Paris As It Was and As It Is | Page 5

de Paris_.
LETTER L. Coffee-houses--Character of the company who frequent them--Contrast between the coffee-houses of the present and former times--Coffee first introduced at Paris, in 1669, by the Turkish ambassador--_Café méchanique_--Subterraneous coffee-houses of the Palais du Tribunat.
LETTER LI. Public instruction--The ancient colleges and universities are replaced by Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Lyceums, and Special Schools--National pupils--Annual cost of these establishments --Contrast between the old system of education and the new plan, recently organized.
LETTER LII. Milliners--_Montesquieu's_ observation on the commands of the fair sex--Millinery a very extensive branch of trade in Paris--_Bal de l'Opéra_--Dress of the men and women--Adventures are the chief object of those who frequent these masquerades.
LETTER LIII. _Théatre Fran?ais de la République_--The house described--List of the stock-pieces--Names of their authors--_Fabre d'Eglantine_--His _Philinte de Molière_ a _chef-d'oeuvre_--Some account of its author --_La Chaussée_ the father of the drame, a tragi-comic species of dramatic composition.
LETTER LIV. Principal performers in tragedy at the _Théatre Fran?ais_--Vanhove, Monvel, _St. Prix_, and _Naudet_--Talma, and _Lafond_--_St. Fal_, Damas, and _Dupont_--Mesdames Raucourt and _Vestris_--Mesdames Fleury, Talma, Bourgoin, and _Volnais_--Mesdames Suin and _Thénard_--_Début_ of Mademoiselle _Duchesnois_; Madame Xavier, and Mademoiselle _Georges_--Disorderly conduct of the Duchesnistes, who are routed by the Georgistes.
LETTER LV. Principal performers in comedy at the _Théatre Fran?ais_--Vanhove, and _Naudet_--_Molé_, Fleury, and Baptiste the elder--_St. Fal_, Dupont, Damas, and _Armand_--_Grandménil_, and Caumont --Dugazon, Dazincourt, and _Larochelle_--Mesdemoiselles Contat, and _Mézeray_--Madame _Talma_--Mesdemoiselles _Mars, Bourgoin_, and _Gros_--Mesdemoiselles Lachassaigne and _Thénard_--Mesdemoiselles Devienne and _Desbrosses_--Contrast between the state of the French stage before and since the revolution.
LETTER LVI. French women fond of appearing in male attire--Costume of the French Ladies--Contrast it now presents to that formerly worn--The change in their dress has tended to strengthen their constitution--The women in Paris extremely cleanly in their persons--Are now very healthy.
LETTER LVII. The studies in the colleges and universities interrupted by bands of insurgents--_Collège de France_--It is in this country the only establishment where every branch of human knowledge is taught in its fullest extent--Was founded by Francis I--Disputes between this new College and the University--Its increasing progress--The improvements in the sciences spread by the instruction of this College--Its present state.
LETTER LVIII. _Théatre de l'Opéra Comique_--Authors who have furnished it with stock-pieces, and composers who have set them to music--Principal performers at this theatre--Elleviou, Gavaudan, Philippe, and _Gaveaux_--Chenard, Martin, _Rézicourt_, Juliet, and Moreau --_Solié_, and _St. Aubin_--Dozainville, and _Lesage_--Mesdames _St. Aubin_, Scio, Lesage, _Crétu_, Philis the elder, Gavaudan, and _Pingenet_--Mesdames Dugazon, Philippe, and Gonthier.
LETTER LIX. France owes her salvation to the savans or men of science --Polytechnic School--Its object--Its formation and subsequent progress--Changes recently introduced into this interesting establishment.
LETTER LX. Pickpockets and sharpers--Anecdote of a female swindler--Anecdote of a sharper--Housebreakers--_Chauffeurs_--A new species of assassins --_Place de Grève_--Punishment for thieves re-established--On the continent, ladies flock to the execution of criminals.
LETTER LXI. Schools for Public Services--The Polytechnic School, the grand nursery whence the pupils are transplanted into the Schools of Artillery, Military Engineers, Bridges and Highways, Mines, Naval Engineers, and Navigation--Account of these schools--_Prytanée Fran?ais_--Special Schools--Special School of Painting and Sculpture --Competitions--National School of Architecture--Conservatory of Music--Present state of Music in France--Music has done wonders in reviving the courage of the French soldiers--The French are no less indebted to Rouget de Lille, author of the Marseillois, than the Spartans were to _Tyrt?us_--Gratuitous School for Drawing--Veterinary School--New Special Schools to Le established in France.
LETTER LXII. Funerals--No medium in them under the old _régime_--Ceremonies formerly observed--Those practised at the present day--Marriages --Contrast they present.
LETTER LXIII. Public Libraries--_Bibliothèque Nationale_--Its acquisitions since the revolution--School for Oriental Living Languages.
LETTER LXIV. _Bibliothèque Mazarine_--_Bibliothèque du Panthéon_--_Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal_--The Arsenal--Other libraries and literary _dép?ts_ in Paris.
LETTER LXV. Dancing--Nomenclature of caperers in Paris, from the wealthiest classes down to the poorest--Beggars form the last link of the chain.
LETTER LXVI. _Bureau des Longitudes_--Is on a more extensive scale than the Board of Longitude in England--National Observatory--Subterraneous quarries that have furnished the stone with which most of the houses in Paris are constructed--Measures taken to prevent the buildings in Paris from being swallowed up in these extensive labyrinths--Present state of the Observatory--Lalande, _Méchain_, and _Bouvard_--_Carroché_, and _Lenoir_--Lavoisier, and _Borda_--Delambre, Laplace, Burckhardt, Vidal, Biot, and _Puisson_--New French weights and measures--Concise account of the operations employed in measuring an arc of the terrestrial meridian--Table of the new French measures and weights--Their correspondence with the old, and also with those of England.
LETTER LXVII. _Dép?t de la Marine_--An establishment much wanted in England.
LETTER LXVIII. _Théatre Louvois_--Picard, the manager of this theatre, is the _Molière_ of his company--_La Grande Ville, ou les Provinciaux à Paris_--Principal performers at this theatre--Picard, Devigny, Dorsan, and _Clozel_--Mesdemoiselles Adeline, _Molière_, Lescot, and Madame _Molé_--_Théatre du Vaudeville_--Authors who write for this theatre--Principal performers--Public malignity, the main support of this theatre.
LETTER LXIX. _H?tel de la Monnaie_--Description of this building--_Musée des Mines_--Formed by M. _Sage_--The arrangement of this cabinet is excellent--_Cabinet du Conseil des Mines_--Principal mineral substances discovered in France