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seeing the duke of Wellington at the opera, the first time that he appeared in public at Paris. He was received with loud applause, and the modesty of his demeanour, while it accorded with the impressions of his character, derived from his whole conduct, and the style of his public writings, sufficiently showed, that his time had been spent more in camps than in courts. We have often heard Russian and Prussian officers say, he is the hero of the war:-we have conquered the French by main force, but his triumphs are the result of superior skill.'

We were much struck by the courteous and dignified manners of old Count Platoff. Even at that time, before he had experienced British hospitality, he professed high admiration for the British character.-His countenance appeared to us expressive of considerable humour, and he addressed a few words to almost every Cossack of the guard whom he met in passing through the court of the Elysée Bourbon, which were always answered by a hearty laugh.' The other Russian commanders, whom we heard highly spoken of by the Russian officers whom we met, were, the Marshal commanding, Barclay de Tolly, in whose countenance we thought we could trace the indications of his Scotch origin;he is an old man, and was commonly represented as, "dent, tres savant dans la guerre." 66 sage, pruyounger, and is designated as "ardent, impetueux, entreprenant," Witgenstein, who is much &c. Benigsen, who is an old man, but very active, and represented to be as fond of fighting as Blucher himself.-Count Langeron, and Baron Sacken, the commanders of corps in the Silesian army. The former is a French emigrant, but has been long in the Russian service, and highly distinguished himself. The latter is an old man, but very spirited, and highly esteemed for his honourable character: in his capacity of Governor of Paris, he gave very general satisfaction.-Woronzoff, who, as is well known, was educated in England, and who distinguished himself at Borodino, and in the army of the north of Germany, and afterwards in France under Blucher-Winzingerode, one of the best cavalry officers, formerly in the Austrian service-Czernicheff, the famous partisan, a gallant gay young man, whose characteristic activity is strongly marked in his countenance-Diebzitch, a young staff officer of the first promise-Lambert (of French extraction) and Yermoloff: this last officer commanded the guards when we were at Paris, and was represented as a man of excellent abilities, and of a most determined character.'

We have formerly taken occasion to mention (M. R. vol. lxviii. p. 236.) the gross neglect prevalent, until late years, in the medical department of the Russian army: but we are happy to add that the case is now materially altered; the care of the British physicians in that service, particularly sir James Wyllie and Dr. Crichton, seconded by the acquiescing habits of the Russians, having rendered their army-hospitals

deserving of imitation by all their continental neighbours. The consequence was that, in the Russian campaign of 1813, when change of climate, length of marches, and scarcity of provisions, all concurred to engender sickness, the French were much greater sufferers than the soldiers of the north; and nothing could equal the surprise of the Parisians on seeing the allies march into Paris in immense columns, on the 31st of March 1814, after Bonaparte had repeatedly stated that they were reduced to a mere wreck. The British, though not present at this time, were by no means overlooked in the conversations of the French capital.

It is doing no more than justice to the French officers, even such as were decidedly Imperialist, who conversed with us at Paris, and in different parts of the country, to acknowledge that they uniformly spoke in the highest terms of the conduct of the English troops. The expression which they very commonly used, in speaking of the manner in which the English carried on the war in Spain, and in France, was, 66 loyaute." "Les Russes, et les Prussiens," they said, "sont grands et beaux hommes, mais ils n'ont pas le cœur ou la loyauté des Anglais. Les Anglais sont la nation du monde qui font la guerre avec la plus de loyauté." &c. This referred partly to their valour in the field, and partly to their humane treatment of prisoners and wounded; and partly also to their honourable conduct in France, where they preserved the strictest discipline, and paid for every thing they took. Of the behaviour of the English army in France, they always spoke as excellent:-" digne de leur civilisation."

A French officer who introduced himself to us one night in a box at the opera, expressing his high respect for the English, against whom, he said, he had the honour to fight for six years in Spain, described the steadiness and determination of the English infantry in attacking the heights, on which the French army was posted at Salamanca, in terms of enthusiastic admiration. Another, who had been in the battle of Thoulouse, extolled the conduct of the Highland regiments in words highly expressive of "The stern joy which warriors feel,

In foemen worthy of their steel."

"Il y a quelques régimens des Ecossais sans culottes," said he, "dans l'armée de Wellington, qui se battent joliment." He then described the conduct of one regiment in particular, (probably the 42d or 79th,) who attacked a redoubt defended with cannon, and marched up to it in perfect order, never taking the muskets from their shoulders, till they were on the parapet: “ Si tranquillement, sacre Dieu! c'étoit superbe "

แ

Of the military talents of the Duke of Wellington they spoke also with much respect, though generally with strong indications of jealousy. They were often very ingenious in deriving means of explaining his victories, without compromising, as they called it,

the honour of the French arms. At Salamanca, they said, that in consequence of the wounds of Marmont and other generals, their army was two hours without a commander. At Vittoria again, it was commanded by Jourdan, and any body could beat Jourdan. At Talavera, he committed" les plus grandes sottises du monde; il a fait une contre-marche digne d'un bête." Some of the Duke of Wellington's victories over Soult they stoutly denied, and others they ascribed to great superiority of numbers, and to the large drafts of Soult's best troops for the purpose of forming skeleton battalions to receive the conscripts of 1813.'

Having appropriated a portion of the first volume to the public buildings and ornamental collections of Paris, the writer proceeds to discuss the merits of the French character and manners. Severe at first, he seems to become gradually more indulgent as he prolongs his stay in Paris, and as he discovers that the want of any particular virtue does not necessarily imply the absence of the rest.

'An Englishman is apt to pronounce every man a scoundrel, who, in making a bargain, attempts to take him in; but he will often find, on a closer and more impartial examination, that the judgment formed by this circumstance alone, in France, is quite erroneous. One of our party entered a small shop in the Palais Royal to buy a travelling cap. The woman who attended in it,

with perfect effrontery, asked 16 francs for one which was certainly not worth more than six, and which she at last gave him for seven. Being in a hurry at the time, he inadvertently left on the counter a purse, containing 20 gold pieces of 20 francs each. He did not miss it for more than an hour; on returning to the shop, he found the old lady gone, and concluded at first, that she had absented herself to avoid interrogation; but to his surprise, he was accosted immediately on entering, by a pretty young girl, who had come in her place, with the sweetest smile imaginable,— "Monsieur a oublié sa bourse-que nous sommes heureuses de la lui rendre."—

'But what distinguishes the French from almost every other nation, is the general diffusion of the taste for the fine arts, and for elegant amusements, among all ranks of the people. Almost all Frenchmen take not only a pride but an interest in the public buildings of Paris, and in the collections of painting and statues. There is a very general liking for poetry and works of imagination among the middling and lower ranks: they go to the theatres not merely for relaxation and amusement, but with a serious intention of cultivating their taste, and displaying their critical powers. Many of them are so much in the habit of attending the theatres when favourite plays are acted, that they know almost every word of the principal scenes by heart. All their favourite amusements are in some measure of a refined kind. It is not in drinking-clubs, or in sensual gratifications alone, that men of these ranks seek for

relaxation as is too often the case with us; but it is in the society of women, in conversation, in music and dancing, in theatres and operas, and caffés and promenades, in seeing and being seen; in short, in scenes resembling, as nearly as possible, those in which the higher ranks of all nations spend their leisure hours.

'While the useful arts are comparatively little advanced, those which relate to ornaments alone are very generally superior to ours; and the persons who profess these arts speak of them with a degree of fervour that often seems ludicrous. "Monsieur," says a perruquier in the Palais Royal, with the look of a man who lets you into a profound secret in science, “Notre art est un art imitatif; en effect, c'est un des beaux arts;" then taking up a London made wig, and twirling it round on his finger, with a look of ineffable contempt," Celui ci ne'st pas la belle nature; mais voici la mienne, -c'est la nature personifiée!” ’—

The last peculiarity in the French character, which we shall notice, is perhaps the most fundamental of the whole; it is their love of mixed society; of the society of those for whom they have no regard, but whom they meet on the footing of common acquaintances. This is the favourite enjoyment of almost every Frenchman: to shine in such society is the main object of his ambition: his whole life is regulated so as to gratify this desire. He is indifferent about comforts at home-he dislikes domestic society-he hates the retirement of the country; but he loves, and is taught to love, to figure in a large circle of acquaintance, for whom he has not the least heartfelt friendship, but with whom he is on the same terms as with perfect strangers, after the first half hour. If he has acquired a reputation in science, arts, or arms, so much the better, his glory will be of much service to him; if not, he must make it up by his conversation.'

"Of the devotion of the French to the sort of life to which we refer the best possible proof is, their fondness for a town life; the small number of chateaux in the country that are inhabited—and the still more remarkable scarcity of villas in the neighbourhood of Paris to which men of buisiness may retire. There are a few houses of this description about Belleville and near Malmaison; but, in general, you pass from the noisy and dirty Fauxbourgs at once into the solitude of the country; and it is quite obvious, that you have left behind you all the scenes in which the Parisians find enjoyment.'

In proceeding from Paris to Flanders in the direction of Champagne, the travellers came to Laon and Craone, where they had an opportunity of observing the scenes of Blucher's successful resistance to Bonaparte. Passing onwards, then, on the road to St. Quintin, they were much gratified by the appearance of a delightful valley and a great chateau, exempt from all those signs of neglect and ruin which so frequently

bore evidence of the ravages of the revolution. They found that the proprietor, the chevalier Brancas, had constantly acted an humane and moderate part towards his tenants; who, in return, instead of rising up against him and compelling him to emigrate, proved a rampart of salety to him during the horrors of that crisis. How much would the noblesse at large have consulted their interest by ollowing! the example of this benevolent character, instead of extorting the last farthing from their vassals, to be squandered in the thoughtless prodigality of the metropolis!

At the distance of three miles from the town of Cambray, the road crosses the frontiers of French Flanders. We had long been looking for this transition, to discover if it still exhibited the striking change described by Arthur Young, 'between the effects of the despotism of old France, which depressed agriculture, and the free spirit of the Burgundian provinces, which cherished and protected it.' No sooner had we crossed the old line of demarcation between the French and Flemish provinces, than we were immediately struck with the difference, both in the aspect of the country, the mode of cultivation, and the condition of the people. The features of the landscape assume a totally different aspect; the straight roads, the clipt elms, the boundless plains of France, are no longer to be seen; and in their place succeed a thickly wooded soil and cultivated country. The number of villages is infinitely increased; the village spires rise above the woods in every direction, to mark the antiquity and the extent of the population: the houses of the peasants are detached from each other, and surrounded with fruit-trees, or gardens kept in the neatest order, and all the features of the landscape indicate the long established prosperity by which the country has been distinguished.'

But it is principally in the condition, manners, and comfort of the people that the difference between the French and Flemish provinces consists. Every thing connected with the lower orders indicates the influence of long established prosperity, and the prevalence of habits produced by the uninterrupted enjoyment of individual opulence. The population of Flanders, both French and Austrian, is perfectly astonishing; the villages form an almost uninterrupted line through the country; the small towns are as numerous as villages in other parts of the world, and seem to contain an extensive and comfortable population. These small towns are particularly remarkable for the number and opulence of the middling classes, resembling in this as well as other respects the flourishing boroughs of Yorkshire and Kent, and affording a most striking contrast to those of a very opposite description, which we had recently passed through in France.

The cottages of the peasantry, both in the villages and the open country, are, in the highest degree, neat, clean, and com