perfectly at my ease with him. I have never seen a literary man less imposing and more amiable. He spoke of himself with simplicity, and of his enemies without any asperity. He rendered full justice to the talents of M. de Voltaire; he even said that it was impossible that the author of Zaire and Merope was born without a susceptible soul: he added, that flattery and pride had corrupted him. He spoke to us of his Confessions, which he had read to Madame d'Egmont. He said that I was too young to obtain from him the same proof of confidence. Being on this subject, he thought of asking me if I had ever read his works. I answered, a little embarrassed, that I had not. He wished to know why; which embarrassed me still more, particularly as he looked at me very steadily. He had small eyes buried in his head, but very piercing; and they seemed to penetrate and read to the very bottom of the soul of the person whom he interrogated. It appeared to me that he would have discovered immediately a lie or an evasion; therefore I had no merit in telling him frankly, that I had not read his works, because it was pretended that they contained a great many things against religion. You know, answered he, that I am not a Catholick, but nobody, he added, has spoken of the gospel with more conviction and sensibility. These were his own words. I thought his questions over; but he asked me again, with a smile, why I had blushed at telling him this. I answered at once, that I feared to displease him. He praised my answer excessively, because it was unaffected. It is indeed certain that nature and simplicity had a particular charm for him. He told me that his works were not made for my age, but that I should do well to read his Emilius in a few years. He talked to us a great deal of the manner in which he had composed his Nouvelle Heloise; he told us that he wrote all the letters of Julia upon pretty little letter paper, with vignettes; that afterwards he folded them into billets, and reperused them in his walks, with as much delight as if they had been from an adored mistress. He recited to us standing, and making some motions, his Pygmalion, and in a just, energetick and perfect manner, in my opinion. He had a very agreeable smile, full of sweetness and meaning. He was communicative, and I always saw him gay. He reasoned in a superiour manner upon musick, and was a real connoisseur. Yet, among a great number of airs, of his composition, and copied by him, which he gave me, there was not one pretty, or even chantante. He had made a very bad air to his imitation of the sonnet of Nice, of Metastasio, which one of my friends (M. de Monsigny) has set to musick for me. The air is now worthy of the words, which are charming.

Rousseau came to dine with us almost every day, and I had never remarked in him, during five months, either irritability or caprice, when we were near quarrelling on a trifling subject. He was very fond of a kind of Vin de Silery, of a colour like skins of onions; M de asked leave to send him some, adding that he himself received it, as a present from his uncle. Rousseau

answered, he would give him great pleasure, if he would send him two bottles. The next day, M. de sent him a basket containing twenty five bottles of the wine; which shocked Rousseau to such a degree, that he sent back the whole basket, with a strange little billet of three lines, which seemed insane, for it expressed with energy disdain, anger and implacable resentment. M. de Sauvigny completed our astonishment and consternation, by telling us, that Rousseau was really furious, and that he had protested, he would never see us again. M. de astonished that so simple an attention could be so criminal, told me that since I was not an accomplice in his impertinence, Rousseau, perhaps, in favour of my innocence, would consent to return. We loved him, and our regret was sincere. I wrote him rather a long letter, which I sent with two bottles presented by me. Rousseau became placable, and returned to us; he was very gracious with me, but was dry and icy towards M de, whose conversation till that moment had pleased him; and he could never entirely regain his good will.

FOR THE ANTHOLOGY.

SOME ACCOUNT OF VENICE, AND THE SPLENDID ENTRANCE OF BUONAPARTE INTO THAT CITY in December, 1807. .

BY A BOSTONIAN.

[Concluded from page 166.]

After this short acquaintance with Venice, and having seen her as it were in a plain and ordinary attire, we have to behold 'her in a more splendid dress, and decked out in all her trappings and tinsel ornaments, to receive a royal and imperial visitor.

On Sunday the 30th November, the telegraph announced the approach of the Emperour Napoleon, and that he would arrive in the course of the day at Fusine, where the boats which had been preparing were to meet him, and conduct him to the city.

Many of these boats were dressed and ornamented in a very fanciful and pretty style, and when they formed a procession on the canal, made a most beautiful appearance. In order to give some idea of the beauty and splendour of this scene, I shall attempt a description of some of the boats which made the principal figure in it.

The dressed and ornamented boats were of two kinds, called by the Venetians, Piotes and Bissones. One of these Bissones represented the car of Aurora, driving up the morning. A beautiful-figure of the goddess stood erect on the stern of the boat, with flowing robes, and holding in her hands the silken reins of two foaming horses, which formed the bow of the boat, and ap

peared as rising out of the water. The boat was lined with flamecoloured silk, and a curtain of the same, festooned and fringed with silver, depended from the gunwale, and played on the surface of the water. The rowers were dressed in silk of the same colour with silver lace, and their oars were finely painted and striped with silver leaf.

Another represented the chariot of war; the figure of Mars was on the bow, clad in armour, with trophies of war under his feet, and on the stern Bellona, with other terrifick emblems. A cluster of swords and shields was placed on each side a-midships, and various warlike implements were displayed on different parts about her. The inside of the boat was lined with blue silk, which was continued over the gunwale, then fringed with silver, and hung in festoons to the water's edge. The rowers were also dressed in blue silk with silver lace, and appeared as in armour with shields and helmets.

Opposed to this was another dressed with the emblems of peace, a female figure stood erect on the bow, vested in a loose robe of blue silk with a white cestus, holding the dove in her band, and on the stern followed plenty, another female figure in the same style, with a large cornu copiae: implements of husbandry were ranged in clustres round the sides. This boat was also covered with blue silk, with a curtain of the same fringed with silver, and falling in festoons to the water. The rowers were dressed in blue silk, with silver lace and fringe, and their hats and bosoms decked with flowers.

Various other tastes and fancies not less pleasing and appropriate were displayed in a great number of these boats; some of them were without figures upon the stem and stern, but in place of them, they had large branches of Ostrich feathers, of different colours, which at a little distance appeared like small trees with foliage and flowers. These were also lined and hung round with silk and silver fringe, and the oarsmen in silk vests of the same colour, generally either blue or pink. In each boat there were six oarsmen, who all stood up, and their attitudes and movements, as they rowed the boat swiftly along, were uniform and pleasing.

The Piotes were a larger kind of boat, and distinguished prin cipally from the Bissona by an elegant canopy or pavilion erected in the middle of them. One of these represented commerce and navigation; she was gaily ornamented all round with silk curtains and silver fringe as the Bissones. On the top of the canopy was placed a small ship full rigged, it was beautifully painted and had all her streamers flying in the wind; she was about six feet long and appeared as setting in the water, the top of the canopy being painted to represent the sea. On the bow of the Piota was the hull of another ship on the stocks ready for launching, and about the gunwales were disposed bales, casks, and packages of merchandise. The canopy was supported by six standards entwined with wreaths of flowers and gay coloured ribbons, a deep curtain

of blue silk fringed with silver hung in folds from the top and was festooned with large silver tassels. There was a company of ladies under the canopy, which contributed not a little to ornament and beautify the whole.

Another Piota, which was fitted out by a Russian lady at Venice, represented a Russian cottage; the boat was stuck round with small trees, and green branches; and in the midst of these you saw the cottage, thatched with straw, and appearing as in a forest. There was a gay company in the cottage, and they had musick. The rowers were clad in skins and furs, and represented Russian boors.

But the most fantastick appearance was that of a sea monster. The Italian poets have a fabulous fish or monster of the main, which they call Orca de Marine, which makes a considerable figure in their poetick fictions, and here we had the Orca de Marine. The bow represented a monstrous head covered with shining scales; the mouth was wide and discovered large teeth, from which depended leaves of kelp, and locks of sea weed; his eyes were wild, and from his nose and monstrous jaws he seemed to eject water. From the stern the tail curled up in a lofty volume, and crossing itself branched into forks; the whole was covered with well represented scales, and in their proper places, fins. You saw nothing but a huge fish, with a marine grotto, and dancing tritons upon his back. Neptune sat on his tail holding the trident, and the tritons played the oars which moved the monster along. The grotto was covered with all kind of marine productions, such as branches of coral, cockles, pearl, scollops, rockweed, &c. Galatea was in the grotto, and several small figures of nereids appeared peeping about the clifts.

A numerous collection of these and other boats formed a gay and beautiful squadron, which moved off about ten o'clock, under a discharge of artillery, and left all the city prepared to see and hail their return.

As the procession with the Emperour was to proceed along the grand canal, the gentleman to whom I had been recommended by my friends at Trieste, was so attentive as to procure us a situation where we might have a full view of it. We repaired to our station about one o'clock; and now whilst we are waiting the splendid entrance of his imperial majesty, let us take a cursory view of the house to which we have been invited to see it. It is a very stately and elegant building on the grand canal, having five lofty stories, three of which are accommodated with balconies fronting the canal. From the balconies we see the Rialto rising over the canal on one hand, and the water of the canal winding out of view on the other, whilst the crowded windows and balconies on the other side afford a lively and beautiful scene in front. We are in a large room on the third story, and the gentleman of the house, who has a taste for the fine arts, has hung it plentifully with prints and pictures: among them I see the most celebrated works of our countrymen, West and Copley,

such as the death of lord Chatham, the perilous situation of Brook Watson, the death of Wolfe, the drowning of the Duke of Brunswick, &c. There is also Trumbull's death of general Warren, and battle of Bunker's hill. These are only some of the more modern and familiar pieces, but there are a great variety of others, in the choice of which no respect has been paid to decency of subject or situation. Nature, life, and expression have been preferred without regard to modesty; and though I was aware that custom allows these things in this country, yet I was astonished to see the gentleman lead ladies to view and admire the expression, as they called it, in a picture, which I should have thought too indecent to be seen by any body.

Adjoining to this room was a smaller apartment, but more richly furnished; the walls were hung with blue satin with gilt mouldings; the chairs were gilt frames with blue satin bottoms, but the piece of most beauty and value in this room was an elėgant statue of Hebe in white marble, by Canova; it is much celebrated here, and really I was delighted with it. She stands lightly on a cloud in a most graceful attitude, with a thin robe flowing from the waist to the small of the leg; the arms are raised with the cup in one hand and vase in the other; and, altogether, she displays certainly, a highly finished and most beautiful figure. It is placed in the middle of the room upon a turning pedestal, and the front of the room being a large mit ror reaching from the floor to the ceiling, the reflected image in the mirror has a fine effect as you turn the pedestal round, and view the statue in all the different aspects.

Whilst we were admiring this delightful figure the cry of the Emperour! the Emperour! called us to the balcony, and the ringing of the bells and rattling of cannon announced the approach of the procession. And now behold a rich and superb spectacle! The canal was alive with boats; the houses on each side were ornamented with rich tapestry, and the crowded assembly of gay dresses in the balconies added variety and beauty to the prospect. The Gondolas were all occupied and spread from one side of the canal to the other. The line of Bissones glided along the middle with all their rich ornaments waving round them; they were led by the car of Aurora, and accompanied by several bands of musick The Piotes followed the Bissones, and the richness and beauty of the scene increased. And now the vessel of the Emperour appears; and she appears in all the pride and pomp of Cleopatra's. On this little bark the Venetians had lavished their money, taste and loyalty. It was rich and elegant, and cost, it was said, thirty thousand florins. The outside was gilt all round with a profusion of light and tasteful flowers, and some regal emblems in bas relief. In the middle was erected a rich pavilion, the sides of which were glass with gilt panels; the inside was lined with white satin with satin curtains fringed with gold; the top of the pavilion was a dome of white satin, spangled with gold stars, and surmounted with a gold eagle. From the stern