from Boulogne, situated upon a small hill, in the middle of a fine plain, which reached as far as the eye could carry you, except towards the sea, which is about twelve miles from it. We put up at the same house, and with the same jolly landlord that recommended Le Fleur to Sterne. Here we wished much to have fixed, but neither good lodgings, or masters could be had here; for there are no middling class of people : sixty noblemen's families lived in the town, who owned the vast plain round it, and the rest very poor indeed. This is the finest country for game that ever was; partridges twopence halfpenny a couple, pheasants and woodcocks in proportion, and in short, every species of poultry. We dined, supped, lay, and breakfasted next day, Saturday: then we proceeded on our tour, leaving Montreuil you will suppose with great regret. We reached Abbeville at eight o'clock: but unluckily for us, two Englishmen, one of whom called himself Lord Kingsland, I can hardly suppose it to be him, and a Mr. Bullock, decamped at three o'clock that afternoon in debt to every shopkeeper in the place. These gentlemen kept elegant houses, horses, &c.: we found the Town in an uproar; and as no masters could be had at this place that could speak a word of English, and that all masters that could speak English grammatically, attend at the places that are frequented by the English, which is, St. Omer, Lisle, Dunkirk, and Boulogne, to the Northward of Paris, and as I had no intention of travelling to the South of France till the spring at any rate, I determined, with Mac's advice, to steer for St. Omer, where we arrived last Tuesday: and I own I was surprised to find, that instead of a dirty, nasty Town, which I had always heard it represented, to find a large City, well paved, good streets, and well lighted. We lodge in a pleasant French family, and have our dinners sent from a traiteur's. There are two very agreeable young ladies, daughters, who honour us with their company pretty often one always makes our breakfast, and the other our tea, and play a game at cards in an evening. Therefore I must learn French if 'tis only for the pleasure of talking to them, for they do not speak a word of English. Here are a great number of English in this place, but we visit only two families; for if I did I should never speak French. And affectionate humble Servant, Captain Macnamara desires his compliments to you: his and mine to Mrs. Bradley, Mrs. Dyne, &c.-Direct to me, 'A Monsieur Monsieur Nelson, chez Madame La Mourie, St. Omer, en Artois, France.' TO THE REVEREND MR. NELSON. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] Dear Brother, St. Omer, November 10th, 1783. As all Sea people are great travellers, I will give you a Journal of my proceedings since we parted. Before I left England I paid my visit of gratitude to Sir Peter and Lady Parker in Essex. I hope most sincerely that long before this you are perfectly recovered. Nothing, be assured, can give me greater pleasure than hearing of the welfare of all my bro 5 The two Captains were Alexander John Ball, afterwards a very distinguished Officer, a Rear-Admiral, and a Baronet, and Nelson's intimate friend, his Letters to whom are among the most interesting of this Collection; and Captain James Keith Shepard, who died a Vice-Admiral of the Red, in 1843. • Epaulettes were first ordered to be worn, as part of the Naval Uniform, on the 1st of June 1795. The name shows that they are of French origin, and it appears from Nelson's next Letter that they were worn by French Officers previously to the year 1783. thers and sisters; and be assured, my only wish to be rich is to have an opportunity of serving our family. But enough of that subject: I believe my good intentions are not doubted. On Tuesday morning, the 21st. ult., I set off from Salisburystreet, in company with Captain Macnamara of the Navy, an old messmate of mine. I dined with Captain Locker, my old Captain, at Malling in Kent, and spent the night at his house. The next day we slept at Dover, and on Thursday morning we left England with a fine wind. In three hours and twenty minutes we were at breakfast in Monsieur Grandsire's at Calais. The quick transition struck me much. The manners, houses, and eating, so very different to what we have in England. I had thoughts of fixing at Montreuil, about sixty miles from Calais, in the road to Paris. We set off en poste, they called it: we did not get on more than four miles an hour. Such carriages, such horses, such drivers, and such boots, you would have been ready to burst with laughing at the ridiculous figure they made together. The roads were paved with stones; therefore by the time we had travelled fifteen miles, we were pretty well shook up, and heartily tired. We stopped at an inn, they called it,—a clean pigsty is far preferable. They showed us into a dirty room with two straw beds: they were clean, that was all they could brag on. However, after a good laugh we went to bed and slept very soundly till morning. How different to what we had found the day before at Dover. At daylight we set off, breakfasted at Boulogne, and got to Montreuil in the evening. This day we passed through the finest country my eyes ever beheld: not a spot (as big as my hand) but was in the highest cultivation, finely diversified with stately woods. Sometimes for two miles together, you would suppose you were in a gentleman's park. The roads are mostly planted on each side with trees, so that you drive in almost a continued avenue, but amidst such plenty they are poor indeed. Montreuil is situated upon a small hill, in the middle of a large plain, which extends as far as the eye can reach, except towards the sea, which is about twelve miles from it. Game here was in the greatest abundance: partridges, pheasant, woodcocks, snipes, hare, &c. &c., as cheap as you can possibly imagine. Partridges, twopence halfpenny a brace; a noble turkey, fifteen pence; and everything else in proportion. You will suppose that it was with great regret we turned our backs upon such an agreeable place, but not a man that understood English, which was necessary to learn me French could be found in the place. Our landlord at the inn is the same man that recommended Le Fleur to Sterne. From this place, we proceeded on to Abbeville, ninety miles from Calais. This was a large Town, well fortified, but even there I could not be accommodated to my wish: nor indeed, good masters, that is, that understood grammatically. At last, I determined to come here, which, indeed, is what we ought to have done at first: therefore by the time we arrived here, which was Tuesday week, we had travelled a hundred and fifty miles, but upon the whole I was not displeased with our excursion. This is by much the pleasantest and cleanest Town I have seen in France. It is very strongly fortified, and a large garrison. We have good rooms in a pleasant French family, where are two very agreeable young ladies, one of whom is so polite as to make our breakfast for us, and generally, when we are at home, drink tea and spend the evening with us. I exert myself, you will suppose, in the French language, that I may have the pleasure of talking to them; and French ladies make full as much use of their tongues as our English ones. We have a most pleasant society of English at this place. We have seldom a day but we are invited somewhere, which I avoid as much as possible that I may acquire the French, and there are three families that I visit en famille: that visiting pleases me far beyond the other. My paper is done: in my next I shall proceed; I have much to say. To-day I dine with an English clergyman, a Mr. Andrews, who has two very beautiful young ladies, daughters. I must take care of my heart, I assure you. God bless you. Your affectionate Brother, Make my compliments to all in your neighbourhood. Love to Mrs. Bolton. Direct to me as follows: A Monsieur Nelson, chez Madame la Mourie, St. Omer, en Artois, France.' TO WILLIAM LOCKER, ESQ., TOWN MALLING, KENT. [Autograph, in the Locker Papers.] My dear Friend, St. Omer, November 26th, 1783. sooner. Your kind letter I received last night. I concluded you were in London, as I had not the pleasure of hearing from you Since I wrote last I have been very near coming to England, occasioned by the melancholy account I have received of my dear Sister's death.7 My Father, whose grief upon the occasion was intolerable, is, I hope, better; therefore I shall not come over. She died at Bath after a nine days' illness, in the twenty-first year of her age; it was occasioned by coming out of the ball-room immediately after dancing. Your time with Captain Reynolds must have been very agreeable : the good opinion he is pleased to entertain of me is highly flattering it is more than my short acquaintance with him had a right to expect. The French goes on but slowly; but patience, of which you know I have not much, and perseverance, will, I hope, make me master of it. Here are two Navy Captains, Ball and Shepard, at this place, but we do not visit; they are very fine gentlemen with epaulettes: you may suppose I hold them a little cheap for putting on any part of a Frenchman's uniform. Macnamara is very much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken about his picture: he will write a postscript at the end of the letter. Captain Youngs visited me to-day, and to-morrow we meet at dinner; I shall certainly deliver your compliments: he is come over to place his brother, who is a Lieutenant, in a French family. He returns immediately to England. Mac was last evening at a very elegant ball, but my mind is too much taken up with the recent account of my dear sister's death to partake of any amuse ments. ↑ His eldest sister, Anne Nelson, died at Bath, unmarried. on the 15th of Noven. ber 1784. As she was baptized on the 20th of September, 1760, she was probably in her twenty-fifth, and not, as Nelson says, in her twenty-first year. Captain William Young, who obtained Post Rank in September 1778, afterwards Admiral Sir William Young, G.C.B.: he died in October 1821. 8 |