The departure of the post only leaves me time to say that I reached
this place last Saturday night, and that I already find myself as
perfectly established as I ever was in London.
I am, Dear Madam,
Most truly yours,
E. GIBBON.
[Sidenote: HIS SUCCESS IN FRENCH SOCIETY.]
318.
_To J. B. Holroyd, Esq._
Paris, June the 16th, 1777.
I told you what would infallibly happen, and you know enough of the
nature of the beast not to be surprized at it. I have now been at
Paris exactly five weeks,[361] during which time I have not written
to any person whatsoever within the British Dominions except two
lines of notification to Mrs. Gibbon. The Daemon of procrastination
has at length yielded to the Genius of Friendship, assisted indeed by
the powers of fear and shame. But when I have seated myself before
my table and begin to revolve all that I have seen and tasted during
this busy period, I feel myself oppressed and confounded; and I am
very near throwing away the pen and resigning myself to indolent
despair. A compleat history would require a volume at least as
corpulent as the decline and fall, and if I attempt to select and
abridge, besides the difficulty of the choice there occur so many
things which cannot properly be entrusted to paper, and so many
others of too slight a nature to support the Journey, that I am
almost tempted to reserve for our future conversations the detail
of my pleasures and occupations. But as I am sensible that you are
_rigid_ and impatient, I will try to convey in a few words a general
idea of my situation as a man of the World and as a man of Letters.
You remember that the Neckers were my principal dependance, and the
reception which I have met with from them very far surpassed my most
sanguine expectations. I do not indeed lodge in their house (as it
might excite the jealousy of the husband and procure me a letter
de cachet), but I live very much with them, dine and sup whenever
they have company, which is almost every day, and whenever I like
it, for they are not in the least exigeans. Mr. Walpole gave me
an introduction to Madame du Deffand,[362] an agreable young Lady
of eighty-two years of age, who has constant suppers and the best
company in Paris. When you see the D. of Richmond at Lewes he will
give you an account of that house, where I meet him almost every
evening. Ask him about Madame de Cambis.[363] I am afraid poor Mary
is entirely forgot. I have met the D. of Choiseul[364] at his
particular request, dined _by accident_ with Franklin, conversed with
the Emperor,[365] been presented at court, and gradually, or rather
rapidly, I find my acquaintance spreading over the most valuable
parts of Paris. They pretend to like me, and whatever you may think
of French professions, I am convinced that some at least are sincere.
On the other hand I feel myself easy and happy in their company, and
only regret that I did not come over two or three months sooner.
Though Paris throughout the summer promises me a very agreable
society, yet I am hurt every day by the departure of Men and Women
whom I begin to know with some familiarity, the departure of Officers
for their Governments and Garrisons, of Bishops for their Dioceses,
and even of country Gentlemen for their estates, as a rural taste
gains ground in this Country.
So much for the general idea of my acquaintance; details would be
endless yet unsatisfactory. You may add to the pleasures of Society
those of the Spectacles and promenades, and you will find that I
lead a very agreable life; let me just condescend to observe that it
is not extravagant. After decking myself out with silks and silver,
the ordinary establishment of Coach, Lodgeing, Servants, eating and
pocket expences does not exceed sixty pounds pr. month. Yet I have
two footmen in handsome liveries behind my Coach, and my apartment is
hung with damask. Adieu for the present. I have more to say, but were
I to attempt any farther progress you must wait another post, and you
have already waited long enough of all conscience.
Let me just in two words give you an idea of my day. I am now
going (nine o'clock) to the King's Library, where I shall stay
till twelve. As soon as I am dressed I set out to dine with the
Duke de Nivernois,[366] shall go from thence to the French Comedy
into the Princess de Beauvau's _loge grillée_,[367] and am not
quite determined whether I shall sup at Madame du Deffand's, Madame
Necker's, or the Sardinian Embassadress's.[368] Once more Adieu. Do
not be fond of shewing my letter; the playful effusions of friendship
would be construed by strangers as gross vanity.
I embrace My lady and Bambine. I shall with chearfulness execute any
of her commissions.
[361] This letter was begun one Sunday and finished the next.
[362] Marie de Vichy-Chamrond (1697-1781) married, in 1718, Jean
Baptiste Jacques de la Lande, Marquis du Deffand. Separated
from her husband in 1722 for her relations with the Regent duc
d'Orléans, the President Hénault, and others, she lived chiefly
at Sceaux till the death of her husband in 1750. In 1753 she
opened her salon at the Convent of St. Joseph. A year later she
became totally blind. She had stayed at La Source with Lord
Bolingbroke in 1721, and since then had known some of the most
distinguished men and women in France and England. But the
following extracts from her correspondence with Walpole, who had
introduced Gibbon to her, show her appreciation of the historian
as a member of society:--"Je suis fort contente de M. Gibbon;
depuis huit jours qu'il est arrivé, je l'ai vu presque tous les
jours; il a la conversation facile, parle très-bien français;
j'espère qu'il me sera de grande ressource" (May 18, 1777).
"Je lui crois beaucoup d'esprit, sa conversation est facile,
_et forte de choses_, comme disait Fontenelle; il me plaît
beaucoup, d'autant plus qu'il ne m'embarrasse pas" (May 27). "Je
m'accommode de plus en plus de M. Gibbon; c'est véritablement
un homme d'esprit; tous les tons lui sont faciles, il est aussi
Français ici que MM. de Choiseul, de Beauvau, etc. Je me flatte
qu'il est content de moi; nous soupons presque tous les jours
ensemble, le plus souvent chez moi; ce soir ce sera chez Madame
de Mirepoix" (June 8). "M. Gibbon me convient parfaitement; je
voudrais bien qu'il restât toujours ici; je le vois presque tous
les jours; sa conversation est très facile, on est à son aise
avec lui" (June 22). "M. Gibbon a ici le plus grand succès, on se
l'arrache; Je ne sais pas si tous les jugements qu'il porte sont
bien justes, mais il se comporte avec tout le monde d'une manière
qui ne donne point de prise aux ridicules; ce qui est fort
difficile à éviter dans les sociétés qu'il fréquente" (September
21).
[363] Gabrielle Charlotte Françoise d'Alsace-Hénin-Liétard
married, in November, 1755, Jacques François, Vicomte de Cambis.
She was the sister of the Prince de Chimay, and niece of the
Marquise de Boufflers. She knew English well, and translated
into French several of the _Portraits_ of Lord Chesterfield. Her
conquest of the Duke of Richmond was well known in Paris. Gibbon
himself was her victim. "Le Gibbon," writes Madame du Deffand to
Walpole, April 20, 1780, "était aussi un peu épris; elle fait
plus de conquêtes à présent qu'elle n'en a fait dans sa première
jeunesse; sa coquetterie est sèche, froide et piquante; c'est un
nouveau genre qu'a sa séduction." The Vicomtesse de Cambis died
at Richmond in 1808. Madame de Genlis, who disliked her, says
(_Mémoires_, vol. ii. pp. 30, 31) that she was deeply pitted with
the small-pox, and that "elle avoit l'air le plus dédaigneux et
le plus impertinent qu'on ait jamais osé porter dans le monde."
[364] The Duc de Choiseul (1719-1785) was Minister of Foreign
Affairs, and afterwards War Minister and Naval Minister, to
Louis XV. during the ascendency of Madame de Pompadour. He
was disgraced in 1770, when Madame du Barri became the royal
favourite.
[365] Madame du Deffand describes a small party at the Neckers',
where she met the Emperor Joseph II. and Gibbon.
[366] Louis Jules Mancini, Duc de Nivernois (1716-1798), was
ambassador in England from 1762 to 1763. In that capacity he had
given Gibbon introductions to leaders of Parisian society during
his first visit to the capital.
[367] Marie Sylvie de Rohan-Chabot married, as her first
husband, the Marquis de Chermont d'Amboise. Left a widow in
1761, she married in 1764, as his second wife, the Maréchal de
Beauvau, fourth son of the Prince de Craon (died 1793), and was,
therefore, stepmother of his daughter the Princesse de Poix. She
and her husband belonged to the Liberal party, who supported the
Duc de Choiseul and opposed the ascendency of Madame du Barri.
For this reason she was nicknamed "la mère des Machabées." The
Princesse de Beauvau, one of the most charming women of her
time, wrote an _Eloge_ of her husband. She died in 1807. Her own
character is sketched in the _Hommage à la mémoire de Madame la
princesse de Beauvau_ of Madame de Luynes. "Elle étoit, a mon
avis, la femme la plus distinguée de la société, par l'esprit,
le ton, les manières, et l'air franc et ouvert qui lui étoit
particulier" (Madame de Genlis, _Mémoires_, vol. i. p. 357).
[368] Count de Viry, the Sardinian ambassador, as Baron de la
Perrière, was formerly Sardinian ambassador in England. There
he married Miss Harriet Speed, a niece of Lady Cobham, and one
of the heroines of Gray's _Long Story_ who were sent from Lady
Cobham's house to rid the country of the "wicked imp they call
a poet." "My old friend Miss Speed," writes Gray to Wharton
in 1761, "has done a very foolish thing; she has married the
Baron de la Perrière, son to the Sardinian Minister, the Count
de Viry. He is about twenty-eight years old (ten years younger
than herself), but looks nearer forty." In September, 1777,
Viry was recalled from Paris, and disgraced, because, as was
alleged, his wife had been bribed by Lord Stormont to betray
the diplomatic secrets of the court of Turin. Another account
is given in Lescure's _Correspondence Secrète sur Louis XVI.,
Marie Antoinette, etc._: "M. le Comte de Viry, ambassadeur
de Sardaigne, est rappelé à Turin. On croit qu'il y a de la
disgrace" (vol. i. p. 74). A secret treaty was signed early
in 1777 between Austria, France, Spain, and Sardinia against
England, and the secretary of the Comte de Viry "a vendu une
copie du traité à milord Stormont" (_ibid._, vol. i. p. 82). See
also, for a third account, _Dutensiana_ (Londres, 1806), pp.
216-219.
[Sidenote: HIS FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES.]
319.
_To his Stepmother._
Hotel de Modene, Paris, July 24th, 1777.