The duchess ascended to the drawing-rooms, which were hung with rich Brussels' tapestry, and hangings of Arras; the subjects represented were woven from designs of Teniërs, Snyders, and Rubens; the different compartments represented village fairs, rural merry-makings, and boar hunts.
The sofas, or settees rather we should say, the rude, gothic predecessors of the present modern sofa, were extremely long and extremely low, and yet withal of an enormous size; they were covered with blue velvet, and fringed with gold lace; the chairs, which corresponded, were on castors, and were of that formidable space and magnitude to have afforded seats to the two redoubtable city giants of Guild-Hall, Messieurs Gog and Magog, who, if hither transported, might have held thereon a seeming _tête-à-tête_, without any diminution or disparagement of their gravity and greatness.
Monsieur Passemier, (for to the lank gentleman in the red night-cap the said mansion appertained,) ever and anon was restlessly employed in raising or lowering the red cap on his forehead, and with continued and extravagant grin, grimace, and gesticulation, became exceedingly loquacious, his teeth chattering most monkey-like. He dwelt much on the commodiousness of his house, the fine view of the park which it commanded, the fashionableness of the situation, the salubrity of the air, the convenience of his _jardin ornè_; and rung various changes on the fine furniture of his mansion, so superior, he insisted, to _les miserablés meubles garnis_ of Paris; he once indeed (_malheureux!_) had, in an evil hour, let lodgings, but he would never do so again--_jamais!_ He once, _pardiè_, had set these apartments (_en haut_) to Monsieur Le Compte d'Egmont and Madame la Comptesse, _et quatres petites diables des enfants_; the lower (_en bas_) apartments were set to le bon Evêque de Bruges. But, _une jour_, Le Compte et Madam la Comptesse were abroad _pour faire visite_, when _les quatres petites diables des enfants_ made, _mon Dieu!_ such a _grand bouleversement_, you never did hear--no persone did ever see de like.
Here Monsieur Passemier acted to the life _encore le tres grande bouleversement_, flinging down, with great force, fire, fury, and energy, stool, tripod, candelabra, chairs, &c., and scattering around the broken fragments of marble tables. He then, with the agility of a Shamois goat, bounded from stool to chair and settee, indeed he seemed as if recently escaped from Bedlam; he jumped, he stamped, he danced, he laughed, he chattered, racing round the room, jumping on chairs and settees, and violently stamping and kicking thereon, and by practical illustrations demonstrating how _les quatres petites diables des enfants d'Egmont_ had accomplished _cet horrible bouleversement_! and all dat in defiance of _le petite dieu de silence, dans le grande vestibule_, who, _avec le main droite_, to his lip does (_tout le gentilhomme_) impose silence, and _avec le main gauche_, does vid _beaucoup de politesse_ point de way _en haut! pour vous montez. Le bon Evêque de Bruges_ left me _au désespoir! pauvre homme, car, malheureux_,