2 THE CHAMPS ELYSEES. 



scarcely penetrate, and turning them into gems of bosky 

 verdure and sweetness; by piercing them with long wide 

 streets, flanked with lines of green trees ; and, in a word, by 

 relieving in every possible direction -man's work in stone 

 with the changeful and therefore everpleasing beauty of 

 vegetable life. 



In Paris, public gardening assumes an importance which 

 it does not possess with us ; it is not confined to parks in one 

 end of the town, and absent from the places where it is most 

 wanted. It follows the street builders with trees, turns the 

 little squares into gardens unsurpassed for good taste and 

 beauty, drops down graceful fountains here and there, and 

 margins them with flowers ; it presents to the eye of the 

 poorest workman every charm of vegetation; it brings him 

 pure air, and aims directly and effectively at the recrea- 

 tion and benefit of the people. The result is so good, that 

 it is well worthy our attention. To understand and discuss 

 it with advantage we cannot do better than commence in 

 the Place de la Concorde, and afterwards walk up the Avenue 

 des Champs Elysees, and into the gardens of the Louvre and 

 the Tuileries — the chain of gardens about here forming a 

 vast open space in the very heart of Paris. 



The Place de la Concorde is not a garden, but a noble 

 open space, admirable from its breadth and boldness, a 

 worthy centre to the fine streets and avenue that diverge 

 from it, embellished by fine fountains and some statues, 

 and with a terrible history. By looking to the east the 

 Palace of the Tuileries may be seen through the opening 

 made in the wood of chestnuts by the central walk, and 

 to the west is the Avenue des Champs Elysees. If the reader 

 who has not visited Paris will suppose a wide pleasure 

 ground flanking the lower part of Regent-street, and 

 having a grand tree-bordered avenue passing through its 

 centre straight away to the highest point of the broad walk 

 in the Regent's Park, and there crested by an immense 

 triumphal arch— the largest in the world, 161 feet high and 

 145 wide— he may be able to form some idea of what the 

 scene is, immediately after passing from the Place de la 

 Concorde. 



