The Stranger in France | Page 2

of Plants.--French Accommodation.--Boot Cleaners.--Cat and Dog Shearers.--Monsieur S---- and Family. p. 140.
CHAPTER XV.
Civility of a Sentinel.--The Hall of the Legislative Assembly.--British House of Commons.--Captain Bergeret.--The Temple.--Sir Sydney Smith's Escape.--Colonel Phillipeaux. p. 150
CHAPTER XVI.
A fashionable Poem.--Frere Rickart.--Religion.--H?tel des Invalides.--Hall of Victory.--Enemies' Colours.--Sulky Appearance of an English Jack and Ensign.--Indecorum.--The aged Captain.--Military School.--Champ de Mars.--The Garden of Mousseaux. p. 163.
CHAPTER XVII.
Curious Method of raising Hay.--Lucien Bonaparte's H?tel.--Opera.--Consular Box.--Madame Bonaparte's Box.--Feydeau Theatre.--Belle Vue.--Versailles.--The Palace of the Petit Trianon.--The Grounds. p. 175.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Bonaparte's Talents in Finance.--Garrick and the Madman.--Palace of the Conservative Senate.--Process of transferring Oil Paintings from Wood to Canvas.--The Dinner Knife.--Commodities.--Hall of the National Convention.--The Minister Talleyrand's Levee. p. 188.
CHAPTER XIX.
The College of the Deaf and Dumb.--Abbé Sicard.--Bagatelle.--Police.--Grand National Library.--Bonaparte's Review.--Tambour Major of the Consular Regiment.--Restoration of Artillery Colours. p. 201.
CHAPTER XX.
Abbè Sieyes.--Consular Procession to the Council Chamber.--10th of August, 1792.--Celerity of Mons. Fouche's Information.--The two Lovers.--Cabinet of Mons. le Grand.--Self-prescribing Physician.--Bust of Robespierre.--His Lodgings.--Corn Hall.--Museum of French Monuments.--Revolutionary Agent.--Lovers of married Women. p. 214.
CHAPTER XXI.
Picturesque and Mechanical Theatre.--Filtrating and purifying Vases.--English Jacobins.--A Farewell.--Messagerie.--MalMaison.--Forest of Evreux.--Lower Normandy.--Caen.--Hon. T. Erskine.--A Ball.--The Keeper of the Sachristy of Notre Dame.--The two blind Beggars.--Ennui.--St. Lo.--Cherbourg.--England. p. 230.
GENERAL REMARKS. p. 252.
[Illustration: Torr Abbey]

THE STRANGER IN FRANCE
CHAPTER I.
Torr Abbey.--Cap of Liberty.--Anecdote of English Prejudice.--Fire Ships.--Southampton River.--Netley Abbey.
It was a circumstance, which will be memorable with me, as long as I live, and pleasant to my feelings, as often as I recur to it, that part of my intended excursion to the Continent was performed in the last ship of war, which, after the formal confirmations of the peace, remained, of that vast naval armament, which, from the heights of Torbay, for so many years, presented to the astonished and admiring eye, a spectacle at once of picturesque beauty, and national glory. It was the last attendant in the train of retiring war.
Under the charming roof of Torr Abbey, the residence of George Cary, esq., I passed a few days, until the Meg?ra was ready to sail for Portsmouth, to be paid off, the commander of which, captain Newhouse, very politely offered to convey my companion, captain W. Cary, and myself, to that port.
In this beautiful spot, the gallant heroes of our navy have often found the severe and perilous duties of the boisterous element alleviated by attentions, which, in their splendid and cordial display, united an elegant taste to a noble spirit of hospitality.
In the Harleian Tracts there is a short, but rather curious account preserved of the sensation produced at the Abbey on the 5th of November, 1688, after the prince of Orange had entered the bay with his fleet, on their passage to Brixham, where he landed:--
"The prince commanded captain M---- to search the lady Cary's house, at Torr Abbey, for arms and horses. The lady entertaining them civilly, said her husband was gone to Plymouth: they brought from thence some horses, and a few arms, but gave no further disturbance to the lady or her house."
Throughout this embarrassing interview, the lady Cary appears to have conducted herself with great temper, dignity and resolution, whilst, on the other hand, the chaplain of that day, whose opinions were not very favourable to the revolution, unlike his present amiable and enlightened successor[1], left his lady in the midst of her perplexities, and fled.
[1] Rev. John Halford.
In the Abbey, I was much pleased with an interesting, though not very ornamental trophy of the glorious victory of Aboukir. The truckle heads of the masts of the Aquilon, a french ship of the line, which struck to the brave captain Lewis, in that ever memorable battle, were covered with the bonnet rouge; one of these caps of liberty, surmounted with the british flag, has been committed to the care of the family, by that heroic commander, and now constitutes a temporary ornament of their dining-room.
Here we laid in provision for our little voyage, without, however, feeling the same apprehension, which agitated the mind of a fair damsel, in the service of a lady of rank who formerly resided in my neighbourhood, who, preparing to attend her mistress to the Continent, and having heard from the jolly historians of the kitchen, that the food in France was chiefly supplied by the croaking inhabitants of the green and standing pool, contrived, very carefully, to carry over a piece of homebred pork, concealed in her workbag.
Early in the morning after we set sail, we passed through the Needles, which saved us a very considerable circuitous sail round the southern side of the Isle of Wight, a passage which the late admiral Macbride first successfully attempted, for vessels of war, in a ship of the line.
The vessel, in which we sailed, was a fireship; a costly instrument of destruction, which has never been applied during the recent war, and only once, and that unsuccessfully, during