[au (Jan. 
A DAY AT FONTAINBLEAU: 
Tue Royvat Hunt. 
Havine learned that the King and the Dauphin, with the Due de 
Grammont, and the rest of the royal suite, were about to proceed to 
Fontainbleau, in order to enjoy the diversion of hunting, I resolved to 
be there to meet them, to see with my own eyes a royal personage of 
whom I had heard so much. Accordingly I ordered post horses, and 
arrived in the town about six hours after his Most Christian Majesty. 
Though the journals had all hinted forth the sovereign’s intent of gra- 
tifying the lorging eyes of the good people of Fontainbleau, never- 
theless I did not perceive that the public gave evidence of any strong 
ebullition of curiosity. As I passed along the almost endless but 
deserted streets, there were streaming from the windows scattered 
banners “ thinly ranged to make up a shew,” bearing the impress of the 
“ Fleur de Lis.” 
Our party first drove to the Hétel de France, but here there was no 
accommodation to be had, for love or money, and, besides, the house 
was filthy in the extreme! Our next resource was the Hétel du 
Dauphin, and here we ultimately took up our quarters, where every 
thing was regulated by a “ prix jixe.” Though in this hotel the 
traveller may have had to complain of an exorbitant bill, yet in legal 
phrase he had at least the good fortune to have become a purchaser with 
notice, and, in settling it, he could not complain that he had been taken , _ 
unawares. 
It was past six o'clock, in the latter end of the month of October last, _ 
when I found myself within the court-yard of the inn at Fontainbleau. _ 
Having travelled from Joigny, whence I started at eight in the morning, 
the reader will readily allow that I was legally entitled to have an 
appetite ; and my first impulse was to enter the kitchen to order 
dinner. While engaged in this always agreeable occupation, after a 
journey, I was approached by the post boy, whose “ compte” (as they 
call it) I had already prepared, allowing, of course, according to the 
“ Livre de Poste,’ of a quarter post, and the distance in entering 
Fontainbleau. My postillion, however, was by no means satisfied, and 
lustily demanded a whole post extra as his legal allowance. On inquir- 
ing the why and the wherefore of this, I was answered “ The king is 
at Fontainbleau.”’ On referring to the book of posts, published by 
authority, I found there was no mention made of his Majesty, and I 
became as refractory as any John Bull was in duty bound. The pos- 
tillion, meantime, quietly walked to the Poste Royale, and, whilst I was 
at dinner, returned, and put into my hand the ‘royal ordonnance “ to 
the intent and effect aforesaid.’ To pay the whole post additional, _ 
therefore, I was compelled by law, and there was no remedy. I deter- 
mined, however, to have a post’s worth of criticism on his Most — 
Christian Majesty in revenge, and I accordingly ordered a saddle-horse 
to be prepared for me at eight on the ensuing morning, in order to 
enabled to follow the king to the chace. The “ royal hunter before the 
Lord” had, notwithstanding all my efforts, the start of me by two hours; 
as I learned at. the palace that he had set off at six o'clock. P 
To return, however, to my excursion. After breakfasting on a cold 
partridge, and some excellent coffee, I set out at eight o’clock for the — 
forest. Even at that hour—a late one in France, when compared with 
England—the roads were by no means thronged, and I could very — 
plainly perceive that the major part of the equestrians were attached to ‘ 
