LETTERS PROM PARIS. 439 



enormous ; as, for example, the bureaux on the fide of 

 the fauxbourgs St. Martin and St. Denis. But even 

 this monftrous magnitude, which by its magnificence 

 Ihould flop the mouth of the fpectator, only forces 

 from him more heavy complaints, as it can never ef- 

 cape him that they are built on the backs of the fub- 

 jefts ; who, the greater the burden, find it fo much 

 the harder to bear ; and inftead of calling that mag- 

 nificence which is intended to pafs for it, will perhaps 

 rather beftow upon it the name of defpotical arrogance, 

 which caufes the maffy iron chain to be gilt, — that it 

 may not be burdenfome and oppreffive. 



The tafte in which thefe colofial cuftom-houfes are 

 built, is neither grand, nor neat, nor fuitable. One 

 of them is in the lhape of a burial-chapel, another has 

 the form of a church, a third the appearance of a pri- 

 fon, a fourth fhoots upwards in two monftrous co- 

 lumns, ornamented with trophies, &c. and all in a 

 certain overcharged, unwieldy ftyle, that never allows 

 one to imagine them defigned for the ufe of half a do- 

 zen haggard, yellow-looking, vulture-eyed officers of 

 the cuftoms. In all of them there is a great profufion 

 of pillars of all orders ; becaufe pillars are as much the 

 mode here at prefent, as great flioe-buckles. The 

 former are found in every pimping pavilion, and the 

 latter on feet of the fmalleft fize. 



Let us turn from the view of this extraordinary in- 

 clofure, and pafs on to what it contains. 



It may eafily be fuppofed that the Ipace furrounded 

 by the wall, is not entirely built over. On the nor- 

 thern as well as on the fouthern fide the wall includes 

 yery confiderable pieces of garden ground and arable 



p f 4 lands 



