m England, I trust I am tolerably _au fait_
at that operation. I shall begin with that part of Paris denominated La
Cite, because it is the most central and the most ancient; we will
therefore proceed to it by the Pont-Neuf, which as I have already stated
was built by Henry III about 1580. There are several shops upon it
contained within small stone buildings, which, when viewing the bridge
at a short distance, have rather a picturesque effect; it is ornamented
with a number of heads according to the taste of that day, and which now
give it rather an antique appearance. When well upon the bridge which
rises as it approaches the centre, I would advise the spectator to look
around him, as the view well repays the trouble, the quays having a most
noble appearance, adorned by the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Institute,
and other public buildings.

Now let us look about us at more immediate objects; what a noisy
bustling scene it is at present, and has been for centuries past, as in
the reign of Henry IV it is described as absolutely stunning; now you
are assailed by the hissing of fried potatoes, fish, and fritters, which
are bought up as fast as they are supplied, women and men are seated
with their little apparatus for shearing cats and dogs, and clipping
their tails and ears if required, which is a calling that appears to be
followed by numbers in Paris who all seem to take their stations on the
bridges; situated amongst them are several shoeblacks, who appear to
take their posts in uniform array with the trimmers of cats and dogs;
they operate upon your boots and shoes as you stand, therefore if you
wish to patronise them you may take that opportunity of looking about
and getting disburthened of some of the Paris mud, quite certain if it
be wet weather that you will soon get more. Fruit in all its variety,
books, prints, blacking, and nick-knacks of every description offer
themselves to your notice. But let us direct our attention to a more
interesting object; the fine bronze equestrian statue of Henry IV: one
could almost think the good and merry monarch was going to utter some of
his witty sallies. Now let us turn round and behold those antique
looking houses which face us and were built in his reign, at a distance
they have a sort of castellated appearance: before we quit the bridge
let us look down on the Baths Vigier with their pretty garden; we will
enter the place Dauphine, and then take one look at the bust of Desa