The Sun.
London, England, 1822-09-27 00:00:00

COURT OF ASSIZE OF PARIS.

TRIAL of PIERRE BARTHELEMYpr the FRAUDU-

LENT SEDUCTION of a YOUNG WOMAN.

A number of interesting trials are to occupy the Court dur-
ing this Session. On Thursday, the 26th, the Court will have
to decide tin the opposition formed by the four -Editors of the
Constitutions:el, the Pilote, the Courier,' and the Journal die
Commerce, to a decree which forbids them to report proceed-
ings in Courts of Justice. The day after. to-morrow the Court
will have to try an accusation of bigamy, and one of fraudulent
bankruptcy. The sitting of to-day has been occupied by an
accusation of carrying off' a minor, the only daughter of a cabi-
net-maker possessing some property. The accused was a young
man, author of several articles, who had no other means of sub-
sistence, though an Advocate, than his recent employment by a
Journal entitled the Pilote.
Pierre Barthelemy had met several times Miss Elizabeth
Florence G—, daughter of a cabinet-maker, aged 17 years.
He was 11 or 12 years older. He is far from being ugly, but he
is short and lame, and obliged to aid the shbrtness of one leg
by a high heeled boot, and to support himself on a cane.
The Act of Accusation and the Justificatory Papers make
us acquainted with the manner in which the acquaintance was
established. Barthelemy frequently followed Miss Elizabeth
in the street, as she proceeded from her father's house to
school, accompanied by a female servant. He very soon
finind means to speak to her, and offered to lend her some
boas. The first which he lent her were, according to him,
some works on. Education, and -a Treatise on Mythology.—
Some time afterwards he put into her hands the first volume of
La Nouvelle Heloise, and refused to give her the second. He
wished to shew her Julie guilty, -but not Julie repentant.
Elizabeth, it is said, hesitated to finish the first volume ; she
was stopped -by this remarkable passage of the preface:—
"'Whatever young woman, in spite of the title, dares to read
is single page, is for ever lost." She added, however, I have
arrived at the 110th page, and am not yet lost.. Barthelemy,
replied, that the danger was only to weak minds, and that she
might continue.
In a letter written to the object of his arts, Barthelemy deve-
loped his theory of seduction. Very soon he menaced Eliza-
beth, that he should be driven to deeds of the greatest despair.
He dared to advance that suicide was not a crime. He an-
nounced his approaching departure for Barcelona, where he was
going to brave the yellow fever. Elizabeth was alarmed ; Bar-
thelemy changed his plan of a journey into Spain for a trip to
England, and by degrees lie led her into the abyss of seduction.
At length tho place of her retreat was discovered, and she was
conducted to the -convent of SL Michel, by virtue of the pa-
ternal authority, and of the authority of the President of the
Civil Court. • Barthelemy wrote a menacing letter to the fa-
ther, in which he reproached him as a tyrant and gaoler, and
the executioner of his daughter, and, went so far as to say,
" you have lost your rights in abusing them."
Barthelemy- alleged for excuse the violent passion with
which he was inspired by his victim, and the' project which'he
had always entertained of marrying her • but the father would
not accept of a reparation which only confirmed the ravisher in
the possession of the prey which he had coveted. He appeared
before the Court as a party to a civil suit.
At the commencement of the trial, Elizabeth was led forward
by the son-in-law of M. Lebon, her father's advocate. Her
steps trembled, she was evidently confused, and a long black
veil covered her features, which; however, were discerned to be
regular and handsome. Her eyes appeared to avoid these of
M. Barthelemy. -
After the act of accusation was read in the presence of a nu-
merous audience, M.' de Broe, Advocate-General, required, in
consequence of the nature of some of the details, that the cause
should be heard with closed doors.
The Court agreed to this requisition, the audience were or-
dered to depart, some persons, however, remained ; we shall
not abuse this favour in reporting afflicting details, which the
interest of morality requires us not to submit to the eyes of our
readers.
M. de BROE supported the accusation with the same talent
that he has recently displayed in a number of criminal pro.
secutions.
M. le Bost pleaded the father's cause, and M. CARNE de-
fended Barthelemy. • .
The audience were again admitted, when the Judge sum-
med up, and they then learnt that all the difficulty of the ease
turned on the 354th and 356th articles of the Penal Code, and
on a defect which the Legislator seemed to have left in them.
—The defence maintained that the minor being more than
sixteen years of age, and having voluntarily followed her se-
ducer, the charge of fraud provided for in the 354th article
was not applicable. . . .
After a short deliberation, the Jury found Barthelemy not
guilty of having carried off the minor, Elizabeth Florence G.—
by fraud. In consequence the President discharged him, and
addressed him as follows 1—
" Pierre Barthelemy, the silence of the law rather than your
innocence, enables you to escape from this accusation. You have
been guilty of the gravest offence that can be committed not
only against the rules of morality, but against the first princi-
ples of an honest and virtuous man. You have seduced a
young woman from her duty, knowing that her father would
never consent to give her to you in marriage. You have not
even asked the father's consent ; you began the seduction of this
, young person in the most vile manner, and with a skill and
artfulness that has hitherto been found only in novels where the
' character of Lovelace has been described with such odious fea-
tures. You have evidently derived your means of seduction
from works which we dare not name on this Bench. Remember
the crime you have now been guilty of for the remainder of your
life, and endeavour to expiate it by better conduct. 'Warned
, for the future by the lesson you have received, endeavour to
form no other connections but what are pure and virtuous.
' Above all, do not abuse talents which the Court cannot but re,.
cognize, talents which nature has given you, and education has
L cultivated, but of which you have made a most immoral and
pernicious use." -

FRANKFORT, SEPT. 19.--The letters from Con-
stantinople of the 25th ult. a►'e not yet arrived,
and the Vienna Papers contain no further parti-
culars respecting the state of affairs in Greece.;
but letters have been received Ny way of Trieste,
in which the cause of the Greeks is by 'no means
given up as desperate—and they affirm, on the
contrary, that they have again obtained advan-
tages over the Turks. It appears, that the Aus-
trian accounts were founded on truth, that the
Turks have really overrun Livadia, occupied
Corinth, and sent troops to Argos to attack the
insurgents in the heart of the Peninsula. It is
true that the Senate of Argos took flight, and
sought an asylum on board the ships in the Gulf
of Napoli ; but the Greeks deny that with this
all resistance on their side was at an end. It re-
mains a riddle how Chourschid Pacha passed the

defiles, as the Greeks still maintain that Odys-
seus is not a traitor, and that he still defends
himself in the pass of Thermopylae; and the let-
ters from Trieste of the 6th and 7th September
mention reports from the Morea of the 29th
August, and from Argos itself of the 20th, which
relate, with many details, the victories obtained
by the Greeks. More circumstantial accounts
must be waited for to clear up all the particulars
of the ease, and especially what force the Turks
have at their disposal in these parts, to enable us
to form a more correct judgment of the situation
of the contending parties. The accounts that
will be given in the Austrian Papers are expected
with impatience. Meantime the news that the
Greeks have not lost their courage, and 'have
taken steps to put an end to the dissentions
which have already done so much, injury, has ex-
cited the greatest joy throughout. Germany. It is
supposed that no measures will be taken by the
civil power in the north of Germany respecting
the order of the Freemasons.

UTRECHT, SEPT. 22.—For some days past there
has been a continual passage of troops through
this city, both corps of cavalry proceeding to the
Gorzel Heath, and several reOlnents of infantry

going to the camp near Zeist. Our garrison also
has left the city. ,
LIGNITZ, SEPT. 7.—On the 17th of last month
the Village of Milzig, on the Oder, two leagues
from Reusalz, was visited by a terrible hurricane,
accompanied with a severe tempest, and torrents
-of hail and rain ; large masses of rock fell down,
and a part of the Oder which was navigable the
day before, formed towards evening a perfect
sandbank, where above 30 men who were em-
ployed in loading the boats on the Oder could
walk without danger. Several vessels in the
Oder laden with merchandise were in great
danger, from the sudden deluge of water, of going
to the bottom. The inhabitants of Milzig have
lost their rich vintage ; even some vineyards have
been washed down from above, and vines and
fruit trees carried to a considerable distance into
the valley.
FROM THE DANUBE, SEPT. 7.—The corps of
the Russian army, commanded by Count Woron-
zoff, still remains stationary in the Government
of Volhynia, close to the Austrian frontiers.—
Some time ago it was reported that this General
had requested leave to retire, but it seems now
to be certain that 'he will retain the command.—
People connect this circumstance with resolutions
which they conjecture will probably be adopted
at the Congress, with regard to those countries
where the state of things has not yet attained
that degree of , solidity, which the illustrious
pacificators desire to be every where confirmed
for the general good ,of Europe. lint
,this is
much in need of confirmation.

Accounts from Moldavia cannot paint in suf-
ficiently gloomy colours the situation of Jassy.
The finest palaces have fallen a Key to the
flames, also the richest churches and monasteries;
among the latter, in particular, the fine monastery
of Golio, where the aqueduct was. Of the
8,000 houses which the city formerly contained,
scarcely the fourth part remains.
The 'Turkis!l troops have not yet left the
Principalities. The new Prince of Moldavia is
said to have been murdered on the road.

STOCKHOLM, SEPT. 10.—His Majesty has resolved not to
open the Norwegian Diet in person, and has therefore deferred
till the 17th his departure for Christiana.
SEPT. 13.—The day before yesterday Baron Stedingk ar-
rived here express from the Crown Prince; and it is said he
has brought documents relating to the proposed marriage of his
Royal Highness. What is known is, that after the usual
litany and Privy Councils were ended yesterdays, the Council of
State remained assembled for a long time in his Majesty's
apartments, and that- to.day an united Swedish and Norwegian
Council will be held.
COPENHAGEN, SEPT. 17.—As a new proof, says a Danish
paper, of the depreciation of landed property, we may mention
the sale of a fine estate of 29,000 rix dollars, upon which pub-
lic institutions and private persons had mortgages to the amoun
of 100,000 rix dollars.
HAMBITROH, SEPT. 20.
Exchange on London . 37 0-37 3.
ST. PETEASBURGH, SEPT. 6.
Exchange on London - -
Ainsterdani -
Hamburgh -
Paris ,
AUSTRIAN .FUNDS.
/ J 31etalliques - 82/
Sept. 11. . Bank Shares !. - - 857
f 111etalliques - - 8211-16
Sept. " "*-1 Bank Shares - - 882 il-5.
(The Austrian Observer of those two days is still silent re
specting the affairs of Greece and Turkey.)

106 i.