THERE have been many ententes cordiales between England and France,
but none so strange as that which was made after the Peace of Amiens, and is described in Mr. Alger's interesting and industrious work. For well-nigh ten years France and a great part of Southern Europe had been closed to English travellers. The "grand tour" had perforce been abandoned by the sons of noble houses, and the rich Englishmen were compelled to forego the pleasures which they had always sought and found in Paris. And then came peace, and a vast crowd followed Lord Cornwallis to the country so long unvisited. The enthusiasm was unbounded. When Lord Cornwallis went to the Op era, he was so profoundly affected by the scene that he burst into tears. A song was sung in which it was pointed out that if only the two ancient rivals were friends, no one could trouble the peace of the world. How often, we wonder, has this same song been heard on both sides of the Channel since 1801 ! Even Napoleon for a moment laid aside his hatred of England. " I am very glad to see an English Minister here," said he to Francis Jackson, who was acting as Charge d'Affaires, " it is essential to the civilisation of the world." Indeed, it seemed as though either side had forgotten its rancour, and England proved her sympathy in the most practical manner. Men and women of all classes and all professions flocked to Paris. Peers and actors, Members of the Commons and men of fashion, jostled one another on the mail packets, which began to run on November 18th, 1801. Seven hundred and ninety-eight passengers landed at Calais in ten days, which, though now a usual occurrence, was then amazing. At one moment, we are told, there were as many as five thousand English in Paris. " None wanted an excuse," as Rogers wrote on another occasion. " If rich, they went to enjoy ; if poor, to retrench; if sick, to recover ; if studious, to learn ; if learned, to relax from their studies." But whatever was the motive, they went, and the hotel-keepers and tradesmen of Paris reaped a brilliant harvest.
Nor was the journey formidable even in those,days. For the modest sum of £4 13s. you could travel from London to Paris. The passage from Dover to Calais seldom took more than eight hours ; but the diligence from Calais to Paris could achieve only four miles an hour, so that the journey by road was a matter of two days. The smart folk, however,
• Napoleon's British Visitors and Captives, 1£1,71-1sle. By John Goldworth Alger. Loudon : A. Constable and (u. [8s. 63. net.] had their own carriages, and spent money with a recklessness 'which astonished the Parisians. Lord Aberdeen, afterwards Prime Minister; is said to have squandered £3,000 in six weeks, and many wealthy merchants vied with his extravagance. Charles James Fox was among the first to come, and he received the adulation of a grateful country. When he visited Versailles he found his own bust piously exhibited. Napoleon complimented him, as the greatest man of a great nation ; and he, to his honour be it said, flouted the accusations which Napoleon brought against Pitt of complicity in the plot of 1800. However, Mr. Alger's list seems to include half, the Peers and Baronets of England. Then among philosophers were Jeremy Bentham and Malthus ; while the President of the Royal Academy was there with Fuseli, Flaxman, Hoppner, and many another. Nor were the men of letters less eager to renew their acquaintance with the French capital. To Paris came Landor, Beckford, Ha.zlitt, Holcroft, Thomas Hope (the author of Anastasius), William Combe (the author of Dr. Syntax), and innumerable others. The first ambition of all the travellers was, of course, to see Napoleon. A presenta- tion to the great man was the end of every man's desire. And after Napoleon, strangely enough, it was Madame Tallien who aroused the greatest curiosity ; and then there was Madame Recamier, who gave musical parties, and herself played upon the piano. At the theatre the tourists might admire Telma, Mars, and George ; and, as Napoleon insisted upon full dress in public, the streets and cafes were brilliant with uniforms. Gambling and dissipation were everywhere popular. "Paris," said the Times of September 3rd, 1801, "under the Regent of Orleans was not so profligate and corrupt as it appears to our best travellers at present. Gambling, debauchery, intemperance, and the insatiable desire after public spectacles, with all the vices in the train of indolence and licentiousness, form the monotonous, indis- criminable character of the Citizens." No wonder the sym- pathisers with the Revolution were disappointed. Blood had been spilt, as they thought, for Liberty and the Rights of Man. Noble sentiments had been uttered by the thousand ; and for what ? For a season of idleness and gaiety in comparison with which the ancient regime might have seemed tame. "Republic ! " exclaimed Tom Paine in contempt. " Do you call this a Republic? Why they are worse off than the slaves at Constantinople, for they are ever expecting to be Bashaws in Heaven, by submitting to be slaves below ; but here they believe neither in Heaven nor Hell, and yet are slaves by choice."
. To the French mind the English visitors seemed eccentric, then as now. The English did not leave their nationality at Dover, nor could they hide their interest in what they saw as they walked on the boulevards. A Scotch officer made a scandal at the Tuileries by appearing in Highland costume. Francis Jackson wrote to Abbot, the Speaker, imploring him to " ex- tend the efforts of your police to keep at home a parcel of disorderly women, who come abroad without bringing anything with them that does credit to the national character." These women were of the highest rank and the greatest wealth, but Jackson thought that they did more harm to the dignity of England than the swindlers who followed in the travellers' train. But Paris was infatuated, and took everything in good part. And then, in the midst of gaiety and dissipation, the war was renewed, and the unfortunate Britons, left in Franco, were made prisoners, and prisoners the most of them remained for ten years. In this matter it is difficult to defend Napoleon's action, which was neither legitimate nor prudent. Yet he himself did not regret it. " I am sure," said he some years afterwards to Lord Ebrington at Elba, " that at heart you in England approved me for showing force of character. Do you not see that I am a bit of a pirate like yourselves ? " However, the treatment of the prisoners was very different from that of the visitors, who a few months ago were the fashion of Paris. For the prisoners were sent off to Verdun, where their only resource was gambling, at which pastime they are said to have lost £50,000 a year. But they had their revenge when Napoleon went to Elba, for they left Verdun in a body, owing, so Verdun said, £140,000, a sum which has never been paid, though the bill was presented as late as 1839. Mr. Alger has made an interesting study of an interesting subject, be has discovered a Mass of valuable information in the archives of Paris, while in exploring this backwater of history CANADA IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.*
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