public square, by the consent of the municipal authorities, for a few weeks at a time. And, doubtless, since the War, impoverished families have found it a means for the disposal of precious treasures, which they can no longer afford to keep.

As I was led to say of Rome, at the beginning of my wanderings, that, many sided-historic, artistic, socialit meets every demand, and stands almost alone, in these respects, among modern cities. This has spontaneously led Byron to exclaim, in which he speaks for all cosmopolites -almost with affection-"Oh Rome! My country! City of the soul! The orphans of the heart must turn to thee, lone mother of dead Empires." Lost in the labyrinth of a complex civilization of doubt and death, of art and society, we turn to Rome. She has something with which to gratify all her children, and that, possibly, is the secret of her charm.

"I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done
Than one of twenty to follow mine own teaching."

HERE are few more attractive places in Europe during the winter months than the Riviera dí Ponente, that part of France and Italy, fronting on the Mediterranean and facing the south. There, along a coast line rounded by bays and broken by promontories, are the beautiful towns of Cannes, Nice, Monaco and Mentone. For the most part they are in nooks and clefts, embraced by terraced, oliveclad hills, which serve the double purpose of reflectnig the warm sun, and opposing a barrier to the incursions by winter winds. Thus favored, the whole coast enjoys a climate equable and dry; and when to this is added that which follows from it, namely a fruitful earth and an appreciative population, the luxuriance of nature and the magnificence of artifice, are not a matter of surprise.

But, of these towns, none are as chamring as Monaco, which occupies a central place almost equi-distant from Nice and Mentone, and is, in its position and possessions,

the most unique feature of the Riviera. Tolerated by France and Italy, it is the smallest principality in Europe, having a limited jurisdiction over an area, some six square miles in extent. Over its destinies presides the House of Grimaldi, which, though in territorial importance, it may be small, yet on history's page is large; for the renown of its warriors on field and flood is well authenticated. The stronghold of Monaco is itself the palpable evidence of the military prestige and skill of its ancient house, and remains to-day one of the most interesting relics of medieval Europe.

On a neck of rock extending into the sea and surrounded towering walls of massive architecture, the city and citadel are situated. The sea makes it almost an island, and, from the watery surface, the land rises abruptly several hundred feet. Besides this natural advantage, the walls, growing like an engrafted stem, spring from the oblique rocks and appear majestically in turrets and battlements. It is a very pretty sight-but that is all it is. We can conceive of the time when it was a defense against which no enemy could prevail, but the flood of years has brought an enemy who antagonizes things rather than men: Science has rendered this absolutely secure position of one century the mere curiosity of another.

But, leaving Monaco, and moving westwardly, the high line of coast descends, and, after making a graceful bend, rises shortly in the height and promontory of Monte Carlo. This is the soul of the Riviera. The absence of wide fields is atoned for in the concentration of loveliness. "The sky's eternal calm, the ceaseless droop and rustle of the palm," acquaint you of your tropical habita