The sun., 1893-09-10
THE ROYAL BONES OF FRANCE.
Agitation Over tho Bodies Of tho Ancient
Kings tha. Now Lie on Storage Only.

Agitation Over tho Bodie. OF tho Ancient
Kings tina. Now Lie on Storage Only.
A few months ago I. was reported in some Of
the French papcrs that the bones OF the Kings
aud Queens OF France were left neglected in
the store rooms Of one OF tho public buildings
OF Paris. and the Figaro was the first to call. in
the name Of decency. for their respectful rein
terment. The We Contemporaries now takes up
the subject and gives the first detailed ac-
count Of the violation OF the royal tomDs dur
ing the Reign Of Terror:
In the vaults OF the Church OF Saint Denis.
resting under tho statues which represented
them. fifty Kings OF Franco and fifty Queens
slept the etornal sleep In the religious peace
OF the basilica From Dagobert l. down to
Francis l.. Henry ". Louis MIL. and Louis
NV. the Kings all reposcd there in the an
cient vaults Tho tombs in the chapels and
In the crypt became so numerous that there
was no longer any room for one more royal
corpse whom the revolution burst out
The Convention at first ordered tho destruc-
tion OF the tombs and afterward tho violation
OF the collins. On the 9th OF August. 1893.
conducted by tho Mayor. the populace entered
the basca. This Mayor was formerly priest.
and sang the Cadet Rousselle" and tho
Hymn to Mars" in the pulpit in which a short
time previously he preached the word OF God.
They were supplied with cords and ladders
and were assisted by considerable number
OF workmen. Tho troop advanced UP to tho
altar. and at first appeared somewhat sur
prlsed at tho act that they wcre about to COM
init, not having as yet lost all respect for the
sanctlty Of the place. They entered tho chapel
called the Chapel OF the Charles." where by
the side of Du Guesclin and Louis de Saucorne
were the remains Of Charles V. and his wife.
Charles VI. and Charles VII. They struck
with heavy hammers tho "datested faces OF
the tyrants" and they salutcd with shouts OF
10y the skilful blows that shattered the mar
They would not break tho monument Of
Turenne because it had not been raised to tho
sl%ry naTs p tba ap " Tnr,nr Ka$ but they Hx not
finished smashing the stones. whom they had
sufficiently; amid roars OF laughter. broicnth tho
they resolved to open tho collins. because. no.
ecording to tho lcEen14s several OF thern CON
ever. consisted Of n few threads Of bogus gold
- tho coffin Of Pepin and the seal OF Constance
Upon each coffin thcro was an inscription
upon plate Of lead or copper, They were
torn Of. Ono Of them that Of Louis NV. was
who used 1t us a saucepan. Some OF the bones
were thrown into the cemetery, but the great
three days. the 9th, 7ih. and Htn Of August.
nity-one tombs wcro DESTROYED. Tho news
event was eelobr@!e ~ the feast q, the, 10Th
q e. August FoE all that it Wa GonsidS[od that
broken the images Of tho kings; now they de-
A crowd OF citizens OF Saint Denis. joined by |
before the tomb Of Turemrc. They found the |
coilln in a vault placed Immediately under tho |
Of hero T@' Of %shh vt Tine
q Tried mam%y W. %%' H@aod n Rpin'eafs the care
box and deposited IT in tho Sncrlsty. and for |
eight months he exhibited ii as u curious relic
GedFSfdh ESh lee pr5s Of IN bo S9 bH%s
hetook out the teeth OF Tho great Turcnne and |
sold them one by one. When this outrage was
discovered the body was scnt to tho jardin d"s |
ilantes; and two years afterward it was placed
y the Temple OF Mars formerly tho Church Of
In the afternoon Eobes picrro arrived. Ho
would not have any nonsense over the tyrants
o. the middle ages. What he wanted was to
entrance was found. 1t was situated / eiore
the altar and a little to the right They DO
ssGended into the crypt. and near. the door they
ranged side by side, were twenty-five tomhS at
tthe the left and on the right were those OF Henry
u rSa ana OF Slare O., de h@dnts: .u,
s9uyenirs loft Dv that good king. 1t was he
whom they sxhqmed tho iIrst., According to
emotion cane over the sbcctators when tha
royal corpse. Mobespiorre himself was Glied
way changed One would fancy that no had
ust died. An eyewitness cited by COuraJod
ANY countryman who in his lifetime saw
he image Of Henry II. on tho Pont- Nouf, or
tnywhere else, would have rccogni2ed him In
we're so lttloHitered. It looked "a u putrelac-
ION was afraid to approach his hGTOic TefnainB, |
nd that 1t wished to preserve them for all pos
omb to drag them In tho mud" And this eye-
Witness added. II placed my hands upon the