the d—— of h—— went some weeks ago to visit an acquaintance in one of the provinces of france. as i inclined rather to pass that time at geneva, we agreed to meet at paris, whither jack and i are thus far on our way.
i must now fairly confess that i found myself so happy with my kind friends the genevois, that i could not spare an hour from their company to write to you or any correspondent, unless on indispensable business. i might also plead, that you yourself have been in some measure the cause of my being seduced from my pen. in your last letter; which i found waiting for me at the post-house at geneva, you mention a late publication in terms that gave me a curiosity to see it; and an english gentleman,[465] who had the only copy which has as yet reached that city, was so obliging as to lend it me. the hours which i usually allot to sleep, were all i had in my power to pass alone; and they were very considerably abridged by this admirable performance. the extensive reading there displayed, the perspicuity with which historical facts are related, the new light in which many of them are placed, the depth of the reflections, and the dignity and nervous force of the language, all announce the hand of a master. if the author lives to complete his arduous undertaking, he will do more to dissipate the historical darkness which overshadows the middle ages, give a clearer history of the decline and fall of the roman empire, and fill up, in a more satisfactory manner, the long interval between ancient and modern history, than all the writers who have preceded him. this accounts for my long silence. you see i resume my pen the very first opportunity, after the causes i have assigned[466] for it are removed, which ought to give the more weight to my apology.
as i have frequently been at lyons, i chose, on this occasion, to return to paris by franche comté and champagne. we accordingly set out very early yesterday morning, and were by no means in high spirits when we left geneva, and passed along the side of the lake, through the pais de vaud. the beauties of that country, though they astonish at first sight, yet, like the characters of the inhabitants, they improve on intimacy. every time i have looked at the lake of geneva, and its delightful environs, i have discovered something new to admire. as i entered the canton of bern, i often turned about, and at last withdrew my eyes from those favourite objects, with an emotion similar to what you feel on taking leave of a friend, whom you have reason to think you shall never see again.
[467]
the first place we came to, on entering france from the canton of bern, is a poor little town on an hill; i forget its name. while the postillion stopped to put something to rights about the harness, i stepped into a shop where they sold wooden shoes; and in the course of my conversation with a peasant, who had just purchased a pair for himself, and another for his wife, he said, “les bernois sont bien à leur aise, monsieur, pendant que nous autres fran?ois vivons tres durement, et cependant les bernois sont des hérétiques.” “voilà,” said an old woman, who sat in a corner reading her breviary; “voilà,” said she, taking off her spectacles, and laying her beads on the book, “ce que je trouve incompréhensible.”
this was, however, at the extremity of france, and in a province lately acquired; for it must be confessed, that it is not common for the french to imagine that any country whatever has the advantage of[468] theirs in any one circumstance; and they certainly are not so apt to grumble as some of their neighbours, who have less reason. when i was last at geneva, a french hair-dresser—let me intreat you not to shew this to your friend ——, who is so fond of people of quality, that he thinks there is no life out of their company. he would pshaw, and curse my poor peasants, and old women, and hair-dressers, and accuse me of being too fond of such low company.
as for the old women, i am much mistaken if there are not at least as many to be found of both sexes in high life as in low; for the others, i declare i have no particular affection, but i am fond of strokes of nature and character, and must look for them where they are to be found. i introduce the present hair-dresser to your acquaintance, because, if i am not mistaken, he spoke the sentiments of his whole nation, high and low. you shall judge. this young fellow attended me every morning[469] while i remained at geneva; he had been a year or two at london; and while he dressed my hair, his tongue generally moved as quick as his fingers. he was full of his remarks upon london, and the fine people whose hair he pretended to have dressed. “do you not think,” said i, “that people may live very happily in that country?” “mais—pour cela oui, monsieur.” “do you think, then, they are happy?” “pour cela, non, monsieur.” “can you guess at the reason why they are not, though they have so much reason to be so?” “oui, monsieur, elle est toute simple.” “pray what is the reason they are not happy?” “c’est, qu’ils ne font pas destinés à l’être.”
a very genteel young man, a genevois, happened to call on me, for two minutes, while this friseur was with me. the young gentleman had passed some time at paris, and was dressed exactly in the parisian taste. “he has much the air of one of[470] your countrymen,” said i to the frenchman, as soon as the other had left the room.
“mon dieu! quelle différence,” cried the friseur. “for my part, i can see none,” said i. “monsieur,” resumed he, “soyez persuadé qu’aucun genevois ne sera jamais pris pour un fran?ois.” “there are certainly some petit-ma?tres to be found in this town,” said i. “pardonnez moi,” replied he, “ils ne sont que petit-ma?tres manqués.”
“did you ever see an englishman,” said i, “who might pass for a frenchman?” “jamais de la vie, monsieur!” replied he, with an accent of astonishment.
“suppose him,” said i, “a man of quality?” “n’importe.”
“but,” continued i, “suppose he had lived several years at paris, that he was naturally very handsome, and well made, that he had been educated by the best[471] french dancing-master, his clothes made by the best french taylor, and his hair dressed by the most eminent friseur in paris?” “c’est beaucoup, monsieur, mais ce n’est pas assez.”
“what!” exclaimed i, “would you still know him to be an englishman?” “assurément, monsieur.”
“what! before he spoke?” “au premier coup d’?il, monsieur.”
“the devil you would; but how?” “c’est que messieurs les anglois ont un air—une manière de se présenter—un—que sais-je moi—vous m’entendez bien, monsieur—un certain air si gau—”
“quel air maraud?” “enfin un air qui est charmant, si vous voulez, monsieur,” said he rapidly, “mais que le diable m’emporte si c’est l’air fran?ois.”
to-morrow i shall take a view of this town, and proceed immediately after breakfast to paris: mean while i wish you very heartily good night.
