tALAIS ROYAL. 



479 



Paris, Sept. 285 1789, 



TWO particulars indifpenfably necelfary to the en- 

 joyment of life were wanting in the Palais Royal : 

 mufic and dancing. Thefe were not to be overlooked ; 

 and thus arofe the Circus. Whatever elfe was there 

 already, were only collateral considerations, though 

 ufeful. But, as this vaft pile could not be filled en- 

 tirely with concerts and balls, therefore, as you will 

 prefently fee, fome ufeful inftitutions were, connected 

 with them. 



In one of my former letters I told you, that the 

 outer part of this great plot, above ground, is fo dif- 

 pofed as to give the Palais Royal even the charms of 

 rural nature, as far as they con lift in a verdure refrefh- 

 ing to the eye. That this aim has not been reached, 

 I remarked, according to my own perceptions ; but, 

 reached or not reached, it was no part of the main plan 

 of this curious and extremely remarkable building ; for 

 the verdure was only to be its robe. The circus is, 

 as it were, the capital ftone in the ring of the Palais 

 Royal. 



In the middle of the garden this building Hands, in 

 the form of a parallelogram, rounded at both ends, 

 riling ten foot above the level of the earth, and link- 

 ing thirteen foot below it. The outride, above the 

 ground, is adorned with feventy-two columns of the 

 ionic order ; which, as well as the mafonry adjoining to 

 them., are covered with green trehfTes. Betwixt thefe 

 equidiftant columns are alternately a high window for 

 lighting the infide upper gallery, and a buft Handing 



on 



