ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

1775.

of my Son, on the 9th inftant; I have named him Alexander, after my father. I now write, as I fuppofe your fellow traveller, Mr. Thrale, will return to Etat. 66. London this week to attend his duty in parliament, and that you will not ftay behind him.

I send another parcel of Lord Hailes's "Annals." I have undertaken to folicit you for a favour to him, which he thus requests in a letter to me : "I intend foon to give you the Life of Robert Bruce,' which you will be pleased to transmit to Dr. Johnson. I wish that you could affist me in a fancy which I have taken, of getting Dr. Johnson to draw a character of Robert Bruce, from the account that I give of that prince. If he finds materials for it in my work, it will be a proof that I have been fortunate in selecting the most striking incidents.'

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"I fuppofe by The Life of Robert Bruce,' his Lordship means that part of his Annals' which relates the history of that prince, and not a feparate work.

"Shall we have " A Journey to Paris" from you in the winter? You will, I hope, at any rate be kind enough to give me fome account of your French travels very foon, for I am very impatient. What a different scene have you viewed this autumn, from that which you viewed in autumn 1773! I ever am, my dear Sir,

Your much obliged, and affectionate humble fervant,
"JAMES BOSWELL."

"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"I AM glad that the young Laird is born, and an end, as I hope, put to the only difference that you can ever have with Mrs. Bofwell3. I know that she does not love me, but I intend to perfift in wifhing her well till I get the better of her.

"Paris is, indeed, a place very different from the Hebrides, but it is to a hasty traveller not fo fertile of novelty, nor affords fo many opportunities of remark. I cannot pretend to tell the publick any thing of a place better known to many of my readers than to myself. We can talk of it when we

meet.

"I fhall go next week to Streatham, from whence I purpose to send a parcel of the Hiftory' every post. Concerning the character of Bruce, I

[ocr errors]

This alludes to my old feudal principle of preferring male to female fucceffion.

[blocks in formation]

1775.

can only fay, that I do not fee any great reafon for writing it, but I fhall not Etat. 66. eafily deny what Lord Hailes and you concur in defiring.

"I have been remarkably healthy all the journey, and hope you and your family have known only that trouble and danger which has fo happily terminated. Among all the congratulations that you may receive, I hope you believe none more warm or fincere, than thofe of, dear Sir, "Your most affectionate,

November, 16, 1775.

SAM. JOHNSON."

To Mrs. LUCY PORTER, in Lichfield *.

"DEAR MADAM,

"THIS week I came home from Paris. I have brought you a little box, which I thought pretty; but I know not whether it is properly a fnuff-box, or a box for fome other ufe. I will fend it, when I can find an opportunity. I have been through the whole journey remarkably well. My fellow-travellers were the fame whom you faw at Lichfield, only we took Baretti with us. Paris is not fo fine a place as you would expect. The palaces and churches, however, are very splendid and magnificent; and what would please you, there are many very fine pictures; but I do not think their way of life commodious or pleasant.

[ocr errors]

"Let me know how your health has been all this while. I hope the fine fummer has given you ftrength fufficient to encounter the winter.

"Make my compliments to all my friends; and, if your fingers will let you, write to me, or let your maid write, if it be troublesome to you. I am, dear Madam,

"Your most affectionate humble fervant,

11 Nov. 16, 1775

To the fame

SAM. JOHNSON."

DEAR MADAM,

"SOME weeks ago I wrote to you, to tell you that I was juft come home from a ramble, and hoped that I fhould have heard from you. I am afraid winter has laid hold on your fingers, and hinders you from writing. However, let fomebody write,, if you cannot, and tell me how you do, and a

♦ There can be no doubt that many years previous to 1775, he correfponded with this lady, who was his step-daughter, but none of his earlier letters to her have been preferved.

little of what has happened at Lichfield among our friends. I hope you are all well.

"When I was in France, I thought myself. growing young, but am afraid that cold weather will take part of my new vigour from me. Let us, however, take care of ourselves, and lofe no part of our health by negligence.

"I never knew whether you received the Commentary on the New Teftament, and the Travels, and the glaffes.

"Do, my dear love, write to me; and do not let us forget each other. This is the season of good wishes, and I wish you all good. I have not lately feen Mr. Porter', nor heard of him. Is he with you?

"Be pleased to make my compliments to Mrs. Adey, and Mrs. Cobb, and all my friends; and when I can do any good, let me know. I am, dear Madam,

"Yours most affectionately,

3775.

Etat. 66.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

It is to be regretted, that he did not write an account of his travels in France; for as he is reported to have once faid, that "he could write the Life of a Broomstick," fo, notwithstanding fo many former travellers have exhausted almoft every thing fubject for remark in that great kingdom, his very accurate obfervation, and peculiar vigour of thought and illustration, would have produced a valuable work. During his visit to it, which lafted but about two months, he wrote notes or minutes of what he saw. He promised to fhew me them, but I neglected to put him in mind of it; and the greatest part of them have been loft, or, perhaps, destroyed in that precipitate burning of his papers a few days before his death, which muft ever be lamented: One fmall paper-book, however, entitled " FRANCE, II." has been preferved, and is in. my poffeffion. It is a diurnal regifter of his life and obfervations, from the 10th of October to the 4th of November, inclufive, being twenty-fix days; and fhews an extraordinary attention to various minute particulars. Being the only memorial of this tour that remains, my readers, I am confident, will peruse it with pleasure, though his notes are very short, and evidently written only to affift his own recollection.

"OCT. 10. Tuesday. We faw the Ecole Militaire, in which one hundred and fifty young boys are educated for the army. They have arms of different

5. Son of Mrs. Johnson, by her first husband.

1775

fizes, according to the age;-flints of wood. The building is very large, but Atat. 66. nothing fine, except the council-room. The French have large fquares in the windows;-they make good iron palifades. Their meals are grofs.

"We vifited the Obfervatory, a large building of a great height. The upper ftones of the parapet very large, but not cramped with iron. The flat on the top is very extenfive; but on the insulated part there is no parapet. Though it was broad enough, I did not care to go upon it. Maps were printing in one of the rooms.

"We walked to a fmall convent of the Fathers of the Oratory. In the reading-desk of the refectory lay the Lives of the Saints.

"Oct. 11. Wednesday. We went to fee Hôtel de Chatlois, a houfe not very large, but very elegant. One of the rooms was gilt to a degree that I never faw before. The upper part for fervants and their masters was pretty. "Thence we went to Mr. Monville's, a houfe divided into small apartments, furnished with effeminate and minute elegance.-Porphyry.

"Thence we went to St. Roque's church, which is very large;-the lower part of the pillars incrufted with marble.-Three chapels behind the high altar;—the last a mass of low arches.-Altars, 1 believe, all round.

"We paffed through Place de Vendôme, a fine fquare, about as big as Hanover-fquare.-Inhabited by the high families.-Lewis XIV. on horfeback in the middle.

"Monville is the fon of a farmer-general. In the houfe of Chatlois is a room furnished with japan, fitted up in Europe.

"We dined with Boccage, the Marquis Blanchetti, and his lady.-The fweetmeats taken by the Marchionefs Blanchetti, after obferving that they were dear.-Mr. Le Roy, Count Manucci the Abbé, the Prior, and Father Wilfon, who ftaid with me, till I took him home in the coach.

"Bathiani is gone.

"The French have no laws for the maintenance of their poor.-Monk not neceffarily a prieft.-Benedictines rife at four;-are at church an hour and half; at church again half an hour before, half an hour after dinner; and again from half an hour after feven to eight. They may fleep eight hours.-Bodily labour wanted in monafteries.

"The poor taken to hofpitals, and miferably kept.-Monks in the convent fifteen-accounted poor.

"Oct. 12. Thurfday. We went to the Gobelins.-Tapestry makes a good picture-imitates flesh exactly.-One piece with a gold ground;-the birds not exactly coloured.-Thence we went to the King's cabinet;-very neat,

!

1

not,

not, perhaps, perfect.-Gold ore.-Candles of the candle-tree.-Seeds.Woods.-Thence to Gagnier's house, where I faw rooms nine, furnished with a profufion of wealth and elegance which I never have seen before.—Vases.— Pictures. The dragon china.-The luftre faid to be of crystal, and to have coft 3,500l.-The whole furniture faid to have coft 125,000l.-Damask hangings covered with pictures.-Porphyry.-This house ftruck me.-Then we waited on the ladies to Monville's.-Captain Irwin with us.—Spain. County towns all beggars.-At Dijon he could not find the way to Orleans.-Crofs roads of France very bad.-Five foldiers.-Woman.-Soldiers efcaped.— The Colonel would not lofe five men for the death of one woman.-The magiftrate cannot feize a foldier but by the Colonel's permiffion.-Good inn at Nifmes.-Moors of Barbary fond of Englishmen.-Gibraltar eminently healthy;—it has beef from Barbary.-There is a large garden.-Soldiers fometimes fall from the rock.

"Oct. 13. Friday. I ftaid at home all day, only went to find the Prior, who was not at home.-I read fomething in Canus 7.-Nec admiror, nec multum laudo. "Oct. 14. Saturday. We went to the houfe of Mr. Argenfon, which was almoft wainscotted with looking-glaffes, and covered with gold.-The ladies' clofet wainscotted with large fquares of glafs over painted paper. They always place mirrours to reflect their rooms.

"Then we went to Julien's, the Treasurer of the Clergy:-30,000l. a year. The house has no very large room, but is fet with mirrours, and covered with gold.-Books of wood here, and in another library.

[ocr errors]

"At D's I looked into the books in the lady's clofet, and, in contempt, fhewed them to Mr. T.-Prince Titi; Bibl. des Fées, and other books. She was offended, and fhut up, as we heard afterwards, her apartment. "Then we went to Julien Le Roy, the King's watch-maker, a man of character in his bufinefs, who fhewed a small clock made to find the longitude. A decent man.

"Afterwards we faw the Palais Marchand, and the Courts of Justice, civil and criminal.-Queries on the Sellette.-This building has the old Gothick paffages, and a great appearance of antiquity.-Three hundred prifoners fometimes in the gaol.

"Much disturbed ;-hope no ill will be.

• The rest of this paragraph appears to be a minute of what was told by Captain Irwin.

7 Melchior Canus, a celebrated Spanish Dominican, who died at Toledo, in 1560.. He wrote a treatise De Locis Theologicis, in twelve books.

This paffage, which fome may think fuperftitious, reminds me of Archbishop Laud's Diary.

[ocr errors]

45. In

1775

Etat. 66.

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »