re us, and we travelled with such expedition that we
reached London in five days; for my fellow-travellers were idle young
men of fortune, who are of course always in the greatest hurry for the
end of a journey, because they don't know what to make of themselves
when it is over.

I had not then an opportunity of seeing Paris, as we only changed
horses in it. I have since, however, spent many months there, and have
always been very much pleased with every thing I saw, particularly the
Catacombs, which were my favourite lounge. When last in Paris, I made
a narrow escape with my life, as I tumbled headlong into a cask of
brandy. I, however, managed to scramble out, with the assistance of a
bit of cord, which happened to be hanging over its side, and which my
friend pushed in to me. I was little the worse of my ducking; for, as
soon as I got out, I was set a-laughing by his telling me how to spell
_brandy_, in both French and English, in three letters, viz. "B.R. and
Y." and "O.D.V."

In London I made a point, as a stranger, of going everywhere, and was
certainly much delighted with every thing. I must confess, however,
that I thought all the acting at the Opera and Theatres, and all the
eloquence of the Houses of Parliament, as nothing in comparison of
what I saw and tasted at the East India and London Docks. When I
was in the House of Lords, a companion whispered to me, that he had
heard an act read, offering a reward of 10,000_l._ for a _male_
tortoise-shell cat. This I believe, indeed, is a very safe offer, for
such a thing was never heard of. And it is certainly as much worth
their while as making an act that I should never have more than six
dishes of meat at my dinner, or that I should not be buried in linen
above twenty shillings Scots value per ell, although I wished it
particularly, and could well afford to pay for it. There was, however,
one restrictive act, which had sense in it; and the husbands of the
present day would, I dare say, give their ears that it were still in
force, whatever the dressmakers might think of it. But many of their
acts of Parliament are silly enough--as they must be; for they don't
like to be thought idle, and imagine that it is necessary to be always
enacting something.

It is curious, indeed, how fashion should be every thing in the great
city. A lady could not possibly venture to see her dearest friend on
earth, or even her own sister, if she happened to live in rather an
unfashio