the Guido and the portrait of Madame de la Vali`ere
as a Magdalen; the Val de Grace, for a moment; the
treasure at Notre Dame; the Sainte Chapelle, where
in the ante-chapel are two very large enamelled portraits;
the tomb of Cond`e at the Great Jesuits in the Rue
St. Antoine, if not shut up; and the little church
of St. Louis in the Louvre, where is a fine tomb of
Cardinal Fleury, but large enough to stand on Salisbury-plain.
One thing some of u must remember, as you return;
nay, it is better to go soon to St. Denis, and Madame
du Deffand must get you a particular order to be shown
(which is never shown without) the effigies of the
Kings.(142) They are in presses over the treasure
which is shown, and where is the glorious antique
cameo-cup; but the countenance of Charles
ix.
is so horrid and remarkable, you would think he had
died on the morrow of the St. Barthelemi, and waked
full of the recollection. If you love enamels
and exquisite medals, get to see the collection of
a Monsieur d’Henery, who lives in the corner
of the street where Sir John Lambert lives—I
forget its name. There is an old man behind
the Rue de Colombier, who has a great but bad collection
of old French portraits; I delighted in them, but
perhaps you would not. I, you may be sure, hunted
out every thing of that sort. The convent and
collection of St. Germain, I mean that over against
the H`otel du Parc Royal, is well worth seeing—but
I forget names strangely—Oh! delightful!—Lord
Cholmondeley sends me word he goes to Paris on Monday:
I shall send this and my other letter by him.
It was him I meant; I knew he was going and had prepared
it.
Pray take care to lock up your papers in a strong
box that nobody can open. They imagine you are
at Paris on some commission, and there is no trusting
French hotels or servants. America is in a desperate
situation, The accounts from the Congress are not
expected before the 10th, and expected very warm.
I have not time to tell you some manoeuvres against
them that will make your blood curdle. Write
to me when you can by private hands, as I will to
you. There are always English passing backwards
and forwards.
(140) Where Madame de S`evign`e resided.
(141) He means from their extreme bad taste.
(142) The abbey of St. Denis was shorn of its glories
during the Revolution. On the 16th of October
1793, the coffin of Louis xv. was taken out of
the vaults; and, after a stormy debate, it was decided
to throw the remains of all the kings, even those
of Henry iv. and Louis XIV. which were yet to
a great degree preserved entire, into a pit, to melt
down their leaden coffins on the spot, and to take
away and cast into bullets whatever lead remained
in the church; not even excepting the roof.-E.
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