Two Or Three
Of Them Have About Four Or Five Hundred A Year:
The rest, in general,
may have about one hundred pistoles, arising from the silk, oil, wine,
and oranges, produced in their small plantations, where they have
also country houses.
Some few of these are well built,
commodious, and situated; but, for the most part, they are
miserable enough. Our noblesse, notwithstanding their origin, and
the cheap rate at which their titles have been obtained, are
nevertheless extremely tenacious of their privileges, very
delicate in maintaining the etiquette, and keep at a very stately
distance from the Bourgeoisie. How they live in their families, I
do not choose to enquire; but, in public, Madame appears in her
robe of gold, or silver stuff, with her powder and frisure, her
perfumes, her paint and her patches; while Monsieur Le Comte
struts about in his lace and embroidery. Rouge and fard are more
peculiarly necessary in this country, where the complexion and
skin are naturally swarthy and yellow. I have likewise observed,
that most of the females are pot-bellied; a circumstance owing, I
believe, to the great quantity of vegetable trash which they eat.
All the horses, mules, asses, and cattle, which feed upon grass,
have the same distension. This kind of food produces such acid
juices in the stomach, as excite a perpetual sense of hunger. I
have been often amazed at the voracious appetites of these
people. You must not expect that I should describe the tables and
the hospitality of our Nissard gentry. Our consul, who is a very
honest man, told me, he had lived four and thirty years in the
country, without having once eat or drank in any of their houses.
The noblesse of Nice cannot leave the country without express
leave from the king; and this leave, when obtained, is for a
limited time, which they dare not exceed, on pain of incurring
his majesty's displeasure. They must, therefore, endeavour to
find amusements at home; and this, I apprehend, would be no easy
task for people of an active spirit or restless disposition. True
it is, the religion of the country supplies a never-failing fund
of pastime to those who have any relish for devotion; and this is
here a prevailing taste. We have had transient visits of a
puppet-shew, strolling musicians, and rope-dancers; but they did
not like their quarters, and decamped without beat of drum. In
the summer, about eight or nine at night, part of the noblesse
may be seen assembled in a place called the Pare; which is,
indeed, a sort of a street formed by a row of very paltry houses
on one side, and on the other, by part of the town-wall, which
screens it from a prospect of the sea, the only object that could
render it agreeable. Here you may perceive the noblesse stretched
in pairs upon logs of wood, like so many seals upon the rocks by
moon-light, each dame with her cicisbeo: for, you must
understand, this Italian fashion prevails at Nice among all ranks
of people; and there is not such a passion as jealousy known. The
husband and the cicisbeo live together as sworn brothers; and the
wife and the mistress embrace each other with marks of the
warmest affection. I do not choose to enter into particulars. I
cannot open the scandalous chronicle of Nice, without hazard of
contamination. With respect to delicacy and decorum, you may
peruse dean Swift's description of the Yahoos, and then you will
have some idea of the porcheria, that distinguishes the gallantry
of Nice. But the Pare is not the only place of public resort for
our noblesse in a summer's evening. Just without one of our
gates, you will find them seated in ditches on the highway side,
serenaded with the croaking of frogs, and the bells and braying
of mules and asses continually passing in a perpetual cloud of
dust. Besides these amusements, there is a public conversazione
every evening at the commandant's house called the Government,
where those noble personages play at cards for farthings. In
carnival time, there is also, at this same government, a ball
twice or thrice a week, carried on by subscription. At this
assembly every person, without distinction, is permitted to dance
in masquerade: but, after dancing, they are obliged to unmask,
and if Bourgeois, to retire. No individual can give a ball,
without obtaining a permission and guard of the commandant; and
then his house is open to all masques, without distinction, who
are provided with tickets, which tickets are sold by the
commandant's secretary, at five sols a-piece, and delivered to
the guard at the door. If I have a mind to entertain my
particular friends, I cannot have more than a couple of violins;
and, in that case, it is called a conversazione.
Though the king of Sardinia takes all opportunities to
distinguish the subjects of Great-Britain with particular marks
of respect, I have seen enough to be convinced, that our nation
is looked upon with an evil eye by the people of Nice; and this
arises partly from religious prejudices, and partly from envy,
occasioned by a ridiculous notion of our superior wealth. For my
own part, I owe them nothing on the score of civilities; and
therefore, I shall say nothing more on the subject, lest I should
be tempted to deviate from that temperance and impartiality which
I would fain hope have hitherto characterised the remarks of, -
Dear Sir, your faithful, humble servant.
LETTER XVIII
NICE, September 2, 1764.
DEAR DOCTOR, - I wrote in May to Mr. B - at Geneva, and gave him
what information he desired to have, touching the conveniences of
Nice. I shall now enter into the same detail, for the benefit of
such of your friends or patients, as may have occasion to try
this climate.
The journey from Calais to Nice, of four persons in a coach, or
two post-chaises, with a servant on horseback, travelling post,
may be performed with ease, for about one hundred and twenty
pounds, including every expence.
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