elebrated many extraordinary epochs in the history of France;
the sloping embankments on each side were formed by the people of Paris;
as many as 60,000 persons of both sexes kept working at them until they
were finished, when the fete de la Federation took place on the 14th
July, 1790. It was also the scene of several other public
demonstrations, and in 1837, on the 14th of June, during the rejoicings
for the celebration of the marriage of the Duke of Orleans, 24 persons
lost their lives by being either suffocated or trodden to death in
passing through the gates. The Paris races are held here in May and
September, as also the military reviews, inspections, manoeuvres, etc.
Proceeding by an avenue from the north-cast corner of the Champ-de-Mars
we arrive at the Hotel des Invalides, which is certainly the grandest
monument that exists of the reign of Louis XIV. It is a most delightful
asylum for crippled or worn-out old soldiers, it was built after the
designs of Bruant, begun in 1671, and completed in 1700. The facade
towards the Seine, though heavy, is grand and imposing, adorned by the
statue of Louis the XIV, and colossal figures of Mars, Minerva, Justice
and Prudence, in bas-relief, and at the sides by emblematical
representations of the four nations conquered by the founder.

The first court has the most pleasing appearance, the arcades render it
light and elegant, and although ornamented with figures, arms, horses,
and trophies, they are not exuberant, and its simplicity is not
deteriorated. The church is a most magnificent structure, presenting an
extraordinary mixture of military and religious decorations. The dome,
which has an effect truly noble, is adorned by paintings of the twelve
Apostles by Jouvenet, surmounted by a glory from the pencil of Lafosse,
with a beautiful tesselated pavement beneath; there are some other good
paintings, but many very bad. The gilding, although extremely gorgeous,
harmonises well with the varied colouring which prevails throughout this
beautiful edifice, and has not a gaudy appearance. There are monuments
of several of the governors of the hospital; numbers of portraits, and
banners taken from different countries, which amounted to as many as
3,000, but on the evening prior to the allies entering Paris, Joseph
Bonaparte ordered them to be burnt. To give any thing like a
comprehensive idea of this wonderful building, would require many pages,
there is such an immense number of int