Nothing could be more pleasant than this party. Most of the guests were distinguished literati, or military men of no ordinary stamp. One of the latter, a _chef de brigade_ of engineers, near whom I considered myself fortunate in being placed, spoke to me in the highest terms of Mr. SPENCER SMITH, Sir Sidney's brother, to whose interference at _Constantinople_, he was indebted for his release from a Turkish prison. Notwithstanding the continual clatter of knives and forks, and the occasional gingle of glasses, the conversation, which suffered no interruption, was to me extremely interesting: I never heard any men express opinions more liberal on every subject that was started. It was particularly gratifying to my feelings, as an Englishman, to hear a set of French gentlemen, some of whom had participated in the sort of disgrace attached to the raising of the siege of _St. Jean d'Acre_, generously bestow just encomiums on my brother-officer, to whose heroism they owed their failure. Addison, I think, says, somewhere in the Spectator, that national prejudice is a laudable partiality; but, however laudable it may be to indulge such a partiality, it ought not to render us blind to the merit of individuals of a rival nation. General A----y, being one of those whose talents have been found too useful to the State to be suffered to remain in inaction, was obliged to attend at the _Conseil des Mines_ soon after twelve o'clock, when the party separated. Just as I was taking leave, he did me the favour to put into my hand a copy of his _Histoire du Canal du Midi_, of which I shall say more when I have had leisure to peruse it. I do not know that a man in good health, who takes regular exercise, is the worse for breakfasting on a beef-steak, in the long-exploded style of Queen Bess; but I am no advocate for all the accessories of a French _déjeûner à la fourchette_. The strong Mocha coffee which I swallowed, could not check the more powerful effect of the Madeira and _crème de rose_. I therefore determined on taking a long walk, which, when saddle-horses are not to be procured, I have always found the best remedy for the kind of restlessness created by such a breakfast. I accordingly directed my steps across the _Pont & Place de la Concorde_, traversed the street of the same name; and, following the _Boulevard_ for a certain distance, struck off to the left, that is, towards the north, in order to gain the summit of MONTMARTRE. In ancient times, there stood on this hill a temple dedicated to Mars, whence the name _Mons Martis_, of which has been made _Montmartre_. At the foot of it, was the _Campus Martius_, or _Champ de Mars_, where the French kings of the first race caused their throne to be erected every year on the first of May. They came hither in a car, decorated with green boughs and flowers, and drawn by four oxen. Such, indeed, was the town-equipage of king DAGOBERT.