Thursday, October 14, 1830 Travel Journal

1830

October

Thursday 14

8 10/..

2 20/..

Ready at 9 25/.. All out at 9 1/2, but Lady Stuart and the rest turned back almost immediately on hearing that the Cathedral was un peu loin, Lady Caroline Paulett having sent to say she would call on Lady Stuart in 1/2 hour –

Went through the marché of fruit and flowers.  No figs but large, long green frontignan? grapes – The tour au clocher hotel de ville and maison there  –

Then a little farther to the cathedral.  Large, handsome but not lofty nave and side aisles, and side chapels besides, and short transepts – Handsome church – Noticed the baptistry and the 8 Corinthian marble antique columns – The porte en bois shut in between 2 others – or at least locked up from view by an outer door, and the bedeau not there to shew it me – Just going to have the office –

Thence to the monument de M. Joseph Sec – a curious sort of pyramid erected about the beginning of the revolution to the municipality of the ville, who regarded only la loi – Great deal of work about the thing – Went through a café to see the garden side – The woman (mistress) asked for something for the servants – Gave 4 sols, with which she seemed quite satisfied –

Then home (Hotel du Cours, perhaps the Hotel des Princes better – Not good dinner and very bad undrinkable wine de Saint George 2/. yesterday) in about an hour at 10 20/.. –

Found Lady Caroline Paulett at the breakfast table with Lady Stuart.  She spoke very kindly, but did not introduce me, so I sat down.  Took no notice, but sat down and ate away at my breakfast, and when the Lady went away, sat still at my breakfast. Mrs Hiriot and the children got up, but I slightly bowed, and that was all.  

If I had been a person of rank, I should have been introduced.  Was I annoyed at the moment?  No, not quite that, but I thought I would mind my own affairs, take care enough of my money, and let the great society take its chance.  I shall not perhaps get it the less for that – But I must be celebrated in some way, or I cannot manage it. I must travel and learn all I can and write if I can.

I was thinking this morning when dressing of taking my aunt to Shibden and how to fit up the parlour and back room for her.  

Lady Stuart makes me courier to settle all at Marseilles, but she explained it so honestly, I don’t object.  I shall find no fault with her, profit all I can, or more or less, and be satisfied and say nothing.

Off from Aix at 11 1/2.  Aix the best town except Paris for a residence in France – Most gently looking unmercantile place – Should like to have seen a little more of it –

On leaving it, gradual ascent, and from the top, the town looks large and very handsome –Rich wine and olive and mulberry country all round it – The cours or boulevards handsome as those at Paris? – Must see more of it in returning –

Mont Sainte Victoire there, 3000 foot limestone mountain, which almost domine la ville, seen from a couple of stages from Aix, and is very fine –

Still clouds of limestone dust and heaps of limestone to mend the handsome wide road, which heaps seem already 1/2 beaten or fallen away to powder – More houses by the wayside and more population than since Carcassone or Castelnaudary – Clouds over the Dauphine Mountains en face yesterday afternoon, and a few clouds hanging about this morning made us fear rain but now at 12 1/4, the day is beautiful and agreeable, fine cool air and sun shining, but the heavens are not one unbroken blue – A few white clouds are scattered around us –

Very fine drive from Aix to Marseilles among vales and all the fantastic shapes of a limestone range of mountains, the mountainsides looking hoary when not covered with the high bright green Italian pine? or with evergreen oak? or vines.  The vines are now quite golden tinged.  Ditto the poplars, of which a good many –

Now at 12 3/4, some of the ploughed ground and the sides of the hills along the road quite the colour of Cheshire red sandstone – Yet limestone formation crested by the fine Sainte Victoire to the left behind us – The hills behind us white – Those in front wooded and white alternately – In patches, singular scenery – Hoary and arid, but yet well cultivated fine – and undulating road this stage – Much footspace up the gentle montées and certainly not quick driving

Le Grand Pin a small but good scattered village – For 20 minutes (and in 1/4 hour some sort of manufactory of soap?) through a narrow gorge or valley through limestone hills quite white and barren and then got into open valley, still among limestone hills but covered with vines and olives and studded with neat white stucco? houses – In fact from Le Grand Pin to Marseille seems as if it would be, as the books say, a street the whole way – The vineyards and olive grounds terrassed up along the hills with white limestone walls that every hill seems streaked alternately white and green or rather yellow –

A fine line of high bare hoary mountains in front of us – And at 1 50/.., pass party of the 58th regiment.  Very handsome men – None of party above 30 – Here the population begins – At 1 55/.. at the top of the hill, beautiful look down upon the sea – with the fine rock projecting into it – and 2 rocky islands.  On the little one, a castle –

The plain completely studded with white houses and villages and a perfect vine and olive garden – Lovely view – The man wanted to drag down – Not steep – Said he had no occasion, so on we went at a gentle trot – Shut in on all sides in a large circle by limestone hills and mountains –

Carts and people on the road and all the bustle of approaching a great town – Now at 2 20/.., tower finely commanded by castle in hill left – High white stuccoed walls on each side the road or houses for a long while past – At 2 25/.., the town or suburb –

At 2 35/… pass by the triumphal arch of Marseilles and alight at the hotel Beaudeau at 2 3/4 – Descend into an avenue or vista or boulevard full of people . Is it the Cours?  Plenty of tricolor flags hanging out of the windows –

Lady Stuart arrived in about 1/2 hour – Did not know whether she was at first quite satisfied.  At all rates, I am the only one ill off, for I have scarce room to turn in my room and there is only one door, and that from the salon into it.  Sat cutting my finger and toenails etc. till five, then Dressed – dinner at 5 50/..

Great crowd under our windows at the door of the café en face where were many soldiers commemorating something which made them speak and clap and the people without cry Vive la Liberté – The people had first in full chorus sung the Marseillaise hymn –

Lady Stuart and I talked of how much I had had my own way as a child and of Mr. Long’s foolish letter to me, and then she told me stories of how shocking a jerry Lord Goodrich is, and how poor a creature the duchess of Wellington is.  She has and did not know how to keep the affections of the Duke when he came home from Spain.  She said it was a new house and she did not know where he would sleep.  Why in your room, to be sure.  Oh, she was very sorry.  She had had a bed prepared elsewhere.  He asked her the next day to go to Lady Salisbury’s party. Oh no, she never went out on Sundays.  He said one day she looked ill, wanted exercise.  He would drive her in his curricle to Downing street if she would make haste and get ready.  When he went to see if she was ready, he found her crying over his early letters. She was Kitty Pakenham. 

The king called Lord Goodrich his piping boy.  He used to cry when he went to Windsor. Lady Goodrich had kept him up three weeks without sleep save in his clothes on a sofa in her room, and when she was confined, he did all for her a nurse ought to do.

Came to my room at 12 1/2 – Fine, cool day – White clouds flying about all the day but no rain.

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/TR/8/0022, -0023, -0024, AND -0025