of the midnight storm.

Where is now the enthusiastic Gironde, where the volcanic mountain, the
fiery, and eloquent Mirabeau, the wily Brissot, the atheistic Lequinios,
the remorseless Marat, the bloody St. Just, and the chief of the
deplumed and fallen legions of equality? All is desolate and silent. The
gaping planks of the guillotine are imbued with their last traces. The
haunt of the banditti is uncovered. The revolution has preyed upon her
own children, and metaphysical murderers have perished by the daggers of
speculative republicans.

About two years since this place was converted into a menagerie. The
cave, and the wilderness, the desert, and the jungle, presented to the
eye of the beholder, representative successors of those savages who,
with more powers and more ferocity, were once enclosed within the same
den. From the remembrance of such miscreants, I turn, with increased
satisfaction, to the traces of approaching civilization, which mark the
career of the present government, in which the want of suitable
splendour no longer repels the approach and friendship of those nations
which once shuddered at the idea of coming into contact with the
infected rags of visionary fraternity. Some indications of this change I
saw pourtrayed at the levee of Monsieur Talleyrand, the minister of
foreign relations, when I had the honour of being presented to that able
and celebrated politician by Mr. B. The hotel of Talleyrand is very
superb. We entered the court yard through two lines of about twenty
carriages in waiting. Under the portico, were several turks seated, who
formed a part of the suite of the turkish embassador, who had just
arrived, and was then closetted with Monsieur T----.

We passed through several noble apartments, preceded by servants, to a
magnificent levee room, in which we met most of the foreign embassadors
who were then at the consular court.

After waiting some time, the folding doors of the cabinet opened, the
turkish embassy came out, making their grand salams, followed by
Talleyrand, in his rich costume of embroidered scarlet, his hair full
dressed, and a shining sabre by his side.

In his person, he is small and thin, his face is "pale and penetrating."
He always looks obliquely, his small quick eyes and features, very
legibly express mildness, wit, and subtilty. His right leg appears
contracted. His address is insinuating. As the spirit of aggrandizement,
which is said to have actuated the