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AUTHORS.
L. S.
Richard
Jefferies.
George Macdonald.
Dickens.
R.

Thackeray.
Emerson.
Thomas

George

Hardy.
Eliot.

Charles Kingsley.
Ruskin,
Beaconsfield.
of the Mind.

Martin's

Lane,

W.C.

THE

CHARM

PARIS

OF

AN

ANTHOLOGY

COMPILED

ALFRED

BY

H.

HYATT

LONDON

CHATTO

S-

1908

VVINDUS

rights
All

reserved

EDITOR'S

Much

has

such

From

has

sections,

its

of

there

may

life

Parisian

before

of

found

be

to

and

those

the

its

and

in

attempted

material

in

beloved

and

made,

been

that

trusts

entertaining
Paris

this

pictures

editor

The

of

brings

streets,

phases

wealth

to

selection

our

various

with

the

both

beautiful

grouped

reader

the

1909.

into

scenery
and

buildings,

character.

among

something
either

those

both

familiar

chosen

pieces

and

interesting

or

unfamiliar

Parisians.

A.

January,

this

prose

and,

notable

for

suitable

Paris

to

that

as

devoted

verse

of

relating

arrangement

volume.

city

written

been

an

and

NOTE

H.

H.

viii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

of the estate of the late

*

from

'

R.

for

to
'

'

The

'

J.

F.

Collected

Miss

to

';to

Mr.

'

from

poems

Ishmael

Mr.

Ibbetson,' and

Peter

tracts
ex-

(Messrs.
Harper Bros.); to Mr. John Lane
Richard le Gallienne's Paris Day by Day,' from
L. S. and Other Poems
';to Mr. Arthur Symons

Heinemann)
*

Maurier, for

du

'

Martian

for

'

Trilby,'

George

'

of Francois

and

Paris

and

of the Women

extracts

Moring for

Mr. Alexander

James Payne

Ballade

for

Braddon

Macdonald's

(Mr. William

'

Poems

the

for

The

Poems

Miss

to

from

extracts

Society for

Villon

of Paris,'from

from

Parisians ';

the

Villon,'by James Payne

Betham-Edwards

extracts

from

M.

various

her

'

'

extract

and
Aunts
a
Nephew
including Two
for an
Arrowsmith); to Mr. J. W. Arrowsmith
from
Max
O'Rell's
';
Jacques Bonhomme

to Mr.

W.

volumes,

(J.W.

'

of

for

E. Goulden

Murger's

Bohemians

(Messrs.Maclaren);
from

Letters

his volume

(Mr.T.
'

ton's

'

'

In the

'

La

for

French

Heinemann

and

'

Crowd,' from

and

Sons); to
from

'; to
Chapelle

extracts

from

poem

from

'

The

extract

Alfred
'

Poems

Sir

Messrs.

the works

Noyes
(Messrs.
Hamer-

Bayliss's

Wyke

'; to

from

Seeleyand

Messrs.

Nathaniel

Italian Note-Books
for

'

Quarter
Rowley

PhilipGilbert

Lady Baylissfor

Sainte

of

author

Italy for an
Foulis); to Mr.

extract

an

Paris ';to

sonnet,
Mifflin

N.

Blackwood

Co., Ltd., for

the

his translation

of the Latin

and

France

for lines from

William

to

from

extract

an

Houghton

Hawthorne's
Mr.

William

of Heinrich

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

vol.

Heine,
Wilfrid

Blunt';
for

Rossetti

to

Mr.

of

De

A.

'

for

Tuileries,'

for

and

by
Paul,

by
a

John

poem.

Sir

the

Le

Trench,
Lewis

Ellis

from

';

Obermann
'

Loci

Lane)

from

and

Thin,'
Petit

Homme

Morris

and

and

Enchanted

Co.,
to

'

Mr.

and
'

Paris

Court

Rouge

Triibner

for

Lee

Chatto

The

translation

The

Zola's
'

M.

Rossetti

Messrs.

Emile

W.

Vernon
'

and

to

Mr.

his

to

of

Poetry

Gabriel

extract

an

The

and

Dante

by

Genius

extracts

Fat

poem

'

(Mr.

Windus

Kegan

'

from

poem

Messrs.

for

Waite

from

sonnets

Senancour's

Woods

The

also

to

two

E,

extracts

'

and

ix.,

ix

of

Ltd.,
G.

the

Messrs.

to

and

J.

for
Trares

CONTENTS

The

Char:

In

Praise

The

Streis

Some

The

Paris

Paris

of

6;

Phases

Seascs

9-

i6;

-..-_-.

Portraits

Paisian

i8;

Paris

in

2r

Places

Portraitsjf
The

Rom.ce
of

3.'

'aris

Few

Paris

Parfan

Bohemian
A

Paris

of

of

ie

Index

ofvuthors

Table

of

Past

231
Paris

28-

32c

400
401

ontents

XI

CONTENTS

1'A(;k

The

Charm

Paris

of

--.._.

In

Praise

Paris

of

35

------

The

Streets

Some

Paris

of

Parisian

67

Phases

93

------

Bohemian

Paris

167
...__.-

Parisian

Few

Portraits

187
-----

The

Seasons

Paris

in

Portraits

The

of

Romance

Places

of

-213

231

Paris

285
------

Paris

the

of

Past

329
-

Index

Table

of

of

Authors

Contents

400

401

Paris
the

beamed
itself

Odeon
marble

white

appeared

seemed

queens
bow

to

nod

to

in

her

through

me

upon

the

affably

gardens
and

graciously

towards

of

the

welcome

windows

shop

open

me,

Luxembourg

than

more

world.

the

find

down

the

river,

river

with

its

their

ferret

prey,

and

the

the

to

or

torchlight
the

Arabian

procession

of

than

Nights

along
of

pleasure.

evening,

that

shop-fronts
sudden

dead

of

the

would

the

avenue

cafis

their

the

painted
gates
man's

of

the

of

upon
Palace

ever

of

of

the

it
the

Champs
like

more

its
;

the

priceless possessions

in

his

much
own

are

walled

the
the

it

is

labour.

WTio

Fleurs,
The

island,

sky,

theirs

the
as

curving

Chapelle,
magnificent
are

the

house.
HANNAH

with

grey-walled,

Sainte

and

tone

trim

the

of

more

des

Quai

its

by

not

of

abodes

terrace

street

envy

yet

of

dovm

the

as

old

brilliant
as

tall

waterways

spire

Justice,

Where

from

of the

beautiful

or

of

And

and

LOWELL.

silent

the

stone

soft
of

as

Glance
.

itself

commerce,

brink
a

of

search

are

at

kind

as

shelters

round

river's

gold,

leafage,

flower-women

vista

with

wall

RUSSELL

?
a

elegance.
of

the

ribboned

upon

in

haunts

in

the

that

chantants

look

to

where

street,

sober

envy

glorious

Seine,

dull

fascinate

wealth

and
the

not

the

where

subdued
are

is

not

rich

trellised,

city,

than

in

night

if

fond

as

am.

break

runs,

do

At

ever,

Paris

of

point

up

mouches

as

in

and

view

building

JAMES

What

the

bateaux

tiny

masses

and

city

handsomest

of its streets.
its

DAUDET.

to

stealthily

outlined

dimly

the

as

liveliness

lights,

endless

in

me

comparable

creeping

eyes,

me

perpetual

J^lysies

nothing

reflected

the

in, gives

strikes

ever

arrival.

my
ALPHONSE

Paris

the

and

LYNCH.

rich

THE

When

heights

that

SPIRIT

looks

man

eastward

dominate

the

great liill of Valerian

Ste.

from

Let

us

that
views

that

last

accumulate),

war

and

with

the

picture
such

sky

may

be

nothing

to describe

it because

famous

that

comprehend
history, her hfe
interest

lies at

There
miles

away

looks
The

plain

days,

the

not

city
of

so

the

north

the great
the

over

yet it is

superior height
mass

and

houses
vast

but

heights beyond

isolated

interest

forborne

enough
people, her

mastered

every

powers.

you

hill of

that, dimly,
it to

the

on

east

gaze,

of Mont-

summit

and

inequalities

which

eye

two

some

of its half-finished
the

the

well

Its

is

nor

scenic

all their

one

see

north

Paris

from

fills the

is

you

have

have

answers

vast

of the

any

its fortifications

"

such

of the

in

men

In

what

great plain of houses.

in the

with

martre,

occupied

feet

clouds

her

within,

have

your

the

where

save

"

in

lost

are

and

known

have

horizon

from

rapid

impression

for

grandeur

they

wind

set.

approach

nor

of dramatic

to

other

with

whole

the

and

you,

grown

of

grey

spot the

match

not

have

unique in something that is neither the

little of
contains
south; something which
and

memories

many

day, clear,

autumn

an

from

will

you

so

that

clearly before

lies

town

western

itself.

following rain,
against which
and

the

city, especiallyfrom

the

to

suppose

weather

from

(round which

Genevieve

sight presents

PARIS

OF

church,
Valerian.

the
the
can

1"2

mind,
clearest

be

just

CHARM

THE

perceived,while

to

Whiter

than

the

south

towns

of

to

northern

the

are

and

and

the suburbs

north

the

country appear,

open

PARIS

OF

the

the

hills.

Europe, yet'

standing under a northern sky, it strikes with the

force of sharp contrast, and half explainsin that
feature its Latin originand destiny. It is veiled
one
by no cloud of smoke, for industry,and more
the industryof our
especially
day, has not been the
motive
fantastic and
of its growth. The
even
will
grandioseeffects which are the joy of London
be discovered here.
It does not fillby a kind
never
of gravitation
this or that group of arteries ; it forms
hne along the water-course
does it lose itself
no
nor
in those vague contours
which, in a merely mercantile
mines
city, the necessityof exchange frequentlydeternot
made
nor
by commerce,
; for Paris was
ment
will any theory of material conditions and environIt
read you the riddle of its growth and form.
of the onlooker that lends it unity,
is not the mind
nor

the emotions

of travel that make

see

it

thing. Paris,as

thus, one

the old hiUs that

beneath

have

it,for those who

it lies before

years, has the effect and

personallife. Not in a metaphor, nor
of

phrasing,but in
Rome, though in a
existence with
voice

is

of

for the sake

truly as in the case of

less familiar,
a
separate
Its
own
appeals to you.
own

mind

on

the

troubhng thing,like an insistent

spoken in a foreigntongue. Its corporate

demand
life is not

you,

manner

soul of its

character

as

reflection of your

no

contrary, it

words

fact ;

it for two

watched

thousand

you

one

is the

ages, whose

an

is

abstraction

may

have

drawn

heard.

from

books

or

'from

There, visiblybefore

and the middle

compound of the modern
unity convinces merely by beingseen.

CHARM

THE

And, above

lookingis
has

been

all,this thing

alive.

It needs

taught

reveries which
seen

wdth

in

are
you
recollection of what

no

the

nor

form

of

any

those

identification of

things
antiquarian

The

remembered.

its best

5
which

upon

youth,

arise at

names

passion,in

PARIS

OF

pedantic and in its worst

in the first aspect of Paris.

maudlin, finds littleroom

of
Later, it takes its proper rank in all the mass
what we may
calls
learn,but the town, as you see it,rehistoryonly by speaking to you in a living
voice.
Its past is still alive,because
the cityis still
instinct with

regardto
young

vigorousgrowth, and

Paris what

you

would

full of adventures

man

you feel with

feel with regardto a

not

at

all the

quiet

interest which
less that
fortune

lies in the recollections of age ; still

of things dead which is a
happy memory

for

so

of the most

many

cities of the

famous

world.
Whence

and what is the

proceedsthis impression,
secret of its origin?
Why, that in all this immense
obvious unity of design appears ; not in
extent
an
one
quarter alone,but over the whole circumference,
stand the evidences of this creative spirit.It is not
the rich,building
for themselves in their own
quarter,
the officials,
wealth
nor
concentratingthe common
their own
buildings
; it is Paris,creatingand
upon
adornment, realizingher own
recreatingher own
her own
dreams upon every side,insisting
on
vagaries,
and not that
committing follies which are her own
here and there chiselof a section of her people,even
ling
out somethingas durable as Europe.
this clear day,
well to look, on
It will repay one
and to strain the eyes in watchingthat hummock
a
.

"

grey and confused

mass

of houses

on

its summit.

6
A

is the Sorbonne
hill,

unequal square

Pantheon

Apostate

summit

are

Abelard

awoke

sleep,and
name

mile

of

here

III.

preached his

her

secret

any

other

man

theory.
*

studied,here

Paris

;'

but

city,we do well to
is a Sphinx ; I will drag
in

this

neither

he

nor

has succeeded.
HILAIRE

MAGNIFICENT

BELLOC.

PARIS

tions,
alive,brilliant with illuminawith the varietyand gaietyof the crowd, the
dazzle of shops and cafes seen
through uncovered
immense
fronts or
lucid plates,the
flamboyant
lamps of carriages,
porchesof theatres and the flashing
of talkers and strollers,
the far-spreading
murmur
of pleasureand prosperity,
the uproar
the general
magnificenceof Paris on a perfectevening in'June.
Hyacinth had been walking about all day he had
from risingtill bedtime
walked
day of the
every
week
ordinary
extraan
spent since his arrival and now
lassitude had fallen
fatigue,a tremendous

The

Boulevard

in the

of the

think
:

long

here Calvin the Picard

formed, and

her

Dante

its

him

its

Here

Genevieve.

answered

Here

Julian

circle ; at
'

mystics.

Mirabeau
from

Ste.

St. Bernard

was

we

of

worthy
note-

very

its foot

little pagan

the

wherein

great curiosity from

Batavian

Whenever
remember

'

; for at

ground

reUcs

the

blotch

is a
distinguished,

his

held

the

into

turns

be

of all the

Innocent

"

can

alone
square

the

slopestowards us two
St. Sulpice a heap of
mark
of unlovely things,
confusion

towers

the distance

which

the

; upon

all this

Yet

PARIS

the rest,half-wayup the

littlehigherthan

lump, a

stones.

OF

CHARM

THE

was

all

"

"

THE
echoes

were

and

PARIS

OF

CHARM

reminiscences

of their works

in the

with the indefinable exhalations,

air,all confounded
the strange composite odour, half agreeable,
half
ing
SplendidParis,charmimpure, of the Boulevard.
Paris
that refrain,
the fragment of an invocation,
itself
a
beginning without an end, hummed
perpetuallyin (his)ears ; the only articulate words
that got themselves
uttered in the hymn of praise
liis imaginationhad been addressingto the French
capitalfrom the first hour of his stay. He recognized,
he greetedwith a thousand
the
palpitations,
seat of his maternal
ancestors
was
proud to be
associated with so much
of the superb, so many
proofs of a civilization that had no visible rough
and even
and
now
spots. He had his perplexities
then a revulsion for which he had made
no
allowance,
him that the most brilliant city
when it came
as
over
'

'

"

"

in the world
the

great sense

also the most

was

blood-stained

that he understood

but

and

sympathized
comprehensiongave him

preponderant,and his
wings appeared to transport him to stillwider fields
of knowledge,stillhighersensations.
ing
Wonderrepeatedlywhere the barricade on which his
grandfathermust have fallen had been erected,he
was

"

at

last satisfied himself

across

the Rue

of Saint-Roch.

Saint-Honore
The

that
.

it had

very
pair had now

near

bristled

to the Church

roamed

together
and gardens,through the
through all the museums
churches
the republicanmartyr was
principal
very
good-naturedabout this ; through the passages and
all
arcades,up and down the great avenues, across
the bridgesand above all again and againalong the
"

endless entertainment
the quays were
an
to Hyacinth,who
hngered by the half-hour beside

river,where

THE
the

boxes

took

the

CHARM

PARIS

OF

of old books

parapets,stuffinghis
while
the bright
pockets with fivepenny volumes
beneath
industries of the Seine flashed and glittered
him
and
the other bank
the gloriousLouvre
on
stretched either way
for a league. Our young
man
been

satisfaction in the Louvre

same

invited

the

on

there

all the

he

haunted

if he had

as

the

museum

days, couldn't look enough at

certain
the
admire
high
sufficiently
picturesnor
polishof the great floors in which the goldenfrescoed
All Paris struck him
ceiUngsrepeatedthemselves.
as
tremendously artistic and decorative ; he felt as
if hitherto he had lived in a dusky frowsy Philistine
world, a world in which the taste was the taste of
Littk Peddlingtonand the idea of beautifularrangement
during

had

first

had

never

an

In

influence.

his ancestral

cityit had been active from the first,and that was

mured
why his quick sensibility
responded and why he murhis constant

the

great

arrested

monuments

silverylightor

the fairness of

refrain whenever

he

saw

them

him

take

in

the

pearly

grey-bluedehcate

statelyvistas. It seemed to him

the placeexpressedherself,
and did it in the grand
articula
style,while London remained vague and blurred,ining
blunt and dim.
Splendid Paris,charmtones

at the end

Paris indeed

of

!
HENRY

JAMES.

PARIS

My

Paris is

land where

twilight
days
nightsof black and gold ;

Merge into violent

Where, it may be, the flower
and
Ah, but the gold nights,

of dawn

is cold

the scented

ways

THE

30

CHARM

OF

PARIS

Eyelidsof

women,

littlecurls of

And

woman

with

hair,
A little nose
curved softly,
like a shell,
like a wound, a mocking veil :
A red mouth
Phantoms, before the dawn, how phantom-fair!
every

beseechingeyes,

"Or with

enticingeyes, or
Offers herself,
a rose, and
A rose's placeamong
our

amorous.

of

craves

us

memories.
ARTHUR

PARIS

INCOMPARABLE

CAN

mutinie

never

must

needes

hath

my

looke

^of

as

me,

but

againstFrance

Paris with

favourable

eye

I
it

infancy; whereof it hath

my
excellent things,the more
other

from

hart

befalne

much

so

on

SYMONS.

since,the more
statelycities I have scene
beauty hath power and doth stillusurpinglygaine

iaire and
hir

my
sake, and

than

I love that citie for her

affections.

upon

in hir

more

it is fuU

when

owne

and owne
onlysubsisting
being,
fraught and embellished with
I
borrowed
garishornaments.

and
forraine pompe
love hir so tenderlythat Mr spottes,her blemishes and
I am
hir warts are deare unto me.
no
perfectFrench

this great citie,

great in people,greatein
but above all,
regard of the felicitieof hir situation,
but

man

by

great and incomparablein varietie and

;

noblest

chiefe ornaments

His

mercy

from
I

and

never

shrowd

the

glory of

commodities

free hir and

hir. So
want

long as
a

home

myselfeat

she shall
a

all

away

of the

one

of the world.

chase

or

and

France

diversitie of

our

God

divisions

continue,so long shall

to retire to

retreate

all times.
MICHAEL

of

DE

MONTAIGNE.

and

THE

CHARM

beautiful

"

City

New

Paris

churches, its music

ii

PARIS

ENTERING

YOUTH

Paris

PARIS

OF

with

"

and

its

and

theatres

splendour!

Ishmael
.

of the great city,where

the river
the old Palace of the Medicis and the

stood

in the midst

flows

between

Legislature,
spanned by historic
bridges,darkened by the shadows of historic towers
river whose waters, lappingagainstthe granite
a
quay with a littlebabblingsound like the prattleof
could tell of tragedyand comedy, death, sin,
a child,
Palace

new

of the

"

it a little more
vice, hate, love, mirth, woe, were
of the man
who
articulate
a river which, to the mind
knows
Paris, does recall a world of strange and
"

terrible memories
in the

from

days
the

that

"

are

river which

has

gone.

To

hillside

...

run

with

blood

the young

man

the

quiet Couesnon,
Paris to-nightseemed
a strange city. He
altogether
had never
taken kindlyto the long,narrow
streets of
with
tall houses,or even
boulevard
to the glittering
green

its formal

avenue

Paris for

to

He
who

across

of young

purpose

"

come

trees.
to

win

and
freedom, fearlessness,

earn

But

he had

his
the

to

come

independence,
rightto hope.

had

fed for the last year or so upon stories of men

had entered Paris shoeless,
shirtless,
carryinga

few

rags in an
for total reserve
years
in the

old cotton

handkerchief,a few sous

fund againststarvation,and who,
of mark, a power
afterwards,had become men

city.He came stuffed to the brim with ambition ;

in himself,
without conceit or arrogance, but
believing
with that unquestionable
faith in liis own
force and
his own
capacitywhich cannot be plucked from the

breast of the conqueror

elect in the world's strife.

THE

12

the window

From

in the darkness

CHARM

OF

PARIS

lamps glimmered

below.

He

saw

here and

there

the external boulevard

yonder a long grey line and beyond lay that

dreary border-land of waste and squalor which in
the outskirts of the
those days stretched between
"

"

and

towTi

the fortifications

Citizen

"

that master-work

King's reign master-work

King his popularity.It was

the

which

"

of the
had

dismal

cost

quarter

of
Yonder, folded in the shadows
night,lay the cemetery of Montmartre, the field of
of

the

town.

rest.

The

Paris of

to-day w^as a vastly different place

from that cityalong whose dingy quays Ishmael had
November
looked
a
on
evening in the year 1850.
Seventeen
improvement, vast
years of enterprise,
the old cityinto a new
had made
city,a
expenditure,
east and west, and north
placeof boulevards piercing
and south ; a place of mighty theatres,and newlyerected churches that were
as
gaudy in colour and
gildingas a mediaeval chdsse or an Indian tomb ; a
rich in sculptured
calling
emblems, replaceof new bridges,
from Jena to
the triumphs of French
arms
fountains
Inkermann
; a placeof parks and palaces,
with suburbs stretching
and gardens,villas and avenues,
far and wide,dotted about with those Swiss chalets,
Norman
chateaux, Italian villas,maisonettes a la
with which the littleshopa la Renaissance,
moyen-dge,
keeper
who
the
has saved money
loves to disfigure
landscapearound Paris. The old wish of the Parisian
to possess a gablein the street has grown
hourgeoise
into the desire for a house and gardens at Asnieres
or

BeUevue.

Opulenceand luxurywere

the

leadingnotes

of the

THE

OF

CHARM

PARIS

13

Imperialreign. The famous Mr. Spricht,the manhad built himself

milliner patronizedin the Tuileries,
out of chiffons.Everya palacewith a fortune made
where
there appeared signs of universal prosperity.
Among the poorestarrondissements of the city,amidst
and
the vanishingslums of old Paris,gardens bloomed
The
fountains played,as in an Arabian
fairy-tale.
enemies of the Emperor sneered at these glimpsesof
of squalor,and grumbled that
in the midst
Eden
was

money

spent

flowers and

upon

fountains

which

ought to have been expended on free schools ; but in

spiteof these malcontents, Paris throve and rejoiced
Her hospitals,
her charities of all
in the sunshine.
kinds, had attained a perfection
only possiblein a
country where

benevolence

Everywhere,from

has

the workman's

been

made

science.

boulevards

yonder,
Richard
Boulevard
Lenoir,Boulevard de la Villette,
to the Italian palace of painter or
princessnewly
risen in the once
shabby purlieusof the Pare Monceaux
westward, beyond the triumphalgate,where
"

hills had

been

levelled and

old streets carted

away

to

and villas,
completethe Parisian's paradiseof avenues
cascades ; eastward
gardens,shrubberies,fish-ponds,
northward
southward
everywhere the hand of
improvement had been busy. Spade and pickaxe,
and chisel,
Paris
hammer
had created a new
a Paris
of tall white palaces,sculpturedpediments, classic
Corinthian friezes,
ings,
lX)rticoes,
caryatides,
ogee mouldbrackets,festoons of fruit and flowers,
repeating
in the same
fresh stonework
themselves
along an
endless
perspective a Paris of intolerablylong
streets,and asphaltepathways that burnt the feet
of the weary
a cityof dissipation,
pleasure,
luxury,
a
gulf for men's fortunes,
extravagance, and ruin
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

pest-housefor

delightful
cityin

religion and

most

the world.

BALLADE

BRADDON.

E.

CAF^S

PARIS

OF

where
cafes,

old-time

Those

the

quite

"

M.

for intellect,

health, a grave

men's

honour, manhood,

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

14

they ?

are

of yester year !
recollections round them stray.

Gone
Yet

like the

And

the friends

are

dear.

stillholds them

memory

Where

snow

that,too, were

leafyboulevard
Those cafes all have passedaway ;
To singtheir praisewhere is the bard

near

'neath the

From

"

others tread the

Though
And

newer,

Friends

there

Those

haunts

old-time

Garnished
With

Along

cafes,stillwe

Ughts,ah

role,new

and

say,

is the bard

all those haunts

me

to-day

they share

play

fashions

wear

with the old will these compare

the same
brightboulevard

ghostsof cafes old

singtheir praisewhere

The

"

more

never

company,

newer

But

are

newer

newer

To

"

singtheir praisewhere

To

appear.
the leafyboulevards

from

Those

rear

men

in the past as gay ;

of old we stillrevere.

Their like will

Gone

brightway,

same

loveUer streets
as

stillstray,
"

is the bard

i6

THE

with

roads

dusty

either side.

and intermittent

with

father and

my

they led us through

or
apple-trees
poplarson
as

it all became

rather tiresome

and

confused,tiU we
quay by abroad river;and

day a

next

well

endless
Then

PARIS

I sat

them

I could watch

mother

OF

coupe where

the

From

CHARM

reached
as

at dusk

drove

we

along

thick trees,we met other red and blue and

their
on
lamped, five-horsed diligences
starting

it,under
green

longjourneyjustas ours was coming to an end.

I knew
Then
(becauseI was a well-educated little
boy, and heard my father exclaim, Here's Paris at
of France.
last !')that we had entered the capital
'

Oh, the beautiful garden !

would

tell

boundless,well

as

this

that

me

My fond
region was

brance
remem-

almost

its boundaries.

I remember

My

geography,as appliedto this

knowledge of physical
modest
suburb of Paris,bids me assign
more
particular
which
limits to this earthly paradise,
again was
fence from Louis
separatedby an easilysurmounted
Bois de Boulogne ; and to this I cannot
find
Philippe's
it in my
heart to assignany limits whatever, except
the

pretty old

and

whose

and

forest

As

from

which

its name,

it takes

street leads to that magicalcombination

principal
of river,bridge,palace,gardens,mountain,
"

we

town

St. Cloud.

grew

older and

wiser

we

had

to
permission

St.
explorationsto Meudon, Versailles,
Also, we
Germain, and other delightful
places.
old Paris.
made ourselves at home in Paris,especially

extend

our

For

with

instance, there
its

statelyold

was

the

mansions

island
entre

of St.
cour

et

Louis,

jardin.

THE

OF

CHARM

PARIS

17

grim stone portalsand high walls,where great

and lawyersdwelt in dignified
seclusion
magistrates
the nobles of the robe ; and where once
had dwelt,
in days gone by, the greaternobles of the sword
crusaders,perhaps,and knightstemplars,like Brian
behind

"

"

de Bois Guilbert.
And

that other

Paris itself was

twin

towers

walls and

famous

more

born, where
the

above

dirtybrown

island,la Cite,where
Notre

Dame

reared its

melancholy, grey, leprous

roofs of the Hotel-Dieu.

little tumble-down

old

houses,all out of
nestled like old spiders'
webs
drawingand perspective,
the buttresses of the great cathedral ; and
between
sides of the little square in front (thePlace
two
on
du Parvis Notre Dame) stood ancient stone dwelHngs,
Pathetic

iron
high slate roofs and elaborately-wrought
balconies. They seemed
to have such romantic
tories
histhat I never
tired of gazing at them, and
wonderingwhat the histories could be; and now I think
of these very dwelUngsmust have been the
of it,one
Hotel de Gondelaurier,
where, accordingto the most

with

veracious

historian that

ever

was,

poor

Esmeralda

to divert
played the tambourine
the fair damosel
Fleur-de-Lysde Gondelaurier and
she transcended
her noble friends,all of whom
in
she
beauty,purity,goodness,and breeding(although
but an
was
untaught,wandering gipsy girlout of
all and the gay
the gutter)
; and there, before them
archer,she was betrayedto her final undoingby her
she had so imprudentlytaught how to
goat, whom
of Phebus.'
spellthe beloved name
Close by was
the Morgue, that gruesome
building
which
the great etcher Meryon has managed to

once

danced

and

'

invest with

some

weird

fascination

akin

that it

to
2

i8

THE

OF

CHARM

days and has now, as I see it

with the charmed
eyes of Memory.
La Morgue ! what a fatal twang there is about the
had

for

in those

PARIS

me

very name
After

"

gazing one's fill at the horrors within (as

became
a
healthy-mindedEnglish boy), it was but
of Henri
statue
a step to the equestrian
Quatre,on
the Pont-Neuf
(the oldest bridge in Paris, by the
way) ; there,astride his long-tailed
charger,he smiled
le roy vert et galant,
justmidway between either bank
of the historic river,justwhere it was
most
historic ;
and turned his back on the Paris of the bourgeois
King
with the pear-shapedface ^nd mutton-chop whiskers.
And
there one
stood, spellboundin indecision,like
the

ass

of Buridan

either side,north

between
or

south

sacks of oats ; for

two

of the

Pont-Neuf, were

be found

on

to

enchantingslums all more attractive the ones

than the others,winding up and down
hill and round
about and in and out, like haunting illustrations by
Dore to Drolatick Tales by Balzac.
Gustave
Dark, narrow,
silent,deserted streets would turn
And
a nightmare.
up afterward in many
gestive
sugnames
printedin old rusty iron letters at the
Rue
Vide
street corners
gousset,' Rue Coupegorge,* Rue de la Vieille Truanderie,' Impasse de
la Tour de Nesle,'
etc.
that appealedto the imagination
hke a chapterfrom Hugo or Dumas.
to these was
And the way
by long,tortuous, busy
and all aUve
most
thoroughfares,
irregularly
flagged,
with strange,delightful
peoplein blue blouses,brown
woollen tricots,
wooden
shoes,red and wliite cotton
with
nightcaps,
girls,
rags and patches; most graceful
feet,and flashing
pretty,self-respecting
eyes, and no
.

'

'

"

'

"

head-dress

but their

own

hair.
.

Then

OF

CHARM

THE

PARIS

19

proletarian
wedding procession headed by
the bride and bridegroom,an ungainlypairin their
Sunday best all singingnoisilytogether. Then a
funeral,or a covered stretcher,followed by
pauper
sympatheticeyes, on its way to the Hotel-Dieu ; or
the last Sacrament, with bell and candle,bound
for
the bedside of some
humble
agonizerin extremis and
all uncovered
it went by.
as
we
And then, for a running accompaniment of sound,
the clangingchimes, the itinerant street cries,the
a

"

"

"

tinkle of the marchand

de coco, the drum, the cor de

Barbary, the ubiquitouspet

chasse,the organ of
the bawling fried-potato
parrot, the knife-grinder,
amusing of all,the poodle-clipper
monger, and, most
and
his son, strophe and
antistrophe,for every
the Uttle boy would
minute
yell out in his shrill
treble that
his father clippedpoodles for thirty
sous.'
It was
all entrancing.
'

...

home

Thence

"

^to quiet,innocent,suburban

Passy

by the quays, walking on the top of the stone

a
parapet all the way, so as to miss nothing (till
else by the Boulevards,
or
gendarme was in sight),
the Rue de Rivoli,the Champs 6lysees,
the Avenue

"

de St. Cloud, and the Chaussee de la Muette.

What
! Is there another
like it anywhere
a beautiful walk
it was

as

out

then, in the sweet earlyforties of this wornold century, and

before this poor scribe had

reached

his teens

Ah, it
which

is

something

to

have

known

that

Paris

lay at one's feet as one gazed from the heights

of Passy, with
all its pinnacles and spires and
gorgeouslygilded domes, its Arch of Triumph, its
ElysianFields,its Field of Mars, its Towers of Our

THE

20

CHARM

OF

its far-off Column

PARIS

of

July, its Invalids,and

Vale of Grace, and Magdalen, and Place of the Concord,
where the obelisk reared its exotic peak by the
beautiful unforgettable
fountains.
flowed
the
There
many-bridged winding river,
unlike our
tidal Thames, and
always the same
way,
always full ; justbeyond it was spread that stately
exclusive suburb, the despairof the newly rich and
recentlyennobled, where almost every other house
which read like a page of French history;
bore a name
and farther stillthe merry, wicked Latin quarter and
of
the grave Sorbonne, the Pantheon, the Garden
Plants ; on the hither side,in the middle distance,
the
Louvre, where the kings of France had dwelt for
centuries ; the Tuileries,where
the King of the
French
dwelt then, and justfor a httle while yet.
Lady,

'

'

I knew

WeU

it when

loved

the

innumerable

with
fire,

on

Dear

sun

it aU ; and

settingat

was

distant windows
It seemed

flame.

western

loved

and

most

of all I

back, and

my

reflected the blood-red

as

the cold blue east

though half Paris was

for a background.

Paris !
DU

GEORGE

THE

LURE

OF

MAURIER.

FRANCE

forth ; the realm that I had crossed

toward the snow-clad Alps.
So lately,
journeying
lured

France

me

and staff.
the scrip
relinquishing
And
all enjoyment which the summer
sun
Sheds round the stepsof those who meet the day

But

With

now,

motion

constant

Preparedto sojournin
Washed
by the cun-ent

as

his own,

I went

pleasanttown.
Loire.
of the stately

THE

CHARM

OF

PARIS

21

Through Paris lay my readiest course, and

Sojourninga few days,I visited
In haste,each spot of old or recent fame,
The latter chiefly
; from the field of Mars
Down
to the suburbs of St. Antony,
And

from

Mont

saw

Toss
The

to the dome

southward

In both her clamorous

Of Genevieve.
The

Martre

there

Halls,

Synod and the Jacobins,

the RevolutionaryPower
like a shipat anchor,rocked by storms ;
in the Palace huge
Arcades I traversed,

National

Of Orleans.

Where

...

silent

zephyrs sportedwith the dust

Of the Bastille,I sate in the open sun,

And from the rubbish gatheredup a stone,
in the guise
pocketed the relic,
Of an enthusiast ; yet,in honest truth,
I looked for somethingthat I could not find,
than I felt ;
emotion
Affectingmore
For 'tismost
certain,that these various sights.
However
potent their first shock, with me
Appeared to recompense the traveller's pains
Less than the paintedMagdalene of Le Brun,
A beauty exquisitely
wrought,with hair
Dishevelled,
gleamingeyes, and rueful cheek
""
tears.
Pale and bedropped with overflowing
And

It

That

was

beautiful and silent

overspreadthe

countenance

day
of earth,

fadingwith unusual quietness,

A day as beautiful as e'er was
given
To soothe regret,though deepeningwhat
When
by the gUding Loire I paused,and

Then

'

"

it soothed.
cast

THE

:22

PARIS

OF

CHARM

domains, vineyardand tilth,

Green meadow-ground, and many-colouredwoods,
Again,and yet again,a farewell look ;

Upon

his rich

Then

from

the

quietof that scene passedon,

his throne
Bound
to the fierce Metropohs. From
The King had fallen,
and that invadinghost
Presumptuous cloud on whose black front was written
"

The

tender mercies

That

bore it

on

"

of the dismal

burst innocuous.

They

"

who

Banded

had

beneath

Erewhile

went

elate

come

the Great
forth from

Omrahs

Rajahs and

plainsof Liberty
Say in bolder words.

the

Had

wind

as

eastern

hunters

Mogul, when he
Agra or Lahore,

in his

train,intent

To

drive their prey enclosed within a ring

Wide as a province,
but, the signalgiven.

Before the

pointof the Hfe- threatening

spear
Narrowing itselfby moments
they,rash men.
Had seen the anticipated
quarry turned
Into avengers, from whose wrath they fled
In terror. Disappointmentand dismay
"

Remained
With

fancies had

run

wild

evil

expectations
; confidence
perfecttriumph for the better

And

The
On

for all whose

State

her

Show

"

as

if to

she was,

stamp the final seal

to the world

and
security,

what

cause.

high and fearless soul,

or heart-strung
defiance,
a

Exultingin
By sharpresentment, or behke to taunt
With spiteful
gratitudethe baffled League,
That had stirred up her slackening
faculties
To a new
transition
when
the King was
crushed.
Spared not the empty throne, and in proud haste
"

thoughtof

OF

CHARM

THE

24

PARIS

those

September massacres,
Divided from me
by one httle month,
Saw them and touched : the rest was
conjuredup
From
tragicfictions or true history.
I

Remembrances
The

horse is

Of wildest
For

But

admonishments.

dim

taught his

but treads back

course

and

manage,

the spent hurricane

fierce

As

and

the air

; the

successor

no

his

star

own

steps;

provides

tide retreats

of its

hiding-place
In the great deep ; all thingshave second birth
The earthquake is not satisfied at once
;
And in this way I wrought upon
myself,
to return

Until I seemed
the whole

To

Fled with
But

out

to hear

voice that cried,

'

city, Sleepno

the voice to which

vainlycomments

of

The

more.'
it had

calmer

trance

given birth

mind

Promised
The

soft peace and sweet forgetfulness.

place,all hushed and silent as it was,

unfit for the repose

Defenceless as a wood
where

Appeared

of

night.
tigersroam.

With

earlymorning towards the Palace- walk

Of Orleans eagerlyI turned : as yet
The streets were
still; not so those long Arcades ;
There, 'mid a peal of ill-matched sounds and cries.
That greetedme
I could hear
on
entering,
Shrill voices from the hawkers in the throng,

BawUng,

'

Denunciation

Of Maximihan

of the Crimes
,

"

I
';the hand,
Robespierre
Prompt as the voice,held forth a printedspeech.
The same
that had been recentlypronounced.
When
not ignorantfor what mark
Robespierre,
Some
words of indirect reproofhad been

CHARM

THE
in

Intended,rose
The
To

of him

illsurmise

an

bringhis chargein

openness

25

dared

hardihood,and

had

who

man

PARIS

OF

whereat,
no
one
stirred,

pause ensued, and

In silence of all present,from his seat

When

singlethrough the

walked

Louvet

avenue,

his station in the Tribune, saying,

thee !' Well is known
accuse
I, Robespierre,
took

And
*

dead

issue
inglorious

The

He, who

had launched

one

Was

the

discharge
retire lamenting

best aid is w^asted upon

false.
to themselves
are
Heaven's

That
W^ho

But

Of wliich I

further.

No
That
To

sort

some

individual

to my

Let

seeingwith

Liberty,and

the remotest

my
Life,and

things

are

storm

mind,

then relate that

me

men

these

speak,only as they were

Or sunshine

In

had sounded"

follower to

and
dut}^,
perilous

His

charge,and how
startUngthunderbolt,

whose voice the attack

bold man,
left without

The

of that

proper

now

"

eyes

Death, would

soon

of the land

corners

of those who

Lie in the arbitrement

ruled

And

capitalCity ; what was struggledfor,

by what combatants victorymust be won

The

indecision

The

Seemed
Who

on

best,and

in attack

or

their part whose aim

the straightforward
path of those
in defence

were

strong

Through their impiety my inmost soul

Was
agitated; yea, I could almost
Have
prayed that throughoutearth upon all men.
made
By patientexercise of reason
filled
all spirits
Worthy of liberty,
With zeal expanding in Truth's holy light,
"

26

THE

the four

From
A

PARIS

giftof tongues might fall,and

The

For

OF

CHARM

quarters of the \\inds

without

France, what
of honour

work

help she

think not

arrive

power
to do

could not

do,

that to this

added, work of safety: from all doubt

Or trepidation
for the end of things
Far was
I,far as angelsare from guilt,
I

WILLIAM

PARIS

Paris

is

race.

The

total.

whole
of dead

who

sees

ceilingof the
prodigiouscity is
and living
manners.

Paris is the

human

of this

manners

Paris thinks he

with heaven

TOTAL

WORDSWORTH.

sees

the bottom

shorteni
foreHe

of all history

and constellations in the intervals.

Paris

the Town
Hall, a Parthenon, Notre
capital,
Dame, a Mount
Aventine, the Faubourg Saint-Antoine,an Asinarium, the Sorbonne, a Pantheon, a Via
des Italiens,
a
Sacra, the Boulevard
temple of the
cule.
winds, opinion; and it replacesthe Gemoniae by ridiIts majo is called
faraud,'its Transteverin is
the man
of the faubourgs,its hammal
is the marketporter,its lazzarone is the pegre, its cockney is the
native of Ghent.
Everything that exists elsewhere

has

'

exists at

Paris.

retort

the herb-seUer

on

fishwoman
of

of Dumarsais

can

Euripides,the discobols
Forioso, the tight-rope

again in the
dancer.
in
Therapontigonus Miles could walk arm
^^dth Vadeboncoeur
the grenadier,
arm
Damasippus
the second-hand
dealer would be happy among
brica-brac merchants, Vincennes
could grasp Socrates in
its fist justas Agora could imprisonDiderot,Grimod
de la Reyniere discovered larded roast beef,as CurVejanus

lives

The

THE
tillus invented

the

roast

in
figures

which

CHARM

PARIS

OF

hedgehog ;

27

see

we

trapeze

under
the vault
reappear
of Poecilus
the sword-eater
of I'Etoile,

Arc

Plautus

the

of
countered
en-

the
on
by Apuleius is a sword-swallower
and Curculio the
Pont-Neuf, the nephew of Rameau
parasitemake a pair; Ergasiluscould get himself
by d'Aigrefeuille
presentedto Cambaceres
; the four
dandies of Rome
: Alcesimarchus,Phoedromus, Diabolus, and Argyrippus, descend from Courtille in
chaise ; Aulus GelHus would
Labatut's
halt
postingno
longer in front of Congrio than would Charles
Nodier in front of Punchinello ; Marto is not a tigress,
but Pardahsca
not a dragon ; Pantoblabus
the
was
the fast
wag jeersin the Cafe Anglaisat Nomentanus
liver ; Hermogenus is a tenor in the Champs Elysees,
and round him Thracius the beggar,
clad like Bobeche,
takes up a collection ; the bore who stops you by the

button
after

of your coat in the Tuileries makes

you repeat
lapseof two thousand yeais Thesprion's
apostrophe

?
The
Quis properantem me prehenditpallio
wine on Surene is a parody of the wine of Alba, the
red border of Desangiersforms a balance to the great
cuttingof Balatro, Pere Lachaise exhales beneath
nocturnal rains the same
and
gleams as the Esquilise,
the grave of the poor bought for five years is certainly
the equivalent
of a slave's hired coffin.
Seek something that Paris has not.
The vat of
Trophoniuscontains nothingthat is not also in Mesmer's tub ; Ergaphilaslives again in Cagliostro
; the
Brahmin
Vasaphanta become incarnate in the Comte
de Saint-Germain
; the
cemetery of Saint-Medard
works
quite as good miracles as the Mosque of

Oumoumie

Paris has

at Damascus.
an

^sop-Mayeux,

and

Canidia,Made-

THE

28

It is

moiselle Lenormand.

PARIS

OF

CHARM

like Delphos,at
terrified,

tables
realitiesof the vision ; it makes
fulgurating
did tripods. It placesthe grisette
Dodona
turn
as
there ;
the throne, as Rome
on
placedthe courtesan
than
if,Louis XV. is worse
and, takingit altogether,
Claudian,Madame
Dubarry is better than Mesalina.
Although Plutarch says : the tyrantnever grows old,
itself,
Rome, under Syllaas under Domitian, resigned
Paris drinks
and willingly
put water in its wine.
million litres of water
a
a
day, but that does not
alarm
beatingthe general
prevent it from occasionally
and ringingthe tocsin.
that exception,
Paris is amiable.
It excepts
With
The Syrianhostess has more
everythingroyally.
Saguet,but, if Virgilhaunted the
grace than Mother
Roman
wine-shop, David
d'Angers, Balzac, and
the

Charlet
Paris

have

at

sat

the tables of Parisian

reigns.Geniuses

taverns.

there,the red tails

flash forth

passes on his chariot with its

twelve wheels of thunder and Hghtning; Silenus makes
prosper

his

there.

entry

Adonai

there

on

his

Silenus read

For

ass.

Ram-

ponneau.

Paris is the synon}/!!! of

Sybaris,Jerusalem,Pantin.
There

is

which
*

subjugates.
Alexander.

To

sometimes

Paris makes

cityhas

No

more

than

than

more

had

derides those whom

O Athenians

pleaseyou,

the fashion ; Paris sets

the routine.
Paris may

sometimes

limit to Paris.

no

domination

Cosmos, Paris is Athens,

that
it

!'exclaimed

the law, it makes

the fashion,it sets

stupid,if it sees fit ; it

luxury ; then the universe

be

allows itselfthis

is stupidin company
with it ; then Paris awakes, rubs
its eyes, says : How
stupid I am !' and bursts out
*

laughingin

the

face of the

human

race.

What

THE
marvel

is such

CHARM

city!

OF

It is

PARIS

29

strange thingthat this

and this burlesqueshould be amicable

grandioseness
that all this majestyshould not be thrown
neighbours,
into disorder by all this parody, and that the same
mouth
can
to-dayblow into the trump of the Judgment
Day, and to-moyow into the reed-flute ! Paris
Its gaietyis of the thunder
has a sovereign
joviality.
and its farce holds

sceptre.

proceeds from a grimace.

tempest sometimes
its days,its masterpieces,
its prodigies,
Its explosions,
of the universe,and
its epics,
go forth to the bounds
stories. Its laugh is the
also do its cock-and-bull
so
of a volcano which spatters the whole earth.
mouth
Its jestsare sparks. It imposesits caricatures as well
of
its ideal on
as
people; the highestmonuments
civilization accept its ironies and lend their
human
eternityto its mischievous pranks. It is superb ; it
delivers
has a prodigiousfourteenth of July, which
the globe; it forces all nations to take the oath of
tennis ; its night of the fourth of August dissolves in
Its

hours

three

thousand

of its logicthe muscle

itselfunder

is the tribute under

; it makes

of unanimous
of forms

all sorts

of feudalism

years

will ; it multipUes
of the subUme.
It
...

the feet of

Mirabeau, and a crater

under the feet of Robespierre; its books, its theatre,
its philosophy,are
its art, its science,its literature,
of the human
the manuals
race
; it has Pascal, Regnier,Corneille,Descartes,Jean-Jacques ; Voltaire for
all moments,

Moliere

for all centuries

language to be talked by
that languagebecomes
the
minds
which
and

the idea

of

it forgesare

it is with

the universal
word

its

it makes

mouth,

it constructs

and

in all

progress, the Hberatingdogmas

for the generations'
trusty friends,

the soul of its thinkers

and

its

poets

THE

30

that all heroes

1789 ;

PARIS

OF

of all nations

this does

enormous

CHARM

have

been

made

since

prevent vagabondism ; and that

figuring
genius which is called Paris, while transnot

the world

its

in charcoal
sketches
light,
the wall of the temple of Theseus
nose
Bouginier's
on
and writes Credeville the thief
on the Pyramids.
Paris is always showing its teeth ; when
it is not
scoldingit is laughing.
Such

is Paris.

PARIS

by

in

PAINTER

victor

ITS

day, can have so

of picturesque
charm in
full
wondrous
galleries
sous

CHARM

PICTURESQUE

though

Paris,even

much

his
him

he starve

on

few

that is

lovelyand full
dailypursuits: the long,

of the

realite de Videal around

hugo.

he

arts

in that

adores ; the
perfectworld ;

the

slow, sweet, studious hours in the calm wherein

all that is great in humanity alone survives
the
half adoration,half aspiration,
trance
at once
desire
Lisa ; then,
and despair before the face of the Mona
without,the streets so glad and so gay in the sweet,
livingsunshine ; the quiver of green leaves among
gildedbalconies ; the groups at every turn about the
doors ; the glow of colour in market-place
and peopled
in old historic ways ;
square ; the quaint grey piles
"

"

the stones, from

every

of which

one

some

voice from

imperishablePast cries out ; the green and silent

the wdnding waters
\\'Oods,the little leafyvillages,
with the citygleaming
garden-girt
; the forest heights,
and goldenin the plain; all these are his.
shall dare say the
these
who
With
and youth
painteris not rich ay, though his board be empty
and his cup be dry ?
the

"

"

"

THE

32

PARIS

OF

CHARM

golden, belonging to the wall of

world.
This, too, is in our memories
stock
addition
to our
a
light for

amber- coloured,
ethereal

some

for

ever

to

memory
face.

Paris

At
had

an

"

"

turn

but two
the

thoughtsin
of the

other

head

my

times

beam

stop but for

could

we

it wishes

to, when

upon

its

days, and

two

of the Revolution,

one

of Moliere

and

Boileau.

Sorbonne, and
the guillotine
the place where
stood
to see
went
of spirits
the
thousands
underwent
the placewhere
last pang of morality; many
guilty,many innocent,
but all the victims of reaction againsttyranny such
it was, unless a
will never
let tyranny be what
as
of nature
convulsion
should swallow
up knowledge,
the world begin over
and make
again. These are the
and that
thoughtsthat enable us to bear such sights,

Accordingly I

about

looked

for the

"

serve

to

what

secure

hope for.

we

Paris,besides being a beautiful cityin the quarters

that strangersmost
look to, the Tuileries,
the Quai
the eye of a man
of letters
de Voltaire,
etc., delights
by the multitude of its book-stalls. There seemed
to be
than

want

of old books

the shoal of Missals

disappointthe
Italy; and the
I thought,if I
and

had

no

; but

and

the

Lives

of the

lover of duodecimos
Rousseaus
were

and

were

new

on

Voltaires

bachelor,not

love for old friends and

an

better

Saints that

the
were

stalls of
endless.

EngUshman,
and no
fields,

decided

religious
opinions,I could hve very well,for
the rest of my Hfe,in a lodgingabove one of the booksellers'
shops on the Quai de Voltaire,where I should
look over
the water
and have the
to the Tuileries,
Elysianfields in my eye for my eveningWcilk.
LEIGH

HUNT.

CHARM

THE

DEPARTURE

FROM

Paris, adieu, beloved

To-day

I turn

33

PARIS

town,

rover,

happy here behind,

pleasurebrimming over.

leave you

And

With

My

PARIS

OF

German

heart

has fallen sick

"

breast I feel it
my
in the North the doctor dwells

Within
And

"

Whose

skill alone

He's famous
To
But

can

for his wondrous

health he'll soon

drastic

I shrink

heal it.

are

restore

his bitter

what's

from

cures,
me.

drugs ;

before

me.

Farewell,ye merry folk of France,

My brothers happy-hearted ;
Though foolish yearningdrives me forth.
shall not long be parted.
We

Imagine ! For the smell of peat

I long with real anguish;
For turnips,
Liineburgercakes
And

sauer-kraut

languish.

I yearn for watchmen, councillors,

Black bread in all its crudeness.
For
I

tobacco, parsons'daughtersblonde
even

yearn

for rudeness.

long to see my mother, too ;

I franklyown
I'm human-"
*Tis fullythirteen years since last
I

saw

"

the dear old

woman.

"

THE

34

Farewell,
I
So

Yet,

the

bliss,

feel

With

This

wild

foot,

My

the
Of

I'll

end
this

be
The

on

of

the

back,
loveUest

with

"

"

yearning.

completely

cured

unpleasant,

most

in

promise,
New

end

would

ground.

German

year,

malady

pain
burning

shakes

and

Quivers

By

tread

to

more

stifle.

or

impetuous

far

me

once

this

throes

"

drives

trifle

lungs

air,

you.

that

not

my

German

convulsive

In

dare

fill

must

leave

thirst

you

heart,

my

less,

terrible

this

grieve

to

you

none

From

fold

close

wife

lovely

my
and

perplex

must

With

wife,

my

PARIS

OF

CHARM

time

Year's

to

present.
HEINE.

HEINRICH

Translated

buy

hy

Margaret

Armour.

IN

PRAISE

OF

PARIS

3"2

Truely
the

houses

piles,

built

are

of

one

the

with,

most

suburbs,

the

comprehending

Paris,

and

and

noble

many

in

Cittyes

gallant

is, for the

the

magnificent

world.
EVELYN.

JOHN

Amidst

heart

(The
A

spacious

Of

but

forms,

island

An

all

the

Each
The

the

and

tides

rest,
best

the

and
the

whole

compose)

within,

stream,

enclose.

LUDOVICO

is

It

useless
of

capital

since
of

of

baking

essentially

the

and

clear,
of

instead

that
in

private

light

and

underfoot,
rides
brustle

that

cut

and

You

stately,

blending
The

silent,

and

through

duty

the

everything

; Paris

wood.

has

; the

to

the

very

and

of

streets

by
very

workmen's

tenement-houses

without

palaces

might

be

quarters
remember

W.

or

is both

eye.
G.

is

clean-paved
they

"

bright

there

which

are

traffic

of

court

grown

effect

large

smaller

The

so

Outside

whether

fa9ades,

jammed

not

the

lines

seventeenth-century

air

into

pression
im-

clear

so

serene,

choking
a

is

capital.

and

vast

on

all

houses,

owe

light

come

without

they

in

nineteenth-century

space

cramping.

be

might

you

and

harmonious,

and

the

sharp

so

air

the

zation
civili-

from

destiny

The
.

of

gives

brick.

light

correct

is

capital

imperial
.

still, the

everywhere

of

first

very

so

her

the

Paris

Paris

began.

known

having

houses

the

civilization

ARIOSTO.

truth,

been

has

Paris

civilization.

ever

the

against

contend

to

glides.

the

from

strongest

without,

commands

branching

(three parts

part

fosse,

with

first

realm

the

ramparts

securing

town

other

the

beneath

city parts,

all

and

France),

that

river,

The

of

stands

Paris

fair

plain

material

STEEVENS.

DAY

PARIS

Paris,

half

the

Stretches
And

FAMILIAR

with

were

its

thee

Once

more,

With

Aline's

once

even

heaven,

to

thousand

of the

hints

yet,

at

starry lamps
from

EPISTLE

Grisette,

half

long boulevard

whispers

Vague

Angel,

that

I would

Where

DAY

BY

trees

Hesperides.

more,

and

smile

heart, fo sit

my

Harry's wdt,

sip the cloudy green,

With
dreamy hints of speech between
be, flashing all intent
Or, may
To

sit and

call of

At
When

the

Like

the

The

stern

some

talks

And

while

hke
the

his

takes

music

would

husband,

her

Male,

prose-man

And

fain

Woman

New
Old

argument,

set

free.

mighty hre
fire !

on

crowd

merry

be,

slipsby

Glittering and glancing to the

All happy lovers on
their way
To make
a
golden end of day
Cafe truly called La Paix
Ah
!

eye,

"

Or

at

With
The

pension

Transatlantic
same,

Guarded

the

I vow,

with

song

be

I wouJd

maidens
who
the

once

trees

three.
of old
of

gold.

Lady, Lady, Vis-a-Vis,

When

shall I

cease

to
Z7

think

of

thee,

38

THE
On

CHARM

OF

PARIS

whose

fair head

the Golden

soon,

too soon,

returns

Too

Fleece

to Greece

Oh, why to Athens e'er depart?

Come
back, come
back, and bringmy
And

"

heart !

she whose

gentlesilver grace.
So wise of speechand kind of face.
Whose
every wise and witty word
to be heard.
Fell shy, half blushing
Last, but ah
That

surelynot

blithe and

Th'

buxom

the base soul of

And

wring from him

Tortured
!

from

least

dear.
buccaneer,

avenginggoddessof

Bom

Ah

her sex,
to vex,

man

those tears and

heart and

woman's

sighs

eyes.

fair
fury,fascinating,
"

shall I

When

cease

to think of her !

Paris,half Angel,half Grisette,

I would that I were
with thee yet.
waits me, Hke a wife,
But London
London, the love of my whole hfe.
"

Tell her not, Paris,mercy

!
me
I have flirted,
How
dear,with thee.
LE

RICHARD

THE

GREATNESS

OF

GALLIENNE.

PARIS

exceedinggreat,beingno lesse than ten

miles in circuit,very
populous, and full of very
whereof
both publiqueand private,
goodly buildings,
with
the greatestpart are of faire white free-stone : wherefurnished than
it is naturallymore
plentifully

This

any

Citie is

Citie of Christendome

that

ever

I read

or

heard

THE

40

CHARM

OF

PARIS

of all the

in French la
Citie,called our Lady Street,
de nostre Dame, built upon it, I have heard that
rue
Jucundus, a certain Bishop of this citie,built this
bridge. He calls it Duphcem, because there was
another bridgeneare
unto that called the httle bridge,
built by the same
Our Lady
time.
at the same
man
streete is very faire,
beingof a greatlength,
though not
so broad
as our
Cheapsidein London : but in one thing
.

it exceedeth

street in London

any

of almost
which

stand

both in

for such

of the

is the uniformity

same

streete

bridgethat they are made

of workmanship and matter : so
proportion

they make

the

upon

show

the neatest

Besides there
this

al the houses

alike
that

of all the houses in Paris.

three faire bridgesmore

are

river,whereof

the

built upon
is called the bridgeof exchange,

one

dwell, S. Michaels
bridge,and the bridgeof birdes,formerlycalled the
millers bridge. The reason
why it is called the bridge
of birdes,is,because
all the signesbelongingunto
shopson each side of the streete are signesof birds.
The Via J acobaea is very fullof booke-sellers that have
faire shoppesmost plentifully
furnished with bookes.
THOMAS
CORYAT
(1611).
where

the

Gold-smiths

When

loud March

And

By

earth and

the

heaven
to

For

we
our

make

will

AT

PARIS

the east
are

beginsto blow,
black,then off we hie

Paris,where

we

set to the meridian

third floor in the Rue

There
And

from

nighttrain

Three windows
A

WEEK

know

sky,

de Rivoli.

stop and see the fair world move

sole pleasurepast us, you and I,
in love.
pretence we are once more

PRAISE

IN

need

We

fret at loss of pence

father Bignon'ssmiles

not

Though

This lifein idleness is

Than
We

all

need

PARIS

OF

not

all

paid in gold.

are

shall Faure,

us

Sara, Dupuis, or I'Heritier unfold

New stores of mirth and music, and
We

more

once

at the Maison

shall sup, and

two

twice told.

wealth

our

To-nightfor

fret.

time,

or

sublime

more

toil and

our

41

d'Or.

WILFRID

One

excursion

WALKS

IN

which

every

to make

reasonablysure

immense
seven

PARIS

is to Pere

Pere

fine view.

The

century, and
the world

Noble

yet whose

families

so

are

It
...

and

parts very

many

in

of Abelard

and

the

Heloise,

in the twelfth

melancholy story
hundred

buried

mands
com-

hundred

...

many

is

cemetery of

one

died

lovers who

still after

is

monument
interesting

most

cemetery is,perhaps,the tomb

sad-fated

Paris

la Chaise.

la Chaise

size,coveringan area of
acres, yet it is already in

crowded.

those

stranger in

extremityof Paris,and

is at the north-eastern
a

BLUNT.

touches

years.

here, and

so

are

heroes

whose

Artists and men

of
fightingdays are over.
letters repose very quietly,
and
their heart-burnings
envies and jealousies
long since ended.
.

Leave
of the

Pere

la Chaise

and
Tuileries,

and

how

see

go

to the Garden

down

full

they

and

are

of the

brightnessof living.I know not where

walks so fascinating
as
a ramble
through the
of the
on

across
Tuileries,

into the
I have

the Place de la

joy

to find
Garden

Concorde, and

Champs Elysees.

taken

this walk

as

soft

springday

was

OF

CHARM

THE

42

PARIS

sky was all rose and gold,

and the distances were
softlypurplein the evening
glow. There was a charm in the scene, half pensiveand
tender,which I can never
put into words.
altogether
'Is there any cityin the whole world so beautiful
the
Paris ?* I asked, as we
looked out towards
as
ElysianFields.
had
I think
not,' answered
friend, who
my
its close.

drawing to

The

travelled much.

of the httle steamers

one

and

plyingup
I would

the

day.

cool

it.

taken

hot

that

not

am

sure

trip on the
are
constantly
that for myself
a

You
any other.
of all the heat and glareof

eveningto

an

leave

However

the

on

down

prefersuch

not

to have

seem

summer-night pleasureis

Another
Seine in

it is

elsewhere, it is always

river after sunset.

have

You

all the

You
of the fatigue
of motion.
pleasurewith none
the Hghts everywhere, for Paris is the most
watch
lightedcity in the world ; and you look
brilHantly
dovMi into the contrasting
depth and shadow of the
that you
river with a sort of feeling
are
gHding

between

two

Every

few

worlds.
moments

you

pass

under

Many

massive
of them

and
are

named

and some,
victories,
instance,are adorned with

partin the battle from

form

these

nether

To

sort

world

of darkness

those who

care

of famous

de I'Alma, for
of soldiers who took

the Pont

statues

bridgetakes its name.

illuminated, and
brilliantly
the river ; but,
Hght across

of span of
dropping under them, you
a

as

which

bridgesare

in commemoration

French

All

of the

the
among
the grandestbridgesin the world.

twenty-seven great bridgesof Paris

most

one

the

pass for a moment

and shadow.

to
chiefly

into

be amused, the boule-

PRAISE

IN

vards, with

entertainment.

guests that it seems

You

coffee,and

by

moves

earth

43,

refreshments, afford
The

broad

sidewalks

with littleround

crowded

them.

PARIS

out-of-door

their

inexhaustible
are

OF

eat

tables,so surrounded byif all Paris must

be sitting
at

as

ice

your

or

drink

your

after-dinner

ceaseless,
constantlyvaried panorama

You

you.

seem

all the tribes of the

to meet

in Paris.
LOUISE

CHANDLER

FANTASTIC

FAIR,

MOULTON.

PARIS

I mused

So,
and

down,

and

down, the terraced streets,

The glittering
boulevards,the white colonnades
Of fair,fantastic Paris who wears
boughs
made
Like plumes, as if man
them, tossingup

Up

up

"

fountains

Her

in the sunshine

from

the squares,

of beauty, sure
dice i' the game
to win ;
Or as she blew the down-balls of her dreams

As

only waited for their falling

back,

And
To

breathe

cityswims

The
As

up

Venice

on

and

more,

in

her festive hours.

count

verdure,beautiful

the waters, the

sea-swan.

bosky gardens,dropped in close-walled courts.

plums in ladies' laps,who start and laugh :

What
As

What

miles of streets

that

run

on

after trees.

Still carryingthe necessary

shops.
Those open caskets,with the jewelsseen
And
In
As
As

trade

is art, and

art's

philosophy,
Paris. There's a silk,
for instance,there.
worth an artist's study for the folds,
that bronze opposite! nay, the bronze has faults;

Art's here too

artful, conscious
"

as

maid.

THE

44

CHARM

her shadow

leans to mark

Who

Until she lose

OF

PARIS
the wall

on

'vantagein her step.

Yet Art walks forward, and knows
where to walk :
The artists,
also,are ideaUsts,
Too absolute for nature, logical
in the application
of
To austerity
The special
theory: not a soul content
To painta crooked
pollardand an ass,
As the Enghsh will because they find it so,
And
like it somehow.
Ah, the old Tuileries
its high cap down
its eyes,
Is pulling
on
and amazed
'Confounded,conscience-stricken,
By the apparitionof a new fair face
In those devouringmirrors.
Through the grate.
Within the gardens,what a heap of babes.
Swept up like leaves beneath the chestnut-trees.
From
every street and alleyof the town,
By the ghostsperhaps,that blow too bleak this way
A-lookingfor their heads ! Dear pretty babes ;
I'llwish them luck to have their ball-play
out
Before the next change comes.
And, farther on,
What
fine,
statues, poisedupon their columns
a

"

"

As if to stand

Against that

moment

blue !

were

What

feat.
! what

squares

breathing-

room

nation

that

For

The

dentist's teeth at the

Which

grinat

runs

fast,

progress in

against
corner, in palerows.
an
epigram.
"

ELIZABETH

EULOGY

AM

now

nature's

ay,

runs

BARRETT

OF

BROWNING.

PARIS

Upon the fair continent

choicest masterpieces,
one

of

France, one

of

of Ceres' chiefest

PRAISE

IN

OF

PARIS

45

for corn, one of Bacchus'

of Neptune'sbest salt pits; a

prime wine cellars and

completeself-sufficient
there is rather
than
a
superfluity
country, where
defect of anything,either for necessity
or
pleasure;
did the policyof the country correspondwith the
in the equal distribution of the
bounty of nature
for I think there is
wealth amongst the inhabitants,
not upon the earth a richer country and poorer people.
the epitome
Paris [isa] huge magazine of men,
of this largepopulouskingdom and rendezvous
of all
I beheve this cityis not so populous
foreigners.
she seems
to be, for her form being round (as the
as
wheel about and
whole kingdom is) the passengers
oftener than they use to do in the longcontinued
meet
makes
streets of London, which
London
less
appear
for
populous than she is indeed, so that London
minster,
length (though not for latitude),includingWestbarns

...

Paris,and hath in Michaelmas

exceeds
souls

more

under

one

mine

in

that

years
strong in

until

mean

her

hundred

sumptuous and
were

within

moving

all

Paris

places. It
is become

buildings
; for

of white stone

term,

her

is
sa

houses

discovered

was

hard

by, which runs in a continued vein of earth and

is digged out with ease, being soft,and is between a
white clay and chalk at first,
but being puUied up,
with the open air it receives a crusty kind of hardness
and so becomes
perfectfreestone ; and before it is
from

the

Of this stone

the

sent

up

which

is

of

ItaUan

an

vast

it to any form.
the king'spalace,
is built,

can

reduce

Louvre,
for the gallery
wants
fabric,

mile

which
3,000 men,
the last king made
of this

pitthey

in

told

some

it

great mutinous

length,and

so

me

was

will

not

much

easilylodge

the end

for which

big,that King at the fag-end

city,if she perchance should

THE

46

CHARM

OF

rise,the king might pour

thousand
I

am

men

unawares

hard

off from

those

resort, for I would

I could.

as

soon

go

of the Louvre

out

into the heart

lodgedhere

furthest

PARIS

on

so

many

of her.

because it is
by the B as tile,
places where the English
to get a Httle language as

enjoyed my health better,but I was like

to endanger it two
nights ago ; for being in some
abroad, and coming late to our
jovialcompany
of
suddenly surprisedby a crew
lodging,we were
or
nightrogues, who drew upon us, and as we
filous,
the
had
blows, it pleased God
exchanged some
de Guet, an officer who goes up and down
ChevaUeur
orders,
horseback
to prevent disthe streets all night on
passedby, and so rescued us ; but Jack White
was
hurt, and I had two thrusts in my cloak. There
is never
a night passeth but some
robbing or murder
never

is committed

in this town,

that it is not

so

safe to go

anywhere, speciallyabout the Pont-Neuf, the

New
Bridge, though Henry ,the Great himself lies
sentinel there in arms, upon
a huge Florentine
horse,
that passeth,an improper
and sits bare to everyone
Not long
posture methinks to a king on horseback.
since,one of the secretaries of State (whereofthere
here always four) having been invited to the
are
late

one

It

of Saint Germains

to supper, left order with

of his lackeysto bringhim his horse about nine.

suburbs

so

which

happened, that
lamed

insomuch

him

as

that the

himself,and foot

mischance

he went

wateringto
put

secretarywas

it home

but

befell the

as

he

the

to beat
was

horse,
Seine,

the hoof

passingthe

lackey carrjdnga torch before

him, he might overhear a noise of clashingof swords
and lookingunder the torch and perand fighting,
Pont-Neuf

with

his

48

THE

AN

APPEAL

TO

October,

Beautiful

PARIS

OF

CHARM

PARIS

1847.

Paris ! morning star of nations !

The

Lucifer of cities !

The

beacon

Medina

and

Medina

of

blaze of

Liftinghigh
democracy !
young

Gomorrha

both

in

one

"

high and holy creed,

To be developed
in a coming time.
SoaringParis,
Laden
with intellect,
and yet not wise :
Metropolisof satire and lampoon,
Of wit and elegance,
of mirth, of song.
And fearful tragedies
done day by day,
a

"

Which

put

Beautiful

our

hair

on

Paris ! sacred

end

in the open

streets.

hearts.
all thy wickedness.
With all thy folly,
If but for Bailly,
Vergniaud,Gensonne,
And noblest Roland, she of Roman
soul.
to

our

and the friends of man

great patriots
went
to death for holy Hberty.
Who
Lift up thy voice,oh, Paris ! once
again.
And speak the thought that labours in thy breast.
Shake off thy gauds and tinsels be thyself
;

And

the

"

And

in the conflict and

the march

of

men

to thy nature, and complete

justice
The glorious
work, so gloriously
begun
By the great souls of pregnant 'eighty-nine.
Come
forth,oh, Paris ! freed from vice and stain.
Like a young wamor,
dallyingtoo long
With lovingwomen,
wastingprecioushours
and enervatingsloth.
In base delights
he shakes them off,puts back his hair
Who, when
his broad brow, and placeson his head
From

Do

IN

PRAISE

OF

PARIS

49

throws his velvet off,

plumed helmet
And swathes his vigorouslimbs in glancingsteel,
for mankind.
To lead true hearts to struggle
Or if no more, soldier of liberty,
The

"

Thou'lt lead the nations

stand upon the

prophet,preach a holy creed
"

And, Hke a
Of freedom, progress,
And

all the world

peace and
shall Hsten to

hill.

happiness;
voice.
thj;-

Tyranny, hyena big with young

Dreadingthe sound, shall farrow in affright,
her sanguinarycubs,
And
drop,still-born,
And many
a bloody feud be sparedmankind.
Poland again,with desperate
grasp, shall seize
and extort
The neck of her enslaver,
from his terror
Full justice
Hungary,
and crown' d, shall sit in her own
Ermined
seat
In peaceful
state and sober majesty.
her bonds
And Italy,
unloosening
By her strong will,shall be at last the home
Of broadlybased and virtuous liberty
;
And

"

And

in her bosom

Not

the fierce virtues of her Roman

But

the calm

Science and

nurture

of
blessings

art,and

evermore

youth.

her later time

"

trade,
civilizing

Divine

diviner song,
philosophy,
And true religion
reconciled with man.
Speak out, oh, Paris ! Purifythyself
By noble thoughts,and deeds will follow
The

them.

world has need of thee.

Humanity
Mourns
for thy dalliance with degradedthings,
Alien,and most unworthy of the soul
That sleeps
within thee. Rouse thyself,
oh, Paris !
The Time expects thee. Pyrenees,and Alps,
And Apennines,and snow-clad Balkans,wait,
4

THE

50
With

all their

Which

Long

CHARM

OF

PARIS

echoes,to repeat the words

thou must

dallied.

utter ! Thou

Speak

The

hast slumber' d
world

will

FUDGE

BIDDY

WRITES

time

girlThough, like
Yet

thee !

MAC

INIISS

KAY.

DOROTHY

PARIS

FROM

What

TO

"

answer

CHARLES

MISS

long,

since I wrote

!
"

I'm

tee-totum, I'm all in

sad, naughty

twirl.

(asyou wittily
say)a tee-totum
Between
all its twirls givesa letterto note 'em.
But, Lord, such a place! and then, Dolly,my dresses,
My gowns, so divine ! there's no languageexpresses.
superbe,' magnifique,'
Except justthe two words
The trimmingsof that which I had home last week !
even

"

'

It is called

forget a la somethingwhich sounded

Like alicampane but, in truth, I'm confounded
And bothered,my dear,'twixt that troublesome boy's
le Roi's :
(Bob's)cookerylanguage,and Madame
"

'

"

"

"

What

with fiUetsof roses, and filletsof veal.

Thingsgarniwith lace,and thingsgarniwith eel.

One's hair and

one's cutlets both

papillote,
And a thousand more
thingsI shall ne'er have by rote,
I can scarce
teU the difference,
at least as to phrase.
Between beef a la Psyche and curls a la braise.
But^in short,dear,I'm tricked out quitea la Fran1
^adse.
^^^ithmy bonnet" so beautiful !" high up and poking,
Xike things that are put to keep chimneys from
en

"

'

smoking.
beginwith the endless delights
monkeys, and sights"
this Eden of milliners,

Where
Of

shall I

PRAISE

IN

OF

PARIS

51

where there's nothing

busyplace,
transacting,
and dinnering,
But dressing
dancingand acting?
Imprimis,the Opera mercy, my ears !
Brother Bobby's remark, t'other night,was
a true

This dear

"

one
*

;
"

'

music,'said he, of the spears.

if each note of it doesn't run through

be the

This must

For I'm curst

!'

one

Pa says (and you know, love,his Book's to make

out
'Twas the Jacobinsbroughtevery mischief about)
this

That

passionfor roaringhas

Since the rabble all tried for

What

What

in of late

come

voice in the State.

"

idea,one's mind to o'erwhelm !

frightful
would soon
be let loose
a chorus,dear Dolly,

of it.
in the realm
If,when of age, every man
Had a voice Hke old Lais,and chose to make
No

"

was

never

Such

So bad

sphere
their singing,
my

of the peace as
that the God
too, you'd swear
and

of it !

in this riotous

known

breach

Of Music

use

Physic,had

taken

of both

dear.

arts,

frolic

settinga loud fit of asthma in parts.

And composinga fine rumblingbase to a choUc

For

But, the dancing ah parlez-moi,

DoUy, de ga
There, indeed,is a treat that charms all but Papa.
Such beauty such grace
oh ye sylphsof romance,
Fly,flyto Titania,and ask her if she has
One fight-footed
nymph in her train,that can dance
Like divine Bigottini
and sweet Fanny Bias !
Fanny Bias in Flora dear creature ! you'd swear,
"

"

"

"

"

When

That
And

her deHcate

"

feet in the dance twinkle round.

that her home is the air.

stepsare of fight,
touches the ground.
she only par complaisance

her

4"2

THE

52
And

CHARM

OF

PARIS

in Psyche dishevels
Bigottini
black flowinghair,and by daemons

when

Her

Oh ! who
That

does not envy

hold her and

heaven

is

driven,
those rude littledevils,
hug her, and keep her from

softlyits cadences die,

So divinely oh, Dolly ! between
you and I,
It's as well for my peace that there's nobody nigh
To make love to me then
you'vea soul,and can judge
be for your friend Biddy
crisis 'twould
What
a
Fudge !
Then,

the music

so

"

"

"

Last

night,at

If I well
From

the

Beaujon, a placewhere

describe

can

"

These

are

high up
Hghted pavilion,

I doubt

cars, that set out

in the

air.

down, Doll, you hardlyknow where.

mind me, in which you go through
vehicles,

rattle you

And

there

"

"

dehghtfullydangerousjourney,hold
Some cavaUer asks, with humiUty, whether

This

You'll venture
match

down

with

him

"

you

two.

smile

"

'tis a

you'reseated,and down both together

if you went post to old Scratch !
Go thundering,
as
Well,it was but last night,as I stood and remarked
who embarked,
On the looks and odd ways of the girls
for the perilous
The impatienceof some
flight.
forced giggleof others, 'twixt pleasureand
The
fright,"
That there came
imagine,dear Doll,if you can
up
In

an

instant

"

"

fine sallow,subHme, sort of Werter-faced man.

With mustachios that gave (what we read of so oft)
A

The
As
A

dear Corsair

half
expression,

savage,

Hyaenasin love may be fancied

somethingbetween Abelard and

to

half soft,

look,or

old Blucher !

PRAISE

IN

OF

PARIS

53

Doll,to me, and, uncoveringhis head

(Rather bald,but so warhke !),in bad Englishsaid,

Up
*

he came,

Ah

Just for

"

we

set

vil be

if Ma'mselle

Httel

von

'

course

so

though

"

very
I

good

scarce

"

stood
under-

do, I said,thank him, I would.

dear, I hardlyknew
and, though 'faith,

he wished

What
Off

dear

! my

"

me

to

whether

My
For

head

my heels
like heaven

or

'twas

uppermost then,
earth, Dolly, coming

the

were

and

together,
Yet, spiteof the danger,we
"

And

oh ! as I

dared

it

again.

the features and

gazed on

air

all this
who for me
Of the man,
I could fancy almost he and I were

Of

unhappy young
instead
Were taking,
Desperatedash down

perildefied,
a pair
lovers,who thus, side by side,
of rope, pistol,
or
dagger,a
the Falls of Niagara !

sauntered
achieved, through the gardens we
about.
Saw
the fireworks,exclaimed
magnifique!' at
each cracker.
out
us
saw
And, when 'twas aU o'er,the dear man
With the air,I will say, of a Prince,to our fiacre.

This

'

be

folly
But who do you think we all think it is,Dolly ?
Why, bless 3'ou, no less than the great King of Prussia,
Who's here now
incog. he who made such a fuss,you
Now, hear

me

"

this

Stranger it may
"

mere

"

"

Remember, in London, with Blucher

When

Sal

kissingold Blucher's

Platoff,
cravat

off !

here to look after his money

takingthingsnow as he used under Boney),

Pa says he's

(Not

near

was

and

come

THE

54

suits with

Which

OF

CHARM

PARIS

friend,for Bob

our

him, he

saw

swore,

Looking sharp to the silver received at the door.

Besides,too, they say that his grieffor his Queen
(Which was plainin this sweet fellow's face to be seen)
Requiressuch a stimulant dose as this car is.
Used three times a day with young ladies in Paris.
Some Doctor, indeed,has declared that such grief
its folly
unless 'twould to utter despairing
Should
push
Fly to the Beaujon,and there seek reUef
as Bob
By rattling,
says, Hke shot througha holly"

"

bush.'
I must

only think,Dolly,think
King I have scarce slepta

bid adieu

now

If this should be the

imagininghow

With

"

"

in the papers.
good luck will grudge.

it will sound

aU the Misses my
they read that Count

how

And
When

vapours.
Has gone down

the

Ruppin, to

Beaujonwith

Miss

drive away

Biddy Fudge.
MOORE.

THOMAS

'

ON

PARIS

is that

my

moments
'

'

AUTOCRAT

gloriousEpicureanparadox, uttered
of his flashing
in one
friend the Historian,

There

by

THE

wink

:
"

Give

us

the luxuries of

Hfe, and

we

will

dispense

with its necessaries.'

To

of

one
*

these must

be
certainly

of the wittiest of

men

added

that other

:
"

Americans, when they die,go

looked grave
^The divinity-student
said nothing.
"

Good

saying

to Paris.'
at

this, but

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

56

sight,
refugeof celebrities! but in thy fostering
Banished the baneful fogs of doubt ; discerned the
fadinghght :
Thy presence round his tremblinghopes the genio
0

feels to

o'er his tides of

And

love
'

move

How

joy and

fear this

promiseof thy

Hve
long-forgotten

the

many

at Art's supreme

behest,

Many
The

the stones

poutinghp,
limb must

But

and

Art

lines attest.
peerless
glowing breast,the rounded
in

canvases

the

die.
futile pray'rand

preserves what

transient

love

deny.
Love only can their sweetness

save

from the marauder

Time

When

wed

to that which

Art

subserves,the chisel,

brush, and rhyme.'

G.

PARIS

LIKE

the
and

PRE-EMINENT

greattown
attractions

OF

CITIES

which combines
of human

J. TRARES.

all the advantages

industry; where

enUghtened minds are found ;

the vast population,
one
may expect to
with a friend and to form desirable acquaintmeet
ances
be lost,
if need be,in the crowd,
can
; where one
be at once
and unnoticed,
untrammelled
respected,
the bent of one's incUnation or changingit
following
unobtrusively
everythingcan be chosen and
; where
arrangedand adopted with no other judgesthan the
which
Paris is the capital
persons who trulyknow us.
unites all town-advantages
in the highestdegree,and
hence, though I have most probablyquittedit for
polishedmanners
where, amidst

and

IN

PRAISE

OF

PARIS

57

be

I cannot

surprisedthat so many persons of

taste and sensibiUty
preferit to any other abode.
If unfitted for the occupations
of the country,one is
the requisite
faculties are wanting for the
alien therein,
lifethat has been chosen,and we are conscious that we
should have done better in another condition,
though,
at the same
time, we might have appreciatedor approved
it less. Rural pursuits
for
are
a rural
necessary
and they can
life,
scarcelybe adopted when youth is
must
no
we
longerours. We need arms capableof toil,
take interest in planting,grafting
and haymaking
with our own
hands, and we must be fond of hunting
out of our element,and
are
or fishing.Otherwise we
to say to ourselves : At Paris I should experilikely
ence
ever,

'

no

such discomfort

; my

habits would

be in

formity
con-

with my
environment, though neither might
harmonize
with my real tastes.' Thus our
placein
the order of the world is lost when
have been
we

separatedfrom

it too

long.

ETIENNE

PIVERT

Translated

PARIS

AN

DE

SENANCOUR.

by

A rthuf

E. Waite.

ESTIMATE

city,even

admire Paris ; theyspeak of it as a beautiful

a dehghtful
city; but there is one point

which

Frenchman's

Englishmen

estimate

of Paris

usually
differsfrom that of an EngHshman. I am
not alluding
affection for the place;
to the Frenchman's
patriotic
that,of course, an EngHshman cannot have, and can
only realize by the help of powerfulsympathiesand a
I am
to a difference in the
alluding
lively
imagination.
impressionmade by the placeitself on the mind of a
French and EngUstivisitor. The EngHshman thinks
on

that Paris is pretty ; the Frenchman

thinks that it is

THE

58

OF

CHARM

PARIS

Englishman admits that it is an important

city,though onty of moderate dimensions ; the
believes it to be an immensity,and uses
Frenchman
such words as
huge and giganticwith reference tO'
it,as we do with reference to London.
take a keen delightin
True lovers of Paris
those broad trottoirsof the Boulevards.
They walk
solute
pleasureof beingthere tillabupon them for the mere
before a
weariness compels them
to sit down
of exhaustion
the feelings
cafe ; and when
are
over,
they rise to tire themselves again,like a girlat a ball.
sensation of the Parisian
They tell one that the mere
so
asphaltumunder the feet is an excitement itself,
of
that when aided by littleglasses in the moments
be positively
rest at the cafes,it must
intoxicating.
The

sublime.

'

'

'

'

'

lovers of Paris

true

These

enchanted

most

are

those parts of the Boulevards

always so dense that all freedom

where

the

with
is

crowd

of emotion

is impossible,

half the foot-way is occupiedby thousands

of cafe chairs and the other half by a closelypacked
where

of

multitude

be

the

favourite

loungers.The
des

Boulevard

placesappear

Italiens and

the

to

Boulevard

shopsare, in fact,a greatpermanent

exhibition of industryand the fine arts, wonderfully
and very attractive to those who visit
at night,
lighted
Montmartre.

The

Paris

occasions.

on

rare

PHILIP

PARIS

MON

DiEU

For Gods

PARISIAN'S

What

and

for

All's Romance, from

To

a
men

our

HAMERTON.

GILBERT

APOLOGY

citythis Paris,
!

Dame

the corpse in the Seine.

of the

City,

PRAISE

IN

the way
yon'sthe
Ere old Pere Lachaise

By

her home

wife

my

with

nuns

59

lay,

pink candles

filledthe

smoke

Whose

four

we'd

PARIS
where

room

"

Took

OF

place;
body well buried,

'twas over, the

Nigh those of great hearts,

When

to Marie

Bashkirtseff,
lost arts,
I summoned
All my music, her tattered Beethoven,
down

Abelard

'

Played the
With

MoonlightSonata,'as
*

better

doing the

In
I

how

saw

noblest and

our

her soul's

Now

did.

pleasure

same,

whence

Returns

she

finesse.'

I burst into tears,with much

Then

As

from the press,

down

Took

it

dearest

came.

part of Paris,and therefore

I love the old town,

my views,in the Odeon

I write them all down.

sitting,

And

Hell,and
Here's France in small scale,

Here's much

Earth, and

the world in

And

more

smaller than ever,

most

Heaven,

"

fail.
Though parallels
Touching France (saysthe poet of England),
'

Where

Who'd
'

men

have

What's

So what's
And
'Twas

free,'

thoughtit ? But Lucrece,when

Duty ?' says he.

Freedom

e'en
a

not

are

I've

got all there is. Yes,

something more.

word

not

unknown

to

Like ours, years before.

What
of the
a pitythe Lord
Ere Earth's crust

was

dying,

republics

Ages,

dried,

6o

THE

OF

CHARM

He

When

held the great Court

Left Swinburne
outside.

PARIS
of

Creation,

Even

Buonaparte would have had Freedom,

Had he made
complete
All his schemes.
(Halfseemed tyrannous mania
Deservingdefeat.)
Christ be with them, hear for them
For his men
"

The

prayers
For they died

that

said ;
standingup, and
were

they were

not,

No, they were not afraid.

Though Wellington,Europe abetting,
"

All

Kept

and

nose

them

back

Till the halves

And

our

Great

soul.

no

from

hia vantage fore-chosen,

were

made

Little

man

As any had been.

But at Austerhtz what

whole.
caught between

them,

"

Of chances
Ten

have

would

the other

seen

the heightof that genius?

back, 'gainst
Pain, drugs on this day
Did the trick : why the dog from his vomit
Faint Hons might slay.
All Saints help them, they died standingup,
not afraid !
And they were
What
at Brussels might think the old Bourbon,
As balances swayed ?
Horse and foot,how they laughedat the hell-storm.
How
!
smote
Pepin-like
Of whom,
Our fierce cheeringappalledthem,'
The Englishscribes wrote.
who a-d3dng
Oh, did it ? The men
Caught hold of the guns,
Bent wdth heat ! Oh, appalledthem like rabbits
years

"

'

"

You

killin the

runs

PRAISE

IN

OF

6i

PARIS

No, there's hope for us yet, us decadents,

Sins,absinthe,and all.
Nor, though Seeleyunite his young lions,
In terror we'll fall ;
their

And

Whose

Empire

drums

Their sublime

Shan't

whose

never

ne'er go

suns

cease,

EthnologicMuseum,

cow

to peace.

us

First,we'll bury the axe with

And prove an we Hst,
other than

That
Has

exist.

to exist.
Yes, we've rights
I love you so well.

When

shade

labour

horse at

The

thought.
the

A nod

Then

that

not mad

But
To

some

And

how

meet

we

Science,.

flock's

plumage

German

some

Hfe

ere

this one.

street.
nor

"

our

but in

"

up.

now

"

did

at Gratz

of

cream

at the editor's

man

Perhapsin
I'm

there

her brow

on

with the panes

The

But

sat.

run

Bernhardt, half

Oh, where
Not

Saint-Beuve

"

by

went

with him

was

where

done

was

Ah, there Renan

Was

Paris,

bell,
great beer-glass'

In the Odeon's

O my

with fruit of the Northland

As I crimson

W^ho

neighbours,.

our

civiUzation

one

rightsto

The

setting,

shut my

Buddhist, beheve

me.

eyes

strange person's
aspectfamiliar.
want

of

surprise,

At strange towns
The feeUngof

not

encountered

home,

in

pictures^

"2

the guess at what's

but
There's no proof,

round

And

Of

crime

no

There's

dread

The

Met

in

law-courts.

not

Cassagnac,
shone.

that

he'd said it.

what

sure

Yes, 'tisstrange,all this Life,as

what

Unsure

Or

thing,or

'Twill be

or

we
a

call it.

force,or if endless

has been.
her

ox-wain.

centuries back.

Twelve

from

spot where

same

drives

JulesFavre
At the

we

mean.

Queen Fredegonde passedin

The

raising

of

he'd say, when

Felt I ought to have known.

And,

time

same

as

chats with

Love-sick

down

Luxembourg

councils

hack,
the

on

Gladstone

Quai D'Orsay

Verlaine,
While the Hirondelles carry fiancees
the Seine.

Gladstone,Fredegonde,Favre, Verlaine,lovers
Seem
To

marionettes
the ebb-tide

brain,borne up whence
Of Memory sets.
my

And

mix

with

the maddest

of persons,

"

nightsat Vincennes,
An explorerin Egypt, fay-castles
In Anglian fen,
And a banquet in Greece, and a schoolboy
In seventy-two
Leaving London, observers in Berlin !
Autumn

"

"

"

"

"

What's

seen,

the house

Russian

corner

guillotine.

nightin

I, one

as

of linked likelihoods

score

was

the next

sum

thingstouchingit,e'en
When

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

Gladstone

to do

64

THE

OF

CHARM

Why should not the soul

Aye survive the Good God's
As planetsthat roll,
All in black, the brightsun's
miracles

No
And

As
Hold

savants

the

love that loved it ?

force that held them.

now

Saints,but

no

PARIS

at Lourdes

And

if all things

'

avow,

Highest,why

are

they but mortal

As well ask the cause,

Why all'ssecular up in the spaces
We gauge with our laws,
all'ssecular,
quitedisconnected

Why

From

what

Church,

growth from

In man's
Now

call

we

the worm,

and

"

the

species

leftin the lurch

By that growth, and imperfectly

perfect;
And, if all from all
Is evolved,what Sacrifice grew from ?
fall
damn,' save,'and
Why
Are the cries for two thousand
years only,
When
fullyten times
hundred
fearful,
Ninety-eight
years, no more
'

Man
How

'

died in all cHmes

the next

'

world, if real,is reUgious?

If the laws won't

hold true.

there,of our globe's

gravitation.
of sins,hymn-books too ?
What
But I wander, I ought not to trouble
The brains I have left.
But think were
Earth worth habitation,
Over

Of Paris bereft ?
Of Paris,and all that she stands for.
Her
Her

pleasureand prayer.
knowledge of Ages and Races,

IN

PRAISE

OF

Her incense in air ;

Of this Paris,where Labour

is

PARIS

65

patient,

And

fancyis sure
To developincarnate in Genius,
Though much is impure.
Here's all science and Life at a gem-point.
Best chance

worth,
Then, by suicide's bier,from Notre-Dame's
gloom,
See Death sallyforth.
God's near
Spiteof harlots,
us, thinks for us,
If so He exist,
to gauge

"

As conceived.
And

Hope
We
But
A

foes as
to twist

attack
Though spring-madness
they Ust,
the old Eagle's
tail-feathers.

fear not their cry,

for Paris,and all that she stands

us.

"

we'll try.
Spiteof absinthe,we'll say to the Old

for,

venture

Guard,

In Valhall

arrayed,
Shades of heroes,to Glory receive us.
Shades of heroes,to Glory receive us.
Shades of heroes,to Glory receive us,
*

For

we

not

were

afraid !'
ASHMORE

IX

THE

FLOWER

WINGATE.

MARKET

sleeplast night,and, tired

Of turningon my pillowand harder thoughts.
out at earlymorning,when
Went
the air
I

COULD

not

Is delicate with

starrytouch,
To wander
throughthe Market-placeof Flowers
haunt in Paris),
and make sure
(The prettiest
some

At worst, that there

last

were

roses

in the world.

So,

wandering,

That

keeps

whole

Dipped,

quick
the

Among
In

such
heart

My

The

leapt

That

of

much

So

close

It

turned

thing

while

of

with

crowd

tree,
and

speech,

by

and

that

"

voice

breaths

'

loves.

heads

rapid

wish

flowering

it

the

this

long

French,

eye.

blossomed

startled

the

stranger's

branch

much

me,

between
in

in

twitter
in

the

cheapening

faintly,

interval

Inquired

Too

cheerful

slowly,

That,

finches

nosegays,

artist's

black-braided

and

as

of

the

observing,

vivacious

young

with
side

shade

the

PARIS

OF

musing,

Half-absent,
Of

CHARM

THE

66

marked

that

word,

Would

that

be

upon

me,
me,

then
that

!'
I

turning
felt

the

the

face

"

round

sigh

with.
ELIZABETH

BARRETT

'

?'

mountain-gorse

?
for

much.

BROWNING.

So

THE

STREETS

OF

PARIS

5"2

Parisian

The

^lysees

of

and
and

fountains

the

Whatever

green.
his

street

of

the

him

helps
the
in

bronzes

the

that

of

purpose

is

boulevard

frontages

of

thing

of

beauty

"

in

it

all

The

life.

in

art

and

nightfall

in

street
1'Arc

surround
summer's
and

women,

in front
were

"

Triomphe

evening
of the

really

doors

admirable

of the

or

of

all

on

carry
and

he

may

man

public seats,
admirable
in

came

this, Paris

all

couple
drive

contest

floundering
of cooks
in

at

"

workmen,
or

chatting

pictures they

marvelling

the

of

six

at

the

:"lysees,

Champs

lives.

which

can

which

avenues

half-past

BASHKIRTSEFF.

MARIE

When

is

imagination

errand-boys,

what

Ah,
.

Bois,

is

WHITEING.

about

was

the

on

...

and

it

children,

wine-shops.
I think

streets.

the

in

Especially

the

through

porters,

their

all at

walked

de

stately

insistency.

We
.

the

craftsmanship

RICHARD

The

and

the

and

the
The

in

others.

the

The

serves

day.

fine

of

la

de

Arch.

the

beauty,

dyes,

fancy

the

to

its

all

outdoor

Place

the

the

For

glorious

the

Barbedienne's

at

luxury,

appeal

missed

be

to

of

articles

thousand

not

high

of texture

picture-shops, beauty

of

at

way

well-nigh

the

of

through.

all

beauty

life, and

all

his

statuary,
end.

see

great horses

light

will

the

Tuileries,

the

tender

of

prospect,

same

may

compositions

magnificent

lamp-post

very

of

the

Luxembourg,

the

to

devils

poor

of

their

to

access

alleys

beauty

means

garden

terrace

the

Concorde,

of

poorest

the

of

figures

is

Champs

domestic

the

The

good.

buildings,

public

nothing,

feel

to

of

gloom

of

bordering

their

and

promenades

the

of

freedom

in his

boulevards

the

share

his

has

man

common

"

which

the

before

point by
well

'tis very
end

with

him

of

dint

half

in such

street

of

he

a
a

equipage,
dozen

place

lacqueys
as

Paris,

will.

LAURENCE

and

STERNE.

"

BOULEVARD

THE

The

Boulevard

of all the
the

is the

enjoy it, hot

else you

and

art

of life

and

this

impression,

something
sufficient

begin,
you

than

so

it is worth.

for many

and

the

for httle

right label
indeed, you

Be

of its crowds.

forward

to

The

are

their

sleek
meal

see

that

choice.

appointed

with
69

something
in other

of the

sure

vards
boule-

get

you

by

the

of

the

and

the

this,

tion
composi-

is the

hour

stall-fed,and
a

grand hne,

Without

distance
and

?*

name

silence, meditation,

Boulevard

measurable

absinthe, within

They

of

your

the

pulsing Ufe
communication,

therefore, to

know

may

of

make

you

the

more

to the

boulevards

sure,

when

dinner.

relations

in

boulevards

countless

The

industry,

prayer.

is

Bonne

reached

they have

sort

boulevards

are

have

Poissoniere, if

'

humbler

such

no

be

boulevards

mere

have

you

for

charm.

have

city. There
of

time

the

of the

of its subtle

quarters

ends, and

crying, What's
thoroughfares, after all,are in

Y~et these

to your

will

you

day.

By
are

you

be

There

what

and

you

spoil-sport.

to

more.

no

impressions

sure

thing soon
rights itself. At
sensation
far, you take your

the

Nouvelle

and

the

Boulevard

the

go

to-morrow

new

unto

When

asks

while

of

in

get it of

and

art

an

lasts,is

it

while

Boulevard

The

taste.

is, after all, but

here

You

but

seems

centre

come

day.

miss

may

hot, truth

The

You

of the

for the sensation

whatever

distributive

the

or

of France.

flittingfancies

daytime

surety,

source

hour
time

they

certain

of

for
look

hope.

THE

70
With

some,

httle

more

Hfe.

The

with

not

than

PARIS

OF

CHARM

the whole

many,

for
preparation

has been

day

this great act of

Boulevard

night is a very different affair.

The later the better. Paris,though the most northerly,
is stillone
of the Latin cities,
and the Latin cities sit
The best of the nighthours, for Paris,is
up late.
the hour after the play. The audiences pour into the
.

at

cafes to celebrate with mild refreshment

of the

atmosphere. It

is the hour

the affairs of the Boulevard.

fire fallson
and

haze

from
rising
on
put it so

haze of dust
^ifone

may
multitude has
"

their recovery
of high change for

"

of

illuminating

the vexed
a

pavement,
haze of sound.

out to see itself. That is

come
huge
The settled
the spectacle;
justthat,and nothingmore.
under the awnings of the cafes twenty deep,
swarm

The

"

if you

to
seem
carry your eye to the indoor recesses
in review.
The pavement, in
pass the moving swarm
like manner,
surveys the cafes on one side,and on the

other the

which, no

"

busy road.
how

matter

of your reward.
best of it. The others

sure

of the new-fashioned

It is a

in
promenade of curiosity

often you have seen

it,you are
Perhaps the seated crowd has the
seem

to

scheme

gUde like so many figures

for painless
locomotion.

this,as you remember, a sidewalk on wheels does

all the work, and the wayfarerhas only to keep stillto
The whole scene
is
end.
find himself at his journey's
the play the spectatorshave
a good deal better than
justleft. And there is nothing to grumble at in the
not more
priceof the seats a bock or a sherry-cobbler
than three hundred
per cent, above cost price.
here night after night as
Many old stagerscome
though to stock their imaginationwith the stuff of
their dreams.
It at once
which they hope to make
In

"

THE

72

THE

CHARM

PARIS

OF

BOULEVARD

NOON

flagsclingclose on roof and spire,

fire ;
burns fierce,
The sun
a ball of living
blue :
The sky is blue
deep,beautifully
to shroud its lovelyhue.
Rises no smoke
The beggar-bard
Now
the idler'shour.
comes
Takes his old quarterson the Boulevard
;
Beneath the trees the conjurorspreadshis tools ;
The quack harangueshis group of graver fools
In loftyHes,unruffled by the jar
from his neighbourSavoyard's
Thrummed
guitar;
beam Hke Dian in a mist ;
Veiled virgins
show mites ; the tumblers twist ;
Philosophers
favourite tree,
Each the fix'd geniusof some
Dryads and fauns of Gallic minstrelsy.
In double glories
now, the broad Marchande,
her skin by Gascon summers
tann'd,
Fire-eyed,
Red as the kerchief round her coal-black hair.
Lays out her temptingtreasures rich and rare.
Tis

noon

the

"

air grows furnace-hot ; flag,

awning,screen,
Peep endless from those lovelyfines of green ;
The

Yet

Autumn

has been

there ; the russet

Deep purples,pearlygreys,
And

ever

in the distance

some

tinge.
the poplarsfringe
;
proud tower

beauty from its bower.

All a strange mirthful,melancholyshow ;
Statelydecay above, wild lifebelow !

Looks

out in feudal

GEORGE

AND

BOULEVARD

In

every

spot
"

CROLY.

BOULEVARDIER

some
corner,
great capitalthere is some
something a promenade, perhaps,where it
"

STREETS

THE

gathersand

OF

PARIS

7Z

as it were.
itself,

concentrates

With

US, that corner,

I do not
that spot is the boulevard.
that the boulevard is Paris ; but surely,

exactlymean
the

without

boulevard

we

should

understand

not

Paris.
of my
at the

alwaysremember one of the keenest emotions

youth. I had been obliged,
owing to my duties
where
time, to banish myselfto the provinces,

I had

remained

I shall

small town.
to

Paris,and

...

I do

almost

The

hour

once

more

not

two
came

confined

years,

at last for

to enter

me

into its

know, but it seemed

to

me

within

to return

possession.
that the

luminous ; it
more
atmosphere was
lighter,
sparkledwith youth and life; I felt subtle fumes of
that
gaietymounting to my brain,and I remember
I could not refrain from clappingmy
hands, to the
who thought that I
great scandal of my neighbours,
very

was

little mad.

boulevard

!' I

Ah

! how

beautiful

it is
"

the

exclaimed, and I breathed

deep
air chargedwith joyousand spiritual

draughtsof that
I do
beUeve
not
that
electricity.
strangers
arrivingin Paris are subjectto such strong impressions.
I have been able,however, to questionsome
of them, and they confessed to me
that the sightof
a
populationwho felt it a happinessto Hve in their
gaiety,and who preservedan undefinable aspect of
This
had stronglyaffected them.
amiable elegance,
...

had
characteristic aspect of the Parisian boulevard
there that
charmed
them from the very first; it was

great citybeat.
has changed its place
The heart of the boulevard
little by little; from the Gymnase to the Boulevard

they had

felt the heart of the

Boulevard

Montmartre, and then

to the

and

Capucines, There

the Boulevard

des

des Italiens
it is to-da}^

OF

CHARM

THE

^74

PARIS

For the Parisian,the boulevard in generalcomprises,

if you like,the space from the Madeleine to the Bastille
; but

is

that

merely,so

speak,a geographical

to

expression.The real boulevard, which is known in

lence,
our
slang as the boulevard, the boulevard par excelis the one
that stretches from the Opera to the
Rue

Montmartre.

The

boulevard

is the domain

it is his salon ; he would

the intruders
those who
"

When

the boulevardier

he takes with

him

him

travels

He

(hesometimes
about like

wanders

somebody, man

of his dear

breathes

like to drive away

do not belong to

Then

boulevard.

who

woman,

or

he

from

it

his set.

travels),

the dust of the boulevards

soles of his shoes.

tillhe meets

of the boulevardier,

on

the

lost soul
reminds

dilates and

freely.
At bottom
this fluttering
that bears the
creature
I must
of boulevardier
name
a species,
say, which
is becoming rarer
his
notwithstanding
every day ^is,
air of emancipationand scepticism,
the veriest slave
of routine.
His Hfe is ruled like music-paper. He
twice a day through his domain ; the first
saunters
time before dinner, from four to six o'clock ; the
second time from ten o'clock to midnight,or one
in
the morning, after the play. For nothing in the
world would he fail in these habits. Besides,he has
other obligations
for him to
permissible
; it is not
miss a first nightat the Varietes,
the Vaudeville,the
Gymnase, or the Ambigu.
more

"

"

ANON.

IN

KNEW

seen

THE

our

OF

PARIS

which I had
except the lights
window
the eveningbefore,far. far

nothingof
beneath

HEART

Paris

STREETS

THE

downward,
rumble

of the

awake

was

could

in the

to
see,

OF
Rue

narrow

PARIS

js

St. Honore, and the

continued
later than I

wheels,which
hear it,and began again before dawn.
to be
too, tall houses, that seemed

on
occupiedin every story, and that had windows
the steep roofs. One of these houses is six stories
high. This Rue St. Honore is one of the old streets
in Paris, and is that in which Henry IV. was
sinated
assas; but it has not, in this part of it,the aspect
of antiquity.
After one
o'clock we all went out and walked along
the Rue
We
de RivoU.
are
here, rightin the
midst of Paris,and close to whatever
is best known
to those who hear or read about it the Louvre
being
the street,the Palais Royal but a Uttle way
across
off,the Tuileries joiningto the Louvre, the Place de
la Concorde
just beyond, verging on which is the
Champs Elysees.
The splendourof Paris,so far as I have seen, takes
me
: such
altogether
by surprise
statelyedifices,
longing
prothemselves
in unwearying magnificenceand
beauty,and, ever and anon, a long vista of a street,
with a column
risingat the end of it,or a triumphal
of some
arch,wrought in memory
grand event. The
hght stone or stucco, wholly untarnished by smoke
and soot, puts London
to the blush,if a blush could
is not
be seen
its dingy face ; but,indeed,London
on
to be mentioned
with,nor compared even with Paris.
I never
tillI had a glimpse
what a palacewas
knew
.

"

of the Louvre
of

and

the Tuileries

"

never

had

my

idea

streets.
tillI trod those stately
citybeen gratified
The Kfe of the scene, too, is infinitely
more
picturesque
than that of London, with its monstrous
throng of
grim faces and black coats : whereas, here, you see
a

76

THE

PARIS

OF

CHARM

soldiers and

priests,
policemenin cocked hats,Zouaves
with turbans,longmantles,and bronzed,half-Moorish
faces ; and a great many
peoplewhom you perceive
to be outside of your
experience,and know them
ugly to look at, and fancy them villainous. Truly
the French people
do grand and beautiful
thingsin the architectural way ; and I am grateful
for it. The Place de la Concorde
is a most
splendid
in
square, largeenough for a nation to erect trophies
of all its triumphs; and on
side of it is the
one
the oppositeside the Champs Elysees,
on
Tuileries,
and, on the third,the Seine.
We
have spent to-day":hiefiy
in sight-seeingor
of the galleries
of the Louvre.
I
glimpsingat some

-.

...

"

"

confess that the vast

must

far

sities
and curiopictures,
sculpture,
which it contains.
the pictureswe
From
into a suite of rooms
where are preserved
went
many
relics of the ancient and later kings of France.
me

more

than

and beautiful edifice struck

the

There
been

were

suits of

and

armour

that

weapons

had

by a great many of the French

kings; and a rehgiousbook that had belongedto St.
Louis ; a dressing-glass,
most
richlyset with precious
stones, which formerlystood on the toilette-table of
face
Catherine de Medici,and in which I saw my own
and handled

worn

where

hers had

other

treasures,just as

these.
from

If each

Hades

been.

And

monarch

well

there
worth

could have

were

thousand

mentioning as
been summoned

rehcs,we should have

had the halls full of the old Childerics,
Charleses,
Bourbons, and Capets,Henrys and Louises,snatching
with ghostlyhands at sceptres,
and
swords, armour,
mantles ; and Napoleon would have seen, apparentl}^,
almost everythingthat personally
belongedto him
to daim

his

own

"

STREETS

THE

PARIS

OF

77

his coat, his cocked hats, his camp-desk,his field bed,

his knives, forks,and plates,
and even
a lock of his
hair.
NATHANIEL

DE

PLACE

dear the

How

sky

Small treasures

LA

HAWTHORNE.

PARIS

BASTILLE,

has been above

this

place!

of this

sky that we see here

bars from year to year ;
Seen weak through prisonEyed with a painfulprayer upon God's grace
To save, and tears that stayedalong the face
Lifted at sunset.
Yea, how passingdear,
Those
nightswhen through the bars a wind left
clear

heaven, and moonlightsoothed the Umpid space

The

So

Safe in
Was

How

nightthe secret kept

low vault and stealthycorridor
blown abroad on gospeltongues of flame.
of God, mysteriousevermore
!
this spot have cursed and wept
on
all might stand here now
and own
Thy

it,tillone

was

ways
many

That

Name.
DANTE

IN

The

THE

de la Paix.

Rue

DE

RUE

GABRIEL

LA

PAIX

The

poor dear old street,ta

respects,the handsomest street

in many
it is still,
in Paris.
Wandering there this
me

ROSSETTI.

morning,I could
not
help acceptingits aspect as most convincing
evidence of the Easter holidaysbeing at an end.
I
the Rue
have always looked on
de la Paix as preeminentl
the most
Enghsh street in Paris ; and of
.

78

THE

that

fact the humorous

at least

of

one

French

he informed

when

aware

OF

CHARM

PARIS
well

was
journalist

his readers

that there

was

shop in the Rue de la Paix in the window

appeared the inscription Ici on parle
'

which

of our
Frangais.' There are great numbers
men
countryand countrywomen
to be found in the Rue
St.
Honore, but not further east than the church of St.
I
Roch, in the Rue du Faubourg St. Honore.
maintain
the Rue de la Paix to be unsurpassedas a
resort for my
In other
compatriotsin Paris.
locaUties they are
absorbed
in the great throng of
flaneursto the manner
born, and have to take their
chance with the native loungers; but in the Rue de
la Paix they well-nigh
and
rdonopolizethe trottoir,
fillthe firstrow, so to speak,in the stallsamong
the
starers in at aU the shop-windows.
At nightthe Rue de la Paix is not by any means
a
crowded
and
thoroughfare.
Although ithas numerous
comfortable
rant
hotels,it does not boast a singlerestaucafe. By nine o'clock business is suspended
or
at the great millinery
and dressmakingestablishments
...

...

which

carried

are

above

on

'

the

shops.

Mesdames

Theodoric,' Clorinde,' Hermione,' Naomi,' and

so
merce
forth,whose loftyensigns,denoting their comin robes,' fleurs,*dentelles,'
and
trousseaux
de mariage/ gleam in huge gilded letters from so
attract duringthe daytime a brilliant
balconies,
many
affluence of what simple-mindedfolk in England term
carriage-people.'
It is from ten to twelve in the morning that is to
'

'

"

the hours of Mass and breakfast

and
say, between
between
three and five in the afternoon,between
"

breakfast
of

the drive in the Bois, that the crowd

in the Rue de la Paix is at its
carriage-people
and

8o

THE

night there

PARIS

OF

CHARM

for the rest of the time he is,if he is

of leisure,
out of doors.

man

He

alongthe shady
goes to the salon ; he saunters
sides of streets ; he takes his midday breakfast at one
open-airrestaurant, and
and

at the

his late dinner

fashionable hours, between

another

at

four and seven,

he drives in the Bois de

Between
and

the

times he

Boulogne.
sipshis coffee on

evening finds him

He

is

in

out-of-doors

some

gay, and it seems

as

the boulevards,

to

me

cert.
con-

thoughtless,

as

the

golden butterflies that flitby him in the sun.

Above
all things else, Paris is clean.
have
We
wickedest
always heard of it as the ga^'est,brightest,
of cities ; but peoplehave usuallyforgottento tell us
as

how

clean it is.

They

as if it were
cleanliness,

most

eyes. You see in

pictures,the works of modem
"

school in

; in others

splendourof

^\"indow

one

French

derful
won-

artists,

respectsoutranking all others of

some

time. In another

window
such

are

furniture

the Arabian

RONDEAU

LONG

fair ways,

Time

from

OF

striking
groups
as

THE

suggests the Oriental

CHANDLER

MOULTON.

BOULEVARDS

in grey and shine,

Paris,what joy these streets of thine ;
And, walkinghere, no one may feel

Nor

our

in terracotta

Nights.

LOUISE

all before your

wonderful

thingin the world.

an
unending pleasureto walk these spacious
The art and beauty and glory of the world

streets.

instead of the

the commonest

uncommon

It is

are

this
disregarded

have

his grasp the glad hours steal

for the coming hours repine.

STREETS

THE
Here

'neath

lovers dine

the trees where

music

and
Starlight
Till from

intertwine,

old towers
O

8i

PARIS

OF

late hour

fair

long ways

peals.
!

here all combine,

Student,grisette,
Paris,to sing a song divine
To thee, thy love thou dost reveal
To them, on them
dost set thy seal.
lovers thine !
Paris,how many
0 fair long ways !
"

JULES

THE

STREETS

PARIS

OF

THEIR

"1

NODIER.

INFINITE

PAST

noisy with an infinite past ; the

unexpected turningsof old streets,the reveries that
and that haunt the
hang round the last of the colleges

All

the streets

Hill

wonderful
that
and
are

but

are

Httle obvious

crowd of the dead ; the

inspiring
who built us up,
our
experience,
the last and

but
a

indeed.

Paris rises around

clothes of

any

man

may

carry,
peoplesher, and

real than

more

the

of

men

inimitable

added
who
stones

any

very
knows
are

to

blood

our

and of whom

man

her
changingthings,

are
a

have

we

increment

we

heirs,handing on

momentary

tradition to which

her streets

she

are

others
to-

Httle

her ;
Uke the-

present aspect

company

of

history

it is in their

munion
read}'speech and comthat the citytakes on its dignity.This is the
of that
readingof that perplexitywhich all have felt,
unquiet suggestionwhich hangs about the autumn
trees and follows the fresh winds alongthe Seine ; the
riddle of her winter eveningsand of the faces that
come

on

one

quarter. She

out

of the dark in the lanes of the Latin

is ourselves

; and

we

are

onlj^the film and

6

82

THE

edge of

CHARM

unnumbered

an

OF

PARIS

past. There is nothingmodern

in those fresh streets. The

common

square

of the Innocents

dust of graves and a meetingplace for the

dead ; the Danse Macabre
of a creation
too much
was
of the wall. The most
to pass at the mere
falling
is

recent

of the ornaments

the memories
Hotel

make

of the town

"

kind

of tabernacle for

Etienne

Marcel

before his

Ville,Charlemagne before the Cathedral.

The Place de la Concorde is not a crossing
of roads for
the rich,it is the death-scene of the Girondins ; the
ground
vague space about the Madeleine is not only a forefor the church, it is also the tomb of the Capehas kept a part of her older
tians. Wherever
the town
in Ste.
garment ^in the Cathedral, in the Palais',
Chapelle you may mix with all the centuries.
de

"

"

HILAIRE

ST.

FAUBOURG

LOVE

that

GERMAIN

I go to Paris againI shall

different world from the streets

/ if ever
quartier

reside there.

It is

usuallyknown

to, and

there,indeed, you
remains

of the old

axe

tenanted

among

regime
"

by, the EngUsh

the very

houses
you

"

haughty

to the

"

the French, the fossilized

of desolate,yet venerable grandeur

by the white and modern mansion of

all,even

BELLOC.

ruggedness of

disdain of innovation

"

the
you

have
never

nouveati

air

an

pass
riche ;

pave, breathes
cross

one

of the

and you enter into another time

bridges,
the atmosphere of a past century ;*
you are inhaling
French in its trumpery, Enghsh
no
flauntingboutique,
stares you in the face ; no stiffcoats and
in its prices,
unnatural gaitsare seen
anglicizing
up the melancholy
numerous

"

Written

1827.

STREETS

THE

OF

PARIS

83

Vast

hotels,with their gloomy frontals and

magnificent contempt of comfort ; shops, such as
shops might have been in the aristocratic days of
Louis Quatorze,ere British contamination
made
them
insolent and dear ; publicedifices,
stilleloquentof the
with
superb charities of le grand monarque
carriages
their huge bodies and ample decorations ; horses,
with
streets.

"

their
men,

dimensions

Norman
whose

on

demeanour

and

undocked

high though

more

the Revolution

democratic

less courteous

not

to have

seems

honours

wrought

no

plebeianism all strike on the mind with

and nameless
a
impression of antiquity
; a
vague
and faded in pomp,
somethingsolemn even in gaiety,
all you behold ; there are the
to Unger over
appears
Great
French
sullied
People unadulterated by change, un"

with the

of the vagrant and varied

tribes that throng their mighty mart of enjoyments.
The

commerce

strangerswho

fillthe

on
quartiers

Seine pass not there ; between them

there

is

this side the

and the

Faubourg

different
gulf; the very skies seem
your
own
feelings,
thoughts nature itself alter,when
derers
passed that Styx which divides the wanyou have
from the habitants ; your spirits
not so
are
much
damped as tinged,refined,ennobled by a certain
awe
inexpressible
you are girtwith the stateHness of
old,and you tread the gloomy streets with the dignity
of a man
who is recalling
the splendours
of an ancient
court where he once
did homage.
a

"

"

"

"

EDWARD

WINE

SHOP

LARGE

cask

in the street.

IN

THE

of wine
The

BULWER,

OF

SUBURB

had

LYTTON.

LORD

ST.

ANTOINE

dropped and broken

happened in gettingit

been

accident had

6"2

THE

84
out

of

CHARM

cart ; the cask had

OF

PARIS

tumbled

out with

run,

the

hoops had burst,and it lay on the stones just outside

shattered Uke a walnut-shell.
the door of the wine-shop,
All the people within reach had suspended their
to run
to the spot and drink
business,or their idleness,
The
stones
of the street,
the wine.
rough, iiTegular
pointing every way, and designed,one might have
that apto lame all hving creatures
thought,expressly
proache
it into littlepools; these
them, had dammed
were
surrounded, each by its own
jostHnggroup or
kneeled down,
crowd, accordingto its size. Some men
and sipped,
made scoops of their two hands joined,
or
who bent over their shoulders,to
tried to helpwomen,
sip,before the wine had all run out between their
and women,
Others,men
dippedin the puddles
fingers.
of mutilated
with httle mugs
earthenware,or even
from women's
with handkerchiefs
heads, which were
squeezeddry into infants' mouths ; others made small
mud-embankments, to stem the wine as it ran ; others,
directed by lookers-on up at high windows, darted
of wine that
here and there,to cut off Httle streams
started away

in

new

to the sodden

selves
directions ; others devoted themand lee-dyedpiecesof the cask,

champing the moister wine-rotted

lickingand even
fragmentswith eager relish. There was no drainageto
carry off the wine, and not only did it all get taken up,
mud
but so much
got taken up along with it that
there might have been a scavenger in the street,if anybody
acquaintedwith it could have believed in such
a

miraculous
A

presence.
shrill sound of laughterand

voices of men, women,

street while this wine

of amused

and children

game
roughnessin the sport,and

"

lasted.
much

voices

resounded
There

was

"

in the
little

There
playfulness.

STREETS

THE

OF

PARIS

85

clinati
specialcompanionship in it,an observable inthe part of every one
to joinsome
other
on
the luckier or hghterone, which led,especially
among
hearted, to froUcsome embraces, drinkingof healths,
shaking of hands, and even
joiningof hands and
The wine was
red wine
dancing,a dozen together.
and had stained the ground of the narrow
street in the
suburb of St. Antoine, in Paris,where it was
spilled.
It had stained many
hands, too, and many
faces,and
wooden
naked feet,and many
shoes.
many
The wine-shop was
a corner
shop, better than most
others in its appearance
and degree,
and the master of
the wine-shophad stood outside it,in a yellow waistcoat
and green breeches,lookingon at the struggle
for
the lost wine.
said he, with a
It's not my
affair,'
The people from the
final shrug of the shoulders.
market
did it. Let them bring another.'
This wine-shop keeper was
a
bull-necked,martialof thirty,and he should have been of a
lookingman
hot temperament, for,although it was
a bitter day, he
wore
no
coat, but carried one slung over his shoulder.
was

His

shirt-sleeves

arms

were

bare

anythingmore

rolled up, too, and his brown

Neither did he wear
to the elbows.

on

short dark hair.

were

his head
He

was

than his
a

dark

own

man

curling
crisply
with
altogether

good eyes and a good bold breadth between them.

Good-humoured-lookingon the whole, but implacableof a strong resolution
looking,too ; evidentlya man
and

set

purpose

desirable to be met,
pass with a gulfon either side,
not

man

rushingdown a narrow
for nothingwould turn the man.
Madame
Defarge,his wife,sat
the counter
stout

woman

as

he

in.

came

of about

his

own

shop behind
Defarge was a

in the

Madame
age, with

watchful

eye

86

THE

that seldom

CHARM

seemed

heavilyringed,a
Madame

PARIS

anything,a largehand
steady face,strong features,and

of

to look at

manner.

There

was

Defarge,from

which

one

might

great composure
about

OF

character
have

mistakes
predicatedthat she did not often make
againstherself in any of the reckoningsover which she
Defarge,being sensitive to cold,
presided. Madame
was
wrapped in fur,and had a quantityof brightshawl
twined about her head, though not to the concealment
Her knitting
before her,but
of her largeear-rings.
was
she had laid it down
to pickher teeth with a toothpick.
Thus
engaged, with her rightelbow supported by her
left hand, Madame
Defargesaid nothingwhen her lord
came
in,but coughed justone grainof cough. This, in
with the lifting
of her darkly defined eyecombination
brows
her toothpick by the breadth
of a line,
over
suggestedto her husband that he would do well to look
the shop among
the customers, for any new
round
who had dropped in while he steppedover
customer
the way.

dickens.

charles

THE

IN

RUE

DES

BILLETTES

mighty stream of Parisian holiday-makersone

Sunday evening,only a tinyrillflowed in the direction
the

Of

of the Rue
way

des Billettes. Few

to the Lutheran

indeed

were

night. The
were

almost

show, that

Hkely

ever

find their

in this ancient street ; few

such a
to be tempted thither on
church

pleasure-seekers
maddening. It was the close of a dazzling
unimaginable,indescribable jubileeof
allurements

all the
liberty,
The

tourists

held out

nations had

flocked to

gone

see.

fittest emblem
revolution,
by, with its trembhng Ughts,

Eiffel Tower, in itself a

of revolution

to

88
motest

of

races

man

new

and

Paris in their

like. All

are

at, studied

wondered

strange
own

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

at

ourselves

to

eyes.

mired,
here, to be adleisure,their appearance
are

coming togetherof

this

In

this brilliant

at

and polishedhumanity lies the real marvel of

savage
the centennial exhibition. And it is emblematic.
Just
as

the Eiffel Tower

of the
so

looks down

it commemorates

black

grandest programme
wild, freeman

and

and

race

THE

embrace

in its

white, civilized

slave !
BETH

M.

To

the entire population

globe,each type being here represented,

did the Revolution

and

upon

LIMBOS

AM-ED

WARDS.

PARIS

OF

thoughtfully
about, that is to say, to lounge,
is a fine employment of time in the eyes of the philosopher
in that rather illegitimate
species
; particularly
of campaign which
is tolerablyugly but odd, and
composed of two natures, which surrounds certain
notablyParis. To study the suburbs is to
great cities,
study the amphibiousanimal. End of the trees,beginning
of the roofs ; end of the grass, beginningof the
pavements ; end of the furrows, beginning of the
shops ; end of the wheel-ruts,beginningof the passions
beginningof the
; end of the divine murmur,
human
interest.
extraordinary
uproar ; hence our
Hence, in these not very attractive places,
indelibly
stamped by the passing stroller with the epithet
the apparently objectless
melancholy,
promenades of
roam

the dreamer.

He
about

who

writes these lines has

the barriers of

profound

souvenirs.

Paris,and
That

long been

it is for him

close-shaven

a
a

prowler
source

of

turf,those

STREETS

THE

OF

pebbly paths, that chalk,

PARIS

89

those

pools,those harsh
monotonies
of waste
and fallow lands, the plants of
early market-garden suddenly springing into sight
in

bottom,
citizen,those

that

mixture
desert

of the
nooks

savage
where
the

and

the

garrison
drums
and produce a sort of Hspingof
noisily,
practise
those hermits by day and cut-throats by night;
battle,
that clumsy mill which turns in the wind, the hoistingthe tea-gardensat the corners
wheels of the quarries,
of the cemeteries ; the mysterious charm
of great,
walls squarely intersecting
sombre
immense, vague
stretches

vast

of land

inundated

with sunshine

and

full of

butterflies,all this attracted him.

is not acearth who
There is hardly anyone
on
quainted
with those singular
spots,the Glaciere,the
Cunette,the hideous wall of Grenelle all speckledwith
balls,Montparnasse,the Fosse- aux-Loups,Aubiers on
the banks
of the Marne, Mont-Souris, the Tombe
where there is
Issoire,the Pierre-Plate de Chatillon,
an
old,exhausted quarry which no longerserves
any
except to raise mushrooms, and which is
purpose
closed,on a level with the ground,by a trap-doorof
of Rome
is one idea,the hanplanks. The campagna
lieue of Paris is another ; to behold nothingbut fields,
houses,or trees in what a stretch of country offers us,
is to remain on the surface ; all aspects of thingsare
thoughtsof God. The spot where a plain effects its
junctionwith a cityis always stamped with a certain
and
humanity both
piercingmelancholy. Nature
time there. Local originalities
appeal to you at the same
"

there make

Anyone who,
these
may

solitudes
be

their appearance.
like

ourselves,has wandered

contiguousto our
designated as the Hmbos

about

in

faubourgs,which
of Paris, has

seen

CHARM

THE

90
and

here

there,in the

and

who

The

outer

pected
unex-

hedge, or in the
a
grouped tumulturagged,dishevelled,playinghide-and-seek,

with

crowned

ones

most

meagre
lugubriouswall,children

of

ously

PARIS

desert,at the

most

behind

moment,
corner

OF

have

All of them

corn-flowers.
their escape

made

boulevard

from

are

Uttle

families.

poor

is their

breathingspace ; the
There they are eternally
suburbs belong to them.
playing
There they are, or rather,there they
truant.
exist,far from every eye, in the sweet Hght of May or
June, kneehng round a hole in the ground, snapping
their thumbs, quarrelHng over
with
marbles
halfvolatile,
free,and happy ; and
farthings,
irresponsible,
do they catch sightof you than they recollect
no
sooner
that they have an industry,
and that they must
and
their living,
earn
they offer to sell you an old
woollen stockingfilledwith cockchafers, or a bunch of
.

lilac. These
of the

charming and

of the environs
Sometimes

with

encounters

at the

strange children

same

time

are

one

poignantgraces

of Paris.
there

are

littlegirls
among

boys, are they their sisters

maidens, thin,feverish,with
"

freckles,crowned

with

"

who

sunburnt

are

the

throng of-

almost

young
hands, covered

poppies and ears of rye,

gay, haggard,barefooted. They can be seen devouring
the wheat.
In the eveningthey can be
cherries among
heard laughing.These groups, warmly illuminated by
the full glow of midday, or indistinctly
in the twiseen
for a very long time,
hght,occupy the thoughtfulman
and these visions mingle with his dreams.
circumference
tutes
Paris,centre, banlieiie,
; this constiall the earth to those children. They never
ture
venbeyond this. They can no more
escape from the
Parisian atmosphere than fish can
escape from the
with

STREETS

THE

OF

PARIS

gr

For

them, nothing exists two leaguesbeyond

the barriers : Ivry,Gentilly,
AuberArcueil,Belleville,
vilHers,Menilmontant, Choisy-le-Roi,Billancourt,
Gen*
Meudon, Issy,Vanvre, Sevres,Puteaux, Neuilty,
nevilliers,
Colombes, Romainville, Chatou, Asnieres,
Bougival,Nanterre, Enghien, Noisy-le-Sec,Nogent,.
water.

Drancy, Gonesse

the universe

ends

there.
VICTOR

THE

As

to

PARIS

REAL

Paris, why, everything,or

has been

which

ONLY

made

by

man

HUGO.

and

almost

everything,
time, and not by
amusing turn, a

machinery, possesses a grace, an

of centuries and the weather, and
something telling
privateways and
telUngabove allof its own particular
from the flyingbuttresses of Notre Dame
tO'
means,
the long carts, with cranks
and levers,on which the
great blue-fleeced horses draw the barrels along from
the Halle

Vins.

aux

bringsme back to my expeditionof, so to

I had
Exhibition.
after too much
speak,purification
indwelling
better one, a pilgrimageto the spirit
an
even
in the Left Bank, quite accidentally
a few
days
That

later. We

went

firstto

great yard for coaches

Rue
that

old house, Louis

an

and

Garanciere,and then
one

of the charms

on.

XIV., with

garlandedportal,in the
But I ought to explain

of the Left Bank,

one

of the

Paris,is its being

particularly
a
great alluvium and accretion of the in-streaming
provinces,containing samples of every provincial
sion
of the seclueven
life,
town, of every sort of provincial
and silence thereof alongsideof its own
noisy
to see
went
house we
The particular
thoroughfares.

thingswhich

make

it so

THE

92

was

CHARM

OF

PARIS

littleold hotel in the Rue

habited
Vanneau, unin-

for months, and

seeminglyyears, full of dust

and cobwebs, and yet quite dainty and decorously
"cheerful ; behind it the big trees and half-wild bushes
-of a neglectedgarden. An old lady and gentleman
(who ? whence ?) were
takingthe air on the steps of
this utterly
dismantled abode. The lastinhabitants had
been some
Peres Benedictins ; and on the mantel-piece
of the empty lodgelay an old newspaper
address of Sa
Grandeur, the Bishop of Hebron, or Antioch,or Tyre.
O Paris of the Left Bank, the only real Paris for me,
with thy statelyhotels and long convent
walls overtopped
with discreet green ; thy frowzy Httle Balzac
pensions,tenanted once
by the nymphs of FarmersGeneral, and now
by enthusiastic art students and
warlike doctoresses,
from
and widows
the provinces
leadingbowing sons in check cravats ; Paris of Faisan
d'Ors where we hoped in the platdu jourand hesitated
between gratuitous
blue wine and another,not gratuitous,
demie-cannette ; Paris of cremeries,
wherein we
cheated

the

desire

for

afternoon

tea, and

many,

"doubtless,
thoughtto cheat desire for dinner or lunch;
Paris of history,of romance,
Dumas
and Balzac, of
and
hope and effort and day-dreams also.Socialists,
scientificstruggUnggirls
of Rosny's novels,and ardent
expatriatedcreatures fit for Henry James ! I felt it
the onlyreal Paris,as I stood (havingleft behind
was
the civiHzed cosmopoHtan boulevards),
at the window
"ofa certain fourth floor nccir the InvaUdes,overlooking
with,in the smoky
cHpped trees and Louis XIV. attics,
sunset
distance,a faint babel of Exhibition towers
and domes.
to think that I, even
And
/, could have
thought,even for a second,that I had^cometo Paris to
see

the Rue

des Nations

'

vernon

lee.

SOME

"

PARISIAN

PHASES

You

this

in

its

will

there

depths,

line

no

plumb.

can

be

and

and

and

toilers

regions
and

pearls
the

forgotten by

or

nisances,
recog-

the

unexplored

flowers

overlooked

and

painstaking

lonely

always

matter

no

investigations

your

unknown,

deep

it ; but

describe

numerous

caverns

the

of

monsters

that

ocean

and

with

how

matter

sea,

surface

take

you

no

in

its

survey

pains

an

may

"what

is in truth

Paris

stately

divers

of

literature.
HONORfi

midnight

At

was

in

Dame

Notre

the

on

the

moon,

his

the

with
Paris

wings.

at

spectacle, resembling

of

by

the

been

owl

and

superb

One

enchanted

nificent
mag-

flapping

is

moonlight,

of

towers

and

great

Thousand

the

have

which

of

inhabitants

the

hour,

city

and

BALZAC.

friends
of

accompaniment

this

of

one

four

of

society

...

of

platform

DE

Nights,
their

during

sleep,
M^RIMEE.

PROSPER

of

theatres

The

boulevards

the

"the
in

line

the

and

Hugo

of

the

"comes

have

we

in

Dumas

where
La

place,

tears
; but

and

here

flow
there

the

and
is

and

hearts
on

vaudeville

the

is

is

bears
the

of

best

Victor
Then

regards

still

plays

given.

romantic

drama

has

too,

in

pleasant

here

here,
beat

whole

often

works

as

in

range

is

given.

drama

The

Gaiete.

rights of citizenship,

the

run

which

which

is inferior

romantic

the

also

and

admirably
which

and

theatre

There

most

are

rank

the

Paris.

and

diminishing

ever

local

Saint-Martin,

drama

yet

this
have

we

Ambigu-Comique,

actors,

Then

all

Porte

the
the

for
and

of

of

resorts

Saint-Martin

Temple,

Indeed,

true

Porte

du

Boulevard

First

of

name

the

at

value.

correct.

theatre

and

the

along

importance
very

begin

They

people.

the

are
.

comes

with
more

even

the

most

singing

this

terrible
and

lightly trilling
HEINRICH

tions
emo-

laughter,
forth.
HEINE.

THE

96
shiningin
not

line of gutter,
longglistening
pleasingobjectin a city,but in a picture

the sun,

very
invaluable.
and

hues

the

Tower

is

PARIS

OF

CHARM

On

; some

"

each side
but

of

of Babel.

one

of all dimensions

houses

are

story ;

From

these

some

as

high as

haberdashers

the

(and this is their favourite street)flaunt long strips

of gaudy cahcoes,which
give a strange air of rude
with a littlecrowd
gaietyto the street. Milk- women,
of gossips
round each, are, at this earlyhour of morning,
the chief material of the Parisian cafe-auselling
lait. Gay wine-shops,painted red, and
smartly
filled
decorated
with vines and gildedraihngs,are
with workmen
takingtheir morning'sdraught. That
gloomy-lookingprisonon your rightis a prisonfor
women

it

; once

unfortunate

convent

for Lazarists

: a

sand
thou-

individuals

of the softer

sex

now

was

that mansion

occupy

they bake,

as

we

find in the

of all the other

prisons; they
the shirts and stockingsof all the
mend
and wash
and phosother prisoners
phorushooks-and-eyes
; they make
and they attend chapelevery Sunday ;
^ifoccupationcan helpthem, sure they have enough
it not a great stroke of the legislature
to
of it. Was
superintendthe morals and hnen at once, and thus
keep these poor creatures continuallymending ? But
have passed the prisonlong ago, and are at the
we
the
guide-books,

bread

"

"

St. Denis

Porte

There
pass

is

itself.

only time

it commemorates

to take
some

hasty glance as

of the wonderful

we

feats

in
Magnus, and abounds
ponderous allegoriesnymphs, and river-gods,and
pyramids crowned with fleurs-de-lis; Louis passing
Lion giving
the Rhine in triumph,and the Dutch
over
up the ghost,in the year of our Lord 1672. The Dutch

of

arms

of

Ludovicus
"

PARISIAN

SOME

revived, and

Lion

afterwards

PHASES
the

overcame

97

man

some

years
of this fact,singularly
enough, the

but

make
inscriptions

mention.

Passing,then, round
the custom
in respect
the gate,and not under it (after
the Boulevard,which
of triumphalarches),
you cross
givesa glimpseof trees and sunshine, and gleaming
the Rue
white buildings
de
; then, dashing down
and the Rue St. Eustace,
Villeneuve
Bourbon
the conductor
givesa last blast on his horn, and the
great vehicle clatters into the courtyard,where its
journeyis destined to conclude.
If there was
a noise before of screamingpostilions
and cracked horns, it was
nothingto the Babel-hke
We are in a great court,
clatter which greetsus now.
which HajjiBaba would call the father of diligences.
no

Half

other coaches

dozen

arrive at the

minute

same

hke your Englishvehicles,

but ponlightaffairs,
derous
fifteen passengers inside,
machines, containing
and vast towers
of luggageon
in the cabriolet,
more
the roof : others are loading: the yard is filled with
coming or departing; bustlingporters
passengers
These latter seize
and screaming commissionaires.
you as you descend from your place, twenty cards
thrust into your hand, and as many
are
voices,jabbering
"

no

"

"

with
*

inconceivable

swiftness,shriek into

your
'Otel of Rhin ?

way, sare ; are you for ze

Hotel de V Aniiraute ! Hotel Bristol,
sare
ear,

Dis

"

r Hotel de Lille ?
Monsieur
petit,

And
the

now,

words

Sacr-rrre
!

'Ow

nom

mush

de

Monsieur^
Dieu, laissezpasserce
!

loggish'ave

"

you,

sare

?'

if you are a stranger in Paris,listen to

of Titmarsh.
If you
cannot
speak a
"

syllableof French, and love Englishcomfort, clean

breakfasts,and waiters : if you would have
rooms,
plentifuldinners, and are not particular(as how
7

98

THE

should

CHARM

OF

PARIS

be

?) concerningwine ; if,in this foreign

country, you will have your English companions,
your porter,your friend,and your brandy-and-water
do not listen to any of these commissioner
fellows,
but with your best Englishaccent, shout out boldly,
Meurice
!'and straightwaya man
will step forward
you

"

to conduct

you

to the

de Rivoli.

Rue

find apartments at any price:

of eternal boiled eggs, or

an

...

Here

you wiU
fast
Englishbreak-

ham ; a nondescript
grilled
dinner,profusebut cold ; and a societywhich
will rejoice
your heart. Here are the young gentlemen
from

Universities ; young
merchants
on
a lark ;
largefamihes of nine daughters,with fat father and
the

mother

The

officers of

last time

nobbed

with

we
no

lawyers' clerks.

Dragoons, and

dined at
less

'

Meurice'

person

'

tham

we

Mr.

hobbed

and

Moses, the

Chancery Lane ; Lord Brougham

his right,
and a clerg3^man's
was
on
lady,with a train
sat on his left,
of white-haired girls,
wonderfullytaken
with the diamond
ringsof the fascinating
stranger !
It is,as you will perceive,
admirable way to see
an
if you spend your days reading the
Paris,especially
of our foreign
as many
Englishpapers at Galignani's,
celebrated

baiHff of

tourists do.

promiscuous,and not to the purpose.

If, to continue the subjectof hotel choosing, ^ifyou
and the best tahle-d'hotein the
love quiet,
heavy bills,
city,go, O stranger,to the Hotel des Princes ; it is close
for Frascati's.
to the Boulevard, and convenient
If you
student
to study the
come
are
a
poor
humanities,or the pleasantart of amputation,cross
the water
forthwith,and proceed to the Hotel Corthe Odeon, or others of its species; there
near
neille,
live royally (untilyou
where
can
are
many
you
But
"

all this is

"

SOME

PARISIAN

PHASES

9^

economize

four francs a
by going into lodgings)
on
day; and where, if by any strange chance you aredesirous for a while to get rid of your countrymen^
you ^^illfind that they scarcelyever penetrate.
WILLIAM

ARRIVING

MAKEPEACE

AT

THACKERAY.

MAGNIFICENT

PARIS

Lyons and the Saone (where we saw the lady of

Lyons and thought littleof her comeUness); by Villa
Franca, Tonnere, venerable Sens, Melun, Fontaine^
of other beautiful cities,
bleau, and scores
we
swept.
hour after hour, that briUiant
We bowled along,
summer
day, and as nightfall
approached we entered
of odorous flowers and shrubbery,sped
a wilderness
throughit,and then,excited,dehghted,and half persuaded
that we
were
only the sport of a beautiful
dream, lo,we stood in magnificentParis !
In a little while we
were
speedingthrough the
certain
streets of Paris, and delightfully
recognizing
and
names
placeswith which books had long aga
made us familiar. It was
hke meeting an old friend
By

when

knew

we

well

as

Column
was,

or

read

we

de Rivoli

Rue

'

on

the street

corner

genuine vast palaceof the Louvre as

knew its picture
we
passed by the; when
July we needed no one to tell us what it

the
we

of

to remind

that

us

on

its site

once

stood

the

that grave of human

hopes and happigrim Bastille,
ness,
that dismal prison-house
within whose dungeons
so

many

many
hearts
We

faces put

young

proud spiritsgrew
broke.
went

and
lighting,

the wrinkles

humble,

so

of age,

many

so

brave

to

out
ate

on

restaurant, just after lamp-

comfortable,satisfactory,
Hngering
7"2.

THE

100

It

OF

CHARM

PARIS

pleasureto eat where everythingwas

so
tidy,the food so well cooked, the waiters so poHte,
and the coming and departingcompany
so
mousand wonderfully
so
so affable,
tached, so frisky,
fearfully
Frenchy ! AU the surroundingswere
gay and
enlivening.Two hundred people sat at little tables
the sidewalk, sippingwine and coffee ; the streets
on
were
thronged with hght vehicles and with joyous
music in the air,life and
pleasure-seekers
; there was
action aU about us, and a conflagration
of gaslight
everywhere !
felt like seeing such
Parisian
After dinner
we
tion,
exeras
we
specialities
might see without distressing
and so we sauntered through the brilliant streets
and looked at the dainty triflesin varietystores and
merely for the pleasure
shops. Occasionally,
jewellery
the
of being cruel,we put unoffendingFrenchmen
on
rack with questionsframed
in the incomprehensible
and while they writhed,
3argon of their native language,
we
impaled them, we peppered them, we sacrificed
them
with their own
vile verbs and participles.
At eleven o'clock we
aHghted upon a sign which
referred to bilUards. Joy ! We had played
manifestly
dinner.

was

billiards in the Azores

and

on

than

an
a

ancient

brick

thingswith
faded

with balls that

table that

pavement

dead

cloth and

"

one

was

very
with

invisible obstructions

balls describe the most

round,

littlesmoother

of those

cushions, and

not

were

wretched

old

patches in the
that made

astonishingand

the

unsuspected

perform feats in the way of unlooked-for

and almost impossible scratches,*
that were
perfectly
bewildering.We had played at Gibraltar with balls
the size of a walnut, on a table like a pubUc square
angles and

'

"

and

in both

instances

we

achieved

far

more

aggrava-

than

tion

we

mistaken.

were

The

cushions

littlein the way

in

that

crooked

so

and

hard

were

for the curve,

or

would

the balls had

the

cushions, we

of

The

cannon.

shot you

were

as

and the
unelastic,

making

you

fare better

to

cushions

deal

accomplishedvery

loi

expected

higher than the balls,and

fashion of always stoppingunder

good
a

We

amusement.

here, but

PHASES

PARISIAN

SOME

cues

had

infallibly
put

were

allow

to
*

the

lish
Eng-

'

the wrong
side of the ball. Dan was
to mark
while the doctor and I played. At the end of an hour
on

neither of

had

us

made

count, and

so

Dan

tired

was

keepingtallywith nothing to tally,and we were

heated and angry and disgusted.We
paid the heavy
of

bill

would

we

six cents

about

"

and

"

call around

some

promised
time when

that

ourselves

had

we

week

spend, and

finish the game.

We
adjourned to one of those pretty cafes and took
and tested the wines of the country, as we
supper
had been instructed to do, and found them harmless
to

and

ever,
howunexciting. They might have been exciting,
if we

To

close

now

du

Hotel

day in
sought our

first

our

we
pleasantly,

Grand

to drink

chosen

had

and

Louvre

of them.
sufficiency
Paris cheerfullyand

grand

climbed

in the

room

into

our

tuous
sump-

if we
were
feebly wondered
Paris, and drifted
really and truly in renowned
drowsilyaway into that vast mysterious void which
call sleep.
men
mark
twain.

bed,

COULD

was

then

FIRST

JOURNEY

forgetmy
carriage.

never

third-class
It

near

the end

of

first

TO

PARIS

journey to

February,and

Paris

the cold

in

was

THE

^02

OF

CHARM

PARIS

-still
the grey sky,wind, frost,
very great. Outside was
bare hills,long rows
of leafless vines ; inside were

singing,great rough peasants snoring away

The journey lasted
wide open.
Avith their mouths
stirred. I sat with
"two days. All that time I never
out
clenched teeth,jammed between
two torments, with-

sailors

to turn

room

As

head.

my

neither money
Two
whole
time.

I had

I was
provisions,
fastingthe
days without food seemed very long.
I should
two-franc piece,but I knew

nor

when

spend

any of it.
the second

got
station,and
On

"

all aHve.

Here
*

but

we

are

Where

coal,and

worse

night,about

three o'clock I

was

denly
sud-

stopped,the carriage
warder
say to his wife,

train had

The

I heard

the

!'

I,rubbing my
soul,at Paris !'

got to the door

bare

it

Paris, if I did not find Jack at the

I manfully resisted the temptation to

?' said

Bless your

want

indeed

to

awakened.
Avas

I had

; I could

placewith

some

eyes.

houses, nothing
some
gas-lights,
heaps of
see

no

great red lighta Httle way off. There was

a confused
rumbUng something hke the noise of the
with a lantern was
going along calling
sea, and a man
Paris ! All tickets ready ! Paris !'
out,
I felt a thrill of fear. I had good reason
for that
if I had only known
it. Five minutes later we
thrill,
a

"

in the station.

were

There
hour.

was

Jack

He

had

been

there

for the last

figurein the distance,beliind

the barrier,
with his long arms
goinglike a semaphore.
I forgothow cramped I was, and sprang to him.
Jack ! My dear old fellow I'
How
we
hugged each other ! Unluckily,railway'

saw

his tall

THE

104
On

went,

we

there

where
*

We

ever

At

black streets.
was

so

St. Germain
What

'

Very nearly;

! in the

halted in

littlesquare

church.

now,' said Jack.

des Pres.

'

PARIS

far, through interminable

length we

just at home

are

OF

CHARM

Our

room

That

is

is up there.'

steeple?'
it is convenient

for

knowing

the

hour.'

exaggerating.His littlegarret was in

the sixth story of the house adjoiningthe church,
and his window
opened on the steeplejust opposite
the dial. Wearily I toiled up the stairs ; but when he
opened the door, I gave a cry of joy. A fire ! Oh, how
feet
to hold my
heavenly! and I ran to the fireplace
to the blaze,at the risk of meltingmy goloshes.Then
for the first time Jack perceivedhow I was
shod ; he
laughedheartily.
He

was

Well !' said

reached

but
ever

not

he,

'

many

Paris in wooden

celebrated

shoes, and

are

proud of it,

boast of being the only one

you may
arrived in goloshes it is original.'

who

has

"

boomed
great clock of St. Germain
twelve
heavy strokes, followed by the

The

have

men

out

its

Angelus,
almost in my ears.
The sonorous
tones fellin triplets,
with floating
sound.
All
and seemed to fillthe room
the other steeplesof Paris took up the Angelus in
their various keys,and, as if attracted by the chimes,
broke through the dusky clouds and
a
ray of sun
the wet roofs glisten. Far beneath
Paris
made
me
was
growlingand rumbUng. I stood for a littlewhile
the towers, as they
watching the domes, the spires,
caught the sunshine, and then, as the roar of the
surgingup, I felt a wild longingto
great citycame

SOME
and

go

PARISIAN
in

mingle

said,with

of

sort

the

PHASES

crowd

of life

105

below, and

intoxication,I will

go

and

I
see

Paris.'
ALPHONSE

DAUDET.

Translated

ITALIENS

AUX

At

there ;
in a book, that
a queen
of pearlin her raven
hair.

Paris it was, at the

And she looked like
the wreath

With

the brooch

And

on

Opera

her

"

Mario

souls in

The
The

moon

who

we

heard
'

The

Non

tenor

note

Purgatory.
sleptsoft

as

snow

thrilled in the strangestway.

sing,while the gas burned low,

not

was

him

ti scordar di

grave,

as

me

'?

of state,
if he had justthen seen

Emperor there,in

Looked

with

the tower

on

And
As

soothe

can

night.

breast,so bright.

Of all the operas that Verdi wrote,

The best,to my
taste,is the Trovatore
And

by L. Ford.

his box

from the citygate,

flagwave
in bronze had been.
his eagles
Where

The

red

The

Empress, too, had

You'd

tear in her eye.

said that

have

her

fancy

had

gone

back

again,
For

one

moment

To the old

under

the old blue

glad lifein Spain.

OWEN

MEREDITH

sky,

...

(LORD LYTTON).

io6

THE

UNCOMMERCIAL

THE

We

CHARM

journeyed on
that

assurance

There

OF

PARIS

TRAVELLER

again,and

France

IN

I welcomed

stood

where

PARIS

every

had

new

left it.

and clean postposting-houses

masters'
of business lookingon
wives, brightwomen
to of the horses ; there were
at the puttingthe postiHons counting what money
they got,into their hats,
and never
dard
making enough of it ; there were the stanvariabl
populationof grey horses of Flanders descent,inbitingone another when they got a chance ;
there were
the fleecysheepskins,
loopedon over their
bibbed aprons, when it
uniforms by the postilions,_like
blew and rained ; there were
their jack-boots,
and
their crackingwhips ; there were
the cathedrals that I
cruel bondage,in nowise
got out to see, as under some
the httle towns
that
to see them
-desiring
; there were
appearedto have no reason for beingtowns, since most
duced
of their houses were
to let and nobody could be into look at them, except the peoplewho couldn't
let them and had nothing else to do but look at them
At last I was
in a
all day.
rattled,like a single
pill
box, over leaguesof stones, until madly cracking,
I
two
plunging,and flourishing
grey tails about
made
triumphalentry into Paris.
my
At Paris,I took an upper apartment for a few days
were

...

"

"

in

of the hotels of the Rue

one

de

RivoU

; my

front

looking into the garden of the Tuileries

the nursemaids
(where the principaldifference between
windows

and
were

the flowers seemed

that the former

dows
back winthe latter not) : my
lookingat all the other back windows in the

locomotive

and

hotel,and deep down

German

to be

chariot had

into

retired

paved yard, where my

archunder a tight-fitting
a

SOME
way,

all

PARISIAN

day without

caps,

who

107

for

and where beUs rang

life,
anybody's minding them but certain

to all appearances

chamberlains

PHASES

feather

with

and

there leaned

and

here

brooms

out

green
of some

baize

high

neat
placidly looking down, and where
waiters with trays on their left shoulders passed and
repassedfrom morning to night.
I am
at Paris,I am
Whenever
dragged by invisible
force into the Morgue. I never
to go there,
want
One New
Year's
but am
always puUed there.
side
token, the sun was shiningoutMorning (by the same
and there was
a mountebank
balancinga feather
his nose, within a yard of the gate),I was pulledin
on
with
againto look at a flaxen-haired boy of eighteen,
his breast
from his mother,'was
a heart hanging on

window

'

"

it who
had come
into the net across
on
engraven
the river,
with a bullet wound
in his fair forehead and
"

his hands
blank
On

cut with

mystery.
a

Welcome

knife,but whence

or

how

was

brightmorning I rattled away from Paris.

again,the long,longspellof France, with

the

of flowers and clocks,

country inns,full of vases
in the dull Uttle towns, and with the little population
the littleBoulevard
in the evening,
not at all dull on
under the Httle trees ! Welcome, Monsieur
the Cure,
walking along in the earlymorning a short way out of
the town, readingthat eternal Breviary of yours which
surely might be almost read, without book, by this
time ! Welcome, Monsieur the Cure, later in the day,
ready
joltingthrough the highway dust (as if you had alascended
in a very bigto the cloudy region),
headed cabriolet,
with the dried mud
of a dozen winters
it. Welcome
on
again.Monsieur the Cure, as w^e

queer

exchange

salutations ; you,

straightening
your

back

io8

THE

CHARM

to look at the German

littlevillage
garden

OF

PARIS

chariot,while pickingin your

vegetableor two for the day's

chariot window
in
soup ; I lookingout of the German
that deUcious traveller's trance which knows no cares,
no
yesterdays,
to-morrows, nothingbut
objectsand the passingscents and sounds

the

no

CHARLES

IN

Ah

yes ;

THE

Alphonsehad
lovers

So many
But never

!
DICKENS.

CROWD

in that hotel

seen

their

on

passing

honeymoon

pairas this. Monsieur

Seemed so well- formed, so sunny
and so young
how fiquantewas
And ah, how bright,
Madame.
such

quiteher slave,too
was
completelynew to him
prideand pleasureif he had

Monsieur
Love
With
A

was

thousand

times

; you
:

could

see

he flushed
to

stoop

to tie the lace

day

provoking Httle shoe of hers ;

And ah, no doubt, she loved Monsieur so well
For they went
out togetherevery night
As happilyas children going to spend
A penny
at a fair. These EngHshmen
In love are wonderful sweet simpletons!
of a comphment ;
We French are masters
Of that

and tears,
dice for hearts and roses, dreams
admire
And smilingquiteimpartially
We

The
Much

dainty frillsaround
the

same

way

as

a
we

woman's
admire

Well, in this room

they w^ere
And so they took the smallest
"

Monsieur

would

sit and

watch

feet
her soul.
.

not
room

very
we

her sweet

rich,
had

"

brighteyes.

PARISIAN

SOME
Or hold her hand
vanish

Would

beautiful

Too

had

He

not

and

like
a

her

she

good,

too

was

true.

easily: he

understand

Hardly to

; it

dream

109

if it all

wonder

story to be

won

PHASES

seemed

his

was

He

used to sit and watch

her when

Or

played at paintingin

the

own.

she read

sunUght here

Ah, heaven ! Lamplight and water-colours,eh ?

when the dayhght came,
But he, he thought,even
in the world.
They were the loveliest pictures

day they went to see the sights,

and Notre Dame
St. Cloud, Versailles,
; and all
For him at least was
consecrated ground ;
She brought a halo with her, and when
they heard
The choirs in Catholic churches,why, her face
Made him forgethe was
a Protestant,

And

Made

every

him

Upliftto
Was

afraid almost

to feel his heart

like this,by aUen prayers.

simple? Yes, like littlechildren,

God

it not

They hardly understood

That

passed them

How

dark

the wickedness

in the streets

placethis

they did

Paris is at best.

ALFRED

Cafe

Procope (in the

know

NOYES.

PARIS

REVISITING

The

not

Rue

des Fosses- Saint-Germain)

improved, and bears

an
telUng the date of its establishment,
inscription
in the year 1689. I entered the cafe,which
which was
was
nearly or quiteempty, the usual breakfast hour
being past.
Gargon ! Une tasse de cafe.
has been

much

altered and

THE

no

If there is
river

lethe,
my

OF

CHARM

river of
cup

mneme

as

of coffee must

of memory.
eloquenceof Jouffroy which
from

PARIS

that stream

counterpart of the
have got its water

If I could
made

borrow

his hearers

that
turn

pale,I might bringup before my readers a long array

of pallid
these walls knew
weU in their
ghosts,whom
earthlyhabiliments. Only a singleone of those I met
gotten
forhere stillsurvives. The rest are mostly well-nigh
or remembered
by all but a few friends,
chiefly
?' I
in their children and grandchildren. How
much
*

tongue, or what I
Cinq sous,'was his
By the laws of sentiment, I ought to have
the ignoblesum
five francs,at least. But if I

the gargon in his native

supposed to be that language.

said

answer.

made

to

'

undoubtedly have
from Charenton.
Besides,
thought I had just come
why should I violate the simplehabits and traditions
of poor
of the place,where generationafter generation

had

done

students

the

so,

and

waiter

threadbare

would

Bohemians

had

taken

their

pocketed their two lumps of

It was
with a feelingof virile sanity and
sugar ?
that I paid my
five sous, with
Roman
self-conquest
I supposed the
the small additional fraction which
waiter to expect, and no more.
the threshold of
So I passed for the last time over
his
Voltaire had matured
the Cafe Procope, where
plays and Piron sharpened his epigrams ; where
Jouffroy had battled with his doubts and fears,
since my
days of Parisian
where, since their time
terrible storming youth, afterwards
life the
nowned
reLeon Michel Gambetta, had startled the
as
quiet guests with his noisy eloquence,till the old
the
habitues spilledtheir coffee, and
red-capped
r
students said to each other, // ira loin,cs gaillard-la
morning

coffee

and

"

"

'

THE

112

one

bridgeshad been built,but

enough, and I was tempted to look for

two

or

natural

sell me

would

not

new

end

at the

woman,

as

PARIS

OF

CHARM

of violets for two

bunch
cost me

the three

see

quarter of

objectswhich

always to be met on
and a white horse.
soldier,
are

the

or

three

was

the old

used

sous

to

such

"

dollar in Boston.

I did

popularsayingalleges
Pont Neuf : a priest,
a
a

OLIVER

TO

Arts, who

des

of the Pont

all

HOLMES.

WENDELL

FRIEND

REPUBLICAN

If to prize
it,I am with you.
Those virtues,
priz'dand practis'dby too few,
in you,
But priz'd,
but lov'd,but eminent
God

knows

Man's

fundamental

Ufe

if to

despise
The barren optimisticsophistries
Of comfortable moles, whom
what they do
Teaches the limit of the justand true
for such doing have no need of eyes :
And
If sadness at the long heart- wasting show
earth's great ones
Wherein
are
:
disquieted
flow
If thoughts,not idle,while before me
:

'
'

"

The

of the homeless

armies

If these
Then

yours,

muse

on

unfed

if this is what

I yours, and

am

Yet, when
Rather

are

and

what

what

you

lifeis,I

you

:
"

are.

feel,I share.
seem

patienceprompted, than that proud

Prospectof hope which France proclaimsso loud,
France, fam'd in all great arts,in none
supreme.
Seeing this Vale, this Earth, whereon we dream.
Is on all sides o'ershadowed
by the high
of Necessity,
Uno'erleap'dMountains
Sparing us narrower
margin than we deem.
to

SOME

PARISIAN

PHASES

113

will that

day dawn at a human nod,

When, burstingthrough the network superposed
By selfishoccupation plotand plan,
liberated man,
Lust, avarice,envy
All difference with his fellow-man composed,
Shall be left standingface to face with God.
Nor

"

"

MATTHEW

BALLADE

THE

OF

WOMEN

ARNOLD.

OF

PARIS

folk deem

Though

Of Venice
Favoured
On

and

with

women

Genoa

young
well eno'

and

old

speech,both ghb and bold,

for to go,

lovers' messages

I say no.
I, at my peril,
and Romans
Though Lombards
patter well,
Savoyards,Florentines,less or mo'
The women
of Paris hear the hell.
"

II

(so we are told)

Naples women
Are pleasant
enough of speech,and

The

and

Are Prussians

Austrians.

Some

so

folk hold

Egyptians sweet of show :

Grand Cairo,
But hail they from Athens
or
Castille or Hungary, heaven
or
hell,
friend and foe.
For dulcet speech,over
The women
of Paris hear the hell.
Greeks

and

in

Switzers
Nor

nor

Bretons

Provence

nor

know

how

Gascon y

to
women

scold,
:

lo !

in Paris the bridgethat hold

fishfags
Would
slangthem dumb in a minute, I

Two

trow.

THE

114

PARIS

OF

CHARM

Picardy,England, Lorraine, St, L6

(Isthat enough placesfor one spell?),
Valenciennes,Calais,search high and low.
The women
of Paris hear the hell.
Envoi.

Prince, to the Paris ladies we owe

The prizeof sweet speech ; for they excel
They may talk of Italians ; but this I know,
The women
of Paris hear the hell.
VILLON.

FRANCOIS
Done

PARIS

into

The

HAD

life,except by

AMUSEMENTS

Dwarf

the remark

heard

never

one

and

who

in this

chapter; so
unprepossessed,there must
come

out

what

struck

parterre, and
"

Nature

in

that

doubt, she sports

corner

of the world

amusements.

"

at
:

^The

by

that

anyone

such

probably
that,beingpretty much
have been grounds for
my

numbers

certain

in my

will

was

eyes

the unaccountable

was

forming

made

I cast

the moment

me

English by John Payne.

LIMITLESS

HER

of

times

in almost

almost

goddessseems

sport of

dwarfs.

but in Paris there is no

end
as

the

over

No

"

every
to her
as

merry

she is wise.
of the

Opera Comique with

everybody I saw walking in the streets
me, I measured
! especially
where the
by it. Melancholyapplication
size was
extremelylittle,the face extremelydark,
the eyes quick, the nose
long, ^the teeth white,
the jaw prominent, to see
so
miserables,by
many
As

I carried my

idea out

"

"

"

"

"

"

force of accidents,driven out of their

own

proper

class

SOME
into the very
to write down

PARISIAN

verge of
:
"

ricketyheads
legs; a third

PHASES

another,which

a
every third man
and
hump-backs ;
"

115

it givesme

pain
pigmy ; some by
others by bandy
"

set arrested

the sixth and seventh

by the hand of
years of their growth ;

in their

natural

"

the

existence,never

"

perfectand

trees ; from

Nature

state,like dwarf

first rudiments

and

stamina

in

fourth^
appleof their

higher.
A Medical Traveller might say 'tisowing to undue
of air ; and an
bandages ; a Splenetic
one, to want
Traveller, to fortifythe system, may
Inquisitive
the heightof their houses, the narrowness
measure
to grow

meant

"

"

"

of their streets,
and

in how

few feet square in the sixth

of the Bourgeoisie
and seventh stories such numbers
e3.t
and

remember, Mr. Shandy the

for nothinglike anybody else,,

sleeptogether.But

Elder, who

accounted

eveningof these matters, averred that

children,like other animals,might be increased almost
to any size,provided they came
rightinto the world ;
but the miserywas, the citizens of Paris were
so coop'd
enough to get
up that they had not actuallyroom
them.
I do not call it gettinganything,said he ;
in his
'tisgettingnothing. Nay, continued he, rising
all
than nothing,when
argument, 'tis gettingworse
years of
you have got,after twenty or five-and-twenty
in

speakingone

"

"

"

the

tenderest

care

and

most

nutritious aliment

upon it,shall not at last be as high as my

Mr. Shandy being very short, there could

Now,

nothingmore

stowed
be-

leg.
be

said of it.

As this is not

work

tion
reasoning,I leave the solucontent myselfwith the truth

of

it,and
only of the remark, which is verified in every lane and
by-laneof Paris. I was walking down that which leads
as

from

I found

the Carrousel to the Palais

Royal,and observing
8"2

ii6
a

CHARM

THE

littleboy in

which

distress at the side of the gutter

the middle
of it,I took hold of his

some

down

ran

PARIS

OF

hand, and helpedhim over.

Upon turningup his face
I perceived
he was
about forty.
to look at him after,
Never mind, said I,some
good body will do as much
for me when I am
ninety.
I feel some
within me, which incline
littleprinciples
this poor blightedpart of
to be merciful towards
me
who have neither size nor strengthto get
my species,
"

in the world.

on

upon

had

; and

the

officer ere

thinghappen

"

I cannot

scarce

see

one

of them

got seated beside my

disgustwas
under

bear to

exercised

the box

we

trod

old French

by seeingthe

very

sat in.

orchestra,and betwixt that and

the firstside-box,there is a small esplanadeleft,
where,
numbers
of all ranks take sancwhen the house is full,
tuary.
Though you stand,as in the parterre,
you pay
less
the same
priceas in the orchestra. A poor, defenceor
being of this order had got thrust,somehow
other,into this luckless place; ^thenightwas hot,and
he was surrounded
by beingstwo feet and a half higher
than himself. The dwarf suffered inexpressibly
all
on
him most was
sides ; but the thingwhich incommoded
feet high,who
a
tall,corpulentGerman, near seven
betwixt him and all possibility
of his
stood directly
seeingeither the stage or the actors. The poor dwarf
wards,
did all he could to get a peep at what was
going forlittleopening betwixt the
by seekingfor some
and his body, tr3ang first on one
side
German's
arm
At the end

of the

"

then

on

the other ; but

the German

stood

square

in

be
unaccommodating posture that can
imagined : the dwarf might as well have been placed
of the deepestdraw-well in Paris ; so he
at the bottom
reached up his hand to the German's
sleeve,and
civilly
the

most

"

PARISIAN

SOME

^The German

his distress.

told him

PHASES

"

117

turned

his head

him
Goliath did upon
as
back, looked down
upon
resumed
his posture.
David, and unfeelingly
I was
just then taking a pinch of snuff out of my
And
how
little horn-box.
monk's
would
thy meek
and courteous
spirit,
my dear monk, so tempered to
bear and forbear
! ^how sweetly would it have lent an
to this poor soul's complaint !
ear
"

"

"

old French

The
with

emotion,
ask

libertyto

as

I made

what

me

seeingme lift up !my

the apostrophe,took

officer

the matter

was

the story in three words, and

"

added, how

eyes
the

I told him

inhuman

it

was.

By this time the dwarf was

in his first transports,which
had

coolly,and

his
told

knife.

The

"

him

able,
generallyunreason-

are

he would

told the German

with

queue

driven to extremes, and

he

was

cut

German

off his

long:

looked

back

welcome, if he

could

reach it.

injurysharpenedby

An

will,makes
have

every

of the box to have

leapedout

old French

officer did it with much

leaninga little over,

pointingat the same
"

of

man

be it to whom
it
insult,
sentiment a party : I could
an

redressed it. ^The

"

less confusion

for,
and nodding to a sentinel,and
tress,
at the distime, with his finger,

^thesentinel made

his way

to it.
"

^There

was

no

grievance,the thing told itself;

back the German
ket,
instantlywith his musso, thrusting
he took the poor dwarf by the hand, and placed
him before him.
^This is noble ! said I, clappingmy
hands together. And yet you would not permit this,,
in England.
said the old officer,
In England, dear Sir,said I, we sit all at our ease..
The old French officer would have set me
at unity
occasion

to

tell the

"

"

"

"

ii8
with
it

CHARM

THE

myself,in

I had been

case

bon mot

variance, by saying
bon mot is always worth
at

and, as a
something in Paris,he offered
a

was

PARIS

OF

"

"

me

pinch of

LAURENCE

AT

THE
To

That

was

snuff.

STERNE.

AMBASSADEURS
YVETTE

Yvette.

The

GUILBERT

blithe Ambassadeurs

this Sunday of the Fete des Fleurs ;

"Glitters,
Here are the flowers,too, living
flowers that blow
A

nightor

before the odours

go ;

all the flowers of all the

And

cityways
Yvette, this day of days.
But I must
first forget,
?

laughing,with
Laugh, with Yvette
Before I laugh,that

Are
.

two

I have

heard

Yvette.

the flowers fade before her ; see, the light

Dies out of that poor cheek, and leaves it white ;
and mirth, and all that moves
She singsof life,
For

Man's
And

The

fancy in the carnival of loves ;

a chill shiver takes me
as she sings
pity of unpitiedhuman
things.
ARTHUR

PARISIANS

AT

SYMONS.

TABLE

In my eyes nothingis more

edifyingthan to see these
toilers set off on Sundays, with their wives and children,

Meudon, Bellevue,Asnieres,or other pretty

environs of Paris,
to breathe the fresh air in the woods
or
by the river. Here there are restaurants in plenty.
Those who can afford it patronize
their tables ; and at
sittingunder
"every turn
you see a merry
company
the shade of some
of a
tree, enjoyingthe contents
basket
for economy's sake.
brought from home
for

THE

120

OF

CHARM

PARIS

have

ample time for reflection.

in sweet
He
leaves them
meditation, savoring in
advance
This
the long list of dainties for the day.
preliminaryis one of the pleasantestfeatures of the
performance,somethingakin to the packingup for a
cussed
holidaytrip. Each article on the bill of fare is diswith endless commentaries, accompanied with
knowing glanceor smack of the tongue.
The wine quesBy-and-by the choice is made.
tion
dishes.

They

must

is very
with the

soon

names

settled.

menu

Frenchman

is familiar

of all his favourite friends.

Chateau
Leoville,
the chosen

The

Beaune,
Margaux will help

Lafitte,Chateau
to go down.

He

will sometimes

order

bottle of Rhenish

wine, but not without previously

his patriotismby adding, These rascally
satisfying
Prussians, what
beautifullycoloured wines they
are
spent at table,for the
grow !' Two hours, at least,
whole time of the meal conversation goes on unflagging.
When
dinner is over, our friends repairto Torand there
toni,the Cafe Riche, or the Cafe Napolitain,
sip a cup of fragrantcoffee while quietlyenjoyinga
a tiny glassof
cigar; after which, not unfrequently,
finechampagne or chartreuse is brought in requisition
and arm
in
to push down the coffee.' Then they rise,
vards
they stroll on the Boulearm, smiling,gesticulating,
with the world
or the Champs Elysees,
delighted
in particular.
at largeand with themselves
a

'

o'rell.

MAX

CAFfi

THE

Gentlefolks,
In this world

pray,
a

what

must

be

bachelor's lot.

Who, like me, no family.

Fortune,place,or wife has got

SOME

PARISIAN

Through

the squares

On

the quays

Pardon

me

to

PHASES
to

Now

upon

Which
Asks
And

rich
hit

plan I've

too

much

prevents

time

or

nothing have

who

There, when

do,

to

I obtain

weary,

Sometimes

pastime,sometimes

they shelter
from

found

are

take their leisure too.

Folks who

Me

wit,

abound

the Boulevards, where

Folks

taste,

all sorts of waste.

Hospitableroofs
On

made.

are

far better suits my

not

doubt,

trade

but shoeblacks

None

stray, no

about.

roam

by such

"

121

sleep;

the rain,

from

sunbeams

safelykeep.
Ah ! I fancy you have guessed
be those regionsblest.
What
must
Well, for thirtyyears have I
Through all weathers,wet and dry
Me

"

"

"

Just at
On

seven

my

Washed
And

sixth floor every day,

and shaved and curled my

dropped

There

Brings of
With

bread

I think
a

a
a

to the Cafe.

down

the waiter in

Which

bed,

left my

trice

wholesome
breakfast

slice,
rare,

glassof capillaire.

Being the first-comer then,

Early readingto ensure,
I snatch up the Quotidienne,
"

And

the Courier I

secure.

head^

THE

122

PARIS

OF

CHARM

With

the Glohe beneath

With

the other

The

Debats, I'm

an

arm,

Soon

keepingwarm

the Moniteur

Hunting

the watch

on

to catch.

meanwhile

the Pilofe,

Which, though gouty, I obtain

Busy
The

'

with

Diable Boiteux

gain.
Hollo ! neighbour,quid novi ?'

Thus

I hear

Who

is

Latin

Picard

cry,

mighty pleasedto show

in his parts they know.

Dinner-time

foot

hmping

my

its

warning gives,
All the mandate
must
obey ;
E'en the hottest wTangler leaves
The disputeand the Cafe.
I've justeaten something so
I am
not obligedto go ;
"

"

can

Read

at leisure the Etoile.

'Twill be
Ere

here,meanwhile,

wait, and

it

long though,I
comes

suppose,
I do ?
can

what

Fidget with the dominoes.

Having read the papers through.
Here the Etoile comes
oh, joy !
"

the

First to read
With

my

With

an

glasseson

my

air that must

Information

the Bourse
Likewise

I,
nose,

"

impose.

do I draw

Of whate'er
At

am

news

occurred
or

know

courts

to-day
of law ;

to-morrow's

play.

All at

once

"

with

they come

faces

the seats their bodies throw

On

Waiters

their coffee out ;

pour

approach incognito.

Near

banker

Choose

my

Brokers

Every
Not

gleaming,
beaming.

thingsthey chat about,

Various

reappear
the new-lit gas is

While

123

noise I hear,

the diners

Now

In

PHASES

PARISIAN

SOME

now

station

now

my

customer

Could, I'm
as

'Tis eleven
Guests

pour

I
:

"

in all
with

sure,

me

compete,

call

change my seat.
from the play
into the Cafe,
say.

with heat all melt away.

Politics of the coulisse

Like habitues
Censure

actors

they handle ;
and the piece;

Of the actresses

Glidingoff
And

tell scandal.

the counter's awful

Now

queen

to rest is seen,

her movement,

as

'tislate,

Everyone should imitate.

The

Cafe is cleared at last ;

I, the firstwho entered it.

In my

And

am
principle

am

"

I take.

I dare
Twenty, thirty,

Who

wit,

near

If for coffee I would

Often

"

neighboursmake,

sort of hue

one

sit,

fast.

the last to

quit.

THE

124

CHARM

Sometimes

PARIS

OF

while I'm

the watch

on

facts to catch,
Interesting
I'm o'erpoweredby slumber soft,
Tis a lucky chance ; for oft
While asleepthey lock me
in ;
So all ready I remain,
On the.morrow
to begin
My old favourite game again.
"

M.

SOME

CAFES

FAMOUS

DESAUGIERS.

PARIS

OF

only does cookery advance and vary upon the

but
its professorsare
same
subject to
principle,
of other sciences
changes from which the professors
are
happily exempt. The fame of a restaurateur is
sort, dependent upon fashion, for a
always,in some
lies in the mouth
of him who eats it ;
plat's
prosperity
is always in some
and the merit of a restaurateur
sort
Not

"

dependent
The

by

upon

Rocher

de Cancale

its oysters,which

bringingto

order

first grew

into

reputation

the year 1804,M. Balaine,

of the establishment,contrived the means

the founder
of

his fame.
about

Paris fresh and

in the

best

possible

alike,thus givinga direct practical

refutation of the prejudice,
that oystersare good
at all

seasons

only which include the canine letter.

He next appliedhimself with equal and well-merited
and at lengthtakingcourage
to fish and game,
success
his exertions,he aspiredto and attained
to generalize
in those months

the eminence

which

the

Rocher

has

ever

since

joyed
en-

without

dispute. His fulness of reputation

dates from November
28th, 1809, when he served a
in a stylewhich made
dinner of twenty-four covers
it the sole

topicof conversation

to

gastronomicParis

PARISIAN

SOME
for

To

month.

than
this

week

should

ten

or

forty francs
priceby any

125

at the
dine, indeed, in perfection

Rocher, the student

covers,

PHASES

order

dinner

days beforehand, at

of ten
not

head, exclusive of wine

means
excessive,for three
a

nor

less
is
four

or

ordinarily
given at Tailleur's. If
a party,or
pelled
comare
you have not been able to make
to improvisea dinner, you had better ask the
gargon to specifythe luxuries of the day, provided
with him with connoissance
always you can converse
to
de cause, for otherwise he will hardly condescend
louis

head

were

communicativeness.
to
reallydelightful
manner,

dictates
the

same

he does condescend, it is

witness

the

quiet self-possessed
the con amove
air,with which he
intelligent
his instructions,
concludingwith
invariably
phrase,uttered in an exultingself-gratu-

latorytone
diner

with

When

which

Bien, Monsieur, vous

!' Never, too, shall we
"

he

once

corrected

avez-la

un

lent
excel-

forgetthe dignity

blunder

made

in

our

a
tyro of the party, who had interpolated
the potage d la Usque and the turhot a
salmi between
et au
la creme
gratin. Messieurs,'said he as he
brought in the turbot accordingto the pre-ordained
order of things, le poissonest naturellement le releve
instance of the zeal with which
du potage.' Another
the whole establishment seems
instinct : A report had
dead, and a
got about that the celebrated chef was
scientific friend of ours
took the libertyto mention
it to the gargon, avowing at the same
time his own
He left the room
total incredulity.
without a word,
but within five minutes he hurriedlythrew open the
door, exclaiming,'Messieurs, il vient se montrer
';
and
sure
enough the great artist in his own
proper
person presentedhimself.
menu

by

126

THE
shall

We

CHARM
counter

run

OF
to

PARIS

judgments,

great many

The time has been

by taking Grignon'snext.
the most popularhouse in Paris,
when Grignon'swas
though it must be owned, we fear,that its popularity
in some
sort owing to an attraction a littlealien
was
.

from
of

the proper

purpose

of

restaurant

surpassingbeauty presidedat

had

and

has other merits,of

the

damsels

two

comptoir.But

it

kind that will be most

particularly
appreciatedby an Englishman. All the
and the fish (therarest of
simpledishes are exquisite,
all things at Paris) is reallyfresh.
Grignon's
sherry(sherrybeingonly taken as a vin de liqueurin
France)will probablylast our time, and we therefore
.

hesitate to say that it is excellent. Another

delicacypeculiarto the place,is britsauce (not sauce
do

not

pain),which, though no
will be
Englishcomposition,
de

resemblance
of

an

than
old

woman

one

doubt

found

of Sir Thomas
to the

imitated
to bear

from
no

greater

Lawrence's

original
; all the

the

traits
por-

harsher

down, and an indescribable

points being mellowed
shading of seductive softness infused.
The earlyfame of the Verys was
gained by their
judicious applicationof the truffe.Their entrees
truffeeswere
universallyallowed to be inimitable
the first,and
from
they graduallyextended their
the whole known
till it embraced
world
reputation,
the
of cookery. So long as the establishment
on
the name
of Very retained
Tuileries was
left standing,
its talismanic power
of attraction,
the delightand
pride of gastronomy. But when the house in question
make
for
the
to
removed
ings
was
publicbuildway
rest upon its site,the presiding
which now
genius
of the familydeserted it,and we seek in vain in their
in the Palais Royal, the charm
which
establishment

128

THE

critical kind of

CHARM

PARIS

OF

notoriety
by

pun

etre riche ; et pour

Hardy, il faut

"

Pour

diner chez

diner chez

Riche, il

faut etre hardi.'

of Paris, is the
Tortoni, however, the Gunter
favourite for a dejeimer
is obsolete.
'par jait-amour
; and
Claret for boys, port for men, and brandy for
the decision of Johnson, and there can
heroes,was
be no doubt that brandy is your true chasse for the
heroes of gastronomy.
If tempted to indulgein a
liqueur,
they generallyconfine themselves to curagoa.
the
Even with ladies,
parfait-amour,notwithstanding
attraction of its name,
is no longerin repute ; they
in its place,and sipit with
have adopted Maraschino
such evident symptoms of enjoyment,that once
upon
asked
a certain eminent
a time,when
was
diplomatist
for a toast,to parallel
at a petit-souper,
by his voisine,
and Wine,' his excellency
with
Women
ventured to
suggest Men and Maraschino,'and the suggestion
received the compliment of very generalapplause.
*

The

AND

RESTAURANT
Mr.

Bob

Fudge

writes

to

his

Quarterly

Review.

RESTAURATEUR
Friend

Richard
,

Esq.

Paris.

Oh, Dick
Your

! you

talk of your writingand reading,

ing
Greek, but there's nothinglike feed-

may

Logic and
;

placefor it,Dicky, you dog,

the headquartersof Prog !
Of all placeson earth
Talk of England ^her famed Magna Charta, I swear,
And

this is the

"

"

is

humbug,

flam, to the Carte

at old

for your Juries who would

Jury of Tasters,with woodcocks

And
A

as

"

Very's;

not set o'er 'em

before 'em ?

PARISIAN

SOME

those friends of short Commons

But

129

Cartwrighthis Parliaments,fresh

Give

here ;
And, let Romilly speak as

Digestof

No

PHASES

he will

would

on

like the laws of

Law's

every year

"

do

never

the

question,
!
digestion
.

Dick, Dick, what a placeis this Paris ! but stay

bore you, I'lljustsketch a Day,
As my rapturesmay
I've got,
comrades
As we
pass it,myselfand some
who know
what is what.
All thorough-bred
Gnostics,
"

"

dreamingsome hours of the land of Cocaigne,

That Elysium of all that is friandand nice,
and claret for rain.
Where for hail they have bon-bons,
After

the skaters in winter show off on cream-ice ;

so
ready all nature its cookeryyields.

And
Where

Macaroni

parmesan

au

Little birds

pheasanttaint.
with a liver complaint!
be
as can
^stiff,
tight,

with the true

flyabout

the geese are all born

I rise put on neck-cloth

And

goes into the world, Dick, like me,

there's
h^ve his neck tied up, you know

lad who

Should

"

Almost
The

no

of it

doubt
With

"

"

"

For

in the fields ;

grows

"

tightas

as

lads who

some

go out

of it.

whiskers well oiled,and with boots that

'

mirror to nature

"

brightyou

'

hold up

could

sup
coat, too, that draws

so

Off the leather like china ; with

On the tailor,who suffers,a martyr'sapplause!
"

With

up, like

bridled

head

stays devil's in them

And

"

"

four-in-hand

leader.
tightfor a feeder,

too

Hardy, which yet

a. la fourchette.
dejeuner

I strut to the old Cafe

Beats the field at

There, Dick,
ghost
Of

what

breakfast in

breakfast !

England,your

"

oh,

not

like your

curst tea and

toast ;

THE

130
But

CHARM

side-board, you

PARIS

OF

dog,

where

one's

roves

eye

about,
Like

Turk's

in the Haram,

and

thence

out
singles

One's

pate of larks, justto tune up the throat,

One's small hmbs
of chickens, done en papillote,
One's erudite cutlets,drest all ways but plain,
Or

one's

kidneys imagine,Dick
"

done

"

with

pagne
cham-

of Beaune, to dilute
Then, some
or, mayhap,
glasses
Chambertin, which you know's the pet tippleof Nap,
And which Dad, by-the-by,
that legitimate
stickler.
"

Much

scruplesto taste, but I'm. not so partic'lar.

coffee comes
next, by prescription
; and then,
"

Your

Dick, 's
The

coffee's

and glorious
ne'er-failing
appendix,
had but such, my old Grecian, depend on't,

(Ifbooks

I'd swallow

even

tk

"

"

ns', for sake

on't);
A neat glassof parfait-amour,which
Just as if bottled velvet tippedover

The

sun

in't,
lounge

We

"

the world

And

up

(how odd !
something so

!)

well out, and

now

end

sips
one's lips!
"

in't

the

one

This repast being ended, and paid for

Till a man's used to paying, there's
queer

of

the

enough aired

aU abroad,
girls
for us. Nobs, to appear

the Boulevards, where

"

oh, Dick, the

phyzzes.
The

turn-outs,

Here

toddles

With

we

meet

"

what

nation of

quizzes!

of fun.
old figure
along some
Domini
coat you might date Anno
i ;
and
noble old
hat, worsted stockings,

laced

fine ribbon

"

and

cross

in his best button-hole

soul !
;

SOME

Just such

as

PARISIAN
Pr

our

dreads,
without
Inflicts,

e,

PHASES
who

nor

131

reason

fun

nor

court-martial,on hundreds.
with a fond, roguisheye,
tripsa grisette,

Here

even

(Rather eatable thingsthese grisetfes

by-the-by)
;
almost as fond,
And there an old demoiselle,
In

has

silk that

Fronde.

since

the

time

of the

the Boulevards

From

stood

but hearken

"

yes

"

I'm

as

"

sinner.
The
So

the half -hour

clock is juststriking
no

at

more

My Day must
Now, hey for
And,
Were

to write

present ^short time for adorning

"

be finished

"

some

old Beauvilliers'

there,if the Goddess

once

to dinner

'

Come

budge
a step,Dick, as

other fine

morning.
larder,my boy !
of Beauty and Joy

and kiss me,

!' I'd not

dear Bob

"

Not

sure

as

my

name

is R.

THOMAS

PLEASURE-TRIP

TO

SAINT

Fudge.
MOORE.

CLOUD

nowadays to pictureto one's self what a

of students and grisettes
was
like,fortypleasure-trip
live years ago. The suburbs of Paris are no longerthe
be called circumsame
; the physiognomy of what may
in the last halfParisian life has changed completely
the cuckoo, there is the
century ; where there was
a tender-boat,there is
railway-car
; where there was
the steamboat
now
days
; peoplespeak of Fecamp nowain those days. The
as theyspoke of Saint Cloud
Paris of 1862 is a citywhich has France for its outskirts.
It is hard

9"2

THE

132

CHARM

OF

PARIS

went through with all

couplesconscientiously
The vacathe country follies possible
at that time.
tion
and it was a warm,
was
beginning,
brightsummer
day. On the precedingday, Favourite, the only one
who knew how to write,had written the following
to
of the four :
It is a good
Tholomyes in the name
hour
to emerge
from happiness.'That is why they
at five o'clock in the morning. Then
rose
they went
to Saint Cloud by the coach, looked at the dry cascade

Four

'

and

'

This must

very beautiful when

there is water !' They breakfasted at the Tete-Noire ;
of ringto a game
they treated themselves
.

exclaimed,

be

throwing under the quincunx of trees of the grand

fountain ; they ascended
Diogenes' lantern, they
at the roulette establishment
gambled for macaroons
of the Pont de Sevres, picked bouquets at Puteaux,
bought reed-pipesat Neuilly,ate apple-tarts
everywhere,
and were
perfectly
happy.
All four grisettes
were
madly pretty. A good old
classic poet, then famous, a good fellow who had an
.

M. le
fileonore,
that
saw

beneath

day
them

pass
*

exclaimed,

thought

Chevalier

of

There
the

is

de Labouisse, as

the chestnut-trees

about

of Saint

ten o'clock in the

one

too

many

he strolled

Cloud,

morning,and

of them,'

as

he

Graces.

Favourite, Blanchevelle's
in front under the great green
friend,
on
ran
boughs, jumped the ditches,and presidedover this
merry-making with the spiritof a young female faun.
Zephineand Dahlia, whom chance had made beautiful
.

in such

that

they set each off when they were

left each
together,and completed each other, never
from an instinct of coquetry than from
other, more
to each other, they assumed
and, clinging
friendship,
As for Fantine, she was
a joy to
Englishposes.
a

way

...

PARISIAN

SOME

PHASES

133

splendidteeth had evidentlyreceived an

office from God,
laughter. She preferredto carry
her little hat of sewed
straw, with its long white
in her hand
rather than on
Her
her head.
strings,
behold.

Her

"

thick
which

blonde

hair, which
easilyuncoiled, and

was

inclined

which

fasten up incessantly,
seemed
Galatea
under
the willows.

it

to

was

and

wave

to

necessary

for the

made

of
flight
Her rosy lipsbabbled
The corners
of her mouth, voluptuously
enchantingly.
turned up, as in the antiquemasks of Erigone,had an
air of encouraging the audacious ; but her long,
of
the jollity
over
shadowy lashes drooped discreetly
the lower part of the face as though to call a halt.
Fantine
was
beautiful,without being too conscious
of it. Those rare
of the
dreamers, mysteriouspriests
beautiful who silently
confront everythingwith perfection,
would
have caught a glimpse in this little
working-woman,
through the transparency of her
Parisian grace, of the ancient sacred euphony. This
daughter of the shadows was thorough-bred.She was
beautiful in the two ways
and rhythm. Style
^style
is the form of the ideal ; rhythm is its movement.
That day was
composed of dawn, from one end to
the other. All nature seemed to be having a holiday,
and to be laughing. The flower-beds of Saint Cloud
perfumed the air ; the breath of the Seine rustled the
leaves vaguely ; the branches gesticulated
in the wind,
bees pillaged
of butterflies
the jasmines; a whole Bohemia
swooped down upon the yarrow, the clover,and
the oats ; in the august park of the King of France
The four
there was
a pack of vagabonds, the birds.
the
merry couples,mingled with the sun, the fields,
flowers,the trees, were
resplendent.
Such
things are joys. These passages of happy
.

"

THE

134

couplesare

CHARM

OF

PARIS

profound appeal to lifeand nature, and

and lightspringforth from everything.
make
a caress
There was
a
once
fairywho created the fields and
forests expresslyfor those in love, in that eternal
hedge-schoolof lovers,which is for ever
beginning
and which will last as long as there are hedges
anew,
and scholars. Hence
the popularityof springamong
thinkers.
The patricianand
the
the knife-grinder,
duke and the peer, the limb of the law, the courtiers
and townspeople,
as they used to say in olden times,
all are subjectsof this fairy. They laugh and hunt,
and there is in the air the brilliance of an apotheosis
what a transfiguration
effected by love ! Notaries'
clerks are gods.
After breakfast the four couples went
to what was
then called the King'sSquare to see a newly arrived
the memory
plant from India, whose name
escapes
at this moment,
and
which, at that epoch, was
There was
all Paris to Saint Cloud.
a
attracting
fresh delight
the Seine in a boat, and
: they crossed
proceeding from Passy on foot they reached the
barrier of I'Etoile. They had
been up since five
o'clock that morning
but hah! there is no stick
on
thingas fatigue
Sunday, said Favourite ; on Sunday
fatiguedoes not work,
hugo.
victor
a

"

"

BARTY

De

Paris

De

IS

INTRODUCED

Versailles,lou, la,

Paris

Versailles

"

II y a de belles allees,
Vive
le Roi de France
II y a de belles allees,
Vivent

One

sultrySaturday
1847, I sat at my desk

JOSSELIN
'

les ecoliers !'

afternoon
in the

in

the

summer

of

juniorschool-room, or

THE

136

OF

CHARM

PARIS

depths beyond the north window, his dark-brown

eyes quiveredand vibrated from side to side through
with a queer quick tremolo, such as I
his spectacles
have

seen

never

About

with

eyes but

five-and-twentyboys

of all ages

boys

in any

between

seven

closely
cropped hair,

'

his.
their desks ;
fourteen
many

at

sat

and

"

la malcontent,'like nice

little innocent

convicts ; and
nearly all in blouses,
with their garments looselyflowing
mostly blue ; some
confined at the waist by a tricoloured
; others

As for the boys themselves,

gymnastique.
were
some
^some
energeticand industrious
listless and lazy and lolUng,and quitelanguidwith
the heat
^some
fidgetyand restless,on the lookout
for excitement
: a cab or carriage
raisingthe dust on
to the Bois
its way
water-cart
a
laying it (there
were
no
hydrants then) ; a courier bearing royal
or a mounted
orderly; the Passy omnibus,
despatches,
ceinture de

...

"

"

"

fro every ten minutes ; the marchand

de coco
with his bell ; a regimentof the line with its band ;
to

or

of

peripateticOrpheonistes a swallow, a
bumblebee
a
butterfly,
; a far-off balloon, oh, joy !
any sightor sound to relieve the tedium of those two
mortal school-hours that dragged their weary lengths
from half-past
tillhalf-past
three
one
every day but
Sunday and Thursday.
Maurice !'said M. Bonzig.
chorus

"

"

'

'

Oui, m'sieur !'said

You

I will translate

I.

shall

"

conjugateand copy out for me forty

times the compound verb, I cough without necessity
to distract the attention of my comrade
Rapaud from
"

his Latin
'

exercise !"

'

Moi, m'sieur ?' I asked innocently.

Oui, vous !'

PARISIAN

SOME
*

137

Bien, m'sieur !'

Just then

there

shrill small
the

PHASES

And

He!
we

craned

clatter

by

the fountain, the

pipe of D'Aurigny,the youngest boy

school,exclaimed

'He!

was

Oh

all

"

la la !

jumped

Le Roi
and

up,

qui passe

stood

on

!'

forms, and

PhilippeI.and the Queen

drive quicklyby in their big blue carriage
and four,
with their two blue-and-silver liveried outriders trotting
in

our

necks to

in

Louis

see

front,on their way from St. Cloud

Suddenly
and

the

the

of the

door

school-room

tall, portly figureof

appeared,leadingby

to the Tuileries

the wrist

flew open,
Monsieur
Brossard
fair-haired

boy
of thirteen or so, dressed in an Eton jacket,
in light
blue
trousers, with a white chimney-pot silk hat, which
he carried in his hand
an
Englishboy,evidently
; but
of an aspect so singularly
agreeableone didn't need
to be Englishone's self to warm
towards him at once.
Monsieur Bonzig,and gentlemen !' said the headmaster
(inFrench, of course). Here is the new boy ;
he calls himself Bartholomiou
Josselin.He is English,
I hope you will
French
but he knows
as well as you.
find in him a good comrade, honourable
and frank
a

very

"

'

'

and

brave, and

Maurice

that

!' (thatwas

Oui, m'sieur !'

he will find the

in you

"

me).
to you.'
Josselin

recommend
specially

GEORGE

PARIS

same

LE

DU

MAURIER.

DIMANCHE

in, in the
Sunday : and when La Fleur came
morning, with my coffee and roll and butter, he had
knew him.
arrayedI scarcely
got himself so gallantly

It

was

CHARM

THE

138
I had

covenanted

hat with

at Montreuil

silver button

PARIS

OF

give him

to

loop,and

and

new

four Louis d'ors

when
we
got to Paris ; and the poor
j)OUYs'adoniser,
had done wonders
with it.
fellow,to do him justice,
He had bought a bright,
clean,good scarlet coat,
not
and a pair of breeches of the same.
^Theywere
he said, for the wearing. I wished
a
crown
worse,
him
hanged for tellingme.
^They looked so fresh
that though I knew
the thing could not be done,
yet I would rather have imposed upon my fancy
with thinkingI had bought them new
for the fellow
than that they had come
de Friperie.
out of the Rue
at
This is a nicetywhich makes
not the heart sore
"

"

"

Paris.
He

had

a
purchased,moreover,
satin waistcoat, fancifully
enough
this was
indeed something the worse

it had
been

'twas clean

done, but
touched

otherwise

than

showy

and, upon

up,

violent,it suited the

he had

bag

"

the

as

and

coat

embroidered

upon a
He had

blue

breeches

gold pair of garters to his

purchased muslin ruffles
own

well

very
a

new

fripier

breeches' knees.

"

bien brodees, with

pairof white silk

had
; and, to top all.Nature
without costinghim a
figure,
; and

money

stockingsfor five more

given him a handsome

not

was

of the money,
moreover,
solitaire,and had insisted with the

four livres of his

"

for the service

squeezed out

and

scoured, the gold had

rather
the whole, was

and

blue

handsome

"

sou.

He

entered

the

room

thus

set

with

drest in the first style,

and

off, with
handsome

his hair

bouquet

tivity
that look of fesword, there was
in everythingabout him, which at once
put

in his breast.

me

in mind

it

In

was

Sunday

"

and, by combining both

SOME

PARISIAN

PHASES

139

together,it instantlystruck me that the favour he

wished to ask of me, the night before,was
to spend
the day as everybody in Paris spent it besides. I had
the conjecture,when
La
made
Fleur, with
scarce
infinite humiUty, but with a look of trust, as if I
should not refuse him, begged I would grant him the
day, pour fairele galantvis-d-vis de sa maitresse.
.

Thou

shalt go. La Fleur, said I.

what
Mistress, La Fleur, said

And

in

have

picked up

Fleur

laid his hand

Fleur had

the truth of him, let

master,
Heaven

knows,
demoiselle,upon

"

said, 'twas

de B****'s.

"

society; and, to speak

occasions sliphim as his

few

he had

La

"

for

that, somehow

so

"

as

Paris ?

at

le Count

Monsieur

heart made

time

thou

I, canst

his breast, and

upon

at
demoiselle,
petite

La

little

so

or

other, but

connected

"

himself

how.

with

the

landing of the staircase,during

the time I was
taken up with my
passport ; and, as
there was
time enough for me
to
to win the Count
interest.La Fleur had contrived to make it do
my
to
to win the maid to his. The family,it seems,
was
at Paris that day, and he had made
a party with

(be
^

her, and
upon

two

or

the

three

of the Count's

more

household,

the boulevards.

Happy people! that, once a week at least,are sure

and dance and
to lay down
all your cares
together,
which
sing,and sport away the weightsof grievance,
bow down
the spirit
of other nations to the earth.
STERNE.

LAURENCE

EARLY

Carts

MORNING
were

the

IN

THE

stillarriving,
and

crackingof

their

MARKETS

the shouts

whips,and

OF

PARIS

of the goners,
wagthe grinding

THE

140
of the
and

CHARM

PARIS

OF

beneath
paving-stones

the horses' shoes sounded

the iron-bound
with

wheels

din.
increasing

an

only advance by a series of spasmodic

and stretched in a long line,one
behind
jolts,
lost to sightin the distant
another, till they were

The carts could

now

darkness, whence

confused

ascended.

roar

in progress all alongthe Rue du Pont

Neuf, the vehicles being drawn
up close to the edge
stood motionless
of the footways,while their teams

Unloading was

in close order
tumbrel

at

as

piledup

was

horse-fair.
with

One

enormous

magnificentcabbages,and

had

only been backed to the kerb with the greatest

Its load towered
above a loftygas-lamp
difficulty.
the broad
whose brightlightfell full upon
leaves,
which looked like piecesof dark green velvet, scalloped
and goffered.A young
teen
sixsome
peasant-girl,
years old, in a blue linen jacket and cap, had
on

to the

them

to

climbed
to

threw
below.

bages
tumbrel, where, buried in the cabher shoulders,she took them one by one and

Every

somebody
and

now

vanish, overwhelmed
but her rosy

then

by
nose

an

soon

concealed
the

in

girlwould

the

shade

slipand

avalanche

of the tables,
vegereappeared amidst the

teeming greenery, and she broke into a laugh while

the cabbages again flew down.
The pilesof vegetableson the pavement now
tended
exof the roadway. Between
to the verge
the
heaps, the market-gardenersleft narrow
paths to
enable people to pass along. The whole of the wide
footway was covered from end to end with dark
mounds.
As yet, in the sudden
dancing gleams of
lightfrom the lanterns, you only just espied the
.

luxuriant

fulness

delicate green

of the

bundles

of artichokes,the

of the lettuces,the rosy

coral of the

SOME
carrots, and

PARISIAN

dull

ivory of

PHASES

141

the

turnips. And these

ing
gleams of rich colour flitted along the heaps,accordand went.
The footway was
as the lanterns came
now
becoming populated: a crowd of people had
awakened, and was moving hither and thither amidst
the vegetables,
and
stoppingat times, and chattering
shouting. In the distance a loud voice could be heard
crying, Endive ! who's got endive ?' The gates of
the paviliondevoted
to the sale of ordinary vegetables
had just been opened ; and the retail dealers
*

who

had

stalls there,with white

fichus knotted

caps

on

their heads,

jackets,and skirts
pinned up to keep them from gettingsoiled, now
their stock for the day, depositing
began to secure
their purchasesin some
baskets placed
huge porters'
the ground. Between
the roadway and the
upon
to be seen
pavilionthese baskets were
coming and
goingon all sides,knockingagainstthe crowded heads
of the bystanders,
who resented the pushing.
A brightglow at the far end of the Rue Rambuteau
voice
announced
the break of day. The far-spreading
and
of the markets
was
sonorous,
becoming more
and then the pealsof a bell ringingin some
every now
distant pavilionmingled with the swelling,
rising
clamour.
The deep gloom brooding in the hollows
of the roofs multiplied,
it were, the forest of
as
and infinitely
of the
increased the number
pillars,
delicate ribs,railed galleries,
and transparentshutters,
and
the phantom city and far away
into the
over
depths of the shade, a teeming, floweringvegetation
of luxuriant metal-work, with spindle-shaped
stems
and
the vast
twining knotted branches, covered
with the foliage
ancient forest.
of some
as
expanse
Several departments of the markets
stillslumbered
over

their black

THE

142
behind

CHARM

PARIS

OF

their closed iron gates.

and
fruit and flowers the
.

Among

noise

the tables
vegeand
bustle

graduallyincreased. The whole placewas by degrees

bages
waking up, from the popular quarter where the cabare
piledat four o'clock in the morning, to the
lazy and wealthy district which only hangs up its
pulletsand pheasants when the hands of the clock
point to eight.
The great covered
now
teeming with
alleyswere
life. All along the footways on both sides of the road
there

still many

were

small

growers from
baskets containingtheir

previousevening
"

of fruit.
and

market-gardeners,with other
played
the environs
of Paris, who dis-

Whilst

bundles
the crowd

thither, vehicles

covered

ways,

where

of

'

gatherings of the
and clusters
of vegetables
paced hither
incessantly

divers

the

women

baskets

In

...

were

seated

full of bunches

in

front
of roses,

the

the

the trot

their drivers checked

horses.
bell-jingling
the footways,to
market, all over
of

entered

kinds

cut-flower

rightand left,
large rectangular

the

of

violets,dahlias, and

and
marguerites. At times the clumps darkened
like splotches of blood, at others they
looked
brightenedinto silverygreys of the softest tones.
A lighted
basket, set amidst
one
candle, standingnear
the
the general blackness quite a melody of colour
bright variegationsof marguerites,the blood-red
of dahlias, the bluey purple of violets,and
crimson
And
flesh tints of roses.
the warm
nothing could
have been sweeter
or
more
suggestiveof springtide
the
than this soft breath of perfume encountered
on
footway.
"

EMILE

Translated

by

ZOLA.

Ernest

A
.

Vizetelly.

144

THE

OF

CHARM

Her

voice

The

air

And

drown

The

shrill

so

can

PARIS

fill
it will

chimney-sweep.
.

pilgrimscreep
With purpose deep,

Love's

measured

And

Where

none

step
can

see

The

diligence
Is leavingFrance
To seek Mayence
Or Italy.
*

Father, adieu !
Good-bye, mother, too,
the

And

same

littleone.'

Each

neigh,
whip'sin play,
ringaway
sightthey're
gone

Now

horses

And

the

Windows
From

to you.

"

In every place
New
thingsI trace

"

empty place

No

Can

now

be found

great and small.

And short and tall.

But

Beggarsand
In crowds

all

abound.

Ne'er the like has been ;

they all begin

Such a grievousdin,
They splitmy head

Now

SOME

PARISIAN

PHASES

How

I feel it ache

With

the noise

they make

145

!
"

Paris is awake,
So I'llgo to bed !
M.

AWAKENING

PARIS

Paris

awoke

from

of vapour,
shrouded the two
mass

FROM

DESAUGIERS.

SLEEP

sleepwith a smilingindolence. A
followingthe valleyof the Seine,
banks

from

This

view.

mist

was

was
lightand milky,and the sun, gatheringstrength,
slowlytingingit with radiance. Nothing,of the city
In
muslin.
was
through this floating
distinguishable

the hollows
tint ; while

the haze thickened

over

certain

and

broad

assumed
expanses

bluish

delicate

golden dust, beneath

which you could divine the depths of the streets ;
domes
and steeplesrent the mist,
and
up above
rearing grey outlines to which clung shreds of the
haze which they had pierced. At times cloudlets of
yellowsmoke would, like giantbirds,heavy of wing,
sphere
slowly soar on high,and then mingle with the atmo-

appeared, a
transparencies

which

seemed

this immensity,this

to absorb

them.

And

above

all

of cloud,hangingin slumber
of extreme
purity,of a faint and
mass

Paris,a sky
whiteningblue, spreadout its mighty vault. The sun
of soft
a spray
was
climbingthe heavens, scattering

over

akin in hue to the flaxen

pale golden light,
tresses of a child,was
streamingdown like rain,filling
the atmospherewith the warm
quiverof its sparkle.

rays ;

It

was

like

festival of the

infinite,instinct with

and gentlegaiety,whilst the

sovereignpeacefulness
chequeredwith goldenbeams, stillremained lazy
city,
10

146
and

coverlet of lace.

reveal

sleepy,unwillingto

into view.

Not

OF

CHARM

THE

At last

...

magician had

PARIS
itselfby

off its
casting
Paris came
slowly

breath

of ^^dnd stirred ; it was

his wand.
The
slowly waved

soared and
gauzy film detached itself,
air ; and the cityspreadout without

if

as

last

vanished in the
a

shadow, under

the

conqueringsun.
A far-stretching
valley appeared, with a myriad
buildingshuddled together. Over the distant range
of hills
divine

that

close-set roofs,and you could

of houses rolled afar off behind

scattered

were

the

sea

the

undulatingground, into the fields hidden from

and
sight. It was as the ocean, with all the infinity
Paris spread out as vast as the
mystery of its waves.
heavens
on
high. Burnished with the sunshine that
lovelymorning, the citylooked like a field of yellow
the huge picturewas
all simplicity,
pounded
comcorn
; and
of two colours only,the pale blue of the sky,
the golden reflections of the housetops. The
and
of lightfrom the springsun
stream
invested everything
with the beauty of a new
birth. So pure was
the lightthat the minutest
visible.
objects became
Paris, with its chaotic

though
breath

under
of wind

maze

of stonework, shone

as

glass. From time to time, however, a

passed athwart this bright,quiescent

districts grew
serenity; and then the outlines of some
faint, and quivered as if they were
being viewed
through an invisible flame.
Helene took interest at first in gazingon the large
spread under her windows, the slopeof the
expanse
In the
Trocadero, and the far-stretching
quays.
the Seine spread out and reigned
centre of the picture,
...

between
cranes,

its grey banks, to which

and

carts

drawn

up

rows

of casks, steam

in line, gave

seaport

SOME

PARISIAN

PHASES

147

kind

of aspect. Helene's eyes were

towards this shiningriver,on which

always turning
boats passed to
and fro like birds with inky plumage. Her looks
the water's statelycourse,
followed
involuntarily
which, like

silver band, cut

Paris

atwain.
.

Bridge followed bridge,they appeared

to rise

one

above

all kinds

beneath

here and there small

get closer,

the other like viaducts

of steps,and piercedwith
flight
while the river,wending its way

structures, showed

to

forming a
of arches ;
these airy

patchesof

its

blue robe, patcheswhich became

and narnarrower
rower,
and more
indistinct.
The bridges
more
.

on

either side of the island of La Cite

like

were

mere

from one
bank to the other ; while the
stretching
dary-marks
golden towers of Notre-Dame
sprang up like bounof the horizon,beyond which river,buildings,
and clumps of trees became naught but sparkling

films

sunshine.
from

Then

Helene, dazzled,withdrew

her gaze
this the triumphant heart of Paris,where the

gloryof the cityappeared to blaze.

On the rightbank, amongst the clustering
trees of
the crystal
the Champs-Elyseesshe saw
of
buildings
with a snowy sheen ;
the Palace of Industryglittering
whole

farther away, behind the roof of the Madeleine,which

looked like a tombstone, towered
the vast mass
of
the

Opera House ; then there

cupolasand towers, the Vendome

were

other

edifices,

Column, the church

de Paul, the tower of Saint-Jacques

;
in, the massive cube-like pavilionsof the

of Saint-Vincent
and

nearer

half hidden by
the Tuileries,
of chestnut-trees.
On the left bank the dome
new

Louvre

Invalides

and

shone

with

wood
of the

gilding
; beyond it the two
towers
of Saint-Sulpice
irregular
paled in the bright
light; and yet farther in the rear, to the rightof the
10

"

OF

CHARM

THE

r43

PARIS

the blueyPantheon, erect

of Sainte-Clotilde,
spires
itsfine colonnade showingagainstthe sky,
a height,
on
overlooked the city,
tionless,
poisedin the air,as it were, mowith the silken hues of a captiveballoon.
did not lightup
At this earlyhour the obliquesun
new

the house-fronts
a

looking towards

window-pane of these threw

the Trocadero
back

its rays.
sparkled with

; not

The

roofs alone
the
skylightson some
reflex of mica amidst the red of the adjacent
glittering
chimney-pots. The houses were mostly of a sombre
by reflected beams ; still rays of light
grey, warmed
and long streets,
certain districts,
were
transpiercing

stretchingin

the shade.

amidst

Helene,

front of
It

the left that the

only on

was

of sunshine

set streaks

horizon, almost perfectin its circular

far-spreading
broken by the heightsof Montmartre
and
sweep, was
The details so clearlydefined in the
Pere-Lachaise.
foreground,the innumerable denticles of the chimneys,
of windows,
the little black specks of the thousands
grew less and less distinct as you gazed farther and
farther away, tilleverythingbecame
fusion
mingled in conbourgs,
city,whose fauafar off,looked like shinglybeaches, steeped
in a violet haze under the bright,
vibrating
streaming,
lightthat fellfrom the heavens.
"

the

of
pell-mell

an

endless

EMILE

by Ernest

Translated

PARIS

AT

ZOLA.

A
.

Vizetelly.

DAWN

If you would receive from the old cityan impression

is quiteincapableof giving
the modern
one
which
you,
at

ascend,

on

sunrise, on

elevated

the

morning

Easter

point from

or

which

of

Whit
your

some

great holiday,

Sunday,
eye

can

to

some

command

SOME
the whole
chimes.

PARISIAN

PHASES

and

the

capital
"

Behold,

at

attend

signalfrom

149
of the

awakening
heaven"

for it is

ing
givesit those thousand churches startfrom their sleep. At firstyou hear only scattered
going from church to church, as when
tinklings,
another
musicians
notice to begin.
are
giving one

the

that

sun

"

Then, all on
when
at

the

the

itself seems

ear

as

it were,

of each

vibration

see

bell mounts

"

every

cloud of

isolated from

it were,

for there

"

to

from

moment,

same

of sound,

sudden, behold

behold, ascending
steeple,a column

harmony.
up

moments

are

At firstthe

direct,clear, and,

the rest, into

the

splendid
as they expand, they
morning sky ; then, by degrees,
mingle,unite, are lost in each other, and confounded
in one
magnificentconcert.
as

Then

it is all
sent

one

forth

of

mass

from

cessant
vibrations,inthe innumerable
steeples
sonorous

"

"

undulating,bounding,and eddying,over the

floating,
town, and extending far beyond the horizon the
deafeningcircle of its oscillations. Yet that sea of
harmony is not a chaos. Wide and deep as it is,it
has not lost its transparency ; you perceivethe winding
of each
se\'eral
grave

group

rings;

and

you

of
can

notes

follow

that
the

from

escapes

dialogue,by

clamorous, of the crecelle and

the
turns

the bourdon

leapingfrom one steeple

to another ; you observe them springing
aloft,winged,
from
the bell of silver faUing
light,and whistling,
broken and limpingfrom the bell of wood.
of sublime
Then, again,from time to time, that mass
sounds half opens, and givespassage to the stretto
of the Ave
of
like an aigrette
Marie, which glitters
tinguish
stars.
Below, in the deepest of the concert, you disconfusedlythe internal music of the churches.
"

you

perceivethe

octaves

"

THE

150

CHARM

OF

PARIS

exhaled

through the vibratingpores of their vaulted

worth
roof. Here, certainly,
is an
hearing
opera
the murmur
that escapes from Paris in the
ordinarily,
day-time is the citytalking; in the night,it is the
citybreathing; but here, it is the citysinging.
Listen, then, to this tutti of the steeples diffuse
the whole the murmur
of half a million of people
over
the everlasting
plaintof the river the boundless
the grave and far quartet of
breathingsof the wind
the four forests placedupon the hills,
in the distance,
like so many
vast organs, immersing in them, as in a
"

"

"

"

"

demi-tint, all the

be too
know

you

joyous,more
of

chimes

this furnace

"

of music

this

"

PARIS

ray

was

Unhnown.

west, rent

was

with

shadows.
of

the sunshine.

the

For

clouds

asunder,

time

the whole

hue, while

the skin of

these resemblances

had

the first

followed,

and

the various

motley with ever-changinglights

spots of lightwhich

resemble

others

After

city. The luminary,dippingin

the

leaden

PICTURE

Notre-Dame,

on

districts spread out,

and

SUNSET

in
brightening
fallen

had

streaming across
the

these

"

Author

Paris

"

singingtogetherin flutes
feet high this citywhich is
pest.
symphony as loud as a tem-

three hundred
orchestra

one

wise
other-

would

voices of brass,all

of stone
all

that

concert

rugged or too sharp ; and then say, whether

of anything in the world more
rich, more
than this tumult
golden,more
dazzling,

bells and

thousand

central

some

varied

the

of the left bank

right was

speckled

the verge of the river

huge beast of prey. Then
and vanished
at the mercy

made

THE

152

PARIS

OF

CHARM

In
yellow,stripedwith huge shadows.
crossed in
an
haze, cabs and omnibuses
orange-tinted
of pedestrians,
whose
all directions,amidst
a crowd
swarming blackness was softened and irradiated by
splashesof light. The students of a seminary were
hurrying in serried ranks along the Quai de Billy,

of

mass

and

...

the trail of cassocks

in the diffuse

light. Farther away,

faded

passengers

acquired an

gleaming lamps
vehicles which,

view

from

that
one

you
behind

were

it

foot-

only by

their

was

made

crossing
straight,
lofty,
were
belching
were

smoke

the river,the beautiful elms of the

in

whilst,

Quai d'Orsay

transpierced
by shafts of light.
The Seine, whose
banks the obliquerays were
filading,
enwas
rolling
dancing wavelets, streaked with
scattered splashesof blue, green, and yellow; but
farther up the river,in lieu of this blotchycolouring,
suggestiveof an Eastern sea, the waters assumed a
rose

up

uniform

dark

of the

aware

the other,

bridge. On the left the

pink chimneys of the Army Bakehouse
forth whirlingclouds of flesh-tinted
across

hue

vehicles and

distant

some

ochraceous

mass

golden hue, which

became

more

and

more

dazzling.You might have thought that some

ingots
were
pouring forth from an invisible crucible on the
horizon, broadeningout with a coruscation of bright
colours as it giaduallygrew colder. And at intervals
this brilliant stream, the bridges,
with curves
over
slender and delicate,threw, as it
growing ever more
at last a fiery
were, grey bars, tillthere came
jumble
of houses, above

flaringred
edifices

were

the

rose

like torches.

de ITndustrie
amidst

which

the towers

of Notre-Dame,

Right and left alike the

all aflame.
The glassroof of the Palais
appeared like a bed of glowingembers
Farther
Champs-Elysees groves.
on.

SOME

PARISIAN

PHASES

behind

the roof of the Madeleine, the

Opera

House

shone

out

copper ; and the summits

and towers, the Vendome
Vincent

de

like

of other

mass

153

huge pileof

the

of burnished

buildings,
cupolas,

column, the church of Saintof Saint- Jacques, and,

Paul, the tower

Louvre
and the
in, the pavilionsof the new
crowned
Tuileries,were
by a blaze, which lent them
nearer

aspect of sacrificial pyres. The dome of the Inwith such brilliancy

that you instincti
valides was
flaring
feared lest it should suddenlytoppledown
and scatter burning flakes over
the neighbourhood.
of Saint-Sulpice,
the
Beyond the irregulartowers
stood out againstthe sky in dull splendour,
Pantheon
like some
reduced
to
royal palace of conflagration
embers.
Then, as the sun
declined, the pyre-like
of Paris on
edifices gradually set the whole
fire.
the housetops,while black smoke
Flashes sped over
in the valleys.Every frontageturned toward
lingered
seemed
to be red-hot, the glassof the
the Trocadero
and emittinga shower
of sparks,
windows
glittering
darted
which
invisible
upwards as though some
bellows were
into
ever
urging the huge conflagration
of flame were
also ever
greater activity.Sheaves
where
the
risingafresh from the adjacent districts,
all ablaze.
Even
streets opened, now
dark, and now
far over
the plain,from a ruddy, ember-like
glow
suffusingthe destroyedfaubourgs,occasional flashes
fire strugglingagain
of flame shot up as from some
into life. Ere long a furnace seemed raging,all Paris
burned, the heavens became yet more
empurpled,and
the vast city,
blood over
the clouds hung like so much
coloured red and gold.
the

EMILE

Translated

ZOLA.

by Ernest A.' Vizetelly.

THE

154

CHARM

AT

PARIS

AFTERNOON

THE

IN

FIVE

PARIS

OF

the

Now

motley throng,
As it rolls along
With its torrents strong
to ebb

Seems

Business-time

away.

has

past,
Dinner comes
at last,
Cloths are spreadingfast,
"

Night succeeds
Here
I

day.

fine

woodcock

divine,

can

On

to

"

fowl
And

dine.

some

turkey too

While

here

lot

Of

cabbage hot
All in a pot
With beef they stew.
Dinner's

over,

so

To

they

go,

cafes

While

their faces

Then
Yon

Who

elate with

one

Allowed

whom
not

The mocha
And

glow ;
wine,

gourmand so great
long diningsate.

Passes

The

fate
to dine.

steams,

punch-bowl gleams,
perfume seems

To fillthe air.
'

Ice,ice !' they call

And
'

'

Coffee !'bawl

Could

you

The

paper

at all

spare ?*

SOME

PHASES

PARISIAN

155

Journals read o'er,

Wine down
they pour,
Or sit before
Tables
With

for

play.

watchful

eyes,

aspect wise.

And

Stands

criticize

to

The

habitue.

There

tragedy

They

go to see.

Here

comedy

Asserts her

reign;

jugglerhere,

drama

Your

there.
would

purse

Nor

clear,
"

in vain.

sues

the

lamps are bright.

Chandeliers alight,
Shops are quitea sight.

Now

with wicked

While
Stands

eye

the littlequeen

Of the

magazine,
And with roguishmien
Tempts the folk to buy.
Her

labours

Her

dress

To

Her
And

put

on,

has gone

dance

The

done.

grisette.
grandma dear
neighboursnear
gay

Their souls will cheer

With

cool

picquet.

...

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

156

Carriageswith pride
Take

their lords inside,

Then

away they glide

In a solemn row.

retreat, of

Cabs

course,

the drivers hoarse

While

Call with all their force,

they backwards

As

go.

Trade

beginsto drop,
Finding custom stop,

Tradesmen
Here's

shut up

shop ;

contrast

strange !

Noisy thoroughfare,
Crowd-encumbered
To

square,

desert bare

is doomed

Now

to

change.

nought in sight
Save the lamp'spalelight,
Scattered through the night.
Timidly they peep ;
These, too, disappear,
Nothing far or near
there's

Now

"

But

the breeze I hear,

"

All

are

fast

asleep.
M.

DUSK
A

FALLING

Vista

of

OVER

Sovereign

DESAUGIERS.

PARIS
Grandeur

of the
porticus
of the great flight
of steps
Madeleine, on the summit
dominates
the Place.
which, risingabove the railings,
Before him was
the Rue Royale dippingdown
to the
For

moment

Pierre

paused under

the

SOME
expanse
obelisk
farther

PARISIAN
de la

of the Place
and

the

PHASES

157

Concorde, where

rose

the

And,
pair of plashingfountains.
palingcolonnade of the Chamber of

yet, the
the horizon.
It was
vista of
a
Deputies bounded
sovereigngrandeur under that pale sky over which
slowly stealing. The thoroughfares
twilightwas
seemed to expand, the edifices receded, and assumed
a
soaring aspect like that of the palacesof
quivering,
No
other capitalin the world
dreamland.
could
boast a scene
of such airypomp,
such grandiose
nificence
magat that hour of vagueness,
when falling
night
imparts to cities a dreamy semblance, the infinite of
human
immensity.
the steps and, yielding
nate
obstiHe descended
to some
impulse,began to walk through the flowermarket, a late winter market where the first azaleas
were
were
opening with a littleshiver. Some women
purchasingNice roses and violets ; and Pierre looked
cate,
interested in all that soft,deliat them
as if he were
went off,
perfumed luxury. But suddenlyhe
startingalong the Boulevards.
He walked straight
before him without knowing why
him as if it
whither. The falling
darkness surprised
or
an
were
unexpected phenomenon. Raisinghis eyes to
the sky, he felt astonished at seeingits azure
gently
neys.
pale between the slender black streaks of the chimAnd the huge golden letters by which names
or
trades were
advertised on every balcony also seemed
to him
singularin the last gleams of the daylight.
Never
before had he paid attention to the motley
tints seen on the house-fronts,the painted mirrors, the
blinds,the coats of arms, the posters of violent hues,
the
magnificent shops, like drawing-rooms and
boudoirs open to the full Hght. And then, both in the
,

THE

158

CHARM

PARIS

OF

the
along the foot-pavements between
and
blue, red, or yellow columns
kiosks, what mighty
traffic there was,
what
an
extraordinary crowd ! The
vehicles rolled along in a thundering stream
all
: upon
sides billows of cabs
were
parted by the ponderous
which
tacking of huge omnibuses,
suggested lofty,
either hand, and
on
bright-hued battle-ships. And

roadway

farther

and

farther, and

and

even

rushed
of passengers
conquering haste of ants
flood

Whence

it all

vehicles
was.

burners

the

hour

were

when

the electric

wheels, the

incessantly,with

on

in

the

revolution.

of

state

the

all those

came

those

among

all
people, and whither were
stupefying and torturing
going ? How
Ni^t was
approaching,the first gasbeing lighted; it was the dusk of Paris,
real darkness

has

not

yet

come,

when

dying day. Lamps shone

all sides, the shop-fronts were
forth upon
fast being
illumined.
Soon, moreover,
rightalong the Boulevards
the vehicles would
like a
carry their vivid starry lights,
betwixt
the foot pavements
Milky Way on the march
all glowing with lanterns and cordons
and girandoles,
akin to sunlight.
a dazzlingprofusion of radiance
The hard day was
and
the Paris of Pleasure
now
over,
was
lightingup, for its night of fete. The cafes, the
wine shops, the restaurants
flared and displayed their
bright metal bars and their little white tables behind
their clear and lofty windows.
Paris which
was
thus awaking with the first flashes of the gas was
ready
alfull of the gaiety of enjoyment.
lightsflame

in the

EMILE

Translated

ZOLA.

by Ernest

A.

Vizetelly,

i6o

THE

find himself

to

CHARM
shelter.

PARIS

OF

He

...

remembered

the

spots in Paris the theatre at which his

mother acted, and the Rue de Shelas,the drearystreet
of tall,
stone, barrack-like houses, a new street beyond
the Rue Poissoniere,where his mother had died. He
of two

names

"

had hated the street with

friendless and
towards

The

alone, he

the last home

coloured

linen

shoulder.
not

look

He
a

was

and

night,
yet to-

his face automatically

in Paris.

known

at the other end

who

good and
made

had

of the

tramped

evil weather

so

within

this last

shirt at Caen, and

tied in

were

day's march
any previous day, and he was
He had bought himself a blouse

longer than that of

thoroughlybeaten.
a

turned
he had

this tired wanderer,

to

many
weary miles under
He had
the last week.

and

deadlyhatred

de Shelas seemed

Rue

world

little bundle

clad

workman

his coat

as

workmen

slung
are

and

fine
his

across

clad,yet he did

and the blouses he met

his

on

as at a wolf in sheep's
glancedat him suspiciously
and dazzle of the lighted
clothing.He left the glitter
boulevard
he could, and plunged into the
as soon
as
of murky streets, through which the interminable
lab5n:inth
Rue
de Lafayette now
pierces,a mighty
artery leadingfrom wealth to poverty, from idleness
to labour,from daintiness and delight
to hard fare and

way

anxious
was

hearts, from

long

before

he

street, which
in those

It
to the blouse.
gommeux
into the well-remembered
turned

the

stood

upon

of civilization

the verge

days dreary waste placesand houses

newly begun surroundingit on all sides.
Lamps ghmmered here and there in the darkness
below.
the external
boulevard
He saw
yonder a
long grey line and beyond that dreary border-land
and squalorwhich
of waste
in those days stretched
"

"

"

PARISIAN

SOME

the outskirts of the town

between
"

PHASES

which

and

the fortifications

of the Citizen

^thatmaster-work

master-work

i6i

had cost the

King'sreign
King his popularity.
"

dismal quarterof the town.

Yonder, folded
of night,lay the cemetery of Montin the shadows
martre, the fieldof rest.
It

was

E^

^^

NIGHT

FALLING

All

Paris

had

speckledthe

was

OVER

PARIS

illumined. The

now

of shadows

sea

braddon.

tinydancingflames
from

one

end of the

horizon to the other, and now, as in a summer

night,
millions of fixed stars seemed to be serenely
gleaming
there. Not a puffof air,not a quiverof the atmosphere
stirred these
space.

of

an

Paris,now

abyssas

all appearance
suspended in
had fallen into the depths
invisible,

to
lights,
vast

as

firmament.

At

times,at the

base of the Trocadero,a light the lamp of a psissing

would dart across
cab or omnibus
the gloom,sparkling
"

"

like a

star ; and here amidst the radiance

shooting
from which streamed a yellowhaze, a
of the gas-jets,
confused jumble of house-fronts and clustering
trees
could be vaguely
green like the trees in stagescenery
"

"

discerned.

To and fro,across

gleaminglightsflashed
across

band

of denser

the Pont

without

des Invalides,
ceasing; far below,

gloom,appeared a

marvellous

train of comet-like coruscations,from whose lustrous

tails fell a rain of gold. These were
the reflectionsin
"

K
'

the Seine's black waters

of the

lamps on

the

bridge.
From this point,however, the unknown
began. The
long curve of the river was merely described by a
double line of lights,
which ever
and anon
were
coupled to other transverse lines,so that the whole
looked like some
across
ladder, thrown
glittering

i62

THE

CHARM

Paris,with itsends

OF

PARIS

the verge of the heavens

on

among

the stars.
To

left there

the

athwart

another

was

trench

excavated

gloom ; an unbroken chain of stars shone

forth down
the Champs Elysees from the Arc-deTriomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where a new
cluster of Pleiades was
the
came
flashing
; next
gloomy stretches of the Tuileries and the Louvre, the
blocks

the

of houses

on

the brink

Hotel-de-Ville away
masses

of darkness

bursts of

lightfrom

at

the

of the water, and

extreme

being parted here

some
largesquare

end

"

and

the

all these
there

by

other ; and
the endless confusion
or

farther and farther away, amidst

faint
of roofs, appeared scattered gleams, affording

glimpsesof

the hollow

boulevard,

of

street

below, the

corner

of

illuminated meeting-place
brilliantly
of several thoroughfares.On the opposite
cerned
the Esplanade alone could be disbank, on the right,
its rectangle
out
with any distinctness,
marked
in flame,like an Orion of a winter's nightbereft of his
trict
disbaldrick. The long streets of the Saint-Germain
seemed
gloomy with their fringeof infrequent
lamps ; but the thicklypopulated quarters beyond
ing
were
speckledwith a multitude of tinyflames,clusterlike nebulae. Away towards the outskirts,
girdling
and
the whole of the horizon, swarmed
street-lamps
these distant parts with a
hghted wmdows,
filling
dust, as it were, of those myriads of suns, those planetary
some

atoms

which

or

the

the naked

eye cannot

discover.

The

public edifices had vanished into the depths of the

darkness ; not a lamp marked
out their spiresand
At times you might have imaginedyou were
towers.
illuminated
giganticfestival,some
gazing on some
with staircases,
balusters,winCyclopeanmonument,

SOME

dows, pediments,and
stone, whose

PHASES

PARISIAN
terraces

wondrous

"

163

veritable cosmos

architecture

was

of

outlined

by

of a myriad lamps. But there was

gleaminglights
that new
always a speedy return of the one feeling
constellations were
into being,and that the
springing
heavens were
spreadingboth above and below.
of Paris a rosy
the gleamingexpanse
Meanwhile
over
cloud was
ascendinghigherand higher.It might have
breath of a furnace. At firstit
been thought the fiery
was
shadowy-palein the darkness a reflected glow
Then slowly,
as the eveningprogressed,
seen.
scarcely
hue ; and, hangingin the air,
it assumed
a ruddier
motionless above the city,
derivingits beingfrom all
the lights
and noisylife which breathed from below,
it seemed
like one of those clouds,chargedwith flame
the craters of volcanoes.
which crown
and lightning,
the

"

EMILE

Translated

PARISIAN

Roll, roll thy slow

Beneath

each

ZOLA.

by Ernest A. Vizetelly.

NOCTURNE

melancholySeine

wave,

bridgeround

which

the dark mists twine.

So many
dead have past,vile,horrible ;
Dead, but their souls 'twas Paris sent to hell.
But

not

thy cold tide,

strangeaspect makes my thoughtsrun

for them

Thou, whose

thou haltest

wide !

There stand great ruins

on

the Tiber's bound.

Leading the traveller to a past profound;

They, 'mid black ivy and dense lichens seen
Appear grey heaps againsta ground of green.
The gay Guadalquivirto orchards throws
His smiles,reflectsthe dusks, and

'

boleros.'
II

"

l64

THE

Pactole has
the

Where
A

town-

The
The

By

gold,his bank
'

Kief

'

turns

the

troubadour

Lignon,and a ruffian the

Nile lulls plaintively
with
dreams

sweet

so

Bosphorus,

his slave lascivious.

is the Rhine,

ward

PARIS

OF

CHARM

Adour.
restful

the mummies

waves

in their graves.

holy craft,Meschascebe
Driveth his amber
waters
regally,
of lights,
And sudden firmaments
high fast
battle drift in cataracts vast.
And floating
Eurotas, where the swans' free companies
Fill with white grace dark grounds of laurel-trees.
While the clear heaven doth rain a shower of wings
Rhythmic and soft,like to a poet sings.
Last, Ganges,by the high and tremblingpalm
And the red
calm.
now
padma,' flows now fierce,
In royalguise,
the while,far off,the crowd,
Through the long shrines,pours livingsurges loud.
With the great wooden
cymbals'awful din.
While, near thee, also,drawing reed-breaths in,
The striped,
gold tigerwaits with moistened eyes.
Stretched forth,the agileantelope's
surprise.
Proud

of his

'

Thou, Seine,hast nothingmore

Two
One
And
But
The
And

than

thy quays twain.

quays ; from end to end in vain

for aught but stalls of musty books.
spies,
mouldered

with their hooks.

making ripples
when the eveningdoth with mystery steep
heavy with want or sleep.
passers-by
red,
when the dying sun stains Heaven
idlers

Tis well for dreamers

from

their lairs o'erhead

nigh Notre-Dame, with arms inclin'd

hearts and locks to th' wind !
O'er Paris bridge,
muse,
Behold, the clouds, driv'n by the breeze of night,
Fly copper-redon the sky'squietblue light.

To

steal,and
"

SOME

PARISIAN

PHASES

165

See how

the sun, e'en on the brink of rest,

Kisses with scarlet that carved monarch's
crest

The

swallow

And

now

And

the

day'sdin

is hush'd.

draws

nigh.
flit by.

bat
But

faint and

far

tells that Paris

slaysher

And

dark

the sombre

marks

one

murmur

Who

disappearsas

singso'er there.
victims,ends her tyrannies.
robberies,loves,and villainies.

dawn

now

Sudden,

as

hurls in air,

wild tenor

E'en at the dusk, his voice that

ringsdespair.
His cry sad and prolonged,hear now
reply.
nook the Viol of Barbary :
Sharp from some
An air it twangs, polka,romance,
you'd call,
In youth we'd play on glassesmusical :

An

air which, slow

fast,merry

or

or

sad,

and actresses makes

Outccists,grisettes,
glad.
'Tis bald, and flat,and harsh, most horrible,
'Twould give Rossini fever, I know well,
These wails cut short, those trillsindefinite wrung,
In an absurd fifth-score togetherstrung.
must
stand for a,'
The notes are nasal, c
'

Who
For

cares

the

now

We

we

would

fain

to hear

same

them

play.

to lands of dream

borne
spirit

Pity to hearts, and

Till

the

weep

Feels these old chords

'

'

his

tears

strengthturn
to eyes

are

chill in him.

driv'n.

partakethe joys of heav'n.

strange and wild.

chaff is reconciled.
Where
music with much
The soul, through lamps which flash, airs sung
And, in

harmony

so

played,
Sends
And

The

organ-notes adown
the music ends,
now

nightis ripe;

and

see

the
and

twilightred

dies all noise,

Queen

Venus

poise

and

i66

THE

On

bare

one

While

the

Each

tide

And

he who

Space
A

black

more

from

than

set ;

flaringjet.
tide throws,

the

on

dominoes

velvet

sees
high bridge-railing

whirling like
winds

to ominous

prey

grotesque

the

time

and

Thought, hope
All things e'en

farthing-piece,

that

rise below.

ambition

serene,

lets go .;

wild

rush from
him in flight,
memory
he is left with Paris, Seine, and Night.

And
Weird
*

torch

clouds

dark

the

reflects the

street

star, each

PARIS

OF

limb, beneath

long

The

CHARM

Trinity,hard

portals of

Mene, Tekel, Phares,' of all

You

are

So

all three, O

terrible that

With

ghouls
drunk

man

Shades

the

fades.

that

of wickedness,
with

distress.

which

ghostly fingerspierce him

your
Electra
(Orestes when
untrue,)
proves

Before
And

all you

three

such

one

scarce

knows

if he fears end

In the dull water's

Than
But

the

husbands
sacrificing

That
Or

hollow, fatal glances quails.

helplessseeks

Yet
In

your

Paris'
on

through,

more

the

depth where
jealousiesdo

have

of the

Grave,

which

of three

or

gloom
painted arms,

fails.

heart

deaths

to

take,

less to make
of

depth

unseen,

world's

the

Queen.
mightier force.

thou

runnest, Seine, with

her thou drag'stthine ancient

Through
Thy miry course, bearing to refuges
Cargoes of wood, and oil,and carcases.

course.

VERLAINE.

PAUL

Translated

serpent

by

Ashmore

Wingate.

tastes,
have

and

authors,

Artists,

Montmartre

of

many
their

found

ever

at

at

the

of
that

forgotten

Her

by

her

its

miseries.

deep

on

if

she

interest

sympathy

of
the

great

and

renown

commanding

her

genius,

heights

of

Montmartre

perch

lofty

hemian
Bo-

less

or

more

the

can

if

and
Paris

of

persons
men

From

leisure,

world

them

home

cliff.
.

survey

other

needs

surging
be

be
at

feet

her

with

the

follies

those

of
who

but

it

is

she

light-hearted
in

life

are

FRANK

of

pencil

the

point

also
is

must

not

ever

hearted.
warm-

surpassed

even

struggling

L.

derision

EMANUEL.

against

be

is

Winter
For
Murmur
Of

The
A

will

Nini

twirl ;

violets

happy girl.

the

to

sets,

all southward

her

buy

winter

Day.
light vane

air the

make

And

The

Easter

weathercocks

sou

lay

tells

that

melody
April and of
in sweet

bells

their silver

with
a

High

the

passing, and

ever

QUARTER

STUDENTS'

THE

IN

SPRING

sore,

was

poor

winter
Counting the weary
Watching his little fire-wood

days.
store.

fell

always ;
his last log dimly gleamed,
And
now
with feeble glare.
Lighting the room
The

bitter

That

Pilgrims from
The

From

The

With

My

that

their song
in the

the

The

far

isles

reddening.

green

shoot

casement,

swallows.

life is sweet.

buds

tender

and

the

twitter, the wings that

the summer
follows,

summer

neighbour of
Her

behold

up,

throats
on

And

air.

that

look

up,

And

is

east

into

miles
fly a thousand
sunsetting to sunsetting ;

flocks

Look

and

ocean

the

where

it seemed

smoke

wafted

wind

the

See

half

and

cinder

Half

snow-flakes

sap

of

that

know

lusty spring

year ago
see, is opening ;

169

beat

CHARM

THE

170

Through
Forth
She

She

same

on

were,

not

flee.

study for Boucher,

might sit to Gavarni.

now

OF

that

her nest she dared

From

Situated

PARIS

all the bitter months

from

was

OF

THE

ANDREW

LANG.

the French

of Henri

LATIN

QUARTIER

the unfashionable

relation to Paris

the

as

side of the Seine, in the

Borough is to London, is
dirty,tortuous streets,

congeriesof narrow,
that clingand twist round the Sorbonne and Pantheon
like mudworms
round
a
pebble at low water, and
form in their ensemble the venerable QuartierLatin.
It is a part of the citylittleknown
to the mere
weekly
visitor from England, and yet withal a most interesting
locality.The flauntingChaussee d'Antin and
a

dense

Murger.

aristocratic Rue

de Rivoli

swarm

with too many

of our

The

and
frigidrespectability
dilapidatedgrandeur of the Faubourg St. Germain
reminds
us
only of a French translation of Fitzroy
Square ; the QuartierSt. Antoine is a mass of rags and
revolution ; and the Champs Elyseesa conglomeration
of conjurers,
schools,Punch's shows, cafes,and
girls'
boarding-houses.
Latin has claims upon our attenBut the Quartier
tion
and respect of another description,
for there is no
own

countrymen.

division of Paris

more

rich in historical associations.

bonne
Independently of the interest attached to the Sorand the gloomy crypts of St. Genevieve, nearly
every

street is connected

moyen-dgeof

French

with

history.In

some

the

romance

of the

monastery of the

BOHEMIAN

Cordeliers, which
fountain

formerly stood

the site of the

on

the spot where the Rue de I'Ecole de

debouches
into the Rue
de I'Ancienne

we

discovered

are

in the

told that

garb of

in 1522
page, who

lovelygirlwas
had long waited
capacity ^they
being,of

holy fathers in that

of her
unconscious
course,
perfectly
authorities were
ungallantenough
upon

171

near

Medecine

Comedie,

PARIS

the

the convent.

"

; and

sex

to

whip

that the
her from

the club of the Cordeliers received

Here

the Marseillois auxiliaries

previouslyto

the

slaughter
in the Tuileries on
the terrific loth of August ; and
here also the following
Marat lived,and was
summer
assassinated by the heroic Charlotte Corday. Within a
radius of two hundred
yards from this spot we arrive
raised in
at the Place St. Michel, where
a statue
was
mad
the reign of the
king,'Charles VL, to the
of Perinet Leclerc,the son of the gate-keeper
memory
of the Port St. Germaine, who
stole the keys from
beneath his father's pillowto admit the troops of the
Duke of Burgundy, which led to the downfall of the
partisansof Armagnac.
In the Rue
St. Jacques,on the dreadful eve
of St.
Bartholomew, Bethune, the young brother of Sully,
narrowlyescaped assassination by showing a breviary
which he had fortunately
to a soldier,
caught up in the
confusion of the massacre.
In the adjacentRue de la
Harpe and Cloistres de St. Benoist, this book again
saved him ; and, after lyingconcealed for three days
in the Collegede Bourgogne
liberated and
he was
The valiant
pardoned,upon consentingto go to mass.
time escaped from his
de Mornay at the same
Phillip
house in the Rue St. Jacques,whilst it was
actuallyin
it,although
possessionof the mob, who were pillaging
'

...

the landlord

was

Catholic.

Nor

should

we

omit

to

THE

172
mention

that at

CHARM

OF

PARIS

later date, in the Carmehte

convent

formerlyin the Rue d'Enter, the beautiful

and penitentLouise de la Valliere retired in 1680,
where also,after thirtyyears of pious seclusion and
which stood

regret,she died.
is little now

there

But

; for the

events

have
buildings

of tall,dirtyhouses
if
Hotel

left to recall those

erected

been razed, and

streets

the spots they occupied,

time-hallowed
walls of the

except the

we

bygone

on

Cluny in the Rue des Mathurins, which alone

of the QuartierLatin in
enclose tangiblememorials
the olden time. And althoughthe majorityof sightde

seekers
edifice

Paris know

at
as

little about

as

the venerable

West-End

does of Ratcliff Highexquisite

way,
: with its fine
worthy of inspection

yet it is well
Gothic architecture,
its fluted and embossed
armour,
windows
its curiously-fashioned
beams
breaking the suninto

hundred

polishedoaken
should

be

fantastic

forms

the
upon
boards, for daringto intrude where all

dim

and

and

mysterious;

its domestic

relics of other

days, which call up with

affecting
eloquenceindistinct imaginingsof
of that old mansion, whose

home

made

have

now

passed

away

from

even

mute

and

those who

very

the

names

ancient

chronicles.
But

archives.
from

other

real fun

In

will not

we
.

The

farther

QuartierLatin

were

it not

with that straw

of law

and

the

mouldering

derives its interest

of the promoters of the

gaietyof Paris reside within its limits.

word, it is the abode

term,

up

One-half

sources.

and

rout

be

better

for the ideas of

tenement

medicine

indeed is it that

hive would

"

of

"

in

they have

industryconnected
nearlyall the students

Paris ; and
a

very

fortunate

to themselves,
quartier

or

BOHEMIAN
the walls of the

PARIS

citywould

not

173

contain

them,

to say

nothingof the iron gates at the barriers. They are all

joyousnessand hilarity
; and their hearts are as light
the pleasant
breeze that sweeps over
as the summer
of the Luxembourg gardens,endeared to their
foliage
by so many flirtations on the stone benches.
memory
And

the

students

French

love-making,for they

exclusive

not

are

their court

pay

The

alike to

the
rosy Cauchoise in her high lace cap
Lyonnaise the belle petite
Beige with the
"

"

in their

"

all.

sprightly
laughing,
grisette

pouting,constant, coquettinggrisettethe
each in turn receives their protestations
of an eternal
love for the winter course
of lectures,and equallyeach
in turn jilts
them.
But they feel no very bitter pang
when their professions
are
laughed at. Their love is as
ate
lightas their hearts ; and when they lose the affectionglance of one pair of soft eyes, they endeavour,
"

without

loss of time, to

is subdued

and

rekindle

transient

pneumatic lamp,

or

German

the
the

as

"

flame, which

ignitionof

tinder

in
alliimette,

another.
SMITH.

ALBERT

THE

BALLAD

Rue

which

And
The
To

rhyme our language yields.

is
Petits Champs its name
"

Street of the Little Fields.

New

here's

But

no

des

Neuve

The

BOUILLABAISSE

there is in Paris famous

STREET

For

OF

an

inn, not rich and splendid,

stillin comfortable
in

which
eat

youth oft

bowl

case

I attended,

of Bouillabaisse.

THE

174

This Bouillabaisse

PARIS

OF

CHARM

noble dish is^

"

A sort of soup, or broth, or brew,

Or hotchpotchof all sorts of fishes,
That

Greenwich

could outdo

never

Green

herbs, red peppers, mussels,saffron,

Soles,onions,garlic,
roach, and dace :

All these you

In that one

Indeed,
And
Who

at Terre's

eat

dish of Bouillabaisse.

rich and savoury

true

tavern,

stew

'tis;

methinks.
philosophers,

love aU sorts of natural

beauties.
love good victuals and good drinks.

Should

Cordelier

And

or

Benedictine

Might gladly,sure, his lot embrace.

Nor find a fast-daytoo afflicting.
Which

served

him

up

if the house stillthere is ?

I wonder

Yes, here

the

before ;
ecaillere is

lamp is,as

The

smilingred-cheeked
StiU opening oystersat

Is Terre

stillalive and

I recollect his droll

He'd

able ?

grimace :

and smile before your table,

hope you liked your Bouillabaisse.

enter
'

the door.

come

And
We

Bouillabaisse.

nothing'schanged

"

older.

Terr^,waiter,pray ?'
The waiter stares, and shrugs his shoulder
*

How's

or

Monsieur

Monsieur

is dead

this many
a
It is the lot of saint and sinner,
So honest

Terre's

What
*

will Monsieur

Say,do

you

run

day.'

his race.'

requirefor

stillcook

"

dinner

Bouillabaisse

?'
?'

176

THE
Ah

! how

me

I mind

OF

In this

!
quick the days are flitting

of

me

but not

place

same

"

fair young

form

nestled

was

A dear, dear face looked

And
"

PARIS

time that's gone,

here I'd sit,as now
I'm sitting,

When
A

CHARM

sweetlyspoke and
^There's no

one

now

I drink it as the Fates

alone.
near

me,

fondlyup.

smiled to cheer
to share my

me

cup.

ordain it.

Come, fillit,and have done with rhymes

Fill up the lonelyglass,
and drain it

In memory
of dear old times.
Welcome
the wine, whate'er the seal is ;
And sit you down
and say your grace
With
"

thankful
Here

comes

heart, whate'er the meal is.

the smoking Bouillabaisse !

WILLIAM

BOHEMIAN

MAKEPEACE

THACKERAY.

CAFE

CoLLiNE, the great philosopher

; Marcel, the
great painter; Schaunard, the great musician ; and

GuSTAVE

Rodolphe,the great poet (asthey called one another),

Cafe,where they were
regularly
frequentedthe Momus
because
the Four Musqueteers,'
sur named
they were
together,
always seen together. In fact,they came
and sometimes
went
together,
played together,
away
with a unison worthy
didn't pay their shot together,
*

of the best orchestra.

where fortypeople
They chose to meet in a room
but
they were
might have been accommodated,
usuallythere alone, inasmuch as they had rendered
the place uninhabitable
by its ordinaryfrequenters.

BOHEMIAN
The

chance

PARIS

who

customer

became, from the moment

of the terrible four, and in

177

risked himself in this den

of his entrance, the victim

his escape
his newspaper
and
without
finishing
cup of coffee,
seasoned as they were
by unheard-of maxims on art,

sentiment, and

comrades

waiter who

served

It

his life.
.

Christmas

was

made

cases

The

political
economy.

of the four

prime of

most

was

them
.

of such
had

become

conversation
that the

nature
an

idiot in the

Eve.

The

four friends

to the

came

cafe,accompanied by their friends of the other sex.

Marcel's Musette ; Rodolphe'snew
There was
flame,
Mimi, a lovelycreature with a voice like a pairof
cymbals ; and Schaunard's idol,Phemie Teinturiere,
this great occasion
After the coffee,which was
on
of brandy,they
escorted by a regimentof small glasses
called for punch. The waiter was so littleaccustomed
to the order,that they had to repeat it twice. Phemie,
been to such a placebefore,
in a
who had never
seemed
state of ecstasy at drinkingout of glasseswith feet.
with Musette
Marcel was
about a new
quarrelling
Mimi and Rodolphe, who were
bonnet.
in their
As tohoneymoon, carried on a silent conversation.
he went about from one to the other, distributing
Colline,
them all the polite
and ornamental
phrases
among
which he had picked up in the Muses' Almanack.'
thus abandoning
While this joyous company
was
itselfto sport and laughter,a stranger at the bottom
of the room,
who occupieda table by himself, was
attention the animated
observingwith extraordinary
For a fortnightor thereabout,he
before him.
scene
had come
thus every night,being the only customer
.

...

'

who

could stand the terrible row

The

boldest

had
pleasantries

which

failed to

the club made.

move

him
12

he

178

THE

remain

would

OF

PARIS

all the

evening,smoking his pipe with

his eyes fixed as if watching
regularity,

mathematical
a

CHARM

treasure,and his ears

him.

As

open to all that was said around

he seemed
to his other qualities,
quietand

for he possesseda watch with a gold chain ;

well-off,
and one
day. Marcel, meeting him at the bar, caught
him

in the act of

From

that

louis to pay his score.

the four friends designatedhim

changing a

moment,
'

of The Capitalist.'
by the name
Suddenly Schaunard, who had very good eyes,
that the glasses
remarked
were
empty.
Yes,'exclaimed Rodolphe ; and this is Christmas
Eve ! We
are
good Christians,and ought to have
something extra.'
'

Yes, indeed,'added

'

Marcel

let's call for

thing
some-

supernatural."
*

Colline,'continued

the waiter.
*

Waiter

He

!' quoth Colline

waiter

little for

.'

is requisite
for
The

Rodolphe, ring a

gravely, bringus
good supper.'

tmrned

all the colours

all that

of the rainbow.

slowly to the bar, and informed, his

orders he had received.
of the extraordinary
landlord took it for a joke ; but on a new
mons
sum-

descended

master

The

from

himself and

the bell,he ascended

Colline, for whom

explainedto

him

he had

certain respect. Colline

that they wished to see Christmas in
a

at his

house, and that he would

what

they

had

addressed

asked

for.

obligethem

Momus

backed

out,

twistinghis napkin.

advised

him

to serve

made

by serving
no

answer,

quarter of an
hour he held a consultation with his wife,who, thanks
tunately
to her liberal education at the St. Denis Convent, forhad
for arts and letters,and
weakness
a
the supper.

For

BOHEMIAN
*

To

PARIS

be sure,' said the

179
'

landlord, they may

have

for once, by chance.'

money
So he told the waiter to take up whatever theyasked
for, and then plunged into a game of piquetwith an
Fatal

old customer.
From

ten

to twelve

stairs.

and down

up

imprudence !
the waiter did

Every

nothingbut
he

moment

asked

was

run

for

Musette would eat English-fashion,

something more.
and change her fork at every mouthful.
Mimi drank
all sorts of wines in all sort of glasses.
Schaunard
had
Sahara in his throat.
a quenchless
The stranger
regardedthe scene with grave curiosity
;
from time to time he opened his mouth
if for a
as
.

smile.

quarterbefore twelve the bill was sent up. It

amounted
of twenty-five
to the enormous
francs
sum
and three-quarters.
Come,' said Marcel, we will draw lots for who
shall go and diplomatize
with our
host. It is getting
serious.' They took a set of dominoes ; the highest
was
At

'

to go.

the
Unluckily,

lot fellupon Schaunard, who was

excellent virtuoso, but a very bad ambassador.

an

He

arrived,too, at the bar justas the landlord had lost his

third game.

Momus

at Schaunard's

rage.

was

in

fearful bad

first words, broke

Schaunard

was

indifferent temper, and

of slang.
.

out

humour,
into

and

violent

good musician, but he had an

he repliedby a double
charge
dis-

point,the strangerabandoned his impassible

he rose, made a step forward, then
attitude ; gradually
another,and walked as an ordinaryman
might do ; he
approachedthe landlord,took him aside,and spoke to
him in a low tone. Rodolphe and Marcel followed him
At this

12

"

i8o

THE

with their eyes. At

to the stranger :
'

length,the

host went

out

I consent, Monsieur
Barbemuche
Certainly,
Arrange it with them yourself.'

Monsieur

Barbemuche

returned

his hat ; put it on, turned

three steps came
close to
off his hat, bowed.
*

PARIS

OF

CHARM

Gentlemen,

"

tainly.
cer-

to his table to take

to the

round

saying

Rodolphe

and

right,and
Marcel

in

; took

I am
about to take.
liberty
For a long time I have been burning with desire to
make
acquaintance,but have never, till now,
your
found a favourable opportunity.Will you allow me to
seize the present one ?
I am
of the fine
a disciple
arts like yourselves.So far as I have
been able to
judge from what I have heard of your conversation,
excuse

the

tastes

our

be

are

the

same.

-.

I have

most

eager

desire to

friend of yours, and to be able to find you here

every night. The landlord is a brute ; but I said a
word to him, and you are quitefree to go. I trust you
a

will not refuse

opportunityof findingyou here

service.'
again,by acceptingthis slight
A blush of indignation
to Schaunard's
mounted
face.
said he ; we canHe is speculating
on
our
condition,'
not
accept. He has paid our bill ; I will play him at
biUiards for the twenty-five
francs,and givehim points.
and had the
Barbemuche
accepted the proposition,
to lose. This gained him
the esteem
of
good sense
the party. They broke up with the understanding
that
they were to meet next day.
our
Now,' said Schaunard,
dignityis saved ; we
him nothing.'
owe
We can
said
almost ask him for another supper,'
me

the

'

'

'

'

CoUine.

henri

Translated

murger.

by W. E. Goulden.

BOHEMIAN

THE
In

ARTIST
Letter

PARIS

OF
to

THE

Mr.

i8i

PAYS

Macgilp,

LATIN
of

London

The

lifeof the young artist here is the easiest,

merriest,
dirtiest existence possible.He comes
to Paris,probably

sixteen,from
fortypounds a year

his

province ; his parents settle

on
him, and pay his master ; he
establishes himself in the Pays Latin, or in the new
de Lorette (which is peopled
quarter of Notre Dame
with painters)
; he arrives at his atelier at a tolerably
earlyhour, and labours among a score of companions
and poor as himself. Each gentleman has his
as merry
favourite tobacco-pipe
; and the picturesare painted
in the midst of a cloud of smoke, and a din of puns and
of choruses,of which
choice French slang,and a roar
form an idea who has not been present at
no
one
can
such an assembly.
that has ever
You see here every varietyof coiffure
of geniushave ringlets
been known.
Some young men
their shoulders
smell the
hanging over
you
may
with which they are scented across
the street ;
tobacco
have straight
locks,black, oily,and redundant
some
;
have
some
Louis-Philippe
toupets in the famous
have adopted
fashion ; some
are
cropped close ; some
which he who would follow
the present [1840]mode
must, in order to do so, part his hair in the middle,
at

"

"

grease it with grease, and

his ears
it flat down
over
you

take

the

tongs
the

curls close round

may

see

Britannic

and

gum

it with

arrived

; when

make

whole

gum,

head,

"

ranges

^such curls

giltthree-cornered hat, and

state wig.
Majesty'scoachman's

under

This is the last fashion.

iron

at the ears,

couple of

and

as

of
you

in her

As for the beards there is no

'

i82
end

THE
them

to

who

rather

; all my

stinted

the

; and

beards

Nature, though she has

bodies

and

nation, has been very liberal

these heads and beards under

Mandarin

PARIS

friends the artists have

raise them

can

OF

CHARM

limbs

to them

of the

French

of hair.

all sorts of caps

"

Fancy
Chinese

Greek

skull-caps,English
Russian
Kuzzilbash
or
jockey-caps,
caps, Middle-Age
ance),
caps (suchas are called,in heraldry,
caps of maintenSpanish nets, and stripedworsted nightcaps.
Fancy all the jackets you have ever seen, and you have
caps,

caps,

before you, as well as pen can

describe,the costumes
of these indescribable Frenchmen.
In this company
and costume
the French student
of art passes his days and acquires
knowledge ; how he
passes his

evenings,at

what

there is no need
guettes
pawned his coat to go to
.

abroad
could

in
cheerfully

WILLIAM

'

It

was

The

LITTLE

to say ; but
a

carnival

I knew

guin-

one

ball and

who

walked

his blouse for six weeks, until he

the absent

redeem

theatres, at what

garment.
THACKERAY.

MAKEPEACE

'

BILLEE

IN

PARIS

fine,sunny, showery day in April.

bigstudio window was open at the top, and let
a

pleasantbreeze from the north-west. Things were

beginningto look shipshapeat last. The big piano, a
lay,freshlytuned,
semi-grandby Broadwood
alongsidethe eastern wall ; on the wall oppositewas a
panoply of foils,masks, and boxing-gloves.
A trapeze, a knotted rope, and two parallel
cords,
supportingeach a ring,depended from a huge beam in
of the usual dull red, rethe ceiling.The walls were
lieved
and legsand hands and
casts of arms
by plaster

in

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

i84

baize,opened east and west, to let in dawn or sunset,

the case
as
might be, or haply keep them out. And
odd little
there were
alcoves, recesses, irregularities,
nooks

to be filledup

and corners,

time

as

wore

with

on

personalnick-nacks,bibelots,privateproperties
and acquisitionsthingsthat make
a placegenial,
homelike, and good to remember, and sweet to muse
upon (with fond regret)in after years.
Kneeling on the divan, with his elbow on the
Little Billee.
He had pulled
window-sill,was
the green baize blind, and was
down
lookingover the
roofs and chimney-potsof Paris and all about with all
As Little Billee
his eyes, munching the while.
munched
he also gazed at the busy placebelow
the
at the old houses opposite,
Place St. Anatole des Arts
of which were
some
being pulled down, no doubt lest
will. In the gaps
sweet
they should fall of their own
between he would see discoloured,old,cracked, dingy
and rusty iron balconies
walls, with mysteriouswindows
of great antiquity sightsthat set him dreaming
endless

"

'

...

...

"

"

"

dreams

of mediaeval

French

love and

wickedness

crime, bygone mysteriesof Paris !

One gap went rightthroughthe block,and gave him
the
a glimpseof the river,
Cite,'and the ominous old
Morgue ; a littleto the rightrose the grey towers of

and

'

Notre

Dame

de

Paris into the

chequered Aprilsky.
Indeed, the top of nearlyall Paris lay before him with
his part ; and he
a littlestretch of the imagination
on
of novelty,an
interest and
a
gazed with a sense
pression
pleasurefor which he could not have found any exin mere
language.
Paris ! Paris !! Paris !! !

The very
whether

he

name

had

alwaysbeen

thought of

it

as

mere

one

conjurewith,
sound on the lips
to

BOHEMIAN
in the ear,

and

PARIS

185

magicalwritten or printedword
the thingitselfat last,and
for the eye. And
here was
in the very heart of it,to
he, he himself,ipsissimus,
live there and learn there as longas he liked,and make
himself the great artist he longed to be.
or

as

He

great deal

looked

there

was

where

seen

OF

have

never

GEORGE

CHARACTERISTICS

windows,
stance
Paris, for in-

: more

he could

Paris,of which

"

of the Louvre

out

to be

much

THE

MAURIER.

DU

LATIN

enough.

QUARTER

Paris,
October, 1906.
at home
so much
feeling
about
and have had no
We
in Paris.
move
easily,
trouble in masteringthe general hang or lie of the
to the good
city. I attribute this in a great measure
westward
to the sea.
of the river Seine in flowing
sense

We

are

ourselves
surprised

at

'

We

visited London

have

'

ten

for every

times

sojournin Paris,and yet London has always been, and

It is the Thames
that
stillremains a labyrinth,
a maze.
tion,
direcin flowingin the wrong
confuses us ; it persists
Here in
disturbingevery point of our compass.
such muddle.

Paris, there is no
We

live

on

the south side of the river,in the

district known

as

The

Quarter.

There

be

homely
many
but this

than fractions allow

quartersin Paris more
the Latin Quarterof song and
alone is The Quarter,
one
story. Here are the Universities and the Art Schools ;
and here,from all the quartersof the globe,
young men
and maidens
gather; to sit at the feet of all sorts of
"

"

masters, and
Lectures

and

to

follow

the

Classes do not

gleam.' The Sorbonne

begin for a week or two

i86

CHARM

THE

; but

yet
work

and

"

their

of

most

their

to

their

traditional
have

paid

Scotland

for
and

to

scheme

is

ashamed

in

in

These

little

Quarter

only
fact
the

"

the

several

give

the

merriest,

of

the

with

dared

thinks

in
his
of

him

all

colour

the
the

the

Tom

boys

are

decline

and
The

will invent,

to

is

thing

and

of

in

reins

their
to

of

students
the

students

times

but

maddest

be

indulge

pleasantry.

The

boys,

he

and

they

two

follies

nations.
; but

or

; and

embellishment.

Alphonse.

characteristic

are

this

cheeks,

beside

day

and

immediately,

colourless

mild

other

some

game

fun

Jules by way

with

and

their

tion
atten-

it would

Alphonse

operation,

conspicuous
; and

Latin

in

their

of

appear
done

charming
is

of

face

would

dispense

to

objections,

no

than

student

dejeuner

to

law

Sawyer

just

was

in

path

war

serious

no

cummerbund.

the

has

Alphonse

It

day,
yester-

appearance

but

less eccentric

sport

forth

go

Their

the

in

bo}^

street

our

their

to

these

of

for

as

home,

here.

divinity

decorated

joke

down

style.

them

to

considered

swooped

traffic at

probably
waistcoat,

group

decorated

back

are

Indian
the

blocked

students

play.

faces

Red

was

Art

overalls

working
with

the

PARIS

OF

the

innocent

frequently

course
as

of the
weU

Latin
of

temperament

are

parents

the

at

year,

all Paris

"

frivohty,

and

THE

ROWLEY

this
not

in

enjoy

days.
*

the

LETTERS.'

A
PORTRAITS
FEW

PARISIAN

There

is

spirit

the

has

each

towns

spirit

its

from

and

past,

of

each
its

of

has

town

in

occupations

from

derived

own

the

its

the

maintained

France

contemporary
artistic

powerful

rivals,

as

character

of

London

character

of

Paris
of

still

is
all

small

very

maintains,

Parisian

Paris

against

though
has

nation

not
has

in

place

parable
com-

any

not

the

same

nation

the

Without

London

The
.

contemptuous

it

leadership.

France.

have

Paris

influence.
characteristics

in

art

would

with

Europe;

of

light

toric
hisParis

present.
.

has

viduality,
indi-

certain

of

is

to

to

be

that

be,

not

as

local

lies

The

Londoners.

local,
as

but
ancient

distinguishing
world-wide

Athens,

outside.

PHILIP

GILBERT

HAMERTON.

and

the

as

THE

the

is a true child of
or work-girl,
grisette,
to
preferringnoise to solitude, movement
the harsh
and
resounding harmony of the

RiGOLETTE,
Paris

GRISETTE

"

repose,

orchestra

the

at

balls of the

Chartreuse,

or

of the

of the winds, the waters,

Colysee,to the soft murmur
and the foliage
; the deafeningnoise of the streets of
works,
Paris, to the solitude of the country ; the glareof firethe glitter
of a ball,the noise of rockets, to the
serenityof a fine night,with stars, and darkness, and
silence.

good girlfranklyprefersthe streets

of the flowerymeadows
of the capital,
to the verdure
;
its scorchingpavements to the fresh and velvet moss
cating
of the wood-paths perfumed with violets ; the suffoAlas, yes

dust

waving

of

the

"

of the Barriers

golden

corn,

enamelled

and
flowers of the wild poppy
Rigoletteonly leaves her

each

morning

to

bread, milk, and

birds.

But

the Boulevards

or

lay in her
hempseed,

with

to

the

the

scarlet

of the bluebells.

azure

Sundays ; and
provisionof chickweed,

room

on

for herself and

her two

she lives in Paris.

She had been

in

have

despairto

lived elsewhere

than

in the

capital.
Another
anomaly : notwithstandingthis taste for
Parisian pleasures notwithstandingthe liberty,or
"

rather, the

state

of abandonment

herself,being alone in the world

rigid economy

which

she

is

189

in

which

she finds

notwithstandingthe
obliged to use in her
"

THE

igo
smallest

day

expenses,

OF

in order

to

notwithstandingthe

mischievous, the
does

never

CHARM

most

thirtysous a
piquant, the most

live

most

adorable

choose
Rigolette

PARIS
on

littleface in the world,

sweetheart

"

we

will not

say lover.
let us say, only chooses her sweethearts
The grisette,
in her own
class ; that is to say, only chooses her

neighbours.
perhaps rather small,
Rigoletteis hardly eighteen,
but so gracefully
shaped,so finelymodelled, so well
turned, that her size respondswell to her bearing,at
in heightwould
bold and modest ; one inch more
once
ensemble ;
have caused her to lose much of the gracious
in
the movement
of her small feet, always encased
calls
high boots of black cloth,with rather thick soles,rethe coquettish
to mind
lightand discreet step of
the quail.
She does not appear
to walk, she merely touches
the pavement ; she slides rapidlyon its surface.
This walk, peculiarto the grisette,
tributed
ought to be atwithout

doubt,

to

three

causes.

To

her

tion
thought handsome
; to her fear of admirathe desire that she always has to lose as little
possiblein her peregrinations.During the

desire to be
; to

time

as

she works

summer

by

verdant

near

curtain

the open
of sweet

window,

peas

; in the winter at the corner

half veiled

and

turtiums
orange nasof her littlestove,

lightof her lamp.

Then each Sunday she varies this laborious life with
a day of innocent pleasures,
partaken with a neighbour
as young,
as herself. On
Monday she
gay, thoughtless
her labours, thinkingon pleasures
resumes
past and
at the soft

to

come.

EUGENE

SUE.

THE

J9?

CHARM

PARIS

OF

strappingsoldier,Jean by turns
For Saladin and Christian fights
;
and burns
Attacks, storms, pillages,
Then home
to darlingParis writes :
My gloryfrom the Louvre

To

the Boulevards

Let them
There

six

tell,
apiece

sous

the busts of

A Persian queen,
Once said, Dear

me

sell !'

Jean maintains.
youth,my spouse wilt be ?'
Agreed,'said Jean, but for my pains,
Thou'lt come,
with me
!
love, to Pont-Neuf
During eightdays of fete.
With a true kinglyshow,
as

'

All crown'd
To

and

the opera

in state.
we'll go !'
.

Laugh and sing,dance and bound.

Take thy gloves,
the world run
round
But, whate'er thy purse contain,
To thy Paris come
again !
Paris Jean, Paris Jean,
To thy Paris haste again !
PIERRE-

THE

JEAN

DE

BER

ANGER.

NOTARY

forty, plump, short, hale, and

dressed in black, the notary is apparentlyfull of confidence
in himself,rather stiff,
and decidedlypedantic
and affected. Upon his features you observe a mask of
bland silliness,
has become
which, feignedat first,
by
practicethe confirmed expressionof his countenance
showing the passivecalmness of the diplomatist,
Verging

"

towards

without

PARISIAN

FEW

PORTRAITS

193

The

tint of his bald

yellowish
forehead is indicative of long toil,internal struggles,
cares, and a stormy youth,but bears no trace of
many
actual passion.
The tall,thin notary is an
exception.Physiologically
notarial avocations are incompatible
speaking,
with

his acuteness.

constitutions.

some

which
disposition

himself

unaffected

irritable and

be
occasionally

may

nervous

observed

in

be fatal to the notary. His profession

trol
patience; he must obtain such con-

attorneyswould
requiresextreme
over

An

as

to be able to listen with

interminable

the

resignationto

apparently
munications
com-

thinks that
of his clients,each of whom
in the world worthy of
his business is the only one
attention.

Dull

appears, he was
been witty,and

once

heavy

and

blithe and

the

as

merry

notary

; he may

now

have

perhapsonce in love. Mysterious

being! deservingof pity,as much when you are fond
of your profession,
as when
you hold it in abhorrence.
an
Simple-minded,yet cunning, you are at once
CEdipusand a Sphinx ; you resemble the one in your
while
also the
obscure
phraseology,
possess
you
shrewdness

of the other.

Sometimes

the

lad, ambitious
soldier. He

was

of

goes

notary beginsas

an

errand

would
dying a general,
through all the stages of

boy,as

enlist
the

as

a
a

sion.
profes-

who has spent five or six years in

man
young
be expectedto retain much
offices cannot
more

A
one

or

of his

: he
simplicity

of many
of heirs and
the selfish quarrels
has

seen

the underwork

fortunes ; witnessed
legatees; he has often observed

onlyin
the law.

There

in Paris, where

human

avarice

rested
ar-

of
penalenactments
is a publicoffice at the courts of justice
of notaries have to be
the signatures

its schemes

by

the

13

THE

194

CHARM

OF

certified ; it is crowded

every
and
goldfish,

PARIS

morning

with

junior

mischievous
as
clerks,sportiveas
who so pester the crabbed
old clerk in
that he

scarcelyconsiders
A policeman or
his iron railings.
keep this small fry in order, and
been

has
application

made

would

safe behind

two

requiredto

are

it is said that

an

the Prefect of Police ;

contamination
of his agents
to

actions

They know everything,say

laugh at everything. They have
of telegraphamongst themselves, by
all notarial news
is simultaneously

shudder.

everything,and
a sort
originated
of which

means

dance,
atten-

himself

but he, doubtless, dreads a

of disorderly
imps, at whose
by this swarm
Lucifer

keys,
mon-

through every office in Paris.

Formerly great intimacy subsisted between

circulated

the

Parisian notaries ; it is even

said that, in the time of
the Empire, they used to console themselves for their
in

reserve

convivial parties
publicby gettingup private

of the most

festive nature.

ways are open to the notary : he may either wait

for clients and business at his office,
to
or
go abroad

Two

notary who retains a certain

respectfor the tenets of the old school is always to be
found at his office ; there he will,with the utmost
cutory
patienceand attention,listen to a chent's circumlohim to
to enlighten
statement, and endeavour

seek them.

his

The

married

interest. His bows

own

to his clients

natelyregulatedaccordingto
and the nature

their rank

are

and

discrimi-

station,

of their business. Before the nobleman,

ground ; rich clients he greets with a

himself to
and cordial nod, confining
very respectful
returningthe bow of those who are in difficulties;
he bows

while

to the

he shows

his poor

client to the door

answeringhis good morning.

without

FEW

PARISIAN

The littlenotary who

PORTRAITS
so

may

195

be
frequently

in

seen

cabriolet in business hours is not yet married.

He is
stillthin,goes a great deal into society,
and at allballs
and parties
seeks to distinguish
himself by his elegant
His officeis situated in

manners.

and

he treats all his clients with

would

bow

to the column

could turn

fashionable street,
equal courtesy : he

of the Place Vendome

the

to any
acquaintanceship
obsequiousness
may be laughed at, but

care

His

business

is prosperous,

if he
His

account.

does he

what

and

keep it

to

is his object.
flourishing
HONORE

THE
'

s'ilvous

Cordon,

under

all your

sees

He
He knows

over

plait!'

You
He

pohte to
are

you

have

the

concierge

in his hands.

receives aU your
and

He

letters,
tors.
credi-

your

at which

the hours

when

with the old

you.

Be

friends,your tradesmen,

marks

BALZAC.

CONCIERGE

all circumstances.

keeps watch

DE

new

and go.
you come
coat, and what you do

Observe, that he has nothingto do

in the world (if
he be in a good house)except to make
he surveys the
notes from that littlewindow, whence
one.

world

that passes to and

questionsthat may be

fro. It is he who
addressed

to

answers

him

friends,or enemies, concerningyou. You are

first-floorlodger,
but he is the concierge
; and
have

you mark

You

may
pullsthe

which
is not
name

the difference in your

relative

all

by your
only the
he will

positions.

he
fret,but you cannot escape him. When
cord, you must accept the act as a favour

graciousenough to pay you. There

with whom
you are acquaintedwhose

he has been
a

man

is not famihar

to him.

All your

littleailments
13"2

THE

196

PARIS

OF

CHARM

at his

ends. If he had a good memory,

a
fingers'
fair notion of styleand orthography, he might write
that would
romances
pale the star of the author of
are

"

La

de Trente

Femme

who

comes

put

when

His malicious

Ans.'

Monsieur

is out.

pecuniaryexpressioninto
Monsieur

man

knows

He

when

to

his slavish countenance.

is understood

de Vandenesse

when
the Marquis is
concierge-,
Marquise d'Aiglemontcould not

of the

eye marks

by

The

all confidence.
defied the

have

in the httle dark room,

the

by

the

geance
ven-

way
gate-

of her hotel.
sombre

himself,he sits in his

Irreproachable
of justice.
littlecabin
He
as judge in a court
"

that those scandalous

knows

write
moiichard

severe

romancists
him.

thingsabout

but he smiles,and counts

of the Boulevards

They

call him

his hundred-sous

pieces; and as he drops them in his leather bag, he

men
giins thinkingof the time when some of these gentlewill be lyingin the hospital ay, possibly
lapping
"

"

soup of Bicetre ; and

follow his daughterin her
the

he will be

rentier,and

to
wedding-dress

will

the Bois de

His
Boulogne, having given her a pretty dot.
call a
is what we
pryinghabits apart, the concierge
He is always at his post. He is
man.
respectable
faithful to his trust.
civil. He is ever
bountifully
is an occasional coup at
The extent of his dissipation
the nearest
wine-shop,with a neighbour. On fine
eveningshe sits under the gateway, with his wife and
her friend, lazilywatching the passers-by. In the
winter he is shut, with his wife and the friend (a neighbouring
cook or housemaid),in his steamy den.
.

her friend knit and talk scandal ; and the

with the cordon at hand, reads the evening
concierge,
The

wife and

he is in an
when
paper, and gives forth the news
whom
amiable mood.
He is a philosopher,
nothing
"

FEW

He

has

PARISIAN

PORTRAITS

197

phase of Ufe. Weddings and

funerals by the hundred
; domestic
executions,
quarrels,
ruin, extraordinarystrokes of luck, love,
jealousy,
despair allpass by that Uttle square window
of his.
The privileges
of the concierge
bearable.
are
Let him take the biggestlog when
you are supplied
with half a load of wood.
You pay him the expected
when
home
after midnight.
gratification
you return
cannot
that sprung
You
help the fast friendship
up
moves.

seen

every

"

him

between

and

cook.

your

He

know

must

when

the

priceof peaches are low enough for your pocket ; and

that you quarrelled
with the cobbler over
his charge
for mending your shoes. Every detail of your contract
with the traiteur is his property. You drink Bordeaux
and he knows it ; and it is
the litre,
at twenty-five
sous

only when

fowls

The

Beaune.

friends,you

have

you

as
go even
too dear in the market

are

; the cook

for Madame

; and

told him

has

he holds that you

so

with

far

as

to-day
toss of

hien pen de chose.

A friend out at elbows has paid you a visit ; and went
in arm
with you, and tu-toied you. The landlord
out arm
the head

are

has called three times for his rent.

of the

to
concierge

be

posted up

It is the

in the

privilege
doingsof

of your
staircase,and of the front staircase,

the back

establishment.
to him

You

furnish

Sunday

and his friends.

all

longbeen agreed on

It has
to

be

guards

the

on

excellent

terms

gate of your

afternoon

versation
con-

hands, that it is prudent

with

house, who

the

man

receives

who^
your
He is

of your secrets.
many
laughed at, but he remains strong. His tyranny is felt
every hour in the day,but Paris must be rebuilt before

letters,and

it can
a

who

be shaken

trust ;

knows

off. He

lodgercan

can

be

compel

punishedif he betrays

the landlord

to dismiss

THE

igS

OF

CHARM

PARIS

him, if he misbehaves
a

reckless

a
gossip,

is crushed

eccentric who
the
not

himself ; but while he is merely

maHcious
brewer of mischief,or an

by

overweeningestimate

an

importanceof his duties,he

only be tolerated,he must

be

LE

In Paris lives

it is that of the

"

blanchard

HOMME

PETIT

tolerated,and

petted.

A Parisian's house is not his castle

concierge !

be

must

jerrold.

GRIS

littleman

always dressed in grey :

His chubby cheeks Hke applesglow ;
His pocketscan't a penny show ;
Yet happy as the day,
in grey,
Ho !' quoth the Uttle man
I laugh at all things that's my way
Who's

'

"

And

sure,

the

!'

gayest of the gay

Is he, the littleman

in grey !

He

pretty girls,

fallsin love with

"

They sum up quitea score,

into debt
Hobnobbing, singing,
"

He

heels ; and
baiHffs press him sore,

head

runs

When
'

Ho

over

yet

!'quoth the littleman

laugh at

And

sure,

all things
"

the

in grey,
that's my way

gayest of the gay

Is he, the littleman

in grey !

Let rain into his

Let

garretleak ;
him, unconscious soul.

Sleepin
Let

him

it ; 'mid

his

December's

snow

freezing
fingersblow.

For lack of wood

or

of

coal ;

!'

THE

200

CHARM

figured; he was the

(chicken).Theatres

PARIS

OF

he becomes

street Arab,
are

sort

of

the

titi

ship turned upside

with the keel in the air. It is in that keel that the

down

titihuddle

together.The

titi is to the

gamin what
being endowed

is to the larva ; the same

wings and soaring.It suffices for him
moth

narrow,

there,with

thusiasm
happiness,with his power of enand
joy, with his hand-clapping,which
a
clappingof wings, to confer on that
dark, fetid, sordid, unhealthy, hideous,

abominable
Bestow

with

of

his radiance

resembles

to be

the

keel,the
on

an

name

of Paradise.

individual the useless and

of the necessary, and you have

The gamin is not devoid of

tendency, and
regret,would

we

not

it with

say

constitute

deprivehim
the gamin.
intuition. His
literary
the

of
proper amount
classic taste.
He is not

academic

Thus, to give an example,

by nature.
the popularity
that little
of Mademoiselle
Mars among
audience of stormy children was seasoned with a touch
of irony.The gamin called her Mademoiselle
Muche
hide yourself.'
This beingbawls and scoffs and ridicules and fights,
has rags like a baby and tatters like a philosopher,
fishes in the sewer
extracts mirth from foulness,
whips up the squares with his wit, grinsand bites,
whistles
and
sings, shouts and shrieks'tempers
Alleluia with Matanturlurette, chants every rhyme
from the De Profundis to the Jack-pudding,finds
without seeking,knows
what he is ignorantof, is a
is mad
to wisdom.
Spartan to the point of thieving,
The gamin of Paris is Rabelais in his youth.
Paris beginswith the loungerand ends with the
street Arab, two
beings of which no other city is
capable; the passiveacceptance,which contents itsejf
very

"

with

gazing,and

homme

natural

201

the inexhaustible

initiative ; Prudalone has this in its

Paris

Fouillon.

and

PORTRAITS

PARISIAN

FEW

history.The whole
in the lounger; the

of the
whole

tained
monarchy is conof anarchy in the

gamin.
pale child of the Parisian faubourgs lives
and develops,makes
connections, grows supple in
in the presence
of social realities and of
suffering,
human
self
things,a thoughtfulwitness. He thinks himThis

'

'

heedless ; and he is not.

He looks and is on the
verge of laughter; he is on the verge of somethingelse
also.

...

littlefellow will grow

Of what clay is he made
The

Adam.

It suffices for

to

fortune

has

labours

Fortune

pigmy

That

extent.

some

'

the word

God

by.

to pass

street Arab.

alwayspassed over the

at this tinybeing. By
chance,

God

that

the first mud

of dirt,a breath, and behold

A handful

to hand.

comes

up.
? Of

'

mean

we

kneaded

of

out

earth, ignorant,unlettered, giddy, vulgar,

common

low. Will that become

currit rota,the

Ionian

an

of Paris,that
spirit

the children of chance

loves the

Boeotian?
which

demon

Wait,
creates

of

reversing
destiny,
potter,makes of a jug an

the

and

the process of the Latin

amphora.
The gamin

or

men

city,he

also loves solitude,

Urhis
sage in him.
amator, like Fuscus ; ruris amator, like Flaccus.
While in any other great citythe vagabond child is a

since he

something of

has

the

lost man,
while
itself is,in some
kind
devour

nearly everywhere
sort, sacrificed and

of fatal immersion

child left to

abandoned

pubHc

to

vices which

honesty and conscience, the street boy

defaced and
insist on this point,however

in him

of Paris,we

in the

the

OF

CHARM

THE

202

PARIS

injuredon the surface,is almost intact in the interior.

It is a magnificentthing to put on record, and one
shines forth in the probity of our
which
popular
results
revolutions, that a certain incorruptibility
exists in the air of Paris,as salt
of the ocean.
To breathe Paris

the idea which

from

exists in the

water

preserves the soul.

the gamin
In summer,
.

metamorphoses himself into

in the evening,when
in
a frog; and
night is falling
front of the bridgesof Austerlitz and Jena, from the
and the washerwomen's
boats,he
tops of coal-waggons,
hurls himself headlonginto the Seine.
There was
something of that boy in Poquelin,the
had something
of the fish-market ; Beaumarchais
son
is a shade
of the Gallic spirit.
of it.
Gaminerie
Mingled with good sense, it sometimes adds force to
.

the latter,as

alcohol does to wine.

Sometimes

it is

repeats himself eternally,

granted; one

defect. Homer

may say that Voltaire playsthe gamin. Camille Desmoulins was

a native of the faubourgs.
Championnet,
who

treated

miracles

of Paris.
The

gamin
He

and

his stomach

to
possible

the

ments
pave-

of Paris is

has villainous

he has wit.

from

brutally,rose

suffers,and
He

...

him.

himself up with
in the presence

and insolent.
ironical,
respectful,
teeth, because he is badly fed
handsome

eyes

because

is strong on

boxing. All behefs are

He playsin the gutter,and straightens
a revolt ; his effrontery
even
persists
of grapeshot; he was
he
a scapegrace,

hero ; like the little Theban, he shakes the skin

from the lion ; Barra the drummer-boy was
a gamin of

is

Paris ; he shouts : Forward

!' as
Vah !'and in a moment
says
*

the small brat to the

giant.

the horse of
he has

Scripture
passedfrom

FEW

PARISIAN

PORTRAITS

203

This child of the

puddle is also the child of the ideal.

that spread of wings which
Measure
reaches from
MoHere
In one
to Barra.
word, the gamin is a
himself because he is unhappy.
being who amuses
To sum
it all up once
the Paris gamin of today,
more,
like the graeculus
of Rome
in days gone by, is the
infant populacewith the wrinkle of the old world on
...

his brow.
The

time

is a grace to the^nation,
and at the same
disease ; a disease which must
be cured, how

gamin
a

By light.
.

expresses

ON

The
.

gamin

WAITERS

victor

AT

his shirt

Universally

shoes
patent-leather

bootmaker

in the Rue

perfumed

soap,

the

dentist is Desirabode
has taken

Paris, and Paris

expresses

the world.

SOME

CERTAIN

is of

have

been

Vivienne
smoothest
; his

hugo.

CAFfiS

PARISIAN

the

finest

made
; he uses

almond

Unen;

to order

his

by

only the

most

paste ; his

hairdresser,Michalon

he

lessons in the art of

perpetualsmilingfrom a
retired opera mimic ; he is patient,
polite,
obHging.
This profession
descends from father to son^
generally
The

man

who

serves

the ices at the Cafe de Foi

or

the

brandy cherries at La Mere Soguet'sat the Barriere du

exercised
who
Maine, had a great-great-grandfather
functions before him, as a Seguier,
a Mole, a Crillon ;
The art
had ancestors
in the magistracyor the army.
of pouring out coffee and liqueurs,
of gliding
adroitly
through the labyrinthof tables and stools,carryingin
the right hand
a
tray of glasses,a complete teaservice,a phalanx of decanters of orgeat,
requires
long
practice.
class some
There
be found in this interesting
may

CHARM

THE

204

who
practitioners
who

and

were

OF
not

PARIS

brought

at fifteen could

not

up to the profession,
have washed
a

glass without breaking it. This is a varietyof the

speciesin whom
genius has shone forth all at once.
The events
of their earlyhfe could be traced only in
the chronicles of Chaumiere
been

in the

buried

taverns.

The

and

the Courtille,or

smoky atmosphere of

have

hundred

manners,

habits,and

even

the dress of the cafe

waiter vary accordingto the neighbourhoodin which

he is located. In the Palais Royal,on the Boulevards,
from

the Madeleine

Faubourg du Temple, and

in some
parts of the Faubourg St. Germain, he is ever
nice,ever attentive. Shirts of fine Hnen no longercontent
him ; he must
have cambric
fronts. He changes
his aprons as often as kings change their ministers.
His hair,always dressed in the latest fashion,is redolent
of the sweetest
perfume ; his jacket cannot be
than a jacket,
but it is remarkable
for the fineness
jnore
form.
of its texture and its graceful
His hands
white and taper. He expresses himself in the most
are
refined language,and condescends
to read
only in
books elegantly
bound.
When
anybody complainsoi
the coffee that he has justpoured out, he raises his eye
to heaven, sighs,and
handing another cup, fillsit
from
the same
coffee-pot,
sayings This time, sir, I
know
you will be satisfied !' Does a regularcustomer
tism,
enter yawning or complainingof headache
or rheumaWhat
can
we
expect,sir ? The weather is so
with a lively
imagination,a
changeable!' Endowed
of
largeportionof vanity,and with much flexibihty
the
the manners,
mind, he with great facility
assumes
he
tempers, and the language of those on whom
habituallywaits.
to the

'

The

FEW

PARISIAN

PORTRAITS

205

waiter in the

neighbourhood of the Boulevard

St. Martin, notwithstandingan affectation of steadiness,
is rather rakish in consequence
of beingso near
the Courtille ; he is also extremelyliterary,
beingdaily
in the habit of waitingon the authors who write for
the minor theatres, the Ambigu, the Gaietie,and the
Porte St. Martin.
He knows
at his fingers'
ends how
times the playsof Gaspardo and Le Sonneur
de
many
been represented; he can
St. Paul
have
repeat the
witticisms of M. Harel ; has spoken twice to Mdlle.
Georges,and often lends his snuff-box to Bocage.
At

the Cafe de Paris the waiter is learned in all the

He
details,all the science of the steeplechase.

nates
abomi-

boiled beef ; he beginsto be tired of Duprez ; he

calls a cab a vehicle, and when
out
for a holiday

only the best cigars.

Formerly the waiter at the Cafe Desmares was prodigiousl
officersin
mihtary. He knew all the superior
the royalguard,all the on dits at the barrack of the
Gardes du Corps. He is no longermartial, but he is
stillaristocratical ; he is ever
sighingand lamenting^
and like the great peoplein the Faubourg St. Germain^
he waits for brighter
days.
The waiters in the cafes in the QuartierLatin have
also their peculiar
physiognomy. The influence of the
smokes

schools, the scientific societies,the Chamber

of Peers

easilybe discerned in their opinionsand their

tastes.
They are first-rate domino players.
the
where
The
Cafe de Foy is the establishment
the most
waiter makes
rapidfortune ; at least that is
be generally
allowed
the received opinion. It must
that in no
other cafe is his training
so
perfect.He
unites the several advantages of the other waiters
with a certain air of dignityand a diplomatic
polite-

may

1206

THE
which

ness,

CHARM

indicate

PARIS
with

frequentcontact

more

The

reallygood company.
resemble

OF

waiters at the Cafe de

Foy

they may be said to form a class

is their
first thing remarkable
by
height. It is commonly said in the neighbourhoodof
the Palais Royal, as tall as a waiter at the Cafe de
Foy.' In military
phraseone may say that they are the
grenadiersof the army of waiters. Of all publicplaces
"of the same
kind this is the most simplein its decorations.
Here the sightis not dazzled by any profusion
of gilding,
of extraordinary
paintings,and looking-glasses
others ;
themselves.
The
no

dimensions.

quietlyfor
paintedon
be

The

some

years

the

ceiling
by

Cafe
the

on

de

Foy has lived

reputationof

quail

it may

Carle Vernet, where

to this hour.

seen

RICARD.

AUGUSTE

DANTON

The
and

through whose black brows

huge brawny figure,
rude flattened face (figure
ecrasee)there looks a

energy as of Hercules not yet furibund, he is

esurient unprovidedadvocate, Danton
an
by name,
him mark.
The black brows clouded, the colossus
waste

"

figuretramping heavy ; grim energy lookingfrom all

features of the rugged man
! Strong is that grim Son
of France and Son of Earth ; a Realityand not a Formula
if ever, being hurled low
he too : and surelynow
enough, it is on the Earth and on Realities that he
rests.

The
.

himself ; to act,

man

Danton

was

for his

not

prone

to show

safety.A man
of careless,large,
hoping nature ; a largenature that
could rest : he would sit whole hours, they say, hearing
Camille talk,and Uked nothingso well.
No hollow
or

uproar

own

...

2o8

THE

Paris.

None

Arrived

at

CHARM

takes

OF

PARIS

farewell of her, wishes

her

goodthat
journey: her father will find a line left,signifying
she is gone to England, that he must
pardon her and
lumbers along,amid
forgether. The drowsy diligence
drowsy talk of pohticsand praiseof the mountain
; in
which she minglesnot : all night,all day, and againall
night. On Thursday, not long before noon, we are at
the bridgeof Neuilly; here is Paris with her thousand
black domes, the goal and purpose
of thy journey!
the Inn

de la Providence

in the

des

Rue

Vieux

a room
Angus tins,Charlotte demands
; hastens
all afternoon and night,tillthe morrow
to bed ; sleeps
morning.
On the morrow
morning, she delivers her note to
Duperret.It relates to certain familypapers which are

in the Minister of the Interior's hand

Caen,

an

old convent-friend

; which

nun

at

of Charlotte's,has need

of ; which
Duperret shall assist her in getting: this
then was
Charlotte's errand to Paris ? She has finished

Friday ; yet says nothing of

and
returning. She has seen
silentlyinvestigated
she
several things.The Convention, in bodilyreality,
the mountain
has seen
is like. The
living
; what
physiognomy of Marat she could not see ; he is sick at
this,in the

of

course

present,and confined
About

to home.

the

Saturdaymorning,she purchases
sheath-knife in the Palais Royal ; then straighta large
way,
in the Place des Victoires,takes a hackneycoach : To the Rue de I'Ecole de Medecine, No. 44.'
The
It is the residence of the Cito3'enMarat !
Citoyen Marat is ill,and cannot be seen ; which seems
Her business is with Marat,
to disappointher much.
then ? Hapless beautiful Charlotte ; haplesssquaUd
eighton

"

Marat

From

Caen

in the

utmost

west, from

Neu-

A FEW

PARISIAN

chatel in the utmost

PORTRAITS

east, they two

2og

drawingnigh
each other ; they two have, very strangely,
business
to her inn, despatches
together. Charlotte,returning
that she is from
short note to Marat, signifying
a
Caen the seat of rebellion ; that she desires earnestly
are

"

to
a

see

him, and will put it in his power

great service.'

No

answer.

to do France

Charlotte writes another

note, stillmore

pressing
; sets out with it by coach
about seven
in the evening,herself.
Tired day^
labourers have againfinished their week ; huge Paris
is circling
and simmering,manifold, accordingto its
fair figurehas decision in it ;
vague wont : this one
drives straight,towards a purpose.
It is yellowJuly evening,we
say, the thirteenth
of the month
of the Bastille day, when
M.
; eve
^

"

"

Marat,' four years ago, in the crowd

of the Pont

Neuf,

shrewdly requiredof that Besenval Hussar-party,

which had such friendly
to dismount
dispositions,
and giveup their arms,
then ;' and became
notable
'

Patriot men.
Four years : what a road he has
among
of the
travelled ; and sits now
about half-past
seven
"

afflicted; ill of
clock, stewingin slipper-bath
; sore
Revolution fever, of what other malady this history
"

had
man

sick and worn, poor

Excessively
of readywith precisely
elevenpence-halfpenny
in paper ; with sUpper-bath
; strong threestool for writing
on, the while ; and a squalid

rather not
:

money
footed

washerwoman,

name.

"

one

may

call her

that

is his civic

Street ; thither and

not elsewhither has his road led him. Not to the reign

estabhshment

in Medical-School

the
on
; yet surely
perfectfelicity
way towards that ? Hark, a rap again: A musical
woman's
voice, refusingto be rejected: it is the
citoyennewho would do France a service. Marat,

of brotherhood

and

"

14

THE

210

CHARM

OF

PARIS

her. Charlotte
from within, cries,Admit
recognizing
Corday is admitted.
CitoyenMarat, I am from Caen the seat of rebellion,
and wished to speak with you.
Be seated,mon
enfant.
the traitors doing at Caen ?
what are
Now
What
some
deputiesare at Caen ? Charlotte names
ties.
depuTheir heads shall fallwithin a fortnight,'
croaks
the eager people's-friend,
clutchinghis tablets to
"

"

write
arm,

Barbaroux, Petion, writes he with bare shrunk

turningaside in the bath : Petion, and Louvet and
:

Charlotte

""

has

plunges it, with

*

heart.

drawn
one

her

say

or

with

of

groan

the

the

stroke, into the

sure

running in, there

friend

from

moi, chere amie, help,dear !'no

the death-choked

or

knife

shriek.
is

no

washerwoman

The
friend

sheath

writer's
could

more

woman
helpfulwasherof the people,

left ; but

gushes out, indignant,to

the

his life
shades

below.
THOMAS

CARLYLE.

ROBESPIERRE

Shall
man,

say, that anxious, slight,

ineffectual-look
in spectacles
under thirty,
; his eyes (were the
we

glassesoff) troubled, careful ; with upturned face,

snuffingdimly the uncertain future times ; complexion
of a multiplex atrabiliar colour, the final shade of
be the pale sea-green.
That
which may
greenish
individual is an advocate of Arras ;
coloured (verddtre)
is Maximilien
his name
Robespierre.The son of an
advocate, his father founded
mason-lodgesunder
the Enghsh Prince or
Charles Edward,
Pretender.
Maximilien the first-born was
educated ; he
thriftily

A
had

FEW

PARISIAN

PORTRAITS

brisk Camille Desmoulins

Collegeof

211

for schoolmate

in the

le Grand, at Paris.
A strict! A man
minded, strait-laced man
unfit for Revolutions
?

Louis

...

small

Whose

soul,transparent,
wholesomecould by no chance ferment into
lookingas small-ale,
virulent alegar, the mother of ever new
tillall
alegar,
"

France

were

grown

acetous

virulent ?
.

Sea-greenRobespierre
; throwingin his light
weight,
with decision,
with
not yet
effect. A thin lean Puritan
and Presician,
he would make away with formulas ; yet
and has his beingwhollyin formulas,of
lives,moves
another

More

individual,
one
insupportable
would say, seldom opened his mouth
in any Tribune.
Acrid, implacable-impotent
; duU-drawhng,barren as
wind.
He pleads,
the Harmattan
in endless earnestshallow
against
war,
speech, against immediate
woollen caps or bonnets rouges, against
things;
many
and is the Trismegistus
and Dalai-Lama
of Patriot
sits
In a stealthy
men.
way the sea-green man
Does
there,his feline eyes excellent in the twdhght.
sort.

...

not

feline MaximiHen

stalk there

voiceless

as

yet ;

his green eyes red-spotted

; back bent, and hair up ?
atrabiHar formula of a
A poor sea-geen (verddtre)
...

man

; without

head, without heart,or any grace, gift,

if it were
not vanity,
beyond common,
count
diseased rigour(whichsome
strength)
astucity,
a most
: really
as of a cramp
poor sea-green individual
in spectacles
by Nature for a Methodist parson
; meant
who departedfrom
of the stricter sort, to doom
men
the written confession ; to chop fruitlessshrill logic
;
wrestle and
to contend, and suspect,and ineffectually
wriggle; and, on the whole, to love, or to know, or to
be (properly
nothing: this was he who, the
speaking)
sportof wrackingwinds, saw himself whirled aloft to
or

even

vice

"

14

"

THE

212

command

tragic,

sea-green

in

manner,

and

long

the

any

world's

life

to

OF

nation

premiere

la

shouting

CHARM

him

country,

long

wonder

Vunivers,

de
of

one

objects

the

most

his

swift

own

and

men

in

that

destruction,

!
THdMAS

all

lamentable,
aloft

whirled

ever

to

PARIS

CARLYLE.

THE

SEASONS'IN

PARIS

L'6te

the

Ascending

rfitoile,
in

the

the

found

de

and
of

massifs

the
the

sunshine

Valerien

off

in

Bois

filysees

blue

few

very

to

signs

distance

hills

of

built
their

and

trees

said

axe

loomed
St.

Cloud,

the
of

smiling
which

in
the

sere,

fortress

Bellevue,

the
noon
after-

the

leaf.

yellow
of

Mont
and

Meudon.

GEORGE

AUGUSTUS

de

VAnglaise

most

showed
the

Place

shrubs

contain
of

the

crossing
houses

indeed.

lovely

very

wearing

thousand

Avenue

look

and

little

coquettish

eight

the

the

I'lmperatrice

but
the

and

made

Champs

Avenue

aspect

Far

Martin

St.

de

SALA.

of

2i6

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

rounding country. The rays of the sun, brightand

To the invahd they
tapped at the windows.
warm,
and at the garret of the
cried, Open, we are health,'
girlbending towsirds her mirror,innocent first
young
love of the most innocent, they said, Open, darling,
that we may
sengers
lightup your beauty. We are the mes'

of fine weather.

You

can

put

now

on

your

your straw hat and lace your smart

boots ; the groves in which folk foot it are decked with
brightnew flowers,and the violins are tuning for the

frock and

cotton

Good-morning,my dear !*
the angelusrang out from the neighbouring
When
church, the three hard-workingcoquettes,who had
time to sleepa few hours, were
had scarcely
already
before their looking-glasses,
givingtheir final glanceat
Sunday

their

new

dance.

attire.

all three charming,dressed alike,and

They were
wearing on their faces the same
glow of satisfaction
wish.
impartedby the realization of a long-cherished
beautiful.
Musette was, above all,dazzlingly
I have
felt so happy,'said she to Marcel.
never
*

'

It

seems

to

happinessof
left me.

more

me

that God

has

and I
life,

my

Ah

there will stillbe

! bah
some

put into this hour all the

afraid there will be

am

there is

! when

more.

We

for
receipt

the

have

left,

more

no

no

him.
making it,'she added, gailykissing
As to Phemie, one thingvexed her.
'

very fond of the green grass and the little

meets
birds,'said she ; but in the country one never
I

am

'

to
anyone, and there will be no one
bonnet and my nice dress. Suppose we
country on the Boulevards ?'
HENRI

Translated

see

my

went

pretty
into the

MURGER.

by W. E. Goulden.

THE
SPRING

IN

SEASONS

THE

IN

GARDEN

OF

PARIS
THE

217

LUXEMBOURG

the sixth of

On

June, 1832,about eleven o'clock in the

and depopulated,
morning, the Luxembourg, solitary
was
charming. The quincunxesand flower-beds shed
forth balm and dazzUng beauty into the sunhght. The
branches, wild with the brilliant glow of midday,
In the sycamores
seemed endeavouringto embrace.
there was
of linnets,sparrows triumphed,
an
uproar
ministe
woodpeckers cUmbed
along the chestnut trees, adlittlepecks on the bark. The flower-beds
acceptedthe legitimate
royaltyof the lilies; the most
from
august of perfumes is that which emanates
whiteness.

The

old

in the taU trees.

amorous

set fire to and

lightedup

The
the

all the varieties of flame

but

around
these

the

of

banks

of Marie

crows

de Medici

gilded,
empurpled,
tuHps,which are nothing
sun

made

into flowers.

tulipsthe bees,

flame-flowers, hummed.

were

All

the

was

All

sparks of
grace

and

impending rain ; this relapse,by

which the liUes of the valleyand the honeysuckles
were
destined to profit,
had nothingdisturbing
about it ;
the swallows indulgedin the charming threat of flying
He
low.
there aspiredto happiness; life
who
was
smelled good ; all nature exhaled candour, help,assistance,
The thoughts which fell
paternity,
caress, dawn.
from heaven were
of a baby
as sweet
as the tinyhand

gaiety,even

when

one

The
robes
were
on

the

kisses it.

statues

under

of shadow
all tattered

the

trees, white

and

nude, had

piercedwith light; these goddesses

with sunlight
; rays hung from them

all sides. Around

the

great fountain, the

earth

was

There
up to the point of being burnt.
sufficient breeze to raise littleinsurrections of dust

alreadydried
was

here and

there. A few

yeUow leaves,left over

from

the

2i8

THE
chased

autumn,

playingtricks
This

on

abundance

OF

CHARM
each other
each

of

PARIS

and
merrily,

seemed

to be

other.

ably
lighthad something indescrib-

it. Life,sap, heat, odours overflowed

conscious,beneath creation,of the

about
reassuring
;
enormous

one

was

size of the

in all these breaths

permeated
with love,in this interchange
of reverberations
source

and reflections,
in this marvellous
in this infinite outpouringof

expenditureof rays,
liquidgold,one felt the

this
of the inexhaustible ; and, behind
prodigality
behind a curtain of flame, one caught a
as
splendour,
glimpseof God, that millionaire of stars.
Thanks
to the sand, there was
not a speck of mud
;
thanks to the rain, there was
not a grainof ashes. The
clumps of blossoms had justbeen bathed; every sort of
velvet,satin,goldand varnish, which springsfrom the
earth in the form of flowers,was
The
irreproachable.
was
magnificence
cleanly.The grand silence of happy
nature filledthe garden.A celestialsilence that is compatible
with a thousand
sorts of music, the cooing of
of the
the fiutterings
nests, the buzzing of swarms,
breeze. All the harmon}^of the season
was
completein
one
graciouswhole ; the entrances and exits of spring
took placein proper order ; the lilacs ended ; the jasmines
insects
flowers were
began ; some
tardy,some
in advance of their time ; the vanguard of the red June
butterflies fraternized with the rear-guard
of the white
butterflies of May.
The
getting
plane-treeswere
their
in

new

skins. The

breeze

hollowed

out

undulations

the

magnificentenormity of the chestnut- trees.

It was
splendid! A veteran from the neighbouring
barracks, who was
gazing through the fence, said :
Here
in full
is the Spring presentingarms
and
*

uniform

!'

victor

hugo.

THE

SEASONS

SPRING

IN

IN

PARIS

219

MONTPARNASSE

my window, on this Aprilafternoon,I look into

the branches of the varnish tree, and see a thousand
From

budded

twigs stretched upwards.

Sun-warmed

and

sensitive,Uke clusters of littlemouths, the pouted tips

suck air and
the

In

sky, films

soft wind

The

Adorable

azure.

of clouds

parts the ivy

shaking and playing;

the wind
to and

The

the budded

chestnut

the wall, and

on

in the

branches

tree

sets it

gentlemovement

of

of the varnish tree rock

laden
crisplyfrilled,
in bronze

The

bushes

window, and feel the warmth

hair, and

my

cups.

here and

vivid emeralds.

I lean out of my
upon

is

silver knobs

brightwith

sun

and

dissolve.

fro.

there with
are

gluttons!
roam
by and

the movement

of the

of the

wind

of leaves and
glinting
of birds.
the clamour
Above, in the angelicblue,
clouds pass ceaselessly.
the glass,
A girl
stands in a bare window, polishing
rubbing up and down with her strong young arm till
she sits there,
the pane gleams and glances. Now
ringson a new rose-coloured curtain. Out of
semng
the windows
laughing,
leaning,
on every side peopleare
the
The conciergewaddles across
and chattering.
cobble-stones,a rake in one hand, a spade in the other.
Inexorably she scatters the upper crust of the pebbles
the edge of it, unpots an
the bed, hacks round
on

amongst it. All about

me

She

oleander.
fuchsia to
fillsthe
Pink

and

her work
From

the

are

nails

wall, she ties a

pansiesin a bed, and

to the

creeper

stick,she packs some

blanks

in the

panting,her
and
the

box-hedge with oyster shells.

hands on her hips,she surveys

smiles upon
wall in the

it.
.

garden

the

Hght

is with-

THE

1220

CHARM

PARIS

OF

denly
creeps graduallyacross, slowly,then sudgoes out. Some top twigsof the varnish tree are
The
still redly crested ; deep in the tree it is dark.

"drawing.It

"cobble-stones

He

cold.

One

by

windows

the

one

close.
And

to-nightthere will
the sky, and
ranging across
diamonds
in

lost in snow,

and

be

stars

grey pool fringedwith

waJl the ivy will he dark and

like

moon

clouds
upon
amongst them Hke

clouds

pearlafloat

On the
opal wreath.
the warm
still,
sheltering

an

sleepingbirds. The chestnut tree will be at rest, its

frills along its
frills spread wide, a hundred
new
the varnish tree will
i)Oughs. And by my window
stand, naked and alone,pointingto the stars, awake,
and

full of dreams.

IN

JUNE
-A

morning

in

MACDONALD.

WINIFRED

KATIE

PARIS

June an inspiriting,
sunny,
balmy day, allsoftness and beauty,and we crossed the
Tuileries by one of its superb avenues
and kept down
LOVELIEST

the

bank

"

of the river to the island.

not

to be struck

It
...

forciblywith

our

was

possible
im-

own

quisite
ex-

felt my
enjoyment of life. I am sure I never
veins fuUer of the pleasure
of health and motion, and I
a
never
saw
day when everythingabout me seemed
better worth
livingfor. The superb palace of the
Louvre, with its long fagadeof nearlyhalf a mile, lay
in the mellowest sunshine on our left, the lively
river,
covered with boats and spanned with its magnificent
and crowded
bridgeson our right, the view of the
"

"

island with its massive

iine old grey

towers

old structures
of the church

below,

and the

of Notre

Dame,

"

THE

SEASONS

IN

PARIS

221

cult
risingdark and gloomy in the distance it was diffito realize anything but life and pleasure.
It is pleasantto get back to Paris. One meets
body
every"

there

belles and

the

lions,and lures
you

the

time

The

cigaris

Boulevards
to every

and

coffee ; the

shops,spectacles,
life,
of pleasure,
rather give
species
the barriers of Paris,

What

pleasantidlers they
shop-keepersseem
standingbehind

for amusement.
coiffed

he brushes

away
the
and

The

for

as

takes the dust from

bosom,

and

operas

; the

in travel.

very

their counters
you

saw

impressionthat, outside

is wasted

look !

ever

one

your
; the old

beggar

soubrette who

ball ; the
boots, singshis

whofrotteur
love-songas
has his bouquet in his-

man

looks

Napoleon in the Place Vendome

trace of
touch of fancy, some
at least,for pleasure.

up
"

the

at

F:"TES

of

statue

everybody has
heart

the

on

N.

THE

sells

p.

of

some-

look-out,,
WILLIS.

JULY
Paris,

July
We

have

You

arrived here

have

read, no

justin

30,

1839.

time for the fetes of

July.

Revolution
doubt, of that glorious

placehere nine years ago, and which is now

in a pretty facetious manner,
commemorated
annually,
pole-climbing-forstudent-processions,
by gun-firing,
chical
monarsilver-spoons,
gold-watchesand legs-of-mutton,
which

took

orations,and what

not, and sanctioned

moreover,

with a grant of a coupleof

by Chamber-of-Deputies,
francs to defraythe expenses of all
thousand
hundred
aforesaid.
and legs-of-mutton
the crackers, gun-firings,
fountain in the Place Louis Quinze,
There is a new

THE

222

otherwise

PARIS

OF

CHARM

called the Place Louis Seize,or else the Place

de la Revolution, or else the Place de la Concorde

can

say

why ?) which,
"

certain
-during
been

review

only,since
and

so

told, is to

am

wine

bad

run

hours to-morrow, and there would have

and the Line
of the National Guards
"

the

Fieschi business,reviews

are

no

joke,

this later part of the festivity

continue
has been disis the Rabelais to be the faithful
Where
.

historian of the last

phase of

the Revolution

gloriousnine years of which we

the last gloriousthree days
I had

(who

made

vow

not

are

"

the last

ing
commemorat-

now

to say

syllableon the
neighbours,
my
Champs lElysees,

subject,although I have seen, with

all the ginger-bread
stalls down
the
and some
of the catafalques
erected to the memory
of
the heroes of July,where the students and others, not
connected personally
with the victims, and not having
in the least profited
and weep ;
by their deaths, come
but the grief
shown on the firstday is quiteas absurd
the last.
and
fictitious as the joy exhibited on
About the littlecatafalques
! how rich the contrast
sented
preby the economy of the Catholics to the splendid
disregardof the expense exhibited by the devout
discourses
Jews ! and how touchingthe apologetical
the
Revolution,' delivered by the Protestant
on
pastors ! Fancy the profound afflictionof the Gardes
the policeagents in
Municipaux,the Sergens-de-Ville,
plain clothes, and the troops with fixed bayonets,
of a pyrasobbing round the expiatorymonuments
midical shape,surmounted
pelled,
by funeral vases,'and comby sad duty, to fire into the publicwho might
wish to indulgein the same
of July
! O
woe
manes
(the phrase is pretty and grammatical)why did you
with sharp bullets break those Louvre windows
? Why
.

'

'

THE

224
been

CHARM

OF

whisked
miraculously

PARIS

duringthe night,aird
the five chandeUers
which glittered
down the Champs
Elyseesfor full half a mile have been consignedto
their dens and

away

darkness.
WILLIAM

RENEWING

MAKEPEACE

we

WITH

ACQUAINTANCESHIP
Paris

Naw^

THACKERAY.

PARIS

October

in

in Paris

are

tourists bent upon

down
with
settling

again,but this time

seeingthe sightsin a week
months

some

before

us

not

as
are

: we

for

quiet
days-

investigation. We are renewingthe Parisian

of our youth ; we
have put a few francs in the slot,,
and the figures
begin to perform.
.

It is the second
northern

week

of October, but stillas

From
our
open windows

warm

we
June.
the swallows
careeringround our garden court,
the ancient spireof St. Germain
des Pres.
circling
as

our

and

out

go

; itis

dawdle

direction

in the

see

and
We

bourg
of the Luxem-

business,for the Rue de Seine is

lingering
and
one
long cajoleryof book-shopsand print-shops,
store upon store of curiosities. We intended
having a
look at the Luxembourg collection to see how it now
with the extended
Tate Gallery,but we
compares
have

could

to
we

pass the door of the famous

have entered ?
.

Musee.

How

making littleexcursions while the sun shines,

of spending
but experience
is teachingus the wisdom
Sunday as our day of rest and church-going.In Paris,
has taken greatstrides,
the Sunday closing
movement
and
with the result,that on
that day the steamers
tramcars
are
uncomfortablycrowded, in spiteof the
doublingof fares. We went down the river to St. Cloud
We

are

THE
last

Sunday

crowd.

and

SEASONS

to

the

worth

glory,and

park

with

the

people,the

the famous

had

We

terrace.

beautiful

225

all the way packed in a

that fatiguing
hour on the

the flowers and the

see

in their autumn
from

PARIS

had to stand

it was
Still,

steamer

IN

trees

view

before

never

in

avenues

of Paris
the

seen

golden red

and

yellow.
The longdrive from the Gare de Lyon to the Madeleine
[is]
probablythe most impressive
sightthat Paris
has for the stranger.It takes him throughthe Place
de la Bastille,
and the Place de la Republique
; past the
Partes St. Martin and St. Denis ; and then by the wide
and worldlyBoulevards
righton to the church of St.
travels this way receives
Mary Magdalen. Whosoever
the most vivid impression
of the Paris that is,and the
Paris that has been
that will remain as
an
impression
.

"

Hfe shall last. So, too, with the second

longas
We

entered

where

the

Louvre

Museum

fat Cockers browse

and

by

the

show.

main

door

themselves

sun

; and

guidesaddress you in English.We passedalong the

Denon
ascended the first short flight
sculpture
gallery,
of the main
felt

staircase,and turned

like

we

watchers

some

to the left.

of the skies

'
"

Then

there, far

end of the vista,the radiant form

away at the extreme
of the one
and only Venus of Milo saluted us, compelling

the
"

Cortez

'

girlto quote
'

"

stout

from

to call

Keats, and

Cortez,'I beUeve

she said.

me

ever,
How-

and
in excellent company,
drew my niece's attention to the ample circumference
need to
of the perfectwoman
; and hinted that we
I did not mind

revise

our

of the
conceptions

thickness of the human

In the third

the

was

gloom of

and
place,

Notre Dame

ideal length,
breadth, and

form.
in conclusion,we
into the

passedfrom

gloryof

the Sainte-

15

226

THE

Chapelle. What
looks like

OF

CHARM

interior of the

the

Sainfe-Chapelle
forenoon, is beyond my
that John Keats
had

brightsunny
of expression.Would
power
steppedin to helpus againas
Milo. Was
not

on

Keats

he did with the Venus

in Paris ? And

ever

lost sonnet

PARIS

somewhere,

On

if he was, is there
first lookinginto

'

? Ah ! well,he knew
Sainte-Chapelle
and the glamour of these windows
: he must
them often in his dreams.
I beginto feel more

La

certain of this
'

it

these he took

was

Charmed
magic casements,
Of perilous seas.'

it

And
into

was

bit from

'

throw

the colour
have

seen

and

sure

for the

opening

on

the rose-window

of sweet

the casement

of

Madeline's

her fair breast.

the foam

that

he set

chamber,

to

Oh

yes, the
soul of Keats has been here ; he has described for me
in The Eve of St. Agnes the
these very windows

gules

warm

on

"

windows
*

with

Diamonded
Innumerable
As

are

the

of

quaint device
splendiddyes,
tiger-moth'sdeep damasked
wings
panes

of stains

And

in the

And

twilightsaints, and

shielded
and

midst

and

scutcheon

'mong thousand
dim

blushed

heraldries

emblazonings
with

blood

of queens

kings.'
*

THE

AUTUMN

IN

ROWLEY

LETTERS.'

PARIS

in Paris
when
day of earlyautumn
chiUingblasts,premonitoryof winter, are harder to
It

was

bitter

bear than
Boulevards

winter itself. The

came

scant

swirlingdown

brown

with

leaves of the

sharp, ear-

the branches
stingingrustle, at every moment
blue sky becoming
againstthe freezing

spread
out-

barer

THE

SEASONS

of

well-to-do

foliage.Even
pinched with cold
warmed

and

227

folks looked

shivered

winter clothes

till the last moment

PARIS

they emerged from

as

houses, and
; fires

IN

blue

and

their

un-

in semi-summer
are

ments
gar-

resorted to

never

in the

capitalof the Empire of

Thrift. Across suburban
heightsand open spaces the
wind swept with keener force ; that penetrating,
icecold wind peculiar
to Paris, biddingall but the most
robust
to seek more
genialclimates. Perhaps the
caU them, so frolicsome
sparrows, the cityurchins as some
and joyous in sunshine,feel such sudden cold
little crowds
of all. Dispirited
collect on the
most
naked boughs,too hstless to twitter or seek the hospitality
balconies.

of familiar

The

shines, the

sun

the
blue,but with an edge of steel comes
is this forerunner
terrible hurricane.
Nowhere, perhaps,

heavens

are

of winter

more

acutelyfelt than
deep cuttingof

borderingthe
railway. As the trains
succession,the
the

currents

dog-days. From

follow each

on

the boulevards

the

suburban

other

in swift

bringfreshness during
to Aprilyou may often
Boreal promenade of all

of air

October

find here the bleakest,most

Paris.

M.

PARIS

How

Paris.

AN

AUTUMN

BETHAM-EDWARDS.

IMPRESSION

delicate and brilliant ! The

trees

on

the

boulevards stillbrightgreen, and flagshangingeverywhere

;

into

an

the

illumination

of

distance

Hke

red and

green

an

Hfe

lasting
deep
mere
ordinary
the Place de la Concorde
lookingat a
Aladdin's palace; the river,with its
the big wharf
lightsreflected among

almost Southern,
open-air,
night: the
bright summer

15"2

THE

228

impressionof

PARIS

swishing lit-upsteamers, giving the

the

trees, and

OF

CHARM

de Nuit.

colossal Fete

Paris in the earlycharming was

crispness,
morning, a morning touched with autumn
alas ! to the Gare de Lyon.
as I drove alongthe quays,
Such a fresh renovated morning ; the air stillhazy,and
all objects,ripplingpoplars and shiningstall roofs,
hazy, vague after the night'srefreshment. Water was
being sprinkledall along the pavements ; the long
book boxes on the quays were
beginningto be opened ;
a breeze, to cool the coming day, was
risingalong the
to be spent
river trough. But, alas,alas ! that day was
by me in hurryingaway again out of France.
But

more

even

VERNON

NEW

DAY

IN

PARIS

de

Jour

de

l'An

sun

upon

us

shone,

YEAR'S

Tableau

first the

Since

LEE.

year succeeds the year that's gone.

This day by universal law

great,we'll try to draw.

Without
flaw.
a single

So

this sketch may

say,
This surelymust be New-year'sday !'
all who

That
*

No

sooner

Than

see

day beginsto

all Parisians

are

break

awake.

bells of every story ring:

calls to bring
Here someone

The

Some
Some
This

very pretty thing,

to pay,
only visits come

surelymust

be

"

New-year'sday.

THE
As

SEASONS

Lolotte, who

has

not

Here
And

here

This

To

That
At
"

once

What,

mamma.

dear papa,
to make
her pray,

books
be

New-year'sday.

haste, when

we

when

from

six francs from

grandma
surelymust

some

229

sleptall night,
gifts; ha, ha !

up for all her

thimble
a
comes

From

PARIS

the sun's first light,

earlyas
Gets

IN

we've

"

doubt

no

call

we

to the

they will be out.

we
concierge
go :

at home,

not

then

'

?'"

No.'

Alas ! you vex

!'
so
me
leave our
and walk away,
We
names,
This surelymust
be New-year'sday.

friends grown

Now
But

seem

The

as

cool

hearty
is not

method

are

cool

no

"

more.

before ;
dear
a pound

as

"

sugar-plumsis found.

Of

a social wound.
many
best of remedies
they say,

For
The
And

Now

Upon
To

such

"

they give on New-year'sday.

nephews

who'd

inherit all.

their uncle love to call ;

see

him

But, with

delight;
in sight,
tight!"

well is their
his wealth

They hug him, oh, so

They almost squeeze his life away,"
This surelymust be New-year'sday.

swain

tender

The
To

does

who

Christmas-time,

At

For

coolness

His

love

Next

to

finds
will

not

save

pretence

till

he

then

all

When

when

And
Mourns
And

Yes,

time

surely

home

an

hour

spent

money
and

this

trouble
is

at

has

said.

are

made.

presents

goes

"

day.

things

uttered,

visitor

Each

away

New-year's

handsome

wishes

And

be

must

the

stops

"

surely

expense,

recommence

month

This

care

fair

his

for

trinkets

fine

buy

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

230

last

past.
too

fast.

thrown

away,

"

day.

New-year's
M.

DESAUGIERS.

How

suggestive

mount

the

have

trodden

of

the

staircase

picture

by

it, to

their

lives

the

the

Louvre,

the

door

in

myself

into

them

is

the

simply

as

in

greatest

the

the

but

it

life of the

in

city

runs

Europe

into

with

is saturated

capital

Of

all
have

who

noblest,
"

the

the

passed
"

the

which

it is

Paris, 'tis
other
and

that

the

Messieurs

crying garde d'eaii,

of
but

the

few

hazard

whole

who
two

and

cross

livres

with

it with
and

it

and
.

and

such

their

of wind

fault

allege

can

in
than

good

reason,

on,

not

is its full
LAURENCE

about

or

there

unpremeditable

half, which

together

worst

Sorbonne

against
hats

longest,

with

comes

it is the

the

land

The
.

world

that
"

Dieu'd

sacre

"

whole

lightest,

cap-full

city,
for

the

of

is but

HAMERTON.

own

land

globe.

Doctors

if there

of the

aperture

the

"

channels^

it.

must

conjoined

blasphemously

more

cogent,

grandest,

terraqueous

and

that,

Neuf

generally

minor

built, the

were

Pont

ever

of the

Divines

against

the

"

face

ever

the

over

the finest,

broadest

upon

which

bridges

ment,
employ-

most

GILBERT

PHILIP

not

produced

is most

thousand

that

are

find

sentiment

art

over

being,

inner

and

statues

architects

and

their

BASHKIRTSEFF.

and

pictures

where

place

that

so

where

numbers,

the

as

developed,
till the

place

histories

moment.

artistic

most

which

feet
the

imagine

to

court,

million

MARIE

Paris

the

cross

by
; to

there, follow

to

to

made

track

open

I meet

people

visit

to

in

any

good
without

you

puffs that,
one

in

worth.
STERNE.

fifty

THE

CATHEDRAL

OF

An

Assuredly,
this

at

the

day,

aspect

an

to

numberless

the

the

hand

the

venerable

who

laid

the

the

are,

front

massive

parts
another

; the

the

vast

lateral

Time

one

eye,

we
"

Philip-

the

French

constantly

find

which

would

we

blind,

is

few

but

is

man

with

in

circular

Hke

the

and

lofty

sively
succes-

its

heavy platform upon

eaves

magnificent whole
five gigantic storeys

the

"

unfold
"

and

harmonious

rising

"

"

dark

two

of slate

unconfused
233

flanked

window,

priestby the deacon

slender
gallery of tri-

; and

columns
their

which,

pages

receding pointed gateways;

of the twenty-eight
band

central

in combination

architectural

finer

cathedral,

three

ones,

; the

towers,

in

of

of

queen

edacior

indented

delicate

of

of Charlemagne,

of it, and

old

arcades, supporting

and

upon

last.

that

the

and

subdeacon

light

of

at once,

royal niches
by the two

to

assuredly,

decorated

foliated

which

inflicted
alike

at

that

and

have

WTinkle

each

"

and

Yet, noble

mutilations

man

stone

this

homo
edax,
Tempus
thus
willingly render
stupid.

than

is still,

indignation

regardless

scar

There

and

and

of

first

of

cathedrals, beside

edifice.

sorrow

that

the

face

the

Upon

and

laid

Paris

at

cult
preserved in growing old, it is diffi-

monument,

who

Lady

sublime

degradations

of Time

Augustus,

and

feelingsof

suppress

DAME

View

of Our

church

it has

as

Exterior

majestic

NOTRE

one

above

themselves
with

their in-

THE

234
numerable

CHARM

OF

PARIS

details of

and carving,
statuary,sculpture,
in powerfulalliance with the grandeurof the whole
a
past symphony in stone, if we may so express it the
colossal work
of a man
and of a nation
combining
unitywith complexity,like the Iliads and the Romanit is a sister production the proto which
ceros,
digious
of
result of a draughtupon the whole resources
in which upon every stone is seen
an
era
displayed,
in a hundred
the fancy of the workman
ciplined
disvarieties,
by the geniusof the artist a sort of human
Creation, in short, mighty and prolific
as the Divine
to have caught the double
Creation,of which it seems
character
varietyand eternity.
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

But

to return
to

appears

to the front of Notre

when

solemn

the

upon

us

terrible,as

we

and

Dame,

as

it still

go to gaze in

piousadmiration
mighty cathedral, looking

its chroniclers

it

express

"

qucB mole

sua

Three thingsof importance

spectantibus.
of
are
now
wanting to this front : first,the flight
eleven stepsby which it formerlyrose above the level
of the ground ; then, the lower range of statues, which
occupiedthe niches of the three portals; and lastly,
ancient
the upper series,of the twenty-eightmore
kings of France which filled the galleryon the first
storey, beginning with Childebert and ending with
Philip-x\ugustus,
holdingin his hand the imperialball.
of steps,it is Time that has made it
As for the flight
with slow but resistlessprogress,
disappear,
by raising,
the level of the ground in the City. But while thus
swallowingup, one after another, in this mounting tide

terrorem

incutit

of Paris,the eleven steps which added

has
to the majestic elevation of the structure, Time

of the pavement

given to
taken

the

church, perhaps,yet

from it ; for it is he who

has

more

than

spreadover

he has
its face

PORTRAITS

"

OF

PLACES

235

that dark

makes
of the
grey tint of centuries which
of architectural monuments
their season
of

old age

beauty.
VICTOR

NOTRE

Often

evening,when
like a gold balloon

I climb

My

DAME

at

Floats

this silent tower

sole

the

summer

above

sun

the roofs,

of Notre

Dame

companion Hugo's deathless

For here all limits vanish, here my

Breathes and expands,and knows

"

book

Painter

"

soul
a

wider

in the lustrous, shimmering sunset

Here

HUGO.

life.

hour

and

words,
poet both might find new
New
colours, seeingopened in the sky
of Ithuriel
The jewel-casket
Sapphires,cornelians, opals! Pictures here
"

Are

and
gorgeous
Titian's and Rubens'

seen,

That

so

palein

Grows

so

colouring

; and

memory

rich in hue

here

are

built

Misty cathedrals, wonderfullyarched,

of smoke, fantastic colonnades

Mountains

in the mirror

All doubled
Now

comes

breeze which

of the Seine.
moulds

"

the tattered clouds

changingforms,
Mysteriousand vague ; the passingday,
reclothes the church
As if for his good-night,
Into

thousand

In vesture
Her

Drawn
Seem

of

and

new

richer,purer tint.

tall twin-towers

"

those

canticles in stone

"

greatstrokes upon the fierysky.

like two mighty arms
upraisedin pray'r
with

236

THE

To God

OF

CHARM

Paris

PARIS

"

she sinks to

sleep.
her head the ancient Gothic pile
Around
A mystic halo, like Her Lady, wears.
of the eveningsky.
from the splendours
Made
round eyes
Her ruby-redrose-windows
seem
Opening wide to gaze ; her spreadingnave
with moving claws,
Might be a giant-crab
Or an enormous
spider,
spinningwebs
Of traceried lightand shade, aerial threads
of granitetulle,
In delicate fine meshes
by

Embroideries

ere

laces of

and

carven

stone

Suddenly in the tinted window-panes

kiss from the sun's
Touch'd
by a warm
Hundreds
As if in

Ruby

magic

open out and bloom

flow'r-beds
emerald,
"

azure,

Heraldic

monsters

And

than

any

In old enchanted
On

every

lips..

of blossoms

and

gay

red

side

are

set amid
"

grotesque

blossoms

far

more

by wizard
gardenslong ago.
grown

rich
hands

ancient histories

legendswrit in stone ; fantastic hells

most
And purgatories,
devoutlycarved.
beside the entrance-way
The pedestals
beaten down
their statues
Lament
by Time,
but see around
Not by the hand of man
Unicorns, wolves, and legendarybirds ;
Basilisks,serpents,dragons; gargoyle-hounds
; misshapen dwarfs ;
Yelping at gutter-ends
Knights conqueringmighty giants; avenues
Of massive, clustering
columns
sheaves
; graceful
Of slender pillars
; myriads of saints
the three wide porches; arabesques
Around
Hanging at every pointtheir fine-wroughtlace
And jewelry; trefoils,
pendentives; and
And

"

"

PORTRAITS

Ogives and

OF

lancet-windows

PLACES

237

gables quaint;
Laciniated spires
; frail pinnacles
and angels!
Like a rare
Supportingcrows
;

Enamelled

the great cathedral

gem

shines.

II.

But

ah ! when

The

slender

You

see

The

tower

in the darkness

you have climbed

staircase,when at last
spiral

againthe

blue

sky overhead,
The void above you, the abyss below.
Then are you seized by dizziness and fear
close to God.
Sublime, to feel yourself
so
E'en as a branch beneath
a perchingbird.
Trembles

'neath the pressure of your

thrills; th' intoxicated sky

shrinks

and

and reels around

Waltzes

; the

you

feet.

abyss

Opens its jaws : the imp of dizziness,

Flapping you with his wings,leapsmockingly.
all the parapets shudder

And

Weathercocks,
Your

dazzled

and

shake.

and pointedroofs
spires,

past

move

eyes, outlined in silhouette

Againstthe whirlingsky, and in the gulf

the apocalyptic
Where
raven
wheels,
Far down, Hes Paris, howling yet unheard

"

O, how
With
A

the heart

feeble human

cityso

immense

beats

now

To dominate

eye from this great height

swift glance
! With one

mighty whole, standingso near

To Heaven, and beholding,
as
even
A soaringmountain-eagle,far,far down
In the depth of the crater's heart, the writhing
smoke.
this parapet
From
The boiling
lava !
the faint wind playsidlyin and out
Where
to itself
Of the Arab trefoils,
whisp'ring
To

embrace

this

"

CHARM

THE

238

OF

PARIS

Exultinglythe last words of the psalm

It heard the seraphssingat Heaven's
gate
mists
To descrydimly 'mid the stirring
That sea of billowing
houses, and to hear
!
It murmuring and moaning endlessly
"

How

wonderful

it is ! and

how

sublime

chimneys,crowned by smoky turbans, trace

the saffron sky.
Their slim black profiles
'gainst
And the clear,slanting
lightkindles to flame
The wave-like roofs,and wakes with magic touch
A thousand
mirrors in the sleeping
Seine.
The water gleams e'en as a maiden's breast
of the Seine
The bosom
Sparklingwith gems.
PiUows to-night
more
jewelsthan e'er shone
Upon a queen'swhite neck in days of old !
And see, on every side,pinnacles,
towers,
!
Domes, cupolas,like helmets glittering
Walls, roofs of ev'ryhue, chequeredwith light
of streets ; vast palaces.
And
shade ; mazes
Stifled amid the sordid dwellings
which
their splendourclinglike parasites.
Around
to left.
Here, there,before,behind, to right,
Tall

Houses, and yet

Of fire the
A

hundred

houses

more

With

nighthas paintedthem
thousand

houses !

her brush

anew
.

"

this

'Neath

same

and Babylon
Horizon, Tyre and Rome
Arose and sank, prodigious
built
masses,
hand.
By man's own
Have
thought created by
.

Chaos

the Hand

vast

so

one

of God.

III.

And

yet,O

Notre

Dame,

In flame-like vesture
Her

beauty vanishes

though Paris

robed

is so beautiful.
if one

should

leave

might

THE

240

space for breath

the thunder says : It shaU

Darklingand
in among

Be

without

each

one

hears

Who

PARIS

OF

CHARM

her ranks

to scatter

anon

her.'

This may be ; and it may be that the storm

Is spent in rain upon the unscathed
seas,
Or wasteth other countries ere it die :

having climbed always through the swarm

Of darkness and of hurtling
sound, from these
Shall step forth on the lightin a stillsky.

Till she,
"

"

NOTRE

The

is vast ; its

church
loom

ROSSETTI.

GABRIEL

DANTE

DAME

toweringpride,its steeples

high ;
The bristling
with leaf and flower are
stones
wondrously ;
the door that lovelywindow
Above
glows
the vault immense
at eveningswarm
Beneath
Figuresof angel,saint,or demon's form
oft

As

But

Nor

on

fearful world

the

Yet

its vaults subhme,

Nor

streaks
nor
glass,
shadows
deep with time

massy

light,

the mind's

eyes ;

tranquillity
the song mounts
wherefrom
cheerily,
like a joyfulnest well nigh the skies.
"

Placed

of

towers, that fascinate my

No, 'tisthat spot

Chamber

disclose.

height,nor

porch,nor
Nor

Yea

Cathedral's

not

huge

dreams

our

tured
sculp-

gloriousis

dwells here ;
Less do I love the

indeed

the

loftyoak

"

Church, yet lowliness

than

mossy

nest it bear ;

PORTRAITS
dear is meadow

More
And

when

The

seaweed

mind

my

'

OF

PLACES

breath

than

for meditation's

241

stormy wind
meant,

is preferred
to the shore's extent,
swallow to the main it leaves behind.

The

"

VICTOR

DAME

NOTRE

had

We

much

been

; but

AN

IMPRESSION

at
disappointed

first by the parentl

apof the interior of this famous

hmits

narrow

church

HUGO.

made

the
round
way
choir,gazinginto chapel after chapel,each with its

paintedwindow,
and

The

rises above

to

its
pictures,

back

came

arch

it

that

consider

into

sional,
confes-

the

nave,

to the
was

interior loftiness of Notre

givesit a sublimitywhich
that might look gewgawy
we

our

its crucifix,its

to the conclusion

came
.

we

afterwards

the arch

where

as

now,

would

loftyroof,we
very sumptuous.

Dame,

swallow

up

moreover,

anything

in its ornamentation, were

it window

by window,

pillarby
edifices,
rising
or

advantageof these vast

about us in such a firmamental
us and spreading
over
of
cannot
spoilthem by any pettiness
way, that we
but that they receive (orabsorb)our
our
ness
pettiown,
into their own
immensity. Every littlefantasy
in them, like a flower on
finds its placeand propriety

It
pillar.

is

an

the earth's broad

bosom.

NATHANIEL

IN

NOTRE

HAWTHORNE,

DAME

pileis full ; and ah, what splendoursthere

Rush, in thick tumult, on the enteringeye !
The Gothic shapes,fantastic,yet austere ;

The

16

CHARM

THE

242
altar's

The

of

crown

OF

PARIS

seraph'simagery ;

and

The

king that on their tombstones lie.

clustered deep with beauty'slivingbloom ;
glancedfrom shadowy stall and alcove high,
new-born
light,
through that mysteriousgloom
gleam of warrior steel,the toss of warrior plume.

The

organ

Champion
Now

And
Like

peals; at

to the earth

Bend

Silent

as

mighty multitude.
of the grave

paleemblems

those

marble

In monumental

round

strew' d.

them

altar,forms in cope and hood

at the

Low

the

vast wave.

some

as

once,

S;^perbwith gold-wroughtcross and diamond twine.

As in a pile alone with life endued,
Toss their untiringcensers
round the shrine.
Where on her throne of clouds the Virginsits divine.
"

GEORGE

gone
quays, the
whether
of

before it

can

be made

eyes and found

mind, had brought me
is to
was

largeopen

some

new

Place, Garden,

wonder

beautiful

Fountain,

was

; and

or

and

nature

would

seem

when

and

slaved
en-

I lifted

Dame.

before

space between
left that space

in the

tion
ques-

like my
feet,straying

Dame

say, Notre

the

be ensnared

that my
to Notre

littlewhile agone, I had

buildingsdenselycrowded

for

the bright
on
Strolling

Capitalmust

up my

there

certain school of Britons

it,that

That

PARIS

subjectof my meditations was

in the essence
it is positively

things,as

to think

to Paris.

on

HAD

IN

SCENE

CROLY.

way

all

of

but

very

covered

with

us.

it

now

me,

was

cleared

publicStreet,
four.
Only the

PORTRAITS
obscene

little Morgue,

river and

soon

OF

PLACES

on
slinking

243

the

brink

of the

down, was left there,looking

of itself,
and supremely wicked.

to

come

mortallyashamed
I had but glanced at this old acquaintance,
when
I
beheld an airy procession
coming round in front of
Notre Dame, past the great hospital.It had something
of a Masaniello look, with fluttering
striped
curtains in the midst of it,and it came
dancinground
the cathedral

on
speculating
or some
Christening,

in the liveUest

was

I would

see

out, when

quick rush of Blouses

coming to the Morgue.

manner.

or
marriage in Blouse-life,
other domestic festivity
which
a

found, from the talk of a

past me, that it was a Body
I

before chanced

Having never

this initiation,
I constituted

upon

likewise,and

into the

ran

myself a

Morgue with

Blouse

the rest.

It

of
very muddy day, and we took in a quantity
mire with us, and the procession
coming in upon our

was

The procession
was
brought a quantitymore.
and consisted of idlers who had
in the highestspirits,
with the curtained litterfrom its starting-place,
come
and of all the reinforcements it had pickedup by the
heels

It set

way.

the

litter down

Custodians

Morgue, and

then

that

we

all invited

was

rendered

two

were

the

more

in

'

the

midst

of the

proclaimedaloud

to go out.

if
pressing,

This invitation
not

the

more

flattering,
by our being shoved out, and the foldinggates being barred upon us.
see it
the Morgue, may
Those who have never
seen
to themselves an indifferently
by presenting
perfectly,
paved coach-house accessible from the street by a
the left of the coach-house,
; on
pairof folding-gates
tailor's or
occupying its width, any largeLondon
window
reaching to the
linendraper's
plate-glass
16"2

THE

244

CHARM

PARIS

OF

ground ; within the window, on two rows of inclined

planes,what the coach-house has to show ; hanging
stalactites from the roof of a
above, like irregular
the clothes of the dead
of clothes
a quantity
cave,
"

of the coach-house.

buried shows

and

CHARLES

VENDREDI

SAINT

is Paris,the beautiful

This

Heaven's

city,

gate to the rich,to

shines

DICKENS.

the poor

without

the fair town's

pity.

The

clear

And

the cold green of the shrunken

river.
the chill East blows, as 'twould blow for ever.

on

graces.

on

And

with

holidaygroups

the

On

sun

For this is the

solemn

one

their

day

shiningfaces.

of the season,

all the swift march

When

of her gay unreason

thin veil of sadness

while,and a
Half hides, from strange eyes, the old riot and madness,

Pauses

the churches

And

and

Rich

crowded

are

poor, saint and

with

devotees

holy,

sinner,the great and

the

lowly.
where
is a roofless palace,

Here
Black

casements

in

sordid ruin, whose

rows

gape
without form

or

shape :

swift

decay
Speaks of that terrible morning in May
blood and fire.
the whole fair citywas
When
And the black smoke of ruin rose higherand higher,
A

And

through the stiU streets,'neath

the broad

sun,

Everywhere murder

and

rapinewere

done ;

Spring

PORTRAITS

OF

PLACES

245

Women

with torch in hand.

lurking,
Evil eyed, sullen,who soon
should stand
Before the sharp bayonets,dripping
with blood,
be stabbed
And
through and through,or shot dead
where they stood.

This is the brand-new

six hundred

Where

Ringed

round

Hotel
wretches

with

Not

one

The

ruin, the carnage,

And

the

might

met

the broad
with

down

death

cordon
pitiless

in the fire ;

of steel.

that swift vengeance.

clean swept away
are

and
sumptuous fagades,

And, upon
Looks

escape

de Ville,

the

square, the white palaceface

placidand meaninglessgrace.

that has been, and

doom
hidden

hatred, the mad

kThe
The

high roofs aspire.

the
Ignoringthe bloodshed, the struggle,

The

To-day

strife that stillis and

[ere rise the twin-towers

that may

sorrow.

be to-morrow,

endeavour.

shall be for

of Notre

ever.

Dame,

'hroughsiege,and revolt, and ruin the same.

"ee the peoplein crowds
pressingonward, slowly,
Jong the dark aisles to the altar holy
The altar, to-day,wrapt in mourning and gloom,
Since He whom
they worship lies dead in the tomb.
"

There, by
A

tinyacolytetended,

round-cheeked

Lies the tortured

child in his cassock

figureto which

are

white.
bended

And

of the passers who gaze on the sight,

and kiss and mourn
the peoplefall prostrate,

The

fair dead

The

knees

limbs which

the nails have

torn.

THE

246

CHARM

PARIS

OF

from the quire,

music comes
passionate
Full of soft chords of a yearningpity
The mournful voices accordant
aspire
To the far-off gates of the Heavenly City ;
And the clear,keen alto,soaringhigh and higher,
heavenward
Mounts
a
a surgingfountain, now
now

And

the

fire.

Ay, eighteencenturies after the day,

A world-worn
populacekneel and pray.
As they pass by and gaze on the limbs unbroken.
What
symbol is this ? of what yearningsthe token
What
a part to be
spellthis that leads men
Of this old Judaean death-agony?
And

I asked. Was

it

nought but

for lower natures

That

Could

Stillmake

greaterthan
the tears

consented
human

springto

One

thought only it was

This

man

was

our

that

Nature

Divine,

to die ?

sacrifice
the world-dimmed
and
replied,

no

eye ?
other :

brother.

As I pass from the church, in the cold East

Leaving its solemn teachingsbehind :

wind,

Once

again,on the verge of the chill blue river.

The blightedbuds on the branches
shiver ;
the holidaygroups, with delight
Here, again,stream
Gaping in wonder at some new sight.
'Tis^an open

doorway, squalidand low.

And crowds which ceaselessly
and go.
come
Careless enough ere they see the sight
Which leaves the gay faces pallid
and white :
Something is there which can change their mood,
And check the holidayflow of blood.

THE

248

OF

CHARM

PARIS

Yesterday,passionand struggleand strife,

Hatreds, it may be, and anger-chokedbreath ;
Yesterday,fear and the burden of life;
To-day, the cold ease and the calmness of death :
And that wliich strove and sinned and yieldedthere.
air ?
To-day in what hidden placeof God's mysterious
he has been, here

Whatever

Facing the
I turn

To

the

other

same

he lies.

unpityingeyes.

the dank

from

the fair dead

And

of

stare

now

and

by His altar place,

thought repliesto my soul, and
Christ

"

This, too,

brother.

our

was

SIR

THE

MORRIS.

LEWIS

BASTILLE

Ye

horrid towers, the abode

Ye

dungeons,and

of broken

hearts.

ye cages of despair.
have suppliedfrom age to age
monarchs
music such as suits their sovereignears.

That

With
The

face,

dishonoured

sighsand

There's not

an

groans

of miserable

Englishheart

men

that would

not

leap

fall'n at last ; to know

hear that ye were
That even
our
enemies, so oft employed,

To

In
For

for us, themselves

values liberty
confines

chains
forging
he who

His zeal for her

No

narrow

Wherever
There

free.

were

predominance within

bounds

; her cause

pleaded.

dwell the most

engages
of
'Tis the cause
forlorn of human

him
man.

kind.

though unaccused, condemn' d untried,

Cruellyspared,and hopelessof escape.
Immured

no

PORTRAITS

OF

PLACES

There, like the visionaryemblem

249

seen

By him of Babylon, life stands a stump,

And filleted about with hoops of brass.
Still lives,though all his pleasantboughs are
gone.
To count the hour-bell,and expect no change ;
And

the sullen sound

as

ever,

Still to reflect,
that
To him
Ten

whose

To

theatre

or

wearied

The

all have

; that

dull pace.

one

in the world

rovers

it music

Account

note
though a joyless

moments

thousand

is heard,

at

it summons

large

some

jocund feast or ball ;

finds it a release
hireling

labour ; and the lover,who has chid

Its long delay,feels every welcome
stroke

From

:
tremblingwith delight
Upon his heart-strings,
To flyfor refugefrom distracting
thought
To such amusements
as ingenious
woe
and without her tools :
Contrives, hard shifting
the mouldy walls,
To read engraven
on
In staggering
tale,
types, his predecessor's
A sad memorial, and subjoinhis own
:
to an
To turn purveyor
overgorged
d pest
tillthe pamper'
And bloated spider,
Is made
familiar,watches his approach,
"

"

"

To

call,and

at his

Comes

out

wear

time in

serves

numbering to

studs that thick emboss

The

downward

Then

then

And

him

and

then

alternate,with

for

friend

"

and fro

his iron door,

upward, then aslant.

sicklyhope

givehis tasteless task

Some relish,tillthe sum
exactlyfound
In all directions,he beginsagain:

By dint of change

to

"

Oh

comfortless

With

woes,

existence ! hemm'd

which who

around

that suffers would

not kneel

THE

250

OF

CHARM

beg for exile,or

And

That

should

man

Abridgehim

encroach

justand

Eradicate him, tear him

fellow man,

on

native

from

rights,

his hold

of domestic

the endearments

Upon

of death ?

the pangs

thus

of his

PARIS

And

social,nip his fruitfulness and

And

doom

To

him

for

life
use,

heedless word

perhaps a

barrenness, and solitude,and tears.

the name
of king
makes
indignation,
such prerogative
can
please)
(Of king whom
As dreadful as the Manichean
god.
Adored
through fear,strong only to destroy.

Moves

COWPER.

WILLIAM

ST.

USED

to

at the dear

The

Mont.

burning

candles

tablet of

there

was

was
pulpit

Samson

coil of lace.

one

not
an

of St. Etienne

votive

and

organ with carved

the oaken shoulders

noble
on

there

was

These

all of them

on
inscription

of the walls.

marvellous

small

It told

staircase like

memory,

slab of marble
how

by

; the
figures
of a stooping

thingsI mention from

togetherimpressedme
a

du

there ; the
there ;
was

tablets,was

Jacobus Benignus Winslow

borne

; and

old church

of St. Genevieve, surrounded

tomb

mural

as

MONT

ing's
very often,when coming home from my mornof the publicinstitutions of Paris,
work at one

step in

but

DU

ETIENNE

this church

so

much

fixed in
of St.

and beautified in the year i6**,

Stephen was repaired
two
and how, during the celebration of its reopening,
fell from the
de la paroisse)
of the parish(filles
girls
carryinga part of the balustrade with them,
gallery,
to the pavement, but by a miracle escapeduninjured.

PORTRAITS
Two

OF

PLACES

251

nameless, but real presences to my

girls,
when
as
imagination,as much
they came
fluttering
young

down

the

tiles with

cry that
sharpesttreble in the Te Deum.
on

outscreamed

All the crowd

...

but

gone

these
the

utterlyas
were

two

dresses

their feet,as

on

in the market
the

Not

'

incidents

that

on

fillesde la

they

the

shoes

meat

that

as

and

as

that
were

day.

great historical events, but

the

personal

that

call up singlesharp picturesof some

reach us most
being in its pang or struggle,

human

nearly.

Oliver

THE

is

There

Queene
built by her
because

mother

vvendell

holmes.

TUILERIES

goodly Palace

the

called the Tuilleries,

where
wont

was

He, and

to

which

was

selfe. The

heretofore

before the Pallace

Tuillerie doth

Palace is called the Tuilleries,

they used to burne tile there,

built.

was

in
signifie
This

of tile.
most

paroisse
'"gone

wore,

the bread

the

For

this French

the French

of the

Palace

placefor

word
ing
burn-

Tuilleries is

it many
tuous
sumpof Presence is exceeding

having in
magnificentbuilding,
The

roomes.

chamber

whose roofe is paintedwith many

beautifull,
workes, the sides and endes of this chamber

antique
are

ously
curi-

in

made
pictures

oyleworkeupon
other things the
wainscot, wherein amongst many
nine Muses are excellently
painted. One of the inner
chambers
hath
an
exceeding costly roofe gilt,in
adorned

which

there

with

is

table

colours of marble, and

that

it is

pound.

thought

The

to

so

be

made

of

so

many

severall

finelyinlayedwith yvorie,
worth

above

staires very faire,at the

five hundred

edge whereof

THE

252

OF

PARIS

goodly raillof white stone, supportedwith

littleturned pillers
of brasse. The staires are winding,
having a statelyroofe with open spaces like windowes
there

to

is

CHARM

let in the aire.

there is
where

faire walke

saw

the

On

leaded, but without

goodly peece of Jeate in

great lengthand breadth.

it seemed

to

side of the Palace

south

be

But

it

was

blemished.

much

so

roofe,

any

the wall of

hackled

There

is

that
most

pleasant
prospectfrom that walke over the railes into
the Tuillerie garden,which is the fairest garden for
lengthof delectable walkes that ever I saw, but for
much
inferior
varietyof delicate fonts and springes,
Beleau.
There are
to the King'sgarden at Fountaine
walkes in this garden of an equalllength,each
two
being 700 paces long,whereof one is so artificiall
roofed over
with timber worke, that the boughes of
the walke is on both sides
the maple trees, wherewith
beset, doe reach
cover

it clean

up
over.

the

to

This

toppe of

the

roofed walke

roofe, and
hath

sixe

great heightlike turrets.

Also there is a long and spaciousplotfull of hearbes
In this
and knots trimly kept by many
persons.
garden there are two fonts wherein are two auncient
images of great antiquitymade of stone. Also there
foure square, and built all of
is a faire pond made
there is
stone togetherwith the bottome, wherein
not yet either fish or water, but shortlyit shall be
At the end of this garden
with both.
replenished
For I heard a certhere is an exceedingfine Eccho.
who
taine French
man
sang very melodiouslywith
curious quavers, sing with such admirable art, that
three
upon the resoundingof the Eccho there seemed
to sound
together.
AT
CORY
THOMAS
(1611).
faire arbours

advanced

to

...

PORTRAITS

TUILERIES

THE

OF

ITS

the

day of

had

been

AND

ITS

DAYS

the revival of the

of the Tuileries

253

MAGNIFICENCE

LAST

On

PLACES

Empire

the ance
appeardifferent from what it

was

very
the occasion of the

receptionheld here
[inJanuary, 1852].
Entering the palace on the
Carrousel side, ascendingthe stairs,and turning to
the left into the ante-room
of the Salle des Travees,
of the Bays,'you found the ceiling
Room
or
decorated
with the freshly
gildedsun of Louis XIV., and
restored medallions of Wisdom, Justice,
Science,and
on

'

Power.

On

either side stood

several

short columns

bronze and porphyry busts of

supportinghandsome
Roman
of the Galerie
Emperors. In the ante-room
de la Paix the ceiling
displayedmedallions of wrestling
children, on a gold ground, with a central subject
which
depictedGlory holding a palm and a crown,
and heralded by winged boys who were
blowing their

trumpets, the work

la Paix

of Vauchelet.

itself the Ionic columns

In the Galerie de

and

of Philipilasters
had been
restored and
their capitals
bert Delorme
gilded. Gildingwas also scattered profuselyover the
ceiHng,the doors, and the wainscottings.The marble
of L' Hospitaland D'Aguesseau, set up here
statues
in Louis Phihppe'stime, had been removed, and their
placetaken by two huge crystalcandelabra, with feet
Over the mantelpieceappeared a
of gildedbronze.
of the new
Emperor by Charles Louis Miiller,
portrait
fine
while at the farther end of the galleryrose
a
silver statue
Crimean
Russia

War,
came

of Peace.
when
to

the

France

Tuileries,he noticed this

few

Grand
and

was

statue

years
Duke

later,after the
Constantine

entertained
and

at

inquiredwhat

of
the
it

CHARM

THE

254

represented.It is
Eugenie replied.
Duke

retorted.

OF

Peace
'

PARIS

in silver,'
the

"

Peace,

madam

7'

Ah, it ought to have

Empress

the

Grand

been

cast

in

gold.'.
.

[ofthe famous Salle des Marechaux]

of Napoleon'smarshals,
largeportraits

the walls

On

hung
and

fourteen

below

them

the

were

busts

of

of First

score

The
Empire generals,set on elegant scabelli.
vaulted ceiling,
whence
descended
a huge chandeUer,
all gold and crystal,
had become
superb,intersected
by four gilded ribs, which started from the four
where
corners,
perceived some
large,gilded,
you
of the
eagle-surmountedshields,bearing the names
victories gained by Napoleon personally.Between
simulated
the ribs the ceiling
a
sky, and above the
gilded balconies running right round the hall, a
of flowers was
balustrade wdth vases
painted. The
lofty,imposing caryatides plastercopies of Jean
had been gildedfrom top to bottom,
Goujon's work
and between four of them appeareda platform
whence
the
new
Emperor might view the revels of his
.

"

"

Court.
No

little renovation

adjoiningSalon
Louis

XIV.

The

had

been

bestowed

on

the

guard-room in the time of

paintingsby Nicolas Loyr,
grisaille

Blanc

"

the march, a battle, and a

an
on
representing
army
On every side
triumph,had been fullyrestored.
consoles, Boule
were
costly hangings, handsome
...

cabinets, superb candelabra

property,much

had

chandeliers

"

State

formerlyfiguredeither

palaceof Versailles or at Trianon.

of
In the Salon d'ApoUon, Lebrun's great painting
and the Nereids,'and Loyr'sceiling
Phaeton
depicting
his career,'
had been
The God of Day starting
on

at the

'

of which

and

THE

256

CHARM

giving instructions
side of the

to

OF

her

PARTS
On

son.

young

the

east

leadinginto Louis XIV. 's

so-called winter apartments first the cabinet of his
valet-de-chamhre, secondly his own
and
bedroom,
room
thirdlyhis privatestudy or library.The King'sbedhad
afterwards been
that of Napoleon I.,
room

was

door

"

Louis

XVIII.

and
,

not

were

of Louis

Charles

X., and the decorations

XIV. 's time, having been much

modified

earlyin the nineteenth century,in such wise

that they supplieda free example of the so-caUed
Empire style. On the ceiling,
paintedin grisaille,
appeared Jupiter,Apollo,Mars, and Minerva, amid
of geniiand griffins.
a number
the dressing-room
The
bedroom
of Queen
and
.

Marie
first

Therese, wife of Louis

Napoleon's time

workroom.

The

became

XIV.,

in

the

study and his secretary's

chieflyby Jean
paintingswere
his

picted,
Jacques Fouquieres. Minerva was dethe ceiling
above
of the dressing-room,
the
on
doors of which appearedsubjectsshowing women
at
work
on
embroidery,tapestry,and so forth ; while
the mantelpieceMinerva
over
againrose up, attended
this time by Neptune. Beside the chimneypiecewas
painted a fine figureof Immortality,in front of it
then Minerva
at her toilet ; while
Vigilance,
you saw
the window
side Historywas
on
symbolized. Mercury,
Nocret

and

the Arts and

other allegorical
and many
of Louis XIV.,
the gold sun

Sciences,Wisdom,

well as
as
figures,
of Queen Marie
the
adorned
adjoining bedroom
Therese, whence you passedinto her salon, later that
the
Here
of Napoleon when
First Consul.
he was
than in the preLouis XIV.
marked
stylewas more
vious
apartments. Fine Gobelins tapestry covered
the panels,and paintings
Glory, Fame,
by Nocret
"

PORTRAITS
and

OF

her

again Minerva,
priestessesadorned

and

Architecture, to which

once

PLACES

this time

257

carried

aloft

by

the

touches
ceilingand the carabove
the doors.
Similar in style was
the
decoration of the Queen's ante-room, the subjects
here symboHzed by Nocret
being Wisdom, Peace,
"

added

were

scapes
land-

some

by Fouquieres.
was
Unhappilyeverything
destined to perishat the fall of the Commune
in
1871.
.

It

about

ten

o'clock when

all was

ready. The
Versaillese seldom, if ever, stirred after dusk during
that terrible week.
They remained on the positions
they had gained during the day. Had they been
quickerin their movements, the week might have
been reduced to three days,and many
of the buildings
of Paris might have been saved. On the other hand,
no

was

doubt, the casualties would

have

eveningof May
Guards still occupiedthe garden of
On

numerous.

barricade
Seine.

They

to oppose

latter
the

near

the

much

more

23 the National
the
the Tuileries,

the ditch, and

were

the quay alongside

the
ready
spread there en tirailleurs,

the advance

attempt to push

Rue

been

St. Florentin.

of the Versaillese,
shoxild the
of
forward beyond the corner

Others, too,

were

strongly

Ministryof Finances in the Rue

it throughout the night,
de Rivoli, and defended
of the
to check the advance
every effort being made
of the Tuileries should
troops until the conflagration
be beyond remedy. As for Bergeret and his staff,
barracks, and it was
they retired to the Louvre

entrenched

in the

there, about ten o'clock or a Httle later,that Benot

joined,% them, announcing that the Tuileries was

ahght.
17

258

THE

The

whole

and

drank

had

been

served, Benot

They

and

saw

went

twelve hundred

over

there

came

pause
which

ruddy glow
revealed
had

by

was

no

down

ate

well

coffee

invited the others to admire

out

to

on

the

of the

terrace

blazing. Flames

were

of the great facade

feet in length; and if at times

the windows

in the

every
sufficient

violence

of the

fire,the

opening of the building

sign that the conflagration

subsided.

means

to supper,

midnight,after

the Tuileries

alreadydartingfrom
"

sat

company

PARIS

OF

heavily. Towards

his work.

Louvre

CHARM

At

last

of tongues

score

of flame

roof,
leaptsuddenly through the collapsing
reddeningthe great canopy of smoke which hovered
to travel from
the pile. The flames seemed
above
either end of the palacetowards the central cupolacrowned
where
Benot, an artist in his way,
pavilion,
of his combustibles
had designedlyplaced most
and
two o'clock in the morning
at about
explosives
; and
officers were
startled,almost alarmed, by
Bergeret's
all the surrounding
terrific explosionwhich shook
a
district. Many rushed
had hapto ascertain what
pened,
that the
and on facingthe Tuileries,they saw
flames
were
now
risingin a great sheaf from the
central pavilion,
whose
cupola had been thrown into
the air, whence
it fell in blazingfragments,while

sparks rose, rained, or rushed hither and

the
thither,imparting to the awful spectaclemuch
aspect of a bouquet of fireworks, such as usually
terminates a great pyrotechnical
display.
Despite all the magnificence,all the festivities,
millions of

the
"

Tuileries
Palace

witnessed, it
of

Doom

ever

was

for

both

fatal edifice

Monarchy

Empire.
LE

PETIT

HOMME

ROUGE.

and

SAINTE

LA

PLACES

OF

PORTRAITS

259

CHAPELLE

VirginQueen in robes of state,

fair
August in presence, delicately
that by her side doth wait
As the fair girl
tressed hair ;
Uncrown' d save
by her goldenyet withal as chaste
Regal in splendour,
As among
flowers the lily
: as
though some
power
The treasures of the whole world there had placed
To build againMedea's blissful bower,
falls
Soft the sunlight
enchantments.
With new
On the inlay'
d floor ; the groinedroof hangs dim
In its own
splendour; on the emblazoned walls
Glow shapescelestial,
winged cherubim.
Like

With

to

heraldies of heaven, occult,unknown

And, in the midst. One,

THE

the

Approaching

"

sapphirethrone.

BAYLISS.

SIR

WYKE

we

found

MADELEINE

Madeleine,

beautiful church, that

Heathenism

on

might have

to Catholicism

; for

most

adaptedfrom

been
each

on

it

side there is

unequalled,
pillars,
except by
range of magnificent
those of the Parthenon.
Glorious and gorgeous
a

is the Madeleine.
a

The entrance

arch
stately

most

; and

to the

three arches

nave

is beneath

of

equalheight

to the side aisles ; and at the end

open from the nave
is another
of the nave
with
a
great arch, rising,

vaulted

dome,

over

these arches

capitals
; and

the

high altar.

pillars
porting
supare
Corinthian,with richly
tured
sculpwherever gilding
might adorn the

church, it is lavished like sunshine

sweeps
sacred

of the

arches

and
subjects,

The

there
a

are

beautiful

; and

within

fresco

the

paintingsof
the
picturecovers
17

"

26o

CHARM

THE
of the vault

hollow

OF

altar

the

over

PARIS
:

all this,besides

and
a
; and especially
sculpture
group above
the Magdalen,
the high altar,representing
around
of
some
smiUng down upon angelsand archangels,
whom
are
kneeling,and shadowing themselves with
their heavy marble wings. There is no such thingas
making my page glow with the most distant idea of
of this church, in its details and in
the magnificence
its whole.
Bonaparte contemplatedtransforming
it into a Temple of Victory,or buildingit anew
as
much

one.

The

but

it still has

heathenish

^^^^ ^^-

it into

look, and

church

will

never

NATHANIEL

THE

ON

remade

restored Bourbon

CHURCH

OF

THE

HAWTHORNE.

AT

MADELEINE

PARIS

I.

Attic

templewhose majesticroom
the presence of Olympian Jove,
Contained
With smooth
Hymettus round it and above,
Softeningthe splendourby a sober bloom.
fast to Time's irreverent doom
Is yielding
;

The

While

the then

on

barbarian

banks

of Seine

nobler type is realized again

In perfect
form, and delicate to whom

That

"

To
A

of lowliest name,
Syriangirl,
and frail
creature, pitiful
helpless
a

poor

her Hfe in sin and

shame,
all historyhas this single
Of whom
tale,
She loved the Christ,she wept beside His grave,
And
He, for that love's sake, all else forgave.'
As

ever

wore

"

"

'

II.

If one, with prescient

soul to understand
The working of this world beyond the day

PORTRAITS
had
Of his small life,

That

PLACES

by

the hand

daughter of old Magdala

that the time was
ripeto

wanton

told her

And

taken

OF

When

she, thus

More

served than

More

honoured

How

would

261

;
come

the base, should be

among
all the gods of Greece and Rome,

base

in her
not

holy memory,

men

have

Plausible

"

mocked

and

she

have

scorned
The

fond

Diviner

Had

been

"

for them, all moulded

excuse

to

one

use

and of thought,but We
warned
are
feeling
By such ensamplesto distrust the sense
Of Custom
proud and bold Experience.

Of

III.

Thanks

element

of

down

earth, and

to that

That

did

Most

sacred

come

to

thoughtswith
lifewith

heavenlythings,
names

all a

there confound
of usual sound.

And

homeliest

The

proud

Ideas that had

ruled and

Our

moral

nature

longerkings,
shed his eagle-wings,

Old Power

grew

were

no

faint and

poet sings.
bound

half uncrowned.
grey Philosophywas
Love, Pleasure's child,betrothed herself to Pain ;
Weakness, and Poverty,and Self-disdain,
And

"

And

tranquilsufferance
adorable

Became
And
As

;
"

Fame

repeatedwrongs.
gave

her

tongues,

Faith her hearts to

objectsaU as low
this lorn child of infamy and woe.
RICHARD
MONCKTON
MILNES
(lORD HOUGHTON).
THE

of

to the

WENT

Louvre

...

this

was

LOUVRE

King'sPalace which is called the

first built by PhilipAugustus, King

262

CHARM

THE

of France, about

OF

the yeare

ruined

by time,

Henry

the

12

most

was

second.

Therein

PARIS

being afterward
beautifully
repairedby
14, and

I observed

these

ticulars
par-

quadrangularCourt, with goodly

lodgingsabout it foure stories high,whose outside is
exquisitely
wrought with white free-stone,and decked
with many
and beautiful Images made
stately
pillars
:

of the

faire

As

stone.

same

we

go up towards

the haU there

paireof staires,whereof one paire

is passingfaire,
of very many
consisting
greeses. The
roofe over these staires is exceedingly
beautifuU,being
are

made

three

ex

or

foure

fornicato

concamerato

seu

opera,

vaulted

with very sumptuous frettings

wherein
or chamferings,
the formes of clusters of grapes and many
other
The
contrived.
excellently
great
chamber
is very long,broad and high,having a gilt
within
chamber
roofe and richlyembossed
: the next
it,which is the Presence, is very faire,being adorned
with a sumptuous roofe, which though it be made
but of timber worke, yet it is exceedingrichlygilt,
and with that exquisite
art, that a stranger upon the
either latten
first view thereof,would imagineit were
beaten gold.
or
wherein Queene Mary doth
I was
also in a chamber

things are

most

often lie,where

saw

certaine kinde

of raile which

encompasseth the placewhere her bedde is wont to

be, having littlepretty pillars
richlygilt.After this
I went
into a placewhich for such a kinde of roome
excelleth in my
not only all those that are
opinion,
now
were

that ever
in the world, but also all whatsoever
since the creation thereof,even
a pera gallery,
fect

whereof
description
It is divided

ends, and

one

requirea largevolume.

parts,two sides at both the

largeand spaciouswalke. One of

into three
very

will

THE

264
the

I know

present.

than

the

CHARM

Hotel

pieceof good

wonderful

PARIS
in Paris
delightful
Cluny ; and what a

nothingmore

of the

peace

OF

de

luck it is that

relic of the fifteenth century should

close to the most interesting
remnant
so

both

that

enclosure !
domestic

been

of

any

do

know

not

quite so

is isolated.

quite

of Roman
the

house

have

kept togetherin

architecture

the

where

be

can

this beautiful

Paris,
safe

same

kind

as
satisfactory

For

street

of
that

architecture

Parisian is

the modern

much
better ; but
practically
for a builder who has but one
dwellingto erect, and
is not restricted to ground-space,this fifteenth-century
architecture is the one
that best unites a homely
The walls
expressionwith beauty and convenience.
not too high,the roof has a comfortable
are
ance,
appearis of ample size yet not wearisome
the building
in vastness ; it is not a proud palace,but a beautiful
that one
home
and love with
might live in habitually

windows

intense affection. The

headed

with

that

mullions,transoms, and

finished with
staircase

windows

the

connect

piercedparapet,and
several

in the walls

pinnaclesand

PHILIP

We

drove

with
avenues.

weather

the dormer-windows

turrets.

BOIS

DE

in the Bois de

were

are

is the

Louvre

the lover of

go to the
GILBERT

carving(in
Hotel Cluny.

HAMERTON.

BOULOGNE

Boulogne,that limitless park,

its forests,its lakes, its cascades, and

There

is

fully
beauti-

are

finials. There

The
.

squareings
mould-

together. There

but
placeto study sculpture,
stone, wood, and ivory)should

THE

are

thousands

upon

its broad

thousands

of

PORTRAITS
vehicles

abroad, and

gaiety. There
and

OF
scene

hacks, with father

very common
all the children in them
; conspicuous

carriageswith celebrated
reputationin them ; there

ladies of tionable
quesand
dukes
were

with

footmen
perched
gorgeous
equally gorgeous outriders perched on

abroad,

behind, and
each

full of life and

was

little open
duchesses

265

were

and

mother

the

PLACES

of the six horses

; there

blue

were

and

silver,and

gold,and pink and black, and all sorts and

of stunningand startling
liveries out, and
descriptions
I almost yearned to be a flunkey myself,for the sake
green

and

of the fine clothes.

shone
presentlythe Emperor came
along,and he outthem
all. He was
preceded by a body-guard
horseback
in showy uniforms, his
of gentlemen on
in
(there appeared to be somewhere
carriage-horses
of them)
the remote
neighbourhood of a thousand
bestridden
were
fellows, also in
by gallant-looking
stylishuniforms, and after the carriage followed
of body-guards. Everybody got
another
detachment
peror.
Emof the way ; everybody bowed
out
to the

But

I will not
do

it.

describe

It is

simply

the Bois
a

wilderness.

wonderful

de

Boulogne.

beautiful,cultivated, endless,
It is

an

enchantingplace.
MARK

SAINT

spread the

Soft
Her
Ten

The

TWAIN.

CLOUD

southern

summer

terrace

blue ;
to
stars combine

night

veil of darksome

thousand

I cannot

of Saint Cloud.

light

266

CHARM

THE

PARIS

OF

evening breezes gentlysighed,

The

Like

of lover true,

breath

Bewailing the
And

deserted

Saint

of sweet

wreck

pride
Cloud.

deep roll was heard afar,

The buglewildlyblew
Good-night to Hulan and Hussar,
That garrisonSaint Cloud.

The

drum's

The

startled Naiads

With

broken

silenced

And

We

withdrew.
that proud cascade,

urns
was

gloryof

The

from the shade

Saint Cloud.

upon its steps of stone.

could its silence rue.

sate

Nor

waked,

When
The

echoes

Slow

Seine

And

sure

of

to music

our

own,

of Saint Cloud.

might hear each lovelynote

Fall lightas summer
dew.
air they float
While through the moonless
d from fair Saint Cloud.
Prolong'
a

His waters

Though
With

Nor

melody

The

Than
Our

knew,

never

music's

self

Princes

ai

then, with
ours,

when

was

wont

to meet

Saint Cloud.

more

circle round

sweet

more

delightedear,
him

drew

gatheredround

songstress at Saint Cloud.

to hear

PORTRAITS

OF

rank

the foremost

among

eveningsat

Our

old

Very

THE

are

the

Saint Cloud.

books

is

SCOTT.

SEINE

quays

them.

in these

old

; very

are

Treasures, it is
boxes

supposed to

have

infinite age,

and

boasted

that

volumes

the

examine

superannuatedsage

WALTER

THE

on

discovered

been

said, have

OF

SIDE

who

the bookworms

"

class

SIR

BY

267

poor mortals pass,

hours their due,

happy hours
Then
give those

Few

And

PLACES

; many

carried off
bore

some

preciousdedication. Yet you may dig in a box for

able
remarkhours without
encounteringanything more
of psalmsor a series
than a grammar
a book
or
sellers
of sermons.
Opposite,on a bench, sit the bookreadingtheir paper, smoking their pipes,
staring
the bridgesof the
that rattle across
at the omnibuses
.

Seine.
No
over

is

one
an

pesteredto buy

entire box

and

then

book

pass

on

; you

turn

may

to the next.

No

with

suspicion
; you
fingera
may
volume and pore over it as longas you please.Should
take it over
to the
you covet something you must
the price.Perhaps you
bench
oppositeand demand
one

regardsyou

are

overwhelmed

reply,and

say

by
as

his fault,bids you

the

much

bookseller's

; but

to either

irritates

extravagant

he, unless conscious

buy

the book
the

or

put

of
it

impudent young
the
not even
painterwho scoffs at his stock of prints,
dim-eyed old gentleman who has paid exhaustive
attention to a stout volume every morning for months.
he pities
doubt
No
The
him, and so lets him read.
back.

No

one

not

even

268
old
the
to

"

THE

CHARM

OF

PARIS

gentleman is shabby, and not rich enough to buy

book.
He can
only read it there, and is allowed
line by line,page after page, chapterupon chapter.
sage : older, shabbier, this one.
regularvisitor. He also has his book.

Another

too, is
was

his

been

own

once

beneath

his

; it had

lamp.

rested
To

own

He,
It

his shelves ; it had

it,the sage had saved,
on

deprivedhimself of necessaries. Then one morning

he brought the hoard
down
to the bookseller,and
exchanged it for the book, and put the prizeunder
his arm,
and hugged it as he tottered off. A week
later he returned
ever,

and

thinner,shabbier

to the quays

sold the

book, and

asked

where

than

it would

placed,and reappearednext morning to continue

third sage :
A
it, and every morning afterwards.
somewhat
confused, haunted
by the delusion that all
not
treasures.
He buys frequently,
old volumes
are
expensivebooks, but those at sixtycentimes or one
franc ; he is not difficultto pleaseso long as the pages
are
yellow.
be

JOHN

PfeRE
Beautiful

Ever
And

cityof

F.

MACDONALD.

LACHAISE

the dead

! thou

stand'st

of sunny skies
blush of odours, and the stars of heaven
amid

the bloom

Look, with a mild and holy eloquence.

dew
Upon thee, realm of silence ! Diamond
And
For

vernal rain and

sunlightand

sweet

airs

and eve
visit thee ; and morn
firstand linger
longeston thy tombs

ever

Dawn
Crowned

back

with

their wreaths

of love

and

rendering

PORTRAITS
From

their

OF

PLACES

269

all the

wrought columns

beams,
glorious
That herald morn
bathe in tremblinglight
or
The calm and holy brow of shadowy eve.
Empire of pallidshades ! though thou art near
The noisytraffic and throngedintercourse
Of man,
with droopingeyes
yet stillness sleeps,
And

meditative

brow, for

round

ever

Thy brightand sunny borders ; and the trees.

That shadow
are
thy fair monuments,
green
Like hope that watches
o'er the dead, or love
That crowns
their memories
; and lonelybirds
Lift up their simplesongs amid the boughs.
with a gentlevoice, wail o'er the lost.
And
The gifted
and the beautiful,as they
Were
partedspirits
hoveringo'er dead forms
Till judgment summons
earth to its account.
'tisbliss to wander, when

Here

the

Paint
.

the clouds

o'er the scene

paleazure, scattering
Sunlightand shadow, mingled yet distinct.
And the broad olive leaves,like human
sighs.
Answer
the whisperingzephyr,and soft buds

Unfold
"And

wind's kiss,
dwells in solitude,like all

their hearts to the sweet

Nature

west

and deeds
sleepin silence here, their names
Livingin sorrow's verdant memory.
Beautiful cityof the dead ! to sleep
Amid
thy shadowed solitudes,thy flowers.
Thy greenness and thy beauty, where the voice,
the greenwood choirs
Alone heard, whisperslove
leaves
were
Sing 'mid the stirring
very bliss

Who

"

"

heart and wasted mind,

the weary
in the world's warfare, yet still doomed
Broken
Unto

To
A

bear

brow

tranquiland

undaunted
a

Oh, it

were

holy dwelling-place

THE

270
To
To
And

CHARM

PARIS

OF

deeply love but love

disappointedhopes and baffled
persecutedyouth. How sweet

those who

Of such

as

dream

wake

"

skies
starlight

the

Beneath

not

not

aims
the

sleep

feel not

"

here

flowery earth,

and

'Mid the green solitudes of Pere

Lachaise
S.

P^RE

in vain,

L.

FAIRFIELD.

LACHAISE

cemetery of Pere Lachaise is the Westminster

of the dead ;
Abbey of Paris. Both are the dwellings
but in one
they repose in green alleysand beneath
is in the
the open sky, in the other their resting-place
the dim
of an
arches
shadowy aisle,and beneath
ancient abbey. One is a temple of nature ; the other
In one, the soft melancholy of the
a temple of art.
is rendered still more
scene
touching by the warble
The

of birds and

gentlevisit

the

of trees, and

the shade

of the

the grave receives

and the shower
: in

sunshine

passingfootfall breaks
the silence of the place; the twilight
steals in through
high and dusky windows ; and the damps of the
gloomy vault lie heavy on the heart, and leave their
stain upon the moulderingtraceryof the tomb.
Pere
Lachaise
stands just beyond the Barrier e
d'Aulney,on a hill-side,
looking towards the city.
Numerous
gravel-walks,winding through shady
the

other,

and

avenues

from

the

sound

no

between

but

marble

entrance
principal

There

the

to

is

chapel on

hardly a grave that

enclosure plantedwith shrubbery;
of foliage
half conceals each funeral
of the wind,

as

the branches

lead

monuments,
has
and

not
a

stone.

rise and

the

up

mit.
sum-

its little

thick
The

mass

ing
sigh-

fall upon

it.

27?
side.

soon

THE

CHARM

OF

PARIS

found

myselfin

the

deep shade

of

heavy-

and willow
where
the branches
of the yew
foliage,
mingled,interwoven with the tendrils and blossoms
of the honeysuckle.I now
stood in the most populous
a
Every step awakened
part of this cityof tombs.
train of thrilling
new
recollections,for at every step
whose
of someone
gloryhad
eye caught the name
my

of his native land, and resounded

exalted the character

across

of the Atlantic.

the waters

musicians, warriors, and

side around
and
were

and
and

; some

me

beneath

some

the graves

beneath

of Fouseroi

of

La

the

gorgeous
the simplehead-stone.

Volney ; of Gretry and

Massena

torians
hisPhilosophers,
poets, sleptside by

and

Hauy

Mehul

; of

Fontaine, and

ment,
monu-

There

of

Ginguine
Ney, and Foy,
;

Moliere, and

Delille,and Parny. But the political

the dream
of science,the historical research,
intrigue,
the ravishingharmony of sound, the tried courage,
Chenier, and

of the lyre,where
are
inspiration
they ? With
the living,
and not with the dead ! The righthand
has lost its cunning in the grave, but the soul,whose
high volitions it obeyed,stillHves to reproduceitself
the

in ages yet to

come.

Among these graves of geniusI observed here and

there a splendidmonument
which had been raised by
the prideof familyover
the dust of men
who could
lay no claim either to the gratitudeor remembrance
of posterity.Their presence seemed Uke an intrusion
into the sanctuary of genius. What
had wealth to
do there ?
Why should it crowd the dust of the
no
great ? That was
thoroughfareof business no
of gain ! There were
mart
no
costlybanquets there ;
silken garments, nor gaudy liveries,
no
nor
obsequious
attendants !
What
servants,' says Jeremy Taylor,
"

'

PORTRAITS
*

shall

OF

PLACES

273

have

to wait upon us in the grave ? What

friends to visit us ? What
officious peopleto cleanse
we

the moist and

away
our

faces from

are

the

unwholesome

cloud reflected upon

the sides of the weeping vaults,which
for

longestweepers

I continued

our

funerals ?'

walk
my
chance
or

ing
windthroughthe numerous
directed me.
Now
paths,as
curiosity
I was
lost in a little green hollow, overhung with
thick-leaved shrubbery,and then came
out upon
an
elevation,from which, through an opening in the
trees, the eye caught glimpsesof the city,and the
little esplanade,
at the foot of the hill,where
the
There poverty hires its grave, and
poor lie buried.
takes but a short lease of the narrow
house.
.

in

that

the hand
of
neglectedcorner
the hired house.
affection had been busy in decorating
Most
of the graves were
surrounded
with a slight
them
from the passingfootstep
to secure
wooden
paling,
: there was
hardlyone so deserted as not to be

Yet,

even

marked

with

its Httle wooden

cross,

and

decorated

garlandof flowers ; and here and there I could

clothed in black, stoopmourner,
ing
perceivea solitary
in motionless
to planta shrub on the grave, or sitting
with

sorrow

beside it.

ing
about for some
time, readramblingleisurely
the various monuments
the inscriptions
which
on
and givingway
ferent
to the difattracted my
curiosity,
I sat down
reflections they suggested,
to rest
A winding gravelmyself on a sunken tombstone.
of trees, and lined
walk, overshaded
by an avenue
had
both sides with richly-sculptured
monuments,
on
graduallyconducted me to the summit of the hill,
slopethe cemetery stands. Beneath me
upon whose
in the distance,and dim- discovered through the misty
After

18

THE

274

CHARM

OF

PARIS

smoky atmosphere of evening,rose the countless

roofs and spiresof the city. Beyond, throwing his
the
the dusky landscape,sank
level rays athwart
The distant murmur
of the cityrose
broad red sun.
ear
; and the toll of the evening bell came
upon my
up, mingled with the rattle of the paved street and
and

confused

the

meditation

of labour.

sounds

! What

livingand

contrast

What

between

the

for

hour

an

metropolis

metropolisof the dead !

Before I left the graveyard the shades of evening
had fallen and the objectsaround me
dim and
grown
indistinct. As I passedthe gateway I turned to take
I could distinguish
a partinglook.
only the chapel
the summit
of the hill,
and here and there a lofty
on
obelisk of snow-white
marble, risingfrom the black
and heavy mass
of foliage
around, and pointingupward
to the gleam of the departed sun
that still
light
lingeredin the sky, and mingled with the soft starof the summer
evening.
of the

the

HENRY

WADSWORTH

THE

the middle

Towards
from

fountain

largesquare,

can

roofed with slate,and

It is the

Bounded

LONGFELLOW.

TEMPLE

of the Rue

which
be

seen

in

du

Temple, not far

is placed at the angle of a
of timber,
a largebuilding
form a parallelogram.

Temple.
on

the left by the Rue

du

Petit Thouasis,

rightby the Rue Percee, it terminates at a

vast circular building,
a colossal rotunda, surrounded
by a gaUery with arcades. A long passage through
the centre divides it into two equal parts ; these are
in their turn divided and subdivided
by a multitude
on

the

OF

PORTRAITS
of small lateral and

PLACES

transverse

passages,

all

this bazaar

merchandise

new

wretched
the most
; but
prohibited
the smallest
of whatever
description,
There

steel,find here

or

copper,
are

is

cross

the rain

generally

shreds

of stuff

scraps of iron,
buyer and seller.

both

of

here merchants

which

sheltered from

it in every direction,and are

by the roof of the edifice.
In

275

fragmentsof

cloth of all

colours, all shades, all qualities,

every
to match

There
shoes

piecesto mend old or

shops where you can

the
are

bought and

find

heaps of old
heels,cracked, thingswith a

form, without

without

name,

at the

down

run

age, destined
torn clothes.

sold ; there

are

colour ; yet it is all

peoplewho live by this

trade.
Others

hats

These

hats.
the

their attention to the trade of women's

turn

bags of

never

reach

the

the dealers after the

the most

shops except in
tions,
strangestperegrina-

violent transformation.

StiU farther on, at the signof the Fashion of the

Day, under the arcades of the rotunda, raised at the

largepassage which divides the Temple

in two
parts, are hung up myriads of clothes,of
colours, forms, and shapes the most extraordinary,
end

of the

stillmore
Yet

so

than

the women's

this exhibition of old

displayedwith
the very
There

poor

much

old bonnets.

thingsof

littlevalue, and

is a great boon
pretension,

to

of Paris.

they buy

at two

or

three hundred

per cent,
of which the

things,almost new,
is almost imaginary.
depreciation
One of the sides of the Temple, destined for^bedfilled with pilesof coverings,
clothes,was
sheets,
mattresses, and pillows.

discount

excellent

18"2

THE

276
Farther

PARIS

carpets, curtains, household

besides clothing,
shoes, caps,

were

on

OF

CHARM

utensils of all sorts ;

for all conditions, for all ages.
cannot
One
believe, before
and

visitingthis bazaar,

is necessary to filla cart

ment
for the complete establish-

how

little time

with

all that is necessary

of two or three families in want

money

^^^S-

of every
EUGENE

MONTMARTRE

*Tis dawn

upon

Montmartre

possible
SUE.

MORNING

O'er the

plain.
plungesdeep,

spire,the sunbeam
Bringingout shape,and shade, and summer-stain
host the blue mists sweep.
Like a retiring
the farthest rightValerien's steep,
Looms
on
Crown' d with its convent
kindlingin the day ;
And swiftly
sparklingfrom their leafysleep.
Like matin stars, around the horizon play
and domes, and castle-turrets
Far village
vanes,
In

flake and

St. Cloud
Shoots
Who

up

wore

grey.

from the green hill'sside

stately
thy Parian pile! His transient hold,
the iron crown
!
of regicide

! How

He

treads its halls

The

circle widens

more

no

"

his hour is told.

brightand cold
beauty from her throne.

; Sevres

Peeps out in vestal

Spared for Minerva's sake, when round her roll'd
From
yon high brow the Invader's fieryzone,
!
teU thy faded towers, Meudon
Resistless,as can
fleecyhaze
Floats up, then stands a purplecanopy,
Shading the imperialcityfrom the blaze.
Glorious the vision ! tower and temple lie
The

galehas

come,

at

once

the

PORTRAITS

With

Uke

the morn,

Beneath

of

waves

and

streak

azure

an

many

PLACES

OF

277

ivory,
gush of green,

grove and garden on the dazzled eye

Rise in successive beauty, and between

As

Flows

lightthe long,slow, serpent Seine.

into sudden

GEORGE

FLIGHT

accountable

PARIS

Paris in eleven

to

FLIGHT

TO

hours

I
.

for

anybody

to

CROLY.

idleness

the

not

am

of

my

is
thoughts in such an idles ummer
; my
flight
flight
providedfor by the South-Eastern, and is no business
of mine.
The
me

bell ! With

to do

Ah

out

so

much

heart.

It does not

require

thing
flapmy wings. Somesnorts for me, something shrieks for me,
thing
someproclaimsto everythingelse that it had better

keep

it does

scatter

Here

chimneys.

for it has

pleasantafter

blow

darted

are

of this vast

there

no,

"

far into

mondsey where the tanners

shippingin the Thames
littlestreets of

growing like
flagstaff

there

rear

in

"

Flash !

is gone.
red

forcing-

wilderness

mean

the

live.

brick and

new

the

interminable

these

over

the smoke
we

I go.

away

"

streets,and

were,

to

even

as

of my way,
and
The fresh air is

frame, though
of

all my

The

Whirr

tile,with

tail weed

here

out

we

Ber-

tant
disThe
and

of the

scarlet beans.
.

flying.I wonder
it was, that we exploded,blew
where it was, and when
into space somehow, a ParliamentaryTrain, with a
crowd of heads and faces lookingat us out of cages,
hats waving. Monied
Interest says it was
and some
There

is a

dreamy pleasurein

this

CHARM

THE

278

OF

PARIS

Expounds to Mystery how

Reigate Station.
ReigateStation is so many miles from London, which
Mystery again develops to Compact Enchantress.
for
London
There might be neither a Reigatenor
a
the Kentish hops and harvest.
me, as I flyaway
among

at

What

do /

care

Bang ! We have let another Station off, and fly

gardens
regardless.Everything is flying. The hopaway
towards me, presenting
turn gracefully
lar
reguthen whirl away.
of hops in rapidflight,
avenues
So do the poolsand rushes, haystacks,sheep,clover
in full bloom
delicious to the sightand smell, cornsheaves, cherry-orchards,
apple-orchards,reapers,
gleaners,
hedges,gates,fields that taper off into Httle
and then a
angular corners, cottages,gardens,now
church.
Bang-bang ! A double-barrelled Station 1
a
Now
a wood, now
a bridge,
now
a landscape,now
Station
now
a
cutting,
Bang ! a single-barrelled
there

"

and
and

cricket-match

somewhere

with

two

tents, and then four

Hying cows, then turnips

the wires of the electric telegraphaire all aUve,
spin,and blurr their edges,and go up and down,

white
now

was

the

make

"

intervals

between

each

most

other

and expandingin the strangest

: contracting
irregular
and a
With
Now
slacken.
manner.
we
a screwing,
and a smell of water thrown
ashes, now
on
grinding,
we

stop !

Traveller,who has been for two or three

minutes
watchful, clutches his great coats, plunges
at the door, rattles it, cries
Hi !' eager to embark
Demented

impossible
packets,far inland. Collected
TunAre you for Tunbridge,sir ?
Guard appears.
Paris.'
bridge? No.
Plenty of time, sir. No
I
hurry. Five minutes here, sir,for refreshment.'
on

board

of

'

'

'

'

{28o

THE

CHARM

OF

PARIS

almost knocking
brightweather, and so regularly
their iron heads against
of the skythe cross-beam
light,
and never
doing it ! Another Parisian actress
is on board, attended
by another Mystery. Compact
Enchantress
greetsher sister artist Oh, the Compact
One's pretty teeth ! and Mystery greets Mystery.
to be conversational
is
ceases
My Mystery soon
taken poorly,in a word, having lunched too miscellaneously
The remainingMystery
and goes below.
then smiles upon
the sister artists (who^ I am
afraid,
wouldn't
greatlymind stabbingeach other),and is
at the

"

"

"

"

the whole

upon

And

ravished.

I find that all the French

peopleon board
begin to grow, and all the Englishpeople to shrink.
The French
advanta
are
nearinghome, and shakingoff a diswhereas we are shakingit on.
Now, I tread upon French ground,and am greeted
by the three charming words, Liberty, Equality,
Fraternity,
paintedup (inletters a little too thin for
their height)on the Custom-house
also by the
wall
tive
sightof largecocked hats, without which demonstrahead-gearnothingof a publicnature can be done
this soil. All the rabid Hotel populationof
upon
Boulogne howl and shriek outside a distant barrier,
frantic to get at us.
Demented, by some
unlucky
means
peculiarto himself, is delivered over to their
in a whirlpool
fury,and is presentlyseen struggling
of Touters
is somehow
understood
to be going to
Paris
is,with infinite noise, rescued by two cocked
hats, and brought into Custom-house
bondage with
now

"

"

"

the rest of

us.

mills,
Fields,windmills,low grounds, pollardtrees, windand
fields,fortifications,
Abbeville, soldiering
drumming. I wonder where England is,and when I

PORTRAITS
last

there

was

about

"

PLACES

OF

281

two

years ago,
these trenches

I should

say.

and batteries,
Flyingin and out among
drawbridges,lookingdown
skimming the clattering
into the stagnant ditches, I become
a
prisonerof
in a
confined with a comrade
state, escaping. I am

fortress.

Our

is in

room

an

upper

have

story. We

tried to

get up the chimney, but there's an iron

in the masonry.
After
it, imbedded
gratingacross
months
have worked
the gratingloose
of labour, we
with

the

made

poker, and

hook, and

Our

ropes.

to the

ropes

roof of the

loose,watch
hook

away,

it, creep
come

"

can

twisted

plan is,to

lift it up.
our

go up

top, descend

also

rugs and blankets into

the chimney, hook our

hand

over

hand

the
upon
the hook

guard-house far below, shake

the opportunityof the sentinel's pacing
again,drop into the ditch, swim across

into the shelter of the

have

We

wild

and

wood.

stormy night. We

time

The
are

up

is
the

chimney, we are on the guard-house roof, we are

swimming in the murky ditch,when lo ! Qui v'la ?'
a
bugle,the alarm, a crash ! What is it ? Death ?
*

No, Amiens.
More

more
fortifications,

basins of soup,
bottles of wine, more
more

more

and drumming,
soldiering
littleloaves of bread,

more

time
brandy, more
for refreshment.
Everything good, and everything
scenic sort of
ready. Bright,unsubstantial-looking,
station.
Peoplewaiting. Houses, uniforms, beards,
and
moustaches, some
sabots, plentyof neat women,
few old-visaged
children.
Unless it be a delusion
a
born of my giddy flight,
the grown-up
peopleand the
children seem
in France.
In general,
to change places
the boys and girls
little old men
and
and women,
are
the men
and women
lively
boys and girls.
caraffes

of

282

CHARM

THE

PARIS

OF

voice breaks in with

have

'

Paris !

Here

we

myself, perhaps, but

overflown

believe it. I feel as if I

enchanted

were

It is

!'

are

can't

bewitched.

or

barelyeighto'clock yet it is nothinglike

past when I have had my luggageexamined at
"

"

briskest of Custom-houses

attached

to the

halfthat

station,and

the pavement in a hackney-cabriolet.

over
rattling
Surely,not the pavement of Paris ? Yes, I think
it is,too.
I don't know
any other placewhere there
all these high houses, all these haggard-looking
are
all these bilHard tables,all these stockingwine-shops,
with flat red or yellowlegsof wood
makers
for signboard,
all these fuel-shops
with stacks of billetspainted
outside,and real billets sawing in the gutter,all these
of streets,all these cabinet pictures
over
dirtycorners
dark doorways representing
discreet matrons
nursing
babies.
And
yet this morning I'll think of it in a
am

"

warm-bath.

Very

like

Chinese

small

baths

room

that

I remember

in the

the Boulevard, certainly

; and,
upon
it through the steam, I think that I

though I see
to that pecuhar hot-Hnen
basket, like a
might swear
largewicker hour-glass.When can it have been that
I left home
? When
it that I paid through to
was
Paris
at London
Bridge,and dischargedmyself of
edl responsibility,
of a voucher
except the preservation
'

'

ruled

into

snipped
boat, and
seems

three

off at

divisions,of which the first was

Folkestone, the second aboard the

the third taken

to have

been

ages

journey'send

at my

ago.

Calculation

It

is useless.

I will go out for a walk.

The crowds in the streets, the
and

lightsin the shops

elegance,variety,and beauty of

balconies, the
their decorations, the

number

of the

theatres, the

PORTRAITS
brilliant cafes with

PLACES

their windows

283

thrown

up

their vivacious

and

at little tables
groups
the lightand glitter
of the houses

pavement,
as

OF

it

dream

were

inside out,

; that

stroll down

soon

convince

on

the

turned

that it is

me

in Paris,howsoever

am

high

got

here.

no

to the

sparklingPalais Royal,up the Rue

de Rivoli,to the Place Vendome.
As I glanceinto a
window, Monied Interest,my late travelling
print-shop
companion,comes
upon me, laughingwith the highest
relish of disdain.
Here's a people!'he says, pointing
the
and Napoleon on
to Napoleon in the window
column.
mania
Only one idea aU over Paris ! A mono!' Humph ! I think
I have seen
Napoleon's
*

'

match

There

was

statue, when

Hyde Park Corner, and another

printor two in the shops.

came

in the

away,

City,and

at
a

I'^toile,
sufficiently
dazed by my flight
of the
to have
a pleasantdoubt
crowd,
realityof everythingabout me ; of the lively
the overhangingtrees,the performingdogs,the hobbyhorses,
of shininglamps :
the beautiful perspectives
the hundred
and one
enclosures,where the singingis,
in gleaming orchestras of azure
and gold,and where
tary
round with a box for volunHouri comes
a star-eyed
offerings.So, I pass to my hotel,enchanted ;
; pushingback
; go to bed, enchanted
sup, enchanted
this morning (if
this morning) into the
it really
were
I walk

-^

up

to

the

Barriere

de

pany
Comblessingthe South-Eastern
for realizing
the Arabian
Nights in these prose
into the
days, murmuring, as I wing my idle flight
land of dreams,
No
hurry, ladies and gentlemen,
It is so well done,
going to Paris in eleven hours.
that there reaUy is no hurry !'

remoteness

of time,

CHARLES

DICKENS.

THE

284

SUBURBAN

The

OF

CHARM

country around

PARIS

Paris each

distinctive features,its own

PARIS
AN

IDYL

season

has

charm
peculiar

its

own

at times

into immense
dazzHng snow
changes the whole scene
landscapesof purest alabaster,exhibitingtheir
spotlessbeauties to the reddish grey of the sky.
in the glimmer of twilight,
Then
be seen
either
may
ascendingor descendingthe hill,a benightedfarmer
returningto his habitation ; his horse,cloak, and hat
covered
Bitter is the cold,
with the falling
snow.
are
ing
bitingthe north wind, dark and gloomy the approachnight but what cares he ? There, amid those
leafless trees, he sees the brighttaper burning in the
the

"

of his cheerful

window

home

; while

the

from

tall

smoke
of dark
rolls upwards
chimney a column
through the flakyshower that descends, and speaks
and
to the toil-worn
of a blazing hearth
farmer
meal
humble
prepared by kind affection to welcome
him after the fatigues
of his journey. Then the rustic
and
which the faggotburns
on
gossipby the fireside,
comfortable night's
crackles,and a peaceful,
rest,amid
the whistlingof the winds, and the barking of the
various dogs at the different farms scattered around,
with the answeringcry from the distant watch-dog.
of fairy-land.
Surely
Daylightopens upon a scene
the tiny elves have been celebrating
some
grand fete,
and have left some
of their adornments
behind them,
for on
each branch
of crystal,
hang long spiracles
in the rays of a winter's sun
with all the
glittering
The damp, rich
prismaticbriUiancyof the diamond.
soil of the

hides

the

arable land is laid down

timid

partridgeruns
::

hare

in her

form,

in furrows
or

the

where

speckled

merrily.
EUGENE

SUE.

THE

ROMANCE

OF

PARIS

There

or

is

great

relaxation

Parisian

same

years'

social

from

and

we

provincials
frottement

rarely

the

democratic,

talented,

and

witty),

takes

of

expression

without

in

with

one

polish
London,

Like

for

inquiring
PHILIP

in

yet
after

Paris

what
what

ease,

provincials,

Parisian

an

and

side
is

the

man

truly

and

There

meet

art

great

other.

capital.

each

on

is

is

bright

clearness

acquire
in

It

pedantry
the

on

simplicity,

Paris.

intercourse

removed

that

like

world

indifference

talkers

these

the

make

to

of

apparent

an

few

gift

equally

dulness

the

in

place

no

he
his

GILBERT

is

(famous,

ancestors

HAMERTON.

rich,
were,

288

THE

the

circumstances

they

were

I beUeve

happened

ever

the labour

OF

of those two
and

rare,

accidents that
worth

CHARM

to make

you

PARIS

acts, which
two

in

regard

of the notablest

in France, I

partaker of

thought it
some

part

of his discourse.
all Christendom

besides

(forthere was
then a truceb etwixt Spain and the Hollander),
in
was
had continued so twenty years
a profoundpeace, and
Henry the Fourth fell upon some
together,when
whereof is not known
the bottom
greatmartial design,
to this day ; and being rich (forhe had heaped up
of gold that was
in the Bastile a mount
as
high as a
lance)he levied a huge army of 40,000 men, whence
the song,
The
with forty
came
King of France
France,

as

thousand

'

men

and upon

sudden

he

put this army

perfectequipage,and some
say he invited our
unto him
Prince Henry to come
to be a sharer in his
exploits.But going one afternoon to the Bastile to
and ammunition,
his coach stopped
his treasure
see
of some
colliers and other carts
suddenly,by reason
in that
that were
street ; whereupon one
narrow
Ravillac, a layJesuit(who had a whole twelvemonth
watched
an
opportunityto do the act),put his foot
boldlyupon one of the wheels of the coach, and with
their shoulders
a
long knife stretched himself over
in

of the coach, and reached the

king at the" end, and stabbed him rightin the left side
who

were

in the

to the heart, and

boot

pullingout the fatal steel,he doubled

his thrust ; the king with a ruthful voice cried out,
Je suis blesse (I am hurt);and suddenly the blood
The regicide
issued at his mouth.
villain was
hended,
appreand command
given that no violence should
be offered him, that he might be reserved for the law
The
half
and some
exquisitetorture.
queen grew
*

'

THE

ROMANCE

PARIS

OF

289

hereupon, who had been crowned Queen

of France the day before in greattriumph ; but a few
days after she had somethingto countervail,if not to
her sorrow
overmatch
; for accordingto Saint Lewis
made
law, she was
Queen Regent of France during
then but about
who was
the king's
minority,
years
of age.
Many consultations were held how to punish
Italian physicians
that
some
Ravillac,and there were
last a
to prescribe
undertook
a torment, that should
for three days,but he escapedonly
constant torment
with this : his body was
pulledbetween four horses,
that one
might hear his bones crack, and after the
set again,and so he was
carried
dislocation they were
in a cart standinghalf naked, with a torch in that
distracted

"

which

had

committed

placewhere

the

act

hand

gauntletof

hot oil

the murder

done,

was

in the

off,and
the stump,

cut

was

clappedupon

was

to

doleful shriek ;
stage,where a new
pair

he gave

the blood, whereat

staunch

it

; and

he

brought upon a
of boots was
providedfor him, half-filledwith boiling
and hot oil poured
oil ; then his body was
pincered,
of this torture,he
into the holes. In all the extremity
of painbut when the gauntlet
showed any sense
scarce
the flux, at
to staunch
was
clappedupon his arms
time he of reekingblood gave a shriek only.
which
He
about
three
bore up againstall these torments
then

was

drawn

be

All the confession

before he died.

hours
done

God

would

from

him

'

was

good service,to

have

embroiled

that

he

take away

that

could

thought to have
that king,which

all Christendom

in

an

endless

war.'
A

fatal

of her
a

thingit was
to
kingscome

revolution

of time.

that France

should

such violent deaths

Henry

the

have

three

in

short

so

Second, running a
19

THE

290

CHARM

OF

PARIS

killed by a
Montgomery, was
splinterof a lance that piercedhis eye ; Henry the
who,
Third, not long after,was killed by a young friar,
in lieu of a letter which he pretendedto have for him,
pulledout of his long sleeve a knife,and thrust him
and so despatched
of the belly
into the bottom
hacked
him ; but that regicide
to piecesin the
was
placeby the nobles.
The same
destinyattended this king by Ravillac,
which is become
of reproach
name
now
a
common
and infamy in France.
Never
was
king so much lamented as this. There
but statues, up
not only of his pictures,
are
a world
tilt with

Monsieur

and

down

France, and

but

hath

him

there

erected

is

scarce

market-town

in the

market-place,or over
our
some
as
Henry the
gate, not upon sign-posts,
Eighth, and by a publicAct of Parliament, which
confirmed

in

he was
at Rome,
consistory
entitled Henry the Great, and so placedin the Temple
and
of Immortality. A notable prince he was,
of
admirable
an
temper of body and mind ; he had a
gracefulfacetious way to gain both love and awe ; he
would
be never
transportedbeyond himself with
choler, but he would pass by anything with some
repartee,some
witty strain,wherein he was excellent.
was

I will instance

few which

were

told

me

from

day he was
charged by the Duke
of Bouillon to have changed his religion
; he answered,
but
an
No, cousin, I have changed no
religion,
opinion ; and the Cardinal of Perron being by, he
enjoinedhim to write a treatise for his vindication.
The cardinal was
long about the work, and when the
king asked from time to time where his book was, he
him
that he expectedsome
would stillanswer
manugood

hand.

in

the

One

'

THE

ROMANCE

OF

PARIS

291

before he could finish it.' It

scriptsfrom Rome
happened that one day the king took the cardinal
and new
along with him to look on his workmen
buildingsat the Louvre ; and passing by one
which
had been a long time begun, but left
corner
unfinished,the king asked the chief mason
why that
not all this while perfected. Sir, it is
was
corner
'

I want

because

choice stones.'

some

'

No, no,' said

king,lookingupon the cardinal, it

Rome.'
test manuscripts from
thou
wan

the

is because
Another

time, the old Duke of Main, who was used to play the
droll with him, coming softlyinto his bed-chamber,
and thrustmghis bald head and longneck in a posture
to make

the

coming

from

it

king merry,

happened
and

his bedchamber,

said

Ah, cousin, you thought once

off of my head, and wear
crown
.

tail shall

my

serve

the

king was

to have

it

the

taken

on

; but

own

your
turn.'

your
the siegeof

Amiens, he
having sent for the Count of Soissons (who had
franks a year pension from the Crown) to
100,000
Another

time, when

at

assist him

in those wars,

himself

of his years and poverty, having

himself in the former wars, and all that he

by

exhausted
could do
would

and

that the count

excused

reason

now

was

to pray

for his

do

majesty,which he
being brought to

heartily.This answer
the king,he replied
Will my cousin, the Count of
:
Soissons,do nothingelse but pray for me ; tell him
that prayer without fasting
is not available ; therefore
I will make
cousin fast also from his pensionof
my
*

100,000

He

was

per annum.'
once

troubled with

Spanish ambassador

coming

fit of the

then

to

gout,and

the

visit him, and

19

"

THE

292

sayinghe

was
*

answered

CHARM

sorry

to

lame

as

As

the
your master
his foot in the

PARIS

OF
His

see

Majesty so lame,

if there

I am,

horseback.'

By these few you

geniusof this spiritful
prince.

may

This
the

kingdom, since

sceptre into his

much

the

or

find

me

on

the

at

guess

king

young

commerce

least tintamar

have

sooner

hands, doth

own

quietnessand

with

motion

the

occasion,

were

King of Spain should no

stirrup,but he should

he

hath

taken

flourish

very

is there any

; nor

in any

of trouble

part

of the country, which is rare

in France.
'Tis true,
the queen mother
is discontented
since she left her

beingconfined,and

regency,
the
as

in

unto

come

time, for

murdering of
some

I know

it may

what

not

strong party, and

Marquis of Ancre will yet bleed

her

she hath

fear.

latelyin societyof a gentleman,who was a

spectator of that tragedy,and he pleasedto relate
thus : When
of it,which was
the particulars
unto me
Henry the Fourth was slain,the queen dowager took
the reins of the government into her hands
during
the young king's
minority; and amongst others whom
she advanced, SigniorConchino, a Florentine, and
I

her

was

foster-brother

to shine

so

confidant

Marquis

and

The

him

Her

and

one

of

and

offices of trust
France

came

her

Marshals

conferred

upon

of

divers

him, and

could not

only
him

that she made

twelve

of the

Normandy,

princesof

countenance

that he became

favourite,insomuch

of Ancre,

other honours
he.

one.

strongly
upon

France, Governor
but

was

endure

who
this

domineering of a stranger, therefore they leagued

The queen regent
togetherto suppress him by arms.
thereof, surprisedthe Prince of
having intelligence
Conde and clappedhim up in the Bastile. The Duke

THE

ROMANCE

PARIS

OF

293

in Pycardie,and
hereupon to Peronne
other great men
put themselves in an armed posture
their guard. The
to stand upon
king being
young
the ground of
told that the Marquis of Ancre
was
Monsieur
de Vitry,
this discontentment, commanded
Captain of his Guard, to arrest him, and in case of

fled

of Main

resistance to killhim.

This business

was

carried very
said marquis

closelytill the next morning, that the

train of
was
coming to the Louvre with a ruffling
gallantsafter him, and passingover the drawbridge
at the court
gate, Vitry stood there with the king's
guard about him, and as the marquis entered he told
the king to
that he had
commission
from
him
a
his sword.
apprehendhim ; therefore, he demanded
The marquis hereupon put his hand upon his sword,
some
tion
thought to yieldit up, others to make opposiVitry dischargeda pistolat
; in the meantime
The king,being above
him, and so despatchedhim.
asked what
noise that was
below ?
in his gallery,
One smilingly
answered, Nothing,sir ; but that the
'

of Ancre

Marshal

Captain

of

is slain.'

your
drawn

Guard.'
his sword

'

Who

slew him

'Why?'

'

?'

The

'Because

he

Majesty'sRoyal
Then
the king replied, Vitry hath
Commission.'
the act.' Presently
done well, and I. will maintain
had all her guard taken
from her
the queen mother

would

have

at your

'

except six
was

Blois.

men

banished
Ancre's

and

Paris

body

sixteen
and
was

and

women,

commanded
buried

to

so

retire

she
to

night in a
morning,when
unhappy here

that

by the court, but the next

the lackeysand pages (who are more
in London) broke up his grave,
than the apprentices
and
tore his cofiin to pieces,
rippedthe winding-sheet,
tied his body to an ass's tail,and so dragged him up

church

hard

CHARM

THE

294

PARIS

OF

of the
guttersof Paris, which are none
and nailed
sweetest ; they then flicked off his ears
the gates of the city
them
(and they
upon
His body
hung Hke an ass).
say he was
bridge,and hung him,
they carried to the new
head
his heels upwards, and
a
downwards,
upon
new
gibbet that had been set up a little before
who should speak ill of the present
to punish them
and

the

down

and

Government,

it

his

was

of it himself.

maidenhead

enchanted

the

to dote

queen

and

they say

the young

her

closet in

virginwax,

A littleafter

was

process

chance

His

apprehended,imprisoned,and
few days after upon
a
some

wife

so

upon

the

hereupon

was

for

beheaded
surmise

have

to

witch

she had

that
her

husband

king'spicturewas found in
with one
leg melted away.
formed againstthe marquis

after death.
(herhusband), and so he was condemned
This was
a rightact of a French
popularfury,which
like an angry torrent is irresistible,
nor
can
any banks,
boundaries, or dykes stop the impetuous rage of it.
How^ the young king will prosper after so high and an
unexampled act of violence by beginninghis reign,

embruing the

and

walls of his

in that matter, there

divers

are

own

court

'

In

Dante

Paris

gave

IN

blood

censures.

JAMES

DANTE

with

HOWELL.

PARIS

himself to

the

study of theology and

philosophy.' Boccaccio.
"

Sojourner from
To

Paris thou

thine

didst

own
come

fair lovelyland.
to

ponder deep

and there to steep

Upon life'smysteries,
Thy soul in highestthoughts; as thou didst stand

296
Ye

THE

grots and

CHARM

caverns

Shrines ! where

their

OF

PARIS

shagg'dwith horrid thorn !

vigils
pale-ey'd
virgins
keep

And

pityingsaints,whose statues learn to

and silent
Though cold like you, unmov'd
I have not yet forgotmyself to stone.
All is not Heaven's
Still rebel nature
Nor

grown,

holds out

half my
fasts its stubborn

heart

pulserestrain,

taught to flow in vain.

thy letters tremblingI unclose,

Soon

as

That

well-known
for

name

Still breath'd
I tremble
Some

has part,

prayers nor
tears, for ages

Nor

Oh

while Abelard

weep

sad ! for

ever

in

all my

awakens

name

dear !

ever

stillusher'd
sighs,

too, where'er

dire misfortune

Line

after line my
through a sad

Nor

foes

And

is my

woes.

with

tear.

I find,
my own
follows close behind.

gushing eyes o'erflow,

Led
varietyof woe :
in love,now
Now
warm
witheringin my bloom.
Lost in a convent's solitary
gloom !
There stern religion
quench'dth' unwillingflame.
There died the best of passions,
love and fame.
Yet write, O write me
all,that I may join
Griefs to thy griefs,
and echo sighsto thine.

Tears
Love

nor

fortune take this power

away
Abelard less kind than they ?

stillare
but

mine,

demands

No

happiertask

To

read

and weep

and

what

those I need
else

were

faded eyes
is all they now

these

not

spare

shed in prayer
pursue
can

do.

thy pain,allow that sad relief;

all thy grief.
than share it,giveme
Ah, more
Heaven
wretch's aid.
first taught letters for some
Some
banish'd lover,or some
captivemaid ;
They live,theyspeak,they breathe what love inspires.
Then

share

thou

When

victims

altar's foot

at yon

solemn

forgetthat sad, that

Canst

297

faithful to its fires.

the soul, and

from

Warm

PARIS

OF

ROMANCE

THE

day,
lay ?

we

fell,
forgetwhat tears that moment
in youth,I bade the world farewell ?
When, warm
As with cold lipsI kiss'd the sacred veil,
The shrines all trembled, and the lamps grew pale:
Heaven
believ'd the conquest it survey'd,
scarce
thou

Canst

heard

saints with wonder

And

the

I made.

vows

drew.
Not on the cross my eyes were
fix'd,but you
call,
Not grace, or zeal,love only was
my
all.
if I lose thy love,I lose my
And
! with thy looks,thy words, relieve my
Come
Yet

then, to those dread altars

stillat least

Those
Still on

enamour'd

Still drink delicious

Pant

thy lip,and

on

Give all thou

canst

"

woe

left thee to bestow.

are

that breast

as

let

lie.

me

poisonfrom thy eye,

to thy heart be press'd
;
and

let me

the rest.

dream

joysto prize.
With other beauties charm
partialeyes !
my
Full in my view set all the brightabode.
soul quitAbelard for God.
And make
my
In these lone walls (their
day'seternal bound),
domes with spiryturrets crown'd.
These moss-grown
awful arches make
a noonday night;
Where
shed a solemn light;
And
the dim windows
ray.
Thy eyes diffus'd a reconciling
all the day.
And gleams of glorybrighten'd

Ah

! instruct

no

me

other

But

now

no

'Tis all blank

See how

face divine contentment

sadness,

or

continual

the force of others' prayers

wears,

tears.

try,

charity!)
(O pious fraud of amorous
But why should I on others' prayers depend ?

THE

298

CHARM

OF

PARIS

thou, my father,brother, husband, friend

Ah, let thy handmaid, sister,
daughter,move,
Come

And

all those

The

darksome

Wave

to the hollow wind.

high,and murmur
wandering streams that shine between the hills,
rills,
grotsthat echo to the tinkling
dying galesthat pant upon the trees.
lakes that quiverto the curlingbreeze ;

The
The
The
The
No

tender

in one, thy love !

pines,that o'er yon rocks reclin'd,

these

more

names

scenes

meditation

my

aid,

Or lull to rest the

maid :
visionary
But o'er the twilight
groves and dusky caves.
Long-soundingaisles and intermingledgraves,
Black Melancholy sits,and round her throws

and
death-like silence,

Her

And

repose :
all the scene.

flower, and darkens

Shades

every
Deepens the

dread

saddens

gloomy presence

of the

murmur

breathes

must
Yet here for ever, ever
Sad proofhow well a lover

every

green.

floods.
falling

horror

browner

on

the woods.

stay ;
can
obey !
break the lasting
chain

Death, only death can

And here, e'en then, shall my cold dust remain
all its flames resign.
Here all its frailties,
And

wait till'tisno

Come, Abelard
The

! for what

torch of Venus

Nature

to mix

sm

hast

burns

stands check'd

not

with thine.
thou to dread

;
;

for the dead.

Religiondisapproves;

yet Heloise loves.

Ah hopeless,
lastingflames ! like those that burn
th' unfruitful urn.
To lightthe dead, and warm
E'en

What
The

thou

scenes

art cold

"

appear

dear ideas,where

where'er
I

I turn

fly,pursue

my
;

Rise in the grove, before the altar rise,

view ?

THE

soul,and

Stain all my

the matin

I waste

Thy image steals

Thy voice I seem
With

every

When

from

OF

ROMANCE

bead

PARIS
in my

wanton

lamp

in

between

299
eyes.

sighsfor thee,
God

my

and

me

in every h5min to hear.

I drop too soft a tear.

clouds of

fragranceroll,
And
swellingorgans liftthe risingsoul,
to flight,
One thought of thee puts all the pomp
Priests,tapers,temples,swim before my sight:
In seas
of flame my plungingsoul is drown'd.
While altars blaze,and angelstremble round.
See in her cell sad Heloise spread,
tomb, a neighbourof the dead.
Propt on some
In each low wind methinks
a spirit
calls.
than echoes talk along the walls.
And more
Here, as I watch'd the dying lamps around.
From
yonder shrine I heard a hollow sound :
! (itsaid, or seem'd to say)
Come, sister,come
come
Thy placeis here, sad sister,
away ;
I trembled, wept, and pray'd,
Once, like thyself,
Love's victim then, though now
a sainted maid
:
But all is calm in this eternal sleep;
Here grief
forgetsto groan, and love to weep ;
E'en superstition
loses every fear :
the

censer

'

For

God,

not

man,

absolves

May one kind grave unite

And
graftmy love immortal
Then, ages hence, when
When
If

the

chance

ever

To
The

all my

this rebellious heart

Paraclete

and

of

each

haplessname,
thy fame !

on

woes

are

shall beat

no

o'er.
more

wandering lovers brings,

white walls and silver springs,

two

Paraclete's*
bodies

frailtieshere.*

our

Abelard
now

and

lie in Pere

Heloise
Lachaise.

were
"

removed
Ed.

from

THE

300

CHARM

OF

PARIS

O'er the
And
Then
'

palemarble shall they jointheir heads,

drink the falling
tears each other sheds ;
sadlysay, with mutual pitymov'd,

O may

the full

From

love

never

we

as

choir,when

these have

lov'd !'

loud Hosannas

rise,
sacrifice,

And

swell the pomp

of dreadful
that scene, if some
Amid
relenting
eye

Glance

the stone

on

Devotion's

where

self shall steal

our

cold relics lie,

thought from heaven.

One human
tear shall drop,and be forgiven.
And
if fate some
future bard shall join
sure
In sad similitude of griefs
to mine,
Condemn'd
whole years in absence to deplore.
And image charms
he must
behold no more
;
Such if there be, who loves so long,so well.
Let

The
He

him

our

tender

sad, our

story tell ;

will soothe my pensiveghost ;

woes
well-sung
best can
paint them who shall feel them most.
ALEXANDER

ABELARD
Abelard

writes

Philintus,

"

to

HELOISE

AND
his

Attend

Friend

to

me

POPE.

of

his

I.ove

moment,

for

and

Heloise

hear

but

story of my misfortunes, and yours, Philintus,

them with those of
will be nothing,if you compare
You
the
know
the loving and unhappy Abelard.
placewhere I was born : but not, perhaps,that I was
born with those complexionalfaults which strangers
lightnessof
charge upon our nations, an extreme
it,
temper, and great inconstancy, I franklyown
and
shall be free to acquaintyou with these good
the

I had a natural
which are observed in me.
qualities
vivacityand aptness for all the politearts. My father

ROMANCE

THE

gentleman, and

wais

the

wars,

but

differed

follow that

who

PARIS

OF
man

of

301

good parts ; he

in his sentiments

loved

from

many

profession.He thought it no praise

to be illiterate; but
at the

As

same

his

in the camp
he knew
how to converse
time with the Muses and Bellona.

eldest,and

consequentlyhis favourite
he took more
of my
than ordinary care
tion.
educason,
I had a natural geniusto study,and made
an
with the love
extraordinary
progress in it. Smitten
of books, and the praiseswhich on all sides were
stowed
bebut what
upon me, I aspiredto no reputation
proceeded from learning. The ambition I had to
formidable
in logicled me
at last to Paris,
become
the centre of politeness,
and where the science I was
smitten with had usuallybeen in the greatestperso
fection.
I put myself under the direction of one Chamwho had acquiredthe character of
peaux, a professor,
the most
skilful philosopher
of his age, by negative
excellences
only, by being the least ignorant. He
was

received
And
all my

me

with great demonstrations

my friend,I am
All men,
weaknesses.

now,

necessityof paying tribute,at

love, and it is in vain

of kindness.

going to
I

expose

believe,are

some

time

to strive to avoid

this tyrant of the

wisdom
; his darts were

yet
philosopher,

mind

all my
all my

of

over

or

to you

under

other, to

it. I

was

triumphed
greaterforce

and with a sweet constraint

reasonings,
whither he pleased.I will tell you, my dear
he led me
of my story, and leave you to
friend,the particulars
judge whether I deserve a correction.
There was
in Paris a young
creature
(ah,Philintus !)
of nature, to show mankind
a
formed in a prodigality
finished composition; dear Heloise ! the reputedniece
Her wit and her beauty would
of the Canon Fulbert.

than

have

OF

fired the dullest and

her

education

mistress

PARIS

insensible heart ; and

Heloise was
equallyadmirable.

was

of the

imaginethat
I

CHARM

THE

302

most

this did

most

politearts. You may easily

not a littlehelpto captivate
me.

her, I loved her, I resolved

saw

her affections. The

to endeavour

to

thirst of

mediate
glorycooled imin my heart, and all my passionswere
lost
in this new
I thought of nothing but Heloise ;
one.
everythingbroughther image to my mind. My reputation
had spread itself everywhere; and could a virtuous
that had confounded
all the
lady resist a man
learned of the age ? Besides, I had wit enough to
and hoped, if ever
write a billet-doux,
she permitted

engage

self to entertain

absent

my

her, she would

read with

pleasurethose breathingsof
Filled with

heart.
my
these notions,I thought of

nothingbut

speak to Heloise. Lovers either find or

offices of friends
make all thingseasy. By the common
I gainedthe acquaintance
of Fulbert her uncle. And,
the

can

to

means

you

believe

of
privilege
As

it, Philintus ? he

allowed

me

the

his table.
with

her

'

day alone, Charming

Heloise,'I said,blushing, if you know yourself,
you
that passion you
have
will not be surprisedwith
it is,I can
Uncommon
with.
as
me
inspired
express
I

was

one

it but

with

the

common

terms.

I love you,

Heloise

thoughtphilosophymade us masters of all

and that it was a refugefrom the storms
our
passions,
mortals
tossed and shipwrecked;
in which weak
are
and broken this
but you have destroyedmy security,
I have despisedriches ; honour
philosophic
courage.
could never
raise a weak
and its pageantries
thought
soul.' I could do
in me
; beauty alone has fired my
nothingbut write verses to soothe my passion. Love
Till now

CHARM

THE

304

I suffered the

of

revenge
shame

to
I not

could

shameful

punishment

that

the

could invent.
I confess to you,
enemy
than
me
any sincere penitence made
hide myself from
the sight of men,
yet

an

more

resolve

most

PARIS

OF

separate myself from

Heloise.

Jealousy

of my mind ; and at the very expense

possession
to disappointall rivals.
of her happiness I decreed
I obligedher to take
Before I put myselfin a cloister,
the habit and retire into the nunnery
of Argenteuil.
took

Ah, Philintus ! does not the love of Heloise stillburn

heart ?
I have not yet triumphed over
in my
that

unhappy passion. In the midst

weep, I sigh,I speak that dear
am
pleasedto hear the sound.

of my

retirement

name

Heloise, and

PIERRE

EVELYN

JOHN

AT

THE

COURT

ABELARDUS.

OF

LOUIS

XIV.

to visite Mr. Hobbs,

the
Sept. I went
of Malmsbury, with whom
I had
famous philosopher
his window
the
we
saw
long acquaintance. From
whole equipage and gloriouscavalcade
of the young
Lewis XIV.
Monarch
French
passingto Parliament
first he tooke the kinglygovernment on
when
him,
now
being in his 14th yeare, out of his minorityand
First came
the capthe Queene Regent'spupillage.
taine of the King's aydes at the head of 50 richly
liveried ; next the Queene Mother's
lighthorse, an
cover'd with
hundred, the lieutenant being all over
pets
embroiderie and ribbans, having before him 4 trum-

1651.

"

"

in black velvet, full of lace and

habited
of the

same

habited, with
with

then
4

gold,before

the

King'slighthorse, 200, richly

trumpets in blue velvet

whom

casques

rid the Count

embrodred

d'Olonne

cornet.

ROMANCE

THE
whose

belt

set with

was

Pre vest's

company

on

horseback

; after

them

toques led by

OF

PARIS

pearle; next
the

the

went

with

foote

305

the

Swisse

grand

Prevost

in black

on

velvet

gallantcavalieres habited in scarletcolour'd sattin after their country fashion,which is

very fantastick ; he had in his cap a pennach of heron
with a band
of diamonds, and about him
little
12
the Ayde des
Swisse boyes with halberds ; then came
Ceremonies
of
; next the grandeesof court, governors
of provinces,
places,and lieutenants-general
magnificently
I must not
habited and mounted, among whom
forgetthe Chavalier Paul, famous for many sea-fights
and signalexploits
there, because 'tis said he had
been an Academist, and yet govern'da very
never
unruly horse, and besides his rich suite,his Malta
Cross

esteem'd

was

at

10,000

; these

crownes

were

by 2 trumpets, and the whole troup cover'd

follow'd
with gold,jewels,and rich caparisons,
were
by 6 trumpets in blew velvet also, preceding as
with fleurs de lys,
heralds in blew velvet semee
many

headed

caduces in their hands

behind

them

came

; then

and
one

divers

velvet caps on
of the masters

mairshalls

"

their heads
of the
of

many

monies
cere-

the

Count
nobilityexceeding splendid; behind them
d'Harcourt, grand escuyer, alone, carryingthe King's
in

sword

scarf, which

with fleurs de

studded
scarfs

of black
and

footemen

he held

up

in

blew

sheath

lys; his horse had for reines

taffata ; then
aboundance
of
came
liveried with
pages of the King, new

red feathers ; next the guard de corps and

d the King himself e
other officers ; and lastlyappear'

white

on

an

crosses

lys;

and

Isabella Barb,
of the Order
the

on

which

of the

King himself

like

houssingsemee

with

Holy Ghost, and fleurs de

a young
Apollo,was in a
20

CHARM

THE

^6
sute

cover'd with

so

nothing of
perceive
whole

the

ladys and
He

After the

who

beauty, and

seem'd

embrodry, that

his hat

acclamators

their

with

rich

the stuff under

with

way

PARIS

OF

princeof

the

in

had

of horse

it ; he went

almost

hand, salutingthe
fill'dthe

aire with

windows

Vive

le

Roy.

grave yet sweete countenance.

foUow'd divers greate persons of the

King

exceedingsplendid,also

Court

could

one

foote, then

his

masters
esquires,

of Exempts des
company
6 guards of Scotch ; 'twixt their fileswere

on

Cards, and

the

princesof the blood, dukes, and lords ; after

all these, the Queene'sguard of Swisse, pages, and
the Queen Mother
herselfe in a rich
footmen
; then
coach, with Monsieur the King's brother, the Duke
other lords and ladysof honour ;
of Orleans, and some

divers

about

the coach

the company
150, with 4

march'd

of the

her

des Cards, then

d'armes well mounted,

of the Queene's;
many

King'sCens

trumpets and

as

innumerable

an
lastly,
ladys and

Exempts

company
gallants.In this

of coaches

full of

equipage pass'd the

to the ParUament, henceforth
his
Monarch
excercising
kinglygovernment.
15 Sept. I accompaniedSir Richard Browne, my
"

father-in-law,to the French

favourable

audience

of

the

Court, where
French

King

he

had

and

on
congratulatingthe one
exercise of his royal charge, and

the

Queene

his mother,

his

coming

to the

the

prudentand happy administration duringher

the same
late Regency, desiringboth to preserve
amitie for his Master, our
King, as they had hitherto
civil expressions
done, which they both promis'dwith many
other's

and
We
the

words

of

course

upon

such

occasions.

accompanied both going and returningby

and
Introducer
of Ambassadors
Ayd of Cere-

were

THE

monies.

ROMANCE

I also

Ambassador

OF
audience

the

saw

of Venice, and

State from

German

PARIS

307

of Morosini

divers other Ministers of

Princes, Savoy,

etc.
EVELYN.

JOHN

NIGHT

IN

THE

STREETS

OF

D'Artagnan

D'Artagnan's

the

in

OLD

PARIS

Love

visit to M. de Treville

beingended, he
homewards.
Upon

took the longestroad

thoughtfully
what was
D'Artagnan musing that he wandered thus
from his path, gazingcontinually
up at the stars,
sometimes
sometimes
a smile
playingupon his lips,
from his heart ?
a sigh escaping
He was
Bonacieux.
To him,
thinkingof Madame
but a young
almost
musketeer, the young lady was
ideal of love.
learned
She was
an
pretty,mysterious,

in almost

all the

secrets

of the

Court, which

latter

accomplishmentlent such a charming gravityto her

pleasingfeatures. He suspectedher of not being
indifferent to wooing,which is so irresistiblea charm
for those novices in love.
So quicklydo our
dreams
when
borne upon the wings of fancy
move
that D'Artagnan, as he walked
under the stars of
Paris,alreadyfancied himself arrested by a messenger
from the young lady,who had brought him perchance
a note
appointinga meeting,or a gold chain,or possibly
their
Men
in those days made
a diamond.
in the world by means
of ladies,and without
way
beautiful gave them
blushing. Such ladies as were
rich bestowed also part
of their beauty ; such as were
...

of their wealth

upon

gallantperiodcould
have

won

his spurs

them

; and

be mentioned

many

who

hero of that

would

neither

his battles

in the first place,

nor
20

"

less filled,
or
purse, more
his saddle-bow.
to
fastened

the

afterwards, without
his

which

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

^08

mistress

dence
nothing. Provincial diffiD'Artagnan possessed
that slightvarnish, that ephemeral flower,
bloom of the peach had been blown away
by

But

"

that

"

the three

counsels which

the unorthodox

musketeers

the curious
gave their friend. D'Artagnan following
of the times, considered himself at Paris
custom
less than
nor
campaign, neither more
Spain yonder, woman
hjid been in Flanders
as

on

if he

here.

"

there

In each

an

was

contributions to be levied.
to

become

day the

some

in the meantime

of his

D'Artagnan, disposed

tender

most

Bonacieux

to walk

in the

the

fair in the

company

In the midst

mercer's wife, the

the

was

plainof

of lovers, was

friend.

very devoted

projectsupon

amorous

lovely Madame
whom

with, and

contend

to

enemy

very

St. Denis,
of his

or

lady

with

in St. Germain's

friends

Athos,

his future
on
Porthos, and Aramis.
Reflecting
ful
loves, D'Artagnan addressed himself to the beauti.

night,and smiUng

at the

stars,went

up

the

Rue

Cherche-Midi,or Chasse-Midi,as it was then called.

Paris had for two hours past been dark, and fast
began to be deserted. All the clocks of the Faubourg
Saint-Germain
lightfu
dewere
strikingeleven. It was
weather.
D'Artagnan was
passing along a
the spot where
lane upon
the Rue
is now
d'Assas
the balmy emanations
situated,respiring
which were
.

borne

the

wind

from

the

Vaugirard,and
which arose
from the gardens refreshed by the dews
of eveningand the breeze of night. From
a distance
resounded, deadened, however, by good shutters,the
in the
songs of the merry-makers enjoyingthemselves
scattered saloons of the plain. When
the
he reached
upon

Rue

THE
end

ROMANCE

of the lane

house
the

in which

Rue

D'Artagnan
Aramis

Cassette

sycamores
above
it.

the

PARIS

situated

was

Rue

309

to the left.

turned

dwelt

and

passed the
the door

OF

between

Servandoni.

tagnan
D'Ar-

Rue

Cassette, and caught sightof

of his friend's house, shaded
of
by a mass
and
arch
vast
clematis, which formed
a
Alexandre

A
*

The

ROOM

IN

said the

THE

dumas.

LOUVRE
'

gazed down upon

the turmoil
of Paris.
My eye penetratedinto an
old grandThere I saw
an
apartment of the Louvre.
mother,
poorlyclad, for she belongedto the working
class. She was
followingone of the under servants
into the great empty throne-room.
the
This was
that she was
resolved
apartment she wanted to see
Yesterday,'

Moon,

"

to
a

; it had

cost her many

a little sacrificeand many
coaxingword to penetratethus far. She folded her
see

thin

hands, and looked round with

if she had

as
'

"

Here

in

been
it

air of reverence,

church.

!" she

was

an

said,

"

here

!"

And

approached the throne, from which hung

velvet fringed with
There,"
gold lace.
"

"

there !" and

purplecarpet.
'

"

it

But

was

I believe she

woman,
'

''

It looked
"

man
were

and

the

floor."

was

it must
so,

and

windows

off their

was

and

kissed

rich
claimed,
ex-

the

actuallyweeping.

this very velvet !" observed

smile played about his mouth.

"

"

knelt

she

not

footman, and a
True, but it
'

she

the

she

the

this very place,"repliedthe

have looked justlike this."

yet it did not," observed the

beaten
were
in, and the doors

hinges,and

there

was

blood

upon

the

CHARM

THE

310
'

OF

for all that you can

the throne
of France.

"

But

upon

the old

say, my
Died !"

word

and

spoken, and they

evening twihght faded,

'

who

Now,

do

the rich velvet

think

you

this poor

Listen ; I will tell you a story.

It happened in the Revolution
'

the

evening of
house

every

The

was

of

fortress,every window

people

the

stormed

children

and

women

woman

July, on the
victorious day, when
brilliantly

most

was

that

of France.

the throne

covered

peated
mournfullyre-

was

quittedthe hall. The

my lightshone vividlyupon

soon

grandson died

woman.

I do not think another

PARIS

Tuileries.

found

were

They penetratedinto

work.
breast-

Even

the

among

batants.
com-

the

apartments and
halls of the palace. A poor half-grownboy in a ragged
wounded

happened
bleedingyouth

the velvet round

torn

insurgents.Mortally

throne-room.

the

throne

sank

down.

They

laid the

of France,

wrapped

his wounds, and

his blood

streamed

a
imperialpurple. There was
ture
picsplendidhall, the fightinggroups ! A
flag lay upon the ground, the tricolour was

the

upon
! the
"

in the
upon

older

bayonet thrusts,he

with several

This

forth

the

fought among

blouse

bayonets, and

the

above

waving

on

the

throne

lay

the poor lad with the pale glorified

countenance, his
eyes turned towards the sky,his limbs writhingin the
death

agony,

clothinghalf
with

had

France
a

!"

second
*

bare, and

hidden

the

by

silver lilies. At
been

his poor tattered

rich velvet embroidered

his breast

spoken
The

the

"He

mother's

boy's cradle
will die

on

heart had

the

prophecy
throne

of

fondly imagined

Napoleon.

My beams

have

kissed the wreath

of immortelles

CHA.RM

THE

312

PARIS

OF

Sunday at the Louvre,

! I give you four times
to
pray guess to whom
to do it in, I give you six,I give you a hundred.
Says
hard
to
de Coulanges, It is really very
Madame
de la Valliere.'
Indeed,
guess : perhaps it is Madame
is to be married

Lauzun

next

'

then.'

it is not.

madame,

No,
*

wretches

nor

Lord
are

we

It

is Mademoiselle

she neither ; you are

bless me,' say you,
! It is Mademoiselle

de

Retz,

extremely provincial.
what
stupid
'

de

Colbert

all

stillfarther from the

Nay, now
you are
be Mademoiselle
mark.
Why, then, it must certainly
de Crequy.' You have it not yet. Well, I find I must
tell you at last. He is to be married next Sunday, at
the Louvre, with the King's leave, to Mademoiselle,
the

while.'
'

Mademoiselle
her

name

de

"

Mademoiselle

he is to be married

"

guess,

pray

guess

to Mademoiselle,

the

; Mademoiselle, daughter to the

great Mademoiselle
late Monsieur
of Orleans];
[Gaston of France, Duke
Mademoiselle, grand-daughterof King Henry IVth ;

Mademoiselle

d'Eu, Mademoiselle

de Dombes,

moiselle
Made-

de

d'Orleans,
Montpensier, Mademoiselle
selle,
Mademoiselle, the King's cousin-german; Mademoidestined to the throne. Mademoiselle, the only
match
in France
that was
worthy of Monsieur. What
gloriousmatter for talk ! If you should burst forth
like a bedlamite, say we
have told you a lie,that it
is false,that we
are
making a jestof you, and that a
pretty jest it is without wit or invention ; in short,
if you abuse us, we shall think you quitein the right;
for we
have
done
just the same
things ourselves.
Farewell, you will find by the letters you receive this
post, whether we tell you truth or not.
MARY,

MARCHIONESS

OF

Sl"VIGNE.

THE

LOUIS

XVI.

OF

ROMANCE

PARIS

TO

RETURNS

PARIS

313

VERSAILLES

FROM

of a
bodyguards, you can observe, have now
verity hoisted the National Cockade,' for they step

The

forward

to

windows

the

or

aloft in

balconies,hat

tricolor ; and flingover their

Vive la
bandoliers in sign of surrender ; and shout

hand,

each hat

on

new

'

Nation

!'

To

which
'

heart
generous
Vive le Roi ! vivent les Gardes-du-

how

can

the

respondbut with,
Corps ? His Majesty himself has appeared
Lafayette on the balcony,and again appears :
'

le Roi

'

greets him

with

Vive

from

all throats ; but also from

throat is heard, Le Roi a Paris, The King
*

some

one

to Paris !*

Majesty,too, on demand, shows herself,though

in it : she stepsout on the balcony,with
there is peril
her little boy and girl. No children.Point d'enfansV
She gentlypushes back her children ;
cry the voices.
and stands alone, her hands
serenelycrossed on her
Her

breast

'

Should

I die,'she

had

said,

I will do

it.'

serenityof heroism has its effect. Lafayette,

with ready wit, in his highfiownchivalrous way, takes
that fair queenly hand, and, reverentlykneeling,
Vive la
kisses it : thereupon the people do shout
Reine !' Nevertheless, poor Weber
saw
(or even
thought he saw ; for hardly the third part of poor
in such hysterical
Weber's
experiences,
days, will
stand
of these brigands level his
scrutiny) one
intention
at her Majesty,' with or without
musket
struck
to shoot ; for another of the brigands angrily
Such

'

'

'

"

'

it down.'

Queen herself,nay the very

national !
captain of the bodyguards, have grown
The very captain of the bodyguards steps out now
So

that

all,and

the

THE

314
with

CHARM

Lafayette. On

the hat

tricolor ;
; visible to the
the national oath with
enormous

an

OF

of the repentant man

largeas

is

flower
or sunsoup-platter,

forecourt.

utmost
a

PARIS

He

takes

loud voice, elevating

his hat ;
raise their bonnets
on
army

sightall the
their bayonets,with shouts.
Sweet is reconcilement
to the heart of man.
Flandre ;
Lafayettehas sworn
he swears
the remaining bodyguards, down
in the
Marble Court ; the peopleclaspthem in their arms
:
O my
brothers, why would ye force us to slay you ?
there
Behold
is joy over
as
over
returning
you,
National
prodigalsons ! The poor bodyguards,now
and
tricolor,exchange bonnets, exchange arms
;
there shall be peace and fraternity.
And still Vive
which

at

"

"

le Roi ;'and

also

throat,

from

but

heart's wish

Yes,

The

consult, and
there is
him

to

now

Le

Roi k Paris,'not

all throats

as

now

for

one,

from

one

it is the

of all mortals.

King

to Paris

what

Ministers may

else ?

Deputieswag their heads : but

have
forced
You
other possibility.
no
willingly. At one o'clock !' Lafayette
National

'

go

givesaudible

to that purpose

assurance

insurrection,with

immeasurable

; and

universal

shout, and

charge
dis-

rusty,great and
a
small, that it has, returns him acceptance. What
sound ; heard for leagues: a doom-peal ! That sound
of all the fire-arms,clear and

"

the
And
rolls away
; into the silence of ages.
since vacant,
of Versailles stands
Chateau
ever
too

hushed-still ; its spacious Courts

to the hoe of the weeder.

Now,

however,

the

short

hour

grass-grown,
.

has

sponsive
re-

struck.

His

with his Queen, sister

carriage,
Elizabeth, and two royal children. Not for another
the infinite procession
hour can
get marshalled and

Majesty

is in his

THE

ROMANCE

OF

under

The weather is dim

way.
confused
; the noise great.

Processional

marches

not

few

PARIS

315

drizzHng; the
our

world

has

mind

seen

Roman

triumphs and ovations, Cabiric cymbal-beatings,

royal progresses, Irish funerals ; but this of the
French Monarchy marching to its bed remained
to be
Miles long,and of breadth losing
itselfin vagueseen.
ness,
for all the neighbouringcountry crowds to see.
Slow ; stagnatingalong like shoreless lake,yet with a
noise like Niagara,like Babel and Bedlam.
A splashing
and
a
tramping ; a hurrahing,uproaring,musketthe truest segment of Chaos seen
in these
volleying
;
latter ages ! Till slowly it disembogue itself,
in the
thickeningdusk, into expectant Paris, through a
double row
from Passy to the
of faces all the way
"

H6tel-de-Ville.

vanguard of national troops ; with

trains of artillery
; of
pikemen and pikewomen,
mounted
on
on
carts, hackney-coaches,or
cannon,
in tricolor ribbons from head to
foot ; tripudiating,
heel ; loaves stuck on the pointsof bayonets, green
boughs stuck in gun-barrels. Next, as main-march,
fiftycart-loads of corn,' which have been lent, for
Consider

this

"

which
peace, from the stores of Versailles. Behind
humilifollow stragglers
of the Garde-du-Corps ; all ated,
in Grenadier

bonnets.

Close

on

these

comes

royal carriages; for there

whom
National Deputies too, among
are
a hundred
not given. Then
sits Mirabeau, his remarks
finally,
pell-mell,as rearguard,Flandre, Swiss, Hundred
Swiss,other bodyguards,brigands,whosoever cannot
all which
and among
masses,
get before. Between
the

royal carriage;

come

"

flows

without

Cohort.

limit Saint-Antoine, and

Menadic

about
especially

the

the

Menadic

;
royalcarriage

CHARM

THE

3i6

PARIS

OF

tripudiatingthere, covered with tricolor ; singing

allusive songs'; pointingwith one hand to the royal
carriage,which the allusions hit, and pointing to
the provision
with the other hand, and these
waggons
shall not
want
words :
Courage, Friends ! We
bread
we
are
bringing you the Baker, the
now;
the Baker's
and
Bakeress
Boy (le Boulanger, la
Boulangere et le petitMitron).'
but the joy is
The wet day dragglesthe tricolor,
all well
?
Ah,
now
unextinguishable.Is not
*

'

'

Madame,

of these
Reine,' said some
our
ah, Madame,
days hence

bonne

notre

'

strong-women some
(ne soyez
good Queen, don't be a traitor any more
plustraitre),and we will all love you !' Poor Weber
went
splashingalong, close by the royal carriage,
the
with the tear in his eye : Their Majestiesdid me
from
honour,' or I thought they did it, to testify,
time to time, by shruggingof the shoulders,by looks
directed to Heaven, the emotions
they felt.' Thus,
like frail cockle, floats the royal life-boat,helmless,
black delugesof rascality.
on
Mercier,in his loose way, estimates the procession
"

'

and

assistants at two

it was

one

hundred

inarticulate Haha

boundless

world-laughter
; comparable to
ancients.
Why not ? Here,
hiunan
is of

nature

'

For

swallowed
which

antiques,with
wild and
some

human

more

ail-but

interest

on

all

the
too

;
"

He

says

transcendent

Saturnalia of the
as

; shudder

we

said, is
at it whoso

yet behold it is human.

formulas ';it tripudiates
even

shudderinghumour

It has
so.

once

thousand.

they that collect vases

figuresof dancing Bacchantes
impossiblepositionsmay look

and

reason

'

'

in

with

it.

Thus, however,

has

the

slow-moving Chaos,

or

ROMANCE

THE

modem

and

the

double

lashing Haha
several
others

Deputy

Louis,

who

entering

reached

the

harangued by Mayor
lumber
along, between

to

transcendent

heaven-

hours

Three-thousand

the

Domingo.
experience

for St.

seemed
this

317

the Hotellonger, towards

again to be harangued there, by
de Saint-Mery among
by Moreau

of

; Moreau

National

on

persons

'

it has

; two

Then

de-Ville.

ancients,

of faces, in the

row

PARIS

halt, to be

must

Thereafter

Bailly.

the

of

Saturnalia

Barrier

OF

to

town-hall,

can

orders,
To

all which

now

poor

slight emotion'
only that he

answer

confidence
his
pleasure, with
among
Bailly, in reporting it, forgets
people.' Mayor
the
': and
confidence
eagerly :
Queen says
poor
Messieurs,' rejoins Mayor
Add, with confidence.'
'

with

comes

'

'

"

Bailly,

'

you

are

happier

than

if

had

gotten.'
for-

not

on
an
balcony,
Finally, the King is shown
upper
by torchlight,with a huge tricolor in his hat : and
another's
all the
grasped one
people,'says Weber,
Era
bom.
hand
was
surely the New
'; thinking now
at night can
Royalty get to its
Hardly till eleven
Tuileries ; to
of the
vacant,
long-deserted Palace
in stroller-player
fashion.
It
lodge there, somewhat
is Tuesday, the sixth of October, 1789.
Paris
has
other
Louis
Poor
two
processions to
make
ludicrous-ignominious like this : the other
: one
ludicrous
serious, nay
not
nor
ignominious, but
'

'

"

sublime.
THOMAS

CARLYLE.

CHARM

THE

3i8

PETIT

LE

An old tradition
red man,
who
was
any

HOMME

of Parisians
said

PARIS

OF

to

ROUGE
the existence
in the Tuileries
on

assumed

appear

great calamity threateningthe throne

of

the

little

of

eve

of France.

I.

I may

Wish

If I haven't

done

Forty

never

move,

duty here,

every

above,

years

In the Tuileries Palace, year

Where

by

year

for my

sins,no doubt
Often I've been put out.
I can.
In the nook where I sleepwhenever
By a visit,at night,from the Little Red Man
"

"

II.

dears,

Just imagine,my
A

little lame
A

devil all dress 'd in red ;

hump rightup to his ears ;

A horrible

And

squintand

carroty head
all crooked and long ;

nose

foot with

voice

"

It's notice to

double

us

preserve

"

prong

whenever

it

croaks,

the Tuileries folk.

quitto

III.

saw

him

I mind

"

it well

"

In the terrible year of 'Ninety-two;

all fell
Nobles and priests
From

our

excellent

Then

was

When

he

King

came

in

Red-cap, wooden
dozing away by
he croaked

and

"

'twas

sad to-do !

blouse.

shoes.
the

chimney blaze.

whistled

the Marseillaise.

THE

320
all rubbish

can

CHARM
and

again,on clear
something even
course

must

new

PARIS

"

be, is swept aside

under

arena,

of

OF

; and

so

conditions, with
we
stateliness,
begin a new
new

of action.

:
Young has witnessed the strangestscene
Majestywalkingunattended in the Tuileries Gardens ;
tricolor crowds, who cheer it,and
and miscellaneous
for it : the very Queen commands
reverentlymake
way
at lowest respectful
ance.
silence,regretfulavoidSimple ducks, in those royal waters, quackle
for cnmibs
from
royal fingers: the little
young
Dauphin has a little railed garden,where he is seen
delving,with ruddy cheeks and flaxen curled hair ;
also a littlehutch to put his tools in, and screen
self
him! Is
What
peaceablesimplicity
againstshowers.

Arthur

it peace of
a taskmaster
the

father restored to his children ?

who

has lost his

Municipality and

assert the

it.

whip

universal

former, and

do what

Or

of

Lafayette,and

constitutionalism

is in them

to realize

patriotismas snarls dangerouslyand shows

teeth, patroUotism shall suppress ; or far better,
royalty shall soothe down the angry hair of it, by
gentlepattings; and, most effectual of all,by fuller
diet. Yes, not onlyshall Paris be fed, but the King's
The household
in that work.
hand be seen
goods of
the poor
shall, up to a certain amount,
by royal
bounty, be disengagedfrom pawn, and that msatiable
Mont
de Piete shall disgorge
; rides in the citywith
their Vive-le-Roi need not fail ; and so by substance
and show, shall royalty,if man's
art can
popularize
it,be popularized.
his French
For
of the
Majesty,meanwhile, one
worst thingsis, that he can
get no hunting. Alas,
no
hunting henceforth ; only a fatal being-hunted!
Such

THE

ROMANCE

OF

PARIS

321

in the next June weeks, shall he taste again

Scarcely,
the joys of the game-destroyer
; in next June, and
He sends for his smith-tools ; gives,
in
never
more.
the course
of the day, officialor ceremonial
business
beingended, a few strokes of the file,
quelques
coups
brother mortal, why wert thou
de lime.' Innocent
*

not

substantial

obscure

an

in that

doomed

other

of

maker

locks ; but
far-seen craft,to be a maker

unrealities ; thingsself-destructive,
only of world-follies,
which no
mortal hammering could rivet into
coherence

Louis is not without

Poor

without
nor
even
insight,
some
sharpness of temper,*
a
stagnatingcharacter. If

of will ;
spurtingat times from
the

elements

harmless

inertness

he will slumber

could

save

him, it

were

well ; but

and

dream, and to do aught

painfully
is not given him.
stillshow
Royalistantiquarians
the rooms
where Majesty and suite,in these extraordinary
circumstances,had their lodging. Here sat
the Queen ; reading, for she had her library
brought
ment
hither,though the King refused his ; taking vehe"

counsel of the vehement

altered times ;

uncounseUed

yet with

ing
sorrow-

hope of better :
in her young rosy boy has she not the living
emblem
of hope ! It is a murky, workingsky ; yet with golden
gleams of dawn, or of deepermeteoric night? Here
over

sure

"

again this chamber, on the

the King's:
entrance, was
he

his

in human

when

sulkiness,for flesh
questionedabout business,would

Madame,

your business is with the children.*

; and
'

answer

here

side of the main

fasted,
Majesty breakand did officialwork ; here dailyafter breakfast
received the Queen ; sometimes
in pathetic

friendliness ; sometimes
is weak

other

Nay, Sire,were

it not better you, your

Majesty'sself,
21

THE

322

children ?

the

took

rather

indeed

were

both

impartialHistory;

asks

So

for

than

broken

also the

not

was

porcelainclay of
tile-clay,
though

the

stronger ; pity-struckfor

humanity

PARTS

OF

thicker vessel

the

that

scornful

CHARM

the

"

Tuileries,shall the

So, however, in this Medicean

sit for one-and-forty

Queen now
France
work out
months
; and see a wild-fermenting
its own
destiny,and theirs. Months bleak, imgenial,
of rapidvicissitude ; yet with a mild pale splendour,
here and there : as of an April that were
leadingto
October that led only to
leafiest Summer
; as of an
how changed
Medicean Tuileries,
Frost.
everlasting
tile-field!
since it was
a peaceful
French

Kmg

and

THOMAS

NAPOLEON'S

CARLYJLE.

FAREWELL
I.

Farewell
and

Arose

to the Land

o'ershadow'd

She abandons
The

me

or
brightest

I have

When

where

gloom of

the earth with her

name

"

of

"

world which

me
vanquish'd

conquest allured

me

I have
The

Glory

my

but the page of her story,

blackest, is fill'dwith my fame.
now

warr'd with
the meteor

the

coped with the nations which

lonely.
last single
Captiveto millions in

only

too far ;

dread

me

thus

war.

II.

Farewell to thee,France

!when

thy diadem

I made
But

thee the gem and the wonder

decrees I should
thy weakness

crown'd

of earth,
leave

as

thee,

Decay'd in thy glory,and

sunk

in

me,

thy

worth.

1 found

THE

ROMANCE

Oh

! for the veteran

hearts that

In

strife with

storm, when

won

Then

the

PARIS

OF

323

wasted

were

their battles

were

"

the

Eagle, whose

in that

gaze

moment

was

blasted,
Had

stillsoar'd with eyes fix'd on

sim
victory's

III.

Farewell

Once

to thee, France

!
"

Libertyrallies

when

but

in

remember
me
then,
thy regions,
The violet stillgrows in the depth of thy valleys;
Though wither'd,thy tear will unfold it again
Yet, yet, I may baffle the hosts that surround us,
And yet may
thy heart leap awake to my voice
more

"

"

"

There

are

links which

has bound
Then

break

must

in the chain that

us,

turn thee and

call on

the Chief of

thy

LORD

BYRON.

the French.

From

ON

THE

STAR

'

OF

Star

of the brave

Such

gloryo'er

Thou

radiant and

THE

!
"

the

LEGION

whose

quick and

adored

millions rush'd in

Which

meteor

Why

rise in Heaven

Souls of slain heroes

hath

dead

shed

"

deceit !
arms

of immortal

Wild

HONOUR

OF

beam

choice !

to

greet,
"

birth ;

to set

on

Earth

form'd

thy rays ;
Eternity flash'd throughthy blaze ;
The music of thy martial sphere
fame on high and honour here ;
Was
And
thy lightbroke on human
eyes,
Like

volcano

of the skies.
21

"

'

PARIS

OF

CHARM

THE

E324

of blood,

Like lava roll'd thy stream

Earth

thee to her base,

rock'd beneath

thou

As

didst

its flood ;

empireswith

swept down

And

lightenthrough
Sun

And

the shorn

And

set while thou

in air,

dim

grew

all space

dwellingthere.

wert

Before thee rose, and with thee grew,

A

of the loveliest hue

rainbow

brightcolours,each divine.
fit for that celestial sign;

Of three
And

For

Like tints in

had

hand

Freedom's
an

them,

blended

immortal

gem.

dyes ;
One, the blue depth of Seraph'seyes ;
veil of white
One, the pure Spirit's
Had robed in radiance of its light:
The three so mingled did beseem
The texture of a heavenlydream.
One

tint

was

of the sunbeam's

Star of the brave

And

darkness

! thy ray is pale.

must

againprevail!
of the free !

But, oh thou Rainbow

flow for thee.

and blood must

Our

tears

When

thy brightpromisefades
lifeis but a load of clay.

Our
And
The

Freedom

hallows

Who

her tread

with

silent cities of the dead

For beautiful in death

away.

they

are

her array ;
be
! may
oh Goddess
we

proudlyfall in

And

soon,

For

evermore

with them

or

thee

!
LORD

From

BYRON.

the French.

Paris, hard

of

dozen

the Maine

335

barriers,

repair,
wooden-leggedwarriors

will choose

Whoever
'Midst

by

PARIS

STORY

PIERRE'S

OLD

At

OF

ROMANCE

THE

to

May haply fall in with old Pierre.

On the sunshinybench of a tavern
He sits and he prates of old wars,
And moistens his pipeof tobacco
With

drink that is named

his

beer makes

The

And

long as

as

Thus

tongue run
his tap never

his favourite

over

after Mars.
the

quicker.

fails,

liquor

Old Peter will tell his old tales.

*

Says he, In my life'sninetysummers

Strange changes and chances I've seen,^
So here's to all gentlemen drummers
That ever have thumped on a skin.
*

the Place de la Concorde

all know

You

by the Tuileries wall.

Mid terraces, fountains,and statues.
'Tis hard

rises an

There

rises an

There

obelisk tall.

obelisk tall.

'd and gildedthe base

garnish
'Tis surelythe gayest of all
Our beautiful city's
gay places.
All

it are

Around

Each

gardensand flowers,

their thrones.
'd with his circlet of flowers

the Cities of France

And

crown

Sits

is :

on

watchingthis biggestof

stones

I love to go sit in the sun there,

The flowers and fountains to see.
And

to think of the deeds that

In the

were

done

glorious
year ninety-three.

there

CHARM

THE

326
*

though

And

the

stood

here

Twas

PARIS

OF

of Freedom

Altar

neither marble

gilding

nor

days to adorn
Our simplerepublicanbuilding,
used in those

Was

Corbleu ! but the MkRE

splendouror show,

Cared littlefor
gave her

So you
And

Guillotine

an

and

axe

plank and

basket

beam,
or

so.

Awful, and proud, and erect,

'

Here

republicangoddess.

sat our

morning her table we deck'd

With dainty aristocrats* bodies.
The peopleeach day flock'd around

Each

she sat at her meat

As

always the

'Twas

the

witness

To

use

of

and
our

her wine

nation

Sovereigndine.

'

Young virginswith fair golden tresses.

Old silver-hair'd prelatesand priests,
Dukes, marquises,barons, princesses.
Were
splendidlyserved at her feasts.
bleu ! but we pamper'd our
Ventre
ogress
With the best that our nation could bring,
And dainty she grew in her progress.
And call'd for the head of a King !
*

She called for the blood

And

And

to

And
"

The

of

our

King,

straightfrom his prisonwe drew

her with shoutingwe
led him ;
took

him,

monarchs

Have

and

bound

him, and

of

slew

Europe againstme
godlessalliance :
head of King Louis,"

plotteda
I'll flingthem
the
She said, as my
"

gage

of defiance."

him

him.

CHARM

THE

^
Who
Who
The

leader

our

as

now

guides our

freedom

OF

PARIS

banners

of two

appears

nobly red ?

"

hemispheres

Tis

head
Lafayette,with the snowy
Oh, days 1 with glory to be crowned
;
Paris
The

ancient

her

tricolour

cry has

is raised

found.

high

on

With

holy rapture we can see,

Shining against a cloudy sky,
rainbow
The
of our
liberty.
Oh, days ! with glory to be crowned
Paris

her

ancient

Thou

soldier of the

Orleans

who

"

heart's

Thy

With

it

thou

"

long ago,
wouldst

freelypour

already flow.
with glory to be crowned
we

see

ancient

her

found.

tricolour

bore

blood

that

Oh, days !
Paris

cry has

Proclaim
And

let

Upon

us

their honourable
with

Receive

them

March

bays and

early doom.

in

thy

with

tomb.

crowned.
cypress
vaults profound.

noiseless

your

heads

pantheon,

which

Bare

of death.

the laurel wreath

cast

Temple

That

brethren's

our

found.

cry has

drums, roll forth the sound

Ye

to

feet,

greet

their

glory

CASIMIR

makes

DELAVIGNE.

plete.
com-

PARIS

OF

THE

PAST

Paris

The

in

by

gone

of
the

of

Paris

old

Paris,

in

that

but

had

of

its

Paris

the

"

has

the

of

and

but

'

the

Alystires

iron

gibbets

or

"

(where

charm.

were

sweet,

in

but

of

Balzac

dim

oil

the

air

full

of

been

records

and

interest

charm

volumed

her
tale

for

matters
"

the
not

and

broad
of

musing
life

clothed

romance

and
that

on

rapture,
has

in

winding

been

sadness,

river,

life

around

lived
but

in

the

every

!
MAURIER.

Paris

lies,

as

you

still

and

all savoury

DU

leaf,

every

of

not

GEORGE

Between

from

hung).

records

and

fascinating

least

it"

Sue

suspended

domestic

outside

science

Eugene

lanterns
had

means

lighted by

by modern

and

aristocrats
no

SARDOU.

Haussmann,

drained

unwritten

the

always

Baron
and

of

by
the

afloat

the

regret

new.

le

flushed

once

these

where

"

M.

Paris

the

and

"

romantic
house

of

Paxis

old

good

Les

Streets

Paris

electricity, and

and

gas

the

not

"

many

blemishes,

VICTORIEN

Paris

times

undergone

its drawbacks
own

of

...

fond

am

youth

centuries,

spite

...

period

and

of

course

transformations
the

childhood

my

full

gracious

to

to

it,
flowing
over-

brance,
remem-

gaiety

tradition.
HANNAH

two-

turn

you

vivid

LYNCH.

of

DESCRIPTION

OF

OLD

PARIS

Juliansuspended, for a short time,

the inroads of the Barbarians, and delayed the ruin
of the Western
Empire. His salutaryinfluence rehad
stored the cities of Gaul, which
been so long
exposed to the evils of civil discord, barbarian war,
and domestic
of industrywas
tyranny ; and the spirit
revived with the hopes of enjoyment. Agriculture,
manufactures, and commerce
again flourished under
the protectionof the laws ; and the curios, or civil
were
spectable
again filled with useful and recorporations,
members
: the
no
youth were
longer apprehensive
of marriage ; and married
were
no
persons
: the
longer apprehensive of posterity
public and
celebrated
with
private festivals were
customary
intercourse
of the
frequent and secure
; and
pomp
provincesdisplayedthe image of national prosperity.
like that of Julianmust
have left the general
A mind
happinessof which he was the author : but he viewed
with peculiarsatisfaction and complacency the city
The

victories of

of Paris, the

seat

of his winter

residence, and

the

of his partialaffection.
That
object even
splendid
embraces
an
ample territoryon
capital,which now
either side of the Seine, was
confined to
originally
the small island in the midst of the river,from whence
derived
the inhabitants
brious
a
supply of pure and saluThe

water.

and

the

bridges.

town
A

was

forest

river bathed
accessible

the foot of the walls

only by

overspreadthe
331

northern

two

wooden
side of the

THE

332
Seine

; but

bears

the

houses, and

with

covered

amphitheatre, baths,
for the
of the
of the

for the

exercise

that
an

Roman

a
a

now

insensiblypalace and

field of Mars
The

severity
climate
was
tempered by the neighbourhood
with some
ocean
perience
precautions,which ex; and
had taught, the vine and fig-tree
were
fully
successcultivated.

Seine

with

adorned

aqueduct, and

an

which

ground,
university,was

the

of

name

the

south,

the

on

PARIS

OF

CHARM

deeply

was

floated

in

But

the stream

winters, the

the

huge pieces of ice

might be compared, by

of white

Asiatic, to the blocks

marble

which

memory
his beloved

unknown

the

Lutetia,

"

^where

"

or

effeminate

which

the

Gauls, and

was

the

ancient

name

of the

amusements

despised. He
Syrians with

of the

were

the

quarriesof Phrygia. The

and
recalled
corruption of Antioch
and simple manners
of Julian the severe

extracted

of Paris

remarkable

; and

frozen

down

from

troops.

only

tiousness
licento

of the
theatre

indignantly contrasted
the

brave

almost
stain

and

honest

the

of

city
were

the

plicity
sim-

ance
forgave the intemperon

the

Celtic character.

revisit the capitalof France, he

Julian could now
and
with
of science
men
might converse
genius,
capable of understanding and of instructinga disciple
the livelyand graceful
of the Greeks
; he might excuse
follies of a nation whose
martial spirit
been
has never
enervated
by the indulgence of luxury ; and he must
art which
applaud the perfectionof that inestimable
If

softens

and

refines

and

embellishes

the

intercourse

of social life.
EDWARD

GIBBON.

OF

PARIS

CHAPTER

Paris

As

its return

forward

PAST

King

the

333

FROISSART

FROM

receives

the French

THE

of

France

approachedthe cityof Paris,on

Flanders, the king and his lords sent

army

from

to order the Louvre

their servants

different hotels

prepared for

be

and

other

their

reception.
This they were
advised to do by way
of precaution,
in order to try the feelings
of the Parisians,as they
not at all to be depended upon ; specialinjuncwere
tions
were
givento these servants, if they were asked
about the king,to reply that he would
any questions
be with them
shortly. The Parisians,findingthis to
be the

to

resolved

case,

to

arm

themselves

and

display

king,on his entrance into Paris, the force that

It would
the city contained.
have been far better
had they remained
for them
quiet,for this display
done
cost them
dearly. They professedthat it was
by them with good intentions ; but it was taken in a
the news
far different sense
of
; for the king,when
this assemblingof the people was
brought to him,
said to his lords : See the prideand presumptionof
this mob.
What
are
they now
making this display
to the

for ?'

To

remark

some,

who

were

desirous of

:
upon the Parisians at once, added
If the king be well advised, he will not put himself

making
*

which

in the

an

attack

power

of these

people, who

are

coming

to

in
fullyarmed, when they ought to come
for the great
all humility,returningthanks
to God
victory which he has given us in Flanders.' Upon

meet

him

the whole, however, the lords

how

meet

the

somewhat

puzzled

mined
hesitation,it was deterof France, with several
Parisians,and inquirefor

to act ; and, after much

that the Constable

others, should

were

THE

334
what

When

force
seen

of course,
from
when
us

can,

occasion

gentlemen,' answered
tell you
fairly
; but we
done

have

you

We

has

have

never

has

acquaintedwith
service he may
*

'

Well,

speak

you
king,that

the

come

and

requiresit.'

such

see

them, the

to

constable,

from

wish to

he does not

what

the

king the

what

know

never

such

lord the

possess ; he is very young,

it ; and if he should not be made

draw

time

our

we

it,he

cityin

put

answer,

displayto

to

manner

of the
*

chiefs of the Parisians made

out in this

PARIS

OF

out
they had come
this questionwas

reason

body.

CHARM

this

at

and
display,

that

sufficient for him.

been

homes ; and if you wish

to your own
instantly
the king to come
to Paris, lay aside your
arms.'
fully
My lord,'they replied,your orders shall be cheerobeyed.' Upon this, the Parisians returned to
the city,and the constable and his companions reported
to the king and his council the result of their
Return

'

interview.

As

soon

as

it was

that the Parisians

known

retired,the king,with his uncles

lords, set out for Paris, attended by

had

the

main

the

arms,

Parisians

Marshal

de

body being left near

in

The

awe.

Sancerre

gates off their hinges at

St. Denis
clear
and

and

St. Marcel,

night and day

master

to do

the
so

sent

were

the chains which

in order that the

had

been

men-at-

cityto keep
Coucy and the
to take

the

the
so

for the

were

few

forward

principalentrances of
that the way
might be
forces to enter the city,

Parisians,should

they

principal

the

de

Lord

and

there

be

also instructed
thrown

across

any
to

sion
occa-

remove

the streets,

cavalrymight pass through without

danger or opposition.The Parisians,on seeingthese
in the greatest possiblealarm,
were
preparations,
and
fearful of being punished for what
so
they

THE

336

OF

CHARM

PARIS

givesit those thousand churches

startingfrom their sleep. At first you hear only
scattered
tinklings,
going from church to church/ as
when
musicians
another
notice to
are
giving one
for there are
begin. Then, all on a sudden, behold
fpr it is the

siin

that

"

"

moments

the

when

ear

itself

moment,
ascending at the same
column
of sound, as it were,
a
At

to

seems

see

"

behold

from

every steeple,
.a cloud of harmony.
first the vibration of each, bell mounts
up direct,

clear,and,

as

it were,

isolated from

the rest, into the

splendid morning. sky; then, by degrees, as they

expand, they mingle, unite, are lost in each other,
in one
Then
and confounded
magnificentconcert.
vibrations incessantly
it is all one
of.sonorous
mass
the innumerable steeples-floating,
sent forth from
undulating,bounding, and eddying,over the town,
and extendingfar beyond the horizon the deafening
circle of its oscillations. Yet that sea of harmony is
Wide and deep as it is,it has not lost
not a chaos.
its transparency ; you perceivethe windings of each
group of notes that escapes from the several rings;
and
follow the dialogue by turns grave
can
you
"

clamorous, of the crecelle and the bourdon

; you

ceive
per-

to another ;
leapingfrom one steeple
and
springingaloft,winged,light,
you observe them
from the bell of silver ; falling
broken and
whistling,
admire among
You
limping from the bell of wood.
them
the rich gamut incessantlydescendingand reascendingthe seven bells of Saint-Eustache ; and you
clear and rapid notes, running across, as it were,
see
and vanishinglike
in three or four luminous
zigzags,
there
Saintflashes of lightning. Down
see
you
Martin's Abbey, a shrilland broken- voiced songstress;

the octaves

here

is the

sinister and

sullen voice of the Bastille ;

OF

PARIS

THE

PAST

337

and at the other end is the great tower of the Louvre,

The royalchime of the Palais
with its counter-tenor.
side

resplendenttrillings,
the heavy strokes
at regular
intervals,
upon which fall,
from the great bell of Notre-Dame, which
strike
sparklesfrom them like the hammer
upon the anvil.
At intervals,
you perceivesounds pass by of every
form, from the triple
pealof Saint-Germain-des-Pres.
of sublime
Then, again,from time to time, that mass
sounds half opens, and givespassage to the stretto of
like an aigrette
the Ave-Maria, which glitters
of stars.
Below, in the deepestof the concert, you distinguish
confusedlythe internal music of the churches,exhaled
through the vibratingpores of their vaulted roofs.
is an opera worth hearing. Ordinarily,
Here, certainly,
that escapes from Paris in the daythe murmur
time,
is the citytalking
; in the night,it is the city
breathing; but here, it is the citysinging. Listen,
the
then, to this tutti of the steeplesdiffuse over
of half a million of people,the
v/hole the murmur
ing
plaintof the river the boundless breatheverlasting
the grave and far quartetof the four
of the wind
forests placedupon the hills,in the distance,like so
vast organs
immersingin them, as in a demimany

casts
unceasingly

every

on

"

"

"

"

tint,all in the central

concert

that

would

otherwise

rugged or too sharp ; and then say whether

of anythingin the world more
rich,more
you know
than this tumult
joyous,more golden,more dazzling,
be too

of bells and

chimes

"

this furnace

of music

"

these

of stone

voices of brass,all singing

togetherin flutes
feet high this citywhich is
three hundred

all

orchestra

thousand

one

"

"

this

symphony

as

loud

as

tempest.
VICTOR

HUGO.

22

CHARM

THE

338

ORIGIN

THE

PARIS

OF

PARIS

OF

die and

all dies,and
: how
sovereignties
is for a time only ; is a
Time-phantasm, yet reckons
itself real !' The MerovingianKings,slowlywending
their bullock-carts through the streets of Paris,
on
have
all wended
with their long hair flowing,
slowly
into Eternity. Charlemagne sleepsat Salzburg,
on,
with truncheon
grounded ; only Fable expectingthat
Charles the Hammer,
he will awaken.
Pepin Bowis their eye of menace,
their voice
legged,where now
Rollo and his shaggy Northmen
?
of command
cover
not the Seine with ships; but have sailed off on
a
The hair of Towhead
(Teted'etoupes)
longervoyage.
needs no combing ; Iron-cutter (Taillefer)
cannot
now
cut a cobweb
; shrill Fredegonda, shrill Brunhilda
Sovereigns

"

hot

out their hot

had

have

Neither from

cooled.
life-frenzy

de Nesle

descends

and lie silent,their

life-scold,

in his sack, to the Seine waters

for Dame

de

Nesle

heeds
gallantry,

not

the

darkUng

now

now

cares

that black Tower

doomed

gallant,
; plunginginto night:
not

this world's

for this world's

scandal

; Dcime

de

Nesle is herself gone into night. They are all gone ;

sunk
down, down, with the tumult they made ; and
"

the

and
rolling

passes over
for ever.

the

them

tramping of ever
; and they hear

new

it not

generations
any

more

what
yet withal has there not been realized some?
Consider (to go no
further)these strong
of
Stone-edifices,and what they hold ! Mud-Town
the Borderers {Lutetia
Parisiorum
or
Barisiorum)has
has spread over
all the Seine Islands,
paved itself,
and far and wide on each bank, and become
City of
Paris, sometimes
boastingto be Athens of Europe,'

And

'

PARIS

OF

THE

PAST

339

'

and

even

her

anvils

Capitalof the Universe.' Stone towers

frown aloft ; long-lasting,
grim with a thousand years.
Cathedrals are there, and a creed (or memory
of a
creed)in them ; palaces,and a state and law. Thou
seest the smoke-vapour; ^^extinguished
breath as of
a thingliving.Laboiur's thousand
hammers
ringon
also

miraculous

more

labour

works

not with the Hand, but with the Thought.

noiselessly,
How
have cunning workmen
in all crafts,with their
and
the
four
cunning head
right-hand,turned
elements to be their ministers ; yoking the winds to
their sea-chariot,
making the very stars the nautical
and
written and
collected a Bihliotime-piece
;
whose
books
is the Hebrew
thequedu Roi ; among
"

Book
been
Past

wondrous

of creatures

race

these have

and what skill is in these : call not the

realized,
Time, with all its confused wretchedness,a lost

one.

THOMAS

city hath

The
Some

the
it

say that

Caesar,who
elevation

OF

PICTURE
name

OLD

PARIS

of Lutetia in Latin.

of old called the

was

CARLYLE.

"
.

City of Julius

It lies in the
built greate part thereof.
of the Pole fortyeightdegrees,and the

chiefe part thereof,namely,the Hand or greaterCity,

is seated in fenny ground. For the River Seyne hath
often overflowed
In the time of
to

the

Saint

by

an

Paris, and broken

down

King Phillip
Augustus,the

statuaes

without

the

the

bridges.

waters

Cathedrall

Church

rose

of

Mary, on the north side thereof,as appeares

all in
The City of old was
inscription.

the Hand, and when

it could not receive the multitude

22

"

THE

340

CHARM

OF

PARIS

increased, the City as inlargedto both sides of the

continent, and first that part of the City called
La

the second

then
ville,

part called the University,

suburbes, till they were

esteemed

joinedto the
creased
City. For the Kings Court and the City still inwith buildings,
so as the suburbes
were
greater
the City ; whereupon King Charles the fifth
than
the same
which the City had,
privileges
gave them
with wals, whereof the mines
and compassed them
The part of the City called the
yet appeare.
Ville,is compassed on the south and west sides with
the River Seyne, and upon the east and north sides
ditches in the forme
of
with wals, rampiers,and
halfe a circle. The second part of the City,called
is compassed on the east and north
the University,
the south and
sides with the River Seyne,and upon
west sides with wals, which
they write to have the
that the long suburbes somewhat
forme of a hat, save
were

alter this forme.

buildingof the Cityis for the most part stately,

and
of unpolishedstone with the outside plastered,
rough cast, and the houses for the most part are foure
stories high, and sometimes
sixe, besides the roofes
which also hath glassewindowes.
The streetes are
somewhat
them the fairest is that
large,and among
The

of Saint Dennis, the second

Saint Honore, the third

And
Saint Antoine, and the fourth Saint Marline.
in
the waies to these streetes

the Hand

are

fairest.

The

but thicke and somewhat

broade
pavement is of little,
The market
stones.
placeswhich are in the
streetes, are
vulgarly called Carresours, as being
and having passage to them on all sides,
fouresquare,
and they are eleven in number, namely, foure of the
sedition raised by them.
a
butchers, (which upon
.

PARIS

were

OF

divided into foure

THE

PAST

tribes)
; the

341

fifth the shambles

Saint Genovesa
; the sixth built for
upon the mount
the poore which have no shops,and for the women
which sell linen, which is vulgarlycalled La lingeria
;
of the

the seventh
the

ferie;

eighth and chief,is

; the

Marshes

brokers, vulgarlycalled La
is without

eleventh

in the
the

Frip-

Hand, called

gate. There

be

fountains, besides the fountaine of the

Queene, and that of the Innocents, built of stone.
In this part of the City called Ville,there be three
the Greve,
placesfor the execution of justice,
and that of the Temple, lyingon the left hand of the
gate, called Temple, next adjoiningto this, and the

fourteene

third called
seventh
three

Luparia, lying on

gate, called the

placesthe

dead

gate of Saint Martine

the

bodies

of the

left hand
from

carried out

are

gate. And

new

these

of the

to be buried

And

Mont-falcon.
upon
leave out of order to remember
you, that

falcon, and

that

giveme
Pierre Remy, Treasurer
and Gouvenour
of France,
under
King Charles the Faire, repairedthis Monthis enemies

And

Upon

this

Peter

Remy

wrote

rime in French

gallowesstandingthere, this
'

then

gybet here

you

upon

the

see,

hanged shall be.'

in the time
he was
accordingto the same
of Valois hanged there, for the illadministration
of Phillip
of his office. On the righthand as you come
in by the same
gate of Saint Anthony, is a placefor
the
The gate upon
Tylting,called Tournelles.
Seyne towards the North-west, is called the new gate,
that

and within
is the

the

same

about

King's Pallace,which

Pallace, in respect of the

musket
may

shot

be called

greater,seated

distance,
the

in

lesse
the

THE

34J8
and

PARIS

OF

CHARM

this little Pallace

is

vulgarlycalled Le
This Pallace hath onely one courtyard,and
Louvre.
that the lengthsomeis of a quadrangleforme, save
what
passeth the bredth, and the buildingbeeingof
free stone, seemeth
and
partly old, partly new,
of the corners,
the Kings chambers
towards
one
(vulgarlycalled II Pavilion)are more
fairelybuilt
Hand,

then the rest.

musket

Without

the said

new

gate,some

halfe

shot distance,is the

Kmgs garden with the

banquetting house (vulgarlycalled Les Tuilleries),
the civillwarres
And now
beingended, the King began
which should joinetogether
to build a statelygallery,
this garden and the foresaid Pallace of the King,
and I heare that this gallery
is since finished. And
the hall joiningthis gallerywith the Pallace, doth
passe the statelybuildingof the rest of the Pallace,
and
of marble
stones
being beautified with many
On the left hand, as you come
into
porphery.
the foresaid new
gate,lies the Tower Luparia,and
Alen9on house, and Burbon house, and the Coyning
house, and upon the righthand the chiefe Cojming
house lyingupon the River Seyne. To conclude : of
the streetes of this part of the Citie called Ville,the
chiefe is S. Antoine ; the second of the Temple ; the
third S. Martine ; the fourth S. Denys ; the fifth
...

Mont

Mart

re

; and

the sixth S. Honore.

part of the Citie,called the Universitie,

hath the River Seyne on the East and North sides,
and is compassed with walles on the south and west
sides,and hath seven
gates. The first gate of S. Victoire,lies on the South side upon the river,and hath
his suburb, with a statelymonastery. And from the
hill adjoyningto this gate,the army of King Henrie
the fourth besieging
the citie,
much
pressedthe same,
The

second

THE

344

CHARM

ProtectingSaint of
distant

Paris.

from

the

OF

PARIS

French) is

Hither

I went

little miles

two

passing by the

gate of Saint Denis, lying towards the north-east.

I passed upon
Thence
a way
paved with flint,in a
largeplainetowards the east, having Mont Falcon on
I had the mounand my
left hand
right,
my
taine of the martirs (vulgarly
called Mont
Martre),
.

and

the

next

way

from

the citie to this mountaine

is to goe out by the gate Mont Martre.

Upon this
mountaine
they say, that the martyrs Dennis,

Areopagita,and

Rusticus, and Eleutherius, were

beheaded in the time of Domitian, because they would
And
sacrifice to
Mercurie.
not
they constantly
beleeve this miracle, that all these three martyrs
carried each one his head to the village
Catula, which
now

is called Saint

by the way
places where
with
fell downe

Dennis.
with
pillars

many

they

say

their heades
at

And

I have

observed

altars set up

in the

these

sooth)
martyrs rested (forin their hand, and at last
this church

Catula, where
likewise

was

built

monastery, by King
Dagobertus,who also lyes there buried, and hath a
statue in the cloister of the monastery.
Having viewed Paris, I desired to see the French
I
so
King, Henrie the Fourth, and his Court,
took my
journey towards the Court, and went by
over

them,

and

...

boate upon the Seyne (whichboat dailypassethfrom

Paris toward the south)nine leaguesto Corbeuile and

leaguesto Melune, having on both sides pleasant

hilles plantedwith vines.
Then I went on foote foure
miles over
a mountaine
paved with flint to the Kings
pallace,called Fontain-bleau, that is, the Fountain
foure

of faire water.
FYNES

MORYSON

(1617).

PARIS

BIRD'S-EYE

OF

THE

VIEW

OF

PAST

PARIS

345

IN

1482

aspect did [Paris]present when viewed from

of Notre-Dame
the top of the towers
in 1482 ?
this
out of breath, upon
The spectator,on arriving,
summit, was first of all struck by a dazzlingconfusion
of roofs, chimneys, streets, bridges,squares, spires,
the formally-c
steeples. All burst upon the eye at once
the hanging
roofing,
gable,the acute-angled
turret at the anglesof the walls, the stone pyramid of
the eleventh century,the slate obelisk of the fifteenth ;
What

"

the

donjon tower,

square

and

massive

round

decorated

and

and

; the

bare

the church

largeand

the

tower,

small, the

the

time
airy. The gaze was for some
utterlybewildered by this labyrinth; in which there
was
nothing but proceeded from art ; from the
most
inconsiderable carved and paintedhouse-front,
with external timbers, low doorway, and stories projecting
each upon each, up to the royalLouvre itself,
"

which,

time, had

at that

the

examine

colonnade

of towers.

But

the

that were
principalmasses
the eye became
steady enough
tumultuous
assemblage of objects

followingwere
when
distinguishable
to

this

in detail.
First of all
to the

the
.

city,then, first presenteditself

view, with its stern

the west.

to the east

and

its prow

to

Looking toward the prow, you had before

innumerable
congregationof old roofs, with
you an
the lead-covered bolster of Sainte-Chapelle
rising
back
above them broad and round, like an elephant's
with the tower
it. Only that here the placeof
upon
the elephant's
tower
was
occupied by the boldest,
spire
openest, airiest,most notched and ornamented
that ever
the sky through its lacework
showed
cone.

346

THE
before

Close
in the
to

The

the

CHARM

furrowed

and

roof, which
within that

of the

terminated

streets

churchyard contiguous

fine square of old houses.

side of this Place was
overhung by the
a

"

rugged front
looks

And

warts.

PARIS

three

Notre-Dame,

parvis,or part
grand entrance

southern

OF

of the Hotel-Dieu, and

if covered

as

then, right and

with

pimples and

left,east

circuit of the

narrow

its

and

City,were

west,

ranged

the

steeplesof its twenty-one churches, of all dates,

forms, and sizes ; from the low and decayed Roman
to
campanile of St. Denis-du-Pas
{careerGlaiicini)
the slender
and
spires of St. Pierre-aux-Boeufs
extended
St, Laundry. Behind
ward
northNotre-Dame
the cloister with its Gothic galleries
ward,
; souththe demi-Roman
palace of the bishop; and
eastward, the uninhabited point of the island,called
the terrain,or ground, by distinction. Amid
that
accumulation
of houses the eye could also distinguish,
mitres of stone, which at that
by the high perforated
surmounted
period,placed aloft upon the roof itself,
the highestrange of palace windows, the mansion
presentedby the Parisians,in the reignof Charles VI.,
to Juvenal des Ursins ; a littlefarther on, the black,
Palus ;
of the Marche
pitch-coveredmarket-sheds
the new
chancel of St. Gerand in another direction,
ment
main-le-Vieux, lengthened,in 1458, by an encroachone
upon
then, here and

way
the

of
furrowed

there,

Rue-aux-Febves
to

were

be

seen

some

; and
cross-

pilloryerected at
fine pieceof the paveof a street
some
ment
Philip-Augustus a magnificentflagging,

crowded
comer

of the

end

with

people
"

some

"

"

in the

middle

to

prevent

the

horses

from

in the sixteenth century

and so ill-replaced
slipping,
by the wretched pebblingcalled pave de la Ligue
"

PARIS
some

OF

THE

PAST

solitarybackyard, with

one

staircase-turrets which

they

347
of those
used

parent
trans-

build in

to

the fifteenth century, one

of which
is still to be seen
des Bourdonnais.
in the Rue
the rightof
And
on
the

to
Sainte-Chapelle,
Justicerested its group

brink.

The

the

groves

of the

Passeur.

the

westward,

of towers

upon

Palais de

the

water's

royalgardenswhich

point of

western

islet of the

the

the

pied
occu-

the island,hid from

As

for the

view

it
itself,
of Notre-Dame,
water

hardly visible from the towers

either side of the City ; the Seine disappearing
on
under the bridges,
and the bridgesunder the houses.
when
And
you looked beyond those bridges,the
roofs upon which were
tracted
tingedwith green, having conuntimely mouldiness from the vapours of the

was

water

the

; if you

your eye on the left hand, toward

the first edifice that struck it was
a
University,
cast

large low cluster of towers, the Petit Chatelet, the

tremity
gaping porch of which seemed to devour the exof the Petit-Pont.
Then, if your view ranged
along the shore from east to west, from the Tournelle
to the Tour de Nesle, you beheld a long line of houses
exhibitingsculpturedbeams, coloured window-glass,
able
each story overhangingthat beneath it an intermintervals
zigzag of ordinarygables,cut at frequentinand then
street, and now
by the end of some
of some
also by the front or the corner
great stonebuilt mansion, which seemed to stand at its ease, with
its courtyardsand gardens,its wings and its compartments,
amid that rabble of houses crowding and
pinchingone another, like a grand seigneuramidst
"

of rustics.

mob

mansions
which

upon

shared

There

the quay,

with

were

from

the house

five
the

or

six of these

Logisde Lorraine,

of the Bernardines

the

THE

348

CHARM

OF

PARIS

great neighbouringenclosure of the Tournelle, to the

Hotel de Nesle, the principal
tower of which formed
the limit of Paris on that side,and the pointedroofs of
which

were

situated

so

triangles,
duringthree
disc of the setting
sun.
side of the

That

mercantile

of the two

of scholars than

to

as

months

cut

Seine, however,
; there

WcLS

more

of artisans ; and

was

of the

river

was

either

the

least

noise and crowd

there

was

quay, except from

The
to the Tour de Nesle.

Saint-Michel

their dark

of the year, the scarlet

speaking,any
margin

with

not, properly
the

Pont-

rest

of the

bare strand, as

was

beyond the Bernardines, or a close range of

houses with the water at their foot, as between
the
women
two bridges. There was
of washera great clamour
shouting,singing,
along the water side,talking,
from morning tillnightand beatingaway at their
linen
their full
as
they do at this day contributing
share to the gaietyof Paris.
end to the other, preThe University,
from one
sented
dense mass
to the eye one
forming a compact
thick-set
and homogeneous whole.
Those thousand
angularroofs, nearlyall composed of the same
metrical
geothe

case

"

element, when
almost

like

seen

from

above,

looked

of the same
substance.
crystallization
The capricious
fissures formed
by the streets did not
proport
cut this conglomeration
of houses into slices too disbuted
distriThe
forty-twocollegeswere
them
to be seen
among
very equallyand were
in every quarter. The amusingly varied summits
of
scripti
dethose fine buildings
were
a
product of the same
of art as the ordinaryroofs which they overtopped
than a multiplication,
; being nothing more
into the square or cube, of the same
geometrical
one

THE

OF

PARIS

PAST

349

figure. Thus they compUcated the whole, without

overloading it.
confusing it ; completed without
kind of harmony. Several
Geometry itself is one
fine mansions, too, lifted their heads
magnificently
attic stories of
here and there above the picturesque
the left bank ; as the Logis de Nevers, the Logis de
Rome, the Logis de Reims, which have disappeared;
still exists for the
and the Hotel de Cluny, which
artist's consolation, but

also
a

of

number

grandeurmore

but

not

Baths

abbeys of

was

so

of

Julian. There were

of
beauty more religious,
the

solemn, than

less beautiful

caught the

first

the

once

of which

tower

Near the Hotel

few years ago.
palace,with fine semicircular

stupidlyshortened a
de Cluny, that Roman
arches, were

the

less

nor

attention

secular mansions,

grand. Those
that

were

of the

which
Bemar-

dines, with its three steeples

; that of Sainte-Genemakes
vieve, the square tower of which, stillexisting,
of the remainder
us so much
regretthe disappearance
;
the
mirable
Sorbonne, half-college,
half-monastery,so adof which
nave
a
yet survives ; the fine
cloister of the Mathurins, and, adjacent
quadrilateral
to it,the cloister of St. Benedict ; the house of the
and contiguous
Cordeliers,with its three enormous

gables; that
which

of the

formed,

Augustines,the gracefulspireof

after

the

lofty projectionon

that

the westward.

The

from
the

intermediate

world

"

held

the

de

Tour
side

collegeswhich
"

in the

the

are

cloister and

architectural
the

in fact
the

series

ing
abbeys, exhibita severe
elegance,a sculptureless airythan that
architecture less stern than that of
of the palaces,
an
the convents.
Unfortunately,
scarcelyanything re-

between

the

great mansions

next

of Paris, commencing

link between
medium

Nesle, the

and

CHARM

THE

350

justa balance

so

Gothic

the

(and they were

University,and of

from

the round

ones

of

and

numerous

held
The

splendidin

architectural
era,
every
arches of Saint- Julianto the Gothic

Saint-Severin)the churches,
"

the whole

harmonious

art

richness and economy.

between

churches

above

PARIS

structures, in which

of these

mains

OF

and,

as

one

harmony

they piercedin

mass,

multifarious indented

we

say,

rose

in that

more

close succession the

outline of the roofs,with

boldly-

spires,with perforatedsteeples,and slender

needle spires,
the lines of which
were
or
aiguilles,
but
themselves
a
magnificentexaggerationof the
cut

angle of

acute

The

the roofs.

ground

of

Montague Ste. Genevieve,

grand swell

one

it

; and

hilly. The

University was

the

on

the

south-east,made

curious to see, from the

crowd
of narrow,
winding

was

top of Notre-Dame, that

streets (now the pays Latin),those clusters of houses

which, scattered in every direction from the summit of

in disorder, and
that eminence, spread themselves
its sides,to the water's
down
precipitously
if they were
others as
as
falling,
edge ; looking,some
if they were
climbingup, and all as if hanging to one

almost

another
dark
gave

while

continual

the

one
pointscrossing

the

whole

the

people in

and

at

motion

another

upon

of
the

thousand

pavement,

of life. These
appearance
streets, beheld thus from on

an

the

were

high

distance.
.

versity,
length,after longcontemplatingthe Unithe right bank
turned toward
to the
you
Town, properlyso called,the character of the scene
not
was
was
only
suddenly changed. The Town
much largerthan the University,
but also less uniform.
At first sightit appeared to be divided into several
When

at

CHARM

THE

352

OF

PARIS

baths,
prayer ; besides all the galleries,
and
other
superfluousplaces,*with

to
appropriated

'

stove-rooms,

each suite of apartments

the privategardensof each one
which

besides

provided; besides
of the king'sguests ;
kitchens, cellars,pantries,and general

the

refectories

household

the

of

was

; the

basses-cours

or

there were
backyards, in which
two-and-twenty
generaloffices,from the fourille or bakehouse to the
echansonnerie
or
butlery; placesfor games of fifty
different kinds,as mall, tennis,riding
at the ring,
etc. ;
aviaries,fish-ponds,
menageries,stables,cattle-stalls,

libraries,
armories,and foundries.

day, a palaisde
was
a citywithin
brief

fast

we

as

Louvre

sought to

have

"

at that

was,

Hotel

St. Pol ; it

city

reader's mind

in the
as

have

we

as

"

enumeration

if the

Now,

roy

Such

the

of
make

edifices,*
many
it,has not shattered
so

generalimage

endeavoured

of old Paris

to construct

it,we

will

it in a few words.
In the centre was
the
recapitulate
in its form an enormous
island of the City,resembling
tortoise,extendingon either side its bridgesall scaly
like
with tiles,
On

of roofs.

so

the

feet,from under its grey shell

and
left,the close,dense, bristhng,

many

homogeneous quadrangleof the University; and on

the vast semicircle of the Town, much
the right,
more
with gardens and great edifices. The
interspersed
three masses,
and Town, are veined
City,University,
with innumerable

streets.

Across

the whole

runs

the

Seine, the nursingSeine,'as Father du Breul calls

it, obstructed with islands,bridges,and boats. All
around

is

an

immense

plain,checkered

different sorts of cultivation,and

*

Only

given.
"

Ed.

portion

of Victor

with

sand
thou-

strewed

with

Hugo's description^has been

PARIS

OF

THE

PAST

3^5

beautiful

the left,Issy,Vanvres, Vau; on

villages
with its round
tower
girard,Montrouge, Gentilly,
and its square tower, etc. ; and on the right,
twenty
In the
others, from Confians to Ville-l'Eveque.

horizon

circle of hills formed,

the vast basin.

And

it were,

as

in the distance,on

the rim of

the east, was

Vincennes, with its seven

quadrangulartowers ; on
the south, the Bicetre,with its pointedturrets ; on
the north, St. Denis and its spire; and on the west,
the Paris beheld
St. Cloud and its donjon. Such was
from
the

of the

summit

the

lived in

who

crows

of Not re-Dame

towers

1482.

I
i

VICTOR

PROCESSION

The

Cathedrall

which

is

Amiens

TO

faire

for I could

saving the

see

as

Our

HUGO.

DAME

Our

to

Lady

notable

no

of St.

statue

NOTRE

is dedicated

Church

nothing so

by

of

Church

matter

Christopheron

Lady,

the

in it,

right

coming in of the great gate, which is

I will make relation
done.
indeed very exquisitely
of those pompous
ceremonies that were
publiquely
in the streets of
solemnized that day [CorpusChristi]
custome
the city,
: this day
accordingto the yearlie
hand

at

the

...

the French
of God.

And

de Dieu, that is,the feast

first introduced by Pope Urban

call Feste

men

it

was

the fourth, by the counsell of Thomas

About

nine of the clock the

Cathedrall

I went

to the

to Our

Lady (asI

have

Aquinas.
day in the morning,

same

Church

before

which

is dedicated

written)to

the end to

strange ceremonies of that day, which

for noveltysake, but not for any harty devotion
did I enter
No sooner
I was
contented to behold,

observe

the

...

23

THE

354

into the Church

OF

CHARM
but

PARIS

great company

of

Clergy men

and so continued
all the time of
singing,
the procession,
the Church
unto
tillthey returned
by couples, and some
againe,some
single.They
walked
ing
exceedwere
partlyin coapes, whereof some
worth
at least a
rich, being (in my estimation)
markes
hundred
a
partly in surplices.
peece ; and
traine there were
Also in the same
couplesof
many
little singingchoristers,many
of them
not
above
eight or nine yeares old, and few above a dozen :
deformed
which prety innocent punieswere
so
egregiously
by those that had authorityover them, that
great commiseration
they could not choose but move
in any relenting
The last man
of the
spectator.
whole traine was
the Bishop of Paris, a proper and
in all the city,
of some
five
as
comely man
any I saw
and thirtyyeares old. He walked not sub dio, that
came

forth

the open

is,under

aire,as

the rest did.

But

he had

rich canopy
carried over him, supportedwith many
both sides. This did the Priests
httle pillers
on
a

that

day in his sumptuous

of great
ornaments
Pontificalities,
wearing religious
price,like a second Aaron, with his Episcopallstaffe
in his hand, bending roimd at the toppe, called by
and his Miter on his head of
a Croisier,
us Englishmen
cloth of silver,with two long labels hanging downe
As for the streets of Paris they were
behind his neck.
more
sumptuously adorned that day then any other
note
day of the whole yeare, every street of speciall
being on both sides thereof, from the prenticesof
their houses to the lower end of the wall hanged with
carry

he

rich cloth

himself

of arras,

was

and

the

costliest tapestry that

they could provide. The shewes

in pomp
being so hyperbolical

of Our
that

Lady street
day, that it

OF

PARIS
exceeded

the

rest

by

THE

many

greateraddition of ornament

PAST

355

degrees. And

for the

to this feast of God,

they
garnishedmany of the streets with as rich cupboords
I saw
in all my
of plate as ever
life. For they exposed
their publique tables exceedingcostly
upon
that is
goblets,and what not tending to pompe,
called by the name
of plate. Upon the middest of
their tables stood their goldenCrucifixes,with divers
other gorgeous
places
Images. Likewise in many
of the cityI observed hard by those cupboords of
trived
plate,certayne artificiallrocks, most curiouslyconof arte, with fine
by the very quintessence
the foresaid
water
Wherefore
spowting out.
sacred company,
of the
perambulatingabout some
Our Lady street,
streets of Paris,especially
principall
.

were

entertained

whereas

the

with

Bishop carried
wafer

consecrated

divine

most
the

Sacrament,
the

even

For
his

Images of the
he passed by any
two
golden Angels,whensoever
all the spectators prostratedthemselves
company,
most
humbly upon their knees, and elevated their
and religious
handes with all possible
haviour.
bereverence
Moreover, the same
day after dinner I
the like shew performed by the Clergy in the
saw
holy processionin the morning. Queene Margarite
the Kings divorced wife beingcarried by men
in the
about foure
: and
open streets under a stately
canopy
of the clocke,they made
a periodof that solemnity,
all the Priests returningwith their Sacrament
to
Our Lady Church, where they concluded
that dayes
ceremonies with their Vespers.
CORY
THOMAS
AT
(1611).
.

cake, betwixt

honours.

23"2

356

CHARM

THE

THE

PARIS

OF

OF

PARIS

EVELYN

JOHN

I went
to see the Isle encom1643. 24 December.
passed
by the Seine " the Oyse. The Cityis divided
into 3 parts,whereof the Toune is greatest. The City
it and

liesbetween

in form of an island.
University,
is a stately
bridgecalled Pont Neuf,
3. in 1578, finished by Hen.
4. his

Seine

the

Over

begun by

the

Hen.

It is all of hewn

successor.

the

streets, but

and

consists of

free stone

at Mont-Martyre,
plentifully

more

arches, in the midst

12

the poynt of an island,on which

is one
artificers houses.
There

coaches, and

of convenient

On

the

middle

breadth
of this

stands that famous

statue

exceeding the

for 8

ends

of which

built handsome

are

large passage for

3 or 4 feet higher,

for foot passengers

and

under

found

or

to go abreast.

10

statelybridge on
of Hen.

side

one

the Great

on

back,
horse-

natural

proportionby much ;
and on the 4 faces of a pedestal,
(whichis compos'd
of various sorts of polish'd
marble and rich mouldings,)
of his victories and most
inscriptions
signalactions
in brasse. The statue and
engraven
of the greate John di
copper, the worke

horse

are

from

sent

Cosmo

the

Florence

by

Ferdinand

of

are

Bologna,and

the

First, and

Mary di Medices, the

It is inclos'd with a strong

2d, unkle " cousin

wife of this K.

to

Henry.
and beautifull grate of yron, about which there are
allways mountebancs
shewing their feates to idle
From
hence is a rare
prospect towards
passengers.

the Louver
du

and

Palais, and

bridgeis a water
great height,is
Woman

of St. Germaines, the Isle of

suburbs
Notre

Dame.

house,
the

of Samaria

on

At
the

story of

the

front

our

powring water

foote of this

whereof,
and

Saviour
out

of

at

the

bucket.

PARIS

OF

THE

PAST

dyal of severall motions, with a

The water is convey'd by huge wheeles,
chime, "c.
and other engines,from the river beneath.
pumps,
of coaches
The confluence of the people and multitude
the bridge,
over
to a new
passingevery moment
tator
specis an agreeablediversion.
Other bridgesthere
Dame
au
are, as of Notre
; and the Pont
Change, "c.
built,with houses of stone which are laid over
fairly
St. Anne,
this river : only the Pont
landing the
is

Above

suburbs

very

rare

of St. Germaine.at

the

is built of
Thuilleries,

in the middst
wood, having likewise a water-house
of it,and a statue of Neptune castingwater
out of a
of lead, but much
inferior to the
whale's mouth,

Samaritane.
tiguous
higher ground, conthe
lesser part of Paris.
to, but
They
less than 65 Colleges,
but they in nothing
reckon
no
approach ours at Oxford for state and order. The
booksellers dwell within the University. The Scholes
hereafter)are very regular.
(ofwhich more
those of St. Denys, Honore, St.
The suburbs
are
Marcel, Jaques, St. Michel, St. Victoire,and St. Gerand
where
last is the largest,
the
maines, which
nobilityand persons of the best qualityare seated ;
and truely Paris, comprehending the suburbs, is,for

The

Universitylyes S.W.

material

the

the

houses

on

built with, and

are

many

of the most
one
magnificentpiles,
gallant
Cittyesin the world ; large in circuit,of a round
forme, very populous, but situated in a botome,
with
environ'd
gentle declivities,rendering some
yet it is paved with a kind
placesvery dirty;

noble

and

of free-stone,of
it

more

On

easy

neere

to walk

Christmas

eve

a
on

foote

square,

than

our

I went

to

see

which

renders

peblesin London.
the

Cathedrall

of

THE

358

CHARM

OF

PARIS

by PhilipAugustus, but begun

by K. Robert, son of Hugh Capet. It consists of a
which
make
Gotiq fabriq,supported by 120 pillars,
about
the
round
Church
ailes in the
2
quire,
without
comprehending the Chapells, being 174
high. The Quire is
paces long, 60 wide, and 100
Notre

enclos'd

with

and
history,
At

the

erected

Dame,

stone

containes

front

of the

worke

graven

with

the

sacred

45 Chapellscancell'd with iron.

chiefe entrance
statues
in
are

Kings, 28 in number, from Childebert

two high
to the founder, Philip; and above them
are
square Towers, and another of a smaller size,bearing
the body of the Church
a Spirein the middle, where
is ascended
formes a Crosse.
The greate Tow'r
by
389 steps,having 12 gallerysfrom one to the other.
the skreene
the Crucifix over
They greatlyreverence
of the Quire,with an image of the B. Virgin. There
are
some
good modern
paintingshanging on the
most
: the
pillars
conspicuous statue is the huge
Colosse of St. Christopher,
with divers other figures
of men,
this
houses, prospects, " rocks, about
markable
regygantiq piece,being of one stone, and more
than
other perfection.
for its bulke
any
This is the prime Church
of France
for dignity,
having Archdeacons, Vicars, Canons, Priests, and
It
of 127.
Chaplainesin good store, to the number
is also the Palace of the Archbishop. The young
there
with
a
King (Louis XIV.) was
great and
martial guard, who enter'd the Nave
of the Church
with drums
I was
and fifes,
at the ceasingof which
entertain'd with the church musiq.
1644. 4 January. I pass'd this day with'one Mr.
Jo. Wall, an Irish gentleman, who had been a Frier
in Spaine,and afterwards
Reader
in St. Isodors
a
relievo of the

THE

36o

CHARM

OF

PARIS

began to dispute with the Doctor ; at which, and

clad in the Spanish habit, which
as he was
especially
in Paris is the greatest bugbare imaginable,the
Scholars and Doctor fell into such a fit of laughter
that nobody could be heard speake for a while ; but
silence being obtain'd, he began to speake Latine,
his apology in so good a style,
that their
and make
derision was
turn'd to admiration, " beginningto
argue, he

baffled the Professor,that with universal

so

applausethey all rose up and did him greate honors,

waiting on us to the very streete and our coach,
greate satisfaction.
testefying
to the Exchange, The late addition
3 Feb. I went
to the buildingis very noble, but the gallerys
where they sell their petty merchandize
are
nothing
at London, no
the
than
so
more
statelyas ours
place where they walke below, being onely a low
:

"

vault.

Palais,as they call the upper part,was built

in the time of Philipthe Faire, noble and spacious.
The greate Hall annex'd
to it is arched with stone,
in the middle, round which
having a range of pillars
and at the sides are
shops of all kinds, especially
The

Booksellers.

side is full of pewies for the Clearkes

here (asours
at Westof the Advocates, who swarme
minster).
One

At

Masse

which

Chambers,
the

most

Chamber

of the

one

is

said

ends

daily.

stands
Within

Courts, Treasuries, "c.

rich

and

gloriousSalle

of St. Lewis, and

other

an
are

Above

altar, at
several
that

d'Audience,

is
the

superiorCourts
where
the Parliament
sits,richlyguilton embossed
carvings" fretts,and exceedinglybeautified.
the place where
Within
is
they sell their wares
another narrower
galleryfull of shopps and toys,Scd

PARIS
which

lookes downe

OF

THE

PAST

361

into the Prison

ing
yard. Descendby a large payre of stayres, we passed by St.
Chapelle,which is a Church built by St. Lewis, 1242,
after the Gotiq manner
; it stands on another Church
which is under
at the sides,
it, sustain'd by pillars
which seeme
weak
to appear
as
so
extraordinaryin
the
artist. This Chapell is most
famous
for its
Relicques,
having,as they pretend,almost the intyre
Crowne
of Thorhes ; the Achat Patine, rarelysculptured,
of the largest" best in Europ.
judg'd one
There
beautifuU
a
now
was
Spire erecting. The
Court
is very
below
spacious,capable of holding
with shopps,,
coaches, and surrounded
especially
many
In
Engravers, Goldsmiths, and Watchmakers.
it is a fayreFountaine
" Portico.
The Isle du Palais
whereof
consists of a triangular
brick building,
one
side,lookingto the river,is inhabited by Goldsmiths.
the court are
Within
privatedwellings. The front
banks,
lookingon the greate bridgeis possessedby MounteOperators,and Puppetplayers. On the other
for all sorts of pro-;
part is the every day's market
visions, especiallybread, hearbs, flowers, orangetrees, choyce shrubbs ; here is a shop called Noah's

Arke, where

are

sold all curiosities naturall

or

ficial,
arti-

European, for luxury or use, as

cabinets, shells,ivory,porselan,dried fishes,insects,
and a thousand
exotic extravagances.
birds,pictures,
Passinghence we viewed the Port Dauphine, an arch
of excellent workmanship ; the street, bearing the
is ample and straite.
same
name,
the Marais
de Temple;
I went
to see
4 Feb.
Indian

where

is

dedicated
to

to

Piazza,

or

Church

noble
the
not

and

Palace, heretofore

Knights Templars, now

much

unlike

ours

at Covent

converted

Garden,

divers

with

The

OF

PARIS

pleasant,tho'
considerable palaces.

largerand

but

CHARM

THE

362

Church

not

so

of St. Genevieve

devotion, dedicated

to another

place of greate
of their Amazons
sayd
the English,
for which
a

Cittyfrom
It stands
she is esteem'd the tutelarySaint of Paris.
on
a steepe eminence, having a very
high spire,and
is govem'd by Canons
Regular.
At the Palais Royale Hen. IV. built a faire quadrangle
underneath.
of statelyPalaces, arched
In
stands
the middle
of a spacious area
noble
on
a
pedestal,a brazen Statue of Lewis XIII. which tho'
made
in imitation of that in the Roman
Capitol,is
nothing so much esteem'd as that on the Pont Neuf.
St.
The
Hospital of the Quinz-Vingts in Rue

to have

deliver'd the

is

built all about

is

Honore

Hotel

the

excellent foundation

an

for

Dieu

and

men

; but

above
neare

women,

all is
Notre

princely,pious,and

expensive structure.
That
of the Charite gave me
great satisfaction in
the sick people
seeinghow decentlyand Christianly
them
to delicacy. I have
seen
are
attended, even
and women.
served by noble persons,
men
They
have also gardens,walks, and fount aines.
Dame,

...

I took

8 Feb.

coach

JardineRoyale, which

and
is

an

went

to

enclosure

see

the

walled

famous
sisting
in, con-

of all varieties of

ground for planting and

culture of medical simples. It is well chosen, having
and upland, naturall and
in it hills,meadows, wood
and is richlystar'd with exotic plants. In
artificial,
of the Parterre

the middle
is

very

other

fine house,

From

of the

hence

we

There

chapel,laboratory,orangery,

accommodations

allwaysone

is a faire fountaine.
for

the

President, who

"
is

King'scheife Physitians.
went

to

the

other

side

of

the

PARIS
and

towne,

to

OF

THE

distance

some

Vincennes, going by the

de

is very

It

of

Master

and

Tower

Fortresse

it, to the Bois

is the
Bastille, which
of this

and

great Citty.

there

his

parke

has in it

Royal

is the

chiefe

for persons
walled

of

in, full

The

in

of deere, and

it there

part

one

the Louvre
and

noble

Chapell. It
quality. About

attention, its severall Courts

his

faire

square and
magnificentapartments, fit for a

grove of goodlypine-trees.
The next day I went
to see
the

Grand

house, with

Castle, with
the
Court, not forgetting
Prison

the

walks.

Bois de Vincennes

The

363

from

Magazine

spacious within,
the Artillery
has

gardens and

PAST

with

Pavilions.

is

is

more

One

of

quadrangles,begun by Hen. IV. and finish'd by

and grandson,is a superb but mix'd structure.
son
cornices,mouldings," compartments, with the

insertion of severall coloured

marbles, have

been

of

great expence.
We went through the longgallery,
pav'd with white
" black marble, richlyfretted and paynted a fresca.
The front lookingto the river,tho' of rare worke for
the magnificencewhich
the carving,yet wants
a
have
contributed
plainerand truer designe would
to it.

In
the

the

Cour

aux

Thuilleries is

winding geometricalstone

I take to be

as

bold and

noble

princelyfabriq;
stayres,with a cupola,
a pieceof architecture
To this is a Corps de
a

Europ of the kind.

Logis,worthy of so greate a Prince. Under these
thro' a garden in which is an ample founbuildings,
that
and
the
taine, was
King's printing-house,
Here
I bought
letter so
esteem'd.
much
famous
divers of the classiq
authors, poets and others.
as

any

in

THE

364.

OF

CHARM

PARIS

through another gallery,

larger,but
of all the Kings
not so long,where hung the pictures
and Queenes and prime Nobihty of France.
Descendinghence, we went into a lower very large
Salle des Antiques, which
call'd the
is a
room,
vaulted Cimelia, destin'd for statues
only, amongst
which stands the so celebrated Diana
ofthe Ephesians,
We

returned

said to

be

the

utter'd

which

same

oracles in that

temple. There is a huge globesuspendedby chaynes.

The
pavings, inlayings,and incrustations of this
Hall

are

very

rich.

the
privat garden towaMs
Queene's apartment is a walke or cloyster under
is paved with
terrace
of a
stones
arches, whose
greate breadth ; it looks towards the river,and has
a
pleasantaviary,fountaine, statelycypresses, "c.
number
of barges
On the river are scene
a prodigious
and boates of great length,full of hay, corne, wood,
the long gallerydwell goldsmiths,
Under
wine, "c.
paynters, statuaries,and architects,who being the
In

most

another

more

famous

for

stipendsallowed

their

them

art

the

in

Christendom,

have

King. We went into

that of Monsieur
Saracin, who was
moulding for an
to be cast in gold,of a greate
image of a Madonna
size, to be sent by the Queene Regent to Lauretto,
an
as
offeringfor the birth of the Dauphine, now
the young
King of France.
I finish'd this day with
walke
in the greate
a
garden of the Thuilleries,which is rarely contrived
for privacy,shade, or company,
by groves, plantations
of tall trees, especially
that
in the middle
being of elmes, another of mulberys. There is a
of cypresse, noble hedges of pomegranates,
labyrinth
fountaines, fishponds,and an aviary. There is an
by

PARIS
artificial echo,
it is

or

at

one

the clouds

PAST

some

365

words

and
distinctly,
nymph singingto it.

faire

of the focus's,which

littlecabinet of

from

THE

redoublingthe

without

never

Standmg

OF

voice

hedges,the
another

; at

if it

is under

tree,

to descend

seems

underground.
This being at the bottom
let
of the garden, we
were
into another, which
being kept with all imaginable
accuratenesse
to the orangery,
as
precious shrubes,
fruites, seem'd
and rare
a paradise. From
a terrace
in this placewe
saw
coaches, as one would
so
many
in the whole Citty,
hardly think could be maintained
going,late as it was in the year, towards the Course,
which is a place adjoyning,
of neere
an
Englishmile
of trees, making a large
long, planted with 4 rows
circle in the

middle.

This

as

was

is walled

Course

about,

high,with squar'dfreestone,and has a

statelyarch at the entrance, with sculptureand
about
Here it
statues
it,built by Mary di Medices.
is that the gallantsand ladys of the Court take the
neere

breast

ayre and divert themselves, as with us in Hide Park,

hundred
the circle being capable of containingan

coaches
the
,

to

turne

commodiously,

for
plantations
April. I went

or

6 coaches

and

larger of

the

brest.

...

exactly the roomes

of the fine Palace of Luxemburge, in the Fauxbourg
St. Germains, built by Mary de Medices, and I think
that
of the most noble, entire,and finish'd piles,
one
is to be seen, taking it with the garden and all its
accomplishments. The galleryis of the paintingof
Ufe,
Rubens, being the historyof the Foundresses
of
rarelydesigned; at the end of it is the Duke
well furnished with excellent bookes,
Orleans's Library,
the valans of the
in maroquin and gilded,
all bound
with gold.
shelves being of greene velvet fring'd
I

to

see

more

366
The

THE
below

Court

OF

CHARM
is formed
chiefe

having

over

the

covered

with

stone

; the

into

white

rest is cloistered and

of rustiqworke.
pillasters
before the front paved with
with

by a corridor,
stately cupola,

square

entrance

The

on

balustred

PARIS

white

tarrace

"

arch'd

ascending

black marble, is

marble,

exquisitelypolish'd.
The gardens are neere
an
Englishmile in comwall, and in a good ayre.
passe, enclos'd with a stately
The parterre is indeed of box, but so rarelydesigned
and accuratelykept cut, that the embroidery makes
effect to the lodgingswhich
front it.
wonderful
a
.

'Tis divided into 4 squares, "

having in the center a noble

as

circular knots,

many

basin

of marble

neere

(as I remember), in which a triton

of brasse holds a dolphin that casts a girandolaof
water
neere
30 foote high,playing perpetually,the
water
being convey'd from Arceuil by an aqueduct
of stone, built after the old Roman
magnificence.
the spaciouswalkes
this ample parterre,
" all
About
with
border of freestone, adorned
a
included, runs
for potts and statues, and part of it neere
pedestalls
the stepps of the terrace, with a raile and baluster of
30

feet diameter

pure white marble.

the streete
Next

side,and more
contiguousto the
house, are knotts in trayle or grasse worke, where
the grotto and
fountaine.
Towards
likewise runs
a
stables,within a wall, is a garden of choyce flowers,
in which

thousand
pistoles.
spends many
In sum,
nothingis wanting to render this palace and
is it
beautifull " magnificent
; nor
gardens perfectly
one

of
and

you

the

Duke

of the least diversions to

quality,citizens
to

all

whom

shall

see

and

accesse

some

see

the number

of persons

frequentit,
freelypermitted,so that

strangers,who
is

walkes

"

retirements

full of

368

THE

all castles,with

roofs
the

"

CHARM
their

arose

Renaissance.

OF

PARIS

towers
cylindrical

all the

diversified

He

would

spot which may

if he would
civilization,

of the

who

almost

and

guisher
extin-

splendourof

obtain

view

be called the cradle of

singleglance realize,to
world of that delightful
a certain extent, the external
of chivalryand literature,wit, buffoonery,exera
travagance
and imagination,
which is portrayedin
the

memoirs

French

at

of the

century, he
should travel in a direction in which, probably, not
of our
in a thousand
one
countrymen in Paris ever
bends his steps,and, leavingthe small bustle of the
Rue

Saint Antoine

seventeenth

into the Place

Royale. The
old houses
so
statelyand
aspect of its solemn
gentlemanlike,in their decay so well preservedin
their exterior,their silent rows
so strangely
contrasting
with the busy region in their vicinity will strike
of one unacquainted
forciblythe imagination,even
with their history. They seem
doned
like palaces abanfor a season,
not tenantless, waiting for the
return
of their noble and courtlyowners,
gone on a
far journey. But
much
more
powerfully will it
the
affect the visitor,if he knows
even
superficially
that the first existhistoryof the spot ; and is aware
tence of the fashionable citylife of societysuch as
the better classes of any capitalin
he sees it among
Europe may be traced back to these now deserted
turn

"

"

"

"

habitations.

No
...

Versailles had

as

yet arisen

to

of the nation
eclipsethe capital.The aristocracy
those
collected in quartersalmost as narrow
as
were
at a largewatering-place
now
in which the company
The chief promenade of the
each other.
meet
...

afternoon

was

the

of the Tuilleries

Cours

la

Reine,

garden,from

on

which

the

south

side

the mechanical

OF

PARIS

THE

PAST

369

Here Marie de Medicis paraded

publicwas excluded.
in her globe-shapedCoche : and Bassompierreexhibited
the first carriage
with glasswindows.
When
'

the

'

great Mademoiselle

asked

was

what

had

she

banishment
duringher political
answered, The masquerades,the

most
regretted

Paris,she
St. Germain, and
and court began
down

the Cours.'
to

change
to
injurious

of the

Marais,

or

as

be

centre

neighbourhoodof

long to

the

fashionable

the

the

king

ultimatelysettled
This

higherclasses

Paris considered

fair of

Fontainebleau,

stateliness of Versailles.

in the

continued

first to

remove,

in the habits

The

In 1660

...

to St. Germain's, and

afterwards

from

great

was

of

Place

very

society.
Royale,

quarter.

The

architectural embellishment

quays of the left bank, whose

chieflyfrom this reign,became popular

as
promenades : the world of fashion,for a few years,
the broiling
used to paradeup and down
pavement of
the Quais des Theatins and Malaquais. Here Moliere
dates

lived ; and here, for

the

In
...

Rue

now

de

I'Ancienne

Sicilian established

cafes,and

of

his

the ancient

theatrical world.
We

have

been

world

too

short time, his troop was

lished.
estabRue
des Fosses St. Germain,

as

corner

Procopio the
grandfatherof all
of the literary
and

...

dreaming of

old Paris,in the middle

awake
to suit with the

active and
.

the southern
old houses

their fantastic fronts and

the

cafe,the

rendezvous

temper of such reveries.

lookingfrom
only a few dozen

Comedie,

of the Louvre

by,
eye of the passerbank of the Seine, sees

The

left

forest

and

oppositehim, with
of chimneys,between

that

fragments of his beloved old

of the Pont

Paris.
HERMAN

MERIVALE.

24

Neuf,

OF

CHARM

THE

370

EVOCATION

PARIS

PARIS

OLD

OF

most frivolous
and, apparently,
lightest,
it is a melancholy task to search under
dispositions,
the cold ashes for the few sparkswhich stillremain :
it is a melancholy task, after a lapse of generations
full of life the life of wit, grace, genius,beauty,
so
to the

Even

"

and

to pass
courage
abandoned
to nameless

the

over

"

people

spot,

same

everything

to

...

now

is silence,oblivion, repose.
When
you walk
the noise of your step
these sounding flagstones,

which
on

terrifies you,
if

some

you

one

In the midst

Benserade.
you

yourself,
why

ask

Lavardin,

Tremouille,

La

"

round
your head to see
you turn
of the heroes of old days is not following
and

Conde,

Lauzun,
and silence,

of this darkness

have

the

not

peopleof

Rochefoucauld, of Gabrielle d'Estrees, and

de
to

whence
It

violons ?

Ruedin

the

from

came

of music

sound

that

came

Pare

de la

Madame

Montespan, lightedtheir torches to show

of their mistress ?
the carriage
or the sedan

from

M.

the way

Hush

and

petits

and

this

eager-lookingcitizens,whither are they

going ? They are followingthe invitation of their
friend Moliere ; they are
hasteningto the Comedy,
of

crowd

the

new

of excitement

source

they are bound

GeorgesDandin
hotels which
and

silent

one

shows

Hotel

the

is acted

"

the

how

into

ill-furnished

Carnavalet, where
all the

great

the

they
the
Sully,

were

Hotel

Rotrou, the Hotel Guemenee

gates are closed

loftywindows, where no

Hotel

the
d'Aligre,

them

attracts

to-night. And

all those

himself
were

Hotel

here, of which

see

and

"

? These
the

for

which

de

lodgings.
.

Hotel

Rohan,

noble

"

called

the

fore
hereto-

Videix,
Hotel

dwellingsturned

What

may

these

OF

PARIS

THE

decayed,silent,disdained
saloons,once
sadness

What

animated

so

loves and with

emblems

ultimate

what

these

on

37X
thus

seeing themselves

of

think

aristocratic walls

PAST

stillness in these

What

powerfulconversation !
all chargedwith
giltceilings,
incessant change
! What
with

"

wretchedness

need

does it not

And

said,to trace out all

the
of this fair spot, in which lived,
and
thought aloud, the rarest wits, the noblest
the most
geniuses,the most
delightfulsatirists,
some

seventeenth

of the

century
with

bows

one

every

great

parts of its

component

? Nevertheless,this
history

evocation

far useful that it may

the oblivion and silence which

help to

is thus

of old times
console

threatens

JANIN.

From

PALACES

KING'S

THE

OF

TOUR

Traveller's

for

us

in turn.

us

JULES

which

before

names

; illustrious frequenters

reverence

Royale, and

Palace

preceded
it,all the French

if to foreshadow

as
closely,

so

which

singularage

of that

characters

excellent

be it

more

courage, once
remembrances

Letter

_,

July,

Sir, I
"

am

beinghere
which
palaces,

my

of my

settled for
I have

some

time

such

Paris.

5.

Since

the tour of all the

made

has been, I think,the

life. I could not believe it was

art, to furnish out

at

17

multitude

King's
part
pleasantest
in the power

of noble

of

scenes

prospects
delightful
of a man's imagination.
could lie within the compass
be expectedfrom
There is every thingdone that can
a
mountains, turns the course
prince who removes
of rivers,raises woods in a day's time, and plantsa

as

I met

with,

or

that

so

many

24

"

villageor town on such

of
only for the bettering
to

how

see

OF

CHARM

THE

372

PARIS

particular
spot of ground,

view.

tricks he has

many

for his diversions.

It

One

would

made

the water

play
pyramids,

itself into

turns

wonder

triumphal arches, glassbottles,imitates a fire work,

rises in a mist, or tells a story out of ^sop.
I do not believe, as good a poet as you are, that
the
make
finer landscapesthan these about
you can
raise a
king'shouses, or, with all your descriptions,
more
magnificentpalace than Versailles. I am,
to
however, so singularas to preferFontainebleau
It is situated

all the rest.

and

rocks

among
fine variety of

woods,

salvage prospects.
the geniusof the place,and
The
only made use of so much art as is necessary to help
and regulate
Nature, without reformingher too much.
to break
The
cascades seem
through the clefts and
give you a
king has humoured

that

cracks
as

if they

There

that

of rocks

is

piledupon

were

rock-work

with

the

on

that

end

lower

strikes the

and

meadows,

as

see

soon
as

accident.

the

when

by

natural

mound

of

agreeably. For
something more
charming
eye very

part, I think there is

in these rude heaps of stone
would

in

by

look

meadows,
and the garden,instead of a wall,

my

and

and

moss,

another

one

artificial wilderness

an

walks, and canals

is fenced

covered

are

than

river

in

so

many

statues,

winding through woods

it is tossed

up

in

so

many

at Versailles. To pass from works of

figures
the pleasantest
nature to those of art : in my opinion,
part of Versailles is the gallery.Every one sees on
each side of it something that will be sure
to please

whimsical

him.
finest

with

For

one

of them

commands

garden in the world, and

looking-glass.
.

view

of the

the other is wainscoted

PARIS
But

what

makes

is the

shown
the

to

OF

all these

all the

well

Englishare

much

world.

An

fire and

looks

French

happy.

antediluvian

could

makes

the

and

MARY

the
life

more

for that

ones

scarce

tempered by

has

hairs

grey

Sir,"c.'

I am.

RICHARD

STEELE.

DESCRIBES
FRIENDS

MONTAGUE
SOME

in

old age.
sides,
Bevery talkative

very

it.

doubtedly
un-

men

ten

young
and

little wasted

are

old

have

not

pleasantand gay
this national fault of being so
in one that
natural and graceful
makes

excel

not

agreeablein

most

SIR

Their

at threescore

levitywhich

to countenance

LADY

do

of

I believe, the

conversable, when
years,

arts

more

briskness in him

and

able,
agreethat
is
affability

wiser nation, the French

much

particularare,

more

humanity, they do at
expressionof it. And upon this,,
accounts, though I believe the

other

as

373
the

and

strangers. If the

English in

PAST
shows

great kindness

least in the outward

as

THE

PARIS

TO

Paris,
October

10,

^_

give my
pleasureI have

CANNOT

the

dear

to do it in this seat
am

and

accahlee with

in

hearken, whether

Lady Rich a better proof of

writingto her, than choosing

of various

one

where

amusements,

visits,and those

compliment,that

1718.

full of

vivacity
'tisfull employment enough to
answers

or

so

not.

The
.

air

good effect on me ; for I

in better health, though I have been extremely
never
was
illall the road from Lyons to this place.
While the post-horses
are
changed, the whole town
out to beg, with such miserable starved faces.
comes
of Paris has

alreadyhad

374

THE

and

thin tattered

clothes.

magnificencetillyou
you begin to think
shewed

the

PARIS
This is all the French

to Fontainebleau.

come

thousand

one

OF

CHARM

kingdom

rich when

five hundred

There
you

are

in the

rooms

King'shunting palace. The apartments of the royal

familyare very large,and richlygilt; but I saw,
membering.
nothing in the architecture or paintingworth reThe long gallery,
built by Henry IV.,
has prospects of all the King's houses : its walls are
designed after the taste of those times but appear
The park is,indeed, finely
wooded
now
very mean.
and watered, the trees well grown
and planted,and
in the fish-pondsare
kept tame carp, said to be,
of them, eighty years of age.
The late King
some
months
passed some
every year at this seat ; and all
the rocks around it,by the pioussentences
inscribed
them, shew

on

which

I believe died with

to be

him

be
may
it much

; at

I have

sure

at his

least,I

see

court,
no

terior
ex-

all people's
thoughts

present diversion.

on

fair of St. Lawrence

The

in fashion

of it at Paris,where

marks
seem

devotion

the

been

is

now

in

You

season.

carried thither, and

think

disposedthan ours of Bartholomew.

and well
The shops being all set in rows
so regularly,
lighted,they made up a very agreeablespectacle.
of
But I was
not at all satisfied with the grossierete
their harlequin,
than with their music at
more
no
the opera, which was
after being
abominably grating,
used to that of Italy. Their house is a booth, compared
to that of the Haymarket, and the play-house
not

so

it must
much

better

neat

as

that

in Lincoln's

be owned, to their

beyond
of the

any

of

French

ours.

Inn-fields ; but

then

their tragedians
are
praise,
...

I must

ladies ; I have

tell you
seen

thing
some-

all the

THE

376
sentiments
as

of

in Milton.

CHARM

OF

PARIS

superiorbeings are as
won't forgive
You
me
finer than

of the Thuilleries,much

well
if I
our

expressed
say nothing
Mall ; and
Park, the

agreeablethan our Hyde

At the
high trees givingshade in the hottest season.
I had the opportunity of seeing the King,
Louvre
accompanied by the Duke Regent. He is tall and
but has not the air of holdingthe crown
well-shaped,
In general,I
so many
years as his grandfather.
think Paris has the advantage of London, in the
neat pavement
of the streets, and the regularlighting
the proportionof the streets,
at nights,
of them
the

Cours,

more

...

the houses

all built of stone, and

most

of those

longing
be-

people of quality,being beautified by

gardens. But we certainlymay boast of a town
I have said that,
twice as large; and when
very near
I know
nothingelse we surpass it in.
I can
scarcelylook with an easy and familiar
of the airyphantoms
aspect at the levityand agility
that are dancing about me
here, and I often think
that I am at a puppet-shew amidst the representations
of real life. I stare prodigiously,
but nobody remarks
it,for every body stares here ; staringis a la mode
to

"

there

is

stare

of attention

and

interet,a

stare

of

of surprise,
of expectation,
a stare
a stare
curiosity,
and it would
greatlyamuse
you to see what trifling
objectsexcite all this staring. This staringwould
have

rather

solemn

kind

of

air,were

it not

ated
allevi-

for at the end of a stare there comes

by grinning,
of
always a grin,and very commonly the entrance
is accompanied
a gentleman or
a
lady into a room
with a grin,
which is designedto express complacence
and social pleasure,
but reallyshews
nothing more
than

certain contortion

of muscles

that must

make

PARIS
a

OF

THE

stranger laugh really,as

The

PAST

they laugh artificially

grinis equallyremote

French

377

from

the cheerful

of a smile, and the cordial mirth of an honest

serenity
Englishhorse-laugh. I shall not perhaps stay here
long enough to form a just idea of French manners
and characters, though this,I beUeve, would
require
but little study,as there is no great depth in either.
It appears,
on
a superficial
view, to be a frivolous,
is my
restless,and agreeable people. The Abbot
guide,and I could not easilylightupon a better ; he
tells
the

that

me

and

men,

this

by

every
here to

seems

and

here
I

the

form

women

convinced

am

the

in the

character

of

persuasionof

I enter.
into which
There
company
be no
intermediate
state between
fancy
in-

manhood

for

as

soon

the

as

boy

has

quit

his

he is set agog in the world ; the

leading-strings,
ladies are his tutors, they make
the firstimpressions,
which
generallyremain, and they render the men
and
ridiculous by the imitation
of their humours
is a rare
thing
graces, so that dignityin manners
here before the age of sixty. Does not King David
say somewhere, that Man
think he does, and I am
the

Frenchman

enjoy

the

esteemed

"

but

walketh in
sure

he

vision, and

more

whose

brows

whose

wisdom

happy
are

is so

vain shew ?

this is peculiarly
true of

walks

merrilyand

may

he

than

many

of

not
our

seems

therefore

to
be

solid thinkers,

by deep reflection,and
often clothed with a misty mantle

furrowed

spleenand vapours ?
What
delightsme most here is a view of the magnificence,
often accompanied with taste, that reignsin
the King'spalacesand gardens; for though I don't
the architecture,in which there is great
admire much
of proportion,
and want
yet the statues.
irregularity
of

THE

378

and
paintings,

CHARM

OF

PARIS

other decorations

afford

of

One

the

pieces of
in the gardensof Versailles,
most
the
was
me
the workmanship
colossean statue of Jupiter,

struck
famous

Myron, which

of

tainment.
high enterantiquity that
me

Antony carried

Mark

from

away

placed in the
Capitol. It is of Parian marble, and though it has
suffered in the ruin of time, it stillpreserves striking
lines of majesty. But surely,if marble
could feel,
the god would frown with a generous indignation
to
from the Capitolinto a French
see himself transported
garden ; and after having received the homage of the
Samos,

and

Augustus

be

to

emperors, who laid their laurels at his feet

they returned from their conquests,to behold

Roman
when

nothing but

now

ordered

frizzled beaus

passingby

him

with

indifference.
.

hurried

am

to

my
that vast variety
of objectswhich I

with

such

rapidity,the

allowingme

to

head

death, and

examine

am

with

swims

obligedto

view

of my
time not
leisure. There
at my

shortness
them

and
of ornaments
prodigality
to
decorations, that is just the opposite extreme
what appears in our
royalgardens; this prodigality
is owing to the levityand inconstancyof the French
and
taste, which always pants after something new,
is here

thus

excessive

an

heaps

ornament

upon

ornament

without

end

or

measure.

LADY

CAPRICES

OF

MARY

PARISIAN

leave Paris, without

MONTAGUE.

FASHIONS

carrying my wife
and girlsto see the most
remarkable
places in and
about
this capital,such
the
as
Luxemburg, the
COULD

not

PARIS

OF

THE

PAST

379

valids,
Palais-Royal,the Thuilleries,the Louvre, the Inthe Gobelins, "c., togetherwith Versailles,
Trianon, Marli, Meudon, and Choissi.
Twenty
.

years ago the river Seine, within a mile of Paris, was

as
solitaryas if it had run through a desert. At

present the banks of it are adorned with a number

of eleganthouses and plantations,
far as MarU.
I
as
need not mention the machine
at this placefor raising
water, because I know
you are well acquaintedwith
its construction ; nor shall I say anythingmore
of the
city of Paris, but that there is a new
square, built
an
elegantplan,at the end of the garden of the
upon
Thuilleries

the middle
the

it is called Place

of it there

is

de Louis

XV., and

in

good equestrianstatue

of

reigningking.

You

have

often heard

that

Louis

XIV.

his

frequently
gravel for

country did not aiford

the walks of his gardens,which are covered with a
both to the eyes
white, loose sand, very disagreeable
regrettedthat

and

feet of those

who
There

vulgar mistake.

it ; but this is a
is plenty of gravel on the

walk

upon

in many
other parts of this kingdom ; but the French, who are
think the other is more
all for glareand glitter,
gay
road between

and
In

Paris and Versailles,

as well

agreeable.
.

the

as

character

of the

French, considered

as

circumstances
people,there are undoubtedly many
trulyridiculous. You know the fashionable people,
who go a hunting,are equippedwith their jackboots,
the other day
: but I saw
bag wigs,swords and pistols
stillmore
a scene
grotesque. On the road to Choissi,
five
a fiacre,
or hackney-coach,
stopped,and out came
armed with musquets, who took post,each
or six men,
I asked our servant who they
behind a separatetree.

THE

38o

OF

CHARM

PARIS

imaginingthey might be archers,or footpadsof

in pursuitof some
malefactor.
But guess my
justice,
when the fellow told me, they were
surprise,
men
gentlein fact come
out from
a la chasse.
They were
Paris, in this equipage,to take the diversion of harehunting ; that is,of shootingfrom behind a tree at
the hares that chanced
to pass.
Indeed, if they had
in view, but to destroythe game, this
nothingmore
were,

; for the hares are

very effectual method
plentyin this neighbourhood,that I have seen
was

in such

dozen

field. I think this way

of
together,in the same
hunting,in a coach or chariot, might be properly
of
adopted at London, in favour of those aldermen
the citywho are too unwieldy to follow the hounds
a

horseback.
The

French, however,

preserve

certain

to
disgraceful

thought their

that

to their

own

is very

in

nothing

contented

apes in fashion ; but, in fact,we

mantua-makers,
taylors,

other tradesmen.
our

which

nation ; and this appears

in the article of dress. We
are

to be

and

us,

absurdities,

our

than

slaves

all their

ascendancyover

more

are

with

tradesmen

One

had

would

be

apt

joinedthem

barbers,

imagine

to

in

nation
combi-

the natives of France come

When
againstus.
in all publicplaces,with
to London, they appear
cloaths made
accordingto the fashion of their own
admired by the
country, and this fashion is generally
plicitl
English. Why, therefore, don't we follow it imculous
? No, we
pique ourselves upon a most ridi-

from the very modes we admire, and

please ourselves with thinking this deviation is a
deviation

spiritand liberty. But, we have not

spiritenough to persistin this deviation, when we
visit their country : otherwise, perhaps,they would
mark

of

our

PARIS
admire

to

come

OF

and

THE

follow

PAST

381

tainly,
example : for, cer-

our

in

point of true taste, the fashions of both

countries are equallyabsurd.
At present,the skirts
of the Englishdescend
from the fifth rib to the calf
of the leg,and give the coat the form of a Jewish
to be modelled
after
gaberdine; and our hats seem
that which Pistol wears
In every
upon the stage.
...

other

circumstance

the

between

contrast

of dress, male

to Paris, he

comes

undergone

total

arrival he

nations

two

is the consequence

glaring. What

and

cannot

female,
an

until he has

appear

to send

his

At

metamorphosis.

finds it necessary

equally
man
English-

appears

? when

the

for the

first

taylor,

other
perruquier,hatter, shoemaker, and every
concerned
tradesman
in the equipmentof the human
body. He must even
change his buckles, and the
form of his ruffles ; and, though at the risqueof his
For
life,suit his cloaths to the mode of the season.
be never
should
so
example, though the weather
out
his habit d'ete,
or demi-saison,withcold,he must wear
dress before the day
presuming to put on a warm

which

fashion has fixed for that purpose

for

will excuse
old age nor infirmity
a man
his head, either at home
hat upon

still
(ifpossible),

are

capricesof
are

of

as

ake

to

and

must
negligees

She

must

her

hair

the

summer,

autumn,

have
new

her

cut.

her

flowered

sat tins

and

make

to

by

to

new

laces, new
have

her

silks for the

damasks

the

man's

multitude
All

tire-women.

be altered and

caps, new
She must

new

males
Fe-

the articles of their dress

cotturieres,milliners, and

sacks

subject

his wife surrounded

see

wearing his

abroad.

or

more

manifold, it is enough

more

heart

fashion ; and

neither

; and

her

trimmed.

shoes, and
taffaties for

spring and

for winter.

The

THE

382

good

used

who

man,

OF

CHARM
to

the

suit trimmed

autimin,

with

with

silk cloaths

heau

drap d'Angleround, with a long bob,

provide himself with a
silver for spring and

wear

terre, quiteplainall the year

here
or
tye perriwig,must
camblet

PARIS

for summer,
and cloth
for winter ; and he must

gold,or velvet
his bag-wig d la pigeon. This varietyof dress
wear
for all those who pretend
is absolutelyindispensable
the mere
rank
above
to any
turn
bourgeois. On his reto his own
country, all this fripperyis useless.
until he has undergone
He cannot
appear in London
another
thorough metamorphosis ; so that he will
laced

with

have

some

Paris

and

reason

London

contribution

and

regulate the
English, however,

who

the

to

think, that
combined

have

they, no
a

in

tradesmen

lay

to

doubt,

fashions
in

the

are

both

him

the

of

under

directors

capitals;
capacity:

subordinate

puppets of their making will not pass

at

the
for

Paris,

in any other part of

petit maitre is reckoned

indeed

Europe ; whereas a
French
a
complete figure
not excepted. Since it is so
every where, London
of the English at present to run
the humour
much
abroad, I wish they had antigallican
spiritenough to
in their own
genuine English
produce themselves
nor

dress, and

treat

the

French

modes

with

the

same

shewn
was
contempt, which
by an
philosophical
of Wighonest gentleman,distinguished
by the name
That unshaken
Middleton.
patriotstill appears in
the same
kind of scratch perriwig,
skimming-dishhat,
sUt sleeve, which
and
were
worn
five-and-twenty
in this garb,
years ago, and has invariablypersisted
in defiance of all the revolutions
TOBIAS

of the mode.
SMOLLETT

(1763).

THE

384
of

love

CHARM

comedy,

OF

PARIS

written

by Mons. de Beaufull of
marchais, and called Le Mariage de Figaro,'
such wit as we
fond of in the reignof Charles
were
the Second.
We
have enjoyed some
very agreeable
of Comte
Turconi, a
societyhere in the company
new

Milanese

nobleman

who,

desirous

escape all the

birth alone
frivolous, the petty distinction which
bestows, has long fixed his residence in Paris, where
talents

find their influence, and

affords

that

unobserved

action which
in

high rank

tasted, will

smaller

seldom

where

freedom

scarcelybe

can

to

great city

of

thought
expected by a man

circle ; but

which, when

and
of
once

preferredto the attentive

watchfulness
of more
confined society.
the rest, assembled
All Paris,I think, myself among
not

be

to

see

mount

the

valiant

and
brothers, Robert
yesterdayinto the air, in company

certain Pilatre de
new-invented
baloon.

Rosier,who

was

from

that

they set out,

that

the

the

with

conducted

them

fastened

to

flying chariot

It

Charles,

middle

of the

in the
an

air-

Tuileries

placevery favourable and wellcontrived for such publicpurposes.

But all was
so
nicely managed, so cleverlycarried on somehow,
order

and

decorum

of

who

us

remained

on

firm

than
the very
ever
more
ground struck me
creatures
floatingin the
strange sight of human
wind : but I have reallybeen witness to ten times
as

much

bustle and

confusion

at

crowded

theatre

peaceableParisians made
the whole citywas
when
gatheredtogether. Nobody
was
hurt, nobody was frightened,
nobody could even
Such are
incommoded.
pretend to feel themselves
the few comforts that result from a despotic
among
in London,

than what

government.

these

OF

PARIS

THE

PAST

385

however, boiled up a little

My republicanspirit,
last Monday, when
I had
to petitionMons.
de
Calonne

for the restoration of

the custom-house

and

the
,

at Calais.

sight of

triflesdetained in

His

indeed,
politeness,
performing like acts of

others

humiliation, reconciled

some

in

me

some

the

to

measure

drudgery of running from subaltern to subaltern,

in pathetic'
terms, the remission of a law.
intreating,
We mean
to quitParis to-morrow
; I therefore
enquiredthis evening,what was become of our aerial
A
travellers.
man
replied, Je crois,
very
grave
Madame,
qu'ilssont deja arrives ces Messieurs la
.

'

au

lieu

les vents

ou

se

forment.'
MRS.

EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY

OF

IMPEESSIONS

October 12th, 1787. In

coup d'osil of what I see
"

to

a
rapid
paper
well known
in

delineate
than

be it remembered,

this careless

PARIS

throwing on
of a city,so

England, I shall be apt to

and feelings,
perhaps more
; and

PIOZZI.

to
itinerary

that

the
I

my

own

ideas

selves
objectsthemcate
professto dedi-

triflesmuch

more

than

the
From
of real consequence.
of the cathedral,the view of Paris is complete.

objectsthat

tower

are

city,even to the eye that has seen London

from St. Paul's ; being circular,givesan advantage
to Paris ; but a much
greater is the atmosphere ; It
is now
so
clear,that one would suppose it the height
I
At night to the opera, which
of summer.
thought a good theatre,tillthey told me it was built
in six weeks ; and then it became
good for nothingin
in six
down
my eyes, for I suppose it will be tumbling
It is

vast

...

years.

The
.

Alceste

of

Gluck

was

performed;
25

THE

386

CHARM

PARIS

OF

part by Mademoiselle St. Hubert!, their first

As to scenes,
dresses,
singer,an excellent actress.
decorations, dancing,"c. this theatre beats the Haymarket to nothing.
The i^th. Called on Mr. Cook from London, who
is at Paris with his drill-plough,
waitingfor weather
of Orleans ;
its performance to the duke
to shew
this is a French idea, improving France
by drilling.

that

"

should learn to walk

man

There
with

before he learns to dance.

in cuttingcapers, and it may

agility
to cut
grace ; but where is the necessity

be done

is

them

at

all ?
main,
14th. To the benedictine abbey of St. GerIt is the
of African marble, "c.
to see pillars
richest abbey in France : the abbot has 300,000 liv.
I lost my
a
patienceat such revenues
being
year.
of the tenth
thus bestowed
; consistent with the spirit
century, but not with that of the eighteenth.What

The

"

noble farm

would

the fourth

of this income

turnips,what cabbages,what
what
clover,what sheep,what wool ! are
things better than a fat ecclesiastic ?
Bastile ; another
pleasantobjectto make
! what

"

lish
estab-

potatoes,
not these

Past

the

agreeable
emotions
I search for good
bosom.
head
at every
turn
farmers, and run
against
my
and state prisoners.
monks
By the Boulevards,
the Place Louis XV.
which
is not properly a
to
to a great city.
square, but a very noble entrance
The fagadesof the two buildings
erected are highly
vibrate in man's

finished.

Champs
the
the
one

The

union of the Place Louis XV.

with

the

Elysees,the gardens of the Thuilleries and

Seine is open, airy,elegantand superb ; and is
most
agreeableand best built part of Paris ; here
be clean and breathe freely. But by far the
can

PARIS
finest thingI have

bleds,or

OF

it is

of wood, upon a
entirely
In the evening,to
edifice fine ; and

387

vast

rotunda

; the

aux

roof

of carpentry.
principle

new

the

...

PAST

at Paris is the Halle

yet seen

market

corn

THE

Comedie

Italienne,the

the whole

quarterregularand new
of the duke de Choiseul,
built,a privatespeculation
whose familyhas a box entailed for ever.
L'Aimant
is a
jaloux. Here
singer.Mademoiselle
young
Renard, with so sweet a voice, that if she sung
Italian,and had been taught in Italy,would have
made
a delicious performer.
"

the

To

of Cardinal

tomb

de Richlieu, which is a
by far the finest statue

noble

productionof genius:
I have seen.
Nothing can be wished more
easy and
than the attitude of the cardinal,nor more
graceful
nature
than the figure
of weeping science.
expressive
Dined with my
friend at the Palais Royale, at a
coffee-house ; well dressed people; every thingclean,
good, and well served : but here, as every where
In
else,you pay a good pricefor good things.
the evening to VEcole des Peres, at the Comedie
a cryinglarmoyant thing. This theatre,
Frangaise,
with a
the principal
at Paris, is a fine building,
one
magnificentportico.After the circular theatres of
...

France, how

can

oblongholes

any

of London

relish

one

our

ill contrived

To the Gobelins,which is undoubtedly

of tapestry in the world, and
the first manufacture
18th.

The

"

supportedonly by a crowned
head.
In the eveningto that incomparablecomedy
The more
Na Metromanie, of Pyron, and well acted.
such

see

an

one

as

of it the

could be

more

I Uke

the French

theatre

and

it far to our own.

Writers,
preferring
actors, buildings,
scenes, decorations,music, dancing

have

no

doubt

in

25"2

CHARM

THE

388

in

whole

the

take

London.

We

have

; but

first water

mass,

OF

PARIS

and

it is unrivalled

few

a
certainly

all in the

thrown

by

brilliants of the

scales,and

that

I write this passage

England kicks the beam.
it giving
heart than I should do were
with a -lighter
the palm to the French plough.
To the bridgeof Neuilie,said to be the
The 22nd.
It is by far the most beautiful one
finest in France.

of

"

I have

where

any

It

seen.

consists

of five vast

arches ; flat,from the Florentine model ; and all of

equal span ; a mode of buildingincomparably more

elegant, and

more

strikingthan
To

different sized arches.

the

our

machine

of

system
at

Marly ;

the least

impression. Madam
the hill just
du Barre's residence, Lusienne, is on
this machine
the
above
; she has built a pavilionon
for commanding the prospect,
brow of the declivity,
fitted up and decorated with much
elegance. There
is a table formed of Seve porcelam, exquisitely
done.
louis d'ors it cost.
I forgethow many
thousand
To Versailles. In viewing the king'sapartment,
which he had not left a quarterof an hour, with those
he lived in it ; ic
traits of disorder that showed
slight
that were
was
amusing to see the blackguardfigures
the palace, and
about
even
walking uncontrouled
in his bed-chamber
whose rags betrayed them
; men
the only
to be in the last stage of poverty, and I was
how the devil they
person that stared and wondered
It is impossiblenot to hke this careless
got there.
from suspicion.One loves
indifference and freedom
which

ceases

to make

the

at

he returned
the

of the

master

offended

house, who would not be hurt or

seeinghis apartment thus occupied,if
suddenly ; for if there was danger of this,

intrusion would

be

prevented.

This is

certainly

OF

PARIS

PAST

THE

389

feature of that

good temper which appears to me so

visible everywhere in France.
I desired to see
the
Queen'sapartments, but I could not. Is her majesty
in it ? No.
Why then not see it as well as the
King's ? Ma foi,Mons., cest un autre chose. Ramble
through the gardens, and by the grand canal, with
absolute astonishment
at the exaggerationof writers
a

and

travellers.

buildingsand
continue
Voltaire
means

the
go

Let
.

those

establishments

who

desire

of Louis

that

the

should

XIV.

impressionmade
by the writingsof
to the canal of Languedoc, but by no

to Versailles.

Return

to Paris.
ARTHUR

FANNY

BURNEY

IN

YOUNG.

PARIS

Paris,

April,
off for Paris at five o'clock in the

We

set

The

country, broad, fiat,or barrenlysteep

1802.

morning.
"

without

trees, without

buildings,and scarcelyinhabited
exhibited a change from the fertile fields,
and beautiful
and gardens and civilization of Kent.
woods
This part of France
must
be the least frequented,
certainly
and the
for we
rarelymet a singlecarriage,
course
interfew and distant, seemed
to have
no
villages,
with
each
other.
Dimanche, indeed, might
"

occasion

this stiffness,
for

neat
villages,

from

and

clean

we

saw,

at

almost

peasants going to

or

all the

coming

seeming indescribablyelated and

happy by the publicpermissionof divine worship
its originally
most
What
in
on
appointedday.
the satisthe course
faction
of this journey struck me,
was
I could
of all the country people,with whom
Mass

and

...

THE

390

boasts

the

at

converse,

they

CHARM

OF

restoration
ventured

now

PARIS

of Dimanche

to

make

and

the

having never
dreadful reign of
of

kept the De:ade, except during the

when
not to oppose
Robespierre,
any of his severest
essential
decrees was
insufficient for safety,it was
to existence to observe
them with every parade
even
of the warmest
approval.
Almost
immediately after my arrival in Paris, I
much
was
surprisedby a visit from the ci-devant
Prince de Beauveau, Madame
his wife, and Mademoiselle
her sister,all brought by
de Mortemar,
Madame

Madame

d'Henin.
.

d'Henin

took

us

to

foliede Chartres,belongingto the

Due
a
d'Orl^ans, but now
publicgarden. It is in
of ruin, compared with
state
what
it formerly
a
boasted
of grandeur ; the river cut through it is
nearly dried up from neglectof the fountains ; the
a

place called

house
benches

is

La

turned

into

placed

are

garden,while

cake-rooms,

in the

multitude

common

open parts of the

half
of little bridgesare
most

Nevertheless, with

broken.

and

all

this,

d'Arblay
and I, with our
H amble
West
rusticity,
thought it
was
beautiful,though less habitable,
probably more
than in its pristine
state ; for the grass wildlygrowing
verdant
the uncut
lilacs were
and refres'hing,
was
lavish

of

sweets, and

to
luxuriantly

revel

over

Nature

all

the works

M.

around

seemed

of art.
May

5, 1802.

d'Arblay has procured us three tickets for

enteringthe apartments at the Tuileries to see the
parade of General Hulin, now
high in actual rank
has been
under
and service,but who
a
sous-officier
's command
M. d'Arblay
third ticket was
for
; our
M.

THE

392

CHARM
in

officers of rank

with

uniforms, and

PARIS

OF

sumptuous
martial

exhibitinga

their attire,which, however,

than

air that

consular

close to
we

all the

forms

became

apartment,

Bonaparte was holdinga levee, and

the steps ascending to it ; by which

saw

rich

generallyspeaking,was

too gorgeous to be noble.

next
Our window
to the
was

in which

rather

various

of the

it

was

means

exits and

trances
en-

had

and

opportunityto examine every dress

and
that
passed and repassed.
every countenance
This was
where
highlyamusing,I might say historic,
the past historyand the present office were
known.
But what was
most
prominent in commanding notice,
the array of the aides-de-campof Bonaparte,
was
which
that
all
almost
was
so
furiouslystriking,
the most
other vestments,
even
gaudy, appeared
suddenly under a gloomy cloud when contrasted with
its brightness.
this variety of attire, of carriage,
and
While
of
in facingthe passage preus
physiognomy amused
pared
for the First Consul, we were
ever
occupiedwhenturned
round
we
by seeingfrom the window
the garden of the Tuileries filling
with troops.
.

In

the

first

three

were

have

c'est une
and

to

stared

window

; and

name

it

moment

was

Anglaise,'
every
assist me,
at

me.

and
.

Madame

I blush

one

similar

yet
Well,

to

how

own

of this nation

'

c'est une

tried to
no

since heard,

might
in England ;
discovery

buzzed
one

stood

we

de Beauveau,

I have

as

here

the result to what

was

where

speaking English with

my
and

country, and,

experiencedfrom

for the

by

de Mortemar

gathered my
unlike

the

at

row

my

ladies who,

Mademoiselle
discovered

one

there

place,to oblige,

looked
are

etranger e,

curious, or

virtues

as

well

PARIS

PAST

THE

OF

393

defects of all classes ; and John Bull can

fightso
good a battle for his share of the former that he need
as

be

not

then

few

SIR

d'aRBLAY

WALTER

1826.

1,

Paris.

...

begin,for we
bouquet like
and

and

acknowledgingnow

of the latter.
MADAME

November

in

down

utterlycast

la

the

suppose

have
a

SCOTT

Vogue

"

had

cost

worshipper,who

IN

not

to

des Halles, with

speech

full of

honey

francs ; also a
leave his name,
but

small

ten

me

would

PARIS

; et voila nous
galere
ravishingis going

the Dames

maypole, and

oil, which

(fANNY BURNEY).

came

seulement

la felicite,
etc., etc.
pour avoir le plaisir,
All this jargon I answer
with correspondingblarney
of my
for have
own,
that ancient castle ?

like

and

comes,

Through
We
of

went

with

M.

We
.

of

stone

and

never

thin,
out

nor

in.'

Gallois to the Church

in

unlucky

were

it

"

thick

nonsense,

morning

black

speak it as
and Achitophel

in Absalom

and

St. Genevieve.

licked the

to French, I

through

on

sense

this

As

Doeg

Dash

'

I not

our

All Souls'
this being a high festival
day for sights,
not allowed
to scale the steepleof
Day. We were
"

St. Genevieve, neither could

Jardin des Plant

it is supposed,

we

see

at the

the animals

who, though they have

and no
interest, of course,
es,

souls,

no

in

the

day, observe it in strict retreat, like

lioness
the nuns
of Kilkenny. I met, however, one
introduced.
walking at large in the Jardin,and was
devotions

of the

This

Madame

was

de

well-known

French

character, I

am

Souza, the
romances

of

told, for I have

authoress
a
never

of

some

classical
very
read them.

THE

394
She must

have

CHARM

and

had

PARIS

beautiful,and is stillwell-looked.

been

She is the mother

OF

of the handsome

Count

de Flahault,

well-lookingdaughter with her,

besides a son
two.
She was
or
very agreeable.We
to meet
are
again. The day becoming decidedlyrainy,
returned along the Boulevards
we
by the Bridge of
Austerlitz,but the weather spoiledthe fine show.
a

dined

We

the

at

Ambassador,

Granville's.

Lord

splendidhouse which Lord

Castlereaghhad in 1815, namely, Numero
30, Rue
de
It once
belonged to
Fauxbourg St. Honore.
Pauline Borghese,and, if its walls could speak,they
might tell us mighty curious stories. Without their
having any tongue, they speak to my feelingswith
most
miraculous
organ.' In these halls I had often
and conversed
with many
of the great
seen
familiarly
the world by their swords,
and powerful,who
won
and divided it by their counsel.
I have
seen
in these
the
rooms
Emperor Alexander, Plat off,
a
Schwartzenberg,old Blucher, Fouche, and many
all
marshal
whose
truncheon
had
guided armies
at peace, without
now
subjects,without dominion,
their past life,perhaps, seems
but the
and where

He

inhabits

very

the

same

'

...

"

recollection
would

of

this band

described
November

in the
2.

"

feverish

have

made

in the

What

group

gloomy regions

Oiyssey !
We

friend Mr. Drummond,

de

dream.

went

to St. Cloud

now

livingat

with

my

old

pretty maison

St. Cloud, besides its unequalled

campagne at Auteuil.
I did not
views, is rich in remembrances.

Boney expelled
the
the Council of Five-Hundred.
I thought I saw
scoundrels jumping the windows, with the bayonet
What
not two
at their rumps.
was
a pity the house
failto visit the

out
Orangerie,

of which

PARIS
stories

high !

I asked

the locale,which

time.'

the

Swiss

he answered
*

saying,however,
There

that

he

questionson
becoming caution,

not

was

395

some

with

also

are

PAST

THE

OF

present

at

remembrances.

new

the

separate garden, laid out as a playground for the

royal children, is called Trocadero, from the siege
of Cadiz.

the

But

Bourbons

should

take

not

the

to
militaryground it is firinga pop-gun in answer
All within the house
is deranged.
a
battery of cannon.
Every trace of Napoleon or his reigntotally
"

done

if traced

as

away,

in sand

the

which

over

tide

passed. Moreau and Pichegru'sportraits

hang
in the royal ante-chamber.
The former has a mean
physiognomy ; the latter has been a strong and sternI looked at him, and thought of his
lookingman.
In the guard-room were
the heroes
death-struggles.
has

Vendee, Charette

of La
two

La

with

his white

Roche

of prayer,

I'Escures, in
Jacquelins,
the gamekeeper, with
Stofiflet,

November

4.

"

where
Tuileries,

After

tea

I went

with

bonnet, the
attitude

an

others.
Anne

to

the

royalfamilypass through
the Glass Galleryas they went
to chapel. We
were
looked at in our
turn, and the King, on
very much
passing out, did me the honour to say a few civil
Madame
words, which produced a great sensation.
la Dauphine and Madame
de Berri curtsied,smiled,
and looked extremely gracious; and smiles, bows,
we

curtsies rained

and

courtiers and

saw

on

the

us

like odours

ladies of the train.

We

were

from

all the

conducted

venient
Royal Gardes du Corps to a conplacein the chapelwhere we had the pleasure
of hearingthe Mass
performed with excellent music.
I had
a
perfectview of the royal family. The
him
in youth at
in age as I knew
King is the same

by

an

officer of the

CHARM

THE

396

PARIS

OF

and
in the
courteous
Holyrood-house, debonair
Dauphine resembles very
highestdegree. Madame
much
the printsof Marie Antoinette, in the profile
especially.She is not, however, beautiful, her
features being too strong,but they announce
a great
deal of character,and the Princess whom
Buonaparte
used to call the man
of the family. She seemed very
"

attentive
seemed
once

if

means

less immersed

in the

twice.

with

adorned

She is

yawned
"

French

The

5-9.
"

in their civilities
"

half mad

one

to this kind

and

Princess

Princes

boot.

interested

was

rageous
literallyout-

are

bounce

so

in at all hours

and

...

Galitzin,where

singingto

gracious
uncompliments. I am
entirelythankful as I ought
In the evening
people.

merry

of Russia

with

be

to

not

to

of Berri

and

ceremony,

diamonds, however.

November

'drive

Duchess

The

blonde
looks
lively-looking
she were
good-humoured and happy, by no
pretty,and has a cast with her eyes ; splendidly

or

as

devotions.

her

to

were

arrayed in
The
Madame

person
de

whole

covey

music

tartan, with
in whom

was

of
and

most

Boufflers, upwards of

and with all the

eighty,very polite,
very pleasant,
acquirementsof a French court lady of the time of
Madame
Sevigne,or of the correspondentrather of
Horace Walpole.
Home, and settled our affairs
to depart.
So adieu to la belle France.
.

...

WALTER

SIR

SCENE
During

Not
the

the

often in the
theatre

of

IN

SPLENDOUR

OF

Last

Days

historyof

such

scene

of

the

PARTS
Empire

earth

been

splendour as

that

mankind
of

SCOTT.

has

PARIS

OF

PAST

THE

397

which

Paris in the springtimeand

glorified
early
of 1867. Perchance
in some
summer
far-off Indian
city, in ancient Benares, or many-towered Delhi,
there might be a greaterglitterof gold and
gems,
statelier processions,
Oriental
of palanquins
pomp
and plumes, caparisonedelephants,peacock thrones,
turbans
luminous
with emerald
and ruby ; but that
barbaric

show

meaning

as

of the

would

compared

West, the

have
with

had
this

but

meeting

and

statesmen

feeble historic
of the

kings

ciers
warriors, the finan-

and

long-headed schemers, the makers and unmakers

of kings. It was
of the
a mighty rendezvous
powers of the civilized world, a gatheringof crowned
of
heads, all seeminglyintent upon the amusement
the hour, yet each in his heart of hearts intent upon
mined
making good use of his opportunities,each deterto turn the occasion to good political
account.
the firstto come,
The Czar was
accompanied
among
It was
not long since their elder
by his two sons.
brother had been laid in his coffin,
heaped round with
the fairest flowers of Nice,
face in the

dead
of

an

midst

of

fair young

roses

the

on

stream

William

photograph.

of

and

faintly
life,survivingonly in a

Imperial youth which

reflected

form, a calm
lilies,
pale image

had

of Prussia

been

was

but

there, flushed

victory
victory of Sadowa
in great part to the neutrality
of France.
owed
in
in the open carriage
Beside the stern soldier-king
of
which he entered Paris sat the two master-spirits
his
kingdom his mighty General, Moltke, his
tell
could
Who
mightier Chancellor, Bismarck.
with

the

tremendous

"

"

what

brooded

dreams

of the senator
the

lightof

behind

those

steel-blue

eyes

luminous with
large,full,projecting,
mind ? what hidden planslurked
master
"

THE

398
beneath

statesmen,

was

policyand

his

that outspoken
good fellowship,
?
Cavour, giant among
simplicity
dead

as

The

eyes, looked

solemn

show,

Egypt,

had

Frenchmen

as

Machiavelli

but

his

capacitylived in his Prussian pupil.

sent its potentates to swell the Royal
Sultan's large grave
face, with dark

East

crowd.

PARIS

OF

air of frank,

that

Teutonic

The

CHARM

calm

while
come

were

his

to

who

see

and unmoved

upon

tributary,the
what

wanted

of

kind
to

cut

the Imperial

Viceroy of
people these
highway for

shipsof the world throughthe sands of the desert.

Even
far-off Japan was
by the brother of
represented

the

its secular ruler.

there

that

brilliant

throng,
lightersouls, nursing no deep-laidschemes, hiding
no
slumbering fires princeswho came
honestlyto
see the show, and to drink the cup of pleasurein that
which
seemed
one
season
long festival. England's
future king was
there, in the flower of his youth,
first favourite
kindly,dehonnaire, keenly intelUgent,
the
the eliteof Paris, a popularfigure
among
among
populace; the young Princes of Belgium,the Princes
three years later
of Prussia
they who were to come
with fireand sword, bringingin their train death and
the
ruin, burning instead of beauty. There was
Prince of Orange a prince pour rire, and
Crown
Never
and princesseswithout
number.
princelings
the earth such a gatheringof its great ones,
saw
of a festival.
or
a
city so fitted for the scene
The omnipotenceof the Emperor, the millions poured
had made Paris
out like water by Prefect Haussmann,
the monuments
a city of palaces,a
place in which even
and
of the past were
statues
scraped and
Boulepurifiedto match the whiteness of the new
Princes

amidst

were

"

"

"

INDEX

Abelardus, Pierre,300
Hans
Christian,
Andersen,
309

Ariosto, Ludovico, 36
Armour, Margaret, 33
Anon., 72, 148, 185, 224
112
Arnold, Matthew,
de,

Honord

Balzac,

Oliver

Holmes,
54,

94,

109,

Belloc,

233-, 240,

198, 318
Blunt, Wilfrid, 40
Braddon, M. E., 11, 159,
396
Browning:, E. B., 43, 65
Bulwer, Edward, 82
Burney, Panny, 389
191,

Byron, Lord,

322,

Carlyle,Thomas,

323

206, 207,

338
Coryat, Thomas, 38,
261, 353
Cowper, William, 248
313,

319,

Croly,George, 72,

241,

D'Arblay, Madame,
Daudet, Alphonse,

251,

389
2,

Delavigue, Casimir,
Ddsaugiers, M., 120,

101

327
143,

228

Dickens, Charles, 83, 106,

277

Dumas,

Alexandre,

307

345

Rell, Max
O", ii8
Ricard, Auguste, 203
Rossetti, Dante
Gabriel,

31

James, Henr^, 6
Janin, Jules,~37o
Jerrold, W.
Blanchard,

M.

Betham-, 86,

226

Petit

'Le

Sardou, Victorien, 330

Scott, Sir Walter, 265, 393
Senaricour,E. P. de, 56
de, 311
Sdvignd, Madame
Smith, Albert, 170
Smollett, Tobias, 378
Steele,Sir Richard, 371
Steevens, G. W., 36
Sterne, Laurence, 68, 114,

Homme

Rouge,' 253
Longfellow, H. W., 270
Lowell, James Russell,2
Lynch,

Hannah,

2, 330

Lytton, Lord, 82,

105

Macdonald, John F., 267

Macdonald, Katie W.,
Charles, 48

Mackay,
Martin,

Eva

M.,

du,

219

W.

181,

221,

173,

M.,

95,

325

Trares, G. J., 55
Twain,

105

Merivale, Herman,
367
MonckMilnes, Richard

Mark,

99,

264

Molinet, Clement,

Lady

Mary,

Michael

de,

10

Thomas,
50, 128
Morris, Sir Lewis, 244

Moryson, Fynes,
41,

Louise
79

Fran9ois,113

Vizetelly,Ernest

14

373

Moulton,

Verlaine, Paul, 163

Verrell, Ambrose, 294
Villon,

Moore,

le,37
Gautier, Th^ophile, 235
Gibbon, Edward, 331
Goulden, W. E., 176, 215

Thackeray,
15,

Mirimee, Prosper, 94

Fairfield,S. L.,

333

232

Sue, Eugene, 189,274, 284

Symons, Arthur, 9, 118

235

Maurier, George
134, 182, 330
Meredith, Owen,

Montaigne,

268

Augustus,

Lang, Andrew, 169

Lee, Vernon, 91, 227

L., 168
Evelyn, John, 36, 304, 356

Gallienne, Richard

Sala,-George
77. 214

Montague,
Frank

Froissart,Sir John,

77. 239

195

ton, 260

Edwards,

The,

124

137,

276

295

Quarterly Review,

335,

Hilaire,3, 81

Bdranger, Pierre-Jeande,

Emanuel,

Payne, John, 113

Piozzi,Mrs., 383
Pope, Alexander,

Wendell,

Houghton, Lord, 260

Howell, James, 44, 287
Hugo, Victor, 26, 88, 131,
-199, 217,

30

33, 94

250

Hunt, Leigh,

232

242,

Ouida,

259

74, 241,

192

154,

Hamerton, PhilipGilbert, Nodier, Jules, 80

Noyes, Alfred, 108
57, 188, 232, 263, 286'
Hawthorne,
Nathaniel,
Heine, Heinrich,

Bayliss,Sir Wyke, 259

Bashkirtseflf,Marie, 68,

210,

AUTHORS

OF

145,

150,

A.,
156, 161

Waite, A. E., 56
Whiteing, Richard, 68, 69
Willis, N. P., 220
Wingate, Ashmore, 58,163

Wordsworth,

ler,
Chand-

20

Young, Arthur, 385

I
156, 161

400

William,

339

Murger, Henri, 169, 176, jZola, Emile,

215

139,

139, 143,

150,

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

402

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

403

404

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

405

TABLE

4o6

SOURCE

TITLE

To

veller
Tra-

Uncommercial
in Paris

The
a

Republican Friend

Vendredi

Walks

CONTENTS

OF

The

'

Poems

EXTRACT

OF

'

Uncommercial
Traveller

Poetical Works

Saint

Random

in Paris

'

Charles
Matthew

'

'

Sir Lewis
Louise

bles
Ram'

Youth
Entering Paris
Youth
Seeking Fortune
Paris
.

'
.

Ishmael

106
112

Morris

Chandler
.

M.

E. Braddon

M.

E. Braddon

244
Moul.

.11

in
'

Ishmael

THE

HII.I.ING

ton

'

Dickens
Arnold

AND

SONS,

LTD.,

'
.

END

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.159

41

brought together poems

the ancient
of
Scottish Revieiv.

beauties
"

"

illustrative of tiie
prose passages
'
famous
metropolisof the North."

and
and

Alfred H.

from, and

has

It is

'

of

Charm

The

"

done

pearlof anthologies.

wealth

"

is
Edinburgh
Hyatt, the compiler,had

his work

of material

to admiration.'

Mr.

select

World.

Christian

"

little volume.'

remarkably attractive

to

Globe.

"

is proud of his capital will desire to

who
has paid a visit north will find
whoever
and
this
volume,
possess
it to be a very pleasantremembrancer.'
Birmingham Post.

Every Scotsman

'

"

is

attractive book.'

Spectator.
in this daintylittle compilation are
Here
nearly 450 closelyand
of
in
Edinburgh by eminent
description
packed pages
eloquent pens, from Ben Jonson to Mr. Alfred Noyes.
'

This

very

"

'

collection
score

thousands
of tributes from

two

or

strangers

as

her

charming selection of
to all who
appeal irresistibly
Mr.

'

That
the

'

sons,

this

from

and

Daily Chronicle.

VENICE

OF

'This

Venice.

illustrious

most

vfeW.'"

CHARM

THE

will welcome

of admirers, who

her

has

Edina

poems
have

and
been

prose
under

Oxford Magazine.
to
Hyatt says it is always delightful

will
passages
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"

most

'

anthologies. Daily
"

he enables

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the manner
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And

is true.

book

The

read

Venice.

about
us

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is treasure-trove

is

among

Chronicle.

LiverpoolCourier.
Selection and arrangement
display the good taste as well as
of
the
and industry
the care
anthologist; in short, his offering
Scotsman.
is worthy of Venice
and its fame.'
in prose
excellent choice of extracts
Mr. Hyatt has made
an
'

It is

little book.'
delightful

"

'

"

'

and

verse.*

"

Truth.

of Mr.

Alfred H.

Hyatt's
originaland charming anthologiesof cities. He here gathers
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of the many
together the cream
to the beautyof the Queen of the Adriatic.
Nottingham Guardian.
is so
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In his new
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again gives
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sympatheticallymaterialized, Mr.
of his
his
of
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range
*

The

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