TEN DAYS IN A FRENCH PARSONAGE.*
IF Mr. George Musgrave had cancelled two-thirds of the first of these two volumes we should have pronounced his book one of the best and the most original of a very poor season. As it is Ten Days in a French Parsonage is a most charming book injured but not spoiled by 200 pages of surplusage, professing to be an account of a French friend's visit to England, but really an elabo- rate laudation of all English ways and customs put into the mouth of a French curd. It is possible of course that the worthy ecclesiastic said all he is related to have said, and dis- cerned all the excellences he is reported to have perceived, for he had Mr. G. Musgrave for his companion, a position which judging solely from this book is enough to put any man with a fair appreciation of the relative value of ciceroni into thorough good humour,—but what is the use of printing it all in English ? It is not criticism on things English or even comment, but unmixed laudation of everything from London architecture to the beauty " heroique et magnifique " of' the Englishwomen promenading in the Botanical Gardens. its only use is to show us that there exists in the Ardennes a French gentleman who is also a priest, who is without prejudices unless Anglomania be a prejudice, and • Ten Days in a Frau* Parsonage. By the Rev. G. Musgrave, ?.LA. London: Samp- son Low, Son, awd Co.
who is capable Mr. Musgrave thinks of entering an English 2001. a year house with such reflections as these:-
5' He beholds a handsome porch of entry, free from dirt or defilement, and exhibiting architecture which delights the eye and satisfies that faculty which we call taste. The stone under his feet, rivalling white marble in its brightness, has been cleaned with soap and stone six hours previous; two tastefully designed scrapers (!) invite him to encourage this desire of keeping the very threshold pure and attractive. Even the graining of the door is a work of artistic excellence, a marvellous facsimile of the most beautiful of foreign woods. Two bronze and ivory bell-handles severally instruct him how the upper or lower servants are to be summoned to a stone-paved hall, the surface of which is bright as a table-cloth. The door is thrown wide back by a butler, perhaps, or liveried servant; his card is received, his feet are on a huge mat; he is in the entrance-hall, where he perceives a steel grate and fender and fire-irons, a marble chimney- piece, and a dial, or picture, or stag's head, or horns above it ; and if it be the winter season a bright fire burning. On a mahogany side-table may be seen an inkstand and paper, a Court Guide' and 'Directory,' and stray, which would be used to carry up his card. Near this would be an elegantly-designed stand for holding coats, cloaks, hats, canes, and umbrellas, and two mahogany or oaken hall chairs. To the left or right, as he enters, he perceives a handsome panelled door ; which, being ajar, reveals a superb sideboard, which must have cost (he is sure) sixteen or seventeen hundred francs. A splendid silver cup or salver may, perhaps, be standing on it. He is conducted to the foot of the staircase, where is seen a dark bearskin or an immense wool mat, leaving which he ascends eighteen or twenty steps, covered with beautiful Brussels ctopeting up to the first landing, where probably is a small conservatory redolent of greenhouse flowers, and containing an aquarium, or a statuette on a gilt pedestal, or a globe of gold-fish ; may be, instead of this glass enclosure, there may be a tasteful little boudoir. Leaving another tawny or red wool mat, or a chetah skin, he ascends the last steps leading up to the drawing-room, encore, a mat at the door."
We can only say that if the porches of Belgravia and Portland Place do "delight the eye and gratify the faculty which we call taste," his oyes and taste are very easily pleased, and must, more- over, have a special disposition towards a perception of the beauty existing in goitre, wens, and other excrescences on forms intended to be without them. We pass over these chapters, however, which will gratify only minds capable of enjoying spread- eagleism, and which in our judgment are blots on an otherwise admirable book.
Mr. Musgrave returned the visit of his friend, who had become Dean of Ardennes, and his account of his short residence there,— a residence, be it remarked, which occurred after many years of acquaintance aitli the country,—is in its way almost perfect. His tendency to appreciate, which amounts under ordinary cir- cumstances to a foible, enables him to perceive things hidden from most travellers, to understand his host's position, menage, and conversation as Frenchmen would understand them, to see the good side of arrangements most repulsive to English feeling, as, for instance, the seminarist education, to converse with nuns without hating nunneries, to study French horticulture without incessantly exalting English gardens, to bring the pleasanter side of the Catholic ceremonies home to the readers' minds, and this ap- preciativeness has at last the effect of originality. The description is of course minute, not to say garrulous, for without minuteness and garrulity the trifles be has to desciibe would lose the effect he wants them to produce ; but once fairly out of the first volume, the reader will feel no weariness. The account of St. Menehould and the arrest of Louis XVI. will, if lie has read Car- lyle, elicit an impatient pshaw I and if he has not will bore him grievously, but there is no ennui in the account of the parsonage, of Francoise the old housekeeper, with her matchless cookery and invisible ways, of the mildly jovial ecclesiastical feasts and high-coloured ecclesiastical ceremonial, or even of the good-tem- pered discussion among the very different guests. It is a little controversial perhaps, but then it is fair and honest, and it is good for Englishmen to read a pleasant defence of ceremonials and ways and modes of thought which they are very apt to condemn without taking the trouble to understand. Everything, too, however small, is so charmingly told, in a style easy and mas- culine, but without jerks, such as the "light writers" of the day encourage, and flavoured with a gentle subacid humour, a little taste of quince in the pie, which is irresistibly pleasant. An ac- cusation brought by the police against the Dean's dog of wander- ing out without a muzzle is not an incident which at first sight promises much, but one does not very easily tire of this kind of writing about it :—
" Monsieur le Curd broke out again' in the afternoon in the matter of Tom,' or as he pronounced it, Thom.' He affirmed that the law in this case provided took no cognizance of an unniuzzled dog walking at his owner's side, provided the latter had a strap and buckle in his pocket. What encouragement was there for an animal to comport him- self discreetly, and to establish the character of a blameless spaniel, if any idle police agent, having nothing better to do, pounced upon it, and made a Case for a hearing and fees ? Maio quo voulez-vous ? exclaimed Franstoise, in whose hearing this remonstrance was uttered, as she placed the soup on the table. 'It is useless to contradict the witnesses. Albert (one of the constables) declared positivement ' that Thom had, two nights consecutively, been detected lapping at the fountain opposite the Grand Monarque,' and was driven out of the backyard of the Boulangerie, in the Rue de Pont ; on another night he had snarled and snapped at the legs of the carrier, under whose cart he was sneaking in the dark, close to Dr. 'Trancsuvi's stables and,' said she, 'I firmly believe it, for he is always getting away from the pre- mises when I try to whistle him in at night. He hides outside, and, being an animal of great penetration and exceedingly full of low cun- ning, he waits till he perceives I have shut up the house, and then starts off. C'est un chien de mauvaises liaisons, and that is the way he gets us into trouble ; but it cannot last long, for the gens de police declared that if he did not at once make up his mind to se conformer a la Loi, they must decidedly kill him. You know best ; his days are numbered; for I will not trust him an hour.'—' (Yost an dons animal ; et de bon nature' P murmured my host.—' Ah ! mais oui,' chimed in the young Curate, 'there are five other indictments besides yours. They say it will be a matter of twenty-five francs fine. Two of the other dogs are chiens d'arret—(pointers), and known to be sturdy vagrants. Indeed I have seen them unblushingly run up the north aisle, and behave honten.sement ' in the chancel, and looking wicked all the time.'—' They may stray into worse places, at any rate, than that,' rejoined the Curd. 'C'ost une folic, cette croisade centre lea chiens, surtout lea chiens de bonne caractere. As to a fine of twenty-five francs, you mean twenty- five sous, more likely. Qua dites vous, Thom ?' (as he threw the accused a bone) are not muzzles wanted in France for many besides dogs ?"
Dr. Brown could scarcely have told that better, or have des- cribed with keener enjoyment the precautions subsequently taken against " Thom " as us suspect, though he probably would not have launched into praise of the French Government for the paternal care with which it worries every dog and dog-owner in order to guard against the spread of hydrophobia. The Dean of Ardennes, we should mention, is comparatively rich, inheriting besides his official income of 52/. a year a patrimony worth seven times as much ; but private fortunes are rare amongpriests, and the writers who declare that income is the main source of the falling off in English ordinations would wonder where France found any clergy at all. The education is severe, thecandidate being placed at fourteen in the Petit Seminaire, where he learns Greek, Latin, geo- metry, history, and a certain amount of religious knowledge, then transferred to the Grand Seminaire for four more years, then or- dained a subdeacon, and finally declared full priest with his chance of a benefice. He has thus had eight, or more usually ten, years' edu- cation, and doomed himself to perpetual celibacy, and in return obtains a benefice generally of about 52/. a year, with the chance of one of sixty-nine bishoprics with an average income of 500/. a year, of fifteen archbishoprics with 1,0001., and of some hundreds of can- onries all worth much less than the minor sum. His work is severe, the ceremonies being almost incessant, the Dean was frequently four hours at a time in the confessional, and the only ad- vantage he possesses over the English parish priest is that he is not required to consume much of his life in visiting. The Dean according to Mr. Musgrave stated distinctly that he thought an aggressive war against sin and infidelity and misery no part of his province :— " Mon ami, oe n'est point mon affaire?' It is not for us to go forth and hale men, women, and children out of the streets and lanes of the city, and compel them to come in ! Do you think it is my province to enter a man's house, and tell him I am come expressly to discuss with him the reasons he would allege for never entering the house of prayer, attending the confessional, or the communion? Have not the emperors of this world, in ages bygone, stood day and night in-the snow, craving reconciliation and admission into God's consecrated building, and shall we become suppliants to deserters and godless men who despise the riches of grace ? Is it for me to invade a citizen's privacy that, having crossed his threshold, I might charge him with living like an infidel and an outcast? We provide nourishment,. for the faithful, not for those who prefer to feed on husks with the swine. Let such renegats ' continue in scarceness ! The faithful behold the fair beauty of God in the temple, and are edified ; all such as are fat upon earth, enjoying the feast of fat things, the solace and counsel and encourage- ment of a Church they venerate and resort to, have eaten indeed of its fulness, and have worshipped to the consolation and saving health of their souls ; they have tasted of the good things of steadfast alle- giance and submissive faith, and are edified. They will always be fed with marrow and fatness.('Mode et abondance.') This is the pro-
mise to them and to their children
In a parish this aggressive domiciliary visitation, as you term it, is not required of us. We are here at the post of duty. Here is God's name set up. Here are ministrations. If 1, by a chance, be absent, my curate is sure to be within call. We are never both absent. Here is the sanctuary, the altar—approachable of all. The recusants and god- less you describe are perfectly well aware of this. They are not like the savages in partibus truidelium. They need no missionary to preach to them Jesus and the doctrine of the cross. Let them hear the Church. The peril of contempt and the consolation of obedience are equally theirs. Some will always be found who tread underfoot the pearls of great price, and choose evil as if it were a positive and permanent good. But were I to occupy myself in hunting day by day after all the absen- tees from mass, vespers, communion, and confession, in this town, how much time do you suppose would remain for me to discharge the daily duties devolving on me within the church; or to visit the sick rooms of those who, in all probability, 'will not outlive the year, and who have lived in all good conscience towards their pastor, themselves, and their God?"
If that feeling is general among the regular clergy we may get from those passages a new light on the importance which Rome attaches to her" orders" a clergy avowedly missionary, and understand why religious Roman Catholics regret their banishment even when the secular priesthood is preserved. There is a good dealof such discussion in these volumes, the Catho. lie side being presented with great fairness, though Mr. Musgrave, while rather sympathizing with its modes of action, frankly con- demns its distinctive doctrines. Readers, however, will turn from controversy with pleasure to the minute accounts of the education given in the convents, of the gardens on which prLets and nuns seem to lavish an affectionate solicitude, of the condition of the poor—never described in the aggregate but as individuals—and of the modes in which Rome maintains her discipline. The bishops, it seems, sometimes send refractory clergy to La Trappe, to consider themselves, and here is a delinquent priest's account of his penitentiary Why, the austerities of those Trappists were ten times more intolerable than the sharpest penance at the Grande Chartreuse! Figures yens' done! we were compelled to litter like wild beasts, one hundred and fifty of us, in one long dormitory, bedded on straw. We were forbidden to wear any night-dress. We lay in our lairs in purie, or rather impuris naturalibus ; and-what was worse, we were debarred any water to wash our bodies ! For four days I ate black bread only : the diet was so coarse and repulsive that I dreaded the sight even of our provisions. We were summoned, I know not how often, but always annoyingly, to masses, and early and late chapel attendance, and then sent into solitude for meditation ; and though we were allowed ample exercise, as our jailers called it, in the open grounds, we were compelled during the whole interval of our ' recreation ' (!) to work so hard with rough heavy tools, in the great garden— raking, digging, and weeding for four hours, that no human frames so ill fed, ill ventilated (mid aerd,$) as we were, could bear up against it. I really know not, ' he added, what was most detestable, the physical or the moral sufferings in that beastly barrack ! We had to endure tropical heat, stifling stench, and all sorts of stings through the night ; and we were forced to mope in silence for three hours in the day, fasting before our meal, and, in my case, fasting after it; and we only wanted their fetters to present the counterfeits of foryats in penal servitude !"
He washed himself thoroughly when he escaped, and then sat down to eat an enormous meal, his penance having apparently given him first a great disgust to Trappist life, secondly, a ten- dency towards water not common Mr. Musgrave allows among priests, and thirdly a voracious appetite which would probably be a temptation to him for years. Eating indeed seems to be a favourite clerical enjoyment, for in the Ardennes, where the good pastor had the means of following his own tastes, dinner seems to have been of the best, the host calling the cook publicly after the feast to thank her for a success which showed " un talent artistique," and kept a cellar a well-to-do English rector would regard with despairing envy
I made an inspection of all the premises. The wine-cellar was well built, and the temperature of it was duly cared for, the thermometer in it standing, on August 18, at 580. There were five barrels, containing fifty-four gallons each of Burgundy wine; • three of Bordeaux ; besides bins of Champagne from Moat, and certain tiers of Chablais white and red Verdun vintages."
It is all pleasantly told, and through it all one perceives lives somewhat limited and formalized, but not altogether useless,—a state of society in which if there is little advance there is a great deal of quiet happiness. That is, we think, the effect of the whole book, that and also this,—that if Mr. G. Musgrave is like his writing there are few men in England more thoroughly genial, fewer who cover by apparent or real simplicity of speech keener or more restless eyes.
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