497 
PARIS. 
magnificent, and the barracks are fome of the nobleft in 
the vicinity of Paris. 
Issy is a village fituated on a little hill about three 
miles weft from Paris, and not far from the Seine. It de¬ 
rives its name from an ancient temple dedicated to Ifis, 
no veftige of which now remains, unlefs fome Roman 
building in the cellars of the feminary of St. Sulpice may 
be confidered as part of it. The ancient palace of Chil- 
debert yet Hands on an eminence oppolite to the church, 
and is an interefting gothic ItruClure. Here the admira¬ 
ble aCtrefs Madlle. Clairon refided, and was often vifited 
by the moft celebrated characters of the times. It was 
here that the cardinal de Noailles, Boffuet, Fenelon, and 
Tronfon, affembled, to hold thofe meetings known under 
the name of the “Conferences of Iffy.” 
Meudon. — About three miles fouth-weft from Iffy 
Itands the village of Meudon, dating its origin from the 
earlieft period of antiquity. The palace Hands upon an 
eminence commanding an extenfive view of Paris and its 
environs. The ftranger arrives at the edifice by a very 
fine avenue, at the end of which is a fuperb terrace, fer- 
ving as a court-yard to the building, which was origi¬ 
nally ereCted by the cardinal de Lorraine, in the fixteenth 
century, after the deiigns of Philibert de Larma. When 
Monf. de Louvois became the poffeffor of Meudon, he 
employed Manfard to fuperintend the formation of the 
terraces and moats, and the grand entrance. 
The front of the palace prefents a moft majeftic coup 
d’ceil. It is ornamented with arcades and pilafters. The 
centre pavilion, which is rounded off at the extremities, 
projects from the main facade of the edifice, and is adorned 
with a fecond order of pilafters and bas-reliefs, reprel’ent- 
ing the four feal'ons. The whole terminates with a pedi¬ 
ment, upon which are two recumbent ftatues, and an oc¬ 
tagonal vaulting which fupports a terrace. The apart¬ 
ments of this palace are numerous, and.decorated in the 
moft fumptuous manner; while the gardens, which were 
embellifhed by Le Notre, are laid out in the very belt 
ftyle of that celebrated French gardener. Delille has 
immortalized them in his beautiful poems. The view 
from the terrace is one of the moft interefting in the 
neighbourhood of Paris. 
Chatillon is charmingly fituated one mile fouth-eaft 
of Meudon. The profpeCt, although not very extenfive, 
is pleafingly diverfified, prefen ting the courfe of the Seine, 
Mount Valerian, Vincennes, the heights of Montmartre, 
and the city of Paris. It is crowded with chateaux. 
Bagneux, a little more to the eaft, is pleafantly fituated 
on a plain overlooking the road to Orleans, four miles 
from Paris. It contain numerous chateaux, the moft fu¬ 
perb of which belong to Meffrs. Railly and Cordier. About 
a mile to the north is 
Arcueil, about three miles from Paris, on the little 
river Bievre, where is a magnificent aqueduCt, the archi¬ 
tecture of which may be compared with the fineft fpeci- 
raens that Italy can afford. Mary de Medicis caufed this 
fabric to be built after the defigns of Jacques Defbroffes, 
to convey the waters of Runges for the ufe of the inha¬ 
bitants of Paris. The aqueduCt confifts of twenty arches. 
It is 400 yards in length, and 24 in height. A fpring in 
the neighbourhood of Arcueil has the property of depo- 
fiting a ftony cruft on fmall bodies immerfed in it. Lit¬ 
tle pieces of wood, apples, and peaches, are frequently 
thrown into it, which in a fhort time aflame the appear¬ 
ance of pleafing petrifactions. 
Gentilly, about a mile north of Arcueil, on the 
banks of the river Bievre, only a mile from the barrier 
of Italy, is one of the moft ancient villages about 
Paris. The kings of the firft dynafty had a palace here ; 
and the beautiful Diana of PoiCtiers long inhabited a 
chateau in the neighbourhood. Thefe royal relidences 
are now no more; but numerous country-houfes are 
feen, and the guinguettes are crowded on every feftival. 
On the road from Paris to Gentilly, are the ruins of 
Vol. XVIII. No. 1260. 
an ancient aqueduCt, which is faid to have been ereCted by 
the emperor Julian to convey water to his Palace of Ther- 
mes, fituated in the Rue de la Harpe, at Paris. 
Turning now again to thefouth, we come to Ivry, at 
an equal diftance from Bagneux and Arceuil. It is 
fometimes called Mont Ivry, being on thefummit of one 
of the little hills that enrich the left bank of the Seine. 
It is crowded with country-feats ; the moft elegant of 
which belongs to comte Jaubert. The annual fete is on 
the firft Sunday in May. 
Bourg la Reine is two miles fouth of Ivry, on the 
road to Orleans. Henry IV. had a palace here, to which 
he retired as often at he could efcape from the cares of 
government. This palace is now a feminary for the edu¬ 
cation of young ladies. The room in which the monarch 
ufed principally to refide is ftili fiiown. 
Sceaux is juft below Bourg la Reine. It formerly 
contained a magnificent caftle, belonging to the duke of 
Penthievre, the very ruins of which have almoft difap- 
peared. Part of the garden remains, and is a favourite 
promenade of the Parifians. The market, by which Paris 
is principally fupplied with cattle, is held here every 
Monday. O11 every Sunday, from the ift of May to the 
ill of November, the park and garden are crowded by 
the middle and lower claffes of the Parifians. Dancing 
commences in the evening, in a fpacious rotunda, and is 
continued until a late hour. 
Runges is more direCtly fouth, being eight miles from 
Paris on the road to Fontainebleau ; and is principally 
remarkable as the fource of the waters-which the aqueduCt 
of Arcueil conveys to Paris. 
Charenton is more to the north-eaft, and two leagues 
from Paris, on the road to Troyes. It contains aninfti- 
tution for lunatics, to the number fometimes of 400. An 
ancient caftle in Charenton once belonged to the cele¬ 
brated Gabrielle d’Eftrees. Moft of the chateaux afford a 
pleafing profpeCt of the furrounding country. 
Vitry. —This pleafant village is three miles fouth of 
Charenton, on the road to Choifiy. It contains numerous 
country-feats, and is furrounded by extenfive nurferies 
for fruit-trees and flowering fhrubs. Its annual fete is 
on Whitfunday. 
Choisy le Roi —is about three miles fouth of Vitry, 
ftili on the banks of the Seine. It is defended by hills 
from the fcorching winds of the fouth. The air is re¬ 
markably f'alubrious, and the view is agreeable and pi&u- 
refque. It contains more than three hundred elegant 
houfes, built in the fame ftyle of fimple architecture. 
A magnificent palace formerly decorated Choify, which, 
after palling into the poffefiion of feveral of the nobleffe, 
was purchafed by Louis XV. It was occafionally vifited 
by Mad. de Pompadour, accompanied by her royal lover. 
Of this fublime ftruCture and its beautiful gardens not a 
veftige now remains: but manufactories of earthenware, 
Spanifh leather, and mineral acids, occupy its tite. The 
fair or fete is at the end of Auguft, and is fuperior to 
moft in the neighbourhood of Paris. Boats go to Choify 
from the bridge of the Garden of Plants 5 and ltages from 
the Porte St. Antoine. 
Turning now north-eaft, and crofting two arms of the 
Seine, we come to 
St. Maur, which is only a fhort league from Paris, in 
a peninfula formed by the river Marne. It is celebrated 
in hiftory on account of the maffacre of the Chriltians by 
the troops of Attila. The witty and licentious. Rabelais 
here compofed his Pantagruel. In this place the Brothers 
of the Paftion firft performed their mylteries. The cha¬ 
teau was built by Catherine de Medicis. The front to¬ 
wards the garden Hill retains its ancient architecture ; but 
the reft of the palace is modern, and decorated in the moft 
fumptuous manner; while the gardens, which were em- 
bellilhed by the famous Le Notre, are laid out in a ftyle 
that confers honour upon his acknowledged talents. A 
canal has been commenced here to fliorten the navigation 
6 L of 
