PALAIS ROYAL. 441 



traft. Thus, as we ftand before the hanging garden it 

 is impoffible to prevent the eye from taking a glance at 

 the doric columns ; and when we are within them we 

 cannot avoid calling a look through the elegant fky- 

 light, on the natural beauties of the plants and flowers 

 and fhrubs over- head. But it may be that this very 

 contrafl, according to the ideas this nation has of nature, 

 was the triumph of architectural art. Beiides, as this 

 place is called the garden, one is forced to look out for 

 every thing for which that name is conferred upon it ; 

 and, to do it juftice, we muft confefs, that even in 

 this particular, nothing is omitted that the human in- 

 vention and genius could produce. 



Tranfport yourfelf in idea with me, my friend, into 

 the crouds that are pairing to and fro in the walks, and 

 let us for a while defer our furvey of the ftores of lux- 

 ury and feftivity that fhine from between the arcades. 

 At prefent it is impoffible to do juftice to the whole. 

 The novelty of the fight frill dazzles our eyes too much 

 to allow us to go through the particulars, and to obferve 

 their characleriflics. In the mean time we mult ac- 

 knowledge that what appears on all hands, is really 

 fplendid, grand, noble, rich, and diverlified, and that 

 we here behold the refined genius of our fpecies in all 

 its activity, but likewife in all its orientation. 



Paris, Sept. 7, 17S9. 

 IT would be an eafy matter to pafs one's whole life 

 in the Palais Royal, without feeling the neceffity of 

 going one ffcep beyond its walls. There is no want, 



either 



