ions to maintain its luxuries, while the government was bankrupt, and the people were crying for bread. The infuriated mob from the metropolis evinced a slight degree of reason and justice, intermingled with a great deal of madness, in first presenting itself for redress at the gates of a Palace, which was a conspicuous monument of regal extravagance, and the glittering domes of which were so well calculated to add to the excitement of a starving populace.

To render such a waste of the public money the more inexcusable, there is very little taste displayed in the midst of so much luxury and splendour. Versailles is in fact a perfect abortion, exhibiting all the wantonness of wealth without any of its allurements. With the exception of the western façade, which is perhaps equal to any thing in the vicinity of Paris, and the ancient chapel, there is nothing of architeetural grandeur or beauty in the Palace, immense as the pile is, when taken collectively. But the terraces, the promenades, the gardens, the fountains, the groves, grottoes, and canals, are in a style of magnificence scarcely equalled by the Tuilleries. These had charms even amidst the frosts of winter, when the waters were congealed, the birds mute, and the trees stripped of their foliage. Our countryman Vanderlyn has given such a faithful and perfect representation of the garden, in his splendid panorama, that it would have been instantly recognized by me, had I been conducted blindfold to the place. I sometimes almost fancied myself looking at the picture instead of the reality.

An old lady, blest with a full share of French vivacity and volubility, but with a very humble portion of other accomplishments, conducted us through the extensive libraryshowed us the volume of splendid costumes worn at the Triumph of Louis XIV. in which the American Indians are placed among the captive nations-guided us through the labyrinth of the Palace-pointed out the theatre and chapel, the latter of which is extremely rich in architecture and decorations-led us through the innumerable halls of paintings, bearing the names of all the heathen goddesses, and of some that were not goddesses-challenged our admiration of saloons and bed-chambers, the walls of which are composed entirely of sheets of mirrors, multiplying one face into a full gallery, and celebrated by the unfortunate adventures of Maria Antoinette-acted as pioneer in climbing every terrace, treading every grove in the garden as well as a subterranean

Most of the

orangery half a mile in extent-explained the historical associations of the Palace, as connected with the Revolution--designated the gate through which the maddened mob rushed, and the piazza, where the gallant La Fayette rescued the beautiful queen, with a volume of commentaries on these events, evincing the loyalty of her own sentiments. Such are the mere outlines of Versailles, an examination of which occupied about three hours of an intensely cold day. good pictures have been removed to the Louvre, and the collection which remains is not very interesting. The most striking one that was observed is the shipwreck of the poet Camoens, in which he is represented in the attitude of grasping the crag of a rock with one hand, and lifting his manuscripts above the waves with the other. At this season, the Palace is deserted, and the vacant halls are cold, dreary, and cheerless. The only persons visible were a party of the gendarmerie playing cards before a twig fire in one of the saloons. We hastened our retreat with all convenient despatch. Whatever attractions Versailles may possess in summer, when the fountains are playing and the gardens in bloom, it affords few, very few inducements for prolonging a visit in winter.

LETTER XLI.

ROUTE FROM PARIS TO LYONS--SENS-ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY--VINEYARDS--AUXERRE--AUTUN-CHALONS-SUR-SAONE

-MACONVALE OF THE SAONE-ENVIRONS OF LYONS-SKETCH OF THE CITY.

January-February, 1826.—At 7 o'clock on the evening of the 20th of January, we left Paris in the Diligence for Lyons, by the way of Burgundy, a distance of about three hundred miles. Our party was at least well officered, consisting of a surgeon in the United States Navy, a Major in the Army, an officer of the same rank, from Virginia, my companion, and myself, all bound to Italy, and forming but a small rear-guard, in comparison with the advanced corps of our countrymen, who have crossed the Alps the present season. We engrossed the central division of the coach, with the exception of an Englishman, who seemed surprised to

find himself in company with so many transatlantic tourists, and a Frenchman accompanied as usual by his dog. As the latter paid half price for his companion's place in the interior, it was in vain for us to remonstrate against the intrusion of Tray, although he was constantly nestling and yelping under our feet, occasioning a serious annoyance. The master would apparently sooner have been turned out himself, than have suffered any indignity to the animal.

The

Our exit from Paris was by the Place Bastile and the Faubourg St. Antoine, through the Barrier of Charenton. keeper of this pass was in great distress, in consequence of an incident, which had occurred a day or two previous. A young man entrusted with his keys, had secretly formed an attachment for a Parisian grisette, who had seduced him to the gambling tables of the Palais Royal. He was led on from step to step, till he had lost something like 2000 francs of his employer's money, when having no funds to proceed farther, or to make up the defalcation, he was one morning found missing, and had not since been heard of. Here was

one practical illustration, out of perhaps ten thousand, of the evils brought upon private families, by the system to which the French government has lent its sanction for the sake of raising revenue.

In the course of this night, a novel scene was witnessed, which afforded no small amusement to our party. At 11 or 12 o'clock, the Diligence paused a moment at a village tavern, where all the passengers rushed into an old-fashioned kitchen, with a fire-place half as large as the room, for the purpose of warming their feet. The mistress of the house, who was strictly Amazonian both in person and dress, with the exception that the exposure of her bosom was not confined to one side only, had paraded upon a long oaken table a roast turkey, which was as colossal and gross as the cook herself. Our Virginian comrade signified his wish to take a cut; whereupon the landlady took the animal by the legs, and holding it upon a butcher's block with one hand, used the other in chopping off its limbs with a large cleaver! The bird, however, was delicious and delicate, by no means corresponding with the coarse mode of carving.

Crossing the Marne, and riding all night up the banks of the Seine, passing among other places the large town of Melun, where the celebrated Abelard once taught a school of philosophy, we reached at day-break the village of Monte

1

reau, situated at the confluence of the Yonne with the Seine. On a bridge at this place, the Duke of Burgundy was assassinated in the presence of Charles VII. at the instigation of the perfidious prince; and here also the French gained a severely contested victory over the allied armies, in 1814.

At 11 o'clock, the Diligence arrived at the old town of Sens, standing at the junction of the Yonne and Vannes. While breakfast was preparing, we paid a visit to the Cathedral, which is a venerable Gothic building, with painted windows, two of which are circular. One of the chapels is dedicated to Thomas a Becket, who fled hither from Canterbury, in England, being driven abroad by the displeasure of his sovereign. In the centre of the choir stands a complex and curious monument, erected by Louis XV. to the memory of the Dauphin and his wife. Among other allegorical figures, is a statue of Time, as large as life; and that the remorseless monarch may not be mistaken, he is actually armed with a large iron scythe, which is of a coarse construction, and raised in the attitude of mowing down whatever falls in its way. It is only less formidable in aspect, than the guillotine. The old sexton who conducted us over his antique charge, manifested as much complacency in pointing out its curiosities, as does the superintendent of Notre Dame or the Louvre.

Our ride this day was up the vale of the Yonne, which is one of the principal branches of the Seine. The scenery upon its banks is uniform, consisting of calcareous hills of moderate elevation, alternately planted with the vine and clothed with forests. Immense quantities of wine and wood descend the river in boats to Paris, from which the navigation extends more than a hundred miles into the interior. The mode of cultivating the vine is by terraces, running in belts round the hills, and rising stage above stage often to the very tops. At this season of the year, the aspect of the country was gloomy and uninteresting, in no respect relieved by a dull succession of towns and villages, occupying the bosom of the vale.

At 7 o'clock in the evening, we arrived at Auxerre, containing a population of ten or twelve thousand, and carrying on an active trade with the metropolis. Qur stay was merely long enough to take dinner at a hotel, which afforded few comforts except a bountiful table, crowned with the red wines of the district. Another cold and cheerless night succeeded, during which, the Diligence journeyed on at a slow

rate, bringing us at day-break the next morning to Avellon, and by 1 o'clock in the afternoon to Saulieu, where we took breakfast. The latter town is the birth-place of Marshal Vauban, celebrated for his skill as an engineer, and the mode of fortifying towns, still in vogue. There is a hand

some monument to his memory, in the chapel of the Hospital of Invalids at Paris.

Between Saulieu and Autun, the country becomes extremely mountainous and rugged, the hills frequently rising to a height of between two and three thousand feet. They were covered with snow, and the woods along the way were beautifully frosted, leaving not a speck of the bark or twigs visible. The scene brought to mind Cowper's picture of a morning walk in winter, and Savage's not less poetical description of the frozen regions of the north. In many places the road was filled with ice, and so precipitous as to render it necessary to lock both wheels in descending the hills. To the ordinary risks of traversing such a route, was added in one instance, what is by no means common in France, the carelessness of a drunken coachman. He was

so intoxicated, that the conducteur was obliged to discharge him and take another. This was the first example of the kind, that had been witnessed since crossing the Channel, either on the road, or at Paris.*

At 9 o'clock in the evening, we passed under a lofty antique arch that forms the entrance to Autun, the old Bibracte of the Romans. It was the capital of the Ædui, and is mentioned in Cæsar's Commentaries, as the largest and most populous town of that warlike tribe. Many of its antiquities yet remain, among which is the gate above referred to, with another of the same description standing near it. The present population of the town amounts to 9000, engaged in manufactures. Here we paused an hour, took dinner, and again resumed our journey for the third night, without having

* I subsequently met with a striking instance of intoxication in a private coachman. A friend and myself had been to pay an evening visit at Paris. On calling to cocher at the door, he returned no answer; and we found him stupidly drunk upon his seat. In leaving the court, he was unable to hit the gate, but drove his horses against the wall, and notwithstanding our remonstrances, persisted in the attempt to whip them through several feet of substantial stone and mortar. The truth is, that drunkenness is becoming more common in France than it used to be. I have frequently seen Frenchmen staggering through the streets of Paris, though the vice is neither so habitual nor so gross as it is either in the United States or England.