The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-09 00:00:00

THE LATE ARCHBISHOP OF PARIS.

The Chapter of the Metropolitan Church of Paris
has appointed as capitulary vicars Mgr. the Bishop
of Tripoli, and MM. Buquet, Surat, and Darbois.
The funeral of the archbishop will take place on
Tuesday, the 13th, and the purification of the
church of St. Etienne-du-Mont the following day.
On the body of the archbishop being embalmed,
it was found that one of the cavities of the heart

had been traversed by the knife. The blow was
given with such violence that the thick embroidery
of the stole could not stop it. The heart has been

s Tarately embalmed, and will be deposited in the
church of the Carmes, near those of his prede-
cessors.

One of the journals denies that the assassin
cried out, in striking the fatal blow, " No god-
dess !" (pas de deesse !) but our contemporary is
in error ; the exclamation was heard by seve-
ral persons, and Verger himself admits that he
uttered it, and declares that it was meant as a pro-
test against the doctrine of the Immaculate Con-
ception.
Among the numerous persons present at the
ceremony at St. Etienite-du Mont was Madame
Merard, a wood dealer of Ecouen, and at her
side the assassin stood for nearly an hour, dur-
ing which she was struck by his apparent de-
votion. She relates that, when the procession
made the first round, he quietly drew back his
chair, in order not to impede its passage. A little
after, when Mme. Merard's umbrella fell down, he
picked it up, and presented it to her with great
politeness. At the second turn of the procession,
when the archbishop was passing, she saw her neigh-
bour draw a knife from under his coat, and rush
with fury on the prelate. Mme. Merard seized the
man by the arm, when the knife inflicted a slight
wound in her left hand, from which the blood flowed
freely. But for this she would not hale let go her
hold of the assassin.

The incidents to which some men are subjected
in life are exceedingly strange, as has been exem-
plified in the present case. Pierre, the old valet of
Mgr. Affre, who, in li4B, supported from the bar-
ricades the almost lifeless body of his unfortunate
master carried in his arms the bleeding body of
Mgr. Sibour, his venerable successor, and placed
it in his carriage.

Verger's conduct whet at the ecclesiastical semi-
nary of Montrougo incurred no reproach ; but he
was not much liked by his companions, for he was
gloomy and taciturn, and replied in few words to
the questions addressed to him. His eyes were or-
dinarily bent on the ground, and he uelrer look-2d
the person with whom ho spoke in the face. As the

period of his stay at the seminary was drawing to a

close, some pieces of money were stolen : he was
accused and convicted of the robbery, and had in
consequence to leave the seminary.
The body of the Archbishop of Paris lay ii state
on Wednesday, from one o'clock, in a chapelle
ardente erected in the grand drawing-room et the
ground floor of the archiepiscopal palace in the Rue
de Grenelle St. Germain. The principal entrance
to the palace was entirely hung with black, and in
the midst of the hangings are placed the armorial
bearings of the family of the archbishop. The cha-
pelle ardente is reached after passing through seve-
ral rooms, hung with black, and scarcely having
any light admitted. In the chapelle, the body of
the deceased, clothed in his pontifical robes, is
placed on a satin bed. The features have not been
changed by death. They retain all their usual
expression of mildness to such a degree that a per-
son would be almost tempted to believe that the
deceased was asleep rather than dead. The hands
are crossed over the breast and touch the cross sus-
pended from his neck. On one of the fingers of
the right hand is nis pastoral ring. The bed on
which the body lies is covered above by a canopy
formed of black and white drapery, and surmounted
by the arms of the archbishop. The canopy is

surmounted by high wax tapers, and by candelabra
full of smaller ones. Twelve priests, placed ou
either side of Lhe body, recite aloud the prayers
tor the dead. Some other priests and religieuses
also pray in other places. A numerous crowd as
sembled in the forenoon in the Rue de Grenelle,
and being at last admitted passed through the
chapelle ardeute with every mark of respect and
regret. The whole scene was full of song and gran-
deur. The body is to lie in state for several days,
the public being admitted for the future at eleven
o'clock-

The Metropolitan Chapter, which temporarily
directs the affairs of the diocese of Paris, has issued
a pastoral letter to the heads of the clergy, express-
ing its deep regret at the melancholy death of the
Archbishop of Paris. The letter is followed by an
ordonnance, containing five articles, pointing out
the services which are to be daily performed in all
the churches, and announcing the day fixed for the
flinerel and the services which are to take place on
that occasion.

Verger, the assassin, is the son cf a tailor at
Neuilly. He ewes his education to protectors who
took an interest in him, from the disposition to learn
which he showed while he was pupil at the commu-
nal school at Neuilly. Among those protectors was
Mme. de Rochefort, better known by the name of
Sister Ste. Melanie. As he at the same time showed
great religious fervour his education was con-
tinued so as to enable him to eater holy orders,
and he thus became a priest. Verger was of a very
violent temper, and wherever he lived he quarrelled
with those around him. Several times, in the com-
munes where he officiated, his parishioners rose
against him. In addition to ideas against the dogma
of the Immaculate Conception, he advocated the
marriage of priests, and a number of writings ou
both these questions have bees seized at his resi-
dence. It is positively stated that he published a
few months since a pamphlet against Mgr. Sibour
and the Metropolitan _Chapter, which was seized.
He then applied to the Chamber of Appeals of the
Correctional Police on the subject, which again
condemned the work. It appears that on leaving
the court on that occasion Verger exclaimed, " Clare
a l'Archeveque I" This fact, if correct, would tend
to prove that the assassin
had given way to ranco-
rous feelings of revenge, in committing the crime
which has se painfully excited the inhabitants of
Paris.

Verger continues to display the same calm as he
did in the execution of his crime and at the moment
of his interrogatory. Ho relates with a sort of in-
difference and with great minuteness of detail his
previous life, as well as his preparations for the
death of the archbishop. He manifests no repent-
ance.

A search made in the lodgings last occupied
by Verger, in the house of his brother, a dealer in look-
ing-glasses, Rue de Seine St. Germain, has led to the
discovery and seizure of numerous papers, all written by
him, and displaying great facility of style ; one of them
is a lar4e manuscript volume,
l'A biJe Verger." entitled "Notes Sur

- -
A subscription has been opened in the city, at the
Royal and Imperial Mail Steam Packet office, on behalf
of the widows and orphans, altogether 40 in number, of
tho captain, crew, &c., of the Ostend mail packet
Violet, lost on Tuesday morning on the Goodwin Sands.
Notwithstanding the payment of tcLe dividends there
wa>, an activedewapd for money yesterday in the discoant -
market, at rates slightly below those of the Bank of
England. The advances to be reimbursed to that °stab.
1,8/Lment were extremely heavy, and the amounts falling
due there during several days to come are believed to be
very large.