230 THEATRE AT PARIS. 



lame effect on the greek parterre, which they have now 

 on the french; and this is an evidence to me of the 

 llmilai ity of the two nations. I willingly remark this 

 Iikenefs, but without therefore making what I know of 

 the characteriftic of the greeks a boddice into which 

 I would lqueeze the French. The Greeks are to the 

 French only as the acorn is to the oak : this latter once 

 lay in the acorn, but by the influence of externals is 

 become, in comparifon of it, immenfe. If the ancient 

 Greeks had known chriftianity, the art of printing, 

 America, and gunpowder, it would not be impoffible 

 that the parallel had been perfectly ft ri king. 



The theatre moreover is not io fpacious and well- 

 built as the theatre des Varietes amufantes ; but how- 

 ever not worfe than, for example, the theatre at Berlin, 

 Drefden and Leipfic, and is far better furniihed with 

 decorations and machinery than they. 



The 29th of June, — In a party to the theatre des 

 Grand Danfeurs du roi. On their large fhow-bill 

 flood no lefs than fix pieces ; the titles and analylis 

 whereof I ihall fpare myfelf the trouble of giving. 

 The manner of the authors who work for this theatre 

 feeros to me about a degree lower and duller than that 

 of thofe who lavifh their wit for the Ambigu comique. 

 Double-meanings which border very clofely on fmut, 

 are here perfectly allowed : yet I muft confefs,, that in 

 feveral gerrnan theatres I have been at, they might be 

 reckoned highly delicate. I obferved, that women 

 perfectly well-dreffed, who, on due examination, 

 feemed to have nothing vendible about them, feemq4 

 heartily to enter into all this mirth, and clapped the 



blunt 



