A ride in an omnibus down the Boulevards, and away up the Champs Elysees, brought me to the Arc de Triomphe; and after ascending a flight of one hundred and sixty-one steps, I was overlooking the city of statuary.  This stupendous monument was commenced by Napoleon in 1806; and in 1811 it had only reached the cornice of the base, where it stopped, and it was left for Louis Philippe to finish.  The first stone of this monument was laid on the 15th of August, 1806, the birth-day of the man whose battles it was intended to commemorate.  A model of the arch was erected for Napoleon to pass through as he was entering the city with Maria Louisa, after their marriage.  The inscriptions on the monument are many, and the different scenes here represented are all of the most exquisite workmanship.  The genius of War is summoning the obedient nations to battle.  Victory is here crowning Napoleon after his great success in 1810.  Fame stands here recording the exploits of the warrior, while conquered cities lie beneath the whole.  But it would take more time than I have at command to give anything like a description of this magnificent piece of architecture.

That which seems to take most with Peace Friends, is the portion representing an old man taming a bull for agricultural labour; while a young warrior is sheathing his sword, a mother and children sitting at his feet, and Minerva crowned with laurels, stands shedding her protecting influence over them.  The erection of this regal monument is wonderful, to hand down to posterity the triumphs of the man whom we first hear of as a student in the military school at Brienne, whom in 1784 we see in the Ecole Militaire, founded by Louis XV. in 1751; whom again we find at No. 5, Quai de Court, near Rue de Mail; and in 1794 as a lodger at No. 19, Rue de la Michandere.  From this he goes to the Hotel Mirabeau, Rue du Dauphin, where he resided when he defeated his enemies on the 13th Vendimaire.  The Hotel de la Colonade, Rue Neuve des Capuchins is his next residence, and where he was married to Josephine.  From this hotel he removed to his wife’s dwelling in the Rue Chanteriene, No. 52.  In 1796 the young general started for Italy, where his conquests paved the way for the ever memorable 18th Brumaire, that made him dictator of France.  Napoleon was too great now to be satisfied with private dwellings, and we next trace him to the Elysee, St. Cloud, Versailles, the Tuileries, Fontainbleau, and finally, came his decline, which I need not relate to you.

After visiting the Gobelins, passing through its many rooms, seeing here and there a half-finished piece of tapestry; and meeting a number of the members of the late Peace Congress, who, like myself had remained behind to see more of the beauties of the French capital than could be overtaken during the Convention week.  I accepted an invitation to dine with a German gentleman at the Palais Royal, and was soon revelling amid the luxuries of the table.  I was glad that I had gone