Paris, July 20.

This day I viewed the charity hospital, and the hospital for invalids. The latter is a large and elegant building, in which there is a chapel, that is said to cover as much ground as the cathedral of St. Paul's, in London. The floors of the domes are made of fine marble, and each dome is dedicated to some saint, whose statue is placed in a niche, or hallow. There are some of the finest paintings in this chapel that I ever saw; and the hospital commonly contains about 200 officers, and 3,000 soldiers.

Afterwards I viewed the house of Bourbonne, and the royal observatory, where astronomical observations are taken. I looked through the telescopes, and surveyed the mathematical instruments. I saw an account of the late observations, and perceived that the French are very accurate in performances of that kind: but I did not give them to understand that I was a professor of the science.

I also viewed a great church, called Jamies, which has been near twenty years in building, and is not yet wholly finished. In this church there are some of the largest and finest pillars that I ever beheld.

Afterwards I took a survey of the buildings and gardens which belong to the king's eldest brother; and went to the French theatre and saw the grand performances there. After the play was over, on returning to my lodgings, I was seized on the way by a very gay young lady, who accosted me with—J' aime vous, Monsieur.—Voulez vous venir avec moi?—My answer was in the negative. I was obliged to break her hold, and be off with myself. "Perhaps, said I, if I go with you, I may be robbed and murdered: it is best for me to keep out of the fire whilst it is in my power."

I had heard but a few days before of a man that was so simple as to accept of the invitation of two lewd women, who took him to their lodgings; but before morning he was robbed, not only of his watch and money, but of his clothes, and turned out naked into the street by some whore-mongers that frequented the house. This shews how dangerous it is to venture one's-self amongst strangers, and especially those of this sort. It is safest for every one, either at home or abroad, to shun all such kind of company, as well as the company of thieves, drunkards, gamesters, and those that use bad language: for the keeping of bad company has been the destruction of thousands; and especially the greatest mischief has been done among unthinking youth: their inexperience, and unsuspecting dispositions, making them the fit subjects for villainy to work upon.