, 1842-07-09

OiiiSS Vi u uCS HoHtcd
cures with as little conjunction a.
though it were that Of Grand Refer.
endary of the Chamber of Peers.
The office of public execu,ioner o.
Paris has, for many generations, re-
manned in the same family. and the
race ofSanson Tor Monsieur de Paris
as he is usually called-for the heads
man and the archbishop of Paris share
in common the same ;illeD may claim
the horrible privilege of having dur.
ing the last two centuries not only
spilled the blood of all that was most
atrociously criminal and ignoble in
the capital; but. also, in more recent
times. that of all hat was purest. no,
blest, best in the kingdom-the blood
of the royal martyrs, and Of those
whose fidelity to their cause led to
their being involved in the same cruel
fate. What an awful chronicle might
be compiled from the observations of
this family! And yet. these Sansons,
born and bred to so detestable an in
heritance that the heart sickens at
the mere-thought of it, and the imagi-
nation cannot diveSt itself of the idea
that persons exercising their func,
lions must. n~ecessarially. be charac.
terized by cruelty and brutality these
men--who are avoided rs Parias.
forbidden to enter into a public vehi
Gle or a public theatre, repulsed with
ignominious scorn from the bosom of
the community, condemned to asso-
ciate only with those Of their own
profession, and. in short. treated in a
way but too well calculated to make
their minds overflow with bitterness
towards the rest of mankind,-are
said TO be good, mild. benevolent be-
ingS; exemplary in their domestic re-
ialions. and charitable in the highest
degree TO the poor! remember hav-
ing occasion. a few years back, 10
call on a tradesman whose workshop
was situated in the street inhabited
by the executioner Of Paris, exactly
opposite TO his house; and that, curl
Gus 10 know anything Of his fearful
neighbors, | questioned the man a.
bout them, fully expecting to hear
that they were ogres Of the 'raw-head-
and tribe-obiects of
terror and e~xecration TO the whole
neighborhood. What was my as
constituent at learning thai the patri-
archial family of Samson, of which
three generations inhabited the same
dwelling, were full of the milk of hu-
man kindness, respected throughout
the district for the purity of their
lives and their extensive charities to
the poor; and that the 6~ourreau HIM
self was remarkable for Il certain de-
gree Of refinement in his tastes and
habits, his leisure hours being devo-
ted to the cultivation of flowers, and
playing on the piano! The man
further added, that Monsieur de Par
is lived in very solid comfort. that
his house was very handsome, and
that the income accruing from his
salary and purquisites amounted TO
above twenty thousand francs a year,
n large portion of which was given
away in aims TO the destitute. 'Al-
lez, madame,' said my informant in
conclusion, Isl tout lie monde falsalt
altant de bien que lie Bourreau de
Paris, il ny aurait gueres de NAL
heureux?
At that period, there was a sort OF
morbid feeling prevalent in France
AGAINST the whole race Of execution
ers. whose unfortunate moral position
was seized upon as a pretext by
many philanthropists, and advanced
as a reason by many distinguished
writers. for abolishing the pain OF
death. Novels and dramatic pieces
appeared in quick succession, having
for their heroes bourreaus, who were
models of benevolence and refine
ment. and, of course, were miserable
and unwilling victims to their com,
nulsorv and inevitable duties. Anec'
dotes of remarkable individuals among
that profession went the round OF
society, and many traits OF the San
SON family came to Light. Among
others, a strange coincidence connec
ted with one Of the ancestors OF the
present Monsieur de Paris, anu a no
bIeman distinguished in the last cen,
tury for his bravery, his talents and
his mis%(ortunes, struck me as beng an
interesting illustration of the mysi is.
rious workings Of fate; and as 1t.
subject is not a matter OF DOUBT, oG'
has received the stamp oil
tv.Eas it belongs to the province o
history and not of romance, l nave
not SCRUBBED, in stretching the anec.
J Dot to give at full length the name: