werful light on their sparkling jewels and glittering ware, the
vistas of trees, the borders of flowers, the well dressed company and
animated groups, with the gilded coffee-houses beaming all round, form
such a picture as it is more easy to imagine than describe. Four
galleries with shops encircle the garden of the Palais Royal, three of
them are under piazzas opening to the grand area, the fourth, called the
Galerie d'Orleans, is enclosed on both sides, and the roof is formed by
one immense skylight, whilst the effect of the whole is superb. Over the
shops are mostly either coffee-houses or restaurateurs, some of them
splendidly decorated and most brilliantly lighted; as may be imagined,
this amusing locality forms the lounge of thousands, and no stranger
ever comes to Paris without making an early visit to the Palais Royal.
It was originally intended by Cardinal Richelieu for his own residence,
but the magnificence which he had already developed, with intentions of
augmenting his design to so extravagant and luxurious a degree, began to
excite the jealousy of Louis XIII, and finally the Cardinal made him a
present of it shortly before his death. Since then it has been inhabited
by several royal visiters, and such changes have been made that the
original plan is scarcely to be traced, it having formerly been so much
more extensive as to occupy several of the surrounding streets. So
numerous are the shops, and so various are the articles within them,
that it has been observed that a person might live in the Palais Royal
without ever stirring out of it, finding all within it required to
supply the wants of a reasonable being.

Although under the comprehensive title of Palais Royal, the whole extent
is included, not only garden but all the surrounding shops and the
stories above, yet that part which specifically is the Palais Royal, or
Royal Palace, is situated at the southern extremity, looking into two
court-yards, and where the present King with his family resided until
1831, when he removed to the Tuileries. It is entered by the Rue St.
Honore, and may be considered rather a fine building; the doric, ionic,
and corinthian orders are visible in different parts of the edifice, in
the interior there are some extremely handsome apartments, beautifully
furnished but not very large for a palace; there are many very
interesting pictures, particularly those relative to the King's life,
from the period, of his teaching geograp