services could soften the obdurate heart of Louis XVIII. Ney met his death like a hero; there was no recklessness, no attempt at effect, no bombast; but with an erect form, his hand on a heart that never yet had beat with fear, he gave the word to fire as calmly as if he had been on parade, and at the first discharge the warrior fell.

The summer months passed most delightfully. Versailles, Fontainbleau, Chantilly, St. Cloud, Sevres, the Louvre, Jardin des Plantes, Père la Chaise, were all visited in their turn; and among the male and female "lions" of that day, whom I had the good fortune to become acquainted with in our pic-nics and parties of pleasure, may be mentioned the De Staël, Walter Scott, Thomas Moore, Catalini, Grassini, Talma, and Kemble.

Early in September Louis le Desiré, or L'inévitable, as the restored monarch was called, gave a splendid banquet to the potentates and distinguished military and civil officers. Nothing could exceed the magnificence of the entertainment or the excellence of the cooking, for the royal Bourbon, who was himself a bon vivant of the first quality, had given especial instructions to his chef de cuisine upon this occasion to produce a feast worthy of his epicurean court, and being ably supported by a host of culinary artists, brought together from every private kitchen and restaurateur's of note in Paris, who looked upon the affair in a national sort of view, the dinner produced was one that might have gratified the heart of Vatel of old, or those of his modern followers, Ude, Francatelli, or Soyer.

While upon the subject of gastronomy, I must remind my readers that, at the period I write of, the art of good living was carried to the greatest state of perfection at Paris. The breakfasts at Tortoni's were unequalled, while the rognons à la brochette de Riche, and the coquilles de Hardy, attracted the young and fashionable world at their morning repast. For dinners these celebrated artists were not so appreciated, on disait gaiement, qui'l fallait être bien RICHE pour diner chez Hardy; on bien HARDI pour diner chez Riche. Among those restaurateurs, upon whom the cordon bleu of Vatel had descended, may be mentioned Beauvillier, Very, Borel, Robert, et Hennevue. The former, like Beaulieu in his art poetique, united precept and example by publishing a work upon cooking. He was ever full of attention to his guests, running about to know if they were satisfied; upon the slightest complaint he would descend to the kitchen, and after lecturing the cook, would return with a dish concocted under his own immediate superintendence. At the restoration of the Bourbons, Beauvillier was the object of much ridicule, from the fact of his doing the honours of his table decked out in a bag-wig, full dress coat, and sword; in the words of Plautus, it might, however, be said of him," Hic coquus scitè ac munditer condit cibos." There was another establishment kept by Rô, Méot, et Juliette, which gave rise to the calembourg Romeo et Juliette.

In those days each house was famed for something superlatively good. Robert excelled in beef in every form, and private dinners; "Le Veau qui tette," the epicurean temple of the worthy citizens of Paris, shone prominently forth in les pieds de mouton and gras-double sur le gril, Anglicè, sheep's trotters and tripe. "Les trois frères Provençaux" prided themselves upon morue à l'ail, a most artistical dish, in which rather more than a soupçon of garlic might be traced: here the cellar was faultless. The

"Rocher de Concale was conspicuous for its fish: there the epicure would commence with half-a-dozen small Marennes oysters and a glass of Chablis, followed by as many tablespoonfuls of soup as would neutralize the cold sensation of the former: the finest turbot that the coasts of France could produce then appeared, with sauces of the most varied and exquisite flavour, lobster patties, fillets of sole, eels à la tartare, salmon cutlets, formed parts of the entrées, but soon gave way to others of flesh and fowl of the most recherché description, while a glass of old Madeira, sorbet au rhum, ponche à la Romaine, and a bottle of genuine Bordeaux gave a zest to the entertainment. "Le Café de milles colonnes," with its golden saloons, magnificent looking-glasses, and admirably appointed cuisine, gratified the eye as well as the palate by the presence of la belle Lemonadière, who, Hebe-like, presided at the bar, dispensing smiles, sweets and sorbets, looks and liqueurs, ogles and orgeat, illades and eau de vie, glances and glaces, coquetry and coffee. In short, to adopt a phrase of Doctor Johnson's, "one of the arts that aggrandize human life-cooking," was cultivated in a manner worthy the courts of Apicius, Heliogabalus, or their more modern follower, Louis des huitres, as the ventripotent monarch was called. La science de gueule was discussed with as much gravity as the more abstruse sciences of grammar, logic, arithmetic, rhetoric, geometry, astronomy, or metaphysics. Gastronomic erudition was in the ascendancy. Almanachs des Gourmets, essays on culinary art, treatises on the luxuries of the table, emanated from the press, and were read with avidity by all. The Parisian epicure had not degenerated to the glutton: he seemed to pride himself upon the character of one of the class described by Beaumont and Fletcher: "He is none of those same ordinary eaters that will devour three breakfasts, and as many bevers and dinners, without prejudice to their drinkings or suppers; but he hath a more courtly kind of hunger, and doth hunt more after novelty than plenty." Throughout the capital every one reversed the saying of Molière's miser, "Il faut manger pour vivre, et non pas vivre pour manger." Among other profound researches upon the subject, it has been remarked by a French author, that "dinner to man, while it fills the stomach, makes void the heart ;" and in confirmation of this doctrine, the writer states as a fact, that a poor man sat for thirty years upon the steps leading to a celebrated restaurateur's at Paris, and that although he universally received some charitable gratuity from those ascending, he never received one farthing from those descending.

any

The theatres at this period were flourishing; Talma in tragedy, Mademoiselle Mars in high-bred comedy, Brunet and Potier in farce, the Gosselins and Fanny Bias in ballet, formed a dramatic phalanx seldom equalled, never surpassed. Tivoli was open to the lovers of al fresco amusements; Garnerin ascended in his balloon amidst a blaze of fireworks; Margat took as his aëriel compagnon de voyage a stag trained by him. The French capital outshone itself in fun for the million. We had the celebrated dog, Munito, playing at dominoes and loto; and the sight-seeing English were bitten (we mean figuratively) by the industrious fleas, whose wonderful performance was first introduced in those days.

One day, when strolling through the Gardens of Versailles, my attention was attracted to a party seated under the shade of an orange grove;

a middle aged couple, with a girl scarcely out of her teens, all habited in the deepest black, were in earnest conversation with a young officer, who, from his bandaged leg, and pale emaciated face, showed that he was still suffering under the effects of a recent wound. As I approached the group I heard my name mentioned, and turning round recognised in the speaker my old Waterloo acquaintance, Caledon.

"Mr. Hamilton," he exclaimed, raising himself upon his crutches; "allow me to introduce you to Mr., Mrs., and Miss Wentworth; your kindness to poor Charles will never be forgotten."

At this painful allusion the mourners seemed quite overcome with grief, and being anxious not to obtrude upon their sadness, I took Captain Caledon aside, who, in our brief interview, informed me that for some months he had been affianced to Agnes Wentworth, and that the marriage was to take place the moment the period of deep mourning had expired. After a time we rejoined the sorrowing family, who poured forth their gratitude to me for kindnesses long since obliterated from my mind towards my old Westminster friend, and we passed the remainder of the day in exploring the beauties of the gardens, wandering by the clear cool fountains, lingering in the beautiful walks amidst the fragrance of the varied flowers.

To return to the amusements of Paris. The disposition to carry out the manly sports of Old England abroad is the characteristic of our countrymen; no, wonder then that we read of races upon the plains of Abraham, near Quebec; at the Rock, the Cape, Sidney; in the East and West Indies. Nearer at home we find regular meetings established at Paris, Chantilly, Florence, Brussells, Loo; and a sporting event is shortly to come off between our horses and those of the Pacha of Egypt. Cricket matches have also been introduced in every place where John Bull has sojourned for any time, and the papers have teemed with one that lately took place in the Campo di Marte near Naples-Eton against the world. A pack of hounds have hunted the "Rome country, much to the astonishment of the natives; and latterly steeple chases have enlivened the sporting characters in La Belle France. Notwithstanding, however, these doings are common in the present day, owing to the increasing intercourse between ourselves and our foreigu neighbours, they were novelties at the period I write of no wonder, then, that a great sensation was created in Paris when, in October, 1814, the Paris and London Chronicle contained the following advertisement of the first English races ever held in France :- Saturday, October the 21st., a Ladies' Cup, (given by the English ladies in Paris), will be run for on the flat of Neuilly, free for all horses, gentlemen riders, two mile heats. Same day, a Subscription Purse for the beaten horses." The late Lord Kinnaird, the present Lord Charles Manners, and Sir Andrew Barnard officiated as stewards. The Duc de Berri, Wellington, Lord Castlereagh, and all the distinguished visitors then assembled in the capital, attended the meeting. The races, which afforded much sport, were succeeded by a sparring match between two English pugilists, Fuller and Harmer. A purse was handed about for them by that well known character, the late Joe Kelly (I give the appellation he was alone known by in the army of occupation), and more than sixty Napoleons were collected, A regular school was shortly afterwards established for the sons of the fancy, near the Oratoire, and was greatly patronized by the

French, English, Russians, Prussians, and Germans then gathered in and near Paris.

The following is the description given of them in one of the French papers ::-"Two English boxers have already given several representations in the Rue Neuve des Petits Champs. Persons of the most delicate sensibility may be present, for these boxers do not strike so, hard as to do each other any injury. In England, after every battle, one or two of the assailants must be declared hors de combat, and when they are obliged to carry him off the field in a wheelbarrow or on a shutter the pleasure is complete. At Paris we are not so greedy, we content ourselves with a few blows, and the demonstration of them is enough." At this period pugilism flourished, and was supported by men of the highest honour and character; so much so, that during the visit of the allied potentates to the Prince Regent in the previous year, a grand national fistic tournament was got up for their special entertainment. King of Prussia, the Prince Royal, Prince William and Frederick of Prussia, Prince of Mecklenburg, General D'York, the Hetman Platoff, and several of the illustrious visitors, attended a dejeuner à la fourchette at Lord Lowther's, the present Earl of Lonsdale. The most celebrated pugilists of the day were in waiting; Jackson, Cribb, Tom Belcher, Richmond the black, Oliver, Painter, and others. After breakfast the men put on the gloves, and showed some excellent sparring and "by particular desire of several persons of distinction," as the playbills say, Jackson's wound up the day's play by setting-to with Cribb and Belcher: his quickness, dexterity, and great muscular powers were particularly noticed,

The

Among other sights that attracted the attention of those resident in Paris may be mentioned Les Montagnes Russes, an amusement then lately imported from the country of the Czar, one in which the partaker of it ran the risk of breaking his limbs, and all for the small charge of half a franc. Independent of the original Russian ones, à la barrière des Thermes, we had Les Montagnes Françaises at Beaujon, the Egyptiennes in the Jardin du Delta, Faubourg Poissonière; Les Suisses, Jardin de la Chaumière, in the aristocratic quartier du Luxembourg; and Le Saut du Niagara, at the Jardin Ruggieri, Rue St. Lazare.

The

We have dwelt too much upon the "life" of the gay city, and must return to more important matters. By the second general pacification of Paris with the allies, ratified in the month of November, it was agreed that an army of occupation, amounting to one hundred and fifty thousand men, to be maintained in a great measure by France, should possess the frontier fortresses for a period of five years. peaceable state of affairs in the spring of 1817 authorized the foreign contracting powers to reduce the number one fifth, and in the autumn of the following year to withdraw it entirely. In the mean time my brigade was stationed at Cambray, where the head quarters of Wellington were established. Cambray is a town of considerable importance, situated on the river L'Escaut, which rises from behind the gardens of Mont St. Martin, and is famed for its fine muslin, called in our country cambric, after the place where it is manufactured. The revolution of 1793, made sad havoc; out of the twelve churches which had previously existed only two remained; the infuriated mob not only wreaked their vengeance upon the beautiful cathedral, which they razed to the ground,

but carried their lawless spirit so far as to tear the body of the venerable Fenelon from its vaulted tomb, and cast bullets from the leaden coffins that contained the mortal remains of the author of Télémache. I had scarcely been a week at Cambray before I was summoned by my friend, Captain B, to go over to his quarters to attend two marriages, the one between Captain Caledon and Miss Wentworth, the other that of Nannette Durrand and Donald M'Allister, who had been promoted to the rank of serjeant. To this proposition I gladly assented, and having obtained leave of absence, proceeded in a buggy, which I had lately set up, to Valenciennes. The road possesses little or no interest until after passing Bouchain, a small fortress sur L'Escaut, you reach Denain, the spot where the celebrated Marshal Villars defeated and made prisoner Lord Albermarle, commander of the allied forces, in 1712, and which event has been immortalized by Voltaire in the well-known couplet,

"

Regardez dans Denain l'audacieux Villars,
Disputante 1 tonnerre à l'aigle des Cêsars."

Valenciennes is a fortified town, with a strong citadel constructed by the Great Vauban. Among its historical recollections may be mentioned that in 1793 it was taken by the allies under the Duke of York and Abercrombie, after a siege of three months; it is also famed as the birthplace of Watteau the painter, and Froissart the historian. The celebrated Vallanceen lace, as the dandy linen-drapers of Regent-street and Oxford-street call it, is manufactured here. Upon reaching my friend's quarters I was most warmly welcomed by the officers of his corps; invitations to breakfasts, dinners, private plays and balls awaited me, a more particular description of which must be reserved for another chapter; suffice it in this to say, that the object of my visit was accomplished, the nuptials of the truly happy couples were solemnized, and a finer specimen of town and country beauty was never seen than that which appeared in the persons of the high-born Agnes Wentworth and the lowly peasant Nannette Durrand.

THE EXHIBITION S.

"Come, sir, take my arm for a turn or two," as poor Jerry used to say to the fresh-caught swells at Ascot when they got irate at his impudence; "take my arm, sir. You seem a little green, and I'll show you something."

We can hardly do better; for it is rather too cold, even this fine May morning, for a blow on the water; then there is no racing nor steeplechasing to-day within an hour or so of town; and as you can't dine before six, and must do something before then, let us have a turn at sight-seeing-picking out all the clever things of horses and hounds on the walls of the many exhibitions now open, and abusing or forgetting the bad ones, as malice or charity may be found the stronger within us. Having most likely never ventured on it before, you can scarcely