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528

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.

happily has nothing to which this place can be compared.

Tuesday, 24th.-Set out with a laquais de place, who had engaged with us for five francs per daysaw the Halle au Bled, or flour market, a circular building, with a light dome formed of copper, the ribs being iron; the Palais de Justice, where we entered the courts; the Place Dauphine, in the centre of which is a monument to General Desaix ; proceeded through the Louvre, Tuilleries and Champs Elysées-dined at the restaurateur's in the Rue des Victoires. I called once more on Mon. B., (an old pupil of my Father's,) found him at home, and we all went to the Theatre des Variétés. Here we saw three little pieces, intitled Magnetismomanie, Rustaut and Les Deux Boxeurs. Potier and Brunet were the principal performers. One piece, La Jeunesse d'Henri Quatre, was finished before we arrived; the Theatre very full. In the box-lobby we remarked a small door bearing the following laconic inscription" C'est ici."-" "Tis here."-A ludicrous example of French delicacy.

Wednesday, 25th.-Visited the Palais Royal and went over the splendid apartments of the Duke of Orleans, which occupy one part of the Palais. Then we proceeded to the CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. In the hall or anti-chamber of which are the following pictures-viz. The Death of Socrates, DAVID; Philoctetes, LE GROS; Hero and Leander, DAVID; Edipus and his Daughter, TELESON; Pericles,

HOTEL DES INVALIDES.

529

CHOLLET.

The Chamber itself is of a semicircular form. There are two rostrums or tribunals, one above the other in the upper one the president is seated; from the lower the members deliver their speeches. To the left of the tribunals are plaster statues of Solon, Lycurgus and Demosthenes: to the right, of Bru tus, Cato and Cicero. The appearance of the whole is very elegant! We next went over the house of the Prince of Condé, which is immediately adjacent. Then we proceeded to the HOTEL DES INVALIDES: a fine lawn, interspersed with trees, extended itself in front of the building, called L'Esplanade des Invalides; in the centre was a pedestal, on which lately stood a lion, from Venice. We entered between two porters' lodges into the garden, directly before the building. On passing under an archway, we found ourselves in a court-yard, round which the building is arranged in a square form. In one of the dining-rooms we saw two hundred and sixty old officers dining off silver dishes! The house contains 4000, and the number is limited to 4200. We went over the church, which projects behind that side of the square opposite to which we had entered. The seats for the common soldiers are in the body of the church, and the officers are accommodated in the galleries. We saw several workmen here effacing the ornaments alluding to the Imperial government. On inquiring of the person who was shewing us the church, what had become of the flags taken from different conquered nations, and which had formerly

530

CHAMPS DE MARS.

graced the interior of the dome, we were informed, that on the approach of the Allies to Paris, he had taken them all down and burned them! On the southern side of the church we saw MARSHAL TURENNE'S monument. The architecture of that part of the church below the dome is very fine. There are some paintings there in fresco, but they do not appear to be very good. The pavement is extremely elegant. We ascended into the Library, which was presented to the Institution by BUONAPARTE. Several of the poor maimed fellows were there reading. At one end of the room was to be seen a bust of LOUIS XVIII. in plaster, with a French inscription to this effect, as nearly as I can remember" The old defenders of the country have here placed its FATHER!" The Library contains 2000 volumes! The DOME of the Hospital is elegantly gilt; its height is three hundred and fifteen feet, including the Cross, which is fifteen feet.

After leaving the Hotel des Invalides, we got some refreshment at a little house by the way-side, in the Boulevards des Invalides, and then passed through the Champ de Mars, by the Ecole Militaire, a large stone building, with a curved roof in the centre, like that in the centre of the Tuilleries. The CHAMP DE MARS consisted of a large parallelogram running from the building down to the river side, with banks on each side covered with trees: some recruits were exercising in it. We next proceeded to the Plain of Grenelle, where some cavalry were being reviewed

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by General Laborie. This was the spot where LABEDOYERE was executed. Some of the spectators at the review, with whom Mr. B. entered into conversation, expressed great pity for his fate! On the opposite side of the river we saw the village of Passy. Returned towards Paris, and dined at a Restaurateur's in the Palais Royal. In the evening we went to the Theatre Feydeau, and saw Le piège, La petite Gouvernante, and La rosière de Hartwell; the last a new piece, that contained some English characters, one of which was personated by the celebrated Joly. This was what the French term une pièce de circonstance, being merely the representation of some act of benevolence performed by Louis, whilst resident at Hartwell, near Ayslebury, in Bucks, which was the general place of his abode during his stay in England.

Thursday, 26th.-Visited the INSTITUTE. Were here first introduced into three square halls or antichambers, containing the following marble statues :1. D'Alembert, Montaigne, Molé and Montesquieu ; 2. Rollin, Montausier, and two vacant pedestals; 3. Racine, Corneille, Pascal, (studying a cycloid), Moliere, La Fontaine and Poussin; also a bronze bust of MINERVA. From the second hall we passed into the GRAND HALL of the Institute, which is circular and crowned with a dome. Behind the President's seat is a bust of LOUIS THE EIGHTEENTH, and round the room are four statues of Sully, Descartes, Bossuet and Fenelon. We next proceeded to

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MUSEE DES MONUMENS FRANÇOIS.

the Salle d'Exposition, where some new works in bas-relief were exposed to the inspection of the public. The subject was Phoenix, Ulysses and Ajax, coming to Achilles to intreat him to rejoin the army! The pieces exhibited were eight in number. The Paper, a few days afterwards, contained a paragraph mentioning the decision of the Institute, respecting the prizes awarded to the authors of those bas-reliefs, which were considered the most deserving. We also entered the Galerie d'Architecture, which consisted of two rooms containing plaster models, and one or two in cork, of different buildings, ancient and modern.

After seeing every thing remarkable in the Institute, we proceeded to the MUSEE DES MONUMENS FRANÇOIS in the ci-devant Convent des Petits Augustins. M. Lenoir was the original founder, and is still the director of this very curious Institution. Here we passed through an open court and came to an ancient-looking gateway, which admitted us into a little square yard, where we saw, on our left, the tomb of Abelard and Eloisa. The tomb is under a canopy of Gothic ornament. Leaving this interesting monument, we entered into a garden, prettily laid out, and containing the Tombs of most of the GREAT MEN of France, embosomed amidst the trees and shrubs, in some instances with considerable taste. Here was a Sarcophagus containing the remains of DESCARTES,* others, those of Moliere, &c. &c. Several large

*The following anecdote of Descartes may amuse the young

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