How to Enjoy Paris in 1842 Part 7

Vincent de Paule, which stands about a furlong from it to the west in the Rue Montholon, to where we will proceed, and look at the altar-piece, being the apotheosis of the philanthropist to whom it is dedicated, and the only object in the church worth attention.

Keeping straight on westward, we come to the beautiful church of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, finished in 1837, it is exactly fronting the Rue Lafitte, from which the n.o.ble portico of corinthian columns has a most beautiful effect. The interior is splendid, indeed gorgeous, all that painting, sculpture, and gilding can produce, is here combined, and the effect is dazzling, and excites almost universal admiration, and would mine also were it a theatre, but the chaste, still solemnity of a holy sanctuary exists not here, amongst the gay colours and lurid glare which every where meets the eye from the glitter, which blazes around in this too profusely decorated church. Yet one must do justice as one examines it in detail, and admit that in point of execution all its different departments are most exquisitely wrought, and magnificent as a whole, only not consistent with our a.s.sociations connected with a temple of wors.h.i.+p.

We will now descend by the Rue Faubourg Montmartre to the Boulevards, and bearing a little westward, shall come to the very handsome Rue Vivienne, through which we will proceed until we are opposite the Bourse (Exchange), and there we pause and contemplate what I consider the _beau ideal_ of fine architecture; its n.o.ble range of 66 corinthian columns have no unseemly projections to break the broad ma.s.s of light, which sheds its full expanse upon their large rounded shafts, no profusion of frittering ornaments spoil the chaste harmony which pervades the whole character of this building, which to me appears faultless. If there were any improvement possible, I should say that if the bold flight of steps which leads to the front entrance had been carried all round the building the effect would have been still more grand than it now is. The interior is adorned with paintings in imitation of bas relief, which are executed in the most masterly style. The grand Salle de la Bourse in the centre of the building, where the stock-brokers and merchants meet, is 116 feet in length by 76 in breadth, entirely paved with marble. The whole arrangements are such as to render it in every respect the most commodious for all commercial purposes.

From hence we proceed by the street opposite to the Rue Richelieu, and turning to the left, we arrive at the Place Richelieu, and must pa.s.s a few minutes in admiring the elegant bronze fountain in the centre with its n.o.ble basins and four allegorical figures representing the Seine, the Loire, the Saone, and the Garonne, round which the water falls from above, and flows beneath, producing a most beautiful effect.

Opposite is the Bibliotheque du Roi, or Royal Library, which certainly is the most extensive and most complete of any in the world, possessing nearly 1,000,000 books and printed pamphlets, 80,000 MSS, 100,000 medals, 1,400,000 engravings, 300,000 maps and plans. This inst.i.tution may be considered to owe its foundation to St. Louis, who first made the attempt of forming a public library, and arranged some volumes in an apartment attached to the Holy Chapel; under successive reigns the number gradually increased, whilst the locality a.s.signed for them was often changed, and it was not until the reign of Louis XV that they were placed where they now are, in a most extensive building, formerly the residence of Cardinal Mazarin, which, seen from the Rue Richelieu, presents nothing but a great ugly dead wall, with a high roof to it, and here and there a few square holes for windows, but when you enter the court-yard, you find rather a fine building than otherwise, and the interior displays, by the vast size of the apartments, some idea of what its former grandeur must have been; the richness of the ornaments and decorations in most instances are destroyed, and replaced by books, with which the walls are covered. The engravings occupy the ground floor, and amongst them are to be found fifty thousand portraits, including every eminent character which Europe has produced, and presenting all the varieties of costumes existing at the different epochs in which they flourished; in one of the rooms where the prints are kept is an oil portrait, in profile, of the unfortunate King John of France, which is curious as an antiquity, being an original, and executed at a time when the art of portrait painting was very little known, as John died in the year 1364. On ascending the staircase to the right, a piece of framed tapestry must be remarked, as having formed part of the furniture of the chateau of Bayard.

Those who are curious in typographical specimens must ask to see the most ancient printed book _with a date_, being 1457, also the Bible, called Mazarin, printed in 1456, with cut metal types. The oldest ma.n.u.script is one of Josephus, and others are of the fifth and sixth centuries; the amateurs of autography will be gratified in seeing letters from Henri IV to Gabrielle d'Estree, and the writing of Francis I, Turenne, Madame de Maintenon, Voltaire, Rousseau, Racine, Corneille; Boileau, Bossuet, etc. Amongst other interesting objects is the chair of Dagobert, which is supposed to be much older even than his time, and of ancient Roman fabric, the vase of the Ptolemies, the famous cameo representing the apotheosis of Augustus, the seal of Michael Angelo, and the armour of Francis I, and the admirers of _vertu_ must be delighted with the collection of exquisitely beautiful intaglios and cameos. Two globes, twelve feet in diameter, being the largest extant, cannot be overlooked. Mount Parna.s.sus in bronze, which the French poets and musicians are ascending with Louis XIV on the summit, is a fine piece of workmans.h.i.+p; there is also a model of the Pyramids of Egypt, with figures and trees to denote their height. There are a few very good paintings, and many objects calculated to excite the highest interest, which it would take years properly to examine and appreciate. The prayer-books of St. Louis and Anne of Brittany, and one which belonged in succession to Charles V Charles IX, and Henri III, bearing their signatures are exceedingly curious. Amongst the books and ma.n.u.scripts may be found some of every known language which has characters. This n.o.ble inst.i.tution is open daily for students; authors; etc., from ten till three, except Sundays and festivals; and those who merely wish to view the establishment may be admitted from ten till three on Tuesdays and Fridays; except during the vacation, which is from the 1st September to the 15th October.

In the same street, a little farther southward, at the corner of the Rue Traversiere, the preparations will be observed for a statue to Moliere, on the spot where stood the house in which he died, and nearly opposite is a small pa.s.sage which pa.s.ses under a house; and takes one opposite another of a similar description, which leads into the Palais Royal: suddenly emerging from the little dark alleys into a beautiful area, has a most extraordinary and pleasing effect; you see before you a parallelogram of 700 feet by 300, completely surrounded by a beautiful building with arcades, and having flower-gardens; statues, and a splendid fountain in the centre. To see this extraordinary scene to the greatest advantage, the first visit should be by night, and the impulsive coup-d'oeil tempts the beholder to imagine that he has around him the realization of some gay dream of a fairy palace, the immense glare of light glittering on the falling waters, the brilliance of the illuminated shops; the magnificence and richness of the articles therein displayed, with reflecting lamps so contrived as to throw a powerful light on their sparkling jewels and glittering ware, the vistas of trees, the borders of flowers, the well dressed company and animated groups, with the gilded coffee-houses beaming all round, form such a picture as it is more easy to imagine than describe. Four galleries with shops encircle the garden of the Palais Royal, three of them are under piazzas opening to the grand area, the fourth, called the Galerie d'Orleans, is enclosed on both sides, and the roof is formed by one immense skylight, whilst the effect of the whole is superb. Over the shops are mostly either coffee-houses or restaurateurs, some of them splendidly decorated and most brilliantly lighted; as may be imagined, this amusing locality forms the lounge of thousands, and no stranger ever comes to Paris without making an early visit to the Palais Royal.

It was originally intended by Cardinal Richelieu for his own residence, but the magnificence which he had already developed, with intentions of augmenting his design to so extravagant and luxurious a degree, began to excite the jealousy of Louis XIII, and finally the Cardinal made him a present of it shortly before his death. Since then it has been inhabited by several royal visiters, and such changes have been made that the original plan is scarcely to be traced, it having formerly been so much more extensive as to occupy several of the surrounding streets. So numerous are the shops, and so various are the articles within them, that it has been observed that a person might live in the Palais Royal without ever stirring out of it, finding all within it required to supply the wants of a reasonable being.

Although under the comprehensive t.i.tle of Palais Royal, the whole extent is included, not only garden but all the surrounding shops and the stories above, yet that part which specifically is the Palais Royal, or Royal Palace, is situated at the southern extremity, looking into two court-yards, and where the present King with his family resided until 1831, when he removed to the Tuileries. It is entered by the Rue St.

Honore, and may be considered rather a fine building; the doric, ionic, and corinthian orders are visible in different parts of the edifice, in the interior there are some extremely handsome apartments, beautifully furnished but not very large for a palace; there are many very interesting pictures, particularly those relative to the King's life, from the period, of his teaching geography in a school in Switzerland, to his return to Paris; also the subjects connected with the events of the Palace are well worth attention, and many of them painted by the first rate artists. The apartments may usually be seen on Sundays from 1 till 4, on presentation of the pa.s.sport.

Opposite the Palais-Royal is an open s.p.a.ce called the Place du Palais Royal, on the southern side is the Chateau-d'Eau, a reservoir of water for supplying the neighbouring fountains; it is decorated with statues, and two pavilions. Just near it is the Rue St. Thomas-du-Louvre, where formerly stood the famous Hotel de Longueville, the residence of the Duke de Longueville, and Elboeuf, where the intrigues of the Fronde were carried on, during the minority of Louis XIV, against Mazarin; it is now in part occupied by the king's stables, containing 160 horses, and may be visited any day by applying at the porter's lodge. We will now retrace a few steps eastward to the Rue St. Honore, and pa.s.sing by the large establishment of Laffitte, Caillard, et Compagnie, for diligences to all parts of France, we shall come to the Oratoire, built for the Pretres de l'Oratoire in 1621, but now devoted to the protestant wors.h.i.+p; it is adorned with doric columns, with a range of corinthian pillars above, and in the interior, the roof of which is highly ornamented. Service is performed in French every Sunday at half past 12.

Within a hundred yards eastward is the Fontaine de la Croix-du-Tiroir, at the corner of the Rue de l'Arbre-Sec, rebuilt by Soufflot (on the site of one erected under Francis I). Adorned by pilasters and a nymph, which would have been graceful but is spoiled by their painting over it.

The first turning in the Rue de l'Arbre-Sec, is the Rue des Fosses St.

Germain-l'Auxerrois, and at No. 14 is the house formerly called the Hotel Ponthieu, in which Admiral Coligni was a.s.sa.s.sinated on St.

Bartholomew's day, in 1572; in the very room where the event took place the witty actress, Sophie Arnould, was born, in 1740, then called the Hotel Lisieux, and in 1747, it was occupied by Vanloo the celebrated painter. We return to the Rue de l'Arbre-Sec, and a few steps southward bring us in front of the venerable and mouldering church of St.

Germain-l'Auxerrois (vide page 61); the oldest part still standing and supposed to be of the 14th century, is the western front; the porch was built by Jean Gausel in 1431, several other parts have been built at later periods; altogether it is a most interesting building and is connected with many sad historical a.s.sociations, it was the bell of this church that tolled the signal for the ma.s.sacre of the protestants on the night of St. Bartholomew; in a little street adjoining the south side of the church, is a house with a picturesque turret, supposed to have belonged to some building attached to the church; there is a very remarkable piece of carve-work in wood and some interesting pictures within the church; we will now leave its tranquil vaulted aisles, and quitting by the western porch, the most beautiful facade of the Louvre rises before us, which was erected in the reign of Louis XIV, after a design by Claude Perrault.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Champin del. Lith. Rigo Freres Cie St. Germain l'Auxerrois.]

The Louvre has been so often described in works of so many different natures, descending the different grades from histories to pamphlets, that I shall not fatigue my readers with a too detailed review of its wonders, but endeavour to give them some impression of its grandeur, with as little prolixity as possible. I have already, in the historical sketch of Paris, touched upon its foundation, and the various epochs at which the different parts of the building were erected, and certainly let any one place himself in the middle of the grand court, and behold the four sides, and see if he can call to mind any thing equal to it, take it, for its all in all; I am well aware that there is rather a redundancy of ornament to satisfy the purest taste, and in that respect there is undoubtedly a deviation from perfection, but the approach is sufficiently near to excite the warmest admiration. Each side is 408 feet, and although there is a degree of uniformity, taken _en ma.s.se_, preserved, with two of the facades particularly, yet on examination the ornaments are found to be different, each side requires much close study after a _coup-d'oeil_ has been taken of the whole, and the more it is inspected, the more beautiful will it be found; the statues and different devices are by five different sculptors, the most celebrated of their day, the order of the pillars is generally corinthian, but there are some, which are composite. The external facades are by no means burthened with ornament, the north and western sides being perfectly plain, the south side has a n.o.ble effect, and faces the quay, having plenty of room to admit of its being properly viewed and justice rendered to its n.o.ble range of forty corinthian pilasters; this is by Perrault, as well as the eastern side, which is certainly one of the finest specimens of modern architecture that can be imagined.

A grand colonnade composed of 28 coupled corinthian columns has the most splendid effect, the bas.e.m.e.nt story being perfectly simple, whilst the central ma.s.s of the building which forms the gateway is crowned by a pediment of stones, each 52 feet in length and three in thickness; all is vast, all is grand about this n.o.ble front, which is justly the admiration of every architectural connoisseur, no matter from what part of the world he may come.

Of the interior volumes might be said, I must first, after conducting my reader to the great door on the southern side of the building, direct his attention to the grand staircase, which is of a most splendid character, as to design, and consistently beautiful as to execution. The visiter after pa.s.sing by a small room filled with very old paintings enters a larger when the grand gallery extends before him, which is unrivalled in the world, being above a quarter of a mile in length, and 42 feet in width, filled with paintings, princ.i.p.ally from the old masters, but of them I will treat in a future chapter; it contains 1406 pictures some of them being of immense size. We will now pa.s.s on for the moment to the other apartments. The bed-room of Henry IV must arrest our attention, and the eye naturally falls on the alcove where his bed was placed, the oak carving, and gilded mouldings have been preserved exactly in the same state that they were when he died. We next proceed to a suite of rooms containing paintings of the Spanish, French, Flemish, and Italian schools; others devoted to drawings; of the latter there are 1293. Another range of apartments is on the ground floor and called the Museum of Antiquities, containing statues and various specimens of sculpture, in all 1,116 objects. Other suites of rooms are appropriated to Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities, and in some of the apartments are objects of great value; that the amount of real worth of the contents of the Louvre must be incalculable, one casket alone of Mary de Medicis is estimated at several thousand pounds, and there are many articles equally costly. One portion of the building is devoted to every thing that concerns naval architecture and an immense variety of marine objects, with a number of curious models. The Louvre may be entered on presenting the pa.s.sport, every day, and new wonders and beauties may be discovered at each visit, although they be repeated for months together.

We now pa.s.s on westward, and enter the Place du Carrousel, so called from Louis XIV having held a grand tournament there in 1662, but it was not then so extensive as at present. The triumphal arch erected by Napoleon in 1806, first strikes the eye a beautiful monument composed of different coloured marbles, of works in bronze with figures, and devices relative to war, and commemorative of the campaigns of the French army in 1805; all the different parts are admirable from the exquisite manner of their execution. On our left is the grand picture-gallery of the Louvre, communicating with the Tuileries, on the right, the same description of building exists in part, but is not yet completed. Before us spreads the extended dimensions of the palace of the Tuileries; with all deficiences it must be admitted that it is a n.o.ble pile, and has a grand, though heavy imposing air, the height of the roof is certainly a deformity, but we will enter the grand court-yard, which is separated from the Place du Carrousel by a handsome railing with gilt spear-heads, and then pa.s.s under the palace, and view the facade on the garden side, where the sameness of the building is relieved by a handsome colonnade in the centre, adorned with statues, vases, etc.; the wings also have a fine effect, they are more ma.s.sive than the body of the building, which although not a beauty as respects the edifice in general, yet the execution of all the different parts is admirable in the identical detail; having a fair share of ornament not injudiciously disposed, situated as the Palace is seen, at the end of a splendid garden, it has a most striking and beautiful effect.

The interior contains many apartments which are, as might be expected, exceedingly handsome, one termed the Galerie de Diane is 176 feet long by 32 broad, it is of the time of Louis XIII, and rich in gilding and paintings, but generally the furniture is not so magnificent as might be imagined; those occupied by the Duke of Orleans are an exception; being very splendid. Amongst the numerous objects of _vertu_ which here abound is the large solid silver statue of Peace, presented to Napoleon by the city of Paris after the treaty of Amiens. The pictures are generally by the most eminent French artists. The Salle des Marechaux contains the portraits of the living Marshals of France; Soult, Molitor, and Grouchy are the only remaining, whose names figured in the campaigns of Napoleon; on the whole it may be remarked that the apartments generally in the Tuileries are not equal in point of extent and decoration, to the saloons of many of the n.o.bility of Paris. When the King is absent, the Palace may be viewed by applying to M. le Commandant du Chateau des Tuileries, and the same is the case with the apartments of the Duke of Orleans.

The gardens present a most agreeable aspect, although too stiff and formal to be in good taste, yet the melange of n.o.ble high trees, wide gravel walks, marble basins, beautiful fountains, the most cla.s.sic statues, beds of flowers, ornamental vases, and the commanding view to the Triumphal Arch, certainly form an _ensemble_ which produces the most delightful sensation; in fact, I never enter them, such is the cheering effect upon me, without having but one unpleasant feeling, and that is, to think that I have not time to go there oftener, and pa.s.s hours amongst such charming scenes. To view the number of sweet merry looking children, with their clean and neat _bonnes_ (nursery maids), all playing so happily together, enlivens the heart, then the retired walks between the dense foliage in the heat of summer invites the mind to meditation. The exquisitely beautiful statues are also most interesting objects of study, and I recommend them particularly to the attention of the visiter. On the northern side of the gardens, extends the handsome Rue Rivoli, with its n.o.ble colonnade; at No. 48, is the Hotel des Finances, a s.p.a.cious building covering a large extent of ground, containing several courts, with offices, and splendid apartments for the Minister. We shall now cross the Rue Rivoli, and take the Rue des Pyramides, also having an arcade all through the Rue St. Honore, and facing us rises the n.o.ble church of St. Roch (vide page 97). The entrance is approached by a flight of steps, which have witnessed some sanguinary scenes, when Napoleon poured forth the iron hail of his artillery upon the opposing force which was there posted; again, in 1830, on the same spot, the people made a firm resistance against the gendarmerie of Charles X. The portal has two ranges of columns of corinthian and doric orders, the interior, although plain, has a fine appearance, heightened by the effect produced by many handsome monuments to ill.u.s.trious characters who have been buried here, amongst the rest, Corneille; painting as well as sculpture has lent its aid in decorating this church, as it contains some fine pictures. The Royal Family attend here, and the music is very fine, but generally there are such crowds that it is difficult to enter. At No. 13 in the Rue d'Argenteuil, behind St. Roch, in 1684, Corneille died. A black slab in the court-yard bears an inscription and the bust of the poet.

Returning to the Rue St. Honore, we proceed westward, and pa.s.s by the Rue Marche St. Honore on our right, in which is a most commodious market. Pursuing our course we look down the Rue Castiglione, which communicates with the Rue Rivoli, and the Place Vendome; it is remarkably handsome, and has a fine colonnade, at the corner is a fountain, which is plainer than they usually are, and a little farther to the west, at No. 369, is the a.s.somption (vide page 96). This church formerly belonged to a convent of nuns, styled Les Dames de l'a.s.somption, the remains may be perceived in the Rue Neuve du Luxembourg, and are now occupied as barracks. It was completed in 1676.

It contains some interesting pictures. A chapel is contiguous, dedicated to St. Hyacinthe, which was erected in 1822. Continuing to follow the Rue St. Honore, we cross the Rue Royale, displaying the fountains of the Place de la Concorde to our left, and the Madeleine on our right, we enter the Rue Faubourg St. Honore, in which are many most superb hotels, amongst the rest, the British Amba.s.sador's, formerly the Hotel Borghese, occupied by the Princess Pauline, sister of Bonaparte; the next hotel is that of the Baroness Pontalba, and is one of the most splendid in Paris, which the visiter must not fail to remark. We next come to the Palais de l'Elysee Bourbon, erected in 1718, and afterwards purchased and occupied by Madame de Pompadour, since when it has had many masters, amongst the rest, Murat, Napoleon, the Emperor of Russia, the Duke of Wellington, and the Duke de Berri, but it now belongs to the crown, and combines an appearance of splendid desolation, with a variety of a.s.sociations, that cause us to muse on the fall of the great. The library which is over the council chamber was fitted up by Madame Murat, in the most exquisite style, as a surprise for her husband after his return from one of his campaigns; it next became the bed-room of Maria Louisa, and the birthplace of the daughter of the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess de Berri. Here also is shown the bed-room, and bed in which Napoleon last slept in Paris, after the battle of Waterloo. The building itself is handsome, and though not large, has an elegant appearance, some of the apartments are very splendid, but now having a solitary aspect. The garden, which is large, contains some n.o.ble trees, and is laid out in the Italian style.

To see this Palace, apply for admission to M. l'Intendant de la Liste civile.

Facing the Elysee Bourbon, is the Hotel Beauveau, in the Place Beauveau, occupied by the Neapolitan Amba.s.sador. Still proceeding westward we come to the church St. Philippe du Roule, which was completed in 1784. It has but very little ornament, but is an exceedingly chaste production, the columns of the portico are doric, and those of the interior are ionic.

It contains several good pictures. Nearly opposite is a handsome building with tuscan columns, and is used as stables for the King, and also a receptacle for his carriages. A short distance farther on is the Hopital Beaujon, founded by the banker of that name in 1824, a handsome and well arranged building, having an air of health and cheerfulness; it contains 400 beds, and the situation is particularly salubrious, and so well ordered that the inspection of it will afford much gratification to the visiter. The Chapelle Beaujon, opposite, is by the same founder as the hospital, and may be considered as belonging to it.

We must now travel back as far as the British Amba.s.sador's, and facing is the Rue d'Aguesseau, in which is the Episcopal Chapel, entirely appropriated to the English protestant wors.h.i.+p, a building well adapted in every respect to the purposes for which it was erected. A few steps farther we turn to the right, which will bring us to the Rue de la Madeleine, in which we shall find the Chapelle Expiatoire, built over the spot where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were buried, immediately after their execution, and the interior is adorned by their statues; their remains were afterwards removed to St. Denis. This chapel is one of the most elegant and interesting monuments in Paris, it is in the form of a cross, with a dome in the centre. A short distance eastward, is the College Royal de Bourbon, No. 5, Rue St. Croix, which was built for a Convent of Capuchins, in 1781. It consists of a doorway in the centre, with columns, and two pavilions at the ends, one of which was the chapel of the convent, but is now the church St. Louis, a plain building of the doric order, but decorated by some fine fresco paintings, and four large pictures of saints, painted in wax. From hence we may take the Rue Joubert, opposite, and proceed until we arrive at the Rue de la Victoire, formerly called the Rue Chantereine, where resided Napoleon after his Italian campaign, and from hence went forth to strike the _coup d'etat_ which dissolved the government on the 18th Brumaire. The house was built for the famous dancer Guimard, then pa.s.sed to Madame Talma, who sold it to madame Beauharnais, afterwards the Empress Josephine, who added the pavilion at the nearer end. Bertrand inhabited this mansion a short time after his return from St. Helena, at present it is untenanted, and undergoing repair; it belongs to the widow of General Lefebvre Desnouettes. In the garden is a bust of Napoleon, which certainly possesses no great merit. If disposed to extend our walk, we may proceed northward to the Rue de Clichy and there find a prison for debtors, in an airy, healthy situation, which is satisfactory information for some of our prodigal countrymen, too many of whom, I regret to say, have been, and are still, inhabitants of this building, which contains from 150 to 200 persons. In returning we will amuse ourselves in wandering about many of the streets of the Chaussee-d'Antin, both right and left, which have in them some most beautiful houses decorated with statues and the most elaborate carve-work. On returning to the Boulevards by the Madeleine, as we pa.s.s along we notice the Hotel des Affaires Etrangeres, or residence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, corner of the Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, formerly belonging to Marshal Berthier, we then proceed to the eastward, and turn down the Rue Neuve St. Augustin, which will bring us to the point where the streets La Michodiere and Port Mahon meet, at the beautiful Fontaine de Louis-le-Grand, with the statue of a Genius striking at a dolphin, with consistent ornaments extremely well executed.

CHAPTER VII.

A matter of fact chapter, more useful than amusing; advice to Englishmen visiting or sojourning at Paris; several serviceable establishments recommended; hints as to management and economy.

Although I have already afforded my readers a transient glance at the Champs-elysees on entering Paris, yet so charming a spot must not be pa.s.sed over altogether in so hurried a manner; possessing as it does so many attractions for the happy portion of the Parisians, which do not only consist of its fine vistas of high trees, its broad walks, flowing fountains, etc., but a wide open s.p.a.ce is left, where the people recreate themselves with athletic games, whilst in other parts there are swings, merry-go-rounds, shows, music, dancing, and every variety of amus.e.m.e.nt that can afford pleasure to those who are merrily inclined.

Franconi has also a Theatre here for the display of horsemans.h.i.+p during the summer, which is extremely well conducted, and constantly filled.

The prices are from 1 to 2 francs. In the south-western portion of the Champs-elysees, is a quarter called Chaillot, in which is situated, at No. 78 bis, the Chapelle Marboeuf, where protestant service is regularly performed every Sunday. At No. 99 is Sainte Perine, a refuge for persons above 60 with small incomes, who by paying 600 francs a year, are comfortably provided for, or by depositing a certain sum at once, on entering. It was formerly a monastery, and can accommodate 180 men and women. The church of St. Pierre is a little farther on, in which there are a few pictures, and the choir is of the 15th century. There are a great number of very handsome houses about the Champs-Elysees; which is a favourite neighbourhood with the English, and it is an agreeable vicinity, on account of its airy position, its picturesque appearance, and affording pleasure in viewing the numbers who crowd there for the purpose of enjoyment, and with the determination to enjoy.

It is also a fas.h.i.+onable resort for pedestrians, equestrians, and carriages, and whilst I am dilating on the attractions of the Champs-Elysees, I must not omit to direct the attention of my readers to the very delightful establishment which Doctor Achille Hoffman has formed in the Avenue Fortune, which is called the _Villa Beaujon_, uniting within its interior every object desirable for health, comfort, and pleasure.

This establishment has been formed by the Doctor on such a system, as to render it in every respect a cheerful and agreeable residence for boarders; hence every rational and intellectual amus.e.m.e.nt is provided within its walls, a piano, and instruments for forming a quartetto, a billiard room, newspapers, periodical works, baths, etc., alternately present the inmates with a fund of amus.e.m.e.nt: possessing also the greatest advantage in having Madame Hoffman at the head of the establishment, who from the good society she has been accustomed to frequent, and her mental qualifications, is enabled, by her conversation, ever to cause the hours to pa.s.s most pleasantly with the residents of the Villa, to whose comforts, and wants, she pays the most unremitting attention, and unites the advantage of speaking English.

Doctor Hoffman is willing to receive any patients except such as may be afflicted with either contagious complaints, or with mental alienation, and to attend them upon the h.o.m.oepathic principles, in which he has attained considerable celebrity, having for many years practised upon that system with the greatest success. The apartments are fitted up in a style of elegance which at once convinces the spectator of the good taste of the director, and although they are numerous, each has its peculiar attraction, either in the view from the windows, or from the internal arrangement: but the quality which is most recommendable in this establishment, is the peculiar care which has been devoted to every minutia which can in any degree tend to comfort, and particularly for that season when it is most required, having by the means of two immense caloriferes, so contrived that the whole house is warmed by a pure air, which is introduced from the garden, and conveyed not only into every apartment, but also to the staircases, corridors, and even into the closets, the degree of heat being regulated exactly to the grade desired; thus a person may pa.s.s a whole winter in this little Elysium, without ever feeling any of its baneful effects, which is a great desideratum for persons of delicate health, or having the slightest tendency to consumption, to whom the most powerful enemies are _cold_ and _damp_, two intruders who are never permitted to enter under any pretext the Villa Beaujon.

For the pedestrian the greatest treat is afforded, as the neighbourhood consists of a most numerous variety of delightful walks, and for those who desire to enjoy the beauties of nature, without fatigue, the most favourable opportunity is offered, a terrace having been formed at the summit of the premises which commands a panoramic view for fifteen leagues round, comprehending within its circle an immense variety of villages, chateaux, hills, wood, water, and every description of picturesque scenery. There is also a garden prettily arranged, and kept in the nicest order, with kiosques and a _jet d'eau_, in fact there is no attraction omitted which could possibly contribute towards rendering the Villa a most desirable residence for every season; the charge is moderate, and the treatment in every respect the most liberal, the Doctor being in such a position that emolument is not an important object. Amongst other advantages which the establishment possesses, is that of always having one English servant. The situation which has been selected by the Doctor for his residence, is not only the most agreeable but considered decidedly one of the most healthy round Paris, as the few houses which are immediately around it are of the better order and environed by gardens, therefore the purity of the air is untainted by smoke or any effluvia arising from closely inhabited cities; indeed in that instance Paris has a great advantage over London, on account of wood being the princ.i.p.al fuel burnt in the former, and coal in the latter, hence Paris seen from a height, every object is visible from the clearness of the atmosphere, whilst London under the same circ.u.mstances is capped by a murky sort of cloud by which the greater part of the city is generally obscured.

Although the French capital is above three degrees south of the English, yet the former is colder in the winter, only that it is dryer, consequently more wholesome and the cold weather is of much shorter duration, as the springs are always finer and forwarder than in England, which is proved by the vegetables being much earlier in Paris, peas being sold cheap about the streets on the 20th or 25th of May, and other leguminous crops in proportion. The autumns are often very fine, generally, indeed, I have known the month of November to be quite clear and sunny, but of latter years the summers have been wet. The English in most instances have their health better in France than in England, which is considered to arise from several different causes; the lower and even some of the middle cla.s.ses in London and other large towns are much addicted to drinking quant.i.ties of porter and ale, which are not so accessible in Paris or in any town in France; hence after a time they accustom themselves to the light wines of the country, and with the higher cla.s.ses of English the case is nearly similar, as they renounce port, sherry, and Madeira, for Burgundy, Bordeaux, etc., and as a draught wine _even_ good _ordinaire_, but a grand point is to obtain it of the best quality, proportioned to the price; perhaps there is not a town in the world where there are so many persons who sell wine as in Paris, but as there is a great deal of quackery and compounding practised, I must caution my countrymen not to purchase at any house to which they are not particularly recommended. I shall therefore advise them to give the preference to the old established house of Meunier, which has existed ever since 1800, now conducted by Messrs. Debonnelle et Guiard; I have myself long dealt there, as also my friends, and have ever found their prices the most reasonable, and the qualities unexceptionable; their tarif comprehends all descriptions of wine, and the charges in proportion, commencing on so moderate a scale that they are attainable to the most modest purse, and as there is no description of known wine which they do not possess, of course some there are at very high prices; the same case may be stated of their liqueurs, of which they have every variety. In this establishment persons may either be accommodated with a single bottle, or may purchase by the pipe, as they carry on an extensive wholesale business; their great warehouses are at Bercy which is the grand depot for the wine merchants of Paris.

This is one of those houses to which I have before alluded as having, although nearly in the centre of the city, a delightful garden, and in the present instance quite a little aviary of canary and other birds, which is open to the street, situated No. 22, Rue des Saints-Peres, Faubourg St. Germain. The present proprietors were clerks in the house as long back as 1810, and have never since been absent from the business, which has been considerably augmented by their extreme attention and civility to their customers, and the reputation which they have acquired for keeping good articles, and vending them at fair prices.

As a great object of my work is to render it as serviceable as possible to my readers, I must not omit some cautionary remarks upon the tradespeople of Paris; an opinion has generally existed of their predisposition to overcharge the English, and in a great many instances it has been the case, when they first came over to France; an idea existed that they were extremely rich, and a bad feeling prevailed of making the wealthy pay: even amongst their own country people, they do the same, it is a common phrase with them, "Il est riche, alors faites-lui payer," "He is rich, so make him pay," and that system of calculating the weight of a person's means and making the charge, accordingly, is still followed in a degree; even the government have in some measure encouraged the practice, no doubt from a good motive, which has prompted them at certain periods to enforce regulations, that some articles should be sold for less to the poor, such as bread, and other necessaries of life. Another circ.u.mstance caused the French to continue their impositions upon the English, their having been duped by the latter, and in many instances to a considerable amount, as amongst the crowds who came over, were many persons who were not very scrupulous with respect to paying their debts, to whom the French willingly gave credit, the English name at that period having stood extremely high in the estimation of the French, but having sustained several losses on account of their too great facility in giving credit, they determined to make such of the English as they could attract, pay a portion towards what they had been mulcted by their runaway country-people. The French are not alone in that respect, as some of the fas.h.i.+onable tailors in London charge an immense price for their coats, because they say they only get paid for two out of three, therefore they make those pay dearly for such as do not pay at all.

The system now is rather better in Paris, so many shopkeepers having adopted the plan of selling at "Prix fixe" as they call it, which means fixed prices, from which they seldom or ever depart; but then there is a great difference with regard to the value of the articles in which they deal, some shops being infinitely cheaper than others, I therefore have been at considerable pains to discover those who conduct their business in an honourable manner and shall give my readers the benefit of my researches. With respect to provisions there certainly is a difference with regard to the quarters, which are the more or the less fas.h.i.+onable, the former being somewhat dearer than the latter, but there is a proportionate difference with regard to the quality, and therefore in some instances the higher priced articles are the cheapest in the end; for instance, M. Rolland, of No. 363, Rue St. Honore, sells none but the very best meat; certainly in some of the obscurer parts of the town, and in the markets it is to be had cheaper; but the quality far inferior. I have heard the English complain of the meat not being so good in Paris as it is in London, but if they dealt with M. Rolland they could not in justice make the remark, he is always the possessor of the ox which is exhibited on Shrove Tuesday, and which weighed the last time nearly 4,000lbs; he retains a well executed portrait of it, which he shows to his customers, but he has often beasts approaching that weight, as about a dozen every year are fatted by the Norman graziers for the prize, and he is the princ.i.p.al purchaser; his other meat is proportionately fine, therefore I fancy that a good manager will find that economy is promoted by dealing with M. Holland in preference to any one who may sell at a nominally lower price.

Now that economy is on the _tapis_, I must endeavour to enlighten my reader as much on that head as I can, by giving him all the advantage of my own experience in the art, and as I am an old pract.i.tioner, I have the vanity to flatter myself that my advice on that score may count for something. On quitting England I advise my readers to disburthen themselves of all their clothes, except such as are absolutely requisite for travelling, and then on arriving at Paris to order those of which they may stand in need; indeed for myself, when I return to England I always provide a good stock of habiliments, convinced that the cloth procured in France is so much more durable than that obtained in England, and the workmen being paid much less, you have a superior article in France for a lower charge. As to the difference of fas.h.i.+on or cut, I leave that to be decided by a committee of dandies of the two countries, and to prevent my readers from getting into bad hands, I recommend them at once to M. Courtois, aux Montagnes Russes, No. 11, Rue Neuve-des-Pet.i.ts-Champs, facing the Rue Vivienne, there the stranger is sure of being fairly treated with regard to the worth of the commodity, the solidity and neatness of the execution, and punctuality in the fulfillment of his engagements. The difference of prices between a fas.h.i.+onable London and Parisian tailor is immense, the former will make you pay 7_l._ 7_s._ for a coat of the best cloth, whilst M. Courtois only charges 100 francs (4_l._) for the same article, equal in every respect, and furnishes every other description of clothing on equally moderate terms.

I shall now bid my reader to doff his hat, and obtain one that will sit so lightly on his brow, that he will scarcely be conscious that his head is covered, of which I had experience under circ.u.mstances rather ludicrous than otherwise. I entered a glover's shop with my mind I suppose occupied with divers meditations, and like a true uncourteous Englishman forgot to take off my hat to the Dame de Comptoir, as she is styled, but having obtained what I sought, in the act of departing I took up a hat which was on the counter, not dreaming that I had already one upon my head, but as I was making my obeissance to the mistress of the shop, she observed, very archly, that she should have thought Monsieur might be satisfied with having a hat on his head, without requiring to have one in his hand; surprised at finding myself absolutely committing a robbery, I made the best excuses the subject would admit, and retired after having furnished a subject of amus.e.m.e.nt for Madame, for Monsieur whose hat I had so illegally appropriated to myself, and to some pretty laughing-looking demoiselles who were ensconced behind a counter. These aerial hats are to be procured of M.

Servas, No. 69, Rue Richelieu, who is the inventor, and for which he has received a medal from a scientific society, they are of so light and elastic a nature, that they do not cause the slightest pressure upon the brow, nor leave that unsightly mark upon the forehead, that is often a great annoyance to those gentlemen who object to having a stain upon the _blanche_ purity of that feature, and as those who are tenacious in that respect must naturally be so with regard to the form and the material of which their hat is composed, they may rest a.s.sured on that point they will be suited in those of M. Servas, which have long had an acknowledged superiority and celebrity on that account, his establishment having for upwards of 30 years been famed under the firm of Coquel and Quesnoy, which by the ingenuity of his recent invention he has considerably augmented.

As I am now on a chapter devoted to usefulness, I must recommend my readers to get well and _comfortably_ shod, particularly if they have any intention of visiting the monuments and antiquities I have described, for which purpose they must procure their shoes in Paris, the leather being prepared in such a manner as to render it infinitely more soft and flexible than it is in England, consequently one can walk twice the distance, without tiring, in French shoes, than one can in English; hence with the former all the tortures of new shoes are never felt, being fully as easy as an old pair of the latter, and for this purpose no one can better supply the article desired, than M. Deschamps, No. 14, Galerie d'Orleans, Palais-Royal, who stands so high in the estimation of my countrymen, that he is obliged to go to London twice a year to supply their demands. An attention to comfort in this respect is to me so essential, that in returning to England I always provide myself with a plentiful stock of boots and shoes, although not to the same degree that one of our celebrated tragedians practised this precaution, having furnished himself with thirty-six pair to the no small amus.e.m.e.nt of the Dover custom-house officers when they overhauled his luggage. One of the great advantages of the French shoes is that the upper leather never cracks nor bursts, and indeed I have not only found the material better, but also the workmans.h.i.+p. M. Deschamps has acquired much celebrity for the very elegant manner in which his shoes for b.a.l.l.s and _soirees_ are executed, after a system of his own, which have now become the fas.h.i.+on in all the saloons in Paris. Perhaps my readers may think I have devoted too much s.p.a.ce to this subject, but being a great pedestrian, it is one of peculiar importance, to me (and it is so natural to judge every one by one's self), and in order to see all the interesting little bits of architectural antiquity, which are so numerous in Paris, the visit must be performed on foot, as it is sometimes requisite to go into little courts and alleys where no carriage can possibly enter; besides an antiquarian must peep and grope about in places where a vehicle would only be an inc.u.mbrance.

Whilst my memory is on, or, as some people would say, whilst my hand is in, I must not forget to recommend the stationer's shop, No. 159, Rue St. Honore, next door to the Oratoire, as it is presumable that my readers, who intend to sojourn a while at Paris, must want to pay some visits, consequently will need visiting cards, with which they will provide themselves at the above establishment on terms so reasonable as quite to surprise a Londoner; also the visiter must write, and will here find an a.s.sortment of sixty different descriptions of English metal pens of Cuthbert's manufacture, and every variety of stationary that can be desired, and the manner in which they get up cards and addresses, with regard to the neatness of the engraving, printing, and quality of the card, is really surprising, for the price; whilst the mistress receives her customers with so much politeness, that having been once, is sure to prove the cause for other visits, when any of the articles in which she deals are required; and punctuality in the execution of the orders received is a quality to be met with in her, and in good truth, I cannot say much for the Parisians in general on that score, and one great cause is that they have too much business, and far more than they can attend to in a proper manner.

In the same street, at No. 416, is an establishment of which the English ought to be informed, being that of M. Renault, wherein good cutlery is to be obtained at very moderate prices; there is every variety that can be desired, either for the table or other purposes, all of the finest description; his shop is situated in the quarter most convenient for the English, being that in which they so frequently reside.

As health is a desideratum which is requisite for the pursuit of every occupation, and particularly for such as mean to enjoy Paris to its full extent, which will require a considerable degree of exercise, I must recommend the visiter a chymist and druggist on whom he may rely, where he may find the means of re-establis.h.i.+ng any relaxation of strength or other malady to which all human nature is ever p.r.o.ne. There are innumerable establishments of this nature in Paris, and especially of those who announce English medicines, but the one which I have understood as possessing such as are truly genuine both in French and English pharmacy, is that of M. Joseau, and as a testimony of confidence in the respectability of his establishment, it has been made the chief depository of a medicine ent.i.tled the Copahine Mege, so particularly recommended by the Royal Medicine Academy of France, who have voted their thanks to the author, and granted him a patent for fifteen years, having proved so efficacious where patients have by their excesses deteriorated their health, and in fact, in all cases of blennorrhagies. M. Joseau may be also useful to my countrymen, who are in the habit of riding much on horseback, in providing them with belts of his own invention, which are made of India rubber, and in general use with the French cavalry. The establishment of M. Joseau is situated at No. 161, corner of the Rue Montmartre, and of the Gallery Montmartre, Pa.s.sage Panorama, where my countrymen will be sure of meeting with the most a.s.siduous attention, both from himself and his a.s.sistants, and that whatever they may require in his department will be of the best description, and at the most moderate prices; I know of no business whatever in which there is such an immense difference in the charges both in London and Paris, that it appears to me that chemists and druggists make you pay _ad libitum_, without having any fixed system, therefore I never enter any of their shops without I have had them particularly recommended.

Before I quit this chapter of shreds and patches, although of solid utility, a very useful establishment must be introduced to my readers, belonging to Messrs. Danneville, No. 16, Rue d'Aguesseau, Faubourg St.

Honore, facing the Protestant Chapel, consisting of every description of earthenware and crockery, on a very extensive scale, with a very quiet exterior, the premises having more the appearance of warehouses than shops; the a.s.sortment is quite of a mult.i.tudinous description, including vessels of the cheapest and most useful nature, at the same time containing numbers of superior articles, wherein extreme taste is displayed. The concern has been a long time established, and is quite in the centre of the quarter which such numbers of English choose for their residence; the proprietors are civil, quiet, una.s.suming people, and their articles exceedingly reasonable.

CHAPTER VIII.

Novel introductions of different branches of industry.--Recent inventions.--Extensions of commerce in various departments.--Establishments of several new descriptions of business, now flouris.h.i.+ng, and formerly unknown.

The commerce of Paris has now extended to so vast a scale, that it has become an immense entrept for all the productions and manufactures of France; the foreign merchant now feels that in visiting Paris he shall there find the cheapest, the choicest, and the most extensive a.s.sortment of all that the nature of the country, aided by art, is able to produce; he is aware that he need not repair to Lyons, to Lille, Rouen, or other manufacturing districts, for their respective articles, for which they are famed, as he knows that in the great emporium of the Continent, all that the ingenuity of man can produce will there be found. Independent of that advantage, there are many branches of industry confined to Paris, first invented within its walls, improved, and wrought to a state of perfection, which is unrivalled in any other capital, and affording employ to an immense number of hands, from the mult.i.tude of ramifications into which these branches diverge; so that Paris once princ.i.p.ally celebrated as a city of pleasure and gaiety, still retaining that reputation, is now also renowned for its extraordinary manufactures, and the curious and splendid specimens of art and ingenuity emerging from its numerous _ateliers_, and which would require an extent far beyond the limits of this work, to give a just and accurate review of their merits; but some there are which being of a nature totally novel in the annals of commerce, and having merely been introduced within the last few years, we shall devote some s.p.a.ce to their description in order to afford our readers an idea of their beauty and utility.