and obliged to marry the girls: their wretched mockeries upon marriage, their canine libertinage and soulless grinning over all that is beautiful and pious in human relations, were profoundly saddening to me; and I proposed emphatically an adjournment for tea; which was acceded to, and ended my concern with the French theatre for this bout. Píaugh!- the history of the day was done; but up-stairs, in my naked, noisy room, began a history of the night, which was much more frightful to me.

burtons, knows not whether they are at home: my cabman, an old, poor, goodhumored knave of the whip, is defective in petite monnaie, at length by aid of the concierge we settle handsomely; Mason, too, Lord Ashburton's servant, appears, and I get aloft into my appointed bedroom, "No. 22," a bare fantastic place looking out into the street - bad prospects of sleepthough I am at the very top of the house for that object. Both Lady and Lord have gone out, not finding me at four as cove nanted; dinner is to be "at six precisely." Eheu ! I have not had such a Walk on the streets, finishing my cigar; night these many years, hardly in my life dress, have melancholy survey of my bed- before. My room had commodes, chefroom; dinner in the dim salle à manger, foniers, easy-chairs, and a huge gilt penseasoned with English news; after dinner dule (half an hour wrong) was busy on the to the Théâtre Français, where Lord mantelpiece; but on the bed was not a rag Normanby has been pleased to furnish us of curtain, the pillow of it looked directly his box. Very bad box, "stage-box," close to the window, which had battants (leaves, to the actors; full of wind-drafts, where not sashes), no shutters, nor with all its we all took cold more or less. A clever screens the possibility of keeping out the energetic set of faces visible in stalls (far light. Noises from the street abounded, superior to such as go to Drury Lane); nor were wanting from within. Brief, I among them, pointed out by Lady Ash- got no wink of sleep all night; rose many burton, who had met him, the figure of times to make readjustments of my wretchChangarnier. Strange to see such a man ed furniture, turned the pillow to the foot, sitting sad and solitary there to pass his &c.; stept out to the balcony four or five evening. A man of placid baggy face, times, and in my dressing-gown and red towards sixty; in black wig, and black night-cap smoked a short Irish pipe there clothes; high brow, low crown, head (lately my poor mother's), and had thoughts longish; small hook nose, long upper lip enough, looking over the Tuileries garden (all shaved), corners of which, and mouth there, and the gleam of Paris city during generally, and indeed face generally, ex- the night watches. I could have laughed press obstinacy, sulkiness, and silent long. at myself, but indeed was more disposed continued labor and chagrin. I could have to cry. Very strange: I looked down on likened him to a retired shopkeeper of armed patrols stealthily scouring the thoughtful habits, much of whose sav- streets, saw the gleam of their arms; saw ings had unexpectedly gone in railways. sentries with their lanterns inside the garThomas Wilson of Eccleston-street re- den; felt as if I could have leapt down sembles him in nose and mouth; but there among them-preferred turning in again was more intellect in Changarnier, though to my disconsolate truckle bed. Towards in a smoke-bleared condition. A man two o'clock the street noises died away; probably of considerable talent; rather a but I was roused just at the point of sleep dangerous-looking man. I hear he is from by some sharp noise in my own room, Dijon, come of reputable parliamentary which set all my nerves astir;- I could people. Play was called La Gageure Im- not try sleep again till half-past four, when prévu, or some such name; worthless again a sharp noise smote me all asunder, racket and cackle (of mistaken jealousy, which I discovered now to be my superflu&c., in a country château of the old ré-ous friend the heterodox pendule striking gime); actors rather good; to me a very wearisome affair. Lady Ashburton went to her mother's at the end of this; Lord Ashburton and I staid out a trial of the next piece, Maison de St. Cyr: actors very good here again, play wretched, and to my taste sadder and sadder - two roués of Louis XIV. time, engaged in seducing two Maintenon boarding-school girls, find the door of St. Cyr locked as they attempt to get out; find at the window an Exempt "de par le roi," are carried to the Bastille,

(all wrong, but on a sharp loud bell, doubly and trebly loud to my poor distracted nerves just on the act of closing into rest) the half-hour! This in waking time I had not noticed; this, and the pendule in toto, I now stopt; but sleep was away; the outer and the inner noises were awake again; sleep was now none for me - perhaps some hour of half stupor between six and seven, at which latter hour I gave it up; and determined, first, to have a tub to wash myself in; secondly, not for any

consideration to try again the feat of "sleeping" in that apartment for one. My controversies about the tub (baquet, as I happily remembered to call it) were long and resolute, with several successive lackeys to whom I jargoned in emphatic mixed lingo; very ludicrous if they had not been very lamentable; at length I victoriously got my baquet (a feat Lord Ashburton himself had failed in, and which I did not try again while there): huge tub, five feet in diameter, with two big cans of water, into which with soap and sponges I victoriously stept, and made myself thoroughly clean. Then out-out, thank heaven!-to walk and smoke; an hour yet to breakfast time.

Pont des Arts; Louvre getting itself new-
faced, its old face new hewn, complicated
scaffoldings and masons hanging over it.
Much of the interior is getting pulled
down; Carrousel, Tuileries, Jardin des
Tuileries, Palais Royal, &c., all looked
dirty, unswept, or insufficiently swept, -
the humble besom is not perhaps the
chosen implement of France. Home at
nine: all our party ill of cold, Lady invis-
ible; my room to be next night a much
better, curtained and quite elegant, but
still not quiet one, on this same floor (the
third I think; directly above the pillars
and the first entresol), looking out into the
interior court: there I will try again, one
night at least. Lord Ashburton to see
"Museums" or some such thing with two
French "gentlemen of distinction:" I de
cline to go; lie down on a sofa, covering
my face with a newspaper, address two
stamped Galignani's Journals, to Chelsea,
to Scotsbrig, and decide to do nothing
whatever all day but lie still and solicit
rest. Si fait; - but very little rest may
prove discoverable? I lay in one place -
at least, having first made a call on the
Brownings whom I found all brisk and
well-rested in the Rue Michodière (queer
old quiet inn, Aux armes de la Ville de
Paris), and very sorry for my mischances.
After noon, Lord Ashburton returned, out
to make calls, &c.; I with him in the car-
riage, into the Pays Latin and other quar-
ters; lazily looking at Paris, the only thing
I care to do with it in present circum-
stances. Did me good, that kind of "ex-
ercise," the hardest I was fit for. Nimm
Dich in Acht.— At 4 o'clock home, when
two things were to be done: M. Thiers to
be received, and a ride to be executed, -
of which only the former took fulfilment.

Rue de Rivoli had been mainly built since my former visit to Paris; a very finelooking straight street of five or six-storey houses, with piazza; French aspect everywhere, otherwise reminding me of Edinburgh New Town, and only, perhaps, three furlongs in length. Streets straight as a line have long ceased to seem the beautifullest to me. Population rather scanty for a metropolitan street; street-sweeper, "cantonniers," a few omnibuses with Passy, Versailles, &c., legible, a few straggling cabriolets and insignificant vehicles-it reminded you of Dublin with its car-driving, not of London anywhere with its huge traffic and its groaning wains. Walkers anywhither were few. Tuileries Garden (close on my left) seemed to have grown bushier since my visit; the trees, I thought, were far larger, but nobody would confirm this to me when I applied to neighbors' experience. I did not enter Tuileries Garden yet sentries in abundance; uncertain whether smoking was permitted within; judged it safest to keep the street- -west ward, westward. Place de la Révolution A little after 4 Thiers came. I had seen (Place Louis Quinze) altogether altered; the man before in London, and cared not Obelisk of Luxor, asphalt spaces and to see him again; but it seemed to be exstone pavements, lamps all on big gilt col-pected I should stay in the room, so after umns, big fountain (its Nereids all silent): deciphering this from the hieroglyphs of a smart place, and very French in its the scene, I staid. Lord and Lady Ashsmartness; but truly an open, airy quarter, burton, Thiers and I; a sumptuous enough Champs Elysées woods, broad roads, river, drawing-room, yellow silk sofas, pendules, quais, all very smart indeed. Cross the vases, mirrors, turkish carpet, good wood bridge (Pont de la Concorde, I think, a fires; dim windy afternoon: voilà. Royernew-looking bridge), Palais Bourbon or Collard, we heard, once said: "Thiers National Assembly House on the south est un polisson; mais Guizot, c'est un side of it, No, I did not now cross these, drôle !" Heigho, this was Prosper MériI crossed by the next bridge eastward mée's account afterwards, heigho! M. (Pont Royal), that was my route, so im- Thiers is a little brisk man towards sixty, portant to myself and mankind! Quais with a round, white head, close-cropt and ather rusty and idle-looking; river itself of solid business form and size; round fat no great things either for size or quality, body tapering like a ninepin into small bathing-barges mainly, and nothing very fat feet, and ditto hands; the eyes hazel clean, or busy at all. Re-cross by the and of quick, comfortable, kindly aspect,

-

small Roman nose; placidly sharp fat face, the common method. Then applicable puckered eyeward (as if all gravitating only to hatters, chair-makers, and tradestowards the eyes); voice of thin treble, men whose market was constant. Try it peculiarly musical;-gives you the notion in iron-working, cotton-spinning, or the of a frank social kind of creature, whose like, there arrive periods when no market cunning must lie deeper than words, and can be found, and without immense capital who with whatever polissonnerie may be you must stop. Good thing however for in him has absolutely no malignity towards keeping men from chômage, for "educatanyone, and is not the least troubled with ing" them in several respects. Thing to scif-seekings. He speaks in a good-hu- be left to try itself, is not, and never can mored treble croak which hustles itself on be, the true way of men's working toin continuous copiousness, and but for his gether. To all this I could well assent; remarkably fine voice would be indistinct, but wished rather it would all end, there - which it is not even to a stranger. being little new or important in it to me! "Oh, bah! eh b'en lui disais-j-"&c. At length on inquiry about Michelet (for in a monotonous low gurgling key, with whom I had a letter) we got into a kind of occasional sharp yelping warbles (very literary strain for a little. Michelet stood musical all, and inviting to cordiality and low in T.'s esteem as a historian; lower laissez-aller), it is so that he speaks, and even than in mine. Good-humored conwith such a copiousness as even Macaulay tempt for Michelet and his airy syllabubs cannot rival. "Oh, bah, eh b'en!" I have of hypothetic songerie instead of narranot heard such a mild broad river of dis- tive of facts. "Can stand le Poète in his course; rising anywhere, tending any place; but not in the domain of truths:". whither. His little figure sits motionless a sentence, commented on and expanded, in its chair; the hazel eyes looking with which indicated to me no great æsthetic face puckered round them placidly ani- sovereignty on the part of M. Thiers, — mated; and the lips presided over by the leave him alone then! Our conclusion little hook-nose, going, going! But he is was, M. Michelet was perhaps a bit of a willing to stop too if you address him; sot; - M. Lamartine, who had meanwhile and can give you clear and dainty response come in course too, being definable rather about anything you ask. Not the least as a fat (a hard saying of mine, which officiality is in his manner; everywhere T. with a grin of laughter adopted): — and rather the air of a bon enfant, which I so we left Parnussus à la Française; and think really (with the addition of coquin) M. Thiers, who could not stay dinner, must partly be his character! -Starting took himself away. Our horses, in the from a fine Sèvres vase which Lady Ash- meanwhile, had roved about saddled for burton had been purchasing, he flowed two hours, and were now also gone. like a tide into pottery in general; into Nothing remained but to "dress for dinhis achievements when minister and en-ner," when at seven the two French courager of Sèvres; half-an-hour of this, truly wearisome, though interspersed with remarks and questions of our own. Then suddenly drawing bridle, he struck into Association (Lord Ashburton had the day before been looking at some of the Associated Workmen); gave his deliverance upon that affair, with anecdotes of interviews, with political and moral criticisms, &c., &c. For me wenig zu bedeuten, but was good too of its kind. One master of Associés, perhaps a hatter, "ruled like a Cromwell," - though by votes only; and had banished and purged out the opposition party, not to say all drunkards and other unfit hands: tel régime de fer was the indispensable requisite ;-for which, and for other reasons, Association could never succeed or become general among workmen. Besides, it forbade excellence: no rising from the ranks there, to be a great captain of workers, -as many, six or seven of whom he named, had done by

gentlemen of distinction were expected.

Our two Distingués were literary, one Mérimée already mentioned, a kind of critic, historian, linguistically and otherwise of worth, a hard, logical, smooth but utterly barren man (whom I had seen before in London, with little wish for a second course of him); the other a M. Laborde, Syrian traveller; a freer-going, jollier, but equally unproductive human soul. Our dinner, without Lady, was dullish, the talk confused, about Papal aggression, &c. -supported by me in very bad French (unwillingly), and in Protestant sentiments, which seemed very strange to my sceptical friends. Joan of Arc too came in course, about whom a big book had just come out: of De l'Averdy, neither of our friends had ever heard! In the drawing-room with coffee it was a little better: a little better: a little, not much; at last they went away; and I, after some precautions and prepa

to see

rations into bed,-where, in a few min-"Sergent de Ville!"-at length he got utes, in spite of noises, there fell on me possession of the horses, and proved a (thank heaven) the gratefullest deep sleep; very bad "holder." Dirty chaos of cabri. and I heard or thought of nothing more olets, &c., about this gate; four or five for six hours following!-so ends the thousand people in at half-a-franc, or to history of Saturday, September 26th. Ay the still more inner mysteries, a franc de mi! each. Clean shopkeeper people, or better, Sunday morning, short walk again; unexpectedly intelligent - come glance into the Champs Elysées and their this! A sorry spectacle; dusty, disordered broad avenue with omnibuses;-I had to Champ de Mars, and what it now held. return soon for breakfast. My good sleep, Wooden barriers were up; seats on the -though it ended at 5 a.m. and would not old height raised for Feast of Pikes, which recommence, had made me very happy is terribly sunk now, instead of "thirty in comparison. Breakfast, baddish feet" hardly eight or ten, without grass, always, tea and coffee cold, &c., the Hôtel and much of it torn away altogether. Meurice, spoiled by English and success, Grassless, graceless, untrim and sordid, in general bad, though the most expensive everything was! An Arab razzia, with to be found in Paris. Lord Ashburton's sad gurrous, and blanketed scarecrows bill (I incidentally learned) was about £45 of performers (perhaps 15 or 20 in all) a week, self, Lady Ashburton and two ser- was going on; then a horse race ditto: vants, maid and man! - After breakfast noisy music, plenty of soldiers guarding ⚫ came Lord Granville, talked intelligently and operating. I moved to come away; about the methods of "Glass Palace" but just then they inflated a hydrogen (bless the mark!), -graphic account of mannequin of silk; his foot quivered and Fox the builder thereof; once a medical shook, he was soon of full size, then they student, ran off with master's daughter, let him off, and he soared majestically like lived by his wits in Liverpool, lecturing on a human tumbler of the first grace and mechanics, &c., got into the railway; be- audacity, right over the top of the inflated came a railway contractor, ever a bigger balloon (I know not by what mechanism), and bigger one (though without funds or perhaps 500 feet into the air, and then probably almost without), is now very majestically descended on the other side: great," ready to undertake the railway none laughed, or hardly any except we. to Calcutta" at a day's notice, if you asked Off again; find our horses with effort, him he built the glass soap bubble, on man wants two francs not one: a modest uncertain terms: - very well described horse-holder! We ascend the river-side; indeed. A cleverer man, this Lord Gran- dirty lumber on all sides of path : guinville, than I had quite perceived before. gette (coarse dirty old house, ditto wooden After his departure, wrote to Chelsea, to balcony, and mortals miserably drinking): Scotsbrig; towards 2 went to walk with - across by Pont de Grenoble, into Passy, Herrschaft in the Tuileries Gardens; by most dusty roads, omnibuses, cabs, Garden very dirty, fallen leaves, dust &c.; &c., meeting us in clouds pretty often, on many people out to Place de la Concorde, each side to Auteuil, finally into Bois de opposite Lady Sandwich's windows (2, Boulogne, which also is a dirty scrubby Rue Saint Florentin) where Talleyrand place (one long road mainly of two miles once dwelt. Lady Ashburton still suffer- or so, with paltry bits of trees on each ing from cold, couldn't go to see her hand, and dust in abundance); there we mother, went driving by herself, the last careered along at a sharp trot, and had time she was out at all during my stay: almost all to ourselves, for nobody else - after a call by Lord Ashburton and me except a walker or two, a cab-party or two at Lady S.'s we went, about 3 p.m., to at long intervals, were seen. Ugly unkept ride; the Champ de Mars our first whith- grass on each side; cross-roads, one or two, turning off into one knew not what; I found it an extremely sober "Park"! One of the "Forts with great ugly chasms round it, on our left. At length we emerge again into Passy; see the balloon high overhead, people in it waving their hats, mannequin (shrunk to a monkey) hanging on below; a sudden wind then blew it away, for ever, one was glad to think. Arc de l'Etoile, some Hippodrome just coming out, and such a be

erward.

Paris, Sunday: All rather rusty; crowds not very great; cleanness, neatness, neither in locality nor population, a conspicuous feature. Ch. de Mars all hung round with ugly blankets on Pont-duJean side; a balloon getting filled; no sight except for payment. Against my will, we dismounted at another entrance, and went in. Horse-holder with brass badge, vehement against another without:

wildered gulf-stream of people and cabs on | yet sufficiently to one side to allow him to