Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1890-02-21
A DAY In THE PANTHEON.
Cry OF PARIS, FRANCE
Jan. 21st 1890.
(For The Graphic.)

(For The Graphic.)
France, in her language, social
customs, science, art and literature
is q type of ancient Rome modern
lzed, and there is perhaps nothing
here which will recall Roman an
tiquity more than the architecture
of Notre Dame cathedral, the
palces and the Pantheon. This
could hardly be otherwise since
many of the structures date back
to, and some to the middle ages.
And even now we find the schools
of art and architecture we'll sup
piled with models of the Roman
column, capital, entablature, archi-
trave of grand entrances, and the
Roman arch.
The desire for land marks of
glory is as great how as in the
days of st. Louis or Napoleon,
and are seen in the grand triumph
al arches and temples. Among
those the Pantheon stands, per-
haps unsurpassed, by any struc-
ture in northern Europe. 1t
stands on the site of the tomb of
Ste Genevieve, who died in 512,
and who has ever been regarded
as the patron saint of Paris. The
history of the Pantheon shows the
wavering character of the French
people; for three times they have
with high and solemn pomp, ded1-
Gated the structure as places of
worship to their Patron Saint, and
three times they have recalled it
and dedicated it to the nation as
a temple of glory and now 1t is
dedicated to "Aux grands Eommes
la patrie reconnaissance" or to the
great men the country recognizes.
[ don't wish to find fault as to
whom the French nation delights
to honor by laying them to rest
in the temple of their Patron
Saint. But rather let the reader
Judge Of the propriety of the ma
tional selection when they learn
that Voltaire Rosseau, Mirabeau
and the furious Jacobin Murat,
who sent SO many to the guillotine
during the reign of terror in 1893,
and only stopped his awful work
when he met his end by the hand
of the lovely Charlotte Corday,
for which she also went to the
guillotine, but not to the Pantheon.
These are some of the many whose
tombs are in the vaults Of the
Pantheon. l was surprised to find
them here, yet more surprised
when l saw the epitaphs the ma
ton had given them. For exam
ple:-- Lei repose I homme de Is
nature ct de la verite; or, here re-
poses the man of nature and truth:
This with a painted hand holding
a burning torch emblematic of
light and truth is placed on the
sarcophagus of Rosseau, which we
think is hardly an appropriate
emblem of the light which the
entombed ditfused about him in
life. Voltaire has all epitapE which
is too long to reproduce, but he is
pronounced, poet, historian, phil
osopher and a combatter of the
atheist and the fanatic. Yet there
are tombs Of others whom tie
world delights to honor. Among
these we found that Of tn. re-
nowned word painter, Victor Hugo,
with his tomb covered with flowers
and wreaths of tri-colored immor-
telles and a number of souvenirs
that do just and deserving honor
to the greatest of French writers.
These tombs are all down under
the temple where the light of day
never enters, and among a forest of
columns, where one might easily
get lost.
There are echoing halls in these
vaults where our guide carried on
conversation with himself and
every word was answered back in
an echo even to the third and
fourth word after he closed. An
hours ramble in these lonely halls
with the dead Of saint and infdel,
scholar and hero, is a feature of
contrast which French, among all
nations of Europe, only can pre-
sent. The Grand temple between
the dome and first floor is in the
form of the Greek cross having
clear interior Of over 123 yards in
length by 80 in width, and dome
272 feet high. Then there is a
grand colonnade of % futed
corinthian columns 81 feet in
height, which forms the portico.
The interior is richly adorned in
frescos. Here Joan of Arc is
represented as G. simple shepherd
girl receiving her call from Heav-
en- to expel the English and place
Charles VII on the t.rone of
France. Next as soldier, and
last, as being burned as a witch at
Rouen in 1431. Here, too, we see in
most ewful reality the martyrdom
of st. Dennis, the march ef Attila