PALAIS ROYAL; 489 



fafhion, and decried as the virtue of a country-town, 

 as it cannot be pracSHfed without fome fort of conftraint 

 or abafement. Some farther illuftrations of this matter 

 I referve for a future occalion. 



From twelve, till two in the afternoon, this prome- 

 nade is very animated and agreeable. People of the 

 fuperior ranks in life come hither about this part of the 

 day, and they are the only hours in which women of 

 character can appear in thefe walks with propriety. 

 The darnfels of equivocal callings, therefore, during 

 this couple of hours, do not feel themfelves here in 

 their proper place, and accordingly keep quite aloof ; 

 belides, the charms of great numbers of them are too:, 

 delicate to ftand againit the heat of the fun ; and then 

 again they cannot be ignorant that fuch x as venture 

 hither either juft before or juffc after two, are very 

 uitably furnamed, Ies cherche-diners. 



From two till half pall four, the gardens are rather 

 empty, this being the ufual time for dining ; and one 

 fees only nurfes or mothers with their little-ones, play- 

 ing about the walks, and thus properly take advantage 

 of the paufe. This period being over, frefh fbreams of 

 company flow in. The coffee-houfes firft, and in half 

 an hour after, the walks are all again full. The throng 

 is more mixed and noify, and keeps up its number to 

 a pretty equal pitch, till towards the time when the 

 theatres open, which always draw off one part of it ; it 

 is Hill however more numerous than in the forenoon. 



At about eight, the femmes du monde, of all 

 clafTes, flock in, and take pofTeilion of the middle of 

 the walks, while the chairs on both fides are occupied 

 by the utmoft variety of countenances, figures and 



qualities, 



