43^ Calais hoy At, 



adjufted, and decifions palled on the proceedings of 

 government, the meafures of the minifter, and the 

 exploits of the generals. This was of old the tree of 

 liberty with the Pari fi an s, and it furniihes us with fome 

 helps to explain how the palais royal has come by 

 degrees to play the fliining part in politics it does at 

 prefent. 



As a tribunal was erefted here for politics, fo like- 

 wife was there one for the fathions. The company 

 that frequented thefe gardens formerly being the moil 

 feledl and polite of all the public places of Paris, ac- 

 cordingly hither repaired all fuch as either wanted to 

 hear or to pafs judgments in matters of tafte in the 

 drefs both of ladies and gentlemen, The beaux and 

 belles of Paris had feldom invented any thing new, but 

 they made the firft difplay of it here ; and if they were 

 happy enough to fecure the approbation of the fre- 

 quenters of that place, it never failed of becoming in a 

 ihort time the general mode. Here we fee the origin 

 of that influence which the palais royal has at prefent in 

 this particular. 



Till about two in the afternoon the company in the 

 gardens did not begin to difperfe. When the clock 

 ilruck two, they for the moft part adjourned arid went 

 to dinner. Till the time when the opera ufed to begin, 

 the walkers were not very numerous ; but then the com- 

 pany flocked in afrefh, fo as to fill the different allees, 

 though not with, that brilliancy of drefs as in the fore- 

 noon; for the: people of the firft fafhion attended the 

 opera. About this time likewife the cyprian train re- 

 gularly made their appearance ; at leaft fuch damfels 

 and dames as. thought they had no particular reafon for 



fhunning 



