rable impression of the
mildness of that government, which could inspire sufficient confidence
to hazard such a stroke of pleasantry. It reached Mal Maison with great
speed, but is said to have occasioned no other sensation there, than a
little merriment. Carnot's bold negative was a little talked of, but as
it was solitary, it was considered harmless. To the love of finery which
the french still retain to a certain degree, I could alone attribute the
gay appearance of the eggs in the market, upon which had been bestowed a
very smart stain of lilac colour. The effect was so singular that I
could not help noting it down.

On the third day after our arrival in this city, we attended the trial
of a man who belonged to one of the banditti which infest the country
round this city. The court was held in the hall of the ancient
parliament house, and was composed of three civil judges (one of whom
presided) three military judges, and two citizens. The arrangements of
the court, which was crowded, were excellent, and afforded uninterrupted
accommodations to all its members, by separate doors and passages
allotted to each, and also to the people, who were permitted to occupy
the large area in front, which gradually rose from the last seats of the
persons belonging to the court, and enabled every spectator to have a
perfect view of the whole. Appropriate moral mottoes were inscribed in
characters of gold, upon the walls. The judges wore long laced bands,
and robes of black, lined with light blue silk, with scarfs of blue and
silver fringe, and sat upon an elevated semicircular bench, raised upon
a flight of steps, placed in a large alcove, lined with tapestry. The
secretaries, and subordinate officers were seated below them. On the
left the prisoner was placed, without irons, in the custody of two
gendarmes, formerly called marechaussees, who had their long swords
drawn. These soldiers have a very military appearance, and are a fine,
and valuable body of men. I fear the respectable impression which I
would wish to convey of them will suffer, when I inform my reader, that
they are servants of the police, and answer to our Bow-street runners.
The swiftness with which they pursue, and apprehend offenders, is
surprising. We were received with politeness, and conducted to a
convenient place for hearing, and seeing all that passed. The accusateur
general who sat on the left, wore a costume similar to that of the
judges, without the scar