648 Notes and Reflections during a Tour, 



from the royal booths. Perhaps one cause of the fatal contempt 

 in which Charles seems to have held his subjects, may have 

 arisen from the repetition of these brutalising scenes ; as, from 

 the general seclusion of his habits, he saw but little of any other 

 portion of the Parisians than these polissons, who may be con- 

 sidered the very lowest dregs of the people : and persons are 

 generally apt to draw deductions solely from what they see, 

 forgetting how wrong it is to judge of a whole from detached 

 parts. It is thus very possible that the ideas which Charles- 

 acquired of the working classes in France^ from the annual 

 disgusting exhibitions of the Champs Elysees, should, together 

 with the influence exercised over him by the priests, have led 

 to his extraordinary infatuation. That the Catholic priests 

 should wish to keep the people in slavery is not surprising,, 

 because freedom of opinion in politics might be naturally 

 expected to lead to freedom of opinion in religion ; and that 

 Charles's bigoted notions should have made him easily yield 

 to their wishes is also not to be wondered at : but, had he not 

 been deceived in his ideas of the real character of the people 

 over whom he ruled, he would not have dared to attempt to 

 treat them as he did. Happily the days of ignorance and 

 slavery are both rapidly passing from the earth ; and the time 

 is coming when kings will find it necessary to study the dis- 

 positions and inclinations of their subjects, and when their 

 subjects will have become so virtuous and enlightened as to 

 be well worthy of such consideration. 



Tivoli is the most fashionable and best frequented of the 

 public gardens of festivity in Paris, and may be called the 

 Parisian Vauxhall. It is, however, very inferior to the Vaux- 

 hall of London, both in extent and variety. The principal 

 attraction used formerly to be the Montagnes Musses ,- the 

 amusement of which consisted in sliding in a car down an 

 inclined plane with great velocity. The other diversions in- 

 clude bands of music, minor theatres, puppet-shows, and 

 charlatans, the evenings generally concluding with a display 

 of magnificent fireworks. The company are accommodated 

 with ices and other refreshments, of which they partake sitting 

 in alcoves, or on chairs among the trees. 



The Gardens of Beaujeu, and others of similar description to 

 Tivoli, differ so slightly as to seem undeserving of particular 

 description. 



The Guinguettes are public gardens of festivity for the lower 

 orders : they are chiefly in or near the Fauxbourgs St. An- 

 toine and St. Denis, and on the Mont Rouge side of Paris. 

 They arej -generally, neatly kept gardens, with little cabinets, 

 or alcoves, within thickets of young elms. These alcoves are 



