The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-10-26 00:00:00

A COURTESAN.

t 'tom " The F..mala Ree,,lntinnere Plutarch," an
intvrt,ting work, ju,t puslished.

141.11t1A FARSE, TILE linfANE COLIRTES %X.

Ai revolution of the, lath Frodidor, or the 4th
of September, 1797, again iroscribed all honest and
loyol men in France; not only those who were horn
Frenchmen, but foreigners, who had the misfortune
to pnaseu any property or claims in that degraded
etiontry.- The same day a decree passed, which or-
dered every emigraat, and every person of either sex.
and of whatever country, whose Warne was on the
list of emigrants, to quit Nees within tweisty-four
hours, and France within a week. In this latter
case was the writer of this ertir•le, who, though a
British subjeft, had his name instil led on the list of
die emigrated Nobility of the province, where he had
Inherited a large estate.
Being detained by iUst ss at home, afraii of sheav-
ing myself in the streets, all in!, friends in the same
situation, I had moopportuoity of gaiiiing informa-
tion concerning this cruel decree. Wore the period
of twenty-roar !touts had expired. 'l'he first '
rn I had of it was Corn ray landlady, to whom '
ix as unknowp. She entered my room with precis
pit ,Lion ; very much , alarmed at a report, chit in
the nn• night, a domiciliary visit was :o take place
in search of individuals, outlawed by a decree which
they had negleded to vile!. Upon inquiry, I ww;
soon convinced, that this decree extended to myself,
as well as others. Flaying often. dorino the two
mouths I lodged with her, heard her complein
the revolution, and express a wish for tile return of
royalty, I coafided to her my situation, and asked
her advice. As it was already stork. she expelled
every moment the Police Commissary, and :11: :ens '
trans..l to make their apostorance, and lweiged me,
therefore, for the sake of my own safety, to seek
some when- reinge';ftlkst fot some few nights. She
promised to tale- care of my effeds, and, if 1 did not,
or could not come baelcommeadiver them to any per-
selawho should pt odui e a note from me.
It has often, but always justly, been rematlced,
that misfortune seldom comes alone, or not at-
tended with others. I had then no more money at
my disposal than two tonis d'ors, not any hope of
obtaining a supply, all my friends or relations belno,
by the sadden revolution, either transported. exiled,
imprisoned, or murdered. Thus situated, life was
not very desirable • 1, therefore, went, without any
fixed plan. to a coffee-house, in the Palais Royal, a
place where nothing but indifference of existence
could have induced me to go, being more closely
watched by spies, than any other tesott in the capi-
tal. I was scarcely seated, before a man, perhaps,
a spy, came in. calling our, "Citizens, will you buy
the list, with the names of all onolowi d persons, af-
ter whom the police are in search. and who are to
be shot to-more me Intoning ?" I purchased it for
tour sent, or two-pence, and found my name the
twenty-second, of two hundred and sixty that it
conta.ned." My reading of this list was interrupted
by the landlord, who warned us, that if our passes,
or cards of citizenship, were not in order, with all I
the osoal ton malh ics, it would be better for as to re-
tire, as, in wine minutes, the Niels knyal would be
satiounoed by the milaary, in order to effenl a ge-
nes al domiciliary visit. Of eighteen customers in
the cc ffeeihossse, six went away with me, sighing,
and, no doubt, (ovally miserable.
In leaving the Palais Royal, 1 met a hackney-
coach, and called to the coachman to stop. When
he opened the door, he said, in a low voice, " For
God's sake, Citizen, if you ate proscribed, do not
tinter ; the first parole will stop me, and arrest you."
I put half-a-crown into his hand, and went on. I
.had not gone far, before some flambeaus showed
me a carriage of a foreign and neutral Ambassador,
with wham, in happier days, I had been very inti-
mate, who had often made me offers of service, and
who, as a friend, had some years before passed a
whole summer with me, on an estate I possessed It
miles from Paris. I went to his hotel, where,
though he was not at home, as I was known to his
purer and servants, 1 AS ushered into his study,
in expedation of his return, which, they supposed,
could not be distant. At half-past eleven o'clock
at night, he joined me. but so tenificd, that he had
rcaruly power to speak. Ile stammered, however,
' What could induce you to come hither r To
save 'nisei( from the l'emple !" " I have sent for a
police commissary to arrest you! lam sorry for it,
but it is your own fault ! I shall, notwithstanding,
petition the Directory to-morrow for you, in hopes of
saving your life !" Without answering this brave,
grateful, and generous statesman, I put on my hat,
oashed him aside, and, with a look of indignation,
weindswoy. When I was on the staircase, he called
rot, "servants, servants, stop him !" but the porter's
as :e, unacquainted with his Excellency's noble sen-
t' •,ents, opened use gaze, and let me pass. At the
cr.:..er of the street. about twenty yards distant from
the Ambassador's hotel, I saw a Police Commissary,
ac.-onipanied by eight erns eartnes, and heard hint
tell diem to make haste. Such was their hurry,
that, although I ran almost against them, they did
not. as was customary, stop me, and ask me for my
pass, or card of citizeuship. The then official paper.
le Ranch-sir, two days afterwards, related this
anecdote, in making honourable mention of this
loyal Ambassador's pat.-iotiss. In this distressful
dilemma, my feelings may easily be conceived.—
although I was unwell, and it rained very hard, I
fa-witted, as my last resource, to pass the night under
the trees in the garden of the Thuillerits ; ist that
time not so well guarded as at present. But, before
I could approach it. I bad to escape seven watch.
• Louses in my way. When walking in one of streets, '
sear the Pilaußoyal, I heard a parole, on hone-
' back, advance towards me. To avoid him, I lay
down. and hid myself among some large free-stones,
destined for the building of some houses in the vi-
eicity. Being wet through, and covered with mud,
I lett my retreat as soon AS the patrolc was at a dis-
tance ; but, upon rising, I was rather alarmed by a
voice that repeated, " I have seen you, do not go
to; I will try to save your Before 1 had recovered
grim my surprise, a door, which I knew led to a
thoroughfare during the day, was openod by a
rung woman. who invited me to follow her. She
resided in a small room of the vit.-nal, which is in
top:, , Tow!, a low floor between the ground And
• `4,,zott are proscribed," said she. " trust
'1;" :"Jit - •!" She had ant &Indica these
kaced knocks oat both so:es et the
ots- so
to'
.YOF
V odk.t;