Lli
“ throne on which she is at present seated,
and to the perfections requisite in the
“ wife of a king, as much elevated above
“ all others, as the lily is above other
“ flowers ; and of a monarch who has just
displayed himself to our eyes, like the
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rising sun, resplendent with glory in the
“ midst of the stars in the firmament of
“ France, and amidst the acclamations of
a numberless people, who fill this great
city, or rather epitome of the world,
which already feels the marvellous effects
produced by this royal union of your
Majesty, &c. These are the wishes of
“ Messieurs the Genevese, who most hum-
“ bly supplicate your Majesty to honour
“ them with a continuation of the same
“ good-will and grace, with which they
were favoured by the kings, your predecessors.
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They will never fail in the respect
they have vowed to your Majesty,
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nor in their prayers to God for the pre-
“ servation of his sacred person, and for
“ that of the queen his most dear spouse,
“ and for a benediction on their royal bed,
“ and for a glorious posterity.”
The waters of the Rhone are distributed
into various parts of the city, by an hya
draiilic machine, which supplies the public
fountains. It affords daily employment to
a considerable number of men and women
(chiefly Savoyards) to carry the water from
these fountains to the families on the different
stories of each h o u se; and as many
of the houses are six or seven stories hifOf h,"
this is no small labour. They chiefly carry
it on their heads or backs, in wooden vessels
made for the purpose. In the upper part
of the city, many o f the stair-cases are
sufficiently broad to admit of an ass passing
up with panniers on his back, and it was
formerly the custom for them to ascend
even to the upper stories with flour, bread,
wood, &c. This custom has been discontinued
for nearly fifty years.
The lower classes o f citizens, at Geneva,
with their wives and children, are generally
neatly dressed, and the labourers have
their clothes well mended, and appear
clean and comfortable. Beggars, or persons
in rags, are rarely seen in the streets,
unless it be a few stragglers from Savoy.
The very respectable appearance o f the
female servants, speaks strongly in favour
of the morality o f the higher classes.
The condition of the poor is, perhaps,