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A48701
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A journey to Paris in the year 1698 by Dr. Martin Lister.
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Lister, Martin, 1638?-1712.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing L2525; ESTC R14927
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102,964
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264
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King John who was Prisoner in England which he greatly values He shewed us the Habits in Limning from the Originals done by the best Masters of all the Kings and Queens and Princes of France for many Ages backwards Also the Turnaments and Justings at large and a thousand such things of Monuments He was so Curious that he told me he seldom went into the Country without an Amanuensis and a couple of Men well Skilled in Designing and Painting He shewed us amongst other curious Manuscripts a Capitularie of Charles V. also the Gospel of St. Matthew writ in Golden Letter upon Purple Vellum This seemed to me to be later than that Manuscript I saw at the Abby of St. Germains that is the Letters less and more crooked tho' indeed the Letters of the Title Page are exactly Square One Toy I took notice of which was a Collection of Playing Cards for 300 years The oldest were three times bigger than what are now used extreamly well lined and illuminated with guilt Borders and the Pastboard thick and firm but there was not a compleat Sett of them Madame de Scudery Amongst the Persons of Distinction and Fame I was desirous to see Madameoiselle de Scuderie now 91 years of Age. Her Mind is yet vigorous tho' her Body is in Ruins I confess this Visit was a perfect Mortification to see the sad Decays of Nature in a Woman once so famous To hear her Talk with her Lips hanging about a Toothless Mouth and not to be able to Command her Words from flying abroad at Random puts me in mind of the Sybil's uttering Oracles Old Women were employed on this Errand and the Infant-World thought nothing so Wise as Decayed Nature or Nature quite out of Order and preferred Dreams before reasonable and waking Thoughts She shewed me the Skeletons of two Chameleons which she had kept near four years alive In Winter she lodged them in Cotton and in the fiercest Weather she put them under a Ball of Copper full of hot Water In her Closet she shewed me an Original of Madame Maintenon her old Friend and Acquaintance which she affirmed was very like her and indeed she was then very beautiful Marquis d'Hopital The Marquis d'Hopital one of the Academie des Sciences whom I found not at home returned my Visit very obligingly I had a long Conversation with him about Philosophy and Learning and I perceived the Wars had made them altogether Strangers to what had been doing in England Nothing was more pleasing to him than to hear of Mr. Isaac Newton 's Preferment and that there were hopes that they might expect something more from him he expressed a great desire to have the whole Sett of the Philosophic Transactions brought over and many other Books which he named but had not yet seen He told me it was not possible for them to continue the Monthly Memoirs as they had done for two years only because they were but very few in number of that Society and had very little Correspondence Indeed I did inquire once of some of that Body why they did not take in more since there were very many deserving Men in the City as I instanc'd in F. Plumier They owned he would be an Honour to the Body but they avoided to make a President for the Admission of any Regulars whatsoever I repaid the Marquis his Visit He lives in a fine House well furnisht the Garden pretty with neat Trelliage wrought with Arches and other Ornaments He expressed a great Desire to see England and Converse with our Mathematicians whose Works he coveted above all things and had ordered all to be brought him over His Lady also is very well Studied in the Mathematicks and makes one of the Learned Ladies in Paris of which number are Mad. Dacier the Dutchess of Main Mad. Scuderie Mad. de Vicubourg Mad. d'Espernon the Daughter Mad. Pres de Ferrand and others whose Names I have forgot Pezron I bought the Works of Pere Pezron a Benardin now Abbot de Charmoyse near Rheims This is a very Learned and very disinterested Author and by his free way of Writing has got him Enemies amongst the Regular Clergy The Books I bought were his Antiquities or Account of Time The Defence of it against Two Monks An Essay or Commentary upon the Prophets The History of the Gospel He is now upon giving us the Origin of Nations where he will shew that Greek and Latin too came from the Celtique or Bas-breton of which Country he is He told me he had 800 Greek Words perfect Celtique I settled a Correspondence betwixt him and Mr. Ed. Floid which he most readily granted and which he said he had long coveted Monsieur Spanheim now Envoy Extraordinary from the Duke of Branden-bough at Paris told me that the King of France's Collection of Medals is far the best in Europe or that ever was made Having the opportunity of Discoursing him often his sick Lady being my Patient I inquired more particularly of him what he had seen of Palmyra of Zenobia Odenatus Vabalathus He desired a Memoir of me which I gave him of what I would have him search for in the King's Cabinet and promised me all the Satisfaction he could give me in that Affair I told him I had met with nothing yet but a fair Busto in White Marble of Zenobia in the Cabinet of M. Boudelot which was part of Mons Thevenot's Collection of Marbles from the East Monsieur Vaillant I was to wait on Mons Vaillant at his Appartment in the Arsenal I found only his Son at home who very Civilly Entertained me and shewed me a Book in Quarto of his Father 's of Greek Medals near Printed off but without Cutts The Title was Nummi Graeci Imperatorum he goes down no lower than to Claudius Gothicus He hath added a large Appendix with References to all the most Remarkable Heads about the Cities and the People I left a Memoir with his Son and in a second Visit I found the old Gentleman at home very busie in his Flower Garden of which I shall speak hereafter He told me as to the Memoir I had left he had never seen any Coins of Oedenatus yet he had very lately parted with one of Zenobia to the Duke of Maine As for Vabalathus he had seen some of him in Brass and one he had in Silver which he very obliginly made me a Present of and that this was the only Silver Coin he had ever met with of him This is his Reading of it VABALATHUS V. G. R. IMP. R. Vices gerens Imperii Romani Les autres y lisent mal YCRIMOR He gave me also the Stamps of the Heads of Zenobia and Vabalathus done from the King's Medals See Tab. 2. These were designed for a short History of all the Emperors and Empresses which he has by him written in French but not publisht Nothing could be more Civil and Franc than this Gentleman whom I believe to be
A JOURNEY TO PARIS In the Year 1698. By Dr. Martin Lister LONDON Printed for Jacob Tonson at the Judges-Head near the Inner-Temple-Gate in Fleet street and at Gray's-Inn-Gate in Gray's-Inn-Lane 1699. To His Excellency JOHN Lord Sommers Baron of Evesham Lord High Chancellor of England and one of the Lords-Justices of England My LORD WIsdom is the Foundation of Justice and Equity and it seems not to be perfect without it comprehends also Philosophy and Natural Learning and whatever is of good Relish in Arts. It is certain my Lord for the Honour of your high Station that the greatest Philosophers of this Age were of your Predecessors nor is your Lordship in any thing behind them as tho nothing inspired People with more Equity than a true value for Vseful Learning and Arts. This hath given me the boldness to offer your Lordship this short Account of the Magnificent and Noble City of Paris and the Court of that great King who hath given Europe so long and vehement Disquiet and cost England in particular so much Blood and Treasure 'T is possible my Lord you may find a leisure Hour to read over these few Papers for your Diversion wherein I promise my self you will meet with nothing Offensive but clean Matter of Fact and some short Notes of an unprejudiced Observer But that I may no longer importune you perpetually busied in so laborious and useful an Imployment I beg leave to subscribe my self My LORD Your Lordships Most Humble and most Obedient Servant Martin Lister THE Reader is desired to Correct with a Pen these Faults before he begins because they obscure the Sense As for the Literal Faults they are easie to be mended by the Eye Page 39. l. 1. read Metopae Page 81. line 5. read laminons P. 93. l. 19. r. limned P. 108. l. 29. r. interpolations P. 139. l. 30. r. had sold P. 150. l. 8. r. Shoots P. 58. l. 7. dele in Tab. 3. Cochlea terrestris Americana F. Plumier Tab â— Vabalatus Zenobia Tab. 1. Fig. 1. Vesparum quarundam Canadensium Favus Fig. 2. Fig. 3. A JOURNEY TO PARIS In the Year 1698. Introduction to the Reader THis Tract was Written chiefly to satisfie my own Curiosity and to delight my self with the Memory of what I had seen I busied my self in a place where I had little to do but to walk up and down well knowing that the Character of a Stranger gave me free admittance to Men and Things The French Nation value themselves upon Civility and build and dress mostly for Figure This Humour makes the Curiosity of Strangers very easie and welcome to them But why do you trouble us with a Journey to Paris a place so well known to every body here For very good Reason to spare the often telling my Tale at my return But we know already all you can say or can read it in the Present State of France and Description of Paris two Books to be had in every Shop in London 'T is right so you may and I advise you not to neglect them if you have a mind to judge well of the Grandeur of the Court of France and the immense Greatness of the City of Paris These were Spectacles I did indeed put on but I found they did not fit my sight I had a mind to see without them and in Matters of this Nature as vast Cities and vast Palaces I did not care much to use Microscopes or Magnifying Glasses But to content you Reader I promise you not to trouble you with Ceremonies either of State or Church or Politicks for I entred willingly into neither of them but only where they would make a part of the Conversation or my Walk was ordered me You 'l easily find by my Observations that I incline rather to Nature than Dominion and that I took more pleasure to see Monsieur Breman in his white Wastcoat digging in the Royal Physick Garden and sowing his Couches than Monsieur Saintot making room for an Ambassador and I found my self better disposed and more apt to learn the Names and Physiognomy of a Hundred Plants than of 5 or 6 Princes After all I had much rather have walked a 100 paces under the meanest Hedge in Languedoc than any the finest Alley at Versailles or St. Clou so much I prefer fair Nature and a warm Sun before the most exquisite performances of Art in a cold and barren Climate Another Reason that I give you little or no trouble in telling you Court Matters is that I was no more concerned in the Embassy than in the sailing of the Ship which carried me over 'T is enough for me with the rest of the People of England to feel the good Effects of it and to pass away this Life in Peace and Quietness 'T is a happy turn for us when Kings are made Friends again This was the end of this Embassy and I hope it will last our days My Lord Ambassador was infinitely caressed by the King his Ministers and all the Princes 'T is certain the French are the most Polite Nation in the World and can Praise and Court with a better Air than the rest of Mankind However the generality of the Kingdom were through great necessity well disposed to receive the Peace The Bigots and some Disbanded Officers might be heard at our first going to grumble but those also gave over and we heard no more of them when we came away but to the Business I happily arrived at Paris after a tedious Journey in very bad Weather for we set out of London the 10th of December and I did not reach Paris till the first of January for I fell sick upon the Road and stay'd 5 days at Bologne behind the Company till my Fever abated yet notwithstanding so rude a Journey I recovered and was perfectly cured of my Cough in 10 days which was the chiefest reason of my leaving London at that time of the year and never had the least return of it all the Winter though it was as fierce there as I ever felt it in England This great benefit of the French Air I had experienced 3 several times before and had therefore long'd for a passage many years but the continuance of the War was an insuperable Obstacle to my Desires Therefore the first opportunity which offered it self I readily embraced which was my Lord Portland's Acceptance of my Attendance of him in his Extraordinary Embassie who ordered me to go before with one of my good Friends who was sent to prepare Matters against his arrival Now that I might not wholly trust my Memory in what I saw at Paris I set down my Thoughts under certain Heads I. Of Paris in General THough I had much spare time the 6 Months I staid in that City yet the rudeness of the Winter Season kept me in for some time Again I believe I did not see the Tithe of what deserves to be seen and well considered because for many things I wanted a