VOL. 6.] Recent Tour to Paris. 31 From the Monthly Magazine, SKETCHES OF A TOUR TO PARIS, E dined at the Table d'Hôte, table. Four of the Frenchmen were as fat men as ever I saw. In their table-talk they were scientific gourmands; and, in practice, complete gluttons. A succession of dishes or courses followed in the French fashion: first the soup, then several varieties of the inhabitants of the water, air, and earth; of all which the French, in particular, partook with voracious appetites. The vegetables came last, and were few in quantity and variety, those few were spoiled by savoury cooking. Of puddings and pastry there were none: in lieu, they had enormous melons, nine or twelve inches in diameter, which were eaten with the beef, and other meats, in great quantities, just as potatoes are eaten in England; and I verily believe, some of the Frenchmen ate not less than two or three pounds. They were eaten with pepper and salt, and served at once as bread and vegetables. Wine, a poor sort of claret, was drank in halfpint tumblers; and some of the party drank five or six, apparently as a thing of course. The whole repast was finished by a fine dessert of grapes, peaches, necta rines, and other fruits; glasses of brandy were passed round; and a cup of café noir, or strong coffee, without su gar or milk, was the signal for leaving the table. Such a dinner, in a splendid hotel, cost us but four francs and a half a-piece; or, about four shillings sterling. A more sumptuous and profuse entertainment could not be partaken by a carnivorous feeder; but nothing could have been less to my taste. 1 made my dinner of fruits and bread; for the chief cooked vegetable consisted of the full-grown seed of French beans, called haricots, which I found miserably insipid; and the potatoes here, as in Paris, were of the shape and size of my thumb, fried in gravy, and therefore spoiled, to an English palate. This dinner, as well as many others which I witnessed in France, proved the fallacy of the vulgar English error in regard to the meagreness of French diet. I never saw greater profusion at private tables, nor even at public entertainments, in England, than is seen at most tables in France; and I have seldom beheld more voracious feeders than the generality of the French. A dinner continues above an hour, and often above two, during which time there is a constant succession of courses, and the company partake, more or less, of all. It is true, the dishes do not consist of solid, roasted and boiled meats, as in England, but chiefly of what with us are considered delicacies, while they are dressed with more flavour; yet the appetite is thereby excited, and the French, in consequence, make up in the number and variety of their viands for what they want in substance. Nor do they drink less wine than the English. It is true, they do not sit to the bottle after dinner, yet they drink an equal quantity in brimming goblets during the meal; and they hob-a-nob, and drink to each other, in a fashion which we often consider as wholly our own. During the dinner at this Table d'Hôte, the French made a party by themselves, and addressed no attentions or courtesy to the English. This, I See Ath. vol. 5, p. 469. learnt, is their general habit. They regard our visits as intrusive, and our holiday spirits as insolent triumph. After dinner, we went, by appointment, to the house of a merchant, whose amiable and engaging daughter, and an accomplished female friend, sung various French airs, accompanied by the piano-forte and guitar. The novelty of the performance delighted us; and we discovered, in every trait of this family, social feelings, which raised our opinion of the moral character of the French. We then partook of a pleasant walk on the picturesque banks of the Seine; saw multitudes of well-dres sed persons, and entertained our new friends with anecdotes of England. They afterwards conducted us to the evening mall, where we found crowds of the inhabitants of Rouen promenading, as the people of London were wont to do in St. James's park, about thirty years since; and in the manner in which all social and polished masses of population ought to congregate. I honoured the people for their wisdom and their amiableness; and I lamented that no town in Britain could present a spectacle of equally interesting intercourse. This promenade continued till after the day had closed; and we then retired with regret to our hotel, to prepare for our journey on the following morning to Paris. At five o'clock, therefore, we remounted the diligence on our destination to the French metropolis. The road, near Rouen, lay over some verdant hills, and I never enjoyed a more extensive prospect in a richer country. We arrived at Louviers about halfpast eight, and breakfasted at a shabby inn, or dirty public-house; but the coffee was rich, and the rolls, though a yard long, were light and excellent. While it was preparing, we strolled about the main streets, and saw many large establishments for the manufacture of woollen-cloth, for which this place is the Bradford, or Frome, of France. I handled some of it, and found it much finer than our finest broad-cloths, and also much stouter than any which I have felt for many years in England. I saw groupes of the manufacturers, passing to and from their breakfasts; and, as drunkenness is not a French vice, they were, for the most part, better dressed,and had a more steady appearance, than the same classes in England. Louviers, I was told, employs many thousands of both sexes; and I saw some quadrangular buildings, which bespoke the extensive concerns and opulence of the owners. Soon after we left Louviers, we beheld those vineyards, and those “vinecovered hills," in which France transcends Britain, and all her northern neighbours. We passed several of them before our attention was drawn to them. They had the appearance of plantations of currant or raspberry trees; but were not so bushy as the former, nor so lofty as the latter. The finest bunches usually touch the ground, where, by its contact, they ripen the earliest. Their appearance added, by numerous associations, to the interest of this country: and, altog ether, I never enjoyed a ride more than the stages from Louviers to Mantes, between the hours of nine and three. The day was intensely hot, and not a cloud obscured the sunshine. The country consisted of a tract of gently-swelling hills, through the valleys of which flowed the majestic Seine. Every part of the surface was cultivated; and, though detached houses did not indicate separate farms, I was told they were sufficiently numerous to provide for the population. At Mantes, we found a Table d'Hôte prepared for the passengers in the diligence; and here, as at Rouen, I was astonished at the profusion and variety of the viands. Of simple vegetables there were none; but, understanding that two of our party ate no meat-soups, the landlady proposed to prepare some soup au lait, or milk-soup. Accordingly, we waited for the soup au lait, which, from its high-sounding title, promised an agreeable novelty; but our mortification was extreme when she produced two basins of boiled breadand-milk! The omelets and dessert, however, made amends for other defi MR. 33 lish inn, but very ancient; and its style of furniture and carpentry was very uncouth. Mantes itself is a wretched place, and reminded me of certain towns in Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, which are without trade, energy, capital, and improvement; but the country around it is rich and romantic, and every hill exhibited a rich display of vineyards and corn-fields. SUPERSTITION. From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. CATHOLIC LEGENDS. R. HALLAM, in his late History of the Middle Ages, adverting to the diffusion of legendary tales, especially those relating to the Virgin, of which he says" it is difficult to conceive the stupid absurdity and the disgusting profaneness;" subjoins, in a note, two or three specimens from the Fabliaux, published by Le Grand d'Aussy; and adds, "these tales, it may be said, were the productions of ignorant men, and circulated among the populace. Certainly they would have excited contempt and indignation in the more enlightened clergy. Vol. II. p. 447, note. But whether the Fabliaux of the thirteenth century are at all more absurd or profane than the impudent invocations which have passed current among the people from the hands of the clergy in catholic countries, through all ages, may admit of much question. A religious book, containing a voluminous collection of these legends, under various heads, and entitled "Prato fiorito di varii essempi," is now before me, which may be seen as a tolerable specimen of a multitude of works devoted to similar purposes. It was published at Como, "con licenza de' superiori," in 1608; and to those who derive any gratification from contemplating the various modes in which the follies of mankind have, from time to time displayed themselves, and who are not well read in that description of lore which is here unfolded to them, it may be not unamusing, nor altogether unin E ATHENEUM VOL. 6. structive, to display a few of the flowers that are to be found together in this field of variegated allurement. I will take for the first of the classes from which I purpose to draw my instances, the 8th chapter of the first book, fearful example of the punishment of entitled "Del' Usura." Perhaps the that crime here afforded, may induce some members of our British legislature to pause before they give their sanction to the sweeping indemnity to usurers, intended by Sergeant Onslow's bill. The governor and directors of the Bank of England might also do well to consider them, together with the admirable train of reasoning and reflection by which they are preceded. Moreover, for brevity's sake, I shall select only two or three for translation, and give no more than the general heads or titles of the remainder. "It is a thing manifest, that the putting out usury is not only prohibited and forbidden by the divine law, but also by the imperial laws, and by all For which reaprinciples of justice. son, the most just God hath given us most terrible and tremendous signs of the severest punishmeots against usurers, as by many fearful examples, which we shall here commemorate, may be made evident. And, although it be ordinarily permitted by princes and by republics, that a man may receive one only in a hundred: that concession and permission, nevertheless, is not ac- EXAMPLE 1. Of the Miserable Death of an Usurer. We read, in the Liber Apum, how, in the realm of France, there was once an usurer, so cruel and pitiless, that he despoiled poor widows and orphans, and others, without remorse, in the obtaining his cursed usury; nor had he any compassion for the most extreme poverty, or the greatest necessities, of many miserable fathers of families who Now were burthened with children. this cruel and unjust usurer, in order to cloak his so great wickedness and impiety, dissembled so as externally to appear the very best sort of man in the world. He frequently visited religious. persons, recommending himself to their prayers, with feigned tears, and sometimes sending them alms; and, more than once, being charitably admonished by such as were acquainted with him, to leave off his usurious practices, and exhorted to have compassion on the poor, he took little account of what was said to him, and went on his way, excusing himself with fair and glossing speeches, but persevering all the while in his former conduct, until that, at the last, the tremendous hand of God fell upon him. Forasmuch as he was at first assailed with a sudden grievous sickness, which, in a short space, brought him to the end of his misspent life. And, whilst the miserable sinner was in the midst of the anguish of his approaching death, there appeared in his chamber two very great and very black dogs, who, with vast vehemence and fury, jumped upon the bed of the dying man, and, howling with rage, watched for the moment when they might deyour that wretched soul; and they thrust forth their devilish tongues to the mouth of the sick man; who, in like manner, through his anguish, thrusting out his own tongue more than a palm's length, it was instantly seized upon by these infernal dogs, and torn out by the roots, and together with his miserable and his soul, carried away to hell; dead body was cast away to the beasts, as was justly deserved. VOL. 6.] Catholic Legends-Original Anecdotes. EXAMPLE II. is of an usurer, who had caused his image, in marble, to be placed over the cathedral church, representing him with a bag of money in his hands. It happened, after the death of the usurer, that à brother usurer going to church one morning, this marble statue fell on his head and crushed him. EXAMPLE III. How a chest of money being deposited in a certain monastery, by the heirs of a deceased usurer, for safe custody, pending a law suit, the devil was seen one morning to sit astride upon it; who, being interrogated by a courageous monk as to the nature of his claim, replied, "the treasure is mine. I acquired it in fair traffic, with the soul of its owner into the bargain." The holy brotherhood instantly required the heirs of the usurer to take back their deposite; 35 but it does not appear how they disposed of the devil's equitable lien. EXAMPLE IV. is of an usurer who directed his money to be buried with him; and how certain honest gentlemen coming by night to rob the grave, saw that possession had already been taken by two devils, who were amusing themselves by thrusting the loved wages of his indignity, piece by piece, red hot, into his bowels, exclaiming, with much scorn, “ Ho! ho! friend, now you shall have enough of that gold which you have so anxiously sought and so hardly procured." We are not told, however, if this adventure cured them of robbing church-yards. EXAMPLE V. is of a lady usurer, who, on the point of death, saw an infinite number of devils in the forms of curs and ravens.' BONAPARTE'S LAW KNOWLEDGE.* From the Literary Gazette, Aug. 1819. WHAT particularly astonished life had been spent in camps? Bona Treilhard was the prodigious memory of the Emperor :-it was a subject to which he was continually alluding. The articles of the civil code, after being drawn up and taken into consideration in private conferences, were submitted to the discussion of theCouncil of State, at which Napoleon frequently presided. Treilhard wondered at the readiness with which Bonaparte frequently illustrated the point in question by quoting extempore whole passages from the Roman civil law; a subject which, from its nature, seemed to be entirely foreign to him. One day the Emperor requested his attendance, in order to acquaint him with some new ideas on criminal legislation; after conversing together for some time they formed themselves into a little committee, and the counsellor of state took the liberty of asking the Emperor how he had acquired so familiar a knowledge of law affairs, considering that his whole parte replied : "When I was a mere lieutenant, I was put under arrest, unjustly it is true; but that is nothing to the point. The little room which was assigned for my prison, contained no furniture but an old chair, an old bed, and an old cupboard in the cupboard was a ponderous folio volume,older and more wormeaten than all the rest; it proved to be the Digest. As I had no paper, pens, ink, or pencils, you may easily imagine that this book was a valuable prize to me. It was so voluminous, and the leaves were so covered with marginal notes in manuscript, that had I been confined a hundred years I could never have been idle. I was only ten days deprived of my liberty; but on recovering it, I was saturated with Justinian, and the decisions of the Roman legislators. Thus I picked up my knowledge of civil law, with which I so often trouble you." * From Les Souvenirs et Anecdotes de la Revolution. (Just published.) |