The National Register. — London, England, 1815-09-10 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL R . A NIGHT IN PARIS. Driplex libelli dos e,.t; qtiod risum movet Et pod prudunti vitarn consilo inouet. PHXDRUS. I have a Iwo fold object in st riling -10 :ionise mud to re orm. The night of Monday last was beautiful, the air serene, and the moon gliding gently through a cloudless sky. I experienced, at my window, one of those innocent plea sUres, which we enjoy, as well as many others, without knowing why or wherefore ; I was smoking a segar ; and tike Alolicres' Marquis, who amused himself by dropping pebbles in a well, I amused myself by following through the air the whiffs of smoke, which I puffed out with all the gravity of kburgomaster of Groningue. I saw nothing -1 thought of nothing; and s'as scarcely conscious of my existence. My segar finished, my mind resumed its usual offices, and I returned into the social and political world, from which I had been absent a full quarter of an hour. Whilst casting my eyes down the deserted street, in which R few hours before there had been such elbowing and jostling, my memory brought to my recollection some passages of a description of a Night in Paris, given by Retif (le la Bretonne, in the preface of his Contempo :wires; and the whim immediately came into my head, that I would give a similar one. I had a most delightful opportunity for it ; the weather was beautiful ; every soul in the house asleep ; and I had not the least inclina tion for repose. I crept silently out of my apartment, remembering with a sigh, the time when similar precautions arose from a different motive, and arrived at the street door, which I had great difficulty in getting opened. The portress, obliged to rise, --------- in the ;ghillie garment Ot• beauty, tivni her *feel► disturbed, turned the 'enormous key with one hand, and, with the other, concealed charms from which I modestly turned my eyes. She grumbled most terribly ; 44 A pretty time to go out," said she. " Where the devil can he be going to ?" " Unless, however"—" Oh my God ! my God !" Behold me in the street. I had not proceeded fifty paces before I began to repent of my excursion ; but how was I to return? I did not feel stout enough to brave the PI humour of the old lady a second time. Having no set tled project, I was not particular which way I went ; and therefo:•e kept straight on, without knowing whither I was going. I arrived at the end of the Rue de Provence lit 1 hollt meeting a soul, and began to fear that my noc turnal promenade would furnish me with no other subject for observation than myself. I suddenly, however, heard a confused noise of voices, and hastoned to the spot from m hence it proceeded: it arose from a scuffle between some hackney coachmen, one of whom had taken the liberty of feeding his horses at the expence of those of his comrades. He had availed himself of the opportunity whilst they were asleep, or at the ale house, to make free with some handfuls of their forage, and thus provided an economical meal for his horses, which he look good care, however, not to omit in his mas ter's account. The plunderer, taken in the fact, not only received a good horsewhipping, which was inflicted in a very masterly manner, but was also obliged to enter into an arrangement at the house of •a neighbouring corn chandler, whose shop was still open : seated upon a sack of oats, the latter liLtericii to thecomplaint—estimated the ;TER. SEPT. 10. damages and interests, pronounced very wisely upon the indemnity to which the plaintiffs were entitled, and charged a gill of brandy for the trouble of his arbitra tion. An admirable judge, said Ito myself, as I conti nued my promenade; if this corn business had been taken into a court of justice, the lawyers and officers would have devoured the value of many a truss of hay. At the corner of la Rue de l'Arbre-See, a few steps from the fountain, I perceived a patrole waking a man who was lying asleep under a gate-way, and by the many r in which he had taken his post, I should imagine he had been accustomed to such an abode. The gentleman did not at all relish having his repose disturbed. " Who arc you, and what's your name," said the patrole. "I am called la Rfflardiere (replied he in a very consequential manner, and sitting up at the same time), 1 am an artist, and, what is more, a poet. I lodge here because I chuse it, and there is no law that prevents any citizen from sleeping in the street ; therefore, and by virtue of the sth article of the additional act, which secures individual liberty to all Frenchmen, I have a right to continue my sleep."—He immediately laid down again. I joined with the patrole for the purpose of convincing Itim how much more con veniently he might sleep upon the bed in the guard-room. " Do you mean to offer me any violence," replied he in the tone of Mirabeau in the Tribune, " I protest against an arbitrary arrest, and declare I wont move an inch from this spot, unless I an driven at the point of the bayonet." The corporal who commanded the patrole, an honest mer cer of la Rue MontOrgueil, fancying himself in the case pros ided for by our constitutions, respecting the responsi bility of public functionaries, thirst not take any thing upon himself, and allowed the modern Diogenes to snore in peace in the open air. In the Rue des Poulies, a great fat fellow was waiting at the door of a house seven or eight stories high, which he could not get opened, I ac costed him politely, and discovered without difficulty, that he had had too good a supper not to be very anxious to get to bed. He informed me that he was organist of the parish, and that he had been keeping the holiday of St. Isidore with an acquaintance. I never beheld vexation more ludicrously depicted than upon the countenance of this honest cit, at the idea of pass ing the night in the op°n air. He knocked, and thumped, and kicked at the street door without being able to rouse the porter, who lodged in the sixth story, and whom he had forgot to inform that he should be out later than usual. My gentleman, in the height of his despair, walked to and fin, piroucted upon himself, and called out to the lodgers by their names, with all his might. These made their ap pearance at the window, some laughing, and some swear ing; the whole street WIS shortly in an uproar. The curses of disturbed husbands, the cries of the musicians, and the howling of all the dogs in the neighbourhood, in creased the hurly-burly, and at length finished by waking the porter, who opened the door, wishing all the organists in the world at the devil. Peace and tranquillity by de grees resumed their sway in the Rue des Poulies, and I heard nothing more than the confused grumblings of the fat man, which insensibly died away as he approached the sixth story. I was opposite the church of the Oratory when an old woman, who was just coming out of a neighbouring alley, sobbing and groaning most piteously, begged - that I would shew her an apothecary's ; we were not far from the shop of M. Cadet, to which I conducted her ) and learnt from 553 THE NATIONAL REGISTER. SEPT. 10 . __ • A NIGHT IN PARIS. ) damages and interests, pronounced very wisely upon the . —.......-- indemnity to which the plaintiffs were entitled, and • Duplex libelli dos est; timid risum nsovet charged a gill of brandy for the trouble of his arbitra- Et quod pruchinti vitant consilo unmet. tion. An admirable judge, said Ito myself, as I conti- PHXDRIIII. I have a Iwo fold object in writing— nued my promenade; if this corn business had been taken 10 :moist aud to re onn. i devoured the value of many a truss of hay. into a court of justice, the lawyers and officers would have The night of Monday last was beautiful, the air serene , At the corner of teißit de l'Arbre-Sec, a few steps from and the moon gliding gently through a cloudless sky - . I experienced, at my is inflow, one of those innocent plea- the fountain, I perceived a patrole waking a man who was . . sores, which we enjoy, as well as many others, without I lying asleep under a gate-way, and by the main rin which he had taken his post, I should imagine he had been knowing « h} or wherefore. ; I was smoking a segar ; and accustomed to such an abode. Thegentleman did not at hke Molieres' Marquis, who amused himself by dropping all relish having his repose disturbed. " Who arc you, pebbles in a well, I amused myself by following through and what's your name," said the patrole. 6 ' lam called the air the whiffs of smoke, which I puffed out with all la Rfflardiere (replied he in a very consequential manner , the gravity of kburgomaster of Groningue. I saw nothing- 1 thought of nothing; and seas scarcely conscious of my and sitting up at the same time), lam an artist, and, what existence. My segar finished, my mind resumed its usual is more, a poet. I lodge here because 1 chose it, and there is no law that prevents any citizen from sleeping in offices, and I returned into the social and political world, the street ; therefore, and by virtue of the sth article of from which I had been absent a full quarter of an hour. the additional act, which secures individual liberty to all Vs hilst casting my eyes down the deserted street, in which Frenchmen, I have a right to continue m sleep."—He a few hours before there had been such elbowing and immediately laid down again. I joined w ith the patrole jostling, my memory brought to my recollection some for the purpose of convincing him how much more con- passages of a description of a Night in Paris, given by veniently he might sleep upon the bed in the guard-room. Iletif de la Bretonne, in the preface of his Col . :tempo- '‘ Do you mean to offer me any violence," replied he in :wires; and the whim immediately came into my head, the tone of Mirabeau in the Tribune, " I protest against that I would give a similar one. I had a most delightful an arbitrary arrest, and declare I wont move an inch from opportunity for it ; the weather was beautiful ; every this spot, unless I am driven at the point of the bayonet," seed in the house asleep ; and I had not the least incline- The corporal who commanded the patrole, an honest mer- tion for repose. cor of la Rue MontOrgueil, fancying himself in the case I crept silently out of my apartment, remembering provided for by our constitutions, respecting the responsi- with a sigh, the time when similar precautions arose from bilify of public functionaries, thirst not take any thing a different motive, and arrived at the street door, which I upon himself, and allowed the modern Diogenes to snore had great di ffi culty in getting opened. The portress, obliged to rise, in peace in the open air. In the Rue des Poulies, a great . fat fellow was waiting at the door of a house seven or ---------- in the ;ghillie garment Of beauty, from her sleep disturbed, eight stories high, which he could not get opened, I ac- turned the enormous key with one hand, and, with the costed him politely, and discovered without difficulty, that other, concealed charms from which I modestly turned he had had too good a supper not to be very anxious to my eyes. She grumbled most terribly 44 A pretty time get to bed. lie informed me that he was organist of the ; to go out," said she. " Where the devil can he be going parish, and that he hadbeen keeping the holiday of St. to ?" " Unless, however"—" Oh my God !my God !" Isidore with an acquaintan b ce. Behold me in the street. I had not proceeded fifty I never beheld vexation more ludicrously depicted than paces before I began to repent of my excursion ; but how . upon the countenance of this honest cit, at the idea of pass- seas I to return? I did not feel stout enough to brave the it tu g the ni g ht in the op°n air. lie knocked, and thumped, ill humour of the old lady a second time. Having no set- i and kicked at the street door without being able to . rouse tied project, I was not particular which way I went ; and :1 the porter, who lodged in the sixth story, and whom he therefo:•e kept straight on, without knowing wh i ther I I, had forgot to inform that he should be out later than usual. was going. I arrived at the end of the Rue de Provence I My gentleman, in the height of his despair, walked to and siv••‘tliont meeting a soul, and began to fear that my noc- I fro, piroueted upon himself, and called out to the lodgers turn:TT promenade would furnish me with no other subject Hby their names, with all his might. These made their ap- for observation than myself. pearance at the window, some laughing, and some swear- , i I suddenly, however, heard a confused noise of voices, i tug; the whole street was shortly in an uproar. The c and hastened to the spot from w hence it proceeded: it curses of disturbed husbands, the cries of the musicians, and the howling of all the dogs in the neighbourhood, in- of whom had taken the liberty of feeding his horses at the arose from a scuffle between some hackney coachmen, one creased the hurly-burly, and at length finished by waking expense of those of his comrades. Ile had availed himself the porter, who opened the door, wishing all the organists of the opportunity whilst they were asleep , or at the ale in the world at the devil. Peace and tranquillity by de - house, to make free with sonic handfuls of their forage, 1 grees resumed their sway in the Rue des Poulies, and I and thus provided an economical meal for his horses, I heard nothing more than the confused grumblings of the which lie look good care, however, not to omit in his mas- i fat man, which insensibly died away as he approached ter's account. The plunderer, taken in the fact, not only 1 the sixth story. received a good horsewhipping, which w I was opposite the church of the Oratory when an old very masterly manner, hut was also obliged to enter into as inflicted in a II l k woman ) who was just coming out of a neighbouring alley, an arrangement at the house of •a neighbouring corn - ' sobbing and groaning most piteously, begged that I would chandler, whose shop was still open: seated upon a sack show her an apothecary's ; we were not far from the shop of M. Cadet, to which I conducted her, and learnt from of oats, the latter lEteneil to thecomplaiut—estimated the ' • _. . .