90 THE SQUARES, PLACES, CHURCH GARDENS, ETC. 



where the inhabitants were so turbulent and revolutionary 

 that they would soon pull down the trees, pluck the flowers, 

 and pull up the plants by the roots. " Experience, however, 

 has shown how utterly this opinion was devoid of founda- 

 tion. At the inauguration of the Pare de Monceaux all the 

 gates were thrown open to the crowd. No surveillance was 

 exercised over the 50,000 persons who crowded the walks. 

 At the end of the day the total amount of damage done 

 only amounted to some forty-five francs for a few turf 

 borders that had been trampled upon. This fact is per- 

 fectly conclusive. Besides, the squares have now been 

 opened for a long time, and the numberless frequenters 

 of them have conducted themselves with admirable order 

 and decency. The people evidently understand that they 

 are at home ; that it is for their especial behoof that the 

 gardens have been constructed; they know that in pulling 

 up a flower it is their own property they are destroying ; 

 and, moreover, they evince a respectful gratitude for the 

 hands that have given them these pleasant places of resort. 

 The establishment of public squares in Paris is an eminently 

 social idea. We repeat it, it tends to regenerate the human 

 race by the development of the physical forces ; by exercise 

 in the open air it improves the morals of the people, by 

 allowing the working man to change the dirty wine-shop 

 by a pleasant walk and an agreeable resting-place; and, 

 lastly, it proves our readiness to adopt in our own country 

 whatever appears good and useful to our neighbours." 



It is to be hoped that we in our turn shall show an equal 

 readiness to profit by the excellent example shown us in city 

 squares. There are many private squares in London which 

 merely occupy space that otherwise would be devoted to the 

 gardens of the houses around; but, on the other hand, 

 there are not a few which seem to invite a trial of the 

 system found to work so well in Paris. I have very little 

 doubt that if we could set one of these sweet little Parisian 

 squares down in the centre of London, it would induce 

 many who would now oppose with all their might any 

 attempt to open their square to the public to ask for the 

 change. And eventually it would come to this, that even 



