132 THE PAEKS AND GAEDBNS OF PARIS. [Chap. IX. 



has been chiefly effected by her vast system of wide streets and 

 roads bordered with trees, and with footways as wide as many of 

 the old streets. These streets do not merely pass through the city in 

 a few important lines, bnt pierce it in every direction, and are 

 designed upon a far-seeing and systematic plan. Many visitors 

 who walk along the crowded boulevards of central Paris, who see 

 those extending in all directions from the Arc de Triomphe and 

 offering bold approaches to every important position, may yet 

 have but a meagre idea of their vast extent in the outward and 

 less-known regions of the city. The elm-bordered Boulevards 

 Sebastopol and St. Michel cut through Paris from north to south 

 in a straight line, and on their way effectually open up the old 

 Latin quarter and many others as bad ; while beyond their outer 

 extremities and between the fortifications and the central districts 

 still larger boulevards sweep round, wide enough to be planted 

 with groves of trees, and to prevent overcrowding for all time. 

 Immediately within the fortifications there is a wide boulevard 

 running round the city under various names for many miles, 

 while from every circular open space — like the Place du Trone, 

 Place du Trocadero, Place d'ltalie, or Place de I'Etoile — broad 

 tree-planted streets radiate. In fact the whole of the space 

 within the fortifications is netted over by them, and the outer 

 and less-frequented boulevards are often much wider than the 

 central ones. In many instances these outer boulevards pass 

 through parts but thinly or not at all populated, so that the 

 buildings of the future cannot encroach upon the space necessary 

 for free circulation, air, and trees. 



How backward we are in England, those can tell who know 

 what has been done of late years in such cities as Eouen, Lyons, 

 and Paris, and are also acquainted with our own sooty, packed, 

 and cheerless cities. Are our cities and towns to remain a mere 

 agglomeration of ruts which form such an excellent contrivance 

 for preventing foul vapours to escape from the town ? At first 

 sight there does not seem any reason why the places where men 

 most congregate should be those from which all who can afford it, 

 escape as often as possible; though, doubtless, in a country 

 where the laws of supply and demand regjilate everything and 

 everybody in such a satisfactory way, one would not have far to 

 travel for reasons why things are right as they are. Nevertheless, 



