On the very day of his arrival in Paris, although he must have been much fatigued by an almost uninterrupted ride from Valladolid, the Emperor visited the buildings of the Louvre and the rue de Rivoli.

His mind was full of what he had seen at Madrid, and repeated suggestions to M. Fontaine and the other architects showed plainly his desire to make the Louvre the finest palace in the world.  His Majesty then had a report made him as to the chateau of Chambord, which he wished to present to the Prince of Neuchatel.  M. Fontaine found that repairs sufficient to make this place a comfortable residence would amount to 1,700,000 francs, as the buildings were in a state of decay, and it had hardly been touched since the death of Marshal Sage.

His Majesty passed the two months and a half of his stay working in his cabinet, which he rarely left, and always unwillingly; his amusements being, as always, the theater and concerts.  He loved music passionately, especially Italian music, and like all great amateurs was hard to please.  He would have much liked to sing had he been able, but he had no voice, though this did not prevent his humming now and then pieces which struck his fancy; and as these little reminiscences usually recurred to him in the mornings, he regaled me with them while he was being dressed.  The air that I have heard him thus mutilate most frequently was that of The Marseillaise.  The Emperor also whistled sometimes, but very rarely; and the air, ‘Malbrook s’en va-t-en guerre’, whistled by his Majesty was an unerring announcement to me of his approaching departure for the army.  I remember that he never whistled so much, and was never so gay, as just before he set out for the Russian campaign.

His Majesty’s, favorite singer were Crescentini and Madame Grassini.  I saw Crescentini’s debut at Paris in the role of Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet.  He came preceded by a reputation as the first singer of Italy; and this reputation was found to be well deserved, notwithstanding all the prejudices he had to overcome, for I remember well the disparaging statements made concerning him before his debut at the court theater.  According to these self-appointed connoisseurs, he was a bawler without taste, without method, a maker of absurd trills, an unimpassioned actor of little intelligence, and many other things besides.  He knew, when he appeared on the stage, how little disposed in his favor his audience were, yet he showed not the slightest embarrassment; this, and his noble, dignified mien, agreeably surprised those who expected from what they had been told to behold an awkward man with an ungainly figure.  A murmur of approbation ran through the hall on his appearance; and electrified by this welcome, he gained all hearts from the first act.  His movements were full of grace and dignity; he had a perfect knowledge of the scene, modest gestures perfectly in harmony with the dialogue, and a countenance on which all shades of passion were depicted with the most astonishing accuracy; and all these rare and precious qualities combined to give to the enchanting accents of this artist a charm of which it is impossible to give an idea.