Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-07-14
THE CITY OF PARIS.


The following is an extract OF letter
from gentleman Of New York, now in
Europe, TO his friends in this country pub
lished in the Ohio State Journal
Well. verify. this is the capital of the
world thought while was IN LONDON
that the magni6cence of the palaces there,
and the beauty Of the parks, and the evl-
dence of wealth that saw in every quarter,
could not possibly be equaed in Europe /;
but truly, they sink into comparative in
significance when contrasted with Paris and
its environs. One becomes satated and be-
wildered here in looking at gorgeous sights,
and have absolutely more than once found
relief in sitting down in the midst, and for a
time closing my eyes. 1t is very natural
for you to expect me to write something IN
relation to the strange things that am dal-
ly looking at ; but, my dear sir, were you
here with me, (as | wish you were,) you
would see the impossibilty of my doing any
such thing. have visited palaces contain
ing nigh a thousand rooms, and each room
hung with choice pictures, and otherwise
decorated in the most costly manner. To
describe the contents of a single one of these
apartments, it would be necessary to write a
reasonable sized volume. How, then, can
in a letter say one word about them!
Or, leaving the palace and going into the
gardens and parks which are around 1t,
how can one give you an idea OF them!
WHY here are rows of statues of the most
exquisite finish extending before you, and
on every side as far as the eye can reach,
and each one deserving special notice.
These statues, however, are but one class OF
ornaments TO grounds that would be sur
passingly handsome without them. Here
you are standing at the side of a beautiful
sheet of water, thirty yards in diameter, en-
circled by a border of richly sculptured
marble; and round the edge, at intervals Of
few feet, stand great bronze tritons, each
holding in her arms glded dolphin, from
whose mouth the water is spouted high in
the air, and as it falls towards the center, is
caught in another smaller basin that rests
upon the summit of an ornamental column,
and is discharged from this thro' the mouths
of score of sea monsters into similar but
larger receptacle beneath, over the sides OF
which it escapes; and, falling, laves the
limbs Of old Neptune, and several of the la
dies and gentlemen of his household, pre-
sumo, but of whose names ] am ignorant
They, however, set now in the centre oil
this table day and night, 'by particular re-
quest as suppose. This happens to be
the fountain nearest to you the one yonder
is much more beautiful so is the next one
further on, and the one beyond that. Ask
one to describe these things! Why to use
the language of the celebrated report by a
member Of the New York Legislature on
the subject Of clearing the Overslaugh, 1T is
impossible, and can't be did,
The Palace Royal is very beautiful, and
finished and furnished most elegantly. Il
contains amongst great many other valua-
BILE paintings, a series of pictures represent,
ing different events in the life of Louis Phil
lippe, from the time he taught school in
Switzerland until he became King Of the
French; the Royal Palace at Versailles
fourteen miles from Paris, where in one day
/ waded through suits of rooms filled will
pictures and statuary, which, if joined to-
gether, would form gallery of more than
.fve miles and a quarter in length. Thi:
may appear to you to be large story, but il
is true TO the letter, and sixty more room.
are now being finished, and will be thrown
open next spring. Besides all this, thu
palace contains the private apartments
about one hundred in number, and large
chapel, and theatre, into which strangers
are not admitted This is by far the arges
and most splendid palace in the world.
is said that the pictures in it, if hung sid
by side, would extend more than sirty miles
Indeed, the quantity of paintings in all thes
palaces, is truly astonishing. never hat
an idea that there were so many in tn
world as l have already seen. The hes
collection in Paris is at the Louvre, althougl