498 CALAIS ROYAL. 



the behaviour of polifhed people about him, their drefs", 

 their gait, their attitudes and exprelEon, and to apply 

 them to his own improvement. It is very ufeful to fee 

 a thoufand critical eyes turned upon them in thefe par- 

 ticulars ; eyes, which no inelegancy, no aukwardnefs*. 

 foolery, or ill-manners, can efcape unrebuked. It is 

 extremely profitable to roam ab. ut among thoufands, 

 in order to learn the art of living among thoufands ; 

 and it is highly neeeffary to ftudy a nation in their own 

 capital, and in what maybe called their afiembly of re- 

 prefentatives ; that we may get rid of certain prejudices 

 that have grown up with us, as well favourable as un- 

 favourable to them, and fee the people as they are, in 

 a place where they may mew themfelves as they are ; 

 which is not the cafe even in the livelieft and molt 

 numerous companies, that meet together at meals or at 

 cards. In this point of view, the Palais royal has al- 

 ways been an inexhauftible fund of fatisfacliion to me,, 

 one half of which indeed may be owing to my own cha- 

 racter, and my difpoiition to fee and to ftudy mankind, 

 and which has been conftantly kept on the ftretch by 

 the exceedingly remarkable fcenes that have crowded 

 on one another during the late furprizing revolution. 



By way of conclufion I mould be glad to give you 

 a view of what revenue the Palais royal brings in to the 

 duke of Orleans ; but accounts I have been able to col- 

 lect j are by far not fo complete, not.withilanding the * 

 pains I have taken? as to enable me to make an accu- 

 rate and fatisfadiory calculation of the total amount. 

 It appears to me as if the whole of the income was pur- 

 pofely concealed from the public y in order that the duke's 

 reputation for the fpirit cf finance may not be greater 



than 



