Page images
PDF
EPUB

that he was obliged to remain at Munich, and another could not at the moment be procured; it was agreed that we should, by turns, mount a post-horse, and ride on before the carriages to the post-house, and get horses ready, without which precaution we might have been frequently detained on the road. I thought it a pleasant arrangement, although we travelled always in the night.

We arrived at Augsbourg early in the morning, and intended to pass the day there. There seemed to be a swarm of Israelites in this old town, which is renowned for wig-makers, pits, water-works, and dancing ladies, who are by no means scrupulous on the point of exhibiting their legs. It being Sunday, we did not visit their sulphureous water-works, but looked in at one of the balls which are given every Sunday evening, where were some very prettily-dressed servant girls, labouring assiduously at the dance, accompanied by a dulcimer, a violin, pipe, and tabor. Having gratified our curiosity by this exhibition, we set off for Ulm, in which there is nothing very remarkable, except its cathedral. From Ulm, Storace and her mother, accompanied by his Lordship, went straight on to Strasbourg, where they agreed to wait for Stephen, Attwood, and myself.

Previous to his going to Vienna, my friend Attwood had been staying at a friend's house at Stut

gard, and wished to spend a couple of days with him on his return; Stephen and I agreed to accompany him; but, in the execution of the design, we lost our way in the Black Forest: we were driven by a lad, the deputy assistant ostler at the inn where we had changed horses, all the regular post-boys being unluckily out of the way; the poor fellow was unacquainted with the road, the night was dark, and, considering the place we were in (famous for banditti), our situation was not the most enviable in the world. We wandered on, we knew not where, for some hours; at last we saw a distant light; we dismounted, and walked across the forest towards it, the carriage slowly following; at length we got to a gate, at which we knocked; a man within asked us what we wanted at that time of night. I was the spokesman, and, in bad German, said, "We were English travellers, who had lost our way, and were benighted in the forest.”—The young man immediately opened the gate, and invited us in, and told us he was sure his mother would make us welcome.

We were ushered into a large parlour, where was seated, in an arm-chair, an elderly lady, with eight of her grandchildren, placed round a supper table; she gave us a most hospitable reception, told us we had strayed widely from the right road, made us sit down and partake of her supper, which consisted of some cold roasted veal, chickens, salad, and an excel

lent omelet, and gave us some of the finest old hock I ever tasted. She said she was very happy in administering to our comforts, for she had a high respect for the English. She was a very agreeable old lady, and her charming family very attentive. She insisted upon sitting up with us until day-break, as she could not accommodate us with beds, and told us, that her eldest son should accompany us to the next post town, on the road to Stutgard.

In the morning we took leave of her, and changed horses at the next stage-the country around Stutgard is very picturesque; at the entrance to the city we were impeded by an immense crowd of people, chiefly military, attending the funeral of a field marshal. The ceremony was grand and impressive.

Upon making inquiries in the place, we found that, as the reigning Duke of Wirtemberg was absent on a visit to the King of Prussia, the theatre was closed; but in the morning I went to look at the stage, on which had been exhibited the most magnificent and splendid spectacles ever produced: indeed, it has been said, that the expense of this very theatre was so great that it materially injured the finances of the Sovereign, and that he was obliged to relinquish it : at one period, the Italian opera flourished at Stutgard more than at any court in Europe. The first soprano singer was the celebrated Cafarelli; for its tenor singer, the Cavaliere Hectore; and the prima

donna, the great Gabrielli; Jomelli, Hasse, and Graun, the composers; with a corresponding orchestra, culled from all parts of Germany and Italy. The ballets were magnificent; the ballet-master, the celebrated Noverre; it was on this stage he produced his Armida, and Jason and Medea; the expense for the production of which, in scenery, machinery, and decorations, was said to be enormous: the elder Vestris, Le Picque, Duberval, and the first dancers from Paris were engaged; and the whole together formed a theatrical exhibition perfectly unique; but it was, I have before said, found necessary to put a stop to their gaiety.

Having seen what was to be seen at Stutgard, we proceeded on our journey; and barring bad roads, lazy post-boys, vile horses, wretched inns, and two or three overturns, our journey was pleasant enough; at length we found ourselves at the gates of Strasburg, renowned for its savory and goose-liver pies, and at the Hôtel de l'Empereur we found Storace and her party waiting for us; we sat down to an excellent déjeûner à la fourchette, quite happy at being released from our bone-setter:-we remained two days at Strasburg, and liked it much.

One evening we went to a concert, which was crowded with military men and beautiful women, where I had the pleasure of being introduced to the justly popular composer, Pleyel; he was engaged as

director of the concerts; he came to the hotel and supped with us, and seemed delighted to hear that we had left his old master Haydn in good health and spirits. In the morning I went with him to the top of the spire of the cathedral, reckoned the highest in Europe; a foolish fellow, a week before, disappointed and crossed in love, had thrown himself from the top of it, and been dashed to pieces. In the body of the church, lie the remains of the famous Marshal Saxe, to whose memory there is a fine monument; and its clock is a curious piece of machinery.

In the evening I heard the celebrated French actress and comic singer, Madame Dugazzon, who sang the popular ballad of " Mon bon André, mon cher André," charmingly. The house literally overflowed with elegant company. Next day we set off for Nancy, the last stage of our journey; Storace and myself having ridden forward to order breakfast, came to a place where four roads met :—which was the right one we knew not; I luckily thought of the expedient of throwing the reins over our horses' necks, and, as I foresaw, they mechanically brought us safe and sound into Nancy, which I thought a very pretty town.

The country all through Champagne is delightfully cultivated and picturesque; nothing, however, happened worth noticing until we reached Paris,

« PreviousContinue »