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THE

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fice, for I could not find Downing-street-; but in making enquiries after it of a coun tryman, whom I accidentally encountered, with the true indirectness of a Scotch response, "What d'ye want there?" demand

"ye may as weel thraw your money in the Thames; what for wad ye gang to the Foreign-office? Gang to the French ambassador's, an' ye'll get ane there for naething; and, ye may tak my word for't, it's the only thing ye'll get for naething frae a Frenchman, either o' this side o' the water or yon."

preliminaries are needful towards the journey in the shape of passport or permit; and how or where they are to be obtained?He can't tell ;-he believes at some of the government offices ;-or has heard that you have to make some application ated he. I told him. "Gude God!" says he, the French ambassador's ;-or to call at the Alien Office ;-or, in fact, that Tom Such-a-one went to France by the packet, and did perfectly well without any. But this is not exactly the case: although I have actually met here a young London stock-broker who sailed from Brighton to Dieppe without a passport, or a word of the French language, travelled accidentally from thence to Paris in the suite of a diplomatic character, to which he was sup posed to belong, and was safely lodged in the hands of the police before he was aware he had made any great mistake. When I left him he was waiting documents from London to procure his enlargement; but you may imagine his durance was not vile.

of

Tired of tramping further in search of streets, I took a hackney-coach, and desired the man to drive to the French ambassador's; which he did accordingly, to an elegant house in, I forget what square. On drawing up his hideous machine at the splendid door, the steps of which were crowded with laced, powdered, and yellowfaced French footmen, the Swiss porter roared out, "Got tam, vat you stop dare?" "Pour une passeport, Monsieur," replied I from the window, essaying my newly-ac

cried he, shrugging up his shoulders, which already reached his ears, to the crown of his head, "go de bureau, de offeece, de of feece; dare, dare!" pointing down the street, and continuing to maintain the ave nues of sound inviolably shut least he should be tormented with more barbarous lingo-" Aska Jeorge-street!"

That, of my three "Guides," which included London as a part of the journey, after having directed me to lay in plenty money and bank credit previous to dequired French. "Ah! me know, me know,” parture, a deficiency of the same being very inconvenient at Paris, (a fact I had occasion thereafter to find most lamentably true,) proceeded to point out the mode of obtaining the other requisite to the tra veller in France, viz. a passport. The directions were, to apply to the Foreignoffice in Downing-street, exhibit my person, write down my name and occupation, and pay to the people (though last not least!) two pounds seven shillings and six-❘ pence.

"Trust not in 'Guides,'

They are by nature false," &c.

I luckily did not get to the Foreign-of

To George-street we proceeded accordingly, and here there was no difficulty in finding the office. In the narrow passage to a little paltry outer door, which was shut, were crammed about two dozen welldressed English, male and female, while several carriages were drawn up in the

street, to whom they belonged. Amongst | "mon dieus !" in reply to the siege of questhese I descended to take my stand also, while my coachman, eyeing the scene with a truly English aspect of indignant contempt, half muttered-" My eyes, if this "ant a new one!-Gemmen and ladies awaiting there at a frenchman's door, foul weather or fair, like the poor people in the dear times at a soup-kitchen!"

tions with which he is assailed, are as fre-
quent, and almost as ludicrous, as Dominie
Sampson's
Sampson's "prodigious!" A coxcomb of a
chief clerk countersigns the paper; and
the whole business is managed with a scant
allowance of civility; but you pay nothing,
and the given horse should not be looked in the
mouth.

And so it was: those nearest the door Possessed of my passport, I set off to informed me they had waited above two the White Bear Inn, Piccadilly, where, for hours, the plan of operation being as fol- the moderate sum of L.3:18, I obtained a lows:-A couple of clerks and a footman place in the coach to Paris by the Dover come to a suite of two small apartments and Calais route; and I would advise every within, at twelve o'clock, and remain till single male traveller to adopt the same four, if the siege from without is incessant; mode of conveyance. You are insured for otherwise, on a moment's intermission, they this sum the whole distance, sea and land; march off, and the aftercomers have their you stop where you please, and when you trouble in vain. Before twelve the passage please, on the road, and are taken up by is crammed with applicants waiting for the ensuing Diligences without a farthing admission. The apartments are of course additional charge. This coach leaves Loninstantly filled; after which two only are, after which two only are don, morning and evening, at five; I took admitted at a time (the ladies obtaining ge- that of the morning to enjoy the delightful nerally the preference of priority ;) and, as country betwixt and Dover, and I was set the door opens to disgorge one pair of the down to a late dinner at the Paris Hotel, fortunates who have been in the interior, a house kept by an old Frenchman of the and to admit a couple of the most push-name of Podevin, where every thing was ing from without,-then ensues the tug of clean, neat, cheap, and excellent ;-but as war! 'my coadjutor, Monsieur Quinze Jours, has been witty upon this same Podevin and Paris Hotel, although at the expence of his countryman, I shall here conclude; reserving, to garnish my next, a few of Monsieur's happy imaginations, mistakes, and -facts! I am, &c. &c.

a

When you have got in, all you are required to do is to leave your name and address, and return on the morrow to the same entertainment. Your designation is demanded on the second day also; but why you are given the trouble of calling twice, those best know who framed the regulations; one could almost imagine the difficulties were concerted. You now wait the writing out of the passport, which is done by a threadbare old Frenchman, with a most vinegar Voltaire physiognomy, and' whose peevish half-suppressed sucres!" and "sacres !" and

SIR,

LETTER III.

D.

Paris, December, 1818.

IN my last I brought you to Dover, to the cheap, clean, and excellent house of