My eye was naturally occupied immediately after we had entered, in searching amongst the most battered of the banners for the British colours: at last I discovered the jack and ensign of an English man of war, pierced with shot-holes, and blackened with smoke, looking very sulky and indignantly amongst the finery and tawdry tatters of Italian and Turkish standards.

In the course of this pursuit, I caught the intelligent eye of Madame SShe immediately assigned to my search the proper motive. "Ah!" said she laughingly, and patting me on the arm with her fan, "we are, as you see, my dear Englishman, very vain; and you are very proud."

A stranger to the late calamitous war, unable to marshal in his mind the enemies of the Republic, might here, with a glance, whilst contemplating this poor result of devastation, enumerate the foes of France, and appreciate the facilities or difficulties of the victory.

In observing amidst this gaudy show of captive colours, only two hard-won banners of their rival enemy, he would draw a conclusion too flattering and familiar to an English ear, to render it necessary to be recorded here.

Upon the shattered standards of Austria he would confer the meed of merited applause for heroic, although unprevailing bravery.

" I

To the banners of Prussia he would say, know not whether principle or policy, or treachery

or corruption, deterred you from the field; your looks exhibit no proofs of sincere resistance; however, you never belonged to cowards."

The Neapolitan ensign might excite such sentiments as these: "You appear for a short time to have faced the battle; you were unfortunate, and soon retired."

To the gaudy drapeaus of the Italian and Turkish legions, which every where present the appearance of belonging to the wardrobe of a pantomimic hero, he would observe, "The scent. of the battle has not perfumed you; its smoke has not sullied your shining, silky sides. Ye appear in numbers, but display no, marks of having waved before a brave, united, and energetic band."

In this manner might he trace the various fate of the war. Upon several of the staffs only two or three shreds of colours are to be seen adhering. These are chiefly Austrian. On each side of the chapel are large, and some of them valuable paintings, by the French masters, representing the conquests of the French armies at different

eras.

It is a matter not unworthy of observation, that although the revolution, with a keen and · savage eye, explored too successfully almost every vestige of a royal tendency, the beautiful pavement under the dome of the Invalides has escaped destruction. The fleur de lis, surmounted by the crown of France, still retains its original place in this elegant and costly marble flooring.. The sta

tues of the saints have been removed, and their places are supplied by the new order of revolutionary deities; but the names of the ancient figures have not been erased from the pedestals of the new ones to which omission the spectator is indebted for a smile when contemplating the statue of equality, he reads immediately below his feet, "St. Louis."

The Opera.-I must not forget to offer some little description of the Opera, where, during my stay, through the politeness of Madame H—, I had free access to a private box.

the

This spacious and splendid theatre is lighted from above by an immense circular lustre of patent lamps. The form of this brilliant light is in the antique taste, and it is said to have cost two thousand pounds sterling. The effect which it produces in the body of the theatre, and upon scenery, is admirable. It prevents the sight from being divided and distracted by girandoles. This establishment is upon so vast a scale, that government, which is the proprietor, is always a loser upon balancing the receipts and disbursements of each night. The stage and its machinery have for many years occupied a great number of the subordinate classes of people, who, if not employed in this manner, would in all probability become burdensome, and unpleasant to the government. To this circumstance is attributable the superiority of the machinery and scenery, over every theatre which I ever saw. In the English theatres my eye has often been offended at the

representations of the internal parts of houses, in which not a chair or table is introduced, for the purpose of carrying on the ingenious deception. Upon the stage of the French Opera, every scene has its appropriate furniture and distinctive appendages, which are always produced as soon as the scene drops, by numerous attendants. From this attention to the minute circumstances of the drama, the illusion becomes enchanting. The orchestra is very fine, and is composed of ninety eminent musicians. The corps de ballet consists of between eighty and ninety fine dancers, of whom Monsieur Deshayes is the principal. His movements are more graceful, his agility is more surprising, and his step more light, firm, and elastic, than those of any dancer whom I have ever seen. He is very justly considered to be the first in Europe. The first Consul has a private box here, on one side of which, a lofty, hollow, decorative column rises, the flutes of which are open, and through which he views, unseen, the audience and the performers.

Madame Bonaparte's box is on the left side of the stage, over the door, in which the hapless Queen has frequently displayed her beautiful person to the enraptured audience.

Revolutionary Agents.-One evening, as I was passing through the Boulevard Italien," in company with a gentleman from Toulon, we met a tall, dark, hollow-eyed, ferocious looking man, of whom he related the following story.

Immediately after the evacuation of Toulon by

the English, all the principal Toulonese citizens were ordered to repair to the market-place, where they were surrounded by a great military force.

This man, who for his offences had been committed to prison, was liberated by the French agents, in consequence of his undertaking to select those of the inhabitants who had in any manner favoured the capitulation of the town, or who had shown any hospitality to the English, whilst they were in possession of it. The miscreant passed before the citizens, who were drawn out in lines, amounting to near three thousand, amongst whom he pointed out about one thousand four hundred persons to the fury of the government. Without any other evidence, or further examination, they were all immediately adjudged to be shot. For this purpose a suitable number of soldiers were drawn out. The unhappy victims were marched up to their destruction, upon the quay, in sets of three hundred, and butchered. The carnage was dreadful. In the last of these unfortunate groupes, were two gentlemen of great respectability, who received no wound from the fire, but, to preserve themselves, dropped with the rest, and exhibited all the appearances of having participated in the general fate.

This execution took place in the evening: immediately after its close, the soldiers, fatigued, and sick with cold-blooded slaughter, marched back to their quarters, without examining whether every person upon whom they had fired, had