al Guards, ready at a moment's notice both by day and night to
reinforce them. In the centre of the town there are reserves under arms.
Outside the gates, between the forts and the ramparts, troops are massed
with artillery, and the forts are well garrisoned. A gentleman who has
lately been under a cloud, as he was the inventor of the Orsini bombs,
has several thousand men at work on infernal machines. This magician
assures me that within a week he will destroy the German armies as
completely as were the Assyrians who besieged Samaria under Sennacherib.
He is an enthusiast, but an excellent chemist, and I really have hopes
that he will before long astonish our friends outside. He promises me
that I shall witness his experiments in German corpore vili; and though
I have in mind a quotation about being hoisted with one's own petard, I
shall certainly keep him to his word. On the whole the King of Prussia,
to use Mr. Lincoln's phrase, will find it a big job to take Paris if the
Parisians keep to their present mood. Mr. Washburne told me yesterday
that he does not think he shall leave. There is to be a consultation of
the Corps Diplomatique to-morrow, under the presidency of the Nuncio,
to settle joint action. I admire the common sense of Mr. Washburne. He
called two days ago upon the Government to express his sympathy with
them. Not being a man of forms and red tape, instead of going to the
Foreign-office, he went to the Hotel de Ville, found a Council sitting,
shook hands all round, and then withdrew. I have serious thoughts of
taking up my quarters at the English Embassy. It belongs to me as one of
the nation, and I see no reason why I should not turn my property to
some account.

Yesterday's papers contained an official announcement that a company of
mutual assurance against the consequences of the bombardment has been
formed. Paris is divided into three zones, and according to the danger
proprietors of houses situated in each of them are to be admitted into
the company on payment of one, two, or three per cent. It comforts me,
comparatively, to find that I am in the one per cent. zone, and, unless
my funds give way, I shall remain there.

Spies are being arrested every half hour. Many mistakes are made from
over zeal, but there is no doubt that a good many Germans are in the
town disguised in French uniforms. The newspapers ask what becomes of
them all, and suggest that they should be publicly shot. It is beautiful
we