The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-06
The French in 1787.
Prince Metternieh Memorial

Dec. 9.-This is the second time that I
have been going to dine with the French
Deputies, and at the last moment they
have sent excuses to NJ. De Cobenzl. /
declare that in all my life I never saw
such ill-conditioned animals. They see
no one, are sealed up in their apartments
and are more savage than white bears.
Good God! how this nation is changed!
To extreme neatness, and that elegance
which one could hardly initiate, has sue
ceeded the greatest slovenliness; theImost
perfect amiability is replaced by dull
sinister air, which 1 can only fully de-
scribe by calling ii Revolutionary!
Among all those we have here have
not found one amiable, or even support
able, except a certain Perret, Secretary
of the Legation of Bonaparte, the same
of whom told you some days ago.
+a He is a very good-looking young man,
well informed, and speaks German Is if
he had never Left the Empire. You
can form no idea what a pack Of
wretches they are here. All these fell
lows have coarse muddy shoes, great
blue pantaloons, q vest of blue or of all
colors; peasants handkerchiefs, either
silk or cotton round the neck, the hair
long, BLACK and dirty, and the hideous
head crowned by an enormous hat with
a great red feather. One would die Of
fright. I believe, if one met the best.
clothed of them in a wood. They have
a sulIen air, and seem more discontentedi
with themselves than with any one else.,
Dec. 1.-THE French Deputies are toll
erably old men. Bonaparte's suite Is
composed Of young men; he himself was
twenty-eight years old in June, and is
older than any Of his Aids-de-C Camp or
Secretaries; he is expected to return to-
Rastadt in week. y" .He tN,i
Every one about him is extremely cold
toward the Deputies: they say that he
himself treats them with great haughti-
ness. Treilhard is very polite; he. came
Yesterday to- our box at the theater, Civ
ing us,allo our titles, conversing well, like
all the old advocates. All who belong
to the Corps Diplomatique wear blue
frock coats, with yellow buttons, ON
which is the figure Of liberty and the in
scription of "Liberte, Equalite." The
military are always in uniform, and are
very we'll appointed. \ n n I
am a little reconciled to the theater.
There are some very pretty subjects, aud,
above all, the women are dressed most
perfectly. They have. new dresses,
really charming, and as all the properties
have changed masters, the actresses have
no, end of diamonds. The costumeof the
actors is incredible, and one is inclined
to take them all for caricatures. An enor-
nous tuft of hair curled round the head,
leaving the ears uncovered, and two
long locks of hair which. fall on the
shoulders, are the peculiarities, Of the
perruque worn by fashionable gentlemen.
A monstrous cravat covers the chin and
half the mouth; two enormous earrings
appear at the sides. A frock-croat, short
and as loose as q sack, a small lwaistcoat,
and shoes well cut down and Of the shape
of slippers, complete this charming cos
tune. 1t appears that fair perruques are
the most in vogue; they are all fair, men
and women, almost faxen. The pieces
they give us are good, and do not refer
| to the Revolution at all. From the cock
ade one would not suppose any differ
ences Of opinion; all the roles have their
cockade; in fact, Crispin, Scapin, the old
cayalier-all have those cursed colors,
which, besides the evil they have already
done, now destroy all Illusion.