| Description | Tuesday July 30th 1816
They left London at 9 am in Mr Crosweller’s Blue coach from the New White Horse Cellar, and after going round by Blackfriars Road to have a pair of new hind wheels, fairly launched their journey. They were amused by a lady called Tregent who had returned from Paris but a few days. She advised them with recommendations of honest Parisian tradesmen. She directed them to a Monsieur Bartholomien of the Palais Royal, who she assured them would take care that nobody cheated us ‘’but himself, we presume’’( EP). They arrived at Brighton at 5 o’clock and found her sister and family much improved by their residence by the sea. Walking on the beach they were much amused by two little figures of Harlequin and Columbine.
Wednesday July 31st
EP took a ride with Miss Richardson and Mr Swepson along the cliff nearly to Hove. It was only the second time she had been on horseback.
Thursday August 1st
She went with her sister to the market and comments on the white cucumbers. Then without Mr Kay (who has not arrived) her father, sister, Miss Richardson, Miss Farr, Mary Anne, William and Emily visit the Pavilion. She descrbes the ‘’barbaric magnificence’’. Mr Kay joins them for dinner and their walk to the West cliff.
Friday August 2nd
Rambled on cliffs and made arrangements for journey. Writes of Miss Richardson and Miss Middleton.
Saturday August 3rd
Visited Stamner. Boarded the packet Eliza at half past seven. They were becalmed outside Dieppe the next morning and so they did not get there until three pm. A Miss Appleton was on board who had had favourable reviews.
Monday August 5th
She describes Dieppe. Mr Whistler, to whom they had brought a letter from Lord Chichester, called on them. Opposite page contains descriptions of costumes, etc.
They left Dieppe at one, sharing a cabriolet with Miss Appleton. Describes stopping at an inn at [?] Goste for lunch but her father was too unwell to eat. When continuing through the valley of Malaunay they were advised to look after their baggage as it may be stolen. Describes the approach to Rouen. Arrived at L’Hotel de Europe at ten pm.
Tuesday August 6th
Describes the market in Rouen and visit the church of St John which is undergoing repairs. Her father sketched a window. Describes dining at the Table d’Hote which did not give them a high opinion of either of French cookery or politeness. A Colonel Du Pont, an officer of Buonaparte, of the Imperial Guard also dined. Describes an argument between him and Monsieur L’Hote. The colonel flourished his knife with such eagerness that her father who was sat next to him, thought it expedient to move. They gave him the name M. Le Loup. In the evening they went to the Theatre which was very handsome in its form but very dirty. She describes the theatre and performance.
Wednesday August 7th
Visited a booksellers, walked to the port and in the evening dined at the hotel where they were joined by an English family. After dinner they walked to the other side of the port, entering it by the Vieux Palais, and then visited the cathedral. On returning to the hotel she describes an amusing incident with candles.
Thursday August 8th
Visited the cathedral in the morning and made sketches. Describes dealings with the servants when back at the hotel.
Friday August 9th
Visited the church of St Ouen, took a cabriolet to the top of St Catherine’s hill at the end of the port by the Barriere d’Octroy, on the road to Paris where she describes the view. On returning to the hotel describes new guests and the colonel further. Opposite page- describes seeing a display of wolves' heads and comments on their decline in that province
Saturday August 10th
Visited statue of Maid of Orleans then left for Paris. Their horses had been stabled in a church which had been gutted by the revolution and turned into one of the Bureaux des Diligences. They departed with Miss Appleton at 4 o’clock in ‘‘an equipage which almost baffles description.’’ She describes the scenery along the way. After about two hours they arrived at Pont de l’Arche then continued through Louviers, passing along a precarious route. They arrived at Mantes at three in the morning and left Miss Appleton to continue on to Paris.
Sunday August 11th
Describes the town of Mantes and the church which they visited during a service. Describes negotiations with a M. Philibert to take them to Paris the next day.
Monday August 12th
They find out that they have to share their carriage with two other passengers who sit on the outside. She describes the scenery along the route by the Seine. They dined at St Germain but saw nothing as it was so hot ‘’that we were baked without moving’’. Continuing on they are amused by the clumsy machines for conveying water to Versailles. They entered Paris by the Champs Elysees. They stay at the Hotel of Mr Buff, whose wife is the daughter of Mr Green, an old friend of Dr Hutton’s who recommended it.
Tuesday August 13th
Eleanor rested whilst Papa went to M. Perigaux’s to enquire after letters. In the evening they left their letter at M. Pictets(?), then walked along the Chaussee d’Antin where they found Mr and Mrs Wilde. Mrs Wilde is very like her sister Miss Plaskett. Describes the streets and the ladies and gentlemen.
Wednesday August 14th
They had calls from Mr and Mrs Pictet and Mr and Mrs Wilde. Mrs Picket led ‘‘us a terrible dance thro’ narrow, dirty, slippery streets to the Post Office in the Rue Jean Jaques Rousseu’’. They then took a fiacre to the Jardins des Tuileries. She was disappointed to see the Seine ‘so narrow and so yellow’.
Thursday August 15th
They went with Mr and Mrs Pictet to high mass at the Cathedral of Notre Dame which she describes. They visited the Pantheon or Church of St Genevieve for an interlude. They returned to Notre Dame to see a procession which included the whole of the Royal Family except the King. ‘‘The anxiety to see the Duchesse de Berri was so great that we could not get a very good view.’’ She does not like the look of the ‘Gens d’Armerie’, nor those of the National Guard.
Friday August 16th
They went to the Rue des Postes to call on Miss Appleton and walked in the garden of M. D’Halma. She accompanied them on a second visit to the Pantheon and the old church of Sainte Genevieve, then the Jardins du Luxembourg. EP describes how the trees are shaped. They peeped into the Chambre de Paires (upper house of French parliament from 1814- 1848). They had tea with Mr & Mrs Wilde and met Mr Underwood.
Saturday August 17th
They first visited the Palais Royal and then the Hal au Bles (Halle aux bles – corn exchange) where their Landlord, Mr Buff, had that day to mount guard. Mr Buff accompanied them to the Church of St. Austache, then they went through the market of St Denis. In the evening they went to the Theatre de la Variete. She describes the plot of the four pieces performed.
Sunday August 18th
They went to Versailles with Mr & Mrs Pictet, their daughter, M. Du Bey, Mr & Mrs Johnson, their son and servants, and Miss Kerrage. EP describes the route and items seen at the Grand and Petit Trianon but ‘’nothing that satisfied the expectations I had raised.’’ She compares the gardens to those of Howe, Studley and Castle Howard. She describes the fountains ‘’but splendid toys’’.
Monday August 19th
Visited the Bibliotheque du Roi and the Institut where she saw Laplace and Cuvier ‘’walking up and down for sometime in conversation.’’ (Pressed leaf in between pages.) In the evening they visited the Palais Royal and had ices and lemonade at the Café de Mille Colonnes. The rooms were nearly empty as La Bell Lemonadiere was in the country so they went on to another café. As an aside EP writes ‘’that the French say that the battle of Waterloo has convinced them of what they never before suspected namely that the English are better fed – Had not their food been more solid and nutritious they could never have had the physical strength to resist them on that day – I believe this may be right but I suppose they would not hear of moral courage or superior firmness.’’
Tuesday August 20th
Miss Appleton accompanied them to the Musie des Monumens where EP is very impresssed with the sculpture. She longed for Mr Flaxman to have been present to pass his judgement. They view further sculptures in the garden, including one of Voltaire in his youth, ‘’he is quite a petit maitre.’’ They were also accompanied by Mr Johnson. Entry on opposite pages for next four pages - August 1616. The Legend of St Fiacre. Found in an old folio in the library of one of the monasteries ‘’abattu dans la revolution.’’
Wednesday August 21st
Out shopping all day with Mrs Wilde.
Thursday August 22nd
Rode to the Jardin des Plantes where they met Miss Appleton and viewed the animals. EP mentions how two men had been killed in separate incidents involving a bear and an elephant. They walked up to the mount to view the panorama of Paris and sat under the Cedar of Buffon. They then saw the Cuvier’s collection of comparative anatomy. They entered the museum and saw the collections of mineralogy and natural history. On their return they saw on the site of the Bastille the plaster model of a colossal elephant intended for a fountain. Mentions on opposite page seeing Moliere’s play Le Tartuffe at the Theatre Francais and Lord Wellington being present.
Friday August 23rd
They visited the Mogul manufacturer of the Gobelines with Mr Jones, a French gentleman M. Cresy and his english wife, and a french lady who Mrs Cresy said had ‘’all the accomplishments of a French woman with all the moral qualities of an Englishwoman.’’
Saturday August 24th
Going to the Tuilleries they saw the King leaving. They dined at the Palais Royal and returned to the Tuilleries for a concert.
Sunday August 25th
On the Fete of St Louis they walked to Notre Dame, then the Tuilleries where they saw the king, Duchesse D’Angouleme and Duchesse de Berri. Later whilst dining they saw the royal family and the Duke of Wellington go past. They visited the Champs Elysees and saw the illuminations in the Clare market. EP comments on how the fireworks for the Fete were not so brilliant that year because the King reserved money for the relief of the poor. They saw a tilting competition on the Seine.
Monday August 26th
William Porden receives a letter from the ‘invisible L’Anglois’. They went to the Hopital des Invalides with Mrs and Miss Matthews. They view the monuments of Marshal Turenne and the engineer Vauban. EP describes the various pensioners. They had a pleasant walk from the Champ de Mars to the Champs Elysees. In the evening they drank tea with Mr and Mrs Cresy and met Mr and Mrs Vetard, Mrs Vetard’s father M. Melie and her governess. Mrs Vetard is the accomplished lady mentioned on August 23rd.
Tuesday August 27th
They stayed in until three when they went with Mr Wilde shopping. In the evening they went with Mr and Mrs Matthews and Mr Jones to the gardens of Tivoli. ‘’The gardens seem in themselves pretty and are very extensive but their lighting and decoration is very far below Vauxhall’’. A balloon ascended with Madame Blanchard who let off some fireworks in the air.
Wednesday August 28th
Visited the Royal Observatory but as Dr Hewer who introduced them said, ‘’it is much ado about nothing, as very few or no observations are made there.’’ On their way out they met La Place. Then they went to the Gallery of the Luxembourg. They went to Notre Dame to meet a young architect who is to draw for WP and at home found Miss Appleton who dined with them. The Miss Thomsons visited with Mrs Buff also.
Thursday August 29th
They set out with the Matthews. Mr Jones and Mrs Cresy to St. Cloud. They saw the house where Mrs Jordan had died. They visited Seve to view the china manufacturing. They had a long ride to Malmaison which disappointingly was closed when they got there.
Friday August 30th
Shopped in the morning, and in the evening they went to the Academie Royale de la Musique to watch an opera.
Saturday August 31st
Rained all day, played three rubbers with the Pictets in the evening.
Sunday September 1st
They drove to the embassy but the Duke of Wellington had left Paris. The ambassador Sir Charles Stewart did not hold a service there which disappointed them. They spent the day with Miss Appleton. They missed the Elliotts who called.
Monday September 2nd
Rained all day.
Tuesday September 3rd
Visited the Catacombs with the Thomsons, the Matthews’, Mr Gresy (Cresy?) and Mr Jones. They met the Elliotts there. |