Paris, with a small portion of the surrounding country, of a circular form, and about fifteen miles in diameter, forms what is termed the department of the Seine, and is governed by a prefect, who has under him twelve mayors, one for each division of the city, and two other substitutes who manage the landward district. The police here is brought to a high state of perfection ; the number of clerks and officers is incredibly great ; and every person, whatever his character or external appearance, seems to be watched as studiously as if he were suspected of the grossest delinquencies. Paris has not inaptly been deno minated the land of passports : without one, the shortest journey cannot be taken ; and the circumstances of the numerous strangers, who, from all the kingdoms of Eu rope, visit the French capital, immediately become known, as from their passport, their name, profession, &c. are in serted in the police-books. The jurisdiction of the courts of Paris, unlike those of the English capital, extend only to • the seven neighbouring departments ; but, as is the case in London, it is the residence of the sovereign and royal family, it is the centre of the public business of the nation, and is the seat of the legislative assemblies.
The inhabitants of Lutetia, afterwards named Paris, as explained in a former part of this article, seem, in the time of Casar, to have been a resolute and bold people ; for, according to that commander, they chose rather to consume their city to ashes, than allow it to fall into the hands of the enemy. Ca'..sar, however, finding the place advantageously situated for a military station, built a new town on the site of the old ; and the Romans, from this period, retained possession of it upwards of 500 years, during which lime it was visited by several of the Roman emperors, by Constantine, Constance, Julian, &c. In the year 486, it was taken by the Franks, and early in the sub sequent century it was established as the capital of that people. From this period Paris, with little interruption, has increased gradually in size and in elegance. In the
twelfth century, the streets were paved, and the town sur rounded by a large wall. But the most memorable xra in the history of this city, is the long and glorious reign of Louis XIV. During his sway, upwards of eighty streets were opened and rebuilt ; 33 elegant churches were erect ed; the quay was newly constructed, and four new ports were formed ; the Hotel des Invalides and the Observa tory were founded; the Louvre was enlarged and repaired; the Boulevards were levelled and planted, and various other improvements were effected, which have caused the name of that illustrious monarch to be most honourably associated with the annals of the French metropolis. The same spirit continued to animate his successors, particu larly Louis XVI. who not only resolved to complete the monuments and public buildings left unfinished by his predecessors, but also contemplated new improvements. These plans, however, he was not destined to carry into execution. He fell a victim to that revolution of his king dom, which not merely subverted the ancient regime of France, but the effects of which were felt in the most re mote nations of Europe. The history of this sanguinary period may be found under the article FRANCE; and it need merely be mentioned here, that, since the revolution, the interests of Paris have not been neglected ; that the ravages which were committed by the infatuated mob on some of its most splendid edifices and institutions have, as far as possible, been atoned for ; and that the capital of France, during the reign of Bonaparte, made many acqui sitions, both in point of external beauty and of real im provement.
Sec Pinkerton's Description of Paris, two volumes; Lady Morgan's France, two volumes ; Millin's Voyage en France, five volumes; Rough's Sketch of Modern Paris ; Travels in France, anonymous, Edin. 1814; Paris. and Paris by John Scott ; Nlercier's Picture of Pa ris ; Planta's JVcau Picture of Paris. See also works on France, by Arthur Young, Birkbeck, Wraxall, Etc. Of these, Pinkerton's is the most minute and authentic. (T. Di.)