considered as their own, were such as to be often named in history, and
to have formed the subject of a favourite Melo Drama; it retained its
character as being the scene of turbulence and disorder even to the
time of Louis XIV.

Amongst other useful undertakings effected by Philippe Auguste was that
of establishing markets with covered stalls, and he it was that first
conceived the idea of paving Paris, which he partially effected, and
surrounded the town with a wall, part of which is still standing in the
Rue Clovis. Paris increased and flourished under his reign; he in fact
did all that was possible to augment its prosperity, and amongst other
measures he granted the utmost protection in his power to the students,
knowing that the more the population of the city increased, the more
flourishing was its condition; by such means he induced scholars to come
in numbers from the most distant parts to study in the colleges of
Paris, two of which he erected, as well as three hospitals; he also
instituted many good laws, which protected the tradespeople and
repressed the robberies and extortions of the nobles. But Paris was
still subject to calamities, a flood having occurred from the
overflowing of the Seine, which reached as high as the second floor
windows of some houses. A great part of Paris was occupied with
monasteries and convents, which with their gardens covered an immense
space; in the course of time, however, the monks found it advantageous
to dispose of their lands for the purpose of building dwelling-houses,
and in the Revolution numbers were suppressed; and in some quarters of
the city there are warehouses in the occupation of different tradesmen,
which formerly formed part of the old monasteries. Many of the streets
by their names still indicate the order of the convents by which they
were occupied, as the Rue Blanc Manteaux (White Cloaks), Rue des Saints
Pères (Holy Fathers), Filles de Dieu (Daughters of God), which now is