Etat. 66.

1775. The chapel I do not remember if we saw-We saw one chapel, but I am not certain whether there or at Trianon. The foreign office paved with bricks.→→ The dinner half a Louis each, and, I think, a Louis over.-Money given at Menagerie, three livres; at palace, six livres.

"Oct. 23. Monday. Last night I wrote to Levet.

We went to see the looking-glasses wrought. They come from Normandy in cast plates, perhaps the third of an inch thick. At Paris they are ground upon a marble table, by rubbing one plate upon another with grit between them. The various sands, of which there are said to be five, I could not learn. The handle, by which the upper glass is moved, has the form of a wheel, which may be moved in all directions. The plates are sent up with their surfaces ground, but not polished, and so continue till they are bespoken, lest time should spoil the surface, as we were told. Those that are to be polished, are laid on a table covered with several thick cloths, hard strained, that the resistance may be equal; they are then rubbed with a hand rubber, held down hard by a contrivance which I did not well understand. The powder which is used last seemed to me to be iron dissolved in aqua fortis: they called it, as Baretti said, marc de l'eau forte, which he thought was dregs. They mentioned vitriol and saltpetre. The cannon ball swam in the quicksilver. To silver them, a leaf of beaten tin is laid, and rubbed with quicksilver, to which it unites. Then more quicksilver is poured upon it, which, by its mutual [attraction] rises very high. Then a paper is laid at the nearest end of the plate, over which the glass is slided till it lies upon the plate, having driven much of the quick

silver before it. It is then, I think, pressed upon 1775. cloths, and then set sloping to drop the superfluous Etat. 66. mercury; the slope is daily heightened towards a perpendicular.

"In the way

and the Bastile."

I saw the Grêve, the mayor's house,

"We then went to Sans-terre, a brewer.* He brews with about as much malt as Mr. Thrale, and sells his beer at the same price, though he pays no duty for malt, and little more than half as much for beer. Beer is sold retail at 6d. a bottle. He brews 4,000 barrels a year. There are seventeen brewers in Paris, of whom none is supposed to brew more than he:réckoning them at 3,000 each, they make 51,000 a year. They make their malt, for malting is here no trade.

"The moat of the Bastile is dry.

"Oct. 24, Tuesday. We visited the King's library-I saw the Speculum humana Salvationis, rudely printed, with ink, sometimes pale, sometimes black; part supposed to be with wooden types, and part with pages cut on boards.-The Bible, supposed to be older than that of Mentz, in 62: it has no date; it is supposed to have been printed with wooden types. -I am in doubt; the print is large and fair, in two folios. Another book was shown me, supposed to have been printed with wooden types;-I think, Durandi Sanctuarium in 58. This is inferred from the difference of form sometimes seen in the same letter, which might be struck with different puncheons. The regular similitude of most letters proves better

* [The detestable ruffian, who afterwards conducted Louis the Sixteenth to the scaffold, and commanded the troops that guarded it, during his murder. M.]

1775. that they are metal.-I saw nothing but the Speculum which I had not seen, I think, before.

Etat. 66.

"Thence to the Sorbonne.-The library very large, not in lattices like the King's. Marbone and Durandi, q. collection 14 vol. Scriptores de rebus Gallicis, many folios.-Histoire Geneologique of France, 9 vol. -Gallia Christiana, the first edition, 4to. the last, f. 12 vol.-The Prior and Librarian dined [with us]:I waited on them home.-Their garden pretty, with covered walks, but small; yet may hold many students. The Doctors of the Sorbonne are all equal; -choose those who succeed to vacancies.-Profit little.

"Oct. 25. Wednesday. I went with the Prior to St. Cloud, to see Dr. Hooke.-We walked round. the palace, and had some talk.-I dined with our whole company at the Monastery.—In the library, Beroald,-Cymon,-Titus, from Boccace.-Oratio Proverbialis to the Virgin, from Petrarch; Falkland to Sandys;-Dryden's Preface to the third vol. of

Miscellanies.3

“Oct. 26. Thursday. We saw the china at Sêve, cut, glazed, painted. Bellevue, a pleasing house, not great: fine prospect.-Meudon, an old palace.Alexander, in Porphyry: hollow between eyes and nose, thin cheeks.-Plato and Aristotle-Noble terrace overlooks the town-St. Cloud.-Gallery not very high, nor grand, but pleasing. In the rooms, Michael Angelo, drawn by himself, Sir Thomas More, Des Cartes, Bochart, Naudæus, Mazarine.— Gilded wainscot, so common that it is not minded.

3. He means, I suppose, that he read these different pieces, while he remained in the library.

Gough and Keene.-Hooke came to us at the us at the inn. A message from Drumgold.

"Oct. 27. Friday. I staid at home.-Gough and Keene, and Mrs. S's friend dined with us.This day we began to have a fire. The weather is grown very cold, and I fear, has a bad effect upon my breath, which has grown much more free and easy in this country.

"Sat. Oct. 28. I visited the Grand Chartruex built by St. Louis.-It is built for forty, but contains only twenty-four, and will not maintain more.

The friar that spoke to us had a pretty apartment. -Mr. Baretti says four rooms; I remember but three. His books seemed to be French.-His garden was neat; he gave me grapes.-We saw the Place de Victoire, with the statues of the King, and the captive nations.

"We saw the palace and gardens of Luxembourg, but the gallery was shut.-We climbed to the top stairs. I dined with Colbrooke, who had much company:-Foote, Sir George Rodney, Motteux, Udson, Taaf.-Called on the Prior, and found him in bed.

"Hotel-a guinea a day.-Coach, three guineas a week. Valet de place, three 1. a day.—Avantcoureur, a guinea a week.-Ordinary dinner, six 1. a head.Our ordinary seems to be about five guineas a day. Our extraordinary expences, as diversions, gratuities, clothes, I cannot reckon.-Our travelling is ten guineas a day.

"White stockings, 181.* Wig.-Hat.

"Sunday, Oct. 29, We saw the boarding-school.

1775.

Etat. 66.

* [i. e. 18 livres. Two pair of white silk stockings were probably purchased, M.]

Etat. 66.

1775. The Enfans trouvés.-A room with about eightysix children in cradles, as sweet as a parlour.-They lose a third; take in to perhaps more than seven [years old]; put them to trades; pin to them the papers sent with them.-Want nurses.-Saw their chapel.

"Went to St. Eustatia; saw an innumerable company of girls catechised, in many bodies, perhaps 100 to a catechist.-Boys taught at one time, girls at another.The sermon; the preacher wears a cap, which he takes off at the name:-his action uniform, not very violent.

"Oct. 30. Monday. We saw the library of St. Germain.-A very noble collection.-Codex Divinorum Officiorum, 1459:—a letter, square like that of the Offices, perhaps the same.-The Codex, by Fust and Gernsheym.-Meursius, 12 v. fol.-Amadis, in French, 3 v. fol.-CATHOLICON sine colophone, but of 1460. Two other editions, one by

4

Augustin. de Civitate Dei, without name, date, or place but of Fust's square letter as it seems.

"I dined with Col. Drumgold; had a pleasing afternoon.

"Some of the books of St. Germain's stand in presses from the wall, like those at Oxford.

"Oct. 31. Tuesday. I lived at the Benedictines; meagre day; soup meagre, herrings, eels, both with

4 I have looked in vain into De Bure, Meerman, Mattaire, and other typographical books, for the two editions of the "Catholicon," which Dr. Johnson mentions here, with names which I cannot make out. I read "one by Latinius, one by Boedinus." I have deposited the original MS. in the British museum, where the curious may see it. My grateful acknowledgements are due to Mr. Planta for the trouble he was pleased to take in aiding my researches.