which, upon all occasions, seems destined to
perform the last offices to the departing monuments of human ingenuity,
has here exercised its gloomy function. Whilst we were roving about, we
were obliged to take refuge from a thunder storm, in what appeared to us
a mere barn; upon our entering it, we found it to be an elegant little
ball room, much disfigured, and greened over by damp and neglect. In
other parts of this _petit Paradis_, are caves of artificial rock, which
have been formed at an immense expense, in which were formerly beds of
moss, and through which clear streams of water glided, Belvidere
temples, and scattered cottages, each differing from its neighbour in
character, but all according in taste and beauty. The opera house, which
stands alone, is a miniature of the splendid one in the palace of
Versailles.

The sylvan ball room, is an oblong square, lined with beautiful
treillages, surmounted with vases of flowers. The top is open. When the
queen gave her balls here, the ground was covered by a temporary
flooring, and the whole was brilliantly lighted. As we passed by the
palace, we saw, in the queen's little library, several persons walking.

Could the enchanting beauty of Austria, and the once incensed idol of
the gay, and the gallant, arise from her untimely tomb, and behold her
most sacred recesses of delight, thus rudely exposed, and converted into
scenes of low, and holiday festivity, the temples which she designed,
defaced, their statues overthrown, her walks overgrown and entangled,
the clear mirror of the winding lake, upon the placid surface of which
once shone the reflected form of the Belvidere, and the retreats of
elegant taste covered with the reedy greenness of the standing pool, and
all the _fairy fabric_ of her graceful fancy, thus dissolving in decay;
the devoted hapless Marie would add another sigh to the many which her
aching heart has already heaved!

It would be a very desirable thing if Bonaparte would make this his
country palace instead of St. Cloud. Upon our return, as we approached
Paris, the illuminated bridges of the Seine looked very beautiful, and
we were much pleased with some fireworks, which had a singular effect
upon the water.

In the evening, we had some music at Monsieur S----'s, where we were
joined by general Marescot, a brave and distinguished officer, much
esteemed by Bonaparte. He informed us that he was on the point of
setting out to view and report the cond