The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-11-10
MISFORTUNES OF A GIANT.

Letters from Nalenciennes announce the
arrival Of a giant on his way to Paris. He is
80 years of age, and his name is Bien; he is
not feet inches high, as the journal de la
Frontere stated, but seven feet two inches
His shoulders are magnificent; his chest
broad and full. his limbs finely proportioned.
In fact, he is the finest giant that can be pos
sbly imagined; we could not have had bet
ter if we had bespoke one. Yet with all these
advantages the poor Goah is the most unfor-
tunate phenomenon of France and Patagonia.
Every day he comes into collision with our
little tempers, tastes, and customs like Mi
cromegas, he is entanged and tormented by
our microscopic humanity. He was obliged
to ride from Brussels to Paris on the roof of
diligence, simply because he could not get
inside. The Office keeper indeed had offered
him two places, the coupe and the rotonde, but
the traveller did not think proper to accept OF
| either. All along the road he had melancholy
experience of the miseries Of great stature.--
Whenever he alighted he terrified his fellow
travellers and in village about ten leagues
from the frontier he caused no little disturb
ance. He had descended from his place on
the diligence with his cloak, which, by the
way, contained not less than ten ellis of cloth,
when the inhabitants, on perceiving him, fled
in all directions, taking him for the DEVIL
Those wonderful fellows, the gendarmes,
thought of the internal machine, and demand
! cd MS papers. M. Bien showed them the fol-
lowing passport: 1--WE, SC. request the au-
thorities to allow free liberty to travel about to
M. Bien, of whom this is description -
Black hair and eyebrows, brown eyes, ord-
nary nose and mouth, round chin and an
oval face his waist measures two metres and
thir,y-fve centimetres his particular cha
racteristic is, that he is seven feet two inches
in height. The gendarmes, convinced that
the person answering this description could
not be consprator, and seeing nothing SIM
gular about his dress to excite suspicion, re-
turned his passport with. military salntation.
The troubles of M. Bien were not ended when
he arrived at the gates Of Paris. An official
clerk, about tour feet and half high, declared
that there must be at least three feet contra
band measure belonging to him. In this city
he Jared still worse hackney -coachman in
formed him that he could not carry him from
the Barrie de la Vilette to his destination nthe
Rue de la Posses du Temple in less than two
iournes. He then went to hire an omnibus
for himself only. and the driver consented to
take him for double the usual charge. Arrived
at the lodgings provided for him, he forgot to
stoop on going into the great gate, and gave
himself tremendous thump on the forehead.
He was obliged to bend his body to get up
the staircase, and when he entered his room
he smashed his hat by driving it into the cell
ing. This apartment is not more than six
feet and half high. The next day, wishing
to replace his damaged hat, he went to all the
H., =. l,,to o,ll nd ~ 81
him; they tried to take his measure, but all
the measures were too small /; at last one made
of paper was invented for the purpose. When
he wants gloves he is obliged to order them
eight days beforehand if he wishes boots, the
boot maker commences by taking eight days
TO have a last expressly made for his huge
customer; if he has occasion for a new coat,
the tailor finds it impossible TO cut one to his
model under Is days. When he goes to rest,
he is obliged to put up with mattresses and
coverings only six feet long, and gets up in
the morning with broken knees. In short,
poor M. Bien is so oppressed, hampered, and
stihed by our dwarfish accommodations, that
he will become stunted himself unless he
build house to his own size on the plain OF
st. Dennis. Surely whale III basin of the
Tuileries, or a lion in a rabbit-hutch, would
be more at ease than he is in box only IL or
Is feet square. Luckily, the winter is coming,
and the unfortunate giant may have little
more elbow room; let him 60 to the Olympic
Circus, and I'll up the part of Goliah in the
piece Of that name. We are certain that the
public will not throw a stone at him.-Lt
Corsaire. ....
Santa Clara Conpeni; The Bedutlm Nun