Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches

Paris and the Parisians in 1835 (Vol. 1)

Alarm created by the Trial of the Lyons Prisoners.--Visits from a Republican and from a Doctrinaire: reassured by the promises of safety and protection received from the latter. 41

Chapters

1. LETTER I.

2. LETTER II.

3. LETTER III.

4. LETTER IV.

5. LETTER V.

6. LETTER VI.

7. LETTER VII.

Alarm created by the Trial of the Lyons Prisoners.--Visits from a Republican and from a Doctrinaire: reassured by the promises of safety and protection received from the latter. 41

8. LETTER VIII.

9. LETTER IX.

10. LETTER X.

11. LETTER XI.

12. LETTER XII.

13. LETTER XIV.

14. LETTER XV.

15. LETTER XVI.

16. LETTER XVII.

Political chances.--Visit from a Republican.--His high spirits at the prospects before him.--His advice to me respecting my name.--Removal of the Prisoners from Ste. Pélagie.--R...

17. LETTER XVIII.

First Day of the Trials.--Much blustering, but no riot.--All alarm subsided.--Proposal for inviting Lord B----m to plead at the Trial.--Society.--Charm of idle conversation. --T...

18. LETTER XXI.

19. LETTER XXII.

20. LETTER XXIV.

21. LETTER XXV.

22. LETTER XXVI.

23. LETTER XXVII.

24. LETTER XXVIII.

25. LETTER XXIX.

Sunday in Paris.--Family Groups.--Popular Enjoyment. --Polytechnic Students.--Their resemblance to the figure of Napoleon.--Enduring attachment to the Emperor. --Conservative sp...

26. LETTER XXX.

Madame Récamier.--Her Morning Parties.--Gérard's Picture of Corinne.--Miniature of Madame de Staël.--M. de Châteaubriand.--Conversation on the degree in which the French Languag...

27. LETTER XXXI.

28. LETTER XXXII.

29. LETTER XXXIII.

30. LETTER XXXIV.

Riot at the Porte St. Martin.--Prevented by a shower of Rain.--The Mob in fine weather.--How to stop Emeutes. --Army of Italy.--Théâtre Français.--Mademoiselle Mars in Henriette...

31. LETTER XXXV.

Soirée dansante.--Young Ladies.--Old Ladies.--Anecdote.--The Consolations of Chaperones.--Flirtations.--Discussion upon the variations between young Married Women in France and...

32. LETTER XXXVI.

Improvements of Paris.--Introduction of Carpets and Trottoirs.--Maisonnettes.--Not likely to answer in Paris. --The necessity of a Porter and Porter's Lodge.--Comparative Expens...

33. LETTER XXXVII.

34. LETTER XXXVIII.

Opéra Comique.--"Cheval de Bronze."--"La Marquise." --Impossibility of playing Tragedy.--Mrs. Siddons's Readings.--Mademoiselle Mars has equal power.--_Laisser aller_ of the Fem...

35. LETTER XL.

36. LETTER XLI.

M. Dupré.--His Drawings in Greece.--L'Eglise des Carmes.--M. Vinchon's Picture of the National Convention. --Léopold Robert's Fishermen.--Reported cause of his Suicide.--Roman C...

37. LETTER XLII.

38. LETTER I.

In visiting Paris it certainly was my intention to describe in print what I saw and heard there; and to do this as faithfully as possible, I proposed to continue my old habit of...

39. LETTER II.

It may be doubtful, perhaps, whether the present period[1] be more favourable or unfavourable for the arrival of English travellers at Paris. The sort of interregnum which has t...

40. LETTER III.

I suppose that, among all people and at all times, a certain portion of what we call slang will insinuate itself into familiar colloquial intercourse, and sometimes even dare to...

41. LETTER IV.

It was not without some expectation of having "Guilty of rococoism" recorded against me, that I avowed, very soon after my arrival, the ardent desire I felt of turning my eyes f...

42. LETTER V.

I have been so little careful about dates and seasons, as totally to have forgotten, or rather neglected to learn, that the period of our arriving at Paris was that of the Exhib...

43. LETTER VI.

Much as I love the sights of Paris,--including as we must under this term all that is great and enduring, as well as all that is for ever changing and for ever new,--I am more e...

44. LETTER VII.

We have really had something very like a panic amongst us, from the rumours in circulation respecting this terrible trial, which is now rapidly approaching. Many people think th...

45. LETTER VIII.

There is one novelty, and to me a very agreeable one, which I have remarked since my return to this volatile France: this is the fashion and consideration which now attend the e...

46. LETTER IX.

Among many proofs of attentive kindness which I have received from my Paris friends, their care to furnish me with a variety of modern publications is not the least agreeable.

47. LETTER X.

I dare say you may know, my friend, though I did not, that the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of Passion-week are yearly set apart by the Parisians for a splendid promenade in...

48. LETTER XI.

As a great and especial favour, we have been taken to see the new chamber that has been erected at the Luxembourg for the trial of the political prisoners. The appearance of the...

49. LETTER XII.

It was long ago decided in a committee of the whole house, that on Easter-Sunday we should attend high mass at Notre Dame. I shall not soon forget the spectacle that greeted us...

50. LETTER XIII.

As a distinguished specimen of fashionable horror, I went last night to the Porte St. Martin to see "The Monomane," a drama in five acts, from the pen of a M. Duveyrier. I hardl...

51. LETTER XIV.

Is there anything in the world that can be fairly said to resemble the Gardens of the Tuileries? I should think not. It is a whole made up of so many strongly-marked and peculia...

52. LETTER XV.

My last letter was of the Tuileries Gardens; a theme which furnished me so many subjects of admiration, that I think, if only for the sake of variety, I will let the smelfungus...

53. LETTER XVI.

For several days past we have been watching the preparations for the King's fête, which though not quite equal to those in the days of the Emperor, when all the fountains in Par...

54. LETTER XVII.

Political chances.--Visit from a Republican.--His high spirits at the prospects before him.--His advice to me respecting my name.--Removal of the Prisoners from Ste. Pélagie.--R...

55. LETTER XVIII.

First Day of the Trials.--Much blustering, but no riot.--All alarm subsided.--Proposal for inviting Lord B----m to plead at the Trial.--Society.--Charm of idle conversation.--Th...

56. LETTER XIX.

I have again been listening to some curious details respecting the present state of literature in France. I think I have before stated to you, that I have uniformly heard the wh...

57. LETTER XX.

The Château de Versailles, that marvellous _chef-d'oeuvre_ of the splendid taste and unbounded extravagance of Louis le Grand, is shut up, and has been so for the last eighteen...

58. LETTER XXI.

I have had a curious conversation this morning with an old gentleman whom I believed to be a thorough legitimate, but who turns out, as you will see, something else--I hardly kn...

59. LETTER XXII.

Often as I have visited the enclosure of Père Lachaise, it was with feelings of renewed curiosity and interest that I yesterday accompanied thither those of my party who had not...

60. LETTER XXIII.

Last night we passed our _soirée_ at the house of a lady who had been introduced to me with this recommendation:--"You will be certain of meeting at Madame de V----'s many REMAR...

61. LETTER XXIV.

Ever since the trials at the Luxembourg commenced, we have intended to make an excursion thither, in order to look at the encampment in the garden, at the military array around...

62. LETTER XXV.

Of all the edifices finished in Paris since my last visit, there is not one which altogether pleases me better than the little "Chapelle Expiatoire" erected in memory of Louis t...

63. LETTER XXVI.

There is nothing perhaps which marks the national variety of manners between the French and the English more distinctly than the different estimate they form of what is delicate...

64. LETTER XXVII.

It would be a pleasure to me to give you the names of many persons with whom I have become acquainted in Paris, and I should like to describe exactly the _salons_ in which I met...

65. LETTER XXVIII.

Though among the new publications sent to me for perusal I have found much to fatigue and disgust me, as must indeed be inevitable for any one accustomed for some scores of year...

66. LETTER XXIX.

Sunday in Paris.--Family Groups.--Popular Enjoyment.--Polytechnic Students.--Their resemblance to the figure of Napoleon.--Enduring attachment to the Emperor.--Conservative spir...

67. LETTER XXX.

Madame Récamier.--Her Morning Parties.--Gérard's Picture of Corinne.--Miniature of Madame de Staël.--M. de Châteaubriand.--Conversation on the degree in which the French Languag...

68. LETTER XXXI.

We are just returned from an exhibition at the Louvre; and a very splendid exhibition it is--though, alas! but a poor consolation for the hidden treasures of the picture-gallery...

69. LETTER XXXII.

Among the multitude of friendly injunctions to see this, and to hear that, which have produced me so much agreeable occupation, I have more than once been very earnestly recomme...

70. LETTER XXXIII.

You will think perhaps that I have chosen oddly the object which has induced me to make an excursion out of town, and obliged me to give up nearly an entire day at Paris, when I...

71. LETTER XXXIV.

Riot at the Porte St. Martin.--Prevented by a shower of Rain.--The Mob in fine weather.--How to stop Emeutes.--Army of Italy.--Théâtre Français.--Mademoiselle Mars in Henriette....

72. LETTER XXXV.

Soirée dansante.--Young Ladies.--Old Ladies.--Anecdote.--The Consolations of Chaperones.--Flirtations.--Discussion upon the variations between young Married Women in France and...

73. LETTER XXXVI.

Improvements of Paris.--Introduction of Carpets and Trottoirs.--Maisonnettes.--Not likely to answer in Paris.--The necessity of a Porter and Porter's Lodge.--Comparative Expense...

74. LETTER XXXVII.

We have been made positively sick and miserable by the details of a murder, which seems to show that we live in a world where there are creatures ten thousand times more savage...

75. LETTER XXXVIII.

Opéra Comique.--"Cheval de Bronze."--"La Marquise."--Impossibility of playing Tragedy.--Mrs. Siddons's Readings.--Mademoiselle Mars has equal power.--_Laisser aller_ of the Fema...

76. LETTER XXXIX.

I had last night the satisfaction of meeting the Abbé de Lamennais at a _soirée_. It was at the house of Madame Benjamin Constant; whose _salon_ is as celebrated for the talent...

77. LETTER XL.

I have been taking some pains to discover, by the aid of all the signs and tokens of public feeling within my reach, who among the different parties into which this country is d...

78. LETTER XLI.

M. Dupré.--His Drawings in Greece.--L'Eglise des Carmes.--M. Vinchon's Picture of the National Convention.--Léopold Robert's Fishermen.--Reported cause of his Suicide.--Roman Ca...

79. LETTER XLII.

Several years ago, while passing a few weeks in Paris, I had a conversation with a Frenchman upon the subject of old maids, which, though so long past, I refer to now for the sa...