In passing through Paris we shall pause to present a few sketches
representative of the great French capital. It is the gayest metropolis
of Europe, the spot where the traveller is most inclined to linger, and
whose siren voice is most dangerous to the inexperienced. Its
attractions are innumerable, combining unequalled educational advantages
in art, literature, and the learned professions, together with unlimited
temptations to frivolity. Here are offered daily, without money and
without price, lectures upon all themes known to science, free schools
in all departments of learning, free art museums and free art galleries,
such as can hardly be excelled in the world.
The finest view to be had in the city may be enjoyed by taking one's
stand in the Tuileries Garden and looking straight across the Place de
la Concorde to the far-away Arc de Triomphe. Here is a clear view, in
the very heart of Paris, two miles long, over the entire length of the
Champs Elysées. The only thing to impede the sight in the least degree
is the grand old column of Luxor, which stands in the middle of the
Place de la Concorde, but which is of only needle-like proportions in so
comprehensive a view as we speak of. This is the finest square of the
city, and indeed we may go further and say the finest in all Europe. It
is bounded on the north by the spacious buildings occupied by the
Ministry of the Marine, on the south by the Seine, here crossed by the
Pont des Invalides, and having the Tuileries on the east and the Champs
Elysées on the west. As this is the first square in Europe, so is the
Champs Elysées, which opens out of it, the grandest boulevard in the
world. It is divided into three alleys, liberally planted with trees,
the principal entrance being marked by the celebrated sculptures known
as the "Horses of Marly," standing like sentinels, one on each side of
the broad carriage-way. This is the road leading to the Bois de
Boulogne, the favorite pleasure-drive of the Parisians, where also may
be found the fine race-grounds and the Jardin d'Acclimation, with its
superb and unrivalled collection of wild animals and rare birds.
Sunday is a weekly recurring carnival here, on which occasions the races
and the military reviews take place, and all Paris seeks to amuse itself
by open air pleasures. Fifty thousand people and more throng the Champs
Elysées; the toy and refreshment booths drive a lucrative business; the
numerous goat and pony wagons for children are in constant use. One
little turn-out is particularly noticeable, consisting of four
well-trained Newfoundland dogs, elegantly harnessed and attended by a
couple of servants in livery, a boy of ten or twelve years holding the
lines from his seat in the light and graceful little vehicle. Merry
young misses drive their ribbon-decked hoops with special relish, and
roguish boys spin their tops with equal zeal. Clouds of toy-balloons, of
various colors and sizes, flash high above the heads of itinerant
vendors, while the sparkling fountains throw up softly musical jets
everywhere. Soldiers off duty, strolling idly about, dot the scene with
their various uniforms, their shining helmets, and elaborate gold lace.
The busy road-way is crowded by a thousand turnouts, drawn by
high-stepping horses. Delighted youths, of both sexes, mount wooden
horses in the merry-go-rounds and enjoy their ride at a cost of a couple
of cents. Lofty aerial cars, upon huge revolving wheels, afford as much
delight and more risk to other youths. Punch and Judy, and the man with
the air-gun and conspicuous mark, are also present. A performing monkey
divides the honors and pennies with the rest of the entertainers. Not
far away an acrobat, in flesh-colored tights, lies upon the carpeted
ground and tosses a lad, dressed in spangled thin clothes, into the air,
catching him upon his foot again as he comes down, and twirling him so
rapidly that the boy becomes invisible. Such is a glimpse of the Champs
Elysées on Sunday.
Strangers in Paris do not forget to visit the Expiatory Chapel, erected
by Louis the Eighteenth to the memory of Louis the Sixteenth, Marie
Antoinette, and other victims of the Revolution, which took place about
a century since. Historic recollections crowd upon us as we stand within
this small but beautiful chapel. Time has softened the sternness of
judgment relating to the king and queen; and we all pause to admire
their bearing in adversity, but are forced to the conclusion "that
nothing in their life so well became them as the manner of their leaving
it." The queen was remarkable for her dignity of person, which she loved
to increase by the accessories of ornament, until, as a writer of that
period tells us, covered with diamonds and precious stones, she was
literally a thing of light. But Marie Antoinette, in the dungeons of the
Conciergerie, in her widow's cap and patched black dress, was worthier
of love and veneration than when she blazed as the royal star of
Versailles.
The flower market of this large capital is ever suggestive and
interesting. The women, of all ages, who bring these floral gems to the
city, exhibit a taste in their arrangement which would be of value to a
professional artist. One may detect a living poem in each little
department. The principal square devoted to this purpose is situated
just over the Pont Neuf and borders the Seine. The market is changed so
as to be held for two days of each week under the shadow of the
Madeleine, in the Place de la Madeleine, the noblest of modern Christian
temples in its chaste architecture. As we come down from the Rue Scribe,
in the early part of the day, we see vehicles, with liveried attendants,
pause while the fair occupants purchase a cluster of favorite flowers;
dainty beauties on foot come hither to go away laden with fragrant gems,
while well-dressed men deck their buttonholes with a bit of color and
fragrance combined. Here is a white-frocked butcher selecting a
full-blown pot of pansies, and here a sad-faced woman, in widow's weeds,
takes away a wreath of immortelles--to-night it will deck a tomb in the
cemetery of Père la Chaise. This giddy and nervous fellow, who is full
of smiles, takes away a wedding wreath--price is no object to him.
Yonder is a pale-faced shop-girl--what sunny yet half-sad features she
has! She must perhaps forego her dinner in order to possess that pot of
mignonette, but she trips lightly away with it in a happy mood.
The most interesting church here is that of Notre Dame, whose massive
towers greet the eye in every comprehensive view of the city. The
present structure is probably not over seven hundred years old, but it
stands upon a site successively occupied by a Pagan temple and a
Christian church of the time of the early kings. The present building
presents one of the most perfect examples of Gothic architecture extant.
It contains about forty separate chapels. Here the late Emperor and
Empress were married, in January, 1853, just fifty-two years after the
coronation of the first Napoleon in the same place.
A little way from Notre Dame, upon a street situated behind it and near
the Pont St. Louis, is the Morgue, or dead-house of Paris, at all times
open to the public, where are exposed the corpses of unknown persons who
have met their death in the streets or the Seine by violence or
drowning. These bodies remain here three days for the purpose of
identification. If not recognized and claimed by friends, they are then
buried at the expense of the city, or consigned to the
dissecting-tables. There are brought here during the year, the officer
in charge will tell us, over three hundred bodies, two-thirds of whom
are men, and about one-third women. A large number of the latter are
known to be suicides, and are recovered from the waters of the Seine,
close at hand.
The daily scenes occurring in the gardens of the Tuileries, which open
from the Place de la Concorde, are characteristic. The spacious grounds,
adorned with stately trees, fountains, tiny lakes, statues, and flowers,
the latter kept fresh and green by artificial means nearly all the year
round, form an ever-varying attraction. Hundreds of merry children
enliven every nook and corner by their careless, happy voices. The
gayest of promenaders of both sexes throng the broad, smooth paths in
the after part of the day. Round the fountains the sparrows, as tame as
the pigeons of St. Mark at Venice, light upon one's arms and shoulders,
convinced that the only legitimate business of the world is to supply
them with cake and biscuit. Now there break upon the ear the strains of
a full military band posted among the trees, and brilliant music adds
its charm to the attractive scene. This is one side of the picture; we
may perhaps with profit to ourselves turn to the other. The same bell
that rings out the marriage peal, tolls forth the funeral knell; sweet
flowers that deck the bridal altar, are also brought to lay upon the
tomb. We have not far to go in seeking for the shadow of the Tuileries
gardens. Misery in all its varied forms is to be found in the Faubourg
St. Antoine, partially hidden by almost transparent screens from the
naked eye. Crime, sickness, starvation, death, all are within no great
distance of these beautiful resorts. Dark streets where thieves and
outcasts slink away from the light of day like hunted animals; where one
reads hunger and want in silent human faces; where men are met whose
villanous expression only too plainly betrays their criminal nature.
All strangers make a visit to Père la Chaise, the historic burial-ground
of the French capital. Its two hundred acres of monuments, tombs, and
costly sepulchres present only a sad and sombre aspect to the eye, as
unlike to Greenwood, Mount Auburn, or Forest Hills, as narrow streets
and brick houses are unlike the green and open fields of the country.
One reads upon the tombs, however, the familiar historic names with
vivid interest, such as Rossini, Molière, Scribe, Alfred de Musset,
Talma, Arago, and others. One remarkable tomb attracts us; it is that of
Abélard and Héloise, upon which some hand has just placed _fresh_
flowers. One cannot but respect the sentiment which would perpetuate the
memory of this hero and heroine of seven hundred years ago. There are
sixty thousand tombs, mausoleums, and memorial stones within these
grounds, but none equal this one tomb for interest.
We must not forget to visit the Cluny Museum, situated on the Rue des
Mathurins, near the Boulevard St. Michel. The remarkable collection of
historic relics of the Middle Ages and subsequent period, consisting of
glass, porcelain, tapestry, carvings, weapons, and domestic utensils,
are tangible history of great interest. The building itself in which
these treasures are exhibited is a curiosity five or six hundred years
in age, near the very extensive remains of Julian's palace. With one
exception this is the only visible structure of the Roman period that
still exists in the city of Paris. The other is the Roman Amphitheatre,
situated in the Rue Monge. Here, not long since, coins were found,
bearing the date of the time of Adrian.
On the Rue Rivoli, opposite the Tuileries gardens, stands a bronze
equestrian statue, erected within the last few years, representing Joan
of Arc. As we look upon it, the mind reverts to the romantic story of
the maid of Domremy, which this tardy act of justice commemorates. A
conclave of bishops sent her to the stake at Rouen--an act as
unwarrantable as the hanging of innocent women for witches in the early
days of New England. History repeats itself, and the victims of one
generation become the idols of the next. We like best to believe that
this simple maid was inspired to do the work which she so well
performed. At the age of thirteen she began to devote herself to
liberate her country from the English invaders, selling the very bed she
slept upon to aid in the equipment of soldiers for the field. Joan was
but eighteen years old when she appeared before Charles VII. and told
him that she was impelled by Heaven to raise the siege of Orleans, and
to conduct him to Rheims to be crowned. She was young and beautiful; the
king believed in her; the soldiers thought she was inspired, and so
followed her to victory. City after city surrendered to her, battle
after battle was won under her leadership, until Charles was indeed
crowned at Rheims; but, through the influence of her English enemies,
the brave and modest maid was condemned as a sorceress and burned at the
stake!
It is foreigners, not Parisians, who support the splendid jewelry and
other fancy stores of the boulevards, as well as the thousand
extravagant hotels of the metropolis. Paris is the mart of the world for
fancy goods. It is the policy of the government to establish and freely
maintain such attractions as shall draw to the city strangers from all
parts of the world, who come and empty their well-filled purses into the
pockets of French merchants. But let us not forget that the best means
of education are free to all, the poorest scholar being welcome to the
unrivalled libraries and archives, as well as to the splendid advantages
of the art galleries. Scientific lectures and the rarest books upon
special themes are free to him, while every facility which the
government can control is liberally offered to the humble but ambitious
student of science and of art.
We start for Lyons by the way of Fontainebleau, which is situated about
forty miles from Paris. The Palace was founded over seven hundred years
ago, and has been kept during all these years in perfect condition, each
new monarch adding to its embellishments, until it forms to-day a
magnificent museum of art. There are over eight hundred apartments, all
of which are sumptuously decorated and furnished. Here was signed the
revocation Edict of Nantes; from here was announced the divorce of
Josephine; and here Napoleon the First signed his abdication. The
Palace is surrounded by beautiful and extensive gardens, small lakes,
and fountains. The famous forest of Fontainebleau is of more than
passing interest; there is no such wooded and shady drive elsewhere in
the world as is afforded by the admirably kept roads that intersect the
sixty-four square miles covered by this forest, and in the midst of
which is the town. The inhabitants number twelve thousand, added to
which there is here a military station with barracks for about a
thousand men. Until within a few years the forest was the resort of
persons from the capital who had affairs to settle with sword or pistol,
but police arrangements have put an end to this business.
Lyons has a population of half a million, and ranks as the second city
of France in that respect. The manufacture of silk is the great industry
here, and everybody seems to be in some way interested in forwarding
this business. There are between forty and fifty thousand silk-looms
actively employed. In the extent of its silk trade it is the first city
in the world. Being located at the confluence of two important rivers,
the Rhone and the Saône, the city has almost the advantage of a maritime
port, besides which it has ample railroad connections. After a day's
rest at Lyons, we will proceed on our journey by rail to the city of
Marseilles, the first commercial port of the Mediterranean.
The importance of Marseilles as a business centre can hardly be
overestimated, its harbor having safe accommodations for over a thousand
ships at the same time. The flags of Italy, Portugal, England, and
America mingle with those of the far East at her quays. In the breezy
streets of the town surrounding the harbor, we meet Turks, Italians,
Spaniards, British tars, and the queerly dressed sailors of the Grecian
Archipelago, while a Babel of tongues rings upon the ear. This is the
principal port for embarkation to reach Corsica, Genoa, Leghorn,
Constantinople, and Smyrna, the harbor being the finest in France, and
it has been prominent in its commercial connections for fully two
thousand years. Marseilles, with a population of four hundred thousand,
is remarkable for the number and excellence of its public institutions,
among which is a royal exchange, a national observatory, an academy of
sciences, a public library, a school of design, a deaf and dumb
institute, a museum of paintings and antiquities, etc. The Palace of
Longchamps, standing upon one of the most prominent spots in the city,
is a museum, geological school, library, and picture gallery combined.
It is a superb structure architecturally, and cost over seven millions
of dollars.
Overlooking the city of Marseilles is the hill of Notre Dame de la
Garde, a lofty eminence, which seen from the town appears to be hung in
the very clouds. Skilful engineering has made a winding road to the apex
accessible for vehicles. Once reached, this lofty spot affords one of
the most delightful and comprehensive views on the continent, embracing
a wide extent of sea and land. Immediately beneath the visitor's feet
lies the city, nearly encircled by vine-clad hills, interspersed by
châteaux, Swiss and English cottages, all assuming Lilliputian
proportions. The winding cliff-road looks like a silver thread, and the
blue Mediterranean, dotted here and there with sails and steamships,
glistens in the warm, soft sunshine. But the bird's-eye view of the city
is a marvel in its perfection and comprehensiveness. This hill is named
after the singular Roman Catholic chapel upon its cloud-capped summit.
It is visible for many leagues at sea, and is the subject of mysterious
veneration to sailors who navigate these inland waters. A large number
of curious articles from all parts of the world contributed by believing
sailors are to be seen within its walls, in the form of rich samples of
ores, shells, corals, and savage weapons from the far-away South Sea
Islands, forming a kind of religious museum.
From Marseilles we take the railway route to Nice, a distance of one
hundred and forty miles. This world-renowned sanitary resort is most
delightfully situated at the base of an amphitheatre of hills, which are
decked with villas, gardens, orange and olive groves. Roses bloom out of
doors all the year round, and fruit ripens on the trees in January. Nice
has a population of about sixty-five thousand. The foot-hills of the
Alpine range come so close to the town as to cut off all the view
inland, but the opposite side is open to the far-reaching Mediterranean,
which curves gracefully in crescent form to make the beautiful bay of
Nice. Lying so very close to the Italian frontier, the people are as
much of that nationality as of France, and both languages are spoken.
The old portion of the town is Roman in many of its characteristics, and
here those former masters of the world had an important naval station in
the days of Augustus. Dirty as this portion of Nice is, one lingers here
a little to study the quaint architecture, and the aspects of humble
life. The peculiarities of dress, habits, and general appearance of the
people differ materially from other continental towns. Half-clad,
bare-footed boys and girls of twelve or fourteen years of age abound,
many of them with such beauty of face and form as to make us sigh for
the possibilities of their young lives probably never to be fulfilled.
Under favorable auspices what a happy future might fall to their share!
A year or two more of wretched associations, idle habits, and want of
proper food and clothing will age them terribly. What a serious social
problem is presented by such lives!
All strangers who come hither visit Cimies, about three miles from Nice,
upon a lofty hillside, where there are some remarkable Roman ruins,
among which is a spacious amphitheatre, once capable of seating eight or
ten thousand spectators. This place, like the neighboring Convent of
Cinieres, is more than a thousand years old, and so well built that the
intervening centuries have not been able to disintegrate its masonry to
any great extent. It is upon a Sunday afternoon that we visit the
amphitheatre and convent. The Franciscan monks, who alone inhabit the
terrace, seem to be rather a jolly set of men, notwithstanding their
coarse dress, shaven heads, and bare feet. The Sabbath does not
interfere with their game of tennis, which a group of them pursue with
great earnestness in the pleasant old garden of the monastery, now and
then disputing a little rudely as to the conduct of the game. One of the
brethren is our guide; he explains intelligently what we desire to
understand, and gives us a drink of water out of the old well from which
the Romans drank so many hundred years ago, and which he assures us has
never been known to fail of yielding pure water.
Mentone, the border town between France and Italy, is situated fifteen
miles from Nice. We pass through it on the route to Genoa. A deep ravine
forms the dividing line between the two countries, spanned by the bridge
of St. Louis. Mentone is a favorite resort for persons suffering with
pulmonary affections, and has about ten thousand inhabitants. It is
characterized by very beautiful scenery bordering the great classic sea,
and lying at the base of the Maritime Alps. Adjoining the town is the
principality of Monaco, an independent state covering an area of less
than fifty square miles. It is a curious fact that the independence of
this spot has been respected by Europe for so many years, and that it is
to-day ruled over by a descendant of the house of Grimaldi, by whom the
principality was founded in the tenth century. The castle, which forms
also the palace of the Prince of Monaco, is situated on a rocky
promontory overlooking the sea and the wonderful coast scenery between
Nice and Mentone. Here the prince maintains a battalion of soldiers who
perform guard duty and keep up the semblance of military authority. His
subjects are supposed to number about three thousand. To sustain his
princely state he must have a revenue other than could be derived from
taxation of so small a population, and the main source of his income is
very well known. The dominion of the prince is now the only legalized
gambling spot in Europe, and from the permit thus granted he receives an
annual payment of half a million dollars.
Monte Carlo, the headquarters of the gambling fraternity, lies within a
mile of the palace on the shore line. The beautiful spot where the
"Casino" (gambling saloon) is situated is one of the most picturesque
which can be conceived of, overlooking from a considerable height the
Mediterranean Sea. To the extraordinary beauties accorded by nature man
has added his best efforts, lavishing money to produce unequalled
attractions. There is here an elegant hotel, brilliant café, attractive
saloons, delightful gardens, floral bowers, shooting-galleries, in
short, nearly every possible device to fascinate and occupy the visitor.
The roads over which we drive in this vicinity are full of interest,
besides the delightful views which greet us on every hand. Wayside
shrines to the Virgin are seen at every cross-road, and upon every
hillside we meet scores of priests; the little church-bells are ringing
incessantly; the roads are thronged with beggars; the beautiful-faced
but ragged children attract us by their bright eyes and dark
complexions, just touched with a soft rose-tint. We are surprised at the
multiplicity of donkeys, their bodies hidden by big loads of
merchandise; we observe with interest those handsome milk-white oxen,
with wide-spreading horns; we inhale the fragrance of the orange groves,
and remember that we are in Italy.
About a hundred miles from St. Mauro, the border town after crossing the
bridge of St. Louis, will take us by the Corniche road to Genoa. This
ancient capital rises in terrace form, presenting the aspect of an
amphitheatre whose base is the water's edge, while the city is situated
between the two lofty hills of Carignano on the east and St. Benigno on
the west. The harbor of Genoa is semicircular in form, nearly a mile
across, and is protected by two substantial piers, on one of which is a
lighthouse three hundred feet in height. From the seaward end of the
lighthouse pier we have a fine view of the town, the slope being covered
with palaces, churches, hotels, gardens, forts, and public buildings.
The arsenal, the prison, the custom-house, and government warehouses all
cluster about the wharves, where great business activity centres at all
times. The older part of the city consists of narrow and confusing
lanes, accessible only to foot-passengers. In the olden days, when this
city was first laid out after the fashion of the times, it was crowded
with fortified lines, and perched upon elevations to aid in resisting
the attack of an invading enemy. The newer portions present broad,
accessible thoroughfares, with one or two elegant boulevards.
The number of marble palaces in Genoa is really surprising, but they are
built in streets so narrow that their elaborate fronts lose
architectural effect. These were not all occupied by the class termed
the nobility, but were often the homes of merchant princes. Many of
these structures are now vacant or occupied for business purposes.
Splendid marble corridors and mosaic floors, with halls opening from
grand marble staircases, seem ill-adapted to the purposes of common
trade. A few of these structures belong to people whose condition
enables them to retain them as dwellings; others have been purchased by
the government and are occupied as public offices; and still others are
hotels. This city was the birthplace of Columbus, the "Great Genoese
Pilot," who first showed the way across the then trackless ocean to a
western world. Almost the first object to attract the attention of the
traveller on emerging from the railroad depot is the statue of Columbus
in a broad open space. It was erected so late as 1862, and stands upon a
pedestal ornamented with ships' prows. At the feet of the statue kneels
the figure of America, the whole monument being of white marble, and
surrounded by allegorical figures in a sitting posture, representing
Religion, Geography, Force, and Wisdom.
There are many noble public institutions in Genoa, noticeable among
which is the general hospital and the asylum for the poor, as it is
called, capable of sheltering sixteen hundred people. The Deaf and Dumb
Asylum and the Hospital for the Insane are the best organized in Italy.
The Public Library contains some hundred and twenty thousand bound
volumes, and is open for free use at all suitable hours. There is also
an Academy of Fine Arts, with an admirable collection of paintings and
sculpture: many of the examples are from the hands of the old masters.
The Cathedral of St. Lorenzo is richly worthy of our attention. Among
the curiosities to be seen within its walls are the two urns said to
contain the ashes of St. John the Baptist, which are paraded with
religious pomp through the streets of the city once a year. They are
said to have been brought from the city of Myrrha in Lycia, in the year
1097. There is also exhibited here an emerald dish, which is an object
of great veneration with the Genoese, and which is said to have held the
Paschal Lamb at the Last Supper. It was captured from the Saracens, in
the year 1101, at the storming of Cesarea.
From elevated points in and about Genoa most charming and extended views
of the Mediterranean are enjoyed. It is not the tranquil and lake-like
expanse which inexperience would believe it to be, but is capable of
nearly as fierce commotion as the angry waves of the Atlantic itself. It
is still navigated very much as it was of old by the Greeks, the
Phoenicians, and the Romans. The mariners still hug the shore, and at
every unfavorable change of weather run into the nearest safe anchorage.
Thus most of the coasting-vessels are under one hundred tons'
measurement, and are of a model which will permit of their being beached
upon the shelving shore in an emergency. It seems to be generally
believed that this sea is tideless, but it is not the case; it feels
the same lunar influence which affects the ocean, though in a less
degree. These waters are warmer than the Atlantic, owing probably to the
absence of polar currents. The Mediterranean is almost entirely enclosed
by the continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and covers a space of a
million of square miles, being over two thousand miles long and, in one
place, more than a thousand wide. The tide is most noticeable in the
Gulf of Venice, where the rise and fall is from three to four feet.
Before leaving Genoa we will drive out to the Campo Santo, or public
burial ground. It is a remarkable place laid out in terraces, containing
many monuments, and having in its centre a large circular chapel with
Doric columns, the vestibule walls also containing tombs, bearing an
inscription on the face of each. Seeing in many instances small baskets
partially wrapped in paper or linen laid beside or on the graves about
the Campo Santo, one is apt to inquire what their significance can be,
and he will be told that food is thus placed from time to time, for the
sustenance of the departed!