PARIS. 
the Vatican, the Ambrofian library, and that of the 
univerfity of Pavia ; are now loft to the vifiter. 
Among other curiofities contained in this apartment; 
is an ibis, brought from Thebes, the plumage of which 
is frefh and perfect, although three thoufand years have 
palled fince it was firft enclofed in its cafe. The filver 
fhield, attributed to Scipio and Hannibal, are feen here, 
with the brazen chair of king Dagobert, and the heart of 
Anne of Britanny enclofed in a golden vafe. 
On this floor are likewife five great rooms, containing 
the genealogies of every noble French family. Thefe fill 
5000 portfolios. 
On the fame floor is the Cabinet of Medals, which well 
deferves the attention of the curious. The voyages of 
Dumonceau and le Vaillant were principally undertaken 
to complete this fuperb cabinet. Le Vaillant, zealous to 
execute his comtniflion, fwallowed twenty medals of gold, 
to preferve them from the Algerines, into whofe power 
he had fallen. Three admirable paintings, by Notaire, 
adorn this apartment, reprefenting Thalia, Calliope, and 
Terpfichore. There are alfo three beautiful produdlions 
of Carlo Vanloo. 
On the third floor is the Cabinet of Antiquities, con¬ 
taining bulls, vafes, infcriptions, and inftruments of fa- 
crifice, collected by the celebrated Caylus. Near this are 
two apartments, containing Etrufcan vafes, bathing- 
veffels of porphyry, and many fine fpecimens of ancient 
art. 
The Repofitory of Engravings comprifes 5000 volumes, 
divided into twelve clafles. The firft contains fculpture, 
architedlure, and the portraits of engravers; the fecond, 
emblematical and devotional fubjedts; the third, Greek 
and Roman antiquities, with fabulous and mythological 
fubjedls 5 the fourth, medals, coins, and heraldry; the 
fifth, public proceflions, banquets, and tournaments; the 
fixth, natural philofophy and the mathematics; the fe- 
venth, romantic and ludicrous fubjedls; the eighth, na¬ 
tural hiftory ; the ninth, geography ; the tenth, plans and 
elevations of ancient and modern buildings; the eleventh, 
portraits to the number of 50,000, among which is in¬ 
cluded every celebrated character who has flouriihed in 
any country during the laft fix hundred years; the 
twelfth, reprefents the coftume, manners, and amufe- 
ipents, of every region of the habitable globe. It com¬ 
prifes a very extenfive and complete hiftory of the coftume 
and manners of the French from the era of Chrift to the 
prefent period. Moll of thefe engravings are coloured, 
and are copies from ancient windows, tapeftry, and mo¬ 
numents. In another part of the building are two large 
globes, thirty feet in diameter. They were conftrudted 
by Coronelli, in 1682, are accurately delineated, and fup- 
pofed to be the larged extant. The index of the horary 
circle is a yard in length. 
Attached to the library is the royal and fpecial School 
of the Oriental living Languages, where profeflors 
give ledlures, during the winter, in Sanfcrit, Perfian, 
Arabic, Turkifli, and modern Greek. This excellent 
eftablilhment was founded by the Chevalier Langies, in 
the year 1795 ; he is the adminiftrator of the fchool, and 
profeffor of Perfian. 
Befides this library, and fome others we have inci¬ 
dentally' noticed, extenfive and valuable colledlions of 
books are attached to almoft every public inftitution and 
every public building in Paris. Accefs to them is eafily 
obtained by the inhabitants of Paris, and every facility is 
afforded to foreigners. 
Mujeum of Natural Hi/iory, and Botanical Garden ; Rue 
St. Vicloire.—This garden was founded by Jean de la 
Broffe, pliyfician to Louis XIII. but it is indebted for its 
prefent beauty and value to the afliduous labours of 
Buffon. The name Jardin Royal des Plantes ill exprefles 
the real nature and intereft of the place. In addition to 
a noble botanic garden, it contains a large menagerie, a 
mtifeum of natural hiftory and anatomy, and numerous 
haUs in which public ledlures are delivered on every 
463 
branch of natural hiftory and philofophy. Each of thefe 
divifions will afford inexhauftible amufement and infor¬ 
mation. 
At the entrance of the botanic-garden, feveral fquare 
enclofures are obferved, more interefting probably to the 
agriculturift than to the cafual vifiter. The firft contains 
a curious collection of every different foil and manure, 
exhibiting in an inftrudtive manner their comparative 
fertility and value. The fecond enclofure is occupied by 
fpecimens of every kind of fence, hedge, ditch, and ha-ha. 
It likewife exhibits the different methods of training 
efpalier-fruits, ever-greens, &c. of every defeription. Be¬ 
yond thefe are fpecimens of all the culinary vegetables, 
and of every plant that has been appropriated to the food 
of man, with the mod approved and fuccefsful mode of 
training each. In the next enclofure are fpecimens, fyf- 
tematically arranged, of all the fruit-trees, with their 
numerous varieties, of which France or the neighbouring 
kingdoms can boaft. 
The vifiter then arrives at the Botanic Garden. It 
confifts of more than feven thoufand plants, arranged 
according to the fyftern of Juffieu. Every fpecimen is 
labelled ; the beds are divided by little edges of box ; and 
a pleafing admixture of ffirubs and fmall plants removes 
the appearance of formality which ufually accompanies 
botanic gardens. A piece of water, fupplied from the 
Seine, is appropriated to the aquatic plants. 
The green and hot houfes will next attradl attention. 
They are more than fix hundred feet in length ; and al¬ 
though their exterior prefents nothing elegant, with the 
exception perhaps of the principal green-houfe, whofe 
front is prettily ornamented with marble vafes, the beau¬ 
tiful collection of flowers and ftirubs within cannot fail 
to pleafe not only the botanift, but the unlearned vifiter. 
Every plant is here likewife labelled ; the labels are placed 
in the molt confpicuous fituation, and changed as foon as 
they ceafe to be perfectly legible. The botanical ftudent 
will here find fome rare and unique fpecimens, the fugar- 
cane, and the bread-tree. He will particularly notice the 
date-palm, and two other rare fpecies near the gate. 
Proceeding onwards, a path udnds up an artificial af- 
cent, on the fummit of which is a temple ftipported by 
eight pilafters, and furmounted by an armillary fphere. 
The greater part of Paris is here prefented to the view. 
A perfon is ufually in attendance, who will explain to 
the ftranger the different edifices which he fees around 
him. The garden is concealed by the furrounding 
foliage. Half-way down the hill is the cedar of Lebanon, 
planted more than eighty years ago by Juffieu. Although 
its head was lopped off in one of the llrangely-barbarous 
periods of the revolution, it is yet a noble objeCt. Near 
it is a marble pedeltal that once l'upported the bull of 
Linn&us; but this, too, perifhed amidft the wreck of 
fcience and virtue. Another buff; of Linnaeus, however, 
has been placed on a cippus at the end of the Botanical 
Garden, under the fnade of fome fine oaks. 
The Botanical Garden is 330 toifes or fathoms long, 
and no in breadth, partitioned lengthways, from its 
entrance down towards the Seine, by three very fine 
alleys, and interfeCied by various others, which termi¬ 
nate in the public promenades, or walks. On the fecond 
occupation of Paris by the allies, the Pruflians folicited 
that they might bivouack in this garden. Had they 
accompliihed their purpofe, every interefting objeCt would 
have been trodden under foot. The fpirited remon- 
ftrances of the celebrated traveller Humboldt preferved 
the place from total deftruCtion. 
The tourilt may here paufe, and prepare himfelf for an 
inveftigation of the remaining treafures of the garden ; 
for at the foot of this hill are feveral little cafernes, at 
which he may be fupplied with fruit, eggs, milk, coffee, 
and tea. 
The Menagerie will probably be next vifited. The 
traveller returns to the epclofures near the entrance, 
and, following a path on the right hand, arrives at the 
dens 
