A Residence in France During the Years 1792, 1793, 1794 and 1795, Part I. 1792 - Described in a Series of Letters from an English Lady: with General - and Incidental Remarks on the French Character and Manners by An English Lady
page 34 of 128 (26%)
page 34 of 128 (26%)
|
young women avoid occasions where an inebriated soldier may offer himself
as her partner in the dance, and her refusal be attended with insult to herself, and danger to those who protect her; and as this licence is nearly as offensive to the decent Bourgeoise as to the female of higher condition, this sort of fete will most probably be entirely abandoned. *The head-dress of the French _Paysanne_ is uniformly a small cap, without ribbon or ornament of any kind, except in that part of Normandy which is called the _Pays de Caux,_ where the Paysannes wear a particular kind of head dress, ornamented with silver. The people here all dance much better than those of the same rank in England; but this national accomplishment is not instinctive: for though few of the laborious class have been taught to read, there are scarcely any so poor as not to bestow three livres for a quarter's instruction from a dancing master; and with this three months' noviciate they become qualified to dance through the rest of their lives. The rage for emigration, and the approach of the Austrians, have occasioned many restrictions on travelling, especially near the seacoast of frontiers. No person can pass through a town without a passport from the municipality he resides in, specifying his age, the place of his birth, his destination, the height of his person, and the features of his face. The Marquis de C____ entered the town yesterday, and at the gate presented his passport as usual; the guard looked at the passport, and in a high tone demanded his name, whence he came, and where he was going. M. de C____ referred him to the passport, and suspecting the man could not read, persisted in refusing to give a verbal account of himself, but with much civility pressed the perusal of the passport; adding, that if it was informal, Monsieur might write to the municipality that granted |
|