de by the French in strategy and military manoeuvres,
especially in their musket-ball firing, against which, he says, we
have no chance. Everybody knows that our author is an alarmist, ever
sighing over our want of national defences, and dreaming of invasion
and rapine. At the same time, his details on military affairs are
worth the notice of those to whom the business of military education
is intrusted.

Sir Francis is very much pleased with the Parisian street
_commissionaires_ or porters, and wonders that no such luxury is
general in London. One day he invites the nearest commissionaire to
visit his lodging, and tell him his whole story, which the man gladly
did. Setting off at a great rate, he said:--'Sir, I black boots; I saw
wood; I take it up into the apartments; I carry portmanteaus and
luggage, and whatever offers itself; I carry letters and parcels; I
rub the floors of apartments and stairs; I wash the floors and the
dining-rooms; I change furniture from one house to another with a
handbarrow--carried by two men with leathern straps; I draw a cart
with portmanteaus, wood, or furniture; I beat carpets, take them up
out of the apartments, and carry them to the barrier outside Paris
(yes, sir); I bring them back to the persons to whom they belong; I
lay them down. I know how to arrange a room; I make the beds; I colour
the inlaid floors of the apartments; I watch a sick person through the
night and day (a shrug) for so much a day (a shrug), and for the night
also (a shrug); I agree as to the price with those persons who employ
me, for five francs the night, eight francs for the twenty-four
hours, when they do not feed me; besides, I watch the dead in the
apartment during the twenty-four hours that they remain exposed; in
short (three shrugs), I do whatever is offered to me. I receive
commercial notes for whoever will charge me with the commission, and
who will give me the note to enable me to receive it; I bring back the
money to the person who has intrusted me with the note, and the person
pays me for my commission; I pawn at the Mont de Piete whatever the
public is willing to intrust to me--jewels (a shrug), chains, watches,
gold or silver; I pawn silver spoons and forks, for eating; I pawn
clocks, linen; they take everything in pawn (a shrug) at the Mont de
Piete--furniture, pianos, mattresses, candelabras, lustres: in short,
they take in pawn everything of value; and I bring back the money and
the pawnbroker