494 PALAIS ROYALe 



the workman to polifh his work to a greater nicety, in 

 order to give it the appearance of being newer ; and 

 where, by reafon of the more rapid fale, it may in reality 

 be newer, though the work itlelf does not differ at all from , 

 the old patterns. Buckles, watch-chains and the like, 

 are ufually bought in the Palais Royal ; in the other parts 

 of the town only hard-ware, which does not bring by 

 far the fame profit to the feller, as the former trifles, 

 over which the police does not keep fuch a watchful eye, 

 in regard to their intrinlic value. 



The cafe is the fame with the new cloths, jftufTs, em- 

 broideries, clocks, perfumes, &c. Whatever is new 

 and beautiful in thefe articles is firft feen in the Palais 

 royal ; and if they come from the provinces, they are 

 bought up here by the tradefmen at a higher price, be- 

 caufe they can get a higher price in the fale of them, 

 than thofe in the other parts of the town. Thus that 

 profit is fwallowed up by three or four, which might be 

 divided among fifty and fixty, but gain only fo much 

 i as thefe fixty would have gained, and yet the public 

 mult pay dearer by the half for the goods, than they 

 otherwife would. You know already then into whofe 

 pockets the pure profit really goes. 



Hence it is, that the tradefmen of the Palais royal, 

 notwithftanding their exorbitant prices, are none of 

 them rich. The rents of the ihops are fo high, and 

 lodgings and provifions are fo dear in their quarter, that 

 very little clear profit remains to them, notwithftanding 

 their induftryand patience. It frequently happens that 

 . a magnificent fhop is opened with new commodities of 

 all forts, and in the fpace of a month it is abandoned 

 and fhut up, becaufe it could not ftand out the rival - 

 fhip of thofe already there ; or becaufe it did not con- 

 tain 



