[Illustration: _THE GREAT DUKE AND THE LITTLE GENERAL._] Co., and many other persons of distinction. We had the free entrée to all the theatres, public gardens, and places of entertainment, and frequently met the principal artists, editors, poets, and authors of the country. Albert Smith was a particular friend of mine. He wrote a play for the General entitled “Hop o’ my Thumb,” which was presented with great success at the Lyceum Theatre, London, and in several of the provincial theatres. Our visit in London and tour through the provinces were enormously successful, and after a brilliant season in Great Britain I made preparations to take the General to Paris. CHAPTER XII. IN FRANCE. GOING OVER TO ARRANGE PRELIMINARIES--PREVIOUS VISIT TO PARIS--ROBERT HOUDIN--WONDERFUL MECHANICAL TOYS--THE AUTOMATON LETTER-WRITER--DION BOUCICAULT--TALK ON NATURAL CURIOSITIES--HOW I COMPROMISED--THE GENERAL AND PARTY IN PARIS--FIRST VISIT TO KING LOUIS PHILIPPE--A SPLENDID PRESENT--DIPLOMACY--I ASK A FAVOR AND GET IT--LONG CHAMPS--THE GENERAL’S EQUIPAGE--THE FINEST ADVERTISEMENT EVER KNOWN--ALL PARIS IN A FUROR--OPENING OF THE LEVEES--“TOM POUCE” EVERYWHERE--THE GENERAL AS AN ACTOR--“PETIT POUCET”--SECOND AND THIRD VISITS AT THE TUILERIES--INVITATION TO ST. CLOUD--THE GENERAL PERSONATING NAPOLEON BONAPARTE--ST. DENIS--THE INVALIDES--REGNIER--ANECDOTE OF FRANKLIN--LEAVING PARIS--TOUR THROUGH FRANCE--DEPARTURE FOR BRUSSELS. Before taking the little General and party to Paris, I went over alone to arrange the preliminaries for our campaign in that city. Paris was not altogether a strange place to me. Months before, when I had successfully established my exhibition in London, I ran over to Paris to see what I could pick up in the way of curiosities for my Museum in New York, for during my whole sojourn abroad, and amid all the excitements of my new career, I never forgot the interests of my many and generous patrons at home. The occasion which first called me to France was the “quinquennial exposition” in Paris. At that time, there was an assemblage, every five years, of inventors and manufacturers who exhibited specimens of their skill, especially in articles of curious and ingenious mechanism, and I went from London mainly to attend this exposition. There I met and became well acquainted with Robert Houdin, the celebrated conjurer. He was a watchmaker by trade, but very soon displayed a wonderful ability and ingenuity which he devoted with so much assiduity to the construction of a complicated machine, that he lost all mental power for a considerable period. When he recovered, he employed himself with great success in the manufacture of mechanical toys and automata which attracted much attention, and afterwards he visited Great Britain and other countries, giving a series of juggling exhibitions which were famous throughout Europe.