Saturday, Sept. 21. St. Matthew.—I said mass at 7, spoke to the curé after, who promised for England. We started at 8; we still had two hours going up the hill. About the summit is the Hospice de St. Bernard, begun by Bonaparte. I remember it in an unfinished state. It now contains four or five priests, and some brothers. We stopped and saw the Prior, M. Barras, who promised kindly to recommend England to the mother house. Phillipps bought a puppy of the famous breed, three months old, who was added to our company in the carriage. We reached Brigy between 12 and 1. I went out before dinner, and saw the Superior of the Jesuits' College here, who is a nice old man, and received us very kindly. I hurried away quickly, thinking to return again after dinner, but the dinner was long after time, and we had at once to set off for Turtinan, which we reached at 6½. We went out before tea to see a waterfall: it was a dark, wet walk, for rain was beginning.
Sunday, Sept. 22.—I said mass at 5. Soon after 6 we set off for Sion. Arrived at 10, and found a grand military pontifical high mass begun in the cathedral. I never heard drums and cannon and the word of command in a mass before. The music was not military, but noisy figured. The occasion of the solemn mass was the feast of St. Maurice, patron of the Valais. After mass the Bishop walked with a great procession about the town, with a feretrum, with relics of St. Maurice. The chief part are at the town of the name, which we are to pass to-morrow. The procession had an excellent effect. I went then to the Jesuits' College, and spoke to the Rector, who told me the first I had heard of the attempt at revolution in the month of May here, which was defeated in a gallant style by the inhabitants of the Valais arming to the number of 10,000, from a population of 70,000, under an old French officer, i.e., a Swiss, trained in the French army, who repelled the party of the Jeune Suisse, who otherwise would have overturned religious order, and perhaps, as he said, have massacred all the religious. Young Bodenham was in their house when the danger threatened. The Rector was very kind, but did not promise much. I went then to dine at a table d'hôte, but soon got off, and went to the Bishop lately consecrated, who came from table to speak with me. He was educated at the Collegio Germanico; knew Baldacconi and Father Daniel. He promised his help. I then went to a Capuchin convent outside the town. The guardian, a young man, was rather cold, but said meanwhile that he always prayed for England, as ordered in the Confrérie de l'Immaculé Coeur. Then to a convent of Ursulines, close to the Bishop's; eleven nuns (well received); then in a hurry to an hospital outside the town on the other side, with eight nuns. The director gave me one of my most favourable receptions, and promised that the nuns should change their day of communion from Friday to Thursday to meet my wishes. We set off at 2 for Martigny, which we reached at 5½. It has a different look from 1819, the year after the inundation. I called on the curé, who is one of the monks of Grand St. Bernard, with the white linen scapular to represent the surplice, which they always wear as canons regular of St. Augustine, to which they belong. He was very good about England. From thence, I went to an hospital kept by six French nuns, to receive poor travellers, female St. Bernardites. The Superioress was very agreeable and zealous. They are going directly to France to make their retreat with 600 other nuns, assembled under the Bishop of Belley. She promised to get him to recommend it to them all. I came back to tea after a happy, successful day (Hôtel de la Cigne). Alpine strawberries at tea.
Monday, September 23.—I said mass at 6. Came away, fearing it would be too late, without saying farewell to the Prior, which was mortifying, as there was time enough. We went to dine at St. Gingolph, beautifully placed on the bank of the Lake of Geneva. On the way we stopped at St. Maurice, where we saw in the church the rich shrine of St. Maurice, containing his body, and several others; two of the sons of Sigismund, King of Burgundy, who did penance here, after putting them to death. In the abbey, which is of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, I saw the superior, who is a bishop in partibus; he spoke very kindly about England. I also met a nun there of a convent of Sisters of Charity, who promised for Thursdays at St. Gingolph. I went to the curé, where the Vicar introduced me to several priests dining with him, who became greatly interested, and promised to speak to the Bishop of Annecy, and to their confrères at Thonon, where we came to sleep. I called on the curé, who promised, but I could not quite satisfy myself about him; but was quite satisfied with the brothers of the Christian Doctrine; there are eight. The Superior promised well, and sent two brothers home with me to the inn. The names of the priests at St. Gingolph were:—M. Veuillet, Curé de Désingy; M. Maitre, Curé de Novel; M. La Croix, Vicaire de Chilly; and M. Pollien, Vicaire de St. Gingolph. The first most interesting: the last extremely tall.
Tuesday, Sept. 24. B.M.V. di Mercede.—At 5½ I went to the Convent of the Visitation, where there are thirty-four nuns, who have recovered their house after the Revolution. The Superioress received me most kindly, and promised all. I then went to the Sisters of Charity, who have two houses—a pensionnat and an hospital. The Superioress was not up. I left my card with a lay sister. I then went and said mass at the parish church. The Phillippses went to communion. It was at the altar of St. Francis of Sales, in this, the first church which he (or any other one) regained from the Calvinists—St. Hippolyte. I offered the mass for the recovery of our dear cathedrals. The curé spoke to me again, and much more zealously promised all for Thonon, M. De la Millière. We ought to have gone to the Château d'Allinges, where St. Francis lodged when he began the holy work. The chapel has been wonderfully preserved, and lately reopened, Sept. 14, 1836. On our way to Geneva, where we arrived at 12½, we read some of the account of his mission. We came to the Hotel de Bergues, a new grand house in a new part of the town, built out on the lake about 1834. I took a carriage to Plainpalais, and brought back my good friend l'Abbé de Baudry. I dined after at the table d'hôte. He is a tall, venerable old man, dressed in his cassock, as all the priests are. His account of things here was better than I thought. We set off at 3½, and could not get farther than Nyon, where Phillipps and I went to see the curé and his church, all new. There was no mission here till 1831. We interested him for England, I hope. The hotel is de la Couronne. In every room, as at Geneva, is a New Testament of the Geneva Bible Society.
Wednesday, Sept. 25.—I went at 5 to say mass at the new church; the curé, M. Rossiaud, got up to serve it, and came with me to see us off. We went up the Jura; but the grand view of Mont Blanc was clouded, so we have but once seen it dimly. Yesterday evening we had a troublesome sorting of all our baggage at Les Rousses. We dined at St. Laurent. I went to the curé, M. Gottez, who spoke painfully of the state of France (I think too much so), but brightened up when we were about England. We went on to Champagnole, at the Hôtel de la Poste, a nice little inn. Phillipps and I went to the church; and I called and saw the curé, like Dr. Rock in looks. He accepted my appeal agreeably.
Thursday, Sept. 26.—I got to say mass at the parish church, at 5. The curé, M. Patit, and the vicaire, M. Bouvet, were both up, and the latter walked back with me to the inn, la Poste. We started at 6½; dined at 1 at l'Hôtel de France, at Dole: we got there at 12. I went out and saw a father at the Jesuits', who received me very agreeably; and then a nun at the Visitation Convent. The Jesuit promised for all the convents himself. The Prince and Princess Doria were come to the inn, on their way to Italy. When we came back, I went to see them after our dinner. We went on through Auxonne, where Phillipps and I went to see the church,—diligence to Dijon. Arrived at the Hôtel de la Cloche at 7½. I went out to see the Bishop, but he was out. I called at the Séminaire, and saw the Superior and others, who were very kind, and spoke of Brother Luke asking them; then back to supper; after which I went again to the évêché, and waited in the porter's lodge, talking to a nice old man of eighty about the Revolution, &c., till the Bishop came in. He, Monseigneur Rivet, promised his help very graciously. I got home at 10, having also tried in vain to get at the sacristan for mass tomorrow.
Friday, Sept. 27.—I went out at ten minutes to 4, to try once more the sacristan's bell, but no answer, and so I had to come back and give up mass, as we were to start at 5. We took provisions in the carriage, and we had no mind to stop all day, till at 7½ we reached St. Florentin, a town of 2,400 people, in the diocese of Sens. The weather was beautiful, and we admired the high cultivation and seeming prosperity of the country. We passed a fine château at Aucy le Franc, of the Duce or Marquis de Clermont-Tonnerre. At St. Florentin I went out and saw the curé and the sacristan, to provide better for mass to-morrow than today. Hôtel de la Poste.
Saturday, Sept. 28.—Got up about 3. At a quarter to 4 I went to the sacristan, and with him to the church, and said mass; a pretty little Gothic church. We set off at a quarter to 5, with provisions again, for Paris, which we entered about 11 at night. We stopped at Sens to see the cathedral. I first went to the archévêché, and was most graciously received by the Archbishop, Monseigneur Mellon Jolly, a young man translated here from Séez last March. He said he had introduced prayers for England at Séez, and would begin again now. He took me into the cathedral, and left me to see the trésor, where the Phillippses already were. The most precious relic was of the true cross, as the sacristan said, the largest in the world; but he could not know of Rome and Jerusalem. It was given by Charlemagne. There are two pieces, placed in a cross under crystal; I should say the upright piece of nine or ten inches, the transverse of four or five, well polished. What was perhaps most interesting to us was the case containing St. Thomas of Canterbury's chasuble, alb with apparel, stole, &c., from which the late Archbishop separated what he gave to Dr. Wiseman. There is also an arm of St. Lupus, a case of St. Gregory's relics, from which some have been begged for Rome. We stopped again at Fontainebleau, and took a rapid view of the palace. The servant who led said it was the finest in the world. I think he must be partial, as the sacristan this morning about the relic of the cross. Louis-Philippe has done a good deal here; spent 800,000 fr. in ornamenting one room. I was much pleased with the gallery with pictures of the history of France. This is the finest matter for a palace. There was much very indecent. After this it began to rain till we got to Paris. We got rooms at the Hôtel de l'Europe, just opposite the gardens of the Tuileries. Nothing could be better.
Sunday, Sept. 29.—I went at 7½ to say mass at the Madeleine, that glorious church for its style. Then home to breakfast, and then, with the rest, to high mass at Notre-Dame; one of the grandest plain chant masses I ever was at. There I met Mr. Moore, of Birmingham; and I went with him after, in his hackney-coach, on a few errands, and at last to the English convent, from whence he takes one of the Misses Bingham to the convent at Handsworth. Then I went again to Notre-Dame, and very much to my loss: I came too late for vespers. After, I went to St. Jacques, but did not find the Curé de Noirlieu, nor his vicaire. I came back by the omnibus to dine at the restaurant, and directly we went to Notre-Dame des Victoires, where we assisted at the service, from 7 to 20 minutes to 10. It was wonderful to see the attention of the people all this time. The old curé, after the sermon by another priest, gave the annonces in an interesting way. We heard him recommend England. I went in to ask him.
Monday, Sept. 30.—I said mass at the Madeleine. After breakfast, I went to Mr. Blount, the banker, who told me that Heneage was to be in Paris on Thursday, the very day we go away. Then to the post, and find no letters; then by omnibus to St. Sulpice (where the retreat of the clergy begins to-day), to see the Archbishop. I was introduced to him in a room, where he was among several priests. I got on but poorly. He was gracious, but made little of the affair. The secretary of Mgr. Quelin was there. He testified to his recommending the thing before, but no effect followed. This was damping enough, though I knew something to the contrary. The Archbishop sent me to M. Vollemaux (Mr. Hand's friend), who conducts the retreat, and he promised to recommend England this evening. So the point is gained; though, judging from the tone in which he spoke of England, it is not so promising a prospect as some. But among 600 priests some will be inspired, let him speak as he may. I then went to the rue de Chaillot, to seek Captain Cooke, to know about John Beaumont. Had to come back empty, and stopped at home, not very well, till 5½, when Phillippses came in from St. Denis to dinner. After dinner Mr. Gordon, of the Univers, came to tea, and stopped till 10 nearly.