Thursday 21st August 1834

found a good deal of rain as one approached Paris – had fallen during night – at Meurice’s hotel about 11 oclock, only one apartment & salon vacant, which we took, 150 beds in house besides servant apartments all filled with English – table d’hote every day of 140 – persons, if not made up certain number of persons taken whom Mrs. Meurice knows – living very comfortable breakfasted & went to [gap] about Edredon, saw the Church of St. Rock [Saint-Roch] – a very fine altar piece, much frequented by the English. saw little [?] in alley, dinner at 7.30 then went to bed – disappointed at Post Office that letters for England were too late

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale WYC:1525/7/1/5/1/30

  .. [did not go to bed the previous night]

[to bed at] 9 3/4

get on as fast in the night as day – not longer in changing horses – fine, but dull, cool morning – there has been a great deal of rain very recently – it preceded us last night – the dust quite laid even from Montargis – only one postillion for our 4 horses all the way from Nemours to Essonne, then 2 again – wanted to be paid the same as if 2; but, tho’ I professed to give 2/. per poste during the night, I would not do this, and only gave him 3/. per poste    at 7 1/2 small drizzling rain – From Fontainebleau, the country, tho’ neither beautiful nor picturesque, improves – good little towns or villages – good maison de campagne – evidently approaching the capital – At Villejuif at 9 53/.. and off again at 10 – a dirtyish looking but goodish 1 street village – Fine view of Paris, and Montmartre, en sortant de Villejuif – the day clears a little and the sun appears – traces of a great deal of rain here in the night – Pass the barrier into Paris at 10 29/.. – passed by rue St. Victor no. 27 – several letters 15 days, and sent immediately to Geneva! how terribly unlucky! – the woman said I had promised to write and say when no more were to be forwarded – I do remember something of this, but never thought of it till this instant – How unlucky! – Alight at Meurice’s at 11 1/4 – nothing but a small 3me – little sitting room and bedroom and 1 very small place for Eugenie – take it – a lit de sangle put up in the bedroom for Adney – would not tell the price – breakfast at 11 55/.. – washed and dressed – and wrote 1 end and finished Adney‘s letter to my aunt written at Clermont – afraid we should not get off from Paris till Monday – will write a few lines from London – wrote also to ‘Monsieur Monsieur le directeur de la poste aux lettres, à Genève, Suisse’ begging him to forward mine and Adney‘s letters to me aux soins de Messrs. Laffitte and Co., bankers Paris – Adney and I out at 4 – walked immediately to the great poste aux lettres rue Jean Jacques Rousseau – too late for lettres affranchis – the office closes at 4 – but put in the letter (vide 5th line above) to Geneva – saw the halle au bled (interior and walked all round it) – saw also the churches de St. Eustache and St. Roch, and called and asked Madame Contant about edredon – not much the better for that – ordered one (would take 2 1/2 pounds edredon at 28/. per pound (used to be only 25/.)) to be 116 francs – home at 7 10/.. – dinner at 7 1/2 – very fine day – Fahrenheit 71º at 9 35/.. p.m.   neither of us the worse for being up all night – 

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0077