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.

The Rue des Petits Champs.

From the Rüe Vivien of which we have been treating, let us now turn to the Rüe des petits Champs which lies at the end of the other. The first thing which we find remarkable in this Street as you enter from the Rüe St. Honorè, is

The Hôtel de la Vrilliere, the abode of Mon∣sieur de la Vrilliere de Château Neuf, one of the four Secretaries of State. This Hôtel is one of the fairest of Paris, and best exposed to view, by reason it fronts full upon the Rüe des Fossez. The Portal is supported with Pillars of the Dorick Order, with two great Statues upon Pedestals above. The forepart of the house is in manner of a Terrase, and joyns the two Wings. The Court is exactly square; and the outside of the Buildings hath all the 〈…〉〈…〉 be desired, the Ornaments being 〈…〉〈…〉 exceeding just and regular proportion. For the Apartments beside their Gilding and Sculpture, they are adorn∣ed with most magn••••••ck Furniture, among other things one may there ••••e a Suit of Tapistry repre∣senting the twelve Months of the year, of a most singular design. The Gallery is full of excellent pictures, of the ablest Masters. There is one piece of Bassan highly esteemed, and admired by all the Curious. This Beautiful House is the De∣sign of Francis Mansard. Almost cross the way is

The Hôtel de Emery, in which Monsieur Fou∣quet dwelt for some time, and after him Monsieur the Mareschal de Turenne: It is one of the most capacious houses that you can meet with. M. Per∣rault Controller of the Buildings uses one part of it, which he has fitted up extreme neatly. Af∣ter this you come to

The Hôtel de Ceneterre, which hath this pe∣culiar, that it is encompassed on all sides with Streets. It is vast and Commodious, and the Garden extream pretty. The Sieur le Févre of Orleans was the Architect that built it. The Furniture is Magnifick. Going still forward in the same street you come to

The Hôtel Colbert, where dwelt the deceased Monsieur Colbert Minister and Secretary of State, and Controller general of the Finances (or Reve∣nue.) There appears in this Fabrick much re∣gularity with an excellent Gust and very peculiar. The Court is square, and the Buildings about it of such a neat contrivance that you can hardly meet with the like elsewhere. The Apartments are disposed with wonderful Judgment. But that which is most observable is the Portal on the Court-side, which is formed Vault-fashion ex∣treme skilfully, with the Kings Bust in the far∣ther part of it, of Chevalier Bernini's hand. This piece of Work is in its kind one of the best per∣formed and handsomest things that can be seen. The Library is none of the least considerable Or∣naments of this Hôtel, it is one of the fairest that we have at present, for the number of Books, but chiefly for the very considerable Manuscripts which are not to be met with else where. Among others there is a very Ancient Bible, of the time of the Emperor Charles the Bald, with a great many Volumes of Negotiations in the time of Monsieur the Cardinal Mazarine, which take up all that end of the Gallery next the House, Mon∣sieur the Abbot Baluze is the Library-keeper, which Learned Person is so well known through all Europe that it is needless to say any thing here in his commendation. He hath published several Works which sufficiently discover his profound knowledge, among others Capitularia Regum Fancorum in three Volumes in Folio; certain Learned Dissertations on several contested Sub∣jects, and in fine, some Pieces which time had concealed, and which with great Study and pains he daily brings to light under the Title of Mis∣cellanea,

to which he prefixes proper Prefaces, by which we are acquainted with the Lives and Me∣rits of the Authors. Most part of these excellent things he draws from the Manuscripts of this Li∣brary. On one side of this House lies

The Hôtel de Boüillon la Marq. Of late this is joyned to the Hôtel Colbert, and as it is now re-built it is much more commodious and neat than formerly.

The House of M. de Menars Master of Re∣quests in the Generality of Paris is in the same Row next the Rüe du Mail. You may here see the famous Library of the Messieurs de Thou. The Name of those Illustrious Persons to whom it hath belonged, cannot but raise our esteem and curiosity for such a Collection, and by the print∣ed Catalogue we may easily perceive the number and rarity of the Books. M. Quesnel who hath the care of them, hath placed them in the exact∣est order that can be desired, and this Library hath lost nothing of the Beauty and Reputation which it formerly had when it belonged to Mes∣sieurs de Thou, which makes us hope that it may also e're long be publick as it was formerly. Re∣turning again from the Rüe de petits-Champs, you go to

The Palais Mazarin. There is no place in Paris where you will meet with more Curiosities. or see richer Furniture than in this Palace. The front of the Building on that side next the Court is of Brick and Free-Stone, with two Statues of white Marble, which shew curiously as you enter. The Stair-case on the right hand leads to the A∣partments, composed of many Chambers whose Cielings are adorned with Gilding and Pictures of the best Masters of the Age: As for the Fur∣niture,

it is in all the Rooms Magnific, and it is continually changed with the Season of the year; In one of the Chambers, all the Gold∣smiths Work, as a great Branch for lights, the Chenets, and several other things, were all de∣sign'd by the famous Cavalier Bernini, which is infinitely more esteemed by the curious than the Metal of which they are wrought. After you have gone through several Chambers on the same floor, hung with rich Tapistry heightned with Gold and Silver, you are brought into a Gallery filled on each side with Cabinets adorned with precious Stones, and Chizil-work in Gold and Silver, placed upon Tables of Marble or inlaid Stone. You see there also Vases of Jasper and Alablaster of several sizes, with little Statues in Brass of delicate Workmanship. The floor of this Gallery is covered with a Turky-work Carpet all of one piece, and of an extraordinary length. The Apartments below Stairs are no less magnific than those above. All the Rooms are full of Germain Cabinets, and China, with Trunks of Japan, wonderfully light and sweet: besides this here are abundance of Marble Statues brought out of Italy with extraordinary Cost. In one of these Rooms you may see on a Table, a small Figure of the same Piece; it is about half a foot high and represents a Cibelle holding a Book in her hand, this is mightily esteemed. In another Room near this are several great Tables of Por∣phyry and Marble; the Lower-Gallery and the Hall through which you pass to it, are also full of Busts and ancient Statues. This Galery is of the same length with that of which I have already spoke. In fine, no one place can shew us toge∣ther so great variety of curious things; Clocks,

Pendulums of an extraordinary nature, Statues of Silver, and Silver gilt, with Vases of the same, and all these things very numerous. On Corpus Christi Day some of the Rich Tapistry belonging to this Hôtel is exposed to publick View, of which there is enough to hang a whole street.

Before the Gate they place the rich Housses, (or Trappings) embroidered with Gold and Silver, which Cardinal Mazarine caused to be made a∣gainst the Cerimonies of the Kings Marriage; they are surprisingly magnificent. Those belong∣ing to the Mules and Led-Horses are embroidered upon red Velvet, with the Arms of the Cardinal in the middle, and several devices in the corners, with other Ornaments To conclude, one cannot express all the rich and brave things that are in this Magni••ick Palace.

Further on, is, The House of Monsieur de Saint Poüange, which belongs at present to Monsieur de Bechamel Marquess of Nointel. This House is very well Built; the inside is extraordinary neat, and so is the Garden and Stair-case, which last are reckoned among the best of Paris. But that which is chiefly to be observed, is the excellent piece of Perspective Painted by the Sieur Rousseau on one of the Court-Walls; it is in its kind the best of the Kingdom, and one cannot meet with any thing more pleasing to the Eye than that magnifick Architecture which is there represent∣ed. You come next to

The Hôtel de Lionne, which the late Monsieur de Lionne, Marquess of Berni, and Secretary of State, built from the Ground, for which he em∣ployed the Sieur de Veau the Kings Architect. Monsieur the Mareschal de Villeroy, and the Duke, his Son, dwell here at present. The out∣side

of this Hôtel is of a very handsom contri∣vance, set off with the Ornaments of Archite∣cture. The inward parts are extreme commodi∣ous, and the Garden which lies behind is very ad∣vantagious to its graceful View. There was a design of building a Library here, but the Ma∣sters death arriving too soon, put a stop to the performance.

Near this is a great House newly built at the very corner of the Rüe St. Anne, belonging to Monsieur de Grand-Maison, heretofore Trea∣surer of the Extraordinaries of War, who hath spared no cost to make it so beautiful as it is.

Almost exactly cross the Way is the House of the Sieur Baptist de Lully of whom we spoke when we treated of the Opera, this House is ador∣ned on the outside with great Corinthian Pilasters.