LETTERS FROM PARIS. 4$ 



i 



by two bridges. — On the eaftern and foutliern fide, 

 beyond the Seine, were the riling grounds; whereon 

 were many fingle houfes, and a temple of Ills. To 

 this extended the courts and gardens of a palace the 

 conftruclion whereof is afcribed to Julian, and of 

 which a vault forty foot high is frill remaining ; which, 

 with its adamantine cement, feems to bid defiance ta 

 eternity. It was inhabited even by the kings of the 

 firfl race. It is called, Palais des Termes, and frauds 

 in the rue la Harpe. It is entered through a houfe, 

 denominated from the holy crofs. I found a cooper in 

 poiTeffion of it. It was from top to bottom crammed 

 full of calks and pipe-ftaves, piled on a crazy wooden 

 fcaffolding; which, as I clambered over, particularly 

 at top, coffc me fome palpitation of heart. The cooper, 

 a good-natured complaifant citizen, knew the hiftory 

 of this vault ; and had probably picked up from fome 

 antiquary the trite fentence he with much folemnity 

 pronounced to me, as I flood mute awhile employed 

 in contemplating the black arches: Sic t ran fit gloria 

 mundi. In fact I had the fame thought at fight of the 

 quantity of empty caiks. The daughter of Charle- 

 magne lived here in exile, for fome little failings of 

 the tender kind, which her father, from the great love 

 he bore her, had connived at ; but which Louis le 

 Debonnaire thought himfelf obliged to punifh in her 

 and her two lovers, whom he caufed to be put to death. 



Paris was fomewhat more famous from the time that 

 Clovis, in the year 510. declared it the capital of his 

 conquered countries, though it was no larger than be- 

 fore ; and even at the extinction of the fecond race of 

 kings, it had but few inhabitants.^ The kings Pepin, 



Char- 



