Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-07-25

SKETCHES IN PApIs

SKETCHES IN PARIS.
NJ de Knock . sketches have never been ,r.o.-
isse'i into English. You may wonder al thai. for
he has been keen observer Of manners ,,os.....
grcat happiness in hitting OIL characters 3.er;h,,
rSr1sisn doings with great fidelity, aud writc, In
most graceful style. At the present ,no,u,,,
the French metropolis is place Of interest. ,b.y
are ,rs,ng mcn thers just now, and may perhaps,
oy and by, cut OF their heads. By the 81, this re-,
minds me OF nm execution which Witnessed tbr,,.
and you think we'll of it, will tell you ali .boa,
beforei commence the TRANSLATION Of NJ. dc
Knocks sketches.
EIECUTI0lr IN Paris
The newspapers having announced
that man who had assassinated a wine
merchant would be executed st four o..
clock, on the Place de Grsves, 1 resolv.
ed to be present, for bad never seen
guillotine.
The current Of people carried me
along 70 the space which the police
maintained unoccupied around the IA
tai instrument. An immense multi
,ude was assembled lit con sisted sole
" OF people Of the lowest class--great
numbers OF women and children swellcd
ITS ranks! While the blood thirsty rab
BILE pressed on behind, and the feet of
the horses and the waving sabres of
the gems d'armes constrained them in
front. an officer Of the police noticed
me- and politely desired me to take a
place amongst the soldiers. who were
privileged to occupy the vacancy
around the scaffold. Here then,
stood, within FIVE steps Of the instru.
ment, which, though il was now brought
out to work the vengeance Of society
on one OF its guilty members, had, not
many years since, served the mad,
6arbarous anger Of an irfuriated mob,
let loose on the innocent supporters
OF antiquated prejudices and Interests:
out those scenes are passed; the ebulli-
ton which occasioned them has been
tempered by the triumph Of reason and,
10 France at least, they can never be
acted again.
! The clock from the neighberinp
town hall pealed forth the hour appoint.
ed Tor the execution. A dreadful pause
seemed 20 follow each heavy stroke a,
II Tell, with dull aud apparently
heightened stroke, upon the ear. For !
moment, the crowd was silent; for [,
moment, q slight shudder appeared I,
steal over its discordant and rushins
oiiiows. a supernatural chill seemed
to Psrvade the air /; the white flag or
the tower Of the Hotel de Vile seemed
to fioat in more hurried and ominous
tclds upon the rushing gale; the clouds
above were dark aud lowering; for one
short instant all nature seemed to wear
. becoming aspect, TO be in accord nc
with the deed IT was about to witness.
hut soon the clock was again silent: q
new rush was made BY the crowd; the
harsh voices Of the guards were again
heard endeav0ring to repeI them and
the whole square again presented q
scene OF hellish' passions, and hellish
curiosity.
| Heavens! what can occasion tina,
burst Of daughters Q general burst Of
laughter AZ such q moment. His hat
had fallen from the head Of one Of the
crowd, who, without having been able
TO recover 1t, was pushed away by the
current; Tufiian near, seeing advan
tage, IN the change, seized upon il.
and threw his own high in the air aboy,
the surrounding multitude; another,
Actuated by the same calculation, ex
changed it for his own, which he css,
from himj aud thus for some second.
when every second seemed an age
the sight Of this succession Of fying
hats occasiOned discordant and iafrips
} mirth.
The clock again strikes the quarter
On occasions like the present, how slew
the moments roll past! and such, I am
convinced, must be the feelings oil
every anxious 6reathless culprit, though
he we'll knows that his existence will
have ceased before the evening hour
shall have tolled from his prison clock.
| He comes. know not, but I think
the crown - silent. With what boI
low sound the wheels Of the cart pass
along the pavement! how heavily ibey
roll over each hitherto unhesdr ed stone
10 the tenant Of the cart, each stone
they pass ~ past foreVsr--eAeh stone
they leave behind dimiBishss the dis
lance that separates him from eternity.
With an air Of respectful sympathy.
an aged priest sits beside him. B1t
he himself - yOung--yonnE indeed.
Tor such a death. Nor does he Raze
on The multitude afound his eve il
bent upon the bottom Of the cart thar
bears hIm anguish and res gnAiion are
painted on bis foe fsatSres--ihose
features that must soon be liked IN hor
I'D deiormity. But 10 II q human beng
endowed with a living soul that / nov
seer What shall IL be ere five min.
utes are added 70 the sges that have
preceded them : how shall the kn9s Of
the g1illotins separate the sp,Sit from
that body What mystery 4 death
Momeata nov passed quieteE than
Thought. Supported oa either side, be
slowly moonted The ascent to the gull.
o'ihs. stepping SPsS : SMALL board