{"collection":"philosophy-ethics","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_47233/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_47233","id":"gutenberg_47233","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47233","summary":null,"tags":["Category: History - European","Category: History - Modern (1750+)","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Travel Writing","France -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800","France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Early works to 1800","France -- Social life and customs -- 18th century"],"text":"Transcriber's notes:\n\n  Errata have been left as in the original book and not altered in the\n  text.\n\n  Obvious printer's errors have been corrected as they were not listed\n  in the errata.\n\n  Other than that, the archaic and inconsistent spelling from the\n  original has not been altered.\n\n\n\n\n  [Illustration:  Dr. Samuel Stearns.  An American Philosopher.]\n\n\n\n\nDr. STEARNS's\n\nTOUR\n\nFROM\n\nLONDON TO PARIS.\n\nCONTAINING,\n\nA Description of the Kingdom of France--The Customs, Manners, Polity,\nScience, Commerce, and Agriculture of the Inhabitants--Its ANCIENT\nform of Government,--and the NEW--Particulars concerning the Royal\nFamily--Causes of the late Revolution--Proceedings and Decrees of the\nNational Assembly--An Account of the Destruction of the Bastille, and\nof many dreadful Commotions which have happened in the Nation--With a\nminute Detail of the late grand Proceedings at the Champ de Mars.--The\nwhole interspersed with a Variety of Reflections, _humourous_, _moral_,\n_critical_, and _philosophical_.\n\nAFTER WHICH IS DELINEATED,\n\nA NEW CONSTITUTION:\n\nWITH\n\nA DESCRIPTION OF THE ROAD TO LIBERTY.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\"Applicans animum meum ad disquirendum & ad explorandum Sapientiam\nde omni eo quod fit sub c\u00e6lis.\" Sol.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nLONDON, Printed:\n\nAND SOLD BY C. DILLY, IN THE POULTRY.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nM DCC XC.\n\nPRICE 3S. STERLING.\n\nEntered at Stationers Hall.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\n  Kind Reader,\n\nAs I am obliged to spend the greatest part of my time in mathematical,\nphilosophical, and physical studies, it was not my design to have\nwritten on this subject, although I was advised to do it more than\ntwelve months ago; but on seeing the movements in France, on account\nof the _Revolution_, I altered my mind, kept a journal of many things\nwhich I saw and heard, and have accordingly written the following\npages, which are presented for your perusal and consideration.\n\nI have endeavoured to avoid error, and to compile the narration as\naccurate as possible: if any thing of that kind shall be discovered,\nI hope it will be imputed to my being misinformed, and not to any\nintention of mine to impose upon the public.\n\nAs it is the duty of every philosopher to promote the union, harmony,\nand felicity of mankind, I have mentioned many things which I hope\nmay be productive of establishing the peace and happiness of the\ninhabitants of the world. But, alas! it is to be regretted, that\nsome who have shone greatly in the philosophical profession, instead\nof promoting this laudable work, and for the sake of ingrossing the\nriches, honours, and profits of this perishing world to themselves,\nhave, under a cloak of religion and liberty, sowed discord amongst\nbrethren, excited insurrections, mobs, and riots, which have terminated\nin carnage and desolation, and proved destructive of the public\ntranquillity, and of the liberty and happiness of the people. But these\nabominable works are by no means the business of a true philosopher,\nwho will attempt to do good instead of doing evil.\n\nHow far the politicians of the present, or future ages, may agree with\nme in sentiment, time alone must determine. But if the things that are\nwritten in the subsequent sheets shall prove useful and profitable, it\nwill rejoice the author.\n\nAfter wishing your health and prosperity, and the felicity of mankind\nthrough the world,\n\n  I subscribe myself,\n  kind Reader,\n  Your's and the Public's\n  most obedient\n  humble Servant,\n\n  SAMUEL STEARNS.\n\n London, Sept. 30, 1790.\n\n\n\n\nERRATA.\n\n\n  Page 13. line 13. for _ni_ read _in_.\n       14. ----  3. --  _abliged_ read _obliged_.\n       18. ---- 19. --  _was_ read _were_.\n       23. ----  5. --  _market_ read _marked_.\n       26. ----  7. --  _received into the centre_ read\n                          _received them into the centre_.\n       36. ---- 18. --  _meteria_ read _materia_.\n       71. ---- 10. --  _malconduct_ read _maleconduct_.\n       96. ---- 20. --  _againt_ read _against_.\n       98. ---- 15. --  _The semicolon should have been placed\n                          after the word_ only;--.\n\n\n\n\nTOUR\n\nFROM\n\nLONDON TO PARIS.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. I.\n\n _The_ Doctor _engages a Passage to_ Paris.--_Copy of a Card\n received at Piccadilly.--He arrives at_ Dover, _and_ Calais.--_Is\n met by a number of Gentlemen, who welcome him to France.--An Account\n of the Beggars, and of the French Diet.--Observations on drinking\n Healths._\n\n\n  July 7, 1790.\n\nHaving had an inclination to go to Paris for some months past, I went\nto Piccadilly this day, where I engaged a passage on board the stage\ncoaches, called the diligences, for which I paid five guineas, and was\ntold \"That I would be found for that sum, with every thing that might\nbe needful on the way, only I must give about five shillings to the\nporters.\"\n\nAt Piccadilly I received a card, a copy of which I publish for the\ninformation of strangers, and benefit of the owners of the stages.\n\n\"The Paris diligences to and from London, set out from the office next\nthe White Bear Inn, Piccadilly, every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday,\nat five o'clock in the morning. Five guineas each person, for carriage,\nsea passage, diet and lodging: Port fees excepted. Fourteen pounds\nluggage allowed; all above to pay three-pence farthing per pound.\n\n\"N. B. In case passengers should be detained by contrary winds, they\nare to pay their own expences from the next day of their arrival at the\nseaport, to the time of their shipping.\n\n\"Also a wagon, every Monday at ten o'clock in the morning, to carry\ngoods and merchandize, which are registered at the said office, and at\nthe Blossoms Inn, Lawrence-lane, Cheapside, where declarations must\nbe delivered in writing, and signed by the owner, of the quality,\nquantity, and value of the said merchandize, which will be conveyed to\nParis in the course of a fortnight, at the rate of seventeen shillings\nper hundred weight, Custom-house duties excepted. The proprietors, for\nthe conveniency of the public, will discharge the said duties either in\nEngland or France, and charge them with the carriage to the person they\nare directed to, without requiring any interest or commission whatever.\n\n\"Attendance at the above offices every day from nine in the morning\ntill seven in the evening, where parcels are registered to Paris, and\nto every part of France.\n\n\"*** Passengers luggage must be sent to the office between six and\nseven o'clock in the evening, or it will be left 'till the following\ncarriage.\"\n\nAs I was on my way to Piccadilly, I was informed that the king of\nFrance was to be crowned on the fourteenth of this month, and sworn to\nadhere to the new Constitution which has been framed by the National\nAssembly. This made me anxious to get to Paris as soon as possible: but\nbeing told the places were all taken in the coaches, and that it was\nimpossible for me to set off till the 12th, I was obliged to wait till\nthat time, but was informed that I must be at Piccadilly with my trunk,\n&c. by seven in the evening of the 11th; and I was there at the time;\nlodged at the White Bear inn, and at five the next morning set off for\nParis in company with five gentlemen. A lady in a post-chaise overtook\nus near Greenwich, and came into the diligence.\n\nWe breakfasted at a good inn on the road, and dined at Canterbury,\nwhere the lady left us, and at evening reached Dover, where we supped,\nlodged, and went to breakfast. About eleven in the morning of the\n13th, we embarked for Calais, and arrived there in about three hours;\nbut had a very rough passage, in consequence of which almost every lady\nand gentleman on board was afflicted with sea-sickness, which I believe\nwas advantageous to the greatest part of us.\n\nOn our arrival at Calais a great number of French gentlemen came to\nour vessel, to welcome us to France, and invite us to put up at their\nhouses; but on finding that some of us belonged to the diligences, and\nthat there was a place prepared for our entertainment, they went off\ndisappointed.\n\nAlthough we had been told that we should have nothing to pay, only\nabout five shillings to the porters, we found ourselves mistaken; for\nwe were obliged to pay for the wine which we drank when we dined and\nsupped on the preceding day, and to give money to a swarm of servants,\n&c. At Calais we were obliged to give in a list of our names to the\nCustom-house officers, and to give them some money to buy liquor with,\nthat they might drink our healths--that being the custom, as we were\ntold.\n\nWe put up at a hotel, called _De la Messagrie_; where we left another\nlist of our names; for such were the orders of the mayor of the city.\n\nAn English lady that had come from Dover with us, and was a decent\nwell-behaved person, and one of excellent sense and understanding, put\nup at this hotel: she told me she had travelled above 4,000 miles on\nthe European Continent, had been through France, Germany, &c. and was\nthen on her way to Flanders.\n\nAt this place we were soon beset with a number of beggars, as\n\n1. By a priest of the order of St. Francis.\n\n2. By the captain of the vessel, that brought us over the English\nChannel.\n\n3. By the steward of the vessel.\n\n4. By the sailors that came with us.\n\n5. By the poor of the city.\n\n6. By the porters, &c.\n\nWe gave the priest some money, and he pronounced a blessing and\ndeparted very well pleased. I was told that he and his convents got\ntheir living altogether by begging. We gave the captain half a crown\na-piece, and some silver, sous, &c. to the other beggars.\n\nIn a few minutes another swarm of beggars came that belong to Calais,\nand as we did not supply all their wants, some of them broke one of\nthe windows belonging to the room where we were sitting, by a rapid\nstroke with a stick, stone, or some such thing.\n\nWe soon sat down to dinner. The table was spread in an elegant manner,\nwith napkins laid in our plates, which we used to keep our clothes\nclean.\n\nI was asked, _A'imez vous la soupe \u00e0 la Fran\u00e7oise, Monsieur?_\n\nMy answer was--_Oui, Madame_.\n\nBesides soup, we had beef, mutton, veal, rabbits, hares, geese, fowls,\npigeons, &c. several sorts of pies, excellent wine, and sweet cakes,\nfigs, appricots, cherries and strawberries; the latter we mixed with\nwhite sugar and wine, and eat the composition with spoons, which is the\nFrench fashion. Their loaves of bread were about two feet in length,\nand six inches in breadth, and their knives had picked points, and\ntheir forks four tines a piece. Every one of us was allowed a tumbler\nto drink out of: but the French do not drink healths, though they\npretended at the Custom-house, that we must give them money to buy\nliquor with for that purpose. We did not pay for our wines in France as\nwe were on our way to Paris, as we had done at Dover, &c.\n\nThe drinking of healths has been, and still is, too much practised both\nin Great Britain and America; and especially among the lower class\nof people. For when Timothy Toss Pot is in company, he says, \"_Your\nhealths ladies and gentlemen_,\" every time he drinks, which will be\nperhaps fifty times in an evening; whereas it might be as well, nay\nmuch better, to drink their healths but once, or not at all, which\nwould save much trouble, and prevent the company from being interrupted\nwith such clamours.\n\nI have asked why the health drinkers do not follow that practice when\nthey drink tea, or coffee; as the Irish woman did when she partook\nof the sacrament; and have been told, that it is _because it is not\nthe fashion_, and that from hence it has been omitted. The fashion,\nhowever, must be followed, right or wrong; for, Out of the fashion out\nof the world, according to the old woman's scripture: And, When we are\namong the Romans we must do as the Romans do. For,\n\n    \"Custom is a living law, whose sway\n    \"Men more than all the written laws obey.\"\n\nSays the poet. Because it is customary I have sometimes been induced to\ndrink healths myself, when I have been in company, through fear that I\nshould be called an uncivil and an unpolite person. But this needless\ncustom is now growing out of use; for our nobility and gentry have\ndiscovered that it is superfluous, and many of them have forsaken the\nneedless practice; which example will undoubtedly be followed by the\ncommonality in process of time.\n\nWe are told in Bailey's Dictionary, that the custom of drinking healths\nsprang from Rowena, a beautiful daughter of Hengistus, general of the\nSaxons. The general invited king Vortigern to supper, and after it was\nover called for Rowena, who, richly attired, and with a graceful mein,\nenters with a golden bowl full of wine in her hand, and drinks to the\nking, saying, \"Be of health, lord king:\" to which he replied, \"Drink\nhealth.\" The king enamoured with her beauty, married her, and gave her\nand her father all Kent. This was upwards of 1300 years ago.\n\nWe are also told in the Historian's _Vade-mecum_, that the custom of\ndrinking healths was in fashion so early as 1134 years before Christ.\nThe accounts do not agree, and which is the truest I cannot tell.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. II.\n\n _The Latitude, Longitude, and Description of_ Calais.--_The_\n Doctor _and others obliged to wear National\n Cockades.--English Money and Bank Notes not passable in France.--How\n Strangers ought to be dressed.--A Table of French Coins, with their\n Value in English Money.--Of French Measures, in Length._\n\n\nCalais is situated in latitude 50 deg. and 58 min. North, and longitude\n1 deg. and 49 min. East from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. It\nis a very pleasant town, invironed with ramparts thrown up at a vast\nexpence.\n\nAt this place we found the people under arms, and they seemed to\nbe filled with joy in consequence of the Revolution. We that were\nstrangers, were obliged to put on and wear National Cockades, to\nprevent being insulted by mobs; and no lady or gentleman was suffered\nto travel without.\n\nWhilst we tarried at Calais we were informed that English money would\nnot pass in France, and that it would be best for us to get our guineas\nchanged. We therefore took change for some, and received 26 livres for\neach guinea, although an English guinea commonly passes for but 24\nlivres in France. Hence, about twelve-pence is lost by the exchange.\n\nBank notes are not negotiable in France; therefore those that travel\ninto that country, ought to take gold and silver, otherwise they will\nmeet with much difficulty. If you draw on the bankers, they will charge\nyou eight _per cent._ discount; but sometimes it is done at _par_ by\nFrench merchants who want to send money to London. No money is allowed\nto pass in France, unless coined in the present king's reign. Strangers\nought therefore to be upon their guard, lest they get imposed upon by\ntaking old coin.\n\nThey that go to France ought to dress in the French mode, to prevent\nbeing known by sharpers, who sometimes try to take the advantage of\nthose they find to be foreigners.\n\nAs it may be of some utility to strangers going into France, I will\njust add\n\n\nA TABLE _of_ FRENCH COINS, _with their value in_ ENGLISH.\n\n                                | \u00a3. _S._ _D._  | \u00a3. _S._ _D._\n  A Louis d'or, 24 Livres       | 2   0   0     | 1   0    0\n  A Grand Ecu, 6 ditto          | 0  10   0     | 0   5    0\n  The Ecu, 3 ditto              | 0   5   0     | 0   2    6\n  The Vingt-quatre Sols Piece   | 0   2   0     | 0   1    0\n  A Livre                       | 0   1   8     | 0   0   10\n  A douze Sols Piece            | 0   1   0     | 0   0    6\n  A Six Sols Piece              | 0   0   6     | 0   0    3\n  A deux Sols                   | 0   0   2     | 0   0    1\n  A Sols 1/2                    | 0   0   1-1/2 | 0   0    0-3/4\n  A Sol, or Sous                | 0   0   1     | 0   0    0-1/2\n  A deux Liard Piece            | 0   0   0-1/2 | 0   0    0-1/4\n  A Liard                       | 0   0   0-1/4 | 0   0    0-1/8\n\nA louis d'or is a gold coin. A grand ecu, the ecu, vingt quatre sols\npiece, the livre, a douze sols piece, and the six sols pieces, are\nsilver: though a livre is no coin, but nominal only. The deux sols, and\nthe sols and half, are a mixture of copper and silver, and the other\ncoins are all copper.\n\nThe French measure the distances between their towns by leagues, posts,\n&c. and a post is two leagues, of their measure.\n\nA French league is fifty-seven yards and nine inches longer than an\nEnglish league.\n\nA French toise, or fathom, is 76-3/4 inches longer than an English; and\na French foot is equal to 12-79/100 inches English measure, &c.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. III.\n\n _Leaves_ Calais.--_A Description of the Stage Coaches in France.--The_\n Doctor _arrives at_ Paris.--_A further Account of the\n Beggars.--With a Description of the Country._\n\n\nEarly in the morning of the memorable 14th of July we left Calais,\nand proceeded in a stage coach, drawn by eight horses, on our journey\ntowards Paris.\n\nThese coaches are almost as large as a small house. They are very\nheavy; and eight persons may sit comfortably in the inside, and I\nbelieve a dozen more upon the outside. We had a conductor who rode\narmed on the fore-part of this wonderful machine, and a very large dog\nsitting upon his rump at the conductor's left hand; both of which were\nemployed as sentinals to guard us on the way.\n\nThe harnesses for the horses were made of ropes instead of leather, and\nwere very long. Hence, as our coach was very large and the traces very\nlong, we made a grand appearance as we travelled!\n\nUpon the hindmost and foremost horses, on the near side, two Frenchmen\nwere mounted, with boots of a most surprizing magnitude, so well\nconstructed with leather, wood, and iron, that if a horse falls down\nthe rider is not in much danger of having his legs broke; for the\nprevention of which, the boots were thus made.\n\nThe horses were not quite so large as ours in England; but we drove\nabout five or six miles in an hour, and at the end of every post the\nhorses and postillions were changed. The postillions received twelve\nsous of us when we parted with them, which gave content.\n\nWe breakfasted at Boulogne, dined at Montreul, and in the evening came\nto Abbeville, where we lodged. The people were in arms through the\ncountry. Scarce any body was at work in the fields, as it was a time\nof feasting, and all seemed rejoiced at the sound of the liberty they\nexpect, in consequence of the great and glorious Revolution.\n\nAt this place there was a young lady, who manifested by her actions,\nwhich speak louder than words, that she had an inclination to lodge\nwith me that night; but as I had no disposition to deal in such\ncommodities, she was disappointed.\n\nThe next morning we set out early, breakfasted at Amiens, dined at the\nBreteuil, supped at Clermont, and rode all night; but were obliged to\npay for our breakfasts out of our own pockets the next morning before\nwe came to Paris. We arrived at Paris about nine in the morning, being\nthe 16th of July, having been four days and four hours on our journey.\nWe were abliged to give the conductor half a crown a-piece; and I spent\nnear three guineas on the way, besides what I paid at Piccadilly.\n\nAt Paris we had our trunks searched at the Custom-house, and went from\nthence in a coach to the _Hotel de Beauvais, Rue des Vieux Augustins,\nNo. 69, Quartier du Palais Royal_, where a gentleman that had come from\nLondon with me, and myself, hired three large rooms, neatly furnished,\nfor four livres a-day. We breakfasted at this place, which cost us\nfifteen sous a-piece each morning, besides what we gave to the servants.\n\nI hired a servant, who remained with me all the time I tarried at\nParis: he charged me forty sous per day; but he conducted me so well,\nthat I gave him more than double that sum.\n\nI found Paris very full of people from the country, and from foreign\nparts. They had met to celebrate the Revolution, and tarried till the\nnext Sunday in order to have another grand convention at the _Champ de\nMars_.\n\nWhilst we were on our way from Calais to Paris, we were followed, in\nsome of the intermediate towns and villiages, by swarms of beggars, who\nseemed to be in great distress. I asked the reason of their begging;\nand was told that they were reduced to poverty in consequence of the\ncommercial treaty between England and France; that the manufactories in\nGreat Britain were so much cheaper than they were in France, that the\nmerchants bought many of their goods in England, which had thrown those\npoor people out of employ, and obliged them to beg for a livelihood.\n\nWe frequently contributed to the relief of those distressed objects:\nbut because we could not give to every one, some of them threw a stone\nat our coach, which did not happen to strike any of us. At, and near\nParis, we found but a few beggars, in proportion to the great number of\npeople. Some how or another, they seemed to be much better provided for\nthan they were in the country.\n\nThe face of the country between Calais and Paris, appears much like\nmany parts of the Province of Quebec, in America. But I think the soil\nis not quite so rich. Though some have supposed it is full as good by\nnature as the island of Great Britain; and that it would produce as\nlarge crops, if it was as well manured and cultivated. I was told, that\nagriculture had been much discouraged in France, before the Revolution,\nby reason of the oppression that the peasants were under.\n\nMore then three-fourths of the land between Calais and Paris, appeared\nto be overspread with grain, consisting of rye, wheat, oats, and\nbarley. There was also some excellent hemp and flax. The people had\nbegun to reap, and there was a sign of a very plentiful harvest; but\nthe crops were not so large in general as they are in England. We saw\nbut a very few cattle, horses and sheep, and those we did see were\nsmall. The fields are not fenced, but lie open to the high-way. We\noften passed by boys holding cows to feed, by lines tied round their\nhorns, to keep them from running into the fields. The wages for reaping\nare, generally, thirty sous per day. Both men and women follow the\nbusiness, begin early, and lie down on the ground, and sleep in the\nopen sunshine, at about ten or eleven in the morning; a practice which\nI esteem to be unhealthy. Perhaps one may see fifty asleep at a time.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. IV.\n\n _Views and Describes the_ Champ de Mars.--_Goes to the Royal Palace\n belonging to the Duke of Orleans.--Dines with the French Officers at\n the Grand Hotel._\n\n\nOn the day of our arrival at Paris, I went in a coach with the\ngentleman that had put up at the hotel with me, and viewed the _Champ\nde Mars_. Here we saw great multitudes of people, eating, drinking, and\ndancing at the sound of the bands of music. At this place the oaths\nof allegiance had been administered to the people on the preceding\nWednesday; and both the king and the subjects were sworn to adhere to\nthe constitution that has been framed by the National Assembly.\n\nSome of the French took me by the hand when I entered into the _Champ\nde Mars_, and cried, \"Entr\u00e9e, entr\u00e9e, Monsieur.\" I viewed the place\nwith admiration, and was informed that it took about fifty thousand\npeople near ten days to erect the seats and other great works there.\n\nThe _Champ de Mars_ was formed into a grand amphitheatre, having at\none end the military school, against which was erected a covered\ngallery two hundred and twenty-eight feet (French measure) in length,\nand twenty-one in heighth, for the king, queen, foreign ambassadors,\nnational assembly, &c. &c. and at the other the triumphal arch; from\nwhich, to the military school, on either side were thirty rows of\nseats raised one above another, two thousand seven hundred and ninety\nFrench feet in length. In the middle of the area was an altar in a\ncircular form, whose circumference was six hundred and forty-eight\nfeet, French measure, and whose heighth was twenty feet, built of stone\ntaken from the Bastille. The rest of the area, except the places for\nthe federation, was filled with seats; the whole forming an oblong,\ncapable of accommodating between four and five hundred thousand people.\nOut of these limits were a number of galleries, erected for a great\nmultitude of spectators. Opposite the triumphal arch, a bridge of boats\nwas thrown across the Seine, and the banks of the river was lined with\ncannon.\n\nFor a great distance round the _Champ de Mars_, a number of temporary\nbuildings were erected for the entertainment of the people.\n\nWhen we had surveyed these admirable works, we went to the royal\npalace, which was built by cardinal Richelieu, and given by him to\nLewis the XIV. but is now the town seat of the duke of Orleans, who is\na nobleman of royal blood, and enjoys the greatest revenue in France.\nThis palace is a most elegant and magnificent structure, which is\nadorned and beautified with splendid ornaments, that dazzle the eyes\nof a spectator. In the centre of this structure is an oblong square,\nlaid out in beautiful walks, interspersed with trees, flowers, &c.\n\nSometimes the duke resides in one part of the palace himself. But the\nother part is let out in shops, which are under piazzas, and the rooms\nover them to gay fashionable ladies and gentlemen.\n\nIn this palace there is a gallery, which contains most of the\nillustrious personages that France has produced, drawn by the greatest\nmasters: Italy has been ransacked, and no expence spared to make the\nwhole complete, with pictures, busts, statues, medals, and other\ncuriosities worthy of being collected. It is thought that this building\nexceeds all in Europe for beauty and grandeur.\n\nAfter we had viewed the palace we went to a grand hotel, where we dined\nwith a great number of officers. We had a variety of dishes, very\nexcellent wines, and was entertained with much civility and politeness,\nand at a very reasonable rate. At evening we retired to our lodgings,\nvery well pleased with the entertainments of the day.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. V.\n\n _The Contents of the King's Proclamation.--Of the Obedience paid to\n it--and, the Proceedings of the Grand Confederation, on the 14th of\n July, at the_ Champ de Mars.\n\n\nHaving in the preceding chapter given a description of the _Champ de\nMars_, I shall attempt in this to exhibit how matters were conducted\non the 14th: but it may be proper to premise, that on the 11th, the\nking, to prevent confusion and disorder, wisely issued a proclamation,\nsetting forth how the different corps that were to compose the\nconfederation was to march, &c. His majesty ordered that no troops, but\nthose on guard, should be armed with guns; nor any carriages suffered\nto follow those of his majesty, the royal family, and their trains.\nThat if any deputy of the confederation, or person invited, should be\nunable to walk, they might ride in a carriage, and be escorted by a\n_Chevalier d'Ordonnance_ to the military school, providing they had\npermission from the mayor of Paris.\n\nThat M. de la Fayette should be commander-general of the Parisian\nnational guard, then charged by a decree of the national assembly, and\nsanctioned by his majesty, with the care of the public tranquillity,\nshould fulfil, under the king's orders, the functions of major-general\nof the confederation; and in that quality the orders should be given\nand observed as the orders of his majesty himself.\n\nThat the king had in like manner nominated M. Gouvion, major-general of\nthe Parisian guard, lieutenant-general of the confederation for the day\nof the ceremony.\n\nThat when all persons were placed, the blessing the flags and colours\nshould be proceeded to, and the celebration of the mass.\n\nThat the king empowered the said M. de la Fayette, to pronounce the\nconfederation oath in the name of all the deputies of the national\nguards, and those of the troops and marines, according to the forms\ndecreed by the national assembly, and accepted by his majesty; and that\nall the deputies of the confederation should hold up their hands.\n\nThat then the president of the national assembly should pronounce the\ncivic oath for the members of the national assembly; and that the king\nshould in like manner pronounce the oath, the form of which had been\ndecreed by the national assembly, and accepted by his majesty.\n\nThat the _Te Deum_ should be sung, and conclude the ceremony; after\nwhich the procession should return from the _Champ de Mars_ in the\nsame order it came.\n\nIn obedience to this proclamation, an order of procession was drawn up,\nand proper measures concerted to prevent tumult and disorder, by M. de\nla Fayette, and M. Bailli, the mayor of Paris.\n\nOn the 13th, at ten o'clock in the evening, 4000 Paris guards on\nthe outside of the _Champ de Mars_, and 2000 within, were placed to\npreserve order. Before eleven the people began to assemble and seat\nthemselves and came in small parties till day-break; from three to\nnine they poured in in crowds at the great avenues, where the guards\ncautioned them not to hurry.\n\nBy ten o'clock the seats were filled, the outside gallaries, the\nwindows, and roofs of houses; and every place where a glimpse of the\ngrand procession could be had, was filled with people of all ranks,\nsexes, and ages, who kept their places till the business was finished,\nnotwithstanding the rain fell in torrents, accompanied with cold\nsqualls of wind from eight till four.\n\nThose guards that were not wanted in the procession, danced in circles,\nand in great parties marched triumphantly at the beat of the drums,\nwith their hats and caps on the points of their swords, forming\nbattalions, and making sham fights, &c. Sometimes they ran in all\ndirections, flourishing their swords, and being filled with joy cried,\n\"_Vive la Libertie! Vive la Loi! Vive la Roi! Vive la Confederation\nNational! Vive mon Frere!_\"--embracing one another, and the spectators\nthat sat near them.\n\nOne, personating a victim of tyranny, was carried with great solemnity\nto a market spot, where the body was laid, and made the occasion of\nmore firmly uniting, which was testified with a variety of actions.\n\nHaving an abb\u00e9 within the circle, they marched him round with a gun in\nhis hand and a grenadier's cap on his head; and in the same manner they\nmarched a capuchin friar.\n\nAt seven o'clock a crucifix was placed on the great altar.\n\nJust before nine a body of priests appeared on the altar, and tied\nsashes of national colours around their waists, and decorated the\ncrucifix, and various parts of the altar, with ribbons of the same.\n\nAt half past ten the bishop of Auton, with more than one hundred\npriests, proceeded in a double line, guarded by a strong body of\nnational troops, from the grand pavilion to the altar, carrying with\nthem the tables with the commandments, and the sacred books. When they\nhad ascended the altar they began the ceremony of consecrating it.\n\nJust before twelve, a grand salute of one hundred cannon announced the\nnear approach of the procession to the triumphal arch; and the guards\nformed into ranks for their reception.\n\nThe national federatives, and all who assisted in the grand procession,\nhad assembled at six this morning on the Boulevards, between the gates\nof St. Martin and St. Antoine, and were drawn up in the following order:\n\n1. A troop of horse, with standards, and six trumpets.\n\n2. One division of music, consisting of several hundred instruments.\n\n3. A company of grenadiers.\n\n4. The electors of the city of Paris.\n\n5. A company of volunteers.\n\n6. The assembly of the representatives of the commons.\n\n7. The military committee.\n\n8. A company of chasseurs.\n\n9. A band of drums.\n\n10. The presidents of the districts.\n\n11. The deputies of the commons, appointed to take for them the federal\noath.\n\n12. The sixty administrators of the municipality, with the city guards.\n\n13. The second division of music.\n\n14. A battalion of children, pupils of the military school, carrying a\nstandard with the words,\n\n    \"The hopes of the nation.\"\n\n15. A detachment of the colours of the national guard of Paris.\n\n16. A battalion of veterans.\n\n17. The deputies of forty-two chief departments of the nation, in\nalphabetical order.\n\n18. The _oriflamme_, or grand standard of France, borne by the\nmarischalls of France, general officers, officers of the staff,\nsubaltern officers, commissioners of war, invalids.\n\n19. The lieutenants of the marischalls of France,--deputies of\ninfantry,--deputies of cavalry.\n\n20. Deputies of hussars, dragoons, and chasseurs.\n\n21. General officers, and deputies of the marine, according to rank.\n\n22. The deputies of forty-one last departments, in alphabetical order.\n\n23. A company of volunteer chasseurs.\n\n24. A company of cavalry, with a standard and two trumpets.\n\nEach department was preceded by a banner, borne by the oldest deputy.\nThese banners were a present from the city of Paris. They consisted\nof two branches, forming an oak wreath, tied together with national\ncoloured ribbons, bearing on one side--_The National Confederation at\nParis, July 14, 1790_; and the other--_The Constitution_, with the\nnumber and device of the department to which they severally belong.\n\nThe military deputies had only their side arms.\n\nAt nine the procession passed along the streets of St. Denis, of the\nForronerie, to St. Honor\u00e9 Royal, to the palace of Louis XV. where they\nhalted; and the detachment of the colours of the national guard Paris\nopening to the right and left, received into the centre.\n\nThe procession then moved on through the _Cours la Reine_, along the\nquay to the bridge of boats; and the deputies from the provinces\nreceived loud acclamations of applause from the people, which were\nanswered by _Vivent lis Parisians!_\n\nAt the end of the bridge the triumphal arch appeared, adorned with\nvarious allegorical paintings which represented the gate of St. Antoine.\n\nOver the principal entrance, referring to figures that were darting\nthrough all the obstacles to reach the law, was inscribed on the side:\n\n \"Sacred to the grand work of the constitution: We will finish it.\"\n\nOn the other:\n\n \"Under this defender, the poor man shall no more fear lest the\n oppressor should spoil him of his heritage.\"\n\nOver the lateral entrance on the left side, figures of warriors taking\nthe civic oath, seemed to utter,\n\n \"Our country, or the law alone can arm us: Let us die to defend it,\n let us live to love it.\"\n\nOver the lateral entrance, on the right, heralds sounding trumpets,\nproclaimed peace throughout the kingdom, and the people were singing,\n\n \"Every thing is propitious to our happiness; every thing flatters\n our wishes; sweet peace drives tumult far from us, and fills up the\n measure of our pleasures.\"\n\nOn the front, next the amphitheatre, over the middle arch, was a\npicture of deputies from various nations, come to do homage to the\nnational assembly, with this inscription:\n\n \"The rights of men were unknown for ages: They have been\n re-established for the whole human race.\"\n\nUnder this picture,\n\n \"The king of a free people is alone a powerful king.\"\n\nOver a picture--a woman chaining lions to her ear, with Force and Power\nin her suite, and leaning on the book of the law. The king and queen\nholding the dauphin by the hand, follow, preceded by a group of sages.\nA combat is exhibited with a dreadful hydra, whose head was seen struck\noff.\n\n \"We dread you no more, ye subordinate tyrants, who oppressed us under\n a hundred various names.\"\n\nIn another place an immense multitude listening with attention to the\nsage exhortations of a victorious warrior, who seemed to say,\n\n \"You prize this liberty, you possess it while you do: Shew yourselves\n worthy to preserve it.\"\n\nAt one o'clock the van of the procession appeared under this triumphal\narch.\n\nM. de la Fayette leading a body of cavalry, himself mounted on a milk\nwhite charger, rode into the amphitheatre amid the acclamations of\nthe people, _Vive la Fayette!_ The cavalry filed off to the right,\nand ranged themselves in the exterior line, on the opposite side to\nthe entrance. The company of grenadiers formed under the steps of the\namphitheatre, as well as all the companies who were employed as escorts.\n\nThe civil bodies took the places allotted for them, which was\npreviously marked out. The battalion of youths of the military school,\nformed about one hundred paces from the grand altar, crossing the\n_Champ de Mars_; but facing the altar on the side next the military\nschool.\n\nWhile the national assembly passed through the triumphal arch, the\nescort of colours passed through the lateral gates, and the members\ntook their seats on the right and left of the chair of state, and the\nchair of their own president.\n\nThe battalion of veterans was placed a hundred paces behind the altar,\nacross the _Champ de Mars_, but facing the altar.\n\nThe detachments of the national guards, appointed to take the oath,\nranged themselves under each banner, indicative of his place in the\namphitheatre.\n\nThe music collected into one band, and occupied the side of the\nplatform under the altar, next to the invalids; and the band of drums\nwere placed on the opposite side.\n\nThe detachment of cavalry that closed the procession, formed the\nexterior line, on the side where they entered, opposite to the first\ndetachment.\n\nThe altar was after an antique model. The ascent to it was by four\nstair cases; at each corner was a platform supporting an urn, which\nexhaled perfumes. On the south front were these verses from Mahomet,\nunder a picture of arts and sciences:\n\n    \"Les mortals sont egaux, ce ne'st pas leur naissance,\n    \"C'est la seule vertu qui fait leur difference.\"\n\n \"Men are equal: it is not by birth. It is virtue alone that confers\n distinction.\"\n\nAnd these,\n\n    \"La loi dans tout doit etre universelle,\n    \"Le mortels quels qu'ils soient egaux devant elle.\"\n\n \"The law in all things ought to be universal: Men of all descriptions\n are equal in its eyes.\"\n\nOn the opposite side were four angels sounding trumpets, with this\ninscription:\n\n \"Hold in your remembrance these sacred words, which are the guarantee\n of your decrees;--The nation, the law, and the king. The nation is\n yourselves--the law is your own, for it is your will--and the king is\n the guardian of the law.\"\n\nOn the front, next to the Seine, was the figure of Liberty, dispersing\nthe surrounding clouds, with attributes of Agriculture, and Abundance;\nand the Genius of France hovering in the air, and pointing to the word\n_Constitution_.\n\nOn the front, facing the throne, were warriors pronouncing the federal\noath, _viz._\n\n \"We swear to remain ever faithful to the _nation_, the _law_, and the\n _king_: to maintain, with all our power, the constitution decreed by\n the national assembly, and accepted by the king: to protect, according\n to the law, the surety of persons and property, the circulation\n of corn and provisions within the realm, the levying of public\n contributions, under whatever form they may exist; and to continue\n united to all the French by the indissoluble ties of brotherhood.\"\n\nAt three the signal was made for conducting the _oriflamme_, or sacred\nroyal standard, with the banners of the eighty-three departments, to\nthe altar to receive the benediction.\n\nUpon the same signal the queen, (with her attendants) made her\nappearance in a partitioned place immediately behind the king's chair,\nhaving the dauphin with her, whom she placed on her knee: she was well\nreceived, and the dauphin much applauded. She was most becomingly\ndressed; her cap decorated with pearls, a pearl necklace, and pearl\near-rings.\n\nAs soon as she was seated, the king entered and took his chair of\nstate, which was fixed upon a line with a lesser chair, upon which the\npresident of the national assembly sat. From the top of the king's\nstate chair, the crown had been removed, and the cap of liberty\nsubstituted in its place. He was superbly dressed in a rich suit of\ngold tissue, and appeared to be in good spirits. He directed his\nconversation to the president, and it drew forth continual bursts of\napplause.\n\nAt forty minutes after three the conclusion of the ceremony of\nconsecrating the banners was announced, by a heavy discharge of the\nartillery, and the sound of martial music.\n\nThe banners having rejoined their several stations, the great body of\nthe national guards, who hitherto had lined the extreme of the inner\ncircle, now formed on each side a half circle, from the foot of the\npavilion steps to the altar; the ensigns of each of the sixty of Paris\ndistricts, all of which were extremely beautiful, and various in their\ndevices, being marched first up to the front of the pavilion, and\nsaluting as they passed it.\n\nThe bishop of Autun, as grand Almoner, assisted by sixty deputy\nAlmoners, elected by sixty districts of Paris, then celebrated mass, to\nthe sound of the musical instruments.\n\nSome delay took place in the expectation that the king would advance to\nthe altar, and there take the civic oath. But his majesty remained on\nthe throne.\n\nM. de la Fayette then gave the signal for the national deputies to come\nforward and take the oath. He ascended the altar; and on the sound of\nthe trumpet, extending his right hand, and looking steadfastly at the\naltar while the oath was reading, pronounced the words,--\"I swear it.\"\nWhich the national guards all repeated after him, turning round their\nhats on the points of their bayonets.\n\nThe discharge of a bomb was the signal.\n\nMons. Bonnay, the president of the national assembly, next rose from\nhis seat, and advancing to the front of the covered gallery, in which\nthe members of the national assembly and the civil bodies were seated,\nfixed his eyes on the altar, extended his right arm, and as the oath\nwas repeating, pronounced with great dignity, \"I swear it:\" followed\nin like manner by the legislative, and the deputies of the civil and\nmunicipal bodies.\n\nAt forty-five minutes past four the king rose; and, waiting till every\nthing was silent, read very audibly, and with an excellent majesty of\nmanner, the OATH[1] assigned to him; extended his arm, looked\nsteadfastly at the altar, and pronunced, \"I swear it.\"\n\nFootnote 1: \"I swear to be faithful to the Nation, the Law, and the\nKing, and to maintain the Constitution to the utmost of my power, as\ndecreed by the National Assembly, and confirmed by the King.\"\n\nThe acclamations of the people, shouting \"_Long live_ Louis,\n_our Country, and Constitution!_\"--the clattering of sixty thousand\nswords, the waving of one hundred and forty-three banners and ensigns,\nand the discharge of an immense line of artillery, excited feelings\nwhich words cannot express, and which the human imagination, unaided\nby a view of the grand and glorious scene, can form no adequate\nconception of. The awful and unbroken stillness maintained during the\nadministration of the oaths, rendered the acclamations which followed\nmore forcible than they would otherwise have been.\n\n_Te Deum_ was then sung by a choir of more than three hundred voices,\naccompanied by three hundred drums, and all the military musical\ninstruments.\n\nThe ceremony being over, the king went away almost immediately.\n\nThe procession moved off in the order in which it entered.\n\nThe people walked home as they came, without crowding; and in little\nmore than an hour the place was cleared.\n\nA repast for the deputies was served up at the _Chateau de la Muette_.\nEach battalion of Parisian guards undertook to be entertainers of\ntheir provincial brethren, who all partook of the repast with the\nutmost order.\n\nThirty thousand persons dined in the gardens, and wine and provisions\nwere distributed to more than one hundred thousand. The people were\nso temperate, that I cannot learn that any of the troops were seen at\nnight reeling about the streets, in a state of intoxication.\n\nThe day concluded with dances in all places near the _Champ de Mars_.\nIn the evening a superb fire-work was exhibited in the square of the\n_Hotel de Ville_; and at night there was a general illumination.\n\nThis is the most accurate account that I have been able to obtain of\nthe proceedings of the king and the people.\n\nAs it is thought there were more people collected together upon\nthis occasion then ever met at one time and place in the world, and\nas some people are desirous of having a particular description of\nthe transactions of the day; it is hoped the reader will excuse the\nauthor for being more than usually copious in the incidents treated of\nthroughout this chapter.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. VI.\n\n _Inquiry is made whether the_ Doctor _had Recommendations,\n &c.--His Advice to Gentlemen and Ladies.--He is visited by a Physician\n to the Court of Spain.--Views the Place where the Bastille stood.--How\n that Place was taken, and the Governor and other Officers executed._\n\n\n  Paris, July 17.\n\nThis morning the gentleman who had put up at the hotel with me, asked\nif I had any letters of recommendation from any gentlemen in London, to\nany in Paris? I told him I had not: that I had had the offer of some,\nbut for the want of time did not go to receive them: That as I could\nnot tarry long, and had money enough to bear my expences, I believed\nthat _that_ would be recommendation enough, if I behaved well. I had\nthough, by the way, a general recommendation from some gentlemen of\nmy acquaintance, but it was not directed to any body in particular in\nParis; and I also had a diploma in my pocket, which was a sufficient\nrecommendation, in any quarter of the globe; but I did not let the\ninquirer know I had any such thing with me. He seemed to think I would\ncut but a poor figure without recommendations; but as it happened I\nhad no need of shewing any--though I would not advise any gentleman\nor lady to travel without; because a recommendation may be of great\nservice sometimes, and especially in a time of war.\n\nAt about nine this morning, I was visited by M. Iberti, _Docteur en\nM\u00e9decine_, and physician to the Court of Spain. He informed me that he\nhad heard that an English physician had arrived, and that he was come\nto tell me, that if he could be of any service to me any way, he should\nbe happy in doing of it. I thanked him for his kindness, and told him\nthat I wanted to get an account of the practice of the hospitals, and\nwith that an account of the operation of medicines in France:\n\nThat for more than sixteen years I had been preparing for publication,\na New Dispensatory, which will contain;\n\n1. The _meteria medica_.\n\n2. The operation of medicines.\n\n3. The art and science of pharmacy.\n\n4. The composition of medicines.\n\n5. An index of diseases, and their remedies; with,\n\n6. The manual operations and remedies used in surgery.\n\nThat the work would be adorned with cuts of the chymical and surgical\ninstruments, and also with chymical characters and botanical figures:\n\nThat I had travelled in Great Britain and America, to obtain knowledge;\nand was come to Paris for the same purpose.--\n\nSaid he, I am employed by the court of Spain on the same business, and\nhave travelled through England, Scotland, and Ireland; and am come here\nto collect all the knowledge I possibly can. He gave me a description\nof the state and condition of the hospitals in Paris; and told me where\nI could obtain the publications I wanted, which are entirely new, and\nhad not reached London. He also advised me to view the hospitals, and\nto go to Cherenton and see the anatomical productions there, which he\nsaid exceeded every thing of the kind in the world.\n\nHe visited me three times, and brought a French physician to see me\nonce.\n\nI visited M. Iberti once, and he gave me a book he had published,\nentitled, _Observations Generales sur les Hopitauz; suivies d'un\nProjeett d'Hospital_. In consequence of which the Royal Academy of Arts\nand Sciences at Paris had honoured him with a _medal_, in token that\nhis works were highly applauded. He also told me that he had the use of\nthe king's library.\n\nI told him that I would endeavour to make him a present of a New\nDispensatory, if he would let me know where I could send one that would\nget to him: he thanked me, and desired I would send one to the Spanish\nAmbassador in Great Britain, with whom he said he was well acquainted.\n\nThe Spanish physician's advice did me infinite service: I followed his\ndirection, and obtained what I went after.\n\nAmong the many curiosities that I viewed this day was the ground where\nthe Bastille stood, which had been a horrible place of punishment for\nabout 400 years. I found this prison almost demolished, though a few\nof the dungeons remained: but the people were taking down the arches,\nwalls, &c. An amazing quantity of stone had been carried from this\ndisagreeable prison, and piled up in a street that environs the city,\nbesides those at the _Champ de Mars_.\n\nBefore this prison was demolished it was surrounded by a ditch, and had\nno entrance to it but by a draw-bridge.\n\nOn the 6th of July, 1789, the National Assembly having established a\ncommittee of finances, which consisted of 64 members, and appointed M.\nNecker, president; the king afterwards appointed Baron de Breteuil,\npresident, in the room of M. Necker; and having removed several\nother officers, the indignation of the populace was raised, who armed\nthemselves, and were joined by the French guards. A slight skirmish\nensued in the _Place de Louis XV._ in which two was killed, and two\nwounded, which belonged to the Duc de Choiseu's regiment of dragoons.\n\nOn the 8th the populace forced the convent of St. Lazare, in which was\nfound a quantity of corn, arms, ammunition, &c. A general consternation\nprevailed; the shops were shut, and business was at a stand.\n\nOn the 14th the hospital of invalids surrendered to about 20,000\ncitizens, headed by the French guards: About 4,000 troops, 52,000\nstands of arms, besides cannon, ammunition, &c. were taken. In the\nevening about 10 or 12,000 men, with two pieces of cannon, demanded the\nammunition deposited in the Bastille. The governor held out a white\nflag, and opened one of the gates, through which about forty citizens\nand soldiers entered: he immediately drew up the bridge, and his troops\nmassacred those that had entered. This breach of faith enraged the\npopulace: a battle ensued, and the Bastille was taken in about three\nhours. The governor, the jailor, chief gunner, and two others were\ncarried prisoners to the Hotel de Ville, where they were tried and\nexecuted, by being shot, and afterwards beheaded. M. de Flesselles, the\nfirst municipal officer of Paris, underwent the same fate, on being\nsuspected of betraying the citizens. Their heads were carried in\ntriumph through the streets of the city. In taking the Bastille about\n300 were killed, besides those the governor massacred. The prisoners\nwere liberated; and an old man, who had been in a dungeon thirty years,\nfell down when he came out, by reason of the operation the light had\nupon him.\n\nThose that took the Bastille are honoured with a particular mark in\ntheir apparel, to distinguish them from other people.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. VII.\n\n _The_ Doctor _goes to the_ Champ de Mars--_an Air Balloon\n descends on his Head.--He dines at a Grand Hotel, where commences_ un\n t\u00eate \u00e0 t\u00eate _with a fine Lady.--He goes to the Italian Opera._\n\n\n  Paris, July 18.\n\nThis morning, being Sunday, I sent my servant for a coach to carry\nme to the _Champ de Mars_; but he returned without any, with this\nintelligence from the coachman, _viz._ that they were all forbid to\nmove a coach that day, by reason of the great multitude of people that\nwas to convene; as it was supposed, that many would be crushed to death\nif they were allowed to ride in coaches. The nobility, gentry, and\ncommonalty, were therefore all obliged to walk to the _Champ de Mars_;\nat which place I took a seat, a little to the left of the National\nAssembly, where I had a fine prospect. There was the greatest multitude\nof people collected that I ever saw at one time, and they behaved with\ndecency and good order. The Marquis de la Fayette rode at the head of\nthe army, and was frequently honoured with huzzas, loud acclamations,\nand other demonstrations of joy. Among the bands of music was a very\nlarge drum, that seemed to make the earth tremble when it was beat.\n\nI took a seat about ten, and tarried about five hours. About half past\none, an air balloon, of a large magnitude, ascended to the southward\nof the _Champ de Mars_. It was conducted by a great number of men,\nwho held its lines, over the place where I was sitting. It descended\non our heads, and the French cried, _En bas, en bas, Monsieur_: Down,\ndown, Sir. I bowed myself almost to the ground, to prevent being hurt;\nbut arose, and pushed the balloon upwards with my hand: It ascended,\nand went to the northward; but descended again several times, and\nafterwards passed to the southward by the National Assembly, almost in\na horizontal direction. When it had got at a little distance from the\n_Champ de Mars_, the inflammable air took fire, and the balloon split,\nwith a report something like that of a cannon. It was said that several\npersons were considerably burnt when the balloon burst. I understood\nthe next day, that some of the French supposed, that a great blessing\nwill follow those upon whom the balloon descended.\n\nAfter I had left the _Champ de Mars_, I dined at a grand hotel, where\nthirty-two tables were spread in one room. At this place a French\nlady viewed me with an _amorous eye_; and I perceived by some of her\n_motions_, after I had dined, that she had an inclination to _lead me\ninto temptation_: but I was soon off with myself, and was thereby\n_delivered from evil_.\n\nIn the evening I went to the _Italian opera_, where sixty-two persons\nappeared on the stage at the first view. The vocal and instrumental\nmusic was excellent, and the other performances very entertaining.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. VIII.\n\n _The_ Doctor _views three Hospitals, and the largest\n Cathedral in the Kingdom.--An Account of the Foundling Hospital. He\n goes to_ Versailles--_views the King and Queen's Palaces, returns to_\n Paris, _and sees the Dauphin of France_.\n\n\n  Paris, July 19.\n\nThis morning I viewed the grand hospital, the lying-in hospital, the\nfoundling hospital, and the greatest cathedral in the kingdom, called\n_L'Eglise de Notre Dame_. It is a grand Gothic structure, has a very\nfine choir, altar, &c. and many paintings, some of which represent the\nmiracles and resurrection of Christ.\n\nThere were 17,500 children belonging to the foundling hospital, above\n7,000 of which had been taken in within the compass of a year. They\nwere kept very clean, and I did not hear a child cry amongst the whole\nnumber.\n\nThe matron, or governess of the hospital, shewed me their grand stores\nof linen and garments for the children, which was worth beholding.\n\nThis hospital is a most excellent institution: People of all kinds,\nand from all countries, are allowed to bring their children into it;\nand no questions are asked; only the person that leaves the child is\nasked if the child has been christened. If that has not been done, they\nget it done at the hospital. Those that bring their children put a\nribbon round their necks, or mark them with something whereby they may\nbe known in some future time, and they are permitted to take them away\nwhen they please.\n\nThose that remain in the hospitals, are put out to learn trades, when\nthey are old enough;--and sums of money are given to those who take\nthem.\n\nI was told that a young woman from Great Britain had just lain in\nat the lying-in hospital, and had put her child into the foundling\nhospital. Perhaps she may pass for a _virgin_ again, on her arrival in\nEngland!\n\nThis hospital must be of great utility to the people, because it\nrelieves the poor, and prevents murder; as women have not the\ntemptation to kill their children through fear of not having them\nsupported; and also, because it produces a great number of good members\nof society.\n\nAfter I had viewed the hospitals, I made a purchase of two books, which\ncontained all I was in pursuit after. I also viewed the house where\nVoltaire the famous French poet died.\n\nThe same day I went in a coach with my servant to Versailles, which\nis about twelve miles from Paris. We arrived there about noon; and I\nviewed the king and queen's palaces, which are said to be the richest\nin the world, or at least, the most beautiful and magnificent in\nEurope. I also viewed the royal chapel and two of the royal theatres,\nand the king's gardens planted with tropical and other trees, plants,\nand herbs. The buildings are adorned and beautified with gold, and\nmany splendid ornaments, and there are a great number of statues, and\nelegant paintings; all of which afford a very beautiful prospect.\n\nVersailles is a pleasant place, and there are about 60,000 inhabitants\nin the town. I dined after I had viewed the curiosities, and returned\nto Paris in the evening, where I saw the Dauphin of France, attended by\na monk.\n\nVersailles is said to be the dearest place for entertainment that there\nis in France, owing to the great number of nobility and gentry that\nresort there: Therefore ought every traveller to be well provided with\nmoney when he goes to see that place.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. IX.\n\n _Views two Hospitals, the Royal Observatory, and sundry other\n Magnificent Buildings.--Goes to the French Theatre, &c.--A Caution\n against going into bad Company._\n\n\n  Paris, July 20.\n\nThis day I viewed the charity hospital, and the hospital for invalids.\nThe latter is a large and elegant building, in which there is a chapel,\nthat is said to cover as much ground as the cathedral of St. Paul's,\nin London. The floors of the domes are made of fine marble, and each\ndome is dedicated to some saint, whose statue is placed in a niche, or\nhallow. There are some of the finest paintings in this chapel that I\never saw; and the hospital commonly contains about 200 officers, and\n3,000 soldiers.\n\nAfterwards I viewed the house of Bourbonne, and the royal observatory,\nwhere _astronomical observations_ are taken. I looked through the\ntelescopes, and surveyed the mathematical instruments. I saw an\naccount of the late observations, and perceived that the French are\nvery accurate in performances of that kind: but I did not give them to\nunderstand that I was a professor of the science.\n\nI also viewed a great church, called _Jamies_, which has been near\ntwenty years in building, and is not yet wholly finished. In this\nchurch there are some of the largest and finest pillars that I ever\nbeheld.\n\nAfterwards I took a survey of the buildings and gardens which belong\nto the king's eldest brother; and went to the French theatre and saw\nthe grand performances there. After the play was over, on returning\nto my lodgings, I was seized on the way by a very gay young lady, who\naccosted me with--_J' aime vous, Monsieur.--Voulez vous venir avec\nmoi?_--My answer was in the negative. I was obliged to break her hold,\nand be off with myself. \"Perhaps, said I, if I go with you, I may be\nrobbed and murdered: it is best for me to keep out of the fire whilst\nit is in my power.\"\n\nI had heard but a few days before of a man that was so simple as to\naccept of the invitation of two lewd women, who took him to their\nlodgings; but before morning he was robbed, not only of his watch and\nmoney, but of his clothes, and turned out naked into the street by\nsome whore-mongers that frequented the house. This shews how dangerous\nit is to venture one's-self amongst strangers, and especially those\nof this sort. It is safest for every one, either at home or abroad,\nto shun all such kind of company, as well as the company of thieves,\ndrunkards, gamesters, and those that use bad language: for the keeping\nof bad company has been the destruction of thousands; and especially\nthe greatest mischief has been done among unthinking _youth_: their\ninexperience, and unsuspecting dispositions, making them the fit\nsubjects for villainy to work upon.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. X.\n\n _Contemplations, Philosophical and Moral, on the State and Condition\n of the Living and the Dead, which the Author indulges at the Abbey of\n St._ Denis, _where the Kings of France are buried_.\n\n\n  St. Denis, July 21,\n\n  _At half past one_, P. M.\n\nI am now standing in the abbey of St. Denis, which is about six miles\nfrom Paris, and have been told that all the kings of France, excepting\nLewis XVI. are buried here, and that the house of Bourbon lie under my\nfeet.--Alas! said I, here is the end of those mighty monarchs, that\nonce ruled the kingdom, commanded armies, fought battles, obtained\nvictories, collected riches, and enjoyed the honours, the profits and\nthe pleasures of this perishing world.--Here they lie silent! and their\ndominion, strength, and power, are wholly gone!--Their bodies are\nreturned to the elements out of which they were formed, _viz._ to the\nearth, air, fire, and water. Alas! continued I, the present king of\nFrance, with all the mighty kings and princes on the globe, together,\nwith the rest of the human race, must soon pass through this change!\nAnd not only the human race, but the birds, beasts and fishes, trees,\nplants, and herbs; even every thing that hath life must be dissolved,\nand return to the elements, _viz._ Earth to earth, air to air, fire\nto fire, and water to water; for it is the _decree_ of the _Divine\nArtificer_, who is the former of our bodies, and the father of our\nspirits, that all these things shall _once die_!--And, none of the\nmighty kings, or learned physicians, can hinder themselves or others,\nfrom experiencing this awful change.\n\nMoreover, I had further contemplations upon the state of the living and\nthe condition of the dead. I considered the mutability of our bodies;\nthat they are continually changing; that they increase in proportion\nto the quantity of nutrition which they receive from meat, drink,\nthe circumambient air, &c. or, decrease in proportion to a want of\nnourishment from those things.\n\nThat they are continually flying off by insensible perspiration and\nother evacuations, and would soon come to a dissolution, if not\nnourished by the vegetable and animal productions.\n\nThat the bodies we had seven years ago, are totally dissolved by those\nevacuations; and from hence we have new flesh, new bones, new skin, new\nhair, new nails, &c. formed out of the four elements.\n\nThat the time we have lived, is past and gone; and, that the time we\nare to live is not yet come, so that we only live at the present time.\n\nThat death is only a change from this state to another,--as our\nbodies return again to the elements, and our spirits to Him that gave\nthem: that the dead, being at rest, are totally free from the cares,\ntroubles, and vexations of a mortal life. The king is not afraid of\nlosing his kingdom, nor the beggar of perishing with hunger.\n\nI beg leave to conclude this chapter with the following reflections,\nwhich will not, I hope, detract from their solemnity, because cast in\na _poetical_ mould.\n\n      Short is our passage thro' this nether world,\n    For soon by death we from the stage are hurl'd.\n    The tender infants in their lovely bloom,\n    Are often hurry'd to the silent tomb!\n    Adults grown up, nay some of ev'ry age,\n    By cruel death are taken from the stage;\n    The high, the low, the rich, the poor, the small,\n    By the great _king of terrors_ soon must fall.\n    The richest man, (it cannot be deny'd)\n    Who with good things most amply is supply'd;\n    Soon, too, he feels th' impartial stroke of death,\n    Down falls his body, and off flies his breath:\n    But where it goes, or how far it doth fly,\n    No mortal man can tell below the sky.\n    The elements that in the body are,\n    Return to those from whence they taken were.\n    Thus, dust to dust, and air to air, we find,\n    And heat to heat, are soon again combin'd,\n    Water to water soon again doth flow,\n    And the whole mass to dissolution go!\n\n      Await, O man! thy doom; for 'tis the fate\n    Of ev'ry creature in this mortal state:\n    Yet shall th' immortal spark ascend on high,\n    Of righteous ones who _in the_ LORD _do die_.\n    Thus whilst their bodies are behind at rest,\n    Their pious souls with happiness are blest.\n\n    ---- Again.----\n\n    O happy state in which the dead are cast!\n    Their pain is gone and all their trouble's past.\n    When roaring winds bring up the thick'ned cloud,\n    And the deep thunder rumbles out aloud;\n    When the earth quakes, when lofty cities fall,\n    When places sink, and can't be found at all;\n    When inundations o'er the land arise,\n    And burning mountains burst towards the skies;\n    When famine and the pestilence doth rage,\n    And wicked nations in a war engage;\n    When blood and carnage greatly doth expand,\n    And desolation overspreads the land,\n    And boist'rous tempests rage upon the sea;\n    Then are the Dead from danger wholly free.\n    They're not afraid of being hurt, or slain,\n    Like wretched mortals who alive remain.\n    Let not the living then at Death repine,\n    Since it was made by God an _act divine_,\n    To raise the Just--the _husband_, _child_, and _wife_,\n    From scenes of trouble to a better life!\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XI.\n\n _Of the Curiosities in the Abbey of St. Denis.--The_\n Doctor _views the King's Treasure.--Goes to the Italian\n Theatre.--Observations on the Actors, &c._\n\n\nWhilst I was at the abbey of St. Denis, I viewed many elegant statues\nand paintings, and the font, or baptismal bason, out of which the kings\nof France had been christened. Afterwards I was admitted by a monk into\nthe king's treasure, where I saw the crowns of the kings and queens of\nFrance, with many golden vessels and splendid ornaments.\n\nI dined at a hotel in St. Denis, and returned to Paris; but in my rout\nI ascended a hill which commands a sight of the city, and affords a\nfine prospect. On this hill there is a great number of wind-mills,\ndwelling-houses, and other buildings. In the evening I went to the\nItalian theatre, where I was very well entertained with performances of\ndifferent kinds. Their artificial thunder and lightning, was alarming;\nas the claps were very loud and sudden, and the flashes appeared as\nnatural as those from the clouds.\n\nThe theatres in Paris are very large. They are opened at five o'clock,\nand the performances begin at six, and end at nine,--which is much\nbetter then to keep people till almost midnight; because they have time\nto return to their dwellings in season.\n\nI have often thought that the actors are deficient in one thing; that\nis, in their not apprising the spectators of the subject before the\nplay begins; and whether it is to be a tragedy or a comedy, and who\nor what it is to be in imitation of; and whether it is to represent a\nbattle, a duel, or a courtship, &c. for the entering upon these things\nwithout any previous notice, is like a divine's preaching without\nnaming his text, or letting his auditors know what subject he is about\nto discourse upon.\n\nIt is true, indeed, that the actors often send forth publications, to\nlet the people know what is to be represented such and such evenings;\nbut I do not think that more than one person in twenty that attends the\nplays ever reads the publications; and those that do, are put to the\ntrouble of carrying them to the theatres, and of tracing them through\nthe evening, or they will not know before-hand what play is to be acted\nnext.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XII.\n\n _Views the Anatomical Productions at_ Cherenton. _A Description of the\n Vineyards.--The People meet where the Bastille stood, and pray for\n the Souls of them that were slain in taking that Place. Their Form of\n Prayer.--Surveys the King's Physical Gardens._\n\n\n  Paris, July 22.\n\nThis morning I went to Cherenton, which is two leagues from Paris, and\nviewed a great number of skeletons, not only of human bodies, but of\nbirds, beasts, and fishes; and I must join in opinion with the Spanish\nphysician, _viz_. that they exceed every thing of the kind in the\nworld, or at least that I ever saw or heard of. Here are skeletons of\ninfants and adults, mounted upon the skeletons of horses, of different\nsizes; some with the bones only, and some with the veins and arteries,\nmuscles, &c. In short every part of the human machine is exposed to\nthe view of the spectator. The various parts of the body are also\npreserved in spirits, and anatomy is demonstrated in all its branches\nin the best manner; which must be of excellent use to young students.\n\nAs I was returning to Paris, I viewed a number of vineyards which are\ncultivated for the purpose of raising grapes. The vines in general\nwere planted about two feet apart, and are hoed much like the maze,\nor Indian corn, in America. In some places they have rows of potatoes\nbetween the vines, but at such places they are planted more than two\nfeet apart; and for want of knowledge in philosophy, many hill their\npotatoes too high, which hinders their growth, by obstructing the\nrays of the sun from heating their roots.\n\nThe vines run upon poles, that are about four or five feet high; and\nafter the grapes are gathered in the fall, the vines are cut down close\nto the ground, and from the roots another set arises, which bear grapes\nthe next year. It appears to me that such vines would grow in many\nparts of America, if they were properly cultivated.\n\nOn entering into Paris, I passed by the place where the Bastille stood;\nand, behold! a number of the priests, with a great multitude of people,\nhad met together to pray for the souls of them that had been slain,\nwhen the Bastille was taken on the 14th of July, 1789. I was told, that\nthis was the first time that the priests and the people had met to pray\non that occasion since the battle happened.\n\nThe catholics have various forms of prayer, which they make use of\nwhen they pray for the dead. The one for brethren, relations, and\nbenefactors, runs thus:\n\n \"O God, the giver of pardon, and lover of the salvation of man,\n we beseech thy clemency in behalf of our brethren, relations, and\n benefactors, who departed this life; that by the intercession of the\n Blessed Virgin _Mary_, and of all thy saints, thou wouldest receive\n them into the joys of thy eternal kingdom: through our Lord Jesus\n Christ, _Amen_.\"\n\nAt the end of each form, the following is used: \"Eternal rest give to\nthem, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.\"\n\nAfter I had left the place where the people were praying, I walked\nthrough the king's physical gardens, where there are about seven\nthousand different kinds of vegetables, consisting of trees, plants\nand herbs, collected from the four quarters of the globe, that can\npossibly be made to grow in Paris. I have been informed, that this\nbotanical garden, and a museum of natural curiosities, which may be\nseen every Wednesday and Friday in the afternoon, costs the king 72,000\nlivres _per annum_.\n\nIn these gardens there is a mount, which I ascended by a path that runs\nround it, in a spiratic course. At the top of this hill I had a fine\nprospect, not only of the gardens, but of the city.\n\nI observed as I passed through the gardens, that the vegetables were\ndistinguished from one another by Latin inscriptions, as _calamus_\n_aromaticus_, _sambucus_, _rhabarbarum_, &c.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XIII.\n\n _A Description of_ Paris.--_Of the River_ Seine.--_Of the\n Climate.--Dress,--Anecdote of a Frenchman.--French Courtship, and the\n Fondness of the Ladies_, &c.\n\n\nParis, the capital of France, is situated in lat. 48 deg. 50 min.\nnorth; and long. 2 deg. 10 min. east of the royal observatory at\nGreenwich; and is called one of the grandest and most beautiful cities\nin Europe. It is built in a circular form, and was about eighteen miles\nin circumference, 'till of late it has been made much larger by the\naugmentation of their buildings, and the erection of a new wall,\nwhich encompasses the old one at a great distance. The city is walled\nin to prevent smuggling, sentries being placed at the gates, where\nduties are paid, &c. The houses in this city are from six to eight\nstories high in general, built chiefly of hewn stone, which are of a\nlightish colour. These stories are much higher than ours in London. The\nbuildings are very magnificent; and the city is amazingly populous.\n\nIt contains upwards of 22,000 houses,--979 streets,--52 parishes,--130\nconvents,--28 hospitals,--and about 800,000 people.\n\nThe streets of this city are narrow; and being paved to the sides of\nthe houses, with stones much like those in the middle of the streets in\nLondon, makes the walking inconvenient, and exposes travellers to the\ndanger of being hurt by the carriages.\n\nIt is a pity that the streets of Paris, and many other cities, had not\nbeen laid out at right angles, at proper distances, and at convenient\nbreadths, when the places were first built.\n\nParis is divided almost into equal parts by the river Seine, which did\nnot appear to me to be so large as the river Thames. There is a number\nof bridges over the Seine, and several of them have buildings on either\nside, which form a complete street. This river rises in Burgundy, and\nrunning through Paris, empties itself into the English Channel, between\nHavre-de-Grace and Honfleur.\n\nThe tides are not strong enough to bring heavy vessels up to Paris.\nThe people are obliged to make use of long barges, and to tow them up\nwith horses. There are some water-mills erected on this river, for the\npurpose of grinding grain, &c.\n\nThe air is much clearer at Paris than it is at London; and the\ncountry is healthy: the climate in the south of France is called the\nwholesomest in Europe. It is something remarkable that I did not see\none funeral all the time I was in France; which made me suppose that\nthey buried their dead in the night: but this, on enquiry, I found not\nto be the practice.\n\nThe inhabitants of Paris are polite, gay and luxurious; many of them\nvery handsome. The amusements of the city are pleasing, and the people\nenjoy their pleasures at a cheap rate, as foreigners contribute much\ntowards the support of their theatres, hotels, &c.\n\nThe people in France do not seem to be much given to intemperance; and\nI was told, that when the farmers and mechanics have received their\nwages, they spend them at home in their families, instead of being\ndrunk at ale-houses; a thing too common in England. I was also told,\nthat the French do not use so much corrupt and abominable language as\nthe English and Irish do.\n\nThe ladies have a much handsomer head dress than the English; they do\nnot wear stays, neither do they make many of their gowns so long as to\ndraw on the ground, which is a waste, and a dirty indecent fashion.\nThe gentlemen dress much as we do in London, only they sometimes wear\ncloaks, and the collars of their coats are not quite so high as ours. I\nhave sometimes wondered that cloaks are not more in fashion in London.\n\nThe French are very merry and cheerful; and their light and airy\nturn makes them patient in times of adversity; they have also the\njust reputation of being witty; and it has been said, that they are\nsometimes too cunning for the English. This brings to my mind the\nfollowing anecdote, _viz._ A Frenchman, who had supped and lodged at an\ninn kept by an Englishman, demanded his reckoning: the landlord made\nout a bill of ten shillings, which the Frenchman paid, thinking in\nthe mean time that his host was something extravagant in his demands,\nand was therefore resolved to be _up_ with him. The landlord soon\ncomplained that he was very much troubled with rats. \"Vell,\" said the\nFrenchman, \"for von bouteille of vin, I vill tell how you may get rid\nof dem all.\" The landlord gave the wine. \"Vell,\" said the Frenchman,\n\"do you make out a bill, and charge dem rats ten shillings a-piece for\nevery night da have lodged in your house, and I vill be bound da vill\nall go off, and never trouble you any more.\"\n\nI shall here give a slight specimen of the _French courtship_, which a\ngentleman repeated to me; and if the gentlemen in England, Scotland,\nIreland, America, or elsewhere, shall see fit to follow the same mode\nof address to the ladies, I shall have no objection, providing they\naddress themselves to proper persons.\n\n  \"Madame,\n\n\"Upon the consideration of the good reputation you bear in the\nnation, I find an inclination to offer you my salutation; and, upon\nmy salvation, if this my declaration finds your acceptation, it will\ncause an obligation that will be of long continuation, even from\ngeneration to generation.\"\n\nThe ladies in France are very amorous, and those that are married are\nnot much troubled with their husbands being jealous of them, let them\nbe honest or dishonest: and you may court a Frenchman's wife before\nhis face, and he will not be jealous of you, as I was informed. Great\nnumbers of the lewd women are said to be licensed by authority, to keep\npublic houses for the entertainment of persons of that character.\n\nThe disease that is commonly spread by such people is rather upon the\ndecline at Paris, it is said; owing to the frequent use of different\nkinds of remedies, as preventatives, &c.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XIV.\n\n _The Length, Breadth, Boundaries, Inhabitants, New Divisions,\n Mountains, Rivers, Soil, Produce, Manufactories, Commerce, Religion,\n and Laws of_ France.\n\n\nThe kingdom of France is about six hundred and twenty-two miles in\nlength from north to south, and six hundred and twenty in breadth\nfrom east to west: It is bounded--Easterly on Germany, Switzerland,\nSavoy, and Piedmont--Southerly on the Mediterranean sea, and the\nPyrenean mountains, which separate it from Spain--Westerly on the\nBay of Biscay--Northerly on the English channel--and North-easterly\non the Spanish Netherlands. It contains near 26,950-7/12 square\nleagues--25,000,000 of inhabitants--Eighteen arch-bishoprics--167,000\nclergymen--28 universities--25 academies--750 great convents of\nmonks--200 of nuns--10,000 of a smaller kind--and upwards of 200,000 of\nmonks and nuns.\n\nI understand that the National Assembly have divided the kingdom into\neighty grand divisions, or counties, of eighteen leagues in length, and\nas many in breadth; and each grand division into nine commonalities,\nthat are six leagues square; and also each commonality into nine\ncantons, of two leagues in length, and two in breadth.\n\nHence there are eighty grand divisions, seven hundred and twenty\ncommonalities, and 6480 cantons in the kingdom.\n\nThe mountains in France are, the Alps--the Pyrenees--the Vague--Mount\nJura--the Convennes--and Mount Dor.\n\nThe chief rivers are, the Rhone--the Garoune--the Loire--the Seine--the\nSomme--and the Ardour.\n\nThe climate is mild and healthy, as has already been observed; and the\nsoil fruitful, though not equal to Great Britain for corn: but their\nfruits are more numerous, and of a higher flavour than ours, by reason\nof their growing in a more southern country. They have the largest\nplumbs I ever saw: but their beans, peas, and strawberries were small.\nIn the northern provinces they have good cider and perry; and in the\nsouthern the best of wines. In the province of Languedoc they raise\nsilk and olive oil.\n\nFrance does not abound in coal, which obliges the people to raise and\nburn wood, and sometimes turf. There are many excellent forests between\nParis and Calais, and some beds of turf. In Paris they have the largest\nmagazines of wood that I ever saw.\n\nThe animals in France are of the same kinds of those in England; only\nthey have some wolves, as I was informed.\n\nThe French manufacture silks, woollens, velvets, brocades, alamodes,\nlawns, laces, cambrics, tapestry, glass, hardware, war-like implements,\npaper, hats, thread, toys, &c. but I do not think their manufacturies\nare equal to those of England in all respects.\n\nFrance carries on the greatest foreign trade of any kingdom in the\nworld, except Great Britain; and the inland trade is very large, by the\nway of their navigable rivers, canals, &c. One of the latter is said to\nbe one hundred miles in length, and opens a communication between the\nocean and the Mediterranean; it is carried over mountains and vallies,\nand through one mountain. It was begun and finished in the reign of\nLewis XIV. It is called the Royal Canal, or Canal of Languedoc.\n\nThe established religion of France is that of the Roman Catholicks; but\nof late the Protestants have been allowed a toleration.\n\nI was told at Paris that many of the people look upon the Romish clergy\nas impostors, and that they had found them out, and intend to pull them\ndown.\n\nIt was said that a few of the laws of France were very arbitrary\nand tyrannical before the late Revolution, as they were totally\ninconsistent with the laws of humanity; among which was that for\nconfiscating the property of foreigners dying in France, and\nappropriating it to the use of the state. But since my arrival at\nParis the National Assembly have abolished for ever that unreasonable\ndecree. Had I died whilst I was in that kingdom, and before the decree\nwas abolished, my hat, shirts, coats, waistcoats, breeches, stockings,\nshoes, buckles, books, trunk, money, diploma, recommendations, &c.\nwould have been confiscated and taken from my heirs; and for no other\ncrime than that of my going to see the country, and do business for\nmyself in Paris!\n\nHow unreasonable was it, that the heirs of the deceased, _viz._ the\npoor widows and the fatherless children, should have their property\nalienated in such a manner! Surely such a transaction must be\ndisgraceful, not only to Christendom, but even to the most barbarous\nnations!\n\nI was told that the National Assembly had also abolished, for ever, two\nother decrees, which they deemed unreasonable. They were those that\ndebarred the clergy from the liberty of entering into the bands of\nmatrimony, and certain females the same privilege; and also, for the\nkeeping them in confinement all the days of their lives in nunneries.\n\nBefore the Revolution the laws were executed with the utmost severity.\n\nA servant would be hung for stealing less then a shilling. Murderers\nand high-way robbers, and those that attempted to poison any body, were\nbroke on the wheel.\n\nSmugglers were condemned to be gally-slaves for life.\n\nWomen brought to bed with dead bastard children, without having made\nknown their pregnancy, were burnt alive.\n\nPriests that revealed the confessions of penitents, had their tongues\ntore out, their gowns stripped off, and were expelled from their\nemployments.\n\nHe that robbed a church had his hands cut off at the church door, and\nwas afterwards burnt at the place of execution, which was always in the\ncentre of the town.\n\nPeople of family, convicted of a capital offence, though not executed,\nare disennobled, with all their relations, turned out of their public\nemployments, and rendered incapable of holding any afterwards, and all\nmarriage contracts become void.\n\nThe nobility and clergy, with the burgesses of Paris, and some other\nfree cities, were exempted from paying land taxes.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XV.\n\n France _an unlimited Monarchy before the Revolution.--The Kingdom was\n divided into fifteen Parts, in which were as many Parliaments.--It\n was also divided into twenty-five Generalities.--The King nominated\n the Bishops.--The Privileges of the Clergy.--The Orders of\n Knighthood.--From what the Revenues were collected.--A Statement\n of the Annual Incomes and Expences.--Of the Gold and Silver in\n Circulation.--National Debt, &c._\n\n\nHaving, partly from my own knowledge, and partly from credible\ninformation, given in the preceding chapter a short geographical\ndescription of the kingdom of France, I proceed, in the next place, to\nsay something concerning its Constitution and Government before the\nlate Revolution.\n\nLet us therefore observe,\n\n1. That France was an unlimited monarchy.\n\n2. That both the legislative and executive powers resided in the king.\n\n3. That his decrees had the same force as our acts of parliament.\n\n4. That the kingdom was divided into fifteen parts, each of which had\na parliament; as that of Paris, Toulouse, Rouen, Grenoble, Bordeaux,\nDijon, Aix, Rennes, Pau, Besancon, Metz, Dowa, Perpignan, Arras, and\nAlsace.\n\n5. That these parliaments consisted of a certain number of presidents\nand inferior judges, who purchased their offices of the crown, or of\nthose that possessed them, as they were for life, unless the officers\nwere found guilty of malconduct in the execution of their office.\n\n6. That the parliament of Paris was esteemed the highest, because\nit was composed of princes of royal blood, dukes and peers, besides\nordinary judges. Here the king frequently came in person, and had his\nroyal edicts recorded and promulgated.\n\n7. That the kingdom was also divided into twenty-five generalities,\nevery one of which had an intendant, on whom the king depended for the\nadministration of justice, in civil and criminal causes; for ruling and\ngoverning the subordinate officers, and ordering and conducting his\nfinances and revenues.\n\n8. That the king nominated the bishops and their livings, and then the\npope sent his bulls of consecration.\n\n9. That the crown seized all the temporalities of archbishopricks, and\nbishopricks, which was called the _regal_, and the king frequently\ngave pensions to laymen out of the bishopricks.\n\nThe privileges of the clergy were:\n\n1. An exemption from paying land-taxes.\n\n2. From having their books seized, with the other things they used in\ndivine service.\n\n3. They might be tried in criminal causes, if they chose it, before the\ngrand chamber, which is a court where the nobility were tried.\n\n4. They had the liberty of being degraded, or placed lower, before they\ncould be executed for any atrocious crime.\n\n5. They were exempt from having soldiers quartered on them.\n\n6. Their persons could not be taken with executions in civil actions.\n\n7. They were exempted from being brought before lay courts for personal\nmatters:\n\nBut they could not bring a layman before an ecclesiastical court.\n\nAll spiritual actions were recognizable in the ecclesiastical courts,\nproviding they were not blended with temporal matters; and when that\nwas the case, they were obliged to try their causes before the civil\ncourts.\n\nThere have been four orders of knighthood in France:\n\n  _Viz._ 1. Knights of the Holy Ghost,}               { 1578.\n         2. Knights of St. Michael,   } Instituted in { 1469.\n         3. Knights of St. Louis, and }               { 1693.\n         4. Knights of St. Lazarus,   }\n\nThe annual revenues were collected by a land-tax--by the customs--by a\ntax on salt--by a poll-tax--by a tenth of estates and employments--by\na sale of all offices of justice--and by a tenth, or free gift of the\nclergy. But this revenue was subject to an enlargment, by raising\nthe value of the coin, and by the compounding of the state bills and\ndebentures.\n\nThe annual revenue of France, before the Revolution, was said to be\n585,000,000 of livres, or 24,375,000 pounds sterling. Of which sum the\nclergy possessed 130,000,000 of livres. The annual balance of trade\nin favour of France, was 70,000,000 of livres. The gold and silver\nsupposed to be in circulation 2,000,000,000 of livres, and the annual\nincrease of it 40,000,000 more.\n\nThe annual expences of France 610,000,000 livres, or 25,416,666_l._\n13_s._ 4_d._ sterling. The annual income 24,375,000_l._ The nation run\nin debt 1,041,666_l._ 13_s._ 4_d._ _per annum_.\n\n\nA GENERAL STATEMENT _of the Expences, Incomes, &c. stands thus_:\n\n                                      Livres       Sterling.\n\n  Expences for collecting taxes     58,000,000   2,416,666 13 4\n  Annual of importations           230,000,000   9,583,333  6 8\n  Ditto of exportations            300,000,000  12,500,000  0 0\n  Ditto of balance of commerce      70,000,000   2,916,666  6 8\n  An. int. of the national debt    207,000,000   8,625,000  0 0\n  Annual charge of the army        124,650,000   5,193,750  0 0\n  Ditto of the navy                 45,200,000   1,883,333  6 8\n  The amount of the taxes, &c.     585,000,000  24,375,000  0 0\n  Annual expences of the state     610,000,000  25,416,666 13 4\n  Gold and silver coin           2,200,000,000  91,666,666 13 4\n  Supposed annual increase          40,000,000   1,666,666 13 4\n  National debt                  3,400,000,000 141,666,666 13 4\n                                 ------------------------------\n  May 1, 1779, National expen.     475,294,000\n               Revenue             431,533,000\n                                   -----------\n               Nation fell in debt  43,761,000\n                                   ===========\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XVI.\n\n _The Constitution of_ France _changed from Monarchy to Democracy.--The\n Number and Power of the National Assembly.--The King is only an\n executive Officer.--A Decree of the National Assembly.--Titles of\n Nobility abolished._\n\n\nHaving in the preceding chapter given an account of the constitution\nand government of France before the Revolution, let us consider, in the\nnext place, of the present constitution and government of that kingdom.\n\nWe must therefore observe:\n\n\n1. That the constitution is changed from monarchy to democracy; that\nthe legislative powers are taken from the king, and vested in the\npeople.\n\n2. That the kingdom is divided into eighty grand divisions, and\nsubdivided into seven hundred and twenty commonalities and 6480 cantons.\n\n3. That each commonality is empowered to send one representative to the\nNational Assembly.\n\n4. That the National Assembly is composed of seven hundred and twenty\nmembers, when the whole are convened.\n\n5. That this assembly is the supreme legislative head of the nation.\n\n6. That the power of making laws, raising of taxes, the coining,\nborrowing, and lending of money; the setting up and pulling down of\nofficers, granting of commissions and employments; the making of war\nand peace; and the entering into treaties and alliances with foreign\npowers, belongs to this assembly only.\n\n7. That the king is only an executive officer, as he is to see the laws\nof the representatives of the nation executed.\n\nThe king is to execute the actual decrees of the National Assembly,\nrespecting war and peace; and is allowed to provide for the safety of\nthe realm, in case of a foreign invasion, during the recess of the\nassembly.\n\nA decree of the National Assembly, passed in May last, runs thus:\n\n\"The king shall have the right to provide for the security of the\nfrontiers, to make every preparation, and take every necessary step to\ndefend the national possessions; to manage the operations of the war,\nand to propose whatever he thinks proper for the general good:\n\n\"But the legislative body shall have the right to decide on the\npropriety of the war, make peace, and settle treaties.\n\n\"In case of war, the king shall give immediate notice of it to the\nlegislative body, if the assembly is sitting, and if not, it shall be\nsummoned immediately.\"\n\nI was informed in Paris, that the National Assembly have abolished all\nthe titles of nobility; and observed that their coats of arms were\ntaken from their carriages.\n\nIt was also reported, that the nobility are to pay land and other\ntaxes, in proportion to their abilities.\n\nThese are some of the fundamental alterations in the Constitution,\naccording to the best information that I have been able to obtain. Let\nus then, in the next chapter, consider of the causes of the Revolution.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XVII.\n\n _Supposed Causes of the Revolution.--The Resolutions of the National\n Assembly.--Names of some of the Officers appointed under the New\n Constitution._\n\n\nIt is said that the Revolution arose from various causes: as,\n\n1. The people had no part of the power of legislation.\n\n2. They were deprived of the right of a trial by jury.\n\n3. They paid more than their proportion of the public taxes, because\nthe nobility, clergy, &c. were exempted from paying a land-tax.\n\n4. They were under some laws peculiarly oppressive.\n\nTheir grievances will appear by the following resolutions, which on the\n4th of August, 1789, the National Assembly unanimously agreed to, as a\nproof of their genuine patriotism to the people, as their affectionate\nand disinterested representatives, devoid of every motive but the\ncommon good; and, to give a great example to nations and ages, in the\nsacrifice of every abusive right and privilege whatsoever, incidental\nto all the orders, provinces, cities and communities, will raise the\nFrench name to a heighth unparalleled in history, and consecrate\ntheir memory as worthy of representing the enlightened knowledge, the\ncourage, and the virtues of so great and generous a people.\n\n\"Article I. An equality of taxes, to commence from the present moment.\n\n\"II. The renunciation of all privileges for orders, cities, provinces,\nand individuals; a general uniformity to take place through the whole\nkingdom.\n\n\"III. The redemption of all feudal rights.\n\n\"IV. A suppression of mortmain and personal servitude.\n\n\"V. The produce of the redemption of the estates of the clergy to be\napplied to the augmentation of the salaries of the parish priests.\n\n\"VI. The abolition of the game laws, _capitaineries_.\n\n\"VII. The abolition of seigniorial jurisdictions.\n\n\"VIII. The abolition of the venality of officers.\n\n\"IX. Justice to be rendered gratuitously to the people.\n\n\"X. The abolition of privileged dove-coats and warrens, (a dreadful and\nserious grievance to the French peasant).\n\n\"XI. The redemption of tithes and field-rents.\n\n\"XII. It is forbidden to create in future any rights of the same\nnature, or any other feudal rights whatever.\n\n\"XIII. The abolition of the fees of parish priests, for births,\nmarriages, or deaths, except in the cities.\n\n\"XIV. A speedy augmentation of the benefices of parish priests.\n\n\"XV. A suppression of the _droits d'annates_, or first fruits. (The\nsum paid by France to the pope on this head, ammounted annually to\n357,133_l._ sterling.)\n\n\"XVI. The admission of all ranks of citizens to civil and military\nemployments.\n\n\"XVII. The suppression of the duties of removal, paid by parish priests\nto the bishops in certain provinces.\n\n\"XVIII. The suppression of corporations and wardenships.\n\n\"XIX. The suppression of the plurality of livings.\n\n\"XX. A medal to be struck to consecrate this memorable day; expressive\nof the abolition of all the privileges, and of the complete union of\nall the provinces and all the citizens.\n\n\"XXI. _Te Deum_ to be sung in the king's chapel, and throughout all\nFrance.\n\n\"XXII. Louis XVI. proclaimed the restorer of public liberty.\"\n\nThere were several other articles, _viz._\n\nThe abolition of all unmerited pensions.\n\nAll artizens to be exempt from taxes, who employ no journeymen.\n\nAll suits for seignioral and royal rights, then pending in the courts,\nto be suspended till the constitution shall be completed.\n\nAll the interior councils were suppressed; and the cabinet were\ncomposed of the following ministers, who were responsible for every\nmeasure of state:\n\n1. M. Necker, minister of the finances, or first lord of the treasury.\n\n2. M. Montmorin, secretary for the foreign department.\n\n3. M. St. Priest, secretary for the home department.\n\n4. M. de la Lazurne, minister of the marine department.\n\n5. M. le Comt\u00e9 de la Tour du Piu Paulin, minister of the war department.\n\n6. M. l'Archeveque de Bourdeaux, keeper of the seal.\n\n7. M. l'Archeveque de Vienne, minister for bishops and abbies.\n\n8. M. le Prince de Beauveau, to be of the council, but with no\nparticular department.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XVIII.\n\n _A Declaration of the Rights which have been adopted by the National\n Assembly.--Reductions made from the Annual Revenues.--Two Banks\n established.--Criminals may employ Counsel, &c._\n\n\n\"The representatives of the people of France, constituted in national\nassembly, considering that ignorance, forgetfulness, or neglect of\nthe rights of man, are the sole causes of public misfortunes, and of\nthe corruption of governments, have resolved to explain, in a solemn\ndeclaration, the natural imprescriptible, inalienable, and sacred\nrights of man; to the end that this declaration, being constantly\npresented to all the members of society, may unceasingly recal to their\nminds their duties and their rights; and to the end that the acts of\nlegislative and executive powers, being at all times compared with the\ndesign of the political institution, may be more respected, and that\nthe appeals of the citizens, being founded henceforward on plain and\nincontestible principles, may always tend to the maintenance of the\nconstitution and the general happiness.\n\n\"The National Assembly, in consequence, recognizes and declares in\nthe presence, and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the sacred\nrights of the man and the citizen.\n\n\"I. Men are born and remain free and equal in their rights. No\ndistinction can be founded, but in principles of general utility.\n\n\"II. The object of all society ought to be the preservation of the\nnatural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are his\nliberty, his property, his security, and the resistance of oppression.\n\n\"III. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the\nnation; and no authority, which is not expressly derived from thence,\ncan be exercised by any associations, or any individual.\n\n\"IV. Liberty consists in the power of doing every thing which does not\ninjure another person: Thus the exercise of the natural rights of every\nman, have no other boundaries, than those which assure to men the free\nexercise of the same rights. These boundaries cannot be determined by\nlaw.\n\n\"V. The law ought to prohibit only such actions as are injurious\nto society. That which is not forbidden by the law, should not be\nprevented; and no person can be compelled to do what the law does not\nordain.\n\n\"VI. The law is the expression of the general will; and all\ncitizens have a right to contribute, either personally, or by their\nrepresentatives, to its formation. The law, whether it protects or\npunishes, ought to be the same to all. All citizens being equal\nin its regard, are equally admissible to all dignities, places,\nand employments, according to their capacities, without any other\ndistinction than what arises from their virtues and their talents.\n\n\"VII. No man can be accused, arrested, or retained, but in the case\ndetermined by the law, and under the forms which it has prescribed.\nThose who solicit, forward, execute, or cause to be punished. Every\ncitizen called on or arrested by the power of the law, ought to obey,\nand renders himself culpable by resistance.\n\n\"VIII. The law should establish no punishments but what are strictly\nand evidently necessary; and no person can be punished but by the\npower of the law established; promulgated at a period anterior to the\noffence, and legally applied.\n\n\"IX. Every man shall be presumed innocent until he is condemned. If\nit be deemed indispensibly necessary that he should be detained in\ncustody, all rigour that is not absolutely necessary to secure his\nperson, should be severely repressed by law.\n\n\"X. No person shall be disturbed for his opinions, even though on\nreligion, provided that the manifestation of those opinions does not\ndisturb the public order established by law.\n\n\"XI. The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most\nprecious rights of man. Every citizen shall, therefore, speak, write,\nand print his opinions freely, still being responsible for the abuse of\nhis liberty, in cases prescribed by the law.\n\n\"XII. The security of the rights of man and of citizens requires a\npublic force; but this force is instituted for the advantage of all,\nand not for the particular use of those to whom it is confided.\n\n\"XIII. For the maintenance of the public force, and the other expences\nof government, contribution is necessary; but this should be as common\nas it is indispensible, and should be levied equally on all citizens,\nin proportion to their ability.\n\n\"XIV. Every citizen has a right, either by himself or his\nrepresentatives, to establish the necessity of the public contribution,\nto consent to it freely, to look to its application, and to determine\non its quota, the assessment, and duration.\n\n\"XV. Society has a right to demand from every public agent an account\nof his administration.\n\n\"XVI. Every society, if the guarantee of the individual rights is not\nassured, and the distinction of the several powers ascertained, is\nwithout a constitution.\n\n\"XVII. The right of property being inviolable and secured, no person\ncan be deprived of his, but when the public necessity, legally\nestablished, shall evidently demand it, and then only on the just and\nprevious assurance of indemnification.\"\n\n In Sept. 1789, the National Assembly resolved, it is said, to make the\n following Reductions from the Annual Income:\n\n                                                              Livres.\n\n   1. The household of the king, queen, and princes          8,000,000\n   2. The foreign department                                 8,300,000\n   3. The war ditto                                          8,900,000\n   4. The marine ditto                                       2,000,000\n   5. The finance ditto                                      1,000,000\n   6. The pensions, besides the reductions made before       6,000,000\n   7. The intendants and delegates                           1,800,000\n   8. The registers and farmer-general                       2,600,000\n   9. The mint                                               1,700,000\n  10. The premiums and encouragements to trade                 600,000\n  11. The royal gardens                                         36,000\n  12. ---- ---- library                                         62,000\n  13. ---- ---- stud, to be suppressed                         800,000\n  14. The contingencies                                      2,500,000\n  15. The fund reserved for lotteries, to be suppressed        173,000\n  16. The plantation of forests                                817,000\n  17. The clergy                                             2,502,000\n  18. The charities                                          5,511,000\n                                                            ----------\n                                                     Livres 53,301,000\n                                                 Sterling \u00a3. 2,220,875\n\nAnd I understand that two public banks have been established; one\nconsisting of about 205 millions of livres, and the other of near 273\nmillions.\n\nCriminals are now permitted to employ counsel, bring evidence, and have\nthe benefit of a trial by jury, in France.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XIX.\n\n _An Account of several Insurrections, Mobs, and Riots in_ France.--_Of\n an Attempt to seize and kill the Queen.--The King, Queen, &c. go from_\n Versailles _to_ Paris.--_An Account of several other Riots.--The King,\n a wise and prudent Man._\n\n\nIt appears by the information I received in France, and a number of\npublications that I have read, that there have been divers tumults\nand outrages in different parts of the kingdom, in consequence of the\nRevolution: for besides the taking of the Bastille, where more than\nthree hundred were slain, exclusive of those that were afterwards\nexecuted, hostilities have commenced in other places. It has been said,\nthey first began in the park of the _Thuilleries_, by a regiment of\nGerman troops, commanded by Le Prince Lambache, who is cousin to the\nqueen. This park being thronged by Parisians, and the prince conceiving\nsomething that had passed among the people as a gross insult, ordered\nhis regiment to fire:--His orders were obeyed. The populace immediately\nbeat to arms, and a vast concourse joined the standard, drove the\nprince and his regiment out of the park, and obliged them to fly to\nGermany. The prince narrowly escaped with his life. His carriage was\nburnt to ashes, his horses killed, and a reward was offered for his\nhead. How many were slain in this action I have not been able to learn.\n\nThe people have been much enraged against Le Compte de Artois, and have\nsupposed that he was the author of their wrongs. His estate has been\nconfiscated, and his horses, with three hundred of his houses, sold. It\nwas thought at Paris, that he cannot return at present with safety.\n\nSome time in the spring, 1789, a proprietor to a large manufactory\nin Paris, reported that fifteen sous per day would be sufficient to\nsupport a journeyman and his family, providing certain taxes were\nabolished. His house was soon surrounded by the manufacturers, who came\nin a very hostile manner. The guards were sent to preserve the peace.\nBut the enraged multitude killed several of the soldiers with stones.\nThe military was drawn forth, and a battle ensued, in which more then\nsix hundred persons were killed on the spot.\n\nAt St. Germin and Poissy, the populace seized all the arms belonging\nto the invalids; and upwards of six hundred went to the house of one\nSauvage, where they found between six and seven hundred sacks of flour.\nHe was a miller, and it is probable they supposed he meant to hoard up\nhis flour. He was dragged to a convent, was examined by the friars, and\ndeclared innocent: but notwithstanding, the mob led him to a butcher,\nwho cut off his head; and carried it about the streets; and they were\nso inhuman as to insist upon the miller's sons being present at the\nexecution. His daughter, unable to bear the sight, threw herself over\nthe bridge, into the water, and was drowned.\n\nDreadful were the outrages committed at Rouen: Many of the citizens\nwere killed by the troops, and some suffered greatly by the populace,\nwho ransacked and pillaged all the houses where they suspected corn\nwas concealed. Two vessels were stripped, and all sorts of carriages\nattacked and robbed.\n\nOn the 14th of July, 1789, an insurrection happened at Lions, wherein\nthree peasants were killed by the dragoons, who suppressed the mob.\n\nAt the castle of Quinsay, as an immense crowd of citizens and soldiers\nwere amusing themselves with festivity and dancing, on account of the\nRevolution, they were blown up by a powder plot, and found floating in\ntheir blood. Scattered corpses, and dissevered members, palpitating\nfor life, were seen, after some spectators had arrived, near the place\nwhere the horrible catastrophe happened. This plot was supposed to be\nlaid by the very man who had prepared the feast, and had invited the\npeople, but had withdrawn himself before the powder took fire.\n\nOn the 5th of Oct. 1789, 5,000 women, armed with different weapons,\nmarched from Paris to Versailles, followed by a great multitude of\npeople, among which were several detachments of the city militia. The\nMarquis de la Fayette arrived at Versailles late in the evening, with\n20,000 corps, who were under arms all night, in order to prevent acts\nof violence.\n\nAbout two in the morning of the 6th, a number of persons in women's\ndresses, many of whom, it is said, were guards, having gained the\noutward entrances of the castle, forced their way into the palace, and\nwent up the stair-case leading to the queen's apartment, with an intent\nto seize and murder her; but they were fired upon by the king's guard.\nSeventeen were killed on the spot, the rest retreated, and things\nremained quiet till day-light.\n\nThe Parisian troops demanding an entrance into the palace, were fired\nupon by a regiment of the king's body guard. The Parisians returned\nthe fire; and the action becoming more general, the Count de Lusignan,\ncommandant of a regiment of Flanders, ordered his troops to fire, but\nthey refused, and laid down their arms. The king's body guard finding\nthemselves overpowered, took to flight. The troops then forced the\nentrances of the castle, but were prevented from entering the palace by\nthe prudent management and command of M. de la Fayette. It is thought\nthat the king, queen, and royal family, would have fallen victims to\nthe troops, had they entered the palace.\n\nThe Marquis was soon introduced to the king, with some of the\nmagistrates of Paris, and communicated the desire of the city,\nthat he might conduct his majesty and the royal family thither. On\nbeing assured of protection, the king complied with the request; and\ntheir majesties, with the dauphin, &c. the king's aunts, with their\nattendants, proceeded toward town in eighteen carriages, attended by M.\nde la Fayette, and about 5,000 guards.\n\nThe road from Versailles was so thronged by the mob, notwithstanding\n50,000 Parisian troops had been sent to keep the way clear, that the\nroyal family were eight hours in reaching the _Hotel de Ville_, though\nonly twelve miles distance.\n\nThis tedious journey must have been rendered the more painful, by the\nthoughts of being led captives in triumph to the city of Paris, and the\nfear of what might follow.\n\nThe king, with the royal family, stayed near two hours at the _Hotel\nde Ville_, and were afterwards conducted to the old ruinous place of\nthe _Thuilleries_, which had not been inhabited since the days of Lewis\nXIV. and where nothing was prepared for their reception.\n\nThe regiment of the king's body guards, both officers and privates,\nwere composed of persons of the second order of nobility in France.\nAbout thirty of them were killed, and their heads carried in triumph to\nParis, and shewn about the streets on tent poles. Eighty were carried\nprisoners to this city; but the rest saved themselves by flight. About\nfifty of the Parisian troops and mob were killed in the affray.\n\nOn the 7th, the avenues of the _Thuilleries_ were guarded by 1000 men,\nand the gates of the palace were secured by a train of cannon, to\nprevent any surprize or escape.\n\nThis day being court day, their majesties received the foreign\nministers in the palace. The king looked uncommonly dejected; the queen\nwas in tears the whole time, and only talked a little to the imperial\nambassador. The sight was uncommonly gloomy, and the court broke up\nafter a short time.\n\nIn the evening the districts of Paris passed a resolution, that the\nregiment of the king's body guard should be immediately broken, and\nnever more revived; and that in future his majesty should be guarded by\ncitizens instead of soldiers.\n\nThis evening the National Assembly at Versailles resolved to adjourn to\nParis; and that its meeting should ever be inseparable from the king's\nplace of residence.\n\nJust before the affray at Versailles, several riots had commenced at\nParis.\n\nIt is said, that whilst the king, queen, &c. were on their journey from\nVersailles, nothing but the watchful eye of the Marquis de la Fayette,\nand the confidential guards around the royal coaches, prevented the mob\nfrom committing the most violent outrages. The queen's name was handed\nabout in very gross terms: One barbarian asked his companion, \"Whether\nhe thought her head would not make a very pretty tennis-ball?\" In\nshort, her majesty must be in the most imminent danger.\n\nThe harmless spectators were in a dangerous condition at this\ntumultuous scene. An English gentleman, dressed in white clothes, on\na riotous day, was seized by a mob, when one cried out, \"That is the\nmiller of----, who secreted so many bags of flour:\" He told them he was\nan Englishman, and was innocent: but all was in vain: they insisted he\nwas the man; and he was so much affrighted that he spake nothing but\nFrench.\n\nThey dragged him to the place of execution, he protesting all the way\nthat he was an Englishman: at last one of the mob cried out, \"D----n\nyou, if you are an Englishman, speak _English_.\" He then spake in his\nown language, and was released.\n\nBesides these insurrections, I understand that two happened in May\nlast: one was at Montpellier, and the other at Saumur, where several\nlives were lost.\n\nI was told in Paris, that the king would have lost his kingdom, if he\nhad not been a wise and prudent man; that had he opposed the National\nAssembly, he would have been no longer king. And it was reported\nthat the representatives of the nation, are able to raise an army of\nseventeen hundred thousand men, in the defence of liberty.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XX.\n\n _Of the Birth, Marriage, and Character of the King of France--Of the\n Birth and Character of the Queen.--An Account of the Dauphin, and of\n the Princess Royal.--Where the Royal Family may be seen._\n\n\nHis most Christian Majesty, Lewis XVI. king of France and Navarre, was\nborn August 23, 1753. He was married May 16, 1770; to Marie Antoinette,\nsister to the late Emperor of Germany. The king began to reign, May\n10, 1774; and was crowned June 11, 1775. He is of a middling stature,\nsomething corpulent, and of a light complexion. His majesty is good\nhumoured, very humane, kind, and affable; and as he is easy of access,\nand possesses the most amiable virtues, he is much beloved by his\npeople.\n\nThe queen was born November 2, 1755. She is very handsome, and of a\ncivil, mild, complaisant, and obliging deportment. And although the\npublic clamour was violent againt her for a time, on a supposition that\nshe wished the king absolute; yet I was informed, that the spirit of\ndiscontent has subsided.\n\nMadame la princesse royal is about thirteen years of age. She is very\nhandsome, and possesses excellent accomplishments.\n\nThe dauphin is about seven years old: an active, beautiful child.\n\nThe royal family may be seen at the royal chapel on Sundays, and also\nupon every other day in the week, at the same place, when they are at\nParis.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XXI.\n\n _Some of the Nobility and Clergy opposed to the Revolution.--Monks\n and Nuns have Liberty to marry.--The Standing Army reduced.--Soldiers\n Wages augmented--And the Incomes of the lower Orders of the\n Clergy.--Why the Revolution is called Glorious.--The Protest of a\n Bishop.--Observations on the King's Oath._\n\n\nIt is said, that some of the nobility and clergy are much opposed to\nthe Revolution, because the titles of honour are abolished, the annual\nincomes diminished, and all are obliged to pay taxes in proportion to\ntheir abilities.\n\nI was informed, that the salaries of the bishops are reduced from\ntwenty-five thousand pounds _per annum_, to one thousand; only that\nsome of them could not live with twenty-five thousand, without running\nin debt, and that they are now in a disagreeable situation.\n\nIt was reported that the National Assembly have given leave to the\nmonks and nuns to marry, a privilege that people of those orders have\nbeen debarred from through many ages and generations. I asked, what\nmust be done on account of the solemn vows by which they had devoted\nthemselves to Heaven, by engaging to shun the pomps and vanities of\nthis wicked world, and the sinful lusts of the flesh? and was informed\nthat they were all absolved and abolished.\n\nThe standing army is to be reduced from two hundred to one hundred\nand fifty thousand: but the soldiers' wages have been augmented: and\nalthough the incomes of the bishops are greatly reduced, yet those of\nthe inferior orders of the clergy are to be increased; and the sale of\njudicial offices will no longer be permitted. The impost on salt is\nalso abolished.\n\nBefore the Revolution the king had the disposal of the whole of the\nnational revenue; and with unbounded generosity gave 1,500,000 pounds\nannually to the nobility, as I was informed.\n\nSome call the Revolution in France _Glorious_,\n\n1. Because (they say) that no Revolution ever conferred _liberty_ and\n_equal laws_ upon so great a number of people.\n\n2. Because it has been brought about with so little effusion of blood.\n\n3. Because they suppose that other nations will follow the laudable\nexample, until liberty, in its meridian splendor, is extended and\nestablished through the world!\n\nIt is said, that the prince bishop of Spiers has again solemnly\nprotested against the proceedings of the National Assembly, in\nchoosing mayors, and municipal members in the towns and places of\nElsas, belonging to his bishopric, and other innovations against his\nrights and privileges. In this important protest he says, \"That he\nhad laid before the king, in the most earnest manner, his opposition\nto the decrees of the National Assembly; which decrees had absolutely\noverset all the existing treaties with France: that he had delivered a\nmemorial to the emperor and to the realm upon this important subject;\nnotwithstanding which they had proceeded to the appointment of new\nmunicipal officers in Elsas, according to the decrees of the National\nAssembly, and against his right of jurisdiction and appointment; that\nthe new mayors committed great outrages, and set his subjects against\npaying him any dues, and were endeavouring to make them throw off his\ndominion:\" and he concludes by saying, \"that his powers leave him no\nother remedy than to _protest_ against what is done, which he does in\nthe most solemn manner.\"\n\nA spirit of discontent will undoubtedly reign for a time among some\nof those that have had their incomes diminished in consequence of the\nResolution.\n\nAgreeable to the bishop's opinion, in regard to the existing treaties,\n&c. being overset, is the following paragraph, inserted in the St.\nJames's Chronicle, July 24, 1790.\n\n\"The king of France has now bound himself by a sacred oath, to adhere\nto the decrees of the National Assembly, and support the constitution\nin its renovated form; consequently there is an end to all foreign\ninterferences on his behalf, either in Spain, Sardinia, or any other\nquarter. To countenance such an interference would be an act of\nperjury, and justify his subjects in such measures as might be fatal\nto himself and the whole house of Bourbon. His majesty may be deemed\nunfortunate; but no prince ranks higher in the estimation of mankind,\nas an honest and conscientious man.\"\n\nThe National Assembly have decreed to strengthen, by a treaty, the\nfamily compact between France and Spain, and to augment the Gallic navy\nin consequence of the armaments of the different nations in Europe.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XXII.\n\n _The_ Author _sets out for_ London.--_Falls in Company with\n a Lady.--Arrives at_ Amiens.--_Views the Convent, Cathedral, &c. in\n Company with the Lady--With whom he is left alone.--They discourse\n about Matrimony._\n\n\n  Paris, July 23,\n\nHaving viewed the greatest hospitals and principal curiosities in this\ncity, and the parts adjacent, and obtained an account of the late\nobservations on the operation of medicines, and collected intelligence\nupon political subjects, I paid my reckoning at the hotel, bid the\npeople farewel, and set off for London. My landlady sent a servant\nafter me, praying that I would put up there again when I came to Paris.\nI returned her my thanks, and told the servant that I would endeavour\nto come there if I should ever visit the city again.\n\nSome days before I had engaged a passage back to London, on board the\ndiligences, for which I paid five _Louis d'ors_. My servant who had\nwaited upon me, seemed urgent I should take him to England, having\nan inclination to live with me; which I should have done, had I not\ndetermined to spend much of my time in travelling.\n\nI left Paris about noon, in company with two Spanish, one French, one\nIrish, and two English gentlemen: one of the latter was a lawyer, who\nhad travelled through many countries on the European continent.\n\nI inquired where we should dine; and was informed that we were to have\nno dinner that day, unless we payed for it ourselves, although we were\nto be found on the way, according to the agreement we had made when we\npaid for our fare, entertainment, &c. at Paris.\n\nAs we had no inclination to starve, we stopped at a hotel, where we\ndined and paid for our dinners a second time.\n\nAt evening we came to Clermont, where we supped and lodged, but was\ncalled up before day-light, to proceed on our journey. At this place\na lady came into our coach, who had come in a post-chaise on the\npreceding day from Paris.\n\n\n  July 24.\n\nAt about twelve we came to Amiens, having breakfasted by the way. We\nput up at a hotel, where the lady that came in company with us, said\nshe had an inclination to go and see the convent. Several of us waited\nupon her to the convent; but just after we had set out, she said she\nhad so much silver with her that she could not walk; and desired I\nwould ease her of a part of her burthen. I took a large number of her\ncrowns into my pocket, and she walked betwixt the lawyer and myself.\nAfter we had viewed the convent, and conversed with the nuns, we went\nto a very elegant cathedral church at Notre Dame, where some of the\ninside pillars are said to be one hundred and thirty feet high. The\npulpit is made of beautiful white marble, gilt with gold, and the\ncloths of the altar are ornamented with beautiful gold and silver\nembroidery: many rich vessels, and other splendid ornaments also\ndignify this cathedral.\n\nAfterwards we viewed the town, in which are eleven parish churches.\nAmiens is the capital of the province of Picardie, which is esteemed\nthe most fruitful of all the provinces in France, for corn and flax. As\nwe continued our walk, our company took a wrong street, and left me\nwith the lady. Now, forsooth, said I to myself, we shall be taken for\n_man_ and _wife_; however, that will not trouble me, inasmuch as she\nis a decent behaved person, and one that appears to have an excellent\neducation, with a proper share of good sense and understanding.\n\nShe told me by the way that she belonged to Great Britain, but had had\nher education in a convent in France: That she had been a widow about\nthree years, was left with four children, _viz._ with two sons and two\ndaughters, and had been to Paris to get her daughters into a convent,\nas she esteemed such places to be the best for the instruction of young\npersons.\n\nI told her that as she was but young herself, it was probable she\nwould marry again; but she said that she did not intend to marry. Said\nI, Perhaps you will alter your mind, peradventure you may find an\nagreeable companion. Said she, If I should be inclined to marry, nobody\nwill have me, because I have so many children. My answer was, You\nought not to be despised because you have children. Undoubtedly many\nwould be glad to marry you, though you have sons and daughters. As we\nhad arrived at the hotel, we dropped our discourse upon this subject;\nI returned her silver, and she thanked me for my kindness. She was a\nbeautiful woman, and was besides well stocked with cash, which often\n_makes the mare to go_. But as I was not in pursuit of a wife, I did\nnot attempt to court her on my own account; but told her, however, that\nI believed I could send her an agreeable companion.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XXIII.\n\n _The Lady concludes to lodge at_ Abbeville.--_Observations on her\n Plan.--She being disappointed about getting a Post-chaise, continues\n in the Stage Coach.--A short Description of_ Montreul.--_They arrive\n at_ Calais.--_Embark for and arrive at_ Dover.--_Of Disputes upon\n Philosophical Subjects._\n\n\n  Saturday, July 24.\n\nWe dined at the hotel, and set off towards London. Sometime before\nnight, our lady told me, that she was almost beat out; that she had\nhad but a little sleep for several nights, and intended to lodge at\nAbbeville, and go from thence in a post-chaise in the morning to\nCalais; as she supposed that she could get there as soon that way, as\nshe should if she kept in the stage coach, which was to travel all\nnight. She told me, by the way, that she had no company, and wished she\ncould get somebody to ride in the post-chaise with her. I informed her,\nthat I had paid for my passage and entertainment to London: but if she\ncould do no better, I would tarry all night, and ride with her in the\nmorning. She thanked me, and said, it should cost me nothing; for _she\nhad money enough_.\n\nNow, thought I, you are opening a fine door for another discourse upon\nmatrimony; now you are laying a foundation whereby we may be taken\nfor man and wife. This may be an artful plan of yours to get another\nhusband, as you may suppose I am a batchelor, or a widower; and that\nwe may converse, eat, drink, and even sleep together, and escape\nundiscovered.\n\nShe said she was in a great hurry to get to England; that she had\ntarried longer than she had expected, and wanted to see her family,\nas she supposed they thought she was dead by that time: and withal\ninformed me that she lived forty miles from London. But I did not ask\nher name, thinking it would be an impertinent question, and esteemed\nunpolite.\n\nAt length we arrived at Abbeville, where we supped; and as our lady\nfound she could not have a post-chaise till the next Monday, and as\nshe felt much refreshed by her supper, she concluded to take the stage\nagain. We travelled all night, and arrived in the morning at Montreul,\nwhere we viewed the town and went to breakfast.\n\nThis town is situated on a high hill, and is strongly fortified with\ngreat walls, intrenchments, &c. There are some good buildings in it,\nand many genteel inhabitants.\n\nFrom Montreul we went to Boulogn, where we were obliged to dine at too\nearly an hour, _viz._ at about eleven. Many of us had an inclination\nnot to dine at all; but on being informed that there would be no other\ndinner for us, we consented. We left this place about twelve, and\narrived at Calais at about four in the afternoon, much fatigued with\nour journey.\n\nAs we had rode all night, we escaped being haunted by the beggars,\nwhich I have spoken of in the beginning of this _Tour_; and from hence\nit did not cost me quite so much to come from Paris as it did to go\nthere.\n\nWe drank tea and supped at the hotel in Calais, and were visited again\nby the same monk or priest, who had begged of me at the hotel before.\nWe gave him some money, and he pronounced a blessing, and departed.\n\nAs the tide was down, we were not able to set off for Dover till\nlate in the evening. At about nine we were obliged to go down near\nthe vessel, and tarry till it was high-water, because we had to pass\nthrough several gates that the people were ordered to shut at that hour.\n\nWe stayed at a public-house, where we drank punch, negus, &c. and at\nabout eleven we embarked for Dover, and arrived at our desired haven\nabout four the next morning, having had a very pleasant and agreeable\npassage. But as it was low water when we came to Dover, we were obliged\nto go ashore in a boat, and to pay three shillings a-piece to the\nboatman for carrying us about half a mile.\n\nWhilst I was on the way to and from Paris, we had some warm debates\nupon several philosophical subjects, _viz._ Chymestry, electricity,\nthe cause of earthquakes, the variation of the compass; the formation,\npreservation, and dissolution of the human body, &c. and, although I do\nnot take much delight in arguments, but have rather endeavoured to shun\nand avoid them as much as possible; yet inasmuch as I had begun upon\na good basis, and found myself violently opposed, I stood my ground,\nsupported and maintained my cause, and at last had the satisfaction of\nseeing my opponents convinced of their error.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XXIV.\n\n _Further Claims on our Bounty.--French Coin exchanged for\n English.--Views the Castle and Town of_ Dover.--_Arrives at_\n Canterbury.--_A Description of the Abbey.--Comes to_ Rochester, _and\n at length reaches_ Piccadilly.\n\n\n  July 26.\n\nWhen we had arrived at Dover we breakfasted at the hotel, where the\ncaptain of the vessel, the steward, porters, &c. came and begged of us.\nWe gave the captain half a crown a-piece, and something to the rest of\nthe beggars; but were now obliged to get our French money changed for\nEnglish, and to lose considerably by the exchange.\n\nAfterwards we walked upon the High-lands at Dover, and viewed the\ncastle and the town: and when the tide was up, our vessel arrived with\nour baggage: our trunks were searched at the Custom-house, and one in\nour company, who had brought a number of prints from Paris, had them\nseized, because they were prohibited goods. A thing he said he did not\nknow till they were taken from him. He told me they were worth about\nthirty pounds.\n\nWhen our business was done at the Custom-house, we returned to the\nhotel, where our lady, the lawyer, and one of the merchants, set off\nin a post-chaise for London, because they had not paid their fare any\nfurther than to Calais, and could travel faster in the chaise than\nthey could in the diligences. I told the lady before we parted, that\nI intended to give the public a narration of my journey. She prayed I\nwould let her have one, and promised to call on me when she came to\nLondon.\n\nThe two Spanish gentlemen, a Frenchman, and two other gentlemen,\nwith myself, left Dover about noon, and dined at Canterbury, where\nwe viewed the abbey, which is a very ancient and elegant building: A\npart of it has been built eleven hundred years. We were there in the\ntime of divine worship. They chanted the service, and their vocal\nand instrumental music was very excellent: The former bishops of\nCanterbury are buried here, and there are many statues and paintings in\ncommemoration of ancient kings, bishops, and generals.\n\nBefore we left the hotel we were obliged to pay for the wine we had\ndrank.\n\nAt about ten in the evening we came to Rochester, where we called for\nsupper: but were informed that if we had one we must pay for a part of\nit, as the money was all exhausted that we had paid for our passages\nand entertainment, excepting five shillings. We had a supper, and\npaid an extravagent price for it, but were careful to have the five\nshillings deducted.\n\nAfter we had supped, we pursued our journey, and arrived at the White\nBear Inn, Piccadilly, about five the next morning, greatly fatigued;\nas we had been but about eighty-nine hours upon our journey, which is\nnineteen hours short of the time commonly allowed for the performance\nthereof. I had not been in bed for three nights, only I lay down a few\nminutes on a mattress when we were crossing the English Channel.\n\nI do not think that the owners of the diligences can afford to carry\npeople to and from Paris for a less sum than what they demand, nor to\ngive better entertainment than such as we received, as it is a great\ndistance, and half a guinea is given, out of five for the conveyance\nof a passenger over the English Channel: but people ought to know how\nthey are to fare before they set off to France; and for that reason I\nhave been more minute in many circumstances, than at first sight might\nappear to some to be necessary.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XXV.\n\n _Definition of Liberty.--All have a Right to it, but some deprive\n themselves of that Right by their own Conduct, and some by the\n Conduct of others.--Of the Duty of Nations.--The evil Effects of bad\n Constitutions.--Of the French Revolution.--The happy Condition of the\n British Empire._\n\n\nAs liberty consists in the free exercise of our religion, the enjoyment\nof our rights, and the profits of our labour, with the protection of\nour persons and properties, it is a privilege of an immense value. And\nas it is the natural right of every man, it is our indespensible duty\nto seek after it, whenever we are deprived of its benefits. But we find\nthat many deprive themselves of liberty by their own evil conduct--by\nbreaking the good and wholesome laws of the land, by doing things\ndishonourable to the Creator, and injurious to mankind. Thus thieves,\nrobbers, murderers, &c. destroy their own freedom by their vicious\nbehaviour; and expose themselves, not only to confinement, but to more\nsevere punishments.\n\nWe also find, that many are deprived of liberty by the inhuman conduct\nof tyrants, who oppress and persecute those over whom they have usurped\ndominion and power, by taking from them the liberty of conscience, and\nloading them with burthens which they are unable to bear.\n\nIt is the duty of every nation to guard against all these evils; and\nfrom hence arises the necessity of having a good constitution and\nsystem of laws in every kingdom or state; binding upon all ranks,\norders, and degrees of men. Hence also arises the necessity of having\nkings, counsellors, governors, magistrates, and other officers\nappointed for the administration of justice, and the preservation of\npublic tranquillity.\n\nVarious constitutions and systems of laws have been framed and\nestablished amongst different nations; and where ignorance and\nsuperstition have reigned triumphant, the constitution and laws have\nbeen very deficient, so that things have been established and practised\nthat were repugnant to the principles of justice and humanity. What\nnumerous multitudes have been massacred for a difference of opinion\nin matters of religion and modes of worship! And how many thousands\nhave worn out their days in vassalage and slavery, because laws have\nbeen made contrary to the requisitions of the great law of reason!\nBut whenever the minds of the people are illuminated, and the clouds\nof darkness, ignorance and superstition are dispelled, the spirit\nof liberty breaks forth like the sun in its meridian splendor. The\nconstitutions are altered, oppressive laws abolished, the bands of\ntyranny and oppression are broken asunder, distressed objects are\ndischarged from confinement, the liberal and mechanical arts and\nsciences thrive and flourish, and all enjoy those liberties which are\nthe natural right of every man.\n\nThe illumination of the minds of the people in France, has been\nproductive of the great and glorious Revolution; of the forming of\na new constitution, the enacting of new laws, and the abolishing of\nthose things that were repugnant to the interest and prosperity of the\nkingdom. How pleasing must it be to see both the King and the National\nAssembly unite together in establishing the new constitution, and in\npromoting whatever may conduce to the good of the nation, and benefit\nof mankind in general! May the flame of liberty, like the refulgent\nbeams of the sun, be extended over the face of the whole globe; and\nmay all nations partake of the great and glorious blessings of natural\nfreedom!\n\nAnd with pleasure we recollect, that once in the _British Empire_, the\ninhabitants, fired with the love of liberty, drove ignorance, darkness,\nand superstition before them; made a glorious stand for their rights,\nand were thereby brought into a happy situation. We are now blest with\na good king, with good rulers, and with a good constitution and system\nof laws.--Here a man enjoys a free toleration of religion.--Here he\nis rewarded for his labour.--Here he is protected in his person and\nproperty.--Here agriculture, navigation, trade, commerce, architecture,\nand the manufactories thrive and flourish; and the nation has arrived\nto an inconceivable pitch of grandeur and affluence. Our constitution,\nbeing pregnant with a variety of privileges, is admired by distant\nnations: foreigners come from afar, and find shelter and protection,\nliberty and freedom, under our government!\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XXVI.\n\n  THE GREAT\n\n  CONSTITUTION\n\n  OF\n\n  LIBERTY,\n\n  Founded upon the Principles of Justice,\n  and the Laws of Humanity.\n\n\nEvery constitution and system of laws ought to be constructed upon the\nprinciples of justice and humanity, which will ensure the rights of a\nking, and the peace, liberty, and happiness of his subjects. I shall\ntherefore beg leave to observe:\n\n1. That every man has a legal right to perform religious worship\naccording to the dictates of his conscience, at such times and places\nas shall be most agreeable to himself; providing he doth not injure\nothers in their persons, characters, or properties.\n\n2. That it is unlawful to persecute any of the human race, for a\ndifference of opinion in matters of religion or modes of worship.\n\n3. That public teachers are needful to instruct people in the\nprinciples of religion and morality.\n\n4. That good rulers, both in church and state, ought to be reasonably\nrewarded for their services, out of the public funds; and impowered to\nremove officers for malconduct; and, by and with the advice and consent\nof the body corporate, to expel members for vicious practices.\n\n5. That the freedom of speech, and the liberty of the press, are the\nnatural rights of every man, providing he doth not injure himself nor\nothers by his conversation, or publications.\n\n6. That legislative and executive officers, consisting of kings,\ncounsellors, governors, judges, magistrates, representatives, and other\nrulers, are necessary to make and execute laws for the preservation of\nthe public tranquillity in empires, kingdoms, and states.\n\n7. That it is unlawful for rulers to make and execute laws repugnant to\nthose of the great _Governor_ of the universe, or destructive to the\npeace and prosperity of the community at large.\n\n8. That the people have a right to chuse and send delegates, to\nrepresent their state and condition in a legislative assembly.\n\n9. That a legislative body ought to consist of a mixture of\nmonarchical, aristocratical, and democratical governments, and be\ndivided into three branches, as that of a king, lords, and commons.\n\n10. That each branch ought to have a negative voice on the other\nbranches; and no bill ought to be passed into a law without the advice\nand consent of, at least, two-thirds of the members of two of the\nbranches of the legislature.\n\n11. That legislators ought to meet once in a year, and as much oftener\nas the circumstances of the nation may require, at such times and\nplaces as may be most convenient.\n\n12. That the people have a right to petition the legislature for a\nredress of grievances.\n\n13. That every branch of an empire ought to be subject to the supreme\nlegislative head of a nation: To render all proper honour and obedience\nto the king, and to all in authority, and to be subordinate to the good\nand wholesome laws of the land.\n\n14. That a king ought to be considered as the first supreme legislative\nand executive officer in a kingdom, and to be empowered to grant\npardons to criminals whenever it may be needful. He has a right to a\nfree liberty of conscience; to protection in his person, character, and\nproperty; to rule and govern his people according to the constitution,\nstatutes, laws and ordinances of his realm; to that honour and\nobedience that is due to personages in such an exalted station; and to\nsuch a revenue as his circumstances may require, and his subjects be\nable to raise.\n\n15. That no man ought to be chosen into office, unless he is endowed\nwith wisdom and knowledge, and can be well recommended for good works\nand pious actions.\n\n16. That it is lawful to confer titles of honour upon, and to give\nrewards to such persons as may merit them, by their vigorous exertions\nand good conduct.\n\n17. That legislators ought to be exempted from being arrested for debt,\nwhilst they are passing to, remain at, and are returning from the\nlegislative assemblies, because an arrestment would impede the public\nservice.\n\n18. That courts of justice ought to be established, and justice\nadministered to all, without respect of persons.\n\n19. That every man ought to be allowed a trial by jury.\n\n20. That those under confinement ought to know what they are confined\nfor; who their accusers are; not be compelled to bear witness against\nthemselves; be allowed to bring evidence, with the benefit of counsel;\nand should not be condemned, unless found guilty by the testimony of\ntwo or three credible witnesses.\n\n21. That excessive bail ought never to be demanded, excessive fines\nrequired, nor excessive punishments inflicted.\n\n22. That criminals under confinement, ought to have no punishment\nlaid upon them, but that which is requisite for the securing of their\nbodies; unless after they have been found guilty, it is ordered by the\njudges, agreeable to the laws of the land.\n\n23. That no man ought to be imprisoned for debt, providing he gives up\nhis property to his creditors, and has not waited his time in idleness,\nnor his estate by intemperance, gaming, or any other vicious practice.\n\n24. That persons falsely imprisoned, ought to be immediately liberated,\nand to have ample satisfaction for the injuries they have received; and\nthose guilty of the abomination of confining the innocent, ought to be\nseverely punished for their atrocious conduct.\n\n25. That every one who is a subject of taxation, ought to be allowed to\nvote for a representative.\n\n26. That every man ought to be taxed in proportion to his abilities.\n\n27. That the power of levying and collecting taxes, duties, imposts,\n&c. with that of coining money, emitting bills of credit, borrowing\nmoney for the public use, entering into treaties and alliances with\nforeign powers, appointing, commissioning, and sending of ambassadors,\nministers, consuls, messengers, &c. belongs to the legislature.\n\n28. That such treaties ought to be esteemed as a part of the law of the\nland; kept inviolate; and whenever they are broken, restitution ought\nto be made to the party injured.\n\n29. That as money is a defence as well as wisdom, a circulating medium\nought to be established, consisting of gold, silver, copper, and\nbills of exchange. Its credit should be kept up, and but one currency\nestablished in a kingdom.\n\n30. That churches ought to be built for the accommodation of the\npeople when they perform religious worship; public schools, colleges,\nacademies, and universities erected, for the promotion of literature;\nhospitals founded for the reception of the sick; work-houses for the\nemployment of idle persons; and prisons for the securing of thieves,\nrobbers, murderers, and other felons;--and societies instituted, for\nthe purpose of making further discoveries and improvements in the\nliberal and mechanical arts and sciences.\n\n31. That custom-houses, post-offices, and post-roads, ought to be\nestablished in every kingdom and state.\n\n32. That weights and measures ought to be alike in every part of an\nempire, if not through the world.\n\n33. That all foreigners ought to be treated with hospitality, and\nprotected by the laws of the land.\n\n34. That the heirs of an estate ought not to be disinherited by reason\nof the ill conduct of their parents; nor thrown out of their posts of\nhonour and profit, in consequence of the unlawful behaviour of their\nrelations.\n\n35. That every author ought to have the benefit of his own productions,\nwhether they be upon theological, mathematical, philosophical,\nphysical, mechanical, or any other subject.\n\n36. That all officers, whether ecclesiastical, civil, or military,\nwith every other person, ought to guard against sedition, treason,\nrebellion, and every thing that may tend to sow discord amongst\nbrethren, destroy the public tranquillity, and make mankind unhappy.\n\nThus have I framed a CONSTITUTION, which appears to me to\nbe according to the law of reason, and the dictates of sound policy.\nPerhaps some things have escaped my observation, that might justly be\nadded. However, I believe that one calculated and established upon\nthese principles, would secure the rights of kings and those of their\nsubjects, which is all that any rational person can desire.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XXVII.\n\n _Of the impossibility of framing a Constitution that will please every\n Body.--Anecdote of two Irishmen.--The Rights of Kings, and Liberties\n of their Subjects, ought to be secured by a good Constitution and\n System of Laws.--Story of the Parson's Wig.--Thoughts on the Mode of\n chusing Representatives.--The Happiness of the People ought to be\n promoted._\n\n\nI cannot expect my political sentiments will please every body, let\nthem be ever so well founded on reason; for there are such a number of\ndiscontented mortals in the world, who lust after dominion and power,\nand such multitudes that do not wish to be under any government at all,\nthat should the _Angel Gabriel_ frame and send a _Constitution_ from\n_Heaven_, some would be found to murmur at it.\n\nMany are of such a craving temper and disposition, that they would\nengross the whole world to themselves, and rule and govern it, were it\nin their power. The ambition of some men is almost boundless.--This\nbrings to my mind an anecdote of two Irishmen, who being intoxicated\nwith liquor at an inn, began to think that they were masters of the\nwhole globe, and agreed to divide it equally between themselves: but\nas the intoxication increased, one of them, who was of a very craving\ndisposition, concluded that he had the best right to the world, and\nswore that he would have it all to himself; whilst the other contended,\nthat he was justly entitled to one half of it, and wanted no more than\nhis right. At last they settled the matter by a number of heavy blows;\nbut whether the world was at last to be equally divided, or whether\none was to have it all, and the other no part of it, I have forgot,\nalthough I had my information from a gentleman who was witness to this\nvery singular contest, and knew something of our _wise_ combatants.\n\nThe same temper and disposition amongst others, has prevailed too\nmuch in the world; and has sometimes broke out into such acts of\nviolence, that kings and nobles have been deprived of their rights,\nand oftentimes the people at large of theirs. A monarch may crave the\nestates, and all the profits of the labours of his subjects; and, on\nthe contrary, the people may crave those things that legally belong\nto their king; and, by acts of violence and injustice, both may lose\ntheir rights. But both of these extremes ought to be carefully guarded\nagainst, and the rights of kings, and those of their subjects, secured\nby a _good Constitution_ and system of laws. Is it not strange that\nmortal men, who can abide but a very short time in this troublesome\nworld, should be so craving as to lust after more riches, honours and\nprofits, than they can enjoy, or that can possibly do them any good?\n\n    \"Why doth the miser all his cares employ,\n    \"To gain those riches that he can't enjoy?\"\n\nWhen the powers of legislation are lodged altogether in one man,\nand the nobles and other inhabitants of a country are shut out from\nhaving any voice in the making of laws; or when the powers are in the\nnobles, or in the people only, it will naturally generate a spirit of\ndiscontent amongst those who have not a share in that power. Will not a\nking feel very uneasy, if he has no part of the legislative power? Will\nnot the nobles be discontented, if they have no part of it? And, will\nnot the people murmur, if they have no share in the same? Therefore,\nto prevent uneasiness, and promote a spirit of union and harmony in\nempires, kingdoms and states, it is best, in my opinion, to have a\nmixture of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy in every legislative\nbody, like the parliament of Great Britain.\n\nThe things of this world are so mutable, that we cannot foretel what\nconstitutions may be established hereafter. And although an astronomer\ncan determine the revolutions and rotations of the rambling planets,\nand point out the directions, stations, and retrogradations of the\nluminaries of heaven, for thousands of years to come; yet he cannot\nforetel what will be done hereafter, even in his own country, or in\nany other part of the globe, in regard to the overturning, altering,\nframing, and establishing of constitutions, kingdoms, or states. It is\nprobable that there may be alterations in these things; and perhaps\nthe future generations may have a greater knowledge in politics than\nthe present, and be able to frame better modes of government than the\nnations are in this age: for if the knowledge of philosophy increases\nin the world, and the glorious sun-shine of liberty and freedom\nbreaks forth, the clouds of darkness and ignorance will be dispelled,\natheism, superstition and idolatry will wear away, and the people be\nfreed from those burthens and impositions that involve many, in the\ndark and benighted corners of the globe, in vassalage and slavery!\nIt is probable they will discover that some constitutions have been\ndeficient, and be able to correct and amend whatever has been amiss.\n\nBut such is the changeableness and discontented tempers of many, that\nthey would be for ever altering that which is even good and complete,\nand so alter till they spoil it,--_like the minister's wig_; an account\nof which I will just relate as I received it.\n\nA _Reverend Divine_ having lost his hair in his old age, bought a large\nwhite wig to cover his naked head; but it displeased his auditors\nto that degree that they had a church-meeting on the subject, and\nconcluded that the wearing of such a large wig was idolatry, and\naccordingly sent a committee to their _Reverend Pastor_, to acquaint\nhim that his congregation was much displeased, &c. He told them that\nhe did not wish to have any uneasiness about the wig, and if they\nthought it was too large they might make it smaller; and delivered\nit to the committee, who laid it before the congregation to have it\naltered; when one cut off a lock of hair in one place, and another in\nanother, &c. till the wig was utterly spoilt. At length they agreed\nthat it was fit to be seen in the pulpit, whereupon it was returned to\nthe owner; who said it could not now be _idolatry_ to wear the wig, for\nit had not the _likeness_ of any thing in _Heaven_ or _Earth_.--Just\nso it is with a constitution that is constructed in the best manner;\nit will not suit every one; and if it is clipped by every discontented\nmortal, it will be wholly ruined, _like the Reverend Divine's wig_.\n\nThere is a vanity that I have seen under the sun, and have often\nwondered that it has not been suppressed in this enlightened age. I\nmean the unjustifiable mode of chusing legislators in some parts of the\nglobe.\n\nWhen the people are called upon to chuse their representatives, a\nnumber will put up in some public place, when perhaps not more than one\nor two is to be chosen. There scaffolds must be erected, publications\nsent forth, mobs convened day after day, harangues delivered, and\nmany thousands spent to induce the freeholders to chuse their\ndelegates--when the whole of the work might be completed in half a day,\nby the people's assembling at the places appointed for the performance\nof religious worship, and carrying in their votes, in writing, to the\nclerk of every parish, who might easily send them to some person that\nmight be authorised in the county to receive and count the same, and\nto promulgate who has the greatest number, or who the people have\nchosen for their legislators. Would not this mode take up less time, be\nmuch easier to the people, and much more commendable, and beneficial\nto the community, than to have the freeholders fatigue themselves by\ncoming a great distance, wasting their time by being kept from their\nemployments, day after day; quarrelling and wrangling about the choice\nof a representative? or, than to have the candidates for such places\nwaste their estates by keeping open houses, giving away victuals,\ndrink, ribbands, cockades, &c. till they have ruined themselves,\nfamilies, and creditors?\n\n\n\n\nTHE\n\nEPISTLE\n\nOf the AUTHOR.\n\n\n\n\nCHAP. XXVIII.\n\n_A Description of the_ Road _to_ Liberty.\n\n\nTo all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the world.\n\n2. Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied unto you.\n\n3. It hath seemed good unto me to promulgate this _Epistle_, and to\nmake known thereby the genuine description of the road which leads to\nthat liberty which is destitute of licentiousness.\n\n4. To mention those things that will make you comfortable in this life,\nand conduct you in the way to everlasting felicity in the realms of\nimmortal bliss and happiness.\n\n5. I beseech you, therefore, to remember that atheism, superstition,\nidolatry, sedition, treason, rebellion, covetousness, theft, robbery,\nmurder, intemperance, debauchery, bad language, gaming, idleness,\nand all kinds of vice, will carry you out of the road that leads to\nliberty, and involve you in destruction and misery.\n\n6. Shun, therefore, all kinds of vice and immorality, and walk in the\npleasant paths of piety and virtue, which will establish your freedom\non a parmanent basis.\n\n7. Let those who doubt the existence of a _Supreme Being_; and, those\nwho worship the sun, moon, or stars;--the birds, beasts, or fishes;--or\nidols made by the hands of men, contemplate upon the works of the\nvisible creation; which will naturally convince them of their error,\nand excite them to pay homage and adoration to Him, who\ncreated, upholds, and governs the universe, and is the only proper\nobject of religious worship.\n\n8. Avoid contentions, divisions and animosities, which too frequently\nterminate in bloodshed and devaluation.\n\n9. Follow peace with all men; break not your oaths of allegiance,\nfulfil your obligations; fear God, honour the king, and those in\nauthority, and be subordinate to the good and wholesome laws of the\nkingdom or state in which you reside.\n\n10. Walk honestly; render to all their dues; pay your debts, and your\nproportion of the public taxes.\n\n11. Be kind to the poor and needy, relieve the oppressed, visit the\nsick, bury the dead, feed the hungry, clothe the naked; and shew\nacts of kindness, charity, and humanity to strangers, captives, and\nprisoners.\n\n12. Love yourselves, your families, and your neighbours; do good to\nyour enemies; avenge not yourselves.\n\n13. Be not high-minded in prosperity, but patient in adversity.\n\n14. Cultivate and improve the liberal and mechanical arts and sciences,\nand promote every thing that may tend to make mankind happy.\n\n15. Be careful of your credit, your time, and your money; shun bad\ncompany, use not bad language, be not idle, waste not your estate\nin superfluities, be temperate and exemplary in your lives and\nconversations.\n\n16. Shun the pollutions that are in the world, suppress that which is\nevil; do as you would be done by, and continually follow that which is\ngood: then will ye be in the road that leads to liberty.\n\n17. Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied unto you all, _Amen_.\n\n This Epistle of the Author, was written from\n _Anglia_, to the inhabitants of the world.\n\n\nFINIS.","title":"Dr. Stearns's Tour from London to Paris","tradition":"philosophy-ethics","translated_text":null,"word_count":26088}