The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-20
The seven slecpers by tho Loire.

The seven sleepers are SAID TO have come
as pilgrims from the far East-Syria, accord
ing TO the usual yersion--ihat they might
receive the blessing Of ST. Martin. They
found the saint passing most OF his time in
a small cavern. They occupied one near it.
One day they received from st. Martin the
eucharist, and presently fell asleep. There
was no appearance OF death they remained
In n breatbless, motionless slumber for
weeks, months: andthep, though there was
no decay, 10 was thought right 10 lay them
i'm hollow rock tombs. And here
was shown the seven graves cut In
the floor. Each is shaped somewhat
like all the old Templars' tOmbs. At the
door OF the grotto there was tomb OF
great antiquity. covered by stone slab
which left a hole at one corner. Looking
through this, perceived skeleton which
bad no coffin. IL is not improbable, there
e, that these graves have been repeatedly
used for herm,ts of special sanciity. After
they passed from their living to their literal
burial. these sanity solitaries have often for
the first time begun 10 exercise influence
upon men. Legends take root In their
graves, floating fables adopt them as fathers,
and so ultimately they rise again as myths,
their bones are distributed rs charms, aud
they enter upon more real existence than
when they dwelt above The sod as II they
were already beneath il.
On the ceiling OF the Seven Seepers' Grot,
when | saw il in the summer OF 1873, there
were still discernible the fading splendors
OF the sky and heavenly bodies with which
1t had been decorated. But whoever may
slumber, Time and Naiule sleep not. The
front Of the chapel has been designed by NJ.
PAbbe Brisacier, in accordance with struc-
ture which existed in the same place in the
eleventh century. During the severe win
ter which preceded, the ceiling OF the cave
bad falen-as it fell twice before lin the
eleventh and again in The seventeenth GEN.
tury)-and OF all The interior decorations |
could now discover only lily, star,
faint tinge Of blue sky. These decOra-
ti0ns had been copied from the earliest
ages. The fall of tls roof and removal Of
the dfbris laid bare large number OF bones,
some OF which were in such position as to
be almost OF geological interest. IL looks
as If 20 early as the tenth century, perhaps.
the place was regarded as sacred one for
burial The catastrophe brought out the
fact that the ingenious Abb6 Brisacier, OF
Tours. had about the same time discovered
in the episcopal archives the names cf the
Seven Sleepers. These names will now be
| connected with seven figures, which will
have TO be evolved from somebody's inner
consciousness, on seven stained windows
now being made for the little chapel which
has been built. The names, which have
been kindly sent me by the Abbe Brisacier,
are Clemens, Primus, La'uS, Thtodorus,
| Cyriadus, Godantius. aod Innocentius.
Yon great gateway OF MarmOutler, from
which Urban III. preached the crusade, and
so earned such saintship as The nineteenth
century Vatican can recognize, is a noble
piece of architecture, but it has beneath its
turret an oubliette, recently sealed, down
which human victims were buried to a
depth not yet fathomed. There are two
westward towers also that are graceful; but
| il was the place OF execution when the lords
of Marmoutier were the judges, and they
seem even now studded with human heads.
| The glory OF this the Oldest and most aris-
tocratic convent in Northern Europe, after
| all, boyers about these grottOes, where
Gatien and Martin and dear St. Patrick
passed much OF their time. Over the graves
of these ancient saints and OF the Sleepers
there is fragrance Of fresh roses and breath
OF the myrtle, and the hymn OF the nuns in
| their church sings to my ear:
"We are such stuff
AS dreams are made of: and our ltile life
is rounded with Sleep
The abbess. who just now left me to lin
ger here little, was very careful to say that
the Seven Sleepers were buried only be-
cause really dead. She manifested naive
anxiety that it should not be understood
that they had been buried alive, and at the
same time that the preseryative power Of
| st. Martins wafer should not suffer dis
credit. She was sweeily unconscious that
the Seven were traceable back to those that
slumber at Epbesus, to the Seven Churches,
to the Pleiades, TO mans earliest dream con-
cerning the perlodicity Of those celestial
fires that go and return. Their pictured
lustres fade from the ceiling where thev
watched over these Eastern pilgrims, but
they shine in the eyes OF the sisters at Mar
moutier-eyes they have organized to
which dreams are the only realIties-M. u.
Conway, in Harpor's Magazine for Sep
,hor