with his blood, was at this moment covered by skittles,
and groups of stout lads were enjoying themselves in all directions. It
should seem that nothing but youthful sports and pastimes had ever
prevailed there: so insensibly do succeeding occupations wear away all
traces of the past. I paused for half a minute, casting a thoughtful eye
towards the spot. The Abbe Betencourt moralised aloud, and Dom Brial seemed
inwardly to meditate. We now reached the Observatory. The Sub-Principal was
at home, and was overjoyed to receive his venerable visitors. He was a
fellow-townsman of Dom Brial, and we were shewn every thing deserving of
notice. It was nearly night-fall, when, on reaching the Rue Servandoni, I
wished my amiable companions adieu, till we met again.

I have before mentioned the name of M. GAIL. Let me devote a little more
time and attention to him. He is, as you have been also previously told,
the curator of the Greek and Latin MSS. in the Royal Library, and a Greek
Professor in the College Royale. There is no man, at all alive to a
generous and kind feeling, who can deny M. Gail the merit of a frank,
benevolent, and hearty disposition. His Greek and Latin studies, for the
last thirty-five years, have neither given a severe bias to his judgment,
nor repressed the ebullitions of an ardent and active imagination. His
heart is yet all warmth and kindness. His fulfilment of the duties of his
chair has been exemplary and beneficial; and it is impossible for the most
zealous and grateful of her sons, to have the prosperity of the College
Royale more constantly in view, than my friend I.B. Gail has that of the
University of Paris. His labours, as a scholar, have been rather useful
than critical. He has edited _Anacreon_ more than once: and to the
duodecimo edition of 1794, is prefixed a small portrait--medallion-wise--of
the editor; which, from the costume of dress and juvenility of expression,
does not much remind me of the Editor as he now is. M. Gail's great
scholastic work is his Greek, Latin, and French, editions of _Xenophon_ and
_Thucydides_, in twenty-four quarto volumes; but in the execution of this
performance he suffered himself to be rather led astray by the attractions
of the _Bibliomania_. In other words, he chose to indulge in membranaceous
propensities; and nothing would serve M. Gail's turn but he must have a
unique COPY UPON VELLUM! in a quarto form.[159] Twenty four quarto volumes
upon vellum!.. enough to