June 25th, 1766.
Before I leave Calais, let me remind you, that an English guinea is
worth more than a _Louis d'or_; and observe, that the first question _my
friend Mons. Dessein_, at the _Hotel D'Angleterre_ will put to you,
(after he has made his bow, and given you a side look, as a cock does at
a barley-corn) is, whether you have any guineas to change? because he
gets by each guinea, full weight, ten _Sols_. By this hint, you will
conclude, he will not, upon your return, ask you for your French Gold;
but in this too you will be mistaken, for he finds an advantage in that
also; he will, not indeed give you guineas, but, in lieu thereof, he has
always a large quantity of _Birmingham Shillings_, to truck with you for
your _Louis d'ors_. I am afraid, when Lord North took into
consideration the state of the gold coin, he did not know, that the
better state it is put into in England, is the surest means of
transporting it into France, and other countries; and that scarce a
single guinea which travellers carry with them to France, (and many
hundred go every week) ever returns to England: Beside this, the
quantity of gold carried over to the ports of _Dunkirk_, _Boulogne_, and
_Calais_, by the Smugglers, who always pay ready money, is incredible;
but as money, and matters of that kind, are what I have but _little
concern in_, I will not enlarge upon a subject no way interesting to me,
and shall only observe, that my landlord, _Mons. Dessein_, who was
behind-hand with the world ten years ago, is now become one of the
richest men in _Calais_, has built a little Theatre in his garden, and
has united the profitable business of a Banker, to that of a Publican;
and by studying the _Gout_ of the English nation, and changing their
gold into French currency, has made, they say, a _Demi Plumb_.
Notwithstanding the contiguity of _Calais_ to England, and the great
quantity of poultry, vegetables, game, &c. which are bought up every
market-day, and conveyed to your coast, I am inclined to believe, there
are not many parts of France where a man, who has but little money, can
make it go further than in this town; nor is there any town in England,
where the fishery is conducted with so much industry.
Yesterday I visited my unfortunate daughter, at the convent at
_Ardres_;--but why do I say unfortunate? She is unfortunate only, in the
eyes of the world, not in her own; nor indeed in mine, because she
assured me she is happy. I left her here, you know, ten years ago, by
way of education, and learning the language; but the small-pox, which
seized her soon after, made such havock on a face, rather favoured by
nature, that she desired to hide it from the world, and spend her life
in that retirement, which I had chosen only to qualify her _for_ the
world. I left her a child; I found her a sensible woman; full of
affection and duty; and her mangled and seamed face, so softened by an
easy mind, and a good conscience, that she appeared in my partial eyes,
rather an agreeable than a plain woman; but she did not omit to signify
to me, that what others considered her misfortune, she considered (as it
was not her fault) a happy circumstance; "if my face is plain (said she)
my heart is light, and I am sure it will make as good a figure in the
earth, as the fairest, and most beautiful." My only concern is, that I
find the _Prieure_ of this convent, either for want of more knowledge,
or more money, or both, had received, as parlour boarders, some English
ladies of very suspicious characters. As the conversation of such women
might interrupt, and disturb that peace and tranquillity of mind, in
which I found my daughter, I told the _Prieure_ my sentiments on that
subject, not only with freedom, but with some degree of severity; and
endeavoured to convince her, how very unwarrantably, if not
irreligiously she acted. An abandoned, or vicious woman, may paint the
pleasures of this world in such gaudy colours, to a poor innocent Nun,
so as to induce her to forget, or become less attentive to the
professions she has made to the next.
It was near this town, you know, that the famous interview passed
between Henry the Eighth, and _Francis_ the First, in the year 1520; and
though it lasted twenty-eight days, and was an event which produced at
that time so many amusements to all present, and so much conversation
throughout Europe, the inhabitants of this, town, or Calais, seem to
know little of it, but that one of the bastions at _Ardres_ is called
the Bastion of the Two Kings.--There still remains, however, in the
front of one of the houses in _Calais_, upon an ornamented stone, cut in
old letter,
=God Save the King=;
And I suppose that stone was put, where it now remains, by some loyal
subject, before the King arrived, as it is in a street which leads from
the gate (now stopped up) which Henry passed through.