stopped longer than usual, to gaze on the Venus, and I never saw so clearly her superiority over the Apollo, the impositions of whose style, even more than the great beauties with which they are mingled, have gained for it an inordinate and indiscriminating admiration.  On this day, very few, if any of the statues had been taken away—­and many said that France would retain them, although she was losing the pictures.  On the following morning I returned, and the pedestal on which the Venus had stood for so many years, the pride of Paris, and the delight of every observer, was vacant!  It seemed as if a soul had taken its flight from a body.”

REMOVAL OF THE VENETIAN HORSES FROM PARIS.

“The removal of the well known horses taken from the church of St. Mark in Venice, was a bitter mortification to the people of Paris.  These had been peculiarly the objects of popular pride and admiration.  Being exposed to the public view, in one of the most frequented situations of Paris, this was esteemed the noblest trophy belonging to the capital; and there was not a Parisian vender of a pail-full of water who did not look like a hero when the Venetian horses were spoken of.

“‘Have you heard what has been determined about the horses?’ was every foreigner’s question.  ‘Oh! they cannot mean to take the horses away,’ was every Frenchman’s answer.  On the morning of Thursday, the 26th of September, 1815, however it was whispered that they had been at work all night in loosening them from their fastening.  It was soon confirmed that this was true—­and the French then had nothing left for it, but to vow, that if the allies were to attempt to touch them in the daylight, Paris would rise at once, exterminate its enemies, and rescue its honor.  On Friday morning I walked through the square; it was clear that some considerable change had taken place; the forms of the horses appeared finer than I had ever before witnessed.  When looking to discover what had been done, a private of the British staff corps came up, ’You see, sir, we took away the harness last night,’ said he.  ’You have made a great improvement by so doing,’ I replied; ’but are the British employed on this work?’ The man said that the Austrians had requested the assistance of our staff corps, for it included better workmen than any they had in their service.  I heard that an angry French mob had given some trouble to the people employed on the Thursday night, but that a body of Parisian gendarmerie had dispersed the assemblage.  The Frenchmen continued their sneers against the allies for working in the dark:  fear and shame were the causes assigned.  ’If you take them at all, why not take them in the face of day?  But you are too wise to drag upon yourselves the irresistible popular fury, which such a sight would excite against you!’