PARIS. 
498 
of the Marne. The tunnel, through a hill more than half 
a mile in length, is alrnoft completed. 
Brie sur Marne —is beautifully fituated on the fuHa¬ 
mit of a little hill on the banks of the Marne, nine miles 
direftly eaft from Paris. The principal chateau is an 
elegant building. The park is extenfive, and affords fome 
extremely-pifturefque views. To the weft of this is 
Nogent sur Marne, a large village agreeably fituated 
on the fummit of one of the little hills that border the 
Marne, fix miles from Paris. A little more to the weft is 
Vincennes. —This village is four miles and a half from 
Paris. It is of the remoteft antiquity, and was inhabited 
by many of the early kings and queens of France. The 
palace, which was eredted by Francis I. had the appearance, 
and poffeffed all the advantages, of a fortrefs ; particularly 
that part denominated the Dungeon. In this fabric 
Charles V. expired ; and here, in 1422, the warlike Henry 
V. of England breathed his laft; nor is there a building 
more connedted with curious ancient hiftorical incident 
than the chateau now under review. Of more recent date, 
may be feen theapartments wherein was confined the prince 
of Conde in 1617, and, forty years after, the great Conde 
his fon. Cardinal Mazarine alfo expired at Vincennes, in 
1661 j nor fliould the name of the celebrated Mirabeau 
be omitted, who was imprifoned four years within the 
walls of this building; during which period he wrote the 
admirable Letters between Gabriel and Sophia. In one 
of the moats of this caftle the Duke d’Enghien was mur¬ 
dered. 
The park, called the Bois de Vincennes, contains about 
2000 acres. It was enclofed, in 1183, by Philippe Au- 
gufte, to contain the animals prefented to him by the 
king of England, Henry III. It is regularly planted in 
long walks. There is an oak under which St. Louis ufed 
to adminifter juftice; and in the grand walk is a place 
where cannon is proved. 
Vincennes has an annual fete, or fair, on the 15th of 
Auguft; and Paris pours forth all its population to par¬ 
take of the amufements of the day. The lovers of archery 
have then a grand trial of Ikill. 
Fontenay is a village on the Ikirts of a wood, and 
hence called Fontenay aux Bois. It is fix miles from 
Paris, which metropolis is fupplied with the greater part of 
its rofes and other (lowers from the neighbourhood of this 
village. In the latter months of fpring the country round 
Fontenay is completely covered with flowers. 
Puteaux is five miles eaft of Paris. The neighbour¬ 
hood of the village alfo is one uninterrupted garden, 
delightful both to the eye and fmell: it is celebrated for 
its early vegetables and afparagus. Some beautiful cha¬ 
teaux adorn the banks and iflands of the Seine. 
Surenne is a large village, fix miles eaft of Paris, 
fituated on the declivity of a hill, on the banks of the 
Seine. The feftival of the Rofiere is held here, on the 
firft Sunday after the fete of St. Louis. 
Belleville. —This village is at no great diftance from 
the barriers of Paris, and its delightful fituation has 
doubtlefs conferred upon it the name which it bears. 
Belville is eredled upon an eminence which commands a 
noble view of Paris. The del'cent of the hill is decorated 
with pretty country feats, built in a ftyle of fimple but 
elegant architecture, each polfiefling a terrace, whence the 
eye wanders over an immenfe tradl of country, ftudded 
with hamlets and villages. On the fouth-eaft the gloomy 
towers of Vincennes rife above the foreft, and on the weft 
the fpires of Paris are occafionally difcerned through the 
openings of the wood. 
Not fardiftant is St. Gervais, one of the moft beautiful 
country walks in the world. Strangers fliould walk here 
on Sunday, to fee the motley and joyous crowd which the 
city then pours out. 
Noisy le Sec, is beautifully fituated on an eminence, 
five miles eaftward of Paris. It contains a great number 
of agreeable chateaux. 
To the north-eaft, and on the road to Meaux, we come 
to the village and foreft of 
Bondi —two leagues from Paris. It has many pleafant 
houfes. The road is prettily ftudded with the country 
refidences of the Parifian merchants. Chilperic was 
aflaflinated in the neighbouring foreft ; and many marvel¬ 
lous and tragical tales of the atrocities committed in this 
neighbourhood are related by the peafants. 
Livry is a village at the eaftern end of the Foreft of 
Bondi, and about twelve miles from Paris.. The chateau 
was once a place of ftrength and importance. Louis le 
Gros beiieged it in the wars which he carried on againft 
the count of Champagne. He mounted to the afiault 
himfelf, and was wounded in the thigh by a pike: this 
redoubled the ardour of the befiegers, and the place was 
taken and difmantled. Malherbes and Mad. de Sevigny 
inhabited Livry. It was under its delightful (hades that 
this amiable woman compofed thofe Letters to her Daugh¬ 
ter, which are a model of elegance and delicacy. 
A little to the fouth-weft of Livry, and nearer to the 
village of Bondi, but in what is called the Road to Straf- 
burg, we find the ruins of the once celebrated chateau de 
Rinci. —The late duke of Orleans was the proprietor of 
Rincy, and had taken great pains to arrange his park and 
gardens in the Englifti tafte. Since his death it has fallen 
to decay ; but it Hill retains its former reputation, and 
the Parifians frequent it on a Sunday, as our Londoners 
regale themfelves at Richmond or at Hampton Court. 
Rinci boafts of extraordinary beauties in the rural 
fcenery, and has many curiofities in the palace. The face 
of the country is in this part more agreeable, and the fields 
are in a better ftate of cultivation, than along the weftern 
diftridts through which the traveller pafl'es. On the left 
are vaft plains flown with corn, the extremities of which 
are (kirted with pretty villages ; on the right a ridge of 
hills, occafionally tufted with trees, rifles within half a 
mile of the road, and the verdure of the intervening fields 
denotes that the occupations of the dairy-farm are fluc- 
cefsfully proflecuted in this part of the vicinity of Paris. 
Indeed, there is a great appearance of cleanlinefls, neat- 
nefls, and comfort, in all the villages through which you 
pafls. 
The arrangement of the grounds reflembles an Englifti 
gentleman’s park. Like moft of the feats of the former 
French princes and nobles, it has of courfle felt the effedls 
of the revolution ; but enough remains to indicate that 
it was once a moft voluptuous flpot. The chateau has 
been demoliflied, and the mafly pillars lie broken and 
diflperfled upon the ground. Oppofite to the lodge, on a 
gentle aflcent, Hand the (tables in a tolerably good ftate 
of preflervation. The gravel-walks are alfo in good order; 
and the aquedudls and batons of water on the higher 
ground are in a complete ftate. It is alfo not a little re¬ 
markable, that the trees and copies have not been cut 
down. The magnificent dairy has been untouched ; and 
at the top of the hill, which overlooks the whole park, 
the company amufe themfelves with wandering in a laby¬ 
rinth, and flurveying the different jets d’eau which are 
continually playing. From every elevated lite in thefle 
grounds there are beautiful profpedts; fome confined, 
and others ranging over a vaft tradl of country, but all 
agreeably diverfified. 
We now turn to the left, and join Paris on the north. 
Montmartre —(lands on a hill at a (hort diftance north 
of Paris. Its name was probably derived from a temple 
dedicated to Mars, the remains of which were to be feen 
here two centuries ago. Many perfons, however, trace 
its name to the martyrdom of St. Denis, which took place 
here. It is remarkable for its limeftone quarries, and the 
windmills which crown the top of the hill. The inhabi¬ 
tants of Paris often climb this hill to admire the diftindl 
and complete view which it affords of their city. Mont¬ 
martre contains many pleafant country-houfes, and nu¬ 
merous guinguettes. 
Clichy 
