an union of grace and strength. During
my stay in Paris, I frequently visited this distinguished statue, and
discovered fresh subjects of amazement, and admiration as often as I
gazed upon it. One of its remarkable beauties, is its exquisite
expression of motion. Its aerial appearance perpetually excites the idea
of its being unstationary, and unsupported. As it would be a rash, and
vain attempt to give a complete description of this matchless image, I
must, reluctantly, leave it, to inform my reader, that on the other side
of the Hall are the original Diana (which is wonderfully fine) and
several very beautiful Venuses. The Venus de Medicis is not here. There
are also some fine whole length statues of roman magistrates, in their
curule chairs.

In the Temple of the Muses, are exquisite busts of Homer and Socrates.
Pliny informs us that the ancient world possessed no original bust of
the former. That of the latter seems to have been chisseled to represent
the celebrated athenian before he had obtained his philosophical triumph
over those vices, which a distinguished physiognomist of his time once
imputed to him from the character of his features.

CHAPTER XII.

_Bonaparte.--Artillery.--Mr. Pitt--Newspapers.--Archbishop of
Paris.--Consular Colours.--Religion.--Consular Conversion.--Madame
Bonaparte.--Consular Modesty.--Separate Beds.--A Country
Scene.--Connubial Affection.--Female Bravery._

A little anecdote is related of Bonaparte, which unfolded the bold, and
daring character of this extraordinary man in early life: when he was
about fifteen years of age, and a cadet in the military school at
Paris--by the by, the small distance between this seminary and his
present palace, and the swiftness of his elevation, afford a curious
coincidence--in the vast plain of the Champ de Mars, the court, and the
parisians were assembled to witness the ascent of a balloon. Bonaparte
made his way through the crowd, and unperceived, entered the inner
fence, which contained the apparatus for inflating the silken globe. It
was then very nearly filled, and restrained from its flight by the last
cord only. The young cadet requested the aeronaut to permit him to mount
the car with him; which request was immediately refused, from an
apprehension that the feelings of the boy might embarrass the
experiment. Bonaparte is reported to have exclaimed, "I am young, it is
true, but I neither fear the powers of earth,