The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-20
THE TRUE BASTILLE.
1T WAS NOT SUCH A VERY BAD
PLACE AFTER ALL.
Prisoners Enjoyed Many. Luxuries.
Legends That Vanish Before the
Light of HistOry-Man In the Iron

1t is easier to destroy fortresses than
legends. The Bastrle fell in 1889 but false
ideas about the Bas,llle stn flourish. We
should not be surprised II they were 70
survive the plain uuth-telliug of NJ. Funck-
Brentano's "Legendcs ct Archives de Ia
Bastille," and the trenchant preface which
Nj. Sardou has contributed 10 It, For when
Aristotle said long ago that poetry
meaning. of course what We moderus
should call 'hction was more "philoso-
phical' than history, he was only pointing
out that there are certain concepts of the
external world which the mind inevitably
forms, and will not be deferred from form
ing, merely because they are shown not 10
square with the facts. This mythopoeic
tendency of the human race has involved,
among innumerabe other things a prodlg-
iously unauthentic Bastiue-the Bastille of
such melodramas as "Latude" aud "The
Dead Heart" the paint-and-canvas Bas-
tile of the last Paris exhibition, the Bias
tile of perfcrvid ELECTRICIANS like Louis
Blame. Iron cages. recalling Plessis-les-
Tours and the tortures of Cardinal da Bal
lue underground cells, the
haunts of toads lizards, monstrous rats
whose sole furniture con-
sists of huge stone, covered by a little
straw. where the prisoner breathes pest
laden air
Wrapped in the shadow of mystery con-
demued to an absolute ignorance of the
crime LAID to his charge, as well as of the
kind of punishment which awaits him, ne
ceases to belong to the world That is
Louis Blanc's fancy picture Besides the
mythopocic tendency, more specific causes
helped TO build up the legend-the menda-
ciOus stories of rOgues Ike Latude ana
Linguet, written to meet a popular demand
the desire to eXaggerate the evils of the
ancient regime, and above all, the absence
of authentic documents When the Bas-
tile was taken many of its records were
wantonly destroyed, but a special commits
sion rescued a vast number of them-up-
ward of 100000 documeuts-where were
consigned i'm 1897 to the Library of the ar
senal. There they remained slowed away
in a cellar and their very existence was
forgotten till 1910, when M. Francois RAJ
vaisson. the librarian of the place, acct
dentally came upon them under the floor of
his kitchen.
Only quite recently the work of classify
ing and cataloguing them has been com
pleted, and they are now open to public
inspection at the arsenal library, I'm rooms
specially set apart. NJ Funck-B rentano
has gone through them, and has pieced to-
gether an account of the real Bastllle
which is calculated to give sentimental
lists who declaim against that supposed
stronghold and symbol of tyranny a rude
shock.
1t is very little of an exaggeration to say
that the Battle of historic times, the Bas-
tile which the revolution destroyed, was
an exceedingly comfortable and wel-ap-
pointed residence, a kind of liberty hall or
abbey of Thelema, riValng that torture
chamber In Mr. Gilberts opera which was
Supplied with the illustrated papers. "
The underground" cells, which We're, as
a matter of fact, ground floor cells-had
long been dlsused. Each prisoner had a
good-sized room, sufficiently furnished; he
could add his own furniture II he chose. If
he could not afford to stock his own ward
robe, the authorities stocked 1t for him,
and handsomely to- Latude, complaining
of rheumatism, was supplied with furs,
He demanded a dressing gown of a smart
pattern, and promptly got IL. One, Hugonnet
grumbed at the shirts bought for him, be-
cause they had not lace cuffs Madame
SuaVe asked for a white silk dress with
green spots; they ransacked all Paris for
one, and then apologized that the spots
were stripes.
Writing materials were furnished, an6
books ad libtum-La Baumelle had Cox
volumes In his room-and any prisoner
might keep birds, cats and dogs. Musica
instruments were allowed. Renneville aC
his violin, Latude his flute; even concert!
were got up under the patronage of The
governor. Prisoners might amuse them
selves with needlework, amateur carpen
try, cards and chess; one OF them, La
Rouarle, even insisted upon being supplied
/ ard ta1
the air on the platform of the fortress, al
some were even allowed to go out in The
town They could have their own domCs
tics. Food was plentiful, and the cook
ing excellent-there Is significance In thu
complaint made by Latude that the fowls
served TO him were not larded. Nine. d.
Staai, frightened by a sound which seem
ed 10 suggest some instrument OF torture
found 1t was only the kitchen spit. Sh'
confessed that her sojourn IN the Bastill'
was |'the happiest time in her life" NJ
de Bonrepos found IL so comfortable tina
he declined to leave and had to be elected
by force.
Literary men were especially. well care'
for During Voltalre's imprisonment o
twelve days orders were given for him 4
receive the attention due to his genius.
Discharged prisoners were supplied witt
an outfit, a purse, and sometimes pen
soni The contrast between this Basull
and the Bastille of the legend gives furl
ously to think" One seems to find a.
epitome of the contrast in one little de
tail about Latude. The legend says a.
was made 20 wear an iron ring round hi
body. What he wore was truss.
AS for the traditional account of tn
fall" of the Bast,e It has long been con
demned as false. Chancellor Pasquier al
eyewitness, declares that there was NJ
serious resistance. and that the create
part of the "besieg4rs' were there merely
as idle sightseers. They included man.
fashionably dressed ladies', who left thei
carriages at the corner of the street whil'
they enjoyed the fun. rs everybody nov
knows, only seven prisoners were found II
The place. OF these three were dangerou
lunatics, confined at the request of thei
families, the four others were convicted
forgers
Louis Blanc talks of the heavy chain
which were found, the dread machines, al
instrument Of tortuTes fashioned like al
iron corselet.r The chains had been hum
round two statues which fianked the grea
clock, the dread machines were fragment
OF a broken-up printing press, the irol
corselet was a fragment of fifteenth cen
tury armor. With the main legend vanish
as was TO be expected, the subsidiary ia
bles. M Funck- Brentano makes shor
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