!" CHAPELET, vol.
iv. p. 200. My translator shall here have the full benefit of his own
bombastical nonsense.]

_LETTER XI._

NOTICE OF M. WILLEMIN'S MONUMENS FRANCAIS INEDITS. MISCELLANEOUS
ANTIQUITIES. PRESENT STATE OF THE FINE ARTS. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS UPON THE
NATIONAL CHARACTER.

_July 8, 1818_.

I rejoice that it is in my power once more--and certainly for the last
time, from hence--to address you upon a few subjects, which, from your
earlier replies to my Paris letters, you seem to think that I have lost
sight of. These subjects, relate chiefly to ANTIQUITIES. Be assured that I
have never, for one moment, been indifferent to them; but in the vast
bibliographical field which the public libraries of this place held out for
my perambulation, it was impossible, in the first instance, not to take
advantage of the curious, and probably useful information, to be derived
from thence.

I must begin therefore by telling you that I had often heard of the
unassuming and assiduous author of the _Monumens Francais Inedits_, and was
resolved to pay him a visit. I found him in the _Rue Babile_ towards the
eastern end of the Rue St. Honore, living on the third floor. Several young
females were in the ante-room, colouring the plates of that work; which are
chiefly in outline and in aqua-tint. Each livraison contains six plates, at
twelve francs the livraison. The form is folio, and about twenty-eight
numbers are printed.[191] There is something in them of every thing:
furniture, dresses, houses, castles, churches, stained glass, paintings,
and sculpture. Illuminated MSS. are as freely laid under contribution as
are the outsides and insides of buildings, of whatsoever description.
Indeed I hardly ever visited the Public Library without finding M. Willemin
busied, with his pencil and tracing paper, with some ancient illuminated
MS. The style of art in the publication here noticed, is, upon the whole,
feeble; but as the price of the work is moderate, no purchaser can
reasonably complain. The variety and quantity of the embellishments will
always render M. Willemin's work an acceptable inmate in every well-chosen
library. I recommend it to you strongly; premising, that the author
professedly discards all pretension to profound or very critical
antiquarian learning.

For himself, M. Willemin is among the most enthusiastic, but most modest,
of his antiquarian brethren. He has seen better days. His abode and manne