592 
passed between M. de Tolstoi, the 
ambassador from Russia, and 
Buonaparte, in his days of triumph, 
on a question respecting the right 
to the Byzantine dominions, to- 
wards which Alexander was sus- 
pected to turn his thoughts ; it 
was hinted with some pleasantry 
by the ambassador, that if Na- 
poleon disputed the pretensions 
of the Emperor of Russia, it was 
perhaps in consideration of the 
claims of Marshal Junot, in right 
of his wife, who was a Comnene, 
and really descended from the Pa- 
leologues. But in the present 
circumstances, the claims of the 
House of Comnene, in right of 
their ancestors, were laid aside, 
and those of the House of Haps- 
burg, in favour of the last occu- 
pant, the senate of Venice, were 
admitted. 
The horses at length descended 
from their airy station with safety: 
not such was the fate of the wing- 
ed lion of St. Mark’s Place at Ve- 
nice, which surmounted the foun- 
tain before the Hotel of the In- 
valids. He was now destined to 
travel the same road with his an- 
tique neighbours, the horses of 
the sun. He had but a small 
height to descend: his wings 
outstretched, as if he would have 
flown to his old perch, or pillar 
of granite, served him here in no 
stead, and the operation of his 
descent was so clumsily perform- 
ed, that he broke his legs, as well 
as the edges of the bason of his 
fountain ; while the Parisians felt 
a vindictive joy at the accident 
which had befallen him, and 
which indeed is less to be regret- 
ted, as he is an animal of little 
worth, a whelp only of the middle 
ages. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
rets, 
While the allied troops were 
employed in the removal of the 
Corinthian horses, all the passes 
to the Place of the Carrousel were 
guarded by Austrian cavalry, 
posted at the avenues of the streets 
that led to it. The Place of the 
Carrousel was forbidden ground 
only to the French, Foreigners 
had liberty to cross it as often as 
they pleased. I heard an officer 
call out to an Austrian guard who 
hesitated, “ 1 am an Englishman, 
and have a right to pass.” The 
claim was admitted. 
The gates the most vigilantly 
guarded during some days, against 
the intrusion of the French, were 
those of the gallery of the Louvre. 
It was said that this measure was 
taken from motives of tenderness 
to those feelings which the scene 
within must naturally have ex- 
cited in the French ; but it was 
rumoured also, that exasperation 
might produce violence, and that 
the pictures might be defaced, or 
statues mutilated. The troops of 
eachnation took this post by turns. 
It was that of the Austrians at my 
last visit. ‘There they stood, de- 
fiance in their eye against all 
Frenchmen, and fresh green 
branches stuck in their caps: 
this is the usual ornament of the 
Austrian soldiers’ hat or cap, 
when in campaign; but these 
branches appear so much like 
symbols of victory, that they are 
highly offensive to the French. 
When foreigners required ad- 
mittance, the doors were thrown 
open. The Frenchmen who were 
refused, glanced at the laurelled- 
cap, bit their lips, muttered im- 
precations, and withdrew. 
Some few had, however, the 
address to procure. entrance ; 
