The Sun.
London, England, 1814-07-19 00:00:00

(No. XVIII.)

I set out this morning for a tamble'a Aserva-
tion through the streets of Paris; with the general
bearings of which I had made myself acquainted
by looking at a map sold every where. • The
River Seine is one of the first points of attt•action.
Upon this River there are no fewer, say the Pa=
risians, than. sixteen bridges at Paris, of which
number, four
.have been built within these few
years—the Irhemare of ancient dates, and as un-
sightly as they are old. But of these sixteen the
number is 'rather nominal than real, and the bridges
actually across•thc Seine may be stated at nine.;
but in order to understand this conclusion, it
ought. to be mentioned, that there are three
Islands in the middle of the River, and in the heart
of Paris, viz._ the Isle Lonvier (a bare plot Of
treadow•), the Isle of Ft. Louis, and lower down
the Isle'de la Cite; both the latter covered with
streets and public buildings. The Bridges then
rifer

1. The Bridge of Austerlitz, which is the high-
cq up the river, and was built between 1802 and
180 G. It passes frOw near the scite of 'the old
'Baitile, to the Saiditi des Plantes, and is a hand-

some structure of stone piers; with arches of cast
iron.-=-12. The Pont de la Tournelle and Pont
Marie its continuations connect the Isle of St.
Louis with the two sides of the rivet opposite its
channels.-3. Petit. Pont, and Pont Notre Dame
its continuation, stand in the same relation with
the Isle de La etre, as the preceding do a little
higher Up with the "Isle St. Louis.-4. Pont-St.
Michel, and Pon.-au-Change, also cross the Isle
cl!e la Cite about its center.-5. the Pont Neuf

is one continued series of arches, and clips
off the lower extremity of this Island, which
is thus crossed by three Imidges.-6. Pont des
Arts, a neat iron' bridge, of nine arches,
on wooden piers, .passing from the Louvre to.
the Palais des Arts on the north bank.--
y. Pont Royal, alias Pont de la Reunion, of five
stone arches, a few hundred yards lower down the
river.-8. Pont de la Concord, originally, and
now °ace more, the Pont Louis XV. built 1787,
1791, a very handsome bridge.—,9. The Pont
d'Jena, begun 1806, and lately finished. This fine
bridge consists of five equal and- very elipti-
cal arches. It is perfectly horizontal, and cer-
taiuly by much the most beautiful. building
of this kind in Paris, or, I may say, in France.
ft passes from the end of the Champ de. Mars oh
• one side, to a precipitous chalk cliff on the other,
at the base of which have been laid the founda-
tions of a Palais, never likely to be finished—
namely, the Palace of the King of Rome. This
design, however, like most of those adopted by
BUONAPARTE for the embellishments of Paris,
had something in it more of magnificence than of
utility ; .and the Pont d'Jena is More ornamental
than useful. It forms, however, a fine object from.
the EcoleMilitaire.—The remaining Ponts scarcely
deserve the name : 'they consist of -the Pont
Grammont, a wooden machine,, which commu-
nicates over a narrow channel from the Port St.
Paul to the' Isle Louvier ; the Pont de is Cite, a
curious structure of stone, iron, and wood, which.
connects the two Isles (St. Louis and la Cite),
and runs not across; hut in the direction of the
stream of the, Seine; the Pont aux Doubles, an
old and miserable small, bridge with houses upon
it, which, like the Pont- Grammont, crosses only a
small channel on one side of -the river, and joins.
the Isle de la Cite at Notre Dame to the- main land
on the south; 'and, last Of all, the Port St. Charles,
within the Hotel Dieu, a mere interior arch over
a moat.

I have crowded all my pontille remarks toge-
ther, though I did not make out my survey, nor
traverse the whole number of these edifices in one
day. Returning hy'the Pont des Arts, I paid disc
„toll of one sons, and; •dusty with walking, re-
commended my boots to a shoe.-bk,ek, whose sta
tion was at the end next the Louvre:- I found this
Gentleman, like, all his countrymen, very con-
versible, and ready to'beguile the tedium of 'Work
with chit-that. lie began by assuring me, that he
Was one of—the best Artistes in Paris. Poor fel-
low ! thought I,- the pressure of the time has
brought you low indeed. I-lcre I was mistaken ;
for on expressing my commiseration at his unfor-
tunate fate, the. Ar'tiste laid down his brush, and,
with a look of great complaisance, mingled with
surprize at lily condolence, gave me to understand
that, so far fro M--being unfortunate, be was very
prosperous, did as much as any gentleman in the
same line in the grand City, „„d, in shbrt, both
in business, reputation, practice, 'and talent,
was equal to the' first Artist in -the Capital
for cleaning boets ! I could not help laughing
at this curious misapplication of an honourable
appellation ; but did ugt Igi.i,cet. bow names • are

carla6tnted, in. -the same way with us in London.
—After all, however, my friend on the
Arts was a mereVretentler—Lthe very Thig;laparteni.
B,de-blacks ; for:the real Artists, who siiine at the
head of this and, if not polished, at least
polishing, fra,4crnity, are to be found under the lw-
cades behind the PalaiS Royal. Here indeed the scene
of black-balling is whimsical enough... The Artists
have their shops round, which are seats in- the
.form of a theatre, one rising above the other from
the floor to the to-of. • Seated on these in due'
gradation, their various' and numerous customers
are submitted to the op ration} of eleauingand
bri,ghtening, which is pethmued in a most scion-
tific and ilburistiing manner. -like every thing
else:. in France, with a certain grace ‘vhich no
Foreigner can catch, and :no other 4ation.ae;ed
attempt to imitate r Being of this indese-.7ibable
essence, 'it' would be idie,i:•l me to emleatottr to•
lay it'down iu detail--On thp contrary, having had
my boots btushed, I am in:an excellina conditioU
to bid pia good bye, and put to this letter the
•
Signature of

VIA TOR.