In this Hotel is the cabinet of the royal school of mineralogy, which Mr. Le Sage has been four and twenty years in forming and analyzing; it is contained in a magnificent building, with a dome and gallery almost entirely of marble. THEATRES. AT this time there were ten regular theatres open every evening. The first and most ancient of which is the Opera, or Royal Academy of Music. The old house which was in the Palais Royal, was burnt in 1781, and the present house, near St. Martin's Gate, was built in seventy-five days. The number of performers, vocal and instrumental, dancers, &c. employed in this theatre is about four hundred and thirty. The price of admission to the first boxes is seven livres ten sous, about six shillings and eight pence, (or three shillings and four pence as the exchange then was.) 2. The _French_ playhouse is at present called _Theatre de la Nation_. In the vestibule or porch is a marble statue of _Voltaire_, sitting in an arm chair; it is near the Luxembourg. 3. The Italian theatre behind the _Boulevart Richelieu_. Notwithstanding the name, nothing but French pieces, and French music, are performed here. 4. Theatre _de Monsieur_. _Rue Feydeau_. Comedies and operas are performed here, three times a week in the Italian, and the other days in the French language; for which purpose two sets of players are engaged at this house. 5. Theatre Francais. Rue de Richelieu. At these four theatres the price of admission into the boxes was a crown. 6. Theatre de la Rue de Louvois. 7. Theatre Francais. Rue de Bondy. 8. Theatre de la Demoiselle Montansier, au Palais Royal. The box price of these three last was half a crown. 9. Theatre du Marais, quartier St. Antoine. 10. Theatre de Moliere. Rue St. Martin. To these must be added about five and twenty more; the best of which is the _Theatre de l'ambigu comique_, on the _North Boulevarts_;[9] the box price was half a crown. The others were rope dancers, and such kind of spectacles as _Sadler's Wells, &c._ and the prices were from two shillings down to sixpence. The French themselves, laughing at the great increase of their theatres, said, "We shall shortly have a public spectacle per street, an actor per house, a musician per cellar, and an author per garret." [Note 9: These _Boulevarts_ were made in 1536, and planted with four rows of trees in 1668; these beautiful walks are too well known to be described here; they are 2400 _Toises_ (4800 yards, or almost three miles) long. The South Boulevarts are planted in the same manner, were finished in 1761, and are 3683 _Toises_, or fathom (above four miles) in length.] PANTHEON. JACOBINS. QUAI VOLTAIRE. RUE ROUSSEAU. COCKADES.