Middletown transcript., 1877-04-21

all the nation, the coward consented t
purchase the safety of the city; at th
same time giving the enemy permission
to march into and lay waste anothe
part of the country.
During the reign Of Lothaire, whicl
began 954. 0thO, emperor of Germany
with a vast army, marched agains
Paris. laying waste to everything befor
him as be advanced and only surpassed
by that inhuman raid in Georgia Th
city had been put under an excellen
state of defence by Hugh Capot, wht
was at that time Count of Paris.
Ohio hearing this sent word tthat b,
would make him hear so loud litanl
as would make bis ears tingle " Ac
cordingly one morning With bis army
posted on the heights of Montmartre-
which overlooks Paris-he made then
sing a Latin Psalm as loud as theJ
could bawl. The noise was SO grea
that it was heard throughout the whole
city After accomplishing this mighty
feat, he returned to Germany.
Hugh Capet, who was made king il
987, resided in Paris, which from thai
time became the chief seat of govern.
ment.
In 1902. Robert, who was surnamed
the Pious, married a second wife, Con.
stance of Providence She was ex.
tremely fond of show and amusementi
and delighted to be surrounded by the
young mobiles of Providence, then the
gayest and most civil court kingdom
known. An old historian says that
''Paris and throughout France, because
Of queen Constance became the resort
of the most vain. frivolous and dis
orderly of men,"
France, under king Philip I, who
began his reign in 1860, was in a most
wretehed condition. The lords took ad-
vantage of his Incidence, and erected
strong castles and towers in the very
neighborhood of Paris. From these
they sailed forth like chiefs of banditti
The most troublesome we're the lords Of
Montleheri and Montford; the ruins Of
the former may still be seen.
In l131, during the reign of Louis
VI, Paris was 10 a most filthy condi-
ton. The streets were narrow, full of
dirt and rubbish, the pigs were allowed
to run at large, and came in for their
share Of the immunities of the common
ers, enjoying with the rest the freedom
Of the city. They did not, however, at
that day, possess the politeness for
which the other citizens have been SO
famed.
Philip III ascended the throne in
1880. France was in a quiet state and
the king took advantage of this leisure
to improve and beautify Paris 1t was
much larger now extending beyond the
small island in the Seine. With a wall,
be enclosed the buildings. gardens and
other cultivated lands that bordered on
each side of the river. 1t took about
thirty years to complete it; but when
done, Paris was most four times its
original size. He also had erected out
side of the walls, great gloomy struc-
ture; which. according to the times,
was both castle and a prison. 1t is
called the Louvre, and stands at the
present time in the heart of the city of
Paris. He also built market-house
for the merchants, an aqueduct. and
had two of the principal streets paved
with large fiat stones; the accumulation
of dirt has since been so great that it is
now seven or eight feet below the pres
ent surface.
During the reign of Louis TX, which
began in 1926. the parliament of Paris
was established; besides being a court
of justice it was employed to register
the kings ediets.
Philip V, surnamed the long, began
bis reign in 1916, removed his residence
from the island in the Seine to the
Louvre.
Under Philip VI, who reigned from
1928 to 1850, Paris was forlorn and
,desolate. The houses we're falling to
ruin, the streets oVergrown with rank
weeds and the people seemed downcast.
About the middle of the fourteenth
century, Paris was much improved and
their customs singular The first sounds
that greeted the ears of the inhabitants
was the tingling of bells worn by per-
sons clothed in black, who traversed
the streets bemoaning the death of those
who had passed away during the night;
and calling on the christians to pray for
the souls of the departed. Next came
those who attended to the baths, bid
ding persons who wished to bathe, to
come quickly ere the water become
cold. After this, nothing was to be
heard for some hours, but the cries of
the butchers, millers. fish, fruit and
vegetable venders. The tailors made
very conspicuous appearance, standing
with theil needle and thread ready to
mend a rent or hole in the clothes of
the passer by, if SO desired Those who
had been SO lucky as to meet with any
misfortune played prominent part in
this drama of life; they stood at their
doors and proclaimed it in loud voice
to all who passed by In addition to
all of this confusion and noise, we're
heard the cries of the monks and sehoI-
ars begging aims Another strange
custom was that those who had been
bankrupts we're forever after obliged to
wear a green cap.
The French students Of the Univer-
sity of Paris are described at that date
as being proud. vain, glorious and effem-
mate, the Germans rough and vulgar,
the Normans vain and boasting, and
the English drunknrds and coWards.-
The Royal Library at Paris, during the
reign of Charles VS. father. consisted of
but two books be increased it during
bis reign to nine hundred He is en-
titled as being the founder of this
library, which at the present time num-
bers to 2,157 ,571 volumes, besides
Vulnerable maps and engravings, and