Sir William's Coming of Age in the Continent.

Dear Cousin,


    Oh how terribly I have missed you! I wish so you had been able to accompany me on this exciting adventure! But do not worry my dear Alfred, your time will come, as it does for all young men of statute in our motherland. This rite of passage for our generation shall no escape you, as it did not manage to escape me. And as you helped convince father not to hold
 back on any expense for this decisive trip in the life of his first born, I too will make sure uncles Charles does the same when your time comes. Yet believe me when I tell you that not much shall be necessary as our dear old fathers themselves once embarked on such a journey and also appreciate the importance of the experience for any respectable young man.
Speaking of, please do make sure to send my regards to the whole  family and tell mother that I will write to her soon, telling her all about the journey (well certainly not ALL the details I am telling you!) and please do not let her worry, as she has a tendency of making herself sick over it. I am sure you will take good care of her in my absence. But I know you are as excited to hear about my adventures and misadventures as I am bout telling you so without further delay I will recount the details of my journey into the continent. 
    The coach that took me  that March morning from our London home would be the only means of transportation(and as I have told you my dear Alfred I am very much interested in this form of transportation, I intend to write you a letter in this interesting topic of coaches so you can share my interest with your fellow brother who I know have ventured into that industry) enough with this interruptions in my writing! let me continue with what I was telling you about the trip...a coach will be the only mean of transportation within our wonderful country land that would take me all the way to the coastal city of Dover(It took us couple of hour to get on the coach in our way to Dover as Sir Frederic had arrange to strap a drawer with all necessary items for our Journey, later in my trip I will write you a letter on what to pack) nevertheless the trip consisted of five stops along the way for the horses to be changed, where I engaged fellow travelers and locals in light conversations about weather and such things, the ride was a whole day long but relatively uneventful. We traveled from the Golden Cross over the London Bridge, down the old Kent Road, through New Cross, Blackheath, Shoter’s Then, on to Gad’s Hill, Rochester, Medway flats, Canterbury and finally Barham and on to Dover. However, my thirst for adventure and excitement would certainly not be quenched within British soil. Like most travelers, we chose to make it for Dover and then cross the English Channel on to the costal town of Calais in France, but we could have easily also traveled from Dover to Boulogne or Ostend or from English Southampton to Le Havre, Brightonon, Newhaven and Gravesend from Folkestone. We could have also taken a French trader from a London dock which traveled to Dunkirk, however this ticket cost twice as much as the one from Dover.

    Although I tried to occupy my time from London to Dover with the landscape, passing peasants and such details of the world outside our carriage, Frederick, my tutor, and one so old that I believe would have accompanied our great grandfather Sir Charles lll on his journey, would not permit me. He insisted I begin practicing my French as we would soon be in the neighboring territory, where even the most educated Englishman might have trouble communicating with the locals lest he know the language. Though I was reluctant to focus on my studies so early in the trip(I have found a letter of a postal forwarder that has kept me very distracted in my French studies, I should soon send it to you as it tells interesting things about the continental postal system), I must confess that the thought of being able to engage sophisticated Parisians in conversation delighted me and I dedicated myself to learning the foreign tongue.

    Dover provided some relief from my arduous academic endeavors. Although it was certainly not a town where a gentleman would choose to stay if he could help it. The port city was swarming with people from all regions of out motherland(later I will write you about the precautionsthat you should start worrying about when traveling through the continent). Rich and poor alike crowd the streets awaiting for their turn to embark on their respective journey, which would be aboard packet boats carrying mail and passengers which leave Dover for Calais on Tuesdays and Fridays. The port city was a dismal place with loads of ramshackle inns which would be appalling to any respectable Englishman. Although the city did posses a few good inns, most popular of which were The King’s Head and The Ship, it was quite hard to obtain a room there for they were usually full, leaving many noblemen having to find accommodations in one of the many questionable establishments found throughout the city. We were lucky enough to find lodgings in one of the most respectable inns, especially as our stay there would take longer than expected.

    It was not uncommon for the wait for good weather to take up to a week and it was long for us all as it was impossible to predict exactly how long it would take for a given ship to cross the magnificent English Channel. When winds stood fair, the route from Dover to Calais could be covered in three hours and it could last up to six. The real concern however, was that very often the ship could not get into the harbor as a result of the low tide and the passengers would be instructed to disembark and climb into rowing boats that would take them close enough to shore to be carried by watermen. Aside from the cost of this, which was twice as much as the crossing ticket, most passengers arrived sick from the trip and this added inconvenience as well as great annoyance. I myself witnessed how several passengers had to be taken of their crossing ship in arms, afflicted by seasickness and similar conditions which caused even the most distinguished nobleman to behave like an exasperated and sickly peasant.

    I am sorry to report that despite the numerous scientific advantages that our people as well as other Europeans have achieved in recent decades, we have still been unable to make the crossing of the Channel any more comfortable or at the very least predictable than it was almost a century ago. Regardless of significant fortune and statute, one must ride as the lower classes do and often if the ship is not full, they fill it with men such low statute one would hardly encounter them in all his life in London. Imagine a nobleman of our standing riding a ship across our Channel with the merchants and tax collectors! Now that due to lowering costs, the luxury of travel is no longer exclusive to the aristocracy and is open to the bourgeois class as well one certainly encounters men from all walks of life along one’s journey. (One can even find women traveling with their husbands and families!) Our technological advances should, in my opinion, be used to better the traveling conditions of noblemen, not making it available to any new-money that wishes to and can afford to travel.
    I fear our motherland might be being afflicted by the revolutionary ideas of our neighbors.
Yet despite my every attempt to obtain a private ride across the channel, the cost was so exorbitant that it would have been impossible. Besides, ship owners would always rather carry a full ship, even if of low-class individuals that could afford to pay very little. I finally resigned myself to riding with men of lower statute and just hoped the weather would be favorable and our journey as brief and uneventful as possible.
    When our turn finally came, Sir Frederick and I boarded the shop (and such energy and stamina the old man has!) and witnessed first hand the egregious circumstances in which we were to travel (and my ‘bear leader’ assured me they used to be far worse in earlier times!); there were no services available of any kind and despite the supposed separation between the classes on board, the reality was other an one could find oneself side by side with men of all walks of life. Sir Frederick attempted to maintain my attention focused on my studies but the conditions were certainly not conclusive for doing so and despite my every attempt to concentrate on practicing my French I found the world around me to
 be much more interesting. I often found myself entertained by the conversation around me and was surprised to discover just how much my fellow nationals, despite their social class, knew about foreign affairs. (Englishmen are certainly the most educated and intelligent of all, even those of lower classes). As we were heading to neighboring France, the political upheaval of the neighboring nation was of interest to us all.
Despite being at the end of the 18th century, conversation referred as far back as the reign of the “Sun King” and certainly debated the unfortunate circumstance that led to the precarious conditions in which his grandson Louis XVl now found himself. Much debate surrounded this matter with many inclined to say that the French King has brought the current trouble on himself for involving himself and his nation in businesses outside of their convern, especially lending their support to the North American colonies in their struggle against our majesty. In fact, it was argued by many that the monetary aid provided, was the primary reason for the fiscal deficit faced by the French crown. Many criticized the tax increment implemented by the sovereign which led to widespread misery and discontent among the massed. Although Marie Antoinette’s capriciousness, outrageous expenses and gambling certainly did not aid the dwindling economy! It was clear that the King did not have the respect or strength of his grandfather Louis XlV.
Before I even arrived in the neighboring nation, I had already heard about the precarious conditions in which the majority of the population was living, starving with not even flour to bake bread for their children while the King continued to send money abroad to fight a war far removed from the French nation; and the Queen spent exorbitant sums of money on her gambling soirees and her exuberant place constructions and re-decorations. It seems the Austrian-born Queen was highly disliked by the French people, especially as her romantic affairs were widely known and talked about in every circle of society. But then again who could blame the vibrant young Queen, who had such a boring and almost potent husband! Oh we all remember how long it took for the young King to consummate the marriage and make his beautiful young wife his. And how Marie Antoinette suffered to get pregnant and insure the Franco-Austrian alliance and her place in the French court.
    It would be years before the French nation would rejoice with a first born and by the time the dauphin was born, the people were certainly in no mood to celebrate the good fortune of the reigning couple.
_____________________________________________________

Figure 1.b - Dover, England seaport late 18th century. Summer time
Figure 2 - Dover, England seaport. Fall.
Figure 3 - London/Dover route; typical horse driven carriage for travelers
Figure 4 - London/Dover route; Tourist with servants, guide and tutors aboard carriage.
Figure 5 - Calais, France; often weather conditions were  at time rough  and presented a risk for the integrity of the tourist