Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-11
sketch of the BastfIe.

sketch OF the Bast1les
The Bastile always was one of the most
detestable prisons in France, and among the
common people had peculiar interest from
the fact that the prisoners confined In it were
generally understood to be persons OF rank,
who had fallen under the displeasure of the
reigning sovereign. The mode of incarcera-
ting prisoners was by Lftres de cdtcha, that is
to say, by warrant professedly signed by the
king; but they were generally the product of
his favorites; who, by using the kings signet,
consigned any one to prison whom they
pleased, and thus rose the oppression and the
terrible associations of the Bastile. No fami-
ly of respectability existed in France con-
scious of being politically obnoxious, that did
net dread the lttrus de cdtchd, and all, innocent
and guilty., felt that their evil influences
might at any time consign them to the Bastile.
L'Hermit, who was Governor of the Bastile
and friend of the monster, Louis XI, so
far as the prisoners were concerned, was him
self Judge, witness and executioner. He
caused the victims sent him by the king, to
be placed on trap door, through which they
fell, striking on wheels armed with sharp
points and cutting edges; others he stihed by
closing up all air to their dungeons, or tied
stones about their necks and made them walk
into a deep, filthy pool he had provided for
the purpose. 1t is know that the monster
and his master put to death more than four
The Bastile. at its foundation, 1869, was
the entrance of Paris, at the suburb, st. An
tome, and originally consisted of two towers,
probably commanding each side of the high
way, and was more especially intended to
provide against The attacks of the English.
Two towers of retreat were erected directly
in the rear of the first, so that the road passed
over drawbridge between them. Charles
VI finally caused four more towers TO be cree
ted, with the spaces left by their isolated po
sition to be filed up by the walls of solid
masonry. in which were built apartments, the
bridge was taken away, and the road turned
out side. This originated the historically in
teresting building known as the Bastile.
The time the description from which we
quote was written, was in the days of Louis
XVI, and displays things just as they were
when Benjamin Franklin was in Paris, sup
plicating the French monarch to aid his coun-
trymen in their struggle for liberty. The
walls, which united the towers into one build
ing, were ten feet thick, and had in many
places, cells for prisoners built within them.
The towers had different names, and on their
tops were terraces sOlidly constructed, on
which occasion prisoner, as great favor,
was, in company with two guards, allowed
to walk. There was also thirteen pieces of
cannon, which were fired on days of public
solemnity or public rejOicings. 1t would be
impossible to give detailed description of
the entire interior; we must confine ourselves
to the most striking particulars.
In the corner of each cell was camp bed,
formed of iron bars, soldered into the walls,
with some planks laid upon them, with little
straw for a bed. Two doors, each seven inches
thick, studded with bolts, bars and locks, shut
up these dens. There were five ranks of cham
beers, only differing one from the other in its
horrors. The most dreadful were those known
as the iron cages, six feet by eight, composed
of strong wood, and lined with iron plates.
These were invented by Louis XI who had
two built at Loches, in which Ludovico, Duke
of Milan, was confined, and in which he ended
his days. Louis XII, while Duke of Orleans,
was also confined in one of these iron cages
The second rank of chambers for cruelty, were
in the top of the towers in these rooms man
could not stand upright, and. the windows adj
hitting light and air, were pierced through
the ten feet walls, and were INSTRUCTED by
several rows of CRATES. In many cases the
outer window CRATES were covered with cloth,
and also darkened by window shutters, fixed
in such manner that all view was intercepted
from the prisoner. These dungeons in sum-
mer were insufferaby hot, and in winter
piercingly cold. Human ingenuity, aided by
| fends, never invented more terrible places for
| the torment of human beings.
The early customs of the Bastile continued
down to the latest days of its existence. Long
after the necessity of cruelty and persecution
| ceased they were in vogue from the force of
| long habit in those who were trained in the
| prison. The business of the officials was to
! interrogate and annoy the prisoners, to lay
| snares for them and by the meanest articles
! entrap them into confessions. They pretended
| to have proof of crime, and would exhibit
| papers, but would not let their unhappy VIC
| tins see them. Their own questions and eX-
pressons were always vague, but everything
| the prisoner said or did, even his secret
thoughts were imagined and brought in judg.
ment against him. They were continually
annoyed by interrogations, with caresses and
menaces; often they were insulted in the
grossest manner and every iniiiction was put
upon the proud and spirited that human ma
| ture could bear. 1t was this insupportablt
torment, continued day after day, the false
and equivOcal promises, inexhaustible and
| constantly deceitful hopes of a release, ex
hortations of patience and blind conjeetures
finally drove the unhappy victims insane, il
| death in a more sudden form did not come tC
| their release.
The dungeons under the towers were filled
with mud from which exhaled offensive odors
and which were filed with toads, rats, nevis
and spiders. 1t was in these dark and loath
some places that the tyrant Louis II, o.
France, imprisoned those whom he was desir
Gus of destroying by protracted sufierings
| Here, in dungeons, the bottoms of which were
| covered with sharp cones, that their feet mig ht
have no resting place, nor their bodies any re-
pose, were the Princes of Armagnac, who were
taken out twice a week and scourged in tn,
presence of the Governor of the Bastile, and
every ninety days had tooth drawn out
| The eldest Of the Princes went mad under the
treatment, and the younger was released by the
death of Louis.