Letter from G.G. Ducarel, St. Germain, to Madame Shore, 1789 July 16 : autograph manuscript signed.

Describing the chaos in Paris following the storming of the Bastille; saying "I hope you have passed your Time pleasantly and profitably at the Convent of St. Louis. I cannot say so much for the latter Part of our Time at Paris. On Sunday Evening the 12th we proposed to go to the Opera, but the Populace had thought proper to forbid every kind of Entertainment. We then took a Circuit and proceeded to the Tuilleries, and having made one Turn were driven from thence to our hotel by the Noise of a Skirmish between the People and a Swiss and German Regiment in the Champs Elysées - Sunday Night it became advisable to put out all Lights in the Front of our House, barricade the Doors, and retire to the middle Part of our Hotel and we were regaled all Night with the Firing of Musquets, Clashing of Swords, and Shoutings of half mad or half drunken People - Monday Morning all the Shops were shut, and we found that if we meant to remain in Safety at Paris it must be in our Hotel which not answering our Intention in visiting that Capital we determined on making our Retreat hither, and having luckily procured Horses we passed by a circuitous Rout without any Stop or Molestation, only with the Necessity of declaring our Party to some blackguard Boys who required it with drawn Swords which was done very loudly and articulately by Mrs. [illegible] & my Daughter, and from [illegible] by waving his Hat and arrived between five and six on Monday at St. Germain where we found every thing in perfect Tranquility & made up by a good Nights Rest for an indifferent one the Night before. It was our intention to have set out for Rouen this Morning and paid our Respects immediately to Yourself and Companion, but yesterday the People here began to assemble in Bodies, twice examined our House for grain, and treated many others in the Neighbourhood in the same Way, and fearing that we might find other places on the Road in the same Situation and perhaps not get Horses, and be detained where we should not be so comfortable as here, and being credibly informed from Versailles that everything is in a [illegible] of miserable accommodation we have determined to wait a Day or two to see the Effect, but to set out for Rouen as soon as we judge it may be prudent - As soon as we arrive we shall pay our Comp'ts at the [illegible] & hope to find Yourself and Friend and the dear little Charlotte in perfect Health. Mrs. [illegible] has been rather hurried at certain Times - [illegible] in general very much pleased and would willingly have stood in Paris to have seen more of the [illegible], which by all accounts would have been the Case had we remained - We should not have been at a Loss for Spectacles Tragic as well as Comic nor could we have ascertained the Time of our Retreat had we remained longer than Monday Evening. My Fellow Travellers join with me in affectionate Wishes to Your Society."