The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-08-09
NOTES FROM ABROAD.--.BY MRS. ]. G. B.

LONDON, July lS loh'
have just returned from the Isle of Wight,
and left vacancy in that famous watering place
The Queen has just gone there, and all the
royal babies. The weather has been very warm
here, as they call it; but it would not be cohs'-
dered at all warm in New YORK, ior you '"''
walk out in Kensington Gardens IN SILK uiee'
comfortably, and in New York, am sure ~
the month of July, that would be utterly ii'Po'-
sble
In ,v drives and walks about town, | have
been very much amused, IN contrasting the I'LL
c.~.noss and peculiar characteristics between
London and Paris. The parks IN LONDON are
some of the finest and most picturesque In the
world but, with the exception OF HYDE Park'
where the nobility drive in the afternoon,
most of them are filled all day long with ragged,
dirty people. What a contrast to Paris In Its
public gardensf and fashionable promenades !
You never see person there who Is not so tldily
and neatly dressed, that it is pleasure to look
at The lower order of the French, are always
neat and clean. Indeed, in all the public places
or gardens in Paris, they are not allowed to en-
ter unless well dressed. When I say well
dressed, mean clearly; but the Parisians have
an idea of neatness which you find very little OF
in other countries, excepting it is in some OF
the cities OF Germany.
In short Paris is the paradise of the whole
world. Every luxury that mans genius can IN
vent, you meet with there, and it is not till you
leave it, that you really feel its wants, or prize
its greatness. In London, every thing is SOM
brewery thing heavy, gloomy; but certainly
all is immense, unbounded wealth and grandeur.
That, however, is only with the arlstocracy, not
hte people. But with all its wealth. 1t wants that
elasticity, that real enjoyment, which Paris
alone and its inhabitants can produce. The Eng
lsh people are very polite, well bred, polished,
and very sincere, kind, good people-good
friends and a fine principled people. If they
are your friend they are so in every sense OF the
word but for a stranger, what heavy, dull
place all England is Rome is charming place
Florence, also-so is Naples-but there is only
one Paris in the world. l could live In Rome
with great comfort, admirng its antiquities and
inhaling its holy incense; but still one would get
tired of eternal ruins and everlasting musk. |
could live in Naples, rowing about its beautiful
bay and listening to the happy barcarole of its
fishermen, and diving into the living sepulchres
of ancient cities; but that would soon lose its
zest. | could live in Florence and admire its
modern statues and ancient works of art and
palaces but that also would weary-but Paris
combines the essence of all these cities put to-
gcther. Every day something new and spiritual
is springing up.
But forget that am in London The fash
ionable world are just beginning to leave town
for the different watering places The Queen
goes to Scotland, to the shores of Loeb Laggan.
A few days ago she gave away some pensions
E300 ayeart to Father Matthew for drinking water,
and ElOO year to Sheridan Knowles for drink
ing brandy-so they say here. She now goes to
the Scottish hills to breathe the fresh air and let
Prince Albert shoot grouse. All the nobility
will follow-some to the mountains, some to the
sea shore, some to the English watering places,
some to the French and German spas Apropos.
Nothing is SO dull as an English watering place.
| have now been at Bath, at Cheltenham, at
Brighton, at Cowes, at Ryde, and other places,
and can conceive nothing so dull and disagree
able an English watering place. Commend
me to the German watering places-to Wiesba-
den, to Baden Baden, to Hamburg, &C., &c., as
the most agreeable in the world In my next
will tell you all about them.