Paris -
9th May, 1816.
My Dear Mamma,
I don't know what to think of the French - Tonight I saw Moliere's "Tartuffe" <1> - in which an actor says: "Nous vivons sous un Prince, ennemi de la fraude". <2> and - "Que jamais le mérite avec lui ne perd rien, Et que mieux que du mal, il se souvient du bien." <3> This was received with thunders of applause, as loud as you would expect in London if the King were present in person - And yet these acclamations were as liberally bestowed on Buonaparte, <4> this time last year - was there ever seen so versatile a nation! The war between the new & old dynasties is excessively amusing. The Government try to obliterate every trace & vestige of Buonaparte, & his system. All the streets receive back their old names - for the second time: - even where the new names contain nothing revolutionary: by some oversight however, the rue Pigale, where we live, has not had its old name "rue Royale" restored yet - Perhaps I might get a reward from the Government for the Hint. Royal is everywhere substituted for Imperial, with great diligence: as Imperial had been for National. - This occasions in many instances an amusing confusion. The change you know, cannot be at once accomplished - it must be the work of time. Thus the inscriptions on the coin are very various - The gold, as being most noble, has been first legitimatized: it bears the head of Louis 18th <5> in lieu of Buonaparte: tho' it is called a Napoleon, not a Louis d'or. <6> - The Pence are very various - I will copy some for you -
La Nation, La loi, le roi. <7> [illustration] L'an 4 de la liberté <8>- 1792.
= Louis XVI roi des Francois. <9>
Here is one of the year preceding - only - [illustration] Francia et Navarra Rex. - 1791.
= Ludov. 16. <10> D. Gratiâ. Nothing said about the Third year of liberty!
May 16th
I have forgotten to send this letter for a week -
Good bye,
Yr Affte Son
W H F T.
Lady E. Feilding
31 Sackville St
London
Notes:
1. Moliere's Tartuffe was first performed for King Louis XIV at Versailles in 1664.
2. We live under an enemy Prince of the fraud.
3. That never the merit with him does not lose anything, And that better than the evil it remembers the good.
4. Napoleon I, Emperor of France (1804-1814/15).
5. Louis XVIII (1755-1824), King of France (1814-1824).
6. Louis of gold.
7. The nation, the law and the king.
8. Year 4 of the liberty.
9. Louis XVI, King of François.
10. Louis XVI .
11. Collection of dried botanical specimens.