We will now cast one glance at the Hôtel Praslin, which also has its

entrance in the Rue de Lille, No. 54; its terrace is perceptible from

the quay, it is one of the most extensive and grandest mansions of the

old nobility. The next building is a barrack for cavalry, which is

totally devoid of any ornament or beauty. We now arrive at the Pont

Royal, an old but substantial bridge, built by a Dominican friar in

1684. The river here was formerly crossed by a ferry (bac), which gave

the name to the Rue du Bac.

I shall now advise that we take a boat and see how Paris looks from the

water, affording us a good view of the quays as we pass between them; we

also get an excellent sight of the Point Neuf already described, and

which has a very fine effect as we approach it. We next come to the Pont

au Change, formerly a wooden bridge; in 1141 Louis VII fixed the

residence of the money changers upon it, hence it derived its name; the

present structure was built in 1639. The Pont Notre Dame soon after

arrests the eye (vide page 87), it was begun 1499 and finished in 1507,

after the designs of Jean Joconde; on the western side is an engine

called Pompe du Pont Notre Dame, consisting of a square tower erected

upon piles, having a reservoir into which water is elevated, by

machinery impelled by the current of the water. We next pass under the

Pont d'Arcole, built in 1828; it is a suspension bridge, and there is a

toll upon it. The circumstances from which it derives its name are very

singular. A young man, in 1830, during the murderous conflict which here

took place between the royal guard and the people, rushed on the bridge

with a flag in his hand, heading the patriots, and was killed under the

archway in the middle; his name was Arcole, and the same trait of

courage was displayed by Napoleon on the bridge of Arcola; hence its

present designation.

A little farther on we pass close to the house where it is pretended

lived Fulbert, uncle of Heloise; the outward part of the building does

not bear the impression of being as old as the period when Abelard

lived, as he was born in 1080, and died in 1142; the cellars, however,

have a very ancient appearance; visiters are admitted, on applying to

the owner of the dwelling, which is situated No. 1, Rue des Chantres, on

the north-eastern side of the Isle de Paris, not far from Notre Dame.

[Illustration: Paris in the 19th Century. Published by F. Sinnett, 15,

Grande rue Verte.]

Resuming our course upon the water we come to the Pont Louis-Philippe, a

fine suspension bridge constructed in 1834, of iron wire, with two bold

arches of stone. The next bridge is called the Pont Marie, and was built

in 1641, but had two arches; and 22 houses, out of 50, which stood upon

it, were carried away by a flood in 1648. We now arrive at the Pont de

Damiette, another suspension bridge connecting the north and southern

quays of the Seine with the Ile Louviers, until very recently an immense

dépôt for fire wood, but now many handsome residences are being erected,

with which the whole of the little island will soon be covered. We shall

now land on the Quay des Célestins, and explore the north-east quarter

of Paris, beginning with the Arsenal which contains a library of

200,000 printed volumes, and 6,000 manuscripts, amongst which are some

beautiful missals. Henri IV having appointed Sully grand-master of the

artillery, he resided in the buildings constructed on this spot

purposely for him, and they now show a bed-room and a cabinet in which

he used to receive his royal visiter; they are richly gilt according to

the style of that period, and may be seen with passport by applying to

the Director. Close to the Arsenal on the Quai des Célestins are the

remains of the once celebrated Convent of the Célestins, and of their

small church which after that of St. Denis contained more tombs of

illustrious individuals than any in Paris. It was particularly remarked

for the chapel d'Orléans, which enclosed the remains of the brother of

Charles VI and his descendants. The architecture is interesting as being

a specimen of the pointed style prevailing in Paris in the 14th century,

a part of the convent buildings are converted into cavalry barracks, and

the rest are in a state of dilapidation. Facing the Arsenal is the

Grenier de Reserve, on the Boulevard Bourdon, which is an immense

storehouse for corn, grain and flour requisite for the consumption of

Paris for four months.

It was began by Napoleon in 1807, it is 2,160 feet in length and 64 in

breath. Every baker in Paris is obliged to have constantly deposited

here 20 full sacks of flour, and as many more as he pleases by paying a

trifle for warehouse room. Just a few steps northward is the Government

Dépôt of powder and saltpetre.

At a short distance in the Rue St. Antoine, No. 216, is the small church

of the Visitation built by Mansard in 1632, for the Sisters of the

Visitation. It has a dome supported by Corinthian pillars, and the

interior is richly ornamented with scroll work, wreaths of flowers, etc.

It is now appropriated to the protestant worship, and there is service

on Sundays, and festivals at half past 12. On the southern side of the

Boulevard St. Antoine is the Theatre St. Antoine, erected in 1836; the

performances are vaudevilles, little melodrama, and farces. The admission

is from 6_d._ to 2_s._ 6_d._ It contains 1,226 places. The Place de

la Bastille is now before us, and still may be seen the desolate remains

of the great plaster cast of the enormous elephant, intended by Napoleon

to have been placed on this spot, which is now decorated with what is

called the Column of July. The capital is said to be the largest piece

of bronze ever cast, the height is 163 feet, and it is surmounted by an

orb on which is placed the figure of Liberty; and is ornamented with

lions, heads, cocks, children bearing garlands and other emblematical

objects, but the effect of the whole is not happy, there is a sort of

indescribable deficiency, although the cost was 1,200,000f., besides an

immense outlay, years before, for the foundation. The ceremony of its

inauguration took place on the 28th of July, 1840, when fifty coffins,

each containing twelve patriots, were placed in the vaults for them

underneath. Many persons descend to view the arrangements where the

sarcophagi are stationed, which are 14 feet in length, and the trouble

is well repaid; as also for ascending to the summit of the monument, but

the staircase is not considered to be as solid and secure as could be

wished.

At No. 38, Rue de Charenton, will be found the Hôpital Royal des Quinze

Vingts, devoted to the reception of the blind. This establishment was

originally founded by St. Louis, at the corner of the Rue St. Nicaise,

in the Rue St. Honoré, and ultimately removed to the present building.

There are as many as 300 families living in this Hospital, as the blind

are suffered to bring with them their wives and children, and encouraged

to marry, if single; there are besides 600 out-door pensioners. There is

a chapel attached to the institution, which was built in 1701, but

possesses no particular interest. At No. 128, Rue Faubourg St. Antoine,

is a building founded in 1660 by M. Aligre and his lady, for orphans,

but the children having been sent to another establishment, it is

intended to be formed into a Hospice for 400 old men. Just by, is the

Marché Beauveau, built in 1799, and is a sort of rag fair, well

appropriated to the neighbourhood in which it stands. At no 206, Rue

Faubourg St. Antoine, is the Hôpital St. Antoine, formerly the Abbey of

St. Antoine; the present building was erected in 1770, the number of

beds is 270, it is appropriated for the reception of the sick in

general, and may be visited by strangers upon any day. Some little

distance to the north, in the Rue St. Bernard, is the Church of St.

Marguerite, erected in 1625; it has no other attractions than that of

its pictures, which are numerous and some of them beautiful, and would

well repay the visiter for turning out of his way to view them, they are

principally of the old French school, but there are no records to state

how they ever came there. A few streets to the south-west, lead to the

Rue de Reuilly, where some barracks will be found in a large pile of

buildings, established by Colbert, for the Royal Glass Manufactory of

Mirrors (removed to 313, Rue St. Denis); a little further on, at the

south-eastern corner of the Rue Faubourg St. Antoine and that of Picpus,

is a great market for forage, and at No. 8 in the latter street, is the

Maison d'Enghien, founded by the mother of the unfortunate Duke of that

name, the Duchess of Bourbon, in 1819, and now supported by Madame

Adélaïde d'Orléans; it contains fifty beds, of which eighteen are for

women, and the utmost cleanliness and order prevail.

At No. 18 is the Hôpital Militaire de Picpus. Somewhat farther on, at No.

16, was once a Convent of the Order of St. Augustin, now a

boarding-school, but the chapel still remains; attached to it is a

cemetery, where rest the remains of some of the noblest families of

France, as de Grammont, de Montaigu, de Noailles, and that purest and

most perfect of private and public characters, Lafayette, in a spot

hardly known, in a quiet corner, beneath a very simple tomb, beside his

wife, and in the midst of his relations. We shall now return westward,

and view the Barrière du Trône, which is still unfinished, but

consisting of two noble lofty columns; very conspicuous from their

height, with a fine open circular space, on which festivals are

celebrated on public days, and plans are now pursuing for finishing and

embellishing this spot. A pleasant walk along the Boulevards will bring

us to the celebrated cemetery of Père-La-Chaise, on which there has been

so much written by tourists, poets, and even novelists; thus I fear all

I can state upon the subject will appear but tame, after such choice

spirits have favoured the public with their inspirations on so

interesting a retreat, I shall, therefore, only attempt to give a few

matter of fact indications.

It consists of a large tract of ground on the slope of a hill, was

celebrated for the beauty of its situation in the fourteenth century,

and under Louis the XIV as the abode of Père-La-Chaise, having for 150

years been the favourite country house of the Jesuits, and at present

the favourite burying place of the Parisians. In the 14th century a

house was erected on the spot by a rich grocer, named Regnault, and was

by the people named La Folie Regnault; after belonging to different

parties, it was purchased for 160,000 francs, for its present purpose.

Its extent is nearly 100 acres; all that trees, shrubs, plants, and

flowers can avail towards embellishing a spot, has been effected; the

sculptor's hand has also been contributed in a most eminent degree, and

fancy seems to have exhausted her caprices in conceptions of forms and

fashions with regard to the monuments here assembled, and some are as

highly picturesque as can be well imagined; others are grand and

imposing, whilst a few there are, whose simplicity render them the most

interesting, so much is there in association that perhaps none is more

touching than that of Abelard and Heloïse; it is formed of stones

gathered from the ruins of the Abbey of Paraclete, founded by Abelard,

of which Heloïse was the first abbess. Amongst the number of monuments

here assembled, there will be found those whose names have lived and

will live in history: marshals, admirals, generals, authors, travellers,

senators, and celebrated characters of all nations, in fact what with

the extreme beauty of the scene, the splendid view that expands before

one, and the tone of reflexions that are engendered by the many

affecting appeals there are to the heart, upon the different monuments,

I know of no spot that one can visit, calculated to excite deeper

impressions. We have imitated near London the same description of

cemetery, but they will be long before they can arrive at the same

beauty; it has been observed, that Père-La-Chaise is not kept in such

nice order as those in England, and the remark is just, but I am not

quite sure but that I prefer the degree of wildness which there is in

the former, and although it may not be so neat and trim as the latter,

yet on the whole there is infinitely more of the sublime, aided no doubt

from the extreme beauty of the position, and the greater number of

splendid monuments, than an infant establishment can be expected to

possess.

On quitting this delightful spot, we must pass by the Prison de la

Roquette, destined for the reception of prisoners condemned to the

galleys or to death; the excellent system that is here followed with

regard to the airiness, cleanliness, and strict order, is such that it

is styled the model prison; 318 is the number of prisoners that it can

contain. Just opposite to it is the Prison pour les jeunes Détenus, or

for juvenile offenders, and is a most extraordinary establishment; its

exterior has the air of a baronial castle, and the interior is so

arranged that it might answer the purpose of an hospital, as well as

that of correction; it has circular turrets at the angles, and the

central building is isolated from the others, and only approachable by

iron bridges; the whole of the upper part of the building is a chapel,

so contrived, that when the prisoners enter it from the different

divisions, although they are all together, they can only see the

individuals composing their own section, and the pulpit and altar; the

prisoners are arranged in the different wings, according to their ages,

and the degree of morality; there are about 500, and the different

regulations are so meritorious, and the plan of the building so curious

and ingenious, that the stranger will derive much pleasure from visiting

this singular establishment. Just by, is the Abattoir de Popincourt, or

de Ménilmontant, which is considered to be the largest and finest of all

the five immense slaughter-houses round Paris, and for those who are

curious of regarding such buildings, this should be the one they ought

to visit. At a few steps from the Abattoir, in the Rue Popincourt, is

the church of St. Ambroise, which was built for a convent of nuns called

the Annonciades in 1639; some tolerable pictures are the only

attractions it possesses for a stranger; a few doors from it is a large

barrack, and an ornamented Fountain. We must now descend the Rue du

Chemin-Vert, until we come to the Canal St. Martin, and just pause a

minute and notice its neat quays, and the good order in which its locks

are kept, and all arrangements connected with it, and then proceed to

the Boulevards: a short street, called Rue de la Mule, will take us into

the Place Royale, which stands upon the site of the celebrated Palais de

Tournelle, the court and offices of which extended to the Rue St.

Antoine, and over several of the neighbouring streets, but was pulled

down by order of Catherine de Medicis in 1565, on account of her husband

Henry II having been killed in one of the courts in a tournament.

The Place Royale, as it now stands, was built in 1604, under Henri IV

(vide page 92), it is now inhabited by persons of small incomes who like

to have spacious and lofty apartments without incurring the expence of

such; in the more fashionable quarters, the arcades all round the

square, the fountains, the trees, and the handsome railing, give it a

very fine though curious appearance, and the houses have a most

venerable aspect. We will now leave the Place Royale by the southern

gateway, and enter the Rue St. Antoine, and nearly opposite to No. 143,

is the Hôtel de Sully; being the work of the celebrated architect

Ducerceau, and the residence of the noble character whose name it bears.

It is well preserved, and its court is richly adorned with sculpture. At

No. 120, in the same street, is the Collége de Charlemagne, formerly a

college of the Jesuits, founded in 1582, the buildings are only

remarkable for their extent. The Passage Charlemagne, No. 102, leads

through the court of the Hôtel de Jassau, or d'Aguesseau, 22, Rue des

Prêtres St. Paul, said to be the site of a palace, and a turret of the

time of Francis I still remains at the corner of the court, as also some

ornaments and figures. At the corner of the Rue St. Paul, and the Rue

des Lions, is a small square turret of the time of Henri IV, and a

little eastward, part of the church of St. Paul embodied in the house,

No. 29, Rue St. Paul. By the side of the College of Charlemagne is the

church of St. Paul and St. Louis, it was began in 1627, and finished in

1641, and within it Cardinal Richelieu performed the first mass in the

presence of Louis XIII and his court. The noble front rising from a

flight of steps, is adorned with three ranges of corinthian and

composite columns, and the interior is decorated with ornaments even to

profusion; a fine dome with figures of the Evangelists and four kings of

France give it altogether a very handsome appearance. Opposite the

College of Charlemagne, is the Fontaine de Birague; consisting of a

pentagonal tower, with a dome and lantern. Above a pediment supported by

doric pilasters is an attic with a naiad. At the corner of the Rue

Culture Ste. Catherine, is the Hôtel de Carnavalet, where resided Madame

de Sévigné and her daughter, a fine mansion of the 16th century, having

been erected in 1544; most of the sculpture is from the chisel of the

celebrated Jean Goujon, and is of a most interesting description; the

cabinet in which the letters of that highly gifted woman were written is

still shown, also a marble table upon which she and her daughter used to

dine under the sycamores in the garden, two of which remain. M. Viardot

occupies this Hôtel, and with pleasure shows it to strangers; he keeps

an academy and has written a history of the edifice, which may be had of

the porter. It was at the corner of this street that the Constable de

Clisson was assailed and severely wounded by 20 ruffians, headed by

Pierre de Graon, Chamberlain of the Duke of Orleans, who was murdered by

the Duke of Burgundy.

In the Rue du Roi de Sicile is the prison of La Force, containing 700

prisoners, and excellent regulations, but another, in a more retired

part of Paris, is soon to be constructed. This building was formerly the

Hôtel of the Duc de la Force, hence the origin of its name. In the Rue

Pavée, which is on one side of the prison, will be found, at No. 3, the

Hôtel de la Houze, and in the same street stood the Hôtels de Gaucher,

de Châtillon, and d'Herbouville, or de Savoisi. We will now go a little

out of our way to see the fine long and broad street of St. Louis,

which we shall soon reach by keeping straight on along the Rue Payenne,

and then turning to the east by the Rue Parc Royal, shall proceed to one

of the ornaments of the Rue St. Louis, the Church of St. Denis du

Sacrement; it is quite modern, but is conceived according to good taste;

the order is ionic, which is consistently preserved both throughout the

exterior and the interior, much chasteness of design, in fact has been

observed in the construction of this simple but elegant edifice. The

Fountain of St. Louis is worthy of attention _en passant_. Formerly this

street was filled with nobility, as even so late as the beginning of the

reign of Louis XV it was rather a fashionable quarter, at present it is

the cheapest in Paris.

We must now retrace our steps, which will bring us to the Rue Francs

Bourgeois; No. 25 is an hôtel of the time of Henri IV, No. 7, Hôtel de

Jeanne d'Abret, of Louis XV's days, and No. 12, the former residence of

the Dukes de Roquelaure, and at the corner will be observed a little

turret belonging to a house, one side of which is in the Vieille Rue du

Temple; there is some curious work upon it, and it is supposed to have

been standing at the time the Duke of Orleans was murdered by order of

the Duke of Burgundy, which was just about this spot, in 1407. At No. 51,

Rue Franc Bourgeois, is the Hôtel de Hollande, so called from its having

belonged to the Dutch Ambassador, in the reign of Louis XIV; amongst the

sculpture is perceived the date of 1660; this handsome hôtel was once

the residence of Beaumarchais. At the corner of the Rue Pavée is the

Hôtel de Lamoignon, one of the handsomest mansions of the ancient

nobility. It is of the sixteenth century, some of the carved work is

most curious, and merits attentive examination; a picturesque turret and

balcony must excite the attention of every observer. A few steps further

is the large central establishment of the Mont de Pieté, No. 18, Rue des

Blancs Manteaux, lending money on pledges, much the same as our

pawnbrokers, only on more advantageous terms for the borrowers. In the

same street is Notre Dame des Blancs Manteaux, once the chapel of a

religious house, so called from their dress consisting of white

garments; there was formerly a monastery here, of which there may be

discovered some remains to the east, and evidently in the left wing of a

house at No. 25; the chapel remaining has a plain exterior, but the

corinthian style of the interior is handsome, and worth attention; there

is also a very admired picture of the Burial of St. Petronilla, which is

eighteen feet by eight, it is of the school of Guercini, but it is not

known by what means it came to be placed in this church. Facing this

street is the Market des Blancs Manteaux.

At the corner of the Rue Vieille du Temple, and that of the Rue de

Quatre Fils, is the Palais Cardinal, now the Imprimerie Royale; it was

erected in 1712, and is named after its owner, the Cardinal de Rohan,

whose intriguing spirit so much involved Marie Antoinette; in this

hôtel the scenes occurred concerning that extraordinary affair; the

front of the building is quite plain, towards the garden it is

ornamented by columns, and as a mansion, is one of the largest in Paris.

It is now occupied as the Royal Printing Establishment, and it is

impossible to surpass the order and regularity with which it is

conducted; 750 men, women, and children, are employed in it. It is

considered to possess the richest collection in the world of matrices

and fonts of types, having them in every written language, and when Pope

Pius VII visited the establishment, he was presented the Lord's Prayer

in 150 languages. A library with specimens of typography, executed on

the premises, is an object of the highest gratification to every

visiter, even if they be not connaisseurs in the art. For admission to

this establishment, application must be made a few days beforehand to M.

le Directeur de l'Imprimerie Royale, who appoints a fixed hour on

Thursdays. Almost facing one part of the Imprimerie Royale, in the Rue

d'Orléans, is the Church of St. François d'Assise. Neither the exterior

nor the interior possess any striking beauty; it was founded and erected

in 1623. It contains some very good paintings, and the kneeling figure

of the saint of the church in his monastic dress; the hands and head are

of white marble, and it is supposed to be Egyptian; one of St. Denis is

opposite to it.

Adjoining to the Imprimerie Royale, is the Hôtel des Archives du

Royaume, which is entered by the Rue du Chaume, No. 12. It was formerly

a palace of the Prince de Soubise and the family of the Rohans. The

south and western part of the edifice is of the 15th century, the turret

is probably what belonged to the gatehouse. The decorations of the

apartments are extremely rich with gilt cornices and paintings, some of

them possessing great merit. In the _petits appartements_ is a boudoir

which belonged to the Duchess de Guise, with a window looking into the

Rue du Chaume, from whence it is asserted that her lover precipitated

himself at the approach of the Duke. A new building has been added, the

first stone having been laid in 1838, which has cost a million of

francs. Under Napoleon the whole edifice was appropriated to the

preservation of the national archives. Amongst them are documents of

diplomas granted to different monastic institutions, by Childebert,

Dagobert, Clothaire and Clovis II. The collections of the different

acts, deeds, charters, administrative, domanial, historical, judicial,

legislative, etc., fill 60,000 portfolios. There is besides a library of

14,000 volumes, amongst which are the _Records Commission_ of England,

presented by the British Government. There are also in an iron chest,

the golden bulls and papal decrees, most of the keys of the Bastille,

the wills of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, with his journal, autograph

letters of Napoleon, one written by him to Louis XVIII, with a variety

of other most interesting objects. For admission apply (post paid) to M.

le Garde General des Archives du Royaume, No. 12, Rue du Chaume.

The Fontaine de la Naiade in the same street, has a clever bas-relief by

Mignot. By the Rue des Vieilles-Haudriettes we pass into the Rue

Ste-Avoye; No. 63 is worth notice, several of the houses here having

been the hôtels of nobility. No. 57 is the Hôtel St. Aignan, built by Le

Muet; on its site stood the Hôtel de Montmorency, it is an extensive

noble building, but has been spoiled by having had two stories added.

Henry II often resided in it when it was called Hôtel de Montmorency.

Taking the Rue Ste. Croix de la Bretonnerie, we shall find that the

first turning in it is the Rue des Billettes, where stand the Lutheran

Church; it was built in 1745, and belonged to the Carmelite Friars. In

1808, it was bought by the city of Paris, and given about four years

after to the Protestants of the Augsburgh confession. It is a plain neat

building. The Duchess of Orléans attends service here when in Paris,

which is in German at 2 and in French at 12. From hence we cross the Rue

de la Verrerie, and proceeding by the Rue des Mauvais Garçons, we arrive

at the Church St. Gervais; an inscription under the first arch of the

northern aisle of the choir, states the church to have been dedicated in

1420, although other parts of the building would indicate a more recent

construction, but with all its incongruities, from its having been built

at various periods, it excites a deep interest; the light gleaming

through the painted glass gives a rich though rather sombre effect, the

windows behind the altar have a most imposing appearance. The western

front was began in 1616, Louis the XIII laying the first stone, and is

not equal to other parts of the building; some of the chapels of this

church are particularly fine. Amongst the pictures, of which there are

many very good, is one by Albert Durer, with the date upon it of 1500.

Scarron, the husband of Mme. de Maintenon, lies buried here, as also the

celebrated painter Philippe de Champagne, and one of his performances is

amongst the pictures which decorate the church, being that of Jesus with

Martha and Mary in the chapel of Ste. Genevieve; there are several other

objects in this noble edifice so interesting, that no person who visits

Paris should omit seeing it. We may now take the Rue de la Tixéranderie

where at the corner of the Rue du Coq is a house and turret of the 15th

and 16th century, most probably the former, according to the statements

of M. Dulaure.

[Illustration: The Hôtel de Ville.

Published by F. Sinnett, 15. Grande rue Verte.]

We now arrive at the Hôtel-de-Ville, Place de Grève; the first stone of

this interesting and venerable pile was laid in 1533, but was not

completely finished until 1606, in the reign of Henry IV. The style of

architecture is that which the French call La Renaissance des Arts, it

is rich, rather heavy, and has an antique appearance; it is exactly

according to the taste which prevailed in the 16th century, and was

brought into vogue by Italian architects. There is a great deal of

ornament about the building, and a profusion of statues, still they

appear consistent with the style of the building, and have not the

effect of redundancy. Over the doorway is a bronze equestrian statue of

Henry IV. Along the principal front is a flight of steps, and an arcade

and portico with ionic columns, between the arches facing the entrance

is a fine bronze statue of Louis XIV. The Grande Salle or Salle du Trône

is a most splendid apartment, and has been the scene of many most

important events, being the room where Robespierre held his council and

in which he attempted to destroy himself, and from which Louis XVI

addressed the people with the cap of liberty upon his head. Most

extensive additions and alterations have recently been effected, the

original façade having been doubled in length and the whole body of the

building nearly quadrupled, forming an immense quadrangle, preserving

the same style of architecture as the original. The expense of these

additions and improvements is estimated at four millions of francs, and

they have been effected with a rapidity that is quite surprising,

notwithstanding the number of public buildings in progress at the same

time in Paris. The multitude of apartments, the richness of their

decorations, and tasteful manner with which they are arranged, are only

to be equalled by the careful attention which has been devoted to their

distribution with regard to convenience and comfort. As Louis-Philippe

justly observed when he recently inspected the exterior of the whole

building, that it should no longer be called the Hôtel-de-Ville, but for

the future the City Palace, as the splendour within it is not exceeded

in any of the other palaces in Paris. The library belonging to this

establishment consists of 55,000 volumes, and is very rich in

manuscripts.

The Place de Grève has been the scene of more sanguinary tragedies than

perhaps any spot of the same extent in Europe, and could the stones but

speak, each could tell a tale of blood. In the north-west corner is

still to be seen a relic of the middle ages, in a curious turret

attached to one of the houses. Taking the Rue Poterie, we shall get into

the Rue de la Verrerie, and proceeding westward will bring us to the

church St. Merri, but to view it properly must enter the Rue St. Martin,

and stand facing it, and well examine its curious and beautiful

sculpture (vide page 88), presenting all the minute and singular

characteristics of the period of its construction (1520); the carve-work

is quite like lace, so minutely elaborate. The interior possesses

several interesting objects in architecture, and some inconsistencies,

the pulpit is extremely curious, and its effect is very striking. There

are also some pictures above mediocrity, principally by French artists

of the past school. The tower of this church is famed from the desperate

resistance which was made from it by a few young men in 1832 against the

king's troops.

We must follow the course of the Rue St. Martin, and observe No. 151, a

fine hôtel of the time of Louis XIV, with a front adorned by ionic

pilasters, and handsome entrance: a few paces farther on the opposite

side, is the church of St. Nicolas-des-Champs, the west front was

erected in 1420, as it now stands, and in 1576, the choir and chapels

behind were constructed, and the tower probably at that period or

since. A church has existed on the same spot ever since 1119, then

standing as the name indicates in the fields, but it is doubtful whether

any part of the old fabric remains. There is something fine and imposing

in the interior, with regard to its general effect, although there is

not any thing particularly remarkable in its architecture; the pictures

it contains form its most striking feature, some of which are very good;

many celebrated persons lie buried here, and amongst the rest

Mademoiselle Scuderi.

A few steps to the north is the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers. This

edifice was formerly the ancient abbey of St. Martin-des-Champs, the

chapel and refectory of which were built about the year 1240, and are

still standing, the latter is in excellent preservation, and is one of

the most curious and perfect specimens of the architecture of the period

at which it was built; at the eastern end of the chapel are the remains

of a building still more ancient, which is plain, and has not any thing

striking in its appearance. In this establishment is to be found every

description of machinery, and in fact all that ever can be imagined

relative to the promotion of industry; scarcely any invention has been

made public, of which there is not a model to be found in this curious

museum, with specimens of all the various mechanical contrivances which

Europe possesses. The celebrated Vaucanson, who was one of the greatest

contributors to this institution, having quarrelled with the people of

Lyons, vowed he would teach an ass to do what they did, and he

absolutely invented machinery of such a description that it could be

worked by that humble animal, and a piece of drugget with flowers is

shown, which was produced by the united ingenuity of M. Vaucanson and

the patient labour of the ass. Models of potteries, breweries,

smelting-houses, steam engines, railways, etc. are amongst the number of

interesting objects, and the names of our countrymen appear prominent,

as Watt, Maudsley, Barker, Atkins, etc., who have benefited the world by

their inventions. On ascending a very handsome staircase, the visiter

finds a range of apartments, with a wonderful collection of models of

pulpits (which in France are generally most ornamental objects), mills,

turning machines, engineering and surveying instruments, with an immense

number of others far too many to recapitulate, and an assortment of

coloured papers stamped, and some exquisitely cut out; fans of mother of

pearl of most elaborate workmanship, with other objects equally

ingenious and beautiful. This venerable abbey appears to advantage from

the garden, as a plain substantial old fashioned building, part of which

is used as the Mairie of the 6th Arrondissement, and lecture rooms for

the professors of the institution.

A short distance from it, is the Fontaine St. Martin, which is erected

against a tower formerly belonging to the old abbey with which it was

connected by a wall with a series of towers, but there is now no other

remaining. Close by, is the market St. Martin, with 400 stalls, formerly

the abbey gardens; there is a handsome fountain in the middle, of

bronze, with three allegorical figures of the genii of hunting, fishing,

and agriculture, there are also smaller fountains, and at the back of

the market a little promenade planted with trees. From hence we pass

eastward by the Rue Royale, and turning to the left, we shall see the

Rue des Fontaines, in which we shall find the Maison d'Arrêt des

Madelonnettes, formerly belonging to nuns called the Filles de la

Madeleine, now appropriated to the temporary detention of 500 men and

boys. A few steps farther, and the Temple appears before us in the Rue

du Temple, now a nunnery occupied by the Dames Benedictines de

l'Adoration perpetuelle du St. Sacrement. It formerly belonged to the

society of Knights Templars, and afterwards to those of Malta; the

palace of the grand prior is all that now remains of the ancient

building, which was erected by Jacques de Souvré in 1566. The front has

a portico formed of doric colums, and on each side a fountain with a

colossal statue (by Pujol), upon a pedestal. The front towards the court

is adorned with eight coupled ionic columns, and above are figures of

Justice, Prudence, Hope and Abundance. A new chapel was built in 1823,

which belongs to the convent, it is of the ionic order throughout, and

though not particularly striking, is not inelegant, and remarkably neat;

it may be seen on application at the porter's lodge, but from the

nunnery strangers are most rigidly excluded. There was a tower

belonging to this building, where the unfortunate Louis XVI was

confined, as also Sir Sydney Smith and Toussaint-Louverture, but it was

demolished in 1805. Behind the Temple is an immense space of ground

called the Marché du Vieux Linge, containing 1888 shops or stalls, where

old clothes, linen, shoes, tools, hats, old iron, and a variety of other

articles are sold at low prices, and behind is an oval-formed arcaded

building, with shops erected on the site of the ancient Temple and its

dependencies.

The Fontaine Vendôme, named after the Chevalier de Vendôme, grand prior

of France, was attached to the old wall of the Temple, it has a cupola

and a military trophy. At No. 107, Rue du Temple, is the church of Ste.

Élisabeth (vide page 96), which has had so many modern repairs and

additions, that there is not much left of the first construction, but

except the front it has little in it to attract notice; there are a few

pictures and some painted windows by an Englishman named White. In

proceeding northward to the Boulevards, we will just take a look at the

Rue Vendôme, as it is full of hôtels, amongst which are some of the

finest in Paris; on reaching the Boulevard du Temple, No. 50 may be

remarked, it is always pointed out to strangers as the house from whence

Fieschi discharged in 1835 his infernal machine (which is now to be seen

at Madame Tussaud's exhibition in Baker Street, London). By the means of

that diabolical affair, Marshal Mortier, Colonel Rieussec, and many

others, were killed and wounded, but the King, at whom it was aimed,

fortunately escaped. We shall now proceed by the Rue du Faubourg du

Temple; at No. 68 is a large barrack which has been formed for infantry,

but is a few steps out of the way, and hardly worth looking after, in an

architectural point of view. I should therefore advise turning to the

left, by the northern bank of the Canal St. Martin, and observing the

Grand Entrepôt des Sels, from whence annually 9,000,000 lbs. of salt are

distributed for the consumption of Paris. Opposite, on the southern

bank, is the Entrepôt de la Compagnie des Douanes, which was built in

1834 by a joint stock company, for receiving goods in bond, consisting

of a spacious area in which stand two large warehouses 250 feet in

length, with a court covered in between for stowage, besides a number of

sheds. They are constructed on a most solid plan, being built of stone

with brick arches, and the wood-work of oak enclosing pillars of iron.

It is altogether on a most extensive and commodious plan, with such

regulations as have rendered it highly serviceable to the purposes of

commerce. Adjoining are the warehouses of the Custom House, called the

Douanes de Paris, the entrance is in the Rue Neuve Sanson, the house of

the Director is attached, and particularly neat; the whole of the

buildings, although constructed upon a solid principle, are light and

handsome.

The first turning to the right, brings us to the Rue de l'Hôpital, in

which is the hospital of St. Louis, a most noble establishment founded

by Henry IV, in 1607. It contains 800 beds, and is justly celebrated

for its excellent medicated and mineral baths. There is a chapel

attached to it, of which the first stone was laid by Henry IV. It was

called after St. Louis, from having been originally devoted to persons

infected with the plague, he having died of that disease at Turin in

1270. At present it is appropriated to such as are afflicted with

cutaneous complaints. As we cross the canal, we must notice the charcoal

market, close to which is the Hospital of Incurables, for men, No. 34,

Rue des Récollets, established in 1802 in the ancient convent of the

Récollets. The number of men admitted is 400, male children 70. Those

boys Who are capable, are encouraged to learn different trades, and at

20 years of age are sent to the Bicêtre. Strangers are admitted every

day except Sundays and festivals. The church of St. Laurent is facing,

in the Place de la Fidélité and Rue du Faubourg St. Martin; it was first

built in 1429, enlarged in 1543, and in part rebuilt in 1595, and the

porch and perhaps the lady chapel, added in 1622. A gridiron is the only

object which attracts notice on the exterior, and the interior offers

little more; the key stones of the vaulting ribs are deep pendent masses

of stone, carved into groups of figures, fruit, etc., and in the

vaulting there is some bold sculpture displayed in the northern aisle of

the choir, which is the most ancient part of the church. The Foire of

St. Laurent merits being visited, it is a market which has been built by

a company for the supply of this part of the capital. The design is

elegant, consisting of a parallelogram of two stories, with covered

galleries and a fountain in the middle of the court. The whole is

covered in by lateral windows, and a roof of glass. The street St.

Laurent conducts immediately to the Maison Royale de Santé, No. 112, Rue

Faubourg St. Denis, an institution in which invalids are received;

persons who cannot afford the means of sustaining an expensive illness

are admitted on paying from 3 to 6 francs a day, advice, medicine,

board, and if required, surgical operations included. It contains 175

beds, the utmost attention is paid to the comforts of the patients.

Opposite, at No. 117, is St. Lazare, formerly the ancient Convent of the

Lazarists, or Priests of the Mission, now a prison for female offenders.

It was once a place of much importance, the remains of the kings and

queens of France were carried to the convent of St. Lazare, prior to

being conveyed to St. Denis, the coffin being placed between the two

gates of the building on a tomb of state, with all the prelates of the

kingdom surrounding it, chanting the service of the dead, and sprinkling

it with holy water. It is now appropriated to the imprisonment of

misguided women, and every encouragement is afforded them to amend, for

which purpose they are allowed two-thirds of their earnings, and a

variety of occupations are constantly going on. Children, under sixteen

years of age, are kept by themselves; in all there are mostly from 900

to 1000 persons confined in St. Lazare, but the order, cleanliness and

apparent comfort is such as to give an air of happiness to the whole

establishment, and for the humane, it is one of the most gratifying

sights in Paris. Attached to this institution is the general bakehouse,

laundry, and linen dépôt for all the prisons. A chapel is in the midst

of the building, and the women attend service every Sunday. We will now

return to the Boulevards, and taking the Rue de la Lune, we shall there

find the church of Notre Dame de Bonne Nouvelle: the old building was

destroyed during the wars of the League, in 1593, but was rebuilt in

1624; of this second construction the tower alone is still standing, the

body of the present church having been erected in 1825, it is a plain

edifice of the doric order, a fresco by Pujol merits attention, but is

the only object throughout the edifice which can excite much interest.

We must now retrace a few steps, and by the Rue St. Claude turn into the

Rue St. Denis, and proceeding southwards observe the establishment of

Les Bains St. Sauveur, at the corner of the street of that name, from

which a street communicates with the Rue Thevenot, and about here was

the Cour des Miracles, cited by Dulaure, and afterwards by Victor Hugo,

as the resort of thieves and beggars, where five hundred families lived

huddled together in the greatest state of filth that could be imagined;

it was not until the year 1667 that they were partly dispersed. The

stranger must not forget the manufactory of mirrors, No. 313, Rue St.

Denis, he will there find an immense plate glass warehouse; the concern

having been established since 1634; it is carried on to a great degree

of perfection. A Frenchman named Thévart first discovered the art of

casting glass, that of polishing it was invented by Rivière, and now

glasses may be had at this establishment 154 inches by 104. The largest

table of iron for polishing glass was made a few months since, weighing

twenty-five tons. At No. 121 is the Cour Batave, so called from being

erected by a company of Dutch merchants, in 1791; it is disfigured now

by shops, but had the original design been carried out, instead of

having been disturbed by the Revolution, it would have been one of the

handsomest monuments of the capital.

A short distance northward, in the same street, is the church of St. Leu

and St. Gilles; on the spot a chapel was erected in 1230, and in a small

tower to the west a date is inscribed of 1230, but it has been repaired

several times since that period, particularly in 1320; the nave,

however, is supposed to be of the thirteenth century, and most likely of

the date of the foundation, but other parts of the building are

evidently of a more recent epoch, possibly of 1320; judging from the

style of the architecture. Amongst the pictures is one of St. Margaret,

Queen of Scotland, washing the feet of the poor; there are others which

are well worthy attention, as also a representation of the Creation,

which is a very curious piece of carve-work. As St. Leu had the credit

of healing the sick, the kings of France, on their accession to the

throne, for nine days successively used to visit this church to implore

the saint to grant them health. We must now proceed to the southern

extremity of the street, and take the last turning to the left, which is

called the Rue St. Jacques de la Boucherie, and in groping about amongst

some dirty streets, we shall find the tower of the same name; it is a

remarkably curious object, and it is much to be regretted that the

church belonging to it no longer stands it was begun in 1508; and

finished in 1522, it is 156 feet high, and had formerly a spire thirty

feet high; the style of architecture is rich and very singular, the

gargouilles, or gutter spouts, are of a tremendous size; as it has been

recently purchased by the Municipality of Paris from an individual,

there are hopes that this interesting monument will be fully repaired

and restored. Around its base a market is established for linen and old

clothes. A little filthy street to the south will take us into the Place

du Châtelet, where we can breathe a little fresh air; here stood the

celebrated Châtelet, at once a court of justice and prison of olden

time. In the middle is a fountain, from which rises a column

representing a palm-tree, and upon it are inscribed the victories of

Napoleon. Amongst other allegorical decorations, the statues of Justice,

Strength, Prudence, and Vigilance adorn the pedestal, and joining hands

encircle the column, the whole surmounted by a statue of Victory. At No.

1, upon the Place, is the chamber of notaries, where landed property and

houses are sold by auction.

We must now return to the Rue St. Denis, and follow it until we come to

the Rue de la Ferronnerie, which is to the left, into which we must

proceed, and shall find that the second turning to the left is the Rue

des Déchargeurs, and at No. 11 is an edifice of the seventeenth century,

which is now the Dépôt général des Bonneteries (Hosiery) de France.

Returning a few steps northward, brings us to the corner of the Rue St.

Honoré, and against No. 3 is a bust of Henry IV, and a stone with a

latin inscription, indicating that it was exactly opposite that spot

that he was stabbed by Ravaillac. The street was very narrow at that

period, and at the moment when the deed was perpetrated, the carriage of

Henri IV was stopped by a number of carts which choked up the passage. A

little street nearly opposite, takes into the Marché des Innocents,

which occupies an immense space formerly the cemetry of the Innocents.

In the middle of the area is a fountain built by Pierre Lescot, in 1551,

and is decidedly a most beautiful object, which is not sufficiently

noticed by strangers, as it is surrounded by a crowded market and not at

all hours easy of approach; the court-yard of a palace would be a more

appropriate situation for this elegant edifice, and I particularly

request my readers to pay it a visit. Around this fountain is certainly

the largest and most frequented market in Paris, not only each

description of vegetables, poultry, and almost all kind of eatables are

sold here, but cloth, a large building being purposely constructed for

that object 400 feet in length; another division is for every

description of herbs, the northern side is devoted to potatoes and

onions; a triangular building a little farther, is on purpose for

butter, eggs, and cheese, whilst another edifice is for fish. At a short

distance, in the Rue Mauconseil is the great hall for the sale of

leather, which was formerly the Hôtel de Bourgogne, where the players

used to perform scriptural pieces in the 15th century. To the west of

the Marché des Innocents is the curious street de la Tonnellerie, an

open passage running, through the ground floors of some of the houses,

inhabited mostly by dealers in rags, cloth, and old furniture; in this

street is the bread market, where it is sold cheaper than at the bakers

in Paris. At the south end of the street at No. 3, is the site of the

house where Molière was born, which was held by his father who was an

upholsterer and valet de chambre to Louis XII; against the house is a

bust of the author, with an inscription specifying the event.

Following the Rue de la Tonnellerie brings us opposite St. Eustache,

which after Notre-Dame is the largest church in Paris, built on the site

of a chapel of St. Agnes. The present edifice was begun in 1532, but not

supposed to have been finished until 1642. The portico is more recent,

being after a design by Mansart de Jouy, and erected in 1754: combining

altogether a most incongruous mixture of styles and orders of

architecture, originally commenced with the design that it should be a

sort of mixed gothic, of which the southern door and front bear

evidence, whilst the western portico has doric and ionic columns, and

at the northern end are corinthian pillars, notwithstanding it is a bold

imposing structure, and the interior has the appearance of a fine abbey,

and is a monument which every stranger ought to visit. It is a pity that

a number of little square knobs have been suffered to remain sticking

out from different parts of the shafts of the columns of this church; it

is strange that the French could not be made to understand that the

beauty of a pillar in a great degree consists in a bold broad mass,

which should never be cut up into littlenesses, by rings or any

obtruding projections. In this church lie buried several celebrated

persons, amongst the rest the great Colbert, which is indicated by a

very handsome sarcophagus, sculptured by Coysevose. The sacred music

here is sometimes most exquisitely delightful, the organ being

particularly fine. Facing the southern front is the Marché des

Prouvaires, a sort of appendage to the Marché des Innocents, and

opposite the east side of the church, is the Fontaine de Tantale, at the

point formed by the two streets, Montmartre and Montorgueil, which will

repay the observer for a few minutes devoted to its examination. The

west front of the church faces the Rue Oblin, which we will take, as it

leads to the Halle au Blé, a fine extensive circular building, with a

noble dome, it is built on the site of the Hôtel de Soissons, erected

for Catherine de Médicis, in 1572, which in 1748 was demolished, and the

present Halle constructed in 1763; the roof has a round skylight, 31

feet in diameter, and from the system adopted in its formation, it is

considered by connaiseurs a _chef d'oeuvre_ in the art of building. It

is indeed altogether so curious, and so commodious a building for the

purpose for which it is designed, that the visiter must be highly

gratified in viewing it: there is besides another attraction, which is

on the southern side, one of the immense doric columns which once

composed the noble Hôtel de Soissons; it was erected for the purposes of

astrology, and contains a winding staircase, and is ornamented with

emblematic symbols, of the widowhood of Catherine de Médicis, as broken

mirrors, C. and H. interlaced, etc. An ingenious sundial is placed on

its shaft, and a fountain in its pedestal.

By taking the Rue Sartine we shall arrive at the Rue Jean-Jacques

Rousseau, and there find the Hôtel des Postes or General Post Office; it

was formerly an Hôtel belonging to the Duke d'Epernon, and was

afterwards inhabited by different proprietors, until 1757, when it was

purchased by government, for its present purposes. It is an extensive

building but badly situated amongst narrow streets, many additions have

been made since it has become government property. Taking the Rue

Verdelet, the street which runs along the north side of the building,

and proceeding westward, we come to the Place des Victoires, which was

built in 1685; in the centre is a very fine equestrian statue of Louis

XIV, in bronze, which although weighing 16,000 lbs is entirely sustained

by the hinder legs and the tail. It is the work of Bosio, and was

modelled in 1822.

Proceeding to the south-west, by the Rue de la Petite-Vrillière, the

Bank of France is before us. It was formerly the Hôtel de Toulouse,

erected by Mansard, in 1720; for the Duke de la Vrillière; it is well

situated, and adapted to its present use, but it has no striking

architectural beauty. The Rue Vide Gousset, to the north-west of the

Place des Victoires, leads to the Église des Petits-Pères, or de

Notre-Dame des Victoires, erected in 1656. It was called Petits-Pères,

or little fathers, on account of Henry IV, on two of the community of

small stature having been introduced into his antechamber, asking, "who

are those little fathers?" The convent which was attached, is now used

as barracks for infantry. The portal of the church was built in 1739,

and is composed of columns of the ionic and corinthian orders. The

interior has some handsomely decorated chapels and altars; the pictures

by Vanloo also are fine. Lulli, the musical composer, lies buried here.

In the Rue Notre-Dame des Victoires is the immense establishment of the

Messageries Royales, from whence start diligences to all parts of

France; we will pass through the yard into the Rue Montmartre, at No.

44, is the Marché St. Joseph, at 166, the Fontaine de la Rue Montmartre,

and at No. 176, the Hôtel d'Uzès erected by Le Doux, considered one of

the finest hôtels in Paris.

We will now enter the Boulevard Poissonnière, by turning to the right,

and in passing along to the Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle must notice the

very handsome Bazaar called the Galeries de Commerce, and the noble

building called Maison du Pont de Fer with its curious iron bridge,

uniting the back and front premises with the Boulevard. Taking, the Rue

de l'Échiquier, to the left, will conduct us to the Rue du

Faubourg-Poissonnière, and opposite, at No. 23, we find the Garde Meuble

de la Couronne, containing all the furniture of the crown not in use,

the regalia, and other articles of immense value, but to obtain

admission is extremely difficult. Annexed to this building is the

Conservatoire de Musique and the Salle des Menus Plaisirs. In this

street are several handsome mansions particularly at Nos. 26 and 60, the

gateway of which, with its fine ionic columns, is one of the most

imposing in Paris; there also are large barracks for infantry with

military trophies over the entrance. From thence a few steps lead into

the Rue Lafayette, and will bring us to a new church which promises to

be, when quite finished, one of the most elegant in the capital, it is

situated at the summit of the Rue Hauteville. The order is ionic, which

is solely and consistently preserved throughout the building, all the

ornaments are in good taste, and the paintings promise to be in keeping

with the rest, so that it augurs well towards being quite a

chef-d'oeuvre of art. It is intended to replace the old church of St.

Vincent de Paule, which stands about a furlong from it to the west in

the Rue Montholon, to where we will proceed, and look at the

altar-piece, being the apotheosis of the philanthropist to whom it is

dedicated, and the only object in the church worth attention.

Keeping straight on westward, we come to the beautiful church of

Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, finished in 1837, it is exactly fronting the Rue

Lafitte, from which the noble portico of corinthian columns has a most

beautiful effect. The interior is splendid, indeed gorgeous, all that

painting, sculpture, and gilding can produce, is here combined, and the

effect is dazzling, and excites almost universal admiration, and would

mine also were it a theatre, but the chaste, still solemnity of a holy

sanctuary exists not here, amongst the gay colours and lurid glare which

every where meets the eye from the glitter, which blazes around in this

too profusely decorated church. Yet one must do justice as one examines

it in detail, and admit that in point of execution all its different

departments are most exquisitely wrought, and magnificent as a whole,

only not consistent with our associations connected with a temple of

worship.

We will now descend by the Rue Faubourg Montmartre to the Boulevards,

and bearing a little westward, shall come to the very handsome Rue

Vivienne, through which we will proceed until we are opposite the Bourse

(Exchange), and there we pause and contemplate what I consider the _beau

idéal_ of fine architecture; its noble range of 66 corinthian columns

have no unseemly projections to break the broad mass of light, which

sheds its full expanse upon their large rounded shafts, no profusion of

frittering ornaments spoil the chaste harmony which pervades the whole

character of this building, which to me appears faultless. If there were

any improvement possible, I should say that if the bold flight of steps

which leads to the front entrance had been carried all round the

building the effect would have been still more grand than it now is. The

interior is adorned with paintings in imitation of bas relief, which are

executed in the most masterly style. The grand Salle de la Bourse in the

centre of the building, where the stock-brokers and merchants meet, is

116 feet in length by 76 in breadth, entirely paved with marble. The

whole arrangements are such as to render it in every respect the most

commodious for all commercial purposes.

From hence we proceed by the street opposite to the Rue Richelieu, and

turning to the left, we arrive at the Place Richelieu, and must pass a

few minutes in admiring the elegant bronze fountain in the centre with

its noble basins and four allegorical figures representing the Seine,

the Loire, the Saône, and the Garonne, round which the water falls from

above, and flows beneath, producing a most beautiful effect.

Opposite is the Bibliothéque du Roi, or Royal Library, which certainly

is the most extensive and most complete of any in the world, possessing

nearly 1,000,000 books and printed pamphlets, 80,000 MSS, 100,000

medals, 1,400,000 engravings, 300,000 maps and plans. This institution

may be considered to owe its foundation to St. Louis, who first made the

attempt of forming a public library, and arranged some volumes in an

apartment attached to the Holy Chapel; under successive reigns the

number gradually increased, whilst the locality assigned for them was

often changed, and it was not until the reign of Louis XV that they were

placed where they now are, in a most extensive building, formerly the

residence of Cardinal Mazarin, which, seen from the Rue Richelieu,

presents nothing but a great ugly dead wall, with a high roof to it, and

here and there a few square holes for windows, but when you enter the

court-yard, you find rather a fine building than otherwise, and the

interior displays, by the vast size of the apartments, some idea of what

its former grandeur must have been; the richness of the ornaments and

decorations in most instances are destroyed, and replaced by books, with

which the walls are covered. The engravings occupy the ground floor, and

amongst them are to be found fifty thousand portraits, including every

eminent character which Europe has produced, and presenting all the

varieties of costumes existing at the different epochs in which they

flourished; in one of the rooms where the prints are kept is an oil

portrait, in profile, of the unfortunate King John of France, which is

curious as an antiquity, being an original, and executed at a time when

the art of portrait painting was very little known, as John died in the

year 1364. On ascending the staircase to the right, a piece of framed

tapestry must be remarked, as having formed part of the furniture of the

chateau of Bayard.

Those who are curious in typographical specimens must ask to see the

most ancient printed book _with a date_, being 1457, also the Bible,

called Mazarin, printed in 1456, with cut metal types. The oldest

manuscript is one of Josephus, and others are of the fifth and sixth

centuries; the amateurs of autography will be gratified in seeing

letters from Henri IV to Gabrielle d'Estrée, and the writing of Francis

I, Turenne, Madame de Maintenon, Voltaire, Rousseau, Racine, Corneille;

Boileau, Bossuet, etc. Amongst other interesting objects is the chair of

Dagobert, which is supposed to be much older even than his time, and of

ancient Roman fabric, the vase of the Ptolemies, the famous cameo

representing the apotheosis of Augustus, the seal of Michael Angelo, and

the armour of Francis I, and the admirers of _vertu_ must be delighted

with the collection of exquisitely beautiful intaglios and cameos. Two

globes, twelve feet in diameter, being the largest extant, cannot be

overlooked. Mount Parnassus in bronze, which the French poets and

musicians are ascending with Louis XIV on the summit, is a fine piece of

workmanship; there is also a model of the Pyramids of Egypt, with

figures and trees to denote their height. There are a few very good

paintings, and many objects calculated to excite the highest interest,

which it would take years properly to examine and appreciate. The

prayer-books of St. Louis and Anne of Brittany, and one which belonged

in succession to Charles V Charles IX, and Henri III, bearing their

signatures are exceedingly curious. Amongst the books and manuscripts

may be found some of every known language which has characters. This

noble institution is open daily for students; authors; etc., from ten

till three, except Sundays and festivals; and those who merely wish to

view the establishment may be admitted from ten till three on Tuesdays

and Fridays; except during the vacation, which is from the 1st September

to the 15th October.

In the same street, a little farther southward, at the corner of the Rue

Traversière, the preparations will be observed for a statue to Molière,

on the spot where stood the house in which he died, and nearly opposite

is a small passage which passes under a house; and takes one opposite

another of a similar description, which leads into the Palais Royal:

suddenly emerging from the little dark alleys into a beautiful area, has

a most extraordinary and pleasing effect; you see before you a

parallelogram of 700 feet by 300, completely surrounded by a beautiful

building with arcades, and having flower-gardens; statues, and a

splendid fountain in the centre. To see this extraordinary scene to the

greatest advantage, the first visit should be by night, and the

impulsive coup-d'oeil tempts the beholder to imagine that he has

around him the realization of some gay dream of a fairy palace, the

immense glare of light glittering on the falling waters, the brilliance

of the illuminated shops; the magnificence and richness of the articles

therein displayed, with reflecting lamps so contrived as to throw a

powerful light on their sparkling jewels and glittering ware, the

vistas of trees, the borders of flowers, the well dressed company and

animated groups, with the gilded coffee-houses beaming all round, form

such a picture as it is more easy to imagine than describe. Four

galleries with shops encircle the garden of the Palais Royal, three of

them are under piazzas opening to the grand area, the fourth, called the

Galerie d'Orléans, is enclosed on both sides, and the roof is formed by

one immense skylight, whilst the effect of the whole is superb. Over the

shops are mostly either coffee-houses or restaurateurs, some of them

splendidly decorated and most brilliantly lighted; as may be imagined,

this amusing locality forms the lounge of thousands, and no stranger

ever comes to Paris without making an early visit to the Palais Royal.

It was originally intended by Cardinal Richelieu for his own residence,

but the magnificence which he had already developed, with intentions of

augmenting his design to so extravagant and luxurious a degree, began to

excite the jealousy of Louis XIII, and finally the Cardinal made him a

present of it shortly before his death. Since then it has been inhabited

by several royal visiters, and such changes have been made that the

original plan is scarcely to be traced, it having formerly been so much

more extensive as to occupy several of the surrounding streets. So

numerous are the shops, and so various are the articles within them,

that it has been observed that a person might live in the Palais Royal

without ever stirring out of it, finding all within it required to

supply the wants of a reasonable being.

Although under the comprehensive title of Palais Royal, the whole extent

is included, not only garden but all the surrounding shops and the

stories above, yet that part which specifically is the Palais Royal, or

Royal Palace, is situated at the southern extremity, looking into two

court-yards, and where the present King with his family resided until

1831, when he removed to the Tuileries. It is entered by the Rue St.

Honoré, and may be considered rather a fine building; the doric, ionic,

and corinthian orders are visible in different parts of the edifice, in

the interior there are some extremely handsome apartments, beautifully

furnished but not very large for a palace; there are many very

interesting pictures, particularly those relative to the King's life,

from the period, of his teaching geography in a school in Switzerland,

to his return to Paris; also the subjects connected with the events of

the Palace are well worth attention, and many of them painted by the

first rate artists. The apartments may usually be seen on Sundays from 1

till 4, on presentation of the passport.

Opposite the Palais-Royal is an open space called the Place du Palais

Royal, on the southern side is the Château-d'Eau, a reservoir of water

for supplying the neighbouring fountains; it is decorated with statues,

and two pavilions. Just near it is the Rue St. Thomas-du-Louvre, where

formerly stood the famous Hôtel de Longueville, the residence of the

Duke de Longueville, and Elboeuf, where the intrigues of the Fronde

were carried on, during the minority of Louis XIV, against Mazarin; it

is now in part occupied by the king's stables, containing 160 horses,

and may be visited any day by applying at the porter's lodge. We will

now retrace a few steps eastward to the Rue St. Honoré, and passing by

the large establishment of Laffitte, Caillard, et Compagnie, for

diligences to all parts of France, we shall come to the Oratoire, built

for the Prêtres de l'Oratoire in 1621, but now devoted to the protestant

worship; it is adorned with doric columns, with a range of corinthian

pillars above, and in the interior, the roof of which is highly

ornamented. Service is performed in French every Sunday at half past 12.

Within a hundred yards eastward is the Fontaine de la Croix-du-Tiroir,

at the corner of the Rue de l'Arbre-Sec, rebuilt by Soufflot (on the

site of one erected under Francis I). Adorned by pilasters and a nymph,

which would have been graceful but is spoiled by their painting over it.

The first turning in the Rue de l'Arbre-Sec, is the Rue des Fossés St.

Germain-l'Auxerrois, and at No. 14 is the house formerly called the

Hôtel Ponthieu, in which Admiral Coligni was assassinated on St.

Bartholomew's day, in 1572; in the very room where the event took place

the witty actress, Sophie Arnould, was born, in 1740, then called the

Hôtel Lisieux, and in 1747, it was occupied by Vanloo the celebrated

painter. We return to the Rue de l'Arbre-Sec, and a few steps southward

bring us in front of the venerable and mouldering church of St.

Germain-l'Auxerrois (vide page 61); the oldest part still standing and

supposed to be of the 14th century, is the western front; the porch was

built by Jean Gausel in 1431, several other parts have been built at

later periods; altogether it is a most interesting building and is

connected with many sad historical associations, it was the bell of this

church that tolled the signal for the massacre of the protestants on the

night of St. Bartholomew; in a little street adjoining the south side of

the church, is a house with a picturesque turret, supposed to have

belonged to some building attached to the church; there is a very

remarkable piece of carve-work in wood and some interesting pictures

within the church; we will now leave its tranquil vaulted aisles, and

quitting by the western porch, the most beautiful façade of the Louvre

rises before us, which was erected in the reign of Louis XIV, after a

design by Claude Perrault.

[Illustration: Champin del. Lith. Rigo Frères Cie

St. Germain l'Auxerrois.]

The Louvre has been so often described in works of so many different

natures, descending the different grades from histories to pamphlets,

that I shall not fatigue my readers with a too detailed review of its

wonders, but endeavour to give them some impression of its grandeur,

with as little prolixity as possible. I have already, in the historical

sketch of Paris, touched upon its foundation, and the various epochs at

which the different parts of the building were erected, and certainly

let any one place himself in the middle of the grand court, and behold

the four sides, and see if he can call to mind any thing equal to it,

take it, for its all in all; I am well aware that there is rather a

redundancy of ornament to satisfy the purest taste, and in that respect

there is undoubtedly a deviation from perfection, but the approach is

sufficiently near to excite the warmest admiration. Each side is 408

feet, and although there is a degree of uniformity, taken _en masse_,

preserved, with two of the façades particularly, yet on examination the

ornaments are found to be different, each side requires much close study

after a _coup-d'oeil_ has been taken of the whole, and the more it is

inspected, the more beautiful will it be found; the statues and

different devices are by five different sculptors, the most celebrated

of their day, the order of the pillars is generally corinthian, but

there are some, which are composite. The external façades are by no

means burthened with ornament, the north and western sides being

perfectly plain, the south side has a noble effect, and faces the quay,

having plenty of room to admit of its being properly viewed and justice

rendered to its noble range of forty corinthian pilasters; this is by

Perrault, as well as the eastern side, which is certainly one of the

finest specimens of modern architecture that can be imagined.

A grand colonnade composed of 28 coupled corinthian columns has the most

splendid effect, the basement story being perfectly simple, whilst the

central mass of the building which forms the gateway is crowned by a

pediment of stones, each 52 feet in length and three in thickness; all

is vast, all is grand about this noble front, which is justly the

admiration of every architectural connoisseur, no matter from what part

of the world he may come.

Of the interior volumes might be said, I must first, after conducting my

reader to the great door on the southern side of the building, direct

his attention to the grand staircase, which is of a most splendid

character, as to design, and consistently beautiful as to execution. The

visiter after passing by a small room filled with very old paintings

enters a larger when the grand gallery extends before him, which is

unrivalled in the world, being above a quarter of a mile in length, and

42 feet in width, filled with paintings, principally from the old

masters, but of them I will treat in a future chapter; it contains 1406

pictures some of them being of immense size. We will now pass on for the

moment to the other apartments. The bed-room of Henry IV must arrest our

attention, and the eye naturally falls on the alcove where his bed was

placed, the oak carving, and gilded mouldings have been preserved

exactly in the same state that they were when he died. We next proceed

to a suite of rooms containing paintings of the Spanish, French,

Flemish, and Italian schools; others devoted to drawings; of the latter

there are 1293. Another range of apartments is on the ground floor and

called the Museum of Antiquities, containing statues and various

specimens of sculpture, in all 1,116 objects. Other suites of rooms are

appropriated to Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities, and in some of

the apartments are objects of great value; that the amount of real

worth of the contents of the Louvre must be incalculable, one casket

alone of Mary de Medicis is estimated at several thousand pounds, and

there are many articles equally costly. One portion of the building is

devoted to every thing that concerns naval architecture and an immense

variety of marine objects, with a number of curious models. The Louvre

may be entered on presenting the passport, every day, and new wonders

and beauties may be discovered at each visit, although they be repeated

for months together.

We now pass on westward, and enter the Place du Carrousel, so called

from Louis XIV having held a grand tournament there in 1662, but it was

not then so extensive as at present. The triumphal arch erected by

Napoleon in 1806, first strikes the eye a beautiful monument composed of

different coloured marbles, of works in bronze with figures, and devices

relative to war, and commemorative of the campaigns of the French army

in 1805; all the different parts are admirable from the exquisite manner

of their execution. On our left is the grand picture-gallery of the

Louvre, communicating with the Tuileries, on the right, the same

description of building exists in part, but is not yet completed. Before

us spreads the extended dimensions of the palace of the Tuileries; with

all deficiences it must be admitted that it is a noble pile, and has a

grand, though heavy imposing air, the height of the roof is certainly a

deformity, but we will enter the grand court-yard, which is separated

from the Place du Carrousel by a handsome railing with gilt

spear-heads, and then pass under the palace, and view the façade on the

garden side, where the sameness of the building is relieved by a

handsome colonnade in the centre, adorned with statues, vases, etc.; the

wings also have a fine effect, they are more massive than the body of

the building, which although not a beauty as respects the edifice in

general, yet the execution of all the different parts is admirable in

the identical detail; having a fair share of ornament not injudiciously

disposed, situated as the Palace is seen, at the end of a splendid

garden, it has a most striking and beautiful effect.

The interior contains many apartments which are, as might be expected,

exceedingly handsome, one termed the Galerie de Diane is 176 feet long

by 32 broad, it is of the time of Louis XIII, and rich in gilding and

paintings, but generally the furniture is not so magnificent as might be

imagined; those occupied by the Duke of Orléans are an exception; being

very splendid. Amongst the numerous objects of _vertu_ which here abound

is the large solid silver statue of Peace, presented to Napoleon by the

city of Paris after the treaty of Amiens. The pictures are generally by

the most eminent French artists. The Salle des Maréchaux contains the

portraits of the living Marshals of France; Soult, Molitor, and Grouchy

are the only remaining, whose names figured in the campaigns of

Napoleon; on the whole it may be remarked that the apartments generally

in the Tuileries are not equal in point of extent and decoration, to the

saloons of many of the nobility of Paris. When the King is absent, the

Palace may be viewed by applying to M. le Commandant du Château des

Tuileries, and the same is the case with the apartments of the Duke of

Orleans.

The gardens present a most agreeable aspect, although too stiff and

formal to be in good taste, yet the mélange of noble high trees, wide

gravel walks, marble basins, beautiful fountains, the most classic

statues, beds of flowers, ornamental vases, and the commanding view to

the Triumphal Arch, certainly form an _ensemble_ which produces the most

delightful sensation; in fact, I never enter them, such is the cheering

effect upon me, without having but one unpleasant feeling, and that is,

to think that I have not time to go there oftener, and pass hours

amongst such charming scenes. To view the number of sweet merry looking

children, with their clean and neat _bonnes_ (nursery maids), all

playing so happily together, enlivens the heart, then the retired walks

between the dense foliage in the heat of summer invites the mind to

meditation. The exquisitely beautiful statues are also most interesting

objects of study, and I recommend them particularly to the attention of

the visiter. On the northern side of the gardens, extends the handsome

Rue Rivoli, with its noble colonnade; at No. 48, is the Hôtel des

Finances, a spacious building covering a large extent of ground,

containing several courts, with offices, and splendid apartments for the

Minister. We shall now cross the Rue Rivoli, and take the Rue des

Pyramides, also having an arcade all through the Rue St. Honoré, and

facing us rises the noble church of St. Roch (vide page 97). The

entrance is approached by a flight of steps, which have witnessed some

sanguinary scenes, when Napoleon poured forth the iron hail of his

artillery upon the opposing force which was there posted; again, in

1830, on the same spot, the people made a firm resistance against the

gendarmerie of Charles X. The portal has two ranges of columns of

corinthian and doric orders, the interior, although plain, has a fine

appearance, heightened by the effect produced by many handsome monuments

to illustrious characters who have been buried here, amongst the rest,

Corneille; painting as well as sculpture has lent its aid in decorating

this church, as it contains some fine pictures. The Royal Family attend

here, and the music is very fine, but generally there are such crowds

that it is difficult to enter. At No. 13 in the Rue d'Argenteuil, behind

St. Roch, in 1684, Corneille died. A black slab in the court-yard bears

an inscription and the bust of the poet.

Returning to the Rue St. Honoré, we proceed westward, and pass by the

Rue Marché St. Honoré on our right, in which is a most commodious

market. Pursuing our course we look down the Rue Castiglione, which

communicates with the Rue Rivoli, and the Place Vendôme; it is

remarkably handsome, and has a fine colonnade, at the corner is a

fountain, which is plainer than they usually are, and a little farther

to the west, at No. 369, is the Assomption (vide page 96). This church

formerly belonged to a convent of nuns, styled Les Dames de

l'Assomption, the remains may be perceived in the Rue Neuve du

Luxembourg, and are now occupied as barracks. It was completed in 1676.

It contains some interesting pictures. A chapel is contiguous, dedicated

to St. Hyacinthe, which was erected in 1822. Continuing to follow the

Rue St. Honoré, we cross the Rue Royale, displaying the fountains of the

Place de la Concorde to our left, and the Madeleine on our right, we

enter the Rue Faubourg St. Honoré, in which are many most superb hôtels,

amongst the rest, the British Ambassador's, formerly the Hôtel Borghèse,

occupied by the Princess Pauline, sister of Bonaparte; the next hôtel is

that of the Baroness Pontalba, and is one of the most splendid in Paris,

which the visiter must not fail to remark. We next come to the Palais de

l'Elysée Bourbon, erected in 1718, and afterwards purchased and occupied

by Madame de Pompadour, since when it has had many masters, amongst the

rest, Murat, Napoleon, the Emperor of Russia, the Duke of Wellington,

and the Duke de Berri, but it now belongs to the crown, and combines an

appearance of splendid desolation, with a variety of associations, that

cause us to muse on the fall of the great. The library which is over the

council chamber was fitted up by Madame Murat, in the most exquisite

style, as a surprise for her husband after his return from one of his

campaigns; it next became the bed-room of Maria Louisa, and the

birthplace of the daughter of the Duke and Duchess de Berri. Here also

is shown the bed-room, and bed in which Napoleon last slept in Paris,

after the battle of Waterloo. The building itself is handsome, and

though not large, has an elegant appearance, some of the apartments are

very splendid, but now having a solitary aspect. The garden, which is

large, contains some noble trees, and is laid out in the Italian style.

To see this Palace, apply for admission to M. l'Intendant de la Liste

civile.

Facing the Elysée Bourbon, is the Hôtel Beauveau, in the Place Beauveau,

occupied by the Neapolitan Ambassador. Still proceeding westward we come

to the church St. Philippe du Roule, which was completed in 1784. It has

but very little ornament, but is an exceedingly chaste production, the

columns of the portico are doric, and those of the interior are ionic.

It contains several good pictures. Nearly opposite is a handsome

building with tuscan columns, and is used as stables for the King, and

also a receptacle for his carriages. A short distance farther on is the

Hôpital Beaujon, founded by the banker of that name in 1824, a handsome

and well arranged building, having an air of health and cheerfulness; it

contains 400 beds, and the situation is particularly salubrious, and so

well ordered that the inspection of it will afford much gratification to

the visiter. The Chapelle Beaujon, opposite, is by the same founder as

the hospital, and may be considered as belonging to it.

We must now travel back as far as the British Ambassador's, and facing

is the Rue d'Aguesseau, in which is the Episcopal Chapel, entirely

appropriated to the English protestant worship, a building well adapted

in every respect to the purposes for which it was erected. A few steps

farther we turn to the right, which will bring us to the Rue de la

Madeleine, in which we shall find the Chapelle Expiatoire, built over

the spot where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were buried, immediately

after their execution, and the interior is adorned by their statues;

their remains were afterwards removed to St. Denis. This chapel is one

of the most elegant and interesting monuments in Paris, it is in the

form of a cross, with a dome in the centre. A short distance eastward,

is the Collége Royal de Bourbon, No. 5, Rue St. Croix, which was built

for a Convent of Capuchins, in 1781. It consists of a doorway in the

centre, with columns, and two pavilions at the ends, one of which was

the chapel of the convent, but is now the church St. Louis, a plain

building of the doric order, but decorated by some fine fresco

paintings, and four large pictures of saints, painted in wax. From hence

we may take the Rue Joubert, opposite, and proceed until we arrive at

the Rue de la Victoire, formerly called the Rue Chantereine, where

resided Napoleon after his Italian campaign, and from hence went forth

to strike the _coup d'état_ which dissolved the government on the 18th

Brumaire. The house was built for the famous dancer Guimard, then passed

to Madame Talma, who sold it to madame Beauharnais, afterwards the

Empress Joséphine, who added the pavilion at the nearer end. Bertrand

inhabited this mansion a short time after his return from St. Helena, at

present it is untenanted, and undergoing repair; it belongs to the widow

of General Lefebvre Desnouettes. In the garden is a bust of Napoleon,

which certainly possesses no great merit. If disposed to extend our

walk, we may proceed northward to the Rue de Clichy and there find a

prison for debtors, in an airy, healthy situation, which is satisfactory

information for some of our prodigal countrymen, too many of whom, I

regret to say, have been, and are still, inhabitants of this building,

which contains from 150 to 200 persons. In returning we will amuse

ourselves in wandering about many of the streets of the

Chaussée-d'Antin, both right and left, which have in them some most

beautiful houses decorated with statues and the most elaborate

carve-work. On returning to the Boulevards by the Madeleine, as we pass

along we notice the Hôtel des Affaires Etrangères, or residence of the

Minister of Foreign Affairs, corner of the Rue Neuve-des-Capucines,

formerly belonging to Marshal Berthier, we then proceed to the eastward,

and turn down the Rue Neuve St. Augustin, which will bring us to the

point where the streets La Michodière and Port Mahon meet, at the

beautiful Fontaine de Louis-le-Grand, with the statue of a Genius

striking at a dolphin, with consistent ornaments extremely well

executed.