From the museum, we descended into la Salle des Antiques, which contains all the treafury of Grecian and Roman ftatuary. The firft object to which we haftened, was the ftatue of Laocoon, for fo many ages, and by fo many writers admired and celebrated.. This fuperb fpecimen of Grecian fculpture, is fup. pofed to be the united production of Polydorus, Athenodorus, and Agefander, but its great antiquity renders its history fomewhat dubious. In the begin ning of the fixteenth century it was difcovered at. Rome amongst the ruins of the palace of Titus, and. depofited in the Farnefe palace, whence it has been removed to Paris, by the orders of Bonaparte, after the conqueft of Italy. It reprefents Laocoon, the priest of Apollo and Neptune, and his two fons writhing in the folds of two hideous ferpents. The read er will remember the beautiful lines of Virgil upon the fubject, 65 et primum parva duorum Bis medium amplexi, bis collo fquames circum "Terga dati, fuperant capite et cervicibus altis, Ille Smul manibus tendit divellere nodos Or, in the English habit which Dryden has given. them And first around the tender boys they wind, "Then with their fharpen'd fangs, their limbs and bodies grind. "The wretched father, running to their aid, "With pious hafte, but vain, they next invade: With both his hands he labors at the knots Pliny mentions this ftatue as the admiration of the age in which he flourished. I fear that I fhall be guilty of a fort of profanation when I remark, that the figures of the two fons of Laocoon appear to exhibit rather more marks of maturity, and strength of muscle than are natural to their fize, and to the fuppofed tenderness of age. It is, however, a glorious work of art. شوم We next beheld the Belvidere Apollo. This ftatue, in my humble opinion, furpaffes every other in the collection. All the divinity of a God beams. through this unrivalled perfection of form. It is impoffible to impart the impreffions which it infpires. The rivetted beholder is ready to exclaim, with Adam, when he first difcerns the approach of Raphael. -behold what glorious shape Comes this way moving: feems another morn, “Rifen on mid-noon; fome great behest from Heav'n.” The imagination cannot form fuch an union of grace and strength. During my stay in Paris, I frequently visited this distinguished statue, and discovered fresh fubjects of amazement, and admiration as aften as I gazed upon it. One of its remarkable beauties, is its exquifite expreffion of motion. Its aerial appearance perpetually excites the idea of its being unftationary, and unfupported. As it would be a rash and vain attempt to give a complete defcription of this matchlefs image, I muft, reluctantly, leave it, to inform my reader, that on the other fide of the Hall are the original Diana (which is wonderfully fine) and feveral very beautiful Venufes. The Venus de Medicis is not here. There are alfo fome fine whole length ftatues of Roman magiftrates, in their curule chairs. In the Temple of the Mufes, are exquisite bufts of Homer and Socrates. Pliny informs us that the ancient world poffeffed no original buft of the former. That of the latter feems to have been chiffelled to reprefent the celebrated Athenian before he had obtained his philofophical triumph over those vices, which a distinguished phyfionomist of his time once imputed to him from the character of his fea tures. CHAPTER XII. Bonaparte. Artillery Mr. Pitt-Newspapers.→→ Archbishop of Paris-Confular Colors-Religion. Confular Converfation.-Madame Bonaparte.--Con fular Modefty-Separate Beds. A Country Scene. Connubial Affection.-Female Bravery. A LITTLE anecdote is related of Bonaparte, which unfolds the bold, and daring character of this extraordinary man in early life: when he was about fifteen years of age, and a cadet in the military fchool at Paris-by the by, the small distance between this feminary and his present palace, and the swiftness of his elevation, afford a curious coincidence--in the vaft plain of the Champ de Mars, the court, and the Parifians were affembled to witnefs the afcent of balloon. Bonaparte made his way through the crowd, and unperceived, entered the inner fence, which contained the apparatus for inflating the filken globe. It was then very nearly filled, and reftrained from its flight by the laft cord only. The young cadet requested the aerounaut to permit him to mount the car with him; which request was immediately refufed, from an apprehenfion that the feelings of the boy might embarrass the experiment. Bonaparte is reported to have exclaimed, "I am young, it is "true, but I neither fear the power of earth, nor of "air," and sternly added, " will you let me afcend ?" will" The aeronaut, a little offended at his obtrusion, sharp- 1 ly replied, "No, Sir, I will not; I beg that you will "retire." Upon which the little enranged officer, drew a fmall fabre, which he wore with his uniform, inftantly cut the balloon in feveral places, and deftroyed the curious apparatus, which the aeronaut had constructed, with infinite labor and ingenuity, for the purpose of trying the poffibility of aerial navigation. Paris was almoft unpeopled this day, to view the fpectacle. The difappointment of the populace, which was faid to have exceeded feven hundred thousand perfons, became violent and univerfal. The king fent to know the reafon of the tumult, when the story was related to him, the good humored monarch laughed heartily, and faid, "Upon my word that impetuous boy will make a brave officer."The devoted king little thought that he was fpeaking of his fucceffor. The young offender was put under arreft, and confined for four days. This man is certainly the phenomenon of the prefent times. It is a circumftance worthy of remark, that the artillery has furnifhed France with most of its prefent diftinguifhed heroes, who have also been bred up in the fame military school with Bonaparte. A fhort time before my arrival at Paris, this great genius, who difplays a perfect knowledge of mankind, and particularly of the people over whom he rules, discovered that the Parifians, from a familiarity with his perfon, and from his lady and his family having} |