specify further, not only of the indifference and scepticism which prevails widely at Paris, but of the vast amount of dreadful and unutterable crimes to which the public voice and the public streets witness, in tones which cannot be mistaken; what I mean is, that authenticated records of flagrant iniquities meet the eye and ear in this place with a degree of frequency and publicity which is a melancholy proof of the inefficacy of the religious teaching and worship of the Roman Catholic Church as it exists in France'. In addition to this I must mention the senseless and rhapsodical fanaticism which infidelity has engendered, as proved by the numerous pretenders to Divine revelations and missions, who avenge the cause of religion which they and their followers have outraged, by showing that they, incredulous as they are, are the slaves and victims of the most abject superstition and sottish credulity. The various schools of unbelief, now existing at Paris, exhibit a melancholy spectacle of the consequences of a mere secular, material, and mechanical education, unsanctified by Christianity, and undignified by the glorious imaginations, and fervent affections, and lofty aspirations which animated, and ennobled, and beautified the teaching even of heathen antiquity.

Tuesday, August 20.—This journal does not pre

1 La source du mal c'est l'enseignement impie des colléges et institutions universitaires. Comment le Clergé moraliserait-il la jeunesse quand l'Université s'interpose entr'elle et lui ?

tend to give any account of the public buildings and sights of Paris, some of which we visited to-day; but I cannot omit a passing notice of the church of St. Germain des Prés; not so much for any thing very remarkable in itself—though it is a very handsome church, with a very lofty belfry visible far and wide -but as being almost the only remnant of the vast and ancient abbey of the Benedictine congregation of St. Maur, which produced and cherished within its walls so many venerable, learned, and pious men, who were ornaments not only of their own order but of their country and of the church at large. In the church there is a monument to Casimir, the ex-King of Poland (who was Abbot of this monastery, where he died in 1672), but the editions of the works of the Christian Fathers, which owe their existence to this abbey, and to the labours of the illustrious brotherhood, Montfaucon, Delarue, Martianay, Sabatier, Thuillier, and others, are imperishable monuments, possessing a more powerful interest now that revolutionary fury has levelled all the cells and cloisters of the monastery of St. German to the ground.

We went from the church of St. Germain des Prés to that of Nôtre Dame, at the east and south sides of which there is now a large open area on the Seine -the site formerly of the Archbishop's palace, and a record of the popular frenzy of a more recent period. It is well known that the palace was pulled down by the mob and all the books and MSS. of its invaluable

library thrown into the Seine in 1831, because the clergy were imprudent enough to celebrate a service in commemoration of the exiled dynasty, in the church of St. Germain Auxerrois, an act which the people supposed to have been encouraged by the Archbishop.

To-day we found in the church of Nôtre Dame an announcement of the Catechetical courses held in this church previous to the first communion and to confirmation. It may, I think, be affirmed that the Church of France is more faithful and zealous in catechizing than in the discharge of any other public religious duty. Here, for instance, was a notice of as many as four different courses of catechizing to be held twice a week (each of them, I think), uninterruptedly for several months. I saw a similar notice of weekly catechizings at the church of St. Roch, to be held without intermission from the fifth of November to Easter. It may further be observed, that the French theological press has been of late very prolific in full and elaborate Catechisms; of which one may be specially mentioned, that of the Abbé Gaume in eight volumes octavo, which has received the sanction of the Pope and of many of the French bishops. This of M. Gaume is a Catechism particularly intended for the instruction of les Persévérans, as they are called; i. e. for that class of young persons who continue after their first communion (which generally takes place at or before the age of

twelve years), to attend catechetical instruction. One of the courses just mentioned at Nôtre Dame was for this description of catechumens. In this church there was a sad event noticed in another public announcement, or Mandement, as it is called, of the Archbishop of Paris, which prescribed a solemn service of Fasting and Prayer, and other penitential exercises, previous to the re-opening of the church of St. Gervais, which had been closed in consequence of an act of suicide which had been committed within its walls, and in sight of its altar. This Pastoral Address of the Archbishop contained some very grave and solemn admonitions concerning the crime of selfdestruction, and some very forcible observations on the feeling of abhorrence with which it ought to be regarded by all Christians, and seemed to intimate that the act is of common occurrence here (as indeed is well known to be the case, as I was assured by an eminent physician who has been twenty years resident at Paris), and that it is contemplated with indifference or even with sentimental commiseration, if not with approval and admiration. This Mandement was written in a very devout and pious style, and with much dignity of expression.

To-day, in the great amphitheatre at the Jardin des Plantes, where I expected to find a lecture upon Botany or Chemistry, or Comparative Anatomy, there was a very large assembly of persons, filling the vast concave space from the floor up to the roof,

who were gathered together to witness the distribution of prizes to the children of the schools of the Frères Chrétiens in this commune. The Maire occupied the chief place, and distributed the crowns to the victors, and gave the salutations to the young children (boys), who are of the lower classes, and receive gratuitous instruction at the hands of these Brethren, of whom more will be said hereafter. The company consisted of parents and friends of the boys, and it was a very delightful sight to behold so many of the labouring and trading classes, men and women, collected together in this spacious building to witness the success of their children. The crowns were of natural leaves, and there was no music, the use of which on such occasions is prohibited by the laws of the Brothers. The prizes were books. The Maire was supported on both sides by the Parochial Clergy, and by the Frères.

At the Jardin des Plantes, near the Amphitheatre, there is a mound planted with trees and shrubs, from the top of which is a good view of the city. The absence of all buildings of remote antiquity in this great capital is very striking, and tells the spectator of the havoc made by the Revolution.

Wednesday, August 21.-Went to breakfast with the Abbé Jager (No. 66, Rue de Cherche Midi), Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the Sorbonne, i. e. the University, and author of many works of note, among which is his Protestantisme aux prises avec la