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A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1826
Sydney Smith to Catharine Amelia Smith, 19 April 1826
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
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Author's Preface
Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Index
Editor’s Preface
Letters 1801
Letters 1802
Letters 1803
Letters 1804
Letters 1805
Letters 1806
Letters 1807
Letters 1808
Letters 1809
Letters 1810
Letters 1811
Letters 1812
Letters 1813
Letters 1814
Letters 1815
Letters 1816
Letters 1817
Letters 1818
Letters 1819
Letters 1820
Letters 1821
Letters 1822
Letters 1823
Letters 1824
Letters 1825
Letters 1826
Letters 1827
Letters 1828
Letters 1829
Letters 1830
Letters 1831
Letters 1832
Letters 1833
Letters 1834
Letters 1835
Letters 1836
Letters 1837
Letters 1838
Letters 1839
Letters 1840
Letters 1841
Letters 1842
Letters 1843
Letters 1844
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Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Produced by CATH
 
Paris, April 19th, 1826.
Dearest Kate,
* * * * *

I called on the Duke of Bedford, who took me for
256MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.
Sir Sidney Smith, and refused me; I met him afterwards in the street.

I have bought a coat-of-arms on a seal for six shillings, which will hereafter be the coat-of-arms of the family; this letter is sealed with it.*

I called upon Dumont, who says that our hospitality to his friends has made us very popular at Geneva, and that M. Chauvet gave a very entertaining account of us.

Paris is very badly lighted at nights, and the want of a trottoir is a very, great evil. The equipages are much less splendid and less numerous than in England. The Champs Élysées are very poor and bad; but, for the two towns, in spite of all these inconveniences, believe me, there is not the smallest possibility of a comparison; Regent-street is a perfect misery, compared with the finest parts of Paris. I think, in general, that the display of the shops is finer here than in London.

Of course my opinions, from my imperfect information, are likely to change every day; but at present I am inclined to think that I ought to have gone, and that we will go, to the Boulevards.

There are no table-cloths in the coffee-houses; this annoys me; (at least none for breakfast.)

I am very well; still a little heated with the journey. I have written regularly every day. God bless you

Sydney Smith.
April 20th.

The Duke of Bedford wrote me a note, saying there had been some mistake on the day I called,—that I

* Vide Memoir, p. 205.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.257
had been mistaken for my namesake,—“as much unlike you as possible.” This note was carried to Sir Sidney, who opened it, read it, and returned it to me, with an apology for his indiscretion, offering to take me to some shows, and begging we might be acquainted.

S. S.