(Translated from the French on the 12th edition. Paris: Audin, 25. Quai des
Augustins.)
As we are not supposed to be sensible of our own failings, I should much
wish to know whether any English-French exists equal to some French-English
I know of, and inclose a specimen. MR. P. CHASLES has played the critic so
well with the English tongue, that perhaps he can find us a few specimens.
Without doubt, it will be a wholesome correction to the Malaprop spirit if
she is shown up a little; and I regret extremely that MR. P. CHASLES was
not invited to correct the proofs of the _Itineraire de France_. Here we
are posting with M. Richard:
"The courier a franc-etrier cannot use bridle of their own, they must
not outrun the postilion who leads them, and the post master if they
might arrive at, without their postillion, must not give them horse
before this last is come. The supply-horses, according to the number of
persons, shall be put to carriages as much as the disposition of the
vehicles will admit. For example, three horses shall be put to
cabriolets, and till six to the berline, but as it should not be
possible, to put a horse en arbalete (cross-bow) without notable
accidents, either to caleches with two horses or to the limonieres;
they shall be obliged to pay the charge for supply horse."
Here we are in a steamer, p. 52.:
"The sea is smooth, the sky pure, the air calm, everything promises a
happy navigation, our boat is in a very favourable position in the
middle of the Seine, on the right hand the hills of Honfleur, on the
left the coast of Ingouville, let us pause a little more on these
shores we are going to leave: behold on the east the fortifications of
Havre, small seats! clusters of trees! this is the village of l'Eure
threatened by the sea of an entire destruction. We must not pass over
this green hill so delightful to view, standing on the opposite shore
seamen would not forgive my silence, among these high trees stands a
chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame-de-Grace. Ingouville is of 4,800
inhabitants, among which a great many Englishmen live there as in their
own country, having their particular churchyard, physicians, and many
occasions of hearing from England, which they can perceive from their
pavilions. The traveller can go to Elbeuf by land or water. The lover
of the scenes of nature will enjoy very romantical prospects, a new
kind of view will strike his sight, a long train of rocks called
D'Orival, the most part steep, covered with evergreen trees, which seem
shoot out, with difficulty, of their craggings."
He tells us Soissons (p. 102.) "has a college, a pretty theatre, and a
bishoprick-sec, from the Cradle of Christianity into the Gauls." At
Coulommieres (Seine et Marne), "the sciences are not cultivated, but the
inhabitants know pretty well how to play at nine pins." At Fontaines les
Cornues, "the inhabitants of Paris with a small expense can procure to
himself a scenery scarecely to be found in the other quarter of the globe!"
At Chatillion-sur-Seine, "the streets are neat and well aired." At Arles,
p. 361., a head of a goddess carved in marble:
"The way in which the neck and left shoulder are ended, points out that
the head is _related_ to a figure in drapery cut in another block."
"The merchant of Bordeaux is distinguished by his noble easy and
pompous manner, he makes himself easily forgiven a sort of boasting,
which is the foible of the country."
How the ladies bathe at Mont d'Or, p. 218.:
"At five in the morning bathing begins. Two hardy Highlanders go and
fetch in a kind of deal boxes the fashionable lady, who when in town
never quits her bed-down before noon, the annuitant, the rich man, are
all brought in the same manner in these boxes. It is one of the most
pleasant bathing establishments; it offers a peristyle, a small
resting-room, a warming-place for linen, with partitions to prevent its
mixture."
The work consists of 446 mortal pages though I am bound to say a portion
here and there is respectably written.