The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-05-15


cinity. beneath square tomb of white
marble, decorated with Tyre, are de-
posted the remains of Gretty, the eel
ebrated composer; whose bust had
the day before seen in the garden Of
the Hermitage at Montmorency, once
occupied by Rousseau. How refreshing
to turn from the costly and luxurious
memorials of many who had been the
torment and scourges of their time, to
these classick shades, where sleep the
benefactors of the world, men who have
enlightened it by their wisdom, animat-
ed it by their gaiety, or soothed it by
their delightful harmonies.
Amid the tombs upon the height is
low enclosure, arched over at the top
TO preserve it from the weather, but
fenced at the sides with open wire-work,
through which we observed that the
whole interiour surface was carefully
overspread with moss, and strewed with
fresh gathered white flowers, which
also expanded their fragrance from
vases of white porcelain, the whole ar
ranged With exquisite neatness and
taste. There was no name or record
but the following simple and pathetick
inscription =" FSle cherie-apec toi mes
beaur jours sont passes JUN, 1892
Above two years had elapsed since the
erection of this tomb yet, whenever
subsequently visited it, which | some
times did at an early hour, the wakeiul.
and ulwearied solicitude of maternal
regre. bad preceded me the moss was
newly laid. the flowers appeared TO be
just. Plucked, the vases shone with UNI
sullied wilderness, as if even the dew
had been carefully wiped off. How
keen and intense must have been that
affection which could so long survive its
object, and gather fresh force even
from the energy Of despair!
An inscription 10 the memory of Flea
nor, MCGOWAN, Scotch woman, recalled
to mind the touching lines of Pope
SPY foreign hands, &c.':' but though We
might admire the characteristics nation
atty, We could hardly applaud the taste
which had planted this grave, as well as
some others OF her countrymen, with
thistles. English names often startled
us as we walked through the alleys of
tomb-stones; and it was gratifying to
find that, even from these, the coarse
and clumsy, though established emblem
of the deaths head and marrow-bones
had been discarded. Obtuse, indeed.
must be those faculties which need such
repulsive bone-writing to explain to
them the perishableness of humanity.
We no where encountered any of the
miserable doggrel which defaces our
graves in England, under the absurd
name of poetry and, in fact, poetick
inscriptions of any sort were extremely
rare. Some may assign this to the
want of poetical genius in the French,
but it might be certainly more charita-
BILE, and possibly more just, to attrib-
ute it TO The sincerity of their re-
grets; for | doubt whether the LAGER
ated bosom, in the first burst of its grief,
has ever any disposition to daily with
the MUSES.. A softened heart may seek
solace in such effusion, bot not an ago
nlzed one. Some rhyminS epitaphs
were, however, visible.
The practice of alfixing busts to
tombs seems worthy of more general
adoption it identifies and ,individualizes
the deceased, and thus creates more
de6nable object for our sympathies.
Perhaps the miniatures which we occa-
sionally saw let into the tomb-stones and
glazed over, attained this point more
eliectually, as the contrast between the
bright eye and blooming cheek above,
and the fleshless skeleton below, was
rendered doubly impressive.-Not only
is the doggrel of the English church
yard banished from Pere La Chaise. but
it is undegraded by the bad spelling and
ungrammatical construction which with
us are so apt to awaken ludicrous ideas,
where none but solemn impressions
should be felt. The order by which
all the lapidary Inscriptions must be SUBJ
mitted to previous inspection, though sa-
vouring somewhat of arbitrary regula-
| ton, is perhaps necessary in the present
excited state Of political feeling, and is
doubtless the main cause of the general
propriely and decorum by which they
are distinguished. The whole manage
ment ofthe place appears to be admira-
bly, con{ucted-decency and good order
universally prevailed-not flower was
gathered, not monument defaced, not
stone scrIlbled over. Ii was impossi-