A Tour through some parts of France, Switzerland, Savoy, Germany and Belgium | Page 7

with as little astonishment as a field of corn.
We were easily persuaded to make a short deviation from the direct
road, in order to visit Chantilly, the once splendid residence of the
Princes of Condé, but which now affords a melancholy contrast to the
scene which it exhibited in more tranquil times. The Great Château has
disappeared; but a small building remains at a distance, which is to be
fitted up for the reception of its venerable owner, who is expected in
the course of the summer to pay a visit to the inheritance which the late
happy revolution has restored to him, after having undergone a sad
change in its appearance. The great stables are standing, but only serve
to add to the desolation of the scene by their vacancy, and the contrast
which they form to the small house which now only remains to the
possessor of this great domain.--St. Denis, where we soon arrived, is a

small town not far distant from Paris; it was anciently remarkable for
its abbey, which contained the magnificent tombs of the Kings of
France. These were mostly destroyed early in the revolution (but a few
still remain, in the museum of monuments at Paris, as I afterwards
found) when the promoters endeavoured to obliterate all traces of
royalty: but when after a long series of convulsions, Buonaparte
thought his dynasty had been firmly established on the throne of the
Bourbons, he decreed that this abbey should be restored as the burying
place of the monarchs of France; and it is probable that decree will be
carried into effect, although not in the sense which its promulgator
intended.
* * * * *

CHAP. II.
The approach to Paris is certainly very striking, but considering the vast
extent of the city, its environs do not present an appearance of any
thing like that bustle and activity which marks the vicinity of the
British metropolis: nor do the villas which are to the north of Paris
display that aspect of opulence which distinguishes those streets of
villas by which London is encompassed. The gate of St. Denis, under
which we passed, is a fine piece of architecture; it stands at the end of a
long and narrow street, which is but ill calculated to impress a stranger
with those ideas of the magnificence of Paris of which the French are
perpetually boasting, although it conducts him nearly to the centre of
the city. I afterwards found that this is the most crowded quarter of the
city; the houses are from six to eight stories in height, and are almost
universally built of stone.--But although it must be admitted that this
entrance to Paris is one of the least distinguished, yet at the same time
it must be observed, that there are but very few streets in that city
which have much to boast of in point of appearance; they are mostly
narrow, and the height of the houses necessarily makes them gloomy.
They are (except in one or two new streets at the extremity of the town)
extremely incommodious for pedestrians, there being here no place set
apart for them as in London; hence they traverse the streets in perpetual
dread of being run over by some of those numerous carriages which are
continually passing along with an impetus which raises just
apprehensions in the mind of the foot passenger, that he may share the

fate of Doctor Slop, if nothing more serious should befall him; as in
avoiding the carriages it is no easy task to keep clear of the kennel,
which is in the centre of the street; the descent to it is rapid, and it is
rarely dry even in the warmest weather.
It is when seen from one of the bridges, that Paris appears to most
advantage, as many of the quays are unquestionably very handsome,
and decorated with many elegant edifices. The Seine is in no part so
much as half the width of the Thames, in some places not a fourth part,
as it forms two islands, on one of which stands the original city of Paris.
Its waters are united at the Pont Neuf, on which stands the statue of
Henry IV. looking towards the Louvre, which he founded. The view
from this bridge is without comparison the most striking in Paris, and is
perhaps unequalled in any city, for the great number of royal and public
edifices which are seen from it; and inconsiderable as is the Seine
compared with many other rivers, yet nothing has been neglected to
render its banks striking to the passenger.--Many of the bridges (of
which I think there are altogether 16) are handsome, particularly those
of Austerlitz and of Jena, constructed by order of Buonaparte. There is
one bridge,