Part 6 (1/2)

The royal Manufactory of Tobacco, Snuff, and Cigars is at a short distance eastward, No. 57, Quai d'Orsay, an extensive establishment for the preparation of the articles, with a handsome modern house for the offices, and residence for the director. The profits of this establishment in 1839 to the government were 66,001,841 francs, upwards of 2,500,000. We will now proceed along the quai, and notice the bridges; first the Pont de Iena, terminated in 1813, it is completely in a horizontal line, and is certainly a perfect structure, uniting elegance, beauty, and simplicity.

The Pont des Invalides is a handsome suspension bridge for carriages as well as foot pa.s.sengers; a toll is paid in pa.s.sing over it. Pursuing our course eastward we arrive at the Palais Bourbon, and Chamber of Deputies, which was erected by the dowager d.u.c.h.ess of Bourbon, in 1722, begun by the Italian architect Girardini, and continued by Mansard. It was afterwards much enlarged when possessed by the Prince de Conde, but not completed when the Revolution of 1789 occurred. In 1795 it was appropriated as the Chamber for the sittings of the Council of Five Hundred, and next occupied by the Corps Legislatif. At the Restoration in 1814 the Prince de Conde retook possession, but so arranged that the portion which had been converted into a locality for the sittings of the Legislative a.s.sembly, and which had been partly rebuilt, should be appropriated to the use of the Deputies, and finally was bought by government for 5,500,000 francs. At the death of the Duke de Bourbon this palace devolved upon the Duke d'Aumale, and is leased to the Chamber of Deputies for the residence of the President, but will soon become the property of the country by a negociation at present pending.

The entrance of the Palais Bourbon is by the Rue de l'Universite, and being approached by a long avenue of trees has the air of a country seat; formerly the apartments were gorgeously furnished, now simple beauty and utility alone prevail; there are a few good pictures, and one room decorated with bucks' horns, and different emblems of the chase; there is a large garden laid out in the English style. The grand front of the portion styled the Chamber of Deputies is exactly opposite the handsome bridge called the Pont de la Concorde, and is from thence seen to the best advantage; it is a n.o.ble ma.s.sive building with colossal statues of Sully, Colbert, l'Hopital, and d'Aguesseau, there are besides several allegorical figures, and 12 n.o.ble corinthian columns, supporting a fine bas-relief recently completed, approached by a flight of 29 steps; for so much weight as there appears in this building, I should say there was not sufficient height, and the breadth is immense, still the effect is dignified and imposing.

The Chamber itself is a semi-circular hall with 24 white marble ionic columns and bronze capitals gilt. The president's chair and the tribune form the centre of the axis of the semi-circle, from whence the seats rise of the 459 deputies, in the shape of an amphitheatre. A s.p.a.cious double gallery capable of containing 700 persons surrounds the semi-circular part of the Chamber, arranged with tribunes for the royal family, the corps diplomatique, officers of state and the public. There are a number of very fine statues, as well as some extremely clever pictures by the first French artists, and there, is a library of 50,000 volumes. Anyone with a pa.s.sport may visit the Chamber, but for the debates a letter post-paid must be addressed to M. le Questeur de la Chambre des Deputes, who will send a ticket of admission. A short distance to the east is the Palace of the Legion of Honour, erected in 1786 after designs by Rousseau for the Prince de Salm, after whom it was called. The entrance is by a triumphal arch, and a colonnade of the ionic order with two pavillions. At the end of a court yard is the princ.i.p.al front consisting of a fine portico, adorned with large corinthian pillars. The side which fronts the Seine is particularly light and graceful, having a circular projection adorned with columns supporting a bal.u.s.trade with six statues. When the Prince de Salm was beheaded in 1793, the hotel was put up to lottery, and won by a journey man hairdresser, and in 1803 it was appropriated to its present object; strangers are admitted without any difficulty.

The Palais du Quai D'Orsay is almost adjoining, and although one of the most magnificent, yet one of the most chaste edifices in Paris; it has never received any decided name. It was begun under Napoleon, and then remained dormant until 1830, and in the present reign has been finished in the most perfect style. The grand front which faces the river presents a long series of windows formed by arches beneath a tuscan colonnade on the ground-floor; the one above is similar, except being of the ionic order, surmounted by a sort of corinthian attic; the court is surrounded by a double series of Italian arcades, there are four staircases, placed at each corner, one styled the escalier d'honneur, is absolutely splendid, both as regards the construction and the richness of its ornaments. The chief entrance is in the Rue de Lille, and there are side gateways into other streets. The ground-floor is appropriated to the Council of State and the offices attached, the first floor to the Cour des Comptes, and the third to the conservation of the Archives of these two public bodies. This n.o.ble structure has cost upwards of twelve million francs.

We will now cast one glance at the Hotel 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 n.o.bility. 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 pa.s.s 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 pa.s.s under the Pont d'Arcole, built in 1828; it is a suspension bridge, and there is a toll upon it. The circ.u.mstances 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 pa.s.s 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 depot 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 Celestins, and explore the north-east quarter of Paris, beginning with the a.r.s.enal which contains a library of 200,000 printed volumes, and 6,000 ma.n.u.scripts, 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 pa.s.sport by applying to the Director. Close to the a.r.s.enal on the Quai des Celestins are the remains of the once celebrated Convent of the Celestins, and of their small church which after that of St. Denis contained more tombs of ill.u.s.trious individuals than any in Paris. It was particularly remarked for the chapel d'Orleans, 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 a.r.s.enal 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 Depot 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 wors.h.i.+p, 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, c.o.c.ks, 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 Hopital 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. Honore, 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 inst.i.tution, 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 Marche 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 Hopital 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 princ.i.p.ally 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 Gla.s.s 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 d.u.c.h.ess of Bourbon, in 1819, and now supported by Madame Adelade d'Orleans; it contains fifty beds, of which eighteen are for women, and the utmost cleanliness and order prevail.

At No. 18 is the Hopital 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 n.o.blest 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 Barriere du Trone, which is still unfinished, but consisting of two n.o.ble lofty columns; very conspicuous from their height, with a fine open circular s.p.a.ce, on which festivals are celebrated on public days, and plans are now pursuing for finis.h.i.+ng and embellis.h.i.+ng this spot. A pleasant walk along the Boulevards will bring us to the celebrated cemetery of Pere-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 Pere-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 embellis.h.i.+ng 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 fas.h.i.+ons with regard to the monuments here a.s.sembled, 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 a.s.sociation that perhaps none is more touching than that of Abelard and Helose; it is formed of stones gathered from the ruins of the Abbey of Paraclete, founded by Abelard, of which Helose was the first abbess. Amongst the number of monuments here a.s.sembled, 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 Pere-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 pa.s.s 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 Detenus, 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 Menilmontant, 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 Ca.n.a.l 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 s.p.a.cious and lofty apartments without incurring the expence of such; in the more fas.h.i.+onable 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 Hotel de Sully; being the work of the celebrated architect Ducerceau, and the residence of the n.o.ble 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 College de Charlemagne, formerly a college of the Jesuits, founded in 1582, the buildings are only remarkable for their extent. The Pa.s.sage Charlemagne, No. 102, leads through the court of the Hotel de Ja.s.sau, or d'Aguesseau, 22, Rue des Pretres 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 ma.s.s in the presence of Louis XIII and his court. The n.o.ble 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 Hotel de Carnavalet, where resided Madame de Sevigne 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 Hotel, 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 a.s.sailed 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 Hotel of the Duc de la Force, hence the origin of its name. In the Rue Pavee, which is on one side of the prison, will be found, at No. 3, the Hotel de la Houze, and in the same street stood the Hotels de Gaucher, de Chatillon, 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 pa.s.sant_. Formerly this street was filled with n.o.bility, as even so late as the beginning of the reign of Louis XV it was rather a fas.h.i.+onable 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 hotel of the time of Henri IV, No. 7, Hotel 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 Hotel de Hollande, so called from its having belonged to the Dutch Amba.s.sador, in the reign of Louis XIV; amongst the sculpture is perceived the date of 1660; this handsome hotel was once the residence of Beaumarchais. At the corner of the Rue Pavee is the Hotel de Lamoignon, one of the handsomest mansions of the ancient n.o.bility. 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 Piete, No. 18, Rue des Blancs Manteaux, lending money on pledges, much the same as our p.a.w.nbrokers, 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 hotel 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 surpa.s.s 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'Orleans, is the Church of St. Francois d'a.s.sise. 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 Hotel 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 _pet.i.ts appartements_ is a boudoir which belonged to the d.u.c.h.ess de Guise, with a window looking into the Rue du Chaume, from whence it is a.s.serted 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 doc.u.ments of diplomas granted to different monastic inst.i.tutions, 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 pa.s.s into the Rue Ste-Avoye; No. 63 is worth notice, several of the houses here having been the hotels of n.o.bility. No. 57 is the Hotel St. Aignan, built by Le Muet; on its site stood the Hotel de Montmorency, it is an extensive n.o.ble building, but has been spoiled by having had two stories added.