honorable, et ne tiennent pas a habiter la Capitale. S'addresser a M. Brunet, Rue de Seine, St. Germaine, No. 14. On ne recevra aucune lettre de departments, sans etre effranchie.

"But you were once on the way to the Palais Royal," I imagine my reader to say. Undoubtedly I was; only mine host carried me round to show some sights, and

among others the " place," or square, called the Place Vendome, in the midst of which towers that gorgeous pillar which Napoleon clothed, in a spiral ascent, with bronze procured from Austrian cannon taken at Austerlitz, whereon are engraved a variety of the scenes of his glory. After surprising me with a glance at two or three establishments of the nature of the Burlington Arcade, which are called "passages" here-and of which elegant urban scenes there are a considerable number-we descended by a back street, and following a press of people, among some small pillars that supported an entrance, we found ourselves, in a few moments, in the Palais Royal.

The energetic pen of Champion Scott had so filled my mind with frightful representations of the moral and physical danger of this celebrated resort, that I was quite surprised to find it a place, to appearance at least, so comparatively innocent and agreeable. There are undoubtedly gambling-houses here; but I doubt if they are of the same desperate character as the "hells" of

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London. They are open to all the world; and, being licensed by government, are under regulation, and are not, as with us, hidden from the light of day, and of the quality and sequestered ferocity of a den of lions. Whether the French government is correct in licensing such retreats, and thus countenancing the evil, is a grave point of legislation. I trust I shall not be found to excuse or palliate vice in any observations I venture to make; and being therefore greatly ignorant of this subject, both practically and theoretically, I pass on, leaving the French to receive whatever moral castigation they deserve on this point, from those best capable of applying it.

The general appearance of the Palais Royal is that of a large oblong square; the middle is gravelled, and is ornamented with rows of trees, and accommodated with seats and benches of various kinds : in the centre is a pond, which is furnished with a jet d'eau, that throws up the water in several streams, so as to form a perfect resemblance to our Prince of Wales's feathers. On surveying the sides, on either hand, the houses are remarkable for elegance; and there is a superb arcade round the circumference of the square, within which gleam those magnificent cafés, shops, and warehouses, which justify the Parisians in their boast that the Palais Royal is unparalleled in the world. Here is merchandise of all kinds, ladies and gentlemen's dresses of every description,

cutlery, toys, books, bijoux, diamonds. The profusion is amazing; but as every inch of ground is precious in this abode of costly luxuriance, there is more of neatness than of grandeur in its aspect. There are, however, cart-loads of riches in small room. Perhaps the lavishness of diamonds and precious stones is most strik ing; and it would be affectation to refuse surprise at the elegance of the head-dresses, and other pieces of female ornament, made of pearl and adamant, in the most beautiful taste, as is to be expected here in all matters connected with the appearance of the fair sex. At the various cafés, dinners and refreshments are served in a style of great comfort and elegance. These places seem to be perfectly respectable, though there may be the resorts of worthlessness and crime in the domiciles on the high storeys. Be that as it may, the Palais Royal is a general thoroughfare, and its shady gravel centre is much frequented by the sober inhabitants for the purpose of reading the journals. I found it an agreeable station for that purpose before breakfast of a morning; and perhaps the traveller will soon find, that neither this polite kingdom at large, nor the Palais Royal, are that universal sink of iniquity which he has been taught at home to suppose.

Friday, 2d May When I left home, I did not care to carry with me letters of introduction of the ordinary sort, as the visits to be made in consequence might interfere with the seeing of sights. But, being desirous of knowing a little of the religious concerns of this great and enlightened empire, I took pains to obtain notes to some distinguished Protestant clergymen; and, by the kindness of friends, I was provided with a large packet, which introduced me to the benevolent attentions of several gentlemen of reputation in the religious and literary circles.

Nothing in the world can be more desireable in a strange land, than good religious society; and in this respect, for the short time I was abroad, I was placed on a footing for which I ought to be grateful. And now, methinks, my reader will agree with me, that the religious state of France cannot fail to be one of great interest: for although the soul of a rude Esquimaux is as precious as that of the wisest philosopher, it is impossible to regard with ordinary concern the eternal welfare of the first nation of the world; whose inhabitants, humanly speaking, are supremely fitted to convey, in the most attractive mode, the glad tidings of salvation to the dark places of the earth. But I regret to say, that the more my reader is embued with this sen

timent, the more incapable am I to answer the demand which his intelligence may make upon me. In short, the substance of what I can communicate on the religious state of France is truly nothing at all, and even the form of it is nothing better than mere tittle tattle.

I recommend the perusal of the " Archives du Christianisme," and the reports of those excellent societies who have their annual meetings in the month of April at Paris. It is not, I understand, easy to estimate the number of Protestants here: some stated it to me at, and some "under, a million; and one gentleman considered that it might amount to 1,500,000. The great body of these are, like ourselves, merely nominal Christians. As an auspicious balance to this, I was assured that many within the pale of the Romish church were, in despite of ignorance and superstition, genuine believers at which asseveration, doubtless, not a few excellent Presbyterians in Scotland will marvel, with perhaps indignant astonishment. A considerable stir has been excited lately in favour of true religion, in consequence of the interference of the Pope and his consistory, in opposition to a Bible Society patronized by the Duchess Broglie and Archbishop of Paris. This step has aroused the attention of several influential Catholic laymen, who do not choose that any impediment should be made to the distribution of the Scriptures; and generally it is understood that the cause

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