lity in the mornings is paying visits in carriages; in the evening the Cour de la Mayne is much frequented, and is a great rendezvous of persons of the best quality. The place indeed is as commodious as it is pleasant; there being three alleys of great length ranging with the Seine, planted with high trees, and inclosed at each end with magnificent gates; in the centre is a very large circle to enable the carriages to turn. The middle alley or drive affords room for at least four rows of carriages, and each side alley for two rows; so that, supposing each row to contain eighty carriages, the whole when full may amount to between six and seven hundred. On the field side, adjoining the alleys, are several acres of meadow ground planted with trees in the form of the quincunx, in order that the company may, if so disposed, walk on the turf in the heat of summer, and yet be protected from the

sun.

In one respect this cours is inferior to the drive in Hyde-Park; viz. that if it be full, you cannot twice in the hour meet with the company you may wish to see; and besides, you are confined to one particular line. Oc casionally too, the princes of the blood visit the cours, and drive at pleasure from one alley to another, causing a strange interruption and confusion. Besides, if the weather has been rainy, the road, being very badly gravelled, becomes so miry that there is no driving on it.

They who are disposed to take the air further out of the town have the choice of two woods, one at its eastern, the other at its western extremity; viz. the Bois de Bologne, and the Bois de Vincennes. Both

In

are commodious; but the latter affords most shade, and is the pleasantest. In the outer court of the latter are some very ancient Roman statues. the Bois de Bologne is a castle, which is called Madrid. It was built by Francis the first, and is altogether Moresque, in imitation of one in Spain. It has at least two rows of covered galleries passing quite round the four fronts of it. Such an arrangement in a hot country must be very refreshing and delightful. This structure is said to have been designed for a much hotter climate than that of France, but which that king had no inclination to visit a second time.

Towards eight or nine o'clock the greatest part of the company return from the cours by water, and land at the garden gate of the Tuilleries, where they walk in the cool of the evening. The disposition of this garden is in the best taste, and the garden itself is in its prime; so that M. le Nôtre, who contrived it, had the satisfaction not only of seeing it in its infancy, but of enjoying the perfection of his labours.

The moving furniture of this garden at this hour of the evening, is certainly one of the noblest sights. At my departure, when I took my leave of a lady of quality, Madame M. she asked me what pleased me most that I had seen in Paris? I answered her civilly, as I ought to do; she would not, however, accept my compliment, but urged me for a further answer. I then told her, that I was just come from seeing what pleased me most, which was the middle walk of the Tuilleries

in June, between eight and nine at night; adding that I did not think there was in the whole world a more agreeable place than that alley, at that time of the evening, and of the year,

CHAP. X.

OF THE GARDENS IN AND NEAR TO PARIS.

I AM now to speak of the gardens of Paris, and shall offer a short account of all such of them as I saw, that were of any note.

The garden of the Tuilleries is very extensive, and on two of its sides has a terrace; one of them, being adjacent to the Seine, is planted with trees, and is made very amusing with vast parterres, in the centre of which are large fountains of water, which are constantly playing. One end of this terrace adjoins the front of that magnificent palace the Louvre; the other end slopes off, and for the sake of the prospect, lies open to the fields. The rest of the garden is distributed into walks, lawns and shrubberies, with a great number of seats for the accommodation of those who are tired: there was in the Tuilleries one embellishment with which I was greatly delighted, viz. an amphitheatre, with the stage, pit, and seats, and covered alleys, leading from all sides to the stage, and affording the most charming scenes. Nothing can be more pleasing than this garden, in the shrubberries of which, although it is almost in the heart of

the city, blackbirds, thrushes, and nightingales, sing without restraint or interruption; for no birds are suffered to be destroyed here, and the fields around and close to Paris, abound with partridges and all other game.

The garden of the Palais of Luxembourg is also extremely large, and has in its appearance something champetre, or rural, not unlike St. James's park. It is less frequented now than it was formerly, in consequence of the injury done to the walks by the hard winters, which have destroyed the fences. Still, however, it has its fountains and parterres, and some well shaded alleys; and in point of the purity and salubrity of the air, it is preferable to the Tuilleries, being more elevated, and nearer to the fields of the Fauxbourg of St. Germains.

The king's physic garden is very spacious, and

a Dr. Lister's description of this delightful garden is far from doing justice to it; I shall therefore supply its deficiency by inserting the following account of it, evidently drawn up by an eye-witness:

"There is a garden in this city, (Paris) which is called the king's; it is appropriated by the royal bounty of the kings of France, to the service and improvement of the students in physic. A yearly stipend is settled on an approved physician, whose office it is to take care that no plant or herb be wanting, and to deliver a lecture in latin every morning, during the summer, on the simples which grow there. He who now fills the office is a very learned and ingenious man, and takes great pains to make the students, who are very numerous, perfect herbalists; and he demonstrates the plants with an action so graceful, and explains them with such eloquent language, and with so composed a spirit, that all who are