I am very foolish in not having written to you before, not that there is much here worth writing about, but it would have entitled me to a letter from you, which at all times, & particularly while I am at such a distance, would be most interesting. I am much obliged to you for your letter to M[a]d[am]e Recamier. She is just come to Paris, & I have left it at her house, but have not yet seen her. L[ad]y Elizabeth Foster] will probably have written you all the news of the society here, & of publick news we have very little, the people seem satisfied with their present government, more from a fear of the horrors which might attend another change than from attachment to Bonaparte. I observ’d at the play a few nights ago that two or three passages which might be obviously applied were very much applauded. One of the passages was (in Voltaire’s Œdipe):
Un prêtre quelqu’il soit, quelque Dieu qui
l’inspire, Doit prier pour ses rois, et non pas les
maudire. |
| WHIG SOCIETY IN PARIS | 53 |
Comme il était sans crainte, il marchait sans
défense: Par l’amour de son peuple il se croyait
garde. |
Notre crédulité fait toute leur
science. |
They probably never will get over their aversion to priests
though they may to Kings, & I daresay if they cou’d slide quietly
into a limited monarchy they wou’d have no objection, though very few
wou’d wish to risque another revolution—& France compared to
what it was four or five years ago, is in a state of happiness and prosperity.
I hope a rupture with England will not take place but from what I hear,
le petit bon homme is very
sore about english newspapers & the speeches which will probably be made at
the meeting of parliament will irritate him. Mr.
Fox has been illiberally treated in a Jacobinical paper printed
here in English called the Argus, but it is too contemptible a gazette to pay any
regard to it, and I hope there is no one here now, who wou’d think it
right to answer it. I saw Mr. Fox several times during the
short time he staid here after our arrival, & am very sorry he &
Mrs. Fox are gone. The D[uche]ss of Gordon has taken their apartments;
she has been very courteous to L[ad]y
Elizabeth and ask’d all our petite société to a party on Thursday & a
ball tomorrow,—‘pug of late so kind is grown’ However
this is fortunate, for if she had been for war Ly. E[lizabeth
Foster] wou’d
| 54 | WHIG SOCIETY IN PARIS |
