A journey to Paris in the year 1698 by Dr. Martin Lister.

Before I give over the Business of Gar∣dens and Countrey, I will add some Re∣marks, which seemed particular and new to me.

In the Kitchin Gardens at and near Paris, are a great number of Apricock Standards; but kept low; very full of Blossoms, and good Bearers.

They make a Conserve of the Fruit; which I like above any of their Wet Sweetmeats; it was made by cutting them into thin slices, and throwing a∣way the Stone; which our People spare sometimes, and leave in the Flesh intire, and spoils the Sweetmeat, and sets it a fretting.

They imploy the Stones in Brandy, and distil them in Spirits.

In the beginning of April we had store of Sparagrass, but they were often so bitter, to me at least, that there was little pleasure in eating them. 'Tis certain they were much worse, than ours in England in that particular. Which puts me in mind of the Wild Sparagrass, which grows plentifully with us on the Sea Coast in Lincolnshire. This is very fair to the Eye; yet no culture of our Gardens, by often transplanting, could make it eat∣able. I fancy the Sparagrass recovers some∣thing of its natural force in a warmer Cli∣mate; for the sweet is as it were degene∣rated. If they would have them good here, they must renew the Seed from England or Holland.

The Wild Sparagrass of Languedoc is another Plant called Corruda.

I procured out of Languedoc a sort of Praecox Vine, about 50 Plants, by the Clermont Carrier; the which I gave to Mr. London, our Kings Gardner, for my Lord Ambassador. This Grape is White, very thin Skinn'd, and clear as a drop of Water; it is usually ripe at St. Johns∣mass in July at Montpellier, where it is called Des Ʋnies.

There are also in this Town Praecox Grapes, as Dr. Turnfort told me, in the Physick Garden; but whether the same with the Ʋnies, I know not.

I have said they delight much in Figs in Pots or Cases; but here is another way of preserving the Fig Trees set in the Ground, which is much practised; and that is to lap, and tie them up in long Straw, from top to bottom; for which they are placed at a little distance from the Walls. This also is practised to such Trees as stand in the middle of the Par∣terre; they did not open them till Mid-May.

The Exotic Trees, which the Parisians most delight in, for their Garden Walks, and for the Shade in their Courts, are the Maroniers, or Horse Chesnuts, of which they have innumerable; for the Fruit ripens very well here, and comes up of it self. Also the Acacia Rovini, which is very common, and makes pretty Alleys, and which they lop and turn to Pollards, with good effect; but of these last the Leaves are late in putting forth, it being the 15th of May our Syle, when these Trees were scarce green.

May 25, when I took my Leave of Monsieur Valliant, I found him in his Flower Garden; he shewed me a Parcel

of Ranunculus's, in full Flower, which he had received but two years before from Constantinople; They were very beautiful and rare, at least such as I had never seen; as pure White, White and Green, White and Strip't with Carnation, Pure Carnation or Rose-colour, Strip't Carna∣tion, &c.

Of these he had sold some a Pistol a Root, and hoped in a year or two to be more plentifully stock't with them, that he might afford them cheaper. I did see afterwards a few of them in the Royal Pipinerie, and also in the Seedsman's Gar∣den, Monsieur le Febre; but both came from him.

I also took notice of his Iron Cradles or Hoops over his Beds, which were re∣movable, and to be made higher and lower, according to the height and na∣ture of the Floors they were designed to cover. This, me-thoughts, was far be∣yond all the Inventions of Wooden Co∣vers, and might with Sail-Cloths and Mats well serve for a sort of portable Green House, to the less tender Plants.

I saw Le Febre's Flower Garden May 9. The Tulips were in their prime; indeed, he had a very large and plentiful Col∣lection. The Panacheé or Strip't Tulips were many, and of great variety. He

observed to me, that from his large and numerous Beds of self-flower'd Tulips, that is, of one colour, as Red, Yellow, &c. they expected yearly some Stript ones, which if perfect, that is, strip't in all the six Leaves, would but doubtfully continue, and perhaps return to their former state the next year; but if they laboured, or did not finish the stripings of all the six Leaves the first year, there were better hopes of their continuing in that state.

Though I had no mind to descend into the Stone Pits, which are like our Mines, Well-fashion, and the Stones wound up with great Wheels, to husband the Soil over them: Yet I went to Vanre, 3 miles from the Town, which is a ridge of Hills that runs along to the Observatoire. Here the Quarries are open on the side of the Hill, as with us. In those I observed 2 or 3 layers of Stone, 2 or 3 foot thick, mostly made up of Shells, or Stones in the fashion of Shells. Amongst these Shell-stones the most remarkable for bigness was a certain smooth and long Buccinum, tapering with very many spires. I measured one whose first spire was 8 inches diameter, the full length I could not so well come at; yet holding proportion with those of the kind which lay flat, and which we could see in their full length, it must have been

a foot long at least. There is no Bucci∣num in any of our Seas a quarter so big. Here are many of this Species. Also other large Turbinated Stones, which come near some of the West-India Kinds of Mu∣sic Shells, of which Genus yet there are none in the European Seas.

These Layers of Stone mixt with Shell-figured bodies, are at certain distances in the Rock, and other Rocks void of Shells interposed.

Fanciful Men may think what they please of this matter; sure I am, until the History of Nature, and more parti∣cularly that of Minerals and Fossils is better lookt into, and more accurately distinguisht, all Reasoning is in vain. It is to be observed, where Men are most in the dark, there Impudence reigns most, as upon this Subject: They are not con∣tent fairly to dissent, but to insult every body else. In like manner upon the Sub∣ject of Mineral Waters; How many Scriblers have there been, without any knowledge of Fossils?

I know not whether it be worth the not∣ing, but it shews the Humour of the French, that I saw in some Country Towns near Paris, the Church Wall near the top, had a two foot broad Mourning List, which compassed the whole Church like a

Girdle, and on this was at certain di∣stances, painted the Arms of the Lord of the Mannor, who was dead.