much of the charm of manner said to have belonged to that
remarkable woman.

It was an interesting sight to see her surrounded by her grand-children
and great-grand-children, all remarkable for their good looks, and
affectionately attached to her, while she appears not a little proud of
them. The children of the Duc de Guiche have lost nothing of their
beauty since their _sejour_ at Pisa, and are as ingenuous and amusing
as formerly.

I never saw such handsome children before, nor so well brought up. No
trouble or expense is spared in their education; and the Duc and
Duchesse devote a great portion of their time to them.

All our friends are occupied in looking out for a house for us; and I
have this day been over, at least, ten--only one of which seems likely
to suit.

I highly approve the mode at Paris of letting unfurnished houses, or
apartments, with mirrors and decorations, as well as all fixtures (with
us, in England, always charged separately) free of any extra expense.
The good taste evinced in the ornaments is in general remarkable, and
far superior to what is to be met with in England; where, if one
engages a new house lately papered or painted, one is compelled to
recolour the rooms before they can be occupied, owing to the gaudy and
ill-assorted patterns originally selected.

The house of the Marechal Lobau, forming the corner of the Rue de
Bourbon, is the one I prefer of all those I have yet seen, although it
has many _desagremens_ for so large an establishment as ours. But I am
called to go to the review in the Champ-de-Mars, so _allons_ for a
_spectacle militaire_, which, I am told, is to be very fine.

The review was well worth seeing; and the troops performed their
evolutions with great precision. The crowd of spectators was immense;
so much so, that those only who formed part of the royal _cortege_
could reach the Champ-de-Mars in time to see its commencement. No
carriages, save those of the court, were allowed to enter the file.

The dust was insupportable; and the pretty dresses of the ladies
suffered from it nearly as much as did the smart uniforms of the
officers.

The _coup d'oeil_ from the pavilion (where we had, thanks to our
_chaperon_, the Duchesse de Guiche, front seats) was very fine. The
various and splendid uniforms, floating standards, waving plumes,
glittering arms, and prancing steeds, gave to the vast plain over which
the troops were moving a most animated aspect, while the s