"On Tuesday evening (July 23, 1776) Mary-le-bon gardens exhibited a scene equally novel and agreeable; namely, a representation of the Boulevards of Paris. The boxes fronting the ball-room, which were converted into shops, had a very pleasing effect, and were occupied by persons with the following supposititious names, legible by means of transparent paintings.--Crotchet, a music-shop; a gingerbread shop (no name over it), the owner in a large bag-wig and deep ruffles _à-la-mode de Paris_: Medley (from Darley's), a print-shop; New-fangle, a milliner; a hardware shop and lottery-office in one (the price of tickets 11_l._ 14_s._); _La Blonde_, a milliner; Pine, a fruiterer; Trinket, a toy-shop; Fillagree, ditto; Mr. Gimcrack, the shop unoccupied, and nothing in it but two paper kites; _Tête_, a hair-dresser. The shopkeepers seemed rather dull and awkward at their business, till the humour of the company had raised their spirits by purchasing; and then, in proportion to their trade, their diligence advanced. Madam Pine, Messrs. Trinket, and _le Marchand de la gingerbread_, ran away with the custom from all their competitors. Mr. _Tête_ indeed would have had a good share of trade, but that the ladies were previously provided with every article he had to sell, and superior of the kind; for if his head-dresses were as big as a peck, many of theirs could not be crammed into a bushel. "The ball-room was illuminated in an elegant manner with coloured lamps; and at one end of it women attended, selling orgeat, lemonade, and other cooling liquors. This was intended as a representation of the English Coffee-house at Paris. "There was a great variety of different amusements; and amongst the rest a booth representing that of Signior Nicola at Paris, in which eight men, at the command of the supposed Signior, who was behind the scenes, exhibited a dance called the Egyptian Pyramids, standing on the backs, arms, and shoulders of each other, to an astonishing height. The number of the persons present is thought to be about 600." We will now bid adieu to Mary-le-bon gardens. Very considerable alterations were made in Drury-lane Theatre previous to the opening for the season of 1775. The frequenters of it before the above period describe the interior as very little superior to an old barn; but the raising of the ceiling twelve feet, the removal of the side-boxes, and substituting others supported by slight pillars, the opening of new passages to the boxes and to the Theatre from Bridges-street, seem to have entitled it to that approbation which it received till the re-building in 1794 of the spacious edifice demolished by fire February 24, 1809. The fashionable world had often read and heard of the Venetian _Regattera_, or race of Oarsmen, and were inclined to attempt a grand effort of imitation on the Thames; for which purpose many preparations were made, and the following plan was submitted to the publick in May 1775.