The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-29 00:00:00

PAWS.

1?aom 01J1 CORILE3PONDEXT.I

PARIS, OCT. 5.

To-day the interment of the remains of Louts XVIII.
takes place, at the Abbey of Sr. DENIS. An immense
throng of carriages, and a crowd incalculable of foot
passengers, are at this moment pressing their way
along the road to this last receptacle of departed
Royalty. The custom of interring the Kings of France
at St. Denis is very ancient. DMIOBEIST, the founder,
or rather the restorer of this Abbey, was the first
that was buried in it. Ile died at Epinai, a small village
near Saint Denis, in the year 664. The origin of this
celebrattsl Abbey may be traced as far back as die first
establishment of Christianity among the Gauls. DAO3O-
- is said to have had it coated with thin plates of
silver. Ills successors endowed it with such magnificent
presents, that it became one of the richest and must re-
nowned Abbeys in France. SAINT Lolls had it almost
entirely rebuilt, and he repaired the tombs and monuments
of the Kings. Cnam.ss-MailrEt., one of the best Mo-
narchs that ever reigned in France, was buried here, in
741 ; but so:ue time after his tomb was broke open, and,
as the monastic historians of that day relate, there issued

from it a black thick smoke, anti instead of his carpe,
behold there was a hideous serpent!—a most iniracu-
lowl testimony, as they declared, of his having offended
!leaven! Citant.Es-ManTEL, who was the ornament of
the age in which he lived, had despoiled the Monks to
enrich his soldiers. This explains the prodigy.
In a letter which I wrote to you about a month since, I
. .

gave you an historical account of the splendid ceremonial
of the funerals of the Kings of France. I went yesterday
to see the church of St. Denis and the burning chapel
(chaptTh ardent...), so called from the dazzling blaze of
wax lights which encompass the coffin. The effect was
grand and impressive. The front of the church is hung
I with black cloth, thickly studded with silver fleurs-de-lis,

and over each door is raised a temporary Gothic pediment,
the whole surmounted with a line of escutcheons magnifi-

cemtly emblazoned. All external light is shut out, which
gives the interior a subterranean appearance. The nave of
the church, from the pavement to the roof, is covered with

rich black velvet, closely sown with fleurs-de-lis, and slicer
spar, imitative of tears. The roof is entirely covered with
the same solemn drapery; the pillars painted and gilt;
and on each side of the aisle about fifty large sepulchral
lamps are suspended, which are lighted only from the
commencement of the steps to the grand Altar. No
persons have been admitted into the church since Friday
last, without tickets, and even those gave no admission
to the Chape:le Ardente, for which I bad previously
procured a special introduction. The Catafidque, on
which the coffin is elevated, is superb, and reaches
to the roof. Upwards of two hundred workmen have
been employed for weeks past in preparing the church
for the reception of the numbers that will be present to-
day at the funeral service ; an amphitheatre of seats has
been raised, capable of accommodating upwanls of two
thousand persons. No one will be admitted unless in deep
mourning. The church will he opened to the public for
ten days, during which time it will be permitted to remain
exactly in its present state of decoration.
Nothing positive has transpired respecting the mysterious
affair of Papavoine, though reportslare in circulation. that
he was employed to commit the murder by the relatives
of the children's father, who, on their account, had refused
an advantageous marriage. 2apavoine is a clothier, and
was, it is said, in very good circumstances.