New-York tribune., 1911-12-24

the sixteenth TO the middle Of the seven !
teentn century, or, in other words, the !
century that saw the rise Of the prac- |
tice of the grand tour as part of the /
education of the scions of English nobii- !
ity, and of those of that of the Continent
as we'll He draws upon the chronicled
experiences of all classes of travellers |
however; of merchants, ambassadors,
pilgrims, two princesses, an ambassa-
doris wife. and. last but not least, upon
the stories of those interesting gentry,
the yagabonds, or picaros Among his
most fruitful informants are Montaigne,
Fynes Moryson Pietro della Vale, Will
ian Lithgow, one of those whom pOliti-
cal troubles sent wandering; Thomas
Dallam, the master organ builder of
Eiizabethan England. sent to CONSTANT
nople by the LeVant Company to set up
an organ presented by it to the Sultan;
Peter Mundy Sir Henry Wotton and
: many others too numerous to mention,
Scotch, German and Dutch, French,
Italian and Spanish. The author ac-
knowledges his Indebtedness also for in
formation obtained from captives set
free, soldiers. artists, herbalists, anti
quarians, and even from those who. so
far as we know. only looked on, like
Shakespeare; and TO many others led
abroad by special reasons, such as the
Italian nobleman who felt it necessary
to take a long holiday after the priva-
tions Of Lent.
They must have been rigorous. for a
holiday" abroad in those times was no
matter of comfort. First of all, perhaps,
there was the status of the foreigner
anywhere in Europe. He had no rights,
for international law so far as it con-
sidered the private individual was not
thought of until long after Grotius. If
the tourist died on his travels the state
took his possessions, or al least what the
innkeeper had left of them. The In
QUESTION in Rome had uncanny ways
with heretics, devoting itself with special
enthusiasm TO the tutors Of young Eng
lishmen Of quality. These philosophers
and guides were too obscure TO threaten
danger of persistent inquiry and their
charges, being youthful and presumably
impressionabe. might be saved from
their unbeliet. And the Turks had their
own ways Of encouraging the CONVEX
sion Of infdcls. AS Tor the inns. they
were simply unspcakable historic ro-
nance writer's To the contrary nOtwith-
standing. OF course. the great cities
then as now. had their hotels Of inter
national reputation:
At the "Vasa d'Oro.' AT Rome, were
gorgeous beds hung with silk and cloth OF
gold. at the Ecu, at Chalons sliken bed
ding. too: and Germany occasionally provid-
cd sheets trimmed with lace Our-fngcrS'-
breadth wide i'm panellcd rooms. while I'm
1862 Amsterdam possessed hotel. reCk-
oned the best in Europe. every room i'm
which was NOOTed with black and white
marble and hung with pictures. with one
room containing an organ ana decorated
with gilt leather instead Of tapestry. But
these superhuities did not imply that
comfortable medium was easily found.
Privacy was unknown then. as a cen
tury later. when Laurence Sterne based
on its absence one Of the episodes Of "A
Sentimental Journey" a seventeenth
century treatise on good manners dealt
I'm detail with the procedure 10 be fol-
lowed when man and woman.
strangers 10 each other, were forced 10
spend the night in the same room. The
. Baedekers Of that day-Mr. Bates de-
votes an entertaining chapter to them
went into the most realistic particulars
in their advice to travellers
one necessary article of travel, accord
ing 10 them, was a sort Of linen ''duster,"
10 be worn during the night for protec-
tion against filth and vermin; and it
was a wise precaUtiOn To look for secret
doors or panels behind large pictures if
bedroom was decorated with them Thus
far the patrons, and much more through
many curious pages; but the innkeepers.
TOO. had their grievances AS is proved
by an even more curious report Of an in
ternationaI congress held by them in