Bun OARUN01GV MCHOWM- tBUARY diversity -Of r*rr*t«»»<"- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH .Darlington JVleniorial .Library Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from University of Pittsburgh Library System http://www.archive.org/details/sportingtourthro02thor '%/ V ®§m^' ... . ;^.;v ::' ' ■- , ^^O^x^£t>. ,>/// 7 I/t a Series efJOetters to the Iff Hon: the T&TW&VOZUMES: v^ 'Sf/tt/.,/,r,/ 6y _ (/>„?//;/,,// //f/Sr.)/, .I/f ,'.>,,/ ,/r (§?< _(/-. _ /<>'//, tr>/t A . ' ■ ; r ■ i :■, , ' . FRAJC E fcc. In a Series ofJLetters to the JR.? UTon: the ^ "///■//.>//,;/ /// _ LoTu/nrtJwi., ,vt^/;:>t .'//• d- chamber, a small boudoir, a room lor Air. Bryant, and beds for two servants. A Russian prince of the blood, who was mv next neighbour, had an anti-room in common with mvself The servant whom I had left at Paris told me. it was Monsieur Pere- gaux's particular desire that 1 should wait upon him as soon as possible after my arrival. I accordingly went to the house of that gentleman. and received from him a packet of letters; and among them was one from my London solicitor, which proved a communication of consi- derable importance, as it made me acquainted with a circumstance which was to fix my determination of remaining in France, proceeding to Germany, or ot immediately returning to England. The chief part ot the morning after my return was devoted to >ho[v ping, hut I found it almost impossihlo to procure tin- articles 1 wanted. The shops are obviously worse furnished than before the revolution, and. in the hosiery line, seven-tenths of the goods appear to he of English manufacture, which must certainly have been smuggled. In the course of the day I was introduced to an agent ot Bonaparte's brother, who was reported to he an advocate oi great eminence, and who had. or pretended to have, the disposal of a very considerable estate situated between Blois and Amboise. But he gave me to under- stand that, by an existing law. no foreigner could be naturalized under ten years — a circumstance which, if true, presents an insurmountable barrier against strangers establishing themselves in this country ; tor. by 5Q SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. that regulation, any person bringing over his whole fortune, after hav- ing left his native country, finds himself a vagabond in France, incapa- ble of acting in any capacity, civil or military, for a limited time. But if the consuls can, by their own, or any other, authority, alter the ex- isting laws, as they have those relative to sporting, why cannot they, by the same authority, alter one that is of so much greater importance to the republic ? Where commerce is at so low an ebb as in France, it is, in my opinion, incumbent on the government to adopt every means in order to bring an influx of wealth into the state ; but, under the aforesaid circumstance, what stranger would leave the place of his nativity, where both his person and property are secure, to settle in a country where all is uncertainty and confusion? This law, if it be not ameliorated, will decide my plan for seeking a situation elsewhere ; and although Germany is complained of, as having a dreary winter, yet it possesses many advantages, and, among the rest, a purchaser finds himself in immediate possession of his rights to the fullest extent. Land is, also, cheap there, and peculiarly adapted to the purposes of a man of fortune. At a fruiterer's I purchased, by way of curiosity, two remarkable ve- getables ; the one bore some resemblance, in form and size, to a large artichoke, but it was solid as a melon, and of a pale yellow colour ; the other was of an irregular form, and of the character and consistence of a love-apple, being of a dark chocolate colour. Messrs. Bergere and Pelvil dined with me, and the former gentleman observed, that the first of these vegetables, called a Spanish artichoke, was usually cooked, by taking out the seeds, boiling, and then using it as a potatoe ; but of the other he could give no information. I rose at five next morning, being awakened by a regiment of infan- try going to exercise ; but their band appeared very inferior to what I SPOUTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 57 bad previously heart! in the neighbouring ground for exercise. I heard their firing very distinctly, and, from the sound, I judged it to be very near my hotel. This was the first time of my hearing them fire with powder. Whilst breakfast was preparing, a watch-maker entered my apartment to look at the clock, and, after some conversation, he very modestly told me that he was a great sportsman, and that he had the privilege of taking four or five gentlemen with him over an unbounded estate in the vicinity of Mortgeron. He also stated, that on the preceding Sunday he had killed a hundred head of game. I did not, at first, see the uti- lity of this vaunt : however, I was far from believing it, for I should have deemed myself very fortunate to have killed even fifty, with the little scent I had witnessed in my last excursions. When I hinted at this, he said, the game were all in short underwood ; and, on my re- marking that water was necessary for the dogs, he replied, there were ponds and rivulets at every hundred yards. He offered to attend me, and his conversation terminated with a recommendation of his watches, and a laboured panegyric on the superior excellency of his workmanship. Mr. B came in soon after, and heard what had passed, but nei- ther he nor myself accredited a word of the matter. He, however, told me, that a Mr. OBeven (well known at the clubs in London) had been out with him, and that he was a most capital shot. This I knew was not the case, as one of my keepers, who had lived some time in his service, assured me, that Mr. O'Beven shot much better after din- ner than before : in short, that he was no sportsman. I recollect that OBeven once came down to Barton Mills, and Brandon, in Norfolk, to attend the hawking-club ; when several gentle- men proposed play, but I, as president, strongly objected to it, as being VOL. II. I 53 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. inconsistent with the fundamental principle of the club. Things went on very well, and the bottle circulated pretty freely ; but the next day Mr. OBeven said, that although the sands of Norfolk certainly had their beauties, he found them very inferior to the pavement (meaning London), and, of course, being only a visitor introduced by the Duke of Rutland, he left the club. But to return from this digression. 1 saw, in the course of the day, several well-informed men, some of them members of the senate, with whom I conversed on the subject of the law which renders a ten years residence in France necessary to naturalization ; and they unani- mously declared that the restriction was impolitic and absurd. I proposed that all persons buying estates to the value of ten thousand pounds, and paying the taxes for that amount, should, from the time of purchasing such property, be eligible to places of trust, and become Frenchmen. By order of the First Consul, I was introduced to General Mortier, who is commander in chief of the first military division. In his person he is about six feet three inches high, being nearly fifty years of age, and altogether a remarkably handsome man. His manners denote him to possess a quick and penetrating mind, and, as an officer and a gen- tleman, he is certainly entitled to peculiar respect. From the period of my first introduction, we were on the most intimate terms, frequently visiting and dining together. I had also an entre libre to his house and table, which fully enabled me to judge of his character. When the conversation turned upon the events of the late war, in Germany, or elsewhere, it is impossible to describe the entertainment I received; and the officers who conversed with him upon this favourite topic, spoke in the most eager manner respecting the nature of the SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE, 59 country they had fought in. Thus, for instance, they would exclaim — " This was delicious for cavalry, that for infantry, &c." so that they seemed to enjoy the remembrance with all the keenness of a fox-hunter who relates the tale of an extraordinary chace. One day in particular, General Mortier, in speaking of air-guns, re- called to the recollection of some officers in company, a circumstance which happened after the retreat of the enemy, but where I cannot pre- cisely call to mind. He said, " do you not remember when I had or- dered the cannon to cease firing, that an orderly serjeant who was stand- ing close to us, leaped up very high into the air, and then fell down ? We supposed, at first, that he was in a fit, and we were greatly asto- nished to find him dead, as nothing had been heard or seen to injure him. On his being undressed, however, a ball was found to have struck him, which must have been shot from an air-gun in the adjoining field, and aimed at some of us." — " Yes," replied one of the officers, " I remem- ber it well, and I think we had a fortunate escape." They then stated, that on account of this treachery they hung up all that corps that fell into their hands, considering them not as soldiers, but assassins, and never after gave them any quarter. They acknowledged, at the same time, that they lost many fine men by that corps of Austrians, which they stated to consist of about five hundred men. Returning from General Mortier's, I called upon Messrs. Le Mercier and De Lucay, in the full expectation of seeing them both; but the former had just stepped out, and the latter was gone, with all his suite, to Valencay. Indeed, the heat of the weather has been so intense for some time past, that almost every one who can make it convenient, is anxious to quit the city. The atmosphere, however, has been consi- derably cleared, by a few refreshing showers. i 2 QQ SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. Going to Monsieur Peregaux's to settle my account, I heard that some letters which had been forwarded to Orleans, were not yet re- turned. Here, also, I met with Monsieur Mercier, with whom I had some conversation respecting the mode adopted by French bankers, on any given sum being deposited in their hands. It seems, they lend out their money on security, and credit their employer for half the produce, which amounts to about five per cent : on the contrary, if over-drawn, they expect six per cent. Nine per cent may often be made on good security; consequently, as lands lay heavy on hand from the number to be disposed of) seven, eight, and nine per cent may reasonably be ex- pected on making any purchase. I met General Mortier at dinner, to whom I was so much indebted for his marked politeness and attention ; and in the evening I had some conversation with M. de Lucay. Next morning I repeated my visit to Monsieur Peregaux, in order to draw some bills; and here I waited some time to receive Payne, who is going to Vienna, and has kindly undertaken to transact some business for me in that city. Some English residents who had long wished for my interference, at- tended upon me, after sixteen days of fruitless application for their re- spective passes. I conceived our ministry to be, in some measure, con- nected with this affair, and therefore told them I had resolved not to interfere, except on behalf of a very particular friend, but to avail myself of the liberality of the French government, by reserving that influence to procure my own pass when circumstances should render it necessary. Monsieur Pelerin called upon me the ensuing morning, and, the weather proving fine, I ordered the carriage, and drove to Bagatelle, f ■K SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRAftCU. GL Mrs. T being desirous that Mr. B should finish his pic- ture. My friends who had resided there, were gone to Aix la Chapel le. We therefore ordered a cold collation, and took a survey of the house, which, I believe, was slightly noticed in a former communication. It consists of a circular central-room of thirty-six feet diameter, handsomely fitted up, and opening to the right and left, into two apartments, one of which is for billiards, and the other a dining-room of thirty-six feet by twenty-two. At the farther end are two small boudoirs, being only twenty feet by eighteen. There are six bed-chambers up stairs, whim- sically disposed, and, from one of them (formerly occupied by the Count d'Artois), a back stair-case leads to a secluded apartment, and in this is a private recess, where the bed was formerly fitted up with looking-glass, and the paintings and other ornaments were of the most lascivious kind : indeed, this taste is so predominant throughout France, that there is scarcely a state bed-chamber to be found, which has not the portrait or print of a naked figure opposite the bed. This retired boudoir I never had an opportunity of seeing before, nor is it easy to procure access. The house, altogether, is an elegant box for a small family; and the rooms for the reception of company are very commodious, while its short distance of two miles from the capital renders it a still more desirable object. I must also observe, there are servants' offices, a de- tached kitchen, a coach-house, stabling for sixteen horses, an ice-house, poultry-yard, &c. About thirty acres of land are tastefully laid out, in pleasure-grounds, beautifully diversified with hill and dale, and orna- mented with rocks, groves, water, and a collection of the most beauti- ful exotics. There is also a kitchen-garden of about two acres; and, in short, utility and elegance are so happily blended, that if I were in- 6*2 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. clined to reside so near Paris, I should, unquestionably, make a pur- chase of this enchanting spot. * ■ At three o'clock next morning, I called on M. Belanger, to accom- pany me on a shooting-party near Les Landes ; and at a short distance from the gentleman-farmer's house where we intended to stop, I saw a covey of partridges cross the road, but refrained from shooting at them until I had seen the owner. ' Arriving at the house, I luckily met with him, and stated my intention of accepting the offer he had formerly made me, of sporting on his estate. But I found myself greatly dis- appointed on his informing me, that a law, recently passed for the pre- servation of game and the vineyards, rendered it impossible to comply with my wishes; and that being himself one of the conservators, there was a double duty imposed on him to protect the game in his neigh- bourhood. I plainly perceived that the incompatibility of this duty, with the urbanity he wished to show me, as a stranger, placed him in a most unpleasant situation; and I therefore hastened to relieve his anxiety by observing, that, as a magistrate in my own country, I knew how to obey the laws every where, and that I would, on no considera- tion, rush into an impropriety of conduct. This assurance appeared highly agreeable to himself and his family, with whom I sat down to breakfast, and found fresh occasion to remark the peculiarly fine flavour of the milk, which must certainly result from the fragrance of the French herbage. The party being unwilling that we should lose our day's sport, and expressing a strong desire to see an English dog-hunt, which would not infringe upon the laws, we tried two stubbles, and found three co- veys. Carlo behaved well, though the ground, as usual, was intensely hot, and in consequence of there being no cover, the game ran be- fore him. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 6*3 On our return, the famous General Santerre made his appearance, and after some general conversation, he began a dissertation on farm- ing, asking me if I knew A Y , and on my replying in the affirmative, he requested to know what I thought of his work, as a farmer. I told him frankly, that I believed the work was ingeniously written on purpose to deceive; and, from the notes I had made during a jour- ney of considerable length, with his book before me, I was firmly of opinion that he knew nothing of practical farming. I stated, that he had taken from government, some years ago, a small farm beyond Har- rowgate, which was then worth almost 40001. but that, after laying out 40001. more of government money upon the property, he had managed the farm in such a manner, that its original value was reduced to one- fourth. With respect to his mode of procedure, I observed, that on finding the moor (for it was almost entirely moor-land) was springy, he had drained it with the turf thrown in ; that the soil being of a cold, sandy nature, and having no clay on the surface, it had washed over; and in the course of a few years had filled up in such a manner, that the natural channel was stopped ; of course, the whole was become an incorrigible bog, and it would take double the value of the fee-simple to restore it, as no animal could cross it without being complete^ bogged. I could not help adding, that Mr. 's farm, in Suffolk, was a com- plete bed of thistles, and other weeds ; and that while he was inspecting the management of farms in Spain and Italy, he unfortunately forgot his own which he had left in England. Monsieur Santerre informed me, that, desirous of profiting from every instruction in the agricultural line, he had, some time before, dispatched a person over to England, who, on his arrival, not finding Mr. Y- — ■ 64 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. at his farm, applied to his wife for permission to view it. With this request she readily complied, but at the same time assured him, there was nothing worthy of particular observation. He then requested to see Mr. 's famous breed of pigs, which had been extolled so highly. " We have no pigs," replied the lady. " What ! no pigs ?" — " No, sir," rejoined she, " nor ever had any." " Morbleu !" exclaimed the gentleman, " does he not, in his treatise, give an account of those ani- mals, and the mode of treating them?" — " Lord!" sir," said Mrs. in a fit of laughter, " I am sorry you should have come from France on such an errand. My husband amuses himself with writing and farming, and that is all." The general then gave me a curious account of his experiments in the breeding of horses, and thus terminated the conver- sation. The carriage was now ordered, and a sultry ride conducted us to the gardens of Montreuil, famous for the excellence of their fruits with which the whole city of Paris is supplied. From hence also the sur- rounding country is furnished with young trees, but the variety of these is not so great as might be expected from the extent of the grounds. After purchasing some hyacinth roots, I returned to dinner at Gene- ral Mortier's, and as he was absent on some business at Mai Maison, I had an opportunity of conversing with some of the general officers who awaited his return, among whom General Montrichard particularly engaged my attention. General Mortier soon returned, and desired me to stay 'till the rest of the company were gone. He then delivered to me a most flattering message from the First Consul, desiring me to wait upon the minister of the interior as soon as I could make it convenient. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 63 In consequence of this message, I wrote to the minister, and re- ceived an answer, next morning, desiring an interview, and appointing the hour of two for my reception. After calling upon my friend, Monsieur lie Mercier, to thank him for the introduction he had originally procured me to General Mortier, I dressed myself in my plain costume, and went to the minister's house, which was fully attended. I remarked that every person was announced as he arrived, and ushered in accordingly; and when it came to my turn, I was received with the greatest politeness and attention. The minister stated he had been fully informed who I was, and assured me that he, in conjunction with the government, was disposed to render me every service in his power. However, on my observing, that it Would be impossible to communicate my business in so short a space of time as a levee would allow, he appointed the following day, at twelve o'clock, for a private audience on the subject. Calling at Monsieur de Lucay, on my return, I understood he was gone to Mai Maison ; but, as his lady was at home, I did not omit so favourable an opportunity of paying my respects to her. I passed the evening in company with Monsieur Coloneau, of Gril- lemont, who mentioned an estate of 70,000 acres, formerly belonging to the Prince de Rohan, in Bretagne, as the most complete and desir- able property that had ever yet been offered for sale. He said,, it lay on the river Villaine, with an extent of 20,000 large, or 40,000 com- mon acres of forest; and that it might be purchased for forty or forty- five thousand pounds, though it was worth seven thousand a year. Next day I received a letter from my old friend Colonel Pessisse, wherein he informed me that, difficult as it then was, it would be in- dispensably necessary for him to procure a passport before he could enter VOL. II. K QQ SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. Paris. I therefore gave up all hope of seeing him in the autumn, as my affairs required a speedy return. Had I known this circumstance, however, in time, I could have procured a pass for him. Pursuant to my appointment, I waited upon the minister, and took with me the proof-print of my animals, with which he was most agree- ably entertained. I then entered into a full explanation of my plans, and the value, as I thought, of the different estates I had inspected, with the condition in which I had found them, and the sums that ap- peared necessary to be expended before a purchaser could expect to de- rive any considerable income. I also took the liberty of adding, that the existing law against strangers, which I had maturely considered, must operate as a bar to the inclination of any man of fortune and fashion making France the place of his future residence, by bringing over his property under a full expectation of enjoying the rights of a citizen; as by the abovementioned law, he was placed in a most unpleasant situa- tion during the first ten years. My observations appeared to have due weight with the minister, who desired I would allow him a few days to consider the substance of all I had imparted ; stating that it was a matter of great importance, and adding that he hoped he might be able to remove the obstacle of which I so justly complained. I then waited on Monsieur Dubois, prefect of the police, who, on mv recapitulating the conversation between myself and the minister, allowed that the law I so strongly reprehended ought to undergo an en- tire revision ; and that my proposal of granting to every foreigner the right of citizenship, as soon as he should purchase lands to the amount of 10,0001. or establish manufactories which would pay to government a sum equivalent to the taxes on such estate, was indisputably founded SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 0/ on justice ; as such an investiture of property would be a sufficient secu- rity for the purchaser's fidelity to government, and obedience to the ex- isting laAVs. We continued for some time in conversation, when, among other subjects, the late depreciation in the English funds was mentioned, as having occasioned much astonishment in the consular cabinet, with re- spect to the effect it had produced on the Dutch and French funds. I stated it as my opinion, that the fall in question was entirely owing to the sums drawn out for carrying on elections; and that when those were over, the funds would experience a proportionate rise. Shortly after quitting the prefect, I met a Mr. Heyman, who informed me that he designed to have a public sale on the ensuing Friday, as he was on the point of sailing for Surinam. He is a volatile man, and has squandered away a vast sum of money. Mr. Tupper, as I have just understood, remains at Paris during the winter, and is become a citoyen Frangois, in contradiction to the law which has been the subject of my late conversations with the minister and prefect. Having thus extended my letter on a subject which your lordship may, perhaps, deem interesting, I hasten to subscribe myself Yours, &c. K 2 68 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. LETTER XXI. Modern Paintings in the Museum of Arts. — Salamanders.— Interview with the Minister of Finance. — State of the Forests. — Shooting Excursion. — Acci- dent occasioned by a Thunder-Storm. — Scene of Confusion in a mixed Party. Insolence of a Game-Keeper. — Call upon Monsieur Cretet, a Privy-Coun- sellor.— Exchange against England. — Interview with the Ministei of the Home-Department. — Unexpected Delay. MY LORD, Paris, Sept. 10, 1802. vJN the morning subsequent to the date of my last, I paid a visit to the museum, and observed that the galleries were fitted up for the re- ception of the performances of modern artists, some of which were justly entitled to admiration. Among the rest, I saw the Battle of Ma- rengo, which I desired might be purchased on my account, together with a beautiful enamel of flowers. Monsieur Coloneau presented me with a pair of salamanders, which he considered extremely curious, as having the property of ascertaining the variations of the weather. There is a ladder placed in the glass which contains them, and when the weather is likely to be fine, they ascend, and get out of the water ; but when it is cold and damp, they descend ; and when it is likely to be windy, they may be seen darting about the bottom of the vessel. I was also assured that they possessed the property of passing unhurt SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 69 through the fire, but this ridiculous notion has been long exploded. Mr. Bryant, who has dissected several of them, affirms that they are nothing more than the common evets which may be found in all the ditches and ponds near London. I do not recollect ever having seen one of this species in Yorkshire, but that might, probably, result from the coldness of the climate. Monsieur Pelerin dined with me, and offered to sell an estate of con- siderable magnitude in Burgundy. Messrs. De Lucay and Belanger, and Mr. Lucas, favoured me with their company in the evening. A Monsieur Havand also called, to inform me of some landed property intended for sale, but, upon enquiry, I found it would not answer my purpose. Next morning the report of the National Institute was communicated to me, by which I found that the number of sheep in France in the year 1801 amounted only to eleven millions, some hundreds, while the produce of England exceeded twenty-five millions. Having learnt that the superintendance of all national property was vested in the minister of finance, I perceived the necessity of an appli- cation to him, and stated my thoughts to Monsieur Chapelleur, who was so obliging as to give me a letter of introduction, in which I was represented as being patronised by the First Consul. On repairing to the minister's house, I was readily admitted ; and, in the course of conversation, I was given to understand, that all the forests in the vicinity of Paris were ordered to be held in reserve, and that no person was to be admitted even to sport in them. Some hints were also dropped, that the government did not design to re-stock the forests with game, as the trees were supposed to be greatly damaged by deer — an idea which, if acted upon, must inevitably put a stop to all hunting. On this subject, I cannot help remarking, that the forests were cer- 70 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. tainly in a higher state of improvement under the old regime, although few days passed without the amusement of hunting taking place, and the reason is sufficiently obvious. Every proprietor kept a jealous eye over his own forest, considering it as his delight, and a considerable part of the magnificence of his establishment ; and even the trees capable of removal were deemed too valuable to be sold, unless it were for the use of the navy. But, in the zenith of the revolution, while anarchy and confusion reigned with unbridled sway, the Souverain Public cut down, sold, and tore away, every thing with blind fury ; the purchasers obtained possession at almost any price; and lead, iron, timber, and every article which could possibly be converted into money, went to pay the requisite instalments. Since that period the forests have been greatly neglected ; as, notwith- standing the regulations that have been made, and the consequent orders issued in their favour, herds of cattle still brouze unrestrained, and do greater mischief to the buds than could have been effected by double the number of deer ; and in the interior of the forests, where the younger the wood the more luxuriant is the grass, cattle will always complete the destruction of the whole. But, even admitting that hunting, as practised before the revolution, did some injury, yet it should be remembered, that hounds were only kept by men of fortune who laid out their money in improvements, and caused it to circulate freely throughout the kingdom ; whereas, at pre- sent, what little specie appears in circulation, finds its way to the metro- polis, where it is squandered, almost exclusively, in pleasures and dis- sipation. Laws framed by a wise government should be followed up by every possible inducement to keep men of fortune on their estates, to animate their tenants to rural experiments, to improve the breed of cattle, and SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 71 to extend the fostering hand of patronage to the industrious farmer. This would, indeed, be true policy, and its felicitous effects would soon be experienced by the community at large. With respect to manufactures, they are not carried on, in France, with any degree of spirit, as there are scarcely any purchasers, and, of the goods offered for sale, two-thirds are the produce of England. However, if some mode were adopted to encourage strangers to spend their money freely, the country would become richer, and it is highly probable that the inhabitants would then invent and execute such arti- cles at home, as they are now obliged to purchase from their neigh- bours. The minister of finance, whom I found to be a sensible and well- informed man, agreed with me in the remarks I made on this subject; and, on my taking leave, he promised to order an examination of all the considerable estates belonging to government, and communicate to me the result of his enquiries. Returning to my hotel, I was fortunate enough to see Madame Le JBrun, the celebrated female limner, who is generally said to rank next to David, of whom, I believe, I have previously spoken. My intention of going into the country, the ensuing morning, was completely frustrated by an unexpected delay. Monsieur Havault hav- ing proposed to accompany me to Melun, fixed the hour of eight for our departure : but he did not make his appearance, and what was still more vexatious, I could by no means procure his address. Next day I was awakened at an early hour by a regimental band, as the corps was proceeding to exercise. Indeed, I cannot help observing, that such interruptions, with the incessant noise of carriages, dogs, and cracking of whips, render it impossible to obtain much repose in the Hotel des Estrangers, Rue de la Concorde. Another very unpleasant 72 SPORTING TOUR THROUGIi FRANCE. circumstance attached to this house is the extreme difficulty of obtain- ing a bill, which must necessarily place a traveller at the mercy of his landlord; and which, I am inclined to think, will occasion some serious dispute previous to our departure. At eleven o'clock I was preparing to set out, in order to inspect Vi- den, Le Forte, and Chantilly; but Mr. B came in, and proposed a shooting-party near La Cue. Two gentlemen were to attend us; and the manors were said to abound with hares, partridge, quails, and a variety of aquatic birds. From some circumstance, however, I changed my plan, and, ordering my carriage, proceeded to the house of Gene- ral , according to appointment. When we came to muster our dogs, we found the general's favourite in a most deplorable condition. It seems to be a constant practice with the French sportsmen, that if a dog disobey his master, they let him get on to a certain distance, and then fire at him. I cannot, however, approve of this system, as in the present case, the nostrils of the favourite animal had been deeply per- forated by a shot, which had consequently rendered him, for some time, totally unfit for business : yet, notwithstanding this, he was put into the dog-carriage, while Mr. B took charge of another, and Carlo went with me. We had not proceeded above a couple of miles, before the air was cooled by a refreshing shower of rain, which had been long wanted ; and in passing through the forest of Vincennes, the gentlemen informed me, that red fallow-deer and roe-bucks were so numerous before the revolution, that they might frequently be seen trotting by the side of a carriage without the least apparent concern. In our way we passed St. Maure, and on my remarking that the plain seemed peculiarly adapted for coursing, I was confirmed in my conjec- ture by the general's replying, that there was not a finer situation for SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 73 that purpose near Paris, adding, that he and his friends had coursed there the preceding week, and had killed several hares. After some time, the rain increased, and the overloaded atmosphere became one scene of vivid lightning, some flashes of which, at one pe- riod, fell within a hundred yards of the carriage, while the thunder rolled heavily over our heads, and the storm descended in torrents. I saw several persons returning from a horse-fair, and observed that many of their horses seemed in a most pitiable situation, though some of them were clever bony animals, which gave me a very different idea of the French studs, from what I had formerly entertained. Entering the forest of Ermenonville we saw two women, with a man and a boy, thrown from a single-horse chaise in consequence of the horse having taken fright at the lightning. However, we had the satis- faction to find they had received no material injury. After a short drive through part of the forest, we entered a well-culti- vated plain, where the servant discovered a covey of partridges, but the rain prevented us from pursuing them. We, soon afterwards, arrived at a village, and proposed stopping at a little public-house which presented itself to our notice ; but it had such a disagreeable appearance, and was so completely crowded, that, with- out farther hesitation, we resolved to proceed to the farm-house, to which we had been invited. On our arrival we found that the farmer and his family were gone to the fair, where they were detained by the rain. They soon returned, however, and offered us the best beds they could make up for our ac- commodation. We sat down to an early supper, and several persons joined our party, among whom were both the proprietor and the tenant, the former as ill-bred and stupid a being as ever existed ; and the latter entertained us with an account of an affray, in which he had knocked VOL. II. L 74 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. down his antagonist near a bridge, and that in the scuffle they had both fallen into the water; and, indeed, his soaked appearance was a sufficient proof of this accident. We had designed to drink only a few glasses of Champaign, but the bottle circulated so freely, that, in a short time, our motley party, con- sisting of farmers, general-officers, priests, colonels, and various other characters, were, for the most part, in a state of inebriety, and such a scene of confusion ensued as I have seldom witnessed. With some dif- ficulty, however, I obtained permission to retire, and our tipsy landlord conducted me to a chamber, where the bed proved very superior to my expectations. The disturbance which took place during the night rendered it almost impossible to obtain any repose. I got up, therefore, at an early hour, and, having drank a little milk, prepared for the field. I was desirous of shooting alone, in consequence of which my beat was given me, with directions to keep to the left, just where my own inclination might lead me ; so that I was under no restriction as to extent of ground, or the species of game I might shoot. In a short time, Carlo stood in some strong stubble, but before I could get near him, a large covey had stolen off. I marked them, as also another covey which I discovered soon afterwards ; but having fol- lowed them a considerable time, they flew towards a coppice. Perceiving that nothing was to be done on the plain, where the stub- ble was short and wet, and the game ran before the dog, I thought there might be a probability of better success at the edge of the covert ; and on approaching it, I saw two coveys, among some black-thorn, mak- ing their escape into the wood, which was about ten feet high, and full of thick, lanky grass. J now expected some sport, but found myself disappointed ; for the SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 75 grass and bushes were so humid, that the water falling from the trees washed away the scent wherever the game ran, and I soon became com- pletely wet to the skin. The game, however, was in great abundance, as I am certain that I saw, at one time, coveys packed together of sixty or eighty, but they rose at the distance of a hundred and fifty or two hundred yards. After following my sport in this manner 'till near ten o'clock, Carlo stood, a quail sprung, and at the same time, but at a considera- ble distance, rose a covey of partridges. I also saw a hart, but at too great a distance to admit of my killing her. I was, at this moment, accosted by some respectable gentlemen farmers, and, suspecting I might be nearly oft" the beat, I gave them a brief account of who I was, and whence I came. They told me I had been, for some time, on another person's manor, and added that it was exceedingly wrong in him who had given me the direction, but that I was perfectly wel- come to amuse myself. I therefore continued my sport, and wounded a partridge, which I followed, and killed with great difficulty ; and by noon I had shot four brace and a half of game, including a quail. Passing the edge of a lake, I killed a duck and a snipe, when a keeper came up to me, and demanded by what authority I sported there ? I informed him, I had slept at an adjacent house, but was ignorant of the name of the proprietor, and that the rest of the party were just before us, upon which he left me, and followed them. At the same time, on hearing some partridge-calls in a covert, where I had driven in some coveys during the morning, I followed them, but without success. On coming out of the covert, I was accosted by the keeper I had before seen, who had brought with him another man armed, and after L2 76 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. several rude interrogations, I was told, that, being unattended by a keeper, I must go before the mayor. I replied, I knew too well how to respect the laws to refuse an obedience to them, and would readily attend him; but that it was necessary I should await the return of a keeper who was in the wood, to explain the circumstance for me : but he insisted on my going with him immediately. Exasperated at this treatment, I said, that all he could insist upon was my attending him to the mayor, ad- ding, he had as yet produced no order to prove that he was even entitled to examine me, and that the property I was then upon belonged to the gentleman under whose express permission I was shooting. I also repeated my willingness to see the mayor, but declared I would not submit to force. Upon this he had the insolence to lay hold of me ; however, I soon shook him off, and, presenting my gun to his head, told him decidedly, that if he again presumed to lay a hand upon me, I would blow his brains out, ordering m}r servant and his attendant to take notice, that I was ready to submit to the laws, but that I would not be ill treated. The keeper, perceiving his danger, was wise enough not to persevere, and relieved me from the necessity of doing what would have caused me much future uneasiness. In a few moments, the gentlemen and their keeper joined me, and on our return to the house, a message was sent to the mayor, intimating my readiness to attend him. However, on his finding that we were mi- litary men, he waited upon us, and gave us free permission to shoot throughout the country, observing, that we might depend on being treated with all due respect. For my own part, however, I was much dissatisfied that he did not confront me with the insolent keeper. On the departure of this magistrate, I compared the produce of my morning's sport with that of my friends, who had taken a different beat. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. They turned out pretty equal as to quantity. The general had killed two hares, and Mr. had several to produce, but, according to the French fashion, when the birds would not lay, he had tired at his dog, from whose ears we extracted several shots. Having each of us left a guinea for the house, we returned to Paris at a late hour, and the gentlemen and their ladies agreed to dine with me the following day. Reflecting on the events of the morning, it gave me a sensible satis- faction, that the keeper had not persisted in his violence, as a continua- tion of it might have brought on a catastrophe which would have in- volved me in the greatest difficulty, although the law might have jus- tified me on the ground of my acting in self-defence. The general, however, said, he should have shot him without the least hesitation, and very coolly mentioned a case in point. Next morning I waited upon the minister of finance, to get the state- ment of the value of the four departments on the bank of the Rhine. He was particularly engaged when I entered his apartment, but he im- mediately entered into conversation, and advised me to wait upon Mon- sieur Crctet, one of the privy-counsellors. I accordingly repaired thither, but all admittance was peremptorily refused. However, on the secretary hearing of my arrival, he ordered way to be made, and I was ushered into an anti-chamber, where the privy-counsellor was finishing some business of importance. The secretary made a very handsome apology for my having been kept in waiting, and as this afforded an excellent opportunity of enter- ing into conversation, I immediately introduced the subject of my hopes. He said, they had the most particular orders to attend to my views, but candidly acknowledged, that the confused state of affairs, 78 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. and the little probability that any man would come forward as I did, had occasioned an unavoidable delay. He added, that he was well assured of its being the intention of go- vernment to make every purchase as agreeable to me as possible ; that their instructions were of a nature that had never been given before ; and that I might choose my residence wherever I thought proper. He then alluded to a letter of mine, saying, that all, who had seen it, had had it translated; and that the First Consul, in particular, was so highly gratified with its contents, that he sincerely hoped I should take up my residence in France. I was then introduced to the privy-counsellor, with my letter from the minister of finance ; and in the course of conversation I observed, that my views were rather impeded by a discovery I had made of an existing law, by which it became necessary for a foreigner to reside in the coun- try ten years before he could possibly hold any post of trust; and as my plans were on a larger scale than those of the generality of purchasers, I could not think of becoming a resident under so unpleasant a circum- stance. I also stated, as my humble opinion, that such a law, framed with precipitancy, was extremely impolitic, as it closed the door against men of property, who would not be easily induced to exchange their situa- tion under a fixed and settled government, for one in a country that was but just emerging from the embers of a dreadful revolution. The privy-counsellor and his secretary appeared particularly struck with my observation, and said that if it, in any measure, depended on them, the law should be immediately abrogated ; and after pressing me to call again, they promised that every thing which was possible should be done in compliance with my wishes. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 79 Next morning, I arranged my affairs with Monsieur Perregaux, when I found the exchange four pounds sixteen shillings in the hundred against England. I soon afterwards met with Mr. Coombe, who is well acquainted with my nephew, Captain Barlow; and, in the course of conversation, he informed me, that the election at Coventry had cost fifteen thousand pounds to the successful candidate. On the ensuing day, I made application for my passports, when the ministers unanimously assured me that my remarks on some of their laws had produced such an effect in the council as to make them deter- mine on an attempt to have them revised, if not repealed altogether. The minister of finance then favoured me with several letters, to- gether with free permission to sport over all the national domains, and an order to all lieutenants of departments to pay me every possible attention. I then waited upon the minister for the home-department. He stated, that he had well weighed my plans, and had laid them before the council, who were surprised at the perspicuous manner in which I had shown the defects of their laws, feeling themselves sincerely obliged by my remarks, and expressing a wish that I would, on no account, relinquish my intention of residing among them, as they were resolved to render any purchase I might make as agreeable as possible ; and to alter the present intention respecting the legion d' konneur according to a plan I had submitted to them. The minister then, with a smile of pleasure, presented me a draft of the intended alteration in the law of naturalization ; and I must confess I was truly gratified with this singu- lar mark of urbanity and attention. He then bade me adieu, ob- serving that he had the orders of the First Consul to inf3rm me, that every thing I could wish or desire, should be done for my gratification. 80 .SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE, On quitting the minister, I purposed to commence my journey as soon as possible, and accordingly made the necessary arrangements; but the absence of Monsieur Antoine, steward of the estate, obliged me to postpone my departure. I have the honour to remain, Yours, &c. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 81 LETTER XXII. Hotel of the late Prince dc Loubise.— Departure from Paris.— Strange Con- duct of Mr. Lucas. — General Durand, a Conservator of Game. — An im- pertinent Landlord. — Meaux. — Ferte-sous-Jouavre. — LaFerme. — Beautiful Tract of Country. — Chalons. — Interview with Col. Pessisse. — Forest of Val. — St. Dezieir. — Luxuriant Scenery. — Bar-le-Duc. — Singular Mode of pre- serving Currants. — Legris. — The Cow-Herd. — Forest of Commercy. — Sta- nislaus, King of Poland, a great Sportsman. — Commercy, Stags Horns. — A quarterly Fair. — Prodigious Number of Sabots exposed to Sale. MY LORD, Commersy, Sept. 13, 1802. AFTER dispatching my last letter, I went to examine the hotel of the late Prince de Loubise, which is certainly very magnificent, though greatly out of repair. The saloon is about sixty feet by thirty-three, and has a gallery running round the upper part, which admits some well- disposed lights. The cieling is finely painted, and supported by marble columns; and there are several niches occupied by statues larger than life, supporting some beautiful wreaths of flowers. The walls are likewise ornamented, at certain distances, with fine pier-glasses ; and in a recess, resembling a natural grotto, are some marine deities, who throw up several streams of translucent water, which, in hot weather, must certainly afford the most refreshing coolness. The gardens are- very extensive, with offices, and stabling for twelve horses, and the ori- VOL. II. m 82 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. ginal rental of the estate is said to have been 4,0001. though it is now offered for sale at 12,0001. and might, probably, be purchased for a much smaller sum. I visited another hotel built on an extensive scale, and valued at 20,0001. but it was by no means so desirable as the former. Two o'clock had been fixed as the hour of our departure from Paris, but when the party were assembled, it appeared that my pass had been mislaid ; and even when this was found, another delay presented itself with regard to our landlord's bill. Messrs. B and Herault had taken upon themselves the charge of settling the business, and had offered to pay him one half immediately, together with a promise of settling the remainder after a fair examination. To these terms, however, he ob- jected, and peremptorily insisted on receiving the whole amount of his bill. I, on the other hand, determined not to submit to his extortion, and therefore stated, that I should deposit a sum equal to the demand with the mayor, and leave the final settlement of the business to a future investigation. The magistrate accepted my draft for this purpose, and here rested an affair which I had long foreseen, from the impossi- bility of procuring any account 'till the day of my departure. Matters being thus adjusted, we took a flying dinner, and the carriage was soon ready. Mr. Bryant, according to the original plan, was to remain in Paris, to copy some pictures for me, and to embrace every opportunity of improving his abilities ; while Mr. Lucas, being very de- sirous of visiting England, had agreed to accompany me on my return. On entering the carriage there was, as usual, some confusion, and seeing Monsieur Antonine and Mr. Lucas at the door, I requested the former to get into the carriage, and the latter to seat himself in the dickey, where my vakt-de-chambre had previously taken his station. We had not, however, proceeded above a mile from Paris before Mr SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 83 Lucas stopped the driver, and descended from his seat, complaining of a mal de cceur, which I translated into a stitch, occasioned by the exercise, and this opinion was confirmed by his own assertion. 1, there- fore, requested him to take Monsieur Antonine's place for a little time, assuring him that he would find no further inconvenience after quitting the pavement. However, whilst Monsieur A was in the act of mounting the dickey, Mr. Lucas said, he did not choose to ride with a valet, and with this abrupt declaration he walked away, leaving us so completely overwhelmed with astonishment, that we were incapable of even demanding the reason of such strange behaviour. This conduct appeared the more unaccountable, as it is a well-known fact, that the first nobility of both sexes travel, during warm weather, in sociables, either driving themselves, or being driven by their servants: and as I had seen this mode adopted by the most fashionable of the Parisians, I did not feel conscious of any incivility, on my part, to- ward Mr. Lucas. However, on stopping to change horses, I requested Monsieur A to write to the offended artist; and the servant who took the letter, was also desired to call on Mr. Bryant, that we might be enabled to ascertain whether either of them wished to proceed. Understanding there were plenty of quails in the neighbourhood, I wished to appropriate the following day to shooting ; but conceived it proper to forward a previous message to the conservator of the game. Accordingly, by eight o'clock the next morning, I received a visit from an officer in full uniform, who proved to be General Durand. After the usual civilities, I stated that it was merely my intention to shoot as I went forward, but he replied, with some degree of stiffness, that he was much concerned at not having it in his power to forward my wishes, the forest of Bondi, where we then were, having been given up to Ge- neral Berthier. For my own part, however, I had not seen a tree, m2 84 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. therefore could not have the smallest idea of the forest he alluded to; nor, indeed, did it appear that any leave was, in this case, necessary. But on my assuring him, that I only intended to shoot a bird or two en passant, he said, there could not be the smallest objection, and thus we parted. To our great satisfaction Mr. Lucas, having seen his error, returned to us on the following day, and as no one took any notice of what had transpired, he soon became reconciled to himselfj and the disagreeable business was altogether obliterated. On calling for our bill, however, we had a fresh subject of dispute, six livres being charged for my bed, five livres for a chicken, five for coffee for two persons, and other charges equally exorbitant. The gen- tlemen endeavoured to obtain an abatement, and offered twenty-seven livres, which was a much greater sum than the bill ought to have been. But the landlord was exceedingly impertinent, declaring he would not abate one farthing, and daring us to seek our redress. We accordingly went in quest of the mayor, whom we found confined with the gout, but, on our producing the bill, he gave his decision in writing for twenty-seven livres. This sum I offered to the landlord, but instead of accepting it, he became outrageous, abused the mayor in the most scur- rilous language, threw the money in the street, and finally had the au- dacity to seize me by the throat. Hereupon I tripped up his heels, and went a second time to the magistrate, who advised me to lay my com- plaint before the officer of police. I did so, and depositing with him the money demanded, gave notice of trial. Resuming our journey, we passed a flat, but rich country, orna- mented with several villas and hanging-woods, in the centre of which stood Ranee, belonging to my friend Monsieur Overard; and beyond this was a charming landscape, diversified with meadows, and fine SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 85 arable-land, and. dotted with some elegant seats. Here I saw two co- veys of partridges, but was unwilling to sacrifice my time in pursuing them. A French sportsman made his appearance soon afterwards, but I cannot help observing, that for every yard his dog hunted I could have walked two, with perfect ease. Arriving at Meaux, we refreshed ourselves with some capital red- wine, together with some of the finest cold pigeons I ever remembered to have seen or tasted, and to these was added some excellent cheese de Brie. The city of Meaux, situated in Champaign, and venerated on account of its antiquity, is the capital of Brie, and is watered by the river Marne, from which a. small rivulet branches, and intersects the town. Here are a line collegiate church and a cathedral, but the latter has suffered materially from the excesses of the revolution. Meaux is the see of a bishop in the diocese of Paris, from whence it is distant about twelve leagues; and the adjacent territory is remarkably fertile in corn and pasturage. Proceeding through a still more luxuriant tract of country, Ave gained a line view of the river Marne, and, at length, halted at a place called Fcrte-sous-Jouavre, or Ferte Aucol, which is, also, a town of Brie, on the river Marne, in the diocese and election of Meaux, being five leagues from that cit}^. After a good supper, for which I took care to make a previous agree- ment, we retired to rest ; and next morning crossed the Marne into the Champaign. A manufactory of mill-stones is established in the neigh- bourhood, the stones being found, in that part, about two feet below the surface of the earth, and requiring but little workmanship. Near this spot, also, Mr. Lucas took his first view of the valley. Arriving at the village of La Ferme, we changed horses at the Bi) SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. chateau riucry, the birth-place of the celebrated poet La Fontaine. Our breakfast consisted of coffee and eggs, with grapes, pears, and very fine peaches, for all which we paid but ten livres, including one livre for the female servant. The adjacent country appeared luxuriantly fertile, and owing to the peculiar mildness of the climate, the lands and woods were in the first stile of excellence. Continuing our route, we caught another view, and Mr. Lucas took a second drawing of the valley, in which stands the village of Theteau, and above it the chateau of the Due de Guise, the famous opposer of Henry the Fourth. This valley afforded a most delightful scene, and the game wild Luxuriancy displayed itself in every direction. Proceeding towards Chalons through a fine coursing-country, we ar- rived at the Golden Cup at Aix,* where we procured some excellent Grucre cheese, and delicious red and white Champaign, with which I filled the wells and pockets of the carriage: the price was rather high lor that country, being four livres per bottle; however, I ordered twenty-four dozen to be sent to me at Paris. The country through which we now passed was nearly the same with that already described, but with the addition of several villas, beauti- fully situated : the river Marne runs in front of the landscape, and be- hind it are some extensive plains, yielding every thing a sportsman could desire either for coursing or hawking, together with excellent fishing for trout and pike. Exceeding good wine is made on an estate in this neighbourhood, of which Monsieur A has the disposal, and which may be purchased for 20,0001. Arrived at Chalons, we put up at the Yomme d'Or, where we found an excellent supper, delicious Champaign, and very good beds. * The parish of Aix, or Aix-cu-Othc, is in the clioccsc and election of Troyee, from which it is, four leagues distant. .!)v,i\ iiisiggl i'-^£.> ■ S'07lfa/X£ y SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 87 Chalons is a very noble city, situated between two beautiful meadows on the border of the Marne. It is an episcopal see in the diocese of the archbishop of liheims, and contains a fine Gothic cathedral, two col- legiate churches, a college, two hospitals, and eleven parishes. It also abounds with the most agreeable public walks, and was the head-quarters of the Prussian army, while the French lay to the left of it. Mr. A - was taken prisoner upon this occasion, with his dog and gun, but was quickly liberated on his stating that he belonged to the Prince de Nassau. He told me, the troops were so dreadfully afflicted with the dysentery, that, to use his own expression, " they died like flies." The adjacent country seems better adapted for the purpose of a sportsman than cither the wolds of Yorkshire, or the finest part of Norfolk; but the game have been driven from their haunts by the rude clangor of war, and it may, probably, be long ere they return. Previous to our departure from Chalons, I found that our landlord was acquainted with my worthy friend Colonel Pessisse, of whom he spoke in the handsomest terms : and our conversation turning on sport- ing, he told me that he was keeper of the manor, and would lead me, if I thought proper, to a spot where I might get fifty, or a hundred shots at partridge and other game ; upon which I promised to take him at his word on my return. The road beyond Chalons presented on either side an open, arable country, and the valley appeared amply supplied with water and herb- age, while a variety of little villages, scattered in every direction, ren- dered the scene peculiarly interesting. Approaching Vitri, Mr. Lucas, in compliment to Col. P took a view of the town, which proved to be one of the neatest and cleanest I had hitherto seen in France. On alighting at the hotel we made some enquiries respecting Colonel 88 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. Pessisse, but before we could receive an answer he came running into the room, and stated, that having seen an English carriage of an un- common shape, he suspected it was mine, and had therefore hastened to meet me. He pressed me, in the strongest terms, to accompany him to breakfast, as his mother was particularly desirous of an interview with me ; and after some time it was agreed, that we should dine with him, and that he should afterwards accompany me to Salbruck. We then took a stroll in the town, and called at a gunsmith's, as I suspected the locks of my little double-barrel had been injured at Paris. It ap- peared, however, that they were merely clogged with dirt and oil, and consequently that my suspicions were groundless. The dinner at Colonel P 's was very excellent, and the wines of superior quality. His persuasions, also, were so irresistible, that it was impossible for me to refuse spending the evening with him. We rose early the next morning, when the colonel and his mother agreed to return to Paris with me, if I would excuse the former from proceeding to Salbruck, although he insisted on escorting me part of the way. The good old lady then furnished Mrs. T— — with an ample quantity of sweetmeats, and ordered our carriage to be loaded with fruit of the choicest kinds, after which we resumed our journey. Alter proceeding some little way, I stopped the carriage, to admire a curious view, which bounded a most extensive plain on our left. The road was remarkably fine, and, indeed, equal to any I have yet seen in this country. The colonel having left us, to return to Vitri, we observed, on our right-hand, the forest of Val, cut into beautiful ridings ; and on the left we saw the forests of Taris, Fontaine, and Bois de Beval, all of which were once well stocked with game, though, at present, there are scarcely any remaining. I must add, that these forests, together with some ca- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 8f) pital lakes for fishing, are all national property, and consequently at my service, for the amusement of sporting. We soon arrived at the town of St. Dezineir, ahout six leageus dis- tant from Vitri, and remarkable for the siege which was laid to it by Charles V. in the year 1544. Charcoal, boards, and various other articles, are conveyed on rafts down the Marne, from this town to Paris. Having changed horses, we continued our route along a magnificent chain of forest-scenery, the beauty of which appeared to augment with our increasing progress. In one place we were particularly struck with a beautiful trout-stream, and in the same neighbourhood we met with the family of a brother sportsman, who invited me to take up my resi- dence with them on my return, assuring me that I should find plenty of wild-boars, chevreuil, and partridges in the woods; and the daughter, a fine healthy girl, not knowing I was engaged, promised to accommo- date me with an excellent bed. The scenery through which we passed became still more luxuriant and fascinating as we descended towards Bar-le-Duc. The valleys were the most beautiful that can possibly be imagined, and the space between them was only of a sufficient width to form the road, the banks of which, on either side, were clothed with a profusion of vines in high cultivation ; and the clusters of red and white grapes hung so near us, that we gathered several bunches as we passed; and though the season has been very unpropitious, yet, in this situation, they do not appear to have sustained much injury. From those grapes is made the vin de Bar. On our arrival at Bar-le-Duc, I could not help remarking, that its situation resembles that of Knaresborough, near Thornville Royal ; but vol. n. N 90 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. it is upon a larger scale, and infinitely more picturesque. The environs appeared to abound with fruit, and, in many of the gardens, the pear- trees were particularly loaded. Arriving at a tolerably decent inn, we ordered dinner to be got ready, and then sauntered into the town, which has been strongly fortified. It stands in Lorraine, on the confines of Champaign, and is watered by the river Ornal, which affords such delicious trout, that they are fre- quently sent ready dressed to Paris, and the neighbouring towns. I had, of course, ordered one for dinner, but when we sat down to our repast, no trout made its appearance. It seems, that the person who had charge of it, had unfortunately consigned it to the cellar, and taken the key in his pocket: however, in lieu of the trout, we got some of the finest fried loaches I ever tasted, together with a chicken, and some excellent pigeons. A good desert was afterwards introduced, with some of the sweetmeats for which this place is particularly famous. I under- stand that the confectioners of Bar-le-Duc have a method of preserving currants whole, after extracting the seeds with a curious instrument; but the fruit thus preserved is said to be very unwholesome. Having finished our repast, and drank a few glasses of Bar wine, somewhat like high-flavoured Burgundy, we continued our journey through a tract of country beautifully diversified with woods and plains, 'till we came to a very indifferent town, called Legris. Here, as we were changing horses, a cow-herd passed us, with a motley drove of cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats. Each herd seemed to know the resi- dence of its respective owner, and dividing from the rest, returned home; but the cattle were small, and, for the most part, ill-shaped. Mr. Lucas took a drawing of the beasts and of the accompanying sce- nery, which presented itself, and which I now transmit you. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 91 A rich sylvan-scenery skirted the road leading- to the forest of Com- mercy, on which we now entered. This forest is remarkably beautiful, and formerly abounded with stags, deer, and wild-boars, but I am cre- dibly informed that, at present, there is not one left. The close of evening precluded us from seeing its beauties, though we passed through some of its finest avenues. I shall take this opportunity of observing, that the country of Lor- raine was granted by Louis to Stanislaus, king of Poland, as an asy- lum during life. He was, in every sense of the word, a great sports- man, weighing above twenty-four stone, which unwieldy corpulency obliged him to take his favourite diversion of hunting in a calash drawn by six horses. The town of Commercy, distant 69 leagues from Paris, has nothing to recommend it, if we except the palace of Stanislaus,* the former scene of festivity, but now converted into barracks. At the principal inn the traveller is greeted with a huge pair of stag's horns, under which is the following inscription : — " Husbands beware, be careful of your wives, lest, like me, you wear the antlers." As it was what they termed the quarterly fair, the town was full of peasants, who came to purchase the various articles brought thither from all parts. I was particularly struck with the number of sabots which were exposed for sale, and which appeared sufficient in quantity to have stocked a nation : they are made of the buck-wood, which grows with uncommon luxuriancy in the neighbouring forest, and are universally worn by all the inhabitants of Commercy. The healthy * The famous Charles Due de Lorraine purchased this estate for the Prince de Vaudemont; and Louis XIV. gave it to the Due Leopold in 1707. N 2 \)i SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. appearance of the peasants, and the hilarity which is ever attendant on such occasions, brought to my mind the following lines from Pope :— " Here bliss unfeigned in ev'ry eye we trace, Here heart-felt mirth illumines ev'ry face, For pleasure here has never learnt to cloy, But days of toil enliven hours of joy." Under the impression of this agreeable reflection I conclude, as usual, with subscribing myself, Your Lordship's, &c. m-- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 93 LETTER XXIII. Country beyond Commercy. — Melancholy Death of Stanislaus, King of Po- land.— Interviezv with a young Sportsman at Beaumont. — The bearded Land- lady.— Strong-Holds. — The Devil's Bridge. — Ruins of Beaufort, or Mont- morenci. — City of Met z. — Singular Law respecting Carnages. — St. Arnold. — No Tea. — A Prussian Traveller. — Principality of Nassau, — Unpleasant Intelligence. — The Soldiers J Fish. ^- Arrival at Sarbruck.— The Castle found to have been long destroyed. — Visit to the Estate. — Another hunting Seat. — Water poisoned by an Alum-Mine. — Persons dreadfully xcounded by a Wild- Boar. — Excursion to the Forest of Sa? brack. — Hunting for Water-Fowl. — Palace of Jasbourg. — Remains of the Castle of Kalsrune. — Curious Whim of its former Owner. — Magnificent Forest-Scenery. — An ancient Castle. — A sporting Palace. — Sporting Trophies. — A tipsy Postillion. — Return to Sarbruck. MY LORD, Sarbruck, Sept. 19, 1802. CJN quitting the town of Commercy, we crossed a small river, and ascended a very steep hill, from whose lofty summit Mr. Lucas took a drawing of the circumjacent scenery. The town was obscured by a thick mist, but the forest was discernible to a considerable extent, and the view altogether was calculated to excite our admiration. Here we picked up some feathers of the common partridge, and even observed some dressings, which afforded an indisputable proof, that some few birds had happily escaped the destructive hands of the poachers. When we came to descend the opposite side of the hill, the declivity 94 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. was so abrupt, that we entertained some apprehensions fur our safety ; for although one of the wheels was properly locked by what is here termed a sabot, our horses were of so wretched a description, that no reliance could be placed on them. Our fears, however, were happily unfounded, and we soon entered on an excellent road, which lay through one of the most luxuriant valleys that can possibly be imagined, the land being peculiarly fine, and clothed with the most charming ver- dure. Here Monsieur Antoine informed us, that during the life-time of the King of Poland, game of every description might be seen in the ut- most profusion. But Stanislaus has been dead some years, and I am informed that his death was occasioned by a spark of fire, which unfor- tunately caught his handkerchief, and communicated to his clothes be- fore his attendants could render any assistance, so that he expired in the most excruciating tortures. Mrs. T having discovered a partridge, I alighted ; when the bird rose, and came, with a half-wheel, so near the company, that I found it difficult to fire without some danger of wounding them. At length, however, I took a cautious aim, and succeeded ; for the partridge fell some yards nearer the carriage than I had expected. Our road now ran through a fine plain embosomed in an amphi- theatre of forest-scenery, and occasionally spotted with small woods, or coppices, beyond which we found the small and insignificant village of Beaumont. Here I saw a youth with a couple of hounds, and as he was the son of one of the principal inhabitants, he invited me to sport there a few days on my return; he said he could show me plenty of hare and partridge, though other game were rather scarce ; but the re- presentation of the prodigious number of wild-boars, stags, and roe- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 95 bucks; cocks of the wood, black-cocks, and other game, which I should find in the principality of Nassau, had so completely engrossed my at- tention as to render every other circumstance of a subordinate nature. The country through which we continued our route retained the same characteristics of rich and sylvan-scenery, but seemed deficient in the article of water: and, on re-entering the forest, a conical mountain presented itself at the end of an avenue, crowned by the ruins of an old castle, which added considerably to the romantic appearance of the ad- jacent landscape, and formed a fine coup d'ceil. We breakfasted at a small and indifferent town, where we found no- thing particularly worthy of attention except our landlady's beard; which, though not generally diffused over the face, like that of a man, was so thick and strong as to render her appearance extremely formi- dable. During our repast we were regaled with the military band, and a re- giment of light-horse paraded opposite our room, but they did not dis- pla}^ any thing particularly grand or interesting. Indeed, it is but jus- tice to say, that we derived more gratification from the view which our windows commanded of the river Moselle, and a herd of cattle which were then watering on its bank. Resuming our journey, we followed the course of the river through a fine level plain, the adjacent heights being richly clothed with wood, and many of the precipices exhibiting strong holds, or castles, of which Mr. Lucas took a drawing. Our attention was peculiarly excited by the view of what is called the Devil's Bridge, but the structure was certainly intended for neither bridge nor aqueduct. By its two remaining ends it appears to have ex- tended across the river, and united the two sides of a valley, between which is a space of about four hundred yards. But it is too narrow for 96 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. a bridge, and must have been useless as an aqueduct, the water which lies on one side being equally plentiful on the other. I am, therefore, greatly at a loss to account for the utility or original design of so ex- traordinary a building, though it might possibly have been erected to record some event, which is now buried in impenetrable oblivion. The r-oad on either side is appropriated to the cultivation of hemp, which grows there in great quantities. After passing this spot, we saw the demolished chateau of Montmo- renci, otherwise called Beaufort, and once equally famous for its strength and magnificence. We then arrived at the city of Metz, a place of great antiquity, very extensive and populous, and formerly ranked among the imperial cities. It is the capital of Messin, and is si- tuated on the conflux of the rivers Seille and Moselle. It is an episco- pal see, in the diocese of Rheims, and contains thirteen parishes, three collegiate churches, four hospitals, a cathedral, citadel, and other public buildings. The cathedral is a stupendous pile of Gothic architecture, but has suffered very materially from the ravages of revolutionary anarchy. The citadel, which commands the town, is remarkably strong, and of very remote antiquity. There are generally thirty thousand men in garrison at this place, but at present there is only one-third of that num- ber. All the surrounding hills are said to be mined, and in some places counter-mined. The emperor Charles V. laid siege to this city with an immense army in the year 1552, but was compelled to retire by the vigorous defence of the Due de Guise, who was afterwards assassinated at Blois. The former bishop of this city was styled a prince of the holy Roman empire; and I must beg leave to add, that the confectionary of this place is highly esteemed. From Metz we proceeded, over an indifferent road, to the post-house at Corcelles, but not so speedily as we could have wished; our progress SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 97 being checked by a heavy German carriage, which my post-boy durst not pass without the express sanction of government ; and it appears that this singular regulation is never broken through, although the hin- dermost carriage may be lighter, and every way better adapted for ex- pedition than the one preceding it. When we arrived at the post-house, a gentleman alighted from the German carriage, and ordered some tea for a lady, but no such thing- was to be had. I, therefore, informed him, by my servant, that some of mine should be at his service, and he accordingly returned me his personal thanks. In the course of conversation I discovered that he was going through Sarbruck, the town in which stands the chateau of Nassau, the place of our destination ; and he consented to take a glass of wine with me at our next stage. On our arrival at St. Avoid, the first town in the German dominions, we put up at a miserable looking inn, where the before-mentioned gen- tleman introduced us to his mother, who shewed me a favourite dog which she assured me was true English, but it was, in reality, a sad cross be- tween a CT and a terrier. The gentleman informed me, that he was aid-de-camp to the late Prince Henry of Prussia ; and that he and his mother travelled day and night, and did not intend to stop 'till their arrival at Berlin. He also stated, that after the dispatch of his present business, he meant to amuse himself for about a month, in the coun- try, with fox-hunting ; at the same time giving me a cordial invitation to accompany him, and reminding me, that the great fair at Frankfort lay in our way, which might operate as a strong inducement to a tra- veller who had so much leisure time as myself. I, in return, begged him to favour me with his company to the forest of Nassau ; where, as a sportsman, I expected to find the most sanguine VOL. II. o 98 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. ideas I had ever formed completely realized. But he said, he had never heard of such an abundance of game as Monsieur Antoine's description had led me to expect ; and lamented that his pressing avocations did not permit him to accept my invitation. With these mutual civilities we parted, after expressing a hope that we might meet in Paris in the course of the ensuing winter. Leaving St. Avoid, we soon entered the principality of Nassau, the approach to which lies through a valley of the most picturesque ap- pearance, shaded on either side by a venerable wood, and watered by a rivulet whose limpid stream and golden sand seemed to realize the fic- tions of the most romantic writers. Indeed, such was the beauty of this charming situation, that it is extremely difficult to convey an adequate idea of it to the lover of scenic magnificence. Beyond this beautiful spot, we entered a fine, broken country, where a rich variety of meadow and arable-lands presented themselves to our observation. We then passed some hundred acres of potatoes, mixed with sun-llowers, and Indian-corn where we looked, but in vain, for the profusion of game said to be in this principality. After passing through Forbach, where the German language is ge- nerally used, with the exception of a patois French, which is hardly intelligible, we met a chasseur, of whom I made some enquiries re- specting the principal subject of my wishes. He replied, to my great mortification, that the country of which I had heard such great things, did not contain a single wild-boar, stag, or hare; and that partridges were extremely scarce, though I might meet with plenty of snipes; and on my telling him that my expectations had been chiefly fixed on Sar- bruck, he assured me that, among other calamities of war, the game had been either driven from their haunts, or almost entirely destroyed SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 99 by poachers. A piece of information which seemed to occasion some confusion to Monsieur Antoine, on whose assertions I had grounded all my hopes. As the plain before us consisted of a heavy, sandy soil, and as the road had proved extremely heavy ever since we left St. Avoid, my car- riage proceeded but slowly, and gave me an opportunity of occasionally walking, but I was not fortunate enough to meet with a single par- tridge, although the grounds were extremely favourable. Indeed, I do not recollect to have seen any birds except two starlings, and those I killed. We soon entered on an irregular, but well-cultivated country, richly diversified with fields of corn, and tracts of cabbages and potatoes, the whole admirably calculated for sporting, had there been any game re- maining. The wood-land, indeed, surpassed every thing of the kind we had previously witnessed, and so far answered the description given by Monsieur Antoine. Delighted in viewing this beautiful scenery, Mrs. T accompanied me, on foot, for a couple of miles. The Indian-corn was in the diffe- rent stages of ripeness, being of a reddish purple, and yellow; and no- thing could be better calculated than this situation, under all its circum- stances, for the well-founded expectation of finding abundance of sport. However, wre crossed the plain, and came within sight of the church of Sarbruck, without meeting with game of any description. At this spot, chance threw in my way two soldiers, one of whom, by his conversation, appeared to possess some property in the country. He said, he had served during the war, and was anxious to retire from the service after the wounds he had received, and the fatigues he had un- dergone on behalf of his country. His wishes were certainly reason- able, but I confess I had little hope of his seeing them realized. o2 100 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. On re-entering the carriage, I had some thoughts of immediately- driving to the castle, but after a little consideration I requested Monsieur Antoine to go forward, and make some arrangements for our reception, while we proceeded to the Stag inn. The accommodations were tole- rably comfortable, and I naturally made some enquiries relative to the adjacent estate : but the answer I received seemed to indicate that my- self and the person I addressed were labouring under a mutual mistake. At length, however, I discovered that there had been a very fine castle some years ago, but that the whole had been long since destroyed by fire ; and, on my walking out with Mrs. T , we had ocular demon- stration that the whole of Monsieur Antoine's account had no other ori- gin than his own fertile invention. The person who had thus deceived me soon returned, and perceived that his imposition was detected : however, as I knew that remonstrance would have been of no avail, I summoned patience to my aid, and or- dered dinner. I then waited upon the prefect and the administrator of the national domain, both of whom received me with the utmost po- liteness, and promised to honour me with a visit on the ensuing day. The evening was passed in conversation with our landlord, whom I requested to enquire for some person in whom I might confide; as I considered myself very ill treated by M. Antoine, not indeed so much in a pecuniary sense as in the loss of my time, which was of far greater consequence. Next day we ordered a German carriage, and went to see the re- maining part of the estate of Sarbruck, being accompanied by a Mr. Dern, who had been formerly in the service of the Prince of Nassau. The estate was situated on a hill at about the distance of one mile from the town; and exhibited a beautiful assemblage of wood, water, and SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 101 meadow-land; but even the shell of the chdteau, which had escaped the flames, had been demolished by the French and Prussian troops. From thence we drove to another hunting-seat, situated in the centre of a most interesting park, surrounded with beautiful forest-scenery, and having an ample supply of water in the bottom. I had a strong in- clination to fix at once on this spot, but I found the water had been poisoned by the washing-in of an allum-inine, and consequently no fish could exist in it. This circumstance, indeed, might have been counter- acted by turning the course of the stream which ran from the mine ; but I considered it as an insurmountable objection. On our return, Mr. Dern shewed me a spot in the park, where he had been formerly wounded by a wild-boar, and on the same day one of the guards who was at the hunt met with a similar misfortune, re- ceiving several lacerations, which confined him to the hospital for eighteen months. Next day we proceeded again to inspect the forest of Sarbruck. The road was nearly the same as that which we had passed the preceding- evening, consisting entirely of a deep sand. After a drive of two leagues the country became still more engaging, and on arriving at a village, we saw a winding-road, on each side of which were trees cut down after the mode practised in America, and which appeared to have been done by the Prussian soldiers for fuel. A magnificent park-scene suddenly opened to our view, where we beheld two beautiful lakes, and the remains of a very ancient castle. Here Mr. Dern hunted his dog for water-fowl. The animal put up, and chased some very large snipes, and some aquatic-birds which were quite new to me. I was, indeed, greatly mortified, as a snipe which appeared almost as large as a woodcock alighted near Mrs. T : this 102 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. bird, also, the confounded dog put up, and chased in full cry, and then swam across the lake. Seeing that nothing was to be done, I went up to Mr. Dern, who was patiently endeavouring to take some fish with a small net, as he rented the lakes. He caught a prodigious quantity of carp, but all of a moderate size, in the lower lake ; and I went with Mr. D to try the edge of the lake for water-fowl. We put up, as before, several snipes, and on a brace of large birds rising I shot one of them; but it fell among the reeds, and nothing could prevail on the dog to bring it away, not- withstanding he had been taught to fetch and carry. We also flushed several wild-ducks, but finding myself completely wet, and labouring under a severe cold, I thought it expedient to quit the pursuit. Accord- ingly, after procuring a pair of dry stockings, we proceeded, highly pleased with our excursion. At the distance of about a mile we saw another lake much superior to the former, the water being clear as crystal, and covering nearly three hundred acres, though destitute of the beautiful scenery which rendered that so peculiarly fascinating : the plain at the end of it is immense, and stretches as far as the eye can possibly discern. Proceeding four miles farther we came to a well-cultivated country, finely diversified with woods and plains, and surrounded on all sides, except the north-east, by a chain of stupendous forests. Here we saw the palace of Jasbourg, one of the principal seats of the Due de Deux- Ponts, together with the remains of the once famous castle of Kalsrune, which seems perched like an eagle on the top of a pinnacle. It is said, that the late duke insisted that no traveller should pass this castle without taking off his hat ; and that a refusal of compliance with this absurd mandate was invariably followed by a sound beating : a never- failing argument with a German. ^HWW^W mgl (% z**a~j^-&J<:^ ~ 102 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. bird, also, the confounded dog put up, and chased in full cry, and then swam across the lake. Seeing that nothing was to be done, I went up to Mr. Dern, who was patiently endeavouring to take some fish with a small net, as he rented the lakes. He caught a prodigious quantity of carp, but all of a moderate size, in the lower lake ; and I went with Mr. D to try the edge of the lake for water-fowl. We put up, as before, several snipes, and on a brace of large birds rising I shot one of them ; but it fell among the reeds, and nothing could prevail on the dog to bring it away, not- withstanding he had been taught to fetch and carry. We also flushed several wild-ducks, but finding myself completely wet, and labouring under a severe cold, I thought it expedient to quit the pursuit. Accord- ingly, after procuring a pair of dry stockings, we proceeded, highly pleased with our excursion. At the distance of about a mile we saw another lake much superior to the former, the water being clear as crystal, and covering nearly three hundred acres, though destitute of the beautiful scenery which rendered that so peculiarly fascinating: the plain at the end of it is immense, and stretches as far as the eye can possibly discern. Proceeding four miles farther we came to a well-cultivated country, finely diversified with woods and plains, and surrounded on all sides, except the north-east, by a chain of stupendous forests. Here we saw the palace of Jasbourg, one of the principal seats of the Due de Deux- Ponts, together with the remains of the once famous castle of Kalsrune, which seems perched like an eagle on the top of a pinnacle. It is said, that the late duke insisted that no traveller should pass this castle without taking off his hat ; and that a refusal of compliance with this absurd mandate was invariably followed by a sound beating : a never- failing argument with a German. ^^«s^^ V:/f V///X L /""/,, 7 ,'/,< , /rate ■ J '.■ ' ■' SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 103 Beneath the fortress stands the village of* Homberg, two leagues to the north-west of Deux-Ponts; and above these objects run a varied and picturesque succession of high hills. At the head of the lake, the dog (for he was not worthy the name of a pointer) flushed, out of some potatoes, a covey of partridges. I fol- lowed and marked them, but could never afterwards find them. He also flushed out of some buck-wheat, a bevy of quails, and following him up very quick, I contrived to shoot two brace and a half; when the heavy sands and heat of the day obliged me, though with great re- luctance, to get into the carriage, and proceed towards the sporting- seat of H . In order to obtain a tolerable idea of the country through which We passed, you must figure to yourself a line of magnificent forests, cut into the finest ridings and as soft as velvet; displaying a profusion of weeping birch and spreading oaks; and occasionally diversified by craggy rocks of free-stone, feathered with the silver beech and a variety of firs. At the foot of these forests were seen whole acres of broom and sweet- scented juniper, which are said to give a peculiarly fine flavour to the game; and the plains were crowned with exuberant crops of buck- wheat, oats, barley, rye, turnips, and Indian-corn, to which were added some few acres of rape. The adjacent meadows were watered by some beautiful rivulets ; and there are, also, lakes both natural and artificial, in one of which I saw a great quantity of fine ducks, adding fresh charms to the scene, in the eyes of a sportsman. Turning toward Ninekirk, we saw an immense plain, consisting o£ at least, four thousand acres, and then descended into the village lead- ing to the palace, where we observed a small lake and some picturesque rocks. 104 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. The castle is so much concealed, that, on our approach, it seemed lost for some time. On our arrival, we alighted at the house of an old keeper, and were conducted through the stables, which seemed large enough to contain forty horses, but they had been entirely gutted. From thence we entered an avenue of forest-trees, and passed through an arched way in tolerable preservation, opening on a terrace which overlooked a coppice of about thirty acres, with a lake, and an iron- fouudery at the head of it. On the opposite side were some fine mea- dows, and a wood of about three hundred acres in extent; but if the farther side of the hill be taken into the account, it will amount, alto- gether, to a thousand, or twelve hundred German acres. From the terrace behind us we observed, through the foliage, one of the most beautiful modern buildings that can be conceived. This was a sporting-palace, of which Mr. Lucas took a drawing, while we went to inspect the interior. The centre apartment is of a circular form, and its dimensions are about fifty-five feet; on each side are rooms of thirty-six feet each; and besides a gallery of sixty feet by forty, there are octagonal observatories of thirty-five feet diameter. The back-front is decorated with a profusion of horns of stags, deer, roe-bucks, and wild-boars, belonging to those animals which had been killed in the park, and adorned with silver escutcheons; while those which had fallen without the park were commemorated with plates of brass. The tusks of a wild-boar which had wounded two keepers, and de- stroyed a whole pack of hounds, three couples excepted, appeared pre- eminently marked in this collection. After refreshing ourselves with some wine and cold provisions, which we had brought with us, I gave a dozen of white hock to the old do- mestics who soon surrounded us, and appeared to have seen happier SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 105 days. We then set out on our return to Sarbruck ; but it soon became dark, and the German boor who drove us was so completely intoxicated, that I confess I entertained some fears respecting our safety : I kept my opinion to myself, however, that Mrs. T might not be alarmed, and about ten o'clock we arrived at Sarbruck without any accident. Our excursion, upon the whole, had proved very agreeable, and that my long letter may afford your lordship a small portion of the pleasure we experienced, is the sincere wish of Yours, &e. VOL. II. 106 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. LETTER XXIV. Salt-Works near Sarbruck.— Ospreys, or Sea- Eagles.— Accidental Meeting with Monsieur Antoine.— Bliss Castle.— Deux-Ponts.— Prizes Shot for by the Chasseurs.— A remarkable Bird called the Hippoo.—Bad Accommoda- tions.—Castle of Deux-Ponts.— Barbel and Cray-Fish excellent in Ger- many.—Hunting-Seat of the late Due de Deux-Ponts.— Trying for Water- Fowl.— Accidental Death of the Whipper-in to the late Prince of Nassau.— Adjournment to Dinner at a Farm- House. —Return to Sarbruck. MY LORD, Sarbruck, Sept. 24, 1802. THE ensuing morning we set out with a large party to view a salt- work about two leagues to the north-east of Sarbruck. Our German carriage was occupied by Mrs. T , Col. Duchelle, Mr. Lisle, Mr. Lucas, and myself; but the remainder of the party gave the preference to a walk. The drive by the river Sarre * was very beautiful, although the road proved sandy, and we crossed the stream at a small village, the name of which has escaped my memory. The salt-works which we inspected were very curious, and must have cost a considerable sum of money in erecting. The quantity of land employed in this manufactory is said to be thirty-four acres, but, from * A river in Lorraine, at a small distance from Salur, near Treves. It begins to be navigable at Saialbe. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 107 an attentive observation, I am inclined to think there are, at least, a hundred English acres; all of which, including a capital house, might be purchased at a valuation to produce eight per cent, and in six years it would clear the fee-simple. After contemplating the beauty of the situation for some time, the at- tention of our company was excited by what they imagined to have been two buzzards, but which I discovered to be ospreys, or sea-eagles. Some trifling bets were made on this occasion, and referred to my deci- sion, in consequence of which I communicated to the parties what 1 have just stated. At the same juncture we saw the birds in question alternately dash into the river in quest of fish; and according to the ac- count of some boatmen, this was their daily practice. Stopping to take some refreshments in the village, I noticed a ches- nut-mare, tolerably well-shaped, and curiously dappled : the price de- manded for her was only eleven guineas; but I understood she way eight years old, and had had several foals. Having passed an uncommonly fine display of butcher's-meat, and observed a regiment of well-dressed light-horse, we re-crossed the Sarre, and proceeded into a finely-cultivated country, abounding with wild pear-trees of an immense size. Here I was much surprised to meet with Monsieur Antoine, who, having been dismissed by me on account of his gross misrepresentations, was now journeying to Paris on foot, and with only a few sols in his pocket. I therefore gave him a gui- nea, then proceeded through a country which appeared to improve at almost every step, 'till we observed the steep and rugged mountains which run into Bliss Castle. I should have stated, that at our late place of halt, the receiver of the national domain, who resides there, very politely offered to send me the value of the property on sale. p2 108 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. The town of Bliss, which previous to the revolution must have been very beautiful, is now sadly disfigured and mutilated, its principal edi- fices having been demolished for the sake of their materials; and strange as it may appear, the magnificent castle which had cost twenty thousand pounds in erecting, was actually sold to a Jew at Sarbruck for twenty- five guineas ! ! — Here, also, we saw the ruins of a fine church which had been suffered to fall to decay even before its completion. Proceeding towards Deux-Ponts, we entered a rich valley of mea- dow-land, through which runs the Bliss, a river almost entirely concealed bv its lofty banks, but rapid and full of trout. Here were several herds of cattle and horses grazing, with a few goats. Our route lying through an unfrequented road, we narrowly escaped being overturned into a piece of water which had no firm bottom; and on proceeding a little further, we were threatened with a similar acci- dent, by some logs of wood which lay in our way. However, we soon struck into another road, and passing an inconsiderable village, we ar- rived safely at Deux-Ponts. Here I ordered supper, and whilst it was preparing, I walked out with Mrs. T , to view some beautiful gar- dens, which, together with an excellent house, were to be disposed of for 5001. or rather, as I discovered afterwards, for 3001. Deux-Ponts is the capital of a duchy of the same name, and is si- tuated on the river Schwolbe, nineteen leagues north-east of Metz. The old castle is still standing, and intended for barracks; but the new one has been destroyed by fire, and nothing but the mere shell remains; so that here, as in almost every other place, the revolution has left some melancholy vestiges. of its unbridled fury. The orangerie of the late Due de Deux-Ponts is still remaining, being a fine building of a dusky- coloured stone, but beautifully variegated like marble, and not unplea- sant to the eye. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 100 At six o'clock the ensuing morning we resumed our journey, and after riding a few miles, we had a view of Homburg, the residence of the duke's falconer, who gave me a favourable account of the country for hawking. The heaviness of the road obliged our driver to proceed slowly, and afforded me an opportunity of taking my gun and my dog, and shooting at the head of the great lake of Limbach, where I killed two brace and a half of quails. I then re-entered the carriage, and after a most delightful ride, stop- ped at Ninekirk, where we had a cold dinner, with some fruit, and ex- cellent wine. Alter this repast, we proceeded through the grand forest of Nassau, and arrived safely at Sarbruck, where we got a bottle of ex- ceeding fine Champaign rose, which had been brought from Chalons. Having breakfasted, in the morning, with counsellor Lille, we-went to see the chasseurs shoot at a target for prizes, and having heard the German rifles highly praised, I naturally expected great things. The distance which they took was 126 yards, but to my great disappoint- ment they did nothing. The principal prize for the day was a Paris gun, and the place ap- pointed for the trial was the orange-garden of the late Prince of Sar- bruck, which was adorned with a variety of exotics and flowering- shrubs. The two first prizes were won by Col. D • , and about sixty gai-des of the forest attended, being well-looking men, dressed in uni- form. After dinner we proceeded for Ninekirk-castle, an elegant building, which we contemplated in different points of view ; and then entered on an immense plain of forty thousand acres, well cultivated with buck- wheat. Here we put up at a little public-house ; from whence I strolled out with my gun, and soon found some quails, of which 1 killed a brace 110 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. and a half. I also saw a bird whose species I was totally unacquainted with, though it rose very near me. However, on bringing it down, I found it to be a hippoo ; and I then recollected having followed a bird of this kind, or very nearly resembling it, at Valence. Our accom- modations for the night were of the most inferior description ; but a good supper and some excellent Champaign enabled us to bear other privations with tolerable patience. The keeper attended according to the direction he had received; but as he stated that game was extremely scarce, I deferred my intention of shooting, and proceeded to Deux-Ponts, the approach to which lies through a magnificent forest, where there is a sheet of water in the form of a lake, through which runs a river, winding, and then losing itself in a fine forest comprehending a park of thirty miles in cir- cumference. From a distant view of the castle we conceived it to be a most mag- nificent structure, but, on a nearer approach, we had the mortification to find it a mere shell, the interior having been demolished, though the walls were entire, and in tolerable preservation. The house is three hundred and fifty feet in front, the north and south wings differing in point of architecture, though both are equally correct and elegant : the south wing has a magnificent projection, and a bow of about fifty feet, while the opposite wing has a semicircular recess of the same dimen- sions. The cellars are cut out of the solid rock, and appear sufficiently capacious to contain all the wine in the principality. The kitchen and offices are detached and well concealed; and a sufficiency of water brought in aqueducts, from a distance of three miles, for all the pur- poses of the house and gardens. We proceeded through the small deer-park, eight miles in circumfe- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 1 1 1 rence, and cut into an infinity of ridings, the wood consisting of larch, firs, and weeping-birch ; while the higher lands were crowned by a pro- fusion of venerable oaks and beeches, and the intervening vales .clothed with the most tender grass, and watered by several meandering-streams, the soil being a mixture of sand and gravel. Quitting this romantic scene, we were shown a house and a building- intended for a stud of eight hundred horses, where there was some ex- cellent pasturage, well enclosed, and situated in the centre of the great park, which is also surrounded by a forest, the whole comprising twenty- two miles in diameter. The sheets of water were all out of order, and damaged by the mal- practices of the Prussians in stealing the fish. The largest covers about five hundred acres, and abounds in rocky scenery. There are, also, se- veral others, comprising from one to two hundred acres each, having been formerly stocked with the finest pike, perch, carp, tench, and eels. The barbel of the river Trent is not held in any estimation with us, but in France this fish is peculiarly excellent; and cray-fish, which may be purchased for sixpence per hundred, are of the size of small lob- sters. Finding that it would be impossible to reach Sarbruck the same even- ing, I stopped at an inn in a little village, and requested the landlady to procure some trout and cray-fish, while we went to see the favourite hunting-seat of the late Due de Deux-Ponts. We accordingly pro- ceeded through a fine tract of country 'till we came to the estate called Petersham, which brought to my recollection the name of a nobleman (now Lord Harrington) with whom I formerly lived in habits of friend- ship, and who has since married my worthy friend, Miss Fleming. This seat lays in a vale, at a short distance from the great road. 112 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. The house is of a commodious size, with a neat lawn before it. There are, also, good gardens, with a stream of water, and some farms of about 2000 acres annexed. It seems to have escaped, in a great mea- sure, the ravages of the revolution, but the leaden-pipes, both above and under the ground, are nearly demolished. I here entered into conversation with a Newmarket-groom, who had formerly lived near my family-seat, and had since been in the service of the duke. He told me that this place had been one of the finest sport- ing countries in the world, affording immense quantities of game, with wild-boars in profusion ; but that very few were now left : he added, however, that the inhabitants of the country were desirous of protect- ing and preserving them. On returning to the village we found a comfortable dinner and some good wine, but could not procure any fish on account of the unusual lowness of the river. Being desirous of taking a second view of the chateau, we set out by another road, over as beautiful a sandy plain as any in Norfolk, but more diversified, and better adapted for coursing. On arriving at the spot, we gave the servants some refreshment, after which we returned to the village, and were accommodated even better than at dinner. Next morning, Lombach, the falconer whom I had hired, together with the keeper and the mayor, all attended to conduct me to a spot where I should find plenty of game. They had boasted so much of their dogs that I did not take my own, but left him in the carnage, which followed slowly after. We began at the head of the great lake, where we saw some ducks, but could not get near them : however, to try my little gun, I shot at a carrion-crow at the distance of about seventy yards. We then entered SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 11,1 a charming morass, with a lake which had been in part destroyed by the Prussians. I was obliged to hunt it down wind, tying up the Ger- man dogs, which were totally unfit for snipe. In this pursuit I sunk, more than once, into a quag-mire, where the prince's whipper-in, some years since, was hesitating whether he should go to the assistance of some hounds which had got an old stag at bay; but on his master's asking if he were afraid, he immediately dashed in, and sunk to rise no more ! It is, indeed, reported, that neither himself nor his horse were ever found; but the English groom told me, they were got out with much difficulty some days after the accident had happened. I killed six brace and a half of remarkably large snipes, and had they not been uncommonly shy, I believe I might have shot fifty. The morass formed part of a lake, which, added to the lower sheet of water, made a space of three miles of the clearest surface. The park, which is intersected by a charming trout-stream, is surrounded by magnificent forests, the soil being irregular, and well-calculated, ex- cept the lower part, for oats, barley, rye, turnips, and clover. The valleys are clothed with abundance of grass, and the situation is alto- gether charming. Notwithstanding the unpleasant manner in which the forenoon had glided away, we found ourselves very well inclined for dinner; and ac- cordingly repaired to a farm-house charmingly situated between two lakes. Here I killed two brace more of snipes, two brace and a half of grey-partridge, and a wild-mallard, after which I sat down with my companions to a cold dinner, and some excellent Champaign. Our repast being over, we set out on our return, and arrived, at a late hour, in Sarbruck. VOL. II. Q 114 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. Having stolen upon a portion of the time usually devoted to repose, in order to give your lordship as long an epistle as possible, I shall relinquish my pen for the present, after subscribing myself Your Lordship's, &c. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANC1-. 115 LETTER XXV. Lodavisky. — Strange Conduct of the Receiver of national Property at Sar- bruck. — Col. T obliged to follow him to Bliss Castle. — Seat of the Comp- tesse de Ligny. — The Receiver convinced of his Error. — Return to Sarbruck. Satire Louis. — Mistake, of the Postillion, and consequent Ferry across the Moselle. — Further Observations on the Devil's Bridge. — Forest of La Reine. — Sporting at Beaumont. — St. Michael's. — Bar-le-Duc. — Method of culti- vating the Vineyards and making Wine in France. — High Flavour of Birds that feed on the ripe Grapes. — The Abbey ofTrois Fontaine. — Loss and Re- covery of Air. Lucas's Book of Sketches. — Arrival at San dree. MY LORD, Sandree, Oct. 3, 1802. W E had prepared every thing for bidding adieu to Sarbruck the next morning, but were strongly pressed to take a view of the other sporting- lodge, near the town called Lodavisky. It consists of a walled-park, about four miles in circumference, and although the walls have felt the rude hand of the revolution, they may be repaired at a reasonable ex- pence. In its former state, this park must have been very beautiful, standing at the entrance of the grand forest of Sarbruck, and leading into another of greater extent, where there was a neat hunting-box in the centre, and ridings branching from it in every direction for upwards of two leagues. q 2 1 16 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. The house and the menagerie are totally demolished, and the fine collection of exotics which formerly adorned the garden are greatly da- maged : the sheets of water still remain, but as the pipes which supplied the fountains were unfortunately of lead, they have left their peaceful abode, and have been transformed into bullets. On returning to the town, I enquired after my passes, which had been very politely sent to me, by the receiver of the national property, from Bliss Castle; but the messenger whom I had remunerated for his trouble, had delivered them to the receiver at Sarbruck. I had the additional mortification to find, on applying at Monsieur Albert's, that he was from home, and his clerk, a well-informed young man, told me, that he had the most positive orders not to deliver the papers into my hands. After some consideration I resolved on following M. Albert to Nine- kirk, where I understood he was gone ; but on arriving there I found he had departed for Bliss Castle. This was, indeed, vexatious, but as there was no remedy, I determined to follow him thither. The road lay across the forest of Sarbruck, and passed through a fine estate of Mon- sieur Desbie. Beyond this, I entered on a most charming forest where the road, at intervals, almost touched the margin of an extensive lake that frequently presented itself between the venerable oaks, and was terminated by a mill; while a castle, composed of the various specimens of architecture, and standing on a rocky eminence, formed the back- ground of this truly fascinating landscape. Having, with some difficulty, ascended to this curious edifice, I found that it belonged to the Comptesse de Ligne. The property is not va- lued at more than 1251. per annum, comprehending a small park of 150 acres, with a mill, and a lake of 130 acres. The house is very com- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 117 modious, though rather out of repair; and leading to it, is a neat cottage- entrance, with stahling and gardens on the opposite side of the lake, and about 80 acres of arable-land. There is, also, as I was informed, another lake, behind the house, of seventy acres, formerly abounding with trout, but now nearly dried up. From thence runs, tumbling over rocks, a sheet of translucent-water, forming a natural cascade. In the lower lake are some remarkabty fine pike, perch, carp, tench, and eels ; while the circumjacent country abounds with snipes, wood- cocks, and water-fowl, all the year round. I am almost determined to purchase this property, being well assured that it is worth double the price demanded. Resuming my route, I proceeded to Bliss Castle; and while Mr. D went in search of the receiver, I entered the inn, and com- menced a conversation with three very agreeable young women. Two of them, however, were called away by business, and I was left with the third, who very cordially accepted my invitation of going to Eng- land ; saying, it was a country she had long wished to see, as she was heartily tired of her own ; and, of course, we soon became better ac- quainted. Mr. D informed me, on his return, that the inspector of Sar- bruck was at the house of the inspector of Bliss Castle. I accordingly went thither, and entered the room where he was sitting with his clerk; but though I am persuaded he knew me, he did not even receive me with the politeness of a gentleman. I desired him to peruse the letter from the minister of the interior, at the same time giving two others from the minister of finance, and enquiring whether he approved of them. He replied in the affirmative, on which I demanded his reason for detaining the papers forwarded to me by the inspector, in whose 1 IB SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. house we were conversing, and who, unfortunately for us, was at that moment dangerously ill. He had very little to say for himself, but acted most unhandsomely throughout. I told him it was not for me to dictate to an inspector of Sarbruck the behaviour he should show to a stranger recommended as I was, but I added, that had he been in a si- milar situation in England, and near me, he should not have had the trouble of hunting me out like a deer, as I had been compelled to do with respect to himself. I then desired that he would either empower me to demand the pa- pers, or act as he thought proper; upon which he gave me an order for the passes, promising also to send copies of the other papers which I wanted. The business being thus settled, he attended me in the most humble manner to the stairs, through the house, and even into the street. Having taken a comfortable dinner, and made some enquiries con- cerning the estate of the Comptesse de Ligne, I returned to Sar- bruck, where I found my friends waiting supper, and unable to account for my long absence. I, accordingly, related my adventure, and, at the same, time, sent the inspector's order for my papers, which were im- mediately forwarded by the clerk, with a politeness equal to the unbe- coming conduct of his employer. We, at length, quitted Sarbruck, after paying an exorbitant bill, and, changing our road, went by Sarre Louis;* the distance from Metz being the same as by Forbach, and I was well assured that it could not be through a heavier sand. The road, indeed, was less agreeable than * Sarre Louis is a strong fortified town, built by Louis XIV. in l6"S0. It is about 13 leagues dis- tant from Metz, and 90 from Paris. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. ] 19 the former, but this circumstance was, in some measure, compensated, by our travelling on the banks of the Sarre, which rolled almost under the wheels of our carriage 'till we came to Sarre Louis. There appeared to have been a fine park with some sheets of water, belonging to the monks in this part of the country, which is remarkably well adapted for hawking. A kite followed us for a considerable time, and it was a sensible mortification to me that I had not a cast of hawks to fly him. Having changed horses at Sarre Louis, and purchased some fine larks at one livre per dozen, we entered on a fine coursing-country, of which Mr. Lucas took a drawing. The road, in this place, was considerably better than by Forbach, and the forest differed from another which we had passed, being more open, though still of a most pleasing appear- ance. On our arrival at Metz we put up at the hotel cf Angleterre, where we procured a good supper and desert, with some fine Burgundy and Champaign, and excellent beds, at a very moderate rate, the whole charge for three persons, including a bed for the servants, being only twenty-five livres :— a striking contrast to the impositions Ave had almost uniformly met with in the preceding part of our tour. In the morning our postillion mistook the road ; but as he had said something, in coarse German, of a high mountain Avhich was to be pas- sed in the course of our route, I could not help remarking the uninter- rupted flatness of the soil as totally inconsistent with the idea he had held out; and, at length, I discovered that we were retracing our way by a different road. The boy, however, corrected his error, by crossing the river in one of the best constructed ferry-boats I ever saw. Several ves- sels were here at anchor, waiting for the hour of flood ; and I remarked 120 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. great numbers offish leaping' in the water; but I could not, from want of time, adjust my tackle so as to partake of the sport which the stream appeared to promise. We now came within view of the Devil's-Bridge, and, as I had now more leisure to examine it than before, I shall subjoin a few words upon the subject. I have already remarked that it originally stretched over a valley four hundred yards wide ; but the two ends and a few pillars are now its only remains, the middle part which crossed the river being entirely gone. Tradition gives a confused account that it was an aqueduct built by the Romans. It is certain that there are many of this description in Italy; and at that period the water it was intended to conduct might. possess some peculiar properties, otherwise, as there is no town nor vil- lage where this bridge ends, and the one it crossed must have been suf- ficiently supplied by the Moselle, it is difficult to account for its utility, as it is too narrow for carriages. For the satisfaction of the antiquary, I shall remark, that the remains of this building is composed of small stones, in the shape, and nearly the size of bricks. The road passes under one of the arches, the height of which is apparently about sixty feet. The sharp air of the morning gave an additional zest to an excellent breakfast at our next stage ; and after changing horses we proceeded to- wards Sandree where I had promised to spend a few days. Passing through a fine sporting-country we saw, at some distance from the road, the well-known forest of La Reine, in which we were informed there had once been a magnificent lodge, but now completely destroyed. We understood, however, that there was still abundance of game at Beaumont, where I had been strongly invited to sport ; but the indispensable necessity of pressing forward to arrange my concerns SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 121 with the minister at Paris, rendered it impossible for me to avail myself of the invitation. I must remark, that at Beaumont we passed a large sheet of water, where I saw some aquatic-birds with which I was totally unacquainted. They seemed of the character of a heron, but were lower in stature : they also swam about, and, I believe, dived; but as they were out of shot, and I unfortunately had no boat, I was compelled to leave them, though with great reluctance. Proceeding a little farther, I marked a covey of partridges among some thick brushwood, and took out my gun, which was loaded every day ready, in case of meeting with any game. The ground here was moist, and I expected good sport. I placed the servants near the com- pany in the carriage, so that they might be able to assist me. In about an hour, I killed ten brace and a half, and was coming away, when a very large covey was seen at the farther end of the cover. As the day was so favourable I was persuaded to follow up the sport ; and determined to retaliate upon Mrs. T , who had jocularly said, that I had left all the game behind me in England. I was, therefore, resolved to take my fill, and having sent to the village for some refreshments, I proceeded to kill all I could. In hunting my dog through the covert two more coveys rose, and I then saw this was a remise, or what we call a preserve. Carlo never behaved better. I shot for three hours, and bagged twenty-seven head, and a couple and a half of rabbits. I saw a leash of hares but did not get a shot. The partridge were all of the brown kind. On re-entering the carriage I found that two roads lay before us, the one branching off to Commercy, which we had previously seen, and the other to St. Michael. We therefore preferred the latter, and VOL. II. R J22 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. after riding for some time through another part of the extensive forest of Coramerey, we arrived at St. Michael, which proved to be an in- different town, with a small trout-stream running through it. The only objects, indeed, that excited our attention in this place, were some handsome barracks, which appeared to have been recently erected. The adjacent plain is very extensive, and well-adapted for hawking. Arriving at Bar-le-Duc,* we refreshed ourselves with some excellent Bar wine, the peculiarly fine flavour of which induced me to order six hogsheads, notwithstanding the additional charge occasioned by the failure of the vintage. This subject brings to my recollection a promise which I made your lordship of stating the method of gathering the grapes, and preparing the wine in this country. I shall, therefore, embrace this opportunity of fulfilling my engagement, and sincerely hope that my detail of the process may afford you some amusement. The method of cultivating the vine is as follows : — When the vintage is finished, the labourer prunes his vines, and covers their roots with dung, for the reception of which cavities are dug in the ground at equal dis- tances ; the whole being afterwards covered with earth, and left 'till the ensuing spring. When the cold winds of March have subsided, the labourer again crops his vines, leaving them only about twelve inches in height : fresh manure is then placed about their roots, and they are left in this situa- tion 'till the commencement of May. People are then employed to tear up all noxious weeds, and to clear * Bar-le-Duc, formerly the principal city of a duchy of the same name, and now the capital of the department de la Meuse, was built by Frederic I. Duke of Lorraine, in #51, with a very fine castle. It is pleasantly situated on a sloping-ground, l6 leagues from Nancy, and 62 from Paris; and is divided into the upper and lower towns; the latter being watered by the small river Ornain, famous for its excellent trout. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 123 the ground as much as possible, after which the labourer fixes in the. earth, by the side of each vine, a strong stick about four feet in height, to which the vines are tied about the latter end of June, in order to pre- vent the fruit from lying upon the ground. In some parts of Italy, however, they train the vines to elms, along whose branches they ex- tend themselves unrestrained, and gradually ascend to the top. This was an ancient practice in that country, as appears from the following lines of Virgil's Georgics : — Supcrest — Turn lceves calamos, & rasse hastilia virga;, Fraxineasque aptare sudes, furcasque bicornes, Viribus eniti quarum & contemnere ventos, Assuescant, simnnasque sequi tabulata per ulmos. The next precaution of his rural cares A range of reeds and forked-props prepares: On these the vines their clasping progress form, And brave the rigors of each rising storm; Ascend the hospitable elm, and spread Their swelling clusters o'er its verdant head. In the month of August, persons are employed to tear all the leaves from off the vines, that the fruit may receive the full force of the solar- beams, it being a well-known fact that the more heat is received by the grape, the richer and more luxurious is the flavour of the juice. In Champaign, towards the latter end of October, the labourer visits his vineyard, and on finding the fruit properly ripened, he makes a re- port to the magistrate of the place ; who decrees that the vintage shall commence on a certain day, generally a week or ten days after the la- bourer's report. Those wine-merchants who have very extensive vineyards, engage r2 124 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. an immense concourse of men and women called Vendangeurs, or vine- pickers, to gather the grapes ; for the quicker that business is performed the better. But in order that the poorer classes may not be precluded from procuring such assistance as they may require, there is a specified sum which all pickers receive, whether they be employed by the opu- lent merchant, or the poor labourer, who possesses but a vineyard of a few acres. As fast as the grapes are plucked, they are taken in baskets to the edge of the vineyard, and thrown into immense tubs, or vats, where men are employed to crush them, with large smooth stones affixed to the end of sticks; and as fast as these tubs are filled with the crushed fruit, they are placed on sledges, and transported to the house of the merchant ; where they are emptied into other tubs, having cocks at the bottom. In these the fruit is left for ten or twelve days, when the cocks are turned, and the juice that issues forth is received into casks, which, when filled, are removed to the cellar, and left to work for twenty days, with the bung-holes uncovered. A fifth week then transpires, during which a vine-leaf is placed over each bung-hole, after which the casks are bunged up as tight as possible, and so left for a twelvemonth before they are ready for sale. The wine is then drawn off clear into other barrels, and the lees remaining in the* old ones is converted into brandy, and sometimes spoiled wine is also made into that spirit, which is called ]JEau de vie de Vin. Another wine is also produced from the mashed-grapes, being pressed alter the running off of the superior wine. The common, or smaller wine, which is usually drank as we do table- beer in England, is produced from the grape after its pressure as above, on which water is thrown, when passing through the mashed-fruit, it im- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 125 bibes a considerable portion of its flavour. This is termed petit vin, or vin du pays. Such is the common process of preparing wine in France ; but in the southern provinces it differs in some degree. As soon as the grapes are gathered they are taken to the large tubs, or vats, which are covered with planks : here the fruit is crushed by the bare feet of women and children employed for that purpose, and the juice passes through the boards into the vat, whence it runs, through a cock, into a cask placed underneath. Should the previous stock not be disposed of, at the ensuing vintage, the vignerons, or proprietors, are under the necessity of letting it run to waste, in order to furnish necessary vessels for the fresh crop. Such is the profusion of wine in the southern provinces; and the most prime be- verage of this description is commonly sold for a sous per bottle. It is in the south of France alone that brandy is distilled, not only on account of the quality, but of the quantity. At the present season of the year the black-birds and robin-red- breasts, feeding on the grapes, become exceedingly high-flavoured ; and this I can assert from my oavii observation, having lately purchased six dozen of those birds for three livres and a half. Leaving Bar-le-Duc betimes in the morning, we soon arrived at San- dree, where I took the opportunity of fishing, and killed a brace of good trout, one of which weighed about three pounds. The river at this place is very beautiful, and particularly celebrated for its trout and pike; but fly-fishing, and, indeed, every sort of angling, is here totally unknown. At the farmer's house, where we had long been expected, we partook of a cold collation and some capital Champaign; and procuring a Ger- 1^6 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. man carriage at two o'clock we took our departure for the forest of Trois Fontaine, where I intended to take the diversion of hunting on the ensuing day. The abbey of Trois Fontaine, formerly of the order of Citeaux, in Champaign, in the diocese of Chalons, is said to have had a yearly in- come of about 50,000 livres; but it is now almost fallen to decay, only a small part of it being habitable. The situation is peculiarly pleasant, and the circumjacent country beautifully variegated with extensive fo- rests, lakes, plains, and trout-streams, and containing plenty of snipes and some coveys of partridge. Indeed, it is highly probable that the game would be in profusion if it were properly protected, the country being particularly adapted for it. The forests, I was informed, still abound with roe-bucks and wild-boars. We returned by a most interesting road through places of three to five hundred acres each, appearing like beautiful parks, surrounded with forest-scenery, and skirted by the river. Arriving at a very steep hill the gentlemen alighted, while I re- mained in the carriage with Mrs. T . It was dusk, and when Mr. Lucas resumed his seat, he missed his book of sketches. Concluding that he had dropped it on the hill, I walked back, and within about half a mile luckily found it : the loss would have been very considerable after all the pains that had been taken, and particularly so on account of the correctness of the views, some of which are chaste descriptions of the spot of which I am now speaking. We passed a handsome house, which I understood was to be dis- posed of, with a good estate round it, and an iron forge, for 40001. There were, also, a good trout-stream, and some excellent pasture- lands. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE, 127 Arriving at Sandree, we found a blazing fire, and a good supper prepared, to which we added some blackbirds, thrushes, and robins* purchased at Bar-le-Duc. Here I shall conclude my letter with assuring your lordship that, I remain, Yours, &c. 128 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. LETTER XXVI. Hunting-Excursion. — Trying for Roe-Buck. — Shooting Wood-cocks.— Obser- vations on the (liferent Airs of the French-Horn.— The Horns, an hunting Song.— Mountains similar to the Grampian-Hills. — Arrival and Entertain- ment at the House of Col. Pessisse.—Etang de la Hors.—Col. T joined by another Traveller.— Purchase of Wine at Chalons.— Estate of Cogni.-<- Curious Account given by a Maid-Servant respecting the Turkish Ambassa- dor and his Suite— Unsuccessful Attempt at shooting Partridge.— Return to Paris.— -Visit to the Minister of Finance. — Removal of Pictures from the Museum.— Cloth of the Louviers Manufacture. — Departure from Paris. — Fontainbleau.— Light-Horse.— A French Postillion.— The Tin-Hat.— A Point ?wt to be argued.— Wines of Beaujency.— -Arrival at Amboise. MY LORD, Amboise, Oct. 8, 1802. W E arose at day-break the ensuing morning, and were all ready l^y live o'clock, but waited some time for Monsieur De Ville, an officer who had been for a considerable time a prisoner in England, and who did me the honour of waiting upon me. He arrived about six o'clock, and we set out with our guns, the gentlemen observing that we should be certain of finding roc-bucks, and wild-boars, together with some wolves and many foxes. We, accordingly, passed through that beautiful estate so justly called Bcititlicu, on the edge of the forest of Trois Fontaine, with a line lake in the front of the house, and another behind, all in the centre of a 128 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. LETTER XXVI. Hunting-Excursion. — Trying for Roe-Buck. — Shooting Wood-cocks.— Obser- vations on the different Airs of the French-Horn. — The Horns, an hunting Song. — Mountains similar to the Grampian- Hills. —Arrival and Entertain- ment at the House of Col. Pessisse.—Eta?ig de la Hors. — Col. T joined by another Traveller. — Purchase of Wine at Chalons. — Estate of CognL— Curious Account given by a Maid-Servant respecting the Turkish Ambassa- dor and his Suite. — Unsuccessful Atte7npt at shooting Partridge. —Return to Paris. — Visit to the Minister of Finance. — Removal of Pictures from the Museum. — Cloth of the Louviers Manufacture. — Departure from Paris. — Fontainbleau. — Light-Horse. — A French Postillion. — The Tin-Hat. — A Point not to be argued. — Wines of Beaujency.— Arrival at Amboise. MY LORD, Amboise, 'Oct. 8, 1802. W E arose at day-break the ensuing morning, and were all ready l^y five o'clock, but waited some time for Monsieur De Ville, an officer who had been for a considerable time a prisoner in England, and who did me the honour of waiting upon me. He arrived about six o'clock, and we set out with our guns, the gentlemen observing that we should be certain of finding roe-bucks, and wild-boars, together with some wolves and many foxes. We, accordingly, passed through that beautiful estate so justly called Beaulieu, on the edge of the forest of Trois Fontaine, with a fine lake in the front of the house, and another behind, all in the centre of a ' ■"/>./ 'Y' , /j< ,■ C6 ffj '/,' /?;/'■,■.,■' o , ^y-r'.j ■ :/>'•// %mc y SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 129 plain of some thousand acres, and at length arrived at the appointed place of rendezvous. We had heen assured that the hounds would he in readiness, hut they did not appear, one person, as was said, having depended on another ; though, for my own part, I shrewdly suspected they had none to produce. Fourteen or fifteen keepers attended, dressed in the national uniform* and all loaded either with shot or ball ; and, after some time, two cou- ple of shabby looking hounds made their appearance, and these with my Vixen were our complement. They were not long, however, be- fore they challenged, and unkennelled something. The party were all anxious for a wild-boar, but it turned out to be a fox, which soon got to ground. We therefore dug him, and gave him to the hounds. We then tried another part of the cover near some morassy ground, where it was said we should certainly find some wild-boars. The hounds again challenged, and ran smartly, and again turned out a fox, which, like the former, got to ground. We left him, and tried another part of the forest, when the hounds again found something, and ran as hard as they could. A shot Mas then fired, and we were told the death- halloo was heard ; but it proved to be a mistake, one of the foresters having fired with ball at a roe-buck, but without effect. It was now near eleven o'clock, and we had decided to give it up, when we heard the sound of a horn, and sent to know what had been seen. The huntsman said, by the sound, it was a roe-buck ; for my own part I was not sufficiently a judge of the different notes of the horn to determine on this point, but I sincerely hoped it was not a fox. The express soon returned, and said it was the roe-buck we had un- kennelled, as he was heated ; the hounds were soon laid on, and we all took our stands, but the keepers were ordered on no account to shoot, but leave it for me. I was quite surprised to find the hoilnds run so VOL. II, s 130 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. well ; and as the ladies were out, I felt particularly anxious to kill the buck. However, I was unfortunate, every one having the opportunity of a shot, while I had not the luck to see him. I therefore took, ac- cording- to advice, a very retired, but tolerably open allce. I heard something coming near me, and was upon the watch. I saw, and could have killed it, but it was a fox. I, therefore, waited patiently, having „my double-barrel gun loaded with air-gun ball prepared for wolf, or roe-buck, and close to me a double-rifle for boar. The hounds came frequently within a hundred yards of me, but I could not see the buck, and began to imagine it was fox. At this junc- ture, however, one of the keepers came up, and said, he could have killed the buck, as he was not ten yards from him ; and added, that if I kept my station, he would place himself nearly where the game had crossed, and by that means make him cross near me. At length he came, and seeing me, he bounded over into some junipers, in which he was entangled. I shot at him, and saw he was hit; but not trusting to the dogs running him down, I discharged my second barrel, and killed him. It was, as the keeper said, a very fine buck, seven or eight years old ; and Vixen coming up, amused herself with pulling him about. The keepers came up, and such a cabal and crash of the horns (not less than ten or twelve blowing) I never witnessed before. It was now intensely hot, and we were returning in triumph to the ladies who had shifted from their first station, tired of waiting so long, but we were informed they had seen the roe-buck, with which they were highly gratified. We had not proceeded above two or three hun- dred yards, when a person informed us that he had marked a brace of woodcocks. Improbable as this appeared to me, I was assured that I might place reliance upon the assertion. I therefore loaded my, barrels with shot, and on the keeper's driving the covert towards me, a cock THE HORNS by Mf J AN SEN . quit mv Friends the genial bed , For T-X-f- if no Beast ap - pears with horns, At g^^^^^^ STiTl-K. gST. yo« W.The S»ewMd, you ha™ been p— g aEEjE a ^=^ s ±e fc^Azf: 7—7-r X-V I / k ^ ^ Ho mv Uovs the Hornsfor e.ver, Hey Tally Ho Tally Ho JEflU^ Ho, And •^ in their planting may we never, wound the Buck and kill the Doe N^Nf ^1 it 5 Tis true you are an ardent IiOver , Coursing Game that conies in view ; So hiving sported in the Cover : She in turn rebuts at you . Then come my Friends the Bugle sounding, Bids ye mount devoid of care ; And may each thro* the green wood bounding Challenge soon an horned Deer . Chof Tally Ho &c. Hark, hark, the shrill view Halloo greets us Cheer my Jjads we're in good luck; Ne'er heed how oft the Doe defeats us*. So we this day kill a Buck • The horned Beast knows no deceit » His Antlers always are in view ; Acteon scorn'd a base retreat : / Then boldly shew your Trophies too Cho* Tally Ho &c. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 131 flew by, which I killed ; and before I had loaded again, I heard the cry of prenez garde, when another made bis appearance. I had but an indifferent shot, however I fired and heard him drop : I could not, in- deed see him ; but after carefully searching, I found him lifeless, and suspended from a branch. Having, in the preceding part of nry letter, mentioned the different notes of the French-horn, I shall take this opportunity of observing, that as the forests of France are generally of an extent of forty, sixty, or eighty miles, the sounding of the horn is absolutely necessary in order to collect the scattered sportsmen at intervals during the chace; and such has, indeed, been the method adopted for some centuries. There are different tunes allotted to the various animals of the forest, so that on the death of the game, whether it be a boar, a stag, a wolf, fox, or an hare, all the huntsmen assemble round the animal, and sound in unison the air which appertains to the dead game; and the very tunes which are played at the present day, were used previously to the reign of Henry the Fourth, who was peculiarly fond of the sports of the field. The several airs above-mentioned are now collecting, and will be for- warded to me on my return to England, when I intend to get words adapted explanatory of the different chases. A verse of one of these airs, for its naivete, peculiarly struck my fancy, and I shall here give it your lordship : — " A vous qui aiment les comes en tcte " Venez et chassez avec nous, " Car si nous trouvons pas la bete, " Nous aurons assez avec vous." The following words appropriated to the air for which the above stanza was composed, have since been written by a particular friend, and adapted to the music, as annexed. 132 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. But to resume my journal. — When we had finished our diversion of the morning, we sat down on the turf to a cold collation, during which, we were a little interrupted by a large snake, but we presently dis- patched it, and leaving two dozen of wine with the keepers, we got into the carriage, and drove home to dinner. After settling our accounts, and making some arrangements in case I should eventually fix my residence in this country, we returned by Beau-lieu, that scene which had so greatly enchanted us, when first opening to our view from the foot of a steep hill; and as I understand it is government property, I have, of course, the option of becoming the purchaser. Its situation is very sequestered, and at the foot of a gently sloping descent lies a fine lake of from four to five hundred acres, semi- circularly environed by the forest of Trois Fontaine. At St. Dizieir, our next stage, I had an opportunity of seeing Mon- sieur Charles Digune, garde des magazins de poudre et de plomb, who gave me such an account of the game in the forests, that I felt myself very much disposed to treat for them ; and in the course of conversation he advised me to hire the fishery from government, as it far exceeded the lakes. Proceeding along the great plain, we observed, on the left-hand, a range of mountains somewhat similar to the Grampian hills, in the Highlands of Scotland, their summits being clothed with snow ; but the richness of the foliage, resulting from the climate, throws a glare over the face of the country which is wanting in the Highlands. In the course of this day's journey we saw an amazing quantity of gossamere, or grass cobweb, floating through the air in every direction, though I do not recollect having seen any before. The day was warm and serene," and the road remarkably fine and level. We saw some herds of black, small-sized cattle, but as there were no pastures in thi* SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 133 part, we were at a loss to conceive how they subsisted. The ground was extremely arid, and scarcely a bird was to be seen. I suppose they had all sought the shelter of the forests where the soil, being protected from the violent heat, might probably afford them some grubs and other insects. The vineyards supply food for the blackbirds and thrushes; and rabbits find an ample subsistence among the covert of the woods* On our arrival at the house of Col. Pessisse, where we had, for some time, been expected, Ave found our friend was out on a shooting-party, but he soon returned, and sat down with us to an elegant dinner. His wine was excellent, and he. circulated the bottle so freely, that he soon began to feel its exhilarating effects. The addition of some bot- tles of hock, which had belonged to his grandfather, contributed in no small degree to the hilarity, which began to be general. We knew, however, when to stop; and a sister of the colonel's, a most beautiful and engaging woman, made tea for us. This was succeeded by the introduction of some charming songs, and at ten o'clock we retired to rest. At Vitri it was my intention to have seen the Efang ch la hors, of which I had heard various accounts. The post-master, and the various keepers had represented it as a most magnificent sheet of water, forty- two miles in circumference, with a fine island of three miles round, but so entirely covered with wood, that there was no possibility of forcing the game from their strong-hold, though there were great numbers of wild-boars, wolves, and deer. Monsieur Charles confirmed these ac- counts, assuring me, at the same time, that it would not answer my purpose, as it lay at the distance of fourteen miles through a cross-road, which, in winter, was impassable. The colonel, whose spirits had been raised, the preceding night, by 134 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. tmf conviviality, assured me that he was perfectly acquainted with its situation, adding, that he had seen and killed game oh it at the distance of a mile. This assertion I did not contradict, but contented myself with observing, that I should be happy to possess his gun; and I perceived that the force of my remark was by no means lost. An attorney who joined us, said he was also well acquainted with this lake, but observed that it was impossible to angle in it, from the circumstance of its being choaked up with bulrushes and other aquatic plants: He admitted that it abounded with water-fowl, and said he could purchase the concern for a mere trifle, at the same time telling me of two or three other estates which were on sale. Finding it indispensably necessary to hasten my return to England through Paris, I took leave of this worthy family, requesting the co- lonel to send me an account of the estate of the abbey of Trois Fon- taine. We then continued our route to Chausse, passing a valley which appeared admirably calculated both for coursing and fishing. The landlady, at whose house we stopped, lamented the absence of her hus- band, and offered to send for him, as, according to her account, he had a line chateau to dispose of. At that instant a gentleman, whose face seemed familiar to me, drove up to the door in a German carriage with two wheels. We immediate^ entered into conversafion, and he politely offered to take any letter I might be inclined to forward by his conveyance, as he stated that he should travel day and night. He passed some encomiums on my car- riage, and informed me that he had travelled over Germany in his, for which he had given twenty pounds. He, also, agreed to accompany me to the chateau, but, although a neat place, it proved to be too near the church, which, however, did not seem to have been recently visited. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 136 Passing a plain where the French and Prussians had been encamped, I met a sportsman who offered me a hare which he had killed, adding, that I might, probably, find three or four in a day, and not more, which is just sufficient for beagling; and, indeed, this appears to be the very country for that species of amusement. Stopping at Chalons to change horses, we saw an English carriage with a coronet, which contained two ladies and a maid-servant, with a gentleman and a valet in the dickey. Finding that no relays were in readiness, we resolved to make ourselves as comfortable as possible with a good dinner, consisting of trout, pike, and cray-fish, with a Mayence ham. To this was added some capital Champaign, of which I pur- chased three dozen, contriving to stow it in the two carriages; and or- dered twenty-four dozen to be forwarded to me at Paris. Horses being at length procured we proceeded, in company with the before-mentioned gentleman, through a remarkably fine country to Lanchere, where we saw, by the light of the moon, a fine old castle, surrounded by a moat of running water, the property of M. , com- missary to the army. Adjoining this estate rose a magnificent forest, cut into ridings; and on the left we perceived an extensive sheet of water. The post-master where we again stopped, mentioned the estate of Cogni as a purchase worthy of my attention : the value, he said, was about 25,0001. being nine miles in diameter, with a castle, and fine wood and water. As the night was cold, we determined not to proceed any further, and Mr. , who I found was acquainted with all my Lancashire friends, consented to remain with us. We, therefore, made the best of our situation, and contrived to sup on the remainder of our cold provisions ; for there was literally nothing to be had but a fire and some very bad \S6 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. wine, for which our landlord modestly demanded twenty-four livres, though he afterwards abated the sixth part of this sum. Next morning we arose early, and proceeded over a rough road to Ferti; and whilst Mr. Lucas was delineating a view in the environs, I enquired for my pistols which I had left in passing through that place. These were perfectly safe; but I experienced some difficulty in procur- ing horses, and was consequently kept some time in waiting. On entering into conversation with my landlady, I found that the Turkish ambassador and his suite had taken relays from thence ; and that her cook had dressed a supper which she thought none but Turks could digest: she also stated, that they ate standing, and refused the use of table-linen. I asked the maid some questions relative to these visitors, but I con- ceive she did not perfectly understand me; for she replied, they had ravished twelve young women, and she had the happiness of adding, that she constituted the first of that number ! I could scarcely contain myself, but as I supposed the conversation to pass within the hearing of my lady, I dropped the subject, under an apprehension of the girl be~ coming still more explicit. Should the Turkish gentlemen go on thus through France, we may soon see, at every post, a strange motley breed ! Resuming our journey, we saw the marks of a carriage having been overturned; and our courier said the accident had happened to an Eng- lish family, and that one of their domestics lay at the next village, with a broken arm : however, on sending to enquire whether I could render him any assistance, I received intelligence that he was in a fair way of recovery. Proceeding towards Paris, I saw several coveys of partridge, and, having loaded my gun, I endeavoured three several times to get a shot; SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 137 but I never could approach sufficiently near for the purpose. One cc- vey, indeed, was not more than forty yards from the road-side, but perceiving a man who appeared somewhat like a keeper, and it being Sunday, I did not choose to leave the carriage. Several sportsmen were engaged in the diversion, and among them I perceived Monsieur Beranger, the gentleman in whose company I had shot at Ermenonville. I found that they had killed a brace of partridge, and that the dog which they had shot was quite recovered. They politely offered me the produce of their day's sport, which, how- ever, I declined, and proceeded to Paris, where I engaged apartments at the Hotel des Etrangcrs at the rate of two guineas and a half per week. I received my letters from Monsieur Le Mercier, one of which was from your lordship, and the money I required was very politely trans- mitted by my worthy friend Mr. Percival, of Acomb : this, indeed, was a very timely supply, as the cash which I had deemed sufficient for my stay, was very nearly exhausted. My first care was to wait upon the minister of the interior, but he re- ferred me to the minister of finance, and I had the mortification to find that my journey into the conquered country had been entirely useless; some circumstances having rendered it impossible, at this juncture, to dispose of the very estates I had been to see. I was politely assured, however, that I should have the first refusal of them, and the minister of finance offered me the property of Chanteloup on the most handsome terms. As I had seen that estate, I knew it was a most immense and superb pa- lace, much too large for me, while the land was not sufficiently extensive : however, after mature consideration, I resolved to bargain for this place at eight years purchase. The palace cost 100,000 livres, the grounds VOL. II. T 138 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. and water nearly half that sum. I shall only add, however, at pre- sent, that the mansion is in better order than any other I have seen. With a view of seeing my intention brought to some determination, I drew up a string of proposals, and submitted them to the minister, who gave me sueh strong assurances of their being acceded to, that I immediately agreed for Chanteloup; and on mentioning the circum- stance to my bankers, they consented to take and guarantee the estate on the terms proposed, leaving to me the option of my paying for it on my return to England at the time fixed; so that I am now a Yorkshire squire, and shall soon become Due de Chanteloup. The museum, which I visited in the morning, has been considerably diminished by the removal of several fine pictures to St. Cloud. This, however, appears to have been done without the knowledge of the Chief Consul; for on his being informed of it, he was much displeased, and ordered them to be restored to their former situation. Returning from the museum, I was shown a curious specimen of the cloth of the Louviers manufacture, at twenty livres per yard ; of which I ordered a coat to be made. I should then have attended the monthly parade, had not my time been wholly engrossed by business of the greatest consequence. Letters from Col. Pessisse brought me an offer of the abbeys of Che- menet, Corvenay, and Trois Fontaine, at sixteen years purchase. This sum I considered as much too high, knowing the average price of land through France to be twelve years purchase; and national property from six to seven, or ten years at the most. However, I wrote word, that he might endeavour to obtain more reasonable terms, in which case I was willing to make the purchase, and would remit money ac- cordingly. After some conversation with my worthy friends at Paris, and having SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 139 had another interview with M. Le Mercier, I determined to embrace the earliest opportunity of thoroughly inspecting Chanteloup before I finally concluded the purchase; and on communicating my intention to my friend Monsieur E , he immediately offered to accompany me on this expedition. We accordingly set out in his German carriage, and slept the first night at Meulan, At six o'clock the next morning we entered the forest of Fontain- bleau, and discovered a poacher with a hare. The views in this forest, and the beautiful ridings into which it is cut, as well as Mr. Bryant's correct delineations of it, greatly pleased Monsieur E both as a man of taste and an artist After breakfast, we saw some squadrons of light-horse, and some of the gens darmes exercising in the middle of the forest, near a small but beautiful park where stood the keeper's-lodge. In this spot were several huge masses of rock, which added very considerably to the magnifi- cence of the surrounding scenery; while their interstices were filled up with the tenderest species of forest-trees, among which the grey-tinted juniper seemed predominant. The light-horse were waiting in compliment to General Moreau, who was to hunt with those friends with whom I had spent two days so plea- santly at Pont Chartrain. I lamented I could not stop to join the chace, assured they would have been happy to meet me ; but the urgency of my business rendered this impossible. At one of the stages we were told, as we had repeatedly been before, that the horses were then out; and after waiting patiently for near an hour, we perceived some animals approach, which had, at first, the appearance of camels or dromedaries, with a mountebank riding on the fore one. As they advanced, however, I perceived them to be horses, T2 140 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. with collars full two feet and a half high, and over all was spread an im- mense goat's skin, the rest of the harness being in the same cumbrous style. The post-boy was a fellow not less than seventy years of age, and six feet two inches high ; with a black coat, red waistcoat, green breeches, and whitish gaiters : his hat, which was broad-brimmed, and raised in the crown, shone with such radiance, that it had amazed us at a distance, but our wonder rather subsided on finding it to be com- posed of tin, with two pieces of thin iron round the crown instead of riband. His whip was full three yards long, and thus mounted and equipped, he presented himself to us, as our driver. I had some conversation with this strange figure, who did not appear deficient either in good sense or civility : he informed us he had been many years in the army, and had served in America, but preferred home to any other situation. Speaking of his hat, he said it was very cool and well adapted to shelter him from the rain, but that he was obliged to fasten it by a chain under his chin to prevent its being blown off by the wind. He added, that it had been his intention never to part with it, but as it had excited Mrs. T 's admiration, he begged her acceptance of it, observing, with the politeness of a Frenchman, that it would admi- rably become so fine a woman. His countenance then brightened, and he seemed to feel himself fifty years younger. At length we set forward on our journey, but after proceeding some distance, the horses stopped so suddenty, that our driver was very nearly thrown over their heads, and ourselves out of the carriage. On enquir- ing the cause, the driver replied, with great gravity, that he had nearly lost his hat. We had not drove far, however, before a second inter- ruption, more violent than the first, greatly alarmed Mrs. T , and on my again enquiring into the reason, he answered me, with perfect SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 141 coolness, " Je vois settlement, mon seigneur, lacker dc Venn." This was brought to my mind the conduct of Madame de Rambouillet in Sterne's " Sentimental Journey;" but as there was no possibility of arguing- the point, I intreated, that if such a necessity should again occur during the journey, he would give me timely information, to which he an- swered " Out, mon seigneur, with the greatest sangfroid imaginable. We then passed the mansion of General Mausien, to whom I had been introduced at General Mortier's, and, indeed, I had promised to call upon him ; but I was not apprised of the circumstance 'till it was too late. We, therefore, proceeded, and arrived at a late hour at Or- leans, instead of Amboise, where the minister's secretary had told me I might arrive in one day's journey. I have no doubt but that the road by Estampes to Orleans is the best for horses; but, with the exception of Fontainbleau, the scenery presents nothing interesting. We put up, as usual, at the Three Emperors, but our supper, which was delayed by the arrival of three families, unfortunately disagreed with Monsieur E , and he was so much indisposed the next morn- ing, that he requested to be left at Orleans while we proceeded in his German carriage. The country still continued uninteresting and monotonous, and the only circumstance that gave it a diversity was a prodigious number of peasants going to an adjacent fair. Vineyards every Avhere surrounded us, and two coveys of partridge crossed the road immediately before our horses. Arriving at a shabby inn at Beaujency, I enquired the price of wine, and was informed that the produce of this 3^ear's vintage would be very good, but dear, being 71. 10s. for two hundred and forty quarts. I also asked whether there were any white wine, to which my landlord an- swered in the affirmative, adding, that it was very strong, and of the 142 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. same price, this year, as the red, though it is generally of inferior value. The road beyond Beaujency was excellent, and our horses were the best of any I had seen in France; for we travelled twenty-four miles in four hours and thirty-two minutes. We then stopped to take coffee at a house a little out of the road, being two leagues from the park and castle of Chambord, and about three miles from Blois. On our arrival at Blois I found Conte, who had attended me as voi- turier, and after sending a letter to my huntsman, I consented to pro- ceed to Amboise without changing horses. This, however, I soon repented, for before we had proceeded half way our driver broke his whip, and the horses were completely knocked up, so that we lost all the time which had been previously gained between Orleans and Blois. At length, however, we reached the place of our destination, and sat down to dinner on some excellent fish and red-legged partridge. Mr. A arrived in time to partake of the repast, but Mr. E was con- fined to his bed. After dinner, the conversation turned upon Chanteloup, when it was allowed to be a cheap purchase at 20,0001. and although I had taken great pains to keep the transaction a secret, I soon found that it had for some time been known in this part- of the world, while I conti- nued to pretend a total ignorance on the subject. Fearing that I have wearied your lordship's patience with so long a letter, I hasten to subscribe myself, Yours, &c. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE, 143 LETTER XXVII. Departure from Amboise. — Estate of Madame Allen.— -Farther Remark,; on the Palace and Gardens of Chanteloup. — 111 Effects of Water in the Vici- nity of Dog-Kennels. — Etang of Jamau.v. — Present State of Game in the Forest. — Return to Blois. — Chateau de Menau. — Breakfast at Mer. — New Wine of Beaujency. — Shooting Partridge. — Beautiful Appearance of the Vineyards. — Arrival at Orleans. — Observations of Monsieur Fourcheron. — October Peaches.— Estates of Madame de la Borde and St. Escaly. — Shooting near Arpaghan. — Chateau of De Lotville.— Small Pointers. — Lambent Lights succeeded by a Storm. — Return to Paris. — Lnterview with the Minis- ter of the Lnterior's Secretary. — Mode of selling Estates in France, MY LORD, Paris, Oct. 10, 1S02, .LEAVING Amboise early the ensuing morning, we again proceeded along the beautiful bank of the Loire, our road winding through a fine avenue, overhung with vineyards, rocks, and coppices ; the landscape on the opposite side being prettily diversified with corn-fields and verdant pastures. On reaching the cottage Mr. A stopped to deliver some papers, whilst I went forward. This farm, and a small chateau about a mile distant, being the property of Madame Allen, are most charmingly situated, and comprise vineyards, coppices, forests, arable land, and, in a word, all that can make a residence truly desirable. Should I 144 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE, eventually become the possessor of Chanteloup, I must also purchase this estate. Our drive through the forest and the woods was peculiarly interesting to me as a sportsman : the roads were excellent, and the profusion of juniper, heath, and furze, which presented themselves at every step, implied the existence of abundance of game of all descriptions. Hav- ing advanced about five miles through this kind of scenery, we came to a fine, open field of three hundred acres, belonging to the farm of Chanteloup; and after passing several other fields, we, at length, ar- rived at the palace. Upon careful inspection we found the buildings very substantial, but in want of some repairs. I was particularly struck with the magnifi- cence of the chateau. The gallery, dressing-room, anti-room, and bed-chambers of the Dues de Penthievre and Choiseul are splendid in the extreme; the cabinet or boudoir is remarkably elegant; the con- cealed stair-case, which opens by a spring, possesses a considerable share of merit; and, indeed, the whole is in the first style of magnificence. I must observe that there are in this palace eighty-four gentlemens' bed- chambers with dressing-rooms complete. The entrance-gates, said to have been erected at the expence of two thousand guineas, are of exquisite workmanship, and have fortunately escaped the fury of the revolution. The kitchen is on a very grand scale, and there is an extensive cow- house, together with commodious stabling for a hundred horses. The gardens are in proportion to the house, and are stocked with a profusion of the finest fruits. The orange-grove was in good order, and great variety, but with all this the grounds are not tastefully laid out. Water may be had in every quarter, but no garden through which a stream runs can be favourable to the growth of fruits. This is strik- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 145 ingly evinced in the gardens of Sir M. Rumbold, in Kent, where the water communicated to the various fountains by channels instead of pipes, chills the roots of the trees, which consequently become cankered and unproductive. The same observation holds good in respect to dog-kennels; for wherever there are streams of water the earth becomes chilled ; and - the hounds, by resting in such a situation after a clay of severe exercise, experience a chill which is often followed by rheumatism ; and, indeed, it is necessary, to avoid such dreadful complaints, that they should be accommodated with wooden benches covered with an easing. I am convinced that I lost nearly a thousand dogs before I could ascertain this fact, which, I believe, is not generally known. The kennels at Chanteloup are on a scale correspondent with the house ; and the exotic garden contains a collection of the most curious trees and plants, which have, indeed, been evidently neglected, but are yet recoverable. The hermitage is out of repair, but the Chinese temple and a mill in deception are in good order. If there were but an open country in the immediate vicinage, I should not hesitate as to the purchasing of this estate at double the price demanded. Having previously examined the pagoda, we proceeded, attended by the guard-general, to the Etang of Jumaix, situated about half way across the forest, between which and the pagoda an avenue is cut ; and below the road, in immense pipes, said to have cost 6,0001. runs the water that supplies the pagoda lake of 130 acres, as well as the smaller lakes, the cascades, and the fountains. I believe I informed you, in a previous communication, that the late possessor destroyed every thing which he could convert into ready cash, and I understand that 4,0001. must be lad out to re-establish every thing in its former state. 1 con- VOL. ir. u 146 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. ceive, for my own part, that it would take six or seven thousand pounds to render it complete, but for that sum the beauty of its external ap- pearance might be considerably improved. A little drive of about six miles brought us to the lake which is the boast of this country. We saw it, however, to a great disadvantage, as the water was letting off, for a person to get at the fish, which he had recently purchased. This lake, when full, must be a beautiful sheet of water. It is of an irregular form, and near it stands a castle almost ob- scured by gloomy trees. A coach-road is made round it, and a stream of water running from the lake forms a river of some magnitude, which meanders through the surrounding forest. This sheet of water, which occupies about three hundred acres, abounds with pike of thirty-six pounds weight, perch of from six to seven pounds, fine tench of five to six pounds, with remarkably large eels, and carp of at least ten pounds. Such fish, at least, the guard- general said he saw taken out of the water six years before. On returning to dinner at Amboise, as I had some thought of pur- chasing Chanteloup, I desired the steward whom I met there to stop the running of the lake, and the demolition of the kitchen, the mate- rials of which were intended to be sold that day. This he promised to see performed; and at the same time informed me, that he had about three thousand acres of land for disposal, which I might add to the pro- perty; and that he could procure me double that quantity, yielding se- ven and nine per cent for my money. The keeper informed me, that in the duke's time, game abounded to such a degree, that they ate up three-fourths of the crops ; but that, at present, the adjoining forest, which is thirty-three miles in length, and consists of more than fifteen thousand acres, does not contain above SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 147 twenty or thirty wild-boars, and sixty roe-bucks, with some foxes and wolves. Formerly, he said, there was an abundance of hares, phea- sants, and partridges, and that fifty cocks might have been easily shot in the course of a day. This relation was confirmed by the gentleman who accompanied me; they were of opinion, that the strict orders which had been published respecting the preservation of game would soon re- store the forest to its former state ; and they observed, that if it were stocked with about two hundred wild-boars, three hundred head of fal- low deer, and five hundred stags and roe-bucks, it would become the first sporting situation in the universe. With respect to pheasants, red- legged partridge, and water-fowl, the present attention given to their protection will soon repay the care bestowed; while the plains, admi- rably adapted for coursing and hawking, furnish plenty of hares and rabbits, with good streams for trout-fishing and otter-hunting; in addi- tion to which, the mansion is certainly most superb. These considerations induced me to make my arrangement with M. Barbier in the event of my becoming the purchaser. And, having dis- charged an extra agent's bill, and four livres ten sous for a bottle of Beaujency wine, which was not worth more than one shilling, I returned to Blois. Some letters which I had fully expected the next morning did not come to hand, nor did I see any thing of the huntsman with his grande trompe from Gedonaire; but Biss, whom I had trained up to that ser- vice, arrived almost dead with the ague. In pursuing our route, we arrived at the chateau de Menau, with its beautiful park of 1000 acres within the wall; the whole course consist- ing of about 1 300 acres, comprising as fine a seat as any in France, excellent gardens verging on the Seine, and fine pieces of water and u 2 143 SPORTING TOUR TFIROUGH FRANCE. cascades; the whole of which are to be disposed of for 22,000 louis, though the mansion alone is worth the money, and the great park of 1000 acres is national property. After a pleasant dinner we arrived at a place called Mer, and sat down to a most excellent breakfast, consisting of cold partridge, snipes, larks, and some red-shanks, being the first I have seen in France. To these were added tea, coffee, eggs, and a bottle of capital old Beau- jency wine. Our landlady would not make any demand, but requested that I would pay what I thought proper ; and on my presenting her with six francs, she seemed perfectly satisfied. She appeared very desirous that I should purchase Chambord, conceiving that I had already bought Menau and Chanteloup; and she observed, that if I were inclined to add to these purchases, she could recommend the beautifully situated chateau of Cyr Cceur, abounding with wood and water. Arriving at Beaujency, I tasted some of the wine of the present vin- tage, which had a fine flavour, but was rather thick. We then resumed our journey, and after a pleasant drivej saw among some vines, a covey of red-legged partridge. I had no dog with me, but at the request of Mrs. T I loaded my gun, and the birds rose so favourably, that at three shots I killed a famous old cock and a brace of poults. The driver then pointed out a hare which was coming towards me along the path, and I waited for a good shot; but though I hit her, she was so completely covered with vine-leaves, that I had not an opportunity of firing my second barrel : however, by tracing the blood, I found her dead at the distance of about a hundred yards. Our road lay through vineyards of at least four thousand acres, and it is almost impossible to conceive their beauty at this season of the SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCS 149 year from the variegated foliage which they display ; some of them being of a bright vermillion, while the different tints are between that and the orange colour : others display various shades of green, which being surmounted by the silvery tips of the stakes, form an object pe- culiarly interesting. Such was the scenery, during our drive, occa- sionally diversified by the meanderings of the Loire, and finally termi- nated by the majestic cathedral and city of Orleans. On our arrival at the Three Emperors, the landlady (who had sat up for us till a late hour the preceding night) prepared dinner, to which was added the finest red wine of Beaujency, and some excellent Cham- paign, of which Monsieur Fourcheron and his friend were so obliging as to partake. In the course of the evening Monsieur F informed me, that he knew the whole forest of Orleans might be at my command, as the gentleman who had rented it had given up his hounds, on account of great part of his park-fence having been destroyed by an old wild- boar. He also stated, that Chateau Neuf, with some other estates equally desirable, were to be disposed of; and that he had been well informed the government would grant me whatever I might be inclined to purchase. Leaving Orleans the following morning, I discovered, at the distance of a league and a half from the city, a brace of red-legged partridge ; but they were gone before I could get up with them. At the post-house where we changed horses, a respectable old woman brought us, as she said, the last peaches of the season, which were very superior to the October peaches of England. We then passed the beautiful estate of Madame De la Borde, as also that of St. Escaly on the opposite side of the road ; two estates which, if united, would form a domain of ten or twelve thousand acres of good open country, finely 150 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. adapted for hare-hunting and coursing, with partridge and pheasant- shooting, as well as good hawking; but the nearest forest is at the distance of twenty-five miles. This spot might certainly claim my attention as a desirable purchase, but a forest is indispensably neces- sary. In the vicinity of Arpagan I marked four brace and a half of red- legged partridge, when on their rising in some fallow, I got two long shots, and killed the first. The second was thought, by my companions, to be at too great a distance: however, with A. C. shot I hit my bird very hard, when flying over the carriage I lost sight of him. Perceiv- ing, on my return, that the postillion and his horse were wanting, I feared Mrs. T had been alarmed, but fortunately I was mistaken. She had marked the bird, and wished to have recovered it, but her clothes being fastened with the door, she could neither release them, nor stop the post-boy who had gone off at full speed, and who at length returned, bringing with him a remarkably fine red-legged cock-part- ridge. We then proceeded through a fine open country, well laid out in corn-fields, while at some distance rose the noble chateau of De Lot- ville, the property of Monsieur Bergeir, a banker of Bourdeaux. I found that this mansion was to be sold, together with the annexed park, which would be, indeed, a most enviable situation, were it at a greater distance from the capital. In this neighbourhood I was shown a breed of small pointers, the price being ten guineas each. I offered six guineas for a whelp of nine months old, which were refused, but with the polite assurance, that if I came near Bourdeaux, a dog should be sent to me. Proceeding through a sandy road, the carriage seemed surrounded SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE, 15 J with lambent-lights, at which Mrs. T became greatly alarmed, and shortly after we were saluted with a vivid flash of lightning. I would, in consequence, have stopped at the first post-house, but had been so liberal on the road, that I found I had not more money than was sufficient to carry me within a league of Paris, where my banker was amply provided for me. We were, therefore, under the necessity of pushing forward through a heavy shower of rain, which succeeded the lightning. However, on our approaching the part of Seaux, formerly so renowned for its beauty, the weather cleared up, and we entered Paris by the light of the moon. We then put up at the hotel Valois, where Monsieur E favoured us with his company to supper, after returning from the theatre. It seemed he had with much difficulty reached the capital in time to an- swer, by the first post, some letters which he had anxiously expected, and at length received. Dining the next day at Monsieur Le Mercier's, we met the secretary of the minister of the interior, who appeared to be a long-headed gen- tleman. M. Le Mercier's attorney also attended, and combated some of the proposals for carrying my intended purchase into effect. Some explanations took place, by which I discovered that the park of Chan- teloup was not valued at any thing in the general assurance; and, on my return, I found several friends waiting for me, to invite me to be of their party on an excursion to Chantilly, but having made some pre- vious arrangements for leaving France, I felt a degree of hesitation at this proposal; however, on recollecting the pleasures I had enjoyed in a former visit to this delightful spot, I resolved to join them. Early on the following morning we sat off; and, after a pleasant journey of a hours, arrived at Chantilly, J 52 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. I shall, for the present, lay aside my pen ; and promise that the sub- ject of my next shall be the result of my observations on this place. I remain, Yours, &c. > i-m 152 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. I shall, for the present, lay aside my pen ; and promise that the sub- jeet of my next shall be the result of my observations on this place. I remain, Yours, &c. farttm.- £/cem m */;<■■ 5fareM 01 3f#ij SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 153 LETTER XXVIIL Account of Chantilly. — Fatal Consequences of the Revolution. — The Consta- ble's Road. — Antient Grandeur and History of the Castle. — A Chapel built by William, Butler of Senlis — Demolition of the Chapel. — Family of the Butlers of Senlis. — The supposed Time of the Erection of the old Castle. — Embellished by the Lords of Montmorency. — Different Possessors. — The Magnificence of Chantilly extolled by Poets. — The Tennis Court. — A Quin- cunx.— Statue of Silcnus. — Gallery of Stags. — Hall of Apollo. — The Ar- mory.— Offensive and defensive Arms, fyc. — The Parterre of the Green- House. — Extraordinary Number of Carp in the Ditch of the Castle. — Gene- ral Description of the Superb Apartments, and surrounding Buildings. MY LORD, Paris, Oct. 13, 1802. 1 NOW sit down, agreeable to my promise, to give you some account of Chantilly; from whence I have just returned: and cannot but ex- press my deep regret on viewing the present sad condition of this once celebrated sporting establishment, which now forms a most striking con- trast to what it was on my first visit about twenty years since, being then in the meridian of its splendor. Every feeling mind must deplore the fatal consequences of a dreadful revolution, which spares neither age nor sex : and which has, indiscri- minately, swept away the mansions of the great, and the abodes of princes. Little more than the walls are now remaining, excepting some par- ticular spots, where the traveller who had witnessed this enchanting place VOL. II. x '|54 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. in its former state, might trace the fragments of the massy pile, and its corresponding objects. But, in order to give you some idea of what it once was, I shall have recourse to some of my sketches taken on my first visit, containing some historical information, which, I trust, will not only be amusing but interesting to you. Chantilly is situated nine leagues north of Paris on the high road from that capital to Clermont. The principal avenue by which you arrived at the castle from Paris was called the Constable's Road, having been made by the Constable de Montmorency through the castle of Chantilly. This castle, once so celebrated for the richness, the variety, and beauty of its gardens, has long been known in feudal annals. At the commencement of the 12th century, Guy, Count of Senlis, was lord of it ; it was this nobleman whom Louis the Fat elevated to the dig- nity of grand butler of France, a title which his posterity constantly preserved. William, butler of Senlis, the third of the name, and one of the descendants of Guy, repaired the mansion of Chantilly, and in 1333 erected a chapel there, in which he was interred. This chapel was demolished in 1718, when the coffin of this nobleman was dis- covered, and in it his body was found in an entire state. It was re- marked that his beard was of two fingers length, and when it was touched, it came off very easily. His two wrists were tied together by a silken cord. The body was covered with a shirt of very fine linen, and in good preservation, over which was a covering of cere-cloth, tied all round by a cord. The coffin was removed, just as it was, to the parish-church of Chantilly. The family of the butlers of Senlis, which claimed its descent from Charlemagne, became extinct about the beginning of the 15th century. At this period the lordship of Chantilly devolved to the house of Or- S SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 155 gemont. Pierre d'Orgemont, chancellor of France, during the reign of Charles VI. was lord of it. His grandson of the same name, having no male issue, in 1484 gave this lordship to his nephew, William Baron de Montmorency, son of his sister, Margaret d'Orgemont; and John de Montmorency, the ninth of that name. It is supposed that, about this time, (the conclusion of the 15th cen- tury) the old castle was erected. Its irregular form, was similar to that of the castle of St. Germain, and the style of "the architecture corres- ponded with a building of the 15th century. The lords of Montmorency, the successors of William, considerably embellished this castle, and possessed it till the tragic end of the last Duke de Montmorency, beheaded at Toulouse. In 1633, Louis XIII. gave the duchy of Montmorency, of which Chantilly formed a part, to the Princess of Conde, sister of the Duke of Montmorency ; but the king, at the same time, reserved the lord- ship and castle of Chantilly, which he retained during the remainder of his life. The queen, the mother of Louis XIV. granted the use of it during her reign to the Prince of Conde ; but some time afterwards the king assumed the possession of this estate. At length, in 1661, the king gave the sole property of Chantilly to the same Prince of Conde; and, in 1675, appointed him ranger of the chaces of the forest of Hal- late, which had been suppressed in 1645. It afterwards continued in the possession of the house of Conde. Chantilly having been considerably embellished by its different pro- prietors, had become one of the most beautiful country mansions in France ; and was, therefore, an object of curiosity both to foreigners and natives. Several poets have sung of its magnificence. Boulard, a Latin poet, composed in its praise an ode entitled Cantiliacum. He imagines that Chantilly derives its name from the great number of lime- x 2 156 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. trees (tilleuls) which are met with there, and that Champs de tilleuh has been converted into Chantilly. Father Rapin has not forgotten it in his poem on gardens; and the Abbe de Lille, in his poem on the same subject, says : Dans sa pompe elegante admirez Chantilly, De heros en heros, d'age en age embelli. Piganiol, and still more recently, Dulaure, in his description of the environs of Paris, have given copious details concerning this once su- perb mansion. The tennis-court was the first object which was shewn by the guides to strangers. The body of this edifice, the architecture of which was simple, presented at the entrance three windows in the front, being two stories in height. It was of the usual form of tennis-courts, but sur- passed them in extent ; and there were sky-lights by which the light might be increased, or diminished at pleasure. Behind the tennis-court was a quincunx, where the young of the vil- lage assembled on festivals, and formed several dances round a small orchestra, which, when contrasted with so many monuments of opu- lence, exhibited a simple, pleasing, and rustic scene. On arriving at the angle of the terrace, a most magnificent picture presented itself to the eye. In the distance were discovered the grand canal, the island of love, &c. and near you the gallery of vases, the parterre of the orangery, and the castle, forming a perspective as rich as it was varied and picturesque. Near this spot was a much esteemed statue of Silenus, and at the very angle of the terrace a flight of steps, by which you arrived at the gal- lery of vases, situated at the bottom of the terrace, and on the place where formerly stood the Gallery of Stags. This gallery occupied the V SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 157 whole breadth of the parterre of the orangery, bordered by a balustrade, on the pedestals of which were placed 48 large vases of white marble ; the handles being of lead, bronzed, and representing rams' heads. These pedestals were ornamented with grotesque heads, which threw out water; along the gallery ran a small ditch filled by a particular spring, the water of which supplied the inhabitants of Chantilly, who gave this long and rich gallery the name of the Palais Royal. One extremity of this gallery formed a small square hall, decorated with four vases, the handles of which represented serpents twined toge- ther : through this hall was a conveyance to the island of Love, and the steps leading to it had two bases, each supporting a marble statue, one of Bacchus, and the other of Ariadne. The Hall of Apollo was at the other extremity of this gallery : on each side of the door stood a figure; that on the right being a Bacchus, and the other a Ceres. The hall was square, and ornamented with coarse paintings representing arabesques, and eight frames, each of which contained the portrait of a dramatic author, and below, in a cameo, was a descriptive scene from his principal work. On the right stood Moliere, and below a scene from the Misanthrope, under the por- trait of Racine, a scene from Athalie; under that of Regnard, a scene from the Joiieur; under that of Crebillon, a scene from J tree and Thieste. On the left the first portrait was that of Corneille, under which was a scene from Cinna; next comes the portrait of Piron, with a scene from the Metromanie ; that of Voltaire with a scene from Merope, and that of Destouches with a scene from the Glorieux. On the door at the bottom was the Apollo Belvidere in painting, being the entrance to the theatre : all these paintings were executed by M. Sauvage, so justly celebrated in this line. From the hall of Apollo you entered the vestibule of the theatre; two 158 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. two flights of stairs (in the middle of which M. Sauvage painted the triumph of Amphion) conducted into it. This building was constructed from the designs of M. Belisard. The decorations being very rich, the boxes were surmounted by palm-trees, forming a kind of arcades, and supporting a drapery neatly drawn up. Over this kind of gallery was a ceiling on which were represented Cupids supporting a garland of flowers. But the richness and elegance of this theatre were not its only recom- mendations ; a decoration of a kind truly extraordinary exhibited, dur- ing the representations, the most surprising and brilliant effects. By a mechanical contrivance, the extremity of the theatre opened and dis- played, on the outside, a statue of Diana in a niche, the base of which presented a cascade formed by several jets of water that fell into a bason. This rich view was accompanied with eight sheets of water, which, by means of a pipe, disposable at pleasure, threw it up, and played in the theatre as in a garden. These waters, which were real, and whose effect was ingeniously combined with analogous decorations, together with the perspective at the bottom, produced during the representations, b\r the light of upwards of 1 500 bougies, one of the most singular, bril- liant, and animated spectacles it is possible to conceive. The armory was of a nature extremely interesting to artists, the ama- teurs of that part of our history which relates to manners and customs, and to all those who, at the sight of the weapons employed by ancient heroes, are inspired with profound veneration. It was a very copious col- lection of weapons of every kind, and complete suits of armour of several centuries and several nations; the collection being blended into offensive and defensive. The offensive arms presented an entire series of swords, sabres, and poignards of every fashion, of every age, and of different nations; among which was shewn a sword that belonged to Henry IV. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 159 a series of battle-axes, maces, flails, clubs of different forms; a very rare series of ancient fire-arms from the first models. The collection of cross-bows and slings was also very complete, as well as that of bows, quivers, and arrows of different nations. Among the rest was the cross- bow and gun of Francis I. The defensive arms presented a curious and numerous collection of fine suits of armor: you there beheld the armor of kings, knights, and esquires; and the armor of women and children. Among the armor of women was to be seen that of the Maid of Orleans ; with the com- plete armor of Mareschal de Montmorency, which he wore when he was killed in 1567 at the battle of St. Denis. This armor, pierced with a pistol and a musket-ball, was accompanied with the sword and fire-arms of the old warrior. He was a very brutal, very ignorant, and very cruel man; the history of his age is stained with his barbarities; he could neither read nor write, was a bad general, but a good soldier. The armor of the great Conde is worthy the attention of the curious : upon it appear nine distinct impressions of musket-balls, and on the helmet several strokes of sabres. Above this armor, and that of some other persons of the house of Conde, were placed the pistols and sword of the same general, with the four following lines by the poet Santeuil : Armati elipeis, tecti septeniplice ferro Sic ibant ad pugnam equites, sic bella movebant; Ilia atavis quondam fuerint victoribus arma Hie, animis dextra, hoc uno tutissimus ense. " It was thus that, armed with their bucklers covered with iron, our chevaliers went out to battle. These arms belonged to our victorious forefathers; but he, by his courage, his arm, and with this sword, was the most powerful of all." By the side of this armor were ranged, as trophies, several standards 160 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. aad other arms taken by the great Conde (at that time Duke d'Enghien) at the battle of Rocroy from the Spaniards, and likewise the old chair in which the Count de Fuentes, their general, was killed at the same battle on the 10th of May, 1646. The armor of the horses of the ancient chevaliers were not the least curious part of this cabinet. Near this place stood the Parterre of the Green-House, of a square form, and entirely surrounded with objects either magnificent or pictu- resque ; the island of Love, the castle, and its broad ditches, the build- ing of the orangery, and the long and rich gallery of vases, bordered this beautiful parterre, which was enlivened and refreshed by five basins, supplying fountains which were constantly playing. The basin in the middle principally attracted notice, being the largest; and in the middle rose a column of porphyry, precious both on account of the material, its extraordinary magnitude, and* because it was supposed to be antique. The base of this column furnished all around a sheet of water, and its capital, surmounted by an octa'edre of white marble, on the faces of which were traced eight hands, pointing the hours at different towns, a modern and curious piece of workmanship, by M. Vialon, a skilful Genevese. The first hand, exposed to the south, marked the hour at Chan- tilly. The second, to the south-east, marked what time it was at Rome, Pekin, Moscow, and Jerusalem. The third, to the east, marked the hour at Bergen, the capital of Norway, at Dunkirk, Amiens, &c. The fourth, to the north-east, shewed the hour at Wardhuys, in Norway, at Warsaw, Belgrade, Barca, in Barbary, and the Cape of Good Hope. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 1GI The fifth, to the north, gave the hour for the island of Otaheite. The sixth, to the north-west, the hour in Iceland, the Canary Islands, Cape Verd, &c. The seventh, to the west, at Bergen, Dunkirk, Amiens, and the same places as the east. The eighth, to the south-west, marked the hours for Mexico, Missis- sipi, &c. On one side the green-house joined the theatre, and on the other it extended to the terrace, which bordered the ditch of the castle. It con- tinued the whole length of the parterre, and exhibited a gallery of 30 arcades, terminated by two pavilions. The vast ditches by which the castle of Chantilly was surrounded, abounded with an immense number of very aged carp, which usually presented themselves at the edge, to curious persons who were in the habit of throwing them bread. The castle particularly denominated the great castle was built on a rock ; its plan being triangular. The three fronts flanked with small towers having loop-holes, and surmounted with pavilions, the tops of which were hemispherical. These towers had a communication by means of a very narrow gallery which ran on the outside between the two stories along all the three fronts of the castle. This architecture, at the same time rich and ancient, reminded us of some of the abodes of the ancient knights so frequently mentioned in the old romances of chivalry, and others of* the abode of one of those tyrants so numerous and so much dreaded during the prevalence of the feudal system. The principal entrance faced the Constable's Road already mentioned, which was six fathoms in breadth, and a league in length. From the place where this and two other roads met you came to a beautiful iron- gate, with two pavilions placed at the extremity of abridge, which was VOL. II. y ] Q2 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. the entrance into the first court. By a flight of iron-steps, decorated at the bottom with two large dogs, and at the top with lions placed on pedestals, you ascended to the second court, called the court of honour, or constable's court, on account of the equestrian statue placed in the middle, of which I shall presently take notice. The principal entrance into the castle was rebuilt in the modern style, and ornamented with sculp- ture. To arrive at it you crossed the ditch by means of a bridge of two arches. The inner court of the castle was triangular, like the plan of the building, excepting that two angles were cut off. This court was deco- rated with sculpture of a curious construction. The architectural part of the court, which exhibited the entrance to the stair-case, was executed by Francois Mansard : three porticoes de- corated with Corinthian columns, and a broken pediment, conduct to the grand stair-case. On the first landing-place appeared the marble statue of the great Conde, surrounded with the attributes of his glory. You then arrived at the king's apartments; the first room was called the Hall of the Swiss Guards; the chimney-piece of which was orna- mented with a portrait of the great Conde, and the hall with several other pieces representing hunting-scenes, by Sneider, Oudri, and Des- portes. The dining-room, was decorated with arabesques on a green ground, contained several valuable pictures by Guido, and others. The king's anti-chamber, decorated with tapestry, was ornamented with three pictures representing three seasons; and a fourth, exhibiting the wife of the great Conde, painted in the character of Diana, and accompanied by her children. Next came the bed-chamber: you there saw a bed with a white ground, as well as all the furniture, which was very rich. The council-chamber, the glass-cabinet, which was next to it, and of an oval form, were not inferior in splendor. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 1(33 The king's saloon, or gallery, which was next shewn, contained two buffets, or cabinets, formed of inlaid stones of very great value. They represented porticoes, accompanied with colonnades of veined jasper, pannels of Florence stone and agates, and six gilded cariatides. The tops were surmounted by domes. The chimney-piece was decorated with the figures of Vulcan and Ve- nus; and, at the farther end of this gallery, were two tables on which were seen the busts of the constable de Montmorency, and the chan- cellor l'Hospital. A cabinet formed in a tower, and called the cabinet of views, afforded superb points of view ; and the whole of its furniture was ingeniously embroidered with caterpillars and jays, by a princess of Conde. From the gallery you were introduced into the queen's apartment, the anti-chamber, which corresponded, in splendor, with the rest. The dining-room, which was next to the preceding, had four large windows, and was decorated with stucco; the pannels were in the man- ner of Siena-marble, and the cornices of white statuary-marble. The frieze had a yellow ground, and exhibited garlands of fruits, supported by antique heads. The ceiling represented a sky, painted by Restout. The walls were ornamented by six cameos; and the floor formed into squares of white and veined white marble, and underneath were flues which kept up, in winter, an agreeable temperature. The billiard-room contained two tables. Over the chimney-piece was a hunting-rendezvous, in the part of the forest of Chantilly, called the Rendezvous of the Chace. This picture was by Loutherbourg. The apart- ment ornamented with hunting-trophies, and two black female busts. From the billiard-room you entered the music-hall adjoining, which was the backgammon-closet. The Little Castle, at the time that Chantilly belonged to the house Y 2 1(34 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. of Montmorency, was the seat of the rangership. The late Prince of Conde enriched it with various embellishments. It was situated in the ditch of the great castle, with which it communicated by means of bridges in the form of a corridor; the outside ornamented with Corin- thian pilasters ; the ground-floor level with the water of the great ditch, and divided into two principal apartments, separated by a hall. This hall was decorated with several pictures representing the finest houses in the vicinity of Paris. Above the vez-de-chausee were the prince's apartments; being on a level with the court of the great castle, to which they were connected by a bridge over the ditch. The anti-chamber contained a general plan of Chantilly; and over the doors were represented dogs. The bed- chamber was ornamented with arabesques, white and gold, and several beautiful paintings. The saloon decorated with arabesques having a white ground, and embellished with gold, contained a monument of Henry VI. in co- loured wax. The Gallery of Battles was one of the most interesting apartments of the little castle, on account of the rich furniture and the pictures it con- tained. You there observed tables of mosaic work, one of root, ex- tremely curious, and some very valuable porcelain vases. The Cabinet of Natural Philosophy and Natural History next suc- ceeded, which consisted of four apartments, containing upwards of 30,000 articles of the most curious description. Enghien House, situated beyond the constable's terrace, was erected in the space of four months, from the designs of M. le Roi, architect to the Prince of Conde, and contained several suites of rooms. A perspective effect worth seeing, was that produced by the long range of eight apart- ments, when all the doors; which are in a line, are open at once, simi- lar to those at Hampton-Court. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. \G5 Wide ditches, and a magnificent terrace, ornamented with two sphynxes, presented themselves at the entrance of this structure, be- hind which were the superb pleasure-grounds, and a park, of which I shall make brief mention. The Constable's Terrace, situated between the great castle and En- ghien-house, was nearly square. In the middle stood the equestrian sta- tue of the constable Montmorency. From this terrace you proceeded to the great stair-case, from the top of which was a superb view of part of the gardens of Chantilly. In front appeared the parterre, in the middle of which was placed the basin of the Wlieat-sheaf. The richness of this picture induced the spec- tator to examine in detail the beauties it presented. He descended the vast and magnificent stair-case of the terrace, and comes to the circular basin of the wheat-sheaf: where he could not refrain from admiring the facades of the wall of the terrace, on each side of the stair-case, which were of extraordinary beauty. To this spot succeeded the Island of Love ; the Island of the Green- Wood; the Discovery; the Canal of Trouts, with other places and buildings too numerous to mention, and which would tire your patience; suffice it, therefore, to observe, that it is hardly possible to do sufficient justice, by description, to those once beautiful gardens, the taste and elegance of which were not to be surpassed. In the early part of the succeeding letter I shall close my account of Chantilly, and until then I remain, Yours, &c. 166 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. LETTER XXIX. Description of Chantilly continued. — The Stables. — The Open Riding- House. — Court of Carriages. — Great Dog-Kennel. — Kennel for the Boar-Hounds. — Paris-Church. — The Reservoir. — Hunters" Rendezvous in the Forest. — Register of Game killed at Chantilly from 1748 to \179-~Game killed in one Year. — Method of purchasing Estates in France. MY LORD, Paris, Oct. 14, 1802. JL HE next object worthy of notice is the stables, and the numerous buildings attached to them, which formed an immense whole. The magnificence of this vast edifice, and its advantageous situation, in- duced strangers to suppose it was the residence of the proprietor, and the stables were generally mistaken for the castle. This edifice, constructed from the designs of John Aubert, was begun in 1719, and finished in 1735; presented a facade 96 fathoms and a half in length, and nearly 10 in breadth. At the two extremities were two large pavilions sixty-five feet square, and 42 and a half high from the ground-floor to the entablature; each of them had three porticoes on each of the sides. In the middle of the facade was a pavilion larger and more lofty, containing the principal entrance to the stables; above SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 1 67 which was a bas-relief, representing three horses in different attitudes. This pavilion was ornamented with Ionic columns, trophies of arms and the chace, and the top, which rose in the form of a dome, was crowned with the horse of Fame, similar to that on the bridge turning to the Tuileries. The inside of the stables measured 93 fathoms in length, 36 feet wide, and 42 and a half from the ground to the commencement of the dome. These enormous proportions, though they gave an air of grandeur to this habitation of horses, was, however, a great drawback on its conve- nience. The vast extent of the interior, the height of the vault, the great size of the windows, would render this place uninhabitable even for horses, if in winter a fire were not constantly kept up. In the centre is the dome, 63 feet in diameter, and 92 in height. The vault, which is octagonal, is lighted by large oval windows; the whole is ornamented with garlands and trophies of the chace, heads of stags, and boars. Below this dome, and in front of the principal entrance, is a recess, forming a grand arcade, under which was a magnificent fountain, or cas- cade. A grotesque head discharges water into a shell ; it falls in a sheet into a large reservoir, embellished with architecture, 18 feet long, and 9 wide. In the middle of this reservoir were two horses of lead as large as life : one appeared to be drinking out of the reservoir, and a child of the same metal blowing a marine conch rested against him; the other horse seemed to be drinking out of a shell which another child presented to him. Two palm-trees decorated the back of the fountain, where was the following in -cription, supported by two genii: " Louis, Henrv de Bourbon, seventh Prince of Conde, erected these 168 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. stables, and the buildings dependent on them. Begun in 1719, and finished in 1736." The stables are capable of holding 240 horses. The chief arches, which are between the windows, exhibit, at the commencement of the vault, stags' heads, surrounded with painted garlands of oak-leaves. The two extremities of these stables are terminated by open fronts. In a recess above the cornice are painted hunting-scenes ; in the one is the hunting of wolves, and in another the hunting of wild-boars. Above the vault of the stables are 24 apartments without reckoning 10 chambers at the top. These apartments are separated by a corridor 40 fathoms in length. The Open Riding-house, situated between the stables and the Pavilion of the Street, is entered from the lawn towards the castle. It is a cir- cular edifice, built in the style of the stables to which it belongs, and having several porticoes, one of which serves for the entrance to the riding-house. Between the porticoes are isolated columns and pilas- ters: the interior, which is of a circular form, is 20 fathoms in dia- meter. The Court of Carriages is 23 fathoms and 4 feet long, by 22 fathoms and 4 feet wide : the decorations are in the same style as those of the stables. The Great Dog-kennel for the reception of stag-hounds, displays heads of stags between the windows, and at the two extremities a fountain, ornamented with a stag's head, which discharges water into a reservoir where the dogs go to drink. You there read inscriptions which state the number of stags that have been taken every year since the month of June, 1716, and a list of the dogs' names. The Winter-kennel is likewise for the stag-hounds; it is ornamented SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 1 69 like the great kennel with staes'-heads, and a fountain wherein the figure of a dog discharged water into a reservoir. The Kennel for the Boar-hounds is very extensive. The walls were ornamented with paintings resembling wild-boars. You likewise see a fountain, where a boar's-head throws water into a cistern. The exterior facade of this building, which looks towards the village of Chantilly, is 3d fathoms in length, and is terminated by the pavilion of the stables and that of the dog-kennels. The Pavilion of the Dog-home resembles the stables in its exterior, and the inside contained five stories, occupied by the servants. The ground-iloor was divided into five kennels, in which were kept the poin- ters, setters, harriers, &c. Each of these kennels had a fountain. The buildings, containing the bake-house and the apartments of the gentlemen, likewise deserve some notice. I shall content myself with saying, that these buildings were dependent on the stables; that they were constructed at the same time, and from the designs of the same architect, as well as the principal gate by which you enter the village of Chantilly. That part of the village situated along the road leading to the castle, formed a building above 160 fathoms in length, divided into houses of uniform construction, behind each of which was a garden that looked into the lawn of Chantilly. The Parish-church is of modern construction; the interior is orna- mented with pilasters, and on the altar you see the adoration of the shepherds, painted by Horcasse. The reservoirs, situated on the lawn, at the extremity of the castle, are two vast pieces of water, each of which is nearly 100 fathoms in length, and 50 in breadth. They supplied part of the waters of Chan- VOL. II. z 170 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. tilly. Several alleys of trees surround these two pieces of water, and form a delightful promenade. The park* of Chantilly, which contains the buildings, gardens, groves, &c. is inclosed with walls ; it is about a league and a half in length, and its breadth in some places not more than half a league. . The forest of Chantilly, which is contiguous to the park, and has se- veral roads communicating with it, contains 7,600 acres. In the middle of it is a circular place called the Round Table, or the Hunter's Rendez- vous. Twelve large roads run into it, and here was celebrated the feast of huntsmen on St. Hubert's day. In the middle was a vast and superb pavilion, which, together with the accessory objects, are given in the enclosed representation. I shall now present you with a register of game killed at Chantilly in each year, from 1748 to 1779. CROSS QUANTITY. 54878 24029 37209 19932 3?lt>'0 27013 42902 2/164 53712 26'405 31620 30429 3.0892 33055 25995 30859 3:479 50812 1 S479 25813 39S93 40234 18550 50666 :i:470 26267 26371 1 3304 16*186 25953 19774 17566 BIRDS AND BEASTS. The numbers in detail of each specific description, thus registered, to have been killed at Chantilly, in the above-mentioned series, of Hares 77750 Quails 19696 Rabbits 587470 Italles (the male quail) 449 Partridges 117574 Woodcocks 2164 Red do 12426 Snipes 2856 Pheasants 8j193 Ducks 1353 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 171 Wood Pigeons 317 Lapwings 720 Becfique (small bird like our Wheatear) 6'7 Curlews 32 Oyes d'Egypte . 3 Oyes Sauvage .... ..... . 14 Bustards . 2 Larks 10b' Tudelles 3 Fox I Crapeaux 8 Thrushes 1313 Guynard . .. ............ 4 Stags 1682 Hinds i6'82 Fawns 119 Does ........ m 1921 Young Does 135 Roe-Bucks 466*9 Young Do 810 Wild-Boars 194.2 Marcassins (young boars) 813 GAME KILLED IN" ONE YEAR. By Head of Game. M. deCayla 460 M. de Canillac 953 Comte de Artois . 5.53 Due de Bourbon _ 403 Due d'Enghien 9 Prince d'Henin .... — .. — ........ 170 Due de Polignac . 330 M. de Roucherolles 93 M. de Choisseul _ 195 M. de Tremouelie S6 M. Vaupaliere 75 M. Lostanges — 247 M. de St. Herminc 29 M. Belinage (three of the same name) 1086*8 M. Damezega 522 M.St. Cloud 29 M. Boazola 471 M. Goulct 10 By Head of Game. M. Brieux ' 62 M. Balli de Crusol 196 Abbe Balivere 54 Baron de Chatelie 26 M. de Valou S M. Nedouchel 16" M. Minitier 770 IM. P. de Tallemont 17 Comte d'Authieul 403 M. d'Authieul 822 M. Sarobert 78 M. Bateroy 6 Mr. Franklin 119 Mr. Franklin (his son) 198 %* No English gentlemen are in the list. Stag-hunts 90 Boar-hunts 207 The prince's name does not appear in the list of 1770 : that year the prince did not shoot. But from the year 1741 to 1778, the archives of Chantilly state — That the pieces of game killed by S. A. R. Monseigneur le Prince de Conde, were in number 65,524, z 2 172 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. That the nine pieces of game killed by the late prince's grandson, the Due d'Enghien, were all rabbits. That the pieces killed by the Due de Bourbon were these — Pheasants 1451 Partridge 1254 Hares 1267 Red do 143 And by C. d Artois, these— Pheasants 97 S Partridges 1109 Hares - S70 Red do — ]I3 The horses, when the family were at the place, were above 500. — - The dogs, 60 to 80 couple.— The servants above 500. After some refreshment, I again resumed the consideration of the purchase of Chanteloup, and found that it produced 600 louis a year. If this be correct, it is certainly very reasonable, as the park under good culture would produce fifteen hundred pounds worth of corn, which would be nearly sufficient for my family in wheat, as well as oats for my stud. According to the plan delivered in to me, one field is stated to contain only 27 acres, 66 perches, whereas I am confi- dent it comprizes nearly two hundred acres. The only way to account for this striking difference is, that the measurement must have been taken from some old boundaries, since which time additional lands must also have been enclosed from the forest which bounds it on the south. The next day a meeting was agreed on, at the minister's house, where the number of acres should be accurately stated, and a final determina- tion take place. With us, in England, the number of acres, roods, and perches, with the annual rent, is first stated, and then the whole valued at so many years purchase : but in France an arbitrary price is mentioned, and either taken or rejected by the person who offers him- self as a purchaser. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. !73 I called on several of my acquaintances in the evening-, and among the rest, Monsieur Brue, who detests a country life, and, indeed, the generality of the French have no idea of enjoyments out of Paris. On my return I found some presents, fresh perigord pics, and a quan- tity of very capital Champaign; all of which I dispatched hy the coach to Dieppe. Monsieur Bergere and Mr. Bryant spent the remainder of the evening with us; but the former gentleman was very much depres- sed, having lost his father-in-law, and old sporting companion, owing' to the bite of a mad dog. Yours, &c. |74 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. LETTER XXX. Origin and progressive Aggrandizement of Paris. — Remaining Gates. — Bar- rieres. —Appearance of the Streets and Houses. — Careless?iess of the Parisian Coachmen. — Anecdote.— -Fashionable Furniture. — Market-places — Poissardes — Halle-au-Ble. — Consumption of Flour. — Observatory of Catharine de Me- dicis, — Slaughter-Houses. — Bridges.— Pont Neuf. — Pont National. — Pont de la Concorde.— Pont au Change.— Pont St. Michel. — Pont Notre-Dame. Petit Pont. — Pont au Double.— Pont Marie. — Pont de la Tournelle.— Water of the Seine. — Water-Carriers. — A gentleman reduced to take up that Employment — La Ravaudeuse. — Le Mar chand Tisane — Le Crocheteur — Cof- fee-Houses. — Theatres. — LeTheatre Fra?icois de la Republique.— Principal Performers.— Undress of the Audience. — Le Theatre de la Republique, et des Arts. — Theatre de IVpera Comique.— Theatre Lowvois. -—Theatre de la rue Fravart.— Public Libraries. — Bibliotheque National. — Parnasse Francois. — Globes of immense Dimensions. — Gallery of Manuscripts.— Titles and Genea- logies.— Cabinets of Medals, Antiques, and Engravings.— Libraries. — Biblio- theque Magazine. — Bibliotheque du Pantheon. — Bibliotheque de V Arsenal. MY LORD, Paris, Oct. 16, 1802. IN compliance with your repeated solicitations, I at length sit down to make a few observations on the origin, progressive aggrandizement, and present state of this gay metropolis ; but you will have the goodness to recollect, that I engaged only to give you a mere sketch, conscious that it would require time more extended, and abilities superior to mine, to present you with a finished picture. It was, indeed, my original de- sign to have noticed such things only as happened to occur, or excited my particular attention ; but I now propose to describe all those objects in Paris which are generally deemed most deserving of attention ; and which I sincerely hope may afford your lordship some amusement. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 175 In the time of Julius Ccesar, the capital of the Parish was known by the name of Lutetia, and was but an insignificant village in comparison to the capitals of the neighbouring provinces : It was then entirely con- tained within that island now called Vile du Palais, and its houses were nothing more than small circular hovels, built of wood and earth, and thatched with straw or rushes. After its reduction by the Romans, Lutetia was surrounded by walls, embellished with a palace, and strengthened with two fortresses, one of which occupied the site of the prison called Le Grand Chatelet, and the other that of Le Petit Chatelet. The circumstance of the rivers Yonne, Marne, and Oise, joining the Seine, gave rise to the establish- ment of a trading company called Nause Parmaci, who engaged to fa- cilitate the circulation of military stores and provisions. Here, also, the Romans erected a magnificent palace, which, from its tepid baths, was called Thermo:, and appears to have been the residence of Julian, when he was employed in defending Gaul against the barbarians, about two years before his elevation to the imperial dignity. At this time the ca- pital of the Parish was described as occupying an inconsiderable island, the entrance on each side being by a wooden bridge. About the middle of the fifth century this city became subject to the Franks, and the long stay which king Clovis made in it contributed very considerably to its embellishment. Charlemagne founded a cele- brated school in it ; and a similar institution was soon afterwards esta- blished in the abbey of St. Germain-des-Pres ; but, in the course of the ninth century, it was repeatedly pillaged by the Normans. Between the years 1190 and 1211, Philip Augustus surrounded it with walls, enclosing several of the contiguous villages and hamlets, and causing the streets of the city to be paved. Subsequent wars re- quired new fortifications; and under king John the bastille was erected. 176 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. In the reigns of Charles V. and VI. the public works were continued; and when Francis I. ascended the throne, he spared neither expence nor labour for the embellishment of his capital, causing several heavy, Gothic edifices to be pulled down, and reviving the chaste, though long- neglected architecture of the Greeks. The successors of Francis continued to execute part of the projects of that prince; so that the city imperceptibly lost its irregular and gloomy aspect; and in the reign of Louis XIV. its gates were con- verted into triumphal arches; its ditches (then filled up and planted with trees) became the promenades of beauty and fashion, and the city might almost have been said to know no limits. It is but justice to add, that its magnificent edifices, national establishments, curious cabinets, rich libraries, places of public entertainment, and immense population, have long rendered it the admiration of the most enlightened nations. Paris was anciently divided into three parts, viz. La Cite, VUniver- site, and La Ville. La Cite comprised all the Isle du Palais, and may be justly regarded as the parent-stock of the metropolis, whence have branched out the numerous quarters by which it is now surrounded. L'Universite was bordered by the Seine, the Fauxbourg, . St. Bernard, St. Victor, St. Marcel, St. Jacques, and the Fauxbourg St. Germain ; and from the great number of colleges in this quarter, it obtained the appellation of Le Pays Latin. La Ville comprehended all the remain- ing parts of the capital not included in the suburbs. At present Paris is divided into twelve arrondisemens, or jurisdictions, each of which is presided by a central office of municipal police. The Fauxbourgs, or suburbs, of which there are no less than sixteen, re- tain their ancient names ; but those of many of the streets have under- gone a change in the course of the revolution. Paris was anciently furnished with eighteen gates, but only three of SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 177 these now remaining : the gate of St. Denis, erected in the year 1672, by Bullet, from a design of Blondel ; the gate St. Martin, built by the same architect; and the Gate de VAport Paris, now called the Gate du Grand Chatelet. The barrieres are placed at various ends of the suburbs, and are guarded by custom-house officers, who receive the regular duties ; and watch that no contraband-goods are carried into the city. The archi- tect, Le Doux, has elegantly diversified the form of these edifices, one representing a chapel; a second an observatory; a third an heathen temple ; and a fourth a rusticated building, &c. The streets of Paris are, for the most part, long and narrow ; and those which are adorned by the hotels of the wealthy, have but few pas- sengers. The grand hotels have large court-yards; but the inferior ones, instead of street-doors, have a pair of unwieldy folding-gates, leading either to a dismal avenue, or a gloomy, outward hall. These gates are open during the day, and an inscription over a little, dirty lodge, ex- horts the visitor to speak with the porter, who is generally of some se- dentary profession, as a taylor, or shoe-maker, and is the guardian of the premises. Mercier observes, " that it was found absolutely necessary to limit the unmeasured heights of houses : they cannot now be raised," says he, " above seventy feet, and in certain districts the citizens can enjoy nei- ther light nor air. Those who lodge at the top must daily scale a stair- case which reaches from one end to the other of these immensely high houses: and those who are at the bottom are obliged to light candles at twelve o'clock to see their dinner. " This prodigious elevation forms a striking contrast to the narrowness of our streets ; the public roads where carriages occasionally pass, are VOL. II. 2 A 178 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. i too wide ; and the streets where they pass by dozens at once, are so strait, that there are continual entanglements." The most populous thoroughfares are, in general, so narrow as to be extremely dangerous to passengers; for there is no foot-pavement, and the only guard against carriages consists of some large stones, placed at certain intervals, but close to the wall. The carelessness of the drivers of coaches and cabriolets is very reprehensible, and in for- mer times was often productive of the most tragical consequences. The following anecdote, related by the famous Saint Foix, will exhibit this matter in a proper point of view : — " A foreign nobleman driving rapidty through a narrow street, in the dusk of the evening, overturned his chaise ; and to add to his misfor- tune, the driver of a coach, which immediately followed, ran over, and killed the fallen horse. Enraged at this brutal carelessness, and vexed at the loss of his horse, which was of great value, he ran up to the coachman with his drawn sword, and furiously demanded why he had not pulled up when he saw the animal on the ground ?" — " Ah ! sir," exclaimed the terrified fellow, " it was dark, and I thought it had only been a man" " This trait of sublime atrocity," adds St. Foix, " paints monsters, whom Nature has created only to warn legislators to exter- minate them." Among the various changes that have taken place within this capital, must be noticed that of the furniture, which is now entirely in the an- tique taste : such, at least, is the case in the apartments of the courtiers, the merchants, the bankers, and, generally speaking, of all those who move in the higher circles. The lit cl la Polonaise has been succeeded bv the Grecian bed; the old Chinese paper has been expelled by rich Etruscan designs; and the curtains with Persian borders have given 3 jfams W&7?ia4i>. fowr y/ ■■'<'/< Cff&fomt'. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. J Q I rivalled. Mesdemoiselles Mezeray and Mars are also admired actresses, and Mademoiselle Contat still retains all her pleasing powers. I must observe, that the effect of all the spectacle:; in this metropolis is considerably diminished by the undress in which it is fashionable to frequent the theatres, except on the first representation of a neAv piece, when the ladies appear en grand costume. On ordinary occasions they wear hats, or morning-caps, coloured gowns, and shawls ; and the gen- tlemen appear in round-hats and great-coats. While touching on the subject of dress, I cannot help making an observation relative to two antiquated figures which attracted my notice one evening, as I was walking along the Boulevards, in company with Mr. Bryant; indeed, so remarkable a contrast did they form to the pre- vailing fashion of the day, that I desired Mr. Bryant immediately to take a sketch of them, as correct as possible, that I might have an op- portunity, at a future period, of shewing it your lordship, in company with other subjects, which were deemed worthy of delineation. This seemingly happy, but infirm couple, were attended by a little favorite shock dog, tied by a blue ribband ; which, together, formed a groupe so truly whimsical, that some time elapsed before we could forget them. The gallery of this theatre, which is, of course, filled with inferior company, occupies that part which, in England, forms the front and side boxes; and the boxes below are behind the gallery. Les Premiers are immediately above these, answering in height to our green-boxes; and there are four tiers of boxes above, which diminish in price accord- ing to their elevation. The stage-box, ornamented with scarlet cloth, richly embroidered, is reserved for the First Consul; but he generally occupies a little shaded-box, where he can view the performance with- out being seen by the audience. 192 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. The opera, or Le Theatre de la Republique, et des Arts, is between the sizes of Covent-Garden and Drury-Lane. Its form is nearly that of a parallelogram, and one of the shorter sides is occupied by the stage. The decorations are rather gaudy than elegant ; but the scenery is very splendid, the band full and good, and the action of the performers is highly animated and expressive. " Here," says a French writer, " arts, graces, taste, and genius, conspire to produce a most magnificent, a most brilliant, and a most enchanting spectacle. Here heroes come to life again to sing their love and despair: here many a goddess is seen to mix with mortals, many a Venus to descend from the radiant Olym- pus, in order to throw herself into the arms of more than one Adonis." The Theatre de V Opera Comique, situate in the Rue Feydeau, was opened for the first time in 1791 ; and in the beginning, it united the performers of the original Opera Bufa, and those of the old French comic opera ; but it afterwards experienced the vicissitudes attendant on the revolution ; and at present the company consists of a selection from the performers of the Opera Comique of the Theatre Favart, and those of the lyric theatre in question. The entrance to this theatre is by a circular vestibule, externally de- corated with caryatides, and spacious enough for one carriage to enter while another drives off by an adjoining outlet. The interior of the house is a semicircle, extended in a right line at its extremities, which places the orchestre in a central position. Two rows of Gothic pillars occupy nearly all the height of the building, and there are eight tiers of boxes, but three of these are out of sight. The ornaments consist of a curious mixture cf the Grecian, Gothic, and Oriental ; and the seats are said to accommodate about two thousand persons. The Theatre Louvois, situated in the street of the same name, was built by Picard, at the beginning of the revolution, and still continues ■I '■ :c- m '\ i . - %j£wte, 6zAm tfvm ^7/v'- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 193 under his management. It is of a circular form, divided into four tiers of boxes, prettily ornamented; but there is no colonnade, nor other ex- terior decoration, to announce it as a place of public amusement. Here plays are performed mostly of two or three acts ; but, on some evenings, longer pieces are represented. The performers are tolerably good, and some of the pieces are very entertaining. The Theatre de la rue Favart, to which VOpera Buffa has lately re- moved, is a handsome building, and the boxes are open, which renders the appearance of the house peculiarly lively. The orchestra, also, is well chosen, the music good, and some of the performers are justly ad- mired. This theatre seems particularly patronised by Madame Buona- parte, who seldom fails to attend at the performance of a popular piece. Besides the above-mentioned theatres, which may be considered as the principal, and the most central, there are several smaller ones, which are generally well attended; the pieces and performers, for the most part, ranking above mediocrity. There are, likewise, several equestrian exhibitions, on the plan of Astley's amphitheatre. The chief public libraries in this capital, are the Bibliotheque Na- tionale, the Bibliotheque Mazarin, the Bibliotheque du Pantheon, and the Bibliotheque de V Arsenal: each of which I shall briefly describe. The Bibliotheque Nationale, originally founded by Charles V. occu- pies a spacious building in the Rue de la Loi. A beautiful painted stair- case leads to the spacious apartments on the first-floor, which contain upwards of three hundred thousand volumes. A range of commodious rooms, well lighted and aired, present, on each side, the most interest- ing books in every language and science, and librarians attend to deli- ver such volumes as are occasionally wanted, VOL. II. 2 c 194 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. In the second apartment is a little bronze mountain, called the Par- ?iasse Francois; on which a variety of figures, representing the French poets of celebrity, appear to be climbing ; while a figure of Louis XIV. occupies a distinguished situation under Apollo. In another room are a pair of globes of immense dimensions, con- structed in 1683, by the Jesuit Coronelli, and presented by the cardinal d'Estrees to Louis XIV. The feet of these globes rest in a lower apart- ment; while their hemispheres project by two apertures made in the floor, and are thus placed within reach of the observer. On the terres- trial globe the water is coloured blue, and the land white; cities are painted with red and gold colours, and the mountains with green, shaded by brown. However, they require new painting, as they were made before the recent discoveries, and the colours are much faded. The gallery of manuscripts contains upwards of thirty thousand vo- lumes, twenty-five thousand of which are in learned and foreign lan- guages. A prodigious number of these are histories of France, chiefly from the reign of Louis XI. Here, also, are a complete collection of Colbert's Letters, in sixty volumes.— Letters (some in French and some in English) written by Flenry VIII. of England — Letters of Henry IV. of France to one of his mistresses; and a large collection of the French king's missals, beautifully embellished with drawings of Scripture- history. I must, likewise, remark, that on every leaf of these missals is the representation of a flower, with its name in French and Latin, so that it forms a collection of botany as well as of religion. ' The chances of war have augmented the treasury of this library with a quantity of the most valuable books and manuscripts from Italy, Hol- land, and Germany. Among these I must notice the original manu- script of Ruffin, a priest of the fourth century, containing the Latin SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. \95 translation of the Jewish antiquities, by Josephus, written on papyrus, or Egyptian paper; a roll composed of several skins, containing the Hebrew Pentateuch ; two codices in parchment ; a Terence,* and a Horace, from the library of the Vatican ; and the two celebrated ma- nuscripts of Virgil of the seventh century, the one from the Vatican, the other from Florence. Five spacious apartments on the second floor contain the titles and ge- nealogies of French families, which, though forbidden, since the revo- lution, to be kept by individuals, are still preserved here, for the pur- pose of ascertaining claims to private property, as well as to aid the re- searches of the diligent historian. The cabinets of medals, antiques, and engravings, have experienced a considerable augmentation since the year 1789, and are well worth the examination of the curious. The cabinet of medals is ornamented with three large pictures by Natoire, representing Thalia, Calliope, and Terpsichore ; by three of Carlo Vanloo, representing Psyche, the inventress of the flute, led by Hymen and the Protectors of the Muses; and by some handsome draw- ings by Boucher. The cabinet of antiques, on the third story, contains a considerable number of vases, busts, and instruments of sacrifice; statues of Isis and Anubis; an Egyptian mummy, taken to pieces; an antique marble- table ; the shields of Scipio and Flannibal ; a bathing-vessel of por- phyry ; and several warlike instruments of different Indian nations. The cabinet of engravings consists of about five thousand volumes, divided into twelve classes : the first containing architectural engineers, * This manuscript, of which Madame Dacier has spoken very highly in her translation, is orna- mented with figures of the time, and a representation of the masks introduced on the stage by the ancients. 2 C 9 1G() SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. sculptors, and engravers, arranged in schools; the second, prints, em- blems, and devices of piety ; the third, Greek and Roman antiquities, and fables; the fourth, arms, coins, and medals; the fifth, tourna- ments, cavalcades, and public festivals; the sixth, arts and mathema- tics; the seventh, prints relating to romances, and other books of en- tertainment; the eighth, natural history in its various branches; the ninth, geography; the tenth, plans and views of ancient and modem buildings; the eleventh, portraits of persons of all professions ; and the twelfth, an extensive collection of fashions and costumes, from the porte feuille of Gaignieres. The national library is open every day (Sundays and days of public fetes excepted), from ten o'clock till two, for the accommodation of those who wish to study, or take notes; but to those who are merely attracted by motives of curiosity, it is only open on the Wednesdays and Fridays of each week, at the same hours. The librarians for the printed books are Capperonnier and Van Praet; those for the MSS. Langles, Laporte Du Keil, and Le Grand. The Bibliotheque Mazarin, which occupies one of the pavilions, and some other apartments of the ci-devant College Mazarin ou des Quatre Nations, was bequeathed by Cardinal Mazarin in 1662, for the use of the literati. It was formed of every thing most rare and curious that could be found in France and in foreign countries, and consists of about sixty thousand volumes. No additions particularly worthy of notice have been made to this library since the revolution : but it is kept in exr cellent order; and the three conservators, Coquille, Le Blond, and Falissot, are well known in the republic of letters. It is open to the pub- lic every day from ten till two o'clock, with the exception of Sundays, Thursdays, and days of national fetes. The Bibliotheque Du Pantheon (formerly called Bibliotheque de St. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 197 Gc?ievieve from the canons of that order, who enriched it in a particular manner), consists of about a hundred thousand printed volumes, and two thousand manuscripts, many of which are extremely valuable on account of their antiquity and preservation. The apartments are deco- rated with some fine marble busts of French literati; and at the eiv trance of the Cabinet of Antiques is a curious map of the city of Rome in relief coloured. The present conservators are Daunou, Ventenat, and Viallon ; and the library is open on the same days as the BibZiotheque Mazarin. The Bibliotheque de V Arsenal, formerly belonging to the Count d'Ar- tois, is one of the richest in this metropolis, and is intended to be re- moved to the palace of the Conservative Senate, where arrangements are now making for its reception. It is said to contain seventy-five thousand printed volumes, and about six thousand manuscripts, many of the latter being beautifully illuminated on vellum. Its augmenta- tion since the revolution has been very inconsiderable; and it is fre- quented less than the other libraries, on account of its remoteness from the fashionable quarters of the city.- Ameilkon, a member of the in- stitute, is administrator; and Saugrain, conservator. The library is open to the public from ten till two o'clock on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The above-mentioned libraries are the most considerable in Paris, and the most worthy of a traveller's attention; but the National Institute, the Conservative Senate, the Legislative Body, and the Tribunate, have each their respective library : as have, also, the Council of the School of Mines, the Polytechnic School, the Conservatory of Music, the Museum of Natural History, and the Tribunal of Cassation. I must also observe, that when the Constituent Assembly declared the possessions of the clergy to be national property, the monasteries of 198 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. the Capucins, Grands Jesuites, and Cordeliers, in Paris were set apart as depots, or repositories for the books and manuscripts, which the Committee of Alienation wished to preserve from the revolutionary furor, in order that they might supply the public libraries, already formed, or to be formed, particularly those appropriated to public in- struction. Conceiving that I may already have intruded on your lordship's pa* tience, I shall lay aside my pen till to-morrow, when I will communi- cate the sequel of my observations on the French metropolis. I have the honour to remain, Yours, Sec. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 199 LETTER XXXI. Public Seminaries. — Normal-Schools soon abolished. — Primary and Central- Schools. — New Plan for the Organization of public Instruction. — Nexv Pri- mary Schools. — Secondary Schools. — Lyceums. — Special Schools. — Scientific Societies. — Societe Philotecltnique. — Societe Libre des Sciences, Lettres, et Arts. — Athenee des Arts. — Societe Philomatique. — Societe Academique des Sciences. — Societe Galvanique. — Societe des Belles Lettres.— Academie de Le- gislation.— Observatenrs de l Homme. — Athenee de Paris. — National Istitu- tion of the Deaf and Dumb — Mode of Instruction. — Institution des Tra- vau.v des Aveugles. — State of Society in Paris — Divided into three Classes — The ci-devant Noblesse — The Governmental Class — The Parvenues. — Modern Marriages. — Funerals. — Fiacres. — Batelets. — Washerwomen. — Oystencomen — Oysters unwholesome bej'ore the Frost. MY LORD, Paris, Oct. 1 7, ISO?. A O the consideration of the public libraries naturally succeeds that of the new seminaries of learning, raised, or intended to be raised, on the ruins of those colleges and universities, which fell under the shock of the revolution : and I shall, therefore, proceed to give your lordship the result of my enquiries on the subject. It appears, that after the suppression of the ancient seminaries which existed under the monarchical government, Normal schools were esta- blished throughout the republic by a decree of the National Conven- tion. Professors and teachers were also appointed to give such instruc- tions as might qualify youth for the higher seminaries, according to a plan then in agitation. But in less than a twelvemonth these regula- 200 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. tions were laid aside ; and on the 25th of October, 1796, primary, se- condary, and central schools were ordered to be opened in every de- partment. In the primary schools, reading, writing, and arithmetic, constituted the principal part of the instruction. The secondary schools, from a va- riety of causes, were never established. The central ones were opened under the following regulations : The instruction was to be divided into three classes ; the first compre- hending ancient and modern languages, natural history, and drawing; the second, physics, chemistry, and mathematics; and the third, uni- versal grammar, the fine arts, law, and history. Each central school was to be furnished with a botanical-garden, a public library, a collec- tion of mathematical instruments, and philosophical apparatus. The professors were to be chosen by a Jury of Instruction ; and the pupils were to be admitted into the first class at the age of twelve years, into the second at fourteen, and into the third at sixteen. The primary schools, however, have been so much neglected, and even the central ones have fallen so far short of the public expectation, that government has felt the indispensable necessity of their re-organi- zation ; and the celebrated Fourcroy, counsellor of state, is now charged with the direction and superintendance of public instruction. According to the plan of this able and judicious character, the public instruction is to be divided into four classes ; primary schools, secondary schools, lyceums, and special schools. The primary schools may belong to several communes at one time, according to the locality and population of such communes; the teachers are to be appointed by the mayors and municipal councils ; and the or- ganization of these seminaries is to be vested in the under prefects, who must, every month, give an exact account to the prefects. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 201 The secondary schools are to comprehend every seminary established in the commune, or kept by individuals, where the pupils are instructed in the French and Latin languages, history, geography, and mathema- tics. Schools of this description, when found superior to the primary ones, are to be placed under the superintendance of the prefects, and will be patronised by the government, which promises either to grant a spot for keeping- them, or to distribute gratuitous places in the ljceums to such of the pupils as shall have distinguished themselves by their good behaviour, and literary improvements. The lyceums are to be established in the district of every tribunal of appeal; and in each of them is to be a director, having under him a censor of studies, and an administrator, all of whom are to be appointed by the First Consul. The pupils will consist of four classes, viz. those placed here by government; those of the secondary schools, ad- mitted through competition ; those who may be placed here, by their parents, as boarders ; and those who may attend as day-scholars. The instruction is to consist of ancient languages, logic, rhetoric, moralitv, and the rudiments of the physical and mathematical sciences. To these, also, will be appended the belles lettres, drawing, and military exercises. The special schools are to be considered as places where the useful sciences, as natural history, medicine, and jurisprudence, are taught in the most profound manner. In addition to the special schools now in existence new ones are to be opened in the following proportion : Ten schools of jurisprudence; three new schools of medicine; four of natural history, physics, and chemis- try ; one of transcendent mathematics ; two of the mechanical and che- mical arts, which have been long taught in the German universities un- der the name of technology ; one of public economy, enlightened by VOL. II. 2 D 202 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. geography and history ; and one of the art of war, of which modern times have afforded such important lessons and brilliant examples. Besides the above-mentioned seminaries, there are schools for engi- neers, artillery, hydrography, bridges and highways, mines, naviga- tion, &c. which, strictly speaking, are special, in proportion to the sciences particularly taught in them ; but they may, perhaps, be better described by the appellation of Schools for Public Service, on account of the immediate benefit derived from them by the government. Besides the National Institute, Paris contains several scientific so- cieties ; the most respectable of which are the SociStS Philotechnique, SociStS Libre des Sciences, Lettres, et Arts ; AthenSe des Arts ; SociStS Philomatique ; Societe AcadSmique des Sciences; Societe Galvanique; SociStS des Belles-Lettres ; AcadSmie de Legislation; Observateurs de I' Homme; and AthSnSe de Paris, ci-devant Lycce Republicain. The Societe Philotechnique is composed of literati, men of science, and artists ; but its principles of social friendship admit of no classes. It holds its public sittings in the Louvre, on the last Sunday of the se- cond month of every trimestre, or quarter of the republican year ; and on the nineteenth of every month it commemorates its foundation by an elegant entertainment. The number of this society is limited to sixty resident members, and twenty free associates,* who enjoy several prerogatives, without being obliged to bear any part in the labours of the residents. Its officers con- sist of a president, vice-president, a general and perpetual secretary, a temporary secretary, a keeper of the records, and a treasurer ; and its various committees have their respective days for assembling. It is but * It is necessary to have been ten years among the resident members, in order to be admitted into the number of their associates. The same privileges, however, may be granted to those who are, for a time, called from the capital by prefectures, embassies, or other public functions. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 203 justice to add, that almost all its members are men whose works have acquired celebrity throughout Europe. The Societe Libre des Sciences, Lettres, et Arts, holds its private sit- tings at the Oratorie, in the Rue St. Honore, every Thursday; and its public ones on the 9th of the first month of the trimestre. It is divided into classes; but is unlimited in the number of its members, and admits associated correspondents and foreigners. Its officers consist of a pre- sident, two temporary secretaries, a treasurer, and a keeper of the re- cords. It seems modelled very nearly after the Institute, and is evi- dently desirous of rivalling it ; but, from the unlimited number of mem- bers, and the consequent facility of admission, its labours are not equally stamped with the impression of real merit. The Athenee des Arts seems to be an imitation of the Royal Society in London ; as it comprises not only the sciences, arts, and literature, but also trades, mechanics, and useful inventions. Its members are an industrious and useful body of an unlimited number; and they prudently endeavour to excite a spirit of emulation, by the distribution of medals, civic crowns, premiums, and other rewards. It Mas formerly called the Lycee des Arts, but that denomination has been laid aside since the decree of government, which declared that it could only be applied to establishments for public instruction. There are no stated periods for its public sittings ; but its general ones are held every Monday at the Oratorie, where it hears the reports of its various committees. Its officers consist of a president, a vice-president, two secretaries, three conservators, a treasurer, and a keeper of the re- cords ; and it has associated correspondents in all parts of Europe. The Societe Philomatique, devoted entirely to natural, physical, and mathematical sciences, assembles every Friday in the Rue d'Anjou, Fauxbourg St. Germain; and its members publish, once a month, a 2 D 2 204 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. bulletin, consisting of a single sheet of print quarto, and entitled Bulletin des Sciences par la Societe Philomaticpie. It has no public sittings; but is merely a private meeting of the literati. The Societe' AcacUmique des Sciences is a recent establishment, which employs itself on the sciences only; but, as it has not yet published any memoirs, I cannot venture to make any remarks respecting its la- bours or regulations. The Societe Galvanique is composed of persons eminently distin- guished in medicine and physics ; and it has already made several im- portant experiments. Its sittings are held every Tuesday morning at the Or at or ie, and its officers are the same as in the other societies. The Societe des Belles Lettres meets at the same place every Wed- nesday evening at seven o'clock; but its regulations exhibit somewhat of weakness and parsimony: its objects are rather frivolous, half poetry, half music ; and though it possesses some men of considerable merit, it contains a great number of useless members, who are apt to introduce too many futile readings, and too many little rivalships. The Academie de Legislation is a capital institution, consisting of the most able lawyers, and a few eminent literati. It assembles in the Hotel de la Briffe, Quai Voltaire, on the first of every month ; gives courses of lectures on all the branches of jurisprudence to a conside- rable number of pupils; and has established conferences, where the pu- pils have an opportunity of improving themselves in the art of speaking, by pleading on certain points of law. It also publishes two monthly works, the one called Annates, and the other Bulletin de Jurisprudence. The officers of this academy are the same with those of the before- mentioned societies. The Societe des Observateurs de VHomrne, held at the Hotel de la Rochefoucaidd, FaiLibourg St. Germain, is composed of very respecta- 2 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 205 ble men ; but its readings, discussions, and other labours, appear to be metaphysical. The perpetual secretary is Juaffret. The Athcnce cle Paris, formerly called the Lycee Republicain, occu- pies a suite of apartments in the Rue du Lycce ; and its avowed objects are, to cultivate the sciences and literature ; to diffuse the most import- ant improvements in the arts ; to afford amusement to persons of all ages, by presenting such attractions as may suit every taste; and to unite the charms of the mildest of human occupations in literary con- ferences. Pursuant to this plan a particular room, where silence is duly pre- served, is set apart for reading; the library is furnished with an ample collection of literary and political journals, as well as every new publi- cation of importance ; several apartments are appropriated to conversa- tion; and one, being provided with a piano-forte and printed music, serves as an agreeable rendezvous for the ladies. The lectures are always delivered twice a day in a commodious apart- ment, furnished with suitable apparatus; and on a Sunday, an account of the order in which the lectures are to be given in the ensuing week, is sent to each subscriber. The annual subscription is ninety-six francs, but ladies pay only half that sum for their yearly ticket. Your lordship would, doubtless, be displeased were I to omit no- ticing the national institution of the deaf and dumb, founded by the Abbe de TEpee, and carried to such a degree of perfection by his pupil, the Abbe Sicard, that it seems scarcely possible to make any farther im- provements in the undertaking. The object of the instruction here carried on, is to establish between the deaf and dumb, and those who hear and speak, a communication like that established between all men by the knowledge and practice of £06 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. the same idiom. By this education the deaf and dumb pupil is enabled to decompose the longest period into phrases, the most complex phrase into simple propositions, and each proposition into words. By the same process he is taught to express all his thoughts, ideas, and affections ; to learn, translate, and write a foreign language ; and to give satisfactory answers to all questions consistent with the nature of his intelligence. By means of a process no less simple than ingenious, the Abbe Sicard has made these imperfect children of nature comprehend, with clear- ness and precision, the nature of abstraction. He has taught them the art of generalizing ideas, by presenting to them the adjective in the noun as the quality in the object, and the quality subsisting independently of the object having no support but in the mind of him who contemplates it, and only in the abstract noun for him who reads the expression of it. On the same plan, he has separated the verb from the quality in con- crete verbs, and initiated his pupils in the knowledge of the true verb, which he has carefully pointed out in the termination of all the French verbs, by re-attaching to the subject, by a certain line, its verbal qua- lity. The line made use of, and translated by the verb to be, is a sign of the present tense when it connects the verbal quality and the subject, a sign of the past when intersected, and a sign of the future when it is only begun. All the conjugations are reduced to a single one in the manner of the verbs ; the pronouns are learned by nouns ; the adverbs are considered as adjectives when they express manner, and as substitutes for preposi- tions, and their government when they are expressive of time, or place. The prepositions are described as a mean of transmitting the influence of the word which precedes to that which follows it; and the articles serve to determine the extent of a common noun. Such is the outline SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 207 of the grammatical system in this college ; and the labours of the in- stitutor and his successor have been crowned with such brilliant success, that in the space of eighteen months a pupil begins to give an account in writing of his improvements, and in the course of five years his edu- cation is complete. The subjects in which these unfortunate beings are instructed, are grammar, writing, arithmetic, logic and metaphysics, religion, geo- graphy, the use of the globes, ancient and modern history, natural his- tory, and general notions of useful arts and trades. Almost all their wants are supplied by themselves, as they make their own bedsteads, chairs, tables, clothes, and shoes; cultivate an extensive garden; and are occasionally employed, according to their respective inclinations, in printing, drawing, engraving, and mosaic-work. The females also make all the shirts and other linen for the pupils; and, in fact, almost the whole of the time which is not devoted to instruction is employed in manual labour. To satisfy the public curiosity this college is open once a week, from eleven till one o'clock : the lectures and examinations are so peculiarly interesting, that, in general, every face may be said to beam with satis- faction, and the eye of female beauty is frequently bedewed with the precious drops of sensibility. It is, indeed, an institution honourable to the talents of the amiable projector, and worthy of universal patronage and admiration. This subject naturally leads me to notice the Institution des travaux des aveugles, or the establishment for the employment of the blind, si- tuated in the Fauxbourg St. Antoine, near the site of the Bastille. In this establishment persons afflicted with the loss of their sight are taught to read, to write, to count, to print, to perform on musical instruments ; 208 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. and, in short, to gain a comfortable subsistence, and render themselves useful members of society. They learn to read by feeling the letters which are purposely elevated on card, and, after some time, they will perform this with astonishing rapidity. I understand that a manufactory of steel is carried on in the building, in which the blind turn the wheel : and in another apartment is a print- ing-machine, in which the whole process is performed by the same un- fortunate beings : they also make purses, writing-cases, and paper toys, which are sold for their private emolument ; and the females are con- stantly employed in knitting, sewing, or other kinds of needle-work. Having now described the principal edifices and exhibitions of this busy metropolis, I shall make a few remarks on the present state of so- ciety ; though, generally speaking, the alterations in the manners, cus- toms, and opinions of the people are less remarkable than I expected to have found after the political changes which have taken place. At the present period, society in Paris appear to be divided into three separate classes, viz. the ci-devant noblesse, the governmental-class, and the parvenues, or new comers. The ci-devant noblesse, who have preserved enough of their property to allow them a household-establishment, though in a style very inferior to that which their rank and fortune enabled them to support before the revolution, separate themselves almost entirely from the other classes, and look with a jealous eye upon that visitor who happens to forget the title of the person to whom he addresses himself, or who pronounces any .of the new denominations respecting the months, weights, measures, or the divisions of the French territory. From the plebeians, whose presence they will occasionally endure, they expect the utmost obse- quiousness and servility; and their conversation generally turns on their SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 209 interest in the court, or their former chateaux, estates, and other esta- blishments. Their aversion of every thing that is not of the old regime is obvious on all occasions; and the hauteur of their manner may, in some instances, be pronounced absurd ; yet impartiality com- pels me to state, that good breeding invariably prevails in this society, and the peculiar characteristics of a Frenchman, as distinguished from other polished nations, here present themselves in a striking manner. The governmental-class consists of the ministers, counsellors of state, senators, legislators, tribunes, and, in short, all the constituted autho- rities. In this society the visitor will often hear instructive dissertations on sound literature, the sciences, the fine arts, mechanics, and the means of applying new discoveries to the French manufactories; but it is prudent to refrain from touching on politics, and particularly to avoid speaking of the revolution, as it is highly probable some individuals in every party of this description may have acted parts in that dreadful tra- gedy too painful for recollection. The parvenues are those who, from having made some lucky specu- lations, or having taken advantage of the general wreck of private for- tunes and public credit, are now enabled to live in the most affluent style. At the houses of persons of this description etiquette is kept up with the utmost strictness ; and a stranger will find but little of that so- cial ease and politeness which is constantly remarked in the other so- cieties; each individual being on his guard, lest he should betray his low origin, or former connections, by certain expressions which he has not yet forgotten. However the company may be amused, if they can derive any gratification from the conversation of femmes galantes, or demireps, and skilful performances of mimics, jugglers, and ventrilo- quists. VOL, II. 2 E 210 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. The civil act of matrimony is, under the present government, en- tered into at the office of the municipality ; but we must not confound this act with the contract drawn out by a notary, and containing the se- veral clauses and stipulations. The former merely implies, that such a man and woman agree to enter into the marriage-state, and is only con- sidered as the ceremony of betrothing ; for there are scarcely any persons married who do not repair to their parish church, and plight their vows before the altar, while the priest or rector is saying mass in a low voice. Those who can afford to pay liberally are united at the high altar, and are addressed in an appropriate speech by the rector; after which the beadles perform their duty, and the ceremony is terminated by a volun- tary on the organ. With respect to funerals, in which there was no medium before the revolution, it now depends on the surviving friends to have the corpse presented at the parish-church, whither it is conveyed in a corbillard, or hearse. Each municipality has one of these vehicles, and the con- struction is varied according to the taste of the municipality to whom it belongs; some being in the Egyptian style, some the Greek, and others the Roman. The corbillard is drawn by two horses placed abreast, and caparisoned somewhat like those of an English hearse. The coachman and bearers are clothed in black, or iron-grey; and an officer of the police habited in mourning, and holding a cane with an ivory head, walks before the hearse. The relations follow on foot, or in carriages ; but tew of them appear in black, and still fewer wear mourning-cloaks. The coffin, which is invariably furnished by the municipality, is covered with a black cloth, but without a cross. The priest receives the corpse at the door of the church, and the subsequent ceremonies are the same as be- SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 211 fore the revolution. In some instances, corbillards on a more elegant plan are hired from a private establishment near the Palais tie Justice, together with mourning-coaches like those commonly used in London ; but, at present, there is no appearance of that funeral pomp which was once so fashionable among the Parisians. The number of the fiacres, or hackney-coaches, constantly employed in Paris, is said to exceed eight hundred, and their drivers are paid either by the course, or by time ; but it is a curious circumstance, that every time a fiacre is stopped is accounted a course, or job, and every course is charged thirty sols. Thus your lordship will perceive, that if a person drive from one end of the city to the other without stopping, the fare is no more than thirty sols ; and a quarter of a mile will sub- ject him to the same demand. When the coachmen arc paid by time, they receive forty sols for the first hour, and thirty for each sub- sequent one. At the bottom of the gallery of the Louvre are several batelets, or boat-hoys, which depart every hour for Seves, Meudon, and St. Cloud. In consequence of the injudicious manner in which they were formerly overloaded, the boatmen are forbidden to carry more than sixteen per- sons : their fare is twenty-live centimes for each passenger. Here I cannot help remarking, that the shores of the Seine are sadly disfigured by a number of large, gloomy sheds, erected upon barges for the accommodation of washerwomen, who rub their linen in the river, and beat it with flat pieces of wood, resembling large battledores, till the dirt and part of the linen retire together. The noise which they make is extremely unpleasant; and, with respect to appearance, they render the view up the river the most striking melange of meanness and magnificence that was ever beheld. It is necessary to observe, how- .ever, -that the services of this clattering race are principally confined 2e 2 212 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. to strangers, and the lower class of the inhabitants ; for genteel fami- lies have such immense magazines of clothes, that they are annoyed only once in the course of the year when in town, and twice in the country, by the unpleasant occurrence of washing. The oyster-women of Paris are each furnished with a short knife, and such is the celerity and adroitness of their wrists, that one might suppose the shells to have been slightly glued together, so instanta- neously are they separated. These women, however, are almost sure to practise some deception, sometimes bringing a number of fresh and empty shells in their aprons, and counting them out to the customer to persuade him he has swallowed the contents ; and, at other times, eat- ing the finest and most relishing before your face, under the pretext of swallowing the suspected ones. With the shells they form such enor- mous heaps that Mercier has observed, " When Paris, in the succession of ages, shall be rased and utterly destroyed, future naturalists discover- ing on a little, narrow point of land an immense quantity of oyster- shells, will maintain that the sea has once covered that spot." The same author adds, " it is dangerous to eat 03Tsters at Paris before the frost ; but the taste of amateurs is extorted, and the desire of forestall- ing enhances the value of every article." Having thus given your lordship a concise account of the most re- markable objects in the capital of the French republic which came un- der my observation, and being at length on the point of setting out on my return, I hasten to subscribe myself, Yours, &c. SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. i,\S LETTER XXXII. Arrangements for Col. T 's Return.— Unforeseen Belay. —Information relative to the Forests of France. — Mr. Lucas declines his Engagement. — Insolent Behaviour of the Servants at the Hotel de Valois. — Departurefrom Paris. — Pontoise. — Magny. — Seat of Baron Bretueill. — Arrival at Rouen. — Dieppe. — Interview with the Under Prefect. — Embarkation for England. — Dangerous Passage. — Landing at Brighton. — Lexves— Beagles hunting near Croydon. — Arrival at Sablonierres Hotel.— Accounts received from the Sporting- Clu b. — Conclusion . MY LORD, Sablonierre's Hotel, Leicester Square, JVlATTERS being finally arranged for our return, it was fixed, in compliance with a wish of Mrs. T , that Mrs. P should accom- pany her, attended by John, by the way of Calais; whilst I, with Mr. Lucas and Diamond, should proceed towards Dieppe, by the way of Rouen, that I might settle some accounts with Mr. Morris, and have the pleasure of seeing Col. Marigny and some other friends. Nothing now delayed us but the absence of Mr. Lucas, from whom we, at length, received an excuse, purporting that some family affairs required his presence. As it had, for some time, been agreed, that I should take him with me to England, bearing all his expences, I sent a friend to request an explanation of his conduct; when he readily al- lowed the agreement existing between us, but stated, that he should 214 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. suffer a pecuniary loss by accompanying me to England. To obviate this objection I promised to give him 150/. a year, by quarterly pay- ments, either in Paris or London; and he appeared to accept the pro- posal with cheerfulness ; but the day was now so far advanced, that we were compelled to postpone our departure. Next morning I took my congS of the minister, and obtained one piece of information equally necessary to myself and those who may be desirous of having some importance attached to the situation round their houses in France: this was, that the forests, being national property, could not be sold to private, individuals ; it immediately struck me, however, that this might be obviated by an exchange of property, by which means the law would remain inviolate, while all the parties were accommodated. I was informed, that this proposal was greatly approved by the mi- nistry, and that I might rest assured of obtaining any forest in the coun- try on such terms. I received passports for myself and suite in the same handsome man- ner as before, not being delayed five minutes; and on returning to the Hotel Valois, we were all impatient to set out, but were compelled to wait a considerable time in expectation of Mr. Lucas, and at length re- ceived a note from him, declining the fulfilment of his engagement. Our party were equally hurt and astonished at this shuffling, inconsistent conduct, which overturned all our plans, and particularly that of Mrs. T 's going by the way of Calais. At five o'clock horses were ordered, and we prepared to set out for Rouen, but we experienced the most uncivil treatment from the ser- vants of the hotel, to whose attempts at imposition there was no end. One man put in a claim for cleaning our apartment, and I immediately gave him what the company deemed quite sufficient : he then reminded SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 215 me that he had cleaned my boots, and I again gave him money ; but he was no sooner appeased, than another fellow came forward with the same pretensions, and declared he would be paid, at the same time putting himself into a menacing- posture. Roused by the grossness of this insult, I determined to cut the matter short, by chastising him ; after which I stepped into my carriage, and bade adieu to Paris. We were very well drove, taking only three horses ; and, indeed, the carriage ran so light, that more would have been an incumbrance. This, however, did not excuse us from paying for Jive ; and a German berlin, loaded like a waggon, pays no more than the lightest carriage without any baggage. Our first stage ended at Pontoise *, where we put up at a tolerably comfortable inn ; and next morning proceeded through a fine tract of country, where we noticed an estate of the late Prince de Conti, and a small park chiefly laid out in wood. Stopping to breakfast at Magny, we were informed, that Baron Breteuill's house was to be disposed of. It is a fine old mansion, charmingly situated at a short distance from the main road, and in the immediate vicinity of some immense forests; but though I was very desirous of seeing it, I doubted whether we could spare sufficient time, as our postillion insisted on its being two leagues out of our way, while the innkeeper contended that it was not more than one. With such contradictory information, all I could do was to order the driver to apprize me when he came to the point where the roads separated. * This place is built in the form of an amphitheatre on the rivers Oise and Vione, and formerly contained a college, a priory of Benedictines, and other buildings of a similar nature. The army of Charles VII. took it, by stratagem, from the English- in 1442. — The parliament of Paris was here in exile in l652, 1728, 1753. 2 216 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. Passing a venerable park and mansion, we descended into a most lux- uriant valley abounding with hanging-woods, and watered by a rapid river, in which were several romantic and well-wooded islands, Here I killed a brace of partridge, and returning to the ladies, walked with them along the beautiful margin of the river. Within about a mile and a half we observed a chateau on a height above us, with its never-failing attendant, a Bourg. The chateau was so elevated, that to gain admission we were obliged to take a circuit round the town by a neat mill. Entering at the gates of the lodge, which were but narrow, we gained an orchard which appeared to have been recently planted, and among the trees were several which had been grafted, but were dead. The mansion bore every mark of ancient mag- nificence, being surrounded by luxuriant meadows, woods, coppices, forests, and water. The gardens were equally beautiful and extensive ; and behind the park, which seemed to consist of about 150 acres of ex- cellent land, we saw a reservoir, intended to supply the house with water. Formerly a large domain was annexed to this estate, but the French revolution has cut it to the quick. To the left lay an immense forest, and a vale of surpassing richness caught our attention when we least expected it. Were Chanteloup placed on this charming spot, I should prefer its situation to that of the Loire. On approaching Rouen, we thought the view from the end of the town as beautiiul as those taken by Mr. Bryant. We understood that all our friends were engaged, some being out of town, and others at places of amusement. Col. Marigny, however, came in from the thea- tre, and spent the evening with us at our hotel. Having arranged all my little concerns in this city, I understood that the estate of F* , which was offered to me for 1300/. had been sold SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 217 for 12,000/. or twelve years purchase. It is said to be one of the finest properties in this part of France, and, indeed, the whole country near Rouen is beautiful in the extreme. Resuming our journey, we saw a covey of partridges, which crossed the road ; but I could not get near them. Mrs. T and my servant then marked what they thought to have been a partridge; but on my shooting it, we found it to be a remarkably fine woodcock. About seven o'clock in the evening we put up at Roland's in Dieppe; and next morning I waited on M. Cartier, the under prefect, who re- ceived me with the same politeness and attention as before. I found it was necessary to procure an order from the excise in Paris, to enable me to recover the deposit for the carriage ; but the trifling duties which might have been demanded were not even noticed. After receiving the compliments of some officers and other gentle- men, we embarked in the same vessel which had conveyed us to the Gallic shore, the wind blowing a stiff, but favourable gale. I found that the cabin we had agreed for was in the possession of another pas- senger; but as we had every reason to expect a speedy passage, I sub- mitted to this disappointment without murmuring. Having set sail, we proceeded at the rate of nine knots an hour un- til it was dark; when Mr. P became sick, and greatly alarmed, having never previously been upon the ocean. Mrs. T was soon in the same situation, when the sea became greatly agitated, and the how- ling of the wind, the roaring of the waves, the rattling of the cordage, and the increased agitation of the vessel, were circumstances more than sufficient to excite alarm in those who had never before witnessed such a scene. At eleven o'clock we had got about half way, when a squall took us, VOL. II.' 2 F 218 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. and we shipped a heavy sea, which broke into the cabin. Fortunately we had two men at the helm, but our captain was nearly washed over- board; and at that instant a lighted candle fell among some straw. Seeing the imminent peril we were in of firing, I flew out of the little cabin, and in my hurry and confusion fell on the candle. The other passengers, equally sensible of their danger, were attempting to extin- guish it, when another capfull of wind again drenched the cabin, and thus completely put an end to our fears on the score of fire, which might, perhaps, have been attended with the most fatal consequences. A light Mas soon procured, and we all crawled to our cots in the best manner we were able, while sickness and moaning added to the gene- ral distress. At one o'clock we received the unwelcome intelligence that the wind, having suddenly changed, set full in our teeth ; and, about four, we heard that the sea ran mountains high, and a vessel was seen to founder at a short distance. Our packet was so severely strained, that the water came through the planks of the flooring, and at day-light re- course was had to the pump. At ten we was within sight of Brighton, and at three within four hundred yards of the shore ; but both wind and tide were against us, and the sky threatened a tremendous storm, which there was little probability of our being able to weather. At length, however, the captain determined to run into Newhaven, and we, according^, went fast down the wind, and came opposite to the entrance. It was some time before a pilot would venture on board, and when we did get into a safe situation, the storm verified our apprehensions, being terrible in the extreme, and continuing all the night. On landing we were in a most pitiable condition, but I was fortunate SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. 219 enough to meet, at the custom-house, with Mr. Simon, a Yorkshire gentleman, and brother fox-hunter, who paid every possible attention to myself and the other passengers. After the usual examinations at the custom-house, I determined to rest contented for the night (my carriage and dressing-case being still on board), and make amends for my recent fatigue, by a good supper and comfortable bed. Next morning our carriage was landed, and we proceeded on our way toward Lewes over a charming coursing and hare-hunting country, the road being hilly. It was dark when we entered the town, but at the inn I was shown two short-legged beagles which were stated to be- long to the ostler, and I was consequently desirous of purchasing them; but I afterwards found that they belonged to a hunt, being part of a pack. However, on giving the ostler my address, he promised to speak to the gentlemen who belonged to the hunt, remarking, that as he had heard several of them make mention of me, he did not doubt but my wishes would be complied with. We bade adieu to Lewes in the morning, and, proceeding to the next stage, passed a small seat of my worthy friend Lord Abergavenny, finely situated for a sportsman, with some water adjoining. Near Croydon, a pack of beagles (larger than those I had seen at Lewes) were in pursuit of a hare, which animated the company, as we were admiring the country just at the time they came in sight. The, hunt, however, was not in any style, the sportsmen being but indiffe- rently mounted. I had intended to dine at Croydon, with my friend Mr. Webber; but, on finding that he was gone to reside near Windsor, I proceeded to town, and arrived at Sablonnierre's, where I luckily found the best apartments disengaged. 2 v 2 220 SPORTING TOUR THROUGH FRANCE. Here I have received several letters, and among those I most wished for was one from Mr. Parkhurst, informing me that the sporting-club had, at my request, not only postponed their meeting till the month of November, but had also determined to hold it at Scarborough, where the inn is so greatly superior. I examined the red-legged partridges brought from the Touraine, and have just sent them to the club as a present, which may, probably, be the more acceptable as I believe they are seldom seen in England. That your lordship may also receive in safety the hampers forwarded to your mansion, is the last remaining wish of Your Lordship's most obliged, &c. THOMAS THORNTON. APPENDIX. APPENDIX. JnLAVING brought to -a conclusion the narrative of my tour abroad, it now remains for me to draw some comparison between the state of sporting in France and in England, which it is presumed will be found gratifying to amateurs, as very few of my countrymen have enjoyed an opportunity of forming any judgment on this subject. As an account of the principal hunting-establishments in France has been given in the preceding letters, I shall now proceed with some ob- servations on those which take the lead in this island. In this number RABY CASTLE, undoubtedly, stands pre-eminent. It is situated in the first sporting country in the north of England, the advantages of moor-shooting and trout-fishing being attached to the domain. The house is one of the most magnificent piles of castellated architecture in the kingdom. It stands in a park commanding a view rather pastoral than romantic, over a highly cultivated country, bounded on the east and west by distant hills, and on the south by an extensive plain. The castle, and its cir- cular terrace, inclosed by a military wall, occupy nearly two acres, and the demesne annexed to it exceeds thirty miles in length. The interior of this edifice boasts of every possible convenience that human inge- VOL. n. 2 G 226 APPENDIX. nuity can devise. The entrance is contrived in such a manner as to convey carriages into the very building, where the company is, at once, set down in a warm room. The principal entrance is to the west, and is very grand. It leads to a square, within which is a great hall, sup- ported by six columns, with capitals that diverge and run in ribs along the arched roof. A stair-case conducts to an upper hall of extraordi- nary magnitude, being ninety feet long, thirty broad, and thirty-four high. Here, when the castle belonged to the Nevilles, who held it of the see of Durham by the yearly rent of 41. and a stag, seven hundred knights, who were tenants of that family, assembled. In the breakfast- room are semi-circular recesses, scooped, as it were, out of the walls, which are upwards of nine feet thick ; and in each of them is a win- dow. The dimensions of the oven were adapted to the hospitality of those ages ; it is so high as to admit a tall man to stand upright in it, and the diameter is not less than fifteen feet It has long ceased to be employed for the purposes for which it was originally designed, having been converted into a wine-cellar; the sides are divided into ten parts, each of which holds a hogshead in bottles. The kitchen is a magnifi- cent and lofty square ; it had three chimneys, one for the grate, a se- cond for stoves, and a third, now stopped up, for the cauldron. It is lighted by a small cupola in the centre, and five windows on the side, before which passes a gallery all the way round. The other parts of this establishment are on the same magnificent scale as the mansion of the noble proprietor, the Earl of Darlington. The stables are a regular building, two hundred and ninety-one feet in length. I'ive open arches in the centre receive the carriages under the principal granary, which is considerably elevated above the rest of the structure. The inside is finished with great neatness, and contains thirty- four excellent stalls, with two convenient apartments for saddles and APPENDIX. 227 other necessary articles. The upper rooms in the two Mings are fitted up for the accommodation of the grooms. The dog-kennel, situated on a rising ground about a quarter of a mile north-west of the castle, presents a most pleasing object from va- rious parts of the park, and for convenience is not to be surpassed. The gardens are extensive, and correspond in everjr respect with the rest of the establishment. The noble owner of Raby is well known to be one of the keenest sportsmen in the north of England. He hunts pretty regularly five days in the week during the season, accompanied by a great number of the neighbouring sportsmen. No man has carried hunting to a higher and more systematic state of perfection than his lordship. He not only hunts his own hounds, but follows the sport with such a degree of en- thusiasm, that, after a chace, he never sits down to table, until he has seen his hounds properly fed. By this attention, he has initiated him- self into the habits of these animals, who have become so familiar and subservient, that, on going into the kennel, if he wants any par- ticular hound, he has only to single him out by name. His lordship's stud of hunters are uncommonly good : on the turf, where he has shewn correct judgment combined with inviolable honor and integrity, he has been remarkably successful. No man can be more liberal or attentive to his friends, and though he has no particular penchant for shooting or fishing, yet, for their accommodation, he keeps up every thing that is necessary for those amusements. Having said so much of Lord Darlington's establishment, I now come to ic2 2i8 APPENDIX. THORNY ILLE ROYAL, which, in point of climate, possesses a decided advantage over Raby; being' at a greater distance from the moors, to the bleak winds of which it is consequently less exposed. It has not, it is true, the advantage of moor-game shooting ; but this loss is amply compensated by the more abundant produce of the gardens and grounds. As to fox-hunting, no country in England is equal to that round Thornville; if it be possible to alledge any objection, it must be on this score, that it is intersected by rivers which are not, in general, fordable. The foxes, however, are so game, that you are always sure to have a good run.. Of this the following anecdote affords a most convinc- ing proof: Being once among a company of sporting friends who were speaking of the superior excellence of the Easingwold foxes, the author proposed an annual match of twenty guineas, that he would find a fox which should run twenty miles in the month of February in eleven successive years. A day was accordingly appointed, the fox was viewed off, and ran twenty-three miles in a most glorious style before he was killed. This first essay put an end to the engagement, and was the cause of producing the celebrated picture of the death of the fox,* painted by Gilpin, and exhibited some few years since at the Royal Academy. . This picture is twelve feet two inches by eight feet six, and com- pletely covers one angle of the billiard-room in the mansion of Thorn- ville. It is certainly considered with justice as the first production of the kind ever executed. The dogs, being some of the finest that could be * This inimitable performance, with its companion— the Fox-breaking cover, painted by Mr.. Reinagle, ben. are now in the hands of Mr. John Scott, the celebrated animal engraver, by whom the plates to the Sportsman's Cabinet were executed. § ^ ^ V *1 ^ a APPENDIX. 229 procured, are represented as large as life, and some of them were actu- ally killed and fastened down in the position in which they appear, to enable the artist to give the greater perfection to his work ; as it was impossible to place living clogs in those positions for a sufficient length of time. Among the extensive collection of pictures in this mansion are in- cluded eight subjects on hawking, the scenery having been taken from- nature during the course of a northern tour made by the author. The birds which form the chief objects in these paintings, are reckoned as first- rate productions of the kind, and were executed by Mr. Reinagle, senior. As to shooting, though Raby is superior to Thornville in the great variety of moor-game, yet the latter, being surrounded by a chain of covers ten miles in circumference, affords diversion of a still superior description, and that without much fatigue, as the house is so close to the seat of sport. Thornville has likewise the superior advantages of richer land, for the purpose of breeding, a thing so necessary for sport- ing, besides being more, sheltered, and well watered. The mansion itself stands on an eminence at the entrance of the park, and possesses every accommodation that could be wished, al- though it is certainly inferior, in point of grandeur, to Raby. It con- tains several suites of apartments of extensive dimensions, which are chiefly ornamented with sporting paintings of great celebrity. The library is particularly worthy of remark ; as it contains many curiosities, among others of a sporting nature, which are accurately de- lineated in the annexed engraving. The park is beautiful and extensive, well wooded and watered,, and contains two fine lakes, called the Upper and the Lower Lake. It is well stocked with deer, and is embellished with an elegant structure, of stone, denominated the Temple of Victory, a correct delineation of which is 230 APPENDIX. also annexed. Being situated on an eminence, it commands an extensive view over the park and the adjacent country. It has been customary to illuminate this temple on occasion of any splendid victory; and after the glorious battle of Trafalgar, a brilliant display of light was seen to a considerable distance by the inhabitants of the country around. It is well known that the proprietor of Thornville has spent more time, and bestowed more pains, labor, and expence on breeding and rearing sporting-dogs than any other sportsman in England. His prin- cipal object has been to bring a large quantity of bone into a small com- pass, and the uncommon merit of some of the dogs bred by him, is a sufficient proof of the justice of the principle he has adopted. The dog-kennel, erected at a short distance from the house, is very commodious. The stables are extensive, and furnished with every ne- cessary convenience. Thornville has other out-buildings necessary for an establishment of that description, among which the hawk-houses are particularly worthy of notice. (See the annexed engraving). They form a convenient structure purposely erected for the accommodation of those birds, the proprietor having for many years followed the sport of hawking with ex- traordinary enthusiasm. He has expended large sums in procuring hawks from different parts of the world, and has employed persons ex- pressly for the purpose of importing them. To those whose estates may suffer materially by the depredations committed on the hares, partridges, rabbits, and other game, by hawks and large birds of various descriptions, the following method of taking them, discovered by accident, may be of considerable service. Two hawks were some time since caught in a cage, on the plan of the goldfinch trap-cage, only larger. The bait to decoy them into the trap consists of two small birds of any kind, but the house-sparrow APPENDIX. 231 is to be preferred, as it endures the weather better than the others. Fine, dry, clear weather is the time when the hawk kind are abroad most, and consequently most favorable to the practice here recommended. The cage should be set early in the morning on a hedge, or on some other open place, and left out till late in the evening, or in fine, settled wea- ther all night. Hawks have been taken in this manner at all hours of the day, and in close as well as in clear weather, but in rainy weather they never stir abroad . Those few gentlemen who still follow the noble amusement of fal- conry, may, by this method, supply themselves with hawks of all ages, without having recourse to the tedious expedient of taking them from the nest. There is no reason why the larger birds of prey in Scotland and the adjacent islands, such as eagles, herns, and others, which are so destructive to fawns, kids, lambs, and evety kind of game, especially in the breeding season, might not be caught in a trap-cage of proportionate dimensions, made of oak, and plated with iron or some other durable material. The proper bait would naturally occur, and autumn would be the best season for taking them. ]n one of the shooting excursions made by the author on the moors, in 1797, in company with some other sporting friends, who were refresh- ing themselves on the side of a hill, a hawk of extraordinary size was observed hovering at a distance. It soon sprung a moor-cock, which, directing its flight towards the place where the company were sitting, one of them seized a double-barrel gun, and with the first shot killed the grouse and with the second the hawk. On examination, this bird proved to be a haggard falcon, and had formerly belonged to the au- thor, as was evident from a brass plate on his leg, with the words Thorn- ville Royal, but the date could not be distinguished. The falconer will perhaps be inclined to envy the sport this bird must have displayed in 23£ APPENDIX. iiis solitary depredations, without bestowing a thought on those who pre- fer the amusement of shooting. A singular phenomenon once fell under the observation of the author; in a small owl used for decoying birds which usually breed on the tops of churches and old edifices in Germany. It had been in his possession four years, which is itself an extraordinary circumstance, as they rarely live more than two, and was thought to be a male. In the spring of 1796, how- ever, it laid three eggs, apparently perfect in every respect, and nearly as large as those of a pigeon. This is an astonishing size for that species of owl which is no bigger than a misletoe thrush ; its egg, therefore, is in proportion nearly the same as that of the snipe, which, excepting the sea-birds, lays the largest egg for its size that is known. Hawking has been pursued by the author with greater ardor than perhaps by any other sportsman of the present day in this island; and no part of that amusement has afforded him more delight than •pheasant-hawking. This is a rural diversion managed with a goshawk in coverts, and for which none are fit but such as are strong and able- bodied ; for this flight is different from that in the open champaign, where the hawk and the game are always in sight. It is, therefore, necessary to take her to the pheasant and birds of this kind, that always frequent woods, coverts, and obscure places, which interrupt the sight, the only guide in the flight of the hawk. In consequence of this the sportsman must be very circumspect as to the place he first enters, in order that she may be well guarded, and kept from taking any dislike to the dogs; for if she conceives an aversion to them at first, it will be difficult to bring her to endure them again. To prevent this, she must be better ma- naged, followed, and governed than in the field; so that to make a per- fect hawk, bold and adventurous in thick woods with the falconer, the dogs and the game, attention must be paid to make a good choice of the APPENDIX. 233 time, place, and clogs. The time should be early in the year, in Janu- ary, February, or March, before the approach of the leaf; but the best months for pheasant-hawking are November, Decembar, an 1 January, after which it is necessary to prepare the bird for the mew, that she may be early mewed to fly in the field, the next season, for the partridges. The sportsman having made choice of the place to fly his hawk, and having let her go, must be sure to order his dogs behind until he has found her. If she has killed the game it is sufficient; if not, and he finds her on the ground from an eagerness of the sport, as will fre- quently be the case at the first entrance, if there be any tree at hand from which she may see distinctly, he should set her upon it, or keep her upon his fist and beat for the game again. If she then flies and kills it, he should keep back the dogs till he has found her, and suffer her to plume and take her pleasure for a time ; after which he should gently call in his dogs and walk about her, encouraging her with his voice, to make her acquainted with the noise. When he sees it convenient, he ought to stoop to the game, and rending the chaps, give her blood in the throat, which will highly please her ; then let him pare away the hard brain-pan from the rest, and give her the head in her foot to eat while the ground conceals the body from her view. The dogs, which must be under great command, should be close by when she has done and begins to look about her ; the sportsman then throws the pheasant among them, that, assisted by a few words of rebuke, she may make them give way to her with fear. He should, however, suffer them to remain in her sight, and after she has sufficiently amused herself, let him take the pheasant gently from her, and permit her to eat it on the ground where the quarry lay, only reserving a small portion to take her to his fist; then put on her hood and reward her, by which means he will win her love. With a good keeper, fair flying, two or three stanch spaniels, vol. n. 2 H 234 APPENDIX. and attention to these directions, a hawk may in- a short time be brought to perfection in this sport. To embolden a hawk to take a pheasant from the perch with courage, the following instructions will be found useful :— Before you fly her, provide a dead pheasant— a live one would be still better— take it into the wood, when you think proper to call the hawk for her supper. While she is attending you- for it, call your spaniels about you to make them bav, and suddenly breaking the neck of the pheasant, if alive, lift it with a pole, which you must have ready for the purpose, upon a bough, in the sight of the hawk. Then call and encourage her to come in and seize it, and if she pulls it down, be sure to rebuke the dogs and keep them under command, so that they give way to her on descending, while she plumes and takes her pleasure. This will so embolden her in a short time, that when she perceives a pheasant take perch, she will immedi- ately seize and pull it down, without being afraid of the dogs. When the latter are once managed and brought under good subjection, they will know their duty and be fearful of transgressing, so that you may venture them even in your absence ; but remember, in particular, to have no strange dogs, for one may spoil the sport and draw the rest into errors, by leading them away after other game. Nor should I recom- mend hunting with many spaniels; two or three couple being sufficient to range and beat about an extensive wood, and to perch a pheasant.. SHOOTING. I shall now close this part of my subject with a few observations on shooting, which, though they may appear trivial to the veteran sports- man, will, it is presumed, afford information to the young shooter, that will in some measure supply his want of experience. APPENDIX. Z35 To begin then with the piece ; it is necessary for every gentleman who sports much to have two guns : the barrel of one about two feet nine inches to serve in the beginning of the season and for wood-shoot- ing; the other three feet three inches or upwards, for open shooting after Michaelmas, the birds by that time being grown so shy that his shots must be at greater distances. But if he intends one gun to serve all purposes, a three-feet barrel, or from three feet to three feet six is the most proper. In the next place, the sportsman should take particular notice of the difference of the seasons, the weather, the temperature of the air, and the hours of the day which are more or less favorable for shooting. In warm weather, for instance, he should hunt for the game in plains and open grounds, as, during the heat of the day, the birds frequent moist places, marshes where there is little water and much high grass, the sides of rivers and brooks and hills exposed to the north. In cold wea- ther, on the contrary, they are commonly found on little hills exposed to the south, along hedge-rows, among heath, in stubbles and pastures where there is much furze and fern. In hard frosts they get into thick- ets, low places, and marshes. I have, however, known many excep- tions to these rules, particularly when the weather is extremely cold or hot, at which time both hares and partridges nearly forsake the open grounds, and the game is more easily approached in covert than in open places, or, in the language of sporting, lies better. A sportsman should not remain at home till the dew is off, as I can assure him from experience that innumerable advantages are thereby lost. His dress in summer should be green, and in winter dark grey or olive. It is best to hunt as much as possible with the wind, as this ma- nifestly enables the dog to scent at a greater distance. A young sports- man should not be discouraged from hunting and ranging the same 2 h2 236 APPENDIX. ground over and over again, especially in places covered with heath, brambles, and high grass, as pheasants, quails and partridges often lie so dead, that, after they have been sprung several times, they will suffer the sportsman almost to tread upon them. He should likewise stop now and then, as this frequently determines the game to spring. As soon as he has fired, he should call in his dog and make him lie down till he ha? re-loaded his piece. In an open country he should never fail to mark the place where a partridge alights, and therefore, when he has killed his bird, he must not immediately run to pick it up, or make his dog bring it to him, but follow the rest of the covey with his eye, if possible, till he sees them settle. When two or three persons shoot together, each of them should mark the birds that fly on his own side. This observation, though intended for partridge-shooting in particular, will equally apply to all feathered game. When a hare starts up at a distance, it is often advisable to follow her with the eye, because she will sometimes squat down, and the sports- man may soon afterwards approach and shoot her on the form. If she enters a copse, or small wood, so much the better ; in this case the dogs should be cast off through that part of the wood to which it is probable she has taken, or wait for her at the extremity where it is supposed she will come out. In situations where birds are thin, and a sportsman does not chuse to range the fields for the bare chance of meeting with them, he should go in the evening from sun-set to night-fall, and post himself at the foot of a tree or bush, and wait till the partridge begins to call or j'uek.. If they take flight after they have done this a short time, let him mark the spot where they alight and he may be assured, if not disturbed, they will lie there the whole night. He has then nothing to do but to attend at the peep of dawn, when he will again hear the call, and observe the same 1 51 1 J APPENDIX. 237 manoeuvre of flying and settling at a little distance. There the call is frequently repeated several times in the course of a few minutes, and a second flight is taken. When the sportsman can see an opportunity to shoot, he may cast off his dog and pursue them. In snow, partridges are killed with great facility, from the contrast of their color with its whiteness, which renders them perceptible at the first glance. When this happens at the full of the moon, sportsmen, with white caps and shirts over their clothes, will frequently destroy half the covey at one shot ; and if this were not the case, they would soon perish of hunger. Various circumstances indisputably prove that the brood of partridges would be considerably increased by killing part of the cocks when they begin to pair, in preference to any other period. But as this could only be done effectually after the time limited for shooting them in this coun- try, it would be useless to give any farther instruction on the subject. There are, however, some few sportsmen in England, with such keen eyes as to distinguish the cocks from the hens when the covey rises from the ground, and so expert as not to kill more than a brace of hens in a day's sport. Pheasants, it is needless to observe, are to be found in most of the woods of this island. In this sport spaniels are used, two, three, or four brace at a time, with three or four persons. These dogs should not be of the wild sort, but keen-nosed, and apt to give their tongue, when they come on the scent. Sportsmen should keep as near their dogs as possible, and only such to whom it belongs, in point of rising, should fire at the bird — a rule which ought to be invariably observed in shooting companies. At sun-set, pheasants leave the underwood and stubble, and fly up to roost on the long branches of oak-trees. In this situation I have often shot or knocked them down with the greatest 233 APPENDIX. ease ; and they may sometimes be destroyed when perched in this man- ner by lighted matches, which being held underneath, suffocate them, and they fall to the ground. DUKE OF BEDFORD'S SPORTING ESTABLISHMENT AT WOBURN. In the south of England, the two most distinguished sporting esta- blishments are those of the Dukes of Bedford and Richmond. The .doo-kennel of the Duke of Bedford, at Woburn, is esteemed the most complete of any in the kingdom. It is 405 feet in length ; in the cen- tre stands the boiling-house, with feeding-houses adjoining, and a gra- nary behind. On the left are divisions for litter and straw, eleven apart- ments for bitches and puppies, with yards to each; the same number, with yards also, and a large division for bitches at heat. On the right of the centre are apartments for two kennel-keepers, two lodging-rooms for the hunting-hounds, with flues running along the walls, spacious yards to each, furnished with a fountain in the centre to supply the hounds with drink, and with water-cocks issuing near the pavement for the purpose of cleansing it. Adjoining to these are seven hospitals for sick hounds, with yards to each. In the front is a large pond, which supplies the fountains and different cocks in the several yards within. Behind is a large airing-ground, flesh-house, and other conveniences. The huntsman's house is a handsome building adjoining. Between sixty and seventy couple of working hounds are kept in the kennel. The tennis-court and riding-house, between which are apartments for dressing, form a building upwards of 26b feet long, and 49 wide. The whole front is of stone ; the roof is flat, and is covered with a com- position of tar and chalk instead of lead. Flues are carried along the walls, and under the pavement of the tennis-court, to keep off damp. APPENDIX. 239 The interior of the walls of the riding-hotise is painted hi pannels, with lofty pilasters, and the ceiling is painted to represent a serene sky. ■ The stables form two wings, each containing stalls lor thirty-six hun- ters, with eleven hospital apartments for sick and lame horses. The saddle-room is furnished with glass-fronted presses; flues running along the walls to keep the saddles dry ; two cisterns with hot and cold water, one of which is heated by the same fire that warms the flues; a pair of jockey-scales, and other conveniencies requisite for such an establish- ment, DUKE OF RICHMOND'S SEAT AT GOODWOOD. At Goodwood, in Sussex, the seat of the Duke of Richmond, the hall and the drawing-room are the principal apartments for space and shew. The former is 60 feet by 24, the latter 40 by °28. This man- sion contains several pictures of sporting subjects, and statues of a lion and lioness, the last of which was a great favorite with the late and pre- sent duke. The outlying buildings are: an obelisk holdinga well-concealed chimney, which carries the smoke from the pheasantry built by the present duke; the venetian-room, commanding views to the Isle of Wight; a dairy, exquisitely simple and beautiful. The tablets on the base of the but- tresses are heraldic devices of the families of Lennox, Brudenell, Cado- gan, Kennicort, and Nohall. The duke, early in life, built what is not very common, a tennis- court, and what is still more uncommon, a dog-kennel, which cost him above ten thousand pounds. His grace was his own architect and builder; he dug his own flints, burnt his own lime, made his own bricks, and formed the wood-work in his own shops. 240 APPENDIX. The dog-kennel is a detached building in the park, and is a grand object to the best rooms in the house. The ground is well raised about it, and turfed. The length is 148 feet, the width 30; the height 18 feet on the sides, and 28 in the centre. The materials are flints, finished at all the angles with a light grey brick, like the Lymington white stock. The distribution of the building is into five kennels ; two of these are 36 feet by 15; three others 30 by 15; and two feeding-rooms 28 by 15. In each there are openings at the top for cold air, and stoves for warming them when the weather is too cold. There are supplies of water and drains into a tank, at a still greater depth, full of rain-water. From the surface of this rain-water to the rise of the arch, is a distance of eleven feet, so that no inconvenience from smell can possibly arise. The whole may, at any time, be cleared off by means of drains to dung pits; by which means this contrivance not only saves considerable labor, but is of utility to agriculture. A pavement five feet wide runs round the whole building, which is provided with airing-yards, and places for building, that constitute a part of each wing. The huntsman and whipper-in have each a parlor, kitchen, and sleeping-room. This ken- nel will contain two packs of hounds. The game at Goodwood is, throughout, on an establishment that is superb. There are twenty game-keepers. Partridges are particularly abundant. Besides the birds of home growth, above a thousand eggs used to be brought annually from France for the purpose of keeping up the stock. They were hatched by hens, twenty at a sitting, and in about six weeks were set at liberty. Here are complete shops for carpenters and joiners, with a timber- yard, saw-pits, &c. a foreman is also retained who is provided with a house, and has twenty artificers under him. His grace farms pretty largely, and employs a number of teams; and, in order to improve the e uce, APPENDIX. 241 breed, his grace gives a plate at Brighthelmstone, for such as are Sus- sex bred. The park is four miles in circuit; the kitchen-garden occu- pies ten acres, with some glass, but no fire. The ornamented garden covers fifty acres, and the cedars are some of the best in England. To resume the subject of comparative sporting, it may be necessary to observe, that the French have, like ourselves, three principal breeds of hounds; but they have been so crossed with English dogs, that, amidst the confusion which has ensued, it is no longer possible to dis- cover the successive intermixtures. Their ordinary height is twenty two, or twenty-three inches; but the beautiful hounds formerly com- posing the grand pack of the King of France, measured twenty-four, or twenty-five inches. The English stag-hounds are not less than twenty-four inches in height, and may be looked upon as the best in Europe when they at well trained. They have an exquisite scent, a good and strong v great vigor, and extraordinary speed. Those that come from the north of England are preferred. The precaution of having before the kennel a large level court, to which the dogs can go when they chuse to sun themselves, and which was invariably observed by the old sportsmen of France, is not at pre- sent generally attended to in that country. It was likewise customary to fix up in the ground, in the court-yard, several stakes, surrounded with straw, which the dogs went to make water against, and were thus prevented from wetting the straw in their kennel. The sportsmen of the present day, however, reject these dispositions of their predecessors; and the reason they assign is, that when the hounds run out of the ken- nel with precipitation to play or fight, they would be liable to hurt themselves. The custom of having, in the kennel, two apartments, one more spacious than the other, with a large wide chimney, for the purpose of VOL. II. 2 I 242 APPENDIX. making a fire when the hounds return wet from the chace, was kept up in France till the reign of Louis XIV. In the kennels at Versailles were large fire-places, surrounded with iron grating, but they have been lono- disused. It cannot, however, be doubted, that this method con- tributes to preserve the health and vigor of the dogs, which are natu- rally sensible to cold, especially when it is accompanied with humidity. With respect to the situation of the kennel, it seems to be the opinion of some of the most distinguished sporting characters of France, that it ought to have a northern or eastern exposure, but that a southern is highly improper. Instead of glass windows, they recommend thin can- vas, which certainly would not prevent the free circulation of the air, though it would effectually keep out the flies, by which the dogs are so cruelly tormented in summer. The king's hounds were formerly fed with wheaten bread of the finest and best quality ; but bread made of barley alone is now generally em- ployed for that purpose. In some parts oatmeal is given them, mixed with bran, and moistened with wash, in the proportion of two handfuls of meal for each dog. In some packs, the hounds have soup every day, and in others only every other day, and on the intermediate one nothing is given them but bread broken, or cut into small pieces. They are ne- ver permitted to eat their food in the kennel, but the bread or soup is put into tubs or troughs in the court-yard twice a-day. When any of the hounds grows too fat for hunting, he is kept up in the kennel while the others are eating, and he is not let out for some minutes. If, on the contrary, any of them is too poor, he receives his food apart from the rest, and something of a more nourishing nature is given him, as soup, milk, broth, and even meal. 1 shall now proceed to a brief statement of the method of treatment observed with respect to the late king's hounds at Versailles, and which 6 APPENDIX. 243 differs considerably from that which is followed at present. In summer, the valets were obliged to be at the kennel by five o'clock in the morn- ing, to take out the blood-hounds, (limiers) the bitches in heat, and the lame or diseased hounds. The valet who had been en duty, and had passed the night in the kennel, then swept and cleansed it, threw the straw from the benches upon the ground, and supplied its place with fresh; after which he cleaned and emptied the buckets and troughs. The valet who was coining upon duty assisted his companion in clear- ing away the dung and litter, and in replenishing all the troughs with fresh water. At six o'clock the pack was taken out, and the hounds were kept together as much as possible. The huntsman examined the lame hounds, and those which appeared dull ; he took notice whether their mouths were good ; for this purpose he washed their lips, and if he observed them to be unusually pale, he was assured that they were not well ; and such dogs are not permitted to join in the chace till they were perfectly recovered. After the dogs had been abroad about an hour, they were brought back to the kennel. Each valet was provided with a curry-comb, a brush, a comb, a pair of scissars, and a collar; he took a hound in the collar, placed his fore-feet on the bench, and began to comb and to brush him from head to tail over the whole body, passing his hand under his belly and between his thighs, to feel whether any dirt or filth adhered to those parts. He likewise examined whether the dog had received any bites during the night; if he found any, or the commencement of ring-worm , he cut off the hair all round the spot for the purpose of dressing it. Great care was taken to clean the brush well on the curry-comb after each dog. When this operation was finished, the hounds received their first meal, and then the lame and diseased were attended. The dogs were left undis- 2l2 244 APPENDIX. turbed till five in the evening, when the same proceedings again com- menced, except the combing and brushing, which were applied only in the morning. In the winter they were not taken out till eight o'clock, and again at three. The first whipper-in was charged with the dressing of the diseased and wounded, under the inspection and orders of the huntsman, who wras him- self obliged to give an account to the master of the hounds, to whom he communicated every particular relative to the service of the pack, and from whom he received instructions. The care which the old sportsmen of France bestowed on their hounds, prolonged their services and their lives considerably beyond that period, at which, by the present management, those animals cease to be fit for the chase. It is now considered extraordinary if hounds re- ta'n their vigor till they are six years old, whereas, formerly, they pre- served their health and excellence till the age of nine years. I think I shall perform an acceptable service to sportsmen in general, if I here introduce a few observations on what is called the distemper in dogs, and on the methods recommended by some ingenious natives of France for the cure of that destructive malady. The distemper in dogs has not been known much more than forty years; it appeared in France for the first time in 1763 ; it began in Eng- land, and spread over all Europe. When this contagious disorder broke out in France, there was not a pack but what was attacked with it; most of the canine race, not only hounds, but likewise house-dogs, as well as those of butchers and shepherds, and even lap-dogs, perished. One half of the king's hounds were swept away by this disease. It bears a great analogy to the glanders in horses, and the sportsmen of Poland give it the same name. It is a violent inflammation of the pituitary membrane, which spreads with rapidity in the adjacent parts. The dog 1 APPENDIX. 245 is first seized with a sneezing, which is soon succeeded by the discharge of a purulent matter from the eyes and nose; the animal is dull, heavy, rejects his food, frequently turns upon himself, runs his head against every thing that happens to be in his way ; mortification takes place, and death is the consequence. This species of glanders is contagious. As soon as you perceive that a dog exhibits symptoms of it, he ought to be separated from the rest,, and the kennel should be fumigated. Even those who attend the di- seased dogs should not be permitted to go near the healthy ones. Numerous remedies have been tried for this disease, but almost all of them have been found unavailing. Among those which have been attended with some success, must be reckoned vitriolic ether, the efficacy of which, I am told, M. Sonnini has experienced with his own hounds: but it must be administered at the beginning of the malady, and not when it has at- tained its highest degree of virulence. Mix thirty drops of ether with half a pint of milk, in a bottle which has a wide neck; shake the bottle well, keeping it corked to prevent evaporation. The diseased dogs, must be made to swallow this mixture, which some will drink of them- selves. A total change takes place in four and twenty hours, and in a few days the disorder is entirely cured. The effect of this remedy may be promoted by making the animal snuff up eau de luce, which is a mix- ture of vitriolic ether and oil of amber, and which provokes a very abun- dant evacuation by the nostrils. I was assured by some distinguished sporting characters in France, that among ail the remedies hitherto tried for this kind of glanders in dogs, the following appeared from long experience to be the best, and to have effected the greatest number of cures. Administer two or three grains of emetic, keep the animals very warm, and syringe them several times a day in the nose with an infusion of tobacco in vinegar. 24G APPENDIX. Messrs. Desgraviers, who formerly conducted the sporting establish- ment of the prince of Conti, and who published a small but very ex- cellent work on the management of hounds, adopted a method of treatment, of the infallibility of which they were convinced by a long series of experiments. The directions given by these skilful sportsmen are as follow :— As soon as symptoms of this disease manifest themselves, the treatment should be applied and followed up with attention. If you suffer it to gain ground a cure will be much more difficult, and perhaps impossible. The greatest care must therefore be taken to separate a di- seased dog from the rest and to perfume the kennel with aromatic herbs, to which add some juniper-berries and savin. This must be repeated several days to purify the atmosphere of the kennel, and to preserve it free from contagion. Inject likewise some vinegar into the noses of all your hounds for several days, and beware of bleeding them. If the disease is violent, it is necessary to begin with passing a seton under each ear ; rub it twice a day with suppurative ointment, to draw the humor from the brain, and continue this till the animal is perfectly cured. Put some strong vinegar into a phial, add to it two good pinches of pepper and garlic well pounded; pour some of this vinegar three times a day into the nose of the dog, beginning in the morning. The manner of doing it is this. One person lays hold of the fore-feet with one hand, and raises the dog's head with the other, while a second person pours some of the vinegar into the hollow of his hand, which he applies to the nostrils of the dog. The pungency of the pepper powerfully excites sneezing, and obliges the dog to expectorate the humor which obstructs respiration. This done, sutler the dog to run about at pleasure on the grass which will cause him to sneeze still more. When he has done sneezing give him a draught of decoction of barley, walk him about for half an hour; then make him take four grains of yellow sulphur of an- APPENDIX. 247 timony of the second lotion, diluted in half a glass of water. At noon vinegar for the nose; a walk of a quarter of an hour, and on returning a little clear soup; at night the vinegar again. The second day, in the morning, a draught; half an hour's walk, and on returning, four grains of mineral turbit, which dilute as before ; the rest of the duy as the pre- ceding; for drink, during the disease, give skimmed milk, or white wa« ter, into which put a spoonful or two of honey, according to the quantity. The third day, in the morning, the vinegar ; a draught ; half an hour's walk, and on returning a dose of soot, prepared as follows : take of soot a quantity equal in size to an egg, mix it with half a pint of water the day before you want it ; administer this mixture ; at noon the vinegar ; a quarter of an hour's walk; and a little soup: in the evening a draught, the vinegar, half an hour's walk, and a second dose of soot on returning. The fourth day administer no medicines, but attend to the other 'direc- tions, and if the dog does not drink his white water well, oblige him to take, about noon, two glasses of his draught, adding to it a little honey. On the fifth day begin again as the first, and proceed in like manner on the following days. If you perceive that the dog mends, cease the use of the sulphur and turbit, and merely give him one day the draughts, the next an ounce of manna, the third a dose of soot, continuing the vine- gar till he is perfectly cured, and gradually encreasing his allowance of food. When the animal is completely recovered, leave him alone five or six days; after which purge him for the last time, and put him upon his usual food a fortnight after his total cure. You may then bleed him. The dogs which have had this disease must be put under quarantine, before they are suffered to return to the same kennel as the others. Notwithstanding this, if you observe to give them airing sufficient, and to perfume their kennel, you may take them out three weeks after their recovery, to hunt with those which have not had the disease, putting 248 APPENDIX. them into a separate kennel on their return till the completion of the ap- pointed time. I have given the greater latitude to the subject of this disease, which is commonly called the distemper of dogs, because it is so extremely fa- tal to that species of animals, among which it frequently makes its ap- pearance, though its returns cannot be looked upon as periodical. With respect to the hunters of France, the province of Normandy produces very good horses of that description, but they are not to be compared to those of England. A celebrated breed was raised in the studs of La Gatine, but] these were destroyed by the civil war which so long ravaged that unhappy country. The number of horses kept at Versailles for the service of the two packs of stag-hounds only, was not less than three hundred ; though it is true that among these were in- cluded not only the new horses, but likewise those for coaches and chaises. The subsistence allowed for the king's hunters was a bushel of oats per day, Paris measure, at two meals, a truss of hay and another of straw, each weighing between ten and eleven pounds. The woody regions of the continent afford sports totally unknown in our more highly cultivated island. Such, for example is the chace of the wolf, and that of the wild boar. The first having been already pretty fully described in this work, it may not be amiss to subjoin a few parti- culars relative to the latter, as it is practised in France. The equipage destined for the chace of the wild boar is denominated vxiutrait In great hunting establishments it forms a separate depart- ment in which particular officers and attendants are employed. Large equipages for this sport are usually attended by a pack of fifteen or twen- ty couple of hounds; the huntsmen and whippers-in ought to be ex- tremely expert. This chace is very fatiguing; the huntsmen are obliged to shout incessantly to make the dogs follow, as they are frequently dis- APPENDIX. 249 couraged, especially if they are pursuing an old boar. It requires met- tlesome and vigorous horses, and the riders must not be afraid of the branches in the thick recesses of the forest into which they are obliged to penetrate. It is extremely difficult to procure hounds well trained for hunting the boar, and this instruction requires great patience and attention ; not that a young hound will not at first pursue the animal, but his scent sometimes disgusts and the country covered with thickets and morasses discourages him. A boar is not so easily hunted down as a stag, and let the establishment be ever so excellent, the chace seldom lasts less than four or five hours. Sometimes the animal is checked by firing a gun, or he is pursued by mastiffs and greyhounds. Chaces have been known to continue two whole days, and at last the hunters could not have taken the boar but by shooting him on the third day. When the boar finds himself driven to the last extremity, he does not run forward, but frequently turns, keeping for a considerable time near the same spot, and seeking to make the dogs start some other game. When he is done up, he foams much, advances only by leaps and bounds, throws himself into some marsh, or sets his back against a thicket, facing the dogs and defending himself with incredible fury. It is then that the whippers-in must give effectual support to their dogs, and en- deavor to dislodge the animal; but if he keeps at bay, it is proper to prevent the dogs from approaching too near. The whippers-in enter the thicket with precaution ; one of them alights, approaches the boar, and plunges his hunting-knife into the small of his back. The man who inflicts the wound must be very alert, and instantly run off a contrary way, for the boar always turns towards the side on which he feels him- self wounded. If, however, he should prove so furious as to endanger the sportsmen and the dogs, the best way is to kill him with a gun or VOL. II. 2 K 250 APPENDIX. pistol ; this is a privilege or honor reserved for the leader of the compa- ny, and is resorted to only at the last extremity. The whippers-in then sound the death of the animal, and encourage the dogs to trample on him. Having cut off the testicles, which would cause the flesh to con- tract a very disagreeable smell, and the fore-foot, which is given to the huntsman, who presents it to the leader of the company, the boar is car- ried off. Before they return, the dogs are inspected, and those that have received wounds are dressed, as the huntsmen ought to be provided with needles, thread, and every thing necessary for that purpose. Dogs do not eat the flesh of the boar with as much avidity as that of the stag ; nor must it ever be presented to them raw. All that is in ge- neral given them is the shoulders and the intestines cut in pieces and boiled in water. In some parts small bells are fastened to the necks of hounds that hunt the boar and the wolf. If it is not intended to hunt down the boar, but only to shoot him, an equipage becomes perfectly useless ; one or two blood-hounds and a few good hounds are, in this case, quite sufficient. Nay, you need then only employ the mastiffs with which the game- keepers traverse the forests where the boars couch, and drive them to- wards the spot where the hunters are posted. In Germany, and occasionally in France, very fine sport is obtained by hunting of bonrs, and likewise of stags Avith toils. An enclosure is formed with toils and pitch-forks, round the thickets into which the boars have been driven. A huntsman sets his blood-hound upon the scent, and follows him till he has reared the game. Five or six hounds are then slipped; this number is sufficient to hunt a large boar, but if there are several, the whole pack is taken. In the first case, it is proper to accompany the hounds with a few dogs, produced by crossing the breed of the mastiff with the hound; these animals, which are extremely APPENDIX. 251 ardent, will closely press the boar and drive him round the enclosure. The dogs are powerfully supported with the voice and the horn, and are followed close to prevent the boar from making head against them. After the chase has continued some time, the large mastiffs and grey- hounds are then slipped, and these rush upon the boar with fury. The huntsmen advance ; one pierces the animal with his hunting-knife in the small of the back ; the others, armed with sticks, are ready to re- ceive him, in case lie should make towards the person who wounded him, and strike him upon the snout, keeping him off with the end of the stick, till they have dispatched him. When the proposed number of boars are taken, the dogs are called off. Whatever may be the degree of pleasure this sport may impart to fo- reigners, it is certain that no pursuit is more congenial to the feelings of an Englishman than fox-hunting, which is enjoyed in its highest state of perfection when a fox is well found, after a severe chace over a fine country, topping five-barred gates, leaping fences, and swimming a river or two. In England, this is considered a fine day's sport, and the chace con- cludes with a view and whoo-whoop, much to the satisfaction of the sportsman. In some parts of England wild stags are to be found, and hunted, but the country to which they resort is, in general, very indifferent, abound- ing in bogs, and being intersected by fences, roads, and other impedi- ments to sporting. France, on the contrary, abounds in fine open coun- try of immense extent, interspersed with bosquets, or, as we should call them copses, and some woods; the whole being surrounded by vast forests, covering from ten to thirty thousand acres. I have spent many pleasurable days in sporting on the continent, and 1 can safely affirm that I never threw into any of these bosquets, but I immediately found, 2k2 252 APPENDIX. as maybe seen in the course of the preceding letters. One advantage is, that there they have not the trouble of making covers or preserving the game as in England, on account of the great extent of country. A burst from any of these covers over a fine, open, cultivated coun- try, free from rabbit-holes, morasses, and bogs must be very fine indeed. Bursts mav, 1 admit, be had in England as well as in France, but then it is, generally speaking, either over a lingy country, or wold, or down, which affords but a very indifferent scent, and that often interrupted by sheep. In France it is quite the reverse, being as fine riding as in Hyde Park, and as the country is in a high state of cultivation, abounding in stubble and rough ground, it consequently retains the scent. Some of the best runs I ever had were in France, but they were run by English hounds. The French hound, an engraving of which is given in p. 114 of this vo- lume, is said to be of the blood of the royal breed of France. He was bred at Trois Fontaines, where I saw his family run. The French are of opi- nion that their hounds possess a superior scent, or run a lower scent than those of any other country. It must be admitted, that, as to the shape and form he is not what an English sportsman could admire. In order to give a correct idea of this species of hound, which is called briquet, I purchased him for five guineas of a soldier in the forest of Fontaine- bleau, formerly belonging to the great abbey of Trois Fontaines, and brought him to England, that he might have a fair trial. He may, per- haps, be superior to German hounds, but it is certain that he will bear no comparison to those of our English breeds. His awkward shape and unseemly appearance are sufficient to convince any one who possesses the least judgment that he has not those qualifications which an English sportsman considers as essentially requisite. As it is well known that perhaps no sportsman in England has bestowed 6 APPENDIX. 253 more attention on the training of dogs than myself, it cannot be sur- prising that my enquiries should be directed to the practice followed in France. From these enquiries, and my own observation, I collected the following particulars. In the country puppies, after their separation from the mother, which generally takes place when they are two months old, are fed with wheaten bread, milk, and soup ; they are never suffered to eat carrion, nor to run about among the warrens; they are not shut up, but being kept in the court-yard, they become familiar with the other domestic animals, which they are afterwards not tempted to pursue, and are ha- bituated to the inclemency of the air by their frequent courses in the fields. At the age of ten months, or a year at farthest, they are taken to the kennel for the purpose of training, It is here thought to be of advantage to keep them together in the same kennel. The whipper-in, to whom their education is committed, takes care not to suffer them to stir a step, or take their meals without orders. He therefore begins by habituating them to the different tones and expressions used in the chace, to make them obedient to these. For this purpose he puts a trough with bread about ten yards from the door of the kennel, which he half opens, and putting in through the opening a switch which he holds in his hand, he moves it in such a manner, that those dogs which attempt to force their way through receive a smart stroke on the nose. In a short time, with the aid of gentleness and patience, and of the switch which he still keeps moving, he is enabled to open the door quite wide, and placing himself in the middle, he prevents the dogs from going out. When he has brought them so far that not one of them stirs wrhen he half opens the door and cries back ! he then turns round and permits them to go out to eat, saying, Come along, come along ! This lesson being repeated morning and evening for several days, the young 254 APPENDIX. pack become perfectly acquainted with the first expressions ; on which the next step is to make them lie still on the benches in the kennel, cry- ing Back, while he brings the tray into the place. When he sees that they are perfect in this new lesson, he increases the difficulty by re- peating the terms tallyho, back, and come along, before they eat. By degrees he deters them from stirring from the benches by the mere mo- tion of his hand, his handkerchief) or a whip, though he feigns to turn round, and even when turning half round, he employs one of these means of obedience contrary to that motion. When the dogs are found to be less wild, and know the persons who have the care of them, they may then be coupled and taken out morn- ing and evening, or three times a day, if dispatch be necessary, to a place where there is no danger of losing them, such as a field inclosed with hedges. They are accompanied by four men, one before, one behind, and the two others on each side. The first day they are taken straight forward ; and the man who is at their head frequently calls them to him with Ho, ho, ho ! The second day the lesson is varied, turning off sometimes to the right and to the left, still, however, using the same terms. The third day, they describe a semi-circle, sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, accompanying the above-mentioned terms with the exclamation Ha au retour, ha au retour. They are next made to describe a complete circle; after which they are stopped now and then with the cry of Back, and not suffered to proceed till they are cal- led with Come along. When the dogs are perfect in these lessons, they are made to turn about in this manner. They are first stopped ; on which the man be- hind places himself before him who is at the head ; those at the two sides never quit their places. The man at the head then walks through the dogs saying, Ha au retour, and snapping his fingers ; the other strikes APPENDIX. 255 the ground with a switch or whip, to prevent them from proceeding, and points to the other man who calls them, at the same time saying, Turn about. By this method they are soon accustomed to comprehend the term which is of such essential importance in the chace. To these les- sons the hounds are confined till they are perfect masters of them, and perform them with facility and intelligence. They are then taught to practise the return to their place. For this manoeuvre, the person at the head stops the hounds, checking them with the term tout bclleme.nt, (softly) pronounced in a milder tone than back, which being intended to enforce speedy obedience, ought to be articulated sharply. When they have stopped, he who is behind, and at first very near to the dogs, calls them with Ho, ho, ho! As soon as they begin to turn their heads, he instantly cries Au retour, au rctour (turn, turn,) and immediately begins to walk forward again after having turned half round. This lesson is repeated till the dogs make no fault. The term ho, ho, is then omitted, and the hounds are taught to turn, the man keeping at a greater dis- tance, but yet so as to be heard by them. When the dogs perfectly comprehend all the above instructions, they are made to repeat, in one lesson, all the manoeuvres they have learned in several. After this they are taught to stop, though the man at their head continues to walk on ; in this lesson, he stops the dogs, crying Back, and facing them ; he then retires backward, keeping them on the spot by the word back. If a dog advances, he calls him by his name, and cries Back; one of the men on the flanks, in like manner, repeats his name, and if he does not obey, he applies the whip, crying Back, and adding ventre d la meute (get back to the pack). When they are all attentive, the leader turns round and calls them, saying, Come along, come along ; ho, ho, ho. When they have reached him, he immediately faces them, cries Back, 256 APPENDIX. and snaps his fingers to animate them. He then turns again, calling them with Come along, and Softly. After they have practised this les- son several days, and learned to execute it properly, it is thus varied. The man at the head still walking forward, and without turning, checks the hounds with Softly, softly, and back, and continues his way. The two men on the flanks are obliged to pay great attention, at this mo- ment, to keep the dogs in exact order, calling by name and chastising such as are in fault. When they are all quiet, the man at the head calls them to him, and faces them when they have reached him. A docility still more complete is obtained, if the man at the head walks forward without giving any orders, and the man in the rear checks and stops the dogs with the words softly and back, though the first continues advancing, and must not halt, except at the com- mand of the second, for the purpose of turning half round, calling the hounds to him and facing. The hounds being stopped in this manner by the whipper-in in the rear, and setting off again at the command of him at the head to join him, the former checks them a second time by the same terms, and stops them in full career, notwithstanding the continued progression of the latter. All this being perfectly well comprehended and executed, the pack is exercised in returns, commanded alternately by the men at the head and in the rear. For this purpose the latter suffers the hounds and the other three conductors to proceed forward to the distance of fifty or sixty yards, and then calls to them to return. The first, who, at the moment of recal, turns about and stands still while the pack executes the movement directed, waits till they are within ten yards of him who commanded it, and then cries Back. As soon as they have stopped, APPENDIX. 25? he calls to them to return, and when they are within ten yards of him the other renews the same command. While this manoeuvre is repeated several times alternately by those in the front and rear, the men on the flanks are stationary. When they are masters of these alternate returns, their execution is rendered more difficult, by obliging them to halt as instantaneously as if they had been ordered by the voice, by the mere motion of the arm, or the handkerchief of one of the men on the flanks, or of the leader when they are at a considerable distance from him. These movements, it is true, are not new to them, since they are taught them in the first lessons they receive in the kennel, and they are required to obey them as promptly as verbal commands. The dogs having become familiar with their guides, and perfectly comprehending their gestures and orders, they are then accustomed to go out without being coupled, taking care to unloose first those that are the most tractable and docile. They are at first walked in places where they cannot be lost, nor diverted by any object from the attention that is required of them ; they are then taken to all kinds of situations, to accustom them to execute their different lessons, and to be kept in the same state of docility amidst the variety of objects that will present them- selves. This ensures their perfect obedience, which is one of the prin- cipal delights of the chase, and can never be obtained in enclosed places which are justly considered pernicious even to old packs. When the hounds are supposed to be sufficiently instructed in all the intonations of the voice, they are then exercised with the sound of the horn, preserving the same gradation in these new lessons. They are first stopped with the voice; the man at their head removes to some dis- tan e, and calls them to him by a recheat; the}' are in like manner com- manded to return; and when they have learned this perfectly, they are VOL. II. 2 L 258 APPENDIX. stopped from time to time by the cry of Back, tallyho, as in the chace : a flourish is then sounded, and they are made to set off again with Coyne along, softly, or a recheat. The dogs being as perfect in all these lessons as is required, they are uncoupled, and exercised on horse-back at a foot-pace and short trot with the same number of men, and in the same situations in all they have been daily taught on foot. Above all things care is taken not to give them ardor, to check them at every object capable of taking off their attention, and even to alight to correct immediately such as begin to chatter. When the dogs are complete masters of all that has before been taught them both on horseback and on foot, a still more difficult task succeeds ; that is, to walk them out in the plains, in the midst of hares without manifesting any ardor. For this purpose they are coupled in troops of six or eight at most, and led by valets on foot who take them to the plain best stocked with hares ; through which the men proceed at the distance of one hundred yards from each other. The young hounds are all eager to pursue the first hare that is started ; each valet takes notice of those dogs which prick their ears most, falls upon them with his whip, crying Ha hey, les vilains, ha hey derriere, and continues his way. At each new fault he repeats the same correction, till the dogs draw back instead of advancing when they perceive a hare. This lesson being repeated two days successively, the dogs are then taken out simply coupled. The person who is at their head keeps at- tentively on the look out for all the hares that may be started ; as soon as he perceives one, he checks the dogs, crying Tout bellement, Ji-de-ca, derriere ha hey. He removes from before them that they may have a view of the whole plain, and if any of them but raises an ear he is not APPENDIX. 959 spared. By this method the dogs are habituated, even uncoupled, to pass through the plains in the midst of hares without taking any notice of them. These excursions having succeeded as well as could be wished, they are repeated with men on horseback ; if the hounds should so far forget themselves as to run away and return to the kennel, they are immedi- ately led back to the plain, and walked along coupled by men on foot, who correct them severely when they shew the least signs of ardor, and especially those which, by their example, hurry along the others in their indocility. The young pack being sufficiently advanced, they are taken out, in troops, to hunt, that they may become acquainted with the country, and be habituated to the return to their kennel. The valets who take them out are particularly attentive to keep them behind them during the whole chace, to silence them whenever they begin to open, and to maintain the most rigid obedience, can come up time enough to be in at the death, this will make them acquainted with the animal which they are destined to hunt. After two or three chaces of this kind, the young hounds are divided into two equal companies, which are subdivided two and two among the lower troops, (hardes basses) to be uncoupled with them. Each of these companies is hunted only twice, to prevent their getting so much exer- cise as to beat the old hounds. In proportion as they become more stea- dy, the hounds are removed from troop to troop, (d'harde en harde) to the old pack, at the same time attention is paid that half of the latter at ways consists of old dogs. The troops remain in this state at least three months, and the young hounds are not removed into the pack till they have no longer any occasion for persons to conduct them. When the new hounds are not numerous they may be trained in this 260 APPENDIX. manner without deranging the old pack; when it is numerous, and the sportsman is desirous of keeping up an excellent equipage, a small num- ber of the fleetest and stanchest hounds are selected to train the young- dogs, and when these are sufficiently docile and steady, they are joined to the pack, so that no derangement or suspension of pleasure takes place. Spring-hunting is considered the best for completing the training of young hounds. To render them indifferent to every other species of game but that which they are destined to hunt, they are taken out cou- pled and in troops (several couple of hounds tied together is called a troop) to places where there is abundance of game. They are suffered to see those kinds which they are not intended to hunt, and if any of them appear eager and begin to chatter, they are corrected by the per- son that accompanies them, who leads them, repeating: tout bellement fi ha licij, derriere, and continues his way. This lesson is practised every day, till the hounds are so steady as not to follow the scent of any ani- mal but that which they are to hunt. They soon look upon all others with indifference. ttM K INDEX. VOLUME II. A. ACCIDENT in the Forest of Ermenon- viile, 73. Ague, prescription for the, 37. Alum mine, water poisoned by an, 101. Amboise, description of, 22. Anecdote of a Parisian coachman, 178. Antoine, M. accidental meeting with, 107. Artichoke, Spanish, 56. Athenee de Paris, 205. Avoid, St. [)7- B. Bagatelle, description of Gl. Bankers, French, their mode of tran- sacting business, 60. Barbel and Cray Fish, excellent in France, 111. Bar-le-duc, arrival at, 89. — Method of preserving currants whole, practised by the inhabitants, 90. — Farther account of, 122, vote. Batelets, or boat-hoys, 211. Beaujency, an admired French wine, 26. Beaulieu, 12S. Bergere, M. information communicated by, 54. Birds, curious, at Beaumont, 121. Bliss Castel, 10S. Bois de Beval, Forest of, 88. Boule D'Or, in Tours, 8. Beagles, hunting, near Croydon, 219 Biacieux, arrival at, 33. Breakfast, an excellent, at Orleans, 43. Bridges in Paris, 182, 187. Brun, Madame Le, 71. VOL. II. C. Calencourt, Monsieur, a speculator in lands, 11. Carriages, German, singular regulation concerning, 97. Cart, tilted, travelling in a, 33. Carter, the unfortunate, 43. Castle of Nassau, now in ruins, 100 — Of Deux Ponts, 1 10— Of the Comp- tesse de Ligne, 116. Cathedral of Orleans, distant view of the, 41. Cattle, Specimen of French, seen near Fontainblcau, 50. Cavalcade, a curious, 39- Chalons, description of, 87. Chambord, castle of, 31. — Forest of, 34. Champaign, excelleut, 86. — purchase of at Chalons, 135. Chanteloup, palace of, 23, 144. Chantilly, 153. — Fatal consequences of the revolution, ib. — The constable's road, 154. — Ancient grandeur and his- tory of the castle, ib. — Erection of a chapel by William, butler of Senlis, ib —Supposed time of the erection of the old castle, 155. — Its magnificence extolled by poets, ib.— Tennis-court, quincunx, &c. 156. — Hall of Apullo, 157. — Theatre and armory, 15S. — Par- terre of the green-house, 160. — Carp in the ditches surrounding the castle, 161. — Superb apartments, Sec. 162, 164. — Stables, 166. — Riding-house and great dog-kennel, 16S. Chapelle la Reine, 45. Charenton, description of, 53. 2 M INDEX. Charge, exorbitant, at Pethiviers, 44. Chateau of M. Calencourt, 12. — Les Or- mes, 15. — Chanteloiip, 23. — Sienon- eeux, ib. — Chamont, 27. — Of Le Mer- cier, near Blois, 34. — Cheverney, 36, i;8. — La Source, 41. — Bois Gibbeaux, 42. — Fleury, 86. — Of the Due de Guise, ib. — Montmorenci, 96. — Of Madame Aller, 143.— De Menau, 147- — De Lotville, 150. Cheval D'Or, neatly furnished, 12. Chevatrie, Le, description of the cha- teau, 2. Cloth of the Louvier's manufactory, 138. Coachmen, carelessness of the Parisian, 178. Coals, scarcity of, in Paris, 134. Cogni, estare of, 13.5. Coloneau, M. of Grillemont, 6.5. Commercy, 91- Confusion, scene of, in a mixed party, 74. Corbillard, or Parisian hearse, 210. Cretet, M. a privy-counsellor, 77- Crocheteur, le, a Parisian porter, 184. Currants, curious method of preserving,90 D. Death, accidental, of the Prince of Nas- sau's whipper-in, 1 13. Deception practised on Col. T — respect- ing Sarbruck, 100. Decrotteur, or shoe-black, 184. Denis, Marquis, St. visit to the, 29. Devil's Bridge, 95. — Further account of, 120. Deux Ponts, 108. Dezieir, St. 89. Dog-hunt, 62. Dog-kennels, situation of, 145. Dogs shot for disobedience, 72. Drought, sad effects of, 49. Durand, Gen. conservator of game, 83. 6 E. Estates easily obtained in France, 20. — Method of purchasing, 172. Etang de la hors, 133. Excursion, hunting, in the forest of Berci, 1. F. Fair at Bracieux, 39. — At Commercy, 91 . Farmer, interview with a, 19. Ferte-sous-Jouavre, a town of Brie, 85. Fiacres, or hackney-coaches, in Paris, 211. Finance, minister of, visit to the, 137. Fishing for pike, perch, &c. 14. Flour, consumption of, in Paris, 180. Fontainbleau, forest of, 45, 139. » , palace of, 47. Forbach, 98. Foresters, group of, 50 Forest-scenery, magnificent, 103. Forests, remarks on the French, 70. Fox-hunt on foot, 35. French-horn, observations on the diffe- rent airs of the, 131, Frogs eaten by Mr. B — 30 Frost, devastations occasioned by, 49- Fruit, exorbitant charge for, 48. Funds, English, cause of depreciation in the, 67. Funerals, Parisian, 210. G. Game, French, exceed the English in running, 39. — State of, in the forest of Chanteloup, 146.— Register of killed at Chantilly, 170. Game-keeper, insolence of a, 76. Garden, English, wretched imitation of an, 34. Genealogies of French families carefully preserved, ];)5. Globes, immense, in the Bibliotheque Nationale, 194. INDEX. Grapes, method of gathering, 124. — Plentiful in Paris, 184. Guerche, forest of, 13. H. Harvest, lateness of the, in France, 17. Hat, the tin, 140. Heat, intense, at Neuilly, 7. Hewri, Monsieur, 10. Hippoo shot hy Col. T-~, 111. Horns, the, a hunting-song, set to mu- sic, 130. Hotel of the late Prince de Louhise, 84. Hotels, exorbitant charges at the Pari- sian, 55. Hunting-seat near Sarbruck, 101. ■ of the late Due de Deux Ponts, ill. Hunting excursion in the Forest of Trois Fontaine, 129. I. Jasbourg, palace of, 102. Instruction, public, plan of, in Paris, 200. Jumaix, etang of, 145. K. Kalsrure, remains of the castle of, 102. L. Ladies, French, possess estates indepen- dent of their husbands, 12. Lake, a beautiful, 102. Landlady, a bearded, 95. Landlord, an impertinent, 84. Lands, unskilful management of, 8. Law against naturalization, 55. — Conver- sation with the minister, and the prefect of the police respecting, 66. Layais, road beyond, 41. Lewes, Libraries, Parisian, 193, 198. Lucas, Mr.- strange conduct of, 82, 214. M. Masnv, 215. Malesherbes, effects of the revolution at, 44. Manufactures of France, remarks on the, 71. Manuscripts, gallery of, 194. Marriages, modern, in Paris, 210. Meaux, description of, 85. Melun, description of, 5 1 . Mer, breakfast at, 148. Mercier, M. Le, a banker and taylor, 31. Metz, description of, <)(>. Michael, St. town of, 122. Miller, accommodations at the house ol a, 15. Minister of Finance, interview with the, 69. Monies, interest of, in France, Q. Montbazon, 22. Montreuil, gardens of, 64. Mortier, Gen. interview with, 58. Mountains, similar to the Grampian-hills, 132. Museum of arts, removal of pictures from the, 138. N. . Nassau, approach to the principality of, 98. Naturalization, law against, in France, 55 — conversation with M. Cretet, respec- ting, 78 — effects of Col. T — 's remarks, 79. Ninekirk castle, 104, 109. Nursery-ground, a French, 42. O. O'Beven, Mr. anecdote of, 57- Orderly serjeant, death of an, revenged by the French officers, 59- Ospreys, or sea-eagles, 107- Overard, M. his fortunate contract with government, 9- Oyster-women, Parisian, 212. Oysters unwholesome, in France, before the frost, 212. 2 M 2 INDEX. Pagoda, at Chanteloup, 25. Paintings, modern, in the Museum of Arts, Paris, origin, and progressive aggrandise- ment of, 175 — Present division, 176 — Gates and barriers, 177 — Appearance of die streets and houses, ib. — Fashion- able furniture, 178 — market-places, 179 — Halle au Ble, 180 — Observatory of Catharine de Medicis, 181.— Slaugh- ter-houses, ib. — Bridges, 182. — Pont Neuf, i&.— Pont National, 185. — Pont de la Concorde, ib. — Pont au Change, «&.— PontSt. Michel, 186.— Pont No- tre Dame, ib.— Petit Pont, 1 87-— Pont au Double, ib. — Pont Marie, ib. — Pom de la Tournelle, ib. — Coffee-houses, 188.— Theatres, 190. — Theatre Fran- cois de la Republique, ib. — Theatre de la Republique et des artes, 192. — The- atre de l'opera comique, ib. — Theatre Louvois, ib. — Theatre de la rue Fra- vart, 193. — Public libraries, ib. — Bib- liotheque nationale, ib. — Bibliotheque Mazarin, 196. — Bibliotheque du Pan- theon, ib. — Bibliotheque de TArsenal, 197. — Public seminaries, 199. — Normal schools, ib. — Primary schools, 200. — Secondary schools, 201. — Lyceums, ib. — Special schools, ib. — Scientific soci- eties, 202. — Societe Philotechnique, ib. Societe fibre des sciences, lettres et arts, 203. — Athenee des arts, ib.-— So- ciete Philomatique, ib. — Societe Aca- demique des Sciences, ib. — Societe Galvanique, ib. — Societe des Belles Lettres, ib. — Academie de Legislation, ib. — Observateurs de THornine, ib.— Athenee de Paris, 205. — National in- stitution of the deaf and dumb, ib. — Institution des travaux des aveugles, 207. — State of society in Paris, 208. — Modern marriages, 2 10. — Funerals, ib. Fiacres, 211. — Batelets, or boat-hoys.. ib. — Washerwomen, ib. — Oyster-wo- men, 212. Parnasse Francois, 194. Partridge, shooting, 18, 20, 32, 33, 36, 39, 44, 52, 75, 121, 148, 150. Parvenues, 209. Pasturage, wild, conducive to the sweet- ness of milk, 19. Peregaux, M. 55. Pessisse, Col. interview with, 88. — En- tertainment at the house of, 133. Point, a, not to be argued, 141. Pointers, a breed of small, 150. Poissardes, or Parisian fish-women, 179« Pontoise, account of, 215 note. Postillion, a French, 139. Porteur d'eau, les, or water-carriers, 188. Priest, a sporting, 29- Prizes shot for by Chasseurs, 109. Q. Quails, shooting, 103. Queue blancs, 42. R. Ranc,e, 84. Ravaudeuse, la, or stocking-mender, 183. Receiver of national property, stiange conduct of a, 1 16. River, beautiful, at Sandree, 125. Roe-buck, trying for, in the park of Chambord, 37. Russy, forest of, 34. S. Sablonierre's hotel, arrival at, Sabots, prodigious quantities of, exposed to sale at Commercy, 91. Salamanders, 68. Salt-work, near Sarbruck, 106. Santerre, Gen., interview with, 63. — His remarks on a publication of Mr. A — Y— , ib. Sarre Louis, 118. Scenery, luxuriant, 89. INDEX. Seine, water of the, 187- Seminaries, public, in Paris, 199 — 201. Senor, forest of, 51. Servants, insolent behaviour of, at the Ho- tel de Valois, 21.5 Sheep, number of, in France, 69- Shooting excursion near La Cue, 72. Shops, Parisian, 55. Snipes, shooting, 1 13. Societies, scientific, in Paris, 202 — 205. Society, present state of, in Paris, 20S. Sporting Club, accounts received from, 220 Sporting Lodge near Loclavisky, 115. Sportsman, a French, 85. Stag's horns, huge, at Commercy, 91 . Stanislaus, king of Poland, a great sports- man, 91. Stanislaus, melancholy death of, 94. Stone curlews, 33. Strong holds beyond Commercy, 95. T. Theatres, Parisian, 190—193. Tisane, Le Marchand, 183. Tours, description of, 11. Traveller, interview with a French, 46. ■ ■ interview with a German. 97. Trois Fontaine, forest of, 88. -t * abbey of, 120. Trout, delicious in the Ornal, 90. Turkish ambassador and his suite, curi- ous account of, by a servant girl, 136. V. Val, forest of, 88. Vegetable, a remarkable, GG. \ ines, mode of cultivating in France, 122. Vitri, 87. Vixen, Col. T 's terrier, applauded by the French sportsmen, 35. Voyer, Marchioness de, 16. W. Washerwomen, Parisian, 211. Watch-maker, a sporting, 57. Water, ill effects of, near dog-ken nels, 145. Water-carrier, anecdote of a, 188. Water-fowl, trying for, 101, 1)3. Wild duck shot by Col. T. 32. Willows, vines skirted by, 46. Wine, usual mode of preparing in France,, 124. of Beaujcncy, 141, 148. Wolf-hunt, 3. Woodcocks, shooting, 131. ERRATA. VOL. I. Page 44 (Plate) View on the Loire, read, View on the Seine. VOL. IT. Page 86, line 8 — Theteau — read, Thiery 88, — 3 from bottom — Taris, Fontaine — read, Trois Fontaine 89, — 3, St. Deziueir — read, Dezieir 151, — 2 from bottom — journey of a hours — read, journey of ajew hours J 74, — 6, Nontre-Dame, read, Notre-Daxae