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LIGHTING OF STREETS.

issued in the year 1524, and renewed in 1526, and again in1553; but in the month of October, 1558, f allots weredirected to be set up at the corners of the streets, or wherethe street was so long that it could not be lighted by one,three were erected in different parts of it. These lightsconsisted of a vase filled with pitch, resin, and othercombustibles, which had been usually employed in the king’spalace, and to light the courts of princes. In the month ofNovember, in the same year, these lights were changedfor lanterns, somewhat similar to those now used. Thelighting the Parisian streets continued imperfect for a longtime, till the Abbe Laudati, an Italian of the C-araffafamily, conceived the idea of letting out torches and lan-terns for hire. In the month of March, 1662, he obtainedan exclusive privilege to this establishment for twentyyears; and he undertook to erect, at certain distances,not only in Paris , but also in other cities of the kingdom,booths or posts where any person might hire a link orlantern, or, on paying a certain sum, be attended throughthe streets by a man bearing a light. He was authorisedto receive from every one who hired a lantern to a coach,live sous, for a quarter of an hour; and for every foot-passenger three sous. To prevent all disputes in regardto time, it was ordered that a regulated hour-glass shouldbe carried along with each lantern.

In anno 1667, regulations began to be put on a footingfor illuminating the French capital; from which time thepolice, which has since regulated that metropolis, was im-proved in both those excellent regulations, watching andlighting ; most other cities, and even boroughs, in Europe ,have, in some degree, imitated the improvements theremade. From thence, affairs of judicature and those re-specting the public police, instead of being committed, asbefore, to one magistrate, called the Lieutenant civil duprevost de Paris, were by a royal edict, bearing date inthe month of March, in the above year, divided between twopersons ; one of whom, retained the management of judicialaffairs, and also retained the old title; and the other, whohad the cognizance of affairs of police, was denominatedLieutenant du prevost de Paris pour la police, or Lieutenantgeneral de police. The first lieutenant of police was Nicho-las de Reynie, a man who, according to the praises be-stowed on him by French writers, formed an epoch in thehistory of modern police. In the history of the famouscity of Paris , the historian calls him an enlightened, up-right and viligant magistrate, as zealous for the service ofthe king, as for the good of the people, and who succeeded