P. into the Palais Royal, for some minutes before dinner; who, as usual, attracted all eyes, and some sorrowful silent looks of the women: but no audible reprehension of her tournure met my ear, unless that of a shoemaker's child in the passage, who called to its mother "Voila, l'Anglaise," in a surprised tone, which, however, my honest woman did not understand. I have sometimes made out a plan of part of the city for her to walk by, in virtue of which she had spent three hours in the Louvre and Tuilleries' gardens by herself, having been the pleasantest day she had enjoyed in Paris. She is extravagantly grateful for some of these small attentions. Having asked what appeared most agreeable in her walk, I cannot but say that I was astonished, when she admitted that the beautiful "hymmages" was what she thought most of; for to tell the truth the exhibition of these nudities is somewhat an exceptionable feature of the spectacle: one of the first objects that we meet in descending the west terrace, is a monstrous statue of Hercules in his birth-day suit. Monday, 12th May. To-day I went to the Place de la Justice, where the Courts are held, but it would not be Paris unless the Place of Law contained, moreover, interior galleries of great extent, replete with shops, shoes, cutlery, books, toys, and all manner of wares, being an up-stairs thoroughfare. They are certainly a strange people, that mix the various professions of life into this sort of medley. I saw no pressure of population in the forum, or vehemence of debate: there is no brimming tide of commercial controversy here, to convert the appearance of courts of law into that of a multitudinous mart, more than of a contemplative divan for adjustment of the agitated affairs of men. In the High Court of Cassation of Appeal, an advocate, with spectacles, read his speech to eight or ten judges in black gowns, who were strewed about an ordinary-looking room; some of them as fast asleep as ever folk were in a stage coach at two in the morning and about twenty spectators witnessed the uninteresting scene. : I wished to see the humours of the Police Court, but was told there were no cases to-day; this seemed surprising. The French must be less given to row, tumult, and burglary than our good people at home, said I to a countryman, with whom I was conversing on this topic : -"O," replied he, "they are infinitely more devoted to these and every other enormities than we are, but their amazingly quick police detects and over-masters every thing of the sort." "Strict police," quoth I, in return, "I see no watchmen at all during the night, but a few horsemen, here and there, that could not keep the streets of London, or one of our large provin cial towns in order for half-an-hour." The fact is, that however strict the police are in matters that concern politics, the French municipal government requires no such vigilant agency as we do, and do not possess the semblance of a watchman's box that I could perceive in the densest part of Paris. In short, our notions of their ferocity and ungovernableness, is just a national mistake. Tuesday, 13th May. This day I determined to set apart for seeing the spectacle which it is natural for an Englishman to consider as the most interesting in France, the meeting of the national representatives, the Chamber des Deputés, or House of Commons of the French nation. It is held in the Palais Bourbon, in front of the Pont Louis XVI. The building is remarkably elegant, with a façade of pillars and fine pediment. The galleries for spectators are understood to contain about 150. No more than the complement are admitted, so all are comfortable within doors. As every member of the house has a right to confer by ticket, a place, those who possess these have a preference; so that, generally only thirty or forty seats remain for the general population, and the first comers are honestly admitted. The result of this is, that of a morning, some thirty or forty poor fellows take their station in a double row at the foot of the broad stairs of the Palace, certain that having achieved this occupation none can deprive them of it; and their privilege they dispose of to those strangers who wish to ascend up stairs. I once thought of asking some acquaintance to procure me an admission from a member, but neglected. One of these worthy substituters sold me his place for about twenty pence sterling; and although he would, had I chosen, have kept the post till the doors were opened, to let me walk about, I preferred taking immediate possession. Here, therefore, were forty people, ranged in double file, some well dressed, who had purchased places; the remainder filthy in their apparel, and whose proximity was likely to be lucrative in flocks and herds not generally coveted. Some jostling and high words took place among the front files, but no blows, for the French consider that mode of settling disputes brutal: and even among the lower orders the dignity of human nature is rarely violated by one man striking another: a delightful feature in their character, indicative of the beight of civilization to which the very lowest ranks here have attained. In about an hour a sentinel came and admitted all the files, but stopt when he came to me, there being no more room and so I was left with some expectants behind me, to grumble and discover all manner of reasons why the galleries should have been made larger. But we were not left to utter hopelessness, though not far from that deplorable situation; for some person who enjoyed a seat at present might have business before the Chamber rose, and so vacate his place in the gallery for our use; or he might tire, or get sick. In the mean time, I hummed a Scots tune, looked over my French grammar, or tried to listen to the conversation behind me. We were all at first at the bottom of the spacious staircase, which, however, we ascended by slow degrees, and finally taking advantage of a relief of the guard, we got up to the esplanade among the pillars, and stood boldly round the sentinel who kept the door. This was a stout, fierce, middlesized man, extremely gasconading and haughty, and being a little in liquor, (not a common thing here,) wished to impress upon our minds that he was something beyond ordinary; and this was a character just suited to the views of the motley group of loungers that surrounded him. Here then, for the space of two hours, all kind of badinage passed between his sentryship and the crowd; and had I known the language accu→ rately, I might have picked up more of Paris low life, than in any opportunity that had been afforded me: however, I heard and saw enough to form no unfavourable opinion of Parisian humour. "Je fus a Moscou," was the mode which this military appendage to the Chamber took of endeavouring to impress deep respect T |