| Authorship Notes |
Abbé Baudouin's handbook on the education of young noblemen is considerably more vocal about the importance of travel than the similar work by chevalier La Chétardie, still re-published at the time this work is published. Already the title of the section (p.332-341) betrays that it considers travel a crucial component of education: the first sentence of the section is "The education must be concluded by travelling."
The travel experience is to be completed accompanied by a mentor, as on his own the young man won't have a useful experience. Baudouin comments on the necessary equipment (books and maps), the main topics to observe, the necessity to take notes in a journal, as well as a possible - extensive - itinerary. The mentor has to be particularly careful when accompanying the young man to Italy, where air, food, drinks and character combine to create dangerous temptations.
The vast majority of Baudouin's comments are far from being original, but they represent possibly the most comprehensive summary of a young French nobleman's Grand Tour experience from this early part of the 18th century. |
