1823.] 
de la Monnoie. The shops have signs ; 
some are well painted. 
Thursday, 15th.—The Assumption. 
Went with Mr. G. to the church of 
Notre Dame: high mass, with a con- 
cert of solemn music. At three 
o’clock, Monsieur, with the Duke 
d’Angouleme and the Duchess of 
Berri, entered the church, followed by 
their attendants, the civil authorities, 
council, &c. royal chaplains and con- 
fessors: they walked in procession in 
the church, and then round the aisle. 
This was a most imposing sight, and 
I was highly gratified. The priests 
who had been ofliciating joined tho 
procession, bearing a silver figure of 
the Virgin. The Cent Suisses were 
in the church, and part of the regiment 
of the Garde de Corps. The Cent 
Suisses always take precedence in 
guarding the royal family. 
Friday, 16th.—In the morning I 
visited the Luxembourg, the Pantheon, 
and St. Genevieve ; and in the evening 
went to the Caffé de la Paix, where I 
took coffee, and was well amused with 
two little comedies. 
Saturday, 17th.— Went to the Gour- 
bon Palace: it was the closing of tho 
session of the Chamber of Deputics, 
consequently not a full meeting,— 
about fifty members there. Among the 
opposition was M. Constant, their 
leader. Each member wears a hand- 
some dress: a blue coat, trimmed with 
black velvet and silver lace.—Went to 
the Hospital of Invalids: it is a fine 
building, containing about 5000 in- 
pensioners, and 2000 out-pensioners ; 
and is intended for disabled soldiers. 
The chapel is very superb; the exterior 
of the dome was gilded by Bonaparte, 
and the floor was inlaid with different- 
coloured marbles, in devices. ‘The N. 
and arms of Napoleon are giving place 
to those of Louis and the fleur de lis. 
Louis XIf. caused the Hotel Royal 
des Invalides to be built, to fulfil the 
wishes of his predecessors; for Henry 
1V. had projected an establishment to 
provide for the subsistence of soldiers 
wounded in the service of their coun- 
try. Louis XIII. designed the Cha- 
feau de Bicéire to fulfil that object, 
but his death prevented the success of 
this enterprise; and Louis XIV. dis- 
posed of that house, in 1656, in favour 
of the General Hospital. The first 
stone of the Hospital of Invalids was 
laid Noy. 30, 1670. L’ Esplanade des 
Tnwalides, ce vaste terrain qui fait faee a 
Hotel des Invalides, et qui conduit 
A Lady's Journal of a recent Trip to France. 
Bit 
jucquau bord de la rividre, a été cultivé 
avee succds depuis la revolution; il est 
orné de belles allées d’arbres, avee quatre 
carrés de verdures. On voit au milieu 
de Vesplanade une fontaine qui a douze 
metres (six toises) de hauteur; et au- 
dessus le superbe Lion de Saint Marc, 
qui a ete rapporté de Venise, apres les 
conquétes de Bonaparte. Ce Lion est 
de bronze, il est curieux par sa structure 
extraordinaire.—W ent to the Military 
School, which is near the Hospital of 
Jnvalids, and was erected in 1751, for 
the instruction of 500 children of gen- 
tlemen without fortune. The archi- 
tecture is fine and noble. Bonaparte, 
protected by M. de Marboeuf, was 
placed at the Military School, for edu- 
cation, under the reign of Louis XVI. 
The Champ de Mars is opposite the 
Military School: this spot is vast and 
rezular, surrounded by a ditch, lined 
with stone-work, and with a sloping 
terrace. This magnificent field was 
destined for the military exercises of 
the éleves of the old Military School, 
and for the reviews of the regiment of 
the French Guards.—Saw the king go 
out for an airing in his open carriage, 
drawn by eight horses, with one pos- 
tillion. 
Sunday, 18th.— Went in a barouche 
to Versailles, which is about twelve 
miles from Paris, and situated on an 
artificial eminence, in the midst of a 
valiey. There are three noble avenues 
leading to the Palace, from so many 
towns: the middle walk of the grand 
avenue is fifty yards wide, those on 
each side twenty. Atthe upper end 
of it, on the right and left, are the 
stables, in the form of a crescent; so 
magnificently built, that few royal 
palaces excel them: they might con- 
tain 3 or 4000 horses... From the 
parade, you immediately pass into the 
first court, through aniron pallisade, in 
which are offices for ministers of state; 
then ascend three steps, pass another 
iron gate, adorned with trophies, to the 
second court; in which is a noble 
fountain in the middle, and magnifi- 
cent buildings in the wings. Then 
you pass to a third, which is paved 
with black and white marble, has a 
marble basin and fountain in the mid- 
die, and is terminated by a noble pile 
of buildings, which with the wings 
constitute the royal apartments. ‘The 
principal staircase therein is ten yards 
wide, and consists of the choicest 
marble that could be procured. The 
grand apartments consist of a long 
suc- 
