ftitution is intended to exhibit the progrefs of monu mental tafte in France, for feveral centuries paft, the fpecimens of which have chiefly been collected from St. Denis, which formerly was the burial place of the monarchs of France, and from other churches. It will be remembered by the reader, that in the year 1793, Henriot, a vulgar and furious republican, proposed setting off for the former church, at the head of the fans culottes, to deftroy all these curious and valuable relics, "to ftrike," as he faid, "the ty "rants in their tombs," but was prevented by fome other republicans of influence, who had not parted with their veneration for the works of tafte, from this impious and impotent outrage. In the first hall, which is very large, and impreffes a fimilar awe to that which is generally felt upon entering a cathedral, are the tombs of the twelfth century. Amongst them I chiefly distinguished that of Henry II. upon which are three beautiful mourning figures, fupporting a cup, containing his heart. In the fecond hall, are the monuments of the thirteenth century, most of them are very fine? that of Lewis XII. and his queen, is well worthy of notice. I did not find much to gratify me in the hall of the fourteenth century. In that of the fifteenth are feveral noble tombs, and beautiful windows of ftained glafs. In the hall of the fixteenth century is a fine ftatue of Henry IV. by Franchville, which is confidered to be: an admirable likeness of that wonderful man. In the hall of the feventeenth century, is a noble figure, reprefenting religion, by Girardon. In the cloifters are feveral curious ftatues, ftained glafs windows, and teffelated pavement. There is here alfo a good buft of Alexis Peron, with this fingular epitaph, Ci git qui ne fut rien, Pas meme academicien. In the fquare garden within the cloisters, are feveral ancient urns, and tombs. Amongst them is the vafe which contains the afhes, if any remain, of Abelard and Heloife, which has been removed from the Paraclete to the Mufeum. It is covered with the graceful fhade of an Acacia tree, which feems to wave proudly over its celebrated depofit. Upon approaching this treafurable antique, all thofe feelings rushed in upon me, which the beautiful, and affecting narrative of those difaftrous lovers, by Pope, has often excited in me. The melancholy Heloife feemed to breathe from her tomb here, "If ever chance two wandering lovers brings, Oh! may we never love, as thefe have lov'd." " National guards are ftationed in every apartment of the Museum, and prefent rather an unaccording ap! pearance, amidst the peaceful folemnity of the far ་ rounding objects. This exhibition is not yet completed, but, in its prefent condition, is very interesting. Some hints not altogether useless, may be collected from it. In England our churches are charnel houfes. The pews of the congregation are raised upon foundations of putrefaction. For fix days and nights the temple of devotion is filled with the peftilent vapors of the dead, and on the feventh they are abforbed by the living. Surely it is high time to fubdue prejudices, which endanger health without promoting piety The Scotch never bury in their churches, and their burial places are upon the confines of their towns. The eye of adoration is filled with a penfive pleasure, in obferving itself furrounded with the endeavors of taste and ingenuity, to lift the remembrance of the great and good beyond the grave, in that very spot where the frailty of our nature is fo often inculcated. Such a difplay, in fuch a place, is rational, fuitable and admonitory. The filent tomb becomes auxiliary to the eloquence of the pulpit. But the custom which converts the place of worfhp into a catacomb, can af ford but a mistaken confolation to pofthumous pride, and must, in fome degree, contaminate the atmosphere which is contained within its walls. One evening as I was paffing through the Boulevard Italien, in company with a gentleman from Toulon, we met a tall, dark, hollow eyed, ferocious looking man, of whom he related the following ftory. -Immediately after the evacuation of Toulon by the English, all the principal Toulonefe citizens were ordered to repair to the market place; where they were furrounded by a great military force. This man who, for his offences, had been committed to prifon, was liberated by the French agents, in confequence of his undertaking to felect thofe of the inhabitants who liad in any manner favored the capitulation of the town, or who had fhown any hofpitality to the English, whilft they were in poffeffion of it. The mifcreant paffed before the citizens, who were drawn out in lines, amounting to near three thoufand. Amongft whom he pointed out about one thousand four hundred perfons to the fury of the gov ernment; without any other evidence, or further examination, they were all immediately adjudged to be fhot. For this purpofe a fuitable number of foldiers were drawn out. The unhappy victims were marched up to their deftruction, upon the quay, in fets of three hundred, and butchered!!! The carnage was dreadful. In the laft of thefe unfortunate groups, were two gentlemen of great refpectability, who received no wound from the fire, but, to preserve themfelves, dropped with the reft, and exhibited all the appearances of having participated in the general fate. This execution took place in the evening: immediately after its clofe, the foldiers, fatigued, and fick with cold-blooded flaughter, marched back to their quarters, without examining whether every perfon まず 417 upon whom they had fired, had fallen a victim to the murderous bullet. Soon after the foldiers had retired, the women of Toulon, allured by plunder, proceeded to the fatal spot. Mounted upon the bodies of the fallen, they ftripped the dead, and dying. The night. was stormy, The moon, emerging from dark clouds, occasionally, shed its pale luftre upon this horrible scene. When the plunderers had abandoned their prey, during an interval of deep darkness, in the dead of the night, when all was filent, unconscious of each other's intentions, the two citizens who had escaped the general carnage, difencumbered themselves from the dead, under whom they were buried; chilled and naked, in an agony of mind not to be described, they at the fame moment, attempted to efcape. In their agitation, they rushed against each other. Expreffions of terror and furprise, dropped from each of them. "Oh! God! it is my father!" faid one, "my fon, my fon, my fon," exclaimed the other, clafping him in his arms. They were father and fon, who had thus miraculously escaped, and met in this extraordinary manner. The perfon from whom I received this account, informed me, that he knew thefe gentlemen very. well, and that they had been refettled in Toulon about two years. The wretch who had thus directed the ruthless vengeance of a revolutionary banditti, against the breafts of his fellow citizens, was, at this time, in |