XJSTER’s TRAVELS' IN FRANCE.

53

Mighty things indeed are faid of thefe drinks, according to the humour and fancy ofthe drinkers. I rather believe they are permitted by God ’s providence for the lefleningthe number of mankind by fhortening life, as a fort of filent plague. Thofe that pleadfor chocolate, fay, it gives them a good ftomach, if taken two hours before dinner.Right! who doubts it ? you fay, you are much more hungry having drank chocolate,than you had been if you had drunk none; that is, your ftomach is faint, craving, andfeels hollow and empty, and you cannot flay long for your dinner. Things that pafsthus foOn out of the ftomach, I fufpeft, are little welcome there, and nature makes hafteto get {hut of them. There are many things of this fort which impofe upon us by pro-curing a falfe hunger.

The wild Indians, and fome of our people, no doubt digeft it; but our pampered bo-dies can make little of it, and it proves to mod tender conftitutions perfect phyfic, atleaft to the ftomach, by cleanfing that into the guts; but that wears it out, and decaysnature.

It is very remarkable with what greedinefs the Spaniards drink it, and how often in aday, five times, fays Gage, at lead. The women drank it in the churches, and thediforder could fcarce be remedied. This {hews how little it nouriflies.

The old Romans did better with their luxury ; they took their tea and-chocolate'after a full meal, and every man was his^own cook in that cafe. Caefar refolved to befree, and eat and drink heartily, that is, to excefs, with Tully ; and for this purpofeCicero tells his friend Atticus, that before he lay down to table, Emeticen agebat, whichI conftrue, he prepared for himfelf his chocolate and tea; fomething to make a quickriddance of what they eat and drank, fome way or other.

There are two forts of water which they drink at Paris;' water of the river Seine, ,which runs through the town ; and the water brought in by the aqueduct of Arcueil ,which, by the by, is one of the moft magnificent buildings in and about Paris , andworth going to fee. This noble canal of hewn ftone conveys the water fifteen miles toParis .

The river water is very pernicious to all ftrangers, not the French excepted, thatcome from any diftance, but not to the natives of Paris , caufing loofenefs, and fome-times dyfenteries. I am apt to think the many ponds and lakes that are let into it tofupply the fluices upon the canal De Briare , are in part the caufe of it. But thofe whoare careful of themfelves purify it by filling their cifterns with fand, and letting it finkthrough it; which way clears it, and makes it very cool and palateable.

As for the fpring water from the Maifon des Eaux, it is wholefome in this refpeft, andkeeps the body firm; but it is very apt to give the ftone, which the people of this townare infinitely fubjeft to. An inftance of this I had by chance, when coming fromfeeing the aquedud of Arcueil , in the very road near the wall of the aqueduft, a greatnumber of earthen pipes, which had ferved to convey that water to fome houle, werecaft to mend the highways. I obferved, that of four inches diameter the hollow of thepipes were all flopped Up to the breadth of a {hilling, with a firm ftone petrified; fo thatthey were forced to break up the pipes being altogether ufelefs. Now what petrifies inthe water-pipes is apt in fome weak conftitutions to petrify alfo in the kidneys andbladder. I ^think I have put this beyond difpute in my treatife De Caleulo Humano,and elfewhere.

In the next place we will fee how the Parifians divert themfelves; which confifts chieflyin plays, gaming, walking, or coaching.

The plays, here are divided into two houfes: one for the operas, and the other for thecomedies, i z

I did