Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-10-29

7 confusion would ensue if some mischievou
person were to shift score of these pos.
, partly round on some dark night. Their
are no houses to be seen, except once in th
space Of three to FIVE miles the dwelling G
one of the keepers of the forest imbedde
in the trees, and now and then cluster Q
houses dignifed by the name Of village.
A ride Of two hours brough. US to tn
old chateau of St. Pierre and the remain,
of an oil abbey. They were not of suf
cient interest to detan US long. Another
house brought US to the village of Pierre
fonds, and as We entered, far above US tow
cred the remains of the old chateau, grand
and imposing even in its ruins. We soon
mounted the hill by steep path in its
side, and walked around for some time
among th. ruins. There are three towers
and portion Of the outer walls, as also
portions of the interior editice standing,
all founded on the solid rock As we
passed around, clambcring over nasses of
ruins, we occasionally looked down into
the thick darkness of the lower apartments
through harrow loop-holes in the massy
walls. At length we met the keeper of
the ruins, with bis keys. He conducted
US down to the dungeons by a staircase
about ten feet wide, cut in the solid rock
After descending about forty steps we found
ourselves in the damp chill atmosphere of
the dungeons We passed through chamber
after chamber, perhaps $50 feet from the
staircase, and then returned by another
suite of cells, with arched ceilings and
resting on massy columns and high walls.
The masonry in some places was as perfect
as though laid within the last ten years.
Yet nearly 500 years have passed since
these gloomy vaults were constructed. 1t
was commenced in 1890 and finished in
l4O5. Some conception of the size of the
ruins may be formed when it is borne in
mind that the whole space inclosed within
the walls was, should think, about eight
or ten acres. There were formerly eight
towers all of the sane height, more than
a hundred feet above the interior of the
walls, and perhaps 500 feet above the
level Of tho plain mounted one of these
towers that still remains and looked down
upon the inner court of the chateau and
out upon the plain, and marked the mas
siveness of the walls, and did not wonder
that it had been so often besieged in vain.
The Duke of Epernon, the Marshal de Bi-
ron and the Duke of Nevers all uried in
rain to obtain possession of it by siege. !
Charles de Valois, Count Of Auvergne, bat
ered it terribly with his cannon balls in
l6l6-l7. Some Of them still lie in one
If the towers, and the marks of their vio-
ence is still visible on the walls. 1t at
asst capitulated, and by the advice of Car
linal Richelieu it was reduced to its pres
mt condition. 1t was with much reluc-
ance that at the approach of evening |
urncd from the ruins. | have seen much
'lrcady in France, at Dieppe, at Rouen. at
iaillon, at Paris, and at Compiegnc, but
nothing that has left upon my mind such
IN impression as the ruins Of the Castle Of
But my sheet is full and my time is
,one, and need say nothing about the
hurch at St. Jean Gu Bois, which has
loIhing to recommend it but its extreme
.ntiquity.