756 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



tremely courteous, afflible, and 

 flattering. They never make use 

 of the simple words Yes or No, 

 but have always some circuitous 

 phrase ready, expressive of the 

 honour you confer, or their re- 

 gret. In pointing out the road, 

 or explaining any thing to a fo- 

 reigner, they are indefatigable, 

 and consider such conduct as a 

 proof of their good breeding and 

 humanity. You may call on a 

 French gentleman at any hour, 

 and relate to him your whole 

 story twice over : he will listen 

 with the greatest patience, and 

 never betray a discontented look. 

 How superior, in this respect, are 

 they to the irritable and surly 

 Englishmen ! Whilst travelling, 

 or when dining at French ordi- 

 naries, I was frequently surprised 

 to see with what good humour the 

 gentlemen put up with bad food, 

 and worse wine; and whenever I 

 complained, they took great pains 

 to persuade me things were not so 

 bad, and that the master of the 

 house was not in fault." 



" In a London coffee-house, if a 

 gentleman calls for breakfast, the 

 waiter will at once bring him 

 all the requisites on a tray, 

 and afterwards eggs or fruit, if 

 called for. Tiiis he does to avoid 

 running backward and forward, 

 to which the English have a 

 great objection. But in Paris, 

 although the waiter perfectly 

 knows by experience what ar- 

 ticles are requisite, he will first 

 bring the coffee, then the sugar, 

 a third time the milk, and, be- 

 fore you can possibly breakfast, 

 he must have made half a dozen 

 trips to the bar. When a num- 

 ber of persons are assembled, such 

 conduct causes the greatest con- 



fusion, and a total want of all 

 comfort. 



"MybarberinParis used to bring 

 with him a large copper basin, and 

 a coarse cloth, somewhat like the 

 bags out of which the horses in 

 India eat their corn. Having tied 

 the latter under my chin, he then 

 threw some water into the basin, 

 and, with a piece of soap, having 

 made a quantity of lather, he 

 daubed it all over my face, neck, 

 and breast, while he himself was 

 wet up to the elbow ; after which 

 he commenced his operation of 

 shaving. Disgusted with this 

 mode, I asked him one day if he 

 had ever been in England. He 

 answered that he had. ' Then,' 

 said I, ' you must have seen that 

 there the barbers carry only a 

 small box, which contains both 

 soap and brush, and a couple of 

 razors, with which they can shave 

 fifty people in a morning, without 

 daubing their customers, or dirty- 

 ing their own cloaths. Why do 

 you not adopt their mode ? He 

 replied: 'Your observation is 

 correct : I have both a box and 

 brush at home ; but, as the French 

 do not like them, and I cannot in- 

 troduce the fashion, they have 

 therefore never been used ; but 

 in future, I shall bring them for 

 your use.' 



♦' The men in France are I think 

 better looking than the English ; 

 their clothes are made to fit the 

 body, and are of more lively co- 

 lours ; many of them also wear 

 ear-rings and other ornaments. 



"The French women are tall and 

 more corpulent than the English, 

 but bear no comparsion with re- 

 spect to beauty. They want the 

 simplicity, modesty, and graceful 

 motions of the English damsels. 



