stry.” 
2 
Infitute.. LTattended one public and one 
-private fitting, In the firlt I was pleafed 
with the ,very handfome apartment in 
‘wilich it was held, and with the very 
neat’ and proper ftyle of its decora- 
tions.» It happened to be more fully 
‘attended than ufual, from an expec- 
‘tation which very generally prevailed, 
that_Bonapaite would attend, who had 
yecently returned from the campaign in 
Italy. At the latter I was much pieafed 
wwith a difcuffion in which the merits of 
an hiftorical differtation that had been pre- 
fented forthe approbation of the Inftitute, 
were weighed with great ability and learn- 
ing. 
Religion.—I was extremely anxious to 
afcertaim the aétual ftate of religion in 
France,:and for that purpofe availed my- 
delf of every opportunity that offered of 
attending the public worfhip; I likewife 
afked feveral Catholics, who had never 
conformed to the new fyftem, whether 
they) were ever molefted in their public 
fervice. They all agreed in faying, that 
mpon that head they had nothing to with. 
‘So dittle, however, did I know of the 
ftateoof France, that I was abfolutely 
amazed on my arrival at Calais to find one 
half of the women wearing crucifixes. I 
-one day attended the double worthip of 
the Catholics and Theophilanthropes in 
the fame church—the church of St. Ger- 
mains Auxerrots..—Every thing was con- 
dusted very quietly; and whatever. ob- 
gections I may have to the imperfeétions 
‘of»the Theophilanthropic Creed, 1 mutt 
do juftice to that air of devotion, decency, 
‘and folemnity, which I obferved upon 
‘that occafion.::. The churches -at Paris 
are throughout covered with the following 
‘Infcriptions:— 
Infcript. 1.—** Nous croyons 2 lVexiftence 
de Dieu, a limmortalité de ame.” 
“We believe tn the exiftence ofa God and 
the immortality of the foul.” 
Infeript. 2:——"* Adorez Dieu, cheriffez vos 
femblables, rendez vous utiles 4 la Patrie.” 
66 Adore God, cherifh your fellow-crea- 
tures, render yourfelve: ufeful to your coun- 
Infeript. 3.—** Le bien eft tout ce qui tend 
a conferver homme ou 4 le perfectionner. 
Le mal eft tout ce qui tend a le detruire ou a 
Je deteriorer.” 
“© Good is every thing which tends to pre- 
ferve mankind or to perfe& him,. Evil is 
every thing which tends to deftroy him or to 
make him worfe.” 
Infcript. 4.—** Enfans, honorez vos péres 
et. meres; obeiffez leur avec. affection ; fou- 
lagez leur vicillefle jePéres et meres, in. 
ftruifez vos enfans, 
diffidence. 
_ tion were limited, and I prudently con- 
Objervations on the Prefent State of France, by Mr. Banks. (Feb. 1, 
¢¢ Children, honour your fathers and mo- 
thers ; obey them with affe€tion; comfort 
their age:—-Fathers and mothers, infrudt 
your children.” 
Infeript. 5§.—** Femmes, voyez dans vos 
maris les chefs de vos maifons: —-Maris, 
aimez vos femmee, et rendez vous recipro- 
qguement heureux.” 
‘¢ Wives, fee in your hufbands the chiefs 
of your familics:—Huibands, love your 
wives, and render yourfelves mutually happy. 
The alliance between church and flate 
is confidered in France a frange, unna- 
tural, and uncouth, not to fay inceftuous, 
connection between two parties who, ac- 
cording to the civillaw, fecundum pracepta 
legum non coeunt: and I believe that fince 
the divorce has at laft taken place, there 
will be but little difficulty in preventing 
their re-union; for they have no. difbaps 
to publifh the banns. There fubfifts, 
notwithftanding, a fort of platonic friend- 
fhip, which has been produtive of the 
happielt effe&ts; and fince the: late arréte 
of Bonaparte, enabling the people to have 
one day of reft in feven inftead of ten, 
one of the parties is fo content with her 
fituation, that fhe does not wifh to change 
it, ‘although fhe would g/adly be taken 
sal keeping to prevent coming upon the 
ublic. 
. Taxes.—I was not able to make myfelf 
matter of the detail of their finance fyftem 
and taxes. Allthat I can fay upon this in- 
terefting fubjeét amounts to the two follow- 
ing faéts.. Mr. Mouron, of Calais;‘one of 
the firft merchants in France, told me that 
the whole of what he paid annually to go- 
vernment (including the war tax) does 
not amount to 20l.. Mr. Vanderhorght, 
of Bruxelles, who has two fuperb and 
fplendid houfes, a coach, two horles for 
pleafure, and a very extenfive. eftablith~. 
ment, told me, that the whole of his taxes, 
of what kind foever, do not amount te 
4ol. a year. 
State of Society—Any obdfervations I 
can fuggeft upon this difficult and delicate 
f{ubject mult be received with confiderable 
My opportunities of oblerva- 
fined myfelf to fuch focieties as’ were 
placed out of the reach of any political 
vortex. The revolution has, by many, 
been faid to have relaxed the moral prin- 
ciples of the people. Of this Lam fcarcely 
a competent judge: bu¢I can fay without 
hefitation, that during a long flay at 
Paris, and a long journey through the 
North of France, I had not, in any one 
inftance, reafon to complain of the man 
ners ef the loweg claflts. I feund them 
) 2 
ey 
