aid upon a cloth stretched upon a marble slab, and the
wood behind is shaved off until nothing but the picture, like a flat
cake, or rather a sheet of goldbeater's skin, remains, a piece of canvas
coated with a cement is then placed upon it, to which it adheres, and
presents all the appearance of having been originally painted upon it.
The pictures from the subject of St. Bruno, were then undergoing this
operation.

The apartments in which these people were at work, presented very
convincing indications of the mutability of human ambition.

This palace was allotted to the celebrated Council of Five Hundred.
During their ephemeral reign, these very rooms were designed for their
halls of audience, and levees, the rich mouldings, and cornices of which
were half gilt, and covered with silver paper to preserve them: the poor
council were never indulged in a house warming.

The pictures, which were collected by Henry IV, and deposited in the
gallery there, which bears his name, are said to be valuable. I did not
see them, on account of their having been removed into store rooms
during the repairs of the palace.

It was late when I left the Luxembourg, and somewhat exhausted for want
of refreshment, I determined upon dining at the first restaurateur's
which I could meet with, instead of going to the Gardens of the
Thuilleries. To find such an accommodation in Paris, is no difficult
thing. A stranger would naturally suppose, from the frequency with which
the words caffe, limonade, and restaurateur present themselves to the
eye, that three parts of the inhabitants had turned their talents to the
valuable study of relieving the cravings of an empty stomach.

I had not moved three yards down the Rue de Tournon, before, on my left,
I saw the welcome board which, in large golden characters, announced the
very best entertainment within. At this moment, the celebrated picture
of the banquet in the Louvre, could scarcely have afforded me more
delight. I had an excellent dinner, wine, and fruit for four livres. In
the course of my repast, I begged that a knife, might be permitted to
aid the services of a three pronged silver fork, which graced my plate
on the left. After rather a laborious search, my wishes were gratified
by an instrument, which certainly was entitled to the name of one, but
was assuredly not the handsomest of its species. Whether there had been
any dispute between the handle, and the blade, I know not, but there
w