The effect of the dissolution of the palace and gardens by the waving of Armida’s wand is astonishing; it appears completely to be the work of inchantment, from the rapidity of execution which follows the potentissime parole.  The French recitative however does not please me.  The serious opera is an exotic and does not seem to thrive on the soil of France.  The language does not possess sufficient intonation to give effect to the recitative.

On the contrary, the comic operas are excellent; and here the national music and singing appear to great advantage.  It never degenerates to the grotesque or absurd buffo of the Italians, but is always exquisitely graceful, simple, touching and natural.

Among the ballets, I have seen perhaps three of the best, viz., Achille a Scyros, Flore et Zephire and La folle par amour.  In the ballet of Flore and Zephire, the dancers who did these two parts appeared more aerian than earthly.  To use a phrase of Burke’s, I never beheld so beautiful a vision.  Nina, or la folle par amour, is a ballet from private life.  The title sufficiently explains its purport; it is exquisitely touching and pathetic.  O what a divine creature is Bigottini! what symmetry of form! what innate grace, what a captivating expression of countenance; and then the manner in which she did the mad scenes and her return to reason!  Oh!  I was moved even to tears.  Never had any performance such an effect upon me.  What a magnificent tout ensemble is the Grand Opera at Paris!  Whenever I feel chagrined or melancholy I shall come here; I feel as if I were in a new world; the fiction appears reality; my senses are ravished, and I forget all my cares.

I have very little pleasure in visiting royal Palaces, unless they have been the residence of some transcendent, person like Napoleon or Frederick II of Prussia, as the sight of splendid furniture and royal pomp affords me no gratification; and I would rather visit Washington’s or Lafayette’s farms in company with these distinguished men than dine with all the monarchs of Europe.  After a hasty glance at the furniture of the Tuileries, what fixed my attention for a considerable time was “La Salle des Marechaux,” where are the portraits of all the modern French Marshalls.  They are all full length portraits and are striking resemblances; some are in the Marshall’s undress uniform and others in the full court costume which is very elegant, being the costume of the time of Francis I with the Spanish hat and plumes.  I did not observe Ney’s or Soult’s portraits among them.