are scarcely heard of. And during my residence in France, I never once heard of a highway robbery or burglary being committed.

It was on the 28th of July, 1788, at night, when I arrived at the city of Paris; and the next day I visited and paid my respects to Dr. Franklin,* who then resided at a small village, situate upon an eminence, between Paris and Versailles, which commands a prospect delightfully pleasing to the eye. This pleasant village is called Passy, three miles distance from Paris, and about six miles from Versailles. The building in which the Doctor resides, with his secretaries, is a noble piece of modern architecture, large and commodious, and adjoining which is a beautiful garden. From this village may be seen nearly the whole of the city of Paris and its suburbs, and nearly three hundred walled towns, besides a great number of noblemen's villas, which have the appearance of so many palaces and country-seats, scattered over the country as far as you can extend the eye. Dr. Franklin received me without any ceremony, but with the kindness of a parent; and in this way he conducted himself towards all the Americans, whom he was in the habit of calling his children. I found in company with him, the marquis de la Fayette, and several other gentlemen; and as soon as they were gone (which was in about half an hour after my arrival) the Doctor asked me to follow him into his study; and after being seated, he held a long conversation with me upon different subjects, and when I was about leaving him, he invited me to call and see him often, and gave me good advice, relative to the conduct which I ought to observe while I resided at Paris, and in the same familiar style as though he had been my father, and for which I shall al

*This is the man to whom Peter Porcupine gave the nickname of old lightning rod, and said that he never filled a junck bottle full of electrical fire in his life. Others also, who were always enemies to the United States, have followed Peter's example since the Doctor's death, in endeavoring to undervalue this eminent and able statesman, and to erase from the minds of the American people, his well earned and deserved popularity; which, notwithstanding the ravings of his enemies, will endure till time shall be no longer.

ways revere him as long as I live. At this time Dr. Franklin was highly esteemed, not only by the French, but by all the foreign ministers resident at the Court of France, and his levee, for number and respectability, every day exceeded that of the count de Vergennes, the king's favourite, and the American people's friend. After the first interview with this American sage and statesman, I called often upon him, and he always treated me with the same kindness and friendship as he did at my first visit. He was upon all occasions dressed remarkably plain, for which all classes of people esteemed him the more. I visited nearly all this great and populous city, where there were any natural or artificial curiosities to be seen, for several days successively. The Place Victoire (place of victory) was among the first of curiosities which arrested my attention. It is near the centre of the city, and occupies about half an acre in a square form; and directly in the centre of this is a statue of Lewis XIV. standing upon a marble pedestal, with a truncheon in his right hand, the other clasped to his waist, represented in his royal robes, but without a crown on his head. An angel is represented as having a light, and one foot set upon his pedestal, and with his right hand is in the act of crowning this monarch with a laurel wreath, which he holds just above his head. At each corner of the pedestal are represented four kings, which the French say, Lewis XIV took prisoners in his wars, all at this monarch's feet in chains, with their crowns, coats of armour, and other badges of royalty, lying by them. This chef douvre is composed of bronze, a composition of metal, but resembles copper. This monarch is represented on horseback, as large as life. At another place the horse, and the king upon him, standing upon a marble pedestal, elevated about twelve feet from the pavement, at the Place Vendome. There is also nigh the old palace gates, a statue of a horse, and a representation of Lewis XV, mounted upon him upon a pedes

tal, at the four corners of which are represented four female figures, in allusion to the four cardinal virtues; but some say these represent his four mistresses, who were sisters, and were said to be great beauties; but let this be as it may, this much is a known fact, that Lewis XV with all his faults, was a monarch universally beloved by his subjects, during the whole of his reign; and for this substantial reason, he was called Lewis the beloved. These statues are also composed of bronze. Not far from this are les champs Elisce, or Elysian Fields, containing about twenty acres of ground, planted with beautiful trees, and divided into the most delightful walks which I had ever seen, ornamented with the greatest variety of arbours, artificially made, and which are pleasantly shaded, and in which one may be accommodated with whatever one desireth, either eatables or drinkables. Here may be seen in the latter part of the day and evening, when the weather is clear and serene, several thousands of the nobility, gentry and others; who generally tarry here till it is time for the plays and operas to begin, which is at 6 o'clock in the evening. However, a considerable part of this large company continue to amuse themselves in these delightful walks until 10, and often, if the evening is pleasant, till 12 at night. It is my opinion, which coincides with that of many others, that the city of Paris occupies more ground than London. The dwelling houses and public buildings are mostly higher, and the architecture better in the first mentioned than in the last. The streets, however, are not to be compared with those in London. They are here, for the most part, both narrow and crooked, and very dirty, and nothing prevents people on foot from being run over by coaches, but that of sheltering one's self in the houses or shops, upon either side of the streets. Whereas in London, foot passengers can there walk upon each side of the streets on the flags, with the greatest of safety, as the pavements in that city are raised pretty high in the middle of the

streets, in order to be dry; and on the right hand, and on the left of these, the pavement is of flat stones, raised about eighteen inches above the common pavements; this accommodates those that are on foot. On account of the streets in this city being always so very dirty, the greater part of the male citizens wear black silk stockings, and which are always fashionable on the same account. The city is divided into two parts by the river Seine, which after running about three hundred miles, empties itself into the English channel, near Havre de Grace, which is the nearest seaport to the capital of any in the kingdom. There are several old decayed palaces in this city, where the ancient kings of France used to reside. The display of riches in this city, are not to be compared with those to be seen in London.

The duke de Charters has lately built a palace near the centre of the city, which has cost him an immense sum of money, and which is a very magnificent one, and far excels, in my opinion, that built by Lewis XIV. where the present king now resides, for elegance, beauty, and grandeur. But this is not to be wondered at, since, it is said, that the former is the richest prince in Europe. The comedies and operas are much grander here than in London; and the people who frequent these places are more magnificently dressed here, than those who visit such places in the last mentioned city.

The Bastile, situate not far from the Thuelliries, is a large pile of buildings, and is a very strong fortress; said to be impregnable. It is in this castle where the prisoners of state are confined, and where I endeavoured to gain admittance, but without success. There are a great number of hospitals in the city, which are large and commodious buildings. Having entered several, I was not a little surprised to observe the cleanliness and regularity of the sick in general, as well as every kind of conveniency in the inside of them, kept in a very neat manner. This I say, surprised me, because I

never saw before among the French, anything respecting their victuals, household furniture, and the like, but was always in a very dirty condition. I visited the hospital where all such persons who have the venereal disease are admitted and taken care of. But from what I saw I rather think that many poor miserable wretches are brought here for the purpose of the French surgeons to try experiments upon. I was told that that whole numbers of these people in this hospital, which is a large and expensive pile of buildings, amounted to six thousand, of both sexes. Among those that I saw (excepting such as were confined to their beds) there was not a single one but what was deformed, and drawn out of their natural shapes from the effect of mercury. I saw one with his face turned over his back, where the back part of his head ought to be; another without a nose; a third without any eyes; a fourth his joints dislocated, &c. From such objects of horror and disgust I turned away my eyes, reflecting seriously upon what I had seen. After remaining in this hospital, till I was almost poisoned with the stench of these people, I retired from it and went into another called L'Hospital D'Enfans trouvé (foundling hospital,) so named, by its containing about seven thousand children who are fed, clothed, and educated till they are fifteen years of age, when they are set adrift in the wide world to seek a livelihood; all at the expense of a certain French noblewoman, whose name I have mislaid, as I had taken it down with a pencil at the time it was told to me. They are poor children, and the greater part of them are foundlings. There are numbers picked up in the streets naked as when they were born, almost every morning.

The next thing which attracted my attention was seeing a fellow exceedingly well dressed, holding up the trail of a lady's gown, as she walked the street. This I supposed, was to prevent its being dirtied or soiled. Soon after I perceived the lady, on