Head-Quarters, Bordeaux, July 10th, 1814.—I have now received two letters and packets of papers from you by the last mail, including those up to the 28th June. The same mail brought orders for all the members of the Court-martial appointed for Tarragona to proceed direct for England, and there report themselves to the Adjutant-general. Upon this I asked Lord Dalhousie (our present chief) what I was to do? and was by him desired to remain here to the last and move with the head-quarters, who remain here till the troops move. This must, I think, take place in about a week or ten days, unless you cease to send shipping from England. We shall in three days’ time have only a brigade of Guards remaining for the city duty. The rest who will not be already embarked will be at Pouillac in readiness.
We have now got our small share of Royalty also at Bordeaux, as the Duke d’Angoulême has arrived again, and means to stay a few days before he goes to join Madame la Duchesse at the Baths at Vichy. He looks worn, and less calculated than ever for public show, but still apparently as amiable as before. The Duc de G——, though still, I believe, in our 10th Hussars, came in with him, as his aide-de-camp. The Duc de G—— is come back much disgusted with Paris, and even almost with France and Frenchmen. He says that Paris is a dirty place, without society and manners, and that he has met with no one to whose word or whose honour he would fairly trust: that all seemed to be a system of deception and falsehood, and that unless things mend, and alter considerably, he should feel almost disposed, in case of any unfortunate quarrel with England, to renounce France, rejoin his regiment, and become an Englishman. This, I conclude, is the depression of first feelings, which, in the case of emigrants, must be very strong just now. Matters have not quite proceeded to their tastes, and they must every hour meet with that which must inevitably disgust them.
We have now also at Bordeaux the celebrated Mademoiselle Georges, the actress from Paris, and Mons. Joami, also from the metropolis. In spite of the heat, I have been three times to hear them in Voltaire’s plays, Merope, Phedre, and l’Orphelin de la Chine. The man has neither much figure nor countenance, and I should place him only as a second-rate performer, though still very superior to the ordinary set here in that line. In fact there are no tragic performers here at all; and the inferiority, beneath mediocrity, with which every other part is sustained, takes off the interest with which these tragedies would be otherwise attended.
Mdlle. Georges herself is also in many parts deficient, both in good taste and in true nature. She is of a large figure, but now fallen to pieces; and I am rather surprised that the ci-devant Emperor should have fancied her anywhere except during his Moscow campaign. The story, however, goes here, that at one of their interviews, Bonaparte was taken ill, and in her confusion and ignorance Mdlle. Georges rang the Empress’s bell instead of that for the attendants, and that on the arrival of Maria Louise there was of course a scene.
Mdlle. Georges’ voice is good, and her countenance would by many be considered fine. In some parts of her acting I think she is strikingly great, but generally forced and extravagant. She runs into extremes from crying to laughing, and from low ghost-like intonations to loud vulgar screams. Upon the whole, one comes away fatigued from one of these representations, and not much pleased or affected. And what convinces me that it really is inferiority in the drama or in the actress, and not merely the difference of style and manner, or national feeling as to composition and taste, which causes this, is, that the French part of the audience never seem affected like an English audience under the influence of really fine acting. You never hear the generally suppressed sobs, or see the eyes full of tears all round the house as with us at an English tragedy, when, for example, Mrs. Siddons plays, and every one goes away with a serious impression. In the French auditors you only hear bursts of “Très beau, très beau! superbe! magnifique!” &c., always applied to some extravagant and sudden change of tone or manner; and now, at this present moment, if there happens to be a royal sentiment which can be applied, it is encored like a song. No one seems carried away by feelings which he cannot command; but the applause is given as it would be to a mountebank for a clever trick. The distressed heroine or empress spits in her pocket-handkerchief, or on the stage in the true French style, and certainly not in a manner to excite admiration or interest, or to impress the spectators very strongly with ideas of her dignity and elegance.
The first night the Duke d’Angoulême was at the play (on his arrival here this time), we had verses and songs in his honour, and “Vive Henry IV.!” without end. At last came for once, “God save the King,” which was received very differently from what it was even when I first came here; coolly and civilly enough, except by a few; and I believe we have a few sincere friends here.
As Paris gave a sword to General Sacken, Bordeaux is to give one to Lord Dalhousie; and I really think the town has (as they certainly ought to have) some feelings of gratitude towards him for his attention to everything which can be of service to the city, and in successful efforts to preserve order, and prevent any mischief being done to the inhabitants. This sword will be a curious heir-loom in the Dalhousie family, given to their ancestor by the French civil authorities of Bordeaux.
As a trait of the natural French feelings of vanity, I may tell you, that my loyal patron Mons. Emerigon said, not only should we have been all originally prevented from entering France, had the people been of one mind with the Emperor and the army, but that all along a single word of complaint from Louis XVIII. of the conduct of the allied troops would have been a signal for their entire destruction at any period since.
I am now told that the fifth division, from Bayonne are also on their march hither to embark. This will probably cause some little more delay; but I think in ten days we must be on board ship.
Head-Quarters, Bordeaux, July 15th, 1814.—Our final departure from hence appears, at last, to be gradually approaching. The numbers of the English diminish daily; and though we have for this month past been talking of the “next week,” I begin to think that another week will really and truly see us off, and the French army again in possession of Bordeaux.