JOURNAL OF A TOUR AND RESIDENCE IN Great Britain, DURING THE YEARS 1810 AND 1811, BY A FRENCH TRAVELLER: WITH REMARKS ON THE COUNTRY, ITS ARTS, LITERATURE, AND POLITICS, ITS INHABITANTS. VOLUME FIRST. EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY GEORGE RAMSAY AND COMPANY, FOR ARCHIBALD CONSTABle and comPANY, EDINBURGH; AND 1815. NOTICE. THIS Journal was originally written in English, nearly as it now appears; but being intended chiefly for the benefit of my countrymen, it was fully prepared for publication in French; when it was suggested to me, that, as it could not at that time have been printed on the Continent, if it had any success at all in this country, it would be translated imme diately, and, in all likelihood, very wretchedly, and that I had better undertake the task myself, having, in fact, the materials ready. I now, therefore, venture to give the original English Journal, such as it was written at the moment, with very little alteration; having only had to translate the extended remarks, that were added in preparing it for the press,which has been done with considerable license, and without confining myself very strictly to the letter of the French original. I am perfectly aware of the double danger to which a foreigner, offering to the English public an account of England, written in the English language, exposes himself. Any apology on the subject, would, I know, be vain and useless; and, having stated my motives, I throw myself on the indulgence of the public. No man is expected to write perfectly a foreign language; perhaps, indeed, he loses the finer tact of his own as he acquires the familiar use of another, and is perfect in neither. Such wonderful changes have taken place since this Journal was written, that a considerable part of the views and opinions it records are now completely out of date. Yet an 1 |