A rough sketch of modern Paris

by J. G. Lemaistre

LETTER XXIX.

The manufactory of “Gobelins,” the observatory, “les Enfans trouvés,” “Champ de Mars,” les Invalides, and the temple of Mars, containing the colours taken from different nations, and the tomb of Turenne.—Le Musée des Monumens françois, or collection of monuments.—List of the most esteemed of these.—Note to this letter contains the account of a dinner at the first consul’s.

Paris, may the 5th, 1802 (15 floréal).

MY DEAR SIR,

As my stay at Paris draws towards a conclusion, I have occupied the three or four last days in visiting those objects of curiosity, which as yet I had neglected to see.

The manufactory of Gobelins deserves all its celebrity. The colours, the design, and the execution of the tapestry made here, are equal to the productions of the finest painting. I was shown some specimens, which were uncommonly beautiful, particularly two pieces, one of which represented the assassination of the admiral Coligni, and the other the heroic conduct of the président Molé, copied from the picture at Versailles, an account of which I have already given.

There are ninety persons now employed, of whom I saw several at work. It is astonishing with what facility they seem to perform the most difficult tasks, but I am told that the art is not learnt without much time and considerable attention. The apprenticeship requires six years, and at least eighteen are necessary to make a proficient. The workmen are not locked up within the walls of the manufactory, as was the case during the monarchy, but they are kept under the constant “surveillance[77] of the police.” Most of the pieces now in hand have been ordered by the first consul, and are destined to form the ornament of St. Cloud, and other public buildings.

From the Gobelins, situate in the most distant part of the Fauxbourg St. Germain, I drove along the new Boulevard to the observatory. I found here only some common sized telescopes, on which I observed with pride the respectable name of “Dollond,” of London. I was informed that a magnificent instrument of this kind is preparing on the plan of Herschel, which is to be twenty-two feet long, with a speculum of platina. It is to be moved on a platform, for the purpose of making observations, by means of a machine invented for the purpose. I ascended the top of the building, and the view thence, which commands all Paris, is grand and striking.

Near the observatory is the nursery of that humane establishment called “les Enfans trouvés,” which is still kept up on the old philanthropic plan. Orphan children, deprived by death of their parents, or abandoned by them, are received here without question, recommendation, or inquiry, and are nursed with tenderness, well fed, properly educated, and lastly, qualified for some trade or profession, in which they are afterwards placed at the expense of the public. Their infancy is passed in the building shown to me; they are, at a certain age, sent into the country, for the benefit of the air, and then return to the principal hospital of the institution at Paris, where their education is completed. Their number is seldom less than a thousand.

I shall continue to speak of the different objects I have lately seen, in the same order in which I visited them.

The Champ de Mars, where, on the 14th of july, 1790, I was present, when the unfortunate Lewis XVI received and repeated the oath of fidelity to that constitution which was so soon violated, has still the remains of that vast amphitheatre, made by the activity and zeal of the parisians in the course of fourteen days, and on which were seated nearly a million of people. I recollected all the spots, where the principal authorities were placed on that memorable day; and it will be needless for me to repeat the innumerable reflections which were created by a remembrance of the extraordinary and many-coloured events which have since occurred. The École Militaire, which is now a barrack for the consular horse guards, forms the front and principal ornament of the Champ de Mars, which is terminated on the other side by the river Seine. L’École Militaire was built, in 1751, from a plan of Gabriel. It has a handsome façade, and a lofty dome, with a dial, and the figures of Time and Astronomy.

The building of “les Invalides” presents one of the most striking objects of Paris. Besides the beauty of its construction, its handsome entrance, its four courts, its celebrated clock, its lofty dome, and elegant pillars, it contains, in the principal hall, or chapel, now called “le Temple de Mars,” the colours, or ensigns, taken during the war, by the republican armies, from the different powers opposed to France. This beautiful room at least a hundred feet long, is lined on all sides with the badges of triumph, many of which bear, from their tattered appearance, the most convincing proofs of not having been obtained without considerable difficulty. Among the innumerable colours of all nations, I perceived, with pride, that there were only two or three english; and these, from their size, had belonged to some ship, perhaps to a merchantman, or to that man of war, which, after sharing the glories of Aboukir, was taken by five french vessels of the line, after a resistance no less honourable than her former success. In the centre of this spacious apartment, to the right, surrounded by the trophies of his successors and countrymen, is placed the tomb of Turenne. This monument was removed to the Temple of Mars by the present government, and placed here, with considerable pomp, after having been saved from the fury of jacobinical rage, and preserved, by the care of le Noir, in the “Musée des Monuments françois.”

The circumstance which I have just mentioned, naturally leads me to speak of the last named institution, which I visited yesterday for the second time. On my arrival at Paris, I went to see le Musée des Monuments françois; and not being as much struck with the exhibition as I expected, from its great renown, I purposely postponed speaking of it, till I had had an opportunity of examining it again with all the attention it deserved. After several hours employed in this second view, I continue of my former opinion, that the spot[78], in which these monuments are collected, is infinitely too small; that the garden, meant to be the tranquil site of sepulchral honours, and the calm retreat of departed grandeur, is on so limited a scale, is so surrounded with adjoining houses, and altogether so ill arranged, that, instead of presenting the model of

“Those deep solitudes ...

Where heav’nly pensive Contemplation dwells,

And ever musing Melancholy reigns,”

it might easily be mistaken for the working yard of a statuary, or the pleasure ground of a tasteless citizen, decked out with Cupids, Mercuries, and Fauns.

It must, however, be acknowledged, that “le Noir,” by whose care this establishment was formed, deserves great credit for the courage with which he rescued the many precious monuments here deposited, from the barbarous and undiscriminating fury of revolutionary vandalism, for the perseverance and attention which has marked his conduct in the arrangement, and for the plan (whether successful or not, I shall not pretend to examine) of presenting complete and exact representations of the art of building in the different ages. Among the innumerable tombs, crowded together in this collection, of which a catalogue, in large octavo, is sold at the door, I observed many of great beauty, taste, and symmetry. Kings, poets, belles, philosophers, and painters, torn from the graves, in which, for centuries past, their remains had tranquilly reposed, would have had no stone to record their past celebrity, if this institution had not existed. The arts, too, are highly indebted to the founder, for the specimens of sculpture, many of them chefs d’œuvre, which are here seen in all their original perfection. Models, too, of ancient and celtic buildings are added to those of french architecture.

Le Noir’s favourite plan of having a chapel for each century, ornamented with all the appropriate decorations, and containing the tombs of contemporary persons, is in part executed, and three or four ages have already their respective temples, completed in the taste of the times which belonged to them. These chapels have been much admired by persons, whose knowledge on such subjects entitle them to respect; and it would, therefore, be presumptuous in me to give a dissenting voice. I shall be pardoned, however, for remarking, that there appeared, in the whole arrangement, a kind of quackery, which prevented my feeling that unalloyed satisfaction which I had been led to expect; and that, in spite of my better judgment, I felt an inclination to laugh, when perhaps my tears ought to have flowed.

As every body must rejoice at the preservation of these monuments, whatever opinions he may entertain about the arrangement, I cannot help regretting, that they are not deposited in a place more worthy of containing them. Since the restoration of religion has removed every obstacle which could be started to such a project, would it not be worthy of the present government, decidedly the friend and protector of the arts, to order that all these precious specimens of sculpture should become the ornament of one or more of the principal churches of Paris, the present naked state of which is an additional argument in favour of the measure? What splendour would they not both receive and confer, in being removed either to Notre Dame, St. Sulpice, or St. Généviève?

To satisfy the curiosity which I know you entertain on such subjects, I examined, with attention, the principal objects, and marked in my catalogue those which seemed most deserving of notice. The following is the list:

No.	5.	The tomb of Dagobert, with the figures of Nautilda his wife, and Clovis his son.
	94.	The tomb of Lewis XII.
	99.	The Monument, or sepulchral Chapel, of Francis the First, with Claude his wife.—(Destroyed in the revolution, and restored by le Noir.)
	105.	Monument erected in honour of Ann of Montmorency.
	111.	A group of Graces.
	113.	Statue of Henry the Fourth of France, assassinated in 1610, clad in a military dress. The artist was Francavilla, or Francevelle, as he was otherwise called. The catalogue mentions, that judging from the body, found at St. Denys in 1793, and which was yet perfect, one should suppose that this was a striking likeness.
	115.	Statue of Claude Catherine de Clermont Tonnere.
	121.	Statue in black marble, representing David after the death of Goliath, by Peter Francavilla, in 1580.
	146.	Monument erected in honour of Charles the Fifth, taken from St. Germain-des-Prés. His medallion, in bronze, is by John Cousin.
	174.	The Mausoleum of the Cardinal de Richelieu, taken from the Sorbonne.—This celebrated group of figures, after a design by le Brun, was executed by Girardon, and considered as his chef-d’œuvre.
	187.	The Mausoleum of Cardinal Mazarin, taken from the college of that name. This monument, of white marble, is the work of Coyzevox.
	189.	Statue of Ann of Austria, taken from the Pont au Change. Executed by Guillain.
	200.	Monument, erected to John Baptiste Colbert, the celebrated minister.
	263.	Monument, in marble, erected to the memory of Charles le Brun, one of the most celebrated painters of the french school. Taken from St. Nicholas de Chardonnet.
	205.	A group of Figures in black marble, representing Francis Michael Letellier Marquis de Louvois, minister of state, who died in 1691.—This was the work of Girardon.
	207.	This Monument, called la Pyramide, or the pillar of Longueville, was erected by Anne Généviève de Bourbon, duchess of Longueville, and was meant in honour both of the first and second duke of that name.
	208.	This is a Monument formed by le Noir, from the ruins of that which formerly stood in la place des Victoires. He has placed on the pedestal a figure of Abundance and Equality.
	210.	A colossal Statue, taken from les Invalides, representing Charlemagne. Executed by Coyzevox.
	211.	A colossal Statue of Lewis the Eleventh, in black marble, executed by Couston. Taken from les Invalides.
	214.	A Statue of Lewis the Fourteenth, in black marble, by Michel Anguier. The king is in a Roman dress.
	218.	A much admired Statue, by Sarrasin, of St. Denys praying. Taken from the abbey of Montmartre.
	220	or 449. This fine Monument, executed under the immediate orders and design of the celebrated architect Bullant, was taken from St. Martin, at Montmorency, and was erected in honour of Ann de Montmorency.
	286.	The marble Bust of Lewis de Bourbon Condé, called the great Condé, from the chisel of Coyzevox.
	384.	This is a modern Monument, in honour of modern events, and of living characters. It is the work of Foucon, and it is meant to represent, allegorically, the peace of Luneville, and to record the glory of Bonaparte.
	448.	This is a beautiful Statue, in black marble, of Francis the First on his death bed. Two thousand modern goths, not content with mutilating this chef-d’œuvre, have ventured to record their barbarity in writing on the monument itself, or rather on what remains, their dishonoured names, several of which are still apparent. The convention, afterwards found it necessary to pass a law, condemning to ten years imprisonment, in chains, the mutilators or destroyers of the works of art.
The following are in the garden:
No.	467.	From the Chateau d’Anet, a beautiful group, representing Diana with a stag, accompanied by her dogs, Procyon and Sirius—supposed to be the work of John Gougeon, made for the fountain in the park of Diana of Poitiers, at Anet.
	471.	Statue, in black marble, and on his knees, of Lewis II. Taken from the church of Notre Dame de Cléry, where it was dreadfully mutilated by the fury of the inhabitants. It was the work of Michael Bourdin, of Orleans, who, not satisfied with the price which he received for it, stole a silver lamp from the church, for which crime he was afterwards executed at Orleans.
	507.	A sepulchral Urn, containing the ashes of the celebrated René Descartes, who died in Sweden, in the year 1650.
	508.	The Tomb of Molière, containing the body of that celebrated dramatic writer. The following inscription appears:
		“Molière & Thalie reposent dans ce tombeau[79].”
		The whole is surrounded with myrtles, roses, and cypress trees.
	509.	The tomb of J. de la Fontaine, containing his body.
	510.	This is a Monument with four fronts. It contains the busts of Molière, John la Fontaine, Boileau, and Racine, who were intimate friends, and sometimes lived together at Auteuil.
	511.	The Tomb which, for some time, contained the mummy of Turenne, first preserved in the Musée de l’Histoire Naturelle, then removed to this spot, and lastly placed, as I have before observed, in the Temple of Mars.
	555.	Sepulchral Urn, containing the ashes of the celebrated Boileau, with this inscription:
		“Nicholas Boileau est dans ce tombeau[80].”
		And above:
		“Ainsi que mes chagrins, mes beaux jours sont passés, Je ne sens plus l’aigreur de ma bile première, Et laisse aux froids rimeurs, une libre carrière[81].” Boileau, Epist. 5. à M. Guilléraques.

There are, doubtless, besides those which I have enumerated, many tombs deserving of notice; but I have specified these, on account of the celebrity of the artists, or that of the persons whose memory the monuments were intended to record. I send you a very imperfect account, yet it is the result of a six hours’ visit, made with no little care and attention.

Le Noir’s catalogue, which, I understand, is now translating into english, concludes with a curious account of the state in which the bodies of the former kings of France were found at St. Denys, when, in the year 1793, the national convention, with a savage disregard of decency, and with a contempt for departed grandeur scarcely credible, ordered that the kings, princes, and other great men, who had for fifteen hundred years lain in peace at St. Denys, should be dragged from their tombs, in order that the lead, of which their coffins were made, should be converted into ball.

You will be surprised to hear, that the celebrated Turenne, preserved like a mummy, was instantly recognized by the resemblance which he still bore to his busts and pictures; and Henry the fourth was yet so perfect, (though he died in 1610), that not a feature was altered.

This account is already of such a length, that I shall make no apology for abruptly concluding it.

I am, &c.

POSTSCRIPT.

Returning home to day, at half past four o’clock, from viewing some of the sights, (which I have mentioned in my letter), we found a messenger waiting with a note from the Thuilleries. It proved to be an invitation to Mrs. ⸺, from the first consul, asking her to dinner the same day at five. She dressed as quickly as possible, and drove to the palace. She is just returned; and from her statement, I send you the following short account.

The entertainment was extremely elegant, and the sight very striking. More than two hundred persons sat down to table in a splendid apartment. The company consisted, besides the family of Bonaparte, of the ministers, the ambassadors, several generals, senators, counsellors of state, and other constituted authorities. The number of women present was by no means in proportion to that of the men, and did not exceed fifteen. All the english ladies, who had been presented to madame Bonaparte, were invited (though not their husbands) to this entertainment; but it happened, that only two remained at Paris.

The dinner was served entirely on plate and Sèvre china, the latter bearing the letter B on every dish, and every plate; and the plateau was covered with moss, out of which arose innumerable natural flowers, the odour of which perfumed the whole room.

The first consul and madame Bonaparte conducted themselves with much ease, and spoke very affably to those around them.

The servants were numerous, splendidly dressed, and highly attentive. The dinner lasted more than two hours.