of England, and widow
of Louis XII. of France, who, while here, married the Duke of Suffolk.
Her chamber still exists, and we saw it in high preservation. This
marriage, you will remember, laid the foundation for the claim of Lady
Jane Grey to the crown. Here, too, for a season, the excellent abbess
and the nuns of Port Royal found a refuge. Some forty years ago, it came
into the hands of M. Sommerard, a man devoted to antiquarian pursuits,
and here he expended a large property in forming a vast collection of
all sorts of relics he could gather belonging to the medieval ages. A
few years ago, he died, and then the government wisely purchased the
hotel and its unrivalled museum for half a million of francs; and
additions are constantly made to it of every curiosity that can
illustrate the habits and manners of the early history of France and
Europe. The building is very striking in its first aspect. It has
several Gothic turrets, and very rich windows, and the court yards and
garden are all in keeping. What good times those old abbots, and monks
must have had in their visits to Paris, in such a palace as this was!
You pass from room, to room, all filled with the antique, till you get
leg-weary. The floors are exquisitely beautiful--some in fine old black
oak, let in, in patterns; others are bricks and tiles, in mosaic. Then
the old mantel-pieces are wonderfully fine. We saw plenty of tapestry,
old as the hills; and one set of hangings was the history of David and
Bathsheba. Some of the bedsteads are very curious. One belonged to
Francis I. Perhaps the largest and most valuable collection of carved
Wood furniture in the world is here to be seen. Such cabinets, chairs,
tables, chests, I never imagined. The work is of the most delicate and
complicated character. Then you find a wonderful collection of glass and
earthen ware--cups and goblets belonging to men of note of every age in
French history. One room is full of ancient armor, another of gems,
enamels, &c, another of pictures of the most curious kind; and as to
mirrors and looking-glasses, they are in great plenty; and china enough
to make some ladies in America whom I know break the commandment.

You can fancy, Charley, what sort of a place this must be, when I tell
you that the catalogue of this collection is a volume of two hundred and
forty octavo pages, and embraces eighteen hundred and ninety-five
particulars. I have the catalogue, and can assure you that it incl