New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-12-22
A Bishop Two Hundred Years Old-Bossuet's Re
appearance in his own Cathedral.

appearance in his own Cathedral.
Paris Correspondence of the National Intelgencer.
PARIS, Nov. 20, 1854.
Strange as it may seem, the exact spot where
reposed the remains of acques Benigne Bossuet,
the great and good Catholic divine and pulpit or
ator, one of the brightest illustrations of the
French church, was not known. A popular
writer, NJ. Poujoulet, in o work recently pub
lished, entitled g Letters on Bossuet,'' men
toned the fact, and suggested that search, in
order to identify his tomb, should be instituted
by the proper authorities The actual Bishop
of Meaux determined to act upon the hint, and
to this end ordered excavations to be made in
the vaults of the Cathedral Of Meaux.
Success has promptly crowned these efforts.
The excavations commenced about noon on the
9Th inst, under the direction of the Bishop, who
was guided by the instructions contained in the
will of Bossuet, and by imperfect indications
contained in some documents relating to the
tombs of the cathedral belonging to its archives,
discovered the tomb Of Bossuet after two hours
labor. The workmen first struck, at depth of
about two feet beneath the pavement, q small
stone vault. 1t was opened and a leaden coffin
| was disclosed 1t was that of NJ de Ligny, the
| immediate predecessor of Bossuet, and was sit
| uated just below the episcopal throne. Bossuet,
| it is known, had requested to be buried at the
| feet of his predecessors.
| The excavation was continuedin that direction
and soon brought to light small vault SINH
lar to the last, about six feet in length, three
| feet broad, and three feet deep. 1t asformed
| of mason's work, its walls being FIVE or six
inches thick and covered by a vaulted arch.
| The vault contained leaden coffin, about one
and three.quarter yardslon Upon the cover
| of the coffin, above the breast, was fixed q cop
per plate, on which was engraved in capital
| letters, beneath the well-known arms of the
illustrious prelates (three wheels.) the follow
| ing inscription:
| Hic auiescit resurrectiopem expectans
Jacobus Benignus Bossuet, episcopps Medenss
comes consistorianus, serenissim Dephini
prseceptor primus serenissme Ducts
Burgundim eleemosynarius, Universitntis r.
| Parisiensis priyilegiorum apostocorum
| eonservator, ct collegh Navarro
| SUPERIOR obiit ammo Dominf MDGoIV
4 die XII apris amos natus LXAVI
| menses VI ct dies XVI.
| Requiescat in pace.
The coffin lay horizontally upon thick oaken
aplank, which itself was placed across three bars
Of iron, raising it slightly from the ground.
1 By orders of the Bishop of Meaux the leaden
coffin containing the mortal remains of B0ssuei
| was opened on the 18th instant. The head was
found covered with four folds of linen, which
were cut away with pair Of scissors, and the
features were then SEEN They were much less
changed than might have been expected, con-
sidering that the body had been buried o CEN
fury and half. An artist who was present took
sseton q .ne lace as y appearea wnsn IN
conn was opened. Mnen " Was Known .naS . .ns
1eatares o. .ne aeceaseu eou.a ps sesli grea
NUMBER q persons nas'eheu 70 sne o s D.
In the night of the 18th glass was fixed over
the face 80 as to preserve it from the contact O
the external air, and the next day, at TENN thu
nl1inins, R;nsa sa;atod "aI pdst;snap onna
wnian sue nasl ~ af oras;as os ~ ~ nas
Menus pssat m~s ~
G,ose W anu satbsduai Al .ba fnot;on
osnop ~ n,s omn ~ tho
aries u ~ somm me,u ~ ~ + w"
as metl as eishaJ tha orond pIaIla,
AIter INC ulasS Hau uuisueu, liio oEoWu moAho'