As the Crow Flies: From Corsica to Charing Cross

In Short

This collection of sketches serves as a travel diary and social chronicle, recording the author’s observations across France, Italy, and England during the 1890s. From the rugged, stiletto-laden streets of Bastia to the manicured lawns of Sandringham and the scholarly quiet of Oxford, the book maps a journey fueled by curiosity and social access. It is a work of period observation, blending vivid descriptions of geography with an insider’s commentary on European politics, the remnants of the Napoleonic legend, and the eccentricities of high society.

The Story

The narrative begins in the Mediterranean, where the author explores the stark, mountain-backed towns of Corsica. He finds an island haunted by the spirit of the Vendetta and the lingering shadow of the Bonaparte family, even while noting the islanders' shift toward French imitation. Moving to the Riviera, the prose brightens with the vibrant, cosmopolitan life of Monte Carlo, Cannes, and San Remo. Here, the author observes the stark contrast between the glamorous "English colonies" and the humble Italian villages, finding charm in the quiet corners of San Remo while dissecting the intense, destructive rituals of the gambling tables in Monaco.

The journey then transitions to the contrasting climate of the British Isles. The author moves from the bustling, genteel atmosphere of a Devonshire market town to the academic confines of Oxford, where he navigates the rigid hierarchies of university life and the company of local tutors. His travels across England are marked by a keen interest in the "select" nature of resorts like Bournemouth and the rugged, wet terrain of the Lake District. He recounts a harrowing climb through the mists of Lakeland, where a simple mountain excursion becomes a test of endurance and navigation, revealing the unpredictable realities of English travel.

As the narrative nears its conclusion, the focus narrows to the political and social tensions of the British ruling class. The author explores the public controversies surrounding the Prince of Wales, particularly the scandal involving the Tranby Croft baccarat affair, defending the Prince’s private conduct while critically examining the pressures of his public life. Finally, the book shifts to the curious resurgence of the "Latter-day Jacobites"—a group dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart line. The author details their eccentric pilgrimage to Westminster Abbey and the subsequent government backlash, which only serves to embolden the movement. The book ends not with a grand destination, but with a reflection on how institutional heavy-handedness often inflames the very movements it seeks to suppress, leaving the reader with a final portrait of a country caught between archaic loyalties and modern anxieties.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The author sets the scene in Bastia, Corsica, where he uncovers the lingering violence of local feuds and the faded glory of Napoleonic relics. He quickly departs for the mainland, seeking a more agreeable atmosphere along the Riviera.

The Riviera lifestyle Detailed observations follow of the Casino at Monte Carlo, where he watches both aristocrats and desperate gamblers lose fortunes. He contrasts the "Dukeries" of Cannes with the more moderate, pleasant society found in San Remo.

Across the Channel The narrative shifts to the quiet life of an English market town, characterized by its reliance on the "County Families." He then revisits his own college days in Oxford, profiling the musty, scholarly life of his former tutor.

The Lakeland challenge A hiking excursion through the Lake District serves as a reminder of the region’s harsh, unpredictable weather. The group’s struggle to find their way through the mist highlights the physical reality of the English landscape.

Royal and political tensions The final chapters focus on the Prince of Wales, analyzing his personal and public struggles in the face of scandal. The book concludes with a study of the Jacobite League, exploring how these royalists keep ancient claims alive in the modern era.

The People

The book is populated by figures who exist in the orbit of the author’s travels. Prince Jerome Napoleon emerges as a tragic, larger-than-life figure whose "singular lack of tact" prevents him from seizing the power that his lineage and uncanny physical resemblance to his uncle seemed to promise. He remains a man misjudged, representing the faded glory of the Bonaparte era.

The Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) is portrayed as a burdened central figure, caught between the demands of his position and the relentless scrutiny of a "scandal-loving" press. The author treats him with sympathy, characterizing his involvement in the baccarat affair as a private error of judgment rather than a moral failure, emphasizing his role as an overworked public servant.

Huckings, the author's landlord in Oxford, provides a touch of character work, representing the deferential yet proud class of servants who defined the period. His obsession with his past proximity to the "Marquis" serves as a microcosm for the social rigidities of English life. Finally, the Jacobite leaders—such as the anonymous agitators in Westminster—appear as figures of "archæological enthusiasm," whose stubborn refusal to recognize the current monarchy highlights the persistence of history in a rapidly changing world.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the atmosphere of the Corsican town of Bastia, the author focuses on its most visible local commodity:

"The only answer that occurs to me is to say stilettoes, for really all the shops seem to have inexhaustible supplies of this keen, murderous little blade."

Reflecting on the psychological toll observed at the gambling tables in Monte Carlo, he notes the physical cost of the habit:

"Each additional week seems to add to the strained, eager look in their eyes, the drawn, pinched look about the mouth, and the tell-tale wrinkles about the temples that proclaim an habitual gambler."

What It's Really About

The book explores the friction between the romantic image of a place and its lived reality. Through his travels, the author consistently interrogates the weight of history—whether it be the "Napoleonic legend" in France or the Stuart claims in England. He examines how modern institutions, from local governments to the British monarchy, cope with the pressure of public opinion and the persistence of the past. The recurring question is whether a society can truly move forward, or if it is destined to be haunted by the "ghosts" of its own history, be they fallen empires, social scandals, or the lingering, garlic-scented traditions of an older world.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the leisurely, observant pacing of nineteenth-century travelogues will find this volume a rewarding companion. It provides a tactile, sensory experience of Europe before the dawn of the twentieth century, capturing the transition from the old world of horse-drawn carriages and aristocratic "seasons" to a more politically volatile modern era.

The prose is warm and confident, though modern readers should be prepared for the author’s period-specific attitudes; his breezy dismissal of the "Radical press" and his occasional reliance on the class-based assumptions of his time are firmly rooted in his Victorian context. The book does not attempt to be a comprehensive history or a modern guidebook; rather, it is a personal ledger of a world that has largely vanished. You will stay with the author’s sense of wonder at the mundane—the "rust that has been blood" on a blade, or the way a mist-covered hillside can turn a pleasant stroll into a trial. It is a book for those who want to wander through the ruins of palaces and the quiet streets of market towns, guided by a narrator who finds significance in the small, forgotten corners of the map.