Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-19

The vaults OF the Franciscan and Dominican
monks OF Toulouse were formerly regarded
wonder, and almost as miracle. Every ira
weller went to visit, with sacred horror, the
corpses which were there exhibited as the we'll
preserved relies of another age and they
came away with the persuasion of having seen
excavations which repealed corruption from
human bodies. This error long maintained its
ground, from respect to the situation : but
physical aud chemical sciencelias al length be
trayed II 10 the public
. These coTpses, (says Mr.. Deppiug, in his
wonders and Natural Beauties of France
which L admit to be objects of great curiosity
'sere taken from the graves OF the church and
the cloisterS OF the converts in which they had
been buried I: where the lime siaked during
the building of the churches, had acted on
them to suchd degree to deprive them of all
their volatile particles, and reduce body of
nifty pounds weight to twelve pounds. NJ. de
Puymarin, who had weighed many OF them
found none exceeding that amount so that
i3o pounds had disappeared, without depriv-
ing the body Ofits form, leaving dust impresspl
within the human figure the intestines caught
hre and were flexible as finder; and the brain
was reduced to a powder like saw dust-a sin-
gular transformation of the once thinking part
of these bodies. The count enance, however
still preserves all its characteristic features.
On several tile expression OF the passions is
yisibly depicted, while on others the contrac-
ton of the muscles exhibits hideous grin.
Maupertuis, IN the last year of his life, often
visited these vaults, as if 10 court familiarity
with death; and he alledged that these mum
mics were apparently Laughing at the living.
physician attracted by curiosity, was SO
suddenly affected with the sight of the body
and countenanCe ofbis father who died30 years
before, that he almost expired OH the spot
which recalls to my recollection an anecdOte
that once read in an old manuscript belong.
ing 10 the Partisan library. As party of Gray
Friars OF Toulouse were talking about ghosts
and the spirits of the departed, one of their
number boldly assured them that lie would
forthwith go down, withouta light, into the
vaults in which the dead bodies were kept 1t
was agreed that he should make the expert
ment and down he went with knife, which
lie promised to fix in the ground at the end of
the vault. They waited for his return, but the
evening passed away without his appearing
aud on descending with lights, the friaFs found
their brother stretched dead on the floor In
stantiy they proclaimed miracle button closer
inspection, they perceived that the deceased
was attached to the ground by his garments,
and were at no loss to divine the manner OF
his death. Having stopped to put his knife la
the ground, he HAD unconScously transfixed
his gown, In the dark, when lie attempted to
rise he felt himself detained and his mind be-
ing at that moment filed with all the stories
which he had heard about ghosts, he no doubt
fancled that one of the dead was furnishing
him Tor his temerity. was seized with horror
and died from fear"
-Chat this story. whether true or apocryphal
10 recorded IN manuscript preserved in the Ii
Drary at Paris, we presume not to deny bnt
we nave heard il referred to d cityvery remote
from toulouse. London paper.