at bay for a dozen days, but hardly for more. According to five or six old official reports Paris had in its walls 2,238 mortars, cannon, and howitzers, 575 rampart guns, 200,000 muskets, 1,500 rocket-tubes, 2,700 gun-carriages; but these were mere paper cannon, &c., for according to M. Gambetta's own proclamation, dated Tours, October 10, the

entire

enceinte last month only possessed 500 cannon: but now it has-if indeed there be such a thing as official truth in France-3,800 cannon, with 400 rounds of ammunition for each. If this be so, and the men of Marengo and Austerlitz left any sons, the somewhat arrogant Prussians may still have a hot quarter of an hour before the 65 entrances of Paris and its 94 fronts of 355 mètres each be forced. But if it be true that Mont Valérien, the key of all Paris, is commanded by Prussian batteries, forts Charenton, Nogent, Rosny, Noisy, Romainville, d'Issy, Roucroy, and Vanveres must fall like card houses in the first week's whirlwind of fire.

The history of the one day's siege of the beautiful city by the allies in 1814 is not encouraging to the friends of Paris or those who sympathize with her in this bitter hour; yet in many respects it must be allowed, even by the firmest believers in Prussian forethought and determination, that Paris is now much stronger than in 1814. The modern fortifications enclose the side of Paris then most hotly disputed. On its paralyzed side the river defends it. The attack will be on the strong Montmartre side, as when the Russian grenadiers

struggled with Mortier's men for Belleville and Romainville, now safe from the enemy. In 1814 there were scarcely 40,000 men to be got together to defend Paris from Austrian and Cossack. The cannon were under 200, no barricades were thrown up, the redoubts at the barriers were mere palisaded 'tambours' without ditches. Yet even the unsupported handful did brave battle for a day against the allied force of 250,000 men. There were no twelve leagues of walls then, no sixteen citadels. The wood of Vincennes may now see a sterner fight, and Montmartre look down on a fiercer struggle, than on that day when 6,000 dead Frenchmen, and 10,000 Austrians, Prussians, and Russians strewed the gardens and orchards of Bagnolet, Près St. Gervais, and Pantin.

However we may condemn the Parisians for the levity and rashness with which they plunged (or allowed themselves to be plunged) into this cruel, wicked, and unnecessary war, we cannot but pity them at this crisis, they are so brave, so chivalrous, so hopeful. If in their fierce despair they are not wise enough to surrender, then let them strike a stout blow for life. Wave, Paris, all thy banners wave, And forward with thy chivalry.' Already the bayonets gather, the drums roll, the German cannon wait only the signal to open the last act of this ghastly drama; and we, standing passive, with pity in our hearts for both nations, can only repeat the cry of the heralds at the tournaments of old

'God shaw the right.'

WALTER THORNBURY.