1802. } 
of buildings is compofed of white brick, 
er at lea(t, of brick that was once white : 
cui color albus erat, Gc. Paris, however, 
wants that livelinefs which the elegant 
fhops of London afford by day, and that 
brilliancy ‘which its lamps afford. by 
night. One large folitary lamp, jult 
fufficient to make darknefs appear more 
vifible, fufpended in the centre of the 
ftreet by a rope, which is attached to 
two oppofite houfes, is all the light 
thefe purblind Parifians are indulged with, 
for the difance of two or three hundred 
yards! Bonaparte, the tutelary deity of 
the Republic, as he is perhaps juftly con- 
fidered by the French people, is contem- 
plating, I underftand, to aftord a better 
illumination to the city. 
I mutt deviate from the prudifh regu- 
larity of a journal in order to give you a 
defcription, now that the impreffion is 
freth, of a /pecacle with which I have been 
juft treated:—We yelterday learned by 
mere accident that the Premier Conful 
holds a parade on every decade in the court 
of the Tuilleries, and that this is the re- 
gular day for that purpofe. As no one 
can enter the palace on this occafion with- 
out a ticket of admiffion, we fent to M. 
Perrégaux the banker, who is a member 
of the fenate, and confequently a man of 
high rank in the republic, to folicit his af- 
fiftance in procuring us tickets, which 
with his accultomed politenefs he returned 
by‘the valet. The Tuilleries was full 
without confufion: the foldiers preferyed 
excellent order: we afcended the ftairs 
and made our way with very little dif- 
ficulty to the door of the -anti-chamber, 
when immediately on telling the guard that 
we were Englifh, he opened it, and _ufher- 
‘ed us into an elegant and f{pacious room, 
the windows of which—-—*‘‘ Here’s the 
fmell of the blood ftill: all the perfumes 
of Arabia will not fweeten’’ thefe cham- 
bers! One really could hardly enter them 
without horror at the remembrance of the 
many foul and mid-day murders, which 
had been fo recently perpetrated on the 
very floor one was walking on. 
The windows of this room look into 
the court-yard where the parade was to 
~ be exhibited : it was filled with field-of- 
ficers and generals, the. flower of the 
French commanders, many of whom bear 
on their undaunted brow the moft ho- 
nourable. evidence of their valour in the 
day of battle. We were not more de- 
lighted than furprifed at the variety and 
furpaffing richnefs of the military drefles : 
our friend ****, who, you know, is a lit-. 
tle faftidious and critical in thefe things, 
. gad who has had the opportunity of com- 
An Excurfion through Frante to Geneva. 
103 
paring with each other the military habilia« 
ments of various countries, acknowledged, 
I believe with fome little reluctance, that 
the elegance, fplendor, and even fump- 
tuoufnels of thefe drefles exceeded any 
thing of the fort he had ever before feen. 
Among the fuperior officers, not merely 
the caps, and coats, and belts, but the pan- 
taloons, the Heffian boots, and {pursy were 
many of them richly wrought with gold 
and filver: but the drefs which, from its 
peculiar rarity in this country, was mott 
generally at(ractive, though for obvious 
reafons not particularly fo to myfelf, was 
that of a highland officer in his regimen- 
tals: he appeared to be about four or five 
and thirty years of age, was of lofty and 
athletic ftature, and in every refpe@, L 
think, the handfomeft and_ beit-formed 
man in thereom. ‘The moment he en- 
tered, every eye was directed to him ; and 
wherever he placed himfelf,-a circle foon 
Formed itfelf around him, where the muf. 
cularity of his naked limbs excited gene» 
ral admiration. | 
After enjoying for three quarters of an 
hour the {plendid fcene which was before 
us, the approach of the French colours 
was announced by the Marleillois hymn, 
which the band in the court-yard played 
with confiderable effect. The colours 
were conducted by the body-guard of the 
Firft Conful, through the anti-chamber 
into the room of audience: they were fa- 
luted by the foldiers on guard, who open- 
ed an inftant paflage for the proceffion. 
Another half hour-eclapfed when the fol- 
ding doors of the audience-room were 
thrown open, the watch-word refounded 
through the Tuilleries, and the colours 
returned preceding ‘* The Great Warrior 
and the Great Pacificator’ down to the 
court, where he mounted a very beautiful 
milk-white charger, and infpeéted the pa- 
rade of about feven thoufand troops, con- 
filting of horfe, foot, and cannon. - 
Bonaparte was clothed in the Confular 
drefs, fcarlet velvet, flightly embroider- 
ed: he pafled through the line which was 
formed gor him with rather a quick un- 
ftately ftep, and evidently courted not at- 
! 
tention; if you afk of me a defcription of © 
his perfon, which I had twice an excel- 
lent opportunity of obferving, beinig-each 
time in the front of the row through wich 
he paffed and repaffed, I: fhall refer_ you 
to the bufts which this nation of iconoia- 
ters have doubtlefs exported into England. 
Bonaparte is’a {mall but well-proportion- 
ed man: his moft pale, fallow, and ema- 
ciated countenance, bears indubitable 
marks of deep and fearful thinking: a 
dejection and melancholy which is com- 
: . Municative 
