112 HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



ing intruded upon by worshippers of humbler degree. Here, 

 however, the magnificent church of Notre Dame, ornamented 

 on every side with altars of the rarest and most costly 

 marble richly sculptured, and with the admirable works of 

 Rubens and Vandyke, is equally open to all : there is lite- 

 rally no respect of persons ; from the moment they enter 

 the portal, all seem to feel themselves on a footing of 

 equality ; the ragged porter was seen kneeling beside the 

 well dressed citizen, and ladies planting their prie-Dieus * 

 close by those of the poorest looking women. In the 

 same promiscuous manner, a number of the people ap- 

 proached and knelt around the altar, in order to receive 

 the eucharist. A richly inlaid box (the expositormm) was 

 brought forth by the Priest ; a precious stone of conside- 

 rable size (it is believed, a sapphire) was taken from it, 

 and exhibited to the admiring eyes of those who knelt. No 

 opportunity of learning the meaning of this ceremony oc- 

 curred to us. The pix was then unlocked, and the conse- 

 crated wafers were placed on the projected tongues of ap- 

 plicants of every rank. 



A rainy evening prevented us from making particular 

 visits to the remains of the printing-house of the Plantins, 

 and to some ruinous arches which still mark the site of the 

 garden of Rubens ; both objects deserving the notice of 

 the antiquary. 



The theatre was at this time open ; and we were amused 

 to observe, that the bills announced a new piece under the 

 title of " La Femme a vendre, ou Lc Marche Ecossais ;" 

 the author supposing Smithfieid to be in Scotland. 



The only newspaper which we have seen here, is the 

 " Journal consjitutionel, commerciel et litteraire, de la 



• Slight reed 'hairs, so contrived that they answer not only for seats, 

 but, v\h<j/i tamed round, for knecling-dcsks. 



