515 



THE ST. SIMONIANS, AND THE EGLISE CATHOLIQUE 

 FRANCHISE. 



Paris, 15 October, 1832. 



THE late prosecution of the St. Simonians, and the condemnation of 

 two of their leaders to a year's imprisonment, have had the effect which 

 might have been expected, of inducing many to visit them, and to in- 

 quire into their doctrines, who, but for the interference of the govern- 

 ment, would never have given themselves any trouble on such a subject. 

 Shall I confess that I am one of those whose curiosity has thus been 

 awakened ? Not knowing the hour of reception at the retreat of Menil- 

 montant, I went the other day, with a friend, at two o'clock in the 

 afternoon, but found the distance from the Barrier des Amandiers, in 

 the neighbourhood of Pere la Chaise, more considerable than I had been 

 led to suppose. On our knocking at the poste cochere which opens on 

 the principal street in the village or suburb of Menilmontant, we were 

 told in very civil terms, by one of the younger members of the frater- 

 nity who opened the door to us, that at that hour the brethren were all 

 engaged at their daily occupations, but that they would be happy to 

 receive us at four o'clock, which was two hours later in the day. The 

 weather was that of an October day, and had all the chilliness of the 

 vintage about it. Perhaps for the first time since their assumption of a 

 distinguishing costume, it was found to be little suited to protect the 

 wearers against the severity of a Parisian winter, of which we had that 

 day some premonitory symptoms. Their style of dress has evidently 

 been contrived for the purpose of exhibiting the human form to the best 

 advantage, consistently with that activity and exertion which is pre- 

 scribed to the new sect as a duty, and as a subject of emulation among 

 its members. The coat, or tunic, is of dark blue cloth, not longer than 

 an ordinary shooting-jacket, but meeting in the front in the form of a 

 round frock-coat. A broad leather belt is worn as a girdle, above which 

 the tunic is tight to the shape, but below it hangs in loose folds about 

 the person. From the collar-bone upwards the neck is bare. The 

 beard is allowed to grow, but not to the inconvenient length of which it 

 is worn by many of the Turks who visit Paris. The head-dress is con- 

 venient, but ungraceful, consisting of a velvet cap closely fitted to the 

 head, and without any apparent restriction as to colour. Boots of the 

 ordinary form, and trowsers as wide as is consistent with activity, form 

 the lower part of the dress. Each member is provided with a sort of 

 narrow shawl, which is also varied in colour ; not, however, at the 

 option of the wearer, but, as I was told, to distinguish his rank in the 

 hierarchy. This article of dress was formerly worn as a scarf over the 

 left shoulder, crossing the person diagonally ; but the approach of cold 

 weather, and the previous habit of wearing the throat muffled up in a 

 shirt-collar and neckcloth, had suggested the scarf to some as a protec- 

 tion, while others made use of a silk handkerchief, in a way which did 

 not match very well with the bulkiness of the beard and the collarless 

 tunic. 



On our first appearance, we had but a hasty peep into the fore-court 

 of the mansion, something between a Parisian hotel and a provincial 

 chateau, which is said to have been inherited by Enfantin, the chief, 



2 M 2 



