The man whom we have known to be surrounded by respect and attachment at
home, whose life is honourable and useful within his proper sphere, we
have seen with his family drudging along continental roads, painfully
disputing with postilions in bad French, insulted by the menials of inns,
fretting his time and temper with the miserable creatures who inflict
their tedious ignorance under the name of guides, and only happy in
reaching any term to the journey which fashion or family entreaty have
forced upon him. We are willing, however, to regard such instances as
casual, and proving only that travelling, like other pleasures, has its
alloys; but stationary residence abroad brings with it other and more
serious evils. To the animation of a changing scene of travel, succeeds
the tedious idleness of a foreign town, with scanty resources of society,
and yet scantier of honourable or useful occupation. Here also we do but
describe what we have too frequently seen--the English gentleman, who at
home would have been improving his estates, and aiding the public
institutions of his country, abandoned to utter insignificance; his mind
and resources running waste for want of employment, or, perchance, turned
to objects to which even idleness might reasonably be preferred. We have
seen such a man loitering along his idle day in streets, promenades, or
coffee-houses; or sometimes squandering time and money at the
gambling-table, a victim because an idler. The objects of nature and art,
which originally interested him, cease altogether to do so.
We admit many exceptions to this picture; but we, nevertheless, draw it
as one which will be familiar to all, who have been observers on the
continent. One circumstance must further be added to the outline; we mean,
the detachment from religious habits, which generally and naturally
attends such residence abroad. The means of public worship exist to our
countrymen but in few places; and there under circumstances the least
propitious to such duties. Days speedily become all alike; or if Sunday
be distinguished at all, it is but as the day of the favourite opera, or
most splendid ballet of the week. We are not puritanically severe in our
notions, and we intend no reproach to the religious or moral habits of
other nations. We simply assert, that English families removed from out
of the sphere of those proper duties, common to every people, and from
all opportunities of public worship or religious example, incur a risk
which is very serious in kind, especially to those still young and
unformed in character.
_Quarterly Review._
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