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walk having above double the breadth to the two fide ones; and will hold eight files ofcoaches, and in the middle a great open circle to turn, with fine gates at both ends.Thofe that would have better and freer air, go further, and drive into the Bois deBologne, others out of other parts of the town to Bois de Vincennes, fcarce any fideainii's. In like manner thefe perfons light and walk in the Tuilleries, Luxembourg ,and other gardens, belonging to the crown and princes, (all which are very fpacious)and are made convenient, with many feats for the entertainment of all people; thelacquies and mob excepted. But of this more hereafter.
No fort of people make a better figure in the town than the bifhops, who have veryfplendid equipages, and variety of fine liveries, being molt of them men of great fami-lies, and preferred as fuch, learning not being fo neceffary a qualification for thofe dig-nities as with us; though there are fome of them very deferving and learned men.I fay, they are molt noblemen, or the younger fons of the beft families. This indeedis for the honour of the church; but whether it be for the good of learning andpiety is doubtful. They may be patrons, but there are but few examples of erudi-tion among them. ’Tis to be wifhed that they exceeded others in merit, as they do inbirth.
The abbots here are numerous from all parts of the kingdom. They make a con-fiderable figure, as being a gentile fort of clergy, and the moft learned ; at lead werefo from the time of cardinal Richelieu , who preferred men of the greatefl learning andparts to thefe pofls ; and that very frankly, and without their knowing it before-hand,much lefs foliciting him for it. He took a fure way, peculiar to himfelf, to enquireout privately men of defert, and took his own time to prefer them. This filled thekingdom of France with learned men, and gave great encouragement to fludy; where-of France has yet fome feeling.
’Tis pretty to obferve, how the king difeiplines this great city, by fmall inftancesof obedience. He caufed them to take down all their figns at once, and not to ad-vance them above a foot or two from the wall, nor to exceed fuch a fmall meafureof fquare ; which was readily done: fo that the figns obfeure not the flrccts at all,and make little or no figure, as though there were none; being placed very high andlittle.
There are great number of hoftels in Paris , by which word is meant public inns,where lodgings are let; and alfo the noblemen and gentlemen’s houfes are fo called,moftly with titles over the gate in letters of gold on a black marble. This feems as itwere, to denote that they came at firft to Paris as Grangers only, and inned publicly ;but at length built them inns or houfes of their own. It is certain, a great and wealthycitv cannot be without people of quality; nor fuch a court as that of France without thedaily infpedtion of what fuch people do. But whether the country can fpare them ornot, 1 queftion. The people of England feem to have lefs manners and lefs religion,where the gentry have left them wholly to themfelves; and the taxes are railed withmore difficulty, inequality, and injuflice, than when the landlords live upon the def-maines.
It may very well be, that Paris is in a manner a new city within this forty years.It is certain fince this king came to the crown, it is fo much altered for the better,that it is quite another thing ; and if it be true what the workmen told me, that acommon houfe, built of rough flone and plaiftered over, would not lafi above twentv-five years, the greatefl part of the city has been lately rebuilt. In this age certainlymoft of the great hoftels are built, or re-edified; in like manner the convents, the bridges
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