rty is a
thing unheard of, and the only gaieties have been English parties to
which some few French come when they are invited. The only gentlemen's
carriages I have seen in the streets are English, and as to French
gentlemen or ladies, according to the most diligent enquiries by eyes
and tongue, the race has almost disappeared....

If you admire Buonaparte and despise the Bourbons in Cheshire, what
would you in Paris? where the regular answer to everything you admire is
that it was done by Buonaparte--to everything that you object to, that
it is by order of the Bourbons. In the Library of the Hopital des
Invalides to-day, collected by order of Buonaparte for the use of the
soldiers, there was a man pulling down all the books and stamping over
the N's and eagles on the title-page with blue ink, which, if it did not
make a plain L, at least blotted out the N; but I should apprehend that
every one who saw the blot would think more of the vain endeavour of
Louis to take his place than if the N had been left.

...I have told you nothing about Valenciennes and how we breakfasted
with two odd characters to come together in one, an Astronomer and a
Soldier, viz., Sir Thomas Brisbane, who enlivens his quarters wherever
he goes by erecting an observatory immediately, and studying hard as any
Cambridge mathematician every hour that he is not on military duty. His
officers seem to have partaken in some degree of the spirit of their
General, and to have made use of their position at Valenciennes to make
themselves perfectly acquainted with all Marlborough's campaign, and
they appeared to have as much interest in tracing all his sieges and
breaches and batteries as their General in making his observations on
the sun and the stars.... The Scovells were delighted to see us at
Cambray; put us into Sir Lowry Cole's quarters, where we had a house and
gardens all to ourselves. Lord Wellington had been at Cambray a
fortnight before, and was all affability, good humour, and gaiety....
Sir Geo. Scovell gave many interesting details of his coolness,
quickness, decision, and undaunted spirit.

_Edward Stanley to Bella Stanley._

PARIS, _July 9, 1816_.

It is absolutely necessary that a word or two should be said upon the
palace at Compiegne, which was fitted up about seven years ago by
Napoleon for Marie Louise. Having seen most of his Imperial abodes, I am
inclined to give the preference, as far as internal decoration extends,
to Comp