The American in Paris - Vol. I by John Sanderson

Author:John Sanderson [Sanderson, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Non-Fiction, Biography & autobiography
Publisher: Feedbooks
Published: 1838-01-23T05:00:00+00:00

3. July 29th

All Paris was so overwhelmed with grief forthe death of General Mortier, and the «narrowescape of the king», that it blighted entirely theimmense enjoyment we had expected for thisday - the last and best of the «three gloriousdays." Ballrooms and theatres were erectedwith extraordinary preparation all over theChamps Elysées, and the fireworks were designedto be the most brilliant ever exhibited in Europe.Multitudes had come from distant countries tosee them. I say nothing of the private lossesand disappointments; of the booths and fixturesput up and now to be removed, and the consequentruin of individuals; or of the sugarplums,candies, gingerbread-nuts, barley-sugar,and all the rancid butter of Paris bought up tomake short cakes - all broken up by this oneman; and the full cup of pleasure dashed fromour very lips to the ground. We were to havesuch an infinite feast, too, furnished by the government.As for me, I was delighted a wholeweek in advance, and now - I am very sorry.

Under the Empire, and before, and longafter, it was a common part of a great festivalhere to have thrown to the people bread andmeat, and wine, and to set them to scramble for the possession, as they do ravens, or hounds in a kennel, or the beasts at the Menagerie. To put the half-starved population up as an amusement for their better. fed neighbours; to pelt them with pound loaves and little pies; to set a hurricane of sausages to rain over their heads; and to see the hungry clowns gape with enormous mouths, and scramble for these eatables, and to see the officers, - facetious fellows, employed to heave out these provisions, - deceive the expectant mouths by feints and tricks, by throwing sometimes a loaf of leather, or of cork, to leap from one skull to another - what infinite amusement! One of the benefits of the last Revolution was to put an end to this dishonour of the French nation. This is all I have to say of the «three glorious days». I must trust tomorrow to furnish me something for this blank space. Good night.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.