I was rejoiced to find myself again in London. I went to my father'shouse in Grosvenor-square. All the family, viz. he and my mother, weredown at H--t--d; and, malgre my aversion to the country, I thought Imight venture as far as Lady S--'s for a couple of days. Accordingly,to H--t--d I went. That is really a noble house--such a hall--such agallery. I found my mother in the drawing-room, admiring the picture ofhis late Majesty. She was leaning on the arm of a tall, fair young man."Henry," said she, (introducing me to him) "do you remember your oldschoolfellow, Lord George Clinton?"
"Perfectly," said I, (though I remembered nothing about him) and weshook hands in the most cordial manner imaginable. By the way, there isno greater bore than being called upon to recollect men, with whom onehad been at school some ten years back. In the first place, if they werenot in one's own set, one most likely scarcely knew them to speak to;and, in the second place, if they were in one's own set, they are sureto be entirely opposite to the nature we have since acquired: for Iscarcely ever knew an instance of the companions of one's boyhood beingagreeable to the tastes of one's manhood: a strong proof of the follyof common people, who send their sons to Eton and Harrow to formconnections.
Clinton was on the eve of setting out upon his travels. His intentionwas to stay a year at Paris, and he was full of the blissfulexpectations the idea of that city had conjured up. We remained togetherall the evening, and took a prodigious fancy to one another. Long beforeI went to bed, he had perfectly inoculated me with his own ardour forcontinental adventures; and, indeed, I had half promised to accompanyhim. My mother, when I first told her of my travelling intentions, wasin despair, but by degrees she grew reconciled to the idea.
"Your health will improve by a purer air," said she, "and yourpronunciation of French is, at present, any thing but correct. Take careof yourself, therefore, my dear son, and pray lose no time in engagingCoulon as your maitre de danse."
My father gave me his blessing, and a check on his banker. Within threedays I had arranged every thing with Clinton, and on the fourth,I returned with him to London. From thence we set off toDover--embarked--dined, for the first time in our lives, on Frenchground--were astonished to find so little difference between the twocountries, and still more so at hearing even the little children talkFrench so well [Note: See Addison's Travels for this idea.]--proceededto Abbeville--there poor Clinton fell ill: for several days we weredelayed in that abominable town, and then Clinton, by the advice of thedoctors, returned to England. I went back with him as far as Dover, andthen, impatient at my loss of time, took no rest, night or day, till Ifound myself at Paris.
Young, well-born, tolerably good-looking, and never utterly destitute ofmoney, nor grudging whatever enjoyment it could produce, I entered Pariswith the ability and the resolution to make the best of those beauxjours which so rapidly glide from our possession.