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THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 



315 



when I saw him later he advised me to write to the Baron 

 de la Bouillerie, intendant of the King's household. So go 

 my days. — This evening we went to the Italian Opera ; it 

 was not open when we arrived, so we put ourselves in the 

 line of people desirous to enter, and at seven followed 

 regularly, with no pushing or crowding (so different from 

 England), as the arrangements are so perfect. We received 

 our tickets, the change was counted at leisure, and we were 

 shown into the pit, which contains three divisions; that 

 nearest the orchestra contains the most expensive scats. 

 The theatre is much less in extent than either Drury Lane 

 or fovent Garden, but is handsome, and splendidly deco- 

 rated and lighted. The orchestra contains more than 

 double the number of musicians, and when the music began, 

 not another sound was heard, all was silence and attention. 

 Never having been at the opera since my youth, the music 

 astounded me. The opera was Semiramis, and well exe- 

 cuted, but I was not much pleased with it; it was too 

 clamorous, a harmonious storm, and I would have preferred 

 something more tranquil. I remarked that persons who 

 left their seats intending to return laid on their seats a hat, 

 glove, or card, which was quite sufficient to keep the place 

 for them. In London what a treat for the thieves, who are 

 everywhere. I walked home ; the pure atmosphere of Paris, 

 the clear sky, the temperature, almost like that of America, 

 make me light-hearted indeed, yet would that I were again 

 in the far distant, peaceful retreats of my happiest days. 

 Europe might whistle for me ; I, like a free bird, would sing, 

 " Never — no, never, will I leave America." 



September 13. I had to take my portfolio to Baron 

 Cuvier, and I went first to Geoffroy de St. Hilaire, who 

 liked it much, and retracted his first opinion of the work 

 being too large. Monsieur Dumesnil, a first-rate engraver, 

 came to see me, sent by Prince de Massena, and we talked 

 of the work, which he told me honestly could not be pub- 

 lished in France to be delivered in England as cheaply as 



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