BC_1776_EMONTAGU_SS_3

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<Q A 1776 FN SS EMONTAGU>
<X ELIZABETH MONTAGU>
 [}ELIZABETH MONTAGU TO SARAH SCOTT. JULY 2 1776. MO 5989}]
<P1>
Paris
July y=e= 2=d= 1776 My dear Sister
   I hope you received my letter from Calais. Our Land journey thank God was as safely tho not so speedily perform'd. We set out from Calais on monday noon, & arrived here on thursday night after eleven o'clock. the weather was very fine but the journey very unpleasant, the horses are so bad, y=e= postillions so awkward, the rope harness so rotten, the Inns so nasty, that I think no one w=d= ever travel 10 miles in this Country if they c=d= help it. I hope our government will never take y=e= posts into its hands, it is too small an object for Kings. Would you believe his Most Christian Majesty made a poor widow Woman pay for 14 horses tho he often furnishd [\her/] with only 12, instead of 6 horses in ye Coach [\& 4 in ye Chaise/] & 4 for my horse men I c=d= sometimes only get 4 for y=e= Coach & 2 for my Men but as I sh=d= have had them if they had been there I paid ye same. ye same weight still say they
<P2>
say they is to be drawn by y=e= Grand Monarques horses but alas not with ye same speed. By getting out early & getting in late we perform_d our journey & for my part I never slept from y=e= time I left [\BLOT: UNCLEAR\] Hillstreet yet I did not suffer much. I lost half a day at Calais by there not being Horses for me & my Suitte which occasiond our lying in wretched Inns. The Person who I thought w=d= depart for England [\ye day after/] tomorrow departs tomorrow at break of day so I have only time to tell you I am very well & have already met with infinite civilities here, particulars thereof you shall have hereafter. I am magnificently lodged but a good deal tormented with bugs in ye night. M=rs= Vesey will let you read my letter to her in which there is a full account of our Journey. We are all well my Nephew brought a little cough with him when he set out on his journey & it is not gone which vexes me but he is very well & Pennington & he are vastly fond of each other which makes me very happy. Indeed they are charming boys, of a different turn but each fit for their situation. Pennington will make
<P3>
a fortune & Montagu will grace one. I take ye last to be a more rare [\WORD DELETED\] [\felicity/] than y=e= first. We are very busy with Masters and (\Marchandes de Modes\) . we shall all be very polite before we return. The City of Paris is in some respects like Bristol, streets narrow, dark, & dirty, in [\BLOT\] [{some{] parts in others magnificent & fine. Col Drumgold comes to me every day but his only child was dangerously ill when I came, & is but now out of [\TEAR\] [{danger{] so I have not seen Mad=me= Drumgold, but he [\TEAR\] to me with y=e= most affectionate kindness. Duc de Nivernois & Mad=me= Rochefort are out of Town for a few days, but I meet with so much kindness & have so many agreable parties offerd I know not how to avail myself of them all. Mad=me= Neckar came to Paris from y=e= Country to carry me to her box at ye Play [\to night/] but I had company I c=d= not leave. I am to dine w=th= her at her House near Paris on saturday to meet all y=e= (\Beaux esprits\) . Pray give my duty to my Father & let my Brother know we are all well. Montagu wrote yesterday but I believe this sooner. Best comp=ts= to M=rs= Cutts
   I am ever most affect=ly= y=rs= EM
<P4>
[\ADDRESS\] M=rs= Scott / Lawrence street / Chelsea
[\SEAL\]