ntrically tangled streets. Nevertheless, at first sight, one
recognized the fact that these three fragments formed but one body.
One immediately perceived three long parallel streets, unbroken,
undisturbed, traversing, almost in a straight line, all three cities,
from one end to the other; from North to South, perpendicularly, to the
Seine, which bound them together, mingled them, infused them in each
other, poured and transfused the people incessantly, from one to the
other, and made one out of the three. The first of these streets ran
from the Porte Saint-Martin: it was called the Rue Saint-Jacques in
the University, Rue de la Juiverie in the City, Rue Saint-Martin in the
Town; it crossed the water twice, under the name of the Petit Pont and
the Pont Notre-Dame. The second, which was called the Rue de la Harpe
on the left bank, Rue de la Barillerie in the island, Rue Saint-Denis
on the right bank, Pont Saint-Michel on one arm of the Seine, Pont au
Change on the other, ran from the Porte Saint-Michel in the University,
to the Porte Saint-Denis in the Town. However, under all these names,
there were but two streets, parent streets, generating streets,--the two
arteries of Paris. All the other veins of the triple city either derived
their supply from them or emptied into them.

Independently of these two principal streets, piercing Paris
diametrically in its whole breadth, from side to side, common to the
entire capital, the City and the University had also each its own great
special street, which ran lengthwise by them, parallel to the Seine,
cutting, as it passed, at right angles, the two arterial thoroughfares.
Thus, in the Town, one descended in a straight line from the Porte
Saint-Antoine to the Porte Saint-Honore; in the University from
the Porte Saint-Victor to the Porte Saint-Germain. These two great
thoroughfares intersected by the two first, formed the canvas upon which
reposed, knotted and crowded together on every hand, the labyrinthine
network of the streets of Paris. In the incomprehensible plan of
these streets, one distinguished likewise, on looking attentively, two
clusters of great streets, like magnified sheaves of grain, one in the
University, the other in the Town, which spread out gradually from the
bridges to the gates.

Some traces of this geometrical plan still exist to-day.

Now, what aspect did this whole present, when, as viewed from the summit
of the towers of Notre-Dame, in 1482? That we s