The Sun.
London, England, 1802-11-10 00:00:00

PRANCE.

[We have peen favoured with some very ebpious, and at the
same time interesting Observations, made by a Gentleman
who has lately returned from a Tour to France. These
we shall present to our Readers, exactly as we have re-
ceived them ; tor though some' of them may not be new,
they are made ha a very sensible and entertaining manner.

SIR,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

ko7don, Nov. 6, JBo2.
I am recently returned from France,
,through
Holland. If the condition of the inhabitant's is more
wretched than it was under the old regime, they
carefully avoid every expression indicating the state
in which the Revolution, and late changes of po-
litical systems, have placed society. In towns,
villages, and inns, in the conversation of all ranks,
you in vain look for the chearfulness of independent,
free spirits, the open and unrestrained expression of
the blessings of liberty, or the manly avowal of the
generous sentiments of freedom. In lieu of this,
you are forced to mark the cautious silence, the
gloomy despondency, and the guarded manner that
pervades society. If a conversation of apolitical
tendency is introduced by the Traveller, he is lis-
tened to with attention and avidity, and his audi.
ence look round, and regard each other with a
mingled expression, strongly depleted in their coun-
tenances, of approbation, of a repressed . wish to
speak, and of a mutual distrust of each other. When
referred to in a manner that unavoidably urges the
saying of something on the subjed proposed, and
never discussed, the answer generally-received, ac-
companied with an expressive shrug of the shoul-
ders, is; " Monsieur, ce sont des choses qu'effec-
tivernent, je n'entends pas, et vu je ne m'y mCie
jamais." In travelling from town to town; such
will be the result of every conversation, that even
distantly has politics for its objea. A concatenated
system of espionage is said "to pervade the entire
extent of the vast Eopire of France, .and the Ruler
of the Great Nation, like a.spider in the centre of
her web, soon feels, in the inmost recesses of Sr.
Cloud, the slightest impression on the circumfer-
ence of the system he has so artfully wove. The
liberty of silence on interdieted subjeds, seems to
be that alone which is thoroughly understOod.
Whether the present Chief, and-the species of Con-
stitution he has been pleased to cstablCli, are gene-
rally acceptable, cannot be ascertained from lan-
guage. A negative mode of assent must be deduced
from silence alone. No positive proof exists. The
fulsome adulation of-a few, either influenced by
fear, or gained over by largesses, cannot form* any
criterion of the repressed sentiments of thirty mil-
lions of inhabitants.

No stronger proof can be adduted.of this total
want of the Freedom of Speech, and what that
Speech would express were it free, than thatin Hol_
land, now, for a time at least, relieved from the.
usurped grasp of France, The utmost latitude of po-
litical conversation is given into, and 'the measures
of the French Republic, past and present, are treated
with a degree of virulence and acrimony that knows
no bounds. In approaching. the Metropolis of re.:
generated France, the guarded concealment of sen.:
timents becomes more striking. Here, when opi_
mons indicatory of freedom of remark are proffered,
you are stared at, and 'afterwards carefully shunned,
as .a being whose acqu.!intance and conversation
may be attended with dangerous consequences. The
people in the upper spheres of life, converse as well
as they can on suhjeas of general literature, studi_
ously avoiding Whatever reflects, even distantly, on
the political state of France. Public places, new
performers, the glory and greatness of the Chief
Consul, the exploits of the French Arms, and the
power of the Republic,, are themes they dwell on
with Much apparent satisfadion, because unattended
with danger in the discussion. The people in the
higher stations in life have attained to power, and
have acquired property through the casualties of a
Revolution, ,dreadful and bloody beyond any re-
corded in the annals of history. A great majority
Swinishmarity
of these,have risen from, the dregs of the
'Multitude, into opulence, station, and .official im-
portance, on the ruins of the. Nobility and Gentry,
guillotined, exiled, or starving' in obscurity in Paris,
whither many have been permitted to return, to see
their former possessions in the hands of those whom
crime, or the chances of the Revolution, have placed
on the top the wheel. They are, in general, such
whose education has not been liberal; and whose
habits and conversation strongly characterize the
stations they formerly occupied, and from which
their good fortune has suddenly elevated theM
to stations of pre-eminence and importance under
the new Monarchical Republic. That there are
among them- men whose. talents, knowledge, and
litetature, would do honour to any country, cannot
be for a moment denied. .The high finished elegance.
of manners, the winning and fascinating politeness
and urbanity, the ease of conversation that not un-
frequently ,supplied even the place of information,
are no longer to be looked for ; they died With the
Monarchy, and are past and gone, like a tale that
has been told. Affeded republican austerity, de_
void of polish or interest, is the melancholy sub-
stitute that remains. Flow long this order of things
will endure, is known only to that Being alone, who,
to baffle human wisdom, and for, certain purposes,
generally of punishment, permits' such extraordi-
nary events as we have lately witnessed to come to
pass. Conscious. that manners of this description
are ill calculated to conciliate' foreigners accustomed
to walk in fashionable' circles, and especially the
English, they are averse to holding intercourse
with them, from feeling embarrassed, and the full
force Of the upstart situation into which the various
turns of the revolutionary wheel have thrown them.
The ancient Nobility, who have been graciously
permitted to return and starve in ..Fidai4;'eXisting
barely in unfurnished corners of th@kr-once
cent, but now plundered houses, at aShamed,from
a painful recollection of past splendour, to' receive
visits from their English friends, whose gene-
rosity and beneficence to French ,Emigres will
be mentioned in the page of History, and men-
tioned with honour. An intimate sense of re-
ligion and morality, after the efforts made by
the Revolution to destroy every trace of them,
cannot be .expeded to be speedily entertained.—
They pay Reli4ion at least the homage of not in-

lieightng against I.hr diviriC prEtepfs, and regard
her as an engine of Government to work on the
feelings of the pnpleu
The French charaler has tindeilone a Consider:.
able change. The flippancy, frivolity and petulance
of the petit traitre, have given way so a gravity, a
thoughtfulness, and teadines, formerly unknoWn to
the charader. The state of terror, Nnxiety, and
alarm, attendant on a ten years Revolution, has. el-
feeted this change in the national marinets A lo-
quacitY beyond the p_qwer of any Reyblution to
destroy, still remains. <`Excepting in Egypt, the
singular goodfortune of the preSent Ruler has sur-
mounted every opposing obstacle; and he attained
to power at a time favourable to his'views, when
the people, wearied out and fatigued with scenes of
blood and horror, were ready to submit to any
man whose Government promised a cessation from a
dreadful state of constant terror, alarm and devasta-
tion. The manners of the citizens of Paris, are ob-
liging, orderly and regular. A riot in the streets,
or :a drunken person, are very seldom to be seen.
Strangers are treated with attention, and plain po-
liteness, while they abstain from political .discus-
sions. The streets are safe and quiet at all hours
of the night ; the police is carried on entirely by
Corps de Gardes, stationed at regular distances ;
twelve or fifteen thousand regular troops could be
assembled, on any one point, in half an hour. The
National Guards have been disarmed, and Contri.
hute in money what they formerly did in personal
services. In the South of France, robberies are
committed ; in the North they, are prevented by the
perpetual vigilance of patroles. Soldiers are
placed at all the Theatres, and public places of re-
sort, these regulate the successive entrance of the
spedators, and the arrival and departure of car-
riages. Every seat in a Theatre pays a tax to
Government; the amount of this tax is specified on
a board fixed up at the entrance. Provisions and
wines are cheap, but the English soon fithl that
French dishes and wines want the solidity and
strength they have been accustomed to. In manufac-
tures of every description, porcelaine,
and painted paper excepted, they are, and ever will
be far behind us. Their boasted purcelaine of
Sevres, is so extremely dear, as to be of more spew
than public utility. Taking London and Paris in a
general point of view, there is more of architeCturai
appearance in 'the loftylto4lses of the latter than of.
the former., The narrowness of the streets of Pa-
ris, and the filth of the houses, in general, will be
proverbial while it exists as a City. The light,
elegant neatness of our det;nrations aa furniture,
forms a striking contrast to the Parisian style. The
accounts of the- nudity of French women have been

exaggerated : Cyprian's and l)etnireps there, are cer-
tainly least adorned, when adorned the most ; but
the French Ladles aft., in general, covered, though,
in many instances, thinly. The middle aril lower
orders are perfeEtly correain. point of dress.: The
French 'Ladies have less em bon.point' than their
neighbours,. hence the features of the- figure tell
readily to the eye. They deem our fair C,mntry.
women over.clothed, and remark respeJing them,
with a freedom of conversation not very commend.
able, '' qu'il est impossible de faire le pcche inortel
a travers tint de mousseline." The appellation of
Citoyen and Citoyenne, is almost entirely laid
aside, and the former m,:dei of address, are again in
use. .1. asked a Cordonnier who was fitting on ti
pair of shoes, the cause of this change—he answered;
" c'est l'usage," but unexpeCtedly added, " mais au
fond c'est un titre Cres excellent."

I took every opportunity of conversing with mi-
litary men. An intelligent Soldier who had served
under the Monarchy, and who hid been at the fatal
Battle of Marengo, gave it as his decided opinion,
that the Auszriatis lost the vidary after gaining it,
by weakening their central, and pursuing too eager-
ly with their wings. DEsAix's Column unexped-
ly came up at the moment, and passing through the
centre, turned the fortune of the day. Such was
the chance that decided the fate of a great part of
the Continent of Europe. BONAPARTE
,is sensible
how much he owes to DtisArx, anal is going to
chew his gratitude to his.%ern9ry in the, shape of a
projeded Magnificent ,MOnumenr. In order to

draw something out of the old Soldier, I ironically
praised their liberty, saying what was fael, that no
tuch formerly existed. 171 e remarked, "Ma fois,
c'est unliberte hien trisre."
(To be cm:lima)