Three Years in Europe: Places I Have Seen and People I Have MetBrown, William Wells
History
Three Years in Europe: Places I Have Seen and People I Have Met
Brown, William Wells
Great Britain -- Description and travel
After a speech from Mr. Ewart, M.P., in French, and another from Mr.
Cobden in the same language, the Convention was brought to a close for
the day. I spent the morning yesterday, in visiting some of the lions of
the French capital, among which was the Louvre. The French Government
having kindly ordered, that the members of the Peace Congress should be
admitted free, and without ticket, to all the public works, I had
nothing to do but present my card of membership, and was immediately
admitted.
The first room I entered, was nearly a quarter of a mile in length; is
known as the "Long Gallery," and contains some of the finest paintings
in the world. On entering this superb palace, my first impression was,
that all Christendom had been robbed, that the Louvre might make a
splendid appearance. This is the Italian department, and one would
suppose by its appearance that but few paintings had been left in Italy.
The entrance end of the Louvre was for a long time in an unfinished
state, but was afterwards completed by that master workman, the Emperor
Napoleon. It was long thought that the building would crumble into
decay, but the genius of the great Corsican rescued it from ruin.
During our walk through the Louvre, we saw some twenty or thirty artists
copying paintings; some had their copies finished and were going out,
others half done, while many had just commenced. I remained some minutes
near a pretty French girl, who was copying a painting of a dog rescuing
a child from a stream of water into which it had fallen.
I walked down one side of the hall and up the other, and was about
leaving, when I was informed that this was only one room, and that a
half-dozen more were at my service; but a clock on a neighbouring church
reminded me that I must quit the Louvre for the Salle de St. Cecile.
* * * * *
This morning the Hall was filled at an early hour with rather a more
fashionable looking audience than on any former occasion, and all
appeared anxious for the Congress to commence its session, as it was
understood to be the last day. After the reading of several letters from
gentlemen, apologising for their not being able to attend, the speech of
Elihu Burritt was read by a son of M. Coquerel. I felt somewhat
astonished that my countryman, who was said to be master of fifty
languages, had to get some one to read his speech in French.
The Abbe Duguerry now came forward amid great cheering, and said that
"the eminent journalist, Girardin, and the great English logician, Mr.
Cobden, had made it unnecessary for any further advocacy in that
assembly of the Peace cause--that if the principles laid down in the
resolutions were carried out, the work would be done. He said that the
question of general pacification was built on truth--truth which
emanated from God--and it were as vain to undertake to prevent air from
expanding as to check the progress of truth. It must and would
prevail."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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