h round the theater. It is scarcely necessary to add that at these
balls the _roue_ (profligate) may find an endless variety of pleasant
adventures." On some days during the Carnival, crowds of masked persons,
exhibiting all sorts of antics, appear in the streets, and people assemble
on horseback, in carriages and on foot, to witness the scene.

"The Carnival was prohibited in 1790, and not resumed till Bonaparte was
elected first consul." Great was the joy of the Parisians when the
Carnival was again restored!

The Opera-house referred to in the extract above quoted, is the Academie
Nationals de Musique, or French Opera-house, also sometimes called the new
Opera-house. It is generally admitted to be the finest Opera-house in the
world. The space covered by this magnificent building is 140 metres by
122, (about 470 feet by 410), or nearly four and a half acres. It has
seats for 2,520 spectators. The staircases, walls and ceiling are of the
finest marble. The "house" for the spectators or audience is built
entirely of stone and iron, rich in decorations and thick with gold. The
stage alone is a quarter of an acre in extent, being 128 feet wide by 85
feet long. Below the stage there is a depth of 47 feet, from which the
scenes are drawn up all in one piece. This abyss below the stage was
obtained at an immense cost, as the architect had to lay the foundations
far below a subterranean body of water, but the advantage thus gained
enables them to present scenes that are marvelous. "The singers in this
opera are pupils of the Conservatoire, and the _corps de ballet_ consists
of the most distinguished dancers of the day. Great attention is paid to
costume and general effect." During the matchless performances of a night
that I was present, there were at one time nine large horses and a
procession of several hundred actors upon the stage, and it was far from
being full. One of the most beautiful and astounding performances of the
night was the production of a series of transformations that were as
sudden and as astonishing in their developments as is the metamorphosis of
the gaudy butterfly from the groveling worm. As the curtain rose there
stood upon the stage a mighty fortress, massive and strong. We had seen it
but long enough to observe how thick and how rough from age its
weather-beaten walls were, when there was heard a crash, and the mighty
citadel had fallen out of sight; but there still remained a most
beautiful castle