Maria's Diary 11

Chapter 11

William’s trip to Paris

I wander through a foreign land,
And still Thy love is mine;
And, guided by Thy gracious hand,
I feel that I am Thine.

17 March, 1831

The trip to Paris for William started yesterday..He went with Mr. and
Mrs. Boulton (she is a Lewin, sister of Thomasina Holt, William’s
mother,) and his cousins, Mrs Glover is the widow of a partner whose son
Jonathan married Frances Boulton, Charlotte and Grace and Mr. Bell, a
relation of Mrs. Ogdens.

They left from Brighton, then to Dieppe, 12 hours from Dieppe to Rouen to
Paris He says they will return by Havre and Southampton after and plan to stay two to three weeks in Paris.

March 28  

William writes from Paris. “The others have gone to the theatre, but I stayed home to keep Grace Ogden company who is confined by a swelled face.

“Here is a bit about our trip. Mr and Misses Ogdens, Mr and Mrs. and Frances Boulton Mr Bell and I sailed from the Tower Wharf at half past nine. Passage down the river was fine, but that on the Sea not so much. We landed in Calais and I was very sick. Mrs. Boulton was so ill they passed her on at customs without examination. Frances and Mrs. Ogden were taken to be searched. We waited for them, but then found they had gone out another door. They were at the quay and soon we were all seated at the hotel. We happily went to bed. New
passports were issued the following morning and we left at quarter past nine for Paris.

“We had a dreary ride to Boulogne and got a biscuit there. Trees are stark but I expect they will be pretty when in leaf. At 6 we had dinner at Montreil and at 2 am. coffee in Abbeville. Sunrise, most beautiful as had been the sunset on our passage to Calais. By 11 we were in Paris and 12 at the hotel D’Hollande.

“We went to the Grand review in the Chap de Mars, except Mrs. Bolton who
wanted to go to the Ambassador’s Chapel. The King reviewed the 40,000 troops, 60 pieces of cannon and both cavalry and Infantry. We saw the King, Louis Phillip as well as we could wish.

“Louvre was closed but your father managed to get us in to see it yesterday and we were delighted exceedingly. We have seen the Pantheon, Notre Dame, Luxembourg, Pere la Chaise, the Hotel des Invalides, and many more. Houses are in general excellent and many of them a very extensive scale and every building is either of a stone colour or the effect from an elevated situation - better for the absence of smoke from burning wood.

“We went to hear Paganini the famous violin player and were delighted with his extraordinary exhibition of talent. We also saw Taplioni dance.

“We spent time with your father, who told us a bit about his work to examine the French Public Accounts. He took us one day to a restaurant to dine and had a most excellent dinner but too good and too rich for
my taste.”