most difficult passages from some of the favourite composers of the day--distorting his face all the time in a manner so wonderfully ludicrous that his really excellent music is almost drowned by the uncontrollable laughter of the surrounding multitude. These are some of the many means employed in this gay metropolis for extracting coin out of the pockets of their fellow-men. Gay, however, as it is, misery exists here as well as elsewhere, and I shudder even now at the harrowing tale Bell told me this morning of suicide, to which he was witness a day or two ago. Passing through the Place Vendome, he observed several people looking anxiously up at the Column of Austerlitz, and naturally turning his eyes in the same direction, beheld a man in the act of climbing over the rails of the gallery, having effected which, he deliberately lowered himself down until he hung suspended by the arms over the frightful depth below. In this position he remained a few seconds, perhaps as if repenting him of the rash act he was about to perpetrate; but, unable to recover the gallery, he eventually let go his hold, and was dashed to pieces on the pavement at the foot of the column: the very idea is harrowing! A trait of the times, and a very striking one too, which a person meets with at almost every step in walking about Paris, is the announcement of the change of dynasty--from an empire to a kingdom--exhibited in the titles of shops, _lycées_, and every other establishment; the old word _imperiale_ slightly painted over to make way for the more humble _royale_--_lycée royale_, &c.--which is sometimes painted over it, but more frequently by the side of it, leaving the former word quite legible through the thin daub of paint laid over it. The postilions, too, are changing their imperial green livery for the royal blue; yet this change goes on but slowly, for we still see many of the numerous English equipages daily arriving brought in by postilions in green livery jackets. In the palaces and other public buildings, the letter N was abundantly introduced into all the architectural decorations, besides the armorial bearings of the Emperor: workmen have been some time employed effacing or altering all these. Wherever it is possible, the obnoxious letter is removed altogether; but where that is not the case, which happens frequently, it is changed into an H and the numeral IV. added. These and many other changes incident to the present state give a curious aspect to the nation, and afford much food for speculation and contemplation. Met my old schoolfellow Courtnay Ilbert coming out of town, and we rode together to St Denis, where his 18-pounder brigade is stationed. On reaching home found that M. Fauigny has been here. Poor man! he is not likely to get much from me.