f them; the vehicles are not
quite so good as in England nor are the Horses, but both are still very
tolerable. The Inns I slept at were very good, and the roads by no means
bad. I have been to a Play every Night since my arrival in Paris and
shall continue so to do till I have seen all the theatres. The first
evening I went to the "Theatre de la Republique"; I am told it is the
best. At least the first Actors performed there. It is not to be
compared with any of ours in style of fitting up. The want of light
which first strikes a Stranger's eye on entering a foreign Play-house
has its Advantage. It shews off the Performers and induces the Audience
to pay more Attention to ye Stage, but the brilliant Effect we are used
to find on entering our Theatres is wanting. This House is not fitted up
with any taste. I thought the theatre at Rouen preferable. The famous
Talma, the Kemble, acted in a Tragedy, & Mme. Petit, the Mrs. Siddons
of Paris, performed. The former, I think, must have seen Kemble, as he
resembles him both in person and style of acting, but I did not admire
him so much. In his silent Acting, however, he was very great. Mme.
Petit acted better than any tragic Actress I have ever seen, excepting
Mrs. Siddons. After the Play last Night I went to the Frascati, a sort
of Vauxhall where you pay nothing on entering, but are expected to take
some refreshments. This, Mr. Palmer told me, was the Lounge of the Beau
Monde, who were all to be found here after the Opera & Plays. We have
nothing of the sort in England, therefore I shall not attempt to
describe it. We staid here about an hour. The Company was numerous, & I
suppose the best, at least it was better than any I had seen at the
Theatres or in the Walks, but it appeared to me to be very bad. The Men
I shall say nothing more of, they are all the same. They come to all
Places in dirty Neckcloths or Pocket Handkerchiefs tied round their
necks & most of them have filthy great Coats & Boots, in short, Dress
amongst the Bucks (& I am told that within this Month or two they are
very much improved) seems to be quite out of the Question. As for the
Ladies, O mon Dieu! Madame Recamier's[4] Dress at Boodles was by no
means extraordinary. My sister can describe that and then you may form
some idea of them. By what I can judge from outward appearance, the
Morals of Paris must be at a very low ebb. I may perhaps see more of
them, when I go to the Opera & Parties. I have a thousand