PARIS. 
and the tafte of the French for novelty, have left few an¬ 
cient monuments at Paris. Of the Roman, there is only 
one falle of the Palais de Thermes, at prefent a depot be¬ 
longing to a cooper in Rue de la Harpe. The Hotel de 
Cluny, that was built out of the remains of this palace, 
which extended as far as the Rue deSt. Jacques, had near¬ 
ly deftroyed all that was left of the only edifice in Paris in 
which the Roman mode of building could be traced. The 
dimenfions of the apartment before mentioned are 58 feet 
by 56, and its height from the prefent foil 40 feet. The 
light had been introduced by a large window in the form 
of an arcade, and this was placed above a large circular 
niche over the entrance. The vault, like all the Roman 
baths, is formed of a blocking of bricks and moellons, ce¬ 
mented by a mortar, a mixture of lime and fand. For a 
number of years a garden was fpread over the furface of 
this bath, which did not appear to have undergone any 
alteration from the layers of vegetable earth from three 
to four feet in thicknefs, and continually expofed to rain 
and the water bellowed upon its growth ; another proof 
of the duration which the Romans gave to their works. 
The walls of this apartment were ftuccoed from four to 
five inches in thicknefs. Underneath it, is a double row 
of cellars, or rather large conduits nine feet high, and as 
many in breadth. The neighbouring Hotel de Cluny is 
one of the molt ancient and elegant Gothic ftru&ures in 
Paris. La Tour de St. Jean de Latran is, it is laid, the re¬ 
mains of the palace inhabited by Clovis upon the moun¬ 
tain St. Genevieve. It is remarked that the tower of St. 
Jacques de la Boucherie, near the fite of the ancient 
church, was preferved becaufe Nicholas Flamel, the alche- 
mift, took up his refidence near it. The houfe of the 
canon Fulbert, near Notre Dame, is Hill recognized by 
two ancient medallions fculptured in the wall, reprefent- 
ing Eloifa and Abelard. A bull of Henry IV. in Rue de 
la Ferronerie, marks the fpot where he was alfalfinated, 
oppofite la Croix d’Or. The duke d’Orleans, brother of 
Charles VI. fell under the poignards directed again ft him 
by the duke of Burgundy, nearly oppofite the Rue des 
Blancs Manteaux; and the houfe, Rue de Bethizy, is Hill 
recognized with regret, as that in which admiral Coligni 
was malfacred. L’Hotel de la Salamandre, which belonged 
to the duchefs d’Etampes, millrefs to Francis I. who oc¬ 
cupied the nearly adjacent Palais d’Amour, is now an 
obfcure inn. 
Throughout the ancient part, and in the centre, of 
Paris, the ftreets are narrow, dark, and dirty. Few of 
them have pavements for the accommodation of foot-paf- 
fengers j and the pitching of the ftreets is compofed of 
uneven and pointed ftones, on which it is extremely 
difficult to walk in wet weather, and by which the 
pedeftrian is foon rendered foot-fore. The coachmen 
have no eftablilhed rule by which they drive on the right 
or left of the road, but they crofs and joftle one ano¬ 
ther without ceremony. They drive clofe to the very 
doors of the houfes, and either cover the foot-paffenger 
with mud, or endanger his limbs or his life. The Paris 
Jehu has not the flighteft regard for the comfort or fafety 
of the pedeftrian ; he gives him little notice, although 
his horfes are clofe upon him, and ready to trample him 
down : yet the accidents which occur from this infamous 
praftice are not fo numerous as might be expelled. Were 
it not for a few large ftones which project from fome of 
the houfes, and the receding door-ways of others, the 
difafters of the ftreets would form a more confpicuous item 
than they now do in the bills of mortality. 
On account of the irregular and confufed manner of 
driving through the ftreets, it is inconvenient, and even 
dangerous, to appear in them on horfeback. The travel¬ 
ler will, therefore, have no temptation to take his Buce¬ 
phalus to the continent; or, fhould he be determined to 
fport his charger in Paris, his rides will be confined to the 
Boulevards, the Elyfian fields, the Bois de Boulogne, and 
the banks of the Seine. For the fame reafon, the gig and 
curricle ftiould be left in England. The inconvenience 
447 
and danger of traverfing the ftreets of Paris, together with 
the comparative poverty of the higher clafles in France, 
will account for the fmall number of gentlemen’s car¬ 
riages that are feen in the French metropolis. Fiacres 
and cabriolets roll along in abundance ; but the fplendid 
equipages which crowd the Britilh capital are thinly flut¬ 
tered in the ftreets of Paris. 
The houfes, which are generally conftrufted of ftone, 
are fix or feven ftories high ; and, not unfrequently, feven 
or eight families occupy the different apartments and fub- 
divilions of the enormous edifice. This motley collection 
of inmates is a peculiar feature of the French metropolis. 
The firft floor is probably occupied by one of the ancient 
nobleffe, or by a chevalier who can trace his defcent from 
the firft dynafty of the monarchs of France. He perhaps 
pays 300I. per annum for the rent of his (hare of the edi¬ 
fice. Above him are tenants pofleffed of different grada¬ 
tions of fafliion or opulence, to the fixth orfeventh floor, 
which are inhabited by the milkman, the cobler, or the 
fcavenger, who only pay a rent of ten pounds. The whole 
of this ill-afforted community ufe the fame magnificent 
Itaircafe, decorated by marble columns, enriched with 
beautiful bas-reliefs, and embrowned by the collected 
filth of a hundred dirty feet. Occafionally the common 
ftaircafe is fwept by the porter ; but in fome hotels it is 
fuffered to remain in a horribly difgufting ftate; for, the 
cleanfing of it, being the duty of no particular floor, is 
neglefted by all, and many months pafs without its 
being profaned by mop or broom. In no other city but 
Paris would the accefs to the moft eLegant and fpiendid 
apartments lie through an avenue, which the gentlemen 
are fometimes compelled to traverfe on tip-toe, and in 
which the ladies are conftrained to elevate their petticoats 
quite as high as decency will allow. 
One proof of a total want of tafte, or rather of a fenfe 
of propriety, in the French, ftiould not be forgotten. 
When an hotel (a large houfe) is inhabited by one opulent 
or noble family only, it is not unufual to make the upper 
ftory the receptacle for the hay and provender of the 
horfes. A crane, which can be protruded at pleafure, is 
ufually placed within one of the upper windows ; and I 
have frequently feen the truffes of hay, and the facks of 
corn, flowly drawn up to the top of the fuperb refidence 
of a duke or a prince. 
The leading ftreet in Paris, on a par with the Strand 
and Fleet-ftreet in London, is the Rue St. Honore, which 
is joined to the Rue St. Antoine, forming a complete line 
from eaft to weft; while from north to fouth is I^ue St. 
Martin, which conducts to the Seine at the Pont (bridge) 
Notre Dame, and on the oppofite bank is continued by 
the Rue St. Jacques, forming one uninterrupted courfe 
through the whole city. On a parallel with thefe two 
laft-mentioned ftreets is the Rue St. Denis, which leads 
to the Pont au Change (Exchange-bridge), and on the 
other fide of which is a continuation by the Rue de la 
Harpe, and the Rue d’Enfer, (Road to Hell.) 
The lamps, inftead of being clofe to the houfes, are hung 
by a cord acrofs the middle of the ftreets, high enough 
for carriages to pafs beneath them. They put us to 
lliame during the reign of our degenerate lamps; but, 
fince gas and clean lamps have been introduced among 
us, we rank above the Parifians in that article of comfort, 
as we do in moft others. The names of the ftreets are 
written in large chara&ers at the beginning and end of 
each, with this peculiarity, which will often be a ufeful 
guide to the ftranger s the names of the ftreets which are 
parallel with the courfe of the Seine are painted in red 
letters; thofe which are perpendicular to the Seine are 
black. The numbering of the houfes is likewife pecu¬ 
liar : the numbers begin with that part of the ftreet which 
is neareft to the Seine; or from the eaft, when the ftreet 
is parallel with the river: the even numbers are on the 
right fide, and the odd numbers on the left fide, of the 
ftreet. 
Hackney-coaches ply in the ftreets from five in the 
morning 
