ready to own, that the train of reflection suggested by a small picture of Galileo in prison, left a deeper impression on my mind than the merits of the most splendid paintings in the collection. He is represented in prison, contemplating a diagram of his solar system, which appears wholly to engross his thoughts, as if satisfying himself whether there really could exist the possibility of a doubt that he might be wrong. What a lesson his fate presents against intolerance, and the infinite absurdity of all persecution on account of opinion! The infallible wisdom of popery had pronounced that the sun should not stand still without permission from the Vatican; and so poor Galileo must irredeemably have rotted in his dungeon, had he not, after nineteen years' confinement, at the age of seventy, asked pardon for telling the truth, as the price of his enlargement.

13th.-Jardin des Plantes. To my great disappointment, the Museum of Natural History was the only thing accessible to-day, and truly it is well worth a day to itself. A year could not see, nor volumes describe it as

most clamorously for food, although they get three very sufficient meals a-day; but it sometimes happens that one boy seizes on another's share. The air in some of the passages and cells was very impure, and the passages generally dark. This is one of those prisons denominated a Depôt de Prévention, where prisoners are detained only until their trial. There is a saloon appropriated to the care of the sick, which is daily visited by a physician and surgeon, without any charge to the patient. They are likewise all regularly visited by the clergy; and those who are able are made to attend chapel. Much care is bestowed on the education of the boys, who pass a certain portion of every day in the school-room, under the direction of masters appointed to instruct them in the first principles of religion and elementary parts of education. These boys sleep alone in separate cells, which are locked up punctually every night, that there may be no personal communication.

The prison de la Petite Force is for women of the town exclusively, and generally numbers

from four to five hundred; the admissions annually about 3,000. It is only the refractory who are confined here, or such as have been detected committing a breach of the peace. It often happens that the same individual is discharged and admitted a great number of times. One was pointed out to me by the matron, who had been dismissed and received again not less than on seventy different occasions! Such as are able are put to hard labour, the proceeds of which go towards defraying the expenses of their keep. The hours of work and recreation are strictly regulated; and they are required every day to take exercise in the quadrangle of the prison,—a space, I should guess, not above forty or fifty feet The interior of this prison is very square. close and noisome, owing to the fumes which escape from the stoves, as well as the exhalations incident to crowding. The services of a chaplain are unremittingly bestowed, to try and reclaim these unhappy women from the evil of their ways: but it is a sad consideration, that there are few, very few, in fact hardly any

conversions; which may be as much or more owing to the difficulty of the penitent finding employment, as to any love of vice.

Every possible care is paid to their health, and when restored they are once more enlarged, with liberty to follow their wretched occupation: so that in fact this prison deserves rather to be considered an asylum, and must tend more to encourage than to prevent depravity. However this may be, these women are never allowed to mix with, or to offend the sight of the respectable part of their sex,-there being the strictest regulations of police to prohibit their appearance in the public street.

Before leaving the prison I offered some money to the door-keeper, who had very civilly conducted me over it; but he refused my boon, in a manner to make me feel as if the offer, instead of a favour, had been actually an insult. Ye door-keepers of St. Stephens and Westminster, what would ye have done?

Of all the parties I have been at since I came, by much the most splendid was that of Monsieur Lafitte's. The company were chiefly

French, though there was no lack of English. I was fortunate enough to arrive the very first, even before the lamps were lit, and had the pleasure to enjoy half an hour of very delightful conversation with the hospitable host and hostess, who are among the most agreeable people I have yet met with. Of the spaciousness and splendour of the mansion it is difficult to give any just idea. It occupies the corner of a very considerable portion of two streets, in one of which the carriages enter, and in the other take up. Among his paintings there is an original by David, that particularly struck me: it represents the ever-memorable exploit at the bridge of Lodi, where Napoleon is in the act of animating his brave followers to cross, while they fall in thousands about him, in the midst of a tremendous fire from a battery in front, that envelops the whole scene in smoke, and through which the only light that penetrates is the flash of the "red artillery." Napoleon is represented on foot, holding the tattered colours in one hand, and straining every nerve to keep up the spirit of his companions.