his çaftle of Villebon. The house is plain, and large. The grounds are difpofed after the fashion of ancient

As we approached the capital, the country looked very rich and luxuriant. We paffed through the forest of St. Germains, where there is a noble palace, The foreft abounds built upon a lofty mountain.

with game, and formerly afforded the delights of the chafe to the royal Nimrods of France. Its numerous green alleys are between two and three miles long, and in the form of radii unite in a centre. The foreft and park extend to the barrier, through which, we immediately entered the town of St. Germains, distant from Paris about twelve miles which is a large and populous place, and in former periods, during the royal refidence, was rich and flourishing, but having participated in the bleffings of the revolution, presents an appearance of confiderable poverty, and fqualid decay. Here we changed horfes for the laft poft, and ran down a fine, broad paved, royal road through rows of stately elms, upon an inclined plane, until the distant, and wide, but clear display of majeftic domes, awful towers, and lofty fpires, informed us that we approached the capital. I could not help comparing them with their cloud-capped brethren of London, over whofe dim-discovered heads, a floating mafs of unhealthy smoke, forever, fufpends its heavy length of gloom. Our carriage ftopped at the Norman Barrier, which is the grand entrance to Pa

ris, and here presents a magnificent profpect to the eye. The barrier is formed of two very large, and aoble military stone lodges, having porticoes, on all fides, fupported by maffy doric pillars. Thefe buildings were given to the nation, by the national affembly in the year 1792, and are feparated from each other, by a range of iron gates, adorned with republican emblems. Upon a gentle declivity; through quadruple rows of elms, at the diftance of a mile and a half, the gigantic ftatues of la Place de la Concorde (ci-devant, de la Revolution) appear; beyond which, the gardens, and the palace of the Thuilleries, upon the centre tower of which, the tricoloured flag was waving, from the back, fcene of this fplendid fpectacle. Before we entered la Place de la Concorde, we paffed on each fide of us, the beautiful, and favorite walks of the Parifians, called les Champs Elyfèes, and afterwards, on our left, the elegant palace of the Garde-meuble; where we entered the streets of Paris, and foon afterwards alighted at the bureau of the diligences; from which place, I took a fiacre (a hackney coach) and about fix o'clock in the evening presented myself to the mifirefs of the hotel de Rouen, for the women of France generally tranfact all the mafculine duties of the houfe. To. this hotel I was recommended by Meffrs Gup on mentioning whofe name, I was very politely fhown up to a fuite of pleafant apartments, confifting of an anti-room, bed-room, and dreffing-room, the

two latter were charmingly fituated, the windows of which, looked out upon an agreeable garden belonging to the palace of Louvre. For thefe rooms I paid the moderate price of three livres a day. Here, after enjoying thofe comforts which travellers after long journies, require, and a good dinner into the bargain, about nine o'clock at night I fallied out to the Palais Royal, a fuperb palace built by the late duke d'Orleans, who, when he was erecting it, publicly boafted, that he would make it one of the greatest brothels in Europe, in which prediction he fucceeded, to the full confummation of his abominable withes. This palace is now the property of the nation. The grand entrance is from the Rue St. Honoroè, a long street, fomething resembling the Piccadilly of London, but deftitute, like all the other streets of Paris, of that ample breadth, and paved footway, for the accommodation, of pedestrian paffengers, which give fuch a decided fuperiority to the streets of the capital of England. After paffing through two noble courts, I entered the piazza, of this amazing pile; which is built of ftone, upon arches, fupported by Corinthian pilafters. Its form is an oblong square, with gardens, and walks in the centre. The whole is confidered to be, about one thousand four hundred feet long, and three hundred feet broad. The finest hops of Paris for jewelry, watches, clocks, mantau

*

makers,reftaurateurs, China magazines, &c. form the back of the piazza, which on all the fides of this im menfe fabric, affords a very fine promenade. Thefe shops once made a part of the ofpeculation, of their mercenary and abandoned mafter, to whom they each paid a rent after the rate of two or three hundred pounds fterling per annum. This place prefents a scene of profligate voluptuousness, not to be equalled upon any spot in Europe. Women of any character are almost afraid to appear here at noon day; and a ftranger would conceive, that at night, he faw before him, one third of the beauty of Paris.

Under the roof of this palace are two theatres, mufeums of curiofities, the tribunate, gaming houfes, billiard rooms, buillotte clubs, ball rooms, &c. all opening into the gardens, the windows of which threw, from their numerous lamps, and luftres, a Stream of gay and gaudy light upon the walks below, and afforded the appearance of a vaft illumination. At the bottom was a large pavilion, finely illuminated, in which were groups of people regaling themselves with lemonade, and ices. Upon this fpot, in the early parts of the revolution, the celebrated Camille Defmoulins used to declaim against the abufes of the eld government, to all the idle and difaffected of. Paris. It is faid that the liveries of the duc de Ór

+

*Reftaurateur is now univerfally ufed inftead of

traiteur.

leans gave birth to the republican colors, which used to be displayed in the hats of his auditors, who in point of rectability resembled the motley reformers of Chalk arm. From the caroufing rooms under ground, thear was filled with the founds of mufic, and the buzzing of crowds; in fhort fuch a scene of midnight revelry and diffipation I never before be held.

Upon my return to my hotel, I was a little furprised to find the streets of this gay city fo meanly lighted. Lamps placed at gloomy distances from each other, fufpended by cords, from lofty poles, furnish the only means of directing the footsteps of the nocturnal wanderer.

CHAPTER IX, 1

French reception.-Voltaire. Reftaurateur.-Confular Guard.-Mufic.-Venetian Horfes.-Gates of the Palace.-Gardens of the Thuilleris.—Statues.-The faithful Vafe.-The Sabine Picture.-Monfieur Perregaux.-Marquis de Chatelet.-Madame Peregaux. -Beaux and Bells of Paris.

I FORGOT, in my laft chapter, to mention that I paid for my place, and luggage in the diligence, from Rouen to Paris, a distance of ninety miles, twenty three livres and eighteen fols. The next môrning after my arrival, and a good night's repofe in a