A new description of Paris containing a particular account of all the churches, palaces, monasteries ... with all other remarkable matters in that great and famous city / translated out of French.

VAL de GRACE.

HEre it is that all Strangers are forced to grant, that we can raise in France as fine Buildings and as regular, as those in Italy so much admired by Travellers. We may also af∣firm, without vanity, that this magnificent House, if consider'd in all its parts, is one of the most beautiful Works of all this Age.

It ought to be observed that the Nuns of Val de Grace were formerly Founded near the Village of Bierre, about Three Leagues from Paris, in a very incommodious place by reason of the Ma∣rish Grounds, called there le Val profond, or the deep Vale; being very Sickly in this place, they Petition'd Lewis XIII. for his permission to come and inhabit in Paris. Queen Anne of Austria, his Illustrious Wife, being acquainted with their merit, chiefly from one of their Company, named Margaret d'Arbouse, by whose means she took a particular affection to them, declar'd her self their Foundress. She caused them in the Year 1621. to be lodged in the Faux-bourg St. Jac∣ques, in an old House then called the Hôtel d•• Valois, which was pull'd down to make way for those Buildings, which have been since erected. Some Years after, that illustrious Queen, by way of thanksgiving for the happy Birth of the now King, whom God gave to France after Twenty Years expectation, caused the Foundation to be ••aid of that glorious Edifice which we now see. Monsieur Mansard, so often already mention'd,

who was at that time the most esteemed Architect of France, was made choice of for this Work, and the designs which he drew were admired by all Men. He carryed up the work as high as the first Floor, but then for some Reasons he was changed, and other Architects employed in his place, to wit, le Due, le Muet, and du Val, who perform'd their parts so well, that Mansard was not mist, tho' so great a Master. In disgust to be thus used he undertook to build the Chapel at Château de Fresne, seven Leagues from Paris, for Monsieur de Guenegaud, Secretary of State; where he per∣formed in little that magnificent design, which he drew out at first for Val de Grace, and thereby made that Chapel one of the finest Structures in the Kingdom, as all who have seen it unani∣mously agree. But though the building at Val de Grace, is admirable in its present condition, yet it hath been effected with abundance of pains, and with excessive Charges, chiefly in laying the Foundation, by reason of the Quarries which they met with in digging. The present condition of this place is as follows:

First you enter into a great Court, which lies before the principal Door; this Court is separa∣ted from the Street by a Pallisade of Iron, at the extremities of which are two square Pavillions; on the right Hand and on the left it is bounded with certain Stone Works, adorn'd with rustick Pillars, which make a very handsom Shew. At the further part of this Court is the great Portal, raised upon Six steps. But that which makes it most remarkable, is, that it is after the manner of a Portico composed of Four great Corinthian Pillars, with Niches on each side, in which are placed St. Bennet, and St. Scholastica, of white

Marble. On the Frise is this Inscription in Let∣ters of Gold:

JESU NASCENTI, VIRGINIQUE MATRI.

To the Child JESƲS, and his Virgin Mo∣ther.

The Front of the Portal is of two Orders of Pillars, the Corinthian and the Composite, with all their proper Ornaments. If the outside appears great, the inside is still infinitly more magnificent. All the Church is paved with Marble of divers Colours. And the compartments are correspon∣dent to the Cartouches of Sculpture, and to the Guillochis (or Flourishings) in the Roof, where there are several Bas-tailles of admirable Work∣manship. This Roof is of Stone as white as Mar∣ble, and it is throughout enriched with Orna∣ments of the best sort, in which Monsieur An∣guerre has surpast all. On each side of the Nave are Three Chapels, divided asunder by Two great Pilasters, which support the Cornish that runs round the Church, and supports the Arches of the Roof. The Quire is directly un∣der the Dome at the further end of the Nave, from which it is parted only by a grate of Iron gilt. Four great Arches support the Dome; and the great Altar is placed under the futher∣most Arch. It is of a very singular design, com∣posed of Six great twisted Pillars of the Composite Order. They are of black Marble vein'd with

white; of which sort there are hardly any others to be found in Europe; they are raised upon Pe∣destals of Marble also, and they are all over en∣riched with Palms and Feüillages of Brass gilt, which make a wondrous beautiful Show. One may truly say that the contrivance of these Pillars is, in some respects, more magnificent, than those of the great Altar at St. Peter's in Rome, which were designed by the Cavalier Bernin. These excel in number and in the beauty of the Workmanship. They stand in a great Circle, raised about two Foot, and make a kind of Pa∣villion open on all sides, forming Six Conso••nes, at the feet of which are Angels holding Censing∣pots. These Pillars are joined together by great ••estons of Palms, about which little Angels hold certain Scrowles, in which are writ seve∣ral Verses of the

Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

Glory be to God on high.

The whole is of the best sort of gilding without any Colours Upon the Altar, which is placed in the middle of these Pillars, the Infant JESUS is represented lying in his Cradle, all of white Marble, accompanied by the Holy Virgin and St. Joseph▪ these are all of Monsieur Anguerre's Work, and reckoned among the best things that ever he did. Behind the great Altar you see a Grate in a kind of Pavillon, of Marble also. To this place the Nuns come to make their Pray∣ers, when the Holy Sacrament is exposed. The inside of this place is very beautiful, but in re∣gard it is difficult to be seen, I shall not here say

any thing of that subject. Between the Arches which support the Dome, in the Corners stand the ••our Evangelists in Sculpture, well worth your exact Observation; and a little lower are as many gilt Balconies placed over the like num∣ber of little Chapels, which are contrived out of the thickness of the Work. But tho' all these things are admirable, yet these are not the chief Rarities, the Painting on the inside of the Dome will give much more pleasure to the lovers of Art; it represents the Glories of the Blessed in Heaven, who are placed in several Groupes, the Apostles, the Prophets, the Martyrs, the Vir∣gins, and the Confessors, each of which are di∣stinguisht and known by some particular remarks, the Kings, the Patriarchs, the Heads of Orders, the Fathers of the Church, St. Bennet and St. Sch••l••stioa; in the lower parts are placed the Altar, and the Candlestick of Seven Branches, and in a word, all that the Scripture discovers to us of Paradise. In the upper part the sight loses it self in an infinite space, which appears full of confused and faint Objects, by reason of a vast distance, and a great light that strikes out from the highest of all. All this delicate Painting is in Fresco, and the Work of M. Mig∣nard, who did the Hall and Gallery at St. Cloud. In the Frise at the bottom you may read this In∣scription:

ANNA AUSTRIA D. G. FRANCO∣RUM REGINA, REGNIO. REC∣TRIX, CUI SUBJECIT DEUS OMNES HOSTES, UT CONDE∣RET DOMUM IN NOMINE SUO, Ecc. A. M. D. C. L.

ANNE of AUSTRIA, by the Grace of God Queen of France, and Regent of the Kingdom, to whom God subdued all her Enemies, that she might build a House in his Name.

On the right Hand and on the left of the great Altar, are the two Grates which take up all the void space between the side Arches. They are of an extraordinary greatness, and the like were never made of the bigness, besides they are wrought with such delicate Art, as if the Iron had been as soft and easie to form as Lead. That on the right side encloses the Nuns Quire from the Church, which is large and well Wainscot∣ted▪ They have in it a small Organ which they use on Festivals, at such time as they sing their Service Musically, which they perform to the great pleasure of their hearers, they having among them some very excellent Voices. On the other side is a great Chapel▪ all hung with Mourning, in the middle of which is erected a Hearse of black Velvet upon Four or Five Steps; here are reposited the Hearts of the Queen-Mo∣ther their Illustrious Benefactress, the Queen whom we have so lately lost, with others of several Prin∣cesses of the Blood Royal, among the rest that of Madam the Dutchess of Orleans.

Before we leave this place we ought to observe the Cyfer, which is at the bottom of the steps of the Altar, composed only of two Letters L. and A. encompassed about with Palms, and other Feüillages of white Marble. There are here ma∣ny

other things worth observation, which would be painful to set down in writing, but the Curi∣ous when they come hither will easily find 'em out. The inside of the Convent corresponds ex∣actly well to the magnificence of the Church. The several Cells and the Offices are regularly disposed, and built with solidity, particularly the Apartment of the Queen-Mother, disposed in such manner as may befit a C••puchin Nun. The Nuns are very austere, for they observe the reformed Rule of St. Bennet. They choose their Abbess from among their own Community, whose Authority is only Triennial. Their chief Revenues arise from the Abby of St. Corneille in Compiegne, which is annext to this House.

As you go from hence you must not forget to observe the outside of the Church, and the Or∣naments about the Dome, which appears of a very great height: it is cover'd with Lead, with great Bands gilt; and on the top a Balustrade of Iron, round about the little Lanthorn open on all sides; over that is the great Ball, and there∣upon the Cross. All these things are set off glo∣riously with Gildings, and which way soever you enter into Paris, this Dome is so big and so high, that it may be easily discover'd a great way off.

After you have seen Val de Grace, you ought next to go to

The Convent of the Capuchins, behind which there lies a very great enclosed piece of Ground, which extends a great way into the Fields, and serves in Summer for a very delightsom Walk. their Cloister is but small, according to the manner of building used by those good Friers.

Within it on the Walls they have set up several Inscriptions in French Verse, to excite the Devo∣tion of such as walk there.

In the Street over against the Capuchins going into the Rue d'Enfer, stands

The Convent of the Bernardin-Nuns, according to the Reform of Port Royal. Their Church is very neat; it was designed by the Steur le Pau∣tre; tho' it be but small, yet it hath some Beau∣ties which are not found in greater. The late Queen-Mother brought these Nuns from the famous Abby of Port Royal des Champs near Ver∣sailles, in the Year 1625, in which place they were very numerous and of great Reputation, and placed them here; this House being then called the Hôtel de Clagni. They have in this Church a great Devotion, by reason of one of the Holy thorns of our Lords Crown, in favour of which some great Miracles have been done. Their Altar-piece representing the last Supper, was painted by Monsieur Champagne. They have also here an antique Amphora or Waterpot, which as some pretend, was one of those which were made use of at the Marriage of Cana.

There remains nothing more that is remarka∣ble in this Faux-bourg, but