The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-03-02

when ne nad passed IN MS early years, ilot
the ardor which had enabled HIM to brave the
dangers and sufferings of many hard cam
paign.
| The inmates of the Hotel des Invalides are
we'll dressed in military style, are arranged in
messes according to their rank, and appear as
comfortable as the nature of the case admits.
Still it was melancholy sight to me to see 50
many manned and crippled fellow-creatures,
the fields which they survived. Most of
them looked grey as well as war-worn; and it
may soon be sung of each of them as it has
been of their chief
He hath slept his last sleep, he hath fought his last
battle
No sound can awake him to glory again.
The monument which is to cover the mortal
remains of the" Man of Destiny" which is
to be of Carara marble and wrought in the
highest style of art, is now in the process Of
construction, The large Chapel is hung with
a vast number of banners, the trophies of
many bloody strife. The extent of the
Hotel des Invalides may be best described by
saying, that there are three thousand beds
nightly occupied within its walls. It is an
establishment highly creditable to the govern
ment of France.
! Of course we visited Versailles. This seat
of by gone splendor has SO often been describ-
ed, that shall not devote to it space at all
proportioned to the interest which it awaken
ed in our minds. We walked some miles, as
we were told, through the magnificent apart
ments of the Palace, which was the scene of
all the glories of the court of Louis XIV,
and witnessed the sad vicissitudes of fortune,
which befel the later sovercigns of his family.
Versailles is no longer the residence of the
Sovereign and the Court, but is now devoted
of France and TO the world at large. The
Palace had never recovered the splendor Of
which it was in great measure stripped at
the time of the revolution, until since the
accession of Louis Philippe. Napoleon did
something in the way of repairs but the
present King conceived the idea. and has exc
cuted it at vast expense, of restoring it's rich
ness and beauty, and at the came time con.
verting it into grand National Gallery of
Art, illustrative of the history, the revolutions,
and especially the triumphs of the FRENCH
In conspicuous place he has inscribed upon
it the dedicatory Words" A TouTEs LES
GLoInEs DE LA FRANCE" To enumerate the
treasures of art which are here collected is
impossible. 1t can only be said, that you see,
in painting and sculpture, the ikenesses of
all the sovereigns of any note from the foundaa
ton of the monarchy. All the great battles,
with portraits of the chief who commanded
in them. are also represented. Portraits OF
all the distinguished men connected with the
Court and of the women too, not excepting
the famous mistresses of Henry ", Louis
XIV, and Louis XIV, look down upon you
with all the life and expression which could
be impaired by the highest efforts of the
greatest artists. One gallery is devoted to
portraits of members of the French Academy /;
among whom noticed Fenelon and his great.
but less amiable rival Bossuct. In another I
observed Calvin and Luther. In short there
is scarcely an individual of note in any way
connected with French history, upon whose
face YOU cannot look in this wonderful col :.
lection. OF Napoleon it may be literally
said, that his history is written upon canvass
And so of the present King.
If it is impossible to describe what art has
done within the Palace, it is equallyso to cor :
vey any idea of what art and nature combined
have achieved without in the unrivaled gar
dens. AS walked about through avenues
| which can hardly have been surnaSsed in