The information I most rely on,
is from a person here, with whom I am intimate, who divides his time
between Paris and London, an Englishman by birth, of truth, sagacity,
and science. He is of a circle, when in London, which has had good
opportunities of knowing the Prince; but he has also, himself, had
special occasions of verifying their information, by his own personal
observation. He happened, when last in London, to be invited to a dinner
of three persons. The Prince came by chance, and made the fourth. He
ate half a leg of mutton; did not taste of small dishes, because small;
drank Champagne and Burgundy as small beer during dinner, and Bordeaux
after dinner, as the rest of the company. Upon the whole, he ate as much
as the other three, and drank about two bottles of wine without seeming
to feel it. My informant sat next him, and being till then unknown
to the Prince, personally, (though not by character), and lately from
France, the Prince confined his conversation almost entirely to him.
Observing to the Prince that he spoke French without the least foreign
accent, the Prince told him, that when very young, his father had put
only French servants about him, and that it was to that circumstance he
owed his pronunciation.
Pages:
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909