458 
PARIS 
fpot where the disfigured corpfes were clepofited, trem¬ 
bling left they Ihould difcover in their countenances the 
well-known features of beloved objects. 
Some have confidered this calamity as a fad prefage of 
the horrible fcenes which were afterwards witneffed in 
this place ! In September 1792, the ftatue of Louis XV. 
was overthrown, and the figure of Liberty ereCted in its 
Head. At the foot of this fanguinary altar the blood of 
Louis XVI. was Hied ; and, in the fpace of two years, 
many thoufand of his fubjeCls followed him to the fame 
fcaffold. 
The name of Concorde, was afterwards given to this 
fquare, to endeavour to efface the memory of the crimes 
by which it had been polluted. Its original title is now 
reftored ; but the fpace in the centre is at prefent unoc¬ 
cupied by an)'' ftatue or public monument. 
The Garde Meuble, or Wardrobe, adorns the north 
fide of the fquare, and was built by Gabrieile, in 1768. 
On fub-bafements, pierced by arcades, two periftyles ele¬ 
vate themfelves, formed of infulated columns of the Co¬ 
rinthian order. Above the colonnade is a baluftradej 
and the whole front is richly embellifhed with the great- 
elf variety of fculpture, Next to the Louvre it prefents 
the molt magnificent fa£ade of any of the public edifices 
of Paris. Although many valuable articles which this 
fabric formerly contained became a prey to revolutionary 
fury, there ftill remain fufficient fpecimens to gratify the 
firanger’s curiofity ; particularly the Battles of Scipio, 
Oudry’s hunting-pieces, the hiftory of Don Quixote, and 
the polilhed armour worn by Francis I. at the battle of 
Pavia. 
The Pont Louis Seize —communicates from the Place 
Louis Xy. to the Quai d’Orfai. This bridge, which for 
fome years bore the name of Pont de la Concorde, was 
begun in 1787, and finillied in 1790. It is 4-62 feet in 
length by 48 in breadth. Like the Pont Royal it confifts 
of five elliptical arches: the fpan of the centre-arch is 96 
feet, of the collateral ones 87, and of the two near the 
abutments 68 : under one of the latter is a tracking-path 
for the facility of navigation. 
Contiguous to the Tuileries and to the Place Louis 
XV. are the Champs Elyfees, or Eiyfian Fields ; a noble, 
extenfive, and regular, plantation of Ihady trees.—This 
vaft enclofure was planted by Colbert in 1670, and ex¬ 
tends from the Place Louis Quinze as far as Chaillot on 
the eaft, and to the extremity of the fuburb of Roule on 
the weft ; the fuburb of St. Honore borders it on the north, 
and the Queen's Courfe on the foilth. Its principal walk 
extends from the Place Louis XV. to the Bridgeof Neuilly; 
and its entrance from that fquare is ornamented by two 
pedeftals fupporting the figures of reftive horfes by Cof- 
tou. Few parts of Paris afford a view comparable to that 
which this fpot prefents. In front is the Palace of'the 
Tuileries, and its magnificent garden ; on the left are the 
noble hotels of the fuburb of St. Honore ; on the right is 
the river; and, behind, the piCturefque barrier of Neuilly. 
This vaft extent of ground is planted with trees in va¬ 
rious avenues, and compoling different forms. The prin¬ 
cipal avenue of the Tuileries, on the fide of the terrace 
of the Feuillans, is now the moft frequented fpot. Swings 
are ereCted in various places: numerous parties are at ail 
hours joining in the graceful dance. The pavilions, or 
dancing-booths, are filled with bourgeois enjoying them¬ 
felves after the labour of the day; and every kind of paf- 
time is difplayed for the amufement of the promenaders. 
The Cours de la Reive, or Queen’s Courfe, when the 
roads are not too dully, is as pleafant a promenade as any 
that Paris affords. It is on the fouth of the Eiyfian Fields, 
and extends nearly a mile along the bank of the Seine, 
from the corner of the Place Louis XV. almoft to the un- 
finifhed palace of the king of Rome. It was planted by 
Mary de Medicis, in 1628. The trees do not afford lo 
much fhade as might be expected ; and in dry weather 
bhc duff is apt to be troublefome. There are four rows 
of trees, twelve feet from each other, forming a grand 
principal walk, and two fmallerones. 
The Allee cles Veuves, or Widows’ Walk.—An avenue 
of trees extending from that part of the Eiyfian Fields cal¬ 
led l’Etoile, or the ftar, to the weft extremity of the Queen’s 
Courfe. It is crowded with tea-gardens, and is much 
frequented by the middle and lower dalles of Parifians. 
The Barriere de Neuilly Hands on an eminence, and 
looks down upon that quarter of Paris which includes the 
Louvre and the Tuileries, with all their accompaniments, 
and indeed nearly all the beauty and magnificence of 
Paris. The barrier is formed of two very large and noble 
military {tone lodges, having porticos on all fides, fup- 
ported by maffy Doric pillars ; thefe buildings are fepara- 
ted from each other by a range of iron gates. Having 
thus infenfibly, and almoft unintentionally, led our travel¬ 
ler out of town, we muft fuddenly carry him back again, 
to the 
Palais Royal, or Royal Palace; in the Rue St. Ho¬ 
nore.—The Palais Royal was begun by cardinal Richelieu 
in 1629, on the fite which had been occupied by the ho¬ 
tels Mercceurand Rambouillet. The celebrated Le Mer- 
cier was employed as the architect. As the fortunes of 
the cardinal augmented, he enlarged on the original plan. 
It was completed in 1636 ; and its tout-enfemble, formed 
of fuccefiive additions, was a curious yet accurate repre- 
fentation of the growing wealth and power of its owner. 
It was then called le Palais Cardinal. At his death he 
bequeathed it to Louis XIII. He died in the following 
year, when his widow, Anne of Auftria, quitted the 
Louvre, and eftabliftied herfelf in this edifice with her 
young fon Louis XIV. and his brother the duke of An¬ 
jou. From this circumftance it was called le Palais Royal, 
although the queen, from gratitude to the donor, caufed 
the inlcription Pa,lais Cardinal to be placed over the 
principal portal. The fquare, in front of the palace to¬ 
wards the ftreet St. Honore, was now completed. 
In 1692, Louis XIV. gave it to his nephew, Philip of 
Orleans, on his marriage with Maria-Frances of Bourbon. 
That part of the building that reaches to the ftreet Riche¬ 
lieu was now completed, and which the cardinal had 
deftined as his library. In the right wing of the palace 
at this period, was an immenfe hall, capable of contain¬ 
ing 3000 perfons. The Italian comedians and the com¬ 
pany of Moliere performed here. On the fame fpot was 
built the opera-houfe that was burned in 1781. The 
left wing was occupied by a vaft gallery, the roof of which 
had been painted by Philip de Champagne, and repre- 
fented the principal events of the life of the cardinal. 
This was deftroyed to build a refidence for Philip of France, 
the only brother of the king. 
In procefs of time it delcended to the revolutionary 
duke of Orleans, Philip Egalite, to whom it is indebted 
for its prefent magnificence, and for its prefent difgrace. 
The front towards the ftreet of St. Honore was built by 
him after the deftruCtion of the opera-houfe. It prefents 
two pavilions, adorned with Doric and Ionic columns, 
and crowned with pediments. The buildings of the firft 
court have Doric and Ionic pilafters, and Doric columns 
ornament the veflibule which conducts to the fecond court, 
where is another magnificent facade compofed of two pa¬ 
vilions, with Ionic columns furmounted by a pediment. 
On the right of the veftibule is the grand ftaircafe, which, 
although it is faid to be deficient in fome of its propor¬ 
tions, will excite the admiration of the fpeCtator. 
The prefent building is in the form of a parrallelogram, 
and of the moft elegant modern architecture. The para¬ 
pet that furrounds it, decorated with immenfe ftone va- 
fes of exquifite beauty, will not fail to attract attention. 
The wlvble of the circuitous extent, without any inter¬ 
ruption 'of the galleries, is nearly half a mile. Palling 
under the porticoes, an immenfe fquare unexpectedly 
opens on the traveller. In the centre is a garden, inter- 
fperfed with many young and flourifhing trees, and en¬ 
circled 
