
wrings from him his hard-earned pittance, while no people
are better off than the Vaudois; yet the Savoyards are to
the full as deserving of liberty as the Swiss. The Savoyard
possesses honesty, fidelity and industry in a superior degree,
and these qualities he seldom or ever loses, even when
exposed to the temptations of a great metropolis like
Paris, to which they are compelled to emigrate, as their
own country is too poor to furnish the means of subsistence
to all its population. When in Paris and other large cities,
the Savoyards contrive, by the most indefatigable industry
and incredible frugality, to return to their native village
after a certain lapse of time, with a little fortune that is
amply sufficient for their comfort. The poorest Savoyard
in Paris never fails to remit something for the support of
his parents. Both Voltaire and Rousseau have rendered
justice to the good qualities of this honest people. It is
a thousand pities that this country (Savoy) is not either
incorporated with France, or made to form part of the
Helvetic confederacy.
On passing by La Meillerie we were reminded of "La
nouvelle Heloise " and the words of St Preux: " Le rocher
est escarpe: 1'eau est profonde et je suis au desespoir." On
the opposite side of the lake is to be seen the little white
town of Clarens, the supposed residence of the divine Julie.
A little beyond St Gingolph, which lies at the eastern
extremity of the lake, we quit Savoy and enter into the
Valais, which now forms a component part of the Helvetic
confederacy. German is the language spoken in the Valais.
As the high road into Italy passes thro' the whole
length of this Canton, Napoleon caused it to be separated
from the Helvetic union and to form a Republic apart, with
the ulterior view and which he afterwards carried into
114
THE VALAIS
execution of annexing it to the French Empire. The Valais
forms a long and exceedingly narrow valley, thro' the
whole length of which the Rhone flows and falls into the
lake Leman at St Gingolph. The breadth of this valley
in its widest part is not more probably than 1,000 yards,
and in most places considerably narrower, and it is enclosed
on each side, or rather walled up by the immense mountains
of the higher Alps which rise here very abruptly and seem
to shut out this valley from the rest of the world. The high
road runs nearly parallel to the course of the Rh6ne and is
sometimes on one side of the river and sometimes on the
other, communicating by bridges ; from the sinuosity of the
road and the different points of view presented by the
salient and re-entering angles of the mountains the scenery
is extremely picturesque, grand and striking, and as some-
times no outlet presents itself to view, you do not perceive
how you are ever to get out of this valley but by a strata-
gem similar to that of Sindbad in the Valley of Diamonds.
At St Maurice is a remarkable one-arched bridge built by
the Romans. We stopped at Martigny to pass the night;
within one mile of Martigny and before arriving at it, we
perceived the celebrated waterfall called the Pissevache;
and the appellation, though coarse, is perfectly applicable.
From Martigny a bridle road branches off which leads
across the Grand St Bernard to Aoste. The next morning
we arrived at Sion, called in the language of the country
Sitten, the metropolis of the Valais ; it is a neat-looking and
tolerably large town, and which from its position might
be made a most formidable military post, as there is a
steep hill close to it which rises abruptly from the centre of
the valley, and commands an extensive view east and west.
Works erected on this height would enfilade the whole road
either way and totally obstruct the approach of an enemy.
There is besides a large castle on the southern paroi of
mountains which hem in this valley, which would expose to
a most galling fire and take in flank completely those who
should attempt to force the passage whether coming from
12 115
AFTER WATERLOO
St Maurice or Brieg. We stopped two hours at Sion to
mend a wheel and this gave me time to ascend the mountain
on which the castle stands. There were several masons and
workmen employed in the construction of a church which
they are erecting at the request and entire expense of His
Sardinian Majesty. I could not ascertain what were the
reasons that induced the King to build a church in a foreign
territory. I did not observe either on the road or in any of
the village thro' which we passed any striking specimen
of Valaisan female beauty; but I often remarked the
prominent bosom that Rousseau describes as frequent
among them. We met with several cretins or idiots, all of
whom had goitres in a greater or less degree. These souls
of God without sin, as the cretins are called, are very merry
souls; they always appear to be laughing. They seem to
have adopted and united three systems of philosophy:
they are Diogenes as to independence and neglect of decency
and cleanliness; Democriti as to their disposition to laugh
perpetually; and Aristippi inasmuch as they seem to be
perfectly contented with their state. They are in general
fat and well fed, for the poorest inhabitants give them
something. They have a good deal of cunning, and many
curious anecdotes are related of them which shews that
they are endowed with a sort of sagacity resembling the
instinct of animals. I recollect one myself mentioned by
Zimmermann in his Essay on Solitude, of a cretin who was
accustomed to imitate with his voice the sound of the
village clock whenever it struck the hours and quarters;
one day, by some accident, the clock stopped; yet the
cretin went through the chimes of the hours and quarters
with the same regularity as the clock would have done had
it been going.
We arrived at night at the village of Brieg at the foot of
the Simplon and put up at a very comfortable inn. Brieg
and Glisse are two small villages lying within a quarter of
a mile distance from each other. The direct road runs
thro' Brieg and is a great advantage to this town; while
116
PASSAGE OF THE SIMPLON
Glisse lost this benefit from the opposition shewn by its
inhabitants to the annexation of the Valais to the French
Empire. They now deeply regret this refusal as few travel-
lers chuse to stop at Glisse.
Passage of the Simplon.
Chi mi dara la voce e le parole
Convenient! a si nobil soggetto?*
Who will vouchsafe me voice that shall ascend
As high as I would raise my noble theme?
Trans. W.S. ROSE.
How shall I describe the Simplon and the impressions
that magnificent piece of work, the chaussee across it,
made on my mind? On arrival at the village of the Simplon,
which lies at nearly the greatest elevation off the road and
is more than half-way across, I wrote in my enthusiasm for
the author of this gigantic work, the following lines:
O viaggiator, se avessi tu veduto
Quel monte, pria che fosse il cammin fatto,
Leveresti le mani, e stupefatto
Diresti, " chi 1'avrebbe mai creduto?
Son come quei d'Alcide i tuoi miracoli!
Vincesti, Napoleon", pii grandi ostacoli!"
Imagine a fine road or causeway broad enough for three
carriages to go abreast, cut in the flanks of the mountains,
winding along then- contours, sometimes zigzag on the
flank of one ravine, and sometimes turning off nearly at
right angles to the flank of another; separated from each
other by precipices of tremendous depth, and communi-
cating by one-arched bridges of surprising boldness ; besides
stone bridges at each re-entering angle, to let pass off the
water which flows from the innumerable cascades, which
fall from the summits of the mountains. Ice and snow
eternal on the various pics or aiguilles (as the summits are
here called) which tower above your head, and yet in the
midst of these belles horreurs the road is so well constructed,
so smooth, and the slope so gentle that when there are fogs,
which often happen here and prevent you from beholding
the surrounding scenery, you would suppose you were
travelling on a plain the whole time. Balustrades are
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso in, i, i. ED.
117
AFTER WATERLOO
affixed on the sides of the most abrupt precipices and but-
tresses also in order to secure the exterior part of the
chaussee. On the whole length of the chaussee on the exte-
rior side are conical stones of four feet in height at ten paces
distant from each other, in order to mark the road in
case of its being covered with snow. There are besides
maisons de refuge or cottages, at a distance of one league
from each other, wherein are stationed persons to give
assistance and food to travellers, or passengers who may be
detained by the snow storms. There is always in these
cabins a plentiful supply of biscuit, cheese, salt and
smoked meats, wine, brandy and fire-wood. In those parts
of the road where the sides of the ravines are not sloping
enough to admit of the road being cut along them, sub-
terraneous galleries have been pierced through the rock,
some of fifty, some of a hundred and more yards in
length, and nearly as broad as the rest of the road. In a word
it appears to me the grandest work imagined or made by
man, and when combined with its extreme utility, far sur-
passes what is related of the Seven Wonders of the world.
There are fifty-two bridges throughout the whole of this
route, which begins at the distance of three miles from
Geneva, skirts the southern shore of the lake, runs thro'
the whole Valais, traverses the Simplon and issuing from
the gorges of the mountains at Domo d'Ossola terminates at
Rho in the Milanese. From Brieg to the toll-house, the
highest part of the road, the distance is about 18 miles.
It made me dreadfully giddy to look down the various
precipices; and what adds to the vertigo one feels is the
deafening noise of the various waterfalls. As the road is cut
zigzag in many parts, you appear to preserve nearly the
same distance from Brieg after three hours' march, as after
half an hour only, since you have that village continually
under your eyes, nor do you lose sight of it till near the toll-
house. Brieg appears when viewed from various points of the
road like the card-houses of children, the Valais like a slip of
green baize, and the Rhone like a very narrow light blue
118
CROSSING THE ITALIAN FRONTIER
ribband ; and when at Brieg before you ascend you look up
at the toll-house, you would suppose it impossible for any
human being to arrive at such a height without the help of a
balloon. It reminded me of the castle of the enchanter in the
Orlando Furioso, who keeps Ruggiero confined and who
rides on the Hippogriff.
The village of the Simplon is a mile beyond the toll-house,
descending. We stopped there for two hours to dine. A snow
storm had fallen and the weather was exceedingly cold ; the
mountain air had sharpened our appetite, but we could get
nothing but fish and eggs as it was a jour maigre, and the
Valaisans are rigid observers of the ordinances of the
Catholic church. We however, on assuring the landlord that
we were militaires, prevailed on him to let us have some
ham and sausages. German is the language here. The road
from the toll-house to Domo d'Ossola (the first town at the
foot of the mountain on the Italian side) is a descent, but
the slope is as gentle as on the rest of the road. Fifteen miles
beyond the village of the Simplon stands the village of
Isella, which is the frontier town of the King of Sardinia,
and where there is a rigorous douane, and ten miles further
is Domo d'Ossola, where we arrived at seven in the evening.
Between Isella and Domo d'Ossola the scenery becomes
more and more romantic, varying at every step, cataracts
falling on all sides, and three more galleries to pass. Domo
d'Ossola appears a large and neat clean town, and we put
up at a very good inn. At Isella begins the Italian language,
or rather Piedmontese.
The next morning we proceeded on our journey till we
reached Fariolo, which is on the northern extremity of the
Lago Maggiore. The road from Domo d'Ossola thro' the
villages of Ornavasso and Vagogna is thro' a fertile and
picturesque valley, or rather gorge, of the mountain, narrow
at first, but which gradually widens as you approach to the
lake. The river Toso runs nearly in a parallel direction with
the road. The air is much milder than in Switzerland, and
you soon perceive the change of climate from its tempera-
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ture, as well as from the appearance of the vines and mul-
berry trees and Indian corn called in this country grano
turco.
At Fariolo, after breakfast, my friend Zadera took leave
of me and embarked his carriage on the lake in order to pro-
ceed to Lugano; and I who was bound to Milan, having hired
a cabriolet, proceeded to Arona, after stopping one hour to
refresh the horses at Belgirate. The whole road from Fariolo
to Arona is on the bank of theLagoMaggiore, and nothing can
be more neat than the appearance of all these little towns
which are solidly and handsomely built in the Italian taste.
Before I arrived at Arona, and at a distance of two miles
from it, I stopped in order to ascend a height at a distance
of one-eighth of a mile from the road to view the celebrated
colossal statue in bronze of St Charles Borromaeus, which
maybe seen at a great distance. It is seventy cubits high, situ-
ated on a pedestal of twenty feet, to ascend which requires a
ladder. You then enter between his legs, or rather the folds of
his gown, and ascend a sort of staircase till you reach his
head. There is something so striking in the appearance of
this black gigantic figure when viewed from afar, and still
more when you are at the foot of it, that you would suppose
yourself living in the time of fairies and enchanters, and it
strongly reminded me of the Arabian Nights, as if the
statue were the work of some Genie or Peri ; or as if it were
some rebel Genius transformed into black marble by Solo-
mon the great Prophet. I am not very well acquainted with
the life and adventures of this Saint, but he was of the
Borromean family, who are the most opulent proprietors of
the Milanese. Every tract of land, palace, castle, farm in the
environs of Arona seem to belong to them. If you ask whose
estate is that? whose villa is that? whose castle is that? the
answer is, to the Count Borromeo, who seems to be as uni-
versal a proprietor here as Nong-tong-paw at Paris or
Monsieur Kaniferstane at Amsterdam.*
* These words mean, or are supposed to mean, in French and in Dutch :
"I don't understand " (je n'entends pas). ED.
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ARRIVAL AT MILAN
Arona is a large, straggling but solidly built town, and
presents nothing worth notice.
We proceeded on our journey the next morning. Shortly
after leaving Arona, the road diverges from the lake and
traverses a thick wood until it reaches the banks of the
Tessino; on the other bank of which, communicating by
means of a flying bridge, stands the town of Sesto Calende.
The Tessino divides and forms the boundary between the
Sardinian and Austrian territory, and Sesto Calende is the
frontier of His Imperial, Royal and Apostolic Majesty.
After a rigorous search of my portmanteau at the Douane,
and exhibiting my passport, I was allowed to proceed on
my journey to Milan.
At Rho, where I stopped to dine, stands a remarkably
ancient tree said to have been planted in the time of Augus-
tus. The country presents a perfect plain, highly cultivated,
all the way from Sesto to Milan. The chaussee is broad and
admirably well kept up and lined on both sides with poplars.
' The roads in Lombardy are certainly the finest in Europe.
I entered Milan by the gate which leads direct to the
esplanade between the citadel and the city, and drove to
the Pension Suisse, which is in a street close to the Cathe-
dral and Ducal palace.
MILAN, 12 October.
I am just returned from the Teatro delta Scala, renowned
for its immense size: it certainly is the most stupendous
theatre I ever beheld and even surpassed the expectation I
had formed of it, so much so that I remained for some
minutes lost in astonishment. I was much struck with the
magnificence of the scenery and decorations. An Opera and
Ballo are given every night, and the same are repeated for a
month, when they are replaced by new ones. The boxes
are all hired by the year by the different noble and opulent
families, and in the Parterre the price is only thirty soldi or
sous, about fifteen pence English, for which you are fully
as well regaled as at the Grand Opera at Paris for three and
a half francs and far better than at the Italian theatre in
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London for half a guinea. The opera I saw represented is
called L'ltaliana in Algieri, opera buffa, by Rossini.
The Ballo was one of the most magnificent spectacles I
ever beheld. The scenery and decorations are of the first
class and superior even to those of the Grand Opera at
Paris. The Ballo was called II Cavaliere del Tempio. The
story is taken from an occurrence that formed an episode
in the history of the Crusades and which has already fur-
nished to Walter Scott the subject of a very pleasing ballad
entituled the Fire- King, or Count Albert and Fair Rosalie.
Battles of foot and horse with real horses, Christians and
Moslems, dancing, incantations, excellent and very appro-
priate music leave nothing to be desired to the ravished
spectator. In the Ballo all is done in pantomime and the act-
ing is perfect. The Italians seem to inherit from their
ancestors the faculty of representing by dumb show the
emotions of the mind as well as the gestures of the body, and
in this they excel all other modern nations. The dancing is
not quite so good as what one sees at the Paris theatre, and
besides that sort of dancing they are very fond in Italy of
grotesque dances which appear to me to be mere tours de
force. But the decorations are magnificent, and the cost
must be great.
It was a fine moonlight night on my return from the
Scala, which gave a very pleasing effect to the Duomo or
Cathedral as I passed by it. The innumerable aiguilles or
spires of the most exquisite and delicate workmanship,
tapering and terminating in points all newly whitened,
gave such an appearance of airiness and lightness to this
beautiful building that it looked more visionary than sub-
stantial, and as if a strong puff of wind would blow it away.
The next morning I went to visit the Cathedral in detail.
It stands in the place called Piazza del Duomo. On this
piazza stands also the Ducal Palace; the principal cafes
and the most splendid shops are in the same piazza, which
forms the morning lounge of Milan. Parallel to one side of
the Duomo runs the Corsia de ' Servi, the widest and most
122
MILAN CATHEDRAL
fashionable street in Milan, the resort of the beau monde in
the evening, and leading directly out to the Porta Orientale.
The Cathedral appears to me certainly the most striking
Gothic edifice I ever beheld. It is as large as the Cathedral
of Notre Dame at Paris, and the architecture of the interior
is very massive. There is little internal ornament, however,
except the tomb or mausoleum of St Charles Borromeo,
round which is a magnificent railing; there are also the
statues of this Saint and of St Ambrogio. There are several
well-executed bas-reliefs on the outside of the Church, from
Scripture subjects, and the view from any of the balconies
of the spires is very extensive. On the North the Alps,
covered with snow and appearing to rise abruptly within a
very short horizon, tho' their distance from Milan is at
least sixty or seventy miles; and on all the other sides
a vast and well-cultivated plain as far as the eye can
reach, thickly studded with towns and villages, and the
immense city of Milan nine miles in circumference at your
feet. The streets in general in Milan are well paved; there
is a line of trottoir on each side of the street equi-distant
from the line of houses; so that these trottoirs seem to be
made for the carriage wheels to roll on, and not for the foot
passengers, who must keep within the space that lies
between the trottoirs and line of houses. With the exception
of the Piazza del Duomo there is scarcely anything that can
be called a piazza in all Milan, unless irregular and small
open places may be dignified with that name; the houses
and buildings are extremely solid in their construction and
handsome in their appearance. A canal runs thro' the
city and leads to Pavia; on this canal are stone bridges of a
very solid construction. The shops in Milan are well stored
with merchandize, and make a very brilliant display. The
finest street, without doubt, is the Corsia de 1 Servi. In the
part of it that lies parallel to the Cathedral, it is about as
broad as the Rue St Honore at Paris ; but two hundred yards
beyond it, it suddenly widens and is then broader than
Portland Place the whole way to the Porta Orientale. On the
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left hand of this street, on proceeding from the Cathedral
to the Porta Orientale, is a beautiful and extensive garden; an
ornamental iron railing separates it from the street. From
the number of fine trees here there is so much shade there-
from that it forms a very agreeable promenade during the
heat of the day. On the right hand side of the Corsia de y
Servi, proceeding from the Cathedral, are the finest build-
ings (houses of individuals) in Milan, among which I par-
ticularly distinguished a superb palace built in the best
Grecian taste with a colonnaded portico, surmounted by
eight columns. Just outside the Porta Orientale is the Corso,
with a fine spacious road with Alices on each side lined with
trees. The Corso forms the evening drive and promenade a
cheval of the beau monde. I have seen nowhere, except in
Hyde Park, such a brilliant show of equipages as on the
Corso of Milan. I observe that the women display a great
luxe de parure at this promenade.
The women here appear to me in general handsome, and
report says not at all cruel. They have quite a fureur for
dress and ornaments, in the adapting of which, however,
they have not so much taste as the French women have.
The Milanese women do not understand the simplicite
recherchee in their attire, and are too fond of glaring colours.
The Milanese women are accused of being too fond of wine,
and a calculation has been made that two bottles per diem
are drank by each female in Milan; but, supposing this cal-
culation were true, let not the English be startled, for the
wine of this country is exceedingly light, lighter indeed than
the weakest Burgundy wine; indeed, I conceive that two
bottles of Lombard wine are scarce equivalent in strength
to four wine glasses of Port wine. The Lombards for this
reason never drink water with their wine ; and indeed it is not
necessary, for I am afraid that all the wine drank in Milan is
already baptized before it leaves the hands of the vendor,
except that reserved for the priesthood; such, at any rate,
was the case before the French Revolution, and no doubt
the wine sellers would oppose the abolition of so ancient
124
THE MILANESE
and sacred a custom. The Milanese are a gay people, hospit-
able and fond of pleasure: they are more addicted to the
pleasures of the table than the other people of Italy, and
dinnerparties are in consequence much more frequent here
than in other Italian towns. The women here are said to be
much better educated than in the rest of Italy, for Napoleon
took great pains to promote and encourage female instruc-
tion, well knowing that to be the best means of regenerating a
country.
The dialect spoken in the Milanese has a harsh nasal
accent, to my ear peculiarly disagreeable. Pure Italian or
Tuscan is little spoken here, and that only to foreigners.
French, on the contrary, is spoken a good deal; but the
Milanese, male and female, among one another, speak
invariably the patois of the country, which has more
analogy to the French than to the Italian, but without the
grace or euphony of either.
I have visited likewise the Zecca, or Mint, where I
observed the whole process of coining. They still continue
to coin here Napoleons of gold and silver, with the date of
1814, and they coin likewise crowns or dollars with Maria
Theresa's head, with the date of the last year of her reign.
The double Napoleon of forty franchi of the Kingdom of
Italy is a beautiful coin; on the rim are the words, Dio
protegge V Italia. It may not be unnecessary to remark that
in Italy by the word Napoleone, as a coin, is meant the five
franc piece with the head of Napoleon, and a twenty franc
gold piece is called Napoleone d'oro.
At the Zecca I was shown some gold, silver and bronze
medals, struck in commemoration of the formation of the
Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, under the sceptre of Austria.
They bear the following inscription, which, if I recollect
aright, is from Horace :
Redeunt in aurum
Tempora priscum,*
but this golden age is considered by the Italians as a very
* Horace, Carm., iv, 2, 39. ED.
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leaden one ; and it seems to bear as much analogy to the
golden age, as the base Austrian copper coin, daubed over
with silver, and made to pass for fifteen and thirty soldi, has
to the real gold and silver Napoleoni, which by the way are
said to be fast disappearing; they are sent to Vienna, and
Milan will probably be in time blessed with a similar paper
currency to that of Vienna.
Napoleon seems to be as much regretted by the Milanese
as the Austrian Government is abhorred; in fact, every-
body speaks with horror and disgust of the aspro boreal
scettro and of the aquila che mangia doppio, an allusion taken
from the arms of Austria, the double-headed Eagle.
I have visited the ancient Ducal, now the Royal, Palace ;
it is a spacious building, chaste in its external appearance,
but its interior very magnificent; its chief est treasures are
the various costly columns and pilasters of marble and of
jaune antique which are to be met with. The salle de danse
is peculiarly elegant, and in one of the apartments is a fine
painting on the plafond representing Jupiter hurling
thunderbolts on the Giants. Jupiter bears the head of Napo-
leon. Good God! how this man was spoiled by adulation!
The staircase of the Palace is superb, and the furniture is
of the most elegant description, being faithfully and clas-
sically modelled after the antique Roman and Grecian.
After visiting the Ambrosian library (by the way, it is quite
absurd to visit a library unless you employ whole days to
inspect the various editions), I went to the Hospital, which
is a stupendous building, and makes up 3,000 beds. The
arrangement of this hospital merits the greatest praise. I
then peeped into several churches, and I verily believe my
conductor would have made me visit every church in
Milan, if I had not lost all patience, and cried out: perche
sempre chiese? sempre chiese? andiamo a vedere altra cosa.
He conducted me then to the citadel, or rather place where
the citadel stood, and which now forms a vast barrack
for the Austrian troops. We then went to visit the Teatro
Olimpico, which was built by Napoleon. It is built in the
126
PRINCE EUGENE'S VICE-REGENCY
style of the Roman amphitheatres, but much more of an
oval form than the Roman amphitheatres were in general ;
that is to say, the transverse axis is much longer in propor-
tion to the conjugate diameter than is the case in the
Roman amphitheatres, and it is by no means so high. In the
time of Napoleon, games were executed in this circus in
imitation of the games of the ancients, for Napoleon had a
great hankering to ape the Roman Caesars in everything.
There were, for instance, gymnastic exercises, races on foot,
horse races, chariot races like those of the Romans, combats
of wild beasts, and as water can be introduced into the
arena, there were sometimes exhibited naumachice or naval
fights. These exhibitions were extremely frequent at Milan
during the vice-regency of Prince Eugene Napoleon ; during
this Government, indeed, Milan flourished in the highest
degree of opulence and splendour and profited much by
being one of the principal depots of the inland trade
between France and Italy, during the continental blockade,
besides enjoying the advantage of being the seat of Govern-
ment during the existence of the Regno d* Italia. Even now,
tho' groaning under the leaden sceptre of Austria, it is
one of the most lively and splendid cities I ever beheld; and
I made this remark to a Milanese. He answered with a deep
sigh: " Ah! Monsieur, si vous aviez ete ici dans le temps du
Prince Eugene! Mais aujourdhui nous sommes mines."
My next visit was to the Porta del Sempione, which is at a
short distance from the amphitheatre, and which, were it
finished, would be the finest thing of the kind in Europe;
it was designed, and would have been completed by
Napoleon, had he remained on the throne. Figures repre-
senting France, Italy, Fortitude and Wisdom adorn the
facade and there are several bas-reliefs, among which is one
representing Napoleon receiving the keys of Milan after the
battle of Marengo. All is yet unfinished; columns, pedestals,
friezes, capitals and various other architectural ornaments,
besides several unhewn blocks of marble, lie on the ground ;
and probably this magnificent design will never be com-
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pleted for no other reason than because it was imagined by
Napoleon and might recall his glories. Verily, Legitimacy
is childishly spiteful!
Yesterday morning I went to see an Italian comedy
represented at the Teatro Re. The piece was VAjo nelV
imbarazzo a very droll and humorous piece but it was
not well acted, from the simple circumstance of the actors
not having their parts by heart, and the illusion of the stage
is destroyed by hearing the prompter's voice full as loud
as that of the actors, who follow his promptings something
in the same way that the clerk follows the clergyman in that
prayer of the Anglican liturgy which says " we have erred
and strayed from our ways like lost sheep." An Italian
audience is certainly very indulgent and good-natured, as
they never hiss, however miserable the performance.
But in speaking of theatrical performances, no person
should leave Milan without going to see the Teatro Girolamo,
which is one of the " curiosities " of the place, peculiar to
Milan, and more frequented, perhaps, than any other. This
is a puppet theatre, but puppets so well contrived and so
well worked as to make the spectacle well worth the atten-
tion of the traveller. It is the Nee plus ultra of Marionettism,
in which Signor Girolamo, the proprietor, has made a
revolution, which will form an epoch in the annals of
puppetry; having driven from the stage entirely the
graziosissima maschera d'Arlecchino, who used to be the
hero of all the pieces represented by the puppets and sub-
stituted himself, or rather a puppet bearing his name, in
the place of Harlequin, as the principal farceur of the per-
formance. He has contrived to make the puppet Girolamo a
little like himself, but so much caricatured and so mon-
strously ugly a likeness that the bare sight of it raises
immediate laughter. The theatre itself is small, being
something under the size of our old Haymarket little
theatre, but is very neatly and tastefully fitted up. The
puppets are about half of the natural size of man, and
Girolamo, aided by one or two others, works them and gives
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THE " TEATRO GIROLAMO "
them gesture, by means of strings, which are, however, so
well contrived as to be scarcely visible ; and Girolamo him-
self speaks for all, as, besides being a ventriloquist, he has a
most astonishing faculty of varying his voice, and adapt-
ing it to the role of each puppet, so that the illusion is com-
plete. The scenery and decorations are excellent. Sometimes
he gives operas as well as dramas, and there is always a
ballo, with transformation of one figure into another, which
forms part of the performance. These transformations are
really very curious and extremely well executed. Almost
all the pieces acted on the theatre are of Girolamo's own
composition, and he sometimes chooses a classical or
mythological subject, in which the puppet Girolamo is sure
to be introduced and charged with all the wit of the piece.
He speaks invariably with the accent and patois of the
country, and his jokes never fail to keep the audience in a
roar of laughter; his mode of speech and slang phrases
form an absurd contrast to the other figures, who speak in
pure Italian and pompous versi sciolti. For instance, the
piece I saw represented was the story of Alcestis and was
entitled La scesa d'Ercole nell Inferno, to redeem the wife of
Admetus. Hercules, before he commences this undertaking,
wishes to hire a valet for the journey, has an interview with
Girolamo, and engages him. Hercules speaks in blank verse
and in a phrase, full of sesquipedalia verba, demands his
country and lineage. Girolamo replies in the Piedmontese
dialect and with a strong nasal accent: "De mi pais, de
Piemong." Girolamo, however, though he professes to be as
brave as Mars himself has a great repugnance to accom-
panying his master to the shades below, or to the " casa del
diavolo," as he calls it; and while Hercules fights with
Cerberus, he shakes and trembles all over, as he does like-
wise when he meets Madonna Morte.
All this is very absurd and ridiculous, but it is impossible
not to laugh and be amused at it. An anecdote is related of
the flesh and blood Girolamo, that he had a very pretty wife,
who took it into her head one day to elope with a French
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AFTER WATERLOO
officer; and that to revenge himself he dramatized the event
and produced it on his own theatre under the title of
Colombina scampata coir uffiziale, having filled the piece
with severe satire and sarcastic remarks against women in
general and Colombina in particular.
The atelier of the famous artist in mosaic Rafaelli is well
worth inspecting; and here I had an opportunity of behold-
ing a copy in mosaic and nearly finished of the celebrated
picture of Leonardo da Vinci representing the Caena
Domini. What a useful as well as admirable art is the
mosaic to perpetuate the paintings of the greatest masters!
I recollected on beholding this work that Eustace, in his
Tour thro? Italy,* relates with a pious horror that the
French soldiers used the original picture as a target to
practise at with ball cartridge, and that Christ's head was
singled out as the mark. This absurd tale, which had not
the least shadow of truth in it, has, it appears, gained some
credit among weak-minded people; and I therefore beg leave
to contradict it in the most formal manner. It was Buona-
parte who, the moment the picture was discovered,
ordered it to be put in mosaic. No! the French were the
protectors and encouragers, and by no means the de-
stroyers of the works of art; and this ridiculous story of
the picture being used as a target was probably invented by
the priesthood, who seemed to have taken great delight in
imposing on poor Eustace's credulity. To me it seems that
such a story could only have been invented by a monk, and
believed and repeated by an old woman or a bigot. The
priests and French emigrants have invented and spread the
most shameful and improbable calumnies against the
French republicans and against Napoleon, and that
credulous gull John Bull has been silly enough to give
full credence to all these tales, and stand staring with his
eyes and mouth open at the recital, while a vulgar
jobbing ministry (as Cobbet would say) picked his pockets.
* John Chetwode Eustace (1762-1815), author of A Tour through Italy
(2 vol., London, 1813), the eighth edition of which appeared in 1841. ED.
130
MR EUSTACE'S BIGOTRY
Quite of a piece with this is the said Mr Eustace's bigotry,
in not chusing to call Lombardy by its usual appellation
"Lombardy," and affectedly terming it "the plain of the
Po." Why so, will be asked? Why because Mr Eustace hates
the ancient Lombards, and holds them very nearly in as
much horror as he does the modern French ; because, as he
says, they were the enemies of the Church and made war
on and despoiled the Holy See. The fact is that the Lom-
bard princes were the most enlightened of all the monarchs
of their time; they were the first who began to resist the
encroachments of the clergy and to shake off that abject
submission to the Holy See which was the characteristic
of the age. The Lombards were a fine gallant race of men
and not so bigoted as the other nations of Europe. Where
has there ever reigned a better and more enlightened and more
just and humane prince than Theodoric?* But Theodoric
was an Arian, hence Mr Eustace's aversion, for he, with the
most servile devotion, rejects, condemns and anathematizes
whatever the Church rejects, condemns and anathematizes.
For myself I look on the extinction of the Lombard power
by Charlemagne to have been a great calamity; had it
lasted, the reformation and deliverance of Europe from
Papal and ecclesiastical tyranny would have happened
probably three hundred years sooner and the Inquisition
never have been planted in Spain. I have made this digres-
sion from a love of justice and from a wish to vindicate the
French Republic and Napoleon from one at least of the
many unjust aspersions cast on them. I feel it also my duty
to state on every occasion that I, belonging to an army sent
to Egypt in order to expel them from that country, have
been an eyewitness of the good and beneficial reforms and
improvements that the French made in Egypt during a
period of only three years. They did more for the good of
that country in this short period, than we have done for
India in fifty years.
Being obliged to be in London on the 24th December I
* Theodoric was a Goth, not a Lombard. ED.
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AFTER WATERLOO
took leave of the agreeable city of Milan with much regret
on the 19th of October and engaged a place in a Swiss
voiture going to Lausanne. My fellow travellers were two
Brunswick officers in the service of the Princess of Wales,
who were returning to their native country; and a Hun-
garian and his son settled in Domo d'Ossola. Nothing
occurred till we arrived at Arona, where we were detained
a whole day, in consequence of some informality in the
passport of the two Germans, viz., that of its not having
been vise by the Sardinian Charg6 d' Affaires at Milan.
During our detention at Arona, I fell in with a young
Frenchman who was going to Milan in company of some Swiss
friends. The Swiss were permitted to proceed, but the other
was not, for no other reason than because he was a French-
man; so that he took a place in our carriage in order to
return to Switzerland. I found him a very agreeable com-
panion, for tho' much chagrined and vexed at this
harsh and ungenerous treatment on the part of the Pied-
montese authorities, he soon recovered his good humour,
and contributed much to the pleasure of our journey.
The Germans came back to Arona very late at night, and
during the rest of the journey gave vent to their feelings
with many an execration such as verfluchter Spitzbube,
Hundsfott, on the heads of the inexorable police officers of
Arona. The next day, on passing by Belgirate, we took a
boat to visit the Borromean islands, and afterwards re-
turned to rejoin our carriage at Fariolo. The first of these
islands that we visited was the Isola Bella, where there is a
large and splendid villa, belonging to the Borromean
family. The rooms are of excellent and solid structure, and
there are some good family pictures. The furniture is
ancient, but costly. The rez de chaussee or lower part of the
house, which is completely a fleur d'eau with the lake, is
tastefully paved, and the walls decorated with a mosaic of
shells. One would imagine it the abode of a sea nymph. I
thought of Calypso and Galatea. There are in these apart-
ments d fleur d'eau two or three exquisite statues.
132
THE CANTON DE VAUD
LAUSANNE, llth November.
I have been now nearly three weeks at Lausanne and am
much pleased both with the inhabitants, who are extremely
affable and well-informed, and with the beautiful sites that
environ this city, the capital of the Canton de Vaud. The
sentiments of the Vaudois, with the exception of a few
absurd families among the noblesse, who from ignorance or
prejudice are sticklers for the old times, are highly liberal ;
and as they acquired their freedom and emancipated them-
selves from the yoke of the Bernois, thro' the means of
the French Revolution, they are grateful to that nation
and receive with hospitality those who are proscribed by
the present French Government; their behaviour thus
forming a noble contrast to the servility of the Genevese.
The Government of the Canton de Vaud is wholly demo-
cratic and is composed of a Landamman and grand and
petty council, all bourgeois, or of the most intelligent
among the agricultural class, who know the interests of
their country right well, and are not likely to betray them,
as the noblesse are but too often induced to do, for the sake
of some foolish ribband, rank, or title. The noblesse are hi a
manner self-exiled (so they say) from all participation in
the legislative and executive power; for they have too
much morgue to endure to share the government with
those whom they regard as roturiers; but the real state of
the case is that the people will not elect them, and the
people are perfectly in the right, for at the glorious epoch
when, without bloodshed, the burghers and plebeians
upset the despotism of Bern, the conduct of the noblesse
was very equivocal. La Harpe was the leader of this bene-
ficial Revolution, for which, however, the public mind was
fully prepared and disposed ; and La Harpe was a virtuous,
ardent and incorruptible patriot.
This canton had been for a long period of years in a state of
vassalage to that of Bern ; all the posts and offices of Govern-
ment were filled by Bernois and the Vaudois were excluded
from all share in the government, and from all public em-
133
AFTER WATERLOO
ployments of consequence. When the Sun of Revolution,
after gloriously rising in America, had shone in splendour
on France, and had successfully dissipated the mists of
tyranny, feudality, priestcraft and prejudice, it was
natural that those states which had languished for so many
years in a humiliating situation should begin to look about
them and enquire into the origin of all the shackles and
restraints imposed on them; and no doubt the Vaudois
soon discovered that it was an anomaly in politics as well
as in reason that two states of such different origin, the one
being a Latin and the other a Teutonic people, with lan-
guage, customs, and manners so different, should be
blended together in a system in which all the advantages
were on the side of Bern, and nought but vassalage on the
part of Vaud. A chief was alone wanting to give the impulse ;
he was soon found; the business was settled in forty-eight
hours; and by the mediation of the French Government,
Vaud was declared and acknowledged an independent
state and for ever released from the dominion of Bern. The
federative constitution was then abolished throughout the
union, and a general Government, called the Helvetic
Republic, substituted in its place; but this constitution not
suiting the genius and habits of the people, nor the locality
of the country, was not of long duration; troubles broke
out and insurrections, which were fomented and encouraged
by the adherents of the old regime. But Napoleon, by a wise
and salutary mediation, stepped in between them, and pre-
vented the effusion of blood, by restoring the old confedera-
tion, modified by a variety of ameliorations. In the act of
mediation, Napoleon contented himself with separating the
Valais entirely from the confederation, and shortly after
annexing it to France, on account of the high road into Italy
across the Simplon running thro' that territory, and which it
became of the utmost importance to him to be master of.
The new Helvetic Confederation was inviolably respected
and protected by Napoleon; for never after the act of
mediation did any French troops enter in the Canton de
134
STRUGGLES BETWEEN BERN AND VAUD
Vaud, or any part of the Union to pass into Italy. They
always moved on the Savoy side of the Lake to enter into
the Valais. This act of mediation saved probably a good
deal of bloodshed and in a very short time gave such general
satisfaction, and was in every respect so useful and bene-
ficial to the Helvetic Union, that in spite of the intrigues of
the Senate of Bern, who have never been able to digest the
loss of Vaud, the Allied Powers in the year 1814 solemnly
guaranteed the Helvetic Confederation as established by
the Act of Mediation, merely restoring the Valais to its
independence and aggregating it as an independent Canton
to the general Union. Geneva, on its being severed from the
French Empire, and recovering its independence, solicited
the Helvetic Union to be admitted as a member and com-
ponent part of that Confederacy; which was agreed to,
and it was and remains aggregated to it also.
In 1815, on the return of Napoleon from Elba and on the
renewal of the war, the Bern Government made a most
barefaced attempt to regain possession of the Canton de
Vaud; to this they were no doubt secretly encouraged by
the Allies, and principally it is said by the British Govern-
ment, the most dangerous, artful and determined enemy of
all liberty; but this project was completely foiled, by the
penetration, energy and firmness of the inhabitants of the
Canton de Vaud and of its Government in particular. The
central Government of the Union was at that time held at
Bern and it was agreed upon in the Diet that Switzerland
should remain perfectly neutral during the approaching
conflict; an army of observation of 30,000 men was voted
and levied to enforce this neutrality, but the command of it
was given to De Watteville, who had been a colonel in the
English service, and was a determined enemy of the French
Revolution and of everything connected with or arising
out of it. On the approach of the Austrian army, De
Watteville, instead of defending the frontier and repelling
the invasion, disbanded his army and allowed the Austrians
to enter. No doubt he was encouraged, if not positively
135
AFTER WATERLOO
ordered to do this, by the Government of Bern, many mem-
bers of which are supposed to have received bribes from the
British Government to render the decreed neutrality null and
void. At the same moment that this army was disbanded,
the directoral Canton (Bern) caused to be intimated to the
Canton de Vaud that it was the wish and intention of the
High Allies to replace Switzerland in the exact state it was
in, previous to the French Revolution; and that, in conse-
quence, two Commissioners would be sent from Bern to
Lausanne, to take charge of the Bureaux, Archives and
insignia of Government, etc., and to act as a provisional
Government under the direction of Bern. The Landamman
and the grand and petty council at Lausanne, on learning
this intelligence, immediately saw thro' the scheme that
was planned to deprive them of their independence; they,
therefore, passed a decree, threatening to arrest and punish
as conspirators the Commissioners, should they dare to set
their foot in the Canton, and declaring such of their country-
men who should aid or abet this scheme, or deliver up a
single document to the Commissioners, traitors and rebels;
they likewise called on the whole Canton to arm in defence
of its independence and proclaimed at the same time that
should this plan be attempted to be carried into execu-
tion, they would join their forces to those of Napoleon and
thus endanger the position of the Allies. They took their
measures accordingly; the whole Canton flew to arms; the
Bernois and the Allies were alarmed and consultations held ;
the Count de Bubna, the Austrian General, being consulted,
thought the attempt so hazardous and so pregnant with
mischief that he had the good sense to recommend to the
Allied Powers and to the Canton of Bern to desist from
their project and not to make or propose any alteration in
the Helvetic Constitution, as guaranteed in 1814. His
advice was of great weight and was adopted, and thus the
Vaudois by their firmness preserved their independence.
They met with great support likewise on this trying occa-
sion from General La Harpe, preceptor to the Emperor of
136
THE ATTRACTIONS OF LAUSANNE
Russia, and a relation to the gentleman of the same name
who was so instrumental in the emancipation of Vaud.
La Harpe, who enjoyed the confidence of his pupil, exerted
himself greatly in procuring his good offices in favour of
the Vaudois his countrymen, and this was no small weight
in the scale.
Lausanne is an irregularly built city, and not very agree-
able to pedestrians, for its continual steep ascents and
descents make it extremely fatiguing, and there is a part of
the town to which you ascend by a flight of stairs ; the houses in
Lausanne have been humorously enough compared to musi-
cal notes. The country in the environs is beautiful beyond
description and has at all times elicited the admiration of
travellers. There is an agreeable promenade just outside
the town, on the left hand side of the road which leads to
Geneva, called Montbenon, which is the fashionable pro-
menade and commands a fine view of the lake. On the left
hand side is a Casino and garden used for the tir de Varc, of
which the Vaudois, in common with the other Helvetic
people, are extremely fond. On the right hand side of the
road is a deep ravine planted in the style of an English
garden, with serpentine gravel walks, and on the other side
of the ravine stands the upper part of the city, the Cathe-
dral, Hdtel de Ville, and the Chateau du Bailli, which is the
seat of Government. From the terrace of the Cathedral you
enjoy a fine view, but a still finer and far more comprehensive
one is from the Signal house, or Belvedere near the forest of
Sauvabelin (Silva Bellonae in Pagan times)*. In this wood
fairs, dances and other public festivals are held, and it is the
favourite spot for parties of pleasure to dine al fresco; it is
a pity, however, that the edifice called the Belvedere was not
conceived in a better taste ; it has an uncouth and barbarous
appearance.
Lausanne is situated about a quarter of a mile (in a right
line) from the lake, and you descend continually in going
from the city to the Lake Leman by a good carriage road,
* Of course, Silva Beleni. ED.
137
AFTER WATERLOO
until you arrive on the borders of the lake, where stands a
neat little town called Ouchy, or as it is sometimes termed
le port de Lausanne. There is a good quai and pier. The
passage across the lake from Ouchy to the Savoy side
requires four hours with oars.
I have made several pleasant acquaintances here, viz.,
M. Pidon the Landamman, a litterato of the first order;
Genl La Harpe, the tutor of the Emperor of Russia; but
the most agreeable of all is the Baron de F[alkenskiold], an
old gentleman of whose talents, merits and delightful dis-
position I cannot speak too highly. He has the most liberal
and enlightened views and opinions, and is extremely
well versed in English, French and German litterature. He
is a Dane by birth and was exiled early in life from his
own country, on account of an accusation of being impli-
cated in the affair of Struensee; and it is generally
supposed that he was one of Queen Matilda's favoured
lovers, which supposition is not improbable, as in his youth,
to judge from his present dignified and majestic appearance,
he must have been an uncommonly handsome man. He has
lived ever since at Lausanne, and tho' near seventy-four
years of age and tormented with the gout, he never loses his
cheerfulness, and passes his time mostly with his books.
He gives dinner parties two or three times a week, which
are exceedingly pleasant, and one is sure to meet there a
small, but well informed society of natives and foreigners.
Most German travellers of rank and litterary attainments,
who pass thro' Lausanne, bring letters of introduction
and recommendation to the Baron and are sure to meet with
the utmost hospitality and attention.
The women of the Canton de Vaud are in general very
handsome, well shaped and graceful; litterature, music,
dancing and drawing are cultivated by them with success ;
and among the men, tho' one does not meet perhaps
with quite as much instruction as at Geneva (I mean that it
is not so general), yet no pedantry whatever prevails as in
Geneva. At Lausanne they have sincere and solid republican
138
CONDITIONS OF PEACE PUBLISHED
principles and they do not pay that servile court to the
English that the Genevese do; nor have they as yet adopted
the phrase "Dieu me damne"
PARIS, Dec. 5th.
I returned to Paris by Geneva and crossing the Jura
chain of mountains passed thro' Dole, Auxonne and
Dijon. At Geneva, where I stopped three days, I met, at a
musical party given by M. Picot the banker, the celebrated
cantatrice Grassini, who looked as beautiful as ever, and
sung in the most fascinating style several airs, particularly
"Quelle pupille tenere " in the opera of the Orazj e Curiazi.
To my taste her style of singing is far preferable to that of
Catalani; there is much more pathos and feeling in the
singing of Grassini; it is completely and truly the "cantar
che nelVanima si sente" Catalani is very powerful, wonder-
ful, if you will, in execution; but she does not touch my
heart as Grassini does.
On my return to Paris from Geneva I found that the
conditions of peace had been made public. They are cer-
tainly hard, not so much on account of the cession of
territory, which is trifling, as on account of the vast sums
of money that France is obliged to pay, and the still more
galling condition of having to pay and feed at her expense
an army of occupation of 150,000 men, of the Allied troops,
for a term of three or five years, and to cede during that
period several important fortresses. The inhabitants of
Paris look very gloomy and nobody seems to think that
the peace will last half as long. Prussia and Austria strove
hard to wrest Alsace and German Lorraine from France;
hosts of German publicists had accompanied their armies
into France and had written pamphlet upon pamphlet to
prove that mountains and not rivers were the proper
boundaries of nations and that wherever the German
language prevails, the country ought to belong to the
Germanic body. Ergo, the Vosges mountains were the
natural boundaries of France, and Alsace and German Lor-
raine should revert to Germany. Russia and England,
139
AFTER WATERLOO
however, opposed this, and insisted that these two pro-
vinces should remain with France; but I have no doubt
that the first movements that may occur in France (and
they will perhaps be secretly encouraged) will serve as a
pretext for the Allies to separate these countries definitively
from France.
The Louvre has been stripped of the principal statues
and pictures which have been sent back to the places from
whence they were taken, to the great mortification of the
Parisians, most of whom would have consented to the
cession of Alsace and Lorraine and half of France to boot
on condition of keeping the statues and pictures. The
English Bureaux are preparing to leave Paris and the troops
will soon follow; a new French army is organizing and
several Swiss battalions are raised. It is generally supposed
that by the end of December France, with the exception of
the fortresses and districts to be occupied by the Allied
Powers, will be freed from the pressure of foreign troops.
The Chamber of Peers is occupied with the trial of Mar-
shall Ney, the Conseil de Guerre, which was ordered to
assemble for that purpose having declared itself incompetent.
The friends of Ney advised him to claim the protection of
the 12th Article of the Capitulation of Paris, and Madame
Ney, it is said, applied both to the Duke of Wellington and
to the Emperor of Russia; both ungenerously refused; to
the former Nature has not given a heart with much sensi-
bility, and the latter bears a petty spite against Ney on
account of his title, Prince de la Moskowa. It is pretty
generally anticipated that poor Ney will be condemned and
executed; for tho' at the representation of Cinna a few
nights ago, at the Theatre Fran9ais, the allusions to clem-
ency were loudly caught hold of and applauded by the
audience, yet I suspect Louis XVIII is by no means of a
relenting nature, and that he is as little inclined to pardon
political trespasses as his ancestor Louis IX was disposed
to pardon those against religion ; for, according to Gibbon,
his recommendation to his followers was : " Si quelqu'un
140
A MILITANT EMIGRE
parle contre la foi chretienne dans votre presence, donnez lui
Vepee venire-dedans."
December 18th.
I met with an emigrant this day at the Palais Royal who
was acquainted with my family in London. It was the
Vicomte de B*****ye.* He had resided some time in Eng-
land and also in Switzerland. He is an amiable man, but a
most incorrigible Ultra. He displayed at once the ideas that
prevail among the Ultras, which must render them eternally
at variance with the mass of the French nation. In speaking
of the state of France, he said: " Je rial jamais cess& et
jamais je ne cesserai de regarder comme voleurs tous les
acquereurs des biens des emigres. II faudroit, pour le bonheur
de la France, qu'elle fut placee dans le meme etat ou elle etait
avant la Revolution." He would not listen to my reasons
against the possibility of effecting such a plan, even were
the plan just and reasonable in itself. I told him that for the
emigrants to expect to get back their property was just
as absurd as for the descendants of those Saxon families
in England, whose ancestors were dispossessed of their
estates by William the Conqueror, to think of regaining
them, and to call upon the Duke of Northumberland, for
instance, as a descendant of a Norman invader, to give up
his property as unjustly acquired by his progenitors. We did
not hold long converse after this ; his ideas and mine diverged
too much from each other.
The English are very much out of favour with the
emigrants, as well on account of the stripping of the
Louvre as on account of not having shot all the liberaux.
They had the folly to believe that the Allied troops would
merely make war for the emigrants' interests, and after
having put to death a considerable quantity of those who
should be designated as rebels and Jacobins by them (the
emigrants), would replace France in the exact position she
was in 1789, and then depart.
* Perhaps Clement Frai^ois Philippe de Laige Bellefaye, mentioned in
the Souvenirs of Baron de Frenilly, p. 94. His large estates had been confis-
cated in the Revolution. ED.
141
AFTER WATERLOO
Poor Marshall Ney's fate is decided. He was sentenced
to death, and the sentence was carried into execution not
on the Place de Grenelle as was given out, but in the gardens
of Luxemburgh at a very early hour. He met his fate with
great firmness and composure. I leave Paris to-morrow for
London.
142
AFTER
WATERLOO
PART II.
PART II
CHAPTER VI
MARCH JUNE, 1816
Ball at Cambray, attended by the Duke of Wellington An Adventure
between Saint Quentin and Compiegne Paris revisited Colonel Wardle
and Mrs Wallis Society in Paris The Sourds-Muets The Cemetery of
Pere La Chaise Apathy of the French people The priests Marriage of
the Duke de Berri.
March, 1816.
THIS time I varied my route to Paris, by passing
thro' St Omer, Douay and Cambray. At Cambray I
was present at a ball given by the municipality. The Duke
of Wellington was there. He had in his hand an extra-
ordinary sort of hat which had something of a shape of a
folding cocked hat, with divers red crosses and figures on
it, so that it resembled a conjurer's cap. I understand it is
a hat given to his Grace by magnanimous Alexander; St
Nicholas perhaps commissioned the Emperor to present it
to Wellington, for his Grace is entitled to the eternal grati-
tude of the different Saints, as well as of the different
sovereigns, for having maintained them respectively in
their celestial and terrestrial dominions; and it is to be
hoped, after his death, that the latter will celebrate for him
a brilliant apotheosis, and the former be as complaisant to
him and make room for him in the Empyreum as Virgil
requests the Scorpion to do for Augustus :
. . . Ipse tibi -jam brachia contrahit ardens
Scorpios, et cceli justd plus parte reliquit.*
I met with an adventure in my journey from St Quentin
to Compiegne, which, had it happened a hundred years ago
in France, would have alarmed me much for my personal
safety. It was as follows. I had taken my place at St
Quentin to go to Paris ; but all the diligences being filled, the
bureau expedited a caleche to convey me as far as Com-
* Virgil, Georg., i, 35. ED.
L 145
AFTER WATERLOO
piegne, there to meet the Paris diligence at nine the next
morning. It was a very dark cold night, and snowed very
hard.
Between eleven and twelve o'clock at night, half way
between St Quentin and Compiegne, the axle tree of the
carriage broke ; we were at least two miles from any village
one way and three the other; but a lone house was close to
the spot where the accident happened. We had, therefore,
the choice of going forward or backward, the postillion and
myself helping the carriage on with our hands, or to take
refuge at the lone house till dawn of day. I preferred the
latter; we knocked several times at the door of the lone
house, but the owner refused to admit us, saying that he
was sure we were gens de mauvaise vie, and that he would
shoot us if we did not go away. The postillion and I then
determined on retrograding two miles, the distance of the
nearest village, and remaining there till morning. We
arrived there with no small difficulty and labour, for it
snowed very fast and heavily, and it required a good deal
of bodily exertion to push on the carriage. Arrived at the
village, we knocked at the door of a small cottage, the
owner of which sold some brandy. He received me very
civilly, gave me some eggs and bacon for supper, and a very
fair bed.
The next morning, after having the axle tree repaired,
we proceeded on our journey to Compiegne. I suffered much
from the cold during this adventure, and did not sleep well,
having fallen into a train of thought which prevented me
from so doing; and I could not help bringing to my recollec-
tion the adventure of Raymond in the forest near Strass-
burg, in the romance of The Monk. Nothing worthy of note
occurred during the rest of the journey; but this adventure
obliged me to remain one day at Compiegne to wait for the
next diligence.
PARIS, April 3d, 1816.
I delivered my letters to the Wardle family and am very
much pleased with them. I meet a very agreeable society at
146
BASELESS CALUMNIES AGAINST NAPOLEON
their house. Col Wardle is quite a republican and very
rigid in his principles.* His daughter is a young lady of
first rate talents and has already distinguished herself
by some poetical compositions. I met at their house Mrs
Wallis, the sister of Sir R. Wilson.f She is an enthusias-
tic Napoleonist, and wears at times a tricolored scarf
and a gold chain with a medal of Napoleon's head
attached to it; this head she sometimes, to amuse herself,
compels the old emigrants she meets with in society to
kiss. The trial of her brother is now going on for aiding and
abetting the escape of Lavalette. I sincerely hope he will
escape any severity of punishment, but I more fear the
effects of Tory vengeance against him in England, in the
shape of depriving him of his commission, than I do the
sentence of any French court. Yet tho' I wish him well, I
cannot help feeling the remains of a little grudge against
him for his calumny against Napoleon in accusing him of
poisoning the sick of his own army before the walls of
St Jean d'Acre. I have always vindicated the character of
Napoleon from this most unjust and unfounded aspersion,
because having been in Egypt with Abercrombie's army and
having had daily intercourse with Belliard's division of the
French army, after the capitulation of Cairo, and during our
joint march on the left bank of the Nile to Rosetta, I knew
that there was not a syllable of truth in the story. Mrs
Wallis, however, tells me that her brother has expressed
deep regret that he ever gave credence and currency to such
a report; and that he acknowledges that he was himself
deceived. But he did Napoleon an irreparable injury, and
his work on the Egyptian campaign contributed in a very
great degree to excite the hatred of the English people
* Colonel Gwyllym Lloyd Wardle was the celebrated exposer of the scan-
dal in 1808-9, when the mistress of the Duke of York was found to be traf-
ficking in Commissions. He had retired from active service in 1802, with the
rank of lieutenant-colonel. Financial reasons obliged him, after 1815, to live
on the Continent; he died in Florence, 1833. ED.
t Sir Robert Thomas Wilson (1779-1849), author of The History of the
British Expedition to Egypt, 1802; a French translation of that work elicited
a protest from Napoleon. ED.
L2 147
AFTER WATERLOO
against Napoleon, as well as to flatter the passions and pre-
judices of the Tories.
In the affair however of Lavalette Wilson has nobly
retrieved his character and obliterated all recollection of his
former error. It is amazing the popularity he and his two
gallant associates have acquired in France by this generous
and chevaleresque enterprise.
I meet at Col Wardle's a very pleasant French society:
conversation, music and singing fill up the evening.
April 15th.
I have been presented to a very agreeable lady, Madame
Esther Fournier, who holds a conversazione at her house in the
Rue St Honore every Wednesday evening. Here there is
either a concert, a ball or private theatricals; while in a
separate room play goes forward and crebs, a game of dice
similar to hazard, is the fashionable game. Refreshments
are handed round and at twelve o'clock the company
break up. Mme Fournier is a lady of very distinguished
talent and always acts a principal role herself in the dra-
matic performances given at her private theatricals.
I have become acquainted too with a very pleasant
family, M. and Mme Vanderberg, who are the proprietors of
a large house and magnificent garden in the Faubourg du
Roule. M. Vanderberg is a man of very large fortune.* He
has three daughters, handsome and highly accomplished, and
one son ; one of them was married to General R , but is
since divorced ; the second is married to a young colonel of
Hussars, and the third is still unmarried; but being very
young, handsome, accomplished and rich, there will be no
lack of suitors whenever she is disposed to accept the con-
nubial chain. I have dined several times with this family.
There is an excellent table. The choicest old wines are
handed about during dinner, and afterwards we adjourn to
another room to take coffee and liqueurs.
* Vanderberg had made a fortune as a contractor to the French army ; he
is mentioned in Ida Saint Elme's MJmoires d'une contemporaine and else-
where. ED.
148
THE ABBE DE L'EPEE'S DEAF MUTES
If there is no evening party, the company retire, some for
the theatre, some for other houses, where they have to pass
the evening; if the family remain at home you have the
option of retiring or remaining with them, and the evening
is filled up with music or petits jeux. I meet with several
agreeable and distinguished people at this house, among
whom are M. Anglas, Mme Duthon from the Canton de
Vaud, a lady of great vivacity and talent, and General
Guilleminot and his lady. Col. Paulet, who married M.
Vanderberg's second daughter, was on the staff of General
Guilleminot at the battle of Waterloo and suffered much
from a fever and ague that he caught on the night bivouacs.
I have attended a seance of the Institution of the Sourds-
Muets founded by the famous Abbe de PEpee, and con-
tinued with equal success by his successor the Abbe S[icard],*
who delivered the lecture and exhibited the talent and
proficiency of his pupils. The eldest pupil, Massieu, himself
deaf and dumb, is an extraordinary genius and he may be
said in some measure to direct all the others. Massieu, who
has a very interesting and even handsome countenance, and
manners extremely prepossessing, conducts the examina-
tion of the pupils by means of signs, and writing on a slate or
paper; and it is wonderful to observe the progress made by
these interesting young persons, who have been so harshly
treated by Nature. The definitions they give of substances
and qualities are so just and happy; and in their situation,
definition is everything, for they cannot learn by rote, as
other boys often do, who, in the study of philology, acquire
only words and not things or meanings. The deaf and dumb
persons, on the contrary, acquire at once by this method
of instruction the philosophy of grammar; and then it is
far from being the dry study that many people suppose. A
German princess who was present exclaimed in a transport
of admiration at some of the specimens of definitions and
inferences given by the pupils: " Oh! I wish that I were
* Abbe Sicard (Roch Ambroise) was director of the Institution of Sourds-
Muets from 1790 to 1797 and from 1800 to 1822. ED.
149
AFTER WATERLOO
born deaf and dumb, were it only to learn grammar pro-
perly! " Sir Sidney Smith was present at this lecture and
seemed inclined to make himself a little too conspicuous.
For instance, before the examination began, he seated
himself close by the Abbe S[icard] and pulling a paper out
of his pocket said that he had found it on the ground on his
way hither; and that it was part of a leaf from an edition of
Cicero which contained a sentence so applicable to the
character and talents of his friend the Abbe, that he re-
quested permission to read it aloud and translate it into
French for the benefit of those who did not understand
Latin. He then read the sentence. The Abbe, not to be out-
done in compliments, then rose and made a most flaming
speech in eulogium of his friend " the heroic defender of St
John d'Acre " and pointed him out to the audience as the
first person who had foiled the arms of the " Usurper."
Now this word " Usurper " applied to Napoleon did not
at all please the audience, and it shewed a great deal of
servility on the part of the Abbe to insult fallen greatness,
and in the person too of a man who had rendered such vast
services to science. In fact this episode was received coldly,
and somewhat impatiently by the audience; and many
thought it was a thing got up between the Admiral and the
Abb6 to flatter each other's vanity; indeed my friend Mrs
Wallis, next to whom I was placed, and who does not at all
agree with the gallant Admiral in politics, intimated this in
a whisper, loud enough to be heard by all the audience and
added: " Such a humbug is enough to make one sick." Sir
Sidney Smith heard all this and seemed a good deal abashed
and disconcerted; he, however, had the good sense to say
nothing, and the examination began.
PARIS, May 5th.
I formed a party with some friends to visit the cimitery
of Pere la Chaise. We remarked in particular the places
where poor Labedoyere and Marshal Ney are buried. There
is no tombstone on the former, but some shrubs have been
150
THE DIDIER CONSPIRACY
planted, and a black wooden cross fixed to denote the
spot where he lies.
To Marshal Ney there is a stone sepulchre with this
inscription : "Cy-git le Marechal Ney, Prince de la Moskowa."
This cimitery is most beautifully laid out. The multitude
of tombs, the variety of inscriptions in prose and verse, some
of which are very affecting, the yews, the willows, all render
this a delightful spot for contemplation; it commands an
extensive view of Paris and the surrounding country.
Foreigners of distinction who die in Paris are generally
buried here; but it would require a volume to describe to
you in detail this interesting cimitery. I think the practice
of strewing flowers over the grave is very touching and
classic; it reminded me of the description of Marcellus's
death in Virgil :
.... Manibus date lilia plenis.
We however strewed over the tombs of Labedoyere and
Ney not lilies, but violets, for my friend Mrs W[aLlis], who
was of our party, has a great aversion to the lily.
We have just heard of Didier's capture and execution at
Grenoble.* There are continual reports of insurrections and
plots, but it is now well known that the most of them are got
up by the Ultras to entrap the unwary. The French people
seem sunk in apathy and to wish for peace at any rate;
nothing but the most extreme provocation will induce them
to take up arms; but then, if they once do so, woe to the
Chambre Introuvable, as the present Chamber of Deputies
is called ; certainly such a set of venal, merciless and ignorant
bigots and blockheads never were collected in any assembly.
There have occurred several scandalous scenes at Nimes and
other places. The Protestants are openly insulted and
threatened, and the government is either too weak to pre-
vent it, or, as is supposed, secretly encourages those excesses.
In fact in Paris there are two polices; the one, that of the
* Paul Didier (1758-1816) took part in a Bonapartist conspiracyat Lyons
in 1816, raised an insurrection in the Isere and fled to Piedmont, whence he
was surrendered to the French authorities, condemned to death and executed
at Grenoble. ED.
151
AFTER WATERLOO
Government, the other, and by far the most troublesome,
that of Monsieur* and the violent Ultra party, or as they
are collectively called the Pavilion Marsan.~\ The priests
are at work everywhere trumping up old legends, forging
communications from the Holy Ghost, receiving letters
dropped from heaven by Jesus Christ, and all this is done
with the idea of working on fanatical minds, to induce them
to commit acts of outrage and violence on those whom the
priests designate as enemies to the faith, and on weak ones,
with the idea of frightening them into restoring the lands
and property which they have purchased or inherited and
which formerly belonged to emigrants or to the Church.
A lady of my acquaintance (to give you an idea of the
arts of these holy hypocrites) sent for a priest to confess
and to receive absolution, not from any faith in the efficacy
of the business, but merely from a desire of conforming to
the ceremonies of the national worship. The priest arrived,
but began by apologizing to her that he was sorry he could
not administer to her the sacrament of absolution; she,
surprized, asked the reason ; he answered that it was because
her uncle had purchased Church lands, which she inherited,
and that unless she could resolve to restore them to the
church, he could not think of giving her absolution. The
lady was at a loss whether to be indignant at his impudence
or to laugh outright at his folly. She however assumed a
becoming gravity and sang-froid, and told him that he was
very much mistaken if he thought he had got hold of a
simpleton or a bigot in her ; that she had sent for him merely
with the idea of conforming to the national worship, and
not with the most remote persuasion of the necessity or
efficacy of his or any other priest's absolution; she added:
" Your conduct has opened my eyes as to the views of all
your cloth; I see you are incurable. I shall never send for
any of you again ; and be assured this anecdote shall not be
forgotten. You may retire." The priest, abashed and morti-
* The King's brother, afterwards Charles X. ED.
f The N.E. pavilion of the Tuileries. ED.
152
FRENCH AND ENGLISH CRIMINAL CODES
fied in finding himself mistaken in his supposed prey,
stammered an excuse and retired.
I intend to remain at Paris until after the marriage cere-
mony of the Duke and Duchess of Berri, and I shall then
proceed to Lausanne. It is expected there will be some dis-
turbance on the occasion of this marriage.
I have witnessed an execution by the guillotine on the
Place de Greve near the Hotel de Ville. The criminal was
guilty of a burglary and murder. It is the only execution
(except political ones) that has taken place at Paris for the
last six months, whereas in England they are strung up by
dozens every fortnight. Independent of there being far less
crimes committed in France than in England, the French
code punishes but few offences with death.
Why is not the sanguinary English criminal code with
death in every line why is it not reformed, I say? 'T would
be well if our legislators, instead of their puerile and frothy
declamations against revolutionary principles and the
ambition of Napoleon, would occupy themselves seriously
with this subject. But then the lawyers would all oppose
the simplification of our Code. They find by experience that
a complicated one, obstructed by customs, statutes and
acts of Parliament, difficult to be correctly interpreted, and
frequently at variance with each other, is a much more
profitable thing, a much wider and more lucrative field for
the exercise of their profession, than the simplicity of the
Code Napoleon ; and they would die of rage and despair at
the thought of anybody not a lawyer being able to interpret
the laws himself. Now as our country gentlemen and
members of Parliament are always much inclined to take
lawyer's advice, and are besides fully persuaded and con-
vinced that there are no abuses whatever in England and
that everything is as it should be, there is no hope of any
amelioration in this particular. All reasoning and argument
is lost on such political optimists.
The punishment of the guillotine certainly appears to be
the most humane mode of terminating the existence of a
153
AFTER WATERLOO
man that could possibly be invented. The apparatus is pre-
served in the Hotel de Ville, and is never exposed to view or
erected on the place of execution, till about an hour before
the execution itself takes place. At the hour appointed the
criminal is brought to the scaffold, fastened to the board,
placed at right angles with the fatal instrument, the head
protruding thro' the groove, which embraces the neck;
the executioner pulls a cord, the axe descends and the head
of the criminal falls into a basket. The whole ceremony of
the execution does not take three minutes when the criminal
once arrives at the foot of the guillotine. There is none of
that horrible struggling that takes place in the operation
of hanging.
June 21st, 1816.
The ceremony of the marriage of the Duke and Duchess
of Berri passed off quietly enough. Several people, it is
true, were arrested for seditious expressions, but no tumult
occurred. A great apprehension seemed to prevail lest
something should occur, but the gendarmerie and police
were so vigilant that all projects, had there been any,
would have proved abortive.
154
CHAPTER VII
Journey from Paris to Lausanne Besan9on French refugees in Lausanne
Francois Lamarque General Espinassy Bordas Gautier Michau
M. de Laharpe Mile Michaud Levade, a Protestant minister Chambery
Aix Details about M. de Boigne's career in India English Toryism and
intolerance Valley of Maurienne Passage across Mont Cenis and arrival
at Suza Turin.
LAUSANNE, July 8th.
DEPARTING from Paris on the 24th June, 1816, I varied
my journey into Switzerland this time, for instead of
travelling thro' Lyons or Dole, I took the route of
Besan9on, Pontarlier, Jougne and Orbe. The country
between Dijon and Besanon is a rich and fertile plain.
At Besanon the mountainous country begins; it is a
strong fortress, and the last considerable town of the
French frontier. It lies in a very picturesque situation,
being nearly environed by the Doubs, which meanders
under its walls, and by very lofty mountains ; on the other
side of the Doubs stands the citadel, its chief strength. The
town of Besan9on is exceedingly handsome and well built,
and there are several agreeable promenades, two of which
I must particularize, viz., the promenade de Chamarre and
the garden of the Palace of Granvelle. There are besides
several Roman antiquities and the remains of a large
amphitheatre. I amused myself very well for a couple of
days at Besanon, and met with some agreeable society at
the Hotel de France where I lodged. I left Besan9on at
eight in the morning of the 30th June, and arrived at
Pontarlier at six the same evening. Pontarlier is a dreary,
melancholy looking place, consisting of a very long street
and several offsets of streets, situated in the midst of
mountains, eternally covered with snow. Winter reigns here
during nine months of the year. At Pontarlier the whole
garrison were under arms, when I arrived, to pay the last
duties to a most respectable and respected officer, whose
155
AFTER WATERLOO
death was occasioned by falling into the river, while at the
necessary, by the under board giving way. This officer had
served in almost all the campaigns of Napoleon and had
greatly distinguished himself. What a cruel death for a
warrior who had been in fifty battles! That death should
have shunned him in the field of battle, to make him fall
in a manner at once inglorious and ridiculous! yet such is
destiny. Pyrrhus fell by a tile flung from a house by an old
woman, and I am acquainted with a gallant captain in the
British Navy who lost his leg by amputation, having broken
it (oh horror!) by a fall from the top of a stage coach.
I left Pontarlier on the 2d July, and arrived at Lausanne
the same evening at five o'clock. On my return to Lausanne
I had the pleasure to form an acquaintance with several
eminent Frenchmen proscribed and banished from France,
on account of having voted the death of Louis XVI, as
members of the National Convention, which tried him, and
for having voted, after the return of Napoleon from Elba,
the Acte additionnel, which excluded the Bourbons for ever
from the throne of France. Among them are, 1st, Mon-
sieur Lamarque, who was one of the commissioners sent by
the Convention to arrest Dumouriez, but being seized by
him, and delivered over to the Austrians, he passed some
time in captivity and was at length released, by being
exchanged with some others against the Duchess d'Angou-
leme.* He is a very able man and seems to have far more
political talent than any of the other Conventionnels who
are here. On Napoleon's return from Elba he voted for him,
but made strong objections against the formation of a
peerage, which he said was perfectly useless in France, and
pregnant with mischief to boot, as it would only serve as
an appui to despotism. He wrote a pamphlet with some
excellent remarks on this subject. He therein points out
the evils of an hereditary Chamber, and of a priviledged aris-
tocracy, who have nothing to expect from the people, but
* Francis Lamarque, born 1756, a member of the Convention, ambas-
sador in Sweden, prefect of the Tarn and member of the Cour de Cassation
(1804). He was exiled in 1816. ED.
156
SOME BANISHED CONVENTIONNELS
all from the Prince ; and in its stead he proposes an addi-
tional elective Chamber, something on the plan of the
Senate in America, but he decidedly reprobates an heredi-
tary peerage.
The next is General Espinassy, a very good classical
scholar and a most upright and amiable man.* In his vote
he was solely influenced by strong but conscienscious
republican principles; he resides here with his wife and
two sons; he was considered as one of the best engineer
officers in France and he opposed the nomination of Napo-
leon to the Imperial dignity in 1804.
Another, M. Bordas,t opposed Napoleon's assumption
of the Consulship on the 18th Brumaire, and was proscribed
by him for a short time, but afterwards amnestied and
received into favour. He gave his vote for Napoleon on
the Champ de Mai in 1815, but accompanied this vote by a
bold speech towards Napoleon wherein he found fault with
his former despotic practises, and reminded him of the
solemnity of his promise to govern in future paternally and
nationally, as became the sovereign of a free people.
M. Bordas is a very cheerful, lively, companionable man
and tho' seventy years of age, he has an uncommon share
of vivacity, with something of the ci-devant jeune homme
about him, and he is pleased to be considerd still as a
man a bonnes fortunes.
The next to him is M. Gauthier, who had been a lawyer,
and held a considerable post as a magistrate in the time of
the Republic and under the Empire. He possesses a good
* Major Frye (who wrote the name Despinassy) certainly means Antoine-
Joseph Marie Espinassy de Fontanelles (1787-1829), who was a member of
the Convention, voted the King's death and served in the Republican
army of the Alps. In 1816, he was banished and went to Lausanne, where
he died 1829. ED.
f Pardoux Bordas (1748-1842) was a member of the Convention.
Though he had not voted the death of Louis XVI, he was banished from
France in 1816 and did not return there before 1828. ED.
I Antoine Franois Gauthier des Orcieres (1752-1838) was elected to the
Etats Generaux in 1789, and, in 1792, to the Convention, where he voted the _
death of Louis XVI. Later on, he was member of the Conseil des Anciens,
juge au tribunal de la Seine and conseiller a la cour imperiale de Paris (1815).
Banished in 1816, he returned to France in 1828.
157
AFTER WATERLOO
deal of talent, close logical reasoning, and has determined
public principle.
The next, M. Michaud, had been also an advocate, and
is possessor of considerable property in the department
of the Doubs;* he is a most rigid unbending republican,
something in the style of Verrina in Schiller's Fiesco; he
opposed the assumption of the supreme power by Buona-
parte on the 18th Brumaire; he voted against the Consul-
ship for life, as well as against the assumption of the
Imperial dignity. He is a very good classical scholar. He is
a widower and has with him here Mile Elisa, his only
daughter, who follows her father's fortunes. She is a very
amiable and accomplished young lady; she has a thorough
knowledge of music and of painting in oils, and is classically
versed in the Italian language. I soon became acquainted
with the whole of these illustrious exiles, and I find great
delight and instruction from their conversation ; and this is
a great relief to me, for the life one leads in a Swiss town
is rather monotonous.
LAUSANNE.
I dine very often with my neighbour the Baron de
Falkenskioeld, and at his house I became acquainted with
M. de Laharpe, who was preceptor to the present Emperor
of Russia. He is a native of this Canton, and has returned
here to pass the remainder of his life. He is married to a
very amiable Russian lady, and having acquired a pretty
good fortune in Russia, he lives here very happily and
comfortably; but notwithstanding this, he is often tempted
to visit Paris, Milan and other great cities, and when there,
sighs to return to his native mountains.
As the Ultras of France bear a great hatred towards the
inhabitants of the Canton de Vaud, on account of the
asylum given and sympathy shown to the proscrits, they
have been at the pains of trumping up and printing a pre-
tended petition from the inhabitants of the department of
* Jean Baptiste Michaud, a member of the Directoire du departement du
Doubs, and a member of the National Convention, voted the death of
Louis XVI and against the proposed appeal to the people. ED.
158
INTRIGUES AGAINST FRENCH EXILES
the Doubs, praying that the French Government would
endeavor to obtain the removal of these proscrits from the
Canton de Vaud, and stating that the said Canton was the
foyer of Jacobinical principles, and the place where Napo-
leon's return from Elba was planned and accelerated, and
thro' which the conveyance of intelligence backwards
and forwards was conducted. I have no doubt that in this
petition more is meant than meets the ear; that the
Oligarchs of Bern, as well as the Ultras of France, have a
share in it, and that it may be considered not so much as an
attempt to compel the Canton to refuse asylum to these
exiles, as to excite the Great Powers to enforce the aboli-
tion of the independance of Vaud, and to replace it under
the dominion and authority of the Canton of Bern.
Everybody here, however, sees thro' the drift of this
petition, and many persons whose names are put down as
having signed it, have written to their friends at Lausanne,
to declare not only that they never signed such a petition,
but their entire ignorance even of the agitation of the
question till they saw the petition itself in print. The French
government, however, has not ventured to act any further
upon it, than to make a pompous display of the royalist
zeal and bon esprit that pervades the Department of the
Doubs.
I see a good deal of Mile Michaud. I find her conversation
extremely agreeable. She had lent to me an Italian work
by Verri entitled Le notti Romane al sepolcro di Scipione.
She is a very rigid Catholic, having been educated by a
priest of very strict ideas. Her devotion however does
not render her less cheerful or less amiable. She having
expressed a wish to hear the Protestant church service, I
offered to accompany her and we went together one
Sunday to the Cathedral Church at Lausanne. But it unfor-
tunately happened that on that day a sermon was preached
which must have given a great deal of pain to her filial
feelings. Mr Levade, the minister, took it into his head to
give a political sermon, hi which, after a great deal of
159
AFTER WATERLOO
commonplace abuse of Voltaire, Rousseau and the French
Revolution, and very fulsome adulation towards the
English government (a subject which was brought in by
the head and shoulders), of that island (as he termed it)
surrounded by the Ocean, he lavished a great deal of still
more fulsome adulation on the Bourbons; and then most
wantonly and unnecessarily began a furious declamation
against the regicides as he termed them, who had taken
refuge in the Canton, and intimated pretty plainly how
pleasing it would be to God Almighty that they should be
expelled from it. This intolerant discourse, more worthy of
a raving Jesuit than of a Protestant minister, was deser-
vedly scouted by the inhabitants of Lausanne ; but this did
not hinder poor Mile Michaud from being much affected at
the opprobrious tirade directed against a set of men,
among whom her father bore a conspicuous part, and who
acted from patriotic motives. I must not omit to state that
in this discourse M. Levade interwove some hyperbolical
compliments towards the young Prince of Sweden, who
attended the service that morning. He told him that the
eyes of all Europe were fixed upon him, and that Providence
had him under his especial care.
Now the following is the character of M. Levade.* He
is a time-serving, meddling priest, and a most flagrant
adulator of the powers that be. He thinks that by declaiming
against the French Revolution, and against Voltaire and
Rousseau, that he will get into favor with the great
people who pass thro' Lausanne, with the French and
English Government adherents, and with the great Tory
families of England. No considerable personage ever passes
through Lausanne, but Mr Levade is the first to make him
a visit; and no rich or noble English family arrives with
whom he does not ingratiate himself, and he is not sparing
of his adulations. This mode of procedure has been a very
profitable concern to him, as he has received a vast number
* Jean Daniel Paul Etienne Levade (1750-1834), Protestant minister first
in England, then in Amsterdam, finally minister at Lausanne and professor
of theology at the Acad&nie of the same town. ED.
160
LEVADE, PROTESTANT CLERGYMAN
of presents, and several valuable legacies, besides securing
a number of pupils among the English families, that come
or that have been here. He is in short a thorough parasite
and time server, in every sense of the word. This adulation
of the Bourbon family in his sermon, besides the meanness
of it, was highly misplaced, coming from the mouth of a
Protestant minister, and somebody exclaimed on leaving
the Church: " Que doit-on penser d'un ministre protestant
du Canton de Vaud, qui prodigue des louanges d une famille
qui a Hi Vennemie acharnee de VEglise reformee, et qui a per-
secute les protestans d'une maniere si atroce?" But Mr
Levade (tho' to the honor of the clergymen of the Can-
ton de Vaud he is singular among them), yet he has many
persons who perfectly resemble him among the members
of the Church of England, and who are as eager to support
despotism and to crush liberty as any disciple of Loyola or
any Janissary of the Grand Signor. The other Protestant
ministers of this Canton were highly indignant at this ser-
mon; in fact, it was the first time in this city that the House
of God had been profaned by the introduction of political
subjects into a religious discourse. This sermon was the
common topic of conversation for many days after.
CHAMBERY, 2d August.
I left Lausanne for Geneva on 28 July. I stopped at
Nyon to pay a visit to Mme Duthon, with whom I became
acquainted at Paris. I dined with her and passed a
most agreeable day. Her talents are of the first order,
and she is as great an enthusiast for the German lan-
guage and litterature as myself, besides being well versed in
Italian. She had a female relation with her. We took a boat
after dinner to navigate the lake, and we visited the Chateau
and domaine of Joseph Napoleon. The next day I proceeded
to Geneva.
I determined on making the journey into Italy this time
by Mont-Cenis, and to make it on foot as far as the foot of
Mont-Cenis on the Italian side, intending to profit of the
M 161
AFTER WATERLOO
opportunity of the first conveyance I should meet with at
Suza to proceed to Turin. I accordingly forwarded my port-
manteau to Turin to the care of a banker there, and sallied
forth from Geneva at six o'clock on the morning of 1st August.
I stopped to dine at Frangy and reached Romilly at seven
in the evening. There is nothing worthy of remark at
Romilly. The next morning I stopped at Aix to breakfast,
and visited the bath establishment. The scenery is pic-
turesque on this route, and the whole road from Aix to
Chambery is aligned with remarkably fine large trees. At
three in the afternoon I arrived at Chambery, the capital
of Savoy. It is a large handsome city, situated in a fruitful
valley, with a great many gardens and orchards surround-
ing it. There is a strong garrison here. Among the many
maisons de plaisance in the environs of this city, the most
distinguishable is the villa of General De Boigne, who has
passed the greatest part of his life in India, in the service of
Scindiah, one of the Mahratta chiefs;* and it was by De
Boigne's assistance that Scindiah, from being a petty chief,
with not more than three or four hundred horse, became
the founder of a powerful kingdom, comprized chiefly of
the provinces of the Ganges and Jumna, torn from the
Mogol Empire, whose Sovereign fell into the hands of
Scindiah. Scindiah caused the Mogol Emperor's eyes to be
put out, and kept him as a state prisoner in Delhi, till the
year 1805, when on the Mahrattas engaging in war with
the English, Scindiah was defeated by Lake and lost the
greater part of his conquests. De Boigne had quitted India
in 1796, long before this rupture took place, and at that
time Scindiah had a fine regular army of thirty battalions
of 1,000 men, each disciplined, armed and equipped in the
European manner. He had likewise sixty squadrons of
regular cavalry and a formidable train of artillery. At
Chamb6ry I met with two French voyageurs de commerce, who
* Countess de Boigne, in her interesting Memoirs (of which there is
an English translation) abstained from describing her husband's career in
India; this lends additional interest to the information collected by Major
Frye. ED-
162
DEFENCE OF GENERAL DE BOIGNE
with that positiveness, which is often the national charac-
teristic, insisted that De Boigne owed his riches and fortune
to his treachery, in having betrayed and sold Tippoo Saib
to the English, when he was in Tippoo's service; and I find
this is the current report all over Savoy.
Now it is an accusation totally devoid of foundation, as
I shall presently show; and I took this opportunity of vin-
dicating the reputation of De Boigne, by simply stating
that De Boigne could never have betrayd Tippoo, since he
was never in his service; 2dly, that he had, when in the
service of Scindiah, fought against Tippoo, when the
Mahrattas coalesced with the English against that Prince
in 1792; and that had it not been for the assistance given
by the Mahrattas to the English (a most impolitic coalition
on the part of the Mahrattas, as it turned out afterwards),
Tippoo would not have been compelled to conclude so
humiliating a treaty of peace; 3dly, that De Boigne had
quitted India in 1796, three years before the second war and
death of Tippoo hi 1799. I stated, too, that I was perfectly
well acquainted with these particulars of De Boigne's
career, from having served six years in India, and from
having been personally acquainted with a gentleman of the
name of Lucius Ferdinand Smith, who was the intimate
friend of De Boigne and his lieutenant general in the service
of Scindiah; I added that I could not conceive how so unjust
and unfounded an^aspersion on De Boigne's character could
find currency.
I hope that what I said will be effectual towards doing
away this injurious report; but very probably it will not, for
when the vulgar once imbibe an opinion, it is difficult to
eradicate it from their minds, and they are not at all
obliged to the person who endeavors to undeceive them,
so that General De Boigne's treachery and sale of Tippoo to
the English will be handed down to posterity among the
Savoyards, as a fact of which it will be as little permitted
to doubt as of the treacherv of Judas.
M2 163
AFTER WATERLOO
CHAMBRY, August 3d.
At the table d'hote this day I nearly lost all patience on
hearing an elderly English gentleman extolling the English
Ministry to the skies, and abusing the army of the Loire,
calling them rebels and traitors. I stood up in defence of
these gallant men, and stated that the French Army in the
time of the Republic and of the Empire were the most
constitutional of all the European armies, since they were
taken from and identified with the people; and that it was
this brotherly feeling for their fellow citizens that induced
them to join the standards of Napoleon, on his return from
Elba; that they only followed the voice of the nation; that
all France was indignant at the tergiversation and breach
of faith on the part of the restored Government, in a variety
of instances ; and that, had Napoleon and the army been
out of the question, the Bourbons would not have failed to
be upset, from the indignation their measures had excited
among the people. He then said that the Army of the Loire
was a most dangerous body of men, and that that was the
reason why the Allies insisted on their being disbanded. I
replied that this was the highest compliment he could pay
them, and the greatest feather in their cap, since it went to
prove, that as long as this Army was in existence, neither
the crowned despots, nor the Ultras thought themselves
safe; and that they could not venture to pursue their anti-
national projects, which were all directed towards depriving
the French people of all they had gained by the Revolu-
tion and bringing them back to the blessings of the ancient
regime. He could say nothing in reply, but that he feared I
had Jacobin principles, to which I made rejoinder: " If
these be Jacobin principles, I glory in them." Some Sar-
dinian officers, who were present, seemed to enjoy my
argument, tho' they said nothing; and one took me
aside, when we quitted the table, and said he rejoiced to see
me take the old man in hand, as he disgusted them every day
by his tirades against the liberal party, and by his ful-
some adulations of the British Government. The old gentle-
164
THE VALLEY OF MAURIENNE
man held forth likewise in a long speech respecting the
finances of England, in praise of the sinking fund, and when
it was suggested to him that England from the immense
national debt must one day become bankrupt : ** Non,
Monsieur," (he said), " la Caisse d' ' Amortissement empechera
cela." In fine, the Caisse d' Amortissement was to work
miracles. I replied that the principle of the Caisse d' Amor-
tissement was good, provided a constant and consistent
economy were practised; but that at present and during the
whole time from its establishment, it had been a mockery on
the understanding of the Nation, when we reflected on the
profligate expenditure of public money, occasioned by the
ruinous, unjust and liberticide wars, which were entered
into and fomented by the British Government. Indeed, I
said it was like the conduct of a man who possessing an
income of 200 per annum, should set apart, in a box as a
Caisse d'epargne, 20 annually, and at the same time con-
tinue a style of living, the annual expence of which would
so far exceed his income, as to oblige him to borrow 7
or 800 every year. The old gentleman was all amort at this
comparison, which must be obvious to every one. Nothing
shows in a more glaring light the blind and superstitious
reverence paid to great names; for because this sinking fund
was proposed by Pitt, all his adherents extol it to the skies,
without analysing it, and give him besides the credit of an
invention to which he had no right whatever.
ST JEAN DE MAURIENNE.
I started from Chambery on the morning of the fourth of
August, and stopped at Montmelian to breakfast. Here
begins the valley of Maurienne, and as this valley, along
which the road is cut, is extremely narrow, being hemmed
in on each side by the High Alps, Montmelian, which stands
on an eminence in the centre of the valley (the road running
thro' the town), must be a post of the utmost importance
towards the defence of this pass. It was a fortified place of
great consideration in the former wars, and if the fortifica-
165
AFTER WATERLOO
tions were repaired and improved, it might be made almost
impregnable, as it would enfilade the road on each side.
From the above-mentioned features of the ground, the
valley narrowing more and more as you proceed, from the
high mountains that align it and from its sinuosities, it
follows that at every angle or curve caused by these
sinuosities, you appear as if you were shut out from all the
rest of the world and could proceed no further. The river
Isere runs thro' and parallel with this valley. It rises in
the mountains of Savoy and falls into the Rhone in Dau-
phine. I passed the night at Aiguebelle.
From Aiguebelle to St Jean de Maurienne is twelve
leagues, and I found myself so tired with walking, and my
legs from being swelled gave me so much pain, that I deter-
mined to give up the gloriole of making the whole journey
on foot as I intended and to remain here for two days to
repose and then profit by the first conveyance that might
pass to conduct me to Turin.
From Aiguebelle the valley becomes still more narrow,
and there is a continual ascent, tho' it is so gentle as
scarcely to be perceptible. Every spot of ground in this
valley, which will admit of cultivation, is put to profit by
the industry of the inhabitants. Here one sees beans,
indian corn, and even wines; for the heat is very great
indeed in summer and autumn, owing to the rays of the sun
being concentrated, as it were, into a focus, in this narrow
valley, and were the bed of the Isere to be deepened, or were
it less liable to overflow, from the melting of the snow in
spring and summer, much land, which is now a marsh,
might be applied to agricultural purposes. The inhabitants
of this valley regret very much the separation of Savoy
from France, as during the time that Duchy was annexed to
the French Empire, each peasant possessing an ass could
earn three franks per diem in transporting merchandise
across Mont-Cenis. St Jean de Maurienne is a neat little
town. I put up at the same inn, and slept in the same bed-
room which was occupied by poor Didier who was put to
166
THE ASCENT OF MONT CENIS
death at Grenoble for having raised the standard of liberty.
He was surprized here in bed by the Carabinieri Reali of the
Sardinian government, those satellites of despotism; and
according to the barbarous principles laid down by the
crowned heads, delivered over to the French authorities.
I observed a great many cretins in this valley.
SUZA, 10th August.
On the morning of the 8th August two vetturini passed
by the inn at St Jean de Maurienne, and I engaged a place
in one of them, as far as Turin. We arrived at the village of
Modena in the evening. The landscape is much the same as
what we have hitherto passed, but the climate is consider-
ably colder, from the land being more elevated. Hitherto I
had suffered much inconvenience from the heat. The next
morning we reached Lans-le-Bourg, the last town of Savoy
lying at the foot of Mount Cenis.
After breakfast we began the ascent of Mont Cenis, and I
made the whole way from Lans-le-Bourg to the Hospice of
Mont Cenis, that is, the whole ascent, a distance of twenty-
five Italian miles, on foot. This chaussee is another wonder-
ful piece of work of Napoleon; a broad carriage road, wide
enough for three carriages to go abreast, and cut zig-zag
with so gentle a slope as to allow a heavy French diligence
to pass, with the utmost ease, across a mountain where it
was formerly thought impossible a wheel could ever run.
This chaussee is passable at all seasons of the year; the
mountain is not so high as that of the Simplon and is less
liable to impediments from the snow; the obstacles from
nature are less, and you can descend in a sledge from the
Hospice by gliding down the side of the cone, and thus
descending in nine or ten minutes, whereas the ascent
requires four hours' time. From Lans-le-Bourg to the
Hospice on Mont-Cenis the road is on the flank of an
immense mountain and you have no ravines to cross; the
road is cut zig-zag on the flank of the mountain and forms
a considerable number of very acute angles, as it is made
167
AFTER WATERLOO
with so gentle a slope that you scarcely feel the difficulty
of the ascent. These repeated zig-zags and acute angles
formed by the road, and the very slight slope given to the
ascent, make the different branches appear to be almost
parallel to each other, and it is a very curious and novel
sight when a number of carriages are travelling together on
this road to see them with their horses' heads turned dif-
ferent ways, yet all following the same course, just like
ships on different tacks beating against the wind to arrive
at the same port, a comparison that could not fail imme-
diately to occur to a sailor. There is scarcely ever any deten-
tion on this road from the fall of snow, as there are a con-
siderable number of persons employed to deblay it as soon
as it falls; but here, as well as on the Simplon, there are
maisons de refuge at a short distance from each other. We
stopped for two hours at the inn at Mont-Cenis, which is
about one hundred yards from the Hospice. It was a re-
markable fine day, and I enjoyed my walk very much. The
mountain air was keen and bracing and particularly
delightful after being shut up for some many days in the
close valley. We had some excellent trout for dinner. At
Mont-Cenis, near the Hospice, is a large lake which is frozen
during eight months of the year. Here reigns eternal winter
and the mountains are covered with snows that never melt.
From Mont-Cenis to Suza the descent is very grand and
striking, and the scenery resembles that of the Simplon;
there are more obstacles of nature than on the former part
of the road, and here ravines are connected by the means
of bridges, and there are subterraneous galleries to pass
thro. Several chutes d'eau are here observable; one of
them I cannot avoid mentioning, as being very magnifi-
cent. It is formed by the Cenischia* which divides Savoy
from Piedmont and runs into the Dora at Suza. We were
highly gratified at the sight of the sublime scenery on all
sides, and at the magnificent chaussle, and we all (I mean
the passengers in the two coaches and myself) did homage
* The manuscript has Sennar, a name quite unknown at Suza. ED.
168
FROM SUZA TO TURIN
to the mighty genius who conceived and caused to be
executed such a stupendous work. We arrived at Suza at
six o'clock p.m.
TURIN, 13th August.
Suza is a tolerably large town and has a neat appear-
ance. It is commanded and defended by the fort of Brunetti,
now dismantled, but which is to be repaired according to
the treaty of 1815. It will then be a very important post
and completely ban* the pass of Suza. The road from Suza
to Rivoli is thro' a valley widening at every step; at
Rivoli you debouche at once from the gorge of the mountain
into a boundless plain. The road is then on a magnificent
chausste the whole way to Turin, and every vegetable pro-
duction announces a change of climate to those coming
from Savoy. Here are fields of wheat, indian corn, mulberry
and elm trees and vines hung in festoons from tree to tree,
which give a most picturesque appearance to the landscape,
and, together with the country houses, serve as a relief to
the boundless plain. The chaussie is lined with trees on each
side the whole way from Rivoli to Turin. I observed among
carriages of all sorts small cars, like those used by children,
drawn by dogs. These cars contain one person each. They
are frequent in this part of the country, and such a con-
veyance is called a cagnolino. The Convent of St Michael,
situated on an immense height to the right of the road
between Suza and Rivoli, is a very striking object. The
mountain forms a single cone and it appears impossible
to reach the summit except on the back of a Hippogriff:
E ben appar che d 'animal ch'abbia ale
Sia questa stanza nido e tana propria.*
* The castle seemed the very nest and lair
Of animal, supplied with plume and quill.
Trans. W. S. ROSE.
TURIN, 14 August.
Turin is a large, extremely fine and regular city, with all
the streets built at right angles. The shops are very brilliant;
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, iv, 13, 5. ED.
169
AFTER WATERLOO
the two Places, the Piazza del Castello and the Piazza di
San Carlo, are very spacious and striking, and there are
arcades on each side of the quadrangle formed by them.
The Contrada del Po (for in Turin the streets are called
Contrade) leads down to the Po, and is one of the best
streets in Turin. Over the Po is a superb bridge built by
Napoleon. In the centre of the Piazza del Castello stands
the Royal Palace, and on one side of the Piazza the Grand
Opera house. The streets in Turin are kept clean by sluices.
The favorite promenades are, during the day, under the
arcades of the Piazza del Castello and those of the Contrada
del Po; and in the evening round the ramparts of the city,
or rather on the site where the ramparts stood. The
French, on blowing up the ramparts, laid out the space
occupied by them in walks aligned by trees. The fortifi-
cations of the citadel were likewise destroyed.
In the Cathedral Church here the most remarkable thing
is the Chapelle du Saint Suaire (holy winding sheet). It is
of a circular form, is inlaid with black marble and admits
scarce any light; so that it has more the appearance of a
Mausoleum than of a Chapel. It reminded me of the Palace
of Tears in the Arabian Nights.
In the environs of Turin, the most remarkable buildings
are a villa belonging to the King called La Venezia, and the
Superga, a magnificent church built on an eminence, five
miles distant from Turin. In the Royal Palace, on the
Piazza del Castello, there is some superb furniture, but the
exterior is simple enough. The country environing Turin
forms a plain with gentle undulations, increasing in eleva-
tion towards the Alps, which are forty miles distant, and is
so stocked with villas, gardens and orchards as to form a very
agreeable landscape. From the steeple of the Superga the
view is very fine.
In the University of Turin is a very good Cabinet d'His-
toire naturelle, containing a great variety of beasts, birds
and fishes stuffed and preserved; there is also a Cabinet of
Comparative Anatomy, and various imitations in wax of
170
ANTIQUITIES AT TURIN
anatomical dissections. Among the antiquities, of which there
is a most valuable collection, are two very remarkable ones :
the one a beautiful bronze shield, found in the Po, called the
shield of Marius ; it represents, in figures in bas-relief, the
history of the Jugurthine war.* This shield is of the most
exquisite workmanship. The other is a table of the most
beautiful black marble mcrusted and inlaid with figures
and hieroglyphics of silver. It is called the Table of Isis, was
brought from Egypt and is supposed to be of the most
remote antiquity. It is always kept polished. Among the
many valuable pieces of sculpture to be met with here is a
most lovely Cupid in Parian marble. He is represented
sleeping on a lion's skin. It is the most beautiful piece of
sculpture I have ever seen next to the Apollo Belvedere
and the Venus dei Medici; it appears alive, and as if the
least noise would awake it.t
Turin used to be in the olden time one of the most
brilliant Courts and cities in Europe, and the most abound-
ing in splendid equipages; now very few are to be seen.
When Piedmont was torn from the domination of the House
of Savoy and annexed to France, Turin, ceasing to be the
capital of a Kingdom, necessarily decayed in splendor, nor
did its being made the Chef lieu of a Prefecture of the French
Empire make amends for what it once was. The Restoration
arrived, but has not been able to reanimate it; an air of
dullness pervades the whole city. Obscurantism and anti-
liberal ideas are the order of the day.
I witnessed a military review at which the King of Sar-
dinia assisted. The troops made a very brilliant appearance
and manceuvred well. His Majesty has a very good seat on
horseback and a distinguishd military air. He is a man of
honor tho' he has rather too high notions of the royal
dignity and authority, and is too much of a bigot in reli-
gion; but his word can be depended on, a great point in a
* This shield, now at the Armeria Reale, is not antique, but is ascribed
to Benvenuto Cellini. ED.
f This statue of Cupid is not antique, and has been recently ascribed to
Michelangelo (Knapp, Michelangelo, p. 155.) ED.
171
AFTER WATERLOO
King; there are so many of them that break theirs and
falsify all their promises. He will not hear of a constitution,
and endeavors to abolish or discountenance all that has
been effected during his absence. The priests are caressed
and restored to their privileges, so that the inhabitants of
Piedmont are exposed to a double despotism, a military and
a sacerdotal one ; the last is ten times more ruinous and fatal
to liberty and improvement than the former.
I have put up in Turin in the Pension Suisse, where for
seven franks per diem I have breakfast, dinner, supper and
a princely bed room. The houses are in general lofty, spa-
cious and on a grand scale.
172
CHAPTER VIII
Journey from Turin to Bologna Asti Schiller and Alfieri Italian cuisine
The vetturini Marengo Piacenza The Trebbia Parma The Empress
Maria Louisa Modena Bologna The University The Marescalchi
Gallery Character of the Bolognese.
August 1816
'TWAS on a fine morning the 16th August that I took my
departure from Turin with a vetturino bound to
Bologna. I agreed to pay him sixty francs for my place
in the coach, supper and bed. When this stipulation for
supper and bed is included in the price fixed for your place
with the vetturino, you are said to be spesato, and then you
have nothing extra to pay for but your breakfast. There
were two other travellers in the vettura, both Frenchmen;
the one about forty years of age was a Captain of cavalry en
retraite, married to a Hungarian lady and settled at
Florence, to which place he was returning; the other, a
young man of very agreeable manners, settled likewise at
Florence, as chief of a manufactory there, returning from
Lyons, his native city, whither he had been to see his rela-
tions. I never in my life met with two characters so dia-
metrically opposite. The Captain was quite a bourru in his
manners, yet he had a sort of dry, sarcastic, satirical
humour that was very diverting to those who escaped his
lash. Whether he really felt the sentiments he professed, or
whether he assumed them for the purpose of chiming in
with the times, I cannot say, but he said he rejoiced at the
fall of Napoleon. My other companion, however, expressed
great regret as his downfall, not so much from a regard for
the person of Napoleon, as for the concomitant degradation
and conquest of his country, and he spoke of the affairs of
France with a great deal of feeling and patriotism.
The Captain seemed to have little or no feeling for any-
body but himself; indeed, he laughed at all sentiment and
said he did not believe in virtue or disinterestedness. When,
173
AFTER WATERLOO
among other topics of conversation, the loss the French
Army sustained at Waterloo was brought on the tapis, he
said, "Eh bien! qu 'importe? dans une seule nuit a Paris on en
fabriquera assez pour les remplacer!" A similar sentiment
has been attributed to the great Conde.* We had a variety
of amusing arguments and disputes on the road; the Cap-
tain railed at merchants, and said that he did not believe
that honor or virtue existed |among mercantile people (no
compliment, by the bye, to the young f abricant, who bore it,
however, with great good humour, contenting himself with
now and then giving a few slaps at the military for their
rapacity, which mercantile people on the Continent have
now and then felt, before the French Revolution, as well
as after). The whole road from Turin to Alexandria della
Paglia is a fine broad chaussee. The first day's journey
brought us to Asti. A rich plain on each side of the road, the
horizon on our right bounded by the Appennines, on our left
by the Alps, both diverging, formed the landscape. Asti is
an ancient, well and solidly built city, but rather gloomy
in its appearance. It is remarkable for being the birthplace
of Vittorio Alfieri, the celebrated tragic poet, who has
excelled all other dramatic poets in the general denouement
of his pieces, except, perhaps, Voltaire alone. I do not speak
of Alfieri so much as a poet as a dramaturgus. I may be
mistaken, and it is, perhaps, presumptuous in me to
attempt to judge, but it has always appeared to me that
Voltaire and Alfieri have managed dramatic effect and the
intrigue and catastrophe of their tragedies better than any
other authors. Shakespeare, God as he is in genius, is in this
particular very deficient. Schiller, too, the greatest modern
poetic genius perhaps and the Shakespeare of Germany, has
here failed also, and nothing can be more correct than the
estimate of Alfieri made by Forsythf when, after speaking
of his defects, he says: " Yet where lives the tragic poet
*And also to Napoleon, after the battle at Eylau. ED.
f Joseph Forsyth (1763-1815), author of Remarks on antiquities, arts and
letters in Italy, London, 1813. ED.
174
A TYPICAL ITALIAN SUPPER
equal to Alfieri? Schiller (then living also) may perhaps
excel him in those peals of terror which flash thro' his
gloomy and tempestuous scene, but he is far inferior in the
mechanism of his drama."
To return to my first day's journey from Turin. It was a
very long day's work, and we did not arrive at Asti till very
late, after having performed the last hour, half hi the dark,
on a road which is by no means in good repute. The
character of the lower class of Piedmontese is not good.
They are ferocious, vindictive and great marauders. They
make excellent soldiers during war and they not unfre-
quently, on being disbanded after peace, by way of keeping
their hand in practise and of having the image of war
before their eyes, ease the traveller of his com and some-
times of his life. Our conversation partook of these reminis-
cences, and during the latter part of our journey turned
entirely on bandits " force and guile," so that we were quite
rejoiced at seeing the smoke and light of the town of Asti
and hearing the dogs bark, which reminded me of Ariosto's
lines:
Non molto va che dalle vie supreme
De' tetti uscir vede il vapor del fuoco
Sente cani abbajar, muggire armento,
Viene alia villa, e piglia alloggiamenti. "
*Nor far the warrior had pursued his best,
Ere, eddying from a roof, he saw the smoke,
Heard noise of dog and kine, a farm espied,
And thitherward in quest of lodging hied.
Trans. W. S. ROSE.
We met on alighting at the door of a large spacious inn,
two ladies who had very much the appearance of the two
damsels at the inn where Don Quixote alighted and received
his order of knighthood; but, in spite of their amorous
glances and a decided leer of invitation, I had like Sacri-
pante's steed more need of " riposo e d'esca che di nuova
giostra." The usual Italian supper was put before us, and
very good it was, viz., Imprimis: A minestra (soup), gene-
rally made of beef or veal with vermicelli or macaroni in it
and its never failing accompaniment in Italy, grated
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, Canto xxm, ottava 1 1 5. ED.
175
AFTER WATERLOO
Parmesan cheese. Then a lesso (bouilli) of beef, veal or
mutton, or all three; next an umido (fricassee) of cocks'
combs and livers, a favourite Italian dish; then a frittura of
chickens' livers, fish or vegetables fried. Then an umido or
ragout of veal, fish with sauce; and lastly, an arrosto (roast) of
fowls, veal, game, or all three. The arrosto is generally very
dry and done to cinders almost. Vegetables are served up
with the umidi, but plain boiled, leaving it optional to you
to use melted butter or oil with them. A salad is a constant
concomitant of the arrosto. A desert or fruit concludes the
repast. Wine is drank at discretion. The wine of Lombardy
is light and not ill flavored; it is far weaker than any wine
I know of, but it has an excellent quality, that of facilitating
digestion. A cup of strong coffee is generally made for you
in the morning, for which you pay three or four soldi (sous),
and in giving five or six soldi to the waiter, all your expenses
are paid supposing you are spesato, i.e., that the vetturino
pays for your supper and bed; if not, your charges are left
to the conscience of the aubergiste, which in Italy is in
general of prodigious width. I therefore advise every
traveller who goes with a vetturino to be a spesato, other-
wise he will have to pay four or five times as much and not be
a whit better regaled. The vetturini generally pay from three
to three and a half francs for the supper and bed of their
passengers. As the vetturini invariably make a halt of an hour
and half or two hours at mid-day in some town or village,
this halt enables you to take your dejeuner a la fourchette,
which you pay for yourself, unless you stipulate for the
payment of that also with the vetturino by paying some-
thing more, say one a half franc per diem for that. In this
part, and indeed in the whole of the north of Italy not a
female servant is to be seen at the inns and men make
the beds. It is otherwise, I understand, in Tuscany.
The whole appearance of the country from Asti to Alex-
andria presents an immense plain extremely fertile, but the
crops of corn being off the ground, the landscape would not
be pleasing to the eye, were it not relieved by the frequency
176
VISIT TO THE FIELD OP MARENGO
of mulberry trees and the vines hung in festoons from tree
to tree. The villages and farmhouses on this road are
extremely solid and well built. We arrived at Alexandria
about twelve o'clock, and after breakfast I hired a horse to
visit the field of battle of Marengo, which is in the neigh-
bourhood of this city, Marengo itself being a village five
miles distant from Alexandria. Arrived on the plain, I was
conducted to the spot where the first Consul stood at the
time that he perceived the approach of Desaix's division.
I figured to myself the first Consul on his white charger,
halting his army, then in some confusion, riding along the
line exposed to a heavy fire from the Austrians, who can-
nonaded the whole length of the line; aides-de-camp and
orderlies falling around him, himself calm and collected,
" spying Vantage," and observing that the Austrian
deployment was too extended, and their centre thereby
weakened, suddenly profiting of this circumstance to order
Desaix's division to advance and lead the charge which
decided the victory on that memorable day, which, accord-
ing to Mascheroni :
splende
Nell' abisso de' secoli, qual Sole.
The whole field of battle is an extensive plain, with but
few trees, and to use Campbell's lines :
every turf beneath the feet
Marks out a soldier's sepulchre.
The Column, erected to commemorate this glorious
victory, has been thrown down by order of the Austrian
government a poor piece of puerile spite, but worthy of
legitimacy. Alexandria is, or rather was, for the fortifications
no longer exist, more remarkable for being an important
military post than for the beauty of the city itself. There is,
however, a fine and spacious Place, which serves as a parade
for the garrison, and being planted with trees by the
French when they held it, forms an agreeable promenade.
The fortifications were blown up by the Austrians before
the place was given over to the Sardinian authorities,
N 177
AFTER WATERLOO
a flagrant breach of faith and contract, since by the treaty
of 1814 they were bound to give up all the fortified places
that were restored or ceded to the King of Sardinia in the
same state in which they were found when the French
evacuated them, and the Austrians took possession pro-
visorily. The French regarding (and with reason) this for-
tress as the key of Lombardy always kept the fortifications
in good repair and well provided with cannon. But the
Austrian government, knowing itself to be unpopular in
Italy and trembling for the safety of her dominions, being
always fearful that the Piedmontese Government might
one day be induced to favour an insurrectionary or national
movement in the north of Italy, determined, finding that
it could not keep the fortress for itself, which it strove hard
to do under divers pretexts, to render it of as little use as
they possibly could do to the King of Sardinia; so they
blew up the fortifications and carried off the cannon, leav-
ing the King without a single fortified place in the whole
of his Italian dominions to defend himself, hi case of
attack, against an Austrian invasion.
On the morning of the 1 8th August we passed thro' Tortona,
now no longer a fortress of consequence. All this country
may be considered as classic ground, immortalized by the
campaigns of Napoleon, when commander in chief of the
army of the French Republic in Italy, a far greater and more
illustrious role than when he assumed the Imperial bauble
and condescended to mix with the vulgar herd of Kings.
We arrived at Voghera to breakfast and at Casteggio at
night. The country is much the same as that which we have
already passed thro', being a plain, with a rich alluvial
soil, mulberry trees and a number of solidly built stone
farmhouses. The next morning at eleven o'clock we arrived
at Piacenza on the Po, and were detained a quarter of an
hour at the Douane of Her Majesty the Archduchess, as
Maria Louisa, the present Duchess of Parma, is stiled, we
being now arrived in her dominions. We drove to the Hotel
di San Marco, which is close to the Piazza Grande, and
178
PIACENZA AND BORGO SAN DONINO
alighted there. On the Piazza stands the Hotel de Ville, and
in front of it are two equestrian statues in bronze of the
Princes Farnesi; the statues, however, of the riders appear
much too small in proportion with the horses, and they
resemble two little boys mounted on Lincolnshire cart horses.
I did not visit the churches and palaces in this city from
not having time and, besides, I did not feel myself inclined
or bound (as some travellers think themselves) to visit
every church and every town in Italy. I really believe the
ciceroni think that we Ultramontani live hi mud hovels in our
own country, and that we have never seen a stone edifice, till
our arrival in Italy, for every town house which is not a shop
is termed a palazzo, and they would conduct you to see all
of them if you would be guided by them. I had an oppor-
tunity, during the two hours we halted here, of walking
over the greater part of the city, after a hasty breakfast.
Piacenza is a large handsome city; among the females that
I saw in the streets the Spanish costume seems very prevalent,
no doubt from being so long governed by a Spanish family.
On leaving Piacenza we passed thro' a rich meadow
country and met' with an immense quantity of cattle graz-
ing. The road is a fine broad chaussee considerably elevated
above the level of the fields and is lined with poplars.
Where this land is not in pasture, cornfields and mulberry
trees, with vines in festoons, vary the landscape, which is
additionally enlivened by frequent maisons de plaisance
and excellently built farmhouses. We passed thro'
Firenzuola, a long well-built village, or rather bourg, and we
brought to the night at Borgo San Donino. At this place I
found the first bad inn I have met with in Italy, that is, the
house, tho' large, was so out of repair as to be almost
a masure; we however met with tolerably good fare for
supper. We fell in with a traveller at Borgo San Donino,
who related to us an account of an extraordinary robbery
that had been committed a few months before near this
place, in which the then host was implicated, or rather was
the author and planner of the robbery. It happened as
N2 179
AFTER WATERLOO
follows. A Swiss merchant, one of those men who cannot
keep their own counsel, a bavard in short, was travelling
from Milan to Bologna with his cabriolet, horse and a large
portmanteau. He put up at this inn. At supper he entered
into conversation with mine host, and asked if there was
any danger of robbers on the road, for that he should be
sorry (he said) to fall into their hands, inasmuch as he had
with him in his portmanteau 24,000 franks in gold and
several valuable articles of jewellery. Mine host assured him
that there was not the slightest danger. The merchant went
to bed, directing that he should be awakened at daybreak
in order to proceed on his journey. Mine host, however,
took care to have him called full an hour and half before
daybreak, assuring him that light would soon dawn. The
merchant set out, but he had hardly journeyed two miles
when a shot from behind a hedge by the road side brought
his horse to the ground. Four men in masks rushed up,
seized him and bound him to a tree; they then rifled his
portmanteau, took out his money and jewels and wished
him good morning.
Before we arrived at Borgo San Donino we crossed the
Trebbia, one of the many tributary streams of the Po, and
which is famous for two celebrated battles, one in ancient,
the other in modern times (and probably many others which
I do not recollect) ; but here it was that Hannibal gained his
second victory over the Romans; and here, in 1799, the
Russians under Souvoroff defeated the French under
Macdonald after an obstinate and sanguinary conflict ; but
they could not prevent Macdonald from effecting his
junction with Massena, to hinder which was Souvoroff's
object. In fact, in this country, to what reflections doth
every spot of ground we pass over, give rise! Every field,
every river has been the theatre of some battle or other
memorable event either in ancient or modern times.
Quis gurges aut qua flumina lugubris
Ignara belli?*
We started from Borgo San Donino next morning; about
* Horace, Carm., n, i, 33. ED.
180
PROSPERITY OF THE PARMESAN DISTRICT
ten miles further on the right hand side of the road stands
an ancient Gothic fortress called Castel Guelfo. Between
this place and Parma there is a very troublesome river to
pass called the Taro, which at times is nearly dry and at
other times so deep as to render it hazardous for a carriage
to pass, and it is at all times requisite to send on a man to
ford and sound it before a carriage passes. This river fills
a variety of separate beds, as it meanders very much, and
it extends to such a breadth in its debor -dements, as to render it
impossible to construct a bridge long enough to be of any use.
This, however, being the dry season, we passed it without
difficulty. Two or three other streams on this route, seguaci
del Po, are crossed in the same manner.
The road to Parma, after passing the Taro, lies nearly in
a right line and is bordered with poplars. If I am not mis-
taken, it was somewhere in this neighbourhood that the
Carthaginians under Hannibal suffered a great loss in
elephants, who died from cold, being incamped during the
winter. I am told there is not a colder country in Europe
than Lombardy during the winter season, which arises no
doubt from its vicinity to the Alps.
Opulence seems to prevail in all the villages in the
vicinity of Parma, and an immense quantity of cattle is
seen grazing in the meadows on each side of the road. The
female peasantry wear the Spanish costume and are remark-
ably well dressed.
We arrived at Parma at twelve o'clock and stopped there
three hours.
* PARMA.
After a hasty breakfast, Mr G and myself sallied
forth to see what was possible during the time we stopped
in this city, leaving the Captain, who refused to accom-
pany us, to smoke his pipe. This city is very large and there
is a very fine Piazza. The streets are broad, the buildings
handsome and imposing, and there is a general appearance
of opulence. We first proceeded to visit the celebrated
amphitheatre, called rAmfiteatro Farnese in honour of the
181
AFTER WATERLOO
former sovereigns of the Duchy. It is a vast building and
unites the conveniences both of the ancient and modern
theatres. It has a roof like a modern theatre, and the seats
in the parterre are arranged like the seats in an ancient
Greek theatre. Above this are what we should call boxes,
and above them again what we usually term a gallery. A
vast and deep arena lies between the parterre and the orches-
tra and fills up the space between the audience and the
proscenium. It is admirably adapted both for spectators
and hearers; when a tragedy, comedy or opera is acted, a
scaffolding is erected and seats placed in the arena. At other
times the arena is made use of for equestrian exercises and
chariot races in the style of the ancients, combats with
wild beasts, etc., or it may be filled with water for the
representation of naval fights (naumachia) ; in this case you
have a vast oval lake between the spectators and the stage.
It is a great pity that this superb and interesting building
is not kept in good repair; the fact is it is seldom or ever
made use of except on very particular occasions: it is
almost useless in a place like Parma, " so fallen from its
high estate," but were such an amphitheatre in Paris,
London, or any great city, it might be used for all kinds of
spectacles and amusements. A small theatre from the design
of Bernino stands close to this amphitheatre, and is built in
a light tasteful manner. If fresh painted and lighted up it
would make a very brilliant appearance. This may be con-
sidered as the Court theatre. At a short distance from the
theatres is the Museum of Parma, in which there is a well
chosen gallery of pictures. Among the most striking pictures
of the old school is without doubt that of St Jerome by
Correggio; but I was full as much, dare I be so heretical as
to say more pleased, with the productions of the modern
school of Parma. A distribution of prizes had lately been
made by the Empress Maria Louisa, and there were many
paintings, models of sculpture and architectural designs,
that did infinite credit to the young artists. I remarked
one painting in particular which is worthy of a Fuseli. It
182
MARIE LOUISE AT PARMA
represented the battle of the river God Scamander with
Achilles. The subjects of most of the paintings I saw here
were taken from the mythology or from ancient and modern
history; and this is perhaps the reason that they pleased
me more than those of the ancient masters. Why in the
name of the "TO /caXov" did these painters confine them-
selves so much to Madonnas, Crucifixions, and Martyrdoms,
when their own poets, Ariosto and Tasso, present so many
subjects infinitely more pleasing? Then, again, in many
of these crucifixions and martyrdoms, the gross anachron-
isms, such as introducing monks and soldiers with match-
locks and women in Gothic costume at the crucifixion,
totally destroy the seriousness and interest of the subject
by annihilating all illusion and exciting risibility.
Parma will ever be renowned in history as the birthplace
of Caius Cassius, the friend and colleague of Brutus.
The Empress Maria Louisa lives here in the Ducal
Palace, which is a spacious but ornamental edifice. She
lives, 'tis said, without any ostentation. Out of her own
states, her presence in Italy would be attended with unplea-
sant consequences to the powers that be, on account of the
attachment borne to Napoleon by all classes of society; and
it is on this account that on her last visit to Bologna she
received an intimation from the papal authorities to quit
the Roman territory in twenty-four hours. We next passed
thro' St Hilario and Reggio and brought to the evening
at the village of Rubbiera. At St Hilario is the entrance into
the Duke of Modena's territory, and here we underwent
again an examination of trunks, as we did both on entering
and leaving the territory of Maria Louisa.
Reggio is a large walled city, but I had only time to visit
the Cathedral and to remark therein a fine picture of the
Virgin and the Chapel called " Capella della Morte." Reggio
pretends to the honour of having given birth to the Divine
Ariosto :
Quel grande che cant6 1'armi e gli amori,
as Guarini describes him, I believe.
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AFTER WATERLOO
The face of the country from Parma to Reggio is exactly
the same as what we have passed thro' already.
The next day (20 August) we passed thro' Modena,
where we stopped to breakfast and refresh horses. It is a
large and handsome city, the Ducal Palace is striking and
in the Cathedral is presented the famous bucket which gave
rise to the poem of Tassoni called La Secchia rapita. An air
of opulence and grandeur seems to prevail in Modena.
At Samoggia we entered the Papal territory and again
underwent a search of trunks. Within three miles of Bologna
a number of villas and several tanneries, which send forth a
most intolerable odour, announce the approach to that
celebrated and venerable city. On the left hand side, before
entering the town, is a superb portico with arcades, about
one and a half miles in length, which leads from the city
to the church of San Luca. On the right are the Appennines,
towering gradually above you. Bologna lies at the foot of
these mountains on the eastern side and here the plain
ends for those who are bound to Florence, which lies on the
western side of the vast ridge which divides Italy. We arrived
at Bologna at half-past seven in the evening, and here we
intend to repose a day or two; I shall then cross the Appen-
nines for the first time in my life. A reinforcement of mules
or oxen is required for every carriage; from the ascent the
whole way you can travel, I understand, very little quicker
en paste than with a vetturino. We are lodged at Bologna in
a very comfortable inn called Locanda d ' Inghilterra.
BOLOGNA, 22d August.
The great popularity of Bologna, which is a very large
and handsomely built city, lies in the colonnaded porticos
and arcades on each side of the streets throughout the whole
city. These arcades are mightily convenient against sun and
rain, and contradict the assertion of Rousseau, who asserted
that England was the only country in the world where the
safety of foot passengers is consulted, whereas here in
Bologna not only are trottoirs broader than those of London
184
THE SIGHTS OF BOLOGNA
in general, but you are effectually protected against sun
and rain, and are not obliged to carry an umbrella about
with you perpetually as in London. This arcade system,
is, however, rather a take off from the beauty of the city,
and gives it a gloomy heavy appearance, which is not
diminished by the sight of friars and mendicants with
which this place swarms, and announce to you that you are
in the holy land. At Bologna it is necessary to have a sharp
eye on your baggage, on account of the crowds of ragged
jainians that surround your carriage while it is unloading.
The first thing that the ciceroni generally take you to see in
Italy are the churches, and mine would not probably have
spared me one, but I was more anxious to see the University.
I however allowed him to lead me into two of the prin-
cipal churches, viz., the Duomo or Cathedral, and the church
of San Petronio, both magnificent Gothic temples and worth
the attention of the traveller. On the Piazza del Gigante is a
fine bronze statue of Neptune. The Piazza takes its name
from this statue, as at one time in Italy, after the intro-
duction of Christianity and when the ancient mythology
was totally forgotten, the statues of the Gods were called
Giants or named after Devils and their prototypes believed
to be such.
In the Museum at the University is an admirable collec-
tion of fossils, minerals, and machines in every branch of
science. There are some excellent pictures also; the Univer-
sity of Bologna was, you know, at all times famous and its
celebrity is not at all diminished, for I believe Bologna
boasts more scientific men, and particularly in the sciences
positives, than any other city in Italy.
In the Palazzo pubblico (Hotel de Ville) is a Christ and a
Samson by Guido Reni; but what pleased me most in the
way of painting was the collection in the gallery of Count
Marescalchi. The Count has been at great pains to form it
and has shown great taste and discernment. It is a small
but unique collection. Here is to be seen a head of Christ,
the colouring of which is so brilliant as to illuminate the
185
AFTER WATERLOO
room in which it is appended, when the shutters are closed,
and in the absence of all other light except what appears
thro* the crevices of the window shutters. This head, how-
ever, does not seem characteristic of Christ; it wants the
gravity, the soft melancholy and unassuming meekness of
the great Reformer: in short, from the vivid fire of the eyes
and the too great self-complacency of the countenance, it
gave me rather the idea
Del biondo Dio che in Tessalia si adora.
I passed two hours in this cabinet. I next repaired to the
centre of the city with the intention of ascending one at
least of the two square towers or campanili which stand
close together, one of which is strait, the other a leaning one.
Garisendi is the name of the leaning tower, and it forms
a parallelipipedon of 140 feet in height and about twenty feet
in breath and length. It leans so much as to form an angle
of seventy-five degrees with the ground on which it stands.
The other tower, the strait one, is called Asinelli and is a
parallelipipedon of 310 feet in height and about twenty-five
feet in length and breadth. I ascended the leaning tower, but
I found the fatigue so great that I was scarcely repaid by
the fine view of the surrounding country, which presents
on one side an immense plain covered with towns, villages
and villas, and on the other the Appennines towering one
above another. When on the top of Garisendi, Asinelli
appears to be four times higher than its neighbour, and the
bare aspect of its enormous height deterred me from even
making the attempt of ascending it. When viewed or rather
looked down upon from Garisendi, Bologna, from its being
of an elliptical form and surrounded by a wall and from
having these two enormous towers in the centre, resembles a
boat with masts.
From the great celebrity of its University and the
eminent men it has produced, Bologna is considered as the
most litterarycityof Italy. Galvaniwas born in Bologna and
studied at this University, and among the modern Drodigies
186
LOYALTY OF BOLOGNESE TO NAPOLEON
is a young lady who is professor of Greek and who is by all
accounts the most amiable Bos bleu that ever existed.* The
Bolognese are a remarkably fine, intelligent and robust race
of people, and are renowned for their republican spirit, and
the energy with which they at all times resisted the encroach-
ments of the Holy See. Bologna was at one time a Republic,
and on their coins is the word Libertas. The Bolognese never
liked the Papal government and were much exasperated at
returning under the domination of the Holy Father. In the
time of Napoleon, Bologna formed part of the Regno cT Italia
and partook of all its advantages. Napoleon is much
regretted by them; and so impatiently did the inhabitants
bear the change, on the dismemberment of the kingdom of
Italy, and their transfer to the pontifical sceptre, that on
Murat's entry in their city in 1815 the students and other
young men of the town flew to arms and in a few hours
organised three battalions. Had the other cities shown
equal energy and republican spirit, the revolution would
have been completed and Italy free; but the fact is that the
Italians in general, tho' discontented, had no very high
opinion of Murat's talents as a political character, and he
besides committed a great fault in not entering Rome on
his march and revolutionising it. Murat, like most men,
was ruined by half-measures. The last time that Maria
Louisa was here the people surrounded the inn where she
resided and hailed her with cries of Viva Vlmperatrice! The
Pope's legate in consequence intimated to her the expe-
diency of her immediate departure from the city, with a
request that she would not repeat her visit. Bologna is con-
sidered by the Ultras, Obscuranten, and Eteignoirs as the
focus and headquarters of Carbonarism.
In the evening I visited the theatre built by Bibbiena
and had the pleasure of hearing for the first time an Italian
tragedy, which, however, are now rarely represented and
scarcely ever well acted. This night's performance
* The young woman in question was Clotilda Tambroni (1768-1818). She
taught Greek at the University of Bologna and was in correspondence with
the great French scholar Ansse de Villoison. ED.
AFTER WATERLOO
formed an exception and was satisfactory. The piece was
Romeo and Giulietta. The actress who did the part of Giulietta
performed it with great effect, particularly in the tomb scene.
In this scene she reminded me forcibly of our own excellent
actress, Miss O'Neill. This was the only part of the play that
had any resemblance to the tragedy of Shakespeare. All the
rest was on the French model. I saw a number of beautiful
women in the boxes. The Bolognese women are remarkable
for their fine complexions; those that I saw were much
inclined to embonpoint.
188
CHAPTER IX
Journey across the Appennines to Florence Tuscan idioms and customs
Monuments and galleries at Florence The Cascino Churches Theatres
Popularity of the Grand Duke Napoleon's downfall not regretted
Academies in Florence.
FLORENCE, 26th August.
THE moment you leave Bologna to go to Florence you
enter the gorges of the Appennines, and after jour-
neying seven miles, begin to ascend the ridge. The ascent
begins at Pianoro. Among these mountains the scenery is
wild and romantic, and tho' not so grandiose and sublime
as that of the Alps, is nevertheless extremely picturesque.
One meets occasionally with the ruins of old castles on some
of the heights, and I was strongly reminded, at the sight of
these antique edifices, of the mysteries of Udolpho and the
times of the Condottieri. The silence that reigns here is
only interrupted by the noise of the waterfall and the occa-
sional scream of the eagle. The wild abrupt transition of
landscape would suggest the idea of haunting places for
robbers, yet one seldom or never hears of any on this road.
In Tuscany there is, I understand, so much industry and
morality, that a robbery is a thing unknown; but in his
Holiness's dominions, from the idleness and poverty that
prevails, they are said to be frequent. Why it does not
occur in these mountains, in that part of them, at least,
which belongs to the Papal Government, I am at a loss to
conceive.
Here the chesnut and olive trees salute the Ultramontane
traveller for the first time. The olive tree, tho' a most use-
ful, is not an ornamental one, as it resembles a willow or
osier in its trunk and in the colour of its leaves. The chesnut
tree is a glorious plant for an indolent people, since it fur-
nishes food without labour, as the Xaca or Jack fruit tree
tree does to the Cingalese in Ceylon. On one of the heights
189
AFTER WATERLOO
between Pianoro and Lojano you have in very clear weather
a view of both the Adriatic and Tyrrhene seas. We brought
to the night at Scarica 1'Asino and the next morning early
we entered the Tuscan territory at Pietra Mala, where there
is a Douane and consequently an examination of trunks. At
one o'clock we arrived at an inn called Le Maschere, about
fifteen miles distance from Florence; it is a large mansion
and being situated on an eminence commands an extensive
view. One becomes soon aware of being in the Tuscan terri-
tory from the number of cultivated spots to be seen in this
part of the Appennines : for such is the industry of the in-
habitants that they do wonders on their naturally sterile
soil. One sees a number of farms. Every spot of ground
is in cultivation, between Le Maschere and Florence in
particular; these spots of ground, gardens, orchards and
villas forming a striking and pleasing contrast with the wild
and dreary scenery of the Appennines. Another thing that
indicates one's arrival among the Tuscans is their aspiration
of the letter c before a o and u, which is at first extremely
puzzling to a foreigner accustomed only to the Roman pro-
nunciation. For instance, instead of camera, cotto, curvo,
they pronounce these words hamera, hotto, and hurvo with
an exceeding strong aspiration of the h. It is the same too
with the ch which they aspirate, ex gr. instead of pochino,
chiave, they say pohino, hiave. The language however which
is spoken is the most classical and pure Italian and except
the above mentioned aspiration it is delightful to the ear;
peculiarly so to those who come from the north of Italy, and
have only hitherto heard the unpleasing nasal twang of the
Milanese and the exceeding uncouth barbarous dialect of
Bologna. Another striking peculiarity is the smart appear-
ance of the Tuscan peasantry. They are a remarkably hand-
some race of men; the females unite with their natural
beauty a grace and elegance that one is quite astonished to
find among peasants. They express themselves in the most
correct and classical language and they have a great deal of
repartee. As the peasantry of Tuscany enjoy a greater
190
THE TUSCAN CONTADINA
share of aisance than falls to the lot of those of any other
country, and as the females dress with taste and take great
pains to appear smart on all occasions, they resemble rather
the shepherdesses on the Opera stage or those of the fabled
Arcadia than anything in real life. The females too are
remarkably industrious and will work like horses all the
week to gain wherewithal to appear smart on holidays.
Their dress is very becoming, and they wear sometimes
jewellery to a large amount on their persons; a very com-
mon ornament among them is a collar of gold around their
necks. Their usual head-dress is either a white straw hat, or
a black round beaver hat, with black ostrich feathers. I
prefer the straw hat; it is more tasteful than the round hat
which always seems to me too masculine for a woman. At
the inn at Le Maschere we were waited on by three smart
females. The whole road from Le Maschere to Florence is
very beautiful and diversified. Vineyards, gardens, farm
houses and villas thicken as one approaches and when
arrived within three miles of Florence, which lies in a basin
surrounded by mountains, one is quite bewildered at the
sight of the quantity of beautiful villas and maisons de
plaisance in every direction.
Every thing indicates life, industry and comfort in this
charming country. We stopped at a villa belonging to the
Grand Duke called II Pratolino, seven miles distant from
Florence. Here is to be seen the famous statue representing
the genius of the Appennines. The Villa is unfurnished and
out of repair and the garden and grounds are neglected:
it is a great pity, for it is a fine building and in a beautiful
position. The celebrated Bianca Capello, a Venetian by
birth, and mistress of Francesco II de' Medici, Grand Duke
of Tuscany, used to reside here.
FLORENCE, 27th August.
I am extremely well pleased with my accommodations at
the hotel where I am lodged. Mme Hembert, the proprietor,
was once femme de chambre to the Empress Josephine; she is
191
AFTER WATERLOO
an excellent woman and a very attentive hostess, and I
recommend her hotel to all those travellers who visit Flo-
rence and do not care to incur the expence of Schneider's.
There is an excellent and well served table d'hote at two
o'clock, wine at discretion, for which, and for my bedroom, I
pay seven paoli per day. This hotel has the advantage of
being in a very central situation. It is close to the Piazza
del Gran Duca, the post-office, the Palazzo Vecchio, the
Bureaux of Government, the celebrated Gallery of Sculpture
and Painting and to the Arno. It is only 300 yards from the
Piazza del Duomo, where the Cathedral stands, and 600 yards
from the principal theatre Delia Pergola on the one side;
while on the other side, after crossing the Ponte Vecchio,
stands the Palazzo Pitti, the residence of the Grand Duke,
at a distance of seven or 800 yards.
The Piazza del Gran Duca is very striking to the eye of
the northern traveller; the statues of the Gods in white
marble in the open air would make him fancy himself in
Athens in the olden time. The following statues in bronze
and white marble are to be seen on this Piazza. In bronze
are : a statue of Perseus by Cellini ; Judith with the head of
Holof ernes by Donatello; David and Goliath; Samson. In
white marble are the following beautiful statues: a group
representing Hercules and Cacus; another representing a
Roman carrying off a Sabine woman. The Hercules, who is in
the act of strangling Cacus, rests on one leg. Nearly in the
centre of the Piazza, opposite to the post office and in front of
the Palazzo Vecchio, is the principal ornament of the Piazza,
which consists of a group representing Neptune in his car or
conch (or shell) drawn by sea-horses and accompanied by
Tritons. The statue of Neptune is of colossal size, the whole
group is in marble and the conch of Egyptian granite. This
group forms a fountain. There is likewise on this Piazza an
immense equestrian statue in bronze of Cosmo the First by
John of Bologna. The Palazzo Vecchio is a large Gothic
building by Arnulpho and has a very lofty square tower or
campanile.
192
ART IN FLORENCE
The Gallery of Florence being so close to my abode
demanded next my attention. The building in which this
invaluable Museum is preserved forms three sides of a
parallelogram, two long ones and one short one, of which
the side towards the south of the quai of the Arno is the
short one.
On the north is an open space communicating with the
Piazza del Gran Duca. The Gallery occupies the whole first
floor of this vast building. The rez de chaussee is occupied,
on the west side, by the bureaux of Government, and on
the south and east sides by shopkeepers, in whose shops is
always to be seen a brilliant display of merchandize. As
there are arcades on the three sides of this parallelogram,
they form the favorite meridian promenade of the belles
and beaux of Florence, particularly on Sundays and holi-
days, after coming out of Church. I ascended the steps from
a door on the east side of the building, to visit the Gallery.
The quantity and variety of objects of art, of the greatest
value, baffle all description, and it would require months
and years to attempt an analysis of all it contains. I shall
therefore content myself with pointing out those objects
which imprinted themselves the most forcibly on my
imagination and recollection. In a chamber on the left hand
of one wing of the Gallery stands the Venus de' Medici, sent
back last year from France. In the same chamber with her
are the following statues : the extremely beautiful Apollino;
the spotted Faun ; the Remouleur or figure which is in the act
of whetting a sickle. All these were in Paris, and are now
restored to this Gallery. In this chamber two pictures struck
me in particular: the one the Venus of Titian, a most
voluptuous figure; the other a portrait of the mistress of
Rafaello, called " La Fornarina," from her being a baker's
daughter.
Returning to the Gallery I was quite bewildered at the
immense number of statues, pictures, sarcophagi, busts,
altars, etc. Among the pieces of sculpture those that most
caught my attention were : the Venus genetrix (which I had
o 193
AFTER WATERLOO
seen before at Paris) ; the Venus victrix; the Venus Anadyo-
mene; Hercules and Nessus, a superb groupe; a young
Bacchus; and an exquisitely chiselled group represent-
ing Pan teaching Olympus to play the syrinx, tho' the
attitude of the former is rather indecorous from not being
in a very quiescent state; a fine statue of Leda with the
swan; a Mercury, both worthy of great attention. I remarked
also in particular a statue of Marsyas attachd to a tree and
flayed. It is of a pale reddish marble, and tho' I perfectly
agree with Forsyth, that colored marble is not at all
adapted to statuary, yet in this instance it gives a wonder-
ful effect and is strikingly suitable, as the slight reddish
colour gives a full idea of the flesh after the skin is torn off.
It makes one shudder to look at it. In one of the halls are the
statues of Niobe and her daughters, a beautiful group. Then
there is the celebrated copy of the group of the Laocoon by
Bandinelli, which none but the most perfect and skilful con-
noisseur could distinguish from the original. But it is totally
impossible for me to describe the immense variety of paint-
ings, historical, portrait and landscape; the statues single
or in groups ; the sarcophagi, altars, bas-reliefs, inscriptions,
bronzes, medals, vases, baths, candelabra, cameos, Etruscan
and Egyptian idols with which this admirable Museum is
filled. In a line on each side of the Gallery near the ceiling is
a succession of portraits in chronological order of the Grand
Dukes of Tuscany, the Germanic Emperors, the Kings of
France, of England, of Spain, of Portugal, of the Popes
and of the Ottoman Emperors. Among the antiquities I par-
ticularly noticed a large steel mirror and a Roman Eagle
in bronze of the 24th Legion.
Having passed full four hours in this Museum, I descended
the steps, crossed the Arno and repaired to the building in
which is preserved the Cabinet d'Histoire Naturelle. In this
Museum what is most remarkable are the imitations in wax
of the whole anatomy of the human body. It is the first col-
lection of its kind; indeed it is unique in Europe. These
imitations are kept in glass cases and are so true and so per-
194
PONTE VECCHIO AND PITTI PALACE
fectly correct as to leave nothing to desire to the student in
anatomy. These imitations in wax not only include all the
details of anatomy, but also the progress of generation,
gestation, and of almost every malady to which the
human body is liable. They are of a frightful exactitude.
There are likewise in this Museum imitations in wax of
various plants and shrubs exotic as well as indigenous and
the collection of stuffed birds, beasts and fishes and that of
insects, mineralogy and conchology scarcely yields to the
collection at the Jardin des Plantes at Paris. Neither here
nor at the Florentine gallery are fees allowed to be taken;
on the contrary a strict prohibition of them is posted up in
the French, Italian, German and English languages.
On the Ponte Vecchio on each side are jewellers' shops,
who sell besides jewellery, cameos and works in mosaic.
The Quais on each side of the Arno are very broad and
spacious and form agreeable promenades in the winter
season. The buildings on the banks of the Arno are magnifi-
cent. The streets of Florence have this peculiarity that they
are all paved with large flag stones, which makes them
mightily pleasant for pedestrians, but dangerous at times
for horses who are apt to slip. Most of the houses in Florence
have walls of prodigious thickness ; one would suppose each
house was meant to be a fortress in case of necessity.
FLORENCE, 29th August.
On the other side of the Arno, a little beyond the Cabinet
Physique and Museum of Natural History stands the
Palazzo Pitti, the residence of the Grand Duke. It is a vast
building and has a large and choice collection of pictures;
but its finest ornament in my opinion is the statue of Venus
by Canova, which to me at least appears to equal the
Medicean Venus in beauty and in grace. The magnificent
and spacious garden belonging to the Palace is called the
garden of Boboli. These gardens form the grand promenade
of the Florentines on Sundays and holidays. The alleys are
well shaded by trees, which effectually protect the pro-
o2 195
AFTER WATERLOO
menaders from the rays of the sun. There are a great many
statues in this garden, but the most striking is a group which
lies nearly in the centre of the garden. It is environed by a
large circular basin or lake lined with stone and planted
with orange trees on the whole circumference. In the centre
of the lake is a rock and on this rock is a colossal statue in
white marble of Neptune in his car. The car is in the shape of
a marine conch and serves as a basin and fountain at the
same time. There are several other fountains and jets d'eau,
among which is a group representing Adam and Eve and
the statue of a man pouring out water from a vase which he
has on his shoulder.
The Corso or grand evening promenade for carriages and
equestrians is on a place called the Cascino, pronounced by
the Florentines Hascino. The Cascino consists of pleasure
grounds on the banks of the Arno outside the town, laid out
in roads, alleys and walks for carriages, equestrians and
pedestrians. There is a very brilliant display of carriages
every evening. There are restaurants on the Cascino and
supper parties are often formed here. This place is often
the scene of curious adventures. Cicisbeism is universal at
Florence, tho' far from being always criminal, as is generally
supposed by foreigners. I find the Florentine women very
graceful and many very handsome; but in point of beauty
the female peasantry far exceed the noblesse and burghers.
All of them however dress with taste. The handsomest
woman in Florence is the wife of an apothecary who
lives in the Piazza del Duomo and she has a host of
admirers.
On the promenade lungo VArno near the Cascino is a foun-
tain with a statue of Pegasus, with an inscription in Italian
verse purporting that Pegasus having stopped there one
day to refresh himself at this fountain, found the place so
pleasant that he remained there ever since. This is a poetic
nation par excellence. Affiches are announced in sonnets and
other metres; and tho' in other countries the votaries of the
Muses are but too apt to neglect the ordinary and vulgar
196
THE CHURCHES OF FLORENCE
concerns of life, yet here it by no means diminishes industry,
and the nine Ladies are on the best possible terms with Mr
Mercury.
I shall not attempt a description of the various palazzi
and churches of Florence, tho' I have visited, thanks to the
zeal and importunity of my cicerone, nearly all, except to
remark that no one church in Florence, the Cathedral and
Baptistery on the Piazza del Duomo excepted, has its fa$ade
finished, and they will remain probably for ever unfinished,
as the completion of them would cost very large sums of
money, and the restored Government, however anxious to
resuscitate the ancient faith, are not inclined to make large
disbursements from their own resources for that purpose.
I wish however they would finish the fa9ade of two of these
churches, viz., that of Santa Maria Novella and that of
Santa Croce. Santa Maria Novella stands in the Piazza of
that name which is very large. It is a beautiful edifice, and
can boast in the interior of it several columns and pilasters
of jaune antique and of white marble. But they have a most
barbarous custom in Florence of covering these columns
with red cloth on jours de Fte, which spoils the elegant sim-
plicity of the columns and makes the church itself resemble
a theatre des Marionnettes. But the Italians are dreadfully
fond of gaudy colours. In the church of Santa Croce what
most engaged my attention was the monument erected to
Vittorio Alfieri, sculptured by Canova. It is a most beautiful
piece of sculpture. A figure of Italy crowned with turrets
seems fully sensible of the great loss she has sustained in one
who was so ardent a patriot, as well as an excellent tragic
poet. This monument was erected at the expence of the
Countess of Albany (Queen of England, had legitimacy always
prevailed, or been as much in fashion as it now is) as a mark
of esteem and affection towards one who was so tenderly
attached to her, and of whom in his writings Alfieri speaks
with the endearing and affectionate appellation of mia
Donna. The beautiful sonnet to her, which accompanies the
dedication of his tragedy of Mirra, well deserves the monu-
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AFTER WATERLOO
ment; there is so much feeling in it that I cannot refrain
from transcribing it :
Vergognando talor, che ancor si taccia,
Donna, per me 1'almo tuo nome in fronte
Di queste omai gia troppe a te ben conte
Tragedie, ond'io di folle avrommi taccia;
Or vo' qual d'esse meno a te dispiaccia
Di te fregiar ; benche di tutte il fonte
Tu sola fosti, e'l viver mio non conte
Se non dal Di, ch'al viver tuo si allaccia.
Delia figlia di Ciniro infelice
L'orrendo a un tempo ed innocente amore
Sempre da' tuoi begli occhi il pianto elice ;
Prova emmi questo, ch'al mio dubbio core
Tacitamente imperiosa dice,
Ch'io di Mirra consacri a te il dolore.
In this sanctuary (church of the Santa Croce) are likewise
the tombs and monuments of other great men which Italy
has produced. There is the monument erected to Galileo
which represents the earth turning round the sun with the
emphatic words : Eppur si muove. Here too repose the ashes
of Machiavelli and Michel Angelo. This church is in fact the
Westminster Abbey of Florence.
To go from the Piazza del gran Duca to the Piazza del
Duomo, where stands the Cathedral, you have only to pass
thro' a long narrow street or rather alley (for it is imper-
vious to carriages) with shops on each side and always filled
with people going to or returning from the Duomo. This
Cathedral is of immense size. The architecture is singular
from its being a mixture of the Gothic and Greek. It appears
the most ponderous load that ever was laid on the shoulders
of poor mother earth. There is nothing light in its structure
to relieve the massiveness of the building, and in this
respect it forms a striking contrast to the Cathedral of Milan
which appears the work of Sylphs. The outside of this
Duomo of Florence is decorated and incrusted with black
and white marble, which increases the massiveness of its
appearance. The steeple or Campanile stands by itself, alto-
gether separate from the Cathedral, and this is the case with
198
THE THEATRE IN FLORENCE
most of the Churches in Italy that are not of pure Gothic
architecture. This Campanile is curiously inlaid and
incrusted on its outside with red, white and black marble.
The Baptistery is another building on the same Piazza.
It is in the same stile of building as the Duomo, but incloses
much less space, and was formerly a separate church, called
the church of St John the Baptist. The immense bronze
doors or rather gates, both of the Duomo and Battisterio,
attracted my peculiar notice. On them are figured bas-
reliefs of exquisite and admirable workmanship, repre-
senting Scripture histories. It was the symmetry and per-
fection of these gates that induced Michel Angelo to call
them in a fit of enthusiasm The Gates of Paradise. At the
door of the Battisterio are the columns in red granite,
which once adorned the gates of the city at Pisa, and were
carried off by the Florentines in one of their wars. Chains
are fastened round these columns, as a memorial of the
conquest. The cupolas both of the Duomo a'nd Battisterio are
octangular. There is a stone seat on the Piazza del Duomo
where they pretend that Dante used occasionally to sit;
hence it is called to this day II Sasso di Dante.
You will now no doubt expect me to give some account of
the theatres. At the Pergola, which is a large and splendid
theatre, I have seen two operas; the one, L'ltaliana in
Algieri, which I saw before at Milan last year; the other,
the Barbieri di Seviglia by Rossini, which afforded to my
ears the most delightful musical feast they ever enjoyed.
The cavatina Una voce poco fa gave me inconceivable
delight. The Ballo was of a very splendid description and
from a subject taken from the Oriental history entitled
Macbet Sultan of Delhi. How the Mogul Sultan came to
have the name of Macbet I know not. On the plafond of the
Pergola is an allegorical painting representing the restored
Kings of Europe replaced on their thrones by Valor and
Justice. The decorations at this theatre are not quite so
splendid as those of the Scala at Milan, but living horses
and military evolutions seem to be annexed to every his-
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AFTER WATERLOO
torical Ballo. Horses indeed appear to be an indispensable
ingredient in the Balli in the large cities of Italy.
In the Teatro Cocomera, comedies are performed, and very
generally those of the inexhaustible Goldoni. I saw the
Bugiardo very fairly performed at this theatre. The story is
nearly the same as that of our piece, The Liar, which is I
believe imitated from Le Menteur of Corneille. The actor
who did the Liar was a very good one. The actresses
screamed too much and were rather coarse. Another night
at the theatre I saw a piece call'd II furioso, a comedie
larmoyante which was interesting and well given; but the
voice of the prompter was occasionally too loud. Tragedies
are very seldom played; the language of Alfieri could never,
I will not say be given with effect, but even conceived by
the modern actors. It would be like a tragedy of Sophocles
performed by boys at school. There is another reason too
why these tragedies are not given; they abound too much
in republican and patriotic sentiments to be grateful to the
ears of the Princes who reign in Italy, all of whom being
of foreign extraction and unshackled by constitutions,
come under the denomination of those beings called by
Greeks Tvpawoi, I use this word in its Greek sense. Of
the Tuscan Government it is but justice to say that from
the days of Leopold to the present day it was and is a mild,
just and paternal government, more so perhaps than any in
Europe; and the only one that can any way reconcile one
altogether to those lines of Pope :
For forms of Government let fools contest ;
Whate'er is best administer'd is best.*
In the time of Leopold the factious nobility were kept in
check, and the industrious classes, mercantile and agri-
cultural, encouraged. The peasantry were, and are, the most
affluent in Europe; and this is no small incitement to the
industry that prevails. On the elevation of Leopold to the
throne of the Caesars, the present Grand Duke succeeded in
Tuscany; and he followed the same system that Leopold
* Pope, Essay on Man, ep. in, 303-4. ED.
200
LOYALTY OF THE TUSCANS
did, and was equally beloved by his subjects. Tuscany was
the only country in Italy that did not desire a change at
the period of the French conquest, and the only state
wherein the French were not hailed as deliverers. The
Tuscans exhibited a very honorable spirit on the occasion
of Buonaparte's visit to the Grand Duke in 1797. They went
together to the Theatre della Pergola, and on their entering
into the Grand Ducal box, the Grand Duke was hailed with
cries of Viva il Nostro Sovrano: now this proof of attach-
ment at a period when Buonaparte was all-mighty in
Italy, when the Grand Duke was but an inferior personage,
at a time too when it was doubtful whether or not he would
be dethroned, and in the very presence of the mighty con-
queror, reflects great honor and credit on the Tuscan
character. Buonaparte was much struck at this proof of dis-
interested attachment on the part of the Florentines
towards their Sovereign, and told the Grand Duke very
ingenuously that he had received orders to revolutionize the
country, from the French Directory; but that as he per-
ceived the people were so happy, and the Prince so beloved,
he could not and would not attempt to make any change.
The applause given to the Grand Duke at this critical
period is so much the more creditable to the Florentines
as they in general receive their Prince, on his presenting
himself at the theatre, with no other ceremonial than rising
once and bowing. There is no fulsome God save the King
repeated even to nausea, as at the English theatres. In fact
none of the Italians pay that servile adulation to their
Sovereigns that the French and English do.
The changes projected in Italy at the treaty of Lune"-
ville by Napoleon then first Consul, and his further views
on Italy, induced him at length to eject an Austrian Prince
from the sovereignty of a country which he intended to
annex to the French Empire. The Grand Duke was
indemnified with a principality in Germany, where he
remained until the downfall of Napoleon in 1814; sub-
sequent arrangements again restored him to the sway
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AFTER WATERLOO
of the land he loved so well, and he returned to Florence as
if he had only been absent on a tour, finding scarcely any
change in the laws and customs and habits of the country;
for tho' Tuscany was first erected into a Kingdom by the
title of Etruria, and afterwards annexed to the French
Empire, the institutions and laws laid down by Leopold and
followed strictly by his successor were preserved; very
little innovation took place, and the few innovations that
were effected were decided ameliorations ; for the Emperor
Napoleon had too much tact not to preserve and protect
the good he found, tho' he abolished all old abuses. The
improvements introduced by the French have been pre-
served and confirmed by the Grand Duke on his return,
for he is a man of too much good sense, and has too much
love of justice, to think of abolishing the good that has
been done, merely because it was done by the French.
Tuscany has now a respectable military force of 3,000 men
well armed, clothed and equipped in the French manner.
Tuscany is the only part of Italy where the downfall of
Napoleon was not regretted; the inhabitants of Leghorn in-
deed rejoiced at it, for the commerce of Tuscany being chiefly
maritime, Leghorn suffered a good deal from the continental
system. Leghorn in fact decayed in the same proportion that
Milan and other inland cities rose into opulence.
The character of the Tuscan people is so amiable and
pacific that crime is very rare indeed. Murder is almost
unknown and the punishment of death is banished from
the penal code. Where the government is good, the people
are or soon become good. I know of no country in the world
more agreeable for a foreigner to settle in than Tuscany.
I omitted to remark that in the street called Borgo
d'Ognissanti is a large house or palazzo which belonged to
Americo Vespucci. His bust is to be seen in the Florentine
Gallery. It is curious to remark the different appellations
given to the word street in the different cities of Italy. In
Milan a street is called vico and in Turin, contrada; in Flor-
ence strada and in Rome, I understand, via.
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LITERARY SOCIETIES IN FLORENCE
FLORENCE, 1st Sept.
I shall start in a day or two for Rome, being very impa-
tient to behold the Eternal City, a plan which I have had in
view from my earliest days and which I have not been able
hitherto to effect ; for like the Abbe Delille I had sworn to
visit the sacred spot where so many illustrious men had
spoke and acted, and to do homage in person to their
Manes. I was always a great admirer of the "Popolo Re."
In Florence there are a great many literary societies such
as the Infuocati, Immobili, and the far renowned La Crusca.
Frequent Academies, for so a sitting of a litterary society
in Italy is termed, are held in Florence. There are likewise
two Casinos, one for the nobility and the other for the
merchants and burghers; the wives and daughters of the
members attend occasionally ; and cards, music and dancing
are the amusements. Florence abounds in artists in ala-
baster whose workmanship is beautiful. They make models
in alabaster of the most celebrated pieces of sculpture and
architecture, on any scale you chuse: they fabricate busts
too and vases in alabaster. The vases made in imitation of the
ancient Greek vases are magnificent, and some of them are
of immense size. Foreigners generally chuse to have their
busts taken; for almost all foreigners who arrive here are
or pretend to be smitten with an ardent love for the fine
arts, and every one wishes to take with him models of the
fine things he has seen in Italy, on his return to his native
country. Here are English travellers who at home would
scarcely be able to distinguish the finest piece of ancient
sculpture the Mercury, for instance, in the Florentine
Gallery, from a Mercury in a citizen's garden at Highgate
who here affect to be in extacies at the sight of the Venus,
Apollino, &c., and they are fond of retailing on all occasions
the terms of art and connoisseurship they have learned by
rote, in the use of which they make sometimes ridiculous
mistakes. For instance I heard an Englishman one day
holding forth on the merits of the Vierge quisouse, as he
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AFTER WATERLOO
called it. I could not for some time divine what he meant
by the word quisouse, but after some explanation I found
that he meant the celebrated painting of the Vierge qui coud,
or Vierge couseuse, as it is sometimes called, which latter
word he had transformed into quisouse. This affectation,
however, of passion for the belle arti, tho' sometimes open
to ridicule, is very useful. It generates taste, encourages
artists, and is surely a more innocent as well as more
rational mode of spending money and passing time than in
encouraging pugilism or in racing, coach driving and cock
fighting.
204
CHAPTER X
Journey from Florence to Rome Sienna Radicofani Bolsena Monte-
fiascone wine Viterbo Baccano The Roman Campagna The papal
douane Monuments and Museums in Rome Intolerance of the Catholic
Christians The Tiber and the bridges Character of the Romans The
Palazzi and Ville Canova's atelier Theatricals An execution in Rome.
September , 1816.
I MADE an agreement with a vetturino to take me to
Rome for three louis d'or and to be spesato. In the car-
riage were two other passengers, viz., a Neapolitan lady,
the wife of a Colonel in the Neapolitan service, and a
young Roman, the son of the Barigello or Capo degli Sbirri
at Rome. We issued from the Porta Romana at 6 o'clock a.m.
the 3d September.
The road winds thro' a valley, and has a gentle ascent
nearly the whole way to Poggibonsi, where we brought to the
first night. The soil hereabouts is far from fertile, but every
inch of it is put to profit. The olive tree is very frequent and
several farms and villages are to be met with. The next
day we arrived at 12 o'clock at Sienna. The approach to
Sienna is announced by a quantity of olive trees. The
situation of this city being on an elevation, makes it cold
and bleak. We remained here three hours, so that I had time
to visit some of the places worthy of remark in this vener-
able city, which is handsome and very solidly built, but
has rather a sombre appearance. The Piazza Grande lies in
a bottom to which you descend from the environing streets.
It is in the shape of a mussel shell and of very large size. The
Cathedral is Gothic and is a very majestic and venerable
building. Inside it is of black and yellow marble. The pave-
ment of this church contains Scripture histories in mosaic.
A library is annexed to the church. The librarian pointed
out to me 30 folio volumes of church music with illuminated
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AFTER WATERLOO
plates ; likewise an ancient piece of sculpture much mutilated,
viz., a group of the three Graces. In one of the chapels of
this Cathedral are eight columns of verd-antique. I observed
a monument of the Piccolomini family who belong to this
city; one of which family figured a good deal in the Thirty
Years' War in Germany. I saw several women in the Cathe-
dral and at the windows of the houses. The greater part of
them were handsome. The Italian language is spoken here
in its greatest purity; it is the pure Tuscan dialect without
the Tuscan aspiration. The Siennese language is in fact
the identical lingua Toscana in bocca Romana.
We arrived the same evening at Buon Convento, an old
dismal dirty-looking town formerly fortified; but the
country in the environs is pleasing enough. The inn here
is very bad. On the road between Sienna and this place I
observed a number of mulberry trees.
The next morning, the 5th Sept., we arrived at Radico-
fani or rather at an inn or post house facing Radicofani.
This is a very ancient city, and from its being on an emi-
nence it has an imposing appearance. Above it towers an
immense conical shaped mountain, evidently a volcano in
former times. In fact, the whole country hereabouts is vol-
canic, which is plainly seen from the immense masses of
calcined stones, the exhalations of sulphur and the dreary
wild appearance of the country, where scarce a tree is to be
seen. I never in my life saw so many calcined rocks and
stones of great magnitude heaped together as at Radico-
fani. It gave the idea as if it were the identical field of battle
between Jupiter and the Titans, and as if the masses of
rock that everywhere meet the eye had been hurled at the
Empyreum by the Titans and had fallen back on the spot
from whence they were torn up. It is indeed very probable
that this volcano which vomited forth rocks and stones in a
very remote age, gave rise to the Fable of the war between
Jupiter and the Giants; just as the volcanos in Sicily and
Stromboli gave rise to the story of the Cyclops with one eye
(the crater) in their forehead. But the mountain of Radico-
206
A DANGEROUS FORD
fani must have been a volcano anterior even to ^tna; it
presents the image of an ancient world destroyed by fire.
At Ponte Centino the next morning we took our leave of
La patria bella
Di vaghe Donne e di dolce favella;
in plain prose, we left the Tuscan territory, and re-entered
the dominions of His Holiness. After being detained half an
hour at the Douane, we proceeded to Acquapendente to
breakfast. The country between Radicofani and Acqua-
pendente is dreary, thinly populated, little cultivated,
and volcanic steams of sulphur assail the nostrils. Before
we arrived at Acquapendente we had a troublesome river
to cross, which at times is nearly dry, and at other times
the water comes down hi torrents from the surround-
ing mountains and precipices, so as to render its passage
extremely dangerous. It is always necessary previous to the
passage of a carriage, to send on a man to ford and sound it,
from its meandering and forming different beds crossed
seven times, twice less than Styx novies interjusa, and it
is a very slow operation from the number of rocks and
quicksands ; so that, should the torrent come down while you
are in the act of crossing, you and your whole equipage
would be swept away by the stream and drowned or
dashed to pieces. Travellers going to and returning from
Rome are frequently detained for a day or two at Ponte
Centino or Acquapendente during the rainy season; for
immediately after heavy rams, there is always a great risk
and it is better to halt for several hours to allow the waters
to pass off. The extent of ground that this river covers by
its meandering and forming so many beds nearly parallel
to each other renders it impossible to construct a bridge
long enough; and it would be always liable to be swept away
by the torrent. Nobody ever thinks of crossing the river
in the dark. There having no rain fallen for several days we
passed it without difficulty.
Within a mile of Acquapendente the landscape varies
and the approach to this town is exceedingly picturesque.
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AFTER WATERLOO
Acquapendente is situated on a lofty eminence from which
several magnificent cascades descend into the ravine below
and which give the name to the town. There are a great
number of trees about this town and they afford a great
relief to the eye of the traveller after so many hours'
journey thro' volcanic wastes. The town of Acquapendente
is very ancient; it is very large, but ill-paved and dirty; the
best buildings in it are, however, modern. The inhabitants
appear lazy and dirty. On entering into conversation with
some soldiers belonging to the Papal army, who were
stationed at this place, I found that most of them had
served under Napoleon. They spoke of him with tears of
affection in their eyes, and I pleased them much by reci-
procating their opinions of that great man. To speak well of
Napoleon is the surest passport to civility and good treat-
ment on the part of the soldiers and douaniers.
In the evening we arrived at Bolsena, the ancient Vol-
sinium, a city of the Volscians. It is an ancient looking
town, not very clean, and inhabited by indolent people.
It is situated on the banks of a large lake, on which there are
three small islands. It is very aguish and unhealthy, and
the inhabitants appear sickly, with marvellous sallow com-
plexions. The inn where we put up was a pretty good one,
and as this lake abounds in fish, we had some excellent
trout and pike for supper; among other dishes there was one
that was very gratifying to me, an old East and West
Indian; and that was the Peveroni or large red and green
peppers or capsicums fried in oil. Some excellent Orvieto wine
crowned our repast, and helped to restore us from our fatigues.
On leaving Bolsena the next morning, the 7th, and
within a very short distance from that town we entered a
thick and venerable forest, thro' which the road runs for
several miles. Fine old trees of immense height covered with
foliage and thickly studded together give to this forest an
aweful and romantic appearance. It is quite a lucus opaca
ingens. This forest has been held sacred since the earliest
times and is even now held in such superstitious veneration
208
VINO D'EST
by the people that they do not allow it to be cut. The
Dryads and Hamadryads have no doubt long ago taken
their flight, but the wood, from its length and opaqueness,
inspired me with some apprehension lest it might be the
abode of some modern votaries of Mercury, people having
confused ideas of meum and tuum, and the appropriative
faculty too strongly developed in their organization, and I
expected every moment to hear a shot and the terrible
cry of ferma; but we met with no accident nor did we fall in
with a living soul. On issuing from this forest we perceived
on an eminence before us, at a short distance, the town of
Montefiascone. We stopped there as almost all travellers
do to taste the famous Montefiascone wine or Est wine, as it
is frequently called. This wine is fine flavored, petillant and
wonderfully exhilarating. It is renowned for having occa-
sioned the death of a German prelate in the sixteenth cen-
tury, who was travelling in Italy and who was remarkably
fond of good wine. The story is as follows. He was accus-
tomed to send on his servant to the different towns thro'
which he was to pass with directions to taste and report on
the quality of the different wines to be found there, and if
they were good to mark the word Est on the casks from
which he tasted them. The servant, on arrival at Monte-
fiascone, was highly pleased with the flavour of the wine,
of which there were three casks at the inn where they put
up. He accordingly wrote the word Est on each of the casks.
The Bishop arrived soon after and took such a liking to this
wine that he died in a few days of a fever brought on by
continual intoxication. He was buried in one of the churches
at Montefiascone and the monks of the Convent there, them-
selves bons-vivans, determined to give him a suitable epitaph.
They accordingly caused to be engraved on his tomb the
following Latin inscription commemorative of the event:
Est, Est, Est, propter nimium Est, Dominus Episcopus mor-
tuus EST. From the above circumstance this wine is called
Vino (TEst, and it affords no small revenue to the proprietor
of the cabaret on the road side who sells it.
P 209
AFTER WATERLOO
We arrived at Viterbo to breakfast and at Ronciglione
in the evening. Viterbo is a large and handsome city
and has several striking buildings. It is paved with lava
and contains a great variety of fountains. There is some
appearance of commerce and industry in this town and
there are several maisons de plaisance in the neighbourhood.
From Viterbo, thro' Monterosi, to Ronciglione the road
lies over a mountain of steep ascent; here and there are
patches of forest. There is not a house to be seen on this
route and from there being a good deal of wood, and no
appearance of cultivation, one fancies oneself rather in the
wilds of a new country like America, than in so old a one
as Italy.
Ronciglione is an old rubbishing town half in ruins and
contains no one thing remarkable.
The next morning at four o'clock we started from Ronci-
glione and reached Baccano to breakfast.
Baccano contains only two buildings; but they are both
very large and roomy; the one is the inn, and the other
serves as a barrack for the Military. There is always a strong
military detachment here for the security of the road
against robbers, who occasionally infest this neighbour-
hood. The inn is of immense size. Travellers, who arrive here
late, would do well to halt here the whole night, as not only
the road is dangerous on account of robbers, but because if
they arrive at Rome after five o'clock p.m., they cannot
release their baggage and carriage from the Custom house
till next day. Every carriage public or private that arrives
in Rome is bound, unless a special permission to the con-
trary be obtained from the Government, to drive direct
to the Custom house (Dogana). In the like manner, on
travelling from Rome to Florence, people generally prefer
to start from Rome at twelve o'clock and bring to the night
at Baccano, so as to avoid the bad inn at Ronciglione and
sleep in preference at Viterbo. I here speak only of those
who travel by short stages as the vetturini do.
Ariosto has given a celebrity to this wretched place
210
ARRIVAL AT ROME
Baccano in his poem of the Orlando Furioso, in the story of
Giocondo in the 28th Canto, as being the identical place
where Fausto, the brother of Giocondo, remained to await
the return of his brother from Rome, to which place he had
gone back, when half way between Baccano and Rome, to
fetch the monile which he had left behind him, and found his
wife not alone and dying with grief as he apprehended, but
sotto la coltre with a servant of the family.
The country between Baccano and Rome is as unpleas-
ing and even worse than that between the former place
and Ronciglione. It is hilly, but not a tree, nor a house, nor
a sign of cultivation to be seen except the two or three
wretched hovels at La Storta. There is nothing at all that
announces the approach to a capital city; and in addition
to the dismal landscape there is a sight still more dismal
that salutes the eye of the traveller at intervals of two or
three miles and which does not tend to inspire pleasing
ideas; and this is the sight of arms and legs of malefactors
and murderers suspended on large poles on the road side;
for it is the custom here to cut off the arms and legs of
murderers after decapitation, and to suspend them in terro-
rem on poles, erected on the very spot where they committed
the murder. The sight of these limbs dangling in the wind is
not a very comfortable one towards the close of the evening.
We left the Sepolero di Nerone, an ancient tomb so called,
on the right of our road and half a mile beyond it crossed
the Tiber at the Ponte Molle (Pons Milviiis), where there
is a gate, bridge and military post. From this post to the
Porta del Popolo, the entrance into the city for those coming
from the North, the distance is one mile; there is a white
wall on each side of the road the whole way, and some
farm houses and villas. Near the Ponte Molle is the field
of battle where Maxentius was defeated by Constantine.
We entered the Porta del Popolo, crossed the Piazza of
the same name, where three streets present themselves to
view. In the centre is the street called the Corso, running
in a direct line from the Porta across the Piazza. We drove
P2 211
AFTER WATERLOO
along the Corso till we arrived at a Piazza on our right hand,
which Piazza is called delta Colonna from the Column of
Antoninus, which stands on it. We then crossed the Piazza
which is very large and soon reached the Dogana or Custom
house, formerly the temple of Antoninus Pius, where vile
modern walls are built to fill up the intervals between
eleven columns of Grecian marble. Here our baggage under-
went a rigorous research ; this rigour is not so much directed
against the fraudulent introduction of contraband or duty-
bearing merchandise, as against books, which undergo a
severe scrutiny. Against Voltaire and Rousseau implacable
war is waged, and their works are immediately confiscated.
Other authors too are sometimes examined, to see whether
they contain anything against Mother Church. As the people
employed in inspecting books are not much versed in any
litterature or language but their own, except perhaps a little
French, it is not easy for them to find out the contents of
books in other languages. I had Schiller's works with me,
a volume of which one of the douaniers took up and looked
at; on seeing* the* Gothic letter he seemed as much aston-
ished as if he had got hold of a book of Cabbala or Magic.
He detained the whole work, but it was sent to me the next
day, on my declaring that there was nothing damnable or
heretical in it; for there was no person belonging to the
department who could read German. When the douaniers
proceeded to the examination of the books belonging to
one of my fellow travellers, the Neapolitan lady, she
expressed great repugnance to the procedure ; the douaniers
however insisted and, behold! there were several livres
galants with plates somewhat lubriques, the discovery of
which excited blushes on her part and considerable laughter
on the part of the byestanders. These books, however, not
being contraband, were immediately returned to her, as was
an edition of Baffo, belonging to my other fellow traveller,
returned to him. Now this Baffo was a Venetian poet and
his works are the most profligate that ever were penned or
imagined by mortal man. Martial and Petronius Arbiter
212
THE EXCELLENCE OF ROMAN FARE
must hide their diminished heads before Baffo. The owner
of this book chose to read out loud, quite unsolicited, several
choice sonnets of this poet for our edification during the
journey; and this branch of litterature seemed to be the
only one with which he was acquainted.
When the examination was over I took leave of my fellow
travellers, and repaired to the German Hotel in the Via de 1
Condotti, where I engaged an apartment, and sat down to
dinner at an excellent table d'hote at five o'clock. There was a
profusion of everything, particularly of fish and game.
Mullets and wild boar are constant dishes at a Roman table.
The mullets at Rome are small but delicious, and this was a
fish highly prized by the ancient Romans. Game of all
kinds is very cheap here, from the abundance of it that is
to be met with in wild uninhabited wastes of Latium and in
the Pontine marshes. Every peasant is a sportsman and goes
constantly armed with fire-arms, not only to kill game, but
to defend himself against robbers, who infest the environs
of Rome, and who sometimes carry their audacity so far as
to push their reconnaissances close to the very walls of the
city. At the German Hotel the price of the dinner at table
d'hote, including wine at discretion, is six paoli, about three
franks. I pay for an excellent room about three paoli per diem
and my breakfast at a neighbouring Caffe costs me one
paolo. A paolo is worth about five pence English. There are
ten paoli to a scudo Romano and ten bajocchi to a paolo.
The bajocco is a copper coin.
ROME, 12th Sept.
A great number of Germans dine at the table d'hote of
Franz's hotel. Among them I distinguished one day a very
intelligent Bavarian Jew. I proposed to him a walk to the
Coliseum the following morning, as independent of the
benefit I derived from his conversation I was curious to see
whether it was true or not that the Jews always avoided
walking under the Arch of Titus, which was erected in com-
memoration of the capture of Jerusalem by the Romans
under Titus, in the reign of Vespasian. On stepping out of
213
AFTER WATERLOO
the Hotel Allemand, the first thing that met my eye was the
identical beggar described by Kotzebue in his travels in
Italy, and he gives the very same answer now as then to
those who give him nothing, viz., Pazienza.
We crossed the Piazza di Spagna, ascended the superb
flight of steps of the Trinita de' Monti, where there is a
French church called the Church of St Louis : near it is the
Villa Medici, which is the seat of the French Academy of the
fine arts at Rome. We then filed along the Strada Felice till
we arrived at the church of Santa Maria maggiore, a superb
edifice, the third church in Rome in celebrity, and the
second in magnificence. An immense Egyptian Obelisk
stands before it. We then, turning a little to the right, made
the best of our way to the Coliseum where we remained
nearly two hours. I had figured to myself the grandest
ideas of this stupendous building, but the aspect of it far
exceeded the sketch even of my imagination. In Egypt I
have seen the Pyramids, but even these vast masses did not
make such an impression on me as the Coliseum has done.
I am so unequal to the task of description that I shall not
attempt it; I will give you however its dimensions which
my friend the Jew measured. It is an ellipse of which the
transverse axis is 580 feet in length and its conjugate dia-
meter 480; but it is not so much the length and breadth as
the solidity of this building that strikes the traveller with
astonishment. The arcaded passage or gallery (on the rez
de chaussee between the interior and the exterior wall),
which has a vaulted roof over which the seats are built, is
broad enough to admit three carriages abreast: and the
walls on each side of this gallery are at least twenty feet thick.
What a magnificent spectacle it must have been in the
time of the ancient Romans, when it was ornamented,
gilded, and full of spectators, of which it could contain, it is
said, 86,000! The Coliseum has been despoiled by various
Popes and Cardinals to furnish stone and marble to build
their palaces; otherwise, so solid is the building, Time
alone would never suffice "to destroy it. At present strict
214
THE COLISEUM
orders are given and sentries are posted to prevent all fur-
ther dilapidations, and buttresses have been made to prop
up those parts which had given way. What a pity it is that
the Arena has not been left empty, instead of being fitted
up with tawdry niches and images representing the different
stations of the Crucifixion! In the centre is an immense
Cross, which whoever kisses is entitled to one hundred days
indulgence. To what reflections the sight of this vast edifice
leads! What combats of gladiators and wild beasts! What
blood has been spilled! Was it not here that the tyrannical
and cowardly Domitian ordered Ulpius Glabrio, of consular
dignity, to descend into the arena and fight with a lion?
The Christian writers mention that many of their sect
suffered martyrdom here by being compelled to fight with
wild beasts; but even this was not half so bad as the con-
duct of the Christians, when they obtained possession of
political power and dominion, in burning alive poor Jews,
Moors and heretics some centuries afterwards. Indeed the
cruelty of the Pagans was much exaggerated by the above
writers and were it even true to its full extent, their severity
was far more excusable than that of the Christians in later
times, for the efforts of the Christian sect in the times of
Paganism were unceasingly directed towards the destruc-
tion of the whole fabric of polytheism, on which was based
the entire social and political order of the Empire; and they
thus brought on themselves perhaps merited persecution,
by their own intolerance ; whereas, when they got the upper
hand, they showed no mercy to those of a different religion,
and Orthodoxy has wallowed successively in the blood of
Arians, Jews, Moors and Protestants.
How many a poor Jew or Moor in Spain and Portugal
has been burned alive for no other reason than
Pour n' avoir point quitttla foi de leurs ancStres.
No, no ; no sect or religion was ever so persecuting as the
Catholic Christians! The Polytheists of all times, both
ancient and modern, were tolerant to all religions and so
215
AFTER WATERLOO
far from striving to make proselytes, often adopted the
ceremonies of other worships in addition to their own ; wit-
ness the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans of old, and the
Hindoos and Chinese of the present day. The Jews, fero-
cious and prejudiced as they were, never persecuted other
nations on the ground of religion, and if they held these
nations in abhorrence as idolaters, and considered them-
selves alone as the holy people, the people of God (Yahoudi),
they never dreamed of making converts. The Mussulmans
tho' they hold it as a sacred precept of their religion to
endeavour to make converts to Islam, do not use violent
means and only compel those of a different faith to pay a
higher tribute. At any rate, they never have or do put people
to death merely for the difference of religious opinions. Such
were the reflections I made on walking about the Arena of
this colossal edifice so worthy of the popolo Re.
On leaving the Coliseum the first thing that meets the eye
is the Arch of Constantine, under which the Roman trium-
phal and ovationary processions moved towards the
Capitol. The Arch of Constantine stands just outside the Coli-
seum. It is of immense size and extremely well preserved.
The ground on which it stands being much filled up and only
half of the Arch appearing, the rest remaining buried in the
earth, it was judged adviseable to excavate all around it in
order to come to the pedestal ; so that now there is a walled
enclosure all around it and into this enclosure it is a
descent of at least eighteen feet from the ground outside.
Several statues of captive Kings and bas-reliefs represent-
ing the victories of Constantine adorn the fa9ade of this
triumphal arch. The inscriptions are perfect, and the letters
were formerly filled up with bronze; but these have been
taken out at the repeated sackings that poor Rome has
undergone from friend and foe. At a short distance from
the Arch of Constantine is the Arch of Titus, under which
we moved along on our road towards the Capitol and my
friend the Jew was too much of a cosmopolite to feel the
smallest repugnance at walking under the Arch.
216
ARCH OF TITUS AND FORUM
Our conversation then turned on the absurd hatred and
prejudice that existed between Christians and Jews; he
was very liberal on this subject and in speaking of Jesus
Christ he said: " Jesus Christ was a Jew and a real philo-
sopher and was therefore persecuted, for his philosophy
interfered too much with, and tended to shake the political
fabric of the Jewish constitution and to subvert our old
customs and usages: for this reason he was put to death.
I seek not to defend or palliate the injustice of the act or the
barbarity with which he was treated; but our nation did
surely no more than any other nation ancient or modern has
done or would still do against reformers and innovators."
The Arch of Titus is completely defaced outside, but in the
interior of the Arch, on each side, is a bas relief: the one
representing Vespasian's triumph over the Jews, and the
Emperor himself in a car drawn by six horses; the other
represents the soldiers and followers of the triumph, bearing
the spoils of the conquered nation, and among them the
famous candlesticks that adorned the temple of Jerusalem
are very conspicuous. These figures are in tolerable preserva-
tion, only that the Emperor has lost his head and one of the
soldiers has absconded.
On issuing from the Arch of Titus we found ourselves in
the Forum, now the Campo Vaccino: so that cattle now low
where statesmen and orators harangued, and lazy priests
in procession tread on the sacred dust of heroes.
O6 des pretres heureux foulent d'un pied tranquille
Les tombeaux des Catons et les cendres d'Emile.
So sings Voltaire, I believe, or if they are not his lines,
they are the Abb Delille's.*
The imagination is quite bewildered here from the variety
of ancient monuments that meet the eye in every direction.
What vast souvenirs crowd all at once on the mind! Look
all around! the Via Sacra, the Arch of Severus, and the
* These lines are from Voltaire's Henriade, a poem which no Frenchman
reads nowadays, but that Major Frye could quote from memory. The cor-
rect reading of the first verse is: DCS prStres fortunes, etc. (Henriade, canto iv.
ed. Kchl, vol. x, p. 97.) ED.
217
AFTER WATERLOO
Capitol in front; on one side of you, the temple of Peace,
that of Faustina and that of the Sun and Moon : on the other
the remaining three columns of the temple of Jupiter
Stator; the three also of the temple of Jupiter Tonans; the
eight columns of the temple of Concord; and the solitary
column of Phocas. At a short distance the temple of Castor
and Pollux and that of Romulus and Remus, which is a
round building of great antiquity, whose rusticity forms
a striking contrast with the elegance of the colonnaded
temples, and which was evidently built before the conquest
of Greece by the Romans and the consequent introduction
of the fine arts and of the Grecian orders of architecture.
You may wish to know my sensations on traversing this
sacred ground. The Via Sacra recalled to me Horace meet-
ing the bavard who addresses him: Quid agis, dulcissime
rerum?* I then thought of the Sabine rape; of Brutus'
speech over the body of Lucretia; then I almost fancied I
could see the spot where stood the butcher's shop, from
whence Virginius snatched the knife to immolate his
daughter at the shrine of Honor; next the shade of Regulus
flitted before my imagination, refusing to be exchanged;
then I figured to myself Cicero thundering against Catiline ;
or the same with delicate irony ridiculing the ultra-rigor of
the Stoics, so as to force even the gravity of Cato to relax
into a smile; then the grand, the heroic act of Marcus Brutus
in immolating the great Caesar at the altar of liberty. All
these recollections and ideas crowded on my imagination
without regard to order or chronology, and I remained for
some time in a state of the most profound reverie, from
which I was only roused by my friend the Jew reminding
me that we had a quantity of other things to see.
The first object that engaged my attention on being
roused from my reverie, was the Arch of Severus at the foot
of the Capitol which towers above it. Excavations have
been made around this Arch (for otherwise only half of it
could be seen) and a stone wall built around the excavated
* Horace, Sat., I, 9, 4. ED.
218
THE CAPITOL
ground in the same manner as at the Arch of Constantine.
Round several of the columns of the temples I have above
enumerated, excavations have been also made; otherwise
the lower half of them would remain buried in the earth and
give to the monuments the appearance of a city which had
been half swallowed up by an earthquake. By dint of digging
round the column of Phocas, the ancient paved road which
led to the Capitol has been discovered and is now open to
view. This ancient road is at least thirty feet below the sur-
face of the present road and the ground about it. This shows
how the ground must have been filled up by the destruc-
tion of buildings at the different sackings of Rome and the
consequent accumulation of rubbish. The French when they
were here began these excavations and the Duchess of
Devonshire continues them.* It is useful in every way; it
employs a number of poor poeple and may be the means of
discovering some valuable remains of antiquity and objects
of art. At any rate it is highly gratifying to have discovered
the identical road to the Capitol on which so many Consuls,
Dictators and Emperors moved in triumph, and so many
captive Kings wept in chains.
We then ascended the steps that lead to the modern
Capitol and mounted on the Campanile of the same, from
whence there is a superb panoramic view of Rome. On
descending from the Campanile, we visited the Tarpeian
rock, which is now of inconsiderable height, the ground
about it and heaps of rubbish having filled up the abyss
below. We then entered the court yard of the Capitol. The
Capitol and building annexed to it form three sides of a
rectangle, the centre or corps de logis lying North and South,
and the wings East and West, the whole inclosing a court
yard open on the South side of the rectangle, from whence
you descend into the street on the plain below, by a most
magnificent escalier or flight of steps. Of the Capitol, the
corps de logis or central building to which the Campanile
* Lady Elizabeth Hervey, second wife of William, fifth Duke of Devon-
shire (1809) ; died March, 1824. ED.
219
AFTER WATERLOO
belongs, is reserved for the occupation and habitation of
the Senator Romano, a civil magistrate, corresponding
something to the mayor in France or Oberbur germeister in
the German towns, and who is chosen from among the
nobility and nominated by the Pope. The wings contain
the Museum Capitolinum of painting and sculpture. There
is a great deal to call forth the admiration of the traveller
in the court yard of the Capitol. The most prominent object
is the famous bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius,
which cannot fail to rivet the attention of the least enthusi-
astic spectator. I observed at each angle of the faade of
the Capitol a colossal statue of a captive King in a Phrygian
dress; but still more striking than these are the colossal
statues of Castor and Pollux leading horses, which stand a
little in front of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius,
and nearer the escalier, the one on the right the other on the
left. Two lions in basalt on each side of the escalier are very
striking objects, and the escalier itself is the most superb
thing of the kind perhaps in the world. This escalier and the
Marcus Aurelius, unique also in its kind, are both the
workmanship of Michael Angelo.* We descended this
escalier and then fronted it to take a view of the Capitol
from the bottom; but the statue of Marcus Aurelius is so
prominent and so grand that it absorbed all my attention.
After dinner I walked a little in the gardens on the Pin-
cian hill, and then visited some friends belonging to the
French Academy of Painting and Sculpture, who were so
good as to shew me their productions, and also a copy of
the superb folio edition of Denon's work on Egypt which to
me, who had been in that country, was highly gratifying.
Oh! what a pity that the French could not keep that
country! What a paradise they would have made of it! As it
is (and to their credit be it said) they did more good for the
country during three years only, than we have done for our
possessions in India for fifty years.
* A singular slip of the pen ; Frye must have known that the equestrian
statue is a Roman work
220
THE PANTHEON
ROME, 15th Septr.
The next morning, after an early breakfast, I repaired
to the Pantheon, now called Santa Maria della Rotonda, and
appropriated to the Catholic worship. It is easily recog-
nizable by its rotundity and by the simple grandeur of its
faade and portico. The bronze has been taken out of the
letters of the inscription. This beautiful specimen of ancient
architecture is situated in a small piazza or square called
Piazza della Rotonda, where a market of poultry, game, and
vegetables is held. There are only now three or four steps
on the escalier to ascend, in order to enter into the portico ;
but as it is known that according to the descriptions of the
Pantheon in ancient times there was an immense flight of
steps to ascend, it is an additional proof how much the
ground on which modern Rome stands has been filled up,
and consequently it is evident that the greater part of this
flight of steps remains still buried in the earth.
If I was so struck with the appearance of this interest-
ing edifice outside, how much more so should I have been
on seeing the inside, were not the niches, where formerly
stood the statues of the Gods, filled with tawdry dolls
representing the Virgin Mary and he and she saints. The
columns and pilasters in the interior of this temple are
beautiful, all of jaune antique and one entire stone each.
How much better would it have been to replace the
statues of the Dii Majorum Gentium which occupied the
niches, by statues in marble of the Apostles, instead of the
dolls dressed in tawdry colors, and the frippery gilding of
the altars on which they stand, which disfigure this noble
building. The Pantheon was built by Agrippa as the inscrip-
tion shews. In the interior are sixteen columns of jaune
antique. The bronze that formely ornamented this temple
was made use of to fabricate the baldachin of St Peter's.
Of late years it has been the fashion to erect monuments
affixed to the walls of the interior of the Pantheon to the
memory of the great men and heroes of poetry, painting,
sculpture and music who were natives of Italy, or for
221
AFTER WATERLOO
foreigners, celebrated for their excellence in those arts, who
have died in Rome. Here are for instance, tablets to the
memory of Metastasio, Rafael Mengs, Sacchini, Poussin,
Winckelmann; the Phidias of modern days, the illustrious
Canova, has recommended the placing in the Pantheon of
the busts in marble of all the great men who have flourished
in Italy, as the most appropriate ornament to this temple.
He himself with a princely liberality has made a present to
it of the busts of Dante, Petrarca, Ariosto, Tasso, Guarini,
Alfieri, Michel Angelo, Rafaello, Metastasio and various
other worthies. These busts are all the production either of
Canova himself, or made by his pupils under his direction;
they are not the least remarkable ornament of the place.
In the centre of the Piazza delta Rotonda stands an obelisk
brought from Egypt, which belonged to a temple sacred to
Isis in that country.
I next repaired to the Piazza di Navona, a large and
spacious square, where there is a superb fountain represent-
ing a vast rock with four colossal figures, one of which
reclines at the foot of the rock, at each angle of the pedestal
that supports it, and it is surmounted by an Obelisk which
was brought from Egypt and was found in the gardens of
Sallust. The four colossal figures represent the four river
Gods of the four great rivers in Europe, Asia, Africa and
America, viz., the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the
Plata. The statue of the Nile has his head half-concealed by
a cloak, emblematical of the source of that river not being
discovered. In the Piazza are frequently held fairs, shews of
wild beasts, theatrical exhibitions and sometimes combats
of wild beasts.
I crossed the Tiber on my way to St Peter's at the Ponte
di San? Angelo; directly on the other side of the river
stands the castle of that name, an immense edifice formerly
the Moles Adriana or Mausoleum of the Emperor Adrian.
It is of a circular form and is a remarkably striking object.
From here there is a spacious street as broad as Portland
place, which leads to the magnificent Piazza, where stands
222
CHURCH OF S. PETER
the Metropolitan Church of the Christian world, the pride
of Christendom, the triumph of modern architecture,
flanked on each side by a semi-circular colonnaded portico,
which constitutes one of its greatest beauties and distin-
guishes it from all the other temples in the world. On the
Piazza, considerably in front of this wonderful edifice and
nearly in the centre, stands an immense Egyptian Obelisk,
and at a short distance on each side of the Obelisk two
magnificent fountains which spout water to a great height
and which contribute greatly to the ornament of the
Piazza.
Now you must not expect me to give you a description of
this glorious temple. I never in my life possessed descriptive
powers, even for objects of no great importance: how then
could I attempt to delineate the innumerable beauties of
this edifice? Yet, vast as it is, the proportions of the fa9ade
are so correct, that they, together with the semi-circular
colonnaded portico, serve to diminish its apparent size and
to render its mass less imposing, but perhaps more beauti-
ful. On this account it appears at first sight of less size than
the Church of St Paul's in London. The beauty of the
architecture, viz., of the fa9ade and of the colonnaded
portico would require days to examine and admire. What
shall I say then of the wonders of the interior, crowded and
charged as it is with the finest pieces of sculpture, columns
of the most beautiful verd antique and of jaune antique; the
masterpieces of painting copied in mosaic; the precious
stones and marbles of all sorts that adorn the variety of
magnificent chapels and altars; the immense baldachin
with its twisted columns of bronze (the spoils of the Pan-
theon and of the temple of Jerusalem); the profusion of
gilding and ornament of all sorts and where in spite of this
profusion there seems rien de trop. At first entrance the eye
is so dazzled with the magnificent tout ensemble as to be
incapable for a long time of examining any thing in detail.
Each chapel abounds in the choicest marbles and precious
stones : in a word it would seem as if the whole wealth of the
228
AFTER WATERLOO
Earth were concentrated here. Without impiety or exagger-
ation, I felt on entering this majestic temple for the first
time just as I conceive a resuscitated mortal would feel on
being ushered into the scene of the glories of Heaven. The
masterpieces of painting are here perpetuated in mosaic,
and so correctly and beautifully done, that unless you
approach exceedingly close indeed, it is impossible to dis-
tinguish them from paintings. What an useful as well as
ornamental art is the mosaic! There are a great variety of
confessionals where penitents and pilgrims may confess,
each in his own tongue, for there is a confessional for the
use of almost every native tongue and language in the
Catholic world. The cupola! What an astonishing sight when
you look up at it from below! How can I better describe it
than by relating the anecdote of Michel Angelo its con-
structor, who when some one made a remark on the impos-
sibility of making a finer Cupola than that of the Pantheon,
burst out into the following exclamation : " Do you think, so?
Then I will throw it in the air," and he fulfilled his word; for
the cupola of St Peter's is exactly of the size of that of the
Pantheon, tho' at such an elevation as to give it only the
appearance of one fourth of its real size, or even less. The
sublimity of the design can only be equalled by the boldness
and success of its execution. Till it was done, it was thought
by every artist impossible to be done. What an extraordinary
genius was this Michel Angelo! Ariosto has not at all exag-
gerated in his praise when he speaks of him in punning on
his name:
Michel pii che mortal, Angel divino.*
* Michael, less man than Angel and divine.
Trans. W. S. ROSE.
Among the various splendid marble monuments with
which this temple abounds is one erected to the memory of
Pope Rezzonico, constructed by Canova and reckoned one
of his masterpieces. The Pope is represented in his canoni-
cals. Behind and above him is a colossal statue of Religion
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, xxxnr, 2, 4. ED.
224
SCULPTURE IN S. PETER'S
with a cross in one hand and rays in form of spikes issuing
from her head. I do not like these spikes. On the dexter side
of this monument, is a beautiful male youthful figure repre-
senting a funereal genius with an inverted torch. The signal
delicacy, beauty and symmetry of this statue forms a
striking contrast with the figure of an immense lion sleeping
on the sinister side: and this lion is an irrefragable proof
that Canova excels in the delineation of the terrible as
well as the beautiful, for it is admirably executed.
At another monument is a superb female figure of
colossal size representing Truth. It was formerly naked, but
they have contrived to execute in coloured marble a vest-
ment to cover her loins and veil her secret beauties. The
reason of which is, that this beautiful statue made such an
impression once upon a traveller (some say he was an
Englishman, others a Spaniard) that it inspired him with a
sort of Pygmalionic passion which he attempted to gratify
one night; he was discovered in the attempt, and since that
time, to prevent further scandal or attempts of the sort
and to conceal from profane eyes the charms of the too
alluring Goddess, this colored marble vestment was
imagined and executed. This story is borrowed from
Lucian.*
There is also here a fine statue of Pope Gregory XIII and
a magnificent bas-relief, the subject of which is the reform
of the calendar by that Pope. Here too is a monument to
Christina Queen of Sweden, and a bas-relief representing
her abjuration of the Lutheran Faith.
But why should I attempt to detail all these monuments,
while it would require folios for the purpose; let me rather
introduce you to the hero and tutelary saint of this sanc-
tuary. St Peter, a superb bronze statue something above
the usual size of men, is seated on a curule chair in the
nave of the church on the right hand side as you approach
the baldachin. He holds in his hands the keys of Heaven.
He receives the adoration of all the faithful who enter into
* See Lucian, Imag., iv; A mores, xv, xvi. ED.
Q 225
AFTER WATERLOO
this temple, and this adoration is performed by kissing his
foot which, from the repeated kissings, is become of a
bright polish and is visibly wearing away. The statue was
formerly a statue of Jupiter Capitolinus, but on the grand
revolution among the inhabitants of Olympus and the
downfall of Jupiter, it was broken to pieces, melted down
and fabricated into an image of St Peter, so that this statue
has lost little of its former sovereignty and still rules
Heaven and Earth if not with regal, with at least vice-regal
power, tho' under a different name.
In the Sistine Chapel is the celebrated painting al fresco
of the day of Judgment by Michel Angelo, an aweful sub-
ject and nobly and awefully executed.
In the porch under the fa9ade of St Peter's are two marble
statues on horseback, one at each end of the porch: they
represent Constantine the Great and Charlemagne, the two
great benefactors of the holy Catholic Church; the one,
in fact, its founder, the other its preserver.
As the Palace of the Vatican stands close to the Church of
St Peter's and communicates with it by an escalier, I
ascended the escalier in order to behold and examine the
famous Museum of the Vatican, the first in the world, and
unique for the vast treasures of the fine arts that it con-
tains ; treasures which the united wealth of all Europe and
India to boot could not purchase at their just price. Here
in fact it may be said are preserved the riches and plunder
of the whole world, which was stripped of all its valuables
by those illustrious brigands the ancient Romans. And
mark in this point the good fortune of Rome; instead of
losing them again as other nations have lost their trophies,
Superstition came to her aid and caused them to be
respected and preserved, till an enlightened age arose which
guided by Philosophy, Humanity and Science will for ever
preserve them secure against all attacks of barbarians in a
sanctuary so worthy of them. n
226
THE VATICAN MUSEUM
Museum Vaticanum*
A superb flight of steps leads into a hall of immense
length filled on each side with statues, busts, sarcophagi,
altars, urns, vases and candelabra, all monuments of
antiquity and of the most exquisite workmanship. The
walls on each side of this hall are inlaid with tablets bearing
inscriptions in Greek, Latin and Etruscan. One is quite
bewildered amongst such a profusion of Gods, Semi-Gods,
Heroes. I must single out a few of the most remarkable for
their workmanship. Here is a group representing the sacrifice
of Mithras. On ascending a few steps at the other end of this
hall, in a small octangular room, are the statue of Meleager ;
the famous Torso; the tomb of Scipio with bas-reliefs. On
leaving the chamber you come into an octangular gallery,
issuing from which are four circular chambers; each cham-
ber contains a masterpiece of art. In one is the Apollo
Belvedere, in another the Laocoon (both safely arrived
from Paris) ; in the third Antinous; in the fourth the Perseus
of Canova, with Medusa's head and his famous group of the
two pugilists. Descriptions of the three first would be
superfluous for of them
Mille altri ban detto e con via miglior plettro,
and even with respect to the Perseus of Canova, I shall
content myself with remarking that the sculptor had
evidently the Apollo Belvedere in his ideal, and if he has
not 'quite equalled that celebrated statue, it is [because
it is impossible; but he certainly has given the^ nearest
possible approximation to its excellence.
In another hall and just at its entrance are the statues
of Menander and Posidippus in a sitting posture, one on
either side. In this hall are innumerable fine statues, but the
further end of it, fronting you as you enter, is a statue
which at once engages and rivets your undivided attention;
it at once induces you to approach and to take no notice
of the statues on the right and left of the hall. And how
*Major Frye's description is incorrect in many particulars on which it
seemed unnecessary to'draw attention. ED.
Q2 227
AFTER WATERLOO
should it be otherwise, since it is the identical statue of the
father of the Gods and men, the famous Jupiter Capitolinus
which adorned the Capitol in ancient Rome. He is sitting on
a throne with a sceptre in one hand and the thunderbolts in
the other, at his feet an eagle. It is a glorious statue and in
every respect characteristic; such grandeur, such majesty
in the countenance! It is impossible not to feel awe and
reverence on beholding it. It was on contemplating this
venerable statue that an Englishman who was at Rome
some sixty years ago, stood wrapt for a time in silent
veneration; then suddenly breaking silence he made a
profound obeisance before the statue and exclaimed:
" Recollect, O father of the Gods and men, that I have
paid my homage to you in your adversity and do not forget
me, should you ever raise your head above water again! "
In the hall of the Muses are the statues of the tuneful
Nine which were found underground among the ruins of
Hadrian's villa at Tivoli.
In the centre of a circular chamber of vast dimensions,
is an enormous circular basin of porphyry, of forty-one feet
in diameter. A superb mosaic adorns the floor of the centre
of this chamber, and is inclosed. Appropriate ornaments to
this immense chamber are the colossal statues of the Dii
majorum Gentium. Here are Juno, Minerva, Cybele, Jupiter,
Serapis, Mars, Ceres, and others.
In another hall are two enormous Egyptian Gods in
yellow granite; two superb sarcophagi in red marble and
two immense Sphinxes in granite. In another chamber is
an antique car drawn by two horses : the near one is modern,
the off one ancient. The wheels of this car are modern;
both car and horses are of exquisite workmanship. Several
fine statues adorn this chamber, among which the most
remarkable are a Phocion, a Paris, an Antinous, and a
Triton carrying off a Nereid.
I must not omit to mention that in one of the halls is
the famous group of the Nile, represented by an enormous
colossal River God, surrounded by fourteen children olaying
228
STANZE DI RAFAELLO
with young crocodiles. Opposite to this group is another
equally celebrated, viz., the colossal statue of the Tiber,
with the she-wolf giving suck to Romulus and Remus by
his side. The mosaic pavements in this Museum surpass in
richness any in the world. In one of the halls, among the
works of modern times, are t\vo beautiful marble tables
richly inlaid with all sorts of stones of value, with bas-
reliefs on them; the one representing the visit of the
Emperor Joseph II, and the other that of Gustavus III of
Sweden to Rome, and their reception by the Pope.
One of the halls of sculpture is appropriated to the
figures of animals of all kinds, from the lion and eagle down
to the rat and crawfish in marbles of all colors, and of all
sizes; the best executed among them appeared to me a
group representing a greyhound bitch giving suck to her
young. As for the valuable cameos, coins, medals, and
smaller remnants of antiquity in this Museum, they are
innumerable.
With regard to the paintings that belong to this Museum,
there is only a small collection but it is unique. Here is the
Transfiguration and some other masterpieces of Rafaello.
In the Stanze di Rafaello (so they are called) are several
large fresco paintings, viz., one representing the battle of
Maxentius and Constantine; another, the school of Athens
and Socrates sitting among the other philosophers; a third
representing a fire; besides others.
In one of these stanze is a work in tapestry representing
Jesus Christ bursting forth from the sepulchre, but he has
a visage far too rubicund and wanting in dignity; he looks
like a person flushed with wine issuing from a tavern; in
the countenance there is depicted (so it appears to me) a
vulgar, not a dignified triumph.
The Palace of the Vatican is of immense size and is said
to cover as much ground as the city of Turin; and I am
inclined to think that there is not a great deal of exaggeration
in this statement, for the vista along the corridors and
galleries appears to be endless. The Library of the Vatican
229
AFTER WATERLOO
is of course very extensive and of immense value; but the
books, as well as the manuscripts, are kept in presses which
are locked, and it is rather awkward to be continually
applying to the custode to take out and put back a book.
The Museum of the Vatican is open twice a week to the
public, viz. Thursdays and Sundays; but foreigners, on
shewing their passports, may^obtain^admission at any
time.
ROME, 17th Sept.
My next visit was to the Capitol in order to inspect the
Museum Capitolinum. This time I ascended the magnificent
escalier of Michel Angelo, having the equestrian statue
of Marcus Aurelius in front. On arriving at the courtyard,
I entered the building on my left (which is on the right of
the facade). Under the colonnaded portico of this wing are
the statues of Caesar and Augustus; here too is the naval
column of the consul Duilius, in commemoration of the
first naval victory gained over the Carthaginians ; also a
colossal statue of the Rhine called Marforio. In one of the
halls two large statues of the Egyptian Goddess Isis and
various other Egyptian divinities. In this Museum among
other things is an altar representing Claudia drawing to the
land the Ship of Cybele; a magnificent sarcophagus with a
bas relief on its side representing the progress of life;
Amalthea giving suck to Jupiter; the God Anubis found
among the ruins of Adrian's palace at Tivoli. On ascending
the staircase, I observed on the right hand fixed in the wall
a tablet with a plan of ancient Rome carved on it. In one of
the halls above stairs the most remarkable statue is that
of the dying gladiator (brought back from Paris); this is
certainly a noble piece of sculpture; the bodily pain and
mental anguish are singularly well expressed in the counten-
ance; a superb bronze statue of Hercules; a Centaur in
black marble ; a Faun in rosso antico ; a group of Cupid and
Psyche; a Venus in Parian marble rather larger than the
common size. One of the halls in this museum contains the
busts of all the philosophers; another those of all the
230
THE CAPITOLINE MUSEUM
Roman emperors ; there is also a colossal statue of Pyrrhus ;
a superb Agrippina and the celebrated mosaic of the four
pigeons. In enumerating the above I have only to observe
that they only constitute a thousandth part of what is to
be seen here. After passing three hours in this wing of the
building, I went over across the courtyard to the other
wing. Under the portico of this wing the following are the
most remarkable among the statues : a Roman triumphans ;
two Phrygian kings in black marble. In one of the rooms
above stairs is a very remarkable piece of antiquity, viz.,
the bronze wolf giving suck to Romulus and Remus, which
was found in the temple of Romulus and which was struck
by lightning during the consulate of Julius: the marks
made by the lightning are quite distinct. There is in this
wing a small but excellent collection of paintings, and a
great variety of statues, busts, sarcophagi, candelabra,
and antiquities of all sorts.
The front part, or corps de logis of the Capitol is called
// Palazzo del Senato conservatore, and is the residence of the
Senator Romano who is chosen by the Pope. By the bye, I
understand this dignity is generally given to a foreigner,
the Pontiffs being rather jealous of the Roman nobility.
This wing of the Capitol employed me two hours ; but I
must visit this Museum as well as that of the Vatican
often again; for it would require months and years to
examine them duly.
ROME, 18th Sept.
On this side of the river which is called Transtevere, I
had an opportunity of observing the inhabitants, who are
called Transteverini, the most of whom pretend to be the
descendants of the ancient Romans, unmixed with any
foreign blood. They certainly have very much of that
physiognomy that is attributed to the ancient Romans, for
they are a tall, very robust race of men having something
of a ferocious dignity in their countenance which, however,
is full of expression, and the aquiline nose is a prominent
feature among them. They are exceedingly jealous of their
231
AFTER WATERLOO
women, whom they keep within doors as much as they can,
and if a stranger on passing by their doors should chance to
observe their wives or daughters who may be standing
there and should stop to admire them (for many of them
have an air of antique beauty and majesty of countenance
which is remarkably striking), they will instantly order the
females to retire, with an air of asperity.
Whether they really be the pure descendants of the
ancient Romans is difficult to say: but it is by no means
improbable, since even to this day they intermarry solely
with one another, and refuse to give their daughters in
marriage to foreigners or to those of mixed blood.
Instances have been known of these families, who are
for the most part very poor, refusing the most advantageous
offers of marriage made to their daughters by rich foreign
merchants and artists, on the ground merely that the
suitors were not Romani but Barbari.
As for the bourgeoisie of Rome in general, they have been
for some centuries back and are a very mixed race, com-
posed of all the nations of Europe. Most of the foreign
artists who come here to study the fine arts, viz., Belgians,
Dutch, German, French, English, Swedes, Danes, Poles
and Russians, as well as those from other parts of Italy,
struck with the beauty of the women, and pleased with the
tranquility and agreeable society that prevails in this
metropolis, and the total freedom from all gene and etiquette,
marry Roman women and fix here for life : so that among
this class you meet with more foreign names than Roman;
and it is this sort of colonisation which keeps up the popu-
lation of Rome, which would otherwise greatly decrease as
well from the celibacy of the number that become priests,
as from the malaria that prevails in and about the city in
July and August.
ROME, 19th Sept.
I have been employed for the last two days in visiting
some of the churches, palazzi and villas of modern Rome;
but the number is so prodigious and there are such a variety
232
THE CHURCHES OF ROME
of things to be seen in each that I shall only make mention
of a few; indeed there are many that I have not seen and
probably shall not have time to see. As sacred things
should precede profane, let us begin with the churches.
The first that claims the attention of the traveller after
St Peter's, is the church of St John Lateran which is the
oldest church in Christendom, and was the metropolitan of
Rome and of the Christian world before the building of St
Peter's. It lies very nearly in a right line with the Piazza di
Spagna, and on a prolonged line, forming an obtuse angle
with the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which, as I first
visited, I shall first describe and afterwards resume what
I have to remark on the subject of St John Lateran.
Santa Maria Maggiore is the third church in importance,
but the second in magnificence in Rome. Before its fa9ade
stands a single column of granite of the Corinthian order.
The faade of this church is beautiful but it would be far
better without the campanile, which I think always dis-
figures a church of Grecian architecture; besides it is not in
the centre of the building. The church is richly adorned
with mosaics and its several chapels are admirable from the
execution of their architecture and sculpture and the value
of the different rich marbles and precious stones with which
the monuments therein are made and incrusted. Among
these Chapels are those of Sixtus V, Paul V. The grand
altar is of porphyry. But the most striking beauty of this
church and which eclipses all its other ornaments, are the
forty columns of beautiful Grecian marble on each side of
the nave. The ceiling, too, is superb and richly gilt; the
gilding must have cost an immense sum and was done, it is
said, with the first gold that was brought from America.
Nothing can be more rich than this plafond. The above
forty columns belonged formerly to the temple of Juno
Lucina. It is singular that the ceremony of the accouche-
ment of the Virgin and the birth of Christ should be per-
formed here. On the 24th December this pantomime is
regularly acted, and crowds of all sorts of people attend,
233
AFTER WATERLOO
particularly women. At the moment that the Virgin is
supposed to be delivered a salve of artillery announces the
good tidings. This is singular, I say, when one recollects the
peculiar attributes of Juno Lucina and the assistance she
was supposed to give to persons in the same situation.
You cannot expect me to detail to you all the riches in
precious stones and gifts of pious princes that adorn the
several chapels of this and other churches ; but they appear
to contain every stone and jewel mentioned in the Arabian
Nights as being to be found in the cave where Aladdin was
left by the magician ; and it must be allowed that the Popes
have been remarkably adroit inchanters in conjuring to
Rome all the riches of the Earth.
The church of St John Lateran is larger and more
striking as to its exterior and as to its architecture than
that of Santa Maria Maggiore, but it is not so charged with
ornament and there is scarce any gilding. There is a
simple elegance about it that I think far more pleasing than
the magnificence of Santa Maria.
St John Lateran contains several beautiful pieces of
sculpture in white marble, rather larger than the usual size
of man, of the twelve Apostles, six on one side of the nave
and six on the other; and above them are bas-reliefs, also
in marble, representing the various scenes from the history
of the Old and New Testament. These twelve statues are
admirably well executed and they give to this temple an
air of simple grandeur. In this church are very few paintings
on mosaics, but little gilding and no superfluous ornaments.
Sculpture is, in my opinion, far more appropriate to a place
of worship than paintings or dazzling ornaments. Another
very striking beauty of this noble and venerable temple
are the columns it contains, some of which are in granite and
others of the most beautiful verd-antique. There are besides
two superb Corinthian columns of bronze which adorn
one of the altars. Among the chapels of this Cathedral is
one belonging to the Corsini family, which is probably the
richest in Europe, and contains more precious stones and
234
THE OBELISKS IN ROME
marbles than any other. Yet as this and the other chapels
are in recesses and separated from the aisles of the church
by large bronze gates, you cannot see then* contents till you
enter the said chapels; and thus your attention is not
diverted by them from the contemplation of the simple
grandeur of the columns and statues which adorn the body
of the temple.
The bronze columns above mentioned were taken from
the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. On one side in front of
the church of St John Lateran stands an immense Egyptian
Obelisk 115 feet in height, brought from Egypt to Rome
in the time of Constantine.
I think the placing of these Obelisks in front of the
fa9ade of the most remarkable edifices is an excellent
arrangement, as they are never-failing landmarks to dis-
tinguish from afar off the edifices to which they belong.
This Obelisk was found in the Circus Maximus, from which
it was removed and placed on this spot by Sixtus V. A large
Orphan establishment is close to this church; and close to
it also the Battisterio of Constantine, which rests on forty-
eight columns of porphyry, said to be the finest hi Europe.
Another church in the vicinity contains La Scala Santa or
holy staircase of marble which, according to the tradition,
adorned Pontius Pilate's palace at Jerusalem, and on which
identical staircase Jesus Christ ascended to be interrogated
by Pilate. The tradition further says that it was transported
to Rome by Angels. This staircase has twenty-eight steps,
and no one is allowed to mount it except on his knees.
Nobody ever descends it, but there are two other escaliers
parallel to it, one on the right hand, the other on the left, by
which you descend in the usual manner. Not being aware of
this ceremony, I, on entering the edifice, began to ascend
the escalier which was nearest to me, which proved to be the
Scala Santa, for no sooner had I begun to ascend it as I
would any other flight of steps than two or three voices
screamed out: " Signore! O signore! a ginocchia; c'e la scala
santa!" I asked what was meant and was then told the
235
AFTER WATERLOO
whole story, and that it was necessary to mount this
staircase on one's knees or not at all. This I did not think
worth the trouble, being quite contented with beholding it.
The marble of this staircase is much worn by the number of
devout people who ascend it in this manner, and this
ceremony, aided by a quantum suff of faith is no doubt of
great efficacy.
The fourth church in estimation, and I believe the next
ancient in Rome to St John Lateran, is the church of San
Paolo fuor della mura, so called from its being situated
outside the gates of the city. It is of immense size, but out of
repair and neglected. The most striking object of its archi-
tectural contents are the 120 columns of Parian marble
which support its nave.
St Pietro in Vincoli is chiefly remarkable for its being
built near the dungeon where, according to the tradition,
St Peter was confined and from whence he was released by
Angels; its chief ornament is the colossal statue of Moses.
Somewhere close to this place are shewn the ruins of the
Mamertine prison where Jugurtha was incarcerated and
died.
There are in Rome about three hundred other churches,
all of which can boast of very interesting and valuable
contents. One in particular called the Portuguese Church
is uncommonly beautiful tho' small; another, that of
St Ignazio, or the Jesuits' church, is vast and imposing, and
very fine singing is occasionally to be heard there.
ROME, 21st Sept.
The Palace occupied by the Pope is that of the Quirinal,
standing on the Quirinal Hill, which is commonly called
Monte Cavallo from the statues of the two Hippodamoi or
tamers of horses, thought to be meant for Castor and
Pollux which stand on this hill ; this group is surmounted by
an Egyptian obelisk. These statues are said to be the work
of Phidias ; but there is a terrible disproportion between the
men and the horses they are leading; they give you the idea
236
PALACES AND FOUNTAINS
of Brobdignagians leading Shetland ponies. The Quirinal
palace is every way magnificent and worthy of the Sove-
reign Pontiff; there are large grounds annexed to it; it
stands nearly in the centre of Rome and from this palace
are dated the Papal edicts. The Pope resides here during
the whole year, with the exception of three or four months
in the hot season, when he repairs to Castel Gandolfo near
la Riccia.
Of the fountains the grandest and most striking is that
of Trevi, which lies at the foot of Quirinal Hill. Here is a
magnificent group in marble of Neptune, in his car in the
shape of a mussel-shell drawn by Sea-horses and surrounded
by Nymphs and Tritons. An immense basin of white marble,
as large as a moderate sized pond, receives the water which
gushes from the nostrils of the Sea-horses and from the
mouths of the Tritons. There is a very good and just remark
made on the subject of this group by Stolberg, viz. the
attention of Neptune seems too much directed towards one
of his horses, a piece of minutiae more worthy of a chariot-
eer endeavouring to turn a difficult corner, than of the God
who at a word could control the winds and tranquillize
the Ocean.
The fountain Termina, so called from its vicinity to the
Thermes of Diocletian, is the next remarkable fountain.
Here is a colossal statue of Moses striking the rock and
causing the water to gush forth. The grandeur and majesty
of this statue would be more striking but for the incon-
gruity of the arcades on each side of the rock, and the two
lions in black basalt who spout water. Moses and the rock
would have been sufficient. Simplicity is, in my opinion, the
soul of architecture, and where is there in all history a
subject more peculiarly adapted to a fountain than this
part of the history of Moses?
The Fountain Paolina is a fountain that springs from
under a beautiful arcade, but there are no statues nor bas-
reliefs. It is a plain neat fountain and the water is esteemed
the best in Rome. This fountain is situated on the Janicule
237
AFTER WATERLOO
Hill, from which you have perhaps the best view of Rome ;
as it re-unites more than any other position, at one coup d* ceil,
both the modern and debris of the ancient city, without
the view of the one interfering with or being intercepted by
the other. From here you can distinguish ruins of tri-
umphal arches, broken columns, aqueducts, etc., as far as
the eye can reach. It demonstrates what an immense
extent of ground ancient Rome must have covered. Near
the fountain is the church where St Peter is said to have
suffered martyrdom with his head downwards.
The Column of Trajan is near the fountain Trevi, and it
stands in an inclosure, the pavement of which is seven feet
lower than the piazza on which it stands. The inclosure is
walled round. Had not this excavation been made, one
third of the column (lower part) would not be seen. The
Piazza on which this column stands is called II foro Tra-
jano. The column represents Trajan's triumphs over the
Daci, Quadi and Marcomanni, and is the model from whence
Napoleon's column of the Grand Army in the Place Vendome
at Paris is taken. A statue of St Peter stands on this
column.
The Column of Antoninus stands on the Piazza Colonna;
on it are sculptured the victories gained by that Emperor.
Round this column it has not been necessary to make exca-
vations. On this column stands the statue of St Paul.
Amongst the immense variety of edifices and ruins of
edifices which most interest the antiquarian are the Ther-
mes of Diocletian. Here are four different semi-circular
halls, two of which were destined for philosophers, one
for poets and one for orators; baths; a building for tennis
or rackets; three open courts, one for the exercise of the
discus, one for athletes and one for hurling the javelin. Of
this vast building part is now a manufactory, and the
hall of the wrestlers is a Carthusian church.
I have now, I believe, visited most, if not all that is to
be seen in Rome. I have visited the Pyramid of Cestius, the
tomb of Metella, I have consulted the nymph Egeria,
238
THE ATELIER OF CANOVA
smelled at the Cloaca Maxima; in fine, I have given in to
all the singeries of pedantry and virtu with as much ardour
as Martinus Scriblerus himself would have done. But it
yet remains for me to speak of the most interesting exhi-
bition that modern Rome can boast, and of the most interest-
ing person in it and in all Italy, and that is the atelier of
Canova and Canova himself, the greatest sculptor, perhaps,
either of ancient or modern times, except the mighty un-
known who conceived and executed the Apollo of the
Vatican.
In the atelier of Canova the most remarkable statues I
observed are: a group of Hector and Ajax of colossal size,
not quite finished; a Centaur, also colossal; a Hebe; two
Ballerine or dancing girls, one of which rivetted my atten-
tion most particularly. She is reclining against a tree with
her cheek appuyed on one hand; one of her feet is uplifted
and laid along the other leg as if she were reposing from a
dance. The extreme beauty of the leg and foot, the pulpiness
of the arms, the expressive sweetness of the face, and the
resemblance of the marble to wax in point of mellowness,
gives to this beautiful statue the appearance of a living
female brunette. It was a long time before I could withdraw
my eyes from that lovely statue.
The next object that engaged my attention was a group
representing a Nymph reclining on a couch semi-supine, and
a Cupid at her feet. The luxurious contour of the form of
this Nymph is beyond expression and reminded me of the
description of Olympia:
Le parti che solea coprir la stola
Fur di tanta eccellenza, ch'anteporse
A quante n'avea il mondo potean forse.*
Parts which are wont to be concealed by gown
i Are such, as haply should be placed before
Whate'er this ample world contains in store.
Trans. W. S. ROSE
This group is destined for the Prince Regent of England.
Another beautiful group represents the three Graces; this
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso.xi, 67, 6.
239
AFTER WATERLOO
is intended for the Duke of Bedford. Were it given to me
to chuse for myself among all the statues in the atelier of
Canova, I should chuse these three, viz., the Ballerina, the
Nymph reclining, and this group of the Graces.
Canova certainly is inimitable in depicting feminine
beauty, grace and delicacy. Among the other statues in this
atelier the most prominent are: a statue of the Princess
Leopoldina Esterhazy in the attitude of drawing on a tablet
with this inscription:
Anch'io voglio tentar I'arte del hello.
This lady is, it seems, a great proficient in painting.
Here too are the moulds of the different statues made by
Canova, the statues themselves having been finished long
ago and disposed of; viz., of the Empress Maria Louisa of
France; of the mother of Napoleon (Madame Mere as she is
always called) in the costume and attitude of Agrippina;
of a colossal statue of Napoleon (the statue itself is, I
believe, in the possession of Wellington.*) Here too is the
bust of Canova by Canova himself, besides a great variety
of bas-reliefs and busts of individuals, models of monu-
ments, etc.
And now, my friend, I have given you a precis not of all
that I have seen, but of what has most interested me and
made on my mind impressions that can never be effaced. I
trust entirely to my memory, for I made no notes on the
spot. Many of the things I have seen too much in a hurry to
form accurate ideas and judgment thereon; most of what
we see here is shewn to us like the figures in a lanterna
magica, for in the various palazzi and villas the servants
who exhibit them hurry you from room to room, impatient
to receive your fee and to get rid of you. I am about to
depart for Naples. On my return to Rome I shall not think
of revisiting the greater number of the palazzi, villas and
churches; but there are some things I shall very frequently
* That colossal marble statue was given to the Duke of Wellington by
Louis XVIII, and is still to be seen in London, at Apsley House. ED.
240
THEATRICALS AT ROME
revisit and these are the two Museums of the Vatican and of
the Capitol, St Peter's, the Coliseum and antiquities in its
neighbourhood, the Pantheon, and last but not least the
atelier of the incomparable Canova.
You may perhaps be unwilling to let me depart from
Rome without some information as to theatricals. With
regard to these, Rome must hang down her head, for the
pettiest town in all the rest of Italy or France is better pro-
vided with this sort of amusement than Rome. There is a
theatre called Teatro delta Valle, where there is a very indif-
ferent set of actors, and this is the only theatre which is
open throughout the year. Comedies only and farces are
given. The theatres Aliberti and Argentine are open during
the Carnaval only. Operas are given at the Argentine, and
masquerades at the Aliberti. But in fact the lovers of
Operas and of the Drama must not come to Rome for grati-
fication. It is not considered conformable to the dignity and
sanctity of an ecclesiastical government to patronize them ;
and it is not the custom or etiquette for the Pope, Cardinals
or higher Clergy ever to visit them. The consequence is that
no performer of any consideration or talent is engaged to
sing at Rome, except one or two by chance at the time of the
Carnaval. In amends for this you have a good deal of music
at the houses of individuals who hold conversazioni or
assemblies; in which society would flag very much but for
the music, which prevents many a yawn, and which is useful
and indispensable in Italy to make the evening pass, as
cards are in England.
I intend to stop several days here on my return from
Naples, for which place I shall start the day after to-morrow
having engaged a place in a vettura for two and half louis
d'or and to be spesato. I am not to be deterred from my
journey by the many stories of robberies and assasinations
which are said to occur so frequently on that road.
By the bye, talking of robberies and murders, a man was
executed the day before yesterday on the Piazza del Popolo
for a triple murder. I saw the guillotine, which is now the
R 241
AFTER WATERLOO
usual mode of punishment, fixed on the centre of the Piazza
and the criminal escorted there by a body of troops; but I
did not stop to witness the decapitation, having no taste for
that sort of pleasuring. This man richly deserved his
punishment.
\
242
CHAPTER XI
From Rome to Naples Albano Velletri The Marshes Terracina
Mola di Gaeta Capua The streets of Naples Monuments and Museums
Visit to Pompeii and ascent to Vesuvius Dangerous ventures Puzzuoli
and Baiae Theatres at Naples Pulcinello Return to Rome Tivoli.
I STARTED from Rome on the 26th September; in the
same vettura I found an intelligent young Frenchman
of the name of R D , a magistrate in Corsica,
who was travelling in Italy for his amusement. There were
besides a Roman lawyer and not a very bright one by the
bye; and a fat woman who was going to Naples to visit her
lover, a Captain in the Austrian service, a large body of
Austrian troops being still at Naples. We issued from
Rome by the Porta Latino, and reached Albano (the ancient
Alba) sixteen miles distant at twelve o'clock. We reposed
there two hours which gave me an opportunity of visiting
the Villa Doria where there are magnificent gardens. These
gardens form the promenade of the families who come to
Albano to pass the heat of the summer and to avoid the
effect of the exhalations of the marshy country about
Rome.
As Albano is situated on an eminence, you have a fine
view of the whole plain of Latium and Rome in perspective.
The country of Latium however is flat, dreary and monoto-
nous ; it affords pasture to an immense quantity of black
cattle, such as buffaloes, etc.
Just outside of Albano, on the route to Naples, is a curious
ancient monument called II sepolcro degli Orazj e Curiazj.
It is built of brick, is extremely solid, of singular appearance,
from its being a square monument, flanked at each angle by
a tower in the shape of a cone. It is of an uncouth rustic
appearance and must certainly have been built before
Grecia capta ferum viclorem cepit et artes
Intulit agresti Latio *
* Horace, Epist., 11, i, 156. ED.
R2 243
AFTER WATERLOO
and I see no reason against its being the sepulchre of the
Horatii and Curiatii, particularly as it stands so near Alba
where the battle was fought; but be this as it may there is
nothing like faith in matters of antiquity; the sceptic can
have little pleasure.
The country on leaving Albano becomes diversified,
woody and picturesque. Near Gensano is the beautiful lake
of Nemi, and it is the spot feigned by the poets as the scene
of the amours of Mars and Rhea Silvia. Near Gensano also
is the country residence of the Sovereign Pontiffs called
Castel Gandolfo. La Riccia, the next place we passed thro',
is the ancient Aricia, mentioned in Horace's journey to
Brundusium. We arrived in the evening at Velletri.
Velletri is a large town or rather city situated on a moun-
tain, to which you ascend by a winding road skirting a
beautiful forest. From the terrace of one of the Palazzi
here, you have a superb view of all the plain below as far as
the rock of Circe, comprehending the Pontine marshes.
There are several very fine buildings at Velletri, and it is
remarkable as being the birthplace of Augustus Caesar.
There is a spacious Piazza too on which stands a bronze
statue of Pope Urban VIII. Velletri is twenty-eight miles
from Rome.
The next morning, the 27th, we started early so as to
arrive by six o'clock in the evening at Terracina. At Cister-
na is a post-house and at Torre tre Ponti is a convent, a
beautiful building, but now delapidated and neglected.
Near it is a wretched inn, where however you are always
sure to find plenty of game to eat. Here begin the Pontine
marshes and the famous Appian road which runs in a
right line for twenty-five miles across the marshes. It was
repaired and perfectly reconstructed by Pius VI, and from
him it bears its present appellation of Linea Pia. This con-
vent and church were also constructed by Pius VI with a
view to facilitate the draining and cultivating of the marshes
by affording shelter to the workmen. The Linea Pia is a
very fine chaussee considerably raised above the level of the
244
THE PONTINE MARSHES
marsh, well paved, lined with trees and a canal sunk on one
side to carry off the waters. The Pontine marshes extend
all the way from Torre tre Ponti to Terracina. On the left
hand side, on travelling from Rome to Naples, you have
two miles or thereabouts of plain bounded by lofty moun-
tains ; on the right a vast marshy plain bounded by the sea
at a distance of seven or eight miles. Nothing can be more
monotonous than this strait road twenty-five miles in
length, and the same landscape the whole way. The air is
extremely damp, aguish and unhealthy. Those who travel
late in the evening or early in the morning are recommended
not to let down the glasses of the carriage, in order to avoid
inhaling the pestilential miasma from the marshes, which
even the canal has not been able to drain sufficiently.
No one can find amusement in this desolate region but
the sportsman; and he may live in continual enjoyment,
and slay wild ducks and snipes in abundance; a number of
buffaloes are to be seen grazing on the marshes. They are
not to be met with to the North of Rome. They resemble
entirely the buffaloes of Egypt and India, being black,
and they are very terrific looking animals to the northern
traveller, who beholds them here for the first time.
These marshes supply Rome abundantly with water-
fowl and other game of all kinds. Every vetturino who is
returning to Rome, on passing by, buys a quantity, for a
mere. trifle, from the^ peasantry, who employ themselves
mucht la chasse, and he is certain to sell them again at
Rome for three or four times the price he paid, and even
then it appears marvellous cheap to an Englishman, accus-
tomed as he is to pay a high price for game in his own country.
We arrived a little before six at Terracina, which is on
the banks of the Mediterranean and may be distinguished
at a great distance by its white buildings.^The chain of
mountains on the left of our road hither form a sort of arch
to the chord of the linea Pia and terminates one end of the
arch by meeting the linea Pia at Terracina, whicfr forms
what the sailors call a bluff point. Terracina stands on the
245
AFTER WATERLOO
situation of the ancient Anxur and the description of it by
Horace in his Brundusian journey:
Impositum saxis late candentibus Anxur*
is perfectly applicable even now. It is a handsome looking
city and is the last town in the Pope's territory: part of it is
situated on the mountain and part on the plain at its foot
close to the sea.
The fine white buildings on the heights, the temple of
Jupiter Anxurus (of which the fa9ade and many columns
remain entire) towering above them, the orange trees and
the sea, afford a view doubly pleasing and grateful to the
traveller after the dreary landscape of the Pontine Marshes.
There is but one inn at Terracina but that is a very large
one; there is, however, but very indifferent fare and bad
attendance. The innkeeper is a sad over-reaching rascal,
who fleeces in the most unmerciful manner the traveller
who is not spesato. He is obliged to furnish those who are
spesati with supper and lodging at the vetturino's price ; but
he always grumbles at it, gives the worst supper he can and
bestows it as if he were giving alms. As the road between
Terracina and Fondi (the first Neapolitan town) is said to
be at times infested by robbers, few travellers care to
start till broad daylight. We did so accordingly the following
morning. On arriving at a place called the Epitafio, from
there being an ancient tomb there, we took leave of the last
Roman post. At one mile and half beyond the Epitafio is
the first Neapolitan post at a place called Torre de 1 Confini,
where we were detained half an hour to have our passports
examined and our portmanteaus searched. Three miles
beyond this post is the miserable and dirty town of Fondi,
wherein our baggage again underwent a strict search. On
leaving Terracina the road strikes inland and has moun-
tains covered with wood to the right and to the left, nor do
we behold the sea again till just before we arrive at Mola
di Gaeta, which is an exceeding long straggling town on its
* Horace, Sat., i, 5, 26. ED.
246
TO CAPUA AND NAPLES
banks; several fishing vessels lie here and it is here that
part of the Bay of Naples begins to open. The country
from Terracina to Fondi is uncultivated and very mountain-
ous; between Fondi and Mola di Gaeta it is pretty well
cultivated; Itri, thro' which we passed, is a long, dirty,
wretched looking village.
The next day at twelve o'clock we arrived and stopped to
dine at St Agatha, a miserable village, with a very bad tho'
spacious inn the half of which is unroofed. We arrived at
Capua the same evening having passed the rivers Garig-
liano and Volturno, and leaving the Falernian Hills on
our left during part of the road. The landscape is very
varied on this route, sometimes mountainous, sometimes
thro' a rich plain in full cultivation.
Capua is a fortified town situated in a flat country and
marshy withal. It is a gloomy, dirty looking city and
whatever may have been its splendour and allurements
in ancient times, it at present offers nothing inviting or
remarkable. The lower classes of the people of this town
are such thieves that our vetturino recommended us to
remove every thing from the carriage into our bed rooms,
so that we had the trouble of repacking every thing next
morning. Capua is the only place on the whole route where
it is necessary to take the trunks from the carriage. From
Capua to Naples is twenty miles ; a little beyond Capua are
the remains of a large Amphitheatre and this is all that exists
to attest the splendour of ancient Capua. The road between
Capua and Naples presents on each side one of the richest
and most fruitful countries I ever beheld. It is a perfect
garden the whole way. The chaussce is lined with fruit trees.
Halfway is the town or borgo of Aversa which is large, well-
built, opulent and populous. We entered Naples at one o'clock,
drove thro' the strada di Toledo and from thence to the largo di
Medina where we put up at the inn called the Aquila nera.
A cordon of Austrian troops lines the whole high road from
Fondi to the gates of Naples ; and there are double sentries
at a distance of one mile from each other the whole way.
247
AFTER WATERLOO
NAPLES, Octr. 5th.
In Naples the squares or Piazze are called Larghi; they
are exceedingly irregular as to shape ; a trapezium would be
the most appropriate denomination for them. The Largo
di Medina is situated close to the Mole and light house and
is not far from the Largo del Palazzo where the Royal
Palace stands, nor from the Strada di Toledo, which is the
most bustling part of the town. On the Mole and sometimes
in the Largo di Medini Pulcinello holds forth all day long,
quacks scream out the efficacy of their nostrums and
improvisatori recite battles of Paladins. Here and in the
Strada di Toledo the noise made by the vendors of vege-
tables, fruit, lemonade, iced water and water-melons, who
on holding out their wares to view, scream out "0 che bella
cosa!" the noise and bustle of the cooks' shops in the
open air and the cries of "Lavora!" made by the drivers of
calessini (sort of carriage) makes such a deafening tinta-
marre that you can scarcely hear the voice of your com-
panion who walks by your side. In the Largo del Palazzo
there is always a large assembly of officers and others,
besides a tolerable quantity of ruffiani, who fasten upon
strangers in order to recommend to them their female
acquaintances. A little further is the Quai of St Lucia,
where the fish market is held, and here the cries increase.
The quantity of fish of all sorts caught in the bay and
exposed for sale in the market is immense and so much more
than can be sold, that the rest is generally given away to
the Lazzaroni. Here are delicious mullets, oysters, whitings,
soles, prawns, etc. There is on the Quai of St Lucia a
restaurant where naught but fish is served, but that is so
well dressed and in such variety that amateurs frequently
come to dine here on maigre days; for two carlini* you
may eat fish of all sorts and bread at discretion. The wine
* A carlino is of the value of half a franc or five pence English. The accounts
in Naples are kept in ducati, carlini and grant. Ten carlini make a ducat and
ten grani (a copper coin) make a carlino. A grano is a sou French in value.
The ducato is an imaginary coin. The scudo Napoletano, a handsome silver
coin of the size of an fcu de six francs, is equal to twelve carlini.
248
LIFE IN NAPLES
is paid for extra. On the Quai of St Lucia is a fountain of
mineral water which possesses the most admirable qualities
for opening the primae viae and purifying the blood. It is
an excellent drink for bilious people or for those afflicted
with abdominal obstructions and diseases of the liver. It
has a slight sulfurous mixed with a ferruginous taste, and is
impregnated with a good deal of fixed air, which makes it a
pleasant beverage. It should be taken every morning
fasting. The presidency over this fountain is generally
monopolized by a piscatory nymph who expects a grano for
the trouble of filling you a glass or two. In reaching it to
you she never fails to exclaim " Buono per le natiche," and
it certainly has a very rapid effect; I look upon it as more
efficacious than the Cheltenham waters and it is certainly
much more agreeable in taste. At the end of the Quai of St
Lucia is the Castello dell 'Uovo,a Gothic fortress, before the
inner gate of which hangs an immense stuffed crocodile. This
crocodile is said to have been found alive in the fosse of the
castle, but how he came there has never been explained;
there is an old woman's story that he came every day to the
dungeon where prisoners were confined, and took out one
for his dinner. The Castello dell 'Uovo stands on the extremi-
ty of a tongue of land which runs into the sea. After passing
the Castello dell 'Uovo I came to the Chiaia or Quai pro-
perly so called, which is the most agreeable part of Naples
and the favorite promenade of the beau-monde. The finest
buildings and Palazzi line the Chiaia on the land side and
above them all tower the Castle of St Elmo and the
Chartreuse with several villas intervening. The garden
of the Chiaia contains gravel walks, grass plots, alleys of
trees, fountains, plantations of orange, myrtle and laurel
trees which give a delightful fragrance to the air; and
besides several other statues, it boasts of one of the finest
groups in Europe, called the Toro Farnese. It is a magnifi-
cent piece of sculpture and represents three men endeavour-
ing to hold a ferocious bull. It is a pity, however, that so
valuable a piece of sculpture should be exposed to the
249
AFTER WATERLOO
vicissitudes of the season in the open air. The marble has
evidently suffered much by it. Why is such a valuable piece
of sculpture not preserved in the Museum?
On the Chiaia are restaurants and cafes. 'Tis here also
that the nobility display their carriages and horses, it being
the fashionable drive in the afternoon : and certainly, except
in London, I have never seen such a brilliant display of
carriages as at Naples.
The principal street at Naples is the Strada di Toledo. It
resembles the Rite StHonore and can boast of as much wealth
in its shops. The houses are good, solid and extremely lofty,
and the streets are paved with lava. There are two excellent
restaurants at Naples, one in the Largo del Palazzo, nearly
opposite the Royal Palace, called the Villa di Napoli; the
other not far from it in the Strada di Toledo, called La
Corona di Ferro. Naples is renowned for the excellency of
its ices. You have them in the shape of all kinds of fruit and
wonderfully cheap. Many of the ice houses and caffes
remain open day and night; as do some of the gaming
tables, which are much frequented by the upper classes.
The theatre of St Carlo, which was consumed last year by
fire, is rising rapidly from its ashes and will soon be finished.
In the mean time Operas are performed at the Teatro Fondi,
a moderate sized theatre. I here saw performed the opera of
Don Giovanni of Mozart, with the ballo of La pazza per
amore. Mme Colbran, a Spanish lady, is the Prima Donna
and an excellent singer.
In all the private societies at Naples a great deal of
gaming goes on, and at some houses those visitors, who do
not play, are coolly received. The following may be con-
sidered as a very fair specimen of the life of a young man of
rank and fashion at Naples. He rises about two p.m., takes
his chocolate, saunters about in the Strada di Toledo or in
the Largo del Palazzo for an hour or two, then takes a
promenade a cheval on the Chiaia; dines between six and
seven; goes to the Opera where he remains till eleven or
half -past eleven; he then saunters about in the different
250
THE MUSEUM OF NAPLES
Cafes for an hour or two; and then repairs to the gaming
table at the Ridotto, which he does not quit till broad
daylight. The ladies find a great resource in going to church,
which serves to pass away the time that is not spent in bed,
or at the Opera, or at the promenade en voiture. The ladies
seldom take exercise on foot at Naples. There being very
little taste for litterature in this vast metropolis, the most
pleasant society is among the foreign families who inhabit
Naples or at the houses of the Corps diplomatique. There is,
however, a good cabinet litteraire and library in the Strada
di San Giacomo, where various French and Italian news-
papers may be read. The Austrians occupy the greater part
of the military posts at Naples; at the Royal Palace however
the Sicilian guards do duty; they are clothed in scarlet
and a I'anglaise.
NAPLES, 8th Octr.
One day I went to visit the Museum or Studii, as it is
called, which is situated at the extremity of the Strada di
Toledo on the land side. Here is a superb collection of
sculpture and painting; and this building contains likewise
the national library, and a choice and unique collection of
Etruscan vases. A large hall contains these vases, which
were found at Pompeii* ; they are much admired for their
beauty and simplicity; each vase has a mythological or
historical painting on it. In this Museum I was shewn the
rolls of papyrus found in Pompeii and Herculaneum and
the method of unrolling them. The work to unroll which
they are now employed at this Museum is a Greek treatise
on philosophy by Epicurus. It is a most delicate operation
to unroll these leaves, and with the utmost possible care
it is impossible to avoid effacing many of the letters, and
even sentences, in the act of unrolling. It must require also
considerable learning and skill in the Greek language, com-
bined with a good deal of practise, to supply the deficiency
of the words effaced. When these manuscripts are put in
print, the letters that remain on the papyrus are put in
* Not one of these vases was found at Pompeii. ED.
251
AFTER WATERLOO
black type, and the words guessed at are supplied in red; so
that you see at one glance what letters have been preserved,
and what are supplied to replace those effaced by the opera-
tion of unrolling; and in this manner are all the papyrus
manuscripts printed.
Visit to Pompeii and Ascent of Vesuvius.
llth Oct.
We returned, Mr R D and I, from our visit to
Vesuvius, half dead with fatigue from having had little or
no rest the whole night, about three o'clock to Naples.
We left Naples in a caleche yesterday after breakfast and
drove to Portici. Portici, Resina, and Torre del Greco are
beautiful little towns on the sea-shore of the bay of Naples
or rather they may be termed a continuation of the city, as
they are close together in succession, and the interval filled
up with villas. The distance from the gates of Naples to
Portici is three miles. The road runs through the court yard
of the Royal Palace at Portici which has a large archway at
its entrance and sortie. We proceeded to Resina and alighted
in order to descend under ground to Herculaneum, Resina
being built on the spot where Herculaneum stood. There
are always guides on this road on the look out for travellers ;
one addressed us, and conducted us to a house where we
alighted and entered. Our guide then prepared a flambeau,
and having unlocked and lifted up a trap door invited us to
descend. A winding rampe under ground leads to Hercu-
laneum. We discovered a large theatre with its proscenium,
seats, corridors, vomitories, etc., and we were enabled,
having two lighted torches with us, to read the inscriptions.
Some statues that were found here have been removed to
the Museum at Portici. This is the only part of Herculaneum
that has been excavated; for if any further excavations
were attempted, the whole town of Resina, which is built
over it, would fall in. Herculaneum no doubt contains many
things of value, but it would be rather too desperate a stake
to expose the town of Resina to certain ruin, for the sake of
252
VISIT TO POMPEII
what might be found. At Pompeii the case is very different,
there being nothing built over its site.
After having satisfied our curiosity here, we regained the
light of heaven in Resina, and proceeded to Pompeii, which
is seven miles further, the total distance from Naples to
Pompeii being ten miles. The part of Pompeii already dis-
covered looks like a town with the houses unroofed situated
in a deep gravel or sand pit, the depth of which is consider-
ably greater than the height of the buildings standing in it.
You descend into it from the brink, which is on a level with
the rest of the country ; Pompeii is consequently exposed to
the open air, and you have neither to go under ground, nor
to use flambeaux as at Herculaneum, but simply to descend
as into a pit. There is always a guard stationed at Pompeii
to protect the place from delapidation and thefts of anti-
quarians. From its resembling, as I have already said, a
town in the centre of a deep gravel pit, you come upon it
abruptly and on looking down you are surprized to see a
city newly brought to day. The streets and houses here
remain entire, the roofs of the houses excepted, which fell
in by the effect of the excavation ; so that you here behold a
Roman city nearly in the exact state it was in when it was
buried under the ashes of Vesuvius, during its first eruption
in the year 79 of the Christian era. It does not appear to me
that the catastrophe of Pompeii could have been occasioned
by an earthquake, for if so the streets and houses would not
be found upright and entire : it appears rather to have been
caused by the showers of ashes and ecroulement of the
mountain, which covered it up and buried it for ever from
the sight of day. The first place our guide took us to see
was a superb Amphitheatre about half as large as the
Coliseum: the arena and seats are perfect, and all the
interior is perfectly cleared out: so are the dens where the
wild beasts were kept; so that you look down into this
amphitheatre as into a vast basin standing on its brink,
which is on a level with the rest of the ground around it,
and by means of the seats and passages you may descend
253
AFTER WATERLOO
into the arena. This Amphitheatre is at a short distance
from the rest of the town. What is at present discovered of
this city consists of a long street with several off-sets of
streets issuing from it: a temple, two theatres, a praeto-
rium, a large barrack, and a peculiarly large house or villa
belonging probably to some eminent person, but no doubt
when the excavation shall be recommenced many more
streets will be discovered, as from the circumstance of there
being an amphitheatre, two other theatres and a number
of sepulchral monuments outside the gates, it must have
been a city of great consequence. Most of the houses seem
to have had two stories ; the roofs fell in of course by the act
of excavation, but the columns remain entire. I observe
that the general style of building in Pompeii in most of the
houses is as follows: that in each building there is a court
yard in the centre, something like the court yard of a con-
vent, which is sometimes paved in mosaic, and generally
surrounded by columns; in the middle of this court is a
fountain or basin : the court has no roof and the wings of the
house form a quadrangle environing it. The windows and
doors of the rooms are made in the interior sides of the
quadrangle looking into the court yard; on the exterior
there appears to be only a small latticed window near the
top of the room to admit light. I have seen in Egypt and in
India similarly built houses, and it is the general style of
building in Andalusia and Barbary. In the rooms are niches
in the walls for lamps, precisely in the style of the Moorish
buildings in India.
In many of the chambers of the houses at Pompeii are
paintings al fresco and arabesques on the walls which on
being washed with water appear perfectly fresh. The sub-
jects of these paintings are generally from the mythology.
In some of the rooms are paintings al fresco of fish, flesh,
fowl and fruit; in others Venus and the Graces at their
toilette, from which we may infer that the former were
dining rooms and the latter boudoirs. A large villa (so I
deem it as it stands without the gates) has a number of
254
THE TEMPLE OF ISIS, THE PR^ETORIUM
rooms, two stories entire and three court yards with foun-
tains, many beautiful fresco paintings on the walls of the
chambers. Annexed to this villa is a garden arranged in
terraces and a fish pond. A covered gallery supported by
pillars on one of the sides of the garden served probably
as a promenade in wet weather. In the cellars of this villa
are a number of amphorae with narrow necks. Had the
ancients used corks instead of oil to stop their amphorce,
wine eighteen hundred years old might have been found
here. It is not the custom even of the modern Italians to
use corks for the wine they keep for their own use: a
spoonful of oil is poured on the top of the wine in the flask
and when they mean to drink it they extract the oil by
means of a lump of cotton fastened to a stick or long pin
which enters the neck of the flask and absorbs and extracts
the oil.
Among the buildings discovered in Pompeii is a large
Temple of Isis; here you behold the altar and the pillar to
which the beasts of sacrifice were fastened. In this temple
at the time of the first excavation were found all the instru-
ments of sacrifice and other things appertaining to the wor-
ship of that Goddess. These and other valuables such as
statues, coins, utensils of all sorts were removed to Portici,
where they are now to be seen in the Museum of that place.
The Prcetorium at Pompeii is the next remarkable thing; it
is a vast enclosure : a great number of columns are standing
upright here and the most of them entire; the steps form-
ing the ascent to the elevated seat where the Praetor
usually sat, remain entire. There is a large building and
court yard near one of the gates of the city supposed to
have been a barrack for soldiers; three skeletons were
found here with their legs in a machine similar to our
stocks. The scribbling and caricatures on the walls of this
barrack are perfectly visible and legible. When one wanders
thro' the streets of this singularly interesting city, one is
tempted to think that the inhabitants have just walked out.
What a dreadful lingering death must have befallen these
255
AFTER WATERLOO
inhabitants who could not escape from Pompeii at the time
of the eruption of Vesuvius which coverd it with ashes!
The air could only be exhausted by degrees, so that a pro-
longed suffocation or a death by hunger must have been
their lot.
Four skeletons were found upright in the streets, having
in their hands boxes containing jewellery and things of
value, as if in the act of endeavouring to make their escape :
these must soon have perished, but the skeleton of a woman
found in one of the rooms of the houses close to a bath
shews that her death must have been one of prolonged
suffering.
What a fine subject ^Pompeii would furnish for the pen
of a Byron! As I have before remarked, all the valuables
and utensils of all sorts found here have been removed
to Portici; it is a great pity that everything could not
be left in Pompeii in the exact situation in which it
was found on its first discovery at the excavation.
What a light it would have thrown (which no description
can give) on the melancholy catastrophe as well as on the
private life and manners of the ancients! But if they had
been left here, they would, even tho' a guard of soldiers
were stationed here to protect them, have been by degrees
all stolen.
There were some magnificent tombs just outside the
gates which must have been no small ornament to the
city.
We returned to Resina to dinner at six o'clock.
We had made an arrangement with one of the guides of
Vesuvius called Salvatore that he should be ready for us at
Resina at seven o'clock with a mule and driver for each of
us to ascend the mountain, and we found him very punc-
tual at the door of the inn at that hour. The terms of the
journey were as follows. One scudo for Salvatore and one
scudo for each mule and driver for which they were to for-
ward us to the mountain, remain the whole night and re-
conduct us to Resina the following morning. The object in
256
ASCENT OF VESUVIUS
ascending at night and remaining until morning is to com-
bine the night view of the eruption with the visit (if pos-
sible) to the crater, which cannot with safety be under-
taken by night, and to enjoy likewise the noble view at sun-
rise of the whole bay and city of Naples and the adjacent
islands. We started therefore at a quarter past seven and
arrived at half past nine at a small house and chapel called
the hermitage of Vesuvius, which is generally considered
as half-way up the mountain. In this house dwells an old
ecclesiastic who receives travellers and furnishes them with
a couch and frugal repast. We dismounted here and our
worthy host provided us with some mortadella and an
omelette; and we did not fail to do justice to his excellent
lacrima Christi, of which he has always a large provision.
We then betook ourselves to rest, leaving orders to be
awakened at two o'clock in order to proceed further up the
mountain. There was a pretty decent eruption of the moun-
tain, which vomited fire, stones and ashes at an interval of
twenty-five minutes, so that we enjoyed this spectacle
during our ascent. A violent noise, like thunder, accom-
panies each eruption, which increases the awefulness and
grandeur of the sight. At two o'clock our guide and mule-
teers being very punctual, we bade adieu to the hermit,
promising him to come to breakfast with him the next
morning; we then mounted our mules and after an hour's
march arrived at the spot where the ashes and cinders,
combined with the steepness of the mountain, prevent the
possibility of going any further except on foot. We dis-
mounted therefore at this place, and sent back our mules to
the hermitage to wait for us there. We now began to climb
among the ashes, and tho' the ascent to the position of the
ancient crater is not more than probably eighty yards in
height, we were at least one hour before we reached it,
from its excessive steepness and from gliding back two feet
out of three at every step we made. We at length reached
the old crater and sat ourselves down to repose till day-
break. Tho' it was exceeding cold, the exhalation from the
s 257
AFTER WATERLOO
veins of fire and hot ashes kept us as warm as we could wish :
for here every step is literally
per ignes
Suppositos cineri doloso*
We remained on this spot till broad daylight and wit-
nessed several eruptions at an interval of twenty or twenty-
five minutes. I remarked that the mountain toward the
summit forms two cones, one of which vomited fire and
smoke, and the other calcined stones and ashes, accom-
panied by a rumbling noise like thunder. The stones came
clattering down the flanks of the mountain and some of
them rolled very near us; had we been within the radius
formed by the erupted stones we probably should have been
killed.
At daylight Mr R D proposed to ascend the two
cones in spite of the remonstrances of our guide Salvatore,
who told us that no person had yet been there and that we
must expect to be crushed to death by the stones, should
an eruption take place, and that it was almost as much
madness to attempt it, as it would be to walk before a
battery of cannon in the act of being fired. Tho' I did not
admit all the force of this comparison, yet I began to think
there was a little too much risk in the attempt; my French
friend however was deaf to all remonstrance and said to me,
" As-tu peur? " I replied: " No! that I was at all times very
indifferent as to life or death, but that I did not like pain, and
was not at all desirous to have an arm or leg broken, the
former accident having happened to a German a few days
before; nevertheless, I added, if you persist in going, I will
accompany you." We accordingly started to ascend the
cone, which vomited fire and smoke, taking care to
place ourselves on the windward side in ascending, and
after much fatigue we arrived in about fifteen minutes
close to the apex of the cone, after groping amidst the ashes
and stumbling on a vein of red hot cinders. My shoes were
sadly burnt, my stockings singed and my feet scorched;
* Horace, Carm., n, i, 7. ED.
258
A PERILOUS TRIP
my friend was less fortunate, for he tumbled down with his
hands on a vein of red hot cinders and burned them
terribly. My great and principal apprehension hi making
this ascent was of stumbling upon holes slightly encrusted
with ashes and that the whole might give way and pre-
cipitate me into some gouffre. On arrival at the summit
of the cone we had just time to look down and perceive
that there was a hole or gouffre, but whether it were very
deep or not we could not ascertain, for a blast of fire and
smoke issuing from it at this moment nearly suffocated us ;
we immediately lost no time in gliding down the ashes
on the side of the cone on our breech, and reached its base
in a few seconds, where we waited till an eruption took
place from the other cone, in order to profit of the interval
to ascend it also. It required four minutes' walk to reach
the base of the other cone and about twelve to ascend to its
apex; on arrival at the brink, where we remained about
two minutes, we had just sufficient time to observe that
there was no deep hole or bottomless gouffre as we expected,
but that it formed a crater with a sort of slant and not
exceeding thirty feet in depth to the bottom, which looked
exactly like a lime-kiln, being of a dirty white appear-
ance, and in continual agitation, as it were of limestones
boiling; so that a person descending to the bottom of this
crater would probably be scorched to death or suffo-
cated in a few minutes, but would infallibly be ejected and
thrown into the air at the first eruption. I mean by this
that he would not disappear or fall into a bottomless pit
(as I should have supposed before I viewed the crater),
but that his friends would be sure of finding his body either
yet living or dead, outside the brink of the crater, within
the radius made by the erupted stones and ashes.
Our guide now begged us for God's sake to descend, as an
eruption might be expected every minute. We accordingly
glided down the exterior surface of the cone among the
ashes, on our breech, for it is impossible to descend in any
other way and in a few seconds we reached its base. Find-
s2 259
AFTER WATERLOO
ing ourselves on a little level ground we began to run or
rather wade thro' the ashes in order to get out of reach of the
eruption, but we had not gone thirty yards when one took
place. The stones clattered down with a frightful noise and
we received a shower of ashes on our heads, the dust of
which got into our eyes and nearly blinded us. On reach-
ing the brink of the old crater we stopped half an hour to
enjoy the fine view of Parthenope in all her glory at sun-
rise. We then descended rapidly, sometimes plunging down
the ashes on our feet and sometimes gliding on our breech
till we arrived at the place where we had descended from
our mules, and this distance, which required one hour to
ascend, cost us in its descent not more than seven minutes.
We then walked to the hermitage in about an hour and a
quarter, and arrived there with no other accident than
having our shoes and stockings totally spoiled, our feet a
little singed, the hands of Mr. R. D. severely burned and
both begrimed with ashes like blacksmiths. The ecclesiastic
gave us a breakfast of coffee and eggs and a glass of Maras-
chino, and we gave him two scudi each. Before we departed
he presented to us his Album, which he usually does to all
travellers, inviting them to write something. I took up the
pen and feeling a little inspiration wrote the following lines :
Anch'io salito son sul gran Vesuvio,
Mentre cadea di cineri un diluvio ;
Questo cammin mi place d'aver fatto.
Ma pii mi piace il ritornare intatto.
which pleased the old man very much to see a foreigner
write Italian verse. I pleased him still more by letting him
know that I was an enthusiastic admirer and humble culti-
vator of the Tuscan Muse, and that having read and studied
most of their poets, particularly il divino Ariosto, I now
and then caught a scintilletta from his verse. We now took
a cordial farewell of our worthy old host, mounted our mules
and descended the mountain. On arrival at Portici we dis-
missed our guide Salvatore with a scudo pour boire, besides
the stipulated price. Salvatore asked me to give him a
written certificate of his services, which he generally sol-
260
THE LIQUID LAVA
licits from all those whom he conducts to the Volcano. I
asked him for his certificate book, and begged to know
whether he would have it in prose or verse. He laughed and
said : Vostra Excellenza e padrone. I took out my pencil and
wrote the following quatrain :
Dal monte ignivomo tornati siam stanchissimi,
E del buon Salvator siam tutti contentissimi ;
Felice il pellegrin che a Salvator si fida,
Che di lui non si pu6 trovare un miglior guida.
I never saw any body so delighted as Salvatore appeared
when I read to him what I had written in his book.
I have another observation to make before I take leave of
this celebrated mountain, which is, that the liquid lava
which it ejects is far more dangerous and destructive than
the eruption of stones and ashes; the lava flows from
the flanks of the mountain in a liquid stream. Sometimes
there will be an eruption and no lava flowing: at other
times the lava flows from the flanks of the mountain,
without any eruption from the crater; at other times,
and then it is most alarming, the eruption takes place
accompanied by the flowing of the lava. All this demon-
strates that the volcano is the effect of the efforts of the
subterraneous fire to get some vent and escape from its
confinement. This time I did not observe any lava flowing,
except a slight vein of it on the spot where Mr R. D. fell
down and burned his hands; but it is easy to observe on
the side of the mountain the course and route taken at dif-
ferent times by the lava, which has become hardened
and is very plainly to be distinguished, as it resembles a
river (if I may use the word) of slate meandering between
the green sward of the mountain and descending toward
the sea. You can plainly distinguish the course and direction
of the lava which destroyed part of Torre del Greco and swept
it into the sea.
At Portici, having washed ourselves at the inn from head
to foot in order to get rid of our blacksmith's appearance,
and having purchased a new pair of shoes and stockings
each, we visited the Royal Palace and Museum with a view
261
AFTER WATERLOO
principally of examining the objects of art and valuables
discovered in Pompeii. The Royal Palace is called la
Favorita, its architecture is beautiful ; the garden or rather
lawn which is ornamented by statues and enriched by
orange groves extends to the sea. The first thing that pre-
sents itself to the view of the visitor at the Museum of
Portici are the two equestrian statues of Marcus Balbus
proconsul and procurator and of his son, which statues were
found in Herculaneum. I forgot to mention that there is an
inscription with that name on the side of the proscenium
of the theatre easily legible by the light of flambeaux.
To return to the Museum at Portici, we were then shewn
into a room containing curious morceaux of antiquity dis-
covered at Pompeii: a tripod in bronze and various other
articles of the same metal; tables, various lamps in bronze
resembling exactly those used in Hindostan, wooden pens,
dice, grains of corn quite black and scorched, a skeleton
of a woman with the ashes incrusted round it (the form of
her breast is seen on the crust of ashes; golden armlets were
found on her which were shewn to us), steel mirrors, combs,
utensils for culinary purposes, such as casseroles, frying
pans, spoons, forks, pestles and mortars, instruments of
sacrifice, weights and measures, coins, a carcan or stock, &c.
In the upper rooms are to be seen the paintings and
jresques found in the same place. The paintings are poor
things, and in their landscapes the Romans seem to have
had little more idea of perspective than the Chinese; but
the fresques are beautiful: the female figures belonging
thereto are delineated with the utmost grace and delicacy.
They consist of subjects chiefly from the mythology. I
noticed the following in particular, viz., Chiron teaching
the young Achilles to draw the bow; the discovery of
Orestes; Theseus and the Minotaur (he has just slain
the Minotaur and a boy is in the act of kissing his hand
as if to thank him for his deliverance; the Minotaur is
here represented as a monster with the body of a man and
the head of a bull); a Centaur carrying off a nymph; a car
262
THE MUSEUM OF PORTICI
drawn by a parrot and driven by a cricket : a woman offer-
ing to another little Loves for sale (she is pulling out the
little Cupids from a basket and holding them by their wings
as if they were fowls) ; a beautiful female figure seated on a
monster something like the Chimaera of the ancients and
holding a cup before the monster's mouth (emblematical of
Hope nourishing a Chimaera). The arabesques taken from
Pompeii and preserved here are very beautiful. Here also
are two statues found in Pompeii: the one representing
a drunken Faun, the other a sitting Mercury. We met
two Polish ladies here, who were amusing themselves in
copying the fresques. We returned to Naples at five o'clock,
and dined at the Villa di Napoli. In the evening we went
to the Teatro de* Fiorentini. The piece performed was
Pamela or La virtti premiata, which I understand is quite
a stock piece in Italy. It is written by Goldoni. It was very
badly performed ; the actors were not perfect in their parts,
and the prompter's voice was as loud as usual. The costume
was appropriate enough, which is far from being always
the case at this theatre.
NAPLES, 13 Octr.
We started on the 12th at six o'clock in the morning (Mr
R D. and myself) in a caleche in order to visit Puzzuoli,
Baii and all the classical ground in that direction. We of
course passed through the grotto of Pausilippo. This grotto is
thirty feet high and about five hundred feet long. In fact,
it is a vast rock undermined and a high road running thro'
it, the breadth of which is sufficient for three carriages
to go abreast. From its great length it is of course exceed-
ing dark; in order therefore to obviate this inconvenience
lamps constantly lighted are suspended from the roof and
on the sides of the grotto, and holes pierced towards the
top to admit a little daylight. The road pierced thro' this
rock and called the grotto of Pausilippo abridges the
journey to Puzzuoli very considerably, as otherwise you
would be obliged to go round by Cape Margelina, which
would increase the distance ten miles. On issuing from
263
AFTER WATERLOO
the grotto on the other side, you arrive in a few minutes on
the seashore, on the bay formed between Cape Margelina
and Puzzuoli. We stopped at the lake Agnano which is
strongly impregnated with sulfur. On the banks of this lake
are the Thermae or vapour baths, and here is also the
famous Grotto del Cane, the pestilential vapour arising from
which rises about three inches from the ground and has the
appearance of a spider's web. An unfortunate dog per-
forms the miracle of the resurrection to all those who visit
this natural curiosity; and we also were curious to see its
effect. The guardian of the Thermes seized the poor animal
and held his nose close to the place from whence the vapour
exhales. The dog was seized with strong convulsions and in
two minutes he was perfectly senseless and to all appearance
dead; but on being placed in the open air, he soon recovers.
The poor beast shews evident repugnance to the experiment,
and I wonder he does not endeavor to make his escape, for
he has sometimes to perform this feat four or five times a
day. I should suppose that he will not be very long lived,
for the repeated doses of this mephitic vapour must surely
accelerate his dissolution. The heat of the Thermae and
steam of the sulphur is almost insupportable; but it has a
most beneficial effect on maladies of the nerves and cuta-
neous complaints.
We then proceeded on our journey to Puzzuoli, the
ancient Puteoli, where are the remains of the famous mole
(or bridge as others call it) of Caligula, intended to embrace
or unite the two extremes of the bay of Baiae formed on one
side by Puzzuoli and on the other by cape Misenus. We
alighted to take a dejeuner a la fourchette at Puzzuoli, and
then went to visit the temple of Jupiter Serapis, which is a
vast edifice and tho' in ruins very imposing. On wandering
thro' the enceinte of this famous temple, I thought of
Apollonius of Tyana and his sudden appearance to his friend
Damis at the porch of this very temple, when he escaped
from the fangs of Domitian and when it was believed that,
by means of magic art, he had been able at once to trans
264
PUZZUOLI AND BAI;E
port himself from the Praetorium at Rome to Puteoli. As I
said before, the bay included by cape Misenus and Puz-
zuoli is what is called Baiae. The land is low and marshy
from Puzzuoli to a little beyond the lake Avernus ; but from
Monte Nuovo it begins to rise and form high cliffs nearly all
way to Cape Misenus. It was on these high cliffs that the
opulent Romans built their villas and they must have been
as much crowded together as the villas at Ramsgate and
Broadstairs. We embarked in a boat at Puzzuoli to cross
over to Baiae (i.e., the place where the villas begin), but we
stopped on our way thither at a landing place nearly in the
centre of the bay in order to visit the lake Avernus and the
Cave of the Cumsean Sybil, described by Virgil, as the
entrance into the realm of Pluto. The lake Avernus, in spite
of its being invested by the poets with all that is terrible
in the mythology as a river of Hell, looks very like any other
lake, and tho' it is impregnated with sulphur, and emits a
most unpleasant smell, birds do not drop down dead on
flying over it as formerly. The ground about it is marshy
and unwholesome. The silence and melancholy appearance
of this lake and its environing groves of wood are not
calculated to inspire exhilarating ideas. Full of classic
souvenirs we went to descend into the Cave of the Sybil,
and as we descended I could not refrain from repeating
aloud Virgil's lines :
Di quibus impenum est animarum umbraeque silentes* etc.
This descent really is fitted to give one an idea of the
descent to the shades below, and what added to the illusion
was that when we arrived at the bottom of the descent and
just at the entrance of the cave where the Sybil held her
oracles, we discovered four fierce looking fellows with
lighted torches in their hands standing at the entrance. My
friend cried out Voila les Furies, and these proved to be
our boatmen who, while we were contemplating the bolge
(TAvemo, had run on before to provide torches to shew us
the interior of the grotto of the Sybil. As this grotto is
* Virgil, A en., vi, 264. ED.
265
AFTER WATERLOO
nearly knee-deep filled with water we got on the backs of
the boatmen to enter it. It is about twenty-five feet long,
fifteen broad and the height about thirteen feet. As we
were neither devoured by Cerberus nor hustled by old
Charon into his boat, we returned from the Shades below to
the light of heaven, triumphant like Ulysses or ^Eneas, con-
sidering ourselves now among the Pauci quos aequus amavit
Jupiter.*
Acheron, the dreadful Acheron, is not far from Avernus
and is likewise a lake, tho' call'd a river in the mythology.
It is also sulfuric and the ground about it is woody, low,
marshy and consequently aguish.
We next ascended the cliffs of Baiae and we were shown
the remains of the villas of Cicero, Caesar, Sylla and other
great names. We then went to the baths of Nero (so called).
Here it is the fashion to descend under ground in order to
feel the effect of the sulfuric heat, which is intense, and my
friend who descended soon returned dripping with per-
spiration and calling out: Qui n'a pas vu cela rfa rien vu! but
I did not chuse to descend, as I could feel no pleasure in
being half stifled and the grotto del Cane had already given
me a full idea of the force of the vapour of the Thermes.
We then descended from the cliffs of Baiae on the other
side, and visited the remains of three celebrated temples
of antiquity situated on the beach nearly and very close
to each other, viz., the temples of Diana, of Venus and of
Mercury; all striking objects and majestic, tho' in a state
of dilapidation. Each of these temples has cupolas. We then
ascended the slope of ground leading towards cape Misensus,
to visit the Cento Camarelle and Piscina mirabile, both vast
edifices under ground, serving as cellars or appendages to a
Palace that stood on this spot. We then visited the lake
called the Mare Morto or Styx ; and then went round to the
other side of it, to visit those beautiful coteaux planted in
vines and their summits crowned with groves which have
obtained the name of the Elysian fields. This Styx and
* Virgil, Aen., vi, 129. ED.
266
THEATRICALS AT NAPLES
these Elysian fields look like any other lake and coteaux,
and are entirely indebted to the lyre of Maro for their
celebrity.
From thence we went to the extremity of cape Misenus
and embarked in our boat (which we had sent on there to
wait for us) to return to Puzzuoli by crossing the bay at
once. In this bay and near cape Misenus a Roman fleet was
usually stationed and Pliny's uncle, I believe, commanded
one there at the time of the first eruption of Vesuvius which
cost him his life.
There is a singular phenomenon in this bay of a mountain
that in one of the later eruptions and earthquakes was
formed in twenty-four hours near the seashore and was
named Monte Nuovo.
The small salt water lake called Lacus Lucrinus is also
on this bay. It appears to me to be an artificial lake, made
probably by the opulent Romans who resided at Baiae to
hold their mullets and other sea fish which they wished to
fatten.
Near Puzzuoli likewise is the famous Solfaterra, the
bed of an ancient volcano. It is well worth examining.
It has been long since extinguished, but you meet with vast
beds of sulphur and calcined stones, and the smell is at
times almost insupportable. We returned to Naples by half-
past seven o'clock, not a little tired but highly gratified by
our excursion.
NAPLES, 14th Oct.
At the Teatro Nuovo I have seen another Italian tragedy
performed. The piece was Tito Manlio Torquato, taken
from the well known anecdote in the Roman history. The
scenery, decorations and costume were good and appro-
priate, not so the acting; for the actors as usual were im-
perfect in their parts. I fully agree with Alfieri that Italy
must be united and enjoy a free popular government before
one can expect to see tragedies well performed. It is very
diverting to see the puppet shows at Naples and to hear the
witticisms and various artifices of the showman of Pulcin-
267
AFTER WATERLOO
ello to secure payment in advance from his audience,
who would otherwise go away without paying as soon as
the performance was over.
This performance is much attended by the lazzaroni and
faineans of the lower orders of Naples and the puppet show-
man is obliged to have recourse to various stratagems and
ingenious sallies to induce a handsome contribution to be
made. Sometimes he will say with a very grave face (the
curtain being drawn up and no Pulcinello appearing) that
he is very sorry there can be no performance this day; for
that poor Signor Pulcinello is sick and has no money to pay
the Doctor : but that if a quete be made for him, he will get
himself cured and make his appearance as usual. All the
while that one of the showmen goes about collecting the
gram, the other holds a dialogue with Pulcinello (still invisi-
ble). Pulcinello groans and is very miserable. At length the
collection is made. Pulcinello takes medicine, says he is
well again, makes his appearance and begins. At another
time the audience is informed that there can be no per-
formance as Pulcinello is arrested for debt and put in
prison, where he must remain unless a subscription of
money be made for him to pay his debts and take him out of
gaol. Then follows an absurd dialogue between Pulcinello
(supposed to answer from the prison) and the showman.
The showman scolds him for being a spendthrift and leading
a profligate life, calls him a briccone, a birbante, and Pul-
cinello only groans out in reply, Povero me, Povero Pulcin-
ello, che disgrazia! sventurato di me! di non aver denarii
These strokes of wit never fail to bring in many a grano.
At another time the curtain is drawn up and discovers a
gibbet and Pulcinello standing on a ladder affixed to it with
a rope round his neck. The showman with the utmost
gravity and assumed melancholy informs the audience that
a most serious calamity is about to happen to Naples : that
Signor Pulcinello is condemned to be hanged for a robbery,
and that unless he can procure molti denari to bribe the
officers of justice to let him escape, he will inevitably be
268
PULCINELLO
hanged and the people will never more behold their unhappy
friend Pulcinello. The showman now implores the com-
miseration of the audience, and now reproaches Pulcinello
with his profligacy and nefarious pranks which have brought
him to an untimely end. Pulcinello sobs, cries, promises to
reform and to attend mass regularly in future. What Nea-
politan heart can resist such an appeal? The grani are
collected. Pulcinello gives money to the puppet represent-
ing the executioner; down goes the gibbet, and Pulcinello
is himself again.
I shall return in a day or two to Rome, having seen
nearly all that Naples affords. I have now full liberty to die
when I chuse according to the proverb : Veder Napoli e poi
morire.
Naples certainly is, taking it all in all, the most inter-
esting city in Europe, for it unites every thing that is con-
ducive to the agremens of life. A beautiful city, a noble bay,
a vast commerce, provisions of the best sort, abundant and
cheap, a pleasant society, a delicious climate, music, Operas,
Balli, Libraries, Museums of Painting and Sculpture ; in its
neighbourhood two subterraneous cities, a volcano in full
play, and every spot of ground conveying the most interest-
ing souvenirs and immortalized in prose and verse. Add
thereto the vapour baths of sulphur for stringing anew the
nerves of those debilitated by a too ardent pursuit of plea-
sure, and the Fountain of St Lucia for those suffering from
a redundancy of bile. Now tell me of any other residence
which can equal this? Adieu.
ROME, 22nd Octr.
Nothing material occurred on my return from Naples to
Rome; but on the 2d day after my arrival I made an
excursion to Tivoli, which is about eighteen miles distant
from Rome. I passed the night at the only inn at Tivoli.
The next morning I walked to the Villa d'Este in this
neighbourhood, which is a vast edifice with extensive
grounds. Here on a terrace in front of the villa are models
269
AFTER WATERLOO
in marble of all the principal edifices and monuments,
ancient and modern, of Rome, very ingeniously executed.
From the Villa d'Este is a noble view of the whole plain of
Latium and of the " Eternal City."
From hence I walked about two miles further to visit
the greatest antiquity and curiosity of the place, which is
the Villa or rather the ruins of the celebrated Villa built by
Adrian, which must have been of immense size from the
vast space of ground it occupies. It was intended to unite
everything that the magnificent ideas of a Prince could
devise who wished to combine every sort of recreation,
sensual as well as intellectual, within the precincts of his
Palace ; columns, friezes, capitals, entablatures and various
other spoils of rich architecture cover the ground in profu-
sion: many of the walls and archways are entire and
almost an entire cupola remains standing. Besides the
buildings above ground, here are cellars under ground
intended as quarters for the guards and capable of holding
three thousand men, as well as stabling for horses. In
the inclosure of and forming part of this Villa, which
covers a circumference of seven miles, were a gymnasium,
baths, temples, a school of philosophers, tanks, a theatre,
&c. The greatest part of these buildings are choaked up and
covered with earth, since it is by excavation alone that
what does appear was brought to light. It was by exca-
vation that a man discovered a large hall wherein he
found the nine beautiful statues of the Muses, which now
adorn the Museum of the Vatican; and no doubt if the
Roman government would recommence the excavations
many more valuables might be found. Hadrian's villa has
already furnished many a statue, column and pilaster to the
Museums, churches and Palaces of Rome.
I was much more gratified in beholding the remains of
this Villa than in visiting Tivoli and I remained here
several hours. At four o'clock^in the afternoon I started on
my return to Rome; it was imprudent not to have started
sooner, as it is always dangerous to be outside the walls of
270
RETURN TO ROME
Rome after dark, in consequence of the brigands who infest
the environs and sometimes come close to the walls of the
city.
I reached my hotel in Rome at nine o'clock, one hour
and half after dark, but had the good fortune to meet
nobody. The Roman peasantry generally go armed and
those who feed cattle in the fields of the Campagna or have
any labour to perform there never sleep there on account of
the mal ''aria.
271
CHAPTER XII
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1816
From Rome to Florence Sismondi the historian Reminiscences of India
Lucca Princess Elisa Baciocchi Pisa The Campo Santo Leghorn
Hebrews in Leghorn Lord Dillon The story of a lost glove From Flo-
rence to Lausanne by Milan, Turin and across Mont Cenis Lombardy in
winter The Hospice of Mont Cenis.
FLORENCE, Novr. 20th.
I BADE adieu to Rome on the 28th October and returned
here by the same road I went, viz., by Radicofani and
Sienna. I arrived here after a journey of six days,
having been detained one day at Aquapendente on account
of the swelling of the waters. The day after my arrival here
I despatched a letter to Pescia to Mr Sismondi de' Sismondi,
the celebrated author of the history of the Italian Republics,
to inform him of my intended visit to him, and I forwarded
to him at the same time two letters of introduction, one
from Colonel Wardle and the other from Mr Piton, banker
at Geneva, who mentioned me in his letter to Sismondi as
having des idees parfaitement analogues aux siennes. I
received a most friendly answer inviting me to come to
Pescia and to pass a few days with him at his villa. Pescia is
thirty miles distant from Florence and the same from
Leghorn. I was delighted with the opportunity of seeing a
man whom I esteemed so much as an author and as a citizen,
and of visiting at the same time the different cities of
Tuscany, particularly Lucca and Pisa. I accordingly hired a
cabriolet and on the morning of the 6th Novr drove to
Prato, a good-sized handsome town, solidly built, ten miles
distant from Florence. The country on each side of the road
appears highly cultivated, and the road is lined with villas
and farm houses with gardens nearly the whole way.
Changing horses at Prato, I proceeded ten miles further to
Pistoia, a large elegant and well-built town on the banks of
the Ombrone.
272
VISIT TO SISMONDI THE HISTORIAN
The streets in Pistoia are broad and well paved and the
Palazzo pubblico is a striking building; so is the Seminario
or College. Here I changed horses again and proceeded to
Pescia, where I alighted at the villa of M. Sismondi. The
distance between Pistoia and Pescia is about ten or eleven
miles.
Pescia is a beautiful little town, very clean and solidly
built, lying in a valley surrounded nearly on all sides by
mountains. Its situation is extremely romantic and pictur-
esque, and there are several handsome villas on the slopes
and summits of these mountains. On market days Pescia is
crowded with the country people who flock hither from all
parts, and one is astonished to see such a number of beauti-
ful and well dressed country girls. Industry and comfort are
prevalent here, as is the case indeed all over Tuscany; I mean
agricultural industry, for commerce is just now at a stand.
I passed three most delightful days and which will live for
ever in my recollection, with Mr Sismondi, in whom I found
an inexhaustible fund of talent and information, combined
with such an unassuming simplicity of character and manner
that he appeared to me by far the most agreeable litterary man
that I ever met with. His mother, who is a lady of great talent
and perfectly conversant in English litterature, resides with
him. His sister also is settled at Pescia, being married to a Tus-
can gentleman of the name of Forti. The sister has a full share
of the talents and amiable qualities of her mother and brother.
With a family of such resources as this, you may suppose our
conversation did not flag for a moment, nor do I recollect
in the course of my whole life having passed such a pleasant
time; and I only wished that the three days could be pro-
longed to three years. Politics, the occurrences of the day,
living characters, classical reminiscences, French, English,
Italian and German litterature, afforded us an inexhaustible
variety of topics for conversation: and the profound local
knowledge that Mr Sismondi possesses of Italy, of its his-
tory and antiquities, renders his communications of the
utmost value to the traveller. Our supper was prolonged
T 273
AFTER WATERLOO
to a late hour and I question if the suppers and conversa-
tions of Scipio and Atticus, those nodes caenaeque Deum*
were more piquant or afforded more variety than ours.
Shakespeare, Schiller, Voltaire, Ariosto, Dante, Filangieri,
Michel Angelo, Washington, Napoleon, all furnished
anecdotes and reflexions in abundance.
The last evening that I passed here, two families of
Pescia came in. One of the gentlemen was a great reader of
voyages and travels, and India suddenly became the
subject of discourse. As I had passed six years in that
country, during which time I had visited the three Presi-
dencies of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay, having ascended
the Ganges as far as Benares, having visited the Mysore
country and Nizam's territory, having sojourned three weeks
among the splendid and magnificent ruins of Bijanagur or
Bisnagar, having travelled thro' the whole of the Deccan
from Pondicherry to cape Comorin, besides having tra-
versed on horseback the whole circumference of Ceylon and
across the whole island from East to West by the Wanny, I
was enabled to furnish them with many an anecdote from
the Eastern world, which to them was a great treat, and I
dare say at times my narration appeared almost as mar-
vellous as a story in the Arabian Nights, particularly when I
related the various religious ceremonies, the grim Idol of
Juggernaut, the swinging to recover cast, the exposure of old
people to the holy death in the Ganges by stopping up their
nose, mouth and ears with mud, and placing them on the
water's edge at low tide in order that they should be swept
off at the high water; the holy city of Benares; the magnifi-
cent remains of Bisnagar; the splendid Pagodas of Ra-
misseram; the policy of the Bramins; the appalling volun-
tary penances of the Joguis or Fakirs as the Europeans call
them; the bed of spikes; the arm held up in the air for
fifteen years; the tiger hunt; the method of catching the
elephant in Ceylon; the pearl fishery; Sepoy establishment;
in short I must have appeared to them a Ulysses or a
* Horace, Sat., u, 6, 65. ED.
274
GENEVA'S INJUSTICE TO SISMONDI
Sindbad, and I dare say that they thought I added from
time to time a little embellishment from my imagination,
tho' I can safely and solemnly aver that I did not extenuate
nor exaggerate any thing, but simply related what I had
myself seen and witnessed.
Mr Sismondi is under a sort of banishment from his native
country Geneva in consequence of the side of the question
he took in his writings on the return of the Emperor
Napoleon from Elba. It was indeed natural for the restored
government (the Bourbons) to desire the removal from
France of a man of talent who had exposed their past and
might scrutinize their future conduct and wilful faults ; but
why the Government of Geneva should espouse their
quarrel and visit one of their most estimable citizens with
banishment for opinions not at all connected with nor
influential upon Geneva, appears to me not only absurd and
anomalous, but unjust in the highest degree. But such is
the state of degradation to which Europe is reduced by the
triumph of the old regime; and the Swiss Governments are
compelled to become the instruments of the vengeance of the
coalition. But I shall dwell no more on this subject at
present. Let us hope that in a short time a more liberal
spirit will arise, and the Genevese will be eager to recall in
triumph the illustrious citizen of whom they have so much
reason to be proud.
We spent our mornings, Mr Sismondi and I, in promenades
towards the most striking points of the country immediately
environing Pescia, and as I had at this time some idea of
coming to settle in Tuscany, he was so kind as to conduct
me to look at several villas that were to let; and I inspected
three very beautiful ones well furnished and each capable
of holding a large family, that were to be let for 18, 20, and
24 louis d'or per annum.
Wine and every article of life is of prodigious cheapness
here, and the inhabitants are so respectable, and there is such
an absence of all crime, that Pescia must be a very desirable
and economical residence for any foreign family possessing
T2 275
AFTER WATERLOO
a sufficient knowledge of Italian to mix with the society of
the natives. There are several ancient and noble families in
the neighbourhood, highly respectable in point of moral
character and manners, but rather in decadence in point of
fortune.
It was with the greatest regret that I bade adieu to the
amiable Sismondi, his mother and sister; but I hope for a
time only, as I have some idea of removing my domicile
from Lausanne to this part of the world.
I started at 10 o'clock a.m. on the llth of November and
after two hours' journey in a cabriolet arrived at Lucca, a
distance of ten miles, and put up at the Hotel del Pelicano.
The road runs thro' a highly cultivated country.
Lucca is a large fortified city, situated in a beautifully
luxuriant plain or basin surrounded on all sides by hills and
mountains of various slopes, contours and heights, and
abounding in villas, vineyards, mulberry and olive planta-
tions. Every spot of ground is in cultivation and the
industry of the inhabitants of Lucca is proverbial. Indeed
the whole territory of this little ci-devant Republic is a per-
fect paradise.
The city itself, from the massiveness and solidity of the
edifices, has more of a solemn than a lively appearance;
but there is a delightful walk on the ramparts which are
lined with trees. The streets are well paved. The extreme
antiquity of the city and style of its edifices make it appear
less riant than the other cities in Tuscany. The Cathedral is
Gothic and there are in it the statues of the four Evangelists.
This and the Palazzo Pubblico are the most conspicuous
edifices. Tho' the Republic is annihilated, the word Libertas
still remains on an escutcheon on the gates of the city.
Lucca, tho' no longer a Republic and enclavee in Tuscany, is
for the present an independent state and belongs to an
Infanta of Spain (formerly Princess of Parma) who takes
the title of Duchess of Lucca. It is generally supposed
however that on the demise of Maria Louisa, ex-Empress
of the French and now Duchess of Parma, this family,
276
THE PRINCESS ELISA BACIOCCHI
viz., the Duchess of Lucca and her son will resume their
ancient possessions in the Parmesan, and that Lucca will
then be incorporated with Tuscany.
Before the fall of Napoleon the Princess Elisa Baciocchi
his sister was sovereign of Lucca, and she it was who has
embellished the outside of the city with some beautiful
promenades. She devoted her whole time, talents and
resources to the good of her subjects and is highly esteemed
and much regretted by them. The present Duchess of Lucca
has no other character but that which seems common to
the Royal families of France, Spain and Naples; viz., of
being very weak and priest-ridden. Lucca furnishes excel-
lent female servants who are remarkable for their industry
and probity. Their only solace is their lover or amoroso, as
they term him ; and when they enter into the service of any
family, they always stipulate for one day in the week on
which they must have liberty to visit their amoroso, or the
amoroso must be allowed to come to the house to visit them.
This is an ancient custom among them and has no per-
nicious consequences, nor does it interfere with their other
good qualities. At the back of Lucca is an immense moun-
tain which stands between it and Pisa, and intercepts the
reciprocal view of the two cities which are only ten miles
distant from each other. This mountain and its peculiarity
is the very one mentioned by Dante in his Inferno in the
episode of Ugolino:
Cacciando il lupo e i lupicini AL MONTE,
PER CHE i Pisan veder Lucca NON ponno.*
I started from Lucca in a cabriolet and in two hours
arrived at Pisa, putting up at the Tre Donzelle on the Quai of
the Arno. Between Lucca and Pisa are the Bagni di Lucca, a
favorite resort for the purpose of bathing and drinking the
mineral waters.
Pisa is one of the most beautiful cities I have seen in
Italy. The extreme elegance and comfort of the houses, the
spacious Quai on the Arno which furnishes a most agreeable
* Dante, Inferno, I, 33, 29. ED.
277
AFTER WATERLOO
promenade, the splendid style of architecture of the Palazzi
and public buildings, the cleanliness of the streets, the
salubrity of the climate, the mildness of the winter, the pro-
fusion and cheapness of all the necessaries of life, and above
all the amenity and simplicity of the inhabitants, combine
to make Pisa an agreeable and favorite residence. Yet the
population having much decreased there appears an air of
melancholy stillness about the city and grass may be seen
in some of the streets. This decay in population causes
lodgings to be very cheap.
The most striking object in Pisa is the leaning tower
(Torre cadente) and after that the Cathedral, Baptistery,
and Campo Santo which are all close to the tower and to each
other. Imagine two fine Gothic Churches in a square or
place like Lincoln's Inn Fields; a large oblong building
nearly at right angles with the churches and inclosing a
green grass plot in its quadrangle and a leaning tower of
cylindrical form facing the churches : and then you will have
a complete idea of this part of Pisa.
I must not omit to mention that there is a breed of camels
here belonging to the Grand Duke; I believe it is the only
part of Europe except Turkey where the breed of camels
is attempted to be propagated.
LEGHORN, 17 Novr.
I left Pisa for Leghorn on the morning of the 15th Novem-
ber, and after a drive of two hours in a cabriolet I arrived
at the latter place and put up at the Aquila Nera. The
distance between Pisa and Leghorn is only 10 or 11 miles
and a plain with few trees, either planted in corn or in
pasturage, forms the landscape between the two cities.
Leghorn (Livorno), being a modern city, does not offer
anything remarkably interesting to the classical traveller
either from its locality or its history. Founded under the
auspices of the Medici it has risen rapidly to grandeur and
opulence, and has eclipsed Genoa in commerce. It is a
remarkably handsome city, the streets being all broad and
278
THE HEBREWS AT LEGHORN
at right angles ; the Piazze are large and the Piazza Grande
in particular is magnificent. There is a fine broad street
leading from the Piazza Grande to the Port. The Port and
Mole are striking objects and considerable commercial
bustle prevails there.
Among the few things worthy of particular notice is the
Jewish Synagogue, decorated with costly lamps and inscrip-
tions in gold in the Hebrew and Spanish languages, many
of which allude to the hospitality and protection afforded
to the Hebrew nation by the Sovereigns of Tuscany. There
are a great number of Hebrew families here : they all speak
Spanish, being the descendants of those unfortunate Jews
who were expelled from Spain at the time of the expulsion
of the Moors in the reign of Don Felipe III surnamed el
Discrete, who was determined not to suffer either a Jew,
Mahometan or heretic in all his dominions. This barbarous
decree was the ruin and destruction of a number of indus-
trious families, thousands of whom died of despair at being
exiled from their native land. In return for this what has
Spain gained? The Inquisition despotism in its worst form
poverty rags lice an overbearing insolent and san-
guinary priesthood of whom the monarch is either the
puppet or the slave; a degraded nobility; a half savage,
grossly ignorant, lazy and brutal people. A proper judgment
on the Spanish nation for its cruelty and fanaticism! My
guide at Leghorn conducted me to see the burying ground
belonging to the English factory, which is interesting
enough from the variety of tombs, monuments and inscrip-
tions. Here all Protestants, to whatever nation they belong,
are buried. I noticed Smollett's tomb. It is on the whole an
interesting spot, tho' not quite so much so as the cemetery
of Pere La Chaise at Paris.
I returned to Florence from Leghorn tout d'une traite in
the diligence. We stopped at Fornacetti (half way) to dine.
There is a good table d'Hote (ordinario) there.
279
AFTER WATERLOO
FLORENCE, 22nd Novr.
I have become acquainted with Lord Dillon* and his
family, who are residing here and from whom I have received
much civility. I met at his house the Marchese Giuliani, one
of the adherents of King Joachim, a very amiable and
clever man who speaks English fluently. Lord Dillon is a
man of much reading and information and his conversation
is at all times a great treat. His lady too is very amiable and
accomplished. I went one day with a friend of mine to a
pique-nique party at the Cascino, where a laughable adven-
ture occurred perfectly in the stile of the novelle of Boccacio.
As it is not the custom in Florence that husbands and wives
should go together to places of public amusement, the lady
is generally accompanied by her cavalier servente : but it by
no means follows that the cavalier servente is the favored
lover: one is often adopted as a cover to another who enjoys
the peculiar favors of the lady. A gentleman who arrived
at the hall where the supper table was laid out, somewhat
earlier than the rest of the company and before the chamber
was lighted, observed a gentleman and lady ascend the
staircase, turn aside by a corridor and enter a chamber
together. It was dark and he could not distinguish their
persons. He waited fifteen or twenty minutes and observed
them leave the chamber together, pass along the corridor
and disappear. He had the curiosity to go into the chamber
they had just left and found on the bed a lady's glove. He
took up the glove and put it in his pocket, determined that
this incident should afford him some amusement at supper
and the company also by putting some fair one to the
blush. Accordingly, when the supper was nearly over, he
held up the glove and asked with a loud voice if any lady
had lost a glove; when his own wife who was sitting at the
same table at some distance from him called out with the
utmost sangfroid: E il mio! dammelo: Vho lasciato cadere.
You may conceive what a laugh there was against him,
* Henry Augustus, thirteenth Viscount Dillon (1777-1832), married (1807)
to Henrietta Browne (died 1862). ED.
280
STORY OF A LOST GLOVE
for he had related the circumstances of his finding it to
several of the company before they sat down to supper.
This reminded me of an anecdote mentioned by Brantome
as having occurred at Milan in his time, a glove being in
this case also the cause of the desagrement. A married
lady had been much courted by a Spanish Cavalier of
the name of Leon: one day, thinking he had made sure
of her, he followed her into her bedroom, but met with
a severe and decided repulse and was compelled to
leave her re infectd. In his confusion he left one of his
gloves on the bed which remained there unperceived
by the lady. The husband of the lady arrived shortly
afterwards and as he was aware of the attentions of the
Spaniard to his wife and had noticed his going into the
house, he went directly to his wife's chamber, where the
first thing that captivated his attention was a man's
military glove on the bed. He, however, said nothing, but
from that moment abstained from all conjugal duty. The
lady finding herself thus neglected by a husband who had
been formerly tender and attentive, was at a loss to know
the reason, and determined to come to an eclaircissement
with him in as delicate a manner as she could. She therefore
took a slip of paper, wrote the following lines thereon and
placed it on his table:
Vigna era, vigna son;
Era podada, or piit non son;
E non sd per qual cagion
Non mi poda il mio patron.*
The husband, on reading these lines, wrote the following
in answer:
Vigna eri, vigna sei;
Eri podada, e piu non sei;
Per la gran fa del Leon
Non ti poda il tuo patron.
The lady on reading these lines perceived at once the
cause of her husband's estrangement and succeeded in
explaining the matter satisfactorily to him, which was
* Quoted from memory, with mistakes. The text has been corrected as it
stands in Brant6me, Les Dames galantes, ed. Chasles, vol. I, p. 351. ED.
AFTER WATERLOO
facilitated by the ingenuous declaration of Leon himself
that he had tried to succeed but had been repulsed. The
husband and wife being perfectly reconciled lived happily
and no doubt the vine was cultivated as usual.
I left Florence the 27th November, and arrived at Turin
5th December. In an evil hour I engaged myself to accom-
pany an old Swiss Baroness with whom I became acquainted
at the Hotel of Mme Hembert to accompany her to Turin.
She had with her her son, a fine boy of thirteen years of age
but very much spoiled. We engaged a vetturino to conduct
us to Turin, stopping one day at Milan. The Baroness did
not speakltalian and generally sent for me to interpret for her
when any disputes occurred between her and the people at
the inns, and these disputes were tolerably frequent, as she
always gave the servants wherever she stopped a good deal
of trouble and on departing generally forgot to give them
the buona grazia. I sometimes paid them for her myself in
order to avoid noise and tumult ; at other times we departed
under vollies of abuse and imprecations such as brutta
vecchia, maladetta carogna, and so forth. The Baroness had
strong aristocratic prejudices and was a bitter enemy of the
French Revolution to which she attributed collectively all
the desagremens she had experienced during life and all the
inconveniences she met with during our present journey.
The negligence and impertinence of the servants in Italy
were invariably attributed by her to the revolutionary
principle and she told me that the servants in her native
canton Bern were the best in the world, but that even in
them the French Revolution had made a great deal of
difference and that they were not so submissive as they used
to be. As she sent for me to be her dragoman in all her dis-
putes on the road, you may conceive how glad I was to
arrive at Turin to be rid of her. She put me in mind of
Gabrina in the Orlando Furioso. We stopped one day at
Milan but we were very near being detained two or three
days at Piacenza owing to an informality in the Baroness's
passport, which had not been visi by the Austrian Legation
282
A SWISS BARONESS
at Florence. In vain she pleaded that she was told at the
inn at Florence that such visa was not necessary ; the police
officer at the Austrian Douane, at a short distance beyond
Piacenza, was inexorable and refused to viser her passport
to allow her to proceed. She was in a sad dilemma and it
was thought we should be obliged to remain at Piacenza. I
however recommended her to be guided by me and not to
talk with or scold anybody, and that I would ensure her
arrival at Milan without difficulty, for I had observed that
her scolding the officer at the Douane only served to make
him more obstinate. I recommended her therefore that
when we should arrive within sixty or seventy paces of the
gate at Milan, she should get out of the carriage with her
son and walk thro' the gate on foot with the utmost uncon-
cern as if she belonged to the town and was returning from
a promenade ; and that while they stopped us who were in
the carriage to examine our passports, she should walk
direct to the inn where we were to lodge, then write to the
Consul of her nation to explain the business. She followed
my advice and passed unobserved and unmolested into
Milan. On the preceding evening at Castel-puster-lengo at
supper I asked whether she thought the rigour of the
Austrian government was also the offspring of the French
Revolution. The Baroness had brought up her son in all
these feelings and particularly in a determined hatred of
the Canton de Vaud; for in the evening when we arrived
at the inn and were sitting round the fire, he would shake
the burning faggots about and say: Voila la ville de Lau-
sanne en cendres! If he grows up with these ideas and acts
upon them, he stands a good chance of being shot in a duel
by some Vaudois. It is a pity to see a child so spoiled, for he
was a very fine boy, tho' very violent in his temper which
probably he inherited from his mother. Somebody at the
pension Surpe at Milan who knew her told me that the
Baroness was of an aristocratic family and had married
a rich bourgeois of Bern whom she treated rather too much
de haul en bas; in short that it was a marriage quite a la
283
AFTER WATERLOO
George Dandin, till the poor man took it into his head to die
one day. At Turin we parted company, she for Genoa and
I for Lausanne.
From Turin to Lausanne.
I felt the cold very sensibly in the journey from Florence
to Milan and Turin. There is not a colder country in Europe
than Lombardy in the winter. The vicinity of the Alps
contributes much to this ; and the houses being exceedingly
large and having no stoves it is quite impossible that the
fireplaces can give heat sufficient to warm the rooms. I
started from Turin on the morning of the 9th December in
the French diligence bound to Lyon, but taking my place
only as far as Chambery. In the diligence were a Pied-
montese Colonel who had served under Napoleon, and a
young Scotchman, a relation of Lord Minto. The latter was
fond of excursions in ice and snow and on our arrival at
Suza he proposed to me to start from there two or three
hours before the diligence and to ascend Mont Cenis on
foot as far as the Hospice and I was mad enough to accede
to the proposal, for it certainly was little less than madness
in a person of my chilly habits and susceptibility of cold
and who had passed several years within the tropics to
scale the Alps on foot in the middle of December and to
walk 24 miles in snow and ice at one o'clock in the morning,
which was the hour at which we started. I was well clad in
flannel and I went thro' .the journey valiantly and in
high spirits and without suffering much from the cold till
within five miles of the Hospice, when a heavy snow storm
came on; it then began to look a little ugly and but for
Napoleon's grand chaussee we were lost. We struggled on
three miles further in the snow before we fell in with a
maison de refuge. We knocked there and nobody answered.
We then determined coute que coute to push on to the
Hospice which we knew could not be more than two miles
distant; indeed it was much more advisable so to do than
to run the risk of being frozen by remaining two or three
284
A SNOW STORM ON MONT-CENIS
hours in the cold air till the diligence should come up. In
standing still I began to feel the cold bitterly; so in spite of
the snow storm we pushed on and arrived at the inn at
Mont-Cenis at five in the morning. We rubbed our hands
and faces well with snow and took care not to approach
the fire for several minutes, fortifying ourselves in the
interim with a glass of brandy. We then had some coffee
made and laid ourselves down to sleep by the side of an
enormous fire until the diligence arrived, which made its
appearance at eight o'clock. The passengers stopped to
breakfast and the Scotchman proposed to me to make the
descent of Lans-le-Bourg also on foot; but I was quite
satisfied with the prowess I had already exhibited and
declined the challenge. He however set off alone and thus
performed the entire passage of Mont Cenis on foot. As for
the rest of us we were carried down on a traineau; that is
to say the diligence was unloaded and its wheels taken off;
the baggage and wheels were put on one traineau and the
diligence with the passengers in it on another, and in this
manner we descended to Lans-le-Bourg. Nothing remarkable
occurred on this journey and we arrived at Chambery in
good case. I hired a caleche to go to Geneva, remained there
three days and arrived at Lausanne on the 18th December.
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PART III.
PART III
CHAPTER XIII
MARCH-SEPTEMBER, 1817
Journey from Lausanne to Clermont-Ferrand A wretched conveyance
The first dish of frogs Society in Clermont-Ferrand General de Vergennes
Cleansing the town Return to Lausanne A zealous priest Journey
to Bern and back to Lausanne Avenches Lake Morat Lake Neuf-
chatel The Diet in Bern Character of the Bernois A beautiful Milanese
lady.
I STARTED from Lausanne on the 4th March 1817, and
arrived on the same day at 4 o'clock at Geneva. On my
arrival at Geneva, my banker informed me that I had
been denounced to the police, for some political opinions I
had spoken at the Hotel de VEcu de Geneve, previous to my
journey into Italy, and that I had been traced as far as
Turin. I went directly on hearing this to the police, and
desired to know who my accusers were, and that the accusa-
tion against me might be investigated immediately. Both
these propositions were however declined, and I was told
it was an affaire passed, and of no sort of consequence ; so that
from that day to this I have never been able to ascertain
who my friends were.
I left Lausanne with the intention of paying a visit to my
friend Col. Wardle and his family at Clermont-Ferrand, in the
Department of the Puy de Dome, in Auvergne, where they
are residing. I staid three days at Geneva, and then set off
at 7 in the evening on the 8th March with the Courier for
Lyons.
I never regretted any thing so much, and was near
paying severely for my rashness in putting myself into such
a wretched conveyance, at such a season of the year; but I
had made the agreement with the Courier without inspect-
ing his carriage, and was obliged to adhere to the bargain.
It was a vehicle entirely open before; it was a bitter cold,
rainy, snowy night; and I had the rain and snow in my face
u 289
AFTER WATERLOO
the whole way, and on crossing the Cerdon I was seized with
a violent ague fit, and suffered so much from it that on
arrival at a village beyond Nantua where we stopped for
supper, I determined to proceed no further, but to rest
there that night; and I asked the innkeeper if he could
furnish me with a bed for the night. He however made so
many objections and seemed so unwilling that I should
remain, that I was obliged to make up my mind to proceed.
I allayed the frissonnement by a large glass of brandy and
water, made fiery hot. At eight o'clock next morning I
arrived at Lyons, more dead than alive. A warm bath,
however, remaining in bed the whole day, buried in blankets,
abstaining from all food, a few grains of calomel at night
and copious libations of rice gruel the next day restored me
completely to health; and after a sijour of four days at
Lyons, I was enabled to proceed on my journey to Cler-
mont on the 14th March. We arrived at Roanne in the
evening and I stopped there the whole night.
Between Lyons and Roanne is the mountain of Tarare
where the road is cut right athwart the mountain and is
consequently terribly steep ; indeed it is the steepest ascent
for a carriage I ever beheld. All the passengers were
obliged to bundle out and ascend on foot; and even then
it is a most arduous montie for such a cumbrous machine as
a French diligence.
The country between Lyons and Roanne appears diversi-
fied; but this is not the season for enjoying the beauties
of nature. Roanne consists of one immensely long street,
but it is broad, and contains excellently built houses and
shops. There is a theatre also and baths. It is situated on
the Loire which I now salute for the first time.
The following morning at nine o'clock a patache (a sort
of two wheeled carriage) was in waiting to convey me the
remainder of my journey; and I arrived at night at a large
village or town called Thiers. Halfway between Roanne and
Thiers, on stopping at a small village to dine, I observed a
dish of frogs at the kitchen fire at the inn; and as it was the
290
CLERMONT-FERRAND
first time I had observed them as an article of food in France,
I was desirous to taste them. They were dressed in a fricassee
of white sauce, and I found them excellent. The legs only are
used. They would be delicious as a curry. The next morning
we continued our journey; and crossing the river Allier at
twelve o'clock, arrived at Clermont-Ferrand at 2 p.m., and
dined with Col. Wardle. Clermont and Ferrand are two
towns within a mile and half distant from each other and
this Clermont is generally called Clermont-Ferrand to dis-
tinguish it from other towns of the same name.
CLERMONT, March 26th.
I have taken lodgings for a month, and board with a French
family for 90 franks per month. On the road hither the
immense mountain called the Puy de Dome is discernible at
a great distance; it is said to have been a volcano.
Clermont is a very ancient city and has an air of dullness;
but the Place and promenades round the town are excellent.
It is the capital of this department (Puy de Dome). There
is a terrible custom here of emptying the aguas mayores y
menores (as the Spaniards term those secretions) into the
small streets that lie at the back of the houses. The conse-
quence is that they are clogged up with filth and there is
always a most abominable stench. One must be careful how
one walks thro' these streets at night, from the liability of
being saluted by a golden shower. The lower classes of the
Auvergnats have the reputation of being dirty, slovenly
and idle.
Here is a church built by the English in the time of
Edward III, when the Black Prince commanded in this
country; and it was in a chapel in this city, the remains of
which still exist, that Peter the Hermit preached the first
crusade. These are almost the only things worthy of
remark in the town itself, except that there is a good deal
of commerce carried on, manufactures of crockery, cloth and
silk stockings. But in the natural curiosities of the environs
of Clermont there is a great deal to interest the botanist and
u2 291
AFTER WATERLOO
mineralogist and above all there is a remarkable petrifying
well, very near the town, where by leaving pieces of wood,
shell-fish and other articles exposed to the dropping of the
water, they become petrified in a short time. This water has
the same effect on dead animals and rapidly converts them
into stone. I have myself seen a small basket filled with
plovers' eggs become in eight days a perfect petrifaction.
CLERMONT, April 2d.
I am arrived here at rather a dull season: the Carnaval
is just over and all the young ladies are taking to their
Livres d'Heures to atone for any levity or indiscretion they
may have been guilty of during the hey day of the Carna-
val. The Wardle family have a very pleasant acquaintance
here, chiefly among the liberaux, or moderate royalists,
but there are some most inveterate Ultras in this city, who
keep aloof from any person of liberal principles, as they
would of a person infected with the plague. The noblesse of
Auvergne have the reputation of being in general ignorant
and despotic. There is but little agrement or instruction to
be derived from their society, for they have not the ideas of
the age. In general the nobles of Auvergne, tho' great
sticklers for feudality and for their privileges, and tho'
they disliked the Revolution, had the good sense not to
emigrate.
There is a Swiss regiment of two battalions quartered
here. It bears the name of its Colonel, De Salis. As there
are a number of officers of the old army here, on half pay,
about three hundred in number, it is said, frequent disputes
occur between them and the Swiss officers. The Swiss
are looked upon by the people at large as the satellites of
despotism and not without reason. It is, I think, degrading
for any country to have foreign troops in pay in time of
peace. Several attempts have been made in the Chamber
of Deputies to obtain their removal or licenciement, but
without success. As it is supposed that the song of the Ranz
des V aches affects the sensibility of the Swiss very much,
292
GENERAL DE VERGENNES
and makes them long to return to their native mountains,
a wag has recommended to all the young ladies in France
who are musicians to play and sing the Ranz des V aches
with all their might, in order to induce the Swiss to betake
themselves to their native country.
There has been a great deal of denunciation going forward
here; but the General de V * who commands the
troops in Clermont, determined to put a stop to it. He had
the good sense to see that such a system, if encouraged,
would be destructive of all society, prejudicial to the
Government, and vexatious to himself; as he would be
thereby kept continually in hot water. Accordingly, on a
delator presenting himself and accusing another of not
being well affected to the present order of things, and of
having spoken disrespectfully of the King, M. de V said
to him: " I have no doubt, Sir, that your denunciation
proceeds from pure motives, and I give you full credit for
your zeal and attachment to the royal cause; but I cannot
take any steps against the person whom you accuse, unless
you are willing to give me leave to publish your name and
consent to be confronted with him, so that I may examine
fairly the state of the case, and render justice to both
parties." The accuser declined acceding to this proposition.
The General desired him to withdraw, and shortly after
intimated publicly that he would listen to no denunciation,
unless the denouncer gave up his name and consented to
be confronted with the accused. The consequence of this
intimation was that all denunciations ceased. The late Pre-
fect however was not so prudent, and chose rather to
encourage delation; but mark the consequence! He arrested
* Louis Charles Joseph Gravier, vicomte de Vergennes d'Alonne, was
the son of the Comte de Vergennes, who was minister under the reign of
Louis XVI. Born at Constantinople in 1766, he took service at the early age
of thirteen, was promoted captain in 1782 and colonel in 1788. Having
emigrated in 1791, he served in Conde's army, then took service in England
from 1795 to 1797. On the 3rd March, 1815, he re-entered the army as
"marechal de camp," and, on the 2nd November of that same year, was pro-
moted general commander of the department of Puy de Ddme. He retired
on the 8th March, 1817, and seems to have been much regretted at Cler-
mont. Died 1821. ED.
293
AFTER WATERLOO
several persons wrongfully, was obliged to release them
afterwards, was in continual hot water and it ended by the
Government being obliged to displace him. To avoid the
merited vengeance of many individuals whom he had ill-
treated, he was obliged, on giving up his prefecture, to
make a precipitate retreat from Clermont. The delators
attempted the same system with the new Prefect and Col.
Wardle, having invited some of the Swiss officers to a ball,
to which were likewise invited people of all opinions, an
information was lodged against him, purporting that he
wanted to corrupt the Swiss officers from their allegiance.
The Prefect sent the letter to Col. Wardle and said that it
had not made the slightest impression on his mind, and
that he treated it as a malicious report. The new Prefect
adopted the same system as the General and tranquillity
is since perfectly restored.
Things have been taking a better turn since the dissolu-
tion of the Chambre introuvable. Decazes, the present
minister, is an able man, and if he is not contrarie by the
Liberaux, he will keep the fanatical Ultras in good order.
The Bishop of Clermont is a liberal man also, and as it seems
the wish of the present public functionaries here to con-
ciliate, it is to be hoped that their example will not be lost
on the bons vieux gentilshommes of Auvergne.
I find an inexhaustible fund of entertainment from the
conversation of M. C . He has so many interesting anec-
dotes to relate respecting the French Revolution. With
regard to his present occupations, which are directed
towards rural economy, he tells me that he has succeeded
in a plan of cleansing the town from its Augean filth, and
making it very profitable to himself; and that he calculates
to obtain a revenue thereby of twenty thousand franks
annually. He has, in short, undertaken to be the grand
scavenger of the town, and the Government, in addition to a
salary of 2,500 francs per annum, which they give him for
his trouble, give to him the exclusive privilege of removing
all the dung he can collect in the precincts of the city, and of
294
CLEANSING CLERMONT-FERRAND
converting it to his own advantage. He began by fitting up
a large enclosure, walled on each side, and in which he
deposits all the filth he can collect in the stables, yards and
streets of Clermont. He sends his carts round the town
every morning to get them loaded. All their contents are
brought to this repository, and shot out there. Straw is then
placed over this dung, and then earth or soil collected from
gullies and ravines, and this arranged stratum super stratum,
till it forms an immense compact cake of rich compost; and
when it has filled one of the yards and has completed a
thickness of five feet, he sells it to the farmers, who send
their carts to carry it off. He has divided this enclosure or
repository into three or four compartments. The compost
therefore is prepared, and ready to be carried off in one
yard, while the others are filling. In this he has rendered a
great benefit to the public, for the Auvergnats are incurable
in their custom of emptying their pots de chambre out of the
windows ; so that the streets every morning are in a terrible
state: but thanks to the industry of C his cars go
round to collect the precious material, and all is cleared
away by twelve o'clock. He collects bones too, and offal to
add to the compost. He conducted me to see his premises;
but the odour was too strong. . . .
I returned to Lausanne by the same route, leaving Cler-
mont on the 6th April, staying four days at Lyons and as
many at Geneva. Young Wardle accompanied me. We met
with no other adventure on the road than having a young
Catholic priest, fresh from the seminary, for our travelling
companion, from Thiers to Roanne. This young man
wished to convert Wardle and myself to Catholicism.
Among many arguments that he made use of was that
most silly one, which has been so often sported by the
Catholic theologians, viz.: that it is much safer to be a
Catholic than a Protestant, inasmuch as the Catholics do
not allow that any person can be saved out of the pale of
their church, whereas the Protestants do allow that a
Catholic may be saved. I answered him that this very
295
AFTER WATERLOO
argument made more against Catholicism than any other,
and that this intolerant spirit would ever prevent me (even
had such an idea entered into my head) of embracing such
a religion. I then told him that, once for all, I did not wish
to enter into any theological disputes; that I had fully
made up my mind on these subjects; and that I would
rather take the opinion of a Voltaire or a Franklin on these
matters than all the opinions of all the theologians and
churchmen that ever sat in council from the Council of
Nicaea to the present day. This silenced him effectually.
Such is the absurd line of conduct pursued by the Catholic
priests of the present day in France. Instead of reforming
the discipline and dogmas of their church and adapting it
to the enlightened ideas of the present age, they are sedu-
lously employd in preaching intolerant doctrines, and
reviving absurd legends, and pretended miracles, which have
been long ago consigned to contempt and oblivion by all
rational Catholics; and by this they hope to re-establish
the ecclesiastical power in its former glory and preponder-
ance. Vain hope! By the American and French Revolutions
a great light is gone up to the Gentiles. Catholicism is on its
last legs, and they might as soon attempt to replace our
old friend and school acquaintance Jupiter on the throne
of heaven, as to re-establish the Papal power in its pristine
splendour; to borrow the language of the Pilgrim's Pro-
gress, the Giant Pope will be soon as dead as the Giant Pagan.
On arrival at Lyons we put up at the Hotel du Pare,
where I found cheaper and better entertainment than
at the Hotel du Nord.
My friend young Wardle has fallen in love with a very
beautiful cafetiere at Lyons, and spends a great part of his
time in the cafe, at which this nymph administers, and looks
at her, sighs, looks and sighs again. It is not probable
however that he will succeed in his suit, for she has been
courted by very many others and no one has succeeded.
She remains constant to her good man, and the breath of
calumny has never ventured to assail her.
VISIT TO PAYERNE
I met one day at Lyons with my old friend W s of
Strassburg, who was a Lieutenant in the 25th Regiment in
the French service and served in the battle of Waterloo.*
He is now here and being on demi-solde, employs himself
in a mercantile house here as principal commis. He dined
with us and we passed a most pleasant day together.
I arrived on the 20th April at Lausanne.
*****
After remaining some weeks at Lausanne on my return
from Clermont, I determind on making a pedestrian trip as
far as Bern and Neufchatel previous to returning into
Italy, which it is my intention to do in September. I sent
on my portmanteau accordingly to Payerne near Avenches,
intending to pay a visit and pass three days with my
friend, the Revd. Mr. J[omini],f the rector of the parish
there, from whom I had received a pressing invitation. I was
acquainted at Lausanne with his daughter, Mme C , and
was much pleased in her society. She had great talent of
conversation, and I never in my life met with a lady pos-
sessed of so much historical knowledge. I started on the
27th June from Lausanne, passed the first night at Mondon
and the next afternoon arrived at Avenches, the Aventicum
of the ancient Romans. Payerne is only a mile distant from
Avenches, and I was received with the utmost cordiality
by the worthy pastor and his daughter. The scenery on
the road to Avenches is very like the scenery in all the rest
of the Canton de Vaud, viz., alternate mountain and valley,
lofty trees, and every spot capable of cultivation bearing
some kind of produce; corn just ready for the sickle and
fruit such as cherries and strawberries in full bloom.
Avenches has an air of great antiquity and looks very
gloomy withal, which forms a striking contrast to the
neat, well built towns and villages of this Canton on the
* Jean Frai^ois Winkens, born at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1790, is mentioned in
the records of the French War Office as having served in the 25th Regiment
at Waterloo. His family may have belonged to Strassburg. ED.
f Pierre Jacques Jomini, Protestant minister at Avenches from 1808 to
1819. ED.
297
AFTER WATERLOO
banks of the lake Leman where everything appears so
stirring and cheerful. Avenches, on the contrary, is very
dull, and there is little society.
At Mr. J[omini] there were, besides his daughter, his son
and his son's wife. All the ministres (for such is the word in use
to designate Protestant clergymen and you would give great
offence were you to call them pretres) have a fixed salary of
100 sterling per annum, with a house and ground attached
to the cure ; so that by farming a little they can maintain
their families creditably. M. Jomini lost his wife some
time ago, and still remains a widower.
I left Payerne on the fifth of July and walked to the
campagne of M. de T[reytorre]ns,* situated on the banks of
the lake Morat. It is a very pretty country house, spacious
and roomy, and I was received with the utmost cordiality
by M. de T[reytorrens] and his amiable family. He is a
very opulent proprietor in this part of the country, and has
spent part of his life in England. He is a dignified looking
man, a little too much perhaps of the old school and no
friend to the innovations and changes arising from the
French Revolution. Having lived much among the Tory
nobility of England, he has imbibed their ideas and views
of things. His son is now employed in one of the public
offices in London. His wife and three daughters, one of
whom is married to a ministre, dwell with him. With
this family I passed three days in the most agreeable
manner. I find the style and manner of living of the
noblesse (or country gentlemen, as we should style them) of
Switzerland very comfortable, in every sense of the word.
I wish my friends the French would take more to a country
life, it would essentially benefit the nation. The way of
living in M. de T[reytorre]ns family is as follows. A break-
fast of coffee and bread and butter is served up to each
person separately in their own room, or in the Salle a manger.
Before dinner every one follows his own avocation or
* The Treytorrens family, of old nobility and fame, now extinct, possessed
a large estate at Guevaux, on the borders of the lake of Morat. ED.
298
LAKE NEUFCHATEL
amusement. At one, the family assemble to dinner which
generally consist of soup, bouilli, entrees of fish, flesh and
fowl, entremets of vegetables, a roti of butcher's meat, fowl
or game, pastry and desert. The wine of the country is
drunk at dinner as a table wine, and old wines of the country
or wines of foreign growth are handed round to each guest
during the desert. After dinner coffee and liqueurs are
served. After an hour's conversation or repose, promenades
are proposed which occupy the time till dusk. Music, cards
or reading plays fill up the rest of the evening, till supper is
announced at nine o'clock, which is generally as substan-
tial as the dinner.
On taking leave of Mr. de T[reytorre]ns' family I walked
to the banks of the lake Neufchatel, having a stout fellow
with me to carry my sac-de null. On arrival at the lake I
crossed over in a boat to Neufchatel, which lies on the other
side. I remained there the whole of the day. It is a very
pretty neat little city, in a romantic position. Its govern-
ment is a complete anomaly. Neufchatel forms a com-
ponent part of the Helvetic confederacy, and yet the
inhabitants are vassals of the King of Prussia, and the
aristocracy are proud of this badge of servitude. The King
of Prussia however does not at all interfere with its internal
government, and his supremacy is in no other respects
useful to him than in giving him a slight revenue. French
is the language spoken in the canton. There is a marked
distinction of rank all over Switzerland, except in Geneva,
Vaud and the small democratic cantons such as Zug and
Schwytz, where it is merely nominal. In short, tranquillity
is the order of the day. Each rank respects the privileges of
the other and the peasant, however rich, is not at all dis-
posed to vary from his usual mode of life or to ape the
noble; and hence, tho' sumptuary laws are no longer in
force, they continue so virtually and the peasantry in all
the German cantons adhere strictly to the national costume.
299
AFTER WATERLOO
BERN, 14 July.
I put myself in the diligence that plies between Neuf-
chatel and Bern at nine p.m., on the 12 July, and the
following morning put up at the Crown Inn in the city of
Bern, in the Pays Allemand, whereas the French cantons are
termed the Pays Romand. Bern is a remarkably elegant city
as much so as any in Italy, and much cleaner withal. The
streets are broad, and in most of them are trottoirs under
arcades. There are a great number of book-sellers here, and
the best editions of the German authors are to be procured
very cheap. Bern is situated on an eminence forming almost
an island as it were in the middle of the river Aar; steep
ravines are on all sides of it; and there is a bridge over the
Aar to keep up the communication; and as the borders
of the island, on which the city stands, are very steep, a
zig-zag road, winding along the ravines, brings you to the
city gates. These gates are very superb. On each side of the
gates are two enormous white stone bears, the emblems of
the tutelary genius of this city. The houses are very lofty
and solidly built. The promenades in the environs of Bern
are the finest I have seen anywhere, and the grounds allotted
to this purpose are very tastefully laid out. These prome-
nades are paved with gravel and cut thro' the forests, that
lie on the coteaux and ravines on the other side of the Aar.
There are several neat villas in the neighbourhood of these
promenades, and there are cafes and restaurants for those
who chuse to refresh themselves. Such is the beauty of
these walks, that one feels inclined to pass the whole day
among them. They are laid out in such variety, and are so
multiplied, that you often lose your way; you are sure
however to be brought up by a point de vue at one or other
of the angles of the zig-zag; and this serves as a guide
pour vous orienter, as the French say. Another favorite
promenade is a garden, in the town itself, that environs
the whole city from which and from the superb terrace of
the Cathedral you have a magnificent view of the glaciers
that tower above the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunn. The
300
THE ARISTOCRACY OF BERN
immense forests that are in the neighbourhood of Bern form
a striking contrast with the cornfields in the vallies and on
the coteaux. There are but few vineyards in the neighbour-
hood of Bern.
BERN, 16 July.
The Diet is held this year in Bern and it is now sitting.
I have met with the two Deputies of the Canton de Vaud,
MM. P andM . I am glad to hear from them that the
animosity existing between the two cantons of Bern and Vaud
is beginning to subside. M. P has made a most able and
conciliating speech at the Diet. Still there is a good deal of
jealousy rankling in the breast of the Bern noblesse and the
avulsumimperium is a very sore subject with them. I recollect
once at Lausanne meeting with a young man of one of the
principal families of Bern, who had been in the English ser-
vice. The conversation happened to turn on the emancipation
of the Canton de Vaud from the domination of Bern, when
the young man became perfectly furious and insisted that
the Vaudois had no right whatever to their liberty, for that
the Canton of Bern had purchased the province of Vaud
from the Dukes of Savoy. " En un mot " (said he), " Us sont
nos esclaves, nos Holes et ils sont aussi clairement noire
propriete que les negres de laJamaique le sont de leurs maitres."
A very harsh measure has lately been passed in the Diet,
evidently suggested by the aristocracy of Bern, which
tended to fine and punish those Swiss officers who remained
in France to serve under Napoleon after his return from
Elba, and who did not obey the order of the Diet which
recalled them. A very able objection has been made to this
measure in a brochure, wherein it is stated that many of
these officers had no means of living out of France and that,
on a former occasion, when a number of Swiss officers were
serving the English Government and were employed in
America in the war against the United States hi 1812 and
1813, the Diet, then under Napoleon's influence, issued a
decree recalling them and commanding them to quit the
English service forthwith. This they refused to do and
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continued to serve. No notice whatever was taken of this
act of disobedience, when they returned to their native
country on being disbanded in 1814, and they were very
favourably received. Why then, says the author of this
pamphlet, is a similar act of disobedience to pass un-
noticed in one instance and to be so severely punished in
another? Or do you wish to prove that your vengeance is
directed only against those who remained in France, to
fight for its liberties, when invaded by a foreign foe, while
those who remained in America to fight against the liberties
and existence of the American Republic you have received
with applause and congratulation? Is such conduct worthy
of Republicans? O, fie!
Such an argument is in my opinion convincing for all the
world except for an English Tory, a French Ultra or a Bern
Oligarch.
The Arsenal here is well worth seeing ; here is a superb col-
lection of ancient armour, much of which were the spoils
of the Austrian and Burgundian chivalry, who fell in their
attempts to crush Helvetic liberty.
By way of shewing how fond the Bernois are of old insti-
tutions and customs, they have been at the trouble to catch
three or four bears and keep them in a walled pit in the
city, where they are well fed and taken care of. The popular
superstition is that the bears entertained in this manner
contribute to the safety of the commonwealth; and this
establishment continued ever in full force, until the dis-
solution of the old Confederacy took place and the estab-
ment in its place of the Helvetic Republic under the influ-
ence of the French directorial government. The custom,
then, appearing absurd and useless, was abolished, and
the bears were sold. But since the peace of 1814 other bears
have been caught and are nourishd, as the former ones
were, at the expence of the state.
Bern derives its name from Bdren, the German word for
Bears (plural number). Only the French spell Berne, with
an e at the end of it.
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A MILANESE LADY
There are no theatrical amusements going forward here.
Cards and now and then a little music form the evening
recreations. *
In the inn at Bern I became acquainted with a most
delightful Milanese lady and her son. Her name is L ;
she is the widow of an opulent banker at Milan and has a
large family of children. She was about thirty-eight years
of age and is still a remarkably handsome woman. Time
has made very little impression on her and she unites very
pleasing manners with a great taste for litterature. She is
greatly proficient in the English language and litterature,
which she understands thoroughly, tho' she speaks it with
difficulty. She is an enthusiastic admirer of Shakespeare,
Milton and Byron. She had been to Zurich for her son, who
was employed in a commercial house there, in order to take
him back with her into Italy. She spoke French as well as
Italian, and her son had a very good knowledge of German.
She offered me a seat in her carriage, on the understanding
that I was going to Lausanne, where she intended to stop a
day or two. An offer of the kind made by so elegant and
fascinating a woman you may be assured I did not scruple
to accept, and I was in hopes of improving on this acquaint-
ance and renewing it at Milan. Indeed, did not business
oblige me to remain some weeks at Lausanne, I should cer-
tainly offer my services to escort her all the way to Milan.
She had letters of introduction for Lausanne, and during
her stay there I acted as her cicerone, to point out the most
interesting objects and points of view, which the place
affords.
303
CHAPTER XIV
SEPTEMBER i8i7-APRIL 1818
Journey from Lausanne to Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples Resi-
dence at Naples The theatre of San Carlo Rossini's operas Gaming in
Naples The Lazzaroni Public writers Carbonarism Return to Rome
Christmas eve at Santa Maria Maggiore Mme Dionigi Theatricals
Society in Rome The papal government Lucien Bonaparte, prince of
Canino Louis Napoleon, ex- King of Holland Pope Pius VII Thor-
waldsen Granet The Holy Week in Rome The Duchess of Devon-
shire From Rome to Florence by the Perugia road.
I STARTED from Lausanne with a party of two ladies
in a Milanese vettura on the morning of the 20th Sep-
tember. We arrived at Milan on the 25th late in the
evening. On passing the Simplon we met with three or four
men who had the appearance of soldiers, and asked for
alms something in the style of the old Spanish soldier who
accosted Gil Bias on his first journey. Our ladies were a
little alarmed. On travelling over the plains of Lombardy,
one of these ladies, who had never before been out of her
country (Switzerland) and was consequently accustomed
to see the horizon bounded at a very short distance by
immense mountains on all sides, was much alarmed, on
arrival at the plain, at seeing no bounds to the horizon ; she
was apprehensive of falling down androllingover. Her remark
reminded me of one of the objections made to the project
of Columbus's voyage in discovery of a western passage to
India; it was said that in consequence of the rotundity of
the earth they would roll down and never be able to get up
again. The sensation experienced by my fellow traveller,
however, may be well accounted for and explained by any
one who from a plain surface situated on a great height
looks down without a railing or balcony.
These ladies were quite delighted with the splendour and
bustle of Milan and particularly when I took them to the
Scala theatre, where a very splendid Ballo was given
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RETURN TO ROME
intitled Sammi Re d'Egitto. The scenery and decorations
were magnificent, being taken from Denon's drawings of
Egyptian views, and the costume was exceedingly appro-
priate. My fellow travellers were much struck at the appear-
ance of the horses on the stage and the grotesque dancing.
The last scene was the most magnificent. It represented the
great Pyramids, on the angles of which stood a line of
soldiers from the base to the apex holding lighted torches.
The coup d'ceil was enchanting. I took the ladies to see my
old friend Girolamo and in fine was their cicerone every
where. We remained only four days at Milan and then pro-
ceeded to Florence, where we arrived on the 7th October. We
employed six days for our journey and one day we halted
at Bologna. After remaining four days at Florence and
taking the Radicofani road we arrived at Rome the 18th
October.
At Rome I met my friend P. G. and his wife who were
travelling towards Naples and I likewise made two very
pleasant acquaintances, the one a Portuguese, the other a
Milanese. The Milanese is a cousin of the Neapolitan
minister Di M ; and the Portuguese (M. de N ) had
been employed by his Government in a diplomatic capacity
at Vienna. At Rome I engaged appartments from the 20th
of December for three months and then started for Naples,
with the intention of passing two months there, and return-
ing to Rome to be in time to witness the fete at Christmas
Eve. At Velletri I met with a Jamaica family, Mr and Mrs
O , with their daughter and daughter-in-law; and we
were strongly advised to take an escort as far as Torre ire
ponti, being obliged to start very early from Velletri in order to
reach Terracina before night-fall. Nothing however occurred
and we arrived at Terracina without accident. The rascally
innkeeper there made Mr O pay forty franks for each
miserable room that he occupied, and fifteen franks a head
for his supper; he was very insolent with all. I was rejoiced
to find that in one instance he failed in his hopes of extortion.
As he is obliged by law to furnish supper and beds at a
X 305
AFTER WATERLOO
fixed price to those who travel with vetturini and are spesati,
he, whenever a vetturino arrives locks up all his decent
chambers and says that they are engaged, in order to keep
them for those travellers who may arrive in their own
carriages and whom he can fleece ad libitum. A friend of
mine and his lady, who were travelling in their own carriage,
had, in order to avoid this extortion, engaged with a
vetturino to conduct them from Naples to Rome with his
horses, but their own carriage, and had stipulated to be
spesati. Mine host of Terracina, seeing a smart carriage
drive up, ordered one of his best rooms to be got ready,
ushered them in himself and returnd in half an hour to
ask what they would have for supper; when to his great
astonishment and mortification, they referrd him for the
arrangement of the supper to the vetturino, saying that
they were spesati. He then began to curse and swear, said
. that they should not have that room, and wanted to turn
them out of it forcibly; but my friend Major G took
up one of his pistols, which were lying on the table, and told
the innkeeper that if he did not cease to molest them and
instantly quit the room, he would blow out his brains. This
threat had the desired effect, and he withdrew. It appears
that this fellow has in the end outwitted himself, for most
people now, who travel on this road in their own carriage,
chuse to travel with a vetturino and his horses and are
spesati, solely in order to avoid the extortion practised upon
them.
We arrived at Naples on the 29th October without
accident. A buona grazia of a scudo at the frontier obviated
the delay which would otherwise have occurred in examin-
ing our baggage by the douaniers. I put up at No 1 Largo
St Anna di Palazzo, near the Strada di Toledo, at the house
of one Berlier, who had been a domestic of poor Murat's.
The Austrian troops being now withdrawn, the military
cordon of sentinels from the frontier to Naples is kept up by
the Neapolitan troops; but what a contrast between the
vigilance of the Austrian sentinels, and the negligence of
306
OPERAS AT NAPLES
the Neapolitans! The last time I travelled on this road, I
never failed, after dusk, to hear the shout of Wer da? of the
Austrian sentries, long before I came up to them, and I
always found them alert. Now that the cordon was Neapoli-
tan, I always found the sentries either asleep, or playing at
cards with their companion (the sentries being double),
both having left their arms at the place where they were
posted. At night I have no doubt they all fall asleep, so
that three or four active banditti might come and cut the
throats of the whole chain of sentries in detail.
*****
30th October, 1818.
I have begun my course of water drinking at the fountain
of Sta Lucia. Since I was here the last time, the theatre of
St Carlo has been finished and I went to visit it the second
night after my arrival. It is a noble theatre and of immense
size, larger it is said than the Scala at Milan, tho' it does not
appear so. The profusion of ornament and gilding serves to
diminish the appearance of its magnitude. It is probably
now the most magnificent theatre in Europe. The per-
formance was II Barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini, and after-
wards a superb Ballo taken closely from Coleman's Blue-
Beard and arranged as a Ballo by Vestris. The only differ-
ence lies in the costume and the scenery; for here the
Barbe Bleue, instead of being a Turkish Pacha, as in Cole-
man's piece, is a Chinese Mandarin, and the decorations are
all Chinese. A great deal of Scotch music is introduced in
this Ballo, and seems to give great satisfaction. At the little
theatre of San Carlino I witnessed the representation of
Rossini's Cenerentola, a most delightful piece. The young
actress who did the part of Cenerentola acted it to per-
fection and sung so sweetly and correctly, that it would
seem as if the role were composed on purpose for her. The part
of Don Magnifico was extremely well played, and those of
the sisters very fairly and appropriately. The three actresses
who did the part of Cenerentola and her sisters, were all hand-
some, but she who did Cenerentola surpassed them all; she
x2 307
AFTER WATERLOO
was a perfect beauty and a grace. I think the music of this
opera would please the public taste in England. Rossini
seems to have banished every other musical composer from
the stage.
I have seen, at the Theatre of San Carlo, the Don Gio-
vanni of Mozart; but certainly, after being accustomed to
the extreme vivacity of Rossini's style, the music, even of
the divine Mozart, appears to go off heavily. There is too
much of what the French call musique de fanfares in the
opera of Don Giovanni and I believe most of the Italians are
of my way of thinking.
We have just heard oLthe death of the poor Princess
Charlotte. I am no great admirer of Kings and Queens ; and
yet I must own, I could not help feeling regret for the death
of this princess. I had formed a very high opinion of her,
from many traits in her character ; and I fancied and hoped
that she was destined to redeem England from the degra-
dation and bad odour into which she had been plunged by
the borough-mongers and bureaucrats, engendered by the
Pitt system. She had liberal ideas and an independent
spirit. I really almost caught myself shedding tears at this
event, and had she been buried here, I should have gone
to scatter flowers upon her tomb:
His saltern accumulem donis, et fungar inani
Munere.*
Has no royalist or ministerial poet been found to do
hommage to her manes? Had she lived to be Queen of
England she would have found a thousand venal pens to
give her every virtue under heaven.
There is a professor of natural philosophy now at Naples,
of the name of Amici, from Modena, who has invented a
microscope of immense power. The circulation of the blood
in the thigh of a frog (the coldest animal in nature), when
viewed thro' this microscope, appears to take place with the
rapidity of a Swiss torrent.
Since I have been here, I have once more ascended
* Virgil. Aen., vi, 886. ED.
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SOCIETY AT NAPLES
Vesuvius; there was no eruption at all this time, but I
witnessed the sight of a stream of red-hot liquid lava flowing
slowly down the flank of the mountain. It was about
two and a half feet broad.
In my letters from Naples, the last time I was there, I
gave you some idea of the state of society. Among the
upper classes gaming is reduced to a science and is almost
exclusively the order of the day. There is little or no taste
for litterature among any part of the native society. The
upper classes are sensualists; the middling ignorant and
superstitious. With regard to the Lazzaroni, I do not think
that they at all deserve the ill name that has been given to
them. They always seem good humoured and willing to
work, when employment is given to them ; and they do not
appear at all disposed to disturb the public peace, which,
from their being so numerous and formidable a body, they
could easily do. The Neapolitan dialect has a far greater
affinity to the Spanish than to the Tuscan, and there are
likewise a great many Greek words in it. When one takes
into consideration the extreme ignorance that prevails
among the Neapolitans in general, one is astonished that
such a prodigy of genius as Filangieri could have sprung up
among them. What talent, application, deep research and
judgment were united in that illustrious man! And yet there
are many Neapolitans of rank who have never heard of him.
Would you believe that on my asking one of the principal
booksellers in Naples for Filangieri's work on legislation
(an immortal work which has called forth the admiration
and eulogy of the greatest geniuses of the age, of which
Benjamin Franklin and Sir Wm Jones spoke in the most
unqualified terms of approbation; a work which has been
translated into all the languages of Europe), I was told by
the bookseller that he had never heard either of the author
or of his work.
A very curious thing at Naples is the number of public
writers, who compose letters and memorials in booths,
fitted up in the streets. As the great majority of the people
309
AFTER WATERLOO
are so ignorant as to be unable to read or write, it follows
that when they receive letters, they must find somebody to
read them for them and to write the answers required.
They accordingly, on the receipt of a letter, bring it to one
of these public scribes, ask him to read it for them and to
write an answer, for which trouble he receives a fixed pay.
These writers are thus let into the secrets of family affairs of
more than half of the city; and as some of them are in the
pay of the Government for communicating intelligence, you
may guess how formidable they may become to liberty and
how dangerous an engine in the hands of a despotic Govern-
ment.
It appears that the theatre of San Carlo is principally
kept up by gaming; that is to say, the managers and pro-
prietors would not undertake the direction of it without the
Gaming Bank being annexed to it; for otherwise they
would lose money, the expence of the Opera on account of
the magnificent decorations of the Ballets being very great,
which the receipts of the theatre are insufficient to meet;
but the profits of the Casino cover all and amply reimburse
the proprietors.
With regard to political opinions here there is a great
stagnation. It costs the Neapolitans too much trouble to
think and reflect. M , the principal minister, is however
no favourite ; neither is N , who has quitted the Austrian
service, and is nominated Captain-General of the Neapolitan
army.*
There is a great talk about the increase of Carbonarism.
You will probably ask me what Carbonarism means. I am
not initiated in the secret of the Carbonari ; but as far as I
can understand, this sect or secret society has its mysteries
like modern Free-masonry or like the Orphics of old, and
several progressive degrees of initiation are required. Its
* Of the two persons here mentioned, by their initials only, the first,
Luigi de' Medici, was chosen as Chancellor of the Exchequer by King Fer-
dinando in June, 1815. The second was Nugent, an Austrian marescallo, who
became capitano generate of the Neapolitan army, Augiist, 1816, and
capo del supremo comando, February, 1817. ED.
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CHRISTMAS AT S. MARIA MAGGIORE
secret object is said to be the emancipation of Italy from a
foreign despotism and the forming of a government purely
national. This is the reason why this sect is regarded with
as much jealousy by the different governments of Italy as
the early Christians used to be by the Pagan Emperors.
Great proofs of courage, constancy and self denial are
required from the initiated; and very many fail, or do not
rise beyond the lower degrees of initiation, for it is very
difficult for an Italian to withstand sensuality. But the
leaders of this sect are perfectly in the right to require such
proofs, for no man is fit to be trusted with any political
design whatever, who has not obtained the greatest mastery
over his passions. The word Carbonari, I need not tell you,
means Coalmen; the Italian history presents many examples
of secret societies taking their appellation from some
mechanical profession.
I have now been nearly two months in Naples, and the
zampogne or bag-pipes, which play about the streets at
night, announce the speedy approach of Christmas, so that
I shall soon take my departure for Rome.
*****
I left Naples on the 18th of December and arrived at
Rome on the 22d. I am settled in my old lodgings, No. 29
Piazza di Spagna. Nothing worth mentioning occurred
during the journey.
The fete of the birth of Christ held at Santa Maria
Maggiore on the evening of the 24th December is of the most
splendid description, and attended by an immense crowd
of women. Guns are fired on the moment that the birth of
the Saviour is announced, and this event occurs precisely at
midnight. The Romans seem to rejoice as much at the
anniversary of this event, as if it happened for the first time,
and as if immediate temporal advantage were to be
derived from it.
I have mixed a good deal in society in Rome since my
return from Naples. Among other acquaintance I must
particularly distinguish Mme Dionigi, a very celebrated
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AFTER WATERLOO
lady, possessing universality of talent.* She is well known
all over Italy, for the extent of her litterary attainments,
but more particularly for her proficiency in the fine arts,
above all in painting, of which she is an adept. She also
possesses the most amiable qualities of the heart, and is
universally beloved and respected for the worth of her
private character, and for her generous disposition. She has
all the vivacity of intellect belonging to youth, tho' now
nearly eighty-six years of age,f and of a very delicate
physical constitution; in short she affords, and I often tell
her so, the most striking proof of the immortality of the
soul. There is a conversazione at her house twice a week,
where you meet with foreign as well as Italian litterati, and
persons of distinction of all nations, tongues and lan-
guages. Her eldest daughter, Mme D'Orfei, is an excellent
improvisatrice, and has frequently given us very favourable
specimens of the inspiration which breathes itself in her
soul. I have likewise witnessed the talent of two very
extraordinary improvisatori, the one a young girl of
eighteen years of age, by name Rosa Taddei. She is the
daughter of the proprietor of the Teatro della Valle at Rome,
and sometimes performs herself in dramatic pieces; yet,
strange to say, tho' she is an admirable improvisatrice and
possesses a thorough classic and historical knowledge, she is
but an indifferent actress.
It is a great shame that her father obliges her to act on the
stage in very inferior parts, when she ought only to exhibit
on the tripod. I assisted at an Accademia given by her one
* This most distinguished lady, Marianna Candidi, was born in Rome in
1756; her mother, Magdalena Scilla, was the daughter of a well known
antiquary of Messina, Agostino Scilla. Marianna learned Latin, drawing and
music; she achieved a reputation as landscape painter, and was elected a
member of the Academies of St Luke in Rome, of Bologna, Pisa and Phila-
delphia. She married the lawyer Domenico Dionigi, and gave him seven
children, one of whom, Henrietta, became Madame Orfei, and was much
esteemed as "improvisatrice." Madame Dionigi herself published several
works, among which a Storia de' tempi presenti, written in view of the
education of her children. Her salon in Rome was frequented by many men
of distinction, such as Visconti, d'Agincourt, Erskine, etc. She died on the
loth June, 1826, at the age of seventy. ED.
f She was no more than sixty-two at that time. ED.
312
MME D'ORFEI, THE IMPROVISATRICE
evening at the Teatro della Voile, when she improvised on
the following subjects? which were proposed by various
members of the audience: 1st, La morte d'Egeo; 2dy, La
Madre Ebrea; 3rd, Coriolano alle mura di Roma; 4th,
Ugolino; 5th, Saffo e Faone; 6th, in the Carnaval with the
following intercalario: " Maschera ti conosco, tieni la benda al
cor!" which intercalario compels a rhyme in osco, a most
difficult one. The Madre Ebrea and Coriolano were given in
ottava rima with a rima obbligata for each stanza. The
Morte d'Egeo was given in terza rima. Her versification
appeared to be excellent, nor could I detect the absence or
superabundance of a single syllable. She requires the aid
of music, chuses the melody; the audience propose the
subject, and rima obbligata, and the intercalario, where it is
required. In her gestures, particularly before she begins to
recite, she reminded me of the description given of the
priestess of Delphi. She walks along the stage for four or
five minutes in silent meditation on the subject proposed,
then suddenly stops, calls to the musicians to play a certain
symphony and then begins as if inspired. Among the
different rhimes in osco, a gentleman who sat next to me
proposed to her Cimosco. I asked him what Cimosco he
meant; he replied a Tuscan poet of that name. For my
part, I had never heard of any other of that name than the
King Cimosco in the Orlando Furioso, who makes use of
fire-arms ; and Rosa Taddei was, it appears, of my opinion,
since this was the Cimosco she chose to characterise; and
she made thereby a very neat and happy comparison
between the gun of Cimosco and the arrow of Cupid. This
talent of the improvisatori is certainly wonderful, and one
for which there is no accounting. It appears peculiar to the
Italian nation alone among the moderns, but probably was
in vogue among the ancient Greeks also. It is certain that
Rosa Taddei gives as fine thoughts as are to be met with in
most poets, and I am very much tempted to incline to
Forsyth's opinion that Homer himself was neither more nor
less than an improvisator e, the Greek language affording
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AFTER WATERLOO
nearly as many poetic licences as the Italian, and the
faculty of heaping epithet on epithet being common in
both languages.
The other genius in this wonderful art is Signer Sgricci.
He is so far superior to Rosa Taddei in being five or six years
older, in being a very good Latinist and in improvising
whole tragedies on any subject, chosen by the audience.
When the subject is chosen, he develops his plan, fixes his
dramatis personae and then strikes off in versi sciolti. He at
times introduces a chorus with lyric poetry. I was present
one evening at an Accademia given by him in the Palazzo
Chigi. The subject chosen was Sophonisba and it was
wonderful the manner in which he varied his plot from that
of every other dramatic author on the same subject. He
acted the drama, as well as composed it, and pourtrayed the
different characters with the happiest effect. The ardent
passion and impetuosity of Massinissa, the studied calm
philosophy and stoicism of Scipio, the romantic yet digni-
fied attachment of Sophonisba, and the plain soldierlike
honorable behaviour of Syphax were given in a very
superior style. I recollect particularly a line he puts in the
mouth of Scipio, when he is endeavouring to persuade
Massinissa to resist the allurements and blandishments
of love:
Ch& cor di donna & laberinto, in quale
Facil si perde 1'intelletto umano.
This drama he divided into three acts, and on its termina-
tion he improvised a poem in terza rima on the subject of
the contest of Ajax and Ulysses for the armour of Achilles.
Wonderful, however, as this act of improvising may
appear, it is not perhaps so much so as the mathematical
faculty of a youth of eight years of age, Yorkshireman by
birth, who has lately exhibited his talent for arithmetical
calculation improvised in England and who in a few seconds,
from mental calculation, could give the cube root of a num-
ber containing fifteen or sixteen figures.
Is not all this a confirmation of Doctor Gall's theory on
314
SOCIETY AT ROME
craniology ? viz. , that our faculties depend on the organisation
of the scull. I think I have seen this frequently exemplified
at Eton. I have known a boy who could not compose a
verse, make a considerable figure in arithmetic and geo-
metry; and another, who could write Latin verse with
almost Ovidian elegance, and yet could not work the
simplest question in vulgar fractions. Indeed, I think there
seems little doubt that we are born with dispositions and
propensities, which may be developed and encouraged, or
damped and checked altogether by education.
I have become acquainted with several families at Rome,
so that I am at no loss where to spend my evenings. Music
is the never failing resource for those with whom the spirit
of conversation fails. The society at Rome is perfectly free
from etiquette or gene. When once presented to a family
you may enter their house every evening without invitation,
make your bow to the master and mistress of the house,
enter into conversation or not as you please. You may
absent yourself for weeks together from these conversa-
zioni, and nobody will on your re-appearance enquire where
you have been or what you have been doing. In short, in
the intercourse with Roman society, you meet with great
affability, sometimes a little ennui, but no commerage.
The avvocati may be said to form almost exclusively the
middling class in Rome, and they educate their families
very respectably. This class was much caressed by the
French Government during the time that Rome was
annexed to the French Empire, and most of the employes
of the Government at that time were taken from this class.
I have met with several sensible well-informed people, who
have been accurate observers of the times, and had derived
profit in point of instruction from the scenes they had
witnessed.
The Papal Government began, as most of the restored
governments did, by displacing many of these gentlemen,
for no other fault than because they had served under the
Ex-government, and replaced them by ecclesiastics, as in
315
AFTER WATERLOO
the olden time. But the Papal Government very soon dis-
covered that the whole political machine would be very soon
at a stand, by such an epuration; and the most of them have
been since reinstated. Consalvi, the Secretary of State, is a
very sensible man; he has hard battles to fight with the
Ultras of Rome in order to maintain in force the useful
regulations introduced by the French Government, par-
ticularly the organisation of a vigilant police, and the
putting a stop to the murders and robberies, which used
formerly to be committed with impunity. The French
checked the system of granting asylum to these vagabonds
altogether. But on the restoration of the Papal Govern-
ment a strong interest was made to allow asylums, as
formerly, to criminals. Many of these gentry began to
think that the good old times were come again, wherein they
could commit with impunity the most atrocious crimes;
and no less than eighty persons were in prison at one time
for murder. This opened the eyes of the Government, and
Consalvi insisted on the execution of these men and carried
his point of establishing a vigilant police. The Army too
has been put on a better footing. The Papal troops are now
clothed and disciplined in the French manner, and make a
most respectable appearance. The infantry is clothed in
white; the cavalry in green. The cockade is white and
yellow. No greater proof can be given of the merit and
utility of the French institutions in Italy, than the circum-
stance of all the restored Governments being obliged by
their interests (tho' contrary to their wishes and prejudices),
to adopt and enforce them. There is still required, however,
a severer law for the punishment of post office defalcations.
Simple dismissal is by no means adequate, when it is con-
sidered how much mischief may ensue from such offences.
A very serious offence of this nature and which has made a
great sensation, has lately occurred. As all foreign letters
must be franked, and as the postage to England is very
high, one of the clerks at the Post office had been in the
habit of receiving money for the franking of letters, appro-
316
THE CARNAVAL AT ROME
priated it to his own use, and never forwarded the letters.
This created great inconvenience; a number of families
having never received answers to their letters and being
without the expected remittances, began to be uneasy and
to complain. An enquiry was instituted, and it was dis-
covered that the clerk above mentioned had been carrying on
this game to a great extent. He used to tear the letters and
throw the fragments into a closet. Several scraps of letters
were thus discovered and, on being examined, he made an
ample confession of his practises. He was merely discharged,
and no other punishment was inflicted on him. I am no
advocate for the punishment of death for any other crime
but wilful murder; but surely this fellow was worse than a
robber, and deserved a greater severity of punishment.
ROME, 10th February, 1818.
The Carnaval has long since begun, and this is the
heaven of the Roman ladies. On my remarking to a lady
that I was soon tired of it and after a day or two found it
very childish, she replied: "Bisogna esser donna e donna
Italiana per ben godere de* piaceri del Carnevale"
When I speak of the Carnaval, I speak of the last ten
days of it which precede Lent. The following is the detail of
the day's amusement during the season.
After dinner, which is always early, the masks sally out
and repair to the Corso. The windows and balconies of the
houses are filled with spectators, in and out of masks. A
scaffolding containing an immense number of seats is con-
structed in the shape of a rectangle, beginning at the
Piazza del Popolo, running parallel to the Corso on each
side, and terminating near the Piazza di Venezia; close to
which is the goal of the horse race that takes place in
this enclosure. Carriages, with persons in them, generally
masked, parade up and down this space in two currents, the
one ascending, the other descending the Corso. They are
saluted as they pass with showers of white comfits from
the spectators on the seats of the scaffolding, or from the
317
AFTER WATERLOO
balconies and windows on each side of the street. These
comfits break into a white powder and bespatter the
clothes of the person on whom they fall as if hair-powder
had been thrown on them. This seems to be the grand joke
of this part of the Carnival. After the carriages have paraded
about an hour, a signal is given by the firing of a gun that
the horse race is about to begin. The carriages, on the gun
being fired, must immediately evacuate the Corso in order
to leave it clear for the race; some move off and rendez-
vous on the Piazza del Popolo just behind the scaffolding,
from the foot of which the horses start; others file off by the
Via Ripetta and take their stand on the Piazza Colonna. The
horse-race is performed by horses without riders, generally
five or six at a time. They are each held with a bridle or
halter by a man who stands by them, in order to prevent
their starting before the signal is given ; and this requires no
small degree of force and dexterity, as the horses are
exceedingly impatient to set off. The manes of the horses
are dressed in ribbands of different colours to distinguish
them. Pieces of tin, small bells and other noisy materials are
fastened to their manes and tails, in order by frightening
the poor animals, to make them run the faster, and with
this view also squibs and crackers are discharged at them
as they pass along. A second gun is the signal for starting;
the keepers loose their hold, and off go the horses. The
horse that arrives the first at the goal wins the grand
prize; and there are smaller ones for the two next. This race
is repeated four or five times till dusk, and then the company
separate and return home to dress. They then repair to the
balls at the different casinos, and at the conclusion of the
ball, supper parties are formed either at restaurants or at
each other's houses. During the time, occupied in the balls
and promenades, as every body goes masked either in
character or in domino, there is a fine opportunity for
pairing off, and it is no doubt turned to account. This is a
pretty accurate account of a Roman Carnaval. A great
deal of wit and repartee takes place among the masks and
318
MASQUERADES
they are in general extremely well supported; and indeed
they ought to be, for there is a great sameness of character
assumed at every masquerade, and very little novelty is
struck out, except perhaps by some foreigner, who chuses
to introduce a national character of his own, which is
probably but little, or not at all, understood by the natives,
and very often not at all well supported by the foreigner
himself. An American gentleman once made his appearance
as an Indian warrior with his war-hatchet and calumet; he
danced the war dance, which excited great astonishment.
He then presented his calumet to a mask, who not knowing
what the ceremony meant, declined it, when the Mohawk
flourished his hatchet and gave such a dreadful shriek as to
set the whole company in alarm.* On the whole this cha-
racter was so little understood that it was looked upon as a
mauvaise plaisanterie.
The usual characters are Pulcinelli, Arlecchini, Spanish
Grandees, Turks, fortune tellers, flower girls and Devils;
sometimes too they go in the costume of the Gods and
Goddesses of the ancient mythology. I observe that the
English ladies here prefer to appear without masks in the
costume of the Swiss and Italian peasantry.
There is a very large English society at Rome, and at some
of the parties here, you could suppose yourself in Grosvenor
Square.
The late political changes have brought together in
Rome many persons of the most opposite parties and senti-
ments, who have fallen from the height of political power and
influence into a private station, but who enjoy themselves
here unmolested, and even protected by the Government,
and are much courted by foreigners. I have seen at the same
masquerade, in the Teatro Aliberti, in boxes close to each
other, the Queen of Spain (mother of Ferdinand VII), and
the Princess Borghese, Napoleon's sister. In a box at a
* To present the calumet is an offer of peace and amity among the
aborigines of North America and to refuse it is regarded as the greatest
insult.
319
AFTER WATERLOO
short distance from them were Lucian Buonaparte, his
wife and daughters. Besides these, the following ex-
Sovereigns and persons of distinction, fallen from their high
estate, reside in Rome, viz., King Charles IV of Spain ; the
ex-King of Holland, Louis Buonaparte ; the abdicated King
of Sardinia, Victor Emanuel; Don Manuel Godoy, the
Prince of Peace; Cardinal Fesch, and Madame Letitia, the
mother of Napoleon.
I had an opportunity of being presented to Lucian, who
bears the title of Prince of Canino, before I left Rome for
Naples, as on leaving the Pays de Vaud I was charged by a
Swiss gentleman to deliver a letter to him, the purport of
which was to state that he had rendered services to Joseph
Napoleon, when he was resident in that Canton, in conse-
quence of which he had been persecuted and deprived of
his employment at Lausanne, which was that of Captain of
the Gendarmerie; and in the letter he sollicited pecuniary
assistance from the Prince of Canino. I rode out one
morning to the Villa of Ruffinella where the Prince resides
and was very politely received; it appeared however that
the Prince was totally unacquainted with the person who
wrote the letter, nor was he at all aware of the circum-
stances therein mentioned. I told him that I was but little
acquainted with the writer of the letter, but that he, on
hearing of my intention of going to Rome, asked me to
deliver it personally. The Prince told me he would write
himself to the applicant on the subject. Here the negotia-
tion ended; but on my taking leave the Prince said he should
be happy to see me whenever I chose to call. The Prince
has the character of being an excellent father and husband,
and seems entirely and almost exclusively devoted to his
family. He has a remarkably fine collection of pictures and
statues in his house at Rome.
I had an opportunity likewise of seeing the ex-King of
Holland, Louis Napoleon, who seems to be a most excellent
and amiable man, and in fact everybody agrees in speaking
of him with eulogy.
320
POPE PIUS VII
With regard to the present Pontiff Pius VII, from the
excellence of his private character and virtues, and from his
unassuming manners and goodness of heart, there is but one
opinion respecting him. Even those who do not like the
ecclesiastical Government, and behold in it the degradation
of Italy, render justice to the good qualities of Pius VII. He
always displayed the greatest moderation and humanity in
prosperity, and in adversity he was firm and dignified. In
his morals and habits he is quite a primitive Christian, and
if he does not possess that great political talent which has
distinguished some of his predecessors, he has been par-
ticularly fortunate and discriminating in the choice of his
minister, in whom are united ability, firmness, suavity of
manner and unimpeachable character. I think I have thus
given a faithful delineation of Cardinal Consalvi.
ROME, March 12th.
I have made a very valuable acquaintance in M. K[611e]*
the envoy of the King of Wiirtemberg, to the Holy See. He
is an enthusiastic admirer of his countryman the poet
Schiller, and thro' his means of procuring German books, I
am enabled to prosecute my studies in that noble language.
An Italian lady there having heard much of Schiller and
Burger, and not being acquainted with the German lan-
guage, requested me to make an Italian translation of
some of the pieces of those poets ; chusing the Leonora of
Burger as one, and leaving to myself the choice of one
from Schiller, I represented the extreme difficulty of the
task, but as she had read a sonnet of mine on Lord
Guildford's project of establishing an University in the
Italian language, she would not hear of any excuse. To
work then I set, and completed the translation of Leonora,
together with one of Schiller's Feast of Eleusis. These and
my sonnet were the cause of my being recommended for
admission as a member of the Academy degli Arcadi in
* Frye gives only the initial of the name, which I have completed from
the Almanack de Gotha, 1818. ED,
y 321
AFTER WATERLOO
Rome and I received the pastoral name of Galeso Itacense.
The Carnaval is now over and the ladies are all at their
Livres d'Heures, posting masses and prayers to the credit
side, to counterbalance the sins and frailties committed
during the carnaval in the account which they keep in the
Ledger of Heaven. Dancing and masquerading are now over
and Requiems and the Miserere the order of the day at the
conversazioni.
At Mr K[6lle]'s house I have become acquainted with
Thorwaldsen, the famous Danish sculptor, who is by many
considered as the successful rival of Canova; but their
respective styles are so different, that a comparison can
scarce be made between them. Canova excels in the soft and
graceful, in the figures of youthful females and young men ;
Thorwaldsen in the grave, stern and terrible. In a word,
did I wish to have made a Hebe, a Venus, an Antinoiis, an
Apollo, I should charge Canova with their execution. Did I
wish for an Ajax, an Hercules, a Neptune, a Jupiter, I
should give the preference to Thorwaldsen.
In their private characters they much resemble each
other, being both honorable, generous, unassuming, and
enthusiastic lovers of their profession and of the fine arts
in general.
I have been to see a remarkably fine picture, by a modern
French artist, of the name of Granet. It may be considered
as the chef d'ceuvre of the perspective or dioramic art. This
picture represents the interior of the convent of the Capu-
chins, near the Barberini Palace. The picture is by no means
a very large one; but the optical deception is astonishing.
You fancy you are standing at the entrance of a long hall
and ready to enter it; on looking at it, thro' a piece of paper
rolled in form of a speaking trumpet which by hiding
from the sight the frame of the picture, prevents the illusion
from being dissipated you suppose you could walk into
the hall; and each figure of a monk therein appears a real
human creature, seen from a long distance, so skilfully has
the artist disposed his light and shade. This picture has ex-
322
THE FRENCH PAINTER GRANET
cited the admiration of connoisseurs, as well as others, and
it is universally proclaimed a masterpiece. M. Granet's
house is filled every day with persons coming to see this
picture, and many repeat their visits several times in the
week. He has received several orders for copies of this
picture, and I fancy he begins to be tired of eternally copy-
ing the same thing; for he told me that he wished that the
gentlemen who employed him would vary their subjects,
and either chuse some other themselves, or let him chuse
for them. But no! such is the effect of vogue and fashion,
and such the despotic influence they exercise even over the
polite arts, that everybody must have a copy of Granet's
picture of the interior of the Convent of Capuchins coute
que coute; so that poor Granet seems bound to this Convent
for life ; except in the intervals of his labours, he should hit
off another subject, with equal felicity, and this alone may
perhaps serve to diminish the universal desire of possessing
a copy of the Convent. The original picture is destined
for the King of France.*
I remarked, in the collection of the works of this artist, a
small picture representing Galileo in prison, and a monk
descending the steps of the dungeon bringing him his scanty
meal. A lamp hangs suspended from the roof, in the centre
of the dungeon, and the artist has made a very happy hit in
throwing the whole glare of the lamp on the countenance
of Galileo, who is seated reading a book, while the gaoler
monk is left completely in the shade. On seeing this I ex-
claimed : Veramente, Signor Granet, e buonissimo quel vostro
concetto !
Easter Tuesday.
I have at length seen all the fine sights that Rome affords
during the Holy Week, and have witnessed most of the
religious ceremonies, viz., the illuminated cross in St
Peter's on Good Friday; the high mass celebrated by the
"The interior of the Convent of the Capucini was first painted by Granet in
the year 181 1. None of the numerous replicas are in the Louvre, but there is
one in London (Buckingham Palace) and oneatChatsworth. ED.
Y2 323
AFTER WATERLOO
Pope in person on Easter Sunday; the Papal benediction
from a window of the church above the fa9ade on the same
day; the illumination of the facade of St Peter's on Easter
Monday, and the Girandola or grand firework at the Castle
of St Angelo on the same evening. The ceremony of the
Pope washing the feet of twelve poor men I did not see, for
I could not get into the Sistine Chapel, where the ceremony
was performed : and at the mass performed by the Pope in
the Sistine Chapel I did contrive to enter, but was so op-
pressed by the crowd and heat, that I almost fainted away,
and was very glad to get out of the Chapel again, before the
ceremony commenced. Why in the name of commonsense
do they perform these ceremonies in the Sistine Chapel
which is small, instead of doing them in the church of St
Peter's, which would contain so many people and produce
a much grander effect?
A great many people are deprived of seeing the cere-
monies in the Sistine Chapel from the difficulty of getting
in. The Pope's Swiss Guard attend on that day in their
ancient costume, with helmets, cuirasses and halberds;
these guard the entrance of the staircase leading to the
Chapel, and they have no small trouble and difficulty in
maintaining order, as there is always a great scuffle to get
in, and they are particularly importuned by German
visitors, who thinking to be favored by them, in speaking to
them in their own language, vociferate; Ich bin Ihr Lands-
mann ! and hope by this to obtain a preference.
Onl Friday i evening a large Cross is erected before the
grand altar; every part of this Cross is filled with lamps,
and at seven in the evening the whole is illuminated. It has
a most brilliant appearance and gives the happiest chiaro-
oscuro effect to the statues, columns and pilasters which
abound in this vast temple. There is no other light on this
occasion than that reflected from the Cross. On Easter
Sunday, when the Pope celebrates high mass in the church
of St Peter's, the Papal noble Guard, composed of young
men from the principal families in Rome, form a hedge on
324
EASTER SUNDAY AT S. PETER'S
each side of the nave of the church, from the entrance of
the fagade to the grand altar. The street or interval formed
between this double line may be about thirty feet broad,
and behind this guard or in any other part of the church,
the spectators may stand; but as these guards wear very
large feathers in their hats, they intercept very much the
sight of those who stand behind them. The uniform of the
Papal Noble Guard is very splendid, being a scarlet coat,
covered with gold lace, white feathers, white breeches and
long military boots. The approach of the Pope is announced
by the thunder of cannon, and he is brought into the
Church dressed in full pontificals, with the triple Crown on
his head, on a chair borne by men, palanquin fashion ; he is
conducted thro' the lane formed by the Papal Guard, and as
he passes he makes the sign of the cross several times with
his finger, repeating the words : Urbi et Orbi. He is then set
down, with his face fronting the baldachin, when he imme-
diately takes off the tiara, and begins the ceremony. That
ended, he leaves the church in the same state, and then
ascends the staircase, in order to prepare to give the bene-
diction, which is usually given from a window above the
faade of the church. The Pope is there seated on a chair
with the triple Crown on his head. Troops of cavalry and
infantry are drawn up in a semi-circle before^the fa9ade of
the church, and the whole vast arena of the Piazza di San
Pietro is covered with spectators. On a sudden his Holi-
ness rises, extends his hands towards heaven, then spreads
them open, and seems as if he scattered something he held
in them on the crowd below ; a silly young Frenchman who
was standing next to me said : Le voild ! Le voildqui arrache
la benediction au del, et qui la repand sur tout le monde! I
could not refrain from laughing at this sally, tho' I was
much impressed with the solemnity of the scene, which I
think one of the grandest and most sublime I ever beheld.
This ceremony concluded, salves of ordnance were fired.
The Pope retires amidst clouds of smoke, and seems to
vanish from the Earth. The troops then fire a feu de joie and
325
AFTER WATERLOO
move off, playing a march in quick time, and the company
disperse.
It is the etiquette on these occasions that no person be
admitted either into the church of St Peter or into the
Sistine Chapel except in full toilette. The ladies dress gene-
rally in black with caps and feathers ; the gentlemen either
in black full dress or in military uniform. From the variety
of foreigners of all nations that are here, most of whom are
military men, or intitled to wear military uniforms, much is
added to the splendour of the spectacle.
On the evening of Easter Monday, I was present at the
illumination of the faade of St Peter's. Rows of lamps are
suspended the whole length of the columns and pilasters
and all over the cupola, so that, when illuminated, the style
of the architecture is perceptible. The illumination takes
place almost at once. How it is managed I cannot say; but
a splendid illuminated temple seems at once to drop from
the clouds, like the work of an enchanter; I say drop from
the clouds, because the illumination begins from the cross
and cupola and is communicated with the rapidity of light-
ning to every other part of the edifice. About ten o'clock the
same evening the most magnificent firework perhaps in the
world begins to play from the castle of St Angelo. All kinds
of shapes are assumed by these fireworks : here are castles,
pagodas, dragons, griffins, etc. These last about an hour
and then conclude, and with them conclude all the cere-
monies used in commemoration of the crucifixion and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Among the sights of Rome I must not omit that of a
famous robber of the name of Barbone, who was the terror
of the whole surrounding country from the depredations he
committed. Having capitulated, and surrendered himself
to the Papal Government, he is now confined in the Castle
of St Angelo as a state prisoner. His wife, or a woman calling
herself so, is confined there with him, and she is said to be a
woman of uncommon beauty. It is quite the rage among the
English here to go to see these illustrious captives, and
326
THE BRIGAND BARBONE
Madame Barbone, superbly dressed, receives the hommage
of the visitors. The Duchess of Devonshire] is said to have
visited her, and made her a present of a pearl necklace. I
hope this is not true. Surely the Duchess, who is a woman
of talent and an encourager of the fine arts, might have
found some other object worthier of her munificence. What
claims the mistress, or even the wife, of a public robber can
have on the generosity of travellers, I am at a loss to con-
ceive; but such is the bizarrerie and inconsequence of the
English, and no doubt, be this story of her Grace of
Devonshire] having given a present true or not, it will
occasion many other presents being made to the captive
Princess by a host of silly lord-aping English men and
women. Barbone has, it is said,made an excellent capitulation.
He has stipulated to be released from prison after a year
and a day's confinement, and no doubt he will then resume
his old trade of brigandage. In the meantime he has dis-
banded his troops, as he calls them ; but will his troops obey
him, now that he is a captive? will they not rather chuse
another leader?
In the time of the French occupation, nothing of this kind
took place; but the present Government is weak and timid.
I have not been myself to see either Barbone or his wife,
but I have heard quite enough about them; they form
one of the principal sights in Rome, and I am quite un-
fashionable in not having gone to visit them; for according
to the opinion of my English acquaintance, he who has not
seen Barbone and his wife has seen nothing.
*****
I started from Rome on the second of April with a vettu-
rino, and on arrival at Baccano, we struck off into a road on
the right hand, and arrived at Civita Castellana at a late
hour. Civita Castellana merits no further attention, except
that it is supposed to stand on the site of the ancient city
of Veii. The following day at ten o'clock we reached the
small town of Narni. Here are the remains of a beautiful
bridge, constructed over the ravine, thro' which flows the
327
AFTER WATERLOO
river Nera, and which was built in the time of Augustus.
It affords a very favorable specimen of the Roman bridge
architecture. There is a small chapel here, and it contains,
engraved on a stone, a description of a miracle wrought
here about four years ago by the Virgin Mary, who saved
the life of a postillion. He went into the river to water his
horses, when he was carried off by the torrent and would
have been drowned, had not the Virgin, on her aid being
invoked, dashed into the river and haled him out by the
hah* of his head. Of this story, to use a phrase of old
Josephus,* every one may believe as much as he thinks
proper; but certain it is that the postillion made oath (which
oath is registered) that his life was saved by the Virgin
Mary in this manner, and he has put up a votive tablet at
her shrine, which remains to this day, commemorative of
the event. There is also a Roman aqueduct in the neigh-
bourhood, eleven Italian miles in length.
We arrived at Terni at three o'clock and immediately
hired a caleche (the other travellers and myself) to visit the
famous cascade of the Velino, about three miles distant
from the town of Terni. The road thither is very rugged,
and is a continual ascent on the flank of a ravine. For a long
time before you arrive on the brink of the cascade, you hear
the roaring of the waters; and it certainly is the most mag-
nificent and awe-inspiring sight of the kind I ever beheld. It
is far more stupendous than any cascade in Switzerland.
That of Tivoli compared to it is as an infant six months old
to a Goliath. The Velino forms three successive falls, and the
last is tremendous, since it falls from a height of 1,063 feet
feet into the abyss below. The foam and the froth it occa-
sions is terrific; and the spray ascends so high that in
standing at the distance of fifty yards from the fall you
become as wet as if you had been standing in a shower of
rain. The first fall it forms is of 300 feet; the second little
less ; the third I have stated already. No painting can pos-
sibly give a faithful delineation of this, and very possibly
* The author may have meant " old Herodotus." ED.
328
SPOLETO AND FOLIGNO
no poetic description can give an adequate idea thereof. We
passed the whole night at Terni and the next morning we
stopped to dine at Spoleto. The same evening we arrived at
Foligno. Spoleto is a neat town and well paved. Several
ruins of ancient buildings are in its vicinity. Before you
arrive there, on the left of the road, is an immensely high
two-arched bridge. There is an aqueduct likewise just outside
the town. We did not omit to read the inscription on the
gate of the town, in commemoration of the repulse of Han-
nibal, who failed in his attempt to make himself master of
this city, after having beat the Romans near the lake Trasy-
mene. The gate is called in consequence Porta Fugae, and
this gate constitutes the principal glory of Spoleto. We were
shown the ruins of a Palace built by Theodoric. On leaving
the town, just outside the gate, we were shewn a bridge
which had laid underground for many centuries and had
been lately discovered. A bridge was known to have been
built here in the time of Augustus, and it is very probably the
identical one ; we could only see the top and partof the parapet .
Foligno is a large, well built city, neatly paved, populous
and commercial, renowned for manufactories of paper,
wax, and confectionary.
The whole road between Spoleto and Foligno is thro' a
beautiful valley in high cultivation. There is a good deal of
rich pasture ground, and it is watered by the river called in
ancient times Clitumnus. Here are to be seen a fine breed of
white cattle for which this part of the country has been long
renowned, which cattle were used, in preference, for sacri-
fices (Albi, Clitumne, greges).* A similar breed is to be found
in India and Egypt.
The streets in Foligno are broad. I remarked the Palazzo
Pubblico and Cathedral asveryfine buildings. Our next day's
journey brought us to Perugia, after passing by Assisi, the
birth place of the famous St Francis, founder of the order of
Franciscans. It is situated on an eminence: convents and
churches abound therein.
* Virgil, Georg., n, 146. ED.
829
AFTER WATERLOO
Perugia is a large and opulent city, standing like a for-
tress on a mountain, and towering over the plain below. It
is of steep ascent from the plain, and there are various
terraces along the ramparts, commanding several fine
points of view of the rich and fertile plains all round. These
terraces are planted with trees and form the promenades
appertaining to the city. The architecture of the various
churches and Palaces is very superior. The streets are broad
and every building has an air of magnificence. The Cathe-
dral, dedicated to St Laurence, is well worth visiting; it
stands on the Piazza del Duomo, where there is a fine foun-
tain ornamented with statues. In the church of St Peter's
there are some fine columns of marble and some pictures of
Perugino and Raffaello.
330
CHAPTER XV
APRIL-JULY, 1818
Journey from Florence to Pisa and from thence by the Appennines to
Genoa Massa-Carrara Genoa Monuments and works of art The
Genoese Return to Florence Journey from Florence through Bologna
and Ferrara to Venice Monument to Ariosto in Ferrara A description of
Venice Padua Vicenza Verona Cremona Return to Milan TheScala
theatre Verona again From Verona to Innspruck.
IT is the custom for most travellers going to Genoa to
embark on board of a felucca at Spezia, which lies on
the sea coast, not far from Sarzana : but I preferred to go by
land, and I cannot conceive why anyone should expose him-
self to the risks, inconveniences and delays of a sea passage,
when it is so easy to go by land thro' the Appennines. I *
started accordingly the following morning, mounted on a
mule, and attended by a muleteer with another mule to
convey my portmanteau. I found this journey neither dan-
gerous nor difficult, but on the contrary agreeable and
romantic. The road is only a bridle road. I paid forty-eight
franks for my two mules and driver, and started at seven in
the morning from Sarzana. The wild appearance of the
Appennines, the aweful solitudes and the highly pic-
turesque points of view that present themselves at the
various sinuosities of the mountains and valleys; the view
of the sea from the heights that tower above the towns of
Oneglia and Sestri Levante, rendered this journey one of
the most interesting I have ever made. I stopped to dine
at Borghetto and brought to the night at Sestri Levante,
breakfasted the next morning at Rapallo, and arrived the
same evening at four o'clock in Genoa. Borghetto is a little
insignificant town situate in a narrow valley surrounded on
all sides by the lofty crags of the Appennines. Sestri Levante
is a long and very straggling town, part of it being situated
on the sea shore, and the other part on the gorge of the
mountain descending towards the sea beach; so that the
331
AFTER WATERLOO
former part of the town lies nearly at right angles with the
latter, with a considerable space intervening. The road for
the last four miles between Borghetto and Sestri Levante is
a continual descent. The inn was very comfortable and good
at Sestri Levante. The beginning of the road between
Sestri and Rapallo is on the beach till near Rapallo, when it
strikes again into the mountains and is of considerable
ascent. Rapallo is a very neat pretty place, situate on an
eminence commanding a fine view of the sea. The greater
part of the road between Rapallo and Genoa is on the sea-
coast, but cut along the mountains which here form a bluff
with the sea. Villas, gardens and vineyards line the whole of
this route and nothing can be more beautiful. The neatness
of the villas and the abundance of the population form a
striking contrast to the wild solitudes between Sarzana and
Sesto, where (except at Borghetto) there is not a house to
be seen and scarce a human creature to be met, and where
the eagle seems to reign alone the uncontrolled lord of the
creation.
GENOA, 23rd April.
The view of Genoa from the sea is indisputably the best;
for on entering by land from the eastern side, the ramparts
are so lofty as to intercept the fine view the city would
otherwise afford. From the sea side it rises in the shape of an
amphitheatre ; a view therefore taken from the sea gives the
best idea of its grandeur and of the magnificence of its
buildings, for everybody on beholding this; grand spectacle
must allow that this city well deserves its epithet ofSuperba.
I observe in my daily walks on the Esplanade a number
of beautiful women. The Genoese women are remarkable
for their beauty and fine complexions. They dress generally
in white, and their style of dress is Spanish ; they wear the
mezzara or veil, in the management of which they display
much grace and not a little coquetry. Instead of the fan
exercise recommended to women by the Spectator, the art of
handling the mezzara might be reduced to a manual and
taught to the ladies by word of command.
332
THE BEAUTY OF GENOA
I put up at the house of a Spanish lady on the Piazza St
Siro, and here for four limes a day I am sumptuously
boarded and lodged. There are three principal streets in
Genoa, viz., Strada Nuova, Balbi, and Nuovissima. Yet these
three streets may be properly said to form but one, inas-
much as they lie very nearly in a right line. These streets
are broad and aligned with the finest buildings in Genoa.
This street or streets are the only ones that can be pro-
perly called so, according to the idea we usually attach to
the word. The others deserve rather the names of lanes and
alleys, tho' exceedingly well paved and aligned with excel-
lent houses and shops. In fact the streets Nuova, Nuovissima
and Balbi are the only ones thro' which carriages can pass.
The others are far too narrow to admit of the passage of
carriages. The houses on each side of them are of immense
height, being of six or seven stories, which form such a shade
as effectually to protect those who walk thro' these alleys
from the rays of the sun. The houses diminish in height in
proportion as they are built on the slant of the mountain
from the bottom to the top, those at the bottom being the
loftiest. Carriages are scarcely of any use in the city of
Genoa, except to drive from one end of the town to another
thro' the streets Nuova, Balbi and Nuovissima; and accord-
ingly a carriage with four wheels, or even with two, is a rare
conveyance in Genoa. The general mode of conveyance is on
a sedan chair, carried by porters, or on the backs of mules
or asses. Genoa is distinguished by the beauty of the Palaces
of its patricians, which are more numerous and more mag-
nificent than those of any other city, probably, in the
world.
The Ducal Palace or Palace of Government, where the
Doge used to reside, claimed my first attention; yet, tho'
much larger, it is far less splendid than many of the
Palaces of individual patricians. In fact, the Ducal Palace
is built in the Gothic taste and resembles a Gothic fortress,
having round towers at each angle. The Hall, where the
Grand Council used to sit, is superb, and is adorned with
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AFTER WATERLOO
columns of jaune antique. On the plafond is a painting re-
presenting the discovery of America by Columbus; for the
Genoese duly appreciate, and never can forget their illus-
trious countryman. The lines of Tasso, " Un uom della
Liguria avra ardimento," etc., and the following stanza,
Tu spiegherai Colombo a un nuovo polo, etc. are in the
mouth of everyone.* The Hall of the Petty Council is neat,
but it is the recollection of the history of this once famous
Republic that renders the examination of this Palace so
interesting. But now Genoa's glory is gone; she has been
basely betrayed into the hands of a Government she most
detested. The King of Sardinia is now here; and he is not a
little proud of being the possessor of such a noble sea port,
which enables him to rank as a maritime power.
The Genoese are laborious and make excellent sailors;
but now there is nothing to animate them; and they will
never exert themselves in the service of a domination
which is so little congenial to them. They sigh for their
ancient Government, of whose glories they had so often
heard and whose brilliant exploits have been handed down
to the present day not merely by historical writers and
poets, but by improvisatori from mouth to mouth. The
Genoese nobles, those merchant Kings, whose riches ex-
ceeded at one time those of the most powerful monarchs of
Europe, who were the pawn-brokers to those Sovereigns,
are now in a state of decay. Commerce can only flourish on
the soil of liberty, and takes wing at the sight of military
and sacerdotal chains; and tho' the present Sovereign
affects to caress the Genoese noblesse, they return his civili-
ties with sullen indifference, and half concealed contempt
and aversion. The commerce of Genoa is transferred to Leg-
horn, which increases in prosperity as the former decays.
The climate of Genoa is said to be exceedingly mild during
* Tasso, Gerusalemme liber ata, canto xv, ottave 31, 32 :
Un uom della Liguria avra ardimento
All' incognito corso esporsi in prima . . .
Tu spiegherai, Colombo, a un nuovo polo
I.ontane si le fortunate antenne. . . ED.
334
MONUMENTS AT GENOA
the winter, being protected on the north by the Appen-
nines, which tower above it to an immense height. Beauti-
ful villas and grounds tastefully laid out in plantations of
orange trees, pomegranates, etc., abound in the environs of
this city, and everything announces the extreme industry
of the inhabitants, for the soil is proverbially barren. This
shews what they have done and what they could still do
were they free ; but now they have nothing to animate their
exertions. The public promenades are on the bastions and
curtains of the fortifications, on the Esplanade and in the
streets Balbi, Nuova and Nuovissima. There is also another
very delightful promenade, tho' not much used by the
ladies, viz., on the Mola or Pier enveloping the harbour.
One of the most remarkable constructions in Genoa is the
bridge of Carignano, which is built over an immense ravine
and unites the hills Fengano and Carignano. It is so high
that houses of six stories stand under its arches in the
valley below. No water except in times of flood runs under
this bridge and it much resembles, tho' somewhat larger,
the bridge at Edinburgh which unites the old and new
towns. The principal churches are: first, the Cathedral,
which is not far from the Ducal Palace; it is richly orna-
mented and incrusted with black marble; the church of the
Annunziata and that of St Sire. They are all in the Gothic
style of architecture and loaded with that variety of orna-
ment and diversity of beautiful marbles which distinguish
the churches of Italy from those of any other country.
Near the bridge of Carignano is a church of the same name,
wherein are four marble colossal statues.
On the west of the city and running two miles along the
sea-beach is the faubourg of St Pietro d' Arena, which pre-
sents a front of well built houses the whole way; these
houses are principally used as magazines and store houses.
FLORENCE, 5 May.
I left Genoa on the 30th April, returned on mule-back
from Genoa to Sarzana, stopping the first night at Sestri.
335
AFTER WATERLOO
The second evening when near Sarzana, it being very dark,
I somehow or other got out of the road and my mule fell
with me into a very deep ditch; but I was only slightly
bruised by the fall ; my clothes however were covered with
dirt and wet. The road from Genoa to Sarzana might with
very little expense be made fit for carriages by widening it.
At present it is only a bridle road, and on some parts of it,
on the sides of ravines, it is I think a little ticklish to trust
entirely to the discretion of one's monture; at least I thought
so and dismounted twice to pass such places on foot. A
winding stream is to be forded in two or three places, but it
is not deep except after rains; and then I think it must be
sometimes dangerous to pass, till the waters run off. Those
who are fond of mountain scenery will, like myself, be
highly gratified in making this journey; for it is thro' the
loftiest, wildest and most romantic part of the Appennines.
From Sarzana I hired a cabriolet to return to Pisa and
from thence I took the diligence to Florence.
FERRARA.
On the 9th of May I set out from Florence on my journey
hither. Two days' journey brought me to Bologna where I
stopped one day; and the following day I reached this
place (Ferrara), six miles distant from Bologna. The
country between these two cities is a perfect plain and very
fertile. At Malalbergo (half-way) we crossed the Reno in a
boat. I put up at the Tre Mori in Ferrara. Having remained
two and half days here I have had time to inspect and
examine almost everything of consequence that the city
affords. The city itself has an imposing, venerable appear-
ance and can boast of some fine buildings; yet with all this
there is an air of melancholy about it. It is not peopled in
proportion to its size and grass is seen growing in several of
the streets. I believe the unhealthiness of the environing
country is the cause of the decrease of population, for
Ferrara lies on a marshy plain, very liable to inundation.
336
FERRARA AND THE PO
In the centre of the city stands the ancient Palace of the
Dukes of Ferrara, a vast Gothic edifice, square, and
flanked with round towers, and a large court-yard in the
centre. It was in this court-yard that Hugo and Parisina
were decapitated. From the top of this palace a noble view
of the plain of the Po represents itself, and you see the
meanderings of that King of Rivers, as the Italian poets
term it. As the Po runs thro' a perfectly flat country, and is
encreased and swollen by the torrents from the Alps and
Appennines that fall into the smaller rivers, which unite
their tributary streams with the Po and accompany him as
his seguaci to the Adriatic, this country is liable to the most
dreadful inundations: flocks and herds, farm-houses and
sometimes whole villages are swept away. Dykes, dams and
canals innumerable are in consequence constructed through-
out this part of the country, to preserve it as much as pos-
sible from such calamities. Ariosto's description of an over-
flowing of this river is very striking, and I here transcribe it :
Con quel furor che il Re de* fiumi altero,
Quando rompe tal volta argine e sponda,
E che ne' campi Ocnei si apre il sentiero,
E i grassi solchi e le biade feconde,
E con le sue capanne il gregge intero,
E co' cani i pastor porta nell' onde, etc.*
* Even with that rage wherewith the stream that reigns,
The king of rivers when he breaks his mound,
And makes himself a way through Mantuan plains
The greasy furrows and glad harvests, round,
And, with the sheepcotes, flock, and dogs and swains
Bears off, in his o'erwhelming waters drowned."
Trans. W. S. ROSE.
The next place I went to see was the Lyceum or Univer-
sity, where there is a very fair cabinet of natural history
in all its branches. The Library is very remarkable, and
possesses a great number of valuable manuscripts. But
my principal object in visiting this Museum was to see the
monument erected in honour of Ariosto, which has been
transferred here from the Benedictine church. The inkstand
and chair of this illustrious bard are carefully preserved and
* Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, XL, 31,1 . ED.
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AFTER WATERLOO
exhibited. They exactly resemble the print of them that
accompanies the first edition of Hoole's translation of the
Orlando Furioso. Among the manuscripts what gratified
me most was the manuscript of the Gerusalemme liberata of
Tasso. But few corrections appear in this manuscript ; tho'
from the extreme polish and harmony of the versification
one would expect a great many. It is written in an ex-
tremely legible hand.
I also inspected the original manuscripts of the Pastor
Fido of Guarini and of the Suppositi of Ariosto.
I then went to visit the Hospital of St Anna, for the sake of
seeing the dungeon where poor Tasso was confined and
treated as mad for several years. When one beholds this
wretched place, where a man can scarce stand upright, one
only wonders how he could survive such treatment ; or how
he could escape becoming insane altogether. The old wooden
door of this cell will soon be entirely cut away by amateurs,
as almost everyone who visits the dungeon chops off a piece
of wood from the door to keep as a relic. The door is in con-
sequence pieced and repaired with new wood, and in a
short time will be in the state of Sir John Cutter's worsted
stockings which were darned so often with silk that they be-
came finally all silk.
Ferrara has a strong citadel which is still garrisoned by
Austrian troops; and they will probably not easily be
induced to evacuate it. The Austrian Eagle seldom looses
his hold.
VENICE, 18th May.
On the 16th May at six o'clock in the morning I left
Ferrara in a cabriolet to go to the Ponte di Lago oscuro,
which is a large village on the south bank of the Po, three
miles distant from Ferrara. A flying bridge wafted me
across the river, which is exceedingly broad and rapid to
the north bank, where a barge was in waiting to receive
passengers for Venice. This barge is well fitted up and sup-
plied with comestibles of all sorts and couches to recline on.
The price is twelve francs for the passage, and you pay
DESCENDING THE PO TO VENICE
extra for refreshments. The bark got under weigh at seven
o'clock and descended rapidly this majestic river, which
however, from its great breadth, and from the country on
each side of it being perfectly flat, did not offer any interest-
ing points of view. Plains and cattle grazing thereon were
the only objects, for they take care to build the farms and
houses at a considerable distance from the banks, on
account of the inundations. After having descended the Po
for a considerable distance, we entered a canal which unites
the Po with the Adige. We then descended the Adige for a
short distance, and entered another canal which unites the
Adige with the Brenta. Here we stopped to change barges,
and it required an hour and half to unload and reload the
baggage. We then entered the Brenta and from thence into
the Lagoons, and passing by the islands of Malamocco and
Chiozzo entered Venice by the Canale grande at three
o'clock in the morning. The whole night was so dark as
totally to deprive us of the view of the approach of Venice.
The barge anchored near the Post office and I hired a gon-
dola to convey me to the inn called Le Regina d'Ungheria.
VENICE, 26th May.
I was much struck, as everyone must be who sees it for
the first time, at the singular appearance of Venice. An
immense city in the midst of the Ocean, five miles distant
from any land; canals instead of streets; gondolas in lieu of
carriages and horses! Yet it must not be inferred from this
that you are necessarily obliged to use a gondola in order
to visit the various parts of the city; for its structure is as
follows. It is built in compartments on piles on various mud
banks, always covered indeed by water, but very shallow and
separated from each other (the mud banks I mean) by deep
water. On each of these compartments are built rows of
houses, each row giving front to a canal. The space between
the backs of the rows of houses forms a narrow street or
alley paved with flag stones, very like Cranborn Alley for
instance ; and these compartments are united to each other (at
z2 339
AFTER WATERLOO
the crossings as we should say) by means of stone bridges ; so
that there is a series of alleys connected by a series of bridges
which form the tout ensemble of this city ; and you may thus
go on foot thro' every part of it. To go on horseback would
be dangerous and almost impracticable, for each bridge
has a flight of steps for ascent and descent. All this forms
such a perfect labyrinth from the multiplicity and simi-
larity of the alleys and bridges, that it is impossible for any
stranger to find his way without a guide. I lost my way
regularly every time that I went from my inn to the Piazza di
San Marco, which forms the general rendezvous of the pro-
menaders and is the fashionable lounge of Venice; and every
time I was obliged to hire a boy to reconduct me to my inn.
On this account, in order to avoid this perplexity and the
expence of hiring a gondola every time I wished to go to
the Piazza di San Marco I removed to another inn, close to
it, called VOsteria della Luna, which stands on the banks
of the Canale grande and is not twenty yards from the
Piazza.
I then hired a gondola for four days successively and
visited every canal and every part of the city. Almost
every family of respectability keeps a gondola, which is
anchored at the steps of the front door of the house.
After the Piazza di San Marco, of which I shall speak pre-
sently, the finest buildings and Palaces of the nobility are
on the banks of the Canale grande, which, from its winding
in the shape of an S, has all the appearance of a river. The
Rialto is the only bridge which connects the opposite banks
of the Canale grande; but there are four hundred smaller
bridges in Venice to connect the other canals.
The Rialto, the resort of the money changers and Jews, is
a very singular and picturesque construction, being of one
arch, a very bold one. On each side of this bridge is a range
of jewellers' shops. A narrow Quai runs along the banks of
the Canale grande.
I have visited several of the Palazzi, particularly those of
the families Morosini, Cornaro, Pisani, Grimani, which are
340
MONUMENTS AND FESTIVALS AT VENICE
very rich in marbles of vert and jaune antique; but they are
now nearly stripped of all their furniture, uninhabited by
their owners, or let to individuals, mostly shopkeepers;
for since the extinction of the Venetian Republic almost all
the nobility have retired to their estates on the terra firma,
or to their villas on the banks of the Brenta; so that Venice
is now inhabited chiefly by merchants, shopkeepers,
chiefly jewellers and silk mercers, seafaring people, the
constituted authorities, and the garrison of the place.
Tho' Venice has fallen very much into decay, since the
subversion of the Republic, as might naturally be expected,
and still more so since it has been under the Austrian
domination, yet it is still a place of great wealth, particu-
larly in jewellery, silks and all articles of dress and luxury.
In the Merceria you may see as much wealth displayed as in
Cheapside or in the Rue St Honore".
I have had the pleasure of witnessing a superb regatta
or water fete, given in honour of the visit of the Arch-
duke Rainier to this city, in his quality of Viceroy of
the Lombardo -Venetian kingdom. There were about
one hundred and fifty barges, each fitted up by some
department of trade and commerce, with allegorical
devices and statues richly ornamented, emblematical of
the trade or professions to which the barge belonged. Each
barge bore an appropriate ensign, and the dresses of the
crew were all tasteful, and thoroughly analogous to the
profession they represented. These barges are richly gilded,
and from the variety of the costumes and streamers, I
thought it one of the most beautiful sights I ever beheld.
Here were the bankers' barge, the jewellers', the mercers',
the tailors', the shoe-makers', and, to crown all, the
printers' barge, which showered down from the masthead
sonnets in honor of the fete, printed on board of the barge
itself. Every trade or profession, in short, had a barge and
appropriate flag and costumes. A quantity of private
barges and gondolas followed this procession. The Arch-
duke and his staff occupied the Government barge, which
341
AFTER WATERLOO
is very magnificent and made in imitation of the Bucen-
taur. Musicians were on board of many of the barges, and
the houses on both banks of the Candle Grande were filled
with beautiful women and other spectators waving their
handkerchiefs. Guns were fired on the embarkation of the
Viceroy from the Piazzetta di San Marco, and on his return.
The Piazza itself was splendidly illuminated, and the cafes
which abound there, and which constitute one half of the
whole quadrangle, were superbly and tastefully decorated.
The Piazza di San Marco is certainly the most beautiful
thing of the kind in the world. It is a good deal in the style of
the Palais Royal at Paris, and tho' not so large, is far more
striking, from the very tasteful and even sumptuous manner
in which the cafes are fitted up, both internally and extern-
ally; they have spacious rooms with mirrors on all sides,
some in the shape of Turkish tents, others in that of
Egyptian temples. The Piazza, forming an oblong rectangle,
is arcaded on the two long sides, and of the two short ones,
one presents a superb modern palace built by Napoleon,
and richly adorned with the statues of all the heathen Gods
on the top, which Palace was usually occupied by Eugene
Napoleon; the other presents the church of St Marco and
the old palace of Government, where in the time of the
Republic the Doge used to reside. The church of St Mark is
unique as a temple in Europe, for it is neither Grecian nor
Gothic, but in a style completely Oriental, from the singu-
larity of its structure, its many gilded cupolas and the
variety of its exterior ornaments. At first sight it appears
a more striking object than either St Peter's in Rome or
St Paul's in London. On the top of the fagade, which is sin-
gularly picturesque, stand the four bronze horses which
have been brought back from Paris to their old residence.
I ascended the top of the facade in order to examine
them. They are beautifully formed, in very good cast and
have not at all been damaged by the journey. The Piazza is
paved with broad flagged stones. The Doge's palace is a
vast building, very picturesque withal, and seems a melange
342
THE PIAZZA AND THE CAMPANILE
of Gothic and Moorish architecture. At right angles to it and
facing the Piazzetta, which issues from the Piazza and forms
a quai to the Canale Grande, stands the famous state prison
and Ponte de 'Sospiri. On the Piazzetta and fronting the
landing place stand two columns of white marble, on one of
which stands the winged Lion of St Marco and on the other
a crocodile, emblematical of the foreign commerce and pos-
sessions of the Republic. The space between these two
columns was allotted for the execution of State criminals.
Not far from the church of St Marco, and near to that angle
of the Piazza which connects it with the Piazzetta, stands the
famous Campanile or Steeple of San Marco. It is a square
building 300 feet in height, from the top of which one has
the best view of Venice and its adjacent isles, the distant
Alps and the marina dove il Po discende. A Quai, if
Quai it may be called, which has a row of houses on each
side, one row of which is on the water's edge, leads from the
Piazzetta to some gardens, which terminate on a point of
land. This Quai is very broad and well paved, and is the
only thing that can be called a street in all Venice. The
Piazza di San Marco, therefore, this Quai and the garden
before mentioned form the only promenades in Venice. This
garden moreover has trees, and these are the only trees that
are to be met with in this city. In this garden are two
Cafes.
The variety of costume is another very agreeable spec-
tacle at Venice. Here you meet with Albanians, Greeks,
Turks, Moors, Sclavonians and Armenians, all in their
respective national costumes. The first Armenian I met
with here was sitting on a stone bench on the Piazza di San
Marco, and this brought forcibly to my recollection the
Armenian in Schiller's Ghost-seer.
These Cafes and Casinos on the Piazza are open day and
night. Ices and coffee superiorly made and other refresh-
ments of all kinds at very low prices are to be had. Some of
these casinos are devoted to gaming. The first families in
Venice repair to the Piazza in the evening after the Opera,
343
AFTER WATERLOO
female as well as male. They promenade up and down the
Piazza or sit down and converse in the Cafes and Casinos
till a late hour. Few go to bed in Venice in the summer
time before six in the morning, so that sleep seems for ever
banished from the Piazza. Music and singing goes forward
in these casinos, and the ear is often charmed with the
sound of those delightful Venetian airs, whose simple
melody ravishes the soul. The Venetian dialect is very
pleasing, and scarcely yields in harmony to the Tuscan.
It contains a great many Sclavonic words. It is the only
dialect of Italy that is at all pleasing to my ear, for I do not
at all relish the nasal twang and truncated terminations of
the Piedmontese and Lombard dialects, nor the semi-bar-
barous jargon of the Genoese and the Neapolitan and, least
of all, the execrable cacophony of the Bolognese.
I visited of course the Arsenal and the Doge's Palace.
The apartments in the latter are very spacious and orna-
mented in the Gothic taste of grandeur. The chamber of the
Council is peculiarly magnificent. There is a good deal of
tapestry and some fine paintings and statues: among the
former I particularly noticed an allegorical picture, repre-
senting the triumph of Venice over the league of Cambray.
Venice is represented by the winged Lion, and the powers
of the Coalition are pourtrayed by various other beasts.
Among the latter is a beautiful group in marble representing
Ganymede and the Eagle. The terror depicted in the coun-
tenance of the beautiful boy, and the passion that seems to
agitate the Eagle, are surprizingly well pourtrayed.
The principal theatre at Venice, the Teatro Fenice, is
not open; but I have visited the other theatres, and among
other things witnessed the representation of a new opera,
call'd 11 Lupo d'Ostende. The piece itself was rather inter-
esting; but the music was feeble and did not seem to give
general satisfaction. The singing is in general very good at
Venice, but in scenery, dresses and decorations the theatres
here are far inferior to those of Milan and Naples.
I find the air of Venice very hot and unpleasant, arising
344
FROM VENICE TO PADUA
from the exhalation from the canals ; and it appears to me as
if I were on board of an enormous ship. I begin to pant for
terra firma and green fields.
I have visited in a gondola some of the islands, viz.,
Malamocco and St Lazare, where there is a convent of
Armenian monks.
Why are the gondolas hung with black? it gives to them
such a dismal funereal appearance. They always resemble
the bodies of hearses placed on boats. I am not fond of
gaudy colours in general, yet I do think a gondola should
have a somewhat livelier color than black.
PADUA, 8th June.
Padua is not above ten miles distant from Fusina. As I
started from Venice at six in the morning I had a fine
receding view of the Ocean Queen, with her steeples and
turrets rising from the sea. Venice has no fortifications
and needs them not. Her insular position protects her
from land attacks, and the shoals prevent the approach of
ships of war. Floating batteries therefore and gunboats are
her best defence. The road from Fusina to Padua is on the
banks of the Brenta the whole way, and is lined with trees.
There are a great number of villas on the banks of the
Brenta, well built in the best style of architecture, the
most of them after the designs of Palladio, the Prince of
modern architects.
Padua is an exceedingly large city; but its arcades and
the narrowness of the streets give it a gloomy appearance.
There are however some beautiful promenades in the
suburbs. There are also the remains of an ancient Arena.
Padua is famous for its Seminario or University, which is a
superb edifice. The Church of St Anthony of Padua is of
vast size, having six cupolas. There are four organs in this
church. In the chapel of the Saint himself are a great
many ornaments, among which are a crucifix in bronze and
fresques representing the different actions and miracles of
this patron Saint of the Padovani. Probably as this city was
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AFTER WATERLOO
founded by the Trojan Antenor they have transformed his
name into that of a Christian Saint and called him St
Anthony, just as Virgil has been transformed into a magi-
cian at Naples. There is a fine view from the steeple of this
immense edifice. There is another magnificent church also in
this city, that of St Justine, built after the designs of Pal-
ladio, the principal ornament of which is a painting of the
martyrdom of the Saint by Paul Veronese. But one of the
greatest curiosities in this ancient city is the immense
Saloon in the Palazzo delta Giustizia. It is, I presume, the
loftiest and largest hall in the world that is supported by
nothing but its walls, it being three hundred feet long, one
hundred feet broad and one hundred feet high. In the
Saloon is the tomb of Livy, the Historian, who was a native
of Padua. The inhabitants of Padua dress much in black,
seem a quiet, staid sort of people, and are very industrious.
I put up at the Stella d'Oro, a good inn.
VICENZA, 10th June.
I arrived at this beautiful bijou of a town on the morning
of the 9th June at eight o'clock. I call it a bijou from its
exceeding neatness, and the extreme beauty of the archi-
tecture of its edifices, which are almost all after the designs
of Palladio, of white stone and in the Greek taste. Palladio
was a native of Vicenza. The Piazza and Palazzo Pubblico
perfectly correspond with the beauty of the rest of the city,
and the promenades about it are tastefully laid out. But
the two most striking objects in point of edifices in Vicenza
and both constructed by Palladio are the covered portico
and the Teatro Olimpico. The covered portico is two miles
in length and leads to the chapel of the Madonna del Monte,
situated on an eminence, at that distance from the city. A
magnificent triumphal arch stands before it, and there is an
extensive view of the surrounding country. The Teatro
Olimpico is a small, but beautiful theatre, built strictly after
the model of the ancient Greek theatres. It is peculiarly
precious as being the only one of the kind in Europe. How
346
VICENZA AND VERONA
admirably adapted both for seeing and hearing are such
theatres! It has, for scenery, the model of a Palace, curiously
carved in wood, which represents a Royal Palace, for the
ancients never shifted their scenes, and this may account
for their adhering so strictly to the unities. Statues and bas-
reliefs adorn this beautiful little theatre. Many years ago,
on particular occasions, it was the custom to act plays
here, either translated from the Greek, or taken strictly
from the Greek model. This theatre is esteemed Palladio's
chef d'ceuvre.
The Campo di Marie is a vast Place outside the town. The
Place and its gate are well worth inspecting, so is the famous
villa with the Rotonda, belonging to the Marchese di Capra,
the original after which the villa belonging to the Duke of
Devonshire at Chiswick is built. The environs of this
interesting city are very beautiful and present an exceeding
rich soil, highly cultivated in corn, mulberry trees and vines
hanging from them in festoons.
VERONA, 12th June.
I started yesterday morning from Vicenza and arrived
here in about three hours, the distance being nearly the
same as between Vicenza and Padua. We crossed the
Adige which divides the city into two unequal parts and
drove to the Due Torri, a large and comfortable inn with
excellent rooms and accommodations. Verona is a very
handsome city, for here also Palladio was the designer or
builder of many edifices. It has a very cheerful and gay
appearance, tho' not quite so much so as Vicenza. The
reason of this difference is that in Verona the greater part
of the buildings are in the Gothic style, which always
appears heavy and melancholy, whereas in Vicenza all is
Grecian. The Amphitheatre of course claimed my first
notice. It yields only to the Coliseum in size and grandeur
and is in much better preservation, the whole of the ellipse
and its walls being entire, whereas in the Coliseum part of
the walls have been pulled down. Indeed the Amphi-
theatre of Verona may be said to be almost perfectly
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AFTER WATERLOO
entire. Tempus edax rerum has been its only enemy ; whereas
avarice and religious fanaticism have contributed, much more
than time, to the dilapidation of the Coliseum. The Amphi-
theatre of Verona can contain 24,000 persons. In it is con-
structed a temporary theatre of wood, where they perform
plays and farces in the open air. Verona is much embel-
lished by several Palazzi built by Palladio, which form a
curious contrast with the other buildings and churches
which are in the Gothic style. Verona can boast among its
antiquities of three triumphal arches, the first, Porta de'
Bursari, erected in the year 252 in the reign of the Emperor
Gallienus; the second, called Porta del Foro; and the third
built by Vitruvius himself, in honour of the family Gavia.
The churches here are richly ornamented and the
Palazzo del Consiglio has many fine marble and bronze
statues. In this city also are the tombs and monuments of
the Scala family, who were at one time Sovereigns of
Verona. They are in the Gothic style and of curious execu-
tion. The Cathedral has an immense campanile (steeple),
from which is a fine view of the surrounding country, and
the progressive risings of the Alps, the lower parts of which
lie close upon Verona. Beautiful villas and farmhouses
abound in the neighbourhood of this city. The favourite
promenades are the Corso and the Bra. On the Bra I saw
a very brilliant display of carriages, and some very pretty
women in them. The theatre is by Palladio, is exquisitely
beautiful, and very tastefully fitted up. I assisted at the
representation of La Gazza Ladra, one of Rossini's best
operas.
I should think Verona would be a very delightful sejour;
everything is very cheap; a fine country highly cultivated;
a remarkably healthy climate; a society which unites
much urbanity and a love of amusement with a taste for the
fine arts and for the graver sciences, and a general appear-
ance of opulence and comfort. The shops in Verona appear
very splendid, and the Bra, when lighted up in the evening,
is a very lively and animating scene.
348
MANTUA
MANTUA, 15 June.
I could not go to Milan without stepping a little out of
my road to visit this ancient and redoubtable fortress, so
celebrated in the early campaigns of Buonaparte, besides
the other claims it has on the traveller's attention as the
birth place of Virgil. This place is of immense strength, as a
military post; being situated on a small isthmus of land,
separating two lakes, and communicating with the rest of
the country by an exceeding narrow causeway. This
position, added to the strength of the fortifications, render
the fortress impregnable, if well garrisoned and pro-
visioned. The city is, however, unhealthy from the lake and
marshy land about it, and there is but a scanty population.
Grass grows in the streets and it is the dullest and indeed
the only dull town in all Italy. Everything in this city
announces decay and melancholy, and I met with several
men looking full as halfstarved and deplorable as Shake-
speare's Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet. Yet the city is
by no means an ugly one. The buildings^ are imposing, the
streets broad and well paved, and there is a fine circular
promenade in the centre of which is a Monument erected in
honor of Virgil by the French general Miollis, who had a
great veneration for all poets. The Palazzo pubblico and the
Cathedral are the most striking buildings. The latter con-
tains the tombs and monuments of the Gonzaga family,
the whilom Sovereigns of Mantua. There are also several
monuments in honor of some French officers, who were
killed in the campaigns of Italy under Buonaparte and
erected to their memory by his direction.
Outside the town, at a short distance from the causeway
and tete de pont, is the celebrated palace called the T, from
its being in the form of that letter, which was the usual
residence of the Dukes of Mantua. It is a noble edifice and
its gardens are well laid out. These gardens have this
peculiarity, that at the entrance of each of the grand
avenues is a figure of a man on horseback caparizoned in
armour, like the Knights of old. This is all I have to say
349
AFTER WATERLOO
about Mantua. The Mincio beset with " osiers dank " flows
into the lake.
CREMONA, 16th June.
From Mantua I directed my course to this city, which is
large and fortified, situated on the Po which forms many
little islands in the environs. This city is of great antiquity,
and has a number of Gothic buildings. You do not find here
the specimens and imitations of Grecian architecture as at
Vicenza and Verona. The campanile of the Cathedral is of
immense height, but one is repaid for the fatigue of
ascending by the extensive view from its summit. There
are 498 steps. I put up at the Colombina, a very good inn.
The Cremonese seem to be an industrious people. There is a
great deal of pasture land in the environs of this city and
much cheese is made here and in the Lodesan. Several rice-
fields are also to be met with between this place and Lodi.
MILAN, 25 June.
I have been on a visit to the ancient and venerable city
of Pavia, which is about eighteen miles distant from Milan,
thro' a rich highly cultivated plain. The road lies in a right
line the whole way. About three miles distant from Pavia on
the Milan side stands the celebrated Certosa, which we
stopped to visit. The church of the Certosa contains the
greatest quantity of riches in marbles, and precious stones,
of any building in the world, probably. The architecture is
Gothic, and the workmanship of the exterior exquisite;
but the interior is most dazzling; and at the sight of the
rich marbles and innumerable precious stones of all kinds
with which it abounds, I was reminded of Aladdin and
began to fancy myself in the cavern of the Wonderful
Lamp. This church was built by Galeazzo Visconti, whose
coffin is here, and his statue also, in white marble. There
are several bas-reliefs of exquisite workmanship. There are
no fewer than seventeen altars here and of the most beauti-
ful structure you can conceive, being inlaid in mosaic with
jasper, onyx and lapis-lazuli. Besides these precious
350
PAVIA
marbles of every colour and quantity under heaven,
here are abundance of rubies, emeralds, amethysts, aqua-
marines and topazes, incrusted in the different chapels and
altars. Here again is a proof of the falsehood and injustice of
the aspersions cast on the French army, as being the plun-
derers of churches; for if they were so, how comes it that
the Certosa, the richest of all, was spared? Mr Eustace* in
his admiration of Church splendour, should at least have
given the French no small degree of credit for their absti-
nence from so rich a prize. A canal runs parallel to the
road the whole way from Milan to Pavia, where it joins the
Tessino. The banks of the Canal and each side of the road
are lined with poplars. Pavia is one of the most ancient cities
in Italy and has something very antique and solemn in its
appearance. It is quite Gothic and was the capital city of
the Lombard Kings. The streets are broad and the Piazza
is large. I could not find any traces of the ancient palace of
the Lombard Kings, which I should like much to have done;
for then I should have endeavoured to make out the
chamber into which Jocondo peeped and discoverd what
cured him of his melancholy, and where the impatient
Queen received the petulant answer from her beloved Nano,
conveyed by one of her waiting maids who told her :
E per non stare in perdita d'un soldo,
A voi nega venire il manigoldo.f
f Nor, lest he lose a doit, his paltry stake.
Will that discourteous churl his game forsake
Trans. W. S. ROSE.
MILAN, 28th June.
I have been to the Scala theatre, to see the Ballet of the
Vestal, one of the most interesting Ballets I ever beheld.
Oh! what a mighty magician is the ballet master Vigano, and
as for the prima ballerina, Pallerini, what praises can equal
her merit? then, the delightful soul soothing music, so
harmonious, so pathetic, and the decorations so truly
* See reference to Eustace p. 131.
f Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, xxvni, 38, 7. ED.
351
AFTER WATERLOO
tasteful and classical! I can never forget the impression this
fascinating Ballet made on me. It is called La Vestale. It
opens with a view of the Circus in ancient Rome, and
various gymnastic exercises, combats of gladiators, of
athletes, and ends with a chariot race with real horses. The
Roman Consuls are present in all their pomp, surrounded
by Lictors with axes and fasces. The Vestal virgins assist
at this spectacle, and from one of them the victor in the
games receives a garland, as the recompense of his prowess.
The victor is the son of one of the Consuls and the hero of
the piece; the heroine is the Vestal Virgin who crowns him
with the garland. The young victor becomes desperately
enamored of the Vestale, and she appears also to feel an
incipient flame. After the games are over, the victor returns
to his father's house, and meeting there one of his friends,
discloses to him his love for the Vestale and his idea of
entering by stealth into the temple of Vesta, where his
beloved was appointed to watch the sacred fire. His
friend endeavors, but in vain, to dissuade him from so rash
an attempt, which can only end in the destruction, both of
his beloved and himself. All the remonstrances, however,
of the friend are vain; and the hero fixed in his resolve
watches for the opportunity, when it is the turn of his
beloved to officiate in the temple of Vesta, and enters there-
in. The Vestale is terrified and supplicates him to retire:
in vain; and after a long but ineffectual struggle she sinks
into his arms at the foot of the altar. Suddenly the sacred
flame becomes extinguished; a noise is heard; the Vestals
enter; the unfortunate fair is roused from her stupor by the
noise of footsteps and has just time to oblige her lover to
retire, which he reluctantly does, but not unperceived by
the Vestals. The Matron of the Vestals reproaches her with
the crime she has committed and orders her to be placed in
a dungeon. She is brought out to be examined by the High
Priest, found guilty and condemned by him to the usual
punishment of the Vestals for a breach of their vow, viz., the
being buried alive outside the gates of Rome. The moment
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THE BALLET OF THE VESTAL
the sentence is pronounced a black veil is thrown over her.
The scene then changes to the place of execution; the
funeral procession takes place; the vault is dug and a man
stands by with a pitcher of water and loaf of bread, to
deliver to her when she should descend. The Consuls are
present, attended by the Lictors and Aediles. All the other
vestals are present, of whom the culprit takes an affection-
ate leave and is about to descend into the vault. Suddenly a
noise of arms and shouts are heard. It is her lover who
having collected a few followers come rushing forward with
arms in their hands to arrest the execution. He forces his
way into the presence of the Consuls, but the sight of his
father inspires him with awe; he staggers back; at this
moment a Lictor at the command of the other Consul
plunges a spear into his breast. The Vestal is hurried to the
brink of the vault, into which she is forced to descend to the
accompaniment of mournful music, while her dying lover
vainly endeavours to crawl towards her. The curtain falls.
The exquisite acting of La Pallerini drew tears from my
eyes: it was indeed too horrible a subject for a Ballo, which
in my opinion ought to end happily. The scenery was the
finest of the kind I think I ever witnessed. The first scene
represents the Circus maximus; the interior of the temple of
Vesta and the place of execution outside the walls of Rome
were most classically correct and appropriate: the music
was beyond all praise and singularly affecting. This Ballet
has excited such an enthusiastic approbation that Vigano
the Ballet master, Pallerini who acts the Vestal and the
young man who performs the hero of the piece were sum-
moned every evening after the termination of the Ballet,
to appear on the stage, and receive applauses, which seemed
to increase at every representation. I have been to see this
ballet six or seven times, and always with increased delight.
I was there on the last night of its representation, when
some amateurs and people connected with the theatre
put in practice what appeared to me an ill-judged concetto,
however well merited the compliment it meant to convey.
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AFTER WATERLOO
When the Vestal was about to descend into the vault, a
genius with wings rose from it and repeated a few lines
beginning Tu non morrai and telling her that the suffrages
of the Insubrian people had decreed to her immortality,
and printed sonnets were showered down on the stage
from all parts of the house. I think it would have been
much better to let the piece finish in the usual way, and
then at its termination call for La Pallerini to advance and
receive the garlands and hommage so justly her due.
I was in the loge belonging to my friend Mme L ;
there were three or four litterati with her, and they were all
unanimous that it was an absurd and pedantic concetto.
In a day or two I shall start from Milan for Munich thro'
Brescia and Verona and the Tyrol.
354
CHAPTER XVI
JULY-SEPTEMBER 1818
Innspruck Tyrol and the Tyrolese From Innspruck to Munich
Monuments and churches Theatricals Journey from Munich to Vienna
on a floss Trouble with a passport Complicated system of Austrian money
Description of Vienna The Prater The theatres Schiller's Joan of
A re A Kinderballet The young Napoleon at Schoenbrunn Journey from
Vienna to Prague.
INNSPRUCK, 15th July.
I HAD engaged with a vetturino to convey me from
Verona to Innspruck for four louis d'or and to be spesato.
A Roman gentleman and his lady were my fellow travel-
lers; they were going to pass the summer months at a
small campagne they possess in the Tyrol. We stopped the
first night at Roveredo. The road from Verona to Roveredo
is on the banks of the Adige (called in German theEtsch) in
a narrow and deep valley, shut up on both sides by moun-
tains, almost immediately on leaving Verona. We found the
weather extremely hot in this valley. Roveredo seems to
be a very neat clean little city, and the Adige flows with
astonishing rapidity along this narrow valley. The women
of Roveredo have the reputation of being very beautiful;
and I recollect having seen two Roveredo girls at Venice,
who were models of female beauty. They have a happy
mixture of German and Italian blood and manners, but
Italian is the language of the country. The second morning
of our journey we arrived and stopped to dinner at the
venerable and celebrated city of Trent. The country we
passed thro' is much the same as that between Verona and
Roveredo, the Adige being on our left. Trent lies also in
the valley of the Adige, shut up between the Alps. The
whole valley appears in high cultivation. The streets of
Trent are broad ; the Cathedral is a remarkably fine Gothic
building. In the church of Sta Maria Maggiore was held the
famous council of Trent. There are a great many silk mills in
AA2 355
AFTER WATERLOO
Trent. German as well as Italian is spoken ; indeed the two
languages are equally familiar to most of the inhabitants.
In the evening we arrived at Sabern after passing thro'
Lavis. One description will serve for these towns and indeed
for most of the towns in the Tyrol, viz., that of being neat,
clean and solidly built. The inns are excellent and the
inhabitants very civil. The Adige runs close to the road and
parallel to it, nearly the whole way to Bolsano or Botzen,
where Italian ceases to be spoken and German is the
national tongue. Botzen is a large and flourishing place.
One general description will serve for the Tyrol, regarding
the towns, adjacent country, customs, inns, inhabitants,
dress and manners.
First the towns are fully as neat, clean and well built as
those in Switzerland ; the country too is very similar, tho'
not quite on so grand a scale of sublimity; but you have
fully as much variety in mountain and valley, glacier and
cascade. The climate is exactly the same as that of Switzer-
land, being very hot in the valleys in summer. The inns
are clean and good, the provisions excellent and well cooked,
the wines much better than those of Switzerland; there is
good attendance by females and all at a far cheaper rate
than in Switzerland. The Tyroleans are much more courteous
in their manners than the Swiss ; they have not that boorish-
ness and are of more elegant figure than their Helvetic
neighbours. The women of the Tyrol are in general remark-
ably beautiful, exceedingly well shaped and of fine com-
plexions.
In the towns the bourgeoises dress well, something in the
French style, and it is their custom to salute travellers who
pass by kissing their hands to them. The dress of the female
peasantry, however, is unpleasing to the eye and so un-
couth, that it would make the most beautiful women appear
homely. In the first place I will speak of their head dress,
of which there are three different kinds, two of which are as
bizarre as can be imagined. The first sort is a cap of sheep-
skin, the fleece of which is as white as snow, and the cap is
356
TYROL AND THE TYROLESE
of conical shape, the base being exceeding large in propor-
tion to its height, and resembles much the sugar loaves
made in Egypt. The second is a black scull cap, with the
three pieces of stiff black gaze, sticking out like the vanes of
a windmill ; so that when put on the head, one vane stands
upright from the forehead and the other two from each
ear. The third head dress is a broad straw hat, and I wish
they would stick to this coiffure, and discard the two others.
Then the waist of their dress is as long as
. . . du pole antarctique au detroit de Davis.*
Their petticoats are exceedingly short, scarcely reaching
the calf of the legs, which are enveloped in a pair of flaming
red stockings. Who the devil could invent such an ungrace-
ful dress for a female?
The costume of the men on the contrary is becoming and
graceful. It resembles very much the costume of the Anda-
lusians. The hat is exactly the same, the crown being small
and the rim very broad.
The Tyroleans are a fine gallant race of men and are
excellent marksmen. They were formerly much attached
to the House of Austria; but that attachment is now
entirely changed to dislike, from the ingratitude they have
met with, since they have been replaced under that scepter.
The only fault I find in the Tyroleans, is that they are
rather too devout and consequently too much under the
influence of the clergy. Yet in their devotion there is not the
smallest tinge of hypocrisy and they are esteemed a highly
moral people.
If you arrive at an inn in the evening, while the family
are at prayer, neither master nor servants will come to
wait on you, till prayers are over; and then you will be
served with sufficient alacrity; but the prayers are rather
long.
I believe the priests extort a good deal of money from
these good people. The road thro' the Tyrol was made by the
* Boileau, Satires, XI, v. 117.
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AFTER WATERLOO
Romans, in the time of Septimus Severus. An immense
number of Crucifixes on the road attest and command the
devotion of the people.
How Kotzebue can call Innspruck a dirty town I am at a
loss to conceive. He must have visited it during very rainy
weather; for to me it appears one of the cleanest and most
chearful towns I have ever seen. There are several very fine
buildings, for instance the Jesuits' College, and the Fran-
ciscan monastery. Nothing can be more picturesque than
the situation of this city in the valley of the Inn and its
romantic windings. The suburbs are very extensive and
can boast several fine houses. The cupola of the Govern-
ment House is gilded, which gives it a splendid appearance.
In the Hofkirche or church of the court there are a number
of statues, large as life, in bronze; among which my guide
pointed out to me those of Clovis, Godfrey of Bouillon,
Albert the Wise, Charles V, Philip II of Spain, Rudolph of
Hapsburgh, and to my great astonishment the British King
Arthur; there were twenty-eight statues altogether. But on
my return to my inn, I found that my guide had made a
great error respecting King Arthur, and that the said statue
represented Prince Arthur, son of Henry VII, King of
England, and not the old Hero of Romance; and my
hostess' book further informed me that these statues were
those of the Kings and Princes belonging to families con-
nected by descent and blood with Maximilian I. In the
same Hofkirche is a fine monument erected to Maximilian
and a statue of bronze of this Emperor is figured kneeling
between four bronze figures representing four Virtues. In
the gardens of the Palace of the Archduke Ferdinand in this
city is a fine equestrian statue which rests entirely on the
hind feet of the horse. From Innspruck there is a water
passage by the river Inn all the way to Vienna, as the Inn
flows into the Danube at Passau. The banks of the Inn are
so romantic and picturesque that I would willingly pro-
long my sejour at Innspruck, but as I mean to take the
journey from Mittenwald to Munich by the river Isar, I
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FROM INNSPRUCK TO MUNICH
must take advantage of the raft which starts from that place
the day after to-morrow.
MUNICH, 20th July.
I left Innspruck in a chaise de paste on the 16th, and
arrived the same evening at five o'clock at Mittenwald.
At a short distance before I arrived at Mittenwald, I
entered the Bavarian territory, which announces itself by a
turnpike gate painted white and blue, the colours and
Feldzeichen of Bavaria. In the Austrian territory the
barriers are painted black and yellow, these being the
characteristic colors of Austria.
Mittenwald is a small neat town, offering nothing
remarkable but a church yard or Ruhe-garten (garden of
repose) as it is called, where there are a number of quaint
inscriptions on the tombstones. At Mittenwald I had some
trouble about my passport, as it was not vise by a Bavarian
authority; but I explained to the officer that I had never
fallen in with any Bavarian authority since I left Rome,
and that, while at Rome, I had no intention of going thro'
Bavaria; that at Milan the Austrian authorities had vise
my passport for Vienna and that I should only pass thro'
Munich, without making a longer stay than one week. He
acquiesced in my argument, but inserted my explanation
on the passport. At half a quarter of a mile beyond Mitten-
wald I met the raft just about to get under weigh at
eleven o'clock a.m. This raft is about as long as the length
of a thirty- six gun frigate, and formed of spars fastened
together; on this is a platform about one and a half feet
high. The Isar begins its course close to Mittenwald, and
the place on which the raft stood, previous to departure,
was very shallow; but water was quickly let in from
sluices to float the raft, and off we set with a cargo of
peasants, male and female, and merchandise bound for
Munich. As the river Isar rushes between immense moun-
tains, and forms a continual descent until the plains of
Bavaria open to view, you may conceive with what rapidity
we went. We encounterd several falls of water of two,
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AFTER WATERLOO
three, four and sometimes five feet which we had to shoot,
which no boat could possibly do without being upset. The
lower part of the raft was frequently under water in
making these shoots and we were obliged to hold on fast to
our seats to prevent being jerked off. Nothing can be more
romantic and picturesque than this journey, and there is
something aweful in shooting these falls; these rafts are,
however, so solidly constructed that there is no danger
whatever. They can neither sink nor upset. We arrived and
halted the evening at Tolz, a large village or town on the
right bank of the Isar. What gives to Tolz a remarkably
singular appearance is, that on a height at a short distance
from the town, and hanging abruptly over the river, you
perceive several figures in wood, larger than the life, which
figures form groups, representing the whole history of the
passion of Jesus Christ. At a short distance, if you are not
prepared for this, you suppose that they are real men, and
that a procession or execution is going forward. On landing
I immediately ascended this hill in order to observe this
curiosity, and there I beheld the following groups, first:
Christ in the midst of his disciples preaching; secondly:
the disciples asleep in a cave, and Christ watching and
praying; next was Judas betraying Christ to the soldiery;
then the judgment of Christ before Pilate ; then Christ bearing
his cross to the place of execution; and lastly the cruci-
fixion on Mount Calvary. The ground is curiously laid out
so as to represent, as much as possible, the ground in the
environs of Jerusalem. Tolz is a pretty village, but contains
nothing more remarkable than the above groups.
The next day at twelve o'clock we perceived the spires
of Munich, and at two anchored close to one of the bridges
from whence, having hired a wheelbarrow to trundle my
portmanteau, I repaired to the inn called the Golden Cross
Zum goldenen Kreutz. At Tolz the Rhetian Alps recede
from the view; the landscape then presents a sloping plain
which is perfectly level within four miles of Munich. The
river widens immediately on issuing from the gorges of
360
ASPECTS OF MUNICH
the Tyrol and for the last five miles we were followed by
boys on the banks of the river, begging for wood, with
which our raft was laden, and we threw to them many a
faggot. Wood is the great export from the Tyrol to Bavaria,
as the latter is a flat country and has not much wood, with
which on the contrary the Tyrol abounds. A sensible
difference of climate is now felt and the air is keener than
in the Tyrol. The price of a place on the raft from Mitten-
wald to Munich cost only one florin, and at Tolz an excel-
lent supper, bed and coffee in the morning cost me only one
florin.
MUNICH, 23rd July.
Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is an ancient Gothic city
of venerable appearance. The houses are very solid in
structure, and the streets sufficiently broad to give to the
city a cheerful appearance. There are some suburbs added
to it, built in the modern taste, which embellish it greatly.
A large Place outside the old town, called the Carolinen-
Platz, presents a number of villas disposed in the form of a
circus. In these suburbs the people assemble on holidays
and Sundays, to smoke and drink beer, of which a great
quantity is consumed, it being the favorite and national
beverage. From the lively scene of the lower class of the
bourgeoisie, male and female, meeting here in the Biers-
schanks and Tanzsaale I was reminded of the lines in Faust :
Gewiss man findet hier
Die schonsten Madchen, und das beste Bier,
which may be thus rendered:
Here let us halt! 'tis here we're sure to find
Beer of the best and maidens fair and kind !
There are other very agreeable promenades outside the
town, laid out as jardins anglais, the garden of Ostenwald
for instance; and should you wish to extend your walk
further, there is Nymphenburg, a royal Palace and gardens,
just one league distant from the city.
361
AFTER WATERLOO
The Residenz-schloss or Palace of the King is a solid
building. The interior is well worth seeing. There is a
superb saloon with a vast number of valuable miniatures
appended to the wainscoating. An enormously heavy bed,
groaning with gold and silver embroidery and pearls and
which is said to weigh a ton, is to be seen here. There is a
very good collection of pictures, chiefly portraits, of the
Electoral, now Royal family. There is a fine chapel too
belonging to this palace; a superb staircase of marble, and
some fine old tapestry representing the actions of Otto von
Wittelsbach. There is likewise a curious miniature copy of
Trajan's column in gold and incrusted with precious stones,
besides a variety of other things of value.
There are two theatres in Munich; one called the Hof or
Court theatre, where there is a company of comedians for
tragedy and comedy, the expences of which are defrayed
principally by the King. The boxes are generally let to the
nobility and the parterre is open to every body on payment.
I witnessed the representation of Mozart's Nozze di Figaro.
The King was present and was greeted with much affection.
He has a very benignant expression of countenance. He is
much beloved by his subjects, for he has governed them
paternally. He has given to them a constitution unasked;
for they were so contented with the old Government, that
they desired no change; but he, with his usual good sense,
saw the propriety of consulting and complying with the
spirit of the age. A German writer of some eminence at the
time of the French Revolution, when the aristocrats and
alarmists of all countries were crying out against it, and
proposing harsh measures to arrest its progress, said:
" Sovereigns of Europe, do you wish to set bounds to the
progress of French principles? Nothing can be more simple;
you have only to govern your people like Maximilian of
Bavaria and Frederick of Saxony, and your subjects will
never desire a change."
At the German (national) theatre which is a fair sized
one, I saw a tragedy performed called Der Wald bey Herman-
362
BAVARIAN CUSTOMS
stadt (the Forest near Hermanstadt).* It was an interesting
piece taken from a feudal legend. The part of Elisene was
performed by Mile Vohs, a very good actress. I missed very
much one thing in Munich, and that is the want of cafes like
those in France arid Italy, which have so brilliant an appear-
ance. They make coffee here at the inns ; and there are two
or three dull places up one pair of stairs, where they play at
billiards, and make as indifferent coffee as is made in
England. The hour of dining at Munich is in general one
o'clock. A slice of ham or sausage with beer form the
gouter, usually taken at five or six o'clock; and at nine
follows a supper as solid as the dinner. The Germans are
not loungers as the French and Italians, who, for the
most part, spend all their spare time in coffee-houses.
When I mentioned to a Bavarian that I could find no cafes
in Munich resembling those in France and Italy, he said
with emphasis: Gott bewahre (God forbid)! I could not help
thinking he was in the right; for those splendid cafes are
very seducing to young people and tend to encourage a life
of idleness and to keep them from their studies. The lower
bourgeoisie andStubenmddchen (maidservants) wear a singular
head dress. It is made of stuff worked with silver or gold
and resembles two horns sticking out one at each ear. This
head dress must be costly. This class of women wear also
on fete days gold crosses, collars and earrings.
The Bavarians seem a frank, honest set of people, tho'
sometimes a little rough, in their exterior deportment. The
character of Otto of Wittelsbach, in the tragedy of that
name, gives the best idea of the Bavarian character.
I have made acquaintance here with a Mr F , an
Austrian gentleman, and two Polish gentlemen, the one an
officer and the other a medical man. They are brothers and
had both served in the French army. We have agreed to
travel to Vienna together on board of the raft which starts
* The drama, Der Wold bei Hermannstadt, is the work of Johanna
Fraenul von Weissenthurn (1773-1847). a celebrated Viennese actress and
authoress. An opera was written on the same text by W. Westmeyer. ED.
363
AFTER WATERLOO
every week from Munich to Vienna. This raft brings to every
day between twelve o'clock and two near some town or
village on the banks of the river, in order to allow the pas-
sengers to dine, and anchors every evening at seven o'clock
near some town or village to sup and sleep. You have only to
tell the Flossmeister, or Master of the Raft, at what inn you
mean to put up, or if you have no preference, he will recom-
mend you one; and at five the next morning he goes his
rounds to the different inns to collect his passengers, and at
six gets under weigh.
VIENNA, 2nd August.
I left Munich on the 25th July and arrived on the 6th day
of our journey, 30th July, at Vienna. The Floss, or raft, on
board of which we embarked, is about as long as the main
deck of an eighty-four gun ship and about forty feet in
breadth. It is constructed of strong spars lashed together.
On the spars is constructed a large platform and on the plat-
form several cabins, containing tables and chairs. Mr F ,
the Poles and myself hired a cabin to ourselves. On the raft
was a great deal of merchandize going to Vienna. At Vienna
the Flossmeister, after landing his passengers and mer-
chandize, sells his raft and returns on horseback to Munich.
A raft is constructed weekly at Munich from wood felled in
the Tyrol and floated on the Isar down to Munich. We
arrived the first evening at Freysingen, but it was nearly
dark when we arrived ; it seemed however as far as we could
observe to be a neat village ; at any rate, we met with a very
comfortable inn there with good fare and good beds. We met
with a very pleasant family on board the raft, bound to
Landshut; M. and Mme S. were extremely well-informed
people and their two daughters very fine girls.
We arrived the following day at twelve o'clock at Land-
shut, which is a very fine town. There is an immense Gothic
tower or steeple to the Church of St Martin, about 450 feet
in height. At Deckendorf, where the Isar flows into the
Danube, I saluted for the first time that noble river. We
stopped the night at Pillshofen and arrived the following day
364
ARRIVAL AT PASSAU
at twelve o'clock at Passau. Passau is a large, well built and
handsome city, and is situated on the confluent of three
rivers, the Inn, the Illst and the Danube; for here the two
former flow into the latter, one on each side. Each of these
rivers just before the point of juncture seem to be of dif-
ferent colors ; for example the Danube appears blue, the Inn
white, and the Illst black. At Passau we put up at the Wild
Man (Zum Wilden Mann), a favorite sign for inns in these
parts.
The Cathedral and Residenz-Schloss are striking build-
ings, and the city has a lively and grand appearance. The
women appear to be in general handsome and well dressed.
We brought to the evening at Engelhardtzell, where the
barrier, painted black and yellow, announced our return to
the Austrian territory. We underwent at the Customs house
a rigid search for tobacco : they even took away the tobacco
that some passengers had in their pouches. They were like-
wise very rigid about our passports. The English passports
do not please them at all, on account of the features of the
bearer not being specified therein, and as I answered their
questions in German, they supposed me to be a native of
that country and asked me what business I had with a
British passport. I replied : Weil ich ein Engldnder bin. Sie
ein Engldnder? Sie sind gezviss aits Nord Deutschland. Sie
sprechen recht gut Deutsch. Meine Herren, ich bin ein
Engldnder: viele Engldnder studieren und sprechen Deutsch,
und wenn Sie mil mir eine langellnterredung gehalten hdtten, so
hdtten Sie bald ausgefunden durch meine Sprachfehler, dass
ich kein geborner Deutscher bin. A ber Sie haben unsere Fragen
vollkommen gut beantzvortet. Warum nicht? man hat mir
die nehmlichen Fragen so wiederholten Malen gestellt, dass
ich die dazu gehorigen Antworte auszvendig habe, wie ein Kate-
chismus* The officer laughed, took up a pen, vised and gave
me back my passport.
* Because I am an Englishman You are an Englishman? you are cer-
tainly a North-German; you speak very correct German. Gentlemen, I tell
you I am an Englishman ; many English study and speak the German lan-
guage and if you had held a long conversation with me, you would soon
365
AFTER WATERLOO
The whole of the country on the banks of this noble river
the Danube is picturesque and presents much variety.
There cannot be a more delightful summer tour than a
descent down this river. The next town of consequence that
we arrived at was Linz, a large, populous and beautifully
built city and capital of Upper Austria. The circumjacent
country is in part mountainous. The Danube is very broad
here, and there is an immensely long wooden bridge. We
put up at the inn Zum goldenen Kreutz (golden cross). Here
it became indispensably necessary to change our money for
Austrian paper, for that sort of it called Wiener Wahrung
(Vienna security), since neither foreign coin nor another
description of Austrian paper, called Conventions-Munze
(conventional currency), are current for ordinary purposes;
and it is necessary to get them changed for the current
paper Wiener Wahrung. To explain this matter more fully
and clearly: there are two sorts of paper money in the
Austrian Dominions. One is called Conventions-Munze (con-
ventional currency), which is fully equivalent to gold and
silver and cannot be refused as such throughout the whole
of the Austrian dominions; the other, called Wiener Wahrung
(Vienna security) is current and payable in Austria proper
only, and bears a loss, out of the Archduchy. The value of
the Wiener Wahrung fluctuates considerably, but the usual
par of exchange is as 2 to 1: that means, two hundred
florins Wiener Wahrung are equal to one hundred Conven-
zions-Miinze or gold and silver money. Even the Conven-
zions-Milnze bears a loss, tho' trifling, out of the Imperial
Dominions. The exchange has been known to have been at
400 per cent; that is, four hundred florins Wiener Wahrung
were only worth one hundred florins gold and silver; but
just now it may be reckoned a little beyond par, fluctuating
from 200 to 220. In fact, the value of a florin Wiener Wah-
rung may be calculated at a frank in French money. All
have perceived from my faults in speaking, that I am not a German. But
you have answered our questions so correctly. Why not, the same ques-
tions have been put to me so often that I have all the necessary answers by
heart like a catechism.
366
THE FAIR MAID OF LINZ
this is exceedingly troublesome to travellers, particularly to
those who do not understand the German language; for as
they cannot read the inscription, it would be difficult for them
to know the difference between one sort of paper money and
the other and they might be seriously imposed upon. I advise
therefore all travellers, before they arrive at the Austrian
frontier, whether coming from Bavaria, Saxony, or Italy, to
buy up the Wiener Wdhrung notes they may meet with,
and which may be purchased at great profit, probably,
beyond the frontier, whereas if they defer purchasing till
they arrive within the Austrian frontier, they can only pro-
cure the Wiener Wdhrung at the common rate of exchange
current.
At Linz we find ourselves again in a wine country. Linz is
renowned for the beauty of its women, and we had a most
favorable specimen in our landlord's daughter, one of the
most beautiful girls I ever beheld. We talked to her a great
deal, and a scene ridiculous enough occurred. She has very
beautiful arms which we all seemed to admire; and all at
once, by instinct as it were, the two Poles lifted up one arm
and I the other, and our respective lips were fastened on
either arm at the same moment as if by word of command.
We apologized for the liberty we took, saying that her arms
were perfectly irresistible and that we had never seen such
fine ones before. She accepted our excuse with the utmost
good nature, and laughed very heartily. Her father is a man
of information and a good classical scholar, a thing which
is by no means uncommon among the inn-keepers of Ger-
many. We stopped here that night, and the ensuing fore-
noon. We had an excellent supper, very good wine, and we
drank to the health of the fair Amalia, the host's daughter.
Our host, who was a friend of Mr F 's, gave us the best
of every thing, and our expences did not amount to more
than seven florins Wiener Wdhrung, for supper, bed,
breakfast and dinner. We passed the forenoon in visiting
the different parts of the city and we were struck with the
appearance of opulence and industry that prevails.
367
AFTER WATERLOO
Before we arrived at Molk, which is the next important
place, we passed the town of Ens and beyond that the
famous Strudel or Whirlpool which is dangerous at times
for boats. Our raft was completely whirled round. This
whirlpool is caused by rocks rising abruptly out of the
water. The popular tradition is that this whirlpool is the
abode of a very malicious and spiteful Wassernixe, Undine
or Water Goblin, who delighted in drowning passengers.
The scenery hereabouts is more wild and romantic than
what we have hitherto passed and bears a great resemblance
to the landscape on the Rhine between Mayence and
Coblentz. Molk is an Abbey and a very magnificent edifice
it is, situated on an eminence which forms the angle with the
river and rises quite a pic from the water's edge; it lies
quite en face to those who approach it, descending the
stream, so that the river seems to be terminated by it. It
commands a noble prospect. I had only time to inspect
hastily the church. Beyond Molk is a range of rocks that
bear a great resemblance to a wall, and jut out a great deal
towards the river. It is called the Devil's wall from the
tradition of the Devil having endeavoured to make a wall
to dam up the river. Above this wall is the famous castle
and vineyard called Spitz am Platz, and further on is the
castle of Dierenstein, situated on a mountain on the left
bank of the Danube. The ascent is very steep; this castle,
now in ruins, was the place where Richard Coeur de Lion
was confined. The walls only of the castle and part of the
chapel are all that remain; we did not fail to visit a place
of such celebrity. A convent lies below it.
We brought to the night at a large village where there is
an excellent inn; and the next day, the Leopoldsberg,
bursting forth to view, announced to us the approach to
Vienna. We anchored at Nussdorf, where there is a Custom
house, and from whence the distance to Vienna is about one
and half mile English. After having my trunk examined, I
hired a hackney coach and drove into Vienna. The barriers
beyond the suburb are called Lines, and between the
368
VIENNA
Suburbs and the old town is an Esplanade. We entered the
Suburbs by the Wdhringer Linie, and the old town by the
Rothes Thor (Red gate) ; and from thence I repaired to the
inn Zum weissen Wolf (white Wolf) in the Altem Fleisch-
markt (old meat-market).
VIENNA, Augt. 4.
The old town of Vienna is not very large, since you can
walk round its circumference on the ramparts in two hours.
It was formerly fortified, but the French blew up the fortifi-
cations, leaving only the rampart ; and by so doing they did
a thing of great utility for the Viennese, and gave to the
Austrian government an excellent opportunity of joining
the old town to the magnificent faubourgs, by filling up
the esplanade which separates them with streets and
squares, which would prevent the unpleasant effects of
dust in dry, and the mud in wet weather, for this dust and
mud renders the esplanade almost at all times a disagreeable
promenade, there being a sharp wind prevalent almost the
whole year at Vienna, which blows about the dust en tour-
billons. Here then was an excellent opportunity, afforded by
the blowing up of the fortifications, of paving the whole of
the esplanade and filling it up with streets. But no! the
Austrian government seem determined upon restoring the
fortifications, and a considerable number of workmen are
employed. This is very silly, for these fortifications are not
of the least use against a foreign enemy, inasmuch as the
enemy can always erect his batteries among the faubourgs
and need only make one parallel, the protection and cover
afforded to him by the faubourgs rendering the other two
superfluous. The faubourgs are by far the finest part of the
city, and the garrison of the old town, in endeavouring to
defend it, would destroy by every shot they should fire the
fine buildings on the faubourgs. Of the folly of making
such a defence they were made fully sensible in 1809. One
of the Archdukes threw himself into the old town of Vienna,
with an intention of defending it to the last and refused to
surrender. Napoleon caused batteries to be erected on the
BB 369
AFTER WATERLOO
Rennweg or Corso covered by the church of St Charles,
the Manege and Palace of the Hungarian noble guard, all
magnificent buildings in the faubourgs. He then summoned
the garrison of the old town again to surrender saying:
" Every shot fired against the besiegers destroys your own
most valuable property and finest edifices." This argument,
backed by the entreaties of the citizens, had its effect and
the capitulation was signed. This shows the perfect
inutility of fortifying the old town of Vienna against a
foreign enemy. Indeed a capital city should never be forti-
fied ; it generally contains too many things of value, ever to
be exposed to the risk of a bombardment. It would seem,
nowever, that the object of the Austrian government in re-
constructing these works were to keep its own subjects at
Vienna in check. But in this case it would be much more
advisable to construct a fortress on the heights of Kahlen-
berg or of Leopoldsberg, both of which command the city
and the whole expanse below. The Turks were encamped
on the Kahlenberg at the famous siege of Vienna.
Vienna proper, the old town, is a Gothic city, but a very
handsome one. The streets are in general broad and well
paved; but the Places or Squares are small. With the excep-
tion of the Herrengasse, where the nobility reside, the rest of
Vienna is inhabited by shopkeepers and wholesale dealers;
and the shops are brilliant and well fitted up. The Kdrnth-
ner Strasse, a long and tolerably broad street, and the Kohl-
markt present the greatest display of wealth. Indeed the
Karnthner Strasse may be considered as the principal street ;
this street and the Kohlmarkt have a great resemblance to
the finest parts of Holborn. The Graben also present a fine
display of shops and may be termed the Bond Street of
Vienna. The Sanct Stephans Platz where the Cathedral
church of Vienna, called St Stephans Kirche, stands, is the
largest Place in Vienna. The Cathedral is a very ancient and
curious Gothic edifice, and the steeple is nearly 450 feet high.
I happened to enter the Cathedral one day on the occasion
of a solemn requiem celebrated for the soul of Prince Metter-
370
THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
nich's father. Had it been for the son, instead of the father,
many an honorable man persecuted at the instigation of
that most machiavelic of all ministers, might exclaim in
making a slight alteration in a well known epitaph:
Cy-git M ah! qu'il est bien
Pour son repos et pour le mien !
Among the other striking buildings in the old town is the
Hofburg or Imperial Palace, a very extensive quadrangular
building, with a large court in its centre. A Guard mounts
here every day at eleven o'clock. It was in one of the saloons
of this palace that the celebrated Congress of Vienna was
held; a Congress whose labours will be long and severely
felt by Europe and duly appreciated by posterity, who will
feel any other sentiment but that of gratitude for the
arrangements entered into there. The Hofburg was built by
Leopold VII in 1200. This building, from its being extremely
irregular and from its having received additions at intervals
in the different styles of architecture, has been aptly enough
considered as the type of the Austrian monarchy, and of its
growth from a Markgraviate to an Empire; in this, by the
continued acquisition of foreign territories differing from
each other in manners and in speech; in that, by the con-
tinued addition of various specimens of architecture and
style of building in its augmentation.
VIENNA, Aug. 8th.
I am very well content with my abode at the Weisser Wolf,
tho' it is not a first-rate hotel. They are very civil people,
and I have an excellent and spacious room for two florins
Wiener Wharung per diem. Lodgings are the only things
that are dear in Vienna, every other article is, however,
cheaper than in any other city I have yet been in. All kinds
of Hungarian wine may be had at the most reasonable
prices. I generally breakfast at a neighbouring Cafe in the
Fleischmarkt for the sake of reading the Allgemeine Zeitung
which is taken in there, and which is the only journal having
a shade of liberality which is permitted in the Austrian
dominions. From the hours of twelve to three, dinners a la
BB2 371
AFTER WATERLOO
carte are served at the Weisser Wolf. For two and half
florins W.W., I get an excellent dinner with a bottle of
Offener wine. The wine of Offen resembles much that of
Bordeaux in its quality and flavor. The tariff however of
the dinners and wines varies daily a few kreutzers, in con-
sequence of the eternal fluctuation of the W.W., so that
every morning a fresh tariff is affixed to the wainscot of the
saloon where the dinners are served. Supper, served likewise
a la carte, is at its full tide between the hours of eight and
ten o'clock ;'and as Vienna is renowned for the celebrity of its
beefsteaks and cutlets, called here Rostbraten, these and a
salad seem to be the favourite dish for supper. My morn-
ings I have hitherto passed in lounging about the Karnth-
ner Gasse, St Stephen's Platz, Kohlmarkt, etc. For an hour
before dinner the fashionable promenade is on the rampart
in front of the palace of Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen ; in the
evening on the Prater, in a carriage, on horseback, or on
foot. The Prater is of immense extent and offers a great
variety of amusements and sights. I generally return home
at night pretty well fatigued from my rambles.
There is another great inconvenience at Vienna, resulting
from the fluctuation of the current money, and this is that a
stranger, dwelling at an inn, is sure to be disturbed five or
six times in the morning, sometimes as early as five or six
o'clock, by Jews who rap at his door to enquire if he wants to
exchange gold and silver against currency or vice versa. I
used to lose all patience at being so disturbed in the morn-
ing, and was obliged in self-defence to put an affiche on the
door of my room to this effect : "Man kauft und verkauft hier
nichts; kein Wechsler darf hereintreten" "Here there is no
buying and selling; no money changer is allowed to come
in," and I hereby recommend to all strangers not to treat
with these Jews, but on their arrival, or at any time they
think fit, to go to a banking establishment in this city,
where every day after eleven o'clock you can exchange
your gold and silver for paper at the just rate of ex-
change, as published at the Bourse, paying only a very
872
TROUBLE WITH AUSTRIAN MONEY
slight premium, and on leaving Vienna to go to the same
establishment to change your superfluous Wiener Wahrung
for Convenzions Milnze or gold and silver money. For when
the Jews tell you the rate of exchange is so and so, you con-
clude probably your bargain with them, and on enquir-
ing at the Bourse you find that the Jew has made a percen-
tage of six or eight per cent, out of you. Louis d'or are the
best foreign coin to bring into the Austrian Dominions.
Next to them in utility are the Dutch ducats, or Gehar-
nischte Manner as they are termed, from the figure of the
man in armour upon them. All other coins suffer a loss in
proportion. The bankers in Vienna pay the foreign bill of
exchange in Convenzions Milnze, which you must after-
wards change for Wiener Wahrung, the only current money
in Vienna and Austria. But what makes it additionally
troublesome is that here in Vienna there are particular
payments, which must absolutely be paid in gold or silver
or Convenzions Milnze, and not Wiener Wahrung; for
instance the franking of foreign letters at the post office,
where they do not take the Wiener Whdrung. In vain you
may intreat them to take the Wiener Wahrung at any rate
they please; no! you must go elsewhere and buy from the
first person you can meet with as much gold and silver as is
required for the franking of the letters ; so bigotted are they
in the Austrian dominions to the letter of the law! This
happened to me: I wanted to frank three letters for Eng-
land and I went to the post office with Wiener Wahrung
paper, not being aware of this regulation, and I was obliged
to return to my Hotel, to lay hold of a Jew, and to buy from
him as much gold and silver as was requisite for the frank-
ing of the letters.
At the Wechselbank or Bank of Exchange I have before
mentioned, the crowd that attends daily is immense; but
the business is carried on without hurry or confusion. You
hand in your paper or your gold and silver coin, the clerk
who receives it gives you an order on paper for the amount
specified, which paper you take into another room and
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AFTER WATERLOO
therein receive the amount. This establishment, however,
remains open only two hours every day, between eleven and
one I believe ; so if you are too late for this interval of time,
you must apply to the brokers, Christian or Israelite.
VIENNA, August llth.
We left the old town by the Burg-thor, and crossing the
Esplanade, directed our course to the Rennweg, one of the
suburbs, in order to view the majestic edifice of St Charles,
which is equal in the beauty of its architecture to many of
the finest churches in Rome. Its faade and cupola render
it one of the most striking buildings belonging to Vienna. We
next visited the Manege and the Palace called the palace of
the Hungarian Noble Guard. They are both beautiful edifices.
The faubourgs of Vienna are built in the modern style and
their buildings, both public and private, excellent in their
way and in the best state. The streets of the faubourgs are
broad but not paved. The most celebrated of these faubourgs
are Maria Hulf, Leopold-stadt, Landstrasse, the Rennweg,
the Wdhringer Gasse; and I am persuaded that if the old
town were united to the faubourg by means of streets and
squares and the esplanade filled up with buildings, Vienna
would perhaps be the handsomest city in Europe and the
fourth in size, for the best buildings and palaces are in the
faubourgs, viz., the Military College, the Polytechnic
School, St Charles' Church, the Porcelain fabric, the
Palaces of Esterhazy, Kaunitz, Stahremberg, Schwarzen-
berg, Palfy, and the beautiful Palace and ground of Belve-
dere in which last is a noble collection of pictures open to
the public. At the Polytechnic school one of the principal
professors is a friend of Mr F 's, and he explained to us
the nature of the establishment and the course of studies
pursued. The apparatus for every branch of science is on
the grandest scale. After dinner we repaired to the Prater,
crossing a branch of the Danube which here forms several
islands. The Prater requires and deserves particular men-
tion. Part of it is something in the style of the Champs
374
THE PRATER AT VIENNA
Ely sees at Paris, and it is fully equal to it in the variety of
amusements and enjoyments to be met with there; but it
is far larger and more beautiful on account of its landscape
and the diversified manner in which the grounds are laid
out. The Prater, then, is an immense park, laid out on an
island of considerable extent on the Danube. The nearest
faubourg to it is the Leopoldstadt, which is also the most
fashionable one, and a bridge conducts you from that
faubourg direct into the Prater. The Prater presents a mix-
ture of garden, meadow, upland and forest; the lofty
trees arranged in avenues or in clumps give a delightful
protecting shade. On the road destined for the carriages
there is every afternoon a most brilliant display of car-
riages. Another avenue is destined for equestrians, and
two avenues, one on each side of these two, for pedestrians.
There are besides winding footpaths, that conduct you all
over this vast extent of ground, and circular grass plots
surrounded by trees where the pedestrian may repose and
eat and drink if he will. Here are restaurants in plenty,
cafes, Panoramas, exhibitions of wild beasts, swings,
tennis courts, places for running at the ring, do. for bur-
lesque dramatic performances, farceurs, jugglers, De Bach's
Equestrian Amphitheatre in the style of Franconi, Salles
de Danse, baths, billiard rooms, gaming tables, and even
houses appropriated to gallantry. In fact, the Prater
is quite the Paradise of the bourgeoisie of Vienna, who are
fond of the pleasures of the table and take every oppor-
tunity of making dinner and supper parties. The bourgeois
of Vienna are far more sensual than spiritual and not at all
disposed to self-denial.
Excellent hams and sausages are to be had here; and the
Viennese who dines and sups heartily at his own house
never fails, during his evening promenade, to take a toler-
able good portion of ham or sausage, with a proportion of
Offen wine or Maylander Beer, by way of staying his
stomach during the tedious interval between dinner and
supper. I need scarce add that smoking is universal, as
375
AFTER WATERLOO
indeed it is all over Germany, for I scarcely ever see a
German without a pipe either in his mouth or fastened to
his coat and a bag or pouch of tobacco either in his pocket
or attached to his button hole. In the Prater dances often
take place in the open air between the grisettes of Vienna,
who are in general handsome and well made, and who dress
well, and their lovers and admirers. The Prater was first
opened to the public by the Emperor Joseph II. The Au-
garien is another place of recreation and amusement, but on
a smaller and much more tranquil and sober scale, than the
Prater. None of the lower classes think of coming here, tho'
it is open to every body decently dressed: there is not that
profuse eating and drinking going forward. It is more pro-
perly speaking a promenade, and forms a garden with
alleys of trees where music is often performed and there is a
superb saloon where refreshments may be had. The
Au-garten is frequented chiefly by the Noblesse and Haute
Bourgeoisie. In the morning likewise it is a fashionable
resort to drink the mineral waters. It adjoins the Prater,
being on the same island. It was the favourite lounge of
Joseph II, who opened it to the public by affixing this
inscription on one of the gates :
Allen Menschen gewidmete Erlustigung von ihrem Schatzer
" Place of recreation open to all Men by their esteemer."
VIENNA, Aug. 13th.
There are a great number of theatres at Vienna. Two are
situated in the old town, viz., the Hof-theater and the Burg-
theater. The Hof-theater is only open when the Court are at
Vienna, and they are now at Baden, ten leagues distant.
The Burg-theater is open all the year round, and may be
considered as the national theatre. It is much frequented
by the bourgeoisie and inhabitants of the old town, who
do not chuse to take the trouble to go to the Wieden-theater,
which is situated in the faubourgs, and which is more of a
classical and fashionable theatre than the other, inasmuch
as it is more elegantly and classically built, better fitted up,
and has a far better company of comedians. At the Burg-
376
THE VIENNESE THEATRE
theater I saw Kotzebue's Edelsinn und Armuth performed.
The Wieden theatre which is, as I have said, in the fau-
bourgs, is the handsomest theatre perhaps in Europe for
its size. It is not large, but it is fitted up with so much taste
and you see and hear so well; every ornament is so chaste
and there is nothing at all tawdry or superfluous. It is, I
really think, a model of what every theatre ought to be.
There is a good deal of bronze about it which gives it a
classical appearance, and the boxes are supported by Carya-
tides in bronze. There is a peculiarity in all the theatres at
Vienna, which is, that in the parterre you must sit in the
place the number of which is marked on your ticket. These
places are called Gesperrte Sitze, and each seat resembles
an armchair. When not occupied, the seat is folded up and
locked to the back of the chair, until the person who holds
the ticket corresponding to its number comes to take it;
so that no other but the person holding the ticket corre-
sponding to the number can take it, and you are thus never
likely to be shoved out of your place, as you are at most of
the theatres in Europe. There are men stationed at the doors
who follow you into the parterre to unlock and let down a
seat for you, and to them you give your ticket with a slight
gratification, which is however quite optional; your ticket
you previously pay for at the door.
VIENNA, Augt. 20th.
I have been to see Schonbrunn, the usual residence of the
young Napoleon ; but he is now at Baden with the Imperial
family, where his mother, who is lately arrived from Italy,
is also on a visit. The young Napoleon is said to be a re-
markable fine boy, and a great favorite with his grand-
father the Emperor. Many are the anecdotes related of him.
I shall mention one. He had heard so often talk of his father,
that shortly after the arrival of his mother, he wished to see
his father also and asked his attendants repeatedly and not
in a very patient tone: Wo ist denn mein Voter?* This was
* Where is my father?
377
AFTER WATERLOO
told to his grandfather the Emperor ; and he gave directions
that the child should be brought to him, the very next time
he should put the question. He then said to him: Du
mochtestwissenwo dein Voter ist? Er ist in Verhaft. Man hat es
mil ihm gut gemeint; weil er aber unruhig war, so hat man ihn
in Verhaft gestellt, und Dich wird man auch verhaften, wenn
Du unruhig bist.*
So much for this anecdote; but I did not hear what was
the answer of the young prince. The young Napoleon is, it
appears, a great favorite of the soldiers, who quite adore
him, and he will sometimes go into the kitchen to get
bread and meat to give to the soldiers on Guard at the
Palace. A singular event happened lately to Maria Louisa.
During her stay at Schonbrunn, her chatouille, with several
things of value in it, bijouterie, etc., was stolen from her.
She caused enquiries to be made, and researches to be set on
foot. Nobody has been able to find out who took it; but it
was put back in the precise place from whence it was taken,
and not a single article of the bijouterie or things of value
was missing. It is supposed this theft was made for political
purposes, in order to discover the nature of her epistolary
correspondence, if any existed. Had it been taken by a
vulgar thief, it is not probable that the articles of value
would have been restored. Such is the unhappy condition
of that Princess to be always an object of suspicion and
espionnage.
Journey to Prague.
I left Vienna on the 28th August in a Landkutsche and
arrived at Prague on the first of September.
These Landkutsche are on the same plan and footing with
the vetture in Italy, and travel in the same manner, with
this difference, however, that the Landkutscher do not
usually, as the vetturini do, undertake to provide for the
supper and bed of their passengers. In a word, you are not
* " You wish to know where your father is? He is under arrest; people
were well disposed to him; but he is placed under arrest, because he was
unruly, and if you are unruly you will be placed under arrest likewise."
378
FROM VIENNA TO PRAGUE
spesato ; and in Germany there is not the least necessity for
it, for there is no such thing as extortion on the part of the
German innkeepers, who are by far the most respectable
of that profession. Besides, in most places, everything is
tariffed, and where it is not, the landlord never makes an
unreasonable demand, or attempts to make foreigners pay
more than natives; whereas in Italy if you are not spesato
there are no bounds to the rapacity of the innkeepers,
witness mine host of Terracina. Both Italy and Germany
present the greatest convenience for travellers, as the
Landkutsche or vetture are continually passing from town to
town. There is however this difference between them, that
the Italian vetturini will abate their price, if their carriage is
full excepting one place, and that they must start, whereas
the German Landkutscher never abate their price.
I paid for my journey from Vienna to Prague thirty-five
florins Wiener Wahrung, and we made the journey in five
days. Our first day's journey brought us to Hollabrunn,
having stoppd to dinner at Stockeran. The road is excellent
and the several towns and villages we past thro' clean and
well built. The landscape was either a plain, or gently undu-
lating and extremely well cultivated.
Bohemia resembles Moravia, being an exceedingly rich
corn country, generally open; not many trees about the
country near the road side, except at the Chateau and farm
houses. The language is a dialect of the Sclavonic, mixed
with some German; but at the inns there is always one or
two servants who speak German. In Bohemia a traveller
not speaking German, and who has no interpreter with him,
would find himself greatly embarassed. The Bohemians call
themselves in their own language Cherschky, and the Hun-
garians call themselves Magyar.
379
CHAPTER XVII
SEPTEMBER i8i8-MARCH 1819
The splendid city of Prague The German expression, " To give the
basket " Journey from Prague to Dresden Journey from Dresden to
Berlin A description of Berlin The Prussian Army Theatricals
Peasants talk about Napoleon Prussians and French should be allies
Absurd policy of the English Tories Journey from Berlin to Dresden A
description of Dresden The battle of Dresden in 1 8 1 3 Clubs at Dresden
Theatricals German beds Saxon scholars The picture gallery Tobacco
an ally of Legitimacy Saxon women Meissen Unjust policy of Europe
towards the King of Saxony.
PRAGUE, 4 Sept.
PRAGUE is a far more striking and splendid city than
Vienna, without its faubourgs. The streets are broader; and
it has a more cheerful and less confined appearance than the
old town of Vienna. The position of Prague too is very ro-
mantic and picturesque, part of it lying on a mountain and
part on a plain ; and it stands on the confluent of two rivers,
the Mulda and the Braun. The upper part of the city,
called Oberburg, stands on a height called Ratschin, and on
this height stands a most magnificent palace and other
stately buildings. There is a beautiful panoramic view from
this part of Prague. In this part of the city too is the
cathedral of St Wenzel or Wenceslaus, who was its founder.
His tomb and that of St John Nepomucene, a favorite
saint of the Bohemians, is in this church. The Cathedral is of
extreme solidity, but little ornamented, having been plun-
dered by the Swedes in 1648. The canopy over the shrine
of St John Nepomucene has a profusion of votive offerings
appended to it. The lower part of Prague is divided into
two parts by the Mulda. The bridge across the Mulda is one
of the finest in Europe. It has twenty-four arches, its length
is 1700 feet and its breadth 35. Among several statues on
this bridge is a very remarkable one of Jesus Christ, made
of bronze gilt, which cost a large sum of money to its
founder, a Jew! There is a Latin inscription on it which
explains the paradox. There stood on the same spot a
380
ASPECTS OF PRAGUE
wooden statue of Christ in the XVI century. One day an
opulent Jew, on passing by, made some scoffing or con-
temptuous remark on it. He was overheard by some of the
people, accused of blasphemy and condemned to die; but on
expressing great contrition and offering to pay a fine to any
amount, he was pardoned, on the condition of his promising
to erect a bronze statue gilt of Jesus Christ on the same
spot, at his own expense, with an inscription explaining
the reason of its construction; which promise he punctually
performed. Prague abounds in Jews. Two-thirds at least of
its population are of that persuasion. In the lower town the
most striking edifices are the palace of the Wallenstein
family, descendants of the famous Wallenstein, so dis-
tinguished in the Thirty Years war. Annexed to this
Palace is a spacious garden, which is open to the public as a
promenade. It is well laid out. There is a large aviary. This
Palace covers a vast extent of ground. The Colloredo family,
who are descended from Wenceslaus, have a superb
Palace in this city; and there is a stable belonging to it,
partly in marble and of rich architecture, capable of con-
taining thirty-six horses. No traveller who comes to Prague
should omit visiting these two Palaces of Wallenstein and
Colloredo. On the bridge over the Mulda before mentioned,
is the statue in bronze of St John Nepomucene, on the spot
from whence he was thrown into the river by his brother
saint, King Wenceslaus, for refusing to divulge the gallan-
tries of his (Wenceslaus') wife, to whom he was confessor. A
favorite promenade on Sundays is on the Fdrber Insel or
Dyers island, which is a small island on the Mulda. Here the
young men of the town come to dance with the grisettes and
milliner girls of Prague, who are renowned for their beauty
and complaisance.
The Jewish burying ground is a curiosity for a person who
has never visited the Oriental countries. The tombstones are
stowed thick together. Everybody recollects the anecdote of
the ingenious method adopted by Joseph II for squeezing
a large sum of money from the Jews of Prague, by giving out
381
AFTER WATERLOO
that he intended to claim this cemetery, in order to build
therein a Palace. The Jews who, like all the Orientals, have
the most profound veneration for the spot where their
ancestors are buried, presented a large sum of money to the
Emperor, to induce him to renounce his design.
The Stadt-Haus (Hotel de Ville) is a fine building; and the
Marktplatz (market square) is very spacious, and contributes
much to the beauty of the town. In the centre of it stands an
ancient fountain of a dodecagonal form. The basin is of
red marble, and near it stands a large stone column, with
a statue of the Virgin, bronze gilt, on its summit. A well
supplied market, or rather fair, is carried on here every day
in the week. The Theatre is a fine building and is of im-
mense size. I witnessd the representation of a burlesque
tragedy called Die Belagerung von Ypsilon (the siege of
Ypsilon), but I could not at all comprehend the cream of the
jest. Madame Catalani, who is here, sang at this theatre one
night. The theatre was completely filled and the price of
admission to the boxes and parterre a ducat. The street
adjoining to the theatre was crowded by people endeavor-
ing to catch the sweet sounds. Immense hommage has been
paid to Catalani by the authorities here.
The balls of the bourgeoisie of Prague are splendid and
well attended. The bourgeoisie is very opulent in this city.
There are but few residents Noblesse. The expences at the
inns here are rather greater than those at Vienna, wine
being a foreign commodity and beer the national beverage.
My daily expences here for lodging, dinner, supper and
breakfast amounted to four florins Convenzions Munze,
about nine franks nearly, French money. The country
environing Prague is rich and abounding in corn; there are
likewise hops. The walls of Prague still bear the marks made
by Frederic's shot when he blockaded Prague.
PRAGUE, 7th Sept.
To-morrow I shall start for Dresden. The diligence goes
off only once a week, but I have engaged a car or rather
382
" TO GIVE THE BASKET "
light basket waggon drawn by two horses (a vehicle very
common in Germany) to convey me to Dresden in two days
and half. I am to pay for half of the waggon, and another
traveller will pay for the remaining half.
Before I leave Prague I must tell you that I have found
out the origin of the German phrase: Jemand den Korb zu
geben (to give the basket), which means a refusal of marriage.
Thus when a young lady refuses an offer of marriage on the
part of her admirer, the phrase is: Sie hat ihm den Korb
gegeben (She has given him the basket). Hitherto I have not
met with any one who could explain to me satisfactorily the
origin of so singular a phrase; but on reading lately a
volume of the Volksmahrchen (Popular tales) I found not
only the derivation of this phrase, but also that of the
name of the city of Prague. Both are connected in the
same story, and both concern the history of Prague. The
story is as follows.
Libussa, Duchess of Bohemia, had three lovers, two of
whom were not remarkably intelligent, but the third pos-
sessed a great deal of talent and was her favorite. She was
much importuned by the rival suitors. She appeared before
them one day with a basket filled with plums in her hand; and
said she would give her hand in marriage to whoever of them
should guess the following arithmetical riddle. She said:
"One of you shall take half the plums that are in this basket,
and one over: another shall take half of what remains,
and one over: the third shall take half of what still remains
and three over, and then all the plums will have been taken.
Now tell me how many plums there are in the basket."
Her favorite was the only one who could guess the number
of plums which was thirty. To him therefore she gave her hand
and the plums, and to the other suitors the empty basket.
Hence the phrase. The solution of the question is as follows :
A takes half of the plums in the basket (30) and one
over 15 + 1 = 16
B half of what remained (14) and one over . . . . 7 + 1= 8
C half of what remained (6) and three over . . . . 3 + 3= 6
Total 30
383
AFTER WATERLOO
Now with regard to the origin of the city of Prague.
The former residence was much too small, and Libussa
directed her workmen to build a town on the spot, where
they should find at midday a man making the best use of his
teeth. They began their research and one day at that hour
discovered a carpenter sawing a block of wood. It struck
them that this laborious man was making a better use of his
teeth (viz., teeth of his saw) than the mere feeder and they
judged that this ought to be the place where the town should
be built. They therefore proceeded to trace with a plough
the circumference of the town. On asking the carpenter
what he was about to make with the block he ,was sawing,
he said " A threshold for a door," which is called Prah or
Praha in the Bohemian language and Libussa gave to the
city the name of Praha or Prag.
BERLIN, 24th Sept.
Berlin has a splendid and cheerful appearance, with fine
broad streets, superb white buildings and Palaces, for the
most part in the Grecian taste ; it has quite the appearance
in short of an Italian city. Nearly all the streets are at right
angles; they are kept very clean and the shops make a
brilliant display. I felt so much pain in my legs, from the
effect of my pedestrian journey, that I was obliged to
remain in my chamber one entire day. There is a very good
table d'hote at my inn for twelve Groschen. Wine is paid for
extra, and at the rate of from 12 to 18 Groschen the bottle.
The sort usually drunk here is the Medoc. The prices of
articles of prime necessity are dearer in Berlin than either
at Dresden or Vienna; particularly the article of washing,
which is dearer than in any country I have yet visited.
The next morning I began my rambles, and directed my
course to the favorite and fashionable promenade of the
beau monde, at all hours of the day, I mean in the fine
street or alley Unter den Linden, so called from it being
planted with lime trees. There is a range of elegant buildings
384
MONUMENTS AT BERLIN
on each side, and at the end, near the Thier Garten (Park), is
a superb gate called the Brandenburger Thor in the shape of a
triumphal arch ornamented with a statue of Peace, with an
olive branch in her hand, standing on a car drawn by four
horses abreast, the whole groupe being of bronze and of
exquisite workmanship. The four horses are imitated from
the Corinthian horses at Venice and yield to them in nothing
but antiquity. Indeed they have a much more pleasing and
striking effect, in being thus attached to a car, than standing
by themselves, as the Venetian ones do, on the top of the
fa9ade of a church. This Brandenburger Thor is con-
structed after the model of the Propylaeum of Athens.
The Opera House, a building in the Grecian taste erected
by Frederic the Great with the inscription Apollini et Musis,
and after that the Academy of the Fine Arts engaged my
attention. Both these buildings are remarkable, and they
are near the Linden. The old town is much intersected by
canals communicating with the Spree which divides it.
I call it the old town, to distinguish it from the quarter
composed of streets of recent construction between the
former enceinte of the town and the Brandenburger Thor.
The Hotel of the Invalides, a ponderous building, bears the
following inscription : Laesis non victis. The Bank and the
Arsenal next engaged my attention, as also a Guard House
of recent construction in the shape of a Doric temple. The
Royal Palace is an immense building, partly in the Gothic
and partly in the Grecian style. It is very heavy but impos-
ing. The interior of this Palace is royally fitted up, except
the little room occupied by the great Frederic, which is left
in the same state as when he occupied it; and you know he
was not fond of superfluous ornament. In the green before the
Palace stands the statue of the Prince of Anhalt Dessau,
the founder of the Prussian Infantry system, and at a short
distance from this, on the Lange Brucke, stands the colossal
equestrian statue in bronze of the Great Elector.
The Konigstrasse is the principal street and a very fine
one it is; next to it in point of beauty is the Franzosische
cc 385
AFTER WATERLOO
Strasse. The Wilhelm Platz is adorned with the statues
in marble of Schwerin, Seidlitz, Keith, Winterfeld, and
Ziethen. But I cannot enumerate all the splendid public
establishments and fine things to be seen in this beautiful
city. The most striking church is that of St Hedwig. I call
it the most striking from its resemblance to the Pantheon at
Rome. The Cathedral is perhaps a finer building. 'Tis in this
last that the Electoral and Royal remains are deposited.
The streets here swarm with military, and indeed the
profession of arms seems to have too much sway in the
Prussian dominions. The subalterns and young men of the
Prussian Army are said to have republican sentiments,
and they, in common with all the burghers, desire a con-
stitution. It galls them to see one enjoyed by the Bavarians,
whom they affect to look upon as inferior to them in intelli-
gence, and that it should be refused to them. Most of the
nobility and the greater part of the General and field
officers are however inveterate aristocrats.
You have heard, I dare say, of the attempt made by some
officers among the nobility to exclude from the service, after
the peace, those officers who were not noble. When it is con-
sidered that their best and most zealous officers sprung
from the burghers, and that Prussia, when abandoned by
her King and nobles, was saved from permanent subjection
only by the unparalleled exertions of her burghers and
peasantry, one is shocked at such ingratitude and absurdity.
But the officers of the Royal Guard went so far as to draw
up a petition to the King, requesting him to dismiss all the
officers of the corps who were not noble, and Blucher was
applied to to present this petition to the King. Blucher read
the paper and ordered all the officers to assemble on the
parade and thus addressed them: "Gentlemen, I have
received your paper and read its contents with the utmost
astonishment. All the remarks that I shall permit myself to
make on the subject of this petition, are, that it makes me
ashamed of being myself a noble." He then tore the petition
in pieces and, dismissed them.
386
MANNERS AND MORALS AT BERLIN
I have been once at the theatre. Lodoiska was performed.
I saw a number of fine women in the boxes. Formerly gal-
lantry and pleasure were the order of the day at Berlin;
but now, the Court assuming the exterior of rigid morality
and strictly exercised religious devotion, mystic cant and
dullness is the order of the day. The death of the Queen of
Prussia threw a great damp over the amusements of the
Court. At Charlottenburg, which is a short distance from
Berlin, in the grounds there, they point out to you her
favourite spots. She was a most amiable Princess, and
united to great personal beauty so much grace and fasci-
nation and so many good qualities that she was beloved by
all, and the breath of calumny never ventured to assail her.
The alley Unter den Linden in the evening presents a
great assemblage of Cyprian nymphs, who promenade up
and down; they dress well and are perfectly well behaved.
There is a superb establishment of this kind at Berlin,
which all strangers should visit out of curiosity. It is not
indispensably necessary to sacrifice to the Goddess whose
worship is carried on there ; but you may limit yourself to
admire the temple, call for refreshments and contemplate
the priestesses.
There is the utmost moral and political freedom at
Berlin, and tho' the Government is despotic in form, free-
dom of speech is allowed. An army of 200,000 men admir-
ably disciplined and armed, of these a garrison of 15,000
men in Berlin and as many at Potsdam, are quite suf-
ficient to keep in check all attempts to put political
theories and speculations into practice. Indeed, it would
be very difficult to excite a revolt; the various German
governments are carried on very paternally and the
government is scarcely felt; habits of obedience have taken
deep root among the people, and a German peasant
as long as he gets enough to eat and drink, does not con-
ceive himself unhappy, or thinks of a change. I could not
help laughing the other day, at a little village near Berlin,
when I heard some peasants talking of Napoleon; one of
cc2 387
AFTER WATERLOO
them, who seemed to have some partiality for him,
exclaimed, meaning to blame him for leaving Elba: Aber
warum verliess er seine Insel? Er hatte dock zu essen und
tririken so viel er wollte (Why did he leave Elba? He had
surely plenty to eat and drink). This good peasant could
not conceive that a man blessed with these comforts should
like to change his situation or run any risks to do so.
French as well as German is commonly spoken in Berlin,
and I am glad to see that the prejudice against the French
is wearing off. If the French and Prussians could under-
stand one another, and knew their own interests, or if the
French had a liberal national Government, I mean, one
more identified with the interests of the people than the
present one is, what advantage might not rise therefrom?
They are natural allies, and united they might be able
effectually to humble the overbearing insolence and
political coxcombry of the Czar, shake to its centre the
systematic despotism and light-fearing leader of Austria,
and keep in check the commercial greediness, monopolizing
spirit and tory arrogance of England. The German political
writers duly appreciate the illiberal policy of England
towards the continental nations, by which she invariably
helps to crush liberty on the Continent in the hopes of para-
lysing their energies and industry, in order to compel them
to buy English manufactures, and in fine to make them
dependent on England for every article of consumption.
England, ever since the beginning of the reign of George III
to the present day, has been always ready to lend a hand to
crush liberty, to perpetuate abuses and to rivet the fetters
of monarchial, feudal and ecclesiastical tyranny.
These are facts and cannot be denied. The English people
have been taxed to the last farthing to support a war of
privileges against Freedom; and Europe is in consequence
prostrate at the feet of an unprincipled coalition, thro'
England's arms and England's gold; and then an English
minister, and his vile hireling journals, tell you that the
continental nations are not ripe for and do not deserve
388
RETURN TO DRESDEN
liberty. Even the Pope and Grand Turk, both so much
dreaded | by our pious ancestors, have been supported,
caressed and subsidized, in order to help to put down all
efforts made to obtain rational liberty, which the courtiers
always affect to stigmatize with the name of " Jacobinism,"
while a number of needy individual have enriched them-
selves by the public plunder and by aiding and abetting the
system, all novi homines, men who, had there been more to
gain on the other side than by espousing Toryism, would
not have been backward; men who are Jacobins in the
real sense of the word, however they cloak themselves
under the specious names of Church and King men; up-
holders of Pitt and his system, for which they affect a
veneration they are far from really feeling; men, in fact,
whose political scruples of whatever nature they be, would
soon melt away.
DRESDEN, 5th October.
I have been fortunate in getting into very comfortable
lodgings, having two rooms and as much firing as I chuse
for eight Reichsthalers per month. Coffee is made for me at
home in the morning, and I generally dine and sup at a
restaurant close by near the bridge. The Platz in the
Neustadt is close to my lodgings, and being very large and
well paved and lined with trees, it affords a very agreeable
promenade. Rows of elegant houses line the sides of this
Platz, among which the Stadthaus is particularly remark-
able. The famous Japan Palace, as it is called, is also in the
Neustadt, and but a short distance from the Platz. The
gardens of Count Marcolini afford also a pleasant pro-
menade; but by far the most agreeable walk, in my opinion,
is on the Zzvinger, a sort of terrace on the left bank of the
Elbe in the old town, adjoining the palace and gardens of
Count Bruhl. From this place you have a noble view of a
long reach of the Elbe. It is besides the favorite promenade
of the ladies. On the Zwinger too is a building containing a
fine collection of paintings. Here are cafes likewise and a
restaurant. The evening promenades are in the gardens of
389
AFTER WATERLOO
the Linkischer Bad (Bath of Link) on the banks of the
Elbe, where there is a summer theatre. This is the favourite
resort of the bourgeoisie on Sundays and jours de fete:
gouters and supper parties are formed here and very good
music is heard. The Elbe bridge is of beautiful structure,
and there is a good regulation with respect to those who
pass over this bridge; which is that one side of the bridge
is reserved for those going from the new to the old town,
and the other side for those going from the old to the new
town, and if you attempt to go on the wrong side you are
stopped by a sentry, so that there is no jostling nor loung-
ing on this bridge. An arch of this bridge was blown up by
Marshal Davoust in order to arrest the progress of the Rus-
sians, and a great deal of management was necessary to
effectuate it, for the worthy Saxons have a great venera-
tion for this bridge, and in order to inforce the execution
of this resolution on the part of the Marshal, the personal
order of the King and the employment of Saxon troops
were necessary. It has been rebuilt since, and no one
would know that the arch had ever been blown up, but
from the extreme whiteness of the new arch, contrasting
with the darker color of the old ones.
In the old town or Dresden proper, the finest buildings
are: the Catholic church, standing near the bridge, an
edifice yielding in beauty but to few in Italy and to none
in other countries. Here you hear excellent music during
the church service; and the King and Royal family, all of
whom are Catholics, attend constantly. The Royal Palace
is very near the church and not far from it is the theatre.
Saxony being a Lutheran country, the public exercise
of the Catholic religion was not permitted until Napo-
leon's time, when he proposed an arrangement to permit
to the King and all other Catholics the public celebration
of their religion, which proposition was acceded to with
universal approbation on the part of the Protestants, and
now the Host is frequently displayed in the streets. There
are however but few Catholics in Dresden among the
390
MONUMENTS AT DRESDEN
natives. So great is the respect for usages and customs in
Germany, that the Electors of Saxony, on going over to
Catholicism, never thought even of requesting the indul-
gence of exercising their religion publicly, and the granting
it has produced no evil consequence, liberalism and the
most unreserved toleration in matters of religion being the
order of the day.
The Royal Palace is a very fine and extensive building
and the interior is well worth seeing, particularly the superb
Riesen-Saal where Augustus II used to give his magnifi-
cent fetes. One of the last and most brilliant fetes given
here was that given by the King of Saxony to the Emperor
Napoleon just before the Russian campaign, at which the
Emperor and Empress of Austria and most of the Sover-
eigns of Germany assisted, to do hommage to the great
Conqueror.
The Schloss-gasse or Castle Street leads from the Palace
into the Markt Platz where the markets and fairs are held.
In this place, in the Schloss-gasse and in another street
parallel to it, that leads from the porcelain Manufactory to
the Grosser Platz (Grande Place), are the finest shops and
greatest display of wealth. On the Grosser Platz stands the
Frauen-Kirche, a superb Protestant church, and which
may be considered as the cathedral church of Dresden.
The Platz is large. There is great cleanliness in all the streets
of Dresden, and the houses are well built and uniform;
but there are few other very prominent edifices except
those I have mentioned. On going outside the town by the
gate of Pirna stands, almost immediately on the right, on
turning down a road, the Gardens and Palace of Prince
Anthony. Leaving this on your right and proceeding along
the chaussee or high road which is nearly parallel to the
river, at the distance of three-quarters mile from the Gate,
stands the Palace and Gardens called Der Grosse Garten
(grand garden), which you leave on your right, if you con-
tinue your route on the chaussee towards Puma. I have not
yet visited the Grosse Garten. There is likewise a fine pro-
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AFTER WATERLOO
menade on the banks of the Elbe,but quite in an opposite
direction to the Pirna gate, for to arrive at it from this gate,
you must traverse the Pirna street and Grosser Platz; and
on arrival near the bridge direct your course to the left,
which will lead you out of one of the gates into an im-
mensely long avenue of elm trees parallel to the river which
forms the promenade.
DRESDEN, Oct. 10th.
I have been to see the Palace and grounds of the Grosser
Garten. The garden and park, for it unites both, is of great
extent, and beautifully laid out; but a number of fine trees
have been knocked down and mutilated by cannon shot
during the battle of Dresden in 1813, when this garden was
occupied by the Allied troops and exposed to a heavy
fire of fifty pieces of cannon, from a battery erected by
Napoleon on the opposite side of the river, which com-
pletely commanded and enfiladed the whole range of the
garden. How the Palace itself escaped being knocked to
pieces is wonderful; but I suppose Napoleon must have
given orders to spare it as much as possible. This Palace is
of beautiful structure and in the style of an Italian villa;
statues of the twelve Csesars and bas-reliefs adorn the
exterior. The columns and pilasters are of the Corinthian
order. As for the interior, it is unfurnished, and has been
so since the Seven Years' war, when it was plundered by the
enemy, and has never since been inhabited by the Electoral
family. There is a superb rectangular basin of water in
this garden. These gardens are delightfully laid out; why
they are not more frequented I cannot conceive, but I have
hitherto met with very few people there, tho' they are open
to all the world. They will form my morning's promenade,
for I prefer solitude to a crowd in a morning walk. But one
of the gardeners here tells me that on Sunday evening there
is generally a good deal of company, who come to listen to
the music which is played in a building fitted up for the pur-
pose at one side of the garden. Wine, coffee, beer and other
refreshments are to be had; but beer is the favorite bever-
392
A CLUB AT DRESDEN
age. Smoking is universal among the young men; the most
ardent admirers of the fair sex never forget their pipe.
During the courtship the surest sign that the fair one does
not intend to give her lover the basket is when she presents
him with a bag to hold his tobacco. Her consent is implied
thereby.
During the battle of Dresden, the slaughter in this
garden was immense, and the Allies were finally driven
out of it. The gardener related to me an affecting story of a
young lady of Dresden, whose lover was killed in this
battle and buried in the Grosser Garten. She has taken it so
much to heart that she comes here three or four times in the
week to visit this grave and strew flowers over it. She remains
for some time absorbed in silent meditation and then with-
draws. She has a settled melancholy, but it has not yet
affected her understanding.
DRESDEN, Oct. 15th.
I met with my old friend, Sir W. I., who was travelling to
Berlin, with the idea of passing the winter there and of
proceeding in the summer to Moscow. Thro' the interests
of my friends, Col. D and Baron de F I have been
ballotted for and admitted a member of a club or society
here called the Ressource. It is held in a large house on the
Markt Platz, and is indeed a most agreeable resource to all
foreigners; for 'tis in this society that they are likely to
meet and form acquaintance with the noblesse, principal
bourgeoisie and litterati. It is conducted on the most liberal
scale and not confined to those of birth and fortune. Good
character, polite behaviour and litterary requirements will
ensure admittance to a candidate. This society consists of
members and honorary members; among the honorary
members are foreigners and others whose stay in Dresden
is short; but whoever remains for more than one year must
cease to be an honorary member and must be ballotted for
in order to become a permanent member, and should he be
blackballed he ceases to belong to the society altogether.
This is a very good regulation. A year is a sufficient time of
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t AFTER WATERLOO
proof for the character and conduct of a person, and should
he during this interval prove himself obnoxious to the
members of the society, they can at its expiration exclude
him for ever afterwards.
No enquiry is made as to the character and conduct of a
person who is admitted as an honorary member: it is suf-
ficient that he be recommended by a permanent mem-
ber, which is deemed a sufficient guarantee for his respecta-
bility. In this society there are dining rooms, billiard rooms,
card rooms, a large reading room. Here too is a small but
well chosen library and three or four newspapers in every
European language; all the German newspapers and re-
views and the principal periodical works in the German,
French, English and Italian languages. The English papers
taken in here are the Times, Courier and Chronicle. Of the
French, the Moniteur, Journal des Debats, Constitutional,
Journal du Commerce, Gazette de France and Gazette de
Lausanne, and of the Italian the Gazette di Milano, di
Venezia, di Firenze and di Lugano. Every German news-
paper is, I believe, to be found here. The Society lay in their
stock of wine, which is of the best quality; good cooks and
servants are kept. Dinners go forward from one to three.
You dine a la carte and pay the amount of what you call
for to the waiters. Coffee, liqueurs and all sorts of re-
freshments are likewise to be had. Supper, likewise a la
carte, goes forward between nine and eleven. The evening
before supper may be employed, if you chuse, in cards,
billiards, or reading. Very pleasant and useful acquaint-
ances are made at the Ressource, since if a foreigner renders
himself agreeable to the gentlemen who frequent this
society, they generally propose taking him to their houses
and introducing him to their families. After an introduc-
tion, you may go at any hour of the evening you please :
but morning visits are not much in fashion, since the
toilette is seldom made till after dinner, which is always early
in Germany. There is no getting dinner after three o'clock
in any part of Dresden. Besides the Ressource there are
394
DRESDEN THE ATHENS OF GERMANY
several other Clubs here, such as the Harmonic and others.
The public balls are given at the Hotel de Pologne twice a
week, viz., one for the Noblesse and one for the Bourgeoisie.
None of the female Bourgeoisie are admitted to the balls
and societies of the Noblesse, and only such of the males as
occupy posts or employments at Court or under Govern-
ment such as Konigs-rath, Hof-rath, or officers of the Army.
It is therefore usual, when the Sovereign wishes to intro-
duce a person of merit among the Bourgeoisie into the
upper circles, that he gives him the title of Rath or Coun-
sellor; but this priviledge of being presentable at Court does
not extend to their wives and daughters. All the Military
officers, from whatever class of life they spring, have intro-
duction de jure into the balls and societies of the Noblesse,
and are always in uniform. But when they attend the
balls of the Bourgeoisie, it is the etiquette for them to wear
plain clothes : at the balls of the Bourgeoisie, therefore, not
an uniform is to be seen. I observed by far the prettiest
women at the balls of the Bourgeoisie, and very many are
to be found there who in education and accomplishments
fully equal those of the Noblesse, and this is no small merit,
for the women in Saxony of the higher classes are ex-
tremely well educated; most of them are proficient in music
and are versed in French and Italian litterature. They seem
amiable and goodnatured and by no means minaudieres, as
Lady Mary Wortley Montague has rather unjustly termed
them; for they appear to me to be the most frank, artless
creatures I ever beheld, and to have no sort of minauderie
or coquetterie about them. Beauty is the appanage of the
Saxon women, hence the proverb in rhyme :
Darauf bin ich gcgangen nach Sachsen,
Wo die schonen Madchen auf den Bavimen wachsen.
In English:
Behold me landed now on Saxon ground,
Where lovely damsels on the trees are found.
A taste for litterature is indeed general throughout the
whole nation; and this city is considered as the Athens of
Germany.
895
AFTER WATERLOO
DRESDEN, Nov. 8th.
I have been at the theatre and witnessed the repre-
sentation of a tragedy called Die Schuld, written by Adol-
phus Milliner. It is a most interesting piece, and the novelty
of it has made a striking impression on me. It is written
in the eight-footed trochaic metre, similar to that in which
the Spanish tragedies are written. It hinges on a prophecy
made by a Gipsey, in which the person to whom the pro-
phecy is made, in endeavoring to avert it, hastens its
accomplishment. The piece is full of interest and the versi-
fication harmonious. I have been twice at the Italian opera,
where I saw the Gazza Ladra and 11 Matrimonio secreto. I
came here with the idea of giving myself up entirely to the
study of the German language; but such is the beauty of
the country environing Dresden that, though winter has
commenced I employ the greatest part of the day in long
walks. For instance I have been to Pillnitz, which is on the
right bank of the Elbe about seven miles from Dresden,
ascending the river. The road is on the bank of the river the
whole way. The Palace at Pillnitz is vast and well built.
During a part of the year the Royal family reside there.
Pillnitz will remain " damn'd to everlasting fame " as the
place where the famous treaty was signed, the object of
which was to put down the French Revolution, which Mr
Pitt and the British ministry knew of and sanctioned, tho'
they pretended ignorance of it and professed to have no
desire to interfere with the affairs of France.
Every thing pleases me at Dresden except the beds.
I wish it were the fashion to use blankets and edredons for
the upper covering instead of the lits de plumes; for they
are too heavy and promote rather too intense a perspiration,
and if you become impatient of the heat, and throw them off
you catch an intense cold. You know how partial I am to the
Germans, and can even put up with then- eternal smoking, tho'
no smoker myself, but to then- beds I shall never be reconciled.
A German bed is as follows: a paillasse, over that a mat-
tress, then a featherbed with a sheet fastened to it, and
396
GERMAN INTEGRITY AND SCIENCE
over that again another featherbed with a sheet fastened
to it; and thus you lie between two featherbeds; but these
are not always of sufficient length, and you are often
obliged to coil up your legs or be exposed to have them
frozen by their extending beyond the featherbeds; for the
cold is very great during the winter.
The more I see of the people here, the more I like them.
The national character of the Germans is integrity, tho'
sometimes cloaked under a rough exterior as in Bavaria and
Austria; but here in Saxony it is combined with a suavity of
manners that is very striking, for the Saxons are the Tus-
cans of Germany in point of politeness, and they are far
more accomplished because they take more pains in culti-
vating their minds.
A savant in Italy is a man who writes a volume about a coin,
filled with hypotheses, when, with all his learning forced into
the service, he proves nothing; and this very man is pro-
bably ignorant in the extreme of modern political history,
and that of his own times, and has more pedantry than
taste. Such a man is often however in Italy termed a
Portento, but in Dresden and in most of the capitals of Ger-
many where there are so many of science and deep re-
search, a man must not only be well read in antiquities,
but also well versed in political economy and in analysis
before he can venture to give a work to the public. Latin
quotations, unsupported by reason and philosophical argu-
ment will avail him nothing, for the German is a terrible
Erforscher and wishes to know the what, the how and the
when of every thing; besides an Italian savant is seldom
versed in any other tongue than his own and the Latin,
with perhaps a slight knowledge of French; whereas in Ger-
many it is not only very common to find a knowledge of
French, English, Italian, Latin and Greek united in the
same person, but very many add Hebrew, Arabic and even
Sanscrit to their stock of Philology. As a specimen for
instance of German industry, I have seen, at the club of the
Ressource, odes on the Peace in thirty-six different lan-
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AFTER WATERLOO
guages, and all of them written by native Saxons. This
shows to what an extent philology is cultivated in Ger-
many; indeed, it is quite a passion and a very useful one it
is. I know that many people regard it as a loss of time,
and say that you acquire only new words, and no new
ideas; but I deny this. I maintain that every new language
learned gives you new ideas, as it puts you at once more
au fait of the manners and customs of the people, which can
only be thoroughly learned by reading popular authors in
their original language : for there are several authors of the
merit of whose style it is impossible to form an adequate
idea in a translation, however correct and excellent it be.
Indeed I wonder that the study of the German language is
not more attended to in England, France, and Italy; but
to the English, methinks, it is indispensable. All the cus-
toms and manners of Europe are taken from the German;
all modern Europe bears the Teutonic stamp. We are all the
descendants of the Teutonic hordes who subjugated the
Roman Empire and changed the face of Europe; 'tis they
who have given and laid down the grand and distinguishing
feature between modern Europe and ancient Europe and
Asia : I mean the respect paid to women. To what nation, I
say, is due the chivalrous respect to women which is the
surest sign of civilization, and which was unknown to the
ancient Greeks and Romans, except to the Germans, who
even in their most uncivilized state paid such veneration
to their women as to consult them as oracles on all occa-
sions and to admit them to their councils? Tacitus par-
ticularly mentions this; and speaking of the Germans of his
time, he says, " They have an idea that there is something
divine about a woman."* It is this feeling, handed down to
us from our Teutonic ancestors, that contributes mainly to
make the European so superior to all the Asiatic nations,
where woman still remains a degraded being, and 'tis this
feeling that gives to us the palm above all Greek and
Roman glory. What are the modern European nations, the
* Tacitus, Germania, c, vui. ED.
398
THE DRESDEN THEATRE
English, French, Italians, Switzers, even Spanish and Por-
tuguese, but the descendants of these warlike Teutonic
tribes who swept away the effeminate Romans from the face
of the earth? and do we not see the Teutonic policy and
usages, defective and degenerated as they sometimes are,
the best safeguard of liberty against the insidious interpre-
tation of the Roman law, which is founded on the pretended
superiority of one nation, the inferred inferiority of all the
rest?
With regard to theatricals, I have witnessed the represen-
tation of a tragedy, lately published, called Sappho, by a
young poet of the name of Grillparzer. This tragedy is
strictly on the Greek model. Its versification in iambics is
so beautiful that it is regarded as the triumph of the
Classics over the Romantics; and by this piece Grillparzer
has proved the universality of his genius; for he wrote a
short time ago a dramatic piece in the romantic style and in
the eight rhymed trochaic metre called die Anhfrau (the
ancestress) where supernatural agency is introduced. This
I have read; it is a piece full of interest; still it was thought
too outre by the Classiker. It was supposed that this was the
peculiar style of the author, and that he adopted it from
inability to compose in the classic taste, when behold! by
way of proving the contrary, he has given us a drama
simple in its plot, where all the unities are preserved, and
where the subject one would think was too well known to
produce much interest; he has given, I say, to this piece
(Sappho), from the extreme harmony of its versifica-
tion and the pathos of the sentiments expressed therein,
an effect which I doubt any tragedy of Euripides or Sopho-
cles surpasses. The character of Sappho and her passion for
Phaon; his indifference to her and attachment to the young
Melitta, an attendant and slave of Sappho's, and Sappho
throwing herself into the sea after uniting Phaon and
Melitta, constitute the plot of the drama. But simple
as the plot, and old as the story is, it excites the greatest
interest, and never fails to draw tears from the audience.
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AFTER WATERLOO
What can be more artless and pathetic, for instance, than
these lines of the young |Melitta when she regrets her
expatriation :
Kein Busen schlagt mir hier in diesern Lande,
Und meine Freunden wohnen weit von hier.
In English:
No bosom beats for me in this strange land,
And far from here my friends and parents dwell.
I have no doubt that some of these days Sappho will be
translated into the idiom of modern Greece and acted in
that country. The actress, who did the part of Sappho, gave
it full effect, and the part of the young Melitta was fairly
performed; but I did not approve of the acting of the per-
former who played Phaon. He overstepped the modesty
of nature and the intention of the author; for he was in his
gesture and manner grossly rude and insolent to poor
Sappho, whereas, tho' his love to Melitta was paramount,
he ought to have shown no ordinary struggle in stifling his
gratitude to his benefactress Sappho.
I admire the German word Gebieterinn (mistress). It is
majestic and harmonious, and the only word, in any modern
language that I know of, poetic enough to render aptly the
Greek word AtWotva.
DRESDEN, Deer. 1st.
I have been to visit the famous Gallery of paintings here;
but you must not expect from me a description. I shall send
you a catalogue. It would be endless to describe the various
chefs-d'oeuvre which are contained in this valuable collec-
tion. Dresden has always been considered as the Florence
of Germany and has always been renowned for its Gallery
of paintings; hence the almost innate taste of the Saxons
for the Beaux Arts and the great encouragement given to
them at all times by this Government. It is here and at
Meissen that the best German is thought to be spoken, tho'
Hanover disputes this prerogative with Dresden.
I have been to see the antiquities and curiosities of the
Japanischer Palast (Palace of Japan), as it is called. In this
400
ART AT DRESDEN
Palace is a quantity of ancient armour and the most
superb collection of porcelain I believe in Europe. The collec-
tion of precious stones is also immense; and I never in my
life saw such a profusion of diamonds, emeralds, tur-
quoises, sapphirs, amethysts and topazes. In this Museum
are three statues found in Herculaneum on its first discovery
or excavation, viz., an Athlete, an Esculapius, and a Venus.
Here too, and from this circumstance, the Palace takes its
name, is a collection of Japanese antiquities and ornaments,
lacker work in gold and silver, which is unique in the world.
From the Royal Library, a foreigner, on being recom-
mended, may have at his own house all such books to read
as can be replaced if lost or spoiled; but the manuscripts
and scarce and valuable editions are not permitted to be
taken out of the Library. Any person once admitted on
recommendation may go to read in this Library at stated
hours and may consult any book or manuscript he pleases
on applying to the librarian.
A person fond of music will be in a continual state of
enjoyment at Dresden. Besides the fine music in the Royal
Chapel, the band of the King's Guard is composed of first
rate musicians, who attend regularly at Guard mounting
and play for an hour together. There is also a band of music
every evening during the summer months that plays in the
gardens of the Linkischer Bad. Then there are various other
places of recreation and amusement, at all of which musi-
cians are in attendance; for a Saxon cannot enjoy his repast
or his pipe without music and good music too to facilitate
his digestion. There is a custom in Dresden that on the
occasion of the death of a person the young choristers of
the Cathedral are sent for to sing hymns, standing in a
semi-circle round the door of the house of the defunct. These
choristers are all dressed in black and their style of singing
is melodious, solemn and impressive.
Smoking is so prevalent here and in all parts of Ger-
many that if you wish to denote one of the male sex, smoker
would be quite a synonymous word. Such is the passion
DD 401
AFTER WATERLOO
for this enjoyment that even at the balls the young men,
the moment they have finished the waltz, quit the hands of
their partners and rush into another room in order to
smoke; nor would the beauty of Venus nor the wit of
Minerva be powerful enough to restrain the young German
from giving way to his darling practise. Smoking tobacco
has I think this visible effect, that it serves to calm all
tumultuous passions, and what confirms me in this idea is,
that most young Germans, in commencing life as adults, are
full of enthusiastic and even exaggerated notions of liberty
and equality. They are romantic to a degree that is difficult
to be conceived, and seem to be restrained by no selfish or
worldly ideas. This you would suppose would tend to
render them rather turbulent subjects, under an autocratical
government; but all this Schwdrmerey evaporates literally
in smoke : they take to their pipe, and by degrees the fumes
of tobacco cause all these lofty ideas to dissipate : the pipe
becomes more and more necessary to their existence, and
consoles them for their wrongs real or imaginary; and in
three or four years they sit down contentedly to their several
occupations, as strait-forward, painstaking, plodding men,
quite satisfied to follow the routine chalked out for them,
and either totally forget all ambitious views, or become too
indolent to make any sacrifice to obtain them, and this
virtue comes from tobacco II The German Hippogriff becomes
an Ox, dull and domestic, and treads out the corn placed
before him, content to have his share thereof in peace and
quietness.
The German Governments, which are mild and paternal,
are fully aware of this and allow the utmost liberty of speech ;
well knowing that, thanks to that friend and ally of Legiti-
macy, tobacco, the romantic visionary and somewhat
refractory youth will subside into a tranquil ganz alltdg-
licher Mann and become totally averse to any innovation
which demands the sacrifice of repose.
The pipe which has this sedative effect on political effer-
vescence, has a still stronger similar effect, it is said, on the
402
SAXON GIRLS AND WOMEN
passion of love ; hence the German husbands are proverbially
sluggish. But the ladies, none of whom smoke, preserve
their romanticity during their whole lives, and would, if
they had their choice, give their hands to foreigners, who
are more attentive to them than their own countrymen.
The young ladies here are, 'tis said, extremely romantic
in their ideas of love and capable of the strongest attach-
ment. They think that any thing should be pardoned to
sincere passion. It has been related to me that some time
ago a young man, who was devotedly attached to a girl, on
the father refusing his consent to the marriage, stabbed the
girl and then himself. An immense number of young ladies
attended their funeral, to throw flowers over the grave of
the two lovers. Assuredly the young man was only a novici-
ate in smoking.
Everybody must, I think, admire the Saxon women.
They are in general handsome and have fine shapes; they
are warm hearted and affectionate; and they are almost
universally well educated. Indeed the whole Saxon people
are so amiable that foreigners find themselves so happy
here that they are unwilling to quit the country. Very
many form matrimonial attachments. In short, this people
fully merit the epithet a celebrated English traveller
(Sherlock)* has bestowed on them when he called them a
herrliches Folk. f>
DRESDEN, Jan. 3d, 1819.
I have made an excursion to Meissen which lies on the
same bank of the river with the old town of Dresden at a
distance of twelve miles. As there is no road on the left bank
of the river to Meissen, you must cross the river twice to
arrive at it, viz., once at Neustadt and once at Meissen, the
road being on the right bank. I put up at the Hirsch (Stag),
a very comfortable inn. I went to Meissen with a view of
seeing the Russian contingent pass the Elbe on their return
from France, which has been evacuated in consequence of
* Martin Sherlock (d. 1 797) , author of Lettres d'un voyageur anglais, which
were published in Paris 1779 and, the year after, in London.
DD2 403
AFTER WATERLOO
the arrangement at Aix-la-Chapelle. They appeared a fine
body of men, clothed a la fran$aise and seemed in high
spirits. They seem to have imbibed liberal ideas during
their residence in France, for some of the officers who dined
at the inn at Meissen spoke very freely on passing events.
The return of the Saxon contingent is expected in Dres-
den in a day or two, and there will no doubt be a great deal
of rejoicing among the military and their relations to meet
their old comrades and friends; and potent libations of
Doppel Bier will no doubt be made. Meissen is said to be
famous for the beauty of its women and the few that I saw
in the streets did not contradict this reputation.
DRESDEN, Jany. 5th, 1819.
We have had several balls here. Waltzing is the only sort
of dance in fashion at Dresden, excepting now and then a
Polonaise.
I have witnessed an interesting spectacle in the Grosser
Garten. The pond or basin is completely frozen over, and
a Russian Prince, Gallitzm, who is here, has fitted up^a
sort of Montagues Russes as they are called. Blocks of ice
are placed on an inclined plane to the top of which you
mount by means of a staircase; and then, seating yourself
in a sort of sledge, you slide down the inclined plane with
immense velocity. The Prince often persuades a lady to sit
on this sleigh on his lap and descend together; and this no
doubt serves to break the ice of many an amorous intrigue.
This construction of the Prince Gallitzin has contributed
to fill the Grosser Garten with the beau monde, every day
from twelve to two o'clock; so that you see we are in no
want of amusements at Dresden.
The King frequently attends the theatre; he is a tall,
fine looking man, and is usually dressed in the uniform of his
Foot-Guards, which is scarlet faced with yellow. The poor
King has taken much to heart the injustice with which he
has been treated by the coalition, and no doubt will not
easily forget the ill-bred and insolent letter of Castlereagh
404
THE KING OF SAXONY
to the Congress, wherein he said that the King of Saxony
deserved to lose his dominions for adhering to Napoleon.
But how the King of Saxony could act otherwise I am at a
loss to find: so little could he possibly deserve this treat-
ment for adhering to Napoleon, that had his advice been
taken in the year 1805, the French would never have been
able to extend their conquests so far, nor to dictate laws
to Germany. But Lord Castlereagh seems to have either
never known or wilfully forgotten the anterior political
conduct of Saxony. Had he been more versed in German
affairs, or had studied with more accuracy the events
passing before his eyes, it would have been a check upon his
arrogance ; but here was a genuine disciple of the Pitt school
(that school of ignorance and insolence), who sets himself
up as the moral regenerator of nations and as a distributor
of provinces, while he is grossly ignorant of the political
system of the country on whose destinies he pretends to
decide so peremptorily. Had Castlereagh paid attention to
what was going forward in Germany in 1805, he would have
seen too that of all powers Prussia was the very last who
with any shadow of justice could pretend to an indemnifica-
tion at the expense of Saxony. In the year 1805, the King,
then Elector of Saxony, strongly advised the Prussian
Cabinet to forget its ancient rivalry and jealousy of Austria
and to coalesce with the latter power, in resisting the en-
croachments of Napoleon, in order to prevent the latter
from attempting the overthrow of the whole fabric of the
constitution of the Holy Roman Empire, with the intricacy
and fragility of which no prince in Germany was better
acquainted than the Elector of Saxony. Prussia however
was still reluctant to engage in the contest and gave no
support whatever to Austria. Napoleon defeats the Austrians
at Austerlitz and dictates peace. Six months after the
Prussian Cabinet, excited by a patriotic but rash and ill-
calculating party, has recourse to arms, not from any
generous policy, but because she sees herself outwitted
by Napoleon, who refuses to cede to her Hanover in per-
405
AFTER WATERLOO
petuity. Prussia begins the war and calls on Saxony, who
always moved in her orbit, to join her. To the Elector of
Saxony this war (in 1806) appeared then ill-timed and too
late; but with that good faith, nevertheless, which invariably
characterized him, he remained faithful to his engagement
and furnished his quota of troops to Prussia. The Saxon
troops fought nobly at the battle of Jena. This battle
annihilates all the power of Prussia, and lays Saxony
entirely at the mercy of the Conqueror; but Napoleon not
only treats Saxony with moderation, but with rare
generosity; he does not take from her a single village, but
aggrandizes her and gives to her the Duchy of Warsaw and
to her Sovereign the title of King. Saxony becomes in con-
sequence a member of the confederation of the Rhine and
is bound to support the Protector in all his wars offensive
and defensive. The Russian war in 1812 begins: every
German state, Austria and Prussia in the number, furnishes
its contingent of troops. The campaign is unsuccessful,
the climate of Russia having annihilated the French Army,
and Napoleon returns to Paris. Saxony is now exposed to
invasion and harassed by the incursions of the Cossacks. The
King of Saxony is perplexed in what manner to act, so as to
ensure to his subjects that protection which was ever upper-
most in his thoughts; feeling however with his usual saga-
city that every thing would ultimately depend on the dis-
positions of Austria, he repairs himself to Prague, in order
to have an interview with one of the Austrian ministers, and
to sound that Cabinet. Austria however still vacillates and
declines stating what her intentions are. Napoleon returns
from Paris, defeats the Prussians and Russians at Bautzen
and re-occupies all Saxony. He then writes to the King of
Saxony to desire him to return immediately to his do-
minions and to fulfil his engagements. What was the King
to do? Austria still refusing to declare herself, was he to
sacrifice his crown and dominions uselessly to the vengeance
of Napoleon, to please the Emperor of Russia and King of
Prussia, who for aught he knew might patch up a peace the
406
THE " UNFEELING LETTER " OF CASTLEREAGH
next day? and this was the more probable from their having
been beaten at Bautzen, which circumstance also might
with equal probability induce Austria to coalesce with,
instead of against France. All the other members of the
Confederation of the Rhine remained staunch to Napoleon
and poured their contingents into Saxony; was he to be the
only unfaithful ally and towards a Monarch who had
always treated him with the strongest marks of attachment
and regard? and when neither Russia nor Prussia were likely
to give him the least assistance? He therefore returned to
Dresden; and Napoleon took up his grand position the
whole length of the Elbe, from the mountains of Bohemia to
Hamburgh, thus covering the whole of Saxony with his army.
Austria however at last comes forward to join the coalition.
Fortune changes ; the Saxon troops, tired of beholding their
country the perpetual theatre of war and trusting to the
generosity of the Allies, go over to them in the middle of a
battle, and decide, thereby, the fate of the day at Leipzig. The
King of Saxony is made a prisoner, and then he is punished
for what he could not help. Why was he to be punished
more than any other member of the Confederation of the
Rhine? One would think that the seasonable defection of
his troops at Leipzig should have induced the Allies to treat
him with moderation. The other States of the Confederation
did not abandon Napoleon until after he was completely
beaten at Leipzig; and Austria refused to accede to the
coalition until a carte blanche was given her to help herself
in Italy.
Let every impartial man therefore review the whole
of this proceeding and then say whether the King of Saxony,
so proverbial for his probity, so adored by his subjects,
deserved to be insulted by such an unfeeling letter as that of
Castlereagh. No! the King of Saxony better deserves to
reign than any King of them all. Would they had even a
small share of his virtues! Another proof and a still stronger
one of the great integrity and honor of this excellent Prince,
is, that when Napoleon offered to mediatize in his favor the
407
AFTER WATERLOO
various ducal Houses in Saxony, such as Weimar, Gotha,
Cobourg, etc., and to annex these countries to his dominions,
he declined the offer. Would Prussia, Austria, or Hanover
have been so scrupulous?
The young ladies here, tho' well versed and delighting in
various branches of litterature, cannot overcome that
strong national propensity to tales and romances wherein
the terrific and supernatural abounds ; in all their romances
accordingly this taste prevails strongly; nay, even in some
of the romances, where the scene is laid in later times,
there is some such anachronism as the story of a spectre.
I recollect reading a novel, the scene of which is laid in
Italy about the time of the battle of Marengo, wherein a
ghost is introduced who contributes mainly to the unravel-
ling of the piece. A young lady here of considerable talent
and of general information confessed to me, when I asked
her, what subjects pleased her most in the way of reading,
that nothing gave her so much delight as " Geister-
geschichten." Lewis' romance of " The Monk " is a great
favorite in Germany.* By the bye, his poetical tale of Alonzo
and Imogen is evidently taken from a similar subject in the
V 'olks-mahrchen.
The weather has set in very cold and the Elbe is nearly
frozen over. It is impossible to go out of the house without
a Pelz or cloak lined with fur; for otherwise, on leaving a
room heated by a stove, the effect of the cold is almost
instantaneous and brings on an ague fit. This I attribute to
the excessive heat kept up in the rooms and houses by the
stoves. As smoking is so prevalent here, this contributes
much also to keeping the body in a praeternatural heat and
rendering it still more obnoxious to cold on removal from a
room to the open air. It has been remarked by a medical
author, in the Russian campaign in 1812, that the soldiers
of the southern nations and provinces, viz., Provenaux,
Gascons, Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese, endured the
* Matthew Gregory Lewis, 1775-1818, published Ambrosia or the Monk in
1795. ED.
408
COLD CLIMATE OF SAXONY
cold much better and suffered less from it than the Germans
and Hollanders. The reason is sufficiently obvious: the
former live in the open air even in the middle of winter and
seldom make use of a fire to warm themselves ; whereas the
Germans and Dutch live in an atmosphere of stove-heat
and smoke and seldom like to stir abroad in the open air
during winter, unless necessity obliges them. Hence they
become half-baked, as it were; their nerves are unstrung,
their flesh flabby and they become so chilly, as to suffer
from the smallest exposure to the atmosphere. In the houses
in Germany, on account of the stoves, the cold is never
felt, whereas it is very severely in Italy and Spain where
many of the houses have no fireplaces. On this account I
prefer Germany as a winter residence, for I think there is
no sensation so disagreeable as to feel cold in the house. In
the open air I do not care a fig for it, for my cloak lined with
bearskin protects me amply. The climate here in winter is a
dry cold, which is much more salubrious and agreeable to
me than the changeable, humid climate of Great Britain,
where, though the cold is not so great, it is much more
severely felt.
409
CHAPTER XVIII
MARCH-APRIL 1819
Journey from Dresden to Leipzig The University of Leipzig Liberal
spirit The English disliked in Saxony The English Government hostile
to liberty Journey to Frankfort From Frankfort to Metz and Paris
A. F. Lemaitre Bon voyage to the Allies Return to England.
I LEFT Dresden on the 2nd March, 1819. A Land-
kutsche conveyed me as far as Leipzig in a day and half,
stopping the first night at Oschaly, where there is a good
inn. At Leipzig I put up at the Hotel de Baviere and re-
mained five days. Leipzig is a fine old Gothic city. It is, as
everybody knows, famous for its University and its Fair,
which is held twice a year, in spring and in autumn, and
which is the greatest mart for books perhaps in the world.
The University of Leipzig and indeed all the Universities
of Germany are in bad repute among the Obscuranten and
eteignoirs of the day, on account of the liberal ideas pro-
fessed by the teachers and scholars. In the University of
Leipzig every thing may be learned by those who chuse to
apply, but those who prefer remaining idle may do so, as
there is less compulsion than at the English Universities.
There is however such a national enthusiasm for learning,
in all parts of Germany, that the most careless and ill-dis-
posed youth would never be about to support the ridicule
of his fellow students were he backward in obtaining
prizes, but after all I have heard of the dissipation, law-
lessness, and want of discipline at Leipzig, I can safely
affirm that all these stories are grossly exaggerated: and I
fancy there is little other dissipation going forward than
amours with Stubenmadchen. I do not hear of any drun-
kenness, gaming or horse racing; nor do the professors
themselves, who ought to be the best judges of what
is going on, complain of the insubordination of their pupils.
But what I principally admire in this, and indeed in other
410
THE UNIVERSITY OF LEIPZIG
German Universities, is that there are no distinctions of
rank, such as gold tassels, etc., no servile attention paid to
sprigs of nobility, as in the Universities in England, where
the Heads of Colleges and Fellows are singularly conde-
scending to the son of a Peer, a Minister, or a Bishop. Per-
fect equality prevails in Leipzig and the son of the proudest
Reichsgraj is allowed no more priviledges than the son of a
barber; nor do the professors make the least difference
between them. In fact, in spite of the vulgar belief in
England respecting the hauteur of the German noblesse and
the vassalage of the other classes, I must say, from expe-
rience, that the German nobility show far less hauteur and
have in general more really liberal ideas than most part of
our English aristocracy, and a German burgher or shop-
keeper would disdain to cringe before a nobleman as many
shopkeepers, aye, and even gentry, are sometimes known
to do in England. Another circumstance too proves on how
much more liberal a footing Leipzig and other German
Universities are than our English ones, which is, that in
England none but those who profess the religion of the
Church of England, or conform to its ritual, are admitted;
but here all sects are tolerated and admitted, and all
live in perfect harmony with each other. The students are at
liberty to chuse their place of worship and the sermons
that are preached in the Catholic as well as the Protestant
churches are such as sensible men of whatever opinion
might listen to with profit, and without being shocked by
absurdities or intolerant ideas.
Mysteries, theologic sophistry and politics are care-
fully avoided, and a pure morality, a simple theosophy,
comprehensible to the meanest understanding, pervades
these simple discourses. The consequence of this toleration
and liberal spirit is that an union between the Lutheran and
Calvinistic churches has been effected.
I met a number of mercantile people at the table d'hote at
Leipzig in the Hotel de Baviere, and I entered a good deal
into conversation with them; but when they discovered
411
AFTER WATERLOO
I was an Englishman, I could see a sudden coldness and
restraint in their demeanour, for we are very unpopular in
Germany, owing to the conduct of our Cabinet, and they
have a great distrust of us. The Saxons complain terribly
of our Government for sanctioning the dismemberment of
their country and of the insolent letter of Castlereagh. It is
singular enough that Saxony is the only country where
English goods are allowed to be imported free of duty; but
our great and good ally the King of Prussia (as these goods
must pass thro' his territory) has imposed a tolerably heavy
transit duty. I am glad of it; this is as it should be. I rejoice
at any obstacles that are put to British commerce; I rejoice
when I hear of our merchants suffering and I quite delight
to hear of a bankruptcy. They, the English merchants, con-
tributed with their gold to uphold the corrupt system of Pitt
and to carry on unjust, unreasonable and liberticide
wars. Yes! it is perfectly fit and proper that the despotic
governments they have contributed to restore should make
them feel their gratitude. If the French since their Revolu-
tion have not always fought for liberty, they have done so
invariably for science; and wherever they carried their
victorious arms, abuses were abolished, ameliorations of all
kinds followed, and the arts of life were improved. Our
Government since the accession of George III has never raised
its arm except in favor of old abuses, to uphold despotism
and unfair privileges, or to establish commercial mono-
poly. Our victories so far from being of beneficial effect to
the countries wherein we gained them, have been their
curse. We can interfere and be prodigal of money and blood
to crush any attempt of the continental nations towards
obtaining their liberty; but when it is necessary to inter-
cede in favour of oppressed patriots, then we are told that
we have no right to interfere with the domestic policy of
other nations. We can send ships to protect and carry off
in safety a worthless Royal family, as at Naples in 1799, but
we can view with heartless indifference, and even com-
placency, the murders committed in Spain by the infa-
412
FROM LEIPZIG TO FRANKFORT
mous Ferdinand and his severities against those to whom
he owes his crown, all of whom had the strongest claim to
our protection as having fought with us in the same cause
and contributed to our success.
The Platz at Leipzig is large and here it is that the fair is
held. The theatre is an elegant building and lies just outside
one of the gates of the city. Innumerable shops of booksellers
are here and it is astonishing at how cheap a rate printing
in all languages is carried forward.
There are some pleasant promenades in the environs of
Leipzig; but this is not a time of the year to judge of the
beauty of the country. I went, however, to view the house
occupied by Napoleon on the eve of the battle of Leipzig. A
monument is to be erected to the memory of Poniatowsky
in the spot where he perished.
I started from Leipzig on 7th March at eleven o'clock. I was
five days en route from Leipzig to Frankfort, tho' the dis-
tance does not exceed forty-five German miles. I travelled in
the diligence, but had I known that the arrangements were
so uncomfortable, I should have preferred going in a Land-
kutsche, which would have made the journey in seven
days and afforded me an opportunity of stopping every
night to repose; whereas in the diligence, tho' they go en
poste, they travel exceedingly slow and it is impossible to
persuade the postillion to accelerate his usual pace. He is
far more careful of his horses than of his passengers. This I
however excuse; but it is of the frequent stoppages and
bad arrangement of them that I complain. Instead of
stopping at some town for one whole night or two whole
nights out of the five, they stop almost at every town for
three, four and five hours; so that these short stoppages
do not give you time enough to go to bed and they are
besides generally made in the day time or early in the
morning and evening. We passed thro' the following cities
and places of eminence, viz., Lutzen; the spot where Gus-
tavus Adolphus was killed is close to the road on the left
hand with a plain stone and the initials G.A. inscribed on it.
413
AFTER WATERLOO
Weimar is a very neat city and where I should like much to
have staid; but I had only time to view the outside of the
Palace and the Stadihaus. Erfurt and Gotha are both fine
looking cities. In Gotha I had only time to see the outside of
the ResidenzSchloss or Ducal Palace, which is agreeably situ-
ated on an eminence, and to remark in the Neumarkt Kirche
the portrait of Duke Bernard of Saxe Weimar and the
monuments of the princes of that family. At Erfurt there is
the tomb of a Count Gleichen who was made prisoner in
the Holy Land, in the time of the Crusades, and was
released by a Mahometan Princess on condition of his
espousing her. The Count was already married in Germany
and there he had left his wife; but such was his gratitude to
the fair Musulmane, that he married her with the full con-
sent of his German wife and they all three lived happily
together. Fulda, where we stopped four hours, appears a
fine city, and is situated on an eminence commanding a
noble view of a very fertile and extensive plain. The Episco-
pal Palace and the churches are magnificent, and the
general appearance of the town is striking. The Bishopric
of Fulda was formerly an independent ecclesiastical state,
but was secularised at the treaty of Luneville and now
forms part of the territory of Hesse-Cassel.
The Feld-zeichen of Hesse-Cassel is green and red. After
passing thro' Hanau, where we halted three hours, which
gave me an opportunity of viewing the field of battle there,
we proceeded to Frankfort and arrived there at twelve
o'clock the 12th of March. I put up at the Swan inn. In
summer time the country about Fulda and in general be-
tween Fulda and Frankfort must be very pleasing from the
variety of the features of the ground. We lived very well and
very cheap on the road. The price of the diligence from
Leipzig to Frankfort was eleven Reichsthaler.
After remaining three days to repose at Frankfort I took
my place to Mayence and from thence to Metz and Paris.
In the diligence from Mayence and indeed all the way to
Paris I found a very amusing society. There were two
414
RETURN TO PARIS AND TO ENGLAND
physicians and M. Lfemaitre], a most entertaining man and
of inexhaustible colloquial talent; for, except when he
slept, he never ceased to talk. His conversation was however
always interesting and entertaining, for he had figured in
the early part of the French Revolution and was well known
in the political and litterary world as the editor of a famous
journal called Le Bonhomme Richard.*
Metz is a large, well built and strongly fortified city.
Verdun, thro' which we passed, became quite an English
colony during the war from the number of detenus of that
nation who were compelled to reside there. At Epernay we
drank a few bottles of Champagne and a toast was given
by one of the company, which met with general applause.
It was Bon voyage to the Allies who have now finally
evacuated France to the great joy of the whole nation,
except of the towns where they were cantoned, where they
contributed much towards enriching the shopkeepers and
inhabitants.
I remained in Paris six days and then proceeded to
England.
* Le bonhomtne Richard aux bonnes gens was not a " famous journal," as
only two numbers appeared in 1790 (M. Tourneux, Bibliographic de I'histoire
de Paris pendant la Revolution, vol. II, p. 585, n. 10, 511). The publisher,
Antoine-Fran^ois Lemaltre, whom Major Frye mentions in this passage,
was the author of some other revolutionary pamphlets, e.g., Lettres bougre-
ment patriotiques, etc. ED.
415
ACHERON, Lake, 266.
Adam, Major-General, commands
Light Brigade of General Sir H.
Clinton's division, 17.
Aix-la-Chapelle: Hotel-de-Ville
Cathedral, 33 relics of Charle-
magne Napoleon's benefactions
overbearing demeanour of Prus-
sian soldiers, 34 Faro bank in-
teresting Tyrolese girl baths, 36.
Albano : Villa Doria ancient monu-
ment, 243.
Albany, Countess of : her claim to be
the legitimate Queen of England
Alfieri's attachment to, 197.
Alexandria: Austrian Government
destroys fortifications of, 178.
Alfieri: compared with Shakespeare,
Schiller, and Voltaire, 174 monu-
ment erected to, by Canova his
sonnet to Countess of Albany,
197.
Alsace-Lorraine: severance of, from
France anticipated by Prussian
officers, 47.
Andernach: ruins of palace of
Kings of Austrasia church con-
taining embalmed body of Empe-
ror Valentinian crossingof Rhine
by Julius Caesar at, 45.
Angouleme, Duchesse d': tempera-
ment and religious fanaticism of,
20.
Antwerp: English families fly from
Brussels to, 25.
Archenholz: historian of the Seven
Years' War, 68.
Army of the Loire: exemplary con-
duel of, when disbanded, 100.
Arona: colossal statue of St Charles
Borromseus at, 120.
Austria: fluctuations in the value of
the paper currency of, 366, 372
Napoleon's policy as regarded, 23.
Avernus, Lake, 265.
BACIOCCHI, Princess Elise: sister of
Napoleon and Sovereign of Lucca,
277-
Baffo, Venetian poet, 212.
Bau-u: baths of Nero ruins of tem-
plesthe Styx Elysian Fields,
266.
Belgium: dislike to severance from
France feeling towards Holland
attachment to Napoleon pre-
parations for the Campaign, 7 all
inhabitants requisioned for the
repair of fortifications, 16.
Berlin : occupation of, after Jena
excellent conduct of French troops
of occupation excesses committed
by troops of Rhenish Confedera-
tion insolent conduct of troops
raised by Prince of Isenburg, 22
art treasures of, respected by
French Republican Armies, 70
Unterden Linden, 384, 387 Bran-
denburger Thor public buildings
streets, 385 statues of great
men intheWilhelm Platz churches
the officers of the Army anec-
dote of Blucher, 386.
Bern: attempts in 1815 to regain pos-
session of the Canton de Vaud,
135-
Bigottini : fine performance at the
Grand Opera, Paris, 71.
Bingen: Mausethurm Bishop Hat-
to, 50.
Blacas, Vicomte de: at Court of
Louis XVIII at Ghent, 5.
Blucher: popularity of, in London, 8
encourages the excesses of his
soldiery nicknames of, 13 nar-
rowly escapes capture at Ligny,
24 saves English at Hougoumont,
26 anecdote related of, 76.
Bohemia: dialect of, 379.
Bologna: arcades, 184 remarkable
picture in gallery'of Count Mare-
scalchi, 185 leaning tower, 186
lady-professor of Greek Carbo-
nari, 187 theatre women, 188
barbarous dialect, 190.
Bonn: Electoral palace Roman an-
tiquity, 42 legends of the Sieben
Gebirge Das Heimliche Gericht,
43-
Bordas, M., politics of, 157.
417
INDEX
Borgo San Donino, remarkable high-
way robbery at, 180.
Borromean Islands, splendid villa
in Isola Bella, 132.
Bourbons, the: want of patriotism of
the Due de Berri, 20 their inju-
dicious conduct, 2,21 Louis XVI 1 1
and Monsieur at Ghent amusing
nickname of Louis XVIII, 5 dis-
like of the French people to, 21
their atrocious policy send emis-
saries to South of France from
Coblentz, 48 unpopularity of, 97
fulsome adulation of, 160 cause
removal of Sismondi from Geneva,
275 character of royal families of
France, Spain, and Naples, 276.
Brussels : description of historical
associations, 10 Place du Sablon,
celebrated fountain, n theatres,
12 humanity of inhabitants of, to
the wounded after Waterloo, 28.
CAFFARELLI, Statue of, in Palais du
Luxembourg, 78.
Canova, works of, in St Peter's, 224
master-pieces in his atelier in
Rome, 239 character of his
genius, 322.
Capellen, Baron de, proclamation of,
to the inhabitants of Brussels, 25.
Capua, thievishness of lower classes
of, 247.
Carbonari, degrees and initiation,
310; object meaning of name, 31 1.
Castlereagh, Lord: insolent letter
of, respecting Kingof Saxony, 404.
Catalani: singing of, 139.
Ceylon: Frye's travels in, 274.
Ohalon: affection felt for Napoleon
in, 98 Austrian officers in, 102.
Charleroy: defeat of Prussian army
at, 25.
Chateaubriand : at the Court of
Louis XVIII at Ghent, 5.
Chatham, Earl of: indignation of, at
employment of Indians in the War
of Independence, 68.
Clermont: Peter the Hermit preaches
First Crusade in, 291 petrifying
well, 292 Swiss regiment anony-
mous denunciations, 293 method
of cleansing town, 294.
Coblentz: monument to Marceau,
47 Bourbon intrigues with Jaco-
bins and Brissotins, 48.
418
Code Napoleon: simplicity and ad-
vantages of, as compared with
English criminal law, 153.
Cologne: Cathedral the three kings
the eleven thousand virgins
etymology of the name Jean-
Marie Farina, 40.
Cremona: Gothic buildings Cam-
panile of Cathedral, 350.
Consalvi, Cardinal: character and
abilities of, 321.
Campagna: limbs of quartered male-
factors hung up on roadsides, 211
armed peasants the malaria,
271.
DAVID: pictures by, in Palais du
Luxembourg, 78.
De 1'Ep^e, Abbe": founder of the
Institution of the Sourds-Muets,
149.
Dessaix: Statue of, in Palais du
Luxembourg, 78.
De Watteville: disbands his army,
135-
Delille, Abbe, his poetry, 91.
De Boigne, General: his great ser-
vices to Scindiah, 162 unjustly
accused of treachery towards Tip-
poo Saib, 163.
Didier: handed over by the Sardinian
Government to the French, 167
his execution at Grenoble, 151.
Dijon: the town manufactories of,
9 8 '. .
Dionigi, Mme: literary and artistic
attainments of, 312.
D'Orfei, Mme: 312.
Dresden: The Japanischer Palast,
400 music in, 401 Prince Gal-
litzin the King, 404 bridge over
the Elbe Marshal Davoust, 390
Grosser Garten, 392, 404 Res-
source Club, 393 etiquette title
of "Rath," 395 theatres beds,
396 scholars, 397.
Duchesnois, Mile: fine acYmg of, 88,
89.
EGYPT: striking testimony to the
good done by the French in, 131.
Ehrenbreitstein: flying bridge
great natural strength, 46 beauty
of women of, 52.
Ellis, Col. Sir H. : perishes at Water-
loo, 27.
INDEX
Emigres, the: incorrigibility of, 79
ingratitude to Napoleon, 101
their foolish expectations, 141
efforts to cause restoration of lands
formerly theirs, 152.
Ens: whirlpool the Waternixie,
368.
Erfurt: legend of Count Gleichen,
414.
Espinassy, General: republican prin-
ciples of, 157.
Eton : principles instilled into boys at,
81.
Eustace, Mr: examples of his
credulity and bigotry, 130, 131,
35'-
FERRARA: Hugo and Parisina the
Po relics of Ariosto, 337 MSS
of Ariosto, Tasso, Guarini Hos-
pital of St Anna, 338.
Firmin: acting of, 89.
Fleurus: Prussian army defeated at,
25-
Florence: the Duomo Battisterio
il Sasso di Dante theatres, 199
public buildings statues, 192
Gallery Venus de Medici paint-
ings and sculpture, 193 portraits
of sovereigns Roman antiquities
remarkable imitations in wax of
human anatomy, 194 Ponte Vec-
chio street paving thickness of
walls of houses Palazzo Pitti
Canova's Venus Boboli Gardens,
195 Cascino beauty of the wo-
men Pegasus Italian fondness
for gaudy colours Canova's mo-
nument to Alfieri, 197 Church of
Santa Croce the Florentine West-
minster Abbey, 198 academies
La Crusca English travellers,
203 Lord Dillon story illustra-
ting Florentine life, 280.
Fouch<: complains of the conduct of
the Allies, 97.
Frankfort: Venus Vulgivaga Jews
cathedral inauguration of Ro-
man Caesars in the Romer the
Golden Bull portraits of the Em-
perors, 54 theatre adaptation of
German language to music, 55
political opinion in dislike to
Austria, 56.
French Revolution: worst excesses
of, surpassed, 66, 67, 70.
GALILEO: monument erected to, in
church of Santa Croce, 198.
Gauthier, M.: exiled to Lausanne,
157-
Geneva: scenery Fort de 1'Ecluse
arcades J. J. Rousseau Calvin
Servetus, 107 sentiments of Gene-
vese towards Napoleon and the
Revolution, 108 literary aptitude
of Genevese attachment to their
country the women, 109 French
refugees refused an asylum in, 112
admitted into Helvetic Confede-
ration, 135.
Genoa: the women of, 332 peculi-
arities of the streets ducal palace,
333 Columbus, 334 bridge of
Carignano churches, 335.
Georges, Mile: fine afting of, 87, 88
her rendering of "Agrippina,"' 90
plays the part of "Clytemnestra,"
supported by her sister as "Iphi-
g^nie,'' 92.
Ghent: Court of Louis XVIII at, 4.
Girolamo, Signer: anecdote of, 129,
305-
Godesberg:interestingruinsnear,42.
Granet: remarkable pictures by, 322.
Grassini: singing of, 139.
Grillparzer, author of the tragedy
"Sappho, "399.
Grotto of Pausilippo: 263.
Grotto del Cane: 264.
Guerin: pictures by, in Palais du
Luxembourg, 78.
Guillotine, the, 154.
HELVETIC Confederation: guaran-
teed by the Allied Powers in 1814
Geneva admitted into, 135.
Herculaneum, 252.
Hockheim: Rhenish wines, 52.
Holland: feeling towards the House
of Orange regret at loss of Cape
of Good Hope and Ceylon, 7.
Hougoumont: Bulow and Blucher
march to the assistance of the
English at, 26 devastation of,
27> 83.
Hulin, General: cashiers a Prussian
officer in the French service, 22.
INDIA: Frye's travels in, 274.
Innspruck: the Hofkirche statues
of kings and princes connected
with Maximilian I, 358.
419
INDEX
KLBER: statue of, in Palais du
Luxembourg 1 , 78.
Klingmann, Philipp: plot of his
tragedy " Faust," 35.
LABDOYERE: execution of, 79.
Lacoste: adts as Napoleon's guide
at Waterloo, 83.
Lafayette: rebukes British Commis-
sioner at the Conference, 53.
Lafond: acting- of, 89, 92.
Lafontaine, Augustus: comparison
of works of, with the " Nouvelle
Heloise " of Rousseau, 44.
La Harpe, General: influences Em-
peror of Russia in favour of the
Vaudois, 137.
Lamarque: sent by the Convention
to arrest Dumouriez delivered
over to the Austrians votes for
Napoleon, 156.
Landshut: Church of St Martin at,
3 6 4-
Language: influence of, upon the
poetry and plays of Italy, France,
England and Germany, 90.
Lausanne: steep ascents beauty of
environs, 137 Republican princi-
ples of, 138 intolerant discourse
of minister, 159.
Leipzig: Saxon troops go over to the
Allies during the battle of, 407
the University, 410 unpopularity
of the English in, 412.
Leghorn: Hebrew families in- Don
Felipe III Smollett's tomb, 279.
Li^ge: situation of coal-pits near
commerce with Holland fortifica-
tions destroyed by Joseph II, 31.
Linz: beauty of the women curious
incident learned innkeepers, 367.
Lodi: interesting model in the H6tel
des Invalides of battle, of, 78.
Louvre: works of art in, 66 strip-
ping of, by the Allies, 79, 140.
Lucca: female servants the amo-
roso Dante's mountain, 277.
Lyons: buildings scenery feelings
towards Napoleon character of
inhabitants manufactures, 106.
MAASTRICHT: situation Montagne
de St Pierre, 32.
Machiavelli: entombed in church of
Santa Croce, 198.
Macon: quai wi-ne grisettes, 103.
420
Maffei: his "Polyphonte" compared
with that of Voltaire, 89, 90.
Maitland, Captain: Napolean sur-
renders to, 56.
Mantua: situation Cathedral mo-
numents of the Gonzagas the T
palace and gardens, 349.
Marengo: the battle of Commemo-
ration column thrown down, 177.
Maria Louisa : ordered to quit papal
territory, 183 enthusiastic recep-
tion of, at Bologna, 187 vicYim of
a strange theft, 378.
Mars, Mile: graceful adting of, 92.
Massieu: pupil of the Abb Sicard,
140.
Mayence: Cathedral Citadel, 51
Michel Angelo: anecdote of, 224.
Milan : Teatro della Scala, 121 the
Duomo, 122 the women of, 124
dialect the Zecca, 125 palace
Ambrosian Library hospital
Teatro Olimpico, 126 Porta del
Sempione, 127 Italian comedy
and audiences Teatro Girolamo,
128 Milanese twang, 190 ballet,
351 acting of La Pallerini, 352.
Mitten wald: great raft interesting
journey, 360.
Molk: tradition of the Devil's Wall
ruins of Castle of Dierenstein
Richard Cceur de Lion, 368.
MontCenis:description of the Chaus-
see, 167.
Mont St. Jean: dreadful sight on
plateau of, 27.
Montefiascone: story of the Vino
efs(, 209.
Morice, Colonel: death at Waterloo,
27;
Munich: the King national theatre,
362 social life in female head-
dress, 363.
Murat: Italian opinion of, 187.
NAMUR: situation of Citadel demo-
lished by Joseph II complaints
against Prussian soldiery, 14.
Napoleon: takes tribute of works of
art from vanquished Governments,
65 calumniated by the emigres,
130 unjust aspersions on, 131
narrow escape from capture con-
fident of success before Waterloo,
28 constructs Chauss^e of Mont
Cenis, 167.
INDEX
Naples: life of a man of fashion in,
250 Etruscan vases and papyri
in museum, 251 theatres
Pulcinello, 267 social advan-
tages, 269 lazzaroni dialect,
308 effect of general ignorance,
308.
Nelson, Lord: conduct towards Car-
accioli, 69.
Neuwied: University of, 45.
Ney, Marshal: Wellington and Em-
peror of Russia refuse to interfere
in favour of, 140.
PADUA: University Church of St
Anthony, 345 Palazzo della Giu-
stizia tomb of Livy, 346.
Paris: Louis XVIII in, 59 Kotzebue
on the Palais Royal, 60 Cafe"
Montausier, 61 the Louvre, 63
statues and paintings collected by
the French Government, 64 pro-
ductions at the Grand Opera, 71
Column of the Place Vend6me t 74
Gardens of the Tuileries, 73
Chamber of Deputies, 74 the
Znvalides, 76 models of the for-
tresses of France, 77 Picture
Gallery of the Palais du Luxem-
bourg, 78 frequency of quarrels
between French and Prussian
officers in the Palais Royal, 79
behaviour of English officers in,
81 masterpieces performed in the
Theatre Franfais, 94, 95 Ney
shot in the Gardens of the Luxem-
bourg, 142.
Parma: " L'Amfiteatro Farnese,"
182 paintings birthplace of
Cassius, 183.
Passau: junction of the Danube,
Inn and Illst, 365.
Perugia, 330.
Pescia, 273 advantages of living
n, 275.
Picton, Lieut-Genl Sir T.: perishes
at Waterloo, 27.
Piedmont: character of the lower
classes of, 175.
Pillnitz: the palace Treaty of,
396.
Pisa, 277.
Pitt: credited with the invention of
the sinking fund, 165.
Pius VII: character and virtues of,
321-
Pompeii: amphitheatre, 253 houses
Temple of Isis Praetorium, 255
antiquities removed to Museum
of Portici, 262.
Pontine Marshes, 244.
Prague: situation bridge over the
Mulda remarkable statue, 380
Jews palaces of the Wallensteins
and Colloredos St John Nepomu-
cene Joseph II's ingenious me-
thod of extorting money from the
Jews, 381 Catalan!, 382 story of
the Duchess Libussa, 383.
RAFAELLI: mosaic work of, 130.
Rho: ancient tree, 121.
Rome: censorship of books at the
Dogana, 212 Coliseum, 214
Arch of Constantine, 216 Via
Sacra excavations, 218 Tar-
peian Rock, 219 Capitol, 220
St Peter's anecdote of Michel
Angelo, 224 statue of St Peter,
225 masterpieces of sculpture in
Capitoline Museum, 230 Tran-
steverini, 231 effedtof the settling
of foreign artists in, 232 Santa
Maria Maggiore, 233 Church of
St John Lateran, 233, 234 Egyp-
tian obelisk La Scala Santa,
235 Quirinal, 236 fountains,
237 Column of Trajan baths of
Diocletian, 238 theatres, 241
masterpieces of art in the Vatican
Museum, 227 statue of Jupiter
Capitolinus stanze di Rafaello,
229 Appian Road, 244 social
life in the Avvocati, 315 Papal
Government post office defalca-
tions, 316 the Carnival, 317
races in the Corso masquerades,
318 Sovereigns and persons of
distinction living in Rome in 1818,
319,320 Easter in Swiss Guard
Noble Guard, 324 papal bene-
diction, 325 illumination of St
Peter's fireworks from Castle of
St Angelo, 326 the brigand Bar-
bone his wife, 327.
SAVOY: character of inhabitants of,
114.
Schonbrunn: anecdote of Napoleon's
son, 375.
Schuyler, General: his reproof of
General Burgoyne, 69.
421
INDEX
Scindiah: career of, 162.
Sgricci, Signer: his genius for im-
provisation, 314.
Sicard, Abbe": director of the Insti-
tution of the Sourds-Muets, 149
eulogises Sir Sidney Smith, 150.
Sienna: cathedral, 205 Piccolomini
monument dialect, 206.
Simplon: road over the Chausse'e
maisons de refuge, 117.
Sismondi, 274 the historian ban-
ished from Geneva, 275.
Smith, LuciusF.: friendof De Boigne,
163.
Smith, Sir Sidney: his eulogy of the
Abb Sicard, 150.
Spoleto: ruins of ancient buildings,
3 2 9-
St Cloud: favourite residence of Na-
poleon, 75.
St Eustatius: pillaged by Admiral
Rodney, 68.
St Germain: dep&t for articles
plundered by Prussian officers,
80.
St Helena: injustice of Napoleon's
banishment to, 57.
Stewart, Lord: conduct of, at Con-
ference of French Commissioners
with the Allies, 53.
TADDEI, Rosa: her talent for impro-
visation, 312.
Talma, his acting at the Thefitre
Franfais, 86, 90.
Thorwaldsen : character of his genius,
322.
Tivoli: the Villa d'Este, 269 Adrian's
Villa, 270.
Tolz: remarkable groups of figures
in wood, representing history of
Christ, 360.
Tournay, 17 citadel of, 18.
TreVoux: scenery on the road be-
tween Macon and hotel-keeper's
beautiful daughter, 104.
Turin: Chapelle du Saint Suaire, 170
remarkable works of art in the
King of Sardinia, 171.
Tuscany: contrast with papal do-
minions, 189 pronunciation pea-
santry, 190 fondness of Tuscan
women for dress, 191 feeling to-
wards Napoleon in character of
the people house of Americo Ves-
pucci, 202.
422
Tyrol, the: general description of
dress of the peasant women, 356.
VALAIS: cretins of, 116.
Vaud, Canton de: character of in-
habitants of gratitude to France
democratic spirit La Harpe, 1 33
defends its independence, 136
hatred of French Royalists to,
158.
Velino: remarkable cascade, 328.
Venice: Canale Grande Rialto
palaces of great families, 340 the
Merceria water-fete,34i Piazza.
di San Marco Church of St Mark,
342 Campanile variety of cos-
tumes in, 343 dialect social life
in, 343 Doge's palace theatres,
344 gondolas, 345.
Verbruggen, H. : work of, in church
of St Gudule, Brussels, n.
Verona: amphitheatre, 347 Palladio
Scala family social advantages
in, 348.
Versailles: magnificence of, 82.
" Vertraute Briefe" the, 22.
Vesuvius: eruptions 258 lava, 261,
309-
Vicenza, 346.
Vienna: Art treasures of, respected
by French Republican armies, 70
great raft, 364 streets Cathe-
dral, 370 Hofburg Congress of,
371 Wechvelbank, 373 Belve-
dere Palace Prater, 374 thea-
tres, 376.
Visconte, Galeazzo: builds church of
the Certosa, 350.
Volnais, Mile: Acting of, 92.
Voltaire: hisplay, "MeYope/'Sg his
benefactions to Ferney, no relics
of portraits of contemporaries in
his chateau, in.
WALKER, Adam: his lectures to
Etonians stopped, 81.
Wardle, Col. : republican principles
of, 147 anonymous denunciation
of, 294.
Waterloo: French officer's remarks
on, 174.
Wellington: his confidence in the
result of the campaign, 7 gallan-
try of, 12 checks frequency of
corporal punishment in the army
INDEX
Wilson, Maj.-Genl: accompanies YORK, Duke of: opposes frequent
Frye on a tour through the theatre corporal punishment in the Army,
of War, 2. 17.
Wilson, Sir R. : his charges against
Napoleon, 147. ZEDERA, Chevalier: political dispute
Wirion: removed from office by with Genevese, 112 his journey
Napolean, 101. with Frye to Italy, 113 his part-
ing with Frye, 120.
423
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