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ous enemy, who were nearer the capital than himself. The marshal has resigned, as he says, from a just diffidence of his abilities to conduct the defence of Paris. Very little is known of the state of the country: it appears the allies are advancing rapidly; La Meurthe is occupied entirely; the sovereigns are said to be arrived at Nancy, forty posts from Paris.

LETTER XXIX.

Sunday, July 2.

THE affair of General Excelmans at Ver sailles yesterday, appears to have been more considerable than was supposed. The town has been retaken by the French, and two regiments of Prussian cavalry destroyed. This was announced to the chambers by a message from the Tuileries. A communication from the government has also announced, "That "news has arrived from the plenipotentiaries, "treating for an armistice, at the head quarters "of Lord Wellington-that the negotiations "continue, but that the results are not yet "known." The duke has refused the armistice, demanded by the Prince of Eckmülh, in civil terms; the Hero Blucher, in language which it was thought for the honour of France not to publish. The following passages are most prominently polite. "Paris and France are in my hands; I am come to help the honest men against the rogues. I warn you not to treat "Paris as you treated Hamburgh."

Notwithstanding the continuation of hostilities, the hopes of the patriots are elevated by the affair at Versailles. The horses of the Prussians were paraded in the Place de la Concorde, and a squadron of cavalry galloped to the Tuileries with two standards taken in the action. Cannonading, and even musquetry, have been very distinctly heard all the evening; and from the hill, above the palace of the King of Rome, the smoke of a fusillade very clearly seen.

The chambers broke up early this evening. The representatives were chiefly occupied, after the messages of government were received, in hearing a report from the commission appointed to provide for Napoleon and his family, which ' recommended, on the demand of the ex-emperor's librarian, M. Berlier, that the library of Trianon, containing about 2,200 volumes, should be allotted to him, as also the Ichono, graphie Grecque of M. Visconti, and the two numbers of the great Description of Egypt, for which he had made a special request. Considering that more than 62,000 volumes were collected by Napoleon, and that the Description of Egypt was commenced under his auspices, you will not be much surprised that the chamber assented to the proposal of the commissioners, and added to these the third number of

the Description of Egypt when it should appear. The chamber voted a resolution of thanks to the armies and national guards, and to the federates who pacified La Vendée. The number of commissaries to the army were augmented.

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I should mention that in this, as well as in the previous sittings, addresses from corps of federates in various parts of France, swearing to maintain the national independence, have been read to the chamber. The abbé Gregoire has also prayed, by a letter, that the abolition of the slave trade may not be forgotten in the forthcoming constitution.

In the house of peers to-day, Count Thibaudeau reported from the committee appointed to examine the address to the people by the representatives, "that the address was recommended to be adopted by the house:" he made a long speech, tending to show from Lord Clancarty's letter, and the Emperor of Austria's declaration, that, if the allies kept to their engagements, they would not interfere in the election of the French monarch. It was ordered to be printed and distributed by a majority of 44 to 6. The chamber adopted the address, and separated at four o'clock in the afternoon.

Every thing is perfectly tranquil in the town;

the gardens of the Tuileries are more frequented than usual; and, from the Boulevard Montmartre to the Chinese Baths, there are no less than twenty cabinets for the readers of the journals, who assist their speculations by the numerous maps of the seat of war, that is to say, the villages near Paris, which are hung upon every stall. The Français and the Operahouse are shut, but the other playhouses still continue open. The number of peasants who have been driven in by the enemy amount, it is said, to at least thirty thousand. Their little carts loaded with mattrasses and household furniture, in which are seated the women and children and aged, are still seen traversing the streets. Where they find an asylum I know not. No apprehension is yet entertained for the failure of provisions; 1200 oxen yesterday entered Paris from the fair of Poissy, and a great number of Lorrain provision-carts have also arrived.

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