第30章

_Paris，April24，1788_

Iarrivedhere，mydearfriend，thelastnight，andinabushelofletterspresentedmebywayofreception，Isawthatonewasofyourhandwriting。ItistheonlyoneIhaveyetopened，andIansweritbeforeIopenanother。IdonotthinkIwasinarrearsinourepistolaryaccountwhenIleftParis。InaffectionIamsureyouweregreatlymydebtor。Ioftendeterminedduringmyjourneytowritetoyou：butsometimesthefatigueofexercise，andsometimesfatiguedattentionhinderedme。

AtDusseldorffIwishedforyoumuch。Isurelyneversawsopreciousacollectionofpaintings。AboveallthingsthoseofVanderWerffaffectedmethemost。HispictureofSarahdeliveringAgartoAbrahamisdelicious。IwouldhaveagreedtohavebeenAbrahamthoughtheconsequencecouldhavebeenthatIshouldhavebeendeadfiveorsixthousandyears。CarloDolcebecamealsoaviolentfavorite。IamsolittleofaconnoisseurthatIpreferredtheworksofthesetwoauthorstotheoldfadedredthingsofRubens。Iambutasonofnature，lovingwhatIsee&feel，withoutbeingabletogiveareason，norcaringmuchwhethertherebeone。AtHeidelbergI

wishedforyoutoo。InfactIledyoubythehandthro’thewholegarden。

IwasstruckwiththeresemblanceofthisscenetothatofVaucluseasseenfromwhatiscalledthechateauofPetrarch。Naturehasformedbothonthesamesketch，butshehasfilledupthatofHeidelbergwithabolderhand，theriverislarger，themountainsmoremajesticandbetterclothed。Arttoohassecondedherviews。

ThechateauofPetrarchistheruinofamodestcountryhouse，thatofHeidelbergwouldstandwellalongsidethepyramidsofEgypt。Itiscertainlythemostmagnificentruinafterthoseleftusbytheantients。

AtStrasbourgIsatdowntowritetoyou，butformysoulI

couldthinkofnothingatStrasbourgbutthepromontoryofnoses，ofDiego，ofSlawkenburgiushishistoriaga，&theprocessionoftheStrasburgerstomeetthemanwiththenose。HadIwrittentoyoufromthenceitwouldhavebeenacontinuationofSterneuponnoses，&

IknewthatnaturehadnotformedmeforaContinuatorofSterne：soletitalonetillIcamehereandreceivedyourangryletter。Itisaproofofyouresteem，butIlovebettertohavesofttestimonialsofit。

Youmustthereforenowwritemealetterteemingwithaffection；suchasIfeelforyou。SomuchIhavenorighttoask。

BeingbutjustarrivedIamnot_aufait_ofthesmallnewsaffectingyouracquaintanceshere。IknowonlythattheprincessLubomirskiisstillhere&thatshehastakenthehousethatwasM。deSimoulin’s。

Whenyoucomeagainthereforeyouwillbesomewhatnearertome，butnotnearenough：andstillsurroundedbyanumerouscortege，sothatIshallseeyouonlybyscrapsasIdidwhenyouwereherelast。Thetimebeforewewerehalfdays&wholedaystogether，&Ifoundthistoolittle。Adieu！Godblessyou！

Your’saffectionately”AMAZONSANDANGELS”

_ToAnneWillingBingham_

_Paris，May11，1788_

DEARMADAM，——AgentlemangoingtoPhiladelphiafurnishesmetheoccasionofsendingyousomenumbersoftheCabinetdesModes&

somenewtheatricalpieces。Theselasthavehadgreatsuccessonthestage，wheretheyhaveexcitedperpetualapplause。Wehavenowneedofsomethingtomakeuslaugh，forthetopicsofthetimesaresadandeventful。ThegayandthoughtlessParisisnowbecomeafurnaceofPolitics。Alltheworldisnowpoliticallymad。Men，women，childrentalknothingelse，&youknowthatnaturallytheytalkmuch，loud&warm。Societyisspoiltbyit，atleastforthosewho，likemyself，arebutlookerson——Youtoohavehadyourpoliticalfever。Butourgoodladies，Itrust，havebeentoowisetowrinkletheirforeheadswithpolitics。Theyarecontentedtosoothe&calmthemindsoftheirhusbandsreturningruffledfrompoliticaldebate。

Theyhavethegoodsensetovaluedomestichappinessaboveallother，andthearttocultivateitbeyondallothers。ThereisnopartoftheearthwheresomuchofthisisenjoyedasinAmerica。Youagreewithmeinthis；butyouthinkthatthepleasuresofParismorethansupplyitswants；inotherwordsthataParisianishappierthananAmerican。Youwillchangeyouropinion，mydearMadam，andcomeovertomineintheend。Recollectthewomenofthiscapital，someonfoot，someonhorses，&someincarriageshuntingpleasureinthestreets，inrouts&assemblies，andforgettingthattheyhaveleftitbehindthemintheirnurseries；comparethemwithourowncountrywomenoccupiedinthetendera