346 THE COLTON PAPERS. 



The gate facing the Pont des Arts having yielded to the attack of 

 the ^citizens, nearly at the same time as that of the colonnade, an 

 assault was now made upon that which fronts the Place du Carrousel, 

 which was still defended. This attack was headed by a young man 

 of the Polytechnic School, named Baduel, who was slightly wounded 

 during the combat. Here a brave fellow in a blue frock, and a 

 pistol in his hand, went boldly up to the iron gate, and the pistol 

 which he levelled at the sentinel having missed fire, he cocked it 

 again, and threatened to fire if the gate was not instantly opened. 

 Seeing the citizens pouring in through the other entrances, the 

 sentinel obeyed this audacious command, and joined the small re- 

 mainder of his countrymen, who were slowly retiring upon the 

 Tuileries. 



It is a circumstance never sufficiently to be admired, that after 

 attending to the wounded, not only of their own party but those of 

 their opponents, and transporting them into the church of St. Ger- 

 main 1'Auxerrois to receive surgical aid, the thoughts of the citizens 

 in their then state of excitation should be turned towards the preser- 

 vation of the monuments of the arts. This national trait must not 

 be overlooked ; it is one that, we may boldly say, elevates the cha- 

 racter of the Parisian populace to so proud an eminence, that in this 

 metropolis alone could it have taken place. By common consent, 

 those parts of the Louvre which are devoted to works of art, its 

 many halls filled with the choicest specimens of ancient sculpture, 

 its noble gallery, famed throughout the world for its unrivalled col- 

 lection of paintings, were purposely spared by the irritated populace ! 

 A universal feeling of respect for these relics of genius imbued the 

 mind of the lowest classes ; every one identified himself with the 

 national treasures, and no popular tumult could have induced any 

 one of the combatants to violate that splendid repository. M. Pro- 

 sper Lafaist, a young painter, after having contributed to the capture, 

 devoted all his energies to the safety of these valuable productions. 

 He penetrated into the interior of the Museum, and did not quit it 

 the whole day. His utmost efforts, however, to preserve the picture 

 of the coronation of Charles the Tenth, by Gerard, were unavailing; 

 it was literally drilled with balls. A portrait of the same monarch 

 by Sir Thomas Lawrence, experienced a similar fate. These were 

 the only losses sustained by the Museum on this day of miracles. 

 The arts certainly owe a debt of gratitude to the young artist who, 

 with his companions, devoted themselves to this necessary but unas- 

 suming duty. I lament to add, that one of these having gone to a 

 window of the grand gallery, was struck by a ball fired from the 

 court. I know not the name of this victim of accident ; but he 

 shortly after yielded up his life as a sacrifice to his country. 



All nations and all religions seemed to have had their representa- 

 tives at this great work of regeneration, who either witnessed or 

 assisted in the struggle to recover the outraged liberties of that hos- 

 pitable country in which they had either a temporary or a permanent 

 sojourn. An individual of the Hebrew nation, animated with the 

 ancient courage of his race, at the first report of the cannon left his 

 home, without arms, to join the people. His name is Levy Abraham. 



