Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

100
JOURNAL OF JOHN LAUDER
The greatest affront that can be done to a woman is to cut
the tayle of hir goune from hir, or even to cast ink in her
face, since that a lovely face is the principal thing that com¬
mends a woman, hence as the greatest reproach a man can be
upraided wt is bougre or fen fonte; so the greatest of their
railings against a woman is to say, vous avez eu la robe coupt
au queue. It hath bein practicat on some.
A man would take good heed that he never desire a woman
a drink in company, for the Frenchwomen take it in very il
part, and some hath gotten on the cheak for it.
They think a man does them honour in making them go
before him; so that a Frenchman wil never readily steep in
before any woman of faschion, tho it be iust contraire in our
country.
The 11 of November is St. Martins day, a very merry day in
France. They passe it in eating, drinking and singing exces-
ivelie. Every one tasts his new wine that day, and in tasting it
takes to much ; their be wery few but they are full. The Suisses
and Alemmands (who drink like fisches, as we know in Mr. le
Baron and his creatures at Orleans, each man each night could
not sleip wt out his broil1 or pot, which the Frenches their
VabM Flacour and Brittcnl mockt at) Andes only 3 good festes
in France, Mr. St. Martin,2 Mr. les trois Rois, and Mr. marde
gras, because al drinkes bitch full thess dayes.
On the morrow after opened the Palais, which sits neir 10
moneth togither, whither we went to sie the faschion. First
their massers have not silver masses as ours have, only litle
battons, yea the massers to the parliament at Paris have no
more. Next none most bring nether swords nor spurs wtin
any of the bars : the reason whey swords have bein discharged
is because that judges and conseillers have bein several tymes
assasinate on the bench be desperate persons poussed forward
be revenge; whence a man bringing on wtin the bar wil be
made prisoner: yet we had ours the first day.
1 I have not found this word elsewhere.
2 It was customary to speak of saints as Monsieur St. Martin, Mme. Ste.
Catherine, etc. Lauder extends the usage (whether correctly or not) to
Mardi Gras.