Vampyre' and Other Writings

by Polidori, John William; Bishop, Franklin Charles;

  The society I have been in may be divided into three sets: the canton of Genthoud, Coppet, and Geneva. The canton is an assemblage of a neighbourhood of about seven or eight families, meeting alternatively on Sundays at each other’s houses, and every Thursday at the Countess of Breuss’s. The Countess Breuss lives at Genthoud in a villa she has bought. She has two husbands, one in Russia, one at Venice; she acted plays at the Hermitage under Catherine. Not being able to get a divorce, she left Russia, went to Venice for six days, stayed as many years, married (it is said), bought villas, etc. in the Venetian’s name, and separated. Her family consists of Madame Gatelier, a humble friend, a great lover of medicaments etc, Abate _____, her Almoner, an excellent Brescian, great lover of religionists. A mania in the family for building summer-houses, porticoes, and baths; neatly planned; an island with a ditch round it; a Tower of Babel round the trunk of a chestnut; a summer-house by the roadside of a Moorish construction. The Countess is very good-natured, laughs where others caluminate and talk scandal with prudish airs, kind to all. The society is extremely pleasant; generally dancing or music. It was the birthday of Charles Saladin, who, having been four years in Nap’s army, knew nothing of the matter. She asked to have the fêting of him. They acted first a charade on the canton of Genthoud. She acted with Mr Massey junior, with others, and myself as a woman – the words to blind. Then came a kind of farce, in which Charles was dressed as the C.B., Gatelier as the Abbé, and Miss Saladin as Gatelier: each took one another off. Written by C.B. When at last another of the society brought a letter announcing it to be Charles’ birthday. Then they, while he was in his amazement, sang a song to him, presented him with a bouquet and purse. Then an elegant supper, and afterwards a ball on the arrival of Madame Toffettheim with her son. A great party was invited; and after tea two plays were acted – Le Pachà de Suresne and Les Ricochets. There were an immense number of spectators. The actors were, in Le Pachà de Suresne, Madame Dorsan, la Comtesse Breuss; Laure, Madlle. Brelaz; Aglaé, Clemann; Nathalie, M.; Madlle. Remy, Madame Gatelier; Perceval, Alexia Saladin; Flicflac, Polidori; Joseph, C. Saladin. – Les Ricochets – I do not remember the characters. The actors were Alexia, Charles, Auguste Saladin, Massey le jeune, La Comtesse Breuss, Madame Mathilde Saladin. The rehearsals before were frequent.

  I got a discretion from the Countess, which I took in the shape of a Swiss, in consequence of a wager that I could not go straight home.

  La Toffettheim is a nice, unpretending, lady-like woman, pleasing and affectionate. Her son full of liberty-ideas. It was here, in consequence of Massey junior dancing extremely well, that being defied, I danced a pantaloon-dance, by which I made enemies; for, upon my refusing it at the Saladins’, they thought it was a personal refusal. Saladins of Vaugeron, father and mother. Father deaf, good-natured: said to me upon reading my thesis, ‘Mais, Monsieur, il n’y a pas de paradoxe.’ The mother pretended to play shy on account of Madame B.

  The daughter – because, the first night I saw her, knowing her by particular introduction, I stuck to her – thought me in love and said so – fool! Madame Mathilde pretended prude in mine and Madame B.’s case, while she herself has got Mr Massey junior dangling, not unheard, after her. Charles a good boisterous soldier, at Leipzig, Nassau, and 13 ingwen Waterloo business. Makes up for wit by noise, for affection by slaps on the back. On his birthday I addressed him with (after supper) –

  ‘Jeune guerrier dans l’armée du premier des héros,

  Dans la cause de la France dédaignant le repos,

  Que la chute de vos ans soit tranquille et heureuse,

  Comme fut l’aube de vos jours éclatante et glorieuse.’

  Auguste, a simple neat fool, despising learning because he is noble and has enough to live upon; content to dangle, with a compliment and a sentiment, after a woman’s tail. Alexis, so so, good-naturedly ignorant husband to Mathilde. Massey senior, active pleasant man, excellent fencer and dancer – been secretary to Bertrand. Massey junior, confident, impudent, insolent, ignorant puppy. Saladins of Maligny, neither good nor bad, rich: to gain a little more, let their villa to Lord Breadalbane, and retired to a cottage, though both old and only one ugly vain daughter. Lord Breadalbane, and excellent, good-sensed though not quick man: answered – when the Duke of Bedford said to him, ‘What would you give to have the Breadalbane estate in Bedfordshire?’ – ‘Why, your Grace, I should be sorry if my estate would go to Bedfordshire.’ Gave a very good ball at which I was. His son Lord Glenorchy, good, shy, not brilliant young man. His lady not spoken to. His daughter excellent dancer, rather haughty. Mr Evans, a good sensible man, biased in his thoughts by his cassock. At the society he took up the immortality: Lord Glenorchy gave a positive No. Saussure, Mrs, a wax talkative figure. Mr, a would-be scientific gentleman: thought me a fool because I danced pantaloon, and himself a wise man because he knows the names of his father’s stones. Jacquet, Madlle., got half in love with her, – no, her 8,000 a year: her face and bad-singing exposures cured me. Foncet, officer of the Piedmontese troops, jealous of him. Brelaz, Portuguese lady, – in love with her; I think fond of me too; imprudent; her daughter also against me on account of it; shows it too much publicly; very jealous; her daughters, sprightly good-looking girls. Clemann – got half in love with her; nice daughter. The Cavalier pleasing. Had a dispute in a public ball with her two fools. One of the Saladins, Auguste, courts her, and she laughs; she excites love in every young man’s breast. Miss Harriet is rather too serious for her age, pretty and well-informed in novels and romances, and rather too sentimental. Cavalier’s Marianne is a fine hoydenish creature: applies when studying, and romps when playing.

  Madame de Staël I have dined with three times; she is better, those who know her say, at home than abroad. She has married poor Rocca. She talks much; would not believe me to be a physician; presented her my thesis, which she told me she had read with pleasure. Talked about religion, and puts down every of Rocca. Ugly; good eyes. Writng on the French Revolution; polite, affable; lectures, and tells all to LB. Madame de Broglie, her daughter, a beautiful, dirty-skinned woman; pleasant, soft-eyed speaker; dances well, waltzes. Schlegel, a presumptuous literato, contradicting à outrance; a believer in magnetism. Rocca, a talkative, good-natured, beautiful man, with a desire for knowledge; the author of Walcheren and Espagne; excellent at naïve description. Rocca, the judge, very clever and quick, rising; know little of him. Been seven years in the courtship of Miss Saladin; she neither refuses nor accepts him, but keeps him in her train. Miss Randall, sister to Mrs Norgate. Monsignor Brema, friend of Ugo Foscolo, enthusiastic for Italy, encomiast in all, Grand Almoner of Italy, hater of Austrians. Dumont, a thick, heavy-thoughted body, editor of Bentham. Bonstetten, friend of Gray.

  The first time LB went, there was Mrs Hervey there; talkative, sister and a great friend of the Noels; she thought proper to faint out of the house, though her curiosity brought her back to speak with him.

  Bonstetten told me that, upon his saying to Gray that he must be happy, he took and read to him the criticism of Johnson, which happens to have been written after Gray’s death; he used to go in the evening to tea, and remain all night reading the English authors with him. Gray introduced him to society; and, one of the professors having asked him if he understood what he said, he replied he thought so, but very diffidently – ‘So you think so only!’ Gray, hearing this, showed B some passages to ask him, which B did in a public company, complimenting him upon known knowledge; when all the company, one after the other, began contradicting the Professor’s opinion. Then B, turning to him, said, ‘You perhaps thought you understood Shakespeare.’ Gray told him that there was none who could perfectly understand him.

  Rossi, and Italian of about thirty, pleasant, agreeable, and good-natured, professor at Bologna, thence obliged to fly with two others. One of his companions was beginning his lecture, when the students called out, ‘No lecture, but an improvise upon the liberty of ltaly’; as he was an improvisatore. He objected, as, on accoun
t of Murat’s approach, it might be suspicious. They insisted, and the professors at hand said, ‘No harm if not upon present circumstances.’ He did it, and the students issued forth to join Murat: they had however made up their minds to do so before. Rossi joined it more openly and loudly, and was obliged to fly. He wrote a memoir to defend himself, in which he said it was only to avoid the Roman dominion, and give it to the Archduke; who told him that he had better write another, as Bologna was already ceded to Pius. When he was ruined thus partially he wrote to the father of his betrothed, to say that he must not (if he chose) think himself bound by his promise, as he was not in the same circumstances as when the promise was given. The father did retract. So far a man of honour. Now how to reconcile his being with Calandion, a magistrate of G violent on the other side? who says he has made a good profession to him, and at the same time professing other opinions to others.

  Gave me a letter to Milan, and by him I have been introduced to Saporiti, a good, enthusiastic, ignorant Italian. Talked of the English landing 100,000 soldiers here and there, as if they were so many peas.

  Slaneys: the husband jealous of every one – Cambridge degree. When I danced with his wife, he after, when walking with her, came up and gave an arm too. The wife beautiful, but very simple. Galston, Miss, very beautiful.

  ‘Genevan Liberal Society’ is a muster of Englishmen for debate on speculative questions. Twice there. Immortality, accomplice’s evidence. The members whom I knew were – Lord Kinnul, a most tiresome, long-winded, repeating, thick-headed, would-be orator, Lord Conyngham.

  Mr Somers, good head enough. Valence, who I cried to hear; and, meeting me after at Chamounix, the first thing he asked me was, ‘Why did you laugh at me?’ St Auby, Lloyd, Slaney.

  Lloyd, of good Welsh blood, his original name Ap Griffith, rode out. We went out visiting one day, and, in returning in his gig, he touched a horse of a row of carts. The carter struck me upon my back with his whip; I jumped down, and six jumped at me. I fortunately was between a wheel and a hedge, so that they all could not reach. Lloyd, seeing this, jumped down also; then three left me and went to him, and another untied a piece of his wagon with which, while I defended myself from the two (one with a whip), he struck me while fortunately my arm was striking a blow, so that it did but just touch my face. He lifted again; I sprang back, and with all the force of my leap struck him with my fist in his face. His blow fell to the ground, and with his hand to his nose he retreated. They then seized stones to throw, but we closed with them; they could not throw above two, when we saw an English carriage we knew coming. We called, they came, and immediately the boisterous were calm. Some who tried to divide us got blows also.

  St Aubyn, an excellent fellow, introduced me to his father at Genthoud: is a natural son, studying for the Church. His father is a good polite man, according to the ‘go’ school. Keeps a mistress now, though sixty-five years: has many children by different mistresses.

  At Dr Odier’s – who is a good old, toothless, chatty, easy-believing man – there was a society every Wednesday, where I went sometimes. They dance, sang, ate cakes, and drank tea; English almost entirely, changing every Wednesday. – Went to a concert of Madamigella Coda – the theatre dirty.

  When Mr Hobhouse and Davies arrived, we went to Chamounix. The first day through Chesne, Anne-masse, Vetra, Nangy, Contamine, Bonneville (dinner), Cluse, Sallenches (slept). Next day by Chede in two char-à-bancs, with each a guide; a fine pine-glen of the Arve, to Chamounix. We went that evening over the Brisson, and to the source of the Aveyron. Next day so bad we left, and returned to Sallenches, taking the fall of Chede in our way; thence to Diodati. Mr Scope Davies played against the marker at tennis: then went, taking Rushton with him.

  LB determined upon our parting, – not upon any quarrel, but on account of our not suiting. Gave me £70; 50 for 3 months and 20 for voyage. Paid away a great deal, and then thought of setting off: determined for Italy. Madame de Staël gave me three letters. Madame B wept, and most seemed sorry.

  The night before I went, at Madame B’s, they acted C’est le Même extremely well; a Lausanne girl acting the lady very well. The costumes also extremely good. Wished nobody good-bye: told them, though, I was going. Set off with 47 louis, 112 naps.

  Le Valais from Schürer’s book, Description due Départment du Simplon, 1812, lent me by the Cav. See elsewhere.

  16 September Left Cologny and Lord Byron at six in the morning. Breakfasted at Doraine, 3 leagues. Dined, Thouson, ditto. Evrein, 2. Slept St Gingoux, 4. Passed Meillerie. Saw Lausanne at a distance, right through this part of Sardinian King’s dominions. Read Madame Brelaz’s verses. Wept – not at them, but at the prose.

  17 September Left St Gingoux at 6. Walked to ______. Took bread and wine. Crossed to Chillon. Saw Bonivard’s prison for six years; whence a Frenchman had broken, and, passing through a window, swam to a boat. Instruments of torture, – the pulley. Three soldiers there now: the Roman arms already affixed. Large subterranean passes. Saw in passing the three treed islands. The Rhone enters by two mouths, and keeps it waters distinct for two stone’s throw.

  From Chillon I went to Montreaux – breakfasted – leaving Charney on my left. I began to mount towards the Dent de Jamanu. Before beginning to mount Jamanu itself, one has a beautiful view, seeing only part of the lake, bound by Meillerie, Roches, and the Rhone. Higher up the view is more extensive, but not so beautiful – nothing being distinct; the water looking merely as an inlet of sky, but one could see the Jura as far as Genthoud.

  I entered a chalet, where they expressed great astonishment at my drinking whey, which they give to their pigs only. Refused at first money.

  Descended towards Mont Boyon. What owing to the fatigue and hardly meeting any one, sick with grief. At Mont Boyon, dined, and, finding they would not dance, slept immediately after.

  18 September Up at 4. Drank wine and bread. At 6 set off. Passed the Château d’Ox where there was a fair. After that, hardly met a soul. Always on the side of the mountains, each side of a river or torrent; with torrent-bends, pine-forests, chalets, villages without a visible soul – all at work – and ups and downs: so that this road, if I had not had that of yesterday, I should have called the worst in the world. Passed through Château d’Ox; Rougemont, breakfast: Zwezermann, dinner; Gessenay; Lambeck; Reichenstein; Weissenbach; Bottingen, tea and night. The French language leaves off at Gessenay (rather, patois), and they begin their German: found it difficult to go on.

  19 September Got up at 4½. Set off from Bottigen. Went through Obernoyle. Breakfasted at Wyssenbach: refused my money. Went to the Doctor, who charged me a nap. Went through Erlenbach, Lauterbach, Meiningen, to Thun. Splendid scenery; especially the first look at the Lake by the river’s mouth, and the pass into a great valley. Took dinner, and then a warm bath. Arrived at 1 o’clock. All the houses are of wood, the foundation only being stone: great cut ornaments between the rows of windows: the wood, fir. Felt very miserable, especially these two last days: only met two persons to whom I could speak – the others all Germans. At Wyssenbach they all said grace before breakfast, and then ate out of the same dish; remarking (as I understood them) that I, not being a Catholic would laugh.

  20 September Got up at 6. Wrote to St Aubyn, Brelaz, father, Vaccà, and Zio, asking letters; to my father, to announce my parting.

  Bought fresh shoes and stockings; found no book-seller’s shop. The man at the post-office made a good reflection: that he was astonished so many came to see what they who were so near never want to see, and that he supposed that the English also leave much unseen in their own country.

  Thun is a neat well-situated town, not large, with arcades – as apparently all the Berne towns. Afraid all day my dog was poisoned; which grieved me so, at seeing it vomit, that I wept. At 2 o’clock went in search of a boat: none going immediately, I walked along the left bank of the lake to Unterseen. The views the most beautiful I ever saw; through pines over precipices, torrents, and sleepers and the best-culti
vated fields I ever saw. The lake sometimes some hundred precipitous feet below by feet; at other times quite close to its edge; boats coming from the fair; picturesque towered villages; fine Alps on the other side, the Jungfrau and others far off. The bottom of the lake is especially magnificent. Lost my way, and had two little children as guides back again. One small cascade of seven or eight fountains.

  Arrived at 7 at Unterseen: through Nilterfingen, Oberhofen, Rottingen, Morlangen, Neuchaus, to Unterseen. Found two Englishmen at supper: sat down with them. Very miserable all the morning.

  21 September Got up at 6, having determined to go with the two to the Grindenwald in a char-à-banc, on account of the state of my foot. I went to the bridge at Interlachen to see the view coming between two beautiful isolated crags. Going, met a man, a maréchal, who had been to Vienna and Bohemia en roulant after his apprenticeship, to see the world – stopping a day at one place, a day at another. Returned, breakfasted: and then, after growling at the innkeeper’s wishing to take two horses, we went off through a splendid pine-clad craggy valleys through Zweihitschirne to Lauterbrunner; whence to the fall of the Staubach, a bare cataract of 900 feet high, becoming vapour before it arrives – appearing much, and ending in a little stream. The curate of this village received guests: there were the Prince Saxe-Gotha and family. We lunched at the inn, and went back to Lauterbrunner after having looked at the Jungfrau at a distance.

  Went from Zweihitschirne to the Grindenwald with the Saxe-Gotha before us, through a more beautiful valley. Saw the glaciers come into it, with the Eiger, Wetterhorn, and other mountains, most magnificent. Walking about, found two girls who gave us cherries and chatted freely. Found that mules were 18 francs a day. A party came in in the dark at 8 with guides, hallooing and making a lively sound. Dined at 7, and talked about mules, hoping to get return ones etc.