fteps, which part in the middle, and lead you to each end of the building; at the fore part of which are four large pillars, in niches, in each of which ftands a figure. The back part of this edifice is in a circular form, with feats around it. The four figures reprefent Religion, Nature, Wisdom, and Contempla tion. Contemplation is a young man fitting down, his head refting on his hand, and his eyes fixed on the ground. This figure rather inclines towards Wisdom, who ftands on his left hand : he is an old man, has a pen in one hand, and in the other a book half wrote the most profound gravity, with a mixture of perplexity, is vifible in his countenance. Nature is the most beauful figure I ever faw; a woman with her hair hanging down her waift, and a loofe robe wrapped round her, that feems of her own making, and compofed of leaves and flowers: her air is elegant and easy; her afpect ferene and fmiling: the feems to caft a look towards Religion, to whom the figure itself rather turns. Religion is fitting down; her countenance perfectly compofed, expreffive of the moft entire fatisfaction: the has in one hand the Bible, which fhe holds out to the other figures, and with the other the points to the infide of the temple, which my friend calls The Temple of Happiness.

On turning about at entering this building, you are furprized with the most beautiful profpect that imagination can paint; the wood just below you difcovering all the feats.we had paffed: the houfe, the lawn, and the profpect beyond, made ftill more extenfive by the height we had gained." Here (faid my friend) [ pafs an hour or two every day, and amufe myfelf with thinking what each of thofe figures would fay to me, if they could fpeak. Contemplation, I imagine, would fpeak to me thus: • Man, hearken unto me; follow not the giddy multitude; they cannot lead you to wisdom, and without wifdom you cannot find the way to happinefs.'-Wisdom, I then fancy, would next make his fpeech: Though the way to me is rough, yet you find pleafure in my company; and though not all the knowledge you wifh for is within my reach, yet I will fhew you the way to the feat of happiness by my daughter Virtue, who never fails to gain admittance for her votaries.'-Nature, I think, would thus befpeak me: Friend, obferve your form; it is erect, and every way proper for the ufes you would with it: you feel yourfelf endowed with the nobleft faculties; you feel your foul bent on happiness. Survey that profpec: though it pleafes the eye, though it yields fufficient for your body, yet your foul is not fatisfied; it feems capable of, and to long for, more refined pleafure. You know you did not give yourfelf all thofe faculties, and this defire of happiness; they must therefore be the

gift of fome more perfect and wifer Being: to please him, then, must be the only way to be happy; and to keep your nature as perfect as you can, must be the only way to please him. Follow me; we shall meet with Virtue, and fhe, no doubt, will lead us to happiness.'-Religion, methinks, would lat addrefs me, and fmiling fay, Thou mortal and immortal, read this book, and be happy.'

I thanked my friend for his condefcenfion, in thus communicating his thoughts to me, and affured him they fhould not be loft upon me.

I am, your's, c.

E. W.

ENTERTAINING EXTRACTS from Monfieur LINGUET'S MEMOIRS of the B'ASTILE.

T

[Continued from page 200, and concluded.]

HE only place in which the prifoners are fuffered to walk, is the court of the caftle. This is an oblong fquare, ninety-fix feet by fixty. The walls, by which it is furrounded, are one hundred feet high, without any aperture; fo that it is in fact a large pit, where the cold is infupportable in winter, because the north wind rushes into it : in fummer it is no less so, because, there being no circulation of the air, the heat of the fun makes it a very oven. Such is the fole Lyceum, where those among the prifoners, who are indulged with the privilege of walking, a privilege that is not granted to all, may for a few moments of the day difgorge the infected air of their habita

tions.

But it must not be fuppofed that the act of tormenting, with which they keep their captives in mifery, is fuffered to relax during this tranfitory interval; for it may eafily be conceived how little they can enjoy walking in a place fo circumfcribed, where there is no fhelter from the rain; where nothing but the inconveniencies of the weather is experienced; where, with the appearance of the fhadow of liberty, the centinels that furround them, the univerfal filence that prevails, and the fight of the clock, which is alone allowed to break that filence, prefent them with but too certain marks of flavery.

This particular may be worthy of a remark. The clock of the caftle looks into the court it is covered with a handsome dial-plate; but, who would imagine the ornaments with which they have thought proper to decorate it? Chains, carved with

2 E 2

much

much exactness, and highly finished. It is fupported by two figures, bound by the hands, the feet, and the waift. The two ends of this curious garland, after being carried all round the plate, return to form a prodigious knot in front; and, to fignify that they menace both fexes alike, the artift, either infpired by the genius of the place, or elfe in purfuance of precife directions, has carefully made the diftinction of a male and a female. Such is the fpectacle with which the eyes of a prifoner are regaled during his walk: a large infcription in letters of gold, engraved on black marble, informs him that he is indebted for it to M. Raymond Gualbert de Sartines.

Yet, do not imagine that he enjoys as much of this as he could defire. The portion of time that is allotted to each prifoner to view the sky, which he can do but in part, is measured out with the most ceconomical exactnefs. This measure depends on the number of the confined. As one never enters 'till another is gone out, and as, thanks to the letters figned Amelot, this is the only funnel they are allowed to partake of, when the Baftile is full, the portion is very fmall. I perceived the arrival of a new guest, or of a new walker, by what was deducted from mine, to contribute to his recreation.

But obferve, that you are not carried away with the erroneous idea that the enjoyment of this relief, thus modified, is peaceable and complete. This court is the only paffage to the kitchen, and to thofe parts where the officers of the castle receive their vifitors; through it the purveyors of every kind, the workmen, &c. are obliged to pafs. Now, as it is requiiite, above all things, that a prifoner neither fee, nor be feen, whenever a stranger approaches, he is obliged to fly into what is called the closet. This is an opening of twelve feet in length, and two wide, made in an antient vault. To this hole, which they term the closet, a prifoner muft betake himself with precipitation, on the approach of fo much as a man with a bundle of herbs; and he must be fcrupulously careful to fhut and faften the door, for the smalleft fufpicion of curiofity would at leaft be punished with clofe imprifonment. This alternative will frequently occur: I have often reckoned in an hour, the term of duration for the very longeft walk, three quarters of the hour confumed in that inac tive and humiliating fituation in the closet.

But this not all this walk itself, fo infufficient, and fo cruelly modified, as to be rendered rather an additional mortification than a comfort, is fufpended daily, and that by the arbitrary will of the governor. If a curious perfon has obtained permiffion to vifit the prifon; if any repairs require the paffage backward and forward of the workmen; if the governor gives

a grand

a grand dinner, which must occafion the frequent paffage of his fervants, his kitchen being within, and his dwelling without; for any of thefe reafons, the walk is prohibited.

In 1781, during the hot weather for which that summer was remarkable, labouring under a vomiting of blood, oppreffed by the heat of the feafon, and by a weakness of stomach, though not occafioned, yet fomented by it. I paffed the whole months of July and Auguft, without being fuffered to quit my chamber. The pretext was, a work that was going forward upon the platforms yet the workmen might eafily have afcended on the outfide; and they did, in fact, afcend that way all that it was neceflary to convey through the court, was the ftones and other materials. This operation might have been done, as formerly, every morning before nine o'clock.

As to thofe tranfitory complaints, or fudden attacks, which can only be obviated by ready affittance and immediate application, a prifoner muft either be perfectly free from them, or must fink under them, if they are fevere; for it would be in vain to look for any immediate fuccour, particularly during the night. Each room is fecured by two thick doors, bolted and locked, both within and without; and each tower is fortified with one ftill ftronger. The turn-keys lie in a building entirely feparate, and at a confiderable diftance: no voice can pollibly reach them.

The only refource left, is to knock at the door: but will an apoplexy, or an hæmorrhage, leave the prifoner the ability to do it? It is even extremely doubtful, whether the turn-keys would hear the knocking; or whether, once lain down, they would think proper to hear it.

Thofe, revertheless, whom the diforder may not have deprived of the use of their legs and voice, have still one method left of applying for affiftance. The ditch, with which the caftle is furrounded, is only an hundred and fifty feet wide: on the brink of the oppofite bank is placed a gallery, called the paffage of the rounds; and on this gallery the centinels are posted. The windows overlook the ditch; through them, therefore, the patient may cry out for fuccour: and if the interior grate, which repels his breath, as was before explained, is not carried too far into the chamber; if his voice is powerful; if the wind is moderate; if the centinel is not asleep, it is not impoffible but he may be heard.

The foldier muft then cry to the next centry; and the alarm muft circulate from one centry to another, 'till it arrives at the guard-room. The corporal then goes forth to fee what is the matter; and, when informed from what window the cries iffue,

he

he returns back again the fame way, (all which takes up no inconfiderable time,) and paffes through the gate into the interior of the prifon. He then calls up one of the turn-keys, and the turn-key proceeds to call up the lackey of the king's lieutepant, who must alfo awaken his mafter, in order to get the key; for all, without exception, are depofited every night at that officer's lodging.-There is no garrifon, where, in time of war, the fervice is more ftrictly carried on than in the Baftile. Now, against whom do they make war?

The key is fearched for it is found. The furgeon must then be called up the chaplain muft- alfo be roufed, to complete the efcort. All these people must neceffarily dress themfelves: fo that, in about two hours, the whole party arrives with much bustle at the fick man's chamber.

They find him, perhaps weltering in his blood, in a ftate of infenfibility, as happened to me; or fuffocated by an apoplexy, as has happened to others. What steps they take, when. irrecoverably gone, I know not: if he fill poffeffes fome degree of respiration, or if he recovers it, they feel his pulfe, defire him to have patience, tell him they will write next day to the physician, and then with him a good night.

Now this phyfician, without whofe authority the furgeonapothecary dare not fo much as administer a pill, resides at the Tuileries, at three miles diftance from the Baftile. He has other practice he has a charge near the king's perfon, another near the prince's. His duty often carries him to Verfailles : his return must be waited. He comes at length: but he has a fixed annual ftipend, whether he does more or lefs; and, however honeft, he muft naturally be inclined to find the diforder as flight as may be, in order that his vifits be the lefs required. They are the more induced to believe his representations, inasmuch as they are apt to fufpect exaggeration in the prifoner's complaints: the negligence of his drefs, the habitual weakness of his body, and the abjection no lefs habitual of his mind, prevent them from obferving any alteration in his countenance, or in his pulfe; both are always thofe of a fick man. Thus he is oppreffed with a triple affiction; first, of his disorder; fecondly, of feeing himself fufpected of impofture, and of being an object of the raillery, or of the feverity of the officers; for the monfters do not abstain from them, even in this fituation of their prifoner; thirdly, of being deprived of every kind of relief, 'till the diforder becomes fo violent as to put his life in danger. And even then, if they give any medicines, it is but an additional torment to him. The police of the prifon must be strictly obferved every prifoner fhut up by himself, by day and night, whether