To the ladies.

As I have set out with professing to render my work of as much utility as possible, I am desirous of giving my fair countrywomen the benefit of my own experience in Paris, by indicating to them those establishments wherein they may abstract a portion of the contents of their purse, without having cause to think that it has been recklessly dissipated, as no one more than myself would regret to see their "glittering money fly like chaff before the wind," so am I extremely tenacious that they should only barter it for its full value, and as I know ladies must and will have perfumes, however superfluous in most instances, for it is but adding "sweets to the sweets," I shall conduct them to the emporium of delicious odours, appertaining to M. Blanche, whose dealings I can assure them are as pure as his name; he has besides the merit of being an excellent chymist, and the still greater merit of having devoted his talents to the fair sex, and in that point which they appreciate most highly, the embellishment and preservation of their personal attractions; he has therefore invented a peculiar description of vegetable soap, called Savon VÉgÉtal de Guimauve, which is so renowned amongst the Paris belles, that I should not be surprised at their forming themselves into a committee, and voting an address of thanks to M. Blanche for the signal services he has rendered to the cause of beauty, as not only are the medicinal powers attributed to this savon, of removing any impurities and softening the skin, but also that of giving it a smooth satiny lustre, which may be compared to adding the last coup de grÂce to the female charms. In addition to these advantages it possesses that of having the most agreeable scent; its merits have in fact obtained it a patent and it is only sold at the establishment of M. Blanche, No. 48, Passage Choiseul, where also may be procured every description of perfumery and a variety of other articles, all good of their kind, as the proprietor would consider the vending of an inferior quality as a stain upon his character and upon his fair name.

Formerly the English ladies were very sharp and pointed in their reflexions upon French needles, much more so indeed than the objects to which their sarcasms were directed, which in fact were but blunt and brittle ware, and the consequence was that they not only tried all their own little arts to smuggle over as many as they could when they came from England, but they exacted the same pecadillo from their unfortunate friends; now of all things I most hate smuggling, principally I admit from the fear of being caught; which I think excessively disagreeable. Judge then how rejoiced I was when informed by some of my fair friends that there were as good needles to be had at the Maison Bierri, À la Ville de Lille, 32, Faubourg St. HonorÉ, as any that could be procured in London, and one respectable matron insisted that it was a moral duty incumbent upon me to mention an establishment so exceedingly useful to my countrywomen, not only because it contains so many articles which females are constantly requiring, but that every thing they have is of so superior a quality; in fact nothing would satisfy the good lady but my going myself to see how it was crowded with purchasers.

I obeyed, and in good truth found the shop quite like a fair, but the most perfect order and arrangement prevailing, the proprietor constantly upon the watch to see that the young people were civil and attentive to the customers, who were purchasing a variety of articles and particularly ribbands; of which there appeared a most brilliant assortment, and I heard it observed that in that department the Maison Bierri had a celebrity unique. There were also as great diversity of fringe, net, blonde, muslin, mercery, lace, jaconas, linings, worsteds, all kinds of haberdashery, etc., etc. I also remarked that in every drawer, containing the different articles which were produced, the prices were marked, so that in case of the least demur regarding the charge, a reference to the label decides the affair. By the excellence of his goods, the regular system upon which the business is conducted, and the assiduity of all concerned in the Maison Bierri, he has attracted numbers of the English, and amongst the rest the Ambassadress, and there is always some person attending who speaks their language. In the exterior there is no attempt at display; like many of the most respectable establishments, it depends so entirely on its extensive connexions, as not to need any efforts to promote publicity, and every one residing at Paris must have heard of the reputation of the Maison Bierri; it is particularly convenient for the English, being in the quarter in which they mostly dwell.

As there is no department of the toilet by which ladies either so disfigure or embellish themselves, as the hat, bonnet, or cap, I must beseech my fair countrywomen to procure those articles from such persons alone who have as it were obtained a diploma for good taste; as I am most anxious that when Englishwomen are in France, that they should in every respect appear to the best advantage; now as I consider that which adorns the head as having so important a bearing upon the beauty of a female, deep and frequent were my cogitations upon the subject, before I could make up my mind what modiste I should recommend to the patronage of my countrywomen, as I would not have the sin upon my head, for all the mines of Golconda, of having been accessary to an Englishwoman putting on a hat or bonnet that did not become her; therefore, after mature deliberation, I determined to call a council of all my female acquaintances, and beg of them to hold a debate upon this knotty point; the result was most satisfactory, the question being carried without a division, in fact there was not one dissentient voice, the name of Madame de Barenne being pronounced by one and all at the same moment; it being observed that there were several persons who had attained a certain degree of celebrity as modistes, but for uniting grace, elegance and simplicity with an artistical gusto, there were none in Paris who surpassed Madame de Barenne (14 place VendÔme). I have before alluded to this lady, and certainly have observed that her manners, her apartments, and every thing around her has an air distinguÉ, and although I would never have the presumption of giving an opinion upon articles so far above my judgment, yet I can record the opinion of those who are considered true connaisseurs, from whom I learn that at Madame de Barenne's, hats, bonnets, caps, and turbans, of every variety, are arranged with the utmost perfection, the materials being of the most superior description consistent with the season of the year, adorned with marabouts, bird of paradise feathers, aigrettes, flowers from the celebrated Constantin, all selected from those houses which have the most renown for the respective articles in which they deal, but which are introduced with so much taste and judgment, that besides her ingenuity, having obtained a patent, she has been specially appointed modiste to the Queen of Belgium, the Princess ClÉmentine, and the Duchess de Nemours.

Not far from the English Ambassador's, in the centre as it were of what may be termed the English quarter, is an establishment styled La Tentation, which from the variety and excellence of its goods operates on the visiter consistently with its title. It is a Magasin de NouveautÉs, containing almost every article appertaining to the toilet, as linen, drapery, hosiery, fancy goods, etc., and is on that extensive scale, that their assortment possesses every diversity that can be desired, whilst even the most fastidious cannot fail of meeting that which must suit their taste. This establishment is not like many in the same way of business, who spend a little fortune in advertising their goods, incurring tremendous expenses in obtruding themselves and their merchandise before the public, and then making that public pay the outlay they have made upon newspapers, pamphlets, etc., by either charging higher prices, or laying in stock of inferior quality, thereby even at an apparently moderate price they are enabled to obtain higher profits, whilst by continuing their puffing advertisements, they hope constantly to attract a new supply of dupes.

La Tentation, on the contrary, calculate only upon obtaining and retaining connexion, by keeping none but good articles, and selling them at a small profit; strict attention and civility to their customers, and having a stock ever consistent with the changes of the fashions and seasons, by a constant adherence to these objects a durable success has been effected. The progress of this establishment has been worthy of remark, commencing under a humble roof upon a modest scale, until with the process of time the proprietors were emboldened to enlarge their premises when at length it increased to its present magnitude, occupying a considerable portion of a noble mansion This has been achieved by a judicious selection of stock, with constant perseverance, and conducting their business on honourable principles, it is just such an establishment as is calculated to please the English, where great neatness and cleanliness is observed, and everything conducted in a quiet and unassuming manner. The charges on each article are fixed at a price that will admit of no diminution, and the English have the satisfaction of knowing that they pay no more than the French, which perhaps is not the case in all houses in Paris; persons wishing to view the goods are not pressed to purchase unless they feel disposed to do so, and however trifling may be the amount, they are not tormented, as in too many shops, to buy more than they wish. Whatever articles are selected are sent punctually to the residence of the parties at the time required, and orders, whether personally or by letter, meet with the strictest attention. There is always some person belonging to the establishment who speaks English. La Tentation is situated No. 67, Rue Faubourg St. HonorÉ, at the corner of the Avenue de Marigny.

Perhaps there is no branch of the arts which has been wrought to so high a perfection as that of making artificial flowers, and no place in the world where it is practised to such an extent as Paris, or with so high a degree of talent; but although it has been long and justly celebrated for the exquisite taste developed in forming bouquets, wherein all the varieties of colour are so assembled as to display each other to the best advantage, yet so arranged that a certain harmony should pervade the whole; still M. Constantin has discovered the means of availing himself of the abilities of the Parisians in this department of the art, that he has elevated it to a degree of altitude it had never before attained, and in fact his flowers have become so exclusively the mode, that if a lady wear any whatever, it would be offending her to suppose that they were any other than those of M. Constantin. Indeed, it is impossible to enter his apartments without feeling a thorough conviction of the elegance of his taste, first passing through a long corridor between two rows of real flowers, proving that he fears not the rivality of nature, conscious that his own works unite the same beauties of tints and colours which her highest powers can produce, and one room into which his customers are introduced, unites a degree of taste in the richness and splendour of its ornamental objects, with that proper tone of keeping which is pleasing to the eye; but it is at his little boudoir that the beholder is astonished, such luxuriant magnificence as is therein displayed can only be imagined from a description presented in the Arabian Nights! in fact the Dutch Ambassador was so delighted with the exquisite arrangement of this superb specimen of sumptuous decoration, that he requested permission to bring an artist to take an exact copy of the elegant little chamber and its contents, to form a similar boudoir for the Queen of Holland. As M. Constantin is now arrived at the summit of his profession, he is enabled to command prices commensurate with his talents, and has some bouquets as high as 1000 francs, but there are articles which may be purchased at the moderate charge of 10 francs; his residence is No. 37, Rue Neuve St. Augustin. M. Constantin possesses the recommendation of being extremely particular as to the morality and propriety of conduct with his young persons, and that degree of decorum is constantly preserved, that any ladies visiting his apartments will find the same order and discipline maintained as in the strictest boarding-schools.

I know not whether it is the case with all men, but I believe it is, that the first time I see a lady, I naturally look in her face, then my next impulse is to look at her foot; now as I have already done my utmost for my countrywomen for the ornamenting of the former, in recommending them to Madame de Barenne, I must now endeavour to serve them in respect to the latter, reminding them that in Lord Normandy's novel of "Yes and No," he observes, speaking of the feet of Parisian females, "How exquisitely they decorate that part of the person," and as I have already remarked that I do not wish English ladies in any one particular to yield to Parisian or any other ladies, I must request that they will, as soon as possible after they arrive at Paris, apply to M. Hoffman, No. 8, Rue de la Paix, who will fit them in such a light and elegant manner, giving such a "jolie tournure" to the foot, that they will scarcely know their own feet again, after having been accustomed to be shod in the English fashion; for although I have a very exalted idea of the transcendant talents of my countrymen, I do not consider that the vein of their abilities at all runs in the shoemaking line. M. Hoffman's residence is at the end of a court-yard, almost as quiet and as retired as if it were in a convent; his articles will be found of the best quality, both he and Madame speak English, and rival each other in attention and civility to their customers; they have an assortment of the different specimens of their work, consisting of every variety which is worn, according with the fashion and season.

I believe every lady before she quits England with the intention of visiting Paris, has already made up her mind to make some purchase of lace pretty soon after her arrival; to prevent them therefore from falling into bad hands, I recommend them to go at once to one of the most extensive and respectable establishments in that department of any in Paris, indeed I believe I may truly add the most so. It is one of those large wholesale houses of the French metropolis that transact business with all parts of the world in lace, ribbands, and silks; it is situated at No. 2^ter, Rue Choiseul, the firm is Messrs. Bellart, Louys and Delcambre, where every description of blonde and lace, in all its multitudinous variety, from the most simple to the richest, rarest and most costly, will be found, and at extremely reasonable prices, as so many retail dealers furnish themselves from this establishment; besides which, they are themselves manufacturers of black Chantilly lace and white blonde. This concern has the character of being solely wholesale, but they make an exception with regard to lace. Their collection of ribbands is unrivalled both for the beauty and extent. They have also a most valuable assortment of silks, satins, velvets, stuffs, brocade, embroidery of gold and silver, etc., etc., selected with extreme taste and judgment, and indeed Mme de Barenne owes a great portion of her success to having supplied herself from this house with the material which she required, as being of so very superior a quality, it gave great vogue to whatever was produced by her ingenuity, to which certainly her own talents contributed in the taste displayed in the disposition and arrangement of the different articles, independent of their own excellence.

Whatever rivalry there may be between different countries, respecting their divers produce and manufactures, with regard to gloves none would have the audacity to cast the gauntlet at France, which has ever held the supremacy over other nations in that department, yet it has recently been elevated a step higher by an invention of M. Mayer, of No. 26, Rue de la Paix, for which he has been granted a king's patent, consisting in what are termed ball gloves, which are so made as to button and lace about half way up the arm, which prevents them from slipping down upon the wrist, they are besides furnished with trimmings also invented by M. Mayer, which may either be of the utmost simplicity, or of the richest description, and may be composed of either satin, velvet, lace, gold, or even pearls and diamonds may be and are frequently introduced; they may be also furnished with tassels which may be formed of materials equally costly, thus the trimmings of these gloves may either be had for four francs or may cost twenty guineas and upwards, according to the desires of the wearers. In fact M. Mayer has introduced a degree of luxury and splendour in the decorations of gloves, which has given them an importance in the toilet which they never before possessed, and have become so much the vogue with ladies of the highest distinction, that they have obtained for M. Mayer the privilege of furnishing the royal family of France, the Empress of Russia, the Queens of Naples, Spain, Belgium, etc. M. Mayer also occupies himself with gentlemen's gloves, and has just invented a peculiar description, without gussets between the fingers, by which means they set closer to the hand, and are not so liable to be come unsewed as by the former method; he has them likewise so arranged as to button at the side instead of the middle, which always left an unsightly aperture. Now I think of it, these last few lines had no business in the ladies' chapter, as they allude to that which are worn solely by gentlemen, but I dare say that my fair readers, if they find M. Mayer's gloves merit my commendations, will be equally anxious that their husbands, brothers, or sons should furnish themselves at the same place and excuse the intrusion. M. Mayer has a private apartment tastefully fitted up, appropriated for the ladies, where they can make their selections as uninterrupted and unobserved as at their own homes.

Next door to M. Mayer's, at No. 28, is an establishment which has received very distinguished and extensive patronage, known by the appellation of La Maison Lucy Hocquet, not only for hats, bonnets, capotes and turbans, but also for pelerines, fichus À la paysanne, canzous, chemisettes, collars, habit shirts, parures de spectacles, etc.; in these articles they have been so celebrated for the taste and elegance with which they are arranged, that the fame of their talents has attracted around them many of the most influential ladies in Paris, as also several of the most celebrated artistes whose good taste and jugement are proverbial; amongst others may be cited Mlle Rachel. La Maison Lucy Hocquet likewise furnishes several crowned heads, as the Empress of Russia, Queen of Portugal, etc., and amongst the leading personages of Paris, the Princess Demidoff, the Duchesses d'EckmÜhl, de Montebello, de Valmy, Marquise d'Osmond, etc. To the above list might be added many names of the English nobility, who still continue to be supplied from this establishment, which independent of the merit which is displayed in the arrangement of every article which it produces, is also highly recommendable on account of the attentive civility which they extend to all who may have occasion to apply to them.