sime
parole_. The French recitative however does not please me. The serious
opera is an exotic and does not seem to thrive on the soil of France. The
language does not possess sufficient intonation to give effect to the
recitative.

On the contrary, the comic operas are excellent; and here the national
music and singing appear to great advantage. It never degenerates to the
grotesque or absurd _buffo_ of the Italians, but is always exquisitely
graceful, simple, touching and natural.

Among the ballets, I have seen perhaps three of the best, viz., _Achille a
Scyros, Flore et Zephire_ and _La folle par amour_. In the ballet of Flore
and Zephire, the dancers who did these two parts appeared more aerian than
earthly. To use a phrase of Burke's, I never beheld so _beautiful a vision.
Nina_, or _la folle par amour_, is a ballet from private life. The title
sufficiently explains its purport; it is exquisitely touching and pathetic.
O what a divine creature is Bigottini! what symmetry of form! what innate
grace, what a captivating expression of countenance; and then the manner in
which she did the mad scenes and her return to reason! Oh! I was moved even
to tears. Never had any performance such an effect upon me. What a
magnificent _tout ensemble_ is the Grand Opera at Paris! Whenever I feel
chagrined or melancholy I shall come here; I feel as if I were in a new
world; the fiction appears reality; my senses are ravished, and I forget
all my cares.

I have very little pleasure in visiting royal Palaces, unless they have
been the residence of some transcendent, person like Napoleon or Frederick
II of Prussia, as the sight of splendid furniture and royal pomp affords me
no gratification; and I would rather visit Washington's or Lafayette's
farms in company with these distinguished men than dine with all the
monarchs of Europe. After a hasty glance at the furniture of the Tuileries,
what fixed my attention for a considerable time was "La Salle des
Marechaux," where are the portraits of all the modern French Marshalls.
They are all full length portraits and are striking resemblances; some are
in the Marshall's undress uniform and others in the full court costume
which is very elegant, being the costume of the time of Francis I with the
Spanish hat and plumes. I did not observe Ney's or Soult's portraits among
them.

In front of the great square of the Tuileries where the troops exercise,
stands the Arch of Triumph erected by Nap