A ROUGH SKETCH OF MODERN PARIS, 85 
table, their plate, their villas, in short, all 
the ‘ agrémens’ of life, are in the highest 
style lg oriental magnificence. 
«« To give you some idea of their manner 
of living, I will describe to you the house of 
Madame ———, which I yesterday obtain- 
ed the permission of seeing, in her absence. 
«« The house is situate in a street lvading 
from the Boulevard, and is approached by a 
fine court, of considerable length. The back 
of the house looks on a very pretty garden, 
arranged @ langloise. It was formerly the 
residence of a minister of state. 
«© The drawing room, ind sa//e & manger, 
were not yet finished. ‘The furniture prepar- 
ed for them was rich. [did not think it par- 
ticularly beautiful; but the bed room, and 
bathing cabinet, exceeded in luxury every 
thing which I ever beheld, or even ventured 
toimagine. The canopy of the bed was of 
the finest muslid, the covering of pink satin, 
the frame of beautiful mahogany, supported 
by figures in gold of antique shapes. The 
steps, which led to this delicious couch, 
were covered with red velvet, ornamented 
on each side with artificial flowers, highly 
scented. On one side stood on a pedestal a 
marble statue of Silence, with this inscrip- 
tion: 
© Tutatur somnos et amores conscia lecti.’ 
On the other, a very lofty gold stand, for a 
er or lamp. A fine mirror filled up one 
side of the bed, and was reflected by one at 
the top, and another at the opposite side of 
theroom. ‘The walls were covered with ma- 
hogany, relieved with gold borders, and now 
and then with glass. ‘The whole in excel- 
lent taste. The bathing cabinet, which ad- 
joined, was equally luxurious. ‘The bath, 
when notin use, forms a sofa, covered with 
kerseymere edged with gold; and the whole 
of this cabinet is as pretty as the bed room, 
Beyond this room is the bed chamber of 
-monsieur, plain, neat, and unaffected; and 
on the other side a little closet, covered with 
green silk, and opening on the garden, in 
which madame sits, when she amuses her- 
self with drawing. To conclude, I find the 
* loves,’ which < Silence guards,’ and of 
which this paphian seat is the witness, 
are those of January and May; for the wife 
“is twenty (the greatest beauty of Paris), and 
~ the husband something less than sixty.” 
In letter VI. we have an interesting 
account of the Abbé Sicard’s institution 
in behalf of the deaf and dumb, Our 
author was present at an extraordinary 
“meeting, and heard the abbé examine 
some pupils. 
There were forty or fifty children pre- 
sent,” says he, ‘* born deaf and dumb, who 
__ were, by the wonderful skill and unceasing 
care of the respectable abbé, restored to so- 
ciety, to happiness, and themselves. They 
were seated in diflerent parts of the room, 
and conversed with each other by means of 
their fingers, which were in constant mo- 
tion. ‘They had every appearance of enjoy- 
ing good health, spirits, and vivacity. There 
are all kinds of workshops, manufactories, 
and schools, in the house of the sourd-muetes 
and the establishment is entirely maintained 
at the expence of the governinent.” 
At a th¢, or evening party, we have a 
good specimen of the pedantry of Pari- 
sian society; Shakespear is unanimous- 
ly voted to be no poet, and Mr. Fox no 
orator. Ic happened soon after that our 
author was present at a sitting of the 
tribunat, in the Palais Royal, when a 
debate took place on presenting the code 
civil; the same subject which called 
forth the eloquence of Portalis, when he 
presented the measure to the corps Jegis- 
latif. ‘The subject was an important one, 
and five or six members had put down 
their names as intending to speak. 
“« Nothing,” says our author, ‘ could be 
duller than these speeches, every one of 
which was réad from a written paper. A 
yery ridiculous circumstance arose from this 
manner of speaking ; as each of the discourses 
had been previously prepared, there was no 
reference to the arguments used in the de~ 
bate, and the advocates and opposers of the 
measure equally disregarded and left unan-+ 
swered the remarks of those who happened 
to precede them in the debate.” 
Admirable judges of oratory ! 
In this amusing volume we have very 
ample accounts of all the public estab- 
lishments at Paris; the respective merits 
of the different theatres, operas, and per- 
formers; we bave an account of the dif- 
ferent libraries, cabinets, gardens, and 
museums, of every description; and the 
concluding letter gives a general view 
of Paris, principally taken as compared 
with London. The hospitals and asy- 
lums of the former metropolis, as well 
as of the latter, are numerous, well en- 
dowed, and well regulated; they have 
not been neglected during the united 
horrors of war and revolution; and our 
author was assured, by a respectable 
physician, (not a Frenchman), that even 
during the most barbarous moments of 
the sanguinary Robespierre, those use. 
ful establishments were not abandoned. 
We have already mentioned the Abbé 
Sicard’s institution for the deaf and 
dumb ; our author was present at a sit- 
ting of the establishment formed for the 
protection and instruction of the blind, 
which was scarcely less interesting. 
«* At the ¢ séance,’ or public meeting, 
which I attended this morning, I saw seve-. 
Gs 
