The Models Of
Strassburg, Lille And Three Or Four Others Have Been Taken Away By The
Austrians And Prussians, But I Have Seen Those Of Calais, Dunkirk,
Villefranche, Toulon, And Brest, And In Fact Almost Every Other French
Fortress.
This is one of the most interesting sights in Paris, and for this
we are certainly indebted to the occupation; for I question much if
travellers were ever permitted to see these models until Paris fell into
the hands of the Allies.
Prussian sentries do duty at the doors; how
grating this must be to the old invalids! Among the models I must not omit
to mention a very curious one which represents the battle of Lodi. The town
of Lodi, the bridge and river are admirably executed. The soldiers are
represented by little figures about a quarter of an inch in height and
cobwebs are disposed so as to represent the smoke of the firearms,
Buonaparte and his staff are on horseback on one side of the bridge. There
is also a very fine model of the Hotel des Invalides itself.
From hence we went to the garden and palace of the Luxembourg. These
gardens form the midday and afternoon promenade of that part of the city.
In one wing of the Palace is the Chamber of Peers, elegantly fitted up and
in some respect resembling a Greek theatre. The busts of Cicero, Brutus,
Demosthenes, Phocion and other great men of antiquity adorn the niches of
this chamber and on the grand escalier are the statues in natural size of
Kleber, Dessaix, Caffarelli and other French generals. Report says that
these statues will be removed.
In the picture gallery at the Luxembourg is a choice collection of pictures
of the modern French school such as Guerin, David, etc. The subjects are
extremely well chosen, being taken from the mythology or from ancient and
modern history. I was too glad to find no crucifixions, martyrdoms, nor
eternal Madonnas. I distinguished in particular the Judgment of Brutus
and the Serment des Horaces et des Curiaces. Connoisseurs find the
attitudes too stiff and talk to you of the Italian school; but I prefer
these; yet I had better hold my tongue on this subject, for I am told I
know nothing about painting.
Poor Labedoyere[40] is sentenced to be shot by the Court Martial which
tried him, and the sentence will be carried immediately into execution. His
fate excites universal sympathy, and I have seen many people shed tears
when talking on this subject. He certainly ought to be protected by the
12th Article of the Capitulation. The French are very uneasy; the Allies
have begun to strip the Louvre and there is no talk of what the terms of
peace are to be, or what is the determination of the Allies. This is a
dreadful state of uncertainty for the French people and may lead to a
general insurrection. The Allies continue pouring troops into France and
levying contributions. "Vae victis" seems their motto. France is now a
disarmed nation, and no French uniform is to be seen except that of the
National Guard and the "Garde Royale." France is at the mercy of her
enemies and prostrate at their feet; a melancholy prospect for European
liberty!
The Allies have parades and reviews two or three times a week and the
Sovereigns of Russia, Austria and Prussia constantly attend; Wellington is
their showman. These crowned Heads like mightily playing at soldiers; I
should think His Grace must be heartily tired of them. Massacres and
persecutions of the Protestants have begun to take place in the South of
France, and the priests are at work again threatening with excommunication
and hell the purchasers and inheritors of emigrant estates and church
lands. These priests and emigrants are incorrigible. Frequent quarrels take
place almost every evening in the Palais Royal between the Prussian
officers and the French, particularly some of the officers from the army of
the Loire. I rather suspect these latter are the aggressors. The Prussians
being gorged with plunder come there to eat, drink and amuse themselves and
have as little stomach for fighting as the soldier of Lucullus had after
having enriched himself; but the officers of the army of the Loire are,
poor fellows, in a very different predicament; they have not even been paid
what is due to them, and they, having none of those nice felicities (to use
an expression of Charlotte Smith's)[41] which make life agreeable, are
ready for any combat, to set their life on any cast, "to mend it, or to be
rid of 't." The Prussians indulge in every sort of dissipation, which they
are enabled to do by the plunder which they have accumulated, and of which
they have formed, I understand, a depot at St Germain. They send these
articles of plunder to town every day to be sold, and then divide the
profits, which are sure to be spent in the Palais Royal, and other places
of revel and debauchery.
They sometimes affect a fastidiousness of stomach which is quite laughable,
and not at all peculiar to the Germans, who are in general blessed by
nature with especial good appetites; and they spend so much money that the
English officers who have not had the advantages of plunder that these
Prussians have had must appear by the side of them stingy and niggardly.
I was witness one day to a whimsical scene, which will serve to give you an
idea of the airs of importance these gentlemen give themselves. I was one
day at Versailles and after having visited the palace and gardens I entered
the Salon of a restaurateur and called for a veal cutlet and vin
ordinaire. There was a fat Prussian Major with two or three of his
companions at one of the tables, who had been making copious libations to
Bacchus in Burgundy and Champaign. He heard me call for vin ordinaire,
and whether it was to show his own magnificence I know not, but he called
out to the cafetiere:
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