let me pass, and I went to the house of a Mr. Kelderman, who had formerly been one of the Czar's tutors, and was still in great favor with him; Mr. Kelderman followed me. very soon, but not before he had drank his double-eagle, and coming into his own house, he complained that he was sick with drinking, and sitting down by the table, laid his head on it, and appeared as if fallen asleep; it being a common custom with him, his wife and daughters took no notice of it, till after some time they observed him neither to move or breathe, and coming close up to him, found he was stiff and dead, which threw the family into great confusion. Knowing the esteem in which he stood with the Czar, I went and informed him of the sudden death of Mr. Kelderman. His majesty's concern at the event, brought him immediately to the house, where he condoled with the widow for the loss of her husband, and ordered an honorable burial for the deceased at his own expense, and provided an annuity for her life." Thus ended that noisy carnival, but it was some time before the members could fully recover their

senses.

EXECUTION OF CECILE RENAUD.

AMEE CECILE RENAUD, a girl of nineteen years of age, whose sensibility it appears was singularly affected by the scenes which were passing before her, and whose inagination, perhaps, was somewhat disordered by those terrible impressions, had the courage, while an armed nation bowed before its assassins, to enter alone and unarmed the monster Robespierre's den; and, as it would seem, with the intention, at the expense of life, to point out to her countrymen the tyrant under whom they groaned. Cecile Renaud went one morning to the tyrant's house, and inquired if he was at home. She was answered in the negative; and being asked what she wanted, replied, that she came to see what sort of a thing a tyrant was. Upon this declaration she was instantly led to the committee of general safety, and went through a long examination. She again declared with the same simplicity, that she had come because she

wanted to see a tyrant; and upon being searched, no offensive weapon was found upon her, and all that was contained in a little bundle, which she held under her arm, was a change of linen, with which she said she had provided herself, knowing she should want it in prison.

The father, mother, and aunt of Cecile Renaud, were led with herself to the Gonciergerie, where she was again interrogated, and threatened that her whole family should perish with her, if she did not confess her intention of assassinating Robespierre. She repeated what she had said to the committee; and added, that they might put her to death if they thought proper, but, if she deserved to die, it was not for any intention to assassinate, but for her anti-republican sentiments. Cecile Renaud, who was very young and handsome, was dressed with some care, and perhaps coquetry. Her appearance led her savage judges to invent a new species of torture in order to bring her to confession. By their direction she was stripped of her own clothes, and covered with squalid and disgusting rags, in which condition she was made to appear in the council-chamber, and undergo a new interrogatory, where the same menaces were repeated, and where she answered as she had done before; and with great spirit rallied her judges upon the absurdity of trying to shake her purpose by a mode of punishment so contemptible. Notwithstanding no proof of any intention to assassinate Robespierre, could be brought against her, she, together with her whole family, was put to death. Her two brothers, who were fighting the battles of the republic on the frontiers, were ordered to be conducted to Paris, that they might share her fate; but the tyrants were too impatient for blood to wait their arrival, and owing to this circumstance they escaped.

With Cecile Renaud perished not only her own family, but sixty-nine persons were brought from different parts and different prisons of Paris, who had never seen nor heard of each other till they met at the Conciergerie, and were together dragged before the tribunal, and declared guilty of one common conspiracy. Their trial lasted only a sufficient length of time to call over their names: none of them were permitted to make any de fence: the jury declared themselves satisfied in their souls

and consciences; and the devoted victims, covered with red cloaks worn by assassins on their way to execution, were led to death.

ARREST OF A FRENCH OFFICER BY THE INQUISITION.

THE Chevalier de St. Gervais, in his Travels in Spain, gives the following account of his arrest and examination by the Inquisition of Barcelona.

"After dinner, I went to take a walk on that beautiful terrace which extends along the port, in that part called Barcellonette. I was tranquilly enjoying this delightful place and the serene evening of a fine day, wrapped in dreams of my projects, of my future destiny, and of the beautiful Seraphine. The sweetly pensive shades of evening had begun to veil the face of the sky, when, on a sudden, six men surrounded and commanded me to follow them. I replied by a firm refusal; whereupon one of them seized me by the collar; I instantly assailed him with a violent blow upon the face, which caused him to bellow with pain; in an instant the whole band pressed on me so closely that I was obliged to draw my sword. I fought as long as I was able, but not being possessed of the strength of Antæus or Hercules, I was at last compelled to yield. The ruffians endeavored to inspire me with respect and dread of them, by saying that they were familiars of the Holy Office, and advised me to surrender, that I might escape disgrace and harsh treatment. submitted to force, and I was taken to the prison of the Inquisition.

I

"As soon as I found myself within the talons of these vultures, I began to ask myself what was my crime, and what I had done to incur the censure of this hateful tribunal. Have these jacobin monks, said I, succeeded to the Druids, who called themselves the agents of the Deity, and arrogated to themselves the right of excommunicating and putting to death their fellow citizens? My complaints were lost in empty air.

"On the following day, Dominican, shrouded in hypo

6

crisy, and with the tongue of deceit, came to conjure me, by the bowels of Jesus Christ, to confess my faults, in order to the attainment of my liberty. 'Confess your own faults,' said I to him, ask pardon of God for your hypocrisy and injustice. By what right do you arrest a gentleman, a native of France, who is exempted from the jurisdiction of your infernal tribunal, and who has done nothing in violation of the laws of this country?'—'Oh, Holy Virgin,' said he, 'you make me tremble! I will go and pray to God in your behalf, and I hope he will open your eyes and turn your heart. Go and pray to the devil,' said I to myself, he is your only divinity.'

"However, on that same day, Mr. Aubert, having in vain waited for me at the dinner hour, sent to the hotel to inquire about me. The landlord informed him that I had disappeared on the preceding evening, that my luggage still remained in his custody, but that he was entirely ignorant what was become of me. This obliging gentleman, uneasy for my fate, made inquiries concerning me over the whole city, but without being able to gain the smallest intelligence. Astonished at this circumstance, he began to suspect that some indiscretion on my part might have drawn upon me the vengeance of the Holy Office, with whose spirit and conduct he was well acquainted. He begged of the captain-general to demand my enlargement. The inquisitors denied the fact of my detention, with the utmost effrontery of falsehood; but Mr. Aubert, not being able to discover any probable cause for my disappearance, persisted in believing me to be a prisoner in the Holy Office.

"Next day the familiars came to conduct me before the three inquisitors: they presented me with a yellow mantle to put on, but I disdainfully rejected this satanic livery. However, they persuaded me that submission was the only means by which I could hope to recover my liberty. I appeared, therefore, clad in yellow, with a wax taper in my hand, before these priests of Pluto. In the chamber was displayed the banner of the Holy Office, on which were represented a gridiron, a pair of pincers, and a pile of wood, with these words, Justice, Charity, Mercy.' What an atrocious piece of irony! I was tempted, more than once,

to singe, with my blazing taper, the hideous visage of one of these jacobins, but my good genius prevented me. One of them advised me, with an air of mildness, to confess my sin. My great sin,' replied I, is to have entered a country where the priests trample humanity under foot, and assume the cloak of religion to persecute virtue and

innocence.'

'Yes, my conscience Tremble, if the regi

"Is that all you have to say?' is free from alarm and from remorse. ment to which I belong should hear of my imprisonment: they would trample over ten regiments of Spaniards to rescue me from your barbarity.' 'God alone is master; our duty is to watch over his flock as faithful shepherds; our hearts are afflicted; but you must return to your prison, until you think proper to make a confession of your fault.' I then retired, casting upon my judges a look of contempt and indignation.

*

"As soon as I returned to my prison, I most anxiously considered what could be the cause of this severe treatment. I was far from suspecting that it could be owing to my answer to the mendicant friar concerning the Virgin and her lights. However, Mr. Aubert being persuaded that the Inquisition alone had been the cause of my disappearance, placed spies upon all their steps. One of them informed him that three monks of the Dominican order, were about to set out for Rome, being deputed to the conventual assembly which was to be held there. He immediately wrote M. de Cholet, commandant at Perpignan, to inform him how I had disappeared, of his suspicions as to the cause, and of the passage of the three jacobins through Perpignan, desiring him to arrest them, and not to set them at liberty till I should be released.

"M. de Cholet embraced, with alacrity, this opportunity of vengeance, and issued orders, at the gates of the town, to seize three reverend personages. They arrived about noon, in high spirits and with keen appetites, and demanded of the sentinel, which was the best hotel. The officer

A mendicant having come to his chamber, with a purse, begging him to contribute something for the lights or tapers to be lighted in honor of the Virgin, he replied, "My good father, the Virgin has no need of lights, she need only to go to bed at an early hour."