ry, and
particularly upon languages, both ancient and modern, Oriental and
European. In a court opposite the college is a very curious square tower
of the 12th century, called la Tour Bichat, or la Tour de St.
Jean-de-Latran; it is all that is remaining of the Hall of Knights
Hospitaliers, established in 1171, afterwards called Chevaliers de
Malte.

The remains of a chapel of very ancient date will be found in the
adjoining Cour de la Vacherie, in the far corner to the right, now
occupied as a charcoal depot. We will next proceed to the rue de la
Montagne St. Genevieve, and view the Polytechnic School, formerly the
College de Navarre, and where still remain a hall and chapel of the 14th
century; a new facade much less interesting has been recently added, and
the establishment is altogether badly situated. There are many
emblematical bas-reliefs which possess no extraordinary merit. But the
institution itself is one that deserves the highest encomiums, the young
men are received at from 17 to 20, after they have passed the ordeal of
a very severe examination in Paris or their respective departments. They
are instructed in every branch of education connected with military
science, and are afterwards admissible in the engineers, artillery,
pontooners, miners, inspectors of highways, public works, etc; they pay
1,000 francs a year, find their own uniforms, and whatever may be
requisite for their studies; they remain two or three years, as
circumstances may demand. Strangers wishing to view this establishment
must have a permission from the Minister of War.

The Rue des Carmes has an interesting appearance as containing some of
the old colleges, now otherwise appropriated. One was the College de
Lisieux; the buildings remain with a curious chapel, which fronts the
Marche des Carmes, but its entrance is at No. 5, Rue St.
Jean-de-Beauvais. In the Market there is a fountain in the middle built
in 1818; this Market is now designated la Place Maubert, and occupies
the site of the Convent des Carmes. Mounting a few steps in the Rue St.
Victor, we arrive at the church of St. Nicholas-du-Chardonnet; the body
of the building was completed in 1709, but the lower is of the 16th
century. The general effect of the interior is fine, but the paintings
in different chapels, on either side, are highly interesting; some of
them are extremely good, of the schools of Lesueur, Moise Valentin, and
Mignard, the ceiling of the chapel of St. Charl