the belles lettres were merely suited, as I understood, to
French frivolity. The rooms were so full as to render our stay
unpleasant, and we thereby lost an anatomy lecture, which was about to
commence. I should not forget to mention, that all the Parisian journals
and magazines, and many of the German periodical works, were lying on
the tables, and the library seemed altogether as complete as it was
comfortable. The subscribers are numerous, and the institution itself in
fashion. How long it will so last, no one will venture to predict.

The library of the Pantheon and that of the Institute finished our
morning's occupation. They are both on the same scale and nearly on the
same general plan as the National Library. The library of the Institute,
however, is only open to foreigners and the members of the Institute.
The Institute holds its sitting every month, and, according to all
report, is then frivolous enough. I had not an opportunity of being
present at one of these sittings, but from what I heard, I did not much
regret my disappointment.

We returned home to dress for dinner. Mr. Younge informed, me, that he
expected a very large party in the evening, chiefly French, and as his
lady herself was a French woman, and had arranged her domestic
establishment accordingly, I felt some curiosity.

About eight, or nearer nine, Mr. Younge and myself, with two or three
other of the dinner company, were summoned up to the drawing-room. The
summons itself had something peculiar. The doors of the parlour, which
were folding, were thrown open, and two female attendants, dressed like
vestals, and holding torches of white wax, summoned us by a low curtsey,
and preceded us up the great staircase to the doors of the anti-chamber,
where they made another salutation, and took their station on each side.
The anti-chamber was filled with servants, who were seated on benches
fixed to the wall, but who did not rise on our entry. Some of them were
even playing at cards, others at dominos, and all of them seemed
perfectly at their ease. The anti-chamber opened by an arched door-way
into an handsome room, lighted by a chandelier of the most brilliant cut
glass; the pannels of the room were very tastily painted, and the
glasses on each side very large, and in magnificent frames. The further
extremity of this room opened by folding doors into the principal
drawing-room, where the company were collected. It was brilliantly
lighted, as well b