The threatening storm hastened my return to the focus of the carnival. The partial sprinkling had already caused many of the dancers to withdraw to the cafés, and to the most sheltered parts of the park. The lightning became more and more vivid; and, at length, the thousands who had lingered in these groups of gaiety, were fairly routed by pelting rain; and the park, with a few lamps flickering out, and decorative finery drenched with rain, presented a miserable contrast with the festivities of the previous hour. The crowd streamed through the park-gate into the village, where hundreds of competitors shouted "Paris, Paris;" and their swarms of diligences, cabriolets, and curtained carts, were soon freighted. One of these charioteers engaged to convey me to Paris for half a franc, in a large, covered cart, with oil-skin curtains to protect the passengers in front. To my surprise I found the vehicle pre-occupied by twelve or fourteen well-dressed persons--male and female, who appeared to forget their inconvenient situation in sallies of laughter, which sometimes bordered on boisterous mirth. The storm increased; lamps gleamed and flitted across the road; many of the horses plunged with their heavy loads, and swept along the line in resistless confusion; for nothing can be less characteristic of timidity than French driving. On reaching Paris, the streets resembled so many torrents, and in most places were not fordable, notwithstanding scores of persons, with the alacrity of mushrooms after rain, had placed themselves at the narrowest parts of the streams, with raised planks, or temporary bridges for crossing. Our load was _landed_ under the arcade of the Hotel de Ville; but the driver, in the genuine spirit of a London hackney-coachman, did not forget to turn the "ill-wind" to his own account, by importuning me for a double fare. I learned that the storm had been less tremendous in its consequences at St. Cloud and Paris than at Versailles, the lightning having consumed a farm-house and barns near that town. It is an event worthy of notice, from its being part of the phenomenon of what is termed a returning stroke of lightning, the circumstances of which are recorded in a recent number of Brande's philosophical journal.--_Abridged from "Cameleon Sketches," by the author of the "Promenade round Dorking."_ * * * * * RETROSPECTIVE GLEANINGS. * * * * * ALFREDE AND MATYLDA. WRITTEN BY ROBERT HAIEWOODE, OF CHEPING-TORITON, IN 1520. The bryghtt enamell of the mornyng's gleame Begann to daunce onn bobblynge Avonn's streame, As yothefull Alfrede and Matylda fayre Stoode sorowynge bie, ennobledd bie despayre: Att tymes theyr lypps the tynts of Autumpe wore, Att tymes a palerr hewe thann wynterr bore; And faste the rayne of love bedew'dd theyr eyne, As thos, in earnefull[7] strayns, theyr tenes[8] theie dyd bewreene.[9] ALFREDE.