s the _new_ Ste. Genevieve--or the Pantheon. My
present business is with the _old_ establishment: or rather with the
LIBRARY, hard by the old church of Ste. Genevieve. Of all interiors of
libraries, this is probably the most beautiful and striking; and it is an
absolute reproach to the taste of antiquarian art at Paris, that so
beautiful an interior has not been adequately represented by the burin.
There is surely spirit and taste enough in this magnificent capital to
prevent such a reproach from being of a much longer continuance. But my
business is with the _original_, and not with any _copy_ of it--however
successful. M. Flocon is the principal librarian, but he is just now from
home[91]. M. Le Chevalier is the next in succession, and is rarely from his
official station. He is a portly gentleman; unaffected, good-natured, and
kind-hearted. He has lived much in England, and speaks our language
fluently: and catching my arm, and leaning upon it, he exclaimed, with a
sort of heart's chuckle--in English, "with all my soul I attend you to the
library."

On entering that singularly striking interior, he whispered gently in my
ear "you shall be consigned to a clever attendant, who will bring you what
you want, and I must then leave you to your occupations." "You cannot
confer upon me a greater favour," I replied. "Bon, (rejoined he) je vois
bien que vous aimez les livres. A ca, marchons." I was consigned to a
gentleman who sat at the beginning of the left rectangular compartment--for
the library is in the form of a cross--and making my bow to my worthy
conductor, requested he would retire to his own more important concerns. He
shook me by the hand, and added, in English--"Good day, God bless you,
Sir." I was not wanting in returning a similar salutation.

The LIBRARY OF STE. GENEVIEVE exhibits a local of a very imposing, as well
as extensive, appearance. From its extreme length,--which cannot be less
than two hundred and thirty feet, as I should conjecture--it looks rather
low. Yet the ceiling being arched, and tolerably well ornamented, the whole
has a very harmonious appearance. In the centre is a cupola: of which the
elder Restout, about ninety years ago, painted the ceiling. They talk much
of this painting, but I was not disposed to look at it a second time. The
charm of the whole arises, first, from the mellow tone of light which is
admitted from the glazed top of this cupola; and, secondly, from the
numerous busts, ar