444 PALAIS ROYAL. 



or trinket made after the likenefs of any thing of the 

 kind that has ever been fafhioned, or prefented, or 

 itolen lince the beginning of time. His fplendid fhop, 

 irradiated in the day time by the beams of the fun, and 

 in the evening by fifty wax-candles, prefents a light, 

 that is dazzling to the eyes even of thofe who are moft 

 accuftomed to fuch glittering objects, An immenfe 

 looking-glafs ferves to multiply the rays that are darted 

 from every article, and to reverberate the magical play 

 of their colours. One cannot pafs by it without afto- 

 nifhment ; and, before one is aware, the hand is already 

 at the purfe, perhaps as often to buy fomething as* to 

 p refer ve onefelf from the firft fafcination of the eyes. 



On going farther, you come to an arch where a 

 marchande de modes has erected her throne. Every 

 thing that can be conftructed of ribbands and filk and 

 gauze and feathers, here prefents itfelf to view. Five 

 or fix young damfels, airily and fafhionabiy drerTecl, 

 here lit among the heaps of delicate materials, fewing, 

 with no lefs delicate fingers, the artificial edifices to- 

 gether, of which fome are to be wafted as far as 

 Ruiiia, and others fent to decorate the ladies of Turkey. 

 Their looks are alternately directed to the needle and 

 to the pafTengers, who are frequently enough invited 

 in to buy — what cannot be paid for when it is denied, 

 and is of no value at all when offered. Thefe milleners* 

 fhops have often been compared to feraglios, but the 

 comparison fails in the moft important particular : for 

 here whoever chufes and pays is fultan, and the ufual 

 guardians of feraglios would be refufed admittance. 



Farther on you fee a fhop that is crammed with the 

 finefl cloths and filks, in fhort with whatever is necef- 



fary 



