The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-02-24
From the Christian Mirror.
Mr.. Palmer's Sketches.
No. VI.

Charlottesville L0uvre-the Pantheon, and
surrounding edifces-Jardip DIES Plantes--
Masee d ArtilIeyi-Pey Ia Chaise.
In commencing the work of searching out
the wonders of Paris, we soon discovered that
we had entered on great undertaking. 1t
requires no little time and pains to make one
self acquainted in any considerable degree
with the plan of the city and with its principal
localities; and this when accomplished is only
a preliminary matter. The traveller then
finds himself surrounded with various col
lections-some of them the richest which the
world aff2rds-in the departments of the fine
arts, of science, of Natural history in all its
branches, of antiquities, and in short, of all
manner of curious and instructive Objects
On all sides, likewise, are places memorable in
history, which he desires to see palaces,
interesting as mementoes Of the splendor and
courtly affluence of other days, or as the pres
emit residence of Royal or otherwise distin-
guished persons; libraries, rich in whatever is
rare and curious connected with universal
learning to which may be added museums,
cabinets, churches and public halls and SO
on till there is hardly any limit to the amount
of time which it were easy to expend. We
diligently employed three weeks in visiting
the places and the things that most attracted
US; but shall take the reader only through
a part of our various rambles. ....... .....
The Churches of Paris are many of them
exceedingly magnificent, Among these the
famous church de la Madeleine may be rank
ed the first. This rich and costly edifce was
commenced by direction of Louis XIV in 1894;
but was not finished until the accession of the
present King. The rich bas-reliefs both
within and without-the statues and painting
the splendid colonnade passing round the
whole-the bronze doors representing various
scripture subjects with surprising power, and
being in size second to st. Peters only-to-
gether with the carving, gliding, and various
minor ornaments-are such as could have been
executed only at an expense truly enormous.
The architecture is purely Grecian there are
no windows visible from without, the light
being let in from the roof which is entirely
constructed Of iron and copper. There is said
to be not an inch of wood in the building
The length is three hundred and twenty-six
feet, the breadth one hundred and thirty
The statuary, the painting, indeed the entire
Details are all in the highest style of modern
art. 1t seemed to me exceedingly well adapt
ed for temple of Apollo; but nothing about
it savored of spiritual worship, or tended in
the least to dispose the mind to commune
with spiritual God. No intelligent Christian
can walk through it without being deeply
panied at what he sees. As looked at the
altar of the Virgin, surrounded with most
gorgeous brilliancy of ornament, and adorned
with vases of rich and freshly gathered flowers,
and observed the devotees of all ages and Of
both sexes bowling down before her statue,
and then remembered the command, Thou
shalt not make unto thee any craven image "
Il could not but feel that this nominally
Christian church is as truly the scene Of
abominable idolatries as any heather temple
ever was or could be. And in this respect all
the Catholic churches of the old world are
alike.
Of course we took an early opportunity to
see the Louvre. The extensive collections
in painting, ancient and modern, in sculpture
and other branches of fine art. which are
treasured up in this spacious Palace, are
probably unequallod except by those of Rome
itself. The French as people are fond of
art and the French government accordingly
has done more to encourage it than that of
any nation. In this immense collection, on
which vast sums have been expended, the