this retreat the honours and emoluments, the prerogatives and the good things attached to the episcopate. And the same decree announced that four chapels were erected in the church, of which three occupied the tombs of the kings of the first, second and third dynasties, while the fourth was destined as the sepulchre of the emperors; and tables of marble were to contain in those three chapels the names of the monarchs whose mausoleums had existed in the church of St. Denis. This decree was that of him who wished to establish a fourth dynasty; but it passed away with his dauntless, military, but perishable career, and the chapel, or tomb for his dynasty, no man can now see; it is closed in with a wall of stone; yet it is said that in this tomb Louis XVIII intends to be buried, when the corpse of his successor shall take its place in the recess at the foot of the stair as we descend into the vaults of kings' remains; for formerly, the coffin of one of them, and always the last that had died, and was brought into these regions of fallen royalty, remained on the stairs, as the French people say, or rather in a recess at their base, as if to invite his posterity to descend, and enjoy the peace and the quiet, the dangers and difficulties of a throne had denied them!"

SECTION IV.

ST. CLOUD.

FROM the inspection of the celebrated and national church Dr. Walker returned pensively home, where he found the Abbé de Foi waiting for him. "I had half an inclination," said the latter, "to follow you to St. Denis; but thought I~ might possibly miss you; I came to say I should be happy to attend you to St. Cloud to-morrow, if it is agreeable.'

Dr. Walker assured him nothing could be more agreeable. "And if you are not engaged for the rest of this day," added the Doctor, "perhaps you will favour us with your company at dinner." The Abbé consented, and they passed the evening in amusing and rational conversation. Early the following morning, they set off for St. Cloud, in company with the Abbé.

Their route to this delightful place lay through the charming Bois de Boulogne. This wood is the Hyde Park of the Parisians; but what a train of ideas does the sight of it raise in the mind of those who join in the opinion of St. Foix. St. Foix supposes that Charles the Ninth, to whom nature had given the most comprehensive views, had formed the idea of consecrating the wood of Boulogne to a cemetery for all the great men of France?

The palace of St. Cloud is situated on an eminence, which commands an entire view of Paris from the west. At the base of this height is the village of Boulogne, on the right bank of the Seine, which rolls its waters close to the roots of the hill, and separates it from St. Cloud; and as rivers always give charms to landscape views, it may be easily imagined how much the woodland scenery of this district is improved: by this agreeable variety in the bosom of its dark foliage.

The state apartments here, if not so finely decorated as those of the Thuilleries, are yet, nevertheless, very magnificent; and they are shewn to the public with the same degree of condescension as is the chateau in the capital; but St. Cloud, standing on a lofty eminence, commanding an extensive and rich prospect for many miles around Paris, embellished with all the taste of Louis the Fourteenth, and latterly by the artists whom Napoleon, and since his exile, by those whom the restored family have employed-St. Cloud, the favourite residence of the Empress Maria Louisa, creates to itself an interest in the traveller's breast, whieh gives rise to many curious reflections. The cieling of the chapel in Whitehall will give an idea of the painted cielings of the state apartments of St. Cloud; but no chambers can rival the chambre à lit, and the boudoir of the late empress, now the sleeping and dressing rooms of the Duchess of Angouleme. The chamber in which Napoleon was wont to throw himself into the arms of Morpheus, and which is now l'on couche pour le roi, is a plain bed-room, containing nothing that could indicate the rank of its owner.

The dining and billiard rooms are also plain. "The superiority of the artist's taste is here easily discovered," said Dr. Walker; "in giving grandeur to those apartments where royalty must shine before the ambassadors of foreign courts, and studiously avoiding the splendour of embellishment where the majesty of the monarch is laid aside, and where he sits down as the master of his own table, or amuses himself

with his family in those pastimes which neither the sage nor the prince need ever be ashamed to confess he finds pleasure in, when the fatigues of his labours are over, and he seeks in the games of youth, the recreation that soothes the infirmities

of age.

SECTION V.

THE THUILLERIES.

THERE are few places in Paris that do not recal some striking scene of the Revolution. None perhaps excite feelings more painful than the Thuilleries; the recollection of the terrible 10th of August, and its fatal consequences, spread a shade of thought even over the youthful face of Edward; but few were the countenances of sympathetic sadness, all here, generally speaking, were running full tilt at the ring of pleasure. Here and there a moody Englishman, indeed, as his gayer neighbour often designates him, thoughtfully approached the stately walls, which, if walls could speak, would unfold many a sad and piteous tale. Arrived at the palace, they found there, among a group of strangers and Parisians, who trode the state apartments by permission. Some of these people had on Wellingtons and boots, others wore gaiters like game-keepers,but were all gentlefolks, boots or no boots; paysanne or citoyenne; madame or mademoiselle, all had alike gentled their condition, by the display of their holiday finery.

One admired one thing, another was charmed with some. thing else; an English lady wondered there were no grates in the fire-places; a fourth asked his friend if the tongs were not like those one might find at a smith's forge? a fifth put innumerable questions as to the state apartments in Bonaparte's time, and enquired if this were the chair he sat in? If that were the bed he slept in? If in this glass the Emperor admired his sallow visage? In what place did Berthier and Fouche sit? Was Carnot ever in this room? Where was it Ney took leave of the king? and a thousand such like questions equally galling to the servant, whose patience was meted out to the stranger's ignorance and imper

tinent curiosity; while the natives' wonder rose as they beheld the profound politeness of people, who ventured, in the very council chamber of Louis the Eighteenth, to ask any questions about his predecessor; but this was true English curiosity.

Every thing pleased the Parisians, who seemed to be charmed with the Chapelle Royale, and particularly the theatre, over the pit of which is erected a temporary pathway for the convenience of Monsieur, le Duc d'Artois, whose apartments are in the north wing of the palace. It would be natural to suppose the conduct of the government in employing the garde nationale, in conjunction with the garde royale, and the Swiss guard, to do the duty of the palace, would gain to Louis the affections of thirty thousand Parisians; but the mercenary troops, the garde des Suisses, with their red coats, are said to be an eye-sore to the garde royale, who are Frenchmen; yet the appearance of these foreigners made our travellers almost fancy themselves at home again, or viewing the palace of the parental George the Third, from the foot of St. James's-street.

On their arrival at their lodgings, the porter of the hotel brought Dr. Walker a note which had arrived by the twopenny post, after they had gone abroad in the morning. This was an envelope, containing an order to see the palace; the governor's secretary being apprehensive their request had not been answered. There was a degree of attention and politeness in this which persons must travel to Paris to experience, if they would see the house of a king. The fact was this; Dr. Walker called on Tuesday about two o'clock in the day at the governor's apartments, which are on the north side of the palace. This great man was out. Dr. Walker left a note addressed to him, craving permission to see the apartments of the Thuilleries. Impatient to know the result, he called again on Wednesday morning, and among other applicants, received a ticket of admission. His name was not asked; and he took what was given him; thanked the servant, and walked away. How natural for the governor's secretary to suppose he had not got a ticket, and how politely attentive to forward him the following billet:

"No. Chateau des Thuilleries. Le Gouverneur autorise les garçons de chateau de service à faire voir les - temens au porteur du presens et à sociéte, composée de

appar

-per

sonnes, &c. &c. Ce billet ne sera admis que dans la quinzaine. Ou entrera par l'escalier du pavillion de Flore. Le present billet ne peut servir que quand le Roi est sorte les Mardi, Jeudi, Vendredi, et Samedi. Gouvernement des Thuilleries."

It is this kind of treatment that enchants travellers with Paris, though there are in it many things very opposite to the comforts enjoyed in England, and to which time only can fully reconcile an Englishman; yet Dr. Walker did not go to Paris to find a strict resemblance between two nations that have been for ages the enemies of each other. But before we drop the subject of the letter, we shall give another instance of the French character, as respects the civilities a stranger, who behaves politely, may always expect to receive among this people.

Dr. Walker having expressed a desire to his friend the Abbé, to see the king at his devotions in the Chapel Royal. In the afternoon of the same day that this wish was uttered, the Abbé returned to him with the following billet :

"No.

Chapelle Royale du palais des Thuilleries. Galerie à droite. Laissez passer trois personnes. Le Dche. Septr. 1817. Le Capitaine de Gardes de Service. M. L'Abbé de Foi."

In the same way, though the place is open weekly to the public, he applied and received this billet to view the French monuments in the monastery of the Augustines:

"Conservation des monumens publics. Il est permis à Monsieur et à sa société, de visiter le dépôt des petitsAugustins. Paris, le 6 Septr. 1817. Le Conservateur.

*

*

"May we not hope," said Dr. Walker, charmed with the attentions he so repeatedly received, "that time will consolidate the government of the Bourbons, obliterate the many painful recollections which the first sight of them could not fail to raise among the French people, and give a direction to that tone of feeling which a stranger would daily wish to see manifested; yet while the nation talks of its sensibilities, it seems as difficult to ascertain these, as it would be, were they once found out to measure their exact tension, and know how to manage them without trenching upon its affections, and exciting that innate irritability which is not extinct, though smothered for a time..