Years Journey through France and Part of Spain

Year's Journey through France
and Part of Spain, 1777, A

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Title: A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain, 1777 Volume
1 (of 2)
Author: Philip Thicknesse
Release Date: August 8, 2005 [EBook #16485]
Language: English
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A

YEAR'S JOURNEY
THROUGH
FRANCE,
AND
PART OF SPAIN.
BY
PHILIP THICKNESSE.
VOLUME I
DUBLIN Printed by J. Williams, (No. 21.) Skinner-Row.
M,DCC,LXXVII.

+----------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Transcriber's
Note: The long-s has been modernized to s. | | |
+----------------------------------------------------------+

A
JOURNEY, &c.
* * * * *

LETTER I
CALAIS, June 20th, 1775
DEAR SIR,

As you are kind enough to say, that those letters which I wrote from
this kingdom, nine or ten years ago, were of some use to you, in the
little tour you made through France soon after, and as they have been
considered in some degree to be so to many other persons, (since their
publication) who were unacquainted with the manners and customs of
the French nation, I shall endeavour to bring together, in this second
correspondence with you, not only some of the former hints I gave you,
but such other remarks as a longer acquaintance with the country, and a
more extensive tour, may furnish me with; but before I proceed any
further, let me remind you, of one great fault I was then guilty of; for
though your partiality to me might induce you to overlook it, the public
did not, I mean that of writing when my temper was disturbed, either
by cross incidents I met with upon the road, or disagreeable news
which often followed me from my own country into this. I need not tell
a man of your discernment, in what a different light all objects, whether
animate, or inanimate, appear to those, whose temper is disturbed,
either by ill health, ill treatment, or, what is perhaps more prevalent
than either, the chagrin he may feel at not being rated in the estimation
of others, according to that value he puts upon himself. Could Dr.
Smollett rise from the dead, and sit down in perfect health, and good
temper, and read his travels through France and Italy, he would
probably find most of his anger turned upon himself. But, poor man! he
was ill; and meeting with, what every stranger must expect to meet at
most French inns, want of cleanliness, imposition, and incivility; he
was so much disturbed by those incidents, that to say no more of the
writings of an ingenious and deceased author, his travels into France,
and Italy, are the least entertaining, in my humble opinion, of all his
works. Indeed I have observed that most travellers fall into one extreme,
or the other, and either are all panegyric or all censure; in which case,
all they say cannot be just; for, as all nations are governed by men, and
the bulk of men of all nations live by artifice of one kind or other, the
few men who pass among them, without any sinister views, cannot
avoid feeling, and but few from complaining of the ill treatment they
meet with; not considering one of Swift's shrewd remarks; I never said
he, knew a man who could not bear the misfortunes of another perfectly
like a Christian.

Remember therefore, when I tell you how ill I have been treated either
by Lords or Aubergists, or how dirtily served by either, it is to prepare
myself and you too, to be content with neighbours' fare.
When a man writes remarks upon the manners and customs of other
nations, he should endeavour to wean himself from all partiality for his
own; and I need not tell you that I am in full possession of that single
qualification, which I hope will make you some amends for my defects
in all the others; for it is certainly unjust, uncandid, and illiberal, to
pronounce a custom or fashion absurd, because it does not coincide
with our ideas of propriety. A Turk who travelled into England, would,
upon his return to Constantinople, tell his countrymen, that at
Canterbury; (bring out of opium,) his host did not know even what he
demanded; and that