our lodgings. To describe what we have seen in the Galleries of the Louvre would be little more than a repetition of what we have spoken of seeing in other galleries; but we should not forget to mention the "Venus of Milo," the original of which we saw here. We were disappointed in not being allowed to see the large collection of most interesting Napoleon relics, which the writer saw here in 1867, when France was in her glory under Napoleon III. The cases containing these are all locked up, and republican France deems it prudent not to allow the old cocked hat, the boots and spurs, the army saddle and pistols of the great Emperor to be exhibited at the present crisis. These are only a few of the many speaking objects here, telling of the reign and power of Napoleon. Even the marble cast of his face, taken after his death, possesses an almost irresistible attraction." It is a wonder that the authorities do not consider it necessary, also, to debar all entrance to his superbly grand tomb in the Hôtel des Invalides; but this is still accessible. Over the entrance to this tomb, so often described, are his words,-"I desire that my ashes may repose on the banks of the Seine, in the midst of the French people, whom I have ever loved." In a recess adjoining the crypt stands a statue of him as Emperor, dressed in his imperial robes, and here also are other insignia of his which he wore on state occasions, together with the sword he carried at the battle of Austerlitz. We were present one Sunday when all the old invalids, officers and soldiers, filed in line on either side of the main aisle of the Chapel, in another part of this vast building, to hear the twelve o'clock Mass. It was a novel sight - one or two hundred old veterans,

crippled, scarred, and otherwise debilitated, some of whom had, no doubt, served under the great Napoleon, all in their uniforms, and parading in military order. They stood during the whole service, but some of them appeared to give little attention to the religious ceremonies, at the conclusion of which they all retired, keeping step to the martial music, and were dismissed in the court.

CHAPTER LVIII.

PARIS, APRIL 10.-We have been almost daily

in the Place de la Concorde, which lies between the Garden of the Tuileries and the Champs Élysées. It is a handsome square, adorned by colossal statues and fountains, and in its center stands the obelisk of the Luxor, a column seventy-two feet in height, covered on its four tapering sides with Egyptian hieroglyphics. It was presented to the French Government by the Pasha of Egypt, and transported from Thebes, where it formerly stood in front of the Temple. It dates back fifteen hundred years before the Christian Era. It was in this square that the guillotine was erected, and where, during the reign of terror in 1793-'4, nearly three thousand victims were beheaded, among them Louis XVI., his unfortunate wife, Marie Antoinette, Beauharnais, the husband of Josephine, the Duke of Orleans, Robespierre, and many other noted persons.

The Place du Carousal and Place Napoleon are formed out of large portions of the space bordered by the Palace of the Tuileries and the Louvre. The former is said to have derived its name from a tournament held there by Louis XIV. in 1662, and the latter is understood to have been so named in honor of Napoleon III. Originally, the whole space was probably intended for the Palace Court.

The Place Vendôme is an octagon, four hundred and fifty by four hundred and twenty feet in extent, surrounded by handsome dwelling houses, including one or two hotels. The rue de la Paix passes through it, and is the direct street leading from the Boulevard des Capuchins into the rue Castiglione,

which ends at rue de Rivoli, in front of the Garden of the Tuileries. There is a constant stream of people passing and repassing through this great channel of communication; and every stranger, of course, stops to view, if not to ascend, the grand column of Vendôme which stands, surrounded by an iron railing, in the center of the square. This column was raised by order of Napoleon I., in honor of the French armies. It is one hundred and thirtyfive feet in height, surmounted by his statue. The exterior is of bronze, covered with bas-reliefs, representing the victories of the French armies in the German campaign of 1805. As is well known, it was leveled to the earth by the Communists in 1871;

but we could not discover any marks of this destruction. It is a splendid column, much resembling the Trajan column in Rome.

The Column of July, in the Place de la Bastile, is constructed entirely of bronze, except its base, which is of white marble. It stands on the site of the old Bastile, the key of which is at Mount Vernon, and bronze bas-reliefs inserted in the sides of the marble base indicate that it was erected in commemoration of those who fell in the French Revolution of July, 1830, and whose bodies, as well as the bodies of the combatants of February, 1848, were here buried. Over a colonnade near the top of this monument there is a large gilt globe, surmounted by the figure of a winged angel, representing "The Genius of Liberty." While standing on this colonnade in a smart breeze one day, we were made so dizzy from the swaying of the column to and fro that, splendid as was the view from that point of observation, we took counsel from our fears speedily to descend to a more stable foundation. There is a railing around this monument, but the rest of the ground forming this irregular open space, where several streets and boulevards concentrate, is inclosed only by the adjacent buildings.

The Place du Trône, also the intersection of many streets and avenues, in the extreme eastern part of the city, is in circular form, and its principal ornaments are columns surmounted by statues of "St. Louis" and "Philippe Auguste." There are numerous other squares under various names, all of which are more or less beautified by fountains, statues, etc.

The Champs Élysées, through which runs the grand avenue of that name, from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, is the promenade