is an object of the highest gratification to every visiter, even if they be not connaisseurs in the art.  For admission to this establishment, application must be made a few days beforehand to M. le Directeur de l’Imprimerie Royale, who appoints a fixed hour on Thursdays.  Almost facing one part of the Imprimerie Royale, in the Rue d’Orleans, is the Church of St. Francois d’Assise.  Neither the exterior nor the interior possess any striking beauty; it was founded and erected in 1623.  It contains some very good paintings, and the kneeling figure of the saint of the church in his monastic dress; the hands and head are of white marble, and it is supposed to be Egyptian; one of St. Denis is opposite to it.

Adjoining to the Imprimerie Royale, is the Hotel des Archives du Royaume, which is entered by the Rue du Chaume, No. 12.  It was formerly a palace of the Prince de Soubise and the family of the Rohans.  The south and western part of the edifice is of the 15th century, the turret is probably what belonged to the gatehouse.  The decorations of the apartments are extremely rich with gilt cornices and paintings, some of them possessing great merit.  In the petits appartements is a boudoir which belonged to the Duchess de Guise, with a window looking into the Rue du Chaume, from whence it is asserted that her lover precipitated himself at the approach of the Duke.  A new building has been added, the first stone having been laid in 1838, which has cost a million of francs.  Under Napoleon the whole edifice was appropriated to the preservation of the national archives.  Amongst them are documents of diplomas granted to different monastic institutions, by Childebert, Dagobert, Clothaire and Clovis II.  The collections of the different acts, deeds, charters, administrative, domanial, historical, judicial, legislative, etc., fill 60,000 portfolios.  There is besides a library of 14,000 volumes, amongst which are the Records Commission of England, presented by the British Government.  There are also in an iron chest, the golden bulls and papal decrees, most of the keys of the Bastille, the wills of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, with his journal, autograph letters of Napoleon, one written by him to Louis XVIII, with a variety of other most interesting objects.  For admission apply (post paid) to M. le Garde General des Archives du Royaume, No. 12, Rue du Chaume.

The Fontaine de la Naiade in the same street, has a clever bas-relief by Mignot.  By the Rue des Vieilles-Haudriettes we pass into the Rue Ste-Avoye; No. 63 is worth notice, several of the houses here having been the hotels of nobility.  No. 57 is the Hotel St. Aignan, built by Le Muet; on its site stood the Hotel de Montmorency, it is an extensive noble building, but has been spoiled by having had two stories added.  Henry II often resided in it when it was called Hotel de Montmorency.