47& PALAIS ROYAL. 



luxury with, which this place abounds, there are no 

 baths ? No, there is not one. Our drefs and the 

 manner of parcelling out our time, feem throughout 

 Europe to militate againft the pleafure of the bath ; to 

 which may be added the nature of our climate. In the 

 oriental countries the delight in bathing, and the art of 

 making baths, have continued through all ages ; and, 

 if the antient Romans tranfplanted them both in Rome, 

 it feems rather to have been from a fondnefs for imita- 

 tion, luxury and prodigality, than any real want ; for, 

 with the modqrn Romans, bathing is no longer a 

 neceffary of life, like eating and drinking. 



However, that nothing might be fought for in vain 

 in the Palais Royal, about a couple of years ago under- 

 takers were found who conftrudted and opened an 

 Hotel des bains de S. A. S. mgr. le due d'Orleans. 

 This undertaking employed eight arcades, was exa- 

 mined and approved by the Societe royal de medicine ; 

 had, both on the ground floor, and above, clofets 

 richly ornamented, with bathing-tubs, very fine li- 

 nen rubbers, neat couches, and fupplied the customers 

 with cold, tepid, warm, hot, fimple and compound 

 baths but notwithstanding all this, it could not fup- 

 port itfelf, and was at length given up, with great lofs 

 to the proprietors. Such as come to the Palais Royal 

 are for the mofi: part fprucely drefTed : whereas people 

 who want to bathe chufe fome frill and retired place, 

 where they may come and go in an undrefs, and with- 

 out obfervatiom 



Paris, 



