Co., and many other persons of distinction. We had the free entrée to all the theatres, public gardens, and places of entertainment, and frequently met the principal artists, editors, poets, and authors of the country. Albert Smith was a particular friend of mine. He wrote a play for the General entitled “Hop o’ my Thumb,” which was presented with great success at the Lyceum Theatre, London, and in several of the provincial theatres. Our visit in London and tour through the provinces were enormously successful, and after a brilliant season in Great Britain I made preparations to take the General to Paris.
CHAPTER XII.
IN FRANCE.
GOING OVER TO ARRANGE PRELIMINARIES—PREVIOUS VISIT TO PARIS—ROBERT HOUDIN—WONDERFUL MECHANICAL TOYS—THE AUTOMATON LETTER-WRITER—DION BOUCICAULT—TALK ON NATURAL CURIOSITIES—HOW I COMPROMISED—THE GENERAL AND PARTY IN PARIS—FIRST VISIT TO KING LOUIS PHILIPPE—A SPLENDID PRESENT—DIPLOMACY—I ASK A FAVOR AND GET IT—LONG CHAMPS—THE GENERAL’S EQUIPAGE—THE FINEST ADVERTISEMENT EVER KNOWN—ALL PARIS IN A FUROR—OPENING OF THE LEVEES—“TOM POUCE” EVERYWHERE—THE GENERAL AS AN ACTOR—“PETIT POUCET”—SECOND AND THIRD VISITS AT THE TUILERIES—INVITATION TO ST. CLOUD—THE GENERAL PERSONATING NAPOLEON BONAPARTE—ST. DENIS—THE INVALIDES—REGNIER—ANECDOTE OF FRANKLIN—LEAVING PARIS—TOUR THROUGH FRANCE—DEPARTURE FOR BRUSSELS.
BEFORE taking the little General and party to Paris, I went over alone to arrange the preliminaries for our campaign in that city. Paris was not altogether a strange place to me. Months before, when I had successfully established my exhibition in London, I ran over to Paris to see what I could pick up in the way of curiosities for my Museum in New York, for during my whole sojourn abroad, and amid all the excitements of my new career, I never forgot the interests of my many and generous patrons at home. The occasion which first called me to France was the “quinquennial exposition” in Paris. At that time, there was an assemblage, every five years, of inventors and manufacturers who exhibited specimens of their skill, especially in articles of curious and ingenious mechanism, and I went from London mainly to attend this exposition.
There I met and became well acquainted with Robert Houdin, the celebrated conjurer. He was a watchmaker by trade, but very soon displayed a wonderful ability and ingenuity which he devoted with so much assiduity to the construction of a complicated machine, that he lost all mental power for a considerable period. When he recovered, he employed himself with great success in the manufacture of mechanical toys and automata which attracted much attention, and afterwards he visited Great Britain and other countries, giving a series of juggling exhibitions which were famous throughout Europe.
At this quinquennial exposition which I attended, he received a gold medal for his automata, and the best figure which he had on exhibition I purchased at a good round price. It was an automaton writer and artist, a most ingenious little figure, which sat at a table, and readily answered with the pencil certain questions. For instance: if asked for an emblem of fidelity, the figure instantly drew a correct picture of a handsome dog; the emblem of love was shown in an exquisite drawing of a little Cupid; the automaton would also answer many questions in writing. I carried this curious figure to London and exhibited it for some time in the Royal Adelaide Gallery, and then sent it across the Atlantic to the American Museum.